Sparx harrumphed as he hooked the toggles on the front of his cloak. The deeper they walked into the tunnels, the more the temperature continued to drop. It made for a distinct chill in the air, one that had been missing inside the city. One that sank deeper than was comfortable.
Shaking off the chill, he made a mental note to remind the kitchens to continue burning at full heat. The arriving humans would need it. The women’s quarters were within the first shaft off from where the ovens burned, hopefully keeping the temperature warm enough for them to be comfortable.
“…beard.”
“Huh?” he grunted at Colby when he realized his mind had drifted back to the women and all the responsibility that came with them.
“Some of the men were talking about whether or not to shave,” he repeated. “Considering how soft the humans are and all.”
Sparx chuckled at that. His men were acting more nervous than the first time they visited a pleasure house on Euphoria. “K’hor and Saber have both said their females do not mind the rasp of their beards, as long as one makes sure to be careful.” With that said, he ran a palm over his own covered jawline.
“Is that why you did not shave?” the younger Djaromir asked, his face swiped completely clean of any facial hair.
“No, Colby,” Sparx answered, clapping him on the back with one hand as they walked. “The truth is that I only shave when I think about it, and I’ve been so busy with the preparation for the women that there hasn’t been time for that to happen.”
“What if you find your mate among the women arriving and she hates beards?” Colby sounded genuinely worried at the idea. “Charlotte said some women simply don’t like them, no matter how long or thick they are.”`ompted that statement. “Bitters was nearby, wasn’t he?”
Colby looked confused for a second at the question before he nodded. “Yes, why?”
“Did her words goad him into shaving that monstrosity on his face he claimed was a beard?” he asked, thinking on the patchy, unkempt mess that Bitters liked to boast would be wondrous as soon as it reached “an appropriate length and filled in.”
Colby laughed, understanding why Charlotte had given that piece of advice to the men when she did.
“Now I feel as if maybe I should not have been so hasty to shave,” Colby said with a wry grin. “I guess I’m just nervous. If my mate likes beards, I will simply grow one again. If your mate dislikes them, you’ll just shave.”
Sparx was shaking his head before Colby had even finished the offhand comment.
“What?” he asked, when the other man gave him a strange look.
“You won’t shave if your mate dislikes beards?” Colby asked, confused.
“No, not that,” Sparx answered with a frown. “It’s just that I don’t plan on meeting my mate, so it doesn’t matter if she likes beards or not. How did we get on this conversation anyways? Aren’t there more important things for us to be discussing? Do the Phaetons know to stay on board their shuttle until we can get to them?”
Colby stopped in his tracks, his face a mixture of confusion. “I don’t understand what you mean…”
“More important things,” Sparx prodded. “Any changes to the volunteers we are expecting? Any problems within the ranks, regarding the timed intervals the men are scheduled to meet them? Do the Phaetons know to wait on their shuttle until we open the doors on the bus?” he asked again, referring to the large silver vehicle the Phaetons had given them to use to protect the women on the surface of their planet. Not only was the vehicle temperature controlled, so they didn’t have to worry about the humans freezing, it was also made of a material that was almost impenetrable.
“Yes, sir. I notified Phaeton One myself about following safety protocol. Our radar has been tracking a group of byorin, but they have stayed far enough away to not be a concern. They will notify us if any of the pack strays too close to the landing field.” Colby began walking again, albeit slower this time. “I’m sorry, but I have a question, sir. I may have misheard you earlier, but I thought you said you didn’t plan on meeting your mate?”
“That’s what I said,” Sparx muttered, his pace increasing, leaving the other warrior no choice but to try to keep up or be left behind. “What is your question?”
“That was my question,” Colby said plainly. “I don’t understand why you would say something like that. Is it that you don’t think you’ll ever meet her? Or that you don’t want to?”
Sparx stopped and let out a long sigh. The last thing he wanted to do right now was explain why he didn’t want a mate. For anyone else, he probably would have shrugged off their curiosity over his statement and let that be that. Colby was not just anyone. He was Sparx’s second-in-command and a close friend since they were children. Raised together, although not blood related, the younger Djaromir was like a younger brother to Sparx.
“Listen,” he began, “I’ve seen what mating does. It changes us. Most of the changes are for the better, but with those changes also comes weakness. Take K’hor for example. He is one of the strongest and steadfast Djaromir I’ve ever known, and yet mating managed to bring him to his knees. The mere threat of harm to her and he was a mess. Juniper is the other half of his soul, and if he lost her, there would be no coming back. We witnessed that sad fact when his father diminished before our eyes. No amount of support or coaxing could lure him out of the pain from losing the woman he called his heart.” Sparx shook his
