Chapter 51

FIFTY-ONE

She walked into the cool, dark room, her senses heightened in anticipation.

He was here.

It was just the two of them.

The closer she got, the more powerfully she felt his aura. Until, at last, she was standing in the room where he slept: stark and minimalist, with nothing but a cocoon-like pod along the wall; curved and bathed in shadows, with just a hint of soft blue light illuminating the area.

As she caught sight of him, her breath caught.

What surreal trick of fate was this, that she could walk in on one of the most dangerous beings in the Universe when he was completely vulnerable, caught in a deep, chemically-induced sleep?

And she knew that even if he came to, he would never harm her.

Jade reached the side of the pod.

She stared down, completely transfixed.

There you are.

He was asleep.

He lay on his back, arms by his sides, his face tilted slightly upwards; his long, dark hair strewn across the bed.

He was completely naked.

Oh, my God.

Jade had always found Dragek strikingly attractive. But now, lying here in perfect slumber—his expression peaceful and unguarded, his silvery features burnished by the gentle light—he looked like something out of pure fantasy.

Warmth spread through her chest, mingling with anticipation and desire.

She studied him in awe, taking in his strong features, which contrasted with the lushness of his lips. His eyebrows were stark, unapologetic slashes underlining his prominent, handsome brow.

His eyes were closed. His lashes were long, dark, and surprisingly delicate.

She drank him in, suddenly greedy, for she had him all to herself.

He was hers and hers alone.

Desire coiled around her as the warmth in her chest spread to every inch of her body. She was on fire. She wanted him so badly.

And yet…

She couldn't bear to wake him.

He was so serene.

Her gaze traveled down his body. She'd seen him naked in their dreams, but encountering him in real life was something else.

Every inch of him was perfectly honed, and even in sleep, he radiated raw, dangerous power. She knew how swift and deadly he could be, which made this all the more incredible—that she could be so close to him, feel so affectionate, and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would never, ever harm her.

Her eyes were drawn to his cock, which was semi-erect.

Her mind went blank. For a heartbeat, she couldn't think of anything else but the way she'd felt with him inside her, and her wanting intensified.

What do I do now?

Selfishly, she wanted to wake him up, even though he probably really needed the rest.

After all, he'd been using his ka'qui. If the fatigue she'd felt after using the krisalix was anything to go by, he would be exhausted, too.

With the energy of the Universe swirling around inside her, creating pressure that made her desperate for release, Jade closed her eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. She tempered her wild ka'qui , surprised at how easy it was to control now.

The more she used it, the easier it became. After wielding so much power through the krisalix , this small feat felt like child's play.

She slipped into the pod beside him. There were no sheets or pillows, just a mildly soft surface covered in a material that felt like silk.

It was slightly too cool in here for her liking. She wrapped herself in her robe and sought out Dragek's warmth, for he was always warm.

She embraced him, curling her arm across his bare torso—caressing his hard, sculpted body. His smooth skin was deliciously warm. He smelled good, too: of male musk and something vaguely wintery, like a cold stream in a pine forest.

She'd never been so enamored of another person before.

So obsessed.

So immersed in pure, sensory bliss.

Which was also torture.

She was so close to him, but she couldn't have him yet.

Maybe she was a bit of a masochist because part of her wanted to crystallize the exquisite agony of this moment and seal it away in her soul forever.

Lying there beside him—feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest, soaking up his warmth and his dormant power—she savored the thrill and the sheer tension of anticipation.

She closed her eyes and waited for what felt like an eternity until there was a subtle change in the cadence of his breathing.

He turned his head and opened his eyes.

She found herself staring into depthless obsidian, as infinite and wondrous as the Universe itself.

But he was no mystery to her.

His eyes, sightless and yet all-seeing, were filled with immense warmth.

Her heart swelled.

She reached up and touched the side of his face, trying to reassure herself that he was indeed real and that, for once, this wasn't all a dream.

"I'm here," he murmured, sliding his arm across her waist, pulling her toward him, tightening his grip. "And we are firmly in the present, in the physical realm. This isn't a dream, my sarien. "

"I know it isn't, but it feels like one to me," she replied, enjoying the sudden closeness; the way his honed body pressed against hers until they were perfectly molded together. "And that isn't a bad thing."

"It's because your human world is so small." Dragek dipped his head, nuzzling the hollow of her neck. He took a deep, shuddering breath. "The things you could fathom before are different to what you know now."

"That's true." She tensed and then relaxed as he kissed her there, in the place just above her collarbone. His lips were molten bliss.

"I've waited so long for this," he whispered, trailing kisses up her neck, pausing just below her jawline, over the spot where her pulse thudded wildly. Then, his lips found her earlobe. He sucked on it gently, sending a thrill of desire through her. "Finding you was a one-in-a-billion chance. You're mine now, Jade. There's nothing in the Universe that could make me let go of you." His aura surged in intensity, and she allowed it to engulf her.

She was cocooned.

His devotion was all-encompassing.

She knew that with him, there was no going back. There would never be another, and he would never abandon her.

They were entwined. He was the only one who could temper the chaos of her world, and she was the only one who could break through his hard layers.

And he was the most shockingly attractive man she'd ever seen in her life.

Her arousal flared.

How lucky she was.

"You never cease to surprise me." Instinctively, she shifted until she was on her back.

He moved with her until he was above her on his hands and knees; powerful and sinuous, his dark eyes burning with desire.

His lips were slightly parted, giving her a glimpse of his fangs.

His hair was tousled and unbound.

Unable to help herself, Jade reached out and ran her fingers through his long, silken strands.

He smiled and kissed her.

She responded eagerly, losing herself in his warmth, in the sheer intensity of his need.

A growl escaped him, reverberating from deep within his chest: a low, primal sound that she felt in her very bones.

Impossibly, she became even more aroused.

His deft hands roamed over her body, slipping beneath the thin fabric of her top. The material tensed then became loose and somehow fell away. For a moment, something sharp danced lightly across the soft skin of her belly.

His… claws?

As sharp and dangerous as the tip of a blade.

But not once did he hurt her. She actually enjoyed the sensation, the contrast in the sharpness of his claws and the tender caress of his lips against hers.

His hand slipped lower. He did exactly the same thing with her pants, then her undies, exposing her bare skin to the cool air.

The only thing left was the silken robe that was draped around her shoulders.

Suddenly, his claws were gone, and she felt the callused pads of his fingertips against her thighs as he slipped his hand between them, gently parting her legs.

She gasped at his gentle touch. Desperation made her grab his hand and guide him toward her entrance.

Her ka'qui burst forth, mingling with his. She let him feel the full force of her need, and he responded in kind, driving her even more wild. His aura became tender and savage and purely primal.

Her mind held no thoughts anymore.

There was only her need and his lips against hers. His fingers slipped between her labia, finding her most sensitive point.

He gently caressed her clit.

Pure pleasure shot through her, and she writhed in ecstasy.

And that was only the beginning.

He slid his finger inside her, adding another, then another—stretching her while maintaining pressure against her clit.

Every time she needed a little bit more, he just seemed to know exactly what to do.

Maybe he could feel her need, the way she felt his.

He was desperate, and yet, he had the presence of mind to do this? To put her pleasure before his own, and somehow, he even enjoyed it?

He kissed her again as his deft fingers worked, as he turned her into a creature that knew nothing but craving and ecstasy.

She was helpless, and she reveled in it because he made her feel perfectly safe.

One of her hands found his lips. He sucked on her finger and apparently found the act quite pleasurable because he let out a deep groan.

She curled her finger around until she grazed his fangs.

He wrapped his other hand around the back of her neck at the base, holding her gently as he took her to yet another level of bliss.

He lowered himself, molding his hard body against hers, making sure she felt the length of his very erect cock pressing into her lower belly.

That alone was enough to tip her over the edge.

I need you inside me, she pleaded, resorting to mindspeech. Please.

Yes. He withdrew his hand, dragging his finger across her clit, making her shudder in anticipation.

Tension built inside her, and she begged for release.

Please.

She was perfectly primed.

All he had to do was ease into her slowly, his ridged cock sending her beyond what she thought was even possible.

For they fit together perfectly. He was made for her. Receiving him like this… was sublime.

How was he so damn perfect?

I've waited for you for so long, my sarien.

Impossibly, her pleasure intensified even more.

You're mine.

He fucked her slowly at first, letting out a low, shuddering sigh of relief.

At last.

You will always be mine.

He held her tighter and fucked her harder.

He wrapped his ka'qui around her, sending a ripple of energy across her body. Her skin tingled. Her senses became heightened. The intensity of everything was amplified a hundredfold.

Time—that strange, intangible thing, which she'd seen looped around and bent back over on itself—seemed not to matter anymore. She couldn't tell how long they were like this. Every moment felt like an eternity and an instant.

All she knew was that this man was hers. Their bond had been forged despite impossible odds, and now that they'd found one another…

It could never be broken.

He moved, drawing her upwards until he was on his knees, and she was wrapping her legs around him as his hands roamed over her body, gliding over her waist, her hips, her ass…

He was buried to the hilt inside her.

He felt better than heaven.

Her arms were around his neck—her fingers entwined with his soft, silken hair—as he pressed his lips against her neck, kissing her, taking her beyond oblivion.

Their auras combined, and for a sublime moment, they both merged with the essence of the Universe, becoming one.

She wanted to suspend everything now, to stay in this moment for an eternity.

But she needed release.

It was intolerable.

She couldn't bear this anymore.

Please…

At last, he tipped her over the edge. They climaxed together, and she buried her face in the hollow of his neck, drinking in his delicious scent as a soft howl escaped her lips.

He let out a hoarse cry as he found his release, his powerful arms tightening around her waist.

After they were both spent, he held her for a long time—just held her. The powerful rhythm of his heartbeat reverberated through her as he pressed his cheek against hers and reverently cradled her head.

As if he still couldn't believe she was his.

She couldn't believe it either, and yet, she couldn't imagine it any other way.

I finally found you, my koian .

Koian? The word sent a ripple across her skin, raising goosebumps. What does that mean?

It's an old term, rarely used anymore. It means guiding star.

" Guiding star? " She spoke aloud, laughing softly, incredulously. "But I came from total chaos."

"All stars are born from chaos, aren't they?" His voice was the deepest, most irresistible rumble, reverberating right through her chest. "I found you in chaos. You were chaos, but in the end, you were the only thing that kept me sane. Only you could have done that, Jade. Only you can keep me from succumbing."

He didn't have to say more because she already knew. There was darkness in him, and in a different Universe, he could have become something utterly terrifying.

But now he was here, with her, and the future stretched out before them, shimmering with the promise of all good things.

"I couldn't exist like this without you," she whispered, savoring their closeness. It was because of him that she'd grown so much in such a very short time. Because of him, her consciousness had expanded, and she'd found inner strength she didn't know she had.

He'd come from utter darkness, and yet, he still fought for all that was good.

Jade's chest swelled with warmth.

For the first time in her life, her heart was truly full.

"We have a lot to look forward to," she said before kissing him reverently.

At last, everything in the Universe was in its right place.

"Indeed," he growled, his voice filled with hunger. It occurred to her that he was hard— again— and still inside her. "And I want to enjoy you again, slowly this time, for as long as I want, until you beg me— enough. "

" Enough? I don't think that's possible." Feeling mischievous all of a sudden, she nibbled his earlobe.

"Oh?" His tone became low and deliciously dangerous. "Do you want to try me?"

"Yes, please."

His primal growl made the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

And before Jade could say another word, she was once again swept up in the beautiful storm that was Dragek.

What bliss.