Captain Gareth's Mates (7 page)

“Having a child would give me great prestige in my community,” she said wistfully. “I suppose it’s much too soon to speak of such things, though.”

“Agreed.”

Content, warm, and more than physically satisfied, Gareth laid back and closed his eyes, stroking her hair until her breathing told him she had fallen asleep. He, too, drifted away a few moments later.

Chapter 6

Gareth jerked awake at some point during the grayness of early morning and was startled to find someone other than Brennar sleeping beside him.

The memories flooded back as the fog of sleep dissipated. Apparently what he had mistaken for a dream really had taken place. He had consummated his marriage and enjoyed doing so. His groin still tingled with the aftermath of at least one climax so fierce it had strained his thigh muscles.

He got to his feet, careful not to rouse Izbal, and found his discarded robe. Without bothering to tie it, he walked outside and gazed up at Anubis’ three moons, still visible in the silvery-pink haze.

It struck him that for the rest of the week he had literally nothing to do. No planetary boundaries to guard, no invasion or smuggling plots to foil. His only assigned duty was to eat the provisions left for them, lounge in bed, and have sex with his new wife as often as he wanted. He had no idea if such forced inertia was something he could get used to, but for Izbal’s sake he had to try.

A short distance from the dwelling, a burbling stream opened into a sweet-smelling lagoon ringed with thick growths of leaves, flowers, and vines. As he approached, he heard a series of tiny splashes as various amphibious creatures traded the lush, overgrown banks for the safety of the water. A swim did seem appealing, and in any case he and Izbal were apparently expected to shower in the waterfall outside their door. This way, they could both wash in privacy.

He reached for the front of his still-open robe and started to shrug it off, planning to stash the garment on a tree limb and plunge in. A crackling in the brush, too loud to come from any of the tiny froglike animals, made him pause and look around. He heard it again—definitely the sound of someone or something heavy, headed right for him.

Hastily Gareth tied his robe and reached over to snap a thick, scale-covered limb off a nearby shrub. He held the branch across his chest, ready to defend himself against a marauding beast or even an angry humanoid if he had to.

The leaves moved in front of him, and a shadow fell across the path he’d blazed only moments before. Gareth dropped into a crouch, holding his makeshift weapon taut and ready. Just as he was about to launch himself forward and gain the advantage of surprise, he stopped.

Brennar stood half concealed behind a bright orange shrub, wielding a stick of similar length and width.

“I thought no one was supposed to disturb the happy couple,” Gareth said, laughing. “How did you find us?”

“Two groups of ten people or more tromping through the brush was not difficult to track,” Brennar replied dryly. He tossed his branch away with a grimace and wiped his hand on his tunic.

“I didn’t think you’d still be on Anubis. I figured you went off with the ship.”

“Acting Captain Erril informed me that she does not require a diplomat in order to conduct a week’s worth of border patrols. Your new father-in-law, however, offered me a room at the keep. I thought it prudent to accept.”

“I hope they treated you right.”

“Yes.” Brennar paused to blush. “In fact...the grand potentate sent a woman to my bed last night.”

Gareth’s brows shot up with interest. So much for Brennar never having been with a human woman, perhaps. “Oh? And?”

“I admit I was curious. You were, after all, on your wedding journey...”

“You don’t owe me any explanation. I only hope you found the encounter agreeable.”

“I believe I did. In truth, I am still processing the experience psychologically. In some respects, I may have disappointed her. I did not actually...ah...enter her, but...she was a professional, if you grasp my meaning.”

“I certainly do.” Gareth smiled. The grand potentate had plenty of wives, but no doubt he kept a small army of concubines at the ready as well. Gareth had to admire the old man’s stamina. “Potent” was the word, all right.

“The entire time, I thought of you,” Brennar confessed with a guilt-stricken expression. Gareth reached out and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“I thought about you, too.”

They walked to the lagoon together and settled themselves on the rocks. For a moment, they gazed at the water, breathing in the fragrant air and thinking.

“The woman who came to me wished to learn more of my physiology,” Brennar said at length. “I suspect she found my appearance more curious than appealing.”

“Well, like you said, she was a professional. I’m sure she’s used to disengaging her emotions to some extent. Don’t take it to heart.”

“She may have been somewhat afraid, too. For all the Anubians know, sex to me might mean something very different than it does to them.”

“True. I’m glad I wasn’t too nervous to find out for myself.”

Brennar smiled and cautiously threaded his fingers through Gareth’s. “You have bedded Izbal?”

It was only partially a question. This time Gareth blushed. “Yes. Do you mind?”

Brennar shrugged. “Of course not. I am sure the temptation was very great. You are only human, after all.”

“I can’t deny that.” Grinning, Gareth stood. He stripped off his robe and tossed it aside in a decisive motion. He was gratified to see that, married man or not, he still inspired undisguised longing in Brennar’s eyes. “Do you swim? Because I’m ready to test these waters, so to speak.”

“Swimming is not a common recreation for Shibans. Instinctively we tend to fear cold water, perhaps due to our sensitive skin. We feel things more intensely than humans do.”

Gareth didn’t miss the hidden meaning in his last observation. “Well, if you decide to join me, I promise to protect you.” With a wink, he raised his arms and launched himself from the highest point of the rock he was balancing on. His body split the clear water, and his graceful dive carried him halfway across the lagoon. He bobbed back up inside a halo of floating flowers.

“It isn’t cold,” he shouted to Brennar. “Trust me. You’ll love it. Come on!”

From his perch on the rocks, Brennar winced and extended a hand until the tips of his fingers were submerged.

“Well?” Gareth urged.

“The temperature is not to my liking, but since you have promised otherwise...”

Gingerly he stood, his legs shaking a little, and began to pull off his tunic and leggings. Gareth floated in the water, watching the naked alien tremble as he psyched himself up enough to take the plunge. Finally, he stretched out one foot in a single, calculated step only to lose his balance and pitch clumsily forward. With a mortified howl, he hit the water sideways and disappeared beneath the surface.

When he reappeared, he was gasping and uttering a series of sounds Gareth interpreted as curses in Brennar’s native tongue. He swam over, struggling not to laugh, and wrapped both arms around Brennar’s waist. They floated together, Brennar clinging to his shoulders and moaning with cold while Gareth rubbed his palms over the lean, bluish body to impart what little warmth he could.

“You...you find this state of immersion agreeable?” Brennar asked in wonder.

“Of course. Plenty of humans would pay good money to frolic in cool, natural water. Some even prefer it colder.”

“Bar—barbaric!” Brennar complained through chattering teeth.

“Give yourself a few minutes,” Gareth advised. “You have to adjust. Maybe this will help.”

He tightened his arms to draw Brennar’s body closer. Then he bent his head and captured the alien’s lips in his own.

The time apart had left them hungry for each other. Recovering from his chill, Brennar devoured his lover’s mouth, snaking his tongue around Gareth’s and squeezing it against his own. Grasping fingers slid down Gareth’s back and clawed at his naked rear end while desperate legs curled around his waist. A strong swimmer, Gareth kept both of them afloat while they kissed and fondled one another. He waded to shore with Brennar still wrapped around him.

Back in the shallows, Gareth leaned Brennar against the rocks with his legs submerged to mid-thigh. Then he knelt and cupped the alien’s soft blue sac in one hand while he used the other to angle his cock into his mouth.

Yes, he thought as he sucked Brennar all the way back to his throat, they’d definitely been separated too long. As much as he’d enjoyed Izbal, and as satisfying as it had been to bury his hard length inside her, Gareth didn’t think he would ever be able to give up his desire for other males and for this one in particular. Though he did experience a flash of guilt when Brennar arched his back and started to climax with the same breathless abandon as his wife, he reminded himself that in a week he and Brennar would leave the planet together. Izbal, presumably, would remain in the only home she’d ever known. His two relationships existed on two different planes, in two different worlds. There was no rational way, or even a need, to compare or reconcile them.

Brennar’s hands gripped the sides of Gareth’s head and held him in place as he began to buck his hips and wail. A hot bullet of alien cream splashed his tongue. Suddenly a distinctly feminine gasp intruded on the rougher sounds generated by their coupling.

The men looked up, startled.

Gareth’s new bride stood only a few yards away, barefoot and wrapped in a robe of her own. She stared at them in total astonishment.

“Izbal.” In a flash, Gareth was out of the water and crossing the bank toward her.

“I...I was just on my way to bathe,” Izbal said when she recovered her voice. “I thought I would look for you first. However, I see that you did not wish to be found.”

Pivoting, she walked stiffly away while Gareth stood, gaping. Soon the bushes swallowed her up.

By then, Brennar had hurried over and placed a comforting hand on Gareth’s shoulder. With the other, he held out the discarded robe. Gareth held it limply at his side. His eyes still followed Izbal, though she had already disappeared from view.

“I was afraid this would happen,” Brennar said. “I should not have come...should not have interfered.”

“No,” Gareth sighed and slid on his robe. “In a way, I’m glad our relationship’s out in the open. I couldn’t have kept it from her anyway.”

“You care about her. I can tell.”

“Does that bother you?”

“No. I expected as much. Strange as it may seem, it only makes me love you more.”

They paused to embrace before heading back to the dwelling. When they got there, Brennar waited outside while Gareth walked in. He found Izbal, freshly bathed and dressed, changing the bedclothes. She pretended not to see him at first, but he waited in the doorway, watching her tuck and smooth each corner with exquisite care. Finally she flung down her work and turned to face him.

Her voice held no anger or reproach, only surprise and confusion.

“He is the one who holds your heart?” She shook her head in wonder when he nodded. “And to think that I imagined...”

“A woman? Yes, I know. I didn’t contradict you when we spoke about this before. I’m sorry. I just didn’t think you would understand.”

“Love between two men is not unknown in my world, though I cannot say it is encouraged. Nonetheless, we do not judge or punish the participants. The sages tell us it is a fact of nature, just as some flowers grow red and others yellow. I do confess that I could not quite imagine such a thing...until now, of course.”

“My situation is a little different from the one you describe. I can’t say I have a strong preference for other males. I simply don’t deny myself when I feel an attraction toward one. I like females as well. One in particular.”

Gareth approached the bed. She didn’t pull away as he slipped one arm around her shoulders and lifted her against his chest. When she looked up at him, he wiped her tears with an index finger.

“Do you hate me?” he asked.

“Of course not. You are my husband. I knew all along that you also had a life before you came to this world. And I must confess I had a clue. During the feast...you and Brennar walked into the forest together. I followed for a bit but turned back. I saw nothing resembling proof, but I wondered.”

“Would you like me to leave this place? I understand you can never trust me again. You can hide the truth from your father, if you wish. I’ll tell him urgent business called me back to the ship. No one will blame you.”

Izbal closed her eyes, and Gareth held her as she wept silently. When she raised her head again, she met his worried gaze with a look of resolution.

“No,” she decided. “I want you to stay. Brennar, too. Clearly love exists between you. Who am I to interfere? Still, I wonder...could there ever be such love between us?”

“I think there already is. An unconventional kind, maybe, but real all the same. I can feel it just as you can.”

She tugged away from him and crossed the room. “No doubt you want to go and be with him.”

“Right now I want to be with you.”