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Oyaz vaulted off the bed to go after Izabelle, not liking the sorrow pouring off her. It lacerated his chest with great swaths of pain.
“Please give her time to grieve, Supreme Commander. She has blamed herself all these years.” Lady Simmy ‘faced’ Danic and sighed. “I love her, but she has to let this go. She’ll never be able to fully commit to you if she is guilt-bound to me.”
“I understand.” Oyaz strode to the comm room, fighting himself each step of the way. The Ethera compelled him to bathe in Izabelle’s presence, still, he was an Etterian warrior, a Supreme Commander with duties to perform. Once there, he initiated a communication with the prince.
“My prince,” he said as soon as the comm was accepted.
“Oyaz, Malo pursues an Etterian scimitar, abandoning his role on Earth.”
Oyaz gritted his teeth. Enyl had discovered more information before he could. Already, he was failing his mission.
“It is as it should be when our Dar Eths are priority,” Enyl continued. “Still, without Cales and Citus on Earth, our peace negotiations have stagnated.”
“Their arrival is imminent, my prince. This day, Yithians tracked a human woman on Earth. One mentioned any females would do.” A phantom ache pulsed in his temple. Oyaz rubbed the healed wound and grimaced at the blood stains on his palm.
Enyl frowned, darkness settling in his crystalline eyes. “This is distressing news, Oyaz. I will speak to my father. Our warnings at the G.C. have gone unheeded.”
“I believe so, my prince. The Global Council are not known for their decisiveness. I have captured the two Yithians. Sub-Commander Vorn will attend to them in Malo’s absence.”
“Good. Continue guarding Earth, and be vigilant, Oyaz.”
“For Etteria, as always, my prince.” He thumped his chest.
“Congratulations on your Dar Eth.” Oriana stepped in front of the vid screen, peering into Oyaz’s eyes. Her crimson hair and Ferusi-green eyes were striking as always. “Don’t endanger yourself without cause; she needs you now more than you know.”
“Thank you, my princess.” He did ache to find Izabelle.
Enyl looped an arm around Oriana’s shoulders. “I agree. I would recommend you rely on your second-in-command. I did not have my full faculties at the beginning of my Ethera.”
Oriana chuckled. “He still doesn’t.”
Enyl growled at her, but she hugged him, burying her nose in the curve of his neck.
Speaking of Etterian matters, Oyaz said, “I have not yet chosen a sub-commander.”
Enyl didn’t look away from Oriana’s upturned face. “I would recommend Elite Warrior Aaro. His record is impressive.”
Aaro? Oyaz furrowed his brow. “Thank you for your recommendation, my prince.”
“Which is a polite way to say, ‘butt out.’” Oriana laughed.
Oyaz flashed a grin just as the vid screen flickered black. With a sigh, he punched instructions on his O.D.I. and summoned Aaro. The male would have to be shuttled from the Kushin to Malo’s Gladio.
“Pilot, locate Vorn.”
The pilot pressed buttons on the multi-lit console. “Sub-Commander Vorn is in interrogation, Supreme Commander.”
Oyaz rapped his fingers on the console, eager to be elsewhere. “Status on Danic.”
“Doing well, Supreme Commander, but has not awoken yet.”
“Location of the human woman, Izabelle.” Oyaz stifled the shiver saying her name sent through him.
“The viewing deck, Supreme Commander.”
Oyaz reined in a smile. She had chosen a secluded spot. “Have accommodation allocated to my males and for the human woman, Lady Simmy. Location of Lady Izabelle’s quarters?”
“The one she shares with Elite Warrior Garix?” The pilot arched a brow.
Oyaz stilled, then growled, “Relocate Garix to the barracks. Send through all locations as soon as you have assigned them.” His reflection on the display vid revealed a frightening scowl. He softened it when he glanced at the pilot. “Thank you.”
“At your service, Supreme Commander.”
Oyaz grunted, left the comm, and hurried to Izabelle. His long strides were a little more determined than usual. Garix hovered outside the viewing deck, lunged into pacing, before he halted, peered through the door then paced again. The male should be honored for his dedication, his protection of Oyaz’s Dar Eth. But in her mind she wasn’t his yet, making their relationship tremulous.
“Thank you for the relocation, Supreme Commander.” Garix held a fist to his chest. “As much as she brings me joy, when she is this sad, I confess, I know not how to handle it.”
Oyaz stood in the doorway.
Izabelle leaned against a bulkhead with her forehead and palm pressed to a display vid. Her cheeks were red, her eyes swollen, and yet he had never seen a more beautiful creature. He took a moment to absorb her, his salvation and lifeforce. His breath hitched when her lips trembled, and he fought the temptation to calm them with his own. Her delicate hand stroked the vid as if to soothe it, as she had caressed his chest.
“As her Eth, I must learn,” he grumbled to Garix.
“May the Maker bless your efforts,” Garix said. “It brings me joy she found you. Take care, Supreme Commander, she believes her size is a deterrent.”
Oyaz placed his hand on Garix’s shoulder. “My thanks for the information. Her stature does not bother me at all.” Releasing the male, Oyaz glanced at Izzy. “Have the data officer scan the housing unit. I want it secured.” He stepped through the door and waited for it to close. His gaze he fixed on her.
She glanced up and caught him staring, but she didn’t react. Instead, she returned her focus to the surrounding stars on the display vids lining the side of the viewing deck.
He strode across the open space and scooped her into his arms. She squeaked her surprise, but when he assumed her seat and held her against his chest, she melted into him. Her hand rose to his chest again, and he realized, that was where it always needed to be. The gesture showed her trust and acceptance.
“It will work out, ensa,” he said while rubbing his jaw over the crown of her head. The scent of her engulfed him, and he allowed the flame of lust to rip through him. Nothing had ever scented as enticing as Izabelle.
“How can you know, Oyaz?” She buried her face against his chest, even as her fingers flexed. Every move she made settled into his mind, formed memories and cherished moments.
“Lady Simmy will be healed sooner or later. You have only to be patient.”
Izabelle shifted back to meet his gaze, her eyes wide with hope. She cupped his cheek, running her thumb across it. “You promise?” she asked like a damu.
Unable to resist, he nuzzled her palm, relishing the soft texture of her fingers against his skin. His heart stuttered at the wide range of emotions bombarding him. Maker.
“I cannot promise. Life is too uncertain,” he said in a gruff voice, opening his eyes to stare into hers—the gray so like sun-kissed Maloidian steel.
“I know.” Her unexpected bright smile spread across her face like the magnus sun’s rising.
His arms convulsed, and he tightened them around her curvy body.
“Do you do this often?” She stroked a finger along his jaw, dangerously close to touching his lips. They tingled in anticipation. “Pulling women into your arms? Not that I mind,” she rasped. “You do it with such decisiveness.”
“No, females are scarce and a precious resource.”
Her gaze snagged on his mouth, and as the gray of her eyes darkened, his breathing thinned. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her, to ease the bottom lip she nibbled on.
Distracted, she ran a thumb over his eyebrow. “You don’t know any females? How’s this possible?”
“I do know a human woman. Macy is my friend and my king’s...wife.”
“What? She married the king?” Izabelle bounced, her luscious backside rubbing against Oyaz’s hard arousal.
Sinking into the fiery need burning outward from his groin, he squeezed his eyes shut. His teeth pressed on his bottom lip while he struggled to control his reactions.
“An honest to goodness king? Is she his soulmate?”
He stilled, his heart slammed into his chest, and he leveled his gaze on her. “You know about soulmates?”
“Yes, Caro explained. She’s Malo’s, according to him.”
“She is Malo’s Dar Eth as he is her Eth,” Oyaz said, attempting to calm his heartbeat. His Izabelle was full of pleasant surprises.
“Do you think I have a soulmate, Oyaz?” She dipped her chin, unable to hide her sadness. “Not a single male has kneeled for me.”
Thank the Maker. They would have stolen her from him.
“You want one?” He gathered her closer, his fingers flexing where he gripped her hips.
“Hot jam and buttered toast. I want one something fierce.” She laughed, squirming against him with boundless energy. “How does it happen or work? Does a man just choose me, and bam, he’s mine?”
“No, he must see all of you, then the Ethera brings him to his knees.” That was the only explanation why her face on the display vid hadn’t triggered the bond. He replayed the moment he admired her curves when she’d run toward the shuttle. The pain had been worse than losing his eye and regrowing it...combined.
She focused on the collar of his armor where she stroked his skin. Her delicate touch pebbled the nearest nipple. Without realizing it, she seduced him.
Clearing his throat, he snagged her gaze, ensuring she listened. “Then a pleasurable pain will burst through him, changing his eyes to ice blue.”
She froze and realization dawned. “Oyaz?” she squeaked, rising to cup his face. She stared into his eyes with her mouth gaping, the pink recesses tempting him to close the distance. “That’s why you’re hugging me?”
“I cannot stop holding you, ensa.”
She worried her bottom lip with her tiny teeth, then squared her shoulders as she gathered her courage. “Because you’re mine?”
“Yes.” Such a small word had such meaning.
A joy so bold, so exquisite spread across her face. “You’re my soulmate.”
She squealed in excitement then laughed, the sound husky and liberating. Shuffling off his lap, she tugged on his arms until he stood before her. She feathered her hands over his chest, hips, the base of his spine, and his long fingers she laced with hers. “You’re so big.”
“Yet you do not fear me,” he said, inflamed at her touch, his knees weakening again.
“No. You’re not unhappy with me, are you? Being so small?” She lifted her face to his, her need for assurance in her furrowed brow and sad eyes.
He lifted her off her feet, crushing her to his chest. She was light, her weight negligible. His armor was able to resist blades and Gika acid, but he imagined he could sense the softness of her breasts.
“I will never be unhappy you are mine, Izabelle. You have blessed me, more than you will ever know.”
She smiled, her eyes shimmered, and she snuggled into him, tucking her face in the curve of his neck. Like Oriana had done to Enyl. The swell of unknown emotions expanded Oyaz’s chest to a snapping point. No wonder Enyl allowed Oriana’s open affection. The experience was addictive.
“What now?” Izabelle’s lips brushed across his neck as she spoke, sparking a shiver.
“If you were Etterian, I would take you to my quarters and claim you.”
She gasped, and the musk scent of her arousal teased his nose. She would like that, his Dar Eth. Decisive she had called it.
He winced, disbelieving what he was about to say. With how she had mourned Lady Simmy’s decision and having bitten a Yithian, forcing himself on her now would be cruel, not after all she had endured in too short a time. He wanted their connection to be memorable and not fleeting, so learning how to control his reactions might be wise. “However, since you are human, I will follow the examples my males have set.”
She tilted back with a frown marring her pale brow.
“Xan and Quin did not complete their pairing immediately.” He groaned. Izabelle was in his arms and so pliant. All he had to do was lower his mouth to hers. The Ethera urged him to succumb to the temptation. “But, Maker, Izabelle, I want to kiss every inch of you.”
Pink splashed across her cheeks, and her breathing was shallow. She wiggled, forcing him to tighten his arms around her.
“Lift me higher.”
He obeyed, curious as to why. Brushing her mouth across his wasn’t expected, and he growled, wanting her to do it again. Her lips were so soft that he disbelieved the sensation. And as she hovered, peering into his eyes, her breath fanning his chin was warm, tempting. But one kiss wouldn’t be enough, and if he knew the taste of her, along with the Ethera’s compulsion, he couldn’t give her the time she needed.
“Going slow for my benefit’s honorable, Oyaz.” She plucked his bottom lip with her thumb. “If I was an Etterian woman, what would you do?”
He closed his eyes to envision it. “Izabelle, you would be beneath me and without garments, your hair spread across my pillow, my face between your breasts.” Meeting her gaze, he sighed. “I do not know the difference between humans and Etterians, so claiming you in a forceful manner would have to wait until tomorrow.”
She frowned. “Why?”
“Our first time should be slow as I learn our differences. Tomorrow, I will have more confidence.” His explanation didn’t ease her confusion.
“But why wait?”
He chuckled at her ignorance. “Females can only enjoy a mating once a day.”
A wicked smile warmed her eyes and shot darts of heat to his groin. He groaned, succumbed to the compulsion, and slashed his mouth across hers, diving his tongue between her lips. Oh, the taste of her. Maker. He’d known kissing her would be this addictive, so hot and exotic. He shuddered, tilting his head to deepen the kiss when she dug her fingers in his hair.
He broke away and held his temple against hers. “Do not smile at me like that again. Please, Izabelle.”
She ignored his plea, offered him another sensual smile, then snatched a sweet, short kiss. “Human women don’t have the same limitations.”
“Truly?” He shook his head. Why had no one mentioned this to him?
“Yes, and if you hurry, we can discover the anatomical differences together.” The pink on her cheeks darkened.
She couldn’t mean... He spread his legs wider, trying to ease the solid Fuyra of his arousal. “Izabelle...”
“Oyaz...” She laughed, throwing her head back to do so. Her hair tickled his arms, and he shifted so it could do so indefinitely.
“We can wait.” His breath caught at the thought of sinking into her now, again, and—as she had promised—again.
Her hot mouth on his neck, the graze of her teeth along his skin, scattered his heartbeat, and he bolted. “Where are your quarters?”
With a nip on the left side of his neck, she whispered, “Go left.” And thus, she directed him, with each bite sending heat burning along his veins.
He slapped his palm on the panel beside her door, and once inside, pinned her to the bulkhead, gripping her knee to widen her legs for his hips to nestle. A rumble vibrated his chest at his malehood pressing against her entrance.
His kiss was brutal and demanding, with swipes and delves of his tongue as he learned the sweet crevices of her mouth. Her gasps and moans were music to his ears, rivaling his precious Beethoven. Her fingernails grazing his neck, stroking his hair, and tugging on his braid splintered what control he had.
Still, he needed to cleanse the blood off him.
He broke the kiss and crushed her in his arms as they fought for breath. “I must cleanse, my Dar Eth.” Wincing, he snatched another hard but quick kiss. “I scent my blood.”
She glided her palms over his shoulders to his upper arms. “I’ll be waiting.”
He released her knees and stepped back, careful to let her slide down than drop her. Her flushed cheeks, the sparkle in her gray eyes, her parted mouth, and heaving breasts became a cherished image the longer he admired her.
“Oyaz?” She arched a brow.
He chuckled and created distance between him lest he succumb again.
“Hot jam and buttered toast,” she whispered just as the cleansing room door shut behind him.
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