Grace Goodwin - Ascension Saga - 8

I closed my eyes, rolled over and tugged at my hair. We’d fucked in more places than just this bed. Against the wall, over the desk, in the shower. My black hair was starting to change back to purple from being washed so often.

“Nix, you’re not making it better. It’s not going away. It only took Trinity two days to get over her Ardor.”

“Are you implying that you would rather have Leo in your bed?” I thought his question was a joke, until I lifted my head and saw the fury simmering in his eyes. And my sister’s mate? Gag.

“Hell no. Gross. Sisters do not break the sister code. I can’t believe you said that.”

“I did not. You did.” He prowled closer but did not touch me. “Believe me, Destiny, the only male who will be in your bed is me.”

“About this mate thing. We haven’t discussed that, Nix. I’m not sure—” I was about to say I’m not sure I’m the right kind of woman for you, but he interrupted before I could finish the sentence.

“We spend two days in bed. I give you everything. Soothe your Ardor. Make you mine. Claim you as my mate. Yet you speak as if you will toss me out with the trash once your Ardor is soothed.”

I curled up so I faced him, lying on my side. I’d hurt him. But how could I not? I didn’t answer to anyone. Sure, I’d had sex before Nix, but not like this. I craved him. I craved more than his cock. I actually liked him. A lot. Too much, if I were being honest. And the idea of him in another woman’s bed made my blood boil.

But that didn’t mean I wanted an alpha male bossing me around. Forever. And once I agreed to this mate business, I was pretty damn sure he was going to get even more bossy than he already was. Not that I minded, in bed. But out of it?

His words from our first night together came back to me often. In fact, they damn near haunted me— you are my mate and you will bend to my will. Oh, and the other classic— You will stop your searching and return with me to the palace.

Seems he’d won that battle, thanks to my traitorous pussy and this alien Ardor business I had going on. Thanks to my body, I was simply not myself. And that fact alone made me nervous. Nix didn’t know me. Not really. He knew the sex-starved, submissive, begging version of me. And that wouldn’t last.

I was not a wallflower. I was a fighter. And I loved being a fighter. If I had to sit in meetings all day and act the politician or learn to run a household like a bona fide lady, I’d lose my freaking mind. He continued to insist that I would not be allowed to be in danger. As if. I wasn’t allowed to do anything. Hadn’t been for years. Even my parents gave up—although I did generally do what they wanted out of respect. But not fear. Never fear.

So. Yes. Nix and I were going to have a problem. A serious problem. Why couldn’t he see that?

“You’ve got a job to do and so do I, a serious one. You can’t have me underfoot when you’re working, and I can’t sit around the palace eating bonbons while my mother is missing—”

He grabbed my ankle, tugged me so I was flat on my back. He dropped his hands so they were on either side of my head and he loomed over me.

All I could see was him. God, what a view. He really was magnificent in every way.

Get a grip, woman. You can’t keep him.

“Even after we get Mom back, I’ll—” What could I say? I’ll go crazy if I have to be locked up in this palace like a prisoner. I wasn’t a criminal, I was royalty. But that reality had seemed a lot more romantic and special back on Earth. The Disney princesses in the movies didn’t seem to have this kind of problem.

“You’ll what?” he asked.

I licked my lips, thought. I had no idea, actually. I just knew I didn’t want to be tied down—to my title as princess or to the dictates of a man. And I really didn’t want to be addicted to a cock. Since I didn’t have a good answer, I chose not to say anything.

“What will you do, Destiny?” he asked again. “Go back to Earth?”

My eyes widened. “What? No!” I’d never been asked that before, never considered it, but my response was immediate. I wanted to stay on Alera. I knew that. Going back to Earth now would be like… well, I didn’t know what it would be like. But my sisters were staying here with their mates. My mom would be here. Hopefully my dad could come live at the palace. “There’s nothing on Earth for me. I don’t want to go back.”

“So, you’ll continue to sneak into dangerous places you have no business being and risk your life?”

I took objection to that. Faith had snuck into the Jax mansion and pretended to be a maid. She was just as snoopy as I was. “I’ll have you know everything that’s happened wasn’t my fault.”

“I know that, mate. But that doesn’t answer my question.”

I pursed my lips. Duh. Of course I was going to get into trouble. That’s what I did.

“How do you plan to defend yourself, Princess? An army of one out there alone wandering the planet? No guards?”

“No babysitters, you mean.” His hips were nestled between my legs, his cock so close to my core all I had to do was lift my hips and he’d slide right in. But he was heavy, and if he didn’t cooperate, I’d look like an even bigger fool than I did now. Didn’t stop my pussy from clenching like a grasping, greedy little animal. Still, I wanted to try. Angry sex was good. Arguing and fucking was good. Possibly great. Nix made me crazy. I made him crazy, that was obvious. That’s all there was to it.

“The queen’s guard is dedicated to your safety. As am I. We do not watch over infants, although your stubborn pride is making you sound like a child. You have responsibilities to the people of Alera, and to me.”

Now that just made me mad. How dare he lecture me? I pushed against his chest, tried to get him off of me. Tried. “Nix, I’ll have you know—”

There was a knock on the door. The first sound from outside of this room in two days. “Princess Destiny. Nix,” a man shouted.

Nix closed his eyes for a moment. “Not now. Fuck,” he growled. Pissed we’d been interrupted. He wanted whatever this was between us worked out. I was all for delaying because I had no answers.

“Who is it?” I asked Nix, who obviously had recognized the owner of the voice.

“Captain Turaya. Leo’s father.” Nix leaned back, away from me, and instantly I shivered with cold. “We can’t ignore him. He is my commanding officer, and he knows you are in your Ardor. He would not interrupt us if it was not urgent.”

Nix pushed off the bed and grabbed my hand, tugged me so I was standing before him.

“Duty calls, Princess,” he replied, all lust or even playfulness gone from his voice.

He walked over to a couch where I’d tossed a robe… yesterday? I contentedly watched the taut play of his ass muscles as he walked away, then took in the sight of his cock as he turned about and returned to me.

“Here, put this on,” he told me. “No one needs to see you as I do.”

I would have protested the order, but I was not interested in Leo’s dad seeing me naked. And the gesture was kinda sweet. And I was kinda cold.

He went to the door, clearly unconcerned for his own modesty. He arched a brow as he looked back at me, hand on the knob as he waited.

I tugged on the silky robe, tied the sash. Only then did he open the door.

The older soldier in the doorway kept his gaze affixed to Nix’s. He didn’t react to Nix’s nakedness, although it appeared he was too professional to gawk. But then, he was a soldier. He’d probably seen more naked men than I could if I took a new man to bed every night for the rest of my life.