"Can I ask you a question, Samira?"
"Of course."
"What color are Ty's eyes when he looks at you?"
"Sometimes they're brown and sometimes they're orange."
Her smile grew slightly and she nodded, looping her arm through mine and guiding me toward the door to the meeting hall.
"Let's get you inside to meet with the king and queen and then get some breakfast. I think we have a few things to talk about."
Chapter Six
"Look what you did," Dillyn said tauntingly, "You made the pretty little thing run away. Well, maybe not so little. Young, though. Fresh and tender just like…"
Before he could get another word out, Ty's fist connected with his cheek and Dillyn went sprawling across the ground. The impact sent a surge of adrenaline through Ty and he launched at the prone warrior, tackling him down into the dirt before Dillyn could even get his wits about him again. He could barely believe what he was doing, but Ty couldn't stop his attack. The anger and protectiveness that filled him was unlike anything he had ever felt. Usually calm and docile, he had always been a nurturer, not a fighter. Suddenly, though, he had discovered the beast inside him. As soon as Dillyn started talking about Samira that way, he had felt like something inside him had unfurled like a tightly wound metal spring that someone suddenly released.
He continued to wail on Dillyn, pounding him into the ground with all of the fury that boiled within him. After a few moments he felt a tug on his shoulder and his name coming through the loud ringing in his ears.
"Damn, Ty, get off of him!"
He felt another hand on his other shoulder and the combination of the two finally pulled him away from Dillyn. The warrior writhed on the ground, blood pouring from his face and streaked across his chest. It felt like his constantly present erection had gotten even harder and now Ty was so filled with energy and adrenaline all he wanted to do was find Samira, toss her over his shoulder, and bring her back to his house. In the back of his mind, though, he could still hear Dillyn talking about how young she was. The conflict made him feel sick and he needed to get away from the situation.
He pushed past Pyra and Ero, heading for his shop. It was the one place where he felt completely comfortable and could get out his stress in a way other than beating the shit out of a warrior for upsetting Samira and then talking about her in such a disrespectful way. He heard the two warriors fall into step behind him, but that was fine. He didn't mind them coming along. In fact, he thought it might be nice to have them to talk to. Since they were both recently mated they might be able to help him navigate all of his confusion. He thought that maybe they would be able to talk him out of his compulsive need for Samira.
"She's 18, Ty," Pyra said as soon as they stepped into the shop behind Ty.
"Holy shit," Ty said, resting his elbows on the counter and burying his head in his hands, "She's only 18."
"That's an adult," Pyra reminded me, "and she is far smarter than other women her age. You really are not that much older than she is. I don’t understand why this is stressing you out so much."
Ty raised his head and looked at the two warriors standing in front of them. These were men he had been taking care of for years, using his unusual talents and strengths to nurture them and make sure that they had what they needed. He was like Ciyrs in a way, but whereas Ciyrs healed them if they were sick or injured, Ty took care of them while they were well and helped to make sure they stayed that way. It was not what people expected of a Denynso of his size, but it suited him. Now he was feeling more like one of the aggressive, violent warriors and it was all because he was struggling between knowing he had found his mate and not knowing if it was right to pursue her.
"What if I hurt her? What if she isn't ready to handle all of this and she ends up going back to Earth?"
"I just went through that exact situation," Ero reminded him.
"I know, but you went after her and she came back. Zuri is a grown woman. She knows who she is and what she wants out of life. She made the decision to leave you, but she also made the decision to come back to you. What if Samira leaves and is too afraid to come back? I don't think I could stand knowing that I had hurt her or taken advantage of her in some way while trying to bond with her, and then having to be alone for the rest of my life."
"Here's the thing, Ty," Ero said, "I didn't know if Zuri was actually going to come back with me, but I had to try. You already know that Samira is your mate. Whether you bond with her now or 5 years from now when she's your age, she will still be your mate and she will still be linked to you forever. Remember, though, that 5 years from now, she will be older, but so will you. When is it going to be right? And are you willing to possibly lose her forever because you were too afraid?"
Ty didn't have a chance to respond before he saw a figure appear in the doorway.
"We're going to head out of here," Pyra said, taking Ero by the arm and dragging him out of the room.
"Hi, Samira," Ero said as he struggled to keep up with Pyra.
"Hi, Ero," she replied, and then turned to Ty, "Hi, Ty."
"Hi," he said, turning the bread dough he had been working on out onto the counter.
"What are you doing?" she asked, taking a few steps toward him.
"Making bread," he answered shortly, still not looking up at her.
Suddenly he felt her come up beside him and rest a hand on his upper arm.
"Can I help?" she asked softly.
Chapter Seven
I watched Ty's hands kneading into the dough on the counter and felt the flutter in my belly grow more intense. His powerful hands worked over the dough masterfully, and I wanted them on my body. The conversation I'd had with Zuri resonated through my mind, and as I looked at him, I knew my dear friend and professor was right. This big, beautiful man was my mate, and after Zuri had given me a careful explanation of exactly what it entailed, I knew that I wanted more than anything to bond with him.
I touched his arm, feeling the muscles tense and shift beneath his skin as he continued to press into the dough. His rhythm seemed to increase a little and I lifted his arm so that I could slip beneath it. He cleared his throat, but lowered his arms around me so that his hands rested over mine. Lifting them up, he brought them down onto the dough and guided me in kneading it. The dough felt soft and warm beneath my hands, and Ty's hands felt strong and comforting over them. I could feel the heat from his body radiating toward mine, and with each long press down into the dough, his erection brushed against me.
The feeling of it made me moan softly and I arched my back to press my hips back toward him so that I returned the touch with more intensity and intention. His hands pushed mine deeper into the dough, kneading harder as his breath dropped and I could hear him struggling to control it behind me. I leaned back so that my back touched his chest, subtly rolling my hips against him. His breath caught in his throat and his hands stopped moving.
"Samira," he said imploringly.
"Yes, Ty?"
"Stop."
"Why?"
I rolled my hips a little harder and heard him groan.
"This isn't right."
"Why?"
I was going to force him to tell me exactly what he was thinking so that I could prove how wrong he was. I knew exactly why he thought it was wrong. Zuri had learned from Pyra that he was upset about my age. I didn't care what he thought, though. I had fallen for Ty as soon as I saw him and there was no way that I was going to let a few years of difference between us keep from having him as my mate. I would just have to prove how much of a woman I really was.
"You're too young," he finally whispered.
I pressed back into him and tilted my head so I could kiss his neck.
"Am I? Do I feel too young to you?"
Ty gave a soft grunt and I withdrew my hands from the dough, brushing the flour off of them.
"No," he said gruffly.
I turned around to face him. The orange streaks in his eyes were co
vering more of the brown now and I felt a surge in my heart as I remembered that Zuri told me the Denynso men's eyes changed to orange when they mated. I knew I was getting to him. I just had to press further. I touched his face gently, easing it forward with my fingertips against his cheek until I could touch my mouth to his. My lips parted and I touched the tip of my tongue to his bottom lip, tempting him to open his mouth. When he did, I flicked my tongue across his, deepening the kiss briefly before pulling back, catching his bottom lip between my teeth as I went.
"Do I kiss like I'm too young?" I asked, my voice dropping the more I spoke.
He shook his head and I smiled, leaning in to kiss him again. He returned the kiss, but only slightly as if still struggling to control himself.
"Please, Samira," he said, his eyes closed.
"Look at me, Ty," I said and he opened his eyes, "Do I look like I'm too young?"
His eyes grew sad and he nodded.
"Yes."
"Do I?" I asked, taking the hem of my shirt and pulling it off over my head.
"We're in my shop, Samira," he said, "Anybody could walk in at any second and see you."
"I want you to see me."
"I can see you."
His defenses were dropping and I was eager to keep going.
"Your house is connected to the shop, isn't it?" I asked, referencing what Zuri had told me.
"Yes."
I walked across the shop to the door on the back wall. I knew it led directly into his house and that he rarely locked it. That afternoon was the same as usual and the door opened easily beneath my hand. I glanced over my shoulder at him as I stepped into his house.
"Where is your bedroom, Ty?"
He didn't answer and I stepped all the way into the house, deciding I would just figure out where the room was on my own. After a few seconds, he hadn't followed me. I unbuttoned and unzipped my pants and pulled them off, tossing them back through the door into the shop. They hit the ground and I heard Ty groan. The door swung open further and I saw his broad form fill the doorway. I had undressed myself down to nothing but a black lace bra and matching panties, and when he looked at me, his eyes went completely orange.
"Do I look too young now?"
He still didn't answer and I turned away from him, giving him a full view of all of my curves in the barely-there panties, and walked further into the house. I glanced around and saw a stairwell in the far corner. I crossed to it and climbed the stairs slowly, letting my hips sway with each step. I could feel him following me, his eyes on my body as I put myself on display for him. I wanted him to want me with the same fire and intensity that I wanted him, and when I was finished with him, I wanted him to have no question left in his mind whether I was old enough to be his mate.
I made it up the stairs and found that almost the entire upper floor was his bedroom. A massive bed sat in the middle of a huge room, making it look like a pedestal where I was more than ready to worship. I turned to face him as Ty stepped into the room.
"Come closer," I told him.
He seemed reluctant, but he complied, closing the space between us with a few long, slow steps. I kissed him, drawing his tongue into my mouth and sucking on it suggestively as I pressed the front of my body to his. I could feel his erection pushing into my belly and I nudged against him.
"Undress me," I said.
I felt his hands shaking slightly as he brought them to my back to release the hooks on my bra. He peeled it away from my body and dropped it to the floor at our feet, and then hooked his fingers in the waistband of my panties to ease them off of my hips. I wriggled them off of my legs and stepped out of them, now completely bare in front of him.
Walking backwards, I made my way to the bed. When I felt the edge of the mattress on the backs of my legs, I turned around and crawled onto the bed, arching my back as I went. I reached the pillows and turned so I reclined back on them.
"Take off your shirt."
He complied and I felt my body clench at the sight of his chiseled chest and rippled stomach. I wanted to get my hands on him so badly, but I was determined that it was going to be him that took me. I might be seducing him, but when we finally did bond, he was going to be the one that made it happen.
"Everything else," I said, fighting to keep my voice steady.
His eyes glowed back at me and I could see the struggle continuing behind them as he at once fought his desire for me and gave in to my seduction. My mouth watered when I finally saw his fully naked body, his muscles beautifully formed under smooth skin, and his perfect, powerful-looking erection standing out from his hips in a way that made me almost lose control. I licked my lips and I saw Ty's cock twitch.
"Oh," I said, "Is that what you want?"
I beckoned him forward with one finger, encouraging him to climb onto the bed with me. He laid down beside me and I got on my knees between his legs, reaching forward to finally wrap my hand around his gorgeous erection. My fingers couldn’t touch as I encircled his thick shaft and the tingle between my thighs spiked. I leaned down and drew my tongue along the underside of him from the base to the tip, then licked again to gather the drop of crystalline fluid that had gathered there. He groaned and I met the sound with the slide of my mouth over the head.
I slipped down further, moving slowly to savor every vein and ridge against my lips and tongue. Holding the base in one hand, I picked up a smooth, steady rhythm that brought him further and further into my mouth with each glide. My attention wrenched groans from his chest and soon Ty was gripping the comforter on either side of him, his eyes squeezed closed as he concentrated on the sensations I was sending through him. I could feel him getting harder in my mouth and I released him, giving him a few seconds to cool to bring him back from the brink.
Moving forward, I straddled his hips, settling myself so my pelvis touched his and my core cradled his erection. I rested his cock against my palm and rocked my hips, causing me to slide up and down him. The hot wetness from my body transferred to his, making my movements silky and easy. With each rock I brought my core further up his shaft, eventually getting to a point where the tip teased my clit with each stroke. The breath caught in my throat at that feeling and I repeated it, pressing up slightly with my palm to increase the pressure between our bodies.
"Do I feel too young?" I asked. He didn't answer and I pressed harder, burrowing him in my folds without letting him enter me, "Do I, Ty?"
Suddenly he grabbed me by my hips and flipped me onto my back. I gasped at the movement and felt my body get even wetter as he hovered over me, staring down into my face with intensity that took my breath away.
"No," he growled and I felt the tip of his erection tease at my opening.
"Are you my mate, Ty?" I whispered.
He moved his hips forward slightly, massaging me and building pressure low in my belly.
"I am your mate."
"Do you want me?"
"More than anything I have ever wanted in my life."
I took a long, shuddering breath.
"Show me."
He pushed forward and filed me, taking his time to let me stretch around him. I whimpered at the intense feeling and clutched at his back. Just when I thought I couldn’t accommodate any more, Ty gave a hard thrust, sinking all the way into me and eliciting a sharp cry at the blissful combination of pain and pleasure. We paused there for a moment, letting our bodies learn each other. He kissed me languidly, his mouth moving across mine familiarly.
Finally his hips relaxed and I felt him start to move within me. My walls held him firmly and he groaned deeply as he built his rhythm. Each long, deep thrust coaxed sounds from my lips and I gave myself over to him, allowing him to bond me to him completely and irrevocably. Slow sex had never done much for me, but this was a transcendent experience and when I came, suddenly and with blinding intensity, I felt like I was drawing him into my body and my soul. He responded to the scream I let out at my climax with a growl and he gave one more hard thrust and rele
ased into me. My body milked him and I clung to him, emotion starting to overwhelm me.
He finally opened his eyes and I saw that they were completely orange.
"My mate," he whispered, leaning down to nuzzle my neck and touch a kiss to my shoulder.
"Always," I whispered back, licking the front of his neck.
Chapter Eight
Ty and Samira stayed in bed for the rest of the afternoon, exploring each other as she proved to him again and again that she was everything that he needed, and he showed her over and over that he was everything she could handle. They finally drifted to sleep, completely spent, in each other's arms, but were awaken less than an hour later by frantic pounding on Ty's door.
"This seems awfully familiar," Samira joked as Ty rolled away from her and climbed out of bed, pulling on his pants.
He shot her a smile and walked out into the corridor and then down the stairs. The pounding continued, and Ty was aggravated by the time he reached the door. He didn't want to talk to anybody. He wanted to shuck off his pants and crawl back into bed with Samira.
"What do you want?"
Ero stood on the other side of the door, his expression strained.
"You need to come with me," he said.
"I'm busy right now," Ty said, not really caring what was going on.
Ero shook his head.
"I'm sorry. I know you have Samira here and that's wonderful and I'm sure I'm going to be really happy for you pretty soon, but you need to come with me."
"What's going on?"
Both men turned in the direction of the stairs and Samira's voice. She was walking toward them, buttoning one of Ty's shirts on over her pants. Ty's heart lit up. The shirt engulfed her, but it made her look adorably sexy and completely his. She came to his side and looked at Ero intensely.
"What's going on, Ero?" she repeated.
"The warriors just got back from their patrol. They said that they have really important information and that they need all of us in the meeting hall immediately."
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