“Us?” he said, his voice barely more than a whisper.
I smiled. “Us,” I said. “We're in this together.”
He gave me a tight smile and we stood there, looking into one another's eyes for a long moment. Had this been another time, in another circumstance, I knew it would have been one of the most romantic evenings of my life. What girl couldn't resist a stunning sunset, a beautiful garden, and being with somebody as handsome and kind as Byr?
Even still, with circumstances being what they were, I felt my pulse quicken as I looked at him. His eye markings were glowing, telling me that he too, was being overwhelmed with emotion – and I found myself hoping he was feeling about me the same way I was feeling about him.
I couldn't deny the feelings for him that were growing inside of me. It was true that I had little experience with men – I'd remained locked away and sheltered while living in Unduth with my family. But there were plenty of men around my family's compound – some who'd even flirted with me. So, I knew enough to know that Byr made my heart pound and my pulse race in a way that nobody ever had before.
When I was younger, I'd made a list of all the qualities I hoped to find in a mate. Kindness. Compassion. Intelligence. A sense of daring. A quick wit. A passion for learning and adventure. Those were some of the things I wanted in my dream lover. And I vowed to myself that I would never marry a man who wasn't my equal in all of those things, who didn't tick off the boxes on my personal checklist.
And as I stared into his eyes, I knew that Byr had ticked off most, if not all, of them.
He was a good man with a good heart. And seeing the hurt in his face not only broke my heart, but made me determined to do something about it.
“I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's time we get back to the palace.”
Byr and I turned as one and found our escort standing at the foot of the bridge – shattering the moment we'd been sharing – looking mortified for having interrupted us. I looked back at Byr and sighed.
“I suppose we must go back,” I said.
He shrugged. “At least it's a nicer room and will be far more comfortable than that room in the hospital they stuck me in.”
I smiled. “Always the optimist.”
“Sometimes,” he said and flashed me a grin.
Chapter Four
Byr
“So, you never answered the question,” I said.
“What question was that?”
“Your favorite memory growing up.”
We sat at a table that had been set up in our chamber – and contained a lavish feast. There was more food on that table – for one meal – than I saw most months back on Unduth. The food was so foreign and exotic – and delicious. Everything I tried was amazing and I couldn't wait to try what was on the next plate.
I looked over at Hatare and saw that she was delicately picking at the feast, sampling this and sampling that – probably proper table manners in Unduthian society. But I'd never seen so much food – fantastic food at that – and couldn't seem to contain myself.
Though I tried. I didn't want to make myself look bad in front of Hatare. I didn't want her to think that I was some uncultured, mannerless savage – though, in comparison to her, that's exactly what I was. I couldn't help but feel like I'd snuck into some high society gathering of the Unduthian elite.
“My favorite memory?” she asked.
I nodded. “Your favorite memory.”
She sat back in her seat and looked up at the ceiling, sipping from her glass of wine, looking as if she were searching her memory. The fact that it took her so long to come up with something made me sad for her. She was a girl who had everything – at least, in comparison to me – and yet, I seemed to have better memories more readily available in my heart and mind than she did.
I thought it said a lot.
“I suppose it would be learning everything I did with my tutors,” she said slowly. “Some of them really opened my eyes and helped me become who I am today.”
I looked at her and shook my head. “Lessons with your tutors? Really?”
She nodded. “Oh, it wasn't just books and dry lessons,” she said defensively. “There were some adventures as well.”
“Oh? What kind of adventures?”
“Well, one time, I went to Unduth's Crystal Gardens,” she said. “It was beautiful. Yet a little cold and sterile, in a way. But it was an educational experience. One I recall enjoying quite a lot. There was also the trip I took to the Magma Falls of Xryn. Spectacular in a completely different way.”
I finished chewing what I'd just taken a bite of – some noodle dish with seasonings that were like an explosion of flavor in my mouth. I thought I could eat that all night long and be happy. I quickly washed it down with a sip of wine.
“All of your favorite memories seem to be – educational in nature,” I remarked. “What about your family? No fond memories of them?”
She shrugged, an expression of sadness crossing her features. “We were never really all that close,” she said. “My mother and father viewed me as a commodity. A chip to be used to better the family's station in society.”
Listening to the sadness – tinged with plenty of bitterness – in her voice made my heart ache for her. But in a grim way, I found it endlessly fascinating as well. To think that somebody who had all of the luxuries in life as Hatare did, could sometimes be as miserable as those of us with nothing, was something of an eye-opening experience for me.
“Did you have any siblings?”
“A couple of older brothers and sisters,” I said. “But I haven't seen them in quite a long time. I do have one little sister though. I love her to pieces – but she's already been completely indoctrinated into Unduthian society. She just can't get to the Academy fast enough.”
There was no sadness, only bitterness in her voice as she spoke of the Academy – the training ground for proper Unduthian women. I didn't know very much about the Academy, but what I did know made me glad that I was not a woman, and not in the upper echelons of Unduthian society.
I gave her a small smile, anxious to turn the conversation in a different direction – perhaps, one that was lighter, more fun. I was dying to see Hatare smile because I found it entirely intoxicating. It seemed to transform her face and her entire being.
I raised my wine glass. “To us then,” I said. “To making new memories and building new worlds.”
“To us,” she said, tapping her glass against mine. “That is something I can get behind entirely.”
We talked as we feasted for a while longer – well, as I feasted. Hatare had stopped eating long before my gluttonous urges were sated. Eventually, though, I was too stuffed to continue eating and pushed myself back from the table.
“That was amazing,” I said.
She nodded. “I have no complaints,” she smiled. “They've fed us well here.”
We stood up from the table, taking our glasses of wine, and strolled out onto the balcony. The twin moons of Optorio were both high in the sky, casting their light down upon the sea and making it sparkle like a pool of silver. I leaned against the railing and stared out at the ocean, breathing in the salt air.
“I really like it here,” I said.
“I do too,” Hatare replied. “Though I'm looking forward to the day we can actually get out and explore a bit more.”
I nodded. “That would be nice.”
I felt Hatare's hand on my arm and I turned to her. She was looking into my eyes, giving me a soft, enigmatic smile.
“Thank you,” she said.
I cocked my head. “For what?”
“For this,” she said. “Without your help, I wouldn't be here. I'd probably be in that slave factory back home. Without you, I never would have made it to Optorio.”
I shrugged. “I don't know about that. You're a clever, resourceful girl,” I said with a chuckle. “I have no doubts you would have found your way here on your own.”
She shook her head. “I doubt it,�
� she said. “You saved my life, Byr. You really did. So, thank you for that. Thank you for everything.”
I looked into her eyes and saw something I couldn't place. Some emotion filled her face that I didn't recognize. Her eye markings glowed as bright as the moon, but gave me no real indication of what she was feeling. In that moment, I wished more than anything, that I could be in her head, listening to her thoughts.
Hatare was beautiful. More than beautiful, she was radiant. Ethereal. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. And what made her all the more attractive was that she didn't even seem to realize it. She didn't seem to know just how stunning she truly was.
We looked into each other's eyes a moment longer and with my heart thundering in my chest, I leaned down and kissed her.
Chapter Five
Hatare
The moment Byr's lips touched mine, an explosion of sensation went off in my mind – and through my body. I'd never kissed a man before – my parents had made sure to keep me well segregated to prevent their commodity from being spoiled before the wedding.
But as he kissed me, it felt like small electrical shocks were flashing through my body from head to toe. As his tongue slipped into my mouth, swirling and dancing with my own, it felt like my every nerve ending was on fire. Kissing Byr seemed so natural to me and our mouths seemed to fit together like they were made for one another.
Slowly, our kiss ended and Byr pulled back, looking down at me with eyes that were wide with fear.
“I – I'm sorry,” he quickly stammered. “I didn't mean to overstep my bounds. I know – ”
I cut him off by pressing my mouth to his once more, this time not waiting for him to make a move. I slid my tongue into his mouth and kissed him just like he'd kissed me. I knew I was inexperienced and in completely foreign territory, so I tried to just do what he'd done – trying to apply what I'd just learned.
His body reacted to me and he pressed my back against the railing, his kissing becoming a little more urgent – and filled with a lot more passion. I ran my hands over his broad back and shoulders, kissing him harder and harder. I couldn't get enough.
It felt like something was awakening in me – something I never even knew existed. My passion was like a beast waking up from a long slumber needing to feed to sate itself. I dug my nails into Byr's shoulders as we kissed, wanting – no, needing – more.
His hands were tentative on my back – as if he felt he shouldn't be doing what he was doing. He was hesitant, as if he were scared and maybe thought that he shouldn't be kissing me. I broke our kiss and looked up at him. His eyes were wide and his lips were trembling.
“It's okay,” I said. “I want you to.”
“A – are you sure?”
Biting my bottom lip, I nodded. Part of me thought that I shouldn't be doing this – that I shouldn't be giving in to these lustful cravings. But that was the part of me that had been programmed by people like my mother and father. They'd taught me to always remain pure. Pristine. To only give myself to my husband – the man they chose for me.
But I was a free woman. Free of thought. Free of spirit. Free of heart. And free of body. I would not give myself over to somebody who had been selected for me based on the amount of prestige I could earn the family. No. Never. I would give myself to somebody I cared for. Somebody I wanted to be with.
Byr took a step back, but held on to my hands. He looked uncertain. Scared. But I saw something else in his eyes – desire. He wanted this as much as I did. But he was holding himself back out of fear. Fear of what though?
“What's scaring you?” I asked.
“Back on Unduth, I could have been thrown into the camps just for looking at you,” he said. “If they knew that we'd – kissed – they could have executed me on the spot. The upper class doesn't mix with the scraps.”
I gave him a small smile. “We're not on Unduth anymore, are we?”
He looked out at the ocean, a strained look on his face. He was torn between the stupid traditions of our culture and his own longings and desire. I believed that Byr cared about me. I could see it in his eyes whenever he looked at me – at least, when he wasn't guarding his emotions closely. And I knew that he desired me.
Just as I desired him.
Taking hold of his hand, I pulled him off of the balcony and into the bedchamber. He followed me, his footsteps heavy, reluctance born of fear painted clearly upon his face.
“We're in a new world, Byr,” I said softly. “We're free to make our own choices. Be who we want to be. Be with whom we choose. And I choose you.”
I let go of his hand and reached for the clasp on the gown I was wearing. I unhooked the clasp and let the gown fall where it lay in a heap at my feet. Byr looked from the gown on the floor, letting his eyes travel up my body. He licked his lips, his eyes growing wider as he took in my naked form.
But he stood statue still, frozen and rooted to his spot. I wasn't sure if it was still fear or whether he was in awe of what he was seeing – I was obviously hoping it was the latter.
“You want this, don't you?” I asked softly. “To be with me?”
Byr looked up from my naked body, meeting my eyes and the look of pure desire in them was all the answer I needed. Which was good, because he opened his mouth to speak but no words seemed to be forthcoming.
I gave him a salacious grin as I stepped forward and kissed him again. I took his hands and slid them up my belly, putting them on my bare breasts. His breath caught in his throat, but it seemed to renew his passion as he kissed me harder, squeezing and cupping my breasts.
Byr leaned down and took one of my breasts into his mouth, licking and sucking on it, drawing a soft moan of pleasure from me. I'd never experienced anything like this before and my body tingled, shivers running up and down my spine. Feeling his hands and mouth on my body was an ecstasy I'd never known before and it only made me hungrier for more.
With one of his hands still on my breast, Byr kissed me again. But he slid his other hand down my body, letting just the tips of his fingers trail across my flesh. I shuddered and closed my eyes, exhaling a long, soft moan. I felt him slide his hand between my thighs and felt a chill shoot through me.
I looked at him, biting my bottom lip, and slightly parted my legs for him. He kissed me again as he slid a finger inside of me, moving it in and out slowly and gently. There was a fire burning between my thighs, but I also felt how slick and moist I was at the same time.
I clamped my fingers into his shoulders as he started to slide his finger in and out with a little more speed and force.
“Oh, Byr,” I gasped. “That feels so amazing.”
He gave me a small smile and kept doing what he was doing – which felt amazing. He kissed me again as I felt a pressure building up low within me. I'd pleasured myself enough times to know that my climax was coming.
I moaned and ground my fingers against his hand, taking his fingers deeper inside of me. The sensations inside of me built quickly – and more intensely – than they did when I was alone and pleasuring myself. And then all of the sudden, the wall within me burst and I was flooded by the most electric, intense sensations I'd ever felt. My whole body spasmed and I cried out, digging my nails into his flesh.
I was overcome by the feeling of fire tearing through my body as I orgasmed. My breathing was shallow and ragged, but I looked up at Byr and smiled.
“That was amazing,” I gasped.
Byr returned my smile and raised his hand to his mouth, licking my juices off of his fingers. Watching him taste me sent another wave of desire rolling through me that I couldn't contain. I stepped forward and kissed him, sliding my hand down his stomach and began to rub him through his pants. I felt him growing long and thick beneath my touch and when I grabbed hold of him and squeezed, he let out a soft moan.
He looked into my eyes, the lust burning brighter than the Optorion sun. I unfastened his pants and let them fall to the floor. As I pulled him backward toward the be
d, he fumbled with his shirt, finally managing to get it off and tossing it to the floor.
I smiled as I climbed onto the bed, pulling Byr along with me. I parted my legs and let him lay on top of me. We kissed and I reveled in the feeling of his flesh against mine – growing more excited by the feeling of him pressed against the warm, wet center of me.
“I need you, Byr,” I moaned. “I need you inside of me.”
He held himself up on his arms, looking down at me and smiled. I felt him pressing himself harder against my opening. And then I gasped, my eyes shooting wide open, as I felt him enter me. There was a brief shock of pain – but that was quickly followed by a warm wave of incredible pleasure.
“A – are you okay?” he asked, concern in his eyes.
My breathing was still a little ragged, but I looked back up at him. “I'm wonderful,” I wheezed. “So wonderful.”
Byr grinned at me and began to move his hips, sliding himself deep inside of me again and again. I arched my back, moaning and calling his name, as he plunged into me. The sound of our bodies connecting, flesh meeting flesh, echoed around the chamber – as did our moans and groans.
The pressure was building up inside of me again. Quickly and more powerfully before. Byr looked down at me, his movements becoming almost frantic. Gone was the steady rhythm he'd been in before and it felt like he was losing control of himself, his thrusts becoming ragged and urgent. I thought that maybe he was building up to his own climax.
He squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth, letting out an animalistic growl. I knew I wasn't going to last much longer and didn't think that he would either. I raised my hips to meet his thrusts and wave after wave of pleasure rolled over me as I felt him sliding deep inside of me.
Almost without warning, I felt my own dam break and I cried out as I orgasmed again, my whole body shaking and trembling. A moment later, Byr groaned and his body shuddered as I felt his warm, wet seed filling me up. He collapsed on top of me, trying to catch his breath.
Mated to a Bear (Legends of Black Salmon Falls Book 3) Page 66
