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Titan

“What you need,” said Al in Darvrokian a short while later, having just returned from the kitchen, where he had helped Human Jude resolve a quibble between their offspring, “is to speak with someone who has a deep understanding of how True Mate bonds function. You mentioned that you spoke with Kr’??’txx already, but as smart as he is, that’s not quite his specialty.

He may not have heard of anyone else experiencing a True Mates bond in the way you’re claiming, but that doesn’t mean it’s never happened before.

There could be rare cases that present atypically—or perhaps your particular situation has something to do with having a human mate. ”

“Perhaps,” Titan conceded, “but why, then, would you experience a typical True Mates bond with Human Jude? It doesn’t make sense.”

As he spoke, Secretary of Defense Buttons leapt onto the table and butted her head in greeting against Titan’s arm. Titan, not wanting to be rude, lowered his head and butted her back.

“Have you considered not worrying about it?” she asked, tail twitching at the very tip. “Most species on Earth don’t experience True Mate bonds, with the exception of the planet’s worst asshole: the swan.”

A lead!

Titan nearly sprang out of his seat in excitement. “Where may I find one such swan?”

“Oh, don’t bother.” Secretary of Defense Buttons licked her paw several times, then ran it over the top of her head and between her ears.

“They won’t tell you anything. All they’ll do is gloat and make fun of your insecurities.

I’m pretty sure the only reason they bond like they do is because if they didn’t have a force larger than themselves tying them together, they’d be so unbearably cruel to each other that no one would be getting any, and they’d go extinct. Nasty things. Tasty, though.”

“Much thanks, Secretary of Defense Buttons,” Titan said with a defeated sigh.

“I will heed your warning and refrain from making contact with these creatures, unless it is to eat them. My brother is right. Surely there are Darvrokian specialists here on Earth I will be able to consult—it will just be a matter of finding one.”

“Are you…” said a voice from the doorway. Titan looked over his shoulder and discovered it belonged to Human Jude, who was peering at them through narrowed eyes. His lips were pursed in distaste. “You know what?” he said after an increment’s consideration. “I’m not even going to ask.”

“Secretary of Defense Buttons is a wise creature, and we are consulting her,” Al supplied helpfully, in English. “If you wish to join the conversation, you should be able to do so with the help of our bond. It will enable you to speak her language.”

“That’s very kind of you,” said Jude stiffly, “but I’m good. I’ve gotta get back to the kids. Have a, uh, good time consulting the cat.”

“Many thanks, Human Jude.”

Human Jude gave Titan an odd look, and it was only then that Titan realized he had not spoken in English, but in cat. Before he could rectify his mistake, Human Jude disappeared back into the kitchen, leaving Titan, Al, and Secretary of Defense Buttons alone.

“Apologies for my mate’s behavior,” Al said to Secretary of Defense Buttons.

“He is a kind and loving being, but has yet to accept that his bad and wrong language is ill-suited for logical communication. I have been working on him, but he is slow to accept this as the truth, as he finds other languages to be ‘weird.’”

Secretary of Defense Buttons wandered away from Titan and wound obliquely over to Al, who she greeted with a headbutt and a rapid twitching of her tail. “Don’t worry about it. We’re used to it. Humans have always been this way.”

“Perhaps this is so, but that does not make their behavior right.”

Secretary of Defense Buttons’ tail continued to rapidly twitch, and she began to stomp her back feet, displaying her satisfaction with Al’s words.

When this proved to be too small a gesture for the appreciation in her heart, she then helped herself into Al’s arms, and Al very wisely obliged her, forming a cradle out of his own body.

She curled up in it, closed her eyes, and began to purr.

“Tell you what,” Al said in Darvrokian once Secretary of Defense Buttons was settled.

“If you look into making contact with experts, I’ll consult Jude and ask him to walk me through what the True Mates bond felt like for him as a human being.

Comparing his experience to Ezra’s might help us figure out what’s going on. ”

“I appreciate it.” Titan hesitated, fighting off a frown.

Unlike Secretary of Defense Buttons, he was not comfortable displaying gratitude, as he had been raised to believe that being grateful meant a life form was weak.

“I know I might not sound it, but I do. Is there anything I can do for you in return to prove how grateful I really am?”

Al considered his request for an increment. “You have connections with the human government, right?”

“Limited connections, but yes.”

A look of fury the likes of which Titan had never seen set itself ablaze in Al’s eyes. “Good, because I would like to have a word with them about the concept known as ‘daylight saving time,’ and I will not rest until they listen to me.”

That night, Ezra welcomed Titan into his bed again.

The two of them “fooled around,” as Ezra liked to call it, but Ezra was too fatigued and Titan too preoccupied to go all the way.

Instead, Titan lay staring at the ceiling and idly stroked Ezra’s back, while Ezra rested his head on his chest and passed in and out of unconsciousness.

It had been a long and somewhat unpleasant day, full of uncomfortable emotion, and there was much to think about, but as Titan reflected back on all that had happened, he could not say that it had been bad.

Challenging, yes, but good had come of it.

If nothing else, he had made life easier for Ezra, and that was not without its merits.

And perhaps, if all went well, Al would accept his apology and, in time, might become his friend.

Still, there was the issue of the True Mates bond he shared with Ezra.

It was there—it had to be, for how else would Ezra have become pregnant with his clutch?

—but the irregularity of it was distressing.

What if it could n ot be fixed? Word would spread that he had formed a faulty bond, and it would be seen as a mark of incompetence.

A sign that he was imperfect and not fit for his position.

The blow to his image would be immense, but even should it cause professional harm, it would be survivable. To his surprise, what he found himself most concerned about wasn’t the impact it would have on himself, but how such a thing might affect Ezra.

Would he be ashamed should Titan lose his position?

Would he think him less worthy of his love?

Such thoughts had never bothered Titan before, but until now, he had never had a reason to worry. He was the best at what he did, and had never been proven otherwise.

Not until Ezra.

Not until his rejection, and now their broken bond.

He had only just managed to improve himself thanks to Human Corbin’s grasp of human culture. What if it was not enough? What if Ezra saw him as unworthy and began to loathe him again? Without a bond tying them together, Ezra would be free to leave at any time.

And not just leave?—

Leave him.

A terrible feeling clenched in Titan’s chest, and despite the cool temperature of the room, his eyes began to sweat to such an extent that liquid pooled at their corners.

“You’re anxious about something,” Ezra mumbled some time later, surprising Titan, who had assumed he had succumbed to his fatigue.

“How do you know this?” he asked, turning his head to press his lips against the top of Ezra’s head, into his soft, charmingly thick hair. Hair he admired, and would miss so much should Ezra decide him unworthy again.

“I dunno. I can just tell.”

This made Titan frown. “The fact that you can read my men tal state, yet do not know how, only increases my anxiety.”

Ezra propped himself up to look at him properly, brow knit and expression disgruntled. “I wasn’t reading your mind with weird alien powers. It was just good old human intuition.”

“Perhaps,” he said doubtfully, then placed a hand on Ezra’s belly. “But given what else has occurred, it is not out of the realm of possibility. Nothing is.”

Ezra sighed. “You said you and Al talked about how to figure out what’s going on between us, right? Maybe tomorrow we’ll have answers. Or, at the very least, be on our way to having them.”

“I know this,” Titan said, gently pushing between Ezra’s shoulder blades to guide him back to lying on his chest. The human went willingly, curling up against him in a display of tenderness he had always refused Titan before.

“I just fear,” he continued softly, “that we may not find anyone with the expertise we need and the outcome of our relationship will remain a mystery.”

Ezra was quiet for a long time, to the point that Titan wondered if this time he truly had slipped into unconsciousness, but then he said, “Whether we figure out the mystery or not, that doesn’t really change the situation, does it?

I mean, regardless, I’m still knocked up, and that’s something we’re gonna have to deal with. ”

“Perhaps.”

“You’re getting more anxious,” Ezra said, either through intuition or something more perplexing. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No,” Titan responded quickly, and resumed stroking up and down Ezra’s spine.

“It is very rare for you to do anything wrong, as you are a wise, compassionate, and exemplary being. Have unconsciousness now. We will not come up with answers by speculating tonight, and you need your rest. We will resume our curiosities in the morning.”

“All right,” Ezra said with a yawn. “If you’re sure ?”

“I am.”

“Good night, Titan.”

Titan kissed his temple.

“Good night, my sweet Ezra.”