CHAPTER SIX
EMME
“ S oul song?” I repeated, the words strange in my mouth.
My heart hammered against my ribs.
“Like... soulmates?”
You are the furthest thing from nothing to me.
The rational, practical part of my brain screamed that Lairos’s declaration was complete nonsense.
Some desperate fantasy to justify a convenient attraction.
The universe didn’t work like that—there was no cosmic force connecting two souls across galaxies.
I pulled my hand away from his chest, needing space to think.
My palm tingled where it had pressed against him, as if my body remembered the contact even as my brain tried to dismiss it.
“That’s not possible,” I said, my mind automatically rejecting what couldn’t be quantified or measured.
“We’re not even the same species.”
His eyes tracked me as I paced, making me acutely aware of every movement.
“The song doesn’t lie.”
“The song,” I muttered, wrapping my arms around myself to ward off the chill that had nothing to do with the temperature.
“Right. The magical, mystical song only you can hear.”
Soulmates.
The word itself felt childish in my mind, something from fairy tales and romance novels.
Some story whispered about at teenage sleepovers or debated over in three AM dorm room diatribes.
Not real life.
Not my life.
I dealt in facts, in measurable quantities, in provable theories.
Not…
fate.
“Look,” I said, turning to face him.
“Even if this soul song thing is real?—”
Lairos prowled closer, cutting off my objections as he stopped inches from me.
His hand caught my chin, tilting my face up to his.
The pad of his thumb traced my lower lip, and my words died in my throat.
“You can’t hear it,” he murmured, his voice dropping to a register that vibrated through me like a plucked string.
“But you can feel it, can’t you? The pull. The need.”
His thumb slipped between my lips, pressing gently against my tongue.
The taste of him—salt and citrus and delicious spice—flooded my senses.
I should have bitten down.
Should have pushed him away.
Instead, I found myself sucking lightly, watching his pupils dilate until the forest green of his eyes was nearly swallowed by black.
“Fuck,” he growled, withdrawing his thumb to trace the moisture down my neck.
“I’ve wanted to touch you since the moment you walked into my tent.”
“You don’t even know me,” I whispered, but my body betrayed me, arching into his touch as his fingers skimmed along my collarbone.
“I know your song.” His lips replaced his fingers, hot against my throat.
“I know how your heart races when I’m near.”
His teeth grazed the sensitive spot where my neck met my shoulder, and a shameful moan escaped me.
The sound seemed to snap something in him.
His mouth crashed against mine, stealing my breath, my thoughts, my objections.
Each sweep of his tongue sent sparks of pleasure straight to my core.
Those slightly-too-sharp canines caught my bottom lip, and my hands fisted in his hair before I could stop myself.
Heat surged through my body, settling into a molten ache between my thighs.
His hands found my waist, fingers digging into the thin linen wrapped around me.
I arched into him, needing more contact, more pressure, more of everything he offered.
“Feel that?” he murmured against my lips when we finally broke apart.
“That’s just the beginning.”
I forced myself to take a step back.
To suck in several breaths, cool my blood, gather my scattered thoughts.
Every cell in my body screamed to close the gap again, to press my body against his.
But this wasn’t me.
I didn’t act impulsively, on instinct, without logical reasoning.
Especially not in situations like these.
Lairos watched me silently, clearly giving me space to decide what would happen next.
So damn confident that I couldn’t resist him.
Asshole.
But heaven help me, I wanted him.
Wanted this.
Even knowing the repercussions.
Even if it meant crossing a line I could never uncross.
“What does this mean for my people?” I asked, clinging to the one anchor I had in this storm of unexpected feelings.
Lairos’s laugh was low and appreciative.
“Already using every tool for political advantage. Good. You’ll need that skill when I crown you my queen.”
“Queen?” I nearly choked on the word.
“You can’t be serious.”
“Is that not how it was done on Earth?” He cocked his head, genuinely curious, but his eyes never left my body.
“Where you would share your mate’s power?”
“Yes. Well, no.” I ran a hand through my hair, trying to organize my thoughts when all I could think about was the lingering taste of him on my lips.
“It depends.”
“There is no ‘depends’ in Delovia.” He moved toward me again, and I retreated a step, my body at war with my mind.
“You will rule at my side.”
“I’m not here to rule anything,” I reminded him, and myself.
“I’m here to secure a place for my people.”
“And what better place than under the protection of their queen?” His fingers traced the edge of my wrap where it crossed my collarbone, the light touch leaving fire in its wake.
“How many of your people need settlement?”
I swallowed hard, trying to focus on the negotiation and not the way his proximity made my skin tingle.
“Everyone aboard the Legacy. We can’t return to Earth.”
“And what do these people require?” he asked, moving closer.
His hand slid to cup the back of my neck, thumb stroking down my throat.
The touch was so intimate, so knowing, that I had to wonder if he’d studied human anatomy or if some things were universal across species.
Either way, it was working.
My knees felt weak, and it took all my concentration to remember what we were discussing.
“Space,” I managed, my voice embarrassingly breathy as his other hand found my waist again.
“Clean water. Agricultural opportunities.”
His smile was predatory as his fingers traced small circles on my hip.
“All things we have in abundance. And what would your people offer in return?”
“Technology. Medical knowledge.” I took another step back, needing distance to think clearly.
“Cultural exchange.”
“Tempting,” he murmured, following my retreat step for step.
My back met cool glass, the vibration of the maelstrom beyond thrumming against my skin.
Trapped between the churning depths and his heat.
“I haven’t agreed to anything,” I reminded him, even as my body betrayed me by leaning into his touch.
“No?” One hand slid up my side, skimming the curve of my breast through the linen.
“Then let me sweeten the deal. Your people get their settlement, with full autonomy over their internal affairs. They maintain their own laws, customs, leadership.”
His thumb brushed over my nipple, and I gasped at the jolt of pleasure.
“And in exchange?” I managed to ask.
“You,” he said simply, his other hand finding the knot of my wrap.
“By my side. In my bed. In my life.”
The wrap loosened with a gentle tug, threatening to slip from my shoulders.
“That’s quite the personal sacrifice you’re asking for.”
His laugh was dark and rich.
“Is it?” His fingers slipped beneath the fabric, tracing the curve of my collarbone.
“Tell me you don’t want this, Emme. Tell me you don’t feel the pull between us.”
I should have pushed him away.
Should have demanded he respect my boundaries.
Instead, I found myself tilting my head to give him better access as his mouth descended on my neck.
His teeth grazed my pulse point and the wrap slipped further, exposing one shoulder.
“All of them,” he murmured and slid his hand up my throat, thumb tracing my jaw.
“For one of you. That seems a fair trade.”
“You make it sound so simple,” I gasped, the words torn from me as his mouth found the sensitive spot below my ear.
“It is simple. Do you want me to stop?” His fingers found the slipping neckline of my linens tracing along the edge with just enough pressure to push it down a fraction of an inch.
“Or do you want to tell me what you feel when I touch you here?”
“I feel...” What did I feel?
Desire, certainly.
A hunger that defied rational thought.
But something else too—something deeper and more frightening than mere physical attraction.
I wanted this.
Him.
Whatever it meant tomorrow.
“I feel like I’m losing control,” I admitted, fighting to keep my voice steady as pleasure simmered through my veins.
“And I never lose control.”
His eyes darkened at my confession, pupils dilating until only a thin ring of green remained.
The fabric parted beneath his fingers, exposing my breast to the cool air.
I shivered as his thumb circled my nipple, drawing it to a tight peak.
“And here?”
“I feel...” I gasped as he replaced his thumb with his mouth, the wet heat of his tongue sending lightning through my veins.
A strangled cry escaped me, my hands flying to his hair to hold him there.
“Like my skin is too tight. Like every nerve ending is on fire.”
He hummed against my flesh, the vibration sending another wave of pleasure coursing through me.
“And here?” His other hand slid down my back, finding the curve of my ass and squeezing.
My hips bucked against him involuntarily.
“Like I need more.”
“More what?” he asked, his voice a low growl as he pulled back to look at me.
His mouth moved to my other breast, lavishing it with the same attention.
“More of you,” I admitted, my fingers finding the knot of his own wrap.
“More of this.”
His smile was wicked as he stepped back, just out of reach.
“Not yet. First, I want to know exactly what I do to you.” His hands found the remaining knot of my wrap and tugged, sending the fabric pooling around my feet.
“Do you feel it now, Emme?”
I stood naked before him, fighting the urge to cover myself.
His gaze swept over my exposed breasts, down my belly.
My nipples tightened under the intensity of his attention, and my cheeks flushed despite the cool air against my skin.
He circled me slowly, his fingers trailing over my skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake.
When he stood behind me, his chest pressed against my back, I could feel the hard ridge of his cock through the thin fabric of his wrap.
His hands slid around to cup my breasts, thumbs teasing my nipples as his mouth found the curve of my shoulder.
“Tell me,” he murmured against my skin.
“I feel...” I arched into his touch, my head falling back against his shoulder.
“Like I’m melting from the inside out.”
One hand traveled lower, fingers splaying across my stomach before dipping between my thighs.
I gasped as he found the slick heat there, his touch feather-light against my pussy.
“You’re drenched,” he growled, his teeth grazing my earlobe.
“Is that for me?”
“Yes,” I breathed, beyond denying it.
Beyond caring about anything but the need coursing through me.
“Please.”
His fingers circled my clit with maddening precision, never quite giving the pressure I craved.
“Tell me what you feel when I touch you here.”
“Like I’m going to explode,” I groaned, my hips moving of their own accord, seeking more friction.
“Like I can’t think straight.”
“Good.” His other hand pinched my nipple, the slight pain mixing with pleasure in a heady cocktail.
“I don’t want you thinking at all.”
I wanted to argue, but his fingers dipped lower, teasing my entrance.
I whimpered as he thrust one finger slowly into my pussy, his thumb circling my clit.
The invasion stretched me open, but my body welcomed him eagerly, already fluttering with the promise of release.
His teeth scraped the junction of my neck and shoulder, then bit down harder as he added a second finger.
“What do you feel now?” he asked, his voice rough with need.
“I feel...” My hips rolled against him, chasing that perfect combination of pleasure and pain.
With his free arm wrapped around me, there was nowhere to go, nothing to do except take whatever he gave me.
“Like I need more than just your fingers.”
In one fluid motion, he spun me away from the window and backed me toward the bed.
The back of my knees hit the edge, and I tumbled onto the soft surface.
I watched, mesmerized, as he tore at the twists and tucks holding his linen together.
His cock sprang free, thick and hard, curving slightly upward.
It was similar enough to human anatomy to be familiar, yet different in subtle ways, the head slightly more tapered, the shaft adorned with faint ridges that I knew would feel incredible inside me.
“You’re staring,” he said, amusement coloring his voice.
“You’re worth staring at,” I replied, reaching for him.
He stepped between my spread thighs, his hands cradling my face as he bent to kiss me.
This kiss was different from the others—slower, deeper, a promise rather than a demand.
When he pulled back, his eyes searched mine.
“The song doesn’t lie, Emme. But it doesn’t force, either. We choose what to do with it.”
I reached up, fingers tracing the line of his jaw.
“And what if I choose this? Just this, for now?”
He pressed closer, until I could feel the vibration of his words against my lips.
“Then I’ll make sure you feel every note.”
I let my hand trail down his chest, over the ridges of his abdomen, until my fingers wrapped around his cock.
He hissed in pleasure as I stroked him, learning the feel of him, the weight in my palm.
“And what do you feel,” I asked, turning the question back on him, “when I touch you here?”
His eyes snapped open, surprise and heat mingling in his gaze.
“Like I’m being unmade,” he admitted with a strained laugh.
“Like I’m going to embarrass myself if you keep that up.”
Power surged through me at his confession.
I leaned forward to press my lips against the spot where his neck met his shoulder, mimicking what he’d done to me earlier.
“And here?”
A growl rumbled through his chest.
“Like I need to claim you. Now.”
He eased me back onto the bed, covering my body with his.
The weight of him pressed me into the mattress, his cock hot and hard against my inner thigh.
My breath caught at the intimacy of it, being surrounded by him, his scent, his heat.
No more negotiating, no more questions.
Just this moment where everything else fell away except the need burning between us.
“Tell me you want this,” he demanded, his voice strained with the effort of holding back.
“Tell me you feel it.”
“I want this,” I breathed against his mouth.
“I want you.”
He pushed forward slowly, the stretch exquisite as he filled me inch by inch.
The ridges along his length dragged against my inner walls in a way that made stars burst behind my eyelids.
My hands roamed his shoulders, his back, seeking purchase, and found the ridge of scales running down his spine.
They were smoother than I expected, almost silky, with the faintest hint of warmth.
Curious, I ran my fingers along them, tracing their pattern.
Lairos froze above me, a strangled sound escaping his throat.
His entire body tensed, muscles coiling tight beneath my hands.
This time, his groan turned to a shudder that shook him from head to toe.
His eyes met mine, incredulity mingling with raw hunger.
“You don’t even know what you do to me, do you?”
Before I could respond, his hips pulled back, dragging his cock nearly all the way out, then slammed back into me.
My hips bucked, struggling to meet him, as every nerve in my body lit up at the sensation.
“Do you feel it now?” he asked, his voice rough with restraint.
“Tell me what you feel with me inside you.”
My answer devolved into a keening cry as he pulled back and drove into me again.
Harder.
Deeper.
I could feel my orgasm building, like a kettle reaching its boiling point, seconds from bursting.
“Full.” Words failed me as my fingernails dug into his shoulders.
I needed something to hold onto as pleasure threatened to sweep me away.
Something solid and real to anchor me against this rising tide of feeling.
“So fucking full of you I can’t think straight.”
With a curse, he claimed my mouth, swallowing my cries as his strokes lengthened, deepened.
Pinned beneath his weight, his cock filling me perfectly.
One hand slipped between us to circle my clit, adding a new layer of sensation that had me arching off the bed.
“That’s it,” he encouraged, his voice dropping to that growl that seemed to vibrate through my very bones.
“Let me hear you.”
I couldn’t have held back if I tried.
Each thrust pulled sounds from me I’d never made before—desperate, needy sounds that should have embarrassed me but only seemed to drive him wild.
“Do you feel it?” he panted, his rhythm faltering slightly as his own control slipped.
“Tell me, Emme. Tell me what you feel now.”
“You.” I managed the word on a ragged gasp.
“Like I’m underwater, and you’re the only air for miles.”
Something flashed across his face—triumph, tenderness, relief—before his head dropped to my throat, teeth grazing the sensitive spot where my pulse hammered against my skin.
His fingers never stopped their rhythmic assault, driving me higher and higher toward a peak I could feel building at the base of my spine.
“Let go,” he growled against my neck, the vibration of his voice sending new shivers through me.
“Let yourself drown.”
His mouth crashed down on mine, swallowing my cries as the pressure inside me finally broke.
Pleasure raced through me in white-hot waves as my pussy clenched around his length, drawing him deeper with every stroke.
Distantly, I heard him groan as his movements grew jerky, uneven.
Then, with a final, hard thrust, he buried himself inside me, spilling his release into my still-shaking core.
We collapsed together, both fighting to catch our breath.
Lairos pulled me against his chest, his fingers tracing idle patterns on my damp skin.
“Fuck,” he muttered, resting his forehead against mine.
“Never doubt it, Emme. You are everything to me.”
His words should have terrified me.
Should have sent me running from the intensity of what just happened between us.
Instead, I found myself curling closer, memorizing the steady thrum of his heartbeat against my cheek.
For once in my life, I didn’t need to understand everything.
Didn’t need to analyze or measure or quantify.
I just needed this.
Him.
And if giving myself to him meant saving everyone aboard the Legacy.
.
.
well, that wasn’t really a sacrifice at all.