Page 27 of Sloane

"That isn't what I meant, Alik." I use his name, hoping it pulls him further into control of his body. "You know how I feel about her."

"Do I?" He stands from his chair, and I do the same, not wanting to be on my bed if he lunges for one of our harnesses with our daggers.

"You're not acting yourself right now." I try to keep my voice calm, not needing Alik to pull a stunt like this so soon after being with Sloane. It only makes our need for her seem even more direand desperate. "You need to calm down before the females come to find us."

"I only need to claim that little female as mine." Alik swings a fist into my lower abdomen, but I'm ready for it and swing one into his jaw.

He snarls, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, but he only smiles and continues trying to goad me into losing myself, too. He wants me to be like him, so we're unstoppable in our need for Sloane. Not that we'd force her even in that state, but we'd be very, very pursuant of her, and she's already proved to be a very accommodating female with all of our other desires.

"Want to know why I fed her my come?"

"Because it's arousing." I shake my head, not even knowing what kind of question that is.

If it wouldn't get her all worked up, I'd be having Sloane on her knees, taking me in her mouth the next time she was willing. As it stands now, I'll never get to feel that, but it's okay since it'll keep Sloane safe.

"No," Alik growls, then cocks his head to the side, the anger in his eyes shimmering even as humor flickers in them for a moment. "Well, yes, but that wasn't my reason."

"I don't care about what your reasons were." It's true for the most part.

If this were Alik telling me himself, maybe I'd care, but it's the most primal part of himself gloating to goad me into getting just as angry and needy to claim Sloane as he is. He must have some control because he's staying in our room and not hunting for Sloane.

"She called me mate." He smiles darkly at me, pride filling his chest when he sees me give in for just a moment. "Sweet little Sloane on her knees, begging for her mate's come. It was beautiful."

"Alik." My voice is a dark growl, the sliver of control I have starting to crack, and he knows it. "She can't be our mate."

Matings happen on our planet often enough when a female allows the males housing her to claim her. That's for females of our own species, though. In accordance with our planet's restrictions with the Intergalactic Alliance, we aren't allowed to claim females from other species unless a mate bond forms and those are rare enough as it is between our own species.

In all my time exploring the universe, I've only come across a few bonded Varons. Most Varons stay planetside anyway and hope they'll find a mate amongst the females we allow into our homes.

Some females on Varon join pleasure crews to aide Varon males working on space crews. But for the most part, they join housing ceremonies. The ceremonies allow them to find a pair of males who will house them for a few months to see if bonds form between them. It's a time-honored tradition that allows females to be cared for and males to find some companionship. Most of the time males will mate with a female even without bonds forming, but it doesn't stop plenty from searching. Even when it's just normal mating, males will get the mate bond markings tattooed into their skin to show their devotion to their female.

Alik's lips pull back, a growl vibrating in his chest since he doesn't seem to like the truth I'm giving him.

A soft knock on our bedroom door has both Alik and me startling. It's enough to get Alik back in control of his body, and he looks like he's barely holding on when he lets the door slide open, revealing a pissed off Essa and a sleepy looking Sloane.

"We need to talk." Sloane's voice is a whisper, her eyes hooded in exhaustion.

I want to ask Essa what she was thinking keeping Sloane up when she looks ready to fall asleep standing up, but Essa holdsher hands up in surrender and shakes her head like she's as opposed to this idea as Alik and I are.

Sloane's sleepy murmur continues. "Right now. We're going to talk."

twelve

Alik

Mine. Mate. Claim.

The primal part of me is a never ending chant of letting go and taking Sloane as mine. It takes all of my willpower and all of my concentration to stay in control of my mind and not let that part of me take over.

It would be so easy. It is so easy. Especially when I'm this close to Sloane. Her very presence has me itching and snarling, wanting to wrap her in my arms, pin her to the ground, bury myself inside of her, and hold her all night while telling her how I will never let anything happen to her.

Sloane has Jovi wrapped around her as she guides him to the couch. She might be battling back sleep, but she's still got some mischief left in her. I wouldn't be surprised if she's always filled with it.

"Neither of you made me come tonight," Sloane says as she leans her head against Jovi's chest.

His eyes go wide at the same time mine do. I was under the impression he took care of her when he was with her, and he must have thought the same about me. Wow, that's something else we can go ahead and add to our lists of transgressions we've already committed against our pleasure crew on this mission.

Essa at least pretends to be preoccupied by something on her comm, while Sloane chastises us for not taking care of her. We're not about to bring her to orgasm tonight. She can barely keep her eyes open, and I'm not into unresponsive females.

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