Teril's Fire: A Mate Index Alien Romance (The Mate Index Book 12)

by S. J. Sanders

  She was tired of being scared, of running and hiding. Her Teril mates were big, strong, and attractive. She couldn’t see anything not to want. Sure, Borth needed some convincing, but she had eight months to work on him. If worse came to worst, she still had her exit plan.

  Grish cleared his throat in response to her silence. “I hope I did not offend. I know humans can be particular when it comes to physical expressions. Terils not so much. We enjoy embracing each other and showing our heart’s feelings.”

  Crystal wrapped her arms around one of his thick arms and hugged it against her. “Not at all,” she assured him. “In my family, we hugged a lot. It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone hug me. I had forgotten how good it is.”

  “It is good,” he agreed, his expression brightening as he stopped in front of a wall just before the first room. “Come, little mate. In light of all this heart speaking and your fear, it is good to start here with our tour.”

  “Here?”

  With a nod of his head, he pressed his palm against the center of the wall, the area lighting up before he removed his hand. The wall slid open to reveal a small room filled with weapons. Her eyes widened at the various blades, axes, blasters, and laser weapons that covered the walls they hung on.

  “This is the armory,” he said. “Much of what you see here is due to our love of collecting fine weapons from all over the sectors, but they are maintained and very lethal should the occasion arise where they need to be used. If you’re ever in a position where you feel unsafe and we aren’t present, come here. I will code your access to this room.”

  He stepped away and allowed the door to slide shut before proceeding down the hallway, leaving Crystal to collect her jaw and hurry after him. Mouth snapping shut, she hastened to his side, looking up at him with a new appreciation.

  If everyone needed a hobby, then that was one she definitely approved of.

  The rest of the tour was less eventful, but she learned where the storage areas were, including where emergency food and supplies were kept, where Grish and Borth roomed in case there was an emergency—which had her imagination working overtime, conjuring scenarios that might call for waking them—as well as a side exit that took her directly into the orchard at the side of their property. Fruits hung heavy on the branches. It seemed odd to have an exit leading into the orchard without supplies stored anywhere nearby. The large shed was at the back of the house, visible from the kitchen.

  “This is the emergency exit,” Grish explained. “There is another one through the kitchen, as you are aware. Teril philosophy: ‘An emergency exit is good. A hidden emergency exit is even better.’ Our orchard can be followed all the way to the lumber producers to the left of our property.”

  “Wow, you guys are prepared for everything,” she said, following him back into the house.”

  “It is good to be prepared,” Grish agreed.

  “I don’t suppose your species has a Boy Scout system?” At his curious look, she grinned. “The Boy Scouts is an organization for boys—umm, young males—to help them gain useful life skills. Their motto is to always be prepared.”

  “Good motto,” he rumbled pleasantly. A frown tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Are you sure that this is something human males from your region do? I seem to recall a few incidents where a good friend was less than adequately prepared.”

  Crystal snorted with amusement. “No. Only those who want to do it, and whose parents can fork out the costs for dues and uniforms and take them to meets and various activities.”

  She remembered how much her younger brother had begged to join the Boy Scouts. He was seven, and it was all that he could talk about before she left home. Her mamá had frowned as she read over the material, muttering every now and then about the requirements. In the end, she had decided that it wasn’t a good idea at that time, but maybe later. Crystal didn’t think later ever came.

  Grish gave her a sidelong glance. “Steep costs for something to teach young males to grow to be good males. Do they waive these fees, help transport, and give supplies to the younglings who do not have these credits?”

  She blinked. “Ah, no. I think I heard that sometimes they have old uniforms that new kids can wear. But that’s all I can think of.”

  He nodded thoughtfully as he concluded the tour in the kitchen, his large bulk settling into one of the sturdy chairs at the table. “So it is class restricted.”

  She frowned and leaned her hip against the table beside her. “No, of course not. It is open to all boys.”

  “Clearly not,” he chuckled. “I am not judging. In my society, we have programs for young males and females of different backgrounds, though ours are to develop skills for the trade they might enter into as adults. Everyone knows what is expected of them. They know what skills they should possess even if they end up pursuing another life path, which will require them to work twice as hard to learn things they were not taught as younglings. Regardless, it is understood that if a program is not accessible to everyone, no one can complain when others fail to meet those standards.”

  “I see. And what skills do you lack?” she challenged, her arms crossing over her chest. Although he had a good point, she didn’t like to think that aliens saw her species as lacking socially. They had their problems, sure, but so did every species.

  Rather than go on the defensive, her large mate smiled easily and leaned back in his chair as he also crossed his arms over his chest, his long, massive tail tapping on the floor beside his foot.

  “I cannot cook, unless you count spitting wild game over a fire in emergency if we run out of rations. I can mend a tear or patch a hole but can’t make even basic clothes. I am a strong fighter, but I am not great at games of strategy. I never would have made it to a high rank, despite the many high merits of my ancestors, because I lack the patience for it. I have no musical or artistic ability at all, nor do I have any knowledge of politics and the running of the state. Borth and I had to teach ourselves the basics of running a business and a farm because, while farming is a common pursuit of retired warriors, with large farms passed down through our families, we usually manage staff who do the actual work,” he admitted. “There are a great many things I cannot do, of course, but those are the most obvious in my mind. I am sure Borth, in his current temperament, could give a longer list of my shortcomings.”

  The last was offered with another deep laugh. Crystal couldn’t help but be charmed by his easy, cheerful demeanor. Even talking about his shortcoming, he continued to be open and approachable—damn near jovial about it. Even his eyes danced at her merrily.

  “I don’t understand how someone like you willingly entered into a family with someone as sour as Borth,” she said in disbelief.

  She immediately regretted her observation because his smile fell, and a sadness entered his eyes. He regarded her quietly for a minute before he spoke.

  “My brother is a good male. He was not always as you see him now. He was always full of laughter and wit. We entered the Fleet together, the same year we decided to form our uthak. We fought many battles together and never did he lose his love of everything in life. Every experience was an adventure for him. The wounds he suffered on Agraadax changed him. Forced into early retirement, and in pain with a prosthetic leg that bothers him with the change of seasons, my brother needs something to make him remember that life is a joy again.”

  “Is that why you sent for a mate?” she asked softly. “You thought a mate would make him happy again.”

  “I thought maybe a female would bring him some happiness, remind him of the beauty of our lives here rather than the ceaseless work he confines himself to.”

  “Then you have thought wrong,” Borth snarled from the door, startling both of them. The despair that flooded Grish’s face made her heart ache for the male just as much as she hurt for Borth as he spun away from the door and stalked back to his room.

  Complete dick or not, he had been dealt a shitty hand.

&nbs
p; Grish cleared his throat and pushed to his feet. “Come, let us eat. Borth will return later, I believe.”

  The simple, tasteless meal of the white stew was extra depressing that night as they ate together in silence. Grish tried to lighten the mood with stories, but even she could tell his heart wasn’t in it. It was for that reason she retired to her room early and settled onto her bed to turn on the smaller viewing screen on the near wall. It was a poor distraction until she finally fell asleep.

  Chapter 6

  Borth tossed and turned in his bed, his mind replaying his brother’s words. He hadn’t meant to listen in on their conversation. Absorbed in his dark mood, he hadn’t been paying attention to much of anything as he headed toward the kitchen, but Grish’s voice reached him just as he entered the room, catching his attention. He had immediately come to a stop at the doorway as his brother explained his reasoning for ordering a mate.

  Although he knew it was done out of love, he hated how Grish’s observations painted him. Now he would be seen as weak and damaged to their female. Even if she was theirs only for a short time, he had his pride. He didn’t wish her to see him as less of a male. Less of a warrior. He had spoken truthfully when he said he did not want her pity.

  Now he was sure to have it.

  Growling, he shifted again, throwing himself onto his back, one arm shoving any extra pillow under his head to provide space for his ganthli. His tail stretched out between his legs, the thick tip twitching restlessly. He wanted to strangle Grish, and he wanted to carry off Crystal to prove to her that he was not a damaged male. He glanced down at his leg dubiously. He had taken the brace off hours ago when they returned to the domicile.

  The metal of his leg was made with numerous easily shifting plates. The medics had suggested it. They claimed it would be more reliable for a male his size rather than those made with synth-flesh prosthetic limbs. He couldn’t dispute that. Despite his aches and pains when he overtaxed himself, especially in his knees, he rarely had issue with the limb itself. He barely noticed it, outside of the extra weight that he had become accustomed to revolutions ago, unless he overtaxed himself.

  What would Crystal think if she saw it? She would probably shrink back from it and look at him with pity.

  He could barely look at it himself without cringing. It was cold metal wired and bolted into place with a long moving part that connected to his femur. The medics had advised that he have the rest of the leg removed and that a full prosthetic with metal reinforcements along his pelvis and spine be added to support the additional weight. At his refusal, they cautioned that there was only so long, even with the added support of the brace, that his knee would be able to take the punishment before the joints ceased to function correctly.

  Terils were a large species, with bones and joints made to deal with their weight. He hadn’t been concerned about his knee holding out. Instead, he had loathed the idea of losing any more of his body. He still was of that mind, even if he couldn’t ignore that the pains in his knee were giving him problems earlier in the day. Earlier in the year, he had been optimistic that his leg would hold out longer than the medics had prognosed, but the agony that he suffered after assisting in battle with one of the awepi—the creatures that dwelled within the mountains—had cured him of that delusion.

  Since then, he was unable to ignore what was happening. Whether he liked it or not, he was losing a little more of himself every day until eventually he would no longer have full use of the leg. Unbidden, an image came to mind of his entire leg replaced with one of metal. A long, angry hiss escaped him.

  What female would want to look upon that?

  At least as he was now, he could still disguise it. Even lying in bed, he could pretend that he looked normal. Twitching the blanket over his lower legs, he was able to admire the strong columns of his thighs rising above the bedding. Other than some scarring on his right leg from the surgical tech implants, he appeared wholly himself.

  Perhaps if their female saw him this way, she would forget pity. She would see only a strong, virile Teril. He could imagine her eyes growing wide, her pupils expanding with desire. She would slide out of the simple stretchy pants and loose shirt she favored. She would walk toward him slowly, pale golden breasts bouncing with her every movement, hips swaying enticingly. All those dark curls that she kept bound in a wild cluster at the back of her head would spill down her back and over her shoulders like a curtain. A flush would spread over her skin as she heated with desire as she climbed over him, her breath on his skin before she settled herself over him.

  Groaning, Borth reached down, his hand wrapping around the thick girth of his cock. The wedge-shaped head already gleamed with the first signs of his arousal. Trailing his fingers over the slickness, he stroked its length, the fine ribbing and smooth scales that ran down the top of his sex glistening with it.

  His thighs tightened with pleasure as he imagined her sinking down on it, her sex clenching around his phallus. Her sigh of pleasure would make him grip her hips. Even with her on top, he would master her desire. He imagined the way he would rock her against him as he thrust deeply into her. In his mind’s eye, her body jerked with his every thrust, her fragile flesh becoming dewy. He heard humans had a very wet sex, eager, strong cunts. Though he had never lain with a human, or even given much thought to it, now his mind was fully occupied imagining just how wet she would be—her sex squelching around him at every thrust, the musky perfume of her desire filling his nose. He wondered what it would smell like, what it would taste like.

  A familiar tightening in his back and thighs spurred him on, drawing faster, firmer strokes along his cock as he imaged the way she would moan and cry out his name as she reached her climax. With one hand, he gripped a pillow and drew it over his mouth, his teeth biting deep into the material, ripping it thoroughly as his climax ran through him like liquid fire. His seed erupted, splashing against his belly and over his hand as the pillow absorbed his roar of pleasure. The world whited out around him for just the space of a second, but he didn’t miss the scream that followed.

  The pure terror in that feminine cry had him jerking upright and clambering from the bed. His seed still dripped from his belly as he rushed out of the room, ignoring the sharp twinge in his knee. It did not matter. Nothing mattered in that moment except getting to Crystal and eliminating whatever threatened her.

  Bellowing out a resonating roar, he burst through her door, not even waiting for it to fully slide open at he shouted the emergency override command. He lowered his head, his ganthli making impact, the loud screech of denting metal eclipsing Crystal’s screams. Shaking his head to clear it of the mild disorientation, his eyes immediately latched onto the source of the panicked sound. His mouth dropped open at the sight that greeted him.

  Their human stood in the corner of the room, her entire body nude as if she had been interrupted in preparing for bed. Though she was in profile to him, he could see the delightful jiggle of her ass as she threw a shoe at the full-grown tantogal stretched out on the bed.

  “Is everything well?” Grish demanded, the bulk of his body slamming into Borth from behind as the male pushed into the room. He did not even glance at Borth, his eyes only searching for their female. A choked sound escaped him as he caught sight of the human and the scaled menace terrorizing her. “Matida! How did you get in here?”

  The tantogal swung her enormous wedge-shaped head in their direction, the numerous horns on her head cutting through the air. She chirped happily at the sight of them, rising from the bed on powerful legs seconds before she jumped down and made her way over to them. Crystal’s eyes followed the tenacious little monster until Matida arrived at Grish’s side, leaning into the scratches he delivered all along her horned brow.

  “You have a fucking pet dragon,” she observed flatly. “Of course you do.”

  “Matida is a tantogal,” Grish explained cheerfully as he continued scratching the spoiled beast. “They are native to our homeworld. We had lent
her to a neighbor to deal with their vermin problem. They must have returned her while we were having evening meal. All the doors are coded to open for her because it is nearly impossible to keep out a tantogal if they want to enter a room. It saves us cost in damages. Strange that she went to your room. Usually she would be in my room, or in Borth’s room if she wanted to chew on something of his.” He looked at her speculatively, a pleased smile spreading across his face. “She must like you.”

  “Or she is a menace as I have always said,” Borth drawled as he leaned against the damaged door to relieve the weight on his knee. The door protested, but he didn’t care. The damned thing was already damaged beyond saving. They would need to replace it regardless. Both pairs of eyes turned to him and immediately widened in surprise.

  “Brother, why are you naked?” Grish asked, his head tilting curiously.

  “And you, ah… have something on you,” Crystal added, gesturing to her abdomen as her face reddened. That did not, however, stop her eyes from roaming over him with an expression of unmistakable appreciation.

  That was until her eyes fell upon his leg.

  The fantasy he had enjoyed just moments earlier crumbled as her face paled, and his hands tightened to fists at his side. He had been fooling himself. She wouldn’t see him as a desirable male. Especially not after seeing him fully naked, dripping with his own spend.

  With a low snarl, he turned away, stalking back into the corridor.

  “Borth…” Grish began helplessly as he stepped forward.

  Ignoring him, Borth pushed his way by, his jaw set with determination.

  “Borth, wait!” Crystal called, stopping him just outside of her door. His heart sank, dreading to hear what she had to say. He could not take any more shame. He refused to turn and meet her eye. Silence stretched between them as she waited until, finally, she sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass…”