Page 6 of Flower of Seshana (Tales from the Darvel Exploratory Systems #1)

Chapter

Six

D espite the sweet thrum of their melody drifting over her, Alexandra stared up at the soft illumination of the strategically planted galthie on the walls. It was truly curious how much the blooms varied, shedding light in a multitude of hues. Equally odd was her sudden inability to sleep when she’d become well known among the colonists for being able to drift off practically anywhere. More than one worker had come into her lab to find her sprawled in unlikely positions as she slept soundly. Unlike many who struggled becoming accustomed to the silence of the desert, she hadn’t suffered even a moment of insomnia since arriving at Colony Mewa.

Was it because her situation was too exciting? It was possible. It wasn’t every day that one’s career was practically made by having knowledge handed to her that could benefit the colony as a whole. Wouldn’t that cause anyone a sleepless night in anticipation for the coming day? She certainly didn’t consider herself beyond any other average mortal.

If the simple use of the galthie flowers were anything to go by, there were surely many useful plants she could return to Mewa with. She peered up at the glowing blooms for a time as she listened to the Vahels’ song rising and falling around her with their every breath. There was something beautiful and almost hypnotic about their song that sent warmth rushing through her. Oddly, the crooning song from the males never ceased, but it seemed to draw into long, steady notes whispering over her with every exhale, suggesting that they were possibly even singing in their sleep. She turned her head on the pillow, her cheek cushioned supportively on its curve, she peered over at Kethan, noting the sweeping angles of his face that somehow took on an etheric quality as the muscles of his face relaxed completely with his deep slumber.

And he was most definitely asleep. Reaching forward, she held her breath as she brushed a fingertip very lightly against the bridge of his nose. When he didn’t stir, she smiled and rolled over to repeat the experiment on Quillen. Fascinating. They really were singing in their sleep as if they were so in tune with her presence that even when no longer conscious, they continued to sing to comfort her.

It was… incredible. She couldn’t even get her last boyfriend to hold the door open for her as he considered it beneath him to do anything “undeserved” or “unwarranted.” Hell, he didn’t even care enough to make sure she finished first before he got his when they were in bed together. And yet here she had two alien males nestled on either side of her instinctively attending to her needs.

More than that, however, they were shifting in their sleep, torsos and tails rolling subtly against her, their soft scales rasping gently against her skin in the places it was exposed. The sensation was curiously pleasant, as if they were petting her, seeking to connect with her even in their slumber. Their tails dragged against her, the tips grazing over her navel and along her thighs. A heat slowly stirred to life in their wake, sending a shiver through her as her eyes widened in surprise.

Alexandra swallowed thickly, her heart thudding harder in her chest as she felt a tendril of heat unfurl deep within her belly. Her skin prickled with awareness, and she shivered at the glide of their scales against her as their tails curled and dragged over her and the heat of their bellies undulated faintly against her, the muscles brushing against her under the blanket. Thank goodness she had clothing covering her most intimate places, but her tunic had quickly worked its way up in response to their movement, leaving her midriff bare. And despite their heavy slumber, they were highly attracted to the heat of her bare skin.

She bit her bottom lip, swallowing a moan as a tail flicked against the sensitive skin of her inner thigh just under the hem of her shorts. It didn’t attempt to work its way any higher, for which she wasn’t certain if she was grateful or frustrated, but the lazy flick back and forth of its tip was slowly driving her mad. Her skin quivered in reaction, her breath coming in pants as the need within her belly grew and grew, expanding through her, leaving her empty and aching.

Alexandra shook her head in silent denial. What she was feeling was forbidden—worse than that, it was against the law! Although many alien species within the Intergalactic Coalition were considered aesthetically beautiful, it was widely taught that relations with them were something that was immoral, potentially physically harmful to the bodies of human women, and thereby made illegal for their own protection. Men, on the other hand, were merely strongly discouraged from it to avoid risking transmission of unknown diseases, but it did not share the same stigma. There were plenty of tales of men settling on far-flung worlds with alien brides. For women, however, only the most depraved were said to enjoy taking the cock of an alien male inside of them. Such a woman was considered dirty and widely disdained by men, though admittedly other women spoke in hushed voices of such encounters as a matter of intrigue and fascination.

Was she such a woman? She hadn’t thought so before. Unlike several other women of her acquaintance over the years, she didn’t download black market vids or collect 4D holopics of popular alien vid stars. Being with an alien male hadn’t even registered in her private fantasies. And yet just being around Quillen and Kethan was doing strange things to her—and being between them in the bed was having an unexpected effect on her libido in ways that no one had ever managed in all of her failed attempts at dating.

She drew in a deep breath, their scents filling her nose. How was it that they smelled so good? They didn’t have the wet musk of reptiles but smelled more of aromatic wood and a faint hint of some sort of astringent herb similar to rosemary. It was incredibly pleasant, but beyond that, every breath of it sparked her arousal. It was like pouring accelerant on a fire until her nipples became hard points, and her sex dripped with her need. It was arousal like she had never felt before, clawing at her in its demand for satisfaction. Her fingers twisted around the blanket as she trembled with desire, her inner thighs slickening with the heat flowing into her panties.

She was certain that she was about to go mad if they didn’t fuck her. Not just one of them but both of them. Quillen’s tail suddenly wrapped around her left leg completely before finally stilling as if content in its secure hold. She blinked in surprise, but her attention immediately focused on Kethan’s wandering tail. It slid along her, experimentally hooking around her ankle for a moment before letting her go to travel back up her leg. Her breath stuttered as it slipped suddenly sidewise over her pelvis, its underside grazing the top of her mons before looping upward over her hip and curling back behind it. His tail wiggled for a moment and his song trembled as he grunted as it burrowed beneath her before coming to a rest against the small of her back. The tip flicked briefly and then sedately curled before also stilling altogether.

Her breath stuttered out of her in a long exhale, and the tension in her muscles slowly eased as the intense arousal heating her skin dampened and gradually withdrew. Unfortunately, as it receded, it left a gnawing hunger within her that only seemed to intensify as the scent of the males surrounding her began to cling heavily to the bedding and onto her skin. The truth was that she wanted both of them even after her incredible arousal abated, and the implications of that alone were terrifying.

She couldn’t possibly get attached to them. It would never work. And if her superiors at Mewa ever found out, the consequences would be even worse than what she would suffer for her little field trip. It would be the end of her career and would likely land her straight within the mines as Darvel would still hold her contract. She shivered as fear rapidly replaced the vacating arousal.

It was too dangerous to indulge in whatever had sparked between them. She was only there for a short time and would be alone to deal with whatever fallout would possibly come from it. She needed to remember that.

Sighing, she nestled deeper into the covers, the heat from the Vahels slowly seeping into her as their scent and song continued to work their magic on her. She softened between them, a content mumble of sound rising to her lips as her eyelids fluttered and descended as a pleasant languid feeling moved over her with all the effects of a soothing, warm bath.

Her jaw cracked as she yawned. She was certain after a good night’s sleep that she would be able to handle everything that the morning threw at her.