Page 26 of Alien Triton's Prize

I exploded, snarling as I emptied myself into her. There was nothing but us in this moment. Me and Vera. Me and my bride.

I rolled off to lie next to her as the world around us edged back into my consciousness. Crisp, clean air filtered in from the vents on the walls to cool us. It didn’t do nearly as good a job as cool water would, but it was better than nothing.

I buried my nose into her soft hair and closed my eyes.

Trying to resist her the past few nights had been torture. Did she have any idea what she did to me?She’d severely tested my self-control. Watching her writhe under my mouth and fingers. Smelling her arousal flood the air. Tasting her cream. All of it had been pure torture.

And then to find out I could have been having her all along!

That was a detail the document Lago had sent me had glossed right over. It had mentioned that humans ovulated approximately once every Earth month. I’d assumed that, like our females, it meant that was the only time they went into heat.

For the past however many nights, I’d inadvertently left her wanting because I was waiting for something that would never happen. Now that I knew how her body worked, I’d be sure never to keep her waiting again. I was hers, and she was mine, and it was my sworn duty to keep her satisfied.

I reached for one of the soft towels stacked on her shelf and cleaned us up thoroughly. She smiled up at me dreamily and I grinned right back, a contented feeling warming my chest and making me feel like I was floating.

This must be the marital bliss I kept hearing about. It made me want to hide away with my little bride for days on end until I knew her body inside and out, and she knew mine. It made me want to throw all my responsibilities to the selachs.

It also had an irrational need building inside me, a need to prove that I could protect her and provide for her. I knew Icould, but a nagging voice in my head kept asking if I could be doing more. I wanted to show her everything: the world, my life.And I wanted to give her anything she wanted.

But most of all, I felt…happy.

By all the currents, why had it taken me so long to contact Starlight Brides? I could’ve had this the whole time.

But perhaps Vera hadn’t been available earlier. I doubted I’d want anyone else.

“Cuttlefish time?” she asked lazily.

I chuckled.I knew that meant she wanted to cuddle. She’d explained that on Earth there’d been sea creatures called cuttlefish. I’d asked if they were named that way because they enjoyed physical contact with others of their own kind, and she had laughed and said no, she was only using the word because it sounded like cuddle-fish.

Of course, I wasn’t a fish. Thalassonians gave birth to live young and produced milk to feed them, something I was surprised to find that other species in the galaxy, including humans, did as well. But I understood why she would call me one. We had lower halves reminiscent of fish to her eyes, though our tails moved vertically up and down, not laterally side to side.

Never mind. It was silly. And cute. And I loved that Vera felt comfortable enough with me to show her playful side now.

“Yes, my little bride, cuddle-fish time.” I didn’t care what she called me, as long as I got all of her cuddles.

I was lucky that, unlike real fish, our scales didn’t dry out painfully when deprived of water. It meant I could stay here in this room with her all night if I wanted. At first, I was hoping she’d move into my room when she got used to being in thewater. But now I was wondering if I shouldn’t just connect the two rooms so we could choose land or water on a whim. I had placed her room right next to mine so that I could be near her at all times.

Climbing onto the bed, I wrapped around her and pulled her close, even as my conch…dammit…sounded an alert.

“Ignore,” I said to the device.

Both Cetia and Seena would get the same alert. One of them could take care of it. I’d much rather be here with Vera.

She hummed softly before yawning. I’d worn the poor little thing out.

It wasn’t long before she was sleeping soundly. She was so small and vulnerable, and I was infinitely pleased that she felt comfortable enough with me to relax and trust me with her care. I’d do anything to keep her safe.

My conch played another tone, this one softer and less urgent. I recognized it as a message coming from one of my guards. There was only one person I’d instructed my guards not to confront alone. If they were calling me for backup, then I had a good idea who was creeping around my estate.

Algrim.

My brother could conceivably be here just to catch up, but I had a feeling it was something more. Nerial had probably told him about Vera.

Fuck.

I knew I would have to introduce Vera to my older twin brother one day. But I had wanted to pick the time and day, and I’d wanted it to be in the future…far, far in the future.

Algrim could be deceptively charming when he wanted to be. But it wasn’t just that I worried he might try to charm my little bride away. He was also dangerous. There was a chance he’d forgo his charms and attack her simply for not being his. He was unpredictable like that.

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