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And speaking of his mate…
The sound of heavy footfalls echoed up to the platform. Elian's heart skipped a beat. He knew that step, the confident stride of a certain Borraq alpha.
Despite the heat of the day, a shiver of anticipation ran down his spine. He turned — and there he was, striding across the courtyard. Rael was back.
Elian's breath caught in his throat at the sight of him. His mate was as imposing as ever. The sunlight caught the deep gold of his skin, the fierce curve of his horns. His cloak billowed behind him as he walked, a sign of the rank that he held.
Rael's trip to the neighboring territories had been a long one, filled with negotiations and politics. He'd been gone for weeks, and every day of his absence had felt like an eternity to Elian.
But now he was back.
His mate. The realization still felt too good to be true, a fantasy that Elian was scared of waking up from.
The other members of the clan gathered to welcome Rael back, their deep voices raised in a chorus of greeting. Their words were a rumbling sound that filled the courtyard.
But despite the fact that they were all there in the flesh, Rael only had eyes for one person. He greeted them all, then crossed the courtyard in long strides, his gaze fixed on Elian.
Heat crept up Elian's neck and settled on his cheeks. He was no stranger to desire, but the way that Rael could make him feel, with just a look, from across the courtyard, in front of the entire gathered clan… It was something else entirely.
The other members of the clan clearly noticed Rael's real target. The cooks elbowed each other and shared a knowing look, and the crowd dispersed, suddenly finding reasons to be out of the way.
The members of the clan might come from a different species to Elian, but good-natured teasing was a universal language. Elian had quickly learned that the Borraq were social people, and that their bonds of companionship were just as deep as their rivalries in battle.
Despite the fact that Elian and Rael's relationship was something new and unprecedented, the clan had come to embrace it. They were proud to have a human member secretly living among their ranks, and that included every single part of human life — even the embarrassing bits.
Elian was going to have to endure a lot of teasing in the aftermath of this. But you know what? He'd gladly endure ten times the number of raised eyebrows and nudged elbows for the privilege of having Rael look at him like that.
Rael paid his people no mind. He stopped in front of the platform, his gaze fixed up on Elian. Despite the heat of the day, a hungry light burned in his eyes.
"Elian," he said, his voice a deep rumble. "Come down here."
Elian's heart raced. "One second." He hurriedly put aside the gadgets he was working on, shoving his tools as neatly as he could back into their box. Then he was clambering down the platform, and following the flick of Rael's cloak through the door of Rael's house.
Rael led Elian through the ornate entrance of his private quarters, the space that was now equally theirs. The place reflected the Borraq's penchant for simplicity and functionality — the decor was minimal, the lines clean, the colors bright and vivid.
Rael's powerful arms encircled him from behind, the Borraq's warm breath tickling the nape of his neck. "I have thought of little else since I left but you," the deep rumble of Rael's voice reverberated through Elian's core. "Your absence has been a constant ache, my mate."
Heat blossomed across Elian's cheeks even as a teasing smirk played upon his lips. "Is that so?" He turned within the circle of Rael's embrace, drinking in the sight of his lover's chiseled features. "And here I thought the great alpha would be too occupied with matters of diplomacy to spare a thought for his human."
Rael's only response was a low, possessive growl as he closed the scant distance between them. Their lips met in a searing kiss, all teeth and tongue and raw, primal need. Elian surrendered to the onslaught, his fingers threading through the thick tresses at the nape of Rael's neck as a soft whimper escaped him.
In a dizzying flurry of movement, Rael swept Elian off his feet, his powerful muscles straining beneath golden skin as he carried his lover to the bed. Elian's back hit the soft furs with a breathless gasp, his eyes blown wide as Rael loomed over him, a predator claiming his prize.
Elian's breath caught in his throat as Rael's smoldering gaze raked over him. The sheer intensity of the Borraq's desire was like a physical caress, stoking the flames of Elian's own yearning until he burned with it.
Powerful hands roamed over the planes of Elian's body, mapping the familiar terrain with reverence and need. Rael's calloused fingertips danced across flushed skin, tracing the dips and valleys as if committing every inch to memory once more. Elian arched into the touch with a needy whine, his own hands grasping at the hard curves of Rael's chest.
"You've been away too long," Elian rasped, his voice husky with want. He dragged blunt nails down the ridges of Rael's abdomen, relishing the way the Borraq's muscles twitched.
Rael's answering growl vibrated through Elian's very core. "Every moment apart has been torment." His words were punctuated with a sharp nip to the sensitive flesh of Elian's throat, his sharp teeth just barely grazing his skin.
Clever fingers made short work of the fastenings on Elian's clothes, peeling away each layer with agonizing slowness until he lay bare and trembling before his mate. Elian's skin prickled with a heady mix of arousal and vulnerability as Rael drank in the sight, his gaze molten and worshipful.
"Beautiful," the Borraq rumbled, the simple word a benediction on his lips.
Heat suffused Elian's cheeks even as he preened under the adoring attention. He reached up, tangling his fingers in the thick tresses at Rael's nape and tugging insistently until their mouths crashed together in a searing kiss.
Elian's fingers traced the lines of Rael's abdomen, marveling at the sheer size and strength of his mate. His exploration drifted lower, past the narrow trail of hair leading down from Rael's navel, until his fingertips brushed against the unmistakable twin hardnesses straining beneath the fabric of Rael's clothes.
