Chapter 43

The first thing I saw when I woke was Seth asleep on his stomach, his arm hanging off the edge of our bed, and Lucy curled up on his back. The sight of the two of them made me beam. My husband. My mate. Seth was staying. He’d picked me, and I would forever be grateful.

One of Lucy’s golden eyes cracked open. I wiggled my fingers. She stretched, butt in the air. As she hopped off Seth’s back, I expected her to come to me, but she jumped off the bed and strutted from the room.

“Seriously?” I asked her retreating form.

“She’s a cat. What do you expect?” Seth asked, voice thick with sleep.

“Husband,” I said, pressing a kiss to his shoulder blade.

“Morning,” he croaked before taking a deep breath and snuggling back against his pillow. I chuckled and kissed his neck. “It’s early,” he protested.

“Is it?” I asked, kissing him again.

He didn’t answer, so I kept kissing his neck; my lips wandered down his spine, pressing whisper-soft touches and nibbles on his skin. Seth groaned. I continued until I nipped the round globe of his ass. He rolled over and drew me on top of him.

I pressed my lips against his and dragged my claws down his arms. Seth shivered, mouth opening. My hips started to grind against his, and our kisses grew faster and harder. I invaded his mouth, and he sucked on my tongue, making me moan.

“I guess it isn’t too early,” I commented, feeling the hardness of his cock against my hip.

Seth didn’t bother to respond and took possession of my mouth. He sucked on my lower lip, then bit it as he rocked under me, our cocks brushing. I moaned, desperate for him. I ripped my lips away from his and slid down his body. I nipped and sucked on his skin, licking each of his nipples. Seth squirmed under me. I rolled one of his nipples between my fingers while I sucked on the other, teasing it with my tongue.

“Kal,” he cried.

Seth was so sensitive, and I loved it.

I continued moving down, placing kisses on the swell of his stomach, licking his navel, until I reached my target. I lapped a bead of pre-seed off his cock, the taste bitter yet delicious. Seth called my name again.

I ran my tongue around the crown of his cock before placing open mouthed kisses along his shaft. I cupped his balls, gently squeezing them, and I took him in my mouth. Seth swore. His hips bucked beneath me, sending him deeper. I moaned at the feel of him on my tongue and the taste of him on my lips.

Seth released a volley of cries intermixed with untranslated words. I sucked up his shaft, licking his slit with the point of my tongue. I traced the tight pucker of his ass, knowing he wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer. I would help him with stamina later. Right now, I was desperate to drink his release.

“So,” a deep voice said, “this is why you’re ignoring me.”

My soul froze within my chest, and Seth squeaked. I was up in a flash, whipping around to the screen, all the while keeping myself and Seth covered.

“Father,” I snapped.

Seth sank down, disappearing under the blanket but not before I saw his bright red face.

“By the code of conduct and laws of privacy,” I snarled, “you are not allowed to be transferred to someone”s quarters without their permission. I could file charges against you.”

His eyebrow raised. “Try it.”

“What do you want?”

“You have not spoken to me, your mother, or your brothers. We are concerned.”

“I’m fine.”

“This,” my father said, gesturing, “is what happened in the past when you started to act out.”

A sharp stabbing sensation started in my chest and flooded my entire body. In the past, I’d made mistakes, but I had worked very hard to put them behind me. Still, they never were. At the slightest misstep, everyone assumed I was back to how I was.

“I was not ignoring you because of any issues, Father, I was—”

“He was taking care of me,” Seth interrupted, his deep voice like music to my ears. “He was taking care of me because I was sick. And for your information, he is amazing, and I don’t deserve him. I choose him, so stop threatening him with me.”

I blinked at the venom in his voice, though it made my soul sing. Father watched Seth with an unreadable gaze. When Seth opened his mouth, I shook my head. He closed his mouth and glared at my father.

“You don’t seem sick anymore with the activity I happened upon,” Father remarked.

Seth turned bright red, sagging back.

“Is that all you needed?” I asked, crushing Seth to my side. Tension radiated off him, and I worried he was going to have a panic attack. Seth didn’t like people seeing us being overly affectionate, and my father had caught us in a very intimate moment.

“Yes. Answer me or your mother’s pings next time,” he ordered. “I will contact you tomorrow to discuss your behavior.”

When he disappeared, I turned to Seth, who trembled. I said, “I didn’t think that would happen. I swear.”

Seth nodded, pale.

“Are you alright?”

“Did I mess everything up?”

I asked, “What? You didn’t mess anything up.”

“I yelled at your father.”

“I’m sure it was good for him. I often yell at him, and as my mate, you’re allowed to defend me.” When Seth didn’t speak, I tightened my hold. “I liked you protecting me.”

“I didn’t like him talking to you like that.”

My lips pursed. “In his defense, I have caused a lot of trouble.”

“I don’t care,” he said, voice hard.

I nuzzled him. “Thank you for loving me.”

Because I was still embarrassed about his father popping in on us, I’d slept in my room last night, and Kal had joined me. Not that changing rooms mattered, but it had made me feel better.

This morning, Kal had departed after a private conversation with his father. He hadn’t wanted to discuss it, and I didn’t pester him. He was allowed privacy.

I put Lucy onto my lap, and she purred in contentment, making biscuits on my thigh. Comfortable in my bulky sweater, I stretched out on the couch to read. It had been a few weeks since I’d read in Drakconese, and already some of the knowledge had disappeared. But I forged on. This was one of Kal’s favorite books, and I was determined to finish it.

After an hour or so, I set it aside, head throbbing. “NAID?”

“Yes?”

“How are you?”

“Perfectly optimal.”

That hadn’t been the best question to ask. “Anything new?”

“Dr. Qinlin is interviewing candidates to take over my independence project when we return home. She prefers to be a doctor on a ship rather than research. Shocking, considering her personality.”

I grinned.

“She’s planning on turning the project over to an engineer.”

An idea started to form in the back of my mind. “What about Wyn?”

“What about Wyn? You need to narrow the parameters.”

“What about having him assigned to the project? I don’t know if he’d even want to.” I kind of hoped he would. It would keep Wyn on Tamkolvanloknol. Urgg would go wherever Talvax was assigned, but Wyn could stay.

NAID bobbed on the TV. “He can’t head the project with his rank, but he possesses enough qualifications to join. I could mention it to Dr. Qinlin. It would be a prestigious appointment for him.”

“I would appreciate it,” I said, massaging my temples in an attempt to get rid of the growing throbbing.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m just getting a headache.”

“I should tell Prince Kalvoxrencol.”

“No,” I said, sitting up and upsetting Lucy. “I’ll be fine.”

“He would want to know.”

“It would worry him.”

“Maybe you should see Dr. Qinlin?” NAID suggested, bobbing.

“Really, it’s not a big deal. I need to lie down, though. I’ll talk to you later.”

With my head throbbing, I went to my bedroom and turned the lights down. I tried to fall asleep, but it would not come. It didn’t matter what position I tried. I couldn’t get comfortable, and my headache didn’t ease. A while later, the door opened and the bed dipped before arms pulled me against a solid chest.

“Kal.”

“Are you alright, my Seth?” he asked.

“I have a headache.” His muscles tightened instantly, and I rubbed his arm to soothe him. “I will be fine, Babe.”

His breath stirred the hair on my neck as he slowly relaxed.

“What did your father want?”

“I thought he was going to yell at me, but he didn’t. He liked you and the fact you’re so protective of me, but he’s worried.”

“About?” The sheets bunched as I rolled toward Kal. I wanted to see him, but in the darkness of the room, I couldn’t make out more than his outline.

“Me.”

“Why?”

“He fears I can’t take care of you.”

“Like I’m a pet.”

“No,” Kal said, “he’s worried I’ll drag you into whatever problems I’ll cause. It’s me he doesn’t have faith in.”

“I believe in you.”

He rubbed his forehead against mine, taking a deep breath.

“Everything will be fine.” When Kal didn’t reply, I asked, “What?”

Kal burrowed against me, tail winding up my calf. “He might not let us confirm our mating.”

“Why?”

“Because he doesn’t think I can handle the responsibilities.”

“How can he do that?”

“In my culture, my parents have substantial control of my life until I mate. I’m only in the first phase of adulthood. When I mate, I’m considered a full adult who’s found the other half of their soul. I couldn’t even appeal to the Crystal for you without my parents” explicit approval. It’s called (untranslated word).”

The words transition, change, and shift floated in my mind, but none seemed to fit. “What? I don’t understand.”

“Let me think of another way to put it,” he said, then, after a few moments, continued, “the in between.”

“In between?”

“We can hold jobs, have relationships, and even manage our money. But we are not full-fledged adults until we mate. Our parents hold certain rights over us, like appealing to the Crystal, taking a mate, or making large decisions of where we can live and what we can do. Like when my parents enlisted me in the Drakcon Navy. Though chosen mates don’t have the same restrictions, because we can’t help but fall in love, and once that bond is made, it’s permanent, regardless of our parents’ approval or not.”

“So you could be super old, and still not have complete control of your life?” I asked, gaping.

“Yes.”

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.” My mouth dropped open. “I’m sorry. That was rude.”

“Many people are trying to appeal the laws. It’s not fair to those who have no interest in romantic relationships or even long-term relationships. But it’s hard. The first phase of adulthood or the in-between has been a cultural law for longer than our written history. Already there have been some changes. Previously, we couldn’t hold a job or manage our finances without a parent’s say.”

“So you can’t mate without your parents” approval or reaffirm your mating without them if you sought the Crystal, but you have to be mated to be a full-fledged adult,” I said, shaking my head. “I think I like it better in my culture. After a certain age, you’re an adult.”

Kal hooked his calf over my hip. My fingers trailed up his back, tracing his wings through his clothes. He kept pressing against me as if he wanted to crawl inside of me.

Suffocated, I asked, “You okay?”

“What if he breaks our bond, and I have to take you home?”

I squeezed him as tight as possible. “That won’t happen.”

“What if it does?”

I didn’t want to leave Kal. I’d already given up everything for him, and I didn’t want to go back to Earth and live my life without him. Even if I had no memories, I was certain I would keep searching for him.

“We’ll run away.”

“What?” Kal asked, sitting up.

“We’ll run away. It’s a big universe. There has to be somewhere we can go.”

“We wouldn’t be bonded.”

My heart pounded. “If we weren’t, would you not want to be with me anymore?”

“No,” he growled. “I will always want to be with you.”

I trailed my thumb across his cheekbone, then down his straight nose, finding his full lips. “Then we run away. I have no idea what we’ll do for money, but we’ll figure it out.”

He waved off my concern. “My father can’t disown or cut me off, even if he wants to. We’d have to live on my allowance and what little money I have, but we’d be fine. I even have a house on the planet Tatq. It’s on the beach and quite beautiful.”

“Sounds lovely,” I remarked. Rich people were really something else.

“I’ll still call you husband.”

“I’ll still call you babe, as long as you don’t mind.”

“I like it.”

I moved to kiss him. Maybe he could chase away my headache in another way, but Kal said something to kill the mood.

“If my father doesn’t reaffirm our mating, we won’t be able to have kids.”

“Kids?” I squeaked. I’d never thought about having kids in the future. NAID had told me not long after I’d been abducted that Kal and I could have children if we wanted.

“Yes. Children. Do you not want children?”

“I don’t know.” After my crappy childhood with my grandparents, I never wanted to do the same thing to a child. It was an easy promise to keep if I never had any kids. “Do you?”

“I do.”

I snuggled closer because I needed physical reassurance from him. “Is that going to be a problem?”

“I will always choose you, my Seth.”

His words didn’t make me feel better; instead, they sent a wave of guilt crashing over me. Kal shouldn’t have to sacrifice his dream for me. Kids were often a deal breaker for relationships, but our relationship wasn’t typical. We’d basically gotten married without talking, and we were soulmates.

“I need time to think about it,” I said. “My childhood was less than ideal.”

“There’s no rush. You can have whatever time you need, and if you don’t want children, it’s fine. I promise. You are the only thing in the universe I can’t live without.”