Chapter 18 | Rex

Chapter 18

Rex

My body roared with aggression, my spots blazing purple on my face. That bastard was the one who had stolen my mate from Ker, and he’d harmed her in the process. I still recalled her poor, blistered feet and the many cuts on her tiny fingers. The purple ring of bruises around her slender wrists had been vividly engraved in my mind, marks made by ropes tied too tightly. It was incredibly hard to remain in place and not chase after that bastard, but that would undo everything I’d achieved.

“What just happened?” Kara asked me, and the touch of her small hand against my back settled me. She was safe; at the very least, she was safe from the Akrod authorities. They had closed the Kertinal’s case of ‘stolen property,’ which had probably been Drova’s idea. If I went to prison for theft, the bar would be his—free and clear again. That was his angle.

I turned around, dropped my cleaver on the counter so she couldn’t hurt herself on it when we hugged, and then I held her close for long minutes. Eventually, I drew her away from me just enough that I could sign with both hands where she could see. “Drova got that thief to report you as stolen, then sicced the police on us. Registering you as an employee gave you certain protections; it would have been a long, bureaucratic process. But the threat of the Kertinillian Empire was enough to dissuade them from investigating. You are safe.”

Kara didn’t look happy about this; her dainty brow furrowed deeply as she gazed at my face. “So when will the Kertinal show up to take me back to Ker? I don’t want to go... I want to stay with you.” She said it so easily, so boldly, and that made me happy beyond words. I crushed her close, then claimed her mouth with mine. She came eagerly, tangling her small tongue with mine, her hands roaming my chest. My cock surged in my pants, eager for the claiming I had planned for the night.

When I let my female up for air, it was only so I could sign to her, “You are mine. I am keeping you.” That made her smile, but I hurried to explain I was serious. “I never contacted Ker; the last was a bluff. Nobody is coming.”

Her eyes went wide as she processed that, as it hit her what that meant. I told her I would reach out on her behalf, and I had not. She had changed her mind about wanting to leave, but I had never given her that choice. From the start, I’d set out to keep her, and I’d lied to her to do it. I expected her to be upset, but she sighed. “I guess that makes us even, doesn’t it? I didn’t tell you about the perma-contacts and Laza, and you weren’t honest about this. Promise me the truth from now on?” I nodded immediately. Of course, I would never want anything but honesty between us. Now that nothing stood in our way, there was no reason for subterfuge.

“So you never intended to let me go, did you?” she asked, smiling as she raised herself onto tiptoe and curled her arms around my neck. I had to duck down so she could reach me, but it was worth it when she brushed a kiss against my cheek. “I did some research on your species, you know. You mate for life, don’t you?” I nodded, my heart pounding fiercely in my chest. “Am I your mate, Rex?”

“Yes,” I nodded, and when that smile grew wide on her face, happiness filling her eyes, I yanked her close and kissed her. Screw the bar for the night. Drova could manage slinging drinks for a few hours; I was taking my mate home to claim her. Kara didn’t object when I started to flick off stove buttons and lock up my knives; it made her giggle when I bundled her in her cloak and cradled her against my chest. Then I was jogging out the back door to the sound of her laughter and an eager: “Hurry up, Rex.”

I reached my home in record time, ignored the surprised sound of the building’s supervisor, who had just ducked out of his office, and barged inside. I dropped Kara in my hammock and spun to lock the door, slide the deadbolt home, and then flicked on the lights and located the heater. I felt her eyes on me as I moved, but I did not look until I was done, certain she would distract me from my tasks.

I froze at the sight that greeted me. My pretty female had undressed while I’d secured the place, and my eyes feasted on pale skin and sweet, sexy curves. Her breasts were tipped with pink nipples, a little thatch of brown curls at the apex of her thighs. The perfume of her arousal floated through the air and made my mouth water, my cock jerked in my pants, and my tai ached for touch. They twined and curled against each other, but that was no substitute for touching my female with the sensitive tendrils. I wanted her so badly that I knew the first time would be rushed, but that was okay because I’d make her come for me over and over tonight.

Drawing in a deep breath through my teeth, I stalked closer and watched as that made her swallow roughly, her expression a mixture of excitement and worry. My upper hands signed assurances for her. When that eased the tension from her body, I started telling her about all the things I wanted to do, starting with licking her pretty petals, and definitely followed by filling her with my cock until she screamed my name over and over.

That made a deep flush settle on her cheeks and down her throat, a pink that came close to the shade my spots went when I was turned on. It was such a familiar sight already, and it reminded me of how a Pretorian female would look in bed if I did my job right. I definitely intended to do my job right. My thumb located the buckle of my belt, and with a flick, I started to open my pants, freeing my cock and tai. The small tendrils had all twisted down to curl around the base of my cock, squeezing it tightly, but to show off, I raised them and curled them in the air so my mate could see what I was packing.

A Pretorian with many tendrils was coveted, and the longer they were, the more attractive they became. Mine were particularly numerous, and some were as thick as a finger, perfectly designed for a female’s pleasure. I already knew all about the little pleasure button located at the top of my female’s folds; my tai were going to be very, very compatible with it.

I did not bother to kick off my boots or shuck my pants, leaving them on because I simply couldn’t wait. My upper hands steadied the hammock first, while I used my lower set to grab Kara’s legs and pull her to the edge. That would put her off-balance, in my complete control to do with as I wanted, and I craved that mastery as much as I craved the sound of her moans. Already, her pink folds glistened with her juices, and I bent down to lap them up with an eager, soundless groan. Yes, first I’d feast, then I’d fuck her.