Chapter 18
Havali
This method of dancing was strange. Unnatural.
Stiff and formal and weird. Havali didn't understand the purpose of it. Dancing, as far as he understood it, throughout most species, was either done for fun, ceremony, or presentation. But this was not fun, there were set steps but no real ceremony or meaning, and it certainly wasn’t pretty to look at.
And his feet were so close to Scarlet’s. He worried if he looked up, he would miss a step and accidentally hurt her. He couldn’t look up, he had to focus.
But she insisted and, helpless to her commands, he lifted his gaze.
His feet continued to follow the pattern, but he was staring into his female’s eyes. Holding her close. Suddenly, acutely aware of the way her body moved along his with each step they took. The warmth of her hand. The soft pull of breath into her chest.
His arm tightened around her waist without thinking. Obediently, she followed, letting him pull her in closer. Now that he wasn’t looking down, he didn't have to maintain that distance and could instead appreciate the closeness of his mate.
And he understood.
This dance was an embrace. It was like making love. Their bodies moved in a slow rhythm, her following as he led through the motions. Their breaths mingled; their bodies touched. The constant stepping forward and back brought slow, grinding thrusts to mind.
And that was the purpose of this dance.
Closeness. Sensual beauty. Two bodies coming together and moving in an intimate series of steps that seemed to block out the entire world, narrow it, until nothing remained but the gentle background of music, his mate in his arms, and his gaze lost in hers.
Of course, humans would come up with such a dance. They were such a sexual species, it bled even into something like this.
“You’re doing great,” Scarlet praised, effortlessly following his lead. Her eyes were sparkling as her hand on his shoulder slid a bit further around, the tips of her fingers barely brushing the skin of his neck. “Trust yourself. You won’t hurt me.”
That sounded like a challenge. His fangs ached. His cock ached. He wanted to bury both of them within her, hear her scream as her heated blood rushed across his tongue and her body shuddered in his hold. Wrong. But he wanted it so badly, it was all he could think of.
And their closeness meant he couldn’t hide the proof of his desire.
Scarlet’s eyes widened slightly as she felt his hardness begin poking her in the belly, but she didn't pull away in repulsion. Instead, she smiled.
“So, I guess you like waltzing?”
He didn't kriking care about this stupid dance. They weren’t even walking in the little box anymore. They were just swaying back and forth, pressed tight against each other.
And krik if that didn't make him think of sex too.
“I’m going to be busy starting tomorrow,” he said suddenly, trying to distract himself from the thought of throwing his female down, pinning her in place, and fucking her right here on the floor.
He didn't care who saw. His female was beautiful and wonderful, and he wanted all of them to hear her screams of ecstasy and know that he owned her completely.
Let them all see him claim her. Let them all envy his cock and knot buried in the wet heat of her tight, human cunt. Let them despair that they would never know the ecstasy of her body because it belonged only to him forevermore.
But he couldn’t do that. He wouldn’t do that.
Because as much as he enjoyed the idea of flaunting his female, he also wanted to claw out the eyes of any male that dared look at her.
He wanted to take her to his den and lock her inside until she nested and then claim her in that nest until her belly was full and rounded and her cunt dripped his seed, her neck and thighs and breasts all marked up from the pinch of his fangs.
Krik, all they were doing was swaying and he couldn’t block out his foul thoughts.
“How long do the meetings take?” she asked, oblivious to his torment.
“Usually, we’re here for tendays. Almost every species has something to debate, and every topic can take marks to speak on. Especially if multiple representatives want to present an argument on the same topic.”
“And the human thing is definitely going to provoke arguments.” She sighed. “Well, that’s hardly a surprise.”
“Topics are brought up in order of seniority. So, those who joined the Coalition earlier go first. Domini are more than halfway down the list. We’re the 168th species. So, it will likely take a while to get there. A few tendays, at least.”
“Do you have to be there for all of it?”
He nodded once. “I do. Atem is required to be there the entire time, and as his primary aid for this, I have to be with him.”
“Will we be there through all of it?”
“Not you,” he corrected. “You and the other females don’t need to be there through the other arguments. They won’t be very interesting. A lot of trade negotiations and arguing about new things added to the Standard and asteroid mining rights. It’s dull, I assure you.”
Scarlet was laughing. In doing so, her body shook against his, making his cock jump. Something that didn't go unnoticed as she gave him a knowing glance.
A knowing, approving glance.
“Stuff like this is usually dull,” she agreed genially, otherwise ignoring his cock. “You really don’t want it to be exciting. That usually means bad things are happening.”
Havali thought back to the last interesting Coalition meeting he attended – the topic had been the threat of war and invasion on a Coalition planet from one of the non-Coalition species – and conceded that she likely had a point.
“Will you comm us when our topic comes up?” Scarlet asked, focusing his thoughts back on her.
“Of course. I wouldn't let you miss it.”
She gave him a grateful smile. “So, what will we be doing while we wait?”
“Whatever you like. I’ve left you all a list of safe, secure places I’ve approved for you to visit.
Tuvo has a security team on you at all times, even when we’re not with you.
And the High Imperium personally swears to the safety of any representative guests while they’re here.
Have fun. Look after Adassani. Enjoy yourself. ”
“Will I see you at all?”
They had come to a full halt. Not even swaying anymore, but still holding onto each other.
“You might not. Not every day, at least,” he said, not fully regretfully though, because he would still see her. He wouldn’t be able to stop himself from checking on her multiple times throughout the day.
She smiled at him, understanding. “Well, whenever you have free time, let me know.”
Their date ended with a slow, intimate dance and a yearning born from knowing that they wouldn’t have time to do this again soon.
But Havali still felt fulfilled as he escorted her back to her room at the embassy.
Wondering if maybe she might invite him in.
If she might let him lick her to completion.
Though his knot ached and his balls were heavy, he didn’t need the satisfaction of his orgasm nearly so much as he needed to see the pleasure of it lighting up his female.
However, at the door, she turned to him and gave him a smile and he knew that was going to be the end of the night.
“Thanks,” she said, her eyes sparkling and sleepy. “I had a great time.”
“As did I,” he said, gently pushing some of her hair off her shoulder. Fighting the completely dissonant urges to grab it and yank her head back so he could claim her mouth and sweetly stroke his fingers through the strands and watch her hum in quiet satisfaction.
“We should… do it again sometime,” she said, hesitating over the words, causing him some confusion with her reluctance to speak them.
“Is there something wrong?”
She looked surprised at the question before shaking her head. “No. Just me trying to figure out why I’m letting this… Never mind. Some things don’t have to be over-thought, right?”
“Not a personal philosophy of mine,” he disagreed making her laugh.
“I guess I’m just surprised by how comfortable I am. Why is it so different with you?”
Because she was his mate. The certainty of that thought made him grin. She might be human, but part of her still recognized what he was to her.
She shook her head, dismissing the topic with a smile. “Never mind. This was fun. It was nice. I kind of forgot how good it can feel to go out with someone and enjoy myself without worry. So, thank you. For giving me that.”
He wanted to melt at her feet, to promise her the world, just in knowing he had given his female such simple happiness and peace. And he wanted to rage and hunt down the human male that had taken that from her to begin with.
And at the same time, he was grateful that male was so careless. If he hadn’t been, if he had devoted himself to Scarlet the way she deserved, then she might not have been walking home one night by herself and been captured by a ratchi, then saved herself and delivered herself to him.
In seeing everything that had to happen for Havali to be standing with her outside of her room on Holotulle’s ring, about to fight for her people’s right to join the intergalactic Coalition, he almost understood concepts like fate and destiny – things his language had no words for because the domini did not believe in such things.
“Sleep well, Healer,” he said, loving the way her eyes sparkled every time he called her by her formal name.
“Good night, Havali.”
She stepped forward. Just like she had at the monument. But instead of kissing his cheek, this time she kissed his lips. Resting her hands on his chest, lingering over it, but not deepening it. His claws itched to grab her and yank her close and take more.
But he let her control the kiss – digging his claws into his palm to maintain control.
He tried to only focus on enjoying her warmth and softness and that perfume of skin creams that never quite covered the medicinal scent of antiseptic that always clung to her.
A strange, heady perfume that shouldn’t combine well but which he had come to greatly enjoy.
All of it was part of his female, and he enjoyed everything.
Scarlet stepped back, wished him goodnight, then walked into her room. But her eyes remained on him until the door slid shut.
Havali let out a breath, resting his hand on it. Wanting to reach out and touch her. Missing her already. Knowing that, no matter how early he had to wake, he would make sure he had a chance to see her in the morning, even for just a moment.
It was only a long time later that he forced himself to turn and walk back to his own rooms.