She smiles brightly. “I’ll be here waiting for you.”
I cannot believe I ever found her appearance strange; she is the most beautiful female I have ever seen. Has any male ever been so blessed as I to have such an attractive mate?
I turn to leave but then spin back to face her. Every instinct demands that I stay by her side, but she needs food. To be a good mate to her, I need to provide for her needs. Fierce protectiveness rushes through me and I take both her hands in mine, relishing the touch of her petal-soft skin. “Please, stay inside the cave. It is dangerous to venture too close to the edge of the entrance. There is a sharp drop below. If you are thirsty or need to bathe, the water in the pool is safe.”
She tightens her grip on my forearm slightly and her luminous green eyes meet mine. “Alright. I got it, don’t worry. I’ll be waiting here for when you return.”
I can only describe this wonderful feeling in my chest as pure joy. I have not even left, and she can hardly wait for my return. We are already bonding, it seems. The mated guards in my castle told me that a mated pair cannot stand to be apart during the initial days of the bond. I am already feeling this pull, but now it seems that she is as well.
Even as happiness blooms inside me, my shoulders sag when I remember how fearful she is of my draka form.
“Move to the back of the cave where it is safe from the winds, in case they worsen. I will return shortly with food.”
She nods and I wait until she heads for the back of the cave so that she does not see me transform into my “monster” form. Eventually, I must tell her the truth of what I am, but for now, we’ve made great progress and I do not want to ruin it.
She already trusts me enough to allow me to prove that I can hunt and gather for her. Most female Drakarians pride themselves on their independence, only allowing a male to provide for them when they are ready to mate.
I inhale sharply. Perhaps she is preparing to nest. Maybe the fate bond has triggered this desire within her. Warmth fills my entire body at the memory of the deep-crimson flush of her cheeks only moments ago. Perhaps when I come back, she will insist upon our first mating.
Though, I wonder if she wishes this cave to be our nest.
It is rather primitive, but my ancestors once nested in caves. If they could do it, I suppose I could make do to please her. However, if she knew of my castle and the amenities my city has to offer, would she still want to nest here?
Then there is the question of mating. In my culture, there is a mating chase. Not all hold to this ritual, but many do. The male pursues the female and if he captures her, she will then either decide to accept or reject his request to become her mate. I do not know the courtship and mating rituals of Lilliana’s people. She stared for a rather long time at the slit of my mating pouch; I can only hope we are compatible in that way.
Surely, we must be, else the Gods would not have blessed us with the fated bond.
Myriad thoughts tumble through my mind as I shift into my draka form. Because we are of two different species, many unknowns plague our bonding.
An image of her bare form surfaces in my mind. She is my linaya and I long to claim her in all ways. I imagine chasing her across the desert sand and capturing her in my arms. She would accept me, leaning forward on her hands and knees as I mount her from behind, filling her with my essence so that every male knows that she is mine. But I wonder if this style of mating would be too rough for my delicate mate.
First, I must prove to her that I am worthy of being hers. I will provide and care for her every need so that she knows what a capable male I am.
Chapter 12
Lilly
As I move to the back of the cave, I worry about Varus. He’s braving the storm not because he needs food but because I told him that I did. I glance down at my arm and the medicinal paste, as he called it, on my wounds. He risked his life to save me from that monster.
I can’t remember the last time someone took care of me. Who would go out of their way for a complete stranger?
A smile tugs at my lips. A good guy, that’s who.
I think of how carefully he treated my injury. There is such kindness behind his reflective green eyes. When he studied me before he left, I started blushing like crazy.
He’s handsome—for an alien, that is. Heat flushes my skin at the memory of his tall, lean, muscular build. I saw not an ounce of fat on his body; he’s like a marble sculpture of pure, masculine perfection.
But I wonder about his lack of… equipment, so to speak. He was completely nude, yet I didn’t see anything that even remotely resembled typical male anatomy. Maybe his species don’t have what I would consider typical anatomy. I shake my head. It would be just my luck to be attracted to an alien I’m not physically compatible with.
There is something intriguing about Varus that makes me want to learn more about him and his people. The more time I spend with him, the more human he seems, even though he clearly isn’t. He’s been so kind and gentle with me. I’m becoming more comfortable with him, regardless of his dangerous appearance.
The floor is warm beneath my feet as I reach the pool. Varus said
