Scaled Heart: A SciFi Alien Romance (Project: F5 Book 2) by Jade Waltz (ereader android .TXT) 📕

to keep him there. I needed to see his reaction to know if he felt the same.

“Knowing that I may never be able to provide you with offspring and that in the future, I may have to run off to rescue one of my daredevil siblings, do you want me to be your nestqueen?”

He closed his eyes and placed his forehead to mine. “If you will do the honor to take me as the male I am.”

Closing my eyes, I slid my hands into his grey anemone-like hair, brushing the cool strands between my fingers and slammed my mouth to his. We gave each other a series of a gentle, teasing caresses, getting more longer and heated with each kiss.

I gave myself to his mercy as he sealed our souls together in a cosmic dance. He held the reigns in this exchange; I was his, ready to learn how to be with an Ulax male, as he was willing to learning how to be with me.

A slight pop sounded within me as a flood of foreign emotions filled my mind.

Acceptance. Desire. Honor.

He snuggled me into his chest as his kisses deepened with each press. My knees felt weak and my insides felt alive. His emotions were filling a void I’d never known before with a need for more.

Something awoke deep within me and I growled, gripping his strands between my fingers and tugging hard.

He gasped.

My tongue dove in, slipping past two rows of sharp teeth to tangle with his long, thin tongue. Knowing I wasn’t the only dangerous person in the room thrilled me.

I had my AI system, gadgets, and weapons, but his body was a honed weapon even without a warrior’s training. He was lean yet corded with strong muscles and his tentacle suction cups were equipped with one of the galaxy’s deadliest toxins.

Yet I wasn’t afraid.

His lack of a shortened name didn’t deter me; I didn’t care that he wasn’t of the warrior caste. No, his healer profession matched mine, making him that much more attractive.

He moaned, squeezing me tighter as our tongues danced clumsily. I didn’t care that we were both inexperienced. We had enough time to grow comfortable with this newfound intimacy.

Pulling away, he stared at me in wonder.

“You have never… been kissed? How?”

“I didn’t see the point in being with someone that I would never see again.” Shrugging, I released my hold on his hair. I could feel my cheeks burn and didn’t want to know what color my hair was. I had forgotton what Selena said about how her Circuli nestmates could easily pick up her loud thoughts. Breathing out, I opened my eyes to see Chyox looking at me apologetically and sighed. “While my sisters crave attention, I would rather focus on my research and worry about settling down once things… calm down.” I aimlessly traced the scales along his shoulders, enjoying how they felt under my fingertips. “There is nothing wrong with what my sisters do for entertainment; I just would rather read a datacube.”

“There is nothing wrong with that,” he breathed. “It’s not like the Circuli can sleep around as we search for a mate. Our sole focus is finding a home and establishing ourselves within a clan. We are dependent on the mental web we are bound to, the nestqueen we belong to, and the rank we hold in our clan. The Aldawi and Quaww also have different, strange mating practices compared to other species in the galaxy. If being around demihumans has taught me anything, it is how simple your sexuality can be.”

His mouth pursed and he gritted his teeth as his grip jerked.

“I hope you don’t think me weak, but I haven’t carried anything heavier than one of Selena’s cubs for a long time. I’m afraid I am not a warrior, so my ability to hold you like this is beginning to slip.”

“You didn’t need to ravish me against a wall to let me know that you want me as your nestqueen,” I chuckled, squeezing his shoulder. “Now, put me down before you collapse. Don’t strain yourself trying to do something you’ve seen others do.”

Carefully, his tentacles guided him as he leaned down, placing me on the floor, his appendages slowly unraveling from my limbs. Once I was safely freed, he took a deep breath, exhaustion flooding his face.

“Have I claimed you now? What else do I need to do to make you mine?”

His tired violet eyes scanned the length of my body as he smiled brightly, revealing his sharp teeth.

“Nothing. We have successfully formed a courting bond. I will become permanently yours once you accept my mating spores. Until then, I am only temporally claimed.”

“I don’t know if I feel your exhaustion leaking through or mine, but I’m drained from everything that has happened today. Can we retire for the night and discuss our new bond tomorrow over breakfast?” I covered my mouth and yawned. “Or am I moving too fast?”

“You want me to share your bed?”

“Isn’t that normal? From what I’ve read about your species’ bonds and heard from Selena, we are supposed to move in together.”

“No, you’re right.”

Grabbing his hand, I gently tugged him toward my room.

“Then let’s get some well-earned sleep.”

Ten

CHYOX

Her mind was like a drop of water; no matter from what angle I gazed upon it, I found something slightly different than before. How I wanted to wrap myself around her and protect her from the universe, and yet, she didn’t need me to.

She was a shielder—a strong one—and I could already feel the effects of her mental power through our courting bond. I couldn’t fathom how it would feel once she decided to seal our fates and strengthen our mental thread permanently.

Instead of the golden thread Selena shared with her nestmates, Kaica’s matched the color of her mental shield and her intelligent eyes, a light blue.

I wondered why Kaica’s matched her eyes, yet Selena’s didn’t. Perhaps it was related to her adaptive abilities. I would look