Reestrian Mates - Complete (17 page)

“Cooperate with the other females, Mia,” he said, pushing her through a door at the end of the corridor. “They will assist you in preparing for my brother. I shall present you to him as a gift, and you will make him a fine mate.”

A fine
what
?

Mia sucked in a sharp breath and looked at the female Reestrians, presumably Blina and Vessa. They stood at the ready with hairbrushes in their hands. Cosmetics were spread on a nearby tray, and the room contained several full length mirrors and a large bathtub.

“Wait, please.” She stepped away from the captain the instant he released her arm. “Why exactly are you giving me to your brother?”

“To become his mate, of course. His mating fever burns hotter by the day. He must claim a female soon. He must claim you, Mia.”

Chapter Two

“His mate?” Mia crossed her arms and inched toward the nearest wall. Unfortunately, the door had closed behind Captain Heega, and she doubted it would open for her even if she managed to slip around him.

“Our fleet isn’t scheduled to return to Reestria for several days, and the unclaimed females we departed our planet with, Blina and Vessa, have since mated with other members of my crew. Sekor is in dire need of a mate. Do you know about The Madness?” The captain’s expression became grave.

“Yes, I know about The Madness. I’ve read about it and I know Reestrian males who don’t mate when their fever is at its hottest become very ill, but surely you don’t really intend to give me to your brother? I mean…you don’t even know me. I could be a horrible person. In fact, it’s true. I’m just awful, really. Why do you think I’m not married? Sekor will be better off with someone else.” She lifted her chin, thinking her argument sounded convincing. Surely Captain Heega wouldn’t want his brother mated to an undesirable female.

To her surprise, a broad grin softened his harsh features, and a laugh rumbled from the captain.

“You are a funny human. Do you think I cannot tell when you are lying? Humans fidget and avoid eye contact while speaking an untruth. It’s common knowledge that your kind has great difficulty telling lies.”

“The hell we do!” Mia blew out a breath and put her hands on her hips. “I’m a shitty person! I cheat, I gamble, and I steal!”
Dammit
. He didn’t look very convinced. If anything, the captain’s amusement had increased, because his smile grew wider and he laughed again. “Fine. Don’t believe me. But you do know for certain I trespassed. Humans aren’t allowed to go beyond the road blocks surrounding Rahatha. I am a terrible, no good criminal. What kind of brother are you to give a person like me to Sekor as a mate?”

“I will wait in the corridor while Blina and Vessa prepare you. Please cooperate with them. They are exhausted from having spent seven days each bonding with their new mates.”

His mention of seven days of bonding brought to mind all Dr. Walters had written about the length of the first joining. When a Reestrian male claimed his female, they pretty much had a week of nonstop sex. It was a biological necessity to help cool the fever brought on by the male’s mating urge.

She gulped and looked at the Reestrian females. Their hair was in disarray, their dresses were wrinkled, and dark circles rimmed their eyes. Nevertheless, they smiled at her and gestured for her to sit in a chair, and Captain Heega then departed the room.

“Welcome to the
Trinia
,” the blonde alien said. “It’s a fine warship that has won many battles against the Ettalians. You have nothing to fear. We will arrive on Reestria in several days where I am certain you will have a blessed life with your new mate.”

“Please allow us to prepare you for Sekor. He was nearing the height of his fever, the last we heard news of him,” the dark haired woman said. “It is our joy to prepare you to mate with a warrior so revered as Sekor.”

“I have to get out of here.” Mia backed up to the door and turned around, but the damn thing wouldn’t open. She banged on it until her fists hurt before facing the women again. “Please, help me escape.”

“My name is Blina,” said the blonde, ignoring her plea.

“And I am called Vessa.”

Both women smiled, and their gentle, tired expressions won Mia over a little. They weren’t her enemy, and she knew they wouldn’t hurt her. Because they were the only two females on the ship, they had been tasked with beautifying her before her delivery to Sekor.

“I’m Mia.”

“We are so pleased to meet you, Mia.” Blina tapped the chair. “Please have a seat. We must get you ready.”

“Yes, please sit down,” Vessa said through a yawn. “We will tell you all about Sekor while we prepare you for him, and we’ll tell you anything you wish to know about Reestrian mating practices too. We are here to help you, Mia.”

“Okay, fine, I’ll sit. But that doesn’t mean I’m agreeing to anything. On my world men don’t go around kidnapping women to give to their brothers.” She blew out a breath. “Normal men don’t do that anyway.” She eased down in the chair and closed her eyes.

Blina and Vessa began brushing and styling her hair.

“Tell me about Sekor.” Mia might as well learn all she could about the Reestrian male for whom she was intended.

“He comes from a family of respected warriors in the Giamot Clan. He has three older brothers and five older sisters. Despite being the youngest, he has earned more acclaim on the battlefield than any of his brothers, even Captain Heega. He has battled Ettalians with his bare hands and crushed their skulls. He has prevented rival clans from attacking one another on Reestria. Once, he even saved the emperor’s life.”

“If he’s so special, why isn’t he the captain of this ship?” Mia asked.

“A warrior must complete all his growth cycles, experience his mating urge, and claim a female before being granted a leadership position. I have no doubt he will become a captain of his own grand warship soon after he mates with you, Mia. You are lucky to be given to such an honorable and strong warrior.”

“Well, he sounds like a savage.”
Liar. You think he sounds interesting. You want to meet him.

Blina and Vessa laughed.

“So what does Sekor look like?” Oh God, had she really just asked that? She bit her tongue, wishing she could retract the question.

“He looks very much like Captain Heega, only taller. But you need not be afraid of his size, Mia. Reestrian males never harm their females. He will cherish you until the end of his days.”

The idea of being cherished sounded far too nice. Not to mention, too good to be true. And yet, according to all Mia had learned about Reestrians, their females were treated like queens by their mates. Wasn’t that why she’d been so interested in their culture in the first place? That and she thought Reestrian males were super hunky. Tall and broad shouldered with muscles that went on for miles, she had practically drooled each time one of them appeared on television.

Seeing her first Reestrians in person had been frightening, but now that she’d spent some time around Blina and Vessa her heart wasn’t racing so fast anymore. Her excited curiosity was returning, and a small part of her wanted to meet Sekor. Okay, more than a small part of her. She longed to set her eyes on him, if only to see how much taller he stood compared to Captain Heega.

Were his eyes already pitch black because of his fever? Would he even care to learn her name before he claimed her, or would he pounce on her with no preamble? Heat pulsed between her thighs at the thought, and she hoped the women didn’t notice her squirming.

At first, she’d thought she’d been captured because of her trespassing. Then she’d thought she would be handed over to an evil Reestrian as a sex slave, as a punishment. But being claimed because she was the nearest unmated female felt different. In their culture, they weren’t doing anything wrong by taking her. But she wasn’t a Reestrian, and she couldn’t just snap her fingers and make herself feel like a Reestrian female. She sympathized with Sekor’s predicament, but she was pissed as hell and wished she was driving back to Salem at this moment, rather than letting two Reestrian females primp her.

Mia had been beamed up to the
Trinia
against her will. It wasn’t right. She had to find a way off the ship before they left Earth, and especially before Sekor claimed her. Ignoring the tingles racing through her at the thought of being needed and cherished by a strong Reestrian male, she tried to concoct a plan to escape the ship. She had to stop thinking about Sekor and focus on nothing but her freedom.

Her roommate, Kelly, would worry when she didn’t come home tonight. And if she didn’t call her mother on Sunday afternoon as promised, her mother would contact Kelly and the two of them would go crazy trying to find her. Kelly knew about her trip to Rahahta. What would they think when they discovered her car? Plus, if she didn’t show up to work on Monday, Mr. Benton would probably fire her.

Of course, getting fired from her waitress job was the least of her problems. Escaping the Reestrian warship and Sekor was priority numero uno.

* ~ * ~ *

Sekor looked in the mirror. His eyes were black, just as he’d suspected. He hadn’t glanced in a mirror for days, and though he’d seen other males experience their mating urge, it still stunned him to see his eyes so dark. Sweat dripped from his temples, and his hair was soaked through.

Panting and agitated, he climbed into the shower stall and directed a cold spray over his body. It didn’t help, and he turned off the water and vacated the shower. Wrapping a towel around himself, he exited the bathroom and strode into the bedroom area of his quarters, his gaze on the floor as his vision blurred.

The scent of a female prompted him to lift his head. There, in the middle of his bedroom, stood a pretty human woman. Thick, long curls swept past her shoulders. Stark blue eyes reflected her curiosity, as well as her fear. Her chest rose and fell quickly, and she tried to back away from him, but Heega held her in place.

Sekor met his brother’s gaze and lifted an eyebrow at him. Then he looked at the human again. Almighty One, she was perfect. Delicate, petite, soft, and fragrant. He inhaled deeply, and he grinned to detect more than the smell of her floral soap and perfume. He smelled her arousal and his blood heated further at the sight of her squirming in place.

The best surprise of all—her scent held no trace of another male. This pretty little human was unclaimed. But not for long.

His cock went hard and tented the towel he’d wrapped around his waist.

“Sekor, my brother.” Heega stood taller, looking proud. Proud of his catch, no doubt. “I present to you a human girl called Mia. I captured her myself and I am presenting her to you as a gift. As a mate. Take her and bond with her. Let her bear your sons and daughters, and cherish her until your end of days.”

Mia trembled and avoided Sekor’s stare. Her eyes widened when her gaze fell upon his center, and pinkness bloomed on her cheeks. Ah, a bashful little human. He would enjoy revealing himself to her and watching her blush deepen. He would enjoy kissing her, stroking her, and claiming her as his. He’d never seen a human so up close before, and he liked everything about her.

Her toes were painted pink, and she wore a silken red robe that contrasted beautifully with her dark hair. She was barefoot, and he suspected she wore nothing beneath the robe. Her nipples shone through the sheer fabric.
Perfect
.

He waited until she met his stare, and in her gaze he felt the genuine goodness inside her. Her eyes glimmered an odd, bright shade of blue in the overhead lights. Only in the Northern clans on Reestria had he seen females with eyes so brilliantly blue.

“Mia.” He approached her and grasped her shaking hand. “My Mia.”

She tried to pull her hand from his. Despite not wanting to break contact with her, he released her and stepped back. He nodded at Heega. “You honor me with this gift, brother. I will bond with her and cherish her for the rest of my life. She will be protected and become a respected member of the Giamot Clan. Thank you, brother.”

Heega inclined his head and then left his quarters. The door zipped shut behind him, sealing Sekor inside with his mate. His beautiful Mia. Had he known humans as lovely as she existed, he would have beamed down to the surface to claim one himself.

But he was happy he hadn’t known, because the female Heega had selected was more than perfect. The defiant spark in her eyes made him grin. Ah, she would make life interesting.

“I see the passion in your eyes, little Mia.”

“Little Mia? I’m five foot six, for your information. That’s average height for a woman where I come from. Not that you’d know that. I doubt you know much about humans, and you certainly know nothing about me.”

“You are angry.” Confusion swept through him. Females captured as mating gifts were usually highly sought after beauties from powerful clan families on Reestria. She should be honored to have been taken by Heega. “You are not supposed to be angry, little Mia. You are supposed to be overjoyed to have been chosen for the honor of mating with a Warrior Reestrian.”

She laughed, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. She was right, he didn’t know much about humans. He stepped closer to her, only for her to back away. Her behavior confounded him.

“Overjoyed? Are you for real? I was kidnapped and told I’m to become some strange alien’s mate. What part of that scenario is supposed to leave me overjoyed?” Her hands curled into fists and she peered around him, her face lighting up as she stared out the small window, a perfect view of Rahatha’s streets below the landing site. “Let me walk off this ship right now. Please.”

“I can’t allow that. You belong to me now, Mia. If your family didn’t wish for you to be taken as a mate, they should have protected you.” He suspected her family didn’t care for her wellbeing, otherwise the males, her father and her brothers, would have kept her hidden. This thought saddened him.

“My family?” She made an exacerbated noise. “I live by myself. I’m a grown woman. I’m thirty years old and I’ve been living on my own for the last twelve years, thank you very much.”