Dan
Dan didn't know how to win Nick over, and it was driving him insane. How the fuck did human males manage to court each other without losing their minds? But then, same-sex coupling wasn't considered natural within humans.
And he was spending hours researching earthly courting rituals, such as a peacock fanning out its iridescent feathers and strutting proudly to captivate a mate. A cuckoo singing melodious tunes to lure its partner with sweet notes. Penguins—those ridiculous little creatures—gathering stones and building homes to declare their devotion. And for humans, it was far more complex, that too within a male-and-female relationship. He had no idea what a man was supposed to do to impress another man.
He paced the room like a restless predator, his mind racing. What could he offer Nick? His strength? His power? His devotion? He had all that in abundance, but none of it seemed to matter in the human world. Nick didn't need protection, not in the sense that a Grosh needed from enemy tribes. He didn't need material wealth; Dan could have bought the Earth Alien Embassy if it would've impressed him, but Nick didn't seem the type to care for lavish gifts. It would deter him if anything. What Nick needed was trust, understanding, and patience, all of which Dan struggled to grasp, especially when his body was betraying him.
Dan groaned, slumping into a chair and running a hand through his hair. His cock pulsed in his pants with every heartbeat. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this out of control. Was it the venom still coursing through Nick that made his scent so tantalizingly addictive? Or was it something deeper? Something more primal? More dangerous?
Either way, Dan was losing the battle with himself. His entire body burned with the unrelenting need to claim Nick, to feel him again, to taste him, to have him in entirety. Mind, body, and soul. He shifted uncomfortably, hissing through his teeth as the friction of his pants sent another jolt of frustration coursing through him. A person couldn't possibly remain sane under this level of arousal, could they?
He had thought he could control it; he always had before. He was Dan'r T'vek, one of the most disciplined and respected members of his race. He had faced intergalactic enemies, navigated the politics of countless species, and never once faltered. But none of that had prepared him for the maddening pull of one stubborn human doctor.
Nick wasn't just a temptation; he was quickly becoming an obsession. And the worst part? Dan didn't even know how to begin to unravel the enigma that was Nick's heart. Every time he thought he'd made progress, Nick would pull away, putting walls between them faster than Dan could knock them down. It was infuriating. It was intoxicating because Dan was getting high on the chase.
The permanent hardness was uncomfortable, but he was enjoying his yearning. Priming in itself was heady, something nature intended you to go through, to make sure you became a strong pair, and this push and pull was a part of it—even though for Dan, it would be a little more difficult than usual.
Dan couldn't focus on anything the entire day. And Nick... he was avoiding him. Hiding somewhere within the NEAE's sprawling complex, likely trying to suppress his growing need. It was infuriating, really. Nick not understanding their connection, him trying to fight it tooth and nail.
Dan growled low in his throat, running a hand through his hair as he stared out of his room's window, the city below a blur of lights and motion. None of it interested him. Not the bustling urban sprawl, not the projects awaiting his approval, not even the latest scientific breakthroughs humans were pioneering. His mind kept circling back to that human male, to the way Nick had looked at him... wide-eyed and flushed, caught between fear and desire.
He could literally imagine the sweet scent of Nick's cum; his mouth watered just at the thought of it. He needed to taste Nick, bury his face between those thighs and never come up for air. He wanted... no... needed to bury himself deep inside him, fill him up in every possible way.
Dan paced in his room, his fists clenched and jaw tight as he tried to rein in his spiraling thoughts. The one meeting he tried to attend this morning had been a disaster, a mere blur of voices and faces he couldn't care less about. The moment one of the board members had pointed out his avath, he knew he was losing control. Grosh didn't just "get aroused"; their entire physiology reacted, sharpening instincts and priming their bodies for their chosen mate. And his body was strung so tight that it was starving for its mate's touch.
He slammed his fist against the wall, the impact leaving a dent in the metal. He had to break through all of Nick's walls, one by one. He'd make Nick see that they were meant to be, that the universe had aligned their fates for a reason. He'd take away every doubt, every hesitation, every fear. And when Nick finally gave in, when he finally let go, Dan would be there to catch him, to claim him, to make him his.
***
"Any progress with Nick?" Ira asked, glancing up from her cluttered desk as Dan stormed into her office, his sharp gaze sweeping the room like a predator searching for prey.
"What do you think?" Dan snapped, jerking a finger toward the prominent tent in his trousers. His tone was sharp, edged with frustration.
Ira blinked once before coughing into her fist to mask her laugh. The woman was clearly enjoying this far more than she should. "Well, that answers that," she said, biting back a smirk. "I assume you haven't explained the situation to him yet?"
Dan growled low in his throat. "No. And it's not helping that he keeps running away every time I get close. He's testing my patience, Ira."
"Or maybe you're just scaring the crap out of him," she replied breezily. "Which, given your charming demeanor right now, isn't hard to imagine."
Dan exhaled, running a hand through his hair for the thousandth time. His body was on fire, every nerve ending attuned to the scent of his mate nearby. Nick was close—he could feel it—but he had to refrain from acting like an elephant in musth.
"I need to run some tests on you," Ira said suddenly, snapping him out of his thoughts. She was already opening a drawer and pulling out medical supplies.
"What kind of tests?" Dan asked, his tone wary.
"This might be the only chance I'll ever get to study the mating process of your species during Priming. It's fascinating, really—"
"Do I look like a lab rat to you?" Dan growled, his voice dangerously low as his hands clenched into fists.
"Relax, big guy," Ira said, waving a hand dismissively. "I can help you with Nick."
Dan considered her for a second. His mind warred with the idea—should he prowl after Nick and claim him outright, or let Ira talk to him and make things... easier? Nick trusted Ira more than he trusted him, and while Dan hated to admit it, he needed her help.
"Where is he?" Dan asked finally, sniffing the air as Nick's scent teased his senses. His mate smelled sweet, tempting, and maddeningly close.
"He's in the next room, helping me with some paperwork," Ira said, nodding toward the adjoining door.
Dan's body tensed as the proximity made his instincts flare, but before he could move, Ira approached him with a swab stick in hand.
"Open your mouth," she instructed, her tone clinical.
Dan glared at her but obeyed, parting his lips with clear irritation. She swiped the inside of his cheek with practiced efficiency, transferring the sample into a vial before turning her curious gaze to his teeth.
"Why are your canines so much bigger than normal?" she asked as she rubbed against the teeth with medical curiosity.
"Careful," he mumbled with an open mouth.
"Hmm... what is the purpose of this?" she asked, still fascinated.
Dan's patience was razor-thin, and he didn't have the energy to explain the intricate evolutionary adaptations of his species. Instead, he said the first thing that came to mind. "To hold on to my mate while I pound into him."
Ira froze, her eyes wide with shock. "God, Dan, that's horrible!"
"No, it's not," Dan replied flatly. "Your felines do it too. It's perfectly natural."
"No wonder Nick hates you," Ira muttered, shaking her head. "You could've put it a bit more... delicately."
"My human vocabulary isn't exactly poetic, in case you haven't noticed," Dan snapped.
Ira shot him an incredulous look. "You're not seriously going to bite him, are you?"
Dan's lips curled into a wicked smirk, his sharp teeth catching the light. "Oh, I'll do more than bite. Trust me, by the time I'm done, he'll be begging me to."
Ira groaned, throwing up her hands. "God, Dan! No wonder he blushes like a tomato every time your name comes up."
Dan's smirk widened, a glimmer of pride in his eyes. "He enjoys it. Every damn second of it."
Ira rolled her eyes. "You're impossible. Anyway, about that semen sample—"
"No," Dan growled instantly, cutting her off.
"But I just need it for research!" Ira pleaded, her expression shifting into an exaggerated pout.
"I told you it's off-limits," Dan said firmly. It wasn't the first time she had asked for it; she was an insistent woman if nothing else, and he had always denied. "We're not talking about this again, Ira."
"You're so uptight," she grumbled, stalking off toward the door with the samples she'd already collected.
Dan barely registered her departure, his focus entirely consumed by the scent drifting in from the next room. Nick. The thought of his mate so close, unaware of the storm raging inside him, made his blood heat and his pulse thunder.
The erection that had briefly waned during Ira's antics surged back to life, pressing insistently against the fabric of his pants. Dan groaned softly, his hands flexing at his sides as he fought the primal urge to storm into the next room and take what was his.
But he couldn't—at least not yet. Nick deserved more than that. And as much as it pained him, Dan knew he needed to tread carefully if he wanted to win his mate's trust.
For now, he inhaled deeply, letting Nick's scent calm his fraying control. Soon, he promised himself. Very soon.
***
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