by Shae Mills
“You can try, but regardless, I care about him.”
“You were alone! You were angry! You were in need of a man, any man!”
“First, I don’t need a man! Secondly, at least this man is a gentleman. He is kind. We share interests. And being with him in any capacity will fulfill me!”
Talon grabbed her arms and shook her. “As if I cannot fulfill you?” he challenged. Then he risked his very sanity by asking a question, the answer to which might pain him most: “And how did he make love to you, little one? Did he satisfy you?”
Chelan was aghast. “We never—”
“Did he leave no part of your body untouched? Did he come down on you, caress you, and touch you until you came? Did he offer you his love and his life? Did he make love to you as I know I can?”
Chelan shook her head vigorously. “We never made love!” she shouted. Then she watched as he became deathly still. She squinted at him. His eyes were moist, and she was thunderstruck.
Talon suddenly released her. Relief rippled over his deranged state, his ire abating. “I have bared my soul to you, my Lady, in a way I never believed possible. I have laid myself prostrate for you. Think about your life and all I can offer.”
Chelan clasped her hands tightly in front of her and watched as he backed up the stairs, away from her.
“Grant me one day, my Lady. Stay here one day: one full, Iceanean day. Sleep on my request. If you still desire your Southern man, I will return you to him in the morning.” And he turned and flew through the Command Center doors.
Chelan staggered back and collapsed into the main chair. Had that been Talon? She looked up at the ceiling as her world once again spun. One day. For all he had just bared, she would give him that one day. She looked down at the pager clutched in her gloved hand. Could she accept him and his world completely? She closed her eyes and shook her head. No, she could not. She had accepted his offer originally out of necessity before she had thought of a life in the caverns. And with the addition of Braedon, that lot had been sweetened.
She sagged further into the chair and tried to focus. What was she thinking? Talon was right. She had known the Southerner but a couple of short weeks. If her relationship with him, platonic or not, deteriorated, then where would she be? Yes, there were options—bleak options. She sighed. Maybe if she gave Talon her hand, she could come to at least tolerate him. On just what level, she had no idea.
Her head throbbed. She was almost at the point of wanting to shoot any man who came into her space.
Chelan stood and walked into her hidden chambers. There she stripped and plunged into the spa, attempting to soak away her renewed dilemma. She thought again about Talon’s words regarding her situation with Braedon. She had been drawn to a life with the Southerner at an extremely vulnerable time. She didn’t even know the man. And to confront yet another alien culture, to try to assimilate into the South… Chelan groaned.
Extracting herself from the spa, she grabbed a towel as she walked toward the bedroom. So angry she was with everything, she cursed the small fact that the new Empire did not have the seemingly magical cleansing bars that rendered drying unnecessary. Flinging the towel across the room, she slipped into her white dress and then flopped onto the giant bed. She could no longer think, and she closed her eyes against all the complexities.
*****
Afternoon turned into evening, and Chelan stared blankly at the far wall. Then there came a buzz on the intercom. She sat up, not sure she believed her ears. She perched on the edge of the bed and allowed entry.
The doors parted, and Talon stepped in. He wore a dress uniform. There were no weapons on him and no shroud around him. Chelan watched him and waited, but he did not move. He remained inert, his face still as stone. Finally, she stood. “I thought I had until morning,” she said.
Talon nodded. “You do, my Lady. It is just that I…”
Chelan saw him hesitate. “It is just that you what?”
Talon looked away from her momentarily. “It is just that I have thought about all that has happened to you, including that which occurred long before my intrusion into your life. As a result, I fear what your decision will be tomorrow.”
Chelan waited for him to finish.
Talon took a tentative step forward and allowed the doors to close behind him. “I merely wish to spend our last evening together, if you permit.”
“And what do you propose we do?”
“Talk.”
Chelan eyed him suspiciously. “About what?”
Talon moved over to a chair and sat down stiffly. “About anything, my Lady. I simply want your company.”
Chelan looked about the room nervously. “Don’t you have an Empire to run or something?”
Talon sighed. “I am too tired to banter with you, little one.” He glanced up at her. “If you wish me to leave, you have but to ask.”
Chelan sagged onto the bed. She chewed at her lip and cast her gaze down to her lap, where her hands were tightly clasped. “I am tired too,” she whispered. “All is alien to me once again. I have been uprooted so many times, I am disoriented.”
Talon stared at the floor between them. “I know I cannot right past wrongs, but I will do anything that you ask in order to relieve your pain.”
Chelan looked over to him. “I don’t even know what will help anymore.”
Talon ground his jaw. “I have ruined your life.”
Chelan smiled woefully. “No, not you specifically.” She looked up at the ceiling. “Actually, I guess you could say Tarn did. Or maybe it was Korba. He spared me almost thirteen of my years ago. And now all this has happened. I have aged a century, with no end in sight.”
“I have not helped,” Talon whispered.
Chelan frowned. “No, you certainly have not. But it hardly matters anymore, Talon. I feel dead within. There is nowhere to turn. And there is nothing you can do.”
Talon remained very quiet, his massive body slouched, his former majesty seemingly compromised. She studied him—his iridescent hair, his heavy eyes, his bowed head, his human side hung out to dry. Then she looked down at the hands that had killed so many, the hands he offered to her.
Suddenly, he stood, and she jumped. He peered down at her. “I did not come here to bring you down. I am sorry.” And he turned toward the doors.
“Wait!” Chelan sprang to her feet, intercepting him. “You are right. We should talk. We need to discuss a multitude of things.”
Talon stared at her. He wished he could touch her, but he thought better of it. “Are you sure? I can leave now and have your fighter ready at first light, if you so wish.”
Chelan almost stumbled over her words. “I will decide about the fighter later. But right now, I am tired of trying to sort this all out on my own. I… I… We need to settle this once and for all.”
Talon finally released the breath he had been holding. His voice was soft and low. “Okay, my Lady. I will stay here with you.”
Chelan clutched at her chest. She stared into the blackness of his uniform. Out of fairness to all, she would make her choice in the morning, after they had talked. No matter what her decision, she just hoped she could live with herself after this.
Talon took her by the hand. Slowly, he led her to the bed. At its side, he stopped and tilted her face to his. “I want to sit with you here, my Lady. We will talk. But anything else you may desire is in your hands. You are safe with me.”
Chelan searched his azure eyes. Then she glanced nervously at the bed. She sat down stiffly and clasped her hands in her lap again.
Talon looked down at the porcelain beauty, her legs partially bared under the white gown. Her long hair spilled over her body like strands of silk, and his heart skipped beats. He sat down gently next to her. Then, daring to touch her once more, he reached for her hands and held them tightly within his.
Chelan felt her emotions tumble, his soft touch putting her on edge. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on everything she needed to sort
through, but suddenly, she was unable function at all.
“Chelan,” he called softly.
Her eyes snapped open. She looked down at her hands within his. “Yes?”
“Just this one moment will last me a lifetime. I could ask for no more than for this gentle acceptance.”
“We are here to talk and nothing more. And you will still release me in the morning if I choose, right?” Chelan waited, but when his response did not come, her heart stopped beating. She looked up into his eyes and saw his ire.
Talon’s voice hardened. “I already gave you my word. I should not have to do it twice.” And he sprang from the bed.
Chelan leapt after him. “Don’t you dare walk out on me again!”
“Don’t you dare order me!”
“I am sorry,” she uttered as she grabbed his arm.
But Talon wrenched free. “No!” he returned sharply. “You are free, little one, as I promised. I will not deny you your lover any longer. But neither will I stand here and be abused on our last night together.”
“Abused?” she shouted. “This… this mess, this confusion is all of your doing! I agreed to be by your side when I accepted your offer before. But you essentially cast me away. I accepted you as the Emperor. I accepted my new role.” She wavered. “And I went so far as to accept your body. But then you walked away!”
Talon grabbed her. “You refused my position and my men!”
“At first, I had no idea why you wanted me at that dinner! And after Lethiason informed me what was happening, I did not want to be on display on our first night together.” Chelan tried to twist free. “I wanted to deal with what was to come between us slowly. I wanted to bond with you in peace.”
“I know that now—”
“You are as confused as me! You don’t know what you want,” she accused.
“Confusion abounds, a fault to which I admit. But there is one thing I know for sure: I want you!”
Chelan continued to struggle against him. “But why? I don’t love you. I will never love you. And I don’t belong here!”
“You do belong here. You belong with me!” And he seized her about the waist.
“Let go of me!” she yelled.
Talon grappled with her and finally picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder. Then he tossed her down hard upon the bed. Chelan kicked at him, but he lay over her, pinning her.
Chelan’s hands beat at his face and chest. “Get away!”
Talon held her arms above her head and pressed his weight down on her, crushing her to stillness. His azure eyes blazed. His fingers bit into her cheeks as he held her face firm. “You have but a second to utter the simple word ‘no.’ That simple word severs all. It crushes my love and everything I have offered you.” He shifted, his legs parting hers. He looked into her wide eyes. “There will be no talk, little one. You choose now. I know you don’t love me, and maybe you never will. I know you would probably rather make love to your Southern man, a complete stranger, than to me. And I know you tolerate this union only because it will be best for you in the long run. But I also know that if you give me a chance, you will see I am not the beast you think I am. I am no different from your other Warlords.”
Chelan’s body trembled. “There is one major difference,” she reminded defiantly.
Talon growled. “I have told you countless times, I cannot undo what has been done. I am well aware of what I did to you by my acts. I never expect forgiveness for them. And because of that, I know that your love will never be shared with me, as I long for it to be. But my desire… my need, is to give all that I can of myself now. I want everything for you and you alone. No, it will never be the perfect union because of the past, but if you give me a chance, I will do everything to give you the best life possible.”
She became very still.
Talon was on the edge of detonating. Never in his life had he revealed so much to anyone. Never in his life had he been so vulnerable. His muscles were strung so tight, he shook. His voice became a low rumble. “A ‘no’ spoken now halts all for an eternity. There will be no marriage. There will be no consummation. There will be no bond of any kind, and tomorrow, you will have your Southern man.”
Chelan stared at him for the longest time. Finally, she allowed the tension in her body to drain. “I accept our bond,” she whispered.
Instantly, Talon’s lips were upon hers, his hand releasing her arms. He took up some of his weight and looked down at her, his breathing ragged. His hand slid down her body to where her dress parted over her thighs. He began to lift it. “You are mine, little one.”
Chelan clung to his long mane and closed her eyes tight.
Talon caught his breath. He kissed her hard once. Taking his weight on one arm, his free hand reached between them momentarily, and then his fingers traced up her exposed body to her breasts. He watched as her eyes widened, and her body shuddered in response to his deep and unexpected penetration.
Chelan stopped breathing, his massive organ filling her completely. It had been almost two years since Dar, and she could feel her delicate tissues burn. She clutched him to her, tears welling in her eyes. There was no turning back now. It was done.
Talon held still momentarily, almost unable to comprehend what was happening. He felt her fingers clutch his thick hair and her breathing hitch. Then he released himself to the reality that he was actually within her, deep in her, a place he had longed to be for so long. He withdrew slowly and then resheathed himself, deeper still, suddenly feeling spent.
Chelan took a moment to assess what was happening. No matter her reservations, no matter her feelings, she was now his. Crushing down the rising tide of indecision and guilt, she tried to relax. In her mind, this was not making love—it was sex. It was a contract to be fulfilled. And she had allowed it.
She felt him move within her, this time a gentle penetration, and her traitorous body responded ever so little. She tried to terminate the sensations he was extracting from her, but with each entry, she found her resolve failing. Then he tilted his organ high into her, stroking her skillfully, his eyes never leaving hers. She bit her lip hard, trying desperately to accept her new fate.
Talon withdrew from her depths and knelt between her legs as he stripped away his jacket. He looked down at the beauty splayed wide for him, her soft folds stealing his breath. Mesmerized, he touched her femininity tenderly, and she flinched.
He threw his head back, his long hair cascading down his back and, with a deep breath, inhaled her alien scent. Every nerve in his body electrified, his erection so hard it burned. He stepped off the end of the bed and removed the rest of his uniform, his gaze riveted to the beauty laid before him.
Chelan fought the urge to cover herself. She watched as his potent masculine body emerged, but all his virility was lost on her, and she stiffened. She just hoped she could live with herself after this.
Talon approached her again on his hands and knees, his eyes ablaze. He reached for her and parted her legs wider. He felt his mouth salivate. He took one long look at what was before him, what was his, and he moaned, his whole body tight with need. He closed his eyes and kissed her softness, her velvet skin and her feminine scent nearly causing him to explode.
He lay between her legs as his tongue took his first taste, and he was instantly drunk with desire. He explored all of her, her skin, her folds, her well, and her nodule. He tasted her, licked and sucked all of her, until he could stand it no longer. Then he rose up and inserted his fingers, parting her, and stroking her deep.
Chelan felt dazed, almost disoriented. She knew she would normally come easily, his skill was beyond repute, but instead, she was shutting down, hoping he would be done with her soon. Then his fingers left her warm depths, and she looked up at him, his body poised to take her again. Chelan stiffened even more as she watched his powerful hand position his penis at her entry, and then he slid into her once more. She closed her eyes against him, blocking out his image, replacing him with swirling memori
es from her past.
Talon looked down once again, spellbound by what he was witnessing. He watched as he impaled her tiny body, her hot tightness swallowing all of him. He glanced up at her pretty face, half expecting it to be contorted with pain, but instead, she was veiled in muted acceptance. Then he watched himself as he withdrew slowly, his shaft glistening with her cream. If he had ever been close to coming from sheer visual stimulation, this was it.
Chelan finally looked up at him, struggling with the last vestiges of contrition. She should be completely repulsed by him. She should still hate him. And the last thing she should do is accept him in this manner. But she banished her reservations as best she could. He was right. Lethiason was right. Like Earth, the old Empire was gone forever. He was her destiny. And maybe through him, she could shape some small corner of the new Empire in a manner that would make her men proud.
She watched as he continued to kneel over her, appearing to wait for her to come to him. Finally, she reached for him, giving in to her new reality. She needed to be buried beneath a heavy muscular frame, to feel steel muscles crushing into her softness, squeezing out the last remnants of her previous world. And she no longer wanted to look into his eyes or to acknowledge just who had possessed her, and so, she drew him to her, her nails cutting into his flesh. As he pierced her again, she dissolved beneath him, allowing him use her as needed. She just wanted him to come and then release her. She desperately wanted this to be over, so she could begin to deal with the fallout.
He watched her as he took her slowly, passionately. He never wanted to leave her depths; the sexual paradise she offered to him was beyond description. Coupled with his love, he would leave no part of her untouched—mind, body, or soul. He would be everything to her he could be, for she was already everything to him.
Chapter 20
Talon woke to the morning light and stared up at the ceiling, an unbelievable tranquility pervading his senses. Then he turned his head slowly and looked at his sleeping beauty. The white sheet clung to her curves like a fine tapestry, her soft white shoulder exposed and beckoning to him. But he would not disturb her. Though he had only made love to her once, their casual conversation had lasted into the early morning, and he knew she was exhausted.