Page 33 of Kameer's Mate
Then I grasp a cheek in each hand and spread her center wide, revealing her swollen, semen-drenched nether folds. With an appreciative growl, I watch as my seed leaks from her pink core and runs down her inner thighs.
My dual shafts harden anew, though I won’t claim her again tonight. The need to tend to her prevails, the need to offer her comfort in the aftermath of our rough mating session.
I release her bottom and help her stand. Turning her in my arms, I peer down at her as my chest tightens with… tenderness. It’s a soft but powerful emotion to which I’m unaccustomed.
Why do I feel so protective of a female with whom I don’t yet share a heartbond? Though I know I shouldn’t compare Mandy to Xersonna, I cannot help but wonder how and why my possessiveness for Mandy runs so very deep. Deeper than anything I once felt for Xersonna.
Mandy is human. Until recently, my people didn’t believe it was possible for Darrvasons and humans to share heartbonds. But not long after the first wave of human females were claimed as mates, the first group of thirty that were handed over after the Darrvason-human alliance was forged, heartbonds began forming between the newly mated pairs. In fact, Admiral Tornn and his mate, Ellie, were the first mating pair to develop a heartbond. I’d been filled with hope when I first heard rumors that the admiral was experiencing the mating fever that usually precedes a traditional Darrvason heartbond.
I lean down to press a kiss to Mandy’s forehead, praying the bond forms between us soon. The threat against my life is a dark specter hovering in the background, and there are times I feel guilty for claiming a female before the issue could be resolved.
A growl builds in my throat. If my impatience to possess her causes any harm to visit her, I will never forgive myself.
I resolve that I must keep her well-protected, and I make a note to verify the locking mechanism I installed on the door is secure. I don’t want anyone getting in, just as I don’t want anyone getting out.
“Come, pretty human. I will help you shower.” I reach between her thighs and stroke her lightly, and she clutches my arms and gasps, suddenly unsteady on her feet. I hold her gaze as I drag a finger over her distended clit. “After the shower, I will apply a soothing salve to your sore, aching parts.”
Chapter 17
MANDY
I pacein the entryway of Kameer’s quarters, anxious for the doorbell. It’s been two weeks since he claimed me, and he’s finally permitting a visit from my family. I glance toward the living room where my mate is seated near the large viewscreen, my heart racing with nerves.
I want the visit to go well, which means I’ll have to lie. I’ll have to look my parents and sister in the eyes and tell them I’m fine and I’m happy.
Will they see through my deception?
Guilt suddenly presses down on my shoulders, a heaviness that makes it difficult to take my next breath. In all honesty, I can’t claim I’m happy—Kameer bought me, and I had no choice but to become his mate—but I can’t claim I’m truly miserable either.
Conflicted. That’s what I am.
Kameer departs the living room and joins me in the entryway. He grasps my hand and turns me to face him, and his nearness prompts heated tingles throughout my body.
I can’t help it. Despite myself, whenever he’s close, I can’t help but enjoy his presence and crave his touch. The feelings of surrender also keep getting stronger. Sometimes when he looks at me in that authoritative manner of his, I find myself lowering my head slightly as a wave of surrender rushes to the surface and I experience a physical and emotional need to submit.
I’m terrified my frequent capitulation to him is a sign of the impending heartbond.
But how can I stop it?
My attempts to hold him at a distance are starting to become exhausting. And as the days pass, basking in his presence and our frequent mating sessions seems to have become my natural inclination.
Yes, conflicted is an apt word to describe how I’m feeling.
“Your heart is pounding fast, pretty human.” There’s a note of concern in his voice that touches me. “Are you nervous about seeing your family?”
I place a hand on my heart. He’s right. My heart is racing as my anxieties over seeing my family increase. “I am nervous,” I admit, “though I still wish to see them. How, um, how did you arrange the meeting?” In my excitement over learning they would visit for lunch today—news he just shared with me this morning—I hadn’t stopped to ask Kameer for the finer details behind the arrangement. Instead, I’d run off to get dressed in one of my new Darrvason gowns, wanting to look as put together as possible when my parents and sister arrived.
“I visited your family’s quarters on Deck Fifteen yesterday evening to extend the invitation. Your father answered the door.” A smirk tugs at Kameer’s lips. “I did not receive a warm welcome.”
Before I can inquire further, the doorbell rings. I withdraw from my mate’s arms and rush toward the door, only for him to grasp me and shove me behind him. He glances over hisshoulder with a scolding look. “You are never to answer the door. We have discussed this.”
“But we’re expecting my parents and sister.”
“I understand, and while I’m certain it’s them, you are still not to answer the door.” A strange look crosses his face. “As we have already discussed, it is for your safety, pretty human. Might I remind you, a heartbond hasn’t formed between us yet, and your sweet scent could easily be an enticement to an unmated Darrvason male.”
I suppress a sigh. “But there are Darrvason security officers stationed outside your quarters, mated ones who don’t pose a threat to me, I might add. Surely they wouldn’t allow someone with nefarious intentions to ring the doorbell.”
He narrows his eyes at me, and I follow my instinct to lower my head. I don’t want to be on the receiving end of his displeasure, and I want the visit with my family to go as well as possible. Pissing Kameer off before we answer the door probably isn’t smart.
