“Can you fix him up first?” I ask the medic, whose foretentacle scrubs over his face before he huffs and gets to work resetting Kitaico’s joint.
My alien winces as his arm is popped back into place, and for a moment I worry he might pass out as his eyes roll back. Kitaico recovers quickly, though, as the brothers still haven’t released me, using my body for support.
“Don’t use that arm for the next few days if you’re able,” the medic tells him authoritatively before moving onto a group of more badly injured human women. Some of them got pretty beat up on the drop.
“We did it,” I whisper into his ear as I use one of the emergency blankets that’s been provided to create a sling for his arm.
“I still haven’t proven my worth. The final battle is merely delayed, isn’t it?” Kitiaco’s brows knit in confusion.
“You haven’t heard?” I ask, realizing how stupid that sounds as soon as I say it. “Of course you haven’t heard, you’ve been rescuing women while injured.”
“Heard what?”
“Chancellor Hirouz spoke with the emperor after the challenge was cut short. It’s been decided that we need every male on the planet to help care for the refugees.”
There’s a delay between my words and the realization, and when it finally hits him, a broad grin spreads across his yellow cheeks.
“We get to be together?” My mate’s voice cracks.
“Yes,” I say softly.
Kitaico’s face wavers from awed delight to a look of resolute failure.
“Without the Great Proving, how can I prove to you I’m a worthy mate? You deserve someone worthy.” Kitaico drops his brow and steps back from me as far as the brothers will let him.
“Stop that.” I swat at him before pulling his body back to my own. “You’ve proven yourself to me over and over again. You saved my life from the scripiat, you made sure I was fed, you tended my wounds, you protected me from the exiles…you were going to die for me, Kitaico. There’s nothing left to prove. If anything, I need to prove that I’m worthy of your love…because I fucking love you. Kitaico, I accept you as my mate.”
“She knew,” he whispers with misty eyes.
“What, who knew?”
“The Great Mother…she knew I was destined for you. Everything that’s happened since you dropped into my world has brought us closer together.” Kitaico cups my cheek with his good hand, his skin shifting to a light purple color, and pulls me close. “You are my destiny.”
Our lips crush together again, my body bursting with a heady cocktail of relief and affection.
Kitaico breaks the kiss, grabbing my hand and turning it over in his. His finger traces along the swirling purple mating mark.
“I only wish I could bear your mark, but I guess I’ll have to get used to bucking tradition with a human as my mate, won’t I?”
“Hold your horses. Who said I wasn’t going to mark you?”
“I have no idea what a horse is, so I don’t think I can hold them. But I might be confused in general—I thought you couldn’t mark me?” He searches my wrist for some hidden mating barb.
“You’ll see, but let’s worry about all that later. Now let’s help these women together.” I double-check his sling before nodding my head in the direction of a new flock of scared humans.
“I can’t believe we get a later,” he mutters to himself as he follows me.
Later? I hope we get forever.
27
marked
I depress the button to the space that will be both mine and Lena’s home. It’s the same quarters given to all newly mated hopefuls, but it feels special.
Because it is, it’s ours.
Lena rushes past me and nearly belly flops onto the bed, her limbs starfishing.
“This is so much softer than at the cave. I’m exhausted!” she groans into the pillow.
“I did my best.” I try not to let my feelings about the nest I built get hurt. “When the time comes and we return to the nest, I’ll build you something better.”
I sit on the edge of the comfy bed. She turns her head, frowning at me with a look of compassion.
“That’s not what I meant.” She pushes herself up from the bed and places her warm hand over my thigh. “Anywhere I’m with you is home.”
One of the brothers wraps around her waist and pulls her tightly to me, and my cock, as predictable as the sunrise, hardens nearly instantly.
“Your cock is different than a human’s, but it is so beautiful.” She runs her hand through my mating crest, skirting the base of my shaft.
My body goes still, except for the brothers. I gulp, trying to will them to stop running their lengths up and down her sides.
“I am happy it pleases you,” I say through gritted teeth.
“It would please me,” she says, her eyes behind hooded lids, “if you told me what you liked. How do you want me to touch your cock, Kitaico?"
