Page 20 of The Royal’s Bumblebee (Operation Colonise #2)

Mercy

Izule.

Oh sweet ancestors have mercy on me.

I had foolishly hoped she wouldn’t challenge me on my embarrassing lapse of control.

I long to blame it on Gcorket, and my elevated mating drive, but that wouldn’t be very honest of me.

I have wanted Billie from the first time I scented her sweet ambrosia scent.

I wanted her body and soul the first time she asked me to hold her.

Have I ruined my chances? For nearly extruding like an adolescent with no control over his own dick? I couldn’t help it.

She is so lovely, and when she pointed out I was naked, my mind ran so many scenarios before I could stop my cruel imagination from running free.

Fantasies of whipping my tail around her and tumbling with her to the bed, the floor, or against a wall, thundered across my mind.

Her sent is so thick in my nest, that I’m bathing and basking in it all the time. Every day my self-control is wearing thinner and thinner. “Izule? I asked you a question?”

She takes a step toward me and I swallow thickly.

“Why would I be offended by your arousal?”

“Perhaps?”

I cleared my throat and my hood was practically flat with embarrassment and dread.

I knew her well enough now to know she wouldn’t drop it or move on.

There would be no seeing a social cue that I didn’t want to talk about this.

It would plague Billie until she got an answer.

I absently, and rather bitterly, throw some blame towards my meddlesome siblings for planting more grand ideas of making Billie my mate for my lapse as well.

“Izule?”

I chuckle.

Billie is so fearless with her questioning.

She steps right up to me and stares at my mouth.

Every now and then she darts her honey eyes up to look at my yellow ones, before dropping back to my scaly lips.

There is no point hiding anymore.

I might as well come completely clean with her.

Part of me feels liberated, knowing I’m about to tell her how I feel.

Most of me, however, is dreading her rejection.

“In Ucfeni culture, the male displays their prowess before the female in the hope she will like his scent and find him as attractive as he is skillfull.”

Billie folds her arms and I scent the air.

She isn’t frustrated or cross.

She’s calm and listening.

I don’t see her tapping her fingers together or sinking down into her shoulders.

I take that as a good sign.

“During Gcorket he will dance and wrestle.

The rest of the year he would…offer the female tokens of affection.

Perhaps in the form of food, precious stones found on the hunt, or even trophies of the hunt itself.”

Her eyes widened.

She’s realising exactly what I’m trying to tell her.

“They will scent the female as often as she permits it.”

More cogs turn in her head and her lips part.

“But it is still the female who chooses the male.

To invite them to mate.

I have told you this before.”

“You have.”

She confirms, simply because it’s true.

“I…fled earlier because I am embarrassed.

I lost control of my desire for you—”

She lifts her chin and looks me in the eye.

“—when you have not invited me to mate with you, or court you.

I hope I have not startled you or made myself seem unworthy.

I am more than capable of controlling myself, and you are perfectly safe with me, no matter what.

Please believe that.”

“You desire me?”

I close my eyes and my heart clenches.

All this time, it hasn’t even occurred to her that I am a potential mating partner… “Okay. Good.”

I snap my eyes open and she’s looking at my chest with a blush on her cheeks.

“Good?”

Did I hear her correctly? What does that even mean? Good? Does that mean she welcomes my affection? Or is she simply confirming that she feels safe with me regardless how I feel about her?

“Billie, I don’t just find you physically attractive.

I do, I think you’re beautiful.”

Her right hand comes up to cup her mouth and I worry I’m upsetting her by being too forward, but if I don’t get this out now, I might never get this chance again.

“You’re incredibly smart.

I’m in awe of you, and you are so easy to talk to.”

“I am?”

She seems genuinely puzzled by that and furrows her brows up at me.

“No, no I’m difficult to talk to.”

“I disagree.”

I chuckle and put my hands on my hips.

“You say exactly what you mean.

Not even my sister does that half the time, and I find it very frustrating.”

“…but you don’t find me frustrating?”

“Not at all.”

“Oh.”

She looks around like she doesn’t know what to do with what I've told her, and I'm holding my breath as I wait for her next move.

“…so to clarify? You have both sexual and romantic feelings for me?”

“Ancestors, yes, but you have to choose me.

It is not enough for me to—”

“Okay.”

She nods up at me with a sense of finality, and I’m left wondering how to take that.

I’m on the verge of asking, when there’s a knock at the door.

It’s a sudden succession of three loud bangs, and Billie is startled by it.

She scurries forward into my chest and I wrap my arms around her to steady her.

“Who’s that?!”

“My sister.”

I could spit venom.

Of all the times for Jajana to lose patience and start banging on the door, she picked this moment?

“W-why is your sister at the door?”

I blinked and groaned.

With everything that has happened since I came back into the nest, I totally forgot to warn Billie that Jajana had come with me.

“She wanted to meet you and help you dress, but I told her to wait outside, and if you wanted her to come in, I’d let her in.

She has clearly lost patience.

I’m sorry.”

I wait to see how Billie will react…only to become lost in her arms around my waist.

Her ambrosia scent is thick around me and I long to lean down and scent her.

To kiss her.

To mate with her.

The banging at the door breaks that train of thought, and Billie looks up in time to see desire thick in my slitted pupils.

She doesn’t look away like she usually does, and she seems…bashful? Not offended.

Not confused.

Nor impassive.

In fact…she’s lifting her chin.

I grip her more tightly as I realise she’s offering her lips to me. “Billie.”

I rasp her name and start lowering to kiss her, when my blasted sister opens the front door.

I widen my hood and glare murder at her.

“Get out of my nest.”

I command, and Jajana not only realises what she’s interrupted, but that she’s crossed a line.

I don’t have to repeat myself, and my lovely sister bolts back outside.

“I’m sorry! I’ve been out here for ages and I’ve already had to send away three palace servants from collecting you on father’s behalf.

I was trying to help! The last one said the guards would be coming next time by order of father if you didn’t hurry!”

Jajana shrieks nervously from outside.

Bitterly, I realise that she’s not just come in to my nest out of impatience.

She was trying to warn me.

The last thing I want is for elite guards with shiny bronze armour and gruff dispositions to scare Billie.

“Y-your sister?”

Billie spoke against my chest and I stroked her back.

“Yes, Jajana.

She meant well.”

I huff and lean back as much as I can so I can gauge her reaction.

“It would seem we are being summoned.”

“Okay.”

Billie released me to slip the ear defenders on under her feathery headdress.

“These don’t cancel out all noise.

They just reduce it.

If you’re talking to me, I’ll hear it, but probably not much else.”

I nod to show my understanding.

“If we need to get there quickly, I’m going to struggle with that.”

I pluck up the courage to reach down and hold her hand.

I normally wait for her to ask for mine, or wait for her to offer hers.

She tenses, but allows me to lift it up to press a tentative kiss to her knuckles.

“I’m not going to rush you Billie.

If it takes us an hour to get there, then it takes an hour.”

“It might if I walk and there’s lots of noise and strange people around.”

Billie chews her lips, looks down at the hand I’m still holding, and nods.

“Carry me.

I’ll shut my eyes.”

“…are you sure?”

I don’t make her look me in the eye, but I watch her face for any sign of uncertainty.

“Carry me Izule.

I w-want to make a good impression.

I don’t want anyone else to come and bang on the door.”

She lifts her arms up and I gently sweep my arms under her.

More of her skin is on display than usual and I try to ignore how warm and smooth she is against my scales.

She clings to me and I made sure to widen my hood and wind high up on my tail to ensure anyone we come across shucks off quickly.

My throat scales blush when we emerge from the nest and Jajana is there waiting for us.

She looks at me, carrying Billie like she has already chosen me, and smirks.

I scowl at her defiantly and slither across the bridge.

The sooner we get this damn festival over and done with, the sooner I can bring Billie back to our nest.

There she can be at ease, and I can hopefully find out if she was actually going to kiss me before my blasted sister started raining her fists on the damn door.