“Cypher, how the bloody hell did you—” Her eyes caught Volcair’s and rounded.
That old heat ignited in his chest and coursed through his qal; he’d always experienced the sensation when he was in her presence, but it was more intense now than ever. It had grown into an instinctual, bone-deep craving. His cock stirred, hardening in an instant.
He wasn’t looking at an adolescent, but a woman—the woman who was meant to be his mate. The woman who was meant to be his.
Before she said anything more, Volcair stepped into the room, captured her face between his hands, and pressed his lips to hers. He heard Cypher’s lightly clacking steps move away down the hall.
Kiara’s eyes widened farther, and she gasped. Taking advantage of her surprise, he slapped the button to close the door, returned his hand to her face, and guided her deeper into the room until her back touched the wall. He pinned her there with his body.
She relaxed and gave in to him, parting her lips with a soft moan. Her hands slid up his sides to settle on his upper back. Volcair deepened the kiss, nipping and sucking at her lips, driven only by hunger and instinct—in this, he had no experience, only a desire that had burned in him for years.
The warmth on his skin became a tingling, and that tingling gradually escalated into an electric hum. Kiara’s heat radiated into him, and her smooth, bare legs brushed against his. His cock throbbed. Volcair groaned, pressing his shaft more firmly against her.
Kiara stilled. Sliding her hands between their chests, she pushed, interrupting the kiss but not breaking the contact between their bodies.
“What are you doing, Volcair?” she asked, her quiet voice laced with pain and uncertainty. Her skin glowed with the reflected light of his qal.
“You are mine, Kiara,” he said, tipping his forehead against hers, “and I should’ve gone to you. I should never have left you.”
“But you did leave, and you never came back. All those years gone, and you accused me of—”
“I know,” he rasped, “and I will forever hold those words and those wasted years as my greatest regrets. Let me spend what time I have left making up for it. Let me atone for my cowardice. I truly have nothing without you.”
He drew back from her, took hold of her hands, and guided them to his chest. He flattened her palms over his qal. “Do you remember the first time we met? Do you remember how my qal glowed when you touched them?”
Her dark eyes, gleaming with his light, met his. “Yes. They reminded me of starlight.”
“They glowed for you. I did not understand it then, but I do now. Even as a child, part of me recognized that you are my mate. That you are mine.”
She pulled her hands free, and he released his hold on her. With trembling fingers, she lightly traced the qal on his chest, following it up and over his shoulders. “But I’m human. How could I be?”
“How doesn’t matter,” he said in English, “only that you are.”
“What about your ancestry, and the purity of your species? I know how much that means to your people.”
Volcair shook his head. “You mean more to me than any of that. More to me than them. I was obligated to serve. I volunteered for more time only because I thought I’d already lost you. My people…” He drew in a deep breath and released it slowly; this was a truth his father would never have wanted to hear, a truth that would bring Volcair shame and criticism among his kind. “My people have always been—and will always be—second to you. I never would’ve left had I been given the choice.”
Tears filled her eyes. “But you did have the choice to come back, Volcair.”
He clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. “And I am sorry for it, sorry beyond words. It is no excuse, no justification, but…it would have killed me to see you in the arms of another. To see you happy with another. To see with my own eyes that you had chosen, and that your choice was not me.”
“I’m sorry, Volcair,” she said, voice tight. “I’m so s—”
He opened his eyes and pressed a thumb over her lips, silencing her. Kiara’s tears slid down her cheeks, and he brushed them away. “No. You need never apologize for what you did. Never.”
Lowering his arms, he took hold of one of her wrists and turned her hand palm up. He settled the necklace on her open palm, allowing the delicate chain to slide off his fingers and pile around the balus stone. “When we were children, you were my best mate. My only mate. Will you be my forever mate?”
Though a heavy sob shook her, Kiara smiled and nodded. “Yes. Yes, Volcair.” Closing her fingers around the necklace, she threw her arms around him and pressed her face against his neck. “You’ve always been the only one for me. I knew it even as a child.”
Volcair embraced her and settled his cheek atop her hair, relishing the feel of her warm body against his. He thought this closeness had been lost to him, that he’d never experience it again. Joy and relief overwhelmed him; his mate was here, in his arms, after all these years.
His mate.
She shifted to press her lips against his neck, and her hard nipples brushed his chest. The desire he’d felt when she first opened the door came roaring back. His qal burned with it, and he curled his fingers, clutching her closer.
Kiara wiggled her hips, rubbing her pelvis against his cock.
Volcair shuddered and groaned. He gritted his teeth and dropped his hands to her waist, stilling her movements. His fingers found the patch of bare skin between the hem of her tank top and the band of her underwear.
In all the years since he’d met Kiara, there had never been another for him. There’d only ever been her on his mind, in his heart, in his dreams, and having her in his arms now, so warm and soft, smelling so delectable, there was no way he could hold himself back.
“Kiara…”
“I want this,” she said softly, tilting her head back to meet his gaze. She reached down between them, grasped the bottom of her tank top, and pulled it up over her head, dropping it to the floor at her feet. The necklace fell atop it. “I want you. Now. We’ve wasted too much time already.”
Volcair’s heart hammered against his ribs, and his qal shone ever brighter as his gaze dipped down her body. Her breasts—each no more than a handful—were tipped with dark, pearled nipples; they were utterly perfect. She was utterly perfect.
Kiara hooked the band of her underwear with her thumbs and pushed the black fabric down her legs, baring herself completely. His gaze roamed over her luscious curves, pausing on the small patch of dark hair above her slit.
His breath hitched, and fire blazed through him. This was his mate. His beautiful, tantalizing mate, offering herself to him.
Volcair’s eyes locked with hers. He closed the distance between them and placed a hand on the back of Kiara’s neck, pulling her close as he slanted his mouth over hers. She returned the kiss with the same fierce urgency he felt in himself. Their lips and tongues caressed each other, exploring and learning; his hunger only grew with each passing moment.
He covered one of her breasts with his hand. Her nipple brushed against his palm before he squeezed, closing his thumb and forefinger around the bud. Kiara moaned and undulated against his groin, causing his hips to buck involuntarily.
She gasped, and they both stilled, staring at each other. Through the thin fabric of his underwear, he felt the damp heat of her arousal nestled against his shaft.
He inhaled, taking in the sweet musk of her desire. His mouth watered, and he experienced a new sort of hunger—one that could only be sated by her taste upon his tongue.
Volcair dropped to his knees, curled his hands around Kiara’s thighs, spread her legs, and pressed his mouth to her sex.
Her flavor, ambrosial and pure, swept across his tongue, which he extended for a deeper taste, running it from the bottom of her delicate folds to the top. The tip of his tongue flicked against a hard little nub at the apex of her sex.
Kiara cried out. Her back hit the wall, and he paused, curious. Raising o
ne of her legs over his shoulder, he opened her wider for his inspection. Volcair gazed at her dark petals, which were splayed open to reveal the pink of her inner depths. And there, at the top of her slit, was the small bud he’d discovered with his tongue.
He looked higher; Kiara stared down at him with dark, heavy-lidded eyes. Volcair flicked his tongue against the nub again. She inhaled sharply, and her hips twitched.
“This feels good?” he asked.
“Yes,” she whispered.
Unable to deny her—unable to deny himself—Volcair lowered his mouth over the nub and sucked.
Kiara moaned and dropped her hands to his head, clutching his hair; the sharp sting on his scalp only added to the exquisite torture and deep, aching need in his cock. Spurred on by his mate’s throaty cries, husky pleas, and divine taste, Volcair ravaged her with his mouth and tongue. He couldn’t get enough of her sweet nectar.
With a growl, he latched back onto the little bud that brought her so much pleasure. Kiara tensed just before a scream tore from her throat. She rocked against his mouth, and Volcair grasped her hips, shoving them firmly against the wall as he speared her tight, quivering channel with his tongue, drinking the nectar she gifted him.
When her trembling eased, Volcair turned his face and kissed her inner thigh.
“Volcair,” she said softly.
Carefully lowering her leg from his shoulder, Volcair tilted his head back to look up at his mate. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips plump, and her lust-hazed eyes were half-lidded. This image of his mate pleasured and bared to him was the most erotic and beautiful sight he’d ever seen.
Were it not for the discipline he’d learned in the military, he would have spilled his seed then and there, before ever joining with her. Even with all his willpower bent toward restraint, his hold on himself was tenuous.
Wrapping his arms around her, Volcair lifted her off the floor. She smiled tenderly and dropped her hands to his shoulders to steady herself as he carried her to the bed.
He gently laid her upon the bedding, his need battering his dwindling self-control as he looked upon her; she parted her thighs to reveal her wet folds.
“Now, Volcair,” she said, brushing her foot along the outside of his leg. “Make love to me.”
He didn’t immediately comply; he stared at her, locking this moment in his mind, enshrining every detail in his memory, emblazoning Kiara in his heart. He wanted to hold onto this image forever—his mate, the most beautiful creature in all the universe, waiting for him with desire gleaming in her dark eyes.
Volcair dropped his hands to the waistband of his underpants and forced them down. He kicked them aside once they fell around his ankles. Without removing his eyes from Kiara, he climbed onto the bed and crawled over her. She spread her legs wider, cradling his hips between her thighs.
Kiara placed a hand on his chest and slid it down; a moment later, she curled her fingers around his cock. The pressure within him rocketed nearly to the breaking point, sending a shudder through his entire body before his muscles stiffened. He hissed through his teeth and placed his hand over hers.
My mate is as bold as ever.
“Kiara, I will not last,” Volcair grated.
Her fingers moved beneath his, tracing the sensitive nodules lining his shaft. “You’re…different.”
Each brush of a fingertip over those bumps stole a little more of his breath and pushed him closer to the edge. The pleasure her touch caused was so powerful, so overwhelming, that he could not make sense of her words. “Different?”
“Different,” she repeated, her lips curving into a smile. “A good different.”
Though her smile eased any insecurity he might have felt, understanding continued to elude him. All he wanted was to please her, to give her what she wanted, despite his own need reaching previously unimaginable levels. “Different how?”
Chuckling, Kiara lifted her head and kissed his jaw. She tightened her grip on his shaft and stroked it. “Well, you’re not human.”
Volcair grunted, clutching the bedding in his fists.
She teased one of the nodules with the tip of her finger. “These little bumps here? They’re going to hit all the right places inside me.”
His eyelids fluttered shut; he was utterly at her mercy, a slave to her slightest touch. “I have never done this,” he said between ragged breaths. “Never joined with anyone.”
The motion of her hand stilled, and it fell away from his cock. He nearly begged for her to put it back. He opened his eyes to look down at her. She lay with lips parted, eyes rounded, her expression laced with shock and guilt.
“You never… Even knowing that I…” Her chest rose and fell with short, shallow breaths, and tears glimmered in her eyes.
Volcair lowered himself onto his elbows, settling his hips between her thighs. With one hand, he cupped her face, making sure her eyes remained on his. His cock throbbed and ached, desperate for release, but that didn’t matter. She was what mattered.
“Kiara, why are you crying?” he asked softly.
“You n-never gave up. Not like I—”
Volcair pressed his mouth to hers, silencing her. When he pulled back, he said, “This is now, Kiara, and we are both here. We will only go forward. Together.”
She nodded and slipped her fingers into his hair. “Together.”
He brushed his thumb across her cheek and smiled. “My lovely mate.” He lowered his mouth and kissed her as he adjusted his hips to press the head of his cock against the entrance of her sex. “My Kiara.”
Volcair rolled his hips forward, and his shaft sank into her slick, welcoming heat. Kiara echoed his groan and spread her thighs farther. He pulled back only to press into her harder, deeper, thrusting until his pelvis touched hers. Her inner walls tightened around him, drawing him in.
Releasing a shuddering breath, he stilled, propping himself over her as he fought to contain the pressure, as he fought to hold himself together; he knew it would always be a losing battle when it came to her, but he planned to relish every moment of it.
Kiara’s breath hitched as Volcair thrust into her; he stretched her, and his nodules rubbed her clit and inner walls with every stroke of his shaft. Pleasure rippled through her, producing a fresh wave of liquid heat between her legs.
She stared up at him, unable to look away from his entrancing, glowing eyes. Her heart was full to bursting. It was difficult to breathe, difficult to form coherent words, difficult to think with the torrent of emotions sweeping through her. This was Volcair, the man she’d waited a lifetime for. The man she loved with all her being.
Wrapping her legs around him, she undulated her hips to match his rhythm, taking him deeper and deeper, her need growing and growing. She wanted all of him, everything he had to give. Tilting her head back, Kiara released a throaty sigh, but kept her gaze locked with his.
Volcair bared his teeth and quickened his pace. The definition of his sculpted muscles was enhanced by the light from his qal, which brightened with each of his motions. He said her name; it was barely a whisper, but it flowed from his lips like a prayer, like a plea.
Her core clenched, and delightful shivers skated across the surface of her skin. She clutched his hair as the sensation grew in intensity with Volcair’s every thrust. The bumps along his shaft added to the friction, making the pressure in her build with blistering, impossible speed; too quickly, he catapulted her into blissful oblivion.
“Volcair,” she breathed, catching her bottom lip between her teeth as her inner walls convulsed. She cried out as pleasure crashed through her, tensing her muscles, leaving her helpless but to succumb to the onslaught. It was only then that she allowed her eyes to close. Volcair became her entire world—his smooth skin, his shaft filling her, his hard muscles, the warmth of his breath, his scent mingling with her own.
The sound of his voice filled her ears as he released a ragged, wordless cry. His body shuddered around Kiara, within her, his cock swelling as his heat flo
oded her. His movements became erratic, rough, and desperate, only heightening her rapture.
Though tremors continued to course through her body, Kiara forced her eyes open and looked upon Volcair while he was in the throes of ecstasy. His head was thrown back, his eyes squeezed shut, and his qal shone brighter than she’d ever seen. He was beautiful.
And he was hers.
Volcair sagged forward, catching himself with his elbows to either side of Kiara as he let out a long, heavy breath. His pecs pressed down on her breasts, brushing against her hardened nipples. He opened his eyes and met her gaze.
“Kiara,” he said, voice husky. His lips remained parted as though he meant to say more while he searched her face, but he said it all by lowering his mouth over hers for another searing, claiming kiss.
She returned the kiss, giving over to that claim.
For the first time in so long, she felt like she was exactly where she was meant to be. Everything in her life had led up to this moment—including the heartache and loneliness. Everything had led her here, to him, so she could finally be whole. Volcair had always been the missing piece of her heart, and she’d finally fit that piece into place.
Tears stung her eyes. “I love you, Volcair. My star. I’ve always loved you.”
His features softened, and he shifted his weight onto one elbow so he could settle his hand on her cheek. “And I have always loved you, Kiara. I am sorry it has taken me so long to act upon it.”
Kiara lifted her head and pressed her lips against his. “We won’t look back.”
He smiled. “Only forward.”
Nine
Kiara slowly stirred from her dreams—her wonderful, blissful dreams.
A lazy smile spread across her lips, and her naked limbs glided over the cool sheets as she stretched. Images of the night before flashed through her mind—caressing lips, exploring hands, entwined bodies.
Kiara stilled. Her heart leapt as she opened her eyes and raised her head, scanning the room.
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