Mortal Flames_The Magical

by Averi Hope

  Taking her lips in another kiss, this time deeper and longer, he tasted her sweetness. His tongue swept into her warm mouth, stroking along her own eager tongue. His desire built like a fire. Every nerve seemed to sense every inch of his mate. Her breasts lightly grazed his chest. They found a slow rhythm as she stroked his length along her clit.

  “Oh, Raiden,” she gasped, breaking their kiss as she threw back her head.

  He leaned forward, capturing one of her nipples in his mouth. Sucking softly, he gloried in the way she ground against his cock. Then, he sucked harder before finally grazing her nipple with his teeth. She cried out, and he released her nipple, moving to the other one.

  When she came down on him, taking his length fully inside her, he groaned in shock. His entire body trembled as he gripped her, waiting, afraid that if he moved he’d lose all control.

  But he didn’t have to wait long, she rose up, then down again, slamming his cock into her once more. Over and over again she moved, her hips rolling, her hands pressing into his chest as she used him to build her own fires.

  All the while, he forced himself to stay in control. To grip her hips, but to let her lead.

  And that’s when he felt his Mating Muscle move, sliding upward to stroke her clit. Her rhythm grew faster, more desperate. Every pant of her breath was his name spoken like a prayer. His Mating Muscle squeezed her clit, gently at first, but harder and harder, following her pace. The fire within him built. Her touch, a mixture of pain and pleasure, sent his head reeling.

  When she came, her inner muscles clenched him, holding his cock more tightly, quivering around him. The careful control he’d forced himself to observe shattered, and his croaky voice cried out his pleasure as he gripped her harder, using his strength to bring her down onto his hard manhood with increasing power.

  Yes! Oh gods! Yes!

  Her voice joined his own as her pussy tightened and quivered. She rode him harder, screaming out as she climaxed again.

  The feeling of her coming around him was too much. His seed shot, warm and filling, into her eager pussy. Pleasure clouded his mind. Every nerve in his body came alive as waves crashed over him. Every quiver that clenched her inner muscles around him seemed to send explosions of pure ecstasy through his body. His toes curled. His skin blazed crimson, matching the color of her own. Together they were fire and fire, coming together, creating an inferno that felt as if it would never end.

  This, this, my love, is it!

  For a long time, her body held him tightly, draining every last drop of him in a process that was the greatest torture he’d ever experienced.

  When she at last collapsed on top of him, he closed his eyes, feeling his Mating Muscle sliding back toward his body. That was incredible. Like nothing before. Because there was no doubt, they were mated together. In body, heart, and soul. A male could feel it. The moment his seed planted within his mate’s womb.

  Soon the dreams would begin. The dreams from their child.

  It was hard to breathe. He was happy. Despite everything, he was happier than he’d ever been.

  And then a sob escaped his mate’s lips as tears rained down on his shoulder.

  His eyes flew open, and he sat up so that she straddled him. He pulled her face from his shoulder and stared into the distraught face of the woman he loved.

  “I’m sorry!” she cried, but the tears only came faster and harder.

  He pulled her closer to him and held her as she cried, shoulders shaking. These were tears from deep within a person. Tears that tore from her heart.

  What have I done? She is still fragile from her time as Kaemon’s prisoner. From all the bad experiences that have shadowed her since she went to look for me. And I was too rough.

  It was a long time before she quieted, and then her voice came softly, “I told you I was damaged.”

  He frowned, shame-filled words pulling from his lips. “Damaged? No, I’m the one who hurt you,” his raspy voice grated against his ears.

  She looked at him, shaking her head. “You were gentle and kind, but my time with Kaemon…”

  Everything within him froze. But Kaemon couldn’t force himself on her. He’d pulled her into the bathing pool, but I thought that I’d arrived before anything—

  But you were wrong! an angry voice taunted him from within his own mind.

  You callous, ignorant, selfish, son of a bitch! How didn’t you know? Why didn’t you even consider this?

  His grip tightened around her. “Tell me.”

  Her eyes filled with tears once more. “You’ll never look at me the same again.”

  No, I won’t. Every time I look at her I’ll see how I failed her. But that isn’t what she means…

  He swept her dark hair back from her face with hands that worshipped the female who was his mate and who carried his child. “Nothing you could say could ever make me love you less.”

  “I’ve been soiled. Used.” She pressed her knuckles to her forehead.

  “Anything that happened is a scar on him, on his character, not yours,” he reassured her, taking her hands from her face, and laying her down to curl at his side. “Tell me,” he said, stroking her hair gently.

  And so, very slowly, she did. He said nothing as she recounted her torture and mistreatment at the hands of his enemies. But inside, he died. He should’ve been there to protect her. This is my burden to bear, not hers.

  “So you see,” she said, her words broken by hiccups. “We’re both damaged.”

  He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and spoke, flinching at his harsh voice. “No, we’re not. But I failed you once. I won’t do it again. I’ll remain the Khar, and you’ll be my voice.”

  Her body relaxed slightly. “You don’t hate me?”

  “No.” His voice was even quieter. “I hate myself for letting this happen to you.”

  “It wasn’t your fault. And this, I’m afraid it’ll destroy things between us. What happens if you can never touch me again without me remembering? What happens if I can never be the way I was?”

  He didn’t hesitate. “Neither of us will ever be the same again. But with time, we’ll heal.”

  The air in the room seemed to change. Relief flowed from the tiny female in his arms.

  She cuddled closer to him. “I’m glad we’re finally together. That things can finally be the way I imagined, with the male I love.”

  Images made every muscle in his body stiffen. Memories of his time aboard the tiny craft bound for the sun. Of the realizations he’d come to. And of the Spyre.

  “What is it?” she whispered, her hand stroking his chest.

  “I have a confession.” He swallowed, trying to force the words past his lips. “I understand why Kaemon rebelled against my father and me.”

  She sat up, anger flashing in her eyes. “It was because he was a selfish, jealous—“

  “He was those things.” He brushed back her dark veil of hair, tucking it behind one ear. “But my father and I made some mistakes. My father was too comfortable. He missed problems because he wasn’t diligent enough to search for them.”

  Nibbling her bottom lip, she met his gaze. “Perhaps that’s true. But you did nothing wrong.”

  “I did.” So many things. “I let my reluctance to be Khar, my relationship with my father, and my grief over my mother’s death turn me into a sulking child. Kaemon and the others were right to question what kind of a ruler I would be.”

  She shook her head, brows raised. “No, they were wrong. Listen to me, you were young. You thought you had plenty of time before you’d have to rule, hundreds of years before you had to—“

  He raised a hand to silence her. “Please, Saura, I need to take responsibility for my part in this.”

  “But—“

  “I should’ve done better. You were younger than me and you did better.”

  Still defiance had her tilting her head in a sexy movement. “Risking your life to go to another planet to save the lives of countless people makes
you a good Khar, whether they realize it or not.”

  And here it is. He cleared his throat. “I went to the planet to learn the truth, but more than that, I went to the planet to prove my father wrong. Someone else should’ve gone. Had I been here, my father would be alive, and my people wouldn’t be in such a bad position.”

  “Oh.” She hung her head and seconds ticked by. “Well, then, I guess you do need to do better. For me. For your future child. And for your people.”

  “I will,” he promised, and meant it with every fiber of his being.

  She laid her head back on his chest and for a long time neither spoke. He was sure she’d finally fallen asleep when her question came. “Soon we’ll arrive at Erth. Do you really believe that they’ll allow us to share their planet? That all will be well?”

  Gods, I hope so.

  “All will be well as long as you’re at my side.”

  “But what if the humans say no? What if our people push us to destroy them?”

  His laugh was low and grating. “When their females see our males, and our males see their females, the deal will be done.”

  She shivered in his arms. “I guess we won’t know until we arrive.”

  No, no we won’t.

  For the first time in his life, there holding his mate, he really thought of what he wanted for his people’s future. What he knew was that he wanted them to be happy. To be more like the humans. But how would he go about doing that?

  He knew the first step instantly. Rusty had a saying, “happy wife, happy life.” It was another of his unexpected phrases that were both simple and brilliant. The humans were happier because their women were happier. They were freer. The women weren’t expected to hide themselves away, because the men couldn’t control themselves.

  He wanted his women to have more freedom. He wanted his men to learn control, so the women could be safer. In order to do so, the males would need to begin seeing the females as equals, creatures to protect and love, but equals.

  I know exactly how to start this new era. To create a society of people who are full of life, as the humans are.

  “When we get to Earth, I want you to be the one to negotiate the treaty.”

  Saura sat up and stared at him, eyes wide. “You are not damaged. You can—“

  He brushed her cheek gently. ”I know. I understand now. You must negotiate because in this new world things must be different than they have been.”

  “How?” Her anxiety made her muscles tighten beneath his touch.

  “I should not be Khar because my father was Khar, or because the gods chose me. I should lead our people because, with you by my side, we are the best leaders for our people.”

  She started to shake her head. “This is too important.”

  “Between the two of us, you will do the best job. You have been preparing to lead our people all your life. I’ve only been preparing for a short time.” He took a deep breath, and winced. “And because if we wish the council or our people to ever see you as anything more than my shadow, this is our best opportunity.”

  She stared at him and started speaking slowly. “Father told me over and over again as a child that a Khara’s role is to support him as ruler, not to be ruler. But somehow, even as a young girl, I felt the power within me to do more than just be your shadow. I wanted to rule too.” She took a deep breath. “Perhaps this is what I must do if I want to be seen as more to my people. To make things better for our females. For our daughters.”

  “Thank you, my love.”

  She never ceases to amaze me.

  Resolve strengthened her words. “I will fight until I win.”

  He smiled. “I know you will.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Raiden stood with his back stiff, trying to appear proud and strong as his image was sent to every television screen in the United States. “We are the Elementas. A race of aliens with far superior technology to your own, and our fleet of ships are currently in orbit around your planet. We are opening this communication channel with your leaders in hopes of arranging a meeting to discuss how we can benefit each other.” He smiled in a way he hoped looked friendly. “We await your response.”

  The communication ended, but the room remained quiet. Painfully silent.

  The elders still wonder whether this will work. Whether the humans are as intelligent as we’ve claimed.

  He turned to Saura with a question in his eyes.

  “You did well,” she reassured him, but her hands remained folded tensely in her lap.

  He nodded, feeling unsure. They had not wanted to say too much. Their message had two purposes. The first was to arouse curiosity in the humans so they wouldn’t immediately react out of fear. And the second was to begin negotiations immediately.

  But was I successful?

  A pulse-like bell came from the large table. Jaydee tapped to open the viewscreen in the center, his gaze running over whatever he could see from his angle. Time seemed to crawl as they waited for him to speak.

  Jaydee leaned back in his chair, one brow raised. “Their president has arranged a date and time. He says that you are to come as his invited guests.”

  Saura rose and wrapped her arms around Raiden’s shoulders. “You did it, my love. You did it.”

  He leaned into her touch, amazed. After all we have been through, could it all really be this easy?

  Somehow he suspected that their true fight was just beginning.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Saura felt the shuttle touchdown and looked at the viewscreen again, staring through a gate at the large white building that housed the humans’ representative. What a strange castle.

  I hope I’m dressed appropriately.

  The gown she wore had been designed specifically for the “first time the humans would see the alien queen.” Raiden had assured her it was perfect, but Saura felt uncertain as she stroked the thick blue material of the flowing skirts. Everything depends on this meeting. We can’t afford to mess it up.

  Her long hair had been drawn up, strings of gold-and-blue gems had been woven through the strands. But the centerpiece was her crown. It still looked impossibly fragile, like twigs weaved together, but the thin gold only made the three massive gems seem ever bigger.

  When she’d looked in the mirror before boarding the shuttle, she’d seen a strange face staring back at her. Her hair seemed to glow, even her skin, dusted with crushed diamonds, seemed to glow.

  Will I seem too strange to the humans?

  “Smile,” Raiden rasped, rising from his seat beside her and unbuckling her. “You can do this.”

  How can he seem so sure, when I can hardly breathe?

  He radiated confidence, wearing a simple white shirt and pants colored a red so deep they were nearly black. High black boots and his impressive crown looked simple at first glance. But the sure strength and size of his body hummed of power. And teamed with his bronzed, deep-red skin, and scarlet-ringed eyes, she knew he would look to the humans every bit the young, dangerous king he was.

  Raiden knows these people better than I do. I should trust him.

  He reached out for her, and she took his outstretched hand.

  She stood, giving him a smile she knew was wobbly. “I wish I was as confident as you.”

  Behind them, the three Elders that had agreed to accompany them rose with groans and mumbles. She glanced at them. Jaydee, Jetri, and Turk wore scarlet robes, and all looked large and imposing. Ready to do battle .If necessary.

  Jaydee and Turk clasped hands with Raiden, flashing cocky smiles. “Time for some fun.”

  Raiden grinned back, leaning closer so they could hear his words, but she could see that his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Control yourselves among the females, my friends. There are many of them.”

  “So you say,” Jaydee mumbled, doubt adding to the shadows beneath his eyes.

  Turk elbowed him. “Try not to scare them off before we’ve even had a chance at them.”

&
nbsp; Saura rolled her eyes. “Or we can focus on our negotiation.”

  But she said the words lightly. They’re trying to distract themselves with the women, just like I’m trying to distract myself with clothing. Neither matters in the end. All that matters is being successful. Our people need a planet.

  “We shouldn’t keep them waiting,” Jetri said, wrinkles deepening the corners of his mouth.

  She took a deep breath. It’s time.

  Raiden hit the button beside the door, and noise exploded.

  She cringed and stared in shock. Barricades had been placed in the middle of the large street, holding back hundreds and hundreds of people. Perhaps thousands. Uniformed males guarded the barricades, but all eyes were focused on them. Lights began to flash at them.

  “What in the blazing moons?!” Jetri asked, shielding his eyes.

  “They’re just taking pictures of us. Smile. Look confident.” Raiden squeezed her hand, and they exited their craft, with the three Elders behind them.

  He led her to the white gate where a long line of men dressed in black with black masks waited. “Riot gear,” Raiden whispered, although she wasn’t sure what he meant.

  The guards parted, and a small party of well-dressed men and women smiled nervously. This is it.

  There were introductions, where they learned they would be meeting the human leader inside the enormous white castle. They were led briskly down the path. At the large doors, two humans opened them. Their group was then led through a maze of halls, thankfully far quieter and calmer than out in the streets, before they were led to a plushly decorated room with a large rectangle table in the center.

  Raiden froze in the doorway. “Where are the leaders?”

  A small pale man behind him swallowed. “Security detail will bring them in a moment.”

  Her mate raised a brow. “If we meant you harm, we wouldn’t waste our time with this meeting.”

  “Of course, of course.”

  A tall man with dark brown skin gave a forced smile. “Please, seat yourselves. Partake in our refreshments. The president and his team will be here shortly.”