Chapter 15 #2
“Yes, and I was delighted to discover that while the external slime was not of your making, that your internal self-lubrication is decidedly delicious.
" He leaned down and licked the seam of my lips.
When I gasped, he slipped his tongue into my mouth and gently stroked his ridges against my own.
His thumb traced up my thigh and slowly pressed between my legs.
“That . . . still sounds really . . . gross,” I said between gasps as he worked his finger higher.
His thumb met my wet center, and he growled. “My delightful self-lubricating mate.”
Someone shouted in the hallway, and then suddenly the door slid open and a massive alien stormed in.
And this one was even more alien than Kex’s people.
He was slightly taller than Kex, gray, and very furry.
His ears sat on top of his head like a cat’s, and his face, while somewhat human-shaped, came to a slight point like a muzzle.
Before I got a better look, I was behind Kex, and my alien man was standing between me and the giant tabby man.
“Kex, you asshole,” the intruding alien roared.
A group of gray-clad aliens, the same race as Kex, poked their heads in after him, but didn’t enter.
“These fuckers said you disappeared into the woods and wouldn’t tell me where.
I’ve been waiting three weeks for you to get back. Three fucking weeks.”
Kex’s posture relaxed, and he waved away the gray-clad aliens. “Drinking my fine alcohol and trashing my guest room, no doubt.”
“Well, obviously, but that’s beside the point,” the tabby said, his voice aggressive and rumbly, with a hint of theatrics. “I sent you messages, and you never responded, you traitor. After everything! I saved your life over a dozen times and this is what I get from you.”
Kex stepped forward and placed a hand on the new man’s shoulder. “I’m sorry I was out of touch. There is no tech allowed in Monai. What do you need?”
The stranger made a dismissive gesture. “It’s not important.” His voice, while still deep and a bit booming, was now calm and dismissive. “What’s that?” He gestured toward me as I craned my head around Kex to watch the interaction.
“That is my mate,” Kex said, and moved back to my side. He sat next to me and gestured for the tabby to sit. “Emily, this is Rainair, one of my dearest friends.”
Rainair gave a sweeping bow. “My lady, it is a pleasure, though may I offer my deepest regrets for the travesty of a man you got stuck with here.”
I grinned. “I don’t know. I think he’s pretty freaking awesome.”
Rainair frowned and dropped into the chair on the other side of the table. “What language is that?”
Kex tapped his tablet again. “Earth English.”
Rainair pulled out his own device and tapped for a moment. Then he winced and cursed. “Okay, my lady, try that again.”
“I said I think he’s pretty freaking awesome.”
Rainair grinned and leaned back in his chair. “Fucking hell, Kex. You go into that fucking forest of yours and come out with a mate. Think I should give it a try?”
Kex snorted. “What part of no tech allowed in the forest did you not understand? You can’t survive a day without a vac-sealed dinner.”
Rainair rolled his eyes. “And how did you end up there, my lady?”
“Oh, you know, the usual. Abducted by aliens while out getting coffee, then said aliens stuck me and a bunch of other women into an escape pod and dumped us into the forest,” I said.
Rainair glanced at Kex, then back at me. “Abducted. Do you mean you were taken from your planet against your will?”
Kex’s hand wrapped around my stomach, and he pulled me tighter against him. I leaned into him. “Yep, none of us even knew there was life outside our planet before the goopy guys snatched us up.”
Rainair glanced at Kex again. “Lmmp,” Kex said, and Rainair grimaced.
“Your planet was pre-spaceflight?” the cat-man asked.
“Well, we’ve done a little space flight, reached our moon and all that.”
Rainair sighed. “Yes, but that still makes you a protected race.” He looked back at Kex, something heavy in his expression. “There are more of them?”
“Yes, twelve more still in the deep forest,” Kex said. “And that’s not all. Their language was recognized in the database.”
Rainair ran a hand down his face and cursed.
“Anyone mind clueing in the human?” I asked.
Rainair sighed. “Any species from a planet that has not reached galactic spaceflight is protected by Imperial Law. Anyone caught trafficking your people would be in breach. It’s serious. The sort of behavior star systems go to war over.”
Kex stiffened beside me, but he sighed and continued. “The fact that I was able to identify your language and upload it to my chip means your people are not new to the known universe. Your people have been taken before.”
I grimaced. “Well, what can we do about my friends? You said one of your wardens had updated about them?”
“Yes,” Kex said and returned to the report.
“The escape pod is large and will take an effort to remove from the forest, and your friends are not equipped to walk out of the forest on their own. It stated one was injured, a broken limb. They will need to be carried, so the protectors sent for a larger group to help with the extraction.”
“I don’t understand, why can’t they just send in a hover car and get them out?”
Rainair snorted. “Because his people treat their forest like sacred ground.”
I glanced at Kex, and he sighed. “Monai, the deep forest, is protected. No technology of any kind is allowed within the boundary. If we tried to fly into the zone, we would be arrested. The protectors will need to dismantle the escape pod you came in by hand and carry the pieces out, restoring the balance of the forest. Your people, everything they carried not created by hand will be collected, and brought out.”
“So they are just going to leave the other women out there until they can walk back?” I asked, shocked.
“No, two protectors entered the forest to investigate the crash,” Kex said, glancing at the report.
“The lead protector stayed with your friends while the second returned for supplies and more help. He will bring food and other resources to help care for your people until they can be safely escorted out.”
“Can we go to them? Help? They will be terrified, and none of them will be able to understand your people.”
“Yes,” Kex said. “The second protector left immediately yesterday to return with supplies to your friends, but the backup party hasn’t left yet.
They are likely gathering resources. We can meet up with them, or go on our own.
If we fly here”—he gestured to a spot along the white border far to the left, but not too far below the red dot—“it will be a much closer journey to them.”
“Count me in,” Rainair said.
Kex snorted. “You won’t be able to bring your stories.”
Rainair shrugged. “I guess you’ll just have to entertain me. It wouldn’t be the first time.”
Kex sighed. “Fine, we’ll meet you in the morning. I’ll make the preparations and com you the time.”
Rainair stood. “The morning then. I’ll leave you and your mate to get cleaned up and go enjoy your fancy alcohol in my fancy room.”
“See you,” Kex said, and pulled me back onto his lap.
“Nice to meet you!” I called as Rainair exited.
“You as well, my lady,” he said before the door closed behind him.
I snorted. “I’ve never met someone so formal and informal all at once. I could get used to all the ‘my lady’s.’”
Kex leaned forward and picked up a piece of something and brought it to my lips. “You should, as it’s the proper address.”
I moaned, and Kex’s eyes sparked. The food was delicious. Something fatty and salty with a slight crunch. “What do you mean?”
Kex selected something else from the tray and fed it to me. “You inherit your title from me, your mate. I haven’t registered you yet. There will be a ship-load of documents to file, you being a preflight species, but I’ll get my steward on it.”
My brain tried to process his words. “So does that mean you have a title?”
“Yes,” Kex said, and offered me another bite, but I refused it.
“What is it?”
He sighed and picked up a cup. “Currently, it’s Lord Kexanoplus of Langula. Here, try the wine.”
I took the cup from him and set it down. “You’re a lord?”
“Yes,” he said, but he didn’t meet my eyes and tried to feed me something else.
“Are there a lot of lords on your planet?”
“A few.” He pressed a piece of fruit to my lips.
I took it from him and tossed it onto the tray. “Kex, can you stop and explain this to me?”
He sighed and flopped back on the couch.
He closed his eyes. “My grandfather passed a few months ago. I was off-world and didn’t get to say goodbye.
” I pressed my hand to his chest and he put his hand over mine.
“Rainair—we were in a war, fighting the occupation of a preflight planet against another empire led by an asshole. We won, but there were a lot of losses. Rainair and I worked our way up the ranks, and in the aftermath, we were in charge of restoring order. When I received word of my grandfather, I left him there, which is probably part of why he’s pissed. ”
“He didn’t seem pissed to me, more like he needed you.”
“We relied heavily on each other, especially toward the end of the war. When my grandfather passed, his title and some other responsibilities passed to me.”
“So if you just got responsibility dumped on you, why were you hanging out in the deep forest?”
Kex grinned but didn’t open his eyes. “It’s so delightful to understand you at last, my mate. To be able to hear how insightful you are, how easily you can read me.”
I pinched his nipple, and he grunted. “That’s not an answer.”
He swallowed heavily. “My grandfather held a seat on the Imperial Senate. By our laws, that seat passes to me. I have a choice to accept it or reject it, in which case the seat goes to a planet-wide vote. I have six more months before I am forced to make a decision, and I retreated to Monai for a sojourn while I thought.”