Chapter 5
Alanna
Music!
Familiar, happy, English, Earth music!
It seemed like forever since Alanna had heard the twang of a guitar, the steady beat of recognizable drums, the deep thrum of a bass. She didn’t even know this song, it was either new or she just had never heard it before, but regardless, she’d never loved music more.
She immediately let the sounds sweep her up in their energy. She danced as Hattie started singing – so it was probably just a song she hadn’t heard before. It was definitely pop, bouncy and happy, and it seemed to speak to her as the male lead described dancing and shining and enjoying the moment.
She agreed completely as she moved around the open room, letting her body decide the way it wanted to move. The music commanded her.
Only too soon, the song ended, but another bop took its place. And this one she did know, eagerly lending her voice to Hattie’s as the two of them came together and began dancing with each other. In the human way, not the domini way that looked like a mostly stationary game of tag.
Then, the other girls were there. All of them, eagerly moving to the music. Even Viktor, though he was only half human, was there. Peony was dancing with him as he looked around with his three, big eyes, confused but not upset, his little tail wrapped around her wrist for security.
Alanna made kissy faces at him. He was still too young to do more than stare, but he looked happy when she poked his cute little belly.
Hybrid babies were so cute! He looked completely like a domini, but he had the attitude and instincts of a human at times. And his camouflage was unreal.
Alanna kept hoping that a domini male would catch sight of her and immediately feel that mating bond she saw her friends enjoying. The idea of a male who was bonded to her and only her for the rest of their lives really appealed. Just as much as having a cute little hybrid baby did.
Maybe not immediately. She still had a lot of things to check off on her to-do list. But if her mate was eager to begin the baby making – which most domini, and aliens in general, typically were – then she certainly wouldn’t mind strapping a pup to her back and going on adventures with both of them.
Not getting any further reaction from Viktor, she returned to dancing with one of the others – Scarlet this time. Her statuesque red headed friend had exactly zero rhythm, but she made up for it with enthusiasm and inherent sensuality and pure joy on her face.
There was something about hearing human music that spoke to all of them. Even when the song changed, and though Alanna didn’t know that one either, she couldn’t help but dance and feel the beat like the choices were from her own personal playlist.
She was having such a great time, for a moment, she forgot about the guys that had followed them into the room. It wasn’t until Peony suddenly left their group to bring Viktor – who decided he was upset about dancing – to Atem that she remembered.
She turned, beaming at them. And laughed at their faces.
Romival, Havali, and Tuvo were all staring like starving men at the start of a buffet line.
It was human music, so they were dancing to it like humans – lots of hip movement.
Inherently sexual in ways that they hadn’t really considered it to be until the aliens pointed out how it looked to them.
Atem took Viktor from Peony and eagerly kissed her. Obviously excited by her dancing, but he let her return to it instead of taking more. He was turned on, but he wasn’t going to stop her from enjoying herself to familiar music for the first time since she was taken.
And then, there was Survii.
He was staring at her.
Staring.
The breath froze in her lungs as she was caught in the glow of his burning red gaze.
It was hard to describe the look in his eyes.
There was definitely hunger like the others had, but there was also this sense of reluctance.
Like he was turned on despite himself. His fingers were tense and spread, in that way that the domini held them when their claws were extended, though his claws were still retracted.
He was also leaning forward, right on the edge of his balance, like he was barely holding himself back from chasing her down.
Her. He was definitely staring at her.
And she liked it.
Alanna was surprised by the force of the excited chill that rushed along her body, bringing actual goosebumps to her flesh as her belly heated under the force of that stare.
Survii was an unusual specimen of domini – liking patterns and bright jewelry and actually curling his hair.
It was pulled back out of his face today, highlighting the strong lines of his features.
He had a nice, long tail, curling up just a bit at the end – a mark of attractiveness in domini culture.
His body was also strong and sculpted, the kind of body meant to grace magazines and movies.
Perfect and untouchable and shamelessly displayed through the open vest he wore today.
She didn’t realize she had started walking forward until she was right in front of him, head tilted back, staring up at him with her heart fluttering in her throat.
“Thank you,” she said, twisting her fingers behind her back. Not quite nervous, but definitely enjoying the erratic fluttering going on in her belly.
When was the last time she felt like this?
Even the last guy she dated, though she had enjoyed being with him, hadn’t made her feel like this just with one look.
And when their relationship was over – because he had decided to live cross country in his van, while she hadn’t thought his van was safe enough to do so – it had ended without hurt feelings or pain.
The look in Survii’s eyes promised pain. But it was the sweetest kind of torture. An aching heart that only hurt because it had to fall from the highest peak.
“For what?” He asked, that special growl in his voice rolling over her skin.
She had to think about what he was asking. She had become so lost in staring at him, she forgot that she had thanked him.
“For the music,” she breathed, beaming. “This was such a gift to us. Thank you.”
He said nothing. Just stared at her. Something fierce and focused in his gaze that made her uncomfortable in the best way.
She grinned. “You have a really nice aura, by the way.”
His head cocked. “What is that?”
“An aura? It’s like the feeling you get being around a person.
” She didn’t have to think about her answer.
She had needed to explain this difficult concept to many people since most of them thought she was being stupid or seeing strange lights that weren’t there.
“The feeling of who they are and, sometimes, what they’re feeling or if they’re lying or hiding something. ”
He made a soft sound of understanding. “It’s instinct.”
She giggled. “Yeah. That’s a good way to think about it.”
“What do your instincts feel for me?”
She gave the question some thought as she looked him over carefully.
Auras weren’t static. They were constantly changing, always in flux.
There were layers to it and the daily emotions could change by the hour, while the deeper, sturdier foundation of who a person was changed much more slowly and far less frequently.
Like comparing leaves changing color to the movement of continents.
The playful, joyful foundation that made up Survii’s personality today was nearly completely obfuscated by the ferocity of his focus that surrounded her like the teeth of a trap clasping shut.
A trap she made no attempt to escape.
“You’re upset about something,” she said, making his eyes sharpen as they narrowed. “Something is weighing on your mind that is making you unhappy, conflicted. But you’re not unhappy ordinarily and the emotion is that much stronger for its unfamiliarity.”
“You speak very knowledgeably considering we’ve never met.”
“I’m really good at reading people.”
“As am I.”
She grinned. “Really? Then, tell me what you can read of me.”
“You want to know?”
“It seems only fair.”
He didn’t respond immediately. Just like she had, he inspected her first. She squirmed under his gaze, enjoying the heat of it. She couldn’t help but thrust her chest out a little, letting her hips rock a bit with the bouncy music that had practically faded to nothing in her mind.
She posed for him. And she could tell by the renewed tension in his muscles that he was enjoying what he saw.
“I can tell that you’re an honest individual,” he finally said, lifting a hand.
He didn’t touch her, but hovered his fingers just over her cheek like he was debating the action.
“You don’t believe in falsities and illusion to maintain a personal image.
You are always going to be honest, especially to yourself, and you don’t care if others find that weird. ”
Alanna laughed. “I mean, that’s true.”
He finally made his decision and gently trailed just the tip of one finger down her cheek, to the line of her jaw, down to her chin that he lifted with a gentle upward pressure.
“You’re a delight to me,” he said, practically whispering the words as if they were forced, unwillingly, from his lips. “You’re a torment. I want you. I need you. It aches inside me and fills me with a purpose I never knew.”
The words surprised her smile into slipping from her face. She wasn’t ready for such strained sincerity to crash against her.
“I’ve never seen anyone more beautiful. More threatening. I want to throw myself at your feet. I want to lift you up so you can touch the sky. I think I would do anything for you, even to my own detriment and pain. Have mercy upon me, female, for you control me completely.”
“Survii…” She breathed, trembling. “Am I…?”
“Mine. My mate. I am helpless to you.” His finger slipped off her chin and he stared at her as though speaking the words aloud had brought a new awareness to him that he hadn’t had before.
“Your… mate…” Alanna’s grin returned as the truth settled into her as well.
Squealing, she threw her arms around his chest and squeezed him tight.
A mate! She had a domini mate!
She was only human. She had no way of knowing. But domini knew on sight and, finally, one of them looked at her and felt that bond.
Survii hesitated for a moment, but his arms slowly came around her. His grip was uncertain, uneasy, but that was easily explained. It must be like being hit with a brick to the face. To look at someone and suddenly feel yourself lock onto them so completely.
Alanna was actually jealous. She wished she could feel that.
But it was good enough to know that he did. This was her mate! A playful male with an excellent, if outlandish, sense of taste and fun. She couldn’t wait to get to know him. To lose hours speaking to him, to feel her soul connecting with his. To have what her friends did.
She didn’t let him go, but her head fell back so she could smile up at him.
He looked into her eyes before letting out a shuddering breath and pulling her close and resting his chin on her head.
Atem was growling as he noticed one of his sisters being touched by an unproven male, but she ignored it as she basked in the joy of this moment.
She had been chosen as his mate, and it was everything she wanted!