17. The Conlatus
Chapter 17
The Conlatus
Isabella
T hey left the hive before dawn to make it to the border in time. Her alphas hardly slept and were still healing, but insisted on carrying her the whole way down. She was currently Artifex’s burden. They claimed it was dark and she’d trip on the rocky path, but with three moons it wasn’t that dark. Her hive genuinely enjoyed carrying her. Isa had never been pampered so much in her life, probably not even as a baby. This morning, though, they’d hovered especially close. Isa gently caressed Artifex’s neck as she held onto him. She didn’t mind, she was feeling clingy, too.
The entourage broke through the trees at the base of the mountain and a stunning view instantly greeted them.
“Oh, that’s gorgeous,” Isa wistfully sighed as she admired the sun peeking over the horizon.
The sunrise was wondrous. Every shade of the rainbow was painted across the sky. There was something about it that seemed to whisper a secret, like when Phara watched the soaring birds and chose not to end his life. It was just a shame that the anxiety about the impending contest was overshadowing the monumental sight.
“It is.” Artifex squeezed her and smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes.
She smiled back at Artifex as she rubbed his shoulder. It probably wasn’t her greatest smile, either, but she gave it her best, or at least the best she could muster at the moment. Artifex’s somber mood was understandable. He had to be tired and worried; she certainly was. She dozed in stints last night, rousing each time her ‘cuddling’ partner changed. And each time, her men were still strategizing at the table. She wasn’t complaining, though, far from it. The sex had been intense, but the quiet aftermath would stick with her the longest. Bellator kissed her shoulder as they spooned, Phara purred as she lay curled in his arms, and Artifex stroked her hair while she dozed on his chest. The whole time, even as the men slept, they whispered words of affection. The poignant sweetness of it threatened to make her cry again. It all seemed too much like a goodbye and she felt helpless, utterly useless to do anything about it. At least with the missile she’d played her part.
Nope. Nope. Nope. Isa rubbed her eyes, forcing back her tears. The last thing she wanted was her men thinking she didn’t have faith in them by acting like they’d already lost. She would put on a happy face and her men would kick ass!
Isa looked past Bellator, who was protectively walking in the lead, and focused on the prairie. There was a yellow structure about fifty yards ahead.
“Is that where we’re going?” She shaded her eyes against the sun to get a better look.
“Aye,” Phara answered, his jaw stiffening.
He wasn’t the only one in their entourage whose demeanor changed at the sight of it, not that they’d been chipper on the trek here.
“And the Nemus aim to impress,” Artifex huffed, his voice tinged with disgust and a smidgeon of jealousy.
On closer inspection, the building was an awning, beautifully decorated with vegetation, resembling a trellis. The canopy was made of branches from a broad-leafed tree with lemony yellow foliage. Along the rafters and down the posts supporting the ceiling were vines covered in ruby red flowers. It was gorgeous…and obviously recently built by the Nemus, the reason Artifex was aggravated.
She was about to tell Artifex that given the time to prepare, he’d come up with something much nicer, but then she noticed the Nemus standing beneath the fancy awning. The Nemus looked like her hive except their skin was an entirely different color. They had camouflage-like spots, ranging from yellow to red. Just like yesterday when the Nemus snuck up on them in the woods, their coloring let them blend in with the flowered canopy.
Artifex paused about twenty yards away. “I need to put you down, if you are all right with that.”
She nodded and he set her on the ground. As Artifex joined Phara and Bellator up front, the legionnaires that made up their entourage protectively surrounded her. Invicta, Bellator’s second in command, nodded to her as he glued himself to her left side, while Militus flanked her right. She smiled appreciatively at the duo and rubbed their arms. She felt safe; nearly the entire hive had come to this competition. Although, it seemed the Nemus had brought their whole hive, too, so they were equally matched.
“We have come as promised to resolve our differences in the Conlatus ,” Phara addressed the Nemus as the trio approached the tent.
So it begins. Isa pulled in a deep bracing breath.
Phara
With his fellow alphas by his side, Phara approached their counterparts among the Nemus. Andren, the other hive’s consort alpha, stood in the center. Lehzen, the servitor alpha, was on his right, and Soleno, the legionnaire alpha, was on the left. He knew these males. They gathered with the Nemus for the occasional harvest celebration. You wouldn’t know that now, the way they squared off against each other.
“Do you mean to insult us before we even start by guarding the queen like we are a hive of rule breakers?” the Nemus’ lead consort said so only they could hear.
The way Andren’s brow twitched, the male was truly slighted, though he was also posturing.
Last night, they’d been stunned by the challenge. After everything they’d been through, another hurdle felt unfair. Except this competition wasn’t about them, any of them. It was about their queen. And in that regard, Phara already had the advantage of knowing the sweet creature, so he couldn’t let the Nemus get to him.
Phara relaxed his demeanor as he looked each of the Nemus alphas in the eye. “It is not about you, your comfort or your sensibilities. Our queen has been through much, too much.”
“Then we shall leave it up to our queen if she would like to come forth,” Andren countered.
The way the consort alpha said our queen as if Isa already belonged to them grated on Phara’s nerves, but he shoved it down.
“My queen,” Andren spoke up, “we have prepared a seat for you to comfortably observe the Conlatus .”
“Um, okay, sure,” Isa’s voice was soft as it came out from the protective ring of legionnaires. She was nervous.
Phara cringed, hating that she was in the middle of all this.
The legionnaires surrounding Isa parted, letting her through. Instinct had them following her until he, Bellator and Artifex took the prime positions behind their stunning little female. After all, they were still her hive.
Isa stopped well out of reach in front of the Nemus alphas. The trio of males gaped at her. This was the first good look they’d had at the queen. Phara instantly knew what the Nemus were thinking. It was surprising how petite their queen was. Her exotic beauty was equally disarming. He loved her silky mane flowing down her back and her warm, inquisitive round eyes. He melted whenever she stared at him.
Phara saw the instant the Nemus’ gazes shifted from surprise to desire, and he shoved down the vicious growl bubbling in his throat. It was going to be a long day.
“I am Andren, Nemus Hive Consort Alpha.” Andren dropped to his knees and bowed, his head nearly touching the ground.
Isa surveyed the trio as Soleno then Lehzen introduced themselves and bowed in respect. It was unfortunate she’d become better about not projecting her thoughts, because he really wondered what she thought about the rival hive as she gave them her name in return.
With introductions done, the three Nemus alphas rose.
“Right this way.” Andren reached out to put a guiding hand on Isa’s arm and the trapped growl in Phara’s chest tried to get free. He was trying to remain calm, but it was growing more difficult by the moment.
Control yourself. Save this for the competition.
The way Bellator bristled, and Artifex subtly trembled, he knew they were also struggling with this.
“Oh, yep, I see it. Very nice.” Isa sidestepped Andren and quickly walked over to the chair.
Phara couldn’t help but grin that Andren’s attempt to touch her had been foiled as Isa climbed into the seat and got comfortable amidst the soft furs.
“Thank you.” She nodded to the Nemus.
It will take more than that to sway my queen, Phara silently gloated as he grinned at Andren.
“Let the Conlatus begin.” Andren eyed him back.
Isabella
All the Vorto were staring at Isa, making her uncomfortable. Her guys were tense, hanging on her every move, while the Nemus stared like she was some exhibit in a zoo. Andren, the Nemus’ consort tried to help her, but there was no way she was letting some strange naked guy touch her. The notion was laughable, since her whole hive was naked, but she’d grown used to them. Accustomed to it or not, a mob of purple dicks on her left and orange dicks on her right, all crowding in close, was a tad more than she could handle at the moment.
“Let the Conlatus begin.” Andren glared at Phara.
Thank you! Isa sighed when the crowd around her started to disperse.
“The first round is the saltare ,” Andren added as he stepped away, giving her some breathing room.
Saltare? The word didn’t translate through the unusual telepathic link. Isa kept her mouth shut rather than asking. She’d see what it was soon enough.
Last night her hive had scrambled to learn the details of this competition. The knowledge, like many other aspects of their culture, had been lost over the generations. She was an outsider, so she was no help. In fact, her people had done more than enough. It was best to just observe and stay silent. The last thing she wanted was to cause more problems or, god forbid, ruin her hives’ concentration.
Phara caressed her shoulder before stepping out of the canopy. He nodded to Artifex, who took the position by her side, while Bellator continued standing protectively behind her chair. Phara entered a ring of packed earth about the size of a baseball field. He was joined by the other consorts from their hive.
Her goofy, sweet Galis waved and grinned as he took up position in the second row behind Phara. He was looking so much better today. Even his patchy skin was almost back to the same color purple. Better yet, the near-death experience didn’t seem to affect his demeanor. Isa grinned and was about to wave back at him when Gregis scowled and shook his head at Galis. The pair sobered, so she followed suit. Apparently, this wasn’t the place for such antics.
Her hive was on the left, while the Nemus stood on the right. Both consort alphas were up front with the other consorts standing in order of rank behind them. At least that’s what she gathered from the markings on their chests.
“Oof!” one of the Nemus boomed, while beating his fist against his chest.
She jumped in her seat at the unexpected shout.
The rest of the Nemus hive and even her guys joined in, creating a beat with a series of slaps, claps, and shouts, rather than instruments. The tune was obviously familiar to both hives. Phara slapped his thighs and shouted as he stepped wide, beginning a fast-paced dance. Isa blushed at the way his tight ass shook as his pelvis thrust. There was no missing how his cock jumped with each move. Her blush deepened when she noticed Phara staring intently at her. There was something familiar and erotic about his moves and the sultry expression on his face. His dance wasn’t coordinated with the rest of her hive, but they were all doing similar moves. Her triplets, Rego, Gregis and Galis, were far better than the consorts behind them, though Phara had them all beat. There was a seductive confidence about the way he moved, shaking enticingly, his hands reaching out for her, beckoning her. Her nipples hardened and she leaned forward in her seat, utterly taken in.
“Oh,” Isa let out a little gasp when she realized what the primal dance reminded her of.
These were the motions Phara used when he made love to her. Although, at this frantic speed it was less love and more like raw fucking. Heat suffused her as it looked like Phara was clutching her ass while rapidly fucking her. She’d been in that exact position before, when Phara’s sweet nature gave way to his animalistic side. In her studies she’d read about mating dances. The notion had been shocking. It was one of the many reasons she loved studying other cultures. But reading about such taboo dances didn’t compare to seeing them in person.
Isa’s gaze drifted over to the Nemus hive and it was like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on her.
“Oh.” Her cheeks reddened for a very different reason.
Whatever Andren and his hive were doing was reminiscent of a chicken with its head cut off. He was trying too hard, his arms flailing in an attempt to get her attention. She didn’t dare glance below their waists at whatever uncoordinated disaster was going on down there. Isa smiled, though it was more of a grimace, feeling embarrassed for them.
Her eyes widened in surprise when the a cappella beat abruptly changed and all the Vorto collapsed into puddles of plasm. Her gaze swiveled back to Phara. This was a disconcerting and fascinating magic trick that she’d never get completely used to. From the purple puddle emerged a furry head topped with a pair of pointed ears. As the purple eyes emerged, they focused on her and the shaggy brows wagged. Isa grinned. Phara was shifting into his bear-cat form.
It was impressive seeing her hive all emerging in unison as the majestic beasts. The Nemus hive emerged as gorillas. It was the same form they’d taken to ambush her hive yesterday, which was not a pleasant memory. She didn’t want to be rude by openly cringing and simply nodded politely.
Isa looked back at her hive. Phara was still in his fero form, but his hair was growing long and spiky. Each pointy tendril unfurled, forming feathers, while his snout curled over into a beak. He was shifting seamlessly into one of the large mountain hawks that inhabited their territory. She couldn’t imagine the skill and self-control it took to slowly change like this. The Nemus were also shifting into what looked like bald eagles.
“Wow!” she whispered, truly impressed.
“Would you like something to eat, my queen?” Lehzen, the Nemus Hive servitor alpha asked from beside her chair.
She glanced toward him and nearly got a face full of his private bits. What was worse, he was getting an erection. The momentary awe at the amazing transforming Vorto instantly fled. Mortification filled her and Isa recoiled, again reminded that she was surrounded by naked strangers. On top of that came the reminder that if things didn’t go right today, she’d have to go with these naked strangers.
Artifex
Artifex’s eyes narrowed on Lehzen. The male was responsible for this ornately decorated shelter and the broad selection of food. He shouldn’t be agitated with the male for attempting to see to Queen Isa’s needs, but he was.
That is my job!
“My queen, that is fermented haricot . Given your reaction to raphanus , I am not sure you’ll like it,” Artifex informed her.
“Oh, the fish balls.” Isa grimaced and shook her head.
Artifex cast a smug look at Lehzen before focusing on Isa again. “Here is some water, and we brought some jofi if you’d like.” Artifex extended a cup, while Operar showed their queen the pouch of berries.
“Oh. Thank you. Just some water I think.” Isa smiled at him.
He happily gave her a sip before pulling the cup away.
“You are welcome to share the food we brought,” Lehzen kindly offered him.
“Deeply appreciated,” Artifex replied. The sentiment was genuine and he followed his counterpart to the table set with a feast. “We brought things that Isa enjoys, so I’d prefer to leave those for her to eat.” He perused the selection.
“Hmm. So, she likes jofi berries,” Lehzen commented thoughtfully.
Artifex smirked, realizing he’d given the male another means of wooing their queen. Instead of replying he turned to watch the saltare . Phara and his fellow consorts seemed to be doing a good job, but what did he know?
“Do you see how our queen watches Andren’s saltare with wide eyes? Her cheeks changed color,” Lehzen taunted him.
Artifex cast the male a non-committal smirk before looking at Isa. Her eyes were wide, a blush on her cheeks as she watched the Nemus perform. She blushed like that a lot when she first met his hive. Her expression changed when it shifted to watch their hive in the arena. She stared intently at Phara, but her expression was guarded. What did that mean?
Is she growing interested in the Nemus Hive?
Artifex’s heart beat faster in his chest. He cast a nervous glance at Bellator, who was stationed by Isa’s chair. The legionnaire was no help. The male still wore the same grim expression he’d had since yesterday.
Suddenly the chanting stopped along with the dancers in the arena.
“That’s the first round,” Lehzen murmured somewhat ominously.
Both Phara and Andren approached Isa.
“How did you like the saltare ?” the Nemus consort prodded their queen.
I guess we’ll know what our queen thinks of the Nemus Hive real soon.