Page 49 of An Alien for the Future

Donna lifts her head, those dark eyes meeting mine in surprise. “You didn’t come? I thought you did.”

“I did.” And she can probably feel I’m getting harder thinking about doing it again.

“But you’re still hard.”

I grunt. “Of course, I am. You are here.”

She stares at me for a moment before her gaze softens and her lashes flutter ever so slightly. “You’re a sweet talker.”

Did she say sweet talker, or something else? Lifting a claw, I tap my implant, forcing it to reset again. The frakking device is failing more often than it should, and while I’d not updated it because I’d had no need to, now there is a sense of urgency. Because I have Donna.

I want to understand every word she says.

She looks away briefly, her composure slipping just enough to reveal a hint of vulnerability. And then she jerks. “Oh, let me get off you!”

She shifts her hips upward, only to be stopped by my claw pressing firmly on her behind and, of course, my knot. She freezes, eyes widening, at the same time that I grunt.

“Don’t move, lira’an.”

Her throat moves. “I—” She shifts her hips again. “I…can’t.” Deep inside her warmth, I feel her core-beat pick up. “Tovan, I…Ican’tmove.”

She shifts her hips again and I hiss at the twinge of pain.

“Lira’an,” I warn.

Donna stiffens, eyes still wide. But instead of moving her body, she clenches her tight slit around me. I hiss again.

“We’re stuck. Your cock it’s…” She trails off, looking down between us but she can’t see farther than my chest. “You can’t pull it out?”

The slight panic in her voice kills something inside me. Shedidn’twant my knot?Doesn’twant it?

But…she’s my mate. Mykahl. My lira’an. Our joining, the knot, it’s…it’s supposed to be the ultimate expression of our bond, the physical manifestation of our destinies entwined.

“Oh my gosh,” she whispers, still staring between us. I feel her clench around me again, testing, and I try to remain still. “You can’t take it out, can you?”

“No,” I manage, my voice rough despite that I’m trying not to make it so. “Not…yet.”

My grip tightens on her hip, not to restrain her, but to ground myself, to anchor myself to the reality of her warmth, her scent, the rapid thumps of her core-beat against my chest. I can feel her tremble, a fine tremor that runs through her like a current, and a wave of protectiveness washes over me even though I’m the reason she’s suddenly afraid.

What have I done?

“It is…temporary,” I say, forcing my voice to remain calm, steady, even as my own instincts scream in protest. “The knot…it will release. Soon.”

Even as I say the words, I will my cock to deflate, to release Donna before this turns sour and this rocky foundation I’ve managed to build sinks beneath my feet.

Donna doesn’t answer, but the way her muscles are locked tells me everything. I have to do something, to ease her fear, to soothe the panic that’s rising within her like a tide.

“Look at me, lira’an.” My voice softens, a low rumble that I hope conveys reassurance, even as my own core-beat thrums a chaotic mix of desire and uncertainty. “I didn’t—”

“You didn’t want to knot me.” Donna’s gaze meets mine and the fear I thought I’d see is overshadowed by something else—guilt, perhaps even shame. “I forced it in, didn’t I. It felt so good that I…Oh shit, you didn’t… You didn’t want that to happen, did you.” Her throat moves and she looks away, a furrow marring her brow.

She thinks…she thinks she’sforcedthis upon me?

If she only knew…

“No,” I say quickly. When she winces, I curse inwardly, realizing how my answer sounded. “I mean, yes.” Frakk, this is too important to fumble. “Donna, I wanted to knot you. More than you know.”

She glances up at me, but her gaze has gone unreadable. Just like those times when she’s pushed me away before. Gods, I must make her understand.

---