Page 53 of Alien Warlord's Fury
I felt the muscles in my tail tense against her hip as she touched me.
"Let go," I commanded, my voice barely recognizable to my own ears. "Give yourself to me."
Her eyes locked with mine, defiance warring with need. "Make me."
The challenge ignited something primal in my blood. I shifted my angle, hitting that spot inside her that made her cry out. My thumb found the sensitive bundle of nerves at her center, circling it in time with my thrusts.
Her markings flared brighter, silver light dancing across her skin like lightning.
"You're mine," I growled, the words torn from some deep, possessive part of me I'd never acknowledged before. "Say it."
Her eyes flashed, that stubborn spirit that had first drawn me to her refusing to yield completely even now. "Make me yours," she countered.
I redoubled my efforts, driving into her with abandon, feeling her pleasure building through our bond until it was impossible to tell where mine ended and hers began. Her second climax hit with the force of a storm, her inner muscles clamping downaround me as she cried out my name. This time, I let myself follow, my release crashing through me with an intensity I'd never experienced before.
As I moved, my tail traced the curve of her spine, a connection as vital as the joining of our bodies.
My lifelines flared, merging with the silver of her markings where our bodies touched. The bond between us opened fully, raw and unfiltered, allowing me to feel her pleasure as if it were my own. The doubled sensation extended my climax, waves of completion washing through me until I collapsed against her, barely catching my weight on my forearms to avoid crushing her.
For several heartbeats, neither of us moved or spoke. The only sounds in the ancient chamber were our ragged breathing and the faint hum of energy from the ruins around us. Gradually, I became aware of the steady beat of her heart against my chest, the softness of her skin beneath mine, the scent of our joining filling the air.
I rolled to the side, bringing her with me so she lay across my chest. Her body trembled slightly in the aftermath, small aftershocks of pleasure still rippling through her. Through our bond, I could feel her satisfaction, her surprise at the intensity, and beneath it all, a vulnerability she rarely allowed anyone to see.
My hand traced lazy patterns along her spine, following the silver line that curved around her shoulder blade. The touch sent small sparks between us, gentler now but still present. The bond felt different - deeper, more stable somehow.
Before, it had been a tenuous connection, flaring unexpectedly and fading just as quickly. Now it felt permanent, a steady presence linking us together.
"That was..." She trailed off, apparently unable to find adequate words.
"Yes," I agreed, understanding perfectly what she couldn't express.
She shifted, propping herself up on one elbow to look down at me. Her fingers traced one of my lifelines, following the golden path across my chest. The touch sent pleasant shivers through me, my body already stirring with renewed interest despite our recent exertion.
"I didn't know it could be like that," she admitted quietly. "The bond. I felt everything you felt."
"As did I." I caught her hand, bringing it to my lips. "It's rare, even among my people. A true mate bond."
Her eyes widened slightly. "Is that what this is? What we have?"
I nodded, watching her face carefully. "It's why I followed you from the settlement. Why I couldn't let you face this alone, even against the council's wishes."
"You knew then?"
"I suspected. I didn't want to believe it at first." I smiled ruefully. "You're not exactly what I would have chosen."
She laughed, the sound warming something deep inside me. "Likewise. A rule-following, council-obeying warrior? Not my type."
"And yet." I gestured between us, where gold and silver light still mingled where our skin touched.
"And yet," she agreed, her expression sobering. "What happens now?"
The question hung between me and her, heavy with implications neither of us was ready to fully address. In the morning, we would continue our undertaking to rescue the younglings from Hammond's compound. This place, Serpent's Tooth, felt older and more dangerous than the western ruins where he'd held her before.
We might not survive. If we did, there would be consequences for our actions, for defying the council.
"Now," I said, pulling her closer, "we rest. Tomorrow will come soon enough."
She settled against me, her head finding the hollow of my shoulder as if it had always belonged there. Through our bond, I felt her exhaustion, the toll the day's events had taken on her body and spirit. My arms tightened around her, protective instincts surging to the surface.