CHAPTER 7

The female relaxed against him, but Nitiel was anything but relaxed. And not because the temperature regulator had malfunctioned, ruining what was supposed to be a comfortable and safe ride on his watch.

The soft strands of Loe's dark hair against his neck, her breasts rubbing against his chest at every breath, the heat of her pressed against his cock – his entire body was on fire. In the silence that engulfed them, interrupted only by the occasional beeps from the console, Nitiel could think of nothing but taking Loe. He was looking at the space view through the porthole, but all he was seeing was him driving his aching cock into her.

First, he would fist her soft hair and pull her head back to claim her lips. When she was flushed and breathless, Nitiel would kiss his way down her slender neck and the tempting valley between her breasts. Her delicate dress would tear like paper under his unsheathed claws, bearing those pale globes to his gaze and mouth.

Next, he would tease their hard peaks with his tongue until she was begging for him to take her. Only then would he sink into her wet heat, impaling her inch by inch on his rigid cock until he was balls deep into Loe. Then, hands on her luscious hips, he would move her up and down on his length–

No, she would ride him on her own, not letting him be in charge. The fiery female would take her pleasure from him, would take him as much as he was taking her. Equally matched, just like when they had argued the entire way here–

Matched.That one word got him out of his fantasy with the suddenness of a blade piercing his wing. Loe was matched – to Commander Siriniel! There was no taking her except in the sense of bringing her to her niel. There was no Loe taking Nitiel, because even if the ASI had not found the Terran her niel, she would not want Nitiel. The clan-less, the hybrid. The Subcommander who had to retire from active duty because the old injuries were catching up to him.

It didn't matter that she stirred passions inside him the likes of which he had never experienced before. That his contacts with ladies – though limited to conversations at social gatherings – had never interested him as much as his arguments with the Terran had. That no intimate stories by his fellow soldiers had ever caused the raging inferno in his loins that she had ignited twice already. He had to escort Loe–Lady Loe Davison to the Commander and forget about her.

Forget about the feel of her tucked under his wings, like the most precious of gifts to be protected. Forget about every delectable inch of her pressed against him. Her soft skin warm and pliant under his fingers. Her cunt hot against his straining cock–

"Coming?"

Nitiel nearly jumped in his seat. "Wh–What?"

"I asked if help is coming?" Loe said, her breath a puff of warm air against his shoulder.

"What help?"

"That ship in our vicinity you contacted for assistance?"

"Ah." He had completely forgotten about the Sangobar. "She's a patrol ship that can give us a warm ride when we're no further than a Terran hour from our destination. Although… I would prefer not to bother the patrol, now that you're warm–You're warm, correct?"

"Correct." There was humor in her tone. "I'm having a warm ride right now."

Nitiel's fingers flexed involuntarily around her hips. One word from Loe, and he would give her a proper ride. One that would have her writhing in ecstasy, the coldness and loneliness of space but a distant memory–

"Tell me about the space station."

"What?"

"Since it appears I'm not dying a popsicle and we have time to kill, I figured I should know more about the place we're headed to."

"Ah. Of course." A good topic to kill not just the time but also Nitiel's raging hard-on. "What would you like to know?"

She shrugged under his wings and resettled her head on his shoulder, this time with her face turned toward his. "Everything. All I know about the station is that it is close to Jupiter and that the Commander of your space army in the Solar System is there."

"Your fated mate, yes," Nitiel said, more as a reminder to himself than to Loe. "It is our second biggest military base in this system, after the one by the planet you Terrans call Venus."

"The Venus one I've heard of; they often speak of it on the news. ‘Earth's first line of defense against any scum coming through the Black Portal'," she said with a booming masculine voice that got a smile out of Nitiel. "Shouldn't the Commander reside there?"

"No, it's too dangerous. Commander Siriniel needs to be giving commands from a safer location. Our technology allows him to see any battle as it unfolds and to communicate his orders in real time."

"Wow."

"But you should not be worried about battles, Loe. The system has been calm for quite some time now. Even if an enemy force needs to be dealt with, that will happen far from your new home."

She scoffed, her breath tickling the side of his neck. "New home. Right."

"Yes. I believe you will like it. You'll have the company of other human females – the fated mates of soldiers stationed there. You'll enjoy the calm atmosphere of the Arboretum, a garden like no other on a space military base. You'll get to see the cibiris our injured soldiers use for flights while their wings are healing – I'm told females find these creatures cute. And, of course, with your fated mate there, you cannot but be happy–"

"Where will you be?"

"Me?" Nitiel's brows knitted in confusion.

"Yes. I mean, you'll be on Earth as the Commander's representative, but where exactly?"

Why was Loe asking this? Did she want to make sure their paths would never cross again? "I'm yet to be told my permanent place of residence," he explained. "It will be a central planetary location, since I will have to travel regularly for in-person meetings with Terran politicians and military command. To build trust. Once I take you to your fated mate, I am to gather my possessions and be ready to leave immediately for whichever coordinates I'm given."

"Immediately?" Loe wiggled backward in his lap. Stormy eyes met Nitiel's from a feather away. "What happened to personally declaring your mighty ASI glitchy? After my second meeting with the Commander fails?"

A rumble rose in Nitiel's throat. There she was again, making disrespectful, blasphemous claims.

"You are protesting?" She huffed. "You said you'll see this through. You more or less gave me your word, Subcommander. I just read about the Gaenthian code of honor: you can't go back on your word."

He narrowed his gaze at her.

She raised one fine, dark eyebrow at him.

"I did not give you my word. I said I would personally announce a mistake has been made."

"Yes. Personally."

"Personally, not in person. I can make such an announcement from any location in the Solar System."

Loe opened her mouth then closed it.

A smile tugged at the corners of Nitiel's lips.

A growl came from Loe, putting his rumble to shame. "We'll see who will be laughing when I return to Earth with the news that your ASI sucks."

He shook his head, smiling. "When you eventually return to Terra, it will be for a visit with Commander Siriniel by your side. Happily mated."

"Hah, guess again! One look at me, and he will know it too: we don't belong together."

"One look at you, Loe, and he will be smitten! Anyone would."

She sucked in a breath.

Nitiel's smile froze. "I–I meant to say–Anyone is smitten when they first see their fated mate."

"Sure," she mumbled, her eyes roaming across his face.

"Are you well, Loe? Your cheeks turned red?"

"Oh…" She cupped one cheek and a giggle escaped her. "Must be the cold. I better snuggle back against you."

"Yes!" Why did he sound so eager? Did he have a taste for self-torture?

Not that the little distance between them had improved the situation in his uniform, with that fiery argument of theirs. At this rate, he would be painfully hard until their arrival at the station in several hours.

Then again, it would be worth it. For once at the station, he would never again be alone in the company of the enigmatic Loe, let alone touching her. Never again would he experience the comforting feel of her nestled under his wings. The pride of her trusting him completely with her honor. The joy of seeing her flushed and smiling in his hold.

This time when she rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist, Nitiel wrapped his arms around her in turn.