Page 43 of Her Alien Savior
I took a deep breath to calm myself and felt my epul gear up to fight her. Her denial was torture, all elders spoke of warriors both feeling the call to join. They would bond or fight within a few short cycles of rest.
“No, Ifeelit’s you. And I know the only reason I’m not fighting or rutting with you right now is because of the elder root in my system. So, deny me as you wish, Pulsunne, but soon I will lose myself regardless of whatever drugs are pumped in my veins.”
“I thought it made you pass out?”
“When a warrior isn’t in rut, yes. In rut... that’s a different story, it makes things easier to manage, but elder root loses its effectiveness as the rut progresses until we fight, rut, or are restrained. The elder root helps take the edge off, and for some it’s enough to calm down our glands to end the rut. But I’ve already been dosed with elder root multiple times...” I didn’t have to say that I wouldn’t be passing out any more. That was evident enough in being awake when she entered the room, and a fresh dose made the inside of my nose raw. Showering kept me awake through the drowsiness, and having her scent in the air made me forget all about sleeping.
I could give her my blood in offering, but I didn’t want to have our first claiming be under the influence of my glands in rut, nor risk her falling asleep with the elder root in my system.
No, I’d made my decision. This would be done the right way in a duel where she makes me bleed, and it is her choice to honor the blood of a warrior and bathe in her victory. Then she will offer me her own blood and seal our mating in a traditional claiming ceremony among the tribe.
It was settled, for now. As long as I had my mind about me.
I’d have to find a way to get us both on a transport to Necias Prime before my rut progressed too far, and the human male would be my best chance to make that happen. I clicked off my translator and Riley copied my motion.
“You have rights as an exchange from Earth to go to the Galactic Alliance Palace,” I told her in my home tongue, “We’re going to go there as soon as the shuttle arrives.” I’d petition for a Rakture tribal claiming ceremony and either she will reject our bond and be given rights within the alliance for being considered part of the necia tribe, or we will be mates before I lose myself completely. Either way, I will have done what is right by my mate, she will have more choices on how she proceeds with the scientists or not.
The door to the room slid open with a wheezing swoosh, and we both turned to see an estreld scientist smiling brightly. “There’s been a report of a glitch with your room interfacing,” she said sweetly, just in time for me to tap my translator back on while she took a look around the room at the new decor. “Seems you’re making yourself right at home, Commander Direl. There are a few other units on site that use this programing,” the way she spoke made me suspicious of whether she was warning me they had other warriors on security or informing me there are other warriors held here against their wishes.
Before I could voice my concerns, Riley jumped in, “As you said, right at home. My mate and I were just discussing how we haven’t had a traditional ceremony from either of our cultures.”
That wasn’t exactly what we were discussing, but she wasn’t wrong. Even if she claimed me here in this lab, it would not calm my possessiveness until my tribe had been shown to stay away from her with a ceremonial claiming. They will see no other will care for her like I can, and my name on her pretty soft lips will be a warning to them all of who will rip them to shreds if they try to take her from me.
A low growl rumbled in my chest at the thought. What kinds of ceremonies did Earthlings have for their matings?
“I wish to take her to my tribe. This is no place for our spawn here.”
The estreld lifted a brow, amused. “I doubt you’ll have a tribe to return to, Commander.” Her tone was clipped, and there was no honor in the title she gave.
Riley cleared her throat, and I wondered if perhaps she was unwell. “Look, both of you. I came to help others make families, but I haven’t digested having one of my own yet. Let’s hold off on the spawn talk, okay?”
“If you don’t want offspring then have him finish first,” she offered, and I felt my ribcage tighten.
“What does she mean?” My mate’s blue eyes watched me pointedly. It was not something I ever thought about before finding her, but now that I have it was unthinkable to not accept everything about the claiming.
“She means to have me expel my essence before mating. Without it, you would not be ready to carry our spawn.”
“So, just make you come before? I mean, that’s basically the same for humans.”
I shook my head as I’ve seen her do when she does not agree, and correct her assumptions about necia warriors, but the estreld beat me to it.
“Necia warriors must first claim their mates with their own D.N.A. The first knotting between mates after sharing blood knocks a female out and inserts their own special dose of natural nanobugs that help them track their mates over long distances, and in their culture, they become one being. They sense your feelings, where you are, and the bond is unbreakable. But without it, their sperm is ineffective, and you will not bear their mark.”
Gritting my teeth, I growl at the intruder to even suggest such a thing to my mate. “You would have my mate take on another male other than me to have our spawn? Deny us both the bond of joining our spirits?” I pleaded with Riley to reconsider, “The bond is not accepted by the tribe unless we have become one with the claiming, with a mate bearing the mark of the unne. Other males will continue to seek a bond with you, and not once has a warrior produced the claiming seed twice for the same female…” It would be sentencing me to a life of longing to be one with her and never being able to. Never to be able to feel her inside of me, never being able to sense her wellbeing, even now I craved to know she was okay and all I have are the little markers of her scrunched brows to guess at if she is pleased or of need of me.
This first knotting was the most important, I would not produce it for her again. It was why a warrior could only fight for mating rights with a female once. If I did so outside of my mate’s body, I would not be able to fully claim her again.
Riley’s nose wrinkled in confusion, and I tried to explain and beg her not to consider this. “Pulsunne, please. Other warriors will find out we are not bonded,” I repeated myself, “and I will not watch as another tries to prove he can do for you what I could not. I will fight them all.” My glare turned on the one that would even suggest such a vile thing. The creature merely shrugged.
“Wait? What? You’re telling me the first time we have sex I’ll have your D.N.A. in me, and not like sperm making a baby D.N.A., but like altering my very genetic makeup?”
“His won’t be the same either,” the estreld explained without a care about what this would mean for our bond, “He’ll use your blood and your essence to tune himself to you. If you’re a good match—“
I interrupted with a gruff grumble. There was no if about my mate, we were perfect and this estreld was adding another barrier to what my whole essence knew to be true.
“You’ve said enough,” I said tightly. “If my mate does not wish to have spawn right now then I will not take her blood, as long as I am not tuned fully, we can wait.”
“That is hardly a sure method,” the female scoffed. “One mistake and one drop of blood is all it takes, plus we haven’t studied necia mating long enough to know if that prevents spawning.”
