Page 34 of Fire Forged

He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, wanting so much to close the distance between them, to taste her lips.“The pain…is gone,” he rasped, gritting his teeth at the partial lie.The Ethera had ceased its demands, but now his malehood throbbed.

“Good.”She shifted in the comfy, her breasts jiggling.

This was foolishness, placing himself in this situation.He should succumb, force her to accept him sooner.She liked the look of him, found him desirable.That mattered to humans.

“Nerx?You all right?”she asked.

He met her gaze, then smiled.Yes, he was more than ‘all right.’“Dinner in the common?”That seemed safest.

“Sure.”

He pushed off, sending himself away from her too-tempting lips.“See you in an hour.”

Exiting Aldur’s quarters, he leaned against the bulkhead, drawing strength from its cool Maloidian steel.Maker, that was close.That she’d willingly touched him sent warmth through him.She wasn’t opposed to being his.He just prayed the Ethera would be happy with that for now.

Chapter Ten

Brittastaredatthedoor.Her fingers tingled from touching him, her thoughts whirled, while her emotions danced around like jumping beans.What the hell had just happened?

Dar Eths, soulmates, voids, and sex?Sure, trust her mind to lock onto the last item.She shivered.Who was she kidding?Sex with Nerx would be mind-blowing.She had no doubts about that.

Still, to be his forever?She didn’t have a choice, and neither did he, by the looks of things.This Ethera-thing had chosen by changing his eye-color?She called bullshit.Part of her wanted to flip her finger at fate’s interference.She didn’t appreciate anyone but herself deciding her future.Another part whispered that he’d never have looked at her twice if it wasn’t for this stupid soulmate shit.And despite his protestations otherwise, he hated her guts, so this switch was…unnatural.But it was different for Mom.She and Aldur hadn’t fought from first sight.Quite the opposite.A firehose would’ve come in handy.

Britt swallowed a hysterical giggle.Should she warn Mom or let Aldur tell her in his time?

She was torn.Not once had she interfered with Mom and Dad’s relationship.Doing so now with Aldur when Nerx had said they’re already married would be awkward.But if Mom found out Britt had known all along and hadn’t said anything?Groaning, she rose then swayed, her knees weak.

Nerx, a sexy-as-sin Etterian, the very man she’d pepper sprayed and tazed, was her husband?She gulped, her stomach rising to choke her.No white wedding for her.No declarations of love.Just an instant husband and family.

Bright joy exploded like fireworks in her chest.Lily was her daughter now.

Laughing, she tried not to think about her kidnapping accusations.How had Nerx not lost his temper?That man might just be strong enough to handle her sass.She smirked.Tonight, she’d test his acceptance of her.There was no way she’d hide that part of her from him.She was who she was, and if he didn’t like her that way, he could eff right off.

Why wasn’t she super pissed about all this?Had she changed from the Kev incident?She prodded her soul.Was it because Nerx was as trapped as she was?Wait a minute, no way would she trust his word without question.She’d done some dumb things once or twice… Okay, maybe many times.But he couldn’t spin some story and expect her to suck it up like a gullible idiot.

After yanking on leggings and slippers, she marched through the common to her old quarters but hesitated at the door.Rolling her shoulders back, she walked in then released a grateful sigh at finding Mom not in Aldur’s arms.

“Aldur, could I speak to you…please.”Britt hitched a thumb at the door.They could ‘chat’ in the passage.

“Britt?”Mom frowned.

“I need him to show me something in his quarters,” she lied.

“Oh, of course, Lady Britta.”Aldur placed a tablet on the table and ushered her out, shutting the door behind him.

“Just Britt will do, Aldur, considering that Mom’s your Dar Eth.”

He froze and released a long breath.“Nerx told you?And you are not furious?”

“I should be with this Etterian nonsense.”

“I understand why you might think it so.If you bear with me, I shall explain.We were unruly warriors centuries ago, killing each other without care.Our king at that time approached a superior race known as the Durn.They engineered our genetics to calm our more volatile natures.The Ethera came into being.At first, all was well.Then fewer females were birthed, which impacted the number of matings.Until Princess Oriana, Dar Eths were considered a myth.”He glanced at the door.“Not anymore.”

His ice blue eyes did match Nerx’s, when just a few days ago, his had been a dark blue like Ziot and Sena’s.She folded her arms across her chest, trying to squelch the truth cinching her heart.“Why haven’t you told my mom?”

“I do not know how.And I cannot lose her.For a warrior as old as I, to find my Dar Eth is a gift beyond measure.”He glanced at the closed door.“She is incredible, Lady Britta.”

“Britt,” she said.“What will happen if you never tell her?”

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