Chapter 2
Survii
The chance to be the one in charge of the negotiations of an, as of yet, completely undiscovered species was one that wouldn’t come around again for likely another thousand Standard years.
No one knew anything about Earth other than what the five human females they had with them could disclose, and that made them almost entirely unknown.
Before a species was contacted, usually, the Coalition had already known of them for years. They had been watching them from afar, waiting for the moment they breached their solar system to offer membership into the Coalition. That was how the domini had earned their place.
But Earth had never even been spotted at a distance, much less had its civilization watched. Survii would be going into truly unknown territory here.
And he was excited about it.
Survii was restless. He could never stay in one place. His own mother said that he was an unusually excitable pup. Always squirming and refusing to be easy. By her admission, he was such an exhausting youngling, she had never tried very hard for another. Quite a remarkable feat.
His job as First Voice meant he never had to stay in one place.
He was constantly on a starship, always visiting new worlds.
Voices acted as ambassadors, communicators, administrators.
It wasn’t the most glamorous of professions until you made rank, and even then, you had to climb quite high in order to have anything resembling an interesting life.
That was more than enough incentive for him. Survii never stayed in one location very long. He got to see the most interesting places, meet the most interesting people, and do the most interesting things. He had a lover on each planet, friends of every species, and an adventure around every corner.
And Earth was likely to be the peak of those adventures.
He was eager to get going. So much so, he rushed through the last contract alterations he had with a few other voices – they weren’t called voices on other planets, but it was easier to think of them that way.
The changes were complete and when they dropped out of subspace his Second and Third Voice could take over so he could put all his attention on Earth.
And the humans.
Survii had seen the humans before. Specifically, he had seen Adassani, mate to his Dominani, during the Hortii Kristivar that sealed his Dominani’s position.
She really was exactly as the rumors had said.
A creature so inherently sexual, beautiful, and delectable, it was a wonder that she was actually real and not a creation of the horniest scientists on all the planets.
He hadn’t really paid much attention to the other humans. As much as he wouldn’t mind a human lover to add to the rotation, there were only five of them, they were all his Dominani’s sisters, and he was never on Turv long enough to woo one.
It hadn’t really mattered. So, he hadn’t really paid attention.
When he rushed into the conference room, it was the first time he had given himself permission to actually look at the other ones.
He was flashing his gorgeous new clothes – he had a weakness for fashion and shiny objects that he indulged in to a probably shameful degree.
He grinned at Atem, his Dominani. Adassani was, as always, beside him.
Beautiful and regal. Her son in her arms. An adorable pup, truly – though Survii had never really seen the appeal.
Then, there was the absolutely stunning human with blood red hair.
She was the tallest of the females. Breathtaking, really.
He was pretty certain she had recently mated Havali, First Guardian.
Beside her was the shortest human. She was equally stunning, though in a very different way.
The kind of female that was all curves, luscious and vibrant.
The kind of body a male ached to hold and squeeze as he left deep marks in her softness with his fingers.
She was unmated, he was sure. She looked like she could use a male in her life.
Maybe he should offer his services. For her own benefit, of course.
He almost looked over the fourth human female completely. She was so small compared to the mountain of muscle and aggression next to her, she was practically invisible. The bright yellow hair of the fifth human was much easier to spot.
But then his third eye caught on her.
The other two quickly snapped back.
The feeling in his brain was a vibrating twang, like a cable suddenly pulled taut. It snapped as his entire world shrank, then expanded in the very next second.
That one, his mind seemed to say.
No! He wanted to scream.
But he couldn’t deny it. He barely even heard Atem tell him to take his seat and asking Romival to start again at the beginning of the plan for his benefit. He wanted to tell them not to bother. As he was now, he wouldn’t be able to listen.
But he couldn’t get his mouth to move, much less his limbs.
The human female – he didn't even know her name – was staring back at him with a soft, distant smile on her lovely face. A perfect face. He wanted to lick it.
Krik!
She was so different from himself, from the other females.
All the humans came in shades of brown, but hers was the darkest brown of them all.
A deep, rich color that shined like satin and begged for his hands to stroke along her elegant neck, down her shoulders, to cup those obscenely large breasts that all humans possessed.
Her lips were thick and soft, her eyes big and golden inside wide white rims, her hair so alive and vibrant!
He couldn’t grasp her quick enough for his brain. He just kept focusing on one feature, then another, then the next. Too much to take in. He didn't have enough eyes.
Precious, perfect mate. Beautiful, exotic, so sensuously human.
Why him?!
“Survii?” Atem grabbed his shoulder, forcing him from the trance she had put him in. “What is it?”
Survii forced his eyes – all three, with more than a little difficulty – back onto his Dominani. The smile he quickly fixed on his face was practiced and easier for it.
“Sorry. Just stunned. I haven’t really looked at the humans before. They’re fantastic.” The quick, flippant answer was easier to give than the truth.
As a good guardian should, Atem began growling. The humans were his sisters and, as their strongest relative, it was his job to protect them. Most especially, from those unworthy to sniff or flick their tails in their direction.
“Sit,” Atem ordered, a bit less politely this time.
Survii let his gaze travel over the table again. His belly clenched with equal parts dismay and eager joy to discover that the only free chair was beside that tempting seductress who was still smiling at him with polite distance.
He wanted to trace that smile with his tongue before sliding it into her mouth, swallowing her gasp of pleasure, as he put her legs around his waist, opening her to his aching-
Krik!
Survii was extremely glad for these roomie, poofy pants that hid his groin as he walked around the table.
He sat beside the human, barely resisting the urge to trail his fingers along the fabric of the pale green dress she wore.
She styled herself the most extravagantly of the human females.
Elegant and regal with a pretty smile and the tightest curls he had ever seen in her hair.
They were so tight, her hair formed balls of fluff in its twin tails at the back of her head.
He rather thought they’d make great handles as he yanked her back against his cock.
Romival was talking about the plan. Survii barely heard him. Though he was no longer looking at her, he was all too aware of the human female.
“Alanna?” Atem looked in her direction, telling her to continue repeating the plan.
That was her name. Alanna. He rolled it over in his head multiple times, practiced it on his tongue with his mouth closed so he could be sure to get it right.
Then, he realized what he was doing and promptly stopped.
No. No! Absolutely not!
Across the table, Navine was giving him an odd look. He knew he was acting oddly. By now, he should have been full of comments and questions and general annoyance for no other reason than Tuvo was far too stiff in his seat, and someone needed to help him relax.
“Survii.” Atem looked to him next. “You’re in charge of speaking to the humans in your capacity as First Voice. All negotiations and decisions will be made through you. You’ve already reviewed the list of requirements the High Imperium sent?”
“I-...” His voice came out a croak. He cleared his throat and tried again. “I have. I feel like the studies and experiments will be hard to sell. It might seem a bit… threatening? Especially if the humans are put on their guard after the abduction of their females.”
“That’s why I want you to work with Alanna.” Atem gestured to her.
Survii was almost too quick to steal the chance to look at her again. Up close, she was even prettier. The lashes around her eyes were dark and long and swept across those golden-brown eyes with each pass like a graceful dance that-
What in the good names of the honored ancestors?! Why couldn’t he just stop?!
She smiled at him, completely unaware of the battle going on inside his head.
“Looking forward to it,” she said, her bright, chipper voice like the ringing of bells amidst the echoing corridors of-
Enough!
“Alanna is related to an influential world leader on Earth,” Atem explained. “She is a studied female on her planet, and her clan-… Excuse me, her family, is a respected one. She knows best how to talk to her people. So, she will be acting as both a translator and ambassador.”
“I am doing my best to master English as well,” Romival added.
“I’ve put together some basic grammar rules and a glossary of terms that I’ll dispense to everyone.
When we have access to the Earth subnet – they call it the ‘internet’ – I will be able to form a more comprehensive study plan.
Without an imprint of her language, this will have to be learned the old-fashioned way. ”
There was some grumbling, but it was good natured. Learning by actual studying instead of by imprint was so tedious. But since they couldn’t make an imprint, they had to do it this way.
Making an imprint of their language was definitely one of the things he would negotiate for. Survii was not a fan of studying. His mind never seemed to be able to focus. It was just so boring.
Though, if he could converse with lovely Alanna in her native tongue, impress her with his mastery of it, perhaps she’d let him show her what else his tongue had mastered.
No! How had this happened so quickly? He really rather thought everyone had been exaggerating about the power of looking at your mate for the first time. It was like a hit of drugs that immediately addicted him to the sight of her.
It was so strong, when looking at Navine, a female he had shared pleasures with only last night, he felt nothing at all.
Not a twitch, not a hint of desire. The memories of the fun they had only a few marks ago were dull and lifeless and uninteresting – like a dry, medical recitation of the actions taken while performing intercourse.
Domini didn't really believe in gods or luck or curses, but in that moment, Survii absolutely understood the species that did. What else could it be but a cruel, cosmic joke that he was the only domini that didn't want a mate and yet he found her so easily?
The meeting was still ongoing, but he could barely pay attention.
While Navine and Yursini were talking about using the human subnet to study their culture and power structure so they could pass that to the contact team as quickly as possible, he was watching the way Alanna’s chest rose with each slow breath.
While Tuvo was explaining the importance of security and no one going anywhere on the surface without informing him, he was wondering what remarkable sights Alanna could show him of her homeworld.
While Havali was talking about how they would turn their clothes in for adaptation to Earth, Survii was thinking of removing Alanna’s clothing entirely and finding out if the rumors were true about human cunts and how tight and hot and wet they were.
Not that he was going to find out!
He was going to resist this. He could defeat this.
He was delusional. No one ever resisted a mate bond. At least, not for long.
He was a doomed male walking.
“Once we have our systems synced to Earth time,” Romival was saying, “we’re going to announce it throughout the ship.
Please, set your combots and any other time keeping devices to the new system so we can all keep better track of what we’re doing.
In case of emergency, we’ll need to act fast, and that will be difficult if we’re using two different time keeping methods. ”
“Until our mission is done,” Atem summarized, “we use Earth time. Holly has very kindly given us a breakdown of terms and measurements. Those will be dispersed along with the language glossary. Everyone, be ready. We’ll arrive soon. No mistakes on this.”
They all agreed, and he dismissed them.
Survii practically ran from the room.