Chapter 15
Kayog
My eyes flicked this way and that as my mate escorted me through the long hallway connecting the research center to the residential building reserved for the staff and families that worked there.
The main hall offered a grocery store, a bar, a restaurant, and a high-tech gym.
At least thirty people were moving about, minding their own business.
But my mind remained stuck on the fact that their presence didn’t threaten or destabilize me.
Since my awakening yesterday, I’d never been in the presence of more than three or four people at any given time.
That the circlet continued to fully shield me from the assault of so many random minds in my vicinity was nothing short of a miracle.
For the first time ever, I could actually take the time to analyze people’s demeanor and actions when out in the real world.
Before, I would devote most of my time just looking for the safest place to hang out as well as pinpointing the fastest escape routes.
A whole new reality was now within reach. As much as I decried the circlet cheating me out of reading their emotions, it gave me a fresh challenge that I gladly tackled, which was to learn to interpret people’s emotions based on their body language.
Too soon, we reached the elevators. By the tender—although slightly amused smile Linsea cast my way as we walked—she had guessed the reason I’d been strolling so slowly was to make it last, and she kindly adjusted her steps to mine.
We hopped into the lift, which took us to the fifth floor, the first five of them being reserved for temporary guests.
We walked past multiple large doors to various dwellings as we headed to the very last one at the end of the corridor to the right of the elevators.
My eyes widened as we stepped into a stunning apartment with a breathtaking view of the natural landscape of the planet.
A crystalline river ran horizontally to the living area.
Beyond its shores, a lush forest sprawled as far as the eye could see, framed by the majestic outline of the mountains far on the horizon.
I couldn’t tell if the comfortable light-gray furniture had been handpicked by my mate or if it was already included in the temporary accommodations.
Considering she had been here for months, she might have adapted the place more to her liking.
Undeniable personal touches could be seen in the form of paintings by famous Temern artists as well as sculptures from species she had visited as part of her negotiation training internship.
The off-white walls, dark wood floors, and massive windows made the place feel luminous and spacious.
Like in my own house, Linsea kept the decor to just the right level of sparseness to accommodate all your needs and comfort without becoming encumbered or noisy.
Everything boasted shades of white, cream, and pale grey.
But colorful accents with throw pillows, paintings, and other decorative items gave it the right balance.
She gave me a quick tour of the place. It only had one bedroom, the second closed room being used as an office. The open-floor concept of the combined kitchen and dining area clearly indicated that this was not meant as housing for a family, but more for a couple or a traveling single individual.
“Are you thirsty or hungry?” Linsea asked when we returned to the living area.
I shook my head. “They’ve been feeding me as if they feared I would die of starvation.”
She snorted and placed her hands on my sides. I drew her closer into my embrace.
“I can see that,” Linsea said, leaning against me.
“You need to rebuild some muscle mass from being in stasis for so long. Considering how intensely they want you to train over the next few days—if not weeks—you will need to fuel that scrumptious body of yours. Speaking of which, how are you feeling?”
“I’m fine. Training with Yinric was both great and aggravating,” I said with a long-suffering sigh before giving her a quick rundown of my day.
“Maker! Did you really match Ellen and Yinric?!” she exclaimed, when I revealed that last conversation to her.
I puffed out my chest smugly. “Yep, I most certainly did!”
“Wow! Now I can’t wait to see how that relationship evolves,” Linsea said wistfully.
“It will evolve to its natural conclusion, which is them falling madly in love with each other,” I said with a confidence bordering on arrogance. “But speaking of that just further twists the knife in me being denied what I crave the most.”
She raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “And what is that?”
“Hearing the song of your soul. Feeling you,” I said with a dejected expression. “I’m forbidden from using any of my psychic or kinetic powers under any circumstances until tomorrow.”
“Good!” Linsea exclaimed with an almost evil glimmer in her blue eyes.
I recoiled. “Good?! How is that good?”
“Because it means I finally get to give you a taste of your own medicine.”
I blinked, utterly baffled. “What do you mean?”
“Ever since we’ve met, you’ve had unfettered access to my emotions while yours were hermetically sealed behind an impenetrable wall.”
“It was to protect you!” I exclaimed, outraged.
“True though that may be, you still denied me what is rightfully mine. Now, I intend to indulge!” she said in a voice full of promises.
Before I could come up with a smart quip, Linsea’s hands on my sides glided up to my chest in a gentle caress… then gave me a shove.
I yelped in surprise, throwing a hand behind me to stop my fall, only to land on the soft cushion of the couch behind me. Her palms on my shoulders kept me sitting down when I straightened. Whatever question or comment I’d intended to speak died on my tongue when my female leaned in front of me.
She rubbed her beak against mine before gently pecking it in a way that demanded access.
I immediately complied, my stomach fluttering as our tongues mingled.
Despite having a more dominant disposition, I allowed her to take the lead.
As I reveled in her sweet taste and the possessiveness with which she kissed me, I fought the urge to take over.
I was hers to do with as she pleased.
To my dismay, she pulled away from me just when I was further leaning into the kiss. With a vocal command, she activated the music player, and a slow, instrumental song resonated through the room. With another vocal command, Linsea dimmed the light, setting the perfect mood.
Blood rushed to my groin, and I straightened even more on the couch to better enjoy the show taking place before my greedy eyes. Linsea moved gracefully, swaying her hips left and right, the long feathers of her flowy tail accentuating the motion as it trailed behind her like a cascading waterfall.
She spun around in a slow rotation, her hands roaming over her body in a sensuous fashion that heated my blood in no time.
Turning her back to me, Linsea bent forward and shook her behind so that the tip of her tail brushed teasingly against my face.
I wanted to lunge forward, pin her to the ground, and ram myself home before fucking her senseless.
The thrice damned circlet left my emotions wide open for my mate to plunder.
Linsea chuckled smugly, reveling in her power over me.
Wanting to up the ante, the wretched female bent even lower, lifting her tail, and spreading her legs wider.
My cock jerked angrily, demanding to be freed from the confines of my protection pouch when Linsea opened her flap, exposing her slit in all its splendor for me to drool over.
Head down, my mate glanced at me from between her legs with a taunting expression.
She licked her beak in a lascivious manner before teasing her slit with one finger, dipping it in and out a couple of times.
She abruptly straightened, her tail feathers swiping across my cheek with an impertinence that warranted a proper spanking.
But Linsea turned around to face me while licking the finger she had just touched herself with in a way that almost had me growling in frustration.
My female chuckled again as she strutted towards me with the grace of a predator closing in on prey paralyzed by fear. Except it was lust pinning me in place.
A fire lit in the pit of my stomach as she caressed my body with growing boldness. When I tried to reciprocate, she swatted my hand hard enough to give it a good sting. I burned with the need to protest, flip us around, and show her who was in charge. But I squashed it again.
My whole life, I battled to acquire some sort of control over my life when it constantly seemed to spiral. It had become an almost intrinsic part of me to always be the one at the helm of what I actually had a say in. But this was different.
Although I doubted Linsea was testing me and my ability to submit, I suspected at a visceral level that she needed to know that I trusted her enough to abandon myself to her. And I did. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for this female.
A sound halfway between a purr and a coo vibrated through my chest as Linsea partially extruded her claws and carefully raked them between the down feathers of my neck, chest, and sides.
A violent shiver coursed through me each time her thorough exploration triggered a strong reaction—whether physical or emotional—that revealed one of my sensitive spots.
Just like I had done during our first time together, she was studying my emotional responses to her touch to narrow down my erogenous areas and what I enjoyed her doing to me.