Chapter 4
4
I shouldn’t be tempted to go explore outer space with a royal alien, should I? It feels like cheating, somehow. Like I’m supposed to stay home and fight an endless battle for visibility and only when I succeed do I get to do the fun stuff. Except deep down in the pit of my stomach, I know that even if I achieve ‘success’, the pinnacle isn’t very wide and, soon enough, I’ll be sliding down the other side.
Drakkon glances down at the little device in his hand with a glaring frown, which quickly turns into a sigh. “My presence is required on the bridge. Do you want to come with me or stay here?”
“I never stay anywhere if the story is elsewhere,” I mutter.
His smirk is tiny but noticeable. “I’ll keep that in mind, little kystra .”
He stands again, his immense height still stunning, and gestures me towards the door. “What’s that you just called me?”
“Hmm? Oh, a kystra is a small pretty flower with very prickly leaves and stem. It’s prized for its sweet scent but rarely plucked.”
“Figures,” I mutter under my breath.
Naturally, there’s an armed escort waiting in the hallway. We walk down endless corridors and enter at least two lifts. I have no idea how big this ship is, but it must be the size of one of those super cruise ships. I know when we enter the bridge because the place is bristling with communications screens. At the back are two of the menacing guards holding on to a terrified young woman. She looks ready to faint.
Drakkon steps up. “What’s this about?”
Another man, who looks more human than most, although he does have small horns extending from his head, steps forward. “Your Eminence, a stowaway was detected on the shuttle. We are still analyzing the security to discover how the breach was even possible. I would ask your mercy on her. I can detect no ill intent towards you or the Empire.”
Drakkon frowns, studying the young woman and then the man who spoke. “Mykkal… you know the protocols.”
The man pales. “I do, but on the grounds of our old friendship, I ask this one blessing.”
“You mean to cuff her?” Drakkon asks with surprise, which confuses me. Why would handcuffing a stowaway be particularly shocking? Tough, maybe, I can see that, but he seems genuinely shocked.
“Yes, your Eminence. I will bear full responsibility.”
Drakkon gives a short, sharp nod before turning to me. “What say you, C.J.? She is one of your people. Does she strike you as someone with mischief in mind?”
He’s asking me? I glance at the girl again and realize she has no idea what’s being said. She’s not following the conversation at all, nor is she looking for escape. If anything, she looks like she expects to be eaten before the day is done. “No. She seems absolutely terrified to me,” I blurt out.
“Then so be it. Mykkal, you are released from your duties to the Empire. Your new mate is to be cuffed and confined to your quarters until we reach the nearest port of call, where both of you will be discharged from the ship.”
Mykkal bows deeply. “Thank you, your Eminence.”
“C.J.? A word.” Drakkon pulls me deeper into the shadowy corner. “I promised you not to leave the galaxy without your permission, but this is a most sensitive matter. I cannot delay departing on this even for a few days. Are you willing to come with us? We can return to Earth in roughly ten days or so, depending on where Xtpol finds to leave them.”
My eyes widen. “Can’t you just send her back?”
Drakkon shakes his head. “No. The punishment for trespass on a royal vessel is immediate execution. It doesn’t matter why or how that trespassing came about. I’m already pushing at the limits by allowing this, and it’s only because Mykkal is willing to claim her as his mate. Returning is not an option, neither is delaying our departure. The crew is disciplined, but this is like an unanswered slap in the face. Someone may take it upon themselves to correct the situation. Which would be a direct insult to Mykkal and a defiance of my orders, and then we’ve got a very serious diplomatic situation.”
Oh. I can see his points, although does that poor girl know she’s marrying an alien? “Drakkon, she doesn’t even know what’s going on.”
His smile widens. “I like my name on your lips, sweet one. Mykkal will explain it to her when they’re alone. The Anapi are the most prestigious translators in the Empire. It’s rumored that they’re also psychic, but none of them will confirm it. So, are you willing to come along for a short trip? We can discuss more of your concerns on the way.”
I find my head nodding in agreement before I can get any words out. I want to see where they’re taking her, maybe get a chance to talk to her directly.
Back in Drakkon’s quarters, he begins taking off his many sashes and robes with a deep sigh. I perch on his previous chair, curious to see if he has any modesty at all.
Nope. Apparently not. His cock matches his size and looks familiar enough. But above and behind it are bony protrusions that vaguely resemble the guard on a sword handle. (Thanks to all those random articles I’ve had to write over the years, I know shit like this.)
Drakkon notices me staring and raises one elegant eyebrow. “Are your earth males so ill-equipped, then, that you find me surprising?”
“Um, well, the middle bit is similar, but not whatever that is.” I make a vaguely circular motion with my hand.
Drakkon glances down in confusion. “You mean my chalsk ? Yes, I see there is no translatable word. Well, I’ve not heard of any complaints about Chelan males anywhere in the Empire, so I’m assuming you won’t have any either. But you can give me your verdict whenever you’re ready.” Then he smirks at me briefly before turning away to brush his teeth in a small sink that emerges from the wall.
There is something about having my mate’s gaze assess my body that is completely new and different. I’m trying to figure out why, because it’s certainly not the first time I’ve been naked with a female when she asks, “Where am I to sleep?”
I turn, raising an eyebrow. “With me, of course.”
She’s up and shaking her head. “No way. I did not agree to have sex with you. Only a visit so we could talk.”
Frowning, I gesture towards the one bed. “I did not mention mating. Although if you should change your mind…” When she only stares at me, I sigh and continue, “This is the nicest bed on the ship. I do not want you far from me because out of my presence you won’t understand a word anyone says. And I would like to further our conversation whenever the mood strikes us. As well as hold you.”
Her cheeks pinken slightly before asking, “How come you guys haven’t figured out some kind of universal translator implant? Every sci-fi TV show I’ve seen has one.”
Shrugging, I move towards the bed to pull back the cloud down. “Such a thing exists, but nobody really wants it. Languages are living things, they change and morph with every half generation. Nobody wants to have to stop in for software updates that often. Most everyone learns Common, particularly if they’re planning a career away from their homeworld, so that’s what’s spoken on ships like this or in ports.”
“Oh,” she comments, looking deflated. “Well, can you put some clothes on?”
I glance down at my body, trying to figure what has caused offense. “Does something about my naked form displease you?”
She flushes. “That’s not the point. Humans don’t sleep with strangers and they definitely don’t do it naked unless they’re far more daring than me.”
Ah. My kystra needs to recover from so much new information. I hit the light switch, and the room plunges into darkness. “Now you can pretend I’m wearing clothes and I will do the same,” I tease her. “Come to bed, C.J., I doubt you have anything as luxurious as cloud down on your planet.”
I can hear her getting ready to defend her homeworld but then with a sigh she moves slowly towards the bed. The cloud down envelops her and I hear a soft, sweet sigh. “It will feel better against your naked skin,” I point out gently.
“In your dreams, alien guy,” she snorts.
“Most definitely, my sweet.” I reach out and pull her to me, the cloud down moving gently out of the way to re-surround us jointly. “Go to sleep, C.J., In the morning, I will show you galaxies you’ve never even heard of.”
And I do. Someone was thoughtful enough to bring C.J.’s suitcase up to my quarters, so she has the familiarity of her own clothes to dress in. I show her how to work the controls in the cleaning unit and then reluctantly give her some privacy. But only to the point of withdrawing to my sitting area, which is on the other side of a short partition.
Xtpol has identified a space station several light years away as the nearest, relatively safe location for Mykkal and his new bride to disembark. It will take approximately three days to reach it and another three to return, so I set about creating an itinerary of things to show C.J. that will convince her to choose this new life. I have also decreed that we will spend one full day on the space station, giving everyone a chance to do some shopping, eat different food, and unwind. J’harna rolled her eyes at me over the communicator when I informed her. She’s the one responsible for the duty roster, ensuring my personal protection detail is always fully staffed and the ship not left unattended. She brightened up when I promised her a full day’s shore leave to explore Earth when we returned. “I can’t promise you’ll be able to find anything for your anamba but I will ask C.J.”
When I hang up, C.J. is eyeing me while toweling her hair dry. “Did I hear my name?”
I nod. “I have added to J’harna’s workload. She collects fancy collars for her pet. Does such a thing exist on Earth in the shopping districts?”
She blinks at me. “Well, yes, any pet store has collars. Wait, what kind of pet is it? How large a collar does it need?”
“It is not big, otherwise she wouldn’t be permitted to keep it in her quarters. She frequently walks it on the star deck so that others may have the joy of interacting with it. Here — this is what an anamba looks like.” I pull up the picture from the common dictionary and show her.
Her smile stretches wide. “Oh, it’s so freaking cute! Can I meet it? I want to pet that soft fur. Or do they not like being touched?”
My smile echoes hers. Anambas are known for their love of cuddles and exude some kind of pheromone that keeps people of all species coming back for more. “Of course, I will ask her to meet us on the star deck this evening.” And I’ll have to ensure J’harna gets an even fatter bonus than she’s already expecting.