“I’m a threat. They don’t have their goddess to themselves anymore,” he says, fluffing up a pillow and placing it behind his head. It rings true, but there is something nagging at me that there is still more to the story.
“Well, being worshiped is a nice change of pace. You should try it,” I say. In truth, it’s annoying as shit.
“We can’t all worship at the altar of Bri,” he says, flexing his bionic hand, and the arm drops limply on his stomach.
“How’s the…equipment?” Why does my voice sound so husky?Pull it together, girl.
“Equipment?” He lifts an eyebrow. Seriously. Everything is a challenge with this guy. And for fuck’s sake, I can’t back down from a challenge.
“Yeah, it looks…” I gulp. “Unreliable.”
He is up and strutting toward me in the time it takes me to blink.
“Oh Sunshine, the equipment is fine, and more than reliable.” He looms over me, and all of a sudden, the room is sweltering.
I run my fingers down his bionic arm from shoulder to wrist. A smile cracks my face when I see it twitch from the touch. “It’s looking a little…limp these days.”
“Just waiting for the right time.”
“I think you need to cool down,” I say, splashing him playfully. He’s not the only one.
With an arrogant laugh, he turns and strides out of the tent, giving me a full view of that ass in his tight cargo pants. The brief glimpse makes my entire body clench. I slide down the edge, submerging myself in the water, and scream.
What gives this alien the right to have such big dick energy?
TWENTY-ONE
Tai
Ihad to get out of the tent before I did something that couldn’t be taken back, so it’s back in the sand for me until I’m confident Bri is fully dressed and preferably asleep. The hint of her body under the water was enough to send all the blood in my body straight to my cock. Her casual flirtatiousness made me feel impulsive. Putting some distance between us is the best way to get myself back under control.
It’s dark and cold out here. It should be a nice break from the pounding heat of the day, but it’s bitterly cold, my breath fogging in the air a testament to how quickly the temperatures change here.
The brethren hardly register my presence when I slide into an empty space around the fire. That’s alright with me. I don’t want to talk to them either. The flames are hypnotic as they flicker and wave. An open flame is unheard of on j’Tilak. It would be too dangerous in the hydrogen-rich atmosphere. Even a small flame could erupt into a fireball that would consume everything.
Brush shifts in the firepit and embers spiral up to thesky. I watch the sparks until they disappear into the stars. This strange place has these brief slices of beauty.
My peaceful thoughts are rudely interrupted by the frantic hushed tones of the brethren. Boss must be approaching. He really does put everyone on edge.
Bouncing from station to station showed me how differently everyone reacts to power. The vast majority were cruel and punishing. Unchecked power corrupts. I thought that was how the universe worked. Until I learned about my home planet.
On j’Tilak noble houses share responsibility to maintain balance. I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see it with my own eyes. When someone becomes too powerful or does something to endanger the planet, they lose influence. The planet itself insists on balance.
In an almost mystical way, j’Tilak challenged me. I became attached to the stability it brought me. When the humans came, it threatened the foundation my survival depended on, or so I thought. I worried my world would change too much for me to feel safe and in control. I didn't know it then, but I was ready to change. More than that, I needed to. It was time to learn what I should have known all along: coexistence is only the beginning. The real work is letting someone different from you leave a mark and leaving one yourself.
I watched Aro grow into someone who stopped avoiding responsibility and stepped up. He harnessed the ancient power of battleform to protect his mate. And it opened my eyes to the future possibility of a life that includes humans. Sometimes, I let myself picture life with one specific human.
Just as I had suspected, Boss comes into view, his robes swishing in the sand like a snake.
“I see the goddess let you out of her sight for once,” he hisses at me.
“Go bother someone else,” I say, dismissing him.
“Tilak scum don’t tell the brethren what to do.” He spits the word “Tilak” like it’s poison on his tongue.
“Fine. If you won't leave, then I will.” I get up from my comfortableseat and stomp into the dark and away from the tents. Whatever reason brought him over to me, I don’t want any part of it.
Yellow light shines from a tent with its window and door flaps pulled open. At a table in the center, the Oo’rahim that Bri calls Baby Face is cutting up fruit and veg. I step inside, grab a knife, and start chopping next to him.
