Reconstruction was a slow-going process.

Zayd sent a squadron of Draqon mated pairs to the Vilkas to assist with their rebuilding efforts. At home, all hands were on deck rebuilding destroyed dwellings and reshuffling duties to compensate for the lives that had been lost. A tearful burial ceremony had been held for those who had died at the hands of the invading humans, their bodies lowered down into the magma through the crevices of the hot springs.

Niva took on a prominent role in meal preparations for the hive. With all the outer dwellings reconvening at the main hive for evening meal, there were more mouths to feed than ever and more losses for the community to remember and grieve. She and Zayd settled into a comfortable pattern of working separately during the day and coming together in the evening, socializing with the hive, and spending nights in each other’s arms.

Niva was cooking up a batch of haksiba, boiling and salting it to remove its toxicity in preparation for the evening’s events, when Zayd came into the cooking hut and wrapped his arms around her waist.

He nuzzled into her neck and took a deep breath before settling his chin on her shoulder. “The days are too long. Come, let me take you to bed now.”

Niva giggled and smacked his hand as it inched into the front of her leathers. “Behave. The Vilkas are coming tonight to meet with you, and I can’t have you all sleepy and sex drunk when you need to be negotiating our next move.”

“How is that worse than me being riled up and distracted by your beauty at every moment?”

“I can’t tell if you’re flattering me or teasing me. Now cut it out.” Niva shrugged him off her shoulder and stepped out of his grasp to return to stirring the pot of haksiba.

“Fine,” Zayd muttered with a pout, leaning one hip against the counter. “Is it terrible that I wish they would just send a message over the comms and not come visit?”

“A little bit. These are your allies. You have to play nice now.”

“I’m not good at playing nice.”

Niva turned and raised an eyebrow in his direction. “I beg to differ.”

He barked out a laugh before crossing his arms over his broad chest and heaving a sigh. “I barely tolerate having to talk to other Draqons, let alone Vilkas.”

“You can stop the ‘I hate everybody’ act around me,” Niva said. “I know you’re a big softy who just wants to lie in the grass at the western ridge all day, staring at the clouds.”

“All right, you caught me. Let’s do that, and then we can make love in the warm afternoon sun.” He paused, his brow wrinkling in thought. “But you haven’t seen anyone but Vera since you left. What about when Gerrit comes?”

Niva stopped stirring and turned to face her mate. “Are you jealous?”

“No,” he insisted a little too quickly.

She chuckled and shook her head before putting down the serving spoon and stepping closer. “I have absolutely no interest in a single Vilkan male on the entirety of Kladuu.” She pressed her hands against his bare chest, feeling his strength and letting the warmth of his body seep into her. She could feel his satisfaction through their connection, and she focused on sending him all the loyalty and adoration she felt.

He gave her a half smile. “I know what you’re doing.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she whispered, bringing her lips close to her mate’s. “I just want to make sure you know exactly how much I love you.” The word came tumbling from her mouth before she realized what she’d said. Through their connection, they both knew the truth of it, but it was the first time either of them had said the words out loud.

Zayd’s eyes widened, but Niva felt no hesitation as he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

“I was wondering when you were going to say it,” he whispered against her mouth.

She smacked his chest, pushing him away. “Waiting for me to say it? You could have said it!”

He shook his head, a mirthful smile spreading on his lips. “Nope, that’s not how this works. You’re the human. You have to say things out loud.”

“These seem like unreasonable, arbitrary rules.”

“Yes, my Queen.” Zayd’s smile turned from playful to serious, and he stalked up close to Niva, pressing her back against the wall of the cooking hut. He pressed kisses against her lips, across her cheek, down her neck, and over her shoulder. When he reached her halter top, he dipped his tongue down to lick along the line of the leather until he reached the swell of her chest. He opened his mouth and chewed on her soft breast, his hands moving up to pull down the edge of her clothing.

She gripped his head, pulling it against her so he could take her nipple into his mouth. He sucked on the hard nub, biting gently as he reached between her legs and rubbed the leather covering her pussy.

“I love the way you taste, dewdrop,” he whispered against her flesh, kneeling before her and breathing hot against her aching core.

Niva whimpered, pushing back her long black hair and closing her eyes.

He kissed her between her legs, his lips applying pressure and mouthing against her.

“We can’t…”

“We can.”

“There’s people…”

Zayd cut her off by grabbing her hips and lifting her. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he lowered her to the cooking hut’s floor. His lips met hers with a burning kiss that tangled itself around her heart and melted away her resistance.

She reached between them, gripping his cock and pulling it toward her, stroking him with firm fingers.

He released her lips and arched back, eyes closed and mouth open as he abandoned himself to her touch.

She scratched her nails gently along his length before slipping her hand inside his pants. “Are you going to fuck me, or was this all for show?” she whispered against his neck before biting down on his flesh.

Zayd took no time in removing his pants and ripping her leathers off. He was ready to mount her, but Niva took control, pushing him onto his back and straddling his legs as she lowered her lips to take him into her mouth.

His cock was beautiful, full and thick. The size of him never ceased to amaze her, nor did the tangy taste of his pre-cum as she licked at the head before pulling him into her mouth. She tongued around his tip, nipping at the foreskin and deepening her suction slowly.

Zayd growled, and she reached up to slip her fingers into his mouth to keep him quiet. She didn’t want the whole hive hearing them. As her fingers slid into his mouth, she pulled his cock deeper, letting it hit the back of her tongue and slide down her throat. She used her other hand to grab the bottom of his shaft. His length made it impossible for her to take all of him in, and her pussy contracted with the need to have him fill it.

Her lips stretched around his girth as she bobbed her head, pulling him deep into her mouth with a contented hum.

Zayd laid a gentle hand on the back of her head, and she sucked harder, wanting to taste his release. “No, I need to be in you,” he whispered, lifting her up and rolling them over until he was situated between her legs.

He guided himself to her entrance, thrusting in slowly, allowing her body to open and adjust to his size.

The burn felt so good, but when he bottomed out, pressing up against her depth and filling her completely the way no one else had ever done, she cried out.

Zayd slapped his hand over her mouth. “Now who’s being too loud?”

He kept his hand there, holding her hostage with his intense black eyes as he thrust into her with the strength of his powerful Draqon body. He set a punishing pace, slamming into her without pause.

The swing from painfully full to empty and back again disoriented Niva, turning off her mind until all that remained was pleasure and heat. She arched up into him, clawing at his shoulders and screaming into his hand as her orgasm rose from a tingling in her toes to a full body short-circuit that left her shaking and clutching her lover as he grunted and emptied himself into her.

They snuggled together, but the cold floor of the cooking hut soon became uncomfortable, so Niva dressed and stirred the haksiba one more time before taking it off the heat.

As Zayd tucked himself into his leathers, a voice rang out. “Hey now, I do not need to see that,” Maxsym said. He’d been striding into the house, but he quickly turned around.

“Then knock before you come in,” Zayd said. “Be glad you weren’t five minutes early.”

Niva shoved him with a giggle and turned to Maxsym. “What’s going on?”

“They’re landing,” Maxsym grumbled.

Without Zayd distracting her, Niva could hear the dull roar of the Vilkan ship landing in the hive. It was the first time any non-Draqon, other than her, had been allowed into their central dwelling area.

“I don’t understand why we’re working with them at all. Sure, they came in handy during the battle, but that’s not going to win the war.”

Zayd sighed. Niva knew he was exhausted of having this conversation with his Swarm Master and wanted to avoid getting into it again in front of the Vilkas. “They have more information about the humans than we do, they have better ground warfare skills than we have, and they have an alliance with the Katu,” he counted off, naming one example after another. “I’m not going to keep explaining this to you.”

“None of that matters. What we need to do is take out this ‘Gideon’ person.” Maxsym crossed his arms and stood at his full height, his black hair and sharp green eyes giving him a predatory look. “We take the offensive and stop acting like cowards waiting for them to attack. If you’d just send me—”

“No.” Zayd matched his Swarm Master’s stance, broadening his shoulders and flexing his jaw muscles in aggravation. “For the millionth time, you are not going to Earth.”

“Not Earth, the Zynthar International Space Station. If I take one ship, they’ll never detect me. I can get in and take out Gideon from the inside and end this nonsense once and for all.”

“Your arrogance flares to new heights,” Zayd warned. “You are unmated. Have you forgotten what happened when you shifted and flew with Niva? Imagine what will happen if you’re separated from the hive for too long, trying to kill Gideon. You don’t have the temperament to keep yourself under control.”

“What do you know about my temperament?” Maxsym stepped forward, lowering his arms and clenching his fists.

“I know you’re acting like a petulant child who isn’t getting their way,” Zayd countered.

“I’m the Swarm Master, but you still don’t trust me enough to let me go into battle in my second form just because I don’t have a mate? That’s bullshit.”

“You’re too old to be acting so rash. You don’t want a mate, fine. But you don’t get to fly off half-cocked into another fucking universe on a suicide mission to kill someone you don’t even know how to recognize.”

“I could do it if you’d just stop acting like a tight-ass control freak!”

“Stop!” Niva yelled. “Both of you are acting like children. We have guests, and we have to work together to stop the human threat. Neither of you are going to get anywhere fighting each other. Put it aside for tonight. We’ll discuss this further tomorrow.”

“But—” both men began, but she cut them off with a glare.

The three of them exited the cooking house and strode toward their visitors without speaking.

Gerrit, Jude, Rayner, and Vera exited the ship, carrying a large chest.

When Niva and Zayd reached them, Gerrit set down the chest and held out a hand in greeting. “I hear there’s a new hive Queen for us to honor,” he said with a wide and charming smile. He leaned down and opened the chest to reveal skeins of the highest quality Arakid cloth. “I know Draqons pride themselves on being able to make everything they need, but a few creature comforts might be nice as you settle into your new role.”

Tears sprung into Niva’s eyes, and she caught the wave of worry that passed through Zayd as she reached out and pulled Gerrit into an embrace. But the man no longer held any interest for her. He was a reminder of a life she’d left behind and, she hoped, a friend.

“Thank you. We are so delighted to have you here and to show you around our beautiful hive. I know you and Zayd have many things to talk about. Maxsym and Rayner will likely want to get right to the business of planning the next stages of our conflict with the humans. But first, please come and join us. The Draqons have gathered together in the eating area to welcome you with a feast. We hope this can be the start of an era of friendship and cooperation between our two clans.”

Niva stepped back and retook Zayd’s hand. A pang of sadness struck her heart at the sight of Jude’s swelling belly, but she was the Draqon hive Queen and had an entire brood she was responsible for.

And a mate she couldn’t imagine loving more.