Still, the nagging doubt had taken hold of his mind, and he couldn't let it go. The regent pulled her to his side, wanting to both punish her and plunge himself into her over and over again. She smelled like heaven, the soft scent of their sex still on her.
"Why did you leave?" He brushed his fingers by her face and pulled her flush against him.
Sylvie's eyes searched his before glancing away. "I'd fulfilled my end of the bargain. It was time for me to go home."
"So last night meant nothing to you?" He needed it to mean something. It meant too much to him. One night of passion that would cost him his life, and she treated it as if it were nothing more than an appointment on her calendar.
"Like you said," she mumbled, "we both were curious and this was one way to find out what it would be like to sleep with an alien. When it was over, I figured it was time for me to go. I didn’t want to change my mind, X. I didn't know you'd... that this would... you know."
Her voice petered out and she stood there, staring down at the floor, looking so damn innocent.
His heart felt like it was being ravaged by gnarsharks. "I might have said that before, but after what happened between us, how special it was... how could you just walk away from that? It meant nothing to you."
It wasn’t a question, but a statement of fact where he was concerned.
She looked up at him, her eyes blurry with unshed tears. "Your people will never accept me. The longer I stay here, the more you earn their scorn. Now I've destroyed you, just by giving in to my desires. No wonder your people want my blood. I can't say I blame them."
His thumb stroked over her cheek, catching a teardrop as it fell. The softness in her lit a hope inside of him.
"No, baby," he crooned, pulling her into the circle of his arms and stroking her soft hair. "There is no blame to be given. We share in this equally and yet neither of us could have known that this would happen."
"How can I help you?" she whispered. "What can we do to reverse this frenzy? Your people must have some kind of cure?"
Xivthar shook his head. "We haven't really looked for one. This is how our gene pool stays strong. Since our population is severely limited, it's important that we continue such customs. For a male to die during the mating frenzy is rare simply because most are accepted by their chosen mates. The few that aren't usually had mental health issues to begin with."
She let out a bitter laugh as a tear dripped onto her cheek. "Great, but ‘my mate has a screw loose’ isn’t going to work for us."
He knew that she was being uncomplimentary, but hearing the phrase "my mate" on her lips caused his cock to instantly harden under his sarong. Growling, he pulled her in tighter and ran his hands down her back.
Her eyes widened. "I thought you couldn't..."
"That doesn't mean that I don't desire you. That I don’t think you’re the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen, Sylvie." He leaned in, holding her face in his hands to steady her. He brushed his lips across hers, deepening the kiss as she pressed into it. The emotions inciting riots inside him narrowed until only lust was left.
"I need you," he whispered, and moved to suck on her earlobe while brushing the back of his fingers over her bare stomach. She trembled in his arms, but didn’t pull away.
“Take me then,” she mumbled before pressing her lips to his dark chest and licking softly.
He picked her up into his arms as relief flooded him. If he weren’t capable of release, they would know soon. Either way, she would be beside him when he passed. A chime sounded at the door behind him and he let out a long groan.
Putting her down, he covered himself with the cloak and walked to the door, not quite yet willing to release the membrane. "Who's there?"
"It's Major Kremkrall. There's been a disturbance at the Ministry of Science. Reports say that the Hareema have tried to destroy the Earthling's ship."
Xivthar turned to the female. She stared back at him with eyes wide.
He'd feared allowing her to see her ship, in part because he knew she would want to leave if she could get it activated, but also because he knew she would present a tempting target to the enemy. It looked like they wouldn't be able to avoid investigating the ship now.
As much as he didn't want to put her in danger, he was sure she would insist, which she did, immediately.
"We've got to get to my ship. There could be a clue as to who's behind all of this, X."
Xivthar nodded. She was right. Despite his desire to lock her up for her own safety, he could not physically bear being parted from her.
I'll keep her safe,he told himself.Even if it costs my life. Besides, without her, I haven't got much of a life left.
