Chapter 31
Alanna
They were back in Geneva, back in the same hotel, but the security was about a hundred times stricter compared to before.
Their floor was still only for themselves, but the stairwell was guarded on every landing.
The lobby had a guard in it at all times, and the floor below theirs had been cleared out.
There were men on the roofs, men on the streets, men in the lobby, probably men and machines in places that she wouldn’t even consider looking.
And their team were better armed themselves.
There was still a restriction on alien technology set by the Coalition that they couldn’t disregard, but knives were not advanced technology – not even when made with advanced technology to be stronger and sharper.
Before they returned to the surface, Tuvo made sure that each girl had one in her possession and, every morning, the guys took them through drills on how to use them, along with some basic self-defense.
Which, weirdly, Holly was very good at already. She was clearly the worst affected by the attack, but her love for her family drew her back to Earth regardless. Alanna really loved that about her. That devotion made her aura so clear and sharp – like crystal glass.
Survii was training Alanna himself. She didn’t like the self-defense training. She wasn’t a fan of violence – odd, considering her mate’s species. But even when the guys were sparring with each other while the girls practiced, she never got a hint of violence in Survii’s aura as he fought.
Like the negotiations and dodging manipulations, combat was another form of fun for him. He was playful in combat. Eager in battle. She really liked that about him.
There was very little she didn’t like about him, in fact.
Survii hadn’t given a single human female more than a friendly glance in all the time they had been on Earth.
He only looked at her. He spoke to Navine on the comm as a friend and nothing more.
He had carried her up eighteen flights of stairs fireman style then risked being shot to protect her while she got away – before actually being shot.
What really stole her heart, however, was the date.
She hadn’t asked for a date on Earth, though the other girls had. The world tour had been the best date of all time – even though it had been a group date. She didn’t mind that. Especially when Survii would take the time to be with her and simply exist wherever they found themselves.
But he had given her another date, even trapped in the hotel as they were.
Either Hattie had taught him – as she had told the others – or he had learned from watching, but one day he took her to a private room in the hotel where a feast had been laid out for them.
One he had prepared along with a playlist of his new favorite human songs and a few of her own – several of which overlapped.
He had dressed in gray human slacks and a purple silk shirt, but that wasn’t what held her attention about him. Instead, it was the leather cord around his neck with a crystal ring on it. One he definitely hadn’t been wearing before.
“It’s a mating ring,” he said, touching it with a fond smile. “I had one made on the Stor and picked it up while we were there. You don’t get it until the claiming, of course, but it’s just there as a reminder to you of my intentions.”
He had intentions. He had plans. More importantly, he had been studying human culture so he could anticipate her desires without her needing to state them outright.
He paid attention to the foods she ate so he knew what to offer for the feast. He paid attention to the songs she liked so he knew what music to play.
He took into account not only her cultural expectations as a human, but also as a naturalized citizen of Turv.
He paid attention to her. Even if that just meant standing with her as she didn’t pay attention to anything at all.
The domini knew what that ring meant. They had already seen the importance it held for the human females, and before they left Turv, Alanna had even seen some jewelry makers taking advantage of the chance to tempt males into buying mating rings for their domini females as well. Like it was the hot new trend.
The humans of Earth didn’t know what the ring around his neck meant, but he still wore it proudly before them and, whenever anyone asked about it, he explained that it was the ring meant to mark his mate as his own.
Always looking at her. Leaving no doubt to whom he referred.
Then, they had their second lockdown date.
He invited her to his room after negotiations closed a few days after they returned to Earth, only a single day after their first Earth date.
Waiting for her inside was a feast, of course – since food seemed to be what the domini had associated with human mating rituals.
But besides that, he also had a book filled with fabric swatches that had an Earth label on the front.
The thick tome was sitting on the table beside the food when she walked inside, Survii locking the door behind him.
“What’s this?” She asked, stroking the cover curiously. Even that was textured, kind of like a quilt, with multiple fabrics sewn around the title. From up close, she could see that it looked a little more like a binder and less like a traditional book.
“Fabrics,” he declared with a wide smile. “I asked that very kind hotel manager to obtain fabric samples for me, and this is what she brought back. Very convenient, don’t you think?”
“A-And why did you ask for this?” Her voice was thin and breathy, her belly tightening up with excitement, because there was really only one reason he would need fabric samples.
He chuckled, taking her arms from behind and leaning down to whisper in her ear. “For your nest, of course. How am I to know what to order if I don’t know what you like?”
She shivered with delight and lust as he lifted the front flap.
“I looked through it before. Not to pick anything myself of course, just to make sure I could find comparable fabrics out in the universe for you. There are a few things missing that I’ll want to present to you later.
Like a water pillow from Yurini I think you’ll love, or the flower petal silk from Holivair.
But until I can get samples of those for you, we’ll start here. ”
A water pillow? Flower petal silk? Her skin tingled and her fingers twitched just imagining being able to touch them. They sounded like they’d be a feast for the senses. Which was, no doubt, exactly why he had thought about them.
Because he paid attention. Because he cared.
Despite her inability to zone in at times, despite her weirdness that others tuned out, he listened, and he cared.
She turned from the fabric book and looked up at him.
He gave her a peaceful smile. Nothing expectant in his gaze.
No sense that he had done these things for her, so now she had to do something for him in return.
His expectations and hopes hung around his neck, but absolutely no pressure was in his gaze as he gazed at her like she was his entire world.
“One question,” she started, her lips tingling. Her mouth dry.
“What is it, vi Vitralai?”
“Do you want pups one day?”
His smile turned into a contemplative frown. “Do you?”
“Uh-uh. You answer first.” She knew better. No matter what she said, he would likely change his answer to agree. Because he wanted her. Because he was already willing to do all this to get her and she wanted the truth. No bias.
He blew out a long breath. “To be honest, I didn’t.”
Her belly sank. Because that was the answer she didn’t want to hear. She did want pups. Maybe not a full roster like Holly, but at least one. Maybe two? A perfect little nuclear family. A boy and a girl she could teach to enjoy the world the way she did – with their whole heart and soul.
Was that enough of a deal breaker to force her away from the greatest guy that had ever turned his eyes onto her?
Survii’s fingers on her chin, lifting her eyes back up to him, made her shiver with anticipation. Even just that small touch was electric.
“But with you?” He smiled. “I don’t think I’d mind.”
She shook her head, pulling away. “You don’t have to lie for my sake.”
“Who’s lying?” He grabbed her waist and jerked her right back.
Fitting her against his chest as he grabbed a big handful of her ass and squeezed.
“I never wanted pups in the same way I never wanted a mate. Until I met you. You want pups? I’ll give you as many as you like.
I promise, I will greatly enjoy doing it. ”
“But will you greatly enjoy being a father?” She pressed. “Making babies isn’t the same thing as raising them, you know. I’m not going to give a male pups if he isn’t going to take care of them. That’s not fair to the child.”
“Nor should you.” He grinned. “You’ve turned off your ovulation, right? I’m given to understand that all the human females did so you wouldn’t breed indiscriminately.”
“Yes.”
“Then, I have time.” He kissed her forehead sweetly. “I’ll prove to you that I’m happy to be father to your pups just as I’m proving that I’m happy to be your mate. Two things I never would have wanted before, but now, I can think of nothing else.”
She gave him a searching look that he just smiled at as he reached behind them for the book.
“I’ve some ideas for fabrics I think you might like,” he said. “Not that you have to take my suggestions, of course. It will be your nest. Make it however you please. I’m just happy to be in it with you.”
“Make love to me, Survii.”
Her sudden declaration brought him up short. He paused, one hand on the fabric book, his eyes slowly turning back to her.
When he spoke, he growled. “You want me to do what?”