Chapter 9
Ciara
F inally as ready as we could be for the morning, we exchanged our good nights, and I headed back to my house accompanied by my mate. I still struggled with the idea that he was mine. It wasn’t that I had an issue with it, but more that I didn’t really know how to go about it. For the first time, I realized just how awkward I actually was on the romantic side.
Amreth made a couple of attempts at flirting since his arrival, but he was also being cautious. It was a difficult balance to strike to avoid coming across as too bold, too soon. His earlier comment about disciplining me had skirted that fine line. The thing was that I couldn’t swear he intended for it to hint at kinky spanking. His people were all about disciplining misbehavior. Therefore, his words could have been totally innocent.
But then, I’d always been the oblivious type when it came to that. My traitor of an ex-fiancé flat out had to tell me that he was interested and was running out of subtle ways of expressing it before I realized he had indeed been flirting with me.
And now, my romantically challenged self was going home with the total stranger that was supposedly the other half of me.
Had he been of any other species—except maybe a Temern like Kayog—I couldn’t swear that I would have been fine with him spending the night under the same roof as me this early on. Separate bedrooms didn’t mean anything if the person was a psycho or the type not to respect boundaries. But Amreth inspired trust with an intensity that defied logic.
To my surprise, halfway across the courtyard towards my house, Amreth gestured for me to wait a minute and headed towards the gate, waving at Enre, the Kreelar guard sitting on top of the small tower at the edge of the gate. Enre leapt down the three meters, effortlessly landing with the grace of a cat. He approached us with a calm demeanor laced with curiosity.
“Sorry to disturb you, but I must run an errand to my ship,” Amreth said.
I gaped at him before quickly schooling my features. Enre narrowed his dark brown eyes at him with a hint of suspicion.
“Why?”
“If I am to stay here, I need clean clothes and a few of my personal items,” Amreth replied matter-of-factly.
The Kreelar studied his features in silence with an unreadable expression. His eyes slightly glowed. It always freaked me out when they did that. To my utter annoyance, when I questioned Aku about their powers, he told me that such knowledge was irrelevant to the pursuit of my task here. When I challenged that notion, saying that a better understanding of their powers could lead me to make certain associations that could help identify and resolve the problem faster, he flat out shot me down. Apparently, those wretched friends of his confirmed that giving me that knowledge would not help their cause.
Considering the occasions under which they used that ability, I strongly suspected that it allowed them to read the emotions or intentions of their target. I didn’t believe they could read minds. More than once, they’d been genuinely taken aback by something we said or revealed. If they could read minds, they would have known ahead of time what we were preparing to say or do.
“That is a decision for Aku to make,” Enre said at last.
“Of course,” Amreth replied graciously.
Although now wasn’t the time to shower him with compliments, I gave him a grateful smile that he was showing so much consideration and being so cooperative. Technically, as he wasn’t officially a prisoner, he could have snuck out and then attempted to return discreetly once he’d been done with whatever was calling him back to his ship.
I would have hated that. I couldn’t tell whether he could have pulled it off, but after my ex-fiancé’s betrayal, I had some trust issues. Any act from him that would even remotely hint at him being loose with his word would significantly undermine whatever relationship we could have.
To my shock, less than ten seconds later, Aku walked through the gate into the courtyard. By the way Amreth narrowed his eyes, I knew the same question was crossing his mind as to whether Enre used some form of telepathy to call him. That could explain the glowing eyes.
“Enre says you want to leave?” Aku asked in a non-confrontational manner, confirming my suspicions.
“Not leave ,” Amreth corrected. “I just need to get fresh clothes and personal things. When I came down, I did not expect to remain here.”
Aku pursed his lips while giving him an assessing look.
“Listen, I’ll be flying to a nearby village with Ciara in the morning. If my intention is to escape, it will happen regardless at that time. Your ‘friend’ says I can be trusted, and I have committed to see this through. So if you are going to trust me, it needs to start now. I didn’t come here to play games.”
“Our people are wary of strangers. You coming and going so soon will only make them even more uncomfortable,” Aku argued.
“Amreth is an Obosian,” I interjected softly. “His word is his bond. If he says he will return, then you can count on it. Your friend has been right about everything so far. Why doubt them now?”
To my surprise, he gave me a strange look before casting an even stranger one on Amreth. I would have given lots of credits to get a hint as to what thoughts were crossing his mind.
“It is not my trust you need to earn. You both already have it. My people are dying. They need someone to blame. You just happen to be the closest thing that they can turn on. Please be swift and be discreet.”
I gaped at him, robbed of words. Of all the things he could have replied, I had not expected this.
“I will,” Amreth said, snapping out of the same stupor I felt first.
He glanced towards the northeast where a series of low mountain ranges could be seen on the horizon then turned back to face me.
“Do you need me to bring you back anything from my ship?” he asked.
I shook my head. “We have everything we need. The deployable lab is perfect. But whatever you’re fetching over there, do not bring back any food!”
I burst out laughing at the way he scrunched his face. I doubted he had actually considered doing it, but this reminder that he wasn’t enjoying the mostly vegetarian food they had here cracked me up. He looked like a little boy pouting over having to eat his broccoli.
“Understood. I’ll be back soon,” he replied.
Then, with a powerful flap of his wings, he took flight. I couldn’t help but admire his grace and strength. Amreth was magnificent. Obviously, his physical appearance didn’t hurt my eyes. But what I had seen so far of his personality was seriously growing on me. It was exceedingly early in our relationship, so we had ways to go in getting to know each other. However, I loved his intelligence and his ability to quickly understand things and focus on topics that usually had people’s eyes glazing over in seconds.
My main concern was how rigid he sometimes seemed to be when it came to observing the law. I understood that it was nearly indoctrinated in his people from birth. But nothing was ever completely black or white. At least, he was open to arguments, listened with an open mind, and seemed willing to make concessions.
A strong sense of being observed had me jerking my head suddenly towards Aku. Finding him and Enre staring at me with a slightly amused expression had my cheeks burning with embarrassment.
“He pleases you,” Aku said in a factual manner.
I shifted on my feet, feeling a little awkward and shrugged dismissively. “I hope so. We’re soulmates after all.”
“You don’t know him yet,” Aku challenged.
“You’re right, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be natural chemistry. Your friend said that we were meant for each other, as did my own,” I said nonchalantly. “Sometimes, you don’t need to know someone for a very long time to get a good sense of who they are and of their true nature. I don’t know you, and despite you kidnapping us, I trust that you’re a good person. Your actions and devotion to your people broadcast it loudly. I feel the same towards Amreth.”
A strange expression fleeted over both his face and Enre’s.
Aku nodded slowly. “Your words are kind. But as stated earlier, the feeling is mutual. That said, it is fascinating to witness this attraction between such different species,” he added pensively, which prompted Enre to nod in agreement.
I smiled. “It is very common off-world. People from many planets of our alliance marry each other. Soulmates are not determined by species. I mean, your own soulmate could be human.”
Aku recoiled. “Ewww! Absolutely not!” he exclaimed with the same horrified expression that Enre displayed.
“Ouch!” I said, pressing a palm to my chest as if I had been mortally wounded with an overly dramatic expression on my face.
“Apologies,” Aku said, his ears darkening with embarrassment even as I burst out laughing. “I meant no disrespect. You and your companions are charming enough, but no, me ending up with a human is highly unlikely. In truth, an off-worlder mate would not be welcome here after all of this. It will take my people quite some time to heal and to see strangers as anything other than bringers of doom.”
“Right,” I said, sobering.
“But I’m glad for you,” Aku said in a gentler tone. “He truly seems honorable. For what it’s worth, he was not easy to capture, even though he believes so, and it wounds his pride. Ten of us had to use our powers on Amreth to bring him down. And even then, he still fought back. It has been a while since we’ve had to chase anyone or anything for that long. They usually don’t make it to the tree line.”
“Oh wow! You should tell him that. He indeed felt quite mortified for getting captured,” I said, a silly wave of pride surging through me.
“Not happening! We wouldn’t want that getting to his head now, would we?” he said in a taunting tone.
I snorted and shook my head at him. “Then maybe I’ll just do it myself. I kind of owe him that much. He came all the way here to rescue me without us ever even meeting,” I added wistfully before giving him a serious look. “I understand that you cannot tell us anything about your friends. But are they a threat to us?”
Although I had no reason to trust that he wouldn’t lie to protect them, the swiftness and conviction with which he shook his head at least convinced me that he genuinely believed they weren’t. Not that it proved anything.
“They are not. Their affairs are in the Eastern and Western Quadrants. Dark things are brewing over there. I can only pray they will come out on the winning side once all is said and done,” Aku said in a mysterious tone laced with a hint of worry for his friends. “But now we shall leave you. Your companions and I will ride out early. Enre will leave tonight to Jaln Village ahead of your arrival. Rest well.”
“Will do,” I said with a smile.
After one final stiff nod in response, Aku turned around and walked out with Enre shadowing him. I watched them until they vanished from view then headed for my house. To my surprise, I caught myself rushing in to take a shower and pick the outfit I would wear from the respectable selection that had been provided for me. There were a few nightgowns, sexy enough while remaining prim and respectable—the type of nightwear I could wear in front of him without it coming across as me trying to get frisky. Still, I suspected whoever picked those clothes for me knew I would be with Amreth.
Judging by the outfits worn by the Kreelars, they had not created these clothes. Their people—both males and females—mostly wore trousers that reminded me of those puffy harem pants with colorful belts or loincloth on top. Neither gender wore tops, aside from the occasional sash, weapon strap, but more often a series of colorful beads and necklaces around their necks, which tumbled down to the middle of their chests.
Their females didn’t have prominent breasts like we did, just an extra set of nipples. I couldn’t tell if their garments meant to hide their nudity or were simply a fashion statement. But I appreciated not having to stare at their naughty bits. The one male patient we examined gave us more than an eyeful. If the Kreelars were all made the same, they might have simian features, but they were hung like horses.
After settling on a coral, sleeveless negligee that flattered my dark complexion, I brushed my hair and teeth, making extra sure I didn’t have anything funky stuck between them. I was that person wildly grinning at others while oblivious to the fact that I had a piece of spinach wedged between my front teeth.
A swift glance at my watch indicated that twenty-one minutes passed since Amreth flew off to his ship. Considering he said it was nearly a ten-minute flight in each direction, it would probably take him another twenty before he returned. Feeling restless, I went back to my laptop to try and get a bit more work done, but my mind just kept wandering off.
He’d been here less than a day, and yet my entire life felt as if it had been turned upside down. I wished we weren’t here, that this whole thing was already resolved so that we could just focus on getting to know each other and exploring our relationship.
Among other things, I needed to figure out how I wanted to handle things between us over the upcoming days. Should I just let things follow their normal course and go with the flow? Should I suggest that we put anything between us on hold while we sorted out this mess and then start fresh with our minds at ease once we were done? What did he even expect?
“Oh, my God! Cut it out!” I whispered angrily to myself.
I had the tendency of overthinking and over analyzing things. Sometimes, things didn’t need to fit neatly inside a little container with a proper label. Chaos held its own beauty.
I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard a knock on the front door. Heart pounding, I jumped to my feet and bolted out of the guest room where I’d been working—or rather daydreaming—and rushed to the door. It wasn’t locked. My heart fluttered when I found Amreth standing behind it, his hands carrying two large bags.
“Come in,” I said, feeling a little awkward as I stepped out of the way.
He smiled with a hint of amusement, no doubt perceiving how flustered his mere presence suddenly made me feel.
“Technically, as you’re going to live here now, you don’t have to knock in the future,” I said with a nervous giggle.
“Thank you. It just felt presumptuous not to do so at least this time,” he replied.
“And I appreciate you being so considerate,” I said, tucking a strand of my silver-white hair behind my ear. “But please, this way. Your bags look heavy,” I added, gesturing towards the guest room.
He followed me into the room only for my stupid brain to finally realize that I had been using it as an office. The whole time I’d been waiting for him, it didn’t register once that I should move my stuff out. Granted, it was only a laptop and a 3D holographic display, but I still should have thought of it.
“Oh, sorry!” I exclaimed, rushing to remove them. “I had been using this room as my office.”
“You can leave them here,” Amreth interjected while setting one of the bags on the bed. “I will only need this room to sleep. You can still work here the rest of the time.”
“I don’t want to bother you or invade your privacy,” I said sheepishly.
He shrugged and looked at me as if I had said something silly. “Your presence can never bother me. But mine could definitely bother you ,” he added teasingly.
“I doubt it. I’ve really enjoyed your company so far, and you’re far more pleasant to look at than all that medical data,” I retorted tauntingly.
He snorted. “Not to boast, but I couldn’t agree more with you on that last point. I get cross-eyed just looking at those reports you and your colleagues have been poring over. I’ll ogle myself any day over that,” he said with an exaggerated shudder.
I chuckled, seriously liking that playful side of him. I doubted he realized it, but where people would occasionally say I had quite the resting bitchface, he had the typical Obosian resting haughty face. Anyone who didn’t know him would likely assume that he was stuck up and holier than thou.
“But you also are very easy on the eye, Ciara. I love the color of this nightgown on you. It makes your skin glow.”
My stomach fluttered with the most pleasant feeling. It wasn’t just the words, but the soft way he spoke them and the admiration in his eyes devoid of lurid undertones. This could have gone in so many different directions. I just liked that he didn’t seem to just look at me as a sex toy.
I glanced down at myself with a timid smile, my right hand absent-mindedly flattening nonexistent creases on the short skirt of my nightgown.
“Thank you. Whoever picked the clothes for me had a really nice taste. I don’t naturally tend to pick colorful clothes, but the selection they provided has made me rethink that stance. Once I leave here, my wardrobe will get a notable update. I just wish they had a bath here and not just a shower. I have a thing for bubble baths while reading a good book.”
“I have a jacuzzi tub on my ship that I personally never use. If the urge becomes too great for you, I’ll have to sweet talk Aku into allowing you a well-deserved escape for an hour or so.”
I smiled. “You’re sweet, and I’ll definitely keep that offer in mind. In fact, I will set it as a reward for when we pinpoint the source of the illness plaguing them.”
“Deal! Now I have an extra incentive to see that it happens sooner than later. But with that said, I could use a shower myself,” Amreth said, glancing around the room. “I did not notice the hygiene room when Aku first brought me here.”
“This place is fairly primitive,” I said in an apologetic tone, as if somehow this was my house that I feared wasn’t up to par. “They have an outdoor shower, and an outhouse.”
The crestfallen look on his face had me bursting out laughing. I didn’t mean to make fun of him, but as a noble Lord, he likely wasn’t used to roughing it out. Added to that, his wings were quite massive. Although the shower wasn’t tiny, it would likely be a little cramped for him in there.
“I should have listened to myself,” he mumbled under his breath.
“About what?” I asked, curious.
“About taking a shower on my ship before returning. But I had been gone long enough and didn’t want Aku to think I had reneged on my word. Oh well, it will be a good reminder of what it was like during my Warrior training. They made sure we forgot the meaning of creature comfort during those four brutal years,” he said with resignation.
My heart melted. “Thank you. You really are very considerate. Aku has taken a huge leap of faith trusting us. I didn’t expect him to say what he did before you left. It’s silly, but that made me even more determined to prove he was right in putting his trust in us.”
“I feel the same, especially since he was sincere when he spoke those words. He has an unusually pleasant soul.”
“I’m not surprised. But I admit that I’m really jealous of your ability to see souls. That would have spared me from getting taken advantage of by a few jerks in the past,” I said with a hefty dose of self-derision.
Amreth gave me a mysterious smile as he began removing his breastplate. “Don’t be jealous, Ciara. You will be able to as well in the not-so-distant future… I hope.”
I blinked with confusion. “What do you mean?”
“The day you and I formally bond, I will pass on some of my abilities to you. Specifically, you will gain night vision and the ability to see souls. It will not be as powerful as mine, but you will be able to know who wishes you ill and who is honest. You will also heal faster from injuries and be more resistant to illness in general.”
I gaped at him as he chuckled smugly, the sound deep and throaty in the sexiest of ways.
“Damn, sign me up,” I whispered.
He laughed, placed his breastplate on the bed and turned back to face me. It took every ounce of my willpower not to let my greedy gaze roam all over the perfection of his body. That didn’t stop me from noticing the piercing in his left nipple and the one in his navel. Their presence further reinforced my conviction that I would eventually discover a few more farther south on him.
“Would you mind showing me that primitive shower?” he asked, the mischievous glimmer in his eyes hinting that I was doing a terrible job of keeping myself from ogling him.
Then again, my gut told me that the wretch partially stripped on purpose to make my mouth water.
“This way,” I said, escaping with a wee bit too much eagerness to hide my embarrassment.
I led him to the private backyard where the shower was located. Once again, I couldn’t help another less-than-charitable laugh at his crestfallen expression when he saw what he had to work with.
“Enjoy!” I said teasingly in a sing-song voice.
He muttered something under his breath while I made my way back inside. I’d never been the sex starved maniac type of woman, but the burning urge to go get a peek of my man washing was almost overwhelming.
My soulmate was fiiiiiiine!
Just thinking about the perfection of his body had me drooling, especially that impertinent piercing in his nipple. I’d never really been into any type of body modification, whether implants, piercings, or even tattoos. Sure, I could admire them on someone who had really nice ones done, but it had never been something that I felt drawn to.
On Amreth, it was sheer perfection.
Obviously, I was super biased where he was concerned, but I was genuinely turned on by everything about him. To my shame, my wicked mind started taking a deep dive into every type of naughty fantasy involving him. I wanted to kick Mehreen for making all those innuendos earlier and especially for bringing up the topic of his incubus powers. At the same time, I wished she had made him delve even farther into it to give me a more complete picture of what awaited me the day Amreth and I got down to business.
When will that actually happen?
To my dismay, a wave of disappointment washed over me knowing that this wasn’t an official Prime Mating Agency union. Although Kayog paired us, we didn’t receive any of the benefits of the PMA nor were we subjected to its rules and commitments. With both of us belonging to advanced species, we were left to our own devices as far as our coupling was concerned. That meant we had no obligation to consummate our union tonight. Hell, we weren’t even married to begin with.
This behavior was all the more confusing to me that I wasn’t the type to have sex on the first date. Granted, Amreth wasn’t just some random dude I was getting to know to see if things could develop into something more meaningful. The question was how much of my attraction and impatience to deepen the relationship with him was due to the natural chemistry between us or the bias created by the knowledge that we were meant to be?
My mind wandered back to his incubus powers. I had read a thing or two about them in the past. However, considering the possibility of a relationship with an Obosian had been slim to none back then, I hadn’t looked into it much. How I regretted it today.
A glance at my watch had me frowning. Already twenty minutes had elapsed since he hopped into the shower. As he didn’t strike me as the type to linger or a daydream while washing, this felt overly long.
I waited a bit longer, but when it started pushing into thirty-five minutes, I finally decided to go check up on him in case something had happened or if he needed assistance with anything. I had analyzed their soap and water, and neither represented the slightest threat to humans or Obosians.
Feeling a little nervous about intruding in case he actually was just the type that spent forever in the shower, I pressed my ear against the door to hear if the water was still running. It didn’t seem to be, but a muffled woosh seeped through the door. Intrigued, I knocked to announce myself before cracking the door open.
“Amreth? Are you okay?” I called out through the narrow opening.
“I’m fine, you can come out,” he replied.
Pushing the door a little wider, I poked my head out to get a glimpse of what was happening. My jaw dropped, and I fully opened the door to step outside while staring at a rather annoyed-looking Amreth. He was leaning forward, his palms pressed against the outer wall of the shower, a towel wrapped around his waist to hide his naughty bits, and his massive wings slowly flapping behind him.
“What are you doing?” I asked, baffled.
“Drying my wings,” he said in a grumpy tone. “I had forgotten how obnoxious it is not to have the proper shower heads specifically set to wash our wings or the dryer to take away all the water between the creases. You have no idea how itchy it gets to try to sleep with damp wings. Flying around would have made it a lot faster. But I doubt our hosts would be overly thrilled to see me circling their village at night like a predator ready to pounce.”
I snorted before slapping my hand over my mouth to keep myself from laughing. “You’re right, I have no idea what it’s like. I’m guessing washing them was also quite the headache. I struggle washing my back without a back brush. I can’t imagine trying to clean those huge wings.”
“I gave up halfway through,” he said dejectedly. “Extreme contortions only get you so far with these things.”
“Poor baby,” I said teasingly. “You know, you could have asked for help.”
“I didn’t want to bother you,” he mumbled.
“It doesn’t bother me, you silly male,” I said in a chastising tone while heading towards the recessed shelves near the shower that held the towels.
To my surprise, he suddenly looked almost shy when I approached him with the large towel. That took me aback. I wasn’t seeing much more of him now than when he had removed his breastplate. The only difference was that he was barefoot and with a towel around his waist instead of the tight leather pants he previously wore.
But I’m about to touch him… more like caress him with the towel…
The moment that wretched thought entered my mind, my stomach instantly fluttered, and my fingers began to twitch with anticipation.
“Any spot in particular I should focus on?” I asked, proud that my voice was a lot steadier than I expected it would be.
“The base of my wings, where they connect to my back, and the creases along the spines, please,” Amreth said.
“All right. Don’t hesitate to tell me if I’m doing it wrong,” I said as I parked myself behind him.
Amreth spread his wings wide. Aside from the fact that they were magnificent, I truly got to admire their impressive span. The muscles of his back rippled and bulged under the effort that position required. Despite that, it seemed effortless for him.
I began to rub the towel on his back, to the left of his spine and along the base of his wing. A shiver coursed through him. It was subtle, but strong enough for me to notice. My stomach did a backflip at the thought that enjoyment of my touch prompted that reaction. I didn’t bring it up and neither did he.
“Your wings are truly gorgeous,” I said wistfully as I admired their obsidian, leathery texture. “But they must be terribly heavy.”
He glanced at me over his shoulder, an amused smile stretching his lips. “Technically, you are correct. But to me, they feel no different than any other limbs on my body. I’ve had a lifetime to get used to them.”
“Still, it must have been challenging at first,” I insisted.
He shrugged. “We’re born with them. We stumble around at first as we adjust to their weight. But it’s not much different than human babies trying to find their balance as they learn to stand up. We just have an extra set of limbs to take into account.”
I ran the towel over the leathery surface, taking a bit more time than necessary to thoroughly dry every bit of moisture in the corners where the spines connected. I was seriously itching to just rub my palm all over it. But it felt a little too bold.
“What about the first time you had to fly? Wasn’t that terrifying?”
“Not for me,” he said firmly. “Some Obosians get very nervous about it. We even have a very small fraction of our people who hate being winged. It goes beyond not wanting to fly or being afraid of it. They just hate having wings, which I truly struggle to comprehend. I love my wings. I couldn’t imagine a world where I would be forever land bound.”
“Oh wow! I never imagined that could be an issue,” I said with genuine surprise as I shifted to his other wing. “What happens to those people? Can therapy help?”
“For some, therapy will help them overcome it. Those cases are usually because the person faced some grievous trauma related to flying. But the very low percentage of people who are truly against having wings normally express that aversion fairly early on as younglings. A majority of them end up having their wings removed.”
“WHAT?! Are you serious?!” I exclaimed.
He nodded grimly. “As the procedure is not reversible, they have to wait until they reach adulthood. If they still want to go through with it at that point, they are required to spend an entire year living wingless in a holodeck simulation. Only then, should they still want to do it, will they receive the surgery. Thankfully, although 8% of our population want to be rid of their wings, only 2% actually get them clipped. The others keep them but simply never fly.”
“Damn. Even if I may have vertigo simply standing on a chair, I still highly doubt I would have my wings removed. But I could see myself living as a land bound person,” I said sheepishly.
Amreth gasped and turned around to stare at me in shock. “You’re afraid of flying?”
“I’m afraid of heights,” I said with a guilty expression.
“You realize I will be carrying you in my arms as we fly tomorrow to that village, right?” he said, looking a bit perplexed.
I nodded. “Yeah. I’ll just keep my face buried in your chest, and my eyes tightly closed.”
“But you’ll be missing the view!” he exclaimed, sounding scandalized. “This planet is gorgeous! It would be a crime for you to miss out on its beauty.”
“Believe me, Amreth, it’s better that I miss the scenery than have me puking all over you or peeing myself out of fear,” I said teasingly while working on the front of his wings, not that those ones truly needed it as he had clearly been able to reach that part on his own.
“There will be no puking or peeing,” he said with an assurance that bordered on arrogance.
“Is that so?” I challenged.
He nodded. “I will appease you so that the height won’t be as frightening for you.”
“Appease me?” I echoed. “Now you have me curious. How will you do that?”
“With my bakaan , of course,” he said.
He no sooner spoke those words than a tingling sensation washed over me, quickly followed but the most fantastic sense of peace and well-being.
“Whoa! Okay, that’s freaking awesome!” I said, my voice slightly slurred like when you just finished receiving the best body massage ever that left you feeling almost groggy but not quite. “I wish I had that power when dealing with distressed or panicked patients. I’m guessing that’s not one of the powers you’ll pass on to me?”
He shook his head and gave me an apologetic look. “It’s not. But I’ll be happy to use it on your patients on your behalf.”
“You’re too kind,” I replied teasingly. “I knew Obosians could do that, but I never experienced it directly. On the ship, during the attack, one of the guards used it on the panicked crowd to stop the stampede, but I was outside the radius of his bakaan . That said, aside from this and your Lumiak, aren’t all your other powers sexual in nature?”
He hesitated. “Technically my aura actually is. I used it at its lowest level on you just now. But the greater the intensity and the more erogenous its effect. In fact, at its maximum intensity, I can make you climax without even touching you.”
I gaped at him. “Your bakaan on its own could give me an orgasm?” I asked, wanting to make sure I truly understood him.
His silver-white eyes darkened while his smug smile took on a sensuous edge that instantly ignited a little spark in the pit of my stomach.
“Mmhmm, it can. But I also have pheromones that can drive you completely mad with lust. And as for my Lumiak, it’s not just an offensive power. At low intensity and used on very strategic erogenous points, I can drive you insane with instant and powerful pleasure even greater than someone precisely targeting your G-spot.”
Damn the man… or rather male. The way his voice dipped lower with each of his words, not to mention the words themselves, had me throbbing and aching in no time. How the fuck could he just tease me with so many promises of a good time knowing he wouldn’t act on them? The naughty side of me wanted to ask him to give me a sample… for science of course. By the taunting way he was staring at me, the wretch knew exactly what thoughts were coursing through my mind.
“Well, it sounds like I have many interesting things to look forward to as you and I grow closer. Just be aware that you set a pretty high bar for yourself. I have all kinds of expectations now.”
He snorted and puffed out his chest with a confidence bordering on arrogance. “Giving you more pleasure than you could ever imagine possible is not a challenge for me. I am an Obosian. We are the embodiment of sexuality and sensuality.”
Saying my toes curled something fierce would be the understatement of the century.
“Someone is boasting,” I said teasingly to hide how much his words were affecting me.
“No, my Ciara. I never boast, least of all about this. You’ll find out soon enough.”
I scrunched my face at him. I didn’t need to read minds or see souls to know he wasn’t kidding. For the second time this evening, I caught myself wishing we were under the PMA guidelines so that I could put all of this to the test.
Instead, I heaved a sigh and bunched the damp towel that I had been drying him with.
“Well, I guess we’re all done, unless you feel I missed a spot,” I said nonchalantly, although dismayed by the sliver of hope that sparked deep within when I said that last part.
“Thank you, Ciara. But don’t be so sad. You can touch me anytime, and not just to dry me,” he said teasingly.
I gasped and gave him a stunned look.
“We are soulmates,” he replied in an obvious fashion in response to my expression. “All of me, everything that I am is yours.”
And there went my ovaries exploding. A billion replies burned my tongue. Instead, I surprised myself by blurting out a completely different question.
“How much did it freak you out finding out you were paired with a human? With me?”
I instantly flinched inwardly. Although that question had plagued me from the moment Kayog told me Amreth was my one and only, I wondered how he would feel about it. From my understanding, his people weren’t particularly impressed by my species as a whole. Humans had too great a propensity to break the rules or stretch them to their limits. Our morality could be very fluid especially when it benefited us, even to the detriment of others.
“It did not freak me out in the least. To the contrary, I was elated,” he said with a conviction that had a swarm of butterflies taking flight in the pit of my stomach.
“Really?” I asked, wondering where that irrational need to be reassured came from.
He nodded. “I’ve been longing for a life partner for a while. In fact, the very day Kayog called to tell me about you, I was bemoaning the fact that I couldn’t retain the services of his agency because my home world was too advanced. No news could have made me happier, especially knowing that whoever you were, together, we would achieve perfect harmony and share the type of love my best friend Kronos has found with his Malaya.”
I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and smiled at him. “I had not been looking at all. So Kayog dropping this on me totally took me by surprise.”
“Not a bad one, I hope?” Amreth asked, tilting his head to the side.
The underlying vulnerability and uncertainty in his voice—subtle though it was—threw me for a loop. How could such a fine specimen even remotely doubt that any hot-blooded woman would ache to throw herself at him?
“Are you kidding? Do you not know how human women constantly drool about your species? We know how picky you are. So finding out that my soulmate was an Obosian was a huge honor. And so far, you’re exceeding everything I hoped for. And I’m not talking about your hot appearance—which you are. You also seem to have a good heart, compassion, integrity, and the ability to not only keep up with my nerdy gibberish, but to also be interested in the scientific stuff I spew. You made me feel seen and heard instead of annoying like laymen often do.”
“You’re many things but not annoying, Ciara. The first time Kayog showed me a hologram of you, I was blown away by your beauty. I remember thinking that you could be one of ours with your dark skin and silver-white hair,” he said wistfully.
I snorted, my mouth running away with me to hide my embarrassment. “Most people find me weird because of my piebaldism. It’s what causes my hair to be white and that discolored patch of skin on my forehead,” I said with a nervous laugh.
“You’re not weird. Only a fool would think so. Beyond the fact that your hair matches the colors of my people, I find your discolored patch to be stunning. It is like your own organic circlet. I wish you could see yourself through my eyes. Your aura is mesmerizing and lights you up from within. It makes your crown glow.”
My throat tightened with emotion. Sure, his words touched me, but it was the look in his eyes and the sincerity in his voice that wrecked me.
“You speak of my compassion and integrity, but do you not see your own? Many people in your circumstances would have turned their backs on the Kreelars for abducting them. Aku trusts you because your kindness and determination to help his people radiate out of you with the strength of a thousand suns. I don’t know to what extent I’m smart, but you have a talent for explaining complex concepts in a way that is both understandable and fascinating.”
“Jeez! If you’re trying to make me like you, you’re doing a great job of it,” I mumbled, my cheeks heating with pleasure.
“Success! By the time we’re done helping these people, I intend to have you head over heels in love with me,” he said in a voice full of promise. “But come, let’s get back inside.”
I nodded and hung the towel to dry on the rack by the inner wall of the shower. To my surprise, Amreth extended a hand towards me. On instinct, I took it. His grateful smile did funny things to me. He gently caressed the back of my hand with his thumb before leading me back inside the house. My mate stopped in the middle of the living area, which also happened to be directly between the two bedrooms, and he turned to face me.
“I guess we should turn in for the night as we must rise early in the morning,” he said in a gentle voice. “Despite the dire circumstances that have brought us here, I’m happy that we are together at last. Would it be too bold of me to ask for a kiss goodnight? Feel totally comfortable saying no.”
My stomach did another somersault, and it took every ounce of my willpower not to over enthusiastically agree.
“It is not too bold,” I said with far more poise than I felt. “And yes, you may.”
The softness of his smile, and the way his silver-white eyes darkened as he carefully drew me into his embrace had my girly bits standing to attention. I pressed my palms to his bare chest, a delicious shiver coursing down my spine as his strong arms closed around me. I wanted to rub my hands all over him, having been cheated by the towel between us when I dried his wings earlier. His skin was soft and warm. My fingers itched to travel farther up to his shoulders and the side of his arms that were covered in dark scales.
Forcing my hands to remain still, I lifted my face towards his. He leaned forward, slanted his head to the side, and then pressed his lips to mine. Although I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that he hadn’t used his aphrodisiac pheromones or bakaan , the bolt of desire that exploded in the pit of my stomach at that mere contact left me reeling. It made even less sense that the kiss was devoid of any lust. It was gentle, tender, and highly respectful.
Too soon, he broke the kiss. I almost whimpered, not yet ready to part from him. To my utter delight, just when I thought he was going to push me away, Amreth tightened his embrace around me and buried his face in my hair while I buried my face in his neck. This time, with a will of their own, my hands glided upwards, caressing the dark, chevron-shaped scales that covered the curve of his shoulders, and then sank into the silkiness of his long, silver-white hair on his nape. Another shiver coursed through me when his wings wrapped around us.
I always wondered what it would be like to be hugged like this. It went beyond feeling sheltered and protected. I felt at home.
I couldn’t say how long we remained like this, quietly in each other’s embrace. But when he opened his wings and loosened his hold around me, a brutal sense of being bereft crushed me. I could have stayed like this with him forever. The tenderness in his eyes as he locked gazes with me melted me from the inside out. I didn’t know him well just yet, but I knew with unshakable certainty that this was just a first glimpse of the deep love that would eventually burn bright between us.
He cupped my right cheek with his hand, leaned forward again to brush his lips against mine one last time.
“Sweet dreams, my mate,” he said in a deep whisper.
His thumb caressed my lips, then he dropped his hand from my cheek.
“Good night, Amreth,” I whispered back.
He turned around and walked to his room. I stared at his receding back, two of my fingers absentmindedly finding their way to my lips as if to rekindle the sensation of his kiss. It wasn’t until the door closed behind him that I finally snapped out of my trance.
I went to my own room, still torn by my disappointment that we didn’t fall under the PMA rules and relief that we would get to set things between us at our own pace. But the dominant thought as I climbed into bed and settled my head on my pillow was that I was developing a major crush on the male I would get to spend the rest of my life with.
I closed my eyes and smiled.