Unhooking my hands from around his head, I dropped my arms and wrapped them between his torso and wings. I clawed at his back as something drove me to nibble along his feathered chest, unable to mark his skin.
A hiss escaped him. “I knew you were kinky, but I didn’t think you liked it rough.”
His taloned tips dug into my ass as he raised me higher, grinding our torsos together. My legs hooked around him as he wrapped his wings around me, blocking us from view.
He kept thrusting as if he was fucking me savagely to the beat of the music, not caring who saw. I wanted—needed—to remove my suit, to feel my skin rubbing against the softness of his feathered chest. A moan escaped me at the thought of how it would feel for my nipples to be pressed against him, their peaks rubbing against each individual cyan feather as he took control.
Thoughts of him using my body for his pleasure combined with the heated arousal coursing through my body and his aggressive rocking hitting my clit deliciously each time he jerked to the beat made me only want one thing.
I needed to be filled. Now. And didn’t care who it was.
Chapter Twenty-Eight Kaede
Kaede paced angrily in his room as he tried to rid himself of his need to watch Selena, to study the moves of her and everyone around her. His addiction to her was dangerous—not just for her and her clan, but the Aldawi Empire as well. One missed moment could mean her death—or worse, her kidnapping—by those who would love to torture and use her as bait against Prince Zirene. Selena’s importance to him made her a prime target for those who wished to bring Prince Zirene to his knees.
That didn’t include the value of her capabilities. He heard the whispered murmurs and saw the long, stolen glances others made around her. They saw her as an object. A prized possession, capable of unlocking secrets to create many things—hybrids, clones, mass breeding, even harvesting all her eggs to create a new army—all the things that had been forbidden by law to prevent one nation from taking over the galaxy.
The Quaww didn’t enjoy being second best. A few minor species rode their tail feathers, hoping they could rake in the benefits. If they found any means to take the Aldawi down, the rest of the CEG would crumble. The Quaww were only in it to protect themselves from outside threats. Now that the Aldawi had gotten rid of the invading Yaarkins, the Quaww were beginning to believe they had no reason to continue playing nice with the others.
He would be a fool to believe that just because Selena won her case, everything would be smooth flying from here on out.
Deep in Kaede’s bones, he felt they were still in the midst of an asteroid field and had just come to a break. The question was, how long did they have to breathe before things got hectic once again? Would they ever escape?
This was why he needed to fight whatever he—she—they did to change him the day she went into labor. Did it have something to do with her bringing forth his cock from its sheath? Or did it have something to do with him finding his release for the first time?
Each time he scented her, he felt something he’d never felt before—a great need to rut her, pin her down, and use her for his own will. His cock was always hovering at the seam, waiting to release itself from its prison whenever she was around.
The problem was, his body knew her blood, thus she was his prey. He could easily track and hunt her down whenever he pleased, as tempting as it was sometimes. This was why he was avoiding her. He needed to get ahold of himself. He wasn’t hers and would never be.
Yet in the back of his mind, there was always a thread of hope that by some slim chance, the Fates and Stars would allow them to be together; he mustn’t be like them and take.
Kaede promised himself he would never force Selena to do such a thing. Their one time together would be the only moment they would have for him to cherish—even though the circumstances weren’t favored.
He settled for making sure she was happy—and safe—for she deserved to have that in life and not have others take that away from her.
He hissed in anger at the thought of what Prince Zirene did to her. After everything he did to her, she was starting to forgive him—only for him to abuse the trust and everything they had built together for useless secrets.
How could he be so dimwitted?
Even with the short time Selena spent with him, Kaede knew she preferred being told the truth and having all the facts from the beginning. Yes, Kaede knew he had been blunt with her, but after she cooled down, she realized he was right, even if his way of expressing it may not have been the most tactful. Something about her always made him say the wrong thing.
But it didn’t matter, for he could not—would not—pursue Selena. She was Prince Zirene’s Nova, first and foremost. Xylo was a mistake, her foolish actions resulting in their court bonding, and she didn’t want to break it because she hoped he would always protect her. She took Odelm in because she pitied him. And the banished Circuli princes? The only reason she court-bonded with them was to reward them and protect them from their mothers. That was it—a political arrangement.
Kaede was furious Selena had gathered these Circuli males who didn’t deserve her.
He was the one who hunted for her for nine years—who fought and killed to bring her to where she belonged. If any male other than Prince Zirene should be at her side, it should be him.
It
