Page 57 of Retribution
She cared about him of course, and had he died from the knife wound she would’ve been devastated. Utterly heartbroken, in fact.
“It’s all right if you don’t love me, Layla,” he said, running a hand through her dark tresses, sweeping her locks aside so he might better see her face, not allowing her to hide behind a veil of hair. “I don’t expect you to.”
Tears blurring her vision, she peered over her shoulder, and when her eyes collided with his, she finally allowed herself to examine the depths of her heart, to explore the parts of herself that she’d tried so very hard to keep closed off to Zamek. Walls crumbled to dust, shields clattered to the ground, and warmth and light flowed through her as her heart was finally, finally laid bare before him.
In the midst of the destruction, in the center of her unguarded soul, the answer stared her so clearly in the face that she felt like a fool for not having realized the truth sooner. She did love him.
She pushed herself off the pillows, turned around, and grasped his face.
The dark depths of his eyes lit with surprise, and he froze. Even his chest stopped rising and falling. He was holding his breath, waiting for her to speak.
“But I do love you,” she said softly, and some of the tightness in her chest eased.
The shock in his gaze burned brighter. He stared at her as if she’d just sprouted antennas. Her smile broadened and warmth flooded her.
“Wife,” he said in a tone filled with affection. “My wife.” He cupped her face firmly. “I would have never dared to dream of holding your heart, but oh how it pleases me.” He swallowed hard and gave his head a slight, disbelieving shake. A brilliant smile soon broke across his face.
She nudged the pillows aside, lay down on her back, and parted her thighs.
“Make love to me like this,” she said. “Please.”
His nostrils flared and he pounced on her, settling himself between her thighs and leaning down to kiss her. This time, he was rough, and she clutched onto his arms and struggled to take in air through her nose as he deepened the kiss. Her heart beat rapidly and she groaned when he thrust into her, driving his cock fast and deep.
As he set a rapid pace of claiming her, of loving her, he withdrew from the kiss to stare into her eyes, holding her gaze as their bodies joined and they officially consummated their union.
“I still plan to breed you,” he said, arching an eyebrow. “I’ll fill you with my seed fiftyfluxxingtimes a day if that’s what it takes to finally see your stomach swell with our child.”
She flushed all over and tightened her grip on his arms. She tried not to think about how rare Kall-human pregnancies were. Only human females who possessed a specific and very rare genetic mutation could conceive a baby with a Kall male. Oh but how her heart ached with longing at the thought of having a child with Zamek.
He swirled a finger over her clit as he pumped into her, and the headboard banged against the wall with his every rapid thrust. Just as pleasure swept over her and she cried out her release, his cock jerked inside her, vibrating as his seed spurted into her depths.
He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers, their panting breaths mingling, their bodies slick with perspiration. She shivered as another cool breeze entered the room. The night was loud, the nighttime insects buzzing and singing in the tall grasses and trees, and the nocturnal animals screeching and growling all over the mountainside.
A sense of finality and peace settled over Layla.
A sense of belonging.
A sense ofhome.
With his forehead still pressed to hers, he whispered an ancient Kall mating poem, a lesser-known work by Erommti of Faia District. “My lips to your lips. My flesh to your flesh. My heart to your heart. My seed to your womb.”
He pulled back to meet her gaze, and they uttered the last part together.
“My soul to your soul.”
Epilogue
Heavily pregnant,Layla stretched and placed a hand on her aching back, then she resumed pacing the dining room. A few minutes trying to sit still long enough to eat lunch and she’d gotten a backacheanda leg cramp. Walking always seemed to help and she sighed as the dull cramp in her leg faded.
Betsy shot her a sympathetic look. Lissa, a Kall female who was Betsy’s sister-in-law, as she’d married Commander Edek’s brother Draken, smiled knowingly at Layla as she cradled her newborn son, Broxx, in her arms and hummed a lullaby. Fallonn arranged a pillow vertically on a chair and urged Layla to resume her seat.
Layla approached the dining room table, where the four women were enjoying a late lunch together, and sank into the chair with a sigh.
“Thanks, Fallonn.”
“How much longer do you have?” Betsy asked, taking a sip of her tea.
“At least another moon cycle, or so the doctor says,” Layla replied with a dramatic groan. She popped a piece of fruit into her mouth. More than anything, she craved fruit these days, particularly theghrrissmelons that grew deep in the forests, which Zamek procured for her on a regular basis.
