9781631055577NiKohsChosenMichaelsNC (12 page)

NiKoh
reached out his hand. “May I? I confess I’ve never touched one before.” SkiRee
sniffed his hand, then butted it with his head.

GiNae
burst out laughing. “That means
he wants to be
petted.” She watched NiKoh’s fingers stroke between the animal’s ears and
sobered. “I was angry and did not think.”

“I
know. This is the first time you’ve ever been in my home office, isn’t it?”
NiKoh blanched when SkiRee licked his fingers
.

“I
see you’ve got OkVei’s recent picture. Did you know he’s hoping to be chosen
for the space station?”

NiKoh
smiled, wiping his fingers on his slacks. “Actually, he’s been accepted. He
told me this morning. I just received the forms to fill out, giving
my permission.”

Joy
coursed through her. “Oh I’m so glad! He’s wanted this for a long time.”

NiKoh’s
eyebrows rose. “You knew he had applied?”

“Yes.
We used to play together as children, then when he joined the academy, I showed
him around and made sure he
was settled in.”

“That
was nice of you, GiNae.”

The
way he said her name caused butterflies to jump around in her stomach. “I, uh,
I’d better go. I need to get SkiRee settled, and you probably have work to do.”
She stood up, nearly knocking over the chair
. She
grabbed for it.

“My
amusement was not about you asking after my welfare.”

Startled,
GiNae let go of the chair arm, then knelt down to pick it up from the floor.
NiKoh took the other side and together they reset the chair.

“I
felt your laughter.” Some
of her anger returned.

NiKoh
shook his head. “It was at your shock of sounding like ViShe.” He smiled.
“Sometimes I hear my father’s words echoing in my own. It’s only natural.”
Standing, he touched SkiRee once more. “Is he housebroken?”

“I-I
don’t know.
I plan to keep him in my room until I
find out. Why?”

“He’s
cute. As long as he’s not destructive, he might be a welcome presence around
here.” NiKoh exhaled. “I was touched by your concern.”

GiNae
raised her eyes to look at his face, dark purple hair held
at his nape, lavender brows above vivid sapphire eyes. A
hint of lavender stubble grazed his chin and above his lips. “NiKoh, I’m not
sure…” Her voice broke. “I can’t do this.” She spun around.

“Does
it make you feel better, knowing I’m not going to rush
you?” His voice was low. “This caught me by surprise too.”

GiNae
bit her lip and hugged SkiRee to her chest, feeling her eyes prick with tears.
“I’m not ready for this. I have plans. Plans which do not include…this. I don’t
want anyone to know.”

“Your
moth
er knows.”

“
What
?” GiNae whirled around to find him on
his feet, felt the color drain from her face. She put a hand over her mouth.
“How?”

NiKoh
sighed. “She guessed it the other evening.” The holographic panel chimed. “I
have to get that. I’m dealing with
a small family
crisis, so we can continue this later tonight. Just…know I’m not going put any
pressure on you.” He turned and moved around the desk. “I will see you at
dinner.”

GiNae
heard him greet his mother and left the office. She closed the door and
found her mother in the kitchen, beginning to prepare the
evening meal.

“Mother,
this is SkiRee.” She tried to mask her emotions.

ViShe
wiped her hands on a towel and smiled at the
dogas
, who whimpered and gave a little howl.
“Aren’t you sweet? I bet you’re hungry.” She dipped her fingers into the bowl
and brought out a tiny piece of meat, which SkiRee devoured, wagging his short
stubby tail.

GiNae
laughed. “I’ll go feed him.” She took h
im back to her
room and set him down, then poured his food into a bowl. While SkiRee ate, she
filled another bowl of water and set it near him.
Whew.
I thought Mother was going to ask questions that I didn’t want to answer.
She thought back to the previous
night. What had given it away? “Oh!” The shared vision.
Thankfully, nothing had happened in his office. Then again, he’d been
preoccupied with some family issue. After making sure all shoes and other
belongings were put away where SkiRee wouldn’t get them
, GiNae closed the door and joined her mother in the kitchen.

“What
are you making?”

“A
simple casserole. I don’t know how long NiKoh will be gone, so this can be
easily reheated when he arrives home.” Vishe stirred the mixture on the stove,
then poured i
t into a pan and set it in the oven.
“Wash that skillet, please.”

GiNae
obeyed her mother, who pulled out vegetables and began chopping them into small
pieces. Once the skillet was washed and put away, ViShe directed her daughter
to get the larger saucepan
and melt some butter into
it. She dumped in the vegetables, added some spices, flour, and
nei’chi
broth,
then put the lid on it and lowered the heat.

“Soon,
this may be your job.” ViShe’s tone was neutral.

“Are
you planning to retire, Mother? What makes y
ou think
I want to take over?” GiNae decided to deliberately misunderstand.

“No,
I mean when you are mated, you won’t want your mother living under the same
roof.”

GiNae
swallowed. Here was the conversation she didn’t want to have. “Who said
anything about
me being mated anytime soon?” She
threw her arms around her mother. “I may end up taking over RaKel’s shelter. A
very handsome man from the National Northern Pannei Association arrived today
to look at XaDie, and I think he wants her to reorganize the she
lters in his area. So I would have no time for a mate.”
GiNae planted a kiss on her mother’s cheek, then drew away.

“GiNae,
I know you are entering Maturity, and that NiKoh has feelings for you.” ViShe
sighed. “I am not going to be one of those mothers who
refuse to acknowledge their child is growing up and never talk about this. So
there. I
know,
honey. I saw NiKoh’s face last night as
well as yours. I don’t know what you felt, saw, thought, whatever, but I’m here
to guide you through this. If you have any
questions,
you can always come to me or RaKel, or one of your other friends. But you
cannot ignore this, and think it’s going to go away.”

“But
why? Why does this have to happen? Will the Council of Elders force us to bond,
when neither of us wants this?
NiKoh is closer to
your age, Mother.” GiNae shuddered. She pulled out a chair and sat down. “We
talked about it, somewhat. He is not going to rush me, or push me to do
anything I don’t want to do. I took that to mean he’s going to ignore it, and
RaKel told
me today there are some circumstances
where—”

“Yes,
the Elders can grant special dispensations.” ViShe nodded, interrupting her.
“But NiKoh is a good man, and he won’t stand in your way of working with
animals. Look at how he encouraged BeSai in her Botan
y
work, even after OkVei was born.”

GiNae
gagged. “I don’t want children, Mother.”

“I’m
disappointed to hear that, but you’ll change your mind—”

“No,
I won’t.” Too agitated to sit, GiNae stood up and paced the length of the
kitchen. “I’ve seen it among my
friends. They Bond,
have babies, and all of a sudden, they’re too busy with their Dwellings, mates,
or children, to do anything fun anymore. Look at ZuChe, who mated two years
ago. Every other word out of her mouth is ‘BaJei thinks’ or ‘BaJei says’. Ugh.
W
here is the girl who giggled when we took chalk and
drew faces on BeHah’s compound wall? She’s the one who thought up the prank! I
don’t want to turn into someone who suddenly has no interest outside of the
home. That would suffocate me, Mother. You know i
t
would.” She came to a halt in front of the sink and paused to catch her breath.

“Not
all Bondings are like that. NiKoh’s brother BaRok is mated to a woman who owns
her own restaurant. They work together and seem very happy.” ViShe reached out
and squeeze
d GiNae’s arm.

“I
understand. Maybe I need to travel to another planet, and learn about the
wildlife on it. Maybe then the Elders will leave me alone.”

“Oh
honey, it doesn’t work that way. NiKoh is very close to one of the elders.
Since this is his second
time, and because you’re so
much younger, they may not contact you until things progress.”

“It’s
not going to progress, Mother. This is not going to happen.” Unable to bear any
further discussion, GiNae returned to her room.

She
found SkiRee with a very ap
ologetic look on his face,
even before she spotted the puddle on the floor. “I guess that answers that.
You aren’t quite housebroken, are you? Of course, I should have put you outside
once you finished eating. But no, Mother just had to talk to me.” GiNae
mopped up the mess with a towel. “At least you didn’t do
this on the rug.” Picking up the
dogas
, she took him outside in the fading
sunlight, thrilled when he chose a spot and squatted, then pranced around,
lifting his leg some more before returning to her
,
tongue hanging out. “I need to get some toys for you to play with. Why didn’t I
think of that earlier? Come, let’s go back inside.”

Returning
to her room, GiNae stretched out on her bed, SkiRee beside her.

Chapter Five

NiKoh
teleported to a place
just outside the Trade Area and
used the short walk to his mother’s dwelling to collect his thoughts. Time to
put the matter with GiNae aside and concentrate on his sister’s situation. As
Eldest, he felt a great responsibility toward his younger siblings s
ince his father’s death several years before. He had
already been dealt one blow when LoGar had Joined with DaSie, the young
princess of planet Xaxa, against his wishes, since their mating rituals
involved a tri-union, and all offspring were considered the
line of the Primary, of which LoGar had accepted a
Secondary position. Thanks to his brother BaRok’s Bond Test, however, DaSie’s
father had agreed to give their firstborn the Eldest distinction of the House
of SiLah, for Xaxa’s part in the ruse. Now the t
wo
planets were linked, since preparations for the birth were underway. This made
the situation with SaLie even more risky. If JeWal and DuKah felt slighted by
TriJupian hospitality, the already strained tensions could result in a major
upheaval over the j
oint space station.

Xaxa
had long desired a station between their planets, and NiKoh had been part of
the team which had overseen the negotiations. Ultimately, the two planets had
come to an agreement, but the presence of the two Xaxonian men were causing
an uneasy feeling in the community.

NiKoh
pinched the bridge of his nose. Damn SaLie and her continued fascination with
DuKah! Though LoGar was really to blame, having introduced her to him before
she’d reached Maturity. For whatever reason, she’d decided
the tall, greenish-gray skinned military leader with the
reptilian eyes was her Chosen, and after joining the TriJupian military with
her healing training, spent as much time in his company as possible. After the
Bond Test, she’d become even more fascinate
d with the
Xaxonian way of life and had agreed…
had
agreed!
…to
be JeWal’s Primary mate, though the man already had a Secondary who should have
been elevated to the position, and to be shared with DuKah, who favored his
solitary life. But nowhere in the Mati
ng contract had
there been anything about JeWal having the authority to insist SaLie be with
anyone of his choosing, so his sister had done the honorable thing and broken
the contract.
At least she showed some common sense
there. But why continue to spend
time with both men?
Is DuKah’s hold on her that strong?

NiKoh
reached his mother’s dwelling and sighed.
Time for answers.
He knocked, and was thrilled when KiRah,
his youngest sister, opened the door and threw her arms around his neck.

“I
am so happy to
see you! We have wonderful news,
NiKoh.” She drew him inside, where NiKoh was surprised to see her future mate,
DaTil standing there. “May I, Mother?”

“Just
a moment, KiRah. Let your brother greet everyone and catch his breath,” ReNei
admonished her. “Welc
ome, my son.”

NiKoh
closed the door behind him and took the time to greet everyone gathered. BaRok
and RiKar greeted him with enthusiasm, while TriSha and his mother bestowed
warm hugs on him. He accepted a goblet of wine from DaTil, then looked around.
“W
here is SaLie?”

“She’ll
be down in a few moments.” ReNei moved to stand beside KiRah.

“Greetings,
NiKoh.” SaLie appeared and seated herself on one of the sofas. DaTil handed her
a goblet.

NiKoh
frowned at her chosen arrival method, but said nothing as ReNe
i clapped her hands.

“Since
everyone is here, KiRah, you may make your announcements.”

KiRah’s
radiant smile lit up the room. “First of all, LoGar and DaSie’s child should be
born in the next few days. LiMeu contacted us, saying DaSie was getting close
to
delivery.”

NiKoh
applauded with the others, this information having already come to his
attention.

“Secondly,
I have completed my training with JiLit, DaTil’s mother, and she and KeLuh are
providing us with a dwelling of our own, for our Trial period.” KiR
ah paused and moved closer to DaTil, who tucked her under
his arm. “This means our Bonding Ceremony should be taking place in the coming
months. Isn’t this exciting?” She planted a kiss on her Chosen’s cheek.

“Congratulations,
Kirachi
.” NiKoh crossed the r
oom and
took her in his arms. “May you both continue on your journey of happiness.” He
turned to DaTil, watching his silver face take on a slight blue flush. “I
formally welcome you to the House of SiLah.” Taking KiRah’s right hand, he
placed it in DaTil’s
left. “Many blessings as you
reach this next level of your commitment to each other.” He looked at each in
turn, feeling his throat convulse with emotion. This was his infant sister,
after all. “Treat her well.” He released their joined hands, then turned
to his mother, who offered her own blessing on the couple.

NiKoh
retreated as the rest of the family congratulated the happy couple. He noticed
SaLie remained seated, though, and forced down rising anger. When the
excitement died down, he cleared his thro
at and asked
everyone to take a seat.

“I
called this meeting for a reason, and DaTil, since you are now an informal
member, I ask forgiveness for any unpleasantness which may damper your
happiness. For this reason, I give you both the option of excusing yo
urselves.”

KiRah
shook her dark pink head. “No, this is a family emergency, so we choose to
stay.” DaTil clasped her hand and his orange curls bobbed in agreement.

“Okay
then.” NiKoh took a deep breath. “As Eldest, it is my responsibility to
intervene when
upsetting situations are brought to my
attention. Ever since BaRok’s Bond Test, JeWal and DuKah of Xaxa have continued
to partake of our planet’s hospitality, along with the help of SaLie.” He
paused.

“So
what, NiKoh?” ReNei frowned. “She is Mature, and e
xplained
her reasons previously.”

“Yes,
but there is another development which has come to light.” NiKoh tried to find
the right words.

Salie
blew out her breath. “I think he’s referring to this, Mother.” She stood up,
pulled her voluminous skirt tight aga
inst her body,
revealing her swollen girth. Amid gasps, she faced her brother. “For your
information, Mother already knew. We were trying to keep it quiet, and not
raise such a fuss.” Defiant, she glared at NiKoh. “This is another reason JeWal
and DuKah co
ntinue their stay. I refused to give
birth in their primitive birthing center, so even though the contract has been
severed, the fact remains this child is one of theirs. Don’t look so shocked,
BaRok. As the test showed, I was intimate with both men. It ha
ppened, get over it. When the child is born, whomever it
favors the most will return with it to Xa
x
a, in order to continue their bloodline.”

NiKoh
gaped at her as the rest of the family erupted in protest.

If you had told me of the emergency,
this could ha
ve been avoided.
He heard ReNei’s mild reproach.

I thought she was concealing it from you
as well. Apologies.

It is out now, so let us move on.

“SaLie,
how can you simply give up your child in this manner?” NiKoh crossed to her
side once the other voices s
ubsided. “You know your
family will stand behind you, of course, but have you considered everything?”

SaLie
continued to look defiant. “I have. Progeny is equally valued over there, and
I’m hoping it will be of DuKah’s line, since this might finally join t
he two of us. JeWal already has two by his Secondary, but I
did not get along with her and have no wish to have my child raised by her.”

“I
cannot believe, after everything you went through, that you still hope to be
mated to DuKah.” BaRok clenched his tee
th. “JeWal is
odious enough, but the coldness in DuKah’s eyes…I fail to see what impresses
you so much about him.”

SaLie
smiled. “We’re all adults here. He has a twelve inch cock, brother, which
swells to a very impressive size when he’s aroused.”

KiRah
blushed and looked down, as did TriSha, who turned a
glorious shade of red.

ReNei
stood, a copper tint to her skin. “Enough. SaLie, I offered you sanctuary, but
I cannot condone this sort of talk. Apologize at once. You have embarrassed
your siblings.”

“Ap
ologies, Mother.” SaLie looked chastened. “I would have
thought, since NiKoh and BaRok seemed so interested in my mating rituals, it
would be allowed. Forgive me, KiRah.”

Her
younger sister rose and took the seat beside her, wrapping her arms around
SaLie,
in silent communication.

NiKoh
sent out a mind probe, which was rebuffed by SaLie. He winced.
The
military taught her too well.

Yes, they did, so keep your probes to
yourself,
came the icy reply.
You may be Eldest, but that does not
give you the right to
check my thoughts!

RiKar
cleared his throat. “ReNei came to me with her suspicions, but when she was not
forthcoming, I hoped the matter had cleared itself.”

“I
asked her not to tell you, RiKar.” SaLie clasped her hands in front of her.
“Given your closene
ss with this family, I did not
want to cause further dissent within the council.”

“I
think I am capable of schooling my thoughts, SaLie.” RiKar frowned. “However,
your intentions were honorable. I will overlook the lapse, but I expect to be
informed once t
he child arrives.”

“Of
course.” SaLie bowed her head. “Now, if I may be allowed to return to my room?
I am meeting both men in an hour, and apparently I am in need of a better
concealing outfit. My latest visit with the doctor showed I am in perfect
health
, and am within the final month. To your other
questions, since I have no desire to return to JeWal’s household, this is the
compromise we settled on. I have never had nurturing instincts, so I have no
problem sending the child back to Xaxa, unless, of cou
rse,
it is JeWal’s. Blessings.” She rose to her feet and moved past everyone to
ascend the stairs.

ReNei
cleared her throat. “NiKoh, RiKar, would you care to dine with us?”

NiKoh
shook his head. “I have to make my report to my superior. Another time.” He e
mbraced KiRah. “I’m so happy for you, little Kee-ree. My
home is always open to you, should you need my council.”

KiRah
kissed him, then admonished him for using the nickname. “Once we are settled,
we will have the families over for a feast.”

NiKoh
said h
is farewells to the rest of his siblings,
adding another apology to his mother before departing for his home.

The
mouth-watering aroma of vegetable soup greeted him when he stepped through the
door to his dwelling.
ViShe? Dare I hope you made those
delicio
us rolls also?

You are so predictable. Seat yourself.

In a moment.

Resisting
one of his favorite meals was hard, but NiKoh knew he had to continue his
conversation with GiNae, and he didn’t want to put her off again. He went first
to his home office and dr
afted a written report of
what he had learned from SaLie. Satisfied, he sent it off to NaKar, then
followed his nose to the dining room, taking his now-customary seat near the
open kitchen door.

His
favorite drink, along with a basket of rolls occupied the
table. Eager for the taste of ViShe’s delectable honey
rolls, NiKoh selected one, feeling the sting in his fingers as the
fresh-from-the-oven bread singed the nerve endings. He shook his hand after
tearing it in two, then slathered it with butter before p
opping it in his mouth, ignoring the slight burn to his
tongue.