The Edge of it All

by Jessica Grayson

  Laying on one of the plush sofas, I stare out at the viewscreen and the myriad stars blurring past. The heavy weight of my exhaustion tries to claim me, but I fight it back. Reaching up to touch my lips, I close my eyes, remembering the feel of Soran's mouth on mine. Sadness fills me, and I shake my head softly. I have to let him go.

  The door chimes, ripping me from my thoughts. "Enter," I call out.

  Soran steps inside. He walks toward me and his eyes go wide as they drift down my form. "You were sleeping." He says this as a statement, but I know it's meant as a question.

  "I laid down for a bit, but I was waiting for you."

  He gives me a hesitant look. "What is wrong?"

  "Grex told me about your people. About you becoming Outcast if you take me as your mate." I search his eyes. "Is it true?"

  Lowering his gaze, he nods. "It is truth. I wanted to tell you, but I needed to speak with my mother first to see if an exception could be made."

  From his expression and his tone, I already know what her answer must have been.

  I shake my head. "Why didn't you say anything before now?"

  He kneels in front of the sofa. Gathering me into his arms, he runs his fingers through my hair as he presses a soft kiss to my forehead. "Because I didn't want you to be hurt, Liana, if my mother didn’t accept you.”

  "You were worried about me being hurt?" I ask incredulously. "What about you? You're the one who would be giving up everything. I can't let you do that, Soran. Not for me."

  He stills and gives me a wary look. "What are you saying?"

  "I'm going to Aerilon with Tr'lani and Al'aneo. I won't let you become Outcast from your people."

  His eyes search mine with a mixture of grief and confusion. "You do not wish to be my mate?"

  Tears swim at the edge of my vision from his devastated expression. "It doesn't matter what I want, Soran. I won't let you give up everything for me."

  Placing his hands on either side of my face, he forces my gaze to his. His silver eyes practically burning as they stare deep into mine. "It is not your decision. It is mine. You are my mate, and you chose me to be yours." He takes my hand and places it to his chest. "You are my heart, Liana. I cannot be without you. No matter the cost to myself."

  His words make my breath catch in my throat, and before I can say anything else, he pulls me into his arms and seals his mouth over mine in a claiming kiss.

  I'm breathless as he lifts me from the sofa and carries me to the bed.

  Gently, he lays me down beneath the blankets and moves in after me. He pulls me close until there is no space between us. He captures my mouth, pressing his lips to mine with an urgency that makes my heart pound.

  His large dark-gray wings wrap around and enfold me, molding my body to his.

  He rolls me beneath him. As his hips settle between my thighs, I gasp when the hard press of his length moves against my center. With only the thin barrier of his clothing between us, desire pools deep in my core as the delicious friction of his body against mine fills me with need.

  His nostrils flare as he draws in my scent, and when his eyes meet mine, the same hunger reflects in them that he had in the cave. "Tell me that you still love me...that you desire me to be yours," he whispers. "Tell me, my Ashaya."

  Tears sting my eyes. "I can't let you give up everything for me, my love."

  He presses his soft lips to mine. "It is not your decision. It is mine," he whispers between kisses. "And I cannot be without you." He pulls back just enough to stare deep into my eyes. "You are my heart. Tell me that I am yours as well."

  I reach up and cup my hands to his face and meet his silver gaze evenly. "You are my heart, and I am yours."

  He crushes his lips to mine with an intensity that leaves me breathless and panting with want. Pressing a line of kisses along my neck, it is the most exquisite sensation as he rolls his hips against mine and wraps his wings even tighter around me.

  I run my fingers through his hair and whisper softly in his ear, "Shav-rhokan."

  He stills for a beat and then captures my mouth in a branding kiss that steals the air from my lungs.

  I unfasten the clasps of his shirt and slide it back from his shoulders, leaving the muscles of his chest and abdomen completely exposed for my hands to explore.

  Careful of my skin, he extends his claws and slices a sharp line down the fabric of my gown, leaving me bare beneath him. His eyes travel over my form. "You are more beautiful than anything I have ever seen,” he whispers in awe-filled reverence.

  Gently, I slide my fingers beneath the waistband of his pants and push them down over his hips. I want no clothing between us now. All I want is him.

  He stares down at me with an intense gaze of love and devotion. "You are my heart, Liana Garza of Terra. You are my Ashaya and you are mine.”

  Lost in the depths of his silver eyes, I trace my fingers along the deep scar that runs from his brow to his cheek as if reminding myself he’s real and he’s here. I’ve dreamed of him for so long and now he’s finally mine. I cup my hand to his neck and pull his mouth down to my own. Tender at first, he groans low in his throat as his tongue curls around mine and he deepens our kiss.

  I run my hands through his hair and then trace them down his neck to his shoulders, to knead the powerful muscles along the length of his back. They ripple and flex beneath my fingers. With his bare skin against mine, warmth floods my body as I wrap my legs around him, holding him close. His stav is like velvet over hard steel against my inner thigh as he moves his hips against me.

  With one arm braced to my side to keep the bulk of his weight off my form, his other hand cups my jaw before he gently trails his fingers down my neck and farther until he reaches the gentle slope of one breast.

  Palming the soft globe in his hand, he teases the peak into a hard-beaded tip as he rolls it between his thumb and forefinger. I gasp and arch beneath him and he swallows my cries with a kiss. As his stav presses insistently against my folds, a low groan escapes him and he claims my mouth like a man possessed.

  He's larger than any Terran male could ever be, and as I reach down and wrap my fingers around his thick, ridged length, he growls low in arousal as I place his tip at the entrance to my core. Desire pulses deep inside me; I long to join my body with his.

  His gaze holds mine and the breath stutters from my lungs as he slowly enters me. Tight heat blooms in my core, and I gasp at the small twinge of pain as he pushes through my barrier. It only lasts a moment before delicious sensation ripples through my body as the ridged length of his stav fills me completely.

  A low moan escapes me as he shifts his hips and then sinks even deeper. With his wings wrapped tightly around my form in a possessive and claiming embrace, he moves in a slow and steady rhythm. His silver reflective eyes stare deep into mine with a look of intense devotion.

  I reach up to trace the hard line of his jaw and stare at him in wonder. Cupping the back of his neck, I pull his mouth back down to me. "I love you," I whisper against his perfect lips. I wrap my arms and legs tighter around him, drawing him impossibly deeper.

  He groans low in his throat and then begins to move even faster. "Mine," he growls, staring deep into my eyes as he claims my body in long, deep strokes. The hard ridges of his stav create a delicious friction that becomes more intense and sends me spiraling higher.

  "Yours," I breathe. We move as one until I'm only aware of him and him alone. Nothing exists outside of this joining of our bodies. His intense silver gaze holds mine as every movement of his body brings me closer to the edge.

  Desire burns through me. All-consuming and overwhelming. Each thrust of his hips becomes more forceful and deeper, and I arch my hips to meet his as a tight coil of pleasure builds deep within my core.

  He drops down low and wraps his arms beneath my back to hold me closer. I gasp as this new angle makes everything more sensitive. His entire body is trembling as if it’s taking all his strength to keep from losing his control. "I want
to be gentle with you," he rasps.

  "You won't hurt me. I promise." Wrapping my legs tighter around him, I whisper against his lips. “I am the bondmate of a Mosauran warrior. I’ve chosen you as mine, and I want all of you.”

  He captures my mouth in a branding kiss. A low and feral growl escapes his throat and every thrust becomes more powerful.

  I twine my arms around his neck, holding tight to his heavily muscled form as the fire of his passion consumes me. The ridges of his stav move deep inside me, creating delicious heat and friction.

  His silver eyes stare down at me, all fire and possession as he claims my body with each and every stroke. The muscles of my channel clench tightly around his stav. My body goes taut. Blinding heat sweeps through me and I cry out his name as wave after wave of pleasure moves through me so strong I don’t know if I can take any more.

  “You. Are. Mine.” He clamps a strong hand on my hip. Holding me in place, he growls and his strokes become more forceful. I open my mouth as another orgasm rushes through me, this one stronger than the last.

  Just when I think I’ll pass out from the pleasure, he makes one final thrust, burying himself impossibly deeper and pinning me in place. I gasp, and my vision goes white as his stav pulses deep in my core, filling me with delicious warmth as he roars above me. “Mine!”

  He collapses on top of me, but makes sure to keep most of his weight on his elbow at my side. I run my fingers gently up and down the length of his back. His heart beats wildly against mine as he nuzzles my neck. "You are mine," he growls low in my ear.

  With our bodies still joined, he stares down at me and I already know what is coming. A softly glowing light centers on his chest and begins to grow brighter. He places his palm directly over the spot, and when he pierces his chest with his claws, the light begins to pulse. Extending his hand to my chest, directly over my heart, the tips of his claws lightly pierce my skin. A small hiss of pain escapes my lips at the sharp sting, but he captures my mouth in a kiss, replacing my discomfort with pleasure.

  Although he explained this to me when I asked about shav-rhokan, nervous anticipation fills me as he lowers his body so that his chest is completely pressed against mine. Heat sears my skin directly beneath his beating heart, but he swallows my gasp with another kiss.

  Intense warmth blooms from the site and across my entire body, filling me with a delicious heat. I close my eyes, lost in the sensation—as if it is wrapping around my very soul. A wave of pure bliss moves through me.

  I open my eyes in sudden awareness as our hearts sync, beating in time as one. "You are my heart," he whispers before pressing a tender kiss to my lips.

  Skimming the tip of his nose alongside mine, he wraps his arms and wings possessively tighter around me. With his stav still buried deep and hard inside me, he cups one hand to my breast, and then angles his lips over mine. And I don’t think we’re going to sleep anytime soon.

  Soran

  I try to let her rest, but I cannot stop kissing her soft, warm skin and gazing at her in wonder. She is perfect, and when she opens her sea-green eyes to stare up at me, that is my undoing. I have to have her again. We mate several more times throughout the night and into the morning. I am reluctant to release her from my arms when she says she wants to bathe, but I remember how obsessed her people are with bathing, and I join her in the shower.

  I run my hands over her beautiful form as I kiss a trail down her jaw to the curve of her neck and shoulder. She gasps lightly, and I lift my head to look up at her.

  Her face is flushed, and her hair is slightly disheveled as it spills over her shoulders in long auburn waves. Her lips are still red and swollen from our Terran kisses and, unable to stop myself, I press my mouth hungrily to hers, whispering passionate words between each breathless kiss.

  Chapter 37

  Soran

  When we reach Talel's holding cell, Liana's hand grips my forearm to stop me.

  "I want to speak with him alone first."

  Clenching my jaw, I reluctantly nod.

  The look in her eyes is one of fierce determination. Although I know my Ashaya is strong, she has been through more than most, and I dislike the idea of her being alone with that monster. "I would like to be in there with you."

  Expecting her to put up some sort of resistance to my request, I'm surprised when she doesn't. Two Aerilon soldiers stand sentry on either side of the entrance to his cell and incline their heads respectfully as we pass.

  Talel's dark gaze practically bores into Liana's. If she is afraid, her expression betrays nothing as she glares across at her previous master. "Who was the woman you were speaking to? The one that thinks you're her beloved?"

  He narrows his eyes. "Why do you want to know?"

  "Tell me," she demands.

  He cocks his head to the side and studies her a moment. "I've had much time to think while in this cell. I've wondered why you kept me alive when you so clearly wished me dead. I thought perhaps, it was a lingering effect of the R'ugol—an attachment to the one who shared your delicious mind so intimately. But that was not it, was it?" He tilts his head to the opposite side. "I tasted your exquisite blood, and I know you are not V'loryn. No. You are something different. Something we have not seen but have heard of before. In the archives of my people, there are stories of a planet of creatures similar to yours, whose blood was said to taste finer than any other and possessed exceptional healing powers."

  His gaze shifts to me. "When you shot me, I should have died. I knew the instant I was hit that it was a mortal wound. Resolved to my fate, I lay on the floor, waiting for death to claim me." A far-away look crosses his face as if reliving the memory. "But something miraculous happened. My body healed completely. Blood has always had restorative powers for my people, but never to that extreme—a mortal wound mended and closed." His eyes return to Liana. He bares his fangs and licks his lips. "What an infinitely precious commodity your blood would be if my people possessed a ready supply of it."

  Lightning fast, Liana steps toward him and jabs the shock stick through the cell and into his side.

  Talel's mouth opens in a silent cry as his body twists and writhes on the ground in agony.

  When she pulls back, his hand moves to his wound, and he hisses in pain.

  "Tell me who the woman was. Now."

  He stares up at her in disbelief. "You dare to use that on me?"

  She raises the shock stick, readying to strike him again if he doesn't answer.

  Fire burns in his gaze as he grits through his teeth. "When I break free, you will pay dearly for that."

  "This”—she hits him again with the shock stick—“is nothing compared to what you did to me. What you've done to who knows how many victims," she grinds out.

  When she steps back, Talel is panting heavily. His head drops to hang against his chest as he draws in big gulping breaths.

  "Hurts, doesn't it?"

  He lifts a dark gaze to her. "Yes."

  "Who is your beloved? Give me her name."

  A low rumble of evil laughter starts deep in his chest as a sinister grin spreads across his face. "Now, I understand. It has all become clear." He narrows his eyes. "You think to use my beloved against me. You believe she will tell you what I will not in exchange for my life. She would never jeopardize our plans by revealing any of my secrets to you."

  "Tell me who she is!"

  She shocks him again, and he cries out in agony as electricity arcs through him. When she pulls back, he bares his fangs in a twisted snarl. "I will not. My Beloved and I will build an Empire greater than any that has come before. And when the A'kai find Mars, we will bathe in the blood of your people. I swear it to the Ancient Blood God, Gwaedara."

  Anger burns in her eyes as she stares down at Talel. "You won't live long enough for that to happen."

  He gives her a murderous gaze. I step toward his cell and meet his cold eyes evenly. "Our Healers have ways of extracting information, but I doubt it's something you'll enjoy."r />
  He huffs. "Am I to believe you would spare my life if I tell you what you wish to know?"

  I growl low in my throat.

  He gives me a dismissive look. "You think I do not have allies on your world, Soran?” He chuckles softly. "Trust me. I will not be held for long."

  I curl my hands into fists at my side. "I doubt that."

  "My brother is First Prime of A'kaina. Would you really risk starting a war between our two races by murdering his own flesh and blood?"

  "You harmed my mate; you broke our laws. Your brother has no recourse to deny us our justice."

  He sneers. "You think my brother cares about your laws? Do you know how many slaves he keeps?" He leans forward. "Dozens for his own personal pleasure." Shaking his head, he settles back against the wall. "No. My brother does not care for your laws, and he certainly does not obey them. Sleep well before we reach your home world, Soran. Because once you arrive, I suggest you take great care with who you trust. The A'kai are allies with many Mosaurans that would see the fall of your House. And when it falls”—his eyes shift to Liana—“I will take your mate as my concubine and partake of her body and her blood every night for my pleasure."

  Covered in armor from head to toe for exactly this reason, I hit the control panel and open the cell. Grasping Talel by the throat, I jerk him up and slam his back against the wall. Frantically, he claws at my hand, but it's no use. His claws cannot pierce Mosauran armor. His face turns from light green to dark as I tighten my grip around his neck, choking the air from his lungs.

  Fury burns in his eyes, and he bares his teeth in a show of aggression. Drawing back my other arm, I pound my fist into his face over and over until I loosen his fangs, and they fall to the floor. Releasing my grip, he crumples to the ground, dark blood dripping from his mouth and his nose.

  When I step back, I stare at him in shock. Already his bruising fades as he begins to heal before my very eyes. Rage consumes me when I realize it's because of how recently he's had Liana's blood—the potent effects still lingering in his system and allowing for rapid healing.