The Voris' Mate

by S. J. Sanders

  The other male, himself brilliant in hues of green and likely sought out by many females hoping to attract him as a mate, puffed out his chest arrogantly. The muscles in his arms flexed in an obvious attempt to intimidate. Unfortunately for him, Vadal had never been easy to intimidate, and after a revolution on the space station exposed to hostile males of every shape and size, he was even less so.

  “Cease with your questions, Vadal es’Etale,” the green male snarled. “We leave immediately.”

  Vadal sighed and looked toward Turlos, who still lingered nearby.

  “Please let any clients know that I am still out of office until I can resolve whatever this issue is.”

  Turlos nodded his head sharply, his wide eyes never leaving the guard. It went unspoken that whatever reason the Great Matriarch was summoning him may very well not be resolved for weeks. It was not unheard of her tying up males for years in her little side-interests and projects.

  In less than an hour, he politely rested on a single-looped coil before the Great Matriarch. It wasn’t a comfortable position to maintain, not unlike humans forced to stand in one place for long periods of time, but formality demanded it.

  The Matriarch, gilded in gold, stared down at him from the high perch of her great throne. All around her were no less than a dozen large males in a rainbow of hues. No doubt she’d picked the choicest from among the guards to serve as her mates. Three vibrantly colored nestlings played on the floor nearby. Vadal wasn’t shocked. Although having so many mates should have brought her many young in every clutch, infertility touched even the highest among their species.

  A gold tipped claws tapped on the arm of her throne as she narrowed her eyes.

  “Vadal es’Etale,” her soft sibilant voice drifted to him. The sudden impact to his body at the sound of her vocal tones made him want to recoil from the room. Although in the process of bonding to Reggie, he was not mated to her in truth. This meant that he had no natural resistance to Matriarch’s voice. As a scientist, he knew it was because of the way the vibrations manipulated his ear, but that did nothing to quell his body’s reaction regardless if it was intentional or not on her part.

  Although he felt no desire in his heart for the Matriarch, his cocks pressed eagerly forward against his salet. The Matriarch noticed and licked her thick, dark lips.

  “I have brought you before me to speak on matters of your mate, but now I see—she is not yet your mate in truth, is she?”

  Vadal slowly shook his head. With the manner in which his salet bulged, if he tried to deny it, she would know that he lied.

  “We have begun our bonding, but Reggie had asked a small time to adjust before cementing our mating,” he spoke with forced nonchalance.”

  Her eyes drifted down his body, caressing him visually, and he repressed a shudder of self-loathing as his salet threatened to part as the tips of his cocks attempted to prod free. Of all the female Vori, the Matriarch was the most powerful, and the full effect of her voice was something no unmated male was able to resist.

  Desperately, his mind reached for his Reggie. He thought of her sweet smell of warm days and summer rains. The way she smiled and flirted with Shaagra despite the deep scars he bore. He remembered the feel of her lips dragging against his in the sweetest kiss. Her laughter. The way she’d touched him the day before and showed them both such pleasure.

  Relief shot through Vadal as he felt the pressure on his salet folds decrease. No female was equal to his Reggie. None could rival the sound of her voice or the scent and taste of her skin, not even the Matriarch herself.

  Her lips curled into a smirk.

  “You are fine male, Vadal. It is most unfortunate that you had not come to my attention sooner.” She tilted her head and considered him. “You would be an excellent addition to my harem. True, you are a smaller male than my mates, but you have many gifts, it seems,” she purred. “Are you certain that this human female is enough for you? Don’t you long to be embraced by a powerful female who cannot only satisfy you bodily but also professionally? I can make many things happen for you.”

  Vadal frowned in confusion. “I don’t understand, Favored One.”

  “You value your career. You went to the space station to increase your knowledge for your studies and practice here on Vora. What if I can make all that happen for you? As my mate, it would open many doors for you. I can even let you keep your human for a brief time, until the conclusion of her breeding period for your study. You will have the opportunity to have a fully funded study and to hand-select a team with assistance of my royal medical advisor. Your name will be on the tongues of all of Vora.”

  Vadal’s eyes widened. All of his dreams were being offered to him. He would be the most renowned male of the Vori, and he could genuinely help his people without worrying where funding was going to come from. It was a small thing to surrender his body to the Matriarch for that boon. The seductive tones of her voices caressed him like water, promising him glories. All he had to do was submit and give the human female to her keeping.

  He froze, his blood running cold.

  What was he doing? How could even be tempted for even a second into giving up Reggie? To throw away Shaagra? Once more, a vision of her face swam before his eyes, and he shook loose of the Matriarch’s fascination.

  “I am sorry, Favored One, but I cannot. Your offer is most generous, and I am honored that you would wish to select me as a mate in your harem, but I cannot surrender my female. I love her, and I love my nest-brother.”

  The Matriarch scowled, her tail whipping around her, the double rattle raising up. He’d dared to refuse her. Vadal watched as the Matriarch drew close to him, her claws extending toward his body as if she would force his will or strike him dead for the insult. Her males twisted among each other behind her in agitation. Dread filled him as the males began to move around him, the angry drum of their rattles rising into the air. He was at risk both from the Matriarch and her harem if he could not soothe her temper.

  “Even though I am not a mated male in deed, I am in my heart. I mean it as no insult to you. If I were an unbonded male, I would have been happy to accept your offer,” he said, dropping his eyes. “You know our ways, Matriarch. In my heart, I am mated, bonded to my female. It is not our ways for our males to abandon our females. We are secured to her for all of our lives. I could not abandon her any more than your males could leave you.”

  The chamber fell silent. Reluctantly, he lifted his gaze. The Matriarch sighed, her face easing into a gentler expression.

  “My apologies, Doctor Vadal. I did not bring you here with this intention.” She frowned in confusion. “I do not know what came over me. I had not been aware, when I summoned you, that you had yet to formally mate your female. Even still, I did not think I would react to her pheromones quite that way,” she sighed.

  “In truth, I needed to discuss with you the matter of your human. It seems that your female will bring a lot of trouble upon you and all of us. When you assaulted the Kampi male on the space station, were you aware that he is a Kampi royal? You envenomated the first-born son of the royal compound. I have been receiving messages from the royal compound all morning. They demand that we hand over the female their compound acquired as a breeding mate.”

  She returned to her throne and rubbed a hand over her brow, the tendrils of her crown coils whipping around her face the only sign of her lingering agitation. “I have been trying to at least negotiate keeping the female until the end of her breeding cycle for our study, along with an exchange of credits to settle the matter with the Kampi, but that outcome seems impossible now with your strong bond to her.”

  Her face softened. “Only a mated male would have been able to resist as you did. Though I did not intend what happened, it has informed me much on our situation.”

  “Can I not just settle the credits to appease the Kampi and be done with it?” Vadal asked.

  The Matriarch frowned. “I had hoped that would be the easiest path and off
ered a settlement of credit. Unfortunately, the Kampi declined. Having the female returned to them is all they would accept to appease the insult of you stealing her from their family. It will also provide a young womb for the king to fertilize with a new heir.”

  “I will not let them have my mate,” Vadal hissed, barely managing to keep a threatening snarl from his tone. Even the smallest sign of hostility showed toward the Matriarch would bring down all her mates and royal guard upon him.

  “As far as I am concerned, and as far as my bonded nest brother Shaagra is concerned, she is ours. Ours to care for and find love with. I am happy to pay credits to settle the argument with the Kampi, although I see no fault in my actions given the way he abused her, but I will not surrender her.”

  The Matriarch studied him silently, her lips quirking up.

  “Very well, Doctor Vadal. As you said, the Vori males must protect their mates and their nests. This is what our culture has always taught our young, but time has shown that not all males are as honorable as you.”

  She sighed and looked at him sadly then.

  “Unfortunately, my position is a difficult one. I can’t risk war with the Kampi for one female, no matter how much my heart is inclined to do so. With this decision, I will neither be able to help you nor send Vori to protect your nest from offworld attack as is normally our custom.” She looked him in the eye, her crown coils drooping with the weight of her rule. “I am sorry, Doctor Vadal.”

  Vadal breathed deeply, his chest tightening. His nest would not be safe. The territory of Evath had many small private territories within it, and his was just one tiny piece of land, too small to provide much more than room for their nest. It had no natural defenses, nor was he near enough to his family to help protect his nest. The Kampi would overwhelm them easily without assistance.

  “Is there any small way that I may give you aid?” the Matriarch asked softly.

  He understood the subtext of her words. She would provide only the smallest assistance that would not implicate her and Evath.

  Vadal shook his head.

  “I will return to my family to protect my mate in our dense mountainous jungles of the northern region of the western continent.”

  She nodded grimly. “May the Great Mother of the Nest be with you and your nest.”

  Vadal inclined his head in gratitude, but as he turned to leave, her voice called to him again softly.

  “Oh, and Vadal?” He looked over at where she frowned from her throne, “please inform your nest brother, Shaagra if I remember correctly, that the female Ovali who attacked him has been dealt with.”

  She pressed her lips together. “I hope that the coming of humans and the reestablishment of traditional male pairs with their female will help our females cease in their madness. Tradition and nature gave females great power in choosing her mates, her protectors of her nest, but we must never abuse that. It is something we all struggle with, as we have just witnessed. There is something… wrong that I can only hope that having humans among us will help. Even still, we need to be held accountable for our misdeeds. As a message to our females, Ovali has been stripped of her mates. I hope this will send a message to all that this behavior will no longer be tolerated.”

  “What of the males?” Vadal asked with concern. Few females would consider taking males that had been previously mated to another female.

  The Matriarch smiled then. “The males are dwelling in the protection of the palace until which time they can be secured with new females. I have personally paid the credits to bring enough humans to place them with.”

  Vadal smiled for the first time since coming before the Matriarch. “That is a blessing to my ears. I am certain that Shaagra will be pleased to hear of it.”

  She inclined her head. “Go to your nest, Vadal. Take your female and hide her away with the blessings of the Mother. Keep her safe.”

  At her dismissal, he inclined his head again before departing the great room, worry chasing him with his need to return to his nest.

  Chapter 8

  Vadal moved about the nest, grabbing a travel bag in one hand as he searched out necessary supplies. Panic had set into his bones, pushing him to hurry and get his family away from the nest and hide them away in Norveth, secure in the Shagorith Mountains.

  Shaagra came up beside him, his tongue flicking, concern etched into his face as he followed Vadal’s rushed movements. Reggie trailed behind him, her face reflecting his own worry.

  “What is all this, Vadal?”

  Vadal brushed back the tendrils of his crown coils out of his face and sighed.

  “I had a visit at the clinic today…” he began.

  Shaagra frowned. “And? There are always Vori and other beings in and out of the clinic all the hours you are available. Certainly, it could not be anything worth tearing apart our nest.”

  “It can be when it’s two Vori of the elite guard requesting my time,” he snarled impatiently.

  Shaagra’s mouth dropped open, his eyes widening. Reggie just looked back and forth between them, her brow puckering with confusion. Vadal set down the bag and took her hands in his, seeking to comfort her. There was no easy way to tell her.

  “Reggie, the Great Matriarch of the Western Continent received word of your arrival. That would not be problematic in and of itself, but unfortunately, you came to her attention due to complaint from the Kampi.”

  “You mean that creep who stole me?” Reggie asked, her voice rising in disbelief.

  Vadal nodded again. “Yes, that detestable male apparently is the heir of the royal compound. The Kampi are demanding we give you back to them to satisfy the insult done against them in addition to a payment of credits. I offered credits, but they won’t accept that. So I refused. It puts the Matriarch in a difficult position as a ruler of Vora. She can’t give us aid that tradition dictates we receive without risking an all-out war with the Kampi.”

  Reggie’s eyes widened fearfully. “What are we going to do? Shaagra said our territory is small and it won’t be easy to defend. It’s why he complained about me going out with him to collect the flowers we needed. Are we gonna be safe here?”

  Shaagra hissed. “No, we won’t be safe here at all.” He threw Vadal a sympathetic glance. “I am sorry, Vadal. I know how much your studies and work in Evath mean to you.”

  Their female frowned in confusion, but Vadal shrugged. He was disappointed to lose all his hard work and the esteemed position he’d worked so hard for. But he would adapt and adjust his life around the more precious thing: their mate.

  “It is no matter, Shaagra. I will resume my research interests in Norveth.” He managed a small smile. “Who knows? Maybe without the distractions of Evath, I might be able to focus better and find a new direction of study truly worthwhile.”

  “You’re gonna give up your career—for me. To take me to this Norveth place?” Reggie stated, her mouth parting in surprise.

  He smiled and touched her face gently. “You are more precious than anything, Reggie. It is no hardship for me to give up my practice and studies in Evath. My clientele may change, but my purpose will be the same. I can do that anywhere. It is far more important that I take you where you will be safe. The best thing for us to do is to head north to the Norveth territory, where my clan has territory at the base of the Shagorith Mountains. Between the location of our territory and my large clan, you will be well protected within our borders.”

  Shaagra made a sound of agreement. “He is correct, Reggie. The territories around our capitals are difficult and rely on support from the government, but the wild territories are close to unbreachable by any enemy. The jungles of Vora are not kind to outsiders.”

  “When do we leave?” Reggie asked reluctantly.

  Vadal pulled her against his coils, wrapping his tail around her gently.

  “Within the next couple of hours. I know you love this nest, Reggie, but I promise I have a fine nest in Norveth that has been in my family for generations. It was t
he nest of my mother’s grandmother. It is comfortable and beautiful.”

  She gave him a watery, tight-lipped smile. “Okay, Vadal. I’m sure it’ll be perfect. It’s just—you guys put so much work into making a beautiful nest for us to live in. Our little love nest. It’s our home, and it’s awful having to have to leave it.”

  Shaagra leaned forward and pressed his lips against her cheek in an unheard-of show of affection from the male. Despite his dominance, he’d struggled against his traditional rearing and his anxiety to initiate contact with Reggie.

  “It is just a place, my hearts. Our nest goes with us wherever we go. All that is necessary is the three of us.”

  Reggie swiped away a tear and smiled. “You’re right. I am just being silly.”

  Shaagra returned her smile. “This will give us a great opportunity to have fun putting together our new nest together. It will be many times more magnificent than this nest. And when you are ready to be our mate in truth, we will have a fine safe territory to raise our young.”

  She blinked up at him, her lips curving with unfettered happiness. “You really do want babies, don’t you?”

  Shaagra looked over at him, startled. Every Vori male nested with their eggs, warming them and keeping vigil in their brood in anticipation of their young. This responsibility was the right and pleasure of the males of a nest. The arrival of nestlings was the happiest day for a male.

  “Of course,” Shaagra said slowly, as if there could be no doubt.

  Vadal’s hearts lightened with relief at the return of Reggie’s smile. He knew the transition was difficult, and their situation dangerous, but who knew that speaking of nestlings would ease her worries and bring a smile to her face?

  Now that things were set in motion, Vadal was eager to get her among his clan in Norveth and secure her in one of their clan’s ancestral nests. Unlike those who lived near the capitals, Vori reused the nests of their ancestors over and over again. Few expanded to build new nests unless the old nests were full; it was that rare for a nest sit empty and fall into disuse. The oldest of the nests were the most favored and cherished, worn smooth from countless ancestors. He was eager to get Reggie safely ensconced there, where not one Kampi would be able to take her from him.