Adamant Spirits, page 161
Angel takes one step back. Whatever hoo-mans are, she doesn’t understand our rituals.
“You must eat.” My request comes out as a low growl, and she takes another step back. I wonder if she saw my earlier arousal, something I have only just regained control of after her scent filled my nostrils back in the great hall.
Her eyes stray over my sword and back to the food. I know she is hungry. Patience has never been something that has bothered me. I always took what I wanted, even before I came back from the wars a changed Saivv. I reach for her and pull her onto my lap. She lets out a high-pitched squeak, but I hold her to me, one arm around her waist, I put my head into her hair and breathe deeply. Her scent is incredibly calming, and I place the side of my face next to hers.
“Kifli.” I lift one of my favorite Saivv foods, tear off a piece, and offer it to her sweet, plump lips.
She gives me a sharp look, but I feel her stomach rumble beneath my arm and I know it’s a matter of time before she gives in to her hunger. Within a second or two, she leans forward and bites down on the kifli, her tongue touching my fingers, and I have to internalize a groan of desire. Instead, I concentrate on watching her chew the food thoughtfully.
“More!” She stares intently at me, and, unbidden, a smile creeps over my face.
I can’t remember the last time I smiled. But then I can’t remember the last time my head didn’t pound with pain either. This female is going to take some coaxing if I want to bury myself in her. She has fire, and I find I like that, it warms a place in my heart that I didn’t know I had anymore. I break off another piece of the bread and hold it to her lips. Whilst she’s eating that, I reach for some other dishes.
These do not go down so well. With each one, she makes a sour face as she tastes what I offer her until I have no option but to give her more kifli. A female cannot survive on kifli alone. She wriggles on my lap. I have not been attentive enough and some foods I have tried to feed her have dripped onto her clothing. Females like to be clean, and I have no doubt that mine will want to take a bath.
She might even let me help.
I pick her up in my arms and she wriggles violently, taking me by surprise.
“No!” She admonishes me. “I’m not a pet, you don’t need to carry me.”
“I thought you might like to cleanse, female?” I ask, eyeing the corner where I’ve placed my sword, something I’m unable to stop myself from doing.
“My name is Angel, not female. And yes, I’d like to take a shower. That wasn’t exactly the easiest meal I’ve ever had.” She puts her hands on her hips, emphasizing her gorgeous curves.
“You didn’t eat much, my angel.” I walk across the breeding cabin and open the door to the cleansing salon.
“I’m not sure your foods agree with me, Narl.” My name on her lips sends my heart into overdrive, although I’m not sure why.
“Saivv cuisine is the best in the galaxy,” I reply. She folds her arms and stares at me. “Maybe not for hoo-mans.” I add. Her gorgeous mouth quirks up at the corners, and my heart beats hard in my chest at her pleasure. “Come.” I beckon her into the salon.
Once inside, I start the filling sequence for the bathing pool. It’s large enough for two. Many Saivv couples prefer to mate in water as the warm water helps the process with a Saivv female in mating-fire, keeping her more subdued.
Angel sits on the edge of the pool and swishes her pink hand through the water, which rises swiftly to fill the deep pool. She continues to stare at me even once it’s full. I’m not entirely sure if she knows what to do, but as I take a step towards her, she springs up.
“I can bathe by myself,” she says, rapidly. “I mean, I can bathe myself.” She wraps her arms around her body and the slight scent of fear reaches me, burning in my nostrils.
Whilst inspiring fear in others has become my main aim, I don’t want her to fear me. My stomach squirms with doubt. Warrior I may be, lover, not so much. I hear a knock at the door to our chambers, and instantly the rest of the ship intrudes, causing my head to scream in pain. The knock comes again and, with tremendous reluctance, I turn away from my female and leave her in the salon, to bathe alone.
Angel
I genuinely thought I was going to have to do something drastic to get rid of Narl. Initially, I didn’t know what to do when he decided to feed me, but with his huge glowing sword ever present, I decided it was not worth resisting, especially as I wanted to eat. The problem turned out that most of Saivv food, save for the bread-like stuff that tasted sweet and bland. The rest tasted as if they had soaked it in engine oil, or at least, that’s what would expect food soaked in engine oil would taste.
That’s not good news, not if I want to avoid the space equivalent of scurvy.
The knocking gave me the ideal opportunity to shut the door to the bathroom, remove my filthy clothing and hop into the deep bath. The water reaches over my shoulders as I stand on the bottom. It’s warm and feels silky smooth against my skin. I duck under to completely immerse myself and to see if I can get the tangles out of my hair. I’m so concentrated on what I’m doing that, when a strong hand grasps my shoulder and heaves me out of the water, I’m not entirely sure what is happening until I stare into the terrified face of Narl.
“Hey!” I cover my naked breasts with my hands. “Put me down, you big brute!”
“You were under the water,” he says lamely, letting go of me.I drop so that my shoulders are under the surface again.
“I told you I could bathe by myself. I was washing my hair.” I run my hand over my head. The previously matted strands are now smooth in a way only a salon wash would normally leave them, and I can’t help but run my fingers through my hair in wonder. It’s even returned to its previous blond color.
The sound of a male swallowing brings me out of my reverie. Narl’s look of terror has been replaced by one that can only be described as lust. It’s only then I remember the water is clear and, from his standing position, he has a perfect, full frontal view.
I spin around and stare at him over my shoulder. “Can you not leave me alone for one minute?” I demand.
“I only brought you some new clothing.” He points to a pile of fabric and retreats. The air is almost thick with his confusion and arousal.
And I feel bad.
I feel bad. This alien has terrified me, claimed me, fed, and clothed me. I don’t know what to think, other than my gut tells me that Narl isn’t one of the bad ones, and I need to find out more about him and his species. Especially if I’m going to get anything to eat other than bread.
Having checked that he has left, I get out of the deep bath and look around for anything that might pass for a towel. A warm breeze starts up, which rapidly becomes a hot blast of air that is gone as quickly as it started and leaves me completely dry. The clothing Narl left is a soft shift dress in a gorgeous dark fabric that clings and flows over my body, hugging me in all the right places.
He’s going to love me in this.
My core clenches. The look on his face when he pulled me out of the water is etched in my mind. He was genuinely worried for me, and not because he’s supposed to be guarding me. It was for the reason he wouldn’t let the other aliens near me, or his Commander. My heart flutters in my chest and I push the feeling back down. The last thing I need in my already confused life right now is a love interest. Even if this male has muscles to die for and an angry gaze that could strip paint.
As I walk towards the bathroom door, it slides open, and I’m able to check the rest of the suite before I exit. Narl is sat on the bed, his head in his hands. A wave of concern flows over me, especially when I see he’s left the damned sword on the other side of the room.
“Are you okay?” I sit down next to him and place my hand on his thigh. It’s as hard and muscular as the rest of him.
He flinches a little and lifts his head as if it weighs a tonne. His previously bright eyes are dull, the intense swirling irises slowed, almost to a standstill, just like his tattoos.
“Hurts,” he says, the word almost falling from his lips.
“Where? Do you need a doctor?”
He drops his head back into his hands. “No medic. They only drug me.”
My heart does that funny, fluttering thing again.
“Can I do anything to help?”
He shakes his head, the heels of his hands in his eyes. I shuffle myself back onto the bed and up against the wall.
“Why don’t you rest? It’s been a long day, for both of us.” I gently tug on his shoulder to see if he will lie next to me.
He slowly lowers himself to the bed, curling up next to me.
“Here.” I pat my lap and he looks at me, his eyes heavy lidded. “I used to suffer from headaches when I was a little girl.” He lies down and gently places his head in my lap. I lift up my hands so he can see them. “Do you mind if I touch you?”
“No.” The word rumbles through me. I stroke his forehead and run soothing circles on his temples. I feel him slowly relax under my touch.
“My mum used to do this. It always made me feel better.”
“I don’t remember my maternal life-giver,” Narl says, as his eyes close. “My colony was wiped out in a Katka attack when I was a youngling.”
I run my hands through his closely cropped hair, his skull seems almost ridged underneath. He hisses slightly as I press and I lift my hands away.
“What happened to you, Narl?” I ask him, moving my touch back to his forehead and temples until he relaxes against me again.
“I have been enhanced.” He murmurs. “Don’t like medics,” he adds with a soft growl that has no force behind it. “I go when my head hurts and wake up weeks later. Shaved, and my kin disturbed.”
I swallow hard at his revelation. Exactly what are these aliens that they would treat their own in this way? From the ridges I could feel under Narl’s hair, he was badly injured. That might explain his behavior, given that it’s obvious from my limited interactions that not all of his kind behave like him. It might explain his unpredictability. If I can explain it, it’s something at least. I’m not trapped with him anymore. Instead, I’m making contact.
I’m making contact with my second alien species and, as I look down at Narl’s handsome face, I think that this time, I might quite like it.
“What’s your kin?” I ask.
Narl settles more into my lap and there’s a hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth, lighting up his face.
“These—”“ he runs his hand over the swirling tattoos on his chest. “All Saivv have kin-tattoos, they tell of our birthing, our deeds and our battles.”
“Humans have tattoos, but they don’t move. Not like Saivv.”
“They don’t?” Narl asks sleepily. “Very strange.” He yawns.
I can’t help myself but giggle. Of course it’s strange to him, but I never even considered that I’m as alien to him as he is to me. Except he’s not completely alien, other than his amazing eyes and tattoos that move under their own power. He’s quite human looking if all human males were nearly seven-feet tall, built like Adonisand with looks a movie star would kill for.
“Can I—” he says, then hesitates, his brow furrowed. I hold my breath, wondering what he wants me to do. “Can I hold you?”
He looks up at me, his eyes wide, pleading. He looks anything other than the predator I originally took him for. He looks desperate and strangely innocent.
And I’ve always been a sucker for a pair of beautiful eyes.
“If you think it will help?”
His brow furrows again in the cutest way. My heart flutters strangely. I slide down on the bed, and he wraps his arm around me, cuddling in close and inhaling deeply.
“You smell delicious,” he murmurs. His eyes closed, he finally relaxes against me, and I luxuriate in the warmth of his body and the touch of his skin. It’s far softer than I would imagine for such a gruff alien. I watch his tattoos slowly move and morph until I’m lulled into sleep.
Narl
I study the female that nestles in my bed, curled up into a little ball. Her hair is very long and falls around her like the waves of solar winds. Her sweet lips are parted slightly, and I want to touch them. I want to touch her more than anything.
I was lucky she deigned to share my bed after everything I put her through yesterday. Saivv females are very clear about what they want from us. They expect feeding and fucking. If we give them our seed, they leave the ship, and we don’t see them again. I have not yet seeded a female.
But the one that slumbers next to me, I know I can seed her. I want to slip inside her, mate with her and fill her to the brim, over and over until she grows large with my young. Then I would continue to mate until she births, and we start the whole process over and over again.
Except she doesn’t want to mate with me. I continue to gaze at her sweet, tiny features, so beautiful and delicate. I took her from the Commander in a blind rage of lust, but now that I’ve got my female, I don’t know what to do to make her want to mate with me, or even look at me without fear. I’d give anything to see defiance in her eyes, rather than hesitation. Or pity.
Because I can’t shake off the feeling that she pitied me last night when she let me lay on her lap and hold her, simply because her scent soothed me completely. She shifts in her sleep, uncurling slightly, and her gorgeous pink tongue pops out of her mouth, wetting her lips, even though her eyes remain closed. My body reacts, my cock throbbing as I think of her lips wrapped around it, the lust haze. Her stomach makes a low growl, and she curls up again.
She needs food.
What sort of mate am I that I cannot feed my female? I curse to myself under my breath. That is the very least I can do. Find her something she can eat that’s not just kifli. Maybe then she’ll see me as a proper mate, one that isn’t broken.
I get off the bed as carefully as I can to avoid disturbing her and leave the cabin as quietly as I can to head down to the one place I always avoid. Med bay.
The doctor looks up, surprised, when I appear in the doorway. It is Caer, the medic who was by the side of the Commander yesterday when he gave me Angel.
“Narl? Aren’t you supposed to be with your female? Or did you find mating too difficult?” He doesn’t say the last sentence with any sort of malice, but I bristle angrily anyway, taking several steps towards him, aware of the deep growling sound I am making as he shrinks away.
His hand reaches out for a hypo-syringe.
“Wait!” The last thing I need is to be drugged into a stupor, not when I have a female to protect. “My female is unable to eat any Saivv food other than kifli. I need advice on what I can feed her,” I say quickly, doing my very best to stop being intimidating.
The doctor’s hand continues to hover over the syringe. So I guess I’m not doing a great job. I return to the doorway, increasing the distance between us. I know this Saivv doctor views me as a cross between a weapon and an experiment. He probably intends on studying me and Angel, if I let him anywhere near. He cocks his head to one side.
“She is unable to eat Saivv foods?”
“She says they taste foul, like Earth chemicals.”
He moves away from the syringe, towards a medical console, and I slump my shoulders in relief, an action not lost on Caer.
“It’s for your own good, Narl. Your aggression might be impressive in battle, but in the confines of this craft, it needs to be contained. That’s why the Commander agreed to give you a female outside of a breeding meet.”
I grunt, not wanting to give him my views on the Commander’s actions, or why I don’t take part in breeding meets. He takes my silence as agreement as he continues to work at his console.
“We were able to access some of the Katka records before we scuttled their ship. Your hoo-man female is from a planet called Earth in the forbidden sector.”
“Katka scum!” The insult leaves my lips as a snarl, and I see Caer reach for the syringe. “They were taking hoo-mans from their planet?” I ask as I take a step away, hoping that the question is enough to shift the doctor’s attention.
“It would appear there is a trade in exotic, primitive females that the Katka was tapping into. Your female being one of them.”
I barely suppress a roar of anger that my female has been torn from her planet in this way.
“However, now we know where she is from, it will be possible to formulate a diet for her. I have sent instructions through to the mess hall. You can collect her food from there,” he says, without looking up, and without reaching for the hypo.
“Thank you, Caer.” I bow my head and make to leave the med bay.
“Just one thing, Narl,” Caer calls out, halting me in my tracks. I turn slowly, trying to keep my temper under control so that he doesn’t try to keep me here. “Hoo-man females can be delicate. You need to be careful with her when you mate her.”
I am singularly unable to stop the growl from leaving my lips. Rather than reach for the hypo-syringe, Caer backs away, holding up his hands in supplication.
“I mean nothing by that remark, Narl. Only that, if she is your mate, I know you will do the right thing.”
“She is my fated one.” I don’t immediately recognize the voice. “She will be the air I breathe and my everything. Shortly she will carry my child.” The words are mine.
I’ve spoken more in the last day and a half than I have since I was assigned to Storm Star. Other warriors will think I’ve mellowed. Which means they might challenge me for my mate. I can feel the rage rising within me as I stare at the doctor.
“Very good, Narl.” He’s trying to sound in control, but I catch the wavering undertone. Good. One less male to fight for my mate.
I leave the med bay behind as I hurry through to the mess hall to collect the food that will please and delight my female.
