“Indeed. I should go at once.” Rarev kept his face impassive, trying not to betray the eagerness he felt to see the gorgeous mature Elite again.
“Oh? You intend to go yourself rather than sending a messenger?”
Sylvan raised his eyebrows. It was odd to see the two furry appendages on his otherwise smooth face, Rarev thought. Though he found the smooth, nearly hairless skin of the humanoid females of this ‘verse extremely enticing, it just looked odd on the males. They must feel naked all the time, despite the layers of clothing they wore.
“It’s important information—I think Minister Oxley deserves to hear it from one of us personally,” he said. “And since the Monstrum are in her debt for helping to get us the right to call brides from Earth, I am the logical choice to go and speak to her.”
“I see.” Commander Sylvan nodded thoughtfully. “You know she’s unmated, right? My understanding is that her first mate left her for another female.”
“What?” Rarev frowned in confusion. “He left her? How?”
“You know that humans are unable to form soul-bonds like we Kindred do, correct?” Sylvan raised his eyebrows again.
Rarev nodded.
“Yes, but I didn’t think they could just leave their mates on a whim.”
“Well, they can.” Sylvan shook his head. “Unfortunately, it is often the male who does the leaving when he finds a mate he thinks is better suited to him. Often a human male will leave his mate for a younger female.”
Rarev shook his head.
“I don’t understand—he leaves just when his female has become mature and hit the peak season of her desirability?” Many of the Monstrum Kindred were especially attracted to older females—those who had reached their Second Mating Season—because of the ways their bodies reacted to the pheromones in a Monstrum’s Bonding Scent.
“I know—it makes no sense.” Sylvan shrugged. “But it happens all the time. And I believe something like that is what happened to Minister Oxley.”
“Then her former mate was a fool,” Rarev stated.
“Undoubtedly,” Sylvan said dryly. “But if I were you, I wouldn’t mention him unless she brings him up first. Human women often feel wounded by such betrayals—and who can blame them? Is there anything worse than a faithless mate?”
Rarev shook his head. He certainly couldn’t think of anything worse.
“Well…” He rose to go, offering his arm for a warrior’s clasp. “I’d better go speak to her and then get back to the Monstrum Mother Ship to talk to Captain Storn and his new bride about visiting Rigellen Five.”
“May the Goddess grant you success,” Sylvan said, reaching for Rarev’s arm and grasping his forearm as Rarev grasped his. “I hope that Minister Oxley will have some good suggestions on how to apprise the World Council of our current situation.”
“I am sure she will,” Rarev nodded and then saw himself out of the other male’s office.
As he walked down the long silver corridor, his boot heels clicking on the metal flooring, he considered what he would say when he saw the lovely Earth female.
It was going to be a formal visit, he reminded himself. A state visit. There would be no reason to discuss anything besides the Darklings, the shortage of Yillium, and their attempts to procure the valuable mineral so they could continue protecting the Earth. It probably wouldn’t take him more than ten minutes to convey that information and then he would go back to the Monstrum Mother Ship.
And yet…he couldn’t stop thinking of her lush curves or that long, luscious silver mane that she wore in a severe twist at the back of her neck. Rarev wondered what it would look like, down around her shoulders? Especially if her shoulders were bare. The nearly hairless look of the humanoids in this ‘verse was incredibly erotic when it came to the females and Minister Emilia Oxley was the most attractive female he had ever seen…
No, stop it—stop thinking like that! he lectured himself sharply. This is a business meeting—nothing more. She’ll never see you as anything but a colleague and you will never treat her with anything but professional respect. Remember your vow! You’re never going to call a bride—let alone a curvy, mature Elite like Minister Oxley.
He had no idea how very wrong he was…
The End?
Well, obviously not.