I returned my focus to the gigantic viewing pane and stared at my home world, noticing how defeated it looked. I had seen pictures of the Earth in its heyday on one of the many televised screens that littered the main cities. The oceans were once large, a deep blue, and they all connected. The land mass was just as big, and it was green and rich with life. The Earth that I gazed upon now was none of those things. Only small patches of water remained, but the blue hue was not as vibrant. The land mass was a sickly brown and choked out any green that tried to thrive.
I knew my planet was in grave danger but looking at it first-hand caused realisation to slam into me with a force that pulled a strangled cry from my throat. I hadn’t noticed the talking and movement around me until I cried out, and all of that noise stopped. I covered my mouth with my hands and cried into them as I looked at the Earth. My entire life was on that planet. My father, mother, aunt, uncle, cousins … they were all down on the surface. And I would be leaving them behind. That knowledge hurt just as much as the realisation that every place I had ever visited in my entire was now likely destroyed from disaster and war.
“My home.”
I didn’t flinch when I felt hands on my shoulders, and I found a surprising amount of comfort in them. I turned to the male who rested his hands on me, and I hugged myself against his broad chest. For a moment, I thought the male was Mikoh, but when I inhaled and the scent of rain filled my nostrils, I was shocked to find that my subconscious had noted it belonged to one being.
Kol.
“I’m sorry, shiva,” he murmured and folded his arms around me.
He held me for a few moments then released me when I turned in his arms and leaned my back against his chest as I stared at the Earth once more.
“I knew it was in trouble.” I sniffled. “I knew it had gotten bad, but I never imagined it got to … this.”
Kol remained silent.
“My home is really dying.” I hiccupped. “And there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it.”
He turned my body back to face him, placed his fingers under my chin, and tilted my head up so I was looking at him. His violet eyes were glowing once more, and his expression was softer than I had ever seen it before.
“You’re with your people,” he said. “You’re ensuring the continuation of yourself and every female aboard by being here.”
At that moment, I understood why they were here. It was more than looking for mates to continue their species; it was a last attempt at survival. The Maji were survivalists too, and they were doing everything they could to save their species.
“I’m sorry,” I said, my lower lip wobbling. “I’m so sorry about everything. I’ve been so difficult for you to deal with and horribly childish and ungrateful. You were right. I apologise profusely. Please, forgive me.”
I needed him to forgive me. Not to keep my place on the Ebony but to dull an ache rising in my chest that I was failing him. He stared at me for a long moment then nodded once.
“I accept your apology, and I forgive you.”
My shoulders sagged with relief. “Thank you.”
His vibrant eyes flicked over my face. “I admire you, Nova. I know it wasn’t easy for you to apologise to me, nor for you to accept this change in your life.”
I sniffled. “Echo pointed out how much of a bitch I have been and threatened a time or two to beat me up if I didn’t change my attitude. Since I’m stuck with her and her sister until we get to your home world, I figured I’d better get real nice real fast.”
Kol suddenly chuckled, and I found myself smiling up at him, too.
“She will not harm you,” he said, thumbing away my tears. “Do not fear her.”
“I don’t, but she was right. I have been everything she accused me of, and I want to make it right.”
“How?” Kol asked, his expression turning dark. “Do you wish to seek out a unit member to mate with?”
I felt my cheeks stain with heat, so I looked down at my bare feet
“Mating right away is not my intention, but Vorah did ask me out earlier.”
“Vorah?” Kol repeated. “That young silver-haired tail chaser?”
Tail chaser?
“I guess,” I replied, looking up at him once more.
Kol growled. “He is not a good match for you. He is too young to be searching for an intended. He is only forty years old! He is older than Surkah by ten moon cycles. Ten.”
“What’s a moon cycle?” I asked. “I’ve heard it a lot, but I don’t know what it is.”
Kol blinked. “An Ealrian year is divided into twenty-four moon cycles. A single moon cycle consists of four terms, though some moon cycles have five terms. A single term consists of seven days, a single day consists of twenty-six intervals. Do you understand? We use some terms that are like humans, but not all of them are the same. Sera said you humans would adapt.”
We had no choice but to adapt. A moon cycle was a month, a term was a week and an interval was an hour. Got it.
“You do realise that how you age so slowly is crazy to humans, right?” I quizzed. “I’m only twenty-three and I looked the same age as you but you’re four hundred years old in Earth years.”
“Yes, I understand, but we have a longer lifespan than humans. Vorah is barely out of his minor years though. He just entered malehood two moon cycles ago, he still has growing to do before he becomes a grown male.”
“Well, he wants to see if we’re suitable.”
Sharp intakes of breaths were taken around the room, and I thought something was wrong with the Ebony until I looked around Kol and realised all eyes were on us … or him. I looked at Mikoh when he slowly approached us. I hadn’t realised Kol’s arms went around me, but they did, and they were squeezing me tightly.
“I’ll kill him,” Kol growled, his voice sounding so unlike himself that I wouldn’t have believed it came from his lips had I not been looking at him while he said it. “I’ll rip him apart.”
“Who?” I asked, unsure of what was happening. “Vorah?”
“Yes, Vorah,” Kol snarled and stretched out the ‘rah’ in Vorah’s name.
“What did he do?” I asked, confused and a little frightened. “I don’t understand.”
“He’d dare present himself to you as a mate when I—”
“Easy, my friend,” Mikoh said softly, cutting Kol off. “Vorah is young, and he did not know Nova was … unavailable.”
I’m unavailable?
“Is it because I’ve been difficult?” I frowned. “Am I not mateable or something now?”
I didn’t think I truly wanted to mate with a Maji but being told I wasn’t allowed didn’t seem very fair. I behaved wrongly, like a real bitch, but my emotions fuelled my anger. Being kidnapped by aliens really freaked me out. Surely, I couldn’t have been the only human woman to act out?
“Kol,” Mikoh said firmly, ignoring me completely. “Remember what we said? Offspring steps for the human females so we don’t scare them with their transition to the Maji way.”
Kol growled at Mikoh, but then he looked down at me, and his features softened once more.
“Vorah wants to … share sex with you to see if you desire him as a mate.”