Page 49 of Galaxy Games Four-Book Box Set (Galaxy Games)

49

Epilogue: Happily Ever After

B laze

I will never admit it to another living soul, well, maybe to Xzavic, but no one else. I used to dream of this.

Yeah, I was the tough girl. I fought for everything I ever got. But sometimes in my bed at night, I allowed myself to dream of a nameless, faceless man. And when I’m honest with myself, I’ll admit I used to imagine someone swooping in and making my life easier.

I never imagined he’d be seven feet tall, or blue. And I certainly never imagined that he’d be willing to die for me, or that I’d die for him. But I’m with him now and I’m never letting go.

We’ve been inseparable since that moment in the hover with the king six months ago. We’ve forged a life together here in Plesmore. We’re both in the King’s private service as bodyguards, kind of like the President’s Secret Service back home.

We live in this lovely cottage in the woods bordering the palace. It’s small and cozy and I couldn’t imagine a better place to be.

I can’t believe my eyes when I look into the mirror. I’m not just wearing a wedding dress, I’m wearing one straight out of a Disney movie. Slightly floofy sleeves, narrow waist, and billows of skirt that widen to the floor. And yeah, a train.

Wedding dresses are traditionally red here in Plesmore, which pleases me no end. Mine matches the exact color of our little reptile’s scales.

I’m wearing a tiara. Not just any tiara, but a diamond-encrusted one that dates back ten generations of Alcantars. Luckily, it’s on loan. I mean, what do you do with it? Hide it in your underwear drawer?

I resisted the whole wedding thing. I didn’t admit I wanted one. I tried to hang onto my tough-girl exterior. It was Xzavic’s impassioned proposal that convinced me. He told me how deeply he loved me and asked me to be his mate. He admitted he used to lie in bed at night dreaming of a female to love, even though his odds of surviving his bouts in the arena were slim.

When a tough guy like Xzavic admitted that, I had to confess I’d longed for those same things.

So here we are, formally getting hitched.

Titan

She wouldn’t let me see her until she walked into the room. She said it was bad luck. All our new friends are here, including the King. Although Altair and Sprout live in Plesmore now, it still pleases me every time I see him walking on his robotic legs. To think this technology was available, but only to the rich, still makes me burn with anger. He’s walking with no trouble now.

When the double doors at the back of the grand ballroom open, I only have eyes for Blaze. She’s so gorgeous she takes my breath away.

I didn’t think I could love her any more than I already do, but seeing her not only so beautiful, but so open and vulnerable makes my heart clench. She doesn’t let her guard down often, nor should she. Now that we’ve had time to get to know each other, I understand how and why she erected such thick walls around herself.

But she trusts me. She talks to me and tells me her hopes and dreams. Late at night in the privacy of our bedchamber, she even admits her fears. That’s when I hold her tight and tell her how much I love her, and when I feel most like the loving, protective mate she deserves.

The ceremony is all in a dream. The music swells, the high priestess speaks, and my mate clutches my hand tighter than when we thought the King picked us up in his hover to kill us.

Scarlet is at my side, being held on a white pillow by Sprout. The young male told us he doesn’t want to be called Sprout anymore. At his request, we call him Sparta. He barely looks like the youngling we met in that alley. He’s growing up.

We almost didn’t bring Scarlet. She has a clutch of babies we keep in a special hutch we built next to our cottage. But she deserves to be here, and, if I can read her reptilian features, she looks happy.

Although our wedding is a legitimate expression of our love and commitment, it was also the perfect event to use as cover. The King invited many known rebel sympathizers to the festivities. They’re staying at the palace, and tomorrow we begin talks about how to proceed with a fight against the Galactic Federation.

That’s for tomorrow, though. Tonight, we celebrate.

Blaze

I don’t understand why I’m feeling shy, but I am now that we’re back in our cottage bedroom. I flash a wry smile at myself in the mirror over the dresser when I remind myself we’ve had sex hundreds of times in the last six months. Several of those were televised in front of millions, if not billions, of people. But something is different today. We’re mated.

I thought of removing the heavy, formal dress myself, but in addition to having to struggle with dozens of tiny buttons, I want Xzavic to do it. I want him to unwrap me, like a present. I want to watch the passion blaze in his eyes.

I turn to look at him. He’s still wearing the formal attire of the palace guard. He’s fought at the whim of others his whole life. Working as a free male, receiving credits for his hard work, and being an esteemed member of our unit has given him a boost in confidence. Although, it’s not as if he needs it. He’s always been bold and fearless.

He’s wearing a black leather kilt, knee-high boots, and hip-length suit jacket covered in golden regalia he’s already earned for bravery on his job. When he tips his head slightly, his full lips in a pleased smile, I sense he’s shy, too.

We just pledged our love in front of hundreds of rebel sympathizers from all over the galaxy, but what we’re going to share here in our bed is more meaningful than that.

He strides to me and grabs my hand.

“I know I repeated the words the priestess said, but Blaze, I want to tell you in my own words just how much you mean to me. Every breath I breathe reminds me of how lucky I am to be alive, and how blessed I am to have you at my side. To know we’ll be a team forever fills me with gratitude. I hope I always act in a way befitting the male you deserve.”

He pauses, the fire in his eyes blazing. “I could talk forever, love, but let me show you.”

He turns me in his arms and takes his time, unbuttoning the dozens of tiny buttons my new friends fastened before the ceremony. I smile, picturing his huge, blue hands working the dainty buttons. He doesn’t get impatient. In fact, he dips his head to nuzzle, then nip my neck as his hands struggle with the pearl buttons.

It feels like forever before the dress pools at my feet, a puddle of scarlet—a color now so important in our lives for so many reasons.

When he turns me and takes a step back to appreciate me, his eyes flare with passion. The dress held my breasts in place, and my little wedding present to him was to go commando.

“You’re beautiful, Love.” He’s always been generous with those words.

“You’re handsome in your uniform, babe, but I like blue better.”

He’s not a fan of me calling him babe. He usually chides me and says he’s not a baby. I thought he’d jump to my bait, but not tonight.

I step closer and remove his clothes, piece by piece. The soft feel of his leathers is replaced by the even softer feel of his suede-like skin.

I love this male as much as life itself, but something’s not right. Excitement isn’t skittering along my veins. I’m not breathless. My core isn’t dripping for him yet and it always is by the time we’re both naked.

Has marriage already destroyed my libido?

It takes a moment to realize what’s missing. As soon as I recognize it, I move to action.

“Don’t!” I say, a bit too harshly when he sits to remove his boots.

After stashing my tiara in my underwear drawer, I slip into my shoes, tear the bedspread off the bed, and grab his hand. Pulling him out of the house at a run, I don’t even bother to answer his sputtered questions. I just drag him toward the heart of the forest.

Although this landscape is so different from the one where we fell in love, I know in my heart we have to be outside, under Marentine’s moons. I want to breathe the rich air out here and make love under the sparkling stars.

I find the perfect grassy spot encircled by majestic trees. I’ve grown used to their scarlet-veined green leaves. That’s not what’s important now. Now I want to seal our bond out in the open, like the two untamed warriors we are.

I motion to Xzavic and he helps me lay out the blanket, then I command, “Sit!” As soon as his luscious, naked ass hits the blue silk, I kick off my shoes and dance.

Although we forged this custom in the fires of performing for the camera, we own it now. I dance for him when I want to show him the depths of my love. We’ve been through so much, but still sometimes it’s hard for me to say the words. I can be so much more eloquent with my body.

He’s already hard, but after a few moments of him watching me dance in the warm night air, his cock is pearled with opalescent pre-come.

I sashay to him, place my foot on his chest, push him back onto the bedspread, and stand over him, my legs on either side of his waist. One of the moons is almost full tonight. I wonder if he can see my cream glistening in my folds.

Then I dance again. I’ve never felt this free. I feel like a wanton creature of the forest. As I dance, I imagine so many things I’m ready to say goodbye to trailing behind me in the humid air.

It feels magical as I picture my childhood sadness, my fears, my soul-deadening solitude disappearing. I hid my feelings from myself, never admitting I had the loneliest life in the world, until I met the male who completes me.

I can leave all of that behind on the floor of the forest. The ceremony we just completed means we’re connected forever. Although I didn’t think I needed the priestess’s blessing, maybe I did. Maybe it spoke to some hidden fears still lingering in the deepest recesses of my brain.

That’s all behind me now. I’m free of that.

I dance more wildly, not even knowing how long I’ve been cavorting in the woods until Xzavic stands, grabs me, and lifts me so my legs surround his waist. His lips are hard, possessive, as he kisses me.

Yes! This is the way two warriors should seal their mating, not in the safe confines of our cabin, but here in the forest.

I’m dripping wet for him, even though we’ve shared no foreplay. Xzavic is like a drug. All I need is the slightest taste and I want more. Need more.

When he lowers me a few inches, his cock, hard as stone, presses between my folds. I ride him as best I can in this position while he dips his head to nip the tips of my breasts.

Is it the moonlight? My dance? I feel wild, abandoned. My need is growing exponentially, especially when I hear his soft grunts of passion.

“Take me!” I order as I tip my head back to stare up at the full moon.

His answer is a swift shake of his head, my nipple still tight between his teeth. The pleasure-pain ramps my need ten notches.

I repeat my demand, this time wanting him to shake his head more than I want him to spear into me. He does just what I hoped for, then nips each tip with just enough bite to cause me to cry out.

My nails prick his shoulders’ thick plating as I ride his thick, ridged cock in the velvet darkness.

Before I realize it, we’re on the move. My back is thrust against rough tree bark. There’s something about the juxtaposition of his soft, suede skin rubbing against my front and the rugged sting of the bark against my back that brings me fully into the experience.

I hear the insects singing in the background, feel the humid air in my lungs, notice the breeze on my skin, and smell the scent of my mate.

“Mate!” I say, tasting the weight of the words as if for the first time. “Xzavic, we’re truly mated.”

“Not yet,” he purrs, his chest vibrating. We’ve been lovers for months. I thought I’d gotten used to this little bonus that happens when we make love, but it’s different tonight. Louder, more powerful.

As he lifts me higher, I feel the soft scrape of the bark against my back. I picture tiny scratches there, an impermanent mark of our mating.

He notches his cock at my entrance, and I brace myself, my heels against his ass.

“Yes,” I urge.

He doesn’t enter me, though.

“Tell me you love me, Blaze.” It doesn’t sound like a request. It sounds like an order.

“I love you, Xzavic,” I say, more than willing to comply.

“More. More feeling!”

“I love you Xzavic. I think I loved you since that first night in the bombed-out building. You’re the best person I’ve ever known. I’ll never get enough of you.” I’ve told him this before, but I guess he needs to hear it again.

“Once more.”

I pierce his gaze with mine and say with as much emotion as I can muster from deep in the center of my heart, “I. Love. You.”

That’s when my world changes. His eyes glow. Not from a shard of moonlight, but from deep within. Truly, like the butane flames they’ve always reminded me of.

He enters me slowly, never removing his gaze from mine. Panic flares through me when he opens his mouth, revealing two sharp fangs I’ve never seen before. Before I can wiggle from his grip, he bites my shoulder. I scream in pain and try to wrestle away from him, but two seconds later, physical bliss roars through me like a lightning bolt.

An orgasm gallops through me, starting in my core and exploding out in all directions. As pleasure pulses through me, my eyes flutter closed as something shifts inside me. Our connection grows deeper. I feel our bond grow as he thrusts into me.

When I wish he’d fuck me harder, he does. When the bark scratches me too harshly, he moves us, still connected, to the waiting blanket.

When his little patch of skin isn’t pressing my clit just right, he immediately moves to make it better. I realize he’s reading my mind.

I’ll have to figure this out, but… later. Right now, I put the soles of my feet on the back of his thighs and ride him while he rides me. Now that I’m on the ground and he has the leverage to pound against me, it takes no more than a few seconds for me to climb to the peak of passion again.

The moment I’m ready for another, he lifts my hips into position so he can thrust against my internal sweet spot, sending me into spasms of pleasure. He wrings more releases out of me until I’m spent and panting.

My eyes have been closed as I enjoyed orgasm after orgasm, but now I watch him, his eyes burning like twin blue flames as he pistons into me harder and faster. He dips his head and bites my shoulder again when he reaches his own release. He takes his mouth off me and explodes with a loud, savage growl.

I didn’t think he could wrench another climax out of me, but there’s something about his feral bite and that loud growl that sends me over the edge one more time.

Mate.

I hear it plain as day in my head.

“What?”

Can you hear me? I called you mate.

“What. The. Fuck!”

When Sunsarians find their forever mate, their teeth descend. It’s sealed with a bite.

I’m not certain what’s more shocking. His fangs glinting in the moonlight, the blood trickling from the two piercings on my shoulder or… “I can hear you in my head!”

And I can hear you, so perhaps quit shouting.

You can hear me, love?

Think of a weird word. Say it in your mind.

Dysentery.

I don’t know this word. It doesn’t translate.

Lackadaisical.

Are you trying to be obstinate? Not only can I hear his words, I can hear his irritated tone.

Scarlet. I say to give him an easy one.

Scarlet.

Yep, I say , you can hear me. So let’s do it again!

We make love several more times, each more passionate than the last. Xzavic being able to hear my thoughts when I wish he’d move an inch to the left was pretty spectacular, although it took a moment for him to figure out that when I thought right it meant his left.

We must have dozed for a while, but when the sky streaks with gray, I wake to find him looking at me, his eyes still burning blue.

Will they burn like that from now on?

Only when we make love.

Oh. You’re ready for another round?

In a minute. First, let me kiss you.

The mind-reading during sex is great, Xzavic, but I’m not sure I want you in my head all the time.

We’ll figure it out. We can read up on how to control it. But until then, I can feel your worries. Tell me.

I switch to words. “I let all my barriers down with you, my love. I wish this was a Disney movie, a fairytale, but as fulfilling as our life is right now, the rebellion is coming. It’s swirling around us. We’ve listened to the secret comms. The movement is spreading. Whether we wanted to or not, we’re at the epicenter of it. I don’t want to lose you.”

“Aye. I worry about that, too.”

Xzavic

I’ve stayed awake all night, worried about this. Now I’m more worried than I had been because I’m privy to her emotions. She’s so brave on the outside, with so much anxiety swirling underneath. I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to keep her safe.

“We’re together, my love,” I tell her. “Yes, we’re in the middle of a rebellion through no choice of our own. Luckily, we both believe in the cause we’re now fighting for. I don’t think the future will be easy, but I know we’ll be together through all of it.”

And we have this. I don’t just think the words, I send her a gust of love and support from the depths of my being. We have this unstoppable connection no one can break. You can’t ask for more than that, my love.

You’re right. We’ve got each other. That’s all we need.