The Commander's Fated Mate

by Lily Anton

  The insinuation wasn’t quite there, but it was close enough that Ezon shot his friend a disapproving scowl. He was not some rutting beast that would-

  Wait.

  “She went back to my quarters?” he asked, highly skeptical.

  “Indeed she did. Now go,” Atens insisted. “You can afford a few hours of sleep.”

  He really should have gone back to the command deck, but at this point there was no further course of action he could take. General Yera had insisted they simply observe the frigate for now. A true test of his patience but there wasn’t anything else that required his attention.

  Ezon would be lying to himself if he said he did not wish to see Leila, but the uncertainty of what would happen if he did see her was too much to ignore. Every time they had interacted so far, and it had only been a mere handful of times, had never gone the way he expected them to go.

  “Ezon.” He looked up sharply, finding Atens pointing towards the commissary exit. “I am tired of looking at your grumpy face.”

  His skin darkened in a show of displeasure, only further driving home his friend’s point. “I will go check on her well-being. That is all.”

  “Mm-hmm, you do that.”

  Growling, he stood up and left his friend, depositing his plates into the disposal unit before making his way back. He took the long way this time, forgoing the transport pod, steeling himself before entering his quarters.

  It was quiet, and for the first time in almost two days, he relaxed his shoulders, unbuttoning his jacket and removing his shoes in the living room so as not to disturb Leila.

  His stomach protested the lack of food; he had not eaten much on his plate while speaking with Atens, and he was pleased to see that his kitchen area had finally been stocked appropriately. He had already noticed the folded clothing on the table, which he came over to inspect after downing a glass of water and grabbing a nutrient bar to appease his hunger.

  The clothes were newly made, unworn still, although Atens clearly expected that to change at some point. It had made no sense to create such a uniform for her, and especially not without his approval. He wondered what his friend was up to by taking such liberties, especially as he opened the small black box and found two pins nestled inside.

  Ezon would deal with that later, focused now on silently heading to the bathroom to use the facilities and wash his face. He didn’t dare bother with bathing right now, not when time was limited and sleep was a priority. However, he had one more thing he needed to do first.

  Even while asleep she called to him, the song steady yet quiet in the back of mind. She had curled her body to one side of the bed, her hair messily spread out across the pillow. The fact that she had returned to his quarters and gone back into his bed…? Maybe she thought he would be angered if she had slept elsewhere? But then his conversation with Atens came to mind and he reluctantly dismissed the idea that she was still here out of fear.

  If only his parents could see him now. Their stubborn, always-too-serious son standing there uncertain of what he wanted. Well, that wasn’t exactly true; he wanted to climb into bed with her, the pull even stronger now that it had been the first time.

  Perhaps he was being given a second chance to get this right.

  She stirred as he stepped closer, and Ezon had to wonder if the Calling was what made her aware of his presence, despite how deeply she was sleeping. He did not wish to disturb her and turned to leave, satisfied that she was alright.

  “Ezon?”

  A sharp sense of deja-vu overwhelmed him as he heard her mumble his name. He did not think she even realized just how attuned to him she was, even when unconscious. The right thing to do would be to let her sleep. But regret at his earlier behaviour and his desire to have her speak with him made him feel selfish. He needed to take a chance.

  “Yes, it is me…” he replied quietly, kneeling down beside the bed. “Do you need anything?”

  “Mmmno…” she mumbled, not seeming able to open her eyes.

  He wanted to apologize, to tell her he felt the same uncertainty and did not know how to navigate what was going on between them. It was all there on the tip of his tongue but all that came out was: “Go back to sleep…”

  Ezon winced, embarrassed with himself and began to stand up just as he spotted her hand reaching out from underneath the blanket.

  Oh.

  He reached out, holding her pliant hand within his own, her fingers still lax from sleep.

  “I’m glad you came back.”

  Ezon looked at her, but her face was still tucked underneath the blankets. Which was probably for the best as he fumbled over how to best respond. “Yes. I am sorry I left you.”

  He heard her hum in acknowledgment. “You leaving again?”

  “No,” he assured her softly. “I have come to rest. I will be here for a short while.”

  “Mmmm good.”

  She did not want him to leave? That was...surprising. He had acted poorly, abandoning her without thought earlier. Perhaps being half-asleep was making her so forgiving.

  He resisted the urge to bring her hand to his lips and gently let it go, intent on sleeping on the couch. It would be comfortable enough and he had certainly slept in worse places.

  “Where you going?”

  Ezon pivoted in the doorway. “I will remain in my quarters. Should you need me I will be in the main room.”

  “You...you could sleep here?” Her words were sleep-filled yet still timid, as if uncertain of her offer.

  Holy Waters give him strength; he should not accept. It would not be wise to be so close…

  “I would not wish to make you uncomfortable…”

  She said nothing, Ezon watching her roll over underneath the thick blanket, the empty space beside her revealed as she pulled the blanket aside in clear invitation.

  He almost choked on his breath as there was no way to misinterpret the action. It was up to him now: retreat or surrender.

  His main cock stirred within his pants, its choice very clear, if not highly biased.

  Ezon was a cautious person by nature, and the risk of making the wrong choice in this moment caused him to stand there frozen, not knowing what to do.

  “ ‘sokay,” he heard her mumble.

  Whether she meant it was okay that he go to her or decline the offer, he wasn’t certain, but his feet made the decision for him, moving him towards the empty side of the bed.

  He sat down cautiously, not wishing to disturb her and also give her the chance to change her mind. Her exhaustion was enviable at this point considering he doubted she was dealing with the level of emotional turmoil he was feeling right now.

  As soon as he felt the mattress give underneath him, he took a moment to take a calming breath, reminding him that the invitation was for nothing more than to share a bed.

  Untucking his shirt was as far as he went in making himself any more comfortable as he maneuvered himself underneath the blankets and pulled them up towards him. The bed was certainly large enough for them to maintain a respectful distance, but the smell of her in his sheets washed over him as he tried to relax.

  He closed his eyes, inhaling and attempting to catalogue every scent: soap and water from her bath hours prior, a warm slightly spiced fragrance he knew to be what humans called ‘vanilla’, a hint of salt, and underneath all that...just her.

  It also did not escape his notice that she was wearing his shirt yet again. Even though Ezon knew it was by necessity, the thought that his shirt would further smell like her…

  He closed his eyes, willing himself to relax and try to fall asleep but the Calling was incessant in its need to remind him that his huerta was only an arm’s length away. His hand slid across the space between them, his fingers stopping when they were close enough to feel the warmth of her body without actually touching her. It was as far as he dared go.

  ‘Please let her not regret this when she wakes…’

  It was his last conscious thought before falling in
to a restless sleep.

  ∆∆∆

  He woke with heavy lids to the chirping of his comm unit on the nightstand beside him; an annoying reminder of his duties. The thought made him frown internally; he had never considered his duties as Commander annoying, even if it was occasionally tedious. Yet, he was reticent to move, the reason being the comforting warmth on his chest and a body pressed against his side.

  He could not recall the last time he had slept so well, or with anyone beside him.

  At some point he and Leila had sought each other out, crossing the small divide between them. They were a tangle of limbs, her head tucked into his side and her hand splayed across his chest.

  Shuffling his legs brought his attention to their lower halves where Leila had hooked a leg over his own. He bit back a moan, registering the source of heat on his thigh.

  His shirt and ridden up on her body, her warm sex pressed dangerously against the fabric of his pants and his hand curled around her bare hip.

  Ezon had zero desire to remove himself from this moment. She was so small against him but with curves under his hand that made him gently squeeze the soft yet firm flesh beneath it.

  The thought of waking up in such a way everyday for the rest of his life… Just the faint possibility of it brought him immense hope followed by sorrow. Human lives were so short. Even if she should wish to bond with him...it would be over far too soon.

  Atens briefly came to mind. His friend had said it would be worth it; no matter little time he had with his bondmate. They all had seen Atens become a shell of himself in his grief. It had taken years for him to begin to move forward, and even then it was with the loss hanging over him.

  The endless chirping drew his attention back to the present, and he reluctantly rolled onto his side away from her in order to retrieve it, Leila’s grasp on him surprisingly firm. She stirred as he reached for the device, bringing it to his ear.

  He resisted the urge to snap at the interruption, accepting the call.

  “Commander? You...you are needed back on deck.”

  Ezon had expected to hear Raillar but instead he was met with the more tentative voice of another officer.

  “Understood.” He clicked off, slowly heaving himself up.

  He saw Leila’s hand reach for him as she woke. “You leaving?”

  “I’m afraid so,” he leaned over, holding back a smile as she rubbed at her eyes. They had been able to get several hours of sleep, and hopefully she would be able to gain a few more. “I will be back when I can. I will leave my quarters unlocked should you wish to go out.”

  “Mmmm,” she replied. “I like your bed.”

  “I like you in my bed.” The statement slipped out without warning, and Ezon readied an apology for the inappropriate comment just as she chuckled.

  It was a throaty thing, still filled with sleep, and he had to wonder if she would have reacted the same if she’d been wide awake.

  “Good,” she said, and he could hear the smile in her words. Yet just like him, she froze, and he could feel her go rigid underneath the blankets in realization. “I...the bed is comfortable. That’s what I meant.”

  He considered it a good thing she had not woken up when he had; no doubt seeing herself in such a position would have been even more uncomfortable.

  “You are welcome to it,” he reassured her, standing up and stretching. Her brown eyes were watching his movements, and he resisted the urge to do something ridiculous...like take off his shirt for her enjoyment. He needed to remain focused and not let himself get swept up in the pull of the Calling.

  “Is there an update?” she asked him, their conversation turning more serious.

  “Not at present,” he replied, knowing it wasn’t the whole truth, “but I am requested back on deck so that may change shortly. I…I wish to apologize for my earlier behavior…”

  Ezon focused on tucking his shirt back in so he wouldn’t have to look at her. “I...admit I have not handled your presence appropriately and I regret my actions.”

  At the sound of sheets rustling, he looked up and found her sitting, his shirt once again falling to one side and revealing a smooth expanse of skin. He swallowed impulsively at the scene she created.

  “I appreciate that, thank you,” Leila acknowledged. “I don’t think this Calling thing helped me stay as level-headed as I could have been.”

  He nodded. “Understandable. It has certainly been an unusual chain of events.”

  “This...song...in my head,” she started slowly, “...is it permanent?”

  Ezon struggled to come up with an answer that wouldn’t risk upsetting her. Apparently, he didn’t do a good job of hiding his difficulty.

  “It’s permanent then.”

  Her neutral tone effectively hid how she felt on the subject, and he shook his head. “It is...complicated.”

  “Short version then,” she requested, giving the impression of a councilmember in discussion with advisors and not a woman wearing nothing but his shirt as she sat in his bed.

  “The Calling is not permanent...but it requires that certain steps be taken.”

  Leila pursed her lips together in thought. “I’m not going to like these steps, am I?”

  Done with his shirt, he had nothing to distract himself with as he answered. “There is usually a joining ceremony, although that is not a requirement, and then there is…”

  “You’re going to say ‘sex’, aren’t you.”

  Ezon tensed at her matter-of-fact tone. Part of him wanted to argue that it was not considered ‘sex’ the way humans described it. “Bonding. There is bonding,” he clarified, “and a bonding mark is bestowed on one another during that time.”

  He watched her expression carefully, but another chirp from his comm unit caught both of their attentions. “I will not force myself upon you. I will return you to Earth as I promised,” was all he could think to say, grabbing the annoying device.

  “I’m on my way!,” he snapped, answering the call once more.

  “Commander, this cannot wait,” Raillar’s voice was stern. “The frigate we’ve been monitoring has disappeared.”

  Ezon’s concern about the situation increased ten-fold. They had known something was obviously amiss but ‘what’ remained a mystery. “Impossible.”

  “It should be,” Raillar confirmed. “My previous communication to you was to inform you that we had visual confirmation. They appeared to divert course before vanishing.”

  “The Baza do not have cloaking technology at their disposal. Our sensors should-”

  “Our sensors are not detecting them.”

  He was in the living room, making quick work of getting his shoes back on. “Increase def-”

  “Defense shields have been in place and are holding,” Raillar finished for him. “General Yera has been informed of-”

  Ezon frowned as Raillar’s focus went elsewhere, just as there was movement in his peripheral.

  Leila appeared in the living room looking alert and already reaching for the set of clean clothes on the table.

  “Commander, this is Fenna,” her panicked voice bringing him to a halt. “No, I must speak-” he heard her arguing, most likely with Raillar.

  She did not have authorization to be on the command deck, and the fact that she was made him very interested in what could have brought her there. All these things appeared to be coinciding and brought with it a sense of dread.

  “Raillar, allow her to speak,” he ordered.

  “Commander, I think Chief Steward Krase is up to something,” she insisted.

  Raillar’s cautious skepticism could be heard in the background. “Unless you have proof-”

  “Well, I was...” Fenna faltered, obviously hesitating and Ezon took an educated guess as to why.

  “You will not be in trouble. Explain what you have observed.” If fear of being reprimanded was holding her back, then he would ensure that barrier was removed.

  “We were...I mean, I was at the top of the
waterfall,” she hedged, her slip up ignored by him as it was of no relevance. “Section 12 should have been empty, but I saw the Chief Steward down below.

  He was speaking angrily to someone on his comm link. He was agitated and pacing and constantly looking around before I saw him pull out something from his robes. It was glowing red and then he tucked it in his sleeve.”