Tentacle on 34th Street (Tinsel and Tentacles 2.0)

Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

A lex secretly pouted after his last bite of scrambled egg. He’d eaten a full plate of them, along with toast, bacon, and coffee—yet he felt like he was ready for another whole plate. Maybe he was picking up Cryss’s appetite. It wouldn’t be the first he’d mirrored. Before Cryss, he’d never been quite so insatiable.

“Want me to make you more?” Cryss asked.

“I’ve had plenty. I’m not going to ask you to make more,” Alex muttered.

Cryss searched his face a moment. Without a word, he walked to the fridge and pulled out the rest of their dozen.

“I’ve had plenty,” Alex repeated, even though his mouth was already salivating for another plate. “No more.”

“You mouth says no, but your head keeps telling me yes,” Cryss said. “Make up your mind.” He chuckled. “Or make up your mouth. Whichever.”

Alex sighed. “If you’d teach me how to make them, I could do it myself, you know.”

“If I ever put a mark on your other arm, maybe I’ll consider giving you that as a wedding present. Until then, my secret is mine.”

Alex chuckled. “If you’re going to be that muleheaded, then make me some eggs.”

Cryss smiled, clearly pleased to do it. He broke a few eggs before the doorbell rang. Alex’s gaze whipped to Cryss’s. Who would come knocking at their door?

“Stay here,” Cryss murmured, a deep furrow on his brow before he left to answer the door.

A tremor of worry raced down Alex’s spine, but fortunately, Qylar appeared, walking behind Cryss a few seconds later. Alex smiled at Qylar, but it was clear something was wrong from the looks on their faces.

“Sorry to intrude on your vacation,” Qylar said to Alex. “I just needed to give Cryss a bit of information. The jet’s being refueled and will be ready for me to head out shortly.”

“You’re not intruding,” Alex said, smiling wanly.

The energy coming off the pair was very odd.

“We’ve got coffee, and I was just about to make Alex more eggs. Would you like some?” Cryss asked Qylar, his jaw tight.

“Eggs would be nice,” Qylar murmured before walking to the coffee pot and pouring himself a cup. After a scoop of sugar, he snagged a piece of bacon and leaned on the island between Alex and Cryss. “How have you enjoyed Aspen, Alex?”

“It’s been an amazing trip,” Alex said. “I love it here. I’m going to be sad to leave.”

His gaze flipped to Cryss, who looked like he could strangle someone. Alex had seen that look of rage before. He never wanted it turned his way, but he sensed it never would.

“I’m not going back. No fucking way am I going back.”

“You’re not going back where, Cryss?” Alex asked.

Cryss’s hands slowed over the mixing bowl. He set it down and leaned both hands on the counter. “I can’t even say it without wanting to go into a rage.”

Alex frowned. He eyed Qylar, who was tightlipped for once.

“My brother showed up at the townhouse a couple of days ago,” Cryss finally said. “Demanding I return home. My parents are trying to force a sixth engagement,” Cryss spat, shoving off of the counter and stalking the width of the kitchen before spinning back and walking back. “Three years! They left me alone for three years, and I thought they’d finally given up, but no. They couldn’t help themselves, even after I told them that I refused to go through another. I sensed now that I’d had a little taste of happiness they’d get in my way.” He stopped beside Qylar. “You didn’t tell Tig where we were, did you? Could he have tracked you here?”

Qylar eyed Alex a moment. “Perhaps we should excuse ourselves and have this talk in private?”

“He knows,” Cryss said, locking eyes with Alex. “He knows who we are. I’ve told him everything.”

Qylar’s eyes widened as he searched Alex’s face. “And you’re okay with the fact you’re sitting in a house with two spacemen?”

“With these two spacemen, yes,” Alex said.

The corners of Qylar’s mouth turned down, one eyebrow lifting, appearing impressed. “I’m shocked and delighted by this turn of events.” Qylar took his coffee to sit beside Alex. “Has he shown you everything?”

“If you mean his tentacles, yes,” Alex murmured.

Qylar eyed Cryss. “Well, I’ll be. And he didn’t run away.”

“You never answered my question,” Cryss said to Qylar. “Could my brother have tracked you?”

“Of course not. Do you really think I’d have been that stupid? It’s why I didn’t call you. He might’ve been able to trace it. I waited a whole day before I slipped out of the house and took the boat out to sea. I stayed there for half a day, watching for signs I was being tailed before heading north to Seattle. Once I was sure I was clear, I boarded the plane here. I’m quite confident I wasn’t tracked. He never got close enough to tag me, either. I didn’t let him.”

“I hope you’re right,” Cryss murmured. “I don’t need him seeing Alex and sharing that news with our parents.”

“What are you going to do?” Alex asked, his stomach twisting in knots.

Cryss was thoughtful for a moment. “Nothing. I’m not going back.” He captured Alex’s gaze. “My place is here. With you.”

That warmed a little of the cold racing up and down Alex’s spine, but not all of it. The pair were clearly on edge. If there was truly nothing to worry about, they wouldn’t be so uptight.

Cryss returned to Alex’s eggs. Qylar focused on Alex.

“Is this all really okay for you? It can’t be easy to learn Earth isn’t alone out there in the universe.”

“Well, I’m not one of those who was ever egotistical enough to believe that we were it. In all the vastness of the universe, we couldn’t be alone.” Alex watched Cryss, worry mounting, his stomach knotting tighter. “I was scared at first. I won’t lie. I screamed when I first saw, and I almost left.”

“Almost.”

“I couldn’t walk away,” Alex murmured. “Not after what we’d shared. Not with that bond we have.” He lifted his gaze to find Cryss staring at him intently and remembered alien hearing was better than human. He lifted a brow, glaring. “I can’t get away from him, no matter what I do. He can hear everything. Even the thoughts in my head. So why bother running?”

Cryss fought a smile before adding the egg whites to the yolks in another bowl.

“Plus he keeps feeding me his scrambled eggs, which I’m addicted to. He won’t share the recipe, so he’s my only source. I’ve got to keep him around.”

“I’ve got that recipe,” Qylar said.

“If you give it to him, it’ll be the last thing you do still breathing,” Cryss said from across the kitchen.

“Such violence,” Qylar said, a bit of the easy, teasing behavior back between the pair. “You’d have to catch me first, old man.”

“I’ll remind you again that you’re older than me,” Cryss said.

“Lies,” Qylar said. He turned to Alex and grinned. “All lies. Don’t believe a word.”

Alex sighed with relief at its return. It didn’t solve the problem, but helped him worry less.

Qylar looked back at Cryss. “What’s the deal with this recipe? Why won’t you give it to him?”

“Like he said,” Cryss murmured. “I’m his only source. If he wants to feed his addictions, he has to come to me and me alone.” Cryss smiled wickedly at Alex.

Addictions. Not one, but all of them.

Alex scoffed, chuckling at the same time. He lifted his coffee to his lips and heard Qylar gasp. Looking over the rim of his cup as he turned to peek at Qylar, he noticed the man’s wide-eyed stare and realized it was on his inner arm.

And the imprint Cryss had left there.

As soon as Alex lowered his coffee, Qylar snatched his arm and slid back the arm of his robe. “Cryss. You imprinted on him?”

Cryss met Alex’s gaze before focusing on Qylar. “And?”

Qylar freed Alex’s arm. “Finish it! Then your parents might leave you be.”

Alex sat up straight. If it kept Cryss with him, he didn’t hate that idea. Was he ready to marry the man? Maybe not, but… he didn’t want to lose Cryss to the powers that be.

“Don’t you think I’ve already considered that?” Cryss asked, his jaw tight. “Alex isn’t ready to marry me, and I won’t force him to. Even if he was ready, you know full well my parents would contest it. And probably win.”

“Contest it?” Alex asked.

“Those of royal bloodlines must marry others of royal bloodlines. Legitimate ones. It’s an old law that’s not always enforced, especially these days,” Qylar said. “But knowing his parents and their lust for power, they would try to have your marriage annulled—and just might succeed.” He turned to Cryss. “The courts were backlogged last we were on Nefyria. They likely still are. It would take your parents years to fight that battle. Maybe it wouldn’t be worth their time and effort if you stood your ground. Just finish it. If you cared enough for Alex to show him all of you, and he cared enough to not run screaming—I’d say it’s worth a shot, isn’t it?”

Cryss eyed Alex a moment before turning to Qylar. “It would be unfair to rush him to bind himself to me just to put off my parents. He’s not ready for that. I’m simply not going back. End of.”

“Your brother’s arrival won’t be the end of it,” Qylar said.

“I already told them no three years ago. Nothing’s changed. I won’t do their bidding.”

The doorbell rang again, and Alex stiffened.

Cryss’s gaze whipped to Qylar’s.

“I was careful, Cryss,” Qylar said. He jumped up and headed for the door.

“Stay here,” Cryss snapped at Alex. “Stay out of sight.”

Alex heard raised voices and then arguing a few seconds later. Unable to restrain his curiosity, Alex rose and quietly shuffled across the kitchen until he could see the entryway. A man who looked an awful lot like Cryss, but with more gray in his hair and no beard, glared at both men.

“You have no choice, Cryss. You already signed it,” the man said. He lifted his gaze and caught Alex peeking.

Alex cringed and rushed back, searching for a place to hide. He bolted for the mudroom door, but the man entered the kitchen before Alex could reach it.

“Who do we have here?”

Cryss got in his brother’s face, blocking the path to Alex. “Leave.”

“Have your found yourself a pet, brother?”

Cryss growled, louder than Alex had ever heard—and even more alien sounding. “You leave him alone.”

Cryss’s brother’s eyes widened. “Be careful. You wouldn’t want to expose yourself in front of your pet, Cryssxian.”

“How many times do I need to tell you to leave, Tig?” Cryss asked, taking an aggressive step forward.

Tig didn’t look bothered. He reached for a grape from a bowl of fruit on the counter. “Last I checked this wasn’t your house, Cryss. It’s our cousin’s.” He popped the grape in his mouth and glanced at Alex again. “How do they feel? I’ve always wanted to fuck one of these little animals, just to experience it. I’ve heard it’s rather enjoyable.”

Alex wasn’t sure where he came from, but Qylar appeared. He put himself in front of Alex as a shield, as well.

“Your brother asked you to leave, Tig,” Qylar said.

“I don’t take instruction from the help, Q,” Cryss’s brother spat. He turned to Cryss. “Our parents gave you a few years to get this rebellious streak out of your system. Now it’s time to come home and do your duty.”

“I did their bidding. Five times. I won’t go through it again,” Cryss said. “You can tell our parents that after you leave.”

“I’m not your errand boy,” Tig said to Cryss. “You can tell them yourself.”

“I’m not going back,” Cryss said. “My world is here now.”

“It’s not. It never was, and it never will be.” Tig adjusted his sleeves. “You’ve already signed Krythar’s contract, and it will be enforced, one way or another.”

“His son ended that contract the second he ran away with his lover,” Cryss yelled. “It’s over. Null and void.”

“Ah, that’s where you’re wrong,” Tig said. “Father noticed a slight discrepancy with the contract. It never named your fiancé by name. It simply reads ‘royal son of Krythar’ and since there are still three unmarried princes, either of them will work. Father’s even negotiated with Krythar to allow you to choose which one’s the least obnoxious yourself, not that he has much say since the contract’s so vague.” Tig smiled. “Consider yourself lucky that you’ll at least get some choice in the matter. Pick a son. Any son. As long as he’s got the right DNA.” Tig glanced at Alex again. “I think I’ll introduce myself to your pet before I leave, brother.”

Cryss leapt on his brother and shoved him against the kitchen wall hard. Alex backed up a step as the two tussled and ended up on the floor.

Tig crawled away, rose, and wiped what looked like a trickle of blue blood from the corner of his mouth. He lifted a palm in surrender when Cryss came at him again. “Look, I know how much you enjoy this planet. I came here in father’s stead as an act of mercy, not contempt.”

“Mercy?” Cryss growled, still advancing.

“I knew he’d try to drag you off this world by force if you refused,” Tig roared, backing away from Cryss. “I convinced him to let me come to break the news and give you time to say your goodbyes to this world and take care of whatever it is you needed to take care of. You know damned well it would’ve been worse for you if he’d been here.”

Cryss stopped stalking forward inches from his brother, fists clenched at his side.

“It’s time to come home, Cryssxian.”

“No,” Cryss said. “My place is on Earth.”

Tig acted as if he’d not heard Cryss. “The stealth ship outside is yours to use for the return trip home since you’ve yet to make the needed repairs to yours.”

“How did you know about our ship?” Qylar asked.

“As if our parents haven’t been keeping track of you both all this time?” Tig asked. He scoffed, laughing harshly.

“Is that how you found him here?” Qylar asked. “I know you didn’t track me.”

“Maybe I did,” Tig said, grinning. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Qylar growled.

“Did you put a tracker on Q?” Cryss asked his brother, advancing another step.

Tig lifted his hand again. “No! I tracked your credit cards and found the flight to Aspen. I found more over the last month here as well. One phone call to our cousin and I knew exactly where you were.”

“Credit cards,” Cryss scoffed. “Of course.”

“As I said, mother and father are watching. It was easy enough to get the information. Only took a day or so.” Tig wiped his lip again and straightened his suit. “And by the way, when did you become an underwear model? I was quite impressed with those commercials.” Tig whipped around and looked at Alex again.

Alex’s stomach knotted, and he backed up another step.

“ That’s why you look familiar. You’re the human who was riding his thigh and practically begging my brother to fuck you.”

Cryss had Tig by the throat seconds later. Tig clawed at Cryss’s hand. “Maybe I should send you back home in a bag as my final message to our parents.”

Tig’s face turned bright red as he scratched at Cryss’s hand. Alex sensed he should intervene. If Cryss crossed that line it could be worse for them—but fear held him back. He didn’t know the players involved or the laws of their people to know if he should act or not.

“Cryss,” Qylar said. “You’re killing him.”

Cryss didn’t release his brother. He didn’t appear to hear Qylar.

Qylar moved closer to Cryss. “This won’t help anything!”

“Cryss,” Alex screamed.

Cryss finally looked away from his brother and met Alex’s gaze, eyes black and panting.

“Let him go,” Alex murmured.

Cryss’s nostrils flared as he stared wild-eyed at Alex—but he finally let go of his brother’s neck a few seconds later. Tig dropped to the floor, gasping for air.

Cryss knelt at his brother’s side. “If you ever look at my human again, I’ll gouge your fucking eyeballs out with my fingertips and feed them back to you before I choke the rest of the life from your lungs.”

Tig scrambled back and to his feet, staggering. He held his neck, fury in his eyes. After slapping something on the counter, he glanced at Alex for a split second. Cryss’s growl had him racing toward the front door.

All three of them stood frozen. Cryss panted for air. After thirty seconds he picked up whatever Tig had left and tossed it to Qylar. “Scan the ship for trackers. If you can remove them all, we can use it.”

“Sure,” Qylar said before squeezing Alex’s upper arm on his way past for the back door.

Alex approached Cryss, his heart still racing madly. “Are you okay?”

“Of course I’m not,” Cryss spat.

Alex stepped back, but Cryss grabbed him and dragged him into a hug. “You didn’t deserve that. I’m sorry.” He hugged Alex tighter, lifting. Once he set Alex’s bottom on the counter, he pushed between both thighs. “Do you forgive me?”

“Your leap to violence is a bit unnerving.”

“He threatened you,” Cryss murmured. “No one will ever threaten you and not be punished.”

Alex collected Cryss’s face in his hands, seeing the wildness still in the man’s eyes. “He’s no longer threatening me. I’m here. I’m safe. With you.”

Cryss dragged him closer, wrapping both arms tight. “You’ll always be with me, Alex. Safe and sound—with me. I’m not going back. I refuse to. You and I, we’re forever.” He pressed his lips to Alex’s neck. “I won’t let them tear us apart.”

Alex turned Cryss’s head and captured the man’s lips. He needed to calm the beast raging inside somehow. The kiss was rough—almost too rough—but Cryss seemed to be soothed by Alex’s touch and pulled back from the edge a minute or two later. The embrace remained rough, but not as wild. Cryss dragged Alex’s robe apart, growling with pleasure when he found nothing underneath it. After shoving down the waistband of his joggers, Cryss pulled out his hard cock. He hooked his arms under Alex’s knees and lifted.

Alex felt the tip of the cock tentacle enter him seconds later—but soon realized it was all three together. Cryss shoved himself deep until Alex was full to the brim. He transformed inside of Alex, the three once again becoming a human cock. Cryss fucked him coarsely, their gazes locked. It reminded Alex of the Thanksgiving fuck on the couch. Hard, fast, and needy, but even more so. There was a desperation never felt before. Alex came within minutes. Cryss followed him seconds later.

It was the first time where it seemed Alex’s pleasure hadn’t been Cryss’s main concern—but after all the orgasms the man had wrought from his flesh, he didn’t mind. He’d already said Cryss could use him whenever needed.

He had clearly needed.

Cryss captured his lips as the last jets of cum erupted within Alex. When he released Alex’s mouth, he pressed their foreheads together. “You’re all I need in this universe, Alex. No one else.”

“Q might not appreciate that statement,” Alex murmured.

Cryss chuckled, and Alex was glad to hear it. “Ninety-nine percent you and one percent him. How’s that?”

“Debatable, but I’ll let you go with it for now,” Alex said.

Cryss snickered. He caressed Alex’s cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you,” Alex murmured.

Cryss pressed his thumb over Alex’s bottom lip. “I like hearing it from your lips better than in my mind,” he whispered. “I’ll take it any way I can get it, but just so you know.”

He captured Alex’s lips again in a kiss that felt like it might never end.

Too bad he sensed it might.