The First She ✓ (Ezron Book 1)

TWENTY FOUR

"You need to stay here. Do not move a muscle until I come back. Do you hear me?"

Brown eyes blinked, looking devoid of any comprehension. With a defeated sigh, Vrox hung his head.

How was he supposed to tell the female that he planned on telling his brothers about her existence? How was he supposed to explain that she must stay out of sight until he calmed their testosterone-fueled haze?

He knew his brothers. They had similar builds, but their personalities couldn't be any more different. Ak was the most problematic, being short-fused and selfish. Draekon was the peacemaker, the medicinal paste that prevented their feuds from escalating to a fever. Then there was Ni'ev, who tended to be as silent a snowfall.

Vrox was usually absent. He enjoyed spending time with his brothers, but the wilderness called to him. He spent most of his time studying plants, which is how he found the flower that he was currently kneeling in front of.

He remained in position for a few more seconds before regaining his determination. He cupped for Kira's face, his thumbs caressing her smooth cheeks.

"Stay here," he drew out slowly.

Kira's eyes flickered to his lips before rising back to his eyes.

With a soft squeeze to her face, he rose to his feet. He took an immediate step away, cupping his erect cock to hide it. Unfortunately, there was only so much that his hand could cover. Kira's eyes dropped to his heavy balls before widening and closing tightly.

Amusement joined his worry.

How could I have ever thought that this sheepish little thing would develop into a man?

He turned around and slowly began to walk toward his brothers' camp, hoping that Kira understood that he wanted her to stay seated and hidden. To his relief, he didn't hear the tiny female scurrying after him.

When he got close enough to the camp, he heard male chatter.

"It flew away," Kyro said.

"In which direction?" Rokan replied.

The dark complexion of Rokan and Kyros proved that they weren't related to Vrox and the others, but the fact that they came from different parents meant little. All six men had grown up together. Time had built a thicker rope than any blood vessels ever could.

"It flew north. How strange. Wait, someone is coming."

"It is me," Vrox replied as he pushed past the tall grass.

"Mothers," Rokan greeted.

"Mothers," Vrox replied before scanning the camp.

Ni'ev was seated, dragging a sculpted rock over the blade of his sword to sharpen it. Draekon was by a fire, skinning their dinner. Their camp was a mess.

"Where is the boy?" Draekon asked, his eyes looking over Vrox's shoulder. "No one believed me when I told them that you found one."

Kyros laughed. "Vrox will find a boy the day that Ak finds control."

The mention of his irritable brother made Vrox scowl.

"I need to talk to all of you. Now."

Ni'ev stopped sharpening his sword, Kyros stopped chuckling, and Draekon stopped slicing meat. Their multi-colored gazes moved to Vrox, surprised by the graveness of his voice.

"I did not find a boy," he ground out. "I know that this will sound mind-less, but... I found a female."

Ni'ev resumed scraping a rock down his sword, dismissing Vrox's craziness.

"Maybe you should take a seat. You clearly spent too much time in the sun," Rokan suggested, his eyes wrinkled from his smile.

Vrox growled his frustration.

"He is telling the truth."

Vrox spun around and found Ak casually leaning beside a tree.

Without bothering to reply, he stomped to a sack that contained a collection of his daggers, and hauled one with deadly accuracy at Ak's head. The knife drilled into the wood a few inches from Ak's stone cold eyes right where Vrox wanted it.

Ak didn't slack his stance, silently meeting his brother's challenge. Their roles had completely reversed. Vrox– who was usually collected, was nearly foaming with rage, while Ak– the embodiment of chaos, was cooly observing.

"I will not miss next time. Return female while I am still asking," Vrox demanded.

"What is this mindlessness?" Draekon interrupted.

 "Where is the girl? Did you force her?" Vrox pushed, stepping closer.

Draekon raised both hands and stood in Vrox's way. "Do not do this. Calm down."

"Ak!" Vrox pressed, needing answers. He would make the man drown in his own blood if he hurt any part of Nebula. He wouldn't stand for violence against females. The wilderness had trusted him with two rare flowers, and he had taken it upon himself to protect them.

"I did not forcefully breed her," Ak delivered.

Her. It was so strange to hear that pronoun out loud after neglecting it for so many years.

"Where is she? Give her to me."

"Why?" Ak challenged, raising a brow. "You have the other one."

"Mothers," Draekon hissed. "Can you two stop measuring your cocks and start making sense?"

Vrox's fists clenched, feeling starved of Ak's flesh.

"The youngling you found me with– Kira– is not a boy. It is a female. I did not realize it for a long time because I do not remember what mother looked like, but Ak made the connection. He took another girl hostage."

"Another? So there are two?" Rokan asked, trying to understand the madness that the others were spewing.

"Yes. I have confirmed their genders by inspecting the girl I took. We need to breed them both and start rebuilding our kind. It doesn't matter whether they are willing or not. Choose your poison: rape or extinction."

Silence breezed through the camp.

"If that is how you feel, then maybe our kind deserves extinction after all. That way, the risk of procreating monsters like you would be eliminated."

"He is right," Ni'ev's faint voice commented. He rose from his seat and walked to Vrox's side.

His support was particularly shocking since Ni'ev tended to stay out of conflict. All the male seemed to care about was sharpening weapons.

"Return the girl. Don't give me a reason to leave you cock-less," Vrox warned.

Draekon and the others walked to his side, supporting him.

Seeing that he was outnumbered, Ak cruelly laughed before pushing himself off the tree and making a run for it. With a curse, Draekon ran after him. Vrox watched them go, fighting the urge to join the race.

He turned to face his brothers. "I will bring Kira. I forbid you all from touching her."

No one raised a complaint.

He began to retrace his steps, feeling apprehension trail after him. He didn't want to hurt his family, but he wouldn't hesitate to do so if they didn't stay in line.

Kira was his flower.

He found her where he left her, looking wary and observant. Her shoulders seemed to drop with relief when she saw him, making his endearment for her grow.

She trusts me. I must keep her safe from my own blood and flesh, even if I have to spill it in the process.

He picked her up, placing one arm around her back and the other under her knees. He knew that the cloth she covered herself with tended to stretch upward and reveal her thighs when she wrapped her legs around him. The thought of his brothers seeing the smooth, meaty skin made him unreasonably angry.

"It is time, Kira."