Alien Warrior’s Promise by Sue Mercury

Chapter 8

“Forgiveme for being gone for so long, yummiska. Have you eaten? I hope you’ve made yourself at home.” Dakk continued stroking Macy’s hair, and it took all his self-control not to groan as she unknowingly pushed herself against his hardness. Or perhaps she was fully aware of her actions. She thrust her center into his and wiggled around a bit, causing his engorged cock to throb and throb.

“It’s okay, and yes, I’ve eaten,” she said, the heat of her breath penetrating through his shirt, tickling him and heightening his awareness of her. “What about you? Are you hungry? I’d be happy to grab something from the replicator for you.”

“I’m fine for now but thank you. I’ll grab a quick meal later.”

“Is everything okay? Was the fire put out quickly? Was, um, anyone hurt?” She froze in his arms, clearly holding her breath as she awaited his answers, and her sweet concern touched him.

“The building is fine—the white stone we use for our buildings does not easily burn—however, all the furniture inside my shop was destroyed. My assistant, Vallis, was there at the time, and while he was wounded, he has since made a full recovery.”

“Oh, Dakk, I am so sorry, but I’m glad your assistant is all right, and that the building is still standing. Any idea what caused the fire?” She withdrew partially from his arms and peered up at him, and the deep level of compassion in her eyes took his breath away.

He hesitated to tell her the full truth, but he also hesitated to start their mating union off with a lie. He cleared his throat and prayed the truth didn’t scare her. In any case, he would keep her well-guarded until the arsonist was captured—if he truly did have an enemy who intended him harm, he would not risk his mate’s safety.

“The fire was intentionally set, though I am not certain who did it.” He ran his hand slowly through her hair, watching as the waning light of the day caught in each individual strand. Rays from the sunset glimmered in her golden tresses, and he thought she looked particularly beautiful with her hair aglow and her eyes wide as she waited for him to offer more details about the fire. “Someone entered my shop, knocked Vallis out—they struck him from behind and he did not see them—and then they poured an accelerant over the furniture before starting the fire. Nothing like this has ever happened in Starzzia before and our elected leaders have ordered an investigation be opened. I am certain the culprit will be discovered soon.”

“This sounds serious. But who would do this?” She pulled at her bottom lip with her teeth for a moment as her forehead creased and a look of concentration fell over her. “Do you have any enemies?

He fought back a chuckle. “Everyone has been asking me that very question—do I have any enemies? The answer is no, not that I am aware, but it would appear that someone wishes to do me harm. I do not think Vallis was the main target—I believe he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He’s a young male who hasn’t even entered warrior training yet, and I cannot imagine someone wanting to harm him.”

Dakk’s mind clouded with worry. He hoped the investigators got a lead soon. Until then, he would have to be very careful, particularly when it came to keeping his mate safe. The thought of any harm coming to Macy filled him with equal amounts of rage and heartache.

In the short time he’d known the female, she had grown on him, and he found himself anticipating their life together. It was still a shock to him that Vaxxlian Matchmakers had found him a mate—he’d been resigned to the fact that he would likely spend his life alone, without a female to call his own, without a family to care for, without a legacy.

He noticed the soot covering her dress and started brushing it off. “I am sorry I got you dirty, Macy.” He pulled away from her and eyed the master bathroom in the corner of the room. “I will go clean up in another bathroom. You may use this one.”

Her eyes twinkled with humor as she brushed at the black marks on her dress. “Well, I suppose we should both get cleaned up. It’s getting late and we can’t go to bed like this.” Her expression turned serious and almost… heated. She glanced at the bed and a pretty blush stained her cheeks.

Dakk’s cock shifted in his pants, and when he inhaled deeply, he caught the unmistakable scent of Macy’s arousal. Fluxx. Desire swept through him, and it was all he could do to back out of the room without mauling her. He forced himself to walk to a guest bathroom and stripped off his soiled clothing. When he realized he’d forgotten to bring a fresh set of clothing, he tossed the dirty items into the clothing refresher. By the time he was finished in the shower, his black warrior uniform would be as good as new.

He stepped underneath the warm spray and turned the water to its hottest setting. His cock continued throbbing and he cursed. He’d promised Macy he wouldn’t rush her—he’d specifically promised they could wait to consummate their mating bond until she felt ready. Even if it killed him, he would honor that promise.

Once he’d lathered himself in soap and scrubbed the soot off his body, he switched the water temperature to ice cold and stood beneath the frigid spray, trying to calm the animalistic urges coursing through him. He could very easily imagine taking Macy to bed, kissing her all over, and thrusting deep into the sweetness between her thighs, claiming her as his mate for all time.

But he reminded himself that she’d detected his hardness and even pressed herself against him. She hadn’t gasped and pulled away, nor had she appeared frightened by his desire. And he’d smelled her—there had been no mistaking the pungent but sweet feminine scent of her desire.

Would she wish to mate with him tonight?

His pulse quickened and he couldn’t stop picturing Macy in bed, naked and writhing and panting for air beneath him. The cold water wasn’t helping much, so he turned the shower off and grabbed a towel.

After drying himself off, he retrieved his pants from the refresher and quickly put them on. He decided to forgo his shirt and hurried into the hallway, eager to reach Macy as soon as possible.

When he entered the master bedroom, the sight that greeted him left him stunned. Speechless. He swallowed hard and stared at Macy. She was in the middle of his bed, with only a white sheet pulled up to cover the tips of her breasts. But the sheet was thin, and the dark outline of her nipples drew his gaze.

Naked. She was in his bed, naked.

What little good the cold shower had done evaporated in an instant. Raw need pulsed through him, hot and undulating and urgent, and his hard cock pushed against the confines of his pants.

“Macy.” Her name escaped his lips as a deep rumble. “What are you doing?” He entered the room, but paused halfway to the bed, not quite trusting himself to get too close. His self-control wavered as primal instincts mounted within him, as if a beast were caged inside him and snarling to get out.

She tilted her flushed face upward, and a look of challenge sparked in her blue depths. She allowed the sheet to fall a bit lower, though not quite low enough to expose her nipples. “Well, I thought it was obvious. I’m trying to entice you to come to bed.”