Page 20 of Vikingr
The same Albyan from before appeared on the large viewscreen in front of me. Just like last time, his four arms were crossed in front of his chest.
"We have a proposition," he said without wasting time on greetings or threats.
"What could you possibly want from us?"
"Not want. Offer. We're aware of your situation, or at least we believe we are. Is it correct that you've come to Peritus to search for female mates?"
My first instinct was to deny the truth, but I was a Vikingr, and I didn't lie. Besides, what was the harm in him knowing? They knew that we'd abducted Steff, which was a worse crime than simply approaching a protected planet.
“Yes,” I said simply.
“I don’t know why you thought it would be a good idea to abduct one of the members of the Hot Tatties agency, and there have to be consequences for your actions, but I know what it is like to be desperate. To hunger for a mate. To face extinction. So we’ve decided to offer you our assistance.”
It had to be another trick. An elaborate ruse to get us to trust them before they showed their true colours and attacked.
“I won’t fall for it,” I told him harshly. “Not a second time.”
Donail smirked. “It’s not a trick or trap. I don’t know if you’re aware, but until three rotations ago, we thought us Albyans would go extinct. Our females were trapped in the Sleep, and no children had been born for a long time. But then we found the Peritans and with them, new hope. Now that our females have awakened, it would be selfish to not pass on the knowledge we gained during the rotations of working closely with Hot Tatties.”
He sounded genuine, but how could I trust him? It was too good to be true.
I muted him for a moment and looked around the room. My crew were in various stages of disbelief, hope and anger. It was hard to tell which emotion trumped.
I turned on the mic again and faced Donail. “Pass on the knowledge? You will share your mate-matching technology with us so we can adjust it to work for us?”
“Either that, or our scientists can make the necessary changes for you. I know you’re a raiding ship, so it would be understandable if you lack the resources.”
I clenched my fists at the veiled insult, but kept my expression blank.
“How do we know you won’t try to trick us?” I demanded.
Donail lifted all four arms. “Why would we go through so much trouble if we could just send your coordinates to the Intergalactic Authority? We have the female safely on board our ship. We have nothing to gain by offering you this. In fact, we may lose out on potential mates.”
“Then why offer to help?”
The Albyan smiled sadly. “Because I know what it’s like to be without hope. And it’s the worst feeling in the universe. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemies – and that includes you, Vikingar.”
I sensed he was telling the truth, but was I willing to risk everything on that instinct?
“If you genuinely want to help us, then let’s meet face to face. You bring your scientists, I will bring mine. And Steff. I want to see the female is well.”
Donail’s smile disappeared in an instant. “Are you implying that we would harm her?”
Yes, I wanted to roar. Steff wasn’t safe anywhere that wasn’t by my side. But I pushed back the crazy impulse and forced myself to smile at the Albyan.
“Of course not. You misunderstood. I simply want to know that the porting didn’t harm her. She is not used to it, after all.”
“I’m fine.” The most beautiful voice in all the galaxy made me get up in an instant. Steff stepped into view, looking even more radiant than I remembered. Had her eyes sparkled like that before? Had her breasts always pushed against the fabric of her strange garment, reminding me that my cock was still hard?
If she’d been in the same room as me, I wouldn’t have been able to hold back. Even now, it took all my self-restraint not to show outwardly how I felt. I had to find my mate quickly, before I lost control and claimed Steff. My mate wouldn’t like that. And I wanted to save this overwhelming desire for my mate. The first female who would be brought to climax by my mating axe.
“How about we meet at the Hot Tatties agency?” Donail proposed. “Pam, the owner, will be able to give us her insight as well.”
Steff yawned, covering her pretty lips with her hand. I realised she’d never got any sleep. I’d abducted her at the end of the Peritan day, so she had to be extremely tired by now. Guilt filled me as I thought of how the simulation had made her run for twenty IG clicks. Steff needed to get some sleep.
“Tomorrow,” I said. “We will need some time to prepare. And the female looks like she is in need of rest.”
I didn’t meet her eyes, because if I did, I’d be done for. I kept my attention on the Albyan, forcing myself to ignore Steff as much as possible. How would I cope with being in the same room as her tomorrow?
