3013: REMEDY: A 3013 Novella (3013: The Series) Page 8

  Not a question. He didn’t know what had happened or what had been said after he’d left the dining hall, but something had changed. For starters, she was wide open to him—her expression, her reactions, her emotions. There was no guardedness, no resistance when he carefully probed at the energy surrounding her.

  “Mmm,” she hummed, kissing him again. “I did miss you. Did you fix the shuttle?”

  Damn, his female appeared almost giddy. Whatever had changed, he was willing to simply accept it as the gift that it was with no explanation. “Of course. Did you doubt me?”

  Her expression turned serious, and her voice lowered an octave. “Never.”

  Just like that, they seemed to be talking about something entirely different. If his instincts could be trusted, it was a discussion he’d wanted to have for weeks, but he pulled away and reluctantly lowered her to the ground. They would talk, and soon, but it was neither the time nor the place for such things.

  “Do you need help with anything?”

  If she was disappointed, she didn’t show it. “Actually, yes, and I need your help specifically.”

  “I’m all yours.”

  “Yes,” she answered pointedly, heat in her gaze, “you are.” She blinked, and the expression cleared. “So, I’ve been thinking.”

  “Always dangerous.”

  She elbowed him in the ribs but didn’t miss a beat in the conversation. “We know something is ten kinds of wrong in Neverwood. I think it’s the Adderstone.”

  Okay, not where he thought she was headed, but he could adapt. “Why do you say that?”

  “Well, all four of the other stones glowed for starters. The one on the Northern Isle just looked like a chunk of coal.”

  “What’s coal?”

  “Never mind that.” Walking away from him, she approached the white, porcelain fountain, placed her hands on her hips, and stared up at the amber stone glowing brightly at the top. “Now, your mojo has been on overdrive since we arrived on the planet, but it seems even more sensitive when we’re near one of the Adderstones.”

  “My mojo,” he repeated slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I think my language converter is fried.”

  “Your ability, gift, empath thing.” She flicked her fingers at him dismissively. “Whatever. You know what I’m trying to say.”

  He really didn’t, but he nodded anyway. “Continue.”

  “It was different in Neverwood, wasn’t it?”

  Thinking back on it, he had to agree. “Really strong emotions, I could sense.” Like when his mate had been enraged at the slight against him. “But yeah, everything else was sort of muted.”

  Turning, she grinned up at him with obvious satisfaction. “I think the Adderstone on the Northern Isle is missing.”

  She hadn’t bothered to keep her voice down, and her declaration drew the attention of all four sentries in the room.

  “What?” Garrik stomped toward the fountain to join them. “What do you mean the stone is missing?”

  Ignoring him, she continued speaking to Kylir. “What’s more, I don’t think it’s just Finn that’s being affected. Did you notice how no one spoke to us? None of the sentries. Not any of the attendants. Even Roe sounded like he was choking every time he tried to tell us anything.”

  “What the hell is going on?” Garrik demanded. “What’s wrong with Finn? What happened in Neverwood?”

  Kylir had finally caught on, and he mirrored his mate’s smile. They’d been reluctant to get involved, because there hadn’t been any proof of wrongdoing. They couldn’t very well march into the citadel on Sommervail and announce that they thought Finn Silveroak had been cursed, drugged, or whatever. That would have led to a load of questions they had no way of answering. It also had the potential to turn suspicion on them if the inquiry became a he-said-she-said game.

  Telling the king that one of his precious stones was missing, however, would certainly get results. Even better, they didn’t have to tell him themselves. Sure, someone could blame him and his mate for tampering with the stone, but he didn’t think it would happen. Not only had Astrid taken a million photographs with her wrist unit, but they had a witness and an ally in Roe Silveroak.

  “Garrik, my friend.” Still smiling, he placed a hand on the captain’s shoulder. “How quickly can you get a message to Sommervail?”

  “Communications are monitored,” Astrid reminded him before turning her attention to Garrik. “You’ll have to go there personally. You have to tell your king that the stone is missing.”

  Garrik gaped at them. “It can’t be missing.”

  Apparently, Astrid had been prepared for such a reaction. Tapping at her wrist unit, she brought up the pictures she’d taken in the mountain cave.

  “Does this look normal to you?” She swiped her finger across the screen until she found a photo of the stone in question. “What about this?”

  The poor captain looked a little green, but he nodded curtly. “I’ll need to speak to my sister.”

  With a light rush of wind, he vanished from the room.

  “You did it.”

  “Not really, but we did what we could.” Stepping closer, she wound her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest. “It’s out of our hands now.”

  What she’d said about his ability being stronger near the stones had been accurate enough, and this time was no different. Astrid was practically screaming at him without saying a word. She vibrated, though she stood perfectly still. There was a restlessness to her energy, a low thrum of disquiet that sank right into his bones.

  “Do you have something to say, onye?”

  Raising her head, she looked at the sentry to their right. “Not here.”

  Kylir looked to the same sentry as well, a curvy female with inky hair and ivory skin. “Can you take us back to our room?”

  The sentry nodded, then everything went black. A heartbeat later, his vision returned, and he stumbled sideways as he landed next to the canopy bed in their guest room. Clearly, he should have chosen his words more carefully.

  “Damn it,” he groaned as he turned, checking to be sure his mate had made the trip with him. “I really hate that.”

  Astrid only lowered her head.

  Falling into the oversized chair near the window, he closed his eyes and waited for his stomach to stop rolling and his head to quit spinning. By the time he felt mostly normal again, Astrid still hadn’t spoken.

  Whatever she had wanted to say, it seemed very likely that she was trying to talk herself out of it. “Out with it.”

  His tone came out sharper than he’d intended, but it had the desired effect. Her head snapped up, her eyes widened, and the breath caught in her throat.

  “I love you.” The words tumbled from her lips in a rush and hung on the air between them.

  He dipped his head to show he’d heard her.

  Her hands trembled at her sides, and a vein in her neck pulsed rapidly with her heartbeat. Her lips moved wordlessly, and her eyes darted around the room, looking at everything except him. She was obviously spiraling, drowning in her distress, and it would be so easy to step in and save her.

  He said nothing.

  From the moment she’d approached his table on X21, he’d been lost in her. Of course, he loved her. He didn’t even know if words existed to express how much he loved her. He also had no problem playing the hero, whether it be protecting her from physical threat or the inner workings of her own mind.

  He could pull her into his arms and tell her all those things. When she stumbled, he could catch her. He could promise her everything would be okay, then coax promises from her as well. When fear staid her tongue, he could give voice to the words that had abandoned her.

  He said nothing.

  If he had been clear about nothing else, it was that whatever happened between them would always be her choice. So, while every fiber of his being demanded he rescue her from the panic he could sense building, he wouldn’t do it, not with something
so important. He wouldn’t speak for her, wouldn’t put words in her mouth. If confessing his own feelings might persuade or guilt her, it was better to say nothing.

  There could be no possibility for miscommunication, and when they left that room, there would be no doubts about what either of them wanted.

  Silent and unmoving, he waited.

  When several minutes passed and she still hadn’t spoken, he couldn’t stand it anymore. Maybe just a little help, just a nudge. “Keep going.”

  All at once, she seemed to breathe again. He could see the switch flip, could feel her grasping at his words like a lifeline.

  Another deep breath steadied her, and a crooked smile graced her lips. “I know what you’re doing.”

  Good, then she wouldn’t hate him for it.

  He nodded, nothing more.

  “Kylir T’Kari, I love you.” Assured. Controlled. “I know you love me, too.”

  He couldn’t help it. He smiled at her, and muttered, “I do.”

  She pulled her shoulders back and lifted her head a little higher, appearing much more confident than when they’d first landed in the room. “You were right to think I wasn’t ready. I was scared.” Meeting his stare unflinchingly, she took a step toward him. “Not of you, but of myself.”

  He didn’t speak, but he did raise an eyebrow in question.

  “I’m still scared,” she admitted, “but I’m done hiding behind that fear. I want to be yours, Kylir. I want you to be mine. Before that can happen, though, I need you to know that once you see inside my head, you might not like what you find.”

  He hated to break it to her, but she was pretty easy to read, even without his extra abilities. Her eyes always gave away her emotions, and most of her thoughts ended up written across her face. In other words, she wasn’t exactly well-suited to keeping secrets, especially big ones.

  Instead of confessing that, he asked a question. “Why would you think that?”

  She inhaled deeply again, releasing it slowly through her lips. “Because I don’t know what you’ll find. There are big blocks of time missing from those eight months I was drugged. They’re just gone. I have no idea what I was doing.”

  “Is that the only reason you didn’t want me to claim you?” He needed to be sure about that. He needed to hear her say it.

  “Of course. What else would it be?” Hands fisted on her hips, she rolled her eyes and added under her breath, “Idiot.”

  Instantly, Kylir was on his feet, closing the distance between them and dragging her into his arms. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t care about any of that.” He’d made plenty of bad decisions in his life, all on his own, without anyone else controlling him. “If you were off somewhere, gleefully slaughtering puppies, it wouldn’t matter. It wouldn’t make me stop loving you.”

  He doubted it was anything so tragic. More probable, she’d been forced to falsify records, steal supplies, and synthesize drugs. Even if that wasn’t the case, even if she had done something truly heinous, he meant what he’d said. It wouldn’t change anything, not for him. It would be devastating for Astrid, of course, but he’d be right there with her, guiding her through the darkness and loving her through the pain.

  “Are you sure?” they both asked at the same time, then laughed.

  “I know what I want,” Kylir answered first.

  Astrid nodded. “I’m sure. No more hiding.” Reaching into the pocket of her black pants, she retrieved a small, purple jar with a silver lid. “A new beginning. A fresh start.” She pressed the container into his hand. “A clean slate.”

  Confused, but willing to play along, he removed the lid and stared down into the contents of the jar. Pale blue with shimmering flecks of silver, the gel-like substance was pretty, but he didn’t understand its purpose.

  Pressing her index and middle fingers together, Astrid dipped them into the concoction, collecting a sizeable amount. Then, without looking away from him, she lifted her hand to the left side of her face and swiped the goo over the claiming mark there. The tattoo shimmered briefly, the edges glowing brightly, then the inky black faded away until only smooth, creamy skin remained.

  “Now,” she said, taking his free hand and pulling him toward the bed, “I’m ready. I’m ready to be yours.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Now that everything was out in the open, it seemed impossible, that only moments ago, her secret had felt like such a big, scary thing. Astrid had to laugh at her own foolishness.

  Kylir loved her. When he said her past didn’t matter to him, he wasn’t just cajoling her with platitudes. He meant every word, and she was embarrassed to have ever doubted him.

  When he wound his tail around her waist and slid her up his body, she smiled and held on just as tight, locking her legs around his hips and her arms around his neck. Their lips met in a slow kiss, tentative at first, then harder, deeper, more demanding. When she pulled away, dragging her teeth over his bottom lip, the groan she got in response was pure perfection.

  “You don’t mind?”

  It took a second for her to work out what he was asking, but when she did, she kissed him again.

  “I love you.” Unhooking one arm from his neck, she lowered her hand to the sleek appendage still curled around her midsection. “All of you.”

  She smoothed her fingers back and forth along his tail, surprised by the texture. She’d expected the scales to be rough and bumpy, with hard lines and jagged edges. Instead, she found the flesh soft and supple, as smooth as the finest leather.

  Having a tail, or being with someone who did, obviously wasn’t something she’d ever considered before, but it wasn’t weird or gross. It was simply another part of him. Besides, it was kind of hot when he used it to pull her close and hold her there like he couldn’t bear to let her go.

  “Don’t ever hide from me,” she added, catching a strand of his hair and tugging his head down to claim his lips once more.

  No more words were spoken, because none were needed. They’d said everything that needed saying, all the things that mattered.

  Walking them to the bed, Kylir lowered her gently to the mattress. He took his time undressing her, pausing after every piece he tossed aside to kiss and lick at the bare skin he revealed. The care and reverence he showed wouldn’t have seemed out of place if he’d been unveiling a priceless work of art, and by the time he’d finished, she felt like the slightest touch might shatter her.

  He didn’t show his own clothing the same consideration, tugging it off in hurried, jerky motions. Once, she thought she heard fabric tearing, but then, he was naked, and there was no more room for any other thoughts.

  Stars, he was gorgeous, like a living statue encased in soft, pale skin. Broad in the shoulders with well-developed pectorals and sharply-defined abs, he had the long, lean build of an athlete rather than the substantial bulk of a warrior. Deep indentions started at his hipbones, drawing a delectable V toward his long, thick erection.

  Astrid’s eyes widened, and she swallowed convulsively. His cock jutted proudly from a nest of trimmed curls, the crown a deep purple and glistening with precum. Holy nova, he was big. Rock hard, the length flexed with every move he made, and a deep blue vein ran from base to crown along the top, throbbing visibly with his pulse.

  The time would come for slow and gentle, for teasing touches and leisurely explorations. This wasn’t that time. She’d waited long enough. For weeks, she’d ignored her instincts and buried her desires in work. For weeks, she’d suffered silently, convinced she couldn’t have the things she wanted, all because of a problem that had never existed in the first place.

  Hooking her foot behind his knee, she bent her leg, tugging at him, urging him closer. He didn’t take much coaxing, sliding between her thighs and easing into the cradle of her hips as he lowered himself over her.

  “Hey,” she whispered, pressing a hand to the side of his throat and stroking the patch of smooth scales there with her thumb.

  Even in her lust-addled mind,
it didn’t escape her that this would be his first time. Not just with her, but with anyone. If he was nervous, he didn’t show it. Still, a little encouragement couldn’t hurt.

  “Remember our second kiss?” Their first kiss hadn’t gone so well, but the second had been borderline life-changing.

  He nodded, his breaths coming in short, choppy pants. “Do what feels right,” he recited. “No winners or losers. Nothing to prove.”

  She didn’t know where the last part had come from, but she liked it. “Exactly.”

  “I want to take my time…” His voice was tight, thin, and the cords in his neck strained as he stared down at her.

  She wasn’t a hundred perfect sure if there was an unspoken ‘but’ attached to the end of that sentence, but it didn’t matter. “Do what feels right.”

  Taking her wrists, he stretched her arms over her head and brought her hands together. Then, his tail arched above him, the tip coming down to loop around her wrists, binding them together and pinning them to the mattress.

  “Kylir?”

  “Shh, onye.” With his hands now free to do as he pleased, he stroked his fingertips down her sides, pulling little gasps and shivers from her. “Trust me.”

  There was no fear, no uncertainty. The panic she’d expected from being restrained never came. “Always.”

  His erection pulsed hot and heavy against the crease of her thigh, but he remained unhurried, caressing her in featherlight touches. “Your skin is so soft.” He drew a line with his index finger from sternum to navel. “So beautiful.” Dipping his head, he traced a wet circle around her belly button with his tongue. “So perfect.”

  “Kylir!” A plea this time, not a question.

  “Am I going too fast?”

  She shook her head frantically. God, he’d barely touched her, and she was already about to unravel. “No, that’s not it.”

  “Am I hurting you?”

  Tilting her head back, she looked up at her bound hands. “No. It feels good.”

  “Then, no.” He chuckled as he dipped his head again, catching one of her nipples between his lips. “No, I won’t hurry the hell up.”