The Alien Pirates' Treasure (Star Pirates Book 1)

by Charity Wells

  “Are you tired, my heart?” Va’naar asks, turning to Polly with a concerned expression.

  “Not so much,” she replies, giving him a soft smile. “But I would love to see the rest of the house. That garden was amazing. I want to see where you grew up and everything.”

  “Anything for you,” he agrees, taking her hand and leading her further inside. I follow closely behind, stealing a quick moment to run my hand down her back to her delectable rear.

  “What are you up to?” she questions quietly, eyeing me with suspicion.

  “Nothing,” I reply with an innocent smirk, then ruin it with a wink. “But I did say I liked a challenge, you know.”

  “You did, and just what kind of challenge are you after now?”

  “With Ca’lek, you never know,” Va’naar comments dryly.

  I chuckle again. It was good to be home, and bantering with my family has always made me feel good. Though, I didn’t realize how much my relationship with Va’naar had suffered as we struggled to cope with the news of our mating contract. Our easy, playful bond had fallen quiet and pensive. We never quite returned to the same closeness we’d had before. I’ve missed it. Polly gave us back our laughter. She gave us back the love we had lost. He and I may not be intimate with each other, but I love him as much as I love her. I know now that I will fight anyone to keep what we have now.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Va’naar,” I deny, waving my hand in a lofty gesture to urge Va’naar to get on with it. “Don’t you have a tour to conduct?”

  He smirks. Clearly he knows I’m up to something, but is willing to play along. He pretends not to notice when I wrap an arm around Polly’s waist and turn her to follow our secondary as he begins describing the house.

  “This estate has been in my family for the last six generations,” Va’naar recounts, moving about the receiving room. “My grandsire’s great-grandsire built it for his mate when they were newly bonded.” He continues on, describing some of the handmade furnishings and telling stories about how he and his siblings got into trouble for playing in here as pups.

  “I haven’t been inside you since this morning.” Polly’s hair tickles my nose while I whisper into her ear. “I do miss the clench of your heat on my cock. We should slip away while he’s not paying attention.”

  She sucks in a startled gasp, turning a lovely shade of pink before her elbow jabs into my side. She steps away, wagging a finger at me like Mother Da’leah had, then turns back to Va’naar.

  Skipping over what he considered boring rooms with just a vague mention of what they are, Va’naar shows Polly another section of the house. This one is Father Shau’vaan’s workshop. The male likes to relax by making small carvings out of discarded wood, which he’s very good at. Polly picks up a puzzle made up of tiny shapes that fit together to form a sleeping grecta feline, then turns it over in her hands.

  Across the room, Va’naar retrieves one of his favorite pieces, a landscape of the Kaer’klen Region and its many lake terraces. His sire spent three solars carving the intricate piece. It is amazingly detailed, delicate, and it is much lighter than it looks. I know my secondary comes to this room often just to look at it. Why he doesn’t just ask his sire for it still eludes me. I’m sure Shau’vaan would gift it to him if only he knew how much his son enjoys the piece. Perhaps I will mention it to him.

  “I would just love to bend you over this bench and fuck you until your knees give out my mate,” I purr in her ear, nipping her shoulder while Va’naar returns the carving to its place.

  She shivers under my hand and narrows her eyes.

  “You are being bad,” she chides. I wasn’t sure if she was even listening to Va’naar’s words anymore, but she is certainly listening to mine.

  “And yet you make such beautiful noises when I’m bad, don’t you?” I reply, sneaking a quick kiss.

  “Now, this is the piece my father carved just for me. It will go in our home one day. After we’ve settled down and built one of course,” Va’naar interrupts, his eyes finding mine. I recognize the pang of longing in them. It’s the same longing I felt on the ride over here.

  Remembering what he wanted to show her, he holds up a wall carving of a flying movik. They are legendary beasts from a time so long ago, with many believing they are just myths, despite what are said to be movik bones on display at the museum. As a pup, Va’naar always loved the stories about the massive winged creatures, and would swear up and down that they were real. He was certain that he had seen one on a school trip in the mountains, even though no one else had seen it. His enthusiasm for the stories was well known among the family and was accepted as a part of his imaginative nature.

  “I love that,” Polly says, trying to subtly move my hand from where I’ve cupped the side of her breast, running my claws teasingly along the underside.

  It’s not easy to hide my evil grin. She’s trying so hard to pay attention, but it doesn’t matter what Va’naar says or tries to show her, her attention will be mine.

  “He can make more to match it if you like,” Va’naar suggests.

  “Ooh, maybe some other animals and plants?”

  The distraction in her voice has me amused, particularly because Va’naar is so focused on the carving, that he doesn’t even notice that she’s barely paying attention anymore. I wonder how long it will take him to smell her arousal.

  “Anything you like. My sire loves to carve things for the family. He says having them in our homes ties us all together,” my secondary replies, turning to put the piece back.

  “I know I like having us tied together with my knot,” I add under my breath, so only she can hear me.

  She snorts at my joke, uttering an involuntary murmur of desire when I pull her ass back against my groin, grinding my erection into the plush flesh of her behind.

  “Behave,” she fusses unconvincingly.

  Pulling away, she tries to escape me as Va’naar leads us across the hall to the family room, and then up the stairs to the living quarters. Opening a door down the hall, he shows her his bedchamber from his youth.

  I let her think she has eluded me for a moment, but as soon as she pauses in the doorway, I have my hands on her again. Pulling her against my chest, I boldly grope her breast with one hand, rolling her hard nipple through the fabric with my fingers. My other hand smoothes down her belly to cup her mound. I can feel her heat against my fingers and smell the bloom of her arousal. It’s thick and fills the air, and it takes everything I have to not give in and fuck her on the spot. I groan low in my throat and nip her shoulder.

  “Polly?” Va’naar calls from inside the room. He steps out and goes still at the sight of her arched back under my hands.

  A low moan of pleasure slips through her lips as I lick the side of her neck. She’s sweet and salty against my tongue and the need to dip lower becomes so overwhelming. My hands drag her skirt up her thighs. Va’naar growls under his breath, stalking forward to reach for her. The hungry gaze in his eyes speak volumes of his own desire.

  “Are you pups ready to eat?” Da’leah shouts from downstairs.

  We all freeze at the sound of her footsteps on the stairs. Polly moves first, jerking out of my grasp and smoothing her dress. Va’naar and I futilely attempt to adjust ourselves, but anyone could see our discomfort if they looked.

  Mother Da’leah reaches the top of the stairs and pauses, eyeing Polly’s flushed face. Her gazes turns to us and she hums thoughtfully, sniffing the air. Then, to make our mortification worse, she looks down. That takes the edge off both our arousals at once.

  “You should at least let your female eat something before you attack her in my home,” she comments in a flat tone. “Shame on you! Pups before poking!”

  ∞∞∞

  Va’naar

  I thought my mother’s notice of our frustrated state was bad enough, but that comment she made about poking my mate was all it took to cool my ardor. I wasn’t even the one to start it, that was Ca’
lek and Polly! And while my mate groans dramatically, hiding her face in her hands, I can hear her trying to hide her embarrassed snickering. She thinks being caught like this is funny!

  Still, I can scent her arousal in the air. I will most definitely be seeing to my lusty female’s needs later. Then we will see who’s snickering when I bury myself in that tight cunt of hers. By the time I’m done, she’ll be nothing but a puddle of breathy moans and sweat slicked skin.

  My mother laughs at our expense, then takes Polly’s hand and tugs her back downstairs, muttering under her breath about randy young males and their teasing mates. If only she knew.

  Trailing behind the females once more, Ca’lek and I follow them out to the gardens where my mother has set up a table in the courtyard. The scents that greet us have me grinning happily, my embarrassment forgotten. My mother has ordered nearly the entire menu from my favorite restaurant, including a dish that Ca’lek and I have squabbled over many times. I want to make sure Polly gets to try it, but I’d also like to make sure I can get a large portion for myself. Of course, if Polly really likes it, I will give her as much as she wants. Moving forward, I help Polly to her seat and sit beside her, offering tidbits of every dish.

  Ca’lek sits down on her other side, helping to serve her as well. The meal is quiet and relaxing with just the four of us, which is a nice change of pace compared to our busy life on the ship. If my sires were here and not at the shop, they would be rowdy and making jokes at our expense, especially if they knew Mother had nearly caught us being indecent.

  Mother knew without asking that we prefered to have the entire family together before we started answering questions about how we came to be bonded, so she keeps the conversation simple. She and Polly discuss the flowers and landscape, Polly’s first impression of Mephida, and even some of the shops in town we passed by on our way here.

  Night slowly creeps up on us. The sky dims without our notice. The stars speckle the clear sky and only three of the smallest moons are visible. Polly yawns abruptly, her head heavy against Ca’lek’s shoulder. Mother shoos us off to bed, refusing my help with the cleanup and telling me to tend to my mate instead.

  The bed in my room is more than big enough for the three of us and we happily settle into it. Polly snuggles between us, her back to Ca’lek’s front, with her hands tucked into the fur of my ruff. Sighing, she kisses us both and falls asleep in a matter of minutes. Ca’lek and I are not far behind her, but I take a long moment to study her peaceful expression, pondering how I became such a lucky male.

  ∞∞∞

  The next morning, I wake to Ca’lek stiffly climbing out of bed. It’s early and the morning light hasn’t yet entered through the window, but it’s light enough that I am still able to see the seriousness of his expression.

  “What’s going on?” I ask, sparing a quick glance at Polly to make sure I haven’t awoken my mate.

  “The council agreed to review our petition today,” he replies, sounding rough.

  “What? When were you planning on telling us?”

  “I only found out last night and with Polly so tired from travelling, I didn’t want to ruin a good day by bogging it down with worry.”

  “We should be there with you.”

  “Absolutely not. It will be stressful enough as it is, and we don’t need the council discovering we have already mated someone else. I need to go now, I have to be there early enough to ensure the Bel’fauns can still be summoned.”

  “Alright. I guess I don’t need to stress enough about how important it is that you ensure this goes our way.”

  Ca’lek leans down, placing a kiss atop Polly’s head, then reaches out and ruffles my mane like a pup. “As long as the Bel’fauns haven’t done anything to compromise the council it should go the way we expect it to. The only thing I need to watch out for his Councilman Dir’tik, Sa’rins uncle. I’ve never met the male myself, so I have no idea what to expect from him. I hope he will be reasonable. Keep her busy. I will be gone for most of the day. I’m sure this will make her anxious.”

  “I will,” I say, batting his hand away.

  He quickly disappears from out of the room. Sighing, I lean over and nuzzle closer to my mate. Today will most certainly be a long day, but I will let her sleep for as long as she can.

  Chapter 16

  Ca’lek

  “Complainant Va’resh, step forward and be heard,” the bailiff calls out.

  I draw in a deep breath, trying to calm my fraying nerves before I walk to the center of the council chambers. The wide, clear area right in front of the elders where petitioners must stand as they plead their cases is centered between the council and the audience. It puts the claimant on display for everyone to see. The rows of seats at my back are filled with the curious looking for a show and those hopefuls waiting to be heard.

  Eldest Nea’lah presides over each case from the head of the quorum. The other elders, known as her Secondaries even though they have no familial connections, sit on a double row of benches behind her. Each one was nominated for the position of Elder by other members of the Council, but the people of the region voted to keep them there.

  Presenting myself before the elders is anxiety inducing, especially since the outcome will ruin either my family, or Sa’rin’s. Whatever happens, I am not giving up Polly. She is the greatest treasure Va’naar and I have ever found.

  For the last half rotation, I’d stood in a shadowed alcove to the side of the large room, waiting while other petitions were heard first. Sa’rin and her sires, Lo’nir and Ja’kesh, were in the audience, ordered to attend, but ignorant as to why. Her uncle, Dir’tik, seated at the back of the Secondaries bench, eyes them curiously. He too, seems uncertain as to why they were needed. There was a perverse pleasure in knowing the Bel’faun clan was in the dark, unable to formulate a defense. And it’s the only thing that gives me enough confidence to present my case.

  As I stride into view, their bored and confused expressions sharpen with worry. I understand that they wanted their daughter to make a good match, but the way they went about it was wrong. I’m not going to back down from this.

  “State your business,” Eldest Nea’lah orders in a laconic tone. Seated behind a thin table on the raised dias, she is obviously bored and wants this session to be over with. Most of the other cases had been petty property disputes and neighborhood squabbles. How often did she preside over a truly scandalous case? Would she rule fairly? Would she allow Sa’rin’s uncle to sway her judgement?

  Would she even listen?

  “Eldest, Secondaries, I am here to request that my mating contract be rendered null and void. My secondary and I have no wish to mate Sa’rin Bel’faun.”

  The Eldest raises her head, eyeing me sharply.

  “What is the meaning of this outrage?” Councilman Dir’tik announces, jumping to his feet, outraged by my request.

  A murmur of disbelief rolls through the council room while the audience expresses their shock. Eldest’s shrewd gaze passes to Sa’rin’s sires who had begun loudly protesting at my words. Sa’rin looks shocked and ill. Behind her, the other Elders mutter to each other, obviously dumbfounded by my plea. Her hand snaps up and the bailiff pounds his staff, ordering silence to the room.

  “This is preposterous!” Dir’tik shouts while he angrily pushes towards the front of the quorum.

  “Sit down and compose yourself Elder Dir’tik,” Nea’lah orders. “We will address the issue of your niece’s contract soon enough, but you must remain professional and impartial, or you will be removed from this and future proceedings.” The eldest waits patiently for him to regain his composure before turning her attention back to me. Her eyes are hard and cold while she stares at me, not speaking for several moments.

  “This council has never before encountered males who wished to sever their mating contract. I find the notion that you would so easily abandon your obligations to your intended and their family rather abhorrent.” She pauses briefly and looks
down at something. “I would also like to note that the intended and her family were kept unaware of your reason for petitioning this council. You simply demanded they be present but gave them no chance to prepare themselves for this humiliation?”

  I’m going to lose. She’s already decided against me...

  Eldest Nea’lah shifts her angry gaze to me yet again, not saying more, but with each silent second that passes, my anxiety ramps higher and higher. Was she waiting for me to proceed, or was I waiting for her to continue? My fur dampens with perspiration and I find myself experiencing one of those ‘hot flashes’ that Polly complains about. Ignoring the grotesque sensation of swimming in my own filth, I open my mouth to present my case.

  “Do not presume to speak out of turn, young Va’resh,” she hisses, her eyes angry and filled with disgust.

  I grit my teeth and nod, internally chiding myself.

  “He can’t break his contract! Males have no say,” Elder Dir’tik snarls behind her. His words incite the audience, causing disquiet to rumble through the room once more.

  “You will be silent too, or you will be removed. I will not tolerate disrespect in my Council Chambers. Not even from my Secondaries,” Eldest Nea’lah snaps at him. The bailiff pounds his staff for order again. “Va’resh, come closer. I wish to get a good look at the male who would defy our sacred traditions and tarnish not just his own name, but those of every party in his contract, including those not in attendance today.”

  My heavy feet carry me from the center of the petitioner’s floor towards the podium where she sits. While I know I have sufficient evidence that should bring Sa’rin’s family to their knees for their misdeeds, I’m beginning to worry the Eldest will still not rule in my favor.

  “Tell me, arrogant pup, on what grounds would you challenge your own contract?” she inquires.

  I turn to face Sa’rin’s parents. “On the grounds that it was acquired through blackmail and deceit. Our parents were aware of our preference for a mate, but were pressured to agree to an unwanted contract by the sires of Mistress Bel’faun,” I accuse before turning back to the Eldest. “At this time it is not my belief that she herself was involved beyond her obvious preference for us.”