Chapter 13

THIRTEEN

Mavrel quietly wondered which lunatic part of his brain had told him to bring her into the one exhibit that was bound to drive both of them insane.

He’d acted on a spur-of-the-moment desire to impress her.

When she’d asked him to surprise her in that maddeningly suggestive tone, she’d scrambled the remaining circuits of his logic.

The educational anatomy and physiology module was supposed to be reserved for humans who had already accepted their Kordolian mates… and who had expressed curiosity about the biological particulars of their union.

Recklessness made him do this.

He wasn’t usually so reckless.

This was the effect of the Mating Fever.

As soon as they’d stepped inside and the doors had closed, his arousal had kicked up to the extreme.

How could he have been so stupid?

And yet here they were, and she’d just summoned a naked image of him, thanks to the infernal, overeager Sylth.

It was accurate, too, right down to the smallest detail.

And other things, as well.

Fuck.

He wasn’t ready for this.

No. He was more than ready. If he had the option, he would Claim her right now. He’d seen enough to get a sense of her character. She was clever, calm, and easygoing. She took everything in her stride. She followed her instincts and wasn’t afraid to be forward.

She was different from him in so many ways. Where he was dark and sharp-edged, she was smooth and bright, effortlessly charming.

He was floored by her reaction to the naked representation of him.

She gasped. Her full, tantalizing lips formed an O of surprise. Her eyelids fluttered. Her eyes went wide.

The intoxicating scent emanating from her grew richer and even more tantalizing.

And somehow, Mavrel discovered the temerity to tease her.

What do you think we should do about the human part of the presentation?

“No. I think you already have an unfair advantage,” she answered after a slight pause. “You don’t have any of the cultural baggage we attach to nudity. You already know exactly how my body works. You know a lot about me, about humans in general. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve already picked through whatever data exists about me.”

“I haven’t,” Mavrel protested. “I could have, but I haven’t.”

“Why not?”

“I…” I wasn’t ready for this. “I wanted to form my own impression of you.”

“And?” The confident, slight upturning of her lips was devastating.

“You’re… impressive.”

“What makes you say that?”

“For you, a human, to experience all this in a short period, to adjust so quickly and then somehow gain the upper hand over me… is impressive.”

“But if I really do have the upper hand, isn’t it just because you let me?”

“Yes. No. See? You’re doing it again.”

“What?”

Driving me insane. Her curious combination of confidence, intuition, and honesty was going to be his downfall.

He’d never met anyone so unafraid to show their genuine self.

Were all humans like this?

She placed her hand on his knee, her touch sending a warm, electric ripple through him. “Mavrel, I wasn’t expecting any of this. I have to admit, when I met you in Garner Tower, I thought you were awfully nice in spite of the circumstances, especially considering who I worked for at the time, but I didn’t think anything would come of it. I’ve thought about you a lot since then, but it was more wishful thinking on my part. To say I was surprised when I received the invitation to come up here would be an understatement, but I didn’t have to think too much about it. I was kinda hoping I might run into you, catch your eye, strike up a little conversation, and get to know you better. I wasn’t expecting this… this Mating Fever thing to happen so fast, but here we are, learning to run before we can walk. What choice do I have but to go with it? Besides, you make it possible. I can’t explain why, but I feel so comfortable around you.”

“You have no reason whatsoever to feel uncomfortable around me.”

“That’s exactly it. I even accidentally conjured a naked image of you, and you didn’t flip out. So if anything’s impressive, it’s the fact that you make me feel safe.”

Warmth hit Mavrel’s cheeks, spreading to the tips of his ears. Nobody had ever said anything like this to him before.

And as aroused and heated as he was, her words made him want to do right by her.

To be noble rather than ruthlessly pragmatic—as he would have been in the past.

He was beginning to understand how the formidable First Division had fallen.

More than anything else, he wanted to protect this fragile, beautiful, innocent creature from all the terribleness of the Universe.

He placed his hand on top of hers. She was right. Why overanalyze it? Why not just give in? “Safe enough to ask me anything, hmm? You should be. I’m at your mercy right now.”

“So, you don’t mind if I…” She glanced at the holo of him again. Mavrel silently cursed the infernal Sylth.

Why had it given him such a serious expression, as if he were irritated?

But it was obvious she liked what she saw, and that alone filled Mavrel with irrational pride.

He’d never been the subject of anyone’s admiration before. The fourth son of a Noble House, he’d often been overlooked in favor of his older brothers.

They were dead now, as was his father.

House Yrixis had been given the option to surrender.

And Mavrel had chosen his side—a long time ago.

That was the way of things.

Mavrel forcibly erased the darkness from his thoughts. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and forced himself to soften—well, everything except for his infernal cock. “Beatrice, if it pleases you, you can stare at this image of me for as long as you want. Any questions you have, you can?—”

“Is it really… like that ?”

His eyes narrowed. He curled his fingers around her wrists and held her gently. “Is what like that?”

“Your cock. That ridge along the top…”

“We all have one of those.”

“Does it have a name?”

“Good question. I’ve never thought about it. I’ll have to ask Zharek.”

“And… its evolutionary purpose is to…”

“Make it appealing for the female, I presume.”

“Oh. Wow. ”

The holo shimmered, and his naked virtual form suddenly sprouted a pair of horns.

Infernal Sylth.

Bea looked at the holo, then at him, then back again. “Wh-what are those?”

Mavrel let out a slow, shuddering sigh that was half-tension and half-exasperation. He imagined himself with horns again, imagined her delicate hands curled around their ultra-sensitive bases. “I keep my horns trimmed, as is customary. In combat and life in the military, they’re highly impractical, so most of us don’t wear them. An evolutionary throwback, if you will.”

She stared at his forehead. “I don’t see any trace of them on you at all.”

“Once they’ve been cut right down to the base, the skin will grow over. We apply a growth inhibitor as well. They’ll eventually start growing back, but it’s unpredictable, and I’d just cut them down again, anyway.”

“I see. Actually, I can see a slight bump at each of your temples. That’s amazing.”

“Hm.” Mavrel had never expected her to be so fascinated by commonplace anatomy.

“Does it hurt… when you cut them?”

“It’s painful, but if done swiftly and with a sharp enough blade, the discomfort can be kept to a minimum.”

“I see. Well, you look incredible with yours.”

“It’s against protocol to keep them,” he said stiffly, afraid to tell her of their real function.

Which was pure pleasure.

“Maybe you’ll change your mind one day.”

“Perhaps.”

“I wouldn’t mind. They suit you very well—I mean, of course they do; they’re a natural part of you.” She leaned forward, bringing her face close to his—so close he could almost lean in and taste her full, glistening lips. “We’re a little bit different, you and I. You’re silver. I’m Black. Your hair is like moonlight, and your eyes are like amber shot through with firelight. You have fangs. I have teeth. Your ears are pointed. Mine are rounded. You can see well in the darkness. I can’t, but I’m immune to the sunlight that would blister your skin. I can hardly believe that you call us the same species.”

“Genetically, there’s only 0.01% of difference between us.”

“And somehow, we’re programmed to be attracted to one another.”

“On a highly precise level.”

“Sounds like some sort of a conspiracy.”

“There are some who believe it was by design.”

Her eyelids fluttered. A tiny shudder went through her. “I can’t even begin to think of such things.”

“Then, don’t. ” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

It was too much.

This restraint.

This tension between them.

What if they just…

She rocked backward a little, testing his grip on her wrists but not breaking it. “I want to be clear on a few things, Mavrel.”

“Fire away.” He was helpless now. He would do anything to secure her trust. So much for his resolve to stay in control.

So much for his fears about their compatibility.

They hadn’t told him he would become this useless.

At that moment, Mavrel truly resigned himself to fate, for he had now spent more time with Bea than any other civilian, and she was utterly charming. He could imagine himself spending long periods of time with her without ever growing tired of her company.

He was done for.

“I’m starting to understand how deep this is,” she said softly, her low, velvety voice a temporary salve for his ragged nerves. She could whisper into his ear for an eternity and lull him into a permanent trance. He wouldn’t mind. “I know that your people have serious problems with gender imbalances and birth rates and overall intergalactic politics. It’s also my understanding that you’re here to stay.”

“I consider myself permanently stationed in the Ninth Sector, yes.”

“You’re not going anywhere after this, are you? No more wars? No more planets to conquer?”

“We don’t do that anymore,” he growled. “That’s the very reason I broke with the empire and swore loyalty to General Tarak al Akkadian.”

“You’re here, though. Everyone knows that humans don’t stand a chance against your military machine.”

“We haven’t subjected Earth to imperial-style oppression. Human civilization will continue to be managed by humans. The only difference is that any human who’s mated to a Kordolian will have a direct say in Earth’s governance.”

“That’s kind of… nepotism, isn’t it?”

“It’s the most tenable solution for now. It’s Tarak’s compromise. Humans occupying official positions have proven themselves to be untrustworthy by colluding with the enemy. Believe me, he could have come up with a much more tyrannical option. The only thing that stops him from doing so is his desire to see his mate happy. That is all.”

“That one thing keeps all of you from turning to the dark side?”

“Pretty much.”

She turned until she was fully facing him. Mavrel stared into deep brown eyes filled with complicated thoughts.

He couldn’t even begin to fathom what was going on in her human mind.

She pulled one of her hands away, breaking his grip. But she left the other one in his grasp.

Bea reached out and touched his face, tracing her fingers down his cheek as if to check that he was indeed real.

“My goodness,” she whispered. “What a ridiculous situation.”

He wanted to kiss her then, to steal away any doubts that she might be having, but instead, he decided to let her have this moment.

He’d read parts of The Manual, and one thing had been repeated several times.

Do not use force.

“I don’t want children—I’m not ready for that… not yet. Is that something you can accept?”

Mavrel let out a puff of surprise. He didn’t have to think much about it. “Yes. I’m a busy tech engineer. I don’t socialize well with others, and I easily become obsessive about my projects. I don’t feel that I have it in me right now to nurture a youngling. Let the others do the reproducing for now.”

She exhaled. Her gaze softened. He sensed a shift in her. “Back there, in Zharek’s labs. You were so angry. I thought you wanted to kill him. Why?”

“He played a dirty trick on me. I already knew I was going through the beginnings of the Mating Fever. He gave me a drug and told me it was a suppressant. I used it before coming to meet you, thinking it would buy me some time—that I could slow down this process. It turned out to be an accelerant. He made it so that everything was heightened.”

“ Ah. I understand now. I thought it was a bit out of character for you. But… here we are.”

“Here we are,” Mavrel agreed. “Zharek thinks he knows all. He’s constantly playing god, but I suppose it’s the mentality one must have in order to conceive of such brilliant inventions. Still, I look forward to the time when he’s brought to his knees.”

The stiffness flowed out of her shoulders and neck. She leaned even closer. “I’m sure he’ll get what’s coming to him. And your reasons for wanting to kill him are actually quite understandable, although I hope you weren’t really planning on killing him.”

“The Mating Fever has a tendency to affect one’s rationality. I wouldn’t have killed him… just roughed him up a little. I swear, I’m not normally violent. I leave that to the others.”

Her hand trembled slightly as she slid her fingers along his jawline and down his neck. Mavrel had this insane urge to lean into her touch, for her fingers were molten, decadent, magnetic bliss, and he wanted more.

“Promise me one thing.”

“Yes?” He cocked his head, hyper-alert and eager to fulfill her wishes.

“Sometime in the not-too-distant future, maybe a few days from now, I want you to visit me on Earth. Just you and me, in my apartment, over dinner and drinks. There’s something I want to do with you... amongst other things.”

“Of course I’ll be there. But what do you have in mind?”

“Something cool, I promise. Let me think about it a little more. But for now…”

“Hmm?” He stared in disbelief as she slipped her thumb between his lips.

Unable to help himself, Mavrel gently grazed the pad of her thumb with his fang.

“I’ve seen enough. Shut that thing down.”

He blinked, not quite understanding.

“The holo. You can turn it off now. I think you’ve fed my curiosity enough. I want the real thing now. You asked about the human part of the presentation. Well, why don’t I show you?”

I see.

He could hardly believe it, but he wasn’t going to fight it. Bea was the kind of female who knew what she wanted.

He would do everything in his power to make sure she wanted him all the time.

“And kill the lights. I know what you look like. I just want to feel. ”

A low growl escaped him. He captured her roving hand, easing her thumb out of his mouth.

He uttered the Kordolian command…

And plunged them both into perfect darkness.