A lose-lose situation.
N’Ket tsked and shook his head. “N’Ashtar, if you are to have this female, at least keep her under control.” Because he didn’t have the translator, he couldn’t understand me, but that didn’t stop him from coming across as a condescending asshole.
It was like someone had dumped a bucket of ice on top of me, and the world was moving in slow motion. Not that it stopped me from standing, rage burning through me in an inferno I couldn’t control.
N’Ashtar just sighed next to me, then shook his head at his father. “You’re going to regret that.”
19
N’Ashtar
I knew better than to grab Dana and try to put her back on the stool, because she would have had a whole lot of choice words about it. Instead, I stayed where I was, watching everyone like a [birb]. If any of them moved anywhere near her, I would stop them. I wanted to step in, help her out, but Dana was strong. While I wished she didn’t have to handle things on her own, she could, and it would be good for both her and my father if that was seen now instead of later.
Dana was her own person, and despite the archaic views of my family, she did not need to be controlled. She couldn’t be controlled, either. When my father swung his gaze towards me, choosing to take his rage out on me instead of my mate, I didn’t flinch, didn’t even tilt my head or taste the air with my tongue. The moment either of us showed weakness, that was when things were over.
“What were you thinking?” Father repeated, as if that would change my answer or the situation.
“A N’Akron male who cannot protect his mate is not worthwhile to the tribe,” I said calmly. “When she was kidnapped, I knew I needed to get her back. She will be a valuable addition to the tribe and I’m sorry if you can’t see that.”
“Abandoning your duties—”
“I should have done it sooner,” I interrupted. His eyes flashed red in anger, but I kept myself together. “I knew I wished her as my mate, and when I left her as long as I did, I risked giving up the chance of that. Dana deserves someone who takes that responsibility seriously, and I want to be that N’Akron.”
Dana had stopped where she was standing and turned to stare at me, her eyes wide. We hadn’t discussed what was going to be said ahead of time, although I hadn’t exactly been certain which tactic my father was going to take. I just knew I would protect Dana with everything I had.
Everyone tensed as Squire moved, his bound hands held up with their strangely human-like fingers extended. While everyone held their collective breaths, he put his bound hands on Dana’s shoulder, gently steering her back until she was sitting on the stool again. She grumbled something I didn’t catch under her breath, but Squire didn’t seem to have a problem understanding her. Once she was sitting down, he moved back to his corner, his fully black eyes intently watching everything around him.
I hissed at him, because no one touched my mate but me, and it set my scales on edge to see one of the enemy touch the woman I loved. Yet Dana just elbowed me subtly, without calling attention to it, and kept her focus on my father. I had known my mate was strong, but watching her stare down my father was nothing short of impressive. She really did not let anyone put her down.
My father cleared his throat and turned his glare to me now, as if nothing had just happened. “You had a duty to your tribe, not to this female you wanted as a mate.”
“I can understand you, you know,” Dana snapped. Her nose was crinkled in irritation, something that was remarkably adorable, not that I would ever tell her that.
My father ignored her, but I reached out and put a hand on her thigh. “She can understand everything you say,” I said steadily, my gaze on my father.
This time he was the one whose eyes widened, the slitted pupils dilating before retracting back to their usual size before he glared at my mate. “She understands our language? How?”
I explained to him about the metal we had been given that helped us understand the foreign humans, and the revulsion was clear on the faces of him, my mother, and most of the elders. I wasn’t certain if O’Rrin had covered it with Jackie or Hetta, but it was more likely that they would need to learn N’Akron in order to talk with the rest of the tribe. While the humans could understand, the N’Akron couldn’t, and from what my Dana had said, there wasn’t enough technology for all.
“I still don’t understand why you are throwing away your future for this female,” Father said, straightening up in his chair. “Why now? Why must you find a mate, and why are you so certain of this one?”
I chuckled low in my throat, a raspy noise that kept me from hissing in anger. “You have done nothing but push females in my direction since I came of age.” I fingered the elaborate scar on [LOCATION] before dragging my attention back to the present. “Now that I have chosen a mate, you do not approve. Can you not see her and the other females as the blessing they were? Even R’Asha has spoken of the Goddess’s good hand in gifting us more females to make our race strong again.”
I couldn’t help but caress the small bite mark Dana had left on
