Chapter Thirteen
The next morning, Kerr left her with a sweet good-bye kiss and walked from their suite, humming. She lay listening to him with a grin on her face until it was quiet.
Eva popped out of bed in his wake and readied herself for the day with a bath in his enormous super-fast filling pool—she’d never once considered using the shower—then a trip to the now full to the brim with new clothes closet to find something to wear.
Kerr had done as he’d said and had dresses sent—dozens of them.
Today, she chose a sleeveless, vee-neck dress made of a wispy material in dark-eggplant purple with beading at the shoulders and at the mock belt at the waist. From there it fell in full frothy folds to the floor. It was dressier than anything in her closet at home, and never something she’d dare wear while walking through a greenhouse, let alone working in one. Used to the same uniform day in and day out while on a mission, or jeans and a T-shirt back home, it amazed her they dressed this way every day. All her new clothes were beautiful, ultra-feminine and made her feel that way—something she figured these dominant men wanted. Still, she felt like a princess.
Before she headed out, she grabbed the apron Aylan had surprised her with one day following a mishap where she’d sloshed wet orange peat—their dirt was as colorful as the rest of their planet—down the front of her.
Such a nice man.
She wondered how he would react if he found out she and Lana had purloined some of his pot stash. Hoping Kerr hadn’t ratted her out already, item number one on her agenda today was hiding any evidence of her research into Primarian weed. She’d already decided it was a “one and done” for several reasons. First, she tried to be a law-abiding citizen, no matter which planet she happened to be residing on at the time. Second, volanta as Kerr called it, had kicked her in the butt, being much more potent than what she’d remembered from her experimental college days. Third, although amused by her antics, she didn’t want to push the big man to see how much he would tolerate. And fourth, she’d forgotten a pot hangover was a real thing, the dry mouth and mild headache a reminder of why her investigational phase had been brief.
She turned down the main corridor, heading for the stairs on the opposite end, but slowed when she passed the hall to Kerr’s office and heard voices. That he was home surprised her. He hadn’t used the residence office for work since she’d arrived. She listened for only a second or two then kept going, even though she was dying to find out what things occupied his day. The walls were too thick, muffling the voices and preventing eavesdropping. Besides, she couldn’t imagine the position he’d twist her into on the mate’s helper if he found her lurking outside his door trying to listen in.
The last time hadn’t been all bad, especially the inverted sixty-nine, and when he’d taken her doggie style at the end. The bars clamping her breasts had been kind of scary, but the way they swelled making her nipples ultra-sensitive to his touch had quickly allayed her fears.
They stood on end now thinking of how he’d rolled and lightly pinched them, and how he lowered his head and took one inside his hot, wet mouth and sucked, then lashed the hard, aching peak with his tongue.
She stopped abruptly and stared in surprised at the wall in front of her. Looking around, she realized she was in the main hall near the interior security doors, her mind so full of Kerr and his naughty mate’s helper, she’d wandered all the way here under auto-pilot. Rolling her eyes at herself, she walked the few feet remaining to door to the stairs leading up to the gardens.
Noticing Janus’ vacant sentry post, she frowned. Their young chamberlain was always at his station this time of day and would bid her good morning, offering to arrange an escort should she need it. She hadn’t taken him up on it, nor did she plan to today, but it was strange he wasn’t here.
A bang from up ahead had her turning. Even stranger than Janus’ absence, the doors to the lounge stood open. She glanced curiously at them, to the empty office, and then back down the hall. Something was going on. With her hand on the lever that would access her rooftop sanctuary, she stood pondering the unusual occurrences when voices in the nearby lounge caught her attention.
“What is all the ruckus, Udo?” a man asked.
“The others have arrived.”
What others?
The first man snorted. “I don’t envy the young warriors corralling such a large group of undisciplined females.”
His companion chuckled. “Has it been so long, Udo, you have forgotten the rewards that come with a taming? Especially if the others turn out to be as beautiful as our new Prima.”
Taming.
Ignoring the compliment, Eva bristled at the disagreeable term. She’d heard it before, but it didn’t get any less offensive with repetition.
“Is she truly so beautiful, Druan? I’ve seen her twice and can’t decide,” the first man replied.
As surely as a pin pricking a balloon, his words deflated her ego. She hadn’t won any beauty pageants in her day, but neither did she go without male compliments. Kerr didn’t have any complaints, but then again, beggars weren’t in any position to be choosy.
“You don’t find the Earth females appealing?”
“Their coloring is different, exotic even. The Prima’s eyes, especially, being Uladite green, which is interesting.” Udo sighed. “I suppose as the father of an unmated daughter, I’m biased in my opinions. I had great hopes she might match with Kerr.” Wistful at first, his tone changed, a touch of bitterness creeping in. “Even so, I can’t help thinking it would have been better for the Princep to hold out longer and have joined with a Primarian female.”
“He’s thirty,” the one called Druan, stated. “None of our women have come close to matching as high as Prima Eva in all the time he’s been searching.”
“Yes,” the first man reluctantly agreed. “And we shall have to abide the one chosen by the Maker for him, although Zalina would have been a perfect first consort.”
“That old romantic tale?” his companion said, clearly amused. “I never thought to see you drawn into such nonsense. You’re as bad as the females. What’s next, will you color your lips and wear your hair in a golden fall?”
“Is it so wrong to be partial to one of our kind?” Udo snapped.
Eva couldn’t stand it anymore. Tiptoeing forward, she peeked around the corner to put faces with names. As she leaned in, she brushed against one of the doors. The mechanism holding them open engaged with a loud click and a whirr. The two men, who had been seated with their backs to the door, turned. Upon seeing her, they froze, their ears turning crimson at the realization of what she’d overheard.
Although she was guilty of eavesdropping, they were as much at fault for gossiping. Was it gossip, if it was true?
Eva didn’t care, nor did she apologize or act embarrassed about being caught. A different destination in mind—anywhere but there—she quickly walked past the two slack-jawed, chagrined elders and out the doors into the hall. Dashing to the staircase, she took the steps two at a time, wondering if she’d ever get the complete picture of what she was up against. Each day brought a new twist. Today’s hurdle du jour seemed to be xenophobia.
“And who the fuck is Zalina?” she whispered to herself as she rounded the second-floor landing.
The beautiful name sparked an image of an equally beautiful, tall, dark-haired Primarian female. Regal in bearing, her eyes flashing with the same golden glow as Kerr’s, she imagined her standing by his side at a reception in her honor. When she turned to look up at the Princep, beneath the fall of her dark hair, in intricate, stunning detail, Eva saw her mate’s marking—Kerr’s mark—on the delicate skin of the woman’s nape.
Heart aching Eva almost stumbled as she reached the main floor.
She wound her way through the crowd, the gathering much larger than the last time. Size aside, it felt different, wired in some way, like the air held an electrical charge. It wasn’t something tangible, but she could see anticipation and excitement in the faces of the people she passed.
Something was going on, but she didn’t hang around to find out. Her feelings of doubt and confusion were crushing, like a heavy weight on her chest. She needed fresh air, now.
She rushed through the front doors and down the steps. Once on the sidewalk, she slowed her pace so as not to draw more attention than her fair hair and skin already did. She turned in the opposite direction of the tents lining the street—a market of some kind, she guessed—there would be too many curious eyes there. Instead, she strolled up the street, smiling blandly at the greetings of “prima” and “Kerr’s mate.”
For some time, she wandered through town, lost in thought, and not paying attention to her path or her surroundings at all. A sudden wave of dizziness claimed her, nausea gripping her belly. Only then, when she looked around to find a place to sit down, did she notice she had lost sight of the capital building. Blaming her symptoms on stress, and lack of sleep—and skipping the morning meal once again—she spied some benches in a park where a boisterous crowd had gathered. She made her way toward them and took a seat in a patch of shade.
Sinking heavily onto the stone slab, she leaned forward, breathing in deep gulps of air in hopes the stomach upset and slight vertigo would quickly pass.
Then what?
Did she go back where she wasn’t wanted, as a second-rate substitute they had to settle for? Third-rate, or worse, in her case, if the transformation didn’t take. And ultimately, what would be her fate when she didn’t conceive the required heir?
Suddenly, she sat up. Could pregnancy be the cause of her nausea and dizziness? She did some quick calculations. The timing was right, so it was a real possibility, and they’d been going at it like rabbits.
She snorted. Wouldn’t Kerr be tickled about this?
Not feeling well, at all, she sat back and rubbed her brow, where a headache was forming.
“Prima. You look pale. Should I send for a physic?”
Her head jerked around, finding a man had joined her on the bench. He had snowy-white hair and a long beard falling past his chest nearly to his belt. Wearing the white robes of an elder, he resembled Father Time.
“Are you ill, child?” he asked when she didn’t answer.
“I’m sorry, sir. I’m a bit dizzy, but I think it’s from skipping breakfast. A mistake, but I’ll be fine in a moment. Already the wooziness is passing.”
“I should send for the Princep.”
“No! Please, don’t disturb him. I just need to rest here a bit, and I’ll be fine.”
A shout went up from the crowd, and they both turned toward the sound. She noticed it wasn’t a park but more like a town square. Trees lined the boundaries, along with benches and sidewalks, and busy shops and eateries filled the space. It was like any small town on Earth—except for the blue and yellow trees, of course.
“Your mate will not be pleased you are here without him. I’ll send for him now.”
“Why?” A parting in the crowd showed a small stage up front. “What’s going on?”
“It is settlement day.”
“Pardon?”
“The Princep didn’t explain about our justice system?”
“He hasn’t had time.”
“Child, you’ve been here over two weeks.”
“We have been otherwise, uh, occupied.” Mostly with sex three and four times a day, but she didn’t say that. She didn’t have to with her cheeks flooding with heat.
Father Time wasn’t as old as he looked, or had an excellent memory because he chuckled. “Ah, yes. I remember the hunger of being newly mated. Barely.”
She glanced at him askance; usually sticklers for rules and tradition, the elder cracking a joke was a shock. He noticed.
“You’re surprised I possess a sense of humor. We elders aren’t nearly as bad as we’re made out to be.” He frowned, his gaze flicking toward the stage, before moving back to her. “Sometimes we are, but most often we are like other males. We’ve just had more years to perfect our scowls and intimidation.”
“Some have it down to a fine art,” she quipped, then bit her lip sheepishly. He made her feel so comfortable she’d almost forgotten who she was talking to.
A sharp crack and a cry rent the air, making her jump. Her head whipped around, and she peered through the crowd, trying to see.
“Come.” He said sternly, sounding and acting much like Kerr as he rose and took her hand. “I’ll escort you home myself.”
Another crack and a louder wail. It sounded like—
“Someone is being whipped!”
“Not so dire. It is a flogging.”
“Oh my God!” she breathed in a horrified whisper.
“A dispute is being resolved. Once done, the parties will move forward. Kerr was remiss in not explaining this to you.” Once again, in tone and diction, they sounded remarkably alike. But she couldn’t focus on why she was too horrified by a public flogging.
“I know males discipline their females here. But this… Who ordered such a thing? Surely the courts don’t dole out physical punishments, too?”
“We have a council. And yes, that is how things usually come about, with a hearing and a punishment decree. What would you have us do?”
“On Earth, we levy fines and have jails and prisons.”
“Fines are ineffective,” he scoffed. “The wealthy don’t mind the loss of a few credits…and the humble don’t have the means to pay in the first place. Confinement is costly and negatively impacts society.”
She stiffened, having heard those precise words before. Peering at him more closely, she tried to recall if they’d been introduced. Perhaps they’d met on the night of the new mate celebration, but, with the numerous other elders with white hair and robes, it was entirely possible she’d forgotten him.
“Warehousing citizens and providing them with a warm bed, three meals, shelter when they should be out being productive?” He shook his head, clearly having had this debate before. “Twenty lashes in the public square, in front of friends and neighbors, guarantees future compliance.”
“It’s cruel and barbaric!”
“And locking someone away from their family is not? What if they depend upon him for food, shelter, their very existence? Aren’t they all punished for his crime?” This argument was also familiar, but these had been a lot like her words to Kerr.
“Who will work the fields,” he went on, riled now. “Or run the shops, or in the case of our artisans, create the products we all depend upon?”
“You’d put a criminal back into the family home?” she shot back. “What if he hurts them?”
“Prima!” he gasped, patently appalled. “What kind of place is Earth that you have such concerns? Violent crimes are exceedingly rare on Primaria, and only a pathetic excuse for a man or one with a diseased mind would harm his children or his mate.”
She blinked. “What do you call a spanking?”
He waved his hand. “A few swats on the fleshy backside never harmed anyone.” His eyes narrowed. “Did Kerr not explain our restrictions?”
“Yes.”
He grunted, the ire fading from his expression. “At least he found time to educate you on something.”
“Wait. Have you no violent crimes? No robberies, rapes, or murders?”
“Maker forbid!” he exclaimed as he squeezed her hand. “It was truly a blessed day when our Princep found you and took you away from such horridness. Come.”
As he began to lead her away, another cry rippled through the air. “What did he do to deserve a whipping, then?”
He grimaced, shaking his head.
“Sir, please, tell me.”
He stopped and turned, looking down at her from his superior height. Even the elders were strong, and as tall as trees.
“We do have crime, girl. Men have disputes over property, or they indulge in too much vilo and become foolish. Primarily, penalties are handed down for disrespect or violating our societal strictures.” His gaze flicked over her head. “Or, should a female overstep and become unruly.”
She flinched as his meaning took hold. She’d overstepped twice, and Kerr had to step in. Both times he’d nipped it in the bud, and then handled things later in private. She couldn’t ever see a time when Kerr or Trask or Krager needed assistance.
Another cry, higher pitched than the previous ones, reached her ears. If she’d been able, she would have twisted around to see if what she thought was true, but his hold was too strong.
“Yes, Prima,” he murmured. “A woman is in settlement today.”
She dragged her feet while looking over her shoulder, dreading the sound of more awful cracks and screams. They didn’t come.
“Four strokes,” the elder said. “The total of the ordered punishment today. I promise you, no blood was shed and no skin was broken in the teaching of her lesson. We are not so barbaric as you believe.” He was in motion again. “Now, come. I will return you to your mate.”
***
“No injuries,” Rothke assured him. “Though there were a few surprises. For all our beliefs their technology is inferior, they have an impressive anti-detection advancement they call ‘stealth.’ It made the taking of the Odyssey much more challenging.”
“And the females? Where are they now?”
“Jarlan is overseeing their transition. He says it will take weeks to test so many and have them properly matched. He told me to tell you he’d be by this evening with a status report.”
Before Kerr could ask another question, his door was thrown open, and Valkerr appeared with Eva in tow.
“What is this about?” he demanded as he rose to his feet, his eyes scanning her from head to toe for signs of injury. Despite looking pale, wisps of her blonde hair loose around her face, she appeared fine.
“I found her in the square.”
His eyes widened, knowing what had been scheduled to take place today. She’d likely gotten an eyeful. Still, she didn’t appear overly distressed.
“She hasn’t eaten, Max Kerr. When I found her, she was dizzy and weak, finding ease on one of the benches. She soon became upset over the settlement proceedings. It would appear someone has been remiss in her education.”
The lecture from their most respected elder hit home. He should have covered all their rules by this point, except when with her, he was either angry over her continued denial they were mates or he couldn’t keep his hands off her. He had failed in his duty, though. Meeting Valkerr’s disappointed gaze, he nodded.
“I shall take care of the oversight, promptly.”
“Good. And feed her before she collapses.”
As the older man looked down at her fair head, his expression softened. When his hand came up to her chin, and Eva didn’t pull away, Kerr was both surprised and relieved.
“I look forward to more debates over the superiority of our culture to yours, imp.” Valkerr then kissed the top of her head, shocking them all before he moved to the door.
“She is a delight, Kerr. I expect you to look after her better. And, I’ll anticipate an invitation to dine with you both privately soon.”
Ordinarily, Kerr would have taken offense and likely dropped the man to his knees with a scathing response, or physically if need be. Valkerr was the only one who dared dictate to him and got away with it. “Yes, grandfather,” he dutifully murmured.
“Grandfather!” Eva choked out.
“Yes, child,” Valkerr said with a grin. “You’re mated to my namesake.” To Kerr, he merely nodded then left.
Eva turned to Kerr and repeated in a squeak, “Grandfather?”
He dismissed his men and took Eva directly to the kitchen. Pointing to a seat at the small round table, he waited until she obeyed his silent command before opening the wall cooler and seeing what was to be had. Immediately, he started pulling out fresh fruit and bread, the latter something he’d noted all the Earth females seemed to favor. He also took out a pitcher of sweet cream and grabbed a knife, bowl, and spoon. As an afterthought, he pulled out a pitcher of fruit juice.
“I’m not hungry,” she grumbled as he set everything on the table and took a seat across from her.
“You’ll eat anyway. You only pick at your food at supper, and now you’re skipping breakfast. I won’t have you losing weight or falling ill. From now on, we’ll take meals together, so I can make sure you eat.” He took her hand and squeezed it. “I like your curves, sprite, and aim to see you keep them.”
She pulled her hand away, dropping her gaze at his teasing.
“You’re troubled by what you saw in the square.”
“Please, let me go home.”
Immediately irritated by the same old refrain, he slapped the table. “We are not having this discussion again.”
She didn’t look up.
Frustrated, he stood and came to her side. He wrapped his hand around her wrist and pulled her to her feet. Her eyes flew wide, but he ignored it as he took her seat and pulled her down into his lap. He reached for a berry, dredged it through the cream, and brought it to her lips.
“Open,” he ordered when she glared at him. Unfazed, he dragged the cream-covered fruit over her lips. “Eva,” he warned, pulling his fingers back quickly when she snapped up the fruit. “Now, chew and swallow.” Going back to the bowl for more, this time he took up the spoon.
Holding another cream-drenched berry to her lips, he smiled when her stomach growled loudly, and she blushed with embarrassment. Wise enough to know she’d appear foolish if she resisted further when she was obviously hungry, she opened and took the next bite.
“I can feed myself,” she said faintly, her fingers going for the spoon.
He kept it from her, instead, scooping up more fruit and feeding it to her again.
“I am aware you’re capable, Eva, but I’m finding this pleasurable.” His head angled to hers, grinning at her snort. His reply dissolved on the tip of his tongue when he saw the residual of cream clinging to her lips. It was too tempting to resist. Lowering his mouth to hers, he licked it off, the sweet taste of fruit, dairy, and Eva a decadent combination.
“Mmm…” he murmured, scooping up another bite. Putting her most urgent need first, he tamped down his yearning to devour her mouth and take her right there on the table. Kerr spoon-fed her silently, instead, until the bowl was empty. After slathering a thick slice of bread with sweet honey, he passed it to her, holding her while she ate.
“What were you doing in the square?”
“I went for a walk.”
“Unescorted?”
She didn’t answer, instead, taking a sip of her juice.
“I ordered an escort so what happened today wouldn’t occur.”
“What? Me seeing something you didn’t want me to?”
“No, getting lost. You were, weren’t you?”
Her shoulders rose and fell in a shrug, but she said nothing, acting indifferent. For all her protests and denials, he knew better.
“There was no purpose in being witness to such a thing. Women are customarily excluded from such an event.”
“They were whipping a woman!”
“Yes, an unfortunate exception which had to be made in this case. And it is a flogging, not a whipping.”
“There’s a difference?”
“Most definitely. She won’t be harmed, Eva, and, hopefully, the discomfort and embarrassment will remind her next time she chooses to disobey.”
“You knew it was happening?”
“I am Princep, Eva. As such, I am apprised of all public punishments. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it is meted out in a controlled, structured way.”
“What did she do?”
“Openly defied her mate, repeatedly. He tried spanking, a paddle, even non-corporal discipline. Despite this, she persisted. At his wit’s end, he came to the Council for a dispensation for a public flogging.”
“Was it Eryn?”
“No, Ram wouldn’t take a domestic dispute to the Council. No warrior would.
“That’s what your grandfather said.”
“But you didn’t believe him?”
She shrugged again.
“The one chastised today was Willa, an artisan’s mate, who is much like Eryn. Such stubborn inflexibility is rare for a Primarian female, though some of us are beginning to get used to it.”
She shot him a long-suffering look. “You find me stubborn, but how would you feel if our positions were reversed? Taken by surprise, shackled, probed, removed from everything and everyone you hold dear, never having hope of returning home, then mated against your will?”
“My claiming of you wasn’t so horrible, Eva. And despite your implication, you have not been abused.”
She struggled to stand, and he let her. “I keep replaying Eryn’s words. Many will suffer if we don’t carry out our mission.”
Regret twanged within him. It seemed unreal, their world so far away until he saw the distress in her eyes.
“Did you get enough to eat?” he asked, abruptly changing the subject.
She nodded, distractedly.
“Come with me, then.” Holding out his hand, he waited, watching her war with herself before she reluctantly took it. He led her to their room, bypassing the bed and the mate’s helper, bringing her to the sitting area instead.
“Lift your dress and bend over the back of the couch; we’ll get the punishment dispensed and move on.”
“What punishment?”
“Janus told you I required you to have an escort if you left the building, yes?” He quirked a brow, daring her to deny it.
“If I do it again, will you string me up in the square and beat me, too?”
“No. Further disobedience will earn double what I had planned. Push me more, and it will be triple.”
She glared at him, fists clenched.
“This show of willfulness is a waste of time and energy, Eva. You will not win.” He took a step forward. “Bend over as I’ve asked, or I will put you there. The latter of the two options will be worse for you.”
With a close-mouthed noise of frustration, halfway between a grunt and a scream, she moved to the couch, bent over the high back, and, with her fingers down by her thighs, inched up her skirt. The furniture designed for those much taller than her, she wasn’t quite in the position he wanted. His hands at her hips, he tilted her forward, until her feet came off the floor. With the tips of her toes barely brushing the tile, he spread a hand low on her back to steady her teetering then flipped her dress up over her back, baring her from the waist down.
“Do not move,” he ordered, then strode to a cabinet in the corner and withdrew what he needed for his intended lesson.
Back at her side, he admired her smooth, ivory skin, knowing it would soon be warmed to a rosy tint. He’d much rather do so with pleasure as the goal, but she had to learn he didn’t make arbitrary rules—and his were to be strictly obeyed.
With his hand on her lower back, he brought the short-tailed leather lash down smartly across her bare buttocks. Her head snapped up in surprise.
“Kerr!”
Before his name died on her lips, the flails came down in a second stroke.
She kicked and twisted, but his hand held her firm.
“Be still, Eva. You must learn to submit. Life will be easier when you do.”
“For you!”
He applied the bundle of supple leather strips using a flicking motion of his wrist. Being lightweight, the lash would sting but wouldn’t cut or bruise. He switched from side to side, moving up and down her cheeks and upper thighs. She was silent, which left only soft whooshes of leather striking skin and the occasional whimper or a shuddering breath as the only sounds in the room. After several moments, he paused, his hand smoothing over her cheeks, assessing the heat, the light pink hue telling its own story.
“When I give an order, I expect it to be followed. I have been lenient”—she snorted—“and patient.” He emphasized the last word with another few strokes. “But I won’t have your defiance putting you at risk.”
A bark of laughter followed. “You do see the irony in your statement, don’t you, while you’re whipping my ass?”
His hand came down sharply, once on each cheek. “You do see the foolishness in challenging me in this position?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Spread your legs.”
“What for?” she asked, trepidation making her tone sharp.
“Do it,” he repeated, lowering his voice so she could not mistake his expectation of compliance. When she separated her thighs a scant measure, he came close to laughing.
Impish sprite.
“Wider.”
She adjusted, enough to expose her pale inner thighs, shimmering with moisture. He breathed in, taking in her scent, a mistake since he was already employing immeasurable restraint while proceeding with her punishment. Since he saw her come into his office earlier, her hair mussed, her face flushed, and her mouth set in a mulish pout, he wanted nothing more than to rip open his pants and plunge inside her heat. But he had an important point to make before he could focus on pleasure.
Flicking his wrist again, he dragged the thongs across her round cheeks, and, every third stroke, he’d aim one inward along the sensitive inside curves, painting her thighs the same pink hue as her bottom.
As she shifted and arched, he could see the moisture glistening on her sex, but he’d expected it would happen, as with the times in the past, his little mate became aroused during every single one.
Changing his angle, he began flicking the lash in a circular motion, allowing just the tips to brush against her thighs. When he heard a telling whimper, he moved to the center, and applied the flogger lightly to her sex. It turned into a distinctive drawn-out moan when he continued, alternating the strokes from cheeks, to thighs, and the plump lips in between until her head came up. She tossed her hair and ground out his name.
She’d already had enough—but they had barely begun.
Tossing the implement aside, he rounded the couch and stood before her. Her eyes flicked up to his, darker than usual and gleaming with fervid excitement. He opened his pants and took his erect cock in hand. She licked her lips, and, with them parted, a warm whisper of her moist breath brushed over the sensitive tip.
He nearly lost control, wanting to plunge into her eager mouth, but he steeled himself to go slowly. Rimming her lips with the head of his shaft, it jerked in his hand in anticipation as her tongue slipped out and licked her lips.
Perversely, he needed to hear her ask for it. “Tell me what you want, mate.”
Her mouth opened as her eyes shot to his in silent supplication.
“With words, anisa.”
“I want to taste you, Kerr.”
He fought off the release that threatened when he slid inside. Too big for her, he kept a hand at the base, controlling without overwhelming, though delving deeply enough to revel in the wet heat and the eager flick of her tongue with every stroke. Still, he wanted more.
“Suck,” he growled, almost falling to his knees as her lips closed over his rigid flesh, obeying his command. One hand slid into her hair, holding, and guiding her head as his hips moved.
Close to coming, he exerted iron control over his body, wanting more of her exquisite torture. He glided over her tongue and through her lips twice more then pulled out, desirous of a different ending.
Taking a seat on the couch, he lifted her over the back and pulled her onto his lap. He took a moment to whisk her dress over her head, baring her beautiful body and all her creamy soft skin to both his eyes and his eager hands. As hungry for him as he was for her, she moved restlessly over him, spreading her thighs wide in a blatant invitation he could not ignore. He thrust up inside her. Her hands clutched his shoulders, the nails digging in with a little bite as she hung on and began to ride him.
His head fell back to watch her; a more beautiful woman he’d never seen. With his hands on her heated cheeks, his fingers curled into the resilient flesh as he set a steady pace to prolong the pleasure.
Eva was of a different mind, however, taking it further as she leaned forward, moving faster, attempting to spur on an impending climax. He wanted that, too, though not yet.
“Patience, Eva, we’re in no rush.”
“I want to come.”
“And you will, but, for now, slow down, mate.”
She shook her head, biting her lip as her eyes opened, liquid with avid need.
Releasing one full curve, he returned with an open-hand swat. Her answering cry was one of passion rather than pain. He did it again, on the other side, and felt her muscles rippled around his cock, squeezing him. One hand grasped her hip firmly as he slid the other up her back to curve around the nape of her neck, pulling her face close to his.
“Obey me,” he rasped, low and urgent.
Slowing into the controlled, easy glide he’d initially set, her eyes met his.
“Did the lash cut you?”
Caught off guard by his question, she lost her rhythm. “What?”
His hands helped her pick it up again. “The flogger. Did it cut or harm you in any way? Cruelly disfigure you or cause unbearable pain?”
“It stung and—”
When his fingers flexed in warning, she inhaled sharply.
“I suppose it wasn’t…unbearably bad.”
“You were aroused by it,” he reminded her, as he lifted her in a long, measured drag. He let her slide down again, fully seating her on his length and holding her there as she squirmed. “Your body doesn’t lie, sprite. You came alive beneath my lash.”
“Okay, I admit it! Your flogger set me on fire in the very best way.” Her hands slid up his neck and into his hair, gripping the strands fiercely as her body practically hummed with need. He ignored the sting in his scalp as he angled his mouth for a kiss. But she wasn’t done. “Please, Kerr! I need to come. I can’t stand it any longer.”
“And you won’t have to.” He shifted and flipped her onto her back, hooking her ankles over his shoulders in one move, then he surged deeply inside her.
She cried out in breathless anticipation as her hands wound around his biceps.
He gave it to her then, though not with the urgency she plainly wanted. Instead, in measured strokes, he claimed every possible bit of her clingy, wet channel. And still, he wanted more and planned to get it before letting her come.
Bracing over her, his forearms in the cushions underneath her, he planted his cock deep inside her. He leaned down for a kiss but stopped short, his mouth barely brushing hers.
“I’ll let you come, mate, but first I need to know, are you going to be good from now on and obey me?”
“No.”
He drew back. “No?”
“Heck no, you do me harder, faster, and more intense after you spank me. I rather enjoy it.”
He grinned, picking up a rhythm again. “What if I promise to spank you even when you obey? When you’re a good girl?”
He thrust fully and paused, grinding his hips into hers.
“I’d say I’m open for negotiation, Princep.”
“Stubborn sprite.”
Her lips twitched into a smile as a shudder rippled through her. “Please, Kerr. I’m going to explode.”
“Then explode all over me, for I am right there with you.”
He slammed into her, as his mouth opened wide over hers, his tongue matching the pace and rhythm of his body.
“So good,” he growled.
“I’m coming.”
“Yes, anisa meo, come for me.”
Eva shuddered in his arms, the sweet sigh of her pleasure passing from her lips to his. Moments later, it was drowned out by his ragged groan.
Chests heaving, skin damp from their exertions, they clung to one another. His long arms burrowed farther beneath the cushions and her back as he wrapped them around her, his fingers resting along the sides of her breasts from behind. Consciously, he flexed, crushing her against him, as if he could spur the transformation to completion.
Seeming to read his thoughts, she asked, “Why haven’t I changed like the others?”
“I don’t know, but not to worry. It will happen.”
She pushed back against his arms so she could see him. “How can you be so sure? You’ve never joined with humans before. My entire body used to burn when you came inside me, but the sensation is gone now.”
His face tightened. He couldn’t explain the delay, but he knew, deep in his soul, with an instinct born of thousands of years of Primarian mating, she was meant for him.
Coming up on his knees, he brought her with him and pulled her across his lap when he sat. “The initial burn is the worst then it eases. For it to gradually subside is expected.”
“Yes, but you said it is replaced by a change of some sort. I should have golden eyes and black hair by now, Kerr. Or a marking.” Her hands came up and swept her long hair off her neck, and she leaned forward to show him the pale, unadorned skin. “I check every day. There’s nothing.” Wet with tears, her eyes met his. “I think there has been a terrible mistake.”
He caught her hands and, gripping them firmly, pulled them down, letting the length of her silky hair fall around her shoulders. She was so beautiful; it almost hurt to look at her. And although he didn’t say so aloud, her worries were his as well. Something was different with the two of them. He had expected the bond to have been completed by now, too.
It made no sense. The way he felt for her, his desire for her so strong he needed to be near her almost constantly. He had begun working at home because the separation, even if only for a few time-cycles, was becoming difficult. Proximity eased the discomfort and the yearning. Touching her, seeing her, breathing in his scent on her skin, and especially driving inside her warm, wet heat, made the gripping pain fade away.
“I feel like I’m coming apart,” she continued. “Torn between two worlds. My feelings for you grow more intense every day, making me want to stay, but the transformation isn’t taking place. And the guilt is eating me up inside, as Eryn says, for betraying my people.”
“It is not a betrayal to care for someone and want to share a life with them.”
“It is when I made a commitment to help save them. It’s the same reason the Odyssey left without us. It would be selfish to risk the entire mission to come back for so few. We’ve known all along stragglers are left behind. But if they came back today, how would I live with the guilt and shame of staying, knowing others might die by my doing so?” Her pain-filled eyes rose to his. “And you must admit there is something wrong with our match, Kerr. You should send me back and find your true mate.”
“No.” Angry, he shifted her off him, adjusting his pants as he stood.
She sniffled. “Not everyone. Just Eryn and me. Obviously, we weren’t meant to be mates.”
“You’re not going back, and that’s final.”
“Kerr…”
“Silence,” he growled, pulling her to her feet. “We’ll figure this out.” He bent and swept up her dress as an idea came to him. “There is someone we need to speak to about this. Get dressed.”
When she rose, staring up at him as if frozen, tears of misery tracking down her face, he did it for her, gathering the fabric and pulling it over her head. She helped enough to put her arms through, and he tugged it over her hips. He turned to search for her shoes.
“Who could possibly help?”
“Jarlan. There is an answer, sprite. And we’re going to find out what it is. I promise.”
Even as he gave it, he worried he might not be able to keep his vow. He was determined, however. Never had he heard of a one-sided mating in a perfectly matched pair. It defied reason. If their chief physic couldn’t help, he’d seek out others.
As far as her guilt over the defection of her duties, he had an idea for this, too—but he needed to speak to his grandfather and uncle first. He kept this all to himself, not willing to get her hopes up yet.
After slipping into her sandals, she again ran her hands through her wildly tangled hair. “I should wash up.”
“No. He might need samples.” Her tousled after-sex look confirmed more than any marking could she belonged to him. His fingers closed around her wrist, and he headed for the door.
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Wrong. I want every possibility checked, however unusual it might seem.”