Nebula Book 1: His Breeder
15

I wanted to break his face. Fates forgive me, but I saw him look at her and I wanted to lose my hand in his skull. 

He folded the sheet of paper and shoved it under his blanket. Since he still slept in the common room with the others, there was a chance that his brothers would stumble upon his makeshift diary. Still, he didn’t care. He doubted anyone would understand his handwriting. It was rough and messy, just like the rest of him.

He set his quill aside and got comfortable in his corner. As stared out the entrance, he thought about the subject in his diary entry. Earlier, he saw Wo’ton’s oldest grandchild staring at Nebula. Ak wanted to stab the man’s eyes out, but he had to remember his place. Nebula wasn’t his to take. All he could do was ensure her happiness from a distance.

He tried to find something was wrong with Nebula’s potential suitor, but he couldn’t find anything. The man was intelligent, kind, funny. Ak had been stalking him for weeks, trying to find anything out of place. There was nothing to frown upon, though. He was undeniably worthy of Nebula.

Ak hated this, because he wanted to be that for Nebula. Instead, he was foul-tempered and jealous.

Dishonorable.

He shifted on his corner until he realized that he wouldn’t be able to sleep. With a sigh of frustration, he plucked his sheet and pen out.

Ideas for her suitor:

-Take her to the jungle to hunt rocks. She likes the colorful ones with smooth surfaces.

-Help her bathe Vee. Braid his hair. For some reason, the females enjoy decorating his hair.

-Go star-gazing. Every night, she stares at the sky and takes notes of her observations.

-Tell her how beautiful her hair is. Tell her that she should not braid it.

-Her favorite spice is taj. It is sweet and spicy, and she adds it to much of what she eats.

-Terran females often say that they are alright, although they are not. I have not found a reason for this yet, but if she appears to be upset, then she likely is. Do not let her words confuse you.

You must take care of her. She is a bright star in a dying sky.

With that last note, he shoved everything back into place and tried to chase sleep.

“Akdronis.”

He woke up and found Vrox hovering over him. When he realized that his patrol shift started, he stood up and reached for his sword.

“I will walk you to your post,” Vrox said.

“Why? I will not get lost. Do not worry about me.”

Vrox shook his head. “I need to discuss something serious with you.”

Ak shrugged and allowed him to follow him to his guard post.

“I saw you yesterday,” Vrox admitted. “Walking through the red rain like it was a fresh breeze. I saw that it had no effect on you.”

Ak stopped walking, giving Vrox an alerted look. “Did you tell anyone?”

“Of course not.”

With a nod, Ak replied, “you should forget what you saw. You were not supposed to find out.”

“Why?” Vrox blurted. “Why do this to yourself? You will never know pleasure again. I have tried to think of a reason all day, but I have failed again and again. This is not normal of you, Akdronis.”

“Like Ni’ev often says…” Ak drew out. “The world is changing, and I would be a fool if I did not change with it.”

“This does not answer my question. Why did you punish yourself?”

Ak palmed Vrox shoulder, making the man stiffen.

“It was my decision to make. Stop worrying about me. You have your female that needs you. Focus on her, not this old brother of yours that has always been good for nothing.” He released Vrox, and kept walking toward his guard post.

“Akdronis?”

He looked over his shoulder.

“You are not good for nothing. Without you, the others and I would have never made it through adolescence. You took care of us.”

He nodded and kept left without offering another word. After the encounter, Vrox kept a close eye on him. He would watch him occasionally write something in his journal, scowl at Vee and then give up his fight and give the pet a belly rub, stare at Nebula when she wasn’t looking.

When he got painfully curious about Ak’s secretive notes, he snuck around and pulled them out. It was wrong of him to snoop– he knew that, but he was worried. Ak was the most unpredictable of the brothers, and the last thing Vrox wanted was to find out he committed suicide in a blind attempt to regain his honor.

He struggled to read the text, only being able to make out parts of it. Many of the diary entries had to do with Nebula. As everyone already knew, he was infatuated with her. He cared about her health, hobbies, and suitors.

Vrox was careful to fold everything back into place and leave the room. Over the next few days, he realized just how withdrawn Ak was. He usually spoke when spoken to and spent his leisure time massaging Vee. Vrox felt immense guilt for how he neglected his brother. Although he would never forgive Ak for how he treated Nebula, he saw the change in him.

It was day three since Vrox read his journal that he saw him approach Wo’ton’s oldest grandson. Vrox, unable to mind his own business, lurked in the shadows and tuned into the conversation.

“She is not mine, no.”

“She is free to woo, then?”

Ak’s fists were close to being pulverized into dust. They were tight, ready to blow someone’s head off their shoulders.

“She is a single woman,” he confirmed.

Vrox knew it took everything in him to say that in a civil matter. Ak wanted Nebula for himself, but was letting her heal by denying his obsession with her, and allowing her to peacefully be with someone else.

Vrox felt both pride and anger.

“You may… befriend her if you wish.” With that, Ak stomped his way inside.

Vrox was quick to replace him.

“Hello, commander.”

He marched up to the shorter male.

“You were just speaking with my brother, yes?”

“Yes.”

His smile was so wide, so proud, that it pissed Vrox off even further.

“Ignore everything he just said,” Vrox blurted.

It clearly took Ak everything in him to get this much progress done. Vrox had no right to undo his brother’s hard work, but he couldn’t help but intervene.

“Do not even breathe in the direction of Nebula. She is not yours. Do you understand?”

“Yes?” Confusion was written all over him, but it was enough for Vrox.

“Good, then.”

He left and hoped that Akdronis never found out about his dirty work. He was an independent male, and wouldn’t appreciate hearing that someone else meddled in his business.

Let us hope that Kira does not find out either, or I will probably will not wake to see another sun.

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