Chapter Ten
Nylek winced as he made his way around the perimeter of the room, trying to convince his legs to move normally and willing the pain in his body to go away. The treatments he had received on the ship had effectively begun to heal his wounds, but not receiving a healing from Ciyrs had left him feeling weaker than he ever had this long after being injured, and he could tell that some of the gashes in his skin were still only tenuously healed. No matter what he was experiencing, however, he hadn’t wanted to spend more time lying in the bed in the clinic. He felt like he had been trapped in a bed for longer than he ever had, and it made him feel fragile and vulnerable, things that he couldn’t stand feeling. As soon as he was able, he had gotten out of bed and left the clinic, insisting that he go to one of the homes in the kingdom for the rest of the time that they were in Uoria. He would have preferred to be back in his own home in the Denynso compound, but he knew that the journey was too far, and by now nearly everyone who had remained in the compound when they left for Earth was now in the kingdom with the Mikana.
Elon and the Mikana doctors didn’t seem confident that he would be well enough to return to Penthos with the others when the ship left, but Nylek refused to accept it. Until they had boarded the ship again and were gone, he wouldn’t admit that he wasn’t able to go with them. For now, he would keep walking, keep moving to start rebuilding his strength and encouraging his injuries to heal further.
The door behind him opened and he saw Mina step inside. She looked startled to see him out of bed and held a stack of blankets toward him.
“I brought these for you,” she said.
Nylek looked at his mate, feeling his body and his heart burning for her. It had felt so long since he had left her behind in the compound so that they would be able to communicate with Creia while they were gone. He had missed her so desperately, but since he had returned to Uoria injured, she had seemed skittish and unsure around him. It was as if she didn’t know if she should get close to him or if it might hurt him further.
“Mina,” he said. “Please. Come here.”
“I shouldn’t,” she said. “You should be resting. Without Ciyrs…”
“I don’t need Ciyrs,” Nylek insisted. “I’m healing just fine on my own. I just need you.”
“You need to rest,” she said. “Just get back in bed. Get some sleep.”
He could hear the emotion and tension in her voice, and knew that she was struggling seeing him wounded after being apart for so long. Of course, he had been injured before, but that had been as a result of battles that she understood. She knew what they were facing and the dangers that they would experience while fighting. When he left Uoria with the others, though, she didn’t know what he was going to encounter or what he would have to do. It was bad enough that he came back hurt, but she also knew that he hadn’t returned with everyone else, and that the encounter wasn’t over. His mate couldn’t stop worrying about him because the situation hadn’t yet come to an end and they had no way of knowing what else they were going to have to face.
Mina turned and started back out of the room, but Nylek followed her. He got to her in the hallway that led away from the bedroom and out of the house. Without saying anything, Nylek wrapped one arm around her waist and swept her up against his chest, crushing his mouth down on hers. Mina didn't resist but gave herself completely into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and opening her mouth to allow his tongue to slip through her lips to massage against hers. The hesitation was gone, replaced by passion and need that told him his mate had missed him with the same fire that he had missed her during the time that they were away. He no longer cared about the pain that still lingered through his body. All he cared about was feeling her and reconnecting with her now that they were back in each other’s arms, at least for the time.
Nylek led Mina back into the bedroom and kicked the door behind him. His mouth continuing to play across hers, he turned and lowered her to the bed. He stepped back and stared down at her as he peeled off his shirt and tossed it to the side. Mina stared up at him, her eyes widened in awe of the sudden kiss and her lips slightly swollen and red with its passion and intensity. He undressed as Mina watched him, revealing himself to her completely and purposefully. She watched him with a blend of emotion in her eyes. There was a powerful, slumbering hunger that he knew was reflected in his own eyes as well, but there was also something softer and more tender. Nylek could see her gaze settle on the lingering bruises and scars of his wounds, but she didn’t wince or try to look away. Instead, she focused on them, following them like she wanted to know everything that he had gone through when he was away from her.
He could see Mina's eyes roving across his body, taking him in as if memorizing every inch of him, committing to memory the new injuries that had changed the landscape of the skin that she already knew so well. They had completed their bond years before, but his passion and love for her had never changed. He still craved her with every breath and felt the flutter deep within him when he thought of her. She was the greatest aspect of his life and the most precious companion he had and would ever know. He stepped forward and reached for the waistband of her skirt. He eased it down over her hips, revealing only the thin, gauzy panties that she wore beneath. Growling deep in his throat, Nylek removed the rest of her clothes almost frantically, tossing them aside as fast as he could. He wanted to run his fingertips over every inch of her and feel her smooth curves against him. When he was gone he had dreamed of filling his hands with the softness of her nearly every night. Now that she was stretched out in front of him, nothing separating them, he wanted to show her everything that had filled his mind in those long, dark moments.
Nylek forced himself to slow down. As much as he wanted her, it had been too long and he had wanted her too much for him to simply rush through and make it end too quickly. He reached forward and placed his hands on either side of her ribs, then ran his hands down along the deep curve of her waist. Applying gentle pressure, he ran his palms around the full swell of her hips and then up her belly onto her breasts. The warm, familiar lushness of her body filling his palms made his body tremble with anticipation of the pleasure they would soon enjoy. He allowed his thumbs and forefingers to gently squeeze her nipples, feeling them harden beneath them. Mina arched slightly into the touch and he saw her eyes flutter closed as her lips parted. She was no longer resisting him or trying to avoid the need that she felt for him. Instead, she was soft and compliant beneath him, just waiting for Nylek to guide her as he reclaimed his life and pushed aside the injuries to show her that he was still just as strong as when he had left her side.
He drew in another long breath to keep himself calm and slow. He had to constantly remind himself not to move too quickly, to let himself enjoy everything that was to come and to savor every second of it. Memories of the taste of her brought him to his knees at the edge of the bed and his hands to her thighs so that he could ease them apart. They parted easily and willingly, and Mina’s body opened to him. Nylek could already see how wet she was and the warm, musky smell of her body was enough to drive him nearly to the edge of what control he had. She was ready for him, waiting for him, but he still wasn’t willing to let this end yet. There was so much more that he wanted to explore with her now that he was back with her and they had nothing but time to explore and enjoy each other. This was purely about them and he had every bit of privacy to indulge himself in every detail that his beautiful Mina offered. It was a gift that he wasn’t going to take for granted.
Resting one hand lightly on her belly to hold her in place, Nylek ducked his head down and drew his tongue through her folds, moaning at the taste of her as it filled his mouth and reached into him to begin fulfilling the empty ache within him. Mina gasped and reached down for him, but he eased her hand away from his head, wanting her to relax and simply enjoy the attention that he was giving her. He licked her again, pausing for a moment to flick the tip of his tongue across the sensitive pearl of flesh. It began to come forward with his coaxing, further intensifying the sensation that he was creating for her. Nylek brought his other hand down and carefully eased one finger into her body. He felt himself melt slightly at the softness of her hot, wet walls closing in around it, and pressed it deeper until the heel of his hand rested against her pelvic bone.
He moved his finger gently within her as he continued to trace through her core with his tongue. He didn’t want to leave any of her untouched or neglected. Nylek applied slightly more pressure against her upper wall, exploring the pattern of ridges until he found the smooth, slightly softer spot that he knew would push her to the brink of her control. It was a spot that he had discovered in the long afternoons and blissful nights that they had spent together, and one that he loved to touch and nurture, bringing whimpers to her lips and tightening the muscles through her hips and thighs. He rubbed his fingertip onto it a little harder and heard Mina draw in a sharp breath. Her body was starting to tremble and he knew that her own control was close to shattering. Nylek rose up over her and took her hands in his. He pushed them back and pinned them on the bed on either side of her head. Mina gasped slightly, but he could see her chin lift and her mouth open as if seeking him. Continuing to exert every bit of control that he could, he slowly stretched out across her. Gradually their bodies met so that their skin melded and she was fully enveloped in him. Nylek slowly lowered his mouth back to Mina’s and brushed it slowly across her lips. She whimpered softly and parted her lips further. He dipped his tongue briefly into her mouth, allowing it to glide across the inside of her bottom lip, seeking out his mouth.
Nylek lowered his mouth to hers and offered a deep, languid kiss. He could taste all of the kisses that he had missed while he was gone, all of the words that he didn’t hear, and all of the moments that they hadn’t been able to share. After a few moments, he ran his hands down her arms and along the sides of her body, then wrapped one arm around her waist so that he could pull her closer to his body. In one smooth, controlled movement, he rolled both of them over so that she lay on top of him. The new position caused the warmth of her core to nestle against his erection. It was a promise of what was to come and he could feel the intensity of his desire for her increasing even further. Nylek reached for her legs and tucked his hands around the backs of her thighs so that he could pull them gently and cause her to straddle him. Mina pressed her hands to his chest to push herself into a sitting position, putting her body on display just for him.
In that moment, it seemed that Mina had found her confidence and was no longer intimidated by his injuries or by the unknown conflict that he had experienced. Neither of them expected what had happened when they agreed to help Creia. Nylek hadn’t been part of the group of warriors who had gone to Earth or who was still in the Mikana kingdom. When he agreed to travel with them as a connection between those on Earth and those remaining in Uoria, particularly the King and Queen, he expected the journey to be primarily exploratory. There was always the chance of violence any time that the Denynso were involved in anything. Their reputation as fierce and aggressive warriors extended throughout the universe, and they had fought countless species and battles. The sudden brutality that they encountered, however, had been far outside of what he thought that he was going to experience, and he knew that it had been horrible for Mina to relay the messages that he sent through her to Creia. She was a distant witness, knowing what was happening and yet separated enough from it that she couldn’t do anything about it or even be completely sure that she really did know what he was going through. To tolerate it, she had built up a barrier, closing off the emotions that she had been feeling so that she was able to handle the responsibility that had been presented to her. It kept her locked away from him, unable to reach what she was really going through and commiserate with him for his own suffering.
Now Mina had seemed to break through the barrier that had been made in her mind. She had broken free of the distance that she had built up in her mind and was ready to connect with him fully again. She lifted her hips, moving them forward so that her hot, wet core slid along his hardened length. Reaching forward, she wrapped her hand around his cock and held it in place so that she could slowly roll her hips against it. The sensation was nearly overwhelming and he dug his fingertips into her hips.
"You're so close," she whispered.
Nylek nodded, biting into his bottom lip to keep himself from toppling over the edge.
"I could just slide inside you right now."
Mina leaned forward, causing the taut peaks of her breasts to brush across his chest, and brought her mouth close to his ear.
"Please," she whispered, the warmth of her breath trailing along the side of his neck.
Nylek turned his head so that he could claim her mouth with his. As they kissed passionately, their tongues tangling, he used one hand to adjust their bodies until the tip of his erection just settled against her opening. He held her hips more tightly and then lifted his just enough that the very tip entered her. They both drew in breaths and he could feel her trembling. Pressing herself back, Mina sat up again. The new angle allowed her to sink down onto him until her hips rested on his. Nylek groaned as their bodies completely melded. They both paused, the sound of their breath, audible in the silence of the room around them, and cherished the feeling of coming together again.
Mina sighed softly and began to move her hips. She rolled them slowly but deliberately, ensuring that their bodies never parted while still guiding his engorged cock to massage her walls. The slow, steady darkness that had settled around them and now sent shadows through the room felt like it was cradling them, protecting them from the world outside as they worshipped one another and gave thanks for the bond between them.
After a few moments of simply treasuring the sensation of being enveloped fully inside her, Nylek pressed a hand to the small of her back to stabilize her, and then sat up to tuck her close into his lap. He leaned forward to rest his mouth to the soft dip at the front of her neck, and then rested his head against the front of her shoulder. Mina wrapped her legs tightly around his hips and her arms encompassed him, one coming around his shoulders and the other cradling his head as he nestled into her neck. Though she was smaller than him, as a Denynso woman she was far larger than the human women who had come to Uoria and found their mates. In that moment, he was blissfully grateful for it. Her size enabled them to wrap their bodies around each other fully, melding to one another in a way that wouldn’t be possible if she were much smaller. She felt strong and lush in his arms, yet sweet and feminine. They remained in this peaceful position for several long seconds. The closeness of their bodies enabled their breaths to synchronize and soon Nylek felt like they were truly one. He tightened his hips to press into her more deeply and she rocked her hips to return the sensation to him. Nylek needed more. He couldn’t be satisfied with just this any longer. He slipped his hand in between them and pressed the pad of his thumb to her peak. He applied gentle pressure and began to create small circles.
Mina's pace increased slightly in response to the touch and he met each rock of her hips with a lift of his own so that he sank more deeply into her with each thrust. Nylek filled her completed, fitting into her body in a beautiful, perfect way that reminded him with each long stroke within her body that she was crafted specifically for him. He had waited for Mina his entire life and had known the moment that he met her that they were intended to be together for the rest of their existence. It was only her. It had always been her, and would only ever be her. Neither could ever love another and their lives would be forever designed around their devotion to each other.
Nylek could hear murmuring coming through her chest and he drove into her until they became louder, faster, and more desperate. Finally, she reached forward and her hand gripped onto his back. He felt her arch, her body squeezing down around him as she cried out. The sound of his name tumbling from her lips with such abandon broke every semblance of control that he had left. Nylek lifted her up with one final, impaling thrust and he felt himself pulse before he poured into her. Each of her tight, hard spasms milked him, drawing him further into her and pulling out the hot streams that filled her.
When they both seemed to have relaxed and calmed enough to move, Nylek embraced her and rolled her onto her back. He came down over her as he continued to slowly stroke into her to extend the delirious pleasure of the aftershocks of his orgasm that rolled through him. He stared down at her, his hand absently brushing along the hair around her forehead, and felt a smile come to his lips. There was nothing that he could say at that moment that would even begin to express everything that he was feeling or the gratitude that he had just to be back with her. Even if they weren’t able to remain together for long, even if he was able to recover enough to get back on the ship and return to Penthos with the others, he had these moments that he could hold on to and think of when he was away. All he could do for now was watch as her eyes fluttered closed and the soft smile on her lips relaxed slightly. When she was fully asleep, he rolled on to his side and allowed himself to fall asleep, feeling as though he were able to really rest for the first time since he had been away from her.