Viper's Hope (Anguis Defenders Book 1)

by Stephanie West

  "And you are okay with this?" Tara inquired.

  "When I met my Basilisk, I was very happy with our mating." Acris smiled and Hope understood.

  Part of her found the encounter with Viper mind blowing. In the end it qualified as the best sex she'd ever had, but overall it was beyond fucked up. Although from what she gathered Viper wasn't all to blame, it still didn't mean she was head over heals in love. Not to mention the way he lost his shit with JP or anyone else that came too close, it was over the top.

  "What if a man tries to force a female not because he's in heat? I don't know what you call it?"

  "Mating heat is an acceptable translation. Our brothers and sire keep us safe from lonely males. There is no excuse for a male to force a female since there are females who have lost males or who are older and have yet to find their true mate who are willing to mount more freely, hoping to find someone to form a bond with."

  Hope assumed Acris meant old maids and widows would have sex without marrying though it sounded like they too were looking for someone special rather than just having a good time.

  "I do not understand what you meant by Viper would get over you and move on." Acris asked looking confused.

  "Do your people ever divorce or end a mating?" Hope asked.

  Acris looked horrified.

  "We mate for life. As long as a mate is alive no one else can, um" Acris looked suddenly very embarrassed.

  It was Hope's turn to look horrified.

  "Please explain." Hope begged even though she had a feeling where this was going.

  "Well no one interests me but Basilisk." Acris paused and they all stared at her waiting. "And my Basilisk would not be capable of performing with another female." Acris said lowering her head in embarrassment.

  "Oh my god, are you saying it doesn't get hard for anyone else?!" JP asked.

  Acris blushed, or so Hope assumed, since her color changed dramatically as she nodded.

  "Well that's a trade off." Tara said. "Certainly guarantees Viper won't cheat on you." Tara said to Hope, and she swatted her friend again.

  "Holy Shit! So Viper is stuck with me." Hope shook her head in shock.

  He couldn't even hope to find anyone new. She could potentially go hump the entire ship but not him. Although quite frankly the thought of someone else didn't really interest her at the moment either. The thought of Viper being flaccid for every other woman pleased her even though it shouldn't.

  Hope wasn't at all sure she wanted to be tied to the man. She barely knew Viper. He was hot, even as different as he was, but that really didn't mean they'd get along. She didn't see how wild monkey sex meant they should be mated for life. Hope imagined lots of sex in between her yelling at Viper for bashing other dudes heads in, for looking at her funny.

  "I should be going Uxorem." Acris said as she got up.

  "Please call me Hope. Thank you for talking with us."

  "It was my pleasure, and it was nice meeting you." Acris said to her friends.

  Once she left JP turned to Hope.

  "Does that mean if you refuse to be married to that hulking alien man he's limp for life?"

  "Serves him right for forcing Hope." Tara groused.

  "That's cruel!" JP admonished her.

  Hope knew JP didn't like her being mistreated, but he seemed to understand better than Tara, that Viper hadn't intentionally forced her.

  "It really is Tara. I know it's not right, but you also weren't there." Hope said. "When Viper came out of his horn dog haze, he was very remorseful. He realizes we are not the same and hasn't made me uncomfortable since." She tried to explain to her friend.

  "What do you call attacking JP?" Tara demanded.

  She had a point.

  "He's been growling at everybody." Hope offered up in excuse, not quite sure why she was defending Viper.

  "Like a dog with a bone. Watch it if he wants to pee on your leg." JP laughed.

  "Shut up!" Hope said even though they were right. Viper had some major jealousy issues. "I know it's not normal. I don't know what the hell is going on." Hope shook her head in confusion.

  "You like him!" Tara accused.

  "Um hmm." JP confirmed.

  Maybe she did.

  "Ugh, this is sooooo freaking weird." Hope whined.

  "Just go with the flow until you decide it's a no go." JP suggested, making it sound so easy.

  "He'll just have to deal." Tara followed up.

  "Viper's sexy as hell, but that's not a basis for the kind of relationship that's been sprung on me. I have a feeling we are just too different."

  Viper

  Viper spoke to his sire on one screen but was distracted by the silent image of Hope and her friends on the other one. His chest ached. Not only had Hope rejected their mating, but she'd outright dismissed him. No one, but his parents and siblings had ever treated him that way. Not that Viper thought he was above such a thing, it was just so unexpected.

  He had been woefully unprepared to come across his mate. Viper hadn't even thought of finding his subeo for ages. His sole focus had been maintaining the peace and safety of his people while eradicating the Morbo. Then Hope came into his life throwing him for a loop.

  All cultures took some getting used to, the humans were no different. Viper just never expected his mate would be of another race. Mating was difficult enough without the added complication. And Hope was nothing like an Anguis female, she was outspoken and strong willed, the complete opposite of her slight appearance. He didn't even know how to begin to relate to her. Although Hope had every right to be contrary, Viper found the situation frustrating. Yet he also liked how Hope spoke her mind. When she stood up to him, her lips pressed tight, her eyes flashing in agitation all he could think was 'damn she's sexy.'

  "Goddess listen to me, I've been mated all of a day and already I'm pathetic."

  Nothing was going as Viper expected whenever he'd thought about finding his mate in the past. It's not like he didn't expect some hurdles. He had always just assumed it would be something more along the lines of his subeo and his mother not getting along. Viper never fathomed this.

  Viper tried not to growl as he watched Hope affectionately interact with the human male on screen. He was having a real hard time wrapping his fangs around the relationship his subeo had with that un-mated male.

  "Viper I can tell that besides the new refugees you have something else disturbing you." His sire, Adder said.

  "I have mated." Viper stated bluntly not one to mince words.

  His father's eyes widened.

  "How is that possible? I didn't think there were any un-mated females aboard the ship."

  "She is one of the human females. But she has rejected me." Viper stated dejectedly as he stared at Hope's image.

  "I am shocked that you found a mate amongst this other species. How is it that she has rejected you?"

  "I found her while scouting one of the crash sights, and her scent called to me." His sire grunted knowingly at Viper's first impression of Hope, after all he was mated. "She didn't understand, and attempted to escape as I slept and well, I went feral."

  Adder nodded grimly as Viper explained everything to him. With more than a bit of shame, anger and sorrow Viper admitted how he mounted his sweet little subeo. Hope was so small he didn't know how she withstood him.

  "I have promised her I will not touch her." Viper finished painfully.

  "This is most unusual and unfortunate. I am sorry my son."

  "I have not given up, but I am not sure what to do."

  "In mating we act on instinct, it is our way." Adder shook his head making Viper wonder if there was an interesting story behind his own mating. "Show your subeo your better self and if things do not straighten out by the time you reach Anguis Minor, we'll put our heads together. Do you know if you are compatible?"

  "I would assume." But of course Viper had no idea if young were in their future.

  He probably wouldn't know for a while, if ever, females were
not in their fertile season yet. Besides Hope wasn't interested.

  "I will see you in six days." Viper signed off, and the comm went blank.

  Viper had to go find Hope. This talk of mating made him desperate to see and be near her. He found himself exceedingly frustrated that he had almost no memory of mounting Hope. It was a cruel twist of fate, especially if he was going to be denied the pleasures of her affection again. Maybe it was for the best he was ignorant of most of the details. She'd been unwilling. If he'd been lucid, it would no doubt haunt his dreams.

  The sleep cycle was in a few hours and Viper found himself at the guest quarters faster than he realized. The door opened, and he saw Hope laughing with her friends. Her smile was positively radiant. Her blue eyes twinkled freezing Viper in the doorway.

  "It is night time are you sleepy?" Viper asked when he found his voice.

  "Not really."

  She didn't understand he was trying to ask her to join him, without begging. He did have his pride. The last thing Viper wanted was to look weak. If Hope refused to come with him he'd probably have to ask Ophidian to sedate him. The need to have her close was already gnawing at Viper's gut making his skin crawl. Viper had heard mated males describe the stabbing need, but it was worse than anything they could begin to even explain.

  "Should I come back later?" Viper hesitated to ask but did.

  "Go with him it's late and this crazy day has worn me out." The male, John Paul said then looked at Viper and winked his eye.

  Tara, shoved John Paul in the arm.

  "Only if you want to Hope. But I'm sure we'll be fine. Right?" Tara eyed Viper sounding confrontational.

  It would take time getting used to humans speaking to him so openly, but this was better than the screaming from earlier. Viper had met many species, this was just another one that he'd need to learn the customs of. However he did have more impetus to adjust than he'd had with other races since Hope was human.

  "You will have anything you desire. We are just across the hall." Viper bowed formally to the human female placing his knuckles to his forehead.

  "Fine I'll see you guys tomorrow." Hope said to her friends then stuck her pink little tongue out at them.

  She was a funny female. Viper wanted to laugh when she crossed her eyes at them, making a silly face.

  He wanted to thank Tara and JP for aiding him by kicking Hope out of their room. Viper felt his tension ease as Hope walked across the hall with him and entered his quarters. He had to remind himself not to touch her shoulder though his fingers itched to reach out to her.

  "Have you eaten?" Viper asked even though he saw that they had when Acris visited, but he didn't know what else to say at the moment.

  "Oh my!" Hope declared and stopped.

  Viper almost ran into her back.

  Viper looked around their room with a smile. There was new bedding with colorful pillows, along with comfortable seating for two near the entertainment console. The walls were decorated with several pictures of the best views on Anguis, but also impressive ones taken of Hope's blue planet. On the dining table and by the bed were vases of flowering plants collected from the arboretum. Viper wanted to embrace Acris, he didn't care if Basilisk ripped his head off for doing it.

  "This is beautiful." Hope said as she wandered around looking at everything then smelling the fragrant blooms.

  It certainly looked more like a home.

  "I wanted you to feel welcome."

  Viper didn't work this magic but he would have if he'd been more creative. Males didn't decorate their homes, it was usually the female.

  "I asked Acris to help." Viper admitted.

  "It's lovely. Is this your home?" Hope pointed to a large image of the Campir plain, and Viper nodded. "Tell me about your planet." She asked as she sat on the new overstuffed chair.

  Viper liked that Hope was talking to him, and not in anger, as he sat down beside her.

  "Anguis is much like your desert, though a bit more lush. The flowers blossom at various times of year but they are the most glorious after the wet season. They cover the landscape with carpets of purple, blue and red." Viper recalled a particularly memorable view it had been a wondrous sight just like the female in front of him. "We have oceans too. They are a clear azure blue just like your eyes."

  "You're a charmer aren't you?" Hope stated with a smile. "You have two moons!" She exclaimed as she glanced at another image.

  Viper nodded.

  "We do. There's a tiny bird," Viper pinched his fingers to show her its size, "that comes out only when the two moons are high and the flowers are in bloom. They zip about from flower to flower almost faster than the eye can see."

  "Oh that's sounds like the humming birds we have on Earth. I always thought it would be neat to have one as a pet but something like that would never survive or be happy in a cage." Hope mused as she smelled a cactus blossom on the side table where they sat.

  "So true."

  Viper imagined his Hope was one of those beautiful creatures that couldn't survive caged. It made him sad. He didn't want to trap her with this mating, but he also couldn't fathom letting her go either.

  "We have attempted to collect many of your animals." Viper told his reluctant mate.

  It was such a tragedy the way the Morbo destroyed an entire planet by the time they were through.

  "Really?! Thank you." Hope gave him a genuine smile.

  It lit up her entire face, making Viper's hearts beat so fast they nearly burst in his chest. Then she grimaced, and it was crushing.

  "It's so sad to think of all the things that are going to be lost. I don't know what we'd do if the Anguis didn't help us."

  "We have been there ourselves."

  Viper ran his hand over her arm in a comforting gesture. Hope didn't pull away, in fact she leaned into him as she nodded in understanding. He reveled in the simple touch. It made him want to tug her closer. But he'd promised her he wouldn't, in fact he was probably breaking that oath even now, though Hope allowed it.

  "I am sorry I couldn't stop the invasion."

  Hope squeezed his hand as she looked up at him with her big clear blue eyes.

  "Viper it's not your fault. Don't blame yourself please." She yawned and looked towards the bed.

  "Go to sleep I will sleep here."

  As much as it pained him, Viper would give Hope her space, in hopes that she'd forgive him and see that he truly didn't mean to harm her. Plus there was no way he could share that bed with Hope. He'd wake up in the night to find he'd pinned her beneath him. It was all he could do to keep his hand off her now.

  Hope climbed into bed and snuggled into the pillows as Viper reclined in the comfy chair, stretching his feet onto the footrest. Hope rolled to her side to face him.

  "What's that thing?" She pointed to the entertainment unit.

  "It plays music, shows images, all sorts of things.".

  "Play something, please"

  Viper thought for a minute then put on his favorite flute music. It was calming thought hauntingly sad, a bit like his mood.

  Viper was trying to stay positive. He'd just never had something he wanted so desperately, that was completely out of his control. He'd always been ambitious and generally anything he set his sights on he achieved. But this wasn't a battle to be conquered or quarry he could hunt. Winning over Hope would be altogether different, and if she still didn't want him in return, then there was nothing he could do.

  Looking at Hope Viper thought about what her name meant. He hoped Hope would give him a chance. Talking with her like this had to be a step in the right direction. He'd never spent much time talking with female outside his family, certainly not one he wanted to impress.

  "Thank you for finding my friends." Hope cast him a sweet smile, turning him inside out.

  "No need to thank me. Ophidian is my friend, and I'd be lost without our camaraderie."

  It was true even though he was pissed about how Ophidian dealt with Hope, the male was still like
a brother.

  "I'm sorry we had to leave before I could assure we found your family."

  "It's okay. I wouldn't want to put everyone else on the ship at risk, no matter how badly I want to see them safe and sound." Hope's lip quivered and Viper desperately wanted to soothe her fear for her family.

  "I have other ships searching for them. We don't believe the Morbo have reached the area your sister lives." He quickly reassured her.

  Though she was sad, Viper was shocked that Hope was so accepting, particularly where it pertained to her family's safety, particularly since she was so outspoken otherwise. Many of the females in his family wouldn't have been so calm or understanding. Hope was constantly surprising him.

  He never would've imagined that he'd like such a spirited female. Viper still wanted to grin at how she'd taken the ambassadors to task that afternoon. He could see now that his mate would never be content to just sit back at let him handle things the way a male traditionally would. She'd want to be involved.

  Not only was Hope's personality different but also her body. She was delicate in coloring and stature, but certainly not in temperament. Hope was curvy and soft. The sight of her posterior, made him want to grip the luscious globes. The way her full breasts strained at her top, the tips of her nipples poking out, was positively tantalizing.

  Viper shifted in his chair, uncomfortable with what his thoughts of Hope were doing to his groin. The calm flute continued its melody but sadly didn't relax him.

  "You are close to your friends?" Viper asked since they had been talking about friends. His curiosity getting the best of him.

  Hope nodded as she adjusted her blanket.

  Viper had no idea how to even approach the delicate subject. He wanted to know specifically how close she was with her male friend. But then again did he really want to know? He might kill the male. Viper was doing his best to not let his jealousy control him since his reaction to the male earlier had made Hope angry. Viper had no doubt that she'd leave entirely if he couldn't reign in his possessiveness. But dammit it was hard! All he wanted to do was toss Hope over his shoulder and blockade them in a small room again.