Hope for the Alien Warrior (Treasured By the Alien #12)

Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

T wo days later, Luxor leaned against the viewscreen, his tail twitching with restless energy. The stars blurred past in streaks of light, but he barely registered their beauty. His thoughts kept circling back to Felicity and Nina sleeping in his quarters, in his bed. The empty space beside them called to him like a gravitational pull, but despite her invitation he had insisted on sleeping in the crew cabin. Or rather not sleeping.

He’d spent years building walls around himself, protecting himself from attachment. Now a human female and child had slipped past his defenses as easily as stepping through an open door.

His fingers traced old scars on his arm. Ciresia had taught him the price of trust. Better to remain alone than risk that pain again. And yet… the memory of Nina’s small hand in his, of Felicity’s lips against his skin, made his chest tight with longing.

He also knew that they deserved so much better. Even if they did not return to Earth—a thought that still caused a soul deep ache—there were many better, more honorable males. A male who could truly mate with Felicity. At the thought of another male with her, his tail lashed hard enough to crack the covering of an instrument panel.

“What did that poor panel do to deserve that?”

He swung around so fast he almost stumbled, his tail cracking against the console. Felicity stood in the doorway, wrapped in the shimmering blue material he’d given her. The makeshift gown draped her curves in a way that made his fingers itch to unwrap the material and reveal her body. The ache in his chest intensified.

“What are you doing here? Why are you not resting?”

“I couldn’t sleep.” She gave him a small smile. “I was thinking about you.”

“What were you thinking?”

“About the future.” She bit her lip and his cock stiffened, remembering the softness of that flesh under his lips. “Our future. What happens when we find Lauren?”

He wanted to tell her that he would be a part of it, that he would stay with her and Nina. But the words caught in his throat. Would he be able to give her what she deserved?

“The Patrol would be able to return you to Earth.” He had to force the words out.

“Hmm. Carla and I have been talking about that.”

She moved restlessly around the cockpit and he realized that not only did the material shift from blue to green, it shifted from opaque to translucent, revealing teasing glimpses of her lush body. His shaft thickened, pushing uncomfortably against his pants.

“She said she wants to stay here, if she can find a job and a house. There’s nothing left for her on Earth.”

“And you?”

“I have to think about Nina. She needs someone to love and care for her.”

I love her. I would care for her. The words remained locked away, but she seemed to hear them anyway.

“I know you care for her, Luxor.” She drifted towards him, her sweet scent filling his head. “I think you care for me as well. What’s holding you back?”

“There are things you do not know about me,” he said hoarsely.

“Then let’s talk about them. But not here,” she added when he started to open his mouth. “Come with me.”

How could he refuse?

He followed her down the stairs, the tantalizing gown tormenting him with each step. His hands shook with the desire to touch her, to feel the softness of her skin under his fingers, but he fisted them and let her lead him to his quarters. The lights had been dimmed, the viewscreen set to a view of the stars, and the covers on his big bed had been pulled back.

“Where is Nina?”

Her fingers whispered across his tail, her smile so full of promise that he shuddered.

“I thought we needed to be alone so she’s with Carla. Now sit.”

She pointed to the bed and he obediently sat on the edge, although his heart beat rapidly in his ears.

“Tell me why you’re so afraid,” she said softly, stepping between his legs.

“I am not afraid.”

She gave him a look, her eyes soft and knowing.

“Yes you are. I’m not stupid. I see the way you look at us. I see how you react to us. I know you care, and yet you keep trying to push us away.”

“You deserve better. A mate who can give you the life you should have. A family.”

“Is that what’s holding you back?”

“Not just that.” The words tumbled out of him, words that had been buried inside him for a lifetime. “I told you I was a bad son. My parents sent me away because I was a disgrace to our family. A dishonor to my noble ancestors. What if I am a bad father too?”

“You told me you were rebellious. That does not make you bad.”

“That is not the only reason. After… After the Red Death destroyed so much of Ciresia, I was working for the Ruling Council. They were trying desperately to find a way of saving our people. They still are from everything I have heard.” He took a deep breath. “No Cire female survived.”

Her eyes widened.

“Venma said that a Cire male can only mate with a Cire female. Does that mean…?”

“That we cannot have children? Yes.”

“We have Nina,” she said gently and he realized she had misunderstood.

He had meant his people, but she had assumed he was referring to the two of them. Did she think of them as a family too? He shuddered as another rush of longing swept over him, but there was more to a mating than children.

“What else did Venma tell you?” he asked cautiously.

“That you had refused her.”

He waited but she didn’t add anything else. He had attempted to explain to Venma why it was impossible—that a Cire male could only find physical satisfaction with a Cire female—but either she hadn’t understood or she hadn’t told Felicity. Does it matter , a voice whispered in his head. As long as he could make her happy that would be enough for him.

“She also said she believed you… cared for me,” she added when he didn’t respond.

“I do. But there is more you need to know.” He took a deep breath, steeling himself for her shock and horror. “I was convicted of a crime on Ciresia. I served two years in prison.”

“I don’t believe you committed a crime.”

He’d been so braced for her disapproval that it took a moment for her words to register.

“You do not?”

“Of course not. At least not any crime that would hurt someone. Were you guilty?”

There was no judgment on her face, only concern. He slowly shook his head.

“No. I discovered another male was involved in the illegal sale of medical supplies. I reported him, but I was accused instead. As I said, I was already a disappointment to my family and I had made enemies. My word was not as strong as that of an honorable, successful male. And it was easier for the Ruling Council to eliminate a disruptive element than to confront the corruption in their midst.”

Her eyes blazed and she put her hand on his face.

“I’m sorry that happened to you. I would like to tell those people exactly what I think of them.”

He couldn’t resist turning his face into her palm and kissing it.

“Thank you, t’davi.”

“But why did you think this would matter to me?”

“Because it is another reason that I am not good enough for you. And you are wrong about not hurting anyone. As soon as I was free, I left Ciresia but I had no credits, no resources. The only work I could find was in the fight pits.”

He’d hated every moment, but he’d had no other way to survive. The only slight appeasement to his conscience was the fact that he’d never participated in a death match, despite the more lucrative pay.

Her eyes filled with tears and he started to pull away, but she put her hands around his neck and held on to him.

“How old were you?”

“Eighteen or nineteen. I’m no longer sure.”

He had lost track of his age in the haze of those years. He’d been released on the day after his birthday and had never really celebrated it again.

“It’s not wrong to take care of yourself.”

“But I could have done it some other way.”

“You were a child. A boy. No one should ever have to do that.”

“I was no longer a boy,” he said bitterly.

“No wonder you’ve been afraid to trust.”

Her words finally broke through the last of his defenses. He buried his head on her shoulder and let the past wash through him, carried on a wave of pain and loss and regret. Her arms came up around him, pulling him closer. Her fingers stroked his ridges, and he felt the touch of her lips against the top of his head.

He wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, but he finally managed to compose himself. He lifted his head to find her watching him, her eyes soft with concern.

“Do you want me to go now?”

“Gods, no.” He gave a strangled laugh as he looked at her. “I never want you to leave.”

“Good. In that case, I have some thoughts about how we can use our time alone.”

She slowly pushed the gown down over her shoulders to reveal lush, heavy breasts, pretty red nipples already stiff and begging for his attention. She was so beautiful that it took his breath away. He trailed a tentative finger from her neck down to the upper swell of those lush mounds, following the gold specks scattered across her skin.

“Your breasts are unmarked.”

“I only have freckles where I’ve been exposed to the sun,” she said breathlessly, watching the path of his finger as it slowly circled a taut peak. “I never had the nerve to sunbathe topless.”

The thought of her naked beneath the sky sent another rush of desire to his cock. He circled her nipple again, caressing it with his thumb and she gasped.

“I want to taste you,” he said.

Her eyes darkened and her hands came up to cradle his head and pull him closer.

“Go ahead,” she whispered.

His tongue flicked out, gathering the taste of her skin, warm, slightly salty, and so tempting that he couldn’t resist the urge to take the tight little peak into his mouth. He drew on her slowly, relishing her shiver and the way her fingers clung to his scalp.

“That feels wonderful,” she murmured, “but you’re overdressed.”

“So are you.”

His tail caught the fabric bunched around her hips and drew it down until it pooled at her feet, leaving her completely naked.

“You are so beautiful, t’davi.” His voice sounded deeper, hoarser.

“I’m not,” she said, and his eyes narrowed. “But I’m glad you think so.”

“I do. So pretty. So soft.” He trailed his finger down across the soft swell of her stomach to the small patch of silky curls shielding her cunt. “I need to taste you here too.”

She trembled, but her hands went to his head, stroking her fingers along the ridges covering his scalp.

“Okay,” she whispered.

His tail wrapped around her waist, lifting her onto the bed and laying her out on the covers like a feast waiting for him. He carefully parted her legs, awed by the delicate folds, already pink and glistening.

“So beautiful,” he repeated, leaning closer, his tongue flicking out to capture the sweet, musky taste of her arousal. “And so sweet. You taste like nectar.”

His mouth returned to her folds, licking and probing and searching until he found the tiny pearl of flesh that made her back arch.

“Oh, God, your tongue…”

Alarmed, he raised his head.

“It does not please you?”

A choked laugh escaped as she tried to tug him closer.

“It pleases me very much. Almost too much.”

“But you like it?”

“Yes, damnit. I like it.”

He smiled at the impatience in her voice and returned to her delicious little cunt. He explored it carefully, noting her reactions until he discovered a pattern that made her writhe and moan, her hands clutching at his shoulders. His tail slipped up and circled the entrance to her body, slowly probing until it slid inside and she cried out, shuddering helplessly as her pleasure overtook her. He kept going until the last of her shudders died away.

When she finally stilled, he looked up at her face. Her eyes were heavy-lidded with satisfaction, her cheeks flushed, but he wanted more. He knew it would be no more than symbolic—that he could not knot inside her, that his seed would remain infertile—but he didn’t care. He wanted to feel that tight little cunt clenching around him more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life.

“Are you ready to take my cock, t’davi?”