Page 32 of Indentured Companion
“Oh, I’m sorry.” He frowns and harpoons the flames of my anger. “I thought…you’re right, of course. I should have asked. I amverysorry Valerie. Please forgive me?” Damn it, his eyes are watering. He thinks I’m really angry with him. I damn well should be…but…screw it. I’m totally not. It would have been a very different story had the egg beenloaded,but it wasn’t, and he knew it wasn’t. Korvis mating season isn’t for another 7 months.
“I forgive you.” He sighs with relief and smiles at me.
“Thank you. I will make sure to ask next time.” His smile is bright, and I chew my lips as I weigh up if I want to address the fact he’s thinking about the ‘next time’ he can ‘egg me’. Man, my life and my vocabulary has changed so much in the last 4 months. I’m still warm and fuzzy from the very hot sex we just had, so I decide to let it go. For now. “My beautiful Queen.” He leans down and tries to nuzzle my hair from the left side of my neck.
“What are you doing?” I chuckle at the tickle of his nose.
“Tending to…oh?” He leans back and bashfully clears his throat. “I was going to tend to your neck but…I didn’t bite you.” I grin, fully aware of that fact. “We didn’t make love because of my Bonding Succour. We had sex because we just…wanted to.”
Oh crap. He’s right. There was no biting or envenomation to whip us up into a mating frenzy. We…kind of did that all on our own. I haveno ideahow I should feel about that. I must have looked awkward, as he chuckled nervously and tried to pretend he didn’t say anything. “So? That was delightful. I suggest you hold your skirt around your waist, and I’ll back up to get some wipes. I’d hate to stain your lovely dress. W-we also have the Gala to attend. It’s easy for me to change my attire, so I’ll do that promptly.”
Vrajan fussed over me in a way that was to distract me from the truth grenade that just went off in our pants and then our faces. We just had sex because wewantedto. No Bonding Succour was used in the making of this sex-tactular escapade. Vrajan took one look at me, told me how beautiful he thinks I am, and I pounced on him. We became hornier than two teenagers in the back of a cruiser. It was all us. What I felt, was all me. “Here you go.” He carefully presses a few wipes between my legs so I don’t leak onto the dress. “I’ll see you by the transfer airlock?” I didn’t get to answer, as he fled from the room. Probably because he’s freaking out as much as I am.
As I ‘freshen up’ and try to look as pristine as I did before, I’m oddly nervous about going out there to face Vrajan. Everything was really simple before when ‘the venom made us do it’. Literally. No such excuse was responsible for the romp we just had.
“Valerie, my beautiful Queen. Look at how beautiful you are. Is it any wonder I am addicted to you?”
Addicted to me…without the need for his venom? And how exactly doIfeel about Vrajan, if I don’t need his venom…to want him so badly I chased after him and started this whole thing?
Chapter 24
Where we stand
Vrajan.
I can tell she’s tense beside me as we sit together in the transfer shuttle. She’s picking at her nails and hasn’t said a word since we left. Rather predictably, the security in charge of the Gala are taking their time to process the Korvis vessel before allowing us to dock. The transfer shuttle is fully automated, so I don’t have to focus on flying or anything other than the silence between us. I can’t stand it. What we did was wonderful, and then because I put a spotlight on the fact we made love because wewantedto, not because of my Bonding Succour, Valerie has withdrawn into herself. I have known how passionately I feel about her for a long time. I believe she is unsure how she feels about me, and this was a rather blunt way to find out she’s at the veryleastattracted to me. Without the need of my venom.
“Valerie?” I speak her name softly and hesitantly tap one of her hands with mine.
“Hmm?” She snaps out of whatever preoccupied her and blinks up at me. She’s done a wonderful job in freshening up. You can’t tell at all that she was a wanton mess before we set off today. My feeding companion looks lovely in her regal gown. I want to run my fingers through her soft waves she’s styled into her hair, but I abstain.
“May I?” I tap again at her hand, and she offers it to me with a smile. I slide my fingers between hers and enjoy the affectionate gesture when she gives my hand a squeeze. “I fear we don’t have the time to properly discuss what just happened between us before the Gala.” Her eyes widen and she tenses. “But after the Gala, I would very much like to talk about how you’re feeling. What you are thinking. If there is anything I can do to support you in any of the above.” I lift her hand to press a kiss through my veil to her knuckles. “I regret implanting within you without permission, but otherwise, I regret nothing.”
“Oh I know.” She raises a brow at me with a cheeky grin. “Talk about trigger happy.” She darts her eyes down towards my groin and I chuckle at the insinuation.
“Well, yes.” I clear my throat, blushing behind my veil. “But I want you to know I care about you a great deal. More than I have ever cared about anyone else. Please don’t feel any pressure to rush anything. We have plenty of time, you and I.” I pat her hand and hope I’m putting her at ease. “I therefore suggest you don’t worry too much and just let things develop…naturally.”
“Naturally?” She chuckles and shakes her head at me. “Vrajan? Honestly, I don’t know where I stand anymore.” She shrugs with a sigh.
“How so?”
“Well? Four months ago I entered into this agreement with you as your indentured servant, and your feeding companion.” She crosses one leg over the other and finally opens up to me without resistance. “I signed on to let you drink my blood.” I chew my lips, worried she’s regretting agreeing to be fully envenomated. “Things have already developednaturallytowards us becoming friendsbeforethe whole Bonding Succour thing. I still understood where the lines were drawn when I signed the amendment to allow your secondary ducts to be unblocked, and for us to have sex with each feed too.” I nod encouragingly. So far, I don’t see an issue anywhere, so she can’t be finished. “But I stepped over that line with you today.” She swung her right hand up and gestured between us. “The line wasgone,and we became more than just master and indentured servant. We were more than friends. We became lovers.Reallovers.”
“I don’t see anything wrong with that.” I add timidly and hold onto her hand like an anchor in the coming storm.
“The lines are just kind of blurred now. I knew where I stood before, and now I don’t.”
“Then I shall tell you.” I nod firmly and hold her gaze. “You stand with me, and I stand with you.” I half turn on the seat, determined not to lose her by fumbling this pivotal moment. I love her too much to fail. Losing her terrifies me and pushes me into action. “I do not want you to feel under any sort of pressure. Please don’t worry about where lines are or aren’t. All that matters is we are together. You and I are a team. I need you to know that I cherish our time together. I cherishyou.”My other hand cups her face and I stroke my thumb along her cheek bone. “Yes, we have grown much closer than when we first met. Back then, I didn’t know you enjoy watching comedians and wrestling matches.” She smiles up at me and it’s heavenly. “I didn’t know that when you raise a finger to wait a minute, it’s as good as warning me you’re about to go to battle.” She snorts and chews her lips together. “And I certainly didn’t know as many curse words before meeting you.”
“Ha!” She chuckles and her cheek curves against my hand. “Well, I keep telling you? I’m a Merchant Caste girl. Miner by trade. We hurl insults like meteorites.”
“That may be true.” I chortle and lift her chin as I lean down to whisper to her. “But that is notallyou are. Just as you are not only my indentured servant and my feeding companion. You are also my confidant, my friend, and the woman I care for above all others.” I press my covered brow to hers and close my eyes. “Please don’t worry about boundaries and lines. We’ve come so far together already. Don’t pull away from me now, Valerie.” I bring her hand to my chest and open my lilac eyes to look into her lovely brown ones. “Don’t look back. Move forward with me. One step at a time.” My thumb smoothes over her lips, and I lick mine with the urge to kiss her. “No matter what our future looks like, let’s walk into it together.”
“You know?” Her tone is playful, as is the smirk on her face. “I see why you were appointed as the Dynast.” Valerie takes her hands back, folds them under her bust and chuckles at me. “You’re a silver tongued bastard, aren’t you?” I cup my hands together on my lap and shrug.
“I have been told I am a persuasive speaker.”
“Very.”
