Chapter 8
B eneath my shoes, the floor of Drayven’s ship pulsed. A million different emotions swam through my nerves, but excitement and fear screamed the loudest.
Here I am, a weak human, and not just any human, a female leaving the planet with a gigantic alien man with horns on his head and a forked tongue.
I couldn’t decide if I should laugh or cry.
His fingers moved deftly over a holographic control panel. His dark, flowing locks brushed against his shirt. If I hadn’t been about to shit my pants, I would’ve enjoyed feeling its silky texture. Instead, my fingers gripped the x-shaped harness across my chest, and I debated telling him I had second thoughts.
But if I do that, I’ll just go back to being Gerri, the woman who’s too afraid to let someone in, the woman who’s scared of staying in one place too long.
Didn’t jumping into a ship with a man I hardly knew fit that pattern well, though?
The difference between moving from park to park is I’m not escaping anyone—I’m planning for a possible future.
“It will be okay, sweet Gerri. Volderens have not had a ship accident in many decades.”
I guess my face betrayed my emotions. “Sorry. I’m sure you’re right, it’s just I’ve never been to space, much less another planet.”
He smiled, then swiped a series of symbols and letters. “Then I am honored you agreed to allow me to be your first.”
A nervous laugh slipped out of my mouth.
“Did I say something funny?”
The sensation of gliding upward made all thought fly out of my brain. “Oh my God,” I breathed, knowing my jaw hung open like a fly catcher. The dark screen came to life, and we soared straight upward through clouds that looked like fog.
Within ten seconds, the curve of the Earth hung below. For a moment, I forgot to breathe. “It’s so…so…so…” Tears welled up at the beauty of my planet.
“Beautiful?”
I nodded, still unable to speak.
Drayven settled in his chair, gave the display a quick glance, then swiveled to face me. “It is beautiful, but it is not the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.”
“How can it not be?” Tearing my eyes from the diminishing planet— we must be traveling at a crazy rate of speed —I gave him my full attention. “I get it. You’re some kind of advanced race and you probably see this kind of stuff all the time, but it makes me feel so small yet so privileged.”
Drayven leaned forward, the muscles of his thighs bulging through his pants with the movement. “It is true, yet there are also different kinds of beauty. There is the beauty of a perfect design and the flawlessness of certain metals, but these are cold beauties, meant only for form and function. I speak of the wonders of the heart, of people, of love.” He took my hands and wrapped them in one of his large palms. “ You embody this for me.”
I shifted my legs, crossing my knees and pulling my hands from his grasp. “You don’t really know me, though.”
“Perhaps, but I feel like I have known you always. Do you not feel your soul crying out to mine?”
His words stopped my blood.
He feels it, too? I’d spent so many years alone, running from place to place, that I’d been afraid the subtle pull to him was my imagination.
“Volderens, if they’re lucky, always have at least one mate. You are mine.”
True panic replaced the hesitation. “What?” Mate? I had no chance of being anyone’s mate. I’d seen what happened to people who were supposed to be mates, like my mom and stepdad. They’d hated each other, and he’d driven her to walk out and never return.
“Gerri, it is okay. Just because we are mates does not mean we do not have a choice. I believe in free will, not destiny.” His eyes narrowed as he studied my face. “I can see this upsets you.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and inhaled, forcing my thoughts to calm. Not everyone’s like Roger. My stepdad had abused me, but when he threw me out as a teen, it had actually been a blessing in disguise. I’d learned to fend for myself, and took control of my life.
Drayven, so far, had been nothing but kind. He might’ve lied about who he really was, but I understood why.
“I’m okay.” I opened my vision. A perfect red sphere, what I assumed to be mars, glowed in the distance. “Being your mate doesn’t upset me. Well, not much. I think I’m just a bit overwhelmed with everything that’s happened over the past couple of days.”
“Ah. That makes sense. Experiencing another culture has a way of doing that.”
I laughed, releasing the pent-up nerves with the motion. “That’s an understatement.” Pointing to the screen, I looked at Drayven. “Tell me more about your home. I truly want to understand you and your people.”
He tapped the holo screen, then faced me. “We have forty minutes until landing, so where should I begin?” He tapped one of his long, slender fingers against his chin, and I found myself noticing a tiny dimple at the corners of his mouth.
Who knew an alien could be so handsome?
“To understand why we’re here, you must learn where we were. Several thousands of years ago, our ancestors discovered a mutation in our DNA. If we could not find a compatible humanoid correction, our race would eventually die. So, a massive survey was performed to find potential planets with life, and each report was narrowed down to three, including Earth. Generational ships were built and launched. Abzu , our original ship destine for Earth, which translates to Atlantis in human language, arrived and studied early Sumerian culture while scanning DNA. A major malfunction caused the ship to crash to the bottom of the ocean. We eventually salvaged what we could, used our smaller transport and warships to establish a Mars base in the hopes we’d eventually find the person who could save us.”
“And did you?” His story fascinated me. I couldn’t imagine leaving Earth and spending my entire life searching for a cure in a strange new world, which is what it sounded like the Volderens were doing.
"Yes, thank the Gods. Just recently. Her name is Lilly, and she is Voren’s mate. Now that we have found the savior, our focus has been intensified on finishing Perseverance , which will bring us home and save our species.”
“And that’s the ship you’ve been working on?”
“Yes. Her basic frame is ready, yet I have stagnated on the interior. We will have everything to sustain life, yet I feel it still lacks something vital.”
“And that’s why you came to my world, looking for inspiration.”
“Exactly.” He smiled, giving me a glimpse of his intriguing, forked tongue. “When I came upon you, I knew the Gods had led me to exactly what I needed.”
“I’m just a human—a homeless one at that—with no education and very little money. It seems to me your gods might’ve gotten it wrong.” Telling the truth hurt, but I refused to have Drayven think of me as some sort of muse. I’m far from it.
“What is a home? A place to put things, to weather a storm, a physical representation of safety?” His irises swirled with some emotion I couldn’t place. “If that is the case, then I truly have no home either, yet my spirit is with those I love, no matter where I go. To learn does not mean one needs a piece of paper as proof of education. Formal or through experience, knowledge is knowledge. Money, on the other hand, may feed the stomach but it will never feed the soul.”
“I thought you claimed your people weren’t very creative. What you just said is deep and emotional for a scientific mind.” Hidden inside this enormous purple alien lay the heart of a poet. “You’re a painter of words, Drayven.”
With a shrug, he gave me a wry smile. “Well, perhaps my heart has finally awakened.”
My gaze tracked across his proud nose, those sharp cheekbones, the smooth violet skin. There is something alluring about him. For the first time in my thirty-six years, I could picture myself settling down—staying instead of running. “Do you…do you think you could use someone who knows how to paint?”
He tilted his head backward and released a hearty laugh. “You would be a most welcome addition to my crew.” He reached out and swiped a strand of hair from my temple. “If you so choose.”
“Let’s give it a trial run.” I lifted a hand to press his chin between my thumb and index finger. “And maybe you can elaborate on how Volderens take a mate.”
His pupils widened until his gaze became a black pool of desire. With both hands, he grasped my shoulders and leaned against his harness, pulling me closer and pressing his lips against mine.
When his tongue licked the corner of my mouth, I sighed.
He deepened the kiss, gliding the tips of his tongue inside my cheek and across my teeth with sharp little flicks.
“Drayven.” My thighs clenched, and I groaned, imagining his tongue caressing my neck on its way down my body. “What else can you do with that tongue?”
“Many, many things. When we land, I will escort you to my quarters and demonstrate all the ways Volderens please their mates. I promise you will never look at a human male the same way.”
My skin broke out with gooseflesh, and I grinned. “Are Volderen males built the same as…” I didn’t know how else to ask it without being blunt. So, instead, I leaned back and lowered my gaze to his crotch.
Oh, my. I think the bulge answers that question.
“Yes, but more. There are some of us with doubled sexual organs, so we provide our mates with extra pleasure.”
“Um, why don’t we start with just one?” The thought of him having two dicks alarmed me, but I couldn’t deny my curiosity.
“Whatever you say, life mate. My body is yours to claim.”
Yep. I can definitely get used to this life.
“How much time do we have?”
“More than enough,” he said, unbuckling his harness and sliding a hand down the inside of my pants, pressing the ends of his fingers against my bared skin.
I moaned, digging my fingernails into his upper arms.
He stroked me steadily, the pressure building, my muscles tensing. “Sweet Gerri. Your smell is divine. I will taste you.” The pressure of his fingers left as he slid his hand out.
“Wh-what? Why’d you stop?” Panting, I tried to focus but my body cried for release.
“One moment.” He released my harness, went to his knees and placed both of his giant hands on my hips, sliding down my pants.
The cool air against my naked skin felt delicious and sinful.
“Now, for that taste.” His smile turned predatory and he licked his forked tongue along his lips, and then dived between my thighs.
The soft, warm tips of his tongue continued the trek of his fingers, and within a few minutes, I was lost in the sensation of pleasure washing over my body like supernovas bursting apart.