Page 13 of Fated to the Alien Hero (Warriors of Tavikh #7)

Evren

None of the mated males mentioned tongues were involved with kissing. I had been uncertain when I first felt the touch of Astrid’s against my lips. However, I followed her lead. It had been worth it. The glide of her tongue against mine had hardened my cock nearly to the point of pain. I ache to sink it deep into her cunt, but until the time when she is ready, I will be satisfied with this new kissing method.

“I think I am,” Astrid says. “Or at least I think I easily could.”

“What is that?”

There is a brief silence before she fills it. “Fall in love with you.”

My heart soars at her response, and my soul light flares like it is stretching toward her, seeking her in order to give part of itself to her. It makes me wonder if she can feel it. “Do you feel any kind of heat or different sensation surrounding you?”

Astrid glances up at me with a crease between the furry lines above her eyes. “What do you mean?”

Now that I have asked the question it does not seem possible. “My soul light burned hotter and brighter when you said you might be falling in love with me, and it made me curious if you could feel it. It is not something I have asked any of the other mates males or their human keeshla , because it does not seem appropriate. It is too personal.”

Astrid makes a small humming sound in her throat. “I’m not sure. What exactly should it feel like?”

“That I do not know.” Not even my own nene or baba spoke of what it felt like when their soul lights seared them together. It would not be the same with Astrid and me anyway, since she does not posses one.

She squeezes my hand. “I’ll pay more attention. If I do feel like something different is happening in any kind of way, I’ll let you know.”

We continue along the path that runs alongside the hill until it takes a sharp turn toward it.

“We’re heading up into the mountains?” she asks.

“Yes. It is not much farther.”

After only a small hesitation, we keep walking up the winding slope with trees surrounding us on both sides of the path. Soon, the sound of running water reaches me. Astrid does not mention it, but as Tavikhi’s sense of hearing is much sharper than a human’s, it makes sense. I hope she enjoys the sight I wish to show her.

It is not long before she cocks her head. “Is that water I hear?”

“It is.”

Up ahead, there is an opening in the trees off to one side of us. I change directions and we break off the path and carefully weave our way through the forest until we come to a stop at the edge of them. Astrid sucks in a sharp breath.

“Oh my god.” She releases my hand and creeps forward, only stopping when she reaches the edge of the body of water that pools at the base of the massive wall of falling water. She glances over her shoulder at me with a large smile curling her lips. “It’s a waterfall. I’ve only ever seen them in videos on my datapad.”

“I found it when I was out hunting one turn.” I move and stand beside her. Drops of water hit my flesh and I reach for her hand. “Come.”

She clasps my fingers and I tug her to the very far side of this thing she calls a waterfall.

“We may get a little wet,” I warn her before rushing forward.

Together we cut through a small section of water and come out on the other side in a small cave hidden behind the cascade. Astrid gasps again and turns in a circle, her gaze taking in the damp, dim space. The walls are covered in a glowing moss that gives off enough light to see each other.

“Evren, this is incredible.” She runs her fingertips along the tendrils and with each stroke the glow becomes brighter before fading. Her giggle is infectious.

“I am glad you are enjoying it.”

She turns. “Thank you for bringing me here. For showing me this.”

“You are welcome.”

Astrid takes one more turn around the cave, trailing her fingers along the wall again to make the moss grow brighter with her touch. She comes to a stop in front of me and lays her hand on my chest, causing my mating marks to tingle and my soul light to flare.

“Will you kiss me again?”

I dip my head and claim Astrid’s lips with mine. This time, I do not wait for her tongue to venture forth. Instead, I use mine to coax her mouth to part, which she does the moment it touches her. I explore her taste and texture, learning her flavor. My cock has been hard since before the mellenje interrupted our previous kiss.

While I enjoy kissing Astrid immensely, I wish for more. My tail slides up the length of her leg until it comes to rest beneath her bottom. I stroke the crease beneath the globe and dip the tip of it between her thighs. She parts them enough for me to slip forward along the seam of her cunt from behind and run the short length of my tail along the line. The heat of her nearly sears my flesh.

Astrid whimpers against my mouth and I lick the sound away. My tongue lashes against her to the same rhythm my tail rubs her cunt. Her blunt nails dig into my upper arm as she clings to me. I change the pace and angle, doing everything I can to learn what my keeshla loves the most. I do not want her to think me unskilled, even if I am. Astrid should experience nothing but pleasure when I touch her.

From the sounds that escape her lips, I am doing well. But I want to do better. I do not want my mate thinking of anything else but me and how wonderful I am making her feel. That her needs are more important than mine and that her pleasure must always come before my own.

My tail pushes forward, and Astrid’s entire body quivers and her nails dig deeper into my skin. Whatever spot I hit just now has produced the greatest reaction. Far more so than the kisses we’ve been sharing. I brush the tip of my tail over that same place and notice a small lump. I increase the pressure against it and she almost collapses in my arms, but I catch her before she can fall.

A guttural moan echoes around us and Astrid whimpers louder. I continue concentrating my effort on that bump and within only a few beats of my heart, she stiffens and cries out. Shudders run through her and I do not release her until the last one ceases. Her chest mounds heave with each breath she takes, and she rests her head against my chest. I hold her until she resumes her normal breathing and her body ceases trembling.

Astrid lifts her head and our eyes meet. My soul light flares brighter and is reflected back at me from the dark middle circle of hers.

“There it is,” she whispers in the stillness that surrounds us. “It’s so beautiful.”

She really does see my soul light. It is completely unheard of before her. Deeka must clearly believe my keeshla is special. As do I. No one is more perfect than my Astrid.

“It cannot be as beautiful as you. There is nothing—and no one —that surpasses your beauty.”

She caresses one of the mating marks along my chest. “My mom used to tell me that one day I’d meet a man who would think I was the most beautiful person they’d ever seen. I never really believed her, not even with Grady. But now I’m starting to. She’d really like you. My dad, too.”

I palm both sides of her head and stare intently at her. “There is no doubt in my mind my nene and baba would have loved you as I do. They would have welcomed you as a daughter and celebrated you becoming a part of our family.”

Tears glisten brightly from the light reflecting off them. “I wish I could have met them so I could thank them for having such an honorable and loving son.”

“You will, when it is our turn to join the ancestors.” It is as Zander said.

“I’m glad.”

“We should return to the village, but we can visit here any time you would like.” It is cool within the cave right now, but when the height of warm season is upon us, I would like to see Astrid laid on a bed of furs while I pleasure her.

She takes another look around and once more caresses the moss to glow brighter before she takes my outstretched hand and we exit back to the other side and head back toward the village.

“Will you tell me about your parents?” she asks. “When did you lose them, if it’s not too hard to talk about?”

“I enjoy speaking of them. Far too often we forget to remember all the good things and only focus on the fact they are no longer with us.” It has been too long since anyone has asked me about them. “They were the best. Of course, all kits think this of their nene and baba, but mine truly were. I had them for sixteen cold seasons. Zander let me stay with him until I reached adulthood and began sharing a tent with a few other warriors closer to my age.”

“That was nice of him,” Astrid remarks.

“He is a good—great—male and I have the utmost respect for him. He treated me like a younger brother. Often still does.”

We carefully navigate through the trees and onto the path to descend the hillside.

“You’re lucky to have had him. I always wished for a brother or sister when I was growing up, but it was just me,” Astrid says. “My mom struggled with infertility, and despite all the credits she and my dad paid, they weren’t able to have any more kids.”

“Were you lonely, then?” Although I did not have any brothers or sisters of my blood, there were still many kits close to my age and we were all as close as family.

“At times.” Astrid raises her good shoulder. “I don’t know how much you know about Earth, but I was part of what’s called the upper tier. To put it bluntly, my family was rich. We had more credits than any person could want. Because of that, there was a lot of envy and even more jealousy. Kids who wanted to be my friend for what they could get out of it. It took a few hurt feelings before I learned that not everyone was genuine.”

I have heard a little of what it is like on Earth and with each new piece of information I receive, it makes me glad that Tavikh is my home. Astrid’s former planet is not one I would like to even visit. Between the unkind people and the dwellings that nearly reach the sky, spread so far out that trees no longer grow, it sounds like a terrible place to live.

“I’ve become even lonelier on Tavikh than I was on Earth, though,” she admits. “At least until now. I can see myself becoming friends with the women in the village. Grady made sure I didn’t have any back at the colony.”

“You are welcome to become friends with anyone you would like. I will never stop you from that.”

Astrid taps my arm with the side of her head. “I know you won’t. Heck, you’ve already nudged me in their direction once.”

“Only because I want you to be happy. Not only as a member of our tribe, but also with me. I want to make you happy.”

“You have no idea what it means to hear you say that.”

A shadow passes over us and we glance up. A shimmering illusion moves across the sky. I tip my head down to meet Astrid’s gaze.

“The Bohnari have come early.”