Page 49 of The Thren's Fated

“What’s this?”

“Something for the trip,” Screl said simply, clearly eager for her to open the gifts.

The first bundle was soft, wrapped in silvery paper, and she tore into it, more interested than she wanted to admit. She was greeted with thick material, a black jacket trimmed with gray stripes and a matching set of pants. There were also undergarments and socks, which was a first, and a soft, gray t-shirt. Much different from the skimpy escort dresses she’d gotten used to.

Lena continued to eye him with suspicion, but heaved off the bed, dressing in her new outfit.

Screl watched her intently, his gaze roaming over her as she covered herself with fabric. The clothes were form-fitting, but loose enough to feel comfortable, and she wondered where Screl had gotten them. The second package was a box with black boots, somehow exactly the correct size, and she was grateful for the modest clothing for her trip to Botune.

“How do I look?” she asked, her voice a playful purr.

“Stunning,” Screl said with a grin.

Lena beamed as she stepped around the bed, taking his offered hand and letting him usher her from the room. God, she really was falling for it hook, line, and sinker. She should be fighting and screaming, begging to go back to Henios, but instead she grinned like a schoolgirl, eager to see where the day would take them.

Screl’s large hand dwarfed hers, and her body hummed with need, recalling the sensations of his tongues between her thighs, his tentacles brushing over her skin. His ridged cock spreading her wide while the other ground through her slick arousal. Something she desperately wanted to experience again, and it took everything in her power not to ask him to undress her right there in the hallway.

Since when had she become so mindlessly obsessed with sex?

But deep down, it wasn’t just that. What she felt with Screl went far beyond her one-night stands, even more than anything she had experienced in a longer-term relationship. An intense sense of connection that threatened to overwhelm her at any moment, like she’d be willing to drop everything if it meant being with this male forever.

It was terrifying, but she tried to hold the cruel voice at bay, the one telling her she was worthless. Even if it were true, she wanted to enjoy whatever time she had with Screl, enjoy her first—and maybe only—trip to an alien world. She could despair when she was back on Henios, alone once more, but for now she just wanted to be happy.

It wasn’t long before they stopped at a docking area with a large window, a view of Botune taking up most of the space, closer than it had appeared back at the station. The glittering iridescent dust that encased the planet was absolutely stunning up close.

Screl walked them through a set of double doors, opening up to some sort of shuttle bay. The small ship he escorted her to had that uniquely Thren minimalist quality to it, though it was similar enough to the shuttlecraft she had traveled to Henios in.

Two pilots sat in what she assumed was their version of the cockpit, and one other Thren was already seated.

Screl motioned for her to sit next to him, and she obeyed. His hand rested on her thigh, a single tentacle slowly wrapping around her neck, and a strange sense of peace enveloped her.

Lena tensed.

“What are you doing?”

“I do not want you to become sick,” Screl said. “The atmosphere of Botune can be quite unrelenting for a small shuttle. I am giving you biologics that will calm you and reduce your nausea.”

“Could you please ask me before injecting me with stuff?”

He paused for a long moment before responding.

“I suppose so, little human. If that is your wish,” he said finally, releasing the tentacle from her neck and letting it rest with the others.

She couldn’t stop the smile from pulling at her lips as she turned her attention to the window, the shuttle jolting as it disengaged from the larger ship. A rush of fear and excitement pulsed through her, and it was exhilarating.

This would be her first time setting foot on an entirely different planet, just as the trip to Henios had been her first interstellar travel of any kind. The anticipation made it easy to forget that he would surely be sending her back soon. Botune grew as they moved closer to it, glimmering through the small window.

And Screl hadn’t been lying when he said the atmosphere was unrelenting.

Lena jostled about in her seat despite the harness strapped across her shoulders. Only a tiny shred of embarrassment burned her as she clung to his arm for stability, and she swore she felt him relax, shoulders dropping ever so slightly.

As they neared the surface, she noticed floating islands dotting the sky. The glittering mist of the atmosphere rained down on the planet, which in many ways looked similar to Earth. But the islands stood out, floating in the air above the terrain and bodies of water.

Soon, she realized they were approaching a specific island, the shuttlecraft smoothly moving closer and closer now that they had gotten through the rough atmosphere.

Oh, it was absolutely breathtaking. Sparkling mist surrounded the floating island, becoming more vibrant the closer they got.

The shuttle shuddered as it touched down, and Lena finally released her grip on Screl’s arm. He motioned for her to wait and walked up to the cockpit to discuss something with the pilots. A few moments later, the exit door opened, and he led her outside.