He stayed silent for as long as she played with his tail. In the end, he started to speak softly.
"I have waited all my life for you. I wish to ask you something..." he trailed off. "Can I court you?"
Like in the Victorian era?
She was intrigued by the man but fairly disgruntled about the world she had been brought to. Letting a man court her simply because he reminded her of a loved pet didn't mean she could overcome the circumstance that led her to this planet. Moreover, a traumatic one.
But Logan was sweet and earnest. She understood why he cut off his cousin's tail and presented it to her. He wanted to woo her with it like cats bring their owners prey. She realized that she would like to get to know him better before judging him.
He had done everything within his custom and beyond to make her feel happy and adored. How could she ignore that?
"I don't know about courting, but I would like to get to know you better," she said in an equally soft voice.
His eyes glimmered as his tail danced in the air behind his head. "Yes," he said. In his books that was what courting was. Getting to know one another with the intention of marriage in mind.
"It's very late already. We should get some sleep."
She looked towards the depression in the room and nodded. She climbed in comfortably and cuddled against a pillow. To her surprise, he jumped in beside her.
"Why are you..." she stammered.
"This is our nest," he replied matter-of-factly.
Her mind blanked as she thought about it.
"That doesn't seem appropriate," she stated softly after a long minute of thinking. She couldn't ask him to sleep on the ground when this was his room, to begin with, so she should be the one who should leave, right?
She was about to get up when he stopped her by grabbing her forearm. "Don't worry. Our culture doesn't allow us to inappropriately touch women before we are mated." She turned to him in stunned silence. "I know that Earth has different rules and women are treated very poorly. Our culture frowns upon such behavior. I will treat you with utter respect." He paused and glanced towards the entrance door. "If you wish, Nin can stay in the room and protect you. She'll make sure I don't touch you inappropriately."
She wanted to protest immediately. She would rather stay in his presence than the creature that looked like a pokemon... and not in a cute way. And she didn't want someone watching her sleep. That was where she drew the line.
"No, I don't want her in the room. But where does she sleep?" she asked curiously.
"Just outside. As she was sitting the last time you saw her." Ellis started to object but then quickly realized that that could be the position in which Nin's species slept best. She wasn't going to invite Nin into the bed, either. So she kept her mouth shut.
One alien in the bed was enough.
"It's good for us to sleep in the same bed. For Zotheans, it is a way to get familiar with the presence of their mate. For you, you can become comfortable being around me without fear."
She had sexual partners before, none of them hung around after the act so she had never slept with anyone beside her. Maybe when someone doesn't want to sleep with you, even your long term high school boyfriend, you should realize they are just not that into you.
Logan pressed a button on the remote and a man entered, taking his place by the depression, his head bowed. Ellis quickly understood that this was a Koln by the shorter height and stubbed tail. He was still a big man with wide shoulders and muscled arms, but next to Logan, he seemed small.
"Fetch the Empress her sleeping clothes," Logan ordered.
The Koln hurried away towards the dressing room.
"I don't need someone waiting on me," she protested.
Logan looked a little confused. "But we have a Koln to make our lives easier."
Ellis had to think about how she worded the next part. According to Laurel, slaves were common on this planet and she wouldn't be able to change anyone's mind the day she arrived. "I don't mind walking around to fetch my things. I am not used to people waiting on me."
Logan was perplexed. "Well, the Koln can do it for you now. You don't have to do anything anymore. It's part of being protected and taken care of by your mate." Maybe in his head, this reason was enough.
Showing her he was powerful because of how many slaves he owned or how lavish her life was meant nothing to her. If he was the one protecting and cherishing her, why would all these people need to do it on his behalf?
But this argument wasn't something she could win tonight. Ellis chose a simpler path. "What's his name?" she asked.
Now, Logan looked slightly confused and worried. "Why? Does it matter?" In his mind, he wondered if the features of the Koln was more appealing to Ellis. If the shorter height and lack of strength reminded her of her human males that she spent her life with.
This distressed him greatly. His tail lay flat beside him as he pondered on these things.
"You don't know?" She was stunned. "How long has he worked for you?"
'Worked,' that was an understatement.
"Five years, maybe?" he answered. Ellis glanced at his tail and softened her tone.
"And you never asked for his name?" That was the fundamental part of someone's being. Their name was how people saw them. If no one knew the Koln's name, how did they call him?
"I'm sorry," Logan apologized quickly even though he didn't know what he was apologizing for. Ellis reigned in her surprise and shook her head. He was just saying this because she looked displeased. This was not how one's mind could be changed.
The Koln returned and knelt before Ellis, holding the clothes up. She took them from him and thanked him. "What is your name?"
"Arkan, Empress," the man replied, his eyes planted on the floor.
"Well, Arkan, thank you," she said again.
"You may leave," Logan ordered firmly, his eyes never leaving Ellis.
She stood up wordlessly, taking the clothes with her to the bathroom. She was happy that she could clothe herself, unlike people in the monarchy who had handmaidens to do it for them. She pulled the tunic over her head and realized something. She was not wearing any underwear, and Arkan had not brought any either.
Good thing she hated sleeping in her underwear. Bad thing her boobs would be perking up around Logan, the man who wanted to mate with her. She made a mental note to ask Laurel about the lack of undergarments thing.
The material of the nightwear was extremely soft and she had to stroke her fingers over it multiple times to understand what it was. It was a nice grey color. She folded her previous clothes and put them under the sink, making a mental note to find out how she was supposed to do laundry.
When she returned to the main room she saw Logan already changed into pants that looked similar to her. Actually, they seemed to be a matching set. His chest was bare and beautifully muscular. Ellis noticed with shock that he had no nipples. What an odd thing to notice when you could see prominent abs on a man.
He was waiting for her at the edge of the depression. She stepped down into the mass of pillows and laid on her back stiffly. Logan nestled himself down beside her, moving the pillows around until he was nestled comfortably beside her. He pulled her body into his own, molding his frame to hers.
With the snap of his fingers, the lights dimmed down. If she were to awaken at night, she would be able to see where she was. It just wasn't enough to disturb her sleep.
She remained awake for a long time. In the end, she had to admit that having him cuddled up against her felt nice. She felt like the chosen one. Her family, though strict, had never shown physical affection. She had never received a proper hug from anyone.
She discovered that this warm touch was comforting. Her ear was so near his chest that she could practically hear the soft thump of his heart. His face was snuggled into the hollow between her shoulder and neck and his breathing tickled her ear.
A soft but distinct rumble shook their bodies. She belatedly and much to her shock realized that he was purring. She held in a chuckle as she listened to his even breathing and the distinctive sound of his pleasure, softly lulling her to sleep. As she drifted off, Ellis thought it was a great thing that she adored cats.
"Ellis," she heard someone call her. In her sleepy state, she hummed and pushed her head deeper into the pillow. When her name was called again, she groaned and covered her head with another pillow. Something tickled er nose and she tried to turn her head to get rid of it. Unfortunately, it followed her.She cracked her eye open and saw the tip of Logan's tail had slipped under the pillow and was teasing her nose. She pulled the pillow away and saw Logan sitting up beside her. His eyes twinkled with mischief; he looked so playful that her morning crankiness melted away in an instant. She smiled at him and wanted to pat his head like she would a cat."Time to wake up already?""Yes!" Laurel said from behind her. Ellis turned around and saw her standing at the edge of the depression. She grinned at Ellis, careful not to show her teeth. "You two look very cozy. I'm almost sorry to tear you apart!" she said. Ellis blinked and let out a giggle of amusemen
"I have a feeling Zotheans don't take baths, so this is a privilege only humans have." She chuckled. Laurel nodded in approval."You really are highly intelligent and adaptable." She had wonder in her voice. "It's rather weird. They take dust baths," Laurel giggled.Logan smelled pretty good, so those must have worked."You let Logan court you." The words were said more as a statement. "Good on you.""Well, he said it was like dating. As a teenager, I always thought if I could date a man who had the soul of a cat, so...""Well. You like cats but usually, women aren't able to resist Zotheans. And Logan... he's a wonderful guy. If you take him as your mate, he'll make sure you get everything you want to make you happy.""I could see that he gets upset when he thinks I am dissatisfied," Ellis told her. "I was a little shocked by the whole slave thing.""Be careful about that," Laurel warned in a low voice. "
"Today, the special market will sit, so it's the best day to take you around," Logan said softly.Ellis peered around at the open market. Stalls littered the road, covered by tarps to protect from the weather. It seemed so much like a flea market that Ellis felt right at home. People flocked the stalls and bargained and she even recognized some of the alien species from the dinners.Ellis tried her best not to stare but did peek at the aliens often.No one recognized them and for that Ellis was thankful. When she looked back, she could see that the Koln had accumulated a lot of paper in his hands. She shrugged and kept looking. Logan took her closer to the stalls so that she could look and read the signs aloud to her and explained what they were."What is that?" she asked, pointing towards an item that Logan had skipped.Logan twitched. "A tail extender," he said, filled with embarrassment. "Guaranteed to extend the length a
"You are cold." Logan frowned when he saw her cheeks flush with the chill. He brushed his finger over her cheek."It's fine," Ellis argued, unwilling to leave the market. She was learning so much about their culture from this trip to the market.Logan grabbed her wrist and led her away from the market. "We will get you inside and warm. Don't worry, you will enjoy it."The buildings they passed were tall but the walls were surrounded by decorative plans and grass, making a vertical wall garden on each building. She remembered her home town and how crowded and polluted it was and had to marvel at this well-planned city. The only litter on the floor were the fallen leaves.They finally reached their destination after walking for a few minutes. "It's one of our libraries," Logan informed her as they went into a set of doors.The man behind the desk didn't look up as he instructed them, "Please leave your Koln outside." Logan glanced t
"We have a council meeting after this. I would like for you to join me," Logan told her when they stopped at their apartment. She was made to change into a more formal looking tunic and Logan matched her. Logan even put a matching tiara on her head.Ellis felt very much like a Disney princess. She looked at herself in the mirror and had to appreciate how good she looked.Through the winding hallways they walked, Logan told her about how the Council representing different ministries came to a decision and then presented it to the Emperor for him to sign or discard."The political framework seems easy but the relationships are difficult. Most of these people have been members since my parents were on the throne, so they consider me a youngling. It's hard to earn their respect.""I understand," Ellis replied. She meant to observe and say nothing. She had no power at the moment, so she couldn't voice her opinions.Nin strode forward a
“Get up,” a female voice called. Ellis swam out of sleep and pushed herself upright, glaring at Laurel. Every morning, Laurel would barge into their room and wake her up for the daily bath. Ellis and Logan usually played a very complex game somewhat like chess late into the night and usually spoke about their childhood and education, all small talk, and went to sleep so late that Ellis was barely functioning any longer.“I hate you,” Ellis muttered. “Why are you so energetic so early in the morning?” She made a face of disgust.The nest was warm and soft and sleeping beside Logan was a novelty. Every morning she would fake sleep for a few more moments to listen to his heartbeat and his body shaking with his purrs before waking up fully and facing the world. Usually, in his sleeping state, he would stroke her back and hair.He was fascinated by her hair for
Ellis lay limply in the hot bath, staring at a woman who was clearly pregnant. As she stared, a sudden thought passed her head. Her period had yet to come. A sliver of fear passed through her that she was pregnant before her rational brain reminded her that she had not had sex for a really long time.Then she remembered that she had been taken by aliens. So, nothing was impossible."Laurel?" she whispered. The other hummed. "I haven't had my period yet. Am I pregnant?" Laurel turned to her with a peculiar look."Do I have to go over the birds and bees with you?" she asked."Well, maybe you should," Ellis hissed. "Did they plant a baby in me or something?" She probed around her body to check for any newly formed bumps."No, it is the same insert pendrive in Slot A thing. Your period won't come. Something about genetic coding. Some earlier women get their period every four or five months, but apart from that, the new com
Ellis couldn't help but wonder how she ended up in this odd situation. Laurel was on her knees in front of Ellis (who was as naked as the day she was born), painting designs on her body."Why are you drawing?" Ellis whispered, feeling somewhat awkward. They were buddies who shared the same pool but this was beyond her comfort zone."It's a tradition," Laurel explained. "Zotheans lick off every single stroke of paint before getting to the real business." Ellis looked at her reflection in her mirror and felt a rush of embarrassment evade her."It sounds so lecherous yet lewd at the same time," she whispered."Oh, that reminds me. They don't understand the whole kissing thing." Ellis chuckled."Don't tell me... they bite." She was joking but Laurel just nodded. Ellis gulped as she remembered Logan's sharp teeth. They were wicked sharp."Don't worry about it." Laurel grinned. "Their bodily fluids act like hero