Azra shook his head at her. He cupped her face with both hands, supporting it so that she wouldn’t look away and she would continue to look into his eyes. He wanted her to see the rich orange coloration that had formed when they had completed their bond. It was a visual reminder, a tangible change that proved his devotion to her and ensured that anyone who looked at him would know that he had a mate. This along with a searing heat that would emanate from his skin if another woman not in his close personal circle approached him ensured no other woman attempted to get close to him, keeping him set apart fully and completely for Elise.
“You had no way of knowing what was going to happen,” Azra told her, trying to reassure her that it wasn’t her fault. “You made the decision that was right for you. You thought that finishing your contract would only keep you away for a short time and that we would be able to choose what we did from there. You couldn’t have known that this was going to be how it turned out.”
“But it wasn’t the decision that was right for me,” Elise said. “The right decision would have been to stay with you.”
“You can’t think that,” Azra said. “Your career is important to you. It’s something that you worked hard to accomplish, and you wanted to fulfill the commitment that you made. That’s honorable. What matters is not the minutes that we’ve lost, but the ones that we still have.”
“Every one of those moments is precious,” Elise said. “All of them. I can’t bear the thought of losing any more time with you. I can’t stand the idea that we will ever be apart again.”
“Then don’t think about it,” Azra said. “Just don’t think about it anymore. You don’t have to miss me. You don’t have to worry about me. I’m right here. I’m right here with you. You can see me here in front of you. You can hear my voice.” Azra’s belly was starting to tremble and he took a step closer to her to close the small space between them. He dipped his head down and ran his lips along the side of her neck. “You can smell my skin. You can feel my lips on yours.”
Elise let out a slightly shivering sigh.
“Azra,” she breathed.
Azra touched a hand to the front of her hips and guided her back toward the building where she had been sitting when he approached. He pressed her back gently so that she stood against the wall and reached down to grasp her wrists and sweep them up over her head. Pinning both hands in place with one of his, he paused and stared into Elise’s eyes.
“Every moment that we have together is precious,” he said, repeating the sentiment that she had shared with him. “I don’t want to waste any of them. I want to spend every moment that I am close to you treasuring you.” He kissed the soft dip in between her collar bones. “Cherishing you.” He ran his lips up the front of Elise’s throat and brought them right above hers so that he could feel them as he spoke. “Worshipping you.”
Their mouths met and Azra felt Elise melt beneath the impact of their kiss. He could taste the heat and sweetness of her and longed for more. His tongue tempted her lips, coaxing them to open for him so that it could glide in and taste her more fully.
Chapter Six
Azra’s eyes burned into Elise’s as he stared deeply at her, the intensity of his gaze seeming to hold her in place as she looked back at him. He could see the intensity of the desire in her eyes, and knew that she was feeling the same craving to revisit their bond that he was. They had both been through so much in their time apart, and now they needed to find their reassurance and grounding in each other’s arms.
Still gently pushing against her wrists to hold Elise against the stone wall of the house, Azra lowered himself to his knees to close the height difference between them. This put him at a much better vantage point and he dipped his head to touch his mouth to the dip between her breasts. He nuzzled the fabric of her dress away with the sides of his face, exposing a little more of her skin, and pressed another kiss to the warm valley. Whether from the exertion of all of her efforts to help them after the battle, excitement at being reunited with Azra, desire for him, or a combination of all of them, sweat was beading on her soft skin and Azra let the tip of his tongue slip past his lips to gather some of the salty drops into his mouth.
Elise's breath caught in her throat and he felt her writhing slightly as he licked from the center of her breasts up her chest. He sighed in response to the sound and continued along her neck so that he completed his journey with his face poised just inches from hers. His breathing was becoming deeper and more labored, but Azra kept his movements slow and controlled. Just as they had said, the moments that they were sharing were precious and he didn’t want to move through even a single one of them too quickly and miss the delicious pleasure waiting in each. He nudged her nose with his and she complied with his unspoken request, offering her mouth to him.
Wanting to fill his mouth with the taste of her and breathe into her, but needing to maintain his control so that he could properly express to her everything that he had been thinking and feeling, Azra allowed himself to only glide the tip of his tongue against her lips. When she whimpered and parted her lips he couldn’t resist delving just a bit further, dipping his tongue into her mouth to lightly stroke the soft warmth waiting there. It was a tender, subtle promise of what else awaited him, and he felt his mind, heart, and body longing for more.
Azra released her wrists and felt Elise’s arms lower down to rest on his shoulders. He touched a kiss to each cheek, then her forehead, and the tip of her nose. Elise sighed and let her eyes flutter closed, a gentle smile coming to her lips.
“We have all the time that we want,” Azra whispered to her. “We are all alone.”
“No, we aren’t,” she whispered back. “They are all on the other side of the compound.”
Azra shook his head.
“No,” he said, kissing her cheeks again. “We are alone. It’s only us. There’s nothing else. All you need to do is let go.”
Azra felt Elise surrender herself to him and Azra swept her into his arms. He carried her back behind the building, finding even more privacy for them. He lowered her to the sand again and knelt down to remove her shoes. The sun going down had allowed the sand to cool enough that she could stand in it comfortably and he ran his hands from her ankles up her legs indulgently, touching her skin as he moved her dress up. He moved painstakingly slowly, gradually revealing her body and discovering that she wore nothing beneath the long skirt. Finally, he slipped it up over her head and spread it out on the ground to create a bed for them. Azra groaned deep in his throat when he saw the full beauty of her body revealed to him, and in smooth, fast movements he peeled away his clothes and dropped them to the ground.
For a moment, he considered lifting her up again so that he could lay her down, but then he changed his mind. He needed more than that. Instead, Azra moved her dress closer to the wall of the house and sat down, leaning against the building with his back. He used one finger to beckon her toward him and she complied, lowering herself down to her knees and crawling toward him. Azra reached forward with one hand and took her thigh, guiding it over his lap so that she straddled him. He stopped her before she settled fully onto him, allowing her to hover over his hips as she brought her hands up to rest on the back of his neck.
The sun was beginning to rise, gradually cutting through the thick purple and dark blue of the night with streaks of orange and pink at the horizon. The last time Azra saw the sunrise, he didn’t know how long it would be before he was able to hold Elise in his arms again, and now she gazed down at him, her eyes drinking him in as he held her hips firmly and slowly, carefully led her down to nestle on his lap.
The tip of his erection touched her core and Azra could feel that her body was hot and ready for him. Her sweet wetness slickened his swollen head as if in invitation, and he tightened his hips slightly so that she could welcome him in. Elise cried out as Azra filled her, tossing her head back and squeezing his thighs with hers. This offered greater access to her tender throat and he took the opportuni
ty to touch her skin with his open mouth. He followed the flow of her breath as he ran his tongue down her throat and then along her breasts. His teeth playfully caught one nipple and Elise gasped, lifting her head to stare down at him again. Azra lifted his hips again to push deeper inside her and she responded by parting her thighs. The movement caused her body to lower even further into his lap and her walls to open more, allowing her to accept him fully.
Almost instantly Azra knew that he couldn’t keep moving so slowly. He needed to show her the passion that was flowing through him and find solace in the blissful release of the emotions and energy that had built up within him during the battle. He wrapped one around her hips and cupped the other hand around her face, tilting it forward to rest against his. Their movements grew faster and soon Azra felt the incredible sensations build to a dizzying peak and then his cock pulsed as he began to spill into her. Elise moaned and he felt her walls clutch tightly around his erection, milking him with her spasms and drawing him deeper into her body.
When their panting finally slowed and he felt like he could move again, Azra gently lifted Elise off of his lap and laid her down on the dress before settling down beside her. Elise nestled against him and he cuddled closer, relishing the feeling of her sweat-dampened skin and the salty, musky smell of her body.
“I love you,” he said into her hair, not wanting to wait to begin to fulfill his promise to her.
“I love you, too,” she said. “More than I can ever tell you.”
Chapter Seven
Azra knew that he hadn’t slept long, but his mind wouldn’t allow him to lay in bed any longer. He could hear the people already moving throughout the compound, preparing for the day that lay ahead of them. By the time that he and Elise had returned to the main part of the compound and she brought him to the bed that she had been sleeping in since the ship left Penthos, the sun was nearly fully in place, and now it had started its gradual glide across the sky. Even though he knew it was morning, the planet still looked dark and forbidding, and he found himself tempted to light a lantern to bring with him, if only to burn away the oppressive energy from around him.
Elise was still sleeping peacefully when he slipped out of the bed and walked into the main room of the building. Zyyr was there and he greeted the other warrior happily, glad to see one of the men who had been trapped here on Penthos when he was on Earth.
“There is water to bathe and fresh clothes in the next room,” Zyyr told him. “The women have food waiting outside, too.”
It all sounded wonderful, but Azra couldn’t concentrate on those simple pleasures yet.
“How are the wounded?” he asked. “Ero? George?”
Zyyr nodded.
“They’re doing fine,” he said. “George didn’t even need healing. Jacob dressed his wounds and he’s out with the rest now. Ero is still sleeping. He had to undergo another healing and Ciyrs says that he needs to stay in the clinic building for at least the rest of the day.”
“Does he think that he’s going to be alright?” Azra asked.
Zyyr nodded again, as if the gesture was going to give him more than any words that he would be able to say.
“He’s optimistic. Ero just needs more rest.”
“Has there been more contact with those on Uoria?”
“Lynx reached out to Rain this morning. It shouldn’t be much longer before they arrive.”
It was Azra’s turn to nod. It was reassuring to know that the rest of them would be there soon, reinforcing their numbers and boosting their morale to carry them through.
“What do we do now?” he asked.
“Take a bath,” Zyyr said. “Change your clothes. Get something to eat. After that, we wait. That’s all we can do.”
Azra waited until Zyyr walked out of the building to go into the other room. He found a large basin and several pitchers of water, along with a stack of fresh clothing. He was thankful for the supplies that had already been packed in the ship for the human crew as well as those brought along by those in the ship from Earth as he bathed and stepped into a clean set of clothes. When he finished, he walked out of the building and into the busyness of the courtyard. All around him people were scurrying between the buildings, getting food from the same fire pit as the night before, and gathering in small groups for a few moments before splintering off and going their separate ways. It wasn’t until then that Azra had really noticed how many people were in the compound. It seemed like far more than he would have guessed, and he knew that there were more still waiting in the ship.
Across the courtyard he saw Jem and Azra smiled. Though he had known since they were on Earth that he had returned, seeing him in battle had been different. Azra strode toward him, but before he could reach him, he heard Lynx’s voice.
“Jem!” he shouted.
Azra saw the warrior run toward Jem and gather him into his arms in a tight embrace. Lynx grabbed onto Jem’s upper arms and pushed him back, laughing as he looked into his face and then pulled him back in for another hug.
“I can’t believe this!” he said. “They told me that you were back, but I couldn’t believe it. How can this be true?”
Azra stepped up beside them.
“It’s a miracle,” he said, patting Jem on the back.
Jem grinned, looking between the men.
“I’m not the miracle,” he said. “You are. This is. I thought that you would have put me behind you by now.”
“Never,” Lynx said. “What happened to you? How did you get back with them?”
Before he could answer, Angela came up beside Jem and wrapped her arm around his waist. Jem leaned down to kiss her, and then turned back to Lynx.
“Lynx, this is Angela, my mate.”
Lynx smiled broadly, but Azra could see the flicker of sadness in his eyes. He knew that the other warrior was thinking about Rain and hoping that she would get back to Penthos soon. Seeing them made Azra’s heart clench. He thought to the night before, holding Elise in his arms and listening to the slow rhythm of her breathing as she fell asleep. That had been an incredible, blissful indulgence despite being such a simple pleasure. He knew that it had been completely true when they said that they couldn’t stand being apart again. It wasn’t enough for him just to know that they were together now. He needed to know that they were going to be together permanently, and though completing their bond had fulfilled that for him, he wanted to give it to her as well.
“Jem,” he said, interrupting Jem explaining to Lynx how he and Angela had met. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I need your help. Yours, too, Angela. If you’re willing.”
The couple exchanged glances and then nodded at him.
“Of course,” Angela said. “What can we do for you?”
Azra gave a sigh to steel himself, and started talking, explaining the idea that was forming in his mind. He didn’t know if it was going to be good enough. He didn’t know if it was going to work out the way that he wanted it to and tell her what he wanted it to tell, but it was all he had. He had to try.
When he was finished explaining it to this group, they split off, rushing to other parts of the compound to find other members of the group whose help he needed to carry through with his plan. He knew that they didn’t have much time. It wouldn’t be long before Elise woke up and he would need to avoid her until everything was in place. That would be too hard if he needed to wait long, so he needed to get everything ready as quickly as possible.
The first person he sought out was Loralia. He knew that of everyone who he would ask to help him, it was her who might struggle the most, but what she had to offer was important and he hoped that he could convince her to be a part of it. He found her in the clinic with Azrael, checking on a wound in her father’s arm. Reassured that he was well and would soon be able to leave the clinic, Azra asked Loralia if she would step outside to talk to him. She agreed, but they were stepping out of the door when Azra turned back around to look at the battle-worn winged man.
“Azrael,” he said. “If you are willing, I would greatly appreciate your help as well.”
Azrael nodded.
“What can I do for you?”
Chapter Eight
Elise sliced the final loaf of bread and piled it onto a platter with the rest of the pieces. It was the middle of the afternoon and she was still working toward making sure that everyone was fed. There were too many of them to eat all at once when there only a few of them preparing food, but she hoped that if they were going to spend much longer on Penthos that they would be able to find a more efficient process. She was happy to help in whatever way she could, including preparing these meals with Lila as well as Eden, Zuri, and Zsilvia, some of the other women she had met that morning, but she would prefer if they were all able to eat at the same time. Somehow, she felt like it would make them stronger, tightening their connection and helping to create a more unified feeling among a group so splintered and varied.
Not for the first time that day she paused and listened as intently as she could. She was waiting to hear the drums, to know that the hybrid army was on its way and that soon the group would have to mobilize and leave the compound again. The thought was terrifying. She hadn’t seen Azra at all that day and she couldn’t bear the thought of him having to go into battle without having a chance to hold him again. Waking up without him beside her had been upsetting. The emptiness in the place where he had been lying felt hollow and she had instantly felt her stomach drop. As she walked around the compound, however, she had been reassured by everyone she asked that Azra was fine, that he was just getting himself ready for what was to come and talking through what had already happened with the warriors who had been here on Penthos while he was on Earth.
Azra & Elise’s Story (Uoria Mates IV Book 10) Page 4