He went out the front of the cabin to wait.His back against a tree, he lazily pulled at the grass by his side.Crek.The smell reminds me of her.
Frowning, he rose and watched a flitter larger than expected land.Yanz and Kragen appeared silently from the trees.The ramp opened.HIs father smiled when he saw Grulen waiting.
“Excellent.We can be on our way immediately.”
Grulen embraced his father and followed him onto the flitter with Yanz and Kragen in trail.His tail stiffened when he saw all the males already onboard.The four friends from theInvictus—Durek, Wurvez, Tolvex, and Rivezt—sat next to the king and across from Makai, Ronan, Lezon, and Crax.Glancing toward the cockpit, he recognized Kriven Tesix and Slaiv’n Westov, twoInvictussecurity officers, manning the controls.Toward the rear of the craft, two additional royal guards greeted Yanz and Kragen and they conferred in low voices.
He sat in the seat between Makai and his father.He nodded to everyone at large.Why are all of them here?
“Jevax, you look tired.Did you not sleep well?”Durek leaned back, crossed his ankles, and rested his hands on his thighs.
“I was restless last night.Nothing to be concerned about.”
Durek’s fangs flashed.
“I understand.I have difficulty sleeping when Talia isn’t there.”
“I have to exhaust Kara to keep her next to me.The female has too much energy at times.”Crax’s eyes were closed, but he wore a small grin.
“Emmy’s the same way.Maybe their affinity for technology has some strange effect on them.However, I have my ways to ensure she remains abed.”Everyone but Grulen laughed at Tolvex’s jest.
“I’ve never slept better or as deeply as I do with Natasha in my arms.”Ronan seemed young compared to the other males who nodded in agreement.
“It’s as if their presence quiets all the worries of the day,” Traxen said quietly.
“Now you’re just trying to make me jealous,” Makai grinned.“With no mate, I have no one to harangue me or cause me worry.The lack of commitment allows me to offer my sexual prowess to any female who desires a taste.I sleep just fine without a mate.”
The other males chuckled.
“Someday you’ll understand, Makai.Abby makes everything brighter and better.There’s no comparison.Making love to your mate is a hundred times better than casual sex with a stranger.”Like Crax, Lezon’s eyes were closed.
“I’ll take your word for it.In the meantime, I’ll enjoy my bachelorhood.”Makai turned to Grulen.“I’m looking forward to seeing where you grew up.I’m glad your father invited us.”
“There’s not a whole lot of activity in Nestune.It’s a quiet agricultural village.”Grulen shrugged.
“It still had a role in shaping you.”That it did.
For a short time, the conversation still focused on their mates, but instead of waxing eloquently about sleep, the males joked about how inebriated the females were the previous evening.From what Grulen could understand, the females periodically had what they called a girls’ night and consumed liquor and food in copious amounts.Despite sometimes suffering ill effects the next morning, all swore they needed the girls’ nights to maintain their friendships and sanity.The males appeared indulgent of the activity and both Crax and Devik made comments about how needy their mates became afterwards—in a good way.
Topics changed to the Zuvgran empire and speculation about its leadership with n’Tuli dying without a successor, the faster engines being installed on theInvictus, Phoenix House improvements, and the upcoming diplomatic mission to Earth.Grulen listened intently, but he chose not to comment.When he leaned his head back, he felt the gentle thrum of the engines reverberate in his skull and closed his eyes.
A hand shaking his shoulder woke him.Bleary-eyed, he looked at his father’s smiling face.
“I hope you enjoyed your nap.We’ve arrived at Nestune.”
Grulen unfastened his safety restraints and realized everyone else had already disembarked.He followed his father down the ramp.Tesix landed the flitter in a clearing outside the village.We’re not far from our old home.
The other males waited quietly as he took in the familiar sights and scents of the area.To his right, large fields extending as far as he could see contained growing vegetables and fruits, their dark blue leaves dancing in the light breeze.That field holds lobile, while that one holds yeddom.
The field closest to him had knee-height plants with large yellow globes hanging from its sturdy stems.The shurlix should be harvested in the next several days for peak taste.Maybe we should find the owner and ask to buy some for Ava.Karid could take it back.
Briefly, he considered that Morgan might like the fresh fruit and vegetables.Then he remembered he didn’t know where she was.He sighed.
The village lay directly in front of him, while some dwellings spaced further apart along the path to his left were closest to where he grew up.His father gestured for everyone to follow him as he took steps along that well-worn trail.He absently listened to his father expound to Traxen and Ash’n about the vagaries of the dirt and what foods did not do well here.
There.That’s path to the lake.I remember playing with my sisters and parents and so much fun.
Underground irrigation pipes ran from a single pumping station at one of the lake to every field.The villagers cordoned off the station for safety, but other areas along the lake’s border were designed for water activities—fishing, boating, swimming, and more.He tilted his face to the periwinkle sky.A slight smile rose the edges of his lips as the warmth of the sun brightened his mood.This really is a peaceful place close to the Goddess.I regret Morgan isn’t here to share it.