Page 73 of Stolen Slave

“Always,” he said, running his fingers down my spine and stopping just at the top of my cleft.

“You’ve only been using that top penis to mark me. When Mtinash was having sex with Oaiu, he used both of them. Is there a difference between the two?”

“Yes. The top one is called an ambal. It produces the scent-marking secretions that calm females for breeding. The primary breeding shaft only produces genetic material for reproduction. Not every species can accept both into the breeding sheath as Oaiu did. Some have secondary sheaths, like you.”

I paused with the spoon partway to my mouth. “Secondary?”

His finger brushed over me there, and I clenched. Heat ignited in my face and rushed through my body as my pulse raced at the idea of what he meant. I wasn’t sure if it was turning me on because of the scent-marking or because I was actually considering dual penetration.

“Breeding can be done without the ambal inserted internally, but applying the secretions externally is not as efficient in calming as it is when applied internally.”

That bit of information clicked into place.

I hadn’t started craving Khorahn until the first time I rode him. He’d coated me thoroughly from the inside that time. And I’d drank him, too. I couldn’t forget that.

“And calming is needed because knotting is bad?” I asked in a semi-strangled voice. “As in painful or something?”

“Knotting isn’t painful or bad. It’s done to help increase the probability of reproduction. It prevents the mating pair from separating too soon. However, the swelling knot can be a little uncomfortable for the female.”

I twisted to look back at him. “And what about you? Is it uncomfortable for you?”

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

VYA

“I’ve never bred a female before,” he said.

I tried to keep the surprise off my face but failed.

“The systems lack sufficient females,” he reminded me.

“Right. But how do you know…I mean, you’ve been doing things that I…” My flush deepened. “You’ve really never had sex with anyone?”

“There are pleasure bots at void stations. Pleasure males like S’doifu too. Although, as you heard, not many of them choose to pair with my kind.”

I blinked as my brain processed what he was saying. Actually, it was less processing and more mental images of Khorahn getting blowjobs from sexy men like S’doifu.

“How long ago were you with a pleasure male?” I asked.

“It was in my youth when my predecessor was teaching me what it would mean to breed with a female and the care I would need to take if one should choose me. I prefer bots when I feel the need, or I ignore it.”

I nodded absently and faced forward again. Instead of bringing the spoon to my mouth, I hit myself in the nose and dropped the spoon. Jolted from my headspace, I wiped at my face at the same time I bent forward to duck under the table for the spoon.

Khorahn said something under his breath, and too late, I remembered the view he likely had and what he’d done the last time I’d been in this position. His fingers lightly brushed down my spine, and I bolted upright to look back at him.

“I’m still struggling,” I said bluntly. “Because of all the scent-markings, I’m craving sex with you. But I don’t want to be bred. I don’t want to have your babies and be stuck in space forever. I have a home. Parents. An older brother. A niece on the way. I want to see them again.

“I’m so grateful to you for everything you’ve done, but I’m not willing to give you the rest of my life because of that.”

“I understand,” he said. His arm wrapped around my waist, igniting more heat and wanting. Especially when he stood and I felt his ambal nudge me there.

A sound escaped me, but before I could wantonly arch into him, he gently placed me on the seat. By myself.

“Call out when you’re finished,” he said. “I need to replenish the fuel cells. It will take several jumps to reach your homeworld.”

Clutching the spoon I’d dropped, I watched him walk away. His ass was amazing to look at and gave my guilt a foothold. What harm could a little friendly sex really have?

“Stupid. Just stupid,” I muttered before focusing on my food. Once I finished, I put my dish in the cleaner unit then left the kitchen.

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