The servants fiddled with the camera equipment as Kyle waited impatiently for them to set it up and start filming. This wasn’t at all what he’d envisioned a few days before when Taz told him he could finally contact his family back on Lycanus, but he would take what he could get. Taz would film his message and send it electronically to Lycanus 3 through government channels.
Since Tygeria was at war with the Alliance, no direct channel could be opened to them by law. Taz said some people still managed to download vids or contact relatives on other Alliance held planets through illegal channels, but as a representative of the Tygerian Senate, he had to set a proper example.
A couple of days before, Taz had surprised him with this gift as they lay in bed together.
Kyle had just awakened and was stretching his arms over his head when he winced from an old bruise he’d received in the arena when he sparred with Taz.
“What’s the matter, Nobyo?” Taz leaned up and solicitously and put a hand on Kyle’s hip.
Kyle smiled down at him. “Nothing really. Just some sore muscles still from that beat-down you gave me in the ring. ”
“I’m sorry, baby. I really thought you were only playing around at first. When I saw the blood, I stopped at once. ”
Kyle sighed and lay back down to snuggle into him. “It’s my own fault. I probably never should have challenged you, and I should have quit sooner. I just wanted you to respect me. ”
“I do respect you, darling. You were very courageous to fight me, and everyone remarked on how lucky I was to have such a brave, handsome nobyo. I had three offers for you before we got back home. ”
“Good ones, I hope. ”
“Yes, very good. ”
“So when do I leave?”
“Never. ” Taz tightened his arms around Kyle, and he was careful not to touch any of the bruises on Kyle’s back. “I told them you weren’t for sale at any price. ” Kyle smiled until Taz’s next remark. “Even though you are too much trouble. ” He smiled down at Kyle’s frown. “I’ve decided to let you contact your family,” he said.
“What? But I lost the bet. I thought you said…”
“I know, I said a lot of things because I was angry. But I don’t want you to be unhappy. If contacting your family means so much to you, then it’s a small enough thing to do for you. I’d planned to let you speak to them anyway at some point, but I wanted you to settle in first, and begin to think of me as your family. ”
Kyle swung his leg over Taz’s hips to get in close and grind his cock against Taz’s. “I do think of you as my family. You’re my mate, and the closest person in the world to me. But I have to reassure them that I’m happy. That I’m okay, or else they’ll come to rescue me. ”
He put a finger on Taz’s lips to stop his outraged reply. “I know—I don’t need rescuing, but they don’t know that. ”
Taz nodded. “We’ll contact them then, if you want to. ” He pulled Kyle back down on the pillows as he tried to get up. “I’ll make the arrangements after you take a nap. And stop rubbing against me like that, or neither of us will get any sleep. ”
Kyle settled back beside his mate, knowing he wouldn’t be able to talk him into contacting them any sooner. Taz’s cock was still rigid as it lay alongside his own, and he moved restlessly against Kyle. With a little smile, Kyle slid out of his arms and down to kneel between Taz’s legs, licking Taz’s cock from base to tip. Taz raised up on his elbows and drew in a rough breath as he gazed down at him.
Kyle smiled and licked him again. “Sleep really is highly overrated, don’t you think?”
Now, a few days later, Taz was sitting rather impatiently beside him as the servants set the focus and fooled around with the camera interminably. Finally, they had it ready and signaled to Taz.
Sitting in his chair behind a gleaming, massive desk, Taz fixed the camera with an imperious glare and began to speak.
“I am Taz Bonnet, of Tygeria, Imperial Senator of the Tygerian Ruling Council. Beside me…” He held out a hand, and Kyle stepped up beside him to take it. “Beside me is my nobyo. He wishes to give you a personal message. ”
Kyle cleared his throat nervously. “I wanted to let you know that I’m alive and doing well. I’m happy here with Taz—he’s my mate. ” Kyle tried to give as much emphasis as he could to the word, so they would understand. “Don’t try to come for me. I don’t need rescuing. ” He glanced down at Taz as he squeezed his hand. “Please understand, Lucas. And Nikolai, don’t worry about me. I’ll explain everything later when I see you again, and I’m sure I’ll be seeing you soon. Things are tricky now with the war, but this thing can’t last forever, can it? I know this will be hard for you to understand, but please try. ”
“That’s enough, Nobyo,” Taz said, and the servants pointed the camera back over at him. “As you see, he has no need of any assistance from you. Any foolish attempts to come for him would only be the cause of your destruction. If you have any emergency messages for him, you may send them through official channels. ”
He nodded at the servants and they ended the filming. Kyle hoped the message would be enough. His family could be a bit…intractable at times. At least the message would let them see he was still alive and unharmed. He’d told them Taz was his mate, so maybe they’d understand. It was all he could do. Taz stood up and pulled him into his arms. “There, Nobyo, I hope this will ease your mind a bit. They’ll be able to see that you’re well and happy, yes?”
Kyle shrugged and smiled back at him. Really, Taz had no frame of reference when it came to his family. Taz and his brother Tarr were close, but it wasn’t the same kind of thing at all. Maybe it had to do with their beasts—tigers were, by nature, social but solitary animals, whereas Lycan wolves naturally organized themselves into packs to maintain stability and assist each other. The hierarchy in a pack was of primary importance, one reason why Kyle had slowly but surely been adjusting to Taz as the more alpha male in their relationship. He was thinking and acting more and more like a beta every day, and he was surprised at how natural it felt to him.
Though he still needed to claim his mate, he was much more content than he had been in the early days. When he first came back from the fight in the arena, he’d expected Taz to treat him more or less like a slave. Instead, the show of dominance and Kyle’s acceptance of it had soothed his need to prove himself over and over. As a result, their relationship had become more loving and even closer.
“You know the baby will be coming soon, Nobyo. Are you ready to be a father?” Taz’s fingers drifted over the skin on his back, coming to rest over his hips.
Kyle shook his head. “Not really, seeing as how I know nothing about babies. It’s kind of terrifying. ”