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Chapter Twelve

B enet wasn’t able to leave Outlier behind as rapidly as he’d hoped.

There were a few events on the Games’ schedule to complete and then there was a lavish closing ceremony, over which the Empress herself presided.

He was told in no uncertain terms he had to participate and wear his gold medal, so he marched in the parade and sat in the athletes’ section of the audience for the performances and speeches afterward.

There were more media interviews, including one from a Five Systems network.

He had to parse that one carefully but referred most of the questions to Kyden, who sat in with him and gave vague answers.

We’ll have to do a sitdown with Kelly Geffenmer , Kyden said in his head. Get our story out there the way we want it to be, once we’re home.

She was a friendly reporter who’d been given a number of major scoops and exclusives by Kyden in the past, so the questions from her would be easier to handle and they could shape the resulting story.

Benet had no objections to the idea. His fame as a gladiator was highly valuable to himself and to the House of Badari and a certain amount of media interaction was required to maintain his place atop the popularity standings.

In some ways life had been much simpler before Kyden took over the House and freed everyone, establishing new ways of conducting the gladiator business—and it was a huge business—but Benet would never willingly go back to the old model. He loved his life now.

Except where Marushka was concerned.

She’d managed to escape her minders and attendants for a brief time and was waiting for him in Dmitri’s apartment at the palace.

Kyden lent him the groundcar he’d been assigned and Benet was able to get to her from the athletes’ village in a rush.

His heart was pounding and cold dread was in the pit of his stomach.

This would be their final meeting and he hated the thought of parting from her.

He opened the door to the apartment as he had countless times before and barely got two steps inside before she was in his arms. He captured her lips in a fierce kiss, trying to tell her all the things that were in his heart without words.

Marushka kissed him back with equal passion but broke off the connection all too soon.

Taking him by the hand, she led him toward the spare bedroom Dmitri had set aside for them.

“We have so little time today,” she said, voice shaky. “I want to remember you in my arms, our souls and bodies united as one.”

He picked her up and got them to the bed where they tore each other’s clothing off and sank onto the mattress in a desperate tangle.

His cock was hard and aching and she was already creaming for him.

Today he skipped right over the foreplay he and Marushka usually shared, getting her under him and lining himself up, ready to plunge into her heat.

“Yes, yes,” she encouraged him breathlessly, sliding her hands over his back, pressing him closer. “I need you.”

Benet needed no further encouragement to thrust deep, until he bottomed out and then he began moving in and out as she locked her legs around him.

Marushka placed frantic kisses on whatever portion of his body she could reach and held him so tight her nails left long marks on his back.

He felt the tightening in his balls and the gathering storm of release overtaking him so he teased her tiny bud of nerves with one hand.

The extra stimulus sent her over the edge into an epic climax while he let go of his iron control and matched her fervor.

He was lost in the sensations of their union, her scent, her touch and her voice screaming his name.

He might even have blacked out briefly from the intense energy they shared.

Finally he rolled over on the bed so as not to crush her and brought her against his side, head pillowed on his shoulder. “I love you,” he said with an aching heart. “How can I leave you behind? There must be a way?—”

“There isn’t,” she said, shushing him with a finger over his lips. “We’ve been all through this and I don’t want to spoil our last afternoon with rehashing the dismal truth. We’ll both survive because we must. We’ll have our memories.”

“Cold comfort,” he said, hugging her tight. “I’m not sure I can exist without you. Kyden promised me we’ll do whatever it takes to get you out of here and safe with me eventually but it won’t be quick. Can you hang on until then?”

“I’ll try,” she said with tears coursing down her cheeks. “But there’s no way to get me out of Outlier. One of us has to be realistic. This was a beautiful, unexpected miracle but it was never meant to last for us.”

“I want it to though, don’t you?” he asked, unaccountably terrified of her answer.

“Yes,” she said promptly and his heart started to beat again. “Absolutely. I’m your woman until I die, know that truth.”

“I talked to Kyden about how a Badari Claims his mate,” Benet said, fidgeting a bit as he recalled the embarrassing conversation.

Kyden had explained, not giving details about his own Claiming of course but outlining the general process.

“But you must keep in mind,” Kyden had said, “We’re driven by our inner beast, which demands claiming a mate in this manner.

You’re now counted as a Badari and a member of the pack but you won’t develop an alien predator presence in your DNA because you weren’t created in a lab by fucking alien scientists.

So you won’t have those urges compelling you to Claim. ”

It was true after the conversation Benet couldn’t honestly say he had any desire to do what Kyden had described, although he accepted it as a meaningful ritual for the Badari and the human woman.

What he wanted was the mate bond Kyden described.

If it was anything like the pack bond—and Kyden assured him it was a deep, rich connection of hearts as powerful as the pack bond but in its own way—Benet craved it for himself and Marushka.

“And?” she prompted him gently.

Benet realized he’d gotten distracted by his thoughts about the way the actual Badari Claimed their mate. “Like everything else, the blood is apparently the magic,” he hastened to say.

“We need a transfusion?” Marushka sounded confused. “Who would perform it?”

“No, since I was born a human male, we don’t need to share blood in that way,” he hastened to reassure her. “I think for us a tiny taste would be enough. Would you—would you do this with me?”

She stared at him, eyes wide. “If it means this much to you, then of course.”

He left the bed and retrieved the special knife he’d brought with him. Eyeing the blade, she bit her lip as he got into bed and Benet hesitated. “Are you sure?”

“I love you. If this will prove it to you and bind us, then what are we waiting for?”

“I love you too. This may hurt,” he warned, drawing the knife across the pad of his thumb. Blood welled immediately and he knew he only had a minute or two before the cut closed and healed itself. Marushka extended her hand trustingly and he carefully opened a gash in her thumb.

He clasped his hand around hers, pressing their thumbs together so the blood would comingle. “I Claim you as my mate and forever love, Marushka Nichevsky. Mine.”

“I Claim you as my mate and forever love, Benet of the Badari Gladiators. Mine.”

They exchanged a kiss, sweet rather than passionate, and Benet withdrew his hand. Out of the blue he was moved to lick his thumb where he’d cut himself and held her matching wound to his skin. Watching him, Marushka repeated the gesture on her own hand.

“You taste sweet,” he said, astonished. “Like sunshine and flowers and the best desserts, all wrapped up in one.”

“You taste smoky and spicy and like a rich wine,” she said, smiling.

Benet gave her a hug and then went to the bathroom for the small first aid kit so he could take care of the wound on her thumb. As he was using the decontam ray on it, a wave of vertigo and warmth swept over him and he dropped the applicator onto the sheets.

“What is it?” Marushka cried, reaching out to him. “What’s wrong—” She swayed and leaned against him, head resting on his abdomen. “Why am I so dizzy all of the sudden?”

They fell onto the pillows and Benet felt the mate bond take hold in his heart. When he closed his eyes he had a vision of a golden chain going from him to Marushka. “Do you sense it?” he asked her anxiously.

Hand on her chest over her heart, eyes wide and cheek flushed Marushka was plainly in the grip of powerful emotion. “We—we’re connected. I feel your love right here. How is this possible?”

“The blood is the magic.” Benet spread his hands out as if he’d performed a great feat. “It worked, we have the mate bond. Let me see your shoulder.”

Obediently Marushka moved and tried to see what he was looking at.

“She gave it to us, the goddess blesses our mating,” Benet said in a voice of triumph. There was a small golden circle on Marushka’s skin, like a tattoo. Kyden had told him the mark meant the Great Mother approved the Claiming and was the visible sign of the union. He could scarcely believe it.

“What is it? What do I have?” Marushka demanded anxiously. “Turn so I can see your shoulder.”

As soon as he did so she traced a circle on his skin with her fingertip. “I never saw this here before.”

“Mine matches yours,” Benet said. The Badari goddess places them on mates when the couple Claims each other as we did today. Well not exactly the way we did it since I’m not a lab created Badari but evidently what we did was enough to trigger the mate bond.”

“I’m so happy,” Marushka said, brushing away tears. “Being marked as your woman.”

“You don’t mind?” he asked anxiously.

“How could I object to a visible sign of our love? And this bond we now share is incredible.”