Chapter 11

Atlas

Over the following week, Venus buried herself in work, studying every piece of data and documentation that Kyrene sent her. As much as it pleased me to see her dedication in trying to find a solution that could literally save countless lives—including mine—I couldn't help but feel discarded. Granted, we still shared our morning and evening meals, but little else.

To my shame, I had to admit it hurt.

It didn't make sense for me to have suddenly become so clingy and needy. And yet, I ached for her presence and especially her attention. My scales burned with embarrassment and longing as once again the memory of her fingers scratching my fur came back to the fore. No female had ever touched me like that. Worse still, Venus had almost looked attracted to me. Tasting her emotions through my antenna had been divine. I didn't know humans well enough to be certain, but I could have sworn that delicious aroma indicated her blossoming arousal.

I shouldn't be entertaining such thoughts. And yet, with each passing day, her face, her voice, and the way she smiled at me had become an obsession that filled every waking hour. My own fingers twitched with the need to caress the incredible softness of her scaleless skin. In the far too rare moments we now got to spend together, I would constantly battle the urge to draw her into my embrace and rub my face all over her. I didn't doubt it would feel like the most luxurious silk.

As I had never been with a female before and never allowed myself to think about one in romantic terms, I couldn't quite describe the nature of the emotions Venus stirred within me. Was it attraction? Infatuation? Something else? I had no idea. The only certainty was that I longed to be with her, to touch her and be touched by her. It didn't even need to be sexual. I just hungered for more of that gentle contact we shared in the garden as we discovered a bit more about our respective species' physical attributes.

By the Lights, what I wouldn't give to sink my fingers in that incredibly fluffy and bouncy hair of hers!

Stop it!

I indeed had to stop it. Even though she was technically my legally wedded mate, Venus would never truly be mine. Despite her best efforts, she likely wouldn't find a solution in time, and I would die in the upcoming weeks. But even if by some miracle, I survived this ordeal, Venus would leave me and return to the stars, and I would go back to my old life.

A searing pain lacerated my heart at that thought. My life had never been particularly joyful, but it also hadn't been bad. Compared to many other Achromatics, it would actually be deemed rather good. But since the day the Shimli survivors returned after being abducted by the Nazhral female for their Edocit leaf experiment, I started questioning my life. Meeting Venus only reinforced how unfulfilled—not to say trapped—I felt.

To my shame, the prospect of surviving Thaudras to only go back to my previous routine selfishly made me hope I wouldn't make it out alive. Our discussion with Kyrene, and the vehemence with which I had argued as to why our sacrifice was inevitable made me question myself. It forced me to acknowledge the distressing truth that over the past few years, I came to perceive Thaudras as my escape, my liberation from an otherwise meaningless life, where I was seen as no more than a pawn, chattel being bred and fattened as a sacrificial offering.

Venus rekindled my desire to live. But not here…

I wanted to travel to the stars, discover new civilizations, experience the wild things my mate sometimes alluded to during our conversations at mealtime. But I wanted to do it all with her by my side. If I survived, would she be willing to take me with her? Would she even be allowed based on the Prime Directive?

But won't I be a burden for her?

And that was the biggest issue. What did I have to offer to someone from such an advanced species that would make me valuable enough for her to want me to tag along? She was smarter, richer, better connected, and far more knowledgeable than I would ever be.

I can fight and protect her.

Would she even need it? The worlds she normally dwelled in all sounded extremely safe.

The beep of an incoming message from Pythus startled me. I glanced at it, relieved to find it was merely a status report. I spent the first couple of days pining after Venus while she remained locked up in her room working, then I went back to the Black Guard Headquarters and assigned Leodros to come stand watch here in my stead. Being physically away from Venus made it easier than constantly fighting the urge to go knock on her door under some lame excuse.

However, my guards had been bombarding me with questions both about Venus and the Prism. While I didn't mind talking about Xarin—not that there was much to say as he hardly interacted with us—I really didn't want to talk about my mate. Not only did it feel inappropriate, but I also feared I would give away the unseemly emotions she awakened in me. I couldn't even blame them for it. In their stead, I would also be dying with curiosity about an off-worlder, and what it felt like for one of us to be married—fake though that union was. Therefore, I elected to come back to the mansion and work from here instead.

Tomorrow, I would finally fly her to Orist Valley so that she could launch the probes Tedrick sent her. All that off-worlder technology was insane. I couldn't begin to imagine how many decades if not centuries it would take my people to achieve similar levels. The worst part of it all was knowing many of the things they sent us qualified as lower range to limit how much we would benefit from reverse engineering it.

Even now, I was semi-breaking the rules with the technology I secretly convinced Linsea Voln to send me. A part of me was ashamed to be spending my work hours playing with these tools instead of patrolling the city. Technically, I was doing my job to the extent that my presence ensured the protection of the Prima and the Prism. So long as I was nearby, alert, and ready to intervene at the first sign of trouble, I could pass time in any way I saw fit.

Since Venus spent the entire time in her room, I was doing the same in the separate room I set up as an office, where Leodros or Pythus could also stay whenever they shouldered the guard duty here.

Its size still boggled my mind. That office alone was much bigger than my personal quarters in the barracks. Not for the first time, I realized that I had enough wealth to purchase a house almost as big as this one. But I really wanted a mate to share it with, especially now that I had sampled what it felt like to live with a companion.

Still, this space provided me with the privacy necessary to focus on the holographic training device Linsea sent me. It wasn't what I originally requested. In truth, I abused my position by contacting her as my request had nothing to do with diplomatic or security matters. Then again, if one exaggerated a great deal, it could be said that ensuring the happiness of the Prima fell within my duty as her protector.

As asking Tedrick for the female care products my mate needed felt awkward, I reached out to the Ambassador. To my surprise, Linsea argued that merely sending me products for Venus wasn't the right way to go. Instead, she gave me this device at her husband's insistence. It seemed strange at first, but as his empathic abilities served me well the first time around, I didn't challenge the recommendation.

Going through the various training modules, I couldn't help but think how bizarre this whole thing was, although rather endearing. As I used to make and collect miniatures, I quickly took to this new technique. Even though this wasn't building miniatures, shaping, painting, and decorating nails shared many similarities.

Will she even appreciate my efforts on that front?

Venus had been so distraught finding out our aestheticians did not provide the services she needed, I wanted to believe she would welcome me stepping in to fill the gap. The great scores I was getting with each module steadily boosted my confidence. That didn't stop me from remaining super nervous about it. Maybe these classes weren't as advanced as the program claimed them to be. Maybe these were only beginner classes, and Venus would laugh at me when I finally built the courage to reveal to her what I had been up to in secret.

Just as I completed the twenty-third of twenty-five modules, a sudden knock on the door nearly made me jump out of my skin. As the Razus of the Black Guard, this lack of situational awareness was unacceptable. I'd been way too focused on this particularly challenging lesson.

I shot to my feet. In my panic, instead of shutting down the holographic screen floating before me, my fingers knocked something on the keyboard, blowing up the display instead, making it three times bigger. I cursed loudly and frantically tapped a few buttons, none of which reduced or closed the screen.

"Atlas? Are you okay?" Venus called out with a hint of worry in her voice.

To my dismay, she opened the door and poked her head in with a concerned look. Feeling mortified, I fumbled some more to close the screen but ended up activating the next module and cranking up the volume.

"Holy shit!" Venus whispered.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" I repeated like an idiot. "The device is malfunctioning."

"Simulation, pause," Venus said while stepping inside the room.

My jaw dropped when the image froze, and the sound stopped. I wanted to flap my wings, blast through the thick windows, and fly away to another city where she would never see my stupid face again. My brain took a leave of absence, and words failed me.

"You're following a nail tutorial?" Venus asked with a stupefied expression.

My scales darkened, and my wretched hand went right back to scratch the fur below my clavicle. You'd think I would have overcome that nervous tick years ago.

"You said it was essential for you, but there are no spas here," I mumbled in a slightly defensive tone.

"So you decided to learn it?" she insisted with a disbelieving look.

"It is my duty as your mate to bring you happiness to the fullest extent of my capacities," I said in a firm tone. "I didn't know much about human nails, but I have been learning so that I may provide for you."

The strangest expression fleeted over her beautiful features. "But you're a warrior. This must be incredibly boring for you."

I shook my head. "It's unusual but rather entertaining. I like working with my hands, especially on small and delicate things. My main hobby is building and painting miniatures. So this has been fun and easy for me. In fact, I've been scoring quite well."

I turned back to the training device. Feeling less frazzled, My brain finally remembered how to operate it. I brought up the screen displaying all the modules of the program. The list detailed the name of the skill being taught, the completion percentage, and the score for those completed. It was silly, but I felt excessively proud at the impressed expression that settled on Venus's face.

"Oh, wow! Those are some truly awesome scores!" Venus exclaimed before turning to look at me.

Her air of wonder shifted into something I couldn't quite define but that moved me deeply.

"You did this for me?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yes, of course. It's a complete spa technician training program. I've only got two modules left for nail care. I've also completed the first eight hair modules—although I only focused on the classes devoted to your hair type. It covered washing, trimming, moisturizing, applying various treatments, and general care products. The one class that has been giving me a bit more challenge is braiding. But I'm confident I will get skillful at it with plenty of practice. But I have ways to go on that front. I also learned about facials, waxing, and massages. For the latter, I will need a bit more practice as well. I'm mostly focused on the nails since they seemed to be your main concern."

I shifted on my feet, feeling a bit embarrassed by the endless flow of words that tumbled out of me. Obviously, nervousness played a big role. But I really wanted her to be pleased with the work I secretly did over the past week, often quite late into the night, long after she went to bed.

"Are you serious?!" she asked.

"Yes, I am!" I said before my smile started fading, gradually replaced by worry at her shocked expression. "Unless you would rather I don't do that for you?"

I braced for her answer. Although the possibility of rejection lurked at the back of my mind from the moment I embarked on that project, the imminence of it becoming true hit me hard. It would cut me to the core.

Venus's face suddenly melted into a deeply emotional expression. "That's the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. I can't believe you went out of your way to learn all of that stuff just to make me happy."

A bolt of fire exploded in my chest, filling every cell in my body with the most delicious warmth.

"It's my duty, Venus. And it honors me to do so," I replied with the brightest smile. "Linsea sent me this training device. She also included all the tools and products to be able to perform the care in the real world instead of just virtually through the holographic program."

"Linsea sent you this?!" she exclaimed.

I nodded. "When I contacted her, I merely asked her for products for you. But according to her, Kayog suggested I follow this tutorial instead. It seemed like a good idea, so I accepted."

To my surprise, Venus slightly stiffened upon hearing those words. The strangest expression crossed her features, but she quickly wiped it off.

"Kayog suggested it? What else did he say?" she asked cautiously.

The way she said it took me aback. "He didn't say anything else, or at least Linsea didn't mention it. Why? Is there a problem?"

The eagerness with which Venus shook her head, and her obvious relief made me highly suspicious. I was missing something, but what?

"Since you're displaying such mastery, I wouldn't mind a manicure," Venus said, wiggling her fingers in front of me with a hopeful expression.

She was clearly trying to change the topic. I considered prying further as to what else she thought Kayog might have said, but it didn't feel important enough to make a big deal out of it. So I let her get away with it.

"You want me to give you a manicure now?" I asked, feeling both scared and thrilled at that prospect.

"Yes. Why not?"

"What if I mess it all up?" I asked sheepishly.

Venus shrugged, seeming totally unbothered. "There's nail polish remover for that. Even if you totally mess up, it can't be worse than the state they're currently in. And you need real world practice."

I should be embarrassed by the silly grin that stretched my face, but I was just too happy. It shouldn't thrill me this much. However, I'd been dying to touch her again, even if it was only her hands. And now, this would allow me to do it for an extended period of time without seeming creepy for it. The tutorials also included some gentle massages of the hand and forearm as part of the process. I fully intended to spoil her—and myself—by doing it as well.

I eagerly grabbed the most comfortable stool for her and settled it in front of the narrower side of the L-shaped desk I had been working on.

"Please, have a seat while I go fetch my tools and equipment," I said in an overly enthusiastic voice.

My cheeks heated at the sight of the indulgent and slightly amused smile Venus cast my way. She was probably thinking me a bumbling idiot right now, instead of the fearsome Razus of the Black Guard that I was. That didn't bother me as much as it should. I would get to spend quite a bit of time with my mate, and she seemed happy about it.

I carefully placed my manicure kit and products on the desk, before sitting across the narrow edge from Venus. Feeling utterly nervous, I extended my open palms towards her. Without hesitation, my mate placed her hands on top of each. I almost moaned with delight at the soft warmth of her skin against mine. Bringing them closer to my face—not that I needed it—I studied her nails to assess the work required.

To my chagrin, her hands were nearly flawless, although some minor retouching would be welcome. No matter, I intended to go all out to show her how dedicated I had been in my studies to please her.

"Do you wish to maintain the same shape and color?" I asked, peering back at her face.

She nodded. "I like the square shape and that blood red color. They haven't grown too much, but I wouldn't mind having them filed a little bit."

"On it," I said with a confidence I didn't quite possess.

I took the nail polish remover and started cleaning the old one off her nails.

"By the way, was there something you wanted to ask me when you initially came knocking?" I asked.

"Oh, right!" she exclaimed. "I think Xarin is talking to me."

I paused what I was doing to give her a questioning look. "What makes you say that?"

"Over the past hour, I keep having flashes of a place I don't know. On top of that, I'm pretty sure I've been dreaming about it, too, but I can't swear to it," Venus said with a troubled expression.

"That doesn't sound unusual for a Prima," I said reassuringly. "What does the place look like?"

"Actually, I roughly sketched it out," she said enthusiastically. "Here, let me show you."

Using her left hand, which I had not started working on yet, she pulled a device that she called a com from her left pocket and placed it on top of the desk. She tapped twice on it before it projected a holographic image of a luscious valley.

Under different circumstances, I would once more marvel at this off-worlder technology, but I was too busy frowning at that landmark location.

"That's Keryth," I replied. "It's the valley near Japhyr where we've detected signs of the upcoming Thaudras."

"Perfect. Let's go there tomorrow instead of Orist," she said firmly. "There must be something Xarin wants me to see there."

I nodded, unsure if I felt more troubled than hopeful about exploring the site of my potential future demise.

"Very well," I replied.

"So, tell me about yourself," Venus said while observing the work I was doing on her nails.

Thankfully, her relaxed stance seemed to convey that, so far, my performance was adequate. Then again, it didn't take a genius to properly clean off nail polish.

"I don't think there is much left that I haven't already told you about myself. My life had been pretty uneventful before I met you," I said honestly.

"You never told me you were into miniatures," she countered teasingly.

I smiled. "Fair enough," I conceded. "But I honestly cannot think of anything else worth mentioning. I get up, train, eat, and go to work. There are very few serious crimes within the city walls. Outside work hours, when I'm not working on my miniatures, I will spend time with a few friends, either playing social games or competing in various sports or physical activities."

"No dates?" she asked in a strange tone.

"Dates?" I repeated, unsure what she meant. "Dates of what?"

She gave me a sheepish smile. "Humans don't only use that word to mark calendar days, but also to refer to activities you partake in with a romantic partner."

I recoiled. "No, of course not! Achromatics do not get romantically involved."

"But isn't it a little unrealistic to expect you not to develop feelings for someone else?" Venus asked softly. "I mean you grew up in a shelter surrounded by other people your age. Once you hit puberty, surely your curiosity was piqued."

I shrugged. "Once we reach the age of ten, they separate us by gender."

"Based on what that senator said in your gathering hall when I was trying to choose who I would marry, I understand that Prometheans also have same sex couples. Right?" she argued.

"You are correct, we do. For those cases, we have herbs and teas that help curb any temptation or sexual drive. If that doesn't suffice, the specific people feeling that attraction are separated," I explained.

"That's really sad," Venus said, looking genuinely sorry, but without condemnation or contempt.

"It is. The tea doesn't erase the loneliness we feel at times, but it makes our lives bearable. And yet, here I am now legally mated," I added in a teasing fashion to lighten the mood.

"That you are!" Venus said, returning my smile. "You are very charming."

My cheeks heated. "So are you," I replied clumsily with a timid smile.

Now done cleaning her nails, I carefully clipped them, validating the length with her as she didn't seem to have that much growth. Once done, I proceeded to filing and shaping them.

"What about you? Did this entire ordeal interfere with your dates?" I asked, relieved that the tension I felt at her possibly having a romantic partner pining away for her somewhere beyond the stars didn't show.

She snorted. "No dates here. According to my mother, I'm turning into a hopeless spinster. Most potential partners I've met were idiots. And the ones I actually would have considered to settle with were already taken."

My efforts to look sympathetic failed miserably. My heart was too busy rejoicing to know that no other male held hers.

"Both my mother and father are in politics. They occupy positions fairly similar to the one Ajustus does, but at a galactic level. More importantly, as demanding and insufferable as they can be sometimes, they're not assholes like him."

I burst out laughing. Prometheans had many terms to describe foul and despicable people. But this human expression referring to them as an anal orifice couldn't be more appropriate for one such as Ajustus. Especially considering every single word that came out of his mouth qualified as the foulest smelling feces.

She beamed at me. I'd come to realize that the same way I enjoyed making her happy, Venus liked seeing me smile, and above all hearing me laugh. Since her arrival, I had laughed more times than in the past five years combined.

As I started buffing her nails to smooth them down, I flicked my antennae. Her scent had slightly changed, taking on that spicy edge I loved so much. She was also displaying that soft expression I could never tire of.

"I have a younger sister named Serena. She's a hunter and dedicated to the protection of wildlife. During one of her hunts, she ended up getting married to an Ordosian who saved her life," Venus said wistfully. "In fact, it was Kayog that arranged that union as well."

My brow shot up. "Really?"

She nodded. "Here, let me show you her family."

She tapped on the interface of her com. Seconds later it projected the image of a pretty human who looked slightly like her, a massive male, and two younglings.

My jaw dropped. "He's a half snake?!"

Venus burst out laughing. "We generally refer to species like his as Nagas."

I gaped at the strange being and the miniature versions of him flanking the woman, before shifting my attention to her sister. I blinked and leaned forward to make sure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me.

"Are these scales on her shoulders?" I asked, baffled.

Venus nodded, and her smile broadened. "Yes, they are. It is an adaptation that she underwent after their union. Coupling changed her a bit so that she could bear his children. It freaked her out at first, but now she proudly flaunts them."

My eyes widened. "So the younglings truly are her offspring?! I didn't think two beings so different could be compatible for reproduction."

My mate snorted. "You'd be surprised how adaptable humans can be. In fact, we are the top race when it comes to reproducing with other species."

I stared at her in shock. To my dismay, the image of a mini version of Venus with my scales but tricolored wings with a dominance of gold flashed before my eyes. I immediately clamped down on it.

"And your sister is attracted to such a different species?" I asked carefully.

Venus chuckled. "Honestly, I'm not sure that Serena was drawn to him at first, or that he was drawn to her either. But now, they are both madly in love with each other. In truth, I also found him strange the first time I saw him. But now, I find him quite handsome, and their children are absolutely gorgeous."

My eyes flicked back towards the hologram, and I studied the unusual family with wonder.

"You would be surprised by the number of hybrid children that exist throughout the galaxy. So many people travel from one world to another and find love in the most unexpected places. True love transcends physical appearances and cultural barriers."

I glanced back at her, and my mouth ran away with me. "What about you, Venus? Could you marry and fall in love with someone with such a different anatomical appearance?"

The oddest expression crossed her features before taking a teasing edge. "I already did that first part, remember?"

I snorted, then nodded in concession. "You did."

"Like my sister with Szaro, I found you strange at first. But now I think you're very attractive," Venus continued pensively. "As far as the second part of the question goes, that's really on you, Atlas. Can you make me fall in love with you?"

My brain froze, and my scales felt on the verge of bursting into flames from embarrassment. I opened and closed my mouth a couple of times, unable to come up with an answer. The amusement in her eyes, and gently teasing smile only seemed to make my brain cooperate even less.

"Hang on, I will be right back," I finally mumbled before shooting out of my chair as if it, too, had been set on fire.

I ran to the kitchen to get a bowl of warm water and brought it back for her to soak her hands in. Having apparently taken pity on me, Venus didn't press me further on that question, and moved on to tell me some amusing anecdotes about her sister's life on Trangor with her Naga husband.

After a few minutes, I used a body scrub to exfoliate her hands. The purring sound that tumbled out of Venus's throat resonated directly in my groin. Blessed Lights! How could such an innocent sound have so powerful an effect on me?

Even the grainy texture of the scrub failed to mask the softness of her skin beneath. I took my sweet time, rubbing each digit, the palm and back of her hands, her wrists and even her forearms. The way my mate's gaze darkened and that her face took on a languid expression confirmed she appreciated my ministrations. I could have gone on for hours.

With much reluctance, I wiped off most of the scrub with a damp towel and let Venus go rinse thoroughly in the hygiene room. I went to empty the soaking bowl and returned to finish my task, pushing back any excess cuticles.

Venus proceeded to tell me about the fantastical worlds she visited, both in her capacity as a biomedical engineer and for her lobbying work. She only paused to moan some more when I rubbed a nourishing cream over her hands, giving them yet another mini-massage, and finishing it off with some cuticle oil.

Every word she spoke fueled my hunger to explore those foreign places I never could have imagined, and still struggled to fully grasp despite the vivid descriptions she gave me. Meanwhile, I applied the base coat, nail polish, and finished it all off with a topcoat to lock the color in place.

"If you don't mind, I would like to add an extra adornment on your middle finger," I said, both to delay the end of our little session, and because I was genuinely struck by a sudden inspiration.

"An adornment like what?" Venus asked with curiosity.

"Some of the tutorials showed extra little decorations like gems or other patterns on top of the nails. You didn't have any previously, but there is a very simple one I think would look pretty," I said nervously.

To my delight, Venus smiled then nodded, looking intrigued.

My stomach fluttered with nerves as she extended her hand palm down towards me, and I raised my right palm above it. A soft gasp escaped Venus when I drafted silver through my wings' eyespots, channeling it through my hand into small amounts of lumen to create a small dot at the base of her nail, a slightly bigger one in the middle, and an arc with a star in the middle at the top.

Once done, I glanced back at Venus, holding my breath as I waited for her reaction. She lifted her hand closer to her face to examine what I did. Her mesmerized expression filled my heart to bursting.

"That's beautiful. It shines almost like diamonds!"

"I don't know what diamonds are, but this is what silver lumen looks like," I said timidly. "This is the symbol of Kailu."

Her gaze flicked towards me questioningly. "Kailu?"

"It is our brightest constellation. Kailu is the blessed star that guides those who got lost in the darkness back into the light. Just like you…"

A powerful emotion crossed her beautiful face. Venus appeared on the verge of saying something before closing her mouth and simply smiling. Once again, I almost pressed her to say what she was holding back. She gave me her other hand so that I could repeat the pattern on the other middle finger.

"There," I said once done. "I hope it's not too terrible."

"Are you kidding? You did an amazing job. I can't believe you learned so quickly. Just know that from now on I will harass you on a regular basis for this type of pampering," she said with a huge smile.

"Harass to your heart's content, Venus. It is my duty and my pleasure to do this for you."

"Now, let me return the favor," she said, extending a hand towards me.

I stiffened. "You want to paint my claws?!"

She burst out laughing. "No, silly goose. I'm not going to polish them. But those cuticles could use some love, and those hands are screaming for some moisturizing. You took care of me, it's only fair that I take care of you in return."

The strangest emotion filled my heart. I didn't know what it meant, but I embraced it. Without another word, I gave her my hand.