by Sue Lyndon
He then proceeds to tenderly kiss every inch of my back. Goosebumps prickle across my flesh and my body hums at his nearness. After he finishes, he lifts me onto his lap and cradles me in his arms.
I love sitting on his lap, and in this moment, I know without a doubt we will heal from this rift in our relationship and come out ten times stronger.
My mended heart rises out of the canyon, as if carried on a cloud.
“We will have a wedding,” he says.
“What?”
“A human wedding. In the town square. A week from today, you will don a beautiful white gown and we’ll say human wedding vows before hundreds of Kleaxians.”
“That’s a lovely idea, Kenan.” I cup his face and smile up at him. “My husband.”
He holds me tighter. “My wife.”
Epilogue
“It’s a boy.” Mariella approaches with the red newborn bundled in white.
My throat tightens and I smile at my new son. He’s making little gurgling noises, but he’s not crying. The doctor says Kleaxian babies don’t cry very often, but I’m still surprised he doesn’t cry in the minutes after childbirth, being part human.
“He’s perfectly healthy,” the doctor says from the other side of the room, where he had performed a quick examination of the child after helping to deliver him in the middle of a thunderstorm. “Fourteen fingers and fourteen toes, like his father.”
Kenan puts a hand on my shoulder and leans over me. Mariella places the baby in my arms, and I fall instantly and madly in love. She guides my nipple to his mouth and he latches on greedily, seeking sustenance.
“He’s beautiful,” I say, glancing at Kenan. “And he favors you.”
But then I notice pale blue eyes blinking up at me when he briefly pulls off my breast, and tears fall down my face. Blue eyes. Our child has the most beautiful blue eyes. Eyes like mine. Eyes like my father’s.
“What shall we call him?”
Surprised, I stare up at my mate, my husband. I’d assumed Kenan would decide on our son’s name. We hadn’t talked about it yet. “Are you truly asking for suggestions?”
He strokes the newborn’s cheek, and the child grabs one of his fingers and holds on tight. We both laugh. My heart is filled to bursting in this perfect moment.
“What was your father’s name?” Kenan asks.
“John.”
“We will call him John, then. Prince John, son of Prince Kenan and Princess Laylah of Dennian Mountain.”
I brush a kiss across Kenan’s cheek as he leans over me. “Thank you,” I whisper.
Mariella places a glass of water on the nightstand. “You must be sure to stay hydrated, especially since you plan on breastfeeding.” A light sheen of sweat covers her forehead and her gray wisps of hair are escaping her thick braid. Dark circles rim her eyes. It’s long past the elderly woman’s usual bedtime.
“You should get some sleep, Mariella. We’ll be fine.”
“Very well. I will get a few hours’ rest.” On her way to the door, she adds, “I’ll stop by the servants’ quarters before I hit the hay, though. I’m sure Heggal is anxious to hear the happy news. And tomorrow morning I’ll deliver the happy news to Joanna and Helena, if that is acceptable with you, Prince Kenan. Oh, and don’t you dare lift a finger yet, young lady. Prince or not, Kenan can change a few diapers.”
I chuckle at her bossiness and, for the millionth time, count myself lucky for Mariella’s companionship. A friend of Joanna’s, she came to live with us shortly after Kenan and I married, when it was discovered her master hadn’t obeyed Kenan’s edict that human women be treated more kindly. She had been a slave in one of the houses in the nearest town, and once I learned of her plight, I had begged Kenan to allow her to live with us. Since her arrival, she’s become a surrogate grandmother to not only me, but to Kenan as well.
The doctor follows Mariella from the bedroom, promising to visit tomorrow afternoon.
“Are you in any pain?” Kenan asks, concern drawing his brows together.
“Nope, I feel remarkably well. I can’t believe how fast he came out. My mother claims she was in labor with me for hours and hours.” No more than three hours could’ve passed from the first labor pain to John’s entrance into the world.
“I love you, Laylah.” He brushes damp locks of hair behind my ears. “I know you will be a wonderful mother.” He pauses, looking pained for a moment, as if a bad memory has flashed in his mind. “And I promise to be a good father to our son.”
I lean into him while John continues suckling at my bosom. “I know you will be a wonderful father, Kenan, and I love you, too. With all my heart.”
His lips touch mine in the gentlest of kisses. “My wife,” he murmurs.
“My husband.”
After John drifts to sleep at my breast, Kenan carefully picks him up, a look of awe on his face as he gazes down at our perfect baby boy. My heart swells at the sight of my big, strong Kleaxian mate lovingly cradling our little newborn son.
THE END
About Sue Lyndon
USA TODAY bestselling author Sue Lyndon writes steamy D/s romance in a variety of genres, from contemporary to historical to fantasy. She’s a #1 Amazon bestseller in multiple categories, including BDSM Erotica and Sci-Fi Erotica. She also writes non-bdsm sci-fi romance under the name Sue Mercury. When she’s not busy working on her next book, you’ll find her hanging out with her family, watching sci-fi movies, reading, or sneaking chocolate.
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If you enjoyed Kenan’s Mate, you might enjoy the following dark romance reads by Sue Lyndon:
The Seal’s Captive Bride
In the aftermath of a horrendous war, former SEAL Rick Stanford catches a pretty little thief sneaking around the settlement he’s been charged to protect. Rather than see the petite brunette tried for her crimes, he protects Ally in the best way he knows how—by claiming the reluctant young woman as his wife. He’s been longing for a female to call his own for quite some time, and now that he’s found Ally, he’ll never let her go.
The whole world has gone to hell, and Ally can’t believe her only option for survival is to marry a complete stranger. She soon discovers her new husband is firm but fair. He promises to keep her safe, but he also promises to spank her bare bottom when she disobeys him. Though she wasn’t the most willing of brides, Ally can’t help but admire her ruggedly handsome and kind husband, and she longs for him to thoroughly claim her for the first time. But can she truly find love with the tough former SEAL who demands her obedience?
His by Law (Dark Embrace, Book 1)
When Lucia is caught trespassing in Jackson McNabe’s home, she fears he’ll turn her over to the constable. With the holidays approaching and the nights growing colder, she had only wished to warm herself by his fire and pretend for a few minutes that she was the lady of the grand house, rather than a homeless girl stranded in a peculiar village. Though she hadn’t meant to break the law, she now finds herself at the mercy of a handsome stranger whose deep, commanding voice makes her heart flutter and her pulse quicken.
Jackson is taken in by Lucia’s wide, pretty blue eyes, and he sees the young lady’s sudden appearance in his home as an opportunity. He needs a wife, and Lucia clearly needs a husband. To his delight, she agrees to his terms, even when he tells her he expects obedience and won’t hesitate to spank her bare bottom when she misbehaves. The thought of owning her by law makes his blood heat, but a sinister plot threatens the legitimacy of their union, on their wedding day no less. Will Jackson and Lucia find their way back into one another’s arms in time for the holidays?
Saving His Runaway Bride (Dark Embrace, Book 2)
LUKE
I don’t care that I’m almost twice her age.
One glance at No
ra’s image, captured so perfectly on the small canvas, causes a surreal pang of warmth in my chest. Her expressive light blue eyes enchant the darkest parts of me.
As the months pass, that pang of warmth smolders to an all-consuming need to possess the girl in the painting. To claim her. To make her beg. To own her.
Soon those expressive blue eyes will look to me for guidance. Soon Nora will belong to me. I have so much to teach her…
NORA
I’ve made a terrible mistake, and now I’m headed to an auction block in a brutal mountain town. I should’ve been a good girl and married the man of Papa’s choosing, and now I’m going to pay for my sins.
Before I’m sold to the highest bidder, however, a handsome stranger rides out of nowhere and buys me from the slavers. I’m shocked to discover my new master is Luke Holsten—the very man to whom I was betrothed.
There’s no escaping the arranged marriage now, and my new husband is quick to make me understand that he expects not only obedience, but my absolute surrender…
Owning His Bride
After enduring the first two years of a life sentence for a crime she didn’t commit, there is one thing Becca fears more than spending the rest of her days behind bars. When their five-year terms of service on the frozen prison planet of Kemmius are up, guards are allowed to choose a bride from among the prisoners, and the warden himself has set his sights on her.
Hunter has hated the warden from the moment he met him, and he’ll be damned if he is going to let the vile man have a sweet, beautiful girl like Becca. Not when his own term as a guard is almost up and he’ll have the chance to claim her first and make her his own.
Following a thorough, humiliating medical exam—standard procedure to ensure a potential bride’s suitability as a mate—Becca finds herself bound to Hunter forever as both his wife and his property. While her new husband quickly proves to be nothing like the cruel warden, he is still a man who expects to be obeyed, and she soon learns that defiance will be dealt with firmly.
Though she is left blushing each time Hunter bares her bottom for a sound spanking—and sometimes for other, more intimate punishments—what truly shames Becca is the way her body responds to his dominance. But even as her feelings for Hunter grow stronger and her future seems brighter than it has in many years, Becca cannot help wondering if she will ever truly be free of the chains of the past.
Taken by the Admiral
Since she was a child, Lia has longed to be free from the confines of the great worldship which has been the last refuge of the human race for generations, but being snatched from the only home she has ever known by aliens was not exactly what she had in mind. When she learns that the admiral of the alien fleet plans to claim her as his mate—regardless of her thoughts on the matter—her surprise turns to fury.
The huge and intimidating yet undeniably handsome admiral is unmoved by her protests, however, and her defiance merely earns her a trip over his knee for a sound spanking on her bare bottom. To make matters worse, the painful, embarrassing chastisement brings about a helpless, shameful arousal unlike anything she has ever felt before.
Having grown up in a society which abandoned sexual contact as a means of procreation long ago, Lia is deeply humiliated by the intimate, thorough medical exam she receives from the ship’s doctor in the admiral’s presence, and her failure to cooperate results in a stern punishment from her future mate. To cap it all off, with her bottom still burning and her cheeks blushing crimson she is brought to a shattering climax right there on the examination table to confirm her sexual responsiveness.
Though Admiral Cavvik hadn’t planned on taking a human female as his mate, he was left with little choice after one look into Lia’s eyes called up primal instincts that could not be denied. But when it becomes clear that some among his people are violently opposed to his choice of companion, will he stand his ground and protect the little human he has quickly grown to love?
Surrender (Alien Warriors, Book One)
Fiona Lockhart struggles to survive after Earth is conquered by powerful aliens. She knows it’s only a matter of time before her schizophrenic mother acts out at the wrong time and place and brings down the wrath of their captors. So when turncoats offer Fiona a way to keep her mother safe, she can’t refuse—even though it means marrying a Kall warrior and posing as the First Daughter, Betsy Carson.
Kall warrior Merokk has mixed feelings about marrying a human woman, but it’s his duty and he can’t refuse. He enjoys taming the headstrong Betsy, and a good spanking now and then makes the passion burn. The sex is sizzling, and as the months pass, Merokk discovers the feelings for his little wife run deep. But when he learns of her deceit after the real Betsy Carson surfaces, Merokk’s new world shatters. Can he learn to forgive Fiona, or will he spend the rest of their lives punishing her for a crime she never wanted to commit?
Commander’s Slave (Alien Warriors, Book Two)
After the destruction of the peace treaty between Earth and the invading Kall, First Daughter of the United States Betsy Carson is convicted for crimes she did not commit in an act of political revenge. Sentenced to a lifetime of slavery on the Kall homeworld, she expects the rest of her days to be a constant struggle for survival, and when she finds herself naked on the auction block, staring into the eyes of a disgusting Kall who’s made the opening bid, she prays for anything but the misery and despair of being his. Fortunately, he’s outbid by a gentle, older man, who brings her to his mountain home as a gift for his brother, a fierce Kall warrior who loathes humans and blames them for the deaths of his wife and sons in the war with Earth. Her hopes to be left alone by her new master are dashed when he orders her to sleep in his bed, and she soon discovers disobedience will earn her a firm, bare-bottom spanking from the strong warrior.
Commander Edek enjoys disciplining the spirited Betsy, who grows more eager to submit to his dominance and obey his demands. And he finds owning a petite human slave has other benefits as well. Her silken red hair, sparkling blue eyes, and soft curves entice him to forget the past, and her sweet presence calms the storm of grief raging in his heart. But his new world is shattered when he arrives home one day to find her missing, and Edek’s skills as a Kall warrior are put to the ultimate test…
Other titles by Sue Lyndon:
Sci-Fi, Fantasy, & Dystopian
The Seal’s Captive Bride
Taken by the Admiral
Punished by the Admiral
Claiming His Human Wife
Owning His Bride
His by Law (Dark Embrace, Book 1)
Saving His Runaway Bride (Dark Embrace, Book 2)
Claiming Their Maiden (Banded Mates, Book 1)
Claiming Their Princess (Banded Mates, Book 2)
Big Blue Valentine
Taming Princess Anna
Surrender (Alien Warriors, Book 1)
Commander’s Slave (Alien Warriors, Book 2)
Daman’s Ward (Jackson Settlement, Book 1)
Shana’s Guardian (Jackson Settlement, Book 2)
Rules of War (Rules of War, Book 1)
Rules of Command (Rules of War, Book 2)
Historical
Sold into Marriage
His Sweet Amber
Conquering Lady Claire
His to Educate
Marriage of Convenience
A Firm Husband (Wyoming Heat, Book 1)
A Strict Husband (Wyoming Heat, Book 2)
Contemporary
His Loving Guidance
Her Old-Fashioned Doctor
His Naughty Valentine
Confessions of a Spanking Author
Maid to Submit
Marry me in Montana
Mine by Christmas
Report for Punishment
It Takes a Dom
Breaking His Rules
Christmas with the Professor
Snowed in with Santa
Tessa’s Submission
Valentine Submission
Dar
k Without You
Mountain Devil
Age play
The Girl, the Doctor, and the Texas Ranger
Becoming Little Lexie
His Naughty Little Mate
Hanna’s Awakening
Titles by Sue Lyndon writing as Sue Mercury:
Step Alien (Reestrian Mates, Book 1)
Sweet Alien (Reestrian Mates, Book 2)
Double Alien (Reestrian Mates, Book 3)
Boss Alien (Reestrian Mates, Book 4)
Savage Alien (Reestrian Mates, Book 5)
Reestrian Mates: The Complete Series
Alien’s Innocent Bride (Mail Order Human, Book 1)
Alien’s Princess Bride (Mail Order Human, Book 2)
Alien’s Reluctant Bride (Mail Order Human, Book 3)
Alien’s Orphan Bride (Mail Order Human, Book 4)
Alien’s Beloved Bride (Mail Order Human, Book 5)
