by Lynnea Lee
A knock came from the door. It was Mia. He had sent a transport over to the Daily Dose to bring her over after her shift ended. He wiped his hands on a towel and went to open the door.
“Thanks for the transport.” Mia hugged him in greeting. “Crox made a big show of it, calling it my chariot.”
Arus laughed. He liked the older male. “Food’s not quite done, but have a seat. Did you want a drink?”
“No, I’m good. You’re going through so much trouble for me. You don’t have to, you know.”
“No trouble, I enjoy cooking. They won’t stop calling me the chef, remember?”
“Then, thanks, I appreciate it. And I remember. Vore seemed to find that hilarious. What are you making?” She leaned over the counter curiously, in the process showing him some nice cleavage. Sneaky female, she did that on purpose. “Mmm, it smells amazing!”
There was no artifice in that last statement, and he beamed at her. “It’s a stew that’s a mishmash of a bunch of different cuisines, so it doesn’t really have a name. The crew just calls it ‘mishmash.’ I make it often for them. It’s a little different each time, depending on what ingredients are available. This one is decidedly Reka 5 inspired.”
“Can I help?” Mia asked.
Arus pointed to some yeasty dough rising under a towel. “That’s ready to go in. I’ve already set the temperature.” He gestured to a small oven.
“I promise not to destroy them like I did the crown puffs today.” Then her nose wrinkled adorably. She corrected herself. “No, wait. I can’t promise that. But I’ll try not to destroy them.” She put an exaggerated emphasis on try.
Arus chortled. “The crown puffs looked a little different, but they tasted just as good.”
“Different? You mean pathetic! I couldn’t believe Crox still sold them. He kept telling everyone I made them like he was so proud. It was so embarrassing!”
“No way!” he protested. “You did great. He probably was proud. The first pastries I ever made were inedible. Ask anyone on the ship. They will tell you all about the times I’ve set off the alarm on the ship and had the automatic fire suppression system douse me and the entire kitchen in foam. They’ve had to witness all my failures. Every. Last. One.”
“Thanks, that makes me feel a bit better. I guess there’s a steep learning curve on pastries. So, you didn’t pick up this hobby until you joined your crew?”
“No, there was no time for hobbies at the academy. The Defiant was the first crew we joined. There was no need to join any other. I couldn’t ask for a better crew.”
Arus gave his creation one last stir and dished it up. While not luxurious, this suite was a lot nicer than the room he shared with Vore. It had a cozy dining area and a separate bedroom. It also had a balcony that faced the sunset.
Mia’s reaction when she took the first bite was worth every moment of work it took to put the meal together. She closed her eyes and shimmied her hips from side to side on the chair. It was delightfully cute. Mia probably didn’t even realize she was doing it.
“I don’t know how you did it, but it tastes new and nostalgic all at the same time. It reminds me of home, but I’ve never tasted this before. I love it!”
Arus appreciated that she was analyzing his food, enjoying it, and not just wolfing it down.
“It’s the combination of basic flavor profiles,” he explained. “The ingredients are novel, and the aromas are new to the palette. But the way it’s combined follows a pattern common in many cultures.”
Mia reached over the table and put her a hand on his forearm. Her fingers appeared extra small and delicate next to the bulk of his ropey muscles. He looked into her soft brown eyes.
“You mentioned not wanting to be called the chef by your crew, but I think it’s a compliment. You’ve got a genuine talent, Arus.”
Her words shone with sincerity. Warmth bloomed in his chest.
The high from her compliment faded as their meal drew to a close. Nervous fingers of doubt inched towards Arus at the thought of asking Mia to stay with him. She had faith in his skills in the kitchen, but what about his ability to care for her, give her a decent life? Would she be willing to face a life out in space with only him and his crew for company?
Happy to delay the uncertainty ahead, Arus wrapped his arms around her and guided Mia to the large balcony. Unlike the stubborn heat of yesterday, tonight’s evening air was refreshing. The wind carried in a cool breeze from the nearby ocean. The salty smell of the sea added to the ambiance. They were on the top floor, and so had all the privacy they would need.
He turned Mia to face away from him, then sat down on one of the oversized loungers. He pulled Mia down to sit in his lap. They watched the start of another sunset. He wanted Mia to think of him every time she saw the sun setting, no matter where she was. Mia relaxed against his body.
With her back pressed tight against his body, Arus wrapped one arm around her belly and the other around her chest, his rough hand reaching up to caress the long column of her neck and throat. Instinctively, Mia tilted her head to allow his face to bury into the crook of her neck. He nuzzled her and nipped at her neck.
Mia turned her face and caught his lips in a kiss. Arus enjoyed this human custom very much. He devoured her lips in return, and Mia moaned into his mouth. The scent of her blooming arousal assaulted his senses.
With one hand against her collarbone, pressing her into his chest, the other hand moved from her belly. It snaked sensuously down under the waistband of her pants and towards her core. She arched in anticipation. His fingers played with her clit, a body part human females had in common with their own, and he felt her body move against him involuntarily. He dipped one finger down into her and found her wet and wanting.
“You are so wet for me,” he rumbled.
She rolled her body and rubbed her bottom against the hard bar of his cock in return.
“Eager, aren’t we?” he chuckled.
“Yes! Hurry, please,” she urged, her voice husky. “I can’t wait.”
He stood, picking her up with him. He turned and deposited her on the lounger, her legs hanging off the edge, her clawless feet on the floor. He quickly stripped his clothes off and helped her remove hers. As her breasts touched the evening air, her nipples puckered and tightened. He bent over and suckled each tight peak in turn. Her pants were next. He shoved them down to her ankles along with her panties. She helped by shaking one ankle loose so that Arus could kneel between her knees.
He reached a hand to play with her nipples as the other thumbed her clit in a circular motion. Mia’s eyes closed, and her mouth dropped open. He added two fingers into her warm channel and pumped with a solid rhythm. She rewarded him with a loud gasp and tossed her head from side to side. He bent his head, covered her clit with his mouth, and suckled in time with his fingers. She exploded with a breathy scream, and her channel pulsed around his digits.
Withdrawing his fingers, Arus positioned his hard cock at the seam of her pussy. She was so wet. And despite their difference in size, he could push in with just a bit of resistance. Mia reached for him and wrapped her legs around his hips in invitation. He eased in until he was seated inside her warmth. He looked down at her beautiful face. She was looking up at him with half-closed lids.
Stars! She was beautiful. At that moment, Arus felt like the luckiest male in the universe.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Mia peered at Arus through her lashes, the corner of her lips lifted in a satisfied smile. His chartreuse eyes, once so alien, felt like home. He caged her body with his, and she felt protected and loved.
Body still shaking from her last orgasm, she reached for him and wrapped her legs around his hips, urging him to continue. He was so thick that she almost panicked. But she knew she could handle him. He was perfect for her.
When he started thrusting, stars exploded behind Mia’s eyes, and she half screamed, and half panted with every stroke. She knew she was lo
ud, but at this moment, she really didn’t care. It felt so good to be so full.
Her body tensed as she climbed towards a soaring climax. But he seemed to know and slowed his rhythm, keeping the peak just out of reach.
“Please,” she begged.
She was so out of her mind that she wasn’t sure if the word really came out or if it was just a mewling noise. Either way, Arus heard. His rhythm increased frantically, and he added a thumb to rub at the bundle of nerves at her center.
Mia threw her head back and cried out his name when another climax took over her body. Her channel quivered and throbbed, clenching and milking his thick rod. She felt as though she was blown apart into a thousand tiny pieces, each piece so lost in ecstasy that it could never come back together again.
Above her, Arus’s body seized. He threw his head back and roared his own release. His body jerked above hers. Their ragged breathing echoed in the evening air.
After a short eternity, their breathing slowed, and they could move again. They untangled from one another, and the light breeze cooled the sweat covering their bodies. Lying on the lounger, they watched the sun drop over the horizon.
They didn’t speak, just listened to each other breathing as they floated dreamily next to each other. It was so calming and relaxing that Mia wanted to fall asleep right here snuggled up against his body.
An irritating thought nagged at her mind, prevented her from fully relaxing. She shouldn’t be doing this. Why? It was so easy to just lie here and fall asleep. Why shouldn’t she be doing this? Then she remembered. Arus would get attached to her. It wouldn’t be fair to him. She got up and started putting her clothes back on. She had to leave.
He reacted to her change in demeanor immediately.
“Come back. Relax. You can stay here tonight. Let me hold you.”
The words were like a siren’s song, enticing her with the promise of ambrosia, a promise of love. And happiness. And home. Sadly, Mia recognized the song for what it was. If she stayed, they would both be lost. If Arus grew too attached, he would be destined to live a life alone without his mate. And if she fell in love, she risked losing her freedom and her strength. Oh, but the song was so tempting.
“The Defiant is coming back earlier than expected. They are arriving tomorrow.” His words pierced through the quandary occupying her mind.
“You are leaving already.” Her shoulder slumped. Her fantasy, her pretend happiness, would end tonight.
“I know we agreed to keep this casual, but come with me, Mia. I don’t want to leave without you. You told me once you always wanted to travel. Travel with me! The Defiant takes missions everywhere worth visiting. We can spend our time exploring. I will show you the galaxy.”
Mia knew happiness played momentarily across her features because, for that instant, hope flashed across Arus’s face. Then her face fell, and so did his.
Mia’s gut reaction was a resounding, Yes! But reality interrupted. She just got to Reka 5. She couldn’t leave her new life now. She couldn’t leave her mother behind. Despite their differences, her mother was literally the only family Mia had left.
Not to mention, she spent her entire life trying to make it on her own. If she left with Arus now, Mia would be wholly reliant on him for everything. That was not acceptable. She would never forgive herself.
The words didn’t want to come, but she forced them out of her mouth. “I can’t.” Guilt plagued her and forced her to explain. “I just got here. I can’t leave my new life. I can’t leave my mom. I wish I could. You are amazing, everything I ever asked for in a man. But I just… I can’t.”
Ugh! That sounded pathetic. She just gave him the universe’s worst it’s-not-you-it’s-me spiel. The worse part was that she wasn’t sure she believed in it herself.
In front of her, his body sagged, crestfallen. The light in his eyes dulled. He was the biggest man she had ever met, but right now, he looked so vulnerable. The gorgeous smile that promised her the galaxy just moments ago reduced to a thin, tight line. She felt like a first-class heel.
She needed to leave. She couldn’t stay a second more, not now that she had ruined what was so beautiful between them.
“I should go,” she said awkwardly before Arus could respond. She gathered her things, trying hard not to make eye contact. She knew she wasn’t being fair to him, to them. She felt like a coward leaving him there broken and defeated.
And just like a coward, she ran.
Sala knew something was wrong the moment Mia walked in.
“You reek of heartbreak and pain. Need to talk about it?” She didn’t let Mia reply.
Instead, she whipped out two small glasses and a bottle of liquor and led Mia to the couch. Mia hoped whatever was in that bottle was strong.
“I’m glad I saved this bottle for an emergency.”
The liquid burned down her throat. It was strong.
“Arus asked me to join him on the Defiant.”
“Is that why you look so miserable? Are you leaving?”
“No. I said no.” She sniffed, trying hard to hold back tears.
Sala wrinkled her brow. “Okay, so you turned him down. That was the plan, right?” Then quickly amended. “The original plan was to avoid this situation altogether. You wanted to stay here, didn’t you?”
“I’m not sure what I want anymore.” That was the truth.
“You got attached.” It wasn’t a question. “Stars, Mia! I’m glad I opened that bottle.”
“I can’t go with him. I want to. I want to so much! But I can’t. I just started my new life here. I can’t just upend it and follow the first guy that comes my way.”
“Surely, Arus isn’t the first male ever to want you in their life.”
“No.” Her voice cracked. She’d had other offers in the past. But none of them had hurt this much when she turned them down.
Sala looked thoughtful. “I know humans don’t develop mating bonds. But if you did, do you think he’s your mate?”
Instead of answering, Mia took another swig. The burn was muted this time. As the liquid fire settled into her belly, realization solidified.
“Yes. I think he is.” And Mia had turned him away. Pain sliced through her. The booze in her stomach roiled. The room spun. “Oh, no, I think I love him.”
Mia crumpled her face into her hands. Arus was leaving tomorrow. When would she see him again? The next time the Defiant came by for a job? Months? Years? Would she have finished proving her self worth by then? Would she be ready to share her life with someone? What if he found someone else?
Tears filled her eyes. The salty droplets streaked down her face despite her best effort to dam the flow. Sobs racked her body. Sala wrapped an arm around her, comforting her.
“If it hurts you this much, maybe you should go with him.”
“I,” Mia tried to talk, but her ragged breathing fought her tooth and nail. She took a few deep breaths. “I don’t want to live off of someone else’s dime.”
“You won’t be! Mates rely on each other, it’s a give and take,” Sala explained. “Sure, some females prefer to let their mates take care of all their monetary needs, but they contribute in other ways. Other females earn their own credits. It’s going to be harder on a ship, but you are smart and determined. I know you can do it.”
Sala had so much faith in her. She gave Mia so much more credit than she gave herself.
With Sala’s certainty in her abilities backing her, all the reasons she had for not accepting his offer felt like cheap excuses. She hadn’t been truthful to either of them. Not to him, and definitely not to herself. It wasn’t about staying for her mother; it wasn’t about making a life for herself.
She was scared. It was that simple. Mia was chicken shit. She was so terrified of being weak and useless that she almost gave up the love of her life just to prove she could truck it alone. She tried so hard not to rely on someone else, that she had forgotten that it was possible for two
people to rely on each other.
Mia was a coward!
A coward who had run out to avoid a difficult discussion. A coward who hadn’t even given Arus a chance to convince her. She knew why. She knew that if she had stayed, she would have caved. Easily. She loved him. She wanted to go with him.
Mia dashed the remaining tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. Mia was done being a coward. She chose Arus!
“You are right. I should go with him, be happy, and find another way to prove my worth.” She gave her friend a big hug. “Thank you for believing in me.”
“That’s what friends are for.” Sala filled their empty glasses. “Another glass. This time to celebrate. Then we can figure out how to get your male back.”
They clinked the glasses together, a human custom adopted by most residents on Reka 5, and downed their drinks.
“Do you think he will forgive me?”
“He will! If he asked you to go with him, then most likely, you are his mate. A mating bond is very hard to break. You will have to do something unforgivable for that to happen. Even if you don’t leave with him tomorrow, the mating bond will pull him back to Reka 5 again and again just so he could see you.”
“Really?” Mia sat taller at the edge of the couch as hope flared.
“He’s stuck with you, Mia. Usually, bonds form simultaneously for the pair, or at least one right after the other. If only one side forms a bond, it’s considered a curse.”
A strange whirring noise tickled their ears.
“Did you hear that?” Mia asked, whipping her head towards the sound. The world blurred slightly from the combination of the booze and the quick motion.
Sala sat up straighter and listened for the strange noise again. She gripped the soft leather armrest in anticipation. For a few moments, all Mia heard was the thud-thud of her own heartbeat. She looked at Sala, who watched her back with concern in her eyes. Then the whirring sound started up again. It sounded like it came from the door. Both females turned their eyes towards the front door of Sala’s apartment. Moments later, the smell of ozone filled the room.