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My everything.
Vegas destroyed everything I have worked so hard to build, and I don’t know how much longer I can maintain my seat of power before I have to confess that even deep in a rut, if they put me into a circle full of females in heat, my cocks could not descend. They would not fill them.
There will be no knot. No seed. No fertilized egg.
And then I will be killed. Banishment will not be fitting enough. The council has worked for generations to create the perfect line of breeding Vyastil, and to remove even one from the line is detrimental to their work.
But perhaps this can be my one, single moment of rebellion.
After all, sometimes it only takes a single act of disruption to topple the entire tower.
“Eissa?”
My hearts skip a few beats as I spin, then my breath leaves my body in a quiet exhale when I see it’s only Rathyn, and he’s alone. He’s not on Erethar without Everest very often. After nearly losing him, Rathyn doesn’t like to leave him alone for too long.
It also doesn’t help that here, Everest must play the dutiful, docile pet. Rathyn has taken to leaving him with the other human companions to see if he can overhear anything that will help our cause.
So far, it’s yielded nothing and put Everest in more danger of being discovered by some of the elite. But if they’re willing to take the risk, who am I to stop them?
Rathyn crosses the room, and his head dips to touch mine. Our foreheads linger together a moment, and I feel a quiet affection for the one I reared from such a young age. It’s only because I have seen the change in him that I don’t hate myself for creating a monster.
He could have been my worst mistake.
Instead, he is my greatest pride.
“You seem troubled.”
I let out a sigh and walk over to the counter, pouring us both cups of erien. It’s a rich, opaque yellow—something that would likely terrify a human. I don’t think their bodies are capable of processing the full taste of it, but it soothes my frayed nerves as I take a sip and hand his over.
“Thank you.” He takes a polite drink, but I can sense his disinterest in social niceties.
“Has something happened?”
He waits for me to sit, then does the same. “I…may be investigated by human authorities soon for violence against a citizen.”
Blinking at him, I attempt to read his body language to see how serious this is. “Was a human killed?”
He shakes his head once—a sharp motion from side to side. “He attempted to put hands on my Everest.”
I sip the erien again, then lean back and try not to feel annoyed. I know Rathyn can’t help it. He’s fully bonded with Everest now. It’s in his nature to protect what is his. It’s the same mistake I made with Luca.
“Tell me what happened.”
He bows his head and takes a breath before he speaks. “Everest attempted to introduce me to a human ritual. A double date.”
My lips twitch, fighting off a grin. I did not engage in activities like this with Kori. He was confined to my quarters as my companion. But I had done my research and once attempted to surprise him with a candlelit dinner for our anniversary.
It did not go as anticipated. He hated the food, and the candles, and made me feel like a fool for trying. I gave up on human rituals for him after that.
“He introduced me to the…cinema.” Rathyn’s Vyastil tongue struggles with that unfamiliar human word. “Movies. Popcorn. All repulsive.”
I can’t stop a small laugh this time. “I see.”
He scowls at me, though I can tell he’s not upset with my amusement. “He exchanged words with a human sitting near us. It…escalated. I was unable to control my instincts. I damaged property at the cinema.”
“And that is all?” I press.
He nods once.
