"When you found me I was conscious and I spoke to you? I told you this?"
"No." She scooted a tankard toward him stalling for time. Most races found her ability to read a person's mind disturbing. For a moment she considered withholding the information then decided he'd discover this ability for himself eventually. "When I touched you I learned a few things about you including that you are an honorable warrior.
"You steal minds?" Soren reached for his sword as he rose to his feet and towered over her with an expression of anger and distaste on his face. "Did you remove my memories?"
Skye froze, knowing that the wrong move now would get her killed. Very slowly and carefully she set her tankard down and rested her hands on the table in clear sight. "I would never do that or anything else to harm you. Ever."
She jumped when he activated the flaming blade and a crackling sound filled the air. "How do I know you're telling me the truth?"
She rose and stepped toward him much too close to that deadly blade. She tipped her head back to maintain eye contact with him. "I saved your life at the risk of my own." She took another step toward him. "I claimed you only after I knew I couldn’t save you and that we would both die. That's why I decorated the shelter in gems and wrote our names on the outside. So my brother would know I'd found my mate and had not died alone." She turned and moved away from him, then lowered her chin, exposing the fragile nape of her neck to his blade. The sound of the blade being deactivated drew a soft sigh from her and she wondered what he'd do if he knew he could kill her simply by refusing to care about her. She turned back to face him. "I told you the truth when I could have lied after you admitted your memory loss to me."
The frown remained on his face. "Are you reading my mind now?"
She shook her head. "You indicated you found it distasteful to share my mind. So, no, I'm not although it is common on Kyrstali for mates to link their minds."
"Krystali males also read thoughts?"
"Only their mate's." She hesitated for a moment then added, "You would be able to connect with my mind if you wanted to. It's an advantage mated couples have when they fight as they don’t need to speak to know each other's movements."
Soren snorted. "Females are not warriors."
"On Krystali we're forced to fight if we want to live."
"Your planet is at war?"
"There are two continents on Krystali. I come from Edyn. We want to live in peace but the Crimeryns want to rule the planet. They're barbarians and seek more females as they've abused their own and many have died."
"How long has this been going on?"
"Since long before I was born."
"If you've been at war that long your country would be covered in krystal. How do others avoid being harmed by it?"
"The pieces that land on the ground lose their power to harm. In fact they become a vital part of our soil."
He walked away from her and stood at the window with his back to her. "Tell me everything you know about me."
"Not much more. I know you've fought many battles and that you are a male of honor. I also know you mating fever was burning out of control and you were dying. I don't know why you weren't able to find a mate but perhaps like me your mate had to be worthy."
He turned and sent her a sardonic smile before turning away again. "So you believe you are worthy to be my mate?"
"As worthy as you are to be mine." Skye let her frustration with him show in her voice. Warriors could be so tiresome. "It is your choice to accept this or not but I think your fever will force us to remain together."
Soren turned to face her. "What do you mean by that?"
"I can't heal your fever. It's not just an illness or disease. It's part of your DNA. I think the only way to control it is by sharing sex with a compatible female. In this case me."
"That's convenient for you."
"No, actually it's not," she shot back. "I gifted you with incredible power and in exchange you gave me your mating fever. Hardly a fair trade!"
He turned and glared at her. "How often?" he asked. When she sent him a blank look, he added, "How often do we have to fuck?"
She avoided his eyes by focusing on a decorative pillow on the bed. "I don't really know. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how you feel." She squinted her eyes and stared at him. "Or look."
"What do you mean?"
"The mist is back. You're outlined in it."
Soren held up his arm. Blue mist with black swirls clung to his flesh. "Damn it." He rubbed his hand over his arm, displacing the mist for a moment then watched as it reformed before he began pacing back and forth in front of the window.
Skye thought he looked like one of Krystali's fierce wild cats when it was caught in a trap. "Try to relax. You're just going to make it worse."
"I can handle my own problems," he said then shooed her away. "Now git." The two words froze him in his tracks. He repeated them again then rubbed his temple. "I know someone who says those words but who?"
"Soren?"
"What?"
"The blue mist is filling the room. It's making me cold." She held out her hands. They too were covered in the mist. "How are you feeling?"
He looked at her and his expression changed from aggravated and suspicious to lustful and interested. "Come here, Skye."
She shook her head. "No, I think I'll take a hot bath." She stepped sideways toward the bathing chamber.
He shadowed her, his movements smooth yet threatening in an exciting way.
"You won't make it," he warned her. The expression on his face was an odd contrast between frustration and arousal.
"I'll make it if I place a wall of krystal between us." Soren's frown told her she'd said the wrong thing and displeased him.
He pointed to the floor in front of him. "Here. Now."
She stepped back then stopped when his expression darkened. "Why?"
"Skye."
Her name was spoken as a warning. The tone telling her it was the only one she'd receive. She moved to the exact place he pointed. "Soren?"
He shoved his fingers into her braided hair, pulled her into him until they were belly to belly, and tipped her head back. Staring into her eyes he said, "Never put a barrier of any kind between us. Do you understand?"
"Even if you order me to?" she asked to annoy him. Her punishment was a quick nip on her bottom lip.
"Unless I order you to do it." His thumbs brushed over her cheeks. "Understand?"
"Yes."
"Good, now return to your previous location."
"Why?"
He slid his lips over her cheek to her ear. "Because I want to chase you." He nipped her ear. "When I catch you I'm going to fuck you until you scream my name with pleasure then beg me to stop."
She laughed with excitement. "You want to chase me? Really?"
He nodded.
She gave him a quick hug. "Oh, Soren, thank you." She smiled then patted his arm when he gave her a puzzled look. "It’s a tradition in my culture for the warrior to capture the enchantress once she's chosen him." She waved her hand and the wall to their left opened to reveal an immense cave with stalagmites and stalactites filling it. The sound of dripping water and a waterfall could be heard in the distance. "Wait thirty nano-units before you come after me." She ran toward a large group of stalagmites as she spoke. "I won't make it easy for you to find me." She waved then disappeared into the shadows.
# # #
Soren turned away and absently stared at the mountains while he thought about his predicament. His instincts told him Skye was telling the truth but she was holding something back. That knowledge kept him on edge.
He crossed his arms over his chest and his hand landed on one of his armbands. He tugged on it with the intention of removing and examining it. To his surprise it tightened. He released it and it loosened. He tried again and got the same reaction. Holding his arm out, he traced a finger over the etched pattern then stroked his fingertip over the black shard embedded in the red stone. Had she placed the bands on him? She'd said she'd claimed him. Were they a sign of her ownership? The thought of a female marking him infuriated him.
She'd said he was dying when she found him and that she'd risked her life to save him. Had she meant she'd risked her life by going out into the freezing temperatures or because she might have run into the Groaners or some other danger? Or had she meant something else entirely? Something she was keeping from him?
She'd admitted she was dying because she hadn't found a worthy mate. She'd also said he'd had the same problem. The cynic in him wondered what the odds were of two people with the same dire need finding each other at the last moment on a small planet in an unknown galaxy. He thought about it for a moment and decided they were infinitesimal.
None of this made sense. How could his love for her make her strong? What would happen if he didn't care for her? Would she grow weak? Would she die? Was that the secret she was keeping from him? The more he sorted through the information the more improbable her story became although his rising need for her verified that a fever of some kind existed. What he wanted to know was had she given it to him as leverage to make him stay with her?
He looked up and saw the reflection of a tall, heavily muscled stranger with short black hair and dark tattoos on either side of his head facing him. Reaching out, he touched the face. "Aqua," he said identifying the color of the eyes even though he couldn't see their color in the crude reflection. "The same color as—who?" The name clung to the tip of his tongue but refused to be spoken. Cursing, he turned and walked toward the cave. It was time to find her and force more information from her.
Two units later Soren struggled to control the fever raging in his body while he continued to search for Skye. Frustrated and aroused he yelled her name, his voice a guttural roar that echoed off the hard walls of the chamber. When it faded away he heard a soft whimper coming from the shadows and stalked toward it with the intention of spanking her ass red for hiding from him for so long. His plan dissolved when he found her huddled and shivering on the stone floor surrounded by the same blue mist that covered his body. "Skye?" He lifted her into his arms.
"So cold." She struggled to get the words out through chattering teeth.
Soren tried to warm her by holding her closer to his chest while he carried her through the cave and into the bathing chamber. Once there he turned on the hot water and undressed her while the tub filled. He slid her into it then undressed and climbed in behind her. She turned in his arms, straddled his legs and pressed her shivering body against him. He splashed warm water over her back and reminded himself that she needed him to take care of her not make love to her. No matter what he did though she grew colder and he grew hotter until the air around them shimmered with heat waves.
She stroked her hands over his shoulders, slid her hips closer to his and ground herself against his erection. "You feel so good."
He scooted her back away from him. "Be still. I'm trying to help you."
She shoved his hands away, lifted up and positioned herself at the head of his cock then lowered herself onto him. "This is helping." She gave a little wiggle and moaned.
He swiped his hand over his forehead. "I'm burning up."
She wrapped her hands around the back of his neck then leaned back and wiggled again, grinding her clit against him. "Oh, yes, this feels so good."
Soren grasped her waist and jerked her against him then held her above him while he pumped up into her. Her eyes darkened and began to close.
"No, keep your eyes open. I want to see you come for me."
Skye widened her eyes for a nano-unit then seemed to lose the ability to keep them open and they began to close again. He stopped moving and held her above him with just the head of his cock inside her. She mewled with disappointment and tried to move.
"Look at me, Skye."
"Soren," she said, her eyes meeting his.
"You're beautiful. Now, let me see your pleasure." He began to move again but this time he held her down on him and rocked up into her. Within moments he heard her moan and felt her tighten around him. "That's it. Come for me."
She gasped his name and her pussy fluttered around him. He thrust into her, hard, and she came again, throwing him into his own orgasm. He tightened his hands on her waist and held her still while wave after wave of pleasure flowed through him and immediately his body cooled and hers warmed and the blue mist disappeared.
Skye collapsed against him. He freed her hair then combed his fingers through the long strands until they covered her shoulders and the ends floated in the water. While she rested, he wet her hair with handful after handful of water then washed it with the gel he found in a jar on the side of the tub. After rinsing it he held a handful up to the light. Her hair was several shades of gold and platinum with a few dark red strands mixed in. He tied her hair on top of her head and finished bathing the two of them then rose and carried her into the bedroom. He didn't bother with drying them even though she mumbled an objection. After pulling the fur back he lowered her onto the bed, dropped down beside her and arranged her in his arms the way he wanted her and closed his eyes.
# # #
The last of the sun's rays lit the room with just enough light for Skye to see Soren's face. His arm lay over her waist, holding her against him as he slept. He was a fierce and relentless warrior but she wondered if he was forgiving. As soon as the thought went through her mind she found herself linked with his mind and catching small glimpses of his past. People, places and battles but they were jumbled together and she wasn't able to make sense of any of them. He moved and she realized what she was doing and pulled her mind from his then tried to roll away.
He pulled her closer and opened his eyes. They were shielded and she couldn't pick up on what he was feeling or thinking. "Did you put these bands on me as a sign of ownership?"
His voice sounded calm but she picked up on the threatening undertone. "No. They were on you when I found you." She squirmed, silently asking to be released.