As the seconds passed with nothing but tense silence building between them, she could feel the control she craved slipping away and that was something she couldn't—wouldn't—allow.
After taking a deep breath, Maryann looked him directly in the eye, needing him to understand and agree to her terms. “I'm willing to become your mate tonight—in fact I'm looking forward to it, but on one condition."
He looked at her intently, then waved his hand for her to continue. “And what's that?"
"I get to do this my way, to be in control of tonight's ... festivities.” She swallowed past the lump in her throat and spit the rest of her condition out. “And ... I want to tie you down when we mate for the first time."
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Chapter Two
When he first heard the tiny chime beep twice announcing someone stood outside his door, Mikel tensed. He hadn't been sure when he issued his challenge up on the observation deck that Maryann would follow through.
For the last week, he'd watched her watch him. He knew over a week ago she was his mate, but wanted to give her time to get to know him before telling her about the bond between them. Then The Black Rose attacked his vessel and forced them into the Abacine pressure suits. Now her body demanded sexual release and wouldn't give it to her unless in the presence of her mate.
He hated that she'd have no choice but to mate with him, would have preferred to court her as she deserved. But with their mission in jeopardy because of their desperate arousal, he couldn't help but feel relieved that she'd come to him, even as a last resort, especially considering he'd searched, prayed and had finally given up on the fact that he had a mate somewhere waiting for him to locate her.
Seconds had passed that felt like hours before he released the door lock, allowing her entrance to his private quarters. He sucked in a deep breath when he saw her, amazed and awed yet again, at her gentle beauty.
She had a full mouth, lips glossy with moisture. Her rich brown eyes glowed with a fierce inner fire. Her cheeks were flushed a dusky rose. She had a wealth of rich, glowing auburn hair that hung in tousled disarray more often than not, as it did now. Wispy curls fell across her forehead, framing her delicate features. She looked both scared and determined as she stood frozen in his doorway and damned if that didn't make him want her even more.
He let his gaze wander over her body, imagining what she'd look like beneath the Abacine—the living material of her body-conforming pressure suit. Even completely covered in the smoky grey material from neck to toes, he could see the fullness of her high-perched breasts, her slim waist, gently rounded hips, and the magnificent length of her long, shapely legs. She'd fit him just right—of that, he had no doubt. She was breathtaking and, as of right now, completely his.
By the time she walked passed him and got comfortable in his favorite chair, he had to take a deep breath and rein in his desires. It wouldn't do to trip her to the floor and mount her. She'd come here with a purpose in mind and, as long as she agreed to mate with him in the end, he'd let her tell him in her own way what that was. He never expected her to say what she did though. “Can you say that again?"
Maryann stood and fisted her hands by her sides before nodding. “I need to feel in control, especially the first time we're intimate. I've not been with anyone—ever—except my rapists and I need this. For tonight, I need to feel comfortable knowing that you can't hurt me, even accidentally, and tying you to the bed will do that for me."
Mikel hesitated, but knew he'd do whatever she needed him to if it would help put her at ease with him, including allowing her to restrain him. Dipping his head slightly, he said, “If that's what you need, then yes, I agree to your terms."
When Maryann's shoulders lost some of their rigid tension, he knew he'd made the right decision. Besides, she only said she wanted him restrained the first time they mated. That left the rest of the night for his brand of seduction. That fact she feared their mating night fueled his determination to make this an unforgettable memory for her, one that she'd look back on with a heated smile of remembrance in the years to come rather than a feared memory.
With that thought in mind, he held out his hands. “I'll never do anything to hurt you, but you don't know that yet.” He nodded toward the small black bag she'd dropped next to the chair. “Am I right to assume you brought what you need with you?"
A charming blush spread across her cheeks and, when she bit her bottom lip then straightened her spine as if daring him to say something negative, he wanted to enfold her in his arms. He hadn't meant to embarrass her, just find out if he had to use his own Manruvian Mate Bonds, bindings he carried with him everywhere since he reached his maturity and began his mate-hunt. The Mate Bonds were sacred to his people and the fact that she thought to use them tonight, even just to assure her safety, meant she thought about his beliefs and what he'd need to make this night special.
It pleased him as well that, even when embarrassed, she didn't back down from him. It proved to him, at least on some level, she did trust him not to hurt her. By the time this night ended, he vowed she'd know it to the depths of her soul.
Maryann swung around, turning her back to him as she bent over to pick up the small bag she dropped. His cock grew impossibly harder as the Abacine lovingly displayed her luscious ass to his gaze. They couldn't wear the thin, indestructible material over clothing of any type, so it flaunted her curves to perfection.
Mikel turned his head away as she rummaged through her bag. His self-control had worn thin since they started on their mission to track down The Black Rose and rescue her captives. Their continued presence in each other's company combined with the Abacine heightening his arousal made it nearly impossible to keep his primitive instincts in check. He wanted to mark her, needed to bind her to him as his forever-mate. Not doing so over the course of the past week had been nearly impossible.
"Where would you like me?” Mikel watched, fascinated as Maryann's skin flushed crimson. Even the tips of her ears turned pink. Shy one minute, bold the next, she intrigued him as no other ever had. Even though they'd yet to bond formally, he knew he'd never give this woman up. He'd do whatever he had to, to keep her by his side.
Maryann gazed around his quarters slowly, thoroughly, then glanced back down at his chair before shaking her head. “Your chair won't do. Neither will your sofa. Take me to your bedroom."
Surprise at the command in her voice, the rigidity of her spine, had him nodding and leading the way before he realized how quickly he jumped to do her bidding. Damn! He never expected her to slip into the dominant role quite that easily. He'd have to be on his toes if he wanted a chance to control even the slightest thing this evening. But even as he led her to his sleeping chamber, he couldn't contain the excitement building inside him.
His imagination took flight as he opened the door. “Illumination, thirty percent, Skalldari.” Would she ride him, taking what she wanted from him without concern for his needs, or would she draw it out, try to seduce his seed from him? His cock hardened further as he pictured her mounting him while he lay helpless to stop her, her breasts swaying freely in front of his face, teasing him with their nearness and powerless to touch them.
Knowing that reality often surpassed the imaginary, he headed straight for the bed, since no other piece of furniture in here would suffice for what she planned. He probably should let her dictate his every action, but at this point the anticipation of finally taking a mate—taking Maryann to mate—left him in a hurry to see things progress. Besides, he sensed she didn't find the role of dominant female to his submissive male comfortable and he didn't want her shying away from him or her feelings tonight.
Only after he settled back against the headboard in the center of the bed did he notice the longs strips of shiny black material in her hands.
He smiled, unable not to once he realized she came prepared, not just to ensure her safety, but to follow the mating ritual as the Manruvians had for hundreds of generations. Using the Manruvian
Mate Bonds as restraints told him more than her words that she fully intended to mate with him this evening.
She stopped running—from him, and her future. Her willingness to face life head on rather than run from it filled him with pride. She'd be the perfect queen to the Manruvian people once the Trident of Ascension passed to him, of that he had no doubt.
When she stopped at the foot of the bed and didn't say or do anything more, Mikel crossed his arms and lifted one brow in question. “Now what?"
* * * *
Maryann knew Mikel wondered at her silence, but now that the moment had come to mate with him, she wasn't sure how to proceed. Should she tie his hands together above his head or have him spread his arms and legs and tie them to the bedposts? Though she wanted to maintain control, she didn't want him to feel used either. She shuddered, remembering exactly what it felt like to be helpless as someone used her body without care or compassion. She'd not inflict those same sensations on another being, especially not her mate.
Nervously, she licked her dry lips. She had to stand firm on her decision to restrain him, but she could give him a choice in how she accomplished it. “Would you prefer your hands tied together and secured to the headboard or would you be more comfortable with your limbs tied to the four bedposts?"
As she waited for his answer, she quickly glanced around Mikel's bedchamber. Spartanly furnished, she only spied two low-slung tables that flanked the oversized bed and a deep burgundy chair similar in design and size to the one out in the main room. Without doubt, the bed in this room had been built solely for the prince's comfort. Bigger than any bed she'd ever seen, it took up at least three-quarters of the floor space. It wouldn't surprise her if half a dozen men could sleep in it comfortably and still have room to spare.
Maryann tipped her head to one side. Come to think of it, she wasn't sure the bindings she brought would even be long enough to reach the bedposts, never mind leave him enough slack so that his joints weren't injured during their mating.
Mikel clasped his hands above his head and smiled gently. “I would suggest you tie them above my head, love. It will ensure I'm unable to touch you, but won't overtax my joints."
Relieved he spoke up, Maryann sighed. This taking charge was a lot more difficult than she thought it would be. “Thank you for your suggestion.” She bit her bottom lip, needing to explain herself to him, explain her hesitancy and yet her need to follow through with restraining him. “I'm not exactly comfortable ordering you about and I know this can't be easy for you either. I can't quite explain why I need to do this, just that I do.” With the Manruvian Mate Bonds in her hand, she didn't wait for him to respond to her, just climbed atop the bed and made her way to his side.
Seconds passed as she looked over Mikel's still body. He didn't try to touch her, didn't tell her to hurry up, just let her look her fill. It would be a lot easier to explore him if she could figure out how to remove their pressure suits, though. Then again, seeing his body in all its glory just might make seducing him even harder. He looked so big and muscular covered, how would he look naked? Would his size intimidate or excite her? She didn't know, but sooner or later, she'd have to find out.
Turning her head, she met Mikel's patient gaze. His blue-green eyes were completely serene, showing none of the discomfort she was positive his forced submissiveness caused him. Mikel epitomized the term Alpha Male, and allowing her to have her way with him had to go against his natural, instinctive impulses. Not sure just what to say, or how to proceed yet knowing she couldn't continue to just sit and stare at him, she pinched the fabric of his silver suit between her fingers. “How do I remove this? We can't mate with our clothes on."
He smiled up at her. “The suits don't come off until we're both truly committed to mating with one another, Maryann. Even then, we can't remove them. They will merely absorb into our bodies. They're made of sentient material and will not release us until we are both positive mating is what we want. You still have doubts. The suit knows it."
She looped the bonds loosely around his wrists and then around the center columns of the headboard. They were still loose when she released them. She didn't know how tight to tie them and didn't want to hurt Mikel. The bonds shocked her by tightening up on their own, tugging his arms over his head until they looked close to discomfort and she squealed reaching for the ties.
"Don't worry, love. They aren't hurting me. The bonds are also sentient. They know just when to stop to keep me bound without pain."
His soothing voice stopped her from removing the bonds and throwing them to the floor in a fit of guilt. She looked at his bound body and wondered how she would ever be able to go through with this. She shifted and looked down toward his feet. Should she tie his legs or not? It wasn't as though he could do much with his hands tied. She wasn't sure what to do. Looking back at his face, she bit her lip, undecided.
"Bind my feet together and tie them to the foot of the bed, Maryann. If you attach them to each post separately, it will be too difficult for you to mount me if that is your desire."
His voice was husky. It was almost as though he liked this, though she was sure he couldn't. He was a very dominant, very alpha male. She was afraid she might make him feel less than he was by doing this, the way her captors had made her feel. Goddess, she didn't want that.
"I don't have anything else to tie you with.” She hadn't come fully prepared. She should have thought about binding his feet. Darn it. She looked away, tears of frustration stinging her eyes.
"I have a restraint on the table."
He shifted his gaze to the left and she spotted the restraint. Had he planned to do this to her or had he known she would want to do this? She swallowed, refusing to let her fears stop her now. This needed done. She flicked her gaze back to Mikel. He looked up at her, expressionless. There was no prodding coming from him. This was her decision. She smiled grimly.
Sliding from the bed, she retrieved the Mate Bond he'd laid out and wrapped it around his feet and then the posts of the footboard. The material again tightened up, securing his feet soundly. Her eyes widened when he groaned in response. Was he in pain? Too uncomfortable in this position?
She looked up the length of his body and gasped when she saw his massive erection straining against the material of his suit, which shimmered strangely in the dull light. She couldn't help but wonder if they were beginning to absorb into their bodies as he'd promised or if it was simply a figment of her imagination.
As she climbed up onto the bed, her suit sent another shaft of sensation through her pussy making her moan in frustrated need. Another sensation spiraled through her, something she never felt before. It felt like something was burrowing underneath her skin. “What's happening, Mikel?” she asked, aware her voice betrayed her fear, and not caring in the least.
"It is the Abacine, the sentient material of your suit, absorbing into your body. Touch me, Maryann."
She heard the command in his voice and obeyed, not even stopping to think about her actions. Following an instinct she didn't understand, she straddled his waist and placed her hands flat against his chest. Within seconds, the suits shimmered again, before they both slowly grew thinner and thinner until they seemed to disappear completely.
She shivered, not from the cold, but the feeling of otherness, like someone else, someone powerful, resided in her skin, in her soul.
"You're feeling me, Maryann, my essence."
"How did you know?"
Mikel chuckled beneath her.
She gripped his waist with her thighs to keep her body steady while he laughed. Why was he laughing at her? Before she'd even finished that thought, she felt a stirring in her mind, like a gentle breeze, and somehow she knew he wasn't laughing in cruelty, but because he truly felt happy about the fact she went through with the first step of their mating.
I know because I can feel what you feel. I hear your thoughts as though they are my own. Just as you can know mine—if that's what you wish.
"Really?” She didn't know if he'd hear her, but she had to try to answer him in the same way. She'd never backed down from a challenge before and she wasn't about to start now. Really?
Mikel chuckled again and then replied directly into her mind, Really.
Again, she shivered. Cool air caressed her bare breasts just as a wave of heat washed through her. She scooted closer to the headboard to double-check that his bindings were still secure. When he leaned forward and kissed her thighs, then paused to inhale the scent of her before touching his lips to the top of her mound, she froze, shocked and somewhat surprised by his actions. She shivered with pleasure, his and hers.
Mikel hadn't lied to her. She could feel what he felt, could even smell her own musky arousal. Their minds truly were connected, bound together as one. With her reservations finally gone—because she had to admit to herself at least that there wasn't any way for him to hide his thoughts or feelings from her—she gave into her own desires and moved away from his mouth, no matter how much he tempted her to stay right where she was.
Once she was back to her original position, straddling his waist, she met his gaze, then quickly lowered her head to Mikel's chest and lapped at his nipple, swirling her tongue around the hard nub.
His breathing grew harsh and she could feel his desire, the urgency raging through his body to finish their mating, to join physically as their minds already had. Having never been in control in such a way, the sense of freedom that blossomed inside her soul eased away her remaining fear and apprehension as though they never existed.
As he shuddered beneath her, Mikel groaned. He pulled on his bonds and flexed his hips, rubbing his hard cock against her pussy. “Please, Maryann, let me taste you."
She lifted her head, met his heated gaze. “What?” Had he asked, no begged, for what she thought he had?
"Scoot closer to me so I can reach your pussy, love. I want to taste your cream. I've imagined doing so since the moment I caught your scent aboard my ship that first time."
Worlds Apart 3: Mikel's Wrath Page 2