Chapter 19 #2
Of all the things to comment on, she wasn’t surprised it was her callous exit that he had decided to mention first.
“I know. I’m sorry. There was a lot going on…” she said, looking to Apodis for guidance.
“Yeah, Z. I told you not to mention it,” Apodis said before turning back to her with a look of horror. “Not that I expected you to come back here. I just told him that it wasn’t your fault. I’m the one who messed up.”
Yes, he had. And yet, he had been right to do so. No one on her crew actually cared about her well-being. The only reason they had even been worried about her absence was because of how it would look if NovaFlora lost one of its employees on an away mission.
Like everything on Earth, the concern was fabricated. Image was more important than real people, and the thought of returning to that contrived, self-absorbed world disgusted her.
“I think you might have made up for it,” she said quietly.
“You forgive me?” he asked with a hopeful gleam in his eyes.
Gemini made a show of thinking hard, but her smile broke through all too easily.
“I suppose so. You saved my life after all.”
Apodis laughed, then brought his hands to her hips, the electricity of his touch sending a tremor through her rain-soaked body.
“I guess you owe me now,” he said, though his eyes widened in an instant. “Well, not like that. That was just a joke, obviously. I didn’t mean—”
She silenced his stammering with a kiss, one that said everything it needed to say as her body vibrated with lightness.
He was tentative as she wrapped her arms around his neck, though it only took a moment for him to circle his around her waist fully, hauling her in close as he angled down to return the kiss.
It was sweet, soft, their lips brushing without hurry. Gemini breathed in his scent, that wild aroma that had enticed her from the very start, and sighed into Apodis’ embrace, at least until someone cleared his throat loudly, trying to get their attention.
“You are making a mess of the entryway,” Zenith said as Gemini pulled away from the kiss, though her arms remained around Apodis’ neck.
“I’ll deal with it, don’t worry,” Apodis said, glancing down at Gemini. “Maybe we should get cleaned up? You can shower first if you’d like…”
She scoffed, taking his hand and dragging him toward the bathroom. Apodis dutifully followed, not protesting as they entered together, the door whooshing shut behind them.
When she turned to face him, he had a strange look on his face, like he had eaten some bad fish or something. She pressed a palm to his cheek, then a soft kiss against his lips, before unbuttoning his soaked shirt.
“I can wait for you…” Apodis said again, but she shushed him, removing the shirt and tossing it on the floor.
“I don’t want you to leave,” she said, her voice a whisper as she did the same with his pants, unzipping them and tugging them down.
The air was heavy with anticipation as Apodis finished the job, kicking his pants and underwear off and reaching for Gemini’s shirt. He leaned forward, bringing his face to her neck and breathing in deeply.
A moment later, her clothes were off, his fingers ghosting over her breasts, her nipples hard from the chilly rain.
A buzz from her comm interrupted her, and she let out a groan before checking to see who it was.
Castor.
“Just a second,” she said, her voice hoarse with desire as she clicked into the call, explaining before Castor had a chance to say a word. “I got the samples, and I’m safe. I’ll be back when the storm is done.”
“Are you su—” Castor started, but his voice disappeared as she ended the call and removed the comm, tossing it on the floor with her clothes.
Butterflies took flight in her stomach at the sight of Apodis’ shy grin, at the touch of his tentacles suckling the skin of her arms and stomach.
Fully nude, she examined him, as he did the same to her, the hard muscles of his body, the wrinkles on his face, the silvery hair like a messy mop atop his head.
His cock was hard, a visual symbol of the need she felt deep within her, a need that hadn’t faded in the slightest from the last time she’d seen him.
“You are so beautiful,” he breathed, his strange turquoise eyes gliding across every inch of her flesh and giving her goosebumps.
“So are you,” she said, and he grinned, his face shimmering that deep maroon that she loved so much.
Apodis started the shower, the heated water like heaven as he guided her under the spray.
She watched the rivulets trace through the lines of his muscles, her cunt clenching with need, and before she could make her own move, he was on her.
Fingers dug into her hair, his other hand gripping her waist while his tentacles caressed every inch of her body.
The kiss took her breath away, more passionate than the chaste peck from the entryway, and she groaned into his mouth, grasping onto his shoulders.
Apodis pushed his tongue past her lips, the rumble of his moan vibrating her entire being. He slid his hand to her backside, squeezing her ass as their moans interrupted the calming flow of water.
Gemini pressed a palm to his chest, sliding her hand down until Apodis pulled away, his fangs extending with a barely audible click.
“Why do your teeth do that?” she asked, already out a breath as her body begged for more.
“Because I want to mark you,” Apodis replied without a sense of mirth.
Like it was the most serious thing in the world.
“Mark me then.”
The thought of his fangs penetrating her skin only stimulated the arousal throbbing in her center, the promise of a physical reminder of their lust.
“You don’t understand what that means,” he said, ignoring the way her fingers traced along his chest in meandering spirals.
“Tell me…”
“It would mean we’re permanently connected, a physical and symbolic assertation of our bond.”
“So, we’d be alien married, then?” she asked, cocking her head playfully.
Apodis took a moment before responding, though a smile quirked his lips.
“I suppose it is similar to that, but much deeper than something the government controls. It signifies a true commitment, not something to be taken lightly. The mark will never heal, will remain a permanent reminder of our connection. Your scent will change too, will let everyone know that you belong to me.”
“Belong to you, hmmm?” Gemini asked with a smirk.
It didn’t sound like such a bad idea, not when this male had shown her more affection than she’d ever experienced before.
Not when he kept her fed, kept her safe, healed her when she was injured, protected her when she was in danger.
He respected her work and her passions and was interesting in his own right.
A total catch, if there ever was one.
“I know it sounds strange. It just means that other alphas will know you have been claimed and won’t pursue you. It would mean that it would be difficult for us to be separated. You would have to stay.”
She’d had a feeling he was going to say that, but already the thought of leaving felt foolish, impossible.
She didn’t want to leave. She wanted to stay and make the fantasy of this beautiful, simple life with a male who loved her a reality.
Because it was real, more real than anything she had on Earth.
“I want to belong to you, Apodis. I want to stay. So if you’ll have me…” Gemini said, smiling shyly.
Apodis nodded, though his eyes were still wide with some emotion, and she cocked her head in question.
“But if you don’t want that, I understand. It’s a big decision…”
He shushed her, cupping her cheek sweetly.
“It’s not that. I’m just… a bit afraid of blood.”
That certainly surprised her. The big bad alpha scared of biting his mate?
“What? You were going to eat me out when I was on my period…”
“Of course, little omega. I would do anything to help you feel better.”
She had no doubts about that any longer.
“Well, if you don’t want to bite me, you don’t have to. I’m still staying if I’m welcome…”
“I want to mark you. I promise. Just give me a few moments.”
Gemini giggled at his reticence, his chest rising and falling in deep breaths before he pressed a kiss to her lips.
Apodis gripped under her thighs and lifted her into the air, her arms and legs moving of their own accord and circling his shoulders and waist. Tentacles twisted around her, and she felt the tight, squishy grasp of the suckers across her legs and ass.
He tangled his fingers in her hair once more and angled her head back so he could expose her neck. Her body tingled with anticipation, his lips tracing more kisses down her chin and jawline, until he met the tender flesh underneath her ear.
“Are you sure you want this?” he whispered, and she bit her lip, though her answer was clear.
“I’m sure. I want this. I want you.”
“Then you’ll have me, my omega. My mate.”
The growl of his voice sent a tremor down her spine, and she was like gelatin in his arms.
But he held her steady.
Her back was pressed to the heated shower tiles, the sensation of his cock lining up at her entrance sending a wave of pleasure through her. She was dripping with need, writhing with anticipation, until all at once he plunged into her twofold.
The sudden overwhelming sensations caused her to cry out, a sharp gasp piercing the expectant air as her brain scrambled to understand what was happening.
Fuck, she was full. So fucking full. Her cunt ached from the intense stretch gifted to it by Apodis’ hard cock, but it was utterly divine, enveloping her with a sense of euphoria so strong she thought she might combust when he started thrusting.
But no, maybe the exhilaration was from the sharp sting of his fangs in her throat, the shock of the bite wearing off as Apodis gulped at her neck. The sensation of blood leaving her and entering him was exquisite, a perfect cycle of giving and receiving.
A symbol of their bond that would never fade away.
Gemini moaned as Apodis released her from his bite, then brought his bloodstained lips to hers and gave her a taste of her own metallic essence. His tongue probed into her mouth as he continued his rhythmic thrusting, lifting and moving her body with ease like she was a toy for his pleasure.
And she loved it. She loved him.
Delicious tension built quickly as he slammed into her, his knot pounding at her cunt like it was desperate to be let in.
And that was exactly what she wanted. She wanted to be filled by her mate in every possible way, her pleasure cresting into the stars until she was moaning into his mouth and writhing her hips in time with his thrusts.
Apodis pulled away with a gasp, and she lolled her head back, crying out as her orgasm ripped through her like a tear in spacetime.
“Yes! Fuck, yes!” she screamed, holding onto him for dear life.
Apodis’ feral gaze met hers, blood dripping from his beautiful lips as her cunt clenched around every inch of him.
“Mine. Mine. Mine,” he grunted, and she loved the primal affirmation that she was his.
As her pussy convulsed, she felt the pressure of his knot squeeze past her entrance, her body electrified with devotion. He groaned into her neck, jerking his hips as he filled her with his seed, the sensation as pure as anything she’d ever felt.
Slowly, they came down from their highs, their chests heaving in tandem until Gemini worked up the energy to speak.
“It smells like…” she murmured lazily, cuddling up in Apodis’ arms as he held her aloft on his cock.
“Like us,” he finished. “Alona blossom and omorlalla trees. And the scent of orb glows.”
Orb glows… that was exactly what it was, the same fresh aroma from the blooming filling the shower stall. The fact that his bite had done that made her heart swell with joy, a perfect divine bow on the gift of their joining.
Apodis nuzzled against the crook of her neck as she slumped into his arms, the gentle touch soothing her until she was almost asleep. When his knot finally deflated, he carried her to the bedroom, settling her into the bed like she had never left.
Like she was exactly where she was supposed to be.