CHAPTER THREE
On the fifth morning, Vischer awoke with a start, blinking against the sunlight that spilled in through the circular windows of his quarters. With wariness, he scanned the room, tilting his head back as he inhaled deeply. Nothing seemed out of place, but something was different.
Stretching his arms over his head, he groaned at the stiffness in his muscles…and froze. With vicious clarity, he understood what had changed. The sun was up, which meant he’d been asleep for several hours. Since Janelle’s heat had started, she’d reached for him often, needing him to ease her, and he’d gone to her willingly, eagerly.
Her heat wasn’t over, not yet. He could still feel the slight charge to the air of his quarters. She still needed him, so why hadn’t she awoken him in the night?
Rolling to his side, he smiled when he found his mate staring back at him with those big, beguiling eyes. “How are you feeling, rikka?”
“I’m okay,” she answered, but her tone was tight, strained.
Waves of warmth emanated from her, and her skin glistened with perspiration. The soft planes of her face were pinched, her eyebrows knitted close, and she had her arms wrapped around her midsection as if she was trying to hold herself together by will alone.
“You are not okay, my mate.” He reached for her, frowning when she shook her head and eased back from him. “How long have you been like this? Why didn’t you wake me?”
“Didn’t want—” Janelle gasped, her body clenching. “You looked so tired. You needed to rest.”
Vischer growled. “I am not so weak that I cannot care for my mate properly.”
To his utter surprise, she laughed at him. “Cut it out with the macho bullshit. Did I say anything about you being weak? No.” She paused, took several deep breaths, and when she continued, it was in much softer tones. “You’ve taken such good care of me. I wanted to do something for you.”
Janelle figured she probably wasn’t making sense, and she wasn’t even sure she understood it herself. For four days, she’d been consumed by overwhelming need. Each time the heat surged, she’d reached for him blindly, and every time, she’d found him waiting, anxious to relieve her.
In the times when her lust was a low simmer rather than a burning inferno, he’d held her and told her stories about his life. When her strength had waned, he’d fed her from his own hand, refusing to eat anything himself until she’d been fully sated. Every day he’d bathed her, attending to her with so much love and gentleness that she’d wept openly, unable to contain her raging emotions.
She still felt the heat and the pressure, but it was bearable now. When the hunger for him had returned in the night, she’d started to reach for him, but she’d been struck by how peaceful he looked in slumber. His dark hair fanned over the black satin of his pillow. The harshness and worry gone from his expression. His face turned toward her, illuminated by the moonlight, his lips slightly parted.
But it was the shadows under his eyes that had stopped her.
It hadn’t been a bright and burning epiphany. Understanding had come to her slowly, but once it had, she’d struggled to fight back the tears. For four days, he’d barely eaten, and he hadn’t slept at all. He’d never left her side. For four days, he’d watched over her so that she could rest easily, and not once had he asked for anything in return.
So, she’d fisted her hand and pulled her arm back, tucking it close to her chest. In the darkness, she’d promised herself that as long as the burn was tolerable, she wouldn’t wake him. For as long as she could bear it, she would allow him this respite.
“Oh, my rikka,” Vischer whispered, sliding across the bed and pulling her into his arms. “It is my honor and my privilege to care for you.”
“I get that.”
Christ, she hadn’t wanted any of this, and she’d been such a bitch about the whole thing. In her very human mind, she’d seen the Vor’s mating rituals as barbaric and sexist. She’d naively assumed that she was nothing more to Vischer than a broodmare, there to pop out babies left and right, and nothing more. After all, she didn’t know how he could possibly care for her when they’d only just met.
Oh, how wrong she’d been.
It was obvious he cared for her. His affection was present in everything he did. The way he looked at her. The way he touched her. The way his voice wrapped around her name like a lover’s embrace. Moreover, she felt those same stirrings of love echo within herself. This big, powerful male was hers, and she’d do anything to stay by his side.
Maybe it was the afterglow of amazing sex, but she didn’t think so. Being with Vischer felt right in a way nothing else in her life ever had, not even her music. When he’d first approached her, he’d been a stranger, and yet, looking back, there had also been a familiarity about him, like they’d met long ago and she’d simply forgotten.
Back of Earth, they would have locked her in the psychiatric ward and thrown away the key if she started babbling like that, but this was Vor. This was the way it had been for who knew how long, and she was too exhausted to fight it. Something bigger and more infinite than she could imagine had brought them together, something she couldn’t possibly hope to comprehend. Humans believed in love at first sight, and she didn’t see how this was any different.
Besides, who was she to question fate?
“I get that,” she repeated with more conviction, pressing her palm to the side of his face, “and I’m grateful. This one-sided crap isn’t going to work for me, though. You’re going to have to meet me in the middle, okay? Which means, stuffing your ego and letting me take care of you sometimes.”
When she’d finished, she held her breath, waiting for his reaction.
He stared at her for the longest time, his expression unreadable, then a smile bright enough to rival the sun stretched his lips as he bent to kiss her. “You please me no end, my mate.”
The brush of his tongue against hers ignited the smoldering embers once more, and she arched up, panting as fire licked across her skin. “Vischer, it’s happening again.”
“I know. I can feel it.” Sliding atop her, he nuzzled the side of her throat and purred. “Hold on to me, rikka. Let me ease you.”
Vischer purred louder, feeling her relax beneath him. He didn’t know what he’d ever done to reap such blessings, but he would never take them for granted.
“Yes,” Janelle breathed as she encircled his hips with her slender legs and reached between them to grip his swollen cock. “We’ll ease each other.”
Sweat broke out across his skin as she guided him to her entrance, and like the times before, he struggled for control as he pushed into her slick, velvety heat. Her walls surrounded him, molded to his length, and constricted until his vision blurred.
“You are so tight,” he groaned, retreating until only the flared crown remained, paused, then surged forward again. “The things you do to me, mate.”
Her fingers kneaded the straining muscles in his biceps, his shoulders, and finally, her arms curled around his neck. “Mmm, I could say the same.”
Finding his rhythm, he thrust in slow, languid movements. Dipping his head so that the curtain of his hair fell around them, he took her mouth, growling when her tongue parted his lips. He loved the taste of her, craved the sweetness that invaded him when she kissed him like that. He adored the feel of her soft skin against his lips, became intoxicated by the erotic, feminine sounds she made.
He kissed her hard, ravishing her mouth until she jerked her head to the side to gasp for breath. While she panted and writhed, he moved lower, capturing one of her pink, erect nipples and sucking the tight bud into his mouth. A heady moan was his reward as she bowed up from the bed, pressing closer to him.
The fragrance of her desire permeated the air, saturating his senses. The need to bite her, score her perfect skin with his fangs, mark her again so everyone would know she belonged to him, roared inside his head, but he didn’t dare act on it. Janelle was human, and the heat had been difficult for her. He didn’t know if his bite would prolong her heat or not, but he wouldn’t risk it.
“Vischer?” Cupping his jaw, she lifted his face to her and kissed his lips sweetly. “Hey, are you okay?”
The concern in her tone undid him, and he claimed her mouth in searing kiss as his growl vibrated throughout his quarters. As a warrior, and especially as a chieftain, it was his duty to protect his people and see to their needs. No one worried for him, though. Not ever. Not until now.
“You feel amazing,” Janelle whispered as she moved against him, “but I can feel you holding back. Let go. I can take it.”
Then, her soft fingers stroked over his back, running along the twin ridges where his wings were sheathed, and Vischer lost it. Growling and snarling, he increased his pace, driving into her with an intensity that scared him, but he couldn’t stop.
Janelle cried out, her small frame stiffening as her pussy squeezed him greedily, massaging him, milking him. The last thread of his self-control snapped, and he plunged into her with a mighty roar, gripping her close as his orgasm slammed into him with the force of a super nova. The head of his cock swelled, locking them together as he filled her depths with his seed.
When the last drop had been drained, he collapsed to the side, pulling her with him while his swollen length remained locked within her body. A curious peace settled over them, and with a mixture of relief and disappointment, he realized her heat had passed.
Relief because he couldn’t stand to see her in pain for another moment. Disappointment because that meant their uninterrupted time together had come to an end.
* * * *
“Well, don’t you look like the cat who ate the canary?” Roxanne Arroyo threaded her fingers through her short, brown hair as she laughed. “I thought you weren’t all about this mating thing.”
Janelle sniffed at her drink and took a tentative sip as she shrugged. Damn, that shit burned on the way down. “That was before I experienced it.”
Rox’s amber eyes narrowed skeptically, and she looked every bit like the former cop she was. “Whatever you say.”
Again, Janelle shrugged. There was nothing she could say to convince the woman, or anyone else for that matter. Hell, she didn’t even know how to put into words what she was feeling. It wasn’t happiness exactly. Well, it was, but it was also something more. Searching for the answer, she sat still for so long, she jumped about a foot in the air when strong, muscled arms came around her from behind.
“Don’t fret,” Vischer whispered in her ear as he bent to nuzzle her. “You’re safe.”
“I know.” Then, because she knew it would make him happy, she added, “You’d never let anything happen to me.”
As expected, his chest swelled, and a low, rumbling growl of satisfaction rolled up from his chest. “I would kill anyone who tried to harm you.”
Of that, she had no doubt.
Settling back against his broad chest with a sigh, she finally found the name for what she was feeling. She was…content.
Not content in a way that meant she was settling for less than she wanted. No, she was content in the way that people felt when they had so much good in their life it would be selfish to ask for more.
Unable to contain the lightness in her heart, she leaned her head back against Vischer’s shoulder, closed her eyes, and sang. It was an old folk song her mother had taught her that told the story of a fairy prince who had crossed the seas and battled monsters to return home to his beloved. It was a song of hope and passion, and she lifted her voice, pouring every ounce of love and joy she felt into melody.
When she finished, she opened her eyes, and felt the smile slide from her lips. Every person in the great hall had stopped. No one spoke. No one moved. They all stood transfixed, every pair of eyes in the room staring at her.
“Uh, sorry,” she muttered, her cheeks heating with embarrassment.
Turning her in his arms, Vischer tilted her face up and kissed her softly. “Never apologize, rikka. I heard you sing before I ever saw you, and I was rendered speechless by the loveliness.” He kissed her again, a little harder his time. “They stare because you have bewitched them. They stare because they are captivated.”
She’d performed in front of sold-out auditoriums, but Vischer’s words meant far more to her than those multitudes of cheering fans ever could.
“Thank you.” A slow smile curled her lips. “Do I captive you?”
Vischer chuckled. “Every time I look at you.” Pulling her against him, he stroked her hair. “Are you ready to go see your new home, my mate?”
She’d said her goodbyes to the people who mattered, and she’d promised to find a way to keep in touch. There really wasn’t anything left for her in Kings Castle, except…
“Actually, there is one thing I need to do.”
She started to pull away, but stopped short. Vischer had agreed to meet her halfway when it came to their relationship, but she had to be willing to bend a little as well. It went against every fiber of her being, but she took a deep breath, and stared up at him.
“I’d like to talk to Travo. The warrior who was waiting with me when you arrived,” she added when he frowned. “I need to apologize.”
Vischer stared at her for so long, she fought the urge to squirm. The Vor really didn’t like their mates speaking to other males, but she wasn’t willing to budge on this. Hell, she hated asking permission to speak to someone, but she was trying to be tolerant and respectful of Vischer’s customs. With or without his blessing, she’d speak with Travo, but she hoped it didn’t come to a fight.
Finally, Vischer gave her a curt nod. “I will accompany you.”
If that made him feel better, she was all for it. What she had to say wasn’t romantic in the least, and she had nothing to hide from her mate.
Mate. Yeah, she might as well get used to saying the word.
Taking Vischer’s hand, she led the way to the back table where the warrior she sought sat with three other males. At her approach, the other males bowed their head in deference to her mate, then rose and sauntered away with their drinks in hand. Travo rose to his feet as well, but he didn’t retreat.
“Chieftain Roak.” He lowered his head fractionally. “Congratulations again on your mating.”
“My mate wishes a word with you, but before she does, I have something to say.”
Ah, shit. Janelle didn’t know why she’d thought they’d make it through this without some testosterone-filled display of possessiveness.
“Thank you,” Vischer said, his tone quiet. “Thank you for protecting Janelle while she was alone and defenseless.”
“Hey!” Okay, maybe she wasn’t nearly three hundred pounds of pure muscle and raw strength, but she wasn’t a helpless kitten. “I was doing just fine with you, wasn’t I?
“Of course, my rikka.” His lips twitched at the corners. “You were terribly fearsome.”
Janelle rolled her eyes at him, then turned her attention to Travo. “I wouldn’t have phrased it the same way, but that was basically what I wanted to say. You were always kind to me, and I appreciate that. So, thanks. Oh, and sorry for almost getting you killed.”
Travo laughed. “Think nothing of it.”
“That,” Vischer said pointedly, “I will not apologize for. You have my gratitude, warrior, but touch her again, and I will cut you down where you stand.”
“Whoa, okay.” Janelle stepped in front of her mate, placing her hand flat against his chest. “Let’s just stick with a simple thank-you and leave at that. Hmm?” These goddamn hot-blooded males and their tempers would be the death of her. “So, uh, I guess we’re leaving now. Thanks again, Travo.”
She fidgeted awkwardly at her mate’s side, unsure of how to proceed. There was no way she could hug Travo without Vischer ripping the male’s arm off and beating him to death with it. A handshake also seemed kind of risky. Should she bow? Courtesy? In the end, she settled for a smile and a small wave.
“You know,” she told Vischer as he led her from the great hall, “it really wasn’t his fault. I mean, if you think about it, he didn’t actually touch me.”
“To a mated male, there is no distinction.”
She was beginning to get that. “Just…don’t hurt him, okay? It was my fault, and he doesn’t deserve that.”
“I have no reason to harm the warrior.” The yet in that sentence dangled at the end.
A subject change was definitely in order. “Did you really think I was fearsome?”
Pulling her to a stop, Vischer swept her up against his chest and slanted their mouths together in a hard, hungry kiss. “You were so brave, so fierce. You surprised me, and believe me, that’s not something easily accomplished.”
With a satisfied grin, she grasped the back of his neck in both hands and jerked him down into another kiss. “Just wait. You haven’t seen anything yet.”