Surprise Mates. Grace Goodwin
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plates and her mouth dropping open. Once the initial shock was over, she covered her face with her hands and laughed. Male clapping joined squeals of feminine laughter and shouting as a clutch of human women surrounded her like Hive on a downed fighter.
“Stop scowling, Niklas,” Sambor scolded while he, too, clapped slowly, his rough hands coming together like slow-moving thunder.
I watched the stunned happiness on the queen’s face as she realized many of her fellow Earth brides had come from their home planets to Prillon Prime to celebrate her birthing day. I’d heard one of the females had organized it with the queen’s mates, obviously having kept it all a secret. We’d received an invitation, something I knew, as ambassador, not to decline.
My duties to Prillon Prime were of the utmost importance to the entire Coalition Fleet. And part of my job was to maintain an excellent working relationship with both Prime Nial and his second, Lord Ander.
Turning down an invitation to their mate’s private celebration was not an option—no matter what pressing matters awaited mine and Sambor’s attention. Criminal activities on Rogue 5. Cerberus Legion’s new interest in human females. Dr. Helion and the Intelligence Core’s attempts to extract information from a Nexus unit we were holding in captivity. Important things for the safety and security of everyone present, and everyone in the Interstellar Coalition of Planets. Instead of taking care of these issues, I was supposed to remain here for several days, sneaking away for meetings, only to return for more celebrations, which I’d been informed were to include a sweet baked item from Earth called cake and listening to strange Earthen music for hours upon hours. I had never listened to human music, but knowing how chaotic and unpredictable humans were as a whole, I did not have high hopes that their music would be tolerable to Prillon ears.
“We should not be here, Sambor. There is too much work to do.”
“We already must transport off planet for meetings twice during the celebration days.” Sambor still clapped his large hands, and he had a smile on his face. “That’s more than enough. What’s the point of fighting all the time if we don’t enjoy ourselves once in a while?”
“The custom of shocking one on their birthing day does not qualify as a worthy use of our time. We should be out in the field protecting the queen, not standing here watching her cry.” For the female was crying profusely, and every female who approached and hugged her seemed to make the crying worse. “Perhaps the females from Earth are not as intelligent as I had assumed. Why do they not stop?” I could not stand to see a female in pain, as was the case with most of the males in the room. I expected Ander and Nial to be severely affected, emotionally linked to the queen as they were through their dark red mating collars, but they beamed like they’d just won a fierce battle. “I do not understand females.”
Sambor burst into laughter. “A truer statement has never passed your lips, my friend.”
I wasn’t one for surprises and it wasn’t a Prillon tradition to make a celebration a secret, but it appeared to be something normal for the primitive planet where all the squealing females were from. And something they clearly enjoyed.
“Niklas, no jest. Stop scowling. You’re going to give Prime Nial the impression you don’t want to be here,” Sambor continued, although the Prime was far too enthralled by his mate’s joyful face to note the frown on mine.
“I’m too busy.” Right then, music came through hidden speakers and I cringed. I’d never heard such a theme before, but all the females squealed again and laughed. They grabbed one another by the hands and dragged each other toward an open area I assumed was designated for dancing.
However, the strange high-pitched male voice coming through the speakers had the ladies twirling, gyrating, stomping and waving their hands all around in the oddest type of ceremonial display I’d ever witnessed.
Ah, Earth music. Loud, odd and weirdly rhythmic. As I had feared.
I listened to the words. “Why do they want to spin a baby right round? And what is a record? Is that what is wrong with humans, that they were spun in circles as infants?”
Next to me, Sambor looked as confused as I felt, and shrugged. “Why are their motions not in sync?”
I wondered the same. “Perhaps they have not properly learned the steps.” Every female, beautiful in her own right—some wearing Prillon collars, others Trion adornments, some with Atlan mating cuffs about their wrists—was moving as if distinctly separate from the others.
“They look like flapping birds panicked by a serpent.” Sambor’s dry humor was one of the reasons I kept him around all these years. The smile that creased my face was true.
“So they do. Lovely birds.” I did not allow my gaze to linger overlong on any one female, despite the beauty on display before us, as their very possessive mates watched from every angle and corner of the room. Sambor and I were one of less than a dozen unmated males who had been trusted to attend. I would not insult our Prime by causing problems with any of the mated females.
Nor did I wish to battle a raging Atlan beast or pair of mated Prillon males who might take offense at my interest in their mate.
“Why do they threaten endless spinning of their infants?” he asked, wincing. “‘Baby’ is their word for infant, correct? My NPU is not malfunctioning?”
“If so, mine is as well.” I noticed expressions similar to Sambor’s on the other males about the room. That had the corner of my lips tipping up yet again. I wasn’t the only one suffering. The ladies clapped in time to the heavy beats of music with obvious delight.
A beautiful young female moved to the front of the room and took a comm from the technician operating the strange, human music system. She lifted the unit to her mouth as the music faded. Thank the gods.
“Hi, everyone! I’m Lindsey from The Colony. That sexy Hunter, Kiel, is my mate.” She waved, her gaze lit with mischief. “Hi, sexy!”
Sambor and I turned our heads to see a large, very intimidating male standing with his arms crossed and an amused expression on his face as he lifted his fingers in the smallest possible wave. It was enough. Lindsey blew him a kiss and Sambor chuckled.
“Lucky fucker.”
“Indeed.” The Hunter would have been intimidating if not for this odd festive occasion. We had worked with Elite Hunter squads many times. Never did they look so… harmless.
Lindsey continued, moving her fingers now to indicate that Queen Jessica should come to the front. I returned my attention to the gathering of the other females, twittering with anticipation as the queen came forward to stand next to Lindsey.
“Happy birthday, Jessica!” Lindsey wrapped an arm around the queen and gave her an odd side hug.
The ladies all shouted the same as the shocked males looked on. We would not dare refer to her so familiarly.
The queen beamed. “Thank you all so much for this amazing surprise. Thank you, Lindsey. I know you helped Nial and Ander do this for me. I love you so much.” She looked up, tears gathering in her eyes as she worshipped her mates with her gaze. Never had she been shy about claiming her males in public—from the very first in the combat arena where she’d claimed both Nial and Ander before the entire crowd—and that was one of the reasons she was so beloved by all Prillons.
Fuck that. The entire Coalition Fleet.
The queen and Lindsey shared a look and Sambor chuckled. “I know females, Nik. That looks like trouble.”
I had to agree, but I remained silent as the queen continued.
“Do you know what I want for my birthday, ladies?”
“What?” a bunch of them shouted.
“Line dancing!”
The females put their hands in the air, their screams nearly deafening every suffering male in the room.
“What the fuck is a