by Kyle, Celia
For now, he held her close, his kouva fitting perfectly in his arms, and absorbed her words. To suffer so much for so long. To be alone through it all… He did not know how his mate survived.
Lana clung to him, and she finally allowed her tears to fall. They soaked his shirt, but he still sensed her inner strength. She was fierce and powerful—not despite her past, but because of it.
And he was in awe of her. Pure awe.
He pushed aside his fury, unwilling to allow it to taint this moment further. His mate showed strength and he would do the same. He would show his mate he still cared for her and that the dishonorable male did not change his feelings for her. Nothing could ever change his feelings for her.
Taulan took a chance and brushed a kiss across her temple, breathing in her scent. He was not sure when—if—he’d ever have this moment again, so he pressed his advantage. Her skin was soft against his lips, like Earth silk. He savored the curves of her body aligned with his and the way they seemed to fit.
The Knowing flowed between them, reminding him that they were destined to be together—made for each other despite the distance between their planets. She sighed and slumped against him, giving him even more of her weight, and he had never experienced such temptation in his life. He knew his mate had bared her soul, but his body refused to accept that truth. He only knew the desire that flared to life with her nearness, with each soft breath and every gentle stroke of her fingers on his chest.
He hardened, his shaft filling as his need for her blossomed. His dragon’s fire sparked to life, his inner heat growing with each breath. The Knowing tied them together, its presence announcing their connection, and now his body demanded he mate Lana.
But not yet. He was not an unfeeling dragonlet who cared only for himself. He was not a male who abused females or took advantage of them like that Steven. However, his body did not remember this fact and decided it wished to seduce her.
Gritting his teeth, he carefully caressed his mate, one arm remaining against her lower back while the other came to rest on her knees. Except, before he could shift her from his body and put space between them, Lana noticed his arousal. She froze in place, her breath catching with a small gasp, and Taulan cursed himself.
“Shaa kouva, ignore that part of me. I fear I shall always crave you when you are near. Or even if we are separated. I cannot imagine a time I would not want to claim you.” He sounded like a Preor of old. Besides, had he not decided he would not claim Lana until he had satisfied every challenger?
Lana shot him a wide-eyed look, the whites easily visible around her irises. “You… Even…”
“You are my mate, my beloved,” he murmured and fought to ignore the insistent throbbing of his length. “My heart is yours until the end of time, shaa kouva. It was lost to you the moment you cursed my stupidity.” He grinned when a soft blush stained her cheeks. “And it will still be yours when we take our final flight.”
He rubbed small circles on the skin above her knee and she shivered in response. But something else bothered him. Something about her surprise. He frowned, brows pulled down and together. “Did the Knowing not tell you of this? Jarek once told me the connection is not quite as strong as a pure Preor mating, but that his Melissa is still able to access the entirety of the Preor genetic memory. It simply takes her a little longer.” Tears were now gone and her surprise transformed into regret and she winced. “Shaa kouva?”
“I… You have to understand… I didn’t want…” Her heart rate increased, the muscle thudding so loudly his dragon’s hearing picked up the constant thud.
“Lana? What has you worried? The Knowing…”
She licked her lips and nibbled the lower one. “I… I blocked it. Sort of. I don’t,” she shook her head. “I never want to be forced to do something again and the pressure just pressed in on me. I thought it was some alien or something and I’ve fought so hard to gain freedom. I didn’t want it taken from me again.”
Surprised held him immobile, his mind unable to make sense of her words. At least, at first. Then it was his heart that threatened to burst from his body. “You rejected the Knowing?”
Taulan had never heard of such a thing. What did that mean for him? For them?
“Not all of it. Some of it still came through.” Red rimmed eyes met his and he hated the lingering trail of tears that marred her cheeks. She laid her flat palm over his heart. Not where a human’s heart belonged, but where the heart of a Preor could be found. Then she recited two words that he’d longed to hear his entire life. “Shaa kouvi.”
His cock somehow hardened even further, his shaft now captured by the fabric of his pants. It sought the wet warmth of his mate, sought the finalization of their mating.
But he could not. Not yet. Possibly not ever. She deserved so much better than a wingless, useless male.
“Are those words all you have learned?”
Lana shook her head. “No, other things have come through. I’ve loosened the hold and stopped pushing so hard so that it can come forward. But…” Earnest eyes met his. “But I know enough to trust in the Knowing, to accept that you are my mate and we’re meant to be together.” She sighed. “With everything that happened with Steven, I should call you a liar. But now… Now I know that there are so many things humans don’t understand. The problem with our world is that those who don’t understand don’t want to understand.”
“It is your world no longer, Lana joi Taulan Coburn.” He would never get tired of saying those words. Just as he would constantly repeat his new name. Taulan joi Lana Coburn.
“I will always be from Earth.”
“Yes.” He nodded. “But you are no longer of the planet Earth. You became Preor the moment we left the Ujal brig. I have claimed you, kouva. No matter what the days ahead bring, you shall forevermore be a Preor female.”
He ran his fingers through her hair, savoring the silken slide of the strands. “No matter what the future holds, it will be within the hold of the Preor. No others can touch you now.” He captured her gaze with his own and held it. “No one, shaa kouva. And should any try, they will die at the end of my blade.”
Any remaining tension in her body fled with his words. He had not realized his mate was so bloodthirsty. He could enunciate every method of killing should she enjoy that. He would do whatever he could to make her happy.
Lana reached for him, her delicate fingertips ghosting over his face. She traced his brow, the length of his nose and then outlined his lips. And all the while he fought for control, for some measure of strength that would keep him from pouncing on his ignorant mate.
For if she continued, he would claim her and it was not time for that. He would not impart the pain of separation on her. He would never do anything to harm her. Should he fall during the challenges and take his last breath… the agony would be almost unbearable.
He sought peace within his mind, fighting for a calm that seemed just out of reach. And during his inattention, she struck. No, she did not physically hit him. She did much, much worse.
She brought her lips to his. The first touch was merely a careful brush of mouth on mouth, but after that came more.
And this time he could only blame himself. For the first caress was not enough. Nor was the second. And on the third, he could not help taking a small taste of her sweet skin. The heat of her scorched him like dragon’s fire and the scent that tickled his nose reminded him of home and happiness.
He cupped her cheeks, tilting her head so he could explore her further and then… then he did. He slipped his tongue past her lips, lapping at the opening of her mouth before delving deeply and gathering her flavors. Sweet and smoky, the perfect complement to a dragon. The perfect mate for a dragon.
His shaft throbbed, attempting to break free of the fabric confines. He growled low, frustrated that he could not sink into her, that he could not transfer his scent to her body.
Lana whimpered and whined, wiggling her ass as if begging for more and he moaned i
n response. He wished for nothing more than to sink into her over and over again until they both screamed with the pleasure of release. The musky scent of her arousal teased his nose and his mouth watered. He would lap at her cream, savor each salty drop and explore her intimate depths. He would fill her pussy with his cock, fuck her over and over again until she carried his dragonlets. Until she was so tied to him she could never leave.
Never leave the male without wings.
The male without wings.
He was a Preor male without wings who’d just been confirmed as the fleet’s new War Master.
He fought to get his breathing under control, but every inhale brought Taulan more of Lana’s heavenly scent. Perhaps he would savor her a few moments longer. He would stop himself before he claimed her. He would. For now…
Taulan gripped her hips and shifted their positions until she lay beneath him on the couch. He was thankful Jarek insisted on the human-inspired furniture. Especially since he now held his mate prisoner on the cushioned surface.
He settled between her spread thighs and captured her mouth once more, teasing her tongue and suckling her in an ageless rhythm. He would lick her skin, caress every inch of her body, and when she cried out for him, he would sink into her in one fierce thrust.
For now, he rocked his hips, running the length of his cock along her cloth-covered slit. Her heat scorched him and the musky wetness told him his mate was more than prepared for his possession. By the stars, he wished he could take her.
He could not take her, but he could pleasure her. Give her so much bliss until she forgot the horrors of her past and instead focused on their future together.
Taulan lifted his lips from hers, mentally smiling when she whimpered with the loss. “Patience, shaa kouva, patience.” He lifted his chest away from her, his cock still nestled between her thighs.
“Taulan,” she whined.
“Let me love you, shaa kouva. Let me taste you, explore you.” His mouth watered, already aching to bury his head between her spread thighs. “Let me make you fly.” Indecision and need warred in her features. His kouva wanted him, but she was not yet sure of him. He lowered his head for one more soft kiss and whispered his last words against her lips. “Trust in me, trust in the Knowing. Simply trust, shaa kouva.”
He knew he did not ask for a small thing, but still he begged. He pulled away, unerringly meeting her serious expression, and he nearly roared in triumph when she finally spoke.
“Yes.”
10
It could be a mistake, but she repeated herself. “Yes.”
The soul-deep tug, the pull that urged her to fall into Taulan’s arms was too great to resist. Her pussy ached, clit throbbing with a craving for his touch, and she knew she was soaking wet. Her body prepared itself for his possession, his ultimate claiming. But he’d mentioned tasting…
Taulan remained hard and firm against the juncture of her thighs, his cock cradled by her pussy, and she rolled her hips in an attempt to ease the ache that consumed her. She craved his touch, the feel of his fingers—better yet, his mouth—on her. Her cunt spasmed, rippling with unwavering desire for him—her mate. There was little to be gained from her continued denial. Her body craved him and her mind was filled with thoughts of him… only him. His taste, his touch, and his mere presence. It was enough to drive her mad with yearning.
His eyes bored into hers, the dark orbs seeming to see everything about her. Her past, her pain, every hurt that’d assaulted her, and every secret in her heart. And she… she wasn’t ready for him to know it all, to know the true depths of everything. She’d bared herself as much as she dared. More could come later. Much later.
For now… For now, she planted one foot on the cushion and used it as leverage. She used it to truly arch against him, to increase the pressure until his deep groan vibrated through her sensitized nerves. The vibrations touched every inch of her, crawling into her blood and zinging through her like lightning. She moaned with those new sensations, body crying out for more.
“Taulan,” she whined. She’d asked for more, she’d exposed herself and was prepared to give him everything. He could take it any time now.
“Patience, shaa kouva,” he murmured and gifted her with a soft brush of his lips over hers. “You have given me this gift and I wish to savor it—savor you.”
Then he proceeded to do just that.
Warm lips drifted along her jaw, peppering her with kisses on her sensitized skin. She flushed hot, nerves sparking with his gentle ministrations. Her breasts longed for his hands, her nipples hard and pebbled. He said he’d taste her; would he kiss and nibble the nubbins?
She prayed so.
He continued his travels, lips ghosting along the column of her neck. He nuzzled her and nipped her earlobe with his teeth before moving on. Those kisses rained down on her collarbone and then down the upper curve of her breast. He traced the neckline of her top. The thin, snug Ujal material gave way to Taulan’s gentle tugging, baring more of her chest to his gaze. The mounds of her creamy breasts came into view, her nipples nearly exposed to the room’s cool air.
“Look at the bounty before me.” He shifted his weight and altered his position until he knelt between her thighs. Now both of his hands toyed with her fevered body. He pulled on the neck of the tight top once more until her breasts popped free of the constraining fabric. The Ujal sure knew how to make clothing that was comfortable, didn’t require a bra to make her boobs look perky, and was easy access.
“Beautiful.” He cupped the plump mounds and gently kneaded her flesh. His thumbs traced her nipples, massaging them gently before pinching the nubbins. She arched into his touch, the sting of pain adding to the pleasure coursing through her veins. She ached with desire, body trembling with the need for more. More of his mouth, his hands, his… everything.
“Shaa kouvi.” She wasn’t sure if she said the endearment aloud, but it seemed to spur his attentions.
He leaned over her, capturing her nipple between his lips and then his teeth. He nibbled and nipped her, suction drawing her breast into his mouth while his hands… continued their own exploration. He distracted her with his attentions to her breast and she lost herself in those sensations. Only to be brought back down when his fingers found the waist of her pants. He teased the edge, digits dipping beneath the stretchy fabric with ease. He hooked his fingers and then tugged, pulling the fabric slowly down her hips.
She lifted her ass, giving him more space to work with. She wanted her clothing gone, wanted to feel him against her in the most intimate of ways. Her pussy ached with anticipation, clit zinging with eagerness.
Taulan released her breast with a soft pop and lifted his head once again. He leaned back, settling on his heels while he yanked on her clothing. At his urging, she lifted her legs, moving and repositioning until he was able to pull the pants down her legs and off. She lay bared to him, her body exposed to his gaze. She wondered if he’d find fault with her body, with her curves.
When his eyes flared even brighter, she figured he was happy with her form.
His hands skimmed over her, starting at her outer thighs and slipping over her hips and then tracing her waist. He continued, palms gliding up her ribs before he cupped her breasts. Then he reversed the process, his roughened flesh tickling her humming nerves. Just that simple touch—that simple, utterly arousing touch—brought her near release.
The desperation for him hummed in her veins, her body craving his as if she were starving.
Need drove her to move, to roll her hips when he once again cradled them in his hands.
“Taulan.” She didn’t bother trying to suppress her whine.
The room’s cool air bathed her throbbing pussy and she knew she was soaking wet for him. If only he’d caress her sexlips, slide his finger past the seam and explore her sensuous depths.
Instead of moving on, his hands remained in place, his hold shifting until his thumbs teased the top of her mound. He drew small circles in he
r cropped curls, the shifting of flesh gently massaging her hidden clit.
“What would you like, shaa kouva?” he rasped, his words no more than a deep growl.
“Touch me.” She wanted his touch, his mouth, his cock. Was she ready for that last step? The tie that would form an unbreakable bond? No, not yet. She wasn’t sure he wanted it either. He’d only mentioned tasting…
“Like this?” He traced her lower lips with his thumbs, gently separating them and then pressing them together once more. It was a teasing massage. One that would drive her mad if he didn’t sate her craving.
“No,” she shook her head. “More.”
“You must tell me, beloved.” Gazes locked, she swore his irises changed shape. As if his dragon attempted to break free. “You must say the words and tell me how I can pleasure you.”
Say the words. He didn’t ask for much.
She spread her legs further and rocked her hips, moving with his hands as she sought more. “Touch me.”
“Where?”
She swallowed hard and forced the words past her lips. “My pussy.”
He traced the damp seam with one thumb while he teased the upper-edge of her slit. Just delicate circles that threatened to drive her insane.
“This is where you desire me? Your pus-see?”
“Yes,” she hissed. His thumb dipped deeper, tracing her inner wetness with a tender touch. “I want you to touch my pussy. Stroke it.” He did as she demanded, delving through her feminine folds. “Fuck. Rub my clit. Fuck my…”
“Fuhk your what?”
Lana trembled, overtaken by her arousal. “Cunt.” She shuddered, pussy clenching and seeming to beg for his possession. Yes, that’s what she wanted. Him, hard and deep. “Fuck my cunt with your fingers. Rub my clit and fuck my cunt.”
She gasped and then moaned, her mate doing exactly as she demanded. The tormenting thumb found the bundle of nerves with ease and rubbed the nubbin gently while his other hand was anything but gentle. He unerringly found her opening and shoved two fingers deeply into her center. He pumped them in and out of her, his blunt fingers tracing her inner walls.