Page 23 of Her Alien Delegate (Necia Alien Warriors)

"You wouldn't be able to give her first offspring the honor of your title..." Vaquel lamented with a sadness we all felt. We all knew that I would love the offspring as if it was my own blood and then politics would make us all choose between what was right and what was safest for the youngling.

I felt their whole life flash before my eyes and watched in my mind as Vaquel doted on a child with epul spikes that he trained to use while swimming in the caverns for their first hunt. I watched as Pheyal made him study how to manage a clan for them to one day take over the responsibilities.

I watched as an offspring not even born yet ran into their mother's arms, but from behind all I saw were shadows, forcing me to reach out and feel with my hands the silky hairs of her ormete. My hand, as it cupped her cheek and felt the way her mouth, turned up in a smile meant only for me.

"We will accept whatever happiness we are given," I confirmed out loud what my heart already knew. "I will speak with the commander and explain her importance beyond a contract."

"The necia warriors are territorial once they've mated," Pheyal warned.

Vaquel added, "I've researched the necia on board the vessel while you were sleeping."

"It wasn't exactly a relaxing rest," I objected, his tone like I had chosen to shirk my duties. "Nor was it a choice."

"I obtained the information," Pheyal corrected.

"While aboard the vessel--"

I cut them both off, "I know necia tribal law.

If they are mated, then their laws while on a Galactic Authority vessel, or on their planet, will override any contract we have.

Any of the warriors could try to mate with her to claim tribal law.

We would have to negotiate for her to become the primary delegate of AsunGor. "

Vaquel shook his head. "Or find a new mate."

"No," I objected, more harshly than I intended.

"There is something else you should know," Pheyal said calmly, but obviously concerned, "A highly honored warrior, second to the king of the House of Nel, is on board the ship."

"And?"

"He was contracted to mate with the other human... but…"

"A warrior off his inhibitors, intending to mate, may imprint on any potential mate.

.." I finished for him. It was my job as commissioner to know about the culture of many species to negotiate with them.

"And you didn't think to mention this earlier?

" I deadpanned. It was difficult to anger me, but this information was upsetting in a way that was irreparable.

A highly ranked necia warrior so close to the king of their planet would not be swayed to leave the tribe and join a delegation of AsunGor.

If my mate bonded with the Second of Necias Prime Wren-Kal.

.. I would have no chance of keeping her.

Thoughts of kidnapping her, simply grabbing her and waiting for her to forgive me plagued my mind.

It would destroy my title, my planet's standing with Trillume, and with Necias Prime. I'd be putting us both in danger.

As long as she was happy, I repeated to myself over and over again.

"He's got that look in his eyes," Vaquel grumbled to Pheyal.

"You are not allowed to step down for your brother to take commission," Pheyal warned. "I would kill him in a duel, and we both know you do not wish for his death."

Many would die.

"If she is unhappy... I cannot make any promises," I admitted that I would destroy everything for a mate I hardly knew.

Vaquel didn't understand. "What is it about her that you can't let go of?"

"In the beginning, she was simply a human that was convenient and fulfilled a political purpose."

"And then?"

My thumb rubbed the grooves of the scar I held for her when I attacked the trill.

"She was attacked, and yet she cared for what would happen to the trill, and if he would die.

Her sweet voice broke when she asked if I would die because I took on her burden of harming a male that did not honor her.

There are wounds in her that are not seen.

I could feel them as my eyes were covered in sap.

She would delegate well with her softness and heal wounds others are blind to. "

"You felt a softness in her?" Vaquel tried to absorb my meaning, but I could sense it would not be enough for him. He would have to experience it himself.

"She thought beyond my physical health to my future health as her concern extended to the consequences I might have for harming a trill diplomat," I continued.

"She sounds like a capable delegate," Pheyal agreed.

"I offered to kill the trill," I went on. "She did not wish for his death."

"Merciful," Pheyal mused and began to pace with his thoughts.

"She wished to know my failures..."

Vaquel took a sharp inhale at that confession.

"You did not..." Pheyal tensed as he gripped the dash of the control room panel to steady himself.

"I did not," I confirmed. "But she knew not all my scars were honorable, and she still wished to know more about our species. She still gave her consent. She displayed her tongue to me a third time..."

My heart raced at the memory—though I could not see her tongue, I could hear the way her mouth parted, and the little moan her throat made as she pushed her tongue before it licked across her lips.

"But the sap?" Vaquel was intrigued by this contrary statement.

"You could not see this," Pheyal agreed.

"I expressed that displaying her tongue would give me permission to show her what I could do with mine," I explained, and a shiver worked its way up my spine, tingling at my shoulder from the memory of her tongue caressing the very spot I wished for a mate mark. "She licked my neck."

"Near the shoulder?" Pheyal questioned, his eyes darting to the spot all unGor saved for their mate. It was the one spot where even if we had a scar there, we would insist a healer would take care to reduce scarring, or even risk nanomeds to protect.

With a sad smile, I admitted why I was so set on my mate. "She asked me what forever would be. She asked me what I would give her."

"What did you say?" It was Pheyal who whispered like he didn't want the universe to take back what it offered AsunGor when it brought our mate to me.

"I promised everything."

And I meant it.