Page 6 of Bred By Zyros
“Thank you,” I whisper back, pressing a kiss to his cheek, not under any true illusion that Zyros can’t hear us.
My discarded bag is ripped from the floor with a hiss. “Come.” The surly male orders.
I offer the Vorlithan male a bright smile and wink before I’m off, struggling to keep up with Zyros. A little gasp leaves my throat as his tail hooks around my back, dragging me to his side before unceremoniously releasing me, nearly making me lose my balance.
“I’ve always wanted to travel on a ship before!” I squeal, righting myself.
He only regards me with a scowl, like if he can only glare hard enough, I’ll be quiet. Tough chance, I’ve never been quiet a day in my life.
I only smile back at him, not letting some huge sexy snake with an unfortunate disposition poop on my party. With each step further away from my dad’s stomping grounds, my breath comes a little easier. My thoughts are a little less overwhelming.
It doesn’t take us long to get to the docking port, despite my best efforts. Not because I’m intentionally stalling, but because I’ve never been to this side of the space station before, and there’s a lot to look at, which has resulted in me wandering away, only to be snagged by his tail and returned to his side like a wayward child. The sixth time I’m dumped beside him, I don’t catch myself, my knees knocking into the ground. My curls bounce as I get back to my feet, pointing a finger at his toned chest. “Stop that.”
He growls as he crowds me, towering over me like a predator ready to strike. “And if I don’t, female?”
My lips part for a moment, my body reacting to his rainstorm scent in the form of a watering mouth and clenching center.Perhaps his kind possesses pheromones. Maybe I can look them up before we depart. The Oozarians didn’t go through even half the usual information they normally do, eager to have us both gone. “I’ll make sure I’m a terrible lay.”
His brow furrows. “Lay?”
“Yes, bad lay.” I slap my hands down at my sides like a prone stick, lifting my chin defiantly. “I’ll go full board mode.”
“Is that not how you typicallylay?”
It’s my turn to frown now as I relax my posture. “No,layas incoupling.”
He rears back at that, finally giving my lungs much needed air that wasn’t heady with him. “This is not about pleasure,female.”
I huff, “Of course not, but while in Rome, you know?”
He only glares deeper.
“It’s a human saying.”
He simply turns away, back to wait for his ship to be brought around by the AI.
four
Melody
His ship is every bit as cool as I thought it’d be. It’s not that I haven’tseenships before. They’re as common as Old Earth's planet-killing cars, but never one that is used for interplanetary travel, just ones for shorter treks—station to planet, essentially. They are transport shuttles, but with a heavier price tag. The inside is streamlined, as usual, but my eyes widen at the dark brushes of color—rich reds, an emerald that nearly rivals the ship’s owner, teal, plum purple, and saturated royal blue. My chest clenches as I take a step toward it, suddenly a little overwhelmed by its beauty. So much so, I hardly notice the male brooding nearby, leaving me to gawk so he can ready the vessel at the bridge. It’s not until I get closer that I realize it’s not paint at all, but finely ground crystal embedded into the metal.
“Human,” he orders, never bothering to turn around, but I hesitate, running my fingers lightly over the art.
My blonde curls hide most of my peeking as my attention slips to his strong, toned back, down to the base of his wide tail as he slams the controls with two sets of clawed hands.
When he suddenly whips around, his tail shifting, so long the tip nearly reaches down the wide hall, I snap my attention back to the art. “Did you have this commissioned?”
He scoffs, ignoring my question but answering all the same.
He made this.
My god, it's beautiful.
Not at all difficult to equate the random violent splashes of gemstone with the male glaring at me like I’m all the wrong and terrible things in the world. A small, heaven help me,shysmile breaks out over my flushing cheeks. “It’s stunning.”
His harsh, slitted eyes widen a fraction before he shifts, giving me his back again and settling into his seat. “If you do not wish to be eviscerated against the art when we hit hyperdrive, sit.”
“That’d be a pain. Could you imagine? Having to clean me from between all the tiny grooves?”
