by Octavia Kore
“Ettrian!” His face is a mask of confusion when he whips his head in my direction. “Why are you here? You should be back at the den!” His eyes search the shadows and when they finally land on my face I see and feel something I never imagined would be directed at me from my own brother. His eyes are red with hostility.
My feet seem to move of their own accord, carrying me across the grassy ground to his side and I take a moment to get a closer look at him. His quills… they are full of color. “You have found our mate!” I pull him close for a second, wrapping my arms around him before he pushes me gently away. “I never thought you would be the one to find her, but this seems to be a day for surprises!”
I turn excitedly, looking around for the Dauur female we will spend the rest of our lives with, but the only other beings are the ugly creatures Aquilian was standing with when I found him. Surely our mate cannot be one of them. My twin looks hesitantly at the older female and I feel my quills vibrate in horror. “No, no, no! You finally find us a mate and this is what we end up with?” I feel sick. “How do you mess up a mating this badly? It is absolutely hideous!”
“You can have it. I will not be touching it.” Aquilian looks just as disgusted as I feel.
This is not at all like the colorful mate I had imagined we would one day have. She’s not even the same species and, by the way she backs away, I can see she feels the same way about the two of us. If this is the female that the alien expects me to procreate with then we may have more of an issue than I had originally thought.
Most Dauur families consist of two papas and one mama, though the males are normally those who fate chooses to be together and not usually siblings. Twins, however, are different. It is believed that they are like the Sun Father’s own sons. They shared a bond so strong that when fate was choosing their mates it decided against splitting them up by giving them a mate to share. I’ve known since the day I was born that Aquilian would be a permanent part of me, my other half, but fate seems to be playing some sick joke on us considering the mate it chose to complete our family.
“Grattt, nao dere aroo two uff yoo.” The noises the female makes are the first sounds that do not hurt my head. I am still getting used to hearing as all of my neurons forge new paths, allowing me to learn how to cope with the new sensation. Out of the corner of my eye, I see my twin’s quills rustle, and I am suddenly overwhelmed with his color. I wanted that too. The need to touch our mate is overwhelming and I take a step forward, my hand hovering over her arm for a moment. As if I have committed some great offense against our female, Aquilian notches up his vibrations and grabs my wrist.
“Don’t touch her, Ettrian.”
“She is just as much mine as she is yours!” I say, my head swivelling so that I can meet his red gaze. A fire is burning inside of me at the thought that my twin does not trust me with our mate. How can he think I would ever mean to hurt her?
“Can’t you see that she’s scared? Even the kit is hiding from you.”
The kit. I had forgotten about the little one and when I look down at her I found that she is, in fact, hidden behind her mama’s body. She is an alien and perhaps she does not understand that, as her mama’s mates, Aquilian and I are now her papas. I wish that I could tell her not to fear me, that I will do anything in my power to care for her, but I do not know their language yet. The other alien said the translator will learn for me, so I must wait until then. I debate whether I should share what I have been tasked to do with Aquilian and decide against it almost immediately.
I do not wish for him to have to share the pain it is causing me to know what is expected of me. He does not need the same weight on his shoulders that I am being forced to carry. Aquilian is a sensitive Dauur and this would hurt him. To take a mate without first going through the ceremony is dangerous and puts her life at risk. If the Sun Father does not bless the union then he could find it appropriate to take her from the two of us altogether. I glance at the female and kit and then back at my twin, “What if they are hungry? Do you think they eat like we do?”
The look on his face tells me he had not thought that far ahead. He really does not have any experience when it comes to taking care of anyone but himself. With females and kits, my twin is hopeless. I suppose it is not much of a surprise considering his coloring makes him something of an outcast.
Safia is the only female in the tribe to ever take him into her sling and Aquilian was gone before the sun rose the next morning. Since that day my brother has stayed as far from the village as possible, avoiding anyone from our tribe. I had been worried and had wanted to ask him what had happened, to try to comfort him, but he never brought it up. I only hope that having a mate will help him to begin to accept himself and that he can find it within him to learn to love her and our kit properly.
Chapter 4
Inoxia
There are colorful aliens standing in front of me. As if realizing I have been abducted and dropped into a strange alien forest on a strange alien planet wasn’t bad enough, I also find that little Kareen has been taken and left here as well. Alien planet, alien animals, alien men, and a fucking six old year girl clinging to me like I’m her only hope. Yup, you could say I was definitely living out a nightmare. Fuck my whole life.
We had woken up in this place that was obviously not Earth and Kareen instantly began to freak out. Tears, snot bubbles, flailing arms, the whole nine yards. I don’t know which one of us was more scared at that point. Kareen kept asking how we had gotten here, where were we going, and I mostly had no answers for her. I knew, or could at least guess, that we had been abducted from the forest back home on Earth and dropped here. The fact that I was also beginning to panic didn’t help the situation and it only made her cry even more because she realized I had no idea how to get us back.
When the huge, terrifying alien had shown up it had given her something else to focus on. She had seemed far more willing than I was to trust the stranger. Maybe her positive experiences with the Venium, the aliens who had saved us from our war with the Grutex, had given her some sense of security. Kareen had rushed to him as if he were our savior. The fact that he had gotten down on her level and wiped her tears away had gone a long way toward endearing him to her and making him seem far more trustworthy to me than the other male.
The first alien we met, Kareen’s favorite, is so awkward that it’s almost cute. He has darker pastel colors, blacks and teal with just a dash of white all along his body. But this other one? This one has bright, vibrant colors. His blue and purple pastels are accented with red, green, and blue neons. The only dark coloring he has is the black on his hands, feet, and just at the top of his crest. His quills, unlike the first’s, are white. Both alien men are gorgeous in a very alien way and they glow in the dark like beautiful moonflowers. There is no moon in the sky here though, just a massive planet hovering insanely close, but there’s no lack of light because it seems like every living thing here glows with its own bioluminescence.
Kareen's hand is clenched tightly in mine as we walk along behind the aliens. Her wiggly fingers are a constant reminder that I can’t run away, that it is not just my life on the line. Though we can't understand each other, they try to use other ways of communicating. They beckon with their hands for us to follow, which we do, but with a reasonable amount of space between us. I don't know if I can trust these guys with my life, much less Kareen’s. She is distracted by everything around us, her eyes darting from one thing to the next and I have to admit that I myself am a little preoccupied with the new plant life.
“Xia, my legs hurt! I don’t wanna keep walking.” Kareen whines at my side as she bends over and pants dramatically.
“Come on baby, I’m sure it isn’t too much farther.” I run my hand along her back trying to soothe her. It has been a long walk and I suspect we aren’t even close to wherever it is these two are leading us. It’s going to feel so much longer if she is already whining. I study the aliens out of the corner of my eye, noticing how
they have stopped to stare back at us.
There are voices inside my head speaking in a language I have never heard and it makes me feel like I am going crazy. I can’t understand what they are saying, but I hear my name among the unfamiliar words. Whatever they said was not Inoxia though, it is like a growl and then “Xia” followed by more growls. If I weren’t on an alien planet I would probably think I was crazy. Maybe I am anyway. My alien guides haven’t made any noises aside from the vibrating of their quills and I’m starting to suspect that the strange noises inside of my head are their voices.
The second alien seems less wary and far more pushy than the first. His coloring almost reminds me of a neon tiger lily, only I’m not sure even hybrids could pull off those colors. He is the one who keeps getting too close for my liking and he makes me want to tuck Kareen protectively behind me.
“Hey, Prickly Thistle!” Mister Neon Tiger Lily looks back at me as if I have four eyes. “Hey, yes you!” My finger points to him before I move it directly in front of me like a game of charades as I try to make him understand that I need his attention. It must be clear what I want because it doesn’t take him long to close the distance between us. My hand presses against my chest, “Inoxia.” My hand moves to Kareen’s shoulder, “Kareen.” I then gesture to his chest, “And you are?”
A string of growls fill my head and I think he notices that I’m confused, because the words stop and he repeats only one. Ettrian. This only confirms I am not crazy and that the voices in my head are definitely coming from them.
“Et-tree-n” I try. It must be close enough because he nods his head in encouragement and his eyes seem to light up with pleasure. My hand moves to the darker alien, the one who was concerned by Kareen’s crying. Again he repeats a word to me until I am almost sure I got it. Aquilian. “Ah-q-will-ian,” The dark male tilts his head like he isn’t sure about what I’m saying, but the light one nods again.
My mood becomes incredibly lighter because the males obviously care that we know what to call them, and my body is humming with satisfaction. Now that the names are out of the way I just need to figure out how to get across that Kareen is tired and needs a break. I point my hand again at her little body and shake my head no.
Opening my mouth, I yawn and close my eyes and pretend I am sleeping. When I open them again, both men are looking at me in confusion. Right, so charades isn’t as easy with aliens as it would be with humans. A sigh falls from my lips as I turn to Kareen and I crouch down, opening my arms to her. “Come on, baby. I’ll carry you for a little bit.”
“Really? Are you sure?” she tilts her head.
“Yeah, I’m sure. I can do it.” She rushes into my embrace and the way she wraps herself around my body reminds me of a baby lemur clinging to its mother's chest. My knees wobble as I stand, grunting under her weight. I didn’t want to admit that I was obviously not in the shape to be carrying a six-year-old around. How did moms do this all the time? I’m trying to not freak out because last time I did she had a meltdown.
We don’t get very far before I am falling even farther behind and both males are starting to look at me with concern. Sleepy kids are dead weight. Once I catch up, Aquilian and Ettrian both shoot their arms out at the same time, offering to hold her, but Kareen recoils from Ettrian. Her fists clutch my now soiled dress as she looks between the aliens. Leaning her body to the side, she reaches for Aquilian and her eyes alight with pleasure as he grabs her effortlessly from my arms. Maybe it was a little obvious how much I was struggling. Aquilian sends an almost triumphant look at the other male as he cradles the girl in his arms and a soft vibration runs through his quills.
The moment is both sweet and unnerving and I find myself fidgeting with my fingers as he turns and continues walking. I watch as Kareen wraps one tiny hand around a quill that hangs a little lower than the others and closes her eyes. A softly whispered “good puggle” almost escapes my hearing and I feel a grin tug at my lips. Aquilian seems to grow brighter than I’ve seen since meeting him, his steps light with his obvious pleasure.
On Earth, it would be a lot harder to travel at night, but here everything glows just enough that I’m not tripping over every fallen branch or large root. Without a moon, everything feels rather alien. I wonder how his people are able to sleep when there is so much light. Are they nocturnal? My mind wanders as more time passes and at this point, I’m starting to lag behind again. These guys have way longer legs than I do and I can hardly keep up.
After the third incident of me tripping over my own clumsy feet, Ettrian swings me up into his arms with hardly any effort at all. Protesting, I try to wiggle myself out of his grasp, I’m used to men complaining that I’m way too heavy for them to be carrying, but a hand comes down firmly on my rear end, making me go still as an unexpected moan falls from my lips. We both stare at each other and my cheeks heat under his scrutiny. As I’m looking at him something rather extraordinary happens, his once completely white quills are now a powder blue at the base, white in the center, and topped with a deep red.
They’re… beautiful. My hand moves as if it has a mind of its own and runs along one of the pointed tips. They shiver beneath my touch and a growl vibrates through his chest. It is such a serene moment that I press myself closer to him, not caring that my breasts are practically covering his face as I pet his quills. If he isn’t going to make a big deal out of it, neither am I.
Is it normal for them to have quills that change colors? I’ve never heard of something like this happen. Then again, I’ve never seen aliens like these guys before. A shaking hand runs down the length of my back as he coos to me. The touch of his fingers is enough to bring me back to reality and remind me of what I am doing. I bury my face into his neck in embarrassment. Thank the gods that Kareen is sound asleep and didn’t see me acting this way.
His hand doesn’t stop rubbing my back, and I find it rather comforting despite the fact that I don’t really know him. It’s doing things to me that I’m reluctant to admit I might actually like. I have to remind myself that I don’t want a relationship or even to fall in love again… not after the last time. But sex doesn’t mean love right? You can have sex without it meaning anything, can’t you? What if these aliens think that sex is the equivalent to signing a life long contract though? That thought alone stops me from taking things any further with Ettrian and I realize I have let myself go way too long without being laid.
I must have fallen asleep in his arms at some point because the next thing that I know I am being jostled awake. I look up at Ettrian’s face, but he isn’t looking at me. My head turns in the direction of whatever the aliens are staring at and my eyes widen as the tree that we are standing in front of begins to open itself as if by magic. The two of them look on like this is something completely normal for a tree to do. The tree is one of the widest ones I have ever seen, and it only seems to grow bigger before my eyes. As I’m watching it hollows itself out and seems to make rooms out of thin air. The voices in my mind are nearly overwhelming now as they buzz around in my head just before Aquilian walks inside of the tree and disappears off to the left with Kareen.
“Hey, wait!” I yell as fear begins to consume me. Where is he going with her? Is this even safe? Ettrian runs his hand down my back again as if to tell me Aquilian is only looking out for her and then follows him inside. There is a huge leaf-like sling that attaches to the wall where he settles my sleeping little girl down. Once he touches the side it curls slightly around her like a swaddle. A soft glow lights up along his quills as he runs a careful finger over the side of her face and vibrates.
Aquilian looks over at me before he leaves the room and Ettrian moves to follow soon after with me still nestled into his arms. I squeeze his forearm and shake my head as I slide down the front of my male companion until my feet touch the ground, blushing when arousal shoots through me at the close contact. Trying to ignore the way his eyes light up with interest, I motion to the second sling, hopefully indicating I’d like to sl
eep. Nodding slightly, he moves forward and shows me how to climb in, touching my cheek briefly before he steps back and leaves the room.
The next morning I rise early, even before Kareen, who slept fitfully. Moving quietly from the room I go into the main part of the tree that we came into last night. I hadn’t gotten much of a chance to really look around between my worry over Kareen and my own exhaustion. The room I find myself in looks an awful lot like a kitchen with a counter that runs along the wall. There’s a dip that makes me think this could be a sink and there are shelves carved into the walls where small clay bowls and cups are stacked neatly. Ettrian walks into the room, pausing to look me over.
He takes my hand and pulls me toward the dip in the countertop. There’s a nozzle of some sort that appears to be part of the tree itself that hangs over. I watch as he runs his finger along the length of it and I startle a little as water begins to trickle out of the opening. My tongue suddenly feels like sandpaper and my throat is like a desert. I practically climb over him in my desperation to get a drink. I totally feel like a hamster as I lap at the nozzle, but it doesn’t matter at the moment because they might as well be giving me the greatest gift ever.
I can feel myself perking up like a peace lily who’s gone without water for too long. It didn’t occur to me that I had no idea how to stop the water until I pulled back and it begins spilling all over. I touch the nozzle the way I saw Ettrian do it and my eyes go wide with surprise when it doesn’t stop. Why isn’t it working? I move from the nozzle, letting it spill into the dip as my hand runs again and again over the length, trying frantically to get it to cease.
“Ettrian, help!” I yelp.
A light-colored hand moves around my body, caressing the stem and stopping the flow of water almost immediately. How the fuck? “I just tried that and it didn’t work!” I stomp my foot in irritation against the hard floor of the tree as I turn from him and walk to the other side of the kitchen. Looking around the room, I suddenly realize that Ettrian and I are utterly alone and wonder if Aquilian is still sleeping. Hands land on my hips, pulling me back against his hard body as he nuzzles his face into my neck. Panic fills me as I realize that he may have gotten the wrong impression from our earlier interaction. Or maybe it’s the fact that my dirty white dress is now almost completely see-through where the water has soaked into it.
