Page 2 of Bound By the Vori

He dipped his head in agreement. “Bring to me the male and I will see to it that his assignments are changed.” His lips twisted in a grimace. “Also inform me of the day your mate arrives. Your comm has been upgraded recently with the human languages, correct?” The male squinted at him as Rykaal answered in the affirmative. “Good. I will transmit the information for your new nest in the family quarter. You will have one quarter of a lunar cycle to nest with her before you must return to your duties.”

Rykaal eagerly nodded. Sijhord would be thrilled! He would have to be told immediately. He did not have the time or luxury to hide in his quarters in the guards’ barracks.

That was not even to be his home anymore, he mused as he left the palace after delivering a parting bow. He had the missive on his new and upgraded comm implant informing him that he was reassigned to the family wing that had been recently added in preparation for this upcoming change.

“Rykaal! There you are! I heard you were summoned for a private audience—why did the Great Matriarch wish to see you?” Sijhord es’Ferish asked, his red eyes wide with curiosity as the male met up with him upon exiting the Matriarch’s throne room.

Although fully mature with the great size of those born and bred for the guard and enforcer positions throughout the kingdom, the male had retained a youthful curiosity and wonder that had made Rykaal take an instant liking to him. He had not planned on taking the younger male under the protection of his tail, but being among the first of the Elite Guard that protected the Great Matriarch, Rykaal was one of the most experienced. He had felt a certain sympathy for Sijhord as he struggled to find his place. Life in the guard was a hard one, one in which battles for rank and position, to make up for their lack of a mated hierarchy, chewed up all innocence and joy.

Rykaal had lost his ability to stomach dominance fights and avoided them and the new recruits as much as possible. Thankfully, his position had been assured years ago. He had fought hard for it, and now that he had obtained it, he was allowed to live in relative peace.

Although recruits were only added once every five revolutions following considerable training, it wore on him a little more as time passed. News of the Great Matriarch’s decision had brought hope and lessened the dominance fights, but that had not been the case ten revolutions ago when he met Sijhord. He had not been able to stomach seeing that happen to the surprisingly cheerful green Vori. Usually males destined to be guards and enforcers were put in those positions not only due to their size but also their aggression and strength. It was strange to see a warrior-designated Vori so… happy.

Privately, Rykaal admitted to himself that his decision to protect Sijhord had also been self-serving. He wanted to touch that simple, effortless joy on a daily basis, and the male was happy to oblige.

“Well?” Sijhord prompted impatiently, and Rykaal feigned an annoyed hiss.

He swallowed thickly. “I have been selected.”

Sijhord’s brow furrowed. “For what?”

“A mate,” Rykaal rasped, hardly able to believe it himself. “I have been one among a few males selected to be entered into the Mate Index. I and any males I wish to invite into my nest will be permitted to nest with her.” To breed, but that was left unsaid. It was a thing no guard in their lifetime had ever enjoyed, and he nearly choked with the idea—and on the sudden fear that surged at the responsibility that had been placed upon him to protect a mate, nest, and nestlings.

Confusion briefly filled the gaze of the younger male but vanished as understanding dawn, and it was replaced with excitement.

“A mate? Truly?” A grin stretched across Sijhord’s face. “Rykaal, this is wonderful news! Why do you look like something has its claws dug into your tail? You should be celebrating!”

“There is due time to celebrate,” he growled gruffly, his crown coils extending out as they stirred to life in his frustration as certain worries suddenly caught up with him. “What do I know of caring for a small, fragile human female? There is a reason that those humans who have been brought to Evath avoid us. I could easily kill any one of them by mistake with a touch.”

“You?” Sijhord let out a rapid, mirthful hiss. “You give yourself too little credit. I have seen how you are with even tiny hatchlings. Even if they come as a surprise, you instinctively possess a protective and gentle touch. Do not worry so much. Have you chosen who will join your nest?”

He held back a smile at the enthusiasm practically vibrating from the other male. Perhaps having Sijhord in his nest would also help serve a sort of buffer between him and his fragile human mate. The male was jovial in ways that would put her at ease compared to Rykaal’s awkwardness and tendency for silence. He certainly could not think of another male he would rather be attached to in the most intimate terms for the rest of his life.

“Of course I have decided,” Rykaal grumbled. “Go pack up your things and meet me outside the barracks in an hour. We must see Esheb first, and then we will have to move to our new quarters. We have lodgings in a new building called the family dorm,” he iterated as he lifted his comm and read it.

He turned away, his tail flicking but a smile crept onto his face as Sijhord slapped his tail and flung his hands into the air with a happy shout.

Hopefully they would be the right kind of males that their mate needed. Surely the Mate Index Program would not have matched them otherwise. Allowing that thought to comfort him, his tail whipped rapidly as he made his way to his room. Despite his doubts, a small kernel of hope that he had felt earlier spread deeper within him. He did not have many more revolutions of service and had nearly earned his retirement. Suddenly those days of his remaining service stretching out ahead of him looked a lot brighter. Perhaps he would finally have the family he never dared dream of.

Mother of the Nests, please make it so!

Two

Kim Harris stood before the viewscreen in her cabin, watching Vora gradually get bigger as the starship Anex made its approach. She twitched, her fingers twisting together in a brief display of anxiety, but her jaw hardened, and she forced her hands to still. This is what she wanted. She was a registered voluntary bride for the Mate Index Distribution Program, not a convict with few choices. She had not only made the decision to sign up but had also chosen to which planet she wished to be assigned. She wanted to go to Vora.

She hadn’t made the decision quickly either. The opportunity had simply come at the right time in her life when she was struggling to find another position when the school that she worked at closed due to budget cuts. No one within the district or any nearby was looking for a permanent teacher with an advanced degree in the arts and humanities. She had been floating for months on her severance pay and what she was able to get from substitute teaching before she decided to strike out for a new life when her savings began to run dry. Any thought of completing the doctorate program seemed like a distant dream. She couldn’t even say for sure she would want to go back to all of that if she had the opportunity now when she had this new adventure looming ahead of her.

Determined to make a choice that fit her needs best, it had taken months of stretching her dwindling savings for her to decide which planet, during which she’d ignored the multitude of teasing jabs from her family. Assholes. It would’ve served them right if she had assigned the funds rewarded to her for registration to a charity rather than her family.

In all honesty, that probably would’ve been the smart thing to do. Unfortunately, family loyalty ran deep, and she knew that her family expected it even if they teased her and complained that she was being too picky. Since the funds didn’t pay out until after she was on board the Anex, the teasing and prodding only got worse the longer it took for her to decide. By the end, it certainly seemed like they were more interested in getting her out the door, believing that she would be happy with any male who would take her.

Because what male but an enormous alien would tie himself to a six-foot-two woman with bountiful thighs, a thick frame, and breasts that she could barely wrangle into a suitable bra? Whenever she could find one that fit right and didn’t threaten to cut off blood flow, that was. But her lack of beautiful, lacy lingerie wasn’t the issue when it came to the dating world. Men were simply intimidated by her size, and she was damn tired of looking down at all of her dates.

When she stumbled across an ad from the Mate Index Distribution Program, it seemed like a shout from the heavens. She would have a mate who—to all appearances and claims—would practically worship the ground she walked on and treat her like a queen! And if she wanted to be treasured by males next to whom she would be far daintier, then that was her prerogative. She didn’t just want to not tower over her prospective mate; she wanted to feel small and delicate for once in her life, which drew her to the larger species. That and she could privately admit to being a size queen. The idea of all that between her legs had sent a private little shiver through her.

In the end, she felt no guilt at all in narrowing her selection to not include any of the species where the males averaged closer to human height. Granted that was a small pool of species that had been removed, but it had been a good start. There had been plenty to consider afterward to narrow it down further.

She was afraid of heights, so that counted out the beautiful avian species such as the Tagith and Itashvanda. It wouldn’t be fair to mate with a male when flight was an everyday part of life. Then there were the VaDorok who were gorgeous with their pale fur and icy eyes, until she learned that their planet was covered in snow most of the year. Even the popular Edokas were sadly but quickly discarded because being shared by brothers just wigged her out despite the biological reasons behind it. But the thought of being shared by males who considered it perfectly natural and were biologically disposed toward it opened her up to fascinating possibilities that she had never really considered before. If she could have that and some tropical destination, then she would be as good as gold.

---