Reality(1 in series) ~Completed~

Chapter Three

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, “You invited an Artoul here?”

 My brother shrugged, tearing into the meat in front of him, “She offered to help. It’s either this, or we start a war. The man was not going to let us use any of his women.”

I growled, looking to my other brother for a more in-depth explanation, but he did not give me one either, “My mate loves her. She is excited. Who am I to take that away from her? Plus, she found our son,” he paused, biting into a piece of fruit, “who Alanshia had been worried about after he ran off, yelling about a jayjay.”

Lionel, my youngest brother choked on his meat, “Jayjay? A vagina?”

Barking a laugh, Jamison looked at Lionel, “My son may grow up to be a beast, but I doubt he knows what a vagina is at this time.”

“Plus,” Gile stated from where he was drinking ale, “she is a peculiar little thing. I think having her around here will liven things up a little.”

I frowned, “Peculiar? She won’t survive. An Artoul has never been able to handle our air.”

Gile set his glass down and threw his feet up onto the table, “Well, I’ve never met a half-Artoul half-human before but if she can survive Lantia’s air, she can handle ours.”

I scoffed, “Lantia’s air? It’s not possible.”

Jamison shook his head, “That’s what she said, and Alanshia told me she wasn’t lying.”

I frowned and stood up, “Bring her then, the sooner the better.” With that I left the room and my three younger brothers behind me, talking about this girl.

The halls were quiet, and I had time to think about the problem we had. It wasn’t that our women were dying, it was that the only children being produced were boys. Five years ago, our women stopped having girls, and our population has dropped because of it. Our mates were few and far between with our women, and many of our warriors came back with mates of other species.

Our mate system is like a few other planets’, we are born with a second half. We can seek other relationships, and we won’t necessarily fall in love with our mate, but we can only procreate with our born one. Outside affairs are frowned upon in our society, but it is not uncommon. Especially with men who have mates with different life-spans.

My brothers are very easy going, and are faithful, though only one of them has found their mate, he does not stray and loves her deeply. The other two have relations with many women right now, and do not hide it, for it is healthy for us. We have a lot of stress, and having many women around helps.

Still walking, I heard the chatter of women, and when I turned the next corner, there was a group of our harem women. They all called out to me excitedly and I smiled openly at them. “Hello ladies,” I said, my voice echoing in the now quiet halls.

“Hello, Zale. We haven’t served you in a long time,” the lead women stepped forward and bowed.

I watched her sweep her hair to the side, proudly exposing her breast and born Tethran mark to my eyes. “This is true, and I’d love for you all to please me tonight, but I have business to take care of,” the lied floated smoothly out of my lips and even I couldn’t believe I was turning down the women I myself had chosen.

They all pouted, and nodded their acceptance as I walked by, keeping my ears open to their chatter as I walked away.

“Can you believe they are bringing an outsider in?” I heard one say.

“No, but Gile told me she was the most beautiful thing he had seen in a long time,” one spat, venom lacing her voice.

“She can’t be so beautiful, she is a half-breed!”