Page 100 of Monsters in Love: Lost in the Stars
Veyrith
I leave my Tashka in our bed, deep in sleep, the faintest hint of exhaustion lingering in her breath. She is soft in slumber, the rigidness of her previous fears long gone, her body instinctively curled into the space where I had been.
My mate.
A slow, satisfied growl rumbles from my chest as I run a claw along her bare thigh, watching the way she shivers even in unconsciousness.
The sight of her pleases me.
But it is not just her beauty that fills me with satisfaction—it is the sight of my claim on her, inside her, the way she still holds the evidence of me.
My seed glazes her skin, a lingering mark of our bond, our shared pleasure. It leaks from her, a slow trickle from where I filled her, and I nearly growl at the possessive thrill it sparks inside me.
I had taken great pleasure in cleaning her after our first claiming, only to fill her again, watching as she moaned and shook apart in my arms.
I should not wake her.
Not yet.
I must deal with unfinished business.
I step away, stretching my muscles as I leave the chamber, my tail flicking once in satisfaction.
The comms panel blinks as I approach, waiting for my input. With a swipe of my claw, I engage the transmission, sending the final encryption key to the awaiting client.
They respond immediately.
A swirling sigil appears on the screen—a crest formed of coiled silver and fangs bared in warning.
The Serpent Lords.
I have worked with them before. They do not tolerate mistakes.
And yet, I have changed the terms of the payment without their knowledge.
The Qual’Vuun were useless cowards, drowning in their own debts. Their promise of payment was worthless, so I had taken the responsibility myself.
The Serpent Lords will never know.
The currency has been exchanged through my own personal hoard—silent, unseen, undetectable.
It is a privilege I grant only myself.
The transmission shifts, the sigil shimmering before a low voice filters through the speakers.
“Veyrith.”
A single word, a greeting that is both acknowledgment and warning.
I bare my fangs in amusement. “The contract is settled.”
A pause. The client is suspicious.
They should be.
“The Qual’Vuun provided an acceptable exchange?” the voice asks, skeptical, cautious.
I lean against the panel, my claws flexing absently. “The currency has been received. You have no need to question its origin.”
Another silence.
Then a hum of approval.
“Then our business is complete.”
The sigil fades, the transmission ending without further words.
I let out a slow breath.
This will be my last job.
I have no need for further contracts. No need for currency, war, bloodshed.
I have my treasure now.
And I will protect her at all costs.
Even from them.
Especially from them.
They do not know what she is.
If they did, they would destroy me for her.
And I would not blame them.
Humans are rare. Coveted.
Hunted.
She is a treasure beyond price, and if the Serpent Lords—or any of the ruling factions—knew of her existence, they would rip her from me.
So I keep her hidden.
I let them believe she is nothing more than another nameless female, claimed by a warrior who has finally decided to retire into solitude.
And I will retire.
With her.
I enter the final command into the ship’s console, setting the coordinates toward my solitary keep, far beyond the reaches of trade routes and political dealings.
No staff. No unwanted visitors.
Only drones to manage the necessities.
Only her and me.
A life of quiet possession, where she will wake to my touch every morning and fall asleep to my embrace every night.
I glance back toward the chamber, where she still sleeps soundly, covered in the remnants of my claim.
My tail twitches in pleasure.
Yes.
This is what I have always wanted.
She is mine, body and soul.
And now, I will take her somewhere no one else will ever find her.
Our forever begins now.