CHAPTER 128: MEET THE PARENTS (7)

The sun had set, casting the jungle into darkness. Inside the cave, flames danced in the firepit, casting aside the shadows in an orange and red glow. Flowers of luminous pink, purples and blues pulsed behind Zanari, falling down like a curtain on the wall. They sat around the pit, the fish gutted and turning on a wooden spit, roasting the meat.

Yoa’s hand remained firmly around Nova’s, though she sensed he wanted her in his lap. The affection was normal, but there was an underlying sense of unease beneath the surface. His expression was stoic like usual, yet even if there was no bond between them, nothing passed Nova now.

To the other side Raokan sat on a rock, back ramrod straight as he watched them, chopped logs and branches by his side, piled high. He was certainly intimidating, especially given the seat that made him taller than everyone, and acting like a throne while he passed judgement on Nova.

Yoa kept checking Nova’s emotions through the bond, and assessing her body language. But she wasn’t uncomfortable. She sat there, chin high, still a little bloody and covered in bruises from the fight earlier. He wish he hadn’t missed it. The others told him how amazing Nova did, and how their expectations shattered.

She proved to them that size really didn’t matter.

Yoa was proud for other reasons too. Nova sat here, holding his father’s gaze unfazed. She’d told him before that in her world, she had to meet with intimidating men a lot. But that was different, Raokan is his father and there came a degree of apprehension when meeting parents, especially if one was Raokan.

Yoa glared at Raokan, wanting him to knock off whatever he was thinking about doing. Nova had already passed the trial that shouldn’t have really taken place. But at least by proving herself to the tribe, the felines would stop bothering him now. They’d known for a while about his Serakai. Word had gotten back to them, especially after what happened with Vulcan.

Now they’d seen her in the flesh and how feisty she was, they would back off.

Yoa’s glare bounced off Raokan but it also set him in motion. Nova was in the middle of speaking to Zanari about school and the education system, and this piqued Raokan’s curiosity. He interrupted their discussion, something Zanari didn’t appreciate and cut him a glare.

"What was your world like? This education system is very different to what we use here." Raokan crossed his arms, his biceps seeming to almost burst free from the skin taught around the muscle. "We are warriors. To be strong and powerful is to survive."

Nova nodded. "That is true. Things are very different here to my world. But you still need to be powerful there too. Knowledge is power, having a craft is power, and money in my world runs everything. That all stems from education and what life you have been dealt with."

Raokan nodded once. Yoa thought that was the end of it but... he then changed topic. "How old are you?"

Nova’s lips parted and shut, a little confused by the subject change but she answered anyway. "I’m twenty-five."

Raokan moved on, tilting his head, still scowling. "Have you not left a family behind by being here?"

Yoa scowled at his father.

Nova didn’t miss a beat though, understanding where this was going. Raokan still didn’t like her and this... this was an interrogation. It was either to suss her out or intimidate her further. "Well, it wasn’t by choice that I came here to Tayun. And... As for family... I have none-"

"You’re an attractive female."

Huh?

"Did you not attract potential spouses?"

Welp, this wasn’t a topic she expected to be talking about with her Serakai’s father. Yoa was aware that she’d been with another before, but he understood it was in the past—an entire world, where things are done differently there.

"W-well..." The stutter gave her away.

"So, you had a mate?" Raokan leaned forward, hands going onto his knees. "And you... left him behind?"

Nova bit her tongue, locking her gaze with his as Yoa’s chest rumbled in warning. "Like I said it wasn’t by choice-"

"So, you left another man behind? He is in this other world believing that you are still his?" Raokan should’ve just shot her in the heart.

"I’m quite certain he is dead," Nova said quietly, reining in the temper flaring in her chest, though the tightness in her voice revealed her frustration, and Raokan was roping it in, using it to his advantage. "We were parting ways before I... arrived here."

"I’m sorry for your loss... Or did you grief? You haven’t been here that long-"

"Raokan," Zanari snapped. She’d been watching Nova answer Raokan’s questions with genuine interest and without any nefarious reasons but she had been keeping an eye on her mate, who couldn’t hold back his direct approach to understanding Yoa’s Serakai.

Raokan dropped that line of questioning and Nova didn’t want to answer. She looked away. Yoa lowered his face, pressing his forehead into her cheek and inhaling her scent, while stroking her hand with his thumb, offering her comfort.

’Are you... okay? Do you... want... to leave?’

His words were barely audible, almost crackling through the bond, through what was called a mind link—something they’d been practicing for an entire month since the first time Nova accidentally let her thoughts slip through the bond in a moment of panic, and they discovered Serakai’s could speak to each other telepathically.

Nova tried to answer back through the link but her emotions were a little frayed, making it difficult to focus. She hoped in time, the mind link wouldn’t be as hard to use. "No, I am fine," she answered aloud, catching Raokan and Zanari by surprise.

They looked between them, realisation dawning on them. But it wasn’t enough to distract Raokan from his little interrogation of probing questions meant to heat her blood. "How did you get here? You travelled through the lake but you told Zanari how Tayun in your world is almost identical besides the tribesmen shifting into animals... Everything is... futuristic? Yet you decided to come to Tayun... And jump into a lake? It doesn’t make sense."

Another warning growl rumbled through Yoa’s chest as he listened to his father but Nova pressed her hand to it, calming him instead. She then proceeded to tell Raokan about the events leading up to her falling into the lake.

"So... You were trespassing," Raokan summed it up with a disapproving look.

"Yes. I was trespassing." Nova used the moment to take a sip of water from her cup, feeling the weight of Raokan and Zanari’s stares was starting to get to her. So she took a little breather. This is nothing. She’s dealt with men like this before... The only difference is... Raokan was Yohuali’s father, and someone she couldn’t just dismiss or up and leave.

He had every right to ask questions and make commentary. So far it was true. It just wasn’t wrapped around with soft wording to ease the blow. Like father like son. He just gets straight to the point of things.

"You have adapted to life here well. Were you unhappy where you came from?" Raokan asked after the uncomfortable silence continued.

"Raokan, that is enough," Zanari clipped. "Your son has brought his beautiful Serakai here and spend time with us. Stop this."

Raokan sat back and looked at Zanari. "I am trying to understand the pale face better. She is Yohuali’s Serakai. Why would Caelomè choose her for him?"

"Nova," Yohuali growled, his eyes glowing like roaring flames. "Meus sol... my Serakai’s name is Nova. Not pale face, not ’she’." He stood up abruptly, tugging Nova to her feet with him. His body moved a little in front of hers protectively, shielding half of her from his father. "If you show no respect for my mate then we are done here."

Yoa didn’t wait for an answer. He turned away, hand in hand with Nova, and didn’t look back.

"Yoa!" Zanari stood with a gasp, her eyes wide.

Her eyes narrowed on Raokan then she slapped his shoulder hard. Raokan was expecting it as he looked up at Zanari, his jaw set, unapologetic. "So help me, Solkara, if Yohuali is not back here, you will find this home empty," she growled, her eyes glimmering brightly, so similar to Yoa’s.

"I am making sure she is right for him-"

"You wield such power?!" Zanari threw her hands up, eyes bright with ire. "Your judgement is better than Caelomè’s, that it overthrows his decision?"

Raokan’s stern expression dropped as he listened to his mate’s words.

"Make this right. NOW. Or sleep alone."

Raokan sighed, rising to his feet and dragged his hand down his face. "You are the only person allowed to command me like so, woman."

"Good, that’s how it should be. Now, go get our son back. Make it right."