Chapter 17
The new revelations about his mother did not mend the gaping holes in Therxian’s heart.
In fact, it left him feeling rawer than he had previously.
Instead, it was the human female squatted at his side, patiently feeding him food that sent a feeling of warmth creeping through him like a balm soothing old wounds.
He eyed her as he slowly and carefully took every morsel.
Aside from the chain holding him securely to the wall, his arms were also pinned by additional chains that were gathered and anchored above his head so that he was completely at Alex’s mercy.
He hated being so vulnerable, and he waited for her to take advantage of it.
Despite his good intentions, he was certain that she saw him as a kind of tyrannical jailer.
None of the humans who had arrived among the Vehal had been particularly warm toward him.
And because he was responsible for the welfare of the nara, he knew that his attention to their safety had caused some resentment to boil up, especially among those who had joined them more recently.
They chafed under his direction. He suspected that Alex did as well and would not hesitate to abandon him.
That she had picked up a bowl and steadily fed him the delicacies in it had surprised him.
He had briefly considered refusing, suspicious of her sudden helpfulness, but in the end, he simply lacked the strength of will.
Opening his mouth, he allowed himself to be fed in turns between each bite that she took for herself.
Outside of the rhythmic exchange that the soft sound of the utensils scraping over the stone bowls, they sat together in silence, her knees faintly brushing his tail with her tiniest of movements as she leaned forward to offer him another bite of food.
Therxian nearly choked on the spiced meat in his mouth as he groaned at the contact of her leg pressing against the length of his tail.
He had to create some small measure of distraction and distance between them... and quickly.
He eyed her as he quickly swallowed, the tip of his tail rising and curling between them to slow her down a little as he battled back the hunger that rose from deep within him beneath the warmth and comfort.
Being fed by Alex had a dizzying impact on his senses.
She sated his appetite with savory flavors even as she teased other parts of him with her pheromones and the brush of her limbs against him.
“You are taking this surprisingly well,” he observed, his tipping slightly as he regarded her curiously. “Are you not angry that I am incapable of taking you out of the palace tonight?”
She shook her head, her eyes fastened on the bowl as she pushed around a bit of meat with the skewer, and the corner of her mouth hitched slightly in tired amusement as she lifted her eyes to meet his gaze.
“I am a non-gratas. Do you know what that means?”
He did. He had heard more than enough of the disgusting practice from females who joined the Vehal. Non-gratas were nothing more than servants to the will of those in power.
“They are much like our hunters from the time they leave the haga,” he observed in a thoughtful voice. “Existing to serve the will of the shinara that claims ownership of them.”
Alex blinked, a small line appearing momentarily between her brows as they drew together in a thoughtful expression. “I had not thought about it that way. We share a common misery that we both worked hard to escape.”
“And yet you are trapped again, and in a more dangerous position than what would have been found in the colonies previously. I expected you to be angry that we did not succeed on this night.”
The corner of her mouth twitched. “What is the point of getting angry? It certainly can’t be helped. Besides, it was unlikely that our first attempt would be successful. Who knew that any of those females would get the idea into their heads to chain you.”
He sighed heavily, settling back into his chains. “I should have predicted that this would be the case with Gereiia. I will be more cautious next time.”
“In two days,” Alex murmured, and he inclined his head, his gavo snapping with his agreement.
“Two days,” he agreed as he tried to ignore the way his flesh crawled at being subjected to the breeding plan once again.
“Unfortunately, I doubt we can rely on the same trick again,” she observed, sighing heavily. “I think the females of the noble families are a bit too shrewd to let it go unobserved.”
Therxian hummed quietly in agreement, but the sound stuttered and his gavo fluttered at the intense look she fastened upon him as she draped her arm casually over her knee.
“The creepy insects... spill. How are you luring them in here like you have a rotting carcass feast for them? I haven’t seen or smelled anything likely to draw them.”
The corner of his mouth curled smugly. “Did you know that the females of our species are the most innovative with sonar tech? You probably have not seen much of it on the surface because many hunters do not have access to such things, but this talent extends also to the females among the Vehal. Not too long ago, a pair of females came up with an idea of how to repel others of our shared species with a specific vibration recorded and played on a continuous cycle. It is not noticeably audible, but works on a subconscious level. It is quite useful to keep servants and guards from lingering near my quarters or tampering with things, but it has had one unfortunate side-effect.”
Her lips twitched again, this time more noticeably. “The insects.”
His gavo snapped wearily. “It apparently draws them. At first, I was elated because the initial insects drawn were not so large but big enough to repel most visitors from my nest. But it has grown inconvenient.”
A soft chuckle erupted from Alex, the sound of which skittered across his scales and sank deep within his chest and belly in a light vibration.
“I bet,” she replied through her laughter, and a smile reluctantly fought its way to his mouth in response.
“It is unfortunate that it has not caused any rumors that would dissuade the daughters of the noble family from pursuing my nest,” he muttered.
Alex frowned slightly as she nibbled on a bit of roasted and glazed carnucras insect. “Are you certain? Gareiia looked pretty ready to hit the deck the moment she saw that carcass come flying at her. A little too ready.”
Therxian’s gavo flattened as he considered her point.
“Gossip would not circulate without my mother’s knowledge.
I am just curious if she is minimizing it to make them more compliant, or encouraging it in order to exert some control over the selected females.
It would follow through with her insistence that the breeding be done in my personal nest rather than in another location. ”
“That... is kind of devious.”
His gavo flicked in acknowledgement. “That is my mother.”
Alex squinted at him as she offered more food. “She is kind of scary-smart, isn’t she?”
He held her gaze as he leaned in toward the skewer. “You truly have no idea. The court is manipulating her, but she is not as weak as she makes them believe.”
And they clearly believed that they had the queen completely within their control from what Gareiia said.
He reflected on their foolishness as he pulled the meat from the skewer with his mouth.
The noble families had played a dangerous game for many revolutions.
And now he was there to bring it all down upon them.