Page 32 of Tornn's Mate
His eyes flicker to mine as he gently rubs a hand up and down my arm. “A Darrvason female reaches maturity at the age of nineteen,” he says, “and shortly before her nineteenth birthday, she is relocated to a safe, locked room in her family’s home. As soon as she experiences her first heat, she’s given to her mate—a male of her father’s choosing—and then the male takes her to his home where they are expected to copulate until she’s drenched in his scent.”
“First heat?”
He nods. “It refers to the time she becomes sexually receptive. Her pussy swells and becomes wet, sometimes she develops a fever, and she is eager to be claimed by her mate. It also means she’s ready to carry her first child.” His gaze flits over my body, and I feel my nipples tighten within the confines of my bra. “From what I understand, human females do not experience heat in the way a Darrvason female does, but you still become wet and achy when you’re eager to be mated.”
His explanation causes my face to grow warm, and I’m very aware of his nearness. His thigh is pressed to mine, and his arm tightens around me. “Oh,” I finally reply. “I had no idea.”
Well, I sure have learned a lot about Darrvason mating practices this evening. My heart races when Tornn leans down and his warm breath puffs against my face.
I think he’s going to kiss me. I think he’s going to push me down on the sofa and have his way with me, and God how I’m aching for it.
If I’m this achy and hot with the wanting of him, I can’t even imagine how a poor Darrvason female must feel as she’s experiencing her first heat.
But he doesn’t kiss me or maul me on the sofa. Instead, he draws back, rises to his feet, and nods to an empty corner in the room. “Come with me, Ellie, there’s something I want to show you.”
Chapter17
TORNN
I hadn’t meantto frighten Ellie with the story about my mother’s sister, but I need her to comprehend the full magnitude of the danger she might face if she leaves my quarters too soon. TheHaxxalis a large ship, and my duties take me all over the massive vessel. Furthermore, I occasionally take a shuttle to other ships in the Darrvason fleet, and the idea of another male stealing her while I’m not even aboard theHaxxalis horrifying indeed.
I won’t risk her safety. But her admission that she’ssuffocatingin my quarters doesn’t sit well with me. If I’m being honest, I’m offended that my company isn’t enough for her. Brushing this thought aside, I open a hidden panel in the corner of the sitting room and turn to Ellie.
“This is a holo,” I explain with a nod at the hundreds of glowing symbols that adorn the inside of the panel. “Perhaps using some of the programs will help you feel… less suffocated. Here, let me show you. This is my favorite program.” I press the twenty-sixth symbol and my entire quarters transform into a majestic, lush forest.
Ellie gasps and clutches my arm, her eyes going wide as she peers around the room. “Tornn. Oh, Tornn. Is this a forest from your homeworld?”
“No,” I reply quickly, hoping she doesn’t ask any further questions about Darrva. “This is a forest from the Brorrualan homeworld. It was my mother’s favorite planet to visit. One of her brothers was an emissary to Brorrual so my family was permitted to travel freely there.” I try to push away the darkness that gathers as childhood memories resurface. Everything changed with the destruction of my homeworld and the ensuing war against the Yelltzins.
“It’s beautiful,” she says in a voice filled with awe. She turns to me with tears gleaming in her eyes. “We don’t have anything like this on theJansonna. We have old, virtual reality headsets in our recreation rooms, but they don’t come close to this.” She strides to a nearby tree and reaches out slowly, as though expecting she truly might touch a physical object, then allows her hand to pass through the holographic projection.
I move to the panel and press another button, and suddenly we’re standing on the balcony of a Friannaxan café that overlooks a majestic alien city which features some of the most beautiful architecture in the known universe. The murmur of conversation surrounds us as the aliens who call the city home sit at crowded tables speaking to one another while enjoying steaming cups of tea.
I grasp Ellie’s hands and draw her closer. “Perhaps when you are feeling suffocated and I’m not around to take you on a walk, you can use the holo. I know you can’t read the symbols, but you can test them all and figure out which are your favorites. Several years ago, we purchased this program from a famous Erusstian explorer named Rirra. He has visited hundreds of planets and created corresponding holo programs that project nature and city scenes based on real places.”
A strange, unexpected warmth flows through me when Ellie gives me a wide smile and her eyes dance with joy. “This is marvelous, Tornn. Thank you for showing me this.”
“You are welcome to use the holo whenever you wish, sweet human. I hope you will enjoy it.”
Her face still bright with happiness, she eyes the symbols on the panel, and I sense her excitement to test every program. I hope the recreational activity will bring her a sense of calm the next time she feels restless. I still remember the agonized screams of my aunt’s mate when he suddenly realized she’d gone missing. I also recall the bloody battle that took place in the streets after he challenged the stranger tolahhkda. And for as long as I live, I’ll never forget the bruises I glimpsed on my aunt’s body as her mate carried her home.
I remind myself that Ellie comes from a culture that’s vastly different from my own. While I’m not an expert on humans, I’m coming to understand that human females are granted freedoms that Darrvason females simply cannot have. Though human women don’t go into heat, they still smell sofluxxingdelicious that an unmated male might be tempted to claim one who’s not thoroughly coated in her husband’s scent.
Ellie’s scent is sweet. When I first saw her on theJansonna’sdocking bay, her beauty caught my attention first, but then a moment later her sweet, delectable scent had me so ensnared that I’d struggled to speak. Sweet human. That’s why I call her that. Because she’s sofluxxingsweet I could spend my entire day licking her all over and thrusting deep into her slick pussy until she’s sore and dripping with my seed.
I know she wants a specific answer about when I’ll allow her to freely roam theHaxxal, but I hesitate to give her a date or announce a certain number of days. Because I don’t trust that I’ll be able to keep such a promise. Until I’d claimed a mate of my own, I hadn’t realized how intense the need to keep my female safe would be. If she never asked to leave my quarters, I might keep her here forever.
But we’ll have children together one day. Hopefully soon. And our children will need to attend school and an eventual apprenticeship once their natural talents are identified. Until our children reach a certain age, Ellie will need to accompany them to school and various recreational and social activities. Logically, I know I must allow her to leave my quarters without my company in the near future.
Reaching for the panel, I press the very last symbol, and my quarters transform to a snowy mountaintop on Rurnnal Prime during a shimmering meteor shower. I draw Ellie closer, and she laces her arms around my waist. I try to remember if she’s ever hugged me before, but I don’t think she has. Not like this.
I hunger to claim her. My cocks are throbbing, my scrotum nearly at a full vibration. Yet I’m hesitant to leave this most satisfying embrace. I wrap my arms around her, holding her tight as the meteors blaze down upon the snowy, mountainous landscape.
Chapter18
ELLIE
Tornn clutchesmy hand as we traverse the corridors of theHaxxal. It’s the third day in a row that he’s taken me on a walk, though like the previous days, we rarely pass anyone in the corridors.
