Page 19 of Doom

“We don’t need to,” I said with a soft smile, though I stared intently at her, waiting to see how she’d react to my next words. “While we certainly appreciate a physically attractive woman, beauty for us is defined by your aura. You, my Little Red, have a stunning aura, which has had all of us drooling.”

Right on cue, her cheeks turned adorably crimson, making me smile.

“But that’s the basis of attraction. When we meetthe one, there is an instant physiological response. Our skin grows feverishly hot, and it tingles. Then our mating glands become active. They swell and throb, and our fangs ache to descend.”

“You have fangs?” Victoria exclaimed. Despite her shock, the underlying scent of her arousal intensified.

“I do,” I said with an enigmatic smile. “And they’ve been torturing me since I first laid eyes on you.”

I let the words hang between us while Victoria’s emotions played like a kaleidoscope in the shimmering colors of her aura. Disbelief, hope, suspicion, and joy all pushed and shoved at each other.

“Me?” she asked at last, her voice dripping with doubt.

“Yes, you, Victoria. You are my soulmate.”

Shards of bright pink shot from her aura, testifying to her happiness; yet, she shook her head in denial.

“I do not expect you to understand or even accept what I’m saying right now,” I said in a conciliatory tone. “Humans do not have the ability to see auras or perceive certain links as we do. But does it not strike you as odd how effortlessly you and I have become at ease with each other? We only met this morning, and yet, here I am, sharing your bed, fully naked. Are you afraid I might hurt or take advantage of you?”

She shook her head.

“Would you have been this comfortable with any of my brothers?”

She shook her head again and bit her bottom lip. Fighting the urge to kiss her, I ran my thumb over her lower lip.

“When we’ve eliminated the Kryptids, I request permission to properly court you in the hopes that you will return with me to Khepri, my homeworld, as my bonded mate—or my wife, as humans would say.”

Victoria gaped at me, her beautiful aqua eyes flicking between mine. “You are serious!”

“We do not play about this,” I replied in a serious tone. “As I said, we bond for life. No other female in the entire universe will ever be able to awaken my bonding glands. Only you. All that I am is yours, Victoria.”

She licked her lips nervously and looked at me with wonder laced with a possessiveness that made my skin warm and my hearts soar.

“That’s … that’s kind of amazing,” she said with a nervous laugh. “So, hmmm … What do those glands do? And what’s the deal with your fangs?”

“The bonding requires that I bite you. I will inject you with some of my essence, which will increase your lifespan to match mine, make you less vulnerable to diseases, accelerate your rate of healing, and make you compatible to bear my offspring.”

“Whoa,” she said, eyes widening.

“Do not fear. It will not change your appearance. My hormone will merely enhance you. If you bond with me, the expectation is that you will live about two hundred years, and you will keep your youthful appearance until you are one hundred and fifty.”

“You drive a hard bargain,” Victoria teased, probably to hide how overwhelmed she must be feeling.

“It’s a lot to digest. But do not worry. There’s no pressure. Like I said, once the war is over, you will be properly courted, as you deserve to be.”

She smiled, tension uncoiling from her shoulders. “I think you’re growing on me, scales and all.”

I chuckled. “And it’s only the beginning, Victoria.”

“So … All those enhancements sound nice. But do I get to do that telepathy stuff, too?” she asked.

I hesitated. “Hmmm, not from our bonding, no. However, Dr. Xi intends to approach your people to ask for volunteers in trying out an enzyme which will develop their psychic abilities.”

“No way!?” she exclaimed, torn between shock and excitement.

“Yes way,” I responded, most pleased by her enthusiastic response. “Our creator believes humans could become the most powerful psychics in the Intergalactic Coalition. We couldn’t approach you before because of the Prime Directive. But now that the Kryptids have made first contact, we can finally open discussions with your world leaders.”

“You can sign me up right now! I’m totally volunteering.”

---