“Go, Destiny.” He cocked his head toward the bathroom. “Take a shower.”
“What about you?” I asked. We were both a hot mess. His seed slipped from me and down my thighs even now.
“I will wait until you are done. If I join you, we will keep your sister waiting.” The growl in his voice made my body burn, and so did the way his cock was aimed straight for me, but he was right. Duty called. We had to save the world.
Then we could figure out what the hell we would do about… us.
2
Nix
My stubborn, beautiful mate sat beside me, her body inches from mine. And covered, head to toe, in Aleran armor. Guard’s armor. Complete with a weapon at her side and a dagger on her opposite hip.
The sight made me both angry that she would defy me and continue to risk her life, and proud that this beautiful female was mine. Every stubborn inch of her.
Swirling inside me was the need to dominate and control, but mostly to protect. Which she refused to allow me to do. Oh, she surrendered to me beautifully in the bedroom, with my cock buried deep, my body feeding hers heat and strength and energy. The drain was orgasmic for me, knowing I was the one sustaining her, that it was my essence soaking into her very cells, my seed filling her pussy. But the moment we were out of bed, she defied me at every turn. Argued with me. Refused to back away from the search for her mother. Refused to admit she was mine.
Infuriating.
Aggravating.
So fucking frustrating.
And it made me want to drag her back to bed, tie her down, and fuck her until she came to her senses.
But she was a fucking princess, so I couldn’t do that either. Unless she begged.
“Stop scowling. You’ll scare my sisters.” Destiny’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she wrapped her hand around mine where it rested on my thigh. Instantly the flow of energy connected us, my body heat rising to meet the demands of hers. And for someone so small, her Ardor was incredibly strong. A lesser male would have collapsed by now. A lesser female would have had her Ardor soothed. But no, even subconsciously, she was so stubborn. Her mind, her body. And her heart.
“They should be frightened,” I replied, my voice tipped low so only she would hear. “As should you.”
She laughed, the sound carefree and happy. The look on her face was one I’d not seen the last two days. Content. At peace. At least for the moment. And I took some small pride in knowing I was the cause. For two solid days, I had cared for her, soothed her Ardor, given her what she needed. She was mine. There was no question. No doubt. It was so fucking obvious that someone should have made a
large sign. But why couldn’t she see it? Feel it? Why did she still fight my claim? Deny me? Resist?
She even refused to eat what I ordered for her, nutritious, healthy Aleran foods, insisting on using the S-Gen machine to order things that were made on Earth. Ice cream. Chocolate cake. They were delicious, especially when licked off her creamy skin, but not meant to sustain an Ardor.
“Glad to see you are feeling better, twin.”
Faith reached across the table and Destiny took her hand, squeezing it. They shared a look I couldn’t begin to fathom and broke the connection, staring at Trinity as if nothing had passed between them.
Princess Trinity seemed distracted, staring off into the distance, a piece of paper in one hand as she tapped the top of the table with it. The table itself was round, and large enough to hold ten. The seats were solid wood and plain, except for hers. The reigning ruler’s chair had a tall back and arms, a throne of sorts. A reminder to anyone who sat at this table exactly who the ruler was.
As if a reminder was needed. Trinity carried herself like a queen already.
I sat to Destiny’s right, Leo on her other side. Trinity was next to him. Then Thor and Faith, so that each princess sat next to her mate. Captain Turaya sat on my right, across from his son, the look on his face much more grave than the look on mine could have been. The table had three empty chairs, but it didn’t seem as if Trinity was awaiting more people, but just thinking.
“Trin? Can I see the message now?” Destiny leaned forward and put out her free hand. Trust my mate to be the one to get the meeting going. In my mind, starting it meant it would end sooner. We could either go hunt down the mastermind behind all this mess or I could get Destiny beneath me once again. Either option worked.
Trinity handed her the envelope and Destiny released her hold on me to open it and take out the folded message it contained. The envelope was no longer sealed, and I had no doubt Trinity and Leo had already read the handwritten note.
Destiny scanned it, and I read it over her shoulder, but I was not sure what the message referenced. It was short. Two lines.
I had a damn good idea, based on what we’d overheard in Elder Amandine’s office, but I’d wait this one out, hear what everyone else had to say, then make my move. Destiny was not going to risk her life again. I’d do whatever was necessary to see to that.
“Well? What does it mean?” Trinity asked. Everyone looked at my mate in silence, waiting. While I’d overheard Elder Amandine speaking with Crayden when we’d been hiding in the dark corner of her office, that was the only time I’d been near her. Destiny was the only one who might know what the elder was trying to communicate.
“She said the meeting is at midnight tomorrow, and she gave me an address,” she said.