Page 29 of Aura Awakened
“Ride me,” he demands. “Show me how much you want me.”
I clench around him. Most of the time, Fillian is gentle and easygoing, at least when he’s not facing a Malifect horde. But in bed, he’s bossy and demanding, dirty and domineering.
I can’t get enough of it.
I throw my head back and bounce my hips, setting the pace. Not too fast, not too slow. Just enough to draw out the extreme pleasure stirring in both of us. He matches me, thrust for thrust, until we shatter together, caught up in waves of bliss. I collapse against his chest, trying to catch my breath, and he curls his arms around me, tucking me close.
“You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he says softly. I glance up at him, at the emotion filling his dark gaze. “I know we haven’t known each other long, and that it’s too soon for you to know what you want. But I believe in the star-bond, and more than that, I believe in you. I love you, Aura Spindleton. You are my mate.”
The love he feels swamps me, intensifying my own feelings, drawing tears to my eyes. I have fought this from the beginning. Railed against the unfairness of the bond, worried about leaving this part of space and returning home. Told myself that what I feel for him is attraction, lust, fascination with his inherent alien-ness. And in a way, all those things are true. But they aren’t the whole story. Because somehow, against all odds, I know I’ve found my happily ever after. It doesn’t matter if I wait six more months—six moreyears—to see how it goes. It doesn’t matter if scientists find a way to Earth. None of that will change what I feel for this man.
“I love you, too,” I say, cupping his cheek. “And I’m so glad you woke me up.”
Garden of Unearthly Delights
(Bonus Scene from Aura Awakened)
AURA
The words don’t roll off my tongue so much as tumble from it, lilting syllables turned choppy and awkward. It’s frustrating; when I hear the Acacian natives speak, the language is light and musical. But in my mouth, it turns heavy, with stilted rolling Rs and tripped consonants. I try again.
“Líríllía aêst vrníus morrallíaníus bêreste, lu sêpeté.”It is my honor to welcome you, grace.
The lyrical words still feel heavy on my tongue and I sigh.
I’ve lived on this planet for seven months, practicing the language every day, and I don’t understand how and why I’m not better at it by now. Fillian is infinitely patient with me, repeating basic words over and over so I can hear the precise intonation. All the same, pronunciation eludes me.
Most of the time, it doesn’t matter. We’re almost always tucked away in his treehouse, sharing our thoughts and falling more in love each day. Looking back now, it’s wild to think that I used to be desperate to go back to Earth. I mean, sure, if I had the opportunity, I’d probably take it, just to let people know I’m not dead. But it would be a vacation, nothing more. It turns out that I adapted to life here far more quickly than I could have imagined.
I love living on Acacia. It’s a beautiful, fascinating planet, untroubled by so many of the issues that plague Earth. Yes, there’s the Malifect threat, which is no small problem, but Acacia is free of political strife, intraplanetary war, and climate crises. Living here with the love of my life and finding my place in this world have brought me immense satisfaction.
It’s funny. I always prided myself on my independence, on owning my own business, on showing everyone that I could take care of myself. That I didn’t need to rely on anyone else. That’s all so ridiculous to me now. Forging a partnership with Fillian and helping the Coalition save this galaxy—and many others—is so much more satisfying. And don’t even get me started on the incredible plant life here. It’s a botanist’s dream. I’ve never been happier.
For the most part.
Tonight is different, though. It’s my first royal banquet—my first official duty as one of the planet’s representatives—and I’ll be mortified if I don’t make a good impression.
Frustration is pouring off me in waves; you don’t have to have a telepathic link with me to sense it. But because he does have one, Fillian is acutely aware of how stressed I am.
You’re doing great, he says in my mind.
I’m not. This is going to be a disaster.
No, it won’t.I can feel his gentle amusement touching the edges of my consciousness.My family loves you. You know that.
Well. That is not precisely true. I get along well with his parents and younger brother. I haven’t even met all of his siblings, his older brother Vitis and Vitis’s mate Dionaea don’t seem to care about me one way or the other, and the various distant cousins at court who thought they might be mated with Fillian one day? They hate me.
Fillian is completely oblivious, but I’ve heard what they say about me, and I’m at least fluent enough to get the drift. They’re disgusted that someone without royal blood ended up with Fillian, and the fact that I’m human, to boot? Extra infuriating. Turns out humans aren’t exactly revered in this part of space.
It’s insulting, but I kinda get it. I’d be pissed if I’d thought I had a chance with Fillian, only to lose him to some stranger.
But that’s not even the point. This is a state dinner; not only will the majority of the royal family be there, but I’ll also be meeting diplomats from Acacia and other planets in the Coalition. I’m not technically a member of the royal family, of course, but as Fillian’s claimed star-mate, I’m still one of their representatives, tasked with making a good impression.
I run my hands down my sides, straightening my dress, a nervous habit I can’t seem to kick.
“Don’t forget we’re leaving early,” Fillian reminds me out loud.
As if I could. Fortunately, I’m already as ready as I’m gonna be. My unruly curls have been tamed into a sleek twist, and I’m wearing a diaphanous gown in rich gold, orange, and green tones, designed to look like falling, swirling leaves. I used a light hand with cosmetics, enhancing my eyes and lips just a touch. Glittering gems called sparkstones, which are the green of emeralds with the sparkle of diamonds, dance at my neck and throat—gifts from Fillian. Overall, I’m pleased with the look. If I could sit silently all night, just looking pretty, it would really ease my nerves. But nope. I have to actually converse with people.