by Kylie Gold
A thick silence fell over the tribe, not a single word uttered. Perhaps it was from shock, perhaps in fear of be sacrilegious against our ancestors. Either way, I would be taking advantage of no one speaking up. I spotted the shaman sitting towards the far end of the table. Raising Amelia’s hand I held as high as it could reach, I began speaking, “Before the eyes of our shaman, our elders, and the watchful eyes of our ancestors—I use my power as sole chief of the tribe to claim this human, Amelia, as my mate until the day I die. She is now a member of our tribe. A member who shall be treated equally and fairly. One that will not be singled out because she is of a different culture. She is your sister, and the wife of your chief.”
My eyes went to Amelia then, who was staring up at me with shock but admiration. “Do you, Amelia, renounce your biological bond to the humans here on Shaviro?” I asked her, still speaking loud enough for all to hear.
She gave a small nod before speaking, louder than normal but not quite to my volume. “I do.”
I lowered her hand and still looked to her, “Is there anything you want to say to them?”
Amelia blinked and then looked around to the people of the clan, a dark blush coming over her cheeks—clearly was not a fan of public speaking. “I-I… I just want you all to know I’m not at all like the humans that live here on Shaviro. I know it may seem weird with me being of the same species, but I do not belong to their colony and never have. And I plan to help in any way I could to free the Navani from the oppression of the human colony here. I want nothing more than to help.”
I gave her hand a squeeze, she had spoken truthfully and hopefully the tribe would see that. I looked back to the tribe, “And if anyone wants to challenge me and the words of our ancestors, you know where to find me.”
With that being my final words, I pulled her hand and led her back to my hut. The crowd behind us was still silent from the shock of everything. I was not going to live in fear of my own tribe, not if it was about a woman I truly loved. We walked into the hut and I closed the door. “Welcome home,” I grinned to her, wanting to help her adjust to the realization that it was her home now. She was a member of the tribe.
Amelia’s big blue eyes looked to me, “I can’t believe this is all real…” she whispered.
I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close to me. “I know… I know things have happened fast, but honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way. You’re mine now,” I grinned warmly down to her.
Amelia smiled shyly, “I like the sound of that.” I craned my neck down and gave her a kiss before pulling back and leading her into our living quarters. Walking to the bed, I sat with her on the edge of the bed. “I didn’t know Navani had two hearts,” she spoke, “The shaman said your second heart was almost hit with the shot.”
I gave a small shrug with a smile, “I didn’t know humans only had one.” I paused and then asked, “Do you want to feel?”
She gave a nod and I picked up both of her hands. Softly I placed one over the right side of my chest, and then one down towards the lower center of my chest. I laid her palms flat so that she could feel. Both of my hearts had a calm and steady beat. Amelia looked completely amazed, her hands pressing into my skin. “That’s so unreal…” she breathed. “Your heartrate is so slow, both of them.”
I raised a brow to her, “It feels normal to me. Does your heart beat faster?”
“Yeah, by quite a bit,” she said before removing one of her hands from my chest and lifting my hand. She placed it towards the left of her chest. My fingers extended and hand laid flat on her chest. Thump, thump-thump, thump-thump-thump. Wow, she was right. Her heart seemed to beat nearly twice as fast as mine.
“You sure you just aren’t really nervous?” I teased her.
“Well, I mean I’m a little anxious. But not enough to cause my heart to race,” she told me, her hand returning to my chest.
We sat there with our hands on the other’s hearts, both in complete amazement. I pondered if perhaps that’s why the humans stayed so mean, with a heartrate like that, they were bound to be worked up about something all the time. And maybe with our people having two hearts and a slower rate for both, that was why we stayed so calm and one with the planet. It was probably a silly thought, but it was an interesting thought.
It was rather intimate to sit and just feel one another’s hearts beating. My eyes peered down into hers, and when her eyes locked with mine, I felt hers speed up for a few beats; which made me smirk. I leaned down and gave her a passionate kiss. Our hands stayed on the other’s chest as we kissed repeatedly. My lips conquered hers, pressing against her soft lips with all the love I could put into the simple act. The hand which wasn’t on her heart went to hold her cheek. And like all the other times we kissed for more than a few brief seconds, the simple kisses quickly led to more primal needs. Her heart raced under my hand as my other hand grabbed her leg and rolled her onto the bed. With one quick motion, I pulled her clothing off and over her head. My hands explored her creamy skin as we kissed, each hand roaming from her chest and down her sides.
Her lips stayed on mine, nibbling at the tender skin occasionally. Her hands eventually left my hearts and held my face softly. As my tongue began to press passed her lips, I heard her sniffle. My eyes opened to find her softly crying. “Hey, what’s wrong?” I asked her, my hands leaving her body and reaching up to brush her tears away.
She didn’t speak for a moment, trying to compose herself. Amelia gave another sniffle and spoke softly, “It all just doesn’t feel real. Last night you were bleeding so much… And you couldn’t hold your eyes open… I thought you were dead until Shan made you sit up…” she sobbed quietly, her tears increasing the more she spoke.
“Shh… it’s okay. I’m okay. I’m right here,” I tried to soothe her. “It’s real. Don’t cry.” I kissed her tears away, kissing all over her face. “If I were dead, I couldn’t be doing this, could I?” I asked in a light-hearted tone. She gave a quiet chuckle. I smiled down to her, “I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere,” my tone was serious and my gaze held hers, wanting her to sense how truthful I was being. Amelia didn’t need to fret over my safety. With a small nod, she craned her neck up and kissed my lips sweetly.
Within moments, we were back at the same intensity we had before—but it was more emotional. Her hands gripped me as though I would slip away, and my touch was soft and loving to soothe her. It made it feel so special. We kissed passionately and let our hands roam one another’s bodies. After a while of it, my erection was starting to press against the fabric of my shorts. I didn’t hesitate to pull them down and kick them to the side. I needed her body, to officially claim her as my own and to prove my love to her. My hands tucked behind her knees and began to spread her legs, when she pulled away, “Wait.” My patience was endless with her, just looking down at her and waiting for her to speak. “Do… do you think I should be on top? You’re hurt, and hurt near one of your hearts. You shouldn’t stress it…”
I gave a chuckle, “I’ll be fine Amelia, it isn’t like I had a heart attack.”
But she didn’t even respond with words. Her legs wrapped around my hips and then quickly rolled us over to where I was on my back and looking up at her. She sat on my stomach, looking down at me. “No, that’s not good enough. I’m not just your mate, you’re my mate too. And I want to take care of you,” Amelia spoke as sternly as the little woman could muster.
I raised a brow at her, my hands gliding up her sides, “Do you really think I’m going to protest that?” While the manly part of me yelled at myself, telling me to prove I was strong to her—she was right, she was my partner and if that made her feel better then I wasn’t about to stop her.
Amelia leaned down and kissed my lips as I felt her pick her hips up and position them correctly. The next thing I felt was her heat pressing down on the tip of my member. She withdrew and then pressed back down on the tip, and repeated it several times. My muscles tensed a bit at the sensation, the
feeling being more of a tease than anything. She then slowly began to press further down onto me, each bounce she made she took in a little more. When she got about half way down, Amelia picked her hips up and then slammed down to the hilt of me. I let out a soft groan, her insides being so warm and wet. She sat up straight then, beginning to work the entire length of my shaft.
My eyes opened from the bliss to find the best view in the world. Her small frame rode me softly, taking her time. With each little movement, her breasts bounced slightly, and her cheeks were flushed from her arousal. My hands rested on her hips, my thumbs drawing circles over the bones. The previous sexual encounters we shared had been rough and passionate, which had been enjoyable. This, though, was sensual and intimate. She began to moan softly as she moved all the way up before dropping her hips back down.
I smiled to her, beginning to buck my hips against hers, making her gasp before moaning again. “You feel so good, Amelia,” I called to her.
Amelia’s blush just darkened at my words, nibbling at her bottom lip as if to keep herself from smiling too big. “You’re perfect,” she replied. Our hips moved in a beat together, her speed beginning to increase as we both became overwhelmed with arousal. My hands moved to her breasts, pinching at her erect nipples.
Her walls tightened around my member, her climax already starting. She grew impossibly tight around me, my member beginning to vibrate. Her hips moved quickly then, riding me hard. My chest began to heave, forcing myself to hold back, wanting her to come before I did. “Come on, baby,” I breathed to her, my hands returning to her hips to help her move. I was growing so close though, the vibrations intensifying. Her breathing was ragged as her muscles tightened even more, she was so close. My hips rocked into hers quickly, pressing myself as far as I could into her. The vibrations must have hit a sweet spot, because her body immediately began to shudder as she orgasmed. She breathily yelled my name. I groaned and pumped up into her a few more times before I felt my own release. My hands moved her on me as I finished completely, groaning again and again at the sensation.
Once we were satisfied, Amelia climbed off me and crawled to my side. She let out a heavy, content sigh and cuddled into me. Before her, I was definitely not a cuddly guy. But with her, I never wanted my hands to be away from her. My hand grazed against her side before a curious thought came to mind. Traveling to her chest, I placed my hand back over her heart. Her heart was racing from all of the excitement. I had never felt a heartbeat so rapidly. A genuine smile came to my face realizing that I would be the only one to make her heart race like that ever again. I pulled her close to me and held her, kissing her forehead. She was my fate, my destiny, and my entire future.
23
Amelia
ONE YEAR LATER
I sat in the rocking chair one of the tribesmen had carved us as Dracon still slept soundly just a couple of feet away in the bed. He had gotten up several times that night, so I wanted him to sleep in. Never in my life had I been so happy and felt like I belonged somewhere as did the Navani. Of course it had been a long adjustment for the people of the tribe, but they came to accept me and accept us.
I couldn’t stop smiling like a fool at the little creature in my arms. He looked so much like his father with strong bone structure behind those chubby cheeks and even had thick black hair like Dracon’s. His nose was the only feature that clearly came from me, being long and sloped upwards just a bit. His skin was a mix of mine and Dracon’s, being a rogue pink hue. He was perfect to us, and was the most beautiful thing my eyes had ever seen. Even some of the tribe had taken to him, despite him being mixed.
I couldn’t believe he was already here and already a week old. It had been a long, grueling ten-and-a-half-month pregnancy—I hadn’t been thrilled when I found out Navani pregnancies lasted a year. I supposed with him being half human, it caused the pregnancy to end quicker. It had worried Dracon sick, but by ten-and-a-half-months I was ready to get him out; I had been huge and miserable. And birth… I don’t know why we had even attempted a natural birth. I had nearly died trying to deliver him vaginally. He was simply just too big for my narrow hips. After twenty hours of labor and a near death experience, Kowlow finally buckled and cut him out. Cesarean births were unheard of in the Navani tribe, so he hadn’t wanted to listen to me when I said I would need one.
But all the pain and waiting had been worth it for him. Our little Con, named after Dracon of course. The little boy wiggled in the silky blanket, stretching his arms. He gave a little noise as he woke up, his brilliant lilac eyes with flecks of blue peering up at me. “Is he okay?” Dracon asked, jolting awake from the tiny noise Con had made.
I couldn’t help but chuckle a bit, “He’s perfectly fine, Dracon. He just woke up.” I soothed the little baby’s hair, having stuck up in his sleep. Dracon sat up then, rubbing his tired face. “Go back to sleep, sweetheart. You’ve hardly slept.”
“Neither have you,” he rebutted, tossing his legs over the bed. Yawning loudly, he stretched his arms just as Con had, before reaching to the bedside table and putting on his bib-styled necklace.
“That’s different.”
“How?”
“Well, I’m the mom—”
“And I’m his father,” Dracon said stubbornly, standing up and walking over and peering down at Con with love written all over his face. Dracon was an amazing father, more devoted and loving than any human father I had ever met. “I hate being asleep when he’s awake anyways. I don’t want to miss anything.”
“He’s a week old, he doesn’t do much but eat, poop, cry, and sleep,” I laughed at him.
Dracon leaned down and kissed me on the lips tenderly before leaning down more and giving Con a kiss on the forehead. “And I don’t want to miss any of that,” he grinned at me. “Come sit in the communal room. I’ll make us some breakfast.” I stood with Con in my arms, following Dracon into the kitchen area. The little man wiggled in my arms as he woke up, giving little noises of frustration. I sat at the table, cooing down to him to soothe him a bit. “What’s he fussing about?” Dracon called light-heartedly.
“He’s just hungry,” I told him, reaching to the neckline of my dress and pulled a breast out. I was so grateful for the women of the tribe who helped with my clothing throughout everything. From my everyday tunic dresses, to my maternity dresses, and now the ones with the adjusted necklines to make nursing easier. Raising Con up, I moved his little head until he latched and started suckling.
Dracon looked over as he cooked the meat, “Lucky bastard,” he mumbled jokingly, making me roll my eyes. What a typical guy thing to say. The unlucky one was me, my breasts were huge and stayed swollen and achy; Con was of course worth it.
The baby ate happily, his little hands resting on my skin as he did. Dracon walked over with our plates, sitting right next to me as he began to eat. Holding Con with one arm, I ate with the other. Dracon’s arm was around my shoulders as we all ate, occasionally leaning over to give me kisses on the face and neck. The whole year we were together, we had actually gotten along really well and had just been very in love. I had my moments while pregnant I would get a little too hormonal and go off on him and cry my eyes out, but he was supportive even in those moments. And now that Con was there, it seemed like our little family was perfect.
There was a knock on the door. Dracon glanced up to the door before looking back down to his food, “You may enter.”
The door opened and Shan walked in. It was almost always Shan, he seemed to be the messenger for everyone. Shan looked over all of us eating and then his eyes fell to Dracon, “I don’t mean to disturb your meal. Something’s come up,” he spoke to Dracon cautiously.
“What is it?” he asked, raising his cup to his lips and taking a sip of juice between bites of his food.
“Two scouts were found dead about a half hour ago… They were hung from trees.”
I froze and looked to Dracon, who was still himself. The war between the Navani and humans still raged on
. While the attacks on the Navani had lessened, they were still there and the humans were still mining away. The few times I had offered to go talk to them about a treaty, Dracon had refused to let me go. With me being pregnant for most of the time I had been there, he feared the humans would find out and have me executed or something. Having Con had complicated my plans for helping them find peace with the humans, but that didn’t mean we wouldn’t find peace.
Lynching was a new tactic though… I had never heard of them doing it before. It made it seem like it was no longer a war over material goods; if it was, they would have just shot the scouts. But hanging them, that took time, effort, and hatred. Was it a sign of them wanting to exterminate the Navani? Terror shocked through my body, looking down at Con as he ate. I was a part of the tribe more than ever, I had a son to protect. “What are your thoughts on this, Amelia?” Dracon asked, placing a hand over mine which was resting on Con. He was asking for counsel on the possible motives of the lynching, and I didn’t want to tell him what I was thinking.
I bit the inside of my cheek as I tried to think of any other reason the humans would have hung the scouts. I couldn’t think of any. “I’m not sure why they would do that… The only time lynching has been used in human history is to give an example.”
“Give an example? Of what?” Shan asked.
I let out a shaky breath, “Of what’s to come. Lynching is a hate crime. Meaning, they aren’t focused on the materials or land anymore… they are focusing on the tribe.” I looked to Dracon with pained eyes. “But that doesn’t mean that’s the direction the entire colony is steering. It could just be a few humans that took it too far…” Dracon’s face fell into an expression of deep distress, his hand moving from mine and stroking Con’s hair. “Maybe it’s time for me to go speak to them,” I suggested.
