Death's Mate

by C. W. Gray

  Death’s Mate

  Charybdis Station

  C.W. Gray

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Epilogue

  Also by C.W. Gray

  Copyright © 2020 C.W. Gray

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions contact:

  c.w.grayauthor@gmail.com

  Cover by Cosmic Letterz

  Edited by Beth Agejew

  Created with Vellum

  1

  Valentine Philbert woke up reluctantly. He kept his eyes closed. His mate’s warm, naked body was tangled with his own, and Val still ached a little from their earlier round of lovemaking.

  He felt Verion’s lips and teeth nibbling his chin and slowly smiled. “It’s not time to get up yet.”

  Verion grunted softly, then pulled the blankets off them and slid down Val’s body, lips trailing over Val’s muscled chest and soft belly.

  Val’s eyes popped open, and he sucked in a deep breath as his dick stirred. “You don’t have to–”

  His mate sucked one of Val’s heavy balls into his mouth, and Val’s words turned into a groan.

  Verion stroked Val’s suddenly hard length, then swirled his tongue around the head.

  Gods, how did I live without this for so long? Val thought, mind racing as his heart beat faster.

  Val wrapped his fingers around the rails of the headboard when Verion changed his angle, taking more of Val’s dick into his mouth. His muscles tensed, and his clawed fingertips cut into the wood frame of the bed.

  Val was vaguely aware of his control snapping. He growled as he released the headboard and pulled his dick from Verion’s mouth before flipping their bodies. “Want inside you.”

  He pinned Verion to the bed, his claws digging lightly into Verion’s hips. The scratches healed almost instantly, and his mate’s pale white skin glistened in the filtered station light from the window, unblemished.

  Verion’s stark white skin and pale white hair should have been too colorless to appeal. The full black eyes watching him with hunger should have been even more off-putting. All were signs that a creature of unimaginable power lived in Verion Morrick’s body.

  Val found everything about his mate irresistible. My beautiful Veri, Val thought in bemusement, sending a quick thanks to the gods that had deemed them soul mates.

  He cupped Verion’s ass almost reverently and placed several tiny, gentle bites on each cheek, careful of his fangs. Just because his mate could heal instantly, didn’t mean he liked to hurt him. He slid his fingers through Verion’s crease and found his hole.

  Val grabbed the lube on the bedside table and slowly stretched Verion’s ass, using one finger, then two, then three.

  Verion groaned and arched his back, pumping his hips as he rode Val’s fingers.

  After a moment, Val leaned over and nibbled the back of Verion’s neck. “Love you.” He bit down hard and thrust into Verion’s ass.

  Verion cried out hoarsely and buried his hands in the blankets as Val pounded into him.

  Val growled and gripped Verion’s hips, half lifting from the bed. He angled Verion’s body so his dick hit just the right spot.

  “Valentine,” Verion moaned, voice breaking apart when Val’s dick hit his prostate again. He cried out and came all over the sheets.

  Val smiled in satisfaction and bit into Verion’s neck again, letting his body take over as he found his own release deep in his mate’s ass.

  He pulled Verion up and held him against his chest as his heartbeat slowed, and their bodies stopped shaking. Val buried his face in the crook of Verion’s neck and breathed in his familiar earthy scent.

  Val had grown up on an industrial planet. In those days, Union Station had very few plants or trees, but there had been one small park within walking distance of his home. He remembered the smell of oak moss and how it had completely entranced him.

  Verion’s smell was so similar, it instantly brought a smile to Val’s face. My mossy mate.

  He rolled them to the other side of the bed, making sure Verion’s body stayed well away from the wet spot. Val curled around his mate’s smaller body and kissed the tip of Verion’s slightly pointed ear. “Love you, Veri. Get some sleep, mate.”

  Verion’s body softened against him as he fell asleep holding Val’s arm to his chest.

  Val tried to stay awake. Moments like this were his favorite. When they were alone, they were just Val and Veri. They weren’t a station maintenance man and a brilliant scientist possessed by the Crellic Element Death.

  That’s a mouthful, Val thought, fighting a yawn. He hadn’t known Verion before he’d died then been resurrected as Death/Verion. All he knew was his mate as he was now–a beautiful, slightly prickly man that loved his family and friends. Don’t need to know more than that.

  Val fell asleep, mind full of oak moss and heated black eyes.

  When he woke again, the bed was empty. As usual.

  Val sighed and sat up, rubbing his eyes. Verion never stayed the whole night. That would require acknowledging their relationship and having breakfast with Val’s son.

  He rubbed his chest, heart heavy. Verion also never told Val he loved him, though Val knew his mate did care for him.

  After Charybdis Station’s war with the Crellic Queen and her allies, the Humans First Coalition, had ended, Val had expected to settle down with Verion and live happily ever after. During the war, Verion had needed to focus on taking out the Queen. Keeping their connection to one another a secret had been the best decision at the time. At least, that’s what Val kept telling himself. The war’s over, he thought for the hundredth time. I want my happy now.

  As the months passed and Verion didn’t mention moving in, announcing their mating, or maybe even marrying, Val had started to lose hope. He knew they were life mates, Veri’s delicious oak moss scent told him that. What he didn’t know was if they were a good match. Val thought they were, but maybe that was wishful thinking.

  His door opened, and Lorry stood in the doorway for a moment. Midge, their small Old-Earth Maltese ran in, tongue hanging out of her mouth. She jumped on the bed and ran laps around him, tail wagging in excitement.

  Lorry made a face. “Dad, why are you always naked in the morning now? Remember when you used to wear pajamas and fall asleep reading a book? You even had those little old man reading glasses since you wouldn’t get your eyes fixed.” He scowled. “Thank the stars, the station filters the air so well, or your room would probably always smell like sex.”

  Val gave his son a flat look. “Don’t think you’re too old to be grounded, young man.”

  Lorry ignored his threat and sat on the end of the bed. “I heard Death leaving a couple hours ago. He’s aware that everyone knows about you two, right? There’s no reason to keep it a secret. Hell, you two spend all your free time either here or at his son’s house. We all know you’re not just good friends.”

  Val swallowed the knot of pain in his throat. It always threw him off when people called Verion Death. Almost everyone did, but it felt strange, as if they were forgetting he wasn’t just the Crellic element. “It’s complicated.”

  Lorry shook his head, face stubborn. He looked a lot like Val and, unfortunately, acted a lot like him too. “It’s really not. There’s no reason you two can’t be together now. There’s no
war for Death to run off and fight in. There’s no one trying to kill him and anyone close to him. It’s just normal life now. You deserve more, Dad.”

  “He does too.” Val rubbed his face. “He’s never lived a life of his own, and I’m not sure he knows how to.”

  Lorry frowned. “He’s lived several lives, right? Sai told me he’s lived several cycles in different hosts.”

  “That doesn’t mean he’s truly had an actual life of his own,” Val said, voice hard. “As Death, he was always a weapon to almost every person he knew. There was no safe place for a family or mate. As Verion Morrick, he’s lived for helping others at the expense of his own happiness. Either way, my Veri hardly ever had a chance to live, and each time he’s tried has ended disastrously. We need to be patient.”

  Lorry tapped his chin with a clawed finger. Betonize were a large species with clawed fingers and sharp fangs, but despite their size and fierce looks, Val and Lorry were both thinkers. There wasn’t a time they didn’t stop and think for a moment before making a decision.

  Sometimes people thought they were slow when they didn’t react right away, but Val and his son liked to think things through and act accordingly instead of rushing into any situation.

  “Start small,” Lorry finally said. “You already go visit him at his son’s house every evening before you come back here after I’m in bed.” He gave Val a wry look. “I hear a lot of things I don’t want to, you know.”

  Val flushed. “Sorry about that.”

  Lorry grinned. “Maybe, instead of coming straight here, you two can go have a drink at the diner? That’s neutral ground.”

  “It’s also public.”

  Lorry rolled his eyes. “Fire tells everyone he sees about you two screwing around. It’s way too late to try to keep your mating to yourself. By the way, I really don’t enjoy hearing about my dad’s sex life every time I go visit Sai.”

  Val tossed a pillow at Lorry. “Go get ready for school.”

  Now that he was seventeen, Lorry only had one morning class. He spent the rest of his time working in administration at the Blue Sector Maintenance Department. Soon, he’d graduate and move into a full-time position, and Val wasn’t sure how he’d handle his son moving out and beginning his own life.

  Lorry shrugged and continued to give him advice on his love life. “I’m just saying start small. Ease Death into doing more than having you know what with you.”

  Val arched a brow. “You know what? A few minutes ago, you could say sex. What happened?”

  Lorry made a face. “I can only say it so many times a day when it’s about you, Dad. I prefer not to think about you two together like that if I can help it. In my mind, you just come into your room to exercise or something.”

  Val stretched his arms over his head. “Well, it is exercising.”

  Lorry gagged and ran for the door. “Don’t say things like that.”

  Val chuckled and got out of bed. He quickly changed the sheets and tossed the dirty ones in the laundry chute.

  He looked himself over in the mirror as he brushed his teeth. Just like any other Betonize, he had sharp fangs and claws. Otherwise, Val was a big man with black hair threaded with grey, light brown skin, and green eyes. He was in his late forties and liked his food a little too well. Nothing stood out about him except the scars he’d picked up working hard his whole life. Nothing.

  Why would Veri love me? Maybe there’s a reason he hasn’t said it.

  Val shook his thoughts away and quickly showered and dressed in his coveralls with the Blue Sector Maintenance logo on the back and his name printed over his heart.

  The apartment they lived in was small but had an open floor plan and plenty of windows. Val had taken his time picking out the furniture for the new home he’d made for Lorry and him on Charybdis Station and loved the comfortable sofa and chairs.

  He’d even managed to keep a potted orchid alive. One of his friends, Alois, had given it to him as a housewarming present when they’d moved here.

  The rich scent of coffee hit his nose, and Val groaned. “My one true love.”

  Lorry chuckled and stirred the eggs he was scrambling. “If Death ever stays in the room when I’m there, I’m telling him you said that.”

  Val ignored him and poured himself a large cup. He’d need it to get through another day without his mate.

  2

  Death looked at the latest test results for the Pleuli Feciose vaccine. He made some mental adjustments to the formula as he sat back at his desk and made some notes.

  His son, Wyatt, looked at the results on his own tablet. “We’re close. Another few months of testing, and I think we’ll have it.” He looked up, eyes tired. “I can’t wait for this to be over. Normally, I would love researching with you, but King Xaran is a piece of work.”

  “That he is.” Death scowled. His powers as a Crellic Element allowed him to view souls. No one could hide their true nature from him, and the king of Dramacus was a selfish, petty, and cruel person. He’d been breathing down their necks from the very beginning of the project.

  He’s suffering from the genetic disease, Death reminded himself. In addition to the King of Dramacus, three of his children, along with several other pureblooded Dramiads, were in the early stages of Pleuli Feciose. Death planned to make sure they all lived full lives, even Xaran.

  Wyatt winced as he rubbed his back.

  Death stood up quickly and led Wyatt to a well-cushioned chair. Their offices and labs in Charybdis Station’s medical district were far more comfortable than any other lab Death had worked in. “Sit down, son. The baby is due any day now. I don’t know why you’re still working. You should be home resting.”

  “I’m okay.” Wyatt scowled and tried to stand back up.

  Death tilted his head, sensing two familiar souls drawing closer. “Your mate is bringing you lunch, and it looks like my granddaughter is with him.”

  Wyatt smiled through his exhaustion and sank back into the chair. “Estella wants to help.”

  Death’s eldest granddaughter had just turned twelve, but she was smart and utterly determined. She also wanted to be a medical doctor like Wyatt. Death’s son had adopted her when her family was murdered. Wyatt had spent months tending to the wounded with Estella by his side. Death supposed it was natural that the young girl wanted to help others.

  Morgan didn’t bother knocking. He pushed the office door in and waved at them. “Lunch for two. I have someone’s favorite vegetable stew.”

  Wyatt set his tablet down and made grabby hands. “Give me that bowl. Gods, that smell is heavenly.” He narrowed his eyes on Estella. “Why aren’t you at class?”

  Estella shrugged. Her curly brown hair was cut short and surrounded her head like a soft halo, while her small brown horns poked through. “Instructor Delri said I could assist you today for my last class since I’ve already completed all the work for her course.”

  Wyatt’s eyes softened. “Estella, love, did she suggest it, or did you insist?”

  Estella gave him a guilty look. “I may have told her Grandad wanted my help, and I may have implied he would be mad if I wasn’t allowed to go.”

  Death hid a smile. He wasn’t pleased that decent people feared him, but he was happy to have Estella with him.

  “I need Estella to clean and sterilize the lab equipment in room one, so we can run another test.” Death ignored Wyatt’s glare. “Remember to calibrate the equipment and go ahead and set it up when you’re done. I’ll look over everything before we begin the test.”

  Estella grinned and leaned up to kiss his cheek. “Thanks, Grandad.”

  Morgan snickered as he set a closed container on Death’s desk. “You’re in so much trouble, Verion.”

  Wyatt’s glare went to Morgan. “You’re the one who picked her up from school.”

  “Delri didn’t want to call you because you work with him,” Morgan whispered and pointed toward Death, eyes dancing with laughter. “He’s scary.”

 
“I’m quite frightening,” Death agreed, nodding. In truth, he could kill every person on the station in a matter of seconds, and Charybdis Station’s inhabitants had seen exactly what Death could do during one of the attacks on the station. He had harvested the souls of an entire fleet, leaving each person an empty, barely breathing, husk. I suppose that isn’t very easy to forget.

  Wyatt rolled his eyes. “To our enemies. Unless Delri decides to attack Estella, she’s safe from you. I really wish people wouldn’t act like you’re a rabid dog that will attack any moment. It’s starting to get annoying.”

  “That’s the truth.” Morgan sat in Death’s chair and spun himself around. “Some of the new recruits I’m training get all petrified when one of us mentions your name. Granted, you go by Death to most, so I guess that’s intimidating.”

  “I didn’t choose it. People could call me Verion or Dr. Morrick if they wanted,” Death pointed out and picked up his stew. It did smell delicious, and he recognized the Juniper’s Diner logo. I hope Gloria is cooking today. She makes the best stew.

  He took a bite. Gloria was definitely the one on shift at the diner.

  “Still, people need to stop being afraid of Dad.” Wyatt’s lip trembled when his bowl of stew emptied.

  Death put his own bowl in front of his son and smiled when Wyatt’s eyes lit up and he started eating again.

  The vid-com on the wall above his desk lit up with an incoming call, and Morgan leaned forward to accept it.

  Death scowled when he saw King Xaran’s annoyingly smug face. No one was supposed to allow the Dramiad king’s calls through. I’ll be firing another assistant today. The king had already bribed his way past three.

  “Dr. Morrick, why is that man sitting at your desk?” Xaran gave Morgan a disgruntled look. “I would think his antagonizing presence affects your productivity. He was certainly annoying when you were here on Dramacus.”