Chapter 13

Atlas

The journey home quickly grew increasingly uncomfortable. Where the trip to Keryth had been an enjoyable experience, savoring the feel of my female in my arms, the flight back turned out to be pure torture. Something happened during our experiments in the valley. It was as if drawing so much pure magic into me also awakened all my senses, making me hyper aware, and overly sensitive to every touch, every sound, and every scent.

From the moment I picked up Venus, a pleasant heat sparked low in my belly. As I flapped my wings, the spicy aroma of her skin mixed with the citrusy scent of her hair product fanned that spark into an open flame. The caress of her skin against my scales turned it into a raging inferno.

To my dismay, I felt my rod gradually stiffen as blood rushed to my nether region. I tried to silently will it to soften again. Sadly, the more I fought it, and the harder I became. At thirty-four, I'd obviously experienced arousal before. But it never hit me with such intensity. A dull throbbing spread throughout my pelvic area, and my abdominal muscles contracted spasmodically.

Every time Venus shifted in my arms, whether to get a better view of something in the landscape below, or to turn back to look at me, the friction between our bodies sent electric tendrils coursing through each of my nerve endings. I felt hot and cold at the same time. A primal part of me wanted to shift her position so that she would straddle me instead, bury myself deep inside her, and wrap my claspers around her thighs to keep her locked in place as I unleashed my passion on her.

Such unbridled thoughts both shamed and distressed me. By all accounts, I was going into heat, and every cell in my being wanted me to claim my mate. This shouldn't be happening so abruptly. When Prometheans found a potential mate—which first manifested itself by a specific physiological response—a hormonal awakening occurred over a period of days. If their personalities also proved compatible, that awakening would pursue its course, and both partners would go into heat. But if an emotional bond didn't form, the hormonal shift would stall and then die down, leading each partner to go their separate ways.

Normally, once we started noticing the signs within us, Achros and Monos would start drinking myrdin tea to quell any chances of our sexual awakening growing any further. In my case, it very timidly started manifesting itself on the second day of Venus's arrival. I should have drunk the tea right then and there. But as the symptoms had been quite feeble and easily controllable, I chose to delay for as long as possible, and maybe even indefinitely if I managed to keep myself in check.

Myrdin tea dulled the senses. While it didn't make you apathetic, it dampened your emotional responses to external stimuli. Considering how little time I had with Venus, I wanted to enjoy the full spectrum of emotions and sensations she awakened in me. I wanted to continue delighting in the warmth of her skin against mine, the softness of her touch, the way her sultry voice sent delicious shivers down my spine when she whispered my name in that affectionately teasing fashion she sometimes used.

Never in a million years would I have imagined I could go from basic to maximum awakening. The Sibris' halo was the only explanation I could think of.

But whatever the cause, the burning hunger within me had me on the verge of going feral. If not from the discipline acquired over the years of training for, serving in, and then leading the Black Guard, the gods only knew how I might have lost control and ravaged my mate.

The thought that I could become so mindless as to hurt a female—my own wife—and force myself on her without consent horrified me. In a way, it struck me so hard it actually helped me rein myself in.

My claspers—which partially hung on each side of my rod—were aching to fully extrude. I fought it at first. But as my shaft grew increasingly erect, I allowed them to extend to their maximum length, recurving them in front of my rod to flatten it against my pelvis. Simultaneously, I slightly lifted the position I held Venus sideways against my chest to make sure she wouldn't get poked by the tip of my length.

Whereas I slowed the journey to the valley, in part to savor holding my female a while longer, this time, I flew as fast as I could without causing too much wind discomfort for Venus. Despite that, the twelve-minute flight back home wrecked me. I felt dizzy, almost drunk by the time I landed in the garden.

Leodros—who had taken over the guard duty for the Prism in our absence—came out to greet us. I groaned inwardly. The last thing I needed was for one of my warriors to bear witness to my weakness. By the way his eyes widened when he approached us, Leodros perceived the change in my scent. It was heavier, laden with a musk meant to attract a female. His antennae flicked, tasting my scent to confirm his suspicions.

My scales darkened with embarrassment. Thankfully, Venus exchanging a few friendly pleasantries with Leodros took his attention away from me.

"If you have nothing to report that requires my immediate attention, I will hop in the shower," I said to him in a slightly gruff tone.

"Nothing, Razus," he replied.

"Excellent. You are relieved," I said, eager to go cool my blood.

Leodros nodded, smiled at Venus, then took flight.

"A shower sounds like a good idea," Venus replied. "I'll go take one as well."

I forced a smile on my face and willed myself to adopt a normal pace as I headed to my room. The whole time, I prayed the stiffness of my gait didn't reveal the discomfort in my groin that made me feel as if I was waddling.

I lingered under the shower for as long as was reasonably acceptable. To my dismay, the ice-cold water failed to douse the inferno raging in my loins. I was fully in heat. Release alone could lower the fever, but it would only be a temporary relief. The moment I found myself in Venus's presence again, my blood would boil with need.

The moment we hit puberty, our mentors taught us the theory of it all. The thought that people could be so weak to their physiological urges always struck me as amusing and as a sign of their lack of discipline and willpower. Now, my own reaction humbled me.

Still feeling on edge, I snuck out of my room, relieved to find Venus was still in hers. She was likely contacting her parents or forwarding the data she gathered to people better versed in that scientific field for analysis. I hurried to the kitchen and put some water to boil to prepare myself a large pot of myrdin tea. It saddened me beyond words that I would no longer enjoy the full range of emotions and sensations my mate stirred in me. But her safety superseded everything else. I couldn't bear her feeling scared in my presence because of a hormonal surge.

I was just starting to pour myself a cup when the discreet patter of Venus's step reached me from the hallway. Panicked, I put away one of the three jars containing the leaves the caterer had brought for me. Under different circumstances, it would have been deemed thoughtful. But in this instance, it had been his way to remind me that I was not a real husband to my mate and to remember my place.

"Something smells nice!" Venus said in a cheerful tone as she entered the kitchen. "Is that tea?" she asked, gesturing with her chin at it.

I nodded, feeling mightily uncomfortable.

"Sweet! Mind if I steal a cup?"

"No! That's not for you!" I instantly blurted out, my left hand pushing the pot further back onto the counter, away from her.

Venus stiffened and stared at me with a shocked expression.

"I'm sorry," I said, mortified. "I didn't mean to raise my voice. This is not regular tea. It is medicine."

Her instant worry should have warmed me to the bone that she should feel such concern for my welfare. Instead, it heightened the shame bubbling deep within.

"Medicine?! Are you sick? Was there radiation after all?"

"No, Venus. It's nothing like that," I said reassuringly.

"Then what is it? Why do you need medicine?" she insisted.

Another wave of panic swelled within me as my brain refused to cooperate and provide me with a convincing response to her question. I opened and closed my mouth, words failing me.

Venus narrowed her eyes at me, concern giving way to suspicion. "Atlas, what's going on? Why are you…?"

She froze, as if struck by a sudden realization. Her eyes flicked between the steaming cup and the full pot before slowly gliding back towards my face.

"Is it that tea? The one you said your people took to control their emotions?" she asked, her voice suddenly soft.

My scales darkened with shame. I shifted on my feet but caught myself right before my hand would start scratching my fur again.

"I'm sorry, Venus. I meant no disrespect. Please, do not fear me," I said, my voice taking on a pleading edge.

"I'm not afraid of you, Atlas. There's no reason for you to apologize," she said in a soothing yet assertive tone. "So I guess that means you're physically attracted to me?"

By the Lights, I wanted to hide my face and disappear from view.

"I'm sorry, Venus," I repeated, mortified beyond words. "I feel and want things that aren't meant for me, that I shouldn't covet. My mind knows better, but my body and my heart have a will of their own. You're so different, so beautiful, and so kind. In all my years, no one else's presence has felt as harmonious, appeasing, and right as yours. Being near you makes me happy."

The intensity with which she stared at me as I blurted out these words unnerved me. I couldn't tell what distressed me more between the fact that my words didn't seem to shock her as they should, or that she kept an unreadable expression as I spewed that inappropriate confession.

"But don't worry. I will not bother you with any unwanted advances. This will silence my aberrant behavior," I added quickly, showing her the cup filled with myrdin tea.

She frowned, showing her first sign of disapproval since figuring out the purpose of the tea.

"Your behavior is in no way aberrant," she said sternly. "There's nothing wrong with becoming attracted to someone you get along with. In fact, in our case, it's not only normal but expected."

I recoiled and gaped at her. "Normal and expected?!" I echoed in confusion.

She sighed and slowly nodded.

"Do you remember me asking you if Kayog told you anything after our union?" Venus asked.

I nodded, curious as to what that had to do with anything.

"You said no the previous time. Has that changed since?" she insisted. "Has he told you anything about you and me?"

"The only thing he told me in the Great Hall about you and me was that we were the best match. I have not spoken with him since that day. And in my few exchanges with Linsea, the only message from her mate was that I should learn to do the spa-related things for you instead of merely obtaining you a bot and products. Why do you ask? What do you think he should have told me about us?"

"We aren't the best match, but the perfect match," Venus said, her eyes flicking between mine with that same unnerving intensity.

"I don't understand what you're trying to say," I said, genuinely confused.

Venus heaved another sigh. She remained quiet for a couple of seconds before taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders the way one does when they have settled on a course of action and decided to go for it.

"Before leaving through the portal, Kayog told me that you and I are soulmates."

"WHAT?!" I exclaimed, taking an involuntary step back from shock.

Venus scrunched her face. "Jees! Don't look so horrified. There are worse fates than being my soulmate."

Another wave of shame crashed over me. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that, at all! It's just… I'm shocked."

She smiled. "Believe me, I was, too."

I silenced the part of me that wanted to latch on to this impossible revelation, to the folly that this wonderful female could be mine, that someone like me could be made for her.

"He must be mistaken. You and I are different species," I argued weakly.

Venus huffed and waved a dismissive hand. "So are my sister and Szaro."

"Right," I conceded, feeling a little stupid.

"You don't seem too thrilled at that prospect. My feelings are starting to get hurt," she said in a teasing fashion, although I could hear a sliver of unease in her voice.

"Oh no! Please do not interpret my reaction like that at all," I exclaimed sheepishly. "It's just that… good things don't really happen to people like me. Being chosen by you and receiving the Prism's blessing have already turned my world upside down. I keep waiting for all of this to come crashing down once you realize you've both made a terrible mistake. But instead of sending me away, you're telling me we're meant to be together."

The tender emotion that settled on her face moved me to the core.

"I get it. You haven't had an easy life, and this was certainly the last thing either of us expected. But Kayog is never wrong," she said in a sympathetic tone.

"So you believe it? You truly think we are soulmates?" I asked disbelievingly.

She nodded and held my gaze unwaveringly. "Yes, I do."

The wave of happiness that initially swelled within me quickly receded as I studied Venus's beautiful face. Although she seemed pleased to claim me as hers, there was also something akin to reluctance lurking in the depth of her obsidian eyes. Then another unpleasant thought wormed its way into my mind.

"You've known this for many days but only shared it with me now," I said pensively. "Does the fact that we are meant for each other upset you?"

My heart sank when she hesitated, and her face took on a troubled expression.

"No, it does not upset me. Initially, I didn't say anything because I needed to digest the news. But then, I realized I wanted you to start liking me naturally, not because I said you should. However, I cannot deny that things are complicated."

"Complicated how? I'm not what you wanted? Or do you feel obligated to like me because Kayog said so?"

The firmness and conviction with which she shook her head soothed the lancing pain I didn't even realize had been piercing my heart.

"No. Kayog's words didn't force me to like you, they only made it easier for me to accept it. I never would have imagined my perfect mate would be a mothman, but I genuinely like you. There's no doubt in my mind that, in time, I will fall head over heels in love with you. The problem isn't you, it's me."

"Why do I not like the sound of that?" I said, my stomach knotting.

Venus leaned her hip against the counter and ran a nervous hand through the tight curls of her hair. She glanced around the room before gesturing at it.

"The problem is this. I don't think I can live the rest of my life on this world. Everything here is too different. And I'm not even talking about the freaky bug mounts," she added with self-derision, as if to lighten the mood. "Promethean technology is way too far behind compared to what I'm used to."

"You could help us with this," I countered as if it was self-evident. "With your help, Kyrene and our other scientists could take our civilization into a far more advanced era in record time."

"And that's exactly why my presence here would be a problem," she said apologetically. "This is the perfect example of why the Prime Directive is so important. Your people must evolve on their own. Yes, with my technological knowledge and my connections, I could easily help boost your technology by five hundred years or more. But your society is not ready for it."

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"One of the greatest clashes faced by most societies deemed primitive is the conflict between science and religion," Venus explained. "Prometheans are facing it right now with people like your Senators and the Polychromatics in general deeming you sacrifices to appease the gods. And on the other side, you have those like Kyrene who believe that your gods have nothing to do with any of this as it is a scientifically explainable phenomenon."

"Exactly! And with your help, we can make that demonstration and save countless lives. Why is that a problem?" I argued, genuinely baffled.

"Because this belief has impacted your entire societal structure, your people's culture, politics, family unit, and everything else in between. Every revolutionary scientific discovery brings in major overhauls at many core levels of a society. Too many significant changes will spell disaster because the people aren't ready for it all. Revolutionary changes have to be introduced gradually so that the society can adapt and adjust before new things are brought in."

"If that is what you believe, then why did we go to Keryth today? Why are you gathering all that data and collaborating with Kyrene?" I challenged.

"Because I also believe that it wasn't a coincidence that Xarin found me and brought me here. Because I cannot sit by idly while another genocide is about to be committed," Venus said forcefully. "I'm treading very carefully. My goal is not to upend your culture and least of all to be your savior. I can help, but Prometheans have to save themselves. You have to want it for yourselves and take the steps to achieve it."

"That still doesn't explain what you're doing with this data," I insisted.

"I'm merely helping with the work your scientists are already doing. That first meeting with Kyrene was to assess just how far along they were in their understanding of the phenomenon. I genuinely believe she's on the right path, but your technology doesn't allow her to get the type of data and samples required to confirm her hypotheses. I can provide that, which is why I asked her for the list of things she needed. In some cases, I will toe the line by hinting at things she might want to investigate, but it still must come from all of you."

"I see," I said, my voice a little cooler than I intended it to be.

She smiled with an air that was both apologetic and commiserating. "You must think I'm cold and indifferent to your people's plight, but I promise you I'm not. My strong stance on respecting the Prime Directive is specifically because I want to see Prometheans achieve their golden era. It wasn't before year 2536 of Earth's calendar that humans finally became united as one people instead of discriminating against each other over ethnicity, gender, and religion. We'd been building towards it for centuries, but it took our first contact with aliens—what is now commonly referred to as off-worlders—for us to finally acknowledge that we are one people with slight differences."

"That's a very long time," I said grimly.

"It is. Prometheans have a loooong way to go. And I couldn't live here without wanting to change your people's culture and mentalities to be more in line with my own and current galactic standards," Venus said passionately.

"Would that really be a bad thing?" I asked.

"Yes, because it wouldn't be fair to any of you. Self-determination is vital. Your people should change because they believe it is the right path for themselves based on lived experiences, be they successes or failures. Then they'll embark on that journey and fight for it out of conviction, not because some stranger imposed their will on all of you."

My shoulders slumped. "I understand," I said, feeling crushed. "Well, you only have a couple of months to go before you can return to your own world."

A strange expression fleeted over her features. To my shock, Venus closed the short distance between us and carefully placed her hands on each side of my waist, as if bracing for the possibility I might balk at the unexpected contact.

"You're right. I do. And when the time comes, you could come with me," she said with a nervous and almost shy voice.

I gasped. "Come with you?! You want me to leave Sylvar?!"

She nodded, her eyes flicking between mine. "Yes. You could join me on my crazy adventures throughout the galaxy. I work with a lot of primitive species, sometimes in dangerous areas. I could use a protector. We worked well together earlier. But you could also do something different altogether. After seeing you train every day, I know the Enforcers wouldn't mind adding you to their ranks. The possibilities are infinite. There's no rush though," she added quickly when I just stood there gaping at her. "Like you said, there are still a few months to go before it's time for me to leave. You can take your time to think about it."

"You really want me to go with you," I whispered, my voice filled with shock and wonder.

"I do, Atlas. We barely know each other now, but I already can't bear the thought of parting from you. By the time everything is settled here, there's no question I will want to keep you forever. You're mine, Atlas. And I am yours. Whatever the future holds, we will face it together."

"You and me together," I whispered.

An emotion I couldn't describe tightened my throat while the most wondrous warmth spread through my chest. Time appeared to stand still as I drowned in the dark depth of my woman's eyes. I didn't recall moving or seeing Venus move. But the softness of her lips pressing against mine lit a fire in the pit of my stomach. The rabid hunger that had gradually abated during our intense conversation came back with a vengeance.

With a will of its own, my right hand settled on her nape, as if I feared she would move away. My other arm wrapped around her waist, drawing her body against mine. A powerful shiver coursed through me when she came willingly and pressed herself against me. The possessiveness of her embrace nearly undid me.

Even though I'd never kissed anyone before, I wasn't clueless as to what took place between a male and a female. To my shame, I had once again abused my privileged access to a limited section of the UPO's network in my capacity of Razus of the Black Guard to learn more about humans. Due to the Prime Directive, they made sure the content available to species such as mine was severely restricted.

Despite my burning curiosity, I hadn't gone so far as to consult their explicit content. I browsed medical sites to learn more about human anatomy. In theory, it was to be able to provide emergency assistance in case Venus got injured away from home where we kept her medical module. In practice, it had been to assess just how compatible we were, even though I never dreamt the day would come when she and I would ever be intimate.

To my pleasant surprise, Prometheans and humans shared many anatomical similarities, especially in the reproductive department. We had three main differences with human males. Their rod looked smooth and rather plain, devoid of our ridges alongside the length and stimulation nubs at the tip. Their seed sacs hung outside their bodies in an insanely vulnerable position. And they didn't possess claspers on their pelvic bones to help latch on to their mate during coupling.

Although not insignificant, those disparities wouldn't interfere with a harmonious joining between us. The question was whether they would turn her off.

But Venus's hands boldly roaming over me cast out my wandering thoughts rife with insecurities. A moan escaped me when her blunt nails gently scraped the thin scales lining the crease between the base of my wings and my back. She broke the kiss and brushed her lips along my jawline and down my neck. Another shiver coursed through me, and a dull throbbing pulsated between my thighs as I hardened again.

By the Lights! Everywhere her hands and lips touched my skin felt like an open flame leaving a burning trail in its path. I should stop her, tell her this was not only wrong but forbidden to the likes of me, but I wanted… no, I needed more. Throwing all caution to the wind, I surrendered to my own urges to explore the softness of her body. I didn't yet feel bold enough to slip my hands under the short skirt of her dress, but I let them roam freely over the thin fabric as I caressed her.

Venus's soft moan triggered another surge of lust directly in my nether region. She rubbed her face against my fur moments before the hot wetness of her tongue licked my left nipple. A strangled cry escaped me, and my rod jerked against the thick leather of my tarp. My mate's startled gasp made me realize I had picked her up. She wrapped her legs around my waist and reclaimed my mouth in a hungry kiss as I carried her to my room.