Chapter 22
Qylar wrapped the last of the presents he’d bought on their shopping trip the previous day and slid them under the decorated tree.
Tomorrow, Cryss, Alex, and the kids would arrive.
He walked the house, searching for anything missing, and saw nothing.
When Kenji appeared a while later and added a few presents of his own under the tree, he ambled closer.
“Our hosts arrive tomorrow. I’ll say again that I think we should leave and allow them their holiday alone.”
“Interesting phrasing when you mean run away from the kids.”
“Hardly,” Qylar said.
He sighed, wishing their conversation the day before hadn’t been so difficult. Kenji had been distant since. It was eating Qylar alive. They’d been happy and in love for nearly a month—until Kenji had asked for something Qylar couldn’t give.
Noise at the door caught his attention. It spun open. Cryss and Alex stood in the opening while Zaadi and Aeloran came running their way. He worked hard to cover his surprise as Zaadi jumped into his arms.
“Uncle Q!”
“Hiya, princess,” Qylar said, forcing a big smile. It wasn’t that he wasn’t pleased to see her, but it was hard to manufacture happiness considering. She looked around, wonder in her eyes. “It’s so pretty.”
Ael wrapped himself around Qylar’s leg before noticing the tree and presents—which he quickly barreled towards. Kenji caught Ael before he crash landed into the tree and walked closer to Qylar.
Qylar turned back to Cryss and Alex—who weren’t alone. King Krythar was with them.
Great.
All three walked into the living room.
“I thought you weren’t coming until tomorrow?” Qylar asked.
“That’s some welcome,” Alex said with a grin as he wrapped an arm around Qylar and hugged him. He looked past Qylar and smiled. “Hi, Kenji.”
“Hi, Kenji,” Cryss added.
Kenji smiled, but it wasn’t as bright as usual. “Hi, Alex. Cryss. Welcome home.”
“Pop,” Alex said, eyeing Krythar. “This is Kenji. Qylar’s mate.”
Qylar glared at Alex. He’d asked both of them not to share they were mates.
Alex continued, narrowing his eyes at Qylar. “Kenji, this is my father, King Krythar.”
“Nice to meet you, King Krythar.” Kenji glanced at Alex and asked under his breath. “Do I need to bow or anything?”
“No bowing,” Krythar said to Kenji. “It’s not necessary. You can just call me Krythar while I’m here. I’m not a king on Earth.”
Alex eyed Qylar. “You not happy to see us?”
“Of course I’m glad to see you,” Qylar said. “I just wasn’t expecting you yet.”
“We sent a message, but you obviously didn’t get it.
We decided to leave a day early. Alex was restless.
The kids were restless. They missed you.
They wanted to see the house and the decorations,” Cryss said, moving closer with a baby carrier in hand.
“And I wanted to show my best friend my new little man.”
Qylar took one look at Xandor and smiled widely. “He looks just like newborn Ael.”
“I said the same thing,” Alex said. “Ready to hold your nephew?”
“I am,” Qylar said. He looked at Zaadi. “Do you want to go check out the tree while I get introduced to Xandor?”
Zaadi put her head on Qylar’s shoulder, squeezing him tighter. “No.”
“You don’t want to check where I put your ballerina ornaments and make sure they’re in the right spots?” Qylar asked.
Zaadi’s head popped up, and she considered that a moment before saying, “No.”
“Sweetheart, Uncle Q can’t hold you forever,” Alex told Zaadi.
Zaadi wrapped her arms around Qylar’s neck. “My Uncle Q. Not Xandor’s.”
Qylar shared a look with Cryss and Alex that made him think they were having a bit of an issue.
“You know you’ll always be my favorite little princess, right?” Qylar said to her.
“I’m the only little princess in the whole house.” The corners of her mouth curved down. “I wanted a sister. I hate stinky boys.”
“I’m a stinky boy,” Qylar said.
“No you’re not. You’re Uncle Q.”
Qylar chuckled, brushing her hair back from her face. “If there were two little princesses, how could I ever choose a favorite? I couldn’t.”
Zaadi sighed, unimpressed.
“Well, we’ll wait a little while for that introduction and you just hang out here with me for now, hmm?”
“Okay,” Zaadi mumbled after pressing her face against his shoulder.
A cough caught Qylar’s attention. He turned his expression to see King Krythar eyeing him.
“I’m not accustomed to no greeting when I enter a room,” Krythar said to Alex.
“Your Majesty,” Qylar murmured, tightening his jaw and keeping his eyes on the floor. “I apologize for my late welcome. My concern for Zaadi made me forget myself. I hope you can forgive me.”
“I suppose I can. This time,” Krythar said. He turned to Alex and gave him a pointed look before scratching Zaadi’s back. “Princess? Poppop would like to see your ballerina ornaments. Can you show me?”
Zaadi lifted her head and stared at Qylar a minute. “You promise not to hold the baby?”
“Not until you give me full, written permission,” Qylar whispered.
“Okay,” Zaadi said, reaching out for the king to take her.
Once she was in Krythar’s arms, the king gave him an odd look but marched on silently to the tree.
“I asked you not to tell anyone Kenji was my mate,” Qylar whispered to Cryss.
“You did what?” Kenji asked, anger written all over his face.
“To protect you,” Qylar said.
“Who’s going to protect me from you?” Kenji asked before leading Ael back to the tree.
Qylar sighed.
“You stepped in it there,” Alex said to Qylar. He sighed. “I need off my feet.”
Alex left them to sit on the sectional, as he should so soon after giving birth. Qylar’s gaze drifted to Kenji—who held Ael and showed him all of the decorations in the living room up close. A knot formed in his throat seeing the toddler in Kenji’s arms.
Kenji met Qylar’s stare, sadness in his.
“How are things?” Qylar asked Cryss before leaning in to eye a sleeping Xandor.
“Uncle Q!” Zaadi cried.
Qylar stood back up to his full height, hands up in mock surrender and turned to her, still held in Krythar’s arms. “I never touched him. Just got a better look.”
“Don’t do that either,” Zaadi said.
“You two have a big problem,” Qylar said to Cryss in hushed tones.
“We have a problem?” Cryss asked. “You have one of your own I fear might be even bigger.”
“Let me worry about Kenji. Is anyone else not allowed to touch the new baby or just me?”
“You’re the only one of us who hasn’t handled Xandor, so I’m assuming this is her way of holding on to someone all her own. Not sure exactly how that works given the fact she’s shared her Uncle Q with Ael for two years, but this is four-year-old logic we’re talking about.”
“Well, if you two have been focused on caring for a newborn, she might just want to know she’ll have someone focused on her.”
“Could be. She’s also not too fond of Xandor.”
“Why’s that?” Qylar asked. “Crying too much?”
“Right after you left, she accurately predicted we were having a boy—and told us she was none too pleased to get a brother and that we should ‘put him back’. She also let us know that she was aware of the two eggs we lost.”
“Shit,” Qylar said. “Did you guys tell her it was two?”
“No. Apparently, they were both girls and she now feels robbed to get a brother.”
“Uncle Q!”
Qylar’s head whipped to Zaadi, his hands going back into their position of surrender. “I swear I didn’t touch the baby.”
“I know,” Zaadi said, a smile finally appearing on her face. “One of your babies is a girl!”
Qylar froze. A punch to the gut would’ve been easier to handle. His gaze whipped to Kenji, worry filling him.
Instead of a shocked expression, Kenji wore a hint of a smile.
“At least there will be another girl next door soon,” Zaadi said. “I won’t be the only one anymore.”
“A pregnant mate,” Krythar said, giving him a look. “Yet I don’t see a claim on his arms.”
“Why curse him with it?” Qylar said. “He’d do better to not be ruined by my mark.”
Krythar searched his face a moment. “Perhaps. But that only means he’s open to be claimed by another.”
Qylar tensed. His gaze went to Kenji, whose eyes grew huge.
“Let’s hope one of the fine, upstanding men at the Academy don’t take a shine to him. I hear they’re quite excited to get him there for testing.” Krythar chuckled. “You’d best keep a close eye on your mate.”
Damnit, why did Alex have to tell him?
While Krythar had been speaking to him, Cryss had walked the carrier with Xandor over and laid it beside Alex. When he returned, he scanned the house. “You did a lot more decorating than I expected.”
“Kenji grew up in foster care. He’s never had a big Christmas. I hope you don’t mind I gave him one. I promise to take all this shit down and not leave it for you.”
“It’s fine.” Cryss took a step closer. “What isn’t fine is you refusing to claim Kenji. While he’s being a bastard, Krythar’s right. You’re leaving him open to another’s claim. It’s not right, Q.”
Qylar’s gaze went to Kenji.
“If I grew up virtually an orphan, I would likely want to find somewhere I belonged. To have someone call me their own.” Cryss looked at him. “You grew up virtually an orphan. What do you think? Would you want to feel wanted and to belong to someone you loved?”
“You assume he loves me,” Qylar said.
“No assumption needed. I can see it in his eyes when he looks at you.”
Qylar’s gaze once again went to Kenji. Kenji seemed to feel his stare. He turned and their eyes met from across the room. He turned to Cryss, sadness filling him.
“If I mark him, he will belong to nothing. I’m no one.”
“You’re the man he loves… and the man who loves him. Step up and do the right thing, asshole,” Cryss said before joining Alex and the baby on the sectional.
Kenji lay in their empty bed, no idea where Qylar was. They’d barely spoken all day long and when they did, it was in clipped tones. He hated the feeling of distance spreading between them. They’d come so far only to lose steam at the finish line. One thing—two marks—and they’d have it all.
He spread a hand over his swelling stomach, remembering what Zaadi had said. A girl, and he was assuming that meant the other was a boy. If Zaadi’s abilities were to be believed, and from everyone’s reactions to her comments on Nefyria, he leaned towards belief.
But his decision had come to hinge on Qylar’s.
How could he raise two alien babies without a mate at his side?
If Qylar wasn’t willing to claim him and show his commitment, how could they move forward together?
Maybe he was asking too much, but considering his entire life, he’d asked and accepted too little, he deserved someone who was all in.
He wanted proof Qylar was all in.
Would two marks on his flesh really be that proof? He knew it wasn’t, but if those marks truly were sacred to Nefyrians, then they were a symbol of their bond.
The bedroom door quietly opened and closed. Qylar neared the bed and sat on the opposite side from where Kenji lay with his back to him. The silence grew deafening, making it hard for Kenji to breathe.
“I’ll give you my marks.”
Kenji froze for a second.
“I know you’re awake. I can tell by your breathing,” Qylar said.
Kenji sat up in bed and stared through the dark at Qylar.
“Just remember that I tried to save you from the hell they’ll bring you,” Qylar said before sliding under the covers, his back to Kenji.
“When?”
Qylar sighed. “Tomorrow night.”
“Why not now?”
“You said you wanted them for Christmas. You’ll get them tomorrow night, after the stroke of midnight.”
Kenji sat there in the dark, sadness filling him. He’d gotten what he wanted, yet it didn’t feel very good. “I’m sorry.”
“Just go to bed, Kenji.”
Kenji lay back down, tears stinging the backs of his eyes.
He wasn’t sure how many hours had passed before he drifted off, but when he woke, he was in Qylar’s arms once more.
He lifted his head, and his gaze locked with Qylar’s.
Scanning the bed, he’d traveled across the big bed and cuddled up to his mate.
“Sorry,” Kenji whispered before rolling away.
Qylar stopped him and dragged him close.
“No. I’m the one who’s sorry. I was distant yesterday and…
I was angry. More so with myself for not being the man you deserve.
” He sighed. “I just want to protect you, and you just want to know you belong. Neither one of us is wrong for wanting those things… but either way I move, I’m hurting you.
If I mark you or I don’t. I don’t like an unwinnable situation.
Especially one where I can’t find a third way out. ”
Kenji shook his head. “I’ve asked too much. You don’t have to do it.”
Qylar froze.
“I laid down two ultimatums in the same day. It was selfish of me.”
“Neither were selfish, Kenji.”
“I demanded you help save the world. I guess I was hot off the heels of that win and thought I deserved even more. I didn’t. I can’t ask you to do something you feel this violently opposed to.”
“Kenji… I want to give you my marks. I’d like nothing better than to leave my imprints for the entire world to see.
But knowing how my world will treat you after?
How can I do that to you?” Qylar released a sigh.
He pressed his forehead to Kenji’s. “Cover me in your marks if you feel the need. Leave no bit of flesh uncovered. I don’t care what I look like when you’re done. I belong to you, Kenji.”
And I belong to you… as long as we don’t tell anyone else.
Qylar traced his cheek. “I love you.”
Kenji winced inwardly. “I love you, too.”