30. Ryoch
30
RYOCH
I t was a miracle we made it out to the bar on Friday night.
I’d kept Charlotte squeezing my cock and riding my face for three days, and I still wanted more. But she probably needed a break. I could handle a few minutes at the bar, and then we’d go right back to her house and continue where we left off.
The place was buzzing when we arrived holding hands, and glasses were raised in our direction. Gravod beckoned me to join him at the bar just as Charlotte spotted her friends and took a step toward them. But before she could let go of my hand, I tugged her close for a long kiss, reluctant to let her go.
She finally pulled away, laughing. “I’ll see you soon.”
I stared at the mark on her neck as she walked away, feeling her humor and love through the bond, still amazed she was mine.
Vex . I needed to fuck her again.
On Vytaris, between Lydaxian mates, this frenzy was normal after bonding. It was related to procreation instincts. We’d long ago developed birth control, but the urges remained. I’d been pleasantly surprised to find that human mates had the same reaction. Charlotte was just as insatiable as I was.
The researcher in me wondered if it had something to do with our pheromones, or whatever other factors made humans compatible as mates, and I made a mental note to look into it. Later. We’d have plenty of couples to survey about it, judging by the pairings starting to happen with increased frequency.
It turned out that trending was a huge help. Gravod filled me in as I drank my beer.
Almost every human on the planet knew about us now. More correctly, they knew about the “Lydaxian hoax.” There was widespread consensus among human females that Lydaxians were… sexy . Online influencers focused on our “tentacles,” with effusive posts about how wonderful it would be to fuck us, “if we were real.”
Gravod said he’d read some fan fiction inspired by Thylor’s video, and it was fascinating what human women fantasized about. Jess enjoyed reading them, and I planned to bring it up with Charlotte.
All the publicity had made it much easier for members of the crew to reveal themselves to their sta’las . Apparently, the women had been very enthusiastic to learn we were, in fact, real. And since our existence had been debunked, we had little reason to worry they might tell anyone. People would think they were joking.
About half the crew still needed to find their matches. But so far, every mate wanted to return to Vytaris with us.
Thylor hadn’t succeeded in his original intent—to ruin the mission so that we’d be forced to leave—but his machinations had the same end result. Thanks to him, our new plan to return with our mates was easier to achieve. Since he was still hiding, the idiot didn’t even know.
I sat at the bar, half-listening to Gravod and Mathol discuss our eventual departure with Jake and Hal, while I tried to hear what Charlotte was laughing about with her friends at the corner table.
Something about dildos?
CHAR
“No, I’m serious. Look at this.”
Annabelle held out her phone for all of us to see. Jess and I laughed. Naomi blushed.
It was an adult store website with a new category, “Ly dick sian.” There were assorted toys that looked like ta’laps —dildos as well as some creative vibrators. Horn headbands. Costumes. Annabelle shook her head.
“If I wasn’t trying to stay under the radar, I’d sue them for copyright infringement.”
“That would probably draw unnecessary attention,” I said, smiling. I sipped my Lemon Drop.
“I know.” She sighed, looking between me and Jess. Specifically, at our bite marks. “I’m jealous, ladies. Where’s my alien mate?”
Jess perked up. “Maybe you’ll find him on Vytaris! I still think it was fate that made you stop here to pee.”
Annabelle laughed. “It was the twenty-ounce coffee I had before I drove home.” Her brow furrowed. “Although, there was this old woman in line with me at the coffee shop who said something about a bar I should try. She dropped the F-bomb like three times. Funny lady.” She shrugged.
Before I could think too hard about that, Naomi spoke up. I’d never seen her so healthy the entire time I’d known her. She was practically glowing.
“Well, I’m keeping hope alive for a Lydaxian of my own. But if it doesn’t happen, I’m fine with that too. I mean, fuck. Space travel. Another planet.” She sat back in her seat. “Shit. How am I going to sleep? This is too fucking cool.”
“Have you started working for Hal?” I asked.
Ryoch and I had been totally out of touch with everyone since we bonded. My cheeks heated to think about it, and I felt a little zing of lust from him through the bond. Getting out of my house had been challenging, and I couldn’t wait to get him back into bed. Or on the floor. Anywhere, really.
“I start next week. He’s such a sweetheart. I keep calling him ‘Teddy’ in my head because he’s such a teddy bear, but I’m sure that would be a major insult.” Naomi lowered her voice to a whisper. “Because he’s a bear.”
I glanced at the guys talking at the bar. Hal straightened while the others laughed. Yep. Super shifter hearing was a thing. Good to know.
Jess nodded. “He’s great. And obviously he won’t file a missing person report when you leave. I still need to figure out how to disappear from my job.”
Annabelle raised her hand. “Let me know if I can help. I’m planning something kind of explosive for my final sign-off. Go out with a bang.”
Naomi laughed politely, but I knew Annabelle was serious. I would probably need to talk her out of it before she did anything rash.
“You’re still sure you want to leave?” I asked her. For the rest of us, it made more sense.
Annabelle’s mask slipped a little. “I do a good job pretending everything’s fine. But I need a fresh start. And you bitches are my best friends. I’m not letting you go travel the galaxy without me.”
Naomi lifted her cocktail. Gravod had made her a Corpse Reviver. Thankfully, she thought that was funny. She’d given me a sip, and it was also an excellent drink.
“To traveling the galaxy with best friends,” she said.
All of us cheered as we clinked glasses.
I felt Ryoch’s eyes on me. At the same time, he seemed to tug at me through the bond. Maybe I could’ve resisted the pull, but I didn’t want to. I put down my empty glass and pushed back from the table.
“Well, I think I’m going to head home.”
I’d made an appearance, and there would be time to go over plans later. We still had lots of details to figure out before we left.
I hoped Naomi and Annabelle were going to be happy on Vytaris.
Having a guy wasn’t a guarantee of happiness, I knew that from experience. Even with a soulmate, I fully expected we’d hit bumps in the road. But I worried it would be awkward for them on a planet where bonded mates were such a big deal. I wished we could be certain they’d both find their joy.
But sometimes, taking a leap of faith was worth the risk.
The ladies all gave me knowing smiles and said goodnight. Ryoch met me in the middle of the bar, grinning, his dimple on display. He took my hand and we walked out together, my heart beating steadily along with his.