Her brilliant smile made his heart soar. “Aartan! I’ve just had a lovely visit with Levhon. We’re on our way to the lounge for a mug of your tharanberry mead. Would you like to join us?”
Levhon took one look at his face and mumbled something about an urgent meeting. When the warrior returned her hug as they said goodbye, Aartan had to clench his fists to keep from yanking him away. He couldn’t allow himself to touch Aliya, and it was torture to see another male do it so casually.
She gave him an innocent smile and slid her arm around his. “It looks like it will just be the two of us. Perfect. It’s been a long day, and I’m ready to kick back and relax. We spend all our time together dealing with patients, and I’ve been looking forward to getting to know you outside the lab.”
His cock surged at the scent of her. The warmth of her touch penetrated his sleeve, sending his gyron spiking. He glanced around the hall, seized with the wild impulse to back her into the nearest empty room, rip her clothes off, sink to his knees, and bury his face between her thighs.
“I’m sorry, Aliya. I have one last patient waiting to see me. Perhaps another time.” He tried to keep his voice pleasant but it sounded cold, even to him, and he thought he saw a flash of hurt in her beautiful dark eyes.
She pulled her hand away from where she’d tucked it in the crook of his arm. “Of course. I know how important caring for your patients is to you. See you tomorrow?”
He mustered up a smile. “I’ll meet you in my office before we make our rounds together.”
She smiled back and strode away, wearing a pair of shoes with heels so high he marveled she could walk in them at all. But gods, they made her sweet ass sway back and forth! He stifled a groan.
Aliya
She tried to act casual as she walked away, but her heels clacked on the floor with every step, making her feel not only foolish but slutty as well. She never wore shoes like these, but she’d had a fantasy of being alone with Aartan later tonight, after a few drinks. She’d strip off her boring lab clothes until she stood in front of him wearing only the sexy stilettos.
Cass had given them to her before she left Tharon, along with a beautiful slinky gown that made her feel glamorous. “Take these. You never know when you’ll find your twins. One day, your palms will grow damp, and your heart will start racing for no apparent reason. You’ll look up and there they’ll be – the strong, virile warriors destined to be your mates, seducing you with the scent of their gyron before you even know their names.” She’d laughed. “Believe me, you’ll be glad you packed them. There aren’t a lot of places to shop on a starcruiser’s route, and you’ll find yourself dreaming of wearing clothes like these the first time you’re alone with them. They’re a helluva lot sexier than our Federation uniforms!”
Aliya headed for the Gemini’s lounge, the closest thing there was to a dive bar in this sector of the galaxy. After that brushoff, she needed a stiff drink or two, and a girlfriend to commiserate with her on how impossible males were, no matter what alien race they belonged to.
Instead, she found tables full of boisterous twins clanking mugs together as they swapped tall tales about past battles with their brothers in arms. The starcruiser was woefully short on females, since Tharan law banned them from taking part in warfare. Tharan males might be sexy, but to an outsider, their culture seemed chauvinistic.
For months the Gemini had been command central for squads of warriors sent all over the galaxy to track down leads on the females from their world and others who’d been kidnapped by Magnus and his band of space pirates. Nearly all of them had been located and rescued, most recently the Luna’s First Mate Delta Greystone, who’d been sold to the harem of the evil Lord Axum on the desert planet of Borvaan. During her escape, her left leg had been burned so severely by exposure to the killing rays of the Borvaani sun that Aartan made the decision to amputate it above the knee and replace it with a cyber-engineered limb.
By the time Aliya arrived from Tharon, the surgery had already been performed. She was there when Delta awakened to walk her through the stages of recovery afterward. Shock, denial, anger…and finally acceptance. Having the love and support of her new Tharan mates, Zandyr and Zhynn, made the adjustment far easier than it otherwise might have been. Delta said her warrior twins made her feel like the most beautiful woman they’d ever seen. Aliya noticed she had a new aura of confidence and self-assurance since mating with the brothers.
She spied a familiar figure and headed toward him. “Commander Rhom. May I join you?”
His face lit up. “Aliya! It would be my pleasure. Please, sit down. Can I get you something to drink?”
She glanced at his half-full mug of dark-ruby liquid. “I’ll have what you’re having.”
“Tharonberry mead.” He waved to an attendant, pointed to his mug, and held up two fingers. “So, it’s been that kind of day, has it?”
She sighed. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything, Aliya. If not for you, our Cass wouldn’t be alive today. Rhynn and I owe you a debt we can never repay.”
“It was Rhynn who saved her. Rhynn and her own ability to slow her heartbeat and her respiration enough to keep her from bleeding to death when Magnus slashed her throat.”
“Yes, but you patched her back together so she could come back to us safely. To life.” He paused as the attendant brought two ice cold silver mugs brimming with the potent fruit liquor to the table. “Blessings and peace be to you and to all sentient beings in the Universe.” He repeated the Adromedan phrase used throughout the galaxy as a greeting, a toast and, at times, even an epitaph. They raised their mugs in the Tharan tradition then drank.
The liquor blazed a sweet trail of fire down her throat. Warmth spread to her belly, and Aliya sighed again. Rhom gave her a searching look. “That bad?”
“Worse. I'm afraid I’m going to make a fool of myself. I’ve seen Cass and Kyra, Saige and now Delta. They’ve all been seduced by gyron and fallen in love with gorgeous Tharan warrior twins like you and Commander Rhynn. I’m happy for them. For you.” She took another sip from her mug. Swirled the contents around, staring in as though the answers she sought would be found there.
“Delta asked me not long ago when I would succumb to the seductive pull of gyron and hook up with my own warrior twins,” she went on. “I told her I hadn’t felt it yet. I lied. I have. But there’s a problem. It’s not twins. It’s only one male. And he doesn’t seem the least bit interested in me.”
“Aartan,” Rhom said. It wasn’t a question.
“Yes, Aartan. I’ve grown to respect and admire him over these last few weeks we’ve worked together. He’s a brilliant surgeon. Not just knowledgeable but kind and compassionate to everyone. From what I’ve seen, it’s only me he treats coolly.”
She took another sip from her mug before continuing. “According to everything I’ve learned, if I’m reacting so strongly every time he gets near me, I’m stirring his gyron while he’s getting me—” She stopped herself before blurting out the word horny, uncomfortable with being so frank about sexual matters with someone who wasn’t only an alien male but also a fellow military officer.
“You feel intoxicated. Wild and reckless. He makes your pulse race and your blood heat.”
She nodded. “I can’t stop thinking about having his arms around me, imagining us doing every wicked act I’ve ever dreamed of – and more. How can that be? Why do I feel like a wanton woman whenever I get near him? I’ve never experienced anything like this before – and he seems oblivious to it.”
“I can tell you he’s not,” Rhom replied. “It’s taking everything Aartan has to keep from doing all those things you imagine and much more. Females don’t react the way you describe unless they are near a male whose unique mix of chemicals and pheromones is a match to theirs. Your species and ours have evolved a similar method of assuring our race will go on. For a Tharan male, simply being near the right human female creates a primal urge to mate almost impossible to resi
st.”
“Then, why?” She looked up at Rhom, her eyes bleak. “Why is he ignoring me?”
“You need to understand Aartan’s past. He isn’t just a brother warrior to me. He’s a dear friend, like a father in some ways. He’s a very private person, and he’d throttle me if he knew I was sharing this with you. But I understand the fire coursing through your veins, and I honestly believe mating with you would be the best thing that could happen to Aartan, despite the way he’s behaving.”
“I swear I’ll never hurt him,” Aliya said. “Please, tell me. What’s going on in his head? Why won’t he let himself get close to me?”
“Aartan and his twin, Azar, were the most powerful warriors of their time. They were very close to Chancellor Kal and his brother Khan. The four of them grew up together. In fact, their mate, Rielle, was related to Kal’s mate Soraya.”
Aartan had a mate? And a twin? Why wasn’t he with either one of them? Aliya forced herself to save all her questions until Rhom finished. She was afraid the answers would break her heart.
“Years ago, our people were threatened by an alien warlord from the planet Neron. Chancellor Kal ordered our warriors to attack that world and overcome its hostile forces to restore peace to our sector of the galaxy. Aartan and Azar volunteered to lead the invasion. They fought valiantly, and our troops were victorious, but both twins were gravely wounded. Aartan never fully recovered.”
Aliya nodded. “I’ve noticed he favors his left arm. He keeps his upper body covered all the time. I’ve never seen him in warrior garb with his arms and chest bare like the other warriors.”
“Their mate Rielle was pregnant with twin sons when they left. It was a difficult pregnancy, and she dreaded having them away, but she understood their duty as Tharan warriors was to all our people, not just to her.” Rhom took a deep breath, then went on. “Rielle went into labor not long after they left. It was far too soon. She and the twins died, all alone in their house, before help could get to her. Aartan and Azar didn’t find out until after the battle was over.”
Rhom took a swig of mead before continuing. “Aartan nearly lost his left arm. He could have had it replaced with a prosthetic limb, but he chose not to. I think living with his disability is his way of punishing himself for leaving Rielle. He saved countless lives, but he couldn’t save his own mate or his unborn sons.
“After that, Aartan decided his days of going into battle were over," Rhom explained. “Along with his prowess as a warrior, he’d served as a field medic, one of the best at saving lives under impossible situations. After his convalescence, he decided to become a surgeon. He has a brilliant mind and though he refused to have his own limb replaced, he’s gone on to install incredible cybermodifications in other injured warriors, including your friend Delta.”
“He never took another mate?”
Rhom shook his head. “He never even went back to the home they shared. He’s gone from starcruisers to military bases to battlefields, wherever his skills were needed. Buried himself in his work ever since.”
He had no mate. Her anxiety eased a bit. She gathered her courage and asked the other question she feared hearing the answer to. “What happened to Azar?”
Rhom shook his head. “I’m sorry. I’ve probably said too much already. I cannot speak of Azar. It would be a betrayal of Aartan’s trust. If he wants you to know, he’ll have to be the one to tell you.”
“Aartan has a gentle soul,” he went on. “He hides it behind that gruff exterior. He’s a true Tharan hero, channeling his own pain and sorrow into doing good for so many others. Cass has told me a little about your background, Aliya. Perhaps you could help him. You were raised as a Healer?”
She nodded. He’d been frank with her, and she found herself sharing more about her past than she had with anyone in a long time. “I grew up in a tiny village in a remote region of the Himalayas, a mountain range taller than any you have on Tharon. My father was a monk, devoting his life to spiritual growth. My mother was a doctor from India who came to his village to investigate claims of amazing medical cures using rare herbs and plants growing only in our harsh climate.”
She smiled at the memory. “My parents fell madly in love. It was like something out of a fairy tale. He left the monastery with the blessing of his rimpoche.” She saw Rhom’s quizzical look. “His teacher, the abbot. They spent the rest of their lives together.
“When I was a child, I watched my mother treat patients with medical techniques. My father taught me the healing skills he’d learned as a monk – how to slow my breathing and heartbeat then sync them with my patient to establish a link. How to empty my mind and then open it to receive the thoughts and emotions of another. Even how to feel the depth of someone’s pain without being overwhelmed by it. When I left the village, I decided to spend my life learning how to blend the two techniques to treat patients. Heal the wounds of the soul as well as the body.”
Rhom drained his mug and set it on the table. “If anyone can breach the walls Aartan built around his heart, I believe it will be you.” He rose and patted her shoulder. “It’s time he had someone special in his life again. May the gods be with you, Aliya.”
Chapter Three
Aliya
“Hello, Aartan.”
He looked up from the object he’d been studying on the lab table, frowning. “Aliya. What are you doing here? It’s late.”
“Yes. It is.” The potent liquor she’d polished off had made her reckless and bold. “But it’s not too late. You’ve been avoiding me for days. Hell, weeks. I know you’re aroused by me. I’ve felt your gyron. Being near you is like walking through a hologram of hot sex. I can see the images, they arouse me, but when I reach out to touch them, make them real, there’s no substance.”
He turned away, busied himself wiping down the already-gleaming metal surface of the table. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’m talking about that wild surge of pheromones I feel whenever I’m near you. The way my pussy clenches then floods. I’ve seen your eyes darken. I can smell your arousal the same way you can smell mine. Remember – I have a gift. Even without sensing the flow of your gyron, I know your heart beats faster when you’re near me.”
He walked around the table, came toward the door where she stood. “I’m sorry, Aliya. I must ask you to leave.”
“You want me to leave? Fine. Kiss me then tell me you feel nothing for me – and I’ll leave. I’ll admit I was wrong and all the fantasies I’ve had of us together live only in my imagination, not in yours as well.”
He took two steps closer, his face stern. “I warn you, little human, don’t push me. I’m still a Tharan warrior. and we do not accept disobedience from our females.”
“I’m not a little human,” she shot back, angry now. “I’m a full-grown woman, and you’ve made it clear you’re not interested in having me be your female. So I’ll disobey you all I want. What are you going to do – spank me? I’ve heard you Tharans are really into that,” she added scornfully.
“Kiss you?” he growled. “Is that what it will take to get you to go away? Fine. I’ll kiss you.”
He charged at her, his deep-blue eyes now stormy and dark. She took two steps back. Felt a little shiver of fear when her heels hit the door. Aartan moved in until his body was pressed against hers. He put his hands on either side of her, against the wall, bent his head, and covered her mouth with his.
It wasn’t a kiss. It was a full-blown attack. He captured her, crushed her mouth. She felt him in every cell of her being. Gyron poured off him, enveloped her, so overpowering she’d have gasped if she could. But his lips never left hers, even as he reached down to cup the cheeks of her ass, grinding his hips into her.
His cock was rock hard. And hot. The inferno sparked by his potent pheromones spread to her pussy. She moaned and opened her lips. Aartan growled then shoved his tongue into her mouth.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and opened wider, yielding to him. He pul
led away, wrapped his fingers around the waistband of her trousers, and yanked them down. Sinking to his knees, he buried his face between her legs.
Aliya bit off a cry. Sweet Goddess! She’d thought his tongue was hot in her mouth, but it was nothing compared to this. Sparks of fire danced up her thighs. When he slid her trousers all the way off, shoved her legs apart, and ran his tongue over her dripping slit, her legs trembled so hard she could barely stay upright. She grabbed his bald head, pulling him in closer.
He dug his fingers into her ass cheeks, lifted her off the floor, and buried his tongue in her pussy. She threw her head back, moaning. When he moved higher and drew the swollen bud of her clit into his mouth, she let out a soft cry. Then screamed when he started sucking it.
He was like a starving man, hungry to devour her. Aliya shuddered and raked his scalp with her nails. It drove him to new heights. He stood up, swept her off the floor, and held her against the door then rammed two fingers deep inside her. She clenched around them, powerful contractions that set off her climax. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he pounded his fingers into her, sweeping her over the edge. His lips captured hers again, drowning her screams as she exploded.
He pulled his fingers out but held her there in his arms until she stopped trembling. With her legs still wrapped around his waist, she could feel the hot steel of his cock straining against the fabric of his trousers. She reached down to stroke it, and he snapped.
“No! You wanted a kiss. I kissed you. Touch me again, and you’ll get that spanking you deserve. I swear.”
But she had her answer. No matter how hard he tried to resist, he wanted her as much as she wanted him. Aliya unwound her legs from his waist, slid to her knees, and ran her fingers over the bulge.
Defending their Mate_a Sci-Fi alien romance Page 2
