by Regine Abel
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought this up,” Zhul said, looking embarrassed. “It was insensitive of me.”
“Not at all,” I said, giving him a reassuring smile. “I’ve made my peace with it. Life in the compounds wasn’t too bad, as long as nobody was in their season. The guards had strict instructions to leave the females alone as long as they behaved. So most of the year, I just got to play with the other girls when not attending classes. But when the season began, it was four hellish weeks, three times a year, where the females were forced to mate with Korletheans who were also forced into the situation.”
“What exactly is the ‘season’?” Zhul asked while plating our food.
“It’s three to four weeks during which a Veredian female is in heat,” I said, feeling my own cheeks heating. “She’s most fertile during that time and has greater chances of carrying to term a baby conceived then.”
“Do your seasons start at a specific date in the year?” Zhul said, bringing the plates over.
I marveled at the beautiful plate he laid before me, my mouth watering as I inhaled the delectable aroma. “Hmmm, that smells amazing, Zhul! It looks beyond delicious.”
He puffed his chest at the praise and beamed with pleasure.
“I hope you’ll enjoy it,” he said, taking a seat next to me.
I took a bite of the still perfectly crunchy vegetables and moaned in delight as their exotic flavors, enhanced by the spicy ryspak sauce, exploded in my mouth.
Zhul chuckled, pride written all over his face. He had every right to be proud; his cooking was amazing.
“This is really good,” I said swallowing a mouthful. “But to answer your question, no, our season doesn’t occur on specific dates, but every four months from the previous one. However, females synchronize when together long enough so they usually all go into their season at the same time.”
I could see the question burning on his tongue. “Go ahead and ask me.”
He stopped cutting his steak, his face heating, but he didn’t avert his eyes. It was so cute I wanted to cradle his face in my hands and kiss him.
“When is your season due?”
“Not for another five weeks.”
An uncomfortable silence settled between us as we both tucked into our food. I knew where his head was wandering and the questions he wanted to ask but wouldn’t. This was the best time for me to open up about V’s plans for me. Somehow, though, it made me feel ashamed.
“Normally, entering my season isn’t a problem,” I said, breaking the silence.
“How so?” His voice was thick with tension.
He’s jealous.
The realization once more filled me with a warm feeling. It was normal for attuned people to become quickly – and in appearance, irrationally – possessive of each other. Exploring his mind had confirmed there were no females in his life. That fear had eaten away at me from the moment I’d first glimpsed him through his father’s mind.
“Although we’re fertile since puberty, our seasons only start manifesting at the age of twenty-one. Veredians reach their reproductive peak at the age of twenty-two.”
The intensity of his gaze on me was almost intimidating as he listened to every word.
“I’ve had my season twice this year and was able to nullify its effect with Rehmmania tea. But that won’t be possible for my next season.”
Zhul’s eyes narrowed. “Why not?”
“Well, first because we have no Rehmmania leaves left. They don’t grow here and General Praghan is tracking anyone buying or importing the leaves to Xelix Prime. With the Guldan embargo, V has no way of obtaining any for me without exposing himself.”
Zhul clenched his teeth and slowly nodded. “And second?”
Oh Goddess, here goes.
I took in a deep breath and Zhul tensed even more, guessing he would hate what I would say. “As I mentioned earlier, Veredians reach their reproductive peak at twenty-two. With my season approaching, V thinks it is time for me to participate in the breeding program.”
Zhul jumped to his feet and kicked back his chair, sending it skidding across the room. Teeth and fists clenched, he walked a few steps away, his back facing me. I could see him trembling with rage as he tried to rein himself in. Not wanting to fuel the fire, I kept silent.
“I thought you said they only bred Veredians with Korletheans?” Zhul said through gritted teeth. “Are you saying V’s got Korlethean captives here, too?”
I shifted uneasily in my chair. He turned back to look at me. Even though the fury burning in his eyes wasn’t aimed at me, a shudder coursed through me.
“Normally, it would be with a Korlethean but there are none here. Even if there were,” I said, eyeing him carefully, “V has different plans for me. He told me to choose one of my guards to see if we can also produce a Veredian male like Amalia did.”
At that moment, if V or any of my guards had been present, there is no question Zhul would have killed them. He stared at me for what felt like an eternity, murder in his eyes.
Zhul prowled towards me, angry determination etched on his face. I had expected him to roar with fury or break something, not this contained, blistering rage. I rose from my chair, my heart pounding in my throat. Although he wouldn’t hurt me, his intensity intimidated the heck of me.
“No one will touch you,” Zhul said, his tone menacing. Despite his seething anger, it was with gentle hands that he cupped my face. He leaned forward, his own face only inches from mine. “I will kill every last one of them before I ever let them touch you, do you hear me?”
I placed my hands on his wrists and his thoughts exploded into my mind.
She’s mine. Mine! No male will ever touch her but me.
“Yes, Zhul,” I whispered.
With a will of its own, my gaze dropped to his lips before returning to his eyes. They smoldered, their light-silver color taking on a darker shade.
And then he was kissing me.
He held me by the nape of my neck while his other hand wrapped around my back, pulling me against him. My own hands buried themselves in his silky hair. Although his kiss was hard, filled with possessiveness and fury, his lips against mine were the softest things I had ever felt. Pulling his head back, he broke the kiss. His lips brushed along my jawline and down my neck. A soft moan escaped my parted lips from the burning heat of his mouth on me and the fluttering in the pit of my stomach.
Our breaths mingled as he reclaimed my mouth. His tongue dominated mine, and I submitted willingly. I could taste the spicy ryspak sauce on his lips. An irrational desire to gently bite him welled inside me, but I silenced it. Electricity danced around us, crawling over my skin and lighting a strange spark inside my belly. I gave myself over to the foreign sensations Zhul awakened within me. Having never kissed a male before, I feared my clumsiness and lack of experience would turn him off. But Zhul took command, and I gladly surrendered myself to him. His tongue explored, caressed, and conquered.
The hard nubs of my nipples ached for his touch. I couldn’t seem to get close enough to him. Nails digging into his back, I pressed myself hard against him. Zhul’s chest rumbled against mine as a hungry growl rose from his throat. His hand holding me lowered to the small of my back before pressing me against his pelvis. I gasped, feeling his stiffness against my belly. Zhul pulled his head back, breaking the kiss. Eyes burning like coals bore into mine.
We stared at each other in silence, our breaths and pulses racing. He tightened his grip, holding me even more firmly against his erection. At that moment, I realized Zhul was staking his claim and daring me to challenge it. A bolt of excitement and fear surged through me. I licked the taste of him lingering on my lips before stretching them into a timid smile.
While his gaze lost none of its intensity, some of the tension seemed to bleed out of Zhul’s shoulders. He lowered his face to mine.
“No other male will ever touch you,” he whispered against my lips before claiming them again.
CH
APTER 9
Zhul
I still couldn’t believe what happened between Valena and me. My experience with females didn’t qualify as particularly pleasant, with my mother’s horrendous example tainting it all. I wasn’t so bigoted as to believe every female was a heartless, self-centered, greedy bitch, but our society and the Taint forced females to be practical rather than emotional about relationships.
As a Prime, I should only mate with another Prime or Pearl to ensure Taint-free offspring. Both such females were few and far between. Prime females, raised with constant reminders of their great value, often had an insufferable sense of entitlement. My family was nobility, wealthy and influential, thanks to my Council seat. This made me a good catch. Many noble houses had tried to arrange a mating between their Prime daughter and me. I declined all of them because they either reminded me too much of my mother or we lacked chemistry. The few that appealed to me were quickly spoken for by some other lucky bastard.
People often asked me why I didn’t participate in the Fastening. After all, I would be guaranteed to be chosen. That wasn’t for me. Although I understood the necessity of the Fastening Selection, the whole thing reeked of desperation. In fact, most males who participated were. I didn’t want to bind the rest of my existence to a female who chose me based on my looks, status, or wealth. If I bound the rest of my days to a female, she would need to put a smile on my face just thinking about her, make my heart soar just looking at her, make my pulse go wild just being near her, and take away my deepest sorrow with a simple smile. No such female had ever crossed my path, until Valena.
For me to fall this fast, this hard for a complete stranger blew my mind. But she was so perfect… My feelings for her ran deeper than her incredible beauty. We were so insanely in tune with each other, it almost scared me. She always seemed to know exactly what I needed, when I needed it. Always the right word, the right gesture, the right answer whenever we talked. At least, right for me. She anticipated my every need and expectation and seemed to love my responses to her own.
The Goddess couldn’t have blessed me with a more perfect female.
When she told me of V’s plans for her, I almost lost it. That made me realize how deeply she’d burrowed inside my heart. I wanted her to be mine and already considered her as such. Since our first kiss, three days ago, we’d grown even closer. I ached to take her to my bed and didn’t think she would object. But she needed to know she was more to me than a lustful fantasy. Once I made her mine, there would be no going back.
Not like there would be any going back now, either.
Xelixians were pretty open regarding sex, but sticklers about faithfulness once legally mated. From the age of sixteen, both males and females were free to give in to their consensual urges. There were no taboos either in terms of sexual preferences, from same sex, multiple partners, fetishes, and everything else in-between. More than two-thirds of the population was bisexual although legal matings were strictly limited to a male and female. Well… a female and up to three males of the same bloodline, as permitted by the law.
That I was still unmated at twenty-seven and rarely seen in the company of females had most people convinced I wasn’t bi but exclusively gay. It amused me, and I didn’t dispel the rumor as it spared me unwanted attention from females.
However, Valena was a virgin, and I wanted her first time with me – and every other time thereafter – to happen when she was ready and willing. I wouldn’t pressure her with my burning desire. That said, seeing how heated our cuddling and snuggling had been the past couple of days, I had a feeling it wouldn’t be much longer now. The mere thought had blood rushing to my groin. I swallowed a groan and adjusted myself to relieve some pressure. As I straightened in my chair, the object of my musing walked into my office.
“Hello, my darling,” I said as she gracefully sauntered towards me.
I hated the slave dress she wore, but as we would head to the rendezvous point in the next hour, it was a necessary evil.
“Good morning, Zhul,” Valena said with that sexy-as-fuck, husky voice of hers.
I opened my arms to her and she came willingly, sitting on my lap. She giggled when I nuzzled her neck.
To my great delight, I’d recently discovered that she was very ticklish, especially on her neck, tummy, and the backs of her knees. I captured her lips in another searing kiss. She immediately parted them, welcoming my tongue. She tasted fresh and minty. Despite her lack of experience, Valena was a quick learner. Over the past three days, her tentative response from our first kiss morphed into a more assertive, adventurous exploration.
Valena wasn’t timid. I loved that about her. If she wanted something, she simply went for it. Although aware of her occasional clumsiness, that didn’t deter her. It turned me on big time. Even now, she struggled to lift my shirt out of my pants to slip her hands beneath it. A more experienced female would make quick work of it. But the anticipation, waiting to feel the warmth of her hands on my skin, was the sweetest torture. By the time she did, my cock felt hard as steel. Her delicate fingers trailed a blaze of fire along my chest before her thumbs teased my nipples.
I moaned against her lips while my tongue plundered her mouth. Lifting her up, I laid her down on the couch before lying on top of her. My mouth dove back onto hers. She wrapped her legs around my waist and I stroked my hardness against her core, aching to tear off her underwear and bury myself deep within her. Her hands, still beneath my shirt, tightened on my back as if sensing the burning desire raging inside me. I increased my grinding motions against her, and her needy moan almost drove me over the edge.
I want to see her come for me.
The desire hit me with such force that I tore myself out of her embrace and slipped her underwear down her beautiful, slender legs. Before she had time to react, I buried my face in the apex of her legs. She arched her back with a throaty shout, her hand fisting my hair painfully. I liked a bit of pain and my shaft throbbed in response.
Valena tasted good, her tart juices the greatest treat and her delicate musk a heady drug.
I licked around her delicate folds, my tongue deliberately avoiding her little nub. She lifted her pelvis, needing more, but I wasn’t done teasing. My hand on her tummy held her down while I pushed a finger inside her opening. She felt incredibly tight. The day I finally took her, I would have to be very patient and properly prepare her. I carefully slipped my finger in and out of her, my tongue pressing at last against her clitoris. Valena let out a strangled cry and tightened her grip on my hair. The exquisite pain made me so hard I let go of her stomach to free my cock. I stroked myself in counterpoint with the motion of my finger inside her.
Her legs began to tremble and she started saying my name in a desperate chant. My entire body burned so hot I felt it would combust any minute. We were both on the verge of falling over. I crooked my finger inside her, grazing her sensitive spot and she screamed, her body seizing in violent spasms as her climax claimed her. With a shout, I found my own release as burning ecstasy flowed out of me.
Damn, that was good.
I hadn’t come so hard in a long time. Too weak to get up yet, I looked at Valena, lost in the blissful aftermath. Face flushed, lips swollen, lustrous hair splayed around, her gorgeous body still shook with the tremors of the pleasure I’d given her.
Goddess, I cannot wait to take her.
Willing my breath and heartbeat to settle down, I forced myself to my feet and fetched some towels from the minibar. I cleaned us up and gave her one last chaste kiss while she stared at me with gleaming eyes.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get this carried away,” I said, feeling no remorse whatsoever.
She giggled, a look of disbelief on her face. “Sorry? For giving me the best morning greeting ever? Silly male.”
I couldn’t help the smug smile stretching my lips.
An uncertain look came over her face.
“You… you didn’t drink,” Valena said, swallowing hard.
“Nor do I intend to,” I said gently.
Her eyes widened in confusion.
“First, I didn’t give you an orgasm so that I could drink from you. I did it because it pleases me to please you.”
She bit her lips, her eyes misting.
“Second, I’m Prime, my darling. I don’t need to drink because I have no Taint for you to cure. And third, I don’t need to know if you can enhance me like Amalia did her mates. I’m happy the way I am.”
Her breath rushed out of her. How had I not realized this might be one of her fears? I pulled her into my arms and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
“I will never do to you what those bastards put these poor females through. Whatever happens between us will always be based on genuine affection, and not me taking advantage of you. I care a great deal for you, Valena.”
Her lips quivered. “And I for you, Zhul.”
I smiled. “That said, I will want to use my fangs on you from time to time. I won’t take from you, but give to you instead.”
“Your Thylin?” she whispered, her voice trembling with excitement.
“Yes, my darling. You should find it quite enjoyable.”
Her face heated but she nodded with enthusiasm.
“While I would love to further indulge in this morning’s greeting, we are on a tight schedule,” I reminded her.
Valena frowned, sobered. “You’re right, time is ticking. Do you have it?”
“Yes,” I said rising to fetch the scanner and datapad from my desk. “Do you know where the implant is located?”