Page 8 of Tornn's Mate
“Are you asking if I would punish you?”
There’s a sudden charge in the air between us. She inhales a shaky breath, then nods. Her eyes remain wide, and I can see her pulse fluttering on her slender neck.
“That would depend entirely upon the circumstances. What motives led you to attack me, and whether you harbored any shame over your actions. If you were driven by true hatred, I doubt punishing you would help matters. In that case, I would probably attempt to earn your trust rather than give you a thrashing. But make no mistake—I would not be pleased by your betrayal.”
I reach for her and slowly comb my fingers through her hair. She trembles under my attentions but doesn’t try to escape. Her exotic features mesmerize me, especially the softness of her dark locks, the golden undertone of her skin, and the tiny brown flecks in her otherwise blue eyes.
“Well,” she says after a long pause in conversation, “I have no plans to attack you or anyone else on this ship. I-I’m sad that I had to leave my family behind on theJansonna, but I want the alliance to succeed. I would never do anything to jeopardize it. I promise.”
She seems sincere, and I doubt she’s in possession of any contraband, but I can’t ignore what happened to Paddax. I rise to my feet and draw her to stand in front of me. She follows my lead as the worry in her eyes deepens, though she lifts her chin in a show of bravery, a habit of hers that I’m beginning to find endearing.
“Is it time?” she asks in a soft voice. “Time for us to…mate?”
At the mention of mating, my cocks swell larger and strain against the front of my pants. But we can’t mate yet. What kind of admiral would I be if I didn’t follow my own orders? I can’t let my primal need to be inside her cloud my judgment.
“Before we mate, Ellie, there’s something I must do.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
“To ensure that no other human females have brought weapons or hyposprays aboard the ship, I’ve ordered the males from the docking bay to frisk their mates thoroughly, as well as to search their luggage.” I grasp her arm and pull her closer. “I expect your full cooperation in this, Ellie.”
Chapter3
ELLIE
He searches my suitcase first.I stand close by, watching as he riffles through my clothing and the few personal items I’d packed. I hold my breath as his large fingers curl around my tablet that contains thousands of books. It’s a decades old piece of technology and my most precious possession. But to my great relief, he only peers at it for a second, then gingerly sets it aside. Next, he takes his time and carefully slides his fingers along every inch of the bag.
Once he’s finished, he closes the suitcase and rises to his feet. He turns to face me and it’s all I can do to keep from running.
He wants to frisk me, and he expects my full cooperation. If I fight him, will he punish me? I don’t want to find out, so I resolve that I’ll be as obedient as possible. I won’t lie—I’m terrified by the prospect of a whipping.
Heat unfurls inside me as his gaze runs up and down my body. I try very hard not to glance at his crotch, but fail. Dammit. I’d noticed a massive bulge earlier, but it seems to have grown considerably in a few short minutes. Clearly, the prospect of putting his hands on me is inciting his desires.
But heated pulses keep affecting my core, and I can’t seem to catch my breath. To my shock, I realize he’s not the only one who’s excited by the thought of him frisking me. The idea of his hands roaming over my body as he inspects me and searches for contraband is oddly titillating. Especially when I have no choice but to comply.
An unexpected wave of submission sweeps over me, as though I can’t help but yield to his authority. My face grows warmer and the aching between my thighs intensifies.
“I think it will be easier to frisk you in the bedroom, Ellie.” Before I can decide whether to protest, he’s already guiding me away from the sitting area.
We enter a spacious room that’s dominated by the largest bed I’ve ever seen. My thoughts race as I consider my predicament. I think of my mother and sister and everyone else on theJansonnawhom I care about. Nathan. Especially Nathan.
I swallow hard as my shaking increases. I must be the meek, obedient wife Tornn wants me to be. I must follow his commands and do everything in my power to help keep the alliance strong. I mean, it’s not like I’m about to mate with some random officer aboard theHaxxal.
I’m about to mate with the goddamn admiral.
Even though Tornn claimed alternate females wouldn’t be necessary—though it would seem even attempted murder isn’t grounds for sending a woman back to theJansonnain exchange for another—I still can’t risk the fallout of misbehavior.
If Tornn were to make a passing comment to Captain Warren about my rebelliousness, my asshole of an uncle might very well follow through with his threats against my mother and sister.
I lower my head as I move to stand by the bed. Tornn releases my arm, but he remains so close that I can feel the waves of heat rolling off his huge, muscular body. He settles his hands on my hips, and a gasp lodges in my throat. He leans down and boldly sniffs the top of my head. I flush as a pleased rumble escapes him.
The desire rushing through my body is unfamiliar, and I don’t know how to handle it. What to do with it. Aboard theJansonna, everyone is given compulsory hormone suppression shots starting at an early age, which means very few humans experience the urge to physically copulate these days. Furthermore, reproduction is carefully planned and achieved in a fertility lab. It’s all I know.
But I’m past due for my yearly shot. I should’ve gotten it one month ago, now that I think about it, but I was never called to the medical bay for a booster. Humans encountered the Darrvasons just over a month ago. Only days later, my uncle informed me that I would be among the first wave of brides.
Awesome. I’m experiencing arousal for the first time in my life, and it happens to be in the presence of a huge, domineering alien who wants to breed me.
I try not to think about why I didn’t feel the urge to jump Nathan’s bones before my departure.
