Page 7 of The Thren's Fated

Does it matter what he’s here for? He’s the same as all the locals at the old bar on Earth. He just wants to get into your pants.

The thought sent a shudder down her spine, and she wasn’t sure if it was a good shudder or a bad one.

Would she really have sex with an alien if one were interested in her?

No, she didn’t have anything against interspecies intimacy and relationships, it was more the fact that she’d been celibate for over a year now, since she’d stopped letting sleazy dudes take her home from the bar. There’d been some harmless flirting while on the clock at Ochin’s, but nothing beyond the friendly banter she’d come to expect from the regular patrons.

God, her body was ready, electrified with arousal from just the Thren’s touch, but she couldn’t go to bed with the first potential partner she met, could she? There was no sense in rushing into things—casual or not—or doing something she couldn’t take back.

What if this guy ended up being a regular at Ochin’s? That would certainly make things uncomfortable. She didn’t think she’d seen him before, but it was difficult to tell, as the Threns were a fairly homogenous species.

Perhaps he’d been on Botune for leave. He could easily be a station employee or someone who passed through often for business. Or here for the Peace Accords, like she’d originally surmised.

It was all a moot point anyway. He probably wasn’t even interested in her.

She was out of her prime by human standards—at least that was what Greg had told her after she’d rejected his advances one night at the bar—and she couldn’t imagine why an alien would see it differently.

You’re not pretty enough. You’re not good enough. You’re too awkward.

Awkward was an understatement. She always laughed too loud or said something she regretted. Or watched as someone’s eyes glazed over halfway through a conversation with her. She couldn’t help but get the sinking feeling that everyone was pitying her, that even her casual friends she’d met on Henios really hated her deep down.

The voice had lived inside her for as long as she could remember, speaking with certainty as if it knew her better than anyone else ever could.

But somehow, all the thoughts threatened to melt away as the Thren stared at her, his eyes rarely blinking, which was both comforting and eerie at the same time. Possessive. Like he wanted to eat her whole. Those sharp teeth could definitely do the trick. And why was she thinking about him eating her?

As they danced, a pink tongue flicked out of his mouth—or rather, tongues. It was as if it had been split down the middle, but each half was thick and moving independently of the other side. And in a flash, all manner of erotic images zipped through her mind, the lingering one being her spread eagle on a bed while the Thren played between her legs.

Shit. Could he tell that she was wet? Some aliens had a very keen sense of smell, and the thought that this stranger knew that her mind was already in the gutter was mortifying.

Before she could analyze his expression, he spun her around and pulled her flush to his chest, which took the breath from her lungs. He interlaced his fingers with hers, his other hand still firmly clasped around her waist, tentacles tangling in her hair and the straps of her low-cut dress.

Lena was dizzy, the flashing lights and the warm squeeze of his body overwhelming her. They swayed to the thrumming beat, rocking with the rest of the crowd, and she ground her ass against him, unsure if he even had the type of reproductive anatomy that was compatible with hers.

Now, why was she wondering if he had an alien dick?

Oh, she definitely felt something, a distinct mound against her lower back, though it was impossible to know what type of reproductive appendage it might be without further research.

Research she’d do on her console, of course, not something she’d investigate firsthand.

A tentacle slithered down her body until it reached the bare skin of her legs, tickling her flesh before sliding out of sight. Every nerve alighted with flames, the tentacle brushing along her inner thigh, the public act of wantonness so shameful and yet she didn’t care. She should put a stop to this, most certainly. She should, but she couldn’t bring herself to, enjoying the way it felt to be in his arms.

No one noticed them either way—busy with their own revelries—and she rolled her hips instinctively, the tentacle petting across her panties and sending a jolt up her spine. Well, now he certainly knew she was wet, heightened olfactory sense or not, but it didn’t matter.

Nothing mattered beyond the sensation of him stroking across the fabric in time with the music, tension building as the song crescendoed.

It had been far too long since she’d orgasmed with someone instead of her handy toys, but the thought of it happening right here on the dance floor exhilarated and horrified her. She was safe in her cocoon, the Thren’s body encasing her, tentacles squeezing her in a way that made it feel like they were one being.

As if sensing her tensing muscles, he picked up his pace, circling her clit under her dress and forcing a gasp from her lips.

Lena was in a haze of arousal, her breath quickening as she realized she was nearing her peak. With a shake of her head, she grasped the tentacle, pulling it from under her dress and squirming out of the Thren’s grasp. He released her with a scowl as she turned to face him, her entire body flushed with heat.

“I, uh, should probably go,” she shouted, trying to catch her breath and hoping the male would hear.

Oh, God, as awkward as ever, but there was definitely something off. She was woozy, like she’d already taken her meds tonight, in that strange dream-like space before sleep overtook her.

Clearly something was wrong with her, because she’d been about to orgasm for the entire nightclub to see while an alien had his tentacle between her legs.

Before he could answer, she stumbled toward the edge of the dance floor, desperate to escape the uncomfortable encounter. She’d made it weird, like she always did, unable to get her brain and body on the same wavelength.