Cathian Read online

  “Yes. The crew did an excellent job of finding Nara. Please give them my thanks.”

  “Let’s never do this again. Perhaps we should hire a Tryleskian woman to be on the crew full time.”

  “That will never happen. They don’t leave the planet unless it’s for short trips. Besides, I left my home world to escape all the women who tried to trap me into becoming their life-lock. A Tryleskian would see me as a prize to win.”

  “It wouldn’t be a bad thing to have one, if you don’t mind my saying so. She would have come in handy when you went into heat.”

  “A life-lock would mean having to return to live on my planet. I’m never going to end up like my father.”

  “Just because he’s miserable doesn’t mean you would be.”

  “I’m not willing to risk it. I want to find a woman who is drawn to me, instead of my family name and position. That’s all Tryleskians care about. I could be ugly, maimed, and dishonorable, but they wouldn’t care as long as they got to claim rights to me and our family fortune.”

  “I see.”

  “I need to sleep before the hunger returns and I lose my mind.” He reached out, clasping Dovis on the arm. “Thank you. Give York my gratitude as well. Both of you are true friends.”

  “We’ve got everything handled. Just relax and get through your heat.”

  Cathian returned to his cabin, stripping off his pants. He crawled into bed, reaching for Nara. She murmured in her sleep but cuddled into his arms. He inhaled her scent, his hunger stirring. He ignored it as he tried to sleep. Heat was difficult on his mind and body, and he needed the rest.

  Chapter Four

  Nara panted, smiling. It was day two of being inside his cabin, and she’d already fed Cathian four times in a row that morning. Now he climbed up her body, pinning her under him.

  He seemed to love to cuddle afterward, before he fell asleep. It had become a cycle with him. He fed a few times, until his hunger abated, then nap, waking when Dovis, the wolf-looking alien, brought them a tray of food. One time it had been a muscular blue alien man who she hadn’t gotten a good look at. Cathian didn’t allow them inside his cabin and always went to the door himself.

  He surprised her when he leaned in close to her face, glancing at her lips. “I want to kiss you. May I?”

  She didn’t have to think about it. “Yes.”

  Cathian gently brushed his lips over hers, and she moaned softly. They were velvety soft but firm at the same time. His tongue met hers. She got a good hold on him, feeling the sharp tips of his fangs, but they didn’t hurt. He tasted good, like the meal they’d recently shared. He growled, his chest rumbling against hers. He was a great kisser, passionate, and her body responded.

  Eventually, he broke off the kiss. “What made you become a trader by career?”

  His question surprised her, especially at that moment. She wanted to get back to kissing but he apparently wanted to talk. He usually slept after feeding, but his beautiful eyes weren’t sleepy looking while she gazed into them.

  “I wanted to leave Earth. There were a lot of painful memories.”

  “What kind?”

  She debated on telling him or not and decided there was no harm. They were intimates, after all. “I was married, but it turned out that he wasn’t the person I thought. It became ugly. He was a cheating, lying, thieving jerk.”

  His eyes widened.

  “He slept with a couple of my friends behind my back. One of them got mad at him and told me. Everyone knew but me. I was an idiot who’d blindly trusted him.”

  “I read up on Earth. Married is a legal contract, correct? It’s where both parties agree to terms.”

  “Yes.”

  “Was it a love match or business?”

  “I thought he loved me but he didn’t. Everything about him was a lie. He scammed me.”

  “Scam is to offer a high-quality product, but instead give an inferior one that has little to no value?”

  She nodded. “That sums up my ex perfectly. I came with a lot of family money, and it turned out he just wanted that instead of me. He stole most of it, but I had some accounts hidden away. I divorced him and bought my shuttle. It’s not much, a Dorkin Three model, but it got me off Earth and far from him. I didn’t want to go to prison for murder.”

  He scowled. “You killed him?”

  “No, but I wanted to. That was the problem. I would have if I’d stayed, and then would have been locked up for twenty years. He was mad when he found out I had secret accounts, and he couldn’t touch them in the divorce. His way of retaliating was to harass and threaten me. It was best if I just disappeared where he wouldn’t follow me. He’d never venture into space. It’s too dangerous.”

  “You wanted a fresh start. I understand this.”

  “Is that why you’re a captain? This seems like a big ship.”

  “It’s a cruiser. I’m an ambassador for my planet. I mostly do trade negotiations and keep peaceful treaties active between my race and others. It got me off my planet.”

  “What’s it like where you come from?” She felt very curious about him and his race.

  “Beautiful but cold.”

  “Lots of snow?”

  “No. Tryleskian is a warm planet all year round. Heavy in vegetation beyond our cities. The people are cold.” He hesitated. “Most of our life-lock bonds are political in nature.”

  “You mean marriages?”

  “Yes. I didn’t wish to end up unhappy, the way my father and mother have. There is no love or even like between them. He chose her for her good looks and her family’s history of being excellent breeders. She wanted his status and the perks that came with it. They are vicious and cruel to one another. Growing up with both together wasn’t a happy childhood. I don’t want my sons and daughters to be raised that way. Once I reached full maturity, it was my responsibility to breed the next generation or take this ambassador role.”

  “How long have you been doing it?”

  “Three years.”

  “Do you like your job?”

  “I do. Do you enjoy being a trader?”

  She wanted to lie but decided not to. “Not really. It’s scary most of the time. I lived in a human-only section of Earth. It wasn’t by choice. It’s just the way it is. Then I left, and suddenly I felt like I was lost out in space, you know? I hired two crew members. One is my navigator; she gets us where we need to go. She also speaks to all the aliens we sell to and deal with. She’s half human and half Barcalon. They’re good at learning languages. The other was the one who got us arrested, and he’s fully human like me.” She was still angry at him. “Derrick used the credits I gave him to buy hookers, instead of the part we needed for my shuttle. Our engine went down where we shouldn’t have been after delivering medicine to a planet suffering Krout.”

  “The illness that turns bodies into vegetation?”

  “Yes. They’re a bunch of innocent colonists just trying to make a new life on a planet, but the space authorities want them gone. They shut down all travel there, including medical shipments that would cure them and save lives. I heard about it, and they were offering good money for anyone willing to risk getting past the blockades. So much for turning a profit and doing a good deed all at once. We got caught, and I picked being sold at the auction over going to Alto Prison.”

  “Good choice.”

  “That’s what I was told by my crew. They said people are food there.”

  He lifted his chest off hers a little and glanced at her body, his scowl deepening. “You wouldn’t have survived.”

  “Gee, thanks.”

  “I don’t mean to offend you but your body is frail, Nara. You’ve seen other races. Yours isn’t one with good defensive abilities in hand-to-hand combat.”

  She’d give him that. “True.”

  “You did a great service to me. A Tryleskian weakens from starvation during heat. It can take weeks to months to recover, depending on how sick he gets. There’s also a risk of death
if I’d gone into shock and my heart stopped. Thank you.”

  “No need for that. I was desperate. It was either say yes to the mouse woman from your ship, or get bought by a really scary red-skinned, horned guy who wanted to know if my blood was red.” She shuddered. “I’m pretty sure you saved my life. I doubt I would have survived whatever he planned to do to me.”

  He nodded. “Never compare Midgel to a rodent within her hearing. She’s sensitive about being teased. She’s a sweet woman who prepares food for the crew. It was brave of her to go to the auction with a list of races compatible with mine. It went against her nature. She’s timid, and doesn’t leave her part of the ship. It was done out of pure loyalty to me.”

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to insult her.”

  “I know. You just need to be careful of what you say. I’m an ambassador. It’s my duty to learn about other cultures. I’ve been reading up on Earth anytime I wake before you do.”

  “What have you learned?”

  “Your people as a whole aren’t liked by most.”

  “Fair enough.” She had met a lot of people from her planet in space. “Most of the ones I’ve come across since leaving Earth aren’t our best representatives. There are a lot of human slavers I’ve seen on various stations, selling other aliens. That’s a death offense on my planet. It makes me sick.”

  “Because you are kind. You were arrested for trying to save lives.”

  “And make a profit.”

  He frowned. “Was it a rich colony planet?”

  “No.”

  “Your profit margin would have been low, correct?”

  She sighed. “I could make ten times more transporting slaves, but I flat-out refuse. I’d have probably set them free and earned a bounty on my head from their sellers or the buyers. My crew isn’t happy about my ethics but it’s my ship, my rules.”

  He lowered his chest against hers and slid his hand into her hair, stroking her scalp. She liked it when he did that. “You’re a good human, Nara.”

  “You’re a great Tryleskian, Cathian.”

  He chuckled.

  * * * * *

  Cathian had finished feeding from Nara and watched her fall asleep. He carefully extracted himself from bed and took a quick shower. He felt healthy and horny. His shaft remained hard and his nuts were uncomfortably swollen. His seed was still trapped in their sacks. It was a good thing. The idea of needing Nara for release frightened him.

  He came out and went to his desk, contacting one of the scientists on Tryleskian. It took just minutes to get the expert he needed. Being a Vellar had its privileges. His family was one of the richest and most powerful on the planet.

  The scientist stared at him from the screen. “Ambassador Vellar. It is an honor. What may I assist you with?”

  “I’ve been accessing the database about our kind and humans.”

  The scientist frowned, looking puzzled.

  “Earth,” he added.

  “Ah. Yes. I know of the planet and its inhabitants. We have done research on some who were arrested in our quadrant for trespassing without permission.”

  “Have any of our males been with one during our heat?”

  “No. We only had access to their males and one female. She was life-locked to one of the males already. We took blood, fluid, and other samples before they were released. It’s possible they are compatible but it hasn’t been tested.”

  There went Cathian’s hope that the database might be outdated.

  “What is your interest, Ambassador Vellar? If you don’t mind me being so bold as to ask.”

  “I went into heat earlier than planned and am currently sharing my heat with a human. She has strong hormone levels to feed me with.”

  Interest flared in the scientist’s eyes. “That is fantastic news! Please have the onboard medic android take samples from her while she’s aroused and freeze them for us. This is exciting.”

  The request frustrated Cathian. He didn’t want to bring in the android to take samples from Nara. “In theory, would I harm her if I kept her until I released my seed?”

  The scientist turned away, accessing something to the side. A good minute ticked away before he turned back. “In theory, perhaps. Their bodies are not as sturdy as those of our women. I’ve just looked at the imaging we took of the female we had in custody. I’m not certain a Tryleskian shaft would fit inside one, or if it would cause them damage. The female was life-locked to another human, as I stated, but the couple refused any sexual testing. Their males have smaller shafts than we do.”

  He ground his teeth together and bit back a snarl. “What about the chemicals we create when we release our seed? Would it act as an aphrodisiac for a human?”

  “I’m not certain, Ambassador Vellar. Have the medic android save samples from you as well, when the time comes, and I’ll personally run the tests myself when they are sent to me.”

  That wasn’t going to help him. He’d only be able to get samples while releasing his seed. It would be too late by then to know what it would do to Nara if she were still with him.

  “I am very enthusiastic about this opportunity. You’re doing a brilliant job as ambassador for our planet.” The scientist smiled wide. “You should take samples from all female races you come into sexual contact with. We will be able to exponentially increase our database.”

  “I won’t have sex with different aliens for your research.”

  “That is a shame.” He appeared disappointed.

  Cathian fisted his hands. “Could I kill the human if I stayed with her through my heat? That’s what I really need to know. You’re the expert on this subject.”

  The scientist turned again to the other screen, taking longer that time to study the information he had on humans. He faced Cathian. “It’s possible she may not survive. Her bone structure would be more delicate than that of our females. A Tryleskian shaft could cause internal damage, especially if maximum care wasn’t taken. I’d say out of heat, it would safe. You could stop if you were harming her.”

  During his heat, he wouldn’t be in control of his body when the time came to release his seed. That was the problem. He felt sick thinking about how badly he could possibly hurt her.

  “I wouldn’t suggest doing more than feeding from her if you care about this female, Ambassador Vellar. Take samples from her and send them to me immediately after your heat. I’ll make it a priority. That way, you’ll know if you can spend your next cycle with her.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Is there anything else you need, Ambassador?”

  “No. That’s it. Thank you for your time and immediate attention.”

  “Of course.”

  Cathian ended the transmission and walked over to the bed, staring down at Nara.

  Her scent called to him. She was all he wanted. Not some other female. But he wouldn’t risk her life.

  Chapter Five

  Nara climbed out of the tub and glanced at the closed bedroom door. The past five days had been a blur of oral sex, sleep, baths, and four regular meals brought to them by others.

  It worried her to realize how eager she was to leave the bathroom and climb into Cathian’s big bed.

  She wanted him to touch her, certain she had become addicted to the big male…was maybe even falling in love with him. The drugs had long since faded from her system, no longer to blame for the way her nipples tightened just thinking about the Tryleskian male. He spoke to her between bouts of sleeping and licking her nearly to death. He was funny, intelligent, and incredibly sexy.

  “Nara?” His gruff voice called out. “I’m hungry.”

  Her heart raced with excitement as she quickly dried off. “I’m coming.”

  He chuckled. “You will be. I need you.”

  She opened the door wearing a towel wrapped around her body and walked into the dim bedroom. He seemed to hate bright lights. The sight of a naked, aroused Cathian sprawled on his bed froze her breath inside her lungs. He had to be the sexiest, mos
t beautiful man she’d ever seen. He’d showered before her bath and his hair had dried into a golden mane with red highlights, falling to just below his shoulders.

  He patted his big mattress with a hand, his tongue wetting his lips. Heat radiated from between her thighs and she grew aroused with just that motion of his mouth. Her body’s reaction confirmed that he affected her in ways no man ever had.

  “You are sexy after bathing.”

  She doubted it. Her blonde locks were a mess of tangled wet hair. But she smiled. “Thanks.”

  His gaze narrowed. “Stretch out on your back and spread open for me.” He swiped his tongue over his lower lip. “Feed me.”

  Two words had never turned a woman on more. She inched closer and then paused. “You said you were going to talk to Dovis when I took my bath. Did you?”

  “Yes.”

  She stopped at the end of the bed. “What did he say?”

  “The Tryleskian shuttle is within range. We’ll dock with them in approximately ten hours.”

  And there will be women to take over his needs, she thought grimly. “What about me?”

  An unknown emotion flashed across his features, tightening them before he relaxed. “You will be freed, money given to you, and then taken to the nearest space port. The bargain my crew made will be honored.”

  Something inside her chest broke…perhaps her heart.

  Nara jerked her gaze from his, not wanting him to see how that information affected her. She wasn’t ready to leave. She sure didn’t want another woman in his bed, being touched the way he touched her, taking her place.

  “Nara?” His voice softened. “Are you all right? I don’t mind suffering hunger pains for a little while if you need to rest. I know you’re not used to what I need from you.”

  It touched her that he’d care, proof of what a great guy he was, and she forced her gaze to his, seeing concern there. “I’m fine.”

  “Are you sure?” He sat up. “I’ve tried to restrain myself from taking too much from you.”

  She lowered her attention to his lap. His cock pretty much remained hard unless he slept, and often even then. His balls were red and swollen. It looked painful. “Does it hurt?”