by Celia Kyle
It wasn’t that she’d never daydreamed. It was quite the opposite. Sometimes, on a slow shift at the diner or while riding the public transport, her mind would detach itself from whatever repetitive, manual labor she was engaged in and simply drift, filling with adventurous aspirations.
To meet a Drokten face to face. Check.
To hold a conversation, however short or inconsequential, with one of the aliens who’d saved their planet. Check.
And her secret fantasy—pursuing a relationship with two blue aliens. Check?
And now she was blasting out into space to board the Drokten battleship? Well, that might as well have been a fairytale in the naïve mind of a child as far as Jenna was concerned.
She glanced furtively at the male sitting beside her and also at Sevith’s back—the male who was expertly piloting their shuttle. It was strange. Jenna now recognized their differing personalities. Hiren was the calm Bahn while Sevith was the passionate, fiery Azi. Hiren was the beta to Sevith’s alpha. She was learning to pick up on their emotions and maybe even affect how they felt, like she did back on Drokten Main.
That was pretty amazing. They’d told her again and again that she was their future Oso and therefore part of their triad. The link between the three of them just seemed to continue to grow…even though she wasn’t Drokten.
How could a human even become part of a Drokten triad? She was human, with an entirely different physiology, yet her brain was able to bond with theirs? Weird.
Maybe her mind was naturally open to this type of bond? She’d gotten good, through her work, at learning how to read people’s body language and listen carefully to what they had to say and the tone of their voices. This helped her to source a threat and neutralize it as well as figure out a customer’s needs. She’d started to feel that she was pretty good at it. But this link she had with these two males went far beyond the usual level of empathy Jenna felt for her fellow human being.
She sensed the Drokten’s emotions as though she had partial ownership of them. As though the same feelings that rattled through their large, alien bodies rolled in her veins, too. It was intoxicating, frightening, and awe-inspiring all at the same time. She didn’t want the sensation to stop, but she was also afraid of what it might mean to her—to them—if she took their relationship to the next level and completed their bond.
After all, she was still on edge—a weird mix of happy to be here, yet still scared out of her mind for Noah and Bea’s safety. They could be taken from her at any moment if she didn’t comply with the secretary’s demands. Mr. Espinosa had told her in the conference room, just before Sevith barreled in, that her first intelligence check-in date was a week from now. In one week, she’ be expected turn over classified Drokten secrets, and Espinosa said they’d better be valuable, or else.
Or else.
“Look,” Hiren pointed as the shuttle tilted to offer a panoramic view of the planet they were departing.
“Oh wow.” Jenna stared out the rounded window. They’d reached the utter blackness of space and now the planet curved underneath—a majestic swath of blue, green and brown with luminous clouds streaking across the globe. “It’s beautiful,” she breathed. This was her first time shooting off into space, and though on some academic level she knew what to expect, there was no preparing for the physical sensation of leaving Earth behind and seeing it for the first time from this vantage point.
“Wait until you see the Avash,” Hiren replied with a faint smile teasing his blue lips.
“I can’t believe this is really happening,” Jenna sighed and shook her head.
“Believe it,” Hiren rasped shortly.
The three of them sat in relatively comfortable silence. Sevith worked the controls up front and Hiren pulled out a tablet and tapped on the screen.
Jenna was riveted by the scene unfolding outside the window. She was afraid to even blink for fear she’d miss something vital—the distant glow and pulse of faraway planets, the blaze of stars, scattered large and small across the inky black face of the sky, and the gentle whir of the transport along with the pure, unnerving silence of space. All of it astounded her. All of it captivated her.
An enormous, dark grey object appeared. It grew larger and larger. Her jaw dropped. “Is that…”
Hiren lowered his screen and looked up. “Yes,” he answered with pride.
The battleship was shockingly huge and predatory. Their shuttle was only a speck compared to the enormity of the deadly spaceship they were approaching. The Drokten were badass warriors and their warships were legendary. Apparently the Drokten were the beings you called when you needed an ally.
Sevith chatted over the comm with the crew on the ship, navigating their decent.
And then it really hit her. Sevith was the commander of this? This battle-tested ship and all the Drokten warriors within? And Hiren was their highest-level ambassador, the warrior in charge of communicating with the humans. And these two wanted her as their Oso? Out of all the amazingly talented and beautiful women on Earth, they’d decided they liked her? A girl who hadn’t even finished high school before the world started blowing up.
What did they see in her?
Sevith piloted them into an open hold and powered down the shuttle. Finally, her restraints were lifted, and they exited.
She bit her lip. Butterflies swirled in her belly as their group stomped down the ramp. Only a small percentage of humanity had ever boarded the Avash. Mainly dignitaries and military officers. Rarely a normal person.
Sevith grabbed her hand and they walked together onto the ship. She lifted her chin, trying her best to be brave about the fact that she was the only human on this ship, and she was about to meet so many new Drokten.
I can do this.
Sevith and Hiren took her on a long, complex tour of the Avash. They didn’t even go to their quarters first, like she’d expected. They instead showed her all different parts of the battleship, from the dining hall and the crew quarters to the massive gallery and the command deck where top-secret deals were brokered behind closed doors. Jenna was in a pure state of amazement the whole time, her eyes wide as she tried to take it all in. After an hour of wandering and gawking at everything, they took her to the bridge, where she was stunned by a panoramic view of the solar system burning in the distance. Tears of awe pricked at her eyes, the sight so overwhelmingly beautiful that it almost brought her to her knees.
“That’s what home looks like from far away,” she murmured to herself.
Sevith settled one of his large hands on her shoulder. “Yes, but you must remember that there is a wealth of exploration to be done beyond the confines of this system. There is always more to discover,” he explained in a soft voice.
Hiren, on Jenna’s opposite side, took her hand and gave it a light squeeze to get her attention. “Come, we will introduce you to some of the crew.”
Jenna eagerly allowed herself to be introduced to several Drokten officers who served on the bridge of the Avash, those who were tasked with navigation and atmospheric pressurizing. She noted, after a few introductions, that all of them seemed to be split into pairs or groups of three at their respective posts. And two different gorgeous blue-skinned women worked intently at their stations.
“There are females here?” she whispered. She’d never seen a female Drokten before. “I’m surprised,” she continued. “I thought there were so few of your females left that they remained behind on your home world because you didn’t want to expose them to risk.”
“It’s true that most females remain on our home world,” Hiren answered. “But some are here with the fleet. Mainly only unmated Azi and Bahn pairs are on the surface of Earth, though, because they’re trying to find their own Osos possibly within the humans. But having our bonded pairs and triads on our battleships and in war with us is effective because our mind links make communication efficient.”
Jenna’s chest tightened and her mouth suddenly felt very dry. “Wait,” she said s
lowly. “Does that mean you two can read my mind right now?” Had something changed, maybe because they were now aboard the ship? Oh, hell.
“No, we cannot clearly read your thoughts until we are fully bonded.” Sevith replied. “Right now, we can only pick up emotions and feelings. I was able to send you a few linked messages during the initial rush of our pheromones, when we were forming our initial triad link, but that has faded with time. When we become a true triad, the three of us will become a circular link and we will be able to share not only our feelings but conversation as well.”
“Oh.” She blew out a breath, grateful for the reprieve.
Sevith and Hiren both gave Jenna pointed looks and she knew what they were thinking, even though she couldn’t truly yet read their minds. They planned to correct the bonding issue as soon as possible. It was clear they wanted to drag her off to their quarters, get her naked, and complete the bond to become an official triad.
Immediately.
The back of her neck heated. Thank god she hadn’t yet allowed them to take their relationship any further than the kiss they’d shared earlier. If they’d had sex and were bonded now, they’d already be able to see the betrayal brewing in her mind, the inevitable flip she would pull if she wanted to protect her family from Secretary Wells and his political agenda.
If Hiren and Sevith could read her mind, they would hate what they found there. They would hate her planet. Her people. And worst of all, they might hate her, too.
Fourteen
Pride glowed bright in Sevith’s chest when he’d escorted his Oso around the Avash, showing her the lead battleship at his command and the might of the Drokten empire.
His species had recently conquered the Zignill, the Ratels and the Pycreans. But there were always more enemies to vanquish, more harsh beings who wanted nothing more than to ravage and decimate whole planets for their own gain.
He glanced up at the motto engraved on the wall near intake. We protect ourselves when we protect others. It was the Drokten way.
Sevith was proud of the work they’d done for the humans. Decimating the Zignills was a win-win. They’d helped this primitive species avoid extinction while also cornering and vanquishing one of their historical enemies. A century ago the Zignill had tried to capture the Drokten home world. It was the greatest mistake that species had ever made.
And then his warriors had discovered, by accident, that human females could become Osos, and these females could also breed with Drokten. They didn’t birth pure Drokten, but instead half-human, half-Drokten hybrids. But the main council agreed this was acceptable. Including human genetics into their pure Drokten genome in order to continue their species was a price they were willing to pay in order to continue the species. The new law was clear. Basically, any species the Drokten encountered in their travels that was able to fully bond into a triad was acceptable to breed. No special dispensation was required. This was an emergency situation, and the future of their species depended upon them all eventually finding their Osos from without as well as within their species.
The Drokten had had to accept the fact that their home world was now going to include a variety of new species living with them, working with them and bearing their offspring. Not only were the Drokten the saviors of other species, but they now relied upon these other species to help them in return by keeping them from eventual extinction. After all, now just thirty percent of the prior total of females remained alive on Drokt, and an even smaller amount of these females were of age and unmated. Neither Hiren, or Sevith had any living female relatives. Both of their mothers had been taken during the great pandemic when they were children.
The idea of showing a human female around the Drokten battleship was one that had crossed his mind on more than one occasion, but it had only recently occurred to him that it would be a reality. He was certain that Jenna had never encountered the sights and sounds she was confronting aboard the Avash, and watching her process all the new information was delightful. Sevith could sense it on her like fragrant perfume, and it animated her every movement, even though she was far out of her comfort zone.
He was proud of his ship as well as his Oso. He knew his species was intimidating. They were famed warriors, after all. Jenna was very brave, as well as polite, while meeting his crew. This reminded him again of why she was so right for him and his Bahn.
He eyed her from head to toe, his cock thickening within his pants. There was a secondary reason, beyond her hard work, her loyalty to her family, her honor and her kindness, why this female was so right for them. Her scent, her touch, the sound of her voice, the curve of her hips and the weight of her teats—all enflamed him with a rush of mating pheromones that had him ever-ready to breed. How much longer would they have to wait to consummate their union?
We will wait until she’s ready. Hiren whispered across their link.
A low growl escaped Sevith’s throat. His claws itched to touch his Oso and wrap her naked legs around his waist. The wait to have his tongue back in her mouth and his shaft pounding inside of her was interminable.
Stop imagining her naked body, his Bahn boldly ordered. Do not make this wait more difficult than it needs to be.
Sevith grinned. Hiren was on the edge too.
They were now on the bridge, and Sevith made his way to the ship’s helm, where the commander’s console stood elevated above the rest of the officers’ stations. “I will sift through messages while we have a moment here and make sure nothing is urgent.”
“I suppose I should do the same,” Hiren responded with a sigh before smiling down at Jenna.
“Oh, I wouldn’t mind letting you two work while I take a look around the bridge on my own, if that’s okay,” their Oso responded. “Is there anywhere I shouldn’t be?”
“You are free to go wherever you please.” Sevith gestured. A few of the other officers met his gaze and gave him an understanding nod, which pleased him greatly. He wanted the crew to acknowledge and respect her status as their Oso just as much as he expected them to follow his word as their commander.
Jenna walked away and Hiren went to his own station.
Sevith scrolled through his messages quickly, checking over each one and ensuring it wasn’t a matter of emergency before moving onto the next. He didn’t want to delay his time with Jenna more than necessary, but he couldn’t neglect his duties as the commander of the Drokten fleet stationed at Earth.
His gaze flitted up and down between his console and Jenna. It was difficult to concentrate while in the midst of a rush of pre-Oso mating pheromones. It filled his mind and body and caused him to obsess. His eyes followed the sway of her hips as her legs carried her from station to station, and all he could think about was lifting her into his arms and carrying her back to their quarters.
Getting tasks accomplished with Jenna around is going to be a challenge, Hiren pointed out, sounding amused.
A true warrior welcomes a challenge, Sevith replied with a secret smile.
They say those instincts settle down somewhat after we’re properly mated and formed our triad, Hiren said thoughtfully. I wonder if that will still be the case with a human Oso?
Imagine if it isn’t? Sevith questioned, his heart pounding a little faster and his smile growing as he watched Jenna pause for a moment to stare down at Earth from the starboard window, fidgeting with a strand of hair. We’d fill her with our seed and keep her belly swollen with our offspring often enough to have an entire fleet to ourselves.
Don’t tempt me, Hiren replied, and Sevith glanced over and saw his Bahn grinning out of the corner of his eye before stealing his own glance at Jenna. And don’t tempt her, either. We don’t yet know how a human will deal with two Drokten.
You’ve smelled the desire on her. Haven’t you? Sevith questioned while tapping on a screen.
I have, Hiren answered with a hungry undertone that resonated with Sevith. But she is small and frail, quite unlike our own females.
But tall for a human, Sev
ith answered. I think she is sturdy enough to handle our lust.
We’ll have to see, Hiren mused. I do not want to hurt her. Then his Bahn walked over from his own station to stand nearby and he said out loud. “Anything interesting in your messages?”
“Zignill sightings in the usual regions,” Sevith said disinterestedly, looking back down at his screen. “A few promotions to approve, two cases of disciplinary action that are already taken care of. More notes from our scientific teams on Earth’s dirty atmosphere. You?”
“The same, more or less…” Hiren started, but he trailed off. Sevith glanced over at his Bahn and saw that he was staring at their Oso again. Sevith followed his gaze to see Jenna was on the move. And apparently, Hiren found her a lot more interesting than the work he’d been trying to get Sevith to focus on.
Jenna was now peering over the shoulder of an officer in the middle of reviewing reports on soil samples from the planet’s surface. The male glanced over his shoulder at Jenna, who tore her eyes away from his screen to grin sheepishly up at him and give a quick hello before moving to the next station. The officers were perplexed but polite and let her examine their work and ask questions.
I feel your jealousy, Hiren remarked.
Heh. She is acting very…friendly, Sevith replied tersely.
She will be an excellent presence on the ship, then, Hiren assured him. Do not forget, humans seem to be more welcoming and sociable than Drokten. I would not read into her actions as anything more than good-natured friendliness.
Sevith grumbled and shifted in his seat, watching her chat with another pair of still-unmated male communications officers at the far end of the bridge. They were too far away to hear directly, but their smiles made Sevith as curious as he was restless. Those two officers happened to be some of the finest the fleet had ever seen. They wouldn’t be serving aboard his ship otherwise. That also made them very desirable mates, however, and he didn’t like his Oso spending too much time around them prior to the confirmation of their triad bond. He’d yet to claim his female and it had him on edge.
