Page 21 of Ngozii's Plight

Turning to look at Kosiiba, she grins and pats his arm before pinching his cheek. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you in the big bad city, my sweet boy.” He blanches as we all laugh at his expression. His mouth opens to retort, and she winks at him conspiratorially, making him blush as he turns to glare at us for laughing. In human society, he’s still just a boy, a teen, but here he’s a fully grown adult capable of finding a mate and beginning a life. Hopefully he doesn’t hold our teasing against us. It’s all in good fun.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to come with.” I turn my gaze to Vahru as he’s the one driving us all. “I’d love to see what information I can gather about the foliage and animal life on her planet. Perhaps it could be helpful in determining her desire to leave.”

“Another scientist is always welcome, Jeff. Willa?” Vahru gives her a questioning look as he ties his hair back at the base of his neck.

I turn to look at my mate, her chin lifted as she looks up at me instead. “I’ll stay here and help the girls, if that’s okay? I’d prefer not to leave.” Her voice is small, her expression nervous and grim.

Giving her a deep kiss as I pull her tight to me, I pour all the love I have for her into that small gesture. Pulling back, I cup her cheek. “Of course, it’s okay. Cruzig will stay with you, I’ll be fine with Kosiiba and the others. I’ll let you know when we’re headed back, all right?”

She nods and gives me one last kiss before I turn and walk away down the trail with Kari, Vahru, and Kosiiba. Something in my chest tightens the farther I go, and every so often I glance back to find Willa watching with her hands balled against her chest. Cruzig places a hand to her shoulder, his gaze sympathetic as she waves goodbye before turning to walk with him to the lake. Our combined sadness at being apart radiates in my chest, and I know it’s due to the bond.

My determination to protect my mate and save our home is what drives me to keep walking, even if it’s away from her. The pain will just remind me what I’m doing this for and motivate me to find the answers faster so I can get back to her. At least if I can feel her emotions through the bond, I know she’s safe and alive, waiting for me to come home.

Chapter 14

Seuke

Frustration, fear, worry, and a massive dose of pain have my eyes opening as I roll onto my back in the bed. Turning my head, I find Tavi’s face scrunched up in what looks like pain as she curls into herself, Xenshay’s arm around her waist as he spoons her. His purple skin tone nearly matches her hair perfectly, and it seems fitting that she would have a soul bonded mate with someone of her other half, someone Nyanine.

Sitting up, I rub at my chest before standing, letting my feet carry me back and forth across the room to release some of the nervous energy plaguing me from Tavi’s nightmares. I don’t know what it is that she’s dreaming about or why it’s affecting her so, but I do know that she’s upset. Short of waking her, there’s nothing I can really do, so I focus on dispelling the energy from my body while keeping an eye on her.

I try to send calming emotions through our bond in an attempt to remind her that she’s not alone in whatever it is that she’s facing, but it doesn’t seem to get through to her. Taking deep breaths, I continue to pace and breathe, trying to calm my heart rate so that if she does catch anything from me through our bond, it’s calm and encouraging vibes. The last thing I want is to make her feel worse because I’m worried for her and doubling down on her negative emotions.

My eyes study her and Xenshay together. She’s come to trust him, to believe what her guides said is true about him being a key, and he seems to truly care for her, always here when she needs him. I’m not entirely sure that I trust him yet, but perhaps I should. The black filigree mark on both of their shoulders shows me they’re meant to be, so even if I hate him, I must get used to his presence.

I know that I should make more of an effort to get to know him, to accept this bond and him as my brother mate, but there’s still that unease in my chest like I’m missing some vital piece of information. Part of me doesn’t quite believe that it’s because he’s a threat, but none of me knows what it is we’re not understanding. Being around him makes me feel off, insecure, and, as much as I hate to acknowledge it, turned on. He brings about a maelstrom of thoughts and emotions that I’ve never had for someone other than Tavi, and I don’t know how to feel. Perhaps this is how she felt in the beginning. I reassured her that if he was meant to be her mate that I would not be jealous or angry, but would she feel the same if there were something between him and I? Is there even something between us?

My eyes shift to the two of them still sleeping on the bed as I pause my pacing for a moment, but I quickly shake my head, dispelling the thoughts and refusing to dwell on it anymore. Until I’ve talked with Xenshay and sorted out for myself who he truly is to me, I won’t continue asking myself questions to which I have no answers.

Clasping my hands together behind my back, I continue my march back and forth across the small chamber cave, noting Tavionna’s things around the room. Her little hole in the wall for her tonic and potion making. Her desk, on the opposite wall to the bed with homemade perfumes and makeup. The strings of jewels and crystals hanging on the wall next to it for her to wear, marking her as noble among her people.

She murmurs in her sleep, shifting around as her face contorts yet again, and, this time, Xenshay stirs, his head lifting as he notes my stance at the end of the bed, watching. I nod to him and continue my pacing, my eyes flicking to Tavionna regularly as she struggles with her dreams. Could be a nightmare, a vision, or even her guides attempting to break through to her. I have no way of knowing until she wakes.

“What are you doing up?” Xenshay sits up, rubbing his eyes before smoothing down his messy hair. My eyes track the movements of his arm muscles as they bulge with each swirl of his wrist against his eye, something in me excited at the thought of touching them. Now, why on Gemyasiri would I even want to do that!? Again, I shake myself out of such thoughts and focus on the conversation instead.

“Tavi is restless tonight, as she is regularly. Something plagues her, and her nervous energy is keeping me awake. I’m attempting to dispel it while watching over her. Has she woken you as well?” I pause as I look him over, wondering if it was Tavi’s movement or perhaps my pacing that woke him. Seems unlikely it would be me as my steps are quiet, and I’m not the one bonded to him, sharing my emotions.

“I’m not sure. Might have been both. It’s a lot to get used to, all this. For the first time in my life, I’m concerned about someone else more than myself. It’s odd, and it makes me a bit wary and unsure. I want to protect her, take care of her,” there’s a pause as he turns to look down at her, a loving expression in his green eyes, “but I always fear I’ll mess it up. I’m trying to follow my instincts rather than what I was taught, but my instincts are a bit lacking, having been suppressed my entire life. I don’t know why I spilled all that.” He chuckles, looking away and shaking his head slightly as he rubs the back of his neck, his cheeks darkening just a hint.

“Tavionna has shared some of your conversations with me so that I may see you the way she does. From what I understand, your father was an unpleasant man and taught you bad habits.”

“That’s a bit of an understatement, but yeah.” Xenshay grumbles and stands, stretching his arms overhead as his tail swings lazily behind him.

“I can only imagine how difficult it must be to suddenly live a life you’ve never known, to go against everything you’ve been taught to believe. However, I must admit that you’re handling it rather well.”

He eyes me for a moment, something akin to appreciation in his green gaze as he studies me. We stare at each other for a long moment, his gaze slowly trailing from my face to my bare chest before it bounces back again. He smiles and nods in thanks, but doesn’t speak again as he looks away, embarrassment coloring his cheeks.

What is he embarrassed about? Ogling me? He wouldn’t be the first. Our people are not as inhibited as some, willing to admit attraction to more than one person. During the adolescent stages, many of our kind experiment with others, sometimes getting into groups to discover what they prefer before they settle down with one or two mates. It’s not often that our society has soul mates, but rather a different set of bonds.

Despite this normalcy in our culture, I was never one to experiment. I didn’t feel the need as I knew who I wanted to be with when I met her. My heart beats for her, always has and always will. However, now I must admit to myself that I feel something similar for a man, one I don’t truly know, and I’m unsure how to handle it. It feels like a betrayal to Tavi, yet, she thought the same, didn’t she? Perhaps I need to simply learn more about him, as I did her in the beginning, and maybe things will click into place somehow.

“Your bond with Tavi, you noticed it the moment you saw her, huh? Can you elaborate at all for me to understand?” My gaze bounces between them, my eyes settling on the striking black mark on his chest as he turns to me. His hand lifts to rub across it before dropping as he turns to stare at our mate.

“Yeah, it's the way our people bond. The moment we see our soul bond, we know instantly. Something in us tugs relentlessly until we make them ours. It’s been disappearing in recent years, less and less of us finding our soul bonds each year. I never thought I stood a chance, but when she spoke and our eyes met, it was like the world stopped spinning. She was all I could see, hear, smell. I craved her like nothing before, ever.”

His green eyes turn to me, his loose black hair swishing along his shoulders as he lifts a hand to scrub at the scruff on his jaw. Something in me wonders what it would feel like against my own skin, and I clench my jaw, my confusion rising as I wonder why I’m suddenly having thoughts I never have before. Tavi has always been my one and only. I’ve never needed anything more than her. Once again brushing the thoughts from my mind, I try to keep my focus on the conversation at hand, getting to know Xenshay better so that I may connect all the puzzle pieces in my mind.

“Is it not the same for you?” He eyes me curiously, and I let my gaze fall to the woman I’ve devoted my life to, her legs wrapped in the sheet, her breasts barely contained in the small bralette she’s wearing.

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