“Goddess’ blood!” Ha’ven choked out, pushing his hips forward. “I cannot take any more,” he growled out.
Emma wasn’t finished but Ha’ven must have reached the limit of his control. He twisted her hair around his left fist. Pulling his cock out of her mouth with a loud pop, he reached down and pulled her up. The moment she was standing, he claimed her lips in a savage kiss.
Emma gasped as she felt his right hand reach down between them. He tangled his fingers in the golden curls and tugged. The silent demand was enough to cause her legs to part. The moment they did his long fingers slipped between her slick folds.
“Ha’ven,” she cried out as two of his fingers buried deep inside her.
“Yes, my mate. Ha’ven… your mate,” he growled out as he forced her head back so he could mark her neck with his deep kiss. “I claim you, Emma. I claim you as my partner. In this life and any other the goddess gives us after, you will belong to me, Ha’ven Ha’darra, as I belong to you, my Emma.”
Emma heard the words he had spoken before and felt the strands that formed between them before wrap even more firmly around her heart and soul. Her body arched into his as he pumped his fingers in and out of her as he kissed her neck. A sense of weightlessness held her as he lifted her and carried her over to the large bed in the center of the hut.
His body covered hers as he laid her down. His pulsing cock hard as it settled between her legs. The bulbous head was dark and slick with his own desire. His pre-cum mixed with her own as he started to slide into her.
“Claim me, my Emma,” he begged huskily. “Claim me as your mate.”
Emma stared up at the him, overwhelming emotions thickening her voice as she spoke the words in her heart. “I claim you, Ha’ven Ha’darra. I claim you as my partner. In this life and any other, you will belong to me as I belong to you, my fierce warrior. Forever.”
Ha’ven pushed forward as she spoke the last word. The slickness of their combined desires driving him all the way to her womb. He shuddered as her heat encased him. He groaned in pleasure when she raised her legs and wrapped them around his waist. The movement drove him impossibly deeper.
“Yes,” he hissed out. “Hold tight, my Emma.”
“Ahhhh!” She cried out, tilting her hips higher as he began driving into her faster and harder. “Ha’ven!”
Ha’ven ran desperate kisses along Emma’s neck and shoulders as he wrapped his arms tightly around her as he rotated his hips. Each movement hit a new sensitive nerve inside her. He could feel her vaginal walls closing around the tip of his cock trying to hold him inside her.
His mind splintered when she suddenly climaxed. The pulsing of her swollen channel around him squeezed and sucked at him. Her heels drove in to his ass as she pushed him ever deeper.
With a low snarl, he pulled out of her ignoring her cry as his cock slid across over-sensitive nerves. He rose as her legs fell away. His eyes swept over her flushed figure. Her hair was spread out wildly across the pillows, small flowers still entwined in it. Her eyes were half-closed with sultry passion as she was still locked in the orgasm that had just overwhelmed her. Her nipples were taut and rosy as her chest rose rapidly as she panted.
His eyes moved down to the tangle of moist blond curls that glistened with her orgasm. Unable to resist, he leaned over and captured her left nipple between his lips even as he pushed two fingers deep into her swollen channel. He was rewarded with her loud cry of surprise.
“Oh God!” She cried out, arching into him.
Ha’ven ravaged her taut nipple making it swell against the onslaught of his hot mouth. He continued to work her pussy as he moved to her other nipple. He didn’t stop until she shattered under him again. Her hoarse cries filling the small hut. He only released her when her legs fell apart in satiation.
“Now, I will come,” he growled out.
Sitting back, he gripped her left leg and rolled her over. He gripped her hips and pulled her up onto her hands and knees. The sight of her rounded ass and slick moisture of her orgasms coating the inside of her thighs drew a heated growl from him.
By the Goddess, I will never get enough of her, he thought fiercely.
Gripping his throbbing shaft in his hand, he grimaced at the sensitivity. He would not last long but he would draw at least one more orgasm from her before he would allow himself to find relief. Aligning his swollen head with her hot channel, he watched as it disappeared into her. Just the sight was enough to cause him to almost come. Holding onto her hips, he pushed in slowly before pulling almost all the way out. Setting a rhythm that was as old as the universe, he watched as they became one. The knowledge that she was his life now flowing through him.
Emotion swelled deep inside him as her low whimpers washed through him. Her body began rocking back and forth with him. The movement pushing him deeper and deeper. He slid his left hand down over her stomach to the soft thatch of hair protecting her swollen nub. With his other hand, he captured some of their moisture and let his fingers caress her tight rosette.
The combination was too much for Emma. Her body bucked briefly before she stiffened against him. Her soft whimpers turned to a sob as she exploded around him. His own body, tortured from him holding back, shattered. His own cries blended with hers. He could feel his release pulsing in time with hers. Her body drank his seed like a flower drank the rain. He was locked to her in a blinding orgasm. His power rose, engulfing her as it bound itself in a serenity that defied anything he had ever experienced.
“My Emma,” he cried out hoarsely as they both collapsed.
Chapter 19
Ha’ven opened his eyes as a loud shriek echoed through the dark forests, waking him. The shriek was followed by a second low howl. His arms wrapped protectively around Emma’s sleeping form.
“Emma, misha petite,” Ha’ven whispered urgently. “We must get dressed.”
“What is it?” Emma asked sleepily as she snuggled into him. “I want to sleep. I’m so tired.”
“I’m not sure but something is wrong,” Ha’ven said as he gently extricated his body from Emma and rose from the bed. “Come, we must see what is going on. I will not leave you here alone.”
Emma reluctantly crawled from the bed and reached for the colorful wrap that she had worn earlier. It was flung across the back of a small stool. Pushing her hair out of her eyes, she quickly pulled the wrap around her like Telmay showed her. She glanced around for the beautiful pin to hold it on.
“Here, let me,” Ha’ven murmured in a husky voice as he stepped forward with the pin in his hand and slid it through the delicate material. He touched Emma’s face, lifting it so he could look her in the eye. “You must promise to do what I tell you. I am afraid that Kejon may have found us. I...” his voice faded. “He is a very dangerous male. I need to know you are safe.”
Emma nodded. “I’ll do what you tell me. I promise,” she responded softly.
Ha’ven brushed a brief hard kiss to her lips as another low howl echoed. He turned, pushing Emma behind him when he heard a noise outside the hut they had been given. He relaxed when he saw the familiar silver fur of Saba Monda.
“What is it?” Ha’ven asked.
“You and your mate must come with me,” Saba Monda said in a quiet voice filled with urgency.
Ha’ven nodded. He wrapped his hand around Emma’s, squeezing it gently when he felt the slight tremble in it. He refused to dwell on the fact that he was vulnerable at the moment. While he wasn’t completely defenseless against a powerful Curizan warrior with the skills that Kejon had with his power drained, it would be a difficult and dangerous battle.
One advantage he had was being able to read Kejon’s aura. Not all Curizans had that ability. He had seen the dark green mixed with a dull yellow-green and the trace of black. Kejon was consumed with jealousy, greed and the taint of evilness that created a dangerous mix. He wanted power and enjoyed hurting others.
Ha’ven’s eyes jerked to Saba Monda who snarled out a command as th
ey entered the open area of the village. Within seconds, members of the village began disappearing into the darkness.
“Ha’ven, what is it?” Emma asked in a hushed voice as she watched the older women gather the children together and disappear down the path leading to the river. “Where is everyone going?
“Intruders have entered our airspace,” Sebra said quietly. “We must get you both to safety.”
“No,” Ha’ven growled. “They are here for me and my mate. Take Emma. Keep her safe until I return.”
Sebra shook her head. “You are still weak, young prince. My people can take care of the intruders,” she insisted.
“Not this one,” Ha’ven said coldly. “He almost killed my brother and my mate. I will not cower when I have brought danger to you.”
“You will need this if you wish to fight,” Saba Monda said harshly holding out a laser sword. “A gift from your father.”
Ha’ven looked down at the intricately carved handle. “Hermon…”
“Not Hermon,” Saba Monda replied as a series of low howls floated through the night air. “Melek. Come, they have landed near the lake.”
“Ha’ven,” Emma cried out when Sebra pulled her away from him.
Ha’ven turned and looked into Emma’s frightened blue eyes. “I will keep you safe,” he promised.
“But who will keep you safe?” She whispered back. “You said your powers…”
“I am the Crown Prince of the Curizan,” Ha’ven interrupted, straightening his shoulders. “None will defeat a Ha’darra.”
Emma watched as he turned and followed Saba Monda into the darkness. She stepped forward to follow but Sebra stopped her. Emma started to argue but a wave of dizziness washed over her as Sebra pressed a cloth over her nose and mouth. Emma’s eyes widened before they closed as darkness descended.
“I am sorry, little one,” Sebra said as she lifted Emma into her arms. “You must trust in your mate and my people to protect you both. You are too stubborn for your own good and I will not take a chance of you being harmed. The others and I have grown attached to you,” Sebra said quietly as Olla, Telmay and Pollamay gathered around to take Emma to safety.
*.*.*
Kejon glanced around the darkened landscape. He had beamed down the moment the advanced team located the downed transport. Now, he stood on the edge of the lake staring into the dark forest.
“The inhabitants of this moon are deadly,” he said coldly. “Kill on sight.”
“Do you know what type of weapons they use?” A large Marastin Dow asked as he loaded his laser rifle.
Kejon glanced at the man. The insignia on his collar showed he was an advanced tactical team leader. As far as Kejon was concerned, he and all the other men on the transport were expendable.
“They use spears and arrows,” Kejon stated looking back over the dark forest.
The Team Leader raised his eyebrow. Even in the dark Kejon would see the skeptical look on the man’s face. Several other members chuckled at Kejon’s statement.
“You are all dead,” Kejon said dismissively.
“By a bunch of spear wielding adversaries?” One of the men joked. “We’ll blow them to pieces.”
Kejon gritted his teeth. “Just try not to die before we find Ha’darra,” he said walking toward the woods.
A shiver went down his spine. He could feel the eyes staring at them. The fools had alerted the Monikers to their presence. Kejon pulled on the power inside him and focused it. He pulled the shield of energy around his body. He would not be able to hold it indefinitely, but he only needed it long enough to find the Curizan Prince. Once he did, he would unleash the power he had learned to tap into thanks to the Valdier Royal, Raffvin.
Kejon wasn’t a fool to believe that the Curizans were the only ones with the ability to control the energy around them. Raffvin had learned to manipulate it and used it against his own symbiot, changing it into a deadly force. Kejon had studied Raffvin and discovered a way to use what he had learned in the device he had strapped to his waist.
I will only get one chance to use it, he thought in frustration.
He stepped onto the dark path, ignoring the men coming up behind him in formation. As soon as the shadows touched him, he vanished.
Chapter 20
Ha’ven followed Saba Monda through the dark forest. He paused as the silver haired Moniker gripped a long vine and began climbing up the side of one of the massive trees.
He grabbed another vine and followed. They were soon high above the forest floor. He nodded silently at Crom as the huge Moniker jumped down next to them on a large branch.
“There are thirty purple warriors,” Crom said in a low voice. “Another male appeared. He is one of your people.” Crom nodded toward Ha’ven. “The scouts lost track of him when he entered the forest. He has some type of shield protecting him.”
“Kejon,” Ha’ven growled out. “I will deal with him. Can you and your people take care of the Marastin Dow? They are cutthroat mercenaries for hire.”
Crom snorted. “The others will handle them. I will go with you.”
Ha’ven shook his head. “Kejon is very powerful. I will deal with him alone. I do not want to take a chance of him hurting any of your people.”
Crom grinned. “I will still go with you. Do not worry, if you should die I will claim your female as my own and care for her.”
Ha’ven pushed down his desire to kill the huge Moniker again. It was getting harder and harder to do so. He would be lucky to get off the damn planet before he gave into his desire to show the other male what a jealous Curizan could do even without his powers.
“I’ll see your hairy ass as a rug before you touch my mate,” Ha’ven growled back.
Crom grinned again. His sharp white teeth briefly gleaming to show his amusement. They all turned as another Moniker dropped down beside them. This time a tall female carrying a bow and a quiver full of arrows.
“They have entered the forest,” she whispered. “They are heavily armed but we are prepared. Once they reach the fork in the path, we will attack. This will allow us to divide them into smaller groups.”
“I will oversee the attack,” Saba Monda responded. “Crom, go with Ha’ven.”
Ha’ven gritted his teeth in frustration. He was not used to anyone covering his back. He knew arguing would be a waste of breath as the silver haired Moniker disappeared through the trees with the female. He turned and glared at the dark brown male who stood with his arms folded confidently across his chest.
“Kejon has powers that you cannot fight against,” Ha’ven warned. “He has the ability to teleport short distances. He often comes from behind or to the left of his opponents as he is left-handed. He favors several different types of weapons, including the Marastin Dows curved blade and the Opairan’s poison-tipped throwing stars. He can throw small bursts of energy that can disorient you. The best thing if you see him raise his hands is to roll to the left. It will throw him off. He will not be expecting you to know this. He can also pull an energy shield around himself to make himself invisible but he cannot maintain it for long periods of time.”
Crom listened intently. “How do you plan to kill him if you cannot see him?” He asked curiously.
Ha’ven grinned. “I may not have full use of my powers but there are some things I am able to see even without them. His aura will give him away. You will not be able to see him but I can.”
“Let us go find your shadow-male,” Crom said. “We will stay to the trees.”
Ha’ven nodded. He tried to pull his power around him. He cursed when a sharp pain pierced his skull. What little that had returned he had given to Emma earlier when they came together in an explosion of need. He breathed through the pain and quickly followed Crom. It was likely he would only get one chance to kill Kejon. He refused to think about what would happen to Emma if he should fail.
*.*.*
Kejon slid back into the shadows of a thick tree and released the shield around
him. He cursed the moment of weakness that washed over him. He had left the others back at the lake. They would draw the attention away from him. He had one goal and that was finding the Curizan prince. He didn’t want to waste his energy on fighting the native inhabitants. He looked up at the branches above him. He couldn’t see the movement of the creatures but he could sense them. He waited until they were past him before he moved out from under the protection of the shadows. He remembered well where the village was from his last visit. He doubted that Ha’ven would remain behind there but the prince now had a weakness… the whore with him. Even the brief glimpse he caught of the female on the viewscreen showed she was unusual. The prince had a soft spot for females. If he could find her, he could have an added advantage and all he would have to do is wait for the prince to come to him.
Before he had stumbled upon the village, he had found a narrow cave near the river. When he had explored it, he found it contained stored items. If he wasn’t mistaken this was where the villagers who were either too young or old to fight would take refuge. If he wanted to find a weakness, that was where he needed to go.
He moved silently through the undergrowth pausing sporadically to make sure he had not been seen. His eyes narrowed when he reached the edge of the woods near the river. He saw the dark outline of the rock wall on the other side of the river where the entrance to the cave was located.
Pausing for a moment, he focused. He stumbled when he rematerialized on the other side of the river. He sank down behind a large boulder and breathed deeply.
He wiped a hand across his brow. He pulled several small devices from a bag at his waist. The small devices would detonate sending out a gas that would incapacitate anyone who breathed it in. Normally, he would have just killed anyone in his way but he wanted the female alive. He wanted the Curizan Prince to watch as he killed the female. It would make his own thirst for power that much sweeter.