Prologue
Terri strode through the space station, trying not gawk. It was difficult not to. Everything was just so…shiny!After a lifetime of scraping by in shambles and filth, seeing so many new wares, flashy bright lights, and the scents of so many interesting things sparked an ember of avarice in her. She was greedy for it all! She wanted to taste, smell, touch, and experience everything.
She watched as credits were exchanged between flashing wrist comms and merchandise was bought. So that was what all Veral’s fuss was about…credits. Credits acquired things. She was practically giddy with excitement as she took it all in. Males and females of peculiar species and varied appearances enticed her with colorful baubles and food that teased her senses.
A male waved around some sort of meat on a stick as he called out to those passing by him. Terri’s stomach growled plaintively. It was torturous to stand among everything so tantalizing while Veral spoke to a male he apparently recognized. No doubt his contact for the furs he brought to trade. His head was lowered as he spoke in quiet tones, his dark form standing out against the brilliant colors of the hub. Terri didn’t want to interrupt him, but she wasstarving. She didn’t have any credits, and she felt a prick of guilt, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her. She was hungry, and the male had more than plenty. Surely, he wouldn’t miss one skewer. She would be quick—while the merchant in front of her was distracted.
She licked her lips, her muscles shifting as she prepared. She would be in and out before the male even knew what happened. She tensed and moved in for the kill.
Her foot slid forward on the floor when a hard hand closed around her shoulder. Her breath left her in a rush, emitting a slight squeak as Veral yanked her back against his abs, and she wheezed as her mate made a sound that was suspiciously close to a growl. Catching her breath, Terri leaned her head back against his hard body and met his piercing gaze, a slow, innocent smile spreading over her face.
“Done already?”
Veral rumbled, his vibrissae moving around his head with a bit more snap than its normally languid movements. His glowing eyes narrowed on her. “Did I not instruct you to not get into trouble?”
She gaped up at him. “I’m not in any kind of trouble. I was just here, observing all the interesting things in the—what did you call this place—a market?” She looked around once more, a heightened pleasure stirring in her breast as she took it all in.
Yes, she liked this place.
“If you steal, you will attract unpleasant attention,” her mate growled out. “We are only here to make our delivery, not to draw unwanted notice to ourselves.”
“I wasn’t going to steal. I would never take what someone else needs to survive. Can’t you see that the male has plenty to spare and is offering them indiscriminately to everyone who passes?”
“You know exactly how the credit system works,” he replied flatly. “We discussed it at length before our arrival on the space station.”
He had gone over it until her eyes threatened to cross from boredom. Scavenging was a lot less complicated. You found it before someone else did, and if they had surplus that they failed to protect, then it was fair game.
“I’m hungry,” she informed him irritably. She was always hungry as of late, her body demanding more and more nutrition.
“You are angry,” he observed, his head cocking with curiosity as his perceptive gaze scanned her.
“Angry-hungry,” she corrected.
In her mind, this was distinct. She wasn’t really angry, just feeling particularly unreasonable while her belly wasn’t satisfied. Though she was no stranger to going hungry, she found that she couldn’t abide by it now that she knew what a full stomach felt like. A new situation demanded its own word.
“I’m hangry,” she amended at last.
“Hangry…” Veral drawled, his brow plate lowering in consideration. “Is this something particular to your species? I have nothing on this in my databases.”
Terri shrugged. Whether it was or not didn’t particularly concern her. She just knew how she felt. She wanted to eat and felt more irritated every moment as her stomach gurgled and whined at her to be fed. If he wasn’t going to allow her to procure it for herself, why wouldn’t he just get her the damn food she needed? She glared at him impatiently.
A guttural sigh rattled out him, and he leaned down to press his lips against the top of her head, swaying his vibrissae to hide the gesture from prying eyes. His kind didn’t kiss, but he was picking it up quickly and rarely hesitated to shower her with such affection when they were in private. Only in private. This was as close to a kiss as she was going to get outside of their quarters. In Veral’s mind, kissing was akin to sex in intimacy.
The gesture still was comforting as his mandibles scraped through her hair a little and his hand smoothed over her belly. “Very well. I understand your irrational instinct. I will provide you with sustenance to sate your angry hunger momentarily. Be still while I finish my negotiations.”
Terri grimaced and nodded her assent as she entertained herself by glaring holes through the merchant. The male seemed to be in no hurry, but dithered over the promised credits until Terri gritted her teeth so hard that they were on the verge of breaking. She could tell that Veral’s patience was evaporating as well by the way his vibrissae began to move erratically.
Good. She wouldn’t be wasting any sympathy on the merchant when he got a boot up the ass.
She was still glowering and had paced a couple feet away to look at a box of fascinating gems to keep her mind off her hunger when a trilling sound distracted her. Glancing up from the box, she found herself staring at a dull brownish-red creature with enormous yellow eyes, the one who’d been selling delicious meat sticks moments earlier. It no longer held tasty snacks. Instead, several tentacles unwound from its neck, moving toward her as the tentacles along its back and sides moved in.
Terri watched them warily, kicking away one in disgust when it got too close to her boot. What the fuck? She choked out a surprised gasp when a tentacle slithered up the back of her thigh, darting between her legs. Though she was wearing the black armored suit that Veral had fitted her with, she still squeezed her legs together in shock, gripping the tentacle with one hand, attempting to rip it away as it prodded at the strong material covering her sex. The tentacle dripped fluid from small tubes near the tip, and she felt sick as a substance like pale blue cum smeared over her gloved fingers, but still she couldn’t dislodge it.
Gross!
She snarled and fought with it as other tentacles closed around her, the male drawing nearer. Another tentacle neared her face, and she sank her teeth into it. It tasted awful, and to her horror, the thing moaned rapturously and moved nearer, its tentacles reaching, stroking, and grasping.
An enraged roar made her attacker freeze. Veral’s mandibles clicked threateningly as he pulled it away from her, dangling the creature in the air. The tentacle that had been prodding at her sex moments ago was gripped firmly in her mate’s hand, his claws extended through the slits in his gloves. The alien squealed and attempted to break free, but Veral laughed as he held it in place.