by L. A. Casey
“Oh.” I gasped when my insides involuntarily clenched.
Kol’s growl startled me, and I brought my attention to him once more. His eyes were still squeezed shut, and he was so tense that the veins in his arms and neck were bulged and sticking up from his skin.
“Are you okay?” I asked, acutely aware that my voice was husky.
“I’m going to die.” He choked.
I tensed my insides once more, and it only caused him to growl, which drew a lazy smile from me.
“Faster,” I told him, knowing it was what we both needed. “Go faster.”
“Thank, Thanas,” he almost roared as he began to thrust in and out of my body at a rapid pace.
I tightly wrapped my legs around his hips, and my arms around his neck. I adjusted my hands to his shoulders when each powerful thrust sent a spasm of ecstasy up my spine. I dug my nails into is flesh, and it drew a roar from him and only encouraged him to pound into my pussy harder, faster, deeper. So much deeper.
The build-up of bliss was different from the pleasure I felt with Kol’s mouth on me; it wasn’t just body consuming, it was mind and soul consuming too. It was like my very existence was on the line, instead of a soul-shattering orgasm. I tried to pay attention to Kol, I desperately tried to, but my body had a mind of its own, and its only focus was getting to the bliss that was promised as soon as possible.
“Kol!”
Seconds after I gasped his name, my breathing halted, my mouth opened in a silent scream, my back arched off the mattress, and for a moment, I felt numbness before a bliss I had never experienced flowed through my veins and touched my every nerve ending. Molten heat fell over me like a blanket, and it covered me completely. It soothed away every ache, every pulse, and every worry I had ever had.
Heaven.
I was vaguely aware of a sharp sting pinching my neck, but that soon turned to pleasure. Though it was nothing like the wave to just wash over me, it was nice and caused my toes to curl in delight. I hummed for a long moment and wondered how long I would feel like this.
I feel so good.
I heard soft male laughter.
You do feel good, shiva.
Kol’s comment would normally bring a blush to my cheeks, but now it only drew a lazy smile from me.
Do you feel like I do? I hummed. I hope you do because it’s so good, Kol.
I gasped when the pleasure that started at my neck suddenly burned hot and drew a hiss from my lips.
Hush, shiva, only a few more seconds and our bond will be in place.
I didn’t realise my eyes were closed, so when I opened them, and my surroundings came back to me, I was wondering why Kol was flush against me with his face buried against my neck. I had the intention of asking him, but the burning heat I felt at my neck suddenly attacked my core and spread outwards. It dragged a strangled cry from my lips.
“Kol,” I whimpered and dug my nails into the skin of his firm back. “It hurts. Please, stop, it hurts.”
Kol, who was still between my thighs, and still inside me, didn’t move a muscle. When I positioned my hands on his chest and began to push him away—to no avail—he growled, and it vibrated against my neck and quickly after a sting followed. Now that I wasn’t swept away in pleasure, it didn’t take me long to realise the sting I felt was because of Kol’s teeth … they punctured my neck with a bite.
Please, shiva, let the bond take place. This is just my essence you’re feeling.
His essence fucking hurt.
For a moment, I wanted to tell him to go and fuck himself, but then it dawned on me that not only was Kol biting me, but he spoke clearly to me, and I heard him when I shouldn’t have because his mouth was a little preoccupied.
Calm, Kol suddenly ordered. Do not panic; this is our bond. Our mental link is normal, shiva. I feared telling you we’d share a mental link because you were so worried over my essence. I didn’t want to scare you further.
The burning pain in my core continued to spread outward to my limbs, and like my mind-blowing orgasm, it touched every nerve and filled my body completely. I had heard my scream before I felt myself let it loose, and what was even more odd was I felt how torn up Kol was that I was hurting so badly and he could not stop it.
I felt his emotion, and I heard his voice in my head.
Why are you doing this to me? I am your intended!
For a moment, I wasn’t sure if I asked the question aloud or in my mind.
No, Kol growled as he slowly withdrew his teeth from my flesh. You’re my mate.
One moment, I was hurting so badly that it caused all my joints to lock into place, and then the next, I was pain-free and more relaxed and physically satisfied than I had ever been in my entire life. I closed my eyes and fought off the urge to fall asleep, but it was extremely difficult.
I was vaguely aware when Kol withdrew his still rock-hard length from me only a few inches before he thrust back inside my body, causing the pleasure I felt earlier to leer at me with jealousy. The new sensation felt more heightened and more toe curling. My eyes flew open, my legs tightened around his hips, and my hands gripped Kol’s muscular biceps.
“Our bond is in place, shiva,” he said as he hovered over me, panting, but had the biggest smile I had ever seen on his face. “You’re mine. Forever.”
Mate.
I kept thinking of the word and its meaning since Kol had said it to me four days ago. Since the moment we officially became husband and wife, so to speak, it felt like I was on autopilot. The Maji way wasn’t simple, and marriage to the Maji certainly wasn’t as simple as saying ‘I do’. It was something like a sacred ritual that tied individuals together for life. That terrified me because I didn’t have time to wrap my head around the fact that I was beginning to fall in love with him before his saddle was hitched to mine.
We had a bond now; a chemical bond that allowed us to share a mental link. We could speak to one another through our minds; as if being claimed by an alpha male wasn’t daunting enough, I had to have him inside my head, too. I didn’t know where to begin to describe how I felt about the turn of events that had taken place in my life. On the one hand, I was extremely grateful for the new life being offered to me and my people, and on the other hand, I couldn’t believe any of it was real.
The fact that I was safe felt too good to be true, and the other fact that I was an alien prince’s wife was something I couldn’t even begin to comprehend. I’d had a few days to adjust since I became a mated female, and the only thing that I was used to was the Maji themselves. I barely noticed skin colour, height, or sharp teeth anymore or even acknowledged the company I kept was a different species. That all felt too trivial to focus on in light of my new status.
Not only was I married—mated—but I was also now a princess. Me. A skinny little runt from Earth who didn’t know the first thing about being anything other than a peasant let alone a member of the Maji royal family. I felt like I was trapped in a dream. At times, it was the perfect dream, and at other times, when my worries became too much, it was like a never-ending nightmare I didn’t know how to wake up from.
How did I find myself here?
I jumped when I felt a hand on my thigh.
In the mess hall? Kol asked.
I turned my head and glanced at him.
No, I told him. In this situation. None of this feels real, and I’m beginning to wonder if it ever will.
“Do not worry yourself, shiva.” Kol winked. “You’re the first female of your kind to mate with a Maji, and it’s all happened so fast for you that it will surely feel strange for a while. Once we reach Ealra and settle into our life, that will change.”
You don’t know that.
“I do.” Kol nodded.
“I wasn’t saying that to you. I was just thinking it in general.” I groaned and turned my attention to the food on my tray. “You have to teach me how to block my thoughts from you. I feel like I’m never alone… not even in my head. It’s stressing me out, Kol. I�
��ve always been on my own, and I didn’t realise how much I liked the peace and quiet until your voice appeared in my head.”
I ignored the snickering from Mikoh, who sat across from me. Surkah, on the far side of the table next to him, glared at him.
Really? Kol asked, his tone amused. You seemed to really like that I could hear your thoughts when you were too shy to voice how much you liked my licking you last night.
I set my jaw and looked up from my breakfast tray and glared daggers at my grinning mate. We hadn’t had sex since the night we mated. The first two days were because of sensitivity, not mainly because of the sex, but because of Kol’s essence bonding into the bloodstream. It made me weak, and a little uneasy on my feet. Not being at full strength didn’t stop Kol from touching me when we were in bed. He never took it to the point of no return, but he did explore me with his fingers and mouth until I couldn’t see straight. Everything about our intimacy was still new territory for me, so it meant I embarrassed easily. Kol wasn’t allowed to discuss what we did in private, but he talked about it anyway,
“Get out of my head, Kol.”
His lips twitched, but he nodded, which only caused me to eye him suspiciously.
“I want to learn the blocking thing you mentioned to me,” I informed him. “You said it was possible for mates to screen our thoughts so we could have privacy, and I want that as soon as possible. And I still protest that you should have told me that there would be a psychic link between us!”
“I told you.” He frowned. “I didn’t want to scare you.”
“I just don’t understand how any of this is possible. I know you’ve explained it, but I can’t comprehend it,” I said with a shake of my head. “I am human, and humans can’t read one another’s thought.”
“I’m not human,” Kol said.
You don’t need to tell me that, big guy. I’m more than aware.
Kol grinned at me, and knowing he heard my thoughts, I scowled.
“How can we be so different but the same too?” I wondered aloud.
“Maji and humans,” Mikoh began. “Our bodies are similar, yes?”
“Apart from skin colour and how freaking huge you all are… yes.”
Kol’s lips twitched, but I ignored him because I knew he knew exactly what part of him I thought was huge, and it wasn’t the head on his damn shoulders.
“Humans are the only other species we have found that resemble us with such detail. As you said, we’re different, but we’re the same, too. Species of the cosmos cross-breed all the time; it is how many species are born. Maybe Maji were once humans, or maybe humans were once Maji.”
“Humans would have come from Maji, I think,” Surkah thoughtfully interjected. “Our race is a lot older than theirs is.”
Mikoh nodded as he leaned back in his chair.
“I think so too, but maybe another species has diluted their blood so much, and that’s why they slightly differ from us, or perhaps they’ve evolved on their own… but not entirely… Nova has bonded with Kol as any other Maji female would have.”
It was an irrational thing to do, but I slammed my teeth together and began to breathe heavily at the thought of another woman touching my husband. A frightening sensation of possession filled me from head to toe.
He’s mine.
I jumped when I felt Kol’s purr rather than heard it.
“Yes, shiva.” He smiled and reached for me, pulling me onto his lap. “I am yours.”
He nuzzled my neck and inhaled.
I could scent her forever… my female.
“I’m going insane!” I said as I lifted my hands to my face. “I hear and feel you all the time, and now I’m getting possessive like you. Am I turning into a Maji? Is that what your essence is really doing? Is it taking the human out of me?”
Everyone’s laughter only grated on my nerves, but instead of being angry, I felt emotional. It sounded funny to them, but I was so confused and scared about what was happening to my body, and I didn’t know what to do about it… so I began to cry.
“Shiva.”
No, don’t shiva me, I sobbed. You think this is funny, and it is to you, but it’s not to me. This is all as natural as breathing to you, but it’s one new thing on top of the other for me, and I’m just so scared, Kol. Nothing like this happens in my world.
Kol tightened his arms around me.
“I did not think, shiva, and I am so sorry. Please, do not cry. It pains me when you cry.”
He meant that literally. I could feel how upset my tears were making him.
“Do you want to pilot the Ebony? You keep asking me, and if you stop crying, I will allow it.”
I heard male laughter. “Your father was right; our mates will have us under their thumb.”
“Quiet, Mikoh!”
Mikoh only laughed louder.
I pulled back from Kol, sniffling and hiccupping.
“You’ll… You’ll let me fly the c-craft?”
“If it makes you stop crying, shiva.” He nodded frantically. “Yes.”
I wiped away my tears. “Okay.”
Mikoh’s laughter aggravated Kol, and I could sense he was about to attack him.
Please don’t, I pleaded. I can’t handle seeing you fighting with him right now.
We must leave then, Kol almost growled in response. His impatience to have Surkah is pushing him to challenge every male he sees.
I don’t want to go back to our quarters, though. We’re always there.
Surkah had told me that newly mated males would go to great lengths to hide their females from peering eyes. Everyone was a threat to a newly mated male, even a female. It was in their instincts to keep their females hidden where nothing could harm them, and to Kol, that meant us holed up in our quarters all day, every day.
We reach Ealra in less than one Earth hour, Kol hummed as his fingers stroked my thigh. What do you want to do if not return to our quarters?
I perked up. “I can fly the craft since we’re getting off it soon.”
Kol glared at Mikoh when he laughed again, and without a word, he stood and brought us to our feet.
“We’re going for a walk,” Kol said, his tone clipped.
Surkah smacked Mikoh’s chest with the back of her hand to stop him from saying whatever it was he was about to say in response to Kol, and the distraction worked wonders. She became his primary focus, and it enabled me and Kol to slip away from the table without Mikoh noticing our departure. When he was looking at Surkah, the world could have ended around him, and he wouldn’t have noticed.
When Kol and I left the mess hall and walked side by side down the identical hallways, I slid my hand into his, and his expression of awe made me giggle like a little girl.
“I can’t believe it was only a few days ago,” I mused, “that I would have pushed you off the craft if I was given the chance.”
Kol’s laughter caused my heart to leap as he squeezed my hand. “A mating changes everything, shiva.”
It really had, the hard-headed Kol I had first met had been replaced with the most caring male I could have ever have wished for. While he was still a typical male, he went about his alpha ways with a little more consideration for me. With every passing hour, I became more and more infatuated with him, and I knew it wouldn’t be long until I had fallen head over heels in love with him.
He was perfect, and I didn’t have to have the chemical bond the Maji had to become addicted to him. I was already knee-deep in my obsession with him, and like everything else, it scared me half to death. I was terrified that things would change when we landed on Ealra, and our time together would be cut in half. It was a fear I couldn’t shake no matter how often Kol told me it would never come true. All I had ever known and loved had been taken away from me, so I couldn’t see how the pattern would suddenly end just because Kol said so.
“Are you really letting me fly the Ebony?” I asked Kol when we stepped onto the bridge.
The crew on the bridge did their
fist over the chest and bowing thing to Kol, and they did it to me too, but none of them looked at me. He nodded to me as he led me to a large control panel where someone was always stationed even if the ship was on auto pilot. The male moved away without a verbal order from Kol, though I knew he probably told him to move through their comms. Kol stationed me in front of the control panel, and he positioned himself behind me. He put his hands on mine and placed them flat on the control panel.
“You do not know how to physically pilot but just about anyone can do it mentally,” Kol explained, his hands still pressed on the back of my hands. “I have given you clearance to fly. You don’t have a comm of your own, but your translator has frequencies that my comm has just finished rewriting so you can think your commands to the ship.”
I was suddenly terrified to fly the ship.
“This is a bad idea,” I said, panicked. “I shouldn’t have asked for this.”
I noticed the males on the lowered section of the bridge suddenly grabbing the closest sturdy thing to them, and a few of them even laughed and said something that made Kol tense.
“Say a single word further,” he growled to the males on the bridge, “and I will allow Surkah to do her annual assessment early this year.”
Gazes quickly dropped, and bodies busied back to work. All except one.
“And early assessment is worth it.”
“Nero—”
“That little human has you, as the humans say, by the balls.”
I choked on air as I laughed. I looked to my right and found Nero, a male who I had met a few days earlier when I tried to escape the Ebony, and from his conversation with Kol, it was easy to tell that this was another one of his close friends.
“Get back to work,” Kol growled.
Nero winked but did as ordered. When my attention left him and returned to what I was about to do, I tensed all over again.
“You will do fine,” Kol assured me and pressed a kiss to the crown of my head. “Now listen to me carefully, okay?”