I start thrusting harder into her. The tightness and pressure are growing and growing. I’m almost at my limit.

Her lips on my neck are the final nail. The warmth from that goes deep into my core. I moan as the pressure in my cock releases.

I explode into her pussy. She moans with me as shot after shot of my seed enters her. Her arms hold me closer against her as my whole body shudders.

After a moment, I crash onto the bed next to her. We both lay there, attempting to catch our breath. Fuck, how do I tell her we’re fated mates?

5

MYRA

The Glimner morning sunbeams force me awake like a slap in the face. My eyes are afraid to open.What is this? It hurts.I slowly convince myself to peek, letting in a little more brightness one eye at a time.

Sunlight isn’t the only thing hitting me as my memory plays catch up. Curious and careful, I peer over and see he’s still there, sound asleep. Nope, it wasn’t a dream, though it was some dreamy sex. Flashing back to his playful hands, I bite my lip and close my eyes.

Adrenaline starts pumping as the night replays in my head. I’ve never been with a Kaleidian before. My pelvis tightens, still tingling from our fun, sending a shiver up my spine for more. But fuck no. The nightstand clock glares at me from the bed. I’ve gotminutesto escape before the morning staff catches me.

Find your fucking clothes.There’s just no time to think. My eyes dart back to Zair, sleeping peacefully. I can’t deny he’s adorable, blue scales cascading up and down with his steady breath. If I had time I’d snap a photo, but that would be weird, probably desperate. I’m not about to let him catch me sneaking out, either.

I slither out of the bed straight to the floor, eyes wide with panic. My clothes aren’t far, and some awkward part of my brain says I’m safer if I stay down to dress. Though I can’t say it’s easy to pull clothes on with my ass glued to the floor.

“Where are my fucking panties?” My whispers break the silence but to no avail. I don't need panties to get out the door. If I can just find my shoes. Shoes I need.

“Fuck!” My toe smashes into the side table. Fist in my mouth, my eyes drift back over to him and see it makes no difference. Zair is like a rock.

“Hey, bye!” I whisper-shout, just for fun. And nothing. Not even a stir. No matter, I ponder on my way to the door. That was fun, which was long overdue for me. And he was amusing, which made it worth my while. If ever see him again, great. Cool. Fun. Whatever.

I make it up to the hotel door and sneak a peek through the peephole. I don’t see any cleaning carts, but that doesn't mean they‘re not just out of sight. One more glance at Zair, another breath for bravery, and I’m on the other side of the door like a shot, feeling home free. And then it hits me.

I’ve been punched in the gut before, so I’m familiar with that particular brand of off-your-feet kind of feeling. This is nothing like that. My knees buckle completely and seconds later I’m back on my ass, staring up at the ceiling.What the fuck?I know I didn't drinkthatmuch last night. The familiar squeak of a cleaning cart leaves me no time to process as it rounds the corner.

A second later, I realize I’m fully sweating. In a pinch, I head for service elevator 12, which is its own risk as it’s the security team’s. I’m betting on it being empty like it usually is. My fingers reach the button and the dread sets in as I lock eyes with the last soul I hope to see.

“Myra!” Fuck, it’s Jason. “Is this what I think it is?” Recoiling at the thought of his stares, I mash my fingers on the button. As if this wasn’t embarrassing enough. Jason and I used to date.

“So, Myra, whatcha up to?” he asks causally. His act won’t play here with me, not today.

“Fuck off, Jason.”

“Wow, hostile. Good morning would’ve been fine. Walk of shame! Hey, didn’t you dump me for doing this myself?” He just wants to crow. Cheaters always do.

“Wasn’t I your girlfriend when you did this? There’s a word for that.”

“I don’t recall,” he dodges, sliding closer to me. “Maybe you can jog my memory.” He leans into me, going for the kiss, but I’m prepared. If I didn’t know Jason, I might be scared. But a swift swipe at the nuts works a charm. Just like it did the last time and the time before that. The doors fly open and I dash through to the service corridor, or as some like to call it, home.

I woke in silk sheets, in a warm bed with fluffy downy pillows. That brightness that I thought was going to kill me this morning? That was regular sunlight. I never lived the lush life on Armstrong. Even when my parents were still living, times were hard for us.

Arriving in Glimner, however, gave me the short-lived hope of a life of glamor. I saw myself sleeping in hotels brighter than the stars themselves. Yet looking out at the corridor, a dimmer view comes into focus.

I’m hit with the heavy smell of home cooking as I make my way to my stack. Nova Casino is like all the others, I remind myself. Glam and pop for the guests, perfect slums for the staff. My stack sits below a skyline of laundry lines that litter the view. It is tough to come back to this cheap steel box after waking up in such a warm, lighted place. But this is mine. Mine and Lyrenne’s.

“Never forget how lucky you are to be here.” Those words were my last memory of Armstrong. Brev’s hand rested on my shoulder as the ship flew away. I had assumed it was to somewhere better.

I laugh now thinking about it. I was so naive. Just some dumb teen, tired of living off of scraps. So I traded work for safety. My life for my life. And now Brev owns it. He owns me.

Sighing, I let myself wander into a fantasy for a moment. Just a small mental reprieve before the drudgery of the day begins. I dream about the handsome alien man I seduced rescuing me from this life, taking me into the stars as his partner and making love to me as we travel across the galaxy. His tight muscles hold me close, promising safety and passion. It’s easy to fantasize about a mercenary like Zair falling in love and taking me with him.

Not so easy to actually believe it, though.