Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
PUBLISHER
www.SPSilverPublishing.com
DEDICATION
The entire Passion's Hero Series is dedicated to Thorny
Roe, who told me that I had a new career, inspired me to
keep writing and more importantly gave me hope again.
This is for you and Jazz, may your love continue to inspire
us all.
Thank you to all of my Vicksters, Tweeplings and
Tumblings and those who follow me on Blogger who
encouraged me to write a M/M romance book and to the
Goodreads M/M Romance Group who helped me when I
was still floundering in this genre.
In Memory of Justin Thomison, you were my best friend
since freshman year of high school. You never stopped
believing in me and you have always been my biggest fan.
The world is a lot more boring without you and your large,
but superbly talented energy and personality around. I will
continue to spread information and continue the fight to
end AIDS and find the cure to the horrible disease that took
you from me, my friend. I will never forget you. Je t'aime
mon amour.
Vicktor Alexander
PROLOGUE
"Please, we beg you. You have to save us!" the
former President of the United States of America pleaded
with the leaders of the Galaxy Peace Allegiance.
He visibly trembled, his image blurring a little on
the monitor. Torqran, the Commander of the planet
Strawxig, glanced at the screen with look of apathy. The
other members of the GPA as well as a few advisors,
elders, and planetary leaders watched the human scream for
help from the other planets. The humans had been
amazingly arrogant up until the very last possible moment,
certain they could save themselves, heal their planet, and
do it all without any help from those they termed 'aliens'.
However, when all of their efforts proved fruitless and the
whole of the planet only contained 300 remaining
individuals all from different countries, speaking different
languages, having different religions and ethnicities, the
leaders finally knew they had to ask for help.
"We cannot survive if you don't save us. We need
your help. Please help us. Please!" the former president
shouted.
Torqran, a snake shifter, pressed the switch to stop
the vid stream with the pad of his scaly-skinned finger.
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question.
All occupants in the room froze, no one breathed,
no one spoke as they all awaited Torqran's response.
With a cold, calculating smile Torqran replied with
seven words, two sentences that would dramatically change
the universe, the GPA and history, forever, "The
Versuthions. We must kill the Versuthions."
A gasp came from the other leader, Algonoquin, the
Alpha King of the planet Tumaro. Torqran chuckled darkly.
He ignored the speculative looks from the other members
of the room. Everyone knew the story of the connection
between the Versuthion family and the Roughshires, the
current ruling family of Tumaro. A prophecy had foretold
of the Versuthions bringing about the pure human race after
one of the descendants mated with the Roughshires, but
Torqran's position as leader of the GPA and the unease and
prejudice that most had for Vermithians protected him in
his current campaign against them. Only Algonoquin's
arrogant belief he could protect the Versuthions stopped
him from killing Torqran where he stood, and he while
grateful for it, he also flicked his gaze towards Lorthander,
sighing in relief when he saw the other man brandish the
vapier in his hand. Algonoquin's time would come, Torqran
would see to it, but not before he made Algonoquin feel
helpless while Torqran took out the entire Versuthion
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family.
****
Talon Versuthion whispered to his pet flower. The
stalk swayed and the petals bobbed in reply, and then Talon
smiled up at his parents when they rushed into his room. He
loved talking to the flowers and plants his parents had put
up all around. His younger brothers had pet animals, most
of which had to be kept outside, but Talon's flowers were
with him. He loved the fact that when he woke up every
morning they were right there, waiting to talk to him. It
made him feel special and loved. Well, more so than he
already felt. His parents were pretty awesome.
His father, Taltrentuvaro, knelt down and put his
hands on either side of Talon's face and Talon smiled again.
His father didn't return the gesture and Talon tilted his head
to the side. Why didn't his father seem happy? Known for
always being happy and laughing, his father looked
almost broken. He looked away as his mother rushed
around the room, the distant sound of crying and sniffling,
beeps and slamming noises indicating she opened his
drawers and toy chests for some reason.
Looking back up, Talon found his father's eyes were
filled with tears. Talon lifted his own hands and put them
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11
THE VERMITHIAN
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CHAPTER ONE
Farbu 18, 2456
Talon Versuthion, affectionately called "Tal" by his
adopted sister, Josepire "Josie" Laungford, had not set out
to become a history maker. In fact, he had been questioned
many times about his plans for the future, and surprised
many people by adopting an almost glazed look in his
golden eyes and letting stuttering words emanate from his
mouth. Tal just wanted to live in the moment. He didn't
have a life's goal. And living didn't have to be exciting or
filled with parties and drinking, or sleeping around with as
many men, women, or species as he could. For Tal, living
equaled just that living.
Although he did enjoy parties and drinking
Vamprincian Flow, the most potent drink around, and of
course, the endless parade of men that flowed in and out of
his apartment, he didn't crave either. They were things to
do and to experience to pass the time in between the
endless deliveries from his shuttle to other planets, things to
take his mind off of the loss of his parents thirteen years
ago and the huge chunk of his memory he just couldn't
recall. Tal only wanted to wake up every morning and
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taken Josie in, at the age of nine, the year before him.
Tal glanced briefly down at the open folder and
noticed it stated his parents had been chosen especially for
him by the leader of another planet. Why would the leader
of another planet care about him? And who the hell was
Alpha King Agnistion? Tal turned back to his parents when
he heard his mother sniffle, reminding himself to ask about
his unknown guardian angel later.
"Oh, Mom, I'm so sorry." Tal wrapped his arms
around her after his parents separated and she turned back
to him.
"It's okay, honey, it was during the Destruction of
2410. He'd enlisted to fight for the GPA and had barely
taken off in their shuttle to go to the training camps when a
shock ray missile collided with it." Markaela inhaled
deeply, exhaling on a shaky breath. "I felt it when he died.
It felt like my heart, my mind, and my soul were being
ripped in half. It was horrible. It could have been much
worse had we completed the mating fully and had I been
carrying his child. A piece of me would have died with him
and I would have felt disjointed, incomplete for the rest of
my life. And to be honest, I did for a time, but" She
looked up at Wendiford and smiled. "I met your father
three years later and it was love at first sight. He was the
first true humanoid that I could tolerate outside of other
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CHAPTER TWO
It might be years later, but Tal still shuddered at the
thought of carrying a child so he required every boyfriend,
every meaningless fuck, every one-night stand or bathroom
hookup to wear a condom even if a mutual jerkoff or
blowjob might be the only thing they did. He'd gotten a
reputation for being overly protective and safe when it
came to sex, even though most of the STDs from centuries
past were completely eradicated. People still used
contraceptives to prevent pregnancy and while Tal hadn't
met anyone he felt inexplicably drawn to, he wouldn't be
taking any chances.
Of course, Josie, being a nosey older sister, refused
to let his behavior go without remarking on it. His online
friend, 'Mail S' did the same, the two oftentimes ganging up
on Tal over the years telling him to stop being so fearful.
But he ignored them. He had his reasons and they didn't
understand.
He should have known Josie wouldn't give up so
easily. The day they loaded their shuttle for their most
recent expedition and delivery, she decided to speak to him
about the direction his life had taken.
"You know what? I think you never look for
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sat in her chair next to his. "I'm talking about you, Tally.
You and your fear of your mate, whomever he is, and your
fear of having children of your own." With a final wave to
their parents through the forward viewing window, she
helped him prepare for liftoff.
"Josie, where the hell are these children supposed to
come from if my mate is a man and I get pregnant? I sure
as hell won't be shooting them out of my ass, my mouth, or
any other small hole on me," Tal growled his usual, rather
silly defense, hoping she would be put off while he focused
on inputting their destination's coordinates into the shuttle's
computer navigational system.
"Mom already told you when it was time for you to
give birth a line would appear on your stomach and open so
the doctor would be able to deliver the baby. That's not an
excuse anymore," Josie pointed out.
Tal shot her a glare and turned his head back to
focus on flying. He set the coordinates for Strawxig and
turned his mind to the delivery they were making to Leader
Torqran of the GPA. He had no idea why he had
specifically been asked for, but he wouldn't look a gift
horse in the mouth. He'd to make enough money with this
one delivery to get his own place so he wouldn't have to
keep sharing an apartment with his sister. Hell, he'd be
making enough money to move to the affluent planet of
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CHAPTER THREE
Alpha King Blazell Roughshire waved goodbye to
his cousins, Anglania and Freud Lang, and breathed a sigh
of relief. He hated it when Anglania and Freud came to
visit. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something about
them always smelled off. Anglania hoped he would
eventually give up on his quest to find his mate and if she
knew how close he'd come to giving in to her not quite so
subtle hints and attempts at flatteryin her journey to
becoming the Alpha Queenshe'd be relentless. Blaze
counted himself lucky she didn't know.
Walking into his sitting room, he closed the door
after sending away the guards who had stepped inside with
him. He needed some time alone. He didn't want to wear
the constricting mantle of Alpha King at that moment.
With a sigh, he pulled off his crown and robe and
placed both items on the coffee table in the middle of the
room. Walking over to the electronic bar, he pressed the
button for a glass of Vamprincian Flow. Once it had been
poured, he picked up the glass and took a deep gulp of the
intoxicating liquid. Smacking his lips, he savored the
aftertaste on his tongue and massaged the back of his neck.
Walking back over to the large sofa facing the vid screen,
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he sat down heavily upon the cushions and put his feet up
on the coffee table, the glass of Vamprincian Flow hanging
from the grasp of his right hand. He lifted his right foot and
pushed off the black boot on his left foot before repeating
the action with his left foot and right boot. He grunted
when the boots hit the ground.
He groaned and leaned his head back, closing his
eyes as he inhaled deeply. Bone tired. He really needed a
vacation. Having been in the role of Alpha King for over
ten years, he'd grown tired of the bickering of his people,
tired of the women who threw themselves at himwhether
they were mated or notand tired most of all of having to
hide the fact that he preferred the company of the male
Tumarons to the females. With another groan he sat up and
leaned forward, reaching for the remote that lay on the edge
of the table and pushed the gold button in the center to turn
on the screen and play the vid he'd watched every day since
his parents had both passed away.
His heart clenched in pain when his father's face
appeared on the screen. His father had been a man larger
than life. One of the strongest Tumarons in history, he'd
ruled the planet and his kingdom with dignity, respect,
strength, and justice. He'd instilled that same sense of duty
and leadership in both of his sons. Blazell snorted when he
thought of his brother, Buckington. He didn't know what
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plump lips, a slim nose, and golden eyes. The man had to
be Blazell's mate. He'd been dreaming about him for the
last three years and over the past week the details had
become sharper. He had a feeling it wouldn't be long before
he found the guy, and he could only hope it happened soon
because the Elders weren't going to hold off much longer
on making him mate with someone anyone or rather,
any woman.
Blazell turned at the sound of a loud crash and leapt
to his feet, rushing to grab his weapons and royal military
garb moments before the door burst open and the room
swarmed with seven of his Gamma guards. He quickly
turned off the vid screen and made his way to Rico Suavez
and Gregor Malvechio, his two most trusted guards.
"What the hell was that?" he asked.
"A shuttle crashed just inside the palace walls,
Alpha King," Rico responded.
Blazell nodded. "I want two guards to go check for
survivors and see what the hell that ship was doing trying
to land inside the palace walls," he commanded.
He watched as the guards all looked around at each
other, Rico and Gregor shooting each other a nervous
glance, one that made the blood run cold in Blaze's veins.
Gregor shuffled his feet hesitantly and Blazell had a feeling
he already knew who had gone down to investigate.
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gorgeous man who lay among the palace flowers, his body
battered, bruised, and bloody. Buck could hear the
stranger's heart beating, slowly, but he still clung to life.
With no other thought but that the small man
needed immediate medical attention, he lifted the gorgeous
person into his arms and turned to head back into the
palace. Neither he nor the guards noticed the slim, brown
hand that lay covered by the debris of the shuttle, the palace
flowers, and the branches from the beautiful Tundle tree.
****
Elder Mailon Saungfreid finished up his latest cyber
mail message to his online pal 'Tal Vers' and sat back with
a sigh. He loved his buddy TV. They'd been chatting for
over six years and although they hadn't sent any images or
holograms of themselves to each other, he knew TV was
the best friend he'd ever had. It was just too bad they both
sort of knew that they weren't mates. Fated best friends?
Definitely. But fated life partners? Nah not so much.
They both loved to have a bigger, stronger man holding
them down or to be holding down a larger man riding his
thick hard cock.
Mailon cleared his throat and discreetly adjusted
himself under the table before turning his attention back to
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was sitting in the seat next to mine, she was there! You
have to go find her! You have to go and find my sister!
Josie! Josie!"
Frantic, Tal sat up swiftly, swaying a bit and
pushing away the hands of the mysterious man who seemed
determined to try to make him lay back down in the bed.
"Let me go! I have to go and find my sister! Josie!" he
screamed and got out of the bed and tried to race for the
door, stumbling along the way.
The solid wood swung open in front of him and he
barreled into a very wide, very firm chest.
"Whoa there, where are you running off to?" the
man attached to the chest spoke.
Tal flushed with warmth. He wanted to wrap his
arms around the body before him. He wanted to wrap his
legs around the bigger man's waist and never let go. Tal
raised his eyes up, past the thick, muscled, tanned neck to
the square jaw, dusted faintly with a dark, stubbled shadow,
to the aquiline nose that spoke of an aristocratic heritage,
and finally to a pair of the most gorgeous, dark blue eyes
Tal had ever seen. The man's long, black hair that hung to
just below his shoulders and his large frame turned him into
Tal's walking wet-dream come true.
Tal quickly reconsidered the crazy notion when the
man in question growled low in his chest and clutched Tal
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fiercely to his chest before burying his face in his neck. Tal
squeaked in surprise but amazingly did not pull away. He
felt safe in the man's arms, even though he didn't know his
name, and he never wanted him to let go.
Tal's world spun when the man in question quickly
jerked him behind him, pressing Tal against the door.
He growled at the other man in the room, "Mine."
His voice sounded low and forceful, growly and full
of authority and power. He would not be one to be messed
with. He ruled in the room at that moment and Tal kind of
felt happy the guy seemed to be on his side, even if he
didn't exactly know why.
"Blaze? Are you saying that this humanoid is
your mate?" the first man asked incredulously.
The man named Blaze turned to look at Tal, his
eyes softening rapidly, a slow smile coming to his fac. He
inhaled deeply, breathing in Tal's scent, his eyes closing in
rapture before he turned back to answer the question.
"Yes Buck, he's mine my mate."
Tal's eyes widened, another squeak escaping at the
word mate. His mother's words about how he would feel
upon meeting the person destined for him came rushing
back. He stepped away from the man called Blaze and
backed into the door behind him, his eyes wide and his
body quivering in fear. Blaze met his gaze, his eyebrows
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raised in question
"Fucking shit balls," Tal breathed. "Hell no." He
shook his head quite forcefully before he slipped back into
unconsciousness.
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CHAPTER FOUR
Hours later, Blaze looked down at the delicate
features of the man lying next to him. He had never used
the term 'beautiful' to describe a man before, but when it
came to this man it seemed the only word that truly fit. He
smiled when his mate sighed in his sleep and unconsciously
moved closer to him, snuggling into the curve of his body.
His mate. He'd been searching for years for the one created
and destined by fate to belong to him, made just for him,
and had begun to despair of ever meeting him. When his
brother and Percy told him of the humanoid who had been
rescued in the copse behind the castle, he'd only come to
the palace's clinic to check on the man. He'd wanted to
inquire of his home, his destination, his name, but instead
he'd caught the marvelous scent of his mate.
Blaze had never been so thankful for a shuttle crash
before in his life. He carded his fingers through the man's
thick, soft brown hair streaked with gold strands, and his
inner wolf settled down into a ball, at peace to have found
its mate and to know him to be safe. Right there. With him.
Blaze had been shocked when his mate's body
glowed with a bright red light that faded to a dim white
shine then ebbed away, leaving the smaller man's body
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growled internally.
Exasperation flowed off Blaze in waves when the
other man rose from the bed and quickly snatched Tal up
into his massively huge, sculpted arms.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" he
growled low in his throat.
"Don't you dare growl at me!" Tal huffed. "I'm
getting out of here and going to find my sister! She may not
be important to you, but she is damned important to me!
She's the only person I have on this godsforsaken planet
and I have to go and find her right now! She could be dead
or really hurt." His voice caught on a sob. "Or she could be
looking for me. I have to go and find her." Tal smacked
Blaze on the shoulder.
****
Blaze blinked in fascination. No one had ever dared
to strike him or speak to him as his mate did at that very
moment. Even his parents had ceased to discipline him
once he'd shifted for the first time and his wolf had outsized
his father's. His mate seemed to not be afraid and the idea
made Blaze happy. Talon would be his equal in all things,
and it seemed as if his man would also prove fearless as
well.
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heaving sigh, Blaze turned and walked back to the bed, still
buried inside Tal, his cock growing hard again with each
little movement.
"Wow, seriously?" Tal chuckled. "We just finished
and you're ready to go again?"
Blaze laughed in response. "What can I say, my
mate? My body is insatiable for you."
Tal purred in delight at the compliment and Blaze's
eyes darkened with passion. "Did you just purr at me?" he
asked.
Tal blushed furiously and attempted to hide his face
in the larger man's shoulder.
"No," he mumbled.
Blaze grinned. How could it be possible for his
mate to get more and more adorable the more Blaze got to
know him?
"Yes, you did," Blaze said and bounced the younger
man on his hard shaft.
Tal shuddered and moaned, causing Blaze to
chuckle. That laugh quickly became a groan when Tal
clenched his tight hole around Blaze's erection. Oh yeah, he
could definitely go another round.
"Stop laughing and fuck me, wolf man," Tal
growled.
Apparently his mate could go for more also. Blaze
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laid him down upon the bed and did exactly as ordered.
He would never let it be said the Alpha King didn't
know how to listen to his mate.
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CHAPTER FIVE
Hours later Tal opened his eyes and groaned when
he stretched. Something had woken him up. He felt
alone, as if something were missing, or someone. Suddenly
his mother's words about not being able to be away from
his mate rushed through his mind and he sat up swiftly. He
had all but forgotten about his sister in his desire to be with
Blaze and he felt horrible, but the guilt became small
compared the itch he felt underneath his skin, an insistent
yearning to find Blaze right there and then.
He hurt all over. His neck throbbed from the mating
bite Blaze had given him and his ass ached from their
continuous bouts of sex. The physical hurts paled in
comparison to the thought his mate might have left him or
worse, gone out and gotten killed. Tal tried to think of
where Blaze could be at the moment. Tal hadn't really
received a tour of the palace, or even of the room he now
shared with Blaze. After they'd had sex a second time,
Blaze had declared he needed a shower and Tal had readily
agreed.
Once in the expansive bathtub, complete with jets,
settings and different mineral options, which Blaze carried
him to since he'd only been semi-conscious, he
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surging.
His legs moved frantically underneath the sheets
and he reached out towards the tray to push it away, his
breath bursting forth from his chest in panicked pants. He
couldn't believe after all this time, after being so careful
no, no, no! He couldn't be that stupid! He didn't even know
Blaze! Even if he they were mates, it didn't mean anything.
"What is it, love?" Blaze asked and cautiously lifted
the tray from Tal's legs.
Tal immediately leapt from the bed and paced,
ignoring the painful twinges in his body. All thoughts of
Josie flew from his mind and he frantically tried to
remember what his mother had told him when she'd given
him the talk all those many years ago.
"Maybe I'm notwe didn't usenot even once
maybe they were wrongI can't beWhat am I going
to" He stammered and walked, wringing his hands.
Blaze grasped his shoulders and halted him. Tal
jerked to a stop, but his mind continued to swirl with frantic
images
and
conversations
with
his
mother.
The
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CHAPTER SIX
The door opened to reveal a slim, blond, and tanned
young man. He looked like the perfect image of one of
those human surfers who had existed centuries before on
Earth. The young man's hesitation by the door had Blaze
smiling. He considered Percy the perfect assistant. His
presence instilled peace and he always acted so respectful
and almost shy of others. Well everyone other than
Buck. Percy's usually peaceable wolf only exhibited any
type of angry reaction when Buck showed up.
"Y-your Majesty? Would you like me to bring
anything for you and, um, the queen?" he stammered out
the question, blushing furiously when Tal raised an
eyebrow in Blaze's direction.
"Queen?" Tal questioned, with barely concealed
annoyance.
Blaze cleared his throat nervously at the look in his
mate's eyes. He might be the Alpha and king of Tumaro,
but his wolf did not want to upset his mate. He had a
feeling it would be unavoidable this time.
Looking both embarrassed and resigned, Blaze
answered his mate's question. "You see, love, I am king,"
he hedged, trying to stall and ignoring Percy who still stood
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snorted
in
part
annoyance
and
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this world will care for me, protect me, want me, need me,
or understand me as much as you and vice versa." Tal
smiled sweetly and Blaze felt his heart swell. "You are
perfect for me Blaze, who else would get excited about
mating a Vermithian but someone who was supposed to
mate one? I thought about running away but I got this pain
in my chest and I couldn't breathe and I realize that leaving
you meant leaving a part of myself and I just couldn't do it.
That's why I agreed to mate with you, because I didn't want
to leave a part of myself behind and feel incomplete for the
rest of my life."
Blaze nodded again. He could understand Tal's
words and his hand shook at the feeling behind them.
Without Tal, he would be incomplete, just a shell of a man
until he died and he didn't want that for himself either. He
didn't want that for anyone. Even if Tal had tried to run
away, Blaze would have just found him and brought him
back. He wouldn't live without his soul ever again. He
would be whole and complete, with his mate by his side,
ruling over Tumaro together. As one fated pair. The Alpha
King and his Vermithian male Alpha Queen.
"Thank you," he responded, before kissing Tal on
the forehead. He looked up when he heard Percy's gasp and
quirked an eyebrow.
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****
"You're Vermithian?" Percy breathed out in
wonder. "That is so awesome! Can you heal and stuff too?"
Percy had always been fascinated by Vermithians.
He didn't know if the knowledge that even the men could
get pregnantand he'd always dreamed of giving his mate
childrenor if the fact they could heal and commune with
animals and nature intrigued him more. Growing up, he had
always been the student writing papers on the history and
current state of affairs for Vermithians. He'd always
thought maybe his mate would be Vermithian and that
would explain his fascination but he'd been wrong. He
gave himself a mental shake and shoved away all thoughts
of his fated half that bastard.
Tal laughed and Percy had a feeling his expression
of childish delight was quite evident on his face.
"I guess." Tal shrugged. "I know I heal really fast,
but I've never had to heal anyone else."
Percy stepped forward excitedly, forgetting palace
protocol, and his eyes widened when he realized he finally
had the opportunity to question a real-life Vermitian. He
had to make sure he didn't do anything to annoy Tal, not
just because of the Alpha Queen status and being Blaze's
mate, but also because he smelled Buck walking up the
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Blaze apologized.
Percy blinked, stupefied. He had known Blaze and
his brother, Buck, for years and had never heard Blaze
apologize, not even when he slammed open a door into a
servant's face. He'd merely growled and told the servant to
watch where they were fucking going next time. Percy
opened his mouth to reply when his entire body heated up
as if it were on fire, his cock hardened, and his eyes slid
shut when he smelled fresh wood, melted chocolate, and a
deep musky scent that made his mouth water. The greatest
smell ever, and he instantly knew Buck, the Beta Prince
his unclaimed and unacknowledged mate had walked up
behind him.
"Hey, Percy, how's it hanging?" Buck asked.
His deep velvety voice wrapped around him and
hardened his cock further. Percy hated how Buck always
pretended as if everything was fine between them. He hated
how Buck seemed to have no problem with them not being
mated. Most of all, he hated the fact he still craved the
bigger man. If Buck so much as crooked his finger at him,
Percy's wolf would wag his tail and rush towards the other
man. After all this time, the excuses, the false starts to their
claiming, the kisses that always ended abruptly, the lies, the
arguments and worst of all, the hurtful words thrown at him
by Buck, Percy hated knowing he still loved the other man.
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****
Blaze watched Buck when Percy rushed off. Blaze
felt extremely sorry for his brother and Tal's own sadness
filtered through their mate bond.
He followed his brother's gaze when it swiftly
turned towards Tal who couldn't contain his sniffles.
"Baby, what's wrong?" Blaze asked, pulling Tal to
his chest.
Tal gulped and Blaze knew it was in an effort to
soothe his wayward emotions. "How can you deny your
mate like that?" He whispered in a broken voice, his eyes
boring into Buck's.
Hearing someone voice his suspicions out loud,
Blaze felt confusion swirl through his mind. Buck wanted
Percy. Blaze could smell the arousal and need on his
brother's skin whenever he got within Percy's vicinity, and
yet Percy remained unclaimed. A blind man could see they
wanted each other. So why the hell were they still apart?
Now that he'd found and claimed his own mate,
Blaze couldn't understand why Buck would deny his. A
great guy, Percy would be perfect for Buckthey would be
perfect for each other. Blaze was confused by his brother's
reticence. A memory of his brother, battered and bruised,
smelling of different species, blood, semen, and urine
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him.
"God, baby, you're so beautiful," Blaze rasped,
gazing down at the features of his gorgeous mate.
"You don't have to say that, I'm already your mate,"
Tal joked.
Blaze had despaired of ever meeting his true mate.
He had to hide his sexuality and love for men from the
Elders since they didn't approve of a same-sex mating by
their ruler. He'd come so close to finally deciding to find a
female to marry, genuinely considering Anglania, in order
to obtain heirs when he had been told of the crash and had
walked into the clinic to find his true mate. A man so
beautiful he took Blaze's breath away and to show the crazy
wisdom of fate, his mate turned out to be Vermithian, more
than capable of providing him the heirs he wanted, while
still being a man which he so desired.
"I know I don't have to, but you are beautiful. And
since I'm not using flattery or compliments to entice you to
mate with me, you know I'm speaking the truth. And as the
Alpha, I have to speak the truth, and since I am king, you
must never doubt my words," Blaze pointed out, pleased
with his brilliant, quick thinking.
"Yes, Your Highness," Tal responded cheekily,
before sticking out his tongue.
Blaze grinned when Tal squealed after Blaze
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been much worse. His parents had regaled him with stories
of royal Alpha families from centuries past and he'd been
lucky, but he still felt as if he'd missed out on so much
those first fourteen years because of tradition. He missed
his parents a lot now, missed the fun times they'd had
together once he'd come of age, but perhaps he missed the
times he could've had with them even much more.
He wouldn't mope or complain about it though. His
father had been raised the same. Besides, Blaze hadn't been
adversely affected by it. He'd become well learned, welltraveled, and now mated. Even now he could be expecting
his first litter. His people weren't revolting. As a matter of
fact, most said he'd become just as good an Alpha King as
his father. Blaze couldn't possibly hope for anything better.
His children, his and Tal's, would be fine being raised by a
nanny.
"How horrible!" Tal gasped before stepping into
fully into the massive bathroom. "That's not how we're
going to do things. There will be no nanny. No one raises
our children but us. I guess we'll just have to start a new
tradition."
Blaze stood looking at his mate in amazement, the
thought they could just do that, raise their own litter and
change tradition, had never occurred to him. Perhaps he
could start a new way of living, create a new standard of
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CHAPTER SEVEN
Tal had been too busy being fucked by his mate the
night before to take much notice of their bathroom but this
time his eyes took stock of all the details. The room
sparkled. The tiles were gleaming silver and the walls
shone as if covered in diamonds. Upon closer inspection,
Tal realized they were indeed, covered in gems. Then
again, diamonds were in abundance on Tumaro, unlike
other planets. Against the right wall rested the largest tub in
history well, the largest one he'd ever seen. Big enough
to fit five adult Tumaron shifter males and their mates.
Opposite the tub stood a large shower with three nozzles on
every side, one at the top, one waist high, one at ankle
height. A small door in the center of the left wall led to the
toilet and 'his' and 'her' vanity counters, overlaid in black
and silver granite built on either side of the doorway.
"Holy shit," Tal breathed, his eyes wide when he
took in the luxury of the room, drifting down until they fell
on the emblem of a wolf carved into the floor. "This is a
fucking palatial bathroom," he whispered, shaking himself
mentally when Blaze chuckled.
"Of course, this is a palace. Where else would a
king live?" Blaze asked. "Now, about the whole issue with
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the nanny."
Tal gave him a brief scowl before returning to their
earlier conversation. "I don't care how they used to do
things, but if I am going to have to give birth to our
children, then I'm damn sure going to have the pleasure of
raising them the way I want them to be raised, to have my
influences and nuances. No ifs, ands, or buts about it," he
declared emphatically before turning towards the shower
and stepping inside. "I don't care if you are the damned
Alpha King. I'm the Alpha Queen and that makes me the
Queen Bitch."
Tal laughed, sure if Josie had heard that statement
she would have been quick to agree whole heartedly.
Sobering at the thought of his still missing sister, he turned
to the many different nozzles surrounding him and made a
promise that before he even thought about settling down
into his new role as the Alpha Queen, he would make sure
he fulfilled his role as 'Tally, younger brother to Josepire'.
"Now, come show me how to work this damn
shower so we can meet this Elder, and you can show me
around my new home before we go find my sister," Tal
commanded, determined not to think about the fact he'd
been fucking and orgasming, sleeping, eating, and learning
about his new mate, while his sister might have been
suffering through god knew what.
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CHAPTER EIGHT
Torqran grunted when his orgasm swept over him,
biting down on his lip when the top of his aching erection
exploded with the white liquid of his release. Lorthander's
cock jerked and then spewed its seed deep within Torqran's
bowels and he groaned, enjoying the feeling of the other
man inside him. Sometimes he wished he and Lorthander
could be together officially in front of everyone but it
would never be possible, because that would make him
gaysomething unacceptable in their society. Being gay
on Strawxig would be grounds for incarceration or
execution, depending on if the offense had been committed
before.
If he and Lorthander were caught, they'd both be
executed, they'd been having sex every single day for the
last twenty-five years; since the day they both turned
eighteen and discovered their feelings for each other. But a
public relationship between them would be seen as wrong
and the fact they felt as if they were mates put them in an
impossible situation. So they stole away to enjoy each
other's bodies, to enjoy each other, and then they went on to
the rest of their lives. Back to their wives and children.
He grinned when Lorthander collapsed over him,
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the larger man gasping for breath. Torqran closed his eyes
and breathed in deeply before coming to his senses at the
sound of his communicator beeping. He and Lorthander
hissed when the other man pulled out of Torqran and he
reached for his communicator, placing it on his ear before
answering.
"Go," he said.
He didn't need to introduce himself. As the head of
the GPA, he didn't need a fucking greeting or introduction.
"Master Torqran, it's Nortuvious," the man on the
other side of the communicator answered.
Torqran tried not to show his distaste for the
vampire. The vampires and snake shifters were distant
relations after all, but Torqran just couldn't stomach them.
They were always so much stronger than they appeared and
Torqran couldn't tolerate people whose appearance belied
their reality.
"Update," he replied tersely.
He wanted the call to end quickly. He needed the
call to end quickly. He shivered and held back a groan
when Lorthander kissed up his spine. He loved how
insatiable his bigger mate always proved to be for him.
Lorthander stood at six foot eight inches with muscles on
top of muscles, gold snake eyes, short brown hair, closely
cropped to his head, a square jaw, dimpled chin, and a
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Nortuvious stated.
"Good, we need to make sure nothing interferes
with that ship. No one boards it without us knowing about
it," Torqran commanded.
He gasped when Lorthander turned him onto his
back quickly and then gave a small groan when Lorthander
took his weeping cock between his lips and began to suck.
"Are you okay Master Torqran?" Nortuvious asked.
Torqran nodded his head frantically before he
realized Nortuvious couldn't see him. He had a hard time
focusing with his cock being enveloped in the hot, wet heat
of Lorthander's mouth.
"Y-yes, Nortuvious. I'm fine. If that's all, then very
good," Torqran panted.
Lorthander swallowed his cock fully and the head
entered the other man's throat. He clutched the bedsheets
beneath him. Lorthander had to be trying to drive him
crazy! But what a way to go.
"No, Master Torqran, it isn't! I um well"
Nortuvious hedged, his agitation and fear penetrating the
wavelengths of the communicator.
"You what? Just spit it out, Nortuvious, otherwise
get the hell off of my com link!" he yelled and then
groaned when Lorthander chuckled, his mouth still full of
Torqran's cock, the vibrations sending waves of pleasure
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CHAPTER NINE
Tal squared his shoulders and lifted his head, trying
desperately to look taller than his five foot six inch height
when he walked beside Blaze to the Hall of Elders. He
couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so nervous
okay, more than nervous, he was scared out of his fucking
mind. This counted as worse than when he snuck off to
have sex for the first time with a lion shifter. What had
been his name? Oh yeah, Frank Mufariso. He calmed down
somewhat when he thought about how sweet and gentle
Frank had been, although the fear still permeated his pores.
He also pretty figured it would be the height of impropriety
to be remembering your first time with another man with
your mate right next to you.
"Calm down, gorgeous, I can smell your fear and I
don't like the way that it smells on you," Blaze whispered
when they stopped before a large wooden door. "It's
making my wolf nervous and he's trying to get out in order
to protect you from whatever is threatening you. Just take a
deep breath and ease your mind."
"Easy for you to say," Tal mumbled. "You aren't the
humanoid about to be in a room full of wolf shifters."
Blaze chuckled and grasped the handle of the door.
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CHAPTER TEN
Blaze closed the door to the bedroom and massaged
the back of his neck. With a sigh, he turned to the other
occupant of the room.
"How's he doing, Alpha?" Mailon asked.
Blaze shrugged and walked over to the electronic
bar. "Drink?" he asked.
"Please," Mailon responded
Blaze nodded before pressing the necessary buttons
to get two glasses of Volauntic Fire; sweeter than
Vamprincian Flow and not quite as potent, it still did a very
good job of calming the nerves. He walked over and
handed a glass to Mailon before sitting in armchair next to
the couch in the sitting room. He so wanted to take off his
boots and his button-down blue shirt and black pants. He'd
already tossed off the royal robe he never left the suite of
rooms without, but no matter how close he and Mailon got,
he never got too comfortable or in this case, too casual, in
front of the man.
Blaze took a healthy gulp of his drink and Mailon
did the same. He grinned when Mailon swirled the pale
blue liquid around in his glass at the exact same time Blaze
did, neither speaking as they both gathered their thoughts.
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Blaze discreetly shook his head, letting the other wolf know
not to say anything. Tal had to get himself under control,
no one could do that for him.
"Josie still hasn't been found yet," Tal finally
responded, lifting a hand to brush away a tear. "But Blaze
is doing all he can to find her. Right, honey?"
Tal held so much hope in his eyes and Blaze felt his
throat tighten, but he only nodded in the affirmative and
hugged his mate gently.
"I sure am, baby. We'll find your sister. I'm doing
everything I can to bring your entire family back together
again," he whispered.
Tal wouldn't understand what he meant by the
cryptic statement and Mailon's left eyebrow lifted in
question as well, but as he'd just finished telling the Elder,
there were some things he couldn't tell his mate. The fact
Tal's younger brothers, two teens Tal obviously didn't
remember, were somewhere out in the galaxy, but he
couldn't be sure where exactly, or what they were doing, or
even if they were still alive, happened to be one of those
things he had to keep to himself. Even if his mate got angry
with him about it, Blaze would willingly make the
sacrifice.
****
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that's
him.
The
Versuthions
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CHAPTER ELEVEN
Tal came awake slowly and he winced at the harsh
light shining in his eyes. Lifting his arm to cover his face,
he turned his head when the bathroom door opened.
"Good morning, beautiful! I trust you had a nice
nap?" Blaze smiled.
Tal could tell his big mate teased. He and Blaze had
spent the entire night before with Mailon and then Percy,
who had promptly left when Buck showed up later on.
They had gone over where Josie could be and the best way
to find her. They discussed Tal's parents and then Buck had
taken Blaze out of the room, while Tal and Mailon chatted.
Tal had shared his fears with Mailon about the children,
being pregnant, his sister, his parents, and the weird dreams
he'd been having about two young boys since he'd crashed
and woken up in the clinic. Each time the dreams had come
Tal felt as if the two meant something to him and his heart
always pounded when he struggled to remember who they
were. They weren't his children, but they felt tied to his
past. He wished he knew why.
Mailon left soon after Blaze had returned,
promising him and Tal they would have lunch together the
next day, reassuring him that his sister would be fine. He
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man.
"You're gay? Oh my gosh! How could it be? How
will I ever deal with being mated to a gay male Tumaron?"
Tal asked dramatically. "How will I ever hold my head up
high when all of the other queens talk about their straight
husbands when I, Alpha Queen Talon Versuthion, am
mated to a gay Tumaron?" Tal placed the back of his hand
to his forehead and pretended to swoon.
Blaze's mouth hung open at his mate's teasing
before he threw back his head and laughed. He thought Tal
amazing. Only Buck and Percy teased Blaze, and they did it
sparingly, always respectful of the position and his title.
But it seemed as if his mate didn't care one twig about the
'Alpha King' and Blaze found that utterly refreshing.
Gathering his mate close in his arms, he kissed him before
releasing him so he could laugh again. He'd laughed more
in the last few days with Tal than he ever had before.
Definitely something to be said for mating the right person,
regardless of race or gender, and Blaze would be a much
better man with Tal in his life than without him.
****
Tal lifted his head and smiled. His mate's face still
brimmed with amusement. Tal might be slightly freaked
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got inside the palace walls, but she kept asking if anyone
else had been found. She was actually quite um
insistent that we give her answers. We thought perhaps she
was the Alpha Queen's sister, but" He glanced in Blaze's
direction. "The guard kept her arrest from you and the
Alpha Queen until they could verify her identity. No one is
taking any chances with your safety, especially with the
royal heirs involved."
Tal opened his mouth to blast Buck for keeping
secrets, but a quick head shake from Blaze made him settle
down. Fine. The whole royalty thing could be a big pain in
the ass.
Tal needed to know if Josie had been injured. "Is
she okay? You said she's in the infirmary."
He would never forgive himself if his sister had
been hurt. He might be younger, but his parents would be
disappointed with him if anything happened to Josie. He
really needed to contact them, they were probably worried.
"She's there because of the sedation. Once the
Elders had verification, they ordered the medical team to let
her wake up." Buck squared his shoulders and shot a look
of apology in Tal's direction. "She's demanding to see you.
Very loudly. Your sister is loud and demanding and
loud."
Tal chuckled in spite of being upset with the
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secrecy. "She's a bitch. You can say it. She knows she is."
He laughed at the look of shock and apprehension covering
Buck's face.
Apparently, Josie had been her charming self again
and had Buck scared of her. She had intimidating people
down to an art form. It would take a very special manor
womanto handle Josie. Tal wanted to leap out of bed and
race to his sister. He bounced anxiously as he wondered
what to do. He wanted to tell her all about his mating and
the children he'd be having, but he could already guess her
reaction to his new position and his new, what should he
call Blaze? Husband? Partner? Alpha Lover?
Blaze made the decision. "Good job, Buck. Why
don't you have her brought here?"
Tal leapt naked from the bed, unmindful of his nude
state, excitement overcoming him. He couldn't wait. His
sister survived, she was alive and looking for him. He knew
Josie. If she didn't see him soon, she would tear the palace
apart.
Luckily for Buck, he averted his eyes as Blaze
swept his mate into his arms.
"You are never to allow someone to see your nudity
besides me! Never, Talon! Do you understand me? My
wolf will not allow anyone to look upon his mate's nude
flesh and live. I'm extremely possessive and jealous and
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hurt me."
"And your feelings for him would be affected
apparently," Josie murmured before giggling at the look of
shock frozen on Tal's face.
He hated she could read him so well, even more
than that, he hated that she could pick up on the fact he had
feelings for his mate when he hadn't admitted to himself
yet. How could he though? They barely knew each other.
He wanted to protest, but the heated truth rolling through
him made a lie of the thought before he could even put it
into words. Damn Josie and her perceptiveness.
"So, besides being mated to the Alpha King, what
else happened while we were separated?" Josie leaned
back, putting her black slipper-clad feet up on the coffee
table in front of them.
Tal murmured under his breath, "I'm carrying five
babies." His cheeks flamed red because everything had
happened so fast and he still couldn't quite believe it
himself.
How the hell would he be able to handle five
babies? And even more than that, how big would he get
carrying five Tumaron-Vermithian hybrids? Wolf puppies
were a lot bigger than humanoid babies, weren't they?
"I'm sorry, what? I didn't catch that. But it must be a
doozy if it's got you blushing," she pointed out, her
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size of Blaze.
And Tal knew he shouldn't be noticing, but he
found the guard slightly attractive with his military haircut,
stormy gray eyes, and huge tattoo that appeared to cover
his entire body, including his face. Only patches of his
tanned skin actually showed. He only hoped Blaze hadn't
heard his thoughts because then he'd have two big,
overbearing, overprotective wolves in his room. All of the
guards wore the royal attire of green tunics and black
breeches, both edged in gold. Their swords, which would
usually be sheathed at their sides, were out as the rest of the
guard prepared to defend the order and safety of their
Alpha Queen. The heavy thud of their black combat boots
went silent as they prepared to engage what appeared to be
their insane comrade.
The guard in question slowly lowered Josie to the
floor, very carefully, treating her like a delicate flower.
He growled low again when Tal stepped forward.
"Mine!" His voice went low and rumbly, reminding Tal
fondly of his mate in his protective, possessive role.
The
guard
clearly
struggled
between
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Alpha
Queen,"
Gregor
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CHAPTER TWELVE
Tal followed Percy through the halls of the palace
trying to ignore his upset stomach and hoping that once he
ate he'd feel better. He listened with half an ear as Percy
droned on about the history of the Roughshire family, the
Tumaron people, and the palace. Tal really worried about
Blaze. Could his mate really be upset about Josie hugging
him? How stupid. His sister would hug him a lot. It didn't
make any sense. And the fact he couldn't speak to Blaze at
that moment? Well, even more frustrating. He stopped
when he felt the feeling of nausea increase and covered his
mouth with one hand, the other hand dropping to his
stomach.
Percy's hand landed on Tal's shoulder, propelling
him through one of the doors. They ignored the shouts of
the guards and Tal promptly became sick in one of the
toilets. It took him five minutes before he felt well enough
to push away from the basin and then he smiled up in
thanks at Percy who produced a towel and a glass of water.
Swirling the water in his mouth, he spit it out before wiping
his mouth with the towel. The water had a slight mint taste
to it and Tal was thankful for Percy's quick thinking. He
handed the items back to Percy and rose to his feet before
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how I would refer to it?" Tal asked, and fought the urge to
bite his lower lip nervously, suddenly aware of how
provincial and common he sounded.
Percy smiled consolingly and reassuringly at him.
"Court is held in the Great Throne Room. So you would
ask to be taken to the Great Throne Room to hold Court,
should you ever need to make that statement to anyone
else," the blond man informed him.
Tal smiled and breathed a sigh of relief before
nodding for Percy to lead the way. "You know, Percy, I
may need you to give me some quick 'How to Be the Alpha
Queen' lessons over the next few weeks. You know,
protocol, titles, dos and don'ts, how to walk, talk, dress, act,
who to suck up to, who to ignore, stuff like that. I know
you're my mate's assistant, but do you think I could get you
to help me as well?" He shot a quick look at the younger
man.
Percy's grin of delight at the question made Tal sure
he'd done the right thing.
"I'd be honored to help you, Your Highness, and
really, your mate doesn't need me much. The title of
assistant is purely an honorary one. We can begin whenever
you want."
Tal quickly gave Percy a one armed hug, not
wanting to smell too much like the other man for fear of
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suited as a lion shifter with all of the hair covering his thin
body and the thick mane of hair that billowed around his
face.
"Elder Clouston, I am aware of how things were
once done, but I am now mated and expecting my first
pups. How can I condone violence when my life is filled
with such joy?" Blaze asked.
Tal's heart clenched at his mate's words. He'd never
heard Blaze speak in such a way, not even to him. Perhaps
his mate hadn't been upset with him because of Josie?
Maybe he really did just have to rush off to hold Court? By
the looks of all of the people waiting to be heard by the
royal Alpha couple, a pretty fair assumption could be made
that being on time for Court was imperative. Tal would
have to ask Blaze to make sure he let Tal start getting ready
an hour before Blaze did if he planned on being on time.
He grinned when Blaze finally noticed him and
grew hard behind his pants at the smoldering look in his
mate's eyes. Blaze smiled with affection, obviously happy
to see him.
Without taking his eyes off the smaller man, he
addressed the entire room. "Tumarons! Just days ago the
One, our holy and omnipotent Goddess, saw fit to bless me
with my mate, and you with your Alpha Queen! May I
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CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Tal woke up alone. He sat up quickly and looked
around for Blaze, concerned that perhaps the events of the
past few days had been all a dream. Sometimes events,
people, and places got jumbled up in his head, especially
when he first woke up. He would find himself wondering
where the two young teens from his dreams were or if he
would see the beautiful Vermithian couple when he stepped
out of his bedroom door. And now, now there were images
of a tall, broad shouldered, gorgeous Tumaron Alpha King
with blazing blue eyes thrown into the mix. Happy he had a
few minutes by himself, he got everything straight,
remembering which events from his dreams had actually
happened and which were just the fanciful notions of his
unique brain.
His eyes took in the dcor of his royal bedroom,
seconds before his stomach roiled and he leapt from the bed
and rushed to the bathroom and became violently ill. The
door to the sitting room opened and closed and he heard
voices, but he couldn't even begin to be worried about who
had entered and who they were looking for. Too busy
throwing up everything he'd ever eaten in his life, and a
few vital internal organs as well, he was so grateful when it
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back
into
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Blaze twisted the lock on the door and began to stalk him
across the room. He tried to read Blaze's face and see if the
other man was upset with him or if maybe, just maybe,
only annoyed.
"We had a conversation when we first mated about
my needing to be respected in front of my people. Do you
remember
that
conversation
Talon?"
Blaze
asked
menacingly.
Tal could do nothing but nod.
"Do you think what you just did showed respect in
front of them?" Blaze stepped over to the trunk at the foot
of the bed.
Tal swallowed thickly and wondered what the trunk
held and if it would hurt him. Did Tumarons beat their
mates when they were upset?
"I'm not going to beat you," Blaze responded with a
mild chuckle.
He then turned around and Tal got a look at what
the bigger man held in his hands. In one he held a
blindfold, two pairs of leather restraints, and a silk tie, in
the other he held a small paddle.
"I am going to discipline you, however."
Tal shivered, though from arousal or fear he
couldn't be sure.
Tal looked at the items in his mate's hands and then
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back up. He and Blaze had never tried this before and Tal
didn't
really
consider
himself
into
the
whole
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the bed, his arms spread with his wrists shackled to the
headboard and his knees spread wide, the restraints on his
ankles stretching to accommodate his new position yet still
keep him bound.
Blaze stepped back to look at his handiwork, his
eyes continuously drifting up to the sight of his red
handprint on his mate's ass and a small shiver of delight
coursed through him. He stepped forward until he could
reach the globes of Tal's ass with no hardship. He took one
firm butt cheek in each hand and spread the globes apart
then bent over to blow across the pink star that seemed to
wink at him. Delighting in the shudder that wracked Tal's
body, Blaze blew once more before sticking out his tongue
and dragging it across the tense flesh. Tal's moan fueled his
own desire and he leaned forward to lick again.
"Scion, you taste so good, baby," Blaze groaned
before he reapplied himself to the task of licking and
sucking on Tal's hole.
Tal's sphincter began to relax and Blaze pointed his
tongue before easing it inside. Happy to be the Alpha male
and thereby able to shift different parts of his body at will,
he allowed his tongue to morph into that of his wolf's and
began to thrust the muscle in and out of Tal's welcoming
orifice, the raspy feel of his tongue obviously driving the
other man crazy, if his whimpers, moans, and pleas for
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CHAPTER FOURTEEN
"And then you'd turn to speak to the person on your
right," Percy stated and demonstrated the proper dining
habits of royalty.
Tal sighed. Bored, hungry, tired, cranky and he
felt well, he felt fucking pregnant. He didn't really care
about dinner etiquette. He wanted to eat the food sitting in
front of him but Percy wouldn't let him.
Stupid Tumaron law dictated you had to have ten
minutes of conversation before eating with each person
on either side of you. That equaled twenty minutes of
waiting to eat when the food right in front of him. How
stupid?
"Fucking puppy shifters," he grouched.
"Hey now, we're wolf shifters. I've told you that
before," Blaze responded, the amusement clearly evident in
his tone.
Tal's heart pounded with excitement. He loved
talking to his mate through their link. It made him feel so
much closer to Blaze. It also gave him a chance to gossip
about people without them knowing.
"I know, I know. But Percy is making me talk when
all I want to do is eat," he sent Blaze an image of the food
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as a fucking miracle.
"Yes, Your Highness," the vampire said with a grin.
"You sound just like my mates did when I first met them."
Tal opened his mouth to apologize only to watch in
amazement when two very large, very attractive Tumaron
men walked from out of the back of the store and towards
them. While Blaze definitely had to be the most attractive
man Tal had ever seen in his life, he could freely admit the
two men were definitely tied for second.
"Just be sure you are only admiring aesthetics,
love," Blaze's voice sounded in his head.
Tal grimaced slightly. He kept forgetting about the
stupid mental link he had with his mate.
"We Tumarons are very, very possessive and can be
very jealous, I'd hate to have to leave my meeting just to
come over and kill three businessmen."
Distracted for a moment, Tal noticed Buck seemed
to be talking with the three store owners about something
very important, if their rapid-fire words and big, wild hand
gestures were anything to go by.
Tal sent Blaze an image of himself rolling his eyes
before he replied. "How far does this whole mental link
thing extend? I mean can you be on an entirely different
planet and still hear my thoughts? Not that it's a bad thing,
but I'll tell you what, sometimes it might be nice to keep
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some shit to myself, like how hot I find another guy, even if
he's not as hot as you and my dick doesn't get hard over
him whatsoever," he quickly reassured his very large, very
possessive, Alpha mate.
Blaze chuckled before he responded. "It gets fainter
the farther apart we are from each other. But the closer we
get to each other, the clearer and more distinct it becomes
as well. Now, I do believe I should devote my entire
attention to this meeting before I sign away the palace or
something. Do have fun, Tal," Blaze said.
Tal laughed underneath his breath. It always tickled
him how Blaze could go from a sexy, playful, lustful Dom
who could also be all sweet words and snuggling and
caressesTal could almost guarantee that at night when
Blaze thought he slept, his big, strong mate gently rubbed
his stomach and talked to their unborn childrento a
formal, cold, indifferent, almost snobbish Alpha King in
five seconds flat. Tal found it quite an amazing feat. Not
one he wanted to accomplish at all, but it amazed him that
his mate could do it and do it so well.
Buck and the store owners headed back towards Tal
and he shook himself out of his mental musings before he
smiled and prepared himself for whatever scheme Buck had
hatched up.
"Your Highness, the Beta Prince has informed us
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tall man grinned and Tal blushed slightly at the sexy and
sinful action as the Tumaron stepped forward and bowed
low. He cleared his throat when Blaze stepped closer to
him and tried to control his wayward thoughts. He didn't
think he would ever be attracted to anyone else other than
his mate, ever again in his life, and for the most part that
was true. It wasn't so much that he was looking at this man
with lust or desire, but when he smiled, Tal felt a definite
something.
"I'm Stiving Hoyler. You can call me Sty or Styve, I
get both. And in case you were wondering, I'm half
Tumaron and half Namprincian," he explained and Tal felt
awareness and clarity wash over his mind. Well that
explained it all perfectly. With a giggle at being so obvious,
he shook Stiving's hand and stepped away.
"It was a pleasure to meet all three of you. Thank
you so much for assisting me with finding" He realized
he didn't even know his new pet's name.
Lifting the carrier slightly he looked inside and
decided to ask the animal for himself.
"What is your name little one?" he questioned him.
"Farthing," the animal responded.
Tal grinned. What a cute name.
Lifting his eyes back to the men behind the counter,
he finished his sentence, "Farthing. I am truly happy to
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CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Tal blinked his eyes open with a groan, the sunlight
streaming in through the windows, hurting his already
throbbing head.
"What the hell?" he grumbled in annoyance,
wondering whose ass he would have to kick for opening the
blinds while he still slept.
He squeezed his eyes tighter together, turning over
onto his stomach to go back to sleep, only to be
encumbered by the small bump in his belly. His breath
locked up in his chest and his eyes flew open. What the hell
had happened while he slept? As a matter of fact, what the
hell had he eaten last night? His mind raced and he tried to
figure out the reason for the lump in his stomach. Finally,
his mind caught up with the present and he gasped.
Sitting up quickly, he looked down at the now very
apparent evidence of the children that he carried within
him. "Oh. My. Scions. I can't believe it. I-it's real." He
gently laid his palms over his stomach.
The sheer magnitude of what he carried within him
weighed heavily on his mind and his heart. It had been two
and a half months since he'd been to the Hall of Elders and
discovered his pregnancy. Except for some queasiness,
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like him, Mailon didn't either, but whenever Tal had asked
the other Elder about it, Mailon just grinned and said
something along the lines of differing personalities, and
had left it at that. Elder Bryce stood in the middle of the
room, silently watching Josie when she turned her attention
to the other two visitors, both of whom were almost as
startling beautiful as Blaze and Buck. Almost. Tal would be
very hard-pressed to think anyone more beautiful than his
mate except the vid star Bohn Jarrowman, that man was
beyond beautiful. Tal had to watch him when Blaze wasn't
around. Blaze had destroyed two large vid screens because
Tal had sighed when Bohn had appeared on the screen. He
absolutely didn't understand the big deal. Bohn might be
nice to look at, but Tal knew he belonged to Blaze and
wanted it just that way. Maybe he should tell Blaze the next
time he went to watch Bohn on the vid screen. It might just
save them from having to buy another one.
Tal noticed the two strangers looked similar,
hauntingly similar, and wondered if they were related. Then
he realized they had to be related or clones. Either way,
they were practically twins, though one definitely seemed
like a more masculine version of the other.
"Aahh.
Alpha
Queen
Talon,"
Elder
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the Tumaron men were large, except for the Elders. Freud's
hair had a gorgeous blond color, cut extremely short in the
military style. His blue eyes seemed shifty, extremely
untrustworthy, and not too intelligent. Freud stared at Tal
as if weighing him as possible competition for something;
or to assess him as a threat for some inexplicable prize. Tal
wondered what the prize could be and if he'd come up
lacking in the other man's eyes. Freud had tan skin, which,
once again, Tal had come to expect of all of the Tumarons.
Freud smiled thinly and shook Tal's hand and
bowed deeply, almost mockingly. "It's a pleasure to meet
you, Alpha Queen Talon," he said with a sneer, his lips
twisting sarcastically.
Picking up on some underlying jealousy and thinly
veiled contempt, Tal pulled his hand back and nodded
regally to the other man. Definitely not a member of Team
Talon then, he thought jokingly, very happy to not be
projecting his thoughts and feelings to Blaze, because these
people were his cousins, his family members. He didn't
know how Tumarons viewed mates versus blood kin and
which relationship would be more sacred. Mentally
squaring his shoulders, Talon turned to face Anglania.
Anglania Lang was the feminine version of her brother.
While shorter and smaller than Freud, she still towered over
Tal and had more muscle. She looked like a warrior
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princess with her long blonde hair braided in one long plait
to the middle of her back. Her blue eyes were wide and
held such innocence in them that Tal instantly went on
alert. Beautiful, with a pert nose, high cheekbones, and
curvaceous body, she looked like one of the supermodels
from Earth, hundreds of years before the time before the
Great Interplanetary Awakening. Josie used to stare at
pictures of them as a teenager. Tal's mind scrambled for the
model's name but found it completely empty. With a
mental sigh at the further destruction of his brain because
of his pregnancy, he gave himself a stern mental talk.
Look Tal, you can't be an Alpha Queen based on
looks alone, you're going to actually have to bring
something to the table here. So straighten up and focus!
Get your mind right or they're all going to think that you
aren't worth a single Printakius.
Tal smiled at Anglania and shook her hand also,
shocked when she squealed and hugged him fiercely. He
tried not to choke on the cloying scent of flowers, sugar
and no way dirt? How gross.
"No shaking hands! You're family now, Alpha
Queen Talon. Family! I mean, we're all just so happy Blaze
has found his mate! We were beginning to despair for him."
She lowered her voice. "Although we were a little surprised
to hear you were a man. I mean how would Blaze get his
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CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Tal and Josie stepped out of the royal carriage
shuttle, Tal's laughter joined with his sister's as he entwined
their arms and began walking away from the vehicle. While
it was extremely difficult for him to allow someone else to
get his bags, and Josie felt the same, if they tried to grab
their purchases on their own, it would cause problems with
the palace servants. So the Tal dragged his sister around the
palace yard chattering about everything from their mates to
his unborn children.
He rolled his eyes when Josie rattled off possible
baby names for his 'litter of puppy hybrids' and tried not to
laugh when he realized every name was a variation of hers.
He and Blaze had only discussed baby names once before
Tal had magnanimously told his mate that when the time
came Tal would be too out of it to name anyone and would
leave that particular task to Blaze. He'd made the right
decision. Blaze's face had erupted in a huge grin. Tal didn't
share the information with Josie, however, letting her
chatter on about Josine, Josina, Josephiro, Josien and
Joseph instead.
Extremely happy he had this time with his sister,
Tal hadn't realized exactly how much he'd missed her until
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seat they gave me and, Josie" Tal sighed, his entire body
collapsing in on itself as if he were reliving some
unspeakable horror.
His arms trembled when he placed them over the
top rung of the gate surrounding the training area.
His eyes slid closed and his breath burst forth from
his chest, a harsh sound of emotion and anger. "Josie, Blaze
had these two men fighting. Physically fighting each other
over whose son was gay and had turned the other one gay. I
sat there watching them in complete horror. I kept looking
to Blaze but he just had that look on his face that he gets
when he finds something disgusting but isn't going to fight
against it, or anything, and I knew he wouldn't be any help
whatsoever. So, I did the only thing that I could do"
Josie groaned aloud, allowing her head to fall
forward onto Tal's shoulder from behind, before stepping
up beside him. "What the hell did you do, Talon?" she
asked, her voice filled with exasperation and a touch of
fear.
Josie would never understand. She hadn't been
there. She hadn't been there to look up and see the two boys
with their arms wrapped around each other, the taller and
older one kissing the temple of the younger one. She hadn't
been there to hear the trees all tell him that the two boys
were mates. She hadn't seen the two boys planning to run
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living organism's being that longed for and pined for its
other half. That person, that being, that shifter, that Dom,
that sub, that something or someone who completed them,
who made them feel something they never expected to feel,
and feel it so deeply it took over their life, haunted their
dreams, filled their every waking moment. A need that
caused wars and drove children to defy their parents and
full grown adults to throw away everything they'd worked
so hard for. He knew about that need, that yearning, that
desire. He knew about that obsession. The obsession to
have something or someone no matter the cost, no matter
what he had to do or give up, who he had to be
The two young men needed their families, but being
mated himself, he instinctively understood the importance
of being with his mate. Sometimes the family one ended up
being born into didn't matter as much as the family they
created and any family created with the mate they were
destined to be with was the ultimate. Not every person
received a family that truly deserved them.
Josie should understand. She'd been taken from her
parents at a young age because they were hooked on
Printakium Acid and then shortly after she was removed
from the home, they passed away. So while she would get
the idea of biological families not always being the best, he
didn't know if she would understand why he'd done this.
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whole situation still gave him the shakes, and it had been
weeks ago.
"I told them fighting over who was culpable was
archaic and beneath the Tumaron people. Then I told them
fighting because their sons were gay was insulting to both
their Alpha King and their Alpha Queen, who are both
men, and who are both obviously gay." Tal remembered
groaning in embarrassment, and his eyes slid shut slowly.
He couldn't believe he said it and from the sound of
his sister's scoff and the way she rolled her eyes, she
completely agreed. Tal lifted his arms, shook them slightly
and tossed them both back over the top rung of the gate
before lowering his forehead to rest on them. He was tired.
Not just physically tired, but emotionally drained. That day
still had the power to utterly and completely drain him, and
Tal didn't mind being drained, he just preferred to have it
be done in a much more pleasurable way. Like with Blaze
standing over him naked hard and doing the sexy
little growling thing that always made Tal shiver with
delight. He shuddered now as he thought of his mate
growling in his ear and considered for a moment sending
the image to Blaze when his sister's voice penetrated the
haze of lust currently trying to take over his brain.
Godsdamn pregnancy hormones. Emotional one minute,
tired the next, and then unbelievably horny right after that.
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all. In fact, Blaze looked past Tal to the two fathers. Tal
realized Blaze wasn't angry with him, he was angry at the
fathers and his purple face wasn't because Tal had
overstepped, but because the men were homophobic
assholes. His ruddy countenance had to do with being in
the presence of said homophobic assholes, and seemed
completely justifiable to Tal. As a matter of fact, had Tal
been able to, he would have matched his mate's purple
visage. Tal quickly squashed the thought or else he would
have been doubled over in laughter at the image of his and
Blaze's matching faces.
"Blaze was livid, Josie," Tal picked the story back
up, bringing his mind back to the present and his
conversation with Josie and off his reaction and that of his
mate. "He didn't know the two young men were mates. He
didn't know they were the age of consent, adults. He was
furious the true reason the fathers were fighting was
because their sons were gay and it was something neither
man approved of," Tal muttered.
The disgrace he'd felt at doubting his mate flooded
his body again like hot lava coating every insecure,
unworthy nook and cranny inside of him. He lifted his head
and turned to look at Josie. This part of the story always
made him smile, even though the parts leading up to it
always filled him with shame, fear, anger, and yes, just a
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touch of amusement.
Tal grinned brightly before he concluded his tale,
"Blaze declared that disputes would no longer be handled
with violence. Judgments shall be made by either the
judges of each city or the Royal Alpha Couple. Then he
turned to the two fathers and said finding a mate is a gift, a
treasure, to be cared for and gender is not an issue, never
should be, when it came to claiming one's mate."
Tal laughed in an almost childish delight, smacking
his hands down on top of the top rung of the gray metal
carbonate gate with glee and wrapping his fingers around
the top rung and pulling back slightly, his toes lifting just a
fraction in his slippers as he rocked back onto his heels.
"Then he asked the two boys if they were truly
mates and both stepped forward and said yes. Blaze asked
how they knew and the younger, smaller boy said he felt
the mating knot extend after he came inside of the other,
taller boy. Blaze said that meant that they were truly mates
and then he encouraged them to give each other the mating
bite." Tal grinned even wider, his white teeth gleaming in
the yellow green Tumaron sun.
He had never been prouder to be mated to Blaze
than in that moment, because Blaze had shown himself to
truly be worthy of the title of the Alpha King in Tal's eyes.
"Wow," Josie breathed and Tal glanced over at her.
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Blaze and Blaze cared about him, but what did Tal know
about loving someone? Anyone? Besides his parents and
Josie, Tal couldn't remember loving anyone. The dull
pressure in his head almost made him believe perhaps he
had it wrong about that assessment, but then again, maybe a
headache was just a headache.
"I love Gregor and he loves me. You have no idea
how amazing it is to just embrace and accept it, Tal.
Knowing you're with the person you were born to be with
and being in love with them, it's almost magical." Josie
sighed wistfully.
Tal stared at her and tried not to scowl in the face of
her apparent joy. He was glad that Josie was happy, he
really was, but Tal found himself feeling slightly ripped
off. He may have gotten the Alpha King as a mate, become
the Alpha Queen, gotten pregnant on the first try, but his
sister apparently got the love match. What kind of justice
was that?
"There you are." Gregor's low booming voice
sounded from behind them.
Tal
watched
his
sister
give
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face the empty fields. While happy he'd done away with the
violent, physical judgment competitions, with Blaze's help,
of course, he'd grown so bored he wished he had something
to look at. Allowing his mind to wander through images of
his mate in various states of undress, he pulled himself out
of his naughty daydreams when Josie yelled his name.
Turning only his head, so he didn't display his current state
of arousal, he observed his sister held in Gregor's arms,
cradled against the large man's chest.
"Do you want us to walk you back into the palace,
Alpha Queen?" Gregor asked.
Tal grimaced at the title again. Gods almighty, he
had to remember to tell Blaze to change his title to Alpha
Mate or even Alpha Consort if they wanted to keep with
the whole royalty angle.
"No, Gregor, it's perfectly okay. I think I'll just
spend a little more time out here before I head back inside
myself," Tal reassured the man with a smile. "And you're
mated to my sister, which pretty much makes you my
brother-in-law. Don't you think it's time that you call me
Tal?"
Tal tried not to laugh when Gregor's eyes widened
comically, his mouth dropping open in shock before he
gently set Josie down on her feet and dropping to one knee
before Tal.
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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Blaze felt it. Not the moment his mate's life had
been threatened, not the moment his mate and their children
were hurt, nor the moment his mate had been rescued, but
the exact moment his mate stopped fighting, the moment
Tal's heart gave out. Blaze felt it like a sharp Prinktakium
blade through his heart. With a loud roar, his hands flew up
to his chest, his eyes closed and his body shuddered.
It only lasted a moment. A second. A flash in time.
Because Tal's heart started back up only seconds after
Blaze had felt it stop, but those seconds were all he needed.
He'd been fighting what he felt for his mate for days, weeks
even, but in that moment, that brief moment of a reality
without his mate, Blaze knew he loved Tal.
He jumped up from his chair in his office and took
off running towards the infirmary, waving away the servant
frantically attempting to tell him about his injured mate. He
knew where Tal was and even though he didn't know
exactly what had happened, he definitely knew it would
never happen again. His growl scared off many of the
servants hovering outside the door, doing much more to
clear the area of nosy passersby and concerned members of
the palace household, than the small contingent of Gamma
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swung
down
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way. Our bodies naturally heal the injured area, and since
our babies are half Vermithian and half Tumaron, they're
almost indestructible. All five of them are fine."
Breathing a sigh of relief, Blaze dropped to his
knees beside Tal's bed, letting his head drop forward to
land on the bed close to Tal's fingertips. They were okay.
His kids, his mate, they were all okay, no thanks to the
bastard who had tried to kill them. Shaking off the rage
threatening to consume him again, Blaze turned his mind to
more important matters.
Lifting his head, he stared at Tal, his jaw clenched.
"You will have four guards assigned to you. They will be
with you whenever you're not in our suite. Every single
time," Blaze said, effortlessly cutting off Tal's protests.
He slipped his hands up and cradled Tal's face in his
hands. "I lost you today, Talon," he pointed out, his heart
losing its rhythm when he remembered the sensation of
Tal's heart stopping and then beating again moments later.
"I lost our children. Don't ask me to give in on this. I won't
do it. I won't agree to anything that puts you in danger. So
you will have four guards with you at all times. Whether
I'm with you or not, you will have four guards. I will find
out who did this to you and I will make them pay," he
promised.
"Yes, Blaze," Tal nodded and then exhaled as Blaze
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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Tal braced a hand on the wall and struggled to catch
his breath. His chest tightened and he inhaled deeply, his
lungs expanding when they thirstily drank in the sweet
nectar of oxygen. Being pregnant sucked. It sucked big,
hairy monkey balls. No one had told him how much it
sucked to be pregnant. Or about the weird cravings. Who
actually ate Boulantiq cheese with Edifician beef? The
combination was already weird but then when Vermithian
chocolate got added on top of that strange concoction, it
made it disgusting to everyone around him. However, Tal
couldn't get enough of it. Which made him feel like a fat
cow Vermithian, instead of a beautiful slender one. He
couldn't even hurry down the hallway without needing to
stop, rest, and catch his breath every few feet, not to
mention all of the little 'accidents' he'd been having lately.
Of course, Blaze invented the term, always with a
small patronizing smile on his face. Tal hated that smile,
with a fiery passion, deep within his soul. Between almost
falling down the stairs, to almost being run down by a city
shuttlecraft because he had to walk too slowly, he'd begun
to agree with Blaze. Maybe he did need to go on bed rest
until the babies were born. The only thing of concern? It
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afternoon,
Alpha
Queen,"
the
room
responded.
Tal made a move to get up, but Blaze tightened his
arms around his man's waist to stop him. He didn't want Tal
to leave just yet. He refused to look too closely at the
reasoning behind that feeling, merely settling Tal more
firmly on his lap.
"Okay, let's get back to what we were discussing.
Do we know where this fleet of slave ships is currently
docked?" Blaze asked, his voice turning brisk with business
and authority, even as one hand played with the strands of
Tal's hair and the other hand rubbed his mate's distended
stomach.
Tal's face scrunched up in confusion. "Slave ship?
What slave ship?" he asked through their mental link.
Answering his mate's question would only lead to
more queries. Maybe he should have let Tal leave when
he'd tried earlier? Of course he couldn't ask the other man
to do so now, so Blaze prepared himself to answer
whatever Tal asked him.
"No, Your Majesty, it hasn't docked yet, but it
seems to be making its way into our stratosphere from our
neighbor planet Namprince," Rico answered.
"There have been a few sightings of a slave ship in
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lose his best Gamma guard because he'd broken the heart of
one of Blaze's children. He only hoped Rico found his mate
soon, though he felt sorry for whomever it would be; Rico
seemed incapable of being faithful.
Sighing, Blaze settled back in his chair again,
keeping his arms around Tal and pulling the man tighter to
his chest when he thought about how completely lucky he'd
been to have found his mate. "Yes, Rico, what is it?"
"Forgive me Your Highnesses, but I think you'd
want to know our intel has gotten the names of all of the
passengers aboard the slave ship and there are two young
men aboard who might be of interest to the Alpha Queen,"
Rico explained hesitantly.
****
Tal's eyes widened considerably. His gaze darted
around the room quickly before he clutched at one of his
mate's arms that had tightened around his waist, certain
whatever the Gamma guard had to say would be life
changing in some way.
He finally met Rico's gaze. "Me? Why would they
be of interest to me?"
He didn't know why two young men on a slave ship
would be of any meaning to him. Besides the general
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CHAPTER NINETEEN
"Leave us!" Blaze roared and the room quickly
emptied.
Blaze looked down at his small mate shaking like a
leaf. "Talk to me, baby," he whispered.
Gods, he hated Tal had found out the way he had.
He didn't want his mate to feel the way he did at this
moment. Blaze would do anything in his power to spare his
man the pain of knowing his younger brothers were
imprisoned on a slave ship, being forced to endure all
manner of things.
He discovered Tal to be upset, in shock, amazed
the swirling, disjointed thoughts and images the smaller
man sent him through their mating link informed him of
that much.
Leaning forward, Blaze kissed Tal's forehead and
closed his eyes. "Please talk to me, Tal," he pleaded,
choking slightly on the need to ask for anything.
But his mate hurt and he needed to talk, and Blaze
would do whatever he had to do to get the man to do so.
"I don't remember them," Tal whispered brokenly.
"Why don't I remember them?" Tal looked up, his eyes
filled with tears, his voice soft, shaky and broken with
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emotion.
Blaze's heart clenched in his chest and the breath
stopped in his lungs. The last time he'd seen such an
expression on his mate's face it had been in the clinic after
his attack. Blaze had vowed to never see that look on his
mate's face again and he had failed.
"Who? Your parents or your brothers?" Blaze
questioned his voice rough with emotion.
He pulled the smaller man closer to his chest,
rubbing his pregnant belly gently in an attempt to soothe
him.
Tal sniffled. "Any of them. All of them," he burst
out with frustration.
The emotions rolling off his mate had Blaze roughly
shoving his wolf back. The animal sensed its mate's upset,
anger, and hurt and it wanted to get free and rip to shreds
the person who had caused its mate to feel that way. Since
they weren't positive who the culprits were, the wolf had no
one to seek out and go after, and for that reason the animal
would just go around and unnecessarily frighten and
antagonize anyone and everyone in an attempt to get
revenge for its mate.
"I can't remember anything about any of them," Tal
said.
Blaze released a deep breath and his wolf backed
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CHAPTER TWENTY
"Whoa," Josie breathed.
Her eyes had widened with the beginning of his
story, and now blinked in stupefaction. "So wait, are you
telling me you have two younger brothers you don't
remember who were kidnapped and sold into slavery the
night your parents were killed?"
Tal nodded and took a sip of the fragrant black rose
tea. Blaze had brought him back to their suite of rooms
where he'd made slow, passionate love to him, effectively
refocusing his attention from the past, to the present, before
bathing him in their luxurious bathtub. He'd then brought
Tal back into the bedroom and laid him down upon the bed
where he'd been ordered to stay and relax for the rest of the
day. Blaze left to go prepare for the rescue mission for Tal's
two younger brothers. Brothers. Tal's mind still spun with
the knowledge he had two younger siblings who had not
been as fortunate as he to be adopted by a wonderful
family, but had instead been kidnapped and sold into
slavery.
Tal also struggled with the guilt the same bit of
information gave him. He felt like such a little shit. He'd
spent much of his life complaining, choosing only to
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lifted
her
head
and
looked
at
him
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what to do. She didn't know how in the world fate had
screwed up by giving him a mate who'd been as weak as
Freud, but she she'd solved that little problem. The last
she'd heard, he'd been found dead in some back alley.
Anglania didn't care. She only cared that her brother had
been brought to heel just like she wanted. Besides, what did
it matter if her brother got off with another man? Hell, she
and Lorjenasea, her best friend since birth, were often
together, but she and Lorjenasea wouldn't be caught dead
falling in love or getting mated. Just not in the cards for
her. She liked being fucked by Bryce and while she often
felt the pull to mark or mate Lorjenasea, she wasn't gay, she
couldn't be gay, and she wouldn't let her brother or her
mate act gay either.
And it shouldn't be in the cards for anyone
especially someone professing to be the Alpha King.
Enjoy your title now, Blaze, because soon I'm going
to take away your mate, your kids, and then I'm coming
after your life.
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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
When Tal woke the next morning, his body felt
encased in pleasure. Struggling to figure out the exact
location of the incredibly good feeling, it didn't take long
before he moaned passionately when his cock was
enveloped in wet heat. Aahh. He shivered, electricity
zinging through his veins when the suction continued. Not
wanting to awaken from his pleasant dream, he squeezed
his eyes closed and forced his tense muscles to relax. His
hands lifted to grab hold of the back of Blaze's head
well, he could only hope it was Blaze. He lowered his hand
to the covers at his side and clenched the sheets in his fists.
His feet flexed, his toes stretching and bending and he
began to thrust his hips slowly, pushing his cock deeper
into his very own mysterious, morning-alarm-clock's
mouth, all while keeping his eyes shut.
"Uh-uh," a deep voice said from above him.
Tal allowed his eyes to slowly open, smiling
sleepily at the appearance of his big, strong, muscled, and
completely naked mate leaning down over his groin. He
was so happy it was Blaze, especially since he'd been
dreaming about said Alpha King. Blaze smiled wolfishly
and Tal's small grin widened as the rest of his body awoke
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of release.
Blaze knew Tal's nipples had become so sensitive
he could almost come just from having them sucked and
played with, but Blaze ignored Tal's pleading and
continued to tease and torment. Tal hissed when one of
Blaze's fingers pressed against his clenching channel. It
didn't take long before the finger slid deeply inside of him
and twisted, searching and seeking, before it homed in on
his prostate. Tal jerked, his cock leaking pre-cum as Blaze
thrust his finger in and out of Tal's body, inserting two
fingers after a moment, focusing on the one spot with
precision and determination. Tal's head swam with
pleasure, flashing with images of the things Blaze did to
him. None of the images made sense popping up and
disappearing in a rapid rate.
His head thrashed back and forth on the bed when
Blaze added a third finger deep into his ass and he began
cursing his mate. He swore at Blaze, begged him for
release, and told him how much he loved him, in quick
succession. His body tightened and he groaned loudly. His
orgasm quickly approached and he could do nothing to
hold it back. Reaching out with one hand, he grabbed onto
the back of Blaze's head and pulled him closer. He kissed
Blaze deeply before tearing his mouth away when his back
arched. He panted and huffed, one hand still holding onto
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the back of Blaze's head, the other holding onto the bigger
man's biceps, the muscles bunching and moving as the
fingers attached to them thrust into Tal's tight, puckered
entrance.
The tingle started at the base of Tal's spine,
signaling his impending orgasm. Tal's mouth opened in a
soundless cry of release before air returned to his lungs and
power to his voice and he called out Blaze's name in
wonder and passion, his seed erupting and splashing up
between them. His spirit lifted from his body and soared
around the room in ecstasy, the wind and beautiful energy
from the moment washing over him. He released the back
of Blaze's head when his spirit rejoined his physical body
and with a deep sigh he settled back into the pillows.
Unmindful and uncaring of the coolness of his spunk that
had been released onto his chest and his very distended
stomach.
Drifting back down from his orgasmic high
moments later, Tal became aware of Blaze's head resting
on his belly, his hand lightly stroking as he crooned softly
to their unborn children. His voice deep, powerful, quiet,
and soothing, he told their unborn children about the
history of Tumaro, the universe, the GPA's discovery of
humans, who actually thought they were discovering the
rest of the universe. He told them about values, ethics,
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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
"What do you mean you're going with me?" Blaze
hissed softly to his brother as he stood before him. He
looked over at Tal and gave his mate a small smile before
he turned back to glare at his sibling. His very upset, very
haggard looking sibling
Shit.
"What the fuck happened?" Blaze asked with a sigh
and instantly felt like an ass when Buck's eyes filled with
tears.
He knew Buck had something bad going on, but
whenever he asked his brother, the other man always blew
him off. He hoped this time Buck would tell him the
problem.
"Look." Buck swallowed deeply and Blaze watched
as he struggled to compose himself. "I just can't stay
behind, Blaze, okay? Please don't make me stay behind. I
have to go. I need to get off Tumaro. Do something. Go
somewhere. I've got a lot of shit going on right now and if I
stay here I'm afraid it's all going to blow up in my face or
I'm going to blow up. And then there's Percy" Buck's
words cut off abruptly as if realizing he almost gave away
something he thought a closely guarded secret.
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belonged.
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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Tal sighed sadly and walked through the palace
gardens, one hand touching the flowers and plants that were
in bloom, the other resting upon his very large belly. "I'm
very glad that all of my royal attire only calls for loose
pants and a tunic," he stated to his unborn children with a
smile. "I would never leave the room if I had to wear
anything even remotely form-fitting. Not that I'm not
excited to have you all there, even if I did have a slight
freak-out at first. I'm very excited about you all. I'm merely
stating the fact I am extremely happy I don't have to wear
anything seen even remotely as being sexy." He chuckled
then as an unbidden image of him in a black form-fitting
leather pantsuit arose in his mind's eye.
He thought of sending the image to Blaze through
their mental link but remembered the Alpha had told him
the day before they were going onto the slave ship that day
and he wouldn't be able to talk with him until they were
done. He would tell Blaze about the pantsuit when the man
returned if he returned and he'd make sure he wouldn't
consider putting Tal in the leather contraption from Hades.
One of the babies chose that moment to kick and
Tal rubbed his stomach soothingly over that spot. "Don't
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dearest,"
he
replied,
so
intent
on
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Tal had been drugged and kidnapped, not for ransom, but
for extermination.
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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Mailon, the 'not-so-elder, Elder', watched from the
bushes and quickly but quietly followed Anglania Lang,
her brother Freud, and Elder Bryce Morgasen, along with
two traitorous palace guards, as they drugged and
kidnapped Tal. He mourned briefly for the two guards who
had fallen in the line of duty, unable to offer their slain
forms the proper acknowledgement before he tried creeping
closer. He desperately wanted to leap forward and rip out
the throats of everyone involved with putting the Alpha
Queen in his predicament, but he had to tread carefully just
in case he reacted hastily and Tal ended up being killed
anyway.
On the one hand, he should probably alert Blaze and
Kazumi to what had unfoldedTal had been kidnapped,
but he couldn't. The timing wouldn't allow it. He didn't
have the minutes to spare to head over and grab his
communicator from his pants all the way around the side of
the palace wall. He had to stick with Tal. Another reason he
couldn't stop to get help. Tal was his friend, his best friend,
and he wouldn't let Idiot, Stupid, and Evil just walk off
with him. Especially since Siron, Tal's newly appointed
assistant and personal guard, had to have disappeared
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somewhere. Blaze had introduced Tal to the EdificianVermithian half-breed, and the two had instantly bonded.
And it relieved Percy from trying to assist both Tal and
Blaze. Siron proved to be faithful and always at Tal's side
when needed. The fact Tal had been out in the garden alone
could only mean Siron had been missing since very early
that morning.
He put his muzzle to the ground and silently
followed them, very happy they wouldn't be able to identify
him. For the very first time since he'd shifted and realized
his Epsilon status, he truly appreciated not being easily
identifiable even when he close to someone.
He only needed to follow the trio to where they
were going to hold Tal and then he could go get help, or
rather, extra help and probably a doctor for Elder Bryce,
Anglania, and Freud, because once he finished with them,
they would all need one. Either a doctor or a coroner.
Huffing out a satisfied breath through his nostrils, at
once very pleased by his rationalization and his plan, he
continued to follow the group of kidnappers. They would
pay. Even if he had to rescue Tal all by himself.
****
Tal woke up, agony tearing apart his insides, his
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moving and he could only hope they would get back to the
palace soon.
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind, than
the panel leading to the front of the shuttle opened and
Buck stepped into the small seating room where they all
gathered around Tal. Buck's eyes stayed trained on the very
large, velvet-lined, and cushioned box he held in his hands.
Blaze thought it looked as if it had been cut in half and only
contained the bottom section. Buck gazed at the box rather
intently and Blaze wondered what significance it held.
"I thought you may want to put the babies here until
we arrive at the palace," he said and offered the box to
Blaze.
"You want to put my children in a box? Like they're
animals? Are you crazy?" Tal exclaimed in the highpitched wail Blaze had quickly grown to hate.
Then he groaned in pain.
"Tal, it's your box. The one from your shuttle?
When I heard you were in labor and we were coming to
rescue you, I grabbed it. I thought you'd appreciate it,"
Buck said in aggravation.
Blaze could have happily throttled his brother in
that moment. Didn't he know that no one should make the
monster angry?
"What's the second baby's name, Blaze?" Tal asked,
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am
uncertain,
Your
Highness,"
Mailon
responded.
"You're uncertain?" Blaze exclaimed. "Are you
fucking kidding me? You know what? You're fucking
fired," he growled.
"What?" Mailon asked.
He might be slightly irrational, but in that moment,
Blaze didn't care. His mate hurt, his daughter, his youngest
child hadn't been born, and Mailon didn't know what the
fuck was going on? Why the hell did he have an Epsilon
wolf if he was just going to let him down?
"B-Blaze?" Tal whispered, his throat sounded raw
from all the screaming he'd done.
Blaze turned and quickly crawled back to his mate's
side. "Yes, my love?" He placed gentle kisses on his lover's
forehead again, hoping this time he'd be able to achieve the
action without being strangled.
"S-s-scared," Tal stuttered.
Blaze could only watch when Talon's body
clenched with a fresh wave of pain.
"I know you're afraid, my heart, but we're going to
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help get the baby out and" Blaze tried to reassure his
mate only to be cut off.
"N-n-not me the baby, Lalani," Tal interrupted.
"Lalani?" Blaze questioned, feeling his lips pull up
into a smile.
"That's her name. You named the boys. Gave them
all those horrible names," Tal pointed out.
Blaze merely grinned before giving Tal a swift kiss
on his dry, chapped lips.
"H-help her, Blaze. H-help her come out, be born.
Not be scared. Help. Her," Tal choked, his words slurring
and getting slower.
His mate's body had weakened from the blood loss
and fear gripped Blaze, remembering what it felt like the
last time that he'd lost the man.
Frantic with worry, Blaze indulged the whim of the
smaller man and his brother left the shuttle, racing to find
the palace physician.
"Okay, baby, I will," he promised.
Kneeling beside his mate's stomach, he tuned out
the sounds of his four healthy newborn sons who were
sucking on the freshly made bottles that had been rushed
from the palace. The first few hours of a Tumaron
newborn's life were the most critical. They were required to
feed almost immediately in order to assure they would be
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man's skin.
"And you're rehired, as well," Blaze said with a
hearty chuckle.
Blaze looked down and saw the weary smile Tal
offered him and he walked slowly and carefully towards
their rooms, their daughter still held tenderly to Tal's chest.
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EPILOGUE
Blaze got Tal settled with the babies all carefully
placed on the bed securely around him, as he'd requested.
"I'm not used having them not kicking and moving
inside me, and we almost died, so I want them close," Tal
explained sadly.
Blaze could completely understand the feeling.
While he hadn't carried the children within him, he still felt
the overwhelming urge to wrap all five and his mate in a
giant impenetrable bubble. They had all experienced so
much he wanted everyone close so he could see they were
safe and well taken care of. Tal had it right, there would be
no nannies in his children's future.
Blaze couldn't be more aware he'd almost lost the
love of his life and his children because of someone's greed
and hunger for power. He didn't argue with Tal, merely
smiled and laid all the babies close to his exhausted mate
and placed pillows around them to keep them safe. Once
sure the babies were securely settled on the bed, he left to
bring Trenton and Tuvarion in to meet their eldest brother.
Both the young men had cried when Blaze had told them
their eldest brother was alive and well. More than that, he
was mated and expecting children. Blaze had been
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short and thin and both had long hair, slim patrician noses,
and full, pouty lips. Trenton's eyes were almost a
translucent light brown and his hair, while almost the same
dark brown as Tal's, didn't have the blond streaks and fell
to the middle of his back. He also had faint muscles in his
arms, and a chiseled jaw. As for Tuvarion well Blaze
admitted he still wanted to see proof that the youngest
Versuthion brother was not a young girl.
Blaze gave himself a mental shake and tried to rid
himself of the effect of insane captivation Tuvarion seemed
to have over all the men of Tumaro. To Blaze, Tuvarion
was not nearly as attractive as Talon, but he could
definitely see the young... man, was indeed breathtakingly
gorgeous. His long, flowing blond hair, filled with loose
waves, fell to his knees and, very unlike his brothers whose
eyes hadn't changed quite as much at puberty, Tuvarion's
eyes were lavender. Along with his striking coloring, which
the kid had in spades, there was also his very diminutive
frame and androgynous features. His hands were small and
dainty and even his voice sounded soft and slightly husky.
Blaze knew that anyone any man who tried to
win the hearts of these two Vermithians had better be
prepared to work for them. They would not be easy to
control or lead, regardless of their size. Hadn't he learned
that very thing from his own mate? He thought of Rico.
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The man definitely had his work cut out for him when it
came to being mated to a Versuthion teen.
Blaze smiled when he heard Tal laugh as his
reunion with his younger brothers continued and he
proceeded to introduce them to their niece and nephews. He
loved being able to bring his mate a moment of joy. He
knew that his father was looking at him from the Great
Beyond with pride. He and Buck had reconciled, although
he was sure there was so much more going on behind the
scenes with his younger sibling that he wasn't even aware
of, which didn't sit well with Blaze. Percy settled within the
palace with a manner of contentment, although Blaze felt
quite certain that until Buck claimed the younger man, he'd
always look as if he were broken inside.
Blaze had also done one of the biggest things his
father had asked of him. He'd found all three of the
Versuthion boys and brought them to the kingdom to care
for them. Granted, Tal had showed up in a completely
unconventional manner and Blaze hadn't really had
anything to do with it, but Tal was there and that was all
that mattered.
Blaze couldn't be more thankful that his mate had
accepted their mating and given birth to their five beautiful
children. Moreover if he had to be honest, he was really
thankful for the crash that made it all possible.
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****
Tal sighed as he pulled the blanket up over Lalani
and slowly stepped away from her crib, backing out of the
nursery slowly and very quietly. It had taken him three and
a half hours, but he had finally gotten all of the babies to
sleep. Either he'd gotten better at putting them to bed or
they had decided to take it easy on their daddy that night
and fall asleep quickly.
It was at times like this, he almost considered taking
Blaze up on his previous 'Let's get a nanny, just in case.
Besides it's tradition' offer. However, he soon remembered
he loved putting his babies to bed, and he wouldn't change
it for anything in the world, especially because he loved the
moment when he looked at them and they were quiet and
asleep.
Happy he'd gotten out of the nursery without
waking any of them, Tal breathed a sigh of relief. He would
kill anyone who woke them before morning.
Softly closing the door, making sure to engage the
video and audio baby monitors in case one of the babies
needed him, he walked through the sitting room and headed
towards his and Blaze's bedroom. From there he'd go on
into the bathroom where he had a nice, long bubble bath
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THE END
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