Authors: Erin Tate
“It’s not their fault I threw away all the mating notices. Or that I was showering when they showed up.”
“All males are taught that everything is at a female’s leisure. They should have been more patient. Instead, they rushed.”
“They didn’t know who I was.” She defended them despite their actions. As her mate, he hated that she stood up for them. As the crown prince, he was thankful he had such a caring and forgiving principessa.
“It should have not mattered, but we can discuss this more once you are healed.” He cataloged the fatigue marring her features and the redness surrounding her eye. It assaulted his heart, forcing the muscle to squeeze and tighten with regret and heartache. “Please. Care for yourself. For me, if not for yourself.”
He placed her hand atop his, the first voluntary touch, of skin on skin, and he felt rather than saw his scales slide beneath his flesh. Her breath caught, stuttering with her gasp and unease filled him. Was she disgusted by his scales? His inner nature? Her application had indicated she would look favorably upon a male not of her own species, but he gathered her mother applied on her behalf. Much like his own.
“Rina? Do my scales—does it—”
“Beautiful,” she whispered, and slipped her hand from his. He regretted the loss, but then rejoiced when she stroked him elsewhere. Her fingers glided over his collarbone and along the line of his neck, the pads teasing his scales out of hiding. This was a secret among their kind—the knowledge that touches in certain areas could bring out their scales… and heighten pleasure. He fought to control his breathing, the quick inhale when she petted a particularly sensitive spot, and she snatched her hand away. “Sorry.”
Tave carefully captured her wrist and lifted her hand back to his chest. “Never apologize for touching me. You are my own and I will never deny you. I am pleased you find me appealing.” Rina’s fingertips caressed him again and he shuddered with need. “Perhaps I was wrong.” His voice was gruff as he stilled her touch and he didn’t miss the confusion, which marred her features. “I like that too much. If you continue I will embarrass myself and upset you.”
At her confused expression, he let his attention drift to his hardness, evidence of his desire for her, and then met her stare once again. He had no doubt he would spill himself like a youngling if she continued.
“Oh.
Oh
.” Her face flushed. “I’ll go get cleaned up then.”
She retreated, bending down to retrieve a set of clothing humans called scrubs, and then she continued to the shower. The moment she tugged on the handle, droplets flew from the showerhead and pattered on the tile wall. A delicate slip of her hand beneath the spray.
To test the temperature.
He would have to remember his human mate couldn’t endure all temperatures like his kind. They couldn’t regulate and adapt their bodies to all climates. She reached for the tie of her robe then glanced at him over her shoulder, an expectant expression on her features.
Right.
Tave forced himself to move, forced himself to turn in place. “Apologies.”
The moment his back was to her, he heard the soft thump of fabric hit the floor, and it was as if his eyes moved of their own volition. He found his gaze traveling to the mirror, staring at the reflective surface with his peripheral vision and catching sight of her body’s true form.
Bless the ocean’s depths. She was pale… luminescent… everywhere. And curved, lush roundness covered her form. She wasn’t hard and firm like Ujal females. She wasn’t the image of perfection he’d been raised to appreciate. She was the complete, glorious opposite of what he’d been taught to value. She was curvaceous, delicious, and so very tempting. He wanted to trace the lines of his
pyabi
’s body with his hands, his mouth. He ached to worship her body and fill her until she grew his hatchlings within her warmth.
Rina didn’t glance at him as she snapped the curtain closed, and he released the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. With that exhale, shame consumed him, overpowering all other emotions that ricocheted through his body. He’d assured her he would give her privacy and yet he’d violated that oath the moment her back was turned.
For the first time in his life, he had to admit he’d acted without honor and he hated himself for that shortcoming.
Tave shook his head, berating himself.
A knock echoed through the room, followed by the whoosh of the curtain being shoved aside. He glanced at his mate, noting that she poked her head through a parting in the fabric, but kept her body covered.
Good. He would hate to have to kill whoever knocked.
“I will not grant anyone entry, my
pyabi
. I vow it.”
I vowed not to look, too.
He would keep all vows now. He would battle his own desires. He would overcome his desires.
Silenced reigned, her stare seeming to bore into him, and then she replied, her voice soft. “Okay.”
With those two syllables, she disappeared from sight.
Trust. She had given him a measure of trust. He wouldn’t violate it again.
The knock returned and he growled anew. He stomped to the panel and opened it slightly so he could see the person requesting entrance.
“What?” he snapped and then cursed himself. His
dam
. Of course his
dam
would intrude when his cock was hard as a rock and begging for release. While his mate was mere feet away, wet and naked. Not receptive, but still near. “How can I assist you, my
dam
?”
His
dam
straightened, pushed her shoulders back, and tipped her head until her nose was in the air. It was the position she often took when talking down to recalcitrant subjects. And her son.
What had he done
now
?
“We have come to a decision.”
Tave opened the door a little wider, giving him more space to face off against the formidable female.
“We?”
“Yes.” She jerked her head in a decisive nod and then gestured behind her. “We.”
He peered over her head and met the gaze of the other female who had come with his mate to UST. Where his mother was lean and polished, this female was curved much like his mate, her hair similar in color, but not the same, and while his mate reached his shoulders, this female was even shorter. She was the height of a youngling!
“We?”
His
dam
growled. “Your mate’s
dam
and I have come to a decision.”
A low thud came from the shower, reminding him his naked mate was nearby, and he fought against his body’s responses. It was bad form to have an erection in front of his
dam
. As well as embarrassing.
“What are you doing in there? You know she is not one of us,” his
dam
warned. “She does not feel as a mated female would.”
“I know she is not Ujal, but do not dare say she is less.” His warning—his declaration—surprised him. He had always treated his
dam
with nothing but kindness and respect, and yet at the first hint of censure toward his mate, he was quick to defend her. Without conscious thought, his loyalty now belonged to Rina.
He was unsure how he felt about that.
“Of course not,” his
dam
snapped. “I was simply impressing upon you that she does not have the same instinctual desires as an Ujal mate would have. You must take your time. Be patient. It is the reason behind our decision.”
Tave wasn’t born with patience and no amount of training ingrained the quality in him. “I understand and I am willing to listen.”
Another nod, and then Rina’s
dam
approached. “We thought that…”
They outlined their plan—their idea—and he had to admit that it had merit. It would be difficult for him, but he wasn’t one to shy from a challenge.
“This is acceptable,” he murmured.
Two smiles—one Ujal and one human—met his agreement. That didn’t comfort him, for he felt as if they knew something he didn’t. But he had chosen his course and even he admitted it made sense.
“I shall speak with Rina now.” Without another word, he closed the door, shutting their
dams
from the room. His mate seemed to value privacy and he would give it to her. He would, of course, remain to ensure she was given space.
“Tave?”
“I am here,
pyabi
.”
“
Pyabi
?”
“A term of endearment.”
That you would not find amusing at this time.
“It was our
dams
. They have proposed a method for us to become comfortable with each other before sealing our mating. I have agreed with them.”
The curtain flicked aside, revealing her wet face to his gaze. Her eye was no longer swollen, but merely red, and her golden tresses were no longer knotted, but long and smooth against her head and shoulders. “If it came from my mother, there’s no telling what she suggested. What’s their plan?”
“We…” He straightened his shoulders and spoke with full conviction if not confidence. “Will
date
.”
To be continued in Tave Part Two...
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Published by Erin Tate. Tave. Copyright © 2015 Erin Tate. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author.
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.