Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

CARLA

The morning was quiet. Carla drifted awake, content to remain cozy and comfy in bed with the man she loved. Finally. The Khargals insisted on keeping Ari under observation for three days in case of lingering side effects from the venom or delayed reaction to fungal exposure, which was a very polite way to say they were giving him the side eye for latent zombie tendencies.

They were back in their own ship, in their own bed, even if they were still tethered to the Khargal ship. She listened to the familiar sounds of the engine humming quietly and the ventilation system.

Home sweet home.

And Ari’s ship did feel like home. It was ostentatious and over the top, but it suited his personality. The luxury suited her personality. Large rooms. Sturdy furniture that didn’t threaten to fall apart if she sat wrong. Hot water whenever she wanted. Electricity all the time. Silky smooth bed sheets. Plush carpeting that absorbed noise. Automated bots that kept the ship dust -free and smelling like a wildflower meadow. True, the rooms could be cold and formal, but that was nothing time and some potted plants couldn’t fix.

Carla rolled over and propped herself up on an elbow. Ari slept like a rock, pun intended, sprawled out on his stomach, and somehow took up the majority of the bed.

She didn’t mind. She enjoyed the opportunity to watch Ari when he was unguarded. His color returned to a matte gray, the purple luster vanishing. His features were less refined but more relaxed.

“You are making the face again,” he said.

“You don’t know that. Your eyes are closed.”

“I know you.”

“Maybe I just think you’re cute, and I can’t help making the face,” she said, gently teasing.

“This is my fault? I am devastatingly handsome, not cute.” He rolled onto his back, placing a hand on his chest, as if wounded.

With his hair undone, spilling onto the pillows, he was pretty damn cute.

“Let me check, just to be certain.” She lifted the edge of the sheet to peek. He was naked, so no complaints from her. “Very interesting.”

His cock was hard, standing at attention. It was dark gray at the base and magenta at the head.

She took a moment to consider him. She felt his dick before, had touched and rubbed it, but she never had the time to study it. On a superficial level, it was shaped like a human penis, right down to the vein on the underside. But the extras… Yeah, those were different. Swollen in the middle, his dick had a girth that promised to stuff every inch of her. Ridges ran down along the sides. She licked her lips, anticipating how those would feel.

“I want to try something,” she said, removing the sheet entirely.

He raised himself onto his elbows. “My seed will?—”

“Change me, I know. I’ve been doing some reading while you were asleep.” She pestered a Khargal medic about human-Khargal relations until she flung a children’s sex ed book at her. The reading level was a little insulting, but the book answered a lot of her questions. Frequent exposure to his seminal fluid would increase her healing speed, possibly reverse some of the wear and tear of aging. Her knees were looking forward to that. Lots of small hormonal adjustments to make her body as accommodating to pregnancy as possible. “I’m not going to grow wings or spikes out of my forehead.”

“It is a crown,” he said. “There is a chance of pregnancy. I would welcome a child, but it is a decision that should be made deliberately, not accidentally.”

“The Khargals hooked me up with a fresh IUD. This is a baby-free zone for at least three years.” She waved a hand at her stomach. “Now, I want that dick in my mouth. May I?”

He laughed, low and easy, and leaned back. “By all means.”

Carla positioned herself to face his feet and straddled his chest. Her mouth watered in anticipation. She’d been thinking about all the things she wanted to do to him for ages, and this was at the top.

She wrapped a hand at the base of his dick and stroked upward, admiring the warmth and the firmness. Yes, those ridges felt like how she imagined. But did it taste like she imagined? Only one way to find out.

She leaned forward, running her tongue up the length of him. Taking all of him in her mouth would be daunting, but she’d try. Her tongue swirled around the head, lapping up the leaking semen.

Salted caramel burst on her tongue. Pleasantly surprised, she opened wide to take as much as she could.

Ari growled in approval. He grabbed her hips and pulled her back until she was over his face. She rocked back. His central spike hit her in just the right spot as she rubbed herself against him. She moaned around his dick as she ground herself on him.

Running her tongue up and down his ridges, Ari moved her again, this time directly over his mouth. His tongue lapped at the cotton of her panties. He tugged at the fabric, pushing it to the side to make room, and dove in. Strong fingers dug into her hips, holding her in place like there was even a remote chance she’d leave. No way. She forgot herself, and her breath caught as he feasted on her.

Her hand dug into the rumpled bed sheets, twisting the fabric as she rocked against him. Pleasure swept over her and then she was on her hands and knees.

Ari pressed against her from behind. “Let us remove these,” he said, his voice thick with desire, and pulled down her soaked panties. His large hand caressed her bottom, squeezing her cheeks in appreciation.

“Do you want me?”

“Yes,” she said, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

“You’ll take all of me.”

“Yes, yes. Just, please, Ari. I need you.”

He leaned forward, his hand caressing her bottom, and whispered in her ear, “You’re so beautiful. I can’t wait to have you.”

She shivered, loving the feel of him covering her.

“I will bite you. Mark you as mine.”

That was another thing the sex ed book warned her about. It wasn’t necessary, but part of the fun, apparently. Honestly, it sounded amazing. She said, “Yes. Mark me. I’m yours.”

“My good girl,” he purred. He stroked her folds, caressing and rubbing until she was riding his hands and crying for relief.

His tail wrapped around her leg and slid upward. The tip stroked between her cheeks, and she gasped. It pushed at her tight hole, and then she was filled with both his fingers and his tail. Moaning in delight, she collapsed to her elbows, her ass in the air. She was stuffed and it was magnificent. Patiently, with the skill of a master, he worked her open.

“Ari, I’m ready,” she pleaded.

His response was guttural and suddenly, his hand was gone. Carla whimpered.

He pushed in, spreading her slowly. He was definitely bigger than the average human, and she might walk funny tomorrow, but she didn’t care. She ached in the most delicious way as her inner core stretched for her.

As he pulled back, his tail pushed in. Her eyes flew open wide. She could feel them both moving inside her. It was odd. Good but odd. Then, she felt the ridges as he pushed forward. Yes, they hit the right spots, just like she hoped. Yes, her toes were curling, and she might legitimately shred the bedsheet.

“My treasure,” he growled. His wings swept forward, brushing against her with each stroke. Every touch—tail, dick, or wings—sparked new ecstasy. It wasn’t just the physical—but seriously, amazing—it was because it was him. Ari. He saw her with all her flaws and called her a treasure.

Existence narrowed to the points their bodies touched, where they connected and moved. Their pants and moans were the only sounds in the universe, their hearts the rhythm guiding her. Pleasure spiraled, coiling tighter and tighter until she would burst.

A hand swept her hair to one side, exposing her neck. His mouth clamped down on the crook of her neck. The pain was sharp but fleeting. She cried out, bliss surging through her, unlocked by the bite.

She went still, panting as a tingly warmth flooded her. Above her, Ari shuddered, his cock swelling and his tail going deeper. She felt floaty and content. His wings beat against her. Once. Twice. And again. A new warmth flooded her.

Ari collapsed to the side and pulled her against him. “My treasure,” he whispered in a tender voice.

“Love you,” she whispered back.

The future was uncertain. She had zero worries. They were together. Everything else was just details.