Vael's POV
I held Lirien close as my knot slowly went down inside him. Our bodies were still joined, warm and slick with sweat and his scent. I could feel his heartbeat against my chest, fast but steady now. I brushed the messy silver-white hair from his forehead and kissed him there gently.
"Are you really okay?" I asked quietly. "I was rough with you. Tell me the truth."
Lirien looked up at me with those beautiful violet eyes. His cheeks were still flushed pink. "I'm okay," he said softly. "It hurt a little… but I liked it. I liked how you checked with me first. It made me feel safe even when it was intense."
His words eased something tight in my chest. I carefully rolled us onto our sides so I could hold him better without crushing him. My knot was still locking us together, so every small movement made him breathe in sharply. I rubbed slow circles on his back with my hand.
We stayed like that for a long time. The only sound in the room was the low hum of the ship's engines and our breathing. Through the big window, stars and a purple nebula drifted past slowly. It felt peaceful, but I knew this peace wouldn't last long.
When my knot finally slipped free, I got up and brought a warm, damp cloth from the bathroom. I cleaned him gently between his legs, then wiped his stomach and chest where he had come earlier. He watched me the whole time with a shy, tired expression.
"You don't have to do that," he mumbled.
"I want to," I said simply. "You let me be rough with you. The least I can do is take care of you after."
After cleaning myself too, I climbed back into bed and pulled the blanket over both of us. I wrapped my arms around him from behind and held him close, his back against my chest. He fit perfectly there.
"How long until your next heat wave?" I asked.
"Probably tomorrow night," he answered. "The suppressants I took before sneaking on board are almost gone now."
I pressed my face into his hair and breathed him in. "We need a real plan, Lirien. You can't stay locked in this room forever. The security team is still searching. They're not stupid. If they decide to scan captain quarters for some reason, we're both in big trouble."
He turned around in my arms so we were facing each other. His hand came up and touched my jaw. "What kind of plan?"
I thought for a moment. "I can get you a fake crew ID. There are spare uniforms in storage. If I log you as a new maintenance worker who came on at the last port, it might work for a while. But you'll have to stay out of sight most of the time and learn the ship's routines fast."
Lirien was quiet for a long time. "You would really do that for me? Risk your career?"
I looked straight into his eyes. "Yes. I would. Because this thing between us… it doesn't feel like just heat anymore. When I'm with you, I feel something real. Something I haven't felt in a very long time."
He smiled a small, almost sad smile. "I feel it too. But I'm scared I'm going to destroy your life. You worked so hard to become captain."
I pulled him closer and kissed him softly. "Then we'll be careful together. No more risks like last night in the corridor. From now on, everything is planned."
We talked for almost an hour after that. I told him more about my life how I joined the fleet after my father died, how I pushed myself to become the youngest captain on this route, how lonely the nights in space could feel even when surrounded by crew. He told me about his small colony planet, the pressure from his family, and how he had hidden on three different ships before mine.
The more we talked, the closer I felt to him. It wasn't just physical anymore. I liked his quiet bravery. I liked how he listened when I spoke. And I could tell he liked when I took control but still asked permission.
Later, when the ship lights dimmed for the night cycle, I felt desire rising in me again. I ran my hand down his side and stopped at his hip.
"Can I touch you again?" I asked.
Lirien nodded. "Yes."
I kissed him deeply, taking my time. My hands explored his body slowly his chest, his stomach, the curve of his ass that was still a little red from earlier spanking. He shivered under my touch but didn't pull away.
"I want to fuck you again," I whispered against his mouth. "But slower this time. Can I?"
"Please," he breathed.
I took him gently that second time. Face to face, with his legs wrapped around me. I moved slow and deep, watching every expression on his face. Every time he moaned, I kissed him to swallow the sound. When he came, he whispered my name like it meant everything. I followed right after, holding him tight as I filled him again.
Afterward, we lay together in the dark. I stroked his hair while he rested his head on my chest.
"I never thought I would find someone like this on a random cargo check," I said with a small laugh.
Lirien smiled against my skin. "I never thought the captain who caught me would end up knotting me twice in one day."
We both laughed quietly. It felt good to laugh together.
But even in that peaceful moment, worry sat in the back of my mind. Tomorrow I would have to go back to the bridge and act normal. I would have to lie to my crew. I would have to start building a fake identity for the Omega currently sleeping naked in my bed.
It was dangerous. It was crazy.
Yet as I listened to Lirien's breathing slowly even out into sleep, I knew I would do it anyway.
This rebellious stowaway had crashed into my orderly life and changed everything in just a few days. And for the first time in years, I didn't want to go back to how things were before.
I wanted him here.
I wanted us.