Page 39 of Kenan's Mate
“Good. Now, I take it Joanna has visited you before?” he says a short time later, during a quiet moment of a song.
“Yes. She visits on some mornings. I realize she is a slave, and perhaps I am not supposed to speak to her, but she has become my friend. She reminds me of my grandmother.”
“I will fix the force field to permit her entrance, but she must have her master’s permission before she comes into our house. I suspect Zandek will grant such permission. She might be a slave, but I know I can hardly expect you to view her as one, since she is also from Earth.”
I gasp and wrap my arms around his waist, hugging him tight. “Thank you, Kenan. I was worried you would be angry. I didn’t tell you about her visits because I wasn’t sure how you would react.”
“If someone ventures up the mountain near our house, it is hardly your fault, Laylah, though in the future, when I inquire about your day, I expect you to tell me everything from now on. If you have a visitor, I would like to know.”
“Of course, and thank you again.” I suspect he might’ve at least scolded me for keeping Joanna’s visits a secret for so long had it not been for this morning’s events, and though I feel awful that it took a human woman getting beaten to within an inch of her life for Kenan to display such understanding, I am hopeful that he’s capable of change, and I have never felt more optimistic for our future together.
The seriousness of today’s events seems to weigh on his mind as much as mine during the next few hours. Though Kenan isn’t usually talkative, he is even quieter than normal, especially as we take a long walk in the forest, venturing down stone paths he hasn’t yet showed me. Normally during our walks, he points out wildlife and landmarks, but today he is introspective and content to walk with his arm around me in virtual silence. He’s put the leash on me, but still guides me to step next to him, and my heart swells to finally walk side-by-side with my mate, even if we are completely alone in the woods.
That night he doesn’t make love to me, but he holds me close under the covers, caressing every inch of my body until I fall asleep in his strong embrace. By the time I awake to the sound of birds chirping the next morning, I feel calm—truly at peace—in my mate’s arms. I snuggle deeper against his chest, listening to him talk in Kleaxian in his sleep.
When the morning sun warms our bedroom, and sends bright rays of yellow across the floorboards, he finally awakes. His eyes light up and he smiles at me the instant our gazes meet.
Heggal enters with our breakfast, and for the first time since Kenan has claimed me as his mate, we eat breakfast in bed together. He delights in feeding me berries and other fruits by hand, teasing me occasionally by snatching the morsel of food away just before I try to bite. I giggle and playfully smack his chest, only to be given a faux stern look that makes the lower portion of my stomach clench with need. He even turns me over and delivers a series of light playful slaps to my bottom, before allowing me to finish breakfast.
The Kenan who yanked me out of the cage in this very bedroom would’ve never joked around with me like this. It’s the simplest, silliest thing, eating breakfast in bed and teasing each other, but I think it’s one of my most favorite moments with Kenan thus far.
Please let there be more days like this.
Chapter Eighteen
We’re enjoying a late dinner while rain pounds the roof. The short pale servants—who I recently learned are actually slaves purchased from another race of aliens—flit in and out of the dining room with a variety of Kleaxian delicacies. I’ve been Kenan’s mate for thirty days now, and he says we must celebrate. He doesn’t admit it, but I think he’s also looking for an excuse to take my mind off the brutal events that occurred in town last week.
As I sit across from him, I shift in my seat, unable to get comfortable on my recently spanked bottom. I’m also wearing the largest plug in Kenan’s collection. This morning he came home agitated after settling a dispute that had turned violent in one of the villages. He didn’t give me the details, but he’d been fuming and pacing around the house all afternoon, until he summoned me to the bedroom and ordered me to remove my dress.
He’d spanked me to tears and then kissed those tears away, cuddling me in his arms for hours before finally loving me. And it had felt like love. He’d straddled me and stared into my eyes as he slowly pumped his cock in and out of my aching pussy. When we climaxed at the same time, the moment had felt transcendent, like we were the only two people in the universe and our hearts were fusing together.
Throughout this shared experience, the emotions running through me had brought tears to my eyes, and I couldn’t help but wonder if somehow I was experiencing the same strength of attachment Kenan holds for me as a result of the Kleaxian mating bond. He claimed humans can’t sense it, but the lingering fullness in my heart and the depth of emotion jolting through me whenever I glance at Kenan makes me doubt his claim.
I love him. I really do. Despite our less than ideal beginning—God, I had been so frightened of him that day when I awoke in the cage—I can’t deny harboring a deep tenderness for him. Back on Earth, I hadn’t honestly ever held an attraction for a boy my age. I hadn’t dated, beyond one horribly awkward evening at fifteen. We went to an old-fashioned roller skating rink, and the boy had kissed me, and I hadn’t liked it. His wet, slimy lips and nacho cheese breath had made my stomach turn. Even before the disgusting kiss, I hadn’t planned on seeing him again.
The only attraction I’d felt for the opposite sex on Earth had been the huge, muscle-bound actors from movies, who were much older than me, often twice my age or more. And as much as I liked watching the strong heroine save the day, I also liked those scenes during which she became the captive of a ruthless villain.
My heart would commence racing and my palms would go sweaty when the heroine I admired became a helpless captive—at least until she bravely managed to escape. Sometimes I would fantasize that the villain was somehow redeemed and the heroine fell in love with him in the end, even though the violent tendencies that were a huge part of his former life still simmered below the surface. This dark past of his, of course, made him rough and possessive of the girl he captured and kept as his own.
Now I wonder if perhaps I only sought out such movies and books in order to satisfy a dark part of me I hadn’t been able to voice aloud.
We finish our meal and take a stroll through the lush gardens surrounding the estate. Though Kenan doesn’t typically put the leash on me if we don’t leave his property, tonight he slips it around my neck. I don’t protest. The slight pressure of the leather circling my neck reminds me I belong to him, and this reminder now brings me a peace of mind I never realized was missing from my life.
After our walk, he leads me upstairs. Being led into our bedroom by the leash makes me quiver with need. The leash symbolizes his ownership and absolute authority over me. Tonight he’s going to be rough with me, I can sense it. Not only because I’m still wearing the leash, but because when he turns to look at me, his eyes have gone entirely black.
A slight jerk of the chain brings me into his arms. He kisses me thoroughly, and I moan into his mouth and thrust my tongue against his, tasting the wine we enjoyed over dinner. He pulls away but rests his forehead on mine while holding my face in his large hands. The end of the leash is wrapped around his fingers. A delicious shiver skitters down my back. He still hasn’t let it go.
Stepping back, he leads me to the bed and gestures for me to bend over. I obey, spreading my legs, because if I don’t, he’ll slap the insides of my thighs until I comply. I expect him to fuck me while I’m wearing the plug, so I’m surprised when he slowly pulls it from my backside hole.
“This is the largest plug, you know.”
My breath catches.
He’s taken the plug out because he plans to claim my ass tonight.
I start shaking, though anticipation coils tight in my core, and inexperience and nerves accelerate my growing arousal. My clit pulses and I know I must be drenched between my legs, as desperately as I ache for his touch.
“You know what’s coming, don’t you?” He drops the leash to retrieve something from the dresser. When he returns, he trickles a cool liquid atop my most private hole.
