Chapter 8
Chapter eight
Ra’odah
I was addicted to these damn audiobooks.
It was a good thing that I was normally an overachiever at work because I’d spent more time in the past twenty-four hours listening to audiobooks than I had attending to patient files or anything else.
In fact, I was deep enough in my audiobook that I didn’t even notice it when Logan knocked on my office door.
He scared the crap out of me when strode inside, a Vul male bound to his wrist. Olzi.
Objectively, Olzi was incredibly beautiful, but most Vul were.
He was around my height, and had a slim, wiry build and almost feminine face structure.
There was just something about their big golden eyes and thick lashes, and the silky sheen of their skin that made you want to take one as your pet.
But beneath that beauty lurked pure evil.
Or at the very least, an obnoxious soldier who had stolen Logan from me.
Not that I wanted Logan for myself. Nevertheless, it was the principle of the thing.
His tail twitched with nerves as he looked around my office and I pulled out my earpiece, flushing, then turned the audiobook off so I wouldn’t lose my place.
What a time for the two men to wander in.
“Marian’s hand shook as she reached for her new husband’s thick cock, stroking her fingers—” And apparently I’d switched to speaker.
I yelped and dove for the communicator, cutting off the narrator’s voice.
I couldn’t even look at the men now. It was all I could do to pretend to be immersed in my computer instead of burying my face in my hands and hiding.
“My sister has been giving you audiobooks, huh?” Logan said.
There was a little humor in his voice, but he didn’t seem that bothered, all things considered.
Still, I couldn’t look up at him, because obviously, in my imagination, the husband had looked exactly like Logan, and the handsome valet, whatever that was, was alarmingly orange.
Stupid, newly vivid fantasy life. A chair creaked, and I could only assume that he and Olzi were sitting in the chairs across from my desk.
What did I do? They’d heard my sex book.
I turned towards my computer and cleared my throat.
“May I help you with something? We found you had the Vul compound in your system, if you’d like to see your bloodwork.” I typed a bunch of nonsense into my computer to look busy.
“Ra’odah,” he murmured. “Look at me.” And when I turned to do so, he was grinning.
And as handsome as ever. Olzi was next to him, far closer than would be customary among Aunga’ri.
His thigh pressed against Logan’s and his tail wrapped around Logan’s forearm.
This was definitely the man I’d pictured as the valet.
Whatever that was. The novel I’d been listening to was set in historical Earth and somewhere between the cravats and waistcoats, I’d given up on looking up the obscure vocabulary that no one had thought to load into my translator software, and just started imagining people I knew wearing their normal clothing.
“I was just listening to that for… research. Your sister told me it would offer good insight into human relationships.” I said briskly. “By the way, do you know what a valet is? My translator said it’s someone who parks cars, but that makes no sense.”
“It’s a manservant,” Logan said. “For a rich guy. No one has them anymore, I don’t think. Not even rich guys.”
“Is it like a… sexual relationship?” I asked.
Logan laughed, his eyebrows shooting up. “No. I don’t think so. Why?”
I flushed. Oh god. Why had I asked that? “Oh, he was helping Lord Shafton with his bath.”
“Hmm. You know what, I wonder if maybe sometimes it was sexual. Sounds sexy, anyway. Want to help me with my bath later, Olzi?” he asked, winking.
And since that had been exactly what I was picturing, things got worse.
Olzi’s eyes widened, and he made a soft purring sound, which I took to be approval.
“Anyway, I’m sorry if my book made you uncomfortable,” I said briskly. “Sometimes research requires a deep dive into… psyche.”
“Ah,” Logan said, nodding. “And you need insight into human relationships for a purpose?”
“Idle curiosity,” I said, trying to make my voice as imperious as possible.
I shuffled some things around on my desk, needing something to do with my hands.
Olzi had said nothing. He was just staring from Logan to me, then back to Logan.
Logan reached out and rubbed his thigh, and he relaxed a little. “Was there something you needed?”
“Medical clearance to move him into my room,” he said. “He is experiencing severe symptoms when separated from me.”
“Of course,” I murmured, suddenly picturing the two men naked and sprawled across Logan’s bed.
I rubbed my eyes. What was Mia’s audiobook doing to me?
I forced myself to focus on the task at hand, entering the codes into the computer to send the information to the admiral and commander about Olzi and Logan’s situation.
The very situation that now made Logan off limits to me.
“Will it be easy to get?” Olzi asked. His voice was unexpectedly deep, with a rumbly quality that did strange things to me.
“As you probably know, when a Vul initiates the pairing, the one who uses their tail feels an almost uncontrollable urge to submit to the person he or she has chosen.” As I spoke, Logan’s eyes widened, and a slow smile spread across his face.
“And of course, the one who has been stung will feel a protective instinct, as well as some dominant urges.”
“Dominant urges,” Logan murmured, grinning even bigger.
Olzi sighed. “In ancient times, it was believed to have served to intensify the bond. In modern times, we do it at a ceremony. They sting each other at the same time, mostly. It allows us to be on equal footing.”
“But I can’t sting you back,” Logan said, nodding.
“Well, I’m not sure if the submission thing happens with other species.” Olzi looked a little flustered, and I wonder if he was already feeling those effects.
“You’ve seen your brother, right?” Logan said. “He belongs to three people who dote on him. Seems pretty submissive.”
“He was always kind of like that, though,” Olzi said quickly, his eyes darting around.
“Right. What can we do to get this paperwork processed quickly?” Logan asked. “I might like to test this submissive thing. For research.”
“I should have an answer within a few moments.” I ducked my head, willing my voice to stop shaking.
If he ever wanted me, he certainly wasn’t feeling that now.
All he could think about was getting back to his rooms with his new Vul love slave.
I had learned about love slaves in a different book.
It didn’t matter, because I couldn’t very well form a romantic attachment to my former patient.
I tapped my fingers on my key panel and sighed as a new message popped up.
“The commander would like to see you. And me.”
“Are you okay, Ra’odah?” Logan asked, reaching a hand towards me, then stopping short.
He did this often. Humans were far more accustomed to physical touch than our kind, and there were occasions in which it would be natural to touch me as a friend.
Not because he wanted to touch me like the men in the books. I really wished it was, though.
“Yes, why wouldn’t I be okay?” Briskly, I stood up, gathering my lab coat. “Come on, Commander An’Mu’ol is waiting.”
“Does he not make you refer to him by his full name?” Logan asked.
“Another thing human culture has influenced, I guess,” I said.
“And it was a pain in the ass, anyway.”
“That, too.” We stalked down the hall of the space station, headed for the gravity lift, which was a small, glass-enclosed tube that took us to different portions of the ship.
Being in a small space with the two sexy men was almost my undoing.
Olzi’s arm brushed mine, and I almost moaned from the silky softness of his skin, which had a very fine fur over it.
And again, my imagination brought up a vividly detailed little fantasy involving Olzi giving Logan a bath.
I’d timidly climb in there with Logan and he’d show me the true meaning of pleasure while Olzi served us both.
But he wouldn’t, would he? I glanced at Logan out of the corner of my eyes and found his eyes on me.
Thankfully, the elevator stopped before he could say anything uncomfortable.
It opened up onto the suite of offices that house the admiral and various fleet commanders, though I had chosen An’Mu’ol because he had a human wife and would be most sympathetic to Logan’s plight, I hoped. But as we walked into his office, his frown said otherwise.