Xexis opened his eyes and locked his with hers. As he spilled inside her, she shivered. He stared into her soul. Ripped her openand stuffed himself inside her chest. She gasped for air, grinding on him. Soaking in every drop of him, milking him for more, she trembled.
He spoke first. After audibly swallowing, he rasped, “My mate?”
“Do you feel claimed?” she squeaked, unable to break her hands from his throat.
“Very.” He nodded his head softly, pushing up from the mattress. Warm hands raked up her sides and cupped the trembling hands around his throat. “Is my mate uncomfortable with claiming me?”
“No!” she gasped, shaking her head vigorously. “No, it’s not that. I’m just—it was intense.”
“Ah,” he exhaled steadily, nodding his head more. They lingered in that silence, staring at each other and panting for air. After a long moment, Aphrodite slipped from him to the bed. Her legs were jelly, and she was still struggling to keep her heart from rocketing out of her chest. However, she was warm. Deliciously warm.
Slipping onto her stomach, she stretched out on the mattress. Her body was slow to respond, and it took everything in her to grab her data pad. The drone chirped, coming out of self-induced sleep. He floated over both of them.
“Has the droid become sentient?” Xexis asked with a grunt.
“Maybe?” Aphrodite laughed, pushing up onto her elbows. “I need to give him some upgrades. But first…breakfast…and brushing my teeth.”
“Clothing, probably, unless you wish to proudly show my mating—” She didn’t let him finish. Snatching a pillow, she beat him in the face with it. Xexis cackled as he rolled from the bed with grace. While she flailed and struggled to stand and notcrumple to the ground, he strutted.Fucking hate that.He pulled on loose fitting clothes and waited for her to rip on clean leggings and a new top.Thankfully they made most of their shirts with built in breast holsters that actually worked or else I’d be forced to become the first space bra store.
“Do not worry, my mate, soon you will be capable of claiming me then challenging me to a race to the mess hall.” He scooped her up from her feet and carted her on his hip through the hissing doors. The sensors under his feet make tiny spark motions, as if they’d come to understand when he was carrying her.
Aphrodite leaned against him, rolling her eyes. “I doubt that.”
“Humans are resilient, as Quagmor says.” She wanted to call him out on the difference between her being resilient and her fucking a muscle god of an alien with unimaginable stamina and a heavy appetite for sex then eating. But she didn’t. Aphrodite let him lead them to the bathroom. Reevar and Kiefgr were in baths, grumbling to each other while Grooug cleaned his armor. They all snapped to look at Xexis.
“Kannatch!” They bowed their heads in unison. “Mphronatch!”
“Morning!” Aphrodite waved as Xexis finally sat her down on her feet. Her bladder reminded her it was time to scoot. Racing behind one of the many walls separating the tubs from the basins, she ripped her leggings down. She’d grown used to the perfectly circular, ninety degrees horizontal, always cold as ice with no lid, bowl toilets. It didn’t allow for hovering, more like straddling. There was no standing water in the basins, and they weren’t big enough to fall in. The flush was air based, and she was dried by force.
In the low mumble of words between those in the baths, she was able to clean up, cleanse her mouth, and brush her hair with itemsXexis kept in his compartment. The hunters were speaking softly, discussing something that didn’t seem important. Kiefgr was talking with all four of their arms, but the others shook their heads. Reevar even shoved Kiefgr under the water and snorted loudly.
Aphrodite was booting up her data pad again when the doors to the baths flew open. Rexna and another researcher that looked like a praying mantis but mixed with a rainbow shrimp burst through the doors. Garbled speech flew around the room as Xexis barked an order. The researchers flew out the door with Grooug in tow. Xexis stopped by Aphrodite, apologetic but she shook her head. “Go, whatever it is, go! I’ll find you later.”
He cupped her face and pressed their foreheads together for a split second before he bound through the doors.
Aphrodite turned to see a pale Kiefgr and a breathless Reevar staring at the doors where their leader left through.
“What was that?” Aphrodite blurted out.
“Fqa,” Kiefgr climbed from the bath, stumbling to grab their towel and dry off. “He’s rabid.”
Aphrodite stared at Reevar, mouth hanging open. The hunter appeared close to tears, pincers curled up tight against his mouth. When his gaze landed on her, she felt his pain like he’d stabbed her in the heart. “Our sick friend in the lab? They say he broke through his container and has attacked a technician.”
Aphrodite let out a broken squeak as a hand covered her mouth. She murmured between her fingers, “What happens to him?”
“If the sickness has taken his mind, we have no choice.” Reevar stumbled out of the tub, grabbing his own towel.
“Zhat muq brotesqu.” Kiefgr ripped on his flight suit pants and rushed for the door half wet.
“May the stars have mercy.” The sound of Reevar’s thick voice bouncing off the walls left her shivering.
Chapter Eighteen:
Xexis
“No!”Xexisroared,boundinginto the lab. Glass and metal were shredded around the area; no space was left untouched. A technician lay on the ground, eyes unblinking and throat ripped out. He sank to the ground near them, inspecting the wounds as Grooug stalked the lab from wall to wall.
“Kannatch!” Kiefgr bellowed.
