Training the Warrior (25 page)

He shifted his massive body above hers and
settled his powerful narrow hips between her thighs. The broad head of his
engorged erection was poised to thrust into the entrance of her sheath.

“Taelor,” she gasped as he pressed against
her.

“Your scent calls to me, Lydia.” He gave
her a taunting smile. “My need is great.”

Her arms came around his neck, pulling him
down as she murmured, “Pleasure me with your desire, my mate.”

Taelor claimed her mouth with a wanton kiss
as he thrust into her, burying his aching cock deep in the welcoming heat of her
channel. Every inch of his shaft was wrapped secure inside his mate’s tight
canal, and her moans of delight urged him onward as he slowly fucked her.

He tore his mouth from hers and trailed his
lips down the side of her neck, nipping and kissing a path to her chest. He latched
on to one beaded nipple and suckled and flicked the taut nub with his tongue
while he fondled her other breast. She writhed beneath him, tilting her hips to
hungrily meet his thrusts while she urged him to take her faster. Taelor
purposefully maintained a slow, steady pace, driving his mate to the brink of
frustrated desire. His goal was to bring them both to the peak of ecstasy and
tumble into the climactic abyss together.

He lifted his upper body completely off
hers by pushing up with his arms and locking his elbows before he thrust his
hips faster, driving his cock in and out of her in long, smooth strokes. Her
nails raked over his shoulders and clawed his chest as his pleasure escalated.
His mate’s sweet voice calling his name over and over let him know she was
close. Taelor teetered on the edge of control, barely able to hold back his own
orgasm. The sensation was so pleasurable he almost lost all control. He balanced
on one arm, slipped his hand down and pressed the pad of one finger over her
clit, swirling and flicking the swollen nub until it twitched in response.

She shouted his name while he roared in
fulfillment as they both came. Hot jets of cum bursting from his cock eased the
tightness of her vaginal canal around his shaft. Taelor had never experienced
anything like Lydia. He was more than happy. He was overjoyed. No female,
Tauran or off-worlder, could compare to his mate. His love for Norlana paled in
comparison to what he felt for Lydia. As he rolled to the side and gathered her
close, he fell into a deep contented sleep.

*

Secured within her mate’s strong protective
arms, Lydia relaxed in the aftermath of sexual satisfaction. Taelor’s rhythmic
breathing told her he was sleeping comfortably. If she even attempted to leave
the circle of his arms, he’d awaken immediately and recapture her. The fact
warmed her heart. She hoped he never let her go.

Duty to the empire had taken Kern away from
her time and time again until the accident. Lydia vowed she’d stage a violent
protest if Taelor attempted to leave her behind while he traveled off planet to
do the empire’s bidding. Some of the warriors took their mates with them. Kern
had always insisted it was too dangerous for her to leave Fortress. Perhaps it
was, but she wasn’t going to stay behind anymore since she’d experienced what a
surviving mate had to endure when the other died. She wouldn’t suffer that
torture again.

A large hand skimmed down along her side,
over her hip and stroked the outside of her exposed thigh before backtracking.
Taelor repeated the movement several times. Even in his sleep, her mate marked
her as his. Lydia smiled happily as she breathed the heady scent of him. In her
heart, she knew the love she felt for him was real. She didn’t care if the
feelings were triggered by his claiming scent. What truly mattered was his body
had instinctively recognized her as his other half. Some men and women spent
their entire lives trying to find what she had at this very moment—a true mate.
With a Tauran warrior, all the guesswork was taken out of the equation.

Humans would refer to it as finding their
soul mate. Lydia was grateful to have experienced the phenomenon not just once
but twice in her lifetime. She had absolutely no regrets. And she knew Taelor
was all in, but the only clue she had about his reluctance to claim her was his
statement about how he didn’t want an unwilling mate. How could any female not
want him? It was a mystery she was determined to explore as soon as he woke up.
She impatiently wiggled her butt against his groin, teasing a portion of him to
rise.

A low, sensual growl erupted from him as he
pushed his hips against her ass, sliding the length of his hardening cock along
the seam of her bottom. Lydia squirmed in his grasp, twisting her body around
to face him. No sooner had she accomplished the maneuver then his shaft found
the entrance to her pussy and he thrust inside. Lydia moaned in pleasure. The
feeling of fullness, and the sensation of his enormous erection tucked inside
her, was almost too wonderful. Still on her side, she raised her outer thigh to
open more for him.

“Mine,” he softly said with a growl.

“Yes, Taelor. Always,” she panted before
his lips captured her own.

His tongue swept inside her mouth, stroking
and exploring while his cock plummeted to the depths of her slick sheath,
sliding back and forth over the entrance to her womb. Lydia couldn’t control
the tremors of delight spreading through her as he increased the speed and
power of his thrusts, fucking her into a fast, mind-blowing orgasm.

Breaking away from his kiss, Lydia shouted,
“Taelor!”

Caught up in blissful completeness, she
chanted his name over and over until he came, roaring hers as his hips jerked
spasmodically from his own climax. Lydia clung to him as the last waves of
pleasure subsided and their breathing calmed.

“You know I could continue taking you like
this forever, Lydia, but I don’t want to injure you,” he explained before
releasing her.

Instead of pulling away, she pushed against
his chest. “On your back,” she ordered.

Her mate obeyed without complaint,
obviously well trained and eager to please, but she felt obliged to prove to
him she wasn’t as fragile as he suspected. Lydia straddled his hips and clamped
her thighs securely against his sides while she pressed her palms against the
hot, taut skin of his massive chest. She bent over, stopping when her lips were
scant inches from his.

In a husky voice she asked, “What makes you
think I’m so weak?”

His golden eyes narrowed to slits beneath
furrowed brows and one side of his upper lip lifted in a half-snarl.

“You aren’t Tauran.” His tone was smug.

Lydia curled her fingers, digging sharp-pointed
nails against the unmarred skin of his extremely tanned, muscular chest. A
deep, soft growl that sounded more like a purr rumbled from him. His gaze
heated as his lips softened into an inviting grin. Surprising him, she pushed
away from his chest and sat upright on top him. The broad tip of his erection
thumped impatiently against her bottom, reminding her that he meant what he
said earlier about taking her.

“That’s right. I’m better than a passive
Tauran female,” Lydia boasted, grinning widely as she wiggled her ass, teasing
him. “I’m human, and you better keep up with me, warrior. I have needs.”

He flipped her over onto her back before
she had time to protest and had his steel-hard cock buried inside her with one
deep thrust.

“Yes, Taelor. Yes!” She urged him to
continue as he took her once more with swift, pleasure soaring strokes, in and
out.

Her mate’s gratified roar blended with her
scream at the peak of another orgasm. Taelor collapsed beside her, pulling her
close into his side. Lydia sighed happily, sheltered within his strong arms.
She snuggled closer, gathering her thoughts and courage. Curiosity about his earlier
actions spurred her on.

“Why did you get angry when you saw me
crying?”

Silence. He stiffened. Lydia swore he held
his breath. She’d caught him off guard. A low growl rumbled and built,
vibrating his chest. Once he eventually spoke, his voice was rough, raw with
emotion.

“I thought you were unhappy and that you
wanted to reject me.”

“That’s not possible, my love. We both know
that.”

“I gave you a choice, Lydia. You could have
stopped me before I claimed you.” He growled softly. “Norlana…my previous mate,
shed many tears before the claiming. She didn’t want me.”

Lydia rolled toward him and pushed up on
her elbow. His expression was tense, filled with regret.

“She had to have been happy afterward. It’s
impossible not to be, Taelor. A warrior’s body recognizes his mate and they…”

He traced her lips with a fingertip,
stopping her from speaking. He shook his head ever so slightly. Frustrated,
Lydia frowned and heaved an exasperated breath, waiting for him to explain.

“I thought the same. We were together for
many years, and she never indicated to me or anyone that she was dissatisfied
with me.” He swallowed hard. “While I was away from Fortress on a mission, I
was injured. Jarrok helped me. After I came to in the medical unit I felt the beast
within me awaken. I knew my mate was gone. A message from Taura Major arrived
soon after. My mother had sent word that Norlana had taken an overdose of
medication.” Taelor’s haunted golden gaze locked with Lydia’s as he said, “She
killed herself. I cursed Jarrok for saving my life.” Taelor’s embrace
tightened, drawing her against him almost painfully. “I love you, Lydia, and I
don’t want to lose you, but you must tell me if you’re unsatisfied with your
life in any way. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you’re happy.”

Her warrior was more than determined. He
was frantic. Lydia grazed his lips with hers, kissing him softly.

“I love you, Taelor. Just never leave me
behind. Keep me close to your side always,” she whispered. “That’s all I
require.”

“I’ll never leave you.” The words rumbled
out of him with the force of a vow before he claimed her mouth in a heated
kiss.

A buzzing sound coming from the com-unit in
his living area interrupted any further conversation or lovemaking. Taelor released
his crushing embrace and brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face,
tucking it behind her ear as he sighed heavily, obviously reluctant to respond
to the summons. Lydia couldn’t resist the urge to reach out and touch his
tanned cheek. A shudder passed through his massive body as she stroked her palm
down to follow his masculine jaw line to his chin.

“Perhaps it’s only Jarrok requesting a
break from his guard duty,” Lydia suggested.

“He’d yell and pound on the door.” Taelor
grimaced as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood. “More than
likely it’s Mistress Breanne, requesting our presence in her chambers.”

“Our presence?”

“A matter of some urgency is what she told
me earlier.” Taelor flashed a self-
assured grin as he
sauntered toward the bedroom door completely naked. “I won’t leave here without
you, Lydia. Get ready. The sooner we meet with her, the sooner we can return
and pick up where we left off.”

The suggestive expression on his face
helped to propel Lydia out of bed and into the bathroom. She wasn’t a meek
alien off-worlder any longer. The past few years had changed her, transformed
her, into a confident female of the teacher clan who was well-versed in the
ways of the warrior clan and its oversized denizens. His comment about not
leaving her gave her a thrill, and she knew her mate meant every word about not
being done with her. He’d most definitely bring her back to his bed—soon. A claiming
lasted longer than a day or two, and before they could finish with the head mistress,
Taelor would be aching to mark her again. His lust would drive him to take her
again and again, and Lydia planned to be ready for him. She had a few specific
desires of her own.

Chapter Fourteen

Lydia scurried along the corridor, trying
to keep up with her mate. They followed Jarrok, who’d proclaimed they both
stank and refused to walk with them or behind them. She felt a bit insulted at
first until Taelor assaulted his partner with a lengthy tirade of rough curses,
which eventually led to pulled swords at which point both males laughed. As
long as their mates weren’t in jeopardy, warriors always stopped short of
killing each other. She suspected there was some unwritten code or genetic
limitation at work. Nevertheless, the two males instantly got over their foul
moods and took off down the hallway, leaving her to follow in their wake.

There were several times she’d wanted to
call to them to slow down when her much shorter legs couldn’t keep up with
their longer strides. And her clothing was hampering her progress. She was used
to the unrestricted movements the teacher’s robes afforded. Now she wore a
garment that was clearly not designed for racing down hallways alongside a warrior
who was intent on arriving at a destination as soon as possible.

The gown had been one of many hanging in
the guestroom closet of Taelor’s quarters. As she’d jealously questioned him as
to why he had an entire wardrobe of female clothing in one of his rooms, he’d
scoffed at her. Apparently, as he’d explained, the rooms he stayed in weren’t
his alone. His mother, sisters and other royals were frequent guests at the citadel.
Suitable clothing was provided at all times for them. Her mate had personally
picked out the outfit she wore. Lydia thought his taste in style was a bit
lacking since she would have chosen something more practical.