Chapter Ten #2
I rushed through my bath, twisting my hair into a fresh bun before dressing in the clean scrubs I’d brought with me.
I planned to go straight back to Rhydek’s quarters, hopefully without running into anyone else.
Plus, if he had his way, I wouldn’t be wearing them long and they were what I was most comfortable in.
When I emerged Rhydek was standing outside the door as if guarding it despite the corridor being empty. I couldn’t tell if anyone else was on the level, much less which rooms the other pairs were in.
I held out my arm, showing him the color flashing beneath my skin.
“Your kethra. They will likely grow more visible over the next few days as the changes within you complete.”
I couldn’t help my frown as I inspected them in the brighter light of the hallway.
The third level seemed set to Human standards since it was the first place bright enough to feel like daytime on Earth instead of perpetual twilight.
The patterns continued down my calves too, faint streaks I hadn’t noticed before.
Alien body modifications.
Fantastic.
“You will have to learn to control them, or they will broadcast your feelings to any Morraki who sees you. An adult is expected to be able to keep them steady except in unusual circumstances.”
“Oh, the way you keep yours steady?”
His glare said he was unamused, but I found myself funny and smiled up at him. He kept talking as he started walking back to the lift, choosing to ignore my comment instead of argue.
“Once I claim you, they will change to match mine. It is one of the signs that an omega is bonded.”
My amusement melted away as questions stole my attention.
“This… claiming and bonding. You bite me while I’m in heat, and somehow that creates a… psychic connection between us?”
Out of everything, that seemed the most alien.
And the most invasive.
I didn’t want someone else privy to my feelings.
“I will bite you once my knot is locked within you. The hormones created during your trehvyr make you receptive, and the pheromones you release create a similar response in an alpha. By ingesting your blood while my seed is inside you, I claim you as my mate, and Shaevrin links our eth.”
I stared at him as the lift rose once more, and he seemed to realize I didn’t fully understand. He sighed as the lift doors opened, rubbing a hand over the ridges atop his head.
“Trehvyr is what we call an omega’s cycle. Your heart. Eth is…”
He seemed to search for a way to explain that he thought I’d understand. Placing a hand over his chest, his golden eyes found mine.
“Eth is you. The heart of you. Not the flesh and bones, but…”
“My soul.”
He considered my input for a moment before nodding.
“Yes, I believe your people call it a soul. Shaevrin links our souls together, which is why a bond can’t be broken, except by death, but usually the death of one brings the death of the other as well.”
I remained silent as we walked through the doorway into his quarters before turning to face him.
“Humans have stories about soulmates, but they’re fiction. It’s not real.”
His gaze was intense as he stared back at me. We’d both stopped moving, as if he was as unsure of what to do with himself as I was.
“The bond is real. It ties alpha and omega together, making them complete.”
I accepted his words. It was likely there was something truthful about their beliefs, and biologically it made sense to bind a pair together. There were plenty of animals who mated for life, as if they had a bond, usually dying close together as well.
“And Shaevrin?” I asked when he didn’t offer an explanation for that word.
Lip twitching in a way that seemed more like he was fighting a sneer, he turned away and stalked to the area of the room that seemed to be for dining. Putting the table between us, he placed his palms on the smooth surface and leaned towards me.
“My people believe in the Eternal Winds. Shaevrin. The cause behind everything that happens, good or bad.”
He said it like a person who didn’t believe speaks of religion, with scorn lacing his voice. Not someone who had simply been raised without it, but one who had believed at some point, and then experienced something that made them stop.
I opened my mouth to ask more, but he cut me off.
“You should remove your clothing.”
A change of subject. Something had definitely happened.
Leaning my hip against the back of the couch, I crossed my arms over my chest but didn’t get a chance to speak before he kept going.
“It is a cultural expectation.”
Another pause as I continued to stare at him. His fingers curled on the tabletop, his kethra pulsing yellow the longer I didn’t move.
“You agreed to comply.”
My lips twitched into a half smile as I shook my head and corrected him.
“I don’t think I said that.”
A growl filled the room, making the hair on the back of my neck rise. It stirred something in my belly that had the urge to give in flooding through me, but I fought it.
“Look,” I said, holding up a hand. “It’s not the nudity. I’ve showered in locker rooms, a body’s a body, that part isn’t the problem.”
He frowned and straightened, matching my pose by crossing his arms, but I didn’t miss the way his tail lashed behind him.
“Then what is?”
That was simple.
“The reason for it.”
His eyes narrowed, tail whipping back to the other side.
“You believe the reason is so I can mount you when I want to.”
Arching a brow, I let out a short laugh.
“You literally said that was the reason.”
He didn’t try to deny it, he just kept staring, tail jerking back and forth. The food and bath had made me feel better, but I still didn’t have the energy to fight with him, so I blew out a breath and conceded.
“Fine. Cultural expectations. For the good of the alliance. But you’re not the only one adjusting here.”
Silence stretched between us before he lowered his arms, his tail stilling.
“I will be gone for several shyrn. You can prepare yourself while I’m gone.”
My eyes narrowed. I didn’t know how long a shyrn was, but that didn’t matter.
“Are you going to return bleeding again?”
His eyes seemed to glow and his lips tipped up, his canines peeking out beneath his upper lip.
“Probably. It’s a boring day when I don’t.”
Sighing, I shook my head.
What had I gotten myself into?
I watched him leave before turning towards the bedroom where my bags were.
If he expected me to wander around naked all day, he was going to be disappointed.
I only went without a bra when I showered because I was overly blessed as my mother put it, and not having them contained was uncomfortable, but perhaps we could compromise…
By the time Rhydek returned what felt like a few hours later, I had created something I hoped he would accept. When the door slid open behind me, I didn’t rise right away, instead waiting until it closed behind him and he’d crossed half of the room.
Standing, I couldn’t help scanning him for signs of new injuries. It was hard to tell with his dark skin and black uniform covering most of him, but he seemed to be no worse off than when he’d left.
Other than the thunderous look on his face.
Was it due to me, or had something happened while he was gone?
“I thought you understood what nude meant?”
Ah.
It was me.
I held my arms out slightly, looking down at myself.
I’d modified a skirt out of one of my sets of scrubs that fell just above my knees, and then used the legs I’d cut off to wrap around my chest. My arms and shoulders, belly, and everything below the knee was exposed, and I’d been sure not to put anything beneath, so I was still available.
It had seemed reasonable.
His kethra flared bright yellow as he stalked closer, invading my space.
“This is not naked.”
Swallowing, I held his gaze and tried to keep hold of my temper.
“No, it’s compromise. It is uncomfortable to have no support for my chest, and it can be a safety hazard for them to be… unrestrained. But there is nothing beneath the skirt, so you still have access.”
His tail lashed as a growl vibrated between us.
“You are defying me.”
I blew out a breath, clinging to my desire for calm.
“I’m trying to adapt by finding a middle ground that satisfies both of us.”
He took a step closer, looming.
“Remove it.”
“No.”
I clenched my teeth, but it was too late. The word came out before I could stop it, the demand causing an automatic response.
His gaze dropped to my body again, his chest heaving.
“My breasts have to be bound for safety and comfort.”
“Safety,” he repeated, and for a moment, I felt a flare of hope.
“What happens if I lean over a table with weapons lying on it, and they’re just hanging free, swinging everywhere?”
His expression gave an odd twist, then his hand moved.
Fabric tore, the sound sudden and violent as he grabbed the hem of the skirt and ripped through several inches. The remaining material barely covered the tops of my thighs, and I’d never be able to bend without exposing myself.
My mouth hung open, heart racing, but I refused to retreat. I kept my feet rooted where they were despite the way my legs trembled.
“You could have said to make it shorter.”
I was proud of how steady my voice was.
Rhydek snorted, meeting my eyes again. He studied me for a moment, as if trying to see inside my head.
“You would have refused.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, hands curling into fists.
He was right.
We stood there staring at each other for several breaths before his expression cleared and his breathing slowed. He seemed to find some restraint, because he stepped back and cut off the low growl that had still rumbled from him.
“You are foolishly brave.”
I blinked, caught off guard by the backhanded compliment.
“That’s your response to all this?”
He shrugged as if he hadn’t just ripped my skirt in half and given me an adrenaline spike that was still working through my veins.
“You don’t seem scared of me.”
Crossing my arms over my chest again, I huffed. It was a good thing he couldn’t see the way my hands were shaking before I pinned them in place.
“Should I be?”
The corner of his mouth twitched before he adopted a serious expression, but I was starting to think he wasn’t the asshole he pretended to be. He wasn’t just being a jerk because that was who he was…
It only took a moment to guess. He wanted me to keep my distance.
I leaned back against the couch and studied him. Things hadn’t gone the way I’d hoped, but it hadn’t been the disaster I’d been expecting. He’d accepted the compromise, even if he’d made his own changes to it. That was fair.
If my body was going to keep changing whether I liked it or not, I had to stop fighting it and resisting his rules. I was trapped, even if I had walked into the cage, and despite the way it had seemed, I didn’t think Rhydek was the worst male to be trapped with.
I glanced down at the faint teal streaks spreading across my skin. Soon I was going to be the alien.
The strange one.
To Humans, I could no longer be one of them. The marks on my skin were proof that I was different now.
To the Morrak, I would never quite be one of them either. I was just the representative of an obligation. An assurance that my people would stick to their promises. A negotiation piece if they didn’t.
The thought was terrifying, but starting over was also liberating. They had no expectations other than that I followed their rules, and mate Rhydek. A thought that had been saturated in necessity, but was beginning to seem less… burdensome.
I looked back up at Rhydek, narrowing my eyes as I straightened from where I leaned.
“Rhydek?”
He seemed suspicious at the change in my tone, and I almost wanted to laugh at the way he looked at me at me like I was a coiled snake ready to strike. Taking two steps towards him, I tipped my head to the side and obviously ran my eyes over him.
“I’d say it’s only fair for me to be half naked if you are too.”
I paused for a beat, then smiled as I met his gaze once more.
“But it smells like you sparred with half your army again.”
His brows lifted as his head jerked back. The urge to laugh was so strong I had to turn away and stride into the bedroom, hitting the button to close the portal behind me.
For the first time since before the gala, the thought of the future didn’t feel like a sentence.
It was a challenge, and I’d never been one to back down from those.