Chapter 21 #2
“—here, where your pulse is.” He nipped her gently. She mewled and dropped her head back, eyes closed.
“Oh god.”
“Do you like the sound of that?”
She nodded. “Yes, fuck yes.”
“Did I mention that I need to be buried inside you when I bite you?”
She began tearing at her clothes, pulling her shirt over her head and flinging it into a corner of the room to join the rest of the mess.
“Hurry up and get me naked, Gark.”
His lips twitched at how eager his mate was.
“Patience, little fighter. First, I will take care of you.”
But she shook her head. “No. I want you, and I want you now.”
He frowned.
“Don’t argue with me, Gark. I know what I want, and it’s you. Now. You can take care of me later. For the rest of our lives.”
He’d never heard words he liked the sound of more. She flipped onto her back, wriggling to get out of her pants, and he grabbed them, pulling them from her body and tossing them over his shoulder.
His hands found her thighs, spreading her before him, and then he was where he most wanted to be.
She tasted perfect, and he lost himself as he used his mouth and fingers to bring her to her peak.
The noises she made drove him mad with desire, his dick so hard he felt like it would punch a hole through the mattress.
“Gark! Fuck me. I need you!”
Her words had him almost spilling his seed into the mattress, which would not do. He’d promised his mate a claiming, and by the Lady, he would give her one.
He prowled forward, licking and nipping her skin as he worked his way up her body, holding his weight off her with his arms. He paused to pay special attention to her breasts, licking and nipping her nipples so that she cried out and grabbed his head, lacing her fingers into his hair.
“My mate,” he said as he dropped kisses on her collarbones and neck. “My beautiful, brave, fierce mate.”
She sighed, dropping her head back and arching her back, offering herself to him. He reached down to grip his dick, afraid he would come undone at the sight of her lying out before him.
“Yours,” she said, lifting her head to meet his eyes. “Make me yours.”
“Are you sure?”
She smiled, cupping his face in her hands and lifting up to drop a kiss to his lips. “I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.”
He groaned, kissing her back. Losing himself in the nips she gave to his lips and the way her tongue flirted with his.
“I love you, Aletta,” he said as he notched himself at her entrance and sank forward into her wet heat.
“I love you too, Gark,” she replied, arms looping around his neck and pulling him down to her.
He sank slowly into her, both groaning, and when he was fully seated, he dropped his lips to her neck and kissed her where he planned to bite her.
She tilted her head away, baring her neck to him, and he fought for control. He didn’t want to hurt her, and he was so much bigger than her.
“You won’t hurt me, Gark. Trust me. I know what I can handle. I’ll tell you to stop if I need you to.”
He lifted his head. “You promise you’ll tell me?”
“Of course. Just like you will stop if I ask you to.”
“Yes.” He was horrified at the alternative. “Always.”
She smiled. “Good. Then fuck the shit out of me, Gark.”
And he was happy to obey. When she was a sweaty, moaning mess underneath him, her chest thrust out and legs gripping his thighs, he dropped his teeth to her neck.
As the first flutters of her orgasm had her pussy muscles spasming around his cock, he buried his teeth into her neck and claimed her as his mate, licking the wound instinctively to clean up the blood.
Now he had some of her in him for the rest of his life.
He smiled.
Nothing would separate them now. The last unsettled part inside him clicked into place, and for what felt like the first time in his life, he truly relaxed.
They were curled up together, both drowsy and sated, with Gark tracing his fingers over the rapidly healing bite mark on Aletta’s neck, when the comm sounded.
Gark scowled. Nothing, short of a request from the Taurean Supreme Commander himself, would pull him away from his mate right now. And even then, he’d think twice.
He picked up the buzzing wrist comm and scowled as he read the message.
Aletta groaned, rolling over and pulling the pillow over her head. “What’s that noise?” The pillow muffled her voice.
Gark grabbed his tablet. “It’s about the hearing.”
Aletta sat up, clutching the covers to her chest. “The military hearing you’ve been waiting on?”
Gark sat on the edge of the bed naked as he read the message. “Yes. They’ve postponed it.” He frowned. “I can make it after all.”
“Why are you frowning? Isn’t this what you wanted?”
“I thought so.”
She sat up, wrapping her arms around him from behind, her soft breasts pressing against his back. “But?”
“But I can’t bring myself to care anymore.” He typed a reply before he could think twice, sending notice that he would not be attending and withdrawing his appeal.
He smiled, feeling like he’d let go of a starship’s load from his shoulders as he told Aletta what he’d done.
“Are you sure?” She asked, a worried look making a line between her brows.
“Absolutely,” he said, turning to face her.
“For a long time, I wanted to reclaim my rank because I felt it would bring me back my honor. I thought it would make my grandfather finally see me as worthy.” He reached a hand up to cup her cheek.
“But you showed me that honor is something you feel, not something someone else bestows on you. I have always acted honorably. I won’t force myself to fit where I don’t belong, and align with values I don’t agree with.
I never belonged in the military; it just took me a long time to realize it. ”
She smiled, reaching a hand to cup his jaw, smoothing her thumb over the side of his face. “You are the most honorable man I have ever met, Gark.”
He smiled. Nothing would ever beat the approval of his mate.
He bent his head to capture her lips with his, but she pulled away with a cheeky look, leaning back on her hands so her breasts jutted forward invitingly.
He growled and prowled toward her, and she giggled, falling back amongst the rumpled covers.
“Aletta.” He growled, dropping his head to lick a trail from her belly to her collarbone.
“My mate,” he said against her neck, kissing the mark he’d placed there not an hour before.
“I want to stay here wrapped in your scent and buried in your cunt.” He cupped her breast in one big palm, pinching her nipple gently.
Aletta bit her lip. “So stay.”
So he did.