“Come on.” Strome jerks his head toward the village’s entrance. “We should get moving. With so many people, the group won’t be traveling too fast, but the sooner we head out, the faster we’ll reach them.”
Resting my hand on the small of Willow’s back, I glance down at her. “Can you keep going?”
We’ve had several longs days of travel, and especially today, we pushed ourselves nearly to the limit. I’m sure my mate is exhausted.
But none of that is evident on her face as she beams up at me. “I feel like I could run a hundred miles right now.”
I chuckle. “Well, I don’t think that will be necessary. But you’ll tell me if you get tired?”
“I will.” She leans into my body a little, resting her head against my arm. Her voice is low, meant only for me. “I’m just so glad we have a chance to rejoin the others. I’m so grateful it’s not too late.”
“Me too.” I lean down to kiss her, and when we break apart, Strome shoots me a knowing smile.
Although I haven’t mentioned it, I’m sure he’s already realized that Willow and I mate bonded while we were living out in the forest together. He doesn’t seem at all surprised by this revelation, which makes me wonder if others saw it or suspected it before either Willow or I did. Perhaps some of my fellow warriors guessed that there was a deeper reason why I felt compelled to follow the sweet Terran woman into the woods.
The three of us set out, and although I keep a careful eye on my mate, she seems to have gotten a fresh burst of energy. Her words about feeling as though she could walk a long distance are apparently true, because she easily keeps up a quick pace as Strome leads us in the direction where Droth and the others traveled.
When the sun is beginning to dip toward the horizon, we finally reach them. Jaro notices us first. He’s walking beside his mate, Sadie, and he lets out a glad cry as he glances over his shoulder and catches sight of us.
The entire large group slowly comes to a halt as word of our arrival spreads, and Droth makes his way toward us from where he was walking at the front. Charlotte is by his side as usual, relief flickering in her eyes when she sees Willow with me.
“You made it.” Droth smiles. “We weren’t sure you would return. But we hoped.”
“Thank you, my prince,” I say gravely. “And thank you for allowing Strome to wait for us.”
Droth nods. He doesn’t comment on my use of his royal title, despite the fact that he instructed all of us to forgo the title after we were banished to Nuthora. I wonder if, now that our return to Vox seems like a real possibility, that designation no longer feels so strange to him. He is, after all, a prince of Vox. And soon he will have a chance to claim his rightful place on the throne.
We speak for only a few more moments before everyone fans out and begins moving again. There’s still plenty to catch up on, but there will be time for that once there’s more distance between us and our old village.
As we walk, a few of the women approach us to welcome Willow back, and to say that they missed her or worried about her. Even Rhesk finds his way over to apologize for frightening her on the night of the storm.
My mate keeps her hand locked in mine, and I know she’s drawing strength from the connection between us. This is still new to her—being part of a community, trusting and relying on others.
But as I watch a smile curve her lips, her green eyes glinting brightly, I know she’s exactly where she’s supposed to be.
By my side, surrounded by our people.
24
Willow
I stretch my feet, curling and uncurling my toes as I nestle deeper into Bohrir’s warm embrace. My head is resting on his chest, one leg draped over his, and my arm slung over his broad torso, my fingertips idly trailing over his pearlescent blue skin.
Since rejoining the group of Voxerans and human women, we’ve traveled two more days, and I can feel the miles in every limb of my body. Now that I can remember huge parts of my life before I was abducted by Gornok, I have vivid memories of going on long runs during softball season—but that was nothing compared to the physical exertion of the past few weeks.
Still, despite the soreness, I feel more content than I have in a long, long time.
“I can’t believe we might be leaving Nuthora soon,” I murmur, pressing a kiss to his chest as I lift up on one elbow to look down at him. “After I was sentenced to prison here along with Gornok and his men, I thought this would be where I lived out the rest of my life. I figured I’d die here, and now…” A disbelieving smile crosses my face, and I draw in a breath. “Now I have a whole new chapter of my life to look forward to.”
“We still have to make contact with someone who can come get us,” Bohrir reminds me gently, his voice rumbling in his chest. “And once on Vox, we’ll have to deal with Drokar.”
“I know.” I nod, biting my lower lip. “But even though that part will be scary and dangerous, I’m still looking forward to it. It feels like… like forward movement after standing still for a long time. That’s what I was doing when I was with Gornok and the pirates. Standing still. Locked entirely in the present, with no memories of my past and no hope of a future. But now, thanks to you, I have both.”
As I finish speaking, I reach up to draw my fingers down the side of Bohrir’s face, relishing the way he turns his head into my touch, seeking more contact. His lips find my fingertips, and he kisses them softly before catching my hand in his.
“Not thanks to me. You found your way on your own, my kira. But I’m grateful that I get to be part of your future.”
I grin, a rush of giddy joy infusing me from head to toe. I lean down to press my lips to his, and Bohrir uses that opportunity to pull me on top of him, my body draped over his. I yelp softly in surprise, but I’m not too worried about disturbing any of the other sleeping Voxerans or humans. Every night, when we break to make camp for the evening, several people volunteer to sleep on the outer perimeter of the group, creating a sort of barrier or first line of defense in case of any attackers.
Luckily, we haven’t had to face any major threats, either from dangerous animals or other prisoners. But tonight Bohrir and I volunteered to sleep on the outskirts, so we’re well away from the rest of the group.
I moan softly against Bohrir’s lips, and he slides his hands down my back and over the swell of my ass, pulling me harder against him as he rocks his hips up toward mine. The hard ridge of his cock rubs against my clit through the layers of our leather clothing, and my moan turns deeper and more urgent.
“Oh gods, my kira,” he grunts. “I want you so much. I will always want you. Body, mind, and soul.”
I smile into our kiss, heat blazing through me. I love the way this giant of a man, this alien warrior, says the sweetest things to me without even seeming to consider them. He’s never trying to come up with the perfect line or the best compliment. He just says what he’s feeling, holding nothing back—and each time, he cracks my heart open even wider.
“I want you too,” I murmur back, nipping at his lower lip as I rest my hands on his broad chest.
My knees brace on the soft grass on either side of him, and I undulate my hips, seeking the perfect friction against the hot, hard length of his cock. When it’s no longer enough, my clit pulsing and my body begging for more, I slip a hand down and untie his loincloth. He groans when I tug the scrap of leather away, tossing it to the ground beside us.
The leather wrap-around skirt I’m wearing has ridden up, so even though I haven’t taken it off, there’s nothing between us anymore as he thrusts his hips up again. The smooth skin of his cock rubs over my pussy, gliding through my folds as my arousal slicks the way. His crown nudges my clit, making pleasure throb through me, and I gasp for breath as he kisses me senseless.
My core is clenching, hungry for the feel of him filling me up, his cock stretching me in the most delicious ways. That moment when he first slides into me has become one of my favorite things in the world—a spark of connectio
n so intense that it feels as if we’re melding ourselves into one being. My toes curl against the grass for an entirely new reason now, and I can feel my nipples peaking beneath my leather top.
It would be so easy to shift my weight a little, to line him up with my entrance and sink down, enveloping him entirely.
But there’s something else I want first.
Pulling back from our kiss, I gaze down at my mate for a moment, taking in his handsome face in the starlight that shines down from above. His markings are glowing softly, giving him an otherworldly appearance, and I dip my head to trail my tongue over one of the swirling white marks. The end of the curved marking just so happens to lead me to his nipple, and I drag my teeth over it at the same time I wrap one hand around the back of his neck, caressing the raised nodes that run along his spine.
“Oh, slanch!” Bohrir curses, his fingers digging into my ass as his hips press upward, sliding his cock even harder against my clit.
“Fuck!”
I let out a curse too, almost losing track of what I’m doing as a new wave of sensation spirals through me. We grind against each other for a moment as I press open-mouthed kisses to his chest, and then I shift my weight, crawling backward to settle between his legs. The loss of friction on my clit leaves it pulsing needily, and I can feel how wet I am as the cool night air hits my exposed pussy. I feel daring and wanton as I kneel between Bohrir’s thick thighs, wrapping my hand around his hard length.
His skin is already slippery from my arousal, and I use that to smooth the way as I begin to stroke him, lowering my head and darting my tongue out to trail over his rounded tip. I can taste myself, the tangy flavor of my arousal, along with the salty taste of his pre-cum. It leaks from him in small droplets, and I lap each one up eagerly, almost surprised at how much I like this.
I’ve never done this with Bohrir before. I’ve been wanting to, especially after all the times he’s happily put his mouth on me, but I expected the enjoyment to come from knowing that I was giving my mate pleasure.
I had no idea it would turn me on so much.
The pulsing in my clit intensifies as I wrap my lips around his shaft, working to take his thick length into my mouth. I slide my tongue over him as I bob my head up and down a little, working in tandem with my hand, and Bohrir groans.
It’s a helpless, hungry sound, and it draws an answering moan from me. The sound is muffled because my mouth is full, but he must like the vibrations of it or something, because I feel him shudder beneath me.
Okay. I can work with that.
I hum again, sliding my lips even lower and hollowing my cheeks a little, and I’m rewarded by feeling his already hard cock pulse and thicken in my mouth.
“Akhi,” Bohrir rasps, his hand finding the back of my head and wrapping around my hair. “Gods, Willow, you’re going to kill me. That feels so good.”
My inner walls clench, and I press my thighs together as I continue to work my head up and down, trying to keep my jaw relaxed as his thick cock hits the back of my throat. The ridge that runs along the top of his shaft feels slightly harder than the rest of him, and I try to lick it with my tongue on every stroke, turning my head this way and that.
His grip on my hair tightens, his hips bucking upward a little and almost choking me. I can feel him trying to restrain himself, holding himself back to make sure he doesn’t give me too much.
I like it. I like all of it so much.
When he comes apart like this, held back only by the smallest thread of self-control, it makes me feel wild and desirable and protected. There’s something so powerful and dangerous about this man, but despite his incredible size and strength, I know beyond any shadow of doubt that he would never hurt me.
Knowing that he’d never force me to take more than I can handle, I challenge myself to give him every bit of pleasure I can, breathing through my nose and opening my throat as I sink down on him, then hollowing my cheeks and sucking gently as I slide back up.
I can hear Bohrir breathing hard through his nostrils, and as I rest one hand on his thigh for balance, the muscles beneath my palm feel like steel. I’m half tempted to straddle his thigh and rub against it just to get some pressure on my clit, which feels about ready to explode as I work myself up higher and higher with every glide of my lips over Bohrir’s length.
I could come just from doing this, I realize dazedly. I wouldn’t have even thought that was possible before, but it seems like a looming reality now, an orgasm bearing down on me despite the fact that Bohrir isn’t inside me and isn’t even touching my clit.
“Wait. Oh gods, wait, my kira.”
He tugs gently on my hair, and the moment my lips slide off his cock, he reaches down and hauls me up to straddle him again. His hands pull at my skirt, tugging it off me, and as he undoes my top and cups my heavy, aching breasts, he looks up to meet my eyes.
“Put me inside you,” he commands, his voice heavy with need.
I’m already moving to comply, my hand wrapping around him as I rise up on my knees a little. I drag the broad head of his cock over my clit, and we both groan. Then I notch his crown at my entrance and sink down slowly, so slowly that my leg muscles burn.
Bohrir keeps his gaze on mine, his hands squeezing and massaging my breasts as we connect as deeply as two people ever can. When he’s finally buried to the hilt inside me, he tugs my nipples a little, making me let out a soft cry.
“So beautiful.” His violet-blue eyes gleam in the darkness, his strong features tight with desire. “My beautiful mate.”
Releasing my breasts, he drops his hands to my hips, his fingers digging into my flesh as he lifts me and lowers me on his cock. I use my legs to help, the two of us finding a rhythm that makes stars dance before my eyes.
Fuck, it’s so good.
I was already close to coming just from going down on him, and now that the node at the base of his cock is hitting my clit every time I impale myself on him, I can feel the orgasm creeping over me. I start to ride him harder, bouncing up and down to get more friction, more pressure. More. More.
“Ah!” Bohrir grunts, his grip on my hips tightening as his hips arch upward. His stomach clenches, the hard ridges shifting in the moonlight as he tips his head back, his neck muscles straining.
“Bohrir!” I cry out his name in a fevered whisper as I come hard on his cock, clenching around him as I twist and grind my hips against his, milking every last bit of pleasure of him. I feel him swell inside me as he follows me over the edge, his hot release hitting my womb and making me shiver.
I’m panting, my heart racing, and I realize belatedly that my fingernails are digging into his chest a little. Still breathing hard, I drop down to rest my upper body against his, pressing our sweat-dampened skin together. The night is cool, and now that we’re no longer moving, his body heat is a welcome comfort as it mingles with mine.
He’s still buried inside me, his cock only partially softened, and I can’t resist squeezing around him again, making him groan once more.
As our breathing finally begins to slow, I trace the patterns of his markings again as they glow softly in the darkness.
“Bohrir?” I whisper.
“Yes, my kira?”
“When we have kids on Vox, I want to teach them to play softball.”
He laughs, the sound warm and gravelly. “All right. And I’ll teach them how to coax plants from the ground, and how to tend to them.”
“I like that idea. I hope we have a boy and a girl, at least. Maybe one more after that?”
A hungry growl spills from his throat, and he lifts his head to press a kiss to my temple. “My sweet Willow, we can have as many as you like. I can’t wait to see your belly swell with my child.”
“I think three sounds good,” I murmur sleepily. “But we can always decide for sure later. After all, we’ll have plenty of time.”
“We will.”
Bohrir’s strong arms wrap around me, protecting me and holding me close as we talk
sleepily. Our heartbeats fall into sync with each other, our breathing matching each other’s rhythm, and I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face.
I thought my life would end on this planet. But instead, I found my happily ever after.
Epilogue
Felicity
As the sounds of voices murmuring around me fill the early morning air, I get to my feet and stretch, trying to work out the kinks from sleeping on the ground with nothing but my small pack for a pillow. I thought living in the Voxeran village qualified as roughing it, but that was nothing compared to trekking across the wilderness and camping under the starlight every night.
Not that I’m complaining. I know the reasons Droth decided it was safer for us to leave the settlement behind, and I agree with them. He’s a good leader, thinking carefully before acting and always putting the good of his people ahead of everything else. I respect that, even if thinking carefully wasn’t exactly my strong suit back on Earth.
I shake my head, banishing the thought of my past mistakes as I bend down to pick up my pack and heft it over my shoulders. It feels like a lifetime ago, like the woman who lived on Earth was a different version of me—and honestly, I think I like the person I am now better. Some people say the best way to break an addiction is to quit cold turkey, and I had no choice but to do just that after I woke up in a cryo-pod and realized I was stranded on an alien prison planet.
Well, that’s not entirely true, I remind myself. I’m sure there are gambling dens in Pascia. You could've tried sneaking off to one of those.
But despite the fact that I had a hard time staying away from casinos back on Earth, even the old pull of my addiction was never quite enough to lure me to one of the most dangerous places on all of Nuthora.
Her Alien Protector: Voxeran Fated Mates #6 Page 18
