Chapter 13 Enter Vileria

Two Days Later – Late Afternoon

Ben was taking a nap, as were the babies, so Vilgax was attempting to tidy up the house a bit for him while they waited for Kevin to return from his trip to the hospital to pick up Gwen and Layla and bring them home.

Flashback to the night after the wedding

Julie led Vilarion by the hand into her parent's house, fully aware that his blank expression concealed his nerves because his big hand actually shook in hers.

"It is okay, Vilarion, really," she reassured him with a smile, squeezing his hand lightly with hers. "Everything will be fine. They will be thrilled to meet you."

"And if they are not, Julie? I am fully aware that I am not exactly considered normal here, but I love you. What if they do not accept it? What if they do not accept me?"

"Oh, Vilarion.. Please, don't worry so much. I love my parents, but even if they don't accept you, the truly important thing is that I accept you. I mean, of course I want them to accept us, but if they don't, I still will not leave you, Vilarion. I promise. You need me more then they do. You need me to take care of you. I've decided, and I will not be moved on this point by anyone."

Present

Ben, Vilgax and the babies were gathered together in the living room when Kevin and Gwen came back with little Layla all cutely bundled up in a fuzzy pink blanket.

"Oh! Gwen," Ben said, looking up with a smile when they came in. "You're back! We've all missed you. How are you feeling?"

"Oh, still a little tired," Gwen admitted, smiling back as she gently rocked the sleeping Layla in her arms. "But I'm alright. Anyway, it was worth it for Layla. She's so beautiful."

"Yes, she is," Kevin agreed, smiling as he slid his arm around Gwen's shoulders and leaned in to lightly kiss her temple. "Just like her mother."

Flashback to the night after the wedding

"Mom, dad," Julie announced as she led him into the living room. "This is Vilarion. My boyfriend."

Her parents sat in their comfy chairs together before the fire with glasses of wine in their hands and the bottle in a silver container of ice beside them on a small mahogany stand, a large cork coaster beneath it.

"Your- What?" her father asked, settling aside his glass onto the stand carefully on one of several smaller cork coasters before turning sideways in his chair.

He looked at his daughter first, then the large, green-skinned male standing behind her, noticing how their fingers were entwined together intricately.

"My boyfriend, father," Julie replied patiently, linking her arm with Vilarion's, aligning her arm along his larger one so that their fingers stayed linked tightly. "You see, I met him at the wedding today, and we just sort of.. Well, hit it off. We went shopping together at the mall, and we just came from the drive-in. Lilo and Stitch was playing. I have seen it before, of course, but it was still very good. We had a wonderful time."

"Oh, darling," her mother spoke up then, clearly trying to be diplomatic before her husband possibly said something rude about this unexpected revelation. "Of course we're happy for you, but, well, are you quite sure that this is what you want? I mean, it was not that long ago that you were with Ben. I do not mean to be cruel, but I, we, just don't wish to see you hurting that way again."

"Yes, mother, I am quite sure," Julie replied firmly, visibly snuggling herself deeper against Vilarion's side. "Because you see, what I told you happened to Ben has now happened to me. Vilarion is my Mate. We are Fated, he and I. That does not mean that we won't have to work at it, of course, but I do know that this is right between us."

Time Skip – A Few Days Later

Vileria stepped off the spaceship with her sons from her first marriage, Vilar and Viker, flanking her on either side.

Their younger half-sisters were staying aboard the ship for now for their own safety, as they had no idea what to expect to encounter on this strange new world.

Vileria was tall and slim, her slender body a light green color, like sea-foam, and her eyes were light pink, like a newly grown flower bud in first bloom.

Vilar was shorter then his mother, but large and muscular, his dark green arms crossed over his firm chest and his aura imposing as his deep-red eyes flashed visibly when they briefly flickered toward his younger brother.

Viker was shorter then both his mother and brother, his build more like Vileria's then Vilar's, and his coloring was unique among their people, a beautiful aquamarine shade. Also strangely, his eyes matched his skin's tone.

He was the only one in all of their people's history to have that skin color rather then a greener shade. No one had been able to discover the reason why, but Vilar rather liked the shade of his brother's skin. It made him as special on the outside as he was within.

"Well," Vileria spoke softly, though with determination. "Let us locate your father and brother."

"Vilarion?" Ben spoke up suddenly.

Most of the family was gathered in their large backyard for an outdoor picnic celebrating Gwen and Layla's release from the hospital. Max Tennyson had not yet arrived, but they expected him a bit later.

"Yes, Ben?" he inquired, looking up from the full cookie tray of fresh macadamias that Ben has just brought out from the kitchen with clear reluctance.

"You never did tell us who your Mate is. Do we know her?"

"Yes. You know her, Ben," Vilarion admitted, smiling widely as he finally revealed the truth to all those in his extended family.

At least, the ones that were here, anyway. "It is Julie."

"Julie? Really?" Ben blinked in surprise. "I have not seen her since the wedding."

"Yes. That is where we met. When I looked up and into those dark-chocolate eyes across the Macadamias, I knew that she was the one. But she wanted to wait a while before telling anyone but her parents. She said that I could tell you all now, and the three of them will be coming over a bit later to join the party."

"Oh? Well, I am really happy for you. And Julie."

"Thank you, Ben," Vilarion replied with another smile before his eyes automatically flickered toward movement at the edge of his line of vision, seeing his ex-wife and her sons coming around their son's home toward him. "I am sorry, but Vileria is here with my stepsons. They must have left my daughters onboard the ship until they found me."

"Oh. Of course. We can talk later on. I would like to meet them all."

"You will," Vilarion promised him before leaving Ben to move toward the newly arrived members of his extended family.

"Vileria," he greeted her warmly, clearly shocking her with his smile. Shocking all three of them. "You are all most welcome. Are you well? Villa and Vanae?"

"We are well, Vilarion," she answered him with clear caution, her light pink eyes glancing up at him briefly. "The girls are on the ship. Vilar and Viker will retrieve them now if we are truly not intruding?"

"No, no. Not at all," he assured her. "You could not have had better timing. This is a family gathering and celebration, after all. A celebration of new life. Gwen and Kevin's daughter. I want to see my daughters."

Vileria waved her hand briefly, causing Vilar and Viker to depart in order to retrieve the girls from the ship without a word.

"And your Mate?" Vileria asked him softly, her expression clearly wary of offending him somehow.

He did not blame her. He had not been cruel to her, but he had not exactly been kind, or welcoming, either.

Strange to think that he intended all that to change now that they were no longer married.

"She has not yet arrived, though she will be here a while later with her parents. In the meanwhile, I will introduce you to everyone. Come."

Vilar and Viker returned with Villa and Vanae after a little while, transferring them to their father's Vilarion's custody before locating a pair of lawn chairs on a sun-warmed patch of green grass.

They lay there in a comfortable silence for a few moments together before they opened their eyes and looked up in surprise when a redheaded woman with startling green eyes cradling a fuzzy pink blanket in her arms spoke.

"Hi. I'm Gwen," she introduced herself with a smile and a brief laugh. "I live here with my husband Kevin, my cousin Ben and Vilgax. Heh. I never thought I would ever say anything like that. You must be Vilarion's sons?"

"Stepsons," Vilar corrected, curious as to what the earth woman wanted from them. "He is not our real father. He is dead. I am Vilar, and this is my brother Viker."

"Oh, goodness. I'm sorry."

"Why? We never knew him. I was quite young when he passed. Viker younger still."

Both of them were bewildered by her pained expression at his words, watching warily as she plopped herself down in a white plastic chair nearby.

"That doesn't make it any less tragic. I don't even want to think about losing Kevin. Not just for me, but for all of us. Ben, Vilgax and our babies. We need each other to go on. We're a family."

"That is not really how our people live," Vilar replied simply. "Arranged marriages rarely lead to love. And even when they do, there is no illusion of family. Why would there be when any potential Mating automatically renders that marriage void? Children are for carrying on the bloodlines, nothing more."

"Oh my gosh!" Gwen gasped, pulling her baby closer in an obviously protective manner. "I could never live that way. I love Kevin and Layla so much. Ben, too. Even Vilgax, Vilarion and Julie. But I suppose it is what I know. Like the way you live is all you know."

"Yes."

"Well, there's no reason not to try to change things now that you are somewhere new," Gwen suggested, carefully holding out the pink blanket toward Vilar in offering with another warm smile. "Would you like to hold her?"

"I really do not think-" Vilar began, pausing a moment before continuing, deciding that he did not want to possibly be thought of as rude in this new, uncertain social situation. "Very well."

Gwen stood up and passed the tiny baby to him, briefly repositioning his arms to securely cradle her small form before sitting back down again in her plastic chair.

Vilar blinked once, clearly still surprised as he looked down into the blanket's opening curiously. He saw that she had a head of short, silky black hair and smooth skin, like fresh cream, before looking down into her eyes.

Vilar immediately went still while gazing down into dazzling pools of green that were obviously passed down directly from her mother, feeling as though everything inside him, all of who he was, was pulled downward, gravitating toward the baby girl in his arms. Layla burbled adorably, blowing spit bubbles and giggling as she smiled up at him.

"Layla," Vilar whispered softly, reverently, while gazing down into her face like his star had risen, causing her to squirm and quietly coo in response. "Pretty Mate."

"What?" Gwen asked a bit sharply, her green eyes suddenly fierce because of his words, abruptly bringing him back to the here and now.

"I- It does not mean what you might be thinking," Vilar scrambled to explain, suddenly desperate not to lose contact privileges with the young child in his hold. "Layla is my Fated One, but I of course know that she is yours for many years to come, Gwen."

"She will always be mine!" Gwen snapped, though she did not move to take the baby girl from his arms.

He considered that a good sign for the future he now fiercely desired.

"Yes, of course," Vilar tried to calm her with logic mixed with emotion. "You are her mother. I respect the authority of your position over her. But she is also my Mate. I love her. Please, Gwen. I beg you not to deny me my right to spend time with her."

Gwen stared at him intently. The stranger holding her barely a week old daughter. She was obviously shocked by this revelation, but she must have seen the anguish in his eyes, the sheen of frightened tears, because hers softened slightly.

"..I suppose I see no issue with supervised visitation," she answered him after another moment or two, reaching out briefly to reassuringly pat the back of his green-skinned hand.

"I thank you, Gwen. From the bottom of my heart."

Both of them turned in surprise when Viker suddenly seemed to choke on a sob, tears filling his beautiful aquamarine eyes before he quickly leapt to his feet and fled from them, disappearing around the far side of the house.

"Viker!" Vilar called out, shocked by his brother's abrupt, unexpected departure, standing up, clearly wavering for a moment, uncertainty on his face before he transferred Layla back into Gwen's arms carefully. "I am sorry, Gwen."

"No. Go on. Look after your brother. He's clearly upset, and hurt for some reason. We will be here."

Vilar nodded briefly before following after his brother like a shot from a laser gun.

"No!" Viker panted as he ran, desperate to flee the intense, aching pain tearing through his chest and tightening his strong stomach muscles. "No, no, no, no.."

He ran around the corner of the large building and out of sight of everyone, panting as he finally stopped, out of breath as he put one arm out to support himself against the side of the house weakly.

His head spun and he felt as though his lungs were missing it was that hard to breathe.

"Vilar.." he wept, shaking as he covered his stricken face with his free hand. "I can not- ..I can not.."

Viker reached down and pulled a wicked-looking, ornate but highly functional knife from his left calf-high boot, seeing the personalized real aquamarine stones flashing beautifully in the light from the sun overhead as he lightly pressed the sharp edge against the venerable spot on his own throat, quivering now while trying to muster his courage and just end it all right now.

All the pain, the loneliness. The feelings.

The knowledge that his older brother did not have, but he did.

It was just all too much for him to take anymore.

Unfortunately, it was at the moment of his hesitation that Vilar found him.

"Viker!" Vilar gasped, his red eyes going wide, his familiar voice panicked as he came to an abrupt halt, his left hand reaching out toward him instinctively. "Do not do this! Whatever is wrong, we can discuss it. Together. Please, do not hurt yourself. Do not- take yourself away from me."

"Why?" Viker sobbed, tears streaming down his cheeks from those beautiful aquamarine eyes, noticeably not lowering his blade. "You do not need me any longer now that you have Layla. You probably never did need me at all. While you- you are all that I have ever needed! Do you even care? Do you even see me? Clearly you do not, or you would know beyond any doubt how much I care for you! How I feel! I love you, Vilar! I am in love with you! I can not- I can not handle this any longer! ..Feeling like this. Please, Vilar.. Just let me go!"

"Never!" Vilar growled, striding forward now as he clearly sensed his brother's hesitation, plucking the knife carefully from his trembling fingers quickly before he slipped and hurt himself by accident.

He cast the blade away across the grass and out of easy reach before reaching out himself and pulling Viker into his arms with his brother's back placed against his firm chest.

"If you kill yourself, Viker, I would only follow you," Vilar whispered in his left ear, his voice a soft hiss because of his intense anger with him. "You see, I feel the same for you as you feel for me. All this time, I thought that it was only me who felt such a way. I stayed silent so that our brotherly relationship would not be placed at risk. I would never want that."

"But- Layla-" Viker cried still, trembling against his brother, shaking hard and repeatedly in his arms as he lost all direction in this difficult situation.

"Not all Bonds need be Fated, Viker," Vilar stated firmly, pulling his younger sibling's smaller form tighter against his own as he spoke to reassure him of his feelings. "I love you. Just because the Mark does not cover your shoulder for me does not mean that we do not belong together."

"But it does, Vilar."

"What?" Vilar asked him, uncharacteristically uncertain.

"The Mark.. How can we Mate each other without its presence?"

"Of course we can, Viker. There are thousands of species and races in the universe. Ours is the only one with the Mark. Do you think they let that stop them from loving each other in a physical manner? Of course not. Come. We are returning to the ship now."

"Why?"

"I intend to claim you for my own. For all time."

Viker moaned softly as his brother laid him gently down on his king-sized bed in his quarters on the ship, his naked body visibly quivering as he writhed and gasped, audibly panting already.

"Viker, shhh," Vilar tried to calm him, striping quickly before joining him on the bed and pressing his warm palms against Viker's bare chest tenderly. "Relax, my brother. I have barely touched you yet."

"I know.." Viker whispered, his aquamarine eyes glazed over and his lips parted as he continued to pant and squirm with clear helplessness. "I am sorry. I just.. need you so much! Wanted this for so long! Please, Vilar! Touch my body! Claim me for your own. I beg this of you!"

"Easy, Viker. I shall give you what you need. What we both need," Vilar promised him, his voice soft, compassionate, as he moved over top of Viker and carefully pressed their bare bodies close together. "But you must try to relax yourself. You are too tense. I can not possibly get inside without it hurting you. I shall never want that to occur. Perhaps if I cause your release?"

"It- It might help.." Viker whimpered in reply, gasping instinctively as Vilar's right palm touched his left calf, slowly rubbing the tense muscles, trailing up his leg, trying to calm and seduce him at the same time, noticing him relax his body with a soft sigh of pleasure and a flutter of his long lashes.

Viker jerked, though, when Vilar's warm fingers carefully closed around his painfully hard shaft, a cry of passion escaping his throat that was so intense that it could have passed for agony.

Only the way that Viker continued to pant, writhe and shake informed his brother that he had not hurt him with his intimate touch.

"Shh," Vilar soothed him, his voice low and crooning as his palm and digits slowly stroked up then down his silky length in a repeating pattern of pleasure. "I am here, Viker. I am here."

"Ahh-ahh, Vilar!" Viker cried, several tears actually trailing down his face with the sheer force of his physical and emotional need. "Ahhh! Please, Vilar, harder! Touch me harder!"

Vilar blinked, but he inclined his head in acquiescence to his wishes, careful to still be somewhat gentle as he squeezed his brother's cock in his grip roughly. He was shocked, mesmerized as his brother cried aloud once more, Viker's moan of joy and weeping intensifying as he came long and hard, visibly quivering still as he covered his own belly with warm seed.

"Vilar.." Viker sobbed, sitting up and throwing himself into his brother's outstretched arms, continuing to shake as he clung to him tightly. "Oh god, Vilar.. I love you, so much. ..Thank you."

"You are very welcome, sweet heart," Vilar said with a smile, enclosing the other male tenderly within his arms. "I do love you, too, you know. I love you very much, Viker. We can- We will make this work."

"I know," Viker replied simply, his love and trust shining from his tear-wet, beautiful eyes of aquamarine.

That was when Vilar noticed something.

"Viker?"

"Hmmm?" his brother hummed contentedly, snuggling deeper against Vilar's comforting body.

"Would you turn around for me?"

"Why?" Viker half-whined, his childish expression adorable as he pouted while looking up at him. "You are so warm.. I do not want to move."

"Please," Vilar coaxed him gently.

"..Okay," Viker sighed softly, maneuvering himself so that his bare back faced his brother, shivering slightly in response when he felt silky fingers lightly caress his right shoulder.

"Viker," Vilar whispered, lowering his head to press his warm, soft lips to that same shoulder.

"What is it? Vilar?"

"The Mark. It is there. You are mine."

"I always was."