Chapter Twenty
While Vala may not have said yes to being his bride just yet, Thorin was determined. He would do anything to convince her of how much she meant to him.
True, asking her to be his bride had been rash. But he wasn’t about to let her slip through his fingers by being cautious. The time apart had taught him how much he loved her.
As he caressed the inside of her mouth with his tongue, he reveled in every moan and stroke of Vala’s tongue. Just knowing that she cared enough about his future to give him an out, to be with a fertile female, only made him deepen the kiss.
He loved her for many reasons, but the time for talking was later. In the moment, he would bring her the pleasure she deserved.
Hugging her against his body, he lifted and walked toward the bed.
Once he finally broke the kiss to lower her down, he took a second to memorize her heated eyes and flushed cheeks. “My beautiful female.”
Running a hand down his bare chest, she murmured, “Don’t make me wait, Thorin. Claim me quickly, before life threatens to drive us apart again.”
He wanted to soothe her fears, but given all that happened recently, she was correct.
Thorin stepped back from the bed and shucked his clothes. When Vala’s gaze moved to his erection, his body glowed a faint blue.
The second it did, Vala met his gaze and smiled. “I love it when you glow. I’ll never have to worry about being lost in the dark.”
He strode toward the bed, took hold of her ankles, and pulled her closer. “In that situation, you’ll need to put your hand on my cock. The glowing only happens with intense desire and arousal, or for the brightest light, an orgasm.”
A rush of red filled her cheeks. His Vala may be innocent at the moment, but he intended to expand her sexual education quickly. With lots of practice.
He ran his hand from her ankle to up her thigh. The red band around her calf caught his attention. “Did the Tallarians do this to you?”
Vala shook her head. “No, it appeared after the claiming. I thought you might know what it is.”
Lightly brushing the red part of her skin, he murmured, “No, I don’t. Does it hurt?” She shook her head and he continued, “Then I can research what happened later.” He met her gaze again. “How attached are you to your dress?”
She touched the light brown material. “If I never have to wear brown again, I will be the happiest female in the universe.”
“I see. I just need to present you with colorful clothes and you’ll be my bride.”
She snorted. “Thorin…”
Taking her dress, he ripped the skirt in half and pulled harder at her waist until the entire thing was parted down the middle. “I like my name on your lips. Let’s see if I can hear it with more feeling.”
Before she could reply, he leaned down and took one of her nipples into his mouth.
As he suckled and teased, Vala groaned and threaded a hand through his hair. She dug her nails into his scalp, and he ran a hand down her body to tease her opening.
“Thorin,” she murmured.
Releasing her nipple, he blew on her wet flesh and said, “Much better. Although let’s see if I can make you sound even more desperate.”
Flicking her taut peak, Vala arched her back. With her two beautiful breasts on display, his cock pulsed with need. He wanted her more than anything he’d wanted in his life thus far.
Taking a breast in each hand, he gently kneaded her flesh before running his hands down her soft stomach and to the juncture of her thighs. As he ran a finger down her slit, he growled, “Nice and wet for me.” He met her gaze, but never ceased his actions. “Tell me what you want, Vala.”
“I-I want you…”
“Yes? Tell me exactly what you want me to do, zyla.”
The endearment seemed to ease the reluctance in her gaze. “I want you inside me, Thorin. I’ve dreamed of you for days.”
He grunted. “And I, of you.” He took his cock in hand and positioned it at her entrance. With his free hand, he lightly pinched one of her nipples. “Will you allow me the honor?”
She frowned and in any other situation, he would’ve chuckled at the expression. She stated, “Stop asking and just claim me.”
She wiggled her hips and her swollen folds lightly brushed his cock.
With a hiss, Thorin thrust into her and leaned down to take her lips again.
He waited a few seconds before he moved his hips. She was tighter than he remembered. With each thrust, he focused on committing the sensation to memory. Even if Vala agreed to be his bride, he wanted as many memories as possible to help push away his Brevkan side.
After all, because of Vala, he might one day have a chance at a mostly normal life.
Vala lightly scratched his back, erasing all other thoughts but pleasing the female in front of him. He increased the rhythm of his hips. While he didn’t have any visions or urges coursing through his body to blame for the expedience, Thorin wasn’t going to risk life interrupting and denying him his female in this moment.
A female he loved and hoped would love him back one day.
He continued to play with her nipples as he moved. While pressure built at the base of his spine to release inside her, Vala needed to find her pleasure first.
Lightly running his hand down her thigh, he stopped behind her knee and pressed her leg up so he could change his angle. Each forceful thrust made her breasts shake. With a growl, he leaned down and kissed the side of one of them and then the other before taking one of her hard buds into his mouth.
Since Kelderan females usually orgasmed from attention to their nipples, he nibbled and licked the puckered flesh. Each groan and sucking in of breath guided him to do more of what she liked.
His female responded best when he was a little rough.
Biting slightly harder, he slowed his hips to pull out slowly and slam back inside. Vala dug her nails even deeper into his back, so he repeated the motion.
Between her marking his back and her delectable heat gripping his cock, Thorin was close to losing control.
No. His female deserved better.
Determined, he moved to her other breast and worried her other nipple until Vala squirmed beneath him. He raised his head and met her eyes. “My Vala,” he whispered, raising her other leg to reach even deeper inside her.
“Yes, Thorin. Like that.”
Sweat trailed down his back. He knew teasing her taut peaks would be quicker, but he refused to take his gaze from Vala’s. He wanted to memorize the moment and watch her come.
After a few more quick thrusts, she finally arched her back and cried out.
He reveled in each squeeze of his cock. In her own way, his female was claiming him.
When her spasms finally ceased, Thorin waited until she met his gaze again before he let go with a roar.
He was vaguely aware of his glowing body reflected in Vala’s eyes, but for the first time, he wasn’t ashamed. Vala accepted all of him.
He would only ever bare his true self to his kind, caring female.
The only one he would ever love.
After spending his last drop, Thorin collapsed on top of Vala. He wanted to whisper his love to her, but kept quiet. He might pursue her, but he wouldn’t pressure her. Part of loving a female included respecting her right to make choices in affairs of the heart.
The female in question lazily stroked his back. Her delicate touch made him want to growl and take her all over again.
Her warm voice filled his ears. “You glowed a faint purple just now. Do the different colors mean different things, like it does with our Kelderan markings?”
He kissed her shoulder. “I don’t know. I always closed my eyes in the past, to block out the glowing, since it only reminded me of my shortcomings.”
Her motions ceased. “Look me in the eye, Thorin.”
He moved until he met her gaze. The determination in them made him blink. Vala added, “None of us are responsible for how we came into the world. It took me many years to realize that being infertile was only one part of who I am. A genetic predisposition no longer controls my mind or how I view the future. You need to do the same and accept your heritage, Thorin. Because I will tell you right now that if you never even consider the idea, I’m not sure I can ever be your bride. I’m not asking for you to accept things overnight as that’s ridiculous, but in time. You are a caring, determined, intelligent male with many other talents that the world benefits from. I only wish you’d see that every time you look in the mirror instead of seeing the half-Brevkan male you believe never should have lived.”
Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, “You’re brilliant, Vala Yarlen.”
Smiling, she touched his cheek. “I know.”
The corner of his mouth ticked up. “I only hope the rest of the world gets to see this side of you more often.”
“Well, some of them have. I fired a blaster gun inside the Tallarian ship when I was imprisoned.”
“What?” he barked.
“Don’t be angry. I thought it was the best chance at getting another pair of force field cuffs so that Kelzal could boost the locator signal.”
He frowned. “I think you need to tell me the details, zyla, and as many of them as you can before you return to your nursing duties and I to my crew.”
As he listened to Vala’s tale, Thorin reluctantly pulled out of his female to resist temptation. But to make up for it, he pulled her against his chest and simply held her close.
~~~
Laying against Thorin’s chest as she told him what had happened with the Tallarians was one of those ordinary moments that Vala wished could happen more often.
A female in the arms of the male she cared for, the world oblivious to them, and a calmness that came from being with someone she trusted.
Vala did much more than trust Thorin, but she wasn’t about to face her feelings just yet.
She finished and tried not to laugh at Thorin’s furrowed brows. He grunted. “So your plan was to hope they wouldn’t kill you, just so that you could get some hardware?”
“Don’t trivialize the situation. Without the extra set of containment cuffs, Kelzal never would’ve been able to boost the signal. From what others have told me, that is how you located us in the end.”
“It is, but I must make sure to thank Azalyn for keeping you alive.”
At the mention of her friend, Vala’s happiness melted away. “Here I am, enjoying the company of a male who loves me and she’s lying unconscious in a hospital bed. I’m a horrible friend.”
He placed a finger under her chin and raised her face. “You haven’t had warrior training, so you probably haven’t heard this before. But under stressful situations, it’s necessary to find a moment of peace or humor when you have the chance. Otherwise, the tension will impede your ability to do the best job you can. You and the doctor have done all you’re able to for the time being. If you did not take a break and had merely cared straight through, never leaving her bedside, you might tire and miss something.” He kissed her nose. “However, I still see the worry on your face. Let’s shower and you can take me to her room. While you check on her, I’ll double-check the security. I didn’t investigate the crew assigned to me, and while the prince might trust them, I need to reach that conclusion on my own.”
She kissed him gently. “Thank you, zylar.”
He smiled slowly. “Thanks for the term, zyla.”
She snorted. “At some point you’re going to have to stop thanking me for everything.”
“Why? Without you, I would’ve been doomed to a lonely, self-hating existence. I had never believed how meeting one person could change your life before, but I understand it completely now.”
“To be honest, I understand the feeling now, too. I’ve had a few people change my life recently, and all in different ways.”
“I hope that I was the best change.”
She raised her finger to smooth Thorin’s frown. “And here I thought you were above the usual male ego.”
He grunted. “It’s not ego. If I’m blessed, I will have you at my side for the rest of my life. The others may be your friends, but I will be your eternal companion and lover. I can further lay out details as to why my claim is accurate, if need be.”
It took everything she had not to laugh at his serious expression. If she said the word, he would lay out every reason why his statement was true.
She didn’t need to hear it, but she loved the fact that he would do it if she asked. There had been few people in her life who had been honest, let alone took the time to be persuasive with her, apart from the Barren teachers drilling her in how she must act in every social situation.
Not wanting to think of being forced back into that life, she brushed her lips against Thorin’s cheek and murmured, “We can keep debating about you being the best change or we can move to the shower. I think washing each other will help save time and give us one more brief spell of peace before we face the world outside of this room.”
It took everything Vala had not to blush at her own words. But at the devious glint in Thorin’s eyes, she decided it was worth it to tease him. His voice was husky as he replied, “I promise not to miss a single inch of your skin.”
Blood did rush to her cheeks at his remark. “Then hurry up and give me another moment of joy.”
Thorin rose from the bed, bringing her along with him. “Come. Since I am a warrior, I can be quick and thorough at the same time.”
Little did Vala know his words held a double meaning. It wasn’t long before she discovered just how quickly Thorin could make her scream his name again.