by L P Peace
Zoe held out the photo to him. ‘The redhead,’ she said. ‘What do you see?’
The Adosian glared at her before looking at the picture. He shrugged. ‘My mate with some other female.’
‘Look in her eyes, what do you see?’
The Adosian glanced at her with anger and resentment. Zoe shoved the picture at his face and with a stifled snarl and a quick look at Daris, he turned his focus to the image. Zoe could see the change the moment he noticed it.
‘That light, in her eye. That spark of mischief and love of life. That is what you would snuff out with your shit. That’s what you’d destroy.’
Zoe handed him the picture. ‘You say your species and your attitude towards women is one and the same. Well, if that’s the case, you’d be better off just handing her straight to the Tessans. Because your women might put up with that shit, but I can promise you, Pyri will not. The only way to make her submissive to you is to break her.’ Zoe shook her head. ‘and I doubt you’d care for her or respect her if you did.’
‘Do you… know what happened to her?’
Zoe looked back at him. ‘She and her roommate Elaine were sold to a Devori male at an auction outside of Caras.’ She shrugged. ‘I don’t know any more than that.’
‘That should be sufficient. Thank you.’
Thelan took the picture and the pillowcase, with him as they walked back to the shuttle bay.
‘Adosian, can I trust you and my mate not to kill each other while I do something?’
Zoe looked up at Daris. ‘Where are you going?’
‘You will see when I return, ahdali,’ Daris said, before skipping off.
‘Wait, I want to go to my room and get some things,’ she said.
‘I will find you.’ Daris grinned, then disappeared.
Zoe was filling a bag with clothes when Daris reappeared with something hidden behind his back. When he pulled it out, it was a bag of chocolate.
‘Oh...’ She looked up at her mate. ‘I love you.’
Daris pulled her into his arms and brushed his lips over hers. ‘I love you too, my mate.’
‘Is that chocolate? Elizabeth said.
The Adosian looked from Zoe to Elizabeth and then Daris. ‘Where can I get this chocolate for my mate?’
‘I will show you,’ Daris said, dropping the bag in Zoe’s hands and moving towards the door.
‘That chocolate is gifts for members of the IGC,’ she called after them.
‘I am a member of the IGC,’ the Adosian called.
‘Get me some!’ Elizabeth yelled after them.
Zoe shut her eyes and shook her head. Still, she stuck the chocolate in her bag.
‘Can you help me pack?’ Elizabeth asked as they walked out of her quarters. Zoe shut the door and looked down the hall the two males had disappeared down.
‘Well, he found me here. Let’s go to your quarters.’
They went down the lift and into Elizabeth’s room. Zoe sat on the bed while Elizabeth packed some things.
‘What’s going on with you and Karijan?’ she had to ask. It was killing her.
‘Nothing,’ Elizabeth said, giving her side-eye. She stopped packing and scowled. ‘He doesn’t want me. I completely misread him.’
‘Sorry to hear that,’ Zoe said, though something didn’t quite seem right to her. Karijan had been protective of Zoe, but he’d gone beyond that with Elizabeth.
The males found them by the time they were ready to leave. Daris handed Elizabeth some chocolate and they started walking towards the bay.
‘You know. If the power held, there should still be ice cream in the kitchen,’ Zoe said, feeling like Elizabeth needed some good old fashioned Earth-style girly time. They found the ice cream, Zoe found hot chocolate and they returned to the ship. Daris was even good enough to leave them alone for a bit while they ate ice cream and talked. A short time later, there was a beep from the door.
‘Come in,’ Zoe called out.
The woman who walked in was human but totally unknown to Zoe. She was, however, familiar. Zoe looked at the long white hair, pale blue eyes, and impossibly pale skin of an albino and smiled.
‘You have to be Alethia,’ she said.
‘And you’re Zoe and Elizabeth?’
Elizabeth sat with her mouth open, ice cream halfway there on a forgotten spoon. They both stared in shock for a moment before Zoe saw the protruding belly.
‘Oh my god! You’re pregnant.’ Zoe jumped to her feet and offered her own seat. ‘Please sit down.’
Alethia smiled in thanks and walked over to the seat. ‘Usually, I’d say no, but he’s such a pain today.’
‘He?’
Alethia grinned up at her. ‘Yes. A boy. We already have a little girl.’ Alethia looked at the tubs in front of them and frowned. ‘What’s that?’
‘Ice cream.’ Elizabeth passed her the tub. ‘Let me clean the spoon.’ She ran into the bathroom and came out a few moments later and handed her the clean spoon.
‘Rhona promised to bring me chocolate solars ago, but it never survives the trip back from Earth. I’ve never even heard of ice cream.’ She took a spoonful, her eyes rounded, and she moaned. ‘Oh, this is good.’
Zoe opened one of the packets of chocolate and passed it to Alethia.
‘Chocolate,’ she said.
Alethia picked out one of the buttons.
‘Don’t chew it. Just put it on your tongue and let it melt.’
Alethia followed the instructions. Her eyes widened, and her pupils dilated before she closed her eyes and moaned. ‘That’s amazing! No wonder my mother always talked about it. No wonder it doesn’t survive Rhona.’ She swallowed the chocolate and put another one in her mouth. ‘It’s not as good as sex, though.’
‘Not good sex,’ Elizabeth agreed. ‘But we tell men it is because it makes them try harder.’
‘Is this a female conspiracy?’ Alethia asked.
Both Zoe and Elizabeth nodded in confirmation.
‘That’s great. But honestly, I don’t think Thanesh would believe me. He has fangs.’
Elizabeth gasped. ‘What do the fangs do?’
Alethia grinned. Her pale features turned bright pink. ‘Erm, well, he has this venom.’
‘Venom?’ Zoe knelt on the ground as Alethia told them what the venom did. ‘It does other things. As soon as he bit me, as soon as his body recognised his mate, it began to change.’
The subject quickly changed to Maruzen men and their tendrils.
‘I wonder if Karijan has anything like that,’ Elizabeth sighed.
‘The Dauvin?’ Alethia frowned, sitting forward. The ice cream was gone, and she had a low tolerance for the chocolate due to the changes that becoming Tessan had rendered in her. Elizabeth smiled sadly. ‘He has a queen,’ Alethia said gently.
‘He said that.’ Elizabeth shook her head. ‘But, I don’t understand what it means.’
Alethia bit her lip; Zoe had to fight the urge to pull it out from her teeth.
‘Dauvin are compelled to return to their queens,’ Alethia sighed. She took Elizabeth’s hand. ‘They don’t bond to them, but once a queen has taken them, they belong to them.’
‘She sold him into slavery,’ Zoe protested, feeling defensive of Elizabeth.
‘It doesn’t matter,’ Alethia said. ‘He’ll be feeling that instinct. It doesn’t matter how long he resists her—he’ll go back to her eventually.’ Alethia looked from Zoe to Elizabeth. ‘I’m sorry.’
Zoe didn’t know how Elizabeth had become so attached to Karijan in so short a time, but the look of devastation on her face spoke volumes of her feelings. She stood.
‘I’m sorry. It was nice meeting you, but I think I have to be alone for a while.’ The door swished closed behind her.
‘I’m sorry for your friend. I just didn’t want her to get her hopes up.’
‘It’s better she knows,’ Zoe said.
‘So, Daris,’ Alethia said as Zoe dropped into Elizabeth’s vacated seat.
/> ‘Daris,’ Zoe agreed.
‘He never came to the colony. Before Thanesh and his people,’ Alethia said. ‘But I met him a few times on Invictus or on Tala. I always liked him.’
Zoe smiled. It was strange this woman seemed to think her opinion would have weight, but she listened politely.
‘That’s why I wasn’t surprised when Daris showed up at our quarters a little while ago and told Thanesh the only thing he wanted was your commission to the Protectorate. He’s given up the house and ship and money. He wants it to go to the people of Alidai.’
Fierce pride burst in Zoe’s chest.
‘I think he’s scared to come tell you. I think he thinks you’ll be mad.’
‘He’s an idiot.’ Zoe smiled. She remembered the call with Makios where he claimed the issues with the syndicate weren’t his fault. She was already so proud of him when he took responsibility for it when the snake guy confronted him. Now, he was taking responsibility for Alidai. The guilt must be eating him alive.
‘Thanesh agreed,’ Alethia continued, ‘but we talked after. He has no intention of letting Daris pay for it. It was his idea to send Daris there, so we’re taking responsibility for Alidai. But I think wallowing in guilt will do your mate good for a while.’
Zoe opened her mouth to argue about who would pay for Alidai, but Alethia hushed her. ‘We’re doing it. It’s our fault. Though we’re going to be using contractors. The Raqhan have already sent several ships after us. We’re going to be leaving Vasa as soon as we’ve dropped more temporary housing and supplies to Alidai.’
They sat in silence for a minute. ‘I think you’re right about Daris needing the guilt. I think he needs to understand these things, but I’m going to go find him now.’
Taking the cue, Alethia struggled to the edge of the sofa. ‘I love my son, but I can’t wait till he’s out of me,’ she said as Zoe helped her find her feet. ‘Can I just use your bathroom before I go. He’s dancing on my bladder!’
Alethia found where Daris was and escorted Zoe to her mate, giving her a small gift before leaving them. Daris was sitting in one of the observation rooms at the front of the ship. There was a massive screen that showed Vasa beneath them and a starscape beyond. Readouts showed where they were, the time of the local cities, and the speed they were cruising at to stay in synchronous orbit.
The room was dark and empty except for Daris, who was sitting on one of the long seats. He sniffed, then turned, smiling sadly at her.
‘Alethia told me what you did,’ Zoe said, using Alethia’s gift, the lock code to the door, straight away.
Anxiety seemed to flow off Daris in waves as his smile died. ‘I’m sorry, ahdali. I can’t care for you as I planned. But I… What I did to those people.’ He turned back and cast his eyes out to space. ‘How can I take these things when I’ve deprived them from so many?’
Zoe walked around Daris and knelt on the step in front of him. She cupped his cheek and applied pressure until he was looking at her. ‘Daris, I’m proud of what you did,’ she said. ‘I couldn’t be prouder of you.’
‘But the home, the ship, the business…’
‘We’re young. We have our whole lives to build these things, together,’ Zoe sighed. ‘But Thanesh feels just as bad as you do. According to Alethia, he’s still planning on giving us everything.’
‘He should use the money for the people of Alidai,’ Daris insisted.
‘We’ll talk to him,’ she agreed. She moved closer to him and he opened his arms to allow her to burrow into his body, his tail wrapping around her. He took in a deep breath and let out a long sigh.
‘Alethia gave me the lock code to this door,’ she whispered into his ear. He went still. ‘No one can get in. We can do whatever we want in here.’
‘I was wondering what it would be like to lick your cunt up against that viewscreen. Then vrok you until you were whimpering in ecstasy.’ His hand enclosed around her throat, forcing her head up to stretch so she could accommodate his enormous hand. His hot lips claimed hers, his tongue entering her mouth a moment later. He stole her breath without ever closing his gentle grip on her throat. Still, the touch ramped everything up. He could break her so easily, but he only ever handled her with care.
Stripping her took moments. Daris divested himself of his own clothes, wrapped her legs around his waist, and crossed the room until the screen was at her back. When he knelt to the ground, lifting her legs over his shoulder, Zoe cried out in shock. Daris supported her rear with his hands, his tail wrapped around her waist as he plundered her pussy with his tongue. She loved the slick feel of his tongue inside of her. He licked and sucked at her clit, then used his tail to fuck her, his lips and tongue assailing her clit until she was a whimpering mess. He didn’t make her wait; he was dominating, but the same claiming feeling from last night was there. She was his, her pussy was his, her soul was his, and heart. Her heart was his all the way through. How could she ever have thought she could return to Earth? What did she have to go back for? From the moment she laid eyes on him, his fist wrapped around his cock, she’d belonged to him.
The breath left her as every part of her pussy detonated into pure pleasure. Daris was still fucking her with his tail; fingers replaced tongue as he looked up at her.
‘Zoe, breathe.’
She tried but couldn’t. Instead, she was shaking, throbbing, pulsing with the feeling of Daris around and inside her.
‘Breathe!’ he commanded. He repeated the command twice more before she pulled air down her throat. It squeaked out a moment later, the sensation too much for her to breathe in any proper rhythm.
She was pulled into Daris’s lap a moment later, his cock inside of her a moment after that.
‘Look at me,’ Daris hissed.
Zoe opened her eyes. The look on his face was intense, pleasure, pain, anger all intermingled.
‘Breathe, Zoe. Now!’ he took in a breath and let it out slowly. Watching his lips, his full, beautiful lips, Zoe slowly forced her lungs to follow suit.
‘Do I have to stop vrokking you so you can breathe?’ he asked, slowly gyrating his hips in and out of her.
‘No,’ she gasped.
‘Do I have to stop letting you cum altogether to keep you alive?’
‘No, please,’ she whimpered.
‘You will overcome this, Zoe, or we will revisit this conversation and you will not like the result.’
‘Yes, Daris.’
‘Good. Because I love watching you cum, ahdali,’ Daris whispered. ‘I would not like to lose that privilege. It would be more punishment for me than for you.’
‘I doubt that,’ she said, catching his rhythm. Her heels dug into his ass as she rode his cock.
‘Oh, but it would, ahdali,’ he groaned. ‘You have no idea what bliss it is to be inside you.’ His eyes shut and his head fell back, revealing the strong column of his throat.
Zoe leaned in and found a tender spot, off-centre to the right and kissed, nibbled and laved at it. Daris’s groans grew louder, the sound of them filling the room. Daris grabbed her chin suddenly as his lips found hers again. This time, their kiss was more feral. He fucked her mouth and tongue just as he fucked her pussy.
She felt the moment his tendrils unfurled and found those nerves inside her. Daris opened his eyes.
‘Look at me!’ he commanded. ‘I want you to watch while we cum.’
The tendrils fed all sensation back and forth between the two of them, speeding them along until both of their bodies stiffened.
‘Breathe,’ he commanded.
Zoe forced each breath as she looked into his eyes, whimpering them out again. Daris’s lips parted, his teeth gritted, his muscles twitching into a snarl before all of that fell away and a look of love appeared. Zoe felt the same love fill her heart and let it show on her face. They studied each other until they peaked, both of their eyes closing. Zoe only held her breath for those moments, then ripped air into her lungs before Daris could say anything or threaten her org
asms again. Because that’s not happening!
Daris stroked her face as they floated back down. He hugged her to him.
‘My perfect ahdali,’ he whispered. Fisting her hair, he pulled her head back and rained kisses on her face. ‘My perfect, perfect mate.’
They sat there for a while, his cock still inside of her. Zoe revelled in the feel of her mate in her arms. His firm muscles under his beautiful dark, dusky purple skin. She leaned back and stroked his violet black hair, then looked into his flint grey eyes.
‘We’re going to take a house,’ she told him. ‘Maybe not a flashy house in a posh neighbourhood, but a house on Tessa.’
He looked into her eyes. ‘You’re sure?’
‘Positive. Going back to Earth was never an option really,’ she confessed. ‘Not from the first moment I met you. The first moment I saw you.’
Daris’s hands wandered her back for a moment before both hands rested on her shoulders.
‘Anywhere on the planet you want,’ he promised. ‘Even if it’s the middle of the densest jungle, on top of the highest mountain. Anywhere you want.’
‘How about next to the sea?’ she smiled. Daris smiled back. ‘If we get the ship, we can still start the business. We don’t need the money.’
‘A second-hand thing. Something big enough for a crew, but not expensive,’ Daris agreed. ‘It’s the Protectorate. I’m sure they have ships just lying around.’
‘We can use it to send aid to Alidai,’ she said. ‘Secretly.’
‘And your commission in the Protectorate,’ he finished. ‘So you can have your military career and help find your friends.’