Mate Dance (9 page)

Mate Dance

Amber Kell

to relate to your people. She doesn't have to become a

professional dancer, but learning dancing isn't going to do

any more harm than teaching her how to be graceful, which

wouldn't harm her in her future."

"True." The king gave Raven a smile. "But will the

school you chose help her any better?"

Raven nodded. "I reserved a spot for her at an arts

school that I know also has an amazing scholastic program.

I can personally vouch for the owner. You can of course

register her at a different school. That's up to you and

Kaemon. Actually, you might want to get her a tutor for the

political training. I don't think they'll cover that at all."

Kaemon gave him a sweet smile that immediately

made Raven suspicious. A man that buff didn't do sweet

well.

"I'll keep her wherever you think best, my Raven. I

know you have her best interests at heart."

Raven flashed a glance at the king, who gave an

odd cough.

"Are you all right, Your Highness?"

The king smiled at him. Raven felt an odd sense

that he was missing something important.

"I'm just fine, Raven. Just fine."

Raven decided that the men on this planet were just

plain strange. Too bad they were so gorgeous.

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"Are you finished?" Kaemon's voice rolled over

him like a physical touch.

He nodded. It was too difficult to eat while the

prince undressed Raven with his eyes.

"Father, I need to talk to Raven. Could you make

sure Trisha gets everything she needs for school

tomorrow?"

"I have a list." Trisha handed over the packet of

paperwork she'd set beside her plate.

The king opened the folder and scanned the list.

"Trisha, would you like a servant to get this for you or

would you like to go with me and pick them up?"

"I'd like to go with you," Trisha said in a soft voice,

not looking up from her food.

The king beamed. "Excellent. We can get to know

each other better."

Kaemon stood up, sliding his chair across the floor

in his haste. "Raven, come with me." Before Raven could

say anything, an iron grip enclosed his upper arm as the

prince yanked him from his chair. "Come on, darling. Let

me show you around."

Raven waved to the others as he was hauled out of

the room.

* * * *

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Kaemon knew his hands had been made to caress

this man. Watching Raven writhe beneath his touch made

everything bearable. Every irritating politician, every scary

overlord trying to take over the kingdom, every annoyance

vanished beneath the sensation of the silky skin under his

fingers.

Watching Raven's beautiful face in the heat of

passion made Kaemon's life worthwhile. He would do

anything to persuade his mate to stay by his side. Kaemon

licked a line of heat up Raven's neck, letting some of his

innate fire warm the skin beneath his lips.

"Do that again," Raven begged in a whispery voice,

as if he couldn't collect enough breath to speak at full

power.

Kaemon leaned forward and breathed warm air,

careful not to let it out into a flame. It was a rare ability to

breathe flame in human form, an ability passed down

through his family. He should check and see if Trisha could

do that. Even though she couldn't shift, she'd still have a

dragon spirit. It would be an interesting test to see how

much dragon she had.

However, right now, he had to be careful of his

lover. He didn't want to burn Raven's luscious skin.

Raven snapped Kaemon's attention back to his task

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by wrapping those strong dancer's legs around him, pulling

him close.

"I need you." Raven's eyes were wild. The ring of

blue around his widening pupils was three shades darker

than normal.

"I'm yours," Kaemon promised over the lump in his

throat. He took Raven's mouth in a savage kiss, intent on

branding his taste on his lover so that no other man would

ever be enough.

Not passionate enough.

Not strong enough.

Not him.

Raven, his spirited mate, surrendered, and Kaemon

sank into the giving body of his dancer.

"Do you agree to be mine?" He knew asking now

was a bit unfair, but he'd use any edge to his advantage.

"What?" Raven blinked at him, moving his body as

he tried to impale himself on Kaemon's cock.

"Agree to be mine and I will bond with you

forever."

Raven gave him a gentle smile. Cupping Kaemon's

face in his hands, he nodded. "Make me yours."

Yes!

Kaemon's inner dragon gave a triumphant shout.

"There is no changing your mind. If I bite you, you

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will be mine forever."

Raven's eyes filled with moisture, but the tears

didn't fall. "Don't you know? I am already yours."

With a growl, Kaemon gave himself partially over

to his dragon half. He licked the meaty part of Raven's

shoulder to anesthetize it before sinking in his dragon

fangs. He remained impaled in his lover with both fang and

cock, filling his mate with the fluid that would bond them

together for eternity and lengthen Raven's life to match his

own. In that moment, they were truly mated, and not even

time, space, or death could separate them for long.

Power surged through Kaemon's body as he

pumped both his seed and his mating fluid into his willing

lover. Once he was certain he was out of both fluids,

Kaemon removed his fangs and licked over the spot.

Moans and whispers filled the air. The moment was

too powerful, too sacred, for loud noises. When he came,

Kaemon pressed soft kisses along the lithe dancer's

shoulder, unwilling to leave his mate's welcoming body.

With his palms, he absorbed the heat of Raven's skin and

knew his lover would soon carry a tattoo on his back that

would match what Kaemon looked like in dragon form. He

hoped Raven wasn't against tattoos.

With a moan, he pulled out of his lover. Kaemon

wanted to stay inside the warm, welcoming man below

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him, but he didn't want Raven to suffer any discomfort.

Reaching into a bedside table, he removed a towel and

wiped them both down before tossing it on the floor.

"Tidy," Raven teased in a breathless voice.

"That's why we have servants," Kaemon said.

"Keeps people employed."

Laughing, Raven poked Kaemon in the ribs.

"You're so sweet to think of your people like that."

"Yep, that's me, always thinking of others."

"Why did you bite me?"

"It's a mating bite. You belong to me now. Did it

hurt?"

Raven shook his head. "It was kinda sexy."

"Good."

Unable to stand the inch of bed space between

them, Kaemon wrapped his arms around Raven and pulled

him into his arms, letting the dancer's lean body rest on top

of his.

"I always wanted a royal mattress," Raven said,

rubbing his head against Kaemon's chest like a friendly cat.

Kaemon smiled, stroking Raven's silky hair. "You

can have one whenever you want."

Lifting his head, Raven stared into Kaemon's eyes.

"I guess I'm stuck with you now, huh?"

"Yes. We're mates now." Kaemon let everything

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show in his eyes. He knew his love reflected in his eyes

when Raven sucked in his breath.

"I have obligations I have to meet," Raven insisted,

but his voice wasn't as determined as before.

Kaemon could feel victory within his grasp. "We'll

get you taken care of."

* * * *

Raven sat down for dinner with the king, Kaemon,

and Trisha, smiling as he listened to the little girl's patter.

The feast set before them would've fed an entire dance

troupe, much less the four of them.

He flashed a smile towards Kaemon when he felt

the prince's foot slide along his own.

A short melody drew his attention to his

communicator. Glancing at the display, Raven stood up.

"Excuse me," he said before quickly exiting the

room. Once he was out in the hall, he answered the call.

"Hello."

"Raven, sweetness, how are you?" Evan's smooth

voice poured across the line like rich temptation.

"I'm doing well," Raven said. He couldn't help the

smile that crossed his face. He and Evan might be old news

in the romance department, but his ex-lover was still one of

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his favorite people.

"I'm so glad to hear that. Listen, I've got good news.

Remember that dance special we did for the Hyltarian

orphans?"

Raven searched his mind. After so many years of

planet hopping, some of his shows were starting to blur

together in his memory. This one he did remember because

it was the last time he'd seen Evan. How long ago had that

been?

"Was it last year?"

"Yes, we're up for an award by the Galactic Arts

Council."

"No!"

"Yes!"

Excitement made him want to squeal like a little

girl. As many awards as he'd won in the past, the Galactic

Arts Council award was one of the few he'd never won. It

was usually saved for do-gooder humanitarians.

"How did we rate?"

"Someone submitted our names," Evan said with a

laugh.

"And would this someone be the other person I

performed that particular dance with?"

"Maybe."

Raven laughed along with Evan. Although Evan

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was a talented dancer, he wasn't as recognized as Raven,

one of the points of contention in their former relationship.

Evan needed to be the star of any relationship, and Raven

refused to be less to make his lover feel better.

"Well, that's great. Let me know what they decide."

"No," Evan blurted out. "We have to perform at the

awards ceremony. It's a really big deal, and the best part is

that it's going to happen on the dragon planet you're

currently touring on."

Raven was starting to get a bad feeling. "How did

you know what planet I'm on?"

"Baby, just because we're not together anymore,

doesn't mean I don't keep track of where you're

performing."

"How does Myles feel about that?" Raven said,

referring to Evan's lover, a pale blond who worshipped the

ground Raven's ex danced on.

"Myles understands. Besides, you're on every

entertainment news show in the galaxy. I have to stay

current with dance information, and you are it, my friend."

Raven couldn't argue with that, but he still felt a

pang of concern for the fragile Myles.

"Just be gentle with him, Evan. The poor guy really

loves you."

Evan's rich laughter came across the phone. "Raven,

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I know how to take care of my man. Is it true that you

hooked yourself a prince?"

"I am dating Prince Kaemon, yes," Raven said,

knowing anything he told Evan would be on the galacticnet

the next day. He didn't know how far their mating rumors

had spread but he wasn't ready to share that info with Evan

quite yet. He was a horrible gossip.

"Good for you."

Raven thought Evan's cheer sounded a little forced,

but he wasn't going to step on that emotional land mine.

"Now, can I tell the promoters that you'll do the dance with

me?"

Raven sighed. "When is it?"

"In two weeks."

"Two weeks?" Raven felt a trickle of unease. These

shows didn't get planned overnight. "How long have you

known about this?"

There was long silence.

"Two moon cycles."

"And you are just now telling me?"

"Listen, Raven, I don't want to mess up whatever

you have going on with the prince, but I-I've missed you."

Raven felt his heart give a little pang. Evan had

been Raven's first lover and was permanently imprinted on

his heart, but he wasn't going to go there romantically

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again. He wouldn't do that to Kaemon. In the few weeks

they'd been lovers, Kaemon had become everything to him.

"Just friends."

"What?"

"I'll dance with you, but we are just friends. I

wouldn't do that to Myles."

"Of course." Evan's relief was clear across the line.

"I adore Myles and don't want to hurt him."

"Okay. Send me the info and I'll be there."

"Brilliant. Love you, Raven," Evan said before the

line went suddenly dead.

"Who was that?" a low growling voice asked behind

him.