His Rebellious Mate (Primarian Mates Book 3)

by Maddie Taylor

  “You mean you didn’t blow them to bits?” Eryn commented from just inside the doorway.

  “Not yet.” He held his hand out to her. When she sat down beside him, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and hauled her up against his side. “Trust me when I say, anyone who had a hand in this, is as you say, toast.”

  “Hm, fried frog legs in this case, which I never really cared for,” she replied dryly.

  Trask laughed, although he could tell his old friend didn’t feel it, and knew he hadn’t in a long while.

  “We’ll meet with Kerr soon after we arrive,” he stated. Leaving the window, he came to stand in front Eryn. Big and formidable most of the time, Ram knew his friend had a soft spot for females. He showed a glimpse of it as he smiled down at Eryn, patting her cheek in a brotherly gesture. “I’m glad you and your little one are safe and back in Ram’s care.”

  “Thank you, sir,” she replied, her smile warm and open. “I’ll always be grateful to you and your warriors who arrived like the cavalry with guns blazing.”

  This time his amusement was genuine, and he commented with a broad smile. “I don’t know what this is. Since it sounds like a compliment, I’ll take it, adding that your mate had a hand in it, too. A big one.”

  “I know. My personal thanks to him are definitely forthcoming.”

  He chuckled, while shooting Ram an envious grin. “I’ll leave you to it, lucky bastard.”

  After he walked Trask out, he returned to find Eryn blushing scarlet over her candor.

  “Sorry. When he isn’t bashing holes in walls, he’s not so intimidating, and rather sweet. I guess my tongue got away from me.”

  He barked with laughter. “Sweet? I doubt anyone has ever referred to the general in that way. He is terrifying when the situation warrants, like me. Which leads me to another topic to discuss.” He scooped her up, and suspecting she misconstrued the topic he had in mind when she didn’t utter a sound of protest, he carried her to their bedroom at the far end of the hall, well away from where Cierra napped.

  With the door shut, he set her on her feet. “She should sleep long enough for us to take care of this.”

  “I certainly hope so.” She slid her hands up his chest.

  “Good. If you cooperate with your spanking, we can get on to the other things I want to do to you sooner.”

  “My spanking?”

  Ah, he had been right. Now would come the protests.

  “What did I do?”

  “The question is what you didn’t do. You should have contacted me first thing when you got the council’s message, one intended for me, by the way.”

  “It was blinking when I came home. I couldn’t leave it like that for two days!”

  “You could,” he countered, “and next time you will.” He went on listing her misdeeds. “You lied, using both my name and position to board the shuttle. And bulldozed over both pilots by flashing those big green eyes and your sweet-as-pie grin.”

  She opened her mouth to argue.

  “Don’t deny it. I had a visit from a very loud, very angry Captain Noran earlier today.”

  Caught, she bit her lip, not meeting his eyes at first, which he found incredibly alluring.

  “You know about that, huh?”

  He considered her for a moment, impressed by her daring. She was also arousing as hell, with her shyness, and her feeble attempts to talk her way out of a spanking she had rightfully earned. And the way her perfect white teeth clamped onto her full lower lip had his cock hard like an iron rod. But he was determined to give this lesson so she wouldn’t do anything like this again.

  “You left New Earth without telling me.”

  “I did, but I didn’t think I had any other choice.”

  “You had plenty of choices. Like contacting your mate instead of taking this on alone, for example.”

  “I sent a message.”

  “When? A moment before you climbed aboard that shuttle with our daughter?”

  She flushed, which told him his suspicion was correct.

  “A message which in this case didn’t matter, because I was summoned back from my mission to deal with an emergency and didn’t have time to check. The emergency turned out to be you.”

  She looked away, squirming on his lap. Her soft bottom against his thighs and rising erection something akin to torture, because this near, he wanted her already. But this was important, and his need would have to wait until he addressed her risk-taking. Not allowing her to hide from him, he caught her chin in his hand, firmly bringing her face up to his, and forcing her to meet his gaze.

  “From this point forward, you and Cierra will stay on whatever planet I put you, until I personally permit you to leave. Here is a hint, little rebel. I intend to be the one to accompany you and keep you safe. If that isn’t possible, I will send a contingent of trusted men to escort you. If it is the latter, however, I will communicate this to you first. Any other means—whether by note, special messenger, or an engraved invitation from the Princep, unless he delivers it himself—should be suspect. Is this understood?”

  “It is now, but you can’t spank me for not knowing before. That’s not fair.”

  “It was implied!” he replied, just shy of a shout, his anger and the incredible fear that she was lost to him, which he’d masked during the rescue and aftermath, coming to the forefront. “Furthermore, you do not take it upon yourself to sacrifice yourself for me.”

  “No, I can agree to staying put, but I won’t agree to this last rule.”

  “Why the hell not?”

  “Because I love you, and I will do what is in my power to protect you.”

  “You have it backwards, little rebel. I love you, too, but it is my job to protect you. I have said so and been trying to do both for months, but your stubbornness and impulsivity keep getting in my way.”

  “You said no such thing,” she shot back, her green-gold eyes shining bright.

  “I did, Eryn.”

  “I would remember, Ram.”

  “I cannot count the times when I called you mate or declared you were mine or made it clear I mean to protect you.”

  “That isn’t what I meant,” she replied in a small voice, while looking away, which wasn’t like her.

  He nudged her chin up with his hand. “What, then?”

  “Until yesterday, in the frog commander’s chamber, you never told me you loved me.” A sob catching in her throat made her words come out broken. “In fact, when I told you weeks ago, you said nothing.”

  “You are my mate, which I proclaimed from the beginning.” He stated this, certain it was explanation enough. A mate bond was unbreakable, and stronger than a few sentimental words.

  “Being your mate doesn’t mean you love me.”

  “It does in my world, Eryn. After all this time, how do you not understand that?”

  She blinked, gaping at him for a moment. Then a look of clarity crossed her beautiful face. “I think I’m beginning to now, but I’m not Primarian, Ram. It may seem silly to you, but I need the words or else, how am I to know? Men don’t transform like women do. I can’t tell by your hair or a marking, if you love me and have accepted me.”

  “I beg to differ.” He reached up and pulled the band from his long hair.

  Eryn stared, having no idea what he was up to until he turned and parted his hair in back exposing the thick streak in a lighter color underneath.

  “Oh, my God. Your hair. It’s as red as mine. But when? How? I thought only the women…” She stopped gushing when he turned back, frowning down at her. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I just noticed it this morning. Besides, it’s embarrassing!”

  “To have hair like mine?”

  “Yes.” Noting how her face fell, he recanted. “No, I didn’t mean it like that.” Making a

  mess of his explanation, he took a breath. “I’m not embarrassed by you, galita, never that, but imagine what it means to be the Master Warrior and the lone Primarian ma
le to my knowledge to have transformed like a female.”

  “Oh, honey.” She bit her lip to stifle a giggle.

  “It’s not funny, mate.”

  “Okay,” she agreed, but couldn’t contain her mirth. It burst from her uncontrollably and lit up her face. As it went on and on, she bent forward, struggling to catch her breath. When she did, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him.

  “Are we clear on the fact that I love you?”

  She sobered. Leaning into him, her hand rose to his cheek. “Yes.”

  “Good, because as my mate, you are a part of me, as I am a part of you. We have outward proof with my red hair and your golden eyes, but our intimate connection goes beyond words and signs.”

  “Oh, Ram…” She went up on her toes to touch her mouth to his. A sweeter kiss he’d never had from her. He wanted to take more, but they had unfinished business he’d vowed not to put off further.

  “With that settled, let’s see this spanking done. Then I’ll show with my body how much I love my little mate.”

  In a moment, he had her over his thighs, with her gauzy skirt up around her waist.

  “Now?” she protested. “But, Ram, we just had a breakthrough. We should be having makeup sex, not a spanking!”

  “You earthlings have an odd understanding of discipline.” He brought his hand down hard, twice on each side. Her rounded cheeks bounced off his palm and a blush of color bloomed on her skin. Beautiful.

  “Ow! Not so hard.”

  “Exactly my point. A spanking is not foreplay, Eryn. At least not this one. I’ll demonstrate that some other time. For now, I’m trying to teach you something.”

  “I’m sorry I laughed at your red hair.” Except her apology sounded insincere since she continued to giggle.

  “To be clear, this punishment isn’t for your amusement at my expense. It’s for the rather extensive litany of offenses I just listed.”

  Several more smacks followed on each side, his hard palm landing repeatedly in the same spot.

  “Ouch, Ram, that stings. At least move them around.”

  “Again, mate, I believe you’re missing the point of this spanking.” In a flurry, he rained down swat upon swat, moving up the curve of one globe, turning it a rosy pink then mirroring the same course down the other full cheek. He continued until she squirmed beneath his restraining arm and was appropriately contrite, her giggling stopped.

  “Ram, please, I’m sorry,” she gasped. “I vow never to run off again.”

  “Now, we’re getting somewhere.”

  He placed two more swats low on her backside, where the curve met her thigh, brisk and with sufficient bite she would remember her vow beyond this moment. Then he paused, running his hand across the inflamed skin of her hot bottom and upper thighs, soothing the sting with a light massage.

  “What have you learned, Eryn?” His desire for her pressed hard against his pants, and in turn, her belly.

  “To stay put, to communicate with you, and you’re the boss, always,” she recapped, a sigh escaping when he dipped his fingertips between her thighs and traced the wet seam between her legs. They trailed upward along her cleft, only to retrace the path in reverse to play over her swollen, dewy lips once again.

  Ram didn’t miss when she inched her thighs apart, inviting more. His mate might complain, but a trip across his knees aroused her greatly.

  “Very good, little one. Anything else before I let you up and fuck you until you scream my name?”

  She wiggled around until she could look at him over her shoulder. “Yes, I’ve learned that even though he doesn’t say it much, my Master Warrior really does love me.”

  He flipped her upright, and seated her on his thigh, encircling her in a big bear hug and burying his face in her sweet-scented hair. “I do, galita, more than you’ll ever know.”

  Beaming at him, her hands slid up and around his neck, sinking into the long hair in the back. He shifted her until she straddled his thighs. It took him just seconds to release his hard shaft from his trousers then he lifted her again, bringing her down in a slick glide on his erect cock. Her head fell forward, and she buried her face in the side of his neck, groaning her need until it vibrated along his skin.

  Unable to wait any longer, he cupped her heated bottom and urged her to move. Clutching his shoulders, she found the pace, gliding up slowly then sinking all the way down, engulfing him with her warmth and wetness.

  Since she was doing well on her own, he moved one hand to the back of her head, fisting in her hair and tugging, firmly yet gently, until he could gaze into her eyes.

  “If I don’t tell you enough, remind me, mate. I am a warrior, a man of action not words, and this”—he surged up inside her, robbing her of breath—“among many other ways, will show you every day how much I love you.”

  “I’m a warrior, too, but a female first, and it would be nice if you said it, too.”

  “So noted, mate. Whatever you need.”

  “I need you, Ram, and I love you more than I ever thought possible.”

  “Thank the heavens for that.”

  Hastened breaths and skin slapping against skin became the only sounds from that point on as he tasted and claimed from above with his tongue, while his cock fiercely took from below, both possessing every glorious inch of her.

  29

  Their arrival at the landing port outside of Ariad two days later wasn’t greeted with a patrol of red-shirted warriors as she’d feared. Instead, the Princep himself awaited them when they stepped off the shuttle.

  He stepped away from an open vehicle, what looked like a sleeker, much sportier version of a hovercraft from back home. In gleaming white, like most everything else in Ariad, except for the splendor of the colorful natural backdrop that was Primaria. As Kerr moved forward, his eyes settled on Cierra.

  “Congratulations, cousin. She is beautiful.”

  “Cousin?” Stunned, Eryn’s gaze darted from her mate to the Princep, the most powerful man on the planet and, for the first time, noticed the similar hair, same strong physique, impressive height, and the golden eyes almost identical.

  “You didn’t know?” Kerr asked. “I’m not surprised. Name-dropping is not Ram’s style. He has attained his position in his own right, by who he is and what he has accomplished, not because of who he is related to.”

  “Seeing you together, the resemblance is obvious. I’m amazed I never noticed.”

  “I don’t often go around without my shirt, but if I did, you would have seen we bear the same marking, the indicator of our familial line.”

  She had used her tongue to trace the swirling design on the back of Ram’s neck last night, consigning it to memory. That Kerr had the same marking, and Eva had likely done the same, tasting him with her tongue, made it seem like an intimacy they shared. The thought made her cheeks flood with heat.

  To cover her wayward thoughts, she blurted, “You don’t have a dimple.”

  He grinned, proving he did not. “I wasn’t so blessed. In our youth, Ram’s drew quite an interest from the females.”

  “Kerr.” His name, drawled in Ram’s deep voice, became a subtle warning.

  “Ah, yes, I probably shouldn’t tell you about his youthful transgressions. I can say his dimple was often the sole means our fathers had of telling us apart.”

  “We fooled our teachers easily, if I recall.” Ram chuckled.

  “And paid for it when caught.”

  “You were troublemakers in school?” Smiling, she couldn’t wait to hear more childhood stories about her mate.

  “Yes, indeed.” Kerr grinned. “Except Ram, as the older cousin, corrupted me, which resulted in my being on the receiving end of several memorable punishments.”

  Her gaze shot to her mate in wonder. “You’re saying the Master Warrior used to be a rebel? Interesting.”

  Ram grunted, his lips twitching. “Don’t believe a word of it,” he murmured, arching a brow at his leader, who just grinned in response. “He
knew he had a future of leadership, tradition, and ritual looming and got into as much trouble he could find before that happened. I was the one earning punishments by association. My only misdeed, trying to save our future Princep’s troublesome neck.”

  Kerr laughed with the same rich, rolling sound as her mate.

  “I’m sure you’ve come to welcome us for a reason, cousin. Is it because of Eryn’s sham summons to appear before the elders, or to see if we’re still in one piece after engaging with the Denastrians?”

  The Princep’s smile faded, his handsome face turning serious. “I have addressed the first with the council already. They all deny it, although the transmission came from the elder’s private console, so someone with access is behind it.”

  “The plot thickens,” Eryn noted.

  “So it seems,” Kerr concurred. Turning, he extended his arm toward the vehicle. As they moved its way, Eryn’s eyes were drawn to the spectacular mountain vista in the distance, the brilliant green, bright yellow, and vivid pink that made up the trees, flowers, and grasses shimmering as the twin suns dipped low in the purple-hued sky. No artist could capture such splendor.

  Ram, who didn’t seem to notice the landscape, an immune resident after seeing it for thirty-four years, no doubt, took Cierra from her arms so she could climb into the rear seat. He kept her, moved to the front, and climbed in beside Kerr. That’s when she noticed the steering controls, not a wheel but levers, were on the right side, opposite of what she was used to.

  The Princep, acting as their chauffeur, pushed a button and started the craft. She could only tell by the slight vibration because it was whisper-quiet. As they sped off, despite the rush of wind, the noiseless engine allowed her to keep up with the men’s conversation.

  “We have some disturbing information to share along the lines of plots, more so than false summonses from the council,” Ram told him. “We have a traitor in our midst and, subsequently, big problems.”

  “I’m afraid you are correct. As such, once I learned of your arrival, I called for a leader’s conference. It is scheduled for later. Until then, I’m here with a personal invitation on the Prima’s behalf to join us for the evening meal. We thought it time the new cousins meet.”