22. Sloane

twenty-two

Sloane

" I 've finally heard back from the Intergalactic Alliance," Alik says as he enters the kitchen.

Jovi has me perched in his lap, and Essa is busy fiddling with the food synthesizer to get me to try yet another delicacy from her planet. I'm starting to wonder if she doesn't miss her home more than she lets on, considering she wants me to know everything about it and talks about visiting it constantly. If I didn't know what waited for her, if she did return, I'd be pushing us to visit instead of camping out in the middle of nowhere, waiting for the Intergalactic Alliance to tell us what to do next.

"It's about time," Essa spins around. Her ponytail flies around when she turns too quickly. She smooths the hair back down and then turns a discerning gaze on Alik. "What did they say? I enjoy having more females on the crew, but Avery needs medical help I can't provide on this ship."

For the last week, we've been suspended in a sea of darkness while we waited for Alik's contact at the Intergalactic Alliance Sentient Smuggling Department to reach back out to us. This entire mission was to recapture Avery and steal the data from the smuggler's ship when we did. After we finished that part we were supposed to head back to Earth, but we were told to wait.

As much as I would love to be one of the ones to take down a whole huge smuggling operation, we're just one piece of a bigger effort. So, we did our job, got the data to the Intergalactic Alliance, and now need to know where to take Avery.

They accepted the data the same day Alik sent it over to them via a comm link. After they received their data, they told us to hang tight because there were some interoffice issues about what to do with Avery. She's not the first human to be smuggled off Earth, and there's a whole department looking into the disappearances.

The two departments are struggling to decide who's taking point on Avery's case and whether Avery is safer on Earth or on another planet. If it's another planet, they need to secure her identification papers, which is hard to do since she's only offered her first name.

Right now, our crew has been hired to keep her safe and hidden. They've told me it's not the first time they've been told to take an asset out into the middle of space and wait for the Intergalactic Alliance to call them back. It's the first time they've been told they can go wherever they want with her so long as she remains safe, though. We're hoping that the Intergalactic Alliance will allow us back on Earth at some point so she can get the help she needs.

Alik comes to stand next to Jovi and, without even asking or saying anything, grabs me around my waist, pulls me into his arms, and settles in a different seat with me on his lap. I let out a long giggle. I'm not surprised at all that he wants my attention as soon as he's near me. I'm even less surprised that Jovi just lets me go. He shakes his head with a smile on his lips but then leans back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest.

Alik doesn't react like he's done anything at all. Just gets himself comfortable underneath me before telling us what the next part of our mission is.

"Good news and bad news," Alik says, his hands tensing on my hips as he says it. "What do you want first?"

"Bad news first," Essa grumbles. "Best to get it over with. Should Holoth and Phial be here for it?"

"I told them before I came in here. We'll need Sloane to tell Avery as soon as Phial tells us whether or not she's willing to have visitors."

I chew on my lips, remembering how I barely said anything to Avery the one time she allowed me in Phial's room. Phial told me I shouldn't take it personally since Avery's still getting used to feeling safe on the ship, and it's hard for her when she's still wearing the torture implements that the other aliens put on her. Not to mention the fact that her entire biological DNA was altered, and she's still getting used to that.

Holoth's been on edge constantly since Avery joined the crew, and he tells us it's because her hormones are interacting with his. If the Intergalactic Alliance doesn't get back to us soon, he's going to have to be dropped off on another planet to be put into a coma since he's pretty sure he has a rut coming on. As far as we can all tell, Avery isn't affected by him. Which is good because we aren't sure what to do with her if she goes into heat.

"Okay, bad news then," I say, running my fingers over Alik's arms, which are still wrapped around my waist. He's holding me close to him like he never wants to let me go. If he had his way, he'd always be touching me.

Alik lets out a long sigh and then rubs the back of his head with one of his hands. "The Intergalactic Alliance isn't looking to cause interplanetary conflict by aiding in helping Avery get the help she needs on Earth. There's a conflict within the departments on who gets to lead, and the Earth system isn't willing to offer her aid without being the lead. "

"Excuse me?" I say right as Essa says, "What does that even mean?"

"I don't have all the answers since it seems to be something happening even levels above our contact. All I know is that Avery can't return to Earth, and no other planet can be forced to aid her under orders from the Intergalactic Alliance. We can ask for another planet to aid us, but they can't be forced."

"She'll be asked to join either a mating or wedding ceremony on any planet that will take her, Alik." Essa's voice has taken a hard edge to it, harder than any I've ever heard from her.

Alik doesn't seem worried about Essa's anger, though. Probably because we all know the person or people Essa is mad at are so far away from us right now, we'd have to hyperjump three times to get to them. Not to mention the multitude of security the Intergalactic Alliance has for its space station. We'd be dead before we even made it into their gravitational pull.

"We're not going to force her into a mating ceremony," Alik says. "I've contacted the Varon planetary council to see if there's any way we could have her seen by doctors planet side. I'm still waiting to hear back, but if they say she needs to take a pair of males for a few months, we'll decline. I'll keep asking other planets until we find one that won't make her participate in their ceremonies, okay?"

Essa's hand is still tight around the hilt of her dagger, but she relaxes it slightly, giving Alik a stiff nod. "We can go back to Haven III. They'll help her even if for just the reason of me telling them to."

"And when you do that, they're going to force you into a marriage," Jovi says, leaning his upper arms on the table and shaking his head. "No one is getting married or mated on this ship unless they want it."

"I'd do it if there was no other option," Essa snaps. Her canines extend until they sink into her lower lip as she snarls at the three of us at the kitchen table. She's not mad at us. She's mad at the whole situation. Still, Essa is scary when she's mad.

"There are hundreds of planets we can reach out to," Alik says.

"And that's just the ones in the Intergalactic Alliance," Jovi adds. "We can reach out to ones not in the Alliance if we need to. Worst case, some corrupt government official will want us to make a run for him. Then we'll be space pirates." Jovi smiles even brighter when he gets a groan from Alik.

"We are not space pirates." I can hear the frown in Alik's words and notice how their usual banter is helping to ease more of Essa's worries. Jovi opens his mouth to say something else, but Alik cuts him off. "Do you want the good news?"

"I cannot see it being good enough to make up for the bad news," Essa grumbles, leaning her hip against the counter.

She doesn't turn away or make an attempt to leave, though, which is all the confirmation Alik needs to know that Essa's just as interested in the good news as she is in the bad. She might be grumpy right now, but she's never in a bad mood for long. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen her upset for more than a few minutes at a time.

"The good news is that we heard from the pleasure crew company, and Jovi and I are officially blacklisted for biting a pleasure crew member," Alik says like he's proud of it.

Knowing him, he's probably ecstatic that it's now in writing in a permanent folder somewhere that he bit me and claimed me as his. The thought of it has a blush racing up my face and staining my cheeks pink.

"Sloane has been released from her contract, all of her pay has already been sent to her account, and there's just one final step I need to take in order to make her part of our permanent crew."

Essa scoffs, causing Alik to pause what he's saying and level a glare at her. She waves it away with a flick of her wrist, her tail flicking as well, as though to make it more dramatic.

"You haven't already made her permanent crew? How am I to believe she went into this mating willingly when you make stupid decisions? The stupidest being not making her permanent crew before sinking your teeth into her."

"Wait." I turn in Alik's lap to look up at him. I give him the biggest puppy dog eyes I can and pout out my lower lip. "I'm not already permanent crew?"

"Yeah, Alik," Jovi adds, as though he isn't also aware that neither of them asked me to be permanent crew. I can see the smirk in his eyes as he tries to keep himself from laughing. "Why isn't she already permanent crew? It was rude of you to make us both bite her before offering her that."

"Yeah!" I add, just to make sure Alik is really getting the point that it's now three against one.

"Calm down," Alik snaps at us all, his arms wrapping tighter around me. His eyes find mine, a look of worry in them. He covers it when he sees the smile on my lips. One of his upper hands grabs my chin and holds it tight so I can't look away from him. "Did you think there was any chance of you getting away from us?"

My cheeks flush an even deeper shade at the sincerity in his question. Well, the sincerity and the bulge that I can now feel pressing against my backside. It would only take me moving a fraction of an inch to take his lips in mine. It takes everything in me to move my eyes from the fullness of his bottom lip up to his three eyes, staring at me and begging me to know that he has always, will always, think of me.

"Of course not," I manage to say past the lump in my throat, then with the smallest smile, I add, "Even if you tried to get rid of me, I wouldn't let you."

A deep growl rumbles through Alik's chest and icy coldness flitters in his gaze for a moment before he gives me one soft nod and turns his attention to the male on the other side of the table. "We need a majority vote to add her to the permanent crew."

"Oh, that?" Essa asks, her tail twitching side to side in amusement as she tries to hide her smile. I don't hide mine, knowing exactly what she's going to tell them. The secret we've kept from them for weeks now. "There's no need for that. Phial, Holoth, and I already took care of it."

"Did no one tell you two?" I ask, batting my eyelashes up at Alik.

"I think I need you to say it out loud, mate," Alik says, his words coming out rough as he tries to suppress the growl still rumbling in his chest. Jovi is fully leaning over the table now, one of his hands wrapping in mine. He tries—and succeeds—to pull my attention off Alik.

"How long have you been permanent crew?" Jovi asks, his gaze turning icy. Alik's growl only grows in volume, and I know we have maybe a couple of minutes before these two go full caveman and take me back to bed.

"You two were never going to get rid of me." I try to keep my voice even, but the tightness of emotion threatens to spill out now that I'm finally admitting that I was going to stay with them long before they even told me they wanted me. "I've been permanent crew for almost three weeks."

"Good fucking mate," Alik growls low in my ear before getting up from the table and throwing me over his shoulder. "Seems the three of us never wanted to be separated, did we?"

"Never," I giggle as he stomps out of the kitchen, ignoring Essa's jab at him being possessive and desperate. I lift my upper half up, noticing Jovi is hot on Alik's heel as he marches through the hall to our bedroom. "Did you two really think I was ever going to let you get rid of me?"

"You don't have markings like us, Sloane," Jovi says, hands wrapping over his wrists and rubbing the dark bands. "You don't have anything that ties you to us other than your want. We have no way to know how strong that want is."

"Want me to show you how strong my want is?" I wiggle my brows at him and am rewarded with the sharp bark of laughter from both of them.

"Every day, Sloane," Alik answers.

The swoosh of our bedroom door is the only warning I get before I'm thrown onto Alik's bed. My legs spread open. Alik is quick to take up the space between them.

"Every day, you're going to show us just how badly you want us, and we'll do the same for you." His lips find mine, taking all of my breath and claiming me all to himself. "We'll tell you in kisses." He moves his fingers under the hem of my shirt and pulls it off of me. "We'll show you in touches."

"Don't forget words," Jovi says, lying on the bed next to me, resting on his side so he can watch as Alik fucks me. "I want to tell you every single day how much I need you in my life. How I need to hear your laugh and see your smile." His eyes flicker down to where Alik is tweaking my nipples, making me release a throaty moan. "I can also tell you how desperate I am when you make sounds like that."

I open my mouth to tell them I want to do the same for them. I want to tell them how much they mean to me, show them in touches and actions, and make them feel all the want I have for them. My words don't seem to find me as Alik continues to work my body in the best way possible.

They both watch me, adoration in their icy stares, an understanding between the three of us we're in this for the long haul. Each of us is just as needy, desperate, and eager in this relationship as the others.

"You're never getting away from us, Sloane," Alik growls into my ear as pleasure begins to consume me. "All of your moments, the good, bad, hard, and happy, we'll be there, and we'll be with you."

"Always?" The question is a plea that's barely audible over the rush of blood in my ears and the ringing of pleasure in my muscles.

"Always," Both males say it with such devotion that I have no choice but to believe them.