I blinked in wonder. How interesting. Days ago, I was wondering how to get out of this situation. Now I was imagining a life together.

He wiggled within my arms, but I know there was no attempt to escape. My eyes narrowed. “My Femeni is impatient. I suspect this will be a very good thing in the bedroom.” I breathed in deep and took in more of his seductive, sweet scent. “Perhaps we can arrive quicker… my Royal Mate.”

His eyes widened.

“Did you forget about that?” I asked.

He nodded slowly.

“King Peter as you would say on your planet. While I would be King Matros at your side.”

“I like the sound of that,” he said.

We strolled to the front of the ship. I could only imagine what it looked like to someone from a planet without true space travel. I pressed a button and turned the ship semitransparent. From our vantage point, we could see the bubble in which we stood. Behind us was a long semi-clear tube. Beyond that, two long cylindrical, glowing cones.

“Engines?” He asked.

“Yes,” I said while different color stars shimmered and stretched in the distance through the warp bubble.

I moved my hand in a slow arc and the star field vanished. Videos of my aquatic home world with familiar and reassuring spots of white, green, and beautiful, deep blue came into view.

Below were the islands where I used to play as a boy. Some were serpentine, and others half-moons. Memories of the black shells I collected lingered in my mind. Silver cities hovered in the distance to move away from probable Ryba attacks. The image shifted again, and I pointed to the space elevator. Another image came with speckled Volardi swimming underwater.

“No SCUBA,” he said.

A visual of bulky primitive equipment flashed into my mind. “Not so much… At least, not like you’re used to. We have tiny ones you could wear.”

His eyes widened so slowly I almost missed them. “It’s... so different but –”

My fingers went down his back, “But it can be home.”

He nodded his agreement.

“But first,” I said. “The time approaches to take you as my Mate.”

***

The ship entered orbit, and we took the personal shuttlecraft. Peter said it reminded him of a bubble although a silver one. Down we flew over calm waves.

A good omen.

We approached the center island amid several other round ones. “The eye of Augo,” I said. Eons ago, when we first arrived here we created it. My voice cracked despite my intent. “There is no place more sacred. Even other kingdoms use it.”

“Why?”

I smiled. Some of the information from the implant was withheld. I wasn’t like the Alphas of old who demanded strict obedience. It was more practicality. Words and images would only convey so much. My Femeni had to experience this for himself to truly understand.