Page 12

Vahru

“Father, we have guests.” I call out as we enter the cabin. I slow my pace, keeping the others in the entryway so he can come to us. Not surprisingly, Tonya exits the other room with my father and stays by his side. He’s wearing fewer bones and jewels today, mostly clad in plain leather pants and a shirt. His hair is loose, a few small braids keeping it out of his face. Staff in hand, he stands at attention in the center of the large room, eyeing us.

“Son, what matters have you brought me today?” He smiles at me, pride showing in his eyes, and I step closer, turning to introduce everyone.

“These are the Nobodies, the crew Kari has called in to help us with the shield and research to fix our world.” I nod to Ayira, allowing her to introduce herself and her men.

She bows her head politely, her men following suit. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Chief. I’m Ayira, leader of the crew, and these are Tohtor and Rygen, two of my mates. Alex and Tutkijaa are fixing the shield as we speak.”

“Rygen? Is that really you, son?” My gaze bounces between Rygen and my father, all eyes widening and turning to Rygen as he stares blankly at my father. His expression is a stone mask, but his eyes seem to swirl with emotions he tries to control. He swallows hard but doesn’t speak. I suspected he might be my long lost cousin, but I dared not admit that without confirmation. That name could be common enough that he could be anyone. However, the similarities are uncanny.

Rygen has been missing since we were mere boys, there’s a chance that if this is him, he may not even remember us. If this is him, our family can be reunited, it can continue to grow, and we can be happy again. I’ve missed him so much, he was my best friend growing up.

Father steps forward, looking him over, as Ayira and Tohtor step aside, letting him get close. Rygen’s fists clench at his sides, his breath loud as he takes deep inhales to stay calm. Father reaches out, cupping his face, before letting his hands trail down to trace the visible parts of the mate marks on his arms. How he has them all down his arms, I’m not sure. I’ve never heard of anyone having more than one, either.

“It is you, my dear nephew. We’ve missed you, son, and I’m so glad you’re home.” Father pauses, noting the tension within Rygen, his head tilting to the side as if he senses something. “I’m so sorry.”

Rygen’s jaw clenches before his chin wobbles slightly. His fists tremble at his sides, and he shakes his head, trying to deny it. I’m not sure what lies his father poisoned him with to feel this level of hatred against us, but I wish I could take it back from him. I wish we could have protected him.

“It’s okay, son. Nothing that happened was your fault. Your father was in pain, and he took you with him, drowning you as much as himself. You survived it all, and no matter what you had to do, I’m still proud of you. Look at you, four mates, successful, what more could we ask for for you? You’re safe and home now, it’s okay to let it go.” Father continues to speak, opening his arms as a stray tear falls down Rygen’s cheek. Ayira gasps, her hands lifting to her mouth, and Tohtor pulls her into his arms as they watch together.

Rygen continues to struggle, his head shaking as he murmurs no over and over, fighting it. “All your fault,” is whispered as his gaze lifts to spear my father with a menacing look.

Father sighs, the look of pity on his face nearly too much. “Rygen, no one was to blame. Lahrulai made her choices, and because we loved her, we listened. We did all we could, this is no one’s fault. It’s simply a tragic event. No matter what your father told you, this is not anyone’s fault, especially not yours. You were just a boy. Please understand. We’re still your family, we still love you. Come home to us.” His arms continue to remain open, hope pouring from him as he waits for Rygen to give in and find his way back to us.

Who knows what he’s lived through, where he’s been, or what his father did. The emotions he’s feeling, the things he’s struggling with, it’s all a misunderstanding, but he has to realize this on his own. We can’t force him to see anything he doesn’t want to. But by the way his lip trembles and his gaze bounces between us, filling with hope and pain, he seems to be seeing the light. Perhaps Father’s words were just what he needed to hear.

“Uncle.” His voice is hoarse, pain-filled, but it cracks his composure, and he falls into my father’s arms, clinging to him. “I’m so sorry, Uncle. We ran away, we abandoned you. Father blamed you, wanted me to hate you, and I tried to. Then Father, he died, and I was alone. I couldn’t get home. I-” He’s cut off by sobs as my father shushes him, not concerned with the details. Rygen was never to blame for anything that happened.

My mother died of illness, that was no one’s fault. We did what we could, but her brother, Rygen’s father, couldn’t stand it. He blamed us for not doing more, for not taking her to a city doctor like he wanted to, but Mother had her wishes. She wanted to stay with us, she wanted natural treatments, and if death took her, she was willing to let it because it was the cycle of life. She was just happy to have the time she did with us, and we respected her wishes.

I always wondered what happened to Rygen and my uncle, they never came back, and when I attempted to find them in the city when I grew up, they were nowhere to be found. I eventually gave up, assuming they didn’t want to reach out to us anymore as the pain was too great. That was understandable. I’d like to know the full story, but I won’t push Rygen to rebuild a relationship with me if he doesn’t want it. We were mere boys of six revolutions at the time we last saw each other.

He pulls back from my father, his eyes darting to me. I give him a sympathetic smile and nod my head slowly. “It’s good to see you again, cousin. I’ve looked for you for a long time. If I’d known you ended up off planet, I would have searched harder. I’m sorry.”

He sighs, stepping forward, and pulling me into a hug. “I’m sorry, too. You were just a boy, like me, struggling to cope with the loss of a loved one. Father let his grief and anger drive him, he wanted to be far away from what hurt him, so he left and took me with him, attempting to poison me against you. I didn’t have a choice. I was ashamed to reach back out when he died, I thought you might hate me for having left you in a time of need. It was better to wall up my heart and survive how I could.”

When we pull apart, I put a hand to his shoulder, seeing the depth of his pain and struggles in his eyes. “I don’t know how young you were when he died, but I’m sorry you had to face the universe alone. We’re here now, no bad blood between us. We can be family again, if you’d like. We won’t force you, but we’re so glad to see you alive and healthy.”

He smiles, nodding rapidly as he blinks before nudging my shoulder with a fist. “I’d like that, to reconnect.” He sighs, letting out a long breath as his eyes roam around, meeting those of his mates before coming back to me. “I can’t tell you how large a weight it’s lifted to be back here and to hear these words, to have this conversation. I feared coming here before, thought it would only cause trouble. I had to fight not to yell all the awful things my father did to me when I was young. I was always conflicted about what he said, if it was true. I’m glad I bit my tongue and listened to Uncle, hear your side. I have a piece of the old me back now, Vahru. Thank you.”

Watching the way his shoulders relax, the easy smile that seems to lift his lips, he’s literally transforming before my eyes into the boy I remember. When he stepped off that ship, he was a stone soldier, hard, resilient, and unyielding. He didn’t want anything getting past his defenses. Now, in mere moments, he’s released the armor and taken a deep breath he needed. It’s insane but wonderful to see. He must have really been dreading this before.

There’s a quiet pause as Ayira sniffles, Rygen turning to pull her into his arms and soothe her. He smiles at Tohtor, reaching out and patting his shoulder in brotherly affection before focusing on his woman.

“A celebration! We must have a celebration to thank you for coming to help us and to welcome Rygen back home!” Father yells out, Tonya singing her agreement in a high pitch that nearly makes me cringe.

Kari laughs, shaking her head. “Every possible excuse to celebrate, and you take it, Chief. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you have a problem.”

I chuckle as my father laughs loudly, tucking her under an arm. “Kari, you’ll understand when you’re in my position one day. Celebrating the positives every chance you get keeps a happy village. No one dwells on the struggles or negatives when there are things to be grateful and happy for.” He winks, and she nods in understanding.

Father begins shouting out plans for tonight so they have time to fix the shield and make sure we’re safe to enjoy the open village center. Tonya makes notes, Melodia helps, and Jeff calls for Willa, knowing she’ll be integral to the entire set-up.

By the time the sun is setting, the shield is back in working order, and the village is setting up and coming alive with the sounds and scents of celebration. Food is piled onto tables, drinks set out, lights hung, and the vivid paint is swirled onto skin for dancing around the fires. I stand back and watch as everyone rushes around, laughing and chatting in good fun.

The Nobodies have kept to themselves for the most part. After fixing the shield, Tutkijaa and Alex went back to their ship so he could work in his cave, as he calls it, to make sure all operations are nominal. The others met them at the ship and have stayed there for the most part. Kari and Willa made sure the cabin next to ours was cleaned and set up for Tavionna’s arrival tomorrow before jumping into preparations for the celebration.

“How do I look? Like I belong?” I turn at the voice, finding Rygen beside me, shirtless, with vivid pink paint all over him in swirling patterns. It seems to work well with the bright blue of his mating marks along his arms and shoulders, and the smile on his face is wide and child-like. He looks more like the cousin I grew up with than ever before.

“Ha, you look like you let Melodia get a hold of you, but it looks good. Like when we were kids.”

“That’s exactly who got a hold of me. She matched Ayira’s skin with her paint, and then told me to sit down and shut up.” He chuckles, and I join him, nodding.

“That sounds about right. Those little Sautii sure love these celebrations.”

“They seem really sweet, and they seem to love the planet. They’ve already given us shell necklaces, beads, and fish to eat. They’re eager to help us fit in. What you’ve got here, what the village has become, it’s great, cousin.”

I smile at him, turning to nod at Kari as she heads my way. “It’s all because of that little human right there. She showed up and changed everything for us. But it’s been for the best. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Well, hello, boys. Rygen, you’re looking festive!” Kari grins, tying her curls up into a messy bun on her head as she fans her face. “Sorry, I’m so warm, it’s been a hot day.”

“Melodia made sure I would be attending my own celebration and that I would fit in. I didn’t have much choice when she squeaked at me like that.”

Kari laughs, her eyes closing as her head falls back. “That sounds like Melodia, ensuring you don’t miss out by being bossy and sweet at the same time. She’s stolen my heart, that little one.”

“I can see why. She’s pretty great.”

There’s a long pause as we all look around, watching everyone.

“How are you doing, really, since coming back, Rygen? I know this couldn’t have been easy for you, the realizations you had to make, the emotions.” Kari’s words trail off, but she stares at him with sympathy and compassion, genuinely curious as to what he’s feeling, and it makes my heart happy to see her care so deeply for my cousin, even after just meeting.

He takes a deep breath and meets her eyes. “It’s been a lot to process, and most of it happened rapidly while listening to Criido speak, but I also took time to explain it all to my mates. They knew most of my history, knew the gist, but I gave them the details about my father, how bad it really was when his sister died. It destroyed him in ways I’m not entirely sure I’ll ever understand. But talking to them, taking more time to truly process it, has allowed me to let go of the anger I’ve had at all of my family. I didn’t want to be like them, so I was hard, protective, overbearing, and refused to be too soft, to love fully. I think things will be very different now. I have a sort of closure I didn’t know I needed, but it’s nice.”

Kari smiles and nods, simply listening. He smiles back before all our gazes lift to the village around us. There’s a silence as we all think, and I’m happy to hear that Rygen is changing for the better, relaxing and truly loving, not just fighting through every day. He deserves to be happy, as do we all.

His voice is surprisingly the first to break our little silence as we all think. “Kari, I wanted to ask you if you would mind me picking your lieutenant’s brain about the security setup here. He seems to have a good system, and I was interested in meeting the others, learning more, maybe sharing some tips and training? I have a lot of military knowledge at my fingertips now, it could be of use.”

Her eyebrows lift, and my mouth pinches in surprise. “I’m sure he would love that. Jeff is a smart man, and he’s got the hunters all working double duty as security, but they have a great system. I don’t have much to do with it, so he’s definitely the person to talk to. Him and Terax handle it all together.”

“Terax, that name sounds familiar. Hm. I’ll meet with him, thank you. I’ll get to making my rounds before Melodia screams at me, see you around.” He smiles, nodding as he heads off, and it fills my chest with warm emotions.

My family seems to be growing, not only encompassing new people but bringing back the old as well. My blood and chosen family are coming together, growing, surrounding me, and I’ve never felt more at home than I do now. My gaze drops to Kari as she stands beside me, her shoulder leaning against my arm, and I feel deep affection for her. It was all her, she was the catalyst for this immense change, and I’ll be forever grateful for her bringing all these people into my life.

Scooping her up, I turn and march toward our cabin as she laughs and wraps her arms around me. “Come on, we’re going to change and get ready for the celebration, but first, I need to shower you with love.”

“This better not be a golden shower, we’ve talked about this. I’m not into that.” Her voice is sassy, cocky, the twinkle in her eye as she rolls them telling me she’s not even close to serious.

“Stop trying to ruin the moment with humor, you’re terrible at it.”

She laughs, curling into my chest, and I chuckle, squeezing her tighter. It isn’t long before I hear steps on the path behind us, and I know Kosiiba is following to make sure we’re safe. I know he’ll keep a safe and discreet distance, but I still feel a little bad that he’ll no doubt hear my mate’s passionate screams. She’s not ashamed to share her pleasure with the world, and I wouldn’t have her any other way.

Before reaching the house, I veer off into the woods and head for the river. After seeing her complain of being warm, I know a cool dip in the stream will be just what she needs to relax and go enjoy herself later. Stopping beside the river, I lower her to her feet and quickly pull off my shirt, tossing it to the ground. She grins, giggling as she follows my lead and begins tossing her clothing aside. I jump into the river, splashing her from the edge as she screams before jumping in after me.

I find my footing on a solid rock where I can stand in chest deep water, my hair floating behind me and sticking to my shoulders. She swims over and wraps her arms around my neck, her lips slipping against mine as she draws close. My arms wrap around her waist, squeezing her to me as I devour her. She pulls away, leaning back to let her head hang in the water.

“Oh, this feels so good after the heat of the day. This was a great idea.” She moans and relaxes, trusting me to hold her up in the water, and I do. My hands settle along her sides, holding her upper body as she floats, her legs around my waist. The moon peeks through the trees overhead, lighting up her body in a white glow, her breasts shining with the water, and my cock hardens between us.

As she sighs once more, I shift my right hand behind her ribs and grab myself with the left, lining up and pressing into her without warning. I’m slow, gentle, and she simply moans, her back arching slightly at the intrusion. The water makes our joining easy, fluid, and I hold her ribs gently as I make slow love to her, watching her blissful expression as she lies in the water, completely at my mercy.

She’s a glowing goddess under the moonlight, my personal slice of heaven, and I don’t know what I’d do without her in my life. She’s brought so much light, joy, adventure, and love to me, my village, my father, and I can’t imagine my life without her now. The thought of her never arriving on that ship, never barging in here demanding safe haven for others, just tears me up inside.

Her green eyes open, the moon shining off them as they seem to glisten and glow, and she reaches for me, rising up into my arms. She rocks her hips, taking over for me, as she caresses my hair, my horns, her lips pressing to mine as she kisses me with reverence. Our bond hums between us, her chest warm against mine, as our love passes back and forth between us, my gratitude for her intrusion into my world shining alongside it.

“I love you, Vahru, more than I can ever say,” she whispers against my lips, and all I can do is exhale, holding her a little tighter as she presses down on me.

“I’m never letting you go.” The words pour from me, a near growl, before I slam my lips to hers and grab her hips, thrusting up into her harder, needing to bury myself inside her. She clings to me, her moans and squeals catching in her throat as she pants into my mouth.

Turning, I step toward the shore and press her into the soft grass, my tail swishing along the surface of the water as I continue to love her with a steady rhythm that has us both building and yearning for the finale. I press my teeth to her shoulder, directly over the spot I marked her all those weeks ago, as I groan my release, letting it pour into her so she can carry me with her.

Her nails dig into my back as she arches, her body squeezing mine in release, one hand sliding up my neck to hold me to her as she pants a chorus of yeses until we both relax. “I’m not letting you go, either.” She stares into my eyes for a moment before lifting to kiss me, her hands cupping my face.

We stay there, in the river, connected and comfortable, for a long time before finally deciding to join in the festivities. As reluctant as I am to leave our bubble of love and safety, I’m eager to reconnect with my cousin and relish in the new relationships that are building in my life. Tomorrow, my sister comes to visit and try to connect with us, and although I want to continue hating her for what she did, Kari’s words continue to circle my brain. Perhaps it’s time I let the past go and look forward to what the future has in store. Maybe having a sister, having more family, wouldn’t be so bad.