Alien Commander's Mate (Warriors of the Lathar Book 6) Read online

  He frowned down at her. “Why not? What’s wrong with them?”

  She snorted. Telling that an alien’s first instinct was to question what was wrong with the men, rather than what was wrong with her.

  “I’m not…” Shit. How did she explain this? How did she explain that human culture was very much based around appearance and attractiveness and that women often became invisible after the age of thirty-five?

  She lifted her chin and met his gaze head on.

  “I’m too old for most of them,” she finally settled on. “I’m not in my twenties with fake boobs out here and legs up to my armpits. I’ve got adult children, probably clothes older than you are and a healthy dose of independence that means I don’t give a fuck what most people think.”

  She sighed and reached up to shove a hand through her hair, raking it back from her face. She’d tried to keep it dry during her shower but a few strands were damp around her temples and neck.

  “Oh hell… This might be shooting myself in the foot, but if you wanted a mate to bear you children then I’m not it. My child-bearing days are long gone I’m afraid. You’d be better off with a different mate.”

  She looked up at him, gauging his reaction. Would he be annoyed that she’d somehow tricked him? Although, to be fair, when he’d made the deal with her, children had never been mentioned.

  He searched her eyes for a long time. “That’s what you’re worried about? That you’re too old? And you think I’ll be annoyed because you think you’re too old to bear me young?”

  She nodded, biting her lip. His smile grew broader and he reached out to cup the back of her neck with one big hand, tilting her head up to a better angle for his kiss.

  “I’m not. Worried about either your age or whether you can bear me young,” he whispered between soft kisses. He pulled away to look down at her again, his dark eyes intent. “I’ve been in command of this war vessel for… forty-two of your Earth years. Which, I think probably makes me older than you are anyway. But even if I was the greenest young warrior out there, I wouldn’t have cared. As soon as I saw you I knew I had to make you mine, no matter what.”

  His words caused the butterflies in her stomach to go into overdrive. He was saying all the right words. Why didn’t men like this exist on Earth?

  “And the baby thing?” He nipped at her lower lip, the small pleasure pain making her lose her train of thought completely. “Advanced medicine, remember? We have all sorts of options…if you wanted to try. And I’ll be honest. I can’t think of anything sexier than you carrying my young,” he murmured and claimed her lips again.

  The kiss was hard and hungry, like he was a starving man with a banquet laid out in front of him. She gasped as he parted her lips again, driving inside to taste her. His tongue thrust as he pressed his hips against her, leaving her in no doubt as to the carnal direction his thoughts had taken.

  A soft whimper broke from her throat, and she was kissing him back with all the desperation in her soul. It was like she’d been a plant starved for water and sunlight finally getting both and gorging on them. She couldn’t get close enough, pressing herself against him from chest to hips, eager for every touch and kiss.

  “Oi! No claiming in my medical bay.” Zaan’s sharp voice broke through their embrace. “You have your own quarters for shit like that.”

  Cheeks flaming, she broke the kiss, leaning her forehead against Fenriis’ broad shoulder for a moment as she tried to get herself together. They’d practically been going at it on the bed. Hell… given a couple more minutes and they would have been, there was no doubt in her mind about that. No doubt at all.

  Fenriis just grinned at him, a chuckle in his throat as he swept a hand over her back. “Then check Amanda out already and we’ll get out of your hair.”

  The big healer moved around the bed, tutting in the back of his throat as he hustled Fenriis to the side and made Amanda lie down. To his credit, despite the fact he was obviously hassled, his touch was gentle.

  “Thank you,” she murmured as he pulled a pillow from somewhere under the bed and popped it behind her head. There hadn’t been pillows on the beds in any of the other bays when she’d peeked in, so it obviously wasn’t a luxury afforded to all his patients.

  He looked at her, his expression a little surprised, and then smiled. The expression warmed his eyes and she realized two things; despite the scars, he was a very good looking man, and he was also a lot younger than she’d thought.

  “You’re welcome,” he replied, moving back around to the other side of the bed and the control panel.

  She lay still as the machine started up and the lights flickered into life over her. This time she knew what to expect, her gaze going to the chest and lung area of the schematic. She sucked in a hard breath. The dark masses she’d noted before were significantly smaller than they had been.

  “You’re responding well to treatment,” Zaan said, his voice filled with satisfaction. “We’ll have these gone in no time. How do you feel?”

  “I feel good,” she said. “My chest doesn’t ache as much and I don’t feel like there’s a hard band around it anymore.”

  “Excellent.” Zaan’s expression and manner were the same as any doctor she’d ever encountered on Earth, his gaze keen as he studied the readouts on the console. The lights above her changed, pinpoints briefly shining in her eyes. “Your other vitals look good. How about the coughing?”

  “Actually, I haven’t.” Surprise filled her at the realization. “Not one.”

  Zaan didn’t look surprised. Instead he looked pleased. “Good. I’d hoped it would take effect quickly, but that is promising.”

  “You gave me something to stop the coughing?”

  He nodded. “I didn’t want your body stressed any more than it already was. You need time to rest and heal…”

  He stressed the last few words, looking pointedly at Fenriis, who just grinned in reply. His expression was totally unrepentant as he reached out to stroke Amanda’s hair, a possessive, tender touch that made the butterflies in her stomach flutter again.

  “Commander?”

  Their little reverie was broken by the sound of a male voice from just outside the cubicle. A young warrior stood there, his curious gaze sweeping over her until Fenriis moved, a rumble of warning in the back of his throat. Instantly, the wall to the left of Amanda became the most interesting sight in the world.

  “Sorry to disturb you, my lord, but the human ship has been in contact. They’d like to take up that tour you offered them.”

  Fenriis had stopped growling, his manner returning to that of an officer in command. “Okay. When?”

  “They plan to arrive in an hour, my lord.”

  Chapter Six

  Fenriis was not happy at all that the humans had seen fit to dictate to him when they would arrive on his vessel, but rather than display that, he sucked it up and hid his anger as he walked with Amanda back to his quarters.

  Sure, he could have gotten one of his men to take her back, but he didn’t want to. She was his to care for and besides, he liked her. Not just her touch on his arm, and the other little touches she gave him he was sure she wasn’t even aware of… like reaching out to touch his arm when she spoke to him, and moving closer so the side of her breast brushed up against his arm as they walked.

  Soft, innocent little touches, but they had him harder than a green youth faced with his first female. All he wanted to do was claim her, fighting down the need to press her up against the nearest bulkhead, strip that damn ugly ship-suit from her delectable little body and bury himself balls deep into her welcoming softness. But he held himself back, just. Scaring her before he was under her guard was not the name of the game.

  “I can stay in here, if you like?” she said softly as the doors to his quarters slid open ahead of them.

  “Huh? What? Why?” Caught out in his daydreams, he was a little sharper than he’d intended to be. He pulled her to a stop and turned her to face him, taking not
e of the worried little line between her brows. “Why would I want you to stay in here? You’re my mate… I want to show you off.”

  “Even to them? To the humans?”

  Her confusion was adorable and maddening at the same time. The idea that she thought he’d want to conceal their relationship based purely on a number brought a deep anger up from his core. How backward was human society if they decided women were nothing when they reached a totally arbitrary number? Draanthic wasn’t the word.

  He shook the thought off to pull her closer. “Of course I want to show you off to them. You’re mine, and I want them all to know it.”

  Her smile rivaled the beauty of the sunrise on any planet he’d ever visited. He wanted to bask in it and forget all about their guests, but instead he pulled away with a sigh.

  “Later,” he promised, her little pout of disappointment soothing his ego. He hid his smile. So his little female liked his kisses, did she? That was good... very good.

  His gaze fell on the bed and he ushered her toward it. There, set on the floor at the bottom, was the trunk he’d ordered retrieved from long-term storage in the hold. It was the work of a moment to press his thumb to the scanner and input his ident-code. The lid clicked and he opened it carefully.

  She gasped. “Are those… clothes? Dresses?”

  He nodded as he lifted a few out, handing them to her. “They were my grandmother's. Ketanian silks,” he explained. “It never ages or degrades, and our fashions… well, no women. It hasn’t changed since these were last worn.”

  She shook the first dress out, her expression one of curiosity and awe as she held it up against herself. Deep crimson, it suited her coloring, bringing her skin to life.

  “It suits you,” he said, his voice rough as he fought the urge to reach down and readjust himself in his pants. Seriously, what was wrong with him if just the idea of her in a dress was enough to get him hard?

  “Go, try it on,” he offered, nodding toward the facilities after he noticed the reverent way she touched the fabric.

  She didn’t need any more prompting, disappearing through the door in a swirl of blonde curls and crimson silk. He continued looking in the trunk, pulling out gowns in all colors until he found what he was looking for. A large wooden box.

  “Is this how it goes?”

  He turned at the sound of her voice and stopped dead, his mouth half open to reply.

  She. Was. Stunning.

  The crimson silk fit her like a glove. The jeweled straps highlighted the delicate fragility of her shoulders, the line of her collarbone just inviting his caresses, and the color of the silk made her skin look radiant. It molded around her curvy figure, clinging to her breasts like a jealous lover before wrapping around her waist and then flaring out over her hips to cascade to the floor in a waterfall of fabric.

  “I-I…” was all he could manage.

  “You like?”

  Her lips quirked and she lifted the skirts to give a little twirl. He bit back his groan, his cock jerking savagely in his pants at the sight. The gown was backless, revealing the elegant line of her back, and all he could think about was tumbling her to the bed and stripping the silk from her body.

  She stopped in front of him, small hands fussing with the silk. “It’s a little odd though, I must admit. The fabric is open here and here. I mean… it stays closed but is it missing a seam or something?”

  She looked up, a small "oh" of surprise on her lips when she realized how close he was.

  “No. It’s not missing anything,” he told her, running his finger along her collarbone. Gods, she was so tiny and delicate. He’d hurt her if he wasn’t careful. His fingertips played with the clip on the strap, his other hand doing the same with the jeweled brooch at her hip.

  “They’re designed to be easy to remove… for the lady’s mate. If I unclip these, the silk falls away so you are revealed to me.”

  “Oh…” Her cheeks flushed. “Revealed… like, as in naked?”

  “Uh-huh,” he nodded. “Latharian females do not wear… what do you call it… underwear?”

  She nodded. “I wondered at that. Although…” She looked down at her cleavage. “This dress has awesome support. Really boosts the… uhm… my…”

  He smiled, hooking his finger under her chin and making her look up at him. “You look stunning. But, you are missing a little something. Come here.”

  Her expression was filled with curiosity as she followed him back to the bed. He didn’t miss her little look at it, nor the quick look she snuck at him, and his cock swelled even more. If only they didn’t have this damn visit, he’d already have her screaming in pleasure beneath him before he made her his finally.

  Shelving that thought before it got so bad he couldn’t walk, he opened the box and withdrew a glittering necklace. Crimson diamonds to match her gown twinkled in the overhead light as he held it up.

  “Oh, that is beautiful,” she murmured, her expression full of awe as she reached out a fingertip to stroke the delicate setting. The necklace was styled to look like Armelian roses, as delicate as she was.

  “Not as beautiful as you are,” he replied roughly, motioning for her to turn around.

  “I can’t wear that,” she argued, stopping dead. “It looks way too expensive.”

  His lip quirked up into a small smile. While she’d slept earlier, he’d not only trained, but he’d also read up on her species and culture. Did she realize she was trying to turn down his species' version of a human engagement ring?

  “Well, if you don’t want it,” he teased, making as if to put it around his own neck. She started to smile and he grinned back at her, pausing with it against his neck. “What do you think? Not really my color, is it?”

  She shook her head, eyes creased with amusement as she giggled. The sound was so carefree and delightful he had to pause for a moment to listen.

  “Come here,” he ordered gruffly, turning her with a gentle hand on her arm and draping the necklace around her neck. She helped by lifting her hair up so he could fasten it. On impulse, he leaned down and dropped a kiss on the back of her neck.

  “This was my grandmother’s claiming necklace,” he told her, his voice intimate. Just between the two of them. “Now it’s yours. To prove to everyone that you’re mine.”

  The little shiver she gave at his touch was enough to crack his control. Unable to stop himself, he turned her gently and pulled her into his arms.

  “I thought we had to get ready for this visit?”

  Her voice was soft as he pulled her into his arms. The ease with which she nestled against him was seductive, making the blood in his body roar with need.

  “They can wait. It’s not every day a male sees his female in his claiming necklace for the first time,” he murmured against her lips. Brushing against them, not quite kissing her. Teasing her. She tried to follow him, tried to get the kiss, and her soft huff of frustration made him take pity on her and claim them.

  As he did, his hands weren’t idle, smoothing over her body. The feel of her soft skin under his hands sent a thrill through his body, heating his blood. A growl of need built in the middle of his chest but he held it in. Instead, he concentrated on kissing her… touching her. Letting the fire and tension build up between them.

  Sliding one hand up to cup the back of her neck, he slid the other around the front of her body, up from her waist. She gasped, a little hitch in her breathing against his lips as he cupped her breast. The growl broke free at the feel of the warm weight in his hand. For such a little female, she was more than enough to fill his hand. He liked that, really liked that.

  His tongue probed the seam of her lips with a soft brush, and he growled again as she parted her lips, opening up for him immediately. He surged inside, claiming her with his mouth as he wanted to with his body.

  He rubbed his thumb over her nipple. It beaded instantly, her back arching to offer more of herself to his hands. To his touch. He savored her little moan, the sound of need drivi
ng him on to kiss her deeper, longer. To let her feel a little more of the passion and need that he was holding back.

  She moaned again, pressing herself against him as her hands swept up his arms and shoulders. It broke what remained of his control and he pulled her tighter against him. His hand slid down from her breast, over her soft stomach and found the part in the fabric of her dress.

  She froze for a second when she registered his touch against her thigh. When she didn’t pull back, he kept kissing her, sliding his hand higher. She murmured in pleasure, her fingers spearing through the short hair at the nape of his neck, and a bolt of lust and triumph shot through him. She was into this, into him. Totally.

  His kiss grew hotter as he eased her thighs apart, finding her pussy lips and sliding his fingers between them. She was hot and wet already, his fingers slick with her essence as he slid them forward to find her clit.

  He swallowed her soft whimper, her lips crushed beneath his as he stroked her with deft touches. She arched into him, so responsive that it almost unmanned him there and then. His hand on her neck slid up to tangle in her hair, holding her firmly as he took what they both wanted, with his lips and his hand.

  Her hips rocked against his as he touched her, circling and stroking her clit. The tiny hands on his shoulders and neck gripped tighter as she clung to him. She didn’t hold back, or act coy. Instead she urged him on with small rocks of her hips against his hand, gifting him her pleasure in small moans he greedily swallowed.

  Normally he’d have stretched their pleasure out. Teased her with her release, not letting her have it until he’d brought her to the edge again and again. But they didn’t have the time so he drew her closer, her tiny curvy form leaning against his with his hand buried between her soft thighs.

  He growled in the back of his throat as he slowly pushed a thick finger deep into the embrace of her body. Her silken sheath clenched around him and he pulled away to curse against her lips. Draanth, she was so tight… she’d feel so good clenching tight around his cock, but he’d have to be careful not to hurt her. Lathar were built a lot bigger than their human counterparts.