Chapter 11

ELEVEN

This was possibly the hardest thing Mavrel had ever done in his life.

She’d been fascinated at the sight of him.

He’d seen it.

She was pleased , and her reaction drove him a little wild.

For once, he had to admit that Rykal was right. The so-called drip mattered.

And the sparring session had been a little more effective than Zharek’s drugs, although it hadn’t completely dulled the effects of the Mating Fever.

He suspected nothing could.

So he was forced to draw on every last molecule of his self-control as she held his arm, her scent wafting around him like an intoxicating vapor, threatening to bring him to his knees.

It was definitely the hardest thing he’d ever done.

But it was also exhilarating.

Had being alive ever felt so torturous and yet… so good?

All of his senses were heightened. His vision was more acute, his hearing sharper, his sense of smell…

That was off the charts.

She smelled so good he could devour her very essence. Eventually, he would, but for now…

Why not just enjoy the tension? After all, he would probably never experience this again.

Hopefully, he wouldn’t have to.

Mavrel walked alongside Bea, taking her along a lesser-used route toward the great chamber where the cultural event was being held.

He hadn’t planned on attending. Large gatherings weren’t really his thing, especially when humans were involved, but now he was relishing the prospect.

After all, he had the most gorgeous creature in the Universe at his side, and she had come willingly. Part of him couldn’t wait to see the reactions of the others—the surprise and perhaps even envy.

Yes, he could be petty like that.

That’s why he was glad they were entering together—so there would be no question whatsoever that she was his.

Unable to help himself, he stole a glance at her from the corner of his eye. His gaze traveled down the smooth, shimmering planes of her face, along the elegant column of her neck, over the tantalizingly smooth crest of her bare shoulder, which he just wanted to plant his lips upon.

She noticed.

She looked up, meeting his gaze.

She didn’t flinch, didn’t look away.

Her eyes widened. Her long, dark eyelashes fluttered. Her full, glistening lips parted.

Oh, Goddess.

Did everything about her have to be so infernally arousing?

Now, he couldn’t say a word because she was looking at him like that.

Her lips began to move. There was a slight lag before his brain registered what she was saying.

“So, Mavrel. It’s been a little while since you and I last met. It wasn’t the best of circumstances, but I have to admit, you being there made the situation a whole lot more bearable.”

“Hm.” He carefully concealed his surprise. It hadn’t occurred to him that he’d had such an effect on her. “You’re not resentful for what occurred?”

She laughed, her voice low and throaty, driving him a little more insane. “Not at all. I thought your approach was very reasonable, you and your commander being who you are. It’s my former boss who was behaving unrealistically, and then for him to create that stupid hostage situation…” Her jaw tensed. “I’m still angry about that.”

Her anger reverberated into Mavrel, and he suddenly felt outraged on her behalf to the point where he could easily go after that human called Garner and make his life so miserable he would wish he was dead. “You lost your job, did you not?”

“I quit. After what happened, anyone could see the writing on the wall. Garner’s probably going to declare bankruptcy and phoenix his company. Part of me was looking for an excuse to quit, anyway. I only stayed as long as I did because of Clarissa and a few other people.”

How fascinating. She held no grudge or anger against him or Jerik. She’d simply accepted the situation and adjusted accordingly.

“I will ensure that you’re compensated adequately for the inconvenience,” Mavrel declared. He really did feel bad that Jerik’s sudden operation to find his mate had resulted in such disruption to Bea’s existence.

She smiled and waved her hand in the air, her crimson-painted nails glistening like tiny gems. “Don’t worry about it. I always make plans for things like this. I have savings, and I already have a few opportunities lined up. I’ll be fine. Besides, it’s a little too early for me to be accepting such a generous offering from you, isn’t it? I don’t want to compromise myself so early in the game.”

Her tone was playful, confident, and impossibly sexy.

How could she be so certain of herself when she was in foreign territory—where he held all the advantage?

Mavrel felt like he was on the back foot, moving at her whim.

Not that he minded—for now.

“Very well,” he conceded. “But this is not a game. ”

“Figure of speech. We humans have a habit of saying things we don’t mean or changing the meaning of words to suit our purpose. It’s so ingrained in us that most of the time, we don’t even realize we’re doing it. I certainly don’t take this as lightly as a game, though.”

“Humans have a habit of being indirect,” Mavrel agreed. “It’s confounding to me. You aren’t going to be leading me around in circles with your hidden meanings and wordplay, are you?”

“Leading you in circles? I highly doubt that I could, and I wouldn’t want to, anyway.”

They reached the large doors that led to the vast Central Chamber—a space that was usually reserved for military ceremonies. Before the Qualum system registered their presence, Mavrel stopped and leaned in.

He took a deep breath, savoring her intoxicating aroma.

She gripped his arm tighter.

A shudder coursed through him.

He was hard again, but that came as no surprise. He was almost used to existing in a constant state of arousal by now.

She looked up at him, so very earnest, almost apologetic.

Mavrel’s expression softened. Perhaps she was tense, too. She hadn’t realized that he was only teasing. “Beatrice, you can do no wrong by me. If you understand what this is , then you should know that.”

She stiffened, but he sensed no alarm from her. It was more like… she was in thrall. “You know, it’s strange. I don’t usually like it when people call me by my full name. But when you do it, I don’t mind.” She closed her eyes, long, dark lashes fluttering against dewy cheeks. Absolute perfection. “I figure you might already have guessed this, Mavrel, but I want to make it clear so there’s no misunderstanding. Zharek told me exactly what’s going on. The fact that I’m here with you should tell you all you need to know. I’m interested… but I want to use this as an opportunity to get to know all about you—the planet you’re from, your people, your culture. To be perfectly honest, I could jump your bones right now—that’s how attractive you are to me—but I’d prefer to get to know you first.”

Mavrel breathed in sharply.

Oh, this woman was forward.

She was testing him, wasn’t she?

This was a human test of how serious he was.

Their dance had already started. It was delicate and exquisite, and it could descend into madness at any given time…

If he allowed.

The next move is yours to make. Do something.

He found her fingers, which were still tightly curled around his arm. Mavrel gently disentangled them and held her hand. He stroked his thumb along her palm and leaned in until his lips were almost touching her ear. “I’m delighted to get to know you,” he whispered, wondering where these words came from. He’d never felt like saying such things before. “There’s no pressure. No rush. No matter what state I’m in, you don’t need to surrender to my urgency. Just let time flow, and remember that I will never force you to do anything against your will. I will never harm you. I want to learn all about you, too, even if I’m already certain I’ll like what I discover.”

Never before had he been so sure of anything.

This was nature.

This was inevitable.

The frisson of energy that ran through him seemed to transfer to her, for she trembled faintly. “Sounds like fun.”

“Indeed.” He wanted to kiss her so badly, but he held back because some instinct deep within him told him it was the right thing to do.

But, maybe …

Slowly, carefully, he slid his arm around her waist.

To his delight, she didn’t resist.

She actually leaned into him a little.

A low rumble of satisfaction emanated from deep in his throat.

He took a step forward, guiding her toward the doors.

One by one, the Qualum fibers unraveled until they stood before a vast hall filled with people—both human and Kordolian.

The murmur of hundreds of voices filled the air, but when Mavrel and Bea stepped forward, a hush seemed to fall across the room.

It was only for a heartbeat, but people stopped.

They stared… and admired.

Mavrel was immensely pleased.

As they walked inside, the Universe started moving again. He was aroused, in pain, and having to draw on all his strength to filter out the noise that assaulted his heightened hearing, but that small, sublime moment had made all of the agony worth it.

He stopped, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply.

Bea squeezed his hand. “Are you okay?”

He opened his eyes again, looking down into shimmering pools of deepest brown.

Paradoxically, she calmed him.

Everything was easier if he focused solely on her.

“Yes, Bea. I’m perfectly fine.”

And that was exactly what he would do.