Page 31 of Fionn
"You are my match." Her words were quiet but certain. "Pam told me just now. According to her genetic test, we are a match."
Time became a rippling current that swept me away. I couldn't breathe. Couldn't believe it.
"Fionn?"
I took a deep breath to steady myself. "I... I didn't think it would happen so soon. Pam didn't give us much hope. Just because our ancestors had found mates on Peritus didn't mean that we would achieve the same. But here you are, my mate. My Elise."
I wanted to touch her, kiss her, but the mountains of food still separated us. Elise's gaze also flicked to the plates between us. She must have been thinking the same thing. I hoped.
I swept my arm across the blanket, pushing all the dishes into a messy heap on the side. Elise - my mate - gave me a wide-eyed look, then laughed.
"I guess that's one way of tidying up. What are we doing now?"
"Now, I will kiss you."
I breached the distance between us and knelt before her, cupping her face. Her skin was soft and warm. The scratches on her cheeks had faded but I could still see where Kelon had injured her. He would pay. I would make him pay.
Gently, I lowered my lips to hers. It was instinctual.
I had never done this before, but I had watched it often enough to know what to do.
The moment our lips met, my old life ended and my future began.
She tasted of everything I'd been missing. Her lips were soft yet strong as she met my kiss with the same passion I felt. Her hands snaked around my back, pressing me against her, while our tongues began to dance. I stopped breathing. Nothing mattered but her taste, her warmth, her presence. I drowned in her kiss until all my layers peeled away; the guard, the clutch-brother, the rejected male, the hopeless warrior.
She clung to me, wrapping her legs around my waist. My cock came to life, hard and strong, desperate for attention. She must have felt him press against her belly, but she did not recoil. If anything, she pulled me even tighter against her small body.
When we finally broke apart, both of us were breathing heavily. Her lips and cheeks were flushed, her pupils dilated. I loved seeing her like that. I'd had that effect on her, nobody else. My cock tented the Peritan-style shorts I was wearing in her honour, and for a moment, her attention flicked down there, but she didn't comment.
"Thank you," I said breathlessly. "Thank you so much."
She cocked her head to the side. "Are you thanking me for a kiss?"
"Is that not done amongst Peritans? We are taught to thank a female for any and all physical attention."
"No, I don't think we have a rule about that on Earth. But please keep doing it. I like it."
I smirked. "Does that mean there will more kisses I can thank you for?"
"I think that can be arranged. Where did you learn to kiss like that? I've never... it was spectacular."
Her praise hardened my cock even further. I would have to find a quiet moment to take care of him - unless Elise... No, this was not the right time. Kelon was still out there. I couldn't give in to my urges and fantasies only to then be surprised by him at the worst possible moment.
A deep buzzing sound far away made me straighten. The Tidebound was on the move. Hopefully, they would find Kelon before the midday meal. He could have swum a fair distance since his disappearance, but the Tidebound had advanced scanners that would reach deep into the sea. He could not hide from us for long. And once he was back on this island, we would make sure he never had an opportunity to harm a female again.
"Do you want to stay here for a bit longer?" I asked Elise. "Or we could go for a walk? Or a swim?"
I had to force myself to suggest these things. I wanted to keep her locked into her suite where it was safe, where I could guard and protect her. But I knew better than to expect her to sit there like a caged avian. She was a female used to being active. She wouldn't enjoy being cooped in, despite the danger to her life.
"I don't think I'm quite ready for a swim yet. I hate to admit it but my muscles still feel like I've swum a marathon. How about we try the hammock? It looks big enough to fit us both. You can tell me more about life on Finfolkaheem and I can explain some human traditions to you." She pulled her small communicator device from her pocket. "I can show you pictures of my home, where I come from. And my parents."
Parents! For some reason, we had not talked about her family yet. Guilt bubbled up in me. I should have been more interested in her life, asked her more questions. I had to show her just how interested I was in her.
"What are their names? Are you close?"
"They were called Stacey and Ron. But they're no longer with us. They were killed in a car accident five years ago."
I didn't say anything. I simply pulled her closer, wrapping her in my arms until the world could no longer hurt her.
