Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Shathar
The human female is visibly disturbed by all that’s been heaped upon her in the last few minutes. But I think she is also intrigued, and that is a good place for me to start.
Bah, if only Khesan weren’t here. I knew it was a bad sign when I ran into him aboard our transport from our home planet, Arshur, but I’d simply assumed he was headed to Earth for the same reason: to meet a human bride of his own.
Not my human bride. Particularly not a human bride that my nose has already recognized as my one. My only.
My fated mate.
She smells like warm sunshine, like a flower whose scent was specifically designed for me. It awakened me, and I felt immediately when my nalopo responded. I don’t even have to look to know that they have emerged, ready to please her.
But now, Khesan is claiming that Fiona is also his fated mate, which is simply impossible. He just thinks that it will help his cause. Not that he needs any help with his good looks.
Before she came in, we were discussing how we both ended up on Earth, matched with the same person, and the stupid little Frahma was defending himself. A clerical error, he kept saying. He wouldn’t tell us which of us was meant to be here.
I know it’s me. That’s the only reason the gods would have tied me to the human woman—if I was the one intended to come here and mate with her.
Khesan is an unfortunate barrier.
“I am happy to prove that I am the best match,” I say with my arms crossed. It will work out as long as the gods are with me, and a fated mate proves that they are.
Khesan growls low in his throat. “I am the best match.”
I decide to say nothing. He is an upstart, the son of a rich man playing at soldier.
I might be a much simpler, lower-class Arshurian, owning my own grocery business, but I am far more worldly and certainly more capable of pleasing a mate.
It will not take much to convince Fiona that I am the one for her.
I let my fans fall to the sides of my head and relax. The human is intimidated by us, and the last thing I want is for her to fear me. Instead, I try to smile the way that I’ve seen humans do in the many videos I’ve watched.
Her eyes go big—they are an interesting bright blue—as I reveal all of my fangs.
“Wow,” she breathes. “Nice, um, teeth.”
“Thank you.” I have kept them clean and neat, as much as I can. “I will prove I am the best male for you if you give me the opportunity.” I clasp my claws together, hoping to make myself look somewhat softer. Humans are quite fragile creatures.
I hear Khesan growl, but Gazargo holds up one hand and the younger male says nothing.
“Oh, wow, okay,” Fiona says. “Maybe I should learn your name first, though?”
Stupid me. Khesan snickers under his breath.
“I am Shathar,” I tell her, bending my neck and lowering my snout to show my deference. The woman repeats my gesture back to me, which is adorable if incorrect. A female being courted would never bend her neck.
“I am Fiona.”
“Fiona.” I like how it sounds when I say it back to her.
“And you?” she asks Khesan, and I’m irritated at losing her attention.
“Khesan.” He also bends his neck, lowering his snout even farther than mine. “It is wonderful to meet you, Fiona, the song of my heart.”
My eyes just about roll out of my head.
Fiona covers her mouth. “Ah,” she says in a high-pitched voice. “A poet.”
Khesan peers up at her, then lowers himself farther, down onto one knee.
“It is not poetry, but what I really feel.” He clasps his hands to his chest. “When the gods decide, it is final. I will do everything in my power to show you how I am the mate destined for you.”
“How about that,” Fiona says weakly.
I gnash my teeth as that idiot youngling gets back to his feet. What a show he’s putting on. It’s pathetic, really. I am an older male, and not as silly and frivolous. You do not win a female’s heart by regaling her with tales of your affection, but with deeds.
“Ahem,” says Gazargo, recapturing our attention. “There is a ceremony to complete.”
“I only brought one ring,” Fiona says, her expression strained.
Ah, yes. I read about this. On my way here, I consumed every possible piece of information I could about humans—their culture, their rituals, their world. I knew that coming from Arshur, things would be very different here, and I wanted to be as prepared as possible.
I wonder if this idiot Khesan has taken that kind of time or initiative.
“That is all right,” I say, tucking my hands behind my back. “What if you saved the ring until the thirty-day trial is up and you have made your choice?”
It will be me at the finish line, as she is my heart’s song. I am already greedy to learn every inch of her, to glean everything I can about who she is. I want to explore everything I can by the end of this one Earth month.
Yes, I even learned how long Earth months are, even though back home we count time in days, moon turns, and seasons.
“I guess I could do that,” Fiona says, lowering the ring in her hand. She glances at Gazargo for confirmation.
He sighs and shrugs, clearly growing impatient. “Whatever you like. Now, are all of you ready with your commitments?”
I read about these, too, but what I had rehearsed makes no sense now that I know she’s my mate, my destined.
Before, I was promising to grow to love her, to be trustworthy and dedicated until love blossomed between us.
Now that I know who she is, though… things have changed. I will need to adjust accordingly.
“I will go first,” Khesan says quickly. He retrieves something from his pocket. So, he did come prepared—but he didn’t memorize it.
I decide to let him say his piece before I do, so that I can make a fool of him when it’s my turn.
His tail twitches behind him as he begins. “I may not know your name yet,” he reads off the tablet, “but I can promise you that I am, as you humans say, ‘all in.’”
Vakha. He studied, too.
“I promise to look after you, and protect you, and defend you from any other males—”
Fiona’s face is turning pinker and pinker, which I have learned from the Human Fact Sheet is a sign of stress.
“You won’t need to do any of that,” she says quickly, interrupting him.
Khesan blinks at her, and then down at his communicator, trying to remember where he left off. “And defend you… no, we’re cutting that part…” He clears his throat and stands up straight again. “I will honor you, and bring respect to our family name.”
There’s silence, and then Fiona seems to realize that Khesan is finished.
“Oh,” she says in that high voice again. “Those are, um, nice vows. Thank you, Khesan.”
“I will go next,” I say, stepping forward. Fiona’s gaze darts over to me.
“Okay.” She swallows. “Sure.”
“I did not know what to expect upon coming here,” I begin, speaking not from memory, but from my heart. “I did not know that upon arriving, I would be greeted by the most beautiful creature to exist. That I would scent my fated mate.”
Fiona’s eyes widen.
“But beauty is inside and out. And while I find you lovely to look upon, I can’t wait to learn even more of your beauty. Everything that is you, I want to know. So I can truly be the partner you sought when you applied.”
The only sound is a low hiss from Khesan.
“I hope I can become that.” I slowly reach out toward where Fiona stands stock-still, and I lay my palm on her cheek. “And build a life with you.”
Khesan’s hiss grows louder.
“Why, isn’t that nice,” says Fiona. She backs up so she can face both of us.
“I should say mine, I suppose?” She pulls out a very archaic communicator and taps it a few times.
“A-hem. Well. I applied to the program to find my forever person.” She glances between us.
“And I believe that can be you if we work together, if we put our hearts into this journey and see where it takes us.”
My new human mate is as lovely inside as she is outside, with her short, light yellow hair and bright eyes.
“I’m here for the long haul. I want to share my life and everything in it with you… both. I can’t wait to learn all about you, and show you the deepest parts of my soul. Please be kind with it.”
She sighs after she finishes, like that took a lot out of her. I wonder if she has been hurt before.
“That was lovely,” I say.
“A wonder with words,” Khesan adds, and I flash him a glare.
“Yes, yes indeed,” interrupts Gazargo. “Now, please sign here, and then the three of you can get on your way.”
He holds out a tablet to Fiona, which she signs. Then he offers it to Khesan next, who signs his name, too.
“Oh, one moment,” Gazargo says, tapping the screen. “I need to add another line.”
I grumble as he fiddles around with it, then eventually hands it over so I can sign my name. I curl my claw over the screen with a flourish, and then we’re finished.
“If for any reason things aren’t working out, you can call.” He directs this at Fiona. “We will send assistance if needed.”
“Assistance?” She glances sideways at each of us. “I don’t think that will be necessary. Right, Khesan? Shathar?”
We each nod rapidly in unison. I will give Fiona no reason to make such a call. I will be as understanding as I can be of this imposter in our midst, but it won’t take long for Fiona to realize the truth: that she is my fated mate, and she is meant to be mine.