Chapter 23
Haley
“Excuse me?”
I had to have heard Draggar wrong. He couldn’t have possibly just said that I’m his mate.
The translator chip must be malfunctioning somehow. Any second now, it will fix itself and we’ll both laugh at how silly this misunderstanding was.
I wait. But nothing happens.
Draggar takes my hands in his, his hold gentle as he gives them a reassuring squeeze. His silver eyes are warm and I can see the golden flecks expanding and growing almost like they’re absorbing the silver. A rush of emotions floods through me and I can’t look away.
I feel like I’ve stepped into the twilight zone, and for probably the hundredth time, I wonder if I’m in a coma back on Earth and having really, really realistic dreams. I’ll wake up and this will all disappear. A pang of distress makes my chest tighten at the thought of the man in front of my disappearing. As awful as being abducted was, I want Draggar to be real. I want this feeling inside me to be real.
Then, I remember the mind-numbing orgasms he gave me, and I decide there’s no way my dreams could produce something that realistic or amazing.
“You are my spirit mate. My amoris.” His voice is so confident and sure that I want to believe him. And the way he says amoris and mate fills me with happiness instead of the fear that it should. This man is an alien, almost a stranger. I shouldn’t want to be tied to him, but against my better judgement, I do. I feel drawn to him and the thought of spending my life with him – on this planet – doesn’t frighten me. Earth has never felt further away than it does right now, and surprisingly that thought doesn’t distress me. Not really.
In fact, what I feel right now is arousal. I’m more turned on than I have ever been. There is some primal part of me that feels wild and reckless, and I want to throw caution to the wind and tell him that he is my mate, too. That part of me is relieved to finally have a name to put to this deep connection that has existed between us from the beginning.
Amoris. That word feels familiar and comforting, filling me with a warm glow that is centered in my chest.
But there is another more cautious side – the one that Chad cheated on – that says this whole thing is crazy. How can I be Draggar’s spirit mate? And how can he be so sure?
“I don’t. . . What. . .” I shake my head in confusion as my tongue trips over the words I want to say. “What do you mean I’m your spirit mate? Your amoris? I don’t understand.”
“You are my mate and I am yours.” Draggar’s voice is soft and gentle as he explains. “My species are paired by mate bonds. We each have a mate who is the other half of our spirit, the one who will complete us. . . our amoris. The universe guides us to that mate.”
“So, that’s it? Fate. . . er, the universe has spoken, and now, we’re supposed to just listen to it and get married or something.” I chuckle in disbelief at his words. At the same time, the hollow ache that has resided in my chest my entire life grows until I feel as if it will swallow me whole. It calls out to me in recognition of Draggar’s words and it tells me that he can fill it. That this is it.
“I do not know what this married is.” He tilts his head in confusion. “But I think I understand your question and the answer is no. Both spirits must accept the mate bond before it can be completed.”
“Completed?”
“Yes, spirit mates complete the amoris bond by claiming each other.” At my puzzled look, Draggar continues to explain, his voice getting lower and huskier until it sends a shiver through me. The gold flecks in his eyes grow bigger until they nearly drown out the silver and his gaze drops to my lips before returning to mine, and I realize he is just as aroused as I am. “By mating. Every time an amoris bonded couple mates the bonds are strengthened until the two spirits are intertwined and become almost one. The only thing that severs their connection is death, and even then, the ancient Laediriian beliefs always maintained that the bond would continue after death.”
My heart is pounding, and I want to believe him. The thought of a connection that is so strong that it will last for a lifetime makes me yearn even more for him. But this can’t be. The logical side of my brain says spirit mates – amoris, whatever you want to call them – do not exist. It’s crazy.
There’s no such thing. There can’t be, right?
But the emotional side of my brain is in turmoil. The thought of mating with Draggar – of finally having his cock fill me full like I have fanaticized about so many times – sets my body aflame. His words, spoken in that strong, growly deep voice immediately causes my core to clench with need and I squeeze my thighs together. I have a sudden urge to pull him over to the bed that’s set against one wall and take it for a test drive. I want to feel him inside of me so badly that it nearly consumes me.
This all-consuming need is not something that I’ve ever experienced before. It’s like lust, but on steroids. Maybe there is something to this mystical bond after all. Maybe it does exist.
My lips are suddenly parched, and I lick them, watching as his molten gaze follows the movement. In that moment, I decide to be completely honest with him – to tell him of my doubts and feelings.
“This is all so unreal. Humans don’t have anything like this amoris stuff, but I do feel this weird connection to you that I can’t explain.” I rub my hand against my chest where so often lately it feels as if something is living there, begging to be acknowledged, and I watch as his golden eyes fall to my chest. His long tongue forks out to swipe along his lower lip and somehow, I know he’s remembering licking and sucking my breasts earlier this morning.
I clear my throat and continue, “I’ve never had good luck with men. I mean, I’ve had four boyfriends and two of them cheated on me. So, the thought of a relationship that is that committed sounds like fantasy to me.”
His gaze whips up to meet mine and his broad forehead crinkles in confusion. “Boyfriends? Cheated? What does this mean?”
“Humans have boyfriends or girlfriends when a relationship is just starting off. That means you spend time with each other, and you usually agree to be faithful to each other. Sometimes one of the people in the relationship breaks the agreement and has sex with someone else. We call that cheating.”
“I do not understand.” He shakes his head and I can tell my explanation has only confused him more. “Why would someone cheat on their mate? The mate bond is to be cherished as the precious gift it is. A mate is a blessing and should be treated as such, especially a spirit mate.” His mouth is flattened in a grim line. I can feel a sliver of anger and possession rumble through my chest that doesn’t belong to me and I just know it’s coming from Draggar. It makes me feel warm at how upset he is on my behalf.
No one has taken up for me or had my back since my father died, and I didn’t realize how much I have missed having someone in my corner. I didn’t realize until now how alone I’ve been. Having someone I could depend on feels nice, and that’s when I realize I can depend on Draggar.
He’s shown me that already in the short time we’ve known each other. He cares for me and he will protect me with his own life. He’s proven it over and over. He could have already had sex with me – God knows, I haven’t exactly been coy or meek about wanting to go all the way with him. But he waited until he got the translator chip to explain about the bond and now, he’s patiently waiting on me to give consent. That’s what that hopeful look on his face has been.
And the truth is, I don’t have an explanation that makes sense for why I feel the way I do about him. It’s too intense and too emotional to just be lust. It’s something more, and maybe Draggar is right. Maybe we are spirit mates. Maybe I am his amoris and he’s mine.
Turning my attention back to the conversation, I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t know.” And the truth is, I really don’t know why people cheat.
“They are not males who deserved you. You deserve to be protected and cherished for the beautiful female you are.” My heart melts at his words, and I am lost.
An ache has been building deep inside of me ever since I met him. It’s an indescribable feeling that is more than just lust or need. I have never felt safer or more wanted or more at peace than I am when I am with him, and I’ve never wanted someone more than I want him.
This is the mate bond, right? The longer I stare at him, the stronger that feeling grows until suddenly, it all becomes clear to me, and I’m sure.
This courageous man who could have anyone on his planet wants me, and I want him. Haven’t recent experiences taught me that life can change – or end – in the blink of an eye and we should enjoy the good parts to the fullest. So, why am I fighting against him when there are so many other and better things to do? Like, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him.
Which is exactly what I do.
I launch myself against him, and Draggar effortlessly catches me in his strong arms. I bury my fingers in his hair and drag his head down until we lock lips in a forceful, passionate embrace that leaves me breathless and whets my appetite for more. His chest rumbles against me with a tortured groan and then, his tongue demands entry and sweeps in to explore my mouth.
Draggar’s hands roam everywhere exploring my curves, stopping to cup my ass and press me closer against him. A mewl of need rips from my throat and it feels as if I will never get close enough to him. My legs wrap around his thick waist and I grind my hips against his and feel his rigid length pressed between us. I don’t want to stop this time or do this halfway. I want him inside me. I want Draggar, all of him. So, I tell him exactly that.
Tearing my mouth from his, I lean back and lock gazes with him. “I don’t completely understand this whole spirit mate thing, but I do understand the connection between us is something big and special. Something I’ve never felt before with anyone else. And I want it. I want you. All of you.”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, the tension that has been building between us for days finally cracks like a bolt of lightning. We come together in a primal embrace eager to claim each other.
Our mouths meet in a long, drugging kiss that makes my breath catch in my chest. A groan of desperation rumbles through Draggar’s chest when I tug on his lower lip. His hands wander over me. One squeezes my ass and pulls me harder against his straining erection, while the other rises up to cup my breast, his thumb raking across my nipple.
I cling to Draggar’s shoulders as he drags his mouth down my throat, nipping the flesh along the way and breathing in my scent like he can’t get enough of it before he returns to my lips again and deepens the kiss.
Before I know it, we stumble over to the bed, not breaking contact with each other. Once we reach it, he lets me go and I quickly tug my dress over my head and slip my underwear off while Draggar easily removes his loincloth with a flick of his hand. It tumbles to the stone floor and my breath catches in my throat.
I knew he was big, but um. . . I did not expect him to be quite that big.
He is completely hairless down there so that every detail is instantly visible. It’s a deep teal color, and it’s longer and thicker than a human man’s with two thick ridges, one on top and one on bottom, that stretch from the base to the tip. Small nubs, much like the ones on his tongue, encircle the length of his penis, and a shiver of excitement runs through me when I think about what those bumps will feel like as he thrusts inside me. The tip of his penis flares wide and a darker teal color than the rest of him and as I watch, a small gleaming drop of pearlescent fluid weeps from it.
For a second, I’m a little intimidated and I can feel my breath pick up speed, then I glance up at Draggar’s hungry gaze and any trepidation I feel vanishes.
I lay down on the bed, spread my legs, and open my arms in a welcoming gesture. My thighs are coated with arousal, almost obscenely so, and if he was anyone else, I would blush at how brazen my behavior is. This is not something I would have been comfortable doing on Earth, but I don’t care. Besides, this isn’t just anyone. This is Draggar, and I want him more than I have ever wanted anyone or anything else.
Draggar crawls onto the bed and leans over me, his cock throbbing against my thigh where it’s pressed against me. Our lips and tongues tangle together in a deepening kiss, and I whimper in response.
“You are amazing, Haley.” Draggar groans my name as he drags his lips to my jaw, my throat, and then lower, his deep voice murmuring words against my skin, inflaming me even more.
His massive hands cup my breasts together and he gazes at them with such hunger that I feel a shudder go through me. Leaning over me, he takes a nipple into his mouth, using his textured tongue and his teeth to tease it into a sharp point. The sensation is an exquisite torture and I toss my head back on a groan that is torn from deep within me.
After a few minutes of exploration, he moves to the other neglected nipple and tongues it into his mouth and I cry out against him. I don’t know how long we stay like that, Draggar using his mouth on my breasts and then moving back to my lips to devour them over and over again. I lose all track of time, it could be minutes or hours, but I don’t care. I’m simply lost in the pleasure. By the time he moves on, my lips are swollen and my nipples are pebble hard and reddened from his rough tongue and sharp teeth.
There’s only one thing I want, now. I want the hollow ache in my pussy to be filled by him, but when I squirm and tug on his shoulders and try to urge him back up to me, Draggar resists and continues down my body to settle between my thighs.
A trail of heat follows his path. I’ve never been this turned on before, and I feel as if I will burn up inside my skin if I don’t get some relief soon.
“I want to taste you again, amoris.” Draggar’s growls, his voice so thick with lust that it’s almost unrecognizable, and an answering tremor runs through me. He pushes my legs aside and spreads me wide open, putting my pussy on full display for him. I look down, and see his nose nudge my core, his nostrils flaring wide as he breathes in deeply.
Fuck. He’s smelling my arousal, again. That really shouldn’t turn me on so much, but it does. It turns the bonfire that has been burning through me into an out of control blaze.
Then, his tongue is there, sliding through my slick folds and the small bumps on it feel better than ever. I cry out and arch my back almost completely off the bed as he ends in a rough swirl at my clit that sends shudders all through me. Draggar emits a low sound that’s somewhere between a moan and a growl as he tastes me, and the vibration sends a bolt of pleasure straight through me. It’s like he’s savoring my taste, and that thought turns me on even more. I am soaking wet with arousal and desperate to come.
His mouth latches onto my clit and sucks and I swear I see stars in front of my eyes. I was already so close, and it isn’t long before I feel my body pulled taut on the verge of a climax. When his thick finger enters my pussy, gliding through the wetness, the orgasm that has been building breaks over me suddenly.
“Draggar!” I scream his name as I feel my pussy clenching, desperate for his cock to fill me. The orgasm rolls through me, and it feels like it will never end. Draggar’s mouth is still latched onto my core, easing me through the pleasure that is so sharp it’s almost painful.
When the wave of pleasure starts to abate, Draggar rises above me and I wrap my thighs around his hips, pulling him tightly to me. His lips seek out my own, and I can taste myself on him, leading me to release a moan of pure need. I may have just come seconds earlier, but the raw edge of desperation is back making itself known.
“Draggar, please. Fuck me, now!” I pull away and beg him. “I need you inside me.” His lips tilt up at my words in a feral smile before he leans over latches his mouth onto mine again, his tongue tangling with mine and forcing a tortured groan from me.
I’m so desperate for his thick cock to fill me, now, that I can barely think. I reach down and ease his throbbing cock against my pussy, guiding it along my folds. I whimper as the thick ridge on the bottom side of his erection rubs against me, stimulating my already sensitive clit. The pleasure is almost too much now, but at the same time, not enough. It will never be enough.
He notches his cock at my entrances and eases it in a bare inch, and I rock my hips urging him to hurry. But it’s clear Draggar will not be rushed in this.
Another inch, and my hands clutch at his shoulders tightly with frustration ready to finally have him fill me completely. His forehead drops down to rest against mine and his golden gaze is locked on my eyes drawing me in.
We are both panting by now as he slides into me inch by inch. It feels like it takes forever, but finally, his cock bottoms out inside me and I can feel his heavy balls lodged against my buttocks. I’m stretched so tightly that it should be painful.
But it’s not. Not with Draggar.
He slowly pulls out, and the ridges and bumps along his cock scrape against my sensitive insides, sending blissful shocks of pleasure through my body and I whimper at the sensation as a tremors runs down my spine. Then, he slides every single inch of his cock back inside in a firm stroke that is accompanied by a wet squelch from my pussy.
I hang on, my nails scouring his broad muscular back, as Draggar begins to relentlessly fuck me hard and fast. The slap of his heavy balls against my flesh sounds loud in the room as my hips rise up to meet his thrusts. My skin feels as if it is on fire, and there’s a weird tingling deep inside my chest that would ordinarily worry me. But I ignore it.
My thighs quiver as they clutch harder against his hips as our movements begin to grow desperate and wild. He grasps me under my butt with his hands and pulls me higher and tighter against him, changing the angle as his cock drives into me. The features on his thick shaft hit me in just the right spot, and I feel as I am going to black out.
The tingling in my chest grows until it feels like a fire. It seeps into my veins and spreads through my body until I feel as if I am lit from within by the heat. I stare up into Draggar’s fiery gaze and I feel like he is looking directly into my soul. I can’t look away from him.
And I don’t want to. His scent and touch surround me until they block out all of my other senses. There is nothing but him and me in this moment. We’re connected to each other, and in this moment, I not only feel my pleasure, but his, too. I feel his amazement and fierce possessiveness as if they were my own. And it makes every sensation and emotion flowing through me spiral higher.
As his thrusts grow more erratic, my muscles grow taut and I feel the walls of my pussy begin to flutter around his rigid length. I’m so close now that it only takes a couple more thrusts before the crescendo of my orgasm rises up and crashes over me as I release a loud shriek.
Draggar’s cock swells inside me and with a cry, he stiffens and fills me with hot jets of release.
In this moment, our spirits are completely connected. We are one. Bound together in a way I never thought possible. We are united in a way that involves more than just bodies. It feels as if our hearts and spirits have joined together in a primal bond that is bigger than us. Bigger than all of this. Happy tears trickle down my face as I luxuriate in that connection.
There is a glowing essence lodged deep inside my chest and I immediately recognize it’s Draggar. At first, for a split second, I wanted to freak out at the unfamiliarity of it all, but then it was as if he was there comforting me, reassuring me that this is right and a sense of peace settles over me.
I think back to the weird sensations I had before that felt almost as if I could feel his emotions. Those hints of his emotions that I felt then are nothing compared to the living ball of energy that has bloomed inside me now. I can feel every bit of his happiness at joining with me. The satisfaction that is still tingling in his extremities from his climax and the joy that has him practically glowing.
I understand what he meant, now, about how strong the bond is that exists between spirit mates. It feels inseverable and stronger than anything I have ever experienced, and I wonder how I could have ever doubted that such a thing existed.
We are wrapped in each other’s arms as we both float on a cloud of pleasure. Small tremors still ripple through me when Draggar slowly slides his cock out, leaving me feeling empty. He wraps his arms around me, and I tuck my head against his shoulder in what has already become my favorite spot and I breathe in his scent made stronger by our activities.
I feel boneless and exhausted from our exertions, and there is nothing I want more than to cuddle with him and never get out of this bed.
“Wow. Laediriian women are really lucky.” I chuckle breathlessly, my pulse still racing.
Draggar pulls his head back and looks at me with a weird expression on his face, before saying, “There are no Laediriian females.”
I must have heard him wrong, or something is getting lost in translation.
“Huh? The women. . . I mean, the females on your planet.” I begin. Draggar still looks confused at my words, and I wonder if his translator chip has malfunctioned.
“There are no females on my planet except you and your friends.” Shaking his head, he reiterates.
“What?” Huh. That cannot be right. Maybe we should go see Vrenner so he can check both of our translator chips to make sure they’re working right.
Draggar sighs before he says, “You and the other humans are the only females I know of on Laedirissae.” The expression on his handsome face is solemn and I immediately know he’s telling the truth.
I am stunned. Memories of Draggar fondly talking about the children of his tribe flicker through my mind. If there are no females, then how? There has to be something I’m missing in this conversation.
“So, let me get this straight. . . There are no Laediriian females, and my friends and I are the only females on all of Laedirissae?” I spread my hands wide to indicate the entirety of the planet around us.
He slowly nods his head at my statement. Well, shit.