Pradorian Mate (20 page)

With that thought in mind, he lowered himself further. Sinking to his knees now, he brought one hand between her legs and coaxed them open. His tongue, hot and wet, claimed her sensitive center with such eagerness it threatened to reach her to the stars and beyond. A scream left her lips as she reached a sudden release. He so attentively drew it out of her as the tension left her body, and her weight fell forward in his arms. He rose and, sweeping her into his arms, took her to their bed and laid her gently on the mattress.

As he lay next to her, she turned to him with a mischievous smile and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Now, it’s your turn.” Without waiting for his response, she laid soft kisses on his neck and chest, touching his warm, broad chest with her searching and persistent hand. She then followed a path down his muscled belly and quickly approached his aroused manhood.

Archail’s need grew so strong for her that it became physical pain, making his voice sound harsher than intended. “No!” He rapidly leaped off the bed as if she had stung him.

Sara remained frozen were she lay, startled by the sudden display of rejection.

A blush rose in her cheeks.

Archail, watching the change in her expression, felt like the very monster she had originally accused him of being. His intention wasn’t to hurt her but rather to avoid causing her more harm, knowing he would have to give her up.

He had decided not to lay with her again. In his mind, he was protecting her from becoming pregnant with his child and then being forced to live alone, since he would be life-mated with another soon. Seeing the pain in her eyes made him feel like punching himself, even though that wouldn’t change the way things were. Sara’s voice brought him out of his turbulent thoughts.

“
Why, Archail?”

She tried again when he didn’t answer. “Did I do something wrong?”

Archail, hearing the hidden pain in her questions, felt the blood drain from his face. Taking a deep breath, he resolved himself to do what he needed to. “No, Sara, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just that I don’t want to. That’s all.”

Sara watched him closely. “Why did you do that to me if you didn’t feel like continuing it?”

“I saw you wanted me, so I gave you what you asked for.” He knew he sounded cold and indifferent as he hid the true feelings running through him like sharp cutting blades. Every word he said forced her further away from him.

Sara jumped from the bed and grabbed the towel that still lay on the floor, wrapping it around her like a protective shield. “Who told you to play the martyr? Who said you had to do anything to me?”

Archail felt like twice the monster.  “I didn’t have a choice, did I?”

“
Oh! Well. I definitely didn’t force you if that’s what you are insinuating!” Her voice held a tone of angry resentment as she turned and walked away from him with her head held high.

Archail inhaled the sweet scent of her skin as it reached his nostrils from her sudden move. He had to fight to stay away from her. He was hanging on by the slenderest of threads, and if he wasn’t careful, he knew it would break and let all his feelings for her flood his mind. Prador help him if that happened, because all Atalas would collapse in ruins. “No, you did not force me, but you would not take no for an answer either.”

Sara’s eyes now threw sparks of flaming rage toward Archail. “What is wrong with you?” Without waiting for an answer, she continued her assault. “All you’ve done throughout my time here is to constantly try to claim me with your body and have me as your own. You even told me you wanted me for more than simply bearing your child, and now you treat me like this? Why?” Her voice broke, revealing her desperation at being unable to understand his sudden change.

Archail felt like he was being cut open and left to bleed. He took a deep breath. “You are free, Sara. I will no longer hold you to our agreement.” He paused, inhaling deeply again. “You will be injected with the immortality serum, and you will be able to live freely among my people as you choose, unless you wish otherwise.”

Sara stared at him, confusion and shock evident in her expression. Tears collected in her eyes, and she turned away. 

Her voice trembled.  “You…” She paused. After an unbearable amount of silence, she forced herself to continue. “You don’t want me anymore?”

Archail wanted to scream. The pain he felt in his heart was tearing him to shreds, but his body remained where it stood. “It has nothing to do with not wanting you, little one.” He moved a few steps closer, but paused to comb his fingers through his hair. Had she noticed, he was sure Sara would have seen the desperation showing in his eyes. “I do not have the right to want you. I never did.”

Sara wiped the unshed tears from her eyes and turned to face him, staring searchingly into his eyes. “What do you mean ‘you don’t have the right to want me’?”

Archail inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly before replying. “I am to be life-mated with a Pradorian female whom the council has chosen for me.”

“
What do you mean by life-mated?”

“
The best way I can describe it,” Archail stated coldly, as if he was talking about something of little importance, “is like your concept of marriage on Earth.” Her expression as he explained was a final blow deep in his heart. It was as if he would die of his own will or forever walk this planet half dead.

“
You mean all this time, the entire time we’ve been together, you knew you would be life-mated to another? This entire time?”

“
Yes,” he admitted, lowering his head slightly as he felt its weight all of a sudden. He forced himself to meet her eyes and saw resentment and accusation in them. She had every right to feel this way, but it hurt him to see her looking at him like that. “Sara, I never thought…” He stopped himself, realizing that anything he said now would probably sound all wrong.

“
Leave me alone,” Sara demanded, her voice as cold and biting as a winter’s day that showed no hope of spring coming.

Archail lifted his hand to touch her, but she flinched away from him as if he was about to hit her, although it could be argued he already had. His hand fell heavily, and without another word, he left the room. His heart felt like a heavy weight in his chest because he knew he had lost her forever.

Chapter 16

When the next morning arrived, the warm sun shone high in the sky of Prador, promising another beautiful day as life buzzed once more in the great square.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Sara stared blankly at the window. Black circles had formed under her bleak blue eyes after a long and sleepless night. Her lips had drawn into thin lines as her mind still tried to comprehend the events of the previous night.

She had cried bitter tears all night, with the pain of betrayal acting as her constant companion. So many questions still swam through her mind.

Why had he claimed her as his mate when he wasn’t free to do so? Why had he tried so many times to be with her? Why had he waited so long to tell her the truth? Why had he told her now, after the blood ceremony and being together so many times?

The questions remained unanswered, and even after going through everything in her mind, she knew she still loved him. Her heart wouldn’t let her feel otherwise, and she felt betrayed in more ways than one as it beat faster at his constant presence in her mind. She had to leave the palladium and never see him again. Then, and only then, could she decide what to do with her newfound freedom.

The last thought made her heart sting again, but Sara reminded herself that seeing him every day without being able to touch him, eventually seeing him with another, was something she could never cope with.
No!
It was time to step out into this new world on her own, but in order to do that, she would have to first establish where she could go.

Feeling her willpower grow stronger as it never had before, she rose from the bed and paced the room with more determination in each step she took.

After all, she told herself, life never worked out the way she hoped it would. It always had its ups and downs, and she had to accept this before she drove herself crazy.

* * *

Irina stood in the dining room with Archail. He looked different than he had the last time she had seen him. He had withdrawn into himself, and his eyes seemed to stare intensely at the empty chair opposite him as if he was waiting for someone to suddenly appear on the cushioned seat.

“
What is it, brother?” Irina inquired in a soft voice filled with concern as she saw his eyes turn a darker gold.

Archail turned to look at her, a smile automatically forming on his lips that never touched his eyes. He sounded almost empty of emotion. “I told her the truth.”

Irina, realizing he was talking about Sara, nodded in understanding before moving closer to him. She placed a supporting hand on his shoulder. “Things might change, Archail. Did you tell her everything?”

He rose suddenly and walked away from her. On reaching the door, he opened it and paused for a short moment before speaking in a chill voice. “It is over, Irina. In three cycles of our moons, once the Earth females have been given the immortality serum, their transitional ceremony will take place as the council has ordered.” His tall figure then left the room as if chased by an unseen enemy, leaving his sister with deeply troubled thoughts.

She knew her brother better than he knew himself. His sense of duty toward his people had always been overly strong within him. For that reason, he would never betray their trust or go back on his word to the council and their stupid traditions, no matter how much pain it caused him. That gave her an idea, and a broad smile formed on her soft blue lips as she decided it was time to take matters into her own hands.

Immediately putting her thoughts into action, she ran to the door and walked briskly down the corridor, heading toward the palladium kitchen and considering how she had a lot to do in a very short time.

* * *

Sara looked behind her one last time at the great bedroom and realized she possessed nothing of her own except the clothes she wore and the memories she had shared with Archail these last few days. She turned decisively toward the large door, placed her hand on the handle, and opened it.

She was halfway through the door when she bumped into Toria, who watched her carefully as she stood in silence. “May I help you, my lady?” The Pradorian woman looked at Sara expectantly.

Sara thought of dismissing her, not wanting to inform Toria of her intentions, but an idea came to her mind. “Yes, I heard there are homes available for the Earth women to live in, and I have a friend in one of them.” Sara tried to sound sincere as she spoke, yet a vague feeling of discomfort rose within her at knowing she was lying. “I was wondering if you could show me where they are.” She smiled up at the Pradorian woman.

Toria gave her a broad smile in return and offered to escort her to one of them. Sara thanked her earnestly, and the two women left the palladium together.

There was considerable hustle and bustle in the market square. Pradorians and the occasional female Earthling walked around, examining and purchasing products laid out on long white marble-looking benches. Sara had never before walked through the square during its peak trading period, and while they walked, she looked around curiously. Toria’s swift steps didn’t allow her much time to browse, but then she reminded herself she wasn’t there for pleasure.

Strange objects were arranged all around the benches, which stood on both sides of the road they followed. On one bench in particular, there were tubular-shaped objects of different colors and sizes. They looked like they might be small sculptures or bangles of some kind, but when Sara saw a Pradorian male pick one up, she was surprised by what happened when he squeezed it slightly in his palm. In response to the pressure, the object emitted a strong purple beam the length of a large knife from one end.

As they moved further down the road, which was paved with glowing tiles, another bench grabbed her attention. It hosted peculiar objects colored in metallic tones. A Pradorian female, who was browsing the stall, placed one of them on one of her fingers, along a knuckle behind her nails. Gazing admiringly at its beauty, Sara realized it must be some form of jewelry.

Sara then almost bumped into a male purchasing what could be best described as a segmented metallic tail, but she couldn’t even begin to imagine what it was used for. While dodging the male, Sara nearly toppled into another female who was three feet taller than she was. Giving Sara a snide glance, the female adjusted her grip on a clear container filled with long green-and-yellow fuzzy stalks and continued on through the crowd.

Toria had to guide Sara through some of the more heavily congested areas, but while moving through the market, Sara noticed that even though she did see some Pradorian females here and there, the males outnumbered them greatly. Her mind recalled the problems Archail and his sister had told her about. It hadn’t really sunk in until now.

Nevertheless, Sara followed her guide, and as they headed out of the market, they turned left down a path that reminded Sara of the alleys she’d known back on Earth. There were houses richly built in various colors, but these dwellings had no tall columns standing outside their entrances. There were still no doors to stop passersby from entering as they pleased.