Page 38

Garnet

W hen Tanin told her he was going to dance for her, she imagined some kind of bird situation. Fancy moves. Dramatic poses. She couldn’t imagine Tanin shaking his ass like he was fluttering tail feathers, but that was really the only frame of reference she had for a mating dance.

This wasn’t like that at all. It was all raw masculine strength and power. The combination of low drumbeats and high-pitched smacks against his skin and the bursting lights all over his body wherever he struck was hypnotizing.

He roared and she jumped, her breath coming out in surprised pants. A fire burning in her belly that made her thighs rub together. Trying and failing to ease some of the empty ache only made it worse.

Her hips were rocking as she slowly took a step towards him. Then another.

There was something playing along with the drums. An instrument she didn’t understand. It hummed like a string, but didn’t reverberate like one. But it was such a smooth, gliding sound, it stood in direct contrast to the hard drumbeats. But they weren’t mismatched. The hum of the second instrument wove in and through the steady pounding of the first.

It was, Garnet realized, as her body swayed, the kind of song that demanded movement. That demanded respect in the form of physical worship. It controlled the body, it quieted the mind, it fed the fire already burning up from her core, spreading through to the tips of her fingers.

Tanin danced by striking his body. Creating the glowing fireworks that burst on his skin. Quills up and at attention. Body fully on display. They hadn’t made love in the dark before, but now that it was dim, she could see that his cock had the same lights. They shined through the bumps of his retracted barbs and swirled around the head, pulsing in time with the beat of his heart.

He was fully on display for her. It was only fair that she do the same.

It was so easy, so natural, to let her hands push down the straps of her dress. It was loose enough that it could then just drop to the ground as she stepped out of her shoes, reaching back for the strap on her bra as she kept her eyes on him.

Dress, shoes, shirt, bra, panties. Each step she took towards him ended with another piece of her clothing hitting the ground until she was just as nude. And though her body might not glow, she could, and did, show off her curves with unabashed sensuality as she twisted her hips right in front of him, close enough that her skin barely ghosted over his,

His hand came around to rest on her ass. Not disturbing the sway of her hips but pulling her in close so his cock was rubbing against her belly with each swing.

She put her fingers on his chest and dragged her nails down. Smiling at the firework show that it made, so much brighter now in the low light. She ran them back up his arms, fingers following the whirls of his skin pattern.

Tanin suddenly grabbed her by the waist and jerked her up. Her legs automatically locked around his waist as she held onto his shoulders. He lifted her up, like it was nothing, and when he lowered her again, it was right on his erect cock.

Garnet’s head dropped back as her thighs shook from the stretch, from hanging on. But he was doing everything, controlling her body, as he filled her deep.

The drums beats dropped, and he dropped her the last few inches. Garnet cried out. Digging her nails into his shoulders, she could only hold on as he used his grip on her hips to fuck her down onto him. Each smack of their skin struck along with the pounding of the drums, her moans singing to the humming melody that weaved throughout. In the dark, fully unclothed, she could see the way Tanin’s thrusts made his lights burst all over his body.

It was beautiful.

He was beautiful.

In a masculine, powerful way she didn’t realize a person could be beautiful. The dance, the way he grabbed her, the way he claimed her. It was all about power and strength. Both of which he had in abundance. Which he proved as the beats and his body pounded into her. Getting faster and faster. Building up to something incredible.

More than an orgasm. Though the ecstasy was there, she could feel something else flaring alongside it. Bursting into life like a star being born.

Tanin grunted, falling to his knees. His hips didn’t miss a single beat as he fell forward onto his hand, the other still wrapped around her, keeping her up as he continued fucking her on the ground.

“Tanin!” Her head whipped back and forth as that feeling only got bigger. Brighter. Claiming all of her in a way that she felt so deep, it perfused through every cell of her body. Burning her up and remaking her from the flames.

This had to be…

This could only be…

Tanin’s hips finally stilled, the music coming to a rolling crescendo as his barbs expanded, locking them together.

“My mate,” he growled, collapsing over her.

Garnet’s entire world shattered. Her mind collapsed by the destructive ecstasy that wreaked absolute havoc with her entire nervous system. Pleasure so good it was almost pain. A new knowing, a new understanding, that everything was suddenly different.

It was a good thing Tanin’s quills were up, because she didn’t care about them poking into her as she wrapped her arm, tight, around his neck, her other arm clutched around his torso, trying to drag him, impossibly, closer.

She needed him like she needed air. Like she needed the next beat of her heart.

Tanin rolled over, flat on his back, pulling her with him. Clinging to her just as tightly as she clutched onto him. She lay splayed out over his chest, both of them breathing hard. His heart was racing along with hers. Both of them pounding together, like they were in perfect sync, though the beat of the drums had gone silent.

“That…” She breathed, too stunned to think of the next word. The music had ended as they did, and now the room was quiet but for their rapid breaths and the whisper of their skin rubbing together as she got comfortable on him.

He really was her favorite bed. She was actually glad he wasn’t as big as the other alien males. If he were any larger, she might not be able to fit on top of him so easily without straining her muscles. And if he were any bigger, his cock would probably get proportionally bigger as well, and she already felt the strain of the pressure as it was even before his barbs came out.

No, he was perfect.

They were perfect together. And it never felt as right as it did right now.

No, not just right. That wasn’t good enough to describe just how correct the world felt. Like her vision had been fuzzy all her life, but she was suddenly seeing with perfect vision. Her lungs were breathing proper air. Her skin fit better than ever. Her heart was finally beating the way it was meant to.

“Is this what it means…” She breathed, the question incomplete.

But he didn’t need her to specify. “If it’s not, I can’t imagine what is.”

This was the mate bond.

It was an intangible thing. If he asked her to point to some part of her that was new or changed about herself, she wouldn’t be able to. Everything was as it had been.

But nothing was the same. Because she finally felt whole. A piece of her she hadn’t even known was missing was back now, and with it brought a sense of completeness. Rightness. And the entire universe was back to the way it always should have been.

It was too strong of a feeling to be her imagination. It wasn’t just a result of sex – she hadn’t felt like this any of the other times. She couldn’t even say that she was feeling him in some kind of supernatural way. This was only about herself.

She was more complete. She was changed on some basic, untouchable level. Her universe was finally spinning the right way.

Except, it wasn’t just her. Because on the other end of this bond, Tanin was feeling the same way. They were in this together. Joined together permanently.

Biting her lip, Garnet had to fight to keep her watery eyes from spilling over. She wasn’t sad. Not at all. The feelings rushing towards her were more like relief. The jubilation of finally feeling like everything was exactly the way it was always meant to be.

It was the closest she’d ever come to feeling like she could sense a higher power. Because how else could she describe the way fate led her to this male? How else could she describe the perfection of this feeling of being bonded to him?

Tanin’s arms closed around her. Holding her tight as he pet her head. He knew she needed her after sex cuddles – now, more than ever. And he was generous with them.

Because he was her mate, so of course he’d understand what she needed. What she wanted. And, naturally, he’d want to give it to her.

“Tanin,” she breathed, snuggling deeper into his chest. “I think I love you.”

To her surprise, he chuckled.

She frowned, glaring up at him. That wasn’t the reaction she wanted. But he was grinning back down at her.

“Try again,” he ordered.

“I said, I think I love you. Ow! Hey!”

He swatted her ass. Smirking. That annoying brow popped up on one side. She couldn’t even get away from him as she glared through narrowed eyes.

“Almost. Try again.”

“I said,” she hissed, “I think-Ow!”

He wasn’t hitting her hard, but that sharp little smack was deliberate and purposeful. A tiny punishment for a wrong she didn’t understand.

“One more chance,” he said. “You what?”

“I…” She started, but then cut herself off, glaring. What was she saying wrong? He was giving her no clues, but she was clearly saying something…

Oh.

Calming down, leaning back against him, she said just, “I love you.”

He stroked his hand over her ass, right where he swatted her. Soothing away anything that might have remained of the sting.

“That’s a good girl,” he praised. “Say it again. All soft and sweet how I like.”

The rush of joy she felt when he told her she was good made her smile, burning away the last remains of irritation as she repeated herself – all soft and sweet how he apparently liked. “I love you, Tanin.”

“I think I love you too.”

“Ah!” She smacked his chest as he laughed. The bouncing making his barbs pull inside her ever so slightly. It didn’t trigger the discomfort, but she was aware of their hardened points digging into the soft flesh of her pussy. And she loved it. “Say it again. The right way!”

He pushed his fingers through her hair, grabbing her by the back of the head, and pulled her down as he lifted his head. Pressing his forehead against hers, he breathed softly – all deep and rumbly the way that she obviously liked-

“I love you, Garnet.”

Her smile spread as she relaxed back against him. Going soft as he chuckled, wrapping his arms back around her. Holding her tight.

“I liked your dance,” she said, her longest finger tap, tap, tapping against his chest just so she could see the little fireworks in his skin burst as she did so.

“I really liked yours.”

“Yeah?” She beamed. “Maybe I’ll treat you to a proper strip tease next time. Give you a good look at how well these hips can really move. You know, the next time you dance for me.”

He chuckled but didn’t respond. She turned her eyes up to his.

“I do get to see you dance again, right?”

He was stroking his hand gently over her ass. Like he was going to sooth her that way. And it was kind of working.

“I will dance for you, if you like. But only if you will always dance with me.”

“Definitely,” she agreed. “You don’t mind that I don’t have pretty lights like yours?”

“On your skin? No. Because you have these.” He punctuated the statement by grabbing her hips, that little pudge of skin that served as the meeting point between her hips, thighs, and ass, and he squeezed tight. Jiggling a little for emphasis. “S’skree females have very bony hips. Rather hard. They don’t have the softness most females have. And certainly not as much as human females have. I much prefer what you have to offer.”

Garnet didn’t realize until that moment that he’d never actually compared her to a s’skree female before. Which should have been more surprising, she supposed. Or maybe not. He was raised on a station around many different species. It would make sense that he grew up with an appreciation for all of their differences. But the fact that he’d never made the comparison before made her happy, because it meant he wasn’t thinking about all the things she didn’t have. He liked her just the way she was, exactly as she came to him.

“So, what does it mean that we’re mates? Is anything different?”

“We can register as mates, I suppose,” he said, looking up at the ceiling as his hand continued to stroke over her skin. “Not everyone does, but it’s encouraged for recording and legal purposes. Might be best to hold off on that until after your sponsorship is over though. Just to avoid any headaches. You’ve been responding to their check ins, right?”

“Yeah. Of course.” She nodded. “They don’t take long to fill out. Annoying how often they send them, though.”

“I suppose they’re being protective.”

“No,” she frowned, “they’re being prejudiced against you. I know they don’t send them this often to other sponsors. I looked it up. It’s only supposed to be once a tenday, not once every three days. Captain Ikvar is being a pain in the butt about this.”

“I like how protective you get over me,” Tanin said. “It’s wonderful seeing you so fierce. You’re going to be absolutely vicious when you’re watching over our young.”

“Huh? Why would I be vicious? I mean, I don’t mind being a mama bear, but vicious is a bit much, don’t you think?”

“Humans take on the traits of the paternal species when they’re gravid and sometime after. And s’skree females are notoriously and violently protective of their young. Even against their mates. There are many cases every year where females attack their mates because he got too close to their slings or did something she didn’t approve of.”

Garnet frowned, horrified. “That’s terrible! I would never hurt you like that.”

“It’s natural for my kind. And you will,” he assured her calmly. Like he wasn’t talking about her physically assaulting him. “Males know it will happen when they get their female pregnant. They know to be careful around their slings because females will attack if they feel they’re being threatened. And we as males know to just stay calm so our mate will calm down in turn. Very rarely is a male truly injured from it. And I certainly don’t fear your little claws, so do what you will and don’t feel guilty when that protective urge comes up.”

“But I don’t want to hurt you,” Garnet frowned, dismayed at the very idea that she would ever do something like that to anyone she loved, much less Tanin.

“I will be proud if you do,” he chuckled. “Males that are injured often show off their wounds. It displays how powerful our females are, and how good they are at being mothers.”

She frowned. “How do you know all this? You know so little about your own kind, why are you suddenly an expert?”

“I’m not.” He bent up his head and kissed her scalp. “But I needed to know what you are likely to go through while you carry my young so I can be prepared. And since human females carry their young as the paternal species would, I had to look it up for you.”

And there he went, making her melt again. He didn’t even tell her that he was going to be doing that. It wasn’t even something she’d done for herself yet. She didn’t know that human females had pregnancy symptoms from the alien species they carried. That was news to her.

But not to Tanin. Because he knew she might be carrying his baby, and he’d taken steps to inform himself of what to expect. Even before they were expecting.

Because he was a good male who took care of his people. Including her and any hypothetical babies they might have.

She smiled, snuggling back into him as, at last, she felt his barbs starting to retract. “You’re going to be a good daddy yourself, you know.”

“If you give me young, I will make certain that I am,” he promised, stroking her body slowly, gently, adoring her the way she craved and needed.

A good father, and a great mate. Just a good male all around. What girl could ask for more?