by Olivia Black
“What pheromones?” Grant managed to ask.
“Do you remember how you felt at the club?”
Grant’s brows furrowed. He shook his head. He didn’t understand why Ael was asking him about the club. Didn’t the male know that he couldn’t think clearly? All logical thought fled. His body’s needs were in control.
“Sweshian males produce pheromones when we’re turned on. When there are a lot of males together in one place, the pheromones are strong enough to affect everyone in the area. The chemicals can travel through the water. It’s the mating scent.”
“Mating scent,” Grant breathed out.
He couldn’t control himself. Grant moved his hips, back and forth, rubbing his body against Ael.
“I want you,” Grant admitted.
Ael growled. The male’s large hands cupped Grant’s ass, helping him move. Grant felt a tingle begin in the base of his spine, working its way around his balls. He was so close to the edge. It wouldn’t take much more before he found his release. Grant wanted Ael. He wanted the male to rip the clothes from his body. He wanted to feel Ael’s cock in his ass.
Tilting his head, Grant exposed his shoulder. “Bite me.”
Ael struck fast, sinking his teeth into Grant’s shoulder. The sharp points pierced his skin, and Grant groaned. Pain quickly morphed into overwhelming pleasure. Grant moved his hips, rocking against Ael as pleasure tore through him, deeper and hotter than anything he’d ever felt. Tossing back his head, Grant came. His cock erupted, spurting into his pants.
Gasping for air, Grant fell against Ael. He wrapped his arms around the male’s neck, holding him until his breathing evened out. Grant closed his eyes. The spicy, musky scent of the pheromones filled his mask, making him dizzy and lightheaded.
Chapter Eleven
Ael wrapped his arms around Grant and held him against his chest. The human clung to him, his body still twitching from the aftermath of his orgasm. Ael was aroused. His cock ached, begging for release. Ael wanted to take advantage of the situation, but it didn’t seem right. Even with Grant begging for his cock, Ael knew that it might just be the pheromones polluting the water.
The chemicals affected the Sweshians and humans in similar ways. It drove them crazy and made them desperate for sex. Ael barely managed to hold on to his sanity. Thinking of Grant and focusing on the human’s pleasure gave Ael the strength he needed to ignore his own. But, now, his body was making demands, and Ael couldn’t do anything about it.
Rising to his feet, Ael bent his knees and pushed himself up off the ground. He kept his arms wrapped around Grant as he swam away from the arena. Ael needed to create some distance between him and the thick layer of chemicals clouding the water. It was the only thing he could do. Ael needed to clear his mind and calm his raging libido.
Grant kept his arms tightly wound around Ael’s neck and wrapped his legs around Ael’s waist.
Ael swam back to his building. As he moved through the water, Ael kept a firm hold on Grant. Having the human this close felt amazing. Far better than it should, considering that he was trying to keep his distance. Truth be told, Ael’s resolve was slipping.
When they got back to his building, Ael stepped into the cylinder with Grant, and the door closed behind them. The drains opened, and the water rushed back into the ocean.
“Did you enjoy the game?” Ael asked as he pulled off Grant’s face mask.
Grant arched a brow and gave him a pointed look. “The manual didn’t say anything about pheromones.”
Ael nodded. “I know.”
The Glecerians wrote a manual for the volunteers that were willing to leave Earth and travel to other planets to become mates. Sweshan shared some information about their culture, but they didn’t tell them all of their secrets. The fangs. The pheromones. The sex. Some things shouldn’t be written in a manual for potential mates to read. They needed to be experienced firsthand.
“Are there going to be any other surprises?”
Ael grinned. “You’ll just have to wait and find out.”
Grant shook his head. He took the mask from Ael and stepped out of the cylinder. The human took a few steps before turning around and facing Ael. He held out his hand.
“Come on.” Grant tilted his head toward the elevator. “Let’s go home.”
Ael took Grant’s hand, and the two of them walked home. Home. Grant said it so naturally, as if they already lived together. And if it were up to Ael, he would keep Grant. He hated that a pregnancy test stood between him and having this human as his life mate. But his opinion didn’t matter. It was Sweshian law. Even his father didn’t have the power to make an exception.
Now that he was thinking about it, Ael realized that it was probably a good thing his father didn’t have that kind of power. If he did, Ael would be mated to someone else, and he never would’ve had the opportunity to know Grant. That realization gave Ael pause.
Ael’s heart had been broken after four failed potential mates and his hope of having a family was crushed. But things were different now. Ael understood that. Those other humans found their mates within the Sweshian community. They were loved and cherished. It was time for Ael to let go of the past. It was time to throw away his box of memories. He needed the closure, and looking through those mementos didn’t help.
When they reached his home, Grant strode to the guest room, and Ael went into his own bedroom. Ael peeled off his wet trousers and hung them up. He grabbed a pair of loose-fitting lounge pants and put them on before strolling out of his room.
He sat down on the couch in the main room and turned on the vid player. The large glass screen came to life, and colorful graphics appeared on the monitor. The vid showed recorded feed from a council session that had taken place earlier that morning.
“What are you watching?” Grant asked as he strode into the room.
“A council meeting,” he said. It wasn’t as interesting as a game of kumbhika, but Ael needed to stay informed. With his job, Ael couldn’t afford to miss out on anything important.
When Grant moved to take a seat beside him, Ael reached out and grabbed the human. He pulled Grant down so that he was sitting on the couch between his splayed legs. Grant leaned back. He pressed his back against Ael’s chest, making himself comfortable. Ael wrapped his arms around Grant’s waist, holding him close.
He leaned down and pressed his nose against the top of Grant’s head and inhaled, pulling the man’s scent into his lungs. Grant’s scent, though subtle, changed whenever they touched. When they kissed. And when the human was aroused.
Grant’s stomach growled, and Ael asked, “Are you hungry?”
He started to move, but Grant grabbed hold of Ael’s arms, refusing to let him move. “I don’t want you to get up. I like it when you hold me.”
Ael smiled. He liked holding Grant as well. It made his heart feel whole and took away his pain. He never thought it would be possible, but Grant was healing him. His presence was giving Ael purpose.
“I don’t need to get up,” Ael told him. “I can order food on my handheld and have it delivered to us.”
Grant glanced over his shoulder and gave Ael a disbelieving look. “You can order food from your handheld?”
Ael nodded.
“Okay.”
Grant leaned his head back against Ael’s chest, seeming content. Ael kept one arm firmly planted around Grant’s waist, and with the other, he reached out and grabbed the handheld device. Ael pressed a few buttons, putting in an order at one of his favorite eateries. When he was done, Ael put the handheld down and wrapped his other arm around Grant’s waist.
“Your skin is so much cooler than mine.”
Ael stiffened, worried that Grant might be uncomfortable. “Are you cold? Do you need a blanket?”
He shook his head. “No, I’m comfortable.”
Ael relaxed back against the cushions. He tried to focus on the vid screen, but it was difficult since Grant’s hands were moving up and down his arms, petting h
im.
“I like the texture of your skin, or I guess I should call it scales,” Grant murmured. He ran his hand up Ael’s arm. “It’s rough.” And then he ran his hand back down. “And now it’s slick.”
Ael chuckled. He enjoyed their differences. Grant’s soft, warm skin felt like a heavy blanket pressing comfortably against Ael’s chest.
“Is that your dad on the screen?” Grant asked.
Ael jerked his head up and looked at the screen. He hadn’t even been paying attention to the recording. Having Grant in his arms was a wonderful distraction from his responsibilities. Ael had the week off, so he didn’t need to watch the council meeting, but he liked to stay informed and up to date on any new developments.
“Yeah.” Ael nodded. “That’s him.”
“He looks so official,” Grant said, sounding surprised.
“Well”—Ael chuckled lightly—“he is the leader of Sweshan.”
“Who are all those other guys sitting around him?”
“They are elected government officials in charge of different territorial districts within Sweshan,” Ael told him. “They help to create laws, they advocate for members of the community, and they also act as ambassadors to other planets.”
“How many territorial districts are there on Sweshan?”
“One hundred ninety-six.”
“Are you serious?” Grant asked, making a sound of disbelief in the back of his throat. “There are one hundred ninety-six districts.”
“Sweshan is larger than Earth. Our numbers might not be as high as they once were, but there are a lot of Sweshian males spread out over the entire planet.”
Grant was silent for a few minutes before asking. “How do you all get around the planet? Do you swim and use the moving walkways?”
“We have trains that travel through a tube transportation system around the entire planet.”
“Oh, yeah,” he muttered. “I remember reading something about that in the manual. You guys have trains that go around the planet. They can travel up to four hundred miles per hour.”
“That’s right.”
For short distances, the Sweshian people either swam or took the moving walkways. But for long distances, they traveled in bullet-shaped pods. The transportation system carried cargo and passengers around the entire planet. It was safe, and it didn’t have any negative effects on the environment. The system used high-tech electric propulsion to accelerate the trains through a tube system. The trains glided through the tubes at high speeds, making it possible to travel from one territorial district to another.
A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Ael glanced toward the door. “Our food must be here.”
“I’ll get it,” Grant said, patting Ael’s arm.
Ael loosened his hold on Grant and dropped his arms. Grant tilted his head back and placed a kiss on Ael’s chin before rising to his feet. The human strode over to the front door, and Ael watched him go. Grant pressed the button on the wall, and the door slid open. The Sweshian male on the other side of the threshold held out a bag.
“Thank you,” Grant said, accepting the bag.
The male at the door looked past Grant, making eye contact with Ael. “I’ll charge your account, sir.”
Ael nodded. “Thanks.”
The male smiled down at Grant. “Good day.”
“Good day,” Grant responded. He hit the button, and the door closed. He spun around and faced Ael. “What do you think, should we have a picnic in the living room?”
Ael’s brows pinched together. He wasn’t exactly sure what a picnic was, but he didn’t want to look like a fool in front of Grant, so he nodded. “Sure.”
“Great,” he said.
Grant walked through the kitchen. He grabbed utensils and cloth napkins off the counter before strolling into the main room. Grant sat down on the floor and placed the food containers on the short-legged table in front of the vid player. Ael mimicked him. He slid off the couch and sat on the ground, crossing his legs.
Ael pulled the containers out of the bag and popped open the lids. He picked up one of the utensils and stabbed a piece of chilled pink-colored fish wrapped in söl.
“What is this?” Grant asked as he shoved a bite-sized piece of food into his mouth.
Instead of answering, Ael asked a question of his own. “Do you like it?”
Grant glanced at him and nodded as he finished chewing. Once he swallowed, he said, “It’s really good.”
“Raw fish.”
Grant’s eyes widened. From the look on his face, Ael thought the human might not want to eat anymore, but he merely shrugged and took another bite.
Ael had to admit that he was impressed by the human. Grant was willing to try new things. He jumped into each and every situation without complaint. He actually seemed to crave the Sweshian experience. Some of the other humans resisted when they first arrived on Sweshan. He knew it was because they were scared of the unknown. It took a lot of courage to be willing to actually try something different and perhaps a little unusual.
They talked casually and shared a few laughs while finishing their meal. When they were done, Ael cleaned up the mess, tossing the delivery containers into the trash.
He took a seat on the couch, and Grant climbed onto his lap, burying his face against Ael’s chest. Ael wrapped his arms around Grant, holding him in a tight embrace. The man’s whole body fit perfectly on his lap. Grant felt good. Warm. Soft.
The two of them sat in silence, listening to the council members drone on and on, discussing policies and laws. Several new measures were introduced, and each of the elected officials from the territorial districts within Sweshan stood and voiced their opinions. Toward the end of the meeting, the topic of humans was brought up, and the next date of delivery from Glecerus was confirmed. When the meeting ended, and the members were dismissed, Ael turned off the vid player.
Grant’s heavy breathing drew his attention. Ael glanced down at the man in his arms and realized that the human was asleep. He couldn’t help but smile. Grant was breathtaking. Ael moved, lying down on the couch, and carefully adjusted Grant’s body so that he was on top of him. Ael took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
Chapter Twelve
“What’s on the agenda for today?” Grant asked, practically skipping from the guest room to join Ael in the main living space.
Each day he spent with Ael was a new and exciting adventure, and he was looking forward to more. Just being in Ael’s presence was enough to make Grant happy. And although he wanted more from the male, Grant was willing to take whatever he could get. Their relationship had progressed past the point of Grant’s expectations over the last few days. Ael wasn’t keeping Grant at arm’s length. The male was touching him, holding him, and they had even shared a few mind-blowing kisses.
“Aqua craft riding,” Ael said with a grin.
“Hmm.” Grant made a non-committal sound. He wasn’t sure what aqua craft riding entailed, but he was willing to give it a try.
“You’re going to love it.”
Grant smiled. “I’m sure I will,” he easily agreed.
“Come over and eat some breakfast, and then we’ll head out.”
Grant walked over to the counter and took a seat. Ael placed a plate in front of Grant, and he started eating. He glanced at Ael between bites when the male wasn’t looking. Grant couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off Ael.
He ate quickly, shoveling the food into his mouth without really tasting it. Grant didn’t want to waste any time. Each and every moment with Ael was precious. He had a week with Ael, and it was already day four. Once their time together ran out, Grant would be taken away by the placement officer and placed with a different Sweshian male. The thought of leaving Ael left a bitter taste in Grant’s mouth, and it made his heart ache.
When Grant was finished eating, Ael picked up his plate and placed it in the sink. Grant slid off the barstool and rose to his feet, wiping his hands down the front of his fitted tr
ousers.
“Are you ready?” Ael asked, holding out his hand.
Grant nodded, taking his outstretched hand. “Let’s go.”
Ael led the way to their next destination, and Grant stayed by the male’s side.
Grant’s mind was a mess. He couldn’t stop thinking about losing Ael. The placement officer would be arriving in three days. Three days. It wasn’t enough time. And if Grant weren’t pregnant at the end of the week, he would be expected to warm another Sweshian male’s bed. Just thinking about it made Grant physically ill. He didn’t want to be taken away from Ael. But he didn’t really have a choice.
Grant had volunteered to come to Sweshan. He knew the rules. He knew what was expected of him.
“Grant.”
He glanced up at Ael. “Huh?”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?” he asked. “You’ve been really quiet.”
Grant sighed. “I’m just thinking.”
“About…” he said, trying to coax more from Grant.
Grant shook his head. “Nothing important.”
One corner of his mouth pulled into a slight smile. He didn’t want to worry Ael, but honestly, Grant wasn’t willing to share his fears with the male. He wasn’t Ael’s responsibility. Whatever happened at the end of their time together, it wasn’t Ael’s fault. Grant wasn’t upset with him. Ael had told him how things would be from the start.
The look on Ael’s face said that he didn’t necessarily believe Grant, but the male didn’t push him for answers. He merely nodded.
They walked in silence, from one walkway to the next, until they reached their destination. Ael ushered Grant into a room. There was a Sweshian male wearing some sort of instructor uniform standing in front of several rows of chairs filled with both Sweshian males and humans. Grant’s brows pinched together. He wasn’t really sure what this had to do with aqua craft riding.
