The Golden Heart: Alliance Book One (Alliance Series 1)

by Jessamyne Hunter

  From then on they took the unpacking-thing more serious since they had asked others to help them. It would have been impolite to just let them watch Kellan, Jarvan, and Sartak making stupid faces. Only that they still made silly faces and giggled whenever they found something ridiculous or plain cringe-worthy.

  Kellan had a lot of stupid and cringe-worthy clothes. Like the purple duct tape robe with the face of a bison on the back and butterflies all over it.

  To his defense; it had been a project for his class…something like “make art instead of weapons” or some stupid shit like that. He and his partner for the project hadn’t quite understood the sense of that, but they had completed the task, anyway. The result was a horrific robe, guilty of making the whole class burst into laughter. Their professor, on the other hand, had admired the creation. He had even called it the highest of art and creativity. That nightmarish thing had even gotten a place in the college’s exhibition room.

  Kellan had kept it out of sentimentalism. It had been one of the happier memories of his time on Voxus. Most of it had been overshadowed by Sky’s experiments and everything else the man had done. Sky had been his housemate for four years. Though actually, he had been a little bit more than that, but Kellan refused to call him anything else. He was no longer willing to acknowledge the role that man had played in his life on Voxus.

  Kellan had left for Voxus right after his mother had committed suicide. He had been living with Sky for such a long time. They had been friends- sort of- then, but now Kellan was more than happy to never see that fellow again. Good thing, Stella and he had been paired for that duct tape project. Otherwise, he would have burned the silly robe long ago…well two years ago, actually.

  He still wanted to keep the robe to remind himself that there had been good times. He was grateful that at least not everything in his life had been bullshit.

  “For fuck’s sake, Kellan! What is that?!” to Kellan’s horror Jarvan had found Luke’s mock present for his eighteenth birthday- a glass butt-plug with a pink ponytail.

  He knew his face was turning a bright red, when he jumped to his feet, regarding the disturbing thing in horror.

  They sat in Kellan’s room in the middle of the night. Actually, it wasn’t his birthday anymore, but only now Blake and Luke had managed to get away from duty. Their father had found numerous tasks and sorry excuses to ruin Kellan’s eighteenth birthday.

  He’d been stuck inside his office for the whole day. Maybe he shouldn’t have gone home for a visit. He still had a few months on Voxus, but he had wanted to go home to celebrate his special day with his family- with his brothers.

  He hadn’t expected the President to do something special for today but keeping his brothers away from him was a bit harsh.

  Anyway, Kellan was happy that his brothers had still found a calm moment to slip away from duty. Both of them would be off to Edea tomorrow morning and Kellan planned to leave for Voxus too. He had no desire to stay here with their father.

  There wasn’t much love between them, and even the treaty he had contracted between Earth and Xilitar meant nothing to his father. It also didn’t matter that he had accomplished that while still being in training.

  He wasn’t fishing for compliments at all, but a little acknowledgment from his father would have been nice. All Kellan wanted was that his father was proud of him- even if it was only for one time in his life. The lack of affection from his father made him feel superfluous and sometimes he caught himself thinking that his mom should have better taken him with her.

  But before he could dive deeper into this dark abyss, his brother Luke planted one of his big arms on Kellan’s head.

  Luke leaned down onto him, using his little brother as a prop. Kellan rolled his eyes and snorted. He shook his head wildly to get his brother to go away, but Luke only chuckled and patted his cheek.

  Blake harrumphed and pulled a small box from his coat pockets. Immediately, Kellan stopped his struggling and stared at that thing wrapped in shiny blue paper. How long had it been, that he had gotten an actually wrapped gift from his family? Two years in the past from this day. His mother had given him a book wrapped in golden paper for his birthday while his father had watched with a sneer on his lips.

  Samuel hadn’t thought it a good gift for a boy. He had given Kellan a set of dumb bells. Kellan hadn’t known what he should do with them. Oddly, the next day even though Kellan had clutched that book tight while sleeping, it had been gone. Calla, his mom, had given him a sad look when she had seen him devastated and almost in tears because he hadn’t been able to find her gift. She hadn’t said anything. Of course, his father had taken it sometime during the night- fairytales weren’t for men.

  With shaky hands and a shy glance to his older brother, Kellan accepted the box and held it with great care.

  Eyes big and shining, he traced the folds of the wrapping paper. This was far too precious to be ripped apart like some chocolate bar wrapper.

  “Don’t come in your pants, bro,” Luke snickered, making Kellan’s face go red like a tomato.

  Cheeks still burning with embarrassment, he punched his stupid brother who only laughed at him.

  Luke’s eyes glimmered with mischief, but he stayed silent. Blake rolled his eyes and groaned.

  “Please…,” he pleaded which got him a smirk from Luke.

  Kellan’s older brothers were so different. Luke was an ass and a man-child while Blake was a little too serious.

  “Open it, Kel!” Blake encouraged him.

  With a smile on his lips, he carefully unwrapped the present. A little white box fell into the palm of his hand. He put the wrapping down and examined the box. It actually had a lid and he opened it slowly.

  When he could see what was inside, he almost cried. With tears in his eyes, he turned to Blake and hugged him tightly. His brother patted his back while he sobbed and thanked him. When he was done, he turned to Luke and hugged him too.

  In that box, on a blue velvet cushion, lay a keychain. It held a picture of them when they had been in the City of Waterfalls in Edea. Kellan sat on Luke’s shoulders while Blake tried to put his visor cap with the lion emblem on the side on Kellan’s small head full of white curls. All three of them were smiling. They looked happy; like a normal family.

  “Stop crying, you baby,” Luke muttered while wiping his own eyes.

  Kellan gave him a sideway glance and hid his smile. Luke was always such an idiot and do mean to him but underneath it all, he was a great brother- when he had his moments.

  And just as Luke thrust a longish package into his arms, one of these moments was over.

  Suspiciously, Kellan eyed the present and pressed his lips into a thin line.

  He wasn’t sure about opening that thing. It was heavy, but only on one side.

  On top of that, Luke trying to hold back his crackle wasn’t helping.

  “C’mon, bro!” Luke shoved him and the package almost fell out of Kellan’s hands.

  Just before it hit the floor, he got hold of it again.

  Annoyed, he ripped the black box open and gawked at the content. He opened his mouth, but no words came out of it. He had no words; nothing to describe how he felt about this.

  Luke cracked up with laughter; holding his belly and rolling around in Kellan’s bed.

  Blake pushed him, but he seemingly was trying to hold back his laughter too. Kellan, though, was horrified.

  This was the worst gift ever! This was horrendous! Why was Luke such an idiot?

  That was a fucking glass butt plug with a long, pink ponytail.

  Who came up with this shit? Who invented this shit?

  Kellan crossed his arms in front of him. Luke sat up and looked at him before he cracked up with laughter once more. His silly brother touched Kellan’s lip and Kellan jerked away from the touch.

  “Aw. Look at his pout!” Luke cooed.

  “I do not pout!” Kellan snapped, but Luke laughed anyway.

  He was totally not pout
ing. His brother was just being an ass.

  The memory went as quick as it came and even though some of it was precious, Jarvan waving that thing in front of him ruined it again.

  “Burn it! Throw it away! It always keeps turning up somewhere I don’t expect it. It’s following me! I swear it was a present given to me by my silly brother! He likes to plague me,” he yelled when Sartak looked their way and started choking on his own tongue.

  “No! That thing is genius! Magnificent! Fabulous! Magical! Fairytale-like! We should dye your hair pink and put a silver horn on your forehead! You’d be the most beautiful unicorn out there!” the consort was laughing like crazy and rolling on the floor; holding his belly with one hand while he wiped away tears of joy with the other.

  Oh good! Now he was having his fun at Kellan’s expense.

  “If you don’t stop, I’ll shove that up your ass!” he threatened.

  Jarvan stopped giggling at once, only to sit up and give him a dirty smirk.

  “Uhh! It’s getting kinky. Was that a promise?” he asked, lifting one golden eyebrow.

  Sartak shrugged, making a gagging noise: “Kmera! Please!”

  Kellan agreed; he didn’t want this to go on further before it could get even more awkward and downright disgusting.

  When they were finally finished, it was dark outside. Everything was neatly divided into every-day robes, formal attire, and festive robes and so on.

  Looking at the clothes rail for his every-day stuff, he wasn’t quite happy. It was almost empty since the temperatures here and on the governmental ship and Voxus differed a lot. It was too hot to wear most of his clothes while on Voxus he had needed winter clothing and on the space ship it had been neither cold nor warm. Jarvan had magnanimously offered him to wear his robes, but Kellan had only needed to point out their difference in height and the offer was off the table. It would have been embarrassing if not ignominiously unseemly. That meant shopping and a visit to the tailor and stylists were on schedule.

  “I think we all deserve dinner in bed and sleep,” Jarvan said and that concluded the day.

  Everyone muttered their agreement and wandered off, leaving Sartak and Kellan alone.

  Sartak shuffled his feet, seeming not to know what to say, so Kellan gave him a soft smile. He went up on his tiptoes and placed his hands on his husband’s broad chest. Blushing, he waited for Sartak to lower his face and when he finally did, he kissed him lightly on the cheek.

  “Thank you for helping and being understanding,” he whispered, then turned around and left for their bedroom.

  7

  It seemed that Sartak had at least done something right. His beautiful husband had kissed him! Well, only on the cheek but it was a start, nevertheless. Kellan was so sweet all the time; it was strange he was also a warrior, even though his kmeran wouldn’t say so.

  The robe and jewelry made of Phy’vohranian’s scales had been a big surprise. Sartak would have never expected such a thing, and he wouldn’t have expected to feel proud…of some kind.

  His sweet mate had defeated many of their warriors. It required a lot of skill, strength, and a tactical mind to injure one of his people when they wore their natural armor.

  Sartak knew they had worn their full body armor when they fought in the pits of the arena. Some of the captives had been returned to Phy’vohranian ships and they had told Sartak about the pit fights, which actually had been quite fair. The captives returned to Phy’vohranian custody had been well fed and healthy- injured, but healthy. They had been given a chance to fight for their right to go back home- a thing that had probably been unknown to the president. Captives that had managed to stay alive for ten fights were given back their freedom.

  Only one warrior they had all feared because it was known no one ever had survived an encounter with him- the Silver Wind. Now that he knew about Kellan taking part in the fights and had seen his appearance, he was sure the Silver Wind was his kmeran with his haunting beauty; looking like the Queen of Stars herself.

  So Sartak didn’t quite know why he hesitated to follow his mate into their shared room. Maybe it was because he desired him too much. His mate’s scent lingered in the air, driving him wild with lust, but after last night he knew they were anywhere near sleeping with each other again- this time for real.

  He wanted to touch him, explore every inch of his body and see him in all his naked glory, but that was denied to him. He had managed to mess up on the first day of their life together…well, with the help of Kellan’s father of whom he hoped he hadn’t told Sartak nonsense on purpose to hurt his son. Then, Sartak would be mad angry, maybe even starting a war again, because no one used him to hurt others, especially not his mate.

  Soundlessly, he followed Kellan’s scent. He knew where he was, but it was much more fun to follow his instincts. Kellan smelled like sandalwood, desert roses, musk and something heavier; something that only kmer in the so-called “heat” smelled like.

  The scent drew him towards Kellan like nothing else. He had smelled kmer before. Damn, he had also slept with them, but the pull had never been so insistent, so strong. He felt like he’d die if he wasn’t with his mate right now. Sartak had to admit that he paid his guards respect for not even flinching while they had been forced to stay in a room filled with his mate's alluring scent.

  When he finally pushed open the doors to their room, it seemed like hours had passed. Kellan stood before him, shoulders bare, robe disarranged.

  “I wanted to ask you if it’s okay when I go take a short shower,” he heard him say, but Sartak paid more attention to the pale skin, displayed so sensually.

  His mate’s face was much too innocent right now. He sighed inwardly. He would have loved nothing more than freeing Kellan from all this unnecessary fabric. Goddess help! He wanted him so much at this moment; his whole body ached to feel Kellan’s naked skin against his again.

  His penis twitched underneath his robe where Kellan couldn’t see it, and within seconds he was rock hard. His mate still smiled so innocently, it made him feel like a sick pervert. Right, this was not the time to lust after someone he wouldn’t have for a while.

  From Sartak’s point of view, it was evident to him that he had hopelessly fallen in love with his mate- just like it should be. They were fated; made to complement each other. Sartak was sure of it. He felt drawn to his human like he had never been drawn to someone in his life before. Not even kmer in estrus had ever had this effect on him. No one had made his heart gallop out of his chest like Kellan did. When his small mate smiled, it warmed Sartak from the inside out and he felt calm and wonderful. The presence of his sweet mate was addicting; it could become Sartak’s one and only favorite drug. He wanted his mate happy more than anything else. This was what fated mates wanted, what they felt, right? This was how fated mates made each other feel, Sartak was sure.

  Now, he only needed to show Kellan, he was the one for him.

  He knew humans had stopped believing in the concept of love at first sight as well as they had given up on fated mates. He knew that the human species once had believed in such things. Sartak had read it in books from Earth. Maybe they hadn’t thought it was real when they were writing their stories, but at least the authors had hoped there was something like souls that belonged together.

  Sartak would be happy to show Kellan what it meant to be loved by his mate.

  Smiling at Kellan, he pushed his more indecent thoughts somewhere in the back of his mind. He’d deal with that later…much later, when he had earned Kellan’s trust and love.

  His cock however still thought he’d get some action. It was still hard, yearning for touch and friction.

  “Of course! I’ll be waiting here. Dinner should come in a few minutes, but I’ll wait for you,” he said, seating himself on an ottoman much more casually than he actually felt.

  Kellan nodded and started to undress further. He did it so carelessly, but the deep blush on his cheeks that ran down his neck belied his calm behavior. He
knew exactly that he was getting naked in front of his husband.

  Sartak had a guilty conscience because he felt like Kellan was doing it to prove something to whomever.

  “You don’t need to do that,” he stopped his mate when he was about to take off his underwear, but Kellan only shook his head.

  “We’re married. I can as well get used to it. We shouldn’t be ashamed of our bodies in front of each other. Married people aren’t,” he answered softly.

  Though he had just sat down, he rose to his feet again to step behind Kellan. He wanted to touch him all over, but he restrained himself to only lay his hands on his mate’s shoulders. Sartak felt him shudder lightly and loosened his grip.

  “We are married, but I’m not forcing you to do anything you don’t want or feel uncomfortable with. I won’t jump you, but you look and smell like delicious candy. It is tempting, very tempting. I swear, I will not initiate anything sexual unless you give me your consent,” his face was serious; it was a promise he made to his mate and it was holy to him.

  When Kellan made a sound of agreement, he dropped his hands and took a step backward. He wanted to go back to the place where he had been sitting only moments ago, when Kellan suddenly spun around, ridding himself of his underwear in a wink of an eye. He closed the distance between them, pressing his whole body against Sartak.

  “Oh, touch me, please touch me,” his mate’s voice was rough and husky, filled with desire and urgency.

  Sartak felt like dreaming when he also wrapped his arms around the lithe frame of his kmeran. He breathed in Kellan’s now muskier and much heavier scent, wanting to drown in it until it was everything that he needed to live.

  He shook his head wildly until he regained his consciousness. It was almost impossible to have clear thoughts with his mate clinging to him and his aroused scent in the air, but he somehow managed.

  Gently he pushed Kellan a bit away from him, caressing Kellan’s burning cheeks when his young kmeran finally came back to his senses.