Rykhan (Book 1 of Mate Search Series)

by J. A. Hornbuckle

  But what about the other things you could do with her in a bed, even one too small for even his body? The thought crept in again and brought the same reaction he always had as he thought of joining with his human bride. As his tailpor thickened and lengthened, he felt his hearts take on a heavier, alternating beat. Just the idea of skin-on-skin contact with a female, feeling her warm, soft body pressed against him was enough to generate a deep craving. A desire so strong that Rykhan knew he would find his release within just a few strokes.

  All over nothing more than envisioning cupping her breasts in his palms.

  His hand idly moved to his hard length but his mind brimmed with the different pictures of a human female’s bared chest, of the creamy mounds tipped with nipples that were so similar yet so much different from his own. Earth’s internet had many, many websites dedicated to glory of the feminine chest and Rykhan found himself returning to more than a few of them eagerly and regularly. Perhaps if the electronic system within the Picari system had something similar, he would not have remained so confused about his sexual orientation for so many years.

  Male pairings had become the societal norm after the loss of their females and had gone from an accepted practice to something expected. Even his older brother, Tryk, had joined with Dafyd after they had lived together for five yons. However, a joining with another man did not hold any sexual interest for Rykhan outside of a singular youthful experimentation. That one session had clearly shown he was not even remotely attracted to other males.

  Ah, but with a female? He felt his tai pull up close to his body as he stroked himself using only his mental pictures, his imagination to fuel his fantasies. The vids he had watched, devoured if he was being truthful, had only become more exciting when he realized that the females actually enjoyed having their beautiful chests caressed and fondled as well!

  Using one hand to hold his tailpor in place, Rykhan fingered the hard but extra sensitive ridges tucked just underneath the mushroom shaped tip. That movement combined with the memory of the most exciting vid he’d ever watched−of a male actually using his mouth to pleasure the tips of a well-endowed female−was enough to send Rykhan over the edge.

  Making his way back to his bunk after cleaning up in the tiny cleansing unit tucked into the far corner of his cabin, he scooped up his tresl again before settling himself and turning it back on. With his need met, it was time to get on with his studies of the culture and mores of the Earth location called Phoenix. Especially since he and Wyst were chosen as the first participants in their actual search.

  Rykhan turned his mind to the upcoming hours and focused himself. If he and Wyst were to be successful, he needed much more information on what ‘speed dating’ actually was and how to use it to their best advantage.

  *.*.*.*.*

  “Aw c’mon, brother. Just one match and then we can put our noses to the grindstone.” Arbrynt’s voice was in the begging category and Wyst could not help his smile as they exited the ship’s lift to the section reserved for their quarters. Of all the warriors on the mate quest, the Galaxi warrior was most like the Nutrolite, Wyst. They both would rather be moving than sitting still while reading or perusing their tresls for new information.

  “One match of Dreg takes two hours.” Though tempted, Wyst did not want to fall behind in gaining information before he and Rykhan attended the Quest’s first specific meeting of human females. Competitive by nature, he was determined to be as prepared for the experience as the studious Tyshar and plodding Laxon would have been.

  “So? It’s not even close to second meal.” To Wyst’s ears, Arbrynt sounded almost petulant in his argument. “We have enough time to play with plenty of heras left in the day for you to make yourself pretty for the Earthlings.”

  Wyst skewered the other large man with a narrowed gaze. “Aren’t you worried you won’t be ready when you seek out your human mate?”

  Arbrynt threw up a hand in a frustrated gesture. “Why should I be? Finding one woman who is pleasant to the eyes with a round, warm ass that fills my hands and who will give me young can’t be any harder than discovering how their monetary system works.”

  Wyst was not so sure.

  From what he had seen on Earth’s internet, everything on the planet was very, very dissimilar from what he knew. From the foods to the style of dress, there was not one thing that seemed the same to anything he had experienced. Moreover, the sheer amount and variety of human females wanting mates was astounding. “I’ll settle on one…eventually. But I’ve a mind to sample as many of them as I possibly can before I get stuck settling down and pledging my life to just one.”

  Rolling his eyes at Wyst’s response, Arbrynt threw a heavy arm around the other warrior’s shoulders. “You better not let the commander hear you say that,” the large man chided before changing the subject back. “It’s just one match, just enough to work off some of this excess energy, brother!”

  That much was true, Wyst agreed silently. Though given every creature comfort, they traveled on a ship crafted for civilians, not warriors. Even his feet hung off the end of his bunk, leaving him to sleep in a curled up position! In fact, there was no place onboard that allowed them to expend any energy of note. To warriors who had been training every rota for yons, the lack of free space in which to work their bodies was almost torture.

  “Let me grab my gear and I’ll meet you there in ten lesps, yeah?” Arbrynt’s face broke into a dazzling smile at Wyst’s capitulation.

  Releasing his hold and dropping his arm, the larger warrior laughed as he stepped away. “Better bring your game as well, old man. Last time, I beat you without breaking a sweat!”

  “That’s only because I dislocated my shoulder during the last round!” Which had found him going to the med-bay for assistance. An experience that still was not clear in Wyst’s mind because of what he witnessed, as he had gotten lost in the vastness of the medical level. That first room, the one with all the high-sided plastic rectangles and all the monitors still showed up in his dreams. Why did the medical portion take up an entire level of the Searcher and what was it supposed to hold?

  “Yeah, but you play like you’re twenty yons away from your grave,” Arbrynt shot back.

  Shaking his head at the giant’s teasing, Wyst palmed his mechanism and entered his sleep space. Pulling out his bag of sport gear from under his bunk, he grabbed his tresl and turned it on. He had enough time to check the scores of the Earth sport games he had become intrigued with over the few weeks they had been traveling before meeting Arbrynt. Even if he was unfamiliar with all the rules in each of the different sports, Wyst was interested enough to spend time watching and appreciating the level of skill displayed.

  Moreover, to think such a backward world would have males who made playing games their career was overwhelming!

  One that Wyst would be happy to join even if it was only for a short period in order to find and bind a mate.

  Of course, only after he had satiated his curiosity about all the human females that appealed to him.

  *.*.*.*.*

  Exiting the observation room after their meeting, most of the men turned left to queue up for the lift that would take them to the section of the ship assigned to the warriors.

  All except Laxon.

  Turning right, the youngest warrior followed the corridor to a set of narrow winding stairs that he knew would take him to the other levels of the starship. He had done some exploring since they had been onboard and discovered so many places that were isolated, set away from other people, and provided him with the solitude he needed.

  Growing up on an outlying, isolated farm on Nutrol, Laxon had begun working with sheep at an early age and by ten yons old, he spent most of his days out with his flock. Until he was fifteen and accepted into the Picari Academy, he had been alone out on the grasslands. An experience that had shaped and molded him more than his entire four yons spent at school learning the roles and responsibilities of being a Protector.

&nbs
p; The soft soles of the mission-provided footwear made no noise as he continued down the spiraling staircase in order to reach his destination. Today, after the frustration of their meeting, he more than needed to be there as quickly as possible.

  The other warrior’s loud voices, wide gestures and huge physiques were more times than not too much for the quiet man. It had been just as hard in his first yons at the academy. Too many people, too much noise, and everything moving so fast had taken him by unwelcome surprise and he had spent a lot of time in his room or out on the playing field when no one else was about.

  After the academy, he had put in for solitary, far-flung assignments in order to maintain his distance from others. Occasionally his assignments included a co-warrior or group that he joined for a few rounds of drinks but that was not his preference in the way to spend his free time.

  If it was a choice of being alone or surrounded by others, Laxon would pick the solitary experience every single time.

  Why then are you seeking to join with a female? The question caused the young but burly man to miss the next tread and his hand shot out to the bulkhead to steady himself. It was something he had never thought to ask himself in all the merts since he first put his name forward for the mate quest mission. He had explored other questions but not that one, not one so specific to him and his nature.

  Introverted and shy was what his file read, but he did not believe it to be true. He was not afraid or intimidated by others; it was more a case that he enjoyed his own company more. His courses had taught him how social skills developed early in childhood and because of his family’s livelihood, he had had little to no opportunities to engage with others growing up. By the time it was required, as in the case of going to the academy, being around others was a strain.

  To his mind, he was not a part of a herd and that was exactly how the other boys in his level at school behaved. He had watched as one by one, they lost their individuality, taking on the posturing and mannerisms whatever group they aligned with.

  That was not for him, the blending in with a crowd, or even being a part of one.

  Would having a mate make you feel crowded? Laxon’s heartbeat elevated at the latest question his head threw at him and he did not know how to answer. He hoped the female he joined with could understand his solitary ways that she would not expect him to engage in social endeavors with others frequently. He would not be able to survive and keep his sanity if she did!

  Racing down the last flight of stairs, he found himself outside the door to the engine room, a place he had discovered he could be alone. He had discovered it to be the only area where he could pace and think in relative silence, finding his own brand of peace within the confines of the starship.

  Above all else, he needed to think. To try to determine how the selection process worked. He had envisioned the warriors simply finding one female for themselves, communicating their goals, and then formally joining with the human female before going back to their home system. The vids the drone had sent back of human women seeking men had brought hope to both Galaxia and Nutrol that mating with the females of Earth would be easy.

  However, Rykhan’s question about suitability had shattered that image. It would be horrible to have traveled so long and such a great distance only to find the female a warrior would chose might be unable to procreate. Much less one who expected more from her mate than he would be willing or able to give!

  What if the female he chose did not like living far away from a city, though? What if she was someone who needed bright lights and noise to find her happiness? That would be a disaster!

  Laxon realized he was no longer pacing the length of the engine room but stopped, his head hanging low and his shoulders slumped. His mind was a jumble, overcrowded with dark thoughts and he wondered if he was the best man for this particular mission.

  This brought up the other dark question he had been avoiding as they had traveled.

  If their mission was the first wave to begin the reseeding process, why only choose six warriors, why not six hundred, or a thousand? Since the Searcher was allegedly custom-built, it should be able to transport more than just a handful of participants.

  His room could not hold two people. He was able to reach out his arms and touch either side of the width of his sleeping space. How could he cram both himself and his blay into that tiny area?

  It made no sense.

  His questions only added to the cacophony of Laxon’s mind.

  Chapter Six

  “I don’t know why I let you talk me into this stuff,” Leah mumbled, her eyes roaming over the other women crowded up to the bar. It seemed she wasn’t the only one who needed a bit of liquid courage to get through the evening.

  “Because if I didn’t drag you out of the house occasionally, you’d have no social life at all!” came the quick rebuttal from the shorter curly-blonde woman standing next to her elbow. Both of their bodies shifted to allow others who had already received their drinks to weave around them. “Suck it up, buttercup. We’re already here, freaking dressed to impress and ready to work our mojo on some new hunks!”

  Leah didn’t respond but redistributed her weight in her new shoes, which teetered at the movement. She didn’t normally wear high heels since she was already tall enough in her bare feet but Pam had insisted that they made her legs look longer. At five foot, ten and one-half inches, adding another three due to footwear was just ridiculous in her opinion. Not to mention, uncomfortable as hell.

  Just as much as the short black skirt Pam had somehow discovered in the back of Leah’s closet. It was just a little too skimpy and a little too tight for public display. At the reminder of her attire, Leah’s hand reached down and tugged at the hem valiantly trying to bring it closer to her knees. But it resisted her attempts and remained at mid-thigh.

  “Stop squirming, Ley!” Pam sharply whispered, bumping into her arm. “You look amazing.”

  “You mean I look like an Amazon. Big difference, girlfriend.” Leah had already noted that she was the tallest person in the room, which wasn’t unusual and hadn’t been since fifth grade.

  “Two red wines, please,” Pam shouted to the bartender loudly over the din of all the feminine voices in the room before turning back to her best friend with a frown. “Stop with the negativity, honey. Remember this is just another step in your post-R.B. evolution!”

  Cautiously taking the full wine glass from Pam’s fingers, Leah turned away from the bar maneuvering slowly through the pack of women directly behind her, a move made more difficult by the damn high heels she wore as well as her thoughts.

  Yes, being at Talking Stick Resort and Casino for their monthly speed-dating event was on the list she and Pam had concocted last summer when Leah had finally admitted that she needed a transformation. A change in not only her appearance, but also her outlook since she was done, completely done, with mourning Tony’s absence. Tony, the man she’d thought was the love of her life, her college sweetheart, and the one she’d wasted four long years on before finding out what a total rat-bastard he was. Alternatively, R.B., for short.

  She’d made many changes in just the few months following his departure. Some of those that were noticeable like swapping out her glasses for contacts and choosing clothes, which actually fit after she’d lost weight. Who knew grieving the loss of a relationship would turn out to be the best diet for her? Cutting her waist-length hair and adding layers had been another big step, allowing the chestnut brown waves to do their own thing. Leah had to admit the style was a good look for her.

  It was the internal changes Leah had found the most difficult. Of going out and interacting with people. To set foot outside her apartment door and do things other than go to work or shop for groceries. Pam had been great in helping her find new experiences; things to do that were interesting and fun.

  Although now only moments away from participating in the speed dating thingy, Leah wasn’t sure the idea was one of Pam’s better ones. It had been easier
to sign up for the internet dating sites. At least when she’d entered her information on the computer, Leah had time to think of her answers in advance as she’d concocted her profile. Face-to-face meetings didn’t give a girl time to plan or to delete and re-do. It was live and in-person. All her fumblings, mutterings, and mistakes would be in plain view for the seven minutes she was stuck with each potential partner.

  Pam’s fingers gripped Leah’s elbow as she steered them through the crowd until they were off to one side of the group. “Okay. So. You’ve got the list of rules, right?” Blonde curls bobbed in emphasis as Pam looked up at her.

  “Right here,” Leah mumbled holding up her small purse before tipping her head to her glass. “I know we can’t ask for last names, phone numbers, where they work or live.”

  “And you know to mark your sheet with the men you would like to meet again?”

  Leah couldn’t help her eye-roll at Pam’s question. As if she was going to meet someone interesting or, more telling, interested in her at one of these things. “Oh yeah. I’ll be making lots of little checks on the paper, Mommy.”

  “Sheesh, you’re a pain when you’re nervous!” Pam fluffed her hair with a manicured hand and took a large gulp of her wine. Moves Leah knew signaled her friend’s own brand of trepidation at what was to come.

  “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea…” Leah started but Pam immediately interrupted.

  “Oh no, you don’t. I paid forty bucks for my ticket and that’s just too much to walk away from!” Pam grabbed Leah’s forearm. “And if I’m staying, then you are too!”

  The double doors at the other end of the bar opened which caused all conversations in the room to cease. A handsome man dressed in a tuxedo filled the doorway and glanced around the group of what Leah thought amounted to about twenty or so women. “Welcome, ladies. My name is Michael and I’ll be your host for this evening. Thank you for coming and may I say how lovely you all look.”