Chapter 4

Itook a couple of deep breaths, willing my heart to stop trying to beat its way out of my chest as I disembarked the fancy cruise ship Kayog and I had traveled in. As much as I loved the comfort my soon-to-be-husband provided for my journey to his homeworld, it also gave me a distressing sense of déjà vu.

Liam, too, had always been generous when it came to having me travel in first class and dressing me in nothing but the finest designer clothes.

We descended the ramp, my eyes flicking this way and that as I took in the immense docking bay. People chattered excitedly as they hurried to whatever business called them, while others loitered, casually waiting for who knew what. While a variety of off-worlders mingled freely with the locals, the Zamorians retained my attention.

They were an impressive species, especially their massive males, with four muscular arms and just as many eyes that seemed to see all the way down into the depths of your soul. Their females also didn't lack in the height department. And although slender and very feminine, they had the fit and muscular bodies of female athletes.

I hastened after Kayog as he made his way to the private meeting room Krogal had booked for us to finalize our contractual union. Unfortunately, the Temern was urgently needed elsewhere and couldn't stay very long. In truth, he had made many sacrifices to accompany me here, knowing how stressed I was at the thought of meeting my supposed soulmate by myself. No words could express my gratitude for the paternal way in which he quite literally took me under his wing. But then, as an empath, he knew how I felt.

To my chagrin, instead of us wandering through countless corridors to reach our destination—which would have given me a bit more time to compose myself—the series of meeting rooms were located right outside the main exit of the docking bay. It made sense so that people only here to finalize some quick business deals could be in and out in the time it took their ship to refuel and restock.

And of course, ours is the third door.

My mouth suddenly felt dry, and my pulse went into a frenzy when Kayog waved his feathery hand in front of the door's control panel, and it swished open before him. My knees felt wobbly as I forced myself to follow him inside.

I no sooner stepped in than my jaw dropped in shock. I'd read Krogal's description and seen his 3D hologram. In fact, I studied the latter over and over again as I tried to convince myself to proceed with this. But now that he was standing before me, I couldn't help but think this had been a mistake.

Saying he was tall and big couldn't even begin to describe the mountain of a man standing at the other end of the small room. Granted, his profile clearly stated he was eight feet tall. But how my mind had translated that versus the reality now towering before me couldn't have been farther from each other.

How can he possibly be my soulmate?

Like with most women, men taller and bigger than me held an undeniable appeal. But this was ridiculous. He might as well be the Hulk and me the Black Widow. Krogal was just too much. With his size—and undoubtedly matching strength—if he ever lost his shit and decided to go berserk on me, he could break me with a single flick of his hand.

For all that, he wasn't unattractive, quite the opposite. Although his four eyes made me a bit dizzy, his body was nicely proportional, his muscles impressively defined, and his features very pleasant.

Why couldn't all of that be in a much smaller package?

To my shock, the expression on his face couldn't have been more different than anything I expected. He looked… shy. The way he clasped his lower hands before him, and how his right primary hand ran over his long black braid screamed nervousness.

For some silly reason, that instantly dampened some of my unease.

"There you are!" he said in a surprisingly gentle voice for how deep and rumbly it was. "Come in! Come in! I hope you had a good trip?"

His hesitant smile had something incredibly endearing about it. But it was the wonder in his black eyes, and especially the way he kept averting them as if trying to keep himself from staring at me that made him even more adorable.

Adorable? Did the word adorable seriously pop up in my mind regarding this behemoth?

Yep, it certainly did.

"Yes, thank you," I surprised myself by answering. "The ship was fantastic, and the accommodations were first class. Thank you for that."

His broad shoulders slightly relaxed as a huge smile settled on his face. As intimidating as he was, it softened him even more. In that instant, I believed I was getting a glimpse of the teddy bear Kayog had alluded to multiple times.

Maybe this won't be so bad, after all.

"My dear friend, it is good to see you," Kayog said with his usual cheerful disposition. "Farah, this is your soulmate, Krogal. Krogal, meet Farah, the elusive gem I was determined to find for you."

"It's a tremendous honor to meet you at last, Farah," he said with such sincerity it almost felt like a warm blanket wrapping around me.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Krogal," I said, relieved that my voice hid my own nervousness.

"Unfortunately, I'm in a hurry. As my next flight departs in less than thirty minutes, we must make haste."

"Of course," Krogal said. He waved at the chairs around the rectangular table big enough for eight people. "Please, have a seat."

I swallowed hard. The blossoming panic, which had somewhat receded upon seeing the Zamorian's apparent timidity, came back with a vengeance at the thought I would soon be left alone with him.

To my surprise, a serious but very gentle expression settled on Krogal's face while he watched me take a seat across the table from him and next to Kayog.

"Farah, I can see that the prospect of Kayog leaving you with me scares you," he said in a soft voice, as if speaking to a frightened child. "There's no need for that. On my honor, I will never harm you. Kayog is always right. If he brought you to me, it's because you and I are destined. Remember that there is no rush. This is merely a formality, a contractual wedding to grant you every protection enjoyed by the citizens of Xoccoris."

I nodded, a little mortified that my fear was so obvious. I should do a better job of controlling my emotions.

"Yes, Kayog detailed the terms you agreed to. I truly appreciate your patience and understanding," I said sheepishly.

"Of course. In practice, we'll simply be two people getting to know each other, and me trying really hard not to make a mess of courting you," he added with a bit of self-derision.

To my surprise, I caught myself chuckling and then returning the gently teasing smile he was addressing me.

"Have no fear. I have no expectations from you. As agreed, you will have your own room. I also made arrangements so that you can have your own apartment, if you prefer," he continued.

My jaw dropped upon hearing those words. His smile broadened with a hint of smugness at my reaction.

"It's my duty to see to your needs and to make you feel safe, whatever it takes. We're not ruled by the PMA," he reminded me. "There's no deadline for us, no pressure. I've waited my whole life to meet you. A few more weeks or months to reassure you are nothing at all."

Once again, I caught myself smiling as a bit more of the tension that plagued me for the past few weeks faded. The sincerity in his voice, and the way he was holding my gaze unwaveringly as he spoke truly did wonders for me.

I also did my homework prior to accepting this mating offer. From all accounts, few worlds could boast about treating their females with as much consideration as they did here on Xoccoris. It didn't hurt that their society was a matriarchy. Although their males had an iffy reputation on the intergalactic scene, mostly where competing was involved, things had significantly turned around over the past six years. This was in large part due to his very own cousin, Bayron Skortheatis, who also happened to have married a human thanks to Kayog.

As if prompted by that thought, the Temern discreetly cleared his throat.

"Right, sorry," I said sheepishly. "So what happens now? What must I do?"

"You simply have to sign this marital contract," Krogal said, while tapping a few instructions on the discreet interface at the edge of the table.

A seamless panel parted in the center of the table, and a narrow device jutted out of the opening. It appeared to have two rotating heads. One aimed straight upward, projecting a holographic screen, and the bottom one aimed at me. It took me half a second to realize it was a biometric scanner.

Although I remained still while the blue light scanned my eye, a sense of unease wormed its way back into the pit of my stomach. This was standard procedure to identify the parties. However, with Liam still out there, I tried as hard as possible to stay under the radar. At least, this data would be kept within the Zamorian Hall of Records and had little to no chance of landing in my ex's lap.

As soon as it was done, the scanner rotated towards Krogal and repeated the process. Interestingly, where it had only scanned my right eye, it scanned both of his right eyes. The holographic screen immediately displayed the marital contract with our information already filled in.

"This is the exact contract I previously forwarded to you and Kayog," Krogal explained. "Feel free to read through it to confirm all is as it should be. And when you're done, simply press your thumb in the signature box at the bottom right."

A part of me wanted to drag this on to delay a little further. But Kayog needed to leave, even though nothing on his face expressed his impatience to do so. I merely skimmed through a few paragraphs of the contract before signing it. I had no reason to doubt its content, and Kayog would have felt any deception for my new husband had he tampered with it.

Right after me, Krogal also pressed his thumb in his signature box on the mirrored holographic display. The screen took on an orange hue, indicating that the form was ready to be filed, at which point it would become binding.

"Farah Toussaint, do you wish to have this marriage contract to Krogal Skortheatis legally filed with the Zamorian Hall of Records?" a synthetic female voice asked.

"Yes, I do," I replied with surprising assurance.

She repeated the question to Krogal.

"Yes, I do," he replied, a thrill in his voice.

"You are now legally married in accordance with Zamorian law," the synthetic voice said. "The contract has been submitted and filed. Have a good day."

With these last words, the holographic screen collapsed, and both the scanner and projector retracted into the table, the secret panel once again closing seamlessly.

"Congratulations to the both of you," Kayog said warmly while standing up. "It is not the most romantic union, and I hate to leave you so abruptly. But seeing you together only confirms what I already knew. You truly are soulmates, and I have no doubt you will be extremely happy together."

"From the bottom of my hearts, thank you," Krogal said, also rising to his feet.

The powerful emotion on his face and in his voice messed with my head. This man was truly happy to be married to me, even though he didn't know me yet. I still didn't understand how this behemoth and I were a perfect match, but like he said, the Temern was always right.

"Yes, thank you for everything, Kayog," I said with sincere gratitude.

"It was my pleasure. Take good care of each other and stay in touch," he said warmly before taking his leave.

Standing next to my chair, I watched the door close behind him, apprehension and nervousness rearing their ugly heads again as I turned back to glance at Krogal. The soft, almost mesmerized way he was looking at me did funny things to me.

"Unless there's something else you need to do here on the space station, we should be on our way," Krogal said in a gentle tone. "The crew from your vessel should have already transferred your belongings to my shuttle. I understand you have few bags?"

I nodded, embarrassed by what little I actually possessed. It shamed me to be this helpless and to bring so little to this marriage. Liam made certain to keep me dependent on him for everything, specifically to make it difficult—if not impossible—for me to ever consider leaving.

"There are only a few bags, and I don't need to do anything else here. We can go," I said nervously.

"This way then," he replied, gesturing at the door before circling around the table to walk towards it.

To my surprise, he frowned when I waved my hand in front of the door's control panel and exited first. I immediately tensed, wondering how I had already messed up.

"What is it?" I asked warily. "Did I do something wrong?"

He smiled in a reassuring fashion although he slightly hesitated, as if choosing his words carefully. "Technically, you didn't do anything wrong."

"But?" I insisted.

"You will discover that our people have many little quirks about specific things," he explained. "One of them is how protective we are as a people. It's the duty of the strongest to look after the others in their group. Between the two of us, I'm physically stronger. Therefore, I should always lead the way to assess any potential danger to you."

My eyes widened in understanding. "So you should have exited the room first?"

"Correct. Inside the room, we know what threats may or may not exist. But once we exit, it becomes a new environment where much could have changed negatively while we were inside," he said in a gentle tone.

"I see. Sorry about that."

He chuckled and gestured for me to follow as he headed towards the shuttle hangar. "It's okay. You didn't know. For what it's worth, it can make for amusing—and sometimes ridiculous—situations."

"Oh? How so," I asked, genuinely intrigued.

"Most Zamorian males are major braggarts," Krogal said with derision. "Each one wants to one up the other and prove they're the most intimidating one."

I snorted, a clear visual flashing before my eyes. "Oh, God! They fight over who gets to go first?"

He nodded with a grin. "My people can be quite absurd at times. But just so you know, it also applies to females. So far, my cousin's human wife has had no issue with any of this as Zamorian females are naturally stronger than humans. Once the two of you go out together, I'm quite curious to see which one will deem herself the protector."

I gave him a horrified look, and instinctively shook my head in denial. "I'm more than happy to be deemed the weakest."

He burst out laughing, a mischievous glimmer sparkling in his obsidian eyes. "If you say so."

I liked the sound of his laughter. It was powerful and full-throated, with a deep, masculine edge that I found quite sexy. More importantly, I loved how relaxed and jovial it made him look.

We entered the shuttle hangar, which was adjacent to the docking bay. Here, too, countless people milled about, all of them Zamorian. Although a few of them stole discreetly curious glances my way, they kept going about their business.

"This is my Stinger," Krogal said, pointing at a sleek-looking personal shuttle.

All black, with a huge shield, it vaguely reminded me of an apostrophe lying horizontally. It only had two seats and space in the back for some small cargo. A single look sufficed to know it wasn't a cheap model. That once more reminded me that I was partnered with a wealthy man. I could only hope he wouldn't also try to keep me entirely dependent on him. I learned the hard way that it was a bad idea to be fully at someone else's mercy.

Despite the short steps that were deployed to allow me to climb inside the small vessel, Krogal extended his primary hand to help me up. I took it on instinct. His massive fingers closed around my hand, swallowing it whole. With the slightest squeeze, he could easily squish it into a pulp. But the infinite care with which he held it instantly put me at ease. His palm was as rough and calloused as his touch was gentle.

Veterinarian though he was, his hands revealed they'd been well used, likely in combat and wielding deadly weapons. I peered at the back of the shuttle, both relieved to find my belongings there and mortified by their meager amount.

But as soon as the shuttle took off, all such petty thoughts vanished. The unencumbered view that the large windshield gave me of my new homeworld mesmerized me. Despite belonging to a highly advanced species, the Zamorians' planet could easily fool you into thinking it was still a developing world. It had extensive amounts of untamed wilderness, immense bodies of the clearest water, majestic mountains, and endless forests. The only marks of civilization were the gigantic compounds that served as a city for the different clans.

Krogal took the time to point out a few landmarks to me on our way home, some of which I recognized from having read or heard about them.

From my studies, while preparing for my arrival here, each clan had its own fortified city. And within that city, the various bloodlines possessed their own fortresses, which acted almost like a massive apartment complex with its own gathering hall where the multiple families of that bloodline each had their individual dwelling.

I had mixed feelings about that. Having so many relatives as your neighbors could be fairly invasive at times. But in the same token, it also guaranteed an amazing support system within reach.

As we began our descent towards the city, my eyes flicked this way and that, greedily taking in our surroundings. Beyond the fact that the entire place was drowning in an excess of brown, from the exposed dark wood and dark metal beams to the brown stones and bricks of the buildings, it was the architecture itself that kept me fascinated. I wouldn't quite call it industrial style, but everything had clean, sharp lines, and the streets were wide and perfectly perpendicular to each other, making it easy to know which direction you were headed. I'd visited my fair share of cities with circular or winding roads. When you thought you were heading south, you ended up realizing you'd been going east instead because it curved and swerved so many times.

For all that, plenty of greenery, gardens, parks, and fountains kept the place feeling warm and inviting rather than cold and sterile.

To my shock, instead of heading for a ship hangar, Krogal flew us directly towards a huge balcony on the upper levels of what appeared to be the main fortress within the compound. It shouldn't have surprised me. After all, Krogal was the nephew of this clan's Matriarch.

He skillfully set the shuttle down on the far-left corner of the terrace. The wimpy part of me rejoiced at not having to confront his clanmates and family just yet. But my paranoid half wondered if he was deliberately hiding me. I gave me no reason to think so. From the way he looked at me, Krogal seemed quite pleased with my appearance.

Him hurrying around the shuttle to help me down put an end to my ridiculous musings. The beak-like back of the shuttle opened up like the trunk of a car, giving us access to my bags. Before I could reach for one of them, Krogal grabbed them all, two in each of his primary hands, and one in his secondary ones. Looking at him, you'd think they weighed no more than a cloud.

"Okay, all those arms are seriously practical. You can color me impressed," I said sincerely.

He puffed out his chest, the slight coloring of his pointy elf ears betraying his embarrassment and pleasure at the compliment. That the males all had the sides of their heads shaved, only made his ears stand out more. He was truly adorable. I caught myself smiling, surprised by my sudden urge to give him a hug.

I'd always been the cuddling type. When Kayog described Krogal as being the same, it piqued my interest. Liam had been many things, but a snuggle bunny never featured on that list. He loved flaunting me like a trophy but never wanted to share those simple moments of tenderness that defined a true couple for me.

"It's extremely practical, especially when cooking or caring for pets," Krogal said enthusiastically, oblivious to my inner turmoil. "Some animals wiggle so much when you try to feed, bathe, or administer medicine to them that with only two hands it would be impossible."

"I can only imagine," I said with a chuckle.

As Krogal led the way inside the huge apartment through the floor to ceiling patio doors, I stole a few discreet glances at him. This man was crazy intimidating. But the thought of being cocooned in the gentle embrace of those massive arms of his had my stomach instantly fluttering.

Yeah, I can see myself snuggling with him.

Like with the city outside, browns and dark grays dominated inside the apartment. However, the off-white walls and immense windows all around kept the place from feeling gloomy or suffocating. In the upcoming weeks, I hoped he would allow me to add a touch of color here and there. Aside from that, I really loved the decor. It had just the right level of casual chic that screamed luxury, but that you could actually also indulge in. In the stuck-up circles Liam had evolved in, I'd far too often found myself sitting at the edge of a couch, not daring to get too comfortable or to touch anything because it looked like it belonged in a museum far more than inside someone's living room.

He gave me a quick tour as we headed for the room he reserved for me. The place was gigantic. It easily measured four or five thousand square feet. The living room possessed three distinct sections including the seating area with a giant vidscreen, a reading and music corner, and a play area perfect for board or card games while sipping on some fancy drinks from the mini bar right next to the extensible round table.

We walked past a huge office, which he claimed to very rarely use, and two guest rooms—which he hoped would one day be occupied by our children—before reaching my bedroom. There again, my jaw dropped. In major cities on Earth, that room alone would be deemed a fancy studio apartment.

Despite also featuring a dominance of brown, the colors were a lot softer. Like the living room, my bedroom possessed its own balcony, although significantly smaller than the one we landed on. Aside from the humongous bed, which barely used a fifth of the space, it had its own little seating area, a work desk, a breakfast table by the floor to ceiling windows looking out onto the terrace, a ridiculous walk-in closet large enough to serve as a coat check in a club, and its own hygiene room, complete with a standalone Roman shower and sunken jacuzzi tub that could accommodate three or four adults.

I turned back to gape at Krogal in disbelief after taking in the space. The nervous look on his face once more messed with my head. Did he truly think I could find anything to complain about regarding this room?

"This is amazing!" I whispered with awe.

My chest filled with warmth seeing the way his shoulders relaxed and the biggest smile settled on his face. He reminded me of a kid who just received the present he'd been dreaming of on Christmas.

"I'm glad you like it, Farah," he said, a smile in his voice. "If there's anything missing, or should you wish to make any changes—from the colors to the furniture—you only have to say the word."

"It's perfect," I reassured him.

He beamed at me and brought my bags inside the walk-in closet. When he came back out, he pointed at the mechanism I hadn't previously noticed on the door.

"This door is made of reinforced steel, is fireproof, and can only be locked from the inside. Do not hesitate to use it," he said in a gentle tone.

"Oh, I'm sure that won't be necessary," I said, my cheeks heating.

"It won't be," he concurred with confidence. "But it is there for you. Nothing matters more to me than you feeling safe. If you get the urge to use it, don't hesitate. It won't offend me. I cannot begin to imagine how stressful it must be for you to uproot yourself and come settle here on a foreign planet and with a complete stranger. Whatever you need to make things easier for you to adapt to your new home, just ask, and it will be yours."

"You're really sweet," I breathed out, my chest warming up some more for my behemoth.

He scrunched his face in that adorable way I was starting to believe expressed embarrassment for him, and he ran a hand over his braid.

"Thanks," he grumbled, the tips of his cute elven ears darkening again. "But try not to call me that in front of my clanmates."

I immediately burst out laughing. From all accounts, Zamorian males loved to boast about their virility, fierceness, and toughness. Being labeled sweet, cute, or any other fluffy title would definitely not sit well with them.

"Sorry," I said with mischief. "I promise to try not to do it."

He grinned with a happiness laced with what I could only interpret as pride and possessiveness. Not only did it not freak me out, it made me smile further. I didn't know how he was pulling it off, but Krogal was genuinely putting me at ease.

"Come on, let me quickly finish giving you the—"

I yelped in surprise when a chiming sound resonated through the apartment, interrupting him.

"It's okay, Farah," he said in a reassuring tone. "It must be our Matriarch. I expected her but thought we would have time to finish the tour. Come, all is well. She's here to make your status official among our clan."

Feeling stupid for being so jumpy, I followed him as he headed for a pair of large, ornate wooden doors on the left side of the living area. He opened them, revealing an antechamber to another set of heavy doors with a locking mechanism, identifying them as the front entrance.

Krogal opened the right door behind which stood a stunning Zamorian female who could have given Amazonian women a run for their money. At least 6'4, slender but with that firm and toned body of a triathlete, she had golden-yellow eyes, long midnight-blue hair loosely cascading down to her lower back, and a beautiful face that even the strangeness of her four eyes couldn't distract from. There was something noble and regal in the way she carried herself—fitting for the clan's Matriarch.

It baffled me that she came to us instead of us going to her in her throne room or whatever chamber she ruled from. It surprised me even more to see the warm way in which she greeted both Krogal and me. Despite having no reason for it, I expected her to have a snobbish or superior demeanor when addressing us.

"Matriarch, please come in," Krogal said in a voice that I could only qualify as affectionate. "And thank you for coming so promptly."

Then again, considering she was his aunt, it made sense.

"Don't mention it," she said in a friendly tone, although her eyes remained glued to me.

I smiled timidly and took a few steps back inside the living room to let her in, not like there wasn't plenty of space with both inner doors wide open.

"So this is your human soulmate," she said in a warm tone.

The sliver of approval in her eyes took me aback. Again, for an irrational reason, I expected his people to find me lacking or a disappointing choice for him.

"She is," Krogal said with a possessive pride that had my stomach fluttering. "Matriarch, please meet Farah Toussaint. Farah, please meet our Matriarch—and my beloved aunt—Feidinsaya Skortheatis."

"Hello, Matriarch," I said in a polite voice, laced with shyness. "It's an honor to meet you."

"I'm the one delighted to meet you, my dear," she said in an almost maternal fashion. "And you can simply call me Feidin. It looks like Kayog has once again outdone himself. Such a pretty and delicate little thing. You are stunning, child. Expect a lot of grumbling, my poor Krogal."

He burst out laughing even as he smugly squared his shoulders in response to the deluge of compliments the Matriarch was showering me with.

"Grumbling?" I echoed both with curiosity and to hide my embarrassment at so many kind words.

"Other males will want to challenge me for you," Krogal said with a slightly annoyed expression.

"Excuse me?!" I exclaimed, worried.

"It is common practice for our males to try to prove to a desirable female that he would make a better partner for her than whoever is currently courting her or engaged to her," Feidin explained.

"Try to prove it how?" I asked, baffled.

"By terrifying her, of course," she deadpanned.

"WHAT?!"

It was her turn to burst out laughing. Krogal gave her a playfully chastising look before turning back to me.

"My cousin's wife, Belle, was not amused when we challenged Bayron for her. She thought we wanted to kill her, which obviously couldn't have been farther from the truth," he said with a wistful smile. "Human women are quite small and fragile compared to our females. It stirs our protective instincts."

"It does," Feidin concurred. "Even I feel a strong urge to protect you, just like with Belle when my son brought her to me."

"I'm sorry but terrifying her seems to contradict that urge, no?" I countered, failing to see the logic in their approach.

Krogal gave me an indulgent smile. "Because here, the more terrifying a male is, the better a protector this makes him. But fear not, Belle sternly warned us against doing that to you."

"And Krogal promised major pain to anyone who traumatizes you that way," Feidin added with a mischievous glimmer in her golden eyes.

I made no effort to hide my relief. "Thanks for that," I told Krogal with genuine gratitude. "Fear and I don't mix too well."

"It is my pleasure and my duty to see to your welfare in all the ways that matter," he said, smugly.

Once again, he looked so cute I wanted to hug him.

"You've got yourself a wonderful male," Feidin said, her face suddenly taking on a serious expression. "I prayed to the gods that Krogal would find himself a good female. Too few can fully appreciate the greatness of his hearts, which are both gentle and fearless."

The powerful emotion that settled on Krogal's face turned me upside down. The love in his eyes as he gazed upon his Matriarch was akin to that of a son for his mother. With a certainty I couldn't explain, I felt at a visceral level that something much deeper had prompted this reaction. In time, I hoped to find out what it was.

She extended a hand towards him. To my surprise, Krogal took his braid and placed it in her open palm. She looked at him with that same motherly affection as she ran her hand over the length of his braid then slowly unplaited it. Once done, she combed her fingers through the shiny obsidian strands.

"Krogal Skortheatis, I did not give you birth, but as your aunt and Matriarch, I love you like the son of my own body. I took you into my house when you left yours. And today, I release you."

Feidin then turned to me. Just like she had done with him, she extended one of her free hands towards me. I hesitated, wondering if she was expecting me to also give her one or both of the long braids I had plaited my hair into. But before I could fully process these thoughts, I instinctively took her hand. To my utter relief, it appeared to be the right choice.

It was a good thing, too, because my own braids were nowhere near as long as Krogal's.

To my shock, she placed Krogal's now loose hair in my open hand. I instinctively took it, my mind vaguely registering how soft it felt against my skin.

"Farah Toussaint, I give you my nephew," Feidin said, releasing his hair. "From this day forth, no female but you shall touch his braid or have any claim over him. Plait it while repeating after me."

I gave her a stiff nod, licked my lips nervously, and proceeded to plait his long hair into a single braid. I couldn't look at Krogal. The powerful emotion on his face—mostly pure happiness—was messing with my head.

"Krogalsenyiek Skortheatis, I bind you to me, hearts, body, and soul," the Matriarch said.

I repeated her words, patting myself on the back for having practiced saying his full name before arriving here.

"I bind you as my protector and as the protector of our home and of any offspring we may be blessed with," Feidin continued, which I once more repeated. "I bind you as my life mate, as my best friend, and as my lover. For as long as you draw breath, you are mine. And for as long as I draw breath, I pledge to love and honor you, to nurture our bond, and to be your safe haven."

As I finished braiding his hair moments before repeating the last two sentences, I caught myself looking up at Krogal. Something no words could describe passed between us, and I drowned in the inky depths of his eyes.

I couldn't tell if seconds or minutes had ticked by, but Feidin's soft hand on my shoulder snapped me back to reality. For the briefest instant, I feared I had missed more words of the pledge I should have repeated. Thankfully, Feidin merely looked at both of us with sincere happiness.

"Take good care of each other," she said in a maternal fashion. "This is only half of the bond. The day you are ready to permanently bind your faith to ours, Farah, we will complete the bond with a proper wedding ceremony. For the time being, welcome to your new home. This clan, this entire city is your family now. Whatever you need, just ask."

"Thank you, Feidin," I said, my throat constricted with emotion.

"Yes, thank you," Krogal echoed.

She smiled, caressed Krogal's right cheek, and pressed an unexpected kiss on my forehead before turning on her heel and leaving our apartment. In that instant, whatever lingering doubts I had about listening to Kayog faded.

I was home.