“I cannot stop you,” I tell her, and I’ve never felt so selfish in my life. Because I want her to come. I want to see that look of lust on her face, see her fuck her own hand until she’s limp with pleasure, her scent coating my hide.

It’s true though, I cannot hold her in my arms and stop her from touching herself at the same time, but I know I should not watch. I know it will make her dislike me, so I grit my teeth and avert my eyes.

She moans softly, squirming against me.

The zoleh chirrups at me, then vaults onto my shoulder. Strange that this shy creature has decided to attach itself to a human, when they despise most Suevans.

The snails may not have been a blessing, considering the lust-gripped state my mate is in, but perhaps the zoleh is a sign things will get better.

Or perhaps I am a lovestruck fool.

We emerge from the tree, the zoleh sinking its talons into my shoulder, and I wince at its fetid breath, rank from eating carrion. The scent at least serves to dim my own lust, and I step over the plumed body of the quantern, disgusted that I left my mate helpless and forced this position on her.

She lets out a low moan, and my gaze darts to her, fearful she is in pain. Her body is covered by the pile of wet clothes, but a sheen of sweat coats her skin now.

“So close, Draz,” she whispers, and her eyelashes flutter.

Moons of Sueva help me, but this woman will be my undoing.

Snarling, I rip my attention away from her, grabbing my leaf pouch of gathered berries from where I dropped it. A damp heat spreads across my arm and abdomen, and Niki pants my name.

I’ve never heard anything sweeter, and yet, it is not really for me. I bite down on my lip, my fang piercing the flesh.

“Do you feel better, my mate?” I ask her, the words rough.

“No,” she pants, her mouth open.

“I will take you somewhere that will help.” Water. I need to get her in fresh water, wash the snail slime from her, make her drink it until this fever fades, until she returns to her prickly self.

I pick up my stride, racing through the jungle to the closest source of water I can remember.

“Yes,” she says, squirming again. “Yes, Draz, take me somewhere and put it inside me. I need to feel you.” Her hand works furiously between her legs, and then her back arches.

I slow, my gaze dropping to her in wonder.

“Did you come more than once?”

“Yes, and I’m going to, to, to—” Her sentence ends with a low moan that makes my cock throb, hot seed beginning to spill forth. Her body goes limp in my arms.

What she has done is unheard of.

No Suevan female can come more than once. But this human in my arms? She has orgasmed three times now—in a row. One after the other.

I push myself faster, both worried for her and inflamed by what her body is capable of. Suevan females can only become aroused when they are ready to be with child… but my mate? She’s limp in my arms from the force of her pleasure, the scent of it driving me wild.

I want her more than ever, and right now, she would have me, would welcome me into her body as I drive us both into a frenzy.

But I cannot, and I will not, take advantage of her state. I banish the thought, and a branch scrapes along my hide.

“Draz,” Ni-Kee moans, and my cock jerks at my name on her lips.

“Yes, my mate?”

“Something is wrong,” she says, her eyes fluttering open.

“I know,” I tell her, squeezing her to me. “I will fix it, sweet one.”

I push myself to my limits, racing us through the jungle, until the familiar crashing of the falls fills my ears. I don’t stop, though, only slow, tossing Ni-Kee’s clothing on a flat rock, stacking the berries on top, before running us into the cold water. The zoleh swings off my shoulder, sunning itself and making contented noises.

Water sprays from the waterfall, misting above even the placid surface where I wade us both in.

Ni-Kee makes a small noise in her throat, her nose scrunching up as she stares up at me, blinking slowly.

I need her to recover. My heart pounds against my chest, and it’s not only from the sprint to the falls.

My shoulders are tense with worry, and I study her pretty human face.

“Is it helping? The water should dissolve the toxin. Drink some,” I say, scooping up a handful.

Her lips press against my palm, and I scoop it into her mouth. She drinks, and drinks, and finally, her limpid gaze turns to one of realization, followed by swift horror.

She detaches herself from my chest, her pink tongue darting out of her mouth.

I steel myself for whatever is to come. I have faced down hundreds of enemies. I have torn spines from their bodies and roared in fury as their blood sprayed me.

And still, I am afraid of what this little human is about to say, as if she holds my whole heart in her claw-less hands.

OceanofPDF.com

CHAPTER ELEVEN

OceanofPDF.com

NIKI

It’s like waking up from a dream. Ice cold water sluices over me, helping to cool the blisters the stupid snails burned across my skin. It washes away most of the pain, and all of the lust, leaving me wrung out as a moldy dishrag.

And mortified.

Draz stares at me, his expression pinched, diamond-pupil eyes scanning me.

My favorite phrase is at the tip of my tongue, but no way in hell am I about to utter ‘fuck me’ in front of him.

Again.

I scrub a hand over my steaming face, peek at him through my fingers, and immediately plunge under the water.

Bubbles stream from my nose. I’m going to stay under as long as my lungs can take it.

Holy hell, I have never been so embarrassed in my life. The things I said to Draz… I don’t think I’ve ever said anything out loud like that to anyone, even jokingly.

The big Suevan already thinks I’m his, and then I got hit with what must have been some kind of libido enhancer from the snail goop and begged him to plow me. I groan, the noise muffled under the water, my face buried in my hands.

My pussy aches, overstimulated and sore from all the personal attention I just gave it.

My lungs burn, begging for air, and still I stay under. Okay. I need to get a grip on myself. So far I’ve cried about my circumstance, was near hypothermia, then managed to hurt myself by using a sacred snail as a projectile weapon.

Clearly, I need Draz if I’m going to survive this damn planet.

Shame rockets through me. I definitely just yelled that I needed him sexually, too.

Despite how fucked the Federation played this treaty and my crew, I’m still an officer. I’m still the captain of my ship, in charge of the women’s lives they’ve trusted me with. And in charge of getting the defensive tech that Earth needs. I’m not going to leave Earth high and dry. No matter how furious I am with the Federation, I couldn’t live with myself if the deal with the Suevans fell through. And the Suevans didn’t even do anything wrong.

I break the surface of the water, inhaling deeply, and then submerging again immediately.

Draz has been kind, caring, and competent. He even made me laugh. He could have taken advantage of me and seeing as how I was begging him for it, I’m shocked he didn’t. He has as much riding on this marriage as I do. The Suevans are looking at extinction, and I just offered my body up on a silver platter.

Hell, if they wanted to just get us pregnant and use us as broodmares, they could’ve slipped us snail gunk at the mating ritual and taken advantage of my whole crew easily.

But they didn’t.

Draz is… honorable. More honorable than the Federation even. Bitterness coats my tongue at the traitorous thought, but I know it’s true.

I will do my duty.

I will make the best of a totally fucked situation. It could be much, much, worse. Draz will be an effective ally, and maybe even a good friend.