Chapter Twenty-Three #2
When her tongue licked along mine I groaned and my arms came around her on their own, crushing her to me as I opened my mouth wider. Her little squeak barely registered. It was the loss of her tongue and then her pulling away that made me open my eyes.
“Kael, you’re squishing me.”
Letting out my breath, I set her back on her feet but didn’t let go.
“What was that?”
Brows furrowed, she frowned.
“What? The—The kiss?”
Eyes widening, her lips parted as realization hit her.
“Do Morraki not kiss?”
I shook my head, focus narrowing to her mouth.
A kiss.
“It’s something Humans do. To… show affection.”
I dragged in another breath, but it caught in the back of my throat. I could scent the other alpha on her where he had touched her, lingering, tangled with the scent of her blood.
Growling, I swept her into my arms, rushing through the tunnels.
“Kael!”
The door of our home came into view and I swept my tail across it in the code that would open the door. Once we were inside and it had closed behind us, I set her on her feet and tossed the bottles from Saed aside, taking hold of the front of the fabric stained with my failure.
Serenya gasped as I ripped it open, her arms coming up to cover her chest as I tossed the destroyed drevarn aside. Taking her into my arms again, I leaned down until my lips hovered over hers.
“Do it again.”
My voice was rough with need.
She shivered but her lips twitched into a tiny smile. She closed the space between us and brushed her mouth against mine once more, slower this time.
When she fit her lips against mine I opened automatically, letting her into my mouth. I matched the motions of her tongue, letting instinct take over.
When hers drew away, I pressed my mine into her mouth, exploring the depths of it, and she made a soft sound that had my vorran pulsing with need.
I was shaking again, but it wasn’t from rage any longer.
I wanted more.
More kisses.
More of her soft flesh against me.
More of her sweet noises.
She broke away, gasping as I clung to her.
“Kael.”
I chased her lips, claiming another kiss. Using my tongue to mimic what I wanted to do with my vorran.
Why had I never done this before?
I lifted her again, hands gripping the round globes of her backside. Her legs wrapped around me, the scent of her slick reaching my nose as I turned toward our room.
I barely made it two paces when the chime on the door sounded.
My growl vibrated from my mouth into hers. I was tempted to ignore it, but it could have been someone with information about the incident in the Market, or Saed with another concern about her care, so I couldn’t.
Carefully lowering Serenya to her feet, I was pleased by dazed look on her face even if the interruption was irritating.
Pressing my face to her neck, I scraped my teeth over the place where I’d bite her to place my claim.
I craved having her mouth on mine again, but if I kissed her, I wasn’t going to stop.
“You need a drevarn for visitors, veyrari. Choose something you don’t mind being ripped off you when they leave.”
Her eyes were glassy and she was breathing hard when I forced my arms away from her. Her tongue slipped out to wet her lips, and I groaned at the thought of how they had felt against mine.
I had to adjust my vorran before it ripped through my korrvek.
The chime sounded again, and my chest rumbled. Taking her shoulders, I turned her in the direction of the room, tapping her bottom with my tail.
“Go.”
She finally started walking and I turned to the door, stomping the few steps back to it. I shook myself, calming my kethra and relaxing my tail before pressing my hand to the pad.
The door opened to the corridor, General Hale standing on the other side. I wanted to snarl again since he wasn’t anyone I wanted to see, but I didn’t get the chance to tell him to go away.
“I heard about the incident. We need to talk.”
“Now is not a good time.”
He ignored the warning in my voice, stepping closer. I couldn’t shut the door without it hitting him.
Not that I cared.
But then Serenya was behind me, her small hand pressed to my back as she peered over my arm at her father.
His eyes flicked to Serenya and then narrowed at me.
“My daughter was attacked under your protection. In front of witnesses. This jeopardizes the alliance.”
Serenya gasped, drawing away, but I turned to take hold of her hand.
“How are we supposed to trust you? You lost her in a market, and your own people attacked her.”
Serenya stepped forward again, a fierce frown on her face, cutting in before I could say anything.
“It wasn’t Kael’s fault. I wandered away from him. I wasn’t paying attention, and we got separated. He—He found me before they could do anything.”
Hale’s face hardened. He opened his mouth, likely to redirect the blame, but she kept going.
“You’re not here because you care if I was hurt. You haven’t even asked. You just want to twist things to fit your needs.”
Her kethra were glowing bright enough to shine through the new top she’d put on and her chest was heaving. Her eyes were wide as if she couldn’t believe what she was saying, but she wasn’t backing down.
“Serenya—”
“No! I’m tired of pretending I don’t see it and done letting you get away with it. You don’t care if I’m okay, you only care about making my pain useful to you.”
I stared at her, my vorran twitching. I’d suspected there was something going on between her and her father, but this seemed deeper than I’d expected.
Hale stiffened, his face carefully neutral.
“You’re emotional. It’s been a rough morning, and you’re not thinking clearly.”
She shook her head, taking another step towards him.
“You’re wrong. I’m thinking just fine.”
She paused, sucking in a deep breath, but her shoulders sagged before she continued, her voice coming out softer.
“You are not going to blame this on Kael. It will not be twisted into something for you to use. I’m tired of being just another asset to you. If you’re not here to ask how I am, then get out.”
His face had flushed almost the color of my kethra, his eyes narrowed and hard as they drilled into Serenya, but when neither of us softened, he turned on his heel and walked away. I watched him until the door closed between us, then looked down at the omega beside me.
Her kethra were still flaring in angry spikes, and her face was set in an angry frown. She radiated tension, but there was sadness in her eyes and laced through her scent.
“That took great courage.”
She lifted her eyes to mine, her mouth curved into a frown. Sighing as I pulled her against me, she sagged into my strength, and warmth spread through my chest even as it ached for her.
“It was the truth. I’m ready to stop running from it, but it hurts.”
I held her tighter, my purr finally kicking to life. She curled into me, radiating despair, and I swore it would be the last time.
She would not be hurt again.
Not while I breathed.