Chapter 5 #2
"A diluted musk won't harm the humans, nor will it make them do anything they do not wish to do.
It will simply tell me which humans are a good match because the musk will fade quickly after sleep, but a good match would still have my scent.
It will linger. As for why you would do such a thing for me?
Because having a krelin's musk is valuable.
Spraying more than a drop on your mate would unnerve her suitors and they would think she isn't a good match for them, though it would make you feel uneasy, you would know differently.
"Don't want to risk it on your mate?" He could see the clear distrust in my eyes. "Krelin musk during mating doesn't work on bonded females. You may not be fully bonded, but I can smell her on you. I'm disinterested in fighting over a female that smells like another male."
"She'd smell like you if I used your musk," I said with a grin. Did he think I was stupid?
"Add your seed and it won't."
I practically choked on my own spit. Did he not know enough about my species to know that our seed was a commodity sold across the galaxy? Adding my seed to his musk may do what he says, but that would be a clear violation of my mate's right to choose me. It would send her into heat immediately.
"Spawnlings..." He was mocking my youth, which was telling of his own age.
"She doesn't have to touch your seed. Does your kind not give gifts of interest?
Place the specimen in a trinket and have her wear it.
If it helps your delicate disposition, you can inform the humans and allow them the choice to test my musk.
I'd prefer you simply to say it is the musk of a potential mate, makes it more fun to hunt the stronger scent later instead of them approaching me. "
"You could ask the medic for this, why me?"
"The medic would be required to add me on their profiles for the strange game the humans prefer for mating.
My request is within the rights allowed in their contracts, I simply prefer a bit of fight and chase in my mating choices.
And I believe you'll do it because I saw the way you wished to duel your own kind instead of sharing.
Your kind is supposed to share. Being territorial is a human trait you've learned on Earth it seems and that intrigues me enough to get to know you more. "
"I don't want to get to know you," I objected.
"No matter. Your wants are not my concern, and I do not wish you to know me either.
I've only ever been good at following orders and training the hive in proactive conquest and survival.
This is my first mission where the objective of conquest is acquiring a mate for myself and for my team.
Getting to know you is part of my strategy for this mission. Knowing me isn't mission critical."
"I guess I need to clarify. I refuse to be part of your mission."
He shook his head like I was a pebble on the beach that he could easily toss into the ocean or crush into sand between his fingers.
"I'm going to enjoy getting to know you, Axelun of Earth."
"I'm an unGor," I corrected.
"Are you?" he asked with an amused grin.
He was right, I'd spent more time on Earth than on my own planet.
Neither accepted as a true unGor or an Earthling.
"I guess we'll see which planet you represent soon enough.
I'll leave this here." Kaustol chewed something in his mouth before he pulled a string from between his lips and wrapped it around the vial.
He stuck the vial to the wall. Whatever the substance was, it was sticky enough to keep it attached.
He passed by and the wind from his wings made my ormete flutter over my shoulder.
With a lack of ornaments from never really achieving any status or achievements from AsunGor, it was not weighted down to test my strength or prove my worth.
It may not have been the krelin's intention, but his subtle action was enough to get under my skin about my insecurities of being able to secure a mate with honor.
Like he could read my mind, and maybe the krelin could, they communicated telepathically with their hive, he stopped to say, "Tell me, Axelun.
Do you think there is honor in not fighting for what you want?
Even your own species tries to create a stage for their success, do they not?
Or do you think the unGor are being 'fair' when they choose who attends a Gengaktor?
As I've read, it's hosted by the first mate, and how do you suppose a first mate is chosen?
Should you change your mind, the musk is there, and should your honor sway you.
.. you can verify with the medic before assisting me with finding my own mate. "
Was he making an argument that it was honorable to help him set the stage for finding his mate the same as an unGor sets up a Gengaktor ceremony? His logic made sense and held sway if I used the same logic to lure my own mate into bonding with me.
Was it dishonorable to set the stage for mating success?
Was it any different than what humans did when they slowly revealed their temperaments to their mate once they've been bonded physically first. Once the chemicals in their brain can help smooth the way towards acceptance and grow into admiration for their mates then humans allowed themselves to be comfortable in trusting someone with their natural state.
Is it no different to allow my mate the opportunity to accept my differences by setting the stage for her to be chemically dependent before being comfortable?
Kaustol was making sense and I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.
I gravitated towards the musk but stopped myself.
Setting the stage was different than blocking her options.
She must choose me even if it means she must turn down other suitors without my interference.
I grabbed the musk vial from the wall; the resin was hardened around it.
A drop would only prove she's not a compatible mate for Kaustol.