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“Oh honey, I agree with you about how fast it is. But it seems you and I are in the minority in this part of the galaxy. Just take your time. You’ll know when it’s real.

I certainly did. One day, he’ll walk into a room you’re in, or he’ll smile at you in a certain way, or he’ll do or say something that will let you know for sure that he’s the one.

And that no one else could ever do.” He turned and went to the door to look back at me.

“Enjoy your sandwich, General. Tomorrow, we’ll talk to Rylan about what kind of wedding he’s going to want.

In the meantime, you go ahead and finish writing up that offer and send it to his father back on Moravia.

Goodnight. Oh, and don’t even think about letting him stay when he comes to your room later tonight. ”

“What? Did he say he was coming?”

“No. But I know my grandson. And if you let him stay, then there’s no turning back. You’ll have to get married then.” He turned and winked at me. “Unless of course, that’s what you’re counting on.”

****

Quinn Fortina

I took the Consort’s words to heart. I would never have tried to sneak into Rylan’s bed, because he’d made his wishes clear about wanting to wait for marriage. But if he changed his mind or took matters into his own hands, then I wouldn’t fight him on it. I was very open to the idea.

After I’d eaten my sandwich, I decided to go to bed. It had been an eventful day and evening, and I was tired, but I couldn’t seem to get to sleep right away. I kept thinking about Rylan and his beautiful body. Being so close to him like this was torture.

I was thinking too about everything Bentine had said and the more I thought about it, the angrier I got.

I was lying on my back, rigid with resentment at the man telling me what I could and couldn’t do, when I heard my bedroom door open, and someone slip inside.

My first thought was that someone might have been looking for the toilet and had come in the wrong door.

I sat up in bed and called out, “Who is it?”

“It’s me,” came a whispered voice in the dark. “Were you expecting someone else?”

I snapped on the light beside my bed, and Rylan was standing by the door, wearing nothing but a short, silky robe.

“Rylan, what are you doing here?” I gasped, barely able to get the words out. “Your family will be outraged if they find you. The guards…”

“Are outside. And I wore a coat over here, so take that horrified look off your face,” he said, indicating a long, red overcoat, like the ones the Imperial guards wore, lying on the floor by the door.

“You’ve seen me in less, you know. And besides, they’re Imperials.

They’d be shot dead before they did anything inappropriate to a royal family member.

One of them followed me here, and he’s waiting outside the house, like I told him to.

We won’t be disturbed. But lower your voice so my omak-ahn won’t come barging in here. ”

“You said that you wouldn’t come to me until we were married.

Rylan,” I said, sitting up now. Even I could hear the “outraged virgin” tone in my voice, and I was trying hard to get my emotions under control.

“This is dangerous. I can’t control my feelings for you if you come in here like this—half-dressed, with your hair down around your shoulders, looking like you do. ”

I could also hear that my voice had deepened with those last words. I was losing it a little at a time, and I fought to regain control. “Go away, Rylan. I mean it.”

He smiled and deliberately came closer—so close I could almost touch him. “Are you sure you mean it? Sure you want me to go? I came to give you an update on Talon. And other things…”

“You can do all that in the morning.”

“But I want to tell you now.” He came even closer, and I heard a low growl start up in my chest. He shivered and bit his bottom lip and on impulse, I leaned over and snagged him around the waist to drag him closer so I could kiss him.

I needed to touch him. He sighed as he came willingly, but I knew I was lost, because now that I had him, I didn’t think I could let him go.

“You told me you wanted to wait until after our ceremony. Why did you change your mind?”

“I-I don’t know. I just kept thinking of you in here all alone, and…the next thing I knew I was getting up to come to you.”

“The royal Consort doesn’t believe in all this. He said…”

“I can imagine. But he’s human, and he doesn’t believe in love this fast.”

“Rylan…”

“And yes, I know you don’t love me either. Not yet. And maybe neither do I. But I want to be with you. I want to be your mate. And I know my own mind.”

“Your omak…?”

“Is still sound asleep in the enclosure. He’ll watch over Talon for me. And he understands a little about mating bonds. His twin brother is married to a Lycan.”

“You have to be sure about this.”

“I am.”

I took his face in my hands to thoroughly kiss his mouth again, pressing against his plump, perfect lips and then grinding into them a little harder.

It was aggressive and probably way too dominant, but this was the first time I’d truly had him in my arms in such a way.

I couldn’t hold back. He sighed into the kiss and touched his tongue to mine gently, sweetly, like this was his first time to ever kiss someone like this.

Maybe it was, and the thought thrilled me and terrified me at the same time.

I picked him up and put him on the bed beside me, pulling the robe off him and trying not to tear it off in my haste, especially once I discovered he was naked underneath.

His body was perfection, his skin like porcelain, even scratched up and bruised from all the fights he’d been in since I’d met him.

His skin seemed to glow in the soft light coming through the windows.

I had lights strung up around my property, because with only starlight to illuminate the night, it got pretty dark on Horvath.

I ran my hand over his flat stomach. “Spread your knees farther apart.” I reached down and began to stroke him as he squirmed with excitement.

“Rylan, why are you naked under your robe? Where are your underclothes?”

He laughed. “I thought it would save time for me not to wear any.”

I groaned and put my forehead against his. “You can’t walk around naked. Do you hear me?”

“I hear you. But I knew I was coming straight to you.”

“Damn it,” I groaned again. “Do you even know what you’re doing to me?”

“I think so. My friends told me that when you’re with your lover, he wants to touch you and he’ll take your typpid and stroke it up and down, like you’re doing now.”

“Your what?” I said, half-smiling at his silly names for things.

“My typpid. Here,” he said, and grabbed my hand to put it over his beautiful cock. It was dark pink and thick with a broad head. I bent down to kiss it, and he arched his back. I took his hot flesh in my hand right away and took in a deep and ragged breath, trying to slow this down.

I heard him groan as I touched him, as if he were in pain.

I began to stroke him, slowly at first and then harder and harder as I ripped off my own underclothes one-handed.

I usually slept with nothing on, but because of the visitors around, I’d put on something tonight at least. And now it was just in the way.

He snuggled his pretty face into my neck and made gasping sounds against my throat as I stroked him.

“Oh, that feels so…I can’t hold back.”

“Then don’t.”

I nibbled and licked his sweet neck, torturing and teasing both of us, and I felt strong and a little out of control, but I managed to tell him what was about to happen.

“Rylan, you do know that if I bite you, I won’t be able to stop myself from making love to you? You understand enough about the people of my moon to know that, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“We’ll be mates for life then. There won’t be any going back, and I will never share you with anyone. Not ever. This is forever and there will never be any way for you to divorce me. I wouldn’t allow it.”

“I understand,” he said softly, breathlessly, as if my words excited him. ”That goes for you too,” he said.

I pulled Rylan into my arms, unable to wait any longer but I was careful not to hurt his side, calming and soothing him as his body jerked and trembled. I licked over the place I would soon bite him. I was holding off as long as I could, teasing us both, but I couldn’t hold off much longer.

I nibbled at the spot and then slowly, gradually sank my teeth in.

He tried his best not to scream, and I put a hand over his mouth to help muffle the noise.

He squirmed beneath me, which only inflamed me further.

Finally, I was able to pull away, and I licked over the wound again and again as he moaned and whimpered.

His cheeks were pink already with the fever that would take his body temperature higher. It wouldn’t last long, only a few hours, but when he awoke the next morning, he’d be my mate in every way.

Wanting to make him feel better, I began to kiss and lick and nibble the hard, beautiful cock leaking in my hand, and soon he was groaning with pleasure again, his breathing coming faster and faster with the promise of the attention coming toward his “typpid.” I put my mouth over the broad head, and he cried out, unable to hold it in.

I took the heavy length of him into my mouth and throat, swallowing around it and he began swearing above me, because he was becoming out of control again at this point.

I bent over and licked him from his little pink hole to his pretty cock and he clung to my shoulders and screamed.

I put my hand on his perfect ass, and slid my finger straight down to his pink, puckered hole.

I pushed slowly in, and he gasped, shocked into silence.

“Found your off switch anyway.”