by Anna Carven
Her name escaped him right now.
Humans and Kordolians. What were they doing together?
Reality hovered at the edge of his consciousness, just out of reach. Deep down, he knew what had happened to him, but right now, he just couldn’t access those memories. They were elusive and distant.
Where was he? He recalled the sensation of weightlessness and cold that was so bitter it bothered even him, a Kordolian, seeping into his bones. He remembered being suspended in nothingness and staring into warm, brown eyes through layers of glass. Those eyes had been incredibly sad.
For me? Why?
The chill was gone now, replaced with uncomfortable warmth that made his limbs sluggish and heavy. His mind contained an impenetrable fog.
He tried to latch on to the memory of that familiar brown gaze, but he felt himself slipping away, back into the void.
The void held blissful silence and enticed him with the thought of death.
The brown eyes in his mind turned into amber ones, so similar to his own. But they were blank and unfocused; sightless.
She’d been born blind.
My child.
A sensation of tightness gripped him, taking hold of his heart. The feeling grew, spreading into his limbs. Strange emotions coursed through him. Part of him wanted to lie down and close his eyes and escape back into that place of nothingness. It was so tempting.
Another part of him wanted to fight. He would fight anything and anyone.
He didn’t know which parts were real anymore.
The door opened.
And there stood a Human.
I know her. That was all he knew. She stepped forward, allowing the doors behind her to close.
What’s her name?
She frowned at him, putting her hands on her hips. She wore a simple grey garment that hid the sinful curves of her body, but he could still make out the swell of her breasts and the fullness of her hips.
She was completely, utterly Human; so different to him, yet so intriguing.
“Xalikian.” She knew his name. It dropped from her full lips like a sensual bomb, each syllable caressed and shaped by her exotic Human accent. “What the hell are you doing?”
She walked towards him with slow, purposeful steps, capturing his gaze with her depthless brown eyes.
“I-” His mouth opened but no words came out. He watched her move, her hips swaying with each step, mesmerizing him with their slow rhythm.
Her pink lips were slightly parted and a trace of moisture glistened on them. A faint pink hue had spread across her cheeks and her dark hair cascaded around her face, gracing her features like a wild crown.
He had never seen a creature more beautiful and more tempting than her.
“Why are you cracking skulls and breaking bones, Xal? You should know that Humans are no match for Kordolians in strength or speed. You should pick on someone your own size.”
She reached him and looked up, her eyes roaming over his face, drinking him in. The way she looked at him was intense and searching and he got the feeling this look was reserved only for him.
His arousal flared to life.
His cock was impossibly hard.
He inhaled her scent. She smelled of clean linen and soap and woman. He was overcome with need. He wanted to taste her.
“Hey.” She tilted her chin slightly, and there was a stubborn edge to her expression. “What’s that look for? Why are you staring at me as if you’ve never seen a Human before?”
Her directness tugged at the fabric of his memories, demanding his attention.
The raw surfaces of his severed horns throbbed with an exquisite sensation; pain mixed with pleasurable anticipation.
The points of her nipples were taut and visible under the thin fabric of her garment.
It was hot in the room, and a fine sheen of moisture had appeared on her skin, making it luminous and shiny.
“You look lost,” she said softly, reaching out to touch his face. She ran a thumb down the tracks of dried blood that had seeped from his cut horns. “Let me remind you of everything that exists between us.”
I know you.
The memories were there; he just needed to find them. All he knew was that he wanted this female. He wanted her with every fiber in his being, and nothing would stand in his way. Through the thick fog that clouded his mind, one thought came to him.
You are mine.
“Let me see you,” he rasped, his voice hoarse, as if he were using it for the first time.
“Oh, you need a little something to help jog your memory?” Her low voice was full of confidence. She understood very well the power she had over him.
He urged her with his glance, and she stepped back, pulling her drab top over her head. Underneath, her light brown skin glistened. He admired the fullness of her breasts and the rounded shape of her nipples, which he was dying to take into his mouth. The vibrantly colored artwork on her left arm came to life, highlighted by the shimmer of moisture on her skin. Vines and leaves and flowers twisted and coalesced into a network of scars that trailed up the side of her face.
She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
She tucked a thumb into the waistband of her pants and slid them over her hips, letting them drop to the floor.
His heart thudded a little louder and a little faster. His breath caught. His cock strained.
His gaze was drawn to the delicate organ between her legs. The scent of her arousal hooked into him and reeled him in and he moved towards her, a soft growl rumbling through him.
He took her chin into his hand and looked into her molten eyes. He bent down and tasted her lips, feeling the heat of her mouth against his. Her sweetness drove him to explore her mouth, their tongues meeting as he kissed her.
He kissed her slowly, savoring every last moment. He pressed his body against hers, making her aware of his erection. She responded with a low moan, caressing him through the thin fabric of his trousers.
Her touch drove him wild. And slowly, the fog surrounding his memories started to dissipate.
“Remember me now, Xal?” Her small, mischievous smile was another hook in his heart, reeling him in.
The coldness of the void had been burnt away by her heat. He ran his hands down her neck and her shoulders, his fingers coming to her breasts. He traced over both nipples and they hardened even further, ripples of gooseflesh appearing on her skin.
Her body responded so nicely to his touch. “I’m starting to remember,” he rumbled.
“Good.” She reached up to touch his face, her fingers tracing upwards, grazing over his severed horns. He froze, the strangest feeling of mixed pain and pleasure spreading through his skull. They had long since stopped bleeding and the cut surface had dried, becoming hard and black.
“I loved these,” she said mournfully.
“They aren’t sealed,” he reassured her. “They will grow back.”
Her touch was driving him crazy. Her closeness was pushing him to the edge of control. His need for her was almost painful.
How was it possible that there existed a being so perfect for him?
He planted his lips on her neck, tasting salt on her skin. He trailed slow, sucking kisses down her body, claiming every inch of her.
This is all mine.
He dropped slowly to his knees and contemplated the lush mound of her sex.
Mine.
He slid his finger between the moist lips of her pussy. She whimpered. She was wonderfully, deliciously wet.
He explored her entrance, tracing his fingers over her sweet, sensitive flesh. She was so soft; so ready for him.
She threaded her fingers through his hair, expressing her enjoyment with a low, throaty moan. She quivered against him and he inserted another finger into her, going deep, making her gasp.
He applied gentle pressure against her tightness, stretching her slowly as she pressed her fingers into his skull, massaging his head, a satisfying tension transmitted through her
fingertips. With her thumbs, she caressed the severed stumps of his horns, and he found himself awash with pleasure and pain.
Oh yes, she was most definitely his.
He withdrew his fingers slowly, eliciting a low growl from her. Then, he pressed his lips against her salty sweetness, savoring her taste as he slipped his long tongue between her silky folds.
He looked up and saw her exhaling, her eyes closed, her lips parted, a wonderful expression of pleasure on her face.
He moved his tongue in and out. Her face twisted, her body writhed, and she trembled. When she moaned, it was music to his ears.
He brushed his tongue against her clit and she gasped, so he did it again. And again.
The way his female responded pleased him. He watched her closely as he sucked her clit, monitoring every gasp, every sigh, every little nuance. He flicked his tongue back and forth, adjusting the speed and pressure of his caresses according to the sound of her voice, as if he were playing an instrument.
And how lovely she sounded.
Her cries were becoming louder now. Her skin was slick with moisture and her intense heat seeped into him, making him go just a little bit faster. She clutched him tighter and he trailed his fingers up her muscular thighs, reaching the fine curves of her ass.
She was helpless before him, and he would make her scream.
He went faster yet again, until she was trembling. Then, he drew back, bit by bit, making the strokes of his tongue gentler and slower, extracting every single drop of pleasure from her sweet bud.
And just when he knew she could take no more, he sucked her again.
She screamed.
He smiled.
CHAPTER TWENTY
“Sera,” Xal rumbled, rising from his kneeling position. A dangerous smile played across his lips, and his wolfish eyes roamed over her possessively.
“Oh, so now you remember?” She was breathless and her legs felt like jelly. He wrapped his arms around her waist.
“Perhaps.” He pressed his body against her and once again, she felt his massive erection. “However, I may need another reminder.”
“There’s a problem,” she said, her expression turning mock-serious.
“What?” Genuine concern entered his eyes, making her laugh.
“You have far too many clothes on, Prince.”
“That can be fixed,” he growled, tearing off his thin black undershirt. Sera couldn’t help herself. She reached out and touched his magnificent chest, trailing her fingers down his taut abdomen, where each muscle was clearly defined.
Relief flooded through her. Her impossible Prince was back from the dead, and he was very much alive.
Gone was the terrible coldness that had seeped through his body. She traced her fingers over his smooth, silver skin and felt only warmth.
“Don’t ever do that again,” she murmured, as she undid his trousers.
“I won’t if you won’t,” he replied. “No more life-threatening situations for you, my Queen.”
“Same goes for you.” Sera curled her arms around him, putting her head against his chest. His heart beat steadily, in-time with her own. “But thank you, Xal. For saving my life.”
“There was no alternative.” His voice was hoarse with desire. “My existence would have been pointless if I’d left you back there.”
He always managed to say these damn things that made her go weak at the knees.
“I can’t hold back any longer,” he growled, and Sera squealed as he scooped her into his powerful arms and brought her to a rumpled bed in the corner of the room. He lay her down and drank her in with his hungry gaze.
He moved over her, pushing her hair back from her face with a gentle hand. His eyes spoke to her of distant, mysterious worlds, and she allowed her gaze to roam over his features. Even with dried streaks of black smudged across his temples and his horns cut, he was still perfection.
The sharp, elegant lines of his features could make him appear coldly aristocratic and even cruel at times, but when he was with her, his face softened and his expression became warm. Right now, however, he was looking at her with barely restrained heat.
“I need you,” he whispered, in between kisses. With one hand, he parted the lips of her pussy, which still throbbed with lingering pleasure.
“Same here.” Sera drew him towards her, wrapping her legs around her back.
At first, he teased her with his mischievous finger, dipping into her wetness and growling in approval. Sera pulled him down into a slow, lingering kiss.
Gently, he withdrew his finger and entered her, his cock stretching her and filling her, and she moaned as pleasure spread through her core.
Xal began to fuck her, slowly at first, seeming to savor the moment. His mouth was on hers, warm and insistent. Sera lost all awareness of time and space as she surrendered herself to him, closing her eyes and letting him take her slow and deep.
Their bodies moved together. Xal’s heat radiated into her, making sweat bead on her bare skin. His warmth surrounded her with a sensual cocoon. She inhaled his crisp, masculine scent and ran her hands over the taut ridges of muscle across his back.
This big, powerful Kordolian male was all hers, and she was going to enjoy every last inch of his body.
The intensity of their lovemaking grew as Xal thrust his powerful hips, his cock gliding against her sensitive flesh, its ridged surface brushing her clit. Her nerve-endings were stretched taut. Everything was hyper-real. She closed her eyes and saw stars in her vision. Their breathing was rough and raw, their moans and grunts of pleasure combining in a primal harmony. Every touch, every thrust and every movement edged her closer towards another climax.
Xal ran his strong fingers through her hair, making fists as he slammed against her, no longer gentle, moving faster and faster until they were both crying out, on the verge of release.
He slammed into her one last time, plunging deep.
He cried her name as he came inside her, pulling her against him, bringing her into a tight embrace as Sera was overwhelmed by another orgasm.
Afterwards, he held her as if he would never, ever let her go.
They stayed like that for a while, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking. They lay in companionable silence as the rate of their breathing slowed and their bodies cooled.
“I remember everything now,” Xal said eventually. He sounded slightly amused. Sera looked up and saw a cheeky smile gracing his lips.
“Oh you remember now, do you?” She arched an eyebrow, tracing the remnants of his horns. He shuddered. “Was that all it took to cure you?”
“Evidently.”
Sera untangled herself from him and rolled onto her side. Xal did the same, and they lay facing each other. “What happened when you did this anava thing, Xal? Where did you go?”
He was silent for a moment, his expression becoming thoughtful. “I don’t really know. Superstitious Kordolians talk of something called the void, a place between life and death. Perhaps I was there.”
Sera shuddered. “I’m glad you’re back.”
“As am I.”
“But there’s something that’s been bothering me ever since we escaped from the Ristval V.”
“I know. You saw the real me,” he said grimly. “Back there, with Alerak, you saw my true nature. I’m a Kordolian, Sera, and there are certain things that will never change. From time to time, I might give in to my baser instincts. In truth, I’m no better than the Kordolians I fight against.”
“Idiot.” She reached over and punched him lightly. “Do you think I’d be head-over-heels for you if you were some deluded psychopath? Trust me, I know what bad people look like. I grew up in a nest of vipers. You’re not one of them.”
He gave her a wry look. “I suppose I have no choice but to trust your judgement on this one, Sera.”
Sera took a deep breath, brushing a stray strand of hair away from Xal’s face. Her next question had been on her mind for a while, and she’d debated for a lon
g time whether to even ask it.
But she had to know. It was now or never, because the moment was slipping away.
“You said there was a child.” She paused, watching Xal’s face closely. “Yours.”
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “There was a child,” he admitted, his voice becoming distant. “It’s funny you mention it. When I was coming out of the anava, I kept seeing her eyes.”
“Her?”
“The only female child to be born on Kythia in this generation. My daughter. At first, they said it was a miracle.”
“Oh,” Sera gasped. She was quiet for a moment, as the significance of that statement sank in. “And the mother? Was she someone you loved too?”
“I never knew her mother,” Xal said bitterly. “After my father died, my mother decided she wanted another heir, even though she was beyond childbearing age. She wanted a child she could shape in her own image, since I was apparently damaged goods.”
“Damaged goods my ass,” Sera growled. She would fight anyone who talked dirty about her Prince.
Xal smiled sadly, brushing a finger across her lips to silence her. “They held me down and extracted my seed. At first I didn’t care what they did with it, but many cycles later, rumors started circulating that a child had been born. I could no longer be so indifferent.”
Sera brought her arms around Xal as a tear slipped down her cheek.
“I demanded to see my child, so they brought me to her. I watched her from behind sterile glass and something shifted inside me. This was my child, Sera. Mine. I was a fool for thinking I could sit back while my mother took her away from me.”
Sera looked into his golden eyes and saw a world of pain and regret. She pulled him closer.
“They wouldn’t allow me to touch her. When I tried to take her away, the Imperial Guard intervened on the orders of the Empress. There was nothing I could do.”
“That’s awful.”
“That’s Kythia, Sera. Kordolians play with life and death as if they are gods. Of course, I couldn’t accept that. I began to plot to take her from my mother, but it was too late. As she grew, they had noticed that something was wrong. Her eyes, the exact same shade as my own, didn’t see. She was blind.” Xal’s voice was hollow and empty.
