“A broken rib!” Mother bellowed, hissing over her shoulder. “Maybe two broken ribs! You injured him too much. Your own son, your young. What a beast you are!”
Father looked like he had just been told that all of his family had perished. He looked distraught, but we all knew it was because Mother was making him feel guilty for his brawl with Nesi. He didn’t actually feel sorry for fighting Nesi. Even Nesi knew it was just and deserved, but Mother would make Father feel otherwise.
“Son, I am sorry.”
Nesi grinned, not bothered in the slightest at the events that had just occurred.
“You’ll be even more sorry by the night’s end, I fear.”
Father grunted while Mikoh and I grinned, knowing that Mother would make Father suffer with no sex. Whenever he fought a son, she refused his touch, and it all but killed him. Mother, who wasn’t listening to the conversation happening around her, continued to fuss over Nesi, who happily allowed it.
“My little male”—she frowned up at him—“does it hurt?”
“Greatly.” He nodded and even went as far as sticking his bottom lip out in a pout. “I was very scared, Mother. I prayed to Thanas to save me, and he sent you to aid me. My protector.”
Father looked like he was just about ready to beat on him again when Mother hissed in his direction.
“Come.” She took hold of Nesi’s hand. “I’ll take care of you, my brave male.”
“First, I must speak with Nova and apologise for an insult I have offered her.”
Mother beamed. “Such a sweet male.”
With a dirty look shot my father’s way, she left the room with Nesi. Father trailed at a distance, and when Mikoh and I were the only ones left in the room, I exhaled a breath.
“That was fun.”
He laughed. A few minutes later, Surkah floated back into the room with piles of fabric in her arms, reminding me of my promise to her. “Why do I smell blood?”
“Father and Nesi fought.”
“Because of his insult to Nova this morning?”
I nodded.
“Serves him right … did Muma show up?”
Another nod.
“Poor Papa, she’ll punish him for days because he was teaching Nesi to be respectful. I’ll speak to her later about it.”
“Wise words for one so young.”
Surkah snorted. “I know lots of things that would surprise you, baja.”
“Do you know about human females?”
“Of course.”
“Teach me about them,” I softly demanded. “I have to learn about them as one of Kol’s conditions. I have chosen a small female to learn from.”
“Learning from one human female is not enough.”
“Not enough?” I blinked. “How is it not enough?”
“Because none of those females are the same. They are as different as Maji females are. Learning from one human female will just tell you about her but not about all of the others.”
I found that only learning about Levi didn’t displease me as it should have. When I stumbled upon her the previous night on the hill I often sat at, I didn’t know what to do. A part of me wanted to leave, but the other part did not. When I approached her and taunted her slightly into changing how she addressed me, I was pleased with her reaction.
She was respectful but nervous, and when she looked at me, it seemed she liked what she saw, which gave my cock many things to think about. I had to force myself to remember my dead intended. The shame I felt when I realised another female attracted my interest hurt my own heart. I hated to imagine how hurt Kovu would have been.
“Females are confusing in every species,” I grumbled, earning a silent nod of agreement from Mikoh. “Always saying words you do not mean, then crying when you don’t get your way.”
“Not all females cry when they don’t get their way,” Surkah answered, focusing on threading her tiny needle with pink thread. “That is definitely more of a Maji female trait. Nova always thinks it’s bizarre when I cry or strike Kol when he upsets me. She always tells me to ‘use my words’, but that’s the human way, not the Maji way. Striking and crying when I’m upset is much easier.”
Amused, I watched as Mikoh rubbed his stomach and silently walked towards the doorway.
“Where are you going, intended one?” Surkah questioned him, not bothering to look his way. “I brought this silver fabric for you. I want to see what ruffles will look like on an ensemble.”
Mikoh glared at me when he found me smirking at the situation he found himself in.
“My female”—he switched his eyes back to her and changed the tone of his voice as he approached her—“you’re so beautiful. Thanas blesses me with you.”
Surkah faltered in her movements but only for a moment before she punched Mikoh in the chest, knocking him back a few steps. He growled as he rubbed the spot she punched. “You’re a mean female. That hurt.”