Chapter 5 #2
Wid nodded then drank more water. “Right. The thing is, the shaft is wider than the tunnels and it has a kind of ladder built into it.”
“But that’s great news,” Joel interjected. “It means we can truly go all around the ship without—you know—sliding down a shaft and breaking our neck.”
“Except,” Jordan interjected, “why are there rungs in the shafts unless the aliens use them?”
“Exactly,” Wid replied. “They’re wide enough for them. Yeah, we’re taking the risk of bumping into one of them while we explore.”
Joel shrugged. “Okay, so we have to be even more careful. This whole thing is a crapshoot anyway. We have to try. Otherwise we accept the fact that we’re going to be sex slaves until they get tired of us and then what? They kill us maybe and get a fresh crop of boys in?”
They were all silent as they absorbed what Joel had said.
He was right, of course. They had no idea how long their captors would find them amusing and whether they’d be passed along to others onboard, transferred to another ship or simply put down like farm animals past their prime.
Joel was the first to move past his sobering observations.
“My turn. You went left?” When Wid nodded, Joel said, “Then I’ll go right. Help me up, Jordan?”
Wid waited until his friend was hoisted up into the tunnels before he went to grab some food. The morsels made serviceable and edible material for constructing maps. Kneeling down, he said, “Okay, let me show you where I went.”
Those boys who weren’t watching the door huddled around him.
Kell had no time to indulge his pet with exercise at the end of his shift.
Communication time with the home world was limited and he had scheduled a visit with his mate and her children.
It almost hurt to hide his growing excitement.
As captain he had to keep up appearances, but damn, he longed to gaze upon his mate’s beautiful and serene face and to see how the children he’d given her faired, especially the youngest one.
He hooked the leash to his pet’s collar without comment, thoroughly distracted, his mind on getting back to his quarters as soon as he could.
He set a faster pace than he’d intended to, realizing it only when his pet stumbled against him.
He forced his steps to slow, tamping down his mounting impatience.
When they arrived in his quarters, he wasted no time leading the human into the sleeping chamber and removing the leash.
“Sleep,” he ordered and turned to leave again.
A niggling concern broke through his focus on opening up the communication channel.
Suppressing a grunt of annoyance, he veered off to his closet and grabbed a loose robe he sometimes wore when he was off duty.
It was thin and he hadn’t bothered with it since he’d had someone to fuck regularly, but it would help keep his pet warm while he was unable to do so.
Tossing it to the boy, he said, “Put this on.” He started to leave again.
“Wait, Master?”
When he stopped to look over his shoulder, he saw an expression he hadn’t seen lately.
After a difficult start, his pet had recently settled down nicely, cooperative with spurts of apparent contentment.
At least that’s how it appeared to Kell.
He wasn’t an idiot, of course, the human likely feigned acquiescence to gain privileges.
It wasn’t a bad strategy. Kell was willing to reward good behavior and it made for a more satisfying time in bed.
The pet licked his upper lip. “Are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong?”
Oh, well, he supposed his abrupt manner might make the human think that. As a species, they were rather soft and sentimental, their feelings easily bruised. Kell shook his head in the human way. He had no desire to alarm the boy.
“No, I have something to do.”
And he didn’t have time to stand around and explain himself to his pet.
Hurrying into the main room, he initiated the receptors.
Then he took off his jacket, leaving on his sleeveless tunic and trousers.
If the visit had been only with his mate, he would have stripped down entirely, knowing how much she enjoyed viewing his body.
With the children in attendance, especially the females, it wouldn’t be acceptable.
Although Marielle wasn’t as rigid in her rules as many females were, there were lines to adhere to.
Taking a few deep breaths to steady his nerves, he knelt in the center of the room and waited.
A bleep sounded and the air shimmered, then she was there, standing in front of him.
Her beauty took his breath away as always, even dressed as she was in a simple home robe and with her hair unbound.
He loved seeing her this way, unadorned and casual.
She smiled down at him, sending his pulse skittering and causing his cock to fill.
It so overwhelmed him at first that it took a moment for him to remember to bow.
Instead of scolding him for his lapse, Marielle giggled.
He grinned back at her. “The sight of you always makes me forget myself, love.”
“And you always make me feel like I did the first time I laid eyes on you.”
They stayed as they were, staring at each other for a long time.
She was alone for the moment and he appreciated the chance to have private time with her before the children joined them.
He loved them of course and missed them, but there was no one he loved or missed more than his beloved mate.
No amount of human pets would change his longing for her.
No, he wouldn’t think of the boy in the next room, not while his mate stood before him.
It was disrespectful to her, even though taking his pleasure with another male of any species had nothing to do with his love and devotion to her.
It was something males did with their mate’s tacit approval.
Even if he one day formed a lifetime bond with another male, his love for his mate wouldn’t waver, nor would such a thing give her a moment’s thought.
Marielle might even be interested to hear about the human.
Perhaps they would speak of it when he returned home. Not now.
She broke the silence first. “You look well, my mate.”
“I am. There’s not much I can get into up here on a battlecruiser.”
“The humans give you no trouble?”
An image of Wid punching him popped up unbidden despite his intent to the contrary. “Nothing of any consequence.”
“I am glad, although I’d be happier if the annoying creatures would simply leave the area.
” Her chest heaved and Kell’s vision locked on the swell of her breasts.
They were much larger than usual as she nursed her youngest. “I gave a speech recently at the council meeting advising that we give them the useless planet if they want it so much. It is of no particular value to us.”
It took a second for her words to register with him. “You did? What was the response?” He’d known his mate felt this way about the disputed territory, yet hadn’t realized she felt strongly enough to speak out.
“It was voted down, naturally. Some females think any capitulation shows weakness. But there were some strong voices in support. I intend to meet with others and see if we can change minds slowly and quietly.”
Kell tried not to be too optimistic. The best way to handle a long deployment was to remain resigned to it being long. Still. “I have faith in your powers of persuasion, my love.”
She gave him a wan smile. “I am more selfish than anything else. I want you home.”
“I want to be home with you and the children too. How are they?”
“See for yourself.”
With a subtle wave of her hand, the children crowded around her.
The oldest, Amala, handed the baby over to her mother.
The infant of his memory from their last communication was now old enough to clasp fistfuls of Marielle’s robe and she stared back at him with intelligent eyes. He laughed in delight.
“She’s grown so much. Such a beauty, and look at that expression. I bet she’s a handful.”
Marielle and all of the older children smiled and giggled. “She is all of that,” his mate confirmed. “Now, children, greet your father properly and tell him what you’ve been up to.”
They did as their mother bid, starting with Amala.
Kell bowed his head to her, as she was reaching the age of maturity and deserved the respect.
Her cheeks flushed when his gaze met hers once more.
She was just like her mother in looks and temperament.
His pride knew no bounds. It was true for each of the children.
The females were studying hard and the males were training.
The oldest, Ven, would head to the academy soon.
He hoped he’d be home to take him there personally.
Their visit lasted a long time, and yet not long enough.
When the hologram of his family finally faded from sight, he stayed on his knees for a while longer.
Seeing them had done his heart good. Having to say goodbye to them again ripped it out and crushed it to dust. It couldn’t be helped, so he gave himself a few minutes to wallow before he got up.
His shift would start soon enough and he needed to be sharp to run the ship.
He entered the sleep room quietly so as not to wake his pet and was surprised to see him still sitting up in bed with the robe wrapped around him.
His legs were folded up so that his chin rested on his knees.
He stared back at Kell wordlessly. Perhaps the boy had become so used to being fucked, he craved it now in order to settle down.
No matter. Kell had no interest in anything other than sleep.
He couldn’t even work up a concern over marking the human.
Missing one night hardly constituted weakness.
Ignoring his pet, he began to undress. He could feel the human’s eyes on him.
“Was that your wife?”