9. CHAPTER 9

The fibers of my skin could feel the smallest brush against its surface. Detecting any vibration of movement from several feet in the distance gave me time to react, even in my sleep.

I felt this alien male untangle himself from my grasp and slip from my side. I felt a powerful urge to hold on to him, to pull him back to my side. It wasn't safe for him here, so we needed to get to Eros.

Life onboard a war vessel is harsh and unforgiving. There are strict rules and regulations for running a tight ship, including rules against mating onboard. I recruited those who were barren to ensure they followed this rule. Sure, they could still fuck, but mating was impossible.

Fucking is just the release of frustration but mating was on a whole other level. Mating between Valisians was done when the Omegas went into their heat cycle and unleashed their pheromones, telling every Alpha within a one-mile radius that they were ready for mating.

These women and rare males would travel to the Holy Site, where they would be locked away and kept safe from rape. The Alphas would travel behind them, and we would have a festival to compete for the most beautiful among them.

Now, the holy site was just as barren as them all.

My body almost moved on its own despite me being half asleep and only partially aware of him leaving my side. I gripped his arm before he could get away from me.

"I was... getting some water." He said once I woke up.

"You wouldn't have gotten far." I chuckled. He did not know the first thing about me or my kind, yet he was prepared to act. He was a bold one, and I'd give him that, and it was his fearless attitude that made me want to tease him.

"Well, I wasn't trying to get far." He got back in bed and under the warmth of the covers.

"You're emitting a very arousing scent." Kissing his hand and then his neck, I resisted the urge to claim him. I held back during the sex earlier, willing myself not to knot him as I pumped my seed into his tight hole.

I wish I could compare his scent to a Valisian omega in heat, but I couldn't. Never had the pleasure of partaking. I was born long after those fruitful times. Our omegas had long since been barren, which caused my father to keep a large harem of omegas for himself, his right as a king. Most of these women came willingly when the royal guard knocked on their door. Others were not so willing. Various families scattered the omegas my father couldn't find throughout the planet and beyond. Finding one was nearly impossible. Older alphas had stated their scent had waned over the centuries; for all I knew, I could have been close to a fertile omega and not even know it!

Since I've used my pheromones on this alien, his delightful scent sang its soft melody, and this was something I wasn't too familiar with. Perhaps the doctor could provide more insight. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if that damn doctor didn't plant a camera in my cabin to record everything.

"I wish you would stop saying that?" He said, looking away from me. His soft black hair fell across his face, partially obscuring his striking jade-green eyes.

"Saying what? You don't like me talking about your scent?"

"Yeah, it makes me think I stink."

"If I say it is intoxicating, why do you think you stink?"

"I don't know. Strong odors tend to be stinky."

"If you stink, then it's my kind of stink."

"Great!" He shot out of bed. "I'm taking a bath! Because I don't know what you are talking about!"

I laughed. "You're serious?"

"Yes!" He folded his arms, causing his tunic to slide down his shoulder, revealing his soft, smooth neck. I've bedded wenches, but I've never had the urge to claim one. Was this instinctual? Was it his pheromones at work? I don't know, but I had half a mind to grab him, toss him onto this bed, and bite deep, feeling the spurt of blood from the claiming on my tongue.

He entered the bathing room, and I got out of bed and followed.

I got a perfect view of his ass when he bent over to lift the lever for the water. He ran his hands over it to check the temperature, and I couldn't help grabbing his hips and gently pulling his ass to my cock. His moans were soft and high-pitched as I squeezed his ass and ground my cock between his thighs, and reached around to play with his tiny cock, which seemed to drive him mad.

His moans grew bolder as I continued, and I entered his tight hole, delighting in the moist heat inside him. Holding him close, I buried myself inside and messaged the nipple as I ran my tongue along the nape of his neck. I wanted to sink my teeth inside, to claim what was mine!

But the thought of claiming an alien I'd just met was not something I wanted to do. I couldn't see myself with any man other than my kind as my first. After grunting in pleasure as I enjoyed him, we stepped into the warm water to continue.

Was I doing any of this right? I felt like a bumbling child dealing with a man for the first time, and a part of me felt relaxed by it, or perhaps the better wording was nostalgic about the whole thing. Remembering the first man I've had was a bitch. For the life of me, I couldn't remember his face, let alone what it was like to fuck him.

I heard footsteps coming down the hall and rolled my eyes in annoyance, not wanting to leave the warmth of the water and the bliss of lovemaking behind.

I left the tub.

"Where are you going?" He asked before biting at his lower lip.

"Someone is coming. Don't leave this room until I say so. I'm sure half the ship caught your scent."

I unlocked the door, and sure enough, as the stars were in the sky, there was Swarti.

"Surprise, surprise."

"If you don't want me coming here, show up at your post on the bridge." His words always had a bite to them. For a beta, he was strong and snippy. Most Alphas preferred other Alphas as their second because they needed to know that if they had to split their forces, there would be a leader who could be as aggressive on the battlefield and in his decisions as himself.

Usually, these setups ended with the second planting his spear into the backside of the first and taking his seat on the bridge, but they got a lot done and worked well together beforehand. I wasn't fearful of an Alpha taking my place. That was the natural order. But Daruuk and the Travol people had learned of our patterns, knew how we thought, and maneuvered around our tactics.

I needed a less aggressive hand, and through our combined temperaments, we confused them, created new tactics, and won. Swarti had been my second ever since. Even if, as a beta, he despised me as I thought nothing much of him aside from that brain he kept in his skull.

Even before the virus ravished us, Beta males had a difficult time competing against Alphas for mates, and now we Alphas took the few Travols capable of birthing our children. Leaving most Betas with very few options. Or perhaps I'm ignorant, and Betas have always despised Alphas on principle. After all, we had won the genetic lottery. The Virus may have lowered our specie"s fertility rates but Alphas still had a higher chance of success than Betas. It"s a shame there are so few of us in comparison.

"Ugh, the scent of this alien man is something to behold, even to my beta senses. Wonder if they're all like this." He groaned, agitated, and I wondered if this needed the doctor's attention.

"Hopefully, we'll find out soon," I replied, ignoring his frustrated mood. "Did our spies get anything useful?"

"Another woman was hiding onboard that new alien vessel. However, Xil took her before the spies could escape with her."

"Damn."

"The escape pods landed on Cerulia, but we do not know the exact location. We found evidence of Daruuk running there after his run-in with us."

"To recruit them… if he can find them," I smirked, thinking this was just what I needed. "Have him followed if you can."

"I say we kill him and be rid of him. Why wait for him to talk to these aliens?"

"A warrior without a war is nothing." I chuckled ruefully at my father"s words. "Let him rile these aliens up. Maybe we should allow some of them to return home."

"I was hoping to retire--"

"You will retire when I tell you to!" I snapped, feeling more frustrated at the change in the air onboard the ship since my conversation with my father than his voicing that change to my face. Word travels fast on a ship, even one as large as mine, and I could feel the general malaise take over; almost everyone was on shore leave in their minds before we even reached Eros. "Now, don't disturb me."

"Yes, sir. And we're landing in Eros soon."

I closed the door, my head full of thoughts about gaining control over the situation. If my father had pressed the issue further, not returning home would have been treason. However, this could be a test, and returning home would be a failure. What type of King would allow someone else to tell him what to do? But then again, a King would die fast if he ignored everything his advisors told him. This was certainly not a matter I could solve by standing here prattling off in my head. "I know you're there, boy." I sensed him behind me, trying his best to step without a sound across the room.

"You would really let them go home?"

"Do I look cruel to you? Don't answer that."

"I think you should let them go; they just came here to make a better life for themselves; they're not here to fight you."

"If your people are smart, they could avoid a war no matter how much I may want one. I am limited in my movement. I'm not King… yet."

"I doubt there is anything they could do." He sighed and then turned to look at me again. I barely paid attention to this discussion. It was pointless. I wanted to feel him again. To drive my cock deep inside and watch the pain on his face turn into pleasure. What an intoxicating little alien this was. "Who is Daruuk?" He asked, refusing to drop the conversation.

"A fool who fights the tides." Just like me.

The mechanical feminine voice announced our arrival on Eros. The capital ship was far too large to land on the planet. We would have to take a shuttle, and even then, it took several hours of prep work for a ship of this size for docking permissions and so on. We had time to relax and even make love, which was the only thing on my mind.

"What is this planet?" He seemed in awe as he gazed out the window.

"This planet's name is Zililiuera, and we're heading to Eros, a small refueling station here. They also have decent entertainment. It's a good place to bring a crew. We'll have everything we want here - nice food, soft, warm beds, soft-colored walls to feel comfortable, and all that nonsense. In the meantime, the ship will refuel."

The man looked at me. His smooth face scrunched up suddenly, and tears fell from his eyes. His long black hair clung to his face.

"What the hell did I say now? This place is beautiful, you'll see." I hated watching soft boys cry. His extreme change in mood bewildered me.

"I want to contact my family and... I don't know." He waved his arms in confusion. "One of the first things I would do when I reached Scion 37y was call my family and let them know I was okay. Now I'm landing on some other planet god knows where, and I won't be able to call them at all."

"I don't know what this Scion 37y is, but who says you won't be able to call your family? Perhaps once we get here, we can contact them."

"Oh yeah, right! You wanna get on the line and tell them you're holding me hostage so they would contact our government and go to your stupid war or something."

"If they could even understand me." I laughed at his befuddlement. "Never say what you will never get a chance to do. That is the talk of a person who has given up."

"Says the man holding me here."

"Do you want to leave?" I walked over to him and stroked his soft skin. "You underestimate how happy you can be as my concubine."