Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

CMDR. SEIWA HEREMOD

T hank the goddess that my little mate was receptive to the idea of… Well, letting me claim him wasn't what he was allowing, because Ellis had no idea that he was my mate. For the moment, he was only agreeing to sex with someone he was attracted to. I could accept that for now, and I certainly didn't want to ruin everything by proclaiming my desire to make him mine for the rest of our lives. Which, logically, sounded ridiculous so I understood why humans would have difficulty believing such things.

But each time I looked at him, my mind quieted of everything except pleasing him. I'd never had a lover who could own my attention so fully just by looking at me with his expressive brown eyes. Scent be damned, that alone had convinced me that mates were real, and Ellis was mine.

I could convince him over time. After all, the humans were at least fifty years behind us on so many fronts that I wouldn't be going anywhere for a very long time to come. That the prince had thought my team and I could simply upgrade the humans to our level in a few days said how little he understood. The humans couldn't maintain what they didn't understand! If we handed one of our ships to them, they'd die in space the first time literally anything went wrong. And something always went wrong. So I wasn't going anywhere, and I'd do my best to make sure Ellis stayed with me.

We were on the shuttle again, going back to Cleveland to drop off the agents that had come with us to that adorable testing facility. Ellis sat by himself in a seat near the cockpit, which meant he would be one of the last people to depart. When we touched down, I sprinted from my seat to stand in front of him as he unbuckled.

Immediately, he fumbled the buckle and glanced down the row to his fellow humans. Did he fear their judgment? I took a step back, and Ellis finished freeing himself from his seat. None of the humans looked his way, instead crowding in front of the ramp that descended to let them out of the shuttle. As Ellis stood up, his gaze flicked over each of my Cero guards, who remained seated.

I tried reassuring Ellis. "No one minds."

He gulped and nodded, looking everywhere but at me now. "Um, I guess I'll see you tomor?—"

No, no. After that kiss, I couldn't let him leave. "Come up to the ship with me."

Those bewitching brown eyes of his captivated me and his delectable lips parted.

I couldn't let him leave, but I could be less commanding about keeping him with me. I cleared my throat. "Would you please come up to the ship with me?"

The corner of his mouth quirked up in a grin for just a second, vanishing when he watched his fellow humans leave the shuttle. "Can I? I don't have my passport or anything. Can I just…leave the planet whenever I want to?"

I frowned at him, not comprehending. "You think you need permission to leave?"

"Don't I?"

"Are there human laws that would prevent you from traveling?"

"Well… No."

I cocked my head at him. Did he not want to go with me? Or was it that he simply wasn't comfortable with space travel? After seeing the level of tech humans had available for such things, I couldn't blame him for his trepidation.

"I promise it's safe," I assured him, pleased to have his gaze on me again.

"Oh. Yeah. I mean, I'm sure." He gestured vaguely at the shuttle's interior. "I mean, this is just a little ship and it's incredible."

"I designed the shuttle's propulsion engine," I found myself saying without meaning to. I wasn't bragging but stating a fact.

"Really?" He smiled so sweetly up at me.

I nodded, memorizing his face.

He took a step closer to me and, in addition to being able to hear the way his heart beat increased, I could scent the growing fragrance of his arousal. Goddess, but if it wasn't for our audience of guards, I would do my best to convince Ellis to let me take him here and now.

I licked my lips and felt a shiver go through me at the way his gaze tracked my tongue. "Tell me where we might go to be alone together. Would you prefer that we remain on Earth?" Hopefully, my voice didn't sound as desperate as I felt. "Where do you reside?"

He bit his bottom lip and shook his head. "I have two roommates and one of them works from home."

"So we wouldn't be alone?"

"Yeah. Thin walls, too."

"My quarters on the ship are private and soundproof."

Ellis huffed a little laugh and took another step toward me. Did he realize he was doing that? One more step and he'd be pressed against me. I resisted the urge to close the gap myself.

"If you think it's alright to take me up there," he said as he peeked at me through his lashes, "then we can go. I…" he licked his lips. "I really want to be with you."

I cupped his face in my hands and kissed him. Ellis gasped before our lips met and his posture stiffened, but then he quickly melted against me. My poor mate seemed starved for proper attention. Though he had all of mine in this moment, I couldn't help remembering that the shuttle pilot wouldn't leave until I said to.

Tapering off the kiss, I watched Ellis slowly blink his eyes open. He had no idea how much time I was going to spend just looking at him. My mate was beautiful, and I couldn't wait to view all of him.

"Sit down," I whispered, "and strap in."

He gulped, and I let him go as he nodded. I leaned into the doorway to the cockpit and spoke in Norlish, telling them, "Take us to the main landing bay and alert them to the fact that I'm bringing a guest."

"Yes, sir," the Lago pilot said. "Please take your seat."

I sat beside Ellis this time, since the warm scent of his arousal was being replaced entirely by the sourness of his anxiety. I didn't need to smell him to know he was nervous since he was also starting to sweat and breathe faster, his eyes wide and flicking all around the shuttle. Aiming to distract him, I took his hand in mine and tried to think of the most reassuring aspects of the shuttle's construction.

Ellis paused all over before he made me turn my hand over. He seemed to lose himself in tracing the fur between each of my finger pads and along the two lines cutting across my palm. It tickled and I couldn't stop the way my fingers flexed and claws came out. When he looked up at me with his bottom lip caught in his teeth, grinning at me, I wondered if he might want to spend a great deal of time looking me over as well. The minutes flew by as he silently explored nothing more than my hand.

The shuttle touched down in the landing bay with a thump, and Ellis jerked hard and snatched my hand to his chest like a lifeline.

"It's alright," I told him. "We're here."

"What? Here where?" He looked around frantically, but there wasn't much to see through the windows over our heads.

"We're on the ship. In the landing bay to be?—"

"Oh my fucking god!" he exclaimed as the ramp descended.

I chuckled at him and tried to undo his buckles with only one hand, the other still held hostage against his chest.

"I didn't even know ," he said. "Like I didn't feel anything . Shouldn't we have been weightless?"

"We were without gravity for three minutes."

"We were not ."

I chuckled at him. "Ellis, I need my other hand."

He gasped and let me go. "Sorry."

"It's fine." I finished unbuckling him, freed myself, and then I offered my hand back to him as I stood. "Come on."

The guard had already filed down the ramp, off to do whatever it was they did once they were done standing around near me and looking intimidating. Ellis took my hand and walked with me through the shuttle and to the ramp. The two people waiting for us had Ellis and me pausing before descending. Why was Prince Ye Lena and Captain Langarus waiting to greet us?

"A guest," I realized aloud and could've kicked myself. "I told the pilot crew to say I was bringing a guest."

Ellis's attention flicked back and forth between us and them. "Is something wrong?"

I squeezed his hand and smiled since it wasn't as though we needed to flee. Or that we could flee, really, since I was able to make a case that there was a need. "We should say hello," I told him and took him down the ramp.

The prince and captain had dressed for the occasion as well, probably assuming I'd brought someone of importance. Or someone important to more than just me. Though very different, the prince's robes and the captain's suit said that they expected a dignitary.

Before either of them could question me in English, I spoke in Norlish. "I apologize for the miscommunication, but he's my mate and doesn't know he is yet."

"Ah," the prince said and focused on Ellis. "Welcome to the Zaaqnall ."

"Yes. Welcome." The captain said it politely enough, but there was a squint to his eyes that said he was going to have words with me later.

"Oh. Um. Thank you." Ellis bobbed his head at them before looking up at me. His smile disappeared and he gulped.

Technically, I should wait for dismissal from both the prince of my home and the captain I served under. I looked to both of them, caught between protocol and wanting to end this embarrassment.

Prince Ye Lena chuckled quietly before turning and walking away. Captain Langarus rolled his eyes and also left us. At least they hadn't said anything to Ellis about the situation. I took their silent dismissal for what it was and led Ellis toward the main doors out of the landing bay.

I was less likely to see anyone I knew as we traversed these halls—my people were the ones moving about the ship in the maintenance passages within the walls. Going through the public corridors both allowed for anonymity as well as let Ellis see the beauty covering the chaos of my world. I thought he might appreciate that.

"Oh, my god," Ellis breathed and stopped to stare as we came to the first set of exterior windows. "This is amazing. So amazing ." He sounded reverent as he took in the view of Earth from above.

I smiled and fidgeted with the strap of my bag, pleased beyond words to give him this experience. "Had you ever considered space flight before now?"

"Considered it?" He shrugged before stepping closer to the window. "I mean, I knew some of what we were doing in America, but I never ever thought I'd someday be on a spaceship. I can't hardly believe I am right now."

I gave him a light pinch to his upper arm. He flinched and looked up at me with a frown. "You're awake," I said, "not dreaming."

Ellis chuckled and shook his head. "Still feels like dreaming," he whispered and side stepped so that he was standing directly in front of me.

I took that as a request and moved closer to him, not pressing against him but sharing the space. He immediately leaned back, resting on me. My heart thudded as I looped an arm around him. An arm he stroked from elbow to wrist, petting me over and over again. I buried my nose in the hair on top of his head and said, "Do you want to see more of the ship?"

He looked up at me and grinned. "Maybe later."

I took his hand again and led him toward my quarters while trying not to run.