She gripped his arms. “Would you have come after me?”

  “Of course. You are my lover. You will be my mate and eventually become my partner here. I would have torn his ship apart for you, but I am very glad he did not get you to it. He had breeding on the mind and would not have spared much time before bringing you on board and taking you.”

  She shuddered, and he wrapped his arms around her, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. “I’ve got you, Keva.”

  She nodded and whispered, “I never thought he would do something like that.”

  “Ah, your father. Would you like to speak with him before he is shipped off?”

  “You can do that without a trial?”

  “First, there is no doubt as to his guilt, and second, this is my home. My house is this station, and all thousand shards of my world belong to me. Nothing happens here without my authorization, and I am the only law.”

  “Oh. Right.”

  “I have empowered security, but they act on my orders alone.” He held her, and she relaxed into his arms.

  She turned her head and looked up at him, and he pressed a kiss to her lips. She whispered, “Thank you for coming for me.”

  He gave her a wicked look, and he sent a pulse of the signal.

  She wrapped her hand around his neck and twisted up for his kiss; he ran the pulse through her over and over until she felt like her skin was glowing with energy.

  She knelt on his thighs, and he slid two fingers into her. She rocked her hips on his fingers, and he chuckled.

  “Instinctual response?”

  She nodded and kept kissing him. “Uh-huh.”

  “So, my being inside you must have driven you mad.”

  She nodded. “Um, yes.”

  He chuckled. “Poor, Keva.” He widened his fingers and added a third.

  Uh-oh.

  She whispered, “You aren’t thinking of that now, are you? I still ache a little from last night and—”

  “Just a little practice to see how far I can go today, but today, I want to watch your expression.”

  She liked her lips. “Oh.”

  He moved terminal and tablet aside and lifted her to set her on the edge of his desk. He spread her thighs wide, and his tongue darted out to lick her. As it had been that morning, her aches and pains were soothed when the prongs of his tongue skated over her slippery folds and inside her.

  She mewled and tried to grip anything, but she couldn’t reach, and all that was available was his head. She breathed in deep gusts but carefully gripped his head, and he paused as her fingers combed through the fronds at the top of his skull. The signal pulsed harder, and she dropped back, shivering as an electric orgasm worked on her nerves.

  She was limp, and he spread her thighs wide, lifting her heels to his desk before he leaned over her and kissed her. “How many bands today, Keva?”

  She contracted around his fingers. “Four? Four seems safe.”

  His eyes were hot. “We will start with four and see how far we go.”

  He moved the fabric he wore, and she saw that there was a hard plate. As she stared, it opened in the centre, and his erection emerged, dark bluish-purple with nearly black bands about half an inch apart and three inches at the tip to gain a foothold, so to speak.

  She held tight to him as he lined up and slowly pressed into her, watching her expression.

  “This was the part I missed last night.”

  She shivered and met his gaze as the fat head slid inside her and the first band pressed against her. He was watching every flicker of expression on her face, and as he pressed inward, she gasped when the first band popped inside.

  He smiled and stretched her arms above her head. “That was one.”

  He pressed again and began a devious counting interrupted by him stroking her through her dress and caressing her clit in turn. When the third band entered her, she clamped down and groaned as her body clutched at him rhythmically.

  “And there is one for you. Three for me, one for you, we will continue.”

  She gasped and twisted against him. “We are keeping score?”

  He laughed and started to press inward. “More like keeping track so that I don’t try and get myself in to the hilt.”

  She whimpered at the pressure. “You can do that?”

  “Of course. It would not be at all comfortable for you, but it is very possible.”

  She shivered at his veiled threat. “Well, then, as you were.”

  He laughed, and they made it to seven with two more climaxes for her because the bands now gave her g-spot much-needed friction. She had dripped a spot on his desk, but he didn’t seem to mind.

  Her hips were rising and falling against his in the most disconcerting way. She was trying to beckon him deeper. She felt full and hot and throbbing and achy and wonderful, but she wanted more.

  She ran her hands up his arms, and she whispered, “More please, Azzul. Pleasepleasepleaseplease.”

  He looked at her, “You are a mess but not in any distress. So, one more.”

  The pressure built, and she undulated against him, and the band slid in. She held onto him, shaking and knowing that her expression was mindless. He seemed to be doing some kind of assessment as well.

  Once she got used to him, she shifted her hips and looked up at him and asked, “More?”

  He kissed her savagely, and when they parted, he said, “It will be too much.”

  “I am fine. There is room. More?”

  “The moment I see pain, I am stopping.”

  She smiled brightly and nipped his lip. The pressure was intense, but she worked herself onto him and then the hardest part was over. She reached between them and counted the single band left as well as a protrusion that hadn’t been there before.

  “What’s this?”

  He chuckled, but it was a strained sound. “The spur.”

  She fondled it softly, and he groaned through gritted teeth. His hips jerked forward, and the tenth band was trying to get in. She squeaked and tried to focus on relaxing because his cold intelligence just shot out the window. He was turning primal and at the most dangerous time.

  He pressed into her, so she swivelled and screwed herself against the tenth band, and near the apex, she felt it. The spur pressed against her clit and began to change in its appearance and texture. It started hanging on. She whimpered, and sparks began to shoot off behind her eyes because the signal was coming from the spur, and as the tenth band slid home, her body was being caressed from the inside out with his cock as an antenna.

  She shrieked and came and kept coming while he was over her and in her.

  She fainted for a moment, and then, she woke with a cold compress to her forehead and a hard, hot cock still inside her.

  Keva looked at him. “So, seven, huh?”

  He snorted. “You took all of me, but I am astonished you aren’t sobbing.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “It feels tight but not horrible. Sorry, I passed out.”

  “It was the shock I needed to stop the signal.”

  “So, the spur puts it out. I recognize it.” She smiled. “It also explains the rhythm. It is a very direct message.”

  He sighed. “It is my second brain. It has been getting a lot of use since you showed up.”

  She blushed. “Not really.”

  “Really. The brain in my skull is for cognition and physical motion. The mating brain has its own agenda. It runs the biology needed to create the next generation. It can also tell you are not ready, but it does want to practice, so it is not a surprise when you are.”

  She blushed, which was ridiculous as he was still all the way inside her, and she was still dripping.

  “If you are ready, I will begin withdrawing from you.”

  She bit her lip. “When you get down to five, can you pull back to six and then pull it out to four. Come out in increments and slide back in a little?”

  He cocked his head. “This will give you pleasure?”

  “Probably. I think it should work.”

  He grinned and set her back on his desk. “Getting the spur to release you may be difficult.”

  She nodded as he gripped her hips and began pulling out of her. She came randomly during the extraction. The spur hung on until the eighth band was being extracted from her, and she could feel its disappointment. Immediately, he began radiating the signal hard and strong, and when the rocking in and out started, she was right. It felt amazing.

  When he was completely out, she was a quivering mess cuddled on his lap, and he was grinning. “That worked well.”

  She leaned against him and said in a breathy voice, “Yeah. It did. I need to wash the dress again. I don’t think it was meant for this much sweat and slick.”

  He stroked her cheek and tilted her head to look at him. “You can take all of me.”

  “Well, now we know. I hate not knowing things.”

  He kissed her softly. “So do I. Now we know. You were put in that house for a reason.”

  She chuckled. “Yeah, my heart was broken.”

  She put her hand to the left of her sternum and paused. “Where did it go?”

  “It is under the bone plate now. A much more suitable place for it. The rest of your organs will slowly migrate into better positions, and when that is ready, you will generate suitable eggs and be receptive.”

  “I already have all the eggs I will ever generate in my body.”

  His lips quirked, and he repeated, “You will generate suitable eggs and be receptive.”

  She sighed. “Fine.”

  He laughed. “Now, we shall clean you up and go for dinner in the station. I think we have concluded the fun and games for now.”

  She sighed. “Yes, Master Azzul.”

  He chuckled and got to his feet. “The weavers are going to love and curse you.”

  “Why?”

  “The clothing they are making for you is incredibly complex, and I wish you to have several to choose from. It has been pointed out to me—mostly by Tellian—that the length I chose for you suits me and not you. It is very easy to see all of your limbs, which is not necessarily desirable if you are mixing with visitors who are of a predatory nature.”

  She nodded. “Yes, I noticed a few looking at me at the exhibit, and you are not always going to be around to be a deterrent to action.”

  She paused. “So you actually have a second brain?”

  He laughed and explained a bit about his physiology that made her pause with her mouth pursed in surprise.

  He carried her to his quarters, and he bathed her, cleaned her dress, and helped her up again, by which point, her legs were moving again. She looked up at him. “You don’t need to bathe?”

  He shook his head. “I run a radiation cycle when you are distant. It takes off the top layer of my skin. Anything else can be cleaned off with a wet towel.”

  She sighed. “Ah. I just thought if you had a bathing room here, that you must use it.”

  “Occasionally, I do, but not most days.”

  Her dress was clean, and she slipped it on. “So, we are going to dinner?”

  “We are. There are several stellar restaurants with amazing views of the shattered cluster.”

  “So, you do eat.”

  He laughed. “I do, but the food I consume is excessively expensive, so I don’t eat in front of others. My body requires things that are fresher and grown in soil for the nutrients.”

  “Like Greebar noodles?” She hadn’t even looked at the pricing.

  He beamed. “I love those. Yes. Exactly.”

  “I am going to have to actually work soon so I can pay back Tellian for him buying my lunch today. Geez, was it just today?”

  “I will add a bonus to his pay.”

  He picked her up and launched them into the space in the centre column of the station. He slowly spiralled them down until they were on the tenth level, and he walked onto the landing area and set her on her feet, offering her his hand.

  She was blushing. “Level ten?”

  He grinned and led her to the most exclusive and expensive level in the station, walking her through the halls where folks dripping in jewels and silks bowed at her respectfully.

  “What the hell is going on?”

  “Tomorrow, we will meet the weavers. You might understand then.”

  “Fine, but what is so special about this dress, and I am guessing the other one?”

  “Tomorrow, Keva. Have some patience. You have a very long life ahead of you.” He paused. “A very long life.”

  “Like, how long?”

  “We will talk to Dr. Ymil, but I think that it will be exactly as long as you want it to be, and my lifespan will match with yours. Also, if we have offspring, we now know how to make mates for them if they find a likely being to join with.”

  She looked up at him and did a scale assessment. “We are going to discuss offspring and gestation.”

  He grinned. “Don’t worry, we use external equipment. We would not risk your life for the next generation. I will begin to create the secure canisters in my off time. There are other species who use the original designs my people created, and I simply need to refresh based on the needs of our bodies.”

  “Wow. You have a new hobby.” She nudged him with her hip.

  He chuckled. “It has been a very interesting week. So, now I am in the mood for noodles, and there is an excellent noodle house nearby. It has a view of the segment with the manor on it.”

  “Oh, yes, please.”

  He chuckled. “I love how polite you are. The sound of your please rings in my brain.”

  They entered the noodle house, and she asked, “Which one?”

  He laughed and kept his hand on her backside. It was time for dinner.

  Chapter Ten

  Keva walked into Azzul’s office, and she settled at her desk.

  “Keva, we have been invited to a wedding.”

  “Really? Like off station?” She perked up and grinned at him.

  “Yes, on Y’tel. Sornoth is getting married, and he has invited us to the ceremony.”

  “That’s sweet.”

  He chuckled and flicked a look at her. “We leave in an hour.”

  “What?” She stared at him. “Seriously?”

  “Seriously. The weavers have some items to give as gifts, and you just need to run down and get them.” He looked at her and tapped his lips.

  She sighed and walked over to him, kissing him and tangling her tongue with his until his fingers coasted up her inner thigh. “Oh, no. Don’t start. You are becoming incorrigible.”

  He smiled and stroked the liquid invitation she was offering. “You are nearly there, Keva. So close. I don’t want to miss an opportunity.”

  “Between you and the med team watching me like hawks, you aren’t going to miss anything. Right, I will go and get the presents.” She tried to move. “I will move faster if you get your hand off my thigh, lover.”

  “Another kiss.”

  She kissed him again easily. It was one of her favourite hobbies. He cupped her breast and slid two fingers into her, leaving her wanting more when he raised his head.

  “Do we have a pilot for the ship?”

  He nodded. “We do.”

  “How long is the trip?”

  “Two days.”

  She licked his jaw. “Can we spend the two days levelling up?”

  “That is a disturbing way to state it.”

  She giggled. “But no one knows what I am saying.” She stroked his chest. “Except you.”

  He growled playfully and smacked her butt with his free hand, removing his fingers before licking them slowly. “Fifty-five minutes.”

  She groaned and broke from him, running. It took fifteen minutes to get to the weavers and fifteen minutes back. The ladies were chatty, so it took ten minutes just to say hello, ten to get what she needed, and normally ten to say goodbye, which left her five minutes short unless she used her overrides to speed up the lift and drop down to eleven. It saved four minutes.

  She was ready, and the moment the doors opened, she bolted down the hall, and folks saw her coming and got out of the way. Six months after arriving and folks were very familiar with her. Newcomers got an image of her when they arrived on the station. In general, they were warned to stay clear if they wanted to maintain trade.

  She skidded to a halt at the weaver’s shop, and she bowed low in the doorway. She smiled and waved at the security camera. “Morning, ladies!”

  The door whispered open, and she spent the next six minutes speaking to the huge spiders weaving the clothing that was all she was allowed to wear. It was insulated, bulletproof, and more than an exclusive worker could make in ten years. She had seven dresses of varying lengths made of their fabric. There were no seams, no closures, just long panels of fabric that had been woven together.

  She spoke to the four weavers, and they went through the greetings formally. She collected the items that Azzul had requested, and then, she had to say her farewells.

  She managed to shave a minute off the farewells before she bowed out of the shop and then bolted back to the lift.

  There was a crowd that was milling back and forth near the lift, waiting for it. “Apologies. It will be back in regular service in six minutes.”

  The doors opened as she sprinted toward them, and they closed immediately after. She sighed, and the lift shot up to Azzul’s office level. He was just leaving his office and laughed. “Well done, Keva. You are getting faster.”

  He inclined his head for her to follow him, and she waved at Tellian as they headed out.

  “Have fun, Keva. See you in six days.”

  She waved and trotted after Azzul to the drop window that he used when going to the ship. He stood there and gathered her up. “You have a good grip on the gifts?”

  “Yes. Don’t I have to pack?”

  “No, your clothing is already on the ship. The weavers wanted to kill me, but you need to blend in.”

  She sighed and then held her breath as he tipped them off and into the abyss above the station core. He circled until level five, and then, he darted through the tunnel that was only accessible by him.

 

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