28. Gravod

I had one last destination to show her on the ship. My quarters.

Adrenaline had been coursing through my body from the time I found Jess's apartment empty. Being near her helped me to breathe, to calm. But I was still recovering from the rage and fear that had nearly suffocated me when I thought Thylor had her, still angry he'd slipped through our fingers again.

Seeing her amazement over every little detail of the ship soothed me, even made me smile.

Now my thoughts shifted.

Her body called to mine. After everything that had happened tonight, I needed to strip her bare and make sure she was well. Then I needed to fuck her. Seal her, fill her with my seed, and mark her. Complete the bond.

But Jess seemed…subdued.

I closed the replay on the control room screen, then slipped my arm under her knees and picked her up off the floor, cradling her to me. She quietly leaned her head against my chest.

All the way through the ship, she didn't look up or say a word. Not until the door closed and I stood by my bed.

Unlike my house on Earth, this room still held a few of my material possessions from Vytaris. Memories. I lowered Jess to the floor, and she turned in a circle, taking it all in.

"Are these books?"

I smiled. Of course she would be drawn to my reading collection. It was small, only five volumes, taking up one of two shelves that were set into the wall.

"They are." I pulled out one of my favorites and flipped it open. "These are bound a lot like yours. Feel the paper."

She reached out a single, shaky finger to stroke over the page and gave a small gasp.

"It's so smooth."

I nodded and handed her the book. She turned it over in her hands, examining the colorful binding. My heart swelled to see her enthusiasm for something I valued.

"Vytaris is known for its fine paper exports, including books. The pages are made from a plant that only grows on our planet."

"Wow. What is this one about?"

The lump in my throat caught me by surprise. "It's a book of children's stories. One of my favorites growing up. A gift from my mother when I left Vytaris."

I could still picture her face when she gave it to me. Stoic, as always. But she couldn't hide the heartache in her eyes.

"It's beautiful." Jess had it open to a colorful illustration, depicting a Lydaxian hero fighting a beast. When her gaze went to mine, I wondered if she could see that my thoughts were caught inside a memory. "You love books."

It was a statement of fact, not a question. Because she knew me.

My voice was hushed. "Yes. We have that in common. I wish I'd been able to bring more."

Some strong emotion seemed to flicker in her eyes before she looked down at the book again.

"Your writing is so different from ours. You did a lot of homework before you came here, didn't you?"

"We studied for the entire journey. Around eight of your months."

She nodded and returned the book to the shelf, pulling out another and asking more questions. Her appreciation was obvious as she lingered over each one.

This was what was missing from my house by the bar. The personal things. Now that she was here, I wanted to show her all my treasures, to give her something tangible of myself to see and to touch.

But more than any of that, I wanted to touch her.

Jess put the last book back on the shelf, and I closed the distance between us, standing with my chest against her back as she faced the wall. I could feel her heat, hear the quickening of her breaths. It would be nothing to pull her onto the large, plush bed right next to us. My lithis swelled with sagar and my cock hardened, images of rutting her into the soft bedding filling my mind.

She leaned back against my chest, and I took the invitation. I brought my hands around her waist to undo her jeans, while my ta'laps pulled at the hem of her shirt.

"Wait," she said, her voice watery.

I stopped moving and bent my head.

"What's wrong?" She shivered as my breath brushed over her ear.

"I… Before we go too much further with our…relationship, I want to talk about long-term plans."

From my perspective, we were already as far into our relationship as it was possible to be without being bonded. It bothered me that she didn't feel the same, but I needed to be patient.

"Alright." I let go of her waist and backed away, and she turned to face me.

Her brows were pinched with worry, and my stomach fell.

"How would we live, Gravod? If we had children… Would they have to constantly hide what they are?"

The mention of children had my seal throbbing, and I stifled a groan at the thought of breeding her. She was giving me hope. If she was asking these questions, then she must be open to the idea. And she was right to be worried about the details.

"In all the matings we know of between Lydaxians and other species, Lydaxian traits are completely dominant in resulting offspring. Assuming it's the same with Lydaxians and humans, the child could learn to shift very early. For Lydaxian children, it's generally possible by six months of age. They would be able to stay shifted around humans easily then."

"So, what about during pregnancy and at birth, and for a few months after?"

"That's why it was essential that we bring a doctor. Ryoch is very skilled. We have contingency plans, and the local shifters can help. Everything will be fine."

I spoke in reassuring tones, but just like anything, having children wouldn't be free from risks. Coming here had been a risk. That was life.

Jess was shaking her head, and my anxiety spiked. Was she rejecting me? Rejecting our matehood?

"What if I don't want to take the chance of anything going wrong? What if we never have children?"

I let out a breath. She wasn't denying our connection.

"Not all couples have offspring. What's most important to me is your happiness. But if you want children, we can make it work."

Her shoulders loosened as she visibly relaxed. But then she looked down, avoiding my eyes.

"I should've known you'd have a plan figured out. It would be crazy to come all this way unless you did."

I lifted her chin with my finger and kissed away a tear that rolled down her cheek.

"I want you to always feel comfortable asking me anything. I won't lie to you. This is new, a mating between species that hasn't happened before. There are unknowns. But we feel prepared."

Jess gave me a small smile, then lifted on her toes and kissed me.

It started as something light, a kind of thank-you. But then she parted her soft lips. The atmosphere in the room changed, suddenly hotter, as her scent grew stronger, needy. She swept her tongue into my mouth while her hands skimmed down across my abs, headed lower, and I took over.

My movements were hurried. I needed to see her, feel her, make sure she was whole and uninjured. Her beautiful moans filled the air as I used my ta'laps and fingers to quickly undress her. She paused to unclasp her bra while I pulled off my shirt and pants.

I took a moment to appreciate her lovely breasts before scanning the rest of her. There was nothing, only a faint welt on her wrists where she'd been bound. It still made me growl to see it, and her nipples peaked in response.

She followed my gaze to her wrists.

"I told you, I'm fine. Please, Gravod. I need you."

She did. I could scent her arousal and knew she was soaked. We both groaned when my ta'laps circled her breasts, rubbing over her firm nipples.

"Anything you need."

The last thing separating us were her panties. One of my ta'laps tugged them down her legs, while another slipped between her slicked folds to burrow inside her cunt.

She cried out, then moaned as I kissed her hard, my lithis invading her mouth and throat. I held her around the waist with my arms, keeping her writhing body steady as I kneaded and pinched her breasts and nipples, thrusting a second ta'lap between her legs.

"Deeper. I need your cock. Please." Her words were panted on heaving breaths, between kisses that stuffed her mouth full.

"I love how you say please, sweet mate. But tonight, you'll come around my ta'laps." I coiled them inside her, adding pressure, moving them roughly in and out of her channel. She bucked in response, shifting her hips to take even more, and I pushed in deeper.

My instinct to mark her was too strong. I couldn't let myself seal to her. I knew that if I did, if I slammed against her womb and filled her with my seed, I wouldn't be able to hold back my bonding bite.

Tonight was about her pleasure. I wanted to see Jess shatter.

I felt her pussy clenching as she arched in my arms. Her entire body went rigid as her cunt slammed down around my ta'laps. They were coiled thick, far inside her, almost as far as my cock would be when I bred her. She screamed, her head thrown back, and I allowed myself to lower my teeth to her neck and scrape the delicate skin there.

Her reaction was explosive. A second orgasm gripped her, her legs shaking as she squeezed my ta'laps in an iron grip.

The last aftershock rippled through her, and she sagged against me. I sighed with bliss. Her satisfaction was mine. My ta'laps loosened, and she started to drop down.

I went to catch her, but she wasn't falling. As her knees hit the floor, Jess wrapped her hands around my shaft, pushing against my seal, and her mouth went to my crown. She licked the slit, making me shudder, before taking me to the back of her throat.

Sagarhad relaxed her jaw, allowing my cock to slide in deep.

My shout filled the room. I was already close from watching her climax. Her head bobbed as she slid up and down my shaft, and I tangled my fingers in her hair. But I didn't need to guide her. Her hot mouth and tongue surrounded me, and I was helpless to hold out even a minute longer.

I thrust my hips, and she took it all, swallowing my seed with a moan of pleasure as I groaned through my release.

She was still licking my cock when I scooped her up under her arms and lifted her against me.

"That was quick." Her grin was wicked, although her eyes were tired.

I chuckled. She shivered, her gaze once again filling with lust. But it was late.

"I'm taking you home, sweet mate. It's been a long day."