After my initial confession about my sister, I hadn’t really wanted to talk about it again, but each night after the lovemaking was over and I was warm and relaxed in Galan’s arms, he brought it up. He assured me repeatedly that it wasn’t my fault, that I was too young and that my parents had made a terrible decision.
At first, I hadn’t seen the point of talking about it over and over but now… I could admit that after each conversation I felt a little better, believed a little more that it wasn’t my fault. I was starting to think that maybe Galan had chosen the wrong occupation, he’d make a killing as a therapist.
“I’ve seen a couple Draax looking twice at you, Ellis,” Candy said.
“Ooh, really? Who?” Inara said eagerly.
“One of the Draax who works in the kitchen – I don’t know his name, but every time Ellis is in the dining hall and he’s serving at the buffet table, he gets a cute little smile on his face.
“Impossible,” I said airily. “You’re seeing things.”
“Who else?” Inara said.
Candy’s smile widened. “Galan.”
I froze in place. Shit. Balls.
“That’s awesome,” Inara said. “He’s super hot.”
“He stares at her ass every time he’s around her,” Candy said. “And his tail does that flicky-flicky thing they do when a Draax is excited.”
I arranged my face into a mask of boredom. “Oh please, you’re seeing things, Candy-girl. Galan and I are friends, sure, but I am the exact opposite of what he’s attracted to.”
“How do you know that?” Inara said.
“He told me. We’re friends. We talk. He’s just like all the other Draax – he likes the curvy ladies.”
“Oh.” Inara slumped against the couch in disappointment. “That’s too bad.”
“Considering you’re a thief and are headed for life imprisonment on Earth, Galan shouldn’t even be friends with you.”
The hair rose on the back of my neck. I knew that voice. I hated that voice. Irrational, maybe, but as Lori stepped into view, I couldn’t even bring myself to fake smile at her.
“This is a private conversation,” Inara said.
Inara’s usual warm smile was gone and I’d never heard her voice be so cold before. I could barely hide my surprise. Inara was friendly to everyone… usually.
“I’m just saying that Galan is the head of the King’s Guard. Should he really be best buds with you?” Lori said.
“We’re not best buds,” I said. “Mind your own business.”
“Do you think you’ll have a best friend in prison?” Lori said. “I heard that on average, a woman lasts a week in prison if she doesn’t find a guy to protect her in exchange for fucking him. Is that what you’re going to do, Ellis? You gonna whore yourself out to stay alive?”
Inara jumped up, her hands in tight fists and her face bright red. “Fuck off, Lori.”
Lori gave her a brittle smile before studying me. “It’s no surprise you and Inara are friends. You’re both rude and coarse and have filthy mouths.”
“I’d rather have a filthy mouth than a stick up my ass,” I said.
Lori just smiled and walked away. Inara collapsed on the couch, her face still red and looking like she was going to cry.
“Are you all right?” Candy said.
“I hate that chick,” Inara said. “She’s been a bitch since the day I met her at the Space Station. Always acting like she’s better than us. She isn’t. She’s a lower just like the rest of us.”
“Forget about her,” I said. “She isn’t worth being upset over.”
“That’s the truth,” Candy said.
Before Inara could reply, two women walked by the couch and sat down on the couch next to us. One of them was visibly upset and she wiped at her face and blew her nose as the other woman rubbed her back.
“Poor Tasha,” Inara said. “I feel so bad for her.”
“What’s wrong?” I said.
“Her grandmother was really sick back on Earth. She went to Sabrina to see if she could go home to visit her and Sabrina talked to the king, but he said no. With the war going on, he said it was too dangerous. She found out yesterday afternoon that her grandmother died.”
“That’s awful,” I said.
“It really is,” Inara said. “Sabrina felt terrible, you could tell, but its not the Draax’s fault those other two worlds are at war, you know?”
We sat in silence for a few minutes before Inara glanced at Candy. “Have you seen the prince yet?”
Candy nodded. “I have. Evelyn visited a few days ago and I saw him when we were together.”
“Nice,” Inara said. “Does he look like the king?”
“Spitting image of him. He’s so chubby. He was over ten pounds when he was born, and he’s gained a bunch more weight already. Sabrina said she can hardly keep up with feeding him.”
A flicker of green caught my eye and I glanced toward the doorway. Galan was standing in the hallway and staring at me. The way his copper eyes had already turned bronze made my pussy wet and my nipples hard. God, I was addicted to him.
He walked away and I waited only a couple of minutes before standing. “I should go. It’s getting late.”
“It’s not even seven,” Inara said.
“Yeah,” I made a show of yawning, “but Melu worked my ass off at the docking bay today and I’m tired. I’m gonna go to bed early. Night!”
I tried to walk normally across the common room and mostly succeeded. Hell, I even managed to walk at a regular pace through most of the castle. But by the time I reached our section, I was almost jogging, and my pelvis was throbbing, and I was shamefully turned on.
I stopped outside of Galan’s door and looked both ways before raising my hand to knock. The door opened before I could knock, and I grinned at Galan as I stepped into his apartment and shut the door behind me.
“Hi.”
“Hello, little human. How was your day?”
“Fine,” I said. “How was yours?”
“Good.” He smiled at me and I laughed before jumping at him.
He caught me and I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me toward his bedroom. I pressed a kiss against his mouth. “I missed you today.”
“I missed you too,” he said.
“Melu yelled at me twice because I was daydreaming about fucking you instead of fixing a land vehicle,” I said.
He laughed. “I might have been thinking about fucking you as well. Only, instead of being yelled at, I was sliced with a recruit’s sword nearly half a dozen times.”
He set me down on the bed and I immediately jumped to my feet, staring wide-eyed at him. “You got hurt? Let me see.”
I lifted his shirt, but his torso looked normal. Before I could undo his pants and check his legs, he said, “They were shallow cuts and the gallberry juice healed me in a short time. Do not worry, sadora.”
I scowled at him. “I don’t like that you’re getting hurt because you’re thinking about me. You need to friggin’ concentrate when you’re training.”
“It is difficult when all I can think about is being in your tight pussy,” he said with a flirty grin. “Perhaps if you weren’t so tight or didn’t take my cock so eagerly every time we fucked, it would be easier for me to forget about you during the day.”
“Oh, so this is my fault,” I said with a mock scowl.
“I think so,” Galan said.
I reached around him and slapped him on the butt. “Keep talking that way and I’ll only fuck you once tonight instead of our usual twice.”
He burst into laughter and picked me up again before lying me on the bed and kneeling between my thighs. He nuzzled my hard nipples through the fabric of my shirt, making me moan, before grinning up at me.
“You cannot resist me, little sadora. Admit it.”
“You’re marginally appealing,” I said.
He nipped at my collarbone as heat blossomed in my belly. “Only marginally? What do I n
eed to do to change that?”
“Hmm,” I tilted my head and pretended to think for a moment. “Probably pussy eating is your best chance.”
“Is that right?” He sucked on my throat before nibbling along my jawline.
“Yes.”
“Well then,” he smiled down at me before pressing a quick kiss against my lips. “Pussy eating it is then, little human.”
Chapter Sixteen
Ellis
“Galan, please,” I moaned.
Galan lifted his head from between my thighs, his mouth soaking wet and a smug smile crossing his face. “Please what, my sadora?”
“Please stop teasing. I need to come.”
“I love the way you beg, sweet human.”
I threaded my hands through his hair and pulled hard. If Galan wanted me to beg, I would beg. I needed relief from his teasing tongue, his firm lips, and his thick fingers. “Please, honey. Please make me come.”
“Yes, sadora.” His dark head bent between my thighs and my hips arched up as he sucked on my clit. I came immediately, crying his name, my feet drumming on the bed, and my body shaking with pleasure.
He licked me clean before sitting up and wiping his face on the sheet. I waited for him to lift me on top of him. Our height difference made missionary position virtually impossible, so most of the time I rode him, or he took me from behind.
To my surprise he laid on his side next to me and tugged on my hip until I rolled to face him. He cupped my thigh and lifted my leg before sliding down a little and pressing his cock against my wet entrance.
I gripped his shoulder, moaning my pleasure when he slowly entered me. He took his time, stretching my narrow walls and filling me up bit by bit until he was fully sheathed.
I rested my hands against his chest as he smiled down at me. “Does this feel all right, my sadora?”
“Mmm,” I said. “I like this position.”
“Me as well.”
I loved the intimacy of facing him this way with every part of our bodies touching, his big hand cupping my thigh as he rocked his hips back and forth. I squeezed around his cock and he moaned, his tail flicking over his hip to wrap around my waist. He held me tight against him, cupping my small tits and playing with my nipples as he fucked me with slow and gentle strokes.
I closed my eyes and Galan said, “No, Ellis. Look at me.”
My eyelids fluttered open and I stared hazily at him as pleasure grew in my belly. “It feels so good, Galan.”
“It does,” he moaned. His hand cupped my face and he ran his thumb along my mouth before smiling at me. “You are beautiful, Ellis.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“Do not look away,” he said.
I stared up at him, the tenderness in his gaze made me catch my breath. He moved harder and faster and I clutched at him as he gripped my ass and drove in deep.
“I cannot get enough of you, sweet sadora,” he moaned. “You feel so good.”
“I’m close,” I panted. “Galan, I want to come.”
“I want that too,” he said. He reached between us and rubbed gently at my clit. “Come for me, my sweet sadora.”
My hips bucked and I cried out, staring at Galan as I came around his cock. My second orgasm was a little less intense but weirdly more satisfying. I kept my gaze on Galan as his breathing turned shallow and the cords in his neck stood out.
He groaned, his back arching and his chest brushing against my nipples as, still holding my gaze, he came deep inside of me. His big body shook, his hand squeezed my ass hard and the love and tenderness radiating from his beautiful copper eyes took my breath away.
I looked away, feeling close to tears as Galan held me tightly against him.
“Are you all right?” he said after a few moments.
“Yes,” I said. “Are you?”
“More than all right,” he said.
His cock was softening inside of me and he pulled out. I didn’t object when he reached down and took some of his seed to smear into my stomach and breasts with soft care. He did that every time we made love now and I had realized it was an almost necessary ritual for him. It made me sticky but, weirdly, I kind of liked it when he marked me that way.
I relaxed against his chest, closing my eyes and listening to his heart beat slow into a normal rhythm. The tenderness and intimacy Galan had just shown left me ridiculously happy but mixed in with that was alarm. We didn’t have a future together and both of us needed to remember that.
* * *
Galan
“Galan?” Ellis’s soft voice, low and a little hoarse, nudged me awake.
“Hmm?” I said before spooning her closer. I loved having Ellis in my bed. Loved waking up to the warmth of her soft body.
“Your vertex is buzzing.”
I released her reluctantly and turned on my back, grabbing the vertex from my bedside table. My mother was trying to hologram me and I set the vertex back down without answering it. I spooned Ellis again, kissing the back of her shoulder as she relaxed against me. It wasn’t as late as I thought, I must have just fallen asleep.
“Are you not going to answer it?” she said.
“It is my mother. I will call her back later.”
She sat up, clutching the sheet around her breasts. “I can leave so you can talk to her.”
I tugged her back into my arms. “No, I want you to stay.”
“Are you sure?”
I nodded and she rested her head on my chest. I ran my fingers up and down the bumps of her spine, memorizing the feel of her soft skin. The last week I’d been happier and more content then I’d been in a very long time. Spending time with Ellis, touching her and mating with her, soothed me in a way I’d never experienced before.
She is your mate.
I pushed that thought away immediately. Ellis couldn’t be my mate. This had to be only sex between us. It was dangerous to even consider that it could be more. Convincing Quill to allow the human to stay would break the treaty and cause issues with the humans. I couldn’t ask him to do that just to make me happy.
“Galan?”
“Yes?”
“Will you tell me about your family?”
I stroked her back again. “It is not a happy story, my sadora.”
She glanced up at me before kissing my chest. “Mine wasn’t exactly a happy tale either. I want to know. Please tell me.”
I stared up at the ceiling, my fingers still trailing over Ellis’s spine. “My father was a farmer. His gallberry crops were some of the best in the province. The king purchased crops from my father for use in the castle. It is how I met Quill when we were boys. My father would often deliver the crops himself to the castle and the king always requested a meeting with him.”
I watched the beams of light from the setting keo flicker across the ceiling. “Quill’s father was a very… unique king. His father before him rarely met with the commoners or made public appearances, but King Jota did not shy away from his people. He would make many trips into the city just to talk to people, and he taught his sons to be the same way. It was Quill’s father who first started the tradition of allowing the Draax into the castle garden during the cold months so they could enjoy a bit of warmth and flowers, and both Quill’s brother and Quill continued the tradition.”
“The king has a brother?” Ellis said.
“He died a few years ago in a ship crash. Krey and I were first to arrive and we discovered King Quodia’s body. We had to tell Quill his brother had died,” I said. My stomach tightened and my eyes burned with unshed tears. Telling Quill his brother was dead had been the most difficult moment of my life and, even now, I could still feel the dread and the nausea at telling my best friend such horrible news.
As if sensing my discomfort, Ellis snuggled in closer. Her soft hand stroked my ribs and she kissed my chest. “I’m sorry, honey. That must have been awful for all three of you.”
“Yes.” I took a deep breath. “As a child, my father would br
ing me with him when he went to the castle. When the king saw that I was the same age as Quill, he introduced us. We became friends quickly. My mother said we were two peas in a pod.”
I smiled at Ellis. “Once she explained what the Earth saying meant, it described us accurately enough.”
“How did you meet Krey?” she said. “You’ve been friends with him since you were a boy as well, right?”
“Yes. But that’s a long story and perhaps one best left for another time,” I said.
“All right. Tell me more about your father.”
I closed my eyes for a few seconds. My tail thumped against the bed and Ellis kissed my chest again. “It’s okay, honey.”
“He had a gambling problem,” I said.
“I didn’t realize you had casinos here,” Ellis said.
I knew what she meant by casinos. I had been to a few on Earth, but I hadn’t enjoyed them nor had Quill and Krey. We’d learned to limit our visiting to bars and pubs. It was our best chance at meeting a female who would fuck us.
“We do not have casinos like on Earth,” I said, “and while we have card games like Earth does, we rarely bet on them. Our gambling is in the form of races and sporting events.”
“Ahh, like horse racing,” she said.
“Sort of. Although we race an animal called a Cassowary. They are small and hairless mammals who tunnel through the dirt at great speed. Going to Cassowary races is the second most popular pastime on Draax.”
“What’s the first?”
“Reso. It is a game similar to your basketball,” I said.
“So, your father gambled at the Cassowary races?” Ellis said.
“Yes. He used to go there every weekend, but as the addiction grew, so did his lies and the amount of money he spent. He started making larger bets and losing larger amounts of money. He hid what he was doing from my mother and while she suspected that he was not being entirely truthful, she had no idea how bad it had gotten.”
“How bad was it?” Ellis said.
I swallowed hard. “He started selling gallberries to Draax who would use it to bribe females on Earth to sleep with them.”
Rebel (The Draax Series Book 3) Page 23
