A Mate for the Senator (Brion Brides Book 9) Read online

  It would have been so easy to throw herself at him exactly the way she'd sworn not to. In theory, Xaven matched her in every way. He was as headstrong as she was, determined, powerful... not to mention gorgeous. It wasn't a necessity, but it sure helped. Eleya wasn't going to deny she'd had a harder time falling asleep than usual when Xaven was away at the academy.

  She'd stayed awake, imagining what it would feel like to have a warm body sleeping next to her through the night. And still be there in the morning, hers and hers alone.

  The nagging little doubt held her back. There were people on Briolina who enjoyed puzzles and riddles, but Eleya wasn't one of them. Her interactions with others got considerably more careful when she couldn't figure them out and Xaven was one such.

  The bond was blinding her, that was the problem. Usually Eleya could zoom right in to the aspect that she had an issue with.

  "I believe you," she said. "I just don't know if I want to play a game with something so important."

  Xaven smiled at her. The sincerity of emotion caught Eleya off guard.

  "You of all people should know that the bonds are nothing but a game," he said. "You take two hearts, set them on a board of life and see how they fare. And blindly, we jump into it, open ourselves up to another person in a way no one else in the galaxy understands. We do it, hoping that we win the ultimate prize, risking everything for it. How is it not a game?"

  That was all true. Eleya hesitated, but Xaven knew her too well. Being a public figure came with the obvious drawbacks. The captain knew that as an ex-general, she couldn't back down from a challenge like that.

  "Very well," the High Senator said, unable to keep the smile off her face.

  That always happened when she was faced with the rare opportunity to practice what she loved most.

  "For a kiss?" Xaven asked, the flame of desire surging skywards in his eyes.

  "For starters," Eleya promised.

  4

  Xaven

  The battle hormones were burning in his veins, mixing deliciously with the desire.

  Xaven watched Eleya prepare for their duel. They had both agreed to not wearing armors, playing the game for first blood. At some point, the captain wanted a real duel as well. He didn't think Eleya would mind it at all, despite it coming with the threat of real wounds.

  She was a Brion, from toe to tip, and Xaven couldn't have been more excited to spend his life by her side.

  The High Senator was adjusting the belt of her training gear. It was a dark green skin-tight outfit, a short dress with deep slits on either side. Eleya wore tight black pants underneath, looking every bit the warrior she was. Her boots were low and obviously fit her perfectly. The long dark hair was tied up in a tight bun now, all distractions taken out of the way.

  Xaven loved it.

  Some females in the Brion armies felt that the rough golden armors didn't allow for much femininity. So they found ways to compensate. Wearing their long hair loosely was one method, training in clothes that were uncomfortable in favor of practicality was another.

  Eleya did none of that. She was naturally beautiful, exuding an aura of grace and power like a warrior goddess. Xaven appreciated the fact that she didn't even consider putting on a show for him.

  She'd come to win and that made her sexier to him than if she'd fought stark naked.

  Well, perhaps not then.

  The mental image jumped before his mind's eye so fast Xaven knew he couldn't live long without touching her the way he wanted to. Every bit of his mind, body and soul called out for her, for the true union.

  "What's my prize?" Eleya asked, coming closer to him and resting her spear against the floor.

  She didn't look concerned at all. Xaven wondered if that was a bad sign.

  "What would you like?" he asked. "Anything that's in my power to give is yours."

  "Exactly," Eleya replied. "You are very free with your heart, your possessions and your position. I want something else."

  "I am your gerion," the captain noted, his deep voice carrying the edge of burning lust. "I dare you to find something I wouldn't want to give to you."

  "Done," Eleya said, smiling softly. "If I win, you stop all this blackmail nonsense. Our bond will progress naturally, moving to the next step when we're ready and not a moment sooner. I will not start scheduling fate because you want to fuck me."

  Xaven groaned. Just hearing that word from Eleya's pretty pink lips, spoken with a passion burning in her sharp eyes... it made him harder than he could ever remember being. The High Senator's eyes dropped to the bulge in his pants, smirking victoriously before she raised her eyes to him again.

  She was a she-wolf. Xaven bared his teeth in a snarl when he realized he'd walked right into a trap.

  "You think that's fair?" he asked. "Accepted, by the way."

  "Fair?" Eleya asked, taking three steps back and letting the tall spear twirl in her hands. "We are Brions, Captain."

  The valor squares on Eleya's neck were pulsing red hot light, bathing the arena in its glow. Xaven had never seen anything like that. Eleya used the shadows created by her own crystals to move in the shadows, circling him. She was controlling the light in the room, making use of every weapon she had.

  The truth of just how much time he'd wasted in General Castalen's service hit, hard. Clearly, Eleya's removal from the Brion armies had been a crime. Just like she'd been telling them all for years.

  "Come, then," Eleya called to him, her soft voice suddenly heavy with desire, tempting like the divine spirits. "Come show me how much you want me. How badly you want to claim my lips, to make me howl your name," she mocked.

  Xaven charged with a roar. Every word out of Eleya's mouth was a weapon, hitting right at his weak spots without missing a single blow. The female was using his desire for her against him. A Brion warrior was able to fight through incredible wounds and blinding conditions, but if there was one thing still to be mastered, it was dueling with a hard-on.

  Desire had a way of corrupting battle. It ensnared the mind completely, making the warrior deaf and dull compared to his true skills.

  Eleya laughed, sweetly and brightly. The laughter echoed in the room, magnified and distorted by the valor squares. His gesha really was using every bit of herself in the duel.

  It worked, too. Xaven's blind charge was so foolhardy Eleya had no trouble sidestepping him. The shadows she created and the distracting sound of her laughter resulted in momentary confusion. It was so miniscule that it barely existed for a regular person, but they were Brions and Eleya was one of the best.

  Xaven had to take a heavy blow against the arm, blocking the shaft of her spear with his shoulder. The weight of the strike was so punishing it vibrated through his muscles. With savage glee beating in his heart, Xaven twisted and turned out of the way as Eleya came after him, not letting him catch a breath for a second.

  There was no time to adjust his grip or hit back. She kept the pressure on him perfectly, advancing with each step.

  Trying to avoid getting his blood drawn was quickly becoming his only priority. There was no counter-striking as Eleya redoubled her efforts.

  Only his natural skills saved him. The ones Xaven had had since he'd been a young boy. Instincts that sometimes failed others never let him down. Now they were helping him fend off his gesha.

  "You are so damn hot, I'm really considering throwing this thing," he growled at her.

  Eleya's eyes were bright and wide, so much more alive than when she was her usual politician self. With the spear in her hands, she seemed to come alive and be the person she truly was again.

  "Don't you dare," she shot back. "I will know and I will not accept it. Do not insult me."

  "I wouldn't dream of it," Xaven said, finally catching one of Eleya's blows, locking them together.

  She held firm, but the vicious streak had been broken. Xaven considered his options. Eleya was so damn quick it was hard to believe after years out of active duty. She was definitely quicke
r than him, and more agile. Like that, matched against each other, however, strength came into play and she couldn't match him there.

  Eleya knew that too. She quickly broke the deadlock and moved away, beckoning him closer again.

  Xaven wasn't falling for that, but they couldn't stay in opposite corners of the arena forever. He focused. The prize Eleya had promised him was too good to let it slip through his fingers. There was no way he'd lose that duel.

  With that knowledge, Xaven surged forward. He could see the flash of surprise in Eleya's eyes as he now forced her into the defensive position. His gesha was still fast as lightning, striking back every chance she got. The blade of her long spear came so perilously close to the captain a few times that he could feel the sharpness in the air.

  It was a pure miracle he wasn't bleeding yet, but the gods seemed to be on his side.

  "You're bluffing, you know," he told Eleya, who was now breathing heavily just as he was.

  The flushed look was good on her.

  "I'm not," Eleya said firmly. "That is not how you win."

  "Not with the fight," Xaven said, keeping her well in his sights as he approached with each step and strike. "With the bets. I have seen the way you look at me and right now, with the battle hormones beating in your blood, I can see everything. Valor squares don't lie. Your heartbeat neither.

  "You want me as badly as I want you."

  Eleya was a fraction of a second too late with taking control of her expression. The look that flashed before Xaven's eyes wasn't the one he'd been expecting. His first guess would have been that he was wrong and the benefit would have been pissing Eleya off. And if he was right, he fully anticipated Eleya getting mad at being discovered like that.

  The emotion he saw in a glimpse was clear. Eleya was impressed, even if she didn't admit it to herself.

  Xaven rushed in. The spear in his hands cut and parried, slicing through the air until he was close enough to knock the shaft against Eleya's leg. She cried out, stumbling back. The second of being off balance cost her the duel. Xaven's spear whirred through the air, cutting the slightest trail of blood on her forearm and stopping there.

  He didn't want to hurt her any more than he had to in order to win her.

  Eleya looked at the red with a deep disdain, lowering her spear.

  "That was good," she admitted seriously, eyes still on the wound. "We should repeat this one day. It's been a while since someone gave me a real fight. Much less won one –"

  She didn't finish her thought.

  Xaven dropped his spear on the ground and pulled Eleya into his embrace. He could hear the weapon falling from his gesha's grip as she accepted her defeat.

  The captain kissed her. Deeply, passionately, like he had never felt the soft lips of a female against his before.

  Eleya couldn't hold back a quick, soft moan when Xaven pushed his tongue into her mouth, relishing the taste of her. She was perfect in his arms, fitting there like she was crafted for his body. Xaven deepened the kiss, thinking of how well they were going to fit together when they finally made their bond real. His hands wandered all over her divine form, groping her ass. He nipped at her lips, loving the way Eleya responded with the same, wild and untamed like a wild creature. She writhed against him, pulling at his black shirt, running her hands over his muscled chest.

  "Win me," Eleya whispered to him, her voice shaking a little from the desire. "If you can."

  Xaven didn't let her tell that to him twice. He lifted her into his arms and carried her all the way back to her quarters, never even noticing the palace around them or missing the weapon he hadn't parted with since he received it.

  All that mattered to him was Eleya.

  The bet had been for a kiss, but they both knew there was no stopping once they had gotten the first taste of blood.

  5

  Eleya

  Control was slipping away from between Eleya's fingers.

  It felt like she was trying to hold on to wind, or perhaps daylight. When she was near Xaven – very, very close right at that moment – the mere concept of control seemed impossible. The animalistic, feral fire that lived in her Brion soul was raging, trying to tear free.

  Eleya didn't have enough arguments to fight that.

  If she was being perfectly fair, she didn't want to conjure up any.

  Xaven was right, after all, damn him. The duel had gotten her blood pumping, rushing her body with emotions and feelings she had thought she'd forgotten a long time ago. Perhaps the captain was right about her not being as cold and shut-off as she thought she was as well.

  Eleya didn't care about any of it as Xaven set her down on her bed, climbing on top of her, covering her with his amazing, powerful body.

  She ran her fingers over his broad chest, loving the feel of his sculpted abs. Eleya pulled up his shirt and Xaven ripped it off of himself without bothering to see whether he tore it or not.

  She stared at him, writhing underneath her new gerion. Her panties had been wet before, seeing her fated fight, but now Eleya's pussy ached for him with a desire she had never felt. It was impossible to replicate the attraction between fated mates and her first bond had definitely not been a real one.

  "Go on," she urged him. "You wanted this. Take me."

  Xaven observed her with a curious look in his eyes, bending down to kiss her deeply. Eleya ran her hands over his broad back, pulling the captain closer to her.

  "You're very eager suddenly," Xaven remarked. "That's an interesting change from before when you didn't even want to touch me."

  "This is bound to happen anyway," Eleya said. "We might as well do it now when the duel is fresh in my blood."

  "Get it out of the way?" Xaven asked, pulling away.

  "That is not what I said," Eleya protested, trying to pull him back to her, but the warrior didn't budge.

  "It sounded like it," Xaven replied. "Wasn't it you who lectured me before about ticking off things in an imaginary checklist? I will not claim you like this."

  He started to pull away, but Eleya grabbed at him, pulling herself up and kneeling opposite him on the bed. She struggled for words, which was a first. The High Senator guessed that it was only proof of how serious and real the situation was. She didn't feel any pressure in high-stakes circumstances and intergalactic politics, but her heart was not something she wanted to risk.

  "I want you," she admitted. "I have from the moment I met you."

  The knowing smirk was back on Xaven's lips. The captain waited patiently, not interrupting while she went on.

  "I don't think you're going to be surprised when I say I don't trust bonds a lot," Eleya said. "I kept thinking there was something wrong with me, that's why I never expected to find another gerion again. Now that I have one, it seems too valuable to risk it. So I have to trick myself, fight harder than I should and longer than I need to. Does that make sense?"

  "Yes," Xaven said. "I trust you. I don't think you're a person who would lie for someone else's benefit. And I know how much you want me. Just answer me this. Do you want me right now, here?"

  Eleya considered it. There was too much at stake to make the mistake of throwing herself headlong into a hope that would only be dashed. She regarded Xaven, trying to see him over all the walls she'd built to protect herself from ever going through the pain that she'd experienced with her first bond again.

  "I do," she admitted, realizing how true it was.

  She wanted her fated so badly her body was shaking, arching into his arms even now when Xaven was barely touching her.

  The captain didn't let her repeat that. With a hungry snarl, he pushed her down to the soft sheets again, tearing her clothes in the middle to get to her. Eleya let him work, taking the chance to watch the rapture play on Xaven's face. She moaned softly when the last of her clothes were thrown to the floor, out of the way.

  Xaven stopped for a moment, letting his dark blue eyes wander over her body. Eleya could see his cock growing hard again and the outline of
it was making her pussy long for him even more passionately.

  "You too," she said. "I want to see my fated."

  Xaven chuckled, nodding to her. He stepped off the bed, leaving Eleya in the torn rags of her clothes, naked and hot for him. She pushed a hand between her legs, slipping one finger into her pussy, watching Xaven undress.

  The warrior groaned, deep and dark, watching her hand move, waiting for him.

  "That looks incredibly sexy," he said. "You have no idea how hard it was for me to stay away from you for three short days when this was the exact image I envisioned before my eyes. You, on our bed, working your tight pussy open for me."

  Eleya smiled, biting her lip, suppressing a victorious chuckle when Xaven started moving twice as fast.

  She gasped when her gerion stood in front of her naked. The rock-hard cock was huge, standing tall, thick and long and mouth-watering. Xaven caught her staring and the grin on his lips promised Eleya that it would all be hers.

  "You had better prepare me for that," she told him when the captain climbed on the bed, kissing her hard.

  Xaven moved down her body, pressing soft, teasing kisses on her flesh. Eleya buried her hands in his short hair, tugging at the strands, trying to urge him on to move faster.

  "You give a lot of commands for someone about to be claimed," Xaven said, the smirk on his lips telling her that he was only teasing her.

  "I'm used to it," Eleya replied, going along with it. "I know what I want and – ah!"

  She cried out when Xaven moved her hand out of the way and pushed two fingers into her wet pussy. The warrior never took his eyes off her as he settled into a brutal rhythm, teasing her. Eleya grasped the sheets, pulling at them and crying out every time his fingers hit the spot of pleasure inside her.

  "Tell me what you want, then," Xaven prompted, his deep voice betraying how much the teasing was affecting him too.

  "You," Eleya moaned.

  The look of ecstasy in Xaven's eyes was a sight that sent thrills down her spine. The warrior groaned, wrapping his free hand around his cock and giving it a few tugs.