Chapter 15

FIFTEEN

Afterward, they sat together on the sofa, naked, basking in the afterglow of sex, limbs entwined, bodies melded together.

Bea had never felt anything as serene before.

She mused on how strange it was that here, of all places, was where she’d discovered this feeling.

On a massive alien space station, thousands of kilometers from Earth.

With a man who, until not too long ago, had been a complete stranger.

The rules of human dating didn’t apply here. She’d very quickly realized that she would have to adjust and make a quick decision.

No, she didn’t feel coerced.

No, she wasn’t being manipulated.

Yes, her body’s reaction to him had accelerated everything and made the impossible possible.

No, she wasn’t having second thoughts.

Could she make this work? Yes.

Based on what she’d seen, heard, and felt, yes.

“Beatrice,” Mavrel murmured, rolling the syllables of her name over his tongue in his unmistakable Kordolian accent, making it sound rare and lyrical.

Her heart fluttered. The pit of her belly dropped—in a good way. “Hmm?”

He stroked her hair, fingers dancing through her ultra-fine braids. “You understand what this means, yes?”

“I think I do.”

“You humans might call it obsession, but to me, it’s perfectly normal. I consider you mine. To that end, I would destroy anything or anyone that threatened to take you away from me. I would see you happy at all costs, to the point where I might risk stifling you. Once I set my mind on a goal, I tend to pursue it to the exclusion of all else.” The look in Mavrel’s amber eyes made Bea’s heart skip a beat. His presence was overwhelming. It was only now that she truly saw the intensity behind his deceptively laid-back facade.

That was a mask, a necessary layer.

This was the true Mavrel.

“If I ever get too much , you must tell me at once. You must push back. Scream at me if you must. I would never, ever hold it against you. You are the one person in the Universe I would allow to get away with anything.”

Bea laughed softly in wondrous disbelief. “That’s almost unfair. You make it sound like I can get away with whatever I want. I assure you, I can be an outspoken bitch, and if you ever upset me, you’ll know about it. But don’t wrap me up in cotton wool and treat me like I’m perfect because I’m far from it. I can get obsessive, too. I get lost in my art projects and can have a terrible sense of time. I can be impulsive, overly emotional, and way too trusting.” As I am now, she thought giddily.

“None of those things are a problem to me, and you aren’t wrong to trust me,” he said softly as if reading her mind. “If only you could understand what I’ve fought, what I’ve come from. This is the Universe I wanted—to be able to have this freedom.” He leaned in and gently kissed her on her cheek tenderly, patiently, without any of the frantic urgency that had consumed him before. “I know it’ll take some time. So, let us continue this courtship. I’ll meet you on your turf next.”

Not realizing that she’d become tense, Bea relaxed, allowing her body to melt against his. “That would be good. As I mentioned before, I’d like you to come visit me in a few days.”

“I’ll be there.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” Although she enjoyed socializing, Bea rarely invited people to her home. That space was reserved for those she felt closeness with—old friends and relatives.

It would be interesting to see how Mavrel reacted to her human space, especially with what she was planning.”

“Then, shall we continue?” Mavrel gestured toward the doors. “I’m feeling much more sane now—enough to tolerate being your guide without losing my shit.”

Bea laughed. “Let’s do it. I’m curious to see who else is here. Do you think the infamous former general will be there?”

“Tarak?” Mavrel frowned, looking mildly irritated. “Probably. He’s been difficult lately, on account of the fact that his mate’s pregnant again. If I see him, I’ll introduce you.”

“You’re on a first-name basis with the Big Boss? I’m impressed. You must be pretty high up in the hierarchy.”

“Not really,” Mavrel grumbled, although his frown evaporated, and he almost looked pleased. “I’m just a person who can fulfill his very specific instructions—one amongst many.”

“You’re just being modest now, aren’t you?” Bea sat up amidst the aftermath of their lovemaking: finery strewn across the floor and sofa, shoes tossed aside, hair disheveled. Mavrel was somewhat dressed, his trousers having been pushed down to his knees, his boots still on his feet. “Stand up, big fella.”

His eyebrows went up in surprise as he rose to his feet, automatically extending a hand to help Bea up.

Still naked, she reached for Mavrel’s trousers and pulled them up, pressing herself against him as she tried to fix the waistband.

Mavrel reached down and found the black silken belt. “Allow me.” In a practiced series of movements, he tightly wrapped it around his torso several times, covering the waistband of his trousers and holding them in place.

Effectively wrapping himself up in a neat silver-and-black package.

Bea pressed her hand against the lean, chiseled planes of his stomach, running her fingers over his warm skin.

He shuddered. “ Don’t. I could lose control again.”

She was almost tempted. “You have that much stamina?”

“For you, always.”

Stars. What have we gotten ourselves into?

She suspected she was just beginning to realize how glorious they could be together, and it made her delirious with excitement. “We’d better go before we end up missing the entire event.”

Mavrel let out a soft huff of amusement as he picked up her dress. “Allow me.”

“ Oh. ” Bea took the hint and lifted her arms above her head. Being so tall, it was easy for Mavrel to slip the garment over her shoulders and tug it down so it sat in all the right places. He smoothed down the slinky fabric, caressing her curves, sliding his hands over her ass, making Bea aroused all over again.

Really, this man was going to be her undoing.

She couldn’t imagine how different her life was going to be now.

He zipped her up and attempted to tuck a few stray braids back into her bun.

Bea shook her head and unwrapped her hair, pulling out the pins that held her updo in place.

Her long braids cascaded down, eliciting a sharp intake of breath from Mavrel.

“They’re very intricate,” he marveled, his voice filled with curiosity. “Is there some sort of human significance to this style?”

Bea ran her fingers through the tiny braids, which had taken hours upon hours to complete. “My natural hair is intricate in itself—fine and tightly coiled. These kinds of styles developed out of necessity—to protect hair like mine—but they’ve also become a form of self-expression, a celebration of what nature and my ancestors have given me. And, of course, because it looks good.” Bea smiled, feeling proud and appreciating his genuine interest. She ran her fingers through his moonlight locks, combing out soft tangles, smoothing them to silky perfection. “Much like you wear your hair long and loose, or some of your people grow your horns to their full extent, hmm?”

“I see.” He kissed her again, this time on her lips. “There’s so much I have to learn.”

“Same here. But we have a lot of time, don’t we?”

“That we do.”

He took her hand and led her out of the room, through the magically unraveling doors, and back into the vast hall. The crowd had thinned a little, people dispersing to the various displays and exhibits that lined the vast hall.

With Mavrel at her side, Bea felt ecstatic, proud, and a little naughty. She quickly looked him up and down and then did the same with herself.

They looked polished, neither of them with a single hair out of place. Would anyone suspect that they’d just made passionate love inside the damn anatomy exhibit?

What kind of crazy exhibit was that, anyway? Who in their right mind thought that locking two people in a room with detailed holographic explanations of Kordolian… anatomy was appropriate in any way, shape, or form?

It was ludicrous, and the more she thought about it, the warmer she felt inside, her arousal glowing like slow-burning embers. Bea was pretty sure the heat in her cheeks and ears wasn’t going away any time soon.

She looked around, hoping to spot Clarissa, but her friend was nowhere to be seen—no doubt, she was busy spending time with her dashing Kordolian companion.

Mavrel squeezed her fingers. “Are you hungry? There’s a food station over there. We’ve catered for human tastes, but there’s also Kordolian food if you’re curious enough. Although the variety in our cuisine isn’t nearly as elaborate or wide as that of your human food.”

At the mention of food, Bea’s stomach growled.

Mavrel’s soft chuckle reminded her that Kordolians possessed sharper-than-normal hearing.

“Can’t hide much from you, can I?” she grumbled. “Actually, I wouldn’t mind a bite. Why don’t you serve me something? I wouldn’t mind trying Kordolian food, actually. I bet very few humans have had the chance to try it.”

“Hm.” He was looking at her again—in an indecipherable, hyper-intense, Kordolian kind of way.

Bea suddenly felt self-conscious. “ What?”

He leaned in, whispering in her ear. “I’m in awe of how open and fearless you are.”

“Only because you make it so easy for me to be.”

A wicked little half-smile tugged at his lips. “Does that mean you trust me, then?”

“I mostly trust you to do the right thing, yes.”

“ Mostly? ”

“Let’s not forget that you knew all about the thing with the Mating Fever even before I set foot in this place. You had the home turf advantage, and you knew it.”

“I…” Mavrel waved one hand through the air, becoming uncharacteristically flustered. “It’s as I said. I was as ill-prepared for this as you. Even more so. It was Zharek who forced the issue.”

“And aren’t we glad he did?”

“Perhaps. I have a plan to deal with him,” Mavrel said quietly, his expression becoming cold and distant.

Bea wasn’t sure if she wanted to ask.

“Don’t worry, I won’t kill him. I won’t even physically harm him. I’m merely going to cause him to receive some of his own medicine.”

She chuckled. “You know, there’s a human saying—to give someone a taste of their own medicine. I think you might be getting the hang of the wordplay thing.”

“Never,” Mavrel said dryly, and Bea couldn’t tell if he was being serious or deadpan-funny. “I always say what I mean.”

Abruptly, he stiffened, pulling her closer. Bea was about to wonder what all the fuss was about, but then she saw him.

It was uncanny, seeing a certain face up close—one she’d seen so many times before: on the Networks, in viral news holograms, in official Federation communications.

It was him.

General Tarak al Akkadian.

Probably the single most powerful man in the Nine Galaxies.

He trapped them in his dark-red stare and walked right up to them.

And he was every bit as intimidating and charismatic in real life as he appeared on the Networks.

“Mavrel.” He tipped his head in greeting.

“Sir,” Mavrel said, bowing his head deferentially.

Bea’s eyebrows rose. It was the first time she’d seen Mavrel act like this with anyone. She suspected it was an automatic response, conditioned from his days in the Kordolian Military, like a sort of muscle memory.

Some habits died hard, apparently.

Then, Tarak al Akkadian turned to her, and Bea found herself staring back at the most inscrutable, hard-ass-looking, and, quite frankly, terrifying individual she’d ever encountered.

“Bea,” he said, offering her a small bow. It was the same sort of greeting she’d had from a few Kordolians already, but when he did it, she felt like she was supposed to stand to attention or something. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I trust Mavrel is being hospitable.”

She wasn’t surprised that he already knew who she was. “He’s a wonderful host, Sir,” she replied. “I couldn’t be happier right now.”

“Good. And you may call me Tarak.” The former commander of the entire Kordolian Imperial Military, who had broken the empire and disrupted the balance of power in the Nine Galaxies, actually smiled at her, showing the points of his fangs.

Bea felt slightly ridiculous. She didn’t know why she’d called him Sir. Like Mavrel, she’d succumbed to some sort of reflexive response.

But what the hell was she supposed to do? Assume she was already on a first-name basis with fucking Tarak al Akkadian?

She, who very rarely lost her composure, had to recover it quick smart. “Thank you for… everything you’ve done, Tarak.”

Bea blinked, wondering why she’d said that.

Maybe it was because she was starting to appreciate what the Kordolians’ presence here really meant for humans and Earth.

The former general smiled enigmatically. “No need for thanks. My reasons are mostly selfish.”

Mavrel snorted softly. “That’s just image-keeping.”

“Hm.” The look Tarak gave them made the fine hairs on Bea’s arms stand on end. She knew he was a good guy—at least he was now—but he made her feel a little bit edgy and so very human.

That was her intuition kicking in.

Tarak inclined his head, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. His expression became distant for a second before snapping back to the here and now. “There’s something I must attend to. If you will excuse me. Mavrel. Bea. Good to meet you.”

And then, the head of this whole colossal and impossibly powerful alien operation was gone, leaving a vacuum in the wake of his presence.

Until Mavrel broke the spell by putting his arm around her shoulders, pulling her back down to reality, and wrapping her in his warmth. “I know. He’s a force. Happens to everyone. But you did well.”

“Did I?” She laughed. “I felt like a bumbling idiot, and that never happens to me.”

“As I said, it happens to everyone, especially the first time.”

“I can’t even begin to imagine what his spouse must be like.” What kind of formidable, insane human would be attached to Tarak al Akkadian?

“Abbey? You’d like her,” Mavrel shrugged. “She isn’t what you’d think. She’s also quite pregnant at the moment, but you’ll get to meet her eventually.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“And I’m looking forward to feeding you. After which, what would you like to see? A condensed exploration of our history? The fighting and combat demonstration? A simulation of the Vaal? Tribal lore? The tech showcase?”

She leaned into him: into his warm, comfortable familiarity, his closeness.

Into how natural they felt together.

“Mavrel, I want to see all of it with you.”

He smiled at her: a wide, brilliant smile, fangy and bright and genuine, an expression she couldn’t have imagined him capable of when she’d first met him. “Let’s do it, then.”

And as he led her through the crowd of aliens and strangers alike, Bea came to a surprising realization.

Up here in space, on this floating vastness of black metal and strange technology, suddenly, unexpectedly, she felt perfectly at home.

As long as she was with him.