Free To Clan and Conquer (Clan Beginnings) by Tracy St. John

medical leave status and drank over his usual on-call limit.”
    Tranis’ frown deepened and he flushed a little, as if embarrassed.  “So?  I have time to sleep it off before I’m on duty.”
    “Or work it off.  So why didn’t you fuck the good doctor?  You look more than ready for it.”  The Nobek leered at Tranis’ very obvious erection.
    He got a glare in return.  “What?  Were you spying on us?”
    “Yes.”  It had been quite a show too until Tranis had sped off, leaving Degorsk very frustrated and pissed off.  Too pissed off for Lidon to have any hope of taking advantage of the poor Imdiko’s condition.
    Tranis snorted.  “I knew you had a thing for him.”
    He got his door open and walked in.  Assuming an invitation, Lidon followed him.
    Tranis’ quarters were every bit as cramped as his own and every other unclanned man’s on the ship.  A small shelf held the mud-encrusted kurble ball they’d played with that morning. 
    “Degorsk is the one man who can make me laugh.  I find him fascinating.  What about you, Commander?  What is it about him that has you so attracted?”
    Tranis sighed.  He leaned over his sleeping mat, putting one knee on the mattress.  Lidon admired the way the Dramok’s formsuit stretched tight over his muscular ass. 
    With a touch, Tranis opened one of the seamless drawers in the wall on the far side of his bed.  He rummaged through its contents.  “I don’t know what it is about him.  Probably a lot of different things, starting with that nice ass.  And I guess I want to know what’s behind that ridiculous attitude of his.”
    He got off the mat emptyhanded, leaving the drawer open.  He planted his hands on his hips as he confronted Lidon.  “Plus, he pisses me off with his air of superiority when he talks about how much younger I am than him.  Damn it, I’m sick of having to prove myself to everyone over and over.”
    Lidon cocked an eyebrow at him.  “You have to realize someone your age with the rank you’ve attained is going to be tested.”
    “By other Dramoks?  Fine.  By Nobeks?  I expect it.  But an Imdiko?”  Tranis shook his head.
    “Is that why you’re in your quarters with a hard-on instead of enjoying Degorsk’s sweet ass right now?  To put him in his place?”
    Tranis’ grin was dark with promise.  “I look forward to having him offer himself to me.”
    Lidon had to restrain the urge to roll his eyes.  Though ambitious, intelligent, and talented, Tranis apparently had a lot to learn about Kalquor’s third breed.  “You’ve never bedded an Imdiko, have you?” he guessed.
    The Dramok shrugged.  “Not yet.  They don’t seem to be much of a challenge.”
    “Maybe not the ones you’ve met, the young ones looking to impress you.  Degorsk might not be as easy as you think.”
    “Just because you haven’t fucked him doesn’t mean I can’t.”
    Something in the pit of Lidon’s gut tightened at the challenge.  Tranis had been drinking and was sexually frustrated.  His seeming insult was actually an invitation.  Lidon was more than ready to accept it.
    Coolly, as if burning heat wasn’t slipping into his groin, Lidon responded, “Degorsk is good at avoiding men who show an interest in him.  You should have taken the opportunity while you had it.  Meanwhile, you’re suffering, Dramok.  I hate to see that.”
    With a single step, the Nobek came close enough to grab Tranis.  He snatched the young man to him, one hand on the back of the Dramok’s head holding him for Lidon’s kiss.  Tranis’ mouth opened immediately for his searching tongue, parrying with his own as they had their first taste of each other.
    Tranis’ flavor was a mix of kloq, feral male, and delicious need.  His hands gripped Lidon’s shoulders as they sought to devour each others’ mouths, pulling at him as if they could get closer than chest to chest as they already were.  Lidon grabbed for the first officer’s ass, clutching the