Chapter 12
In the two weeks that followed our trip to the beach, things steadily heated up between us, with plenty of kissing, groping, and cuddling. At this point, I was more than ready to move to the next stage, but Krogal would always pause the minute we got close to truly getting down and dirty. Saying it annoyed the hell out of me would be the understatement of the millennium. I was no longer so thrilled about him not pressuring me. He was waiting for me to make it clear that I was ready, and subtle hints wouldn't suffice.
Who would have thought I'd resent my man being so considerate?
I'd never been the type to make the first move, but this time I had made my peace with the fact that there would be no way around it. And tonight, I definitely intended to cross that line.
I walked out of my bedroom, strutting my stuff in my brand-new outfit. As I loved the sexy fashion worn by the Zamorian females, I had not only adopted it, but also made it my own. Seeing Krogal's four eyes widen with awe as I sauntered into the living area where he was waiting for me had me tingling in all the right places.
"My mate, you look gorgeous as always. But you are particularly stunning in this dress," he said, opening his arms in a beckoning fashion.
I twirled and struck a pose first before going into his embrace.
"Thank you! It's a dress I bought at the store and modified on Belle's sewing machine," I explained.
"Belle's machine?! You need your own!" Krogal said, sounding offended that I didn't have everything I required.
"Relax," I said teasingly. "I already ordered one. It should be delivered on Monday."
"Good," he replied in a slightly grumpy tone, mollified. "I will not have my mate lacking for anything."
It made me chuckle. "Don't worry. I will abuse your tabs in every store, since you insist so much."
"You better," he said in a falsely menacing fashion. "But I didn't know you were so talented at sewing."
"I love it! In fact, before my musical career took off, I seriously considered going into fashion since I didn't have the brains for the medical field Mom wanted me to pursue. And law put me to sleep. It came in handy, too, because it allowed me to create my own stage costumes when I started singing. We weren't poor, but we also didn't swim in money."
"We have some great fashion programs here on Xoccoris," Krogal said carefully.
"I know," I said enthusiastically. "I actually started looking into them. There are many interesting ones. Belle offered to draw patterns for me to make custom printed fabrics. I'm super excited! She even suggested a collaboration with hair accessories. I would love it, but so long as I get to remain in the shadows on that front."
Krogal's smile immediately dimmed. Although he made a respectable effort to hide his displeasure at that last comment, I knew he hated my determination to remain in hiding. He hadn't flat out come out and said it, but I strongly believed he perceived my cautiousness as a sign that I didn't trust in his ability to keep me safe from whatever Liam might try to pull off—if ever. Obviously, that wasn't the case. He simply had no idea what a ruthless monster my ex could be. I could never live with myself if Liam hurt him or his family because of me.
Thankfully, he let it slide.
I wasn't so na?ve as to think that would always be the case. Sooner than later, Krogal would force the issue. He would never allow me to spend the rest of my days living in fear of Liam potentially finding me. I didn't want that for myself either, but what other options were there? So long as Liam remained a free man, I would never be safe. He needed to get a life sentence without the possibility of parole—or better yet to be permanently put down—before I could stop looking over my shoulder.
No, not death. I don't want him killed.
That would be way too easy. I wanted him to live a very long time in the worst conditions possible. He deserved to enjoy purgatory in the real world followed by a one-way ticket to Hell for eternity once he keeled over.
Liam deserved to spend the rest of his days on the prison planet Molvi in the brutal care of one of the Hell Lords who ran it.
"I'm really impatient to get started with some of the classes," I said, wanting to shift back to a safer topic. "I'm self-taught. So I need proper training, especially with pattern making, stitching, embroidery, and draping, among other things. And then, on top of you having some of the coolest braids in the city, I'll make sure you're also the most fashionable Zamorian."
Krogal chuckled, his tension fading just as I hoped. "I'm more than happy to play mannequin for you, my mate."
"Did I tell you that you're the best?" I asked, my heart melting for him.
"I'm not sure," he said, pretending to be searching his memory. "Maybe you should remind me."
I chuckled and drew his face towards mine. He came willingly then immediately took control of the kiss. That suited me just fine. While I didn't exactly fit the submissive profile, I liked for my man to take control in the bedroom.
Then again, I didn't have much experience with men as Liam had been my first and only. But all thoughts of that rich wretch vanished as I savored the slightly sweet taste of my mate as our tongues mingled. His massive hands caressed the skin of my back and sides, exposed by my short crop top, attached between my breasts by a small knot. They glided down to my behind, each palm settling on my butt cheeks and giving them a firm squeeze. Despite the restraint he consistently displayed, Krogal was nonetheless growing bolder in his fondling, and I loved it.
Emulating him, I grabbed his perfect behind and pressed my pelvis against his—although it was technically against his thighs considering my petite stature in comparison to his gigantic height, even with me standing on my tippy toes. He picked me up, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. The thigh-high slits on both sides of my ankle-length skirt allowed me to do so without the fabric getting in the way.
As was his wont, Krogal quickly got me hot and bothered with the expert way in which he was kissing me. His primary hands teased all my erogenous spots, from my nape to the right side of the crook of my neck, the small of my back, and the sides of my breasts, right where they began to curve. Feeling his shafts hardening against my stomach also did a number on me.
Just as I was considering telling him to carry me back to his room, Krogal ended the kiss and locked eyes with me.
"Don't kiss me like that when we're on our way out," he grumbled with pretend frustration.
"First off, you kissed me!" I exclaimed. "And second, it's not my fault you started something you can't finish."
"Who says I can't finish?" he growled.
"The clock does," I replied mockingly. "But it's okay. Consider that your incentive to not get yourself demolished during the game so that we can pick up where we left off later tonight."
Krogal froze. Having his four eyes flicking between mine to make sure he wasn't misinterpreting my underlying meaning made me dizzy. I still occasionally struggled to figure out which eye to stare at when looking at him. Nevertheless, I pressed my chest against his and gave his bottom lip a little nip to make things clearer. His chest vibrating with a hungry growl had me instantly wet.
"Consider me properly incentivized, my mate. I will not get hurt," Krogal said in a rumbling tone.
My nipples pebbled in reaction to his heated expression, and my toes curled as he reclaimed my lips in one last passionate kiss before setting me back down on my feet. Taking me by the hand, he led me to our personal shuttle on the terrace. By the time we took off, my inner walls were still contracting and throbbing with frustrated need.
It was a short flight to the massive arena where the clan would be challenging our neighbors, Azamphir Clan, in the Zamorian's national sport called Fultar. I'd read up a little about it and seen some videos. It vaguely reminded me of a cross between rugby and no-holds-barred elements of wrestling.
The gist of the game was to grab a ball and carry it across the goal line of the rival team. Obviously, the opponent would use every means necessary to keep you from it, and better yet to steal the ball from you and score in your own end zone. What worried me was the semi combat allowed. You couldn't just start punching and kicking people. However, you wanted to toss your opponent to the ground and keep him immobilized there for a five-second count to put him in a forced timeout for a short while.
Each participant had a special node stuck to their backs, between their shoulder blades. Knocking down your opponent didn't suffice. You needed to get the actual node in direct and continued contact with the ground for those five seconds. Breaking that contact for even half a second was enough to reset the timer. But if you succeeded, the node would immediately send a signal to the player's nervous system, paralyzing him for thirty seconds.
While that sounded fairly brief, in a heated match, it would be an eternity, especially if multiple members of a single team ended up paralyzed at the same time.
As our shuttle landed, the worry I'd been trying to keep it bay reared its ugly head again. By all accounts, my man rocked this game, and so did our clan. They had won seven of the last ten championships, finishing second in the other three cases. However, the fact that the men wore none of the type of protective gear football players did unnerved me. Then again, rugby players didn't wear protective equipment either.
But they also didn't average 7 1/2 feet tall, 250 lbs. of pure muscle, and two sets of arms strong enough to toss an adult bull with one hand as if it was just a tennis ball.
The arena was already packed when we arrived. Krogal led me to the bleachers. As our Matriarch, Feidin, her husband, their children and their spouses normally occupied the VIP box, while the rest of the clan settled in the seats on each side of it. Today, exceptionally, Talin and I were invited to join Feidin, Belle, and Kari–Varkuth's wife. Since all our husbands would be duking it out in the field, it made sense we should be together to encourage them.
Today marked my fourth time meeting Talin since our first rough encounter outside the lift. Each time, we'd only see the other in passing. To my relief, she'd been content to give me a polite nod without engaging me in conversation. To my shame, the part of me keen on avoiding conflict at all cost welcomed it. But like with Krogal's disapproval of my desire to hide from Liam, dodging Talin would only last so long before I needed to deal with it.
Thankfully, she once again acted courteous towards me, if a little distant. As much as I loved the motherly hug Feidin gave me, I couldn't help the sliver of guilt it sparked. Considering Feidin had taken her son as hers, I didn't want to rub it in Talin's face that she was also taking her daughter-in-law. In spite of her prickly disposition, I believed a sensitive and loving female lurked behind that hard exterior.
We settled in our respective seats with a perfect view of the massive arena sprawling before us. Seeing Belle shift restlessly in her seat brought a smile to my face. That woman truly was a ray of sunshine. She explained enthusiastically what was about to happen and gave me the lowdown on the friendly rivalry that opposed our clan to Azamphir since the beginning of time. Even Talin would cast the occasional amused glance at Belle, pitching in some juicy anecdotes about how our men stomped all over them during various encounters over the years.
The almost malicious glimmer that sparked in her dark eyes so similar to Krogal's revealed how much Talin was anticipating the havoc and mayhem that would soon ensue. My mate had initially worried about me attending the match. The silly man feared seeing him going feral against his opponents would make me fear him.
Obviously, I didn't want him ever becoming violent with me. But I had no problem watching him give a proper spanking to a rival team while observing the rules of engagement of a brutal contact sport. My only concern was that he might get injured. At least, with the Zamorians ranking among the top ten most advanced species of the galaxy, their medical technology could quickly fix the majority of injuries earned during such a match, even serious ones.
The sound of loud drums rising in a rhythmic pattern had the crowd go wild for a few seconds before a hush descended over the arena. A haunting melody resonated through the com system and a number of young women clad in traditional outfits in the colors of both competing clans entered the arena. They launched into a beautiful choreography with elements that vaguely reminded me of a mix of hula and a slower paced step dance. Their movements blended strength, sensuality, and a lethal confidence that had me mesmerized.
My mind overflowed with ideas for my own spin of choreographies inspired by their traditional dance. A part of me wished I was dancing right alongside them. I would have to look into joining them in the future.
The tribal melody gradually faded as the drums came back to the fore, their rhythm taking on a faster and more ominous pace. Savage cries resonated from each end of the arena as the females twirled and swirled their way out through the side doors. The two teams rushed in like two armies about to clash once they met in the middle. However, each team stopped on their half of the terrain, the twenty men of their respective units standing in four perfect rows of five columns each.
Heart pounding with excitement, I pressed my palms to the top of the stone railing in front of me and leaned forward to take in the show about to take place before us. My man looked so impressive, towering over everyone else on his team. Naked but for a tight pair of black shorts with a red stripe and cleats on his feet, he looked good enough to eat. The only other thing noticeable was the black node between his shoulder blades. From a distance, it merely looked like a five-inch square patch glued to his skin.
His team wore similar outfits. Ugrul—Feidin's husband—occupied the central position in the front row, flanked by his sons Bayron and Varkuth. My Krogal stood to Varkuth's right, while his father, Orym, stood at the other end, next to Bayron. They made for an impressive front line, not only by their sheer sizes, but also by the fierceness of their expressions.
Facing them, a few meters away on their half of the terrain, the Azamphir Clan were clad the same way, but in the forest-green and orange colors of their people. Ugrul emitted a savage war cry, echoed moments later by the rest of our men. Seconds later, they broke into a mesmerizing dance. Once again, elements of it undeniably reminded me of step dance, but it mainly resembled their version of Haka.
It lasted a little over a minute before they stopped in a menacing pose. The rival team responded with feral shouts of their own, then performed their own little dance. After a minute of this, the Azamphir team stopped, and the drums resounded over the arena. As much as I wanted to see the match begin, I felt disappointed that their dance had ended so soon. I could have watched a while longer—or rather drooled at—their wild display.
The crowd loudly expressed its enthusiasm as the teams took position, their respective twenty men loosely spread over two rows near the central line. Being the visiting team, Azamphir started with the ball. An older male from our clan I didn't know brought it to their leader, before moving to the sidelines.
The entire attendance appeared to hold its breath as the opponents glared tauntingly at each other while waiting for the signal. I yelped when the shrill sound finally went off. The deafening shouts of the crowd easily buried it as both teams charged forward.
A mix of pride and amusement surged through me when I realized that Tomu—the Azamphir Clan Leader, who also happened to be carrying the ball—was running as quickly away from Krogal as his strong legs permitted. His team scattered, charging forward deep in our territory, hoping for a pass. Seconds before Ugrul rammed into him, Tomu tossed the ball to one of his men on the left. The poor sod jumped to catch it but barely held it for half a beat.
Before he could land back on his feet, Bayron grabbed his legs, and slammed his back onto the ground. His opponent appeared winded by the force of the blow. With one powerful swipe, Bayron knocked the oval ball out of his hand, and pressed his foot on the male's chest, likely to activate the node that would paralyze him for a short while. His opponent obviously tried to fight back. As much as I wanted to see if Bayron would succeed in keeping the node against the ground long enough for paralysis to kick in, the ball flying in my mate's direction reclaimed my attention.
I caught myself shouting in frustrated anger when an Azamphir clansman caught the flying ball right in front of my man.
Big mistake.
Running at full speed, Krogal scooped him up and carried him under his left secondary arm like a giant log. Without slowing, Krogal yanked the ball away from him with his right hands then tossed the man like trash. Every Azamphir male converged on Krogal, who was running as if a swarm of rabid demons was hot on his tail. His teammates knocked many of their opponents out of the way, some of them engaging in full-on wrestling brawls to paralyze the others. A few blue lights went off, like a shimmering shield over the bodies of those who got their backs—and more specifically their nodes—pinned to the ground for five seconds.
But I only had eyes for Krogal.
I realized I'd jumped to my feet and was shouting my lungs out when Belle stood up next to me and alternated between yelling encouragement at her husband and cussing out the two Azamphir clansmen trying to trip him and pin him down.
I nearly lost my mind when Krogal crossed the last few meters into the goal zone, dragging one man who was clinging to his right leg, another pulling on his right primary arm, and a third monkey riding his back. The ease with which he kept running was beyond embarrassing for his rivals.
And it was hot as fuck!
Dejected, the men released Krogal, who raised his four arms in a victorious gesture. The crowd—and I—went wild. As both teams ran back to the center of the arena—which seemed a third longer than a standard rugby field—he glanced in my direction. The huge smile that stretched his lips when he found me frantically clapping struck me like an arrow to the heart. I blew a kiss at him, and he pretended to catch it and press it to his lips.
Yeah, I was falling hard for my behemoth.
This time, our clan was starting with the ball. Seeing a third of the Azamphir clansmen take position close to Krogal had people snickering. I couldn't decide if I was prouder that they acknowledged my man as the biggest threat, or more worried about how brutal they might get with him.
It was Ugrul's turn to take off with the ball. Although a few of their opponents made a beeline for him, at least a third of them either went after Krogal or hovered around him. It struck me as both flattering and silly. Taking the lead, Bayron and Varkuth barreled through anyone who even remotely looked like they wanted to mess with their father. A handful of our men also cleared the path for him. Realizing their mistake at focusing on my mate, the Azamphir clansmen started shifting towards our clan leader who was getting dangerously close to their goal zone.
Krogal, who had been luring his tails in a wild goose chase, seized the moment to burst into action. Seeing him effortlessly grab two men—one with his two right hands and the other with the left ones—and effortlessly slamming them on to the ground had me roaring with encouragement. They tried to fight him off, but miserably failed at lifting their backs in time. A third man jumped onto him again. Krogal rolled so that his attacker would lie on his back beneath him and kept him pinned down until his node also went off.
Perceiving this as their opportunity to temporarily take him out of the game, at least seven Azamphir men piled up on top of him. A flood of less-than-ladylike expletives poured out of me as Krogal fought them off as best he could. Whatever doubt I might have had about his phenomenal strength faded as I watched in disbelief my man push up to a sitting position on top of the paralyzed male beneath him, despite the onslaught. He surged forward, flattening one of the males in front of him trying to push him down. Crushed under his weight, his opponent never managed to free himself before the paralysis light went off.
With a savage roar, Krogal fought to get back on his feet, his muscles bulging as four rivals—two on each side—each held onto one of his arms and used their weights to try and keep him down. Seeing him drag them like heavy sacks had the crowd chanting his name. When he suddenly stopped moving forward, I briefly thought he'd grown too exhausted to continue. But only then did I realize he'd provided enough distraction for his teammates to score again.
The next few rounds turned out to be variations of the same, although Azamphir managed to score on a couple of occasions. Demar seriously impressed me. He didn't have the mass or strength of his brother and was clearly less imposing than Bayron and Ugrul. But my brother-in-law was fast as hell. More than once, him taking off in a random, less crowded space at dizzying speed, created the perfect opening for a pass that led them closer to the goal zone.
My Krogal managed to take the ball into the goal zone one more time, but it quickly became clear that the opposing team would continue to focus on trying to keep him out of the action. At first, it seriously bothered me. It felt as if they were picking on him. Thankfully, the joyous expression on his face put those worries to rest. My beast was having a blast. More importantly, despite the relentlessness with which they kept trying—and failing—to pin him down, the Azamphir clansmen all displayed a friendly type of sportsmanship.
Whenever a goal was scored, regardless of which team earned it, they would immediately release Krogal, some of them even appearing to apologize for their roughness or checking that he was unharmed. A few slapped him in the back with admiration, and others accepted the hand he extended to them to help them up after their paralysis faded. The obvious respect and admiration they displayed for my man moved me to the core.
It wasn't until ten minutes before the end of the match that the opposing team finally managed to pin him down long enough for his node to go off. While my protective side wanted to boo and hiss at them getting the upper end on my mate, I couldn't help but laugh at the Azamphir clansmen's reaction. The way they cheered and high-fived each other for succeeding was beyond hilarious. Even the crowd joined in, actually applauding their success at this nearly impossible feat.
And nearly impossible was quite accurate.
It took ten men to finally get the better of him. After five of them managed to trip him, he curled into a turtle position, his arms hooked into those of his opponents to make it harder for them to push him onto his back. More and more joined the fray, looking like they were trying to roll a boulder as they battled to get him onto his back. Even with that achieved, he kept shifting his shoulders just enough to break the node's contact with the ground long enough to reset the timer. It wasn't until the tenth man piled on top of him that it became too much for him to overcome.
Despite our team's clear superiority, Azamphir lost with a very respectable score, and after giving us a most enjoyable match. As I watched the men file out of the arena under the cheers of the crowd, my heart filled with possessive pride and affection for my mate. As I turned to head out of the VIP box and make my way down to the locker room to wait for Krogal to come out, my gaze landed on Talin.
The same pride I felt shone brightly on her beautiful features. She had every reason to be proud. Her husband and both her sons performed exceptionally well.
No doubt sensing me staring, she turned her head to glance at me sideways. Our gazes locked, and an unreadable expression fleeted over her face.
"Your mate played admirably," she said in a neutral but polite tone.
A dozen different responses burned my tongue. However, the one I ended up giving took even me by surprise.
"Of course he did," I said, matter-of-factly. "He is visibly the greatest warrior in this arena."
"He absolutely is," she replied, lifting her chin defiantly. "Which is why it is such a waste."
"How is it a waste?" I asked, my voice devoid of any antagonism. "Tonight, everyone got to see it yet again. Krogal doesn't have to flaunt it every day to establish his dominance. Actually, the less he shows it, the better."
Talin recoiled, stunned by my comment. Feidin, Belle, and Kari eyed me with curiosity, also wondering what I meant by that.
"How would showing it less help establish his dominance?" Talin asked.
"Humans have a saying about how familiarity breeds contempt. In some cases, it can even fuel resentment," I explained calmly. "As Krogal clearly demonstrated tonight, no one can beat him. If he always participated in every combat or physical competition, what would be the point or incentive for anyone else to partake, knowing they would only ever finish second, at best? It would make the event predictable and boring."
"Then they only have to train harder," Talin replied dismissively.
"Do you really think anyone could ever train hard enough to rival your son?" I challenged.
The way she pursed her lips and further lifted her chin screamed of motherly pride. Obviously, she knew no one stood a chance.
"Tonight, the way the opposing team interacted with him really opened my eyes," I said wistfully. "The fact that he rarely partakes in those events makes it a special treat for the crowd when he does and an honor for his rivals. Did you not listen to them? Did you not see how much they rejoiced and celebrated when they finally managed to get him paralyzed?"
"It took ten of them to achieve it!" Talin said with a sliver of outrage.
"Exactly!" I exclaimed as if it was self-evident. "Under normal circumstances, people would be ashamed that it would take so much of them to take down one guy. However, he is such a legend that those males not only derived great pride to have achieved the impossible, but they also felt in complete awe that his incredible strength required ten of them to succeed. This is true fame and honor for your house. People will be speaking forever about the Skortheatis behemoth who required the strength of ten elite warriors to be taken down. And those warriors will brag of having had the honor to be one of those ten."
Talin took on the troubled expression, having apparently never looked at it from that perspective.
"Krogal doesn't need to make a show of his prowess. All Xoccoris knows your son is the greatest warrior of this era. He doesn't need to devote his entire life to it to achieve what you wish. He's already done it," I said in a gentle voice. "He's happy. Isn't it all that matters?"
She pressed her lips into a thin line, as she controlled the somewhat mulish expression wanting to rear its head.
"You care about him," Talin finally replied, her tone a little grumpy as if trying to make a begrudging concession.
"Of course, I do," I replied in a factual manner. "We're soulmates. You raised the most wonderful male I have ever met. It was a blessing that Kayog somehow managed to bring us together and to make me a part of your family and of your wonderful people."
She gave me a stiff nod, once more fighting hard to hide her emotions—in this instance how much my words touched her. It took every ounce of my willpower to repress an amused smile in light of her misplaced pride.
"You should drop by our place one of these days," I said softly. "Krogal loves you and misses you."
She ran the fingers of her primary hand through her long obsidian hair, while her secondary hands hugged her midsection. This time, she failed to fully hide the sadness she felt at the rift between them.
"I love him, too," she replied as if it was self-evident. "He's my firstborn."
"Then tell him," I said in a gentle voice. "Our men should be coming out of the locker room any minute now. We should go find them."
Talin gave me another stiff nod then took the lead, walking out of the VIP box. I slightly frowned and cast a worried glance towards Feidin. Technically, as the clan's Matriarch, should she be deemed the protector of our little group?
But Feidin was staring at me, motherly love and approval shining in her golden eyes. She approached and gently caressed my cheek while winking at me. The fact that Zamorians did that with both their left eyes always messed with my head. I doubted a lifetime would suffice for me to ever truly get used to it. But the sentiment behind that reaction was all that mattered. Our Matriarch made no mystery she hoped to see the relationship patched up between her sister and her nephew. She was walking a fine line trying to help the situation along without coming out too forcefully or further alienating her sister.
As I watched her exit the box behind Talin, Belle came to stand next to me. With a big grin on her face, she gave me two thumbs up that had me snorting. That female was a riot.
We hastened after the two Zamorian females, weaving our way through the crowd talking excitedly about the match in the hallways. Their elation was contagious. You couldn't walk past it all without a huge grin plastered on your face. Getting patted on the shoulder for my husband's stellar performance—even though I had no merit for any of it—had me even more thrilled. But seeing Talin strutting like a peacock was hilarious.
A few men were already pouring out of the locker room when we finally reached it. Both our clanmates and the Azamphyr teammates were hanging outside the door, chatting happily. To my surprise, Tomu—the rival team's Clan Leader—stared at Talin with a taunting expression while she glared at him.
"Peace, Talinsaya Skortheatis," Tomu said in an amused voice. "I have not taken your son."
"But you tried!" she hissed.
"Of course, I did! Who wouldn't, given the opportunity?" he asked as if she'd said something silly. "I want no quarrel with you, female. Let the sound trouncing your males—and especially your son—gave us today be compensation enough for the offense."
Talin huffed haughtily without answering. Tomu chuckled, his dark-brown eyes, a slightly lighter shade than his hair, sparkling with mischief. Despite the scar running down the side of his left eyes, and his intimidating presence typical of Zamorian males, the Azamphyr clan leader seemed rather charming. That Feidin and Kari watched the scene with amusement confirmed this was all in good fun, despite Talin likely truly being offended by the situation.
As I understood it, when Krogal asked to sever his tie with his mother, had the request been denied, he would have chopped off his braid and joined the Azamphyr Clan instead with Tomu's blessing.
"And you must be his little human?" he asked, turning to me.
I smiled and opened my mouth to respond, but Krogal's voice behind him stopped me.
"Yes, she is. Stay away from my mate," he said with false severity.
Pretending to be intimidated—a stance belied by his grin—Tomu raised his palms in surrender and took a step back. "Apologies!"
To my shock, I instinctively ran and threw myself into Krogal's arms. He chuckled, caught me on the fly, and lifted me in his powerful embrace. My toes curled at the passionate and possessive kiss he gave me. Sadly, it was all too brief. Then again, I wouldn't exactly call myself an exhibitionist.
"You were amazing!" I said as he reluctantly put me back down on my feet. "Don't you agree, Talin?" I asked, glancing at her over my shoulder.
Although he kept a neutral expression on his face, Krogal stiffened in a very subtle fashion. Had my arms not been wrapped around him, I probably wouldn't have felt it.
"Yes, he was," she said in a soft, but cautious tone. "You were quite formidable, Krogal and did a wonderful job of putting a certain would-be usurper in his place," she added a bit more sternly while casting a sideways dark glance at Tomu.
The Azamphyr Clan Leader snorted, totally unfazed by the dig.
"It was just a bit of Fultar fun," Krogal said with an almost timid humility, which he tried to hide behind a smile.
Talin waved a dismissive hand. "It was more than that. You brought great honor to our house in our clan. But then, you always do."
My heart leapt upon hearing her making this genuine effort to acknowledge her son's awesomeness. Krogal blinked, visibly taken aback by this unexpected compliment.
"Fultar is a team sport. Great teamwork makes all the difference. Father and Demar were formidable, not to mention the others," he said, looking a bit embarrassed before glancing at Orym and Demar who had come outside of the locker with him. "We make each other shine."
"Stop being so modest," Demar said, slapping the back of his shoulder.
Orym grunted his agreement, which seemed to move Krogal even more.
"I wasn't just speaking about tonight's Fultar match," Talin said a little stiffly, like she was feeling mightily awkward. "Even though we don't always see eye to eye on certain things, we… I am always proud of you."
It was like a nuclear bomb had just gone off. The loud and excited voices around us faded in the background while Krogal stared at his mother with a powerful emotion. Words were not needed. Eyes locked, they exchanged a silent but deep communication. After a few seconds that might as well have been a century, Talin blinked and averted her eyes before giving her husband a critical once-over. The way he looked back at his wife was the softest I'd seen from Orym, while Demar beamed proudly at her.
"Well, you certainly got properly bruised during the match," Talin said in a grumpy tone. "Let's get you patched up. There's a feast later, and I can't have my mate and second son looking all banged up like this. Farah, you go and fix your mate," she added in a commanding tone.
Belle snorted in amusement, while the rest of us bit the insides of our cheeks to repress our smiles. A part of me wanted to go give my mother-in-law a big hug. This wasn't easy for her, but I loved that she was making genuine efforts.
"Yes, Talin," I said in a slightly submissive tone that seemed to please her, making me want to smile even more.
"Come, my dear husband. Let's take care of those booboos," I said teasingly.
Waving everyone goodbye, I let Krogal lead me back to our shuttle.