Page 6 of Hadley's Heroes
“Vetok,” I hissed at him and he sat up straighter. But it didn’t stop him. He pointed now to Aalee.
“You need good, strong mates. I saw that one fight. He is strong male.” Aalee turned to us now at Vetok’s words. He searched my face, my body, then looked to Vetok. He didn’t stop staring at him, it was slightly unnerving.
Adee cleared his throat. “That is understandable. Just know I still wish to protect you, female Hadley. I am a good warrior and wish to be considered as a chosen mate.” He looked down at me and gave me a panty-dropping grin. I wondered if he knew that he was giving me that, or was he always a flirt? He nodded, maybe trying to get me to agree. I gave him my bestmaybelook.
“Oh man, seriously, Hads. These guys are the best. I’m sorry I was the one to touch them first, but I think you should consider them, at least,” Brooklyn said from beside me. Glad she was talking and no longer seeming so worried about her mates, I rolled my eyes at her playfully. She was a matchmaker at heart. She chuckled and playfully slapped my shoulder, but then wiggled her brows at me.
“You dork,” I teased her, and she just threw her head back and laughed.
“They are still virgins… I think. I didn’t go that far with them.” Brooklyn looked over to the three males as my mouth dropped open and Elle let out a huge chuckle. I shook my head at her.
“Not you, too?” I teased Elle. Brooklyn was unaware that at times she spoke without a filter, but I guess the Aashi did too. I just wasn’t used to it still, all these months later.
“What? I don’t see no other chicks here,” she added. I pinned her with my eyes to say, “Shut up, this is not a conversation I want to have with my mates here.” But she giggled and I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do just yet with this whole considering-more-mates thing, and this wasn’t helping.
“Yes, we have no other females. We are, as Brooklyn says, ‘virgins.’ We have never been blessed to touch a female in a mate way,” Adee told me with such a straight face. I could see Elle out the corner of my eye with her hand over her mouth to stop her giggles, but Adee didn’t stop there.
“Yet, I can’t say my cock has never spilled seed. I have used my hand to spill seed many times in the trees. My brother Aalee has not. He is untouched by a female. If you were to touch him, he would gain the mating hormones as Jaim and I have.” My eyes widened at Adee’s speech, Elle let a giggle slip, and Brooklyn snorted.
My mouth dropped open at his honesty. Like, I really didn’t need to know any of this, but I didn’t know what to do but nod.
I felt for poor Aalee. He shrunk back even more into himself. He looked at me through his hair, but when my eyes caught his he quickly glanced away. But I felt something there, for him. There was almost a tension in the air when I caught him watching me again. It was electric. I felt something similar when Jaim touched me. But not with Adee. What did that mean?
“Jaim, have you stroked your cock to release seed?” Adee asked his friend, and I quickly put my hand to stop Jaim from answering.
“That is not needed. I would love to consider you… all of you, if you all want.”
Jaim nodded. “Thank you so much, Hadley. I will prove myself a good mate to you. Aalee will too.”
Aalee looked at Jaim and his brother but didn’t say anything to me. Shit. Maybe he didn’t feel this thing between us. Maybe it was in my head.
Vetok nodded at them all and turned to me. “This is a good choice. A male group that is already formed would be the strongest bond for you. You have chosen well, my mate.”
Oh fuck…I said consider. I never said I was going to choose them.
Chapter Six
Adee
Iwalked outside the hut, the hut that contained my future mate. She said she would consider me, and I knew she would choose me, once I proved to her I would make her the best of mates. I was unsure if she wanted a mate that had not spilled seed. I wanted to be truthful and tell her that I had. I was confused by the look she gave me. I thought that it meant she didn’t wish to choose me. She didn’t care I had though, because she said she would consider me… us. She must be happy to know my cock works, that she wouldn’t have to wait for the mating hormones.
“What is happening?” I questioned a male standing beside my hut. I had never seen him before, he must have come with Clan Wolf. I reached for a spear I had rested against the wall of the hut earlier, glad it was still there. This male, his hair was neatly braided and he had a huge scar down his body. His spear in hand, poised and ready if the fight came closer. I was glad he was protecting my hut, the hut full of females. Maybe one of them was his.
“Males, some who followed and aren’t part of Clan Wolf, started a fight. They wanted to be part of our clan so they could have a chance of a mate. But Daku, he told them they were not welcome with us and to find lands farther south. These males aren’t leaving without a female.”
I nodded to the other male. I didn’t know who Daku was, but I assumed he was head warrior of their clan. But from what I had learned, they weren’t like the other clans. They didn’t have a queen.
“I am Adee. I’m being considered by Hadley as a chosen mate.” The male now looked at me. He studied my form and I was worried he would find me not suitable as a mate. He grunted at me and nodded his approval. Now all I needed was Hadley’s approval and I would be the most blessed by the Goddess.
“Tiji. My mate is Brooklyn. I would kill any male who tried to take her.” His eyes told me he wasn’t being friendly. He was warning me. I agreed with him by nodding, even though Brooklyn was once to be my mate. I didn’t see her that way anymore. I would kill any males if they touched Hadley and she wasn’t even mine. I needed to prove myself to her.
My body reacted on instinct.M’Mori. I rushed forward to the shiny scales of a M’Mori at a nearby hut. I wouldn’t let him take the females, or any males, back to the mines. This M’Mori would die here today under my spear.
“M’Mori have found us,” I called out to Tiji, who followed me at a distance. I rushed forward, my spear ready to pierce the heart of the M’Mori scum. He had his back to me, unaware I was charging at him.
I would avenge the death of so many males who died at the hands of M’Mori. The same scum who took me from my homelands and forced me to slave at the mines. Only, I was able to escape. So many weren’t lucky and their blood was on his hands. Was he here to return us? Was he alone? I would never let that happen. I would die fighting before I returned to the mines. I roared out a challenging warning, one he didn’t deserve. He turned to me, his sharp teeth enraging me. I watched males like this kill other Aashi who were too sick and tired to work the mines anymore.
“M’Mori, you will pay for the crimes against my people,” I screamed at him, wanting him to see my face and know the last face he saw before he was killed was that of an Aashi warrior.
