Chapter 26: Chapter 26

CASVAN

Nights in this dreadful dungeon were the only exciting thing I looked forward to with my mate’s visitation. We spent the night chatting or fighting, depending on how one saw it.

I enjoyed our bantering too much and found that I liked her most when she was riled up, her eyes spitting fire more than when she was quiet and shy. I wanted to know everything about my innocent, beautiful mate.

The need to touch her, to stroke her, was driving me crazy. Although I’d used the essence trajectory one too many times to meet her, I had to tread carefully; I didn’t want to ruin the progress I’d already made with her.

I knew she thought everything we did in those times was just dreams. I wanted to keep it that way for now.

But I knew I would have to reveal the truth soon; the time was almost here. I hated what I was about to do, but I had no choice.

Either that, or I would watch my entire race die, which I’d already sworn I would never do. I breathed in the delicious smell of berries that was all her.

My beautiful mate, his queen, was here to see him. It had been an hour since she arrived.

She sat outside the cell, leaning sideways against the barred iron, like she always did every time she came to see me. She always brought me food, despite her ignorance of her place in my life.

She offered me her male sustenance. Something only a mate would do—an instinctual part of her must have recognized me as her own.

I wanted to provide for my female so badly, to take care of her and not the other way around, but it pleased me that she brought me food. The significance was what I valued above all else, and her company.

She sat right there and asked me question after question. Dressed in that dreadful uniform, I wanted to strip it off and burn it, before I wrapped her up in silks and beautiful lingerie I’d saved up since coming to Earth.

Still, she was gorgeous and sexy as fuck. I wanted more than anything to claim her, to bind myself to her forever.

“Cas, why are you called the Dakkuth? And what does it mean?”

It made me happy that she wanted to know more about me and my race.

“The Dakkuth is the name of my race. We are an alien race that came here seventy years ago. The name Dakkuth is derived from our home planet’s name, Dakkathr.”

My beautiful mate listened with interest. She was a curious one, and very smart.

I’d have to be careful; otherwise, she would have me spilling all my secrets in no time.

“What happened to your women? Or didn’t you have them?”

“Most of them died in the war back on my home planet, more than a century ago. We still have a handful of women, but I’d advise their males to hide them away from my warriors. Sometimes the animal spirit inside us can be irrational and challenge another male for his or her mate. Fights ensue, and blood is shed. It is taxing.”

She frowned thoughtfully. It was cute and made me want to smooth out her brows, just because.

“Is that why you need us, or to be precise, is that why you need your mates?” she asked, nibbling on those luscious lips.

I wanted the honor of sucking and nibbling them myself. I barely held back a groan as I palmed and adjusted my raging erection with my hand discreetly, which made the chains rattle a little.

My cock had been hard since I smelled her addictive scent. Such was the case these days.

“Yes, with our mate, we are able to control that volatile and deadly part of our nature after we claim her,” I supplied.

She nodded with understanding. “How do you claim her—your mate, I mean?”

I bit back my growls. Fuck, I wanted to yell that you’re my mate, but I didn’t.

Though I suspected my mate already knew or suspected the connection between us was a sign of something more. But she never asked, and I never said.

“When we spend our seed in her cunt for the first time, during the height of our rutting, that’s when we will mark her with a little bite around the neck and bond her to us forever.”

Instantly, I smelled her juices. This time, I couldn’t help the growls and purrs spilling from my throat.

I knew for a fact my Reyna’s cunt was wet; she was needing her male. Her body was begging for mine, and I was more than ready to ease her pain, to give her pleasure, but she wasn’t ready.

~Soon, very soon~, I reminded myself.

I knew my words excited her and made her body react this way. I inhaled deeply and bit my tongue to keep from telling her I could smell her cunt juices, but I couldn’t stop my growls.

Reyna squirmed, tightening her thighs together. I knew my growling did strange things to her, just as her scent affected me.

I took pity on her and forced down my growls.

“So, um, I’ve been wanting to ask, is this your actual form or can you change into something else? Can you change into a wolf?”

“This is my actual form, Kitten. It’s my primary form, although I can shapeshift into a few animals—a wolf and jaguar, for example.”

That wasn’t all; on rare occasions, I could shapeshift into other birds’ forms. But the wolf and jaguar were the most predominant animals my powers granted me.

She listened thoughtfully. “So each of you Dakkuth warriors has a different animal spirit you can change into? Is that right?”

I didn’t think sharing this information with her would put me or my warriors in danger; already, she had my trust. My little mate was kindhearted and different from her mother.

I was sure she would never betray me. With her as my queen, the plane of Dakhur would flourish; she was beautiful, thoughtful, kind, and strong.

She would make a great queen and bear me strong younglings with gray eyes like hers. Our people would live side by side, together in peace with her beside me.

“Yes.”

We spent the rest of the night talking until she finally fell asleep against the barred irons, as she sometimes did.