Freeing Luka: The Clecanian Series Book 2 by Victoria Aveline (readict books TXT) 📕

Jade pulled her in for a firm hug then released her. “So, you’re Luka’s mate! That’s so exciting! This grump behind me is Theo. One of Luka’s brothers.” Jade hiked her thumb toward the man, who was now peering at Alice curiously.

“Izzo is your brother too?” she asked. How many siblings does Luka have?

“Yes,” he said simply.

One brother is a Chatty Cathy, and the other is quiet and broody. She searched the room again. Who would Luka be more similar to?

Theo continued to stare at her, but Alice didn’t know what else to say. She motioned to his arm. “Um…I like your tattoos.”

Jade let out a loud bark of laughter and then beamed at Theo’s surprised face. She grabbed his hand, and a purr resonated in his chest. “Told you so.”

Alice wasn’t sure what they were talking about, but she sighed longingly at their exchange. Theo purred and gazed at Jade like she was the sun itself.

She hoped one day Luka might look at her that way. If he and Theo were brothers, then maybe he wouldn’t find the relationship between humans and Clecanians unappealing.

“Let me introduce you to everyone,” Jade said happily, waddling to the table and tugging a besotted Theo behind her.

As they approached ahead of Alice, the large demon stood and greeted the couple warmly.

Must only look scary. Alice tried to combat her knee-jerk response of fear.

Jade turned to her. “This is Rhaego. He’s a really great guy and one of Theo and Luka’s good friends.”

Alice smiled as the demon gave her a low formal bow. “It’s an honor to meet another human female.”

Well, he may look like a demon, but he has the manners of a prince.

He glanced nervously between her and Jade. “I’m sorry if my appearance is startling to you.”

Alice felt a pang of guilt for her earlier reaction. “No, it’s my fault. I’m still not used to seeing aliens who look…alien,” she finished dumbly.

Theo made his way to the vacant seat next to Rhaego. The two men sat and began speaking casually.

Jade awkwardly sank into her chair. “I tried to explain what a demon is on our planet in order to prepare him for other humans’ reactions, but I feel like he got offended,” she whispered, glancing back toward Rhaego. She smiled. “He’s the biggest softy ever, and his dream is to find a mate. I think the fact that most of us are pretty terrified of him when we first see him has dashed his hopes a bit.”

Alice looked back to Rhaego and felt sympathy bloom in her chest. Sure, at first he’d looked like something out of a nightmare, but now that she’d met him, she found he was very handsome in his own way. If she wasn’t so infatuated with Luka, she was sure she could get on board the sexy demon train. Alice decided she’d try and talk him up to Vanessa.

Chapter 11

Luka watched from the trees as Alice sunned herself on her floating patio. The orange light danced off her shining brown locks, and he could just make out lighter shades of gold streaking the hair around her oval face.

Loose shorts and a sleeveless shirt covered her well enough but did nothing to keep his mind from guessing at the soft curves beneath. She was like something out of a fever dream. In his case, she actually was something out of Luka’s dreams.

The glowing bilom swimming in the lake, reflected on her face, obscuring the true color of her eyes, and he found himself cursing the beautiful creatures. No matter how mesmerizing the bilom were, the deep blue eyes he’d been dreaming about were a hundred times more so.

After he’d awoken in his bed and his brothers had explained what’d happened to him, he’d been a wreck. Helas’ violation of him was a trauma he could overcome in time, but if he’d found a true mate only to lose her because of what Helas had done…well, he didn’t know if he could come back from that.

As far back as he could remember, he’d yearned for a mate and a family. His own mother had died before his mind had been mature enough to properly remember her. In the wake of her death, his father had done the best he could to divide his attention evenly among his five children, but when Luka looked back on his childhood, he couldn’t help but remember feeling neglected.

He’d always wished he could have a female all to himself. Someone whose attention wasn’t divided among many. A female he could shower with affection and who’d hopefully return the sentiment. A permanent mate he could share his life with.

But in a world under strain, where loyalty to saving their species outweighed loyalty to any single person, seeking a wife who’d be willing to stay with one husband was nearly impossible.

To the Clecanian’s knowledge, only three compatible species have existed. The Dyasque, who live on an overly populated planet galaxies away and whose females kill their partners upon successfully mating. The Ryg, who were peaceful and timid, but who’d gone extinct after their planet had been demolished by a rogue asteroid decades ago. The Traxians, from whom Luka and his siblings were descended.

Neither the Traxians or the Dyasque had any interest in migrating to Clecania no matter how many times the government had attempted to persuade them. Female options for a heterosexual Clecanian male were limited to say the least.

As a young male, Luka had understood that finding a female to call his own, who’d lower her guard and openly love him the way his mother had with his father, could only happen if their species was safe from extinction. Either the ratio of males to females had to become more equal, or matehood needed to suddenly return after being lost for so long.