“For the record, Miss Montgomery, are you now, or have you ever been married?”
“No.” These were the same questions I’d been asked before, but I knew this was the last time. Now I had a mate. A match. A man who was supposed to be paired to my psychological profile perfectly. Knowing that my mate waited for me only made the questions seem much more real.
“Have you produced any biological offspring?”
“Hell, no.” And before today, I’d never wanted to. Curtis had never inspired me to want a child, and my own upbringing had left me cold. If I ever had a baby, I’d need to take mothering classes or something. I’d have to do all the things my mother never did, like learn all the little songs and games little ones played. The ABCs. I knew the ABCs.
Did they even have an alphabet on Trion? Suddenly, I couldn’t wait to find out. I bet it had its own special children’s song. I’d learn it right away, and sing it to my baby. Maybe even before it was born. They could hear in there, right? Maybe I’d sing both songs, English and Trion.
Wow. I wanted a baby. That was a new one. Had they given me something during testing to wake up my ovaries?
“Natalie?”
I blinked up at Warden Egara. “Yes.”
“I know it’s difficult, but try to stay with me. We’re almost done. Do you accept the results of the matching protocol?”
“Yes.” Oh, hell yes, gara accepted. I laughed. I couldn’t help it. Elation washed through me, hot and heady. I felt… happy. For once, I had something to be excited about, and I’d done it by myself, for myself. “Sorry, I’m kind of excited.”
The warden patted me on the shoulder and walked to the opposite side of the room, her form-fitting gray uniform reminded me of that sexy, alien character, Seven of Nine on Star Trek. Curtis had always pointed out how sexy that stupid, blonde actress looked in her sparkly, super-tight, silver spacesuit. She was a cyborg on the television show. How was a machine woman sexy? I didn’t get it, but Curtis drooled every time she came on the television screen, even if I was sitting right next to him on the couch.
Well, I had the last laugh. Curtis was stuck here, on Earth, paying his escorts to suck his dick and living inside that bank eighty hours a week like a robot. I was the one going off on a sexy adventure in space.
God, I hoped my Trion mate was hot. Smoking hot. Drench-my-panties hot, just like the dream.
A bright blue light appeared in the wall to my left and the chair lurched sideways.
Startled, I looked up to see Warden Egara smiling at me. “Try to relax. All planets have specifications for their mates. All modifications for Trion will be made as part of your processing. When you wake up, you’ll be on Trion. You will no longer be a citizen of Earth. Your new mate will be waiting.”
I leaned back, ready for whatever insanity was about to happen. Actually, I was simply trying not to throw up.
I was leaving home. Forever. I’d read the handbook. I knew what I was getting into and knew I couldn’t come back. But thinking and doing were two separate things.
When the giant needle thing came at me, I flinched. When it stabbed me just behind my ear, near the temple, I tried to ignore the pain as the warden explained they were implanting neural processors to help me learn the Trion language.
Cool.
The chair lowered me into a warm, blue bath and a feeling of calm settled over me. I figured they were drugging me and I didn’t care. At least I wasn’t about to lose my cookies all over this glamorous hospital gown.
“Your processing will begin in three… two… one.” Warden Egara gave a little wave as the wall slid closed behind me.
And then…nothing.
Chapter Two
Councilor Roark, Outpost Two, Southern Continent, Planet Trion
“Councilor!”
I turned at the voice and looked between the two tents waiting for the owner of that deep voice to appear. The two suns made for a hot, bright day and I did not have proper cover to linger outside. The young man who ran toward me in the sand was newly assigned to my personal guard detail. He was my cousin’s son, eager and loyal, even if he was barely over twenty summers. “What is it, Byran?”
True, he was young, but his body shook with a mixture of eagerness and excitement “She’s here!”
When I frowned, he continued, “Your female. The alien from Earth.”
My back went straight and the breath left my body as if I’d been punched in the stomach. “My mate is here?” I asked. “The transport was to occur when the first sun set.” I scanned the sky in less than a second. “I did not expect her for half a day.”
While he stood at attention before me, as was appropriate considering my rank, he shrugged. “I do not know the details, Councilor, but she is here. I saw her.” A look something akin to longing crossed over his face.
“Is she beautiful?” I shouldn’t ask him. For what could he say? No, sir, she’s hideous? Of course not. Even if it were truth.
“She’s incredible, Councilor. I’ve never seen a woman who looks like her.”
I walked with haste to the small transport station, which was as temporary and rustic as the entire outpost. Here for only a few days to meet with tribal leaders in the area, I’d been shocked when the Interstellar Brides Program notified me of my mate’s pending arrival. Even my parents had rushed from their comfortable and lavish home in the capital city of Xalia to meet her, the future of our family, the woman who would bear my children.
Pushing back the flap of the tent, I ducked to fit through the entry and took in the small group of men. Standing in a semicircle, they looked down at the ground at something, which I assumed was my mate.
It had been more than a month since I’d submitted to the Interstellar Brides Program’s matching protocols. I did not remember much of the test itself. I’d fallen asleep and woken with my heart racing, a raging cock and a feeling of complete satisfaction. I had no idea what type of female I would be assigned, nor did I care. I simply wanted her to arrive. Ruling was a lonely job, and as much as I admired and respected my parents, they were cold comfort when I lay in bed at night. Alone.
Yes, there were Trion females aplenty more than eager to ride my cock, but they all wanted something in return. Wealth. Status. Power.
But the female who had just arrived would want nothing more than my dominant hand on her body and my cock buried deep…
Clearing my throat, the men turned and bowed. Transport centers on Trion were, by necessity, mobile, their location kept secret. The rebellious faction of Drovers on the southern continent were aggressive and determined. The Drovers wanted Trion to abandon our oath to the Interstellar Coalition, to send no more soldiers, no more brides. The Drovers believed our technology and stubborn tribal blood would be enough to protect us from the Hive scourge.
They were wrong. I’d seen what was out there, in space. I’d been on the front lines of the war. I’d served four years, as was required from all Trion volunteers. And I knew, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that the Drover factions were wrong.
The Hive would conquer us in a matter of weeks without the protection of the Interstellar Fleet.
Still, some refused to believe the truth. Because of this, the Transport Outposts were moved often, their location kept secret from all but a few. As a result, I came to be in the middle of the desert at Outpost Two, the nearest transport station available out here in the wilds of the southern continent. I was content in the capital, surrounded by loyal guards and advisors, away from the complications and maneuverings a visit to the outposts always brought about. At home, I could be with my people, lead and rule them effectively. Here, I was constantly on guard, every word from my mouth had the potential to start a skirmish between tribes, a battle over resources, water or women. One hint of weakness was all it would take to destabilize the region.
I was never weak.
Here, councilors from all over Trion would meet, those meetings often dragging out for days of rituals, ass-kissing and bargai
I had come to Outpost Two for such a meeting, but as soon as I knew my mate would arrive, I’d done what I could to keep a low profile, waiting for my mate. Waiting, and imagining what she might look like. How hot her pussy would feel wrapped around my cock. I could almost hear the soft cries of her pleasure as I took her from behind on the claiming bench, over and over again.
Three days of waiting.
Now, the wait was over. She was here and I could make her mine and take her home. Finally.
I didn’t say anything, just crossed the space and the men parted, allowing me, at last, to see my mate.
My eyes widened at her sleeping form. Her naked sleeping form. Her body was ripe with curves, full, lush breasts led to a tapered waist. Her skin was pale, no doubt untouched by the harsh desert suns. Her hair shimmered softly in the light cast by a half dozen lamps surrounding the transport platform. None had dared touch her, but I studied her softness against the dark gray surface of the transport and worried that the journey had injured her. Why was she not awake?
I stepped closer, crouched down in front of her and studied her delicate features. Her lips were pink and full. Her face tapered to a slightly pointed chin that I ached to kiss. Her golden hair looked as if it had been woven with strips of pure gold from Trion’s many mines.
She was stunning and I struggled with thought as my body reacted to her beauty. No wonder Byran had lust in his eyes.
No doubt, they all did. The men surrounding me. Suddenly, I became all too aware of their continued presence.
Fark!
Looking about, I yanked a long robe from one of the men’s arms and draped it over my mate, ensuring her gorgeous body was completely covered. Only her head and neck were exposed. Turning my head, I looked up at the men, who now looked abashed and nervous.
“That is my mate you have been ogling,” I said, my voice sharp and cold. “Since you were looking at her naked body, I assume you saw the disks that indicated she has a master?”
Everyone’s eyes lowered to the ground.
“Not one of you thought to cover her? Not one of you thought of her modesty, that she is mine? That her body is solely for my pleasure, not yours?”
My voice raised with each word and the last question was shouted. Everyone in camp must have heard me.
I stood to my full height and crossed my arms over my chest.
“Byran!”
The young man stepped forward, shoulders back, chin up. “Yes, Councilor?”
“Find the doctor and bring her here. Immediately.”
“And your parents?”
Fark. I’d forgotten them in the surprise. They’d journeyed to the outpost to meet my mate. Eager for me to continue the line of Trion leaders with the next generation, they’d pressured me to take a bride, a political match. As the dutiful son, I’d allowed them to parade women before me for months. My position as councilor ensured I could have chosen almost any bride from the capital, but I found I did not enjoy their calculating looks or false humility. They were women born to powerful families, pampered and protected. Arrogant and entitled. When my mother insisted I choose one of them, I’d refused, and my father, for once, had taken my side against his mate. He understood my desire for a woman all my own. He wanted for me what he had enjoyed these last years, a true mate, one perfectly matched to me, as my mother had been to him. And so, I’d attempted to please my parents, my agreeing to take a mate, but one of my own choosing. One matched to me. A perfect match.
I looked to Byran, who waited patiently, his hands clasped in front of his waist.
“Yes, alert them of her arrival.” As much as I wanted to meet my bride alone, I knew that was not possible. Not here, at Outpost Two. We’d be swarmed with curious eyes, my mother’s at the front of the line.
Byran knew nothing of my inner turmoil. I kept my face carefully blank as he bowed and dashed off.
“As for the rest of you…. out!” I yelled.
The remaining onlookers scurried through the opening in the tent and while I heard them murmuring as they fled, I didn’t listen, for my attention was on my mate before me.
She was asleep. She wasn’t dead, since I could see the slight rise and fall of the robe. I would not leave her on the hard transport deck, so I scooped her up into my arms and carried her over to a chair. I felt no strain lifting her; Earth females seemed to be quite small. I remembered the High Councilor’s mate, Eva, who was also a wisp of a female in comparison to her master, Tark. Sitting down with her tucked against me on my lap, I sighed loudly, allowed my frustration and anger to seep from me now that I finally had her in my arms.
My mate was warm and soft and I leaned down to brush my face over her soft hair. Silky and the prettiest color. Breathing in her scent, I closed my eyes. This was my mate! Out of the entire universe, she was my perfect match. I was confident in her, even though she had yet to open her eyes. She was mine. I had my parents and one sister to whom I was dedicated, but having a mate call me master was something else entirely. I felt possessiveness swirl through my veins.
A female a decade older than my thirty summers came through the entry, then bowed. She wore the uniform of a Trion doctor and carried a small bag. Inside would be all that was needed to diagnose, treat and heal most illnesses, wounds and injuries. “Councilor, I heard your mate has been transported. Congratulations. Do you wish me to fully examine her for mating?”
“No. I wish for you to inform me of her general health, Doctor.” I shifted her so I could stroke my hand over her hair. I wanted to feel it beneath my palm, to touch her. “The mating tests, however, I will perform myself. I have found I am a little…protective where my mate is concerned.”
“Yes, I heard of your unhappiness with regards to the others.” I could hear her own displeasure in her tone. “Then you do not wish for this exam to be witnessed by someone other than myself, for the official records?”
“Fark, no.” The answer was instant and almost feral. Enough of the outpost had seen her naked already.
“You are aware that it is standard protocol for you to claim her before an official witness, and for the event to be recorded for the brides program’s system monitors.”
I tightened my hold on my mate. The thought of one of those overeager asses watching me fill this small female with my seed did not appeal. No one would hear her cries of surrender, of pleasure, but me. “I am aware of the tradition. I simply choose not to honor it. I assure you, Doctor, that I will fuck my mate more than once. There will be ample opportunity for the brides program’s monitors to record the activity.”
I saw the corner of her mouth tip up, but she did not comment on the subject any further. I was the Councilor of the southern fucking continent. If anyone wanted to ensure my mate was well and truly mated, they could just look at her face tomorrow. It would have the glow of a well-fucked female. That was all these bastards at this outpost were going to get. They were a bunch of horny heathens and I would not allow them to satisfy their curiosity or hunger for female flesh with my mate.
“If I may look at her?”
“Yes, Doctor,” I replied, loosening my hold. While a female doctor was not the norm, I was pleased she was stationed to this outpost, for I could not tolerate having another male look at her, even with the most clinical of intents.
“Would you prefer to hold her as I scan her, or place her on the table?”
Her deference was appreciated and I would assist her in any way I could to strengthen her position among the medical elite back home. She was being supportive of me and my needs with regards to my mate. I could support her. “Do it here.”
She nodded, then knelt before me. Meeting my gaze for a moment, she found the edges of the robe and parted it. I’d had only the briefest glimpses of my mate before I covered her. She’d been on her side, her legs bent, but I hadn’t missed the curve of her hip, her pale skin, her full breasts, the thin gold chain that dangled between her nipples, anchored in the piercing on each pink tip. The processing center on Earth did an excellent job with the modifications required for Trion. With her in my lap, I could take my time and look my fill. Her breasts were a handful, the nipples a pale blush color. With the golden rings through them, the tips were tightly furled. I recognized my seal embossed on the gold medallions affixed to the chain. The sight pleased me greatly, my most primitive need to announce to the planet exactly who this female belonged to was assuaged. No one would question her identity or my claim. Her abdomen was slightly curved and she was bare above her pussy, although, with her legs together and bent, I could see nothing more.
I grew hard as I imagined what awaited me between those soft, supple thighs.
The doctor took a ReGen wand from her bag and slowly moved it across my mate’s body from head to feet and back again. The doctor’s eyes remained on the sensors and colored lights as she did so.
“Roark, we heard she has arrived.” My father’s voice filled the small area inside the tent and I lifted my gaze to find my parents entering without my leave. Until this moment, their arrogance had never bothered me. But now, I found a deep-seated rage boiling just below the surface at their intrusion.
“Yes, Father.”
The doctor must have seen the tightness in my jaw, for she quickly reached over and pulled the robe back over my mate’s body.
He stepped forward but I shook my head and my mother reached out to stop him with a small hand on his arm. “Congratulations, son.”
“My thanks, Mother.” I’d always been told I looked just like my father. Tall, broad shouldered, black hair, equally black eyes. His was threaded with streaks of silver. I had a close-cut beard, while he was clean-shaven. Still, look like him, I did. But it was my mother’s cunning, her cold-blooded and mercenary logic when it came to policy decisions, that I shared. She’d been my father’s constant, and loving, companion and most trusted advisor for many decades. He’d served as Councilor over the southern continent for twenty years before stepping aside in favor of me. As had happened for generations, I was immediately voted in as his replacement.
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