Hands of Fate (Veredian Chronicles Book 5)

by Regine Abel

  I didn’t withhold it from him.

  Even as I climaxed, animalistic pride, possessiveness, and the need to dominate slammed into me from my mate. I’ve never been much of the submissive type, but drunk with pleasure and infused with the emotions of my mate, the urge to please overrode that instinctive reluctance.

  Before the scream of my orgasm had even faded, Xevius’s cock replaced his mouth, taking me with one powerful thrust. My back arched off the desk, as if to offer my breasts to my mate who snapped my bra, right down the middle. Pounding into me with ferocity, Xevius pinned my wrists down on each side of me. His mouth sucked and nipped at my nipples with a passion just shy of brutality.

  Still riding my climax, another rapidly built up as a tsunami of sensations crashed relentlessly over me. As I cried out again, I felt his pleasure-pain at keeping himself from embracing his own release. Instead, he lifted my legs over his shoulders and leaned down over me, keeping me trapped and helpless to fight off his feral possession of me—not that I wanted to. Boneless, my body writhing and trembling beneath him, the thought my mate might kill me with pleasure flitted through my mind. But Xevius’s voice quickly brought my wandering thoughts back to him.

  “You are mine, Fehama. All of you is mine. Say it,” he ordered.

  I barely understood his words, slurred by the grumbling of his voice, and half-buried by the creaking of the desk beneath me and the furious slapping of his pelvis meeting mine. Still tumbling down the endless vortex of ecstasy my mate had cast me into, I couldn’t remember how to form words. My tongue had turned to lead, my throat only seemed to know how to moan and pant, and my brain couldn’t process anything other than the blissful emotions emanating from my mate, his burning skin, slick with sweat, rubbing against mine, and his glorious cock hammering away at my sweet spot with each stroke.

  Without slowing his punishing pace, Xevius’s hand wrapped around my neck and tightened. “Say it,” he hissed against my lips. “Tell me you’re mine.”

  “I… I’m yours,” I breathed.

  “Do you understand how I feel about you, my mate? Do you have any idea how much I love you?” Xevius said almost angrily.

  I never got a chance to answer. A blinding light exploded before my eyes and my back arched so violently I could have sworn I heard it snap. Xevius’s mouth muffled my scream seconds before he threw his head back and roared with ecstasy. His seed shot out on my battered insides, then the pleasure of his orgasm slammed into me, all but destroying what sanity I had left. My eyes rolled to the back of my head while he ground his pelvis against mine, filling me with his essence.

  Xevius’s mouth was gently kissing the Veredian markings along my neck and shoulder, and his whispered words of love greeted me when I finally came back down from the most insane of highs. I couldn’t tell whether I’d lost consciousness. My mate had utterly wrecked me in the most deliciously barbaric way.

  Still feeling weak, my hand found its way into my mate’s damp hair. Xevius lifted his head to look at me. The tenderness in his eyes wrecked me even more. I loved the burning weight of him on top of me. Although he had lowered my legs from his shoulders, his cock was still buried inside of me. Even as sore as I felt, I loved that, too.

  “Are you okay my mate?” Xevius asked, his voice dripping with affection.

  “I’m delightfully destroyed,” I said languidly. Xevius purred with satisfaction and gently kissed my lips. “While I’m certainly not ready for another round right now, you’re welcomed to give me an encore whenever you see fit in the future.”

  Xevius chuckled and kissed me again, this time with a hint of passion. Lifting his head, he brushed aside a lock of wet hair sticking to my forehead while gazing upon me as if upon the greatest of treasures. My chest filled with warmth to feel so loved and worshipped.

  “I guess I should pull out then,” he said, teasingly.

  I laughed and nodded. “Yep, you should.”

  Despite the slight burn from the soreness as is cock slid out of me, my inner walls throbbed, already missing the fullness and intimacy of being one with Xevius.

  “I’m surprised the desk still stands, and that the walls haven’t crumbled you were screaming so loud,” Xevius said smugly, while lifting me up in his arms.

  “You weren’t exactly quiet either,” I mumbled, making a face at him.

  “Touché!” he conceded, carrying me while making his way to the en suite hygiene room. “Bath or shower?” he asked, stepping into the predictably white and grey-tiled large room.

  “Bath,” I said without hesitation. “And after that, someone will owe me a massage.”

  Xevius burst out laughing. “Well, that might be problematic. I seem to recall every time I give you a massage, we end up in a naughty position.”

  “I did say you were welcomed to give me an encore, just not right this instant,” I deadpanned.

  That predatory glint I absolutely loved flashed in his eyes again, a slow, sensual smile stretching his luscious lips. “Duly noted.”

  He put me down on my feet with obvious reluctance. I leaned on the white stone counter of the sink, my legs feeling wobbly. Xevius turned on the water in the huge, recessed bathtub, large enough to comfortably fit three adults. After checking its temperature, he opened the hidden panel on the tiled wall, revealing two shelves laden with bathing products. He dropped a couple of fresh-scented pearls in the water, their oil effective at soothing sore muscles.

  As he rose back to his feet, I stared at his gorgeous body, still unable to believe that this wonderful man was mine, and how close I’d come to losing him forever. The image of the light fading from his eyes as he lay in a pool of blood on the floor of the Assembly still haunted me. Sensing my change of mood, Xevius frowned and drew me in his embrace.

  “What’s wrong, Fehama?” he asked, concern in his voice.

  I examined his features as if to burn them forever in my memory. “It’s…”

  The words wouldn’t come out. I felt stupid for ruining the moment over a tragedy that had ultimately been averted. Understanding suddenly dawned on Xevius. Although Empaths couldn’t actually read minds—unlike Valena—my mate’s perceptiveness allowed him to guess what thought had troubled me.

  “I’m here, Fehama,” Xevius said in a soothing voice. “I’m safe.”

  My throat choked up with emotion, and my eyes prickled. “I’m sorry,” I said, feeling like a complete idiot. “I just can’t lose you.”

  “Don’t be sorry, my love. It’s okay. You won’t lose me. That vision has passed. Zhara brought me back. I am here. I am yours. And I’m not going anywhere.”

  I buried my face in his neck and nodded, embarrassed by my unusual emotional display. Xevius tightened his embrace, his love and joy seeping into me, washing away that moment of vulnerability and insecurity.

  “Come on, love,” my mate said pulling me after him into the water.

  He sat down first then settled me in front of him, my back to his chest. After stopping the water, he started the massage heads of the tub. As the warm water bubbled around us, I leaned back against my mate. Xevius held me close, his cheek pressed against mine. We remained in a comfortable silence for a while, enjoying the relaxing effect of the water massage.

  “Eryon and I were discussing the school structure and curriculum your Sisters have set up on Veredia,” Xevius said in a gentle voice before kissing my shoulder. I perked up, curious as to where this was headed. “We both agree it isn’t suitable for the Titans. Even those with less aggressive temperaments like Zhara and Rhadames, have special needs that require a more personally tailored program.”

  My heart leapt in my chest. I had hoped Xevius would wish to take a more active part in training our children. When he so readily made himself available to Tharek, and then to Amalia’s other children, I’d hoped he’d develop a taste for it and decide to broaden his assistance to the other Titans. Considering his circumstances, I needed to tread carefully. My mate had given up everything to follow his
conscience and to be with me. As much as my people desperately needed his help, I didn’t want him to feel like he had to help us as some kind of payment for Zhara saving his life. I also remembered too well the awkward situation Ghan had found himself in, in the early days of his relationship with my sister, trying to understand what his role would be in the Tuurean army’s hierarchy. Veredia would be Xevius’s new home and, regardless of our needs, I wanted him to find a fulfilling role freely chosen.

  “What did you have in mind?” I asked, looking at him over my shoulder. “We’d be grateful for any insight you may share.”

  Xevius smiled and, through our empathic bond, I felt his genuine pleasure and excitement at my words—which fueled mine in turn. This empath stuff was proving to be quite awesome.

  “Well, we don’t want to impose, but Eryon and I would be happy to work with Camelia and Larissa to help redefine the curriculum and flesh out the contents of the classes. Your Titans share great similarities with Korlethean children, except their power is far greater,” Xevius said with enthusiasm. “We both feel a similar program, enhanced with some of the more advanced meditation and emotional control techniques taught at the Agency level will benefit the children. Tharek is already responding extremely well.”

  “Yes, I saw,” I said, a smile in my voice. “It’s wonderful to already see the first signs of the changes and how happy it makes him… and all of us.” I hesitated, my eyes flicking between his. “You know you don’t have to do that, right?”

  “I want to,” Xevius said with conviction, laced with a sliver of tension. His shoulders relaxed when I beamed at him. How could he have actually thought we might not want his help? “I really want to,” my mate reiterated, his face taking on a look of wonder. “As one of the most senior members of the Agency, I’ve helped train quite a few agents. But working with Tharek and the others over the past couple of days has been phenomenal. To be able to help shape such tremendous power and to appease such incredible rage is humbling. With the right training and the compassionate moral values of your people, these children will truly be the Guardians of both Quadrants of the galaxy. I want the honor of contributing to their mentorship.”

  Heart filled with gratitude, relief, and hope, I half-turned in the water to better look at my mate. “Then that honor is yours and ours. Thank you. From all of us, thank you.”

  A tender kiss sealed our agreement while I silently thanked the Goddess for her countless blessings.

  * * *

  Hands clasped behind my back, legs slightly parted in the military position Admiral Lee had always favored, I stood stoically next to the podium where Aleina was about to address the Xelixian Council. Clad in the black celesium armor of the Tuureans, I let my gaze roam over the twenty-one Councilors of the five districts of Xelix Prime; five Councilors per district except for the Xelhon District who only had Councilor Rhev Pelghon whose vote counted for five voices. Grateful for my helmet and the shiny, black visor that hid my far too expressive features, I glanced at Lhor and Zhul, each sitting with the other four Councilors of their respective Districts. Despite their best efforts, their nervousness was visible to anyone who knew them as closely as I’d grown to know them over the past eight years.

  The elevated balcony was nearly filled to bursting with the extremely well-behaved crowd—for now—that occupied every seat reserved for the civilians. A creepy sense of déjà vu washed over me seeing even more people standing along the walls with representatives of the media eagerly broadcasting this special address by Aleina Delphin, Veredian Ambassador on Xelix Prime.

  Just like on Korlethea, the Council Hall was shaped like an amphitheater. But unlike them, instead of a single half-moon-shaped table before the twelve seats of the Omniates, the Xelixian Councilors were sitting by district in two rows, each district separated by stairs leading to the balcony and media boxes. President Frebhin sat on a tall chair facing the Councilors and the public, a couple of meters behind the podium where my sister stood.

  “The floor is yours, Ambassador Delphin,” President Frebhin said.

  Aleina slightly bowed her head in gratitude before turning to the audience. Her legendary stoicism never ceased to amaze me as she looked at them head on.

  “Dear citizens of Xelix Prime, it has been a long time since I’ve had the pleasure of addressing all of you on such a large scale. On behalf of the Veredian Empire, I thank you for coming in such great numbers and for granting me your attention.”

  Aleina clasped her hands in front of her on top of the podium.

  “Eight years ago, a terrified young woman fled a life of slavery and sought refuge here, on your home world. You welcomed and protected her, then with the aid of your powerful military, you have helped free our entire species from a life of misery and hopelessness. As a result, the most powerful military alliance in the Western Quadrant was born between the Xelixians and the Tuureans. And, through the grace of the Goddess, the unions between Veredians and Xelixians has not only allowed the birth of the first Veredian males in over 150 years, but it has also played a significant role in helping us find the cure to our reproductive issues. Thanks to the protection Xelix Prime provided my niece, Amalia Praghan, the Veredian species is no longer in danger of extinction. We are free. We are thriving. And a bright future now lays before us. For all these reasons, Xelix Prime will forever hold a cherished place in the heart of every Veredian generations to come.”

  The crowd saluted this statement with cheers, many of them pressing their fists to their hearts in the traditional Xelixian greeting. The Councilors hit their tables with their knuckles in agreement. Despite the ugliness of the vandalism and discrimination some members of the population had subjected my Sisters to of late, I, and every Veredian, still felt a deep affection for these people who had opened their home world to us in our time of need. In these brief instants as they applauded my sister’s speech, the close bond we had once shared—and that I still believed existed in spite of the little cracks—shone brightly.

  “In the three years since the cure for the Veredians has been found,” Aleina said when the crowd quieted down, “both our peoples have worked tirelessly to find a cure for the illness that plagues you, our dearest hosts and friends. Three years ago, Eryon Valis, the father of our beloved Amalia, provided us with the missing element to the Veredian cure. Today, with the aid of my sister’s mate, the Korlethean Xevius Thanis, Eryon has also provided us with the missing ingredient for the Xelixian cure.”

  The entire audience and Councilors froze. Eyes wide, mouth gaping, they stared at my sister with disbelieving gazes, some appearing to hold their breaths.

  “For the past two weeks, my stepfather, Dr. Minh Volghan, has been diligently running tests on a group of volunteers,” Aleina continued. “In all cases, within forty-eight hours of beginning the treatment, the Taint stopped progressing in 100% of the patients.”

  My throat tightened as some of the males in the audience, mostly the ones displaying clear signs of the Taint, and those hiding their disease with veils and hoods—as expected by their culture—began whispering to the Goddess, some merely invoking her name, others begging her to let it be true.

  “Within seventy-two hours, all Tainted males showed signs of regression of the disease. After fifteen days of treatment and observation, plus thousands of simulations run by an international group of medical experts, it is my honor to present you with the same gift you have given my people. The cure for the Taint has officially been found.”

  The crowd erupted in such a powerful roar, I all but expected the roof to come crashing down. People, males and females alike, friends and strangers, hugged each other, and many of the Tainted broke down in tears. Some fell to their knees, burying their faces in their hands.

  Warnings appeared on the internal display of my visor, indicating my rising emotional distress. The nanobots on my suit were going on standby to take whatever measures necessary to bring my vitals and mental states to proper operational levels. I sent a
neural command to the nanobots to stand down. Even Aleina let her mask of stoicism fall for a few moments, allowing her feelings to show in this very special instant.

  Eventually, President Frebhin, clearly shaken, but deeply moved, rose to his feet and raised his palm to call for order. It took a little longer than usual, but the crowd finally settled down, their faces drenched in happy tears.

  “Ambassador Delphin, Aleina, my dearest friend,” President Frebhin said, his voice trembling slightly from emotion, “on behalf of all of Xelix Prime, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. The lives of too many good men have been wasted to this plague. No words can ever describe the joy you have brought to my people today. But you, better than anyone, understands the gift of life, of hope, and of a future. A million times, thank you.”

  Facing the President, Aleina smiled gently then placed her palm on her heart and waved it towards him in an offering gesture, as per our traditions. She then turned back to the Councilors and the public.

  “Later today, Dr. Minh will hold a press conference to provide more details. Please understand that it will take time to produce large quantities of the cure and to share the treatment protocols with all medical facilities,” Aleina cautioned. “But the cure exists, and your doctors will do everything in their power to make sure it reaches all those who need it as soon as possible.”

  More nods, knocked knuckles, and cheers greeted those words.

  Aleina cast a sideways glance towards me, then took in a deep breath before looking back at the crowd. I braced, knowing what was coming next.

  “On a completely different note, while the love we bear Xelixians has not wavered and will never fade, things have been tense between our peoples of late,” Aleina said. “For a long while, far too long, anti-Veredian propaganda could be seen and heard in all of your media, warping your perception of the females you once pledged to protect.” My sister spoke in a gentle voice, devoid of any accusatory hint. “Rising fears fueled by said propaganda has forced us to remove our children from your schools in the hopes of keeping the peace between Xelixians and Veredians. Unfortunately, that didn’t suffice for a small group who vandalized the new Veredian-only schools we set up to educate our children, as well as a number of private homes belonging to Veredians or shared by Veredian-Xelixian couples. It breaks my heart.”