by Regine Abel
“I love you,” I whispered.
His opened his eyes and fervently said, “My mate…”
We exchanged a passionate kiss. I placed a ring on his finger and he placed two on mine.
“With these rings, I tell the whole world that you are mine and that I am yours. For my heart can never accept any other but you,” he whispered before kissing me.
We made love slowly, tenderly and passionately.
* * *
The morning had its own set of challenges. Khel and I made love again when we woke up. Then we took a bath together during which he confessed the ugliness that happened between himself and Lhor. I held him in my arms and told him it would be alright.
Movers came to pick up Lhor’s belongings. I told them to piss off, Lhor wasn’t moving. One of them tried to argue with me but Khel’s growl cowed him.
Khel told me Lhor was in his downtown apartment but would be moving to Minh’s clinic by the day’s end. He would go there to beg Lhor for forgiveness as soon as he was done with his military obligations. That gave me three hours to sort things out with Lhor.
After kissing Khel goodbye, I headed straight to the compound. There, Ghan and Detective Gravhin coordinated the arrest of the four councilmen whose DNA matched the samples found in the rescued females. Sadly, Zhul Dervhen wasn’t one of them. I felt guilty disturbing Ghan, but Lhor was my priority. I drew him away from prying ears before making my request.
“I need an escort to Capital District.”
“What for?”
“I have to go get my mate and bring him back home,”
He raised an eyebrow at me. “Your mate is off to the Xelhin District to take care of military duties. Not in Capital District.”
“My First Mate is off to the Xelhin District. I’m going to Capital District to get my Second Mate.”
He stared at me quietly for a moment. My heart pounded in my throat. I suddenly realized that Ghan’s approval was important to me. It would be just as important to Khel and Lhor. For the first time in my life, the opinion of others mattered to me and I hated how helpless it made me feel.
“So…” he drawled dispassionately, “you three fools finally got your shit together. About time.” He walked toward the landing pad. “Come.”
Too stunned for words, I hastened after him. We jumped in a personal shuttle and immediately took off. I cast furtive glances at him, working up my courage.
“So...” I said, echoing him, “you’re okay with this?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Ghan gave me a look that clearly indicated he was starting to question my IQ.
I shrugged. “Well… you know… Xelhan etiquette and all.”
“Seriously?” He gave me a disbelieving look. “I was laughing in the face of social etiquette before you were even born.”
“You never laugh,” I point out.
He glared. I grinned.
He rolled his eyes. I chuckled.
Ghan was awesome. He was lucky he manually piloted the shuttle or I would have smothered him with a hug. He just loved those.
“Still,” I argued, “two males, one female, won’t it raise eyebrows on Xelix Prime?”
“The law condones it, even as far as three males and one female. Plus Khel and Lhor are the same male split into two. Which is a good thing considering no single male could handle a trouble magnet like you.”
I gasped in outrage.
He smirked.
“Fine!” I mumbled. “I’ll let you have this one.”
“Everyone knew what was supposed to happen the day you all returned from the Fastening. You three were just too blind to see it.”
“Everyone?” I asked with a small voice.
“Everyone. Jhola, Sivh, the warriors, Dr. Volghan… we all knew.”
“You know something, Ghan?” He turned his head slightly to look at me questioningly. “You’re the best big brother ever,” I said, with a big grin on my face.
He gave me that unreadable look again, then grunted and turned back to face our path as we closed in on Capital District. We completed the rest of the journey in amicable silence. He escorted me inside Lhor’s apartment complex and we rode the lift to the penthouse. I rang the chime and waited. After a while, Ghan and I exchanged a look. I rang again and this time hacked into the system to see if Lhor accessed the vid. As suspected, he did.
“Lhor, I know you’re there,” I said into the com. “Let me in. I’m not leaving.”
“I do not wish for visitors at this time,” his voice responded.
He cut the communication. Annoyed, I looked at Ghan who smirked.
“Fun times ahead… Please sort things out with your mates quickly. I expect the three of you at the compound by two this afternoon. The fleets will be in position for the assaults on Gruuk’s strongholds. Now get in, and set him straight.”
Sobered by the reminder of all the lives we were trying to save, I nodded obediently. The thought of facing Lhor was intimidating. I turned and gave Ghan a hug, expecting him to push me away. To my surprise, he returned my embrace after a slight hesitation.
“Go on, little sister. Your mate is hurting and needs you right now.”
I nodded again, my face buried in his massive chest. Taking a deep breath, I hacked the lock open. I walked into the apartment and closed the door behind me.
Lhor stared out the living room’s ceiling-high windows that overlooked a breathtaking view of Capital District’s plaza. The penthouse was immense, luminous and elegant. But deadly clinical. There was nothing of the warmth found in Lhor’s office and bedroom at the estate.
“I asked you to leave.” He didn’t take his eyes from the view.
I walked up to him and carefully placed my hand on his back.
“Please, don’t,” he said, his voice strained.
Ignoring his request, I moved in closer, crowding his personal space.
“I came to take you home, Lhor.”
He snorted. “Home? This is my home, Amalia.” He pulled away from my touch and moved to the center of the room. “You need to leave and go back to your mate.”
“That’s exactly why I’m here. To bring my mate home.”
He froze. “What did you say?”
I swallowed and took a tentative step toward him. “I said, I’m here to bring my mate home with me. You’re mine, Lhor. I want you to be my mate.”
He recoiled as if I’d struck him, a horrified expression creeping over his face.
“Have you lost your mind?” he asked in a wheeze. “Are you insane?”
“Lhor…”
“No, Amalia! No!” he shouted. “You need to leave right now! By the Goddess, do you have any idea what this would do to Khel if he heard you? Don’t you realize what you mean to him? You can’t leave him. It would destroy him.” He pointed toward the door. “Leave and never come back.”
I crossed my arms and lifted my chin. “No, Lhor.”
“Amalia…” Lhor warned.
“I’m not leaving here. And I’m not leaving Khel either.”
He blinked in confusion, frowning. I took another step toward him.
“I love Khel. For as long as I draw breath, he’ll be my mate. My First Mate. But you’re mine too, Lhor. You were mine from the moment I saw you in the Fastening Hall. And I’m here to claim you, as my Second Mate.”
He looked thunderstruck. I took a step toward him but he took one back, trying to keep distance between us. He shook his head in denial as he moved away from me.
“We can’t do that, Amalia. Khel would never…”
“Khel told me about the law,” I interrupted.
The air rushed out of Lhor. “He what?”
“You heard me, Lhor.”
I walked up to him. This time he didn’t back away, probably too stunned to move.
“Last night, Khel and I talked and he told me about the law. He said I should know my rights and be allowed to exercise them as I see fit. It was his way of giving his consent, even though by law I
don’t need it.”
Standing in front of him, I tried to make eye contact. I could see he was weighing the implications of my words.
“Lhor—”
“I don’t want your pity,” he said, pulling away from me. “I’m deeply touched that the two of you would be willing to go to such lengths, but I must decline.”
“Oh, please.” I rolled my eyes. “Do you think I would bind the rest of my life to a male out of pity? My compassion has its limits and it doesn’t include pity-fucks.”
He started at my crude word. Good. I wanted him to pay attention and realize his hesitation and fears were nonsense. I was done waiting.
“Are you seriously going to stand here and tell me you’ve not felt the chemistry between us? Goddess, Lhor, even when my season made me go primal, I still claimed you as mine. There is no pity between us.”
I moved up to him and wrapped my arms around him, lifting my face to his.
“Amalia…” he said in a broken voice. His eyes wanting, hoping, fearing… “Be sure.”
“I have never been more certain of anything. I want you to be my mate, Lhor.”
I felt him tremble in my arms and tightened my embrace. I buried my face in his neck and peppered it with soft kisses. His arms slowly closed around me, his hands shaky on my back. I lifted my face to look into his eyes.
“I love you, Lhor.”
A broken sob tore out of him as he began to weep in my arms. My beautiful, broken Lhor who never dreamt a female would speak those words to him. He held me with a bruising fierceness bordering on desperation, his face hidden in my hair. I returned the embrace. After a moment, when his tears subsided, I pushed away from him slightly so I could cradle his face.
“Lhor of House Kirnhan, I would fasten with you if you would have me. Do you consent?”
He looked at me with such adoration and wonder, it took my breath away. No female had ever been more revered and cherished than I was at that moment.
“Amalia, my moon and stars, my impossible dream, I would fasten with you and claim you as my mate.”
I wanted to laugh and cry and dance all at once. But above all, I wanted to kiss him. I resisted the urge for a moment longer. I wanted things done right.
“Give me your left hand, Lhor.”
He complied, though a little puzzled by my strange request. He understood when he saw me remove one of the two bands from my ring finger. He swallowed as I placed it on his ring finger, the nanites in the ring adjusting its size to fit him.
“With this ring, I claim you and declare to the whole world that you’re mine, my chosen, my mate, my heart.”
“Amalia…” he whispered. “My love. My sweet love…”
I gave into a desire that had burned within me from the first time I saw him.
CHAPTER 29
Lhor
Goddess! The feel of her lips. I had fantasized so many times of what it would feel like to hold her, touch her, kiss her like a lover. And there she was, so warm and pliant in my arms. And she was my mate. I still reeled over that. Second Mate, with Khel’s blessing! How? Just last night, he’d been so angry, so hateful. And I had actually wanted to physically hurt him.
I felt her tongue tease the seam of my lips, begging for entry. I obliged, retracting my fangs to prevent her cutting herself on their sharp tips. She tasted sweet, like freshly cut ryspak dipped in honey, and I wanted more. Our tongues warred for a few seconds or an eternity – time had no meaning. A lusty, needy moan echoed in my ears. It took me a while to realize it was my own when she answered it with a seductive purr. I tightened my embrace and felt my stiffening shaft press against her. Breaking our kiss, she chuckled approvingly and rubbed her groin against mine.
Her eyes latched onto the staircase, following it up to the next floor. Guessing her meaning, I nervously took her hand and led her upstairs to my sleeping quarters. Like most civilian Tainted males, I’d never been with a female before. Until a few seconds ago, I’d never even kissed one. And now I would make love to one?
Goddess, help me.
What if she was turned off by my naked body? What if I proved inadequate? The mere thought of touching her nearly had me spilling my seed. I wouldn’t last long enough to bring her to her own release. I would embarrass myself. Khel at least hadn’t been clueless going to Amalia. I wouldn’t even know where to start!
By the time we reached my bedroom door, I’d all but worked myself into a panic. I opened the door and stood frozen in the doorway, fighting the urge to turn tail and run.
“It’s alright, Lhor,” Amalia whispered, sensing my distress. “It’s just you and me.”
She took the lead, pulling me into the room and closing the door behind us. She stopped by the large bed and turned to face me with a gentle smile.
“I… I’ve never…”
She stopped me by putting two fingers on my lips.
“I know, my love. I understand. It was the same for me on my Fastening night. Except, I was with a complete stranger and he treated me like a queen. Now you, my beautiful mate, are with your favorite brat of an alien who’s about to treat you like a king.”
Yes, she would know. Amalia would understand. I felt some of my tension lessen. She was a female, though. In many cultures, ours included, males were expected to take charge in the bedroom and tend to the female’s needs first. Deep down, I knew she’d be forgiving. But I couldn’t help fearing she’d compare me to Khel and find me wanting.
She pulled the hem of my shirt out from my pants and slipped her hands underneath it. They caressed my stomach before sliding around my back to embrace me. Goddess! Her hands were softer than the finest Dantorian silk. I hissed a lusty breath as a wave of pleasure swirled around my groin. A knowing smile danced on her lips before they captured mine. Amalia ran her hands up and down my back before gently raking her blunt nails along each side of my spine. The light burn sent a blast of need directly to my cock. It jerked in response. I felt my fangs descend and interrupted the kiss, fearing again to hurt her.
She chuckled throatily. “You don’t have to put away your fangs.”
“I don’t want to hurt you,” I murmured, my voice thick with desire.
“You won’t. I like them. Stop worrying, just feel.” She took a step back and gave me an assessing look. “Take off your shirt.”
Her words were like an icy cold shower. Of course, I needed to be naked. Actually naked… Dread rose within me, making me soften. Intending to obey, I grabbed the hem of my shirt but found myself unable to expose my Tainted body to her. It was stupid, but the possibility of her looking at me with revulsion was too staggering to contemplate.
“Have I ever acted like I cared about your Taint?” she asked.
I cast my eyes down. “You don’t know how bad it’s become.”
“Lhor, I saw your chest yesterday as you lay dying in my arms. There’s nothing under your shirt I haven’t already seen.”
It was true. She’d seen me. I wore her claw marks. Though the cuts had been sealed thanks to Volghan’s care, they were still a little raw. We would need to be careful not to tear them open again. Taking a deep breath, I gathered my courage and removed my shirt.
Balling it in my hands, I withstood her scrutiny, not daring to make eye contact. When her hands reached out for my chest again, I couldn’t help looking at her face. The naked hunger with which her eyes devoured me took my breath away.
Goddess, she wants me! Even disfigured like this, she really wants me!
She closed the distance between us and clasped her lips on my left nipple while carefully running her hands over my chest. A rapturous moan tore out of my throat and I closed my eyes to enjoy the sensation. Dropping the shirt, I grabbed a handful of her silken hair to hold her against my chest. I never imagined it could feel so good. She moved on to my other nipple. Only when I felt my pants slip down my hips did I realized she had undone them. I wanted to protest but was too lost.
After a final lick on my nipple, she drew my hea
d down toward her for another blistering kiss, while her other hand ventured to my crotch. My breath caught and my eyes flew open. She rubbed my cock a few times over my undergarment before slipping her hand inside to wrap it around me. My knees nearly buckled at the feel of flesh against flesh. She began slowly stroking me, rubbing her thumb over my weeping slit. A strangled moan escaped me and I began to fumble with her shirt.
She released me so I could pull off her shirt and I nearly cried out from the loss of her touch. No sooner was it off that her hand dove for my cock again. I began to rock in her hand while trying to work the magnetic clasps of her bra. How I managed without tearing it was a mystery. The sight of her perky breasts made my mouth water and I pounced on one. I tugged a handful of her hair, gently pulling, bending her backwards to give me better access.
“Lhor…” she moaned, caressing the back of my head.
I nudged her back to the bed and seized the opportunity to pull down her skirt and undergarment. Smiling, she crawled backwards on the bed.
Long, curly hair cascaded around her in silky waves. Copper skin, glistening like honey, begged for me to lick every single inch. And those breasts, proud and impertinent, beckoned me with their erect nipples.
Goddess, she’s stunning.
I made to move toward her but Amalia tsked me and shook her head. She pointed at my undergarment and gestured it off. With a groan, I hastily discarded the offending piece of clothing. This should have made me self-conscious, but it didn’t. I was reveling in the ardent need in her eyes.
After years of being a ghost to a society that preferred not to see me, she saw me and wanted me as I was. I felt the first crack in the hardened shell of the dark, festering ball of self-contempt I’d nurtured over nearly three decades of sickness, derision, and rejection.
I could spend an eternity basking in her loving gaze. But right now, I wanted to feel her skin against mine. Unable to resist the invitation of her open arms, I crawled onto the bed. Leaning on my forearm to support my weight, I kissed her like my life depended on it. My palm skimmed over the delectable curve of her breast. Her soft moans were the most erotic thing I had ever heard and seemed to find their way directly to my cock.
