by L P Peace
‘Thirteen tile game?’ the Maruzen said once they’d each won a game or two.
The Huan nodded.
‘Do it,’ Ronin said, watching the Maruzen closely. ‘You used to fight at Alidai. Sophia said Alidai, I was only half-listening. I saw you fight there once. Against Edan. He beat you.’
The Maruzen laughed. ‘Can’t beat Edan. We fought again, recently. He was going to beat me then too.’
‘Was?’
‘The Crucible jumped to FTL in atmosphere,’ the Huan said. ‘Destroyed half of the town.’ It was the most he’d spoken since he entered the room.
Ronin looked at the Maruzen. There was grief there and guilt.
The thirteen tile game was much more complex and longer than the seven tile game. But this one went on even longer than any match Ronin had previously been involved in.
Every time one of them was about to win, the Maruzen would pull out a win, or a loss that somehow reset the game. Ronin watched him and realised he was doing it on purpose.
‘Are you cheating?’ the Huan growled.
‘Not exactly.’ The Maruzen grinned.
‘Then what?’ Ronin said, dropping his tiles on the table.
‘I’m prolonging the game.’ He grinned a white toothy grin.
‘I knew this was a bad idea.’ The Huan dropped his tiles and stood. ‘The females had a bad idea.’ He kicked his chair back. It tipped to the floor as the Huan headed towards the door.
‘It was my idea,’ the Maruzen said.
The Huan stopped walking. ‘What? Why?’
The Maruzen placed his tiles down and looked up at them. ‘My Zoe, she’s a sensitive soul. Strong. I admire her so much. She doesn’t realise how special she is, and not just to me and not just because of our mating bond. She is special beyond that.’ The Maruzen sat back in his chair. His arms rose, and he cradled the back of his head in his hands. ‘But she thrives on bonds. Not just our bond, but the bond she has with her friends. She loves them. She needs them.’
Ronin remembered the journey from Maruzen space to his homeworld, the conversation they had about Zoe and Tara. He looked back at the Huan and saw the same realisation in his eyes that Ronin could feel dawning on him. The three females were for life, every bit as much as Ronin and Sophia. The Maruzen and his Zoe. Even the Huan and his Tara.
‘The three of us are going to spend the rest of our lives in each other’s company,’ the Maruzen said. ‘I suggest we decide to be, if not friends, then acquaintances with a common goal. That of keeping our females safe and together.’
The room went quiet as the three males thought. Finally, the Huan turned around, picked his chair up, and sat down.
‘Danithor,’ he said.
‘Daris.’ The Maruzen grinned.
‘Ronin.’
There was a moment, an acknowledgement of fact. From this point on, the three males would do everything in their power to keep all three females, and the families they’d inevitably build, safe. Something warmed Ronin. It was almost as though he was becoming aware of a new bond—something with these two males that would keep them united in their goal.
‘Daris.’ Ronin nodded to the tiles. ‘Deal. And no manipulation this time.’
The Maruzen grinned at him. ‘As you say, Ronin. Danithor.’ With that, Daris dealt a thirteen tile game.
‘Do you think they’ve killed each other yet?’ Tara asked for the third time. There was a massive smile on her face as she said it.
‘Do you think they’ve gotten over the shock of us leaving them alone together yet?’ Sophia laughed at the memory of Ronin’s face.
They’d caught up. Each of them had been on an insane adventure. Somehow, each of them had been lucky enough to find themselves in the arms of loving, protective males who would do anything to keep them safe. Somehow, each of them had found themselves bonded to those males.
‘For life.’ Sophia grinned, holding her glass up. Two more clinked against it.
Amarans had cocktail bars! It wasn’t exactly a cocktail bar; it was more like a pickup joint. So far, they’d been hit on about half a dozen times, so now any Amaran, male, adalan, or female who approached them got full-on stink eye from Tara.
‘I had to practically drag Danithor out with me.’
‘I think if you hadn’t surprised Ronin like that, he’d have found somewhere else to be.’
Both of them looked at Zoe. She shrugged. ‘Daris was looking forward to it.’
‘Was he?’
‘It was kinda his idea. I’ve talked about you guys a lot over the last few weeks, and he figured he should be friends with them because we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.’
‘He sounds like a good one, Zo.’
Zoe’s face lit up in a way Sophia had never seen before. ‘He really is.’ She nodded enthusiastically. ‘The best ever. He’s so supportive. He makes me better.’
‘You’re pretty kickass all on your own,’ Sophia said.
‘You brought the data packet,’ Zoe said, shrinking a little in her seat.
‘You brought our friends,’ Sophia pointed out. ‘Straight up saved them from that ship.’
Zoe blushed and the table went quiet.
‘Well, I brought my sorry ass,’ Tara said. She looked up, her face going deadly serious. ‘No.’
An Amaran male stopped mid-step a confused look on his face. ‘I—I apolo—’
‘It’s absolutely fine,’ Tara said. ‘We’re all spoken for. Just go.’
The male smiled, a regretful look on his face before he nodded and walked away.
‘He was just coming to talk to us,’ Zoe said. ‘You could have been nicer.’
‘No.’ Tara shook her head. ‘Just no.’
‘Well, I see being mated didn’t take your edge.’ Sophia grinned.
‘Oh, please. If anything, Danithor sharpened it. I’m not just annoyed at being hit on. Now I actually have to fear for those males’ lives. He does not like strange males talking to me.’
‘Same,’ Zoe said. ‘Maruzen mating instinct. He’s okay if he knows the males. But he acts like anyone else is going to steal me away.’ Her grin died, her face going utterly serious. ‘Of course, that did actually almost happen.’
‘You say your male has a mating instinct?’
‘Yeah. It’s rare in his species, but it happens. Happened to his dad too.’ Sophia thought about the golden spots. The island. The heat. She could be with her mate right now. She looked at her friends. They were the only ones who could have dragged her away.
‘The Huan one is actively suppressed by the rich on his planet. Long story. Anyway, wait a while. That thing kicks in slowly, then suddenly they’re almost feral!’
‘But so protective.’ Zoe smiled.
‘And loving.’ Tara’s face softened.
‘Well, Ronin hasn’t shown any of that.’ Sophia frowned.
‘Really?’ Tara caught her eye, then nodded.
Turning, Sophia saw the three males sat in a corner. There were tiles on the table, seemingly forgotten as all three focused on them.
‘They walked in around twenty minutes ago,’ Tara said, shaking her head.
‘I didn’t even notice,’ Zoe gasped.
‘Why do you think I’m being a bitch to these guys? They’ll survive me being curt. They won’t survive a fully enraged Danithor, trust me.’
Sophia leaned closer to Tara. ‘Right. There are parts of that story that were missing. Tell it again, and this time, don’t leave anything out.’
Almost another hour passed before their mates finally joined them. They didn’t even bring chairs; each one picked up their lady and sat them on their laps. The ‘fuck off’ vibe coming from their table suddenly came with reinforcements and they weren’t bothered for the rest of the night.
At some point while they were in Sophia and Ronin’s apartments, the three males had begun to bond. Sophia, Zoe, and Tara exchanged looks as they watched the three of them drink and joke, mostly Daris, until they were ready to go.
‘Don’t have too late a night. We’re having breakfast in the morning with Rhona Desares.’
The three couples made their way back to the building where the Tessans and humans stayed and separated on their respective floors.
‘That was fun,’ Sophia said as they walked up the hall to their suite. Ronin had her pulled into his side. ‘I didn’t realise how much I just needed to have some fun.’
‘After the responsibility you bore, you deserve anything you want,’ Ronin said, squeezing her.
They entered the suite.
Almost as soon as the doors were shut, Ronin pulled her against him and kissed her. ‘Now I want to go back to what we were doing before your friends arrived.’
‘And what was that?’ she teased.
‘That was where I strip you of your clothing and spend time between your legs, making you cum,’ Ronin growled, picking her off the floor and walking over to the dining table.
He pulled her pants down, hooking her panties a moment later, then stripped her top off. Like most days, Sophia wasn’t wearing a bra, so she was totally naked.
His eyes raked over her before he lifted her on the table and gently pushed her on her back.
The table was clear. Glass-like, but not cold. She looked up at him as he pulled her legs apart. She let them fall to the sides, exposing her pussy to him.
His eyes seemed to be glued to her there. He leaned down slowly, his eyes flicking to hers before they zeroed in on his goal. He took in a deep breath through his nose, his hands settling on her thighs, his fingers curving until his claws pricked her skin there slightly. Then growled.
The sight, the sound, the sensation elicited a whimper. ‘Ronin?’ she whispered.
He looked up at her then. ‘You are vrokking perfection,’ he said. Then slowly, he licked up her slit.
‘Oh, god!’ His tongue was wet and warm and barely tickled the seam of her. Starting once again at the bottom, he licked her again, then again. The next time, he set his thumbs either side of her entrance, then on his knees, he slowly pushed his tongue inside her.
‘Oh, fuck me! Oh, fuck me! Oh, fuck me!’ Ronin’s tongue was usually flat, but somehow, it could become engorged like his cock, and when it did, he was almost as thick as his cock. He kept pushing inside her, his hands reaching around to her hips and pulling her closer. When she could feel him hit her cervix, he stopped, then slowly, he withdrew, then just as slowly pushed inside her again.
‘Oh, yes! Oh, yes! Oh, god! Ronin! Yes!’
Fingers found her clit, and he stroked slow circles around it as he fucked her with his tongue.
‘Ungh!’ Her back arched off the table and she played with her nipples, rolling and pinching them to add to her quickly approaching climax.
Ronin sped his tongue and fingers.
She looked down and saw his eyes locked on hers, and he sped his pace further.
Sophia’s body almost levitated off the table as she detonated, crying out. She and Ronin stared deep into each other as her whole body was consumed by him.
Even before her orgasm was done pulsing through her, Ronin was freeing his cock from his clothing. He was deep inside her a moment later, his fingers gripping her hips as his own snapped back and forth hard and fast.
‘Just watching you cum,’ he gasped. ‘Making you cum. Knowing I can do this to you.’
His pace was relentless. When he was close to his own climax, Ronin always fucked her like it was his last time having sex, or his first. He seemed totally swept away, completely out of control, and Sophia loved it. She loved knowing that he lost it just watching the way she reacted to his touch. She loved that he got so close to cumming himself that this frenzied fucking was all he could manage by the time he was inside her. She loved it because, just like now, it always made her cum again. His loss of control was like an aphrodisiac, and she couldn’t get enough of it.
A second climax wiped out all thought. Ronin roared, his cock suddenly feeling bigger as she pulsed and clamped around him, and then he was cumming inside her.
He leaned over her. Sophia wrapped her arms around him as he groaned through the rest of his orgasm, his cock twitching inside her. She pulled on Ronin’s lips with her teeth until he got the message and began kissing her. At first, the pace was just as frenetic as the fucking had been. Then it slowed. He wrapped an arm around her, his hand finding the back of her head, and he held her against him as their tongues played and tangled.
‘Uh, vrok. Vrok, vrok, Sophia, the things you do to me. Vrok!’
‘I’m pretty sure you did that to me,’ she pointed out.
A proud look appeared on Ronin’s face. ‘Yes. Yes, I did.’
Morning came with Sophia and Ronin wrapped around each other. Ronin’s breathing was even and deep, telling her that he was still fast asleep, and she took the opportunity to watch him.
Ronin had very masculine features, with a bone structure similar to humans except for the flatter nose. His cheekbones were wide, his jaw square, and eyes wide apart. Yet like this, embracing her, his head tucked against his chest, his eyes moving under his lids, he looked boyish. Sweet.
It was a true reflection of who he was, she decided. He was like an honourable boy scout, all grown up and determined to always do the right thing, even when it wasn’t the convenient or even smart thing to do.
Sophia felt her heart fill with love for him. He was such a good man. Or male rather. She was lucky that in the whole galaxy of aliens that Dar could have hired for this job, he chose Ronin, the one least likely to get it done if he realised the truth.
Ronin’s fingers twitched, his eyes speeding their pace behind his lids as whatever dream he was having sent signals through his nerves. She watched him, fascinated by… him. Everything about him, from the way he looked, to the person that he was, Sophia knew she’d never felt this way about anyone else and never would again.
Ronin’s eyes opened, and immediately they searched for her. When he found her, his face visibly relaxed and he smiled. Reaching out, he placed a hand on her cheek before he lowered his forehead to hers.
‘How long have you been awake, little Kietta?’
‘Not long,’ she said, letting her eyes close and revelling in the comfort of having him there. ‘What were you dreaming about?’
‘Was I dreaming?’
‘You were twitching and some stellar rapid eye movement going on. In humans, those are usually signs of dreaming.’
‘Ah. You’re having breakfast with your friends today?’
‘Not answering my question.’
‘I will, when you answer mine.’
Sophia sighed. ‘Yes. I’m having breakfast with Zoe, Tara, and Rhona. Apparently, some guy called Sidha will be there as well.’
‘Sidha? I’m not sure I like you having breakfast with some male I don’t know.’
‘You’re fine. Sidha’s more likely to like you from what I hear.’
‘Ah. Then perhaps I shall come to breakfast and meet this Sidha?’ Ronin moved, looked down at her. Again, if he had eyebrows, one would be quirked, a small challenge just for her.
‘So, your dream?’
‘Ah, yes. I dreamt that we were back on your ship when we first met. Only Dukal was also there. Everything went wrong, and he took you.’
Sophia snuggled in deeper to Ronin, whose voice had become more solemn and quiet as he spoke.
‘And how did it end?’
‘Like that. With you gone.’
‘But that’s not how it really would end,’ Sophia said. ‘Not with you. You’d have gone after Dukal. Knowing he was bringing me to Dar, you would have followed him. His ship was a piece of shit, and Vernaya is as sexy as a ship can be. You’d have caught him.’ Sophia reached out, placing her hands on either side of his face. ‘You’d have saved me.’
Ronin’s eyes flicked between hers for a moment before a tentative smile appeared on his face. ‘I would have killed him and claimed you there and then.’
Sophia
laughed. ‘No, you wouldn’t. You’re not an asshole.’
‘I knew the moment I saw you. Losing you like that would have driven me to know the truth sooner. I would always wait for you to be ready, but as soon as you were, I would have taken you, taken you just like I did on the beach.’
‘Hmm. The beach.’ They’d made love their entire time there, after Ronin’s confession. Even before they left, Sophia had known she would remember it as one of the happiest times of her life. ‘We should go back there as soon as all of this is over. Have a holiday.’
‘We can stay there for cycles,’ Ronin murmured, his voice still thick. Whether it was sleepiness or emotion, Sophia wasn’t sure. ‘Just visit the mainland whenever we need something. We can feast from the sea. I can feast from you.’ His voice grew thicker.
‘I would like that,’ Sophia admitted.
‘So would I. In fact, I think we should start now.’
Ronin threw the covers over his own head and began to scoot down the bed. Out in the main room, they heard the door chime.
Ronin popped up, a growl on his lips. ‘I do not like it here. I don’t get to vrok you here.’
Sophia was giggling as Ronin got up to answer the increasingly insistent chimes.
‘Sophia, get your ass out here. Time for breakfast,’ Tara called.
‘You guys have the suckiest timing ever!’ Sophia shouted back.
‘You gotta learn to wake up earlier if you want to partake in morning delight!’ Tara shouted, laughing.
A few minutes later, Sophia was dressed and kissing Ronin before Tara led her down the hall.
A few doors down from Rhona, Danielle walked out of her room. She looked at them, a strange expression appearing on her face when she saw Tara, then brightening when she saw Sophia.
‘I heard you made it,’ Danielle said. ‘I knew you would.’
Danielle stood still, stiff as ever. Sophia walked over to her and pulled her into her arms.
‘How are you doing?’ she whispered.
Danielle was stiff for a moment before she returned the embrace. ‘I’m okay. My trauma was negligible. Some people went through worse than being sat in a cage for a couple weeks.’ Danielle slipped out of her arms, and Sophia let her go. ‘Some still are,’ Danielle said. There was shame on her face.