Page 13 of Flower of Seshana (Tales from the Darvel Exploratory Systems #1)

Chapter

Thirteen

A nd they flew into the sunset to live happily ever after. Of course, happily ever after had to look different for everyone, and to Alexandra it looked like a nara filled with joy as the Vahel greeted her. She now understood fully what Therxian had meant about finally being a part of the nara. Although not everyone had what humans would visually consider the most pleasant of countenances, the Vahel treated her with familiarity—not as a stranger briefly entering their lives but a member who belonged there among them.

And it was easy to see because not one among them interrupted what they were doing when she stepped into the clearing. Elderly males and females were submerged in the hot spring near the center of the clearing, their tails extending and twisting through the water, enjoying the heat as the day began to cool rapidly with the onset of evening. One of the females rose halfway from the pool and waved to her in greeting. Alexandra blushed a little at the blatant nudity as she was treated to a view of the female’s scaled breasts. She tried not to stare but it was difficult not to do so when humans that she knew tended to be more conservative. However, she didn’t hesitate to shyly return the gesture, earning her a warm smile from the other female before she slipped once more beneath the surface of the water.

“Is nudity that common?” she whispered to Kethan, unable to control her blush. She hadn’t really noticed before. “They usually don’t rise up from the spring in front of me. I didn’t realize?—”

Kethan chuffed mercifully and hugged her to him with one wing. “I did not think to warn you, hithana. The Vahel may wear coverings, but it is more for convenience or protection—or simply for decoration—rather than human shyness.”

“It’s called modesty.”

“Sounds terrible,” her mate quipped, and she bit back her laughter.

“I meant to ask you—hithana, what is that?” she whispered instead, changing the topic.

“Sweetest one,” Quillen replied from her other side as he bent in to quickly trail his tongue along the shell of her ear. “Or most loved.”

“Mmm, I like that,” she sighed in approval. “I would much rather be most loved than a queen.”

“Noted,” Kethan rasped as he swooped in to drag his cheek against hers. “Perhaps we should practice it back in our nest and return to the day of blessings later?”

“Not a chance,” she chuckled, pushing his head away. “You already got me down here with the basket. I’m not going to be able to work up the nerve to do this again so let’s just get to it.”

Kethan grumbled playfully but relented as he straightened only to curse with a hiss, his wings spreading as they snapped wide around Alexandra, shielding her entirely. She could clearly hear Quillen’s hiss of displeasure, but she was a little distracted by the large hunter, clearly freshly returned from the hunt, suddenly appeared in front of them with a triumphant grin and a grisly gift dropped at their feet.

“Blessings to your nest,” the male grunted and gestured to his kill. “May this feast celebrate the blessing of your unified nest to the nara.”

Alexandra blinked down at it as everything clicked into place. Oh. This was a gift. A blessing day gift.

Adjusting the large basket on her hip, she brushed Kethan’s wings aside to smile over at the male in thanks, to which he responded with an even broader grin showcasing his numerous sharp teeth.

“Thank you, hunter…” she faltered, realizing that she didn’t even know his name.

The male chuffed in amusement and inclined his head. “Archay,” the male rumbled.

It sounded so suspiciously like Arche that she nearly asked him to repeat it but caught herself in time. She inclined her head appreciatively.

“Thank you, Hunter Archay, for your blessing.”

The male’s wings puffed up behind him with pleasure, and he quickly inclined his head again with an even more pleased expression before moving away and leaving Quillen to gather up the dead beast.

“He is not joining our nest,” he muttered. “I am warning you now, hithana, I will not tolerate any male who tries to flirt or gift his way into our nest.”

“I gathered that when you threatened Therxian the first time,” she replied. The idea was so preposterous that she couldn’t hold back a giggle of amusement. “But you don’t need to worry. Two mates are more than enough for me.”

Quillen grunted in acknowledgment, but the corner of his mouth twitched as Kethan chuffed out loud. A happy, light feeling settled within her chest as she continued to wander through the nara’s gathering area.

She had to admit, even if only privately, that she felt a little self-conscious but this too, they had informed her, was a tradition among the Vahel following a successful mating. While the blessing ceremony saw off the mating flight that officially brought a mate into the nara, the day of blessings that followed was one of feasts and gifts offered to a successfully mated couple—or in their case, throuple.

Kethan’s yellow eyes brightened like a pair of suns as greetings and well wishes were called out to them as Vahel came forward to offer tiny gifts that were immediately deposited in the basket. His gavo was slightly flared with his good mood, and he trilled with pleasure over every little thing, melting her heart. Just seeing him so happy and content was enough that Alexandra immediately felt her tension ease as she relaxed in response, her smile becoming broader and more genuine. Quillen peered over at her and smiled indulgently as he nudged her lightly with his wing.

“You appear happy,” he observed quietly.

“How can I not be?” she replied as she leaned, wrapping an arm around his waist. “I am a little socially awkward, but I’m with you, and you two are part of my happiness.”

A look of pleasure brightened the male’s face, his purple gaze softening to velvet. “Then we shall never part,” he rasped as he cupped her cheek with one hand before lowering to skim her throat with his fingers.

Lowering his head, he lovingly brushed his brow against hers before reluctantly releasing her when several males called out to him. With a look that promised far more once they were alone again, Quillen turned toward the males with a curious stare and came close to bolting when one of the hunters suddenly embraced him. Alexandra smothered her laughter behind her hand as she watched him awkwardly return the male’s embrace even as his gaze flicked over to her in semi-panic. It seemed that successfully mating had some unexpected benefits. Though it seemed that it would take some getting used to for her reclusive mate.

“He will be fine,” Gamay assured her, the female’s voice drifting up from a point behind her. Alexandra turned just as her new mother arrived at her side with a pleased, maternal smile on her face. “The whole nara has been talking of it. No one was certain whether or not you would go through mating with him given how his mother’s terrible choice stained his life among the Vahel.”

“I am a scientist. The dead don’t inform my personal choice,” Alexandra replied.

Gamay inclined her head. “As a healer, they do not inform my choices either. I have seen too much to believe that a sad circumstance of death does anything but perhaps leave their loved ones feeling sadness, regret… and anger in some cases.” She exhaled heavily as if a great weight had been taken from her shoulders. “I have raised Quillen since he was a nestling. I am more his mother than the female who birthed him. It has hurt me to see the way the nara has avoided him. But his successful mating has changed everything—bringing in new life and hope through the establishment of your common nest together, banishing the stain of death. It will take him some time to become accustomed to it, but he has a new life now in the nara, thanks to you.”

Alexandra blushed. “I didn’t do anything. I just love him. I love both of them.”

“And that is the most important gift,” Gamay replied. Turning, she reached into the woven bag looped across her chest and pulled out an intricately carved figure of a Vahel female that she gently placed into the basket. “My gift for you,” she murmured. “You were not born from us, but you are now of the Vahel. You are a daughter of Shangla. Shangla,” she said, touching the small head of the statue, “will protect you.”

“Thank you,” Alexandra whispered. She did not know if she believed in this Shangla or not, but the sentiment of belonging was not lost upon her and affected her deeply. Every bit of her gratitude was genuine.

Gamay smiled and touched her shoulder briefly, a small connection, before she drifted off to greet several of the nestling rushing to her. Alexandra watched her go with a smile, her eyes falling warmly on the nestlings. She admittedly had a soft spot for them and was pleased when they suddenly turned and rushed toward her, moving swiftly on their slender tails. She laughed, murmuring her thanks as they loaded her basket with flowers, river polished stones and other little things that they had likely just found that morning and saved as gifts for her. But the best gifts were their hugs and the gentle pats from their little hands where before they had watched her shyly. Setting her basket on the ground, she kneeled among them, talking with them until she felt the weight of eyes on her sending a hot spark of awareness through her body.

She turned and her eyes fell once more on Kethan as the male smiled and separated himself from the males and females surrounding him to return to her. She straightened as he approached, her heart beating quickening with the fresh wave of love she felt.

If Quillen was her rock with his cool amethyst gaze and playfully loving partner, Kethan was nothing short of her joy made into flesh and perfectly huggable. With a hopping step, she followed her impulse and leaped into his arms. Twining her arms around his neck to hug him tightly to her, her legs came up to circle his hips as his arms came around her to hold her close. A small, startled hiss of pleasure escaped him, and she grinned as she felt his tail and wings curl around to embrace her close in turn, surrounding her in his warmth. They held each other, their hearts beating together.

“Do not forget me,” Quillen rumbled as he pushed himself into their hold, his wings and arms wrapping around them.

“We could never forget you,” she assured him, brushing a kiss against his cheek.

“It would be impossible to,” Kethan agreed dryly and then chuffed with laughter when she thumped his chest. “We are family. The three of us together,” he murmured as he snared Quillen and dragged him closer into the hug. “There would be no us and no nest without you.”

“Sweet talker,” Quillen groused, but his trill of happiness was hard to miss.

Alexandra smiled as she hugged her mates. Kethan was right. Whatever challenges the future might bring, this was what was important right here. Her family. And there was no better place on Seshana than the Vahel nara on the slopes of the Zir.