Page 6 of Vylit: Glowing for Her (Consumed by the Alien Heat #1)

Her hands moved to my face, small and warm against my cooler skin. "I have one condition."

"Anything," I breathed, already half-lost to her touch.

"Promise you'll take me home when this is over. Once I'm safe from pirates, once we figure out what's happening, you'll help me get back to Earth."

The request pierced me like a physical wound. To find my genetic complement after so many cycles of searching, only to return her to her world... But her eyes demanded honesty, not comfort.

"I promise," I vowed, knowing I would keep my word even if it broke me. "When you're safe, if you still wish it, I will return you to Earth."

Her expression softened, relief mixing with something more complex.

"Then I choose you, Vylit of Mavtros. Not just as the lesser evil, but because—" She hesitated, vulnerability flashing across her features.

"Because there's something between us I can't explain, and I'd rather explore it on my terms than lose the choice entirely. "

My bioluminescence exploded in response, bathing the cave in pulsing light that matched the frantic rhythm of my hearts. I growled, a primal sound that vibrated through the water between us. "No pirate will ever touch what's mine."

I reached for her Breather, carefully detaching it from her face but leaving it dangling around her neck should she need it quickly. The cave contained enough oxygen that she could breathe normally for now.

She gasped as the mask released, strange cave air filling her lungs. Her eyes widened at the raw sensation. I’m sure she scented the salt, ozone, and the heavy taste of pheromones that saturated the space between us.

"I can breathe," she whispered, wonder overtaking fear.

"My proximity alters the water," I explained, voice rough with need. "But only temporarily. Don't move far from me."

As if she could. My hands cradled her face, massive against her delicate features, then slid down to lift her against the cave wall.

The rock behind her glowed softly in response to my touch.

The nest moss that had traveled with us from the ship, clinging to my skin in microscopic spores, suddenly puffed into existence beneath them, expanding into a cushion that glowed with smug satisfaction as it cradled her body.

Her legs cinched tight around my waist.

"That moss follows you everywhere, doesn't it?" she asked, half-laughing despite the danger.

"It recognizes potential mates," I admitted, embarrassed by how eagerly the organism responded to her presence.

I pressed her against the wall, my massive body caging hers, bioluminescent patterns racing wild across my chest like lightning trapped beneath skin. The contrast between us… her soft, warm flesh against my cooler, translucent form… sent waves of desire pulsing through my neural pathways.

With a snarl that surprised even me, I shredded the diving suit from her collar to her thighs, claws trembling between reverence and feral need. The fabric parted like water, revealing expanses of skin that glowed with reflected light from my body.

Her gasp echoed through the cave. Fear flickered across her face, quickly subsumed by something darker, hungrier.

"Holy shit," she breathed, eyes widening as my reproductive appendages emerged, dual shafts sliding from protective sheaths. "You have two..."

I couldn't suppress a surge of pride at her reaction. "Mavtrosian males are designed for complete genetic bonding."

Maya's hands clutched my shoulders, her breathing shallow as she felt both thick shafts grind against her through the torn remnants of her dive suit… hot, heavy, alien, far too much. Terror tangled with hunger in her expression until she couldn't seem to tell them apart.

My glow mapped her curves, branding her as mine.

One hand supported her weight while the other reached between us, fingers finding the sensitive bud between her thighs.

I circled it gently, testing her readiness, learning what made her breathing hitch and her fingers dig deeper into my shoulders. I loved her marks on my flesh.

"Vylit," she moaned, the sound of my name on her lips sending shocks of pleasure through my system. "I need—I can't?—"

"I know," I soothed, continuing to work her with careful fingers until moisture gathered, slick and inviting. "Too much, too fast. I'll take care of you."

I angled only one of my cocks at her slick entrance, breath harsh in her ear. "One now," I vowed, voice dark silk frayed by obsession. "Next time, both. You'll take all of me. You'll carry my heat, my marks, my bond."

Then I surged inside. The stretch stole her air, filled her impossibly deep, and the algae in the water exploded in constellations that lit the chamber like a galaxy collapsing. Maya clawed at my shoulders, crying out, her body open and yielding despite the initial resistance.

"Fuck," she choked out, eyes wide and unfocused. "So big… so deep…"

My control shattered. I'd meant to be gentle, to ease her into the mating, but her heat and tightness around me triggered instincts older than rational thought.

My claws gouged stone on either side of her head as I pounded into her, hips driving with relentless force, each thrust hammering home my claim.

My second cock slid along her clit, leaking molten heat, pulsing in time with my thrusts, marking her skin even unused. My patterns flared brighter, streaking her thighs and belly in luminous brands that screamed possession.

"Mine," I growled against her throat, teeth grazing like a threat and a promise. "No pirate, no council, no world will ever touch you. You belong to me, Maya. Now. Always."

Her orgasm ripped through her like fire catching dry tinder.

She shattered around me, pulsing, convulsing, her scream swallowed by my mouth as I devoured the sound.

Her inner walls clamped down with surprising strength, milking my shaft with rhythmic contractions that sent me hurtling over the edge.

My roar followed, feral and victorious, as I spilled deep inside her, my glow blazing. The genetic exchange flooded her system, altering cellular structures, marking her forever as my complement. The bond sealed, crashing into place between us.

We collapsed together, still entwined, moss puffing happily beneath us as algae swirled in satisfied patterns through the water. I held her trembling body against mine, our breathing gradually synchronizing as reality reasserted itself around us.

"My mate," I whispered against her hair, reverence and wonder threading through every syllable. "Next time, I'll complete you properly. Both shafts, as tradition demands."

She shivered against me, exhaustion and lingering pleasure making her limbs heavy. "I don't think I could handle both," she murmured, but her voice held a note of curiosity that sent fresh heat coursing through me.

Before I could respond, muffled voices filtered through the rock barrier again. Clearer this time, as if they'd moved equipment into position.

"Bond initiated but incomplete. Genetic marker still developing."

"How long until full integration?"

"One cycle. Kill the Mavtrosian. Female will survive separation this early."

Maya stiffened in my arms, the momentary peace shattered. Her eyes met mine, wide with renewed fear.

"The bond's too new," I translated grimly. "They still intend to take you."

Her fingers dug into my arms. "Then we need to fight."