True, Valen admitted to himself. He was definitely feeling more for the little Elite than he should. Hell, he’d nearly gone into Rage for her back on the beach, when the Ma’shorkan male had grabbed her! Rage was a state of berserker fury that Kindred warriors only went into when the female they loved was in danger.
But I don’t love her—I can’t. I barely know her!
You know a lot more about her than you did about Ka’leesa when you were Joined to her.
Well, that was true enough. If he’d known more about his intended bride, he would have tried to stop the Joining before it began. As it was, his parents had been forced to get it legally annulled. It was a grave disappointment to them—just as Valen had always been a disappointment. Shortly after that, he had struck out on his own. He had been determined to make his own way in the universe and to never force his bite on another unwilling female ever again.
But Selena likes it when I bite her! She doesn’t shrink from my fangs or simply sit there, dead-eyed and blank-faced, like the professional donors. She reacts to my fangs piercing her flesh as though it was a pleasure rather than a pain. And she feels so soft and warm and perfect curled against me.
Not to mention the fact that conversation flowed between them so easily. Valen had never expected to find this level of ease and enjoyment in talking to any female—they all feared him. But Selena was fearless…and gorgeous…and…
He frowned, stopping himself in mid-thought. It seemed that his plan had backfired. He had planned to spend the day with Selena to prove to himself that she was nothing special. Instead, he had found the exact opposite—that she was extraordinary. He might never meet another female like her.
It wouldn’t matter if you met a dozen females like her, there’s still your vow to consider! whispered that damn little voice in his head. You can’t have her, so there’s no use wishing. Just get through tonight and tomorrow and then see her safely home—there’s nothing else you can do.
With a heavy heart, Valen acknowledged it was true. Besides, who knew how Selena would feel about him after the damn Pet Parade was over? It was a Ma’shorkan royal tradition—and a sick and demeaning one at that. She might hate him afterwards.
Valen’s heart grew heavy—he didn’t want her to hate him. Even if it would make their eventual parting easier, he didn’t want that. But how could he be sure if he was going too far? What could he do?
“Selena,” he murmured in her ear.
“Hmm?” She sounded sleepy and content. Valen wished he could just take her home, tuck her into bed, and pleasure her slowly with his mouth. He could imagine parting her thighs and tasting her pussy with long, loving strokes of his tongue until she came for him and then fell asleep, snuggled against his chest…
But that wasn’t going to happen—not until after the parade at the palace, at any rate. And probably not even then—Valen knew very well that tasting her would lead to the raging desire to Claim her for his own.
That, however, was a whole other problem. At the moment, he needed to know how to get through the Pet Parade without hurting her…
“Valen? I mean Master, what are you thinking?” Selena asked, looking up at him.
Valen tried to think how to phrase his question.
“Well…you told me earlier that you weren’t sure of your own limits, because you had never found anyone to ‘play’ with you before,” he began hesitantly. “So when I am acting as your Master, how am I to know…”
“If you’re going too far?” she finished for him. Twisting around in his arms, she looked at him more directly. “You’re really worried about hurting me, aren’t you?”
“You’re so tiny and delicate,” Valen protested. “How can I not worry?”
She gave a most unladylike snort than made him smile.
“’Tiny’ and ‘delicate’ are not words I would ever apply to myself,” she said. “But if you’re really that worried, maybe we should have a safe word.”
“A ‘safe word’?” Valen asked. “What’s that?”
“A word you say to stop the scene—a word that means things are going too far—that you’re in too much pain or your boundaries are being broken,” Selena explained. “And it can’t be something like, ‘no’ or ‘stop,’ either. It has to be something you’d never normally shout out in the middle of a scene.”
“All right—that makes sense.” Valen nodded. “So what ‘safe word’ would you pick?”
She looked thoughtful.
“Hmm…I’ve never had to think of one before. Like I said, Gary was never interested in ‘playing’ with me.”
“Why not?” Valen asked, honestly mystified. What kind of male wouldn’t want to pleasure and master the curvy little Elite? Selena was gorgeous and her sexual desires were intriguing to say the least—this “Gary” must have been a fool to neglect her needs.