Chapter 9
Peyton
For hours I was pushed around the room by Haytu’s mates and Haytu himself and introduced to so many different Dahk I would never remember all their names. I remembered one, though. Byda. She was pregnant and huge. Her figure so small, still taller than me, but without any curves, her stomach protruded out and caught your attention the second she spoke. She was kind and sweet, and I was relieved. I needed more Dahk in my corner.
It was also fascinating to learn Dahk had babies the same way we did. A regular birth. No eggs or weird machines. Just good old pushing and gore. I wondered how she would breastfeed. Did Dahk do that? I supposed she could still get milk with such a flat chest, human women had been doing it for as long as time, but the Dahk females were flat. Like no boob meat at all. I didn’t want to be rude and grill her about Dahk reproduction any more than she was already offering. It did not seem like an appropriate conversation to make a good impression. And I really wanted to do that, regardless of my and Tahk’s relationship.
She was thrilled to be having a baby as she and Haytu had been trying for so long, and I was a little excited to get to meet a baby Dahk. I always wanted my mom to have a sister or brother and, in a way, if I never got back home and Tahk made me stay, I would have one. I couldn’t exactly divorce him. I was stuck. So, I would get to hold it in my arms and watch it grow.
Byda was instantly my favorite Dahk on the whole planet. She was open and funny, and she accepted me with open arms. I was so relieved I nearly cried. Between her, and hopefully Pyntera, things here might not be so bad. Although, Pyntera had kept her distance since landing. Her and Wayka both did. Byda was enough all on her own, though.
“You are angry with him?” Byda blinked down at me with a quirky smile.
I sighed and twisted my fingers. “Yeah, I’m sad more than anything, I think.”
Her smile twisted, “Tahk is stubborn. Just as he was as a stumbling dahkling, his wings too big for him.” She laughed to herself. “But he is passionate, I see all his greatest parts as he looks at you.”
I blinked up at her, my eyes burning.
“Do not give up so easily, sweets. Fight for him as he has fought for you.”
Byda knew everything. She had a way about her that had me spilling my guts at her feet. She also had a way of making me feel worse and better at the same time.
As each minute passed, Tahk grew more and more surly, outright snarling at anyone who tried to talk to him. I couldn’t blame him. I was getting tired of it myself. I had to ditch the coat early on because inside it was even warmer than outside, but I needed to change and unstuff my ass. I looked ridiculously large and round compared to all the female Dahk. Besides, Tahk had super important human saving things to do, and he clearly wasn’t leaving until we had a chance to talk.
At least there was food. And Yilt was right, Home World’s fresh food was better than almost everything I had ever eaten. They had sweet and savory, juicy and dry. My mouth was in heaven. Cotton candy pineapple was practically bland compared to a goliv berry. I couldn’t wait to stuff my face with Viv. I had to be a little more reserved in front of all the curious Dahk.
Eventually, Tahk had enough, and he made it very clear, ordering everyone to clear out. Tahk’s consorts had stayed in the back of the room with Myrna and Wayka and a bunch of other females, whispering heatedly and scowling at me the entire time. Several males had shouted in outrage and went to confront Tahk, but he stayed by my side and told them all the same thing, “I will meet with you, later.”
One male stormed off, but the other told Tahk he was going to go home. Tahk told him he had to stay, and he’d meet with him after the celebration, and that was that. Those guys seriously did not like me and made it painfully clear. But Byda did awesome distracting me and introducing me to a bunch of different seemingly nice and welcoming Dahk. She was determined for me to have a good time. It endeared her to me even more.
When the last Dahk left, the consorts disappeared up the staircase out in the hall, and Haytu ushered out his mates. Then it was just Tahk and me.
I was tired and irritable but also pleased not everyone seemed to hate me. So, I let him guide me from the large entry room and up the stairs. The castle had four floors, and we passed each one of them to the top. Up there, there was only one door at the end of the hall, and Tahk rushed me inside, slamming the door behind him.
The room was so much larger than mine at the castle. And it was nearly completely open. Floor to ceiling cuts out of the stone, with more drapes waving back and forth showing off the starry sky.
There were wardrobes and chests just like humans had, and elegant sofa-benches throughout the room. Large lush rugs spread out across the floors of all different shades of grays and deep purples. And the bed was enormous. It was on a platform in the back of the room, covered in furs and white sheets. A sheer curtain draping from the ceiling on all sides offered privacy. Opposite the bed and across the room, was an open doorway with a large pool inside just like the castles bathing rooms. Steam rose from the water, and a small creature shuffled inside the room.
I screamed and scrambled away from the door.
“What is it?” Tahk shot around and lifted his clawed hands threateningly, his eyes shooting around the room.
“There’s something in there!” I shouted and pointed to the bathing room.
“Ah, it is―insert crazy name I had no hope of understanding here―a Findilis.”
“What’s its name?” I watched the creature poke its head out as Tahk repeated the thing’s name.
“Is-in-di-ni-di―what?”
“You may call me Isin,” it said. Holy cow, it was tiny, like, three feet tall tiny. And it was orange and covered completely in hair, except for its face. It had four creepy buggish eyes. It was actually kind of cute. I felt bad for screaming.
“Hi?” I asked It. It bowed and skittered back into the bathing room.
“Isin is your servant. He only serves you, and no other.”
“I don’t need a servant,” I whispered watching Isin skitter around the room and dump vials of things in the water.
“You will have one. And he will be available should you need anything while I am away.” Tahk ordered and went to the bathing room. Isin bowed again and left the room through a little hole in the wall.
“Where did he go?”
“His rooms are just below yours. Findilis are burrowing creatures. He has a path he made to his den below us.”
“O-kayyy. Is he here by choice?” If I was going to have a servant no matter what I said, I was going to make sure the Dahk’s idea of a servant wasn’t a slave.
“I saved him from his species many sunspins ago. He is loyal and grateful and requested the position to serve my House. He will be just as loyal to you.”
“Right.” I had nothing to add to that. I wouldn’t talk about Isin behind his back. If he was going to be around, I would save all my curiosity for him.
“Undress. I’ve had a bath prepared for you.”
“Uh, no, not until you leave.” As appealing as that bath looked, I was not stripping in front of Tahk. Not while he had several others waiting for their turn with him.
“Peyton, I have very little patience. I will not touch you. I just wish for you to be comfortable.”
“Fine. Turn around.” He wasn’t going to leave until he got what he wanted from me anyway.
“I have already seen every inch of you bared.” Tahk scoffed, but he turned when I continued to glare at him.
I quickly stripped down to my birthday suit, tossing mounds of sweaty cloth from my body. He probably smelled my funk from the heat and demanded a bath be ready for me. I flushed when I smelled myself. It wasn’t too bad, but Tahk had a super nose.
When I was stripped, I watched him warily and dipped a toe in the warm water. It was scorching and felt so, so good. Spotting steps on the far side of the large stone pool, I hurried over and climbed in. The water came up to my neck, but it had a deep seat all around the edge so when I sat, it came to just below my collar bone. Completely submerged, I sighed deeply and relaxed back.
I felt, more than saw, Tahk move closer. I should have been trying to cover myself under the clear water, but I felt too relaxed to care, and he was right, he’d already seen every little bit of me.
A claw brushed away a stray hair from my face, I tensed. “Tahk.” My voice held a warning.
“You are very beautiful, my yula,” he whispered behind me.
“So are your consorts.” I lifted away from him and swam to the other side. Tahk curled his outstretched hand into a tight fist.
“I know how you feel about them,” Tahk stood and turned away from me. “First I would like to discuss the resentment you feel about my taking you from Earth.”
We did need to talk about it, but now it felt like I was holding this big grudge over something that was a big deal, but knowing he was hurrying to meetings and trying to save us, it seemed very selfish. Yes, he took me without my permission, but could I really have expected him to leave me there? He barely let me out of his sight since the day I met him, and it would have been weeks of me on Dahk One doing absolutely nothing except sulking and worrying. I could hardly save the world myself.
Instead, he brought me here to meet his family and to keep me safe. I don’t think I could ever really forget how he took my choice from me, but it was starting to hurt a little less. Now that I knew he had women here waiting for him, I felt unimportant and discarded, and it just wasn’t healthy to keep hold of resentment for stealing me away when I had all these new trust issues.
Seeing it all clearly, I knew two things. I loved Tahk, still so much. And two, I wanted him. I wanted things with him to be how they were. Exciting and confusing and thrilling and scary. I wanted all of it back. But now that I knew he wasn’t just mine? I knew right then, if it were possible, I would have rewound the last few weeks and taken every minute alone I had with him. When he was mine, and only mine.
“I know why you did.” I sighed into the water. Uncomfortably rubbing my arms with the water.
“You do?” Tahk stiffened but didn’t face me.
“Yeah, I mean, I know you couldn’t have left me there, and I think a little piece of me will always be mad at you for it, but your King had died, and I was too upset to listen to anything you were saying when I should have. It doesn’t make it right, but I see that if you hadn’t come back, there wouldn’t be anybody to go fight for us. And well, that’s more important than finding my mom.” My voice broke pathetically at the end. My mom was so important to me, but she was one person. For two weeks, everyone on Earth had no one to fight for them. Fihk did what he could from space, but that wasn’t enough. And there was no one willing to go the distance for them but Tahk. I couldn’t still resent him for that.
Tahk spun around and crouched down at the side of the pool across from me. “Fihk owes you a debt. He will do all he can to find her.”
“Fihk doesn’t owe me anything,” I scoffed, it wasn’t Fihk’s fault I got attacked back at home, but he and Tahk didn’t see it that way. “Anyway, I know the odds of him finding her. Even if you left me there, what could I have done? There’s no way Fihk would have taken me down there and risked me getting hurt. Not without you with me. He would have been looking on his own anyway.”
“My mate, I did not take you away to hurt you. I only did so for your safety.” Tahk scrubbed his face. “If there were any other way, I would have done so.”
“I know.” I blinked back regretful tears. I had held onto my anger with him for too long. I should have let him explain a long time ago. It was time wasted now. “I know, and I really appreciate that you’re still willing to fight for the humans.”
“I do so for you, my mate. Never forget all I do is for you.”
“And your consorts.” I might have let go of my anger about abducting me, but I hadn’t about the consorts. “You should have told me about them from the beginning.”
“Yes, I see that now. It was a mistake, but I cannot regret it, you would have turned me away.”
Yeah, I would have. It was still wrong.
I crossed my arms over my chest and pulled my knees up. This topic of conversation was making me feel too vulnerable when I was already naked.
“I do nothing for them, all I do is for you.”
“No? You think so little of them now, then?” Now I was mad he dismissed them so easily. Even if a small sadistic part of me loved it, most of me was offended on their behalf. I may have been pissed and hurt about the consorts, but he was an alien, and their culture was different from my own. Did I really want to turn Tahk away from his Dahk ways, because I couldn’t handle it? Was I right or was I the wrong one?
“No. It is as it will be. You are my Pythe. No other comes before you.”
“And after? You get bored of me and you have a girl lined up to shake things up?” I looked away from his face and stared at my toes. God, I was so confused. I didn’t want to change him, did I? He was Dahk. I was human. Who needed to bend in this? Me or him? I was willing to accept a lot for him, but I didn’t know if I could accept this.
“No, there will be no others,” Tahk stated stiffly.
“What?” That caught my attention, as did his pounce in the water. In a second, all of Tahk was surrounding me. “I will meet with their First Fathers this eve, so they may find a new House.”
“You’re dismissing them? Why?” Stupid, was I really going to talk him out of it? I should take the boon and run with it. But, I didn’t know those females. Nonya seemed just as nasty as Filiya, but Alyn was relatively nice, or sort of demur. But she didn’t come across as bitchy or resentful like the other two. Was I ready to be the cause of any heartbreak?
For Tahk? Maybe I was. He was my Pythen. That had to mean something.
“I want no other, but you.” He palmed the side of the pool on either side of me, his biceps caging me in. His head dipped, and he sniffed at my neck. “Why protest? Have you changed your mind? Would you rather I keep them?” He nuzzled me gently sending waves of fireworks all over my body. He hadn’t been this close to me in so long.
“No!” I shouted way too loudly.
Tahk chuckled wickedly. “Then I will speak to their Houses and find them a new potential mate.”
“Won’t they be sad, angry? Will you?”
Tahk pushed back and scanned my face. “I did not want a mate,” he confessed, his voice low. My face must have given away my shock―he did have three lined up after all―because he smiled sardonically. “My mam can be persuasive when she wants something.” Great, she wanted me gone. Not good news for me.
“So, when you found me, you were pretty pissed, huh?”
“I was shocked, and I’ll admit a little pyssd. But my mate, you are my greatest gift. I will regret my initial feelings for all time.”
“And now? Do you want a mate now?”
Tahk shook his head in a humorous impression of how I did when I said no. My heart dropped. I so did not need to reevaluate my feelings. That dread I felt? That said it all. I loved him, and that wasn’t going to change. Consorts and kidnappings be damned. I was taken, owned, and I needed to start accepting it and find a way to compromise with him or I was going to find myself in a world of hurt.
“No, I do not,” he smiled and bent again nuzzling my neck. “I want my Pythe. My Pehytohn, anyway she will have me.”
“Oh,” I breathed when he licked down my neck.
“Oh,” he repeated and nipped my neck sharply.
“Tahk, wait.” I pushed his chest, and he growled but let me move away from him. “I can’t―”
“Why?” He snarled. “You say you do not hold onto your anger, I tell you my consorts will be no more, and you still deny me.” Hoo-boy, he was so mad. Two weeks denying him, and I had worked him into a rage I wasn’t equipped to fend off.
“I know. I know, and I know it’s a big deal. You’re just throwing your culture out the window for me, and I don’t deserve even that with my behavior lately. But, they still think they’re yours, and I can’t, I won’t do that to them.”
“It is not their concern. It is our way. They have no reservations about our mating. It is to be expected.”
“I know, but it’s not my way,” I held up a hand, “Just listen. I know okay, but I would feel terrible, and I just can’t in good conscience be with you that way before they know they’re leaving. It wouldn’t be fair to a human, and that’s what I am. I’m human, Tahk, and I can’t change how I feel any more than I can what I am.”
He snarled and slapped the side of the pool. “I will go tell them now.”
I choked a dry laugh and rushed to him, “Wait.” The water shook as I lunged, but I managed to grab ahold of his arm before he pushed out. “Not yet.” I turned him to me and clasped his face between my hands.
“I’m sorry.” I stood on my toes and pulled him down and placed a soft kiss against his lips. “I’m sorry I was so mean and stubborn on the ship. I should have given you a chance to explain before.”
Tahk shuddered and swept his arms around me, plastering me to his chest. “It is I who is sorry, lovely.” I shuddered myself from the endearment and the warmth of his chest against my breasts. “I allowed desperation and circumstance to rule my judgment. We could have spared a moment for discussion that day. It is I who did not listen.” He bent and kissed my bare shoulder, “The hurt I inflicted upon arriving here will haunt me always. I want no other. I will always be yours, no others.”
“Me too, I’m yours too.” I breathed as he sucked up the length of my neck.
“Of that, there is no doubt. I would not allow another near you,” he growled and crashed his lips to mine.
The kiss was desperate and unrestrained. I had missed him, and I told him so with every nip to his full lips, every lick along his fangs, every twirl of my tongue. He told me the same right back.
Holding me close we stood in the water and let our kiss apologize for us, heal every hurt, fix every little broken piece. And when it came to be too much, and my hands were clawing at his shoulders, Tahk dropped me to the deep seat in the pool and shoved himself between my legs. The leather of his pants scraped up the insides of my sensitive thighs and his hands dove behind me, squeezing and kneading my ass.
My legs climbed up his hips, clenching tight, and my hands roamed every inch of his bare chest, from his hard nipples to the scales dipping below the top of his pants.
“We can’t yet.” I breathed as he sucked down my neck to my collar bone. “You have to talk to them first.”
I had not intended for this to happen when I stopped him. I only wanted to apologize properly, but I should have known better, it had been too long for both of us.
“Mate, do not deny me this,” Tahk snarled against the tip of my breast. “You are needing me, I will not mate with you, but I will not leave you craving me as you do.”
“But, it feels wrong.” My protest was pathetically weak. I was so going to hell.
“Touching you, feeling you, will never be wrong.” He punctuated each statement with a suck to my nipple. His hand drifted down to play along the throb between my legs. I gasped and arched back, my head hitting the side of the pool, and my hands clawed at his sides. “I have waited long enough. It is the Dahk way. I will wait to have all of you as is the human way until after I speak to them, not a moment later.”
“Right. Compromise.” I gasped as his finger slipped between my folds and rubbed in slow circles.
“Yes, compromise. You will compromise and give me your release.” He tipped my hips forward and into the palm of his hand.
“Okay,” I breathed and ground down against his hand. “Tahk.”
“Yes, lovely. Feel how your womb clutches at the water to be filled by me.” A finger drifted down, and a knuckled rubbed inside me. I cried out and shot up to grab at his arms. One of my hands left his arm to seize his horn and drag his face to mine. I licked into his mouth as desperately as my hips whirled against his hand. He snarled and snagged my hair, yanking my head back to kiss me deeper.
His thumb claw scraped lightly against the tiny bundle of tension, and I whined. His knuckle pushed as deep as it could go without using his claw, and he pinched my clit tight between his thumb and finger. My toes curled, and my breath snagged as pressure spiraled through me.
“Tahk.”
“Yes, mate, give me your release.” He purred and twisted his thumb and forefinger. I screamed and writhed against him. Fireworks exploded from inside me, scorching me from inside out. Tahk snarled and bit deep into my neck sending a whole new set of explosions through me. I shook and whimpered as he petted me between my legs, slowly bringing me down into an exhausted pile of boneless satisfaction.
I slumped against him and heaved as he lifted us from the pool. Tahk’s palms ran up and down my back, kneading my spine and ass cheeks. I purred. He stopped at the bed and gently laid me down.
When he stood upright, I reached for him, but he kissed my palms and laid them down at my sides. “What about you?” I needed to touch him. I needed to drive him as mad as he did me.
“I cannot bear your attention until the matter is solved, I will not be able to hold back.” He scowled at his lap and shifted uncomfortably. Right, the scorned females. I really was a homewrecker.
But seeing Tahk grin so arrogantly at my naked body while palming his thick member. I decided not to care. He wanted me. I wanted him. Neither of us expected the other, but here we were. And I would never regret that.
“Rest, I will return soon.”
“No, no way. I’m going.” I sat up and pulled a loose folded sheet around me. “I’m not letting Nonya get near you again.” Tahk scoffed, and I flushed from embarrassment. It so wasn’t cool to order him around. He said he was leaving them. This only made me look like I didn’t trust him. Which I did, but okay, Nonya was gorgeous for an alien, and what if he realized she didn’t come with so much baggage and ultimatums. I was hardly the catch in this situation.
Jeez, I needed to do some affirmations or something.
But Tahk laughed and nuzzled my neck. “These things are not handled in such a way. Her First Father as well as Anya’s and Filiya’s, will be present.”
“Those guys who tried to talk to you before?” A little flutter of something started to creep through my mind. “Did you already know you were going to dismiss them when we got here?”
“I knew the moment wet hit your eyes in the castle, my yula.”
“What?” I breathed, astounded. All day he knew. The whole time I cursed his name and imagined him gallivanting off to their rooms, he knew?
“Anya knew the moment I did not greet her. I have never kept such distance before.” He crossed his arms. I did not need to imagine what his old greetings to them looked like. I shook my head to get rid of the bitter jealousy. “She told her father upon arriving. They are aware of the nature of our meeting.”
“Oh. Maybe I should go to apologize.”
Tahk chuckled. “Your apologies are not necessary, mate. I assure you, Anya holds no feelings for me.” I highly doubted that, but Tahk was a guy, he wouldn’t see her aloofness for the cover-up I knew it to be. “And Nonya will move on quickly. She only seeks a powerful House and I have a few suggestions that will satisfy her.”
“And Filiya?”
“She insulted you on many occasions and was not a member of my House. I owe her nothing.” Tahk scowled as he talked about his ex-whatever-she-was. Consort in training? Possible consort? Consort in the running? Who knew. But yeah, I didn’t owe her anything after all the shitty remarks during our mating. That was terrifying for me, and she made it all the worse. I was glad he dismissed her so easily, though I would have to talk to him about letting her or any other pet all over him. But later, I was so done with the heavy today.
“She was pretty angry when you wouldn’t let her come here.”
“I have arranged for Filiya to be removed from the castle. She is to be sent south.”
“Why?” Jeez. He already kicked her out of his bed and House. Now he was relocating her?
“I do not trust her. I will be leaving. I will not allow her in range of you.”
“She’s that dangerous?” Filiya hated me. She let me know with every sneer and disgusted look. But Tahk was worried she would hurt me?
Tahk scrubbed his face. “I will not take a chance with your safety.”
That wasn’t an answer. I guess it was good she wouldn’t be around then.
“Okay, do you want me to go for you?” He didn’t want me apologizing, but did big bad Commander need backup around what was sure to be a tense conversation?
“Rest, my yula.” Tahk bent and kissed me on the lips gently. “You must prepare for my return. I have waited and now need you greatly. You will allow me to take out my frustration on every inch of you.”
“Okay.” I kissed him back and smiled at the bed as he left. I would make it up to him. Tahk was suffering the mating rage, and I was pretty impressed he managed to hold back when I couldn’t. To be fair, it was really hard to turn down a Commander who was hell-bent and determined to bring you to orgasm.
But Tahk was giving up a big part of who he was for me. I needed to make sure he knew I was grateful. And I was so, so grateful. I may have been wrong to demand this, but I loved him, and I knew even if I convinced myself now to look past it, it wouldn’t be long before the situation took its toll.
I was a tad bit jealous when it came to him. Over time, it would hurt, and I would grow to resent him. I would have a front row seat to Tahk’s other relationships, and the real kicker would be that it wouldn’t be cheating. It would be totally normal. Expected.
I couldn’t do it. I was selfish. I wanted him all to myself.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to return the favor. I was passed out long before Tahk got back. And before I knew it, the toyl stones were starting to brighten in the room, and Tahk was kissing me goodbye. His meeting took too long, and he hadn’t wanted to wake me up, and I would find myself regretting falling asleep for six very long days.
Now that we had made up, my libido was insane, and all I could think about was him. I was going to jump his bones the second he got back.