Page 17 of Bound By the Vori

Kim nodded and slung the strap of her bag over her shoulder. “Ah, good. Then you do know how to use the data system. In that case, please also have an essay prepared for our meeting detailing the current sociopolitical situation on Earth and its impacts upon the human population following alien contact.”

The princess gaped. “But it is our break! You already asked me to read a silly human novel.”

“It’s called homework,” Kim replied dryly. “Welcome to inferior human education.”

With a cheerful smile and a little wave, Kim exited the room, blowing out a relieved sigh seconds before Sijhord caught her up in his arms, his tail curling possessively around her.

“Finally! I thought your shift would never end,” he playfully groused, nipping at her neck.

Lust awakened within her, and she laughed as he hauled her down the hall, his replacement smiling in their direction as he passed them. For all the teasing kisses that her mate brushed against her bare throat and shoulder, the flirtation was mild. He never went beyond teasing more than a hint of desire within her as he swept her to her appointment with the Matriarch.

Leiora she saw less frequently than Zana, relying on messages in the morning to tell her when her presence was expected. The queen was considerate enough to not comm her past midday—and had assured her that she would not during her breaks, unless she just wished to chat for a moment—but Kim had come to look forward to what she started considering her tea with the Matriarch.

When they arrived at the salon, it was to the sight of the ruler reclined, her long tail stretched elegantly over a mound of pillows as a shockingly petal pink male curled around her. He brushed a kiss along her arm, his blood red eyes rising at their entrance, a hint of a smile curling his lip at the delighted sound that the queen made in greeting.

Stretching across another mound of pillow, Sijhord drew Kim down with him so that she was comfortably supported within his coils. The subtle glides of his scales scraped faintly against her leg as her skirt bunched slightly beneath her, sending the tiniest of tremors through her. If Leiora noticed at all she didn’t say anything, though her male companion’s smile grew as he tipped his head in acknowledgment to Sijhord before picking up a vial of oil and attending to his mate.

Kim eyed the other male, uncertain of just how much of an eyeful she was going to have. After a moment or two, she relaxed when it became apparent that his hands and tail weren’t going to be questing anywhere more intimate.

Just think of it as girl talk over a massage. It wasn’t really anything more than that when it came right down to it.

Leaning against Sijhord, Kim murmured her thanks when a male hurried in, his tail slithering elegantly with ease among the cushions and handed her a drink. Kim took a long sip of the cool, fruity liquid, and she sighed gratefully at a small bite of something stronger. She hadn’t even been aware that there was alcohol on this planet. She could use a nip after the day she had—hell, after the week she had—but she wasn’t quite at the point where she was ready to beg the Matriarch for it. When she took another deeper swallow to chase the faint burn of the alcohol, the tip of Sijhord’s tail traced along her thigh soothingly in sympathy.

Leiora gave her a quizzical look as her tail lazily twined with that of her mate. Picking up her own cup, she sniffed it for a moment, her tongue flicking briefly, before closing her eyes in pleasure and taking a slow sip with a satisfied sigh. Her eyelids slowly lifting, her smile widened as Kim took another sip.

“Nixai juice,” the Matriarch murmured. “I heard that it is similar to alcohol that humans enjoy, so I thought you might enjoy a small amount at the conclusion of your first work cycle. I do not indulge often, but it is very nice.”

“It’s good,” Kim agreed as she lifted her cup to be refilled and took another sip before handing her cup back to Sijhord for him to enjoy some of it as well.

A look of surprised delight crossed his face as he accepted the cup and drank from it. He wasn’t the only one who was surprised, however. Both Leiora and her mate watched them with a wide-eyed fascination. The Matriarch’s tail twitched and fluttered slightly, the only faint motion that revealed the curiosity she was clearly feeling.

Slanting a quick gaze at her mate, the queen looked down at her own cup again and gently pushed the cup into the male’s hand with an awkward smile. The male’s eyes widened, his lips parting in surprise, and then a shy smile creased his face, making the queen’s smile widen in delight as he took the offered cup and sipped from it. Despite their obvious shared intimacy, there was something so fragile and sweet about the moment as they gazed at each other that Kim blinked rapidly to keep sentimental tears from springing to her eyes. Damn hormones. She was probably coming close to that time of the month.

As if suddenly remembering that she had company, Leiora turned, fitting herself once more against her mate. There was nothing stiff or awkward about it, however. If anything, their embrace seemed a touch more intimate than before as the male curled himself more firmly around. She directed an embarrassed look at Kim.

“Apologies. I should have introduced you. Kim es’RygoliFer, this is one of my sentry mates, Kyvel. I have, of course, already told my lovely mate all about you.”

Kim gave the male a warm smile, the sort she reserved for meeting with the parents of students. “It’s a pleasure to meet Zana’s father. You must be very proud.”

Kyvel stilled, his eyes fastening on Kim for a long minute as his cheeks darkened faintly before glancing uncertainly toward the queen. Leiora smoothed a hand along his hip, making a very soft cooing sound before apologetically turning her attention back to Kim.

She very much felt like she had just put her foot in it and hadn’t a clue how or why. Even Sijhord had stiffened behind her.

“I’m sorry, did I say something wrong?” Kim asked, glancing between the queen and the males in the room.

Leiora shook her head. “No, it is not expected that you would know. Among the royal nest, the paternal line is not acknowledged. In fact, it seldom is at all on Vora except perhaps privately,” she explained gently. “Breeding is a sensitive matter, and so among the nests all the males are considered the father. Kyvel’s genetic markers are obvious, but for the happiness of all the males it is not remarked upon, and he prefers it that way.”

Kim frowned a little. “He does?”

To her surprise, Kyvel nodded, another shy smile on his lips as he cast an adoring look at his mate before glancing back at her. “I very much love and respect my nestmates. Leiora has not birthed many nestlings, and Zana is destined to be Matriarch herself one day. I would not take any joy from any of my other nestmates by diminishing their role in her life. Especially when they all give so much to her. Our nestlings belong to us all because we are all a family, and it does not matter beyond that.”

“Except in terms of bloodlines,” the queen interrupted. “We do keep documentation so that there is no accidental inbreeding.”

“Oh,” Kim murmured. That actually made an incredible amount of sense, and with the way that Sijhord was now nuzzling her, she had little doubt that her mates wouldn’t be on the same page, delighting and sharing in any offspring that came their way.

Leiora lifted her cup for another refill with such a fond smile to the male that Kim was beginning to half-suspect that even the male tending to them was another one of the queen’s mates just to have him there in lieu of actual staff. “Speaking of Zana, how is she adjusting?”

“Ah,” Kim murmured into her cup. Taking another fortifying sip, she smiled at the queen. “It is a big adjustment, but I’m sure it will have a positive effect once she gets over being angry at me for mating Rykaal.”

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