Mated and Alone (True Match)

Chapter 23

Misty

The best part of watching Tsok try to date her wasn’t just how amusingly he got it wrong, but how amazingly he got it right. He clearly had no idea what he was doing, but still, despite that, he managed to impress her with the very simple fact that he was trying .

A human guy taking her out to a fancy restaurant wasn’t nearly so meaningful as when she came downstairs one morning to find a whole bush in her entry hall. The big, waxy blue leaves were dotted with an abundance of large, fragrant, white flowers. And that was because Tsok heard he was supposed to get her flowers, so he was going to do the damn best he could. Which, to his mind, was putting a plantar in her entryway and putting a big ass bush there that had flowers blooming all over it. It may not be exactly correct, but the thought, effort, and time he invested in doing that silly thing was worth more than any dinner at any restaurant.

Their second date was as fun and incorrect as the first. He brought back the sparky, electric mood lighting – which still made her smile, so it was clearly working. But instead of a spit roast, he took her on a hike through the trees behind their manors to a picnic he set up in a clearing. It was still his land, there just wasn’t anything built on it. But there were no hiking trails. It was all legitimately wild land that she had to hike and climb through, following after him until they reached the picnic area. He had a blanket set out, but he had also brought out a table upon which their food was waiting, hot and ready, under little domes.

The kreecharma were primarily carnivorous, so the vegetable stir-fry he prepared had likely been fully imported. Misty was glad to see it. She liked steak as much as the next girl, but the heavy meat diet was quickly growing to be too much. She was glad to see these unknown vegetables and absolutely loved the spicy sauce they’d been sauteed in.

It was a weird thing to eat sitting at a table on a blanket out in the middle of the actual woods – not a cute hiking trail – with sparky electric lighting overhead, but it was fun. And Tsok looked so pleased with himself as they laughed and chatted.

He had only a vague idea of what he should be doing, but he was honestly putting more effort into it than a guy who had a step-by-step guide written out.

The morning after their hiking date, she woke up to find a large painting hanging in the hallway outside of her door. Except, when she went closer, she found that it wasn’t a painting. It was a mosaic made of flower petals in a beautiful design reminiscent of a flowery field. It must have taken a lot of time and effort to make something like that.

And she knew exactly who it came from. Tsok must be under the impression that it didn't matter so much what form the flowers came in, so long as he gave her flowers. And, honestly, she absolutely loved the flower petal mosaic. It was so pretty and cool.

“So, we’re not mad at the char anymore?” Flik asked after she finished catching him up on everything her sugar daddy had been up to lately.

“I mean, maybe a little,” she smiled to herself, still working on his braid bangles. He wanted her to dye them gold to make them really stand out against his silver fur, so she was spreading the noxious hair dye over the delicate white strands.

Hair dye out in space was way more convenient than back home. No developers or color theory or worry about damaging the strands. She just picked a color and slapped it on, gave it a little time, then boom – instant pretty color exactly as it came in the jar. It made her life so much easier when she didn't have to think of lifting tones or color mixing or permanent vs demi-permanent.

But even with all the advancements in hair dye, it still smelled bad. It wasn’t the ammonia and harsh chemical smell she was used to. If anything, it bordered closer to burned rubber mixed with rotten flowers and ashes. But the smell went away once the dye was rinsed out. After years in the salon, she was pretty used to odd smells by now anyway.

And the payoff for how good it looked when it was done was well worth the temporary stink.

“He really is doing the most for you,” Flik grinned. “Kind of glad I let him take my appointment now.”

“Yeah, and I’m still mad at you for that,” she said, pointing at him with her color brush.

“What? But it worked out well! You said it yourself.”

“Doesn’t matter. You went behind my back. Bad friend move, Flik. In fact, the only reason I’m not kicking your sorry, silver behind out of my salon is because it worked out. So, you might as well go ahead and be grateful for that.”

“You’re so cruel to me,” he pouted as she pushed her chair back, letting it float over to the sink where she placed her brush and bowl.

“You can be my man of honor if we get married, but that’s the only benefit for traitors.”

He cocked his head. “Man of honor? Married?”

“Well, I guess you’d be my male of honor,” she said, riding her stool back to him. “I know it’s a bit early to be talking marriage, but, well… we are mates after all.”

“Is marriage something to do with mates?”

She blinked, surprised. “You don’t have marriage here?”

“Never heard of it before.”

“You know what, I’m not surprised,” she mumbled, coming to a halt in front of him. They had to wait for the dye to change his fur color, but it was only like fifteen minutes. “Marriage is… Well, it’s how humans mate. We get married in a ceremony called a wedding that is very important.”

“Does it solidify your mate bond?”

“No, not that kind of… It’s just like this thing where we vow to be with each other forever and to love and care for each other no matter what.” Misty found her voice getting small. She’d never had to explain what a wedding was to someone before, but in actually saying it out loud…

That was some silly shit!

If it weren’t for all the tradition and circumstances around a wedding, would people realize how lame it sounded? If it weren’t for the formality of ‘I do’ would people be able to hear that you were just promising to be with each other for ever and ever? It was kind of foolish, hearing it all said out like that. It seemed childish, in a weird way.

“Sounds kind of pointless,” Flik said, rather confirming her own thoughts. “I mean, you’re mates, right? You’re already bound together. Why do you need to promise it as well?”

“Humans just don’t mate that easily or often,” Misty mumbled, practically quoting the pamphlet she’d been given. “The ceremony is meaningful. It, like, sets it in stone.”

“Oh, so once you’re married, you can’t be unmarried?”

“No, you can be.”

Flik frowned. “I don’t get it. How is it set in stone then?”

“I mean, it’s supposed to be,” she frowned. “We’re getting off topic. The point is: I’m mad at you. I’m less mad at him, but still a bit, and your color is probably set by now. Let’s go wash it off.”

Flik followed her to the sink. She had a full shower in the back for when she dyed large parts of someone’s body, but for just his wrists, they could wash it off right there. Which she did as she explained their date for tonight.

“He’s taking me for an orbital dinner,” she said. “Which, honestly, might be the most normal date idea he’s had. So, either he figured it out, or there’s a surprise waiting for me, and I really hope it’s the second one.”

Flik chuckled. “I think you like seeing him mess things up.”

“That’s not the part I like.” She smiled. “I like seeing him try. And he does try. The effort he puts into it makes every sweet thing he does mean that much more, even if they’re not exactly in line with what I would expect.”

“You know, our people would just get right to the fucking.”

“So romantic,” she mumbled.

“What’s so good about romance?”

She gave him an affronted look. “Bold of you to condemn something when you don’t even know what it is or have ever even experienced it.”

“It just seems like a lot of work,” he shrugged. “All he does is just…do things with you. Feed you. I mean, I can see the feeding thing. Got to make sure your mate is strong and healthy enough to bear your kits. But the mood lightning, the picnic, the flowers – it just seems like a bunch of random things you do for no reason. I don’t really see why it’s worth-ow!”

“Oops,” she said dully, letting the hairs she’d pluck wash down her sink. “I missed.”

“You missed?”

“I was trying to pluck the stupid out of you.”

“Cold, Misty. Cold.” He frowned. “My female shall be a beautiful kreecharma who shall not make any of these ridiculous demands of me.”

“You know what, just because you said that, your mate is going to be ridiculously high maintenance. And probably a human. In fact, I’m manifesting that for you. I want you to have the most difficult, high maintenance, demanding female on Earth.”

Flik grimaced, leaning back. “Why would you put that kind of curse on me?”

“Teach you a lesson,” she sneered. “Come on. Let’s get to braiding. I have to get dressed for tonight.”

She was actually really looking forward to the orbital dining experience. She bet it was going to be really cool to eat while circling the planet. Davard told her, after she asked, that the dress code for the restaurant was considered formal. Orbital restaurants might not be groundbreaking like they would be on Earth right now, but that didn't mean they were super common. Such a place was still considered to be something of an upscale experience. Like dining on the rooftop of an expensive restaurant or having dinner in a private jet. It was an experience that might not be that rare but was still special.

She wore one of her Earth dresses for the occasion. She called it her Madam Spider dress because the shapeless lace covering the black bodycon style sleeve dress was made to look like spiderwebs. The lacing went up her neck, all the way down to little bell sleeves at her wrists, and was just a few inches longer than the black satin dress underneath, ending in inverted, scalloped lines reminiscent of the edges of a spider’s web. She paired it with a thicker lace choker and her tallest, sexiest stilettos. The only pop of color was her underhair, which she had dyed a vibrant, gleaming yellow. She straightened her hair for the occasion though, so there were only a couple flashes of it when she moved.

She rather liked the decadence of the Kree style robes, but she didn't yet have a selection of properly goth attire. The embroidery, for all that it was stunning, wasn’t really goth at all. So, she still felt most like herself in her Earth clothes.

The raw appreciation in Tsok’s eyes when he beheld her walking his way where he waited by the landing shuttle behind her manor made the effort well worth it. Misty wasn’t so humble to not know that she looked good, but it was still a thrill when someone got that look in their eyes when they saw her. The way he focused on her hips as they swayed made her grin.

Deep down, these alien males were just men all the way through.

“You’re drooling, honored char,” she teased as she walked past, running her fingers along his lower belly as she did so. Skating dangerously close to that hardening lump barely visible underneath the soft, silver satin robe he wore – the embroidery today was flowers, and she wondered if that was a deliberate choice for her.

He followed close behind as she stepped up into the shuttle. It was smaller even than the one that brought her here, but far more luxurious on the inside. There was curved seating in the back, allowing her to lounge in the corner while Tsok took a seat in the middle. She immediately turned, resting her legs across his lap.

He started in surprise, but quickly recovered, resting a hand possessively over her calf as he smirked at her, saber tooth gleaming in the light. She had no idea she’d be so attracted to that, but she suddenly wondered what it would be like to have that gorgeous, fluffy face and long, hard teeth between her legs, that rough, feline tongue of his licking her to delirium.

“I like these shoes,” he said, an appreciative growl in his tone as he stroked his hand up and down her lower leg. The roughness of his palm – similar but less puffy than the pads on a cat – made her let out an appreciative groan of her own. She wanted those hands everywhere.

Oh, shit, she was going to fuck this guy.

She knew it immediately and didn't even try to fight against it. She couldn’t even say that she was still mad at him – though she definitely believed she had every right to be. But it was hard to stay mad at someone when you knew they genuinely, legitimately, and sincerely didn't know any better.

That just meant she had to train him otherwise.

“I like these shoes too,” she purred. “I bet they’d look real nice around your ears.”

His claws were suddenly there, poking into her skin as he dragged them down her calf. They weren’t sharp, instead they were deliberately dull. But they came to just enough of a point that she could enjoy their roughness without worrying about her skin.

His eyes were glowing again. She’d noticed they’d done that before. Back at their romantic spit roast, when he got all hot and bothered. His eyes always had a baseline glow to them, all the kreecharma did, but they’d been vibrant, electric, when he’d been going out of his mind with need for her.

She kind of loved it. She wondered if they’d legitimately glow in the dark, like cat eyes in a photo, or if it was just a trick of the light. Teasing him with the promise of having her legs on his shoulders and her feet around his neck immediately set them to burning.

She didn’t know why she was surprised when he growled and turned, pulling on her leg. Jerking her down until she was suddenly laid out on her back, his body hovering over hers. He used the grip he had on her calf to part her legs, putting the limb around his waist.

Oh. Yeah. He was a romance virgin, not a sex virgin. He might not know how to do mood lighting properly, but he’d fucked before. And judging by the confidence in his movements, in the way he held himself off of her, just high enough to feel his weight without being smothered, he had more than a little practice at it.

“Don’t tease me, little mate,” he growled, running his nose along her cheek. The cold of his nasal filter and the warmth of his fur combining to tease her deliciously as he took in a deep, slow breath, like he was trying to scent her even in the impossibility of it.

And she found herself wishing he would. That he’d treat her to what an unrestrained kreecharma male in full rut was like. She bet it would be hot and furious and violent in the best ways. She wanted him to hold her down with his teeth and breed her deep again and again until she was too tired from coming to even move as he kept claiming her body.

And then, when he was at his limit, she wanted to ride him until his poor cock was sore and his balls ached from being emptied. Until he was whimpering and begging her for mercy as she used a tight grip on his sensitive ears to keep him helpless below her while she used him like a toy for her pleasure.

The urge to dominate and be dominated by this male ran hand in hand. Both fantasies were equally hot and exciting.

“You gonna claim me right here in the back of this shuttle?” She asked, canting her hips up, humping him from below. Enjoying the hard bulge that was definitely growing under the silk of his robes. The lace of her panties, the silk, the heat of her pussy, the throb of his cock, it all came together in a swirling eddy of heat burning in her lower belly, begging for satisfaction.

“No,” he growled, tongue lapping at her neck. “Not nearly enough time for everything I want to do to you. But I have a private room on the orbital, and I feel like that’s a perfect place for all the debauched things I’m imagining.”

“Ooh, like what?” She grinned, loving the deep rumble of his voice in her ear, through her chest. She wanted to hear all the dirty, depraved things he would do to her. She wanted to hear all the things he thought would be dirty and depraved and see if it matched up to hers.

“Like pulling off that dress and pressing your body against the cold glass of the orbital and fucking you right there where the entire planet can bear witness to how I own this little cunt. Like making you drip with my cum before shoving my cock up your ass using our juices as lube and letting all of Kree see how you pant and moan for me.”

“Fuck…” She groaned, head dropping back. Needing that like she needed her next breath of air. He might not know anything about romance, but he’d definitely fucked before. And apparently knew what he was doing. “Yes. Do it. Claim me just like that.”

“Is that what you really want?” He asked before whispering, “Or do you want to tie me to my chair and ride me for your own pleasure as all of Kree watches how you own me. Then sit your pretty cunt on my face and make me eat my own seed out of you where they can all bear witness to how I am merely a slave to your pleasure.”

“Both. Both is good,” she wiggled eagerly, her nails going down his back. Cutting through his fur to scratch down his skin. “Let me ride your face first.”

He let out a long, growly groan, like he couldn’t think of anything better.

But before they had a chance to do anything else, the shuttle let out a little chime, alerting them to the fact that they had arrived. To her annoyance, Tsok sat back, easily ignoring the pressure her leg exerted against his waist, trying to keep him on top of her. He glanced down and snickered. She followed his gaze and couldn’t help the laugh that burst out.

The silk of his robes had a very distinct wet spot at the front. She honestly didn’t know if it was because of her – she certainly felt wet enough as her legs closed again – or his own precum leaking out, but the appearance was undeniably one of arousal.

“You don’t have an ounce of shame,” he said, looking at his own lap as he stood.

“Don’t worry, sugar,” she stood, following so she could put herself in front of him. “I’ll hide it for you.”

Putting his arm around her waist to hold her belly, she shivered with delight when she felt how big it was resting there. Spanning her tummy. Holding onto her so confidently. She made sure to walk just in front of him and conceal that damning wet spot as they exited the shuttle and met with the host of the restaurant. It was an elegant female with all black fur who gave Misty a curious look before walking them to a small lift that led to a hallway lined with doors all on one side. All private rooms, Misty realized, when they were brought to one and the door slid open, allowing them inside.

The orbital was split down the middle. The half of the restaurant facing the planet was completely covered with glass. The bottom level was for the public half, while the two upper levels had private rooms for guests willing to pay extra for them. The back half, with no view, was where the kitchens and staff work rooms all were.

All that was explained as they were walked through. They were told that they could order everything from the console inside their room and it would be sent to them on a hover. There was no need for further interaction with anyone until they were ready to leave.

The room itself was gorgeous. Not necessarily because of the furniture. Though that was high quality, it was all rather dull in coloration. A harmless, uninteresting, dark gray. The large table near the window, the long sofa lining the other three walls except where the door opened, and even the large cushion in the corner were all that same dull gray.

But that was clearly on purpose, because it left all the attention to be drawn instead to the massive, floor to ceiling window that showed the entirety of Kree. The large planet was beautiful, with silvery to gray oceans and land masses of dusky blue and gray. She could even see distinct cities from here, though they were mere dots on the surface, some hidden by the swirling, fluffy white clouds.

It was certainly stunning, but not nearly distracting enough to get her mind off the needy ache between her legs.

Once the door shut behind the kreecharma female, Misty could finally step away without concern, grinning at her male.

“I think you enjoyed that too much,” he said, eyes glowing.

“I’ve never had too much joy,” she countered, biting her lip as he grabbed for the tie on his robe.

It wasn’t a simple cross over, pull tight, double knot that she would have done. The knots for kreecharma clothes were much neater, much tighter than that. She was still having trouble with it – both getting hers on and off. But it looked like he just touched his and it melted away. The entire robe loosened, revealing his chest and the poofy, dark gray pants underneath.

Ooh, were they skipping straight to dessert? She was down.

But no. That’s where he left it. Casual and loose, he went to the console on the wall and began ordering. She pouted behind his back. But then perked up when she remembered that the food wouldn’t get here immediately, and that left plenty of time for face sitting.

So, while he was doing that – not asking her what she wanted, just picking – she began sliding off her panties. She didn't mind him choosing whatever. She honestly wasn’t thinking about the food.

Turning, she put her back to the glass. It was chilled, but that was hardly a surprise considering the freezing black of space was just beyond. For a second, she wondered at the strength of the glass. How thick it was. Because it didn't look that thick, but she also wasn’t sure it was regular glass.

But the curious thought flew away as soon as it came, because she didn't really care about physics or science right now. She used one hand to lift the front of her dress, licked the fingers of her other, then promptly slid them down. Biting her lip to keep herself quiet as she circled that needy, achy little button, staring at the back of her male as he ordered. The smooth glide of his muscles under the silk and black fur. The twitch of his ears. The motion of his fingers on the touch screen.

He was gorgeous. She was eager to feel that luxurious black fur sliding all over her body.

“I hope you like ri-...”

Tsok’s voice cut off as he turned and caught sight of her. He stared, his entire body tense, as she finally let out the low moan she’d been holding back. Her fingers moved down further, seeking her own hole to tease as she ground her clit against her palm.

Oh, and Tsok was growling. Staring at her so hungrily. His hand twitched before he rushed at her. She smiled, eager for him to take her in his arms.

But that’s not what happened. Instead, he dropped to his knees in front of her. Grabbing her wrist, he yanked her fingers free and put them in his mouth instead. Then groaned as his slick, slightly rough tongue stroked across and between the digits. Licking her up. Going up the palm. Making sure he didn't miss a drop.

And when he had her fingers clean, his eyes locked in on her pussy. She tensed her thighs, leaning her hips forward, giving him a better view, as his other hand clutched her hip, blunted claws poking deliciously against her skin.

“Let me lick you,” he begged, looking up at her with burning, green eyes. “Let me taste you, my mate. Please.”

How was she supposed to deny a plea like that?

Smiling, she put her hand to the back of his neck and pulled him forward. He went eagerly, tongue already lolling out. She felt the heat of his breath before he started licking. They both let out a groan at the same time before he shuddered and got to work. Lapping at her like a dog on a hot day – maybe cat would be a better comparison.

She didn't rightfully care because his tongue felt incredible. The extra roughness was just the right amount of stimulation as he feasted. The cold of his nasal filter stroked over her clit, teasing her as she moaned, her grip on his head tightening. Shoving him harder against her. Practically demanding that he use that tongue to fuck her.

Which he was only too happy to do. Both of his hands grabbed her ass, canting her hips forward further until she was on the her tips of her toes, her weight distributed between the glass at her back and his face. But he didn't seem to care as he took advantage of the new angle to slide his tongue into her. It was longer than she expected, and while it wasn’t particularly thick, he could curl it up to lap at her G-spot with shocking dexterity, which made her absolutely wild.

Misty choked on her own scream as she came, spasming around his tongue as he groaned with appreciation. Dipping his tongue in and out of her. Cleaning up her mess. She’d never come that fast in her life. And the slow wind down as he continued to lick lazily made her legs weak until she nearly collapsed when he finally moved his face.

He took a second to nip playfully at her thigh before her skirt dropped and he stood, adjusting his grip so that he was holding her thighs, jerking them up around his waist. Grinding into her. Teasing her with the weight of his shaft as he licked at the curve of her neck.

“I would take you right here,” he growled, “Except I need to feed you first.”

“I’m good,” she promised, locking her arms around his neck. “I can wait.”

“You think you can,” he nipped at her ear, making her squeak and laugh. “But you’re going to need your energy for what I’m planning for you.”

She shivered in delight. “How about I suck your cock and eat your cum? Is that enough protein?”

He growled, digging his cock into her harder. She cursed the fabric of his pants, separating them. There was texture on his cock. She could feel it. She wanted to feel more of it.

Unfortunately, that was the moment the door chimed, announcing the arrival of their food. She grumbled as he chuckled, setting her down. He made sure the strength had returned to her legs enough to hold her before stepping back. She blew out a breath as she adjusted her skirt. That one orgasm had been great, but really only served to whet her appetite. She wanted more.

But Tsok was being considerate again, allowing in the cart that moved by itself. It was laden with platters covered in domes that he began setting out. The meal might be covered, but it smelled great, and she found herself approaching, belly tightening in hunger. Like her own body agreed that she needed energy for more orgasms like that.

She took the dome off the nearest tray, sniffling appreciatively at the fish underneath. It was a whole fish, head and fins, steamed and set on a bed of veggies. It didn't really smell like fish though, it honestly smelled more like beef. Which was a bit confusing to the senses, but she wasn’t above trying it.

“Kirsean sea slider,” Tsok said, setting down one last dish. “It’s a delicacy, and easy to cook wrong, but when it’s done right, the flavor is incomparable.”

“It smells amazing,” she agreed, reaching for another dome.

One by one, she uncovered a feast fit for a king. What appeared to be a roasted bird of some kind, a blue salad, something cheesy and savory, a couple things she already knew she loved including a soup that tasted like chicken noodle but was actually made from leaves – like a tea flavored like chicken broth. It was delicious, a favorite of hers. And for something refreshing, a fruit salad. White cream bathed a selection of bright, fresh berries. Her imagination went wild immediately, thinking of all the ways they could lick and eat that off of each other.

“This is a specialty of the restaurant,” Tsok said, picking up a fat and juicy berry.

A familiar shiny, blue berry.

Misty blinked, stunned as he ate it. Making a low sound of appreciation.

“Have you had these yet?” He asked, picking another out of the bowl. “These are called righsling berries. They’re a rare treat, but quite popular.”

“Yeah, actually, I have,” she said, her tone noticeably cooler.

He looked at her, obviously confused by the sudden shift. “Misty?”

“Seriously?” She frowned, stepping back. “I mean, I get you’re dense, but surely you can’t be that dumb, right? This isn’t about romance. This is about common courtesy at this point!”

“You’re angry,” he said, having the gall to sound surprised.

“You think!?” She snapped. “I was just about ready to forgive you, then you pull this !”

He looked at the food. All of it. Like he didn't realize the problem that was still pinched delicately between his two fingers. “I… don’t understand. Meal sharing is considered to be a basic human courting ritual. Or did I get something wrong?”

Misty stared at him, dumbfounded. Because there was no way he was that dumb. He could not be an important male with serious responsibilities and be this thick. There was…

There really was no way.

Her anger began to ebb as a new thought occurred to her.

“Tsok… You don’t know, do you?”

He frowned. “I’m sorry, Misty. I really don’t. Have I done something wrong?”

“The righsling berry.”

He looked at it. Then back at her. “You… don’t like them?”

“They don’t like me.”

“What?”

“I’m allergic!” She snapped.

He blinked. “Allergic?”

“Deadly allergic. The last time I ate those, I nearly died! I had to go to a healer!”

“What?!” He fell back, eyes wide. He looked at the berry again, then dropped it back into the rich fruit salad like it had shocked him. It splattered in the white cream, sitting right there at the surface, surrounded by innocent fruit and other deadly righsling mines. A soup of death that he offered to her so sweetly, completely unaware.

Because he didn't know.

“Davard didn't tell you?” She breathed, giving him an incredulous look. “Davard tells you everything.”

“Davard knew of this?” He snapped, voice suddenly sharp and furious.

Misty threw out her hands before dropping them lifelessly back to her side, shaking her head in disbelief. “He was there the whole time. He’s the one who brought me back home. I thought… I thought you knew. I thought you just didn't care.”

Incandescent rage burned in his eyes. The fury tightening every muscle in his body. Misty just blinked at him, confused again.

Because if he didn't know, then…