by Viola Grace
Yr-el paused. “You have other descendants here?”
“Certainly. Five of them. They run the entertainment center for me, and they all start on companion missions, so sex isn’t a mystery to them.” Mbrak shrugged. “I have mates on the way for two of them.”
“You are using your station to matchmake for your descendants?” Yr-el was stunned.
“Of course. What else would I use it for?” Mbrak chuckled. “Your father would be amused. His mate was floating alone in a stasis pod in the middle of his sector. He literally snagged her out of space and took her home with him. He had no idea that she was compatible until they were together for the first time. His dragon knew, but Harmoth had no idea.”
Yr-el snorted. “Yes, I know.”
“Well, what did your dragon say about Styra?”
Yr-el shuddered. “He is in favour of her.”
Mbrak was smug. “So, you return to the depths of the spa, and I will return to my command center. If she will accept you, take her. If she lets you heal her, I wish you nothing but centuries of enjoyment.”
“You think she will not?”
“I think that she has lived a long time in pain. Sometimes the thought of freedom is more frightening than a life in agony.”
Yr-el nodded and turned before he turned back. “What happened to the raiders?”
“Ah, they were hard to digest, but their ship made lovely sparkles as I fired it into a sun.”
Yr-el nodded. “Good. One less task.”
Mbrak nodded, and they parted ways.
Yr-el returned to the spa, and he used his senses to track Styra through the building. He found her easily, having a meal and chatting easily with the crew of the long-distance shuttle that he had flown to the station.
His lieutenant jumped to his feet. “Captain, may I get you something?”
He nodded. “Thank you. Anything is suitable.”
He headed over to the counter, and the staff member nodded.
Yr-el pulled a chair out next to Styra, and he smiled. “So, how long have you worked with Mbrak?”
She sighed. “You were talking to him.”
“I was.”
“I have worked for him since I became an adult, well, in the entertainment center. I have been working on designing scenarios since I was twelve.”
One of the men choked. “Twelve?”
She grinned. “Not all of the scenarios involve sex. Some are simply action-adventure or solitary days watching the sunrise or sunset.”
His men looked exponentially relieved.
She chuckled at their expressions. “Mr. Blue doesn’t allow inappropriate behaviour around the scenarios. Everything has to be done with the consent of both parties or with a computer simulation.”
The captain chuckled. “I believe some of the men just had mild coronaries.”
Styra smiled. “I noticed. When I was younger, I specialized in landscapes. One of the other ladies worked on designing alternate characters for clients to interact with. There are a bunch of us behind the scenes that no one thinks are there. We pop into scenarios, check on how things are progressing, and verify that the client is maintaining the guidelines.”
One of the men asked, “So, what happened with Captain Yr-el?”
Styra looked at him, and he shrugged his compliance. “Um, he found the female in the simulation unsuitable, so the computer improvised and switched things around. Mr. Blue called me in on my day off, and I had to go in and get him loose from the scenario.”
The men were disappointed.
The captain provided more detail. “I was on a quest to find a damsel who was waiting for a kiss. I wasn’t impressed with the simulation and didn’t follow the projected actions, so the computer switched me for the princess. I was out for about ten minutes in live time, six hours in the simulation.”
The guys looked at each other, and the lieutenant asked, “How do you remember the details?”
The captain gave them a bland look. “I have a different relationship with time.”
One of the others asked, “How did you get out of it?”
The captain started to eat the food that had just arrived. “That was simple, she kissed me.”
Styra felt it necessary to explain. “The computer has protocols that have to be met in order to release a client.”
The captain paused, “And then she had to kiss the dragon.”
She covered her eyes at the shocked expressions of his men. The lieutenant let out a strangled, “She had to kiss it?”
“Well, he kissed her. Even for a simulation, he was very impressed with her.”
She fought the shudder that wanted to run through her. The memory of the tongue was just a memory, but it was vivid. Her face felt like it was on fire, but the thick skin of her face didn’t really discolour unless bruised.
She reached for the teacup, and she rattled it before she was able to pick it up.
The youngest of the crewmen frowned. “Was it upsetting?”
She sipped, swallowed, and set her cup down. “It was... unexpected.”
The captain chuckled, and he continued to eat his meal.
The staff cleared the dishes as the group finished, and Styra nodded for them to take the remainder of her plate.
The captain frowned. “Why didn’t you finish it?”
She chuckled. “I can’t. Eating is kind of a form of entertainment for me, but I can’t digest any of the nutrients.”
He stared at her in shock. “How do you live like that?”
Styra smiled. “I am not fond of the alternative. Mr. Blue gets me the supplements that I need, and he gets paid in labour. It’s how we do things around here.”
She slowly lowered her right arm and forced herself not to wince. “Well, this has been an interesting afternoon, gentlemen. I hope that you enjoy your time on the station.”
The captain grabbed her arm as she passed. “We will still be having dinner.”
She didn’t say what she was thinking; instead, she smiled. “Of course.”
“I will contact you via Mbrak.”
She nodded. “Fine. Okay.”
His thumb rubbed along her arm, and he smiled. “Have a good day.”
She nodded, and she walked away when he finally let her go. She didn’t look back but headed for the change room. She awkwardly pulled her exercise clothing on and grabbed her passes, and headed for her quarters. She needed her muscle relaxants and her supplements. If she wasn’t mistaken, she had a date.
Mr. Blue called her at six. “Styra, he is waiting for you at the Artuth.”
“Um. Okay.”
The screen went from audio to video. He looked at her with concern. “Are you all right?”
“A little off balance. This hasn’t happened before.”
He cocked his head. “Would it be acceptable to consider it a scenario?”
She smiled and shook her head. “That wouldn’t be fair to either of us. No, I am going to see him, and we will see where things go.”
Mr. Blue smiled. “Good attitude. You look lovely, by the way.”
She nodded. “Thank you. Getting my hair up was a nightmare.”
He frowned. “Is your arm bothering you?”
“Fennor worked me over today. He does good work, but he doesn’t spare the tissue.”
“Ah. Well, have a nice evening, and if you feel you can trust Yr-el, do it.”
She smiled. “I guess that is what it comes down to. Right. I had better go. Thanks, Mr. Blue.”
He sighed. “You can address me properly.”
She winked. “I am not calling you Grandpa. It feels weird.”
He laughed, and they disconnected the link.
She looked herself over in the mirror. The dress was similar to the one she wore in the scenario. Her bodice was a crisscrossing of lacing, the dress was three layers of filmy material that just managed to hide the colour of her nipples, and the sandal
s were practical. Her sleeves covered most of her scars and were open from the elbow down.
She had fought her hair into a coronet, and she felt reasonably attractive. With a deep breath, she headed out of her quarters and took a few of the gliding sidewalks to the Artuth. It was a lovely restaurant, and she wished that she could do the meals justice. Ah well, she could taste them.
Styra walked into the restaurant, and she didn’t even have a chance to explain who she was meeting when she was guided through the tables to a private room through an elaborate archway.
The door was opened for her, and the captain was there, dressed in a manner very similar to what he had been wearing in the scenario. Oh, fuck.
He smiled slowly and walked over to her. “Styra, you look... amazing.”
She nodded. “You look terrifyingly attractive yourself.”
He took her hands in his and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. When he raised his head, he smiled. “It seemed appropriate.”
She looked down at her own dress and up again. “Same here.”
He squeezed her hands. “Come and have a seat. I have arranged a meal to be consumed over the next three hours.”
She stared at him. “Three hours?”
“I got details about your condition from Mbrak, so I spoke to the chef, and we worked out a plan so that you can enjoy your evening.”
Styra needed to get to work early in the morning, but if she was careful, she might be able to get enough sleep before tomorrow morning and her routine of injections and painkillers.
He walked to a sliding wall and escorted her to a second chamber with a low table and cushions on the floor. She knelt on one of the cushions, and he didn’t sit across from her but sat next to her. The server came in through a panel that was barely visible and set a tea set out as well as a small carafe of wine with a large glass and a small glass.
She looked at it and grinned. “This looks like it is going to be fun.”
He smiled. “I certainly hope you enjoy it.”
The first course emerged, and it was one small item on a very small plate for her, and a larger version of the same for him. Styra chuckled and dove in. It was a once-in-a-lifetime meal and her first proper date. She wasn’t going to let the opportunity to enjoy herself pass her by.
Chapter Five
After the second hour, Styra was giggling with every question. She really shouldn’t have had the third thimble of wine.
“I see that I forgot to ask Mbrak about your alcohol tolerance.” Yr-el shook his head.
She blinked. “Oh. I have an excellent tolerance, just not when I have had to use injectors just so I can move.” She wrinkled her nose. “Huh. I wasn’t going to tell you about that.”
He snorted. “Well, if that is all it is, I can fix that, but it might hurt.”
She stared at him, not sure if she had heard him correctly. “You can fix what?”
“Your injuries. The pain. My particular bloodline has a regenerative skill. I believe that is why Mbrak lured me here.”
His eyes were silver and serious, the light moved under his skin, and she watched stars move and collide. She really wanted to follow some of the light with her fingertips, but she curled her hands into her lap instead.
She swallowed. “I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you. It seems that Mr. Blue has already done enough.”
He cocked his head. “You will not ask me for assistance?”
She shrugged. “I am used to it. It is fine. It is how I schedule my time.”
He blinked. “You don’t want a life pain-free?”
She chuckled. “I don’t know what I would do with it.”
“Perhaps, think of something else to do with your time spent managing pain?”
“Like what?”
He smiled, and his elegant features were charming. “Like me.”
Her face and specific parts of her body went hot. “Oh.”
She met his gaze. “I wouldn’t consider that a full-time occupation.”
He snorted in surprise. “I don’t know whether to be amused or insulted.”
When he moved, she could see the muscles of his abdomen bunch and relax. She slowly looked up, and he was watching her stare at him. He reached over and pulled her into his lap. “I believe I will opt for amused.”
He tugged at her neckline and eased her dress off her shoulder. “If you are numbed to pain, this might not be as difficult as it would otherwise be, but it isn’t going to be pleasant.”
“Here?”
“You wish to wait? I thought proof of concept would help you along.” He flexed his fingers, and the tabs that connected her sleeve came away, one by one.
“What if someone comes?” she slapped her left hand to her chest to keep the dress from exposing her breast.
“There is not a course scheduled for another thirty minutes.” He pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “We have privacy.”
She looked at his dark head, and she swallowed. “What does this entail?”
He left a trail of kisses down her arm, the exposed and twisted skin. “A little blood calling to blood.”
She blinked at the feel of his lips against the basically numbed skin. She watched, and he slowly traced his tongue along the lines of the scars. When he had traced all the ones in that bundle, he lifted his hand and drew his thumb across his palm. Blood ran down onto her arm, and it faithfully followed the wet trace left by his tongue.
She watched the blood run along her skin until it covered everywhere that he had licked. He lifted his hand to his mouth and licked the wound. While she watched, the slice closed.
When he kissed her, she widened her eyes because she could taste far more than copper along his tongue. She wanted to ask him what was going on, but he threaded a hand through her hair, and he held her to the kiss while the taste slowly dissipated. His tongue moved along hers, swirled, and plunged, and she shifted her thighs together as there was a reaction.
He lifted his head and closed his eyes. “Take a deep breath.”
She didn’t know what was going on, but there was a wrenching pain in her arm while he held her tight. She looked down, and there was light coming from the scar tissue. Her arm throbbed, and the muscles twisted as alignments were shaped and formed once again.
She was covered in sweat, panting, and ten minutes had passed before the pain subsided. She was gasping for air, and she didn’t want to look at her arm.
He pressed a kiss to her temple and licked the sweat. “You can look at it. Your arm is still there.”
She looked over, and her arm was, indeed, still there. Her sleeve was down, the metallic white of her skin was glowing, and there were only slight marks left from the original scars. The muscle looked the same as her other side. “How did you do that?”
“My father’s skill. Blood healing. The blast damage will have to be addressed over a few days. Doing it in one would be dangerous for you.”
She blinked. “You will only be here a few more days.”
He smiled. “Then, I suppose we will have to make alternative arrangements.”
She flexed her hand and raised her arm. “It feels like it does in the scenarios. Thank you.” She looked at him and beamed.
He cuddled her and smiled. “I have never found this technique to be particularly useful before now. It is too slow for use in battle.”
She flexed her hand again. “I am sorry it isn’t more useful, but I can only say that I am grateful for it.”
He stroked her jaw and tilted her head toward him. “I believe I have discovered its true purpose.”
Styra didn’t ask what he was talking about, she was too busy closing her eyes as he kissed her slowly, lifting her up to face him. She draped her arms around his neck before she paused and reached down to yank on the front panels of her skirt. When her legs were free of the fabric, she moved toward him, leaning against his chest and relaxing slightly.
She heard the door open and c
ontinued kissing the captain until the server left. She leaned back, and she looked away in embarrassment. He tilted her back, and his lips moved across the exposed breast that she had forgotten about.
The freedom to cover her face with both hands was definitely new. His chuckle was felt as well as heard while he licked and sucked at her nipple. He slid his hand into the parting of her skirt, and he paused, pressing his forehead against her collarbone. “You aren’t wearing anything else.”
She swallowed. “The skirt catches if I wear anything under it.”
His fingers were pressed against her, and she was slick. She could feel it. He slipped a finger into her, and she froze at the unfamiliar feeling. Sure, she had toys but nothing that moved along the front wall and searched out that particular spot. Her breath caught in her lungs as he ran the pad of his finger over that inner spot, and she twisted against his hand, pushing at his shoulders. She opened her eyes a tiny bit, and his eyes were crimson as he watched her ride his hand.
She held onto him when she bucked, and the nearly painful tension expanded and encompassed her body.
It took four slow seconds before she relaxed against him, and he curled her up against him. He kissed her and smiled, withdrawing his finger from her and sliding it into his mouth before his eyes flickered back to silver.
It took a few tries before she could speak, and she whispered, “Why do your eyes change?”
He shrugged. “He wants a better view.”
She remembered the hot look in the scaled features, and she swallowed. “Oh.”
He stroked a hand down her back.
Styra swallowed and glanced toward the table. A slightly melted fruit dessert was waiting for them on the table. She chuckled. “Will you let me reach the sweets?”
He leaned forward, still holding her, and gathered her cup and the tiny spoon. It was gone in seconds, and she sighed sadly as she looked at his normal-sized dessert. The fruit mousse had been very good.
He touched her chin and tried to lift it for a kiss, but her gaze was fixed on the mousse.
He chuckled. “Do you really want it that bad?”