9. Jess

Alien.

Okay. Not something I'd considered. Although maybe more realistic than thinking he was a magical creature from another realm?

Sure. Alien. Realistic.

Or this was all some bizarre fever dream. But I doubted it. He smelled too good for this to be a dream.

We were still standing in my living room, and my legs started to give out. Gravod grasped my upper arm to steady me.

"Do you need to sit down?"

He looked so concerned. Was he worried about my reaction, or the fact that his secret was out? Maybe he was regretting telling me. I could tell that his confession hadn't been planned.

If this was real, it was the biggest news story that had ever happened. I pictured government agents in hazmat suits. Testing and experiments. The idea made me shudder.

"Sure. Let's sit. I have questions." So many. I didn't know where to start.

Gravod swallowed and nodded, walking me over to the couch. His hand dropped from my arm as he sat to face me, leaving about a foot of space between us. I had to fight a whimper at the loss of his touch, but the small distance also made me feel relieved. It was confusing.

For a minute, we just stared at each other. He held himself stiffly, preparing for whatever I was about to say. I felt a sudden, powerful urge to snuggle against him, comfort him and pat his muscular chest, but I held myself back. My upper body did lean toward him though, as if it was being pulled, while I struggled to ask him something, anything.

"Why are you here?" I finally blurted. Oh god, was it an alien invasion? "How many of you are there?"

"There are fourteen of us. We're Lydaxians, that's our species. We came because each of us tested as a potential mate for a human female."

Mate. I felt a thrill run through me at the word. It…fit.

Then my brain started working.

"What kind of test? Are more of you coming? What's your plan here?"

And why should I trust anything he was saying?

He held up a hand in a calming gesture. "I'll try to explain everything. But please be assured, we aren't here to harm anyone."

I wanted to believe him. Nothing about him seemed threatening so far, and compared to our conversation at the bar, it seemed like he was being honest and open. I took a breath and nodded for him to continue.

"The reason we're here is to find our mates. The Lydaxian population has a relative balance of males and females, with most mates finding each other easily enough on Vytaris. However, a small number of males are always left unmatched. In the last few years, our scientists have discovered that those males may be able to find mates among different species, off planet." He paused. "Lydaxians can only reproduce with their mate."

Oh.

Every time he said mate, I clenched my thighs. But then my heart started to race at what he was implying. "Are you planning to take human women back to your planet?"

I'd read some of those novels, and they were usually pretty dark.

"No." He shook his head. "We're staying here, and no other Lydaxians are coming. As I said, it's a small number who would…want to."

I huffed. He made it sound like Earth wasn't of interest to them outside this mate thing, which was kind of insulting, but also good news. None of it sounded like a full-scale invasion. More like a last resort.

If he was telling the truth.

And assuming he was, this was about…love? Sex? Marriage and babies? I was stuck on the mechanics.

"So, your biology is similar to ours? But you… You don't really look like a human, do you?"

Did they even have the same parts? Oh god, now I was imagining what an alien dick looked like.

"Lydaxians have the ability to camouflage. We can take the shape of any species. When we shift, it's complete, down to the internal organs."

I blinked. "That's quite an ability."

With lots of uses besides romance. Bad, dangerous uses. That got my mind out of the gutter for a second. Earth and the future of humanity might need me to focus a tad bit less on what was in Gravod's pants.

"It is." He winced. "We weren't always careful with how we used it. Our history is full of conquests, first of neighboring planets, then beyond, as our technology for space travel improved. Over time, our laws evolved. We formed alliances with other planets. Now we only shift in order to study unknown species, or to defend our interests."

Defend our interests. The way he said it, it sounded like a loophole.

They could hide in plain sight, blend in. That meant they were the perfect spies. They were spying on Earth, weren't they? There was something about Gravod that reminded me of guys I'd known who were in the military, so that fit.

Wait…

"You really are a captain, aren't you? Of a spaceship?"

"I was. But that life is over. I left it behind for a chance to find my mate."

"Oh."

Well. No pressure.

When I didn't say any more, he went on. "To answer your earlier question, our biology, and specifically our shifting ability, makes us…compatible…with other species. Lydaxians have paired with non-Lydaxians before. But mate matches with other species are rare."

Fuck. Compatible? Now I was thinking about his dick again. I shook myself.

"What makes it a match? What happens when you find your mate?" Is it me? I didn't ask. I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

Gravod eyed me up and down, his nostrils flaring. "It's a physical and spiritual connection. Arousal is instant. Mates respond to each other's scents. But they're also suited in other ways. In their hearts and minds."

My throat went totally dry. From the way he looked at me, I didn't need to ask whether he thought I was his match. And I could admit to myself that I did think there was a connection. I really liked him, a lot more than I should have after talking for just a few hours.

But then I thought about Kevin, how sure I'd been that he was the one.

"Do you ever make mistakes? Think the wrong person is your mate?"

"No. We move quickly because it's always correct. There are never any doubts." He added one last point, in case there was any question. "Mates also seem to be able to sense our true forms, even when we're shifted."

Oh god.I let out a long breath.

"And what is your true form?" I needed to hear it from him.

He frowned. "Probably not something you want to see."

Somehow, I doubted that. "You have horns?"

Gravod jerked back a little, then he nodded. His gaze turned heated. "What else can you sense?"

It was obvious what he was thinking. That it was confirmation. I was ticking the boxes for being his mate. He still hadn't come out and said it, though. Did I want him to? I honestly didn't know. Telling him what I could see felt objective enough, so I answered.

"Your skin is a deep red color." I reached toward his jaw but stopped short of touching him. "Your face is more angular, and your eyes shine silver. I thought maybe I saw a tail." I let my hand fall back to my lap.

Those silver eyes flashed. "It wasn't a tail."

I waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't say more. If anything, he looked embarrassed. Was it some private alien thing I wasn't supposed to talk about?

If it wasn't a tail, what the fuck was it?

"Listen," I sighed. "I appreciate that you've told me…what you've told me. But I'll let you in on an important fact about me. My last boyfriend wasn't truthful, and I learned from that. When you hold back information, it tells me I can't trust you."

"Kevin." He sat up taller, his gaze going murderous.

"You," I corrected, rolling my eyes. "I'm talking about you right now. Are you planning to show me what you really look like?"

I could see the gears turning as he stared at me, deciding on his answer.

"No. I should stay shifted. It would be for the best."

UGH. How bad could it be? Maybe really bad…

"But I am being truthful," he continued. "You're my mate, Jess. I already knew, from the minute you walked into the bar, but everything you've sensed proves it. We share a connection. You are the one my soul is meant for."

He said it. I couldn't help how my heart leapt.

Some part of me that was still raw after Kevin felt soothed. Was being someone's mate the same as being in love? It sounded so permanent, so complete. He made me feel wanted, that was certain. And it felt…right.

But it didn't make sense. Did it? I needed to be smart.

Aliens were on Earth, looking for mates. This one thought I was his. I still hadn't really seen him, but it might not matter so much that I didn't know what he actually looked like, as long as I believed everything else.

Did I?

I rubbed at my temples and took calming breaths. For now, I was going to ignore the mate thing. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to think straight.

"Okay. I need to go to sleep. This will all make sense in the morning." I stood, and so did Gravod. "Why don't you come by again tomorrow and we can talk more after I've had a chance to process everything."

"I'm staying here. You're my mate, and I want to be near you. I'll sleep in your bed and keep you safe."

Oh, damn. So wet.

His commanding tone, in that deep rumble, went straight to my core. My nipples hardened to peaks, and I had to stifle a moan.

Was it something about being called his mate, or did he have alien lust powers he was using on me? Fuck. Whatever he was doing, I was responding to it. Against my better judgment, I liked that he didn't ask if he could stay, he told me. I wanted him to tell me to get undressed and stroke his big alien cock.

Gravod sniffed the air, his eyes glowing, and I knew. He could smell that I was turned on. My cheeks heated, but if anything, it made me more wet.

Yeah, you make me hot. Do something about it. My arousal was like a silent dare hanging in the air between us, urging one of us to make the first move.

When neither of us did, I faced a choice. I didn't really want him to leave. He did make me feel safe, and I was too tired to question why.

"You could sleep on the couch."

"I could." He stared at me, waiting. Because he knew what I really wanted.

"Fine. You can sleep in my bed, but that's it." I had to force myself to say it and mean it. "I'll be under the sheet, you can be on top. Just sleep."

He nodded, his gaze still heating me from the inside.

As I brushed past him, I resisted the strong urge to reach out and feel just how muscular his arms were. I locked myself in the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face.

"Maybe this is all a dream." On impulse, I found a small, innocent hair on my upper lip, grabbed my tweezers, and plucked it. Ouch. Nope, not dreaming. I gave up and started getting ready for bed.

By the time I'd brushed my teeth and changed into my pjs, my libido had calmed a little. I slowly opened the door into my bedroom and paused, staring at my bed.

Gravod was already there, taking up more than half the space. He was turned onto his side, facing the door, watching me. And he'd taken off his shirt and pants, leaving only his boxers. I felt my cheeks flush and forced myself to look away from his gorgeous chest.

He made my bed look tiny. If he stretched out, a good portion of his legs would hang over the edge of the mattress. The thought made me smile as I met his eyes.

"Comfy?"

He practically purred, smiling back at me. "It's perfect."

That voice again. I swallowed.

"Just sleep, okay?"

"I'd like to hold you."

There went my nipples again. "Okay. Over the sheet. But that's it." I was reminding both of us.

No sex with the alien, Jess. I almost giggled. Sleep. I really needed sleep.

I climbed under the sheets while he stayed on top of them. As soon as I turned off the bedside lamp and laid my head down, his arm came around my waist and his huge body enveloped me. How was I ever going to fall asleep with him touching me?

Within three heavy blinks, I was drifting off. Surrounded by safety, with Gravod's musky scent lulling me into calm and quiet.

My last fuzzy thought was that he must have ropes with him, because I felt bands around my arms and chest, my thighs, my calves… Everywhere. Holding me close, protecting me.

Just my imagination. I let go and sank into unconsciousness.