by Regine Abel
“I am a thirty-seven-year-old Tainted male, Aleina. I have entered the final stages of the disease.”
She swallowed painfully then nodded.
“Days before the raid, Minh confirmed that I only have a few months left,” I said, carefully gauging her reaction.
Her jaw clenched and her grip tightened around my hand. “I can help you with that,” she said.
I nodded. “Yes, you can. But that is not the reason I want to be with you.”
She smiled and some of the tension in her shoulder lessened. “I know, Ghan.”
Goddess, how I loved the way she said my name with that sensuous voice of hers.
“But early death isn’t the only problem with the Taint,” I said, my pulse picking up at the prospect of revealing my main issue to her.
“You’re in a lot of pain because of the advanced stage of your Taint,” Aleina interrupted. “I can’t help you, but Amalia can. She already told me that Khel gave his blessing and that she wouldn’t take no for an answer from any of us.”
That winded me, although it shouldn’t have. While she hadn’t flat-out said it, Amalia had hinted about telling Aleina of her plans.
“Don’t be angry with her,” Aleina said in response to whatever distraught expression twisted my features. “She wasn’t trying to tell on you. Amalia is my niece. She guessed, rightly so, that I would feel betrayed had I found out by accident that my soulmate was drinking from her.”
I didn’t think of that. Of course she would be livid. We needed to discuss a different topic, but I welcomed the reprieve.
“Do you wish me to decline?” I asked.
“No,” she said without the slightest hesitation. “Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely hate that you will be drinking from another female. But Amalia adores you. I’m grateful to my niece and her mates—especially Khel—for permitting this to spare you needless suffering. It just shames me that I cannot do this for you. It makes me feel inadequate.”
Goddess!
How could such a perfect female doubt herself?
“Don’t.” I said, caressing her cheek with my free hand. “Don’t you dare feel as if you’re less. Amalia and Valena were blessed with Geminates as mates. Their situations are unique. The majority of other Veredians will not be able to help Xelixians any more than you could.”
Tension drained from her shoulders, and she gave me a shaky smile. How had I not realized that she, too, might feel insecurities? It still boggled my mind a number of Veredians truly felt attracted to me, even some second generation who could help more than Aleina ever could with my Taint. Did she really think that could sway me away from her?
“If anyone here is inadequate, it’s me, not you.”
Aleina stiffened and frowned at me with a ‘how dare you say that?’ look that demanded immediate explanation. I shifted uncomfortably and dropped my hand from her cheek.
I gave her a side glance, unable to look her straight in the eyes, and forced the words out of my mouth.
“The Taint…” I cleared my throat. “The pain is only one of the side effects of the Taint. There’s the darkening of our skin from the accumulation of the toxin,” I said, looking at our hands still intertwined, mine a dark obsidian where no trace of my original silver-grey complexion remained, and hers a pale copper. “Increasing organ malfunctions appear in the mid-twenties, usually starting with the endocrine glands.”
I paused, letting the underlying meaning sink in.
She nodded slowly. “I have read that as they approach their thirties, Tainted males will frequently suffer from a loss of libido, and in more extreme cases…”
Aleina paused, finally putting two-and-two together. Her eyes locked with mine, and she held my gaze, unwavering. Blood rushed in my ears as I waited with bated breath for her to continue.
“… from erectile dysfunction,” she concluded.
My mouth was too dry to swallow. I waited for the disgust and disappointment in her eyes that never came. When she let go of my hand and rose to her feet, my heart sank. I made to rise as well, but she put her hand on my shoulder before climbing on my lap, facing me. Eyes wide, mouth gaping, I remained frozen while she settled down and wrapped her arms around my neck.
“It will take way more than that for you to be rid of me, Ghan Delphin. I’ve loved you for years, and I will have you in whatever way I can, even if we never have sex. If you do not feel desire…”
“I do,” I interrupted, forcefully, my arms closing around her back. “The Goddess knows how much I do want you. But I… I can’t…”
She smiled and my words failed me.
“That’s not a problem, my love.” She brushed her lips against mine. “There are many ways for a male to please a female, and just as many ways for a female to please a male.”
My breath caught in my throat. The warmth of her body against mine, her delicate scent and her hands on me were intoxicating. Too numb to think or speak, I stared at Aleina.
“Sanya, I am not to be disturbed unless there’s an emergency,” Alaina said to the ship’s artificial intelligence.
“Acknowledged,” the A.I.’s synthetic feminine voice responded.
Aleina’s fingers ran over the short bristles of my hair. Forehead wrinkling in displeasure, she gave me a stern look.
“You will grow your hair for me.”
“I’m a warrior!” I objected.
“And I’m your female. I need something to hang on to when I have my way with you. You will grow it.”
My female. My goddess.
Her Admiral, sharp, ‘don’t argue with me’ tone did strange but pleasant things to me. I couldn’t grow my hair long, but aside from raised eyebrows, a couple of centimeters wouldn’t be against regulation.
“Fine,” I grumbled.
“Good boy,” she whispered, her golden eyes twinkling.
The plush cushion of her lips pressed against mine, and I surrendered to the whirlwind of emotions raging through me, from gratitude, disbelief, and a burning desire. My hands ran over the exposed skin of her back, her curly hair tickling me as my palms approached her shoulder blades.
Letting go of my hair, Aleina pulled the hem of my shirt out of my pants, and her hands slipped underneath to caress my abs and waist. My muscles contracted under her searing touch, and my chest vibrated with my rumbling moan. She smiled against my lips before teasing the seam of my mouth with her tongue.
I had no qualms about my virginity. As one of our army’s main trainers, I expected recruits to speak up when they knew themselves lacking in any given area. I followed the same rules I imposed to others.
“Teach me,” I whispered before granting her access.
She smiled, then her tongue took possession of my mouth. Goddess almighty! She tasted even sweeter than the finest aged-ryspak wine.
Especially those won from a bet against Lhor.
I didn’t do much at first, surrendering to her exploration, savoring each caress of her tongue and taking note of how it tangled with mine. Then I joined in the dance, following her lead until I could take command. She purred in response, and the heat in my belly rose in intensity.
Breaking our kiss, she lifted my shirt higher, clearly intent on removing it. A sudden bout of self-consciousness made me stop her. Unsure what I wanted to say, my mouth opened and closed repeatedly, no words coming out. Despite my massive size, my body was well-proportioned, fit, and muscular. It was one of the few things I took genuine pride in. But my Taint…
“No, Ghan,” she said in a tone that brooked no argument. “There is no shyness or shame between us. You are mine now. I want you, all of you, just as you are. I’ve watched that wondrous body of yours move in countless battles and dreamed of exploring every centimeter with my hands and mouth. You will not deny me.”
Heat surged in the pit of my stomach, spreading to my groin and burning in my chest. I yielded, keeping wary eyes on her face, observing her reaction to my skin streaked with a network of dark capillaries and dark sp
lotches beneath the skin, where the Tainted blood vessels had broken, spreading the toxin intent on killing me before my time.
She didn’t seem to see them.
Her golden eyes darkened and her features softened with a mixture of awe and pure lust.
“My magnificent mate,” she whispered to herself.
The possessiveness and pride in her voice made my chest constrict with raw emotions. Following Khel’s mating to Amalia, all of us Tainted wondered what it must have felt like for him to be so completely accepted and loved by a female such as her. I never could have imagined this utter bliss.
Her hands explored me leisurely before her mouth followed in their wake, leaving a blazing trail on my heated skin. The soft brushing of her hair against my chest added its own caress. Shuddering moans escaped me in waves as her tongue worshiped every parcel of my body, from my neck and nipples to my abs. Fisting my hands on the soft bed-sheets, I forced myself to remain still while she released the magnetic clasp of my pants.
As if sensing my mounting panic, she didn’t attempt to pull them down yet but removed my boots instead.
No shame, no hiding between us.
Clenching my jaw, I willed myself to get up. She looked up at me, startled, a hint of worry in her eyes. Holding her stare, I pulled down both my pants and undergarment in one swift movement, then stood still before her. Gaze roaming freely over me, Aleina’s lips parted when it reached my crotch.
“Well, you certainly are impressive everywhere.”
My face burned. From the communal showers in the army, I had quickly realized that, even limp, I was very well-endowed. Fighting my embarrassment, I caressed the darkening Veredian markings on her shoulders. She shuddered and hissed with pleasure, making me smirk. When I reached for the sides of her sports bra, Aleina raised her arms so I could remove it from her.
Her firm, round breasts beckoned me, the darker circles of her nipples making my mouth water. She bent her head to the side, exposing her neck to me as I kissed my way down her pulse to her chest. Aleina leaned into me, whispering my name as I laved the erect buds of her breasts. Kissing my way down her defined stomach and the length of her long legs, I pulled down her training shorts and underpants.
My goddess…
Her beauty robbed me of breath. Aleina stood proudly as I feasted my eyes on my female. After a moment, I opened my arms and she came to me willingly. The soft warmth of her naked body against mine set my blood on fire. Every nerve ending came to life as another wave of desire surged through me. I lifted her up before laying her down on the bed, then joining her.
We spent the next eternity exploring each other with our hands and our mouths. Despite my lack of experience, I’d heard enough ‘tutorials’ from more experienced warriors to have an idea or two on how to please my mate.
Aleina’s neck and navel area triggered the strongest responses, aside from her markings, of course. Her Veredian markings had darkened to almost pitch black. To think that I, Ghan Delphin, could provoke this much arousal from my mate outside her season had me reeling. But it was the titillating musk of her core that called to me.
Settling between Aleina’s parted legs, I marveled at her delicate petals glistening with the desire I had stirred. Her little nub, swollen with need, peeked at me, demanding attention. But I remembered the warriors saying to leave it for last. Focusing instead on her soft folds and burning core, my tongue licked and prodded, the tart taste and heady scent of her fueling my hunger. She moaned my name as her fingers caressed my hair, too short for her to get any kind of grip. For that alone, I would let it grow.
Careful at first not to abrade her with the roughness of my tongue, I made note of every reaction to see what pleased her. When my fingers slipped inside of her, she cried out, back arching off the bed and fingers digging into my scalp. My chest rumbled with satisfaction, and I accelerated the movement of my hand while finally latching my mouth onto her clit.
“Ghan! Yes! Like that! Yes!”
A bolt of lust exploded in my groin, spreading down my legs, inside my belly and up my spine.
How can I feel so aroused and still remain so soft?
The depressing thought threatened to ruin the moment. I forced it out of my mind, focusing instead on the throaty, labored breath of my female, the trembling of her legs, and the gyrating of her pelvis as she crested.
Aleina screamed, seized by a violent orgasm. Her body shook with spasms, forcing me to pin her down to be able to continue my ministrations while she rode her climax. Once the tremors died down, I finally relented and looked at her, sprawled boneless on the bed. Skin beaded with perspiration, hair splayed around her, she looked at me with burning eyes. Spreading her arms, she beckoned me.
I crawled back on top of her and held my massive weight on my forearms. The heat of her damp skin surrounded me as she embraced me. We kissed, her fingers running down my back.
When our lips parted, a world of love shone in her eyes.
“Drink, my love,” she whispered, before turning her head to the side.
The dark markings running the length of the gentle curve of her neck taunted me. I licked them slowly, making her shudder with pleasure. I would never tire of this. After kissing her pulse, I lowered my fangs and sank them carefully into the crook of her neck. Her nails dug into my back while pure bliss rushed into me.
Goddess almighty!
Her oxytocin coursing through me felt like a million micro-orgasms going off everywhere it went. I groaned with pleasure, a few drops of semen I couldn’t hold back seeping out of me. Rolling us around so that I lay on my back with her on top of me for fear of crushing her, I forced myself to retract my fangs and licked the puncture wounds shut. Draining too much oxytocin would leave Aleina apathetic. But Goddess, I wanted more. This could easily become addictive.
My fingers traced lazy patterns on the overheated skin of her back while sparks of rapture continued to spread through my bloodstream. Aleina stirred, peppering soft kisses on my chest, her hands roaming down my waist, heading south. I knew she wanted to return the favor, but there was no need. When my hand caught hers and brought it back to my chest, she lifted her head to peer at me, a slight frown on her damp forehead.
“Not now. Just be with me,” I whispered, my voice even deeper than usual.
“But, I want to please you.”
A low chuckle rumbled from my chest. “You have pleased me beyond words, Sameha. But right now, I just want to hold you, feel you, and be with you.”
And I meant it. She probably thought I was being self-conscious over my inability to get hard, but the reality couldn’t be further from the truth. Whether or not it resulted from the side effects of my Taint, I didn’t want any more sex right now. This moment of intimacy, her naked body wrapped around mine, the silken strands of her hair draped on my chest, her warm breath fanning my neck, our hearts beating against each other’s chests, this was all I wanted.
The sincerity of my feelings must have shone through, for she relented, kissed my jaw then cuddled me close. I purred with contentment, a sense of peace and well-being I had never felt before cocooning me.
I couldn’t say how long we remained quietly in each other’s embrace, her fingers teasing the small hairs at the back of my head while mine traced the markings between her shoulder blades.
“I want to claim you according to the Veredian tradition,” Aleina said against my neck.
My heart skipped a beat, and my mouth went dry. “Veredian tradition?”
She nodded, her soft skin brushing against my shoulder.
“It’s a big ceremony, with some similarities to Terran weddings, but way more fun.”
“More fun, how?” I asked, her mocking tone raising my suspicions.
She lifted her head to look at me, a mischievous glint far too reminiscent of Amalia’s sparkled in her eyes.
“The couple must perform a mating dance under the encouragements of the assembly surrounding them. It is a very… expressive dance. I hope
you’re not too scared at the thought of dancing in public?”
Her false concern oozed with mirth. Aleina expected me to unravel in utter panic, but it was my turn to smirk.
“Not at all. Bring it on. I hope you can keep up with me,” I said.
My smile broadened as her eyes widened.
“You can dance?” she asked.
Under different circumstances, her disbelief might have felt offensive, but this was too amusing.
“I most certainly can.”
She started at me, lips parted in shock.
I chuckled. “You’re gaping.”
She shut her mouth audibly, confusion plain on her noble features. “I don’t believe you! I’ve never heard of Xelixians dancing.”
Valid argument.
My people no longer danced since the Taint. Group activities, especially those that involved some form of physical contact or intimacy, had been banned overnight from our popular culture for fear of transmission. Like many things banned in the wake of the Taint, few had been reinstated.
“A Xelixian didn’t teach me,” I conceded. “The caretaker of the orphanage where I grew up mated a Terran female who used to be a dancer.”
“An orphanage?” Aleina asked, startled. “I thought your moth…”
She bit her lip to keep herself from finishing the sentence. The topic no longer hurt me like it once had.
“My mother is alive and lives with her mate in the Xelhin District.”
Curiosity burned in her eyes, but I loved that she didn’t press the issue. However, I didn’t want to hide anything from her.
“Her mate isn’t my sire. My mother and her mate are both Prime and noble.” I snorted at Aleina’s shocked expression. “My father was Tainted, and a high-ranking officer in the Xelhin garrison. He was extremely handsome. So much so, my mother couldn’t resist her attraction to him, and they embarked on an affair that lasted a few years, by all accounts.”
“Did her mate suspect?”
I shook my head.
“No. I don’t think she ever intended to tell him. She loved my father, but a Prime female mating with a Tainted would have been far too scandalous.” I brushed the hair from Aleina’s face and kissed her forehead. “By rights, I should have been born Prime and put Lhor’s pretty face to shame. Both my parents were stunning.”