Page 53 of An Alien for Her Heart

16

VAREK

Icollapse beside Catherine, my core-organ pounding, each breath coming in ragged gasps. I can barely believe what just happened, can barely process the overwhelming intensity of the pleasure, the connection, the emotions that consumed us both.

Carefully, I gather Catherine against me, cradling her to my chest as if she’s the most precious thing in the universe. Because to me, she is. I still can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that this incredible, beautiful, resilient female is here in my arms, that she welcomed me into her body and hopefully into her heart.

I’d dreamed of this moment. Fantasized about it more times than I can count. But the reality was so much more than I ever could have imagined. The feel of her soft skin under my claws, the taste of her on my tongue, the way she moved with me, surrendered to me…it was…transcendent.

I know her history, know the horrors she’s endured. For her to open herself to me like this, to allow herself to be seen and touched and cherished…it’s a gift beyond measure.

My arms tighten around her reflexively, a sudden surge of protectiveness, ofpossessiveness, welling up within me. I wantto shield her from everything, to ensure that nothing and no one ever hurts her again. I want to spend the rest of my days worshiping her, body and soul, showing her just how treasured and adored she is.

Catherine shifts in my arms, her gaze shifting up to mine. Her chest is still heaving, the strain of each breath slowly coming back to normal. Just her eyes meeting mine and my cock throbs where it’s still buried deep within her.

Her eyes search mine and I can tell she wants to say something. There’s a hesitation there, a conflict. I can almost hear the words she’s holding back, the fear that what we just shared might never happen again. The fear that this perfect, life-altering moment might be just that…a moment, never to be repeated.

Part of me wants to reassure her, to promise her forever, to declare my undying love and devotion. But another part of me is painfully aware of one thing Catherine has no clue about.

My core-rhythm. It’s still silent.

I’ve joined with her now. That is unquestionable. But my core-rhythm, the thing that’s supposed to sing once I find my mate, remains quiet. I am silent inside.

Pain, the likes of which I didn’t expect to feel, consumes me. I grunt, pulling her tighter to my chest as I block out the darkness that threatens to pull me under.

She’s mine. I know it. I feel it.

I can’t be wrong.

“Varek?” Her question makes me aware that, even with the dim light, she must be watching me, too. But it is difficult to push away the darkness that tears at me from within. The fear of loss before I’ve even gotten a proper chance to have her echoes within me, but I don’t want to face it. Not now. Not when the memory of our shared passion is still so raw and vivid.

And so I don’t.

“Are you alright?” Her sweet voice sends a shiver through me as I dip my head, crushing her lips against mine. She grunts before her body suddenly melts, the reaction so soft and sweet that I harden even more, stretching her sweetness as a rumble goes through my chest.

“Oh my, already?” Catherine’s eyes are wide with disbelief.

“I will stop if you want me to, sura.”

She blinks at me, eyes searching mine once more before she shakes her head from side to side. “No.” Her voice drops. “Don’t stop.”

My growl makes her visibly shiver. But it isn’t fear that lights up her eyes but something else. Something that heats my lifeblood in my veins.

“Sura,” I growl as I slide out of her. She gasps, looking between us but the dim light hides me. The loss of her heat feels like a crime, but it’s not for long. In one easy movement, I flip her in my arms so her back presses into my chest. Here, I lean forward, nuzzling her ear.

“So soft,” I whisper and Catherine shivers. “So perfect for me.”

She makes a sound in her throat that turns into a soft gasp as I pierce her again.

Frakk.

She is everything. And she is mine. I thrust into her knowing that truth. Once, twice, three times I take her, each time more intense, more consuming than the last.

We move together, a perfect rhythm until we are both spent, collapsing into each other with the fading sounds of the festival in the distance. The dark cycle wraps around us like a cocoon of warmth, but even in this moment of peace, I am painfully aware of one truth: my core-rhythm never awakens.

Pushing a lock of her mane away from her face, I grasp a few of the silver tendrils between my digits. Even in this dimroom, they catch the light of the moon. I don’t want this moment to end…but…what if I’m wrong? What if Catherine truly is not mine? What if this, as glorious and life-changing as it feels, isn’t the eternal bond I so desperately crave?

I tighten my arms around her, burying my face in her mane, breathing in her scent. Willing time to stop. Because what I feel for her, what we just shared…it’s real. It’s true. It’s everything.