The Gorison Traveler Incident (Veslor Mates #1) Read online

  Goose bumps rose along her arms at the animalistic sound, but she remained still. She had to believe Brassi wouldn’t hurt her.

  It happened fast. He went from being a man to something that resembled a panther from Earth—if it were dark gray, bigger, scarier, and almost human-looking in its facial appearance.

  He climbed onto the end of the bed, standing on all fours, his golden eyes watching her.

  She examined him back, from his big paws with razor-sharp claws, to his thickly muscled limbs, to the broad chest and torso. He had a small tail that whipped back and forth. His teeth were longer now than in his other form, and she was pretty sure he could rip her to shreds if he wanted to. His eyes, though, were the same as Brassi’s as he studied her, as well.

  She shoved the covers down and slowly got to her knees. “Can you understand me?”

  He gave a small nod of his massive head.

  “Can I touch you?”

  He lowered to his stomach, sprawling on the bed.

  Her hand trembled as she reached out. He had to weigh four hundred pounds, at least, and was way bigger than her. Her fingertips brushed his side. The velvety softness was gone from his dark skin; instead he felt smooth but tough.

  “That’s amazing!”

  He flicked his tail, and then, just as swiftly, shifted back into his man form. She jerked her hand back and watched him stretch his body on the bed. He stayed on his stomach though.

  She glanced at his ass; she couldn’t resist. It was muscled and beefy, and looked human in appearance. The tail had disappeared.

  Vivian let out a breath as she collapsed onto her butt.

  “We’re deadlier in that form while fighting. Harder to hurt.”

  “I can understand that. Can you shift if you’re not feeling angry?”

  “It’s triggered by aggressive hormones.”

  She took that for a no. “Can you control your shifts? I mean, of course you can. You just did. What I mean is, if you’re talking to someone and they make you angry, do you just shift, or is it something done at your will?”

  He smiled. “It’s never accidental. We learn control fast when we’re very young.”

  That was fascinating. “You said I needed to make a choice. What does this have to do with it?”

  He held her gaze. “My kind take mates.”

  “You told me that before.” Her heart began to pound. She wasn’t an idiot. He was talking about mating, something about a choice. He needed to tell her more before she assumed anything. It could be a mistake to jump to conclusions, but part of her couldn’t help linking the two of them together.

  Was he about to ask her if she wanted to mate with him? The concept was scary. They barely knew each other.

  “I’m drawn to you, Vivian. Both sides of me are. As a Veslor, I lock on to a female and take her as my mate. I don’t know if we’re compatible…but I want to find out if we are. I showed you both sides of me because we’re an emotional race. We not only live by our emotions, but they rule our bodies.”

  She was speechless, unsure what to say. Lots of questions filled her head.

  “I’m locking on to you. It’s pure instinct and emotion. It means I’m drawn to you strongly. Everything about you appeals to me.”

  “We just met,” she blurted.

  “That’s how it is for Veslors. We feel intense attraction, and it only grows until we fully lock on to a female and claim her.” He searched her eyes with his. “There are no contracts. Just need and desire. I want you, Vivian. Will you allow me to touch you?”

  “Holy shit. You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  He nodded. “I know we’re different but it doesn’t matter to me.” His gaze lowered to her sports bra, and a low growl came from him. “I long to touch you. Taste you. Copulate with you. Claim you…keep you.”

  Her heart pounded faster, and she felt her body responding to his husky, raspy voice. The way he looked at her made her feel warm all over. “I need a shower.”

  His eyes widened. She’d surprised him. Herself, too.

  “I’ll be back.” She shoved off the covers, scrambled off the big bed, and almost ran out of the room and into the bathroom. It was cowardly to flee, but she couldn’t help it. Everything was happening so fast.

  There wasn’t a lock on the door. She stripped out of her sports bra and panties, then figured out how to use the odd shower. They used water aboard the ship. It wasn’t exactly hot, more like tepid. She stood under it, trying to slow her heart, which proved difficult when her thoughts remained on Brassi.

  He wanted to have sex with her! She wasn’t even sure if that was possible. They were two different races. He was so much bigger than her. She should have peeked at his groin when he’d stripped, to discover what he had going on down there.

  She opened a container on the shelf and sniffed the contents. Berries of some sort. She wasn’t sure if it was body wash or shampoo. It didn’t matter. She poured some into her palm, using it to scrub both her hair and skin. Then she rinsed and used the water to cleanse her mouth as best she could. She longed for a toothbrush.

  She turned off the water and used a towel to dry, thankful Brassi hadn’t barged into the bathroom.

  He wanted to mate with her. Make her his. It was crazy. They didn’t know each other well enough to make a lifelong commitment.

  Then again, she had learned a lot about alien cultures. She knew mating practices varied widely.

  The Crezzi were instantly drawn to their mates. They formed bonds for life without even speaking a word to their intended first. It was scent and visual attraction that brought them together. Then they bred eggs, dozens of them, and raised the young together. The Richlings took multiple breeding partners, never forming an emotional bond with anyone but their offspring. Their people were sexually attracted to each other based on strength. The weaker-born of their species never bred. They were turned into something similar to slaves, serving the breeders.

  “Shit.” She stared at the door, apprehension filling her. “I can’t hide in here forever. Think, Vivian.”

  If Veslors were motivated by emotion when choosing their mates, she closed her eyes, trying to be the exact opposite. Rational. She’d been trained to assess other races and to be open-minded. It was her job. Never once, though, did she consider she might be asked to become some alien’s mate.

  Brassi wasn’t just some strange alien, however.

  She opened her eyes. No. Brassi was the guy who’d saved her life and fought the Ke’ters to protect her people. He’d flown his ship back to rescue her when he’d learned Commander Alderson planned to murder her.

  And Brassi was someone she was definitely attracted to, even though he was very different from her kind.

  “Shit.” She took some deep breaths and walked to the door. “I’m not a coward.”

  The door opened, and Brassi stood in the living room. He had put his black pants back on, and he stopped pacing to stare at her.

  “I frightened you. Apologies, Vivian. I didn’t mean to provoke that reaction.”

  “I wasn’t afraid. More overwhelmed. We’re very different, Brassi. Humans do this thing called dating, where we spend time together, slowly getting to know each other. We sometimes spend years dating before deciding to get married.”

  “Years?” He looked shocked, and sounded even more so.

  She nodded. “The shortest span I’ve personally ever known was a month. A couple I know met and married that fast. Then again, they worked on the same team and were basically spending all their time together. After a month, they decided to make it legal. I think mostly they decided to marry because one of them was being reassigned to another fleet ship. They weren’t civilians. Fleet workers go where they’re told and aren’t given an option to say no. The couple didn’t want to be separated, and there’s a clause in fleet contracts that states married couples have the right to be kept together. The contracts ensure they work for the fleet for years at a time, and until that ends, the fleet k