Chapter 5
Zalik
My mind is overwhelmed with all that has happened over the last few turns.
Within four turns I have not only a kit but my keeshla.
Not to mention an unworthy human male who is alleged to be my kit’s baba.
I shift my attention back to Riley, who glances around the building.
She gestures toward a table with a bench flanking it either side.
“We should probably sit down,” she says
With a short nod, I make my way over and settle on the hard surface. Riley does the same, but across from me. She sets her hands in her lap, and her gaze travels everywhere but to me.
“I’m not really sure where to start,” she says.
“Perhaps at the beginning would be best.”
She finally sets her hands on the table top, but picks at her fingers.
“Lara and I met when we were children. Her dad didn’t trust A.I.
or robots, so he was still hiring real people as servants and workers.
My mom was one of those people. She’d been hired as the Thompson house keeper and Lara’s parents were kind enough to let me come to work with her, so long as I didn’t bother anything. ”
Riley’s finger bleeds where she has tore off a piece of flesh. I reach across and lay my hand on top of hers to stop her from continuing to harm herself. She glances up at me and her movements halt. Slowly, I remove my hand but place it beside her own.
“Sorry, I’m a cuticle picker when I’m nervous.”
“There is no reason for you to be nervous, keeshla. It is only us.”
She gives me a weak smile and nod. “Yeah, right. Um, anyway, Lara and I became friends. Best friends, in fact, which is nearly unheard of between a bottomer and someone from the upper tier.”
I know all about the bottom and upper tiers from the human mates of my tribe brothers.
“So you were like tribe sisters?”
Riley smiles again, only this one is genuine because it makes her eyes brighten. “Yes. We may not have been related by blood, but we were as close as two sisters could be.”
“And what of this mate of hers?”
Riley sneers. “It was an arranged marriage. A business deal, really. Lara never had a say in it. Her dad and Dane’s decided to join their businesses, and Lara was part of that deal. She and Dane had only been married for six months when she got pregnant with Stella.”
Her voice breaks, and tears swim in her eyes but do not fall.
“Lara was so happy when she found out. But then Dane started in on her, saying the baby wasn’t really his.
Every day his abuse got worse.” Finally, Riley’s tears spill down her cheeks.
She wipes them away. “As soon as he started threatening to get rid of the baby—drowning it, bashing its head in, smothering it—Lara knew she had to get away. Only, with the amount of money the Winslows have, there was no place on Earth she could go where Dane wouldn’t find her. So…we came here.”
“Your tribe sister died giving birth?” My question is as gentle as I can make it.
“Stella’s birth was hard, She got stuck or something. I’m not sure. I just know Lara struggled to push her out. Once she had given birth, Lara just kept bleeding. Alice was present, but there wasn’t anything she could do to stop it.”
Riley takes in a deep, shuddering breath. Unable to resist, I cover her hands with mine, offering whatever comfort I am able.
“When your tribe sister died, you became nene to the kit.” It is not a question.
“Yes. For the last four months, Stella has been my daughter. I’ve made sure she’s been fed, clothed, and has had a mother who loves her more than anything.
” Riley meets my gaze. “You told her that, didn’t you?
When you found her? That her mother loves her?
I know she can’t understand, but I want to make sure she knows Lara and I both love her so much. ”
I nod. “I told her.”
Riley squeezes my hand. “Thank you.”
There are still many unanswered questions. “How did you know it was me who found her?”
She sighs. “I was there. No way could I just drop her in that bush and walk away. I needed to make sure she was safe first. So I stayed up in a nearby tree and waited while I prayed one of your people would come by and find her.”
“What if a forest creature had come instead?” “I had a knife, just in case. I would have died protecting her if that’s what it would have taken.”
Riley did what she thought was best for her kit. Something I understand. “How did you know Dane was coming to Tavikh?”
“Lara’s cousin sent me a transmission. I read it on one of the data pads.
We would check for any messages every few days after getting here.
One finally came through seven days ago, warning us—me—that Dane had figured out where we’d gone and hired a private ship to bring him here.
” Beneath my hand, hers grows restless. “I thought I’d have more time.
I took her out into the forest, made sure she was found safely, and then I returned to the settlement with her blanket—hysterical and in tears. ”
“And told the story she had been taken by wild beasts,” I finish for her.
“Yes. Gary and Adam even organized a search party. I gave them a false direction from your village where I said she’d been taken. Of course, they didn’t find any signs of her, so after a day, everyone stopped looking.”
My brow bones shift. “Even you?”
Riley shakes her head. “No. I leave the settlement every day with the excuse that I continue looking for her on my own.”
It is an elaborate ruse she has gone through to protect her kit.
“What happens if this Dane does not leave? Or if he does leave and decides you must return with him?” Not that I will let this human take my keeshla anywhere. “What if he discovers Stella is not dead, but rather with us in my village?”
“He can’t force me to do anything. And if he tries,” Riley pauses and stares intently at me. “I’ll kill him.”
“Let us hope it does not come to that.”
“I swore on Lara’s grave that I would protect Stella until the day I die. I have no intention of going back on my word.”
My mate is fierce. It is clear this Dane is a powerful male where he comes from. I do not know the laws of Earth to know what he is or is not able to do in regards to Riley. Does he have the power and means to force her—or at least try—to return to their planet?
“You have not acted surprised by the fact I have called you my keeshla many times now.” I will let the topic of Stella and her baba rest for the moment.
Riley’s cheeks darken and she once more picks at her fingers. “I’ve been on this planet long enough to know the word, as well as what those marks you got when we touched mean.”
“So you know you are my fated mate.”
“Yeah.”
I find it difficult to determine her emotions. “Are you unhappy about it? Do you already have a mate you left back on Earth?”
Riley shakes her head. “No, there’s no mate. Not here or back on Earth.”
When she does not answer my first question, I repeat it, no matter that I fear what she will say.
Riley stops picking at the flesh of her fingers and finally meets my eyes. “No, I’m not unhappy about it. But I can’t say I’m happy, either. I don’t really know how I’m feeling about anything right now, if I’m being completely honest.”
As much as it makes my heart ache to hear her say that, it is understandable. She has gone through much the past several moon cycles.
“I always wish for honesty between us, no matter what. With all that has come to pass, how would you like to proceed, then?”
Riley’s brow wrinkles. “What do you mean?”
“What would you like to do next? Do we continue on as if we never touched and discovered you are my mate? Do you wish to do as the humans and go on dates so that we may learn about one another?” I know what I wish for, but I have learned by observing all the other Tavikhi-human matings that the humans do things much differently than Tavikhis.
Riley appears flustered. “I don’t know.”
To my surprise, she reaches across the table this time to grip my hands in hers.
“I won’t lie and say that my heart doesn’t want me to pack up everything I own and follow you back to your village.
But I would be doing that because Stella is there.
Which is totally unfair to you. As much as I want to be with my daughter, I don’t want to start a forever mating like that.
You have been far kinder than anyone could expect you to be, and you deserve better than to be treated like that. ”
“Would you be opposed to trying these dates that humans go on, then?”
Riley turns my hand over and traces the palm. A shudder runs through me, and my cock becomes semi-hard. I have never imagined the palm of my hand to be as sensitive as it is with my mate touching it. Finally, she lifts her head to meet my gaze.
“What would these dates entail?” she asks.
“The Tavikhi are not well-versed in human customs, but I do know that some dates are walking together and learning about each other. There is also a thing Zara says is called a picnic, where I bring a blanket and basket of food for us to sit and eat on the ground.” I pause.
“Although perhaps that would be a date for another time, since Kyler says picnics with Zara always end with them fucking.”
Riley breaks into a coughing fit. I rush around to her side and gently pat her back. At last, she is able to clear her throat. Her cheeks remain a bright pink, though.
“Better?” I did not intend to cause her any distress.
“I’m fine. Just got a little off-balance there for a second.”
Afraid I committed some offense, I apologize. “I did not mean to make you uncomfortable. Should I not have mentioned picnics and fucking?”
Riley chokes again, but this time with laughter. “No, it’s fine. I guess I had no idea Tavikhi knew that word.”
My brow bones shift. “What word?”
She studies me a moment longer. “You really don’t know which one I mean?”
“I am sorry, but I do not. Did I say something I should not have?” Worry fills me.
Riley lays her hand on my upper leg. Far too close to my cock that has suddenly gone from semi-hard to fully-hard. I shift and try to ease the pressure of my leg coverings against it.
“Fucking,” she says. “I didn’t realize Tavikhi knew that word.”
“Zara taught us.”
Riley removes her hand. “Zara taught you how to fuck?”
Confused, I draw back. “Why would she do that? She is Kyler’s mate. Tavikhi do not share.”
“Never mind.” Riley waves me off.
I feel as though I have missed something important, but I do not know how to ask without causing my mate more obvious distress. Carefully, I reach for her hand once more and am relieved when she allows me to hold it.
“I will not press you for an answer this turn. Think about what you would like to do or how you would like to move forward, and I will return in two turns. Will that be alright?” Whatever time Riley needs, I will give her.
She stares intently at me, scanning my face for…
something. When she cradles my jaw, I stop breathing.
It is possible my heart even stops beating for a single moment.
Slowly, she leans forward and presses her mouth to mine.
It is my very first mouth touching. All the human mates do this with their warriors, but I have never had anyone do it to me.
It is pleasant. More than pleasant, in fact.
Riley pulls back. “Thank you. For everything. You’ve given me a lot to think about. But I’ll rest easier knowing Stella is safe with you.”
She stands and heads to the door, but pauses before opening it. “I’ll see you in two days, then?”
I nod absently. “Aye.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” She walks out the door, leaving me staring at it.