Chapter 18 #3
"I agree," Lady Prime nodded, her braided crown shifting with the movement.
"But this will require some thought." Her gaze flickered to Duke Ako, receiving a nod before turning her attention to Adtovar.
"Captain, the Historia will remain in Earth's vicinity monitoring for Nigel Hewes's possible escape attempts.
I will convene with the Council on our next course of action. "
"Of course, my Lady," Adtovar responded curtly. Cristox and Rickon exchanged a glance, but neither seemed surprised by her directive.
Beside me, Xabat shifted forward, his deep voice cutting through the atmosphere like velvet over steel.
"Lady Prime, if I may." His hand found mine under the table, those calloused fingers wrapping around my own with a gentleness that made my heart squeeze.
His thumb traced slow, deliberate circles against my skin—a gesture I'd come to recognize as his way of grounding himself. "Is there news of my brother?"
The transformation in the Prime's expression was immediate.
Those sharp, regal features softened, the hard lines around her golden eyes easing into something almost maternal.
"No news yet I am afraid." Her gaze shifted to me, and I felt the weight of her assessment, that curious intelligence taking my measure.
"Do you worry about his reaction to your mating? "
Heat crept up my neck. It wasn't exactly a secret that half the ship believed I'd been claimed by Xabat's brother first. The shocked stares I'd endured over the past week were proof enough.
My fingers tightened around Xabat's, interlacing with his as a fierce surge of protectiveness flooded through me.
Those stares weren't just surprise—some carried judgment, whispered accusations of impropriety, as if Xabat had somehow betrayed his own blood by loving me.
But he'd done nothing except treat me with affection, kindness, and respect from the moment we'd met—which was why I’d fallen in love with him.
I wouldn't let anyone make him feel ashamed of that.
"Xabat did nothing wrong," I said, forcing my voice to remain steady even as emotion threatened to crack it. "Xytol and I were never anything more than friends."
"Of course." The Prime's smile held understanding, but also something else—a knowing that made me wonder what lay in her own past. "Xytol's mating claim would not legally stand without him having met you in person, but that does not prohibit him from being hurt and angered by your actions."
Xabat's jaw set with that stubborn determination I'd come to love. "Then I will beg my brother for forgiveness." Under the table, he squeezed my hand so tightly it almost hurt. "But I will not give up my mate."
"Of course not," the Prime assured him, and I could have sworn I saw approval—maybe even admiration—flickering across her face.
The call ended with the usual pleasantries, the holographic images fragmenting and dissolving like mist in morning sunlight.
I felt a bit creeped out about the revelation of Nigel Hewes.
Thinking that Declan was obsessed with me was bad enough.
To realize he was a 120-year-old geezer using alien technology to keep himself young and handsome increased the creepiness times a thousand.
Xabat didn't say a word as he led me through the corridors back to his quarters. His hand remained wrapped around mine, his grip firm but gentle, like he was afraid I might disappear if he let go. The silence between us felt heavy, laden with everything revealed in the meeting.
The door to his room slid shut behind us with a soft hiss, sealing us in together. Only then did he release my hand, turning away from me to stare out the viewport at the stars beyond.
"Xabat—"
"I have shamed myself," he said quietly, his shoulders rigid with tension. The pale green of his cheeks grew a darker sage. "I claimed you even knowing what my brother might feel for you. I let my desire override honor, override duty to family."
I moved closer, placing my hand on his back. His muscles were coiled tight beneath my palm. "You didn't claim me. I chose you."
"Harper." He turned to face me, and the anguish in his purple eyes made my chest ache. "Xytol has been missing for years, but he is still my brother. What if he believed you were his to love?"
"I was never his," I said firmly, stepping closer until there was barely any space between us.
"Xabat, listen to me. Xytol and I..., we talked about books and Earth culture and how both of us were touched by grief.
We might have even spoken about meeting once or twice.
But that's all it was—talking. I never felt this.
..." I pressed my hand over his heart, feeling the rapid beat beneath my palm.
"I never felt my heart race simply from hearing his name.
I never dreamed about what it would be like to touch him, to be held by him to have a future with him—not like I do with you. "
His hand came up to cover mine, holding it against his chest. "You do not understand what this means. The dishonor—"
"Then we'll face it together," I interrupted. "You said you'd beg your brother for forgiveness. Fine. I'll be right there with you. But I'm not giving you up, Xabat. I won't, no matter how Xytol feels."
Something shifted in his expression, the anguish giving way to something fiercer, more possessive. "You are certain? Even knowing the complications it might cause?"
"I've never been more certain of anything in my life."
The words had barely left my mouth before he was kissing me, his hands cupping my face with a tenderness that contrasted with the desperate hunger in his lips. I melted into him, my arms wrapping around his neck as I kissed him back with equal fervor.
"I will do anything," he murmured against my mouth between kisses. "Anything to keep you. To stay with you. You are my mate, Harper. I knew it the moment I saw you, and I know it now with every fiber of my being."
"Then keep me," I whispered, pulling back just enough to look into his eyes. "I'm yours, Xabat. Only yours."
His pupils dilated, the purple of his irises seeming to glow brighter. "Say it again."
"I'm yours."
He lifted me effortlessly, and I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me toward the bed.
My heart was pounding, heat pooling low in my belly as he laid me down on the soft surface.
He followed me down, his larger body covering mine, and I reveled in the weight of him, the solid reality of his presence.
"I need you," he said, his voice rough with want. His hands moved to the fastenings of the tunic I wore. I helped him, suddenly desperate to feel his skin against mine. "I need to show you that you are mine, that I am yours."
"Yes," I breathed, arching up into his touch as his hands found bare skin. "Yes, Xabat."
His fingers traced along my collarbone, down between my breasts, leaving trails of tingling warmth in their wake. When his palm cupped my breast, I gasped at the heat of it, at the way his thumb circled my nipple until it peaked hard against his touch.
"So beautiful," he murmured, lowering his head to replace his thumb with his mouth.
His tongue was slightly rougher than a human's, the texture sending sparks of pleasure straight to my core.
I tangled my fingers in his hair, holding him to me as he lavished attention on first one breast, then the other.
My hips rolled up against him of their own accord, seeking friction, seeking more. He groaned against my skin, the vibration making me whimper. His hand slid down my stomach, fingers dancing along the waistband of my pants before dipping lower.
"Please," I gasped, not even sure what I was begging for, only knowing I needed more of him.
He made quick work of the rest of my clothing, his eyes darkening as he took in my naked form. I reached for him, helping him shed his own clothes, my hands trembling with anticipation.
When he was finally bare before me, I couldn't help but stare. His body was magnificent—all muscle and beautiful sage green skin. And his cock—thick and hard, with subtle ridges along the shaft that made my mouth go dry and my pussy clench with need.
"You're staring," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"You're perfect," I breathed, reaching out to wrap my hand around him. He hissed at the contact, his hips jerking forward into my grip. The skin was hot and silky-smooth, and I stroked him slowly, fascinated by the way the ridges grew harder with each movement of my hand.
"Harper, if you keep doing that, I won't last," he groaned, his hand covering mine to still my movements. "And I need to taste you first."
Before I could respond, he was moving down my body, pressing kisses to my stomach, my hip bones, the inside of my thighs. His hands gripped my legs, spreading them wider, and then his mouth was on me and I cried out at the sensation.
His tongue was magic—rough and clever and relentless as it explored every fold, every sensitive nerve.
He licked and sucked and teased until I was writhing beneath him, my hands fisted in the bedding, my thighs trembling.
When he slid two fingers inside me, curling them to hit that perfect spot while his mouth worked my clit, I shattered, pleasure crashing over me in waves that left me gasping his name.
He didn't give me time to recover. He kissed his way back up my body, positioning himself between my thighs, the head of his cock pressing against my entrance. His eyes locked with mine, deep violet and full of love and desire.
"Are you ready for me?" he asked, his voice strained with the effort of holding back.
"Yes," I breathed, wrapping my legs around his waist, urging him closer. "Please, Xabat. I need you inside me."
He pushed forward slowly, carefully, giving me time to adjust to his size. The ridges along his shaft created the most incredible friction, each one sending sparks of pleasure through me as he filled me inch by inch. When he was fully seated, we both groaned at the sensation.
"You feel incredible," he gasped, his body trembling with restraint. "So tight. So perfect. Made for me."
"Move," I urged, rolling my hips. "Please move."
He withdrew almost completely before sliding back in, setting a slow, deep rhythm that had me seeing stars. Each thrust dragged those ridges against my inner walls, hitting spots I didn't even know existed.
I met him thrust for thrust, my nails digging into his shoulders as the pleasure built higher and higher. He shifted the angle slightly, so that he hit that perfect spot inside me with every stroke. I cried out, my back arching off the bed.
"That's it," he growled, his pace increasing. "Let me hear you. Let me feel you come apart for me."
His hand slipped between our bodies, his thumb finding my clit and circling it in time with his thrusts. The dual sensation was overwhelming, pleasure coiling tighter and tighter in my core until I thought I might explode from it.
"Xabat," I gasped, my inner walls beginning to flutter around him. "I'm so close. I'm—"
"Come for me, Harper," he commanded, his voice rough and desperate. "Come for me, my mate."
His thumb pressed harder against my clit, and I shattered, my orgasm ripping through me with an intensity of an erupting volcano. I cried out his name as wave after wave of pleasure crashed over me, my body clenching around him rhythmically.
He groaned, his rhythm faltering as my inner muscles squeezed him. "Harper, I—I can't...."
"Don't hold back," I gasped, still trembling with aftershocks. "I want to feel you. All of you."
With a guttural moan, he thrust deep one final time, his whole body going rigid as he found his release. I felt the heat of him filling me, and it triggered another smaller orgasm that left me gasping and clinging to him.
He collapsed beside me, immediately pulling me into his arms, both of us breathing hard.
"Harper," he whispered, my name a prayer on his lips.
"I love you," I said, the words spilling out before I could stop them. But I didn't want to stop them. They were true, as true as anything I'd ever known. "I love you, Xabat."
His eyes widened, the purple blazing bright. "Harper, I—" His voice broke, and he kissed me deeply before pulling back to look at me again. "I love you. My mate. My heart. I love you."
We lay tangled together, our breathing gradually slowing, our hearts beating in sync. His hand stroked through my hair, gentle and soothing.
"No regrets," he murmured into the quiet. "Whatever comes, whatever I must face with my brother, I have no regrets."
I tilted my head up to kiss his jaw. "Neither do I."
"We will face it together," he said, echoing my earlier words. "You and I, together."
"Together," I agreed, snuggling closer into his warmth. "Always."
Outside the viewport, the stars continued their eternal dance, but I barely noticed them. Everything I needed, everything I wanted, was right here in my arms.