Raevu Read online

  I agreed wholeheartedly. “And the second?”

  T’ral took a drink from his qua and cleared his throat.

  “Well?” I demanded, “What is it?”

  “While taking the elixir, she will be extremely sensitive and highly suggestible to contact of a personal nature.” T’ral coughed into his fist.

  As one, Baelon and I sat back and let this information sink in. T’ral had cloaked it in formal language, so we had to decipher it. A wide grin spread across my face when I finally understood.

  “You’re saying she’s going to want me to mate with her…often. I think I can handle that.”

  “It’s a bit more, sire. She’s going to want you to mate with her, but in the past, the urge has made females at times paranoid or angry or even fearful. As she is human, we have no idea how the side effects might manifest…” T’ral leaned forward so I could see the earnestness on his face. “She will need to be watched over by only your most trusted.”

  “I have already sworn to that duty,” Baelon said indignantly.

  “I trust Baelon implicitly. And I will be with her. Between us, we can handle the side effects.” I smiled again. “She may not be ready to allow me to mate with her. But surely, I can touch her intimately to ease some of her warring emotions. I look forward to it.”

  “Perhaps, Raevu, we should discuss this with her present?” Baelon was most definitely her champion. I winced, imagining Eva’s reaction to this conversation in her current mood.

  To my surprise, T’ral agreed. Usually, they seemed to disagree just to be able to argue.

  “No, not now.” I rubbed my aching neck and shoulder muscles. “She’s bathing, and after that, she needs rest.”

  “How do you know that, sire?” T’ral asked.

  “I don’t know. Wait…” I thought a moment. Surely it was impossible. “I can sense her. Not her body, but her. How is this even feasible?”

  T’ral and Baelon exchanged wide-eyed looks, and then both shook their heads at me. “I don’t know, sire,” T’ral said. “I will look into it. What exactly are you sensing, and when did it start?”

  “I can feel the headache, the muscle aches, and the upset stomach. I can almost feel the water of the bath against my skin, but more, I can tell she’s bathing because the heat from the water gives her pleasure. She’s relaxing, not feeling as frustrated.” I felt like I was straining to hear, but with my whole body instead of just my ears. It was undeniable. “How can I feel what she is feeling? And why now? Why not when the mark first appeared?” We seemed to have answered a couple of questions about Eva and her condition, only to end up with more questions to answer than when we had started. Surely, we would find these answers when we got back to our own planet.

  I slumped back in my chair and continued rubbing my ghost headache with my fingertips. It may have been Eva’s actual pain, but it felt real to me. I waved dismissal to my two advisers, who immediately stood.

  T’ral said, “One other thing the histories repeated, sire.”

  I looked up and was sure this was not going to be something I wanted to hear.

  He continued, “She cannot be breached by you or anyone or anything else until the mating ceremony. She must remain pure…whole. Once the ceremony is completed under the Sopu tree, then she is yours to mate.”

  Baelon interjected, “Nephew, if you’re sensing what she’s going through, including the side effects, and add in what you’re feeling already, that’ll make for some pretty intense moments. You will have to hold yourself aloof from them.”

  “Baelon, my uncle,” I assured him, “I am a king and a warrior. I can handle this. We will hold our meeting first thing in the morning, when Eva and President Maeda can join us.”

  Both nodded, and I gave them their marching orders, “T’ral, you may make your request for Geoffrey then, if you can figure out how to get him to work with our computer systems. Baelon, as you cannot be on duty for your queen-to-be at all hours of the day and night, I need you to set up a duty roster for your select few that will be rotating the duties with you. We may need to make adjustments when she begins taking the elixir.”

  They nodded their agreement with this plan and went to their own rooms. I put my feet up on the low table and considered all the things Eva said she wanted, and how to supply them.

  Chapter 14

  Eva

  I needed to freshen up, and the bathroom in my section of the suite was glorious. The whole space was done in some kind of iridescent, pale stuff that looked like a mix of mother-of-pearl and opal. It was like walking into a gigantic jewel, almost enough to jolt me out of my anger and frustration at being so very wrong about Raevu. Almost.

  How could someone so hot be so arrogant and thick-headed?

  I knew that looks and smarts didn’t always go hand in hand, but he and I had spoken a couple of times. He hadn’t seemed stubborn then. Yet talking to him directly had reminded me of trying to break through a brick wall by repeatedly banging my head against it…it was painful.

  I took a long soak in the enormous, pearly tub, enjoying the way it loosened me up and distressed me. Meanwhile, I mulled over how to get through to Raevu. It seemed we would be spending a lot of time together, and we needed to get along.

  Besides, things were quickly getting weird, and we would have to work together to deal with it. I still couldn’t process that we’d actually shared a dream. How else could he have known about the “many mates” statement? I’d never even shared that fear with Laura or Ivy. I’d only ever voiced that worry to him in my…our…dream.

  And then there was my body’s traitorous reaction to him. I was attracted to him, and my desire kindled the moment I saw him. I took a deep breath and forced myself to set my frustrated desires aside while I cleaned myself then brushed out my thick hair. I was still thinking about him when I wrapped myself in a spa robe from the linen closet and left the bathroom.

  I was still weak, so, occasionally, I used the backs of the furniture to help my balance. Reaching the bedroom door, I sighed at the lovely view of the bed covered in a white and gold damask duvet, flanked by nightstands that each held a regal-looking lamp.

  Against the wall was a monitor screen and an extremely comfortable-looking deep brown chair with an ottoman. Why there would be a chair facing the bed, I had no idea, but I knew I would soon be on very good terms with that chair if I didn’t start feeling better.

  The other door that led off from the room granted entry to a closet as large as the bedroom Trevor and Mark shared in Ivy’s apartment. I stared around at all the outfits, bewildered.

  “Geoffrey?” I asked.

  “Yes, ma’am?” his rich voice answered, as I knew it would.

  “Why are there already clothes in this closet?” They were my size, but so diverse in style, color, and coverage that it confused me further.

  “They’re your clothes, ma’am,” he responded. “They were moved up here from the other suite after King Raevu took up residence.”

  Vaguely, I remembered someone telling me about clothing. The ambassador? No, the nurse who had guided me to the suite. She had said I had clothing waiting for me. I’d never imagined so many clothes, though. Within the closet was a three-drawer chest, and it was filled. The top drawer held numerous set of lingerie—all of them matching. Pajamas and nighties, comfy and sexy, filled the second drawer, and the bottom drawer held socks and scarves. There was quite a variety of clothing hanging from the hangers: dresses, pants, skirts, blue jeans, jackets, and sweaters. There were shoes of all types on the shelves, and tucked into a corner was a set of luggage to pack it all away when necessary. I was speechless. I trailed my fingers along the edges of the garments’ sleeves to feel all the different textures. I shook my head in amazement.

  It was time to give one of those pajama sets a test drive. I grabbed a teal silk set and then threw off my robe, pausing to have a look at myself in the mirror. I was surprised that neither my illness nor my injuries showed much.

&n
bsp; I turned away from the mirror and looked back over my shoulder at the mark that no longer smarted when I poked at it. It didn’t look inflamed anymore, but the slightly raised and darker-pigmented pattern was still clearly visible.

  I couldn’t believe Raevu thought the mark meant that I belonged to him. I chose who I wanted…not him. And the way I saw it, he had to seriously step up his game to redeem himself in my eyes. His high-handed treatment of me was deplorable and enraged me. But there was the undeniable fact that I wanted him more than any other man. Just thinking about him sent a surge of lust zinging through my body.

  My urge to have him was strangely strong. Desire to give myself to him in the most hedonistic manner was shocking. The image of both of us naked, with me riding him, flittered through my head. His muscular arms wrapped around my waist as his thick cock surged forcefully into my throbbing cunt. The slapping sound of skin against skin. His moan. My sigh of pleasure. The vision bloomed, becoming more vivid as I trailed my fingertips down my neck and over the full, round globes of each breast to my nipples. They were already hard, and I circled them with my fingers a few times and continued down my body.

  I imagined Raevu’s thick fingers joining mine to caress me, and as my fingers slid across my pussy, I shuddered. I tucked my finger between my slick folds and began to make gentle circles. With my other hand, I massaged a heavy, full breast. My pleasure grew, and my circles quickened. My hips jerked. I began to gently pull and pinch at each nipple in turn. No longer circling, now hard flicks back and forth had a coil of tension building until, with a moan, my orgasm shook through me. I withdrew my hands, sleepily forcing myself to pull on my pajamas. It was time for a well-earned nap.

  I just couldn’t shake the wish that Raevu would join me.

  Chapter 15

  Raevu

  Once I realized I could feel what Eva was feeling, I had a very hard time getting any rest that evening. I felt her sensual pleasure in the bath, the comfort she took in the soft robe against her skin, her shocked gratitude at all the clothes she had to choose from in the drawers, and her sexual release as she pleasured herself.

  I was already naked between the sheets of my bed, and it was no great leap of imagination to picture her beside me. Instantly, I was aroused and rock hard. After she came, I sensed she went to sleep, but my body demanded her attention.

  Groaning, I took myself in hand and caressed my shaft. I hadn’t had to satiate myself this often since I was a youngling with little control over my sexual urges. I closed my eyes and pictured Eva in bed as her sienna skin glistened with sweat and she writhed under my rapt attention. Her nipples tightening and begging for my fingers to pluck and rub them, her sweet moans of pleasure as I devoured her lips. My hand started to stroke faster up and down the length of my shaft.

  One day soon. She will be mine.

  I would have her in my bed and she would straddle my hips, and the pressure I felt would be the warmth of her womanhood surrounding my cock. The strokes I’d feel would be her body rising and falling on my shaft while I licked and suckled at her breasts. She would quicken her pace as she got closer to her climax, pumping her hips up and down as I thrust up into her tight sheath. And then, when she felt the exquisite pleasure of wild release coursing through her body, I’d feel the waves of orgasm tighten her innermost walls, and I’d release my seed into her womb.

  I hissed as my essence spilled over my hands.

  Chapter 16

  Eva

  I dressed indulgently after my nap. I had a smile on my face after the first good sleep I’d had in…I didn’t even know how long. I wore a knee-length black leather sheath dress that hugged my curves, and I paired my attire with black stilettos. After I fixed my minimal makeup and ran my fingers through my hair, I went out to join the males in the main room.

  Stepping through the doorway that joined my smaller suite to the larger one, I skirted to a stop. The men in the room stood as a gesture of manners when I walked in, but my attention focused entirely on Raevu.

  My breath caught slightly as we locked eyes. I didn’t know how, but I sensed his urgent desire and need to touch me, and a tingle of pleasure swept down my body.

  Enough, Eva. Get your mind off him and sex.

  I pasted a smile on my face and turned to the other men in the room. “Good morning, gentlemen. I hope you slept well.” I walked toward Baelon, the male in the room I’d known the longest, which wasn’t saying much.

  He stepped over to a chair next to Raevu and pulled it out for me. I moved toward it and took my seat. Baelon then proceeded to plunk a little bit of every food selection on the table onto my plate. I didn’t recognize half the dishes, so I didn’t protest at getting a sampler.

  “Eva,” Raevu began, drawing my eyes to him, “this is President Ken Maeda. Maeda, this is Eva Knight, my betrothed.”

  Hearing it spoken such a formal and official manner startled and bothered me. I had never actually agreed to marry anyone. I forced a smile anyway. “Hello, President Maeda, it’s nice to meet you.”

  He replied, “Eva. Please, call me Ken.”

  I’m now on a first-name basis with the president? Damn. I’ve come a long way in a short span of time.

  I couldn’t believe that the man who sat in the Ivory Office on the Humanity Space Station was now sitting at the same table as me.

  I pinched back the urge to relish this total fangirl moment. When I glanced up, I thought for a moment I saw Raevu frowning at me, but even as I focused on him, his face grew calm. Then he looked over at the male called T’ral, who was speaking. “…should be ready to leave within the week, barring incidents. A channel shall be kept open between our two worlds so that any communication about the progress of our genetic trade shall be considered priority one…”

  I interrupted him. “It may be possible to leave within the week, but it seems that I need to remind you that it depends on how soon my requests are taken care of. I’ve made it clear there are several things that have to be taken care of before I’ll be going anywhere.” I set my knife and fork down resolutely. I had to make sure what I wanted and needed was seen to even before my physical needs were satisfied.

  “Yes, Eva,” Raevu agreed. “And all of your requests shall be handled expediently.” His voice was sultry, as always, but also calming and soothing. I narrowed my eyes, suspicious of his motives.

  “So, you agree to all my terms?” I asked archly.

  “Within my power to do so, yes,” he agreed.

  “What does that mean?” I asked.

  “It means that there may be things I cannot make happen during the time frame we have to work within. I will make as much happen as I can, and we will set other things into motion. All of your concerns, needs, wants, and desires will be listened to, considered, and, hopefully, relieved.” His voice seemed to pluck at strings deep within me, and I felt a tingle of need begin under my belly.

  He continued, “There are several things that need to be taken care of as swiftly as possible, and we need your input on them.”

  I was astounded. He was actually listening and seeking my opinion. Much better. Maybe his surly attitude yesterday was from lack of sleep. I nodded in agreement and twirled my fork in the air as if to give them permission to carry on.

  As I ate, they spoke of supplies for the length of the trip. It would take the equivalent of three Earth months in warp space to get to the Juhlian solar system, and another two Earth weeks before we could disembark on the planet itself.

  They spoke of duty rosters and rations, reminding me that they were a military people in nature. And they spoke of a ceremony that would be held on the Juhlian planet when that three and a half months had ended, a mating ceremony between Raevu and myself.

  At that point, I interjected, “Mating ceremony? Is this like a wedding?”

  The Juhlian men looked confused for a moment, but T’ral came to the rescue. “In fact, my lady, yes. It would be considered similar to a wedding of Earth origin, but Juhlians mate f
or life. There is no desertion of the vows. There are more informal unions, but for a Juhlian king and his life mate, nothing less than the mating ceremony under the Sopu tree will suffice.”

  “And we are hoping that our—” I searched for the right words “—union will bear fruit?”

  “Fruit?” Baelon looked completely confused. “No, we want children. Preferably girls.”

  President Maeda and I were the only ones who chuckled at Baelon’s confusion. “Baelon, I’m sorry. I don’t think the translator units handle metaphors very well,” I said. “In this case, ‘fruit’ means children.”

  He understood immediately and nodded, chuckling a little.

  Damn. Well, I guess I should figure out what to do about potential kids now.

  I looked over at Raevu and T’ral. “You have physicians on Juhl who are practiced at delivering babies?” It seemed ridiculous that they wouldn’t, but according to the literature on their genetic crisis, naturally born babies were incredibly rare.

  All of the males nodded, but T’ral answered, “Of course, my lady. We have what you would call obstetricians on our world. Physicians and scientists expert in pregnancy and fertility.”

  I replied, “But these doctors are expert in Juhlian anatomy and fertility, not human. I think we should see if there’s a human obstetrician, preferably one with expertise in fertility, who’s willing to go with us,” I proposed. I didn’t want to be thousands of light-years from a doctor who understood how my body worked when I did get pregnant and had questions or, God forbid, problems.

  “Quite a reasonable request,” Raevu stated. “What other tasks would you like to see done before we depart?”

  His easy acquiescence after yesterday’s misunderstanding pleasantly surprised me. I had come into the room expecting to have to fight for everything I wanted. I began to go over the list I’d made in my head as I’d gotten dressed earlier. “I discovered that the clothes issue isn’t an issue at all, as I now have a complete wardrobe. A good night’s sleep helped me feel worlds better, but I still feel fatigue, chills, and aches. I’d like those symptoms treated before traveling. Also, I have some personal items to collect from Ivy’s apartment, and I have some shopping to do. There are some supplies I’ll need to get until I can figure out if the Juhlian equivalent is sufficient for me or not.”