It was the sound my beast recognized. Knew. Reveled in. He was finally satisfied. Finally connected to our mate.
My pleasure burst forth, overwhelming me. Blinding me as my seed spurted deeply. Hotly. Filled my mate. Made her mine. Ours.
We were one. My beast was finally soothed. I was finally worthy, accepted, claimed.
The female in my hold, the one who had taken me into her body and, I believed, her heart, was permanently mine.
Nothing… nothing would tear us apart.
12
Bahre
I claimed my female again. Bathed her. Fed her. Held her as she slept. When my beast demanded his freedom, she would laugh, open her arms, and squeal with joy as my beast pushed her up against the wall and fucked her over and over.
We were well pleased. I had used the S-Gen machine in the corner of the room to request a vibrant green Atlan-style gown for Quinn. Once I’d shown her how to scan her body proportions and use the controls, she had quickly figured out how to order anything and everything imaginable. Items for her hair. Strange brushes and other lotions and colorants to put on her face. She had created a pair of green shoes, with the sexy-as-fuck high heels, to go with the dress. I would never look at those sharp points as anything but weapons again. Fierce pride coursed through me as I remembered how she’d attacked Lukabo with them.
Dressed and adorned, she looked like a beautiful, ethereal goddess. My goddess. The mating cuffs on her wrists gave me no small amount of satisfaction. I had never been so content. Not when I destroyed Hive outposts or took down entire criminal factions. Once I’d torn apart a shuttle with my bare hands to reach the scum inside. That had been satisfying in the extreme.
But this? Quinn? This was my heart and soul and life no longer empty. She had filled a chasm within me that I had not been aware of until she stepped into the space.
If anything ever happened to her, I would wreak havoc on man and beast, and then I would follow her into the next life. I knew how close I’d come to losing her, how time had been on my side to keep her from Cerberus. I owed much to Warden Egara. I hadn’t even considered my past and the enemy list that had grown long when Quinn had disappeared. I’d been an idiot, and I would somehow get past that weakness.
There was no life for me without her in it. Not anymore.
My beast agreed. We’d been fighting and alone for long enough. Become too hardened and focused on the wrong things.
“What are you staring at? You’re supposed to be eating.” Quinn was on my lap. I sat on the couch with her body tucked snuggly into mine. She held an oddly shaped oval fruit against my lips.
“What is this?”
“It’s called a grape,” she replied. “They’re good.”
“You taste better.” I leaned down and kissed her, my cock hardening again when she wrapped her hands around my neck, stemmed grapes and all, and kissed me back like I was her air.
She was mine.
“Bahre. Seriously?” She gasped, squirming and feeling my thick length. “It’s only been an hour. I just finished getting dressed. You made me this pretty dress.”
“You look exquisite, mate. However I like you bare best.” I stroked a finger down her soft cheek. “How can you blame me for wanting you again?”
My words pleased her. I knew by the soft pink flush of her cheeks. “Behave. For five minutes.”
I smiled but my beast was enjoying being able to play. He took over, growing large, muscles expanding as Quinn’s eyes widened. Her scent was different now. Just as sweet as the first whiff I’d followed down to her news program. She was aroused, but the musk of our claiming only enhanced her smell. My beast recognized it. Craved it. “Bahre. I said, behave.”
“Mine.” The deep voice that answered her belonged to my beast.
“You are so naughty.” She chastised me, but she set the grapes aside. Turning, she settled herself facing me, knees at my hips. “Okay, but this time, I’m leaving my shoes on.”
“Fuck.” My beast agreed, the idea of her naked except for those delicate weapons eliciting a deep growl. She lifted her lips to mine and claimed me for her own. This was heaven, pure and simple.
Until a loud pounding noise came from the door.
Quinn froze and I felt her tense in my arms. It would take time to ease her of her fear. To get her to know that when she was with me, in my arms, no harm would come to her.
“You. Safe.” My beast reassured her at once, and she kissed me lightly on the lips before removing herself from my lap. She took a seat on the chair across from me, which I did not like one bit. Thankfully I had yet to rip the dress from her body. No one would see her bare but me.
I clenched my jaw, eyed the closed door. I would open it, find out who was foolish enough to interrupt us, and resume our much more pleasant activities.
Irritation building, I ditched the lounging pants and donned my armor with years of practiced speed.
The comm buzzed as I put the last piece in place.
“Bahre. Open the fucking door.”
Helion. That fucking bastard. What was he doing here? He’d offered me the suite. Made the deal that I would be able to keep her safe and away from the plan to capture Cerberus. I took a deep breath, willed my beast back.
I glanced to Quinn. The knuckles of her hands were white on the chair, and I realized she was actually afraid. “That voice belongs to my commander, a Prillon. Dr. Helion. He is head of the IC.”
