"You should have given me weapons of some sort."
He chuckled. "I did. I found the strongest and most intelligent male to escort you to the Queens." Goro's gaze slid to mine. "I couldn't have asked for a more competent and reliable warrior to assist us."
"Oh," Aisling almost spat and snarled. "I'm nothing to them. I'm just a vagina and womb."
Goro wagged his head. "No, you're the solution to their problem. I've spoken with Prince Mart. He is gathering his sacred scripts to share with you at this very moment."
Aisling tried to look away from Goro as if she no longer wished to speak with her superior.
"And, Aisling, he agrees that you both may find something to snuff the sparks of war in the Luvk's future. But you must focus and accept that with every turn in life, we sacrifice a bit of our souls for the greater good." Goro bowed slightly, turned on one heel, and strode back toward a seat of honor near the end of Ishan's table.
Aisling turned to face me, her expression draining of color. "Famous last words."
At least she didn't glare.
"Please, I need to sit somewhere quiet. Please." Her eyes glittered and she teetered slightly.
I would have squeezed away those pains but dared not show the others how she was tormented. "Everyone watches and listens, Aisling. Don't let them think you're weak. Sit with me. Dine with me. I won't allow anyone to touch you. This I swear."
She sucked in a deep breath that tugged her fear away and gave me the most pitiful beg of a stare before turning back to the crowd.
Her discomfort was my fault. I should have warned her I was going to declare we'd mated upon our arrival. I should have explained the consequences. But she's the one who extended the proposal. I merely brought it to fruition. She will understand soon the significance in all these aspects of Luvk marriage. I placed a palm on the slight curve of her lower back and nudged her slight mass toward the tables. "The warriors I requested for your service won't cross me, little one. Nor will they leak any information about what goes on in our lodge. They are the finest Royal Guards in the seven realms. Four wear the masks of Royal Guard leaders. I promise you, I chose them for your protection. And we will need protection-guards at our doors night and day as well as to accompany you anywhere you venture into the seven realms."
She walked quietly toward many watchful eyes, the blatant segregating of black and white tigers from lower-caste Luvks among the Royal Guards where the black and whites sat closer to the Queens, and we strode toward our empty seats. The other guards sat at separate tables with their backs to the heads of the tables, where they could eat without being observed by females.
"Do not look at males when they are eating. This is common courtesy at court," Borun whispered loud enough I could hear.
"Where are the Queen's mates?" She managed to prove her mind still digested everything around her.
"They rarely travel with their mates. You'll only find sons and mothers at these affairs."
"Don't think you're ever getting to stay at home if I'm forced to participate in these ridiculous politics," she mumbled.
She was just angry and intimidated. And what warrior wouldn't stay in his lodge when he had a mate like Aisling to guard? To curl up with when darkness fell? To ride with passion only reserved for those few Royal Guards chosen to breed? "The thought hadn't crossed my mind."
"Don't expect me to run my lodge the way a queen does either. And no," she shot me a stern glance and whispered, "I don't want to know how Queens trod all over their mates. It's bad enough I have to whore myself out and sleep with every man on this planet."
Her words shredded my heart into a thousand pieces.
That wasn't truth. Maybe hers for the moment. But none of her guards would touch her without invitation. Had I done this to her? I made her feel like a whore? Disrespected and used. Why hadn't I realized this before? Certainly her anger was part of this whoring herself. I would make it up to her, if it killed me. "Come, little one. I could use a drink myself." I settled her into a wooden seat next to Ishan and grabbed a wine gourd.
* * * *
The wine saved Aisling from blurting out more ridiculous garbage she'd regret later. Or the chemical hum in her cells just helped buffer what everyone said, she thought while holding Borun's firm elbow en route back to their quarters. No. The wine had locked my lips. Yes. And Borun didn't seem to mind. Until I wanted a second flask. Then he intervened. But I could handle wine. On Earth. My head felt a little more than light on Luvk. Or it was the blinding sunlight crossing our path all the way back to our personal quarters. "Are we almost there?"
"Yes, little one. Next time maybe you'll listen to me when I warn you about taking care with the wine."
He sounded like a father. "Just how old are you?"
"What does my helping you have to do with my age?"
"You sound like a father."
"That I'll never be until you grace me with the gift of a youngling."
Oh, these stupid Luvk lifeways that kept a man like him waiting for an opportunity to spread his seed around made my head hurt. I rubbed my temple.
Okay, maybe I was biased because I was damned-sure attached to him before instigating the blood bond. I so needed to stop allowing Luvk lifeways to bother me. I was here now. A part of this world. I just needed to accept things.
"Here we are," he chimed.
A shrill squeak almost jarred my brains into mush. But I found myself stepping into his decadent darkness. Cool. Calming. Home. Luvk.
My body swung into the air.
Into those big massive arms that cradled me so delicately. God, like the way he held me with those python arms in our private bubbly bath.
My soul ached for him to hold me, squeeze me. Thrust into me with his thick swollen cock. Make me his again after the horrible events unfolded today.
His legs snatched up a few steps around the hearth, and he laid me down on those soft damned furs.
Furs were good but not what I had in mind. All I could do was sink into them though, submit to the imminent pleasure I knew had to be coming in the way he placed me exactly where he wanted me.
Where was his hungry mouth? His strong muscles pinning me down, right where I couldn't do anything but writhe beneath his amazing weight. And where was that light that burst forth in the darkness? Who gave a shit about the light? Bring on the dangerously addictive darkness. I could stand the differences in life here as long as I had him.
The wonderful pressure of his hands slid across my body, cupping my sex and a breast.
Yes. The darkness. I can sink even deeper if I drank more Luvk wine. Luvk could suck me in to fan my soul's flames of passion. The planet better after I was forced to take on a harem. I arched into Borun's intoxicating hands and begged them to drag me deeper into shadow.
He fumbled with my belt. "I don't like these straps from your home world."
But he wriggled the buckle loose and shifted my pants down to my ankles.
Thank goodness. I couldn't have sat up if I tried. And where were his damned hands?
One by one, he pulled off my combat boots. Then the pants only to push my legs apart and crawl between them.
Thank God.
"Little one," he whispered.
Just ravish me with that body. "Uh-hmm?"
His finger traced a line across my panties. "Your body is exquisite in these garments of your home world. But I believe I am partial to this particular piece of clothing." He shoved my knees into the air and sank a hot kiss on one of my inner thighs.
Sucking. Trailing a tongue and delightful brush of his whiskers along the inner length until all I could do was gasp for air as the tip of his tongue stopped at the edge of my panties.
God, just rip them off. I couldn't move. Couldn't sit up or reach to run my hands through his hair and force his mouth where I wanted it. Damn the wine.
His mouth latched onto my other thigh near my knee and tortured me with the tickling tip of his tongue again.
My hips ro
cked, curled my wet sex toward the promise of his mouth, begged him to make me climax in our dark little corner of Luvk.
His weight rose, crawling over me, grazing my belly with the sinuous muscle of his exquisite waist.
All I could see were those glowing golden orbs. "Borun," I whined. "I need you."
"Little one, you need to be healed," he growled softly.
His glorious weight settled onto my body, held me down, pressed his rock hard shaft against my groin, and latched the hottest sucking kiss onto my neck that threatened to draw the last drop of life from me.
Screw healing. Literally. "Inside me." How did a girl communicate with a man intent on driving her insane with deprivation? I bucked my hips to reiterate my point, snaking my legs around his supple thigh muscles, and felt my nether folds part for his cock, begging, pleading he would take pity on me and dip into my aching flesh.
Damn the wine that set my blood burning but trapped me in the furs.
A fiery itch spread through all of my cells.
I suddenly couldn't lie still. My arms were on his corded muscles. My hands in his soft hair. I couldn't stop shoving his mouth down to my nipples. He was there, gnawing the sore welts of my breasts through my shirt, shooting electric jolts through my heart that melted my insides until they drained from my soul.
That wasn't good.
My panties were so wet I doubted he could have peeled them off.
His weight crept away with the heady scrape of his beard and singeing bite of his kisses. Down. Dipping his hot tongue into my navel until I danced on the end of his wicked tickling heat.
I groaned and let my legs fall away from his iron shoulders, hoping he'd forego deprivation and get on with the healing. God, wouldn't he just tear off my hot pants?
His fingers curled around the edges of my lace panties and slowly pulled them down, licking his way with seductive warmth right down to the spot above where I wanted his firm lips to loiter.
My body trembled and writhed.
He growled and yanked off the panties.
A chill swept through me.
That tongue slowly teased my nether lips open, and he rubbed one fingertip around and around my clit.
I wanted his tongue on me but couldn't lie still or find words to express myself. I could only grab fistfuls of sleeping skins. God, wouldn't he just latch on and make me come? "Borun!"
His searing mouth settled over my nub like a hot brand.
I shot off the bed to find the largest man I'd ever seen lying between my legs, sucking the life out of me. I wanted to ride that head. Somehow, I managed to lift one heavy wooden leg and wrap it around his shoulder. Then the other.
He growled the darkest sound I'd ever heard, then he devoured me.
* * * *
Aisling rode my mouth like she clung to the back of a galloping war beast, crying, bucking her sex against my teeth so wildly that my body betrayed me. Her need drove a sweeping tidal wave of release through me before I could bury my emotion.
My seed exploded into my leathers.
Wasted.
But I wasn't finished with her.
Yet.
My mate would never question me again after she took what she wanted. I am her servant, her guardian, and her advisor. She had to learn to believe I'd never lead her into danger. I sucked her sweet clit through my teeth and made her grinding hips beg for more.
Moaning, she leaned back on her arms, neck fully extended where her breasts bulged upward beneath her thin white sleeveless shirt, her beaded nipples dimpling the fabric. But she couldn't stop rubbing her clit against my teeth. She gasped for air and groaned, rotating her hips.
She wanted more.
And I could give her more.
The blood raced back to my loin.
Now, the pleasure is mine. What would it be like to hold her against a wall? To slam into her from behind? As strong as she seemed, I dared not risk crushing her small body in a mating frenzy. But, take her nonetheless. She could handle riding a war beast though. I raised up, sliding a hand behind the softest silkiest skin of her arched back, pushing her down to lie upon the most expensive furs of Luvk.
She'd have more furs after every kill I made during the hunt. There would be enough furs to drape her exquisite curves in softness unequaled by anything but the hot vise awaiting my aching flesh.
She looked up at me through the drunken slits of a woman dazed with passion I'd seen so many times when forced to stand guard over my mother while she took a new mate to her sleeping skins. But Aisling couldn't hold her head up.
Her passion I've seen could never be denied no matter how angrily she behaved toward me. Resentment, I understood. But sharing our love was permanent, not like temporary bouts of anger. Now to drive away that anger. I shoved my leathers down and pulled my tender swollen shaft into cool air. To empty what remained of my scalding seed into her.
She groaned, watching me, tilting her sex up to meet mine.
Begging for the gentle pat of my balls against her bottom as I thrust into her slick channel. As if I couldn't find that sacred altar myself. Now to pay homage to the blessed stars that would certainly grace the night sky. I slid my engorged manhood's tip against her wet sex's mouth.
She hissed.
That was a sound I never wanted another warrior to hear.
"Borun!"
I shoved my stiff rod into her taut channel. Deeper. Down into the searing abyss that lures me back to kneel at her altar. Back to suffocate myself inside her smothering fiery soul. To be enslaved by her impassioned spirit. It didn't matter that she wielded more power than I ever could. She was high-caste, and I was her guardian. Guardian of her soul, her heart, and her life. And failing her with one fraction of hesitation would destroy anything we had. And anything the people stood to gain. I plunged into her being, giving her everything a Royal Guard learned he was supposed to give his mate, proving she had nothing to fear in our union, hoping she believed me because my scorching seed pumped out from my clenched balls to explode inside her like a thousand birthing stars.
We screamed together.
A blue light flashed between our bodies as if magic made the germ take root.
I fought between standing still while flexing so far backward that I could revel in the way my shaft pulsed inside her or leaning down to plant my forehead on her shoulder and drive every last spark of life inside me hard and furiously home-the way she liked sex. Hard. Rough. Bless the stars. I so needed to ride her.
But the distracting light seemed to originate from our bodies, flashing so quickly that I vaguely noticed it while grinding my life seed deeply inside her so that my youngling took root. To give me the one thing that would prove to all Luvks that I deserved my mate. An heir.
The need to drive my seed deeper won out.
I leaned over and pumped along her tight channel until there was nothing but Aisling.
"Did you see it, Borun? The light?" she gasped as she matched my dying thrusts, blow by blow.
"Yes."
The last vestige of essence squeezed from my manhood.
Now, I could rest with her relaxing body. With my mate. I slid my arms around her slim curves and drew in one deep ragged breath where I sprawled out upon her damp skin.
"I don't feel groggy anymore," she whispered. "You healed me." She laughed softly.
She rubbed her palms over my shoulders the way she always did in her own manner of enjoying my body. Who would ever have guessed this beauty would want to touch my hideous orange hide?
Her warm hands slid across my shoulders and down the exhausted muscle of my arms only to glide back up in a delicate massage.
That touch was one Royal Guards would kill for. Had tried to kill for. A taste of her. An electric touch from her finger. I shoved up onto one elbow to gaze down at her while she slid her palms over every inch of my chest, arms, and shoulders. Relishing me.
"It's been a long day," she whispered, hiding her gaze from mine. "Did I humiliate you too much?"
"No. I warned you that someone would have to accept things today. And after witnessing your torture, I could never hold any of your actions against you, little one."
"I'm too old to have a fit like the one I had in front of your nobles."
Now that's not what I saw or heard in her heartsong. "You attempted to rationalize with irrational females. That is impossible. Ask any Royal Guard."
She snorted and shoved the hair dangling over one side of my face behind my ear. Her fingers lingered there, tracing out the squared ear's edge with her incredible whisper of a touch. "I felt like an idiot after they kept badgering me in circular arguments to get what they wanted."
Poor thing. She had no idea she showed the Royal Guards she wanted nothing to do with the Queens' games. "The warriors witnessed the real you. Remember, they will listen if we need to rally them."
Her gaze locked on mine. "You're not embarrassed? You think they will respect me?"
More so when she bonds with her Royal Guard. But I wasn't going to tell her that. Although witnessing her demands for equality among the Luvks, I doubt she'd show any favoritism when she finally took pity on her guards and took them to her bed. That is, after my youngling took root in her womb. "Yes, Aisling. The warriors will respect your actions and rally against the sky demons."
Her heart fluttered in the deadliest of fashions.
A dive of heartfelt emotion. Love? Acceptance? Joy? What would I learn if I could read her mind? She didn't know she had caught me in her trap without intending to do so. But that was the Luvk male's burden in life, to protect his heart with what his ears revealed or be lured deeper into the insanity of females.
* * * *
Her mate knew how to relax Aisling to the point of any resistance was futile, she mused. Who could have fought the mind-boggling sex and gentle way he carried me from room to room? Those damned arms were everywhere. Holding me. Caring for me. Maybe this whole idea of being equivalent to a queen wasn't a bad thing. I just needed to go with the flow. Until the first knock rang out at the door.
Borun's head shot up where he laid draped across me upon our sleeping skins.
The irritating interruption in my quiet time with my big muscled tiger man was beyond annoying. I didn't want him to climb up and cross the room. But he didn't seem to care. He marched his striped nude ass away to pull the door wide without so much as flinching at the flash of afternoon's bitter sunlight or in flashing the occupants of the compound with his nudity.
Feral Fever Page 10
