by Regine Abel
This time, he spun around, lips parted and eyes wide with shock. A wave of sorrow clenched my heart as I looked for the words to give him my third and last message. He blinked, his face losing its coldness to be replaced by confusion and a tinge of worry. I’d often wondered if Xevius possessed a sliver of empathic abilities because of his uncanny way of always knowing just how to gauge and handle people regardless of temper and situations. Right now, I was almost certain he did and made no effort to hide the depth of the brotherly love I felt for him and the sadness that burned inside of me.
“Why?” he asked. “You know what would happen to her.”
“Because, as I’ve learned the hard way, life is too short. Seize every moment you can with your soulmate and cherish them because you never know when it will all be taken away.”
Xevius recoiled, and his face drained from blood. He slowly shook his head, and looked at me with pleading, but disbelieving eyes. “Kamala…?”
“No. Kamala is fine. You will conceive a child during that trip,” I said in a soft voice, realizing now how much Killian had ached when he’d announced to me the imminent death of Sevina. “She will be a beautiful girl with Kamala’s face and your eyes.”
All expression left his face as understanding dawned on him. “So… I get executed before the Quorum,” Xevius said in a voice devoid of emotion.
I gaped at him, taken aback that he’d know such specifics.
“Oracle Jaya warned me it would be one of the potential outcomes of my decision to spare them,” Xevius said with a sad smile. “Who else did you see?”
“No one else but the Omniates.”
Xevius frowned. “Jaya said Amalia’s three oldest children would be there, with Vahleryon having put them on their knees. Has something shifted?”
“I don’t know,” I said truthfully, although shocked by this unexpected twist. “I cannot see the future of my bloodline. That part may not have changed, but I would not see them in my visions.”
Xevius nodded slowly, then heaved a sigh. “How much time do I have?”
The same crushing sorrow constricted my chest. “Five days.”
He snorted and shook his head again. “Does she know?”
“No,” I said.
“Good. Keep it that way.” He stared at the ground for a moment, lost in thought, then looked back up at me. “I would like to see my daughter.”
Throat tightened, I nodded then telepathically projected into his psionic mind the image of his mate and child as it had appeared in my vision. All anger faded from Xevius’s face, replaced by an awed, almost wistful expression as a smile stretched his lips. I let him indulge in that brief illusion until he blinked, breaking the mental link.
“Thank you,” he said, his face returning to neutral.
Sensing he would soon leave, I carefully approached him, my eyes locked with his. “Xevius, I know you are furious with me, but you are the brother of my heart. Please, do not let us part this way.”
A powerful emotion crossed his features. For a second, he looked like the innocent, charismatic young boy he had once been as he examined my face. Then, without a word, he drew me into his embrace and held me tightly. I reciprocated, wondering how many more of my loved ones the Goddess would take away from me so soon before their time.
“Promise me you’ll look after my girls,” Xevius whispered in my ear.
“Until my last breath,” I said, my throat almost too constricted to speak.
Xevius held my nape and gently kissed my cheek. His hand sliding to my shoulder, he gave it a gentle squeeze and then walked away without a word. I stared at his receding back until he activated his stealth shield and vanished from view.
CHAPTER 11
Kamala
I casually walked around the bridge of Xevius’s ship, pretending not to be highly interested by the type and grade of technology it possessed. My mate’s amused smile clearly indicated he wasn’t fooled in the least. He set a course for Korlethea and gave Tia—the ship’s artificial intelligence—a series of security instructions before leaving the piloting of the ship to her care.
Traveling in a vessel without a pilot always made me nervous. Then again, I hadn’t been on a long trek in such a small ship in far too long. My usual Tuurean battlecruiser had made me complacent with its deadly firepower, not to mention the usually smaller fleet that normally accompanied us. Xevius reassured me that his chaser was not only sturdy but packed a serious punch. With its advanced stealth technology, and the mainly peaceful state of our Quadrant, there was nothing to worry about.
Khel had lost his shit when he’d found out I would be traveling alone with Xevius, to Korlethea no less. He had tried to get Aleina to reason with me, only to find out she had been on board with the plan all along. I doubted either of us would have considered it as a viable option if not for Eryon confirming visions of a future for me beyond this mission. I hadn’t asked for details, and he knew better than to provide them without an express request.
Since Amalia’s father had come into our lives, and in spite of the natural curiosity that sometimes nipped at us, most of us had agreed not to use his ability to peer into the future after doing so a few times at first. It had quickly become clear that knowing what Fate had in store for us influenced the way we lived in the day to day. It took away our freedom of choice. But we weren’t against leveraging it in part to mitigate risks, like in this instance.
Ever the protective type, Aleina still wanted to send a small Tuurean fleet with us in case things got hairy, but not only did it risk drawing attention to us, but Korletheans controlled their airspace just as fiercely as we did with Tuur, the new Veredian home world. Any foreign ship entering our space without express permission would be shot down without hesitation. Still, we agreed to have a few of our ships individually converge towards the general area of Korlethea, scattered enough not to draw suspicion, but close enough to be within intervention range if needed. Xevius and I would otherwise be flying stealth over the three-day journey.
“All set,” Xevius said, rising from the pilot’s chair. “Time for you to relax.”
I raised an inquisitive eyebrow, curious as to what he had in mind. As per his usual, he took my hand, and I followed him willingly. Although relatively small, the ship had three private cabins, a small mess which also served as meeting room, a training room, a recreation room, and meditation room. The latter had struck me as odd when we first came onboard, but it was apparently commonplace for Korletheans, namely to provide their Oracles and Seers a peaceful location to receive their visions.
“I noticed this ship is all in shades of beige and off-white. As I recall, your personal shuttle was also in those colors,” I said while we padded down the narrow corridor on our way to the meditation room.
“Correct,” Xevius said with a soft smile. “Where Xelixians are obsessed with white and shades of grey, Korletheans love their earthy colors. You will find that in most places, the walls will be off-white or tinges of beiges and browns. Darker shades of reds, yellows, greens, and blues will often be thrown in the mix. We are also fond of rounder edges, soft fabrics, and shiny things.”
As if to confirm his statement, the doors of the meditation room swished open, revealing the off-white walls of the room, with dark-beige floors made of a heated, rubbery material. Three dark-red circles, evenly spaced, adorned the floor of the otherwise empty room. Although not circular in shape, the rounded angles of the walls gave off the illusion of the place being almost oval. The dome-shaped ceiling was entirely lit, providing a soft, ambient light.
Xevius spoke a command in Korlethean, and the red circle in the center of the room parted in the middle and a pedestal rose up. The top platform unfolded into what resembled a massage table. At the base of the pedestal, a small shelf flipped open next to a drawer containing Dantorian massage stones. Walking to an inconspicuous section of the wall, he waved his hand in front of it and the panel parted to show a cozy room with a deep tub with massage heads, a s
mall bench, and shelves laden with fluffy towels.
“You can leave your clothes there,” Xevius said, indicating the room with his chin. “And use one of the towels to cover your modesty… If you wish.”
I didn’t miss the dare in his voice. It amused me more than it baited me. Before we’d even set foot on his ship, I’d already decided we were ready to move on to the next stage of our relationship. Without missing a beat, I lifted my short Veredian dress over my head, casually folded it and placed it on the small table attached to the pedestal. Kicking off my shoes, I placed them neatly under the table, then got rid of my thong—I wasn’t wearing a bra. Fully naked, I removed my thumb ring, which opened up like a circular barrette. Gathering my hair which had been flowing freely on my back, I closed the ring around it. The nanites of the barrette immediately went to work plaiting my hair into my signature braid.
Xevius stared at me with a mix of awe, lust, and approval. I had no problem embracing my nudity, least of all in front of my soulmate. But I couldn’t deny that the naked hunger in his gaze as it roamed over me had my stomach fluttering with guilty pleasure.
“Useful little tool,” Xevius said, his voice made deeper by his awakening arousal.
“Quite,” I said teasingly. “Eryon also seemed to think so when I gave him one. If you’re a good boy, I might consider getting you one as well.”
“Oh, Fehama, you have no idea how good I am.”
My stomach did another flip-flop at the obvious innuendo. His gaze dipped to my chest before reconnecting with mine, a smug smile stretching his lips. I didn’t need to look down to know my nipples were hardening.
“How do you want me?” I asked with the fakest of innocence. “Front or back?”
Xevius closed the distance between us while removing his light brown dhalla. I swallowed hard at the sight of his muscular, naked body but for his skin-tight, black underwear which hid nothing of his hardening length. My gaze lingered on the golden swirls tattooed on his chest, right above his heart. They seemed to glow on the creamy hazelnut color of his skin. I’d only seen them once when we’d gone swimming in the river by his new safe house.
He folded his Korlethean robe and placed it on top of my clothes before standing right behind me. His breath fanning on my shoulder, he wrapped an arm around me, his palm resting just below my breasts. My stomach quivered in anticipation under the burning feel of his touch, my mind screaming for his hand to roam higher.
But it didn’t.
His lips brushed over the Veredian markings along the curve of my neck then rested against my left ear. “Front,” he whispered before biting my earlobe.
A bolt of lust exploded in my nether region, and I felt myself getting instantly wet. But Xevius had other plans. Helping me onto the massage bed, he made me lie down on my stomach and brushed my braid to the side. His palm slowly caressed my back, the curve of my behind, and the length of my left leg.
The silky locks of his golden hair tickled my skin moments before the wet warmth of his tongue licked the Veredian markings at the base of my nape which tapered off in a V between my shoulder blades. I moaned, my skin heating from the instant pleasure touching my markings always gave me. They were already darkening from my arousal, making them increasingly more erogenous the darker they became.
His tongue traced a burning trail down my spine before his teeth took a bite at my butt cheek. My legs jerked in response, and I fought the urge to turn around and pull him into my arms. I had consumed some Rehmannia tea this morning, but the effects were waning, and my unsated hunger for my mate was steadily growing.
Xevius pulled away from me and spoke another command in his language. The pale walls turned into an exotic scenery of a beautifully landscaped garden with large-leafed, blue and green plants, and tall, cylindrical red, yellow and blue flowers. The floor took on the appearance of the light blue, Korlethean grass. Had I not seen the room beforehand, I would have believed myself on Korlethea right now. Even the fresh scent of nature, and blooming flowers filled the room.
“This is the garden in my home, on Korlethea. I’m rarely ever there, so I brought it with me,” Xevius said in a soft, almost whispery voice.
He began placing the Dantorian massage stones on my back. Although disappointed my mate had stopped his sensual exploration of my body, the delightful heat of the stone seeped deep through my skin and into my muscles, making me instantly relaxed.
“I used to have a massive antigravity chamber there where I used to spend hours,” Xevius continued in the same soothing voice. “I pictured myself being Lyra, the fabled thunderbird of the Aelyons—the highest mountain range of Korlethea. It is said that the Goddess only sent Lyra to the mortals she wished to bless. If she appeared before you, to merely cast your eyes on her would take away any sorrow and fill your heart with joy. To hear her sing would soothe any pain and heal any disease. But if you only heard the flap of her wings, then she was bringing a devastating tempest to wipe away your enemies.”
“My kind of bird,” I said, my voice coming out as a rumbling purr as Xevius placed more stones on the back of my legs.
“Why am I not surprised?” Xevius said with a soft chuckle. “I always said that, should the Goddess bless me with a daughter one day, I would like to name her Lyra, the one who brings happiness, takes away suffering, and crushes those who threaten the ones she loves.”
“It is a lovely name, and I like the lore behind it,” I said. “Lyra it is.”
Xevius rested his hand on my ankle and gave it a gentle squeeze, as if in gratitude. It struck me as odd. Then again, his behavior had been strange over the past day or so. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but he seemed nostalgic, almost homesick, telling me a lot of anecdotes about his life on Korlethea, their customs, and the various rites of passage their offspring went through. I didn’t mind, though, as it gave me a wonderful window into the things that had shaped him into the man I was falling hard and fast for.
“I love your tattoos,” I said. “They’re beautiful. How come you don’t have any on your forehead and on your cheeks, like Eryon?”
Done laying the stones on me, Xevius picked up two larger ones which he began slowly rubbing on the sole of my bare feet. A loud, drawn-out moan rose from my throat. The wonderful heat of the stone seeped into me and spread through my body. My mate spoke another Korlethean command, and the stones on my back, arms and legs started to vibrate and move in a circular motion over a small radius of my skin. If one could die of pleasure, now would be the time. My body became so relaxed, I expected my bones to liquefy.
“Tattoos are earned through special deeds and achievements,” Xevius said. “Did you notice how many Korletheans didn’t have facial ones in the breeding compounds?”
I searched my memory, stunned to realize there had indeed been quite a few of them. “You’re right,” I said, my voice slurred from my excessively languid state.
“As agents, facial tattoos would have given us away as Korletheans, which could prove problematic during an infiltration mission. As long as we cover our pointy ears, and check our accent and speech pattern, we can easily pass off as humans, or even Dantorians with some temporary pigmentation alterations.”
I almost whimpered in protest when he stopped massaging my feet with the stones.
“For this reason, I had to forfeit most of my accomplishments, and only indicate the greatest ones. It bothered me in my early days as an Imperial Agent, but I soon stopped caring. Because of my role, I’m only allowed to tattoo inside this radius,” Xevius said, tracing with his fingertips the side of his chest. “These symbols actually are glyphs in the ancient tongue. A single one constitutes almost a sentence on its own. They all talk about me saving a bunch of people, usually Omniates and ambassadors,” he said in a derisive tone before pointing at the central swirl with intricate patterns woven all around it. “But this one matters the most to me. It states ‘Youngest Imperial Agent on record.’”
“You were?” I asked, as Xevius beg
an removing the stones.
“Yes,” he said with a certain smugness. “I was a few months shy of my nineteenth birthday when I received my insignia, four years younger than any other Korlethean in history.”
Too boneless to move, I remained limp in Xevius’s arms as he turned me onto my back. Eyes darkening as his gaze roamed over me, my man cupped my face with his palm and gently caressed my lips with his thumb. I drew it into my mouth and sucked on it, my tongue swirling around its length. My mate’s eyes darkened further, and he emitted a growling purr. Leaning over me, Xevius pulled out his thumb, his mouth taking its place.
He kissed me with an odd mix of reverence and refrained urgency. Starting at my neck, his palm gently caressed my markings then followed a path down over my clavicle to my breast. The careful, respectful, almost hesitant way he proceeded told me he didn’t want to rush me or cross lines I might not be ready for. That needed to be rectified. I lifted my chest to meet his touch, giving him a clear go ahead. My fingers found their way into his hair, holding him to me as I deepened the kiss.
As much as I had enjoyed that massage, it had made me too languid, when I wanted to jump on my mate and ravage him. But what I wanted even more was for him to lose control. While the Korlethean’s stoicism gave them a regal air, I had no use for that in my bed. And right now, I hungered for my soulmate’s beast: the predator that lurked beneath what I’d gotten the occasional glimpse of.
His fluttering touch suddenly took a more passionate edge as he squeezed my breast then pinched its nipple hard enough to give it a nice sting. From his initially timid exploration, Xevius went into bold, conquering mode. His palm wandered down my belly in a possessive caress before slipping between my thighs. My knees jerked in response to the unexpected move. But he didn’t shy away, his hold tightening on my sex, clearly broadcasting his ownership, staking his claim. That had me instantly hot and bothered. Spreading my legs wider, I gladly conceded.