Page 14 of Flower of Seshana (Tales from the Darvel Exploratory Systems #1)
FOUR YEARS LATER
“ A lexandra! A human! There is a human in the nara!” Neima shouted as she darted inside, her little wings folding upon touching down only for the small female to dart across the room to Alexandra’s side with a whip of her tail.
Kethan looked up from where he was lazily reclined on one of the benches in their primary chamber and smiled indulgently as the little female hurried across the room straight into her favorite human’s arms. Neima was one of the many nestlings who had recently become students under Alexandra’s tutelage to learn all about propagation, conservation, and how to advantageously cultivate the plants that the Vahel depended on along the slopes closest to the nara. It was turning out to be so beneficial that Kethan often wondered while looking out over the hanging gardens why they had never bothered to do so before. Was it because they had grown too dependent on the hunters and took for granted the gifts of the Zir?
Perhaps.
Though fully accepting Alexandra among them, not everyone had been entirely supportive of her efforts when she began to build the first gardens closest to their nest. She had explained that it was to study the commonly used plants among the Vahel and work on what she called selective breeding, the results of which she mentioned would not be readily seen for many revolutions, but from the outset it had looked bizarre at best. Most within the nara had initially considered it a waste of time. All except Therxian, much to Kethan’s private surprise until the male had mentioned that the Seshanamitesh depended on growing crops, making the male Alexandra’s enthusiastic champion.
That part had been a source of vexation for him, and for Quillen, who had to remind him more than once that he would need to go find his own human as they had no intention of sharing. Fortunately, the male did not take their threats too much to heart and continued to support their mate until the first true harvest came in and the Vahel had seen for themselves the potential advantage to Alexandra’s gardens. Only then did they begrudgingly send nestlings who had shown interest in her work to study with her. Of which Neima had been among the first and was therefore understandably the first to inform Alexandra—and thereby their entire nest—of anything of importance happening within the nara.
It was actually quite convenient. Especially as their mate was swelling ever larger with their nestling and struggled to navigate the slopes surrounding the nara. Neima not only reported to Alexandra but also began directing the other juveniles in taking over the weeding and watering to spare their mate the climb.
“A human?” Quillen murmured as he shifted lazily on his tail and yawned, awakening from his midday nap. “Do you suppose Therxian finally got one?”
“Very funny,” Alexandra chided from across the room as she gave Neima one more hug despite how awkward it was for her to do around her enormous belly. “Just keep wishing a human on him and you’re going to regret it when he turns up with someone who is going to penetrate that rock hard exterior and turn him into mush.”
“Does not sound too bad,” Kethan muttered to Quillen. “Perhaps then he would get off our tails about his own ‘ideas’ for improvements that can be made to the nara.”
His nest brother grunted in agreement. “Old ways work best. I do not know why he is determined to turn it into a shinara when he worked so hard to escape the one in which he was reared.”
“Oh really?” Alexandra challenged, her eyebrows raising in a look that made his gavo flare in warning. “I don’t recall you saying that to me when I was building the gardens.”
“That is different,” Quillen replied with a broad grin. “Our mate possesses great charm and intelligence—Therxian just hates seeing anyone enjoying a moment of peace.”
Their ashlava laughed, the sound sending a shiver along Kethan’s scales. He could not wait to get her alone. He found her more irresistible than ever, and her pheromones were driving him wild, to the point that everything she did made him want to rut. He knew it was instinctive reaction designed to keep him close to her to care for her needs but he did not care. Alexandra had his hearts. And he would never cease wanting her even when her pheromones leveled out once more. The only difference was that they would settle back into more leisurely mating instead of the desperation that seemed to seize them around her fertile periods and only get worse the moment she became impregnated.
He was actually starting to look forward to having time to properly love his mate without that maddening urgency. Until then, however, he was going to enjoy every bit of the madness.
“It is not Therxian,” the little female announced, distracting him. “Hunter Zurgol appeared with her just a short time ago. She was screaming and awfully mad at him, but he did look happy,” she trilled with merriment. “Gamay went to calm her.”
“Zurgol,” Quillen repeated, echoing Kethan’s thoughts. The male glanced over at him inquiringly. “Is he not the male who tangled with the zaron revolutions ago? Ugly male who could scare the quills off a zarkluth?”
“No wonder she screamed,” Kethan added but then grinned. “It would be interesting to see how he will court her. I do not believe she will make it easy on him. He is not the most tractable male.”
“What do you expect?” Quillen chuffed. “He is Therxian’s favorite hunter. He has a massive stick up his vent just like him.”
“Don’t pay them any attention,” Alexandra told Neima and shot them a glare that spoke volumes as she gave the nestling a candied flower. Neima eagerly stuffed it into her mouth with a hum of pleasure that made Kethan chuff in amusement. The treat their mate introduced had become widely popular among many of the Vahel but especially among the nestlings. “I’m certain that she’s lovely. Let Gamay know that I will go and meet her shortly and see if I can help.” Alexandra sighed as she gave Neima a hug before sending the nestling on the way. “As for you two—” she scolded.
“We deserve punishment,” Kethan replied as he uncoiled from the bench. “Perhaps our mate requires satisfying?”
“Yes,” Quillen agreed as he too slipped to the floor to slither over to their laughing mate. “She should use us for her pleasure. It shall be torturous.”
“You two are ridiculous,” she gasped around a laugh, her face pinkening with merriment.
“That may be, little flower,” Kethan hissed as he wound over to her other side, “but every flower needs a good tender.”
“And it is our pleasure to make you bloom,” Quillen finished as his tail looped around her waist to draw her tightly against him.
Kethan grinned as he wound his tail up her thigh until the tip of his tail rested over her rapidly beating pulse. So sweet. So perfect. Bending his head, he placed his mouth upon her neck and breathed in her fragrance with his kiss. And at the brush of his tongues against her skin, his flower bloomed for them with her sweet perfume yet again.