* * *
I’ve been mad before. Frustrated. Angry. I’d learned to control it all the way back in the Coalition Academy. No commander could lead if every one of his—or her—emotions were known. Who wanted to obey the commands of a leader who was out of control?
But the Hive had nothing on Erica Roberts from Earth. She riled something hidden within, as if the matching protocol had found some kind of button inside me and it had been pushed. Now. Years after my testing. By a female I’d known less than a day.
By my mate.
The door to my office slid silently open and Erica entered, accompanied by Bard. I was thankful she was with my second-in-command, content that she was well-protected. She did not wear my collar, and I would not have any horny warrior panting after what was mine. While everyone on the ship—perhaps the entire battlegroup—knew of my mating, I would kill any who dared look upon her with lust. I stood, taking every inch of her in. Of course my cock went hard at the sight of her in a traditional Prillon dress in a dark, rich brown.
The Karter family color, the color my collar would turn if Ronan and I claimed her in the traditional way, the way she wanted us to.
Her golden brown hair hung past her shoulders, her blue eyes fastened on me, assessing, not placid nor appeased by my presence, as I wished her to be.
The long, flowing material of the gown, while not overly revealing or sexual, revealed every one of her lush curves. She looked refreshed, her eyes bright, the exhaustion I’d seen on her face as she slept, gone as well.
I’d waited for Ronan to sleep, then turned, watching her face at rest for long hours, wondering at this completely unexpected turn my life had taken. I was not young. I was older than most of the warriors still fighting. I’d seen more than twenty years of battle, more than forty years of life. Everyone I’d known or loved, dead or long gone. Even Ronan, or so I’d believed, until yesterday.
A mate. Gods help me. What the fuck was I supposed to do now?
She eyed me, then Ronan, who had also stood.
I knew how those eyes became hooded when she came, how they lost their focus as she found her pleasure on my cock. I knew the hot, tight feel of her pussy as it milked the cum from my balls and she cried out, losing control.
“Mate,” I growled. She licked her lips at my tone. I saw her shiver and knew it wasn’t from being cold. It hadn’t been long since we’d first fucked her, and I could imagine our combined seed sliding down her thighs. I wanted her to feel our possession of her even now, even when we weren’t touching her. Despite the fact that her neck was bare, her body responded to me, and we were fully clothed.
And yet Chloe claimed my mate hadn’t been satisfied? Two Prillon warriors had left her disappointed, even after what we’d done with her? And worse, she’d spoken of her dissatisfaction with Chloe?
Not only did it stir up every one of my leadership instincts to fix the problem—it was in my nature to ensure my people were satisfied—but it also pushed my mating instincts to full strength. I needed to ensure her happiness, both in bed and out.
“Commander Karter.” She nodded in my direction, nodded.
“Commander Wothar.”
I settled when Ronan received the same treatment from our female. No wonder Atlans turned beast. I felt as if I was coming out of my skin, as if I wanted to grab her, kiss her, get in her, fuck her, claim her with an intensity that was terrifying in its mindless demand.
I’d given in to her request and broken the custom of only the primary mate fucking her pussy and planting his seed until pregnancy was assured. She’d wanted both of us to fuck her, to fill her with a child. Ronan had combined his seed with mine deep inside her. A baby would be ours. I’d even given in to her request and kept her on the Karter with me as we awaited data from the probe, even with the possibility of danger. Not just danger, being blown from space by some long-range Hive weapon. But now?
Now we suspected the Hive would move to Sector 437 next. Battlegroup Karter would be next.
As I stared at my mate, non-essential personnel were already being transported off the forward ships, others in the battlegroup moved to safety, just as Varsten had ordered.
And once I proved to Erica that her mates could well and truly satisfy her every need, she would be transported to safety. To Prime Nial himself. His mate, Jessica, was also a female from Earth and would ease Erica’s transition to Prillon Prime. Erica would be wined and dined and sleep in silken sheets while I battled the Hive. While Ronan went off and did fuck-all with the I.C.
She would know the satisfaction only her mates could give her, and then we would see her transported safely to the home planet. We would master her body and ensure her safety as any good mates would.
Starting right now.
I strode toward her and she took a step back, eyes widening. Then again until she was pressed up against the wall. I crowded against her, my hard cock pressing into the softness of her belly. Reaching up, I tangled my fingers in her long hair, tugged gently so she had no choice but to meet my gaze. She was pinned in place.
“Chloe, out,” I snapped. “Take Bard with you.”
“Okay then,” Chloe said behind me.
I hadn’t shifted my gaze off of Erica from the second she walked in. The air in the room crackled like the air on Prillon Prime before a lightning strike.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Chloe walk over to Bard, grab his arm and tug him toward the door. “Have fun!” she called as the door closed behind them.
“I like seeing you in traditional Prillon dress,” I said. Even more, I loved seeing her in my family color. Brown. Rich. Soft. Full of life.