Samira laughed again.
“I guess that didn’t really matter much for long.”
“No, it didn’t,” Valerie agreed. “I spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the museum with Martin, and then he bought me dinner and explained all kinds of things that I would never remember, but that I know I found utterly fascinating then. From that day on, he was what I thought about. He never made me feel like I was less than him for not understanding the things that he loved. Instead, he showed interest in the things that I cared about and made me feel special and unique for my own skills and abilities. I never felt more beautiful and appreciated than when he was around me. We could literally sit around the house doing absolutely nothing together, and I was happy. I just needed him around. What was even more wonderful than that, was that he felt the exact same way about me.”
Samira sighed dreamily. Valerie had never been allowed to talk about Samira’s father to her when she was growing up, and now that she was hearing these stories that she had never known, Samira was feeling even greater longing for her father, along with a sense of gratitude that he had made her mother’s life as beautiful as he did for the time that he was able to.
“I just don’t understand,” Samira said. “If he was so amazing and made you feel so good, how could you fall in love with someone like Randall?”
“I never loved Randall,” Valerie said. “That’s the first time that I really admitted that to anyone. Even myself. The truth is, though, that when your father died, I died, too. You were an incredible joy to me and to your father, and we loved you more than any child had ever been loved, but when he was gone there was an emptiness in me that I couldn’t seem to make go away. I thought that things would get better. I thought that I would get through the grieving process and the pain would ease, and eventually I would be able to go on with my life. That just never happened. So, one night I went out to a bar and I met Randall. He told me I was pretty and asked me to dance. It was the first time since your father that I had gotten any attention from a man. Looking back on it now I know that that is because I had kept myself completely locked away from everything and everyone after he died. This was the first opportunity I had to have someone look at me with any semblance of the feeling that your father did, and even though the look that Randall gave me was nowhere near emotional, I latched onto it. I hoped that having a man in my life again would make me feel better about myself and help me to get through. Instead, he took a broken woman and just broke me even further. He had recognized the hurt in me from the moment that his eyes fell on me, and he took advantage of it.”
“I just don’t understand why you let him do it,” Samira said. “The first time, why didn’t you just walk out and not go back?”
“I wish that I could tell you when the first time was,” Valerie said. “Maybe then I would have a better idea as to why I didn’t just walk away. The reality, though, is that it happened so fast, I didn’t even have a chance to process it. It was as if I had been living half-awake and by the time that I woke up, I was already living with him and he was treating me so badly that I didn’t feel like I was worth saving. It’s so much harder to want to save someone who is already dead inside.”
“I think that you were worth saving,” Samira said through the tears that were now sliding down her cheeks. “I always have.”
“I know,” Valerie said. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t have done better for you.”
“It’s not your fault,” Samira said. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“When you grew up, you looked and acted and thought so much like your father. Like Martin.” She said the name as if it tasted cool and sweet in her mouth after all of the years when she had been forbidden to say it. “I was so proud of you. I knew that you would have a life ahead of you. I honestly didn’t know the things that he did to you.”
“I know that you didn’t,” Samira said. “I know now.”
“I said that I felt like I was half-awake after your father died. Well, when I realized the situation that I had gotten myself, that I had gotten us, into, I feel like I went back to sleep. I had to. It wasn’t until Ero came that I started to wake up. That first time, when you were staying at Zuri’s and you came to get your things? There was a short time after that when Randall actually let me breathe. I thought that things were going to get better and that I might be able to endure the rest of my years. All too soon, though, I could see it in him again. If you hadn’t come back here to get married and Ero hadn’t confronted Randall again, I don’t think that I would have survived much longer. That was the moment when I woke up, completely and totally.”
“I am so proud of you,” Samira said. “Leaving him must have been so hard.”
“Harder and scarier than the thought of staying with him,” Valerie said. “But I had to do it. If I had let you walk out of that house that day without me with you, that would have been it. I never would have seen you get married. I never would have had the chance. But I did, and I’m here. That’s how I’ve known that I could do this. Nothing is more horrifying than fighting a battle against someone who is both the person who is supposed to love you, and the enemy whose fight against you that you don’t understand. With this war, there is a reason to fight and the enemy that is against us is clear. There are lives to save and people to free who never deserved the fate that they were given, but who do deserve another chance. I got that chance, and I will do anything in my power to give one to someone else. I am braver and stronger now than I have ever been, and I know that I am ready for whatever is waiting for us beyond this ship.
Chapter Twelve
“Where’s the baby?” Pyra asked as he stepped into the sleeping chamber.
Eden smoothed an extra blanket across the bed, thankful for the private chambers that were far more comfortable than the pods that she’d had to travel in on previous trips. Though she and Pyra still had to use a pod during the ascent and descent of the ship, having access to the ship’s officer quarters meant that they had more space and amenities to enjoy during the rest of the flight, and now as they continued to wait for Rilex to return so that they could leave to connect with Maxim.
“He fell asleep with Zsilvia, so I decided to let him nap for a little while with her.”
“So, we have some time to ourselves,” he said.
Eden nodded and fluffed the pillows. Though she knew that they would be leaving the ship soon and didn’t know when they would return, making the bed helped remind her that they would eventually be able to return. Knowing the soft, comfortable bed was waiting for them helped to reassure her and keep the reality of the war that waited outside at bay.
“We should,” she said.
“I feel like we haven’t gotten any time to be alone together in far too long,” he said.
Eden felt a tremble in her belly as she heard her mate’s footsteps come up behind her. Pyra's hands cupped over her breasts, filling his palms with her pliant flesh and kneading into them through the thin shirt that she wore. She could feel her nipples tighten in response to his touch and she sighed, enjoying the touch from her mate that it had been so long since she had been able to enjoy. Her body was shivering with desire and anticipation, but Pyra was moving with a slow, almost torturous precision as if he wanted to take full advantage of every second that he had with her. His hands left her breasts and ran down along her ribcage and into the dip between her hipbones. They paused at the waistband of her skirt.
Pyra brought his hand back down between her thighs and nestled his fingers into the wet heat of her core. They moved masterfully over her, showing her with every tender circle and increase of pressure just how much he knew her and her body. It was comforting and reassuring, making her feel safer and more secure as he reminded her of the powerful bond that they held between them. Her breathing was labored and she could feel herself shaking as he leaned her forward and his tongue stroked up her back. She gasped, rounding her back toward him in search of more of the feeling. Pyra gui
ded them both back toward the bed and swept her up into his arms. He lowered her to the mattress so that she sat in the center and then climbed up to sit behind her. He positioned his knees on either side of her, cradling her back against him as he used his hands to press her knees apart.
She was completely swept away by the feeling of his skin on her back and the scent of him surrounding her. They filled her senses and took away everything else so that she didn’t care about anything but what she was experiencing in his arms. Eden reveled in the brush of Pyra’s fingers over her tightened nipples, along her ribs and onto her belly, and then down to her inner thighs. Her body was hot and aching for him, and she knew that he was well aware of how much she wanted him, but he took his time. He let each of his touches on her body linger, gently guiding her through controlled, increasing levels of pleasure.
Eden writhed as her mate’s huge, strong hand explored her slick folds, his fingertips swirling over the taut, hypersensitive pearl at her peak with an intimate knowledge of her that was unlike anything that she had ever experienced. The touch was intoxicating, reminding her of how extremely the existence of Pyra had changed her life, and building intense pressure throughout her hips, thighs, and stomach. Pyra held her firmly around the waist with his other arm, offering her strength and stability as he brought her closer and closer to the brink of her control. She felt her body tightening as the sensations reached the edge and she resisted the oblivion that waited just beyond. She didn’t want to give up the pleasure that he was giving her or to have to return to the reality that would press down around her.
"Relax,” Pyra murmured into her ear. “Enjoy it. Let me bring you there.”
At the urging of his words, Eden released her control, letting go of her hesitation and handing all of her trust over to him. The pressure of Pyra’s fingertips increased slightly and he slid down until two fingers entered her. Eden felt like the world dissolved around her as her walls clenched down on his fingers and then released into a cascade of rippling tremors. The series of frantic, shuddering spasms pulled his fingers deeper into her and tore a gasping cry from her chest. She arched into the feeling and finally collapsed back into his arms, gasping for breath as she let the waves of pleasure roll over her.
Pyra groaned deep in his throat and slowly withdrew his fingers. He turned her around in his arms and then eased her back so that she lay on the mattress staring up at him. The fresh bedding that she had placed on the bed felt cool and it was soothing against the fiery flush of her skin. She turned her cheek to touch it and let out a long exhalation. Without a word, Pyra gently parted her legs again and settled his hips in between them. For a moment, he simply hovered above her. His eyes were locked on hers and she felt closely, tightly connected to him. The tip of his engorged cock brushed her core and he rocked his hips slightly to massage through her still-trembling folds. She rolled her hips in response, causing him to slip down and nestle at her opening. Pyra groaned at the suggestive touch and he pushed forward so that he filled her in one deep stroke.
Eden’s mouth fell open and moaned as she reached up to wrap her arms around him. He paused where he was, pressing fully into her and giving her body a chance to stretch around him before he started to move. Pyra rolled his hips so that his hard length massaged her, nurturing her intensely and powerfully. She felt like he was taking care of her and was instantly overwhelmingly grateful for him. No matter what she was facing, no matter what they went through, as long as he was by her side she felt like she could surmount anything.
The world around Eden was reduced to purely sensory experiences. The masculine smell of Pyra’s body blended with her own musky and clean sweat. The warmth of his skin and pressure of his body on hers stood in delicious contrast to the soft blankets and deep, cradling pillows. Around her the sound of Pyra’s heartbeat and deep breath combined with the comfort of the bed to create a surrounding bubble from which she never wanted to emerge.
After a few more long, deep strokes, Pyra wrapped his arm around Eden’s waist and settled back on his knees so that he could pull her up an into his lap. She wrapped herself happily around him, holding him as close as she could with her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist, and allowed him to guide the movement and pace of her hips. The rhythm and feeling of her clit massaging against his pubic bone was dizzying and soon she felt herself building up toward another climax.
Eden ran her fingers through Pyra’s shock of thick white hair and gazed into his eyes. Their color was a testament to the connection between them, the unique link that proved that they were made for each other, destined to be together from the moment of their births, and that made them inseparable. He was set aside only for her, as she was set aside only for him, and there was nothing and no one that could part them. It was a sense of security and strength that was indescribable. These moments when they were so close together, their bodies melded into one, only intensified their bond. This was more than the passion of their bodies. They were joined together to a place that transcended the moment and each of them as individuals.
Pyra’s fingertips dug into her as he rocked her hips harder. He leaned forward and caught her nipple in his mouth, suckling at her breasts to muffle the sounds that she could feel pouring out of his throat. Suddenly Eden felt him lift his hips to drive into her with a hard thrust and his cock pulsed, spilling into her as her body responded with its own intense contraction. This orgasm was even more intense than the last and when her mouth opened, no sound came out. Her back arched and she clung to his shoulders. Pyra rested his hands on her lower back and drew her forward into his arms so that he could embrace her. She tucked her head into the curve of his neck and tenderly kissed along his shoulder.
They stayed as they were for several more minutes, Pyra still buried deeply inside Eden as they kissed and stroked each other's sweaty skin. She never wanted to move. As long as they stayed just as they were, nothing else existed. She could continue to just enjoy him and pretend that there was nothing else waiting for them outside of the ship.
When their breath had returned to normal and their heartbeats had slowed and normalized, Pyra rolled to his hip and then lowered her down to the mattress so that they lay beside one another. Eden reached up and ran her fingertips along the side of Pyra’s face. He turned and touched a kiss to her palm, then rested his hand on her hip. She didn’t want to speak, she didn’t want to shatter the peaceful, beautiful energy that they had created between them, or to bring back the anxiety and stress that she knew that her mate had been suffering. But she knew that she had to.
“What do we do now?” she asked softly.
Pyra let out a long exhalation and ran his hand along her hip and into the dip of her waist.
“I think that we need to leave,” he said.
“What about Rilex and Severine?” she asked. “You heard what Jem said.”
He nodded subtly, looking down at the bed briefly.
“I know,” he said. “I heard him and I know what Ciyrs said, too, but I don’t think that we can wait any longer. We’ve been here for long enough as it is. Maxim has been waiting for us. There’s no way to know what type of danger that he might be facing, and we’re just sitting around the ship waiting for one person to come back.”
“Two,” Eden reminded him.
“What do you think is going to happen with them?” Pyra asked.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“The hybrids that you rescued and the pregnant women. What will happen to them? They might have been captive, but that was the only home that they had.”
“Not the women,” Eden said. “Remember what Severine said. They were captured and forced into the breeding program. They have homes and lives that they had to leave behind.”
“Do you think that they will be able to go back to them?” Pyra asked, lifting up to lean on his elbow. “We don’t know how long they’ve been gone, and now that…”
His voice trailed off and Eden narrowed her eyes at
him.
“Now that what?”
“They’re all pregnant,” he said. “Even though they’re not in the facility anymore, they are still being forced to carry those babies.”
“Why does that matter?” Eden asked, mimicking his position. “Do you think that their families won’t accept them because of what they’ve been through?”
“I don’t know,” Pyra said. “I don’t know how their families would react. Some of them have been gone for years, and their families might have moved on.”
“Would you move on from me?” Eden asked.
She felt emotion tightening her throat painfully as she thought about the possibility of Pyra turning his back on her if something were to happen. She knew that she was fortunate to not have been captured and used as one of the breeders, and that there was always a chance that something could happen that would take her away from Pyra. Encountering the hybrids and the situation with Jem had only proven that to her even more poignantly.
“That’s different,” he said.
“Why?” Eden asked. “What if he had captured me when we were in the University? What if one of the Valdicians takes me prisoner while we are fighting? Would you just give up on me?”
“Of course, I wouldn’t,” he said. “We are bonded together. There’s nothing that can take us apart.”
“So, you would only stay loyal to me because of our bond?” she asked. “Only because you are Denynso and are linked to me as your mate?”
“You are Denynso, too,” he told her.
“But I wasn’t always,” Eden said. “I was human when I went to Uoria and we first completed our bond. You knew then that I didn’t have the same link that you have to me. When the Klimnu attacked me and Ciyrs was trying to save my life, did you only stay beside me because of our bond?”
The Alien's Mystery (Uoria Mates IV Book 7) Page 10
