Page 7 of My Monster, My Choice

My lips touch hers and it feels like an explosion of taste, want, need. She’s delicate and floral and so sure of herself.

The confidence of a self-assured, strong human woman. There’s never been such a turn-on.

I lock my mouth to hers and as much as I’d like to try to be gentle, raw primal need takes over. All of my senses flare, splayed open before her. I pry her lips apart and plunder her mouth, tasting her, our tongues dueling for control, my tentacles wrapping around her.

She’s panting with need. She hides nothing.

This is a grown female. Ripe, lush beauty, sultry heat, inner strength. She knows what she wants and refuses to deny her needs. She wants me just as much as I do her. I want her breasts mashed against me, her nipples poking stiffly into my chest.

I grip her hips, pulling her close as her hands rove over the muscles of my chest, my shoulders, my biceps and finally her arms lock around my neck as if she’ll hold me to her forever. I’m about to lift her to wrap her legs around my waist, grind my pelvis to her wet warmth when I remember we’re out in the yard.

Reluctantly, I lift my head from hers when a throat clears.

Christina looks dazed as if she doesn’t know why I stopped and damn if that doesn’t make me want to growl at the newcomer and go back to kissing my mate.

My mate.

My inner beast realizes what the modern male does not. This female is mine.

“Mikhail,” I acknowledge. “Meet Christina, Tera’smaman.”

Christina pinkens, and while the sweet taste of embarrassment wafts from her skin, she holds herself together as if kissing me is natural.

I’m well aware that on this planet, it’s not.

I let my tentacles slowly unwind from her as she turns to shake the Britonian’s hand.

“Christina,” he murmurs. “So nice to finally meet the woman who raised Tera. You did a remarkable job.”

“Thank you,” she says. “But she was an amazing child.”

He smiles smoothly. “And yet you’re doing just as an incredible job with Kenny.”

She grins, showing her jest. “Well, that one has been my trial.”

Mikhail smiles. “I see you are in good hands here. Elex will take you to your new home. We’ll be back tomorrow by noon to set up in the auditorium in the main house. I have a call scheduled with Juris, the king of the Adroki. I’m sure Tera will be there and you and Kenny can speak with her if you wish.”

“I would love to!” Christina says.

“I’m sure everyone has reassured you that she and Relion are fine, but I know it must have been hard to see how upset she was. This will give you a chance to see for yourself that she and Relion really are best friends. And in six months, you’ll see her in person.”

“In six months, she has to choose to stay there or suffer here, though.” A slightly acrid taste of worry floods her.

“Things have a way of working out,” Mikhail says. “Lilaina is working on a plan. Captain Relion is a member of the King’s Guard. Just as Jaire is. Eden is a neutral territory, annexed from Earth by the president himself. Since Anya can’t leave, Jaire is stationed here. I’m sure we’ll find a way to work it out, so Tera is safe here in Eden while Relion serves here. It’s all semantics,” he says, and while it’s much more complicated than he’s making it seem, I know he’s trying to set her at ease. He doesn’t want her to worry for her entire six lunar cycles.

“Thank you for letting me know about the call tomorrow,” Christina says. “I’ll be there.”

Mikhail inclines his head. “I will leave you to get to know your own mate.”

He turns and walks away, leaving a baffled Christina staring after him.

“Mate?” she says.

“Don’t worry about that,” I tell her. “Let’s just get to know each other, yes?”

“I didn’t—I mean, we didn’t agree to anything. There was no ceremony or anything like that.”

Poor mate sounds confused like she’s reasoning with herself.

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