Page 27 of Mated By Twilight

He picked up the delivery at the service entrance of the ship, paid him the other half of the credz he was owed, then ran back to put it in their dressing room. The fan gifts had already been placed. He pushed them back so he could place hers in the very center.

With that done, he ran back to the understage area. He returned just in time for the final fight. His character would arrive on the scene only to watch his best friend die, inheriting his title of leader of the clan, and then begging Skara for peace.

After she gave it to him, he’d then attack while her back was turned. Unable to bear the humiliation of surrender along with the pain of the death of his closest friend, he would try to kill her from behind. A failed attempt that would end with his own death, but that was preferable than continuing to live without his friend or his pride.

It was, from their perspective, a tragedy. However, they weren’t the main characters. Skara was and, from her perspective, it was a total victory. His surrender still stood, even after attacking her, and she would fulfill her goal of uniting the clans by the end.

He hoped Leah enjoyed the show.

Chapter 12

Leah

Zero-g plays were so much fun!

She wouldn’t say they were exactly like theater. The acting was dramatic and extremely expressive, and the special effects were a combination of real props and holographic ones. The result was a show that was high energy, high drama, and high production.

She easily got swept up in the story. She knew it wasn’t about Tillos and Sollit’s characters, but she couldn’t help but feel bad for them when they died together. Two best friends, dying as they lived. It was poignant and beautiful. She found herself crying, even as the rest of the audience was cheering for Skara’s character and her victory.

The auditorium was not really what she expected from a theater either. It was circular with the stage in the center, rather than fan shaped with the stage at the base of the ‘fan’. The seating area was separated in half. The half closest to the large exit doors she remembered seeing from the other side in the entry chamber were rows of seats like a stadium. However, the other half were boxes – like those elevated and out of reach of the others in an opera house. They were, of course, more expensive tickets, but they offered privacy and better food and beverage options.

The box she had been placed in to enjoy the show was permanently unavailable for purchase as it was only for those in the troupe who wanted to catch the show. Today, that was Leah and Corvidair. The four-armed male wasn’t really company, however, as he was watching the show with a critical eye to make sure it was performed perfectly. He occasionally tapped out messages to the crew for notes and adjustments, but it was easy to ignore him.

Especially when the curtain call came – for as such as it could be called considering there was no curtain – and the actors all came together to form a ring in the air, accepting their adulation with grace. Corvidair got up then and left. Leah was alone, beaming, wiping at her eyes, cheering as she stared at her guys. She wasn’t surprised to see them looking back at her. Tillos smiled. Sollit winked. They were cute.

And they were hers.

It was still weird, okay. There might come a day at some point in the future when she wouldn’t consider it odd that two men wanted her equally and she was allowed to want them equally. But it didn’t really seem panic inducing anymore. That was progress.

Turning, she ran from the box, downstairs into the backstage – the understage. The actors were coming back. Going for the dressing rooms, rushing quickly. Except Sollit and Tillos. They came to meet her with smiles on their faces.

A smile she found herself returning as she held out her hands. They both took one.

“Did you enjoy the show?” Sollit asked, beaming.

“I did,” she sniffed, knowing she must look a mess after crying. “You two were so amazing.”

“We’re glad,” Tillos kissed her knuckles sweetly. “We have to go meet the fans. But we want you to wait in our dressing room for when we get back.”

She nodded quickly. “Yeah. Totally. Erm, I’m just going to need a moment. Sorry.”

They chuckled as she released their hands to wipe her eyes.

“Don’t apologize,” Sollit beamed.

“It was just so sad!”

“You’re very sweet,” Tillos caressed her head gently. “Take the time you need. We’ll meet you back there. You remember the way?”

She nodded quickly, waving them off. Smiling. She took a step back, getting out of everyone’s way as she calmed herself down. It took a few minutes, but by the time she gathered herself, the actors had all moved outside and were in the atrium, chatting with the audience. The twins’ dressing room was empty when she walked in.

Well, not empty. There were a whole lot of flowers and presents that hadn’t been there before. She poked around them but didn’t pry too deep. They weren’t hers after all. She didn’t restrain herself poking around their vanities, however. She was curious about their makeup.

That’s where they found her a short time later, testing swatches on her skin. The formula didn’t really blend well on her, but it was made for scales, not flesh. The colors were also in a muchdifferent shade range considering they were both lavender in color.

Tillos and Sollit walked in as she was coloring her forearm with what she imagined was some kind of foundation – or the scaley equivalent – and rather enjoying the way the purple looked on her skin. She turned as they entered and smiled.

“Hey, you’re back,” she beamed.