Page 33 of Cerban
She looked up, her eyes bright with mischief and something far deeper – and then she kissed her way up my body, slow and sure, every brush of her lips setting my soul on fire. When she straddled me, her thighs firm against my hips, her hands resting on my chest, I thought my heart might shatter from the sheer awe of her.
“I want this,” she said simply. “I want you.”
I surged up to meet her, our mouths crashing together – not careful this time, not restrained. This was hunger. Need. The wild, aching drive to become one.
When I finally sank into her, the world split open. She gasped, her fingers digging into my shoulders, and I felt everything – the tight heat of her body, the way her heartbeat stuttered against mine, the pure, radiant rightness of it.
There was no hesitation now. No holding back.
We moved together like the sea and the moon – pulled and pulling, pushing and yielding. My hands gripped her hips, her nails raked down my back, and every roll of her body sent sparks through my veins. She was surrounding me, claiming me, becoming part of me.
And I let her.
With every thrust, every whispered moan, the bond between us deepened – not the kind of bond you needed tests or DNA to prove, but something older, truer. My mate. My heart. My other half.
The climax came like a wave breaking – sudden, immense, all-consuming. She cried out my name as she shuddered above me, and I followed with a roar, my head falling back, arms locking around her as the world tilted and shattered and came back together with her at the centre of it.
When it was over, we lay tangled together, breathless and trembling, hearts still racing in sync.
She lay against me like she’d always belonged there – her skin warm on mine, her breath steady now, soft against my shoulder. I kept my hand on her back, not for comfort, but for reassurance. To remind myself this was real. She was real.
Her fingers moved in slow, aimless shapes along my chest, tracing patterns on my skin. I let my eyes close, drinking in the closeness. The scent of her. The calm after the storm.
It felt like a dream. And maybe it was. I had always dreamed of this, all my life. Having a mate in my arms, mine, utterly mine. For a long time, it had seemed like a dream that could never become true. The Matriarchs had not deemed me worthy of a mate. If it hadn't been for my brother stumbling across the biggest secret of them all, I would still be alone.
"You know, I used to hate aliens," Maelis muttered suddenly. Her voice was hoarse from crying her release.
I opened my eyes but didn’t move. Her tone wasn’t hostile – more like a confession that had been waiting too long to be spoken.
“Hate is a strong word,” I said carefully.
“I know.” Her hand stilled, resting just over my heart. “I didn’t mean it like that. It wasn’t… personal. Just everything that came with you. The changes. This island had been a place for rich people to come and relax. Most of them weren't even interested in diving. They just wanted to sunbathe and eat fancy food and hide from the tax man. I had a lot of free time to do whatever I wanted. When the dating agency took over the ownership of the island, everything changed. Suddenly, we couldn’t just be who we were any more – we had to make space for you. For all of you.”
She paused, then let out a humourless laugh. “And the dating stuff? Don’t get me started. Humans falling over themselves for a chance to match with an alien. I didn't like seeing it. I always felt like some of those girls didn't know any better. They were so desperate to find their true love that they would take anyone - including aliens.”
I turned my head to study her face, half-hidden against me. There was no malice there. Just honesty. Tired honesty.
"Did you ever see a match go wrong?" I asked gently. "Was there ever a human woman who was unhappy with the alien she'd been matched with?"
Maelis thought for a moment. "No. I don't think so. They were all besotted with each other. But that was partly what infuriated me. It looked so easy. For them. Why was it so hard for me to find someone? And I think that's why I stopped looking. I didn't want to be disappointed."
"And you never applied to the dating agency."
She laughed. "I most certainly didn't. Until today. Part of me thinks that I should have doubts. That I should wait until we have the DNA results. But... humans fall in love all the time without scientific tests to confirm their love. Why should it be different for us?"
"Love... Say it again." I needed her to say it.
Maelis looked me straight in the eyes. "I love you."
I leaned down and kissed her, not out of hunger or heat, but something deeper. Gratitude. Devotion. Relief.
And then her stomach rumbled.
She groaned. I laughed.
“You’re hungry,” I said, pressing a kiss to her cheek.
“I’m starving,” she grumbled. “But if you even suggest seaweed–”
