Toss of a Coin [Other World 1] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Dakota Dawn

  “You are looking well, princess. I heard about your run in with a darcup. Such nasty creatures. I’m glad you weren’t harmed.”

  “Me too. I’ll be looking out for them from now on. Luken had the moomon vines removed. Hopefully we won’t have many more problems with them.” Keneese looked around. “This is a lovely room. I enjoy all of VisOrrenta’s art. I’d like to get some statues for our yard. Do you think Luken would be all right with that?”

  The queen smiled. “I think he’d do almost anything to keep you safe and happy. It’s the VisOrrentian way. Of course, we females are honor bound to make our males as happy as we can in return. Come to the window. I want you to see something.”

  Keneese followed the queen to a window that had to be at least twelve feet wide and went all the way to the ceiling. The sun’s beams were pouring in through the spacious opening. Since the temperature never rose or dropped more than a few degrees above or below seventy, people didn’t need air conditioning or heating. That’s awesome. Earth had always been an ice cube or a sweatbox.

  A slight breeze blew over her as she looked out and then down. Men were gathering in groups. Most were stripping their shirts off. Keneese’s gaze roamed until it landed on her mate. “What are Luken and the others doing?”

  “They are getting ready to spar. The males start this at a young age and usually are still doing it into their two-hundred-and-seventieth years. Even after that we all keep on exercising, just not in such a vigorous manner.”

  Keneese jerked back. “How long do VisOrrentians live?” She had assumed they lived to about one hundred years.

  “A full life is three hundred years.” Queen Darcelle tilted her head and looked at Keneese. “After you conceive, you will become VisOrrentian. The baby’s blood will change yours as his mixes with yours.”

  “How old is Luken?” Her mind was racing. Would she outlive him by many years? That thought broke her heart.

  “He’s one hundred fifteen years old. Kalen is one hundred twelve and Thavon is one hundred nine.”

  Keneese’s hand fluttered to her chest. “I’m not going to outlive Luken by one hundred years, am I?” No, no, no. I don’t want to do that.

  The queen patted her on the shoulder comfortingly. “No, dear one, your extended life starts from where you are in your human life. That puts you and Luken at close to the same age.”

  Keneese sagged with relief. “Thank goodness. I wouldn’t want to be here for one hundred years without Luken.”

  The queen’s gaze softened. “I’m glad to hear that.”

  Grunts drew their attention back to the men. She quickly found Luken sparring with Kalen and Thavon. All three brothers were incredibly fit. Sunbeams shone on their heads, giving a glimpse of their secondary color. Luken’s blue was not copied by either brother. Purple glimmered through Kalen’s hair when he moved just right and red danced through Thavon’s shoulder-length locks. Each prince was unique.

  A few punches and dodges later, she realized they may look different and not be the same height, but they were all well trained in the art of fighting. After a while, claws came out. Kalen clawed Thavon and Luken, who were ganging up on him.

  When she saw blood coming from Luken and Thavon, she turned to the queen. “They’re bleeding. This has gone too far. We have to stop them.” She turned to leave and was caught by the arm.

  The queen smiled down at her. “I appreciate that you are having feelings for Luken already and are soft-hearted enough to not like Thavon bleeding.” She turned Keneese back to the window. “What I need you to understand is that we are a fighting world.”

  She cringed when Thavon clawed Luken’s chest, causing more blood to run from him. “How can they fight each other so violently and not harm each other? Aren’t they going to be scarred after today?” Confusion had her biting her lip. This couldn’t be the first time they’d fought this hard, but Luken only had a few scars.

  “Once their wounds are licked by a VisOrrentian, they’ll heal quickly. We have superior healing, sight, hearing, and sense of smell. Once you conceive, you’ll be just like us. Trust me, you are going to spend a lot of time licking the wounds of a wild baby VisOrrentian. When they get older and have friends and siblings, they’ll lick each other healed most of the time.”

  “Can you lick your own wounds healed?” She wasn’t sure about licking injuries, but maybe she’d change her mind when the time came.

  Queen Darcelle nodded. “As long as you can reach the wound, you can self-heal. We still have a few healers for birthing and bad injuries. The king and Thavon have made sure our planet has the best medical equipment.”

  “That’s good to know.” A cringe transformed her face when Luken punched Kalen and then clawed Thavon on the shoulder. The three brothers were starting to look bad.

  “Has Luken started teaching you any fighting moves?”

  “No.” Was that necessary?

  “He should start teaching you soon. As a trade planet, other species sometimes think we are weak and try to take over. That’s why all of us have to know how to defend ourselves and others.”

  “Oh, I understand. Greed can make people do terrible things. It’s smart to be ready.” Keneese was a little sad at the thought of it taking possibly years for her to get pregnant.

  A little Luken would be adorable. Happiness bounded across her chest at the thought of eventually having his child and being able to live with Luken for a long time. She couldn’t imagine life without her prince.

  I love Luken. The realization that she loved him shook her to the core and filled her up with joy.

  Chapter Ten

  Keneese was humming along to the music playing through the entertainment system. Three days ago, she’d forced herself to learn the sophisticated device. As she nodded to the beat, she was glad she’d taken the time to learn how to use it.

  After putting their dirty clothes into the cleaning device, she put the basket up and headed to the kitchen for another snack. She’d been starving for the last two days. If this kept up, she was going to have to start working out.

  Just as she entered the kitchen, a molten heat wave washed over her. She plopped down in a chair, and took a few deep breaths. Her stomach rolled and another wave of searing heat blasted through her.

  Ten minutes later, she was still hot as the sun that shone down on Earth. Making a decision, she got up and called Luken.

  The opening of their front door alerted her to his presence. Luken rushed into the kitchen and growled softly. He gripped her hands and pressed his forehead to hers. “By the moons, you’re hot. I’m calling the royal healer.” He left the room and came back a moment later.

  In a quick move, he picked her up and took her to their vehicle. Another blast of heat rolled over her. Sweat started dripping from her face and arms.

  Luken took her to a back room at the palace. They were met by a kindly-looking man who was almost as tall as Luken.

  He greeted them when they entered. “Prince, Princess.”

  “Keneese, this is Healer Strahan. You can trust him.”

  “Prince, if you will, please bring the princess in here.” Strahan led them into the examining room. Once she was seated, he handed Keneese a bowl of sliced fruit covered with some kind of herbs.

  “From what the prince has told me, and my observation, I believe I know why you’re so hot. Please eat a few slices of the fruit and then take your shoes off.”

  Luken stood right next to her, his heat was making her hotter. She frowned as she ate a few pieces of the herb-coated fruit. It didn’t taste very good, so she only ate the required few bites and then handed the bowl back to the healer.

  “Good. Now for the shoes.” Strahan gestured to her feet.

  Luken leaned down and took her shoes off. She was a little embarrassed when she saw that she still had on her purple fuzzy house-shoes. Another wave of misery hit her. Her brow furrowed as she began to feel grouchier by the second.

  The healer looked at the wide dev
ice on his wrist. “Just another minute, princess. Then we’ll know something.”

  “What do you think is wrong, Strahan? I’ve never seen her this hot before.” Luken’s tone was laced with worry. That made her feel a little better.

  “No need to worry just yet. If I’m right, this fever will be over in a few minutes.” Strahan looked down and then patted the prince on the back in his excitement. “Congratulations.”

  Luken scowled at the healer. “For what?”

  The healer pointed at Keneese’s toes.

  Luken sank to his knees and rested her right foot on his large hand. His eye colors started swirling and a bluish tinge flushed his tan skin.

  Keneese looked at her toes and squealed. All of her toes had blue stripes on them. “What was in that fruit? Why are my toes blue-striped?” The happy look on her prince’s face, as well as the healer’s, meant it couldn’t be deadly. That was good. Her color-changing toes weren’t so good.

  Luken stood, kissed her gently, and then looked at her with such love she had to blink back tears. Why am I so emotional and hot?

  “You’re pregnant. In my crazed state, I forgot about the fruit test. But I could never forget that striped toes equals a baby.” He knelt again and kissed her blue-striped toes. “The color of the stripes tells us what the baby’s secondary color is.”

  The healer had walked out and now he came in with a bag of her crackers and some packets of something.

  Strahan held up the packets. “Add one packet to a glass of water and stir. It will give you vitamins you need to be healthy. These herb-infused crackers will help your stomach stay calm.”

  “Will it help me cool down as well?” she asked hopefully.

  “No, I’m afraid not. That your temperature is elevated means you’re about four weeks along. The baby is entering a new phase in his growth. He’s also slowly altering your DNA to match a VisOrrentian’s. He’ll go through four more growth phases that will cause you to heat up. These heat waves usually only last an hour or so. Yours should be ending soon.” A fast beat came from Strahan’s wrist device. He bowed and stepped from the room.

  “That was my father’s communication tone. Strahan has to tell him about the new prince that’s on the way. My father will be as happy as I am.” Luken kissed her gently and then stared into her eyes.

  The healer coming back into the room shattered the moment. “The king and queen are thrilled about the baby.” He looked at Keneese. “I need you to come back in two weeks, by then we’ll be able to do a thorough scan of the little prince.”

  Luken knelt and kissed her blue-striped toes and then put her house-shoes back on. He then helped her off the table like a perfect gentleman. Just another reason she loved him.

  She looked at the healer. “How long are my toes going to be striped?”

  “Just for a few more hours. You’ll get up in the morning and be back to normal. Speaking of normal, you may feel a bit more aggressive than usual, especially if you are carrying a son. VisOrrentian males can be possessive and aggressive. A baby boy’s strong emotions can expound the mother’s as well. It’s perfectly normal.” Strahan bowed deeply once more.

  Luken nodded to him, so she followed suit. Now she knew why she’d been more aggressive lately. The little guy had already been getting to her before she’d even known about him. Stealthy, little one. His father will be proud of him.

  Strahan picked up the crackers and packets then handed them to her. “See you in two weeks, princess.”

  Luken led her away and she happily noted that her body temperature was already going down. Keneese laid a hand on her abdomen and smiled up at her prince. His returned smile warmed her heart.

  He leaned down and nuzzled her neck. His low growl sent a shiver shooting down her spine and lust pooling in her groin. Luken sniffed the air and looked down at her with a knowing grin. Not about to let his ability embarrass her, she grabbed his hand and guided him from the palace. The sexy chuckle that rumbled from him stoked the fire burning in her.

  Chapter Eleven

  Luken breathed a sigh of relief when his little mate finished her crackers and took the last sip of her enhanced water. His heart felt like it was going to burst. He was mated to a female that was beautiful on the inside and they were going to have a tiny warrior.

  Riding on an emotional high, he led her out to the back patio and onto their outdoor bed. Interlacing their fingers, he kissed her hand.

  He shifted and, with his free hand, Luken brushed a lock of hair off of her forehead. “You are so incredible beautiful.” Sliding his hand, he caressed it down her face, over her neck, across her collarbone and then he settled it over her heart. “On the inside as well as the outside.” With a light brush of his lips over hers, he kissed her softly. “I love you.” Her eyes welled with unshed tears and for a moment, he thought he’d said something wrong. Then she smiled, her full lips trembled.

  “I love you so much. I never would have guessed I could fall in love so quickly, but with you I just couldn’t stop myself.” She drew their bound hands to her lips and kissed his hand.

  Keneese then shocked him by licking the junction of his fingers. “I’m glad you couldn’t stop yourself because neither could I.” She licked that sensual spot at the base of his fingers again. He shivered and growled. “If you don’t stop doing that, you’re going to find yourself naked and spread out like a buffet.”

  A sexy giggle came from her right before she licked that spot on his hand again. “I’ll happily feed your need, my prince.”

  At her teasing licks and words, the fire that never totally died out for her jumped to life. Desire and love stoked his emotional state in a new direction. His breeding rod was swelling and starting to ache. One look at her blue-striped toes and a wave of tenderness washed over him.

  “I accept your offer, delicate princess.” With great care, he stripped them both and knelt at her feet.

  “I love the way you look bathed in moonlight. The beams from all three triangle shaped moons is amazing.” She wiggled her toes and then gasped when he grabbed her feet and drew them together.

  “You’re amazing. The moons light enhances your silky skin, which in turn makes me hungry. I think I should start at the foot of this wonderful buffet.” He could barely contain the love he was feeling for her. Needing to show her, he bent her legs and raised her feet. Blue striped toes called to him. He kissed each of her cute toes and looked into her pretty dark-green eyes as he licked the junction of the first two. Her breath hitched when he did it again.

  “I didn’t know that could feel so good.” He did it again and she squirmed. “I don’t think I can handle much more. I’m already wet for you.”

  Luken wasn’t ready, though, so he administered another minute’s worth of loving, heated licks to her cute toes before he started kissing his way up her closed legs.

  Up and over her feet and ankles, he kissed and licked. Then over her shins and up to her sweet knees. At last, he slightly parted her legs and kissed each inner thigh right above her knees. She squirmed and moaned as he slowly kissed and nipped his way up her thighs, spreading her legs a bit more with each inch he advanced.

  The smell of her arousal scented the night air, making him harder with each kiss he gave her. His mouth watered as he spread her thighs wider and stared at her glistening folds. Folds that could take him to paradise in a heartbeat. The need to taste her sweet nectar overwhelmed him.

  Leaning forward, he settled himself between her thighs and licked from her pink breeding channel entrance up to the sweet button that led her to ecstasy. He loved that delicate bundle of nerves. Honoring it, he licked his rough tongue over it until his mate was panting and her juices were flowing from her channel.

  Spears of need burst through his groin. Needing to prepare her, Luken grasped her hips and sucked her pleasure button into his mouth. A few sucking moves along with a strong tongue-lashing and she was crying out her pleasure. He loved pushing her over passion’s edge. Her body tig
htened and right now, her pretty blue-striped toes were curling. Wanting to see them bent in her climax, he licked her pink flesh once more and then glanced down. Sure enough, they were curled tightly.

  Kissing her dewy folds lightly, the prince made his way up to her still-flat tummy and placed gentle kisses on the flesh that protected their little warrior prince.

  As he thought about their baby being lovingly housed under his lips, his emotions welled. By the moons, my princess makes me happy.

  The scent of her arousal reminded him of his aching erection. It was time to heat his precious mate back up.

  He kissed his way back to the junction of her legs and hungrily licked her release away from her thighs. When she started squirming, he moved to her glistening entrance and started stoking her desire with his tongue. The way her flavor burst across his tongue and shot pure lust through his breeding rod brought out the sexual beast in him every time. He growled and knew from his enhanced vision that his eye colors were swirling.

  Hunger filled her green eyes. “You make me so hot for you. Roll over onto your back, my prince. I want to rub against you for a bit.” Her voice was low and sexy.

  The moonbeams lighting her glistening skin stoked his desire. “Anything for you, little princess.” He kissed her hot spot one last time and then rolled onto his back. As she straddled his pulsing rod, he stared into her love-filled eyes and felt like the luckiest man on the planet. She’s my everything.

  * * * *

  Keneese loved that her prince brought out the nymphomaniac in her. With his sexual prowess, she needed that drive. Looking down into his lazily swirling eyes heated her even more.

  The knowledge that she could heighten his senses enough to make the blue tones in his eyes go into action was a turn-on. Wanting to see his tan skin flushed with a bluish tinge, she placed her hands on his powerful chest and placed her damp folds over his pretty balls and lowered to them. He groaned when her soft, wet flesh touched his firm, hot skin.