Page 73 of Expose Me

I moaned and leaned my head back against his shoulder.

“This feels like heaven,” I murmured. “But it’s going to take more than your dick and the best bath I’ve ever had to distract me from what I want to know.”

“I’m not trying to distract you.” He chuckled, kissing me on the temple. “I’m just trying to take care of you.”

I hummed. I believed him.

“So, the Houses? The mess on Earth?” I prompted.

“The mess has been cleaned up,” he stated, and then proceeded to tell me how it was easy to have proper diplomatic talks with the Houses once the True Leader had been revealed and all the Vuulectians were on the same page.

Zey’s friend, Doendru, had been instrumental in getting the word out about how the Lineg Legion were trying to deceive everyone. I didn’t understand how they’d all been tricked like that when they had this intuitive learning thing, but he explained that it was new territory, reminding me that nothing like that had happened in living memory. They needed some kind of context, some starting point for the intuitive learning to kick in.

Zey wouldn’t have been able to use intuitive learning to speak English before he’d come through the portal and heard it. The Vuulectians who had been tricked couldn’t use intuitive learning to know they were being lied to if they’d never considered the possibility. All they knew was that the Onuei were missing—a very unsettling and disturbing thing for all—and there was a group telling them Zey had stolen them and was trying to take them for himself. They had no frame of reference for trying to figure out what was actually happening. They never thought to question what they were told because Vuulectians never lied.

It wasn’t until Doendru met us in the Sea and Serpentine headquarters and spoke to Zey that the truth was revealed. She immediately set about getting back home and alerting others to get help. That’s why we had the distraction of the explosion at the portal and a fighting chance at releasing the Onuei.

She was taking the lead in ironing out all the confusion with the Houses, making sure they understood who the Vuulectians were, how they functioned as a society, what had gone so horribly wrong when Zey came through the portal. She’d ensured that the necklace was returned to Sea and Serpentine and appropriate apologies were made.

“So, they know everything? Am I off the hook?” I turned slightly to ask. He’d washed my whole body, including my hair, but he’d decided my boobs needed extra attention and was focused on lathering them up thoroughly.

“They know the basics,” Zey said, keeping his gaze on what his hands were doing. “The True Leader is meeting with representatives from the Houses as we speak. Doendru is under strict instructions to ensure your involvement is explained and there are no repercussions for you.”

“Under strict instructions from ...”

“Me.” He flashed me a small smile. “I was planning to attend myself, provide my firsthand account of the events, but I couldn’t leave while you were still ...” he trailed off, looking haunted and tired as his hands dropped from my chest and wrapped loosely around my middle.

For a few moments, we sat there as he held me.

When this had started, all I’d wanted was my old life back. But as I rested in that bath, held so tenderly by a man who’d dropped into my world and flipped it upside down, I realized I really didn’t care anymore. Because I loved him, and he loved me, and we were whole and together, and there was nothing I wanted more than to continue to be held by him just like this.

He’d chosen me.

Twisting until I faced him, I pulled him into a kiss. Our lips moved together slowly, tenderly.

“Sky, there is something I must tell you,” he whispered against my lips.

I pulled back slightly so I could look at him, and he raised a hand to cover my mouth. I nipped at his palm and chuckled.

“I have tried to have this conversation several times now, and you keep interrupting, but you must remain silent now.” He narrowed his eyes.

I rolled mine but kissed his palm and nodded, and he lowered his hand.

“You have a term on Earth which is very similar to a concept we have here in Vuulectus.” His grip tightened on my waist, like he was preparing himself to keep me from bolting. “Mate.”

My eyebrows shot into my hairline, but the shock melted away quickly. It actually made a lot of sense when I thought about it.

Zey kept speaking before I could say anything. “Here, it’s described as the essence of my being merging with the essence of yours—two perfectly matched entities coming together for eternal harmony.”

“Soulmates,” I whispered and caressed the hair at the nape of his neck.

“Yes.” He nodded. “At first, I didn’t think this was possible with someone from another realm, but the more time I spent on Earth, the more I learned about the different species finding mates among each other ... well, it started to make sense. I think that’s why the portal opened where it did. The Onuei tore it open to get away, but they placed it where I could find you—where we could find each other, as we were always meant to.”

“The universe literally tore a gash in time and space to bring us together?” I kissed him lightly on the lips, and he nodded. “That is so fucking hot,” I added, trying to lighten the mood just a little.

He laughed, but I kissed him again, harder.

Our hands caressed, exploring languidly. I felt him grow hard against me and ground my core against it.

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