Arak's Love: A World Beyond Book 2 (16 page)

Garis gave one last squeeze and pulled back. “I’m sorry this happened.”

“It’s not your fault.” The denial came instantly. “This was an accident.”

Garis scrubbed at his face, lines marring the smooth skin. “Yes. The investigators assured me I couldn’t have prevented this. Tell me of your young female. Is she alright?”

Overwhelmed with emotion, Arak tipped his head toward the glass. His papan followed his gaze. They both stared at Sylvie resting, the tug to go to her burning at Arak. “Sylvie is going to recover. For a moment I thought…I thought I’d lost her.”

“Is it muata?” His papan asked, facing Arak before he could move away.

“Muata? I’ve never gone through a mating heat cycle.” His papan knew this.

Garis’ stare caused Arak to shift on his booted feet. “Perhaps she is the mate for you, my son. I could tell she was different by the way you acted around her at dinner tonight.”

Slightly obsessive? Possessive. His papan’s reasoning would explain the urgency he’d felt around Sylvie from the moment he’d crossed her path. Arak was all of those things around Sylvie and his cat insisted on using the term. “I’m not full Argoran, Papan.”

Garis snorted. “You’re not full Enotian either, which may distort the signs. An Argoran male suffers for three days in muata but as an Enotian your sensitivity could also pick up on her desires for you, creating a loop between the two of you. You can’t ignore the other half of you when it doesn’t suit like you’ve ignored your maman.”

Arak flinched. “After all of these years, why don’t you hate her?”

“Because I love her,” his papan said simply as his mouth curved in a slow smile.

Always the same answer. Arak tried to absorb the basic sentiment. His papan could see his struggle and clasped both Arak’s shoulders. “You are my son. I love you fiercely but I wouldn’t have wanted your maman to deny her heart.” He smiled ruefully. “Well, maybe a little. But what she shares with her mate is something so deep and intimate that her love for me could not hold. She offered to ignore the bond and leave Wayn.”

“What!” This was news to Arak.

His father nodded his blond head. “I would never have asked for that. She wouldn’t have been happy and neither would I knowing her heart claimed another.”

Arak swallowed. Years of blaming his maman for leaving him. Leaving his papan and Garis’ words provided the necessary key to letting those negative emotions go at last.

“Now,” Garis stated, eyes intent, “do you love the female in that room?”

“Yes,” Arak blurted as his gaze drifted beyond his papan to Sylvie. “I do.”

“Imagine another asking you to let her go. Demanding you let her go.”

His fangs bit into his bottom lip and a low snarl escaped. Arak jerked back. He’d never snarled at his papan, not even in his Argoran form.

Garis only smiled. “Magnify what you’re feeling and all the urges you have around her by ten and that is what muata was for your maman and Wayn.”

“How do you know this?” How did his papan stand knowing this about his Chosen?

“Because she begged me not to be angry. To not allow something she couldn’t control to come between what we had shared. She loved me but Wayn is her world. As it should be. That is muata.”

Sylvie was his world, his life and everything in between.

“Your maman and Wayn are mated and no other bond could be stronger,” Garis continued. “Not even her love for her Chosen.”

Years of anger and abandonment fell to the side. Garis met Arak’s gaze evenly and Arak could still see the love there for his maman after all this time but it was muted and nothing in his blue eyes spoke of lingering pain.

“Thank you, Papan,” he whispered. They both knew he thanked him for more than the conversation. His papan could have tried to skew his thoughts, encouraged his dislike for his maman but never had he done so. Arak had done it on his own.

Garis pressed his forehead to Arak’s. “You should call your maman. She’s waited a long time for you to reach the point of understanding her actions.”

“Why didn’t you let me live with her? Why didn’t she fight harder for me?” Something of the boy he’d been cried out the desperate questions. His mind had always craved the answer to those questions. Alora left him behind. Moved to Argora and started a family which didn’t include him.

“She accepted that you were all I had of her and thankfully allowed me that one grace. It broke her heart when you severed all contact and refused to meet your sisters.”

Arak leaned his head back, eyes closed as he released a rough sigh. He cursed then cursed again for good measure. “I’ve been an
ebo
.”

Garis chuckled and stepped back, hands dropping from Arak’s shoulders. “I keep telling her this. She’ll be pleased you agree.”

Arak’s head snapped down, eyes flicking open. “You talk to her?” Why didn’t he know this?

Garis shrugged his soot covered shoulders. “Wayn isn’t as bad as you think and he wouldn’t keep his mate away from her only son. I send holo images and assure her that you’re safe.” Garis brow lifted. “She worries with you being a Jutak warrior.”

This was a lot of information for Arak to process. He stared at Sylvie’s sleeping form in an effort to ground himself. “I’ll consider calling her.”

“Good. I won’t keep you from Sylvie any longer if you promise to bring her home. Soon. My
peisanta
is better than what Frann attempts to recreate at…” Tears appeared in the luminous blue eyes. “Used to create. Frann perished in the accident.”

“Papan.” Arak hugged his papan tight. Frann had worked for Garis since he opened Santagos, had watched Arak make a mess in the kitchen during numerous cooking lessons that never took.

Garis cleared his throat and pushed back. “Go see your female. Enough of hugging an old man.”

Arak raced toward Sylvie’s room. Her eyes opened slowly but the blue orbs brightened at his entrance. “Arak.”

Low, weak but he heard and shot across the room, arms going beneath her back to cradle Sylvie close as he leaned half on the bed. “You’re going to be fine. You’re going to be fine.”

“And you?”

Arak snorted. “Half-shifter, natural healing, remember?”

Her hands moved up his back, patted, stroked. Arak sensed the moment her questing fingers found the huge tear in his shirt, the tender skin. The laceration was nothing more than a scar now. By morning it would be gone.

“You’re hurt, too. Let me see.” Her voice came out stronger.

“I need a minute,” he said, speaking into the curve of her neck, arms tight.

Several minutes. He didn’t want to let her go. There was no way Arak could hide the shaking in his body. So close. He’d almost lost Sylvie. She’d snuck into his heart. Or maybe he’d known all along but hadn’t resisted her presence there. Muata as his papan had said but without the driving intensity.

“Dr. Maku says I’m completely healed. That means we can return to what we were doing before the excitement started.”

Arak broke off a strangled groan but his laughter soon followed. He kissed the top of her head as relief flowed through him. “Don’t scare me like that again.”

Her fingers traced over the pointed tips of his ears, blasting him with unexpected arousal. He tamped down the inappropriate desire by kissing Sylvie again. “Thank the gods.”

***

Arak kept whispering his thanks to a higher power as he rocked Sylvie. She caught the wince of pain on his face and tried to pull away. He stopped her.

“Don’t worry about me, Sylvie. I’m fine.”

When he glanced down, Sylvie’s stomach flipped. Something else clouded the blue spheres. Something she couldn’t decipher. Tiny flutters took wings and left her chest heaving. Heat tinged her cheeks.

Arak brushed at the hair around her face. It must look a mess but Sylvie was too tired to care. She glanced around the room. Two beds to her left, their patients sleeping and a glowing light above them. A med tech walked in and grasped the ends of another bed on her right but a plain white sheet covered the body.

She and Arak stayed quiet until the door closed. Sylvie pushed up on the bed, ignoring the twinges. “I want to go home.”

His expression darkened and she knew he’d refuse. “Sylvie.”

Her name was a low, rumbled growl. She stroked the hand resting on the bed by her hip. “Please, Arak. Don’t make me stay here. It reminds me…it brings back bad memories.”

The growl stopped but he eyed her intently before sighing. “I’ll talk to Dr. Maku about bringing you back to the Jutak facility.”

“Bu—.”

Arak pushed up from the bed. “No. You go back with me or you stay here where you can be cared for.”

Sylvie gave in. She didn’t want to stay here any longer than necessary.

Chapter 18

Joni glared at her through the screen on the communicator. “I thought you were at the hospital. What kind of place is this that they let you come home after being blown up?”

Sylvie smiled. Joni’s worry came through her golden stare as clear as day. “The kind of place where they can heal most injuries instantly.”

Joni huffed. “Are you sure you don’t need me to come down?”

“I’m fine,” Sylvie assured. “Arak has already promised to bring me home in the morning.”

“Okay, but I’m here if you need me. We stick together, Sylvie. Always.”

Tears threatened to spill over. Sylvie took a deep breath then relaxed. “Always, Joni.”

Their call ended and she spent another minute absorbing the events of the night. A simple dinner out and she’d ended up in an explosion, which landed her in a hospital with life ending injuries. Even during her imprisonment with the Marenians, she hadn’t faced death so closely but now Sylvie appreciated her life all the more.

She owed the people of Enotia. Their medical capabilities here were leaps and bounds ahead of Earth. Sylvie straightened her shoulders determined to continue to move forward. This would not set her back or return her to being frightened to the point of staying in her apartment as she had been initially. Accidents happened all the time, though this definitely qualified as an accident of epic proportions.

Brushing her hands at the hospital gown she still wore, Sylvie roamed Arak’s bedroom. He’d gone to speak with his team lead after she repeated three times that she could be left alone. Now she could explore as she’d wanted to the night she passed out from the soku.

Her fingers trailed over the covers on his bed. Neatly made. Unlike the other night, he’d left no boots or uniforms lying about. Her wandering led her to the closet. Sylvie argued the wisdom of letting her nosiness lead her astray then brushed it off. At the least she could find something else to put on. With the thought firmly in mind, Sylvie opened the door on a dramatic swing.

Heart pounding, she laughed aloud when nothing jumped out. Maybe she did have a little nerves left but not enough to keep from finding something to wear. She eyed her options. Arak’s closet held rows of uniforms in an elaborate system she wouldn’t mind having in her apartment at some point. On one side, the first row contained a collection of black shirts and pants, directly across from them were similar items in jarring red and beneath them in a smaller quantity were similar uniforms in a pristine white.

Sylvie nibbled her bottom lip and tugged on the white top only to see that it was a form fitting jacket of some sort with a high collar and braiding also in white along the shoulders. Had to be for official capacity. Shoes and boots in the same three colors lined the floor of his closet space. Although he had more black boots in various styles than any of the other shoes.

Taking a page from Arak’s book, she lifted the sleeve to her nose and inhaled. Her senses might not be as sharp as his but she detected the smell she associated with him. Her lips curved in a smile.

“Are you looking for something?”

Sylvie jumped and turned. Arak came up along side her and leaned on the wall space.

“Um...sorry. I didn’t have any clothes here and was hoping to borrow something of yours.” The hospital gown had to go.

He responded instantly by straightening and a muscled arm stretched passed her face to snag a black shirt which he shoved into her hands. “This should be fine until Faye or Lissi stop by.”

“Thanks.” Sylvie had completely forgotten the other two women lived here full time. She tossed the mint colored atrocity over her head and shrugged her arms into the long sleeves, fingers going to the buttons.

Arak’s hand stopped her. Sylvie looked up, caught in the navy depths. He moved her fingers away and she assumed he’d fasten the shirt closed for her. Instead, his hands smoothed over the flaps, baring her to his view. His breath caught then released as his knuckles brushed up her sides then down and over her hips from back to front. When his gentle touch glided up her torso once more, leaving soft tingles in his wake she gasped. He fingered the folded collar, grazing the sensitive skin there then lifted her hair from beneath the back and allowed it to fall about her shoulders.

“Arak?”

He kept his gaze on her chest. Perky nipples responded to the stare by hardening. “I didn’t realize how it would make me feel to see you in this.”

Her heart thudded faster. Sylvie swallowed and coughed. “H-how does it make you feel?”

Arak growled. “Like I don’t want you to take it off.”

Rough fingers grazed her tight buds and Sylvie cried out. His eyes met hers, almost scaring her with their intensity. He pinched the tips gaze never leaving hers and the sharp tug went straight to her womb. Sylvie exhaled heavily.

“Pleasure or pain?”

Sylvie leaned in, legs weak and pressed her mouth to his jaw. “Pleasure.”

More pleasure than she would have thought from such a simple touch.

“Good.” Arak lowered his head and kissed her.

It seemed as if she’d been waiting forever since he’d last put his lips on her. Now hours later she wanted to curl into his warmth. Her hands gripped his shoulders on a moan.

Arak paused, his lids heavy with lust partially obscuring his blue gaze. “I want you, Sylvie. If you still need time, you should walk…no you should run from me.”

“Run?” She’d be a fool to run away from this man.

His mouth curled up in one corner. “Fair warning. I prefer you to run then I’d probably chase you.”

Sylvie smiled. “Maybe you won’t have to.”

On the heels of the teasing phrase, Sylvie dropped to her knees and reached for the fastening of his pants. Above her head, Arak groaned but didn’t stop her. She opened the zippered flap and slid his pants down. His shaft pulsed in front of her and Sylvie didn’t bother hesitating. Her hands gripped his hips tight as she mouthed the head of his long shaft.

“By the gods, don’t stop.” Fingers dug into her hair to hold her head steady.

Sylvie would have smiled if she could have. Instead she used her newly discovered feelings for this amazing man to guide her. She licked around and around before sliding him deep and sucking. Her tongue teased along the sides as his hips thrust forward. The thighs beneath her grip trembled.

“Deeper. Take me deep, Sylvie.”

Her head tipped back to comply. Sylvie used her teeth in a light grazing motion down his satiny length and back. She slid her fingers beneath and cupped his firm sac, fondling. Another groan then a jerk from his hips. The pleasure she gave him spilled over to her and moisture gathered in her folds.

Closing her eyes, Sylvie concentrated on Arak and sucked his shaft with deep pulls followed by slow drags. He filled her mouth and set a rhythm that had her head bobbing along to keep pace.

***

Usually a silent lover with his partner, Arak couldn’t help himself. “Yes. More. Your mouth feels so good.”

Talking aloud aroused him further, made him desperate. Desperate for her touch, her lips, every inch of her rubbing against him. Arak groaned as she took him deeper and teased the head with the convulsive swallow of her throat. She licked and sucked, her head bobbing in slow motion with every stroke.

Arak jerked beneath her touch. “Yessss. Make me feel it, Sylvie. That’s the way. Right there.”

When her tongue lapped at the tip, Arak almost lost it. He pulled away, ignoring her moan of protest. Arak helped her to her feet and led toward his bed. Sylvie knelt on all fours at the edge of the mattress in front of him, his black shirt sliding up her back to reveal the slopes of her rounded bottom. Her torn clothes had been thrown away at the med center and obviously this included her underwear. The bare globes led to the crease between her thighs, tight blonde curls. A thin trail of moisture ran down and the scent of her arousal blended with the natural honey he associated with Sylvie. The sight ruined any control he’d managed to retain.

He should give her more time. Let her recover from the experience but the fever burning within demanded assurance that Sylvie was alive. Here.

“Stay like that.”

Her head turned, glancing at him over the curve of her shoulder. She took in her current position, knees bent on the bed, hands braced before her and smiled. Arak removed his clothes uncaring of the fabric he tore and stepped behind her, hands gliding over her rounded flank. His fingers traced along her thigh. She was lean but muscled. Her legs looked like she ran in her free time. His cat stretched and preened at the thought of running side by side with his female.

Arak leaned over her back, his fingers tracing along her arms until his palms covered her hands on the bed. He laced his fingers between hers and stretched her arms out further. The position placed them flush to one another, his chest to her back, his hips planted firmly against her plump butt cheeks.

“Last chance, Sylvie,” he murmured into her shoulder, inhaling deeply.

Another shiver racked her spine, their intimate embrace allowing Arak to feel her body as it shook. “I want you. Please.”

Arak reached down and guided himself to her damp entrance. He had to grit his teeth to keep from biting her tempting curves as he slid into Sylvie’s moist channel. She cried out beneath him, fingers tightening and gripping the sheets. Once he seated himself deep, her inner walls clamped like a vise. Arak held still, sweat gathering on his brow. Being in Sylvie felt like coming home. When the urge to move overwhelmed, he pulled out and thrust forward. Sylvie arched her back, molding herself to him.

“Yeah, like this,” he groaned as he buried himself again and again.

“Don’t stop, Arak.”

Her breathless plea spurred him on and Arak quickened his pace until he rocked into Sylvie fast and hard. Beneath him, she whimpered, her hips pushing back to meet him with every roll of her round ass. Arak eased back and glanced down. His thick length glistened with her excitement. The sight had him lunging back into her with a growl.

“Fucking hot. You make me fucking hot, Sylvie.” His head fell back as he continued to pump into her heated depths.

Sweat dampened skin made loud smacking sounds as he drove deep, his only thought to bring her to release. Every moan Sylvie made had him measuring his strokes, angling his hips, and tunneling deep.

***

Sylvie came with a loud cry but Arak didn’t stop. Heat exploded between her legs as she bowed her head, panting for every breath.

“I want to see you.” Arak moved, his shaft rasping along her sensitized center. “Ride me, mate.”

Mate? He rolled her on top of him and entered her in one slick glide. From her new position, Sylvie glanced down. Her breasts swayed and Arak licked one before leaning back on the bed.

“Move.” A loud smack followed as his palm met her rear.

Sylvie flushed but lifted until she had his tip poised at her core. Lowering inch by inch she took him again and again. The deep rumbling sounds signaled his approval. Sylvie seated herself, awash with the feelings pooling in her middle. He pulsed inside and Sylvie almost came right then. She clamped her thighs at his waist and pumped, filling herself with his large staff.

Her head fell back, neck arched as the pleasure unfolded. Up and down she rode him with all her pent up desire. Their hips lifted together. Strained toward one another. Arak rolled, placing her on the bottom, his knees sinking into the mattress as he balanced his weight. The position sent him deeper if possible.

“Mine. My mate.” He leaned up and his fingers delved between them to toy with her hot button of nerves. “You can feel me, can’t you? How hard I am because I want you so bad?”

His explicit words fell between them. Racy. Hot. Sylvie loved it. She grew wetter with each whisper.

“Do you want it? Tell me how much.” His touch became fire burning with every slick glide of his fingers through her crease.

“I want it.” A short moan cut off the rest of her words as she jerked and twitched beneath him.

Finally he let go, driving into her with fierce pounding strokes. Sylvie held on as Arak rode her until they both cried out and waves of ecstasy rolled over them. Arak fell to the side with a groan, body shaking. Sylvie’s lower muscles continued to clench around his length sending shards of pleasure up her spine until her toes tingled.