Chapter 14

Paige

I am dreaming. A dream where I am floating around—weightless—in the most beautiful place I could imagine. My body feels light and heavy all at once when I drift back to reality. My eyes don’t want to open, but when they do, it all comes crashing back to me.

I was alone.

I was talking to Kylor.

The pain.

I needed Varek and I couldn’t find him.

But he’s here now.

He’s beneath me. His strong body supports mine as my cheek rests on his muscular chest. Varek’s arms wrap around my middle protectively as I rise and fall with his deep breaths.

I move slightly and he sucks in a sharp breath.

“Paige?”

I remember collapsing. I remember faint glimpses and the intense pain. But the pain is gone right now. How did I get here? With him?

“Paige?” He asks again. He sits up, pulling me with him and inspecting me. His rough finger slides across my bottom lip and his expression changes. Calms.

But he looks like hell. Dark, deep bags sit under his eyes. His hair is disheveled and greasy like he hasn’t slept or bathed in days.

“How do you feel?”

I breathe deeply, taking stock of my body. “I feel okay,” I say. “Just tired. What happened?”

Varek’s eyes shut and the tension in his shoulders eases. He holds me closer, embracing me and breathing me in. It’s relaxing and comforting and I find myself clinging right back to him.

His soft skin. His warmth.

“You passed out.”

“Why?” I ask.

He shakes his head, still holding me close. His fingers draw circles on the small of my back while he nuzzles the top of my head. “Because of me.”

That doesn’t make sense, but nothing in my life really makes sense now. “How long ago was that?”

Though I don’t have pain, my entire body feels groggy. My muscles are sluggish and fatigued. I feel like I’ve been sleeping for ages.

“Four days.”

My eyes go wide and I pull back, looking up at him. “Four days?”

What the fuck?

Four days have passed since that conversation with Kylor? I’ve been here now for a week.

And the other women? Are they safe? Were they able to contact Control?

I start to blurt out the first question I can. I need to know they are okay. “How are—”

Varek sighs. “We need to mate.”

I shake my head, processing his words that don’t make sense at a time like this.

“If we don’t mate, you will get sick again.”

“Sick?” I wasn’t sick. My chest hurt like it was going to explode. If that’s what made me pass out, that has nothing to do with Varek and it certainly has nothing to do with our mate bond. For someone who is supposed to care about me so deeply, he’s choosing a strange time to press to get into my pants.

We have more serious issues—like the fact that I need to know what’s going on with the five human women I asked him to protect.

“The bondburn,” he says. “You have the bondburn.”

I wait for him to continue—his words make no sense.

“Your body recognizes me as your mate but we haven’t fulfilled the bond. The bondburn is hurting you. Killing you. Rejecting you as a way to speed up the mating. The only way to cure it is…”

“Fucking,” I murmur.

His brows knit like he doesn’t understand the term.

“Mating,” I clarify.

He nods. “I need to claim you. Make you mine to ease the bondburn, or else you will just get worse.”

I pull back further, thinking this all over.

So my body—even though it’s human—somehow recognizes Varek as my mate and is now trying to kill me for not having sex with him? This can’t be real. I literally can’t wrap my head around it.

I shake my head and pull my legs beneath me. I push to stand but my muscles go wobbly and Varek is there to steady me. “How are the others? The humans. Are they safe?”

“Paige,” Varek says, his tone demanding. “Look at me.”

I use the reserves of my energy to stand up all the way, this time finding my balance on my own. “Answer me. I want to see them. Make sure they are okay. Take me there.”

“Mate,” he says, his voice laced with anger and desperation. “You can’t. You’re not going anywhere until we take care of this.”

I scoff and turn away. “You won’t stop me.”

As soon as I take a step in the other direction, a dull pain lances through my chest and I still.

Varek is at my side in a second. “Stop.”

“No. I need to make sure they are okay. You can come with me or not, but we had a deal,” I demand. The pain intensifies and on impulse I flatten my palm across my chest, pressing to ease the pain.

“See? Look at yourself. You’re already hurting again. Paige, we have to do this.”

Have to? I don’t have to do anything but survive. I don’t have to do anything but make sure my sacrifice wasn’t a waste of effort. Before I give myself over completely to this alien male, I want to know that at least my friends are going to make it out alive.

I take another step toward the door and the pain squeezes my chest, tearing the breath from my lungs.

Before I can reject him, Varek sweeps me off my feet and lays me back down onto the furs. His rough hands make quick work of tugging off my leathers and even as I try to slow him down, he’s like a man possessed.

“Varek!” I shout.

He leans in close and nuzzles my neck, licking my hot skin. Like he flips a switch, all the fight in my body eases and his scent overpowers me. I breathe him in deep and a warmth trickles down my spine, the pain slowly fading away.

He whispers, so close to my ear it sends chills down my arms and legs. “Let me take away your pain. Let me heal you.”

I sigh, hands that were just shoving him off now pulling him closer.

It’s the magic. The bond. A stupid physical reaction that makes me want him so badly—but I can’t help it.

I do.

And the pain…

He takes it away.

“Glows,” Varek mutters in my ear as he holds himself up with one hand and slides my leathers down with the other. I lift my hips to help him and soon they are down around my ankles. I kick them off and spread my legs.

My eyes track down his muscular form, following his hand as he unzips his leathers. He shoves them down and his hard cock springs out, thick and ready.

I look at him—really look at him this time. His manhood matches the rest of him. Large. Intimidating. But its shape is similar to a human’s. It’s dark grey like the rest of his taut skin, phallic and my mouth waters. I bite my bottom lip as the warmth in my body travels between my legs.

Varek’s eyes darken as he watches me. “Your body is ready.”

I swallow hard.

He’s right. I’m flushed—my skin on fire and sensitive. Varek sits back on his knees and wraps his hand around his thickness while staring at me. I’m still wearing my bra and panties, but he doesn’t seem to mind. As soon as he moves his hand, the veins on his cock light up just like his chest.

Varek hisses.

“Are you okay?” I ask. “Does that hurt?”

Human penises certainly don’t glow like that and I never considered that maybe the mating process wasn’t as pleasurable for Vruts as it might be for me.

He looks down at himself—the way his cock glows and seems to pulsate with each touch. He scoots forward and presses his cock to the wet fabric of my panties, rubbing himself where I’m most sensitive.

I suck in a breath as a shiver of pleasure sizzles up my spine.

His cock glows brighter, pulsating luminite up the thick veins like pumping blood. The gray skin of his chest and manhood are lit up brighter than I’ve ever seen them as he keeps rubbing himself.

He groans deep. “No, Paige. It does not hurt.”

God, it feels good.

“It’s never done this before,” he grunts. “Glows, this feels—”

He licks his bottom lip and tears my panties away in a single flick of his finger. I squeak and then grip the furs.

I’m nervous. I want him. God, I want him. But it isn’t just a physical act. This is so much more.

My heart thumps in anticipation, dying for his next move.

He reaches between my legs and slides his fingers through my folds, wetting them. He rubs up and down my clit and I nearly come undone—the rough sensation making my pussy clench.

“That spot is sensitive for you, Mate.”

I bite the inside of my cheek and nod.

Varek learns quickly. He pays special attention to my clit as he lines up his luminescent cock. I’m aching for him. Too empty and soaked with desire. My body is humming with need and I almost wiggle my hips as I feel the head of his cock press against my opening.

Circling his finger on my clit, his hips push forward. His cock spears me open—a slow, aching violation that makes my fingers curl into the furs. It’s slightly painful, but oh, so fucking delicious as he enters me. Inch, by inch, by slow, decadent inch.

He’s thick and fuck if I can’t feel the pulsating glows, like a sexy beacon of pleasure rippling inside my tight channel.

The pain in my chest dissipates into a warmth that consumes me.

“Mm,” Varek grunts as he works himself inside my pussy. His eyes are the darkest shade I’ve seen them, the little flecks of gold shining as his pupils blow wide. “Your body. Your cunt is—”

His vulgar words make my stomach flutter and I grow bold. I don’t want anything between us anymore. I reach behind my back and undo my bra, sliding it off.

He watches me, his hips stilling.

“You are stunning,” he grunts. With one more push, he’s fully seated inside me and I can’t think straight.

He’s stretching me. Owning me. His cock was fucking made for me.

He leans down and goes for my neck again, licking my skin and searing me from the inside out. I arch into him and buck my hips, grinding into his cock. The pulsating intensifies and I can’t help but cry out.

It feels too fucking good.

“Glows, Paige,” he grunts in my ear. “This is… This is—”

I wrap my legs around his waist and tug his face to mine. “Kiss me.”

“Kiss?”

“Put your lips on mine, Varek.”

His gaze softens and then darkens again, longingly staring at my lips as I wet them with my tongue. He follows my every move and then strikes, capturing my mouth with his.

It’s a searing, stumbling kiss. Our tongues lash and caress—fight and make up. He tastes delicious. He’s sweet like pineapples with a spice like cinnamon. I’m in heaven, arching into him as he devours my lips.

My heart pounds in my ears and my chest constricts, but not with pain. With something else. Something very different.

I groan into his mouth and roll my hips. Varek shakes above me, his eyes rolling back.

“Mine,” he growls into the crook of my neck.

For the first time, his hips buck into me. He draws out and slams in with a delicious, claiming force that tears the breath right out of my lungs.

“Oh, God,” I groan.

“Mine,” he growls again. He slides out of my all the way and then fucks back in, spearing me in two. My legs shake as pure ecstasy shatters through my body. He grips my hips almost painfully and holds me in place as he finds a rhythm—a punishing and delightful rhythm that has me flying high and whimpering out of control.

He’s hitting places, fucking me so good and bumping against my sensitive clit in ways that I didn’t think were possible. He’s playing my body like only he knows how and I can’t take my eyes off him.

The way his muscles ripple with every thrust. The way his fingers claw into my soft skin. The bright, shining lights like a beacon of love across his chest.

It’s overwhelming and I can’t fight the intense emotions any longer. I don’t want to.

I meet his thrusts, rolling my hips and fucking him back. My moans echo off the walls of our chamber as a bead of sweat rolls down my neck. He leans down and licks the sweat away, savoring it.

“Call me your mate,” he demands, his voice a heady rasp that takes away all my defiance.

“Mate,” I whimper and kiss his throat.

He growls and fucks me harder. My body clenches, my muscles tightening as I rush toward climax.

“Fuck,” I moan as the pleasure anchors me to the furs. “Varek.”

He keeps going until I can’t see straight and my mind is a mess. He leans in and claims my mouth again and the taste of him sends me over the edge. My pussy clamps down on him as a wave of tingles tears through me. I’m soaring, riding out the intensity of each pleasurable ripple starting from between my legs and moving out to the tips of my fingers and toes.

“Paige,” Varek groans as he thrusts into me deeper than I thought possible.

He pulls back and pushes my thighs wide, spreading me open. He enters me once again, going as deep as possible as my pussy clenches him in—begging for more.

“Stay relaxed,” he grunts.

I’m a breathless, sweaty mess but I nod.

His grip on my thighs tightens, his fingers digging into my skin and suddenly, something is changing.

He’s fully rooted inside me, but now he’s… getting thicker?

My eyes pop wide. “What’s that?”

He smirks, his eyes lidded with pleasure. “My bulb.”

“Bulb?” I flinch, but Varek holds me steady.

“Stay relaxed, Mate. I don’t want to hurt you.”

He reaches between us and circles my sensitive, throbbing clit. I suck in a sharp breath, the waves of pleasure crashing back through me as if they never left.

The base of his cock swells inside me, filling the deepest of aches I didn’t even know I had. He plays with my clit as he grunts, stretching me out and plugging me tight.

“Glows, your cunt is taking me so well,” he grits.

If he swells any thicker, I’ll lose my mind.

But he does.

And I explode again.

He rubs my clit and when I flinch, his bulb bumps my G-spot and I scream. The sensation is wild and primal—like a form of pleasure a mere human wasn’t supposed to experience.

Varek rolls his hips, ruining my pussy before he roars and comes inside me. His cock pulsates like a vibrator inside me with each spurt, filling me up as he lets himself go.

We revel in the orgasm together, our bodies coming together like two puzzle pieces that can’t—and won’t—fit with anyone else.

Finally, he covers me with his body, his bulb locking us together. He kisses me, slower this time. Gently.

I’m a quivering, slick mess while he brushes my hair out of my face and holds me, looking down at me like I’m the most precious thing in the world to him.

And suddenly, I feel that way.

Like my whole world is wrapped up with me right now, in this room. Like my heart is full and I’m where I’m meant to be.

Tears sting my eyes but I blink them away.

Varek cocks his head. “Mate? What is wrong?”

I shake my head. “Nothing.”

“Tell me,” he demands.

I sigh, my body a tired, slightly sore mess. But the pain in my chest is gone and my worries, my fears—those are gone too.

“I’m… happy.”

Varek’s expression lightens as he holds me close. His bulb is still thick and inflated and I can feel every movement, every breath he makes.

“You’re happy?”

I nod, my lips pulling into a smile. I am. I’m happy. I’m his.

I’m loved.

My chest constricts again, that same lovely feeling from before.

And maybe I am also in love.

I can’t look away from Varek. We watch each other, soaking up the moment as his body slowly, achingly slowly deflates inside me. His seed starts to seep out as he slides out of my sore pussy and my cheeks flush from the embarrassment.

“We’re bonded now, Paige. You carry my scent.”

He reaches for a fur and pulls it over me, tucking me into his chest and holding me close.

In the softest whisper, he says, “You don’t know how much joy you have just brought me.”

My heart aches in the most beautiful way. And for a moment, I think maybe I do know.

Maybe I do.