Lainey understood now why Kate, Beks, Cecelia and Taylor had all chosen to stay. It was because of this feeling. It was because she felt whole, for the first time in her life. It was because she was crazy about the male who laid next to her, because she couldn’t imagine himnotin her life.
These alien males are potent, she thought, smiling against his chest.There’s something in the water here.
“Kirov,” she whispered, hating to wake him, but knowing she needed to tell him. She didn’t want to wait anymore.
When she reached up to brush his hair, he came awake, blinking at her. He purred immediately and she grinned, leaning up to kiss him. She’d woken him from sleep before, but for entirely different reasons.
“Are you needing, female?” he rasped.
She exhaled an amused snort and whispered, “Always with you.”
“Then come closer,” he murmured, reaching under the furs. “Let me satisfy you.”
Lainey chuckled but grabbed his hand to stop its descent, her smile slowly dying as nerves suddenly tumbled in her belly.
“What is it?” he asked, noticing her expression.
The corner of her lips quirked up and she brushed her thumb over his lips, before glancing up at his eyes.
“I love you,” she whispered. “I wanted you to know.”
Kirov stilled, his eyes flaring with warmth, with emotion.
She pressed her fingers to his lips when he was about to speak and said, “I want to stay. I want to stay on Luxiria with you. I want to perform theravraxia. I’m ready.”
“Tev?” he rumbled, drawing in a deep, shuddering breath.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I’m sorry for waking you. But I couldn’t wait until morning to tell you.”
Kirov pounced on her then, rolling her underneath his naked body, the furs sliding away until their flesh was pressed together.
“Never be sorry for that,” he rasped. “Vrax, luxiva. I love you too.”
Lainey’s grin wobbled. She’d known that already, could feel it in every word he spoke to her, but it felt nice—more than nice, fuckingamazing—to hear those words verbalized.
She’d never heard those words from anyone in her life, except for Nadine.
“My luxiva,” he whispered down to her before kissing her with intensity, with eagerness, with a passion that made her head swim.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Yours. And you’remine,Kirov.”
Chapter Thirty
TheJaxvarawasn’t what Lainey had been expecting. Only a brief distance from Troxva, the sacred place was towards the end of the massive lake, in the northeast. Situated within the forest—which Kirov told her was called theJaxavir—about a quarter mile in from the lake shore was a small clearing. The trees surrounded it in a perfect circle, the forest quieting around it.
Even though there were no markings, Lainey felt that it was…different. Strange. Otherworldly.
But she trusted Kirov, who led her just to the threshold of the circle, even though goosebumps trailed down her bare arms.
“Are you ready,luxiva?” Kirov asked her quietly, as if he too didn’t want to break the hushed quiet of that place.
In the center of the circle was a domed tent. Kirov had dispatched a few Luxirians to make preparations for their arrival immediately. Only last night, Lainey had confessed her feelings for Kirov. Less than a full day had passed since and she was standing there, on the threshold of her new life, staring at that domed tent.
But she wasn’t hesitant. She wasn’t frightened. This washerdecision. She’d never been more sure of anything in her life.
“Yes,” she said, taking his outstretched hand, giving it a squeeze. Her almost-transparent white dress rustled around her ankles with a light breeze. “I am.”
Kirov was bare-chested, with his hair neatly plated down his muscled back, with only tight pants encasing his body. Lainey’s eyes ran over him, her belly clenching with want, withneed.
