Mated by Twilight (True Match)

Chapter 13

Tillos

Leah was skittish. That became abundantly clear when she cooled things off after their kiss.

He wouldn’t say that she was avoiding them. She wore their bracelets every day, and she was eager to eat with and chat with them. But she didn’t allow another kiss.

It felt like she was giving herself time and space to think. To get used to things.

Which he didn’t mind at all. There were a lot of changes coming at her very fast. He couldn’t begrudge her for wanting some space to just take it all in.

While she was doing that, the show continued on. They did the same show multiple times, making sure everyone on the station got a chance to see it, even as they were planning for the next one. By the time they were preparing to perform the last show, they were already practicing for the next. They would have a few days off between shows to let them enjoy the station first though. He and Sollit planned on taking Leah out then.

For now, the two of them were running their lines in one of the practice rooms. The crew was setting up the auditorium for the final show, which meant Leah was off cleaning somewhere. They had both changed into their costumes already, but they were practicing for the next play.

This one was Corvidair’s pick. He’d chosen a very popular fairy tale told throughout the Coalition with its roots on Holotulle. It was a mystical story about a queen who was cursed into sleep and the chaos that reigned while she was unconscious. She was the central figure of the story, but it was all the characters around her that actually drove the tale.

In this one, Tillos and Sollit were going to play rivals. Sollit wanted to keep the female asleep to maintain his own power, while Tillos wanted to kill her to set everything right. There was going to be a grand fight between the two of them in the second act, wherein Sollit would die. But his ghost would haunt Tillos for the rest of the play.

“Where should we take Leah, do you think?” Sollit asked when they finished the first run through, getting to their feet. “She’s getting used to our food, but maybe we should give her something else. Maybe something that’s more familiar.”

Tillos hummed in agreement as they walked from the practice room. “We should dress her up, don’t you think? Pamper her. Show her what it’s like to be mated to avanava males.”

“You don’t think it’s too soon to…”

Sollit’s voice faded, curiosity rising in his chest. Tillos cocked his head, confused, but before he could ask, he heard it.

It was distant, and muffled, but someone was singing.

Only, that wasn’t a voice they recognized. They knew the singing voice of everyone on the crew. They did musicals pretty regularly. They themselves were great singers. Though, admittedly, they were nothing compared to Skara.

But this voice wasn’t Skara’s.

Sharing a glance, they both changed direction at the same moment. Following the sound of the voice deeper into the ship.

By unspoken agreement, they kept their steps light. Staying silent. Just listening.

That wasn’t a voice they knew, and that wasn’t a language they spoke either. But it was beautiful, bright and sweet, and drawing them in.

The room it was coming from was in the far back of the practice hall. They rarely even used that room because it got terrible ventilation and so got hot very easily. The door was open, allowing in some airflow as well as the voice to escape.

It also allowed Tillos and Sollit to creep to the edge of the door and peek around the doorframe.

Leah was inside. She wasn’t looking their way but doing her job – cleaning off the mirror they used to check their form. She was focused on the task, but she was singing so sweetly in her native tongue. It was beautiful, enchanting.

Tillos and Sollit said nothing. Just listened.

Tillos had no idea what she was singing about, but it sounded lively and upbeat. More than that though, it was a sound of happiness.

He’d been concerned after she put some space between them. As certain as he was that she just needed some time, there was part of him that was worried she’d pull back completely. But that joy in her voice while she sang, unaware that she was being heard, put that fear to rest.

They stood there, outside the door, just listening, as she finished one song, then started another. She began gathering her things, probably to leave. Tillos touched Sollit’s shoulder, silently asking if it would be better to back off or speak to her. She had a beautiful voice, but she was clearly singing in privacy, so maybe she didn’t want anyone to hear.

But before they had a chance to decide, a loud voice boomed-

“You do have talent!”

Tillos, Sollit, and Leah all jumped – the pretty song cutting off with a gasp.

They had been so entranced by her singing, they hadn’t realized Corvidair had also come, following the sound. Though it wasn’t at all surprising. A voice that lovely would have drawn him in faster than succor beetles to sugar. He was relentless when he thought he found new talent.

He pushed past Tillos and Sollit before they could stop him, his huge body taking up the entire doorway as he smiled down at Leah like he’d just discovered a treasure.

Leah, however, had frozen in place, cleaning supplies in her arms, eyes wide, earbuds falling out of place and dangling on a long wire. She looked like she’d just been caught doing something bad and was expecting immediate retribution.

“You sing! ” Corvidair declared, grabbing her arms with all four hands, picking clear up off the ground as he beamed. “Do it again! Sing for me, pretty bird!”

She didn’t sing. She didn’t even look like she was breathing. Her eyes were so wide, they seemed eaten up entirely by white, staring at Corvidair in horror.

Tillos and Sollit moved at the same time, rushing into the room.

Tillos grabbed Corvidair by the back of the neck, yanking him back by the scruff while Sollit grabbed Leah around the waist. They pulled apart at the same moment, rescuing her from his overenthusiastic grip.

“Watch your hands, Corvidair,” Tillos said, stepping between his mate and brother and their boss who only laughed at their display of protectiveness.

“She has talent !” Corvidair declared happily. “You heard her sing! Let me hear you sing again, pretty bird. You’re going to look so good on stage.”

Leah yanked herself free of Sollit, hitting the ground on both knees. Sollit rushed to help her up, but before he got the chance, she had already scrambled to her feet. She ran from them all, head down, hunched over herself, a sound horribly like a sob ripping from her throat. Tillos glared at Corvidair who had the nerve to look confused.

“What?” He asked, unmoved by their stares.