Chapter 12
YIRI
“Aneah?” Nerus asked when we left our weapons supplier with a new understanding and several broken bones.
Word had gotten back to me that he was still working with some of Masoh’s old crew behind my back.
Not anymore. If I paid him another visit, he wouldn’t survive it, and I’d need a new weapons guy.
“Keep it to yourself,” I said.
“You don’t have to tell me,” Nerus said. “Just surprised I don’t know her name, yet.”
“You’ll know it when I’m ready.”
My second grinned as we boarded my cruiser and I set course for Zacal’s home in Covara.
“Where did you find her?” he asked.
I glanced at him sideways. “You know I hate it when you get chatty.”
“She must be ugly if you’re so ashamed, then,” he goaded me. I knew what he was doing, and yet he still got his desired effect. I couldn’t let him slander my mate.
“She’s fucking gorgeous,” I growled. “Her name is Cora. I found her on BMM of all fucking places, and if you say one fucking thing about it I’ll cut out your tongue.”
He raised his hands in peace, smiling broadly. “Can’t wait to meet her.”
I couldn’t wait either. To have her here, to finally know how my Ibar chosen mate smelled, tasted, and felt in my arms. How quickly would she invite me to mate with her?
The rapport we had been building between us gave me daring to hope it would be soon.
Some Ibaran mates hardly wait for introductions, but Cora wasn’t daernir.
She might not understand the way her body and soul would be drawn to mine once she was here.
Would it scare her? Fuck, it might scare me.
I felt it already, galaxies away from her.
She would ask for it quickly. Wouldn’t she? Should… should I even wait?
I shook my head at myself. A female’s consent to mate, her invitation, was sacred.
I had to wait.
She might like the way I took charge over nexus calls, but no female wants that all the time. I wouldn’t risk pushing her away. I’d have to wait. But she was going to be such a good little wife for me. I wouldn’t have to wait long. Once she saw me, scented me… It wouldn’t be long.
“You okay to pilot this thing, boss?”
My eyes narrowed, slanting over at Nerus.
“Shut the fuck up.”
I found Zacal having a meal with Della, his mate, both of them in pleasant moods. I wondered how long that would last when I gave Zacal my news. I still wasn’t sure if he wanted me to succeed or fail in finding a mate that wasn’t D'vinda.
“Yiri, my sweet boy,” Della said as I entered. I went straight to her and pressed a kiss to the top of her graying head.
“Della,” I greeted her warmly. “Beautiful as always.” An adopted mother to me, Della was the only one to call me sweet. But to her, I was. I gave her the box in my hand, and her smile brightened even more.
“Pearls?” she asked, pressing the lock to open it.
“Fresh ones,” I said. “But you’ll have to share some of them.”
She gave Zacal a knowing look. “You would like something special made?”
“Yes,” I said. “Something for my Aneah.”
Zacal made a disgruntled sound. “You expect me to believe this?”
“Have I given you a reason not to trust me?” I asked.
“I think you would say and do anything to avoid D'vinda,” Zacal said. “Convince me. I can’t wait to hear what you have in store for me.”
Della clucked her tongue with disapproval. “Don’t worry about him, Yiri. Sit and tell us about your Aneah. What’s her name? How did you meet?”
I took the seat across from Zacal, steeling myself. “Her name is Cora Keaton,” I said. “She’s a human woman. I met her through Bion Marriage Match. I sent you her arrival details already. I will be away for a few days when she arrives in Muria in a few weeks.”
“Send Nerus,” Zacal said. “You have too much to oversee here.”
“Nerus is my second,” I said. “He can stand in for me in any situation that might come up, but he cannot stand in for me where my mate is concerned.”
Zacal’s eye twitched, but Della nodded her approval. “I can’t wait to meet her,” she said. “Is she very pretty?”
“Stunning,” I said proudly. I brought up an image of Cora on my nexus frame and passed it to her. Zacal tried to look over her shoulder without appearing interested, but the old male failed. His eyes widened, but he quickly schooled his features.
“I would have preferred a daernir of means,” he said.
“My reputation works against me here,” I said. “And Cora is more likely to give me daughters.”
He nodded. “How can you possibly know she’s your Aneah?” he asked. “You haven’t scented her or touched her.”
I lifted a shoulder. “I just know. I’ve seen her face, heard her voice. That’s all it took. I saw an image of her among thousands of others, and in an instant… her eyes held me prisoner.”
Della sighed happily, laying a hand over her heart.
“Can she handle your life?” Zacal asked. “She won’t become a liability?”
“She’ll be fine,” I said. “I can handle her.”
Della pursed her lips. “He hasn’t told her.”
“It won’t be a problem,” I said. “She’s smart. She’s seen me bloodied on more than one occasion, and her reaction was concerned, but… not alarming. I can handle her.”
“This is alarming to me,” Zacal said.
“If I had the time to court her properly, I would tell her who and what I am, but I can’t spend weeks convincing her that I’m worth…” I trailed off, clearing my throat. “It’s a timing issue. Nothing more. She’s my Aneah. Ibar wouldn’t choose her if she wasn’t right for me.”
Zacal sighed. “Fine. I’ll tell Bruukto it’s Evik. You’ll be expected to make appearances with her. The sooner we can convince the public she is your Ibar chosen mate, the less chance the Cendaquans will take offense.”
“I’ll arrange it,” I said.
“We will host a celebration of your match,” Della said. “Send me her arrival details. I’ll start planning it right away.”
“Thank you, Della.” I’d rather let Nerus punch me in the face than suffer through the parties and galas I’d be expected to attend with Cora, but Zacal was right.
She had to be introduced to society. Part of me wanted to hide her away and never announce our relationship.
Our connection would protect her from many, but make her a target for others. But I’d handle that too.
“I’ll bring a list of the soldiers I’d like to put in charge of her security in a few days,” I said to Zacal.
“Make sure you also bring me the names of the soldiers you’ll be preparing to take their places as well,” he said sourly. “And Yiri? If I find out you’re lying and she is not your Aneah, I will escort her back to earth myself.”
He meant he’d kill her, but he wouldn’t say it in front of Della. I shouldn’t have been bothered by it. She was my Aneah, but hearing a threat against my mate unleashed a dark and primal rage in me.
“Walk me out,” I said, standing and rounding the table to give Della a farewell kiss.
She told me to come back soon and eyed us with suspicion as we left.
As soon as we were out of earshot, I turned to my uncle, stepping into his sacred space.
Down the hall, his security team hurried to intervene until Zacal put out a hand to stop them.
“Something you would like to say, Yiri?” Zacal asked coolly.
“She is my Ibar chosen mate,” I said with the lethal calm usually reserved for males I’ve come to kill.
“But if in your advanced age you have lost some of your faculties and imagine some reason to doubt it, touch her at your own risk. If you think I won’t eviscerate any threat to my mate, then you don’t know me at all. ”
“Where is your family loyalty? I raised you like my own son.”
I bared my teeth, a breath away from gutting him with the blade on my thigh. “She is family now. Mine and yours. But if you want to know who I’ll put first, threaten her again.”
He grunted, shoving me away. Glaring as he straightened his shirt, he said, “At least you’re behaving like an Ibarut mate. That will go a long way to convince Bruukto Shek.”