Chapter 4
APODIS
Torture. Pure and utter torture.
When Apodis awoke, it had taken him a moment to remember there was someone in his bed. And not just any someone, but a female who smelled like heaven and was curled up against his chest like she belonged there.
But she’d be leaving today, and then everything would be back to normal in his perfectly boring life.
Gemini nuzzled her cheek against his neck, filling his nose with her floral scent.
Wait, was she?
Did she know what she was doing? She still appeared to be asleep, and yet she was marking him like she was staking a claim.
A thought that sent blood pumping to his cock, his length stiffening underneath his pants.
He was far too old to be behaving this way, and yet it was as if his arm moved of its own accord, gently reaching down and adjusting himself. That’s all he was doing, making sure it was less obvious that he had an erection when she woke up in his arms.
But his hand refused to listen, instead stroking his length through his pants, sending a shudder up his spine.
It felt so good, just the small amount of pressure, and he imagined what it would be like to plunge into her cunt, to fill her with his knot.
To hold her down and breed her even if there was no possibility—or interest—in actually making children.
What would it feel like to give someone a mating bite, something he had never done or even dreamed of doing with another. There had been opportunities, of course, especially in his youth when he was still considered a suitable mate, but he had never felt the right connection with someone.
A connection that filled his body with warmth, like he was experiencing right now with Gemini nuzzling against him.
Her scent would linger even after she’d gone, and he knew he wouldn’t wash his sheets until the smell completely faded, though he normally prided himself in keeping up with his chores.
Apodis brought himself right to the edge, his breath coming in hard pants, and then stopped, gritting his teeth as his cock actually throbbed. Galaxies, what was he doing? If she woke up to him coming in his pants, she’d think he was a pervert, and rightfully so.
He took a few beats, trying to calm his racing heart, waiting to see if she would stir.
When he realized she was fast asleep, her chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm, he started up again.
Just a few more strokes and he could stop, but no, it was an impossible task, his muscles tensing as he approached a release yet again.
Sweat beaded on his brow, and he tightened his grip on her like he was afraid to let her go. Was he afraid? He barely knew this human, and yet the thought of her returning to her camp opened a pit in his stomach, making his whole body feel hollow.
Gemini let out a low moan, and he stopped, dropping his hand to his side and gasping for air as his body hummed with need.
She started stirring, rubbing her cheek against his chest, and he prayed that she wouldn’t notice his erection.
He wasn’t particularly devout, but if there was a Deity listening, he hoped they would show him mercy.
If she were going to leave, he didn’t want her to remember him poorly.
“Well, hello,” Gemini said, and he groaned internally, her head still facing his lower half.
“G-Good morning,” he stammered, quickly jerking from her grasp and practically jumping from the bed, conspicuously crossing his hands in front of his crotch.
It took her a moment to stop staring at the spot his hands were blocking, and she slowly raked her gaze up his body until she met his eyes. There was a knowing smile on her face, her eyes still blinking sleep from them, and he was grateful she hadn’t screamed.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, you know, it just kind of happens in the morning…” he sputtered, but she waved her hand with a giggle.
“I know how males work, Apodis.”
He resisted a growl—the thought of Gemini waking up with another male filling him with undignified rage. Something was severely wrong for him to be acting like this.
“Well, I apologize all the same. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“I’m not frightened,” she said quickly, biting her lip as her eyes traced back down to his covered crotch.
Apodis swallowed hard, needing to put some distance between them. And at least one closed door.
“I’ll make you something to eat,” he said, turning and fleeing before she could say anything else that made him want to hold her down until he filled her with his knot.
His knot, which was actually aching as he let the bedroom door whirr shut behind him, begging for a release that Apodis refused to give in to.
“Well? Did you mate with the human?”
Apodis groaned as Zenith jumped onto the counter, eyeing him seriously.
“Would you be quiet? She might hear you,” he hissed, shooing the caerulian away as he gathered supplies.
He enjoyed cooking now that he actually had the time to do it, instead of having to order pre-made meals every night after working himself to the bone.
“I know you are too old for breeding, but perhaps she will still want you.”
Apodis gave Zenith a deadly glare, though the caerulian seemed not to notice, proceeding to groom himself by licking the flat of his tongue over one of his paws.
“Z, please. Gemini is going back to her camp today. And besides, she’s human. It would never work.”
“But she’s an omega, isn’t she? Even I can smell it. And she is clearly interested in you.”
Of course, the thought had been in the back of his mind, but it came crashing back to reality as Zenith said the words aloud. A human omega?
He knew that Zephells, a species whose homeworld was in the same system as Thitis 4X, had latent genes which could be activated when exposed to Oslieth pheromones, triggering alpha, beta, and omega traits.
But could humans be the same? He hadn’t heard of such a thing, but there hadn’t been very many humans interacting with Oslieths on an intimate scale, as far as he knew.
“I don’t know how she could be…” Apodis said as he turned on the induction cooktop, fully integrated into the counters.
Zenith rolled his eyes.
“You know full well that it’s possible.”
“With a human?”
“Perhaps your pheromones are awakening her suppressed biological features…”
That would certainly explain the subconscious scent marking. It could have been an instinctive thing, something she didn’t even understand she was doing. And if this was all true, then it was even more important for him to send her on her way.
Even among the Zephells who mated with Oslieths, very little was known about how exactly it worked. What would happen if she changed too much? Would she be able to return to her world? Would she have instincts she couldn’t explain and didn’t understand?
No matter how much he wanted to keep her here, he needed to make sure she got back to her people.
And soon.
“It doesn’t matter, Z. She’s returning today, end of story.”
Zenith huffed, jumping from the counter and moving to his food bowl, which remained fully stocked with the kibble he so loved to eat.
Apodis focused on cooking, letting his routine take over as he made some of his favorite Oslieth morning dishes. He was just being a good host, not trying to impress Gemini or anything. Certainly not because he enjoyed seeing that beautiful smile curl her lips.
Or the way she’d been turned on by his mating tentacle yesterday.
The scent of her arousal had been almost impossible to resist, as sweet as winka berries, with a slight hint of bitter canar. He had been ready to devour her on the couch right then and there.
Focus, he needed to focus. Just get through the morning and she’d be back at her camp. And he would be sad, but he would survive like he always did, with Zenith for company.
His hands were shaking as he carried the tray back to the bedroom, and he tried to calm himself. He wanted to enjoy these last moments with Gemini, not let his anxiety taint the memory of her.
When the door whirred open, a grin spread on Gemini’s face as she lounged on the bed.
“Wow. No one’s ever brought me breakfast in bed before.”
Apodis felt his face heat, that embarrassing maroon color spreading across his cheeks and neck, but he tried to ignore it as he set the tray in front of her.
“I didn’t know what types of food you liked, so I made you a few things.”
He pointed out the different dishes, and she nodded with each explanation.
“Thank you so much. I’m so tired of eating the same space rations every day,” Gemini said as she held the steaming cup of so’ala between her palms and inhaled a deep breath.
She pursed her lips and took a sip, sighing deeply.
“It’s delicious! And you said this energizes you? It tastes kind of like coffee.”
“Yes,” he said, taking a seat next to her as she tried each of the different dishes. “It’s made from so’alanak mushrooms, mixed with some sweetener to cut the bitterness. One cup should be sufficient for someone of your size.”
The perfect size to cradle in his arms, to hold tight to his chest while they slept…
“Well, everything is amazing. Do you enjoy cooking? The kitchen in my apartment is tiny, so I’m limited on what I can make.”
“I do. I wanted to make sure I had a decent-sized space so it would be easier to cook. The one in my apartment in Aerumi was quite small as well.”
Zenith hopped onto the bed, sitting next to Gemini and rubbing against her arm.
“Hey there,” she said, scratching him under the chin, somehow knowing exactly where a caerulian liked to be petted.
“Good morning, Gemini. Did you sleep well?”
“I did! It’s been a while since I slept in a real bed.”
Zenith nodded knowingly.
“It is quite a nice bed, though I prefer the couch. Did you enjoy sleeping with Apodis?”
Gemini sputtered a cough, looking to Apodis as if asking for assistance. Her face flushed the same color as his, and he shrugged, curious about what she would say.
“I did,” she finally said, biting her lip into a smile. “Maybe too much, I kind of invaded his personal space.”
Zenith cocked his head.
“Oh, no, he enjoyed it very much. He has not had someone to share his bed with for a long while.”
“Z! That’s enough!” Apodis said, swatting at the naughty caerulian who was just out of reach.
“What species are you?” Gemini asked, thankfully moving the conversation on to something else.
She massaged Zenith’s triangular ears and made him purr, something Apodis had never seen someone else do. None of his temporary bed partners back in Aerumi had ever paid Z much mind, but Gemini seemed to enjoy the little creature’s presence.
“I am a caerulian. We are native to this area of the planet, though much of my species chooses domestication. The perks of living with an Oslieth are vast.”
Apodis resisted a laugh. The thought of Zenith actually having to hunt and fend for himself was quite funny, as prim and proper as he was. A wild caerulian and a domesticated one were practically two separate species.
“There’s a species on Earth that you remind me of. They’re called cats. They can’t speak though,” Gemini said, giving Z a final pat on the head before turning back to Apodis.
There was a long silence, and he wasn’t sure what to say, the next words blurting out before he could stop himself
“I can take you back now,” Apodis said, though it pained him to do so.
His pulse quickened as he awaited her answer, his anxiety skyrocketing like he was being hunted by a large predator, even though there were none in Lumeris capable of taking down an Oslieth alpha.
Gemini wiped a droplet of so’ala from the corner of her lips, something he wished he could have done with his tongue.
“I’m in no hurry. The team will get on without me, though I should try to get word to them so they don’t think I’m dead or something.”
Her green eyes glimmered with hope, and he realized she was eager to stay as much as he was keen to have her. Though deep down he knew it was a bad idea, he couldn’t stop himself from agreeing.
“Well, you’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like. And you can use my comm if you want to contact your team.”
Her smile beamed straight into his chest, reducing him to a puddle, though he tried to maintain his composure.
“Great! And maybe after you can show me some of the plants on your property? You said you liked foraging… Oh! And your garden!”
Apodis could think of nothing more pleasing than a day wandering his territory with this beautiful human in his arms.
“Of course! Here,” he said, taking off his comm and handing it to her. “If you input the number, you should be able to call your team. I’ll get things cleaned up, and then I can show you around. Your washed clothes are in the bathroom.”
She gave him another ravishing smile, then turned her attention to his comm, pressing buttons and waiting for her team to answer.
Apodis grabbed the tray and hurried from the room, trying to tell himself he was doing nothing wrong.
One more day wouldn’t hurt.