Lawked Flame (35 page)

He squeezed her hand, glad she was finally opening
up to him, even though he was uncertain exactly what the problem
was. “And this grieved you?” he asked, trying to understand.

She smiled, well maybe calling it a smile was a
stretch since only one corner of her mouth tilted upward. “No. It
scared me.” Turning to face him fully, she stared at him for a
minute without speaking. He assumed she was trying to decide what
to say and remained silent. “I was so mad when they were beating
you. It was as though I stepped out of myself into someone else. I
would’ve destroyed everyone and everything in that building. I
never checked to see if there were any more heartbeats, like you
did. It never occurred to me. Nothing mattered, except protecting
you and making sure they were never a threat again, to you.”

Her whispered last two words tugged on his heart.
Since what she had done mirrored what he would have done, he did
not know how to respond. Perhaps she did not fully understand what
being an unlocked pair meant, and that was his fault. He would
rectify that immediately.

“
Alayna, when I say you are my Kee, it is more
than a declaration of love or affection.” He touched his chest.
“There has been a physiological transformation in both of us. I
watched the tapes the Murlin took from the hospital of while I lay
on the floor.” He grinned at the surprised look which crossed her
face. “At some point, you unlocked me, which triggered your
unlocking. Once that happened, you would have felt changes
occurring in your body, a blending of sorts. Our scents merged. You
have access to all of me as I have with you. I feel your emotions,
just as you do mine. Perhaps I misinterpreted them, but I felt your
heaviness and despair.”

He waved down her interruption as he continued, not
wanting to get side-tracked in another discussion. “Also, your
communication channels should have come online, giving you access
to every Lawkmerian anywhere.”

She leaned forward, her brows slightly furrowed.
“Like a humming in the background?”

“
Could be. I keep it toned down and rarely
notice, but it may be a low hum. Also, the power you generated to
defeat our enemies was a combination of you and me coming together
for protection of the other. Remember, I told you it went against
everything that I am to allow you into a dangerous
situation?”

She nodded slowly.

“
It is like an encoded command. I believe that
is what you experienced. No Lawke or Kee could ever allow harm to
befall the other. We would die first, because we could not survive
without the other. What you did was instinct. A Kee protecting her
Lawke.”

Her gaze widened as she held his eyes hostage. He
knew she was thinking over all he had said, yet, there was still a
hint of reluctance. “Close your eyes,” he told her.

He waited until she complied with his request
and opened himself fully to her. “I want you to see how I view you.
You are my Kee, my equal in everything. I need you to breathe, to
grow, to remain strong.” His voice hitched as he released his
innermost feelings, allowing the tendrils of his care to secure her
heart with his for eternity.
I cannot
abide your unhappiness. It preys on my mind and tears at my heart.
Please see I am empty without you, Alayna
. He spoke
the last sentence through their mental bond.

Her eyes flew open. Glassy, they filled with tears
as she smiled. This time he saw relief and happiness glowing within
their depths. He started as she opened up to him. Wave after wave
of warmth and pride cocooned him. A shudder ran through him as the
depth of her emotions tightened around his chest. Feeling
liberated, he shouted with joy and scooped her from the chair. Her
arms locked around his neck as she laughed with abandon.

In the midst of Khayden grinning at her like a
love-stricken buffoon, her stomach growled. She laughed and placed
a hand on her belly.

Unsealing the room, he strode toward the
door.
Hungry
?

Her brow raised in a naughty angle. His dick
twitched in recognition. “
For
?

Almost stumbling, he caught himself and
squeezed one of the firm globes in the palm of his hand.
Food first, then I want you for the rest of the
day and night
.

She giggled, the sound wrapping around his
heart.
Sounds good. I’ve missed you so
much
.

He started to ask why she did not reach for
him or accept him when he made overtures, but decided against it.
None of it mattered at this point and served no real purpose. She
knew him now, could sense his commitment to her as much he sensed
hers to him and that was all that mattered.
I have missed you. I need to sheath myself in your
tightness
.

Her breath hitched. He continued walking, but
slowed his progress toward the dining area to speak against her
ear.
But I need to feast on your pearly
essence first. I am dying of thirst and need to drink from you.
Will you feed me
?

She nodded eagerly as her head burrowed into
the crook of his neck. He absorbed the tremor as it shot through
her body. Her arousal tinged the air. Good, he wanted her hot and
dripping. On second thought, he changed directions and sent
instructions for food to be delivered to their suite.
I need to see the perfection of your flesh. My
mouth aches to nibble on the peaks of your succulent breasts. They
will bring food for you, but my hunger cannot
wait
.

A low moan escaped her throat, sending a bolt of
heat to his groin. The doors opened and closed as he stepped
through, a man on a mission to bed his Kee for the first time since
they had unlocked. As they entered the bedroom, he undressed them
with a thought and headed directly to the bed. His need for her was
at a fevered pitch. She clung to him, whimpering her need,
inflaming his desire to mate and claim his Kee’s flesh as his.

Lying her gently on the bed, his eyes followed the
path of his outstretched palm as it traveled from beneath her chin,
down her graceful neck to the valley between her bountiful breasts,
taking a moment to twist each peak, and then down to her trembling
stomach to the small strip of curls on her mound.

Driven by need, he lowered and tasted drops of her
cream that had come to greet him. Impatient, he lay between her
legs, lifted her hips to his mouth and latched onto her clit. Her
legs straightened and then lay on his back shaking lightly, as he
licked every drop of cream from inside her opening. His tongue
thickened as he entered her tightness.

She screamed her pleasure as he thrust in and out of
her, intent on receiving a gush of her love juices. It wasn’t long
before she stiffened, tightened her thighs around his head and
came. Her body trembled with the force of her release, and he
lapped up all of her cream.

Pleased, but nowhere near finished, he stroked her
quivering pussy with one of his fingers, as he slid up and watched
her try to breathe through the final tremors.

Her eyes opened slowly. The heated look she gave him
demanded he fill her right now. His hard cock jerked as she raised
her arms to him and widened her legs. Removing his finger from her,
he arched over her and slid home. They both grunted when he was
fully seated.

Perspiration dripped from his forehead as he tried
to tamp down the primitive emotions swamping him. There was no way
this could be a genteel fucking. His Lawkmerian genes demanded he
bond with his Kee, flesh to flesh. And from what he was feeling, it
would be like nothing she had ever encountered before.

Hesitating, he tried to explain what was happening
inside and words failed him. The plasma beneath his skin thinned.
Every inch of his skin tingled, he moved inside her and nearly
stopped breathing at the exquisite pleasure.

“
Khayden.”

He bridled enough control to look at her, although
he could not speak if he tried.

Her eyes lit as she smacked his ass. “Fuck me.”

The reins of his control snapped. Blue fire shot
from his fingertips as he plunged forward. Drawing her legs up
around his back, his hips pounded her tight sheath, desperate to
get closer. The slapping of flesh and grunts of satisfaction filled
the room like a rhythmic lusty choir. The glow from his blue eyes
provided the only light as he unerringly met his mark with each
thrust. Her walls tightened, sending his mind to another place as
he plundered her depths. He needed more. Unable to stop as she
bucked erratically through the force of her orgasm, he stood,
lifting her hips further off the bed, changing the angle of
penetration, going deeper.

Her breasts bounced against her chest with each
thrust, the sight edging him closer to the breaking point. Her
lust-filled words begged for more, demanded he give it to her
harder, pushed him over. With a loud yell, his toes curled. The
fire started low and raced up his back, sweeping him into a
shuddering orgasmic release that sent balls of blue flame spiraling
around the ceiling. Alayna came again; her earthy shout released
tiny whirlwinds around his head. The force of her release energized
him. Rolling over, he pulled her close and took his time pillaging
her mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck, ready to go again,
just as he was. Finally, they had gotten it right.

Chapter 24

Khayden watched as Royce and the first team of
Lawkes landed on Lawkmeria. He had given them their instructions an
hour before their departure, and each person had received the same
instructions. That way any alteration of the plan would be obvious
to everyone, plus he’d shown them how he would be watching their
every move. Now things were progressing according to his plans.
Well, his and his Kee’s. He had gone over them with her this
morning before she left to spend the day with her mother.

Her father’s burial had been the previous day and as
expected, the family had taken it hard. Her mother’s grief was
eased by his Kee’s strength. She remained steadfast, offering
comfort to her remaining parent. The concept of placing bodies in
the ground intrigued him.

Last night, they had discussed the funeral process
and he'd explained there was no such procedure for Lawkmerians. If
one of their people perished, it was their duties as Master and
Mistress to honor the deceased by consuming the remains with blue
fire. Initially, she was surprised, but bowed to custom, saying she
would do whatever was required of her.

So when she noticed a small flaw in his strategy
this morning, he quickly saw her logic and made the adjustments.
She also told him about the conversation she had overheard between
the two Gigi concerning a possible coup to overthrow him. As she
left, she begged him to be careful. He chuckled, thinking of her
response when he'd suggested she take a couple of bodyguards with
her when she visited her mother. She threw up her middle finger and
a blue flare appeared. Afterward, she left alone.

“
We are in,” Royce said, confirming what
Khayden saw on the wall.

“
Good, proceed with caution. There are at
least ten lizards two hundred yards to your left, do not alert them
of your presence.” It was important that Royce’s team disabled
certain facilities before Benicke’s team arrived closer to the main
city. He watched as Royce expertly evaded the Geleet and disabled
two power lines, sealing them so that no one but he could open
them. Perfect.

The team continued across the mahogany mountains,
laying traps and disabling resources as they moved forward. Later
that night, as he continued to watch, Alayna returned, and watched
the slow movement of the team.

“
You said the mountains were different, it’s
hard to believe anything could be that beautiful. Are you excited
about going home?”

“
How to answer? First, home is with you. But
yes, I miss Lawkmeria and its simplicity.”

She frowned. “Why is it so much simpler?”

He tried to think of an example that would make
sense to her. Although they were similar in some traits as humans,
they were not the same. “Ah, yes. Take Lorenzo and Benicke.”

She sat straighter and leaned in. “Okay, what about
them?”

“
On Lawkmeria, Lawke and Kee are not gender
based. It is based on something altogether different. That is a
discussion you can have with the Murlins, I do not know all of the
correct terms.

“
Okay, get to the simple stuff.”

He smiled at her impatience. “Think of what I just
said. On Lawkmeria, no one would look at the couple as an anomaly
or freaks of nature. It is natural for all Kees to reproduce. On
Earth it is not. They will be able to have a family without censure
back home.”

His fingertip touched beneath her jaw and pushed her
mouth shut.

She shook his hand off. “Lorenzo can have a
baby?”

“
Not here, it is unnatural. We all follow the
biological laws of the places we inhabit. Pregnant Kees do not
expand until weeks before the expulsion on Lawkmeria. No one knows
what will happen here.”

She shook her head. “What did you say? Expulsion?”
Her eyes narrowed as he went over his sentence. That is what
happened. The child is expelled from the Kee’s body. Why was she
bothered by this?

She slapped his shoulder. “I’m bothered because it
sounds crass and unfeeling. The word has a negative bite to
it.”

He threw up his hands in surrender. “I apologize.
Your language is not mine and I may have used the wrong word to
describe the process.” He heard her laughing through their bond as
she stood and kissed him good night. He would remain awake
throughout the campaign, watching over the teams.