by Mia McKimmy
Vind followed them to a restaurant in Asheville. His fresh supply of invisibility formula allowed him to take a seat at a table nearby, so he’d be able to hear every word.
He was almost bored with how Cy looked at the girl with a lovesick expression. Then he said something about their mother that piqued Vind’s interest. But the next two words Cy spoke changed everything. Life-mate.
Vind struggled to suppress laughter and moved closer. Why had he not noticed it? The way Cy’s eyes already cherished her. Vind couldn’t believe his luck. He now had the means to torture Cy in ways he’d never thought possible.
A small tremor surged through him. He hadn’t been this excited since his eighteenth birthday. That plan had failed. This time, every detail would be executed with precision. Failure was not an option.
He needed to replenish his adrenaline stores. Vind left the restaurant in search of a human to feed from. Once he took care of that need, he would transport back to the compound, anxious to collect the remainder of the information he needed to plan his brother’s demise.
***
Cy pulled into the compound and parked the car. He turned in his seat and looked into Riana’s eyes. “Would you like to come to my place for a drink…and finish our conversation?”
Riana bit her lower lip and hesitated before answering. “Yes.”
Cy released a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Good, I hoped you’d say that.”
He helped her out of the car and kept her hand in his, not wanting to break their connection. Even though her touch worsened the perpetual arousal and made walking at a normal pace next to impossible.
As they entered his apartment, Riana looked around the living room. “This is nice… roomy.”
Cy glanced around the large living area. He had instructed the interior designer to make it masculine but modern. Royalty-lying-low gave him the excuse he needed not to live in a frilly palace like he had grown up in. Even when he did become king, he didn’t intend to live that way. “Thanks. It’s comfortable. Would you like a glass of wine, or anything to drink?”
Riana sat on the large sectional sofa. “A glass of white wine if you have it?”
Cy walked across the room to the open bar. As he poured their drinks, the distinct aroma of lust permeated the air. He turned and glanced at Riana, and fought back a smile as she stared at his rear. He would have given anything to know what was thinking. He poured two glasses of Riesling and brought them to the sofa. He handed her one, then took a seat beside her.
“Okay, back to our conversation from the restaurant.” Man, he was nervous about how she would take the full amount of information. What if she freaked out, fled the apartment, and never spoke to him again. He’d better start the conversation out slow.
Cy turned to face her so he could catch every emotion that crossed her beautiful face.
“I’ll just tell you what I know about life-mates. Some people never find theirs, and some find each other at a young age. Because so many of our people died on Sivadia, most who survived by coming to Earth had to wait for their life-mates to be reborn. They named the years that followed, ‘The Survival Curse.’ We had lost almost everyone and everything we loved. After decades passed without anyone becoming pregnant, some believed it was impossible for us to reproduce on Earth. Many gave up hope of their life-mates ever being reborn and chose to end their own lives.”
“There’s sadness in your voice when you speak about Sivadia. Did you come here on the ships?”
“Yes.” Although he wouldn’t lie to her, he wasn’t ready to tell her about his true identity. She would run if he revealed that little shocker too soon.
“Did you lose your life-mate?” She asked quietly.
“No, I was only fourteen when we came to Earth.” His father’s death jumped to the forefront of his mind.
“Why do you think we are life-mates?” Her question drew him back to the present.
“There are several reasons. From the first moment you lay eyes on your life-mate, there’s a pull toward them. If you’re not with them, you wish you were. Everything about that person is irresistible. The way they look, sound, smell…taste.” As he added the last word, it came out low and needful. “When they’re near, it’s an overload of your senses. Each time you’re together it becomes more intense, until…” Cy hesitated, not sure how to say the words without sounding like he only wanted to get her in bed.
“Until, what?” Her eyes were as soft as her voice.
Their gazes locked onto one another as if it were a lifeline pulling the other to safety. “Until we make love and give ourselves to each other.”
Riana looked down, breaking their connection. “Have you ever had these feelings before…with someone else?”
Cy shook his head, “No, never.”
“What will happen if we do nothing and never see each other again?”
Cy’s chest tightened at the thought of that possibility. But she deserved all the answers he could give, even if it meant losing her. “I’ve been told everything becomes worse. Our mind and body will rebel and betray us. We not only become physically ill, we’ll also become depressed, barely able to function.” Cy held his breath as he watched her sharp intellect absorb the information he’d given.
“Riana, you don’t have to make this decision now. You take all the time you ne—”
Riana reached and laid her hand on his, cutting off all thought.
“I understand what you’re trying to explain, because I’ve felt it too. Since I first saw you, my life has felt unbalanced and it’s becoming worse.”
Cy pulled her hand over his heart and held it there. The rate increased from the contact. “There’s something else.”
Riana’s brows rose. “Really?”
“Mother told of a definite sign that will reveal if we are true life-mates. Some Sivadians take a small amount of each other’s blood when making love. If we are life-mates, the urge will be impossible to ignore. If we take each other’s blood and we’re not life-mates, nothing changes. But if we are, everything changes. And we’ll know it immediately.”
A look of confusion crossed Riana’s face. “How?”
“I’m not sure about the details, but somehow you actually feel your life-forces weave together. Things about the other person are revealed. And, from that point on, you’re more aware of each other’s needs. You don’t know their thoughts, but if one is upset or hurt you’ll sense it, and have an uncontrollable urge to go to them. I think—”
Riana's lips parted and her tongue inched out as if she were tasting something delectable. Her eyes were focused on his mouth and it cut off all thought. He didn’t have to wonder what she was thinking when lavender scented lust permeated the air. Something he was becoming familiar with… and wanted more. The heat coming from her enveloped him, stamping out the loneliness that’d been part of him for as long as he could remember. Her emerald gaze scorched him to the core.
He wasted no time closing the distance between them. Cy’s hands buried in her mass of silken hair. He pulled her to him and took possession of her mouth. As soon as their lips touched, the air around them sizzled and a deep-seated need tore through him.
Riana moaned into his mouth, and Cy’s kiss became demanding as her passion rose up to meet his. Their tongues thrust into each other’s mouth. Her hauntingly feminine taste seeped into his soul, and in that moment, he knew this was a taste he’d craved forever. He wanted her on a level he’d never known existed…until now. Nothing mattered but touching her, having every inch of her skin next to his and burying his body deep inside hers.
Cy broke their kiss. His mouth made its way down the satin length of her neck. Her pulse beat fast and frantic against his lips. A strange need bloomed inside him, demanding he take her blood. He tried to ignore the instinct, determined to take his time and worship every inch of her body.
Riana leaned her head back to give him better access to her neck. The movement caused her full breast to arch up and
outward.
Now, that’s an offer I can’t ignore. Cy ran his tongue across the generous mounds of cleavage peaking just above the neckline of her sweater. Riana’s quick intake of breath told him she wanted more, needed it as badly as him. He gently pulled on the neck of her sweater, giving him access to more creamy skin. He feasted greedily in the dark, warm, valley between her breasts. All he wanted was to rip her clothes off and treat her sweet, gorgeous body like a lollypop.
Riana’s hands buried in his hair and held him to her breast. Her body arched, coaxing his mouth lower. Electricity whipped between them, fierce and passionate. Cy’s erection throbbed to the point of pain. The need to take her, mark her as his life-mate was overwhelming.
I need to slow down. He raised his head and looked into her beautiful emerald eyes. Eyes that blazed with desire for him.
Riana was irresistible with her lips swollen from his kisses, and her face flushed with passion. As his lips brushed across hers, she moaned two words that broke the last of his good intentions. “Cy, please.” It was a plea for more, and the words were music to his ears.
Chapter 14
Riana burned with desire so intense she could no longer think. She only knew if Cy didn’t make love to her soon, she’d explode. Every place he touched, tiny sparks erupted beneath her skin and molten lava pooled in her abdomen. She couldn’t stop the plea that slipped from her lips. “Cy, please.”
He scooped her off the couch and her arms circled his neck. The hard planes of his muscles flexed beneath her fingers as he headed down the hall. She buried her face in his throat, reveling in the spicy aroma of his need.
Once inside his bedroom he laid her on a satin-covered bed, as gently as if she were a delicate rose. She reminded herself that Cy was a dangerous Sivadian male who killed for a living. But in his arms she felt safe, cherished.
Riana couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her lips as he pulled his sweater over his head. The hills and valleys of rock hard abs glistened in the pale moonlight coming through the window. He was perfection, and very male. The impression of his erection pushed against the dark material of his trousers. She wanted nothing more than to feel that expanse of fine, male skin against her, inside her. He kicked off his shoes and lay on the bed, then pulled her into his arms. She wrapped herself around his warm, hard body.
As his mouth covered hers, electrified desire snapped and sizzled. This was what they’d both wanted since first laying eyes on each other.
Now I’m hoping we live through it.
After a moment, her clothes became heavy and confining. As if Cy knew her thoughts, he broke their kiss and removed her sweater. He slowly removed her pants, devouring her with his eyes. A slow smile of satisfaction crossed his face. “How attached are you to those remaining strips of lace?” His voice was low…pure sex.
Riana could barely force a sound past her lips as she watched him hover above her. “I’m not.”
“Just wanted to know before I tear them off with my teeth.” He stood and stepped out of his pants.
Riana’s eyes widened as Cy removed his pants and his erection sprang free of its confines. Jaack Pottt, she sang out mentally, channeling her inward glee club. She’d heard Sivadian males were well endowed, but dang, Cy must have gotten his and someone else’s helping in that department.
The muscles in his body flexed as he crawled onto the bed like a huge jungle cat. Starting at her ankles, Cy ran his hands up her legs, his fingers leaving a trail of fire. Reaching the sides of her panties, he hooked the thin straps and slowly removed the delicate piece of lace.
A sharp inhalation broke through the silence. “The scent of your arousal is so sweet…intoxicating.” His hand moved up her body, brushing the juncture of her thighs, across her flat stomach and ended its journey at her lace bra. He unhooked the front latch freeing her breasts. He moaned deep in his throat as his eyes feasted on what he’d revealed. “You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,” he whispered.
Riana couldn’t take it any longer. He was taking entirely too much time removing her clothes. Next time they could go slow, this time she wanted him inside her, like, ten minutes ago. She sat up and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, took control of his mouth, and pulled him down on top of her. The corners of his mouth turn up in a slight, momentary, smile. But her actions got his attention.
His kiss deepened and his tongue swept into her mouth as if he couldn’t get enough. She wanted to crawl inside his skin with him. The sensations increased, bounced between them, and intensified with each arc. They weren’t only feeling their own pleasure, but each other’s pleasure, also. The cycle of passion and need increased until she thought she’d burst into flames.
Cy left her mouth and moved down her neck to her breast. Her back arched, a silent plea for his attention. He pulled her nipple into his warm, moist mouth. Riana writhed as his tongue laved and suckled the erect nub. Her hips rose up needing to have him between her thighs.
Riana’s hands twisted in the satin sheets as Cy moved lower, kissing, nipping her skin with his teeth, the pain replaced by the wet heat of his tongue. Moist heat pooled between her thighs. His mouth alone had her on the edge of release. And he had yet to reach where she craved him most.
As he reached the juncture between her thighs and his tongue met her core, Riana cried out, her hips thrusting upward of their own accord. Cy moaned, causing vibrations to echo throughout her body. He reached up and rolled her nipples between his thumb and finger. A fast and furious orgasm tore through her. Riana’s hips thrust wildly as the intensity seemed to grow and consume her body. She wanted him inside her with an almost frightening desperation. Her fingers tangled in his hair and she tugged, urging him upward.
Cy looked up the length of her arched body, concern on his face. “What is it, baby?”
“I need you, now,” she moaned.
Cy moved quickly, and settled between her open thighs. It amazed her how perfectly their bodies fit. He was her life-mate, and they were made for each other.
Riana pulled his face down and took possession of his mouth as her legs wrapped around his waist, attempting to pull him closer. A low, primal growl escaped Cy’s throat as the velvet skin of his erection made contact with her core. She reached between their bodies and found him hot and hard, and ran her hand over his length. Cy’s kiss deepened as he thrust into her hold.
Riana guided him to her entrance. She reached around him, dug her nails into the firm muscles of his hips, and pulled him deeper into her body. The air around them electrified, and a current leapt between them as fierce as a summer storm.
The moment Cy began to move inside her, Riana’s mouth dried, and a hot ache filled her throat. An overwhelming need consumed her to bury her teeth in his neck and take his essence inside her. She’d never taken blood from anyone. Cy had said this might happen, but she never dreamed the temptation would be so strong. Her head thrashed from side to side as she tried to resist the urge. Once again, as if Cy knew what she needed, he urged her face into his neck. Pressure built as his thrusts grew stronger, along with the compulsion to take his blood.
Riana’s lips hovered over the artery in his neck, the pulsing heat impossible to resist. Her teeth extended of their own accord and sank into his skin. The sweet taste of Cy’s blood rushed into her mouth and down her throat like warm molasses. It coursed through her veins like an awakened river. She shook as the most intense orgasm she’d ever had hit hard.
Seconds later, lights exploded behind her eyes in beautiful shades of teals and blues, reminding her of the pictures she’d seen of the Sivadian forest. The colors began changing, each representing different parts of Cy’s life. Every cell in her body filled with his presence, and images throughout his life flashed in her mind. She was seeing inside of him, inside his soul. It was beautiful, kind, and good. And she had no doubt it belonged to her. Parts of his life lay out before her, like flipping through the pages of a book that opened only for her.
&nbs
p; She saw the only time he had ever been truly happy was as a child living on Sivadia. She saw the love he had for his parents, and the pain he felt when he lost his father. She saw the betrayal he felt by his brother, and his determination to stop him and his army. She saw he had never loved another female, and he had already accepted her as his life-mate. She saw different aspects of his life, some good, some bad. It all happened in the blink of an eye, except she wasn’t just a spectator on the outside looking in. Every part affected her deeply, as if it had happened to her. This was their souls weaving together for all eternity.
As the colors ran their course and slowly faded, Riana wiped tears from her face. She opened her eyes to meet Cy’s tormented gaze, and knew he’d taken her blood. He’d witnessed her life the same as she had his.
He pulled her to him and held her tight in his arms. “I’m sorry you had such a lonely childhood,” he whispered, his voice full of emotion.
“Is that what you experienced when you took my blood?”
“Yes. You looked around four or five, and went to your mother wanting her to stop what she was doing and play dolls. She made you go to your room and leave her alone. You sat on a large pink bed hugging a doll and cried. I felt your loneliness.”
“It wasn’t all bad,” Riana said. “Later in life I learned to live with the fact that she never had time for me. At times her guilt would get the best of her, and she’d attempt to interact with me more. But, I knew she forced herself. I preferred isolation to feeling like a burden, and finally stopped asking.”
“What did you experience?” Cy asked.
“Your brother’s betrayal,” she said, choking back tears. He was about to decapitate you when Miles came in and fought him off. Then Vind escaped.”
“That day, I was accepting my position as king. Later we discovered Vind and his army had raided human villages. They had fed from and destroyed entire human populations. He intended to take my life so he could rule. He’s tried to destroy me ever since. I can’t become king until I fulfill the last promise I made my father. As he lay dying, I promised to never allow anyone to prey on the innocent the way Haagons did on our people. And that’s what my brother does.”