Page 19 of Queen Isabella

“What does that mean?!” Her lyrical voice became strident. “Thank you for helping me, but I don’t understand what is going on. I’m not a queen.” Their queen spoke faster as she panicked.

“You are female, a queen,” Phara explained.

Phara cast them a pleading gaze, but they couldn’t help the consort alpha. There was no way to simplify the information any further. Artifex grimaced, wondering if therefectiohad completely healed her head.

“So, because I’m female, I’m a queen?” she questioned slowly as her gaze dubiously panned them.

“Yes,” Artifex confirmed, while eyeing her as critically as she was studying them.

Maybe the queen needs another treatment with the machine.

“And because you found me and brought me here, I’m part of your hive now?” She looked between them.

Artifex considered the question. She had good cause to question that logic. If they found a Vorto male from another hive wandering their territory, they would instantly assume the male was either a messenger or a habitual rule breaker. And it was highly unlikely they’d take in an outcast.

“Yes,” Bellator answered as Artifex was still thinking about the question.

The legionnaire alpha was probably right. Queens were rare even before the Blight, so they would’ve taken her in without questions.

“What about, um, what about th-the sex?” Their queen’s cheeks darkened as she scrutinized them, particularly Phara and Bellator, the males who’d pierced her with their sex.

“Did no one teach you about sex, either?” Galis bluntly asked their queen, his head cocking to one side.

Artifex rubbed his face in agitation. Of the three consort betas, Galis was the most impetuous, saying whatever was on his mind. There were gentler ways to ask the question.

A sudden noise burst out of their queen that sounded like the bark of aferocub. It was a shocking sound, so it had to be a sound of surprise.

He could understand why she might be shocked. The consort alpha that raised Phara and the other consorts had lost hope. He never taught them about sex and bonding. Phara had to figure it out watching the fauna, and shared it with the rest of the hive. But perhaps their queen didn’t know at all how males and females fit together. If that was the case their bonding would’ve been doubly shocking.

Or maybe our queen does know the proper bonding customs and we fouled it up.Artifex groaned, feeling like that was probably the answer.

The servitor alpha that taught him had done a better job than Phara’s, so at least he knew there needed to be a Bonding Feast, which was in progress. Sadly, though, that was the extent of his instruction pertaining to queens. He couldn’t blame the former chief servitor, there hadn’t been a queen in generations, but there was a lot that went into keeping the hive running. Artifex’s days were very busy with lessons in building, cooking, farming and the like. But clearly more information on queens should have been passed down.

Worriedly Artifex looked at his fellow alphas as their queen continued to make the barking sound.

“My queen?” Phara stroked her back, hoping to console her.

“I’m sorry,” their queen snorted as she stopped shaking.

“No need to apologize. Are you well?” Artifex asked, his gaze again going to her head where the injury had been.

“I’m okay,” she made the snorting sound again. “I guess you don’t laugh when something is funny.”

“We do.” Bellator gestured from himself to Phara. “Artifex doesn’t.” The legionnaire alpha waved at him.

Surprised by the comment, Phara hissed in amusement. It ended up being the perfect demonstration, albeit at his expense. It wasn’t that he didn’t laugh. His sense of humor was different, a little more scathing.

“You make a breathy hissing sound.” Their queen’s mouth curved into a smile, showing off her adorable blunt teeth.

He loved the expression she made when she was happy, and now that he knew what her laughter sounded like, he could definitely get addicted to that, too.

“I guess we do,” Phara replied. “What about the sex question made you laugh?”

“Did Phara’s sex performance amuse you?” Artifex had to interject.

Phara’s head whipped toward him, his mouth hanging open in shock.

“You must forgive Phara, he has no clue what he’s doing,” Bellator piled on, turning the tables on the consort alpha.

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