by Presley Hall
“Zatir!” I shriek, bowing backward as he begins to thrust up into my ass hard and fast, his fingers still buried inside me as he forces the orgasm to keep going. “Zatir, oh fuck, Zatir!”
I moan helplessly, my body writhing against his as I come hard. Dimly, I hear him groan, his arm going around me to crush me against his chest as he comes with a roar, his cock throbbing hotly in my ass.
I slump in his arms, dizzy, still whispering his name as I cling to him. I feel as if I’m floating, oblivious to anything other than my mate.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
29
Zatir
I’ve never felt such indescribable pleasure. Never felt so whole.
I hold Nadia in my embrace for several long moments, my cock still throbbing with shocks of pleasure long after I’ve finished emptying my seed deep inside her. Even as I begin to soften slowly, I stay buried in her, enjoying the closeness of her naked body against mine, her heat around my fingers, and her arousal drenching my hand and thighs. She’s so responsive, and I love every second of it.
Silently, I vow to make her come as often and as hard as I can for the rest of our lives, in every possible way I can imagine. Just the thought of her using my cock earlier to tease herself to an orgasm makes me harden a little again, twitching inside of her as I nuzzle the crook of her neck.
When I finally give in and allow myself to slide out of her, I lift her in my arms and carry her to the shower. The ship is set on automatic controls as it cruises back toward Kalix, so there’s no need for me to remain in the captain’s seat. We’re cloaked from enemy ships, but I don’t imagine any will be coming our way soon. Once word of Kildred’s death makes its way through the universe, anyone else I’ve angered will think twice about coming after me.
Under the hot water, I gently bathe my mate, running a soapy cloth over her flushed skin as she sighs and looks up into my eyes.
“You did well,” I tell her, smiling. “Very well. You acquitted yourself in battle as well as any warrior.”
“Thanks.” She beams up at me, clearly thrilled by the compliment.
“There’s so much more of the universe I want to show you,” I add, turning her around so that I can wash her hair. “So many things we can explore together. Places more beautiful than you’ve ever imagined.”
“I can’t wait to see them,” she whispers, leaning back against my chest. “All I want is adventures with you, Zatir, for the rest of our lives. I want to explore everything in the universe with you.”
My chest swells with a rush of joy at how perfectly matched we are.
She has softened my hard edges, the sharp defenses that I built up in the aftermath of all my losses. And I know that I’ve changed her too. The shy, blushing, nervous girl I followed onto that balcony is just a memory now, the outer shell of the Nadia I have pressed against me now—a brave, daring, and strong woman who is more than a match for any warrior.
* * *
Our return to Kalix goes smoothly, thank all the gods.
I can see Nadia’s growing excitement as we near my home planet, and I feel the same. As much as I’ve enjoyed this time with her on the ship, with the danger behind us and the mate bond deepening daily, I’m ready to be home. I want to start our life together, to move into a house and begin anew with Nadia at my side.
Once we’re close enough for the signal to go through, I call in to Kalix’s command center on the comms. The voice of the warrior who responds sounds alarmed when it crackles over the line, but I quickly reassure him that the unknown signal is coming from me.
“We’re coming in on a commandeered enemy ship, but it’s me. Nadia is safe too. We’re both alive and well.”
“Thank the gods. We’ll alert the commander and King Khrelan that you’re returning, Zatir.”
“Can you have someone get a message to Nadia’s sister, as well? Her name is Brielle, and she’s with the other unmated Terran women in Jocia. I want her to know that her sister is safe and will be home soon.”
With that finished, I’m able to once again sweep Nadia into my arms and carry her off to bed, wanting to enjoy every minute of the uninterrupted time that we have together.
Later, as we lie in bed, Nadia snuggles into my chest. “We’ll be back on Kalix tomorrow?” she asks, her head pillowed on my shoulder.
“I believe so. Midday, probably.”
“I’m excited to get back,” she says, tracing a finger over the dark markings that cover my chest and shoulder. Just that small touch makes my skin tingle, and I know I’ll never grow tired of it. This woman makes me burn with more desire than I could ever have imagined feeling for one person. “I feel bad for making Brielle worry, but I know she’ll be happy to see me. I’m sure she missed me.”
“It’s you that sounds worried.” I tilt her chin up so that I can look into her eyes. “What’s wrong?”
My mate takes a slow, deep breath. “I’m just worried that this will make her even more protective of me,” she admits. “I’m worried she’ll be angry and upset about everything that happened, that she’ll try to fight us being together. That she’ll never see me as anything but that scared, bloodied girl sitting in the middle of the living room. I want her to see that I’m more than that now, that I’m happy—but I’m afraid she won’t be able to.”
I kiss the top of her head, wanting to reassure her. I’m wiser than to get between two sisters—whatever issues Nadia and Brielle still have to work out, I’ll let them handle it on their own. But I know Nadia is stronger than Brielle realizes, and I hope the other woman will be able to see that once we return.
“You’re strong and capable, with a bravery that goes all the way to your bones,” I tell Nadia. “No matter what happens, that won’t change. And Brielle will see it. I believe that.”
A brilliant smile crosses her face before she kisses me deeply, her hands threading into my hair.
The feeling of her slender, naked body pressed against mine makes my cock thicken immediately, despite the fact that I just came buried deeply inside of her only a few minutes ago. My arousal for her seems to be never-ending, and although I’m sure the mating lust will temper over time, I’m not in the least bit of a hurry.
It can be inconvenient at times, but I enjoy the fact that Nadia can make me hard again within minutes. The touch and sight and scent of her is all I need to be fiercely aroused.
Her lips curve into that beautiful smile that I adore so much as she reaches down, her fingers trailing along my cock.
“Thank you,” she murmurs. “I love you… my mate.”
Her voice turns sultry on the last word, and she rolls me onto my back and crawls up to straddle my waist. Fisting my shaft, she angles her hips and notches my crown at her entrance, then sinks down slowly. As we find our rhythm together, my hands on her hips as she rides me, I can’t help but gaze up at her in awe.
Without a doubt, there’s not a single man in the universe luckier than I am.
30
Nadia
The next day, we arrive back home.
It’s that thought—we’re home—going through my head that makes me realize I’ve truly come to think of it in that way. Kalix is my home now. It has been for some time, but that fact feels more real than ever with Zatir by my side. This is where we’ll build our future, where we’ll live together, where we’ll even likely have children together. That thought is enough to send a swirl of butterflies through my stomach, nervousness and anticipation and excitement hitting me all at once.
The moment the doors of the ship open, a handful of Alpha Force warriors stride toward us—and a half second later, Brielle sprints past them, running straight for the small craft.
“Nadia!”
She shouts my name, racing toward me and enveloping me in a tight hug the moment I’m close enough to touch, squeezing me so fiercely that I can’t breathe. She’s crying, I realize. My tough, overprotective, hard-as-nails sister is crying.
After sever
al short, gasping sobs, she pulls back, wiping at her eyes. “I thought you were dead.”
Now I’m the one who hugs her, wrapping my arms around her. “I’m okay,” I promise, rubbing the back of her shoulders as she gets herself back under control. “I promise, I’m really okay. Better than that, in fact.”
When we break apart, Brielle gets a good look at me for the first time and realizes what I’m wearing—the bodysuit I got back on Manea, although I’ve left the weapons off. Her blue eyes go wider than I’ve ever seen them before, her gaze running up and down my body for a long moment before she finally finds her voice again.
“W-what happened?”
“I’ll tell you everything,” I promise her. “Very soon.”
Zatir steps forward, linking his fingers with mine, and Brielle’s focus immediately drops to our intertwined hands. When she looks back at my face, I can see the growing suspicion in her expression. She looks completely stunned as she sees me move closer to him.
I take a deep breath. Well, there’s no putting this off any longer.
“I know you’re going to have a hard time accepting this, especially after what happened,” I tell my sister, who’s standing frozen in front of me. “But I’ve accepted the mate bond. We’ve consummated it, and we’re… we’re together.”
Zatir looks down at me when I say that, and the expression on his face makes me flush. I squeeze his hand more tightly as I meet Brielle’s gaze. I feel bad for dropping all of this on her at once, but I also know there was no way she was going to let us off this dock without giving her some answers.
“I love him,” I continue. “I know what you’re going to say—that I’m young, and inexperienced, and we hardly know each other. But we’ve been through a lot together in these last few weeks. None of it was planned, but it turned out to be for the best in the end. This is different from that asshole I dated back on Earth,” I tell her firmly. “Zatir couldn’t be more different. Kevin manipulated me, controlled me, and made me afraid. But Zatir hasn’t hurt me. Instead, he risked his life to make sure that I was safe, even when it could have meant his death. Instead of controlling me, he listened to my ideas, and he let me be his partner in everything that happened instead of forcing me to stay behind and telling me what to do. He never saw me as weak or incapable. He trusted me through everything.”
The words come easily, pouring out of me in a rush. On the way back to Kalix, I thought a lot about what I would say to Brielle, but this is nothing like the speeches I practiced in my head. I had planned on trying to appeal to her logical, practical side, using arguments that would appeal to her lawyerly side. But ultimately, this isn’t about what makes the most sense on paper. It’s about how I feel, and about what feels right.
“I couldn’t ask for a better man. Zatir protects me with everything he has, but he also respects me. He respects my choices, and my freedom, and sees me as his equal, not his inferior. The mate bond chose correctly. He’s helped me find my strength. And I’ve helped him too. He sees every part of me,” I finish softly, my voice full of the love that swells up in my chest as I tell Brielle how much my mate means to me. “And he loves me for every part.”
“I will always honor and care for your sister.” Zatir’s voice is deep and sure. “I swear it, by all the gods, for as long as I live.”
Brielle remains quiet for a long moment. No one says anything at all, the other Kalixians who came to greet us hanging back respectfully as they watch our exchange. I can see my sister processing it all, thinking over what we’ve each said.
“Is this what you want?” she finally asks. “Is he really what you want?”
Something in my chest loosens, and I realize suddenly how long I’ve been waiting for her to ask me that question. How long I’ve been waiting for her to ask me what I want, instead of deciding for me, for my own good.
I nod without a hint of hesitation. “Yes. Zatir makes me happier than I’ve ever been in my entire life. I know this is the best thing for me.”
Brielle studies my face carefully as I speak, like she’s looking for any hint that I don’t mean what I say.
Whatever she sees in my expression, it makes tears spring to her eyes. She swallows, reaching up to brush them away with the back of her hand. Her blue eyes shimmer as more droplets well up, and she nods, her lips quivering.
“Well, then,” she says, laughing through her tears, “you should be with him. Not that you need me to tell you that,” she adds with a watery chuckle. “But if you’re truly happy, and this is your choice, then of course I support you. I love you.”
Unable to stop myself, I haul her into a fierce hug.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
My greatest fear was that Brielle wouldn’t understand, that she’d fight Zatir and me every step of the way, and that it would be an irrevocable divide between us. But that hasn’t happened. She might not completely understand my choice—I can still see the stunned look in her eyes when we separate and she glances between Zatir and me—but she accepts it. She’s at least willing to try to go along with this new, more decisive version of me. And that means more to me than I can say.
Malav strides forward after a moment, clapping Zatir on the shoulder.
“Congratulations to you both. And welcome home. Let’s head to the palace. We can continue this reunion there, and Tordax will want details of what you got up to on your adventure.” He raises an eyebrow at Zatir. “And besides that, Khrelan will need to sort out a place for the two of you to live, now that you’re mated.”
“All right,” Zatir says easily. But as Malav, Brielle and the others turn toward the waiting transport pods, he grips my hand tightly, hanging back for a moment.
I turn toward him, stretching up to wrap my arms around his neck as I look into his beautiful dark eyes. Sparks of amber gleam in them, expanding as I watch as they do so often.
My heart feels as if it’s bursting, so much love and happiness and relief flooding me that I feel consumed by it. So many things could have gone wrong while we were out in space, but despite the dangers, we survived. And now we’ve made it home together. We have all of our lives stretching out in front of us.
“I hope you’re ready for years and years of adventure with me,” I murmur teasingly, dropping a light kiss onto his lips. “Because I think I’ve got a taste for it now.”
Zatir grins roguishly, pulling me more tightly against him as he reaches up to brush his knuckles over my cheek. “I can’t imagine anything better, my fierce, wild mate.”
Honestly? Neither can I.
Epilogue
Brielle
The pod I live in feels far too empty now that Nadia has gone to live with Zatir in their new home.
It feels strange not having her here. I’m glad that she’s happy, of course. All I’ve ever wanted for her is happiness, safety, and security—all the things that eluded her for so long. And she’s sworn to me that she’s found them all with the roguish Kalixian.
I was extremely skeptical of it at first. The bond happened so quickly, and Nadia has rushed into things before, with terrible results. It wasn’t so much that I didn’t believe the bond existed as that I didn’t want it to happen to her.
Not to my little sister. My sweet, vulnerable sister. I didn’t trust anyone with her heart.
But I can’t deny that she seems different now. More confident and more sure of her feelings for him than she did before their adventure away from Kalix. And I have to admit—reluctantly—that Zatir did protect her and bring her back in one piece.
Still, part of me has a hard time accepting any of this.
I’ve made it through life by focusing on reality, on what needed to be done to take care of myself and Nadia, not on fantasies and fairytales. And that’s exactly what this all seems like. It feels impossible to just accept that our lives now involve traveling in spaceships and living on a foreign planet and mating with alien men. Part of me wishes I could’ve kept shielding Nadia from this strange new reality
, but I’m coming to terms with the fact that she has to make her own choices and live her own life.
And I truly am thrilled that she’s happy.
Except… now that she’s living with Zatir, there’s a strange sort of hole in my life. For so long, it revolved around Nadia above all else—looking out for her, protecting her, worrying about her.
I don’t need to do that anymore. Nadia has made it clear that she doesn’t want that anymore. So what do I fill my life with now? I’ve pushed aside any thoughts of what I like, what I might want, for so long in favor of trying to piece Nadia’s life back together and keep her safe. So while I might be able to focus on myself now, I’m not entirely sure that I know who that person is anymore. Who am I, without Nadia as my focal point?
It’s made me restless and a little irritable. I haven’t lived on my own for years now, and the pod feels empty and too quiet with no one but me to fill up the space.
Needing a change of scenery, I decide to go out for a walk. It’s something I don’t do often, unless there’s a specific reason. I think the Kalixians mean well, but I’m still uncomfortable around them, especially the huge warriors of the Alpha Force. I don’t know what to talk about, so I try to avoid anything that might lead to a conversation.
But the day is mild and sunny, and I find myself enjoying wandering down the streets, looking at the scenery and breathing in the fresh air. No one stops me or tries to talk to me, and it occurs to me that maybe I should do this more often. Maybe this is the first thing I’ll discover that I like doing on my own—going on walks.
Inadvertently, I find that I’m heading in the direction of the training arena. The other women go there fairly often, both the mated and unmated ones, but I never have. I’ve avoided it as a silly pastime and one that I find a little intimidating, but now I realize I’m more than a little curious. Some part of me really wants to see what it’s like. And there’s nothing stopping me now. I no longer have the responsibility of keeping Nadia away from the warriors. So why not go?
