A small smile tugged at Dari’s lips. “If not somewhat vexing.”
Gio’s expression grew serious. “Yet I hope to be worth the vexing parts.”
Her gaze searched his face. “You are. You always have been.”
Gio recalled the story she had told into the void—namely the part about how his wee princess had come to have a care for him one short day after her removal to Arak. Until she’d told the story, he hadn’t known. Now there could never be secrets between them and he more than liked it that way. Leastways, it caused a wave of emotion stronger than he’d ever afore felt to wash through him. “I love you, Dari Z’ana Tar. I will love you until I take my last breath.”
Her eyes were misty. “And I love you, Gio Z’an Tar,” she admitted with a vulnerability she wasn’t used to expressing. “Now and forever.”
One second she was on her knees and the next she was on her back. Wearing naught but his bridal necklace, her black nipples stabbing up just beneath it, the contrast in their skins aroused Gio even more. He knew he was one of the lucky ones—a warrior possessed of a mate with rare skin. In a galaxy where nearly everyone was fashioned from the same bronzed color, unique skin ‘twas something males oft dreamt of afore they were warriors full grown.
And Dari was his. One hundred percent, irrevocably his. The knowledge made his cock impossibly harder.
“I want to be easy with you,” Gio rasped. “Please forgive me if I cannot.”
Dari’s arms wrapped around his neck. “Mayhap if you go in slowly then—”
He thrust his cock inside of her on a groan, seating himself to the hilt. Dari cried out, her hands instinctively batting him away.
“Trust me,” he grit out, “‘twas better that way without Ari’s aid.” He wanted to move inside of her so badly, but knew he had to give her time to adjust to his size. “’Tis sorry I am that I hurt you. ‘Twill be pleasurous for you once your channel is accustomed to my cock.”
The expression writ across her face told him she doubted it. Gio grinned afore kissing the tip of her nose. “I promise not to move inside you until you are ready.”
In the meantime he kissed her—a long, drugging kiss that made her forget the present pain and reexperience the pleasure she had known whilst in his bedchamber. Their tongues clashed and dueled, both seeking the warmth the other had to give. ‘Twasn’t long at all afore Dari’s hands began wandering the length of his back and rubbing his firm buttocks.
“Mmm,” Gio purred, his hands all o’er her body. “That feels so good,pani.”
Dari’s breathing grew labored as he took turns sucking on each of her nipples. A hedonistic longing rippled through her. She spread her legs wider, welcoming him. “I’m ready, Gio,” she gasped. “Mate with me.”
Her words nigh unto drove him mad. His teeth gritting, Gio slowly began to move inside her. “Your pussy is so warm and tight,ty’ka.” He picked up his pace as she began to moan. “And all mine.”
“More,” she panted. “Faster.”
He wasted no time in giving her exactly what she wanted. Holding her thighs apart, Gio sank deep within her, o’er and o’er, pounding her with his cock. Uncertain how much longer he could last, he fucked her harder and faster, impaling himself in her pussy again and again and again. Sweat soaked skin slapped against sweat soaked skin. They moaned as one, their shared ecstasy driving both of them to the brink.
“Gio!” Dari groaned, throwing her hips back at him. “Oh my g—ohhhh!”
The bridal necklace pulsed a thousand wondrous colors as Dari violently climaxed. Throwing him over the edge, his entire body tensed as he fucked her. He impaled her once, twice, three times more and…
“Dari!”
Roaring out her name, he convulsed on top of her, his hot cum spurting deep within her. The bridal necklace pulsed ever faster, causing both of them to experience orgasms so intense that they bordered on painful. Wave after erotically glorious wave of pleasure enveloped them both, further cementing their bond.
‘Twas only with one’s true Sacred Mate that the bridal necklace worked. It not only conveyed the emotion of one to the other, but it also allowed them to transfer the orgasm of one to another. ‘Twas a bliss other humanoids would never know and why Trystonni males spent their lives searching for their other halves. Gio had been one of the few fortunates who found the only other one capable of completing him at a young age. He hadn’t had to search—not really—for his Sacred Mate had been known to him nigh unto the whole of her life.
Their breathing still labored, Gio rolled off of Dari and onto his back. Pulling her to lie against him, he kissed the top of her braided head as he tightly but gently held onto her. They were silent for a long while, content to bask in the afterglow of their mating.
“I can scarce believe you are now mynee’ka, Dari Z’ana Tar.” He kissed her forehead. “I am the most fortunate of husbands.”
Hisnee’ka—his wife. Dari smiled against his chest. “And I can scarce believe I ran from this wondrous bliss.” They shared a chuckle. “Yet truly am I the most fortunate of wives.”
They spent the moon-rising mating with each other, making love throughout the whole of the eve. They fell asleep to the view of Khan-Gor in the distance, neither of them wishing to deal with what laid ahead. For this eve at least, there was only each other.
* * * * *
Kari paced as she awaited… well, she wasn’t exactly certain who or what to expect. At this point all she did know was that she was tired of wearing out the proverbial carpet with her walking. She knew she still needed to view thatholo-recording, but conceded that she would be better served by calming down first.
Grabbing a chalice ofmatpow, she plopped down onto thevesha-benchDari had once been laid out on and forced herself to calm down. Glancing around at everything and nothing, her distracted gaze landed on the clothing Kari had watched fall from Dari’s body. Next to the white leathers lay the princess’ ever presentholo-charm—a beautiful piece of jewelry that contained holographic images of those she most loved. Curious as to its contents, she set down the chalice ofmatpowand walked over to retrieve the bracelet. She hoped Dari wouldn’t be angry with her for opening the images because Kari genuinely just wanted to see what said loved ones looked like.
