Chapter 17
GEMINI
“The Bloomveil is a fertility celebration?” Gemini asked, her voice high-pitched with bewilderment.
“Of course,” Apodis said with a chuckle. “I thought you knew…”
No, she hadn’t known, not for sure, though she shouldn’t have been surprised.
They had taken his cruiser because the celebration was too far to walk, and she couldn’t deny the way her body thrummed with erotic energy from the sight of Apodis handling the machine—which looked much like the hovercycles they had back on Earth—and the vibration between her thighs.
The mistforest seemed to pulse with its own energy, the clearing they’d arrived at alive with colors she wasn’t sure she’d ever seen on Earth.
Enormous trees towered over the celebration like sentinels, their leaves shimmering with vibrant hues. Numerous Oslieths already seemed to be celebrating—which meant performing all manner of sex acts out in the open for all to see.
She had wondered why Zenith had stayed behind, but now the reason was more than clear.
“An Oslieth’s gestational cycle is seven and a half months,” Apodis explained, clearly noticing Gemini’s mouth agape.
“The same as the cycle of the Lumaria vitellus,” she said, understanding dawning on her.
“Exactly. Like I said, this is the first time I’ve been to one. Obviously, I was never much into fertility or reproduction, so I never saw the need. But many choose to receive the blessing of the orb glows by… copulating before they bloom. They think it’s good luck if they’re trying to conceive.”
“That is fascinating,” Gemini said, taking a mental note to write this all down later. “I didn’t realize how significant it was to your species.”
“Oslieths have used extracts from the fronds to reduce heat symptoms since before suppressants were created.”
“I’m hoping the plant will have a similar effect for humans who have menstrual cycles, reducing the symptoms of hormonal imbalances without all the side effects.”
A low-cost way of abating some of the symptoms of PCOS and endometriosis would be a godsend for so many people suffering, and Gemini wanted to do everything in her power to make it a reality.
“An admirable goal,” Apodis said with a smile, eyeing the writhing couples—and groups—warily as they meandered along the edge of the festivities.
The thought of him participating in the alien orgy made the hair on the back of her neck stand up, like she was a wolf sensing another trying to steal her mate. She tightened her grip around his arm, which caused him to chuckle, a tentacle slithering around her waist and dragging her close.
The canopy was dense in this area of the mistforest, but porous enough to allow shafts of prismatic light to filter to the moss-covered ground. The air was thick with moisture, the spicy aroma of pine overwhelming as she breathed in Apodis’ scent.
There were alphas, betas, and omegas all engaging in the celebration, though none had a human with them, and she caught more than a few eyes glancing their way.
“You must be Apodis!” a voice rang through the dense cloud of moans, and they turned their attention to another large Oslieth alpha headed their way.
“Hello,” Apodis said cautiously, his tentacle squeezing around her middle. “I apologize if we’ve met already, but I’ve forgotten your name.”
“Ah, no, we haven’t, but word spreads quickly around Lumeris when we get a newcomer. I’m your neighbor, Jax. Well, as close of a neighbor as you’ll get around here. I’m over on the other side of the river.”
“Oh, yes, well, it’s very nice to meet you,” Apodis said, bowing his head as Jax did the same. “This is Gemini.”
“Gemini, roots greet roots,” Jax said, tipping his head as she did the same.
“Roots… greet roots,” she answered tentatively, and his smile beamed right through her.
He appeared older than Apodis, but not by much, with the same silvery hair, though his was cut shorter. He looked her up and down, his gaze a little too meandering for her liking, and she felt Apodis stiffen beside her, a low growl rumbling in his throat.
“My apologies, I didn’t realize she was yours. I’ve never met a human omega,” Jax said, his tentacles hugging close to his back in a look of contrition.
Did they all know that she was an omega? She didn’t like the sound of that, even if she was becoming more used to her new designation as the days went by.
“You say that as if she’s my property, which she is not,” Apodis snarled. “She is my mate, and you will respect that.”
“Yes, of course. My mistake,” Jax said, backing up. “It was nice to meet you. I’ll send you my comm number, feel free to message if you’d like to visit sometime. I’d be happy to host you both.”
Jax bowed low, then turned on his heel, making his way back into the sensual fray as Apodis continued to clutch her fiercely.
“It’s alright,” Gemini said, turning to face him as he moved his hands to her hips. “You know, I’m not into that whole aggressive alpha thing.”
Apodis’ fangs extended, and Gemini gasped, the seed of arousal burrowing deep in her core blooming to life in an instant. He ran a hand through her hair before grabbing a fistful and pulling her head back so he could whisper in her ear.
“Are you sure about that, little human?”
Oh, no. Fuck, no. She’d never been less sure of anything in her entire life. Perhaps the possessiveness turned her on a bit more than she cared to admit, the way he seemed so intent on protecting her, on keeping her.
Gemini failed in trying to find her words, only a soft whimper leaving her lips as Apodis’ fangs scraped against her tender flesh.
“I thought so…” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her cheek before standing to his full height once more.
She gazed up at him through her lashes, giving him what she hoped would equate to a sultry look.
“Why exactly did you bring me here? To a fertility ceremony?”
Apodis’ eyes widened, golden glimmers swirling like she’d thrown him off his game, which was exactly what she’d been trying to do. He cupped her cheek, brushing his thumb over her lips and sending a tingle down her spine.
“I don’t want to get you pregnant, but I have to admit, the thought of fucking you out here is pretty enticing.”
Another soft mewl left Gemini as she gripped Apodis’ shirt, the same one he’d worn when they first met. The low cut showed off his toned chest, and she slid her palms up until she met his heated flesh, beads of sweat like dew on the ultraviolet skin.
“I’m here to participate in Oslieth culture, Apodis. Why don’t you show me how your species celebrates the Bloomveil?”
Apodis let out a breath, his grip on her waist tightening for a brief second as a tentacle curled around her leg, the tip brushing under her shorts and caressing the curve of her ass.
“Are you sure? I really didn’t expect us to—” he started, but she laid a finger to his lips, silencing him.
“Don’t think so much, sweetie. I want you. Now take me like the alpha you are.”
That certainly got him going, a low growl reverberating between them before he picked her up and slung her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing.
Gemini let out an excited squeal, unable to contain herself as Apodis walked them further into the darkness and away from the revelry of the Bloomveil.
For a moment, she wondered if he was taking them back to the cruiser, but no, after a moment, he set her delicately on her feet and crashed his lips against hers.
She could still hear the sounds of rejoicing, though they were a soft din compared to the thumping of her heart.
Apodis wasted no time, sliding his tongue through the seam of her lips and parting them.
He flicked his tongue against her own, and arousal coiled around her center, her body humming with need.
His mating tentacles slithered over her body like snakes, one slipping underneath her shirt and caressing her breasts while the other deftly unbuttoned her shorts.
Every slippery touch ignited the throbbing in her cunt, her body tensing around the emptiness.
A sucker inhaled one of her nipples, the strange sensation making her gasp around his tongue.
Apodis pulled away with a chuckle, though his slick tentacle remained attached to her nipple, hardening it into a peak as she rocked her hips into nothing, desperate to feel him inside her.
“Do you want me to fuck you out here, little omega?” he asked, his eyes that dark purple that made her body ache with desire.
“Yes, my mate. Fuck me. Breed me. I have the perfect pussy to stroke your cock with until you come deep inside me, fill me with your knot…”
Gemini wasn’t sure if this was another heat coming on, or just the intense arousal she felt around Apodis, but she was no longer shocked by her own words.
Just excited to see what he would do.
Their scents mingled, a woodsy floral aroma that made it seem like they were destined to be together. A silly thought, but at the moment, she couldn’t dispel it, just knew she needed it to be true.
“I can think of nothing I want more, sweet human,” Apodis said, his mating tentacles gently slipping her shirt off and dropping her shorts to the ground.
He swiftly removed her bra and panties, and the sensation of being nude in the heated air sent a shiver down her spine. She was one with nature, like she was always meant to be, one with her mate and the mistforest and the vitellus getting ready to bloom all around them.
Apodis raked his lustful eyes over her like he was ready to devour her, his tongue flicking over his fangs as he disrobed slowly, painfully slowly. But Gemini was patient, eager to do what her mate wanted, to live in the moment and not miss a single second of what was to come.
The air was tense, heavy, but she felt as light as a cloud, like she’d float away if the canopy wasn’t protecting her overhead.
Apodis looked like he was etched from purple marble, his muscles glistening in the glowing lights of the forest, the bioluminescent plants coming to life as dusk settled around them.