Page 31 of Scars & Starlight (Of Blood and Conquest #1)

KAIREN

T ara doesn’t have time to worry about how my family will see her, and I feel much more relaxed as well. I doubt any relaxation technique I learned in my many cycles in the Avaren military will ever work again, now that I have discovered the joy that making my match orgasm brings me.

As we approach my awaiting family, I see my mother has a warm smile on her face, one that would have put my princess at ease, had my tongue not done it for her. My sister, Elara, is all but buzzing by her side, eager to greet not me, but the human female walking by my side.

Tara’s little mech is perched on her shoulder, half hiding in her brown locks, the humidity of my home planet adding to the volume of my match’s hair. The glow from the palace’s crystal spires brings out the color of her new neural filaments.

You look like you belong here, Tara.

She gives me a side glance in surprise, then her cheeks take on a rosy hue, before her eyes return to the small crowd.

I’m annoyed to see Zeriah among them, with poorly disguised resentment toward my princess evident on her face for all to see.

Likely even Tara, as attuned as she is to any sign that someone might not like her.

If she brings up the death of her brother, a male who assaulted my match before she even got her bearings after a Ghorvek attack, I will have her thrown in a cell, my own brother be damned.

Vaelen’s smile is strained, his cunning gaze moving between me and Zeriah.

He always had a weakness for her, was envious when she and I became involved, and her abandoning me to be with him fulfilled a long-standing dream of his, even if the circumstances were less than savory.

I never resented him. I can do so even less now that I know what it feels like to have the female you long for above all else.

“My beautiful son,” Mother coos, her eyes sparkling brighter than the spires above her. “And his even more beautiful match. Welcome to Avaris, Tara.”

“Welcome, Tara!” Elara chirps, hopping from foot to foot. “May I hug you?”

Zeriah scoffs at El’s enthusiasm. I don’t recall her ever expressing the desire to embrace my former flame. Vael’s eyes narrow at his partner.

“Oh. Um, sure. Yes. I mean, if you want to? I guess you wouldn’t have said you did if you didn’t, though.” Tara’s speech tapers off in a painfully awkward way.

“My match has fascinating thoughts, and she tends to give voice to them at incredible speeds,” I intervene. “I prefer to contain them with a kiss, but I don’t think either of us would appreciate it if you did so, Sister.”

My words make everyone laugh, as I intended, and even Tara’s shoulders drop a bit more.

“I’ll just stop them with a hug then,” my sister says happily, then rushes forward to wrap her slim arms around my match, Kiko balancing to keep hold on the precarious perch of my match’s shoulder.

“I’m so happy you’re here,” Elara murmurs into Tara’s hair. “I can’t wait to show you all my favorite libraries and music halls. ”

“Ellie,” Mom admonishes my sister. “What if Tara doesn’t like reading or music? You can’t just assume and drag the poor child around like a doll.”

“Oh, Tara likes,” my princess rushes to assure the queen. “Do Avaren have romance novels?” she asks the females, then blushes furiously as soon as she realizes what she asked and, more importantly, who she asked.

Mother snickers, and Caden’s mom, my aunt Neesha, covers her grin with one hand. Zeriah half rolls her eyes.

“Of course we do, darling,” Mom reassures my match. “Without romance novels, half of our males wouldn’t know how to treat a female.”

Tara’s eyes bug out. “The males read it?” she asks in awe.

“Naturally,” Elara nods, holding my match at arm’s length now. “Don’t human males read?”

“Only if it’s illustrated and features other men in tight spandex,” my princess mutters, making Vaelen and me frown.

Is human literacy so low that grown males need illustrations in order to grasp the story?

And why would they need to feature other males in what my nanites tell me is skin-tight clothing? Curious.

“I can’t wait to hear Avaren music,” Tara continues, oblivious to my thoughts. “Kairen showed me Velu’Shara while we were traveling, but that’s as far as we got with Avaren entertainment media.

Zeriah’s nose scrunches, and she speaks for the first time since we arrived. “Why would you show her children’s shows, Kai?” she asks me, sounding all too familiar. “Is she very young?”

“Hah,” Tara says before I can reply. “I wish. Some of my old schoolmates have kids old enough to drive now. Though I guess there aren’t any limitations to how old someone has to be to drive when there aren’t any functioning cars around. Or gas to go in them.”

Zeriah ignores her, making it clear she didn’t want the reply to come from my match.

Or perhaps that she’s not interested in anything she has to say.

The looks she keeps throwing me, looks that don’t go unnoticed by my brother, make me wonder if she’s hostile over the death of her brother…

or because she’s been well and truly replaced by my side.

I pull Tara out of my sister’s arms and to my side. Bypassing Kiko, I kiss the top of her head, closing my eyes for a moment when her scent registers and soothes my hearts. Elara makes a high-pitch squealing sound that hurts my ears and makes my princess blush.

“I never expected to see you be this openly affectionate with anyone, Brother,” Vaelen jokes in a friendly tone. “You were always the one running fastest from Aunt Nee’s kisses.”

The woman in question scoffs. “I believe it’s protocol for little princes to run from their aunties’ sloppy kisses.”

Grinning at the women in my family, I let go of my match for a moment to throw them a quick hug, then shoulder check my brother before slapping his back – our version of an embrace.

Zeriah eyes me with her chin up, no doubt trying to get my attention.

Ignoring her, I return to Tara’s side and place my hand on the small of her back.

“Are you going to stare at us or feed us?” I ask the still-gawking Avaren. “I had all my meals in the Talon’s cockpit for the last few rotations and fear I’ve forgotten what a table looks like.”

I squeeze Tara’s side as I speak, thrilled to see a flush spread over her face. She knows what my favorite meal to have in the cockpit is, after all.

“By all means,” my mother says dryly. “I would hate to be known as the ruler who starved her oldest son and heir.” Her grin softens when her eyes move to my princess, and she holds out her hand.

“Come with me, dear. I would love to learn more about my new daughter now that you’re finally here with us. ”

After a moment of reluctance, Tara steps out of my embrace to lock arms with the queen. I let them take the lead, my sister and aunt following right after, the three Avaren females much taller than their human counterpart.

“I’m truly happy for you, Brother,” Vaelen murmurs in their wake .

I’m sure you are, a cynical part of me says, one that doesn’t understand how a male could covet his brother’s partner, especially having seen the darker sides of Zeriah’s personality evolve during our time together.

Did he expect she would change for him? Such creatures don’t change; they only grow bolder with time.

I don’t say any of this out loud, of course. Instead, I do my best to give him an honest smile. I’m afraid he’ll learn his lesson sooner rather than later without my interference.

“Thanks, Vael.” I change the subject. “Is there anything new in the multistoried entity that is Avaris’ politics?”

My former partner blows air out of her nose. “You never bothered with politics before, Kairen. Why start now?”

“Zee,” my brother warns sternly. “He doesn’t need to spend marks upon marks in forums, that’s what he’ll have me for when he is king, what his firstborn will have me for when he or she rules many cycles from now.”

Zeriah purses her lips. “Perhaps we will be the ones bringing forth royal heirs, Vaelen. Perhaps the human is defective in some way and–”

Her words are cut off by my deep growl and my brother’s steps coming to a halt, her forward momentum putting a strain on their linked arms.

“Ouch!” she hisses. “You’re hurting me, Vaelen!” she says loud enough for the females ahead to stop and look back at the commotion.

“What’s happening there?” Mother asks, her voice saying what her words aren’t: she has no patience for nonsense.

“Your son hurt my arm, that’s what,” Zeriah pouts, rubbing her now-free hand with the other.

“I merely stopped walking,” Vael says through clenched teeth, his eyes, so similar to our mother’s, sparkling with anger.

“Zeriah, when did you become such a bitch?” I ask my former partner, clenching my fists so I don’t do something stupid for the insult to my match.

The bitch in question braces her hands on her hips, the so-called injury already forgotten. “Maybe when my brother was killed and his murderer was crowned princess instead of facing execution.”

Another low rumble leaves my throat. “Zaiem knew what the punishment for attempting to force himself on a female was before he did so,” I begin. “Who meted it out does not matter. He was dead the moment he set foot into that med bay as a rapist.”

Zeriah blinks at my words, then her lip curls before her hand comes flying out toward my face.

I could stop her, but let the slap be an awakening for my brother instead.

The look of shock on his face tells me he might be slowly realizing just what kind of female is sharing his bed.

Zeriah turns on her heels and marches off into the courtyard as Mother gasps into the silence that follows the hit.

“Guards!” she calls, her eyes blazing with fury.

“No,” I say calmly. “Let her go.”

“She is not sharing a table with us,” the queen decrees, and I don’t have any objections.

I look at my stunned match to make sure she’s not too upset, then round on my baby brother.

“I know,” he says, shutting his eyes tight. “Not only is her father lobbying to have Mother dethroned, but she’s been making snide comments since her brother died. Or perhaps it’s since you found your match,” he adds bitterly. “I will dissolve our partnership.”

“I’m sorry,” I say quietly. I’m not sorry for her, I’m sorry for him. “I know you loved her since we were young.”

Vael shakes his head, his bluish-black hair gleaming with the movement. “Perhaps I’ve always only been in love with the idea of her,” he mutters. “It blinded me to who she really is.”

Mom comes to our side and takes her younger son’s hand in hers. “Let’s go inside, darling.”

Shaking his head again, he takes a step back, gently extricating himself. “I’m going to take care of this now,” he says, his voice sounding more determined. “It’s lovely to meet you, Tara. I hope you’ll take some time to tell me about Earth’s politics later. ”

With that, he turns to where his majordomo is waiting on the sidelines, and starts shooting off instructions. Hopefully to have that black spot in our family’s history removed from the palace.

“Always so eventful when you’re around, Kai,” Elara giggles nervously.

“Uh, yeah,” Tara adds hesitantly. “Almost made me want to bust out the popcorn.”

I watch as the females use their nanites to process what my match said.

“Fascinating.”

“Who was the first human to use heat to expand seeds, and why did they do it?”

“Is there a compound in this popped corn that enhances entertainment?”