by Laurie Roma
“How did we manage this in our sleep?”
She looked up at him with a small smile. “I do not know, and I am not complaining.”
Roman smoothed back the hair from her face, then he leaned on one elbow to keep some of his weight from crushing her. She might not need him to take care of her, but he’d be doing it for the rest of their lives anyway.
“I don’t think I’ll need to, but you have my word that I’ll stop you from going crazy. I’ll protect you and the universe, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep us both safe.”
“You need to stay safe,” she countered. “Because I would destroy the universe if something happened to you.”
When he chuckled, the action made his cock twitch inside of her.
She gasped. “This is no laughing matter.”
“Of course, not.” He did sober quickly when he realized she wasn’t joking. The fate of the universe rested upon his safety? Well, shit. That was something he hadn’t seen coming. “I just realized one of my biggest fears about falling for you was losing you. I don’t really have to worry about that anymore considering you’re one of the most powerful beings in the entire universe.”
“You will not lose me.”
“You won’t lose me either.” He pressed his lips to hers, then murmured, “Yeah, I can live with you being the muscle in our relationship.”
“You have ample muscles, mate,” she countered, rolling them over so she was seated on top of his larger body. Leaning down, she kissed him again. “It is one of the things I love most about you.”
He thrust once, twice, and catching her off guard, rolled her beneath him again. “What else do you love?” When she stiffened slightly, he made a humming sound. “No, don’t tense up on me now. Was your ability the reason you haven’t pushed me to complete our mating?”
“You needed to know before you tied yourself to me.”
“Amari, I’m already tied to you, body, heart, and soul.” He began to move, slowly pulling out of her, then thrusting back in. “I think I knew I loved you the moment I first saw you, and now that our pasts are not in the way, I’m ready. Bond with me.”
“I loved you before I knew you. I loved more when I bit you, and now, I know that you are my everything, my world, the home I have been searching for.”
“And you are the same for me. You are my dream come to life. I love you endlessly, until I take my very last breath.”
“That better be my last breath as well, else someone will pay dearly.”
“Fuck, I love it when you’re so fierce,” he said with a laugh.
He watched the pleasure race across her face as he stroked his rock-hard cock inside of her a little faster, and he leaned down to capture her mouth in a savage kiss. He filled her over and over again, both of them already primed and close to release. A possessive need drove him to move deeper, harder, until he was snapping his hips against her, not even willing to pull out enough to thrust fully.
When he felt her pussy rippling around his cock, he broke the kiss. “Bond with me, Amari. Give yourself to me. Give me everything.”
Not even bothering with claws or fangs, Amari called forth her magic and made a cut right over her heart. “Take my love, Roman. Take me in and join with me forever.”
He bent down swiping at her life’s blood spilling out of the small cut seconds before the wound closed. The taste of her exploded on his tongue, and he threw his head back, groaning as he fought to hold back his release. She struck hard and fast, sinking her fangs into his neck, claiming him as they both found release.
Her pussy clamped down on him as he pumped his seed deep within her with hard, hot spurts. She reluctantly closed the wounds on his neck, leaving behind two tiny marks on his skin as a sign of possession. The taste of his blood was addictive, and she wanted more, but she’s already taken too much.
“It is done, and the conversion has already begun.”
“Fuck, that was fast. I can feel you in me,” he rasped out. “And I think I might be burning inside.”
“Go to sleep, love,” she whispered. “Let me watch over you.”
“Okay,” he said sleepily. “Love you...mate.”
She sent him to sleep safely and held him close when he collapsed on top of her. There was no turning back now. Roman belonged to her, just as she belonged to him. As she closed her eyes, she did something she hadn’t done in centuries. She sent out a silent prayer to the gods or to whoever was listening, because she hadn’t been jesting. She would do anything to keep him safe.
Anything.
Now, she just hoped she never had to prove it.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“You do realize you just gave your friend wings.”
“I did not!” Roman argued. He hadn’t, had he?
Oh, shit...
His first few official days as a Dragon Warrior had gone well, though, he and Amari had remained entwined in their bedroom for most of that time. They had celebrated her birthday with a meal in a room made to look as if they were outdoors. He’d wanted to give her a gift, and she insisted on spending a little time on a private magic lesson.
It was clear that it was going to take practice for him to learn how to use magic properly, but they had the time. The only thing he learned how to do proficiently was remove their clothes since he was highly motivated to strip her as often as possible. He couldn’t seem to get enough of her. It was a wonder he’d been able to stop kissing her long enough for them to leave their vessel, but he already ached to have her again.
However, they had the stupid meeting to deal with.
He thought he’d been prepared to return to the Delta Station for the meeting, but clearly, he had been out of his mind. Maybe he’d been too confident, too cocky about the changes he’d gone through. After going through the conversion, he’d felt stronger, better than he ever had before. The fangs he now sported were the only difference that had taken some time to get used to. Even his glowing green eyes didn’t bother him. Then again, he didn’t have to stare into his own eyes, so what did he care?
When he and Amari had transported over, High Commander Megara Clay-Kingston and Commander Seth Kingston had been in the hallway speaking to Commander Matt Malloy.
Matt was the first to see them and smiled in greeting. “Hey, the meeting just started. We didn’t think you were going to make it—oh, shit! You’re glowing!”
The humans gaped at Roman as if he had grown another head.
“It’s my eyes,” Roman said with a sigh. “They’re going to freak everyone out.”
“I love your eyes. I find them extremely arousing.”
Unable to help himself, he hauled her against him and crushed his mouth down on hers in a kiss so wickedly hot he felt his blood begin to boil. As a Dragon Warrior, everything was more intense, more raw and real. He was still getting used to the sensations, so it was easy to get distracted.
“Umm,” Seth cleared his throat. “Nice to see you are alive and well, Roman.”
“They thought I had killed you,” Amari said with a sigh as she pulled back.
“Death by sex. Sounds like a good way to go.”
“Behave, mate.”
“Oh, man. Not you, too,” Matt grumbled, taking a few steps backwards as if they were somehow contagious. “Hi. Roman, Amari, nice to see you. I’ve got to go...do things. Somewhere else.”
Roman tried to hold back his grin as Matt trotted away, all but running down the hallway. He introduced Amari to his friends, and he slapped a hand down on Seth’s shoulder as he had countless times over the years. This time, he sensed the envy Seth was feeling. The D’Aire bonded with their keepers like Dragon Warriors’ mates did. Seth wasn’t a full blood D’Aire. He may have inherited his mother’s iridescent blue eyes, but not the ability to fly with wings or to bond with his keeper.
Seth suddenly dropped to his knees and he gripped his chest as if he were having a heart attack. He fell over, panting for air, then curled up on his side and groaned in pain. Trying to reach his b
ack, he yelled, “My back is burning!”
Megara fell to her knees beside him. “What did you do to him, Roman?”
“Nothing! I don’t—”
“You gave him wings,” Amari said again, this time out loud.
Roman and Megara both gaped at her as Seth continued to groan in pain. Amari leaned down and touched Seth’s foot, and he immediately stopped thrashing around.
Sprawled out on his back, Seth wheezed out, “What...the...fuck?”
When all three of them looked at her, Amari sighed. “Roman activated one of your dormant genes. Congratulations, you are now more D’Aire than human.” She took Roman’s hand in hers, then began walking down the hallway. “We have a meeting to attend.”
“What? I’m sorry, what?” Megara blinked, then she spun around and fell on her ass. “Oh, my stars, Seth. I just heard you in my head!”
Seth had just risen to his knees when a pair of beautiful white wings sprang free from his back, tearing through the material of his uniform. “How?”
Roman glanced back. “Magic? Sorry, man. Didn’t mean to do that.”
Amari kept pulling him forward. “Practice, mate. Practice and training.”
He agreed wholeheartedly. He really needed to stop using magic until he figured out what the hell he was doing, or he was going to end up killing someone. Maybe all of them. Fuck, he could take out the entire ship being so careless.
“Relax, mate. I would not allow you to destroy the ship. Even if you managed to do it, we could repair it before too many people were injured.”
“Great.” That was comforting.
He led her past the suites to the main circular chamber located in the center of the level. Roman lifted a brow as he saw a Strike Force Team officer stood on each side of the doorway.
“What’s this? Why are you here?”
One of the officers stared at Roman and Amari, his Adam’s apple bobbing, but he didn’t seem capable of forming words. The other officer looked a little less terrified until Roman shoved in close to his face.
“Did I just see you checking out my mate, Officer Barrett?” Roman growled.
The officer’s eyes popped wide. “What? No, sir! I didn’t see anything. I can barely see at all! Maybe I’m going blind...”
Amari chuckled, grabbing hold of her mate’s hand again. She liked the physical contact, but she also enjoyed the blatant show of possession that it implied. “Leave that poor youngling alone, and nay, you cannot really blind him for looking at me.”
“I should. The little fucker was totally checking you out,” he snapped.
Not that Roman could blame the young officer. His mate was heart-stopping gorgeous. She was wearing a black leather-like vest with matching pants that hugged every curve of her impressive body. He had convinced her to leave her many weapons behind, but he suspected that she had a knife or three hidden in her boots.
As she’d told him, habits were hard to break.
He had forgone his own uniform for a pair of black pants and a sleeveless tunic that matched hers. He wore new shimmering gold tattoos that covered his arms and neck, and on the left side, the gold intertwined with the black marks that had been given to him by Lisa years ago. For Amari’s birthday, Roman offered to remove the old tattoos, but she had adamantly refused. She didn’t want to erase his past but build on it to make their future together.
He dismissed the two officers that had been stationed at the doors, stating that the chancellors should be treated like guests, not prisoners. The two officers avoided making eye contact as they quickly left.
Roman and Amari walked into the circular meeting room together and weren’t surprised to see that they were the last to arrive. A few of the chancellors stood near a long table set up near the food console, while the others were already seated.
Malik Rego quickly strode over to join them. “About fucking time,” he muttered. “I am not calling you uncle.”
Roman frowned. “Why would you?”
Laughing, Malik shook his head. “You didn’t tell him? Your new mate is my aunt, several generations removed, of course. Welcome to the family.”
“Thanks,” Roman said dryly. “We’re related to him? Really?”
“The Regos will grow on you,” Malik said with a smile, then he lowered his voice. “Reva has been threatening to take a shuttle over to your vessel to check on you for the last few days, and she was upset that we missed your birthday yesterday.”
“We already celebrated on Tartarus,” she hissed.
The Helios chancellor popped up out of her chair and hurried over. “Roman!”
When the female’s arms reached out to embrace him, she was pushed back a few steps as if she had run into an invisible wall. “What the—?” Insult flared in the other female’s amber gaze, then her eyes went wide with shock. “Oh!”
Amari turned, then eyed her coolly. “Do not touch my mate. Ever.”
“My apologies. I didn’t see that you were together...well, I guess I can’t hug you anymore, green eyes.”
“I will peel the skin off her bones, then grind what is left into bloody dust before setting the remains on fire if she should ever dare to hug you again. Green eyes,” Amari growled.
Sweet fuck, Roman’s cock went hard instantly, but he always had that reaction when his mate used that growly tone. He figured for self-preservation’s sake it would be best to strike down the Helios’ flirtatious nature before Amari followed through on her threat. Jerking Amari to his side, partially because he loved touching her, but also to keep her from lunging at the Helios chancellor, Roman nodded to the female.
“I am honored to introduce Amari Nazira. Mate, this is Naomi Tala, the Helios chancellor.”
“Congratulations on your mating,” Naomi said with an insincere smile.
It had only taken a few seconds for Naomi to realize the danger she had brought upon herself. She had been after Roman for years, wanting the novelty of a human male as one of her companions. When he’d turned her down, it had just made her want him more. Then, he had become a regent, and she saw him as a means to gain power within the Alliance. Now that he had mated a Dragon Warrior, Naomi’s chance was over.
Amari simply stared at the other female who was practically shouting her thoughts. Not only was it insulting that the Helios wanted Roman, but she had seen him more as an advancement of her career rather than a real flesh and blood person.
Roman pulled Amari in the opposite direction of the Helios. Following in their wake, Malik muttered, “That is one power hungry cat. You should have just hit her. It would have made you feel better.”
“No hitting in the meeting room,” Roman ordered. “This is a peace summit, damn it.”
“Then, you best make sure to keep her hands away from you,” she said stiffly.
“Sugar, the only person I want having their hands on me is you.”
Amari paused as a Xenon male stepped in front of them. She smiled in greeting as she recognized the bright hair and multiple piercings. “Elder Blue! This is a surprise.”
He smiled warmly. “Please call me Torren. I don’t believe we’ve met yet.”
“Not formally. I am Amari Nazira.”
“Ah,” Torren laughed. “I heard about your visit—or visits—to my world. Is it safe to say that we crossed paths during your first excursion to my planet?”
“We may have.”
“It’s a shame I missed it. I would have given you a tour. Maybe on your next—”
“All right, we need to start the meeting,” Roman practically shouted as he took a step between them. He didn’t like how friendly the male was being. Stars, he wanted to shove the smaller man out of an airlock, then bang on his chest like some sort of fucking caveman.
“Sexy caveman,” Amari purred through their bond.
“Fuck, don’t get me started, or I will ravish you on this table.”
“If the room was empty, I might allow it. I could just clear the room myself and send all of these people t
o Vexar.”
His eyes narrowed. “Can you really do that? That’s really far.”
“I have no idea, but I could try it.” She sat down slowly and smiled up at him. “We could also freeze everyone and postpone this meeting until we get back.”
“And where would we be going?”
“Back to bed. Or we could have another meal on our dining room table. We have not eaten this rising, and it is after midday already,” Amari reminded as she sat down, then tapped her nail on the tabletop.
“We’re going to starve if we keep getting distracted making love.” Roman grinned. “Would we eat on or at the table? I’m good with either, and I certainly am hungry.”
“I am very glad we kept the bench for such occasions. You would be comfortable sitting there while we try that little trick with my fangs. I promise, you will love every second of it, mate.”
“Roman? Regent Newgate!” Ian Spartan lifted a hand and made circles in the air with two fingers signaling that they needed to move things along.
“What?” Roman said blankly, then glanced around to see that everyone had taken a seat around the circular table. He didn’t even try to hide the thick erection pressing against the confines of his pants, but he did sit down and shake his head to clear it.
“He means stop doing that strange staring thing that tells us you and your mate are having a conversation that we can’t hear.” Malik shrugged when everyone turned to look at him. “What? There are over a dozen Dragon Warriors living near my palace. I’ve seen it enough to know what they’re doing.”
“It isn’t that strange,” Adric M’Dor called out with a chuckle.
“That’s because you D’Aire do the same thing,” Sarros Ve, the Reema chancellor, said from the seat next to him.
Tavius Adaro grinned. “As amusing as it is to see the big guy blush, I have my own mate to get back to. So, let’s get this rolling so I can get back to New Vega.”
“That must have been an interesting conversation...” Torren murmured from his seat next to Amari.
“Hmm,” was all she said in response.
“I would love to ask you some questions about your race when we have a moment,” Torren said, switching the subject. “It’s been a long time since I visited your planet.”