by Olivia Black
Talr patted the back of Bryson’s hand before pulling back. “You should finish eating. I don’t want your dinner to get cold.”
Bryson picked up the utensil and started eating, finishing his meal. Talr did the same. The male was silent as he ate. When he was finished, Talr stood up and put his plate in the sink.
“Why didn’t you tell me this morning that you were going to be my fourteenth prospective mate?”
“I didn’t know this morning.”
“What do you mean?”
“I asked the placement officer to bring you here.”
Bryson’s brows furrowed. That was a surprise. Talr had requested him. Bryson wasn’t sure if he should be flattered or not. Secretly, he was pleased that the male was interested in him. How much power did Talr have within the Sweshian community? He’d asked Paed to bring Bryson to his home and the placement officer had.
Bryson’s interest was piqued. “Why?”
Talr leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. He ducked his head, breaking eye contact. Just from the male’s body language, Bryson knew that the male didn’t want to answer his question.
“So…” Bryson cleared his throat, trying to think of a way to change the subject. If Talr didn’t want to talk about it, Bryson wasn’t going to push for answers. “What do you have planned for tomorrow?”
Talr glanced up and smiled. “I’m taking you to work with me.”
Bryson sat up straight. “Really?”
“It’s time for you to learn a trade. I think you’re the type of human who would enjoy working outside of the home. I can teach you how to be a medic, if you’re interested.”
Bryson couldn’t help the smile that twisted his lips. He felt lighter for the first time in a really long time. Bryson couldn’t believe that Talr was willing to train him. The male was giving Bryson a taste at a real future. Learning a trade on Sweshan meant that Bryson wouldn’t have to depend on anyone.
“We start early,” Talr told him. “I’ll see you in the morning. Sleep well, Bryson.”
“Good night,” Bryson said.
The male pushed himself off the counter and left without another word. Bryson glanced over his shoulder and watched as Talr walked down the hallway and into his bedroom. When the male disappeared from sight, Bryson slid off the barstool. He picked up his plate and utensil and placed them both into the sink.
Bryson went to the guest room. He dropped down on the edge of the bed and stared at the closed opaque glass door. Was this it? Was he just supposed to go to bed? Where was Talr? Wasn’t the male going to try to seduce him? Bryson went to bed with questions running through his mind.
Chapter Five
Talr groaned as he rolled onto his back. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. Talr opened his eyes and was greeted by the brilliant rays from the Sweshian suns above. He lay there for a moment, slowly waking up, as a school of fish swam overhead. He thought about his conversation with Bryson over dinner. Talr understood the human’s feelings. The human felt used. Talr couldn’t do anything to change Bryson’s future. Nothing would change until Bryson found a mate.
The Sweshian people couldn’t reproduce without humans. But a mating wasn’t about love, not at first. It was about procreation. When the toxins had been dumped into the Sweshan Ocean, all hope seemed to be lost when their female reproductive organs were destroyed. It was a tragedy for everyone. The males that were pregnant lost their young. And some of them, like Talr’s mate, took their own lives.
Talr sighed heavily. He tossed the blanket back and climbed out of bed. Talr pulled off his loose-fitting pajama pants and tossed them aside. He strode into the adjoining bathroom and turned on the shower. When the water was hot and steam billowed from the stall, Talr stepped beneath the heavy spray. Talr closed his eyes. He tilted his head back, lifting his face. The hot water pelted him, raining down over his body.
Talr was still having a hard time believing that Bryson, the human he’d wanted for months, was finally inside his home. Bryson was in the room across the hall. The human was probably still asleep, resting peacefully in bed.
“Bryson,” he whispered the man’s name.
Talr leaned back against the wall inside of the shower stall. He wrapped his fingers around his hard cock and started to stroke it. Talr had the same fantasy. He’d been using the vivid images since the moment he’d met the human.
Talr imagined the human bent over in front of him, begging to be fucked. He jerked his shaft, thinking about Bryson’s tight little hole, as he sank into the man’s ass. Sweet, little sounds of pleasure spilled from the human’s lips as he begged for more. Harder. Faster. Talr moved his fist, stroking himself.
Suddenly and without warning, pleasure tore through him. His back arched off of the stone wall as he came, spunk shooting from the head of his cock. He watched as the evidence of his release washed down the drain.
He grabbed a bottle of soap from the nearest shelf and flicked the lid open, pouring a generous amount out on his hand before placing the bottle back where it belonged. Talr rubbed his hands together, coating his palms with the liquid. He washed his hair and body. He went through his usual routine, washing and rinsing. When Talr was done, he shut the water off, opened the door, and stepped out. He grabbed a clean towel from a nearby shelf. Talr dried off, patting his scaly skin with the soft material before removing the moisture from his blue, wavy hair.
Talr walked back into his bedroom. He dropped the towel into the soiled clothing basket before making his way to the wall unit. Talr pulled out a clean, gray-colored jumper and pulled it on before grabbing his white lab coat and folding it over his forearm.
As soon as Talr stepped out into the hallway, the guest room door slid open, and Bryson joined him.
Talr’s eyes wandered up and down the human’s body, memorizing every line and curve. Bryson was wearing a pair of knee-length, form-fitting trousers and a shirt. The clothing clung to his body like a second skin, leaving nothing to Talr’s overactive imagination. Talr sucked in a sharp breath. Bryson was incredibly beautiful.
Talr smiled at the human. “Good morning.”
Bryson grinned. “Morning.”
“Did you sleep well?”
Bryson nodded. “Did you?”
“Yes.” They stood in the hallway for a moment, just staring at each other, until Talr asked, “Would you like something to eat before work?” Bryson’s stomach growled, and Talr chuckled. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
Talr strolled down the hallway, and Bryson followed after him. He placed his white jacket on the counter and started making breakfast. Talr sliced up söl and Earth fruit. It was surprising how much joy he found in something as simple as cooking a meal for Bryson. It had been a long time since Talr had taken care of someone. When Talr was done making breakfast, he handed Bryson one of the plates before taking a seat at the bar.
Talr picked up his utensil and started eating the bite-sized pieces. He really liked Earther fruit. The sweet mixture of flavors exploded in his mouth. Talr loved the strawberries, blueberries, bananas, and oranges.
They carried on a casual conversation through breakfast. Bryson did most of the talking. The human seemed to be back to his old self, the young man Talr remembered when they first met. Bryson was smiling again. He was calm, relaxed. He didn’t have dark shadows under his eyes any longer. It seemed that a good night’s sleep and a decent meal really did do wonders for him.
When they were done eating, Talr escorted Bryson out of his home. Talr walked beside Bryson as they made their way to the medical building.
“Rune,” Talr called, waving to one of the medics, getting the male’s attention.
Rune smiled in greeting as he strode toward them. “What can I do for you, Doctor Talr?”
“I would like to introduce you to Bryson.” Talr made the introductions. “I want him to shadow you for the morning. Help him out. Teach him the ropes. He wants to be a medic.”
Rune nodded, a big smile on h
is face. “Of course.” The male looked thrilled to be able to show Bryson around. Talr wasn’t really surprised, though. Bryson was a beautiful human.
Talr turned toward Bryson. “I need to see a few patients, so Rune will watch out for you. I’ll find you when I’m done, but if you need me, tell Rune. He’ll be able to find me.”
Bryson nodded. “Okay.”
“Let’s get you a medical uniform,” Rune said.
Bryson glanced at the other male and smiled. “Sounds great.”
Talr watched them walk off. He stared at Bryson’s backside until the human disappeared from sight. Talr put on his white coat. He adjusted the material before heading in the opposite direction, toward his office. Talr nodded in acknowledgment to his friends and colleagues as he passed them.
Talr collected his handheld from his office and scrolled through a list of patients. His first patient of the day was just a kid. He was a young boy, age seven, with both Sweshan and human genes. All the children born as a result of a mating between Sweshan and human were given monthly physicals. So far, all the children were healthy. The physicals were just a precaution. It was a way for the government to show the people mating with a human was successful and that their race wouldn’t go extinct.
Before heading to the exam room to see his first patient, Talr picked up his communication device and placed a call. Ael, the deputy commissioner of Sweshan, was mated to a human named Grant. And Grant was one of Bryson’s friends. The humans had met on Glecerus and traveled to Sweshan together. Bryson hadn’t been able to see his friend in three months, not since his arrival.
“Ael, this is Doctor Talr.”
“Good morning, Talr. What can I do for you?”
“I was hoping that you might consider bringing Grant to the medical building today.”
“Why? What’s wrong?” Ael asked, concern for his mate lacing each word.
“It’s nothing to worry about, Ael. This visit is about Grant’s friend, Bryson. The human is my prospective mate this week.”
“Really?” Ael chuckled. “That’s great, Talr. Congratulations.”
“Will you bring Grant over later this afternoon? I really think Bryson could use a friendly face.”
“Yes,” Ael said, “that won’t be a problem at all. Grant has really missed his friend. He’ll be happy to see Bryson.”
“Thank you, Ael. I really appreciate it.”
“It’s no problem. I’ll see you later,” Ael said.
The male disconnected the call, and Talr dropped his communication device into the pocket of his coat. He walked out of his office with his handheld tucked securely under his arm.
Talr strode toward the exam room and greeted his first patient. “Good morning, Duke. How are you today, kid?”
The little boy looked up at Talr and smiled sweetly. Duke, like the other children of his generation, was a mix of Sweshan and human. His skin was covered in bluish-green scales, and he had three gills on the side of his neck, making it possible for him to breathe underwater. But his ears and eyes were completely human.
“I’m good, Doctor Talr. How are you?”
“I’m doing well,” Talr told him. “So, where is your daddy?”
“He’s in the waiting room. I told him that I could do this all by myself.”
Talr smiled. “Are you ready for your exam?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well”—Talr pointed to the square in the center of the room—“you know the drill.”
Duke jumped down off the exam table and moved to the center of the room. He stood at attention and waited. Talr grinned. He pressed a button, and a thick beam of light ran over Duke’s body. Within seconds, a three-dimensional picture of the kid’s insides took shape.
Duke glanced at the image. “How are my guts, Doctor Talr?” he asked, his face scrunched up. “Do they look good?”
“Everything is exactly where it should be,” Talr told him. “You’re organs are completely healthy.”
Duke grinned. “Thanks!”
Talr stifled a laugh. He liked this part of his job. Talr liked spending time with the younger generation. It gave him hope for the future. And it made him want to have children of his own. Talr wanted to sire young.
“I’ll walk you to the waiting room, Duke.”
He shook his head. “I can walk by myself.”
“Okay,” Talr said. He hit the button on the wall, and the door slid open. “Take care of yourself, and I’ll see you next month.”
Duke strode passed him. “I’ll see you later, Doc.”
Talr kept his distance, but he still followed Duke down the hallway. He wanted to make sure Duke went straight to his waiting daddy in the waiting room. When the boy was with his human sire, Talr went back to work. After seeing a few more patients, Talr went to his office. He sat at his desk and started updating the medical files. A short while later, Keeve, a medic, strolled into his office.
“Doctor Talr, how are you today?”
Talr glanced up. “I’m good, Keeve.” And he meant it.
Now that Bryson was part of his life, Talr was feeling like his old self. He’d been lonely for so long, only able to catch small amounts of happiness with Bryson at short bursts of time.
“How are you?” he asked Keeve.
“I met your human.”
Talr smiled. He couldn’t help it. The way Keeve referred to Bryson, as if the human already belonged to him, made Talr’s heart soar.
“Can I ask you something?”
Talr nodded as he leaned back in his chair. “Of course.”
“Why did you bring the human to work? Why not stay home with him? According to our laws, you have the week off from work. You don’t need to be here.”
That was true. When a human was delivered to a prospective mate, the two were encouraged to spend the week together. It was supposed to give the Sweshian male time to focus solely on the human’s needs and desires. And let them bond.
The hope was that, by the end of the week, the human would be pregnant. But Talr had other plans for Bryson. Talr had something to prove. He wanted Bryson to know that he was different than the other Sweshian males the placement officer had sent him to.
“Bryson has had more prospective mates than any other human on Sweshan. I brought him here so that he could learn a useful skill. If he learns how to be a medic, Bryson will be able to get a job. And if he doesn’t find a mate, Bryson will be able to lead a productive life here on Sweshan without having to depend on anyone else.”
The male slowly nodded as understanding dawned.
“Each prospective mate that Bryson has had treated him the same. They took him to the marketplace, bought him clothes, and gave him a tour of Sweshan. Then they fucked him for an entire week, hoping to impregnate him. I don’t want to be like the other males. I want Bryson to see me differently. I don’t want him to warm my bed out of obligation. I want him to desire me.”
“I hope he’s your mate, Talr. You deserve him, and he would be lucky to have you.”
Talr smiled. He had a feeling that Bryson was his mate. It was something he felt in the very core of his being. But Talr wanted the human to come to him. He wanted it to be Bryson’s idea.
Could this really work? Could he prove that he was a male of worth? Talr had only a week to convince Bryson that they were meant to be together.
Chapter Six
Bryson spent the morning working side by side with Rune and some of the other medics. He took orders and followed instructions, watching everything they did with interest. Bryson hung onto every word the males said. He had to admit that he was in awe of the technology. Sweshan was way more advanced than Earth. His brain was having difficulty keeping up with things he could barely comprehend.
“Hey, stranger,” a familiar voice said.
Bryson spun around. “Grant.” He breathed out the man’s name in surprise. “Oh my God.” He couldn’t believe that his friend was standing in front of him. “It’s good to see you, man.”
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Grant’s face lit up as he smiled. He strode over and wrapped his arms around Bryson, pulling him in for a hug. “It’s good to see you, too.”
Bryson returned the embrace, holding on to Grant. The last time he’d seen Grant, the man had been unconscious in a med-bed. Bryson hadn’t wanted to leave Grant’s side, but he didn’t have a choice. The placement officer came for him and dragged Bryson off to his first prospective mate. As time went by, Bryson gave up hope that he’d ever see Grant or his twin brother, Brian, again.
“What are you doing here?” Bryson asked.
“I have an appointment with Doctor Talr.” Grant dropped his arms and took a step back. “And since he’s your prospective mate, Talr gave permission for us to spend some time together.”
Bryson’s heart squeezed within his chest. “That was nice of him,” he murmured.
Talr was different than the other Sweshian males. For one thing, he seemed to genuinely care about Bryson. None of the others would’ve allowed Bryson to learn a trade or see his friend. Bryson didn’t blame them. The males were hoping that Bryson was their mate, and their main goal was to impregnate him.
Grant turned his head, glancing over his shoulder at a Sweshian male standing nearby. “Ael, come over here. I want you to meet my friend.” The male moved closer. He grasped Grant’s hand, intertwining their fingers. “Bryson, this is Ael. He’s my mate.”
The significance of that word, mate, made Bryson gasp. His mouth opened and closed several times before he finally said, “Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” Grant smiled. “We’re really excited.”
Grant placed his free hand on his stomach, rubbing his abdomen. That was when Bryson noticed the man’s round belly. It had been hidden behind the loose-fitting tunic, but now, he could see that Grant was pregnant.
Bryson hated to admit that he was jealous of his friend, but he was. He’d had so many prospective mates that Bryson had lost hope of ever finding the male meant for him. But things were starting to change. He could feel it. There was a small sliver of hope starting to bloom within his heart, and it was all because of Talr.
