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  Holding her up with one arm, he used his free hand to open the door behind them, spilling them both into her quarters. Rya gasped, a quiet, breathless sound that ended on a needy moan that crumbled all of Sion’s good intentions. With a growl that reverberated around the stone room, he carried his mate to the four-poster bed and deposited her in the center of the mattress.

  Unconcerned with propriety or finesse, he ripped his tunic down the center of his chest, discarding the scraps of fabric on the floor while he stripped out of the rest of his clothing. His body thrummed with anticipation, his muscles coiled tight and his skin tingling.

  He’d bedded many females in his twenty-nine—almost thirty—years. Some encounters had been frenzied and intense. Some had been soft and seductive. Others had been lackluster at best. Once or twice, he’d felt something, a small stirring in his chest, the barest hint of longing. It always passed quickly and without much cause for introspection.

  The sensations that coursed through him in that moment weren’t familiar, but nor were they completely unwelcomed. Seeing Rya splayed on the bed, her beautiful ebony hair fanned across the cream-colored sheets like a dark halo, her eyes glazed with desire, he felt humbled, amazed that someone so exquisite would choose him.

  After sliding her sandals from her feet and dropping them to the floor, he kissed his way up the inside of her left leg, pushing her dress toward her hips. Moaning, she mumbled something under her breath he couldn’t decipher, and in an instant, her clothes vanished, leaving the female gloriously naked before him.

  His cock swelled, jutting proudly between his thighs, the length throbbing painfully as he struggled to catch his breath. Still, he wasn’t so far gone that he missed the way she fidgeted nervously, rubbing her feet together and twisting her fingers in the sheet. Her eyes downcast, her head turned somewhat to the side, she worried her bottom lip between her teeth. All could have been signs of desire and impatience, but Sion knew better.

  He couldn’t, however, say whether she was insecure about her appearance, or nervous because they were naked together for the first time. Instinct told him a little of both, but whatever the reason, he couldn’t bear to see that look on her face.

  “You’re beautiful,” he murmured. He met her gaze as he spoke, letting the sincerity bleed through in his voice.

  Her skin was pale, but so incredibly soft. Her body still appeared diminished by their recent separation, her stomach sunken, making her hip bones more pronounced, but she was still the loveliest being he’d ever seen. It wasn’t in his nature to be reserved or cautious, but for her, he’d put aside his own needs to be whatever she needed him to be.

  Stretching on the mattress beside her, he held himself up on his elbow, his temple resting in his palm. Carefully, he drew light circles over her abdomen with the tips of his fingers, giving her time to acclimate to his touch without overwhelming her. He’d sensed he’d need to take things slowly, gently, and he didn’t want to embarrass her, but he had to know.

  “Rya, have you ever been with anyone before? You know,” he elaborated, nodding down at their nude bodies, “like this?”

  Her eyelids fluttered when she looked up at him with an unnamable expression. “Why do you ask?”

  The primal, possessive part of him couldn’t even think about her being with another male. As he thought through how to answer her question, he realized it didn’t matter. Whether she had little to no experience, or if she’d been with dozens of males, he’d still treat her with the respect she deserved, worship her body with only the utmost care and attention.

  In response, he slid his hand over the curve of her hip to pull her closer. “Close your eyes, princess.”

  When she did, he kissed her slowly, tracing the seam of her lips with his tongue, groaning when she opened for him with a sweet sigh. Distracting her with his mouth, he skimmed his fingertips over her soft belly, around the curve of her hip. With featherlight touches, he caressed the crease of her folds teasingly.

  Her exquisite moan when she parted her thighs for his exploration nearly undid his tightly held control. His hand dipped lower, his fingers gliding over the proof of her desire, and he growled into her open mouth.

  “I want to taste you.”

  “But you are.” Rya opened her eyes to look at him, not understanding his request.

  “No, not here.” He touched her lips with his fingertips, his grin feral.

  Without further explanation, he moved lower, sliding down her body so that she could feel every hard ridge of him. His lips trailed between her breasts, moving with deliberateness down her stomach. When he continued lower, past her navel, only then did she realize his intentions. She’d bedded males, some more than once, but none had ever asked to taste her in the way Sion meant.

  She tensed, unsure if she should allow him to continue. Her body was willing, eager, but she had no experience, no context to draw from that would tell her what to expect. Still she wanted it, wanted to learn everything he was willing to teach her, every pleasure he could offer her.

  Then a long, slow lick probed her, and her mind went blank. Involuntarily, she arched her hips, pushing against his mouth, needing him closer, wanting him deeper. She’d never felt such pleasure, and she’d been wrong to fear the unknown. As his talented mouth continued to tease and taste, her core clenched, her clitoris throbbed, and each stroke of his tongue left seared flesh in its wake.

  Rya trembled, twisting the bedsheets in her fists, her head thrashing back and forth on the mattress. The pressure built, her body burned, and she called out his name in a voice she didn’t recognize as her own. When she hovered on the brink of release, wound so tight she feared the fall would shatter her, Sion stopped, pulling away from her.

  Her whimper of protest quickly turned into a throaty moan when he returned, covering her once more, his hard length poised at her entrance. Their eyes met, and the intensity flared between them, searing away the last vestiges of restraint. Silently, unmoving, Sion watched her, waiting, seeking permission without words.

  If she said yes, everything would change. Staring into the depths of his amber eyes, she saw her entire future play out in the span of a heartbeat, and she wanted it more than she’d ever wanted anything.

  “Your choice,” Sion whispered. “Always your choice.”

  And it was an easy one. “I choose you.”

  With a ragged moan, he filled her completely, stretching her inner walls to capacity so that they strained and throbbed around his shaft. Holding himself above her, Sion thrust rhythmically, his face buried against the side of her neck. Consumed by desire, she dug her fingers into the muscles of his back, straining toward completion as her heart thundered at dangerous speeds, and sweat dampened her overheated skin.

  Harder and faster, they raced toward a mutual release, both of them mindless with need, and when Rya fell over the precipice, she did so with his name on her lips. Only a moment later, Sion followed, shuddering through his orgasm as he spilled himself into her depths.

  It took a long while for Rya to catch her breath, and she stretched experimentally, relishing in the soreness that meant she’d been well and truly ravished. Stars above, it had never been like that before. Never had she been so out of control, so lost in the feel of someone else.

  “This wasn’t how I wanted it to be,” Sion whispered as they sprawled on the mattress in a tangle of limbs. “You deserved better. I wanted to give you better.”

  “It was perfect.” She didn’t need flowers and wine. She didn’t need to be courted and seduced. She only needed him. “If you’re not happy with your performance, however, perhaps we should try again.”

  She yelped when Sion pounced on her, then laughed breathlessly as he rolled her under him on the mattress.

  “Stars, I love your laugh.” His gaze softened, even as other parts of him turned rigid once more. “You are so beautiful, princess.”

  Their lips met, and Rya moaned, the sound soft and needful, as they sank into another perfect
moment.

  CHAPTER SIX

  The first shuttle landed hours early, its occupants grieving and filled with questions. More families came, arriving not long after the first, and as such, Sion found himself sharing an early dinner with not only his mate, but a young, distraught male from the Eastern Isle. Rya had introduced him as Mars Greenfield, a furniture maker from the city of Cairbora. His soulmate had been one of the delegates who’d tragically died in the attack on the summit, and he looked so lost, so scared.

  Mars, though taller by a few inches and broader in the shoulders, was no older than Sion, really just a baby by Xenon standards. He’d met his soulmate, Bria, during a street fair, and they’d been officially bonded for less than a year. The young couple had a child, an infant daughter, and he’d come to discuss with Rya what would happen to her once he was gone.

  “I have no family,” he said, his voice tight with emotion. “Bria’s parents are with our ancestors, but she has a sister on the Southern Isle. They aren’t—” He stopped abruptly, and the color drained from his face. “I can’t believe she’s gone.”

  They sat at a small, square table tucked into the corner of the dining hall adjacent to the kitchens. Several identical tables had been spaced evenly about the room to accommodate the citadel visitors and give the rulers of the Isles a place to speak semi-privately with the loved ones of the deceased. Sadly, most of the tables within the room were occupied, couples holding each other while they wept quietly, rulers moving from family to family, offering condolences and what explanations they could provide.

  It was a grim setting, and one Sion hoped to never experience again.

  “I’m so sorry,” Rya offered in subdued tones. “We’re going to find who did this. Vasili Blackthorn and Captain Meadowlark have every available sentry looking into it.”

  “Thank you, Vasera.” Mars reached diagonally across the gleaming, wooden tabletop, placing his hand on top of Rya’s and squeezing. “Thank you.”

  It took every ounce of self-control for Sion to remain seated. Even so, he couldn’t prevent the low growl that rumbled up from his chest. “Please,” he said with as much restraint as he could muster when Mars jerked upright and looked at him. “I’m sorry for your loss, but I’m going to have to ask you to remove your hand from mate.”

  “Mate?” Mars gaped, either too startled or too stupid to do as requested. “Soulmate?”

  “Yes, my soulmate.” Snarling, he flashed his elongated fangs. “Now, move your fucking hand before I remove it from your arm.”

  Mars jerked his hand away as though he’d been burned and scooted his chair a good six inches away from Rya. “My apologies. I didn’t know.”

  Rya glared at him, but said nothing. Good thing, because this time, Sion wasn’t sorry. He’d tried to tame his natural responses for her, but he liked his way better. His way produced better—and quicker—results.

  After clearing her throat and giving him a pointed look, Rya turned back to Mars, though she was careful to maintain distance between them. “You were saying? About Bria and her sister?”

  “Yes. Bria and Elly weren’t close. They hadn’t spoken in over a decade, not since their parents’ passing. She’s the only family Neecie has, though.” He paused, the cords in his neck straining as he fought back his emotions. “If Elly won’t take her, won’t accept my daughter, she’ll need…she’ll…” He trailed off, pressing his lips together in a hard line.

  “Neecie,” Rya stated with a tender smile. “That’s a beautiful name.” The smile slid from her mouth, replaced by a mixture of anguish and resolve. “I’m sorry this happened to you, Mars. I’m sorry this happened to Bria. If it comes to it, I promise I will find a wonderful home for your daughter, and I will personally ensure she always remembers how much her parents loved her.”

  Sion didn’t speak until Mars had thanked Rya and exited the dining hall with a mumbled, “Until our next meeting.”

  “So, that’s it? He’s just going to go home now to die?”

  “He’ll go home, prepare as best he can, and spend the remainder of his time with his daughter,” Rya confirmed. “Then, yes, he’ll die.”

  “He doesn’t even look sick.”

  Rya shook her head. “Not yet, but he will.”

  “Okay, princess, I think you better explain.” Death didn’t scare him, but he’d like to know what he was getting himself into before taking the plunge.

  Sighing, she turned in her seat and leaned toward him, taking both of Sion’s hands into her own. “Earlier, I said that when soulmates are separated, it’s less about the distance, and more about how long they’re apart.” She squeezed his hands, never taking her eyes away from his. “New soulmates, like us, the connection is intense, yet still…fragile. We couldn’t be apart for more than a couple of months without serious consequences.”

  He nodded slowly. “And for Mars?”

  “Once soulmates are bonded, the connection solidifies, and over time, it only continues to strengthen. A newly bonded couple could be separated for six months, maybe a bit longer.”

  A terrible thought flittered through his mind, and Sion blinked slowly, working through the implications. “Kai’s mom? She’ll die now that her soulmate is gone?”

  Rya’s eyes watered, and single tear slipped down her cheek. “Yes.” It took her a long time and several deep breaths before she could continue. “She and Elder Blackthorn were bonded for millennium. It could be two years, maybe three, but yes. Eventually, she’ll pass.”

  “And there’s no way to stop it?” He didn’t know either of the Blackthorns well, but Ava had always been kind to him, and Elor had support him and Ivy when they’d most needed an ally on the planet. “There’s nothing we can do?”

  “It’s our way,” Rya answered simply. “Even if there was something to be done, I don’t think many of us would choose it. Losing a soulmate is like losing yourself.”

  Sion snorted. “You mean a part of yourself.”

  “No.” She shook her head emphatically. “I’ve seen it, Sion. Xenon who lose their mates become empty shells, a ghost of their former selves.” With a quiet huff, she leaned back in her seat and rubbed her temples. “It’s not something I can adequately explain.”

  Sion understood what she hadn’t said, but he couldn’t even think of something happening to her. No, it wasn’t something she could explain with words, but yet he understood. He just hoped he never had to experience it.

  Rya hated that she’d caused her mate distress, but she wouldn’t lie to him. Their five-week separation had wreaked havoc on her, both physically and emotionally. Granted, she’d allowed her condition to deteriorate too far, and she should have sought him out sooner, explained. Still, the ordeal had been nothing compared to what would happen if she lost him for good.

  She didn’t want to even entertain the idea, but unfortunately, she had little choice. Someone had attacked them, and a small voice in the back of her head said their troubles had only just begun. Meeting Sion, despite their misunderstandings and turbulent beginnings, had been a joyous and blessed occasion. Finding her soulmate didn’t promise a long life or a happy future together, though. Fate had brought them together, and it could just as easily tear them apart.

  “I’m sorry,” Sion said, startling her out of her thoughts. “About Mars.”

  He wasn’t, not really. She could read it clearly in his eyes, hear it in his voice. “Mars is—was—mated.” Taking a deep breath, she paused as the sadness threatened to overwhelm her again. “If anyone understands, it would be him.” Sion’s naturally aggressive personality seemed to be amplified when they were together, even more so than most newly mated Xenon males. “But it would probably be best if you didn’t threaten everyone who comes near me.”

  In answer, Sion snorted. “I wouldn’t hold your breath for that to happen anytime soon, princess.”

  “Why would I hold my breath? What would that accomplish?” Obviously, this was another of those foreign colloquialisms she just coul
dn’t seem to understand or master. “I don’t understand,” she relented.

  Sion’s lips parted, whether to explain or laugh at her, she didn’t know, because at that moment, a wispy female with short black hair and a beaming smile sauntered up to their table. She bowed her head to Rya, more out of ingrained respect than anything, because her eyes never strayed from Sion.

  “I haven’t seen you in the kitchens recently,” she said, her full attention on the male. “Are you well?”

  “Hey, Darbi.” Standing, Sion pulled the younger female into a brief but affectionate embrace. “I’m well. Of course, you know my soulmate, Rya. Princess, this is Darbi Greendale, one of the kitchen attendants.”

  Reluctantly, Darbi turned her big, wide eyes toward Rya and bowed again. “Hello, Vasera.”

  Rya didn’t stand. She didn’t smile. Though she’d never met Darbi before, hadn’t know her name until she’d heard Sion speak it, she hated the female. “Go away.”

  “I…uh…” Then Darbi turned her smitten gaze on Sion, clearly unsettled by Rya’s rudeness. “Until our next meeting, Sion.”

  She took a step forward, likely intending to embrace him again, but she didn’t get a chance.

  “Not going to happen.” With a sharp glare and a snap of her fingers, Rya transported the female back to the kitchens below them. She couldn’t deny it had cross her mind to dump the imp right into the middle of the ocean, but somehow, she’d restrained herself.

  The moment Darbi vanished, however, Rya instantly felt contrite. “Oh, my stars. What have I done? What’s wrong with me?”

  Sion laughed. “Nothing, princess. Nothing at all. Welcome to my world.” He laughed again and shook his head. “I understand how you feel,” he amended, answering her unspoken question. “You got a little jealous, that’s all. It’s not a bad thing.”