by Olivia Black
Ael stood, rising to his feet. He strode across the room and opened the wall unit. He reached up and grabbed a small box on the top shelf. Cradling the carved piece of wood in his left hand, Ael lifted the lid with his right. He fingered through the small mementos and photographs. They were reminders of the last four humans, men that were given to him, only to be taken away.
Looking back through the memories he’d shared with the others helped to harden Ael’s resolve. He couldn’t go through it again. At this moment, Ael vowed that he would do whatever it took to keep his heart safe. He wouldn’t allow Grant to get too close because, in the end, the outcome would be the same. Grant would be taken away, and Ael would be left with nothing. He put the box on the shelf and slid it into the back corner, out of sight.
Ael yanked off his boots and kicked them aside. He slid his pants from his body and pulled his shirt over his head, tossing his clothes onto the bed.
He strode into the adjoining bathroom and turned on the shower. Once he regulated the temperature, Ael stepped beneath the heavy spray. He tucked his chin to his chest and closed his eyes, allowing the hot water to rain down, over his head and shoulders.
He’d spent the day working. Ael was the deputy commissioner of Sweshan. He was in charge of the police force, not that there was much crime on their planet. The altercations that he’d been involved in were mostly due to outside forces, mainly other planets wanting to fight for one reason or another.
His office was located in the same building as his father’s office, Kiev, the leader of Sweshan. Ael had seen the male just this morning. During their brief conversation, Ael didn’t have the slightest clue that the other male was planning to send a human to his home. It had been a very long day, and all Ael wanted to do was go to bed and pretend Grant wasn’t somewhere inside his house.
Grant. He leaned his shoulder against the wall inside of the shower stall. Ael didn’t want to admit that he was attracted to the human. And he wouldn’t. He planned to stay in denial for as long as possible. But it seemed that his cock disagreed. His body was responding to the man, even if his mind refused.
Ael wrapped his fingers around his shaft, squeezing it in a tight grip, and then began to stroke it slowly. He gave into his fantasy, allowing images of Grant to seep into his mind. Ael imagined the human on his knees in front of him, begging for a taste of his cum. He jerked his shaft, thinking about Grant’s lips spread wide over his cock. The human’s mouth moved up and down, swallowing Ael’s length down his throat. Pleasure tore through him, strong and sharp.
Ael’s thoughts scattered, and his back arched as cum shot, in hot jets, down the shower drain. When his legs started to shake, Ael rolled, pressing his back against the cool tiles. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. It took a few minutes, but eventually, he was able to think clearly once more.
Ael sighed. 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. Ael rubbed his hands together, coating his palms in the thick liquid, and washed his long hair and body. He went through his usual routine without much thought, washing, and rinsing.
When Ael was done, he shut the water off, opened the shower stall door, and stepped out. He grabbed two towels from a nearby shelf. Ael wrapped the first around his head, and with the second, he patted his scaly-skin, removing the excess moisture. Once done, he strolled back into the bedroom. Ael dropped the towels into the soiled clothing basket before making his way to the king-sized bed.
He pulled back the sheet and climbed beneath the covers. Ael sighed heavily. He stared up at the ceiling, watching as the suns above their planet lowered and the ocean darkened. With his rank, he was given priority housing within the Sweshian community. Being on the top floor had its advantages.
Chapter Four
Grant’s gut clenched, and his empty stomach grumbled, flipping inside out. It sounded as if a wild animal was trying to break free from his abdomen. He wrapped his arms around his middle and shook his head. Hiding inside the bedroom wasn’t the best idea he’d ever had. Day transformed into night, and the Sweshian suns came out once again, signaling another day. Several hours slipped by, and still Grant kept himself locked inside the guest room.
When he couldn’t go without food any longer, Grant rose from the bed. He pressed the button on the wall, and the door slid open. Grant looked out into the hallway. It was empty. Grant didn’t know if he was alone or not, but at this point, his stomach was in charge.
He made his way down the hallway, toward the kitchen. When he stepped into the main part of the living quarters, Grant spotted Ael. The male was standing in the kitchen, slicing large, red leaves with a sharp tool. Grant stood there for a minute, unsure of what to do. When Ael looked up, their eyes connected. Grant wondered if he should go back to the bedroom, but he stood his ground and waited for Ael to acknowledge him.
“Are you hungry?”
Grant swallowed the excess saliva pooling in his mouth and nodded. “Yes.”
“Why don’t you come over here and take a seat.”
Grant’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Are you sure?”
He knew he wasn’t wanted. Ael made his position clear when Grant arrived. The male didn’t want another prospective mate.
“You’re staying in my home, which means that I’m responsible for you. There’s no reason why we can’t share a meal.”
“Thanks, I’d like that.” Grant walked over to the kitchen. He pulled out a barstool and sat down, placing his hands in his lap.
Ael lowered his head and continued cutting the plant into bite-sized strips. “I don’t have any Earther food, so I hope you’re willing to try new things.”
He was so hungry that he honestly didn’t care. At this point, Grant would eat a leather shoe. “Yeah, sure, I’ll try anything.”
Ael divided up the food, putting a small mound on each of the two plates. He slid one of the plates across the bar, placing it in front of Grant. Grant stared down at the sliced red plant. It didn’t look very appetizing.
“What is this called?” Grant asked, careful to keep his tone light and casual. He didn’t want Ael to think he was complaining.
“It’s called söl. It’s a large part of our diet here on Sweshan because it’s readily available and healthy. It contains a lot of iron, calcium, magnesium, and protein.”
“Yum.” Grant pasted a smile on his face so that he wouldn’t offend Ael. “Sounds good.”
“I’ve been told that the texture takes some getting used to, but the flavor isn’t bad.”
“Oh. Okay.”
Grant lifted the utensil up to his nose. He sniffed the söl, but it was odorless. Grant opened his mouth and took a bite. He chewed slowly. Ael was right. The texture was weird. The plant was crunchy, but it was also really slimy. The oils seeping out from the leaves coated his mouth. Luckily, the söl didn’t taste completely disgusting.
The only familiar thing he could compare it to was overly salty bacon. It burned his mouth, but Grant was too hungry to complain. He just kept eating, shoveling the food into his mouth until the hunger pains finally disappeared. When Grant was done eating, he placed the utensil on the plate and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Listen, I…uh…” He felt a little awkward but pushed himself to keep going. “I know you don’t want me here. I’m sorry that you’re stuck with me. If I had a choice, I would leave you in peace, but I don’t have anywhere else to go. So, I’m hoping we can make the best of this situation.”
Ael didn’t respond. He simply stood there, staring at Grant with a blank expression on his face. The silence between them grew, stretching out until it became uncomfortable.
“How do you feel about us being friends?” Grant asked.
“Friends,” Ael said, rolling the word around in his mouth as if it were forei
gn to him.
Grant nodded. “I have to stay here for a week. Instead of hiding out in the guest room, I was hoping the two of us might be able to hang out and talk. Maybe, if you don’t have anything else to do, you might be willing to give me a tour of Sweshan. Take me swimming. Show me what you do around here for fun.”
Ael made a face. Grant was almost positive the male would turn him down. The thought of sitting in the empty bedroom for a whole week, only to share meals, sounded like an awful punishment. One he sure as hell didn’t deserve. If he stayed locked up, Grant knew it was only a matter of time before he lost his mind. He couldn’t live as an unwanted guest in Ael’s home.
“Please,” Grant added. He was prepared to beg if necessary.
Ael sighed. The male was silent for a moment but eventually nodded. “I don’t have to work this week. I was going to have some clothes, and a few other necessities, delivered this afternoon, but I guess we can go out and pick them up.”
Relief poured through Grant’s system. “Thank you.” It felt as though a tremendous weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
Ael reached out and grabbed Grant’s plate from the counter. He spun around, presenting his back. Grant took the opportunity to inspect the male. He ran his eyes up and down Ael’s backside.
His shoulders were wide, tapering off to a trim waist, a nice meaty ass, and thick thighs. Ael’s body was perfect. Grant had to admit he was a little disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to see the male without his clothes. His mind drifted south, toward Ael’s cock. Was it blue? Did his shaft have scales on it like the rest of his body? Was his cock big? Thick? When Ael turned around, Grant looked away, averting his gaze. He didn’t want Ael to know that he had been checking him out.
“Are you ready to go?”
Grant slid off the barstool. He pushed the chair underneath the counter and said, “Yeah, I’m ready.”
Ael walked toward the door, and Grant followed behind him. He stayed a few feet back, hoping it was enough space since his presence was unwelcome.
Ael grabbed a satchel off the hook by the door. He placed the long strap across his chest. The bag hung loosely over his shoulder. On anyone else, the bag might look feminine, but not on Ael. He was all male. The front door slid open, Ael stepped out into the hallway, and Grant followed him. The male didn’t speak. And once again, the silence between them grew, until it was thick enough to cut with a knife.
Grant hated the quiet. He was the type that needed to fill it, even if that was with a bunch of questions that would probably irritate the hell out of Ael. “So, uh…” He cleared his throat. “Why do you have this week off work?”
“Believe it or not, it’s a Sweshian law. When a human is delivered to a prospective mate, the two are encouraged to spend a lot of quality time together. The week off work gives the male time to focus solely on the human’s needs and desires. It’s supposed to allow time for bonding. And the hope is that at the end of the week, the human will be pregnant.”
“Ah.” Grant nodded in understanding. “That makes sense.”
Ael made a noncommittal sound in response. He didn’t add anything else to try to keep the conversation going. He simply answered Grant’s question and shut down.
They took the elevator to the lower level and stepped onto the moveable walkway. Sweshian males and a couple of humans traveled in the opposite direction. Grant smiled politely and nodded, trying to be friendly, but none of them acknowledged him. He followed Ael from one conveyor belt to the next as they made their way through a few different buildings. Grant rapped his fingertips against the handrail as the moving walkway glided through the glass cylinder.
“Is the marketplace here similar to the one on Glecerus?”
Ael glanced over his shoulder to look at Grant before facing forward once more. “I don’t know. I’ve never been to Glecerus.”
“Their marketplace is huge,” Grant told him.
He could still remember the first time he saw the market. The flurry of activity. The sounds and smells. It was exciting. Walking through the aisle of stalls turned into an adventure.
The marketplace had been packed with different types of humanoid creatures from worlds Grant had never heard of before. There were aliens with horns, fangs, and tails. Creatures with thick fur all over their bodies. And there even a few that had different colored skin, like blue and silver. They came in all shapes and sizes, from heavily muscled giants to tiny winged aliens that looked like fairies.
“They have a ton of stalls. And because of their open-trade agreement, there are products from a lot of different planets.”
“We only have Sweshian merchants that sell local products.” Ael’s words deflated some of Grant’s excitement.
Grant kept smiling, even though he was a little disappointed by Ael’s response. He was trying to have a conversation, hoping the two of them would connect, but Ael seemed dead set against it.
“I can’t wait to look around.” Grant rolled his eyes heavenward at his own response. This is going to be a long week.
Since Grant met Ael, things had been rocky between them, and knowing that the male didn’t want anything to do with him made it worse. Grant’s feelings were hurt. He didn’t know why, and he couldn’t explain it, but Ael’s opinion of him mattered. He wasn’t expecting love, but Grant was hoping that Ael could at least be friendly. He decided that he wasn’t going to be silenced. He wouldn’t give up.
“The placement officer told me about the underwater breathing masks for humans. I was wondering if you would take me swimming this week.”
Ael shrugged. “Sure.”
Grant’s eyes widened slightly. He could barely believe it. “Really?” he asked, needing confirmation. He had to make sure that he’d heard correctly. “You’ll take me swimming?”
“Yes, I’ll take you swimming,” he confirmed.
Grant pumped his fist in the air in silent celebration before saying, “Thanks,” in a nonchalant tone.
Grant finally felt like he was making progress with Ael. He stayed on the male’s heels, following Ael toward the marketplace. His gaze swept around, taking in his new surroundings. As they got closer to their destination, the crowd grew.
He noticed heads turning in his direction. The males openly stared at him, studying Grant. It made him feel a little uncomfortable. He moved closer to Ael, his feet eating up the distance between them. Grant reached out and took Ael’s hand. He expected Ael to pull away, to reject him, but the male surprised Grant. He actually tightened his grip.
Chapter Five
Ael tried to ignore Grant’s presence, but it was difficult. He was completely aware of every move Grant made. Ael caught himself staring at Grant on more than one occasion. Luckily, the human didn’t seem to notice. He was too busy looking around, inspecting his new surroundings, and asking questions. Grant had a ton of questions. It seemed the human wanted to know everything about Sweshan.
Ael hated to admit it, but Grant was incredibly good looking. He was the most beautiful human Ael had ever seen. With short dark brown hair, soulful brown eyes that had long lashes, defined cheekbones, a regal nose, and kissable lips, Grant Byers was, without a doubt, the most striking human Ael had ever seen. Delectable. Desirable. Delicious. And the jumper he wore. Ael bit off a growl before it could slip past his lips.
The material clung to Grant like a second skin, showing each curve and line. He had a trim, muscular build and a tight ass. A perfect package wrapped up in one nice body.
Grant’s hand tentatively touched his, and Ael’s heart practically jumped out of his chest. His first instinct was to pull away, but he didn’t. Ael glanced down and watched in astonishment as Grant’s fingers intertwined with his own. The human applied some pressure, tightening his grip, and Ael did the same. Humans always ran hotter than the Sweshian people. And the warmth from their adjoined hands seeped into Ael’s body, warming him.
It was a reminder of the past. The humans he’d known enjoyed touching. It ma
de them feel connected in a way Ael didn’t really understand. Sweshian males were taught, at a young age, to stay unattached until they found their mates, but Ael had a hard time doing that. He got too close and allowed his emotions to rule him. That was why he wanted to keep Grant at a distance. Losing another prospective mate would ruin him. But he wasn’t sure if he was capable of keeping this particular human at arm’s length.
Would he be able to live with himself if he didn’t touch Grant? Could he really go through the entire week and ignore the attraction between them? Would one touch, one kiss, one caress be enough for him? Would it satisfy his growing need?
“Why is everyone staring at me?” Grant asked.
Ael pulled Grant to a stop. He looked around and realized that Grant was right. The human had drawn quite a bit of attention from the other Sweshian males in the area.
“You’re a rarity. My people are fascinated by you.”
“Why?” Grant’s brows furrowed. He looked as if he were confused by Ael’s words. “It’s not like they haven’t seen a human before. There are other humans here.”
“We don’t have a lot of humans. And you’re very good looking. I’m sure most of the males are hoping that they will be your next potential mate.”
“Do you think I’m good looking?”
It would be easy to lie. He could deny his attraction to the young man, but as he looked into Grant’s eyes, Ael realized that he didn’t want to hurt the human’s feelings. He didn’t want to be the cause of Grant’s pain. So, he decided to tell the truth.
“Yes.”
Grant smiled then. Compared to the others Ael had been gifted with, this one was genuine. It completely changed his features. Grant’s cheeks brightened, and his pupils dilated. It was a look that Ael wanted to see more of. I did this. I made him happy.
That realization took Ael by surprise. He thought he’d done a good job convincing himself to keep his distance, and now, with one smile, Grant made him question the rest of their time together. Ael groaned internally. No, no, no, no. This can’t be happening.
