Chapter 26
Peony
Water bearer.
As far as pet names went, it was highly unromantic. However, the special meaning put into the words – and also their exotic nature by virtue of being alien – made them incredible. It was not traditionally romantic or even all that badass.
But, weirdly, she kind of liked it.
Maybe it was the look of pride that had been in Atem's face when he explained its meaning. Or maybe it was the way his eyes warmed every time he said it. Those words, that name, meant a great deal to him, even if they were kind of lame when translated.
Vora Vakara, a warrior in deed if not in name, sounded poetic and cool enough to make up for it.
And all of that was conveyed in literally two words – which she knew for a fact since the neural upload did, in fact, include written language.
Peony couldn't say she was unhappy with either of her new names.
Atem flew them all back to his home – which she now realized was actually his palace.
Temnavi was there to greet them, excited at the chance to talk their ears off now that they could understand him.
He was happy to meet them, and Atem told them that Temnavi was his ward and if they had any needs, they could direct them to him and if he couldn't do it, he could find someone who could.
“Will you take the others back to their room so they can rest?” Atem asked him, not unkindly.
“Vas, vi Dominani!” He chirped happily. “I got them new combots and datapads like you asked.”
“Good. Show them how to use them.”
The excited kid agreed and began to lead the way back inside. Peony didn't move to follow as Atem still kept hold of her hand and he didn't let it go or walk ahead. The two of them stayed back until the girls were inside. Only then did Atem follow at a more sedate pace.
“I have your combot and datapad in my room,” he told her. “I will show you how to use them myself. But I wanted a chance to talk to you first.”
Since that was what Peony wanted as well, she had no complaints. She allowed him to take her back through the same hallway that led to her and the girls’ rooms, only they passed their door and continued on to another door at the far end.
Atem's room was beautiful, and unexpected. She thought an alien king would be surrounded by fabulous wealth and technology, but in actuality, his room was plainer than hers.
It was still beautiful, because it was part of the palace.
One entire wall had a series of sliding, glass pane doors that were all open, leading out to a beautiful garden balcony, complete with what appeared to be an outdoor gym and training area.
His bed was through an archway leading into a second room that was only half concealed by mostly opaque curtains.
The circular platform was bigger than hers and had more pillows.
Both rooms had the same hanging drapes to separate it into smaller areas.
A door that must lead to the bathroom or closet was closed.
Within the front room, he had a lounging area not dissimilar to the one she and the girls shared, but his table had a small fire pit in the center that was cold right now.
He also had a large, 'L' shaped desk in the corner with a dark screen on the wall behind it, a couple of datapads, and a combot in its charging station on the surface.
It was beautiful, but it was also lived in. This was his space, and, with some polishing, it could probably grace the cover of a magazine, but it was just untidy enough, just well-loved enough, that it didn't lack for that human touch.
Or that domini touch, she supposed.
“Shall I send for something to drink?” Atem asked, locking the door behind him with a few swipes on the interaction pad beside it.
Peony shook her head, her belly twisted into knots. She didn't think she'd be able to keep it down. “I'm okay. Thanks.”
“So formal,” he chuckled, reaching out and taking her hand.
That same hand. He seemed to prefer holding it.
She didn't even have to wonder if it was intentional.
She already knew that it was by the way he smiled at her over her fingers as he brought that hand up to kiss it.
“Relax, vi Peony. There's no reason to be uncomfortable.”
She laughed nervously. “I know. It's just... different. Being able to talk to you, I mean.”
His gaze darkened with pleasure. “I know. I have been looking forward to this moment. The moment I could thank you properly for what you did.”
“It really wasn't that big of a deal.”
“It really was.” He pulled on her hand, helping her down into the lounging area before taking a seat himself. Right next to her. Their thighs brushing. He laughed. “Your skin changes color, as mine does. But it seems to only ever want to turn pink.”
“It's called blushing,” she mumbled shyly.
“And what does it signify?”
“Erm, a lot of things? People flush when they're angry or embarrassed or... aroused,” she finished on a whisper, but she knew he heard it by the way his eyes flashed.
“How very convenient,” he said, his words gruff and deep with desire. “Do you control it?”
She shook her head. “Pure reflex. How about you? Do you control your color changing?”
“No. Nearly pure reflex.” He shrugged. “Some people can, if they focus hard enough, but it's difficult to maintain and there's no real point as consciously choosing a color will never be as accurate.”
He was leaning into her now, almost towering over her. Peony found herself laying back, her free hand coming up to take hold of his shoulder. To pull him in closer, not push him away. She had missed him last night. After so short a time, she already missed him.
But his attention was fully on her now, sending butterflies bursting through her belly.
“Do you, erm, have anything else you need to do today?” She asked softly, thinking about how he had been called away before they could really get anywhere yesterday.
He smirked. “I've finished everything that needs my immediate attention. My entire day is for you, and I won't let anything short of invasion take me from you.”
Peony giggled, wrapping her other arm around his neck. “So, can I get to keep you all for myself?”
His head tilted curiously. “Is that what you want?”
She stilled, suddenly afraid. “Er, is that not okay? Oh, crap. I didn't even think to ask if you were already with someone. Or if this was what you wanted. I'm sorry, I didn't-”
He put his fingers over her mouth, cutting off her panicked babbling with a smile as he replaced the hand that she tried to pull away.
“You are very much what I want,” he assured her with a deep growl. “I just have a few questions before I claim your body and pleasure again.”
“Er, sure,” she mumbled breathlessly. Human men didn't talk like that, didn't look so directly at her like she was his everything, and she was unprepared to deal with it.
“Is your species monogamous?”
“Oh. Yes?”
“A question?” He tilted his head with a frown.
Her face burned. “It's complicated? It varies based on culture and, sometimes, even individuals?”
“Very well. Are you monogamous?”
“Yes. I am,” she assured him quickly with a smile before it faded again. “Are you?”
“My species is monogamous as a hard rule.” He traced his fingers down her neck. “We share our pleasures freely, but once we have chosen to mate, it is permanent. There are no others. And so long as a couple is sharing pleasures, they do not share them with another.”
A tension she didn't realize she was holding faded away. “Okay. On a, er, more practical note, are you... clean?”
He looked confused and she realized she'd have to spell it out for him.
“I mean, we already had unprotected sex, so it's a bit late, but you don't have any sexual transmitted diseases, do you? I'm clean. I've had multiple checkups since I was last with anyone.”
Understanding dawned. “Ah. I see. No. I am, as you say, clean. An odd phrasing.”
“Yeah, my people have the market of odd phrasing cornered,” she chuckled. “And I'm pretty sure this is a stupid question on account of us being completely different species and all, but you can't get me pregnant, right?”
Atem leaned down to kiss her forehead. “There are no stupid questions, vi Peony.
You cannot know these things, so it's natural to wonder. Never be afraid to ask me anything. To answer you: no, I cannot. There have been many species using many different scientific methods to try to create hybrids. It has never been done. It cannot be done.”
“Okay. Yeah.” She nodded quickly, wondering why she felt a pang of disappointment.
She had only known Atem a few days. She should not be concerned about not being able to have adorable, three eyed, wiggly tailed babies with him.
“That makes sense. I just wanted to be sure. Those are, like, first two concerns when humans have sex.”
He cocked his head, surprised. “Are such things so prolific on your world?”
“What? STDs? I mean, I don't know if I'd say prolific but... Er, okay, yeah, I guess, I would.” She felt embarrassed admitting to her planet's inability to deal with diseases when she saw how easily the First Healer had cured all their maladies.
“Diseases are common in worlds without the technology to eradicate them,” Atem assured her easily, as though seeing her embarrassment. “I actually meant breeding. Is it so easy to create offspring among your people that you must worry about it?”
“Huh? You mean, it's not for your people?”
He made a grunt that could have been negative. “It is rare to find a species so adept at reproducing that they must be concerned about over-breeding. Usually, fast reproducing species are also short lived or easily killed. They do not tend to become a sapient species.”
“Oh. Really?” Peony leaned back, now curious about other aliens. “You mean, there are more than just the domini and the ratchi?”
He chuckled. “There is an entire Coalition of species. And many more so that, like your own, are uncontacted.”
“Wow...” She breathed, her head falling back. “Like, I knew intellectually that the universe was bigger than I could imagine, but still...”
Atem wasted no time in taking advantage of her awe. His lips trailed up the slope of her neck. He began to nibble on the ridge of her jaw, making her tremble, her fingers clenching against shoulders as she pressed her head further back.
“So, is Temnavi your son?” She asked, needing to know that before she gave into him.
“He is my ward.”
“Yeah, I don't know what that means.” She shuddered as his teeth found her ear lobe. His tongue swept upwards, following the curve of the cartilage as though it were fascinating. “I couldn’t tell if he was yours or if he worked here or what.”
It took him some time to respond. “Temnavi is an orphan. I care for him. I offered to make him my son, to give him my clan name, but he refused on account of not wanting to forget or replace his father. So, I care for him in a more formal capacity. He does not mind the work. He enjoys the responsibility I give him.”
“Oh, that's.... nice...” Peony could barely speak, breathless from having Atem's gently rumbling voice right in her ear. “Erm, one more... questi-” Her voice cut on a deep moan as his fingers reached between her legs, spreading them and teasing along the sensitive skin of her inner thighs.
“Ask it,” he growled, the purr of it nearly making her come.
“Just, er... crap, Atem, that's good!” She bit her bottom lip, her back arching up into his touch as he teased her pussy through the fabric. “I, er, need to know...”
“Yes?” He prompted, still fully focused on leaving kiss marks all along her neck and shoulder. The flare of red flesh in the wake of the soft suction seemed to fascinate him.
She needed to know what this thing between them was. Were they fuck buddies? Were they having a two-night stand? Or was this a relationship? She was meeting someone from an entirely different culture, and she didn't know if this act had more or less meaning compared to hers.
But it was hard to remember that concern when his mouth closed over her still clothed nipple. The warmth and wetness of his tongue, made rough through the fabric, made her hips jerk up, grinding her aching heat into his palm.
The domini, thankfully, had the concept of underwear.
The soft fabric stood no chance against Atem's claws when he cut through it, baring her slit to his fingers.
He wasted no time in finding her clit and rolling it between his fingers, sending a pleasurable rush of pain shooting up her spine as she jerked in his grasp, her hips rolling, her back arching.
She suddenly couldn't remember what she wanted to ask him.