Chapter 13 #2
“I’d have learned anyway if I caught you doing such a thing,” she smirked, trying not to feel weird that he would even think about saying things he didn’t want her to hear. Just because they were mates didn’t mean they had to share everything, right?
Right?
Atem and Peony were inseparable – almost fully literally.
Holly and Romival talked and shared every thought that entered their heads.
Scarlet was always being watched by Havali, and she had given him permission to go full stalker.
But that was their relationship. Just because they did things that way didn’t mean she and Survii would find their wavelengths matching that way.
And there was nothing wrong with couples having privacy.
Or him already thinking about deliberately hiding things from her.
“No need to be jealous,” she assured him, forcing away the suspicious thoughts. “He was just bringing my luggage.”
“Fortunately for him. I’d hate to have to challenge him for daring to look at my female.”
“Well, no offense to you, Survii, but I do believe First Warrior could beat you in a fight. Any fight. All the fights. He’d win every time.”
Survii gasped in mock horror, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “The betrayal. The lack of trust! How is any type of relationship to work between us if you aren’t fully committed?”
“But am I wrong though?”
He growled playfully, making her laugh. Deliberately not answering the question.
“I’ll just go borrow that combot now. And nurse my poor broken ego.”
“Don’t worry. In my experience, bruised egos only swell after injury,” she grinned at his back as he walked away, winking as he went. She gasped. “Who taught you to wink?”
He turned completely, walking backwards as he grinned at her. “You think I’m not studying your people, vi Vitralai? You won’t be able to hide anything from me soon.”
“Who’s hiding?” She grinned, stepping back into her room. Deliberately, tauntingly, drawing her skirt up her leg, revealing more and more of her thigh.
He stopped and suddenly took a step back towards her, but she shut the door, laughing, before he could get any closer.
She leaned back against the doorframe, grinning to herself as she remembered the way he had leaned over her, arm on the wall. The long sleeves of his robe falling down, showing off the corded, veiny skin of his forearm.
Sexy.
She giggled to herself as she pushed away from the door and headed to her trunk.
An informal family dinner meant she didn’t have to dress up. She changed into a simple pair of leggings and a tunic dress. She ran her hand over the braids tight on her scalp. It had taken Tilii some time to get those right.
Her hair was so different from domini hair, Tilii had a lot of trouble learning how to work with it.
To Alanna’s great relief and fortune, the soap the domini used for their hair worked just as well on her thick, curly hair as it did on Holly’s straight, thin hair.
Though she didn’t know how, it managed to be both moisturizing for her hair without making Holly’s greasy.
It was amazing. She was already dreading the return to human products after being spoiled for so long.
But they could hardly bring her soaps here, so until she was allowed back on the Jutiron Stor, she would have to remember how she used to take care of her hair.
Or maybe she could just ask her parents to get them a hair stylist. That might be a better idea since they were all going to be in the public eye while they were here.
They’d need some human clothes as well – both for the girls and the guys. So the former didn’t look like they had abandoned their roots completely, and the latter could show they were making strides to get comfortable with her planet.
Humming to herself, she locked her trunk back and took it to the bedroom – she kept her dirty clothes in a small compartment at the bottom so that even those wouldn’t be taken. It was probably a silly precaution, but it was a necessary one for now.
She slid her feet into a pair of flats and left her hotel room. She looked left and right hopefully, but she wasn’t so lucky as to see Survii twice. A shame.
Well, he’d be down in the dining hall eventually. He was joining her for family dinner. She couldn’t wait for her parents to properly be able to meet and talk to him. Her potential mate.
She was enjoying that mental image so much as she walked down the hall towards the elevator, that she almost missed Survii completely.
He was standing in a lobby, of sorts. It was where the elevators were situated but also the convergence point for the main halls of the hotel.
There were soft benches along the walls, but the only real piece of furniture was a circular table under a crystal chandelier with a large bouquet of flowers in the center that she was pretty sure were real.
She brightened, thinking how she would get to see him after all. That thought was immediately followed by a naughty impulse to sneak up on him.
Survii was looking out of one of the windows, his back towards her.
The communicator he was holding seemed more to Alanna like a walkie-talkie than the cool combots with their holodisplays that she had grown used to.
It was intentionally simple – able to communicate with the ship and provide a locator signal in return, but not much else.
Grinning wickedly, Alanna slowly crept forward. Her soft bottom shoes made not a single sound on the thick rug that stretched down the hall.
“Tell them that I’ll get back to them as soon as I’m done here,” Survii was saying into the device in Domtri, his eyes looking over the view.
“They won’t like that,” came the droll reply. Alanna recognized Navine’s voice.
“They can stop being so elitist. Speaking to people they consider below them won’t hurt,” he chuckled. “This mission is more important and if they want the negotiations to go well – and you know they do – then they talk to you and Yursini now or wait until I’m done.”
“Got it.”
“Good. Anything else?”
“Should be it.”
Alanna was only a few steps away now. She should run the last distance, really sneak up on him. She wondered if he would jump. Maybe squeal? That would be hilarious. She was pretty sure he would make her pay for it later, but she looked forward to the punishment.
Then-
“So, how’s your mate doing?”
“Really?” Survii gave the device a dull look as Alanna stilled in place. “That’s your question? Not, ‘How’s Earth’? Or, ‘How are the humans?’ You ask about Alanna?”
“You’ve seen one alien planet, you’ve seen them all.”
“That’s a terrible thing for a Voice to say.”
“I’m far more interested in the horniest ecter in the entire Coalition finally being caught in a bond. That’s way funnier.”
“I am not claiming her.”
The grumbled words, pulled from him like a rotten tooth, made Alanna’s heart sink.
“Right,” Navine snickered. “Sure. Then, how is it that you haven’t fucked me since you laid eyes on her? Or made offers to Hattie yet? She’s not mated.”
“I’ve seen the way Tuvo looks at her. I’d just as soon rather my sac remained attached, thank you.”
“You are deliberately avoiding my question.”
He sighed. “Alanna is fine. She’s enjoying seeing her family again. But I can’t do this. I can’t claim a mate. It’s not for me! She’s simply… the most beautiful of the humans. The sweetest. The brightest smile…” He cleared his throat. “The point is, I’m not the type of male to claim one female.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I’m entranced. I want to fuck her so much, it’s driven me to distraction. That’s it. I’ll take her to bed. We’ll both enjoy ourselves. Then, we’ll part as friends. Just like you and I.”
“Make sure you tell me when you have your claiming. I want to see vi Dominani put you on your ass.”
“It’s not going to happen, Navine,” Survii growled. “I don’t want a mate. I never wanted a mate. It’s a passing interest, that’s all. I’ll show her a good time. She’ll show me one. We’ll exchange friendship and pleasure and then I’ll be back to fucking you and anyone else I please in short order.”
“Has your dick even gotten hard since you saw her? I mean for anyone but her. Or is your knot aching? I bet it’s fucking huge and hurts like a fist punching you in the groin.”
“I’ll comm you later,” Survii said, clearly annoyed, as she laughed.
He pressed a button on the communicator, ending the conversation just as Navine was starting to ask another question – clearly intending to needle him further.
Alanna was grateful. She didn’t think she could take much more.
The casual way Navine referred to his dick, talked about their relationship – clearly a beneficial type of friendship – had hurt more than enough. She knew she felt something between the two of them, but she hadn’t actually wanted to consider what it might be.
But that didn’t compare to the way Survii had just dismissed her.
He was the one that had called her his mate. He had told her that. Was she supposed to hear that claim and just not believe him?
And what was she supposed to believe now? His first claim, or this one?
Survii was grumbling about insubordinate subordinates as he turned – clearly intending to return the communicator to Atem.
But he saw her and immediately came up short. His three eyes widened as his tail suddenly went stiff as he stared at her.
“Alanna…” He breathed, his mouth working as he struggled to talk. “You… How long were you…”
Alanna smiled.
“It’s almost time for dinner,” she said, beaming around the pain that curled up and sat in her gut like a bowling ball made of lead.
He said nothing.
She laughed. “You know, on Earth, when you have your mouth open like that, we ask people if they’re trying to catch flies. I wouldn’t recommend it. They’re nasty little bugs. Definitely not for eating.”
“You… heard. Didn’t you?” His tone was so fatalistic. Guilty.
“I appreciate the honesty. Though, I really would rather you have said it to me directly and not to other people.”
“No, Alanna. Vi vitralai-” He took a step towards her, hand outstretched.
She stepped back. Still smiling. “If it’s all the same to you, Survii, I’d rather we trade friendship only. I would prefer to trade pleasures only with those they will mean something to.”
He flinched. “Alanna-”
She took another step back as laughter echoed up the hall. Peony. Which meant that Atem wouldn’t be far behind.
Alanna’s guardian.
She saw the moment that same thought occurred to Survii, because a look like panic crossed his features.
Too late. Alanna was already turning, going back down the hall.
Sure enough, Atem and Peony were walking their way. Peony was smiling, her face flushed, telling Alanna what the two must have been doing before leaving their room.
“Alanna, wait!” She heard Survii coming after her, but she kept her gaze and her steps forward.
“Alanna,” Atem smiled upon catching sight of her. Peony was hanging off his arm, though she still looked a bit dazed from pleasure. “Heading down for the meal?”
“Yes. Atem, can I ask you for something as my guardian?”
His smile immediately faded, and he looked past her towards Survii. She didn’t turn to look at him, but she heard the desperation in his tone when he tried to say-
“Alanna, please, listen-”
“Anything,” Atem assured her, cutting him off.
“I’ve decided I don’t want him to court me,” she said, stepping away from Survii and closer to Atem and a now frowning Peony.
“You decided?” She repeated, confused. “But he said you’re his mate.”
“He actually just said he didn’t want a mate.” Alanna stood by Atem’s other side, not at all surprised when his arm came around her shoulder as he continued to glare at Survii. “We’re going to be friends, and, of course, work together on our negotiations, but nothing romantic.”
Atem, her guardian, the one meant to protect her from unwelcome advances, growled at Survii who continued to stand there, looking as stricken as Alanna felt.
She only smiled around the pain.