Caught Between Two Blue Aliens - Celia Kyle Page 0,53

that will still be the case with a human Oso?

Imagine if it isn’t? Sevith questioned, his heart pounding a little faster and his smile growing as he watched Jenna pause for a moment to stare down at Earth from the starboard window, fidgeting with a strand of hair. We’d fill her with our seed and keep her belly swollen with our offspring often enough to have an entire fleet to ourselves.

Don’t tempt me, Hiren replied, and Sevith glanced over and saw his Bahn grinning out of the corner of his eye before stealing his own glance at Jenna. And don’t tempt her, either. We don’t yet know how a human will deal with two Drokten.

You’ve smelled the desire on her. Haven’t you? Sevith questioned while tapping on a screen.

I have, Hiren answered with a hungry undertone that resonated with Sevith. But she is small and frail, quite unlike our own females.

But tall for a human, Sevith answered. I think she is sturdy enough to handle our lust.

We’ll have to see, Hiren mused. I do not want to hurt her. Then his Bahn walked over from his own station to stand nearby and he said out loud. “Anything interesting in your messages?”

“Zignill sightings in the usual regions,” Sevith said disinterestedly, looking back down at his screen. “A few promotions to approve, two cases of disciplinary action that are already taken care of. More notes from our scientific teams on Earth’s dirty atmosphere. You?”

“The same, more or less…” Hiren started, but he trailed off. Sevith glanced over at his Bahn and saw that he was staring at their Oso again. Sevith followed his gaze to see Jenna was on the move. And apparently, Hiren found her a lot more interesting than the work he’d been trying to get Sevith to focus on.

Jenna was now peering over the shoulder of an officer in the middle of reviewing reports on soil samples from the planet’s surface. The male glanced over his shoulder at Jenna, who tore her eyes away from his screen to grin sheepishly up at him and give a quick hello before moving to the next station. The officers were perplexed but polite and let her examine their work and ask questions.

I feel your jealousy, Hiren remarked.

Heh. She is acting very…friendly, Sevith replied tersely.

She will be an excellent presence on the ship, then, Hiren assured him. Do not forget, humans seem to be more welcoming and sociable than Drokten. I would not read into her actions as anything more than good-natured friendliness.

Sevith grumbled and shifted in his seat, watching her chat with another pair of still-unmated male communications officers at the far end of the bridge. They were too far away to hear directly, but their smiles made Sevith as curious as he was restless. Those two officers happened to be some of the finest the fleet had ever seen. They wouldn’t be serving aboard his ship otherwise. That also made them very desirable mates, however, and he didn’t like his Oso spending too much time around them prior to the confirmation of their triad bond. He’d yet to claim his female and it had him on edge.

Sevith glared at them with a stony expression but then looked down at his panel and tapped open the communication channel on the officers’ station.

Hiren rolled his eyes. Is that necessary?

Yes. Shut up and listen with me.

“…really, that far?” Jenna’s voice was saying, sounding a little breathless in wonder.

“Yes, with seven relays between them,” the Bahn said helpfully. “Drokten long-distance travel is usually more efficient, but Earth is a relatively new addition to the grid, from our perspective.”

“Oh, so you might even be able to make the trip in less time eventually?” she asked.

“Very likely so, yes,” the Azi said. “Especially if we can negotiate a trade contract with your planet. That is why you have not seen Drokten goods flooding your cities yet. One day, Earth merchants will be able to sell your flowers and other products to a wider market too.”

“Are there already Drokten merchant ships inbound?” she asked, eyes wide.

“Indeed,” their Azi said, smiling too widely for Sevith’s liking. “Though, only to do business with the fleet for the time being. A war fleet is good for business.”

Sevith tore himself from the console and started making his way toward the group, deciding Jenna had visited with the crew long enough. Why was she asking such invasive questions like that? She was starting to sound like Secretary Wells and his endless questions about