The Melier: Home World (Women of Dor Nye Book 2) (4 page)

“Loo-Sha,” Soren said warningly, as if she was about to steal the last piece of candy from the dish. His velvety voice was deep and jarring. “You are being unreasonable.”

“
Me!
” she shrilled, eyes nearly falling out of her fucking head. “
I’m
being
unreasonable?
” Lenny started crying and he gave her one last chastising look before he jumped the bath and grabbed a towel, disappearing through the strange doorway. Lucia stared after him, her jaw nearly drooping into the water.

What. The fuck.

Chapter 3

Soren slipped into a robe and soothed Lenny in his arms as his mind began swirling with agitation and confusion.

Lucia didn’t want to
mark
him, and she didn’t want to
pair
Val’Zun.

What
does
she want?

He was increasingly filling with unease and he wasn’t sure how to handle that. Val’Ja and Soren clashed over this decision inside his being. Val’Ja would demand Lucia obey him in these matters because this was how multiple pairings were done on Melierun, while Soren would wait patiently for her to come around when she was ready.

He sighed.

Are all females as difficult as my mate?

He tried to remember, she was
different
. She was not Melier, she was human. Her society was not like his.

****

Lucia finished up in the bath and by the time she fluffed her hair dry and was ready to leave the cleansing room, she stood at the spot where Soren had gone through. Her fingers grazed the wall and felt… air. She watched as her fingers
sunk
through the spot where she figured the doorway would be. Lu pulled her hand back and clenched the towel that was wrapped around her.

Weird.

What if I walk through and it messes with my cells on a molecular level?

We’re doomed.

How the fuck am I supposed to get around?

The wall dematerialized and Soren waited on the other side. She hurried through, like it might swallow her whole.

“It will not harm you,” Soren said with a slight smirk and then
walked
through the damn wall only to reappear. “See? It is simply a holographic projection. They are in many places inside the palace.”

While Lucia thought it was
neat
, she wouldn’t be trying that anytime soon. Her luck she’d miss the door completely and slam into the real wall.

She
‘hmm’d’
and then spotted her luggage on the bed that one of the guards must’ve delivered. Slowly, she rummaged through it, the conversation from moments ago still on her mind and clouding her already churning mood.

Why can’t anything be simple with these Melier?

If it’s not hating humans, it’s weird mating practices.

And concubines.

Fucking concubines. Wooosahhh.

This thing about Zun is ludicrous.

You were going to tell him to suck it, remember?

Poor choice of words now, I think.

Lucia shivered and pulled out a light green tunic and matching, billowy pants that cinched at the ankles. The tunic’s neckline dropped to expose her breastbone and hung widely on her shoulders. It was perfect for the lome claw necklace. She decided she really loved wearing that gift. It was a good conversation starter, and she needed all the help she could get.

When she turned, Lu noticed there was a hovering cradle where Lenny purred in her sleep. She quietly made her way over, silently giggling to herself. Two weeks prior, she’d just randomly started up, the sound quite similar to chirping, and it made everyone love her a tiny bit more, if that was even possible.

“Gi’Ren found it in one of the old nurseries,” Soren whispered, smiling down at Re’Len before he guided her away from the cradle and toward the door. Before she could protest, a female stood just outside. “This is Sola. She will be taking care of Lenny when we are not able to.”

Lucia swallowed and began to say something, but was cut off.

“It will be an honor, Princess,” she dipped her head, her short black hair falling over her pretty green skinned cheek.

The title threw Lucia off and her mouth bobbed for a minute before she found her voice, but then she was cut off
again
.

“Gi’Ren recommended her,” Soren nodded once as if that would convince her. As much as she didn’t want that last bit to matter, it did. Gi’Ren
loved
Lenny and only the best would do for his niece.

She chewed on her lip and made a mental note to
stop
doing that, else she wouldn’t have any lips left by the end of the week.

Sola didn’t have an unkind expression at all, which confused Lucia further. Every Melier she’d run into had given her looks of loathing, mostly. It made her feel a little better, knowing maybe
one
Melier outside of the brothers might not automatically dislike her just because she was human.

“Alright,” she said hesitantly and worried her wrists instead of biting her lip. Soren nodded to Sola and she disappeared inside the room. Lu threw one more glance backward, hesitated, and then felt Soren’s arms press into her back to urge her forward.

“She will be well, Loo-Sha,” he said reassuringly, tail slinking up her arm and brushing the skin. When they got closer to the doors of the suite, the sensor was tripped and they automatically opened. The scents and sounds of food and cheerful people floated through the halls.

She took the time to examine everything around her, including Soren.

He wore something similar to the official robe the guards had been sporting, but it was white, matching the pants he had on underneath. As he walked, his legs would show through the high double slits that ran up the front of the robe, stopping on his upper thigh. Instead of a gold belt, his was silver, matching the one cuff on the wrist of his lower right hand. The material he had on his feet matched his ensemble and it looked soft, comfortable.

“Do I please you?”

Lucia smirked as they continued walking.

So he
does
know when I’m being a creeper.

He’s a predator.

“Yes, you look very handsome.”

Soren purred and his tail rubbed the side of her neck. Lucia twittered, batting the furred appendage away.

“Loo-Sha,” he slowed to a stop and gently turned her to face him before they went any further. Lu’s brow furrowed and she looked up into his strangely mixed feline and reptilian features that she had come to appreciate. “About earlier… Val’Zun once talked about our culture on Dor Nye, and I understand how what I have said may seem as if I am pressuring you…” his hands rubbed up and down her arms gently, “I am not.”

“Soren--”

He held up a hand.

“Let us go on as if that conversation did not happen.” He gave one curt nod, leaving no room for argument and then he ushered her forward.

Lucia was still recovering when they entered the large hall from their initial arrival. Melier of all colors and garb milled about, and once Soren walked through, they all noticed.

The noise lifted higher as people cheered to his safe return. Smiles, embraces, and pats on the back were sent Soren’s way, and she was slowly forced further and further away from him just to keep from being crushed in this land of giants she’d ended up in. It was easy for her to slither away, being so much shorter than everyone there.

Upon glancing down at her feet while she weaved a path, her focus was stolen as she noticed a small green bug scurry across her slipper. A shriek was lodged in her throat as she shook her foot, and knocked the offender away just as a burly servant carrying a massive tray piled with food nearly collided with her.

Lucia was yanked back against a chest.

“Are you
trying
to get trampled?”

The Devil.

Lucia turned around when the many hands let her go and looked up into Zun’s face. She scowled, at the same time noticing he was dressed exactly as Soren, except his silver cuff was on the left. Lu figured the white garb was meant for the princes, since no one else that she could see wore white.

“Yes actually, if it means I don’t have to deal with you.”

He scoffed, as if it was crazy anyone would turn down a chance to be in his presence.

Lucia regarded him critically, now that she
knew
what she
knew
. He stared back down at her, his brow pulled low in a suspicious expression.

This will never work.

He’s an ass.

“What?”

“You are the one staring. I should be asking you that.”

Lucia scowled
harder
. “I asked first.”

Oh god, how old am I?

Zun scoffed again, his trademark, just like Gi’Ren was king of the grunt.

Neither answered the other, so they stood there, glowering for a length of time. Finally, he sighed and scrubbed his forehead.

“You are very annoying.”

“Right back at you.” Lucia took a step back, and Zun took a step forward.

They both paused and regarded each other skeptically.

Another step back, another step forward.

“What are you doing?” he asked, irritation lacing his tone.

“I’m walking backward, are you blind?”

This is silly.

“I can see you very clearly,” he bristled.

“Why are you following me?”

“To prevent you from being trampled.” He swept a hand in an arc, and said this like it was obvious. “Come, I will feed you.”

Feed me to what?             

She narrowed her eyes, taken back by the sudden change of topic. Without another word, he turned her and gently laid two hands upon her back as he guided her closer to the food.

When his tail rubbed up against her hip, she swatted it away and glared up at Zun, who was back to scowling down at her. She let out a hackled sigh and shook her head.

“Prince Val’Zun!”

A white haired female stepped into their path, stopping them. It was the only part of her that really looked
aged
.

“It is good you have brought your brother back to us, and you are both safely home once more.” She dipped her chin in belated greeting. When her eyes skimmed over Lucia, a slight curl to her lip appeared before slipping back to normal.

“Thank you, Peka,” Val’Zun replied, one of his hands along her spine subtly rubbing up and down. “It is good to be home. Let me introduce you to Val’Ja’s mate, Loo-Sha of Dor Nye.” He looked down at her then, eyes gently encouraging her. It was unsettling how quickly he could revert into a cordial attitude with her.

“Nice to meet you,” Lucia swept her gaze back to the woman, who in turn sneered before looking back to Zun. A heat swept her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. Her heart fell to her stomach, even though she tried coaching herself to
not
feel slighted.

You expected this, remember?

That doesn’t make it any easier.

“The Prince has mated a
human
?”

Peka’s disgust was
hurtful
, no matter how Lu tried to be positive about it all. When a stranger just automatically hated you for your race, it didn’t feel good in the least.

She found herself inching slightly closer to Zun, almost wanting to hide which only made it worse on her mind.

What is wrong with me?

Zun’s brow pulled low and then both of his hands were rubbing up and down her back in a gesture of comfort. “Yes, he has. She is the mother of his progeny, a princess to the people.” He looked at her expectantly and Lu could tell Peka was completely appalled as she once again locked gazes with her. Peka dipped her chin in begrudged respect.

“Princess,” she ground out between her sharp teeth. She bid Val’Zun farewell and then disappeared just as quickly. His tail stroked at her arm and then he was moving her along again.

“They will respect you eventually, Loo-Sha,” he encouraged. “This will take time.”

She took a few deep breaths, working out the nervous lump in her throat while Zun began filling a plate with various samples of different fruits, cooked vegetables, and a couple types of roasted meat. When he went to add poshka tentacles to the plate, she squeaked and stopped him.

Her eyes glued to the wriggling bowl of slimy things and her fingers covered her lips. “I have no
desire
at all to eat those.” It was strange; she no longer thought they looked appetizing in the least. It truly had been Re’Len.

He moved along and soon she was sitting on an enormous cushion where they’d been positioned in the middle of the room. Other Melier were strung about, eating, chatting, and lounging while the party milled around them.

Zun took a cushion beside her and set the plate down. When he grew a claw and speared one of the fruits, she narrowed her eyes, but accepted the green chunk. It was almost too sweet, and the tiny red seeds crunched every time she bit down. It was initially disconcerting, fighting the urge to spit the seeds out, like one usually did with most seeded fruits.

“I can feed myself,” she said upon swallowing when he lifted another chunk to her lips. She hesitated for a moment and he rubbed the fruit against her bottom lip, as if coaxing her. Lu opened her mouth to reiterate, but he gently stuffed the food in, shutting her up. Her hand flew to her lips to keep the juice from dribbling onto her clothes and her eyes widened. “You did that on purpose!”