“Good,” K’vyn said. “We have to get the warning to the Moghi Council. Are you sure you can’t interpret mogha?”
“You know I can’t,” the hologram said. “Only an alpha can understand a mogha and each bond has a different connection. That’s why it’s impossible to interpret.”
Dani didn’t even think of that. If no one could understand the mogha and vice versa, how were they going to warn them?
Gaze shifting to C’hase, K’vyn studied the mogha with knitted brow. He abruptly looked at Dani. “We need an interpreter, but if they see a human—”
“And C’hase is so young,” she added.
How did she ever think she could warn Mogha by herself with a puppy too young to comprehend the horrors of war? Without an attention span to sit through a conversation with some council where he’d have to relay what they were saying to her and what she was saying back to them? If they’d even find reason to trust a human.
K’vyn abruptly stilled, something in the bond Dani couldn’t pinpoint—
Alpha, I hear you. Are you near? I am on Mogha.
Heart drumming in his chest, K’vyn was filled with unadulterated joy.
I hear you! He called back. Landing on Mogha now.
Finally, after all these years, he found his mogha companion. Elation came back at him from his mogha and he jumped to his feet.
“She is here,” he said out loud, smiling as he glanced between L’iza and Dani. “My mogha companion is here.”
Dani gasped, smile mirroring K’vyn’s. “That’s amazing.”
“I knew you would find your companion one day,” L’iza said, silver eyes beaming. “And the true one this time.”
K’vyn didn’t miss the smirk. His ship wasn’t going to let him live down mistaking his mate for his mogha companion.
“Where shall we set down?” she said next, smirk still in place.
Concentrating on the feeling of his mogha through the new bond, he got a sense of where she was located, even what she was looking at— There were trees, but the entire planet was covered in trees.
By the mountains, his mogha said.
There were mountains on Mogha? He didn’t know that.
L’iza entered the planet’s atmosphere, flying low to the ground. Giant trees covered every surface, vines crisscrossing between them. Then he realized what his companion was calling ‘mountains.’
More like hills, they were marked only by a slight elevation in the landscape, an area where three groves of trees appeared to be standing above all others. Judging by the flatness of the rest of the planet, there would only be three ‘mountains’ on the entire world.
“There,” he pointed at the grove on the left.
As they approached the grove, a small opening presented itself among the tall trees, perfect place for L’iza to land. In the middle of the opening sat one lone mogha, staring up at them.
“That’s her,” he said, breathless.
Violet in color, paws white, the mogha was magnificent.
Hello, Alpha, she said. I am D’alla.
The union of the Korthan and his mogha was one of the most moving things Dani had ever seen.
As they disembarked the ship, the violet mogha jumped to her feet, staring between each of them until her eyes finally focused on K’vyn. Her antennae were white, feathers on the ends a deep purple. Sticking straight up, they began to twirl as she emitted a soft whimper.
L’iza stopped at the bottom of the stairs, Dani following her lead.
Speaking lovely nothings, K’vyn approached the creature with his hands held out in front of him. The violet mogha turned in several circles, antennae and tail twirling so fast they appeared as a blur, emitting happy yaps and short barks.
Was that what C’hase sounded like to everyone else? Knowing that K’vyn would be hearing words, this was the first time she’d heard a mogha’s natural sound.
Kneeling, hands still held in front of him, the mogha’s antennae reached for his fingers, tufts of feathers brushing his palms. The animal sniffed his hands, up his arms, and all around his face before nuzzling his neck. All the while, he had the same affectionate smile he’d shown both C’hase and Dani.
And she could feel it through the bond, a sense of profound completion.
There was movement at the edge of the tree line, several brightly-colored, full-grown moghas watching. Dani could see what C’hase was going to look like, how magnificent he would become.
Speaking of— Where was C’hase? He’d said he wanted to check on Hedge and Molly, but didn’t he want to see his home world?
I’m scared, the pup said through the bond. I don’t have my full colors. They won’t like me.
Dani’s heart sank. Kicking herself for missing the pup’s insecurities, the possibility of his own kind rejecting him didn’t even cross her mind.
Of course, they will like you, Little One, she said. Come on out.
When he showed up in the opening at the top of the stairs, three moghas rushed forward, antennae leaning towards him. Crouching low, peeking over the lip in the opening, his antennae drooped out of sight.
As several moghas rushed forward, D’alla’s antennae went up, mogha looking past him at something on the ship.
The mogha gasped. “An orphan.”
K’vyn felt pity through the bond, but there was reverence behind it with an overwhelming desire to ‘guide.’
Turning, K’vyn saw C’hase hiding at the top of the ramp.
“That is C’hase,” he said. “His alpha rescued him.”
He didn’t want to say ‘human,’ even with an obvious human standing right there next to L’iza.
Dani coaxed the pup down the stairs, who walked slowly, antenna as low as his crouch, tail between his legs. Hiding behind his alpha, he peeked around her legs.
D’alla’s gaze tracked between Dani and K’vyn, a feeling he could only describe as ‘exploratory’ permeating the bond.
The human is your mate, she said, surprise evident. And an alpha.
Shifting on his feet, K’vyn wasn’t quite sure what D’alla’s next reaction would be. He could not change who is life mate was, nor did he want to. But he was under no illusion that the fact could cause problems with mogha and Korthan alike—
Are you okay that my life mate is human? he thought through the bond.
A mogha bond would not form unless the being was pure of heart. She will be accepted by the moghas, D’alla looked at him. Including me.
A weight lifted from K’vyn’s shoulders, his heart swelling, affection for his mate and his mogha bursting out.
His mogha companion approached the cowering pup, followed closely by the others, their antennae reaching for him. Were the feathers on the ends glowing?
He is wonderful, D’alla said. Everyone will want to be his guide.
Dani stared in marvelous wonderment as she and C’hase were surrounded by moghas, each of their antennae brushing over them, feather tips glowing as they felt over every surface of her hands, arms, and legs.
C’hase was standing now, antennae intertwining with theirs as they each touched noses with him, tail held high.