“Lady Radu.”
I searched my memories of Everis, but as most of them centered around my sister’s memorial service and coping with the idea of taking over as Brody’s guardian, I came up empty handed. “I don’t know who she is.”
“She is irrelevant. I am here now. I will protect you both. I have no interest in Brody’s fortune. I am very rich. Atlan Warlords are gifted vast wealth and estates if they are fortunate enough to survive the war.”
Shit. He’d done it. Unleashed one of my worst, most uncontrollable traits… curiosity. Never could keep my mouth shut, even when I was a child. “You fought in the war?”
“Of course.”
I lifted trembling fingertips to trace one of the silver lines on his shoulder. “And these?”
“Remnants of my time with the Hive Integration Units. I spent several months as a prisoner.” A shudder passed through his entire body. I withdrew my touch, but he took hold of my wrist and pressed my small hand right back to his skin. I’d be a fucking liar if I said I resisted. I should have. He admitted he had a mate. I shouldn’t want him. Shouldn’t be fantasizing about him still. He was taken. Capital T. Atlans, and their beasts, didn’t mess around when it came to claiming their women.
His gaze dropped to my lips. Lingered. “I had given up. Requested removal to Atlan for execution. By the gods, that would have been a horrible mistake.”
“Why would you do that? You’re wearing mating cuffs. You have a mate.” I knew all about mating fever, knew that Warlords who didn’t find their mates turned into crazed killing machines.
He closed the distance between his forearms and my hips. The touch along my outer thighs was barely there, but it might as well have been a punch to my system. My breath came in short gasps as I desperately attempted to pull air into my overheated lungs.
Iven knelt on the kitchen tile. He seemed oblivious to the hard floor as he leaned forward and pressed his forehead to my chest. Unsure what to do, I combed my fingers through his hair as his hands clenched and unclenched, making giant fists. The warm, fuzzy feeling I had from the alcohol faded rapidly as I tried to adapt to the bizarre reality kneeling before me.
He was acting so strangely. If he was only here on a mission to protect Brody, why was he acting like he wanted me to touch him? Like he wanted me. But, if he truly believed I was his mate, wouldn’t he have done something about it the moment we first met days ago? Wouldn’t his badass beast have come raging to the surface and swept me off my feet in a wild, passionate assault no sane human woman could resist?
No beast. No caveman-style sex. Which was proof he was already mated to someone else. If I was his mate, his beast would have gone—well, beast mode—and fucked me up against the wall in that school. Or he would have dragged me into a supply closet and taken me against the door, like Warlord Wulf did to that make-up artist, Olivia, on live television no less. If a beast wanted its mate, there was no stopping him. Right?
“Iven, I don’t know what you’re doing. What do you want?”
“I found you.” He lifted his face and his eyes seemed to glow for a moment. His body went rigid, as if he was fighting himself. “You’re mine. My mate.”
He said it. Holy shit.
I couldn’t look away from the primal, possessive heat I saw in his eyes. I was trapped like a deer in headlights. Frozen. Helpless. I knew I was in trouble, but I couldn’t move. Didn’t want to move. What I wanted was dangerous. Foolish. Came from my lonely pussy making demands without a lick of common sense.
Can I get a lick on that clit?
Down girl!
He sniffed the air as if he could smell what his nearness was doing to me. I was wet and ready. More than ready, squirming.
“Mine.” His voice had dropped an octave, the deep timbre making my body go up in flames. This wasn’t just the Rumchatta. This was instinct. Biology. Need.
“I don’t trust aliens. I don’t like aliens.” Was that breathy, barely there, sensual whisper coming from me? Were those my hands buried in his hair? Wrapped around his neck? Touching his lips? Petting him? Pulling him closer?
When did that happen? Fuck. I was totally out of control.
Didn’t care. I’d been afraid for weeks. Running scared. Anxious. Barely sleeping. Worried. Paranoid. Exhausted. I was so fucking tired. Tired of not sleeping. Tired of nightmares. Tired of feeling hunted. Vulnerable. Alone.
This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real. This had to be a dream. No gorgeous Atlan Warlord would magically show up in my back yard to claim me as his mate and offer his protection. Utter fantasy nonsense. But hell, even if I was dreaming, dead asleep, I didn’t want to wake up. Being with Iven right now felt good. Better than good.
“You are mine. My mate. No one will ever hurt you again.” Iven shuddered as he shoved the hem of my dress back up to bunch at my hips. Heavy hands rested on top of my bare thighs. His very naughty thumbs stroked the sensitive skin of my inner thighs as his gaze locked with mine. Wet heat flooded my pussy and his nostrils flared as if he could smell my desire. He was shaking, as if fighting for control. Even on his knees, his face was so close all I had to do to kiss him was lean forward… just…a… little… bit.
He reached down to his side with one hand and my thigh felt bereft. Cold.
Seconds later, his hand reappeared with matching mating cuffs. Smaller.
Were those for me?
“What is your real name?” It wasn’t a question. It was a demand for information.
