“He’s…right,” She laughed, shaking her head. “Quagmor knows a lot about humans.”
“He is the specialist on humans with my people. His father is the one who taught me Anglo-saxis. Quagmor retired from the hunt and teaches younglings. Mostly language and information upon many beings, but specifically your people so when we meet, we can have proper communication.”
Not enough communication to tell me you weren’t there to kill me, apparently.She swallowed that thought.Maybe I need to get with Quagmor and adjust the human curriculum, because it’s lacking.
Aphrodite wasn’t ready to touch on the subject that she had no idea Xexis or his people existed until the moment he chased her through the ship.How do they know about us and we have no idea they exist? What am I missing?
Xexis pivoted around a doorway, and they were in a bathroom. It was a giant, empty pool full of mini pockets and a thousandfaucets of varying sizes and colors. There were two different types of bowls on the side of the walls, one where it was questionable if it was a toilet and one where it was too high to be anything but a sink.
The door hissed shut behind them, and the words tumbled out of her mouth. “He is the one who told you how to feed and take care of me, isn’t he?”
She was genuinely curious…how did they heal a human? Was their tech so advanced it didn’t matter that they were drastically different makes and models?
Xexis stepped up to a dark metal bench and set her on it. He knelt before her, starting to peel the flaking wrap off her ankles first. “Some, yes, I did try to do my own research when I came into the knowledge you were my mate.”
Aphrodite worked on undoing the wraps over her biceps and wrists. “Xexis, that’s another thing, how did you decide I was your mate?”
“Decide? Oh, lovely mate, there is no decision. Mates are known. They are destined. They happen to us; we do not choose.” He held her leg tenderly, his obsidian pools roaming her face. “I gazed upon you. You were out in an atmosphere with oxygen. You were with those ship people, and you were all walking upon Kilv, a planet I believe you do not know yet has its own name. You broke away from them and were sitting in the foliage, reading out loud. I heard your voice and followed, thinking you were the creature I was hunting for. Then I saw you and the knowledge came to me. Mate.”
Aphrodite scrambled silently for a memory. Planet with oxygen, they’d only come across two. Only one where she had time to walk away from her team and sit in the greenery. One of herfavorite things was ditching her crew to read a book somewhere.Anywhere, really, where I could hear myself think.She remembered a planet, reading a book outloud to her drone.
Her mouth hung open “That was…a year ago.”
“Year? Oh! Yes, you see time in years. So, yes, some time ago.” He nodded his head as if it weren’t a shocking confession.
“And you, what? Were just following me around?” She sat back, putting a hand to his jaw and forced him to lock eyes with her.
He shook his head, pulling his face from her palm. “I have many responsibilities and duties, but I was not about to let my mate disappear into human space. I had many watch over you while I figured out our hunt and filed the appropriate paperwork.”
She was speechless as he undid all the wraps around her body. He left her in only a few straps of fabric across her body. Xexis stepped back, keeping his eyes downcast to give her space. Aphrodite stood, shakily holding onto the covers over her nipples and clenched the piece over her curl covered cunt. He analyzed her with narrowed eyes. “I was lied to.”
“What?” She huffed, glaring at him.
“The indention in your torso, that knot of flesh in the hole, that is not a mating organ is it?”
She choked on her own saliva, stumbling forward. He immediately caught her in his four arms as she shook with laughter. It stung at her sides, and the stitches weren’t happy. But she genuinely laughed. Shoulders shaking, head tossed back, legs weak, she fell into him snorting. “Mybelly buttonis not a mating organ.”
She clenched her thighs to keep from peeing herself. He grunted, holding her to his chest while she laughed. Tears collected in the sides of her eyes. Wheezing, she gasped for air. “Who told you it was a mating organ?”
“Doesn’t matter,” he grumbled, his skin around his face and chest darkening.
She gasped, “You’re blushing.”
“What?” His eyes darted away.
“Your skin! It’s doing what humans do when we’re embarrassed.”
“I am not embarrassed,” he scoffed.
Aphrodite sat back on her heels, sobering her giggles.He’s kinda cute when he’s embarrassed.He stared at the tubs, chest puffed out and faux pride in place. She put both hands to his chest, feeling her wraps fall away and leaving her skin against his. He deflated instantly. His attention returned to her face as she stroked, soft side down, against his chest. “It’s alright, I wouldn’t know what to do either. I appreciate you being careful of my organs, mating or otherwise.”
“I am careful of you,Aphrodite.”
She shivered delightfully again, eyes fluttering closed. His top hands cupped her cheeks. She wasn’t sure if she could open them again. Not while he was looking at herlike that.Not in a way she’d never had before. Even intimate partners, lovers, exes; she’d never been stared at by anyone the way Xexis memorized her face. It burrowed through to her belly and left its presence inside her for hours later. Eventually, she opened her eyes, and he was stillgazingat her.
“I’m tough,” she squeaked, faking strength in her spine. “You don’t have to be careful of me.”
“I do,” he purred, closing their faces together.Oh I’m in trouble.Her legs weakened as she leaned into him fully.I have a thing for him! I’m attracted to him! I’m inso much fucking trouble. Two arms held her, clutching her tightly. The others held her jaw, she didn’t want to look away. Their foreheads touched and her skin broke out in goose bumps again.His favorite.Two fingers of his traced a design through them, connecting the dots. “For when I'm not careful of you, will only be when you ask it of me.”
