by Celia Kyle
“Okay.” Footsteps retreated down the hallway.
Hiren turned to meet Sevith’s gaze, a look of agreement passing between them. They both reluctantly pulled away.
Jenna lifted her arms and stared up at them both with concern. “What? What’s wrong? Why are you stopping? We can keep going—”
“No.” Hiren shook his head. “We must stop for now.”
“If we don’t pull back now, there will be no stopping us claiming you completely,” Sevith explained. “We won’t be able to stop.”
“And this is bad because…”
“Because we want to claim you in our bed. In our family quarters, on the ship. Our first time must be special.”
Sevith stood up to his full height and rolled his shoulders back. As soon as Jenna was on her feet, he stepped forward and stole one last kiss from her before he stepped back, feeling his blood near boiling.
Jenna smoothed her hair out before looking from Hiren to Sevith with pink cheeks Sevith couldn’t stop admiring. “So, that happened, huh?”
Hiren nodded in agreement. “Yes, we will resume another time when we are in our new quarters and there will be no need to pause.” Then he stepped into the small human bathroom and began washing his face and claws.
Jenna let out a nervous laugh. She walked over—entirely naked, except for that fabric covering her teats—and took out a new covering for her mound. She stepped into it and pulled it up to her hips. Then she took out a new shirt and pulled it over her head.
Sevith watched his Oso, entranced, willing his throbbing cock to wait until later.
She paused and glanced down at his tented crotch. “You sure you want to wait for that claiming?”
“Yes,” he rasped.
She shrugged and put on her pants.
Hiren walked back in and extended his hand to her. She took it and looked up at him with a wealth of emotion shining in her eyes. It was amazing, seeing her like this. They were one step away from completing their triad.
“I will go with you to check on your siblings,” his Bahn said to their Oso. “And I will help you feed them.”
“Oh, thanks. That’s nice of you.”
“Good,” Sevith said, picking his tablet up. “And I need to communicate with the Avash.”
Sevith strode out of the bedroom, past the kitchen and into the small front room. He glanced out the window and up at the clear blue skies over Earth as he felt a sense of growing pride over what the future was shaping up to look like. It was easy to lose track of that in the midst of the chaos of the past few days, but he’d learned early on that the way to win a battle was to envision the victory and make it real. With Jenna, that was a victory worth fighting for.
Touching and tasting her yesterday led him to decide that their mating was a foregone conclusion. And now that Hiren had tasted her too and confirmed her readiness. It was the most obvious thing in the universe. She desired them deeply, regardless of any concerns she had for her old life on Earth and everything that came with that. More than that, she was interested in both of them, which Hiren had expressed some private concerns about in the past.
She’d said she was ready to be claimed. Right now.
Humans were largely monogamous, but the fact that Jenna was so willing and even hungry for both of them just served as further proof to Sevith that the two species weren’t so different after all.
And he had to admit, he’d originally been reluctant at the idea of having her siblings join their family unit, but Sevith found himself growing fond of them. Hiren had to sharply warn him not to praise Bea for inventive escape and the fact that she’d ran directly toward them to seek safety. And Noah was downright hard to dislike, with his zest for all things Drokten. Would Jenna entertain the idea of letting them train with Drokten youth back on Drokt?
And that was making Sevith all the more interested in this arrangement. He liked the family Jenna had built, and the idea of taking them back to Drokt to show them off to his people made him proud. Coming home as the vanquisher of the Zignill was a triumph, but coming home with a loving family and a pregnant female was another, even greater accomplishment.
Sevith used his tablet to access Sonam and Lochan, the two officers Jenna had been speaking with on the bridge just before he took her Tuk racing. The thought of taking Jenna on a real Tuk bike sent a ripple of excitement through his body.
“Awaiting your orders, sir,” Sonam reported.
“Excellent. I want you to ready a detachment of warriors and personal transport to send to my location.”
“Hey, Sev?” Jenna called from the kitchen before she poked her head out. “Are you going to eat with us?”
He glanced over. Her use of this shortened form of his name puzzled him so much he stopped mid-sentence and blinked at her.
She went on without missing a beat. “Are you? Hiren says he’s going to make dinner again and he’s going to show me how to cook Drokten meat sticks.”
His stomach growled in response. Hiren was an infamous grill master, and his meat sauce won competitions. Of course, he would eat dinner with them.
“Yes, one moment,” he said, holding up a clawed finger and continuing to speak into the tablet. “We require transport for no more than five—me, Bahn Hiren, Oso Jenna, and her two siblings. Send my personal guard for the security detail. And send packing materials—a dozen standard issue warriors’ bags should do.”
Sevith noticed something amiss in the gentle waves of feelings coming from his Oso. He turned to look. She was giving him an alarmed glare. He walked closer to her to find out the problem.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I am arranging transport to the ship. We can move there immediately.”
“What? For all of us? Right now? I didn’t agree to that!”
He stared at her blankly.
“...sir?” the officer asked through the tablet.
“I tasted you yesterday,” Sevith said in a matter-of-fact tone. “Hiren tasted you minutes ago. You were ready to mate and participate in the claiming. Of course the next step is to bring you to the Avash.”
“Oh my—oh my god! Shut that off,” she blurted, stepping forward and trying to snatch the tablet from Sevith. “They heard you.”
He put a calming hand on her shoulder and frowned. “That will be all,” he said to the officer and then ended the session. He met his Oso’s troubled gaze. “Why are you upset? You were happy just a few minutes ago.”
Jenna rolled her eyes and then whispered. “You can’t come in and take control of things just because we did that together,” she insisted. “That’s not how it works!”
Sevith furrowed his brow, replying at a normal speaking volume, “Of course I can, and I should.” He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. “I am the Azi of our triad. It falls to me to make such decisions.”
“Humans don’t do that!” she protested, using a hand gesture to try to make him lower his voice.
“You are no longer an Earther, Jenna. You will live as a Drokten,” Sevith reminded her, as if she had genuinely forgotten. “Your ways will be our ways, in time.”
“No,” she said firmly. “I don’t care what the mating power dynamic or whatever is. Humans don’t like to mate with people who boss them around like that.”
“I am doing what is expected of an Azi of a proud Drokten triad. I am providing for this family, my Oso. If you fear for your siblings, there is no need for that. I want to provide for them as well, to give them a future you will be proud of.”
“But that is my decision, Sevith. You need to ask me first before you make plans, like moving everyone right this second. I thought you two were coming here to take us all to the Avash tonight to visit so that Bea and Noah can see where we will be living. I’m not saying no to this, but how about you ask me first before doing things, like planning a full-on move? How about asking Noah and Bea too?”
“We will treat your siblings as if they were our own!” Sevith said, gesturing wild
ly to the living room that had long since gone silent. Did she really have no idea how radical this was for a Drokten male? Most wouldn’t even consider bringing the children of another species along if they found themselves in the same situation. “Every youth on Drokt will be jealous of them!”
“You’re not listening to me!” she insisted, taking a step closer and glaring up at him. “Look,” she said, taking a breath and trying to slow down. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but you can’t just step in and claim ownership as if you’re their father. This will take time.”
“I am not their father, but I am your Azi,” Sevith growled. “And as our Oso, your place is at my side and Hiren’s.”
Her indignant, trapped frustration hit him like a force field. He felt his pride sink, and he realized he had gone much too far. “Jenna,” he said more softly.
She blinked up at him.
“There is much about the human mind that I... have not prepared myself to adapt to,” he said, bowing his head. “I am not always able to understand why humans think the way they do, but I do not want to be misunderstood.” He reached out and took her hand, and she didn’t stop him. “I command the Drokten fleet,” he said in a soft yet firm tone. “I would bring our entire force to bear if anyone dared harm you and those precious to you. So, when I tell you I claim you and your family as my own…” He put her hands to his chest and gazed into her eyes intently. “It is a claim both of love and of protection.”
Twenty
Emotion overwhelmed Jenna and tears burned in her eyes as she stared up into Sevith’s harsh features. She trembled all over, yet felt stronger than she ever had in the past.
It didn’t take a lot of consideration to figure out why. She felt tougher and more powerful by the sheer proximity of her mates. There wasn’t a single problem that could overwhelm the growing desire that blossomed like a sun-soaked flower.
There was no going back if she agreed to his terms. He tried so hard, put in so much effort to understand her and her human ways… It was almost enough to push her over the edge. She blinked back her tears and a warm, adoring smile crept across her face. “You’re really trying. Aren’t you?” she murmured and reached up to cup his firm jaw.
“For you, I would do anything. I’d change the course of fate. I would retrieve the moons of Restar and the chosen stars by hand and give them to you as tokens of my promise,” he replied, in that straightforward way she’d come to appreciate. Perhaps it made him seem a little dense at times, but she could tell he did everything with her in mind.
He readily leaned into her touch, like he gathered strength from the simplest caress from his Oso. They stood together like that, a wealth of shared emotions washing over them both. Jenna’s fears were flushed away and replaced with a shining, golden sensation of protection. She knew now, somehow, without the faintest shadow of a doubt, that her Azi and Bahn would never do anything to harm her. In fact, they would do all within their expansive powers and authority to protect her from harm.
“All my life, I’ve kept myself so busy,” Jenna murmured, peering into the gorgeous, mysterious blue depths of Sevith’s eyes. “I’ve been afraid to let myself slow down and think about what I want. I was afraid to.”
“What were you so afraid of, my Oso?” Sevith’s voice remained just as soft as hers.
Jenna smiled. “It’s silly, but… I guess I worried that if I let myself stop and consider what I want, it would hurt too much. Losing mom and dad and then trying to rebuild after the invasion was tough. But, I mean, everyone lost someone. It’s hard for everyone. I’m not special in that regard. I just have these responsibilities—all these obligations and duties. Don’t get me wrong, I would never give up my brother and sister for any reason, not even to make my life easier. I couldn’t ever imagine a world without them. That’s not one I want to live in.”
“Then you do not have to,” Hiren slowly approached the duo, pausing beside his Azi. Beatrice and Noah followed after him, wide-eyed, but hopeful looking. “I brought them along so we could have a family meeting,” Hiren said.
“Family meeting?” Jenna answered, her eyes stinging.
She looked down to see Noah gazing up adoringly at Hiren. And then Hiren reached out and held her brother’s hand. It was so precious she thought her heart might burst.
“It’s just so hard to believe,” Jenna murmured. “I’ve spent so much time stomping on my own dreams. I always thought it had to be one or the other. I would have to be alone and without the great sweeping love story I didn’t think I deserved. Or I would have to sacrifice all the things I have now. The family I’ve strived so hard to keep together.”
“You do a good job,” Noah said quietly, his sweet little voice music to Jenna’s ears.
“You make it easy—both of you,” she answered. “I love you both so much. I never, ever would’ve dreamed of leaving you guys. You know that, right?”
“We know,” Bea answered. “Y-y-you’ve always given us everything we need. But, Jenna… you deserve to be looked after, too.”
“Yes, you deserve to feel safe and protected at all times,” Hiren asserted.
“Who makes sure you’re getting enough sleep? Enough food?” Bea pointed out.
“I’ve only ever wanted to be good enough for you guys,” Jenna mumbled.
“And you are. You are more than good enough,” Sevith assured her. “You are a fantastic guardian. It is something we Drokten struggle to comprehend sometimes. Our ways are not like yours. We failed to understand your difficulty with the duties of the Oso. We did not understand what was keeping you from submitting to fate. We could not envision anything powerful enough to keep you from us once the bond was established but… upon meeting Noah and Beatrice, we understand.”
“Love for your siblings made you hesitate,” Hiren surmised. “Love made you fearful, but it has also made you strong.”
“Perhaps even stubborn,” Sevith teased.
“I can’t deny that.” She laughed. “It’s who I am. Now you see what you were asking me to give up before,” Jenna told her two aliens, gesturing to her brother and sister.
“Yes.” Sevith nodded as he peered at them with genuine fondness. “And we would never ask that of you, my Oso. Never.”
“But, Jenna, we feel the same way as you. You’ve spent so long working hard to provide for us,” Bea remarked. “And now you’re being offered a chance at a different life—a better one than this. We can’t let you turn it down for our sake.”
“Yeah, whatever happens to us, we just want you to be happy,” Noah agreed. “If someday that means you have to leave us and go live with Hiren and Sevith, that’s what it means.”
Jenna blinked in surprise at how eloquent her brother sounded. “You’re even smarter than you let on sometimes. Aren’t you?”
Noah’s face burned bright red and he retreated slightly behind his sister.
“But no one has to be left behind,” Hiren said. “Sevith and I want you all with us. We are a family.”
Beatrice smiled stood up straight and held her head high as she cleared her throat. “I have a confession to make.”
Jenna raised an eyebrow, worry etched across her features as she prompted, “Yes?”
Beatrice peered at them all and then took a deep breath before admitting, “Jenna, remember when I eavesdropped a little bit when you were talking to Jade? I’m sorry. I know you were having a private conversation and that it’s rude to listen in, but—”
“That’s okay, Bea, I had a feeling you heard more than you were letting on,” Jenna sighed.
“But, Jenna,” Bea persisted. “Remember what you were telling Jade? About how you’re afraid of Secretary Wells and what he wants you to do? Have you told them yet about that? You have to come clean. You have to tell them… I went to Hiren because I knew he could help.”
Jenna’s body went hot and then ice cold, and she panicked for a moment at the idea of confessing her unwilling participation in the secretary’s plot. She�
��d meant to tell them the moment she got them alone, but then she was crying and then they were touching her and… oh hell, why was she stalling? She slowly looked over at Sevith and Hiren—their faces stoic and unreadable—and knew Bea was right. It was time to come clean.
“Right,” she sighed. “Okay,” she began, squaring her shoulders. “This is the real reason why I was crying earlier. I was afraid to tell you this and carrying the lie around was killing me. It may change your mind about me, but I have to tell you the truth.” She took a deep breath. “Sevith, Hiren… When I was in that room with the aide, he instructed me to accept your offer to become your Oso, purely on the grounds that I would then be able to gather intel about you two and the Drokten. I would pass on intel to Wells and his entourage. They told me it was the noble thing to do and my only option. They said my loyalty lies with my home planet and my own kind.”
She noticed Sevith and Hiren visibly stiffen and she worried for a moment that she might lose them over this revelation, but she stood her ground. She knew it had to come out—now or never.
She stepped closer to the two blue aliens, a pleading look in her eyes, and to her relief, they didn’t back away from her an inch. “You have to understand. They threatened my family. They said they would take Bea and Noah away from me and lose them so deep in the foster care system that I would never get to see them again,” Jenna went on. “I-I couldn’t just let them do that. They’re not just my siblings. They’re practically like my own kids. I’m supposed to love and care for them. I was so lost. I didn’t know what to do. But believe me when I say I have resisted Wells every step of the way. I don’t want to betray you. In fact, I don’t ever want to be without you again. I don’t need a special ceremony or official paperwork to tell me what’s already in my own heart.”
“And what is that?” Hiren pressed her gently.
“Tell us. Be truthful.” Sevith’s tone was even softer than she expected.
Jenna took a deep breath. “I know my heart belongs to you—both of you. I didn’t think it was even possible. I used to dream about meeting a Drokten warrior and having a conversation, just learning more about your culture and ways. I was fascinated. I only now understand why. It was my heart, yearning to get closer to you even before I met you both. It was this deep, unquestionable urge I never understood. I didn’t let myself dwell on it too long in the past, but now it all makes perfect sense. I’ve finally found you and I don’t intend to lose you now—any of you. Whatever I have to do to make that happen, that’s what I’ll do. But the resistance wants me to decide between you and my species.”
