Chapter 57
Atem
Atem stretched his arms over his head as he stood in the back of the hover.
Tuvo was driving them towards Calvitorum.
Dealing with the unruly clan had been a nice work out.
It had been a while since he had really needed to push himself like that in a fight.
Admittedly, it was because they had been outnumbered, not outmatched, but the result was the same.
Injuries on their side had been minimal. Now that the clan had been dominated, the guardians of the city could take over. Havali was remaining there for another couple of days to make sure that everything returned to normal, but Atem and Tuvo were going back home.
He had a whelping mate waiting for him, after all. He couldn't afford not to trust First Guardian to see to his job.
It was still sometimes difficult for Atem to trust his council.
Trust was a choice he had to actively make, but the benefits were undeniable.
Instead of staying to do all the datawork or threaten fools who didn't understand how to accept defeat, he could leave that to Havali and, instead, go back to his nest where he could love and hold his mate all night.
Atem hated to relinquish control, but to say that it wasn't worth the risk would be a lie. And he could see the difference in his Firsts.
They knew he didn't want to trust them before, so seeing him actively trying to do so had galvanized them into trying harder. Doing better. It was like his efforts had made them want to be better Firsts so as to earn that trust.
None more so than Romival. Torvii was dead and, in the way of the Firsts who died, Romival automatically inherited his name and duties.
He was working hard to restore honor to the name that Torvii had lost through his treachery.
Torvii had a lot of files to go through.
He had been plotting to take power for a long time and he kept meticulous notes in the way only scholars did.
He also had outright lied to Atem about searching for Earth.
He had destroyed the ratchi ship instead of trying to repair it so he couldn’t be linked to it.
Incidentally, making absolutely sure that there was no way possible to track down Earth from its broken computers.
He hadn't asked the humans a single question about their planet either.
Atem was the only one who put any effort into finding their home.
That was a task that Romival was eager to take.
Being the one to find and identify a new sapient species was a big honor among the greater universe.
It was going to be doubly more so for him on Turv if it proved that all humans were compatible with their species.
Such a thing was completely unheard of, and they were eager to find this special planet.
Romival had Atem's full permission to begin questioning his sisters. As Torvii should have done a long time ago.
“Almost there,” Tuvo said, interrupting his thoughts.
Atem walked up beside him, looking out the window at the upper canopy of the city. It never felt so good coming home as it did knowing that his adassi was waiting for him.
He chuckled, earning a strange look from Tuvo's upper eye.
“Care to share in the joke?” He asked, rolling his shoulder. Someone had jumped on him from above, injuring it. Not badly enough to need immediate treatment, but Atem was pretty sure that the ecter had torn something on his landing.
Atem grunted. “Nothing funny.”
“Then, why are you laughing?”
“Just happy.”
“You're laughing because you're happy?” Tuvo asked, surprised.
Atem chuckled, smacking him on the injured shoulder, earning a growl in return. “Just wait until you get your hands on your adassi. You'll understand.”
Tuvo was suspiciously silent, earning a look from Atem. A grin pulled at his lips, revealing his fangs and earning a glower.
“Get that look off your face before I knock it off,” Tuvo threatened with a surprising amount of heat, only succeeding in making Atem's grin widen.
“Unless you've already found your adassi.”
“Focus on your own mate and whelp.”
Atem threw back his head, laughing. “You did! Is it Hattie? I haven't missed the way she looks at you so longingly.”
“Leave it, Atem.”
“You know, I won't go easy on you when you come to challenge me for her.” Atem crossed his arms, absolutely pleased at the idea of Tuvo taking one of his sisters as his mate.
And since he was their closest male relative, he was the one that any other domini would challenge if they wanted to claim one of them – unlike Peony who had used Temnavi as her guardian.
“I said, leave it,” Tuvo growled, obviously unhappy.
Atem shrugged, allowing the subject to drop.
Tuvo hadn't told him anything about the soft, happy Hattie, but Atem had seen the longing glances Hattie had given him.
He couldn't imagine why his brother in all but name would resist Hattie's charms, but he also wasn't going to force the issue.
If they came together, that was their choice, and he would support it. As much as his instincts allowed.
Until then, he was just going to enjoy being with Peony.
Sometimes, when he was going about his day, he would be struck all over again by how incredible it was that she was carrying his pup.
He could just be looking at her or someone could congratulate him, even at times it would be for no reason at all.
The sheer joy of knowing she had given him the impossible would strangle him and he'd need a moment.
When he left Turv over a subcycle ago, his only intention had been to finish his business off planet. He didn't think anything more of it than that. Being captured had been an unfortunate, but not altogether unprecedented, event.
But finding his Peony, finding his new family, had been unimaginable. Atem didn't think he would ever be this happy in his life. It didn't seem possible. He didn't think he would have ever found something that meant more to him than his duty.
He would never shirk his responsibilities as dominani, but he was always going to look forward to returning home more than he was to waking up and going to work.
Tuvo approached the palace and touched down just long enough for Atem to emerge.
Tuvo had his own duties to return to and couldn't remain long.
Atem spoke with him about the forced labor punishment of those who had been captured from the clan before wishing him well and turning away.
Tuvo took off as Atem was walking back inside.
Where, almost immediately, he was nearly run down by Temnavi.
“Atem!” He yelled, barely catching himself after he bounced off of him.
Atem, having caught his arm so he wouldn't fall, pulled him back. “Where are you off to in such a hurry, hm?”
“I just finished my math lesson!” He declared proudly. “I have to go put on my shoes. Alanna and Hattie are going to take me shopping for tail rings! Peony said I could buy a new one since I finished all my math problems without a single mistake.”
Atem chuckled as he released the boy. “Very good. How was your training this morning?”
“Great! I broke my punching record by ten. And look! My sixth claw came in!”
Atem took hold of his hand, admiring the newly emerged claw. It was still pale in color as it hadn't hardened yet.
“We'll practice your clawing attacks later, yeah?”
“Yeah!” Temnavi perked up, excited.
“Vas, vi Dominani,” Atem corrected.
The boy stood up straight. “Vas, vi Dominani!”
“Good.” Atem stood aside. “Get going then.”
“Vas, vi Dominani!” He yelled even as he was running away.
Atem chuckled, watching him go before starting in the opposite direction. He already knew that Peony intended on having his sisters spend time with her while he was gone. He fully expected them to still be there.
However, to his surprise, when he walked inside, it was only Peony in the room. The others had all gone – though the proof of their midday meal remained. Peony was up, glaring at the curtains that had been pulled open like they were an insult to her.
Atem smiled, crossing the room. She had to have heard him, but she didn't turn her eyes from the drapes. Not even when he put his arms around her and pulled her back against his chest. He leaned down and kissed along her neck.
“Have the drapes offended you, vi Seerin?”
“I think I hate this color,” she grumbled, obviously put out by her sudden dislike about the completely innocuous pale, almost white, blue.
“It's vulgar and disgusting,” he agreed calmly, more focused on the rich taste of her skin as he ran his tongue along the sloping flesh. “What color would you prefer to replace it?”
“Hmm... I'm thinking mint green.”
“Consider it done. Just one thing.”
“Hm?”
“I don't know what mint is.”
Peony finally turned to look at him, staring as though surprised. She started laughing before putting her arms around him. “I forget sometimes. It's like a very light green. A bit like your sky.”
Atem made a sound of understanding. “I'll comm your fabric maker. I'm sure he has whatever color you like.”
Peony beamed gratefully, her face flushing in pleasure. The frown that had furrowed her brow was gone as she snuggled in close to him.
“I love you for not mentioning that I'm the one who picked those curtains in the first place.”
Atem chuckled. “I know better than to question a whelping female's conflicting desires for decorating her den.”
“I know I'm being stupid, but I just can't stand that color right now. I mean, I loved it, like, four days ago, but right now it's just bad. A bad color.”
“You are going to be the kind that constantly has to redecorate right up until it's time to deliver,” he chuckled, kissing her forehead.
“Hope you don't mind,” she grimaced. “I'm not really used to these domini instincts. They're kind of running wild in me right now.”