The Beast's Chosen (Astral Heat Book 3)

by Hunter, Ashley

  “But your wounds--” It was then that she noticed the cuts that had been all over him were basically healed. The ones that had been deeper were scabbed over, but for the most part...he was healthy again. “That’s incredible. You’re almost all better.”

  “Yes, Amber. Now come here.” He waved his fingers at her, a clear sign for her to get into his arms. She debated if she really should or not--then met his eyes. The look in his eyes compelled her to, just like they compelled her to do everything.

  She pursed her lips, then tightened her grip on the towel and scooted toward her. When she was close enough for him to grab, he dragged her onto his lap--a lap that was only covered in a towel. Since the night they had had sex, this was as close to naked and intimate they had gotten with each other.

  “Let me ask you something, Amber. And do not feel shame or be insulted, because I am genuinely curious.”

  “Okay,” she said, nodding. She laid her head against his shoulder. Under her cheek, his heart thumped in a steady rhythm. Even now, sitting like this, he wasn’t affected by her. Her heart hurt. He had lied to save her feelings, and now he was holding her out of pity to sell his story.

  “Why is this important to you? That I have not tried to have...intercourse with you.”

  Her face flamed and embarrassment washed over her. “I, uh…”

  “Do not feel shame. I am just curious,” he reminded her.

  “It’s not that… Okay, it’s not that you having intercourse is necessarily important. It’s just that… I guess I am just so used to being alone and independent because of my career that maybe I’m just...tired of being alone?”

  She felt his heart speed up a little.

  “I was living under my work building for weeks. Everyone I know is gone. I had no one to talk to, no one to interact with… And here you are, being so nice. Treating me like I am important. Keeping me company when you can. I just...want that connection, I guess. I don’t know. It’s whatever. I gotta go to the bathroom.”

  Even though he had told her not to feel shame, she did. She was so ashamed of herself. She had acted like she was desperate for a good lay, regardless of what he wanted. She had tried to entice him without thinking about his customs. The only consolation she had was that if she hadn’t been alone for so long, she would have more control of herself.

  Amber started to climb out of his lap, choking on tears.

  “You are lonely?” he asked, tightening his arms around her.

  “I guess.” She tried to get out of his arms, then gasped when he quickly maneuvered them so that her back was on the bed, and he was kneeling over her. “What are you doing?”

  “I do not want you to feel lonely. Not while you are with me, at least.” For once, his mask was gone. She could see every emotion on his face. She saw the determination, the desire. She saw the tenderness lurking in the forefront. She saw everything that he had ever been hiding from her.

  “Don’t feel like you have to go against your customs just for me,” she said, and she meant it. She didn’t want him to become someone he was not on her account. Nonetheless, she didn’t stop him as he gently removed her hand from the towel and pulled it apart, baring her to him.

  He had seen her naked every day since she had boarded the vessel, and yet this time...it was different. He wasn’t hiding himself from.

  “What do you humans call sex? What is that other word for it?” he murmured, leaning down and pressing his lips against her neck.

  “Uh...intercourse?” she filled in, heart skipping a beat. Involuntarily, she let her head fall back, even while she weakly pushed at his chest. She wanted this--she wanted it so bad, but at his expense.

  “No. The other one.” He gently nipped her neck and she whimpered, giving up at her weak fight. Her alien warrior took what he wanted, and right now he obviously wanted her--and she was not going to deny him that, at all.

  “Love...love making,” she said, eyes closing on a shudder when his hand slid up hip.

  “That’s the one. Tonight, I am going to make love to you, Amber. And not because I have to, but because I want to. I want to, and I want you. You will not be alone tonight.”

  Chapter Nine

  Amber moaned. Partly because of his touch, but also because of his words. Everything about right now was a turn-on.

  She loved the way he held her hip with one hand, his other holding her cheek. She loved the way his lips whispered over her skin, their movements not rushed in the least. She loved the way he felt above her and the soft groans he gave when she touched his shoulder, then the back of his neck.

  She loved everything about this.

  And she wanted more, now. She told him so by digging her heels into his ass, urging him to gyrate against her. She pushed her hips up to him, shuddering when she felt his hardness brush against her.

  Looking between them revealed that his length was poking through the center fold of the towel. With a small laugh, she reached down and pulled the towel away from him.

  “I have craved this since the morning I woke up next to you,” he said, groaning when her hand brushed against the weeping head. “I craved it that morning, and every night and morning that I woke and fell asleep beside you.”

  She buried her face in his neck, hiding her blush.

  “I’ve just...wanted you,” she admitted quietly. Then she gasped, body arching. Quicker than she had thought possible, he moved lower so that he could nuzzle her breast. He didn’t play with her nipple until she was whimpering and arching her back as an invitation. “Please, Branton… Please.”

  “I want to enjoy this, Amber. I want to spend all night worshipping you like you deserve.”

  “Can’t that come a little later?” she said, laughing when he nipped her breast. “After we get this out of our system?”

  He didn’t reply. Only brushed his jaw against her skin, then took her nipple into his mouth. She moaned instantly, threading her hands into his hair to hold him there. Even though they had been through this before, something about it was...different. Better. More sensual and not so quick and feverish. Their first time together had been rushed, regardless of how amazing it felt.

  This time was just...different. More intimate. More passionate and tender.

  He nipped and sucked and squeezed until she was a trembling mess, her body gyrating on it’s own, a silent plea for him to do more than just tease her. What she wanted was for him to be inside her, for their bodies to be one, for the fire that was obviously between them to consume them.

  When he ignored the hint, she tried to take matters into her own hands. More specifically, she tried to take him into her own hand--but he pulled away the second her fingers brushed against him.

  “Do you really want this right now?” he asked, leaving her breast to stare into her eyes. She nodded. More than anything, she just wanted to feel connected to him, to…to be with him.

  “Then I’ll give you what you want,” he said, growling as he rose to take her lips with his own, his member pressing against her. The sensation was hot and overwhelming, almost too much for her to take—but she did, and she loved every second of it.

  As their bodies ground together, their passionate moans rising to the ceiling, pleasure came over her in the most intense wave she’d ever felt. He was hard and hot above her, and so powerful…yet so gentle. Even as he kissed her roughly, his movements were tender and filled with need.

  When the pleasure became too much, she felt in her soul. She felt it deeper than just the bodily experience it should have been. She felt it to her very core, and by the way his arms curled around her, his kiss never ending as they rode the climax together, she knew he felt the same.

  ~*~

  Amber woke to being carried, her head lolling against a thick shoulder. She blinked her eyes open and found that, of course, it was Branton. When he saw that she was awake, he smiled but kept walking.

  “Uhm…what are you doing?” she asked, looking around. They weren’t in the room. That meant
, for the first time since she’d been moved from the infirmary, she was out of this quarters. “Put me down! I want to look around!”

  He shook his head, but she didn’t blame him. There wasn’t much to look at, any way. They were going down a long, stainless-steel walled corridor, and they were moving quickly.

  “I cannot put you down, Amber. I must get you aboard my vessel quickly, before someone notices us.”

  She frowned. “We’re leaving?”

  He nodded.

  “I will not keep you here any longer. The LC has granted me leave, and that means we can stay on my personal military vessel.”

  She was silent for a moment, resting her head against his chest. Then she frowned. “Is this because you got attacked? Because of me?”

  “No,” he said, glancing down at her. “No, it is not. It will be easier for me to keep you safe up there.”

  “But I’ve never even been in space,” she said, frown deepening. “What would I even do? Why should I get to go up there when so many of my people can’t?”

  “Amber, this should be over soon. You do not have to worry about your people. You do not have to worry about anything.” He sounded so sure, but by the tension in his muscles, she didn’t believe him.

  “I don’t know… I guess going to your own ship would be better than staying here. At least you couldn’t get attacked again.”

  He nodded. “Yes. Exactly. Now, please be quiet, Amber. I must get us out of here safely. The less of my warriors that see us, the better.”

  “Then why didn’t you just dress me up as a nurse? Or try waking me up?” she whispered.

  “Because this was spur of the moment and you looked peaceful while you slept. Please, Amber. Silence”

  For once, she listened to him and just enjoyed being carried by him. Honestly, she wasn’t surprised that he could carry her. She might be on the thicker side, but like she had noted before, his arms were huge. He was huge. Everything about him was just…huge. It only made sense that he could carry her around like she was a feather.

  And he hadn’t wanted to wake her. A warm feeling spread through her. Not love, but close to it. He took care of her more than anyone else ever had. And he was still…respectful about it. He wasn’t demeaning towards her, wasn’t condescending. He just enjoyed taking care of her.

  And as much as she was a strong, independent woman…she enjoyed it, too. It was nice not to have to worry.

  He carried her out into the open air, through a stairway that was to the left of the corridor he’d been carrying her out of. It was night out, and the air was chilly and fresh. She smiled, letting her eyes close as she enjoyed the first breath of fresh air she’d had in a while.

  All too soon, it was gone.

  Branton carried her right into another shuttle. She had expected it, of course, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be disappointed over it.

  The lights in the ship turned on as he walked by them.

  “I cannot ensure that there will be an uncomplicated take-off. Several of my warriors are furious with me. But, I will keep you safe.”

  She nodded against his chest. The vessel that they were entering was no different than the one they had just left, besides the size. This one was considerably smaller.

  “Is there a control room or something that you use to take off?”

  He nodded.

  “And do I get to be in that control room?”

  “I do not think you would want to. Since this is your first time taking off, it will be hard for you to adjust to the quick elevation and the change in gravity. I would like you to relax in our room until we are stationed in space.”

  “More being cooped up?” she asked, disappointed.

  He brushed his lips against her temple as he stopped in front of a set of doors. “Only for now, Amber. I do not want you to feel ill, so it is better for you to lay down. After, I will let you explore. I will even let you control it.”

  She smiled, holding onto his shoulders while he set her on the ground. When her feet touched the ground, the doors opened with a swoosh.

  “I will be back shortly. When we breach the atmosphere, I will come for you. At that point the vessel can act on autopilot. Will you be alright without me?”

  She innocently tried to pull him into the room with her, giving him a coy smile. “I don’t think I will…”

  He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead, then withdrew his hand. “Unfortunately, I cannot spend the launch in the bedroom. I must be in the control room.”

  “Fine,” she said, giving a tired sigh. “I will wait for you until you’re done.”

  “Good.” And then he was off, leaving her standing in the doorway of the bedroom on the good faith that she would actually listen to him. If she were terrified of him in any way, she wouldn’t have listened. She would have ran off the ship and never looked back.

  However, the more she thought about the kiss he’d placed on her forehead, the more she thought about him smiling down at her with something close to love in his eyes, the more she realized that she didn’t want to get off. That she didn’t want to leave him… She wanted to love him. And as horrible as it was, she was starting to.

  Her alien warrior was the one thing she looked forward to every day. The war could possibly be over, but with all of the countless failed peace treaties that had been tried before, she had low hopes. Still, she stepped back and let the doors close.

  Even if the treaty didn’t go through, that couldn’t be too bad, right? The longer the war went on, the more time she had with her alien, right?

  Guilt plagued her. The thoughts she had made her a horrible person, but when she was with Branton, she could relax. She could forget everything that was wrong with the world and focus on being happy with him. When the war ended, he would be gone…and she would never see him again.

  The thought sobered her quickly.

  She turned around to face the bedroom, taking in the décor—or she would have, had there not been a dark figure emerging from the shadows. She barely had time to scream before hands grabbed her by the waist and covered her mouth.

  Chapter Ten

  Branton was just sitting down in the control room when the monitor beeped, letting him know he had a comm. link request. He pressed a key on the chair and the giant monitor came to life. They were split screened—the left side had a view of what was outside the vessel, and the right side had the comm. link open and live.

  The LC nodded his head when Branton nodded. He was just preparing to launch, and he didn’t stop the motions of going through all the computer commands while he acknowledged the LC. He had to get off earth as soon as possible with Amber, otherwise she was at risk of being taken as a war prisoner by his people, no matter what he said as a commander.

  The LC had told him at the time of his request to leave that he was aware of the human female and the only reason the LC hadn’t acknowledged her was because the treaty was destined to go as planned. The LC had made up his mind to finally end the war.

  He had gone to the meeting today, and now that the LC was on the comm. link with him with a somber expression, Branton could only guess one thing.

  “The treaty has been signed. We are officially at peace with Earth.”

  Branton couldn’t stop the relieved smile that came over his face. Finally, after all this time, the useless killing could come to an end, and Amber could—

  He froze.

  Amber could be with her people…without him.

  Without the war, he had no reason to be there. He had no reason to be with her, to protect her. He had no reason to be on Earth. The thought of being without Amber, after the past two weeks with her, was hard to accept. Not only that, but it was hard for him to even imagine.

  The LC must have noticed the look on his face, because he sighed. “Are you upset because of the human girl?”

  With no reason to lie, Branton nodded. They had been through many wars together, and he had many years of loyal service under his belt to t
he LC. He had never lied before, and would not lie now.

  “Branton, you have been one of the greatest commanders I’ve ever had the pleasure of warring with. And I know that for some reason, this human has come to mean a great deal to you—and going by the scent that I caught when we talked last, she might very well be your mate.”

  Branton knew the shock was apparent on his face, but that didn’t stop the LC from continuing.

  “If you wish to bond with her, you have my blessing. I will not stop you from finding happiness—I do, however, ask that you never fight side-by-side with her people. You are still one of us—and you are still one of my commanders.”

  Meaning, if Branton had to go to war, he would. Still, the blessing from the LC meant a lot to him, and put a lot of things at rest with him.

  “Thank you,” he said humbly, bowing his head again. He couldn’t express to the LC how grateful he was for that blessing, but he would surely try in his next years of service—even if Amber didn’t want to stay with him. It was the principle of the matter.

  “I will let you enjoy the end of the war with your human, Branton. Although, I do have a question. One of our men has come up unaccounted for. We are readying our vessel to return home and we’ve not located Arbon. Did you authorize leave for him?”

  Branton shook his head.

  “I did not.” He didn’t mention the last time he’d seen Arbon. It wasn’t something he wanted to bring to the LC’s attention. He had betrayed the trust of his men—while it had been wrong, he knew why they had acted out as they had. As it was, Branton did not hold a grudge against Arbon.

  He hadn’t hurt Amber, and that was all that mattered to him.

  “Thank you. I will leave you be for now, Branton. Enjoy the peace.” The comm. link shut off and the view the vessel had stretched across the screen fully. Feeling like the weight of the world was lifted off his shoulders, he went along with the launch.

  He may know about the treaty going through, but Amber didn’t. He would tell her in a few days, after he had learned more about her. After he had spent more time with her, gotten to know her better, bonded with her. The feelings he felt for her were stronger than any he had ever felt before. In fact, he might be hopeful enough to call it love—but that would be impossible, unless she was his mate.