Kate and the Kraken by Honey Phillips
Chapter Sixteen
Aweek later, A’tai watched in satisfaction as Kate disappeared into her lab. This was a much better solution than allowing her to work at the farm lab. Although she continued to go there—and Pulata visited her here—the visits were short enough to be no more than a minor annoyance.
Their days had fallen into an easy rhythm. They spent the mornings working, then had lunch with Simea and Toaga. The afternoons were spent together, talking and discovering each other. He had told her more about himself than he had ever revealed to anyone. She seemed to be equally as transparent, and yet he had the feeling that something was bothering her.
His satisfaction faded as he considered the problem. Was it because they had still not received any word of her friends? His agent was searching—and had offered a hefty reward—but had not heard even a rumor of a species similar to hers on Mafana.
Or was it her work? He knew that she was not progressing as quickly as she had hoped, but she was experienced enough to know that answers did not appear overnight.
What if it was him? No matter how eagerly she welcomed him into her body, or how sweetly she curled against him as she slept, he had the uneasy suspicion that she was withholding part of herself from him.
Instead of heading for his study as he planned, he went to the kitchen instead.
“Do you think something is bothering Kate?” he demanded.
Simea raised an eyebrow. “Good morning to you as well.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just worried about her.”
“Hmph.” She bent back over the dough she was rolling out. “Why do you think something is wrong? She seems to have accepted her status happily enough.”
“Her status?”
“You know, House slave.”
“She is not a slave, and you know it,” he said angrily. “She is a free female.”
“Is she?” Simea studied him thoughtfully. “She is not Mafanan, which means she has few rights under our laws. She has no credits, no property, nothing of her own. Freedom means very little without those things.”
“She doesn’t need any of that. I will provide everything that she needs. That she wants.”
“So she is at your mercy? That doesn’t sound much better than slavery to me.”
He gave her a horrified look, and she sighed. “You’re a good boy, A’tai, but you’ve grown up surrounded by wealth and privilege. You’ve no idea what it is like to be at the mercy of others. Your family was very good to me, but I always knew I could be turned away at any moment.”
“We would never—”
“Perhaps not,” she admitted. “But the possibility was there. My family was very poor, and I saved every penny I earned until I was sure that I could support them. And then I saved more in case the storms came.”
“I would never permit such storms to damage her,” he protested, then sighed. “Do you truly think that she is worried about her future?”
Simea turned back to her dough. “The only way to know is to talk to her.”
“She says everything is fine.”
“Well, there you are.”
“But I don’t think it is.”
She sighed. “A’tai, you are a grown male. Talk to your female and leave me out of it.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said meekly, and headed back to his study, still turning over her words.
He found it hard to believe that Kate had so little faith in him that she was worried about the future, but what if Simea was right? He picked up his scroll, but he couldn’t concentrate. At last he sighed and put it down, then called his senior steward.
Once he set things in motion—over his steward’s protests—he was finally able to relax and concentrate on his work.
The documents arrived a week later, along with a message from his mother demanding he return to the palace. She had been growing increasingly impatient, and he knew that at some point he would have to go back. Would Kate enjoy Kapenta, he wondered. Perhaps it would distract her from whatever was worrying her.
Although most of the time she was her usual fascinating self, he still caught those odd moments of unhappiness. He had decided that Simea must be right, and he could hardly wait until tonight to relieve her mind. He arranged for dinner on the patio outside their room. When she came out to join him, she was wearing the sheer pink gown Simea had given him that first day.
The lamplight shimmered on the fabric, turning it even more transparent as the evening breeze lifted it around her body in a cloud of silk. Her dark locks floated in the same breeze. His moa threatened to emerge as she came towards him, her nipples rosy little points beneath the fabric. He was tempted to forget about dinner and documents and take her straight to bed, but he wanted to make sure she was happy.
“Do you like this? I found it in the dressing room.”
Her tone was demure but he could see the mischief sparkling in her sea green eyes and had no doubt that she noticed the flare of his arousal.
“You are a vision of loveliness.”
“I must admit, I feel pretty.” She shook her head. “I never thought I was the type of woman to enjoy getting dressed up.”
“You could always remain undressed,” he suggested helpfully, and she laughed.
“If I did, you would never let me leave our rooms.”
She wasn’t wrong.
“Come and sit down. I have a surprise for you.”
“Oh? I’m not a big fan of surprises.”
“You’ll like this one,” he assured her.
She gave him a suspicious look, but followed him to the table. He had intended to wait until after they had finished their meal, but he was too excited.
“Here!” He handed her the two silk-tied scrolls.
“What are these?”
“Open them.”
She obeyed, then sighed. “I’ve only been studying Mafanan for two weeks. The learning program is very helpful, but this writing is so ornate. Does this one say something about a house? I don’t understand the other one at all.”
“This one is the deed to this house. I have placed it in your name.”
“I don’t understand.”
“And this is an account that I have opened in your name. So that you have funds of your own.”
Her mouth trembled. “Why would I need that?”
“In case I am not around.”
Her face turned pale. “You’re leaving me?”
“No, of course not. I just wanted you to feel secure. To know that you would be provided for.”
“When you leave me.”
“Why do you keep saying that?” he roared. “I’m not leaving you, and you’re not leaving me.”
She didn’t seem to hear him. “It’s all right. I already figured it out. I know it can’t last.”
“My amali, I have no idea what you are talking about.”
To his horror, her eyes filled with tears. “You were right. I am deadly.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”
He snatched her out of her chair and carried her through into the bedroom. He clasped her arms and legs, spreading her out beneath him, waiting for her body to relax into his grip. Tears still filled her eyes, but he saw her nipples bead.
“Now, my Kate, explain to me why you are distressed.”
She licked her lips, but didn’t answer him. He inserted another limb between her legs, circling her eager little clit, but not touching it. She tried to lift her hips but he held her tighter. Her sweetness flooded his suckers and he had to remind himself why they were in this position.
“Why do you think we will not last?”
When she still hesitated, he brushed lightly across her swollen clit.
“A’tai! Please.”
“Tell me.”
“You want children,” she burst out.
“Of course.” He frowned down at her. “And you do not?”
“I would love to have children with you.” A tear crept down her cheek.
“Then what is the problem?”
“I don’t think it’s possible. We are completely different species.”
“I had not considered that,” he said slowly. “We are so compatible in every way.”
“Except that one.” Another tear fell, and one of his limbs gently caressed her cheek, drinking in the sweetness of her sorrow.
“Then it is not to be.” He felt a fleeting pang of regret that they would not share that experience, then smiled at her. “As long as I have you, I am content.”
“But you have to have an heir.”
“There are any number of people in my family who would be happy to be named heir,” he said dryly. “Or perhaps we could adopt.”
“You really don’t mind?”
“No.”
“And you’re not going to put me aside so you can have a family with a Mafanan female?”
“That’s what you thought?” He suppressed a groan as he realized how she had interpreted the documents, then leaned down until their faces were only inches apart and looked directly into her eyes. “Listen very closely. I love you, Kate. I will never put you aside. Not for a Mafanan or any other female in the galaxy.”
“You really love me?”
“More than life itself.”
A tremulous smile quivered on her lips. “I love you too.”
Triumph roared through him as his moa prepared to emerge, but a sudden thought interrupted. He scooped her up in his arms, ignoring her faint murmur of protest, and headed for the door.
“What are you doing?” She stared up at him as he glided rapidly towards the water.
“A traditional Mafanan bonding ceremony is always consummated in the water.”
“You mean have sex in the water?”
The sweetness of her arousal perfumed the air.
“Beneath the water,” he corrected. “I will breathe for you.”
The waves curled around his feet as they reached the ocean, but he curbed his impatience long enough to repeat the words he had uttered to her that first day in the cave.
“I will provide for you in all things and protect you against all others. I will treat you with the utmost respect. You will belong only to me. And I will belong only to you.”
“I will belong only to you, and you will belong only to me.” Her smile lit up her face. “I love you, A’tai.”
“I love you, my Kate. Are you ready?”
“And very willing.”
His mouth closed over hers as soon as she finished talking, and he sprang forward into the water. Her arms and legs wrapped around him, clinging as tightly as his limbs, and her soft little tongue stroked his. He propelled them through the water, already knowing the perfect place to take her. He just hoped he could last until then as she writhed eagerly in his arms.
A cluster of rocks formed an underwater grotto at the far end of the beach. The moon shone down into the water, turning it into green crystal. More of the susulu clung to the rocks, adding their own soft pink glow. He came to a halt in the center of the grotto, moving just enough to maintain their position as he committed every moment to memory—the soft warmth of her body, her sweetness perfuming the water, the way she clung to him and her tongue entwined with his.
Her arms tightened around his neck, and she moved restlessly against his stomach, trying to stimulate her pleasure button. He was only too happy to assist, sliding a limb between their bodies and closing firmly around the heated nub. She cried out into his mouth and more of her sweetness flooded the water. His engorged moa eagerly sipped at her essence, but he was determined not to rush this moment. He let the tip of a limb slip inside her channel instead, the exquisitely tight heat causing him to groan.
She wiggled impatiently and even though he knew it was only a sign of her impatience, his body responded instinctively, locking her into the mating position and holding her open for his penetration. He wanted to experience every part of her body from her luscious breasts to her delicious cunt. He wrapped his limbs around her, his suckers tasting every inch of her skin. As he withdrew his limb from her channel, he let the slick tip probe at the delicate pucker of her anus. She jerked, but then he felt the heat of her nectar swirling between them. Triumph filled him. He would have all of her.
And then, when they were as entwined as it was possible to be, he finally let his moa enter her. She climaxed as soon as he entered, and her hot little channel never stopped pulsing as he filled her over and over again, until his seed finally roared through his moa and exploded into her, a rush of heated ecstasy.
She continued to quiver around him as they floated in the clear green depths, still locked together. He could taste her tears, sweeter than the ocean water, even as she clung to him. He rose to the surface so that they could speak. Their lips finally parted, and she took a deep breath. Her cheeks were wet, her eyes shining, and her smile radiant.
“I love you, A’tai.”
“I love you too, my Kate.”
He swam slowly back to their home, completely happy as she nestled against him.
The next day, she discovered the cause of the damaged algae.
