Epilogue

EPILOGUE

SEIWA

T wo months. It took two months for us to filter through the applications from scientists all over Earth to determine the first four thousand program members. I had only wanted four hundred participants, but Ellis had come out of the lavatory while I was typing and I'd entered one too many zeros. He was very distracting when he was naked. And now I had four thousand humans who thought they were brilliant following me around with questions.

I led the six who currently shadowed me back to Squire. He was coordinating their transfer to the Shendo-kine much the same way he did when it was sex workers being transported to Nor. All six of them groaned when we stood before Squire again.

"I thought you were going to give us a tour of the ship," one of the men whined.

"Why would I do that? You'd probably break something."

One of the women put her hands behind her back and smiled. "What if we promise to keep our hands to ourselves? Will you take us to see the engines?"

Though I could admire her willingness to be restrained, she was not the person I wished to see cuffed. "Absolutely not. There isn't a single one of you who will have access to any critical functions on the ship."

"But please?" another man asked. "We're all aerospace engineers. We understand the sensitive nature of the equipment."

I cringed. "That makes you even more dangerous."

Another one of them tried to touch me, and I flinched back only to bump into the wall.

"Okay!" Squire said as he slipped in between me and the scientists. "Do each of you have your luggage?"

I stayed where I was as each human focused on Squire and asserted that they had their bags. He asked about their tablets and whether the devices showed their berth information. When they confirmed that, Squire clapped his hands excitedly and beamed at them.

"Excellent!" Squire gestured them toward the bridge tube connecting the Zaaqnall to the Shendo-kine again. "Let's start by finding our quarters and getting familiar with the essentials like lavatories and mess halls. After that, we have several days of activities and events that will satisfy your curiosities in every possible way."

There would be activities and events? Goddess, I hoped no one had seen fit to make me lead any of them. The next person who asked me about the warp core was going to lose an eye.

As Squire led the humans away, someone said beside me, "They're predisposed to follow you."

I stood up from the wall as I realized it was Captain Langarus. "Predisposed, sir?"

He nodded. "They have a fable about a girl named Alice who gets lost and follows a white rabbit." He squinted at me. "Or she got lost because she followed him." He waved it all away. "Regardless, they follow white rabbits."

I kept my back against the wall just in case any of the remaining humans got any ideas. "Some of Ellis's coworkers called him Alice several times," I told the captain. "I thought they were mispronouncing his name."

"Mmm, no. They follow the white rabbit but also make jokes about doing so."

I rubbed at my temples. "Humans are so strange."

"Speaking of," he said, "I came down here looking for mine."

"He's there," I pointed, "saying goodbye to Ellis."

I was glad Ellis had gotten into the group with the other human mates. He was more social than I was and wanted to make friends. I was sorry to take him away from them now, but I was obligated to both deliver the scientists and take a leave since I'd been on the Zaaqnall for a year now. Not all of us swapped out regularly—the captain never did unless he requested it—but it was good for us to return to Nor for a time if we could. I might be busy with training the humans for some time, but should I be able to escape them down the line, I would discuss with Ellis his thoughts on returning to active ship duty.

I watched as Ellis hugged the prince consort, Rampon's mate whose leg was still functioning flawlessly despite being a prototype, and the captain's mate as well. As they walked away from Ellis, I saw four humans with luggage and tablets heading my way. Everything in me tightened.

The captain chuckled. "Perhaps if you simply walk them to their quarters…"

"Do you know how many questions they can ask in the time it takes to simply cross the tube?"

"No, but?—"

"Eighty-seven!"

Thankfully, they recognized the captain and had questions for him as well. I could see him becoming overwhelmed and had an urge to point and laugh, but didn't want to bring any attention on myself. One of the humans asked if they could pet him.

"Hey," Ellis said, suddenly in front of me.

I grabbed his shoulders as an idea hit me. "I apologize," I whispered, "but your services are required."

"My—"

I scooped him into my arms. "Don't worry," I said loudly, "I'll take you to our quarters right away. Just rest. Everything will be fine."

"Uh, what's happening?"

"Act ill."

He blinked at me, but then pressed the back of his hand to his forehead. "Oh, I'm so sick! Whatever could be wrong with me?"

I tsk ed at him. "You're a terrible actor."

He snorted and relaxed in my arms. "It's not like I had time to prepare. Why are we running away and pretending I'm sick?"

"So I can get away from the humans and their endless questions." I was practically leaping down the bridge tube. "Our quarters are in a different section of the ship to theirs, but I don't want them to be able to stop me. If you see some of them, feign distress."

Ellis chuckled with his face pressed into my neck. To a lesser observer, it might appear that he was crying. That was an improvement in his acting skills.

"Oh, god, Seiwa," he said as he wiped at his eyes. "You're terrible."

I was not. "Three people asked about the warp core, Ellis. Three! And many of them seem to think I'll give them a tour of the entire ship."

"Well, you could or?—"

"I have no access authority on the Shendo-kine . I'm a passenger!"

"Ah. Okay."

"Besides that, any one of them might touch something."

He shook his head, eyes wide. "And we can't have that."

"Of course not."

Ellis poked my cheek. "I seem to remember someone bouncing all over experimental equipment in his bare feet."

"Their equipment can't get us to a different galaxy." Obviously.

"Hmm. True."

Oh, goddess, I had accidentally caught up to the last three groups of humans to cross the tube. I came to a halt since the only way onto the ship was through them.

Ellis groaned loudly and curled into himself. "Oh, my god , I think I'm going to be sick!"

That was very impressive acting. I nearly believed him except for the fact he peeked up at me and subtly cocked his head as if to tell me to keep walking. I looked up to find Squire covering his grin with his hand and waving me ahead as well.

I excused myself through the parting throng of humans and didn't waste a moment getting us into the Shendo-kine . Thankfully, we had already checked in with security when we brought over our personal possessions, so they waved us through now. I quickened my pace to get to the lift that would take us up to the officers' quarters and far away from the berths the humans would occupy for the journey.

Seven days trapped with four thousand curious humans… I may never leave our quarters.

Safe in the lift, I set Ellis on his feet, but he stayed close and held my hand. I studied him, noting the way he leaned against me. "Are you comfortable with leaving today?"

He shrugged one shoulder. "As much as I can be. It's not like we can change our minds now."

"True, but if there's something I can tell you or show you that would make the process easier for you, I'll do it."

He smiled up at me and stepped around to cuddle against my chest. "I know you would. It's just a big step, going off to another planet. I'm as ready as I can be."

I picked him up again. He giggled softly and tucked himself against me, arms and legs looping around me. I gripped his ass in both hands and had an idea for how to keep him relaxed and calm.

The lift let us out on the officers' deck, and I walked down to the room we would share until we arrived at Nor. This room didn't have the hidden hooks or the swing that Ellis so enjoyed, and most of my equipment was in storage, but I'd devised a new toy for him. When we got to my home on Nor, I'd have many more items for the both of us to play with. This device should keep him quite entertained, though.

I set him on the bed and pointed at him. "Stay."

He bit his bottom lip and put his hands over his head, dutifully waiting.

I got the box with the device from one of the crates of personal items and brought it over to sit beside him.

"What's that?" he asked.

"You'll see."

I took my time undressing him, starting with his shoes. His little feet were so delicate, like the rest of him. No claws, no protective fur, he was so vulnerable. I sat him up and took off is pale orange tunic, again struck by how he was not built for conflict. I would protect him from anything and care for him in every way.

"I love you, Ellis."

He gasped a little breath and tears gathered in his eyes. "I love you, too. Aw, Seiwa…"

I leaned in for his kisses when he held my face, my own emotions high all of a sudden. I'd complained for so long about not having a mate, but now here he was. The wait had been worth it.

I finished undressing him, peeling his tight rust-colored pants down his long slim legs. He lay back down, stretching out, grinning with the knowledge that he was beautiful, and I couldn't stop staring at him. I undressed myself faster, watching as he teased the tiny rings through his nipples and subtly thrust his hips in clear anticipation. When I was naked as well, I reached for the box.

"Seiwa," he said a bit suspiciously, "that looks a bit like you're planning to milk me."

I looked at the tube in my hand and nodded a bit. "I suppose I am."

"Excuse me?"

"I wanted to make something for you to use to pleasure yourself should I be called away for any reason." I drew out two other parts of the device. "These will draw on your nipples while the tube contracts on your cock. There's also a probe for your ass that will vibrate on your prostate, but you can use that later on." I wanted his ass for myself this time around.

Ellis stared with wide eyes at the items in my hands. I handed each over when he reached for them. He touched the pads of the nipple stimulators and stuck a finger into the cock tube. A bright blush lit his face, but his cock was also hard. I fetched the lube before showing him how to attach everything to his body.

"Each one has a sensor that will know when you come and lessen the stimulation before it stops altogether." I attached the nipple ones first, watching as his breath quickened. "And the program will learn to edge you or take you quickly based on your responses."

"Oh, my god," he whispered before taking a few deep breaths.

He moaned through me fitting the tube onto his cock until he was completely inside it. I hoped he found the little nubs in there to be incredibly stimulating as they licked around his cock.

"Ready?" I asked, my own cock hard and aching at the sight of him.

He waved his hands at me. "Can you tie me down?"

"Oh, of course."

I fetched a pair of cuffs with a bar between them, attached them to his wrists, and secured it to the headboard. "I'd like to keep your feet free so that I can lift your legs and fuck you at some point."

His eyelids fluttered shut as he nodded. "God, Seiwa, I'm going to come so fast ."

"Then I'll set it to edge you." Still in the box were the brains of the unit, so I reached in and changed a dial.

Ellis laughed in a tense way, but didn't protest. "Okay, I'm ready."

I pressed the button, and Ellis threw his head back on a wanton holler. He strained at the cuffs and bent his legs to thrust his hips up. The most beautiful noises of deep pleasure bled from his parted lips as he writhed against the bed and his restraints. My cock was leaking now as I watched him experience the pleasure I'd designed for him.

Unable to resist any longer, I lubed my cock and eased myself into position between his thighs. I held his knees spread wide and worked my cock inside him while he wailed and twitched beneath me. He was so hot and tight, and I could feel his growing desperation to come. Goddess, he was glorious and all mine.

He opened his eyes, looking fevered, and locked gazes with me. He kept whispering my name as I slowly thrust inside him. I could see him shaking, both myself and the device working him higher, backing off, and then going again toward his release. His pupils were blown and he kept whining, lost in his pleasure.

"You are so perfect," I whispered to him and touched his cheek.

He turned his head and caught my thumb between his lips. I extended that claw, and listened to him moan as he tongued it. Perhaps next time, I would let him suck my cock while we did this. Or I could make a replica of it for when he was by himself. My delirious little human had an oral fetish, and I would feed it.

Ellis had predicted he would come quickly, but it was me who couldn't hold back. Watching his mouth on my thumb, feeling his body grasping my cock, and listening to the way he moaned and whined, like wordless begging, was too much for me to take. I thrust hard into him and came with a grunt.

He was right behind me, his little teeth nipping as his whole body strained. He moaned like it came from deep inside him before he went limp beneath me. I heard the device whirring before it went silent, and the nipple stimulators fell off. Reaching down, I eased the cock tube off of him before pulling out myself. I'd clean him and his toy later, but for now I needed to hold him.

"That was…brilliant," he breathed into my fur as I cuddled him close.

"It was. You were so beautiful."

He buried himself into my fur. "You came first."

I could hear the tease to his words. "I did."

Ellis sighed, and I thought perhaps he'd fallen asleep until he whispered, "I really do love you, Seiwa. So much."

I kissed his forehead. "I know you do. I can feel it. Can you feel how much I love you?"

"Mmm, yeah. My forever love."

A tear slipped from my eye and disappeared into his hair as I felt him fall asleep in my arms. Yes, I would spend forever loving my Ellis.