Chapter Seventeen
Aphrodite awoke to Xexis shifting in the bed.
She blinked blurry eyes. Xexis was on the side of the mattress, stretching his arms and legs.
Without a thought behind her eyes, she reached out and ran her fingers down his spine.
His back rippled, shivering. She caught his reflection in the glossy, metal walls of his chambers.
Xexis stared at her as if she were a prized possession, something he couldn’t bear the thought of losing.
Her hand fell to the dip in his lower back and stopped at the comforter.
Xexis fully twisted, looking down at her.
Hair a mess, bleary eyed, half-awake, and he cupped the side of her face.
“Are you hungry, my mate?”
She hummed, rubbing the back of her hands against her eyes. “Mm, don’t think so yet.”
“Good, then you will not mind.” He snorted.
“Mind wha—” She did not have the chance to ask, yelping as Xexis scooped her out of the blanket and brought her to his chest. Lying on his back, Aphrodite straddling him, Xexis was too proud of himself.
She glared down at him after she’d been able to refocus her sight.
With a huff, she planted both hands to the center of his chest. “I do mind.”
“You do not wish to claim me?” He tilted his head to the side. His tone suggested he was teasing her.
She scowled, wanting to hate so much how cute he was. “What?”
“You would have earned the first claim on our first hunt, and since we’ve come to have a real hunt, I owe you a claiming. So, my mate should remove her clothing, put her pretty hands around my neck, and claim me.”
Aphrodite sputtered, sitting up straight.
If it weren’t for his hips rocking against her suggestively, forcing his cock to press into her core, she would think he was joking.
He’s the dominant one. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
Wait, he’s serious? He wiggled his pincers at her.
She blurted out, “You really want me to claim you?”
He laughed, head tossed back into the pillows. Four hands roamed her sides, slipping under every piece of fabric he could. He whisked the shirt from her torso. “My mate believes this is a trap?”
“If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck.”
“I am a water fowl?”
“No,” she snickered, shaking her head. Aphrodite slid her hands up his skin, ignoring the prickling of her palms against his flesh.
She leaned over him, her breasts pressing into his chest. Xexis smiled broader.
I’d be lying if I said this didn’t do it for me.
Eyes warm, crinkling at the edges. The back of his knuckles brushed against her cheek.
He tucked her loose hair behind her ears.
Aphrodite warmed, her core turning into a jet engine ready to take off.
Xexis gazed at her. The way that melts me every time and leaves nothing but goo.
She kissed his brow, between his eyes. His rumbling of pleasure zapped her insides.
With a raspy whisper, she spoke, “Doesn’t my mate like being the one to claim me. ”
“Yes, it’s maddening how often I think of throwing you against the walls just to drink from you or hear you moan my name. But I also desire this. You, Aphrodite, put me in my place.”
Oh, don’t threaten me with a good time. A man asking her, an overly frustrated woman in STEM who for the last few years, was shackled helplessly to idiotic crew mates? Don’t mind if she does!
She had to practically jump off him like one would a horse. He chuckled at the rush in her body to pull every last piece of cloth off her body. She swatted at the hands that reached for her. Whirling to face him, hands on her naked hips, she addressed him. “You want to be put in your place?”
“With everything inside me,” he growled, sitting up from the bed. Yeah, Aphrodite! Put him in his place! Something in her told her to commit to it. Claim him. She wasn’t a hunter; she didn’t want to chase him through the ship.
“Then, why are you not on your knees?” She smirked, cocking her head in a false sweetness.
I would like to hear him beg. Xexis brightened, a wicked glee filling his obsidian eyes.
Crawling from the bed, the massive being who often overpowered her, approached on hands and knees.
He knelt before her, beaming up at her. She exhaled a shaky, uneven breath.
Cupping the side of his face, she traced his pincers and mouth affectionately.
“Beg me, Xexis. I want to hear you plead to drink from me.”
Four hands wrapped around the back of her legs as he slithered up against her.
His gaze never left hers as he pressed his chin into her lower abdomen.
A groan came from deep in his chest, rumbling through him.
It sent shivers down her spine and curled around her clit.
Xexis moaned, “My mate, please, do me the honor! Allow me the blessing of drinking from you. Spread your legs and I will give you the pleasure of the stars in your eyes. Please, Aphrodite, I wish nothing more than to devour you and drink your pleasure.”
Her mouth was dry. Well fuck. She was expecting to have to fight him on it.
Like just a little bit. But like with everything, Xexis did not do anything half-assed.
Her cunt was dripping with need, and she held in the trembling of her legs.
She glanced up to the bed, then back to Xexis. “Spread me on the bed—”
Aphrodite hardly finished her words when Xexis hoisted her in his arms and placed her on the bed.
He stayed on his knees by the side of the mattress.
Her hands grabbed any piece of him she could reach.
His tongue was deep in her core before she could exhale.
A dreamy sigh floated through the air as he speared her eagerly.
Her thighs tightened around his head, pulling him closer.
Toes curling behind him, she moaned. Xexis hungrily gripped her with two hands and the others reached up to tease her nipples.
He rotated from pressing his tongue into her spongy walls to flicking and teasing her clit.
Aphrodite cried out, her orgasm hovering over her, inches away.
Grabbing his jaw with sweaty fingers, she kept him at her clit.
Her hips rocked against him. Xexis held still, letting her ride his tongue exactly as she wanted.
She came with a jerk and a whimper. Unlike when he had his way, she wasn’t screaming or rasping his name.
She was shivering and moaning softly, grinding against his tongue until the last wave of her orgasm washed over her.
Aphrodite let go of his face and let him drive his tongue inside her.
Xexis drank from her as she flopped back against the bed.
Dizzy and chasing the stars in her eyes, she felt every moan and flick of her mate's tongue.
When he’d drank his fill, she fought for her life to sit up. She didn’t even speak. Pointing at the bed, Xexis launched onto it. Not like I could throw him. She wheezed, “Thank you.”
He beamed, face dripping with her release. Her legs were weak, and she wasn’t sure she could ride him. Momma didn’t raise no quitter. But Aphrodite wanted to, and she’d committed to putting him in his place which meant she was going on top.
She climbed her stallion of a mate and straddled him.
Fisting the base of his mating trunk, she stroked it while she collected the last few brain cells rattling around her skull.
After she found strength in her core and legs again, she rocked him into her.
Xexis’ hands grabbed her desperately. She smiled at the feel of his fingers burrowing into her soft flesh.
Bouncing on him until he sank fully into her wasn’t the hardest part.
The hard part was making her legs behave long enough to ride him.
His cock filled her to the brim and left no room to breathe.
Even with breathers. Aphrodite pressed her palms flat against his chest and leveraged her feet onto his meaty thighs.
You can do this! She whimpered, knocking him directly into her favorite spot inside her. You can claim him!
The words tumbled out of her mouth. “Am I going to do all the work, or are you going to bounce me on your trunk?”
He roared; she wasn’t sure if it was a laugh or hungry desire.
But Xexis snatched her by the hips, planted his large feet on the bed, and thrust up into her.
She cried out, head tossed back. Her hair stuck to her sweaty throat.
Xexis took over. Fucking her like there was no control in his body.
His eyes were clenched shut, his fingers leaving bruises on her backside.
Aphrodite slid up his body, hissing at the lovely scratch of his prickles.
Her hands perfectly wrapped around his throat.
He moaned, hips bucking wildly. Watching his face as he came undone had to be her favorite thing. Xexis gave everything.
Xexis opened his eyes and locked his with hers. As he spilled inside her, she shivered. He stared into her soul. Ripped her open and stuffed himself inside her chest. She gasped for air, grinding on him. Soaking in every drop of him, milking him for more, she trembled.
He spoke first. After audibly swallowing, he rasped, “My mate?”
“Do you feel claimed?” she squeaked, unable to break her hands from his throat.
“Very.” He nodded his head softly, pushing up from the mattress. Warm hands raked up her sides and cupped the trembling hands around his throat. “Is my mate uncomfortable with claiming me?”
“No!” she gasped, shaking her head vigorously. “No, it’s not that. I’m just—it was intense.”
“Ah,” he exhaled steadily, nodding his head more.
They lingered in that silence, staring at each other and panting for air.
After a long moment, Aphrodite slipped from him to the bed.
Her legs were jelly, and she was still struggling to keep her heart from rocketing out of her chest. However, she was warm. Deliciously warm.
Slipping onto her stomach, she stretched out on the mattress. Her body was slow to respond, and it took everything in her to grab her data pad. The drone chirped, coming out of self-induced sleep. He floated over both of them.
“Has the droid become sentient?” Xexis asked with a grunt.
“Maybe?” Aphrodite laughed, pushing up onto her elbows. “I need to give him some upgrades. But first…breakfast…and brushing my teeth.”
“Clothing, probably, unless you wish to proudly show my mating—” She didn’t let him finish.
Snatching a pillow, she beat him in the face with it.
Xexis cackled as he rolled from the bed with grace.
While she flailed and struggled to stand and not crumple to the ground, he strutted.
Fucking hate that. He pulled on loose fitting clothes and waited for her to rip on clean leggings and a new top.
Thankfully they made most of their shirts with built in breast holsters that actually worked or else I’d be forced to become the first space bra store.
“Do not worry, my mate, soon you will be capable of claiming me then challenging me to a race to the mess hall.” He scooped her up from her feet and carted her on his hip through the hissing doors.
The sensors under his feet make tiny spark motions, as if they’d come to understand when he was carrying her.
Aphrodite leaned against him, rolling her eyes. “I doubt that.”
“Humans are resilient, as Quagmor says.” She wanted to call him out on the difference between her being resilient and her fucking a muscle god of an alien with unimaginable stamina and a heavy appetite for sex then eating.
But she didn’t. Aphrodite let him lead them to the bathroom.
Reevar and Kiefgr were in baths, grumbling to each other while Grooug cleaned his armor. They all snapped to look at Xexis.
“Kannatch!” They bowed their heads in unison. “Mphronatch!”
“Morning!” Aphrodite waved as Xexis finally sat her down on her feet.
Her bladder reminded her it was time to scoot.
Racing behind one of the many walls separating the tubs from the basins, she ripped her leggings down.
She’d grown used to the perfectly circular, ninety degrees horizontal, always cold as ice with no lid, bowl toilets.
It didn’t allow for hovering, more like straddling.
There was no standing water in the basins, and they weren’t big enough to fall in.
The flush was air based, and she was dried by force.
In the low mumble of words between those in the baths, she was able to clean up, cleanse her mouth, and brush her hair with items Xexis kept in his compartment.
The hunters were speaking softly, discussing something that didn’t seem important.
Kiefgr was talking with all four of their arms, but the others shook their heads.
Reevar even shoved Kiefgr under the water and snorted loudly.
Aphrodite was booting up her data pad again when the doors to the baths flew open.
Rexna and another researcher that looked like a praying mantis but mixed with a rainbow shrimp burst through the doors.
Garbled speech flew around the room as Xexis barked an order.
The researchers flew out the door with Grooug in tow.
Xexis stopped by Aphrodite, apologetic but she shook her head.
“Go, whatever it is, go! I’ll find you later. ”
He cupped her face and pressed their foreheads together for a split second before he bound through the doors.
Aphrodite turned to see a pale Kiefgr and a breathless Reevar staring at the doors where their leader left through.
“What was that?” Aphrodite blurted out.
“Fqa,” Kiefgr climbed from the bath, stumbling to grab their towel and dry off. “He’s rabid.”
Aphrodite stared at Reevar, mouth hanging open.
The hunter appeared close to tears, pincers curled up tight against his mouth.
When his gaze landed on her, she felt his pain like he’d stabbed her in the heart.
“Our sick friend in the lab? They say he broke through his container and has attacked a technician.”
Aphrodite let out a broken squeak as a hand covered her mouth. She murmured between her fingers, “What happens to him?”
“If the sickness has taken his mind, we have no choice.” Reevar stumbled out of the tub, grabbing his own towel.
“Zhat muq brotesqu.” Kiefgr ripped on his flight suit pants and rushed for the door half wet.
“May the stars have mercy.” The sound of Reevar’s thick voice bouncing off the walls left her shivering.