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“Sure. How can I help you?”

The female shifted her weight subtly on her feet, her vibrissae flattening a bit with unmistakable unease.

“I am Malraha’monushava’fagri. I understand that Veral informed you of my behavior, but I wished to speak to you personally since I understand that I have been dismissed.”

The smile fell from Terri’s lips, and she straightened in her chair, immediately on-guard.

“About what, exactly? Veral asked my feelings on the matter. They’re unlikely to change any.”

Malraha’s vibrissae twisted around her shoulders as her lips thinned.

“I do not fault you for your decision or expect you to reverse it. The boundaries involving mated males and females are clear in our society, and it was my own miscalculations that made me presume that it would be a different sort of bond formed with an offworlder. I did great insult to both you and Veral’skahalur and I wish to express my regret for that and to explain my actions so that you will have no further concerns.”

Terri glanced over at Dreth and raised her eyebrows. Was this female for real? He gave a brief nod of his head though he looked over at Malraha with disapproval. Terri sighed. It was bold, but she couldn’t say that the move wasn’t effective.

“All right. Let’s hear it,” she said at length and gestured to the chair across from her. “Have a seat.”

“Do not in any fashion distress Terri,” Dreth rumbled from her side, the rebuke clear in his voice.

Malraha gave a short bob of her head and sat on the bench at the opposite side of the small table.

“First, I would like to formally request that I be permitted into your personal guard. Veral put a call out to interview those interested, and I came directly to you to make my case.”

“Very bold of you,” Terri said slowly. “But I’m sure you’re aware that if I don’t trust you in my mate’s company, then I can hardly trust you at all. That wouldn’t be very helpful for someone charged with keeping me safe.”

“This has occurred to me,” Malraha agreed. “And this is why I must explain my actions. I do not like that I have shamed myself, nor that I have reduced my standing so much among my mother-kin.”

“Okay, I’m listening.”

The female chuffed, staring off into the garden.

“I do not desire Veral. Not truly. But my proposal seemed like a logical move from my standpoint. He is a strong male of significant distance from me in blood and I admire the way that he has been handling his many responsibilities for our household. It was not an honorable request, and I would have been scorned by all our line if he had agreed.”

She fell silent for a moment, her face expressionless except for a betraying tension around her eyes. “I am not a female of great standing or any importance. I was birthed in the northern territory household, and although I was reared in the facilities in the great cities of Argurumal’s Black Stone Division, when I arrived to finish my final adjustments with my mother, it was to the realization that I have little to offer to attract a mate. I have little for any offspring to inherit outside of space in a minor wing of a minor household. I took a place in the greater household here and received two offers to attempt a mating bond. Both failed.”

Her lips quirked in the barest hint of a smile. “That would have dismayed me too much. Navesha has failed four matching attempts to my understanding but still gets offers every revolution. I do not. I have offered to take the hormone, but the males will not agree to a hormonal bond with a female of low standing. They would rather wait to develop a true bond. Now that there are no more offers, it did not seem a great risk to offer myself to Veral. He would require no hormone, and I could find a place to belong and perhaps breed and bear offspring. It has happened before in the few instances where a male has survived the death of his mate to take another, though statistically rare. But now I understand that the mating is fully in place between you, I have no interest in pursuing him.”

“And what would stop you from just murdering me and taking him then?” Terri asked bluntly. “You owe me no loyalty.”

Malraha shook her head, her lips curving into a smile.

“Even if I desired that outcome, your mate would reject me. There is no profit in your demise, and I will not disgrace myself further in this matter. I do not owe you loyalty, but I am responsible for my position within the household and for my actions.”

“Okay,” Terri said slowly. “I can appreciate that. Still, it doesn’t explain why you’re interested in beingmyguard.”

The other female’s face hardened as she straightened further in the chair demonstrating every inch of the imposing warrior that Terri knew she had to be to have been assigned to Veral’s guard.

“Because I am a warrior. I may not have as many modifications as many of my kin here since I am birthed from one of the minor households, but I compensated with training hard and applying myself to be the equal of any warrior here. Guarding you will restore my honor to a degree among my kin and to myself and give me a purpose that is greater than patrolling the compound.”

“I see,” Terri murmured with appreciation. “You do realize that guarding me won’t exactly be exciting.” She gestured to Dreth. “This about sums up what you’ll spend a lot of time doing. Are you sure you’d rather do this?”

“Yes,” Malraha replied instantly, without wavering.

Terri’s lips pinched together as she considered. She still wasn’t happy with the female’s attempt to poach her mate, but she had to admit that she liked Malraha’s force of personality. Yes, she had made a grievous misjudgment, but she clearly had the integrity to admit when she was wrong, in addition to possessing physical strength and skill.

“Accept her already. You know you are going to do it, so you might as well embrace it now,” Azan said cheerfully as the she emerged at a leisurely stroll, with a human woman on her arm, from behind a bush thick with fragrant flowers.

That the Blaithari managed to find her was both unexpected and unsurprising. There were numerous little paths and intimate clearings throughout the large courtyard, enough so that Terri rarely saw anyone in the small clearing nearest to the private rooms she shared with Veral. Even with that taken into consideration, she knew that Azan was particularly gifted with finding a way of being informed about everything. There was no reason that would be less true now than it was on the pirate ship. Because she knew that, she also knew she wouldn’t escape without the female’s opinion. Letting out a sigh, she leaned back in her chair, she regarded Malraha.


Tags: S.J. Sanders Argurma Salvager Science Fiction