The Unveiling Read online

  "Come inside me and see how much better it can feel." The husky purr of her voice was the only goading he needed.

  "Whatever Rivka wants—"

  She patted him on his cheek. "Smart man, we might just get through this yet." A ghost of a smile flitted across her lips, and for a moment he forgot to breathe. How had he been linked to this beautiful creature? Even wrapped around him and using language that would make a lesser man blush she was regal. Rivka reached down to grasp the swell of his jeans.

  "I think someone wants to say hello."

  He lifted her higher and fumbled with the zipper, and together they shoved his pants down enough to let his shaft spring free. He rubbed along the path of her moist lips, and they both shook.

  "Don’t tease, that's my job."

  His chuckle died in his throat at the feel of her warm hand wrapped around him, guiding him inside her. Tight, slick walls molded around him like a glove. An animalistic snarl was ripped from his belly. He gripped her hips and spun her to change their positions. Mine. Claim, mark. Thuds filled the room as he thrust inside her balls deep over and over, penetrating her womb with rough strokes. Rivka dug her nails into the skin of his back. A stinging pain signaled the breaking of skin.

  "Yes, mark me!" he said.

  "Harder, Bastien."

  The sound of his name on her lips incensed him. He tilted her hips, found a spot that made her body jerk.

  "Shit yes!" The sound of their skin meeting was music to his ears. The low lidded, out of control look on her face made him feel a million feet tall. If the only thing he could have was her body he'd ruin her for anyone else.

  "Only I will ever make you feel like this, Rivka. Do you understand that?" Bastien wound a hand in her hair and tugged. She hissed. A wicked smile appeared on her face.

  "Ditto, General." She leaned in quicker than a human eye would've tracked and bit down on his pulse point. The possessive gesture drove rational thought out the window. The bloodthirsty spirit of his ancestors took over as he pinned her to door.

  "BA—"

  He placed a hand over her mouth, cutting off her high-pitched squeal as her pussy put his dick in a strangle hold. Her body arched upward, and his balls drew up tight. The tension gathered in his spine gave way as he spilled inside her. Her muscles continued to spasm, and she milked him dry. He pulled out reluctantly. Fifteen minutes had passed easily, and they were in a very public place. The sight of his cum running down her inner thighs gave him a sick sense of satisfaction and the urge to fill her all over again. Rivka's legs lowered to the floor, and she slumped against the door, limp and satiated. Her cat that ate the canary expression of bliss and contentment made his chest swell with pride. Bastien ran his hand down her body, cleaning her with his powers. He felt a pang of regret as he removed his seed and helped straighten her clothes. With the sexual tension solved the awkwardness between them returned.

  "Nicely done, General D'Shar."

  "If we weren't in a bar we'd be doing it again."

  "Mhmm, promises."

  "Trust me," he looked down at his half arousal. "I could deliver."

  Rivka glanced down.

  "Good, because right now what I need is plenty of this." She reached down to give him a firm squeeze before they separated. Her words were a pinprick to an inflated balloon as they drove home her feelings about The Purge. They were on her terms until she said otherwise, and right now things were strictly physical.

  "You leave first, and I'll follow behind you in a few."

  "Okay, I'll be at the table." She unlocked the door and walked out as if nothing had happened. He took a minute to compose himself. It wasn't every day you had the best sex of your life, and came to the conclusion you could fall in love for the first time with said person in the span of fifteen minutes. Right now we'd be on the fast track to happy if … No use regretting choices made long ago. I need to earn her trust.

  Resolve firm, Bastien stepped out of the restroom and took a seat at the table in the corner. The sun had set while they were gone. A blue candle had been set out in the middle of the table and lit. It flickered and cast shadows across Rivka's face. After a lifetime of war and battle it felt wrong to be paired to Rivka. She was so untainted and stood for all the things he'd given up on long ago, love, family, and innocence. His hands were dirtied by blood and death. He was lucky she wanted his touch at all. Yeah, well, it's all she wants from me, so I guess that evens out the balance. My price to pay for all the destruction I've caused.

  "Where do we go from here?"

  "I was thinking my place."

  His pheromones surged, and she bit her swollen bottom lip.

  "That's a smell a girl could get used to," she said in acknowledgement of his response.

  "Before we leave, let's have a few drinks. The bar is known for its Martinis." She waved a waiter over and offered up a genuine smile that light up her entire face. In this moment it was easy to see she was the embodiment of love, hope, and spirituality. Will she ever look at me that way? Jesus, pull yourself together, man. You've survived the bloodied battles, and near fatal injuries. The return of your feelings and a woman aren't going to kill you. Still, The Wanting was strong, and he craved not only her body, but also her heart and soul. Acceptance had to come or he'd end up rocking in a corner somewhere being spoon-fed because he'd lost it. It was enough to make him think about going through The Purge another time. Not that he could ever consider it seriously after the pain he'd felt from her. He was locked onto this path come hell or high water. He just hoped they could meet in the middle.

  "Where are you right now?" Her voice brought him back to the present.

  "What?"

  "You were a million miles away."

  "Just trying to figure things out."

  "That'll take a lot more than a quickie in the bathroom."

  "You want to point me in the right direction?"

  "I can't tell you what I don't know, can I?" Rivka downed the rest of her drink and set down the glass. "However, I can tell you if we don't get out of here in the next few minutes we'll be taking a trip to the bathroom. My body has waited a long time to experience this and it seems to be kicking the mating process into hyperdrive." She furrowed her brow, and he could see the strain around her violet-colored eyes.

  "Then let's go." He stood, tossed money on the table, and offered her his hand. He held his breath as she eyed it like a snake. Then she took it and relief flooded through his system like an adrenaline shot. In time this could be fixed. Her hand fit into his perfectly. It was a graceful hand, with long fingers, and short rounded fingernails but they possessed a strength hidden by her beauty. Her skin was soft and delicate. It was a tiny show of trust, but it gave him hope for the future.

  Chapter Thirteen

  "How've you been, Charlie?" Tavel asked as he sipped on his water. He'd told Lou Ann, Charlie's mother, he was taking the boy out for some long overdue male bonding. He’d planted the memory of Charlie's "father" having a rare genetic disorder that didn't show up until later in life. Charlie was twenty-three now, a senior at Chattanooga state majoring in mathematics. He'd known when the boy had showed signs of brilliance at a young age the Shar D.N.A. was not only compatible, it was thriving.

  "All right, some strange things have been happening." He grimaced. They were seated at a back booth, in the far corner of the quiet restaurant, nursing drinks since they'd finished dinner.

  "I thought it might be.” Tavel schooled his face into a concerned expression. "This is about the time," he paused to find the correct word, "complications begin to arise.”

  "I don't know, Uncle Ted." Charlie shook his head, brow furrowed as he stared down into the Cola he stirred with his straw.

  "Try me."

  "As long as you promise not to send me to a loony bin," Charlie said. He stopped stirring and looked up to meet his gaze. "I'm getting stronger, and I don't mean I can bench press my weight kind of strength. I-I can lift cars." His eyes grew wide as words flowed out of his
mouth like water from a broken dam. "I'm breaking door handles, bending the metal on pipes. How is that even possible?" His eyes darted back and forth rapidly.

  Tavel could practically hear the wheels in his brain spin furiously as he tried to come up with some rational explanation. "When the logical no longer implies we must look toward another possibility."

  "Why are you so calm about this?"

  "Because I thought this might happen. It's time I told you who you really are."

  "What do you mean, who I really am?"

  "When your Father passed I kept quiet about a lot of things. I wasn't sure if you'd gain any of his traits and it would be dangerous knowledge to have if you didn't need to."

  "Uncle Ted, I don’t get your meaning."

  "I think you do and you're afraid to admit it, even to yourself." He released a sigh. Humans and their melodrama and self-denial. The boy was a genius! Why hadn't he worked out his father wasn't human?

  "Let's just say, Brian was really … out of this world."

  "My dad was an ... a-al … no." He shook his head. "No way."

  "How else do you explain everything you just told me?" Tavel asked.

  Charlie grew quiet. "Okay, say I believe you. Wouldn’t that make you one too?"

  "Now you're asking the right questions."

  "What do I do? I can't live like this. My God, if anyone found out about this, they'd dissect me."

  Tavel nodded, playing the concerned Uncle. "I know. That's why I've been working on a cure if you will to suppress the Shar tendencies. You'll be able to live a normal life and no one will be the wiser. It's what your father would've wanted."

  A look of complete and utter relief crossed Charlie's face. "When can we get started? I want to take care of this before people start to notice something's off."

  This was too easy.

  "Now if you like. I've mixed together some things from our place of birth and put them in a pill form. I promised Brian I'd take care of you before he passed, so I've been anticipating this." He stood. Charlie followed suit, and they headed out of the restaurant to his truck waiting outside. Once they were inside the cab, Charlie spoke.

  "I have so many questions. I don't understand how no one could tell me this until now."

  "Don’t be angry at your mother. She didn’t know. I hoped to spare you the truth, honestly. We've never seen a human hybrid. I figured you'd be better of not knowing unless it became necessary. When you were small, all of your tests came back normal, so I thought you'd been spared."

  "Sparred? Is it so horrible to be an … alien?"

  "Not for me, but it's all I've ever known. We Shar are a passionate people, and it'd be a lot to learn to control the intense emotions we experience on a daily basis. You've seen in small glimpses what the struggle is like, haven't you?" He saw Charlie nod out of his peripheral vision. "It'll only continue to get worse."

  "Jesus."

  You got him right where you want him. He'll swallow down the pills without thinking twice and finally I'll have the genetic link I need to reverse this affliction. It was a struggle to do the speed limit and remain calm with victory so close at hand. Soon the rapid aging would be permanently reversed. The gray hairs would return to their normal hue, the wrinkles would smooth out, and if he was lucky he'd reach the goal he'd originally sought to accomplish, a super being with an extended life. By the time they reached his house the strain of playing the role of concerned uncle hit. He needed to be in his lab, measuring, documenting and cross-referencing. He parked in the driveway, and they exited the truck.

  "What's in this pill?" Charlie asked as Tavel unlocked the door.

  "Herbs and plant from a planet similar to the one we originate from." Laced with some potent chemical compounds you don't need to worry about. He pushed the door open. "Go on in and have a seat at the kitchen table. I'll bring the pills to you."

  Charlie entered the house in front of him, and he locked the door behind them and headed into his bedroom. His hand shook as he grabbed the plain Aspirin bottle he'd hidden the homemade pills in. The tiny, white circles rattled in the plastic container. Last chance, old man. He put his game face back on and headed into the kitchen. Charlie looked up, eyes glued to the bottle he held in his hand.

  "How do you know so much about this stuff, Uncle Ted?"

  "Back on Tagget I was what you'd call a geneticist. We constantly strived to keep our people in the best shape possible. Our life spans are longer, our constitution is heartier, but over time everything wears down. That's where I stepped in."

  "Wow, that makes you a bit of a hero, Unc." For a time.

  "Just a Shar with an affinity for science."

  "Man, if I was in your position I would not be downplaying it."

  Tavel laughed. "I didn't always. But I grew older, and the things that mattered changed." He'd grown up in a lower class family, where education was the only way to escape the cards they'd been dealt. His parents pushed the three of them in school. Merk rebelled, while Chanste followed in his footsteps, but with less success. But for him learning came easily and was something he enjoyed. He'd been ready to take on the world as he rocketed his way to the top of the Science field. Others were too safe and set in their old ways to make breakthroughs. He was a breath of fresh air in a stuffy society that needed a new wind. He'd been riding high when his Mother had fallen ill. Similar to what humans called Alzheimer's, the illness took away her memories, a bit more each day, as if someone were erasing her life and leaving behind an empty shell. It was here that the obsession with cell regeneration had begun. In the end he hadn't been able to save her. But he couldn't stop, especially not when he'd begun to see early signs of it in himself.

  He'd told people he was working on making a better soldier for the Shar, which was partially true. The rest he kept to himself, until the mishap in the lab had changed all of his plans.

  "So I just take this?" Charlie's voice brought him back to the present.

  "Yes, twice a day, once in the morning, then again at night, and we'll monitor your response."

  "Sounds good." Charlie took the bottle from him, shook out a pill, opened his mouth and tossed it back. He swallowed, and Tavel mentally cheered. Now the waiting begins!

  Chapter Fourteen

  Rivka walked out to the massive lawn in the back yard where a giant white tent had been set up. They were in the sub season between winter and spring. It was cold, but there was no more snow. She pulled the pea coat closer and headed into the tent. Warmth from the heaters spread throughout the space to hold over three hundred washed over her. The ceremony would take place here, and then they'd move inside to the ballroom that had been completely transformed. Divided into two separate quadrants by white curtains hung on trellises, it would be set up for the cocktail hour, dinner and the reception. Here in the tent, rows of chairs had been covered with a white, gauzy material and a black bow that fell down to the floor in a waterfall of lightweight material that looked stunning against the white flooring that'd been brought in to cover the lawn. A white runner ran down the middle of the tent, awaiting rose petals.

  Large, glass cylinders had been set up with round, electric blue stones that emitted a bright glow served as a testament to the connection between Zasha and Phelan. These soul crystals were a traditional part of the bonding ceremony and measured power and emotions. She'd attuned the stones to them last night at the rehearsal, and the sight of the stones pulsing had taken her breath away. The two were formidable. I wonder what the stones would look like for Bastien and me. She pushed the thought away. Now was not the time to examine the hot mess that was her quasi-relationship. The sex between them was amazing, but that was where they stalled out. It was clear he wanted more. She saw it in many things: the longing in his eyes, personal questions he asked, and the way he allowed her to lead. That trait she knew for a fact wasn’t in his character. She'd been clinging to this ceremony like a lifeline, using it for a shield between them, and now that it was finally happening she'd beg
un to worry. Just focus on the job.

  Floating on the top of the water in the cylinders was one perfectly formed, blush pink tea rose. As she walked the space, she ignored the chaos around her. Florists ran in and out with buckets of flowers. A team of eight worked on the massive arches being covered with cream-colored flowers, studded with diamonds and a touch of glitter to make it sparkle. One was placed in the center of the aisle way and the other in the front where Phelan and Zasha would be wed and bonded. Satisfied that the tent was under control she walked over to her coordinator, Drusi, who'd recently emerged from her time away.

  "This is looking spot on. Make sure there are no gaps on the archway flower work, and the petals don't cover the walkway to the very last minute before the guests arrive. I want to make sure they look fresh."

  "You got it, Riv."

  "I'm going to head inside now and see how they're fairing."

  "I'm only a walkie away if you need me," Drusi said.

  "This is why I love working with you." She smiled and walked away to exit the tent. When she stepped inside the ballroom she stopped just inside the door she gasped. Pheromones threatened to bring her to her knees. She turned her head and saw Bastien over the far wall, talking with Kade and Marsden. What are they doing here? She headed toward them, trying her best to keep her fuck me eyes to herself.

  "Hey boys, what's going on?"

  "We were sent down here by Phelan to calm his bride's nerves."

  She smiled.

  "Hormone attack?"

  "Oh yeah, big time," Kade said. His eyes grew wide, and she laughed.

  "Why didn't she just call me?"

  "Because she said she'd bugged you enough," Bastien said.

  "But that's my job."

  "Exactly what I said!" Mars said, throwing up his hands.

  "You guys, go on and get out of here. Tell her things look great and we're ahead of schedule. All she has to worry about is beautifying herself and relaxing." She pointed toward the exit on the opposite side of the wall.