Chapter Eight
She had righted her gown and was tucking several loose strands of hair back into place when she saw Kerr’s reflection in the mirror.
“I have something else for you before we go.” He opened an ornate box and revealed a gold choker studded with gleaming green stones. At first, she thought they might be emeralds, but these were a shade darker.
“It’s beautiful. What are the stones?”
“They are uladite, one of Primaria’s most valuable natural resources. It drives our economy as well as our technology. Not only do we use it as a source of power to light our cities and fuel our ships, but we also sell it off-world for a considerable profit.”
She reached out and ran her fingers over the intricate metal work. “It’s hard to believe something so pretty can power a ship.”
“Until a few decades ago, it couldn’t. They were merely aesthetically pleasing crystals, so abundant they had little value, but that all changed many years ago when a meteor storm struck our planet. Some of the meteorites were larger than this ship. The heat and radiation greatly altered the properties of uladite stores under the ground.”
She recoiled, pulling her hand away like the necklace was a poisonous snake. “Radiation?”
“There is nothing to fear; these crystals are inert. This piece is old, made long before the disaster.”
“The design is familiar.”
“That is because you’ve seen it before, on me.”
Her eyes rose to his neck, where his hair was tied neatly in back. “It’s the same as your marking.”
“Yes. My father had this made for my mother, as a gift.” He removed the choker with care and set the box aside. “My parents weren’t fated mates, so she didn’t bear his mark. Wearing this specially designed golden band around her neck, she could. I’m happy to pass it on to you, Eva. I think she would have approved.”
From the shadow of pain in his eyes and the way his thumbs ran over the jewelry as if it was a treasured piece, Eva knew without asking his mother was gone.
“What happened to her?”
“She was killed during the meteor storm along with nearly half our female population. Some died instantly, others during the chaos of the days that followed.”
“I can’t imagine how awful it must have been, Kerr. I’m so sorry.”
“It was a long time ago, but the memories are vivid. My father was beside himself at the loss of so many. He blamed himself.”
“He couldn’t possibly be responsible for such an event.”
He huffed a small, humorless laugh. “This is very true, but he couldn’t be convinced. Our scientists were tracking an enormous asteroid on a collision course with Primaria. They had observed it for some time, hoping something would alter its path. Time was running out, so the recommendation was to disrupt the trajectory.”
“It didn’t work; I take it.”
“Yes and no. The weapons we deployed changed the course just enough to keep us safe. But one of the weapons, the most powerful in our arsenal, malfunctioned. We thought it had been remotely deactivated. We didn’t learn otherwise until it suddenly discharged.”
Her hand flew out and gripped his arm as she pictured it in her mind. “It blew it apart, didn’t it?” she asked in a horrified whisper.
“I wish I could say no, but the previous blasts destabilized the Maker bedamned rock and sent huge pieces hurtling toward us.”
“Your technology couldn’t track the path and predict where they would land?”
He shook his head, a distant look in his eyes as though he were reliving it. “It happened so quickly, and they were coming too fast. Our losses were devastating.”
Half the female population was indeed devastating. “To lose so many, including your mother…”
“Also, my father. He died shortly after, during a cave-in while trying to dig out some survivors.”
Her hand flew to her mouth. “You said this happened decades ago. You couldn’t have been more than a baby.”
“The Rain of Fire occurred twenty-three years ago; I was seven.”
Her heart ached for the boy, and the man he’d become. Looking at him now, face tight, voice remote. Whether humor or passion, impatience or anger—the extremes she inspired most, unfortunately—Kerr possessed a spark. As he retold the story of his people’s tragedy, he seemed like a different man.
“The loss of so many of our females was devastating, but it didn’t end there. The radiation exposure sickened many of the survivors, and it also had long-term effects. After enduring the hardships of that night and the following months, many of those who survived found they couldn’t conceive.”
She didn’t know what to say. I’m sorry didn’t seem enough. Instead, she said nothing and squeezed his arm in silent consolation. He didn’t react other than to cover her hand with his own as he went on with his explanation.
“For reasons our scientists can’t explain, the sterility only affected the women. Our planet is small, much of it mountainous or covered by oceans. Those in the capital—which is surrounded by a high mountain range—were shielded, but a large part of our population resides in small towns and villages, well beyond the city limits. They were not as fortunate. As a result, very few females remain who are capable of bearing children. Now, over twenty years later, we are only beginning to see a slight uptick in births, but male children are being born at a ratio of six to one, which is inexplicable to our best physics. At this pace, we have no hope for repopulation for generations, without help. Further, our males need mates, so we had no choice except to look beyond Primaria for a solution.”
This is where she and her teammates came in. She tried to withdraw her hand, but his fingers tightened more firmly around hers, and he held on.
“In all this time, we have found few other worlds with beings like our own. We approached the species who appeared promising, but negotiations and civil discourse often led to bartering and greedy demands from their leaders, especially once they learned of our wealth of resources.”
Eva frowned. Coming from a troubled world in dire need of resources, she could see the same thing happening if the Primarians approached Earth’s desperate leaders.
“It became tedious and time-consuming—not to mention costly—just to get to the testing phase, only to find, time and again, the species we were hoping would be the answer to our prayers, wasn’t.” He moved closer until there was no space between them at all. His head angled down to hers, and, as he continued, his thumb stroked lightly along her jaw. “Then, one day while hunting, we came across a group of alien females, small, beautiful, and with an uncanny similarity to our people. It was as though they were put there intentionally for us to find. Call it fate, blind luck, or divine intervention, but we decided not to question it and take what we so desperately needed. In doing so, we chose expediency and opportunity over civility. It isn’t usually our way, and the decision has weighed heavily upon me ever since. But at the time, my sweet Earthling, you and your crew were ripe for the picking and a simple solution to our problem. Though sadly, only in a small measure.”
“And the end justifies the means if we breed successfully?”
“It may sound cold, but, out of necessity, it is how it had to be.” His thumb stroked over her lips then fell away. He took the choker from her fingers. “Turn and I will do the clasp.”
She watched in the mirror as he bowed his head and fastened the exquisite piece around her neck.
“The goal of our entire mission is to find a way to save our people, too, Kerr. Our world is old and has been used harshly by humankind. We are in search of a new home. I’d like to think if we found a world that met our needs, we wouldn’t be so uncivilized as to take it without regard for its inhabitants.”
His eyes met hers in the mirror. “You cannot speak of how you would act until the decision is forced upon you, Eva. Desperate people do utterly desperate things. And what people are more desperate than those on the brink of extinction?”
Once finished, he spread his hands over her shoulders, the tips curled in front to rest on her collarbone. It sent tingles along her spine.
“Where are your males? I’ve wondered.”
“They are greatly reduced in numbers. Like your females, I’m afraid.”
“Through disaster?” he asked. “Or disease?”
“No, through war.”
“Ah, we have had to protect our home from alien invaders, too.”
She scoffed. “I think an invasion might have been easier to bear, for me, at least because our threat comes from within.”
His black brows arched high on his forehead. “Your kind wages war against itself?”
“Stupid, isn’t it? Learning from the mistakes of the past is not something Earth’s people have done very well throughout history. For thousands of years, our people have fought against each other for land, money, power. Only a few hundred years ago, a war wiped out a significant part of our population. In the aftermath, you’d think we would have learned better how to get along. But no, with a tenuous peace, we each went back to our little corners of the world, licked our wounds, rebuilt, regrouped, and quickly forgot the lessons pain and hardship taught. As always, we went at it again.” She shook her head sadly. “This time there won’t be any rebuilding. And we fight over basic needs for survival because there are few of them left, like fertile land to grow food, feed for what cattle we have left, not to mention dwindling stores of fresh water and scarce fuel sources.”
When she finished her explanation and looked at Kerr, he was staring back, appalled. “Your world sounds truly horrendous. Primarians have long since progressed beyond internal conflicts amongst ourselves. Thank the Maker we have saved you from such a world.”
“But to what end? To be enslaved by another race?”
“You are not slaves,” he replied shortly, in a tight voice.
“We don’t have free choice and serve at the pleasure of another. What is that if not slavery?”
“You are speaking foolishness.”
“Being owned, subjugated, and ruled over isn’t foolish, Kerr.”
He cupped her chin and turned her face toward her reflection. She couldn’t miss the vivid red gown, the glittering gold in her hair, or the green gems at her throat. And least of all, the tall, dark-haired, powerful man standing behind her. “Cherished, cared for, and protected, Eva, which is how I see it.”
“A pet to dress up in pretty things and put on display, you mean.”
He let his hands drop, anger sparking in his eyes. She knew she was pushing him but wanted him to see things as she did.
“This is the reason women’s clothes are adorned with their mate’s rank, and they wear their hair up in public, or a collar with their master’s marking. It’s a sign of ownership.”
“These are symbols, Eva, and most are long-standing traditions, as I’ve explained. Don’t mates do such things in your world?”
Eve didn’t answer, too busy thinking of all the various and sundry ways couples on Earth proclaimed to the world they were taken. But she didn’t own up it. Then again, she didn’t have to; her burning hot, flushed face gave her away.
“You do,” Kerr challenged.
“The woman often takes the man’s name, and they wear rings as a symbol of their commitment to each other, but it’s entirely voluntary. It is our way.”
“As bonding and gender roles are our way on Primaria. Different does not mean wrong, sprite.”
“You are twisting my words, making me sound like a snob.”
“I don’t recognize the term, but if you are referring to a bias of your way being the only right way, or looking down on a society different than your own, then I would say yes, you do sound like a snob.” One of his long arms curled around her shoulders, bringing her back flush to his chest. Caught firmly, she watched their reflection as he brought his free hand up to her throat, gently traced the collar for a moment then cupped her chin, his thumb and fingers resting against her jaw. His gaze returned to hers in the mirror.
“This is all new to you, Eva. Reserve judgment until you get to your new home. You’ll see our way works—and very well.”
A shiver rocked her at his gentle, yet possessive touch.
“The choker and hairstyle suit you. You’ll wear it this way when we are out in public.”
“Is that another rule? Like no panties?”
“If it must be. It is tradition, as I said, and has another benefit.” Without breaking eye contact, he lowered his head and brushed a soft kiss below where the choker rested. “We find the neck a tempting and beautiful area of the female form—and one of the few places we can stroke or kiss in public.”
“I’m beginning to realize your people are very sexual.”
His lips tipped up, and his golden eyes gleamed. “You’ve noticed.”
“How could I not? We’ve had sex four times in a day!”
“I’m sorry. I’ve been busy. I’ll find more time for you when I get you home.”
She merely stared, tongue-tied, before she noticed a telltale glint in his eyes. He had to be teasing, right? To be sure, she held up the corresponding number of fingers.
“Four times, Kerr. More and I won’t be able to walk.”
His deep, throaty laugh sent more tremors coursing through her in a direct path to her pussy and proved what she thought couldn’t possibly happen again today could. His tight hug as he rocked her back and forth gently and his lips nibbling along her jawline to her ear weren’t helping matters, either.
“Your men aren’t as robust?” he inquired, his warm breath against her skin, stirring her depleted body back to life.
“Not any of the men I’ve been with.”
He tensed, and his face darkened, losing the playfulness of a moment ago.
“Let’s not get into that,” she suggested.
“Agreed. No matter if it is long ago in your past, or if this inept buffoon is on the other side of the universe, the thought of another touching what is mine does not sit well with me, sprite.”
“Inept is a kind term, as is buffoon. And the encounters were less than memorable, truly.”
“Encounters,” he asked tersely, “as in more than one?”
Yikes, possessive-much? She didn’t figure this was a good time to mention his sexual repertoire pointed to a history of more than three past encounters.
“It’s good you have me now,” he murmured, in a tone which made her hair stand up on her arms. “I am none of those things and will endeavor to use my skills to wipe any of the lasting remembrances from your mind, permanently.” His thumb slid under the gathered material holding her dress up on one side. “I can begin the erasing now, in fact.”
“Unnecessary,” she replied, quickly clamping onto his hand which was halfway to her elbow with the shoulder of her gown. “I’ve already forgotten, so no need for erasing. I’m sorry I mentioned it.”
“Perhaps, you shouldn’t ever again.”
“How can I mention something I can’t recall?” She snapped her fingers. “See…gone. What were we talking about? Going to dinner?”
“Mm…” he hummed, apparently unconvinced, but he bent and kissed her bare shoulder then slid her dress back in place. “We’ve lingered long in our discussion. We must go now or be late.”
With his hand riding the small of her back, Kerr led her down the corridor to the communal dining room and their first official appearance as bonded mates. Although they’d cleaned up after round four—his stamina boggled her mind, a twofer being the best her old boyfriend had ever managed—she was still tingling deep inside her. After so much sex, not to mention all the drama, it amazed her she could cogitate and put one foot in front of the other. Even now, with his light touches, the low, sultry sound of his voice, and the brush of his chest or hips with him so close made her body hum with awareness. Without panties, something she’d never gone without—ever—she just knew her juices would once again wet her thighs.
The sound of people talking up ahead had her dragging her feet. His hand slipped to her hip, his arm at her back urging her forward. “Relax. You’re beautiful, always, but tonight you are exquisite.”
“Everyone will know I’m naked under my dress.”
“From the blush on your lovely cheeks, they’ll know you have been breached quite thoroughly, mate. As far as these panties you’re worried about lacking, you’re right, everyone will know your sex and bottom are bare because none of the other females will be wearing anything underneath either. Nothing else will give you away. You are perfect.”
“They will, uh, smell me.”
His arm flexed, bringing her closer to his side. “Stop worrying. I will be the only one close enough to tell. Besides, on the off chance anyone does notice, they will only smell me. Remember, you scent of me now.”
“Everywhere?”
“Most definitely,” he grinned.
She frowned. “Isn’t it weird? Having me smell like you?”
He stopped, and, with his hands encircling her waist, he crowded her until her back came up against the corridor wall. Eva could only gape in amazement as Kerr buried his face in her neck and inhaled.
“It’s not weird. The fact you are becoming mine in the fullest sense of the word with each passing hour is arousing. The slightest hint of my scent on you makes me hard.”
She didn’t need to be told the last part because the proof was nudging her in the belly. The man was insatiable and quickly making her the same way. Too tender from his generous proportions and repeated possessions to even contemplate more, she told him so.
“I can’t, Kerr. Not again. You’ve worn me out.”
“It is the hunger,” was his growled explanation as his tongue traced a path up the side of her neck. “But even without it, I’ll want you every time I look at you.”
Voices echoed louder around a corner up ahead.
He moved away a half-step and taking her hand, started them back along their path. “You’ll adjust, but I’ll give you a brief reprieve.”
She blew out a breath of relief.
“At least until after our meal.”
“Don’t you ever get tired?”
“Of you? Never.”
“Let’s hope it’s a very long, elaborate meal so I can recover,” she muttered, as she rushed to keep up with his long strides. “An appetizer, soup, and salad—preferably separate. Maybe a sorbet to cleanse the palate. Both a cold entrée and a hot one, followed by a dessert. Something with an extra-long prep time would be nice. A soufflé, perhaps. Better yet, baked Alaska with fresh meringue. That’s at least an hour, and the topping another twenty minutes more. And lingering over coffee afterward is a definite must.”
“What are you going on about?” he asked, amusement once again in his tone.
“Just trying to buy some time to recuperate and make sure your appetite is satisfied with food—at least for a few hours.”
Chuckling low, he shook his head. “My mate is a jokester.”
“On the contrary, supreme Maxime, I’m very serious. And limping along, as it is.”
“Shall I carry you, little one? I wouldn’t want you to overexert yourself and be too tired for dessert. That would indeed be a tragedy.”
“Now who’s the comedian?”
Their banter stopped as they turned the corner and saw several other couples moving toward a set of double doors standing wide open.
“This is a formal dinner acknowledging the eight newly mated pairs and subject to formal etiquette. We didn’t have time to cover many of our customs and rules, so you will stay by my side and speak only when spoken to first. With anything else, I will direct you.”
She came to a halt, ignoring the sharp tug of his hold on her hand.
He stopped and turned, with a disapproving stare.
“What is wrong now?”
“I don’t get to talk?”
“Yes, with permission.”
“I don’t like this.”
“Eva…”
“Your rules are ridiculous.”
“Perhaps we should return to the privacy of the corridor where I can explain them further?”
She shook her head, replying quickly. “I understood what you said, that doesn’t mean I like it.”
“Liking a rule isn’t a requirement, obeying it is.” He arched a brow, waiting to see if she had further comment. When she remained silent, even though she glared at him for his high-handedness, he nodded. “Let’s go. I see General Trask about to go in.”
Eva didn’t know who he was, but she saw Lana at the front of a long line of uniformed men who were filing into the dining room. The only two she saw not wearing the two-tone tunics were older, white-haired men in floor-length robes with wide sleeves. They entered in front of Lana and the tall brown-haired warrior at her side. Both Lana and her companion wore the same red as she and Kerr, but the male’s tunic was adorned with silver chevrons rather than gold. Lana’s gown was ornamented similarly but shot through with shimmering silver threads.
At Kerr’s call, the warrior stepped out of line. His grip on Lana’s hand brought her along with him. Those behind them proceeded into the room while they waited. Her teammate waved at her when they drew near, the man at her side inclining his head to Kerr in greeting.
“Eva, I’ve been so worried!” Lana rushed forward but was stopped short, held back by the warrior who clamped an arm around her waist.
“Remember your manners, mate,” he intoned sternly. “Silent, unless addressed. And, this is our Princep. How did I instruct you to greet him?”
“I’m sorry. In my excitement to see Eva, I forgot.” Lana glanced up at Kerr shyly and then bent her head as she gathered her skirt and dipped at the knees.
Eva’s eyes opened wide in surprise. Was that a curtsy?
The warrior assisted her to rise while smiling his approval. “Very nice, paulova.”
The translation of the foreign sounding word was instantaneous in her brain. The big, stern warrior had called her ‘little lamb.’ She could tell by her blush Lana understood as well.
Something about all the rules and formality and the bowing sent an alarm bell off in her brain. Forgetting her lesson of only a minute ago, Eva blurted out, “Wait. Why are you bowing to Kerr?” When Lana and the warrior didn’t reply, only stood staring at her in surprise, she turned to Kerr, and asked as insistently, “Why are they bowing to you? People bow to royalty, like kings.”
“I am Maxime Princep, Eva. I explained this.”
She hesitated. “But I thought it meant a governor or some other high-ranking official.”
“As I understand it, a governor is a purely political position; my role is more comprehensive. Further, it is not an elected position but passed on through my family. My father was Princep, as was his father, and his father before him.”
“Then you’re royalty, like a king.” Her voice grew shrill as her panic rose. She could hear it, and she could tell by the concerned expressions on the men’s faces, they could as well. Only Lana seemed oblivious to her impending freak out.
“I’m not a king,” Kerr insisted.
“Oh, Eva,” Lana breathed, rudely talking over him. “That makes you a queen.”
Her friend was way ahead because such an insane possibility hadn’t occurred to her yet.
Oh my God!
“Oh. My. God!” she repeated, this time out loud—really loud. She also jerked her hand from Kerr’s and took a step back. This was too much.
“What’s wrong?” Lana asked, starting to understand—finally—something wasn’t quite right. “Don’t worry. You’ll make an awesome queen.”
Kerr shot Lana an irritated look as her warrior shushed her.
“Eva, what is this?” he asked. “I explained I’m the principal leader.”
“Of a city or a state. I assumed at most maybe a president.”
“I have the ultimate authority and power, ruling all of Primaria.”
“You’re the king of the entire freaking planet?”
“I am not a king,” he grated out. “But if I were, why would it bother you?”
“Because kings marry queens or princesses. I’m not royalty or even Primarian. Don’t you need to marry among your people to keep the bloodline, well…royal?” She staggered back another step. “Good God! Why didn’t I see it before? You never mentioned marriage, only breeding. Is that what this is about? We’ll be your baby-making machines? You’ll have your fertile concubine to provide you with an heir in the event your chosen queen cannot?”
“Trask!” Lana shrieked, also pulling away. “Is this true?”
“What nonsense is your prima spouting?” Trask demanded to know as he hauled his mate back to his side.
Kerr looked as confused as his general. “I haven’t a clue, but I will. Give me some time and privacy to figure it out.”
Trask turned to guide Lana inside the dining room. She went with visible reluctance, dragging her feet, and casting worried glances over her shoulder at Eva.
Eva found herself pulled around the corner with her back against the wall once again, but instead of a smiling, good-humored, teasing lover in her face, she had a grim-faced, glowering warrior with anger sparking in his eyes. As Kerr towered over her, his powerful arms caged her in as they bracketed her head, trapping her between his body and the wall. The golden glow of his eyes blazing down at her reminded her he wasn’t human, but an alien—a really big scary one to boot.
“Concubines and baby makers, by the Maker, mate, explain what that was all about?” He barked the last words at her, and she flinched. “What have I said in the time we’ve been together to make you think I’d take another? I’ve explained we are a monogamous society. Once mated, as I’ve told you repeatedly, it’s for life. I am not used to having my word doubted.”
“You don’t mean to take a queen?”
His head fell back, and he stared at the ceiling. She could almost hear him counting to ten.
“There is no king or queen. I am the principal leader and you, as my mate, are prima, the first consort. But whatever the title, you will have a position of respect endowed through me.”
“What about marriage?”
Kerr’s gaze came back to hers. “I don’t know what that is.”
“It is a civil joining, often a religious one, as well.”
“Unnecessary. When we are mate bonded, it is forever. No bond is stronger.”
She thought on this for a moment, recalling his reaction to her mention of divorce. “If there are no legal ties, what keeps one or the other from straying?” At his puzzled look, she clarified. “Cheating. Sleeping with someone who isn’t your mate.”
His head jerked back as if she’d struck him. “Mates do not cheat.”
“Not ever?” Although she tried to contain it, her voice practically dripped with disbelief.
“Never,” he replied without hesitation, meeting her skepticism head-on.
She considered his conviction for a moment, and almost dropped it, but had to know. “How can you be sure?”
“You recall the burning you felt following the breaching?”
“I’m not likely to forget; it was quite uncomfortable.”
“Once the bond is complete, and the female’s make up has changed, sex with anyone except her mate will make the burning far more intense. In ages past, women who dared have said it was excruciating, like a scalding from hot liquid or a chemical burn. What’s more, the dishonorable men were burned in the process. It is the female body’s way of rejecting foreign seed, not to mention a strong motivator for fidelity by both genders.”
She grunted. “As usual, nature has made it easy on the male. What is to keep either partner from using a condom and straying as they choose?”
“Condom?” he asked with a blank look.
“It’s covering for the man’s—” She flapped her hand toward his crotch. “You know…his rod.”
The appalled look on his face would have been funny any other time.
“You don’t have such a thing?” she asked.
“Maker’s bounty, no! Why would a male want to cover himself? I imagine it would reduce the pleasure, tremendously.”
She almost rolled her eyes at his reaction. Universally, men were the same. She decided it best not to address the pleasure and focus on the other benefits. “They also prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.”
“You pass disease through sex?” His face twisted in a grimace. “That’s horrifying!”
“And pregnancy,” she reminded him. “How do you prevent it in your world? Hormone implants?”
“We don’t.”
“Excuse me?”
“Eva.” The exasperated sigh he let loose was enough to ruffle her hair. “I explained our population destruction. Why would we prevent conception when breeding is the goal for mating?”
The coldness behind his statement reinforced her fears. “This is unbelievable.”
“Believe it. We are a proud people. Sex before mating occurs, though it is discriminating; our people are not promiscuous. Often, both males and females wait until they have found their mate.”
She eyed him with a frown. “You didn’t wait. I can tell you have experience.”
“I am not going to discuss my experience except to say, as a warrior and the leader, I have traveled extensively off-world, where our physical boundaries do not apply. And we have never encountered another breeding-compatible species—until you.”
“So, it’s a free-for-all with incompatible species? How nice for you.”
“You are trying my patience, little one,” he murmured in a low voice taut with burgeoning anger. “We’ve already established your previous encounters are a sensitive subject for me. Neither of us wants to explore it further. As such, we will both keep our past where it belongs, in the past. Destiny determined us mates; we will move forward from here.”
“More like your wand thingy determined us mates,” she grumbled. “What do you have to do? Insert it before each, uh, new encounter?”
He stared at her blankly for a moment. “I thought you were a woman of science.”
“I am a plant biologist.”
Amusement flashed in his eyes, which made Eva bristle.
Even across the galaxies, she got the same condescending reaction to botany, like it wasn’t real science. As usual, she got defensive. “We need plants for the air we breathe, the food we eat, medicine, fibers, and building materials. And we need people like me—real scientists—to help sustain them.”
“Mate…”
“To do so, I need an in-depth knowledge of biology, chemistry, and ecology.”
“Eva.”
“What?” She noticed he was smiling.
“I see this struck a nerve, but I didn’t say you weren’t a real scientist, sprite.”
This Kerr was much more pleasant than the previous angry, annoyed version, which had thankfully dissipated, even if it was brought about by amusement at her expense.
“Sorry, it’s a touchy subject, and you’re right, with a look, you struck a nerve.”
“I’ll remember moving forward.” His arms came away from the wall and moved around her, pulling her against him. “Back to the subject at hand. Tell me, my lovely scientist, once you have identified a plant’s cellular makeup, does it change.”
She frowned in confusion.
“Trust that I have a point with my question.”
“Not usually,” she answered with a shrug.
“Do you have to test each plant, repeatedly?”
“Of course not. We record the specifications once for future reference.”
“It’s the same with our people and their breeding specifications. At the age of sexual maturity, all males and females are tested, and the results entered into a databank.”
“Really? The men are measured and probed, too?” She couldn’t keep her satisfaction from curving her lips.
“With males, there is no probing, just a simple blood test.” He laughed when she made a face. “Sorry, sprite. You’ll have to take the gender inequity up with the Maker. He was the one who decided you got the innie and I got the outie.”
“The Maker is obviously male.” She wrinkled her nose. “It sounds very clinical, like a matchmaking service. Is this the only way you’re paired up?”
“Yes, but the timing is up to the individual. When a male or female is ready to take a mate, they call for an analysis. If they connect with someone on their own before then, and the databank deems them compatible, they can move forward with confidence a bond will occur.”
“What if they aren’t?”
He shrugged his broad shoulders. “The search continues.”
Afraid of the answer, she almost didn’t ask. “What if they’ve fallen in love?”
Already close, he leaned in closer, his hard body pressing against her softness. “It rarely happens, sprite, because our instincts have made us very attuned to a potential mate.”
Okay, maybe it wasn’t as clinical as she thought. But if instinct, connection, and attraction were important to them, why go through a databank at all? “Why not let nature take its course?”
“Until twenty-three years ago, we had that luxury. Now, if there is a breaching between incompatible mates, the union will not result in offspring. And once mated, as I’ve said, it is forever. The couple will remain joined, though unfulfilled since breeding is a goal for all Primarians. The best they could hope for is to foster a child.”
She fell silent for a moment. “So, all Primarian females go through what I did with the compatibility sensor?”
“I wouldn’t say it’s the same. Most often the testing is done by a healer under controlled conditions.”
She snorted. “I was tied to your bed. I’d say my conditions were very controlled.”
He had the grace to look chagrined, but it didn’t last long as a smile curved his lips. “Your testing was infinitely more enjoyable than it would have been in a med-bay, Eva.”
“You spanked me.”
“True,” he agreed, his lips brushing whisper-soft against her temple. “But I prepared you by giving you pleasure with my mouth first.”
Heat flared in her cheeks. “Whatever.”
“Eva,” he scolded gently, aiming a teasing look down at her. “Are you denying you enjoyed it? You were drenched. Your arousal made the testing and the breaching easier than I’d anticipated.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You don’t need to be embarrassed, sprite. Our attraction is natural; we’re highly compatible mates.”
“But I didn’t know any of that, or who, or even what you were. I acted like a—” Slut was the word on the tip of her tongue, but she bit it back. “I refuse to say and get chastised for vulgar language.”
“Are you afraid I think less of you because you succumbed to me so easily?”
She refused to look at him. For the infuriating man who was determined to leave her with nothing private, not even her thoughts, this wouldn’t do. He caught her chin in his hand—an annoying habit he had—and tipped her face up.
“You can’t fight the forces of nature, Eva. Your scientific training should tell you as much. We are a match; your body recognized it long before your brain did. Although I knew the instant I saw you, you were destined to be mine.”
“Because of your attuned instincts?”
“Yes, but I also had an inside edge.”
Her brows arched in question.
“My cock got hard.”
“Kerr!” she gasped, looking around to see who might have heard, and thankful to see no one. His ear-to-ear grin told her if someone had, he wouldn’t have cared one little bit.
“It’s a foolproof mate-finding gauge every Primarian male is endowed with, but it made running after you very difficult.”
This time she couldn’t help it, and the eye roll occurred, which prompted a laugh from him before his hand tightened on her jaw. He lowered his head until they were nose-to-nose, his expression turning serious once more. “Do we have this nonsense about concubines and baby-making factories settled now?”
She felt her cheeks heat again. “I’m sorry for making a scene in front of—”
“Trask. He’s my general but also my friend, lucky for you.”
“Lucky? What does that mean?”
“Such behavior in front of others would have required more than a lecture. I’ll let this slide because you’re still learning the rules. If it had occurred in the dining room in front of my men, with the elders present, swift and decisive intervention would have been required.”
“I’d ask if you were serious, but it would be a waste of breath.”
“Smart girl. You’ve already figured out I am always very serious when it comes to a spanking, whether for punishment or pleasure.” He bent his head and ran his smoothly shaved chin up the side of her neck where he paused and caught her earlobe between his teeth, tugging on it firmly.
Desire sparked within her, flaring more intensely when she drew in a deep breath, and her breasts brushed his chest. Her nipples tightened swiftly in response, and her skin flushed as it always did with his touch. Hell, who was she fooling? He could arouse her by merely breathing.
Helpless against his magnetic pull, she angled her head up to his and offered her mouth freely should he feel so inclined to partake.
“Not so worn out after all, hmm?” Kerr teased before smothering her lips with a masterful kiss. When their lips parted long moments later, he murmured huskily, “I’m starving, but not for food. Unfortunately, because we’re expected, we must go in. We’ll eat quickly and return to our suite where I can have you for dessert.”
Stepping back, he looked her over and tucked a few loose hairs into place. Then, with a tight smile, he adjusted his trousers in front. It was her turn to grin.
“This is going to be the shortest formal dinner on record,” he muttered, as he grabbed her hand. “Let’s get it done.”