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UNEXPECTED - CHAPTER 5

"RESULTS"

Endeval awoke to his name being said quietly and a gentle shake on his shoulder. He blinked his sticky eyes rapidly a few times as he slowly became aware of his surroundings. He was still leaning on the counter, arms crossed, with the rest of his achy, protesting body propped in the hard chair. Jeremy gave him another gentle shake.

"N'dvaal?"

The human lifted his head, watching as the bleary-eyed reflection in the glass surface slowly drew away from him. The likeness in the glass was marred by the briny remains of the puddle of tears he had left there last night. Blinking again in the early morning light, he hissed as his back flared with pain. After a second of rubbing at the twinge, he turned to peer groggily at his native friend.

"Jeremy?"

The trim alien left his hand on the human's shoulder and gazed at him in a mixture of concern and mild fear.

"N'dvaal, why you here? You no come to breakfast. We get worried!"

Endeval nearly snorted at the word "we" but he refrained. He rubbed his eyes as he forced himself not speak coldly with his friend, even though he was still bitter inside.

"I'm sorry, Jeremy. I had a rough night. I'll just...grab some fruit or something after I get a shower."

The human stood painfully, trying to stretch the aches from his muscles, and walked around the surprised native to head for the door to the kitchen. Jeremy followed quietly behind him, his ears flicking back and forth in confusion. When he entered the kitchen, Endeval could still smell the remnants of breakfast in the air. He passed by the island grill and started across the kitchen towards the stairs when he noticed Antony and Angela coming in the door from the courtyard. Upon seeing him, the male stopped dead in surprise, his eyes flicking back and forth between the human and Jeremy. Angela, however, stepped further into the room, her sad gaze locked on Endeval as she reached forward with one hand.

"Endeval..."

The human looked into her eyes as he strode past, and then turned his head with a resigned shake. He almost stopped. Seeing her, hearing her voice his name again, it was like a knee to the stomach. He didn't know what kind of look was on his face right now, but it sure wasn't a smile. Endeval muttered as he hurried up the steps.

"I can't deal with this right now..."

As the human reached the door to his room, he could hear Jeremy, downstairs in the kitchen and speaking to the others.

"...don't know. M'a g'tleia h'clnia m'hai. I talk..."

Endeval entered his bedroom and crossed to his dresser. He was still looking through the clothes in his drawers when a soft knock sounded at the door. Straightening, the human took a deep breath and paused a moment to square his shoulders. A second knock was followed by Jeremy's voice.

"N'dvaal?"

"Come in, Jeremy."

The plucky alien stepped into the room and turned to close the door behind him. He then swiveled in place to face the human, his posture and ears making him appear hesitant. Endeval sighed again and crossed over to flop down in his desk chair. He leaned forward and set his forehead in his hands, staring at a point on the floor. He watched Jeremy's feet appear quietly in his line of sight as the native man sat down on his usual spot on the side of the bed. His voice was also quiet.

"N'dvaal...what wrong?"

Endeval sighed and rubbed at his temples with his fingertips.

"I don't know how much I want to talk about it."

Jeremy leaned forward earnestly.

"N'dvaal, I your friend. I worried for you. You no have talked in two days. You no sleep in bed. You angry and quiet. What is wrong?"

The human raised his head to look at him.

"I'm...I don't know. Things are a little out of control in my life right now."

The native spread his hands, his ears flicking in concern.

"N'dvaal. I wish to help. N'tonee want to help. N'jllaa want to..."

At the mention of her name, Endeval couldn't help but snort, cutting him off. Jeremy straightened in surprise. Then, the native's ears flicked slightly to the sides.

"N'jllaa is problem? Thought you and she were friends?"

The human chided himself for letting himself slip. It wasn't Jeremy's fault, and now the intrepid native was just trying to help. Endeval wavered for a moment, and then made the fateful decision to spill it all.

"I thought we were too, and then I brought her home."

Jeremy cocked his head to the side, ears flicking.

"What change?"

The human's face went dead still.

"I'm pretty sure it was Antony."

The native's ears flicked forward as a puzzled look crossed his features.

"Antony? What he do with this?"

Endeval sighed and rubbed his eyes. The only way to explain this properly was to start from the beginning.

"It's like this, Jeremy. When I first met Angela, it wasn't under the best circumstances, as you can imagine. She didn't know me as anything other than some big, scary human who just bought her tag from the militia. I spent the next three days trying to show her I was different..."

The human continued to tell Jeremy everything from the moment he cut Angela's bonds to the first full day in Branston.

"...and after we spent the day together. I started to feel...I don't know...like we could possibly be more than friends? She's smart, fun, pretty, and even forgave me for getting her branded, so I thought. When we spent that second night in the hotel, she insisted that I sleep beside her in bed."

The native leaned forward, his eyes wide.

"N'dvaal...you mate with N'jllaa?"

Endeval grimaced and shook his head.

"Err...no...not that night. We left Branston the next morning, but Angela was flirting with me all day. I started to teach her Common on the trail, and then she kissed me. After that, she was a little distant, and I thought I had said or done something wrong. But then, after we set up camp that night, she pulled me into the tent and...well...things got intimate."

Jeremy's mouth fell open in surprise. His wide stare wandered into the distance for a split second and then he swallowed audibly before replying.

"N'dvaal! You mate with N'jllaa! This is...is...you not know the serious of this."

The human gave him a pensive stare, his voice hardening slightly.

"Jeremy. I think this is very serious. I...I fell in love with her..."

The native gulped again, chastised, and his ears twitched to the sides.

"I sorry N'dvaal. I should know you not do this lightly. But if you love N'jllaa, why you no speak to her?"

Endeval winced slightly, but ignored the sudden flare of painful emotions.

"Because she doesn't want me anymore."

Jeremy was plainly confused.

"What you mean?"

The human took a deep breath, knowing this would hurt to admit.

"After we got home, Angela left me for Antony."

There. It was out. And it didn't feel much better. Across from him, the native looked even more puzzled.

"N'tonee? You are sure?"

Endeval nodded sadly.

"I saw them together. When Angela spotted him, she didn't even know I was here. At first I just thought it was because they hadn't seen each other in so long, but then I saw them together in the courtyard that night. Angela crawled all over him like they had been a couple for years. I went into my room to think, and then I heard them come up and have sex in Antony's room."

Jeremy was blinking, a confused frown on his face.

"N'dvaal. You are sure N'jllaa and N'tonee mate?"

The human frowned and leaned forward to emphasize his words.

"I 'mated' with her every night we were on the trail home, Jeremy. I think the bed thumping against the wall and the heavy purrs were easy enough for me to recognize!"

The native shied back a little at his stern tone, but then scratched his head in bewilderment while he uttered under his breath.

"I no understand. N'tonee?"

Endeval leaned back and sighed sadly.

"Yeah. And this is all after I told her that I loved her. The way it was when we were on the trail, I thought she loved me back. She even said so the first night before we were...um...physical."

Jeremy cocked his head to the side.

"N'jllaa tell you she love you?"

The human nodded, his eyes full of pain at the memory.

"I remember it. She said it in the Tongue of the People. There was some kind of oath that I never heard before, and then she whispered the end again to me. It was right after that when we mated for the first time."

At the mention of an oath, Jeremy was suddenly rigid, his ears perked forward intently as he stared at the human.

"N'dvaal, what she say to you?"

Endeval was suddenly wary. The native's face showed extreme seriousness. He struggled to remember the exact words.

"It was something like...ma ha...p...ah...moa..."

Jeremy leaned forward, his intense gaze looking out of place on stunned features.

*** M'a p'moaa'niu?***

The human nodded as he recognized the phrase.

"Yes. I'm pretty sure that was it."

The dazed native went blank as he began to speak.

\ **B'nya ncl'cg'raoo ct'ncl'd'cvoa d'nea ncl'd'creea, m'a P'MOAA'niu*.*

Endeval leaned forward in curiosity as the words rang true in his memory. He frowned as he looked at his friend.

"That was the oath she used. What does it mean?"

Jeremy didn't appear to hear the question. He was shaking his head and slowly huffing louder and louder. With a snarl that had Endeval rocking back in his chair, the native man leapt to his feet and started for the door of the bedroom. His features were a mask of anger and his tail was lashing about wildly.

"Foolish young ones!"

Jeremy yanked open the bedroom door before Endeval could speak. The human had never in all his time with the native seen him so angry. It brought a flutter of uncertainty to his chest even as Jeremy took a deep breath and hollered out the door.

*N'TONEEE!!! M'cloee j'lraao g'shee!!*

The native man left the door hanging open and stalked across the room to stand next to Endeval. He turned to face the door, arms crossed and a scowl on his face. The human blinked in surprise as he watched Jeremy's tail continue to lash in irritation. From outside, the sound of running footsteps on stone heralded the approach of the younger native. Antony stepped into the room, his eyes widened in apprehension. Jeremy barked at him immediately.

"N'tonee! Close door. Come here!"

The younger native did what he was told, his ears splaying to the sides as he slowly crossed the room to stand in front of the two. The older native spoke again, his tone stern.

"N'tonee, what N'jllaa say to you about N'dvaal?"

Antony glanced between him and Endeval in confusion before clearing his throat.

"N'jllaa? She say N'dvaal mad? No speak her. Not know why. She very sad. I say be ok. Boss very busy. I make joke, tell story. Make her feel better..."

Endeval's heart lurched at the words, but he kept his face neutral. It still didn't explain why she ran off to Antony so abruptly. Beside him, Jeremy barked again.

"N'tonee! You now mate with N'jllaa?"

The young alien almost choked, his eyes widening again.

"What? No!...yes?...maybe?"

Now Endeval had to say something. He cocked a thumb at the wall behind his desk.

"Maybe? I saw her grinding and wiggling in your lap down in the courtyard! And then a few minutes later, I heard the two of you in your room! Your bed was banging against my wall!"

Antony went still, his ears alternately folding back and then splaying to the sides. His tail crept around to where he could start wringing at it with his hands.

"That...that not what it sound. Was...game?"

The human frowned as a spark of anger stirred in his breast.

"Having sex with Angela is a game?"

The young native sputtered.

"Yes?...No!...ah..."

Jeremy placed a hand on Endeval's shoulder. The human turned to look at him as he shook his head slightly. Taking the hint, Endeval forced himself to be quiet as the older native looked back at Antony.

"N'tonee. N'jllaa tell you she P'moee ct'h'mra?"

The younger native froze, his jaw falling open. His ears slapped back to nearly blend in with his skull. The whites of his eyes were visible all around his pupils. When he spoke, his voice was a whisper.

"N'jllaa? P'moee ct'h'mra? Who?"

Jeremy nodded his head.

"N'dvaal."

Antony gaped at the human in shock for a few seconds, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly. Then, with a cry of anguish, the young alien threw himself to the floor at Endeval's feet.

"M'tnaa r'yrrsa, N'dvaal! I not know. No hurt me!"

The human was suddenly very uncomfortable. True, he was upset with Antony for stealing Angela away so easily, but this disconcerting reaction was way more than he expected. Somewhere, there were implications that he didn't understand. He glanced at Jeremy for answers.

"Jeremy, what's going on? Antony! Stop blubbering! I'm not going to hurt you!"

As the younger native sniffled and backed away on his hands and knees, Jeremy spoke softly to Endeval.

"N'dvaal. N'jllaa choose you to be mate for rest of life. Make the Oath."

The human looked at him incredulously, his heart suddenly pounding in his ears.

"What? She chose me? Then why did she and Antony..."

Endeval and the older native both turned to Antony. Jeremy's voice was nearly a growl.

"Yes. Why N'tonee? Why you mate with N'jllaa?"

The young alien had risen to his knees. He hung his head, staring at the floor while his ears splayed far out to the sides. His voice was raspy.

"Not mate N'jllaa. She mate me..."

The human was reeling. For a split second, he had felt a tiny bit of joyful wonder at the fact that Angela had chosen him as her mate, but now Antony's words brought back his anger.

"What's the difference?"

A calming hand on his shoulder made him turn his head. Jeremy was staring down at the young native with a confused frown.

"N'tonee? Change mind? Now want woman?"

Antony never looked up as he shook his head.

"No. No change mind."

Endeval felt off. Something about this wasn't sounding right...again. He looked at the older native.

"What is he talking about?"

Jeremy glanced at the human with surprise, and then frowned at Antony again.

"N'tonee? You never tell N'dvaal?"

Endeval was looking back and forth, confusion replacing his earlier anger.

"Tell me what?"

The younger alien lifted his head to stare sadly at Jeremy. His lips trembled as he spoke.

"I have tell him?"

The older alien gave him a stern nod.

"Tell now, N'tonee! N'dvaal not understand. Not know why this so confusing!"

Antony turned his face to Endeval, his shoulders slumped, his hands dangled in his lap, and his face filled with sorrow. With great reluctance, he took a breath.

"N'tonee is Hc'd'lonaa...have no honor."

The human's face was perplexed as the young native continued in a choked voice.

"N'tonee...like...be female..."

For a few seconds, Endeval didn't understand, and then it began to dawn on him.

"Wait a minute...you're...gay?"

Tears streamed down Antony's face as he nodded.

"Long time ago. Tell N'jllaa secret. She understand. But I her H'mra Ct'unoi. Expected companion. Time come for N'jllaa father say choose. I tell secret to whole Clan. N'jllaa father very angry. Tell me leave Clan, never come back..."

Endeval sat back in his chair, mouth gaping in surprise. His mind was dumbfounded at this new information. Little things began to piece together in his head that he had not noticed before, like the way Antony acted around other humans. He would bounce, and giggle, and make sure every male who entered the store got a close look at his body, usually by showing off his tattoo. And the bars! Space crews were an isolated bunch, spending long years in isolation with just each other. They were notorious for being omni-sexual and ravenously pursuing any unique sexual opportunity on the worlds at which they would dock. To Antony, the bars in town were a never-ending selection of hungry human men willing to lay with another male, especially an exotic alien. And then there was the staggering amount of gifts and trinkets he brought home for "doing stuff", each one something shiny or brazen. Endeval blinked at the youngling, and then a thought occurred to him.

"But...if you like males, what were you and Angela doing in your room?"

Antony rose to his feet, his head still hanging in shame.

"I show. Be back."

The native turned and crossed to the door. While he was gone, Endeval looked over at Jeremy in total astonishment.

"This...doesn't make any sense! I thought...I...they..."

A sudden thought washed over him. What have I done?

Just then, Antony returned to the room, closing the door behind him with his tail. In his hands he carried an ornately carved wooden box about a foot square. He slumped across the room and knelt at Endeval's feet, offering the box with both hands. The human blinked in surprise and took the chest. The outside was heavily decorated with carved swirls and looked very old. With shaking hands, Endeval set the box on his lap and lifted the heavy wooden lid. Inside, the first glance appeared to be a tangle of leather and metal rings. The human peered closer, and suddenly he could make out an elaborately carved length of wood nestled at the bottom of the fur-lined case. The wooden piece was about the length of his hand, cylindrical, and was covered in tiny, intricate carvings. The more he looked, the more Endeval realized it looked like a...

"Seriously?"

Endeval's cheeks flared crimson as he looked up at Antony in astonishment. The leather straps, rings, and carved wood in the box all added up to an embarrassing revelation. It was a strap-on! Antony had handed him a sex toy! Judging from the leather, wood, and hammered metal, it was made locally on the planet. Now that he understood what it was, Endeval could see the care in which it was made, and the age of it in the worn leather. He blinked at the young alien again as his mouth uttered the first random thought that came to his mind.

"Where did you get this?"

Antony hung his head again.

"N'jllaa make when young. Give me for present."

Endeval was still reeling as his mind groped for answers about the things he had seen. So Angela had used this on Antony that evening. That might explain the bed banging the wall, but...

"Antony. If this is what you were doing with Angela that night, then what was that whole thing with the two of you in the courtyard? It looked like she was trying to mate you right through your clothes!"

The native never looked up, keeping his eyes on a spot on the floor.

"When grow up, N'jllaa tease me about secret. She rub me and ask...I change mind yet? I say no. She try harder. Ask... I want woman? I say no. Make game. Then...she use toy. Make happy."

The human felt a cold lump settle in his stomach. What he had witnessed had been some kind of erotic teasing game? And all this time he thought she had just left him for Antony! Endeval groaned and flopped backwards in the chair to stare at the ceiling. The bubbling cauldron of emotions over the last two days, coupled with the rollercoaster ride this morning, left him twisted and raw inside. Small relief warred with guilt and annoyance warred with embarrassment. He was relatively happy and relieved to hear that Angela didn't just abandon him, but now he was faced with the consequences of how he had treated her...them...over the last two days. Thinking back, he found that he was still upset about what had happened between the two natives, childhood game or otherwise. As he lifted his head to say something about it, Jeremy seemed to read his mind as he spoke first.

"N'tonee. Child game or no. Was still wrong to take N'jllaa away from mate."

Antony seemed to deflate in on himself as he quivered. His eyes never left the floor.

"I not know! N'jllaa no say anything! Only when N'dvaal no around she worry. Say to me she and N'dvaal good friend. Need to talk. No find N'dvaal in room. She stay in mine for night. Next day, N'dvaal come from stable, look very mad. N'jllaa worry more. Not know why N'dvaal mad. All day wait for N'dvaal come home. No see all night. Next day, N'dvaal no at breakfast. Search house. N'dvaal no talk when N'jllaa say name. Look very mad!"

The older native shook his head in exasperation as he glanced at the human. Endeval was still mulling everything over, heaps of guilt drowning out other emotions as he heard what Antony said. He had been somewhat of a fool not to trust Angela, but the way it had looked had been really, really...bad. Admittedly, he still felt that she had not acted rather well in this either, dashing off without a backward glance and then running to Antony's room to play sex games! At this point, he wondered if knowing the truth about the younger native would have changed his initial perceptions at all. He looked up at Antony.

"Antony. Why did you not tell me the truth about yourself in the first place? I may have not reacted so strongly if I had known."

The youthful alien ducked his head even further, his voice nearly a whisper.

"Want stay here. No want kick out."

Endeval rolled the statement over in his head. Once again, he was dealing with a native friend who was worried that he was going to evict them over some misunderstanding. Curiously, the animosity from earlier had completely dissipated. All he saw before him was a frightened youngster, and that bugged him. Placing the lid back on the box in his lap, Endeval leaned forward to speak softly.

"Antony? I'm not kicking you out. We are still friends...who need to talk a lot more. This whole situation has proven that. I'm not particularly happy with what happened between you and Angela the other night, but I'm trying to understand, now that I know the whole story."

The human handed the box back to him as he continued.

"Here. Just do me a favor and not use this with my mate anymore, please?"

Antony took the box, face sad as he finally looked up. He nodded as Endeval sighed and spoke again.

"Now, since we are clearing this all up, I want you to know that I really don't care to who you're attracted. I'm pretty open-minded about things, and I think we would still have been friends even had you told me from the very beginning. You can ask Jeremy, I thought you were something special from the moment you showed up here..."

A sudden snort from beside him caught Endeval's attention. He turned to Jeremy and was surprised to find the older native chuckling into his hand, eyes twinkling with amusement. Raising an eyebrow, the human cocked his head.

"Um...what's so funny?"

Jeremy smiled at him.

"N'dvaal. N'tonee come here after see you running. Follow home."

The human still didn't get it.

"Yeah. I remember. What about it?"

The older native's eyes crinkled with mirth.

"You good-looking man."

"G'rmee!!"

Antony had cried out and stiffened in shock, his mouth hanging open.

"You promise! You no tell!"

The younger native clapped both hands to his mouth, his horrified gaze swiveling slowly over to Endeval and looked at the human fearfully. Endeval looked back at him in astoundment. The last two days had been hell with all of the fears, doubts, and insecurities he had been experiencing, let alone the anger. This latest, stunning revelation caught him completely unprepared. He looked at Antony, who stared back over his cupped hands, the visible portion of his splayed ears deep-red in embarrassment. At the moment, he looked so young, and so abashed, that Endeval couldn't help but feel amused. With the bemusement came a chuckle, and soon the human was laughing heartily. It was a wave of relief after so much stress, a release valve on the pressure inside. Beside him, Jeremy joined in, and for a moment it felt like old times, the two older companions finding hilarity in the antics of the youngest. Endeval tapered off to a chuckle, wiping his eyes as he grinned at Antony.

"Oh...relax, Antony. Stop looking so terrified and stand up."

The young native climbed to his feet, his hands wringing together as the box lay forgotten on the floor. The human stood up from the chair and stepped forward to envelop him in a hug. Antony stiffened in surprise, and then threw his arms around Endeval in relief. The human could feel him trembling in his grasp as the youngster squeezed with enough force to make his aching back creak in protest. Most every other time, Endeval had returned the youngling's hugs with minimal commitment, but now he squeezed back just as much. Antony slowly rubbed his cheek against him, the still-wet fur leaving a damp spot on the human's shoulder. After a solemn moment, the young alien sighed and relaxed against him, readjusting his grip as his tail slowly undulated back and forth. Endeval turned his head slightly to chuckle in his ear.

"If you start purring, I'm taking your toy away..."

Antony leaned back to blink at him in surprise. When he saw the human grinning at him in jest, he smiled back, ears pinking in embarrassment again.

"I sorry. Smell good."

Endeval shook his head and rolled his eyes as he released the native with a smile.

"Oh yuck, Antony. I need a shower..."

The youngling ducked his head and looked back with a silly grin. The human shook his head again and turned to look at Jeremy. The older alien looked on with a satisfied smile, and then he abruptly changed his features to address the younger alien authoritatively.

"N'tonee. Go to room. Take, put away box. Stay in room for while. Think hard! Are grown-up now. Actions without thought now will hurt others. Must learn to open eyes and see more! I will come, talk later."

Antony paused, his face unreadable, and then bowed.

"Yes, S'rau Ct'f'drooi."

Jeremy blinked in shock, and then nodded.

"Go, S'rau Ct'f'laoo."

The younger alien scooped the box up from the floor and hurried out of the room. Endeval had noticed the last part of the exchange and turned to ask.

"What was that last part?"

The plucky native stared at the bedroom door in thought for a moment, and then turned to the human.

"N'tonee call me Not-Father. Is for high respect. Mean I am like father for him. Is...is..."

Jeremy trailed off thoughtfully, and then shook his head to regroup his thoughts. Endeval watched him for a moment, and then sat back down in the chair. This morning he had been sure he had lost the woman he loved. Now, he had come to realize there were things he didn't completely understand or know about Alemucian society that had an impact on what had happened. He had reacted, not only to what he believed he saw, but to his own doubts on whether he was doing the right thing by Angela. He once again turned to Jeremy for answers.

"What have I done? I didn't stop to think, I just reacted to...to what I thought I saw. I didn't think it might be different with someone from The People."

The older native sighed and went to sit on the edge of the bed. After a moment of thought, he spoke quietly.

"N'dvaal, younglings are H'mra Ct'unoi, they try...learn...explore mating. Are...expected till choose. Is normal. But! Choose P'moee ct'h'mra. Is...commitment. Is very strong Oath. Though N'jllaa took role of male, still is mating. Should not happen!"

Endeval looked at him, his emotions still swirling as he learned more and more.

"That's what I don't understand now. Why would she Choose me and then go and do that? I realize I didn't know what she was saying when she gave that Oath. Maybe it is because I'm human? Or that I didn't give the oath back or..."

Jeremy held up a hand, frowning in frustration.

"N'dvaal. I know you good man, human or no. Make good P'moee ct'h'mra when you know what is it. Oath is for each to give. I give oath long, long time ago to N'jllaa mother. Also get from N'jllaa father. Mother choose Father, not me. No have any other from then. Love belong to N'jllaa mother, will never have...family."

The human stared at him in sadness. Jeremy pledged his love to a woman who chose another over him, and he held his pledge over all these years? The serious nature of this situation between N'jllaa and him was starting to take shape. He sighed loudly.

"I'm so sorry."

The older native waved his hand gently.

"Is not problem. Happen long ago. But show you the serious of this. How you feel about N'jllaa right now?"

Endeval glanced in surprise at the question as his thoughts churned for answers. He had been furious with her, lost without her, starving for her touch again, and every possible thing in between. Yet, through it all, he was just thinking of her. He remembered at one point, he was willing to try to forget her as long as he knew she was happy. What possible way could he describe how he felt? He looked at Jeremy.

"I...I still love her. Very, very much."

The native stood solemnly and nodded to Endeval.

"Good. Stay here. I go talk N'jllaa. Remind of the serious of her oath."

The human watched him turn and cross to the doorway and listened as the footsteps descended the stairs. In moments, the sound of voices drifted up from the kitchen below. The voices rose and fell in volume over long, long minutes. Endeval eventually turned his chair to face his window, staring out over the top of the other side of the compound to watch the waves repeatedly strike the beach below. After a while, he crossed his arms and propped his chin on them, staring listlessly into the distance. Inside, he was a tornado of emotions. He was more than annoyed that the whole situation had occurred in the first place, coupled with a small sense of relief that it had turned out not to be what he had first thought . His talk with Antony had helped a lot, now that he knew the truth. But when a certain female face floated across the stage of his mind, he felt his gut clench, and then paused to wonder why. Falling in love with Angela had not been expected, and the days they spent together on the trail had been some of the best he could ever remember. However, the pain he had felt, and the betrayal from when he thought she was lost to him, was more than he wanted to ever experience again. It seemed to him that every emotion he associated with her was going to be to the extreme. What was next? As if to answer his question, he heard the voices in the kitchen below reach a fevered pitch before trailing off to noiselessness. After a few minutes, the quiet shuffle of climbing sounded on the stone steps. Endeval turned his head slightly at the noise on the stairs. He couldn't be sure, but it sounded like more than one pair of feet. A soft knock at the door was followed by a voice.

"N'dvaal?"

The human turned around to discover Jeremy standing just inside the open doorway. The native blinked and bowed slightly.

"N'jllaa ask me translate for you. I do if you ok let me."

Endeval paused only a second before answering.

"I would appreciate that, Jeremy. Thank you"

The human took a deep breath, his heartbeat hammering in his ears, as the male stepped to one side and nodded out the doorway. With no flourish or fanfare, Angela stepped into the room, eyes downcast and her hands clasped at her waist. Just the sight of her made Endeval's stomach clench, not in anger, but in presentiment. Looking at her brought back the maelstrom of emotions from earlier, and he watched as she quickly glanced around the room before casting her gaze to the floor again. Curiously, the human felt a twinge of sadness that Angela's first true glimpse of his room was only after two days of emotional misery. The furry female crept forward timidly and rounded the corner of his bed, all while watching the floor. She stopped at the side of the bed and spoke, her voice barely a whisper.

"I sit?"

Endeval swallowed, his mouth suddenly going dry, before replying quietly.

"Yes...please."

Angela sat down gracefully and placed her hands in her lap. Her gaze stayed fixed on the floor, ears flattened out to both sides in abject nervousness. The human shifted slightly in his chair and the female across from him twitched at the motion. Endeval spotted the movement and his heart lurched in his chest. Angela was afraid? Of him? Suddenly, the human was even more uncomfortable with the situation. Despite everything, the last thing he wanted was for her to be scared of him! He cleared his throat, determined to get things out in the open as soon as possible.

"Listen, I just..."

Jeremy had come up to stand against the wall and off to one side. He coughed into his hand and quietly interrupted the human.

"N'dvaal."

Endeval looked up at Jeremy in surprise. The slender alien nodded at Angela.

"N'jllaa has broken oath. Must allow to speak first."

The human blinked in astonishment. Once again, there was more here than he realized. Angela took a deep breath, catching Endeval's attention, and sighed softly. She raised her head and looked him in the face for the first time since this morning. He was shocked to see her deep-green eyes were glassy and reddened, like she had been crying for some time. Her voice was still quiet as she started to speak, stringing out a long spurt of Alemucian and only pausing long enough to allow Jeremy to translate.

"N'dvaal, I have done wrong for you. I break oath. Now wait for you judgment."

Endeval listened to the translation as a jolt of uneasiness slithered up his spine. Judgment? Jeremy had said nothing about judgment! He leaned forward a little, the sight of her profound sadness tearing him up inside all over again.

"Angela, I just would like to know why. Why did you just walk away? I thought it was just me, and then I saw you and Antony in the courtyard. Then I heard you in the next room. What was I supposed to think?"

The human paused for a split second, reining in his emotions as he held up a hand to make Jeremy wait a moment. Then he continued sadly.

"I didn't understand. I didn't know about you, and Antony, or what it is like to grow up in the Clans. I only knew how much it hurt me."

He nodded at the male native, who immediately began relaying his words. Angela listened, her bottom lip beginning to tremble as her eyes filled with liquid once more. After a moment, she spoke again, her voice hoarse and shaky. The translation came after each pause.

"N'tonee was greatest friend when young. Share everything. Year ago, he is banished to never come back. When he is here in home of you, is joy and happiness to see again. Want remember long ago. Share stories and be friend again. All day talk, spend time."

The native woman paused again, struggling to keep looking into his face.

"N'tonee talk about games we play when younger. Tell me still have toy I make him. Tell me about other humans he mate. I tell N'tonee I mate first time. He ask 'like me?' and I tell him no. I tell him with other male. N'tonee ask, 'what male like?' I say, 'you no take.' N'tonee say, 'I can'. Is start of game. I play. Not think. I go N'tonee room. Finish game."

Tears dribbled over her cheeks as she continued.

"N'tonee is happy. I leave, go you room door. No answer. I worry, go N'tonee. He say stay, will be ok. Next day you come in, look hurt, mad. Not know why you mad. I ask N'tonee why you mad. He say you busy, talk later. No come home, no see. Worry you no want see me anymore. N'tonee say is ok, will see in morning. Next day, you no there. Look everywhere. See you come in. Am worry, try to talk. You very mad. G'rmee go up, talk. G'rmee come down.

The native woman took a deep breath, a hitch in her throat as she spoke.

"G'rmee tell me why. I hurt you. I hurt you bad. I not think. I no want hurt you."

Angela glanced away for a moment, her ears drooping as she sniffled. When she looked back, her teary eyes were wracked with pain. Her next words needed no translation for Endeval.

"M'tnaa r'yrrsa, Endeval. I very, very sorry..."

The human listened as his heart pounded away in his ribcage. All the rest of the pain, jealousy, and anger drained from him as he looked at her suffering in misery. He didn't know what to do. He was poised on the edge of an emotional precipice where his feelings could sway one way or the other. He looked over at Jeremy.

"What is a judgment? What normally happens with this?"

The intrepid native rubbed his chin.

"Cast out from Clan. Make cut in ear to show lack of honor. She make oath, no you. Spend life with no mate, no family. All will know, shun her."

Endeval was horrified. This was far more serious than he had guessed!

"I don't want that! It was a game! Her and Antony were just..."

The human stalled into nothing, his face twisted into amazement at the sudden change in how he felt. He had been so outraged at what had happened, and now he was leaping to her defense. Looking up, he witnessed Jeremy's lips begin to curl into a small, knowing smile. Endeval took a deep breath and turned back to Angela.

"I just have one last question I want to know. I...I need to know...why did you choose me?"

The native female listened to the translation, and her sad eyes roamed his features as she spoke.

"You kind to me when no have to be. I no like you at first. Thought you like other human, want slave. You treat me nice. Put me before you. Protect me from other human. I see you kindness to other of the People. I see you passion when I am marked. I think you make good friend. You spend day with me. No hide as friend, show everyone. I start think you make better friend. I see you hurt from mark. I see you put me before you again. Now I wonder. N'mmii give me idea to choose you. I think all night how you would be with me. In the night you hold me close, make me feel good. I know then you right. Spend day think about. I choose you. Am happy you wanted me like I wanted you."

Endeval felt a surge behind his eyes as the memories of those days played across his mind. The whole time, he had wished he knew what she was thinking, and now he knew. One phrase kept coming back to him. I know then you right. She didn't judge him as a human, or an oppressor, or as someone who had dragged her off and burned her arm. She picked him because he was right. Like a damn bursting, all of the love he had tried to push away came flooding into him. He had been an idiot, doubting himself to be good enough to love her, and now those doubts were washed away in light of her revelation. Endeval suddenly slid from the chair to his knees in front of her, cupping her surprised face in his hands as he spoke.

"Angela, I was a fool. I thought you wouldn't really love me because I was human. It was those doubts that made me so quick to think you had left me. I'm sorry too. Will you forgive me for being so blind?"

The female was startled as she heard the translation, and then nodded in his palms.

"Yes."

"Would you choose me again, if you had the chance?"

To his delighted surprise, Angela didn't hesitate. As soon as she knew what he said, she laid her hands over his and gave him a beautiful smile.

"Yes! Yes..."

Jeremy coughed politely and spoke from the wall.

"N'dvaal...judge."

The human glanced up at him in shock. Judge? What was he to judge now? He searched his heart, and found that he had forgiven her for anything almost the second he knew what had truly happened. Now it was just a matter of saying so. He turned back to Angela, his thumbs rubbing against her wet cheeks.

"This is my judgment...You will stay with me...always."

The furry woman's eyes widened in amazement as the words were translated. Endeval smiled softly and spoke again.

"Jeremy, how do you say it?"

The older native blinked, one ear flicking up in curiosity.

"How say what?"

"The Choosing Oath, Jeremy. I want to know."

Startled, the svelte alien began to intone. As the words rolled off his lips, Endeval followed right along behind in repetition.

\ **B'nya ncl'cg'raoo ct'ncl'd'cvoa d'nea ncl'd'creea, m'a P'MOAA'niu*.*

Angela stiffened in his hands, her eyes nearly bugging out of her skull. The human dug his fingers into the ruff behind her ears and smiled at her lovingly.

"I choose you, Angela."

Instantly, the female native lunged from the edge of the bed and wrapped her arms around him. Endeval pulled her in tight, stroking her back with his hand as she trembled against his chest. It felt so, so very good to hold her again, like a missing part of his body had come back home. He rubbed his cheek on top of her head as he wordlessly gushed with happiness. Angela buried her face in the hollow of his neck, her body quivering with emotion. The human could feel her blunt claws pressing into his back as she pulled him closer still. Endeval trembled for a moment as love and warmth suffused his body. The pain was all in the past now...and he just wanted to be with the woman he loved. He looked up at Jeremy, who nodded and smiled at the results. The male native turned and headed for the door.

"No need me now."

The second the door closed, Angela leaned her body back from his. Her hands slid up his chest to behind his head, and then she was pressing her lips to his in a fiery, passionate kiss. The female native pulled him tight, her lips and tongue hungrily on his as she shuffled her body closer to crawl into his lap. Endeval wrapped his hands around her hips and tugged her even closer yet. He wanted to feel her heartbeat against his chest, her body expand with every breath, and her soft fur brush against his exposed skin. He dropped his hands down to cup her magnificent buttocks through the thin pair of shorts she was wearing and held her firm in his lap. Angela immediately leaned back a little, lips still locked to his as she extended her neck. Her tail twitched to the side and encircled Endeval's wrist, tugging it away as she dragged her dull claws down over his chest and stomach. In a split second, she hooked the bottom of his tan polo and yanked it upward, forcing the human to raise his arms to avoid having them wrenched painfully into the air.

Endeval inclined back a little as the garment passed up and over his head. Angela's tongue followed the retreat of the cloth, blazing a warm, slick line up the front of his throat before attacking his mouth again. The native female was fervent in her motions, running her hands over his bare shoulders, arms, and torso as if to convince herself that he was really there. Her kissing was hot and ravenous, only interspersed with small gasps as she deftly guided the human's hands back to her bottom. Without missing a beat, Angela shuffled her tank top up over her prodigious chest and leaned back to pull it over her head. Tossing the shirt to one side, her eyes met his and paused. Panting lightly, Endeval looked into her deep-green wells and found raw, wanton desire and longing. The intensity of the yearning nearly took his breath away, and then Angela pulled him close again, dragging her fingers through his hair as she wrestled with his tongue.

Endeval lost himself in the furry female. Angela's sensual assault was filled with unbridled adoration and need, and not what he was expecting from this morning. He ran his hands up and down her silky back, pulling her as close as he could manage. In the back of his mind, he rejoiced in the simple fact that she was here, and wanting him. Their love had taken a hard blow, but the smoldering ember had persevered and now their passion flamed anew. The human stopped dwelling on what happened, stopped doubting, and turned his efforts to the dedicated purpose of reaffirming the love he shared with Angela. He huffed softly as his own desire and ardor overrode his chain of thought. Endeval abruptly separated from the female native, gently shuffling her back off of his lap. Even as Angela began to show doubtful surprise, the human scrambled to his feet and held out his hand. The furry female's face lit up in delight, and she used the offered lift to leap to her own feet. Without hesitation, the couple crashed back together, the human bending his head to renew the intense lip lock.

Angela spent several moments with one hand cupping the back of Endeval's head as she continued her oral onslaught. Then, she suddenly dropped her hands and wiggled her body somewhere unseen out of the human's sight. After a brief minute, he felt her fingers digging into the waistband of his khaki shorts, tugging insistently at the elastic cincture. Her movements were frantic and hurried, as though there was some physical consequence if he didn't instantly have them off. Her breath came in little pants through her nose as Endeval felt her hands burrow down the back of his shorts and then turn sideways, forcing the coverings to slide down over his hips. The human reached down to help, shuffling out of the last of his clothing. When he bent slightly to get them the whole way down, he discovered with enjoyment that the native woman had slipped out of her own thin shorts and stood completely naked in front of him. As he stood back up, he planted some soft kisses on her belly and chest. When he was finally standing completely upright, Angela was waiting for him.

The native woman reached out and clasped her hands behind the human's head, stepping backwards with a hungry grin on her face. Endeval followed her, partly from the draw on his head, and mostly from the delicious anticipation of her destination. He watched her saunter backwards with a flourish of her hips, reminded of just how beautiful she was to him. The view became even better when her legs struck the edge of the bed and she fell back, sliding her hands down to grasp his as she sprawled across the bed from side to side. Endeval fell forward from her insistent tug and lowered himself down on to her, their bodies pressing together atop the covers. Angela gave a small needy whine, her hips rolling upwards as he slid forward into a more natural position. Their lips met again, her hands clutching at his sides as she threw her legs around his waist and ground herself against him over and over. There was a moment of awkward positioning, and then abruptly he was inside her, delving into her warm body.

Angela gasped in pleasure at the penetration, her whole body shuddering as he slowly hilted inside her. No matter how many times they had made love, the first thrust always was the most difficult for her until she adjusted to his size. Endeval coasted to a standstill, giving her that sweet moment of first being filled. The furry woman moaned low in the back of her throat, and then renewed her passionate kisses, chest heaving in a long, rumbling purr of ecstasy. The human reciprocated her intense ardor, kissing her back as he let his hands wander over her curvy sides and hips. He rolled his hips forward and back, plunging in and out of her depths in long, slow strokes, aiming to stoke her body and sustain the burn of their lovemaking for as long as possible. Angela met his thrusts every time, blunt claws trailing lightly up and down his back as she sought to meld her body to his. Endeval gasped and huffed, his burning desire for her driving him deeper and deeper into the fires of passion. He reveled in her form, delighting in the feel of her shapely anatomy even as he sought to convey to her the lust, devotion, and admiration he felt for her. Every move they made together, every writhing undulation, was filled with the love they shared for each other.

Several incredible minutes passed, both lovers losing track of time and only aware of each other. Angela had bucked through a host of climaxes, gasping out in the human's ear as her body quivered below him. Endeval felt his own summit fast approaching, the delicious friction of her body stroking and caressing him with every movement. He increased his pace, arching his back with every lunge of his hips. The native woman sensed his impending zenith and rose to meet him every time, her whole form silently, subtly pleading for his release. The human stop trying to hold back, sliding his hands next to her body as he buried his face in her shoulder and began to thrust wildly. Angela dug her claws into the middle of his back, her cheek pressed tightly against the side of his head as he pounded himself into her depths. There was moment; a hitch of indrawn breath, and the building pressure inside broke free in a cascading wave of release. Endeval grit his teeth as he buried his nose into the thick ruff of her neck, his fluids ejecting into her snug passage in long, languorous spurts. The fuzzy woman gasped at the discharge, her insides flexing and clenching around him as if to milk him for everything he had. The two lovers quivered through the moments, riding the high of their mutual orgasms, and then slowly settled down, each panting in the others ear. After a long pause, filled with the blissful sensations of their afterglow, Angela turned her head and whispered softly.

"Endeval?"

The human shifted his hands so he could lever up to see her face.

"Yes?"

The female stared into his eyes, love and warmth gushing from every pore. One fuzzy finger dragged a trail down the side of his cheek as she spoke.

"Angela...yours. Endeval...mine?"

He looked down at her and smiled. Forget the corporation, registrations, and marks. Forget oaths and obligations. Forget everything and everyone who thought they had a say in how they should act. Right here and right now, with just the two of them alone in the room, there was only one way he could answer.

"Heart, body, mind, and soul. I love you, Angela."

The female kissed him softly, her eyes gleaming with happiness.

"Love you, Endeval."