by Lili Zander
He taps the screen, and I see a photo of five fuzzy pink kittens. “Tigates,” he says. “I found them in the mountains yesterday.” His brow furrows. “Their mother was nowhere to be seen.”
“Is that bad?”
“Yes.” He pulls a tray of food from the syn and puts it in front of me. Nothing looks too weird, and hopefully, I’m not eating alien animal testicles or something, though, to be perfectly honest, I’m too hungry to care. I smile when I remember Ruhan teasing me about lek back on Drobal. It was just two days ago, but it feels like forever. So much has happened since then. “The babies are defenseless without their parents.”
He looks pretty worried, the poor kid. “Maybe the mother was just hunting for food,” I suggest.
“I hope so,” he says gloomily. “They’re endangered, you know. It’s almost impossible to find them anymore.”
Arax chats with me while I eat. When I’m done, I get him to make me another tray of food, because, as I predicted, Ruhan hasn’t stopped by to eat. Taking the food, I head out again.
I find Ruhan in the building housing the generators. He’s sitting on the floor, surrounded by an assortment of wires, panels, and other parts. Blue is next to him, plugged into a console. “You lied,” I tell Ruhan, handing him the tray. “You said you’d stop to eat.”
“I said I’d eat soon.” He grins lazily and pats the ground next to him, and I sit down too, folding my legs so that I don’t crush the assortment of electronic parts all around us. “I didn’t specify how soon that was.”
I roll my eyes. “That’s a loophole, and you know it.”
He laughs. “Actually, I forgot. Thank you for bringing me something to eat.”
“No problem. How’s it looking?”
“Surprisingly hopeful,” he says. “Their security was already quite good, and Blue’s boosted it. First can breathe fire all he wants, but he’s not going to get past the shielding.”
The techbot chirps smugly. Relief floods through me. “What now? We wait?”
“Pretty much.”
The sun’s almost set. “Will First attack at night?”
“I doubt it.” Ruhan’s expression hardens. “Even before our time in stasis, First liked to see people cower in terror as he approached. He’ll wait until daybreak.”
I hold his hand. First was a part of Ruhan’s family, and he’s turned out to be a mass-murdering psychopath, and that’s really got to be hard for Ruhan. God knows I know all about dysfunctional families. “I’m sorry,” I say quietly. “I don’t know what to say, but this sucks.”
“It really does,” he agrees. “First was always unstable, but he was also brilliant. In his moments of coherence, he was a fantastic strategist. Now, the red haze has taken over.”
“The red haze?”
“The need to kill,” he replies. “It’s like a pit in our souls. We were made to kill, and we’re frighteningly good at it, but if we feel pleasure in the act, we risk falling prey to the red haze. It’s inside all of us, waiting to take over. We fight it every single day.” He glances at me. “Does that make you afraid?”
“No.” I dismiss the idiotic notion with a wave of my hand. Ruhan didn’t kill the LoreLords. He didn’t burn the soldiers to death. I know who he is and who he isn’t, and he’s not a cold-blooded killer. “Are you going to stay up all night?”
“No need. Blue’s more than capable of being on guard.” At the words of praise, the bot lights up like a Christmas tree. Ruhan gives me another sidelong glance. “Now that we’re alone, let’s talk about what you said earlier.”
I wince. He’s going to bring up me telling the reporters about Gervil again, and we’re going to have an argument. Okay, might as well get it over with. “You didn’t cause the Konar to explode. If Gervil managed to get out, he could have taken some of his crew on his lifeboat, and he didn’t. I know the reporters are beholden to the LoreLords, but maybe some of them will actually do their job and look into the pirate.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.” His lips quirk into a grin. “I’m talking about how you said we were bonded in front of a hundred cameras.”
“Umm…” My cheeks heat. “Sorry about that.”
“I’m not.” His voice is very serious. “There’s something I haven’t told you. When you touch me, the agony of the rathr disappears.” He takes my hand in his. “You’re my mate, Lani. My dragon has known since the moment I saw you. It’s taken me longer to realize the truth.”
Mate. My heart hammers in my chest. Is Ruhan saying what I think he is? “I don’t understand. If it’s because the pain goes away—”
“Lani,” he interrupts, with a roll of his eyes. “This isn’t about the rathr. I’ve borne the pain all my life. It’s about you. You’re the only person in the galaxy I want. You’re the only person in the galaxy that I need.”
Oh. Oh.
I never thought I was the falling-in-love kind. I never had a crush on anyone in high school, and I went through college with my heart intact. When Emika got married to Kevin and I caught the bouquet at the wedding, I’d felt like a complete fraud, because I never wanted to get married.
But I’ve fallen in love with Ruhan, and, judging by the look on his face, he loves me too.
A smile breaks out on my face, and I can’t hold it back. “Despite the snoring?” I tease.
He chuckles. “Despite the snoring,” he agrees. He gets to his feet and pulls me to mine. “How sore are you from the flying?”
Anticipation sparks through me. “What did you have in mind?”
“There’s an empty house here; Ayani gave me the key earlier.” He wraps an arm around my waist and tugs me closer. “We can be as loud as we want.” He nips my earlobe. “Interested?”
Oh, hell yes. “Lead the way.”
26
Lani
In my excitement to get into the empty house, I trip on the doorstep. Ruhan’s right there. He steadies me by scooping me up into his arms. I expect him to set me down right away, but with his trademark cocky grin, he opens the door and carries me inside.
Oh wow. He’s just carried me across the threshold. He’s not human; he won’t understand the symbolism of the act, but I do, and my mouth falls open.
He catches the expression on my face. “What is it?” Ruhan asks. He stops inside the doorway but doesn’t put me down.
Should I tell him? If Ruhan were a human guy, I’d obviously never mention it. Every woman knows the dating rules. Guys don’t like commitment. They don’t like pressure. You never mention marriage; otherwise, you’ll freak them out.
But Ruhan hadn’t panicked when I called him my bondmate in front of a hundred cameras. Not even close. Instead, he called me his mate. He told me that I was the only person in the galaxy he wanted.
He told me he needed me.
“You just carried me across the threshold.” I bite back my smile at his wrinkled brow. To him, I’ve just stated the obvious. “On Earth, in some cultures, it’s a tradition for the husband to carry his wife across the threshold of their home on their wedding night. Wife, as in bondmate.”
He smiles down at me. “I approve of this tradition,” he says. A lump forms in my throat at the expression in his eyes. He looks like Christmas came early. “Where else should I carry you? I am happy to carry you around wherever you need.”
I start to giggle at the thought of him weaving through an alien market with me in his arms. He’d do it, too. “Please, no. I can walk.”
He doesn’t set me down right away. He carries me to the bed and sets me down on it, and then stares down at me. Suddenly, this moment seems momentous. A shiver runs through me.
“Cold?” he asks.
The heat of his body calls to me. I want to touch him, but I hesitate. Doubt emerges from my past, freezing me in place. When I first met Ruhan, he was so carefree and casual, and I’d thought of him as a player. I never would’ve thought he’d be professing undying love to me.
Does he really want me? I’
m not exciting. I haven’t traveled through the galaxy; I hail from a planet where everyone believed, until a few months ago, that we were alone in the universe.
I sniff suspiciously at strange drinks. Half the time, I’m on the verge of freaking out. Ruhan is completely out of my league. I don’t get it. By calling him my bondmate on Nestri TV, have I trapped him?
“Are you sure about this?”
He looks confused. “About what?”
“That I’m your mate,” I murmur. “That you want me to move into your shack.”
“Well, you do snore,” he says, his voice teasing. Then he looks at my face and realizes I’m serious. He sinks on the bed next to me and takes my hand in his. “Your parents didn’t love you,” he says, his voice vibrating with anger. “They didn’t see how special you are. It’s a good thing they’re on a Neutral Zone planet, because if there were here, I would have some things to say to them, none of them kind.” His green eyes rest on me. “I wish you could see yourself the way I see you,” he murmurs. “You’re clever; you survived three months in an Okaki pirate ship. You’re passionate; you demanded that the reporters investigate Gervil’s crimes.” He doesn’t look thrilled. “Even though it would have been far wiser to keep silent. You’re kind; you cried when Mardex talked about his long-lost mate.” He brings my hand up to his lips. “I am many things, Lani. I can be reckless. Impulsive.”
“Cocky,” I mutter under my breath.
He laughs. “That too. But I’m not a fool. I know your worth, Lani Dennison. And if you feel for me even a fraction of what I feel for you, I will be the most fortunate person in the galaxy.”
Oh wow. Tears prickle my eyes. If this is a dream, then nobody wake me up. “I’m crazy about you,” I whisper. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone else in my entire life. Just you.”
Heat sparks to life in his eyes. He runs a hand down my arm. Goosebumps erupt on my skin, and I shiver again. Ruhan closes his arms around me. “Let’s get you warmed up.” His breath tickles my ear.
He lays me down and undresses me slowly, kissing every inch of exposed skin. I reach up and stroke his face, my fingertips lingering over his finely cut cheekbones, his full lower lip, and his dark, silky hair.
He catches my finger in his mouth and sucks on it with a force that makes my pussy clench. “Lovely Lani,” he says, his voice quiet. “I want to kiss every inch of your body.”
His chest rumbles louder. I touch him, feeling the vibration, and give Ruhan an inquiring look. “The dragon,” he replies. “He always knew how important you were.”
“Clever dragon.”
Ruhan’s gaze turns wicked. “And now he thinks I should make love to you.”
My lips twitch. “Impatient beast.”
“You have no idea how impatient.” Ruhan kisses me. Our tongues tangle. I moan into his mouth, melting as I taste the velvety, smoky flavor of him. He cradles my head between his big hands, kissing me as if he’ll never stop.
My insides clench. I’m naked, and he’s still wearing clothes, and that doesn’t seem fair. “I need you,” I gasp.
“Soon, lovely Lani.”
“Now,” I growl.
He chuckles. “My fierce mate.” There’s so much love in his voice that it makes me freeze. He kisses his way down my body and settles between my legs. “I never thought I’d find you,” he whispers.
Before I can react to that sweet, heartbreaking statement, he lowers his mouth to my clit, thrusting two fingers into my pussy. And then I can’t think anymore.
27
Ruhan
Lani’s moans fill the room. Her legs thrash the bed on either side of me, her heels drumming my back. I slide my tongue up one velvety fold of her sex and down the other, seeking every drop of sweetness. When I thrust my tongue into her entrance, she almost rockets off the bed.
“Ruhan,” she moans, grabbing my hair. “I need you.”
I ignore her tugging and angle my face to tease her small, fleshy nub while using my fingers to penetrate her. Her back arches and her legs tremble, and she shudders her release, a low whimper breaking from her lips.
I lick my fingers clean, tasting her essence, and lift my head up. Her face is flushed. Damp tendrils of hair stick to her cheeks. Her lips are swollen from my kisses, her eyes hooded with desire. She’s so lovely; I can’t believe I’m not dreaming.
My beautiful mate.
I lie down next to her. Her eyes crinkle with pleasure, and her lips curl in a lazy smile. “Fuck me, Ruhan. Please.” Her legs fall open. “I need to feel you inside me.”
The sight of her lying on the bed, her hair in a cloud around her face, her face flushed with desire—it’s enough to take my breath away. I smile at her. “So impatient,” I tease.
She runs a finger over my lips. “Less talking, more fucking.”
“As you wish, lovely Lani.” I move over her, position my cock at her entrance, and thrust into her. She’s wet, ready for me. The scent of her arousal is like a drug, and it drives me wild. Her inner walls squeeze my cock, and we moan in unison. With a whole-body shudder, she lifts her hips, nudging me deeper inside her.
I pull my hips back, and thrust, and thrust again. She meets each stroke of mine with a roll of her hips. Her nails dig into my arms, and she throws her head back, exposing the lovely line of her neck. I kiss her in the hollow of her throat and feel her blood pulse under my lips. I suck that spot, and when I raise my head, there’s a satisfying red mark on her skin.
Mine, purrs the dragon.
“Oh my God, Ruhan,” Lani mumbles, caressing the taut muscles of my arms. Her eyes are closed; her face is set in lines of pleasure.
I put her legs on my shoulders and thrust deeper. She gasps, and her eyes fly open. For a second, they’re unfocused, hazy with need, and then she smiles at me. “You feel so good.”
My cock swells harder.
Lani captures my face between her hands and kisses me softly. Little licks along my lips, lazy nips that drive me crazy. I reach down between her legs and find her clit, and I massage it in slow circles. Her moans grow louder.
Sex has always been about pleasure. Never have I held a lover and wished I could just kiss them forever. Only with Lani. My mate.
We’re joined, skin to skin, heart to heart, soul to soul. I never want to let her go.
My thrusts speed up. My climax gathers, a tingling in the base of my spine. Heat builds to an inferno. I grit my teeth and make myself wait. I want to feel her muscles quiver around me. Leaning forward, I tug her nipple between my teeth, and she cries out.
Her body clenches. Her climax takes her. I grab her ass and hold her close, my cock bottoming out in her delicious depths, and I let myself fall into release. With a shout, I cum deep inside her.
My limbs weaken. I pull my weight off her and slump back on the mattress. She rests her head on my shoulder. “That was—”
“Yes.” I agree before she can finish. “It really was.”
We look at each other and laugh. “Round Two?” she asks with a quirk of her lips. “I mean, we have the place to ourselves, and we have all night. Might as well take advantage.”
My perfect mate.
Many hours later, she lies with her cheek to my chest, her silky hair spread over my skin. I run my fingers through the long strands and marvel at my luck.
I waited a thousand years for her.
She was worth the wait.
Lani sighs in lazy contentment. “Penny for your thoughts?” I ask, repeating the human expression she taught me.
She turns her head and gives me a look filled with so much love that my heart aches with happiness. “You’re not the most fortunate person in the galaxy,” she says. Her fingers dance across my skin, her smile blazing forth like the morning sun. “I am.”
28
Ruhan
I thought First would attack at daybreak.
He doesn’t.
Fine by me. I can use the extra time to add more complexity and fail-safes to the tow
n’s shields. Before I get started on that, I hack into the drones that hover just inside the town borders and route their signals to my screen. Three of Ayani’s people are also monitoring the drones, looking for any sign of First and his minions. They’re undoubtedly good at what they do, and there’s no real need for me to personally watch the feeds.
But I don’t care. Lani’s with me. If the shields fail and if Cintra falls, her life is at risk. The stakes are far too high to leave anything to chance.
Naren, one of the technicians that worked with me yesterday, is already at the power plant when I walk in with Lani. Blue’s already there, his appendages plugged into the auxiliary power supply. “This techbot of yours is a marvel,” Naren says. “I thought our shields were pretty good, the best tech the Empire had to offer, outside of what’s reserved for the Zoraken, of course. But the bot’s increased our counter-thrust ability by fifty percent. If you asked me this morning, I’d have told you that was impossible.”
“Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast,” Lani quips. I give her an inquiring look, and she flushes. “It’s a line from one of my favorite books. Alice in Wonderland. Alice tumbles down a rabbit hole, finds herself in Wonderland, where everything is strange and peculiar.”
“As strange as the Empire?”
She grins. “You’re right, I seem to find myself trapped in a story of my own.”
“Is it a good one?”
“It’s been pretty up-and-down so far, but things are definitely picking up. I’ve got great hopes for the next chapter.” She winks at me. “I’m a sucker for a happy ending, and I think I’m going to get one.”
As soon as we get out of here. As soon as I foil First’s plans to kill thousands of innocent people. A task that doesn’t seem as impossible as it did yesterday. As long as Cintra’s shields hold—and short of sabotage, the shields will hold—we will defeat First. For now.
