Chapter Seven
Xian was seriously impressed by the trap Jaya had created for the zombies. Then again, she had over five hundred years of experience in aiding other races, fighting battles, and waging wars to pull from. Hearing that had almost made him choke on his own tongue. He’d been worried about his own advanced age since the D’Aire lived a lot longer than humans, but he was a damn youngling compared to her.
He had assumed they would have to go on a zombie killing spree to take care of the problem, but she had devised a plan where the holos did all the work for them.
All they had to do was sit back and let everything play out.
The first thing she’d done was replace all of the streets surrounding the pier with deep trenches. That part he’d understood well enough, but he hadn’t expected her to fill those trenches with magical fire that would immediately annihilate the zombies once they fell into them. While he could see the flames burning, she had placed an illusion over the pits so the holos would only see solid pavement.
The next step was lighting up the amusement park. She turned on every light available, adding the illusion of people enjoying the amusement park to attract more attention. Music blared over the speaker system, loud enough to attract every zombie for miles. To sweeten the pot, all of the rides, from the carousel to the rollercoaster, were set into motion, adding more noise to the mix.
Before she had even finished all the details, zombies started heading toward the pier, falling to their demise in the fire trenches as expected. As an added bonus, some of the alien insects were also being drawn to the area. It was a little strange watching the insects and the zombies attack each other. However, seeing them all burst into dust during the fight was highly satisfying.
“Do you know how many zombies are on the island?” she asked.
“Unfortunately, no. But I do know there are only twelve alien insects in each of the program levels. You killed two, and we just saw four more die, so that’s a good start. Part of that game is the psychological effect of never knowing when or where those fuckers are going to pop up while the players hunt for clues to figure out where the queen’s nest is located.”
Jaya’s brows furrowed. “A nest?”
“Yeah, the alien queen…oh shit.” His eyes widened in horror. “The end goal of that game is to destroy the alien insect queen and her eggs before they hatch. The eggs aren’t supposed to be real, but…”
“Show me,” she demanded.
“What?”
“Show me where the queen’s nest is in your mind.”
He wasn’t quite sure how to do that, but he tried his best to do as she’d asked. Luckily, Xian had played the alien insect game to the end and knew the exact location of the queen’s nest. The game had clues all over that would ultimately lead the players to a large hotel with a beautiful sky garden on the rooftop.
The alien insect queen was hidden in the greenhouse along with dozens of eggs. The game was supposed to end before those eggs hatched, but Xian couldn’t be sure what would happen now that the power surge on the island had altered the holos and fucked everything up. As he thought long and hard about that rooftop to send the image to Jaya, he grabbed hold of her arm to make sure she didn’t leave him behind.
A few seconds later, they were standing in the sky garden.
The rooftop was almost completely covered by a low maze of greenery that led to a large glass greenhouse at the far end. A pretty little fountain sat in the center of the maze, and there was an abundance of colorful flowers trailing out of tall, circular stone pots.
Overhead, the sky was clear of clouds, allowing the starlight to shine down on them. It had a beautiful, scenic atmosphere that hid the danger waiting within the glass greenhouse at the far end of the roof.
Xian was startled when Jaya completely opened her mind to him. She hadn’t argued or questioned him for wanting to go with her. She hadn’t even considered coddling him or leaving him behind. While some would call that a reckless decision, she trusted him and her own ability to keep them both safe. And in doing so, she was also using it as an opportunity to show him how her magic worked.
Her silver eyes glowed bright with approval. “Once we complete our bond, you will also have magic. The best way to learn how to use it is to observe me. Practical application is just as vital as theoretical understanding. There are holo people on all the floors within the hotel, and there are two real people in the lounge on the main level. I have cut off access to the roof so no one will be able to disturb us.”
As she approached the greenhouse, he was able to sense exactly what she was thinking and doing through their bond. She didn’t want to get too close, though she didn’t need to in order to accomplish what she came for.
Her magic was powerful.
There was no denying that.
But with that power came great responsibility. From the stories she’d told him, it was clear she could save an entire race of beings or annihilate them at will. With her magic, she could attack, protect, destroy, and create. She wanted to show him that while it seemed easy to use magic, the decision to use it might not always be as simple.
Jaya might seem wild and carefree, but she also had a deep sense of conviction. Her family and friends might not completely understand her innate sense of intuition, but she trusted herself. She trusted herself far more than he trusted himself or his own seeker abilities. That was why he had hidden himself for most of his life.
But that was about to change.
Now, he didn’t have to be alone anymore, and that was a gift beyond measure.
He watched as she swept a hand out and threw the double doors of the greenhouse wide open. Inside the dark interior were dozens of small dark eggs that were connected by an intricate web of vines. Light pulsed within the eggs, allowing them to see the movement of the creatures hidden within the shells.
The alien insect queen let out a hiss of outrage at being disturbed, but before she could unfurl herself to attack, Jaya sent a whirlwind of fire into the greenhouse, incinerating everything inside.
Xian blinked in surprise.
What she’d thrown at the zombies paled in comparison to the strength of this attack.
But she had a damn good reason for that.
The creatures inside the eggs were an unknown entity. Since they had not been programmed inside the game, there was a chance they weren’t bound to the same restrictions as the fully formed alien insects. That made the creatures inside the eggs infinitely more dangerous.
When it was done, the glass greenhouse sat completely empty.
In awe of her, Xian blew out the breath he’d been holding as he sat down on a stone bench. “People would hate playing the game with you.”
She turned toward him with a questioning glance. “Why is that?”
“You would make it too easy.”
“Games should be easy since real life is difficult enough to maneuver through. But that keeps things interesting,” she said as she sauntered toward him.
“I agree.”
When she was standing right in front of him, he gripped her hips and slowly pulled her closer.
“I have a feeling life with you will never be boring.”
She slid onto his lap and put her arms around his neck. “I shall endeavor to always keep you entertained.”
Unable to stop himself, Xian pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss. He was overwhelmed as he felt a wave of love and need coming from her. Through their bond, she was completely open to him. She did nothing to hide her feelings for him, but she wasn’t the only one.
Everything she felt for him, he felt for her in return.
He’d only known her for a short while, but he already loved her.
That was the way it was between mates but feeling it for himself was a whole new experience. He’d been a little apprehensive at first, but now he was eternally grateful that they had formed the blood bond between them as soon as they’d met. It had helped him get to know and understand her on a level that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.
He’d tried to keep the kiss light, but the moment his lips touched hers, a firestorm of need ignited within him. He craved her with a hunger that could never be sated. He wanted her, needed her with a desperation that bordered on madness.
“Then have me, mate. Whatever you need, I will provide.”
Those whispered words were enough to snap what was left of his self-control. One of his large hands sank into her silky hair as he took the kiss deeper. He poured everything he felt for her into the kiss, hoping she understood what he was trying to convey.
“I understand,” she assured him through their bond. “You are my mate, Xian Renn. My love, my one and only. I waited centuries to find you, and now I will spend the rest of eternity loving you and being by your side.”
His large hands stroked her back as his tongue met hers in a sensual dance, touching and tasting. When her fangs scraped against the sensitive flesh, he shivered from the onslaught of pleasure.
He wanted more.
Jaya shifted herself on his lap, swinging her leg over his so she was straddling him on the bench. Her new position pressed her heated core directly against his thick erection, and she moaned in pleasure as she rubbed herself against him. His answering growl thrilled her, and she did it again just to torment them both.
Her body felt like it was on fire, and the urge to mate and complete their bond was a compulsion she could no longer deny. Using her magic, she got rid of their clothing. She felt him suck in a harsh breath, but neither of them bothered trying to break their kiss.
As their tongues continued to duel, she ground herself against his cock in a sensual rocking motion. She rubbed her wet slit over his rigid shaft until he was slick with her desire for him. Reaching down between them, she took his thick cock in her hand and gave it a few testing strokes. A pulse of pre-cum spilled from the tip of his cock, and she rubbed her thumb through the silky liquid making him shiver in reaction.
Done waiting, she rose up a little and lodged the bulbous head of his cock against her opening. As she began to lower herself on him, she felt her tight muscles clenching as if to prevent the intrusion. She willed her body to relax, allowing him to stretch her open inch by glorious inch. It felt amazing as she slowly sank herself on him, but she needed more.
Needed to feel his entire cock deep inside her where he belonged.
She appreciated the way he held himself still while she impaled herself on his large shaft, giving her all the time she needed. When they were fully merged, he gripped her hips hard, holding her in place. Finally breaking the kiss, they both panted for breath. He rested his forehead against hers, and she stared into his dual colored eyes.
“You’re so fucking tight.”
“Should I apologize for that?”
His chuckle turned into a groan when she clenched around him. “I just don’t want to hurt you.”
Leaning in so that her lips were a breath away from his again, she whispered, “You will not hurt me. Give me everything you have, mate. I can take it.”
He grabbed hold of the back of her neck and pulled her in for another scorching kiss. Her passion matched his as their lips fused together, and she braced her hands on his wide shoulders as she began to ride him. She moved slowly at first, rising and falling at a steady rhythm, then she started moving faster.
His hands gripped her hips as she began undulating against him, moving in a circular motion that drove them both wild with pleasure. When her hands slid to his back and her fingertips stroked over the hard patches where his wings sprang from, his body jerked hard against her.
With a growl, he gripped her ass and lifted her as he stood up. Still impaled on him, her legs automatically wrapped around his waist as he carried her toward the maze. Laying her down on the soft grass, he covered her body with his. She loved the feeling of his weight on her, and she held him close as he thrust into her over and over again.
Pleasure shot through her like streaks of white-hot lightning as he lowered his head and sucked her nipple into his hot mouth. Her back arched off the ground as he sucked hard, then he shifted to her other breast and gave it the same treatment. Tugging at his hair, she pulled his head back up so she could claim his mouth again.
She felt the pressure building inside of her, signaling her impending release. She cried out as she came, her body shuddering from the waves of ecstasy coursing through her. Without warning, she sank her fangs into his neck, triggering another intense climax as his blood filled her mouth. She felt her magic rising within her, swelling until it burst out of her like a solar flare and into him.
Xian snarled as he came, the combination of her bite and her magic triggering his own powerful climax. Since she had clamped down around him so tight he could barely move, he ground his hips against her as he filled her with the hard, hot pulses of his release. Instinct had him sinking his own fangs into her neck, and new bolts of pleasure shot through him at the sweet taste of her blood.
As he continued to spill his seed deep inside her, he felt the bond between them strengthen and grow. Suddenly, he realized that the blood bond that had been established during their first kiss was nothing compared to a true mating bond.
The intensity of their combined pleasure was enough to trigger another hard climax, and his hips jerked as he filled her with more of his cum. Wrapping his arms around her, he licked the bite mark he’d left on her neck as possessive pride surged through him.
Jaya was his mate to love.
His keeper of the heart to cherish.
She was now his entire universe, and he would spend the rest of eternity showing her exactly how much she meant to him.