Page 12 of Krin (The Protectorate Warriors Alien Fated Mates #3)

Krin

ANTICIPATION PULSED through me as I looked forward to finally claiming my K’sha. When the door to my quarters slid shut, I stepped closer to Riley, placing my hands on each side of her head, stroking her cheeks with my thumbs.

The corners of her lips turned upwards, yet doubt filled her eyes. I began to question if the brief walk to my quarters was enough to make her change her mind about allowing me to claim her.

“What troubles you, my mate?”

After briefly looking away and chewing her bottom lip, she turned her gaze back to me. “Are you sure you want me? As a mate, I mean. What if I don’t make you happy in the long term?”

“Gods, Riley. There is no one I want more than you. I am very certain I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Why do you doubt my feelings for you?” I stroked her dark mane of hair.

This was unexpected. Her sudden shift in energy had me worried. Did she not want me as a mate?

She began to chew her lower lip again. It was the first time my mate appeared so vulnerable. My only goal was to reassure her, but I did not know how to do it without making her more upset.

Riley spoke before I had a chance to. “I don’t want to mess this up.” She pointed to herself, then me. “Us, I mean.”

“Would it help if I explained what the claiming means... for both of us?” I asked.

“Maybe...yes. I mean, Grace told me a little about what it was like for her when Trex told her they were fated mates. Which is why I am open to the idea it’s a real thing.

If you’d have told me when we first met, that I was your K’sha, I would have laughed in your face.

But now, after being around you for a while I can’t ignore there is something special about you.

I’ve never felt this way for anyone else.

I want to understand what it means to be your K’sha. ”

She frowned after speaking, and I was unsure if I had been wrong in assuming this was what she wanted.

Dropping my hands to my side I spoke. “The claiming process is crucial in strengthening the bond between us. The first time fated mates have sex is a moment filled with a powerful connection that I cannot really explain. Our souls will join as one. Forever. You are already my K’sha, Riley.

That will never change. The claiming will allow us to communicate telepathically through a link only we will share.

It also intensifies our bond, and feelings for one another.

For the rest of eternity, I will crave you in my very soul. Only you.”

She stared, wide-eyed. “Really? What happens when one of us... you know, dies.”

I lifted my shoulders then gave a slight smile. The consequences of one of us dying were unclear to me. Yet, I understood that her absence would shatter me.

“We only have one K’sha. I do not wish to find out what would happen if you were gone.”

If Riley refused to be with me, I would spend the rest of my life alone, wanting her with me. Now that I had met my K’sha, I could not imagine being without her, ever.

She sighed, then reached out and ran her hand down my chest, leaving a trail of pleasant tingles. “I don’t plan on going anywhere, big guy. It’s just, I haven’t been great at the whole committed relationship thing. It’s not something I’ve ever really done.”

Disappointment flooded me. My throat tightened and my hands clenched. “Are you refusing to be my mate?”

Riley tilted her head, her brow furrowed.

“Look, Krin. The idea of us being fated mates is still sinking in. It’s a lot.

And aside from lusting after you, I never really thought about what a permanent relationship with you would be like.

From my understanding, Alarans have a strong connection with their K’sha.

This is a big deal for you. I can’t afford to screw it up.

The last thing I want is to hurt you. Or me. No, I am not refusing to be your mate.”

I studied her face. It was easy to read her emotions. She cared for me, but was afraid of it. “If you are not ready for me to claim you, we will wait. This is not something I would force on you if you do not want it.”

Riley’s face filled with sadness. “That’s not what I’m saying... I want to be with you. God knows I’ve never wanted anyone so badly as I want you.” She turned, then began to pace back and forth, chewing on her bottom lip.

I waited in silence, not wanting to interrupt her thoughts, fearing I had made a mistake bringing her to my quarters so soon.

After several moments, she stopped and turned her head towards me. “You can read my thoughts, right? I mean, because I’m your K’sha?”

Confused, I opened my mouth to object. “I would never do that without your permission. I have not read your thoughts.”

She laughed and walked over to me, placing her hands on my chest again. Both of them this time. My mating marks seared with heat. Her touch ignited fiery sparks that raced across my skin.

“I wasn’t accusing you of reading my mind, big guy. The reason I asked is cuz...well, I thought maybe you could pick up my emotions. You know, so I don’t have to say it out loud. I told you I’m not good with this relationship stuff.”

I placed my hands over hers. “I do sense your emotions, but have not listened to your thoughts. You are safe with me, my mate. I would never judge you or hurt you intentionally. Your happiness is all that matters.”

My heart clenched with empathy as I sensed her struggle to articulate her thoughts. It was something I could completely identify with.

She huffed out a sound that wasn’t quite a laugh. “What about your happiness? Doesn’t that matter too? What if I can’t be what you need me to be?” Her eyes moistened, and I noticed her throat bobbing.

“Riley , you make me happy. You are perfect the way you are. You do not need to change anything.” Touching her face, I smiled with a closed mouth.

Just looking into her eyes, I felt I had everything I could ever want. She was my K’sha.

Perfect for me.

Riley glanced down as if she was ashamed of her feelings.

With my fingers under her chin, I tilted her head to look up at me. “My K’sha, having found you means everything to me. If you choose to remain with me, I would be eternally happy. But if you are happier without me, I will try to understand. I would never shame you for what you feel.”

Riley’s eyes leaked as she looked at me. I could sense her internal struggle as if it were my own.

“What is it you want?” I asked, wiping away the wetness on her cheeks with my thumbs.

My mate’s hands smoothed under the straps crisscrossing my chest, and onto my bare skin. Then her hands slid down my abdomen to the waistband of my trousers.

“You, Krin. I want you. In the past, I never allowed myself to care about guys. The one time I did, I got my heart broken.” She wiped her eyes with one hand.

“You are the first and only person I’ve ever been able to open up to.

I can be myself around you. Honestly, I have never experienced such powerful feelings for anyone. ”

I smoothed my hand along her head. “This is my first and only relationship, too. Until recently, I could not speak to females without making a fool of myself,” I admitted.

My rare liaisons with females in the past had only been interactional, and occurred on a legal pleasure station we sometimes visited in the neutral zone.

On those occasions, the female pleasure workers and I spoke very little.

Except to discuss cost, and what form of release I was looking for.

My emotions played no part in the transactions.

Until Riley, I had never met another female I wanted a relationship with, since I’d always hoped to meet my K’sha.

Riley’s face haunted my thoughts from the moment I laid eyes on her. Since then, she became the sole desire of my heart.

“Krin?” Riley’s gentle murmur brought me back to the present, grounding me.

“Mmm?” I gazed at her adorable face, my breath catching.

She possessed a lovely beauty. Her twinkling brown eyes held a mischievous spark, and her chin jutted out slightly, adding a touch of defiance to her expression.

“Are you sure about this? I mean, do you really want to commit to a lifetime with me?”

I took her hand in mine kissing the top of it. “Yes. I want you forever.”

“Will you forgive me if I act like a stubborn idiot sometimes?”

“You are stubborn, but you are no grik . And of course I will forgive you.”

“Sorry for the meltdown. This is what I want. But it all feels so unreal... in a good way.” She smiled, looking relaxed once again.

“It is real. You are mine, and I am yours,” I insisted. “Can I claim you now? Or should we wait?” I prayed she would not postpone our intimacy. The erection from our previous kisses hadn’t completely subsided. My seed sac ached.

Gods, I needed to be inside her, to solidify our bond. Now!

She grinned. “Yes. I mean. I don’t want to wait. Let’s do this!” Riley removed her top, flashed a seductive grin, then slipped out of her trousers, letting them fall to the floor. Her boldness ignited a deeper desire within me.

The sight of her mouth-watering breasts made my shaft stone hard.

While she looked on in delight, I removed my chest straps and untied my boots, giving them a forceful kick to the side. Riley’s pupils dilated as I took off my trousers, our eyes locked in a powerful and intimate gaze.

As I stepped closer, I felt the softness of Riley’s curves in my hands, drawing her nearer to me. When I lifted her, Riley automatically wrapped her legs around my hips. As her warm, wet cleft slid against my hardened member, a low groan escaped my lips.

Our bodies pressed together, her lips meeting mine in a needy kiss as her arms tightened around my shoulders. With each grind, Riley’s wetness left a slick trail on my skin, heightening the intensity of the moment.

I strolled over to the bed. Our kisses grew hungrier while Riley’s legs and arms remained tightly wrapped around me, refusing to release their grip.

Scooting us deeper onto the bed, I positioned myself between her legs where her slick petals rubbed against me with each thrust of her hips.

She dropped her legs, letting them fall open.

Pulling my lips from hers, I trailed kisses down her neck, exploring the sweet softness of her body.

I kissed my way to her breasts, taking one nipple at a time into my mouth, teasing them with gentle swirls of my tongue. Riley pulled at my hair holding my head to her chest. Her back arched in pleasure. She whispered words of encouragement and praise.

The need to claim my K’sha consumed me, a hunger so instinctual it was unlike anything else I had ever experienced.