Kor'ven (Warriors of the Karuvar Book 2)

by Alana Serra

  His lips parted more, inviting her in, and he met her tongue with his own. So much about Karuvar was different from humans, but kissing him felt as natural as any other kiss she'd shared with anyone. Natural, and yet… better. To the point where she couldn't get enough.

  Something primal stirred within her, and Addison found herself acting in a way that would have made her blush before; that might still make her blush now if she stopped to consider it. She hooked one long leg over his hip and brought her body against his, gasping into his mouth when she felt the hard ridge of his cock.

  He was too tall for her to properly grind against him… at least from where she stood now. Controlled by some wicked, wanton need, she locked her arms about his neck, her hands gripping his shoulders so hard she could feel the scale plates beneath his coat.

  Without over-thinking it, she lifted her other leg off of the ground and hooked it around him, too. Kor'ven's large hands came down to support her ass and she was finally where she wanted to be, her hips rolling as she ground against him.

  Kor'ven groaned, the sound so deep and wonderful it, too, stoked the flames within her. His tongue thrust into her and she answered the motion by rolling her hips hard against him.

  She would have gladly continued in that vein--hopefully with a lot less clothing soon--but he did the most infuriating thing possible: he pulled back from her.

  "You are very impatient, my mate," he rumbled.

  Something fluttered in her stomach at the use of those two words. She'd never much cared for endearments, but this one felt right.

  "If you think I'm going to apologize for it, think again," she answered, her breath tickling his lips.

  When she looked into his eyes, they were a violet so dark it was nearly obsidian. His words were teasing, almost arrogant, but that deep, dark need spoke far louder. If she could get him to give into that, she expected the result would be explosive.

  "Never," he said, "it suits you."

  When he kissed her this time, he took her breath away. His mouth came down hard over hers, his tongue plunging into her in a way that made her whole body shudder, and that was just the beginning. As she clung to him, he moved her so that she was supported by the table, expensive equipment knocked to the side in his hurry.

  She adjusted, wrapping her legs around him in earnest, drawing him back to her again. With her hands free, she made quick work of his lab coat, tearing it open to expose hard, golden flesh beneath.

  Her hands went to his chest, tugging at the harness in some futile attempt to snap it free. Kor'ven chuckled with that same arrogance that Addison found as attractive as it was rage-inducing, and he broke apart from her once more to shed his lab coat and undo the straps, the harness hanging at his belt.

  Her hands smoothed over the muscular planes of his chest, up to the scale plating that flared outward from his collarbone like epaulets. The scales were smooth to the touch, not rough like chitin. They shimmered in response to her touch, and Addison found herself momentarily fascinated.

  She didn't have much time to dwell on it, because Kor'ven's hands were at the front of her body. With one strong tug, he tore her lab coat open, sending buttons flying in several directions. Another shudder passed through her, a shock of pleasure coursing straight to her aching pussy. God, she was so wet already, and she prayed he'd keep that up; that reckless, unthinking behavior that said he, too, had let go.

  She stopped touching him long enough for him to get her coat off. Long enough, too, for him to rip her blouse beyond repair. A gasp was her only response, and as his hands slid over her skin, cupping her breasts through her bra, she crushed her mouth back to his.

  He tore the blouse from her and tried very valiantly to get the bra off as she went for his belt. She'd already managed to undo the buckle and was pulling the belt through as he tugged and struggled.

  Addison wasn't able to pull back from him before a laugh bubbled up, but she was forced to after a moment, having to fight for air.

  Kor'ven's growl sent a new shock of lust blazing through her body. "Why are human garments so complicated?"

  "To vex you," she said, deftly reaching behind herself to unhook the clasps.

  Kor'ven's brow ridge rose in what she would call amazement and she laughed even more. The second his hands were on her again, though, she stopped. Her head fell back and she moaned as his large hands massaged her breasts.

  She had no idea how much he knew about human anatomy. Karuvar women had breasts, but they didn't seem to be as much a symbol of sexuality as they were for humans. Kor'ven was either very experienced, very well-read, or just very into experimenting, because he touched her like he knew exactly how sensitive her breasts were--like he knew exactly how hard she wanted him to rub and roll and pinch her nipples, when Addison herself couldn't even have communicated that if she tried.

  It must have been the implant, and thank God for that. No sooner had she thought about having his mouth on her than he pressed her back onto the table and leaned over her, drawing one nipple into his mouth.

  Addison's hands seemed to move of their own accord, over the back of his head, cresting the hard, scaled crown that was there and going directly for his horns. She knew the spongy base would be sensitive, but instinct told her the exact way to touch him to drive her mate wild. Gripping his horns hard, she rubbed her thumbs in tight, firm circles where they met his head, and boy, did he respond.

  He bucked against her, and sucked harder, one hand braced on the table while the other moved down between her legs. Addison whimpered, begging for his touch, and he rubbed over her wet slit through the fabric of her pants and underwear.

  "If you do not stop this, I will spill my seed the moment I am inside you like some overeager youngling."

  "Then I suppose you'll have to make it up to me," she taunted.

  He growled at that, his eyes flashing with challenge. Before she could even begin to predict what he was going to do, Kor'ven tore open her pants, breaking both button and zipper before he started tugging them downward, his fingers hooked into her panties, as well.

  "How am I supposed to work under these conditions?" she asked, falsely lamenting her ruined clothing.

  "You will manage, and this entire Waystation will know you are mine," he said, that possessive note in his voice making her shiver.

  She'd lived a lifetime of fighting with men for equal treatment--to be recognized for her own merits, and not what she could possibly provide for a husband. But here, in this moment, she was incredibly turned on by this brutish arrogance. She wanted him to claim her; wanted him to possess her.

  But she also wanted him to fight for it.

  She wiggled away from him on the table, a thrill coursing through her when he gripped her thighs and pulled her back to the edge with little effort.

  He kissed her again and both of her hands went to his pants, undoing the ties and pushing them down just enough so she could free his cock. She broke the kiss, wanting to see him, and that sacrifice was so worth it.

  He wasn't much longer than a human, but he was thick, and the same scales that shimmered along various planes of his body also created a pattern around his shaft. The head was flared, and small ridges ran along the length of him that she desperately wanted to feel.

  Under her observation, Kor'ven kicked out of his pants, and Addison felt the strong desire to take him into her mouth and worship him with lips and tongue and maybe even a little teeth. But she wanted him inside of her more, and she wasn't entirely sure he would even let her off this table until he'd fucked her.

  Something she was absolutely okay with.

  She reached for him, feeling pleased at the sharp intake of breath she elicited when she wrapped her hand around his cock. His skin was smooth to the touch and scorching hot, and it allowed just enough give for her to stroke him with ease.

  "Adi'sun…" he growled, her name spoken almost like a warning.

  She looked up at him with feigned innocence. "Yes?"

  "I
will not be able to stop myself."

  This time the warning was more sincere, and there was a note of care to it that touched something deep within her. Reaching up with her free hand, she caressed the line of his jaw.

  "I don't want you to," she said.

  That was evidently all the permission Kor'ven needed. Replacing her hand with his own, he gripped his cock and positioned himself just at her entrance. She could feel the heat of his body melding with her own, and Addison bit her lip in anticipation of what was to come.

  She never could have imagined what that first thrust would feel like, though.

  There was some resistance. He was large and thick and the sudden intrusion was a shock to her system. But she was so ready for him that she adjusted quickly, and once she did, the sensation of having him inside of her was like nothing she'd ever felt before.

  She'd been with other men, and she'd enjoyed sex. Mostly. But if she'd been given the choice between sex and her work, she would have always chosen work. This, though… the connection made in that single moment almost ripped a sob from somewhere deep inside of her. It seemed foolish to say they were closer than she'd ever been with anyone in her life, but it was true.

  And when he moved within her, the sensations that welled up within her--both physical and emotional--were almost too much to bear.

  She clung to him, arms and legs wrapped around him, urging him on. Kor'ven buried his face in her neck and pumped into her in hard, smooth thrusts, his cock bumping against her clit and sending shockwaves of pleasure through her every time he seated himself within her.

  It didn't take long for her to break apart. She came hard, her body clenching and spasming, her legs locking around him as her nails dug into his skin. She cried out so fiercely that her throat protested the sound, and when she heard her name muffled against her skin, she knew he was close, too.

  Grabbing onto his horns, she pulled his head back so she could look at him. His violet eyes promised her something, and in that moment, the only thing she wanted to do--the only thing she could do--was accept.

  With one last thrust, he came inside of her, his hips jerking against her as his release stole all control. His features tensed then went slack, and she stroked his face as she watched him, finding something so incredibly captivating about it all, like she was seeing a side of him no one else ever would.

  That feeling only persisted as he came back from that loss of control, panting and slick with sweat, his gaze meeting hers, so open and honest that Addison could feel tears pricking at the corner of her eyes.

  "You are mine," he breathed.

  She'd resisted this her whole life. She didn't want to throw everything away like her mother had. But in that moment, she felt more complete than she ever had, and all she could do was nod.

  "Yes," she whispered, acknowledging a truth that seemed to go so much deeper than this moment. "And you are mine."

  "With every breath."

  There was no arrogance there; no smug superiority. Only a stripped down openness that made Addison's heart ache. And somehow, no matter what else happened, she knew that much would always be true.

  12

  The rest of that night passed in a bit of a haze.

  Kor'ven leaned against her, breathing softly, and she leaned back against him. Her limbs felt like they were made of some kind of suspended gelatin, and her body was both heavy and light at the same time, as odd as that statement was. It only took a few moments for her to realize just how exhausted she was. She thought for sure she'd fallen asleep against him, but when she woke up, she was on the couch in her office, covered by a blanket. Kor'ven, meanwhile, was nowhere to be found.

  She might have thought she imagined it--that she'd fallen asleep and drifted into another sweet fantasy. That theory was tossed out the window as soon as she tried to move. Every muscle ached, but her thighs most especially. And she realized when she tossed the blanket off that she was completely naked, something that would have been strange for her even in the privacy of her own apartment, let alone here, in her office.

  So she and Kor'ven had slept together last night. In her lab. On the table. With a bunch of discarded equipment surrounding them. God. She wasn't like this; she didn't do things like this. And yet she couldn't find it in herself to regret it. At all.

  If she had one wish in the world right now, it would be to find Kor'ven, drag him off to someplace much more private, and spend the day just familiarizing herself with every part of him.

  But she didn't have that luxury. The sun was coming in through the window, something she'd been able to see even from behind closed eyelids, and Kor'ven was likely working already, since she'd only ruined his lab coat.

  Was he working, or was he avoiding her? Insecurity hit her hard and she immediately hated herself for it as she remembered that look in his eyes. Last night hadn't been about sex. They'd formed a connection that was long overdue, and now Addison was… mated.

  She sat up, blanket still draped around her, and tried to absorb that idea. Her gaze sought her mother's photograph as if on instinct, and she immediately regretted it as a conflicting sort of unease settled low in her belly.

  She didn't regret what they'd done, but she wasn't sure she wanted everything that went along with it. She still had so much she needed to do, so much she hoped to accomplish. She wasn't ready to abandon her career and devote her life to raising a family. She just wasn't.

  Addison paled at the thought. She knew how seriously Karuvar took the whole concept of mating. Kor'ven had been resistant, but he'd given in last night. He'd want a commitment from her, and she just… wasn't sure she could give him that.

  Her heart thundered in her breast, far louder than she thought it should. In fact… everything was far too loud. The clock on the wall, the gurgling filter on her small fish tank, the footfalls of someone approaching her office door.

  Wait… someone was approaching her office door.

  She bundled the blanket more closely around herself, wondering if there was some way to just open a wormhole right here and now. But no, she stayed exactly where she was, at the mercy of whoever opened that door.

  It wasn't much of a mystery, though. She could smell a hint of citrus. No, not just a hint of it. It was like someone had zested an orange right under her nose. That scent was easily one she associated with Ashley's favorite shampoo, though it wasn't usually so agonizingly strong that it made Addison's eyes water.

  "Hey, I just wanted to drop by before school to see if you--" Ash stopped, her eyes widening as she took in Addison's appearance. "Whoa. Either a hurricane blew through here, or you booked a ticket on the bang train last night."

  "The bang train? Seriously?"

  Her assistant broke into a grin. "Oh man, I totally win the bet."

  "The b--" No. She didn't want to know. Addison closed her eyes and shook her head. "You came here looking for work, yes? I have a job you can do."

  "Sure, hit me," she said.

  "Ask your sister to please bring some clothes with her when she comes in today," she asked, her cheeks burning. "Including underwear."

  Ash tried very hard to keep her composure. She was biting her lip so hard Addison thought she might draw blood. But eventually she burst out laughing, and the sound seemed to bounce off of every available surface to utterly bombard Addison.

  "You got it, boss. One shame suit, coming right up."

  Meg was far kinder than her sister. Mostly. She brought a change of clothes and stood guard while Addison dressed. She even fixed her a cup of coffee, though the liquid was extra bitter when Addison took a sip.

  The whole time she was trying to regain something resembling composure, though, Meg was smiling like the cat that ate the canary.

  "Go on," Addison finally said. "I know you want to say it."

  "What could I possibly want to say?" she asked, her innocent tone fooling no one.

  Addison rolled her eyes. "That you were right."

  "I was right, but that's beside
the point," her friend said, waving this off. "How do you feel?"

  How did she feel? Sore, though not in a way that was completely unpleasant. Sensitive. Not in an emotional sense, just in terms of any and every possible stimulus. She had the worst PMS hearing, picking up even the most innocuous sounds, like the scrape of Meg's pen against a prescription pad she'd carried in with her. Her sense of smell was absolutely ridiculous, too, and she caught the hint of baby food that must have still clung to Meg's scrubs in some tiny amount.

  Suddenly it hit her, and she almost rolled her eyes at herself. Of course. Mating with a Karuvar kicked off several physiological changes in a woman's body--most noticeably, it heightened her senses.

  "Like I have the world's worst hangover," Addison admitted, trying to comb her hair into something resembling a professional look.

  "Take this to the pharmacy as soon as you can," Meg said, tearing off the top sheet.

  Addison squinted down at the prescription. "Are you able to write these?"

  "The pharmacist just went through what you're going through now. She'll empathize."

  Addison gave a light shrug. At this point, she was willing to gamble. There was no way she'd be able to work like this. Her job was too delicate to be thrown off while she adjusted to her strange new world.

  "We figured out why Vazik's implant isn't working at full capacity," she said, some of that brain fog beginning to clear.

  A smirk touched Meg's lips. "Was that before or after…?"

  Addison blushed. "Before. Part of the code is different from what it should be. We--"

  She suddenly remembered Kor'ven's words and stopped herself from saying anything more. The fact that he didn't want to go to Drol'gan with this new information still rankled, and she intended to challenge him on it. But for now, she would adapt.

  "We're still determining the cause, but it's an easy enough fix. We can administer it today, if you can bring Vazik in."