Surprise Mates. Grace Goodwin
one.”
Lindsey took the comm back as the queen hurried down and was lost in the crowd of excited females.
“Must be a very formal Earth custom for the queen to request it for her birthing day gift.”
Lindsey took a deep breath and scanned the edge of the room where dozens of males stood looking fierce, intimidating, deadly… and confused as hell. “You heard the queen, gentlemen. Line up. Straight rows. Cover the dance floor. This is for the queen’s birthday gift.”
When the males grumbled and didn’t move fast enough, Prime Nial moved to stand at the front of the room, Ander next to him. Ander’s scowl was enough to encourage every slow foot.
“Fuck.”
“Let’s go, your lordship. Looks like even you aren’t getting out of this.” Sambor clipped me on the back, hard, and stepped forward to take his place in one of the lines. Full armor. Weapon. The works, since he was here as my personal guard and we’d both come directly from a day of meetings at IC Command. Next to him, a petite female in a sparkling gown and Atlan mating cuffs twirled and giggled in anticipation. On her other side, a freakishly monstrous cyborg with matching cuffs hovered protectively, clearly as confused as Sambor and I by the upcoming ritual.
By the gods, I hoped this line dance ceremony did not take too long. I had a warm bed waiting, since tomorrow would be another busy day at IC Command. Duty came first, as ambassador, in work and at events like these that were meant for pleasure. It was hard to relax after spending the day with Helion, the head of IC, and knowing another stressful day would follow in the morning. No doubt Sambor—and Lord Ander, who’d been part of the Prillon Prime contingency—agreed. But as the guest of honor’s second mate, this held more satisfaction for Ander, meaning more disappointment at dawn when he would have to leave his mate’s bed.
I stood next to Sambor and paid no attention to the bodies lining up next to us, behind us. The queen and her two mates were in the front row. If Prime Nial and Lord Ander were participating in this human ritual, there was no excuse not to.
Lindsey pointed to various females and warriors in the room to give instructions. Move there. Stand here. You two, back one row. It went on for about a minute until she was satisfied with the appearance and placement of everyone in the room.
“Good.” She looked at the comm tech. “Let me get in line and then start. Okay?”
He nodded gravely, as if she’d given him a life-or-death order, then watched as she scrambled to stand next to the Elite Hunter she’d identified as hers a few moments ago.
Being a worthy male, he kissed her senseless before the music started.
I approved. If a male was going to claim a female for his own, he’d damn well better take excellent care of her. That included kissing her into dazed submission as often as possible.
The comm tech looked to Lindsey, who nodded. Then to the queen, who nodded as well. My entire being tensed in dread as he reached forward and activated the strange human music again. This was a different song. A stringed instrument filled the air with a pounding beat behind it as the females all clapped along.
“Perhaps this version has no voicing,” Sambor mused.
We were not to be so lucky.
“Follow along, everyone. And one-two-three-four!” Lindsey shouted.
On the next beat, the ladies stepped forward. Then backward. The males scrambled to imitate the movements, but none of us had a clue what was happening next.
“This is strange, Nik. But at least they are all moving together now.”
Sambor was right. The ladies moved as one, stomping, clapping. Running into the males.
Laughing.
The human voice spoke words that made no sense.
“…tell my lips to tell my fingertips…”
The whining male’s voice seemed to repeat over and over in a strange cadence that was singularly annoying. “Why would a male speak to his own fingertips?” I asked. “Human males make no sense.”
Sambor, who seemed to be learning the steps with an ease that made me want to trip him, grinned as he executed a perfect turn on his heel. “The male’s heart is aching and breaking. However, the ladies seem to enjoy the idea of a male in pain.”
As the song repeated a lyric about a male’s heart blowing up inside his own body and killing him, the ladies stomped in unison, yelled out with excitement and clapped before starting the whole thing over again.
“Human females are, apparently, a bloodthirsty and merciless species when it comes to mating,” I muttered.
Sambor nodded in agreement. “And I thought Prillon females were ruthless.”
Two Atlan Warlords rammed into each other, one letting out a bellow of irritation seconds before his mate whirled into his arms and pulled him away. Then there was Commander and Lady Karter. She had the moves down, and beside her, Karter himself had picked it up. He was moving to the music and… fuck, he was enjoying himself. When he spun around in a circle, I saw the pleasure alighting his face.
Who would have guessed that Commander Karter could dance?
“To the right!” Lindsey shouted.
As one, the ladies turned to face the right, and Sambor and I hurried to keep pace. I was not going to humiliate myself by running into…
“Oh!”
Softness. A squeal. A small human female fell toward me after I’d run into her like a giant Atlan oaf.
“My lady! My apologies.” I caught her in my arms, and she pressed into my chest, the dark green and gold gown she wore fluttering about my legs as the forward momentum of her fall had her softness, her feminine scent enveloping me completely.
I forgot to move with the group, staring down into a pair of bright green eyes. Her hair was a halo of auburn fire, and there was a small gold ring teasing me where it pierced the delicate flesh of her adorable little nose. I blinked, frozen as if stunned by an ion pistol.
Was she from Trion? The piercing made me wonder, but her gown was not typical of that planet’s females. Nor did I feel piercings or a chain where the hard pebbles of her nipples pressed into my chest. Gods help me, she was beautiful, and my body responded with instant demand. My cock hardened, and my pulse pounded while I fought for control. Where was her mate? Her protector? I knew I should look around for a male who would be eager to take her from me, but I could not move.
She smiled up at me, her fair cheeks coloring under my attention to a perfect pink that matched her lips. Her full, open lips. I stood frozen, unable to look away.
“Sorry.” Her breathless apology made my cock jump as the tremble in her voice was all I needed to imagine hearing that aching struggle for air under different circumstances… like when I filled her with my cock as Sambor held her in place for my claiming. When she was well pleasured, mindless with need, he would take her from behind as I held her body locked to mine, as we made her ours.
Fuck. I was insane. Right now there was most likely a pair of Prillon warriors or an Atlan Warlord preparing to remove my head from my body for holding her like this.
Close. Feet off the floor. In my arms and under my protection as if she were mine.
Sambor rammed into us from the side.
I threw an elbow to protect the small female in my arms from the armored giant, and he flew backward, landing with a thud against the Atlan who lifted his mate out of the way with a speed I’d learned to appreciate on the battlefield.
The Atlan bellowed a warning. Sambor landed in a crouched position, snarling back.
“Rezzer, I’m fine.” The female reached up and placed her palm on the Warlord’s cheek. Instantly he calmed. She turned her gaze to me