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

by Jessamyne Hunter

  With sudden satisfaction, Kellan turned to the buffet, finding his husband there in a conversation with Lily Grayham, a colonel in the army and Kellan’s ex-girlfriend.

  She’d broken up with Kellan for no reason just a week before he’d been married off and now she was laughing at something Sartak had told her and an uneasy feeling of jealousness washed over Kellan.

  Putting on his brightest smile, he stepped between them.

  “Lily, my dear! How are you? I haven’t talked to you in a while,” he said, not letting through how much he wanted her gone right now.

  “Kellan! How nice to meet you!” the brown-haired girl said, giving him a sweet smile.

  He accepted her hug, feeling weird to touch her again.

  They’d been a perfectly asexual couple. They’d hugged, slept in a bed and sometimes exchanged chaste kisses, but they’d never had sex with each other. It was weird to hold her after she had dumped him for no reason, really.

  He had been sad about it, and it was strange to see her smiling at him, her eyes still fond and a lovely shade of hazel.

  “Really?” he asked coolly, showing her that he wasn’t pleased to meet her at all.

  “Don’t be like that. Your father had told me to let you off the hook. I bet you haven’t been thinking of me quite a lot,” she whispered and Kellan’s temper immediately calmed.

  She sounded so heartbroken, Kellan couldn’t quite understand.

  What was wrong with that woman?

  Why did she look at him like this…making him feel guilty all over now?

  “No, I haven’t. You hurt me back then. So I ignored you…and then I met Sartak. It’s true. I have forgotten about you until I saw you again just yet. I’m sorry,” he answered, already taking his husband’s hand to pull him away.

  “I loved you…love you still. I knew you couldn’t love me back like I wanted you to…you’d withered like a forgotten plant staying with me. I hope you’re happy…because that would make me happy, too,” she said with a rueful smile.

  Kellan smiled back at her, knowing her words were true. Now the hurt in her eyes seemed more prominent to him than just a second before.

  Yes,…she’d loved him and he had been confused because she’d left him. Now he understood and he hoped she’d one day find a mate, too.

  He had liked her a lot because she had never wanted too much of him. She had never touched him in a way he didn’t want her to touch him and she had never pushed him to go further.

  Kellan had appreciated that a lot about her. Maybe they could go back to be friends again someday…just not now. She needed to find someone special to her first. Being around Kellan and still having feelings for him might hurt her even more.

  Though he wanted to talk this out with her, he didn’t linger.

  He saw the sadness growing in her eyes and he felt like an ass for his behavior right now, but he needed something dearly…now. He could still feel the hot jealousy in his veins…

  He nodded to her, never stopping to drag Sartak with him. His mate followed wordlessly. He didn’t ask where they were going until they were in the garden.

  It was dark outside and only the paths were illuminated by the yellow light of the old-fashioned lamps.

  Chuckling, Kellan dragged his mate further and deeper into the garden. He only stopped right by the lake under a tall willow. Its branches hung low enough to cover them from any unwanted attention.

  Sartak grinned as Kellan caught his head and pulled his face down so they could kiss.

  Their lips met in a hungry kiss, pressing and rubbing wildly against each other until their mouths were swollen.

  Kellan bit Sartak’s lower lip, not wanting to let go while Sartak was messing up his mate’s silvery hair.

  “Do you love me still?” Kellan whispered against his lips, his voice almost breaking.

  “I always will, no matter what,” he responded, diving for another kiss.

  Kellan smelled like the sweetest fruits, the most seductive and exotic flowers. His body was warm, the skin soft as a feather.

  He opened the belt of Kellan’s robe, sliding the fabric over his mate’s small shoulders. Underneath it was only naked skin.

  Glancing up, his kmeran gave him a heated look.

  Sartak heard him breathe heavily, his already warm skin warming up even more. Kellan’s heart hammered in his chest as he pressed closer against Sartak’s body.

  “Show me. Make me yours,” he said at the same time when Sartak laid him down on the lush green grass.

  The already open robe gave him easy access as he placed himself between his kmeran’s soft legs.

  He ran his claws over the delicate skin of Kellan’s thighs, making him shudder.

  “You’re mine,” he growled, retracting the claws on the other hand.

  “Yes,” whispered his beautiful kmeran, opening his legs even wider.

  He pushed one finger in, earning a cry from Kellan who lowered himself further onto the finger inside him.

  The slick heat was heavenly and his cock was throbbing in his pants. It pressed impatiently against his trousers and was almost painfully erect.

  He opened the button of his trousers and pushed down his briefs, letting his cock jump out.

  They were outside, and they really shouldn’t do that here, but there was no way back now.

  Kellan’s eyes were full of want when he watched Sartak pump his thick cock.

  He should prepare his mate better, but there was seriously no time. They’d be missed from the party any second now. His knees were shaking. It had been too long since they’d made love the last time and he wanted it so badly now.

  “I’m yours, take me. Fuck me. Now” Kellan breathed; his chest heaving up and down, his back arching.

  He pressed his body against Sartak’s; the heated, sweaty skin rubbed against the cool and smooth fabric of Sartak’s suit.

  Kellan cried out in pleasure and pain as his husband filled him with one deep thrust; their bodies slammed against each other in a wild embrace.

  With each thrust, both of them raced after their climax. Kellan’s moans and Sartak’s growls were all that filled the place for a while.

  Their lovemaking was wild and unrestrained, they mated with animalistic lust.

  Kellan bit his mate, chewing playfully on Sartak’s jaw; his nails dug into Sartak’s back.

  Kellan, almost naked and Sartak, still fully dressed but only his pants down his ass.

  “Yes, yes!” Kellan moaned, and suddenly his body tensed up, holding Sartak’s cock tightly as he came.

  The clenching hole around him was all he needed to throw him off the edge. He only needed two deep thrusts more until he spent himself into the wet heat of his mate and collapsed on top of him.

  “Fuck, we should go back,” he said, not moving, though.

  Appropriately dressed, they made their way back inside. Of course, they’d already been missed. Kellan’s brothers were coming towards them and Kellan put on a smile.

  “Hey, big brothers,” he said and they greeted him back.

  Blake stared at him with wild eyes.

  “God! So many people. I don’t even know half of them,” admitted the new President, making Kellan laugh.

  “I’ll be there to help you,” he answered, only getting a more desperate glance from Blake.

  Luke didn’t bother that much. He sipped on his champagne and seemed quite pleased with how the evening was going.

  “Yeah, do whatever you want. I’m going to hunt some exotic company for tonight,” he said, steering his big body through the masses towards a young Cjon’vaiian man who probably was the ambassador’s son.

  Kellan watched him with big eyes as Luke started to flirt.

  He had never witnessed any of his brothers on the hunt and it was terrifying. He hadn’t known that Luke liked men.

  “Luke’s gay?!” he asked, not quite believing what he was seeing.

  “Nah. No, I think he just likes everything that will bend
over for him. He’s such a man-whore,” Blake snorted, waving to a waiter to bring them more drinks.

  Kellan nodded to that, not knowing what else to say. He watched the proceedings a little longer before forcing his glance away when Luke put an arm around the Cjon’vaiian.

  In Kellan’s opinion, Cjon’vaiians were a little to emotionless to have sex with. At least by human standards… But if Luke liked it, he didn’t mind. It was his brother’s business alone and Kellan wondered what else he didn’t know about either Luke or Blake. Maybe it was just as much as they didn’t know about him.

  Sighing, he grabbed a champagne flute from the tray and threw back the whole contents.

  “Where have you been, anyway?” Blake asked, making Kellan spit out everything he just had drunk.

  “Outside, taking a walk,” Sartak came to his help.

  The man had the perfect poker face.

  He could have told Blake that they’d been discussing remodeling of food-packaging and he’d probably bought it.

  How did he do that?

  Kellan’s face was red as a tomato.

  “Oh! Have you heard about the new racing-laws the intergalactic council has decided on? Such stupid nonsense,” Blake started, and that was when Kellan silently slipped away from the conversation.

  He saw Alastair over there by the punchbowl. He was talking to some woman with her husband, and Kellan was already walking towards them when they suddenly disappeared into the hallway.

  Frowning, Kellan stood there, watching them as they moved towards the guestrooms.

  “Your uncle…I’ve never met a man with quite a sex-drive like him,” a voice sounded just next to him.

  Kellan looked around but saw no one until he looked slightly down.

  It was strange that someone was smaller than him, but Quinn Telsin was.

  The Felidorian was clearly not pleased with his captain since he was ripping a slice of bread apart with his claws as he spoke.

  Nodding, Kellan agreed.

  He’d noticed that his uncle was a bit…well he was seriously horny and he had like at least two lovers on each planet.

  Sometimes it looked like Alastair cared a great deal about Quinn, and they looked like the cutest couple ever, but then he’d go and fuck around town. So probably Quinn and he weren’t a couple after all since Kellan had never seen them being intimate…it was just the way the treated each other or how they’d talk about each other.

  Yeah, well…what did Kellan know, anyway?

  “Err…shall we dance then?” he asked, noticing that a few people were swirling each other around the dance floor.

  Quinn gave him a skeptical glance but then agreed.

  Just moments later, they swirled each other across the dance floor, giggling and laughing like drunken idiots, but it was a hell lot of fun.

  It was late evening when everyone else was truly drunk and only they were almost the last ones who were still sober.

  It was so much more fun to watch the others being ridiculous and overly embarrassing.

  Quinn was taking tons of evidence photographs for when they’d be “in need of blackmailing” and laughed like crazy while he did so.

  Kellan just joined him, making a video of a gloriously drunk Phy’vohranian councilor whose name he had already forgotten again. The man started to sing along some pop-song about shaking your butt.

  Maybe official parties weren’t that bad after all. It could get pretty funny if the evening went on for long enough. Kellan wouldn’t mind being persuaded to host or plan another such party again.

  Finishing the video, he glanced about the room, looking for his husband, who was talking to a statue. Oh damn…

  Chuckling, he waved Quinn goodbye and approached Sartak.

  Still laughing, he grabbed his mate’s hand and dragged him out of the ballroom and up to their chambers.

  When the doors shut behind them, Kellan kissed him again. Sartak’s breath smelled like wine and his lips tasted like it too, but he didn’t mind it much.

  Pushing him down onto the mattress, he climbed on top and kissed him again. Sartak returned the kiss, with less focus but anyway. Kellan rolled down from him and snuggled against his husband’s side.

  “I love you, you crazy lizard,” he said but Sartak was already asleep.

  Still, he grinned like a lunatic. He was happy. He was loved and all was well at the moment.

  His heart still ached, but it was less painful than the weeks before.

  Tonight he felt different.

  Everything was going back to normal again.

  “Hey, mum…your wish has come true,” he breathed into the silence of the room.

  31

  Nuxar; eight cycles later

  “SARTAK! YOU BLOODY BASTARD! I’M GOING TO KILL YOU! I’LL RIP OUT YOUR SCALES! YOU’LL NEVER FUCKING EVER BE ALLOWED TO TOUCH ME AGAIN!”

  Sartak couldn’t remember how many times he had heard these words today, but he couldn’t help but smiling like an idiot.

  One night, when both Sartak and Kellan had been lying together, he had dared to ask him whether he wanted to try again. And to his surprise, Kellan had kissed him and made love to him for hours.

  Only in the morning, he had admitted that he had gone into estrus sometime during the night. Still, the second pregnancy hadn’t been easier for Kellan.

  The last two months Kellan had been lying in their bed, the weight of his belly too great to carry around.

  Today was the day, but Dr. Selarney wanted to wait before putting Kellan to sleep so they could perform a C-Section.

  Right now, contractions and the baby’s kicks gave Kellan a hard time.

  Sweat covered his forehead, and all family members were stuffed into the room. Everyone was running around trying to make Kellan happy or distract him from the pain.

  When he yelled at him again, Sartak bent down and kissed his mate silent. Kellan returned the kiss and when Sartak chuckled, he chuckled too.

  “Our baby,” Kellan whispered, happiness radiating from him.

  He looked like he couldn’t be any happier and so did Sartak.

  Then it was finally time to get the baby out.

  Dr. Selarney and Dr. Yanxi threw them all out, not even allowing Sartak to be there.

  After what felt like hours of pacing in front of the door, Dr. Selarney opened it wide and bade them in.

  Sartak rushed passed him and froze in the middle of the room.

  His beautiful mate’s figure was illuminated by the last light of day, his platinum hair shining. He looked tired but overly happy as he sat in the big bed.

  The smile was almost ripping his face apart and the not so small bundle he held in his arms was wiggling around.

  Their child was covered in white cloth and Sartak felt strangely nervous.

  He wanted to see their child, but it seemed all so unreal right now.

  “Come here, Sartak,“ Kellan whispered with a fond smile, “Take a look at our little Verxas.”

  Suddenly Sartak was able to move again.

  They’d kept the gender of the child secret, both not wanting to know it in advance. Now Kellan had just announced that it was a boy.

  Sartak took careful steps forward and when he stood right beside Kellan his mate handed over the small bundle.

  Tears shot into his eyes when he saw how beautiful their little boy was.

  Verxas was just born but already stole some glances, though he couldn’t keep his shiny, mostly still blind eyes opened.

  And even then, he had Sartak’s eyes but Kellan’s pale skin and white hair.

  “This is the most beautiful little prince I have ever seen. I love you. Thank you, my beloved kmeran”, Sartak said and kissed both their child and Kellan on the forehead.

  “I love you too,” Kellan whispered.

  “I thought I had lost you when they kidnapped you. I was so afraid, so miserable. Without you…I don’t know if I could have lived like that…My heart would have died with you,” Sartak nuzzled h
is face into Kellan’s chest, breathing in the warm, sweet scent of his love.

  “Okay! Enough with the sweet couple talk! Let us see the baby!” Jarvan an Alastair said impatiently, pushing Sartak aside after stealing the baby out of his arms.

  “Oh, look what a sweetie you are,” Jarvan said, both him and Alastair walking out of the room with the child, chatting away at the little boy who had just been born.

  They were telling small Verxas about his ancestry and politics while leaving Kellan and Sartak laughing until their stomachs hurt.

  “You think we’ll ever get him back?” Sartak asked, a smug grin playing on his lips.

  “Probably not. They’d declare war against us, if we’d even try,” Kellan answered.

  “You’re an ambassador…let’s negotiate some arrangement then,” joked Sartak and kissed his mate.

  “Yeah…let’s…or just make more babies,” now Kellan’s voice was husky, his glance fixed on him.

  “Why not…” Sartak responded, already climbing onto the bed when someone cleared his throat.

  Startled, both Sartak and Kellan turned their heads, just to see that the whole rest of the family, except Jarvan and Alastair, were still standing there.

  “Maybe the two of you should try negotiating first before making a new baby,” Leylos said dryly, but the bemused shimmer in his eyes betrayed his serious tone.

  “Yeah…negotiations first,” Kellan repeated when a knock sounded from the windows.

  Their heads turned in the direction where the noise had come from.

  Dershra was sitting on Gorsha’s head. He did a looping when Kellan smiled at him.

  “You damn little showoff!” a chorus sounded from behind Kellan, making him crack up with laughter.

  Book 2” Second Chances” is in progress.

  The story continues with the Tournament of Stars. It tells about the events following book 1; Kellan’s past on Voxus and Lord Harok Darlvok’s past and secrets.

  Excerpt from BOOK 2 Second Chances:

  1

  Capital City Nuxar; Phy’vohran; 10.00hours; the Blue Month (2) Day 3