Mated by Twilight (True Match)

Chapter 43

Sollit

“Guys, I’m nervous.”

Turning, Sollit looked back at their mate. He was leading the way through the flower park of the new station they had stopped at – Tun-Kal Station. It was a beautiful place, disc-shaped from the outside, occupied by a massive, permanent festival. It boasted three parks – one of which was filled with flowers from around the galaxy that smelled incredible and offered many picnic areas for those wanting to stop and admire them.

That was where they were meeting their parents.

And Leah looked terrified about it.

Sollit turned, taking her hands, as Tillos took her shoulders from behind.

“Don’t be afraid,” he said firmly. “They already adore you.”

“They barely know me.”

“But they know you make us happy, and that’s enough.”

Leah couldn’t stop herself from smiling as Tillos kissed the top of her head.

“They’re looking forward to opening night,” he said. “They can’t wait to hear you sing.”

Leah mumbled something under her breath that Sollit couldn’t hear, but he didn't need to in order to know what she said. She’d been protesting since rehearsals began about why she was supposed to be playing the lead role in her human play – and arguing that it was a human play did nothing to actually convince her.

But it was a human play, and it was her choice, and it was a musical! At least, the movie she showed them had been, which Corvidair had taken to with gusto, because that meant he had a reason to premier Leah’s voice. Something that Leah also wasn’t fully comfortable with.

However, she was doing well in her vocal lessons. She was able to since in front of the rest of the cast and crew, which was one step away from a proper audience. She didn't get choked up anymore, though they could see her nervousness.

That worked well for the play though, because the main character was meant to be innocent and uncertain of herself at the beginning. And like her, Leah would get comfortable and grow into her role. They were all eager to see it – including their parents.

As if to prove that point, as they came around and spotted the chosen picnic spot – a place under a large tree with draping, yellow leaf vines and white bark – the three of them were already on their feet, looking for them. Their mother was a little more awake today, but she always looked just a bit unfocused. Of course, she had her mates’ absolute, undivided attention, so that wasn’t surprising.

Sollit and Tillos shared their coloration with their mother. The pale purple color was even better on her, made bright and shiny from her mates’ adoration. However, otherwise, they were younger versions of their pale blue fathers. Two males that flanked their mother on either side, smiling when they saw them approaching in a similar formation.

It was their mother who came forward first, beaming at Leah. She gave her a formal greeting in their own tongue before switching into Standard-

“Leah, it’s so good to meet you at last. Oh, you’re even more darling in person. Isn’t she? Let me look at you, my new daughter. Let me see you.”

Leah smiled, her face bright red, as Ariell took her by the hands and looked her over. She held their arms out, beaming, as their fathers grinned in approval.

“She is in great health,” their father Netros said.

“You’re doing well, my sons,” their father Sorten said.

Sollit shared a satisfied grin with Tillos. While Leah wasn’t quite at the level their mother was yet, that was only because Ariell had been under the care of their fathers for years. It would take time for Leah to catch up to her.

But Sollit couldn’t wait to see it.

Already, her short hair was growing out long. His own species tended to keep theirs long – those who liked it short, such as his mother, were the exception. He wanted Leah’s bright, golden hair to be at least that long as well. Her skin was clearer and glowing with health. It was somehow getting softer, which he hadn’t thought was possible. Humans were already so soft to the touch, but their attentions were somehow making her softer . Touching her skin was a feast for his hands. He couldn’t wait to see it at its peak of health and beauty.

She didn't walk around with that half-lidded look in her face that their mother did, but that was also something gained through years. It only took one of his fathers purring to get Ariell into the same mindless state of comfort and pleasure that it took Sollit and Tillos both growling at full force to get Leah into, but that would also improve with time.

Their mother led Leah over to the little picnic area his fathers had set up and sat with her. The four males sat on either corner, forming a protective barrier around their females as they began setting up their food for them to enjoy.

As Sollit worked, he looked at the two females. He imagined a time, at some point in the future, when this scene would play out again. But Leah and Ariell wouldn’t be on a picnic blanket in an artificial meadow of a space station. They’d be on Holotulle, within their own home with its own garden. His parents had come to visit, and the females had gone to nest together. His mother and his mate curled up in the same nest, resting against each other. Maybe with one of their younglings between them – for he and Tillos were planning on spacing them out and, by the time they retired from the troupe, they’d celebrate with more younglings. Maybe another pair of boys.

But either way, their young would be sleeping between the two, lulled to sleep by their mother’s warmth and scent. Cradled against their grandmother. The two grown females so well cared for and tended that they just wanted to sleep in comfort while their males moved around them.

It was the ultimate vision of their future. Probably something that wouldn’t happen for a long time, because he didn't plan on them leaving the Twilight Troupe anytime soon. Thanks to modern medical science, their lifespans were all much longer than they would be naturally, and their fertility could be extended equally as long.

Even if they had to wait thirty, forty, fifty years, he knew his vision would come true.

The contented yearning in his chest caught Tillos’ attention. His brother gave him a silent look. Sollit smiled at him before looking at the females, then back to him. Tillos might not know his exact thoughts, but he picked up on the gist and his expression relaxed into one of happy dreams as well.

It was a wonderful picnic. Leah and Ariell chatted eagerly, bonding in the way of females, as Sollit and Tillos switched to their native tongue to ask their fathers for more advice taking care of their mate. And their future young.

Tillos had been filling her pretty cunt consistently recently. They knew very well that she was unprotected against them, and human females, when paired with alien males, were incredibly fertile. It was far more likely that they’d be successful than not.

Which meant they needed to start preparing for their future daughter.

And that was a wonderful mental image as well. Their mate in their bed back on the Star, sleeping in their nest, curled around their youngling who would be curled into her. Their youngling would…

“Sollit?” His father Sorten gave him a curious look. “What’s that expression on your face for?”

Sollit quickly focused back on the others, smiling. “Just trying to imagine what our little hybrid is going to look like. Can you imagine if they inherited her hair color?”

The other three males all looked back at Leah at the same time, no doubt picturing it themselves. The avanava people only had one hair color and it was white. There was some variation in the brightness of that white – some were more silvery, others were more pale – but it was always white. Their scale colors were what varied. Their young could have scales the color of their mother’s skin, and that wouldn’t be any more unusual than if they inherited purple or even blue scales.

But if they inherited their mother’s yellow hair?

To have scales with a sheen of gold to them was considered a mark of beauty. It wasn’t a trait that ran in families necessarily, though coming from parents with golden flecks did increase one’s chances of having them. But golden hair?

Their young would be the most beautiful on all of avanava. Everyone would envy them.

And maybe Sollit was yearning for something impossible. Maybe their genes would override Leah’s completely and any young they had would have white hair, but the idea made him all the more eager to sow their seed in her belly to find out.

Of course, even if they were all white haired, they’d still be the most beautiful avanava in the universe, but golden hair would certainly be unique.

“Now, that’s a thought,” Tillos grinned, sharing a glance with him. “Imagine if our young were born with golden hair and a golden caste to their scales?”

Sollit nearly groaned with amazement. Golden flecks didn't run in their family at all, but that didn't make the chance impossible. He was pretty sure a male cousin of his on their fathers’ side had been randomly born with them. Any family could, at random, have younglings with gold flecks. It was more likely if one or both parents had gold flecks, but it wasn’t impossible for it to just appear.

“Now, you two,” Father Netros chuckled, offering the females some crunchy greens. They were chatting away in Standard, unaware of the males and the direction their thoughts had roamed. “There’s no point in counting unhatched eggs. You should be grateful for any young and wish only for their health and wellbeing.”

“I can do both,” Tillos assured him, making them laugh.

“Greedy,” father Sorten chastised playfully. “Though, I admit, that would be a beautiful thing. Grandlings with your mother’s scales, our daughter’s hair, and golden flecks? Everyone in the neighborhood would just choke on envy.”

“Ha!” Netros laughed derisively. “Can you imagine the look on Torsed and Desrot’s faces? Who would care about the state of their garden when such beautiful grandlings would be running around in ours? The flowers would wilt in comparison.”

Sorten chuckled, looking back at them. “You two should have seen their faces when we told them that our new daughter was a human . They were so bitter. When we show them pics of how well you’re taking care of her, they’ll just die.”

Sollit laughed, leaning back on his hands, smiling at his family. “Wait until you hear her sing.”