“Very well,” he snarled, his mandibles snapping loud enough to make every male in the viewscreen jump. “Prepare to dock with the salvager. Once you enter the cargo hold, do not venture into the ship without permission. I will meet with you there shortly.”
“Yes, of course,” the male said quickly.
Veral did not wait for any other needless conversation. He terminated the comm signal and left the flight deck. The Blaitharis could wait until after he spoke to Terri. She was not going to like what he was about to propose.
It took him considerably less time than his mate to stride down the corridors to their room, his mind interfacing with the ship to unlock the doors minutes before his arrival. They slid open at his approach, and Veral purred as his mate looked up from where she lay stretched over the bed. She wore soft, loose clothes that clung to every curve, the line of her breast enticing him. His purr became louder, and Terri’s brows drew up as she trailed a teasing hand down her belly. Although he did not arrive with copulation on his mind, his desire surged to the fore at the sight that greeted him.
Aggression stirred within him at the thought of the males close by—too close to his private dwelling where he and his mate slept. He was filled with an instinctive drive to fill the ship with the stink of their pheromones so the males had no doubt as to whose territory they were in.
“What happened?” Terri asked, her voice soft with concern.
“Stranded travelers,” he grunted as he drew nearer to her.
Dropping down onto the bed beside her, he nuzzled her soft hair, his vibrissae twining through the strands. A hand stole up her belly, brushing her fingers out of his path as he leaned into his mate, his desire roaring. His civix—or cock as his mate called it—strained against its fleshy pouch, eager to be released. It took so little for his small mate to stoke his passions.
Terri captured his wandering hand and frowned. “That wasn’t very long ago. Where are they?”
“Waiting in the cargo hold,” he replied as he leaned down to stroke both of his long tongues down into the waistband of the pants she wore, his nose nudging lower.
“Oh, okay, good,” she rasped as his tongues found the soft, hot little place between her thighs. He growled at the taste of his mate, and then snarled as she jerked out from underneath him. “Wait… They’re in the cargo hold, the one you don’t bother to heat since we don’t transport livestock—thatcargo hold?”
Veral growled, his sex straining impatiently. “I increased the heat to livable levels. They will not die before I arrive.”
“We are not fucking while you just leave them waiting on you,” she snapped as she moved out from beneath him. “That’s just weird.”
Though he hissed with frustration, he drew up from the bed reluctantly. He had no house to give for her to rule, as was the custom of the Argurma, but still, he would follow her lead on issues pertaining to their home and family. If she insisted on immediate hospitality toward their “guests,” then he would see to it as long as it did not interfere with her safety.
His instinctive impulse to cover the ship in fresh layers of his scent would have to be ignored.
Pushing himself from the bed, he stalked toward the door. He froze, however, when he saw that Terri was following close behind. Stopping in front of the door, he turned toward her, his arms crossed over his chest.
“It is necessary to discuss rules before I leave.”
“Rules?” she asked, her nose wrinkling in confusion.
“Yes, rules. Over the course of the four-day journey to Janilik, you will keep to our quarters as much as possible. If you need to be out in the ship, you will wear the shafna. The robe is large enough to conceal most of you. Be certain to keep the hood up and to not get close to any of them. And keep the door locked. Do not answer to anyone. They will be able to scent your presence on the ship, and I do not trust them to not attempt to gain entry to the room.”
Terri mimicked his pose, her own arms drawing across her chest. “I guess that I wait here while you go to the hold? And lucky me, I get to stay here for the rest of the day as well. I hope they plan on paying us for our hospitality if I’m getting locked in our room.”
He drew his hand against her hair, down to cup her cheek in his palm. “I will be sure to exact a fair price for the inconvenience. Do not be angered, anastha. It is for your safety. You are too precious for me to dare to risk.”
Her pale brown eyes softened, and she sighed. “Oh, all right, I’ll wait here. I’m not going to be happy about it, but I will stay.”
“Krono will keep you company.”
Her lips quirked. “That’s a given. I think sometimes you find Krono a more dependable barrier than the door.”
A smile pulled at his own mouth. She was not wrong. Brushing his lips and mandibles against her brow, he exited the room, once more securing the locks behind him. At least his stop at his quarters served a purpose. He was once again calm.
Or so he thought, until he entered the cargo hold. Rage rattled through him as he observed Egbor sniffing at the air, his pink scales flushed brilliant red with the sexual interest that sullied his cargo hold. Cold, hard fury slammed through Veral as a snarl escaped his throat, his vibrissae rattling menacingly around him. The male was so caught up in Terri’s scent that he did not seem to notice. Instead, he moaned with delight.
“This scent! You have a female on board—a most exquisite one. I will double any credits you require if you allow me to honor you by requesting her company during our travel.”
Veral stared at the male, his muscles quivering with restrained anger.
“Honor… me…?” he asked, menace dripping from each word.
“Oh, yes, it is considered an honor when an heir of a noble house requests the company of a commoner’s mate. It is not only our right per our divine lineage, but it blesses their home with great fecundity. I would be most happy to bestow this blessing. In fact, my galari is eager to impart its duties. If you will just show me to my chamber and escort her…”