by Mira Maxwell
“At least you don’t have to worry about it being taken again, with the little thief being taken into custody and all,” she says. “Although, it probably wouldn’t hurt to bring the finished Eclaydian inside the walls every night. I’ll talk to Mallyk and we’ll start sending a warrior out to collect it in the evening.”
“That’s a good idea,” I say. “I know I should have been more careful with it in the first place.” I shake my head.
“You always do this – don’t beat yourself up for no reason. You couldn’t have known they’d be able to find a way into the lab. Who could predict that?”
I don’t answer. I know she means well and there’s no point arguing with her. Instead, I lean in and give her a quick hug. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I say. I make for the exit, eager to get back to the lab, and she walks for the small stone building where the women bunk at night.
I keep hoping I’ll feel a warm hand at my arm. Hear Cardyk chastise me, in that preachy tone he has, for trying to leave without him. But when I look over my shoulder as I pass under the gate, he’s not even looking. All he’s focused on tonight is regaining his place among the warriors, and it hurts more than I could have expected.
I stand at the counter and zone out as the machines whir. I should be cleaning the lab or prepping more material, but I’ve never had these types of feelings before, and I don’t know how to just push them aside and function in spite of them. I’ve been falling for Cardyk. And I know how crazy that sounds. We live on different planets. He’s a different species. And, since we have been able to keep our hands off each other, we’re not fated mates like Diana and Mallyk or Margo and Lodyn. Not that I ever believed in that, anyway. But there’s something there. Or at least I thought there was. Because now it’s clear to me he cares more about his position within the guard than he ever could about me. And that realization hurts a million times more than I thought it could.
“Mina, let me in.” His fists pound against the lab door like a sledgehammer. I push the button to open the door, expecting to see him still basking in the glow of his triumph. But he just looks upset.
“Why did you leave without me?” he asks as he steps inside.
“Frankly, I’m shocked you noticed I left at all. You were so busy celebrating with the other warriors.” I stare down at the counter so he won’t see the tears burn in my eyes.
“Mina, I’ve hardly seen the men in over a year. How can you begrudge me a few hours with them, considering the weeks we’ve spent together here.”
“Silly me. I thought maybe you enjoyed our time together here. I didn’t realize you were just marking time until you could be reunited with your men on a more permanent basis.” My rapid blinking isn’t holding the tears back anymore; they spill down my cheeks.
“Our time together has been magical. I adore you, Mina.”
“I just can’t compete with your men. I understand.” He reaches out for me, but I pull away.
“It’s the other way around. The men can’t compare with you.” He steps closer and puts his hand on my back. “But that doesn’t mean I have to choose. There’s room in my life for both.”
“You never know,” I say. “Maybe you’ll be able to get your old job back, at this rate.”
“I don’t want my old job back, Mina.” He turns me around and pulls me into his arms, forcing me to look at him. “All I want is you.”
“You don’t want to lead the men again?”
“It’s all I used to think about when I was recovering. But I think I just needed something to keep me going, to mask the emptiness in my life.” He leans down and rests his lips against my forehead for a moment.
“And now?” I raise my face and look into his eyes.
“My life became so full the moment I met you.” He presses his lips against mine, and I melt against him. I know, for the first time, that this is exactly where I’m meant to be. “I mean it,” he says as he pulls back and takes my face in his hands. “Everything good in my life is happening because of you. I’ve never been happier than I am when I’m with you.”
I’ve gone from the lowest low to an incredible high in the space of a few hours. I stand on my tiptoes and brush my lips against his. He holds me against him, and I feel his tongue lick at my lips. I part them and he explores my tongue and lips with his own. Pleasure courses through me and I feel an aching warmth in my core. I want him more than I’ve ever wanted anyone in my life.
“I love you, Mina.” He whispers it as our lips are touching. “I want to spend whatever time we have together.”
“I want it, too.” I mash myself against him and he nearly crushes me in his arms. He lifts me off the ground and I wrap my legs around his waist. His erection pulses against me as he carries me to the sofa across the room. I run my fingers through the hair at the base of his neck as I kiss him. My entire body is thrumming, aching for his touch. I can’t wait much longer. Luckily, it turns out I don’t have to.
He sinks into the sofa and I collapse on his lap. My entire body is on pins and needles, anticipating what’s going to happen next. I grab the hem of my shirt and pull it over my head. He runs his hands all over my bare skin and I’m so happy I could scream. I want to stay like this forever.
He strips off his shirt as I unclasp my bra and toss it on the floor. I nestle against his chest and the feel of his skin on mine is positively electric. My engorged nipples brush against his as our lips remained fused together.
He breaks away first, dipping his head to flick my swollen nipples, one at a time, while his hands cup my firm breasts. I’ve never felt so worshipped or adored before, and it’s intoxicating. I want to give him a taste of the same, so I slide my hand down between our bodies and rub at the thick bulge in his pants. He moans as I stroke him, and the sound is music to my ears.
“Do you feel how hard I am for you, little love.” His voice is ragged. “I want you so much I can’t stand it.”
He pushes me off his lap and flips me onto my back. He grabs the waistband of my pants and tugs them off, taking my panties in the process. I draw my knees back to my chest and open myself for him. I want nothing more in this moment than to be possessed by him. To have him know me completely, and to be his forever.
He stares at my exposed pussy with naked lust. Beads of sweat form across his brow and his chest starts to heave. He puts his hands on my thighs and pushes them wider, spreading me before him. He growls with lust and it’s a naked, wild sound. He bends his head and fastens his mouth on my swollen, silken folds.
It’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever felt in my life, and I never want it to end. I arch my back and buck my hips against his face, grinding against his eager mouth. His tongue feels like magic, tracing every inch of my sensitive skin and circling my opening before returning to my clit. He flicks his tongue against it, and a shiver of pleasure runs through me each time. When he pulls my clit into his mouth and sucks, it pushes me over the edge. I close my eyes and yelp as a jolt of pure pleasure courses through my body. It’s so strong, I feel like I might black out, but I hold on and ride the waves of pulsing ecstasy.
He doesn’t ease up when my orgasm passes. He clamps his mouth against me and bears down, determined to coax another climax from me.
His enjoyment of what he’s doing to me only heightens my pleasure. He continues to moan and growl as he feasts between my legs. He releases the grip on my thighs and slides one hand down to his erection. He rubs his thick cock through the thin fabric.
“I want to do that for you,” I say as I sit up and reach for him. He pushes his pants down and his cock springs free, slapping tight against his flat belly. It’s hard and thick with a perfectly shaped head. My mouth waters at the sight of him, and I have to fight the urge to lean in and lick the drop of precum from his swollen tip. Instead, I start slow. He gasps when I take him in my hand, gently stroking up and down, moistening his cock with his precum. I cup his heavy balls and gently massage his sac with my other hand. He closes his eyes and tilts hi
s head back as I work him over, and I feel like the most talented woman alive.
I tilt my head and take him into my mouth, and he moans my name like I’m a goddess. I savor his salty taste and the silky feel of him against my tongue. I breathe deeply and inhale his masculine scent, and I desperately want him between my thighs.
Luckily, he’s thinking the same thing. He puts his fingers in my hair and pulls me off his cock. “You keep that up and I’ll finish before I get inside you,” he says with a shudder. “I’m not willing to risk it.”
“I want you so much,” I say, and it’s true. I’ve never wanted anything more than I want him inside me right now. I lie back and spread myself open for him. He moves between my thighs, heavy cock in his hand, and positions the head of it at my opening.
I brace myself, but he’s insanely gentle, easing himself inside my inch by inch as he strokes my clit with the pad of his thumb. I take note of everything I’m feeling, just like a proper scientist, and commit it to memory, so that, no matter what happens, I’ll always have this moment.
The sweet ache of penetration. The way I stretch to accommodate him as he fills me up. The way my heart races every time our eyes meet. The way my entire body sings when he plucks at my nipples. The wet sounds of our bodies slapping together. His balls slapping against me with every thrust when we find our rhythm. The salty taste of his skin as we sweat in the warm lab.
Our bodies work against each other at a frenzied pace. I’m racing for the finish line, and he’s matching me every step of the way. He holds me close and I grab his ass, pulling him deeper with each thrust. We reach the peak together. He throws his head back and bellows; I bite at the tender skin of his shoulder and stifle my cry.
I’ve spent my entire life focusing on the rational side of things. Book learning, research studies, college classes. I thought the greatest pleasure someone could feel was the sense of satisfaction from a scientific breakthrough or a new discovery.
I was so very wrong. Because the pleasure I feel with Cardyk right now, the physical, emotional, almost spiritual pleasure dwarfs any intellectual bliss I’ve experienced. I could spend the rest of my life how we are right now and be happy.
I just hope he feels the same.
Eleven
MINA
“Are you happy?” I ask as I prop myself on my elbow. We’ve collapsed into a sweaty heap of limbs on the sofa and I’m draped across his chest.
He chuckles and the sound is raspy and deep. “I’ve never been more happy in my life,” he says as he kisses my forehead. “And it’s all because of you.”
“Mmm…tell me more.” I trace his pecs lazily with my fingertips.
“You see this whole other side to me that nobody else has,” he explains. “My entire life, I’ve only been valued for my skills in battle. Sword fighting, hand-to-hand combat, weapons training. I’ve always been all brawn. Nobody wanted to hear what I had to say, or thought I was capable of more, until I met you.”
“It’s because we balance each other perfectly. It was meant to be,” I say. I wonder if he can tell where I’m leading this conversation. Because something has been on my mind for a while now.
“I like the sound of that,” he says. He reaches for the blanket on the back of the sofa and pulls it over us. He must have noticed the goose bumps that popped up on my arms and legs. Always looking out for me.
“So,” I say, as I struggle for a casual tone, “do you feel any different now that we’ve sealed the deal, as they say.” I rest my head on his chest as I ask it; I can’t look at him or he’ll see right through me.
“I thought you didn’t believe in fated mates?” His voice is kind and amused all at once.
“I don’t,” I say, but my voice isn’t as certain as it once was when I’d made this assertion in the past. “I’m just curious.” Probably because right now, I want fated mates to be a real phenomenon, even if it means I have to admit being wrong. Because what Cardyk and I have is real, but I want it to be even more. I want what Diana has with Mallyk and hat Margo has with Lodyn. A once-in-a-lifetime love that’s fated in the stars.
“I feel deliriously happy and crazy in love with you,” he says as he brushes my hair back off my forehead.
“But not anything more,” I ask. I hate how hopeful my voice sounds, but I desperately want there to be something more. Then something occurs to me. “Maybe it doesn’t always hit you like a freight train. Maybe it takes longer for certain couples.”
“I’m sorry, love,” he says as he cradles me in his arms. “I don’t think that’s how it happens. But I happen to think what we have is pretty amazing. Maybe, in a way, it’s even more special, since we chose it for ourselves.”
A month ago I thought fated mates were a made-up idea to explain insatiable lust. Now I’m wishing I was one of them. I guess that’s the power of love – it can change you, and open you up to ideas you never would have considered before.
I’m not ready to give up yet. Telepathy between fated mates is something both Margo and Diana have experienced. “Why don’t you try thinking of something, and I’ll see if I can guess what it is.”
The corners of his mouth turn up in a smile. I reach out and trace his lips with my fingertips. “I’ll give it a shot,” he says as he closes his eyes. His handsome face contorts into a mask of concentration. Mine does as well, as I wait for something to pop into my head.
“I’ve got nothing,” I admit after a few moments. “What were you thinking of?”
“That a cup of coffee would be really good right now,” he says.
“Good thing I can take a hint.” I rise from the sofa, wrap the blanket around myself like a toga, and head for the kitchen. My feet become tangled in the pile of our recently discarded clothes. I pick them up, item by item, and toss them over the back of the dining room chair. His pants are last, and something falls from his pocket and rattles across the floor. I bend to pick it up, but I already know what it is. I recognized the brilliant green stone as soon as it appeared.
A dozen different thoughts run through my mind. I search for a reasonable explanation for why he has a sample of the Eclaydian, but I come up empty. What does he have it for? Does he have more? Is he in cahoots with the wanderer? Or maybe he was acting on his own, and she was entirely innocent?
He reads my expression and jumps to his feet. “It’s not what you think, Mina,” he says. “I can explain everything.” He holds out his hand for me, but I ignore the gesture and reach for my clothes.
“I think we need to get dressed and go talk to Mallyk together,” I say as I step into my pants. I can’t even look at him right now.
“We don’t have to do that.” He tries to take me in his arms, but I pull away.
“I’m sure you’d prefer we could keep it a secret between the two of us, but I think it’s gone beyond that.” I’m starting to get angry. It’s not enough he has betrayed me, he expects me to stay silent about it. “Mallyk needs to know what’s going on.”
“He already knows.” He sounds utterly resigned. “I told him everything the day I arrived. I’ll tell you, too.” He pulls on his pants, and sits at the small dinette. He motions for me to take the seat across from him. “Please, just sit down. I’ll tell you everything. It’ll be a relief actually.”
“Why?” I ask.
“Keeping secrets from you went against everything in my nature,” he says. “It will be a relief to have everything out in the open between us.”
“Silly me. I thought it already was.” I know I sound like a hag, but I’m too hurt right now to be generous with him. I need to know how badly he’s hurt the mission before I can reassess my feelings for him.
“I’m sorry, Mina, but it had to be this way.” He rests his hands on the tabletop between us, his palms up.
“Just tell me what’s going on,” I say.
“The Minister visited me the night before I was to rejoin the warriors here at the outpost.” He pauses, seemingly searching for the right words, before h
e finally continues. “He requested that I keep an eye on the situation here and report back to him.”
“So you’re a spy?” I feel my heart breaking. I’ve gone from the highest high to the lowest low in the space of a few short minutes.
“No!” His response is emphatic. “I would never betray the warriors like that.” He laces his fingertips together and stares at them. “I knew if I refused, the Minister would just recruit someone else. So I feigned disgust at the idea of warriors mating with Earth women and promised to report back to him. But,” he says as he finally raises his eyes to look at me, “I don’t think that was the Minister’s main concern.”
I fill in the blanks. “He wants the Eclaydian.”
“Yes, I think so,” he says. “If it’s as powerful as you say it is, he would want it for himself.”
“Then why not just ask? We would share it with your people, considering how you have assisted us in our time of need.”
“The Minister is not accustomed to asking or sharing. He takes what he wants. It’s the only way he knows.”
I lean forward and rest my elbows on the table. “And what were you promised in return for your cooperation? The opportunity to become leader again?”
“The Minister made overtures in that direction, but I was not interested. My only motivation was my devotion to the other warriors.” He slaps his hand against the tabletop for emphasis.
“I know you want to lead the men again. It’s all you care about.”
“You are wrong, Mina.” He rises to his feet and his chair tips to the floor behind him. “If all I really cared about was leading the warriors, I would have challenged Mallyk to Kallax Knax the moment I arrived in camp. That is the way warriors with honor settle their disputes, they fight in the open, in a mighty battle to the end, winner takes all. They don’t sneak around, spy on their friends and report back to the Minister with the hope of being reinstalled.”