by Olivia March
Gwen woke during his talk. He didn’t need to see her eyes, he could just feel them looking at him with the tenderness she always displayed towards him. It never failed to amaze him what a deep capacity for love Gwen had. Helion’s father had been fair but tough towards his son and heir, and his mother had been kind but not very present in his life. She’d lost so many children to miscarriage before he was born, he guessed she hadn’t been able to really allow herself to love the one that survived. The pain of losing so many others had broken something inside her.
With Gwen, so many things were different. She already had one healthy child that she loved more than life. Helion had gotten her with his child so quickly it still amazed him, and Gwen already loved that child as well. Gwen loved Helion so deeply that even when he went on missions, he could feel her thinking of him, worrying for him, and when he returned her love poured out with so much affection and passion that he was nigh drunk on it. Her love seemed limitless; it just expanded, and grew, and intensified. For a Keeper that had felt nothing for most of his long life except loneliness, with just his duties to comfort him, Gwen’s love was a heady brew.
“Don’t stop on my account darling,” came her soft, sleepy voice. “I love hearing you talk to our son. I love hearing you talk in general, you know your voice makes me hot.” A grin accompanied this declaration, a drowsy one. Helion had made love to her for a solid three hours before he let her sleep, and here she was already awake, tempting the beast inside him.
“Talk like that will get you in trouble, mate. Have a care, I know how tired you are.”
Instead of taking his warning to heart Gwen just grinned again, and shifted her legs. Helion felt his blood surge as she parted those delicious thighs and lifted her knees slightly. And then she lifted her hands and cupped her own breasts, sealing her fate. Helion growled and lunged up her body, capturing her lips in a savage kiss. As their tongues dueled Helion pushed her knees toward her chest and pushed his dick inside her hard, forging the full length into her tight channel. Goddess, she was so tight, he wanted to live here inside her and never leave. Forget his duties, his responsibilities, and the Scourge. His whole life could narrow down to taking his mate every single moment of every day in every position imaginable.
Gwen moaned, her hands moving to cup Helion’s ass and pull him even deeper inside. Her legs were twitching impatiently, urging Helion to move inside her. But he wanted to torture her a bit, and he took his time, savoring the feel of her muscles clenching around him. Then he began moving slowly, inching his way out before pushing back in ever so gently. He could tell this pace was driving Gwen mad, especially when she reached up and bit him on the shoulder, the delicious shard of pain racing pleasure through his body. In response Helion shoved his hands under her hips and grabbed her ass hard, pulling her body up as his next thrust entered her hard and deep.
Her gasp was captured by his lips, as were all the others that followed. Helion liked to hear and feel her cries of pleasure on his tongue, overwhelming her with his passion as she overwhelmed him. Over and over he pounded inside her, willing his body to get as close to her as he could, until they were both covered in sweat. Gwen came once, then again, but Helion never let down the pace, not until Gwen’s grip on him became more desperate. Then Helion went into third gear, pushed her hips into the bed and grinding himself in small circles against her clit and inside. Gwen screamed and came hard a third time, her body gripping Helion’s like a vise and propelling him into his own shattering climax. This time it was Gwen catching his moans. She held him close, their bodies shivering and coming together, her hands clutching his hair. He drifted off with her this time, still inside her where he belonged, Nefarion’s issues set aside until daybreak.
Chapter 13
Annabelle came awake slowly, as she usually did. Before the Scourge attack she’d had one of those lovely iPhones. And on that delightful contraption she’d set herself no fewer than four alarms in the morning. The first was when she should wake up. The second was for when she needed to wake up if she expected to eat breakfast before she went to work. The third was aimed to wake her up in time for a shower, and the fourth she’d just accepted she’d be late for work that day. It wasn’t uncommon for her to make it to the fourth alarm back in the day.
Now though, her cellphone had been discarded long ago, having neither service nor battery. When she’d been holed up in that dilapidated basement there had been no need to mark the time. She woke when she was rested, slept when she was tired. Time had ceased to have much meaning when she spent ninety-nine-point-nine percent of it locked away in a hole for her own safety. So now that was her normal, when she was rested, she woke. And wow, after the previous evening had she needed some rest. Her body resisted waking even now, content to lay about in a dreamy haze, remembered pleasure making her limbs loose and heavy. But she could feel one of Nefarion’s hands stroking her back, and she wanted to wake and see him.
It was strange that she felt very little awkwardness. Perhaps it’s because Nefarion had so thoroughly debauched her last night that there was no room left inside her for embarrassment. After that first time, she’d woken up on top of him, and he’d still been hard and deep inside her. She’d felt quite tender, but Nefarion hadn’t hesitated to begin all over again. He’d held her tight to his body, her thighs spread wide to accommodate his thrusting hips as he’d pumped upwards again and again. It’d been hot, and sweaty, and rough, and Annabelle had loved every second of it.
Now though, Nefarion little resembled her dominating lover from the night before. He was fully dressed again in all that black armor and all those knives. His hair was neat and tidy, compared to the disheveled mess it had become over the night. And his eyes…once again they were dark, emotionless pools, not burning with the heat that had singed her just hours ago. Annabelle wondered if she was about to get one of those speeches she’d heard about on television shows. We’re just not compatible, it’s not you it’s me, thanks for the fun times between the sheets but let’s go our separate ways now. If he had such a speech planned, then he’d be wasting his time. She’d told him herself last night that the one night was all she was going to give him.
“Good morning,” she said, yawning. It was a battle not to stretch into his stroking hand like a contented house cat, but she managed. Barely.
“Good morning, young one. How do you feel? Sore?”
Annabelle tried to get a read on his voice but couldn’t. If he wasn’t still stroking her back it would seem like they were back to being complete strangers, so impassive was his voice, so cold. But the hand was there, and it was stroking her with possession and intimacy. So, Annabelle ignored his tone and focused on his actions.
“I’m good. A little sore I suppose,” she admitted with a grimace. “But it won’t hold me back today, I promise.”
She could feel the impact of being with Nefarion in her muscles and inside her sex. But they had a hard day ahead of them and the very last thing she wanted to do was slow Nefarion down. Today was the day they’d find his friend’s body, nothing else mattered except retrieving that poor soul and getting his body back for burial. And then they’d make haste for the Keeper camp and Annabelle’s time with Nefarion would officially end. She couldn’t think about that right now, however. When she was safe alone, that would be the time and place to let her emotions take over.
“I won’t apologize for not being more gentle with you, or more restrained, for you pushed me to the limits of my patience. I will make sure you are fully recovered before our next coupling, however. My camp has a gifted healer. He will mend any soreness you still have tonight when we arrive. And I will see to it that you have a bath, that should take care of some of your pains as well.”
Annabelle had been drifting a little under Nefarion’s soothing touch, but his word jarred her awake, hard.
“Before our next coupling? I told you last night that there wouldn’t be any more couplings Nefarion. This was a one-time thing, not something tha
t will be repeated.” Annabelle watched Nefarion warily now, fully awake.
“I never agreed to that, little Annabelle. If you recall, I told you that I’d be keeping you for all nights, not just the one. I claimed you as my mate last night. Normally there would be a formal ceremony following the claiming, but that must wait until we return to Balruin. For now, the other Keepers will acknowledge my claim while on planet Earth. I have contacted my father just now regarding our mating, and he is sending a dozen of my most trusted palace guards to keep you safe.”
“Wait, what? Palace guards? What palace?” Annabelle stared at Nefarion, aghast. She watched enough period pieces to know that the type of people who lived in palaces were royals. Was he…no. She couldn’t be that unlucky.
“My palace young one. I suppose I never formally introduced myself. I am Nefarion, son of Galkith, crown prince of Balruin. Don’t worry over much about titles, my father is in excellent health and we won’t need to take over his duties any time soon. You’ll be my princess for quite some time, so you’ll be able to ease into that role without jumping right up to queen.”
Annabelle felt ill. She’d slept with a prince last night. Not just an alien, but an alien prince. And he thought they were going to get married and she’d be a princess and live in a palace. Annabelle felt sure that such a scenario was the dream of many women, except prince charming wouldn’t be an alien. But it wasn’t her dream, not even close. Princesses, and queens, were always in the spotlight. She’d watched documentaries about Princess Diana, seen how Kate Middleton had been hounded and documented and criticized for everything she did and everything she wore, how she parented and how she behaved. Annabelle was not good in public, being a shy to the core, dyed in the wool introvert. She couldn’t be a princess, much less a queen!
“Nefarion…I’m not…I can’t…you’ve got the wrong girl for something like that. Don’t get me wrong, I’m flattered. But I’m not going to be a princess, or a queen, or your wife. Last night was wonderful, but one night between the sheets does not make us a couple.”
Annabelle squirmed when Nefarion just sat there and stared at her. It was unsettling when he was calm, but somehow, she felt emotions roiling under the surface of his skin. It didn’t show on his face, but her instinct was telling her she needed to be very careful now. The calmer Nefarion got, she knew, the more she had to worry about. But at least there were no shadows leaking from his body. Annabelle knew from experience that when that happened she’d be in serious trouble.
“We will shelve this conversation for now, Annabelle. I want to get started on the hunt for Mithrain immediately. There’s food here to break your fast, but don’t linger please. My Commander is eager to receive word on Mithrain.”
With that Nefarion stood and began packing their belongings. Annabelle took his words to heart and quickly ate the protein bar he’d left out for her, and drank a whole bottle of water. When she shyly muttered a question to Nefarion about using the facilities, blushing the whole time, he pointed her down to a side cave with running water to do her business. She did that with alacrity, and got dressed as warmly as she could after. Thermal pants and shirt were the first layer, followed by sweat pants and t shirt, sweatshirt and then jacket. Her long blond hair was pulled ruthlessly back in a ponytail that wouldn’t flop around too much when they lightstepped. And then to top it off she added her winter boots, and she was ready to go.
Soon Annabelle was in Nefarion’s arms and they were lightstepping away from the cave. That cave would live in Annabelle’s fondest memories until she died. It represented the one time she had really asserted herself and taken what she wanted. Or more accurately, she’d been taken by the one she wanted. Too bad he was causing her no end of anxiety now. Annabelle knew that Nefarion was in no way done with the conversation they’d been having. Just like last night, she’d said one thing, he’d said another, and this morning he was standing by his original ideas, even though she’d rejected them. She had no doubt that he was also going to reject her rejection this morning when they got back to the Keeper camp. And how was she to deal with that? She needed a plan…and there was very little time to come up with one.
* * * *
Nefarion kept a firm grip on his mate when they lightstepped. No matter what she thought, Annabelle was his mate. Only his pressing mission had kept him from pushing that point home with her while still in the cave. His urge to dominate had been hard to subdue, but he didn’t have time to indulge it right now. He’d give it free rein later when he had Annabelle alone and at his mercy, protected by her palace guard. But until then he had to keep a tight rein on himself and bend his talents towards picking up Mithrain’s scent trail. Once he caught it again he relaxed a little and followed it through the whipping cold.
Thinking about the palace guards that would be awaiting their return brought back to mind Nefarion’s conversation with his father. He’d connected with him via their mind-link before he’d woken Annabelle, and it had been a truly unpleasant conversation. His father was predictably angry that Nefarion had taken a human to mate. Galkith had lined up every reason such a move was folly, all of which Nefarion had already considered. Humans had shorter lifespans, they were more fragile physically, they knew nothing of Keeper ways and traditions, they brought nothing in terms of riches or alliances.
Nefarion already knew all this, he’d considered every angle of taking Annabelle to mate during the days he’d tried to deny his attraction. No amount of telling himself that Annabelle was wrong for him had made it easier for him to deny his growing affections and lust for her. It had compounded day by day, egged on by even the smallest of gestures from her. Nefarion had become obsessed with watching her walk, which was more like a meander because she’d always tilt her chin tip up to peer at the stars overhead. He broke out in a sweat every time her lips and tongue touched her bottles of water, and each time she’d pull her hair back in one of those painful tails he’d imaged setting the locks free and running them through his fingers.
Indeed, Nefarion was well and truly smitten with Annabelle. Nothing his father had said had changed his mind about making her his mate. And eventually his father had understood that Nefarion would not be persuaded to cast her aside. He’d sent the men Nefarion had named off to the portal that would bring them to Helion’s camp without further dramatics. And with them Galkith had sent his mother’s ring, something Nefarion was all too eager to see placed on Annabelle’s finger. It would be a constant reminder to him that Annabelle needed twenty-four-hour protection. He’d never allow what happened to his mother to happen to Annabelle. When she wasn’t with him, she’d have no less than four of his best men around her twenty-four seven.
For now, he was getting closer to Mithrain. The scent was growing stronger by the moment. It was strong enough even to drive Annabelle’s heady, flowery scent out of his nose and replace it with the smell of Mithrain. That drove him to step faster, and faster, until suddenly the trail halted. Nefarion pulled up quickly, and looked around. They were in the town called Minneapolis again, but it was as deserted as many another he’d seen on this planet. All around him were barren buildings, some half destroyed when the humans had tried to fight back against the Scourge. And in great piles all around them were huge heaps of cold snow. It covered everything, because no humans would dare come out to clear it.
“This is the local University,” Annabelle whispered, looking around. “I’ve come up for research trips and to take some classes in the past.”
Nefarion looked down at his mate, not liking the sadness he heard in her voice. She was looking lost, this place that she had good memories of being mostly destroyed was clearly hurting her. He didn’t know how to comfort her though. When the Scourge had attacked Arthaneas, the Keepers had rallied with such savageness that they hadn’t been able to lay waste to his planet the way they had Earth. They’d sustained losses no doubt. The loss of his mother was still a bitter pill he couldn’t swallow to this day. But Earth had been completely ravaged
by their common enemy, and there was nothing Nefarion could do about that except take revenge for her. And revenge never brought back what had been lost.
“The buildings are gone, little stargazer. But keep your memories and keep them fresh, and this place won’t be forgotten. One day you can tell our children about where you came from, and paint a picture of what it was like before all this destruction occurred.”
Annabelle stared at him hard and slightly aghast. Nefarion stared back, not flinching from the question in her eyes. He’d as good as told her that they could, and would, be having children together. Best she knew that early and could prepare herself, because at the frequency Nefarion intended to be inside her, it wouldn’t be long before she started to swell with his child.
“Are you telling me—”
Now that he’d distracted her from her grief as he’d intended, Nefarion cut off the conversation. He had no intention of arguing with her in the middle of this exposed area. Mithrain was here somewhere, the trail cut off right in this square. Annabelle was saying something to him, but he tuned her out and refocused his senses on Mithrain. There. Nefarion gripped Annabelle to him securely and followed his nose. It led him into a building that was mostly intact, but part of the right side had been caved in by human artillery. Nefarion avoided that section and entered a door on the other side, anticipation thrumming in his veins. After a week of searching he felt in his blood that his comrade was going to be found today, and his body would get the respect it deserved.
When he was inside the building Nefarion sat Annabelle on her feet and pushed her slightly behind him. Then he called inside himself and unleashed his shadows. They surrounded him and Annabelle like a blanket, covering them back to front from any surprise attacks. Nefarion didn’t sense any Scourge in the building, but he would always be overly cautious with his mate.