Claimed (Project Destiny Book 1)

by Lee-Ann Wallace

  “You have thrown away your life for this piece of garbage?” the king demanded.

  Sorvar didn’t answer but simply turned on his clawed foot and stalked away. That was answer enough, wasn’t it?

  He stopped after a dozen strides. “Perhaps in six months’ time when I welcome my first son, you will look back on this time, Father, and remember how you have treated my mate. She will not be the last human female to mate with a Morgath, and the son she grows in her belly for me will not be the only Morgath-Human male in the royal family. Sedric is already planning to find a human of his own.”

  A furious roar followed them out of the throne room.

  * * * *

  Sorvar stalked through the palace, determined to take Tina to Medical. The rage inside him was a fierce, fiery wild thing that blazed out of control. He wanted to rip his father to shreds for what he had done to Tina.

  He wanted to see his father’s blood spray across the ridiculous white throne the males of Morgath had presented him with at the arrival of his first son. If only they could see their precious king now, see what he had done to a mate.

  The males he passed in the corridors of the palace stopped and stared at him. He was an anomaly, and many of them would be wondering who he was. A few inclined their heads in respect. If they could see Tina, they would be staring at her, and whispers would spread through the palace like wildfire.

  A mate with wings. A mate with claws and the teeth of a Morgath. It was unheard of. Sedric would not be the only male who would want a human for his mate. The last test would be the birth of his son. If the child was strong and healthy, his father would not be able to stop other males from seeking out human females.

  “Sorvar.” Tina wiggled in his arms, a small hiss of pain escaping her.

  “We’ll be there soon, Tina. I know you’re in pain. Bavric will be able to give you something to help.” He wanted to squeeze her tight, but refrained. She was in enough pain without him making it worse.

  The soft stroke of her hand across his chest cut through the rage filling him. Soft little scratches of her claws on his scales sent a spark of lust jolting through him.

  “Sorvar, I need a bath before we go to Medical. I know you want the medic to make sure I’m all right, but if he wants to do a pelvic exam, I... kind of... I need a bath. I smell, I feel uncomfortable, and it’s embarrassing.” Tina wiggled in his arms.

  Her embarrassment flared inside him, heat working its way up his neck into his cheeks. Sorvar stopped in the middle of the open walkway and loosened his wings so that he could look down at his mate. He took in the dishevelled hair and dirty smudges on her face. Fresh and dried blood stained her mouth into a dark pout, and angry scratches marred the pale perfection of her skin. Dry, cracked lips showed her dehydration, and he hesitated to give her what she wanted.

  He wanted her to be comfortable and happy in her new home. Forcing her to suffer through the invasive tests, scans, and examinations a new mate went through when they first arrived while embarrassed about the state of her body was no way to show her how much he cared about her.

  “Anything for you, pavri,” Sorvar said and meant it with all of his heart.

  He would do anything for her, give her anything she asked for to make her life here more comfortable. He turned to find three males from the palace guards walking towards them, all older males, all ready to take a mate. Aggression rolled off them, making a low growl roll up his throat. So his father had sent males after him. Or maybe his oldest brother, Sinder, had sent them. He and Sinder had never had a good relationship.

  Sorvar unfolded his wings, exposing Tina to them. It was a calculated risk, but he was willing to take it. He could take the three of them with ease in his current form, but it would mean leaving Tina defenceless, which he wouldn’t do. A little trickle of apprehension slid through their bond, and he squeezed her gently.

  He wouldn’t let anything or anyone hurt her ever again. He would defend her to the death with every last breath in his body.

  The males stopped in the middle of the corridor, their gazes zeroing in on Tina. Wings fluttered, low growls and a hiss showed their agitation. Females were not treated this way. Males found mistreating their mates would lose them, and punishment was swift and fierce.

  No matter what his father or brother had instructed them to do, they would not risk hurting a female. It went against everything they stood for. It was bred into them to protect females, especially those carrying young.

  He knew they would want to ask what she was and where she had come from, but they would not question one of the royal family, and he was not in the mood to stand in the corridor talking while Tina was in pain. If they weren’t going to attack, then he had nothing to say to them. He walked forward, and the males hesitated only a second before splitting to let him through.

  Halfway down the corridor, the beginning of a quiet conversation started behind him. Let them talk, let them spread the news of his mate. His father could deal with the fallout of his actions.

  His apartments were on the other side of the palace from the Medical suites. The path led them close to the throne room and the roars of his father. Tina let out a little sigh that blew against his scales in a gentle dance, her breath warm and moist.

  The memory of feeling that warm breath blowing across his thinner softer human skin would forever be burned into his brain, as was the feeling of her lush lips wrapped around his cock. A surge of lust speared through him, pushing more of his rage into the background.

  A heavy weight settling on his shoulders slowed Sorvar’s steps as they reached the doors to his private apartments. He shook his head. It would be a while before they could resume their vigorous coupling. Gravid females couldn’t have intercourse, but he could wait, even if it drove him insane to have her near him and not be able to touch her the way he wanted to.

  His mouth fell open, his hands tensing around Tina when he ducked again and walked through the wide door into the spacious lounge area of his apartments. Normally, he had every available surface including the multitude of tables in the room covered in devices and technology from all over the galaxy. Somebody had been in his quarters since he’d left to collect Tina.

  He’d have to ask Carter if he’d cleaned up for him. The palace’s major-domo was efficient and always seemed to be one step ahead of the princes. He’d even ordered new furniture suitable for a female with no wings. They wouldn’t need those after all. Sorvar would have them removed.

  Sorvar could feel Tina’s curiosity as he headed for the door to his bedroom and the large bathing chamber beyond. Her bags were sitting at the end of his bed. One of the palace servants would have put away his own belongings on his return.

  Tina gasped as he ducked to enter the bathing room, then wiggled in his arms when the bath came into view. A gentle warmth flowed through him. Sorvar grinned, not an easy feat with the mouth of his changed form. Somebody was happy. He set her down on the wooden bench next to the bathing pool and turned to check the temperature of the water. In his present form, the pool seemed small, but it had been big enough to accommodate him in his pre-mated form with room to spare.

  A tearing sound made him spin around to find Tina ripping her top from her body, baring her beautiful breasts and the now red and cream scales around her waist. Lust surged through him. God, she was beautiful, delicate, yet ferocious at the same time. Her wings had slumped again, but not as much as before. They stretched out on either side of her body, the new membranes so thin that he could see the veins through the almost translucent pale skin.

  “Tina,” he chided. “Let me help you.”

  She looked up as her emotions crashed into him. Desperation, pain, embarrassment, fear, and anger. It was all there, a storm inside him, whipping around and shredding him from the inside.

  “When were you going to tell me that I’m pregnant? And how do you even know? I haven’t had any scans.” Her voice trembled, the rough, husky sound skating across his scales in a gentle
caress. “And when were you going to explain to me exactly what being soul bonded means? Damn it, Sorvar. You never even asked me if I wanted a mate. You just bit me. You stole my dream and changed my life and you didn’t even know who I was. Do you know how rude that is? Do you even care?” She looked away as her shoulders slumped, then mumbled, “Why am I even wasting my breath? You have what you wanted.”

  Sorvar walked towards her across the polished stone floor, the same stone that was on the floor of the throne room. He reached for her, cupping her face in his hands. She looked up at him with those big green eyes, pain swimming in their depths, her anger burning inside him.

  She’d been holding this inside for a while, hadn’t she? She wasn’t going to like some of his answers, but he’d be damned if he’d be sorry for taking her. She was the best thing to ever happen to him, but she probably wasn’t ready to know he loved her already. Their relationship was so new and tenuous. He had to be careful what he said. Only the truth would do, and he had to hope that she accepted it and it didn’t make her angrier.

  “You’re right, pavri, I didn’t ask you to be my mate or even explain what soul bonding is, because I wasn’t going to risk you saying no. What female in their right mind would volunteer to go through the change and possibly die for a male they don’t know? But you’re also wrong. I do care about you, more than you know and probably more than you can accept this soon. I knew the minute I smelled you that you were different, special, the kind of special I wanted as my mate. The kind of female I wanted by my side and mothering my sons.”

  He took a deep breath, gazing down into the deep pools of her eyes. “I knew when I bit you the last time on the ship that you had conceived. Your blood tasted different. The hormone change was subtle, but there. I was going to take you to Medical and have Seklan scan you to verify it, but I passed out and did not get the chance to tell you or confirm it.” He stroked his thumb down her cheek, being careful of his claws. “Tell me about your dream, pavri. Tell me of this thing that is so important to you.”

  She studied him, her gaze travelling over his face before she looked away. He knew the instant she accepted his reasons—not only did she relax, but he felt it inside him.

  “I wanted to be a doctor ever since I was ten years old. I wanted to help people, make them better. My mother was... sick a lot, and I could never do anything to help her and I hated it. I hated seeing her in pain and not being able to do anything, and aliens—” She glanced at him quickly, but when he didn’t react she continued. “I’m sorry, other species fascinated me, space fascinated me, and I decided I wanted to live on a space station and work as a medic, but of course females weren’t allowed in space when I was a kid. It was only in the last two years I thought I might actually get to live my dream.”

  Sorvar sighed and shook his head. “And I stole that from you. I’m sorry, Tina. More sorry than you can know. If there is anything I can do, anything you want, please, tell me, and I will try my hardest to make sure you have it.”

  Her anger lessened until it was a mild warmth. He would let her hold onto it for a while longer, but he wouldn’t let it come between them. He wanted her to love him like he loved her, and he would do anything, say anything, to make that happen.

  “I want to be a medic, Sorvar. I want to help your people and learn about them. I want to learn about how the transformation works and how I’ve changed. I want to be able to help other human women who might become mates, and I want to help your medics understand humans and find out why our changes were different from other peoples’.”

  The passion in her voice astounded him and resonated inside him. It was exactly how he talked about technology and developing new devices to help make peoples’ lives easier. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like never to be able to work with his tools again.

  “Pavri, I would like nothing more than to give you everything you want, but it is not my decision. My father will have to give permission for you to have access to our Medical history. I know it seems unlikely right know that he would be willing to do that, but give it time. He will come around. He will see you as I see you and be happy to give you whatever you want, too.”

  Her disappointment almost crushed him, his heart turning heavy in his chest, like all the sunshine had been sucked away never to brighten the world again. Tears glistened in her eyes, and a fierce pain ripped through his chest. “Tina, pavri, don’t cry, please. I can’t bear to see you cry. You can’t give up. I know it seems like everything is lost, but sweetness, I promise, you will get your dream.”

  She squeezed her eyes closed and nodded, but his heart remained heavy. Her eyes opened, her unshed tears making them shine like wet gems. Tina wrapped her delicate clawed hand around his wrist. “Please, Sorvar, will you help me? I’m not too stubborn to know when I need help.”

  “Of course, you only needed to ask.” He smiled down at her, but the Morgath face didn’t allow for a great range of facial expression, so he knew that she wouldn’t be able to tell. Instead, knowing she could feel his relief inside her would have to satisfy him.

  He tore her clothes from her body with a few hard jerks, making sure he looked her over as he stripped her, noting any injuries and the change in colour of her scales. They were now blushed with red, still pale around the outside, but they had a distinct red centre. He dropped her clothes, now bloody rags, to the floor and helped her into the pool.

  “Will you join me?” she asked standing waist deep in the water staring up at him with eyes he wanted to drown in.

  He stared down at her, his eyes wide. “Like this?” he asked, indicating his body with his clawed hand.

  A bittersweet wash of amusement filled him with its sweet biting song. “I need somebody to wash my back, Sorvar, and you’re right there,” Tina said, her voice tinged with soft amusement.

  Her mood was changing as quickly as he had torn her clothes from her. She was a volatile little thing. She’d definitely keep him on his toes.

  A low chuckle rumbled up from his chest as he stripped off his clothes. To have survived two shifts, they must be far sturdier than he knew.

  The water was the perfect temperature as he slipped into the pool, but it barely reached halfway up his thighs. Tina’s head only reached his lower chest. She was small next to his mated form, but next to this form, she felt like a child.

  He settled down on one of the seats built into the pool and gripped her hips, pulling her between his spread legs. The water lapped at her belly, her luscious breasts right there in front of him begging him to stroke and caress them, but he held back, not wanting to force something on her she wasn’t ready for and they couldn’t complete. A welter of lust and need roared through him, almost drowning him. Fuck! That wasn’t him—that was all Tina.

  Tina settled her hands on his chest and stroked him, scraping her claws in a gentle caress across his scales. A deep shudder ran through him, not all of it from the lust that slammed into him with the gentle caress. She stroked his shoulders, or what she could reach of them, down his arms and back up, down his chest, and towards his stomach. His wings shifted restlessly between his back and the side of the pool, the movements unconscious and completely out of his control.

  The last of the rage inside him washed away under the gentle exploration of her hands, which kept inching lower and lower.

  “Tina.” The warning was clear in his voice.

  She looked up at him with a look of pure innocence on her face, but her sultry desire swirled inside him. He gasped as her fingers slid along the length of his vent, the barest of light touches.

  He closed his eyes and groaned low in his throat as his body shuddered, the tremble starting deep inside him and spreading out through his limbs and wings. He felt strangely peaceful and relaxed, his breath rushing out of him in a huge gust as he opened his eyes and looked at her.

  “There you are,” she whispered as she reached for him and pulled him down with a hand around the back of his neck.

  Her lips
brushed against his and Sorvar sucked in a breath. She’d made him change! And he was still conscious. He pushed the worry aside for another time, and with a groan, he gripped her shoulders and sank into her kiss. Sorvar let Tina control their kiss, let her set the pace and intensity. She was still in pain, still adapting to the change, and he didn’t want to push her away and risk hurting her further.

  But she soon started to drive him wild with her gentle nibbles and the delicate stroke of her tongue. The hint of blood on her lips incited his feral side. The need to bite her almost drove him to rip away from her and sink his teeth into the tender muscle of her shoulder, and she didn’t stop with kissing him. Before he could stop her, she positioned herself over him and sank down on his cock. He ripped his lips from hers and dropped his head back with a deep groan to expose the long line of his throat as she took him inside her hot clutching depths.

  She stopped with just the tip inside the heated silken grip of her sheath. Sorvar had just gripped her hips with the intention of pulling her off when she put her mouth on his shoulder and bit him with those sharp new teeth of hers.

  He roared, the sound ripped from him as his whole body spasmed with the sudden force of his orgasm. He jerked, pleasure rushing through him as he came and came and came.

  “Fuck, Tina,” he growled as his body jerked with another spurt of come and surge of overwhelming pleasure.

  She released his shoulder when his spasms softened to small shudders and sat back to smile at him, his dark blood staining her lips.

  Hello, mate, she whispered into his mind.

  Chapter Nine

  Sorvar had rushed Tina through the rest of her bath before dragging her from the pool and wrapping her in a plush cloth. He didn’t say a word to her either verbally or telepathically until she dodged away from him in the bedroom after he’d donned another one of those strange skirts.

  “Sorvar, talk to me,” she almost begged him. She couldn’t work out what he was feeling. So many emotions were swirling around inside her that she couldn’t figure out which were hers and which were his.