Hey ,

Okay, I've been tooting the Sky Robert horn for a bit, and FINALLY, I have something to give you besides my work-in-progress werewolf smut on Inkitt!

SMEXY COVER!

That's right, I got the cover back from 100covers! They did a much better job than I ever could. I'll show you what I mean:

It's not that my version was horrible... but was it as sexy as the one I bought... certainly not! Low cover skills to WAY better cover skills!

Please take a moment to add Jewel of the Alien Bandit to your Goodreads:

Jewel of the Alien Bandit: A Sci Fi Alien Fated Mates Romance by S.M. McCoy | Goodreads

Okay, so I wanted to email to let you know the plan for the Trillume universe.

Jewel of the Alien Bandit, previously Jewel of Estreldez, is part of the alien-alien fated mates romances, so both MCs are humanoid aliens. And then the Her Alien Exchange, same universe will be the start of the alien-human fated mates. All stand-alone romances, but set within the same universe and having an overarching plot happening. No, you don't have to read them in any particular order, but they are enjoyable to read in succession, as the universe unfolds.

Here's a sneak peek at Her Alien Exchange, which will be a newsletter exclusive! This story will only be available to people on my newsletter list! Coming in December, (Probably next week! So, keep an eye out!) as a present to everyone!

What if Earth had an alien host exchange program for humans?

Question: Do you prefer your paperbacks in 5x8 or 6x9, currently more people have said they enjoy the 5x8 size more. Are you one of those people?

Continue below to start reading the first few chapters and keep an eye out for the email I'll be sending to get the ARC of Jewel of the Alien Bandit once edits are finished. I currently have the book out to 11 AWESOME typokillers who are plugging away, and helping to read through and spot anything that might get in the way of the monster love!

~Stevie (Author of stuff and things, mom of humans in training, including my husband.) 

PS: Sometimes you have to click the read more to see the whole email, so you don't miss out on goodies. Happy Reading!

Chapter One: Luan

Loric, my mother’s adviser, and my pain-in-ass watcher, was a pushover for the most part, so I didn’t think I’d have any problems convincing him or my mother to delay another cycle of the mating ceremony once again. There were more important things to worry about, like how Krelis was trying to devalue our jewels so that they could scam us out of giving more food imports.

Sure, we could survive off of eating some of the more edible jewels, but they were hardly what I would call delicious, and as more and more of our population is mixed with outside species, the more and more varied nutrition our offspring require to survive.

It just isn’t sustainable, and our already complicated mating rituals only increase the stress on our slow population growth.

“Are you thinking about the Krelis again?” Loric asked, lifting a brow and shaking his head.

His blue skin was finely chiseled, which most of my friends have told me is delicious. If only he were part of the mating games more often, they would have devoured him. I can admit he is quite attractive, even his sapphire jewels down his arms are impressive.

Almder, our leader, and my mother, would not have chosen him as an adviser if he were not skilled, and powerful in both mind and body. The more jewels displayed on an estreld’s arms the more powerful they were. It is the way the land has blessed our species to absorb more of the moon's rays.

Papers were spread out on the desk of Loric’s office while he worked on his next diplomatic game plan to assist Almder.

In frustration I slammed the book in my hands closed before replying, “Of course I am, not only is food tastier from the krelins, but they know our offspring are becoming dependent on their supply for nutrition and they are trying to rob us!”

I stood, storming across the room, and rushed out the open door to head directly to the library for another book. There had to be something that could help me figure out a way to reverse the pressure from the planet Krelis and regain control of our trade market.

Something perhaps in the journals of the almder’s before my mother. One of them had to have dealt with unreasonable trade mongers before.

Loric casually strode alongside me, his longer legs able to help him catch up to me without effort.

“Do you not trust our Almder?” 

There he went again, trying to make me feel ashamed, or guilty for even trying to help. Of course, I trusted my mother, but she had enough on her plate already with making sure our population didn’t go extinct after a few more generations. It’s only because of the last five cycles of Estreldez opening up the mating ceremony to offworlders that we were seeing any uptick in offspring.

“There’s only so much one estreld can do,” I insisted, “and my mother doesn’t have to do it alone.”

He had to know I’m right about this. He’s seen how hard I work to learn what I can to fill my mother’s role of Almder one day.

“She doesn’t,” he objected, obviously offended by my statement. He was her adviser, and he did help her, but what did that have to do with whether or not I should help?

“You know what I mean.” I wasn’t going to tip toe around Loric of all beings, I’ve known him since we were both offspring ourselves. He was like a brother to me, but like a brother… he got on my nerves. He followed me through the halls and unfortunately, we were stopped by one of my mother’s other advisers, Mabel.

“Luan, Almder has summoned you,” she informed.

I pursed my lips, not wanting to be distracted from my task, considering every shipment was another chance for Krelis to withhold for more payment. It wasn’t Mabel’s fault that my mother was impatient.

Nor was it her fault that the mating ceremony was coming up soon.

Ten male mates were chosen every planetary rotation of the moons around Estreldez to lead the mating ceremony. Some are from Estreldez, and others are chosen from far away planets to port in, under diplomatic award, to increase the odds of fertility. Many of Estreldez’s females participate in the mating games after they feel the pull of their shoulder glands pulse, letting them know that they are likely to be ready to release their eggs. I’ve never once felt such a pull, and I’m several cycles past the age of mating, as my Almder would say.

The Almder is the leader of our clan on Estreldez, and my mother, I conceded internally with a groan. I couldn’t stop her plans for me indefinitely. I’d avoided the Moon Mating Ceremony for many cycles, and she’s graciously allowed me to watch instead. But, my mother was becoming more testy of late about my participation and I’m pretty sure it had to do with Loric.

He’s always lurking around like a glorbin flighter, those creatures are always flitting about when they see something shiny. Our whole planet was shiny, our specialized trade was our abundance of jewels, which the glorbin flighters gladly eat for breakfast. The jewels are fun to toss at them, especially if they are fast enough to catch them. And I’m equally entertained by teasing Loric about my interest in the ceremony when he’s been talking about it so much recently. He’s been acting more unusual and dropping many hints over the last moon cycle, trying to convince me that joining the mating ceremony may be something that I would enjoy.

Loric watched me with that smug expression on his face, almost like he was saying I told you so. How would he know if my mother was calling to tell me to stop researching and join our mating ceremony this cycle? I glared at him, before taking Mabel’s arm and being led to the assembly cove.

The room opened up into an open-air courtyard carved from our favorite stone of black tarnpul, the strongest of our mineral deposits, and the most reflective of the moon’s rays. Shaped in a cone, lifting up from the ground on all sides to create a dish that helps focus the moon’s light for us to absorb. This was where only the chosen came to have a better chance at successful mating during the ceremony. I cringed at the thought. I’ve had to sit with my mother during these displays to show my support and I never understood why I had to watch front and center, when the whole thing was recorded for the whole planet. I could easily watch from my room if I wanted. There was no need to be so close you could see the seams of a male’s shaft open to fill their mate. I shook my head to rid myself of the thought.

“Where have you been hiding?” My Almder stood from her seat wearing her traditional robes draped over her pale white skin, her jeweled arms and chest on full display.

“If I were hiding then I wouldn’t be here,” I grumbled.

She was always so dramatic, when she found I’d been avoiding her advisers. Loric was different, he’s always following me when he’s not meeting with my mother to tattle on me.

My mother sighed, waving off the advisers that were gathered in the assembly. All except Loric left. “This is not the time for word play, My Jewel. You are well aware that we have another Moon Ceremony coming up, and it’s time you join the others in a show of support, and to hopefully one day provide our clan with another heir.”

I gulped heavily, this was not the conversation I wanted to get into. Every Moon Ceremony was always the same, she’d ask if I felt any ‘tingles’ in my shoulders to signal my readiness, and then I’d say, ‘no’, and then she’d smile, pat me on the head and say, ‘One day, my daughter.’ And that was that. There was no serious conversation about joining, or that I should join.

One day couldn’t be today, couldn’t be now.

And she was the only person that could make me.

Not just as my mother, but as the leader of the Estreldez. The leader of our clan.

My Almder.

“I do not feel any—“

She cut me off. “Not all feel the urge until they meet a compatible mate, and even then, participation increases the odds of that happening. How do you think it looks to our clan that you have been of age for many cycles and have not shown your support but to watch?”

“You watch,” I countered accusingly.

Narrowing her eyes at me she continued, “I’m much too old to participate any longer. I was blessed to have secured a female as an heir, and it is my burden that I was not able to provide you with siblings.” The irritation faded from her, replaced with a sadness that made my stomach clench. I did not want to remind her of the loss she had endured with my siblings.

For every one of them she lost, she had plucked a jewel from her back and displayed them on the crown she wore. Offworlders would think my mother was displaying her wealth, but it was her greatest loss that she clung to in mourning. No other Almder had ever worn anything more than a simple crown of tarnpul, which for us was displaying our power. The jewels, they are remembrances of her children. That was why I am her favorite jewel, the one that survived.

The one she was now sentencing to join the Moon Ceremony.

I shook my head, unbelieving that she would force this upon me.

“I’m not ready…” I choked out.

“Jewel of Estreldez, it is not if we are ready to serve but that we are able. I do not wish to burden you with this task, but our clan needs hope. And seeing you participate will give them that. Will you deny them that small kindness?”

Pressing my lips together I glanced over to see Loric staring at me, and even his blue eyes were watching me with a sense of hopefulness. Was that what our planet has come to? The mating games were all voluntary, my mother never demanded anyone participate. But she was asking it of me?

There was no denying her request.

I was participating in the next cycle’s Moon Ceremony, and I could only pray that my eggs remained fully attached at all times. It would be embarrassing to have them release, and my wings sprout for all to see. That’s what happened when a female Estreldez was fertile, and there would be no backing out of the games if that happened. My mother wouldn’t hear of it, I would have to choose one of the mates provided, and if they weren’t from our planet…

I would never see them again.

Chapter Two: Vareo

I rubbed my face in disbelief, re-reading the transmission once again. I’d heard of rich psychopaths before, but this was too good to be true. Being a system pirate wasn’t always easy work, most of the bounties were extremely illegal to the Lunar Administration, but they were spread pretty thin these days, and the pay was better than the regular bounty fare. Whoever this rich fucker was, they were offering enough credit to make me tattoo their face on my left asscheek if that’s what they wanted.

“What’s the job?” Carmen asked from behind me, slinking her arm around my neck. Her tongue licked at my ear, and I grinned thinking about all the other things that tongue could be capable of. We’d never gone that far, but that never stopped her from teasing. She was the one that got me into this career path to begin with, and I knew she’d sooner shoot my nuts off than let me touch her.

That was fine by me, but the long cycles alone had my mind idled with urges that were tough to ignore, and that’s exactly why Carmen did it. I ignored her, and pinched her cheeks to focus her on the screen.

She would have tried to kick my ass, but she was just as stunned as I was at the price tag on this black market lister.

“That has to be a glitch,” she finally said.

“You could leave me the fuck alone with that kind of credit.” The offer was enticing, the only problem was whether it was legit or not.

“With that kind of credit, you’ll have paid off your debt, and have credit left over to buy your own small planet.” I swiveled in my chair to see the glitter of profit in her eyes. She could finally get off my heap of metal, and tell her bosses, the necia of Necias Delta Fal, I’m a free agent.

Necia were a fiery bunch of alien outlaws, where their main trade of their planet was basically being mercenaries for hire. How I got involved with them wasn’t exactly my choice, but I blew my chance at escaping when I was a boy.

“If it’s real,” I added, trying to bring reason back into both of our credit hungry egos.

“Even if it isn’t, you have to show proof to Jax that you’re going to pay up, or she’ll gut you.”

“I thought that was your job?” I gave her a wry smile, and she gave me a wink in return before her extra finger bones sliced from her flesh, and dug into my throat. I shook my head, feeling her grip loosen, unable to follow through with her threats just yet. I wondered, however momentarily, that I could have thought of Carmen as more than a thug. She was pretty by any standards, dark hair hung short at her shoulders, hazel eyes that changed color depending on what she wore, and a tight jumpsuit that revealed all her curves. But necia were a rough breed, and it would be easy for her to morph her bones from her skeleton into weapons like a creepy pin cushion. I would have shivered at the thought, but any movement would have given me an extra close shave.

“Don’t test me, Vareo. I’ve been kind to you, haven’t I?”

My Adam's apple bobbed, feeling the pressure of the sharp bone. But, this wasn’t the first time she threatened me, and she needed me for the credits. I was worth more alive, and I’ve long since found her threats towards me to be more bark than bite. Easing the weapon of her extra finger bones away from my skin with my own fleshy finger, I smiled.

“Kind as a krelin’s horn up my—“ It was the kindest endearment I could ever muster for her.

“Don’t be crass.” She shoved my face with the palm of her hand back towards the screen that was flickering due to the repairs that my ship badly needed. Those credits were tempting. “Go screw a few Estreldez females and bring back their prized jewel. Even if the job’s a scam we can milk them for what their worth, or sell the jewel on the black market, and take whatever the buyer has for trying to fuck us.”

“Aren’t you the picture of propriety,” I mocked her eagerness to send me out to pimp myself to an alien planet so I could steal their treasure. That was a first, but it was the only way we’d gain access to the planet Estreldez. They weren’t open for tourism, and kept strict closed borders. In fact, it was only recently that they even allowed offworlders to join their mating ceremony. Though, really even that was a very select few.

Which had me doubting whether we could even get the job.

“How are we supposed to get an invite?” I wondered out loud.

“Maybe that’s why the credits are so large. Figure it out.”

Carmen sauntered off to go comm Jax about the job. She wasn’t going to let me turn this down. Somehow, I had to find a way onto the invite list. As much as having my go with a bunch of alien women might have been appealing, the idea of having children that I’d never see again was not. My dad was never around as a kid… I swore I’d never have children if I couldn’t be around for them.

I’d have to steal the jewel and get off planet before the mating could ever be consummated. Get my credits, and I never have to see Carmen, Jax, or any other necia outlaws again. Glaring at the screen, and all of those zeros at the end of the credits meant certain freedom, but I highly doubted the necia would give up easily even after they got their credits. They probably never expected anyone to make enough credits to pay off their debts when the costs kept on rolling in to cover the operations overhead. Plus, I wasn’t dumb. They weren’t known to play fair, and just like they’d screw over the client if they didn’t hand over the agreed upon sum it was just as likely they’d do the same to me.

Chapter Three: Luan

There was no reason to be nervous. The likelihood of my eggs releasing was low, and even less so that any of the potential mates this season would be compatible. Nothing to worry about, I assured myself. I would join the Moon Ceremony, show my support for the future of Estreldez, and be back to protecting our planet from the Krelis in a blip of existence.

I shouldn’t have been happy about how dismal our mating chances were, but before my mother, all the Almders before her were able to summon successful matings with the moon’s blessing. The moon god has forsaken us for many generations, and if the Krelis knew how deep that rift was, we’d be in no position to bargain for our food at all. They would invade, and all of Estreldez would be even more screwed than we already were.

“Does the ceremony trouble you so much?” The crease between my brows worried Loric, and he was always an optimist about the state of our species. Convinced that when we were both old enough that we would find the answers we were searching for, he would say it was the way of the moons, and there were lessons to be learned. Loric was much too wise for his cycles, but I didn’t doubt his conviction because he wasn’t like the rest of the planet thinking prayers would solve things. He actually did things, met with diplomats, conferred with our scientists, and put in the work when he wasn’t tasked with following me around.

I groaned. “Does my mother actually believe that my participation is a better use of my time than trying to figure out a solution?”

“How are you supposed to solve a problem if you don’t have all the facts?”

Glaring at him, I suppressed the urge to smack him for insinuating I haven’t been pouring myself into the research to both diplomatic solutions for the Krelis, and our population decreases. Our older generations are more than half of our population, and past their mating cycles. If we didn’t find a solution soon, even with our long lives, our species will be extinguished at this rate.

He held up his hands in a cease fire before I could yell at him. But even that gesture was false when his next words were, “Maybe participating in the ceremony will give you new insights into the very problem that you seek to solve?”

“Has it done you any favors?” I snarked back. Now it was his turn to narrow his blue eyes at me. It wasn’t my intention to pit us against ourselves, we both had the same goals. He’s joined the ceremony many times, but none of his matings have taken hold. That was the same for most of the Estreldez males, which is why most of the selected mates for the ceremony have been selected from offworld systems.

“None of them were mine, you know how our biology works.”

“I know,” I huffed out exasperated. It wasn’t his fault. His seed was sterile until a compatible mate was found, just as it takes a certain amount of chemistry for our eggs to drop from their sacks.

Loric sighed, and sat down next to me in the library. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his chest. Nose nuzzling into my white blond hair, he whispered, “Are you afraid that under the mating moon you’ll find a compatible mate, or that you won’t?”

His words were daggers into my heart, hitting so deep into my buried fears. Which one was I more afraid of? He was right, so painfully right.

If my eggs dropped then I wasn’t broken, but I’d have mated with a potential stranger that would leave our planet after the ceremony. I shook my head, that sounded awful. How did the other females do it? I mean, I understood that a mating ritual wasn’t binding to offworlders or even to us without a true bond the same way it would for our males, but they all leave. Every one of them leave.

I adjusted to look up into Loric’s blue sad eyes as he watched me struggle with this realization. A part of me wondered then, how it would be if I found Loric to be my mate. I gave him a small smile knowing he wouldn’t leave me. But Loric had been responsible for many female’s eggs dropping, and he has yet to be fertile with any of them. I didn’t think I could handle that kind of rejection from someone I cared so much about.

“I’m afraid I will find a mate, and he’ll reject me,” I admitted out loud. Whether it was Loric or an offworlder, it was better not to have a mate at all. I’d still have Loric, and I’d never have to know if I was broken or not.

“It would be his loss,” he murmured into my hair, squeezing me to him to hold back all of my worries. Would Loric be mine? He was kind, smart, and a powerful Estreldez. Anyone seeking a mate would be ecstatic to claim him, and many have tried.

I pushed away from his embrace, and gathered my wits about me. Shoving all those insecurities away I told him something I’ve never said to anyone before, “What if I don’t wish to have offspring? What if I want to travel the systems to find new resources and technology to help our planet from out there?” The ceiling was decorated in a mosaic of jewels made to look like the star system above our planet. they twinkled in the light filtering through them from the outside.

Loric gazed up at the library’s ceiling with me and then shook his head. It wasn’t something he dreamed about, I knew he’d always want to stay on Estreldez. And I knew he wanted a family, children to call his own.

“Luan…” I knew that tone of his. He was about to bring me back down from the stars my dreams expanded to. He traced one of the colorless jewels embedded on the top of my hand. It was a gesture that was usually comforting, but not this time. This time it felt like he was pressuring me.

I pulled my hand from his grasp. “There are plenty of willing estrelds to repopulate our lands. What we need are answers, new solutions, and they could be out there.” My arm jerked to the ceiling, and I stormed off once more to find my mother. Loric did not follow this time, staying seated staring up at the constellations of our star system.

When I arrived at the assembly garden, Mabel was rushing out so distracted that she nearly toppled me over. I steadied her by the shoulders and thought I saw tears in her green eyes before black hair covered her face as she exited.

“Mabel?”

My mother beckoned me in preventing me from following after to see what was wrong. “Mabel has been informed by the M.R. that she is no longer eligible for the ceremony. More and more of our clan have been found to be infertile before their time. We need a win, My Jewel, something to boost the hopes of Estreldez.”

Biting my lip, I knew exactly where she was leading with this conversation. She needed me to be that beacon of hope. She needed me to successfully mate during the moon ceremony. There was so much pressure building on my shoulders, that if I didn’t feel it before I certainly felt it now.

The sadness in her eyes, the exhaustion, it was all there for me to read in her features.

“Mom–”

She lifted a weary hand. “I ask a lot of you,” she cut me off, already knowing I would object once more to joining. “When you are Almder you will be faced with tough decisions, and that urge you feel now to protect our clan, and find a solution worthy of journals you pour over in our library will grow to be unbearable when you must act even when you are uncertain. Because our clan needs the best solution right now, until there is a better one in the future.

“My Jewel, I know one day we will have a better solution, and you may well be the one to find it, but for now, for this ceremony you are needed to show your support. Even if you find yourself unable to mate, you will be seen as resilient and dedicated to doing everything within your control to save our future. Everything I can not.” My mother took off her crown and stroked the jewels across the band of tarnpul. Her white hair had grayed, even her skin was silvery with age, yet she still retained a strong healthy glow about her like the largest moon orbiting Estreldez. And like the largest moon, she seemed the farthest away from me, even now. Those silvery eyes distant in her grief for her lost children, and the many lost generations of our clan.

My heart swelled for her, for our clan, and guiltily for myself for what I must do. She knew exactly what to say to join the moon ceremony, but I would make sure she agreed to do things my way next.

“I’m only one estreld, and we need to send someone out into the systems searching for new technologies, new food sources, and new alliances—” I pleaded, cut off before I could continue.

“And you want to be that someone,” she finished for me. “My jewel, you will get what you want, but it must be someone else who does it. Plan your team, and I will approve their mission. Whatever they need will be theirs, but you are the future of Estreldez.”

What she was really saying was that I would be the queen one day, and must stay on Estreldez for our clan. I bristled at the idea that this was it for me, managing from the assembly garden for the rest of my days, sequestered to the palace. My dreams of exploring myself all done through others, merely waiting for a miracle to come.

Did she not understand what I wished for our clan? My fists clenched at my sides, as my Almder, no longer my mother in my eyes, replaced her crown atop her head. The action was not lost on me, this was no longer a negotiation.

“As you divine, Almder.” I punctuated her title, and turned on my heels to leave. Mabel wasn’t the only one to leave the assembly room in tears today. My eyes burned with frustration, and exactly what my mother wanted from me… determination to change her mind, even if it meant going against her wishes.

I would go to our moon ceremony, and I would leave with one of those mates, even if I had to stow away on their ship to do so.

Chapter Four: Vareo

Getting an invite to the Estreldez Mating Games was more difficult than I anticipated. Sure, the price tag on the job was more than worth the effort, but they were requiring a full physical examination, credentials, references, and a detailed history like I was cataloging my life’s existence for their judgment. Obviously, the only thing I could give them that was accurate was my physical exam, as they required that to be done by their own scientists on one of their orbiting moons. The largest moon called Lupa.

Carmen wanted to forge my background as some prince of a distant star system traveling the planets searching for a mate, but who would believe that kind of bullshit? The best lies were based on molecules of truth.

And I was no prince material.

I was an outlaw, working for the necia scum of the DVQ Trillume system that invaded my planet and considered the fact that they saved my life a debt that can be paid off with a sum of credits that would normally be unattainable. This life was all I knew.

“Vareo from planet Sholonus. Says here you’re a bounty hunter?”

I grunted my confirmation as they scanned my body with their medical wand that looked more like an anal probe. If they tried to stick that anywhere on my body I would throttle the light pink male with matching hair. I knew the estreld were a colorful lot, but I assumed they’d be a bit more built.

Considering the whole planet was so well guarded, and every source I tapped for this mission said they were powerful, I wasn’t expecting beings so scrawny. The pink male rolled up his lab coat revealing a few small gems decorating his forearms that had a slight glow to them. He caught me staring and smiled at me.

“It’s common for offworlders to stare. Often I must explain that these are not the same as the jewels on our planet, they are organic and help estrelds to connect with the moon’s radiation.”

All I could think of is what would happen to him if I removed them from his flesh, and how many credits I’d get for them? Though, I considered if they were organic like he said they probably didn’t keep the same as a normal rock would. That’s probably why they had to explain to outsiders anything at all, I wasn’t the first one to think of harvesting something so shiny for profit. I kept my face neutral, not wanting to scare the small male.

Instead I gave him a smile in return, and nodded. Compliments were the best strategy to avoid most awkward situations. “I’m sure they come in handy to impress your females.”

My research showed that this planet valued their mating above most things, and all the male’s coloring were part of stimulating the females of this planet to drop their eggs so that they can find out if they are compatible for breeding. How their scientists haven’t found a way to detect compatibility without having to actually copulate was beyond me. And what exactly it meant to ‘drop’ their eggs was also an unnerving concept. I had no intention of breeding with any of them, but mating was the only diplomatic waiver to entering their orbit.

The male blushed, and turned a darker shade of pink at my comment, apparently he was scrawny and shy about the very reason I was even here.

“Yes, well,” he cleared his throat then stared at his read out of my scan. “Your physiology seems to be compatible, and in peak condition.” He handed me a cup. “Please deposit your specimen for analysis.”

I stared at the plastic receptacle, then back at the pink scientist.

He stammered, more than a little intimidated by me, “Do you need assistance?”

I scoffed, of course I didn’t need any damned assistance to shoot my seed into a dish. I just assumed their little medical scanner could do all of that analysis without a sample. I wasn’t dumb, even the necia had a device you stuck your junk into and it took a sample with a tiny nanobot. No mess, no fuss.

Holding up the cup, I searched the room and found it lacking for any privacy. Were these estrelds voyeurists?

The scientist cleared his throat to get my attention. What the fuck was he expecting from me?

He sighed, uncomfortable that he had to explain something, but it was obvious that it wasn’t the first time he had to do so. “The sample cannot be tampered with. I’m required to remain here to ensure its integrity. Even the nanobots have been known to be hacked, and we’ve had to resort to baser methods.” He wrinkled his nose, seeming to be as displeased about the development as I was, but it wasn’t shame that I felt.

Just I didn’t find the guy to be all that attractive, and staring at his pink face didn’t elicit the kind of mood needed to provide him with what he was asking for. Then the screen in front of him flickered, and he swiped it to accept the comm.

I stilled at the image of a woman with flawless pale skin, platinum blond waves of hair, and the eyes that glowed like the moon’s radiation. My cock pulsed, growing at the mere sight of her. A moon goddess, wearing nothing but a slip of fabric revealing rows of diamonds decorating her skin. She was beauty, and then she spoke.

“Xol, I need you to give me a list of the diplomats arriving, and ships they will arrive in.”

“We haven’t narrowed down the candidates for the ceremony yet. There seems to have been a miscalculation of invites, and–”

“It doesn’t matter, if they’ve passed their exams, and came with their own transport then it only increases the odds of a successful ceremony. Let me know when you have the list ready.”

She was feisty, and the way she demanded what she needed had my cock hard. I liked it when a woman knew what she wanted and took charge. Before the examiner could reply her transmission ended, and I unzipped my pants before I lost the after mirage of her face in my mind. Giving the pink guy a wink I closed my eyes to let my surroundings disappear so all I saw was her.

It wasn’t difficult to finish after months of blue balls on a ship with a psychopath. The mere thought of Carmen had my stomach recoiling, and I grimaced, readjusting myself and shoving the cup at the estreld without its cap. That was his problem now. It was lucky that I finished before thinking about the way Carmen would zap me with a jolt of electricity after teasing me with a rub of her breasts on my shoulder, causing a trained reaction to flinch when she touched me.

“Be careful what you wish for,” I teased the guy. My balls were still uncomfortable, and despite relieving myself into a cup I still felt backed up. Nothing was quite the same as the real deal, and what I wanted was that bossy bejeweled estreld wrapping herself around my shaft, and telling me exactly how she liked to be finished off. My erection was slowly coming back, and I adjusted in my seat to accommodate it.

The scientist lifted an eyebrow and I smiled. “Don’t tell me you need another sample?”

He gulped down his extra saliva, and shook his head unable to speak. He couldn’t handle a spitfire like her, even if he wanted to.

“Your sample is viable. You’ve signed a waiver allowing us to utilize your specimens for research purposes. A guide will be assigned to you to assist with your involvement in the ceremony should you have any further questions.”

“Just one. Is that woman participating in the ceremony?”

He stammered, “It will be her first year to attend in an official capacity.”

That’s all I needed to know to have a renewed interest in attending the Estreldez Mating Games. Who said I couldn’t have a little fun while on the job?

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