Jailmates

by Lesli Richardson

  Even as it rises I take off again, running down and into the station, following signs in hopes maybe a gate agent can call it back for me, or contact it, tell Simon to please wait for me in orbit. That I will take the next shuttle up and talk with him.

  Maybe he will allow me to apologize in person.

  As people recognize me they gasp, bow their heads, attempt to speak with me but I am driven and focused. Of course it is the last gate in the complex. As I run there I see it is empty, the counter unmanned, nothing and no one around, just a pile of luggage on a sled next to a column.

  Gasping for breath I wordlessly sob as I stumble to the glass doorway that leads to the docking bay and collapse to my knees. In the distance, I see the navigation lights for the shuttle wink out as it prepares to leave the atmosphere.

  I close my eyes and cry, not even caring who sees me. With my forehead pressed against the glass, I silently sob and cry and wish for oblivion.

  I have harmed the only being in my life who truly loves me and wanted nothing but my own dreams for me.

  I allowed my slippery little human to slide right through my hands and into an unobtainable future.

  Nearby, someone clears their throat and I ignore them.

  As my Sy would have said, fuck them.

  I want to be left alone with my pain.

  I did not deserve that blessed, sweet human’s love. I have caused him pain.

  I had not told him how I truly feel when he had laid bare his emotions.

  “Ahem.”

  I slowly shake my head and the only comfort I take is that, as Khalden, hopefully they will leave me the fuck alone.

  Someone lets out a very put-upon-sounding sigh a few moments later.

  “Hey you. Big. Pink. Bastard.”

  My eyes fly open and I nearly fall over turning. The pile of luggage is still there, but standing next to the pillar is…

  I blink, stunned.

  “I didn’t lie,” he says.

  He’s wearing that adorable smirk and standing there with his arms crossed over his chest as he leans against the pillar.

  I cannot speak. No, I mean I cannot, because I have no voice. I stare at him.

  “I didn’t lie about leaving. I was going to get on the shuttle,” he continues, not moving. “Had the ticket and everything. But I couldn’t make myself get on it. I asked H’looder for one more night here. I was hoping I’d call the house later, and you’d be there or something, and we could at least…talk.” His voice chokes up. “I didn’t want to believe I was so wrong about what I thought you felt for me.”

  I somehow manage to scramble to my feet and make it to him, where I pull him into my arms and kiss him right there.

  Right in front of everyone.

  I’m the fricking Khalden, right?

  I manage a whisper. “Slippery damn human.”

  He smiles, but I spot the tears in his eyes. “Big pink bastard.”

  I cradle his face in my hands and stare into his eyes. “Mohrn-mohr.”

  He swallows, and his tears finally roll free, down his cheeks. “According to my com, the contract expired, so technically no, not anymore.”

  I lean in and kiss him again. “Khalden-mohr,” I hoarsely manage.

  I hope he doesn’t expect a lot of talking from me right now. That is my fault.

  There are other things I can do to him with my mouth though. Maybe he will let me do those. He seems to like it when I do.

  I kiss away his tears and pull him into my arms, deeply inhaling his scent as I rub my face in his soft, silky hair. “Khalden-mohr,” I say over and over again.

  He finally hugs me back, holding on tightly, and I hear him softly sob. “That better be a proposal, damn you,” he mutters against my chest.

  I nod and manage one other word, in Standard. “Please?”

  “I had one more surprise for you besides the dinner you fricking ruined,” he says. “Little something H’looder came up with.”

  I am reluctant to take my hands off him now that I have him once more, but I let him step away, his back against the column with the pile of luggage on the sled sort of boxing us in.

  I do not understand what he is doing when he moves me, looks around the column behind him, adjusts my stance, and then pulls me close. “Hold on.”

  He drops to his knees, and before I can stop him, he burrows up and under my brahkhen and his hands grip me around the backs of my thighs.

  I feel his nose and mouth nuzzling the base of my cock where it lays tucked inside my pouch. Then I feel his teeth graze the sensitive flesh there before he bites.

  Hard.

  The first immediate jolt is pain, and I grab the pillar to not fall down.

  But the immediate second wave is a fierce, white-hot pleasure that even our best moments together pale before. I have maybe half a breath to ponder how they figured out how to envenomate my slippery little human before I feel it.

  I am suddenly connected to my mate not physically, not even emotionally, but through our souls.

  Every beat of his heart throbs his love for me. I see it all, I see it. His past lonely days, the tears.

  I feel shame as I understand everything.

  I feel his guilt over the arrangement he made with the Guyardiens to protect me, and my love pulses fiercely through our bond as I fully understand.

  He has loved me—he does love me now, even though I was a dumbass.

  Then my slippery little human is back on his feet and holding me as I lean my weight against the pillar and sob once more with him tightly clutched against my chest.

  There is no lie in his love for me, there is no deceit.

  This is truly my mate, my one.

  Will I ever let my slippery little human go again?

  No.

  Fucking.

  Way.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Simon

  Okay, maybe biting Mohrn was playing dirty, but dammit, if it worked—and I’m pretty damn sure it worked, based on their reaction—it means we can cut through all the bullshit once and for all.

  I hope.

  They stare down at me with wonder and awe in their expression as the venom works its way through their system.

  “Understand now?” I ask.

  They slowly nod and deeply kiss me again.

  I’m not sure I want to get my hopes up, but it’s damn sure starting to feel like a win.

  Finally.

  This time when they come up for air after kissing me, they stare into my eyes for a long moment. They sound like they’ve lost their voice or something but when they speak they do it in Standard, carefully, as if trying to make sure they get it right.

  “New…contract.”

  I arch my eyebrows, indicating I’m listening, but I am going to make them work for it after abandoning me like that and scaring the crap out of me.

  “Forever,” they say, again in Standard.

  My heart races. “That sounds like a proposal, big guy.”

  They nod and, still speaking Standard, say, “My…everything. My all. My only. Forever.”

  “Okay,” I finally say when he doesn’t continue. “What do you want to put in the contract?”

  “That is the full contract.”

  I blink as I realize what that means.

  That really was a proposal.

  I take a deep breath and understand that, in this moment, I am the adult of the two of us, and only because they haven’t bitten me lately.

  Otherwise, we’d be fucking already, right here, in front of everyone.

  “We need a witness,” I say.

  They look around and spot someone, wave them over.

  Then the big pink bastard really does make me cry—they drop to one knee and look up at me. They switch to Pfahrn, but my translator takes over. Taking my hand, they speak carefully, so the witness can understand them despite Mohrn’s ruined voice. “Permanent, full contract. My everything, my all, my only—forever. Mate and lover and partner.”


  The witness gasps but stands there, watching, waiting.

  To hear my response.

  To see if I accept this contract.

  I stare down at them and, unable to help myself, I reach out and gently boop the end of their nose with my finger before I smile and slowly reply in Pfahrn, so the witness can understand me. “Contract terms accepted. My everything, my all, my only—forever. Mate and lover and partner. You big pink bastard,” I add in Standard.

  Mohrn manages the hint of a smile. “Slippery human,” they say, and their voice truly sounds ruined now.

  I pull out my com unit, type it up, add the date, scribble my signature, hand it to Mohrn to add their name and signature, and then the witness adds theirs.

  I look at it, save it, and send Mohrn a copy, then send a copy to the registration office, which will make it official. “Well, guess you’re stuck with me now, dude.”

  Mohrn stands, scooping me into their arms in the process. They effortlessly settle me on their hip like a dang child and hold me there with one arm while they grab the handle for the sled with their other hand and drag it behind us, heading toward the exit.

  “Is this really necessary?” I ask.

  They look at me. Like this, we’re nearly eye-to-eye.

  Then, that smile. “Slippery.”

  I throw my arms around their neck, and, for funsies, I let my foot rub along the front of their pouch through their kilt, where I can feel their cock is hard.

  Yeah, I’m going to have me some fun in a little while. “Is this dignified, for the Khalden and Khalden-mohr to be doing this in a transport facility?” I ask.

  Their smile doesn’t slip. “Do not care,” they say in Pfahrn. Then they switch to Standard. “Perk of the rank. Fuck them.”

  Here I am, a grown-ass man, being carried out of the transport station like a six-year-old by my mate.

  Who’s eight feet tall.

  And pink.

  And…well, fucking packing, thank you very damn much.

  Don’t even try to tell me this isn’t true love.

  * * * *

  We hire a ground transport to haul us and all my shit back to the house. Once the driver has helped us unload and has departed, Mohrn leaves all my things in the front room, scoops me into their arms, and carries me into what was supposed to be our room all along.

  The room I’d been unable to sleep in lately because, emotionally, I hurt too damn bad.

  It’s hard to believe how I could go from feeling this morning like my world had ended to now knowing everything is perfect, and I have the rest of our lives ahead of us.

  “Thank god I didn’t get on that transport,” I say.

  Mohrn kisses me in reply…then playfully drops me onto our bed and smiles down at me as they kick off their shoes and shove down their brahkhen.

  I scramble to rip my clothes off and Mohrn climbs onto the bed with me, on top of me, their arms on either side of my head as they stare down at me. I want to feel their teeth sink into my flesh, feel the the heat of the venom flow through me.

  I need them.

  Yes, H’looder has confidence in his skills as a researcher and doctor, but I honestly don’t think there’s any way he could have ever removed Mohrn from my soul.

  I didn’t want him to, either. I never want to lose this feeling of belonging, feeling like I’m never alone.

  I reach up and pull Mohrn down for another kiss. Meanwhile, my cock’s leaking all over, and it ain’t the only thing.

  Mohrn reaches down and frees their cock. I hook my right leg up around their hips, practically climbing them, I’m so horny. Obviously, with all the emotional bullshit, I haven’t felt like masturbating.

  My libido is back with a howling vengeance.

  They seat their fully engorged cock against my ass and I realize I’m begging now, making Mohrn smile.

  Big pink bastard.

  I try to impale myself and they shift their hips back, their smile widening, deliberately fucking with me now. We do this for about thirty seconds, and I can feel their amusement grow over the desperate human slut wanting to be fucked.

  I break our kiss. “Now who’s fucking slippery?” I growl. “Goddammit, quit screwing around and fuck—” My voice devolves into a howl of pleasure as they piston their hips forward, sinking all the way inside me in one hard thrust, dragging the head of their cock over my prostate in the process and making me explode all over the place.

  Oh, and the big pink bastard is apparently going to egg me this time.

  I hook my other leg around them, and now I’m hanging from them, kissing them, running my tongue over their teeth.

  They lower us both so I’m on the bed again, then they pull my legs up even higher, their arms tucked under them, and start nibbling down my jaw to my shoulder. I’ve made a literal dripping mess between us, but Mohrn doesn’t care. They lick and kiss my shoulder as my cock, already fucking recovering, starts twitching between us. My cum’s made everything all slippery between us right now, and I desperately want to feel their cock fucking me.

  “Mohrn-mohr,” they whisper against my flesh.

  I grab the back of their head and I’m fucking squirming and whining and really don’t care what I look like, in this instant.

  I just want to feel.

  I need to feel.

  Because I’ve been denied them for too damn long and have missed them like fucking hell.

  “Please,” I beg.

  That sweet, deep throaty sound I’ve also desperately missed. “So you admit you’re slippery?” they rasp.

  “You made me slippery, and you damn well know—”

  Sonofabitch, they did it again. Their teeth clamping down on my shoulder interrupts what I was going to say as well as all higher cognitive functions in my brain. I’m howling as the venom pulses into me. They’re grunting, rutting, that gorgeous fucking cock stroking along my sweet spot again and blowing my head off with pleasure.

  They roll over, taking me with them, flipping us so I’m on top and riding them, with their teeth still locked onto my flesh.

  Heaven. This is my greatest blessing—Mohrn. Not to put my family down, but I couldn’t have helped them without Mohrn. I don’t know if I would feel this way about Mohrn without the biological assist, but I don’t care, either.

  All I care about is the white-hot pleasure filling me, the truth of their love for me washing over and through me as their orgasm completes and we both lie there panting, covered in a mess, and still joined.

  They release their bite on my shoulder and look up at me with those gorgeous turquoise eyes. “Love you,” they say in Standard.

  I lean in and kiss them again. “Love you, too, buddy.” We stay like that, kissing and nuzzling each other until I feel them release inside me. I rise up enough I can tuck their cock back inside their pouch, and then slide my own in alongside it.

  I’ve thought this out.

  I take their right hand in mine and bring it up to my mouth, lightly scraping my teeth over their palm, testing, then settle on the flesh between their thumb and first finger, where the webbing is flexible and chewy but not nearly as dense and tough as other areas.

  I slowly start moving, thrusting, and watch their eyes as that sweet glazed look kicks in.

  That’s when I bite them.

  Their gasp nearly makes me nut right there, but I keep moving, trying to hold back as their back arches and they come unglued under me. Their eyes go wide, their mouth gaping, gasping with need and pleasure. I feel their cock harden and pulse next to mine just before they spill, making me grin around where I’m still biting them.

  “There,” I think to them, because I can feel their awareness now, within me. “Now you know what it feels like to feel desperately needy for your damn mate, you big pink bastard.”

  Even in the throes of their orgasm they manage a laugh, both in my mind and mixed with their hoarse, raspy moans.

  “Slippery human,” they think back to me.

  “Yeah, I can be
.” I pick up the pace and add one more climax to the mix, making an even bigger mess. I don’t care, either. We’ll wash the damn sheets.

  Once I’ve finished, I release my bite and lick their hand. Then I press their palm against my cheek and nuzzle them. “No more doubts, right? We good now?”

  They slowly nod, a look of amazement on their face. “Every time?” they finally ask.

  I know what they mean. “Since you first bit me that time? Yeah. Sex with you has felt like that every time.” I blink back tears. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you. But I knew if I told you, you wouldn’t let me help you, and you’d feel like you violated the contract when you didn’t. You had no clue I’d be able to do that. Neither did I. If you’d asked me, I wouldn’t have lied to you, but I couldn’t leave you sitting in that fucking prison when those two assholes were just using you.”

  Their thumb strokes my cheek. “Thank you, Sy. Thank you for having faith in me.”

  I lean in and kiss them. “Thank you for having faith in me.”

  We finally go bathe, a real bath, not just a shower, and we’re both slippery together once more. After exhausting ourselves, we return to the bedroom, change the soiled sheets, and leave them in a pile on the floor to take care of tomorrow. Then we climb in together, with me securely tucked in Mohrn’s arms and my head on their chest.

  Like that, we listen to each other’s heartbeats and sweet, loving thoughts as we drift into the first damned good sleep either of us has had in too fricking long.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Simon

  One Year Later…

  I nervously stand there as H’looder patiently explains everything one more time. Mohrn keeps pheir hand on my shoulder, gently squeezing, massaging.

  Reassuring me phey aren’t going anywhere.

  Once the doctor wraps up his talk and waits for our reactions and questions, Mohrn leans in to whisper in my ear.

  “If you do not wish to do this—”

  “Just give me a minute, you big pink bastard,” I mutter.

  Phey make that throaty sound, so much like a chuckle.

  This amuses the hell out of my mate.

  Unfortunately, this is also my idea. Now that we are here, I’m not so sure I want to go through with it.