Pursued by Presley Hall
Zatir
I pause justinside the doors to the great hall, trying to settle my emotions.
Although I would never be so ungracious as to turn down an offer from my king, I’m not entirely sure I want this feast in my honor.
In the past, I would have soaked it up, enjoying every accolade. But now, the attention and the feast and everything else is a reminder of all the men that I lost, the men in my squadron who were killed by the Orkun and who can’t be here.
They fought bravely, and they all deserve feasts as well. They deserve remembrance and fanfare. If they were here, we’d all be celebrating noisily together, getting drunk well into the night and singing loudly all the way back to the barracks afterwards. It would be a real party, a celebration to remember. Their absence feels even heavier than usual tonight. The pain of it still runs deep. It’s impossible not to think of them as I gaze at the room full of Kalixians in front of me.
Still, I wouldn’t be myself if I didn’t take some pleasure in all of this, and I’m grateful to Khrelan for honoring me. He could have been angry at me for acting on my own, without orders, and not just coming directly back to Kalix. Instead, he was pleased. I’ve done a service for our people, whatever my reasoning.
So I put a smile on my face and step forward to join the crowd of people who have come to welcome me back home.
As I stride deeper into the room, my skin suddenly prickles all over, as if every hair has lifted all at once. It’s a strange sensation, one I’ve never felt before. But I don’t have time to consider it, because I’m immediately swamped by other Kalixians, both warriors and ordinary citizens. The warriors, especially, are eager to greet me.
“We’ve heard stories about your exploits,” Sorsir says, coming up to clap me on the shoulder and draw me into a tight, one-armed hug. “And I demand to hear every single one of them, directly from your mouth.”
“We all do,” Druxik adds, giving me the same greeting. “And I want to hear more about that ship of yours. You’ll be coming for my piloting credentials next, if I’m not careful. The citizenry is already saying you’re the finest warrior we’ve got.”
“I’m sure it’s all been blown widely out of proportion.” Tycran embraces me as well with a grin. “After all, my mate and I blew up the Orkun base. What have you done, out there all on your own?”
“Every female in the universe that I could find,” I tell him with a chuckle, enjoying the opportunity to shock the stoic man. “And I took out a few supply lines too, in between.”
Tycran rolls his eyes, but Sorsir and Druxik both roar their appreciation at my joke.
“Come on.” Sorsir jerks his chin. “Let’s get a drink. With one child at home and another on the way, I haven’t been out like this in weeks.”
I laugh, shaking my head at him. It feels good to have others to banter and joke with again. I’ve missed the camaraderie of being among other warriors.
“Ah, yes. I heard about the bonds—”
My words break off as that prickling sensation runs over my flesh again. I turn slightly, and my gaze lands on a woman in the crowd.
She’s one of the Terrans, an extremely slender female with black hair that’s been pinned up on her head, skin so pale that it glows almost translucent in the light of the hall, and bright blue eyes set in a dainty face. My first thought is that most men would call her striking and not beautiful, but that thought is immediately lost when I realize she’s looking in my direction too.
Our eyes meet, my gaze locking with hers.
It feels as if a jolt of energy passes through my entire body, freezing me in place for a moment. I’m unable to tear my attention away from the stunning woman. I feel as if a current is running through me, every nerve in my body alive and on fire, and a single word rises up in my mind with the urgent force of a tidal wave crashing onto a shore.
Mine.
I know it as surely as I know that Kalix has two moons. This woman is mine. I’ve heard the stories. I know the mate bond is possible between our two species.
And that’s exactly what’s happened. The bond.
I don’t stop looking at her. I don’t want to. And she can’t seem to stop looking at me either. Our eyes are locked, that current of electricity arcing between us—
Then she tears her gaze away, jerking her head sharply to one side.
To my shock, she gathers her skirt up in her fists and runs out of the room.
There’s no question about following her. I couldn’t stop myself if I tried. I hear someone saying something behind me, maybe more than one person, calling after me and asking me where I’m going. But everyone else in the great hall seems to fade away, just noise in the distance as I hurry after the ethereal girl as if she’s some kind of vision from one of the old stories.
I have to talk to her.
I have to know if she felt what I just did.
I have to claim her, and make her mine.
Her trail leads all the way up a winding staircase, out to a balcony overlooking the massive gardens behind the palace. Her back is to me as I step through the arched doorway, and I see her clutching the railing, her shoulders moving quickly as if she’s breathing hard.
“If you’re thinking of jumping off, I’d really rather you didn’t,” I say in a teasing tone as I approach her slowly. “Because then I’d have to catch you, and I’ve had a tiring three years. I might not be as quick as I once was.”
The woman whirls around, her eyes wide and luminescent, huge in her delicate face. Out here under the bright moonlight, they almost look as if they’re glowing, and a few pieces of her dark hair have fallen around her face, making her look even more beautiful than she did at first sight. I feel drawn to her as if by a magnet, my heart beating so hard in my chest that I feel it throughout my entire body. I can feel my cock rising at just the sight of her, the sweet scent of her skin drifting over to me and sending a fresh wave of lust over me.
By all the gods,I think, coming closer to her and closing the space between us. If I’d known this would be my reward, I would have returned home much sooner.
There’s not a woman in the universe as beautiful as the one gazing at me right now.
We’re so close now that we’re nearly touching, and I see her chest heaving as she breathes in short, sharp gasps, looking up at me with those startled eyes.
I reach up to touch her face without thinking, tracing the tips of my fingers over her high cheekbone. She shudders, her entire body trembling as her eyelids flutter half-closed, her soft lips parting. My cock twitches at the sight, going from mild arousal to full hardness in the space of a second, suddenly aching with need. I’ve forgotten all about the party downstairs, the honor being given to me, everyone waiting to speak with me. All I can think about is how many bedrooms this palace must have, and that surely one of them has to be empty.
All I need is for her to say yes, and I’d forget about the whole deshing party and spend all night in bed with her, worshipping her gorgeous body with every bit of skill I possess.
She stares up at me, her thick eyelashes shadowing her eyes as my fingers go still on her cheek.
My mouth turns up in a rakish half-grin. “When I first returned to Kalix yesterday and saw everything that had changed in my absence, I didn’t fully understand it. But now…” I stroke her cheek again, my chest tightening with emotion and need as I look down at her pale face. “Now I do.”
Her lips part a little wider, confusion plain in her eyes. She doesn’t understand. But she will in a moment—as soon as I say what is on the verge of bursting out of me, the words burning on the tip of my tongue.
“My soul has recognized yours.”
