Chapter 10

Rane

Sh-h-hk.

The sharp scissors cut easily through Sandy’s hair.

His heart was in his throat. Pounding with excitement. The strands, so small compared to his feathers, were like silk in his hands. Cutting through them seemed wrong – he couldn’t imagine cutting through his feathers. But it was what she wanted.

He had his combot open beside them in the privy – she said it was best to do it there since it was easier to clean the cut hair. It had taken a while to successfully connect to the Earth subnet through communication relays. Sandy took over then, since he couldn’t read human, and she found him a guide detailing how to do a haircut at home. No video, because the connection to Earth’s subnet wasn’t that great. All they had were words and pictured that she talked him through.

He was nervous, because he was worried about getting it wrong. She assured him that it was fine if he did, that her hair would grow back, but she was still trusting him with this. He wanted to make sure he did it right.

They had left the party together. Orza and Kirs hadn’t even dragged them to the hover. Since his mother was trying to force them to mate, they weren’t going to interfere if they were bonding. They locked them into their wing of the manor but left them alone even when Rane had a pair of scissors delivered to them through the dumbwaiter system. He also took that time to send a message to Drevor – one of the few people his combot allowed him to contact – and told him about Sandy’s lack of food.

He didn’t know if he had responded, however, as he was now acutely focused. Sandy was perched on a chair they’d dragged in from the bedroom while he made absolutely sure that her hair was perfectly level.

He wasn’t sure how well he did. He wasn’t using hair specific scissors, and he didn’t have little ties to separate her hair like the pictures suggested, but he did his best.

And Sandy just sat there, trying to remain still. She was breathing quickly, but whenever he took a glance at her face, she was smiling. Her expression wild, like she was standing on the precipice of a huge drop, considering jumping.

Rane didn’t know why she trusted him this much. This was clearly something important to her, and probably something preferably done by a professional, but she smiled as he cut through the long, brown strands and let the discarded ones fall to the floor.

Rane kneeled, getting on eye level with her hair, following the instructions and pictures to measure the strands of hair on either side of her head against each other. He found a few strands that were just a bit longer than the others. He cut them carefully, methodically.

He was so focused on what he was doing, so locked in on getting it perfect, that he didn’t actually see her until he took a step back to inspect his work. And then he just stared.

Her hair had been down to her waist before. Now, it ended at her chin. The gentle wave to the strands, without the weight to pull it down, was deeper, more dramatic, and gave it more volume. Her little cheeks were such a vibrant pink, like she had just gone for a run.

The extra fluffiness of her hair seemed to change her entire face. It suited her better, the shorter strands framing her jaw like a lovely border. And maybe it was just the thrill of doing something she considered dramatic, but her pretty green eyes were sparkling.

“Well?” She asked, breathless, reaching up but stopping just short of touching it. “Does it look okay?”

Before he had a chance to answer, she jumped to her feet and rushed to the mirror. It was large, from floor to ceiling, allowing her to get a full view of herself all at once.

She gasped, then laughed, as she grabbed for the shortened strands.

“Oh, my gosh! Look at it!” She cried in delight. She shook her head, for seemingly no purpose other than to feel her hair fly around her head. “It’s so light! It’s so fluffy!”

Rane set the scissors down onto the counter as he stepped up to her from behind. She gave him a smile in the mirror.

“Is it okay?” He asked, cautious. Concerned.

“I love it!” She declared, twisting around excitedly. “Is it pretty?!”

“It’s beautiful,” he breathed, entranced.

He liked her long hair too, of course. That was beautiful in its own way, and if she had preferred it that way, he’d have no complaints. But what really made this style beautiful was the bright smile on her face, the joy in her eyes as she played with the newly shortened strands.

She had been so nervous, but now that it was done, she was luxuriating in the new, shortened feel, turning her head this way and that to get a look at herself from all angles, and just giggling as she touched the blunted ends.

Rane didn’t seem to have any control of his own limbs as he stepped forward. Closing the last of the distance between them. He took hold of her, sliding his arms in from behind. Pulling her against his chest.

It was even better than before.

When he’d clung to her last time, weeping against her belly like a youngling seeking comfort from their mother, there hadn’t been anything sexual about it.

That wasn’t at all true now.

He wanted this female with a yearning that shocked him. It was like no desire he’d ever felt before, because he didn’t just appreciate her body. It was her strength, her warmth, the compassion and delight that existed within her that seemed so completely foreign to him.

She stared at them in the mirror, surprised, pretty pink lips parting as one of his hands cupped her belly and the other reached up to the side of her breast. Threatening to hold it, feeling its weight pressing against his palm and shuddering with desire.

Telfay females didn’t have breasts like humans did. The similar bump on their chests was mostly the fluff of their feathers. They had two nipples, as he could see Sandy possessed, the tight buds pressing against her shirt. But where she had two distinct breasts, telfay females had only a slight swelling across their chest, forming one large breast. But it was meant for warmth, a place for their young to rest against, not as a means to feed them as they ate soft foods from birth.

Rane was fiercely glad for that. His female had two breasts, heavy and luscious, and he didn’t want to share them with their young. It was unreasonable, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He wanted to claim all of her only for himself.

Not that he would mate her. He would not breed her. He could not.

But he could fantasize about it.

He could hold onto her as her eyes half closed and she leaned back against him, covering his hands with her own. Softening against him so sweetly.

Yes, just as it should be.

His crest was up. His hands moving slowly over her body. Exploring her curves. A tentative caress as he watched her face in the mirror, studying her reactions and engraving them in his heart. He didn’t want to miss a single breath, a single twitch, a single gasp.

“Rane,” she whispered, her head dropping back, catching his eyes outside the mirror.

He didn’t think. He didn’t hesitate. He took hold of her neck and pushed her back just a bit more, opening her mouth to his seeking, hungry kiss.

She made a sweet sound, deep in her throat, that made tiny tingles of electricity burst all over his skin as he squeezed her close.

The sweetest taste. The purest drug. A comfort and a thrill all at once.

The softness of her lips, moving against his, seemed to make everything drift away, even the passing of time. He got lost in her, and when they finally broke apart, it was with great reluctance on his part. But it was worth it to look at her again.

She was panting, her lips puffy from the force of his kiss. Eyes half lidded and foggy, cheeks red, chest heaving.

Absolutely perfect.

Rane stroked her newly cut hair back from her face as she leaned her head against his shoulder. Melted so sweetly against him. Her strength replaced with a softness that he treasured as one of his fingers stroked across her bottom lip, his claw cap touching her upper lip.

She turned, kissing his palm, and he found himself smiling.

“Thanks for cutting my hair,” she said, sliding her fingers up and lacing them through his.

“Anytime,” he promised, still struck by the very sight of her.

It was only with great reluctance that he let her go when she stood straight. She looked down at their conjoined hands, eyeing his claw caps.

“I’ve seen these around a lot,” she said, touching one curiously.

“Our claws are naturally very sharp,” he explained. “Takes a lot to dull them. It’s easier, more fashionable, to just wear the caps.”

“And your, er, aversion to shirts,” she grinned at his bare chest, that he immediately puffed out for her. An action she didn’t miss, giggling as she traced a single finger down the middle of his pecs, leaving a trail of fire in her wake.

“Males like to show off,” he said simply, for that was really the only answer.

It made her laugh. “Seems to be a universal constant.”

“Does it bother you?”

She shook her head. “I don’t mind.”

The appreciation in her gaze as she admired his form made him think she liked it a little more than that, but he dared not push any further.

He couldn’t forget that this was what his mother wanted.

The reminder made his stomach sink as he very deliberately took a step back. Sandy watched him go, curiosity rather than hurt crossing her face.

Some of what he had been thinking must have shown, because she didn’t have any trouble guessing where his thoughts had just gone. But she didn’t seem upset. Just curious, her head cocking to the side as she watched him.

“Why does your mother want you mated?”

“It’s just another avenue of control.”

Sandy chuckled once. “She can’t control me.”

“I meant for me,” he corrected sadly. “And she can control you.”

Sandy’s brow cocked up. A silent expression of disbelief.

“You remember the tribunal that Drevor mentioned?”

“Vaguely.”

“It’s a mandatory transition to adulthood for my people. For the telfay, it’s not enough to merely attain adulthood through age, you have to prove your capability to handle responsibility. You have to be granted legal adulthood.”

“Okay,” she said in a way that wasn’t just a statement but bordered on being a question.

“It’s usually easy to pass. The majority of people do. But not everyone. If it can be proven that you aren’t capable of taking care of yourself on your own, your nearest relative is granted adult guardianship over you.”

Sandy made a face. “Who? You? Because we aren’t mated yet.”

“No. Not me. My… mother,” he admitted unhappily.

“We aren’t mated yet,” she said again. “And I’m a legal adult by human standards. I don’t need a tribunal to grant me that.”

“You do on Levtiram. And that is true whether you are natural born or an immigrant,” he said even as she opened her mouth to protest again.

She frowned thoughtfully for a moment before shrugging her shoulders again. “Aw, well. Cross that bridge when we get to it, I suppose.”

Rane frowned. He wished he could share her flippant attitude, but he didn’t think she appreciated just how difficult their position truly was.

***

Woosh!

Tarou’s fist barely missed slamming into Rane’s face.

Rane grabbed his wrist, used his momentum to swing around, planted his foot in his back, then used him to kick off, hand reaching out. Louve saw his opening and threw the ball. Rane caught it, curled around it in the air, twisted, then shot off towards the goal at the top of the court, the three beaters on his tail, Louve and Arus defending his run.

They were fast, but he was better. He tracked, without looking, the sound of their boots and gauntlets telling him where they must be. How fast they were closing in on him. The speed settings on the devices were limited by gameplay rules, but individual skill determined how fast you actually traveled through a combination of movement and planning.

He listened. Eyes trained on the goal. Senses pricked.

He knew the exact moment Cole caught up to him and he twisted in the air again. The corkscrew move was a trademark of his and required perfect timing and dexterity, but when pulled off correctly, it was flawless and awesome to watch. He dropped and twisted, evading Cole’s arm reaching for his ankle. He grabbed his arm, pushed him down, flipped over, put his feet on his back, and jumped off.

Cole grunted as he was thrown down, skin burned from the hover tech on the boots, but not hurt too badly. The move separated them and gave Rane enough of a boost to rush through the air, closing the distance, until he was close enough to throw-

DING!

The ball sailed up through the goal, which lit up indicating the successful passing. Rane threw up his fist, laughing at the success. The thrill of a perfect run, a perfect goal, rushing through him as he did a brief victory flip.

He came out of it grinning, looking down to see his team all gathered below, staring up at him with widened, surprised eyes.

He came up short, blinking back at them.

“What?” He asked, crest starting to fall.

“Nothing,” Sal said quickly. “Good shot. Let’s line up again.”

He grunted in agreement, turning and following them back down to the starting positions.

The rest of practice went just as well. They did a few more plays, worked some strategy, then set a meeting to go over vids of the next team they were facing. It was going to be an away game, which meant traveling to their stadium which would have different terrains and hazards. Trikball was not a forgiving game, and not preparing for what you were going to be playing in could easily get you hurt and lose you the game.

Afterwards, they went back to the locker room to shower and change.

Rane went through the motions of it, mind completely somewhere else. He knew he should be thinking about the next team and their stadium and how he needed to adjust his technique and plans to win, but he just couldn’t.

Because all he could think about was Sandy.

That bright smile, the delight sparkling in her eyes as she played with her soft, fluffy hair, the warmth of her lips moving against his while he held her close.

It was just… temporary. Only until he could get her to the embassy so he could send her away from his mother and back to safety.

But if he clung to what little happiness and comfort she could give him in the meantime, there was no harm in that, right?

He showered and grabbed his towel, slinging it around his waist. When he stepped out, he was once again confronted, this time by Sal alone.

“Hey,” he grunted, arms crossed, leaning against the wall, fully dressed.

“Is there a problem?” Rane asked, cautious, ready to be lectured again.

“No problem. You played good today.”

“Oh. Okay. Er, thanks.”

“You played like you used to. I haven’t seen you pull that move in… years.”

“Hm? You mean, my move? I do it all the time.”

“No. You don’t. You stopped a couple years ago. When you started failing at it. You just kind of stopped even trying.”

“Oh. I… guess I didn’t realize,” he admitted, thinking back. Had it really been that long?

“I’m not trying to make you feel bad,” Sal said quickly, standing straight, dropping his arms. “I’m glad. I haven’t seen you play like that in so long, I kind of forgot… or maybe I just didn’t notice…”

“Didn’t notice what?”

Sal shook his head, as if he was trying to clear away a thought. “Nothing. So, I guess that means things are going well with you and your mate?”

Rane frowned.

Sandy had yet to be announced. In fact, as far as he could tell, his mother was taking steps to make sure that her presence, and the reason she was here, was kept secret. If anyone knew a human was hanging around him, it wouldn’t be hard to guess why. Humans were famous in Coalition space for being capable of breeding with other species, but also for not being full members of the Coalition. There were exceptions, as far as he knew, but if you saw a human, it was a good bet that they were there because they had been mated.

Elffa kept Sandy locked up, out of sight, and had released no announcement about her. Bringing her to the game had been done without his, or anyone’s knowledge, and the afterparty had been amongst other celebrities and VIPs that knew better than to post anything without permission. And Orza and Kirs, for as skilled as they were at dragging him in front of combots and cameras, were equally as proficient at keeping her out of them.

Sal, however, was the exception.

He was, likely, the only reason Sandy was here. Elffa had been forced to placate him to keep Rane on the team. Since Rane and Sal founded the team together, they shared control over it. Control that Elffa had taken from Rane a long time ago. However, Sal maintained his, and he could, if he wanted, remove Rane from the team. Elffa had to tell him about Sandy to keep him patient, promising it would bring Rane under control.

Sal was also a professional though. He would never leak the information that Rane was mated. Which was probably why he was here now, separate from the rest of the team. He wanted to speak to him about it out of their earshot. They weren’t likely to tell anyone who Sandy was, but they didn’t need to know that she was there mostly to keep Rane in check.

“What’s wrong?” Sal asked when Rane averted his gaze.

“It’s nothing.”

“Rane, talk to me.”

“I’m fine.”

He tried to turn, to leave his captain behind, but he didn’t get more than a few steps before Sal was there, jogging to block off his path of escape. Facing him with a frown.

“Rane, please, this isn’t like you.”

“Sal-”

“I didn’t realize it before today. And that’s my fault,” he admitted, something flashing in his gaze that made Rane take a step back, a strange twinge in his chest making him uncomfortable. “Seeing you out there, it was like I was looking at you from years ago. Back when you used to play like you love it and smile like you meant it.”

“Sal, stop.”

“I didn’t realize how bad things had gotten.” Sal shook his head quickly, expression pained. “No, that’s not true. I know how bad it was. But it happened so gradually, I guess I just wasn’t surprised when it kept getting worse. But seeing you like that out there today-”

“Sal, seriously, stop.”

“-it was like having my friend back!” He finished loudly, speaking over him, making that twinge hurt that much more. “Rane, I’m trying to tell you that this is a good thing. I’m glad you’ve mated this female.”

“I have not mated Sandy!”

Sal reared back, surprised. “You haven’t? But your mother said-”

Rane snarled, stepping back towards him. “Forget whatever my mother said! Don’t you believe a word that comes out of her mouth!”

“What?”

“I have not mated Sandy, and I will not mate Sandy.”

“But that’s-”

“I cannot control anything else about my life, but I can control that! You cannot force me!”

“Who would force you?”

“Whoever, I won’t do it!”

Surprise aided Rane as he physically shoved his way past Sal and back into the locker room. His captain was quick to chase after him, but a couple others were still lingering there. With their privacy gone, he didn’t say anything else.

Rane was quick to change and leave, purposefully ignoring Sal. Ignoring the way his chest felt like it was caving under incredible pressure.

He’d never blown up like that at his captain. The last time he’d lost his temper and exploded had been at the tribunal when his final attempt at appealing the refusal to grant him legal adulthood had been denied.

A fit of anger that had sealed his fate in the minds of the tribunal, and in his records. The fact that he was a child, incapable of regulating his emotions. He had been denied the chance for further appeal after that. It was instead written in his file that the only way the tribunal would reconsider his case was if his guardian was willing to appeal for him.

And, of course, Elffa never would. With that one moment of lost control, he’d completely lost any chance at escaping this life, and Elffa had won completely.

Rane learned then to keep his temper in check. A lesson learned too late. And apparently one he hadn’t learned that well since he’d just lost it again.

Why now, of all times? What made him lose it today when nothing his mother had done in the last few years had?

Sandy.

She was the difference.

He had to get her out of here before he made things worse for both of them.