Conflict Read Online Free Page B

line at trousers.”
    “Why?”
    “Because you are my lady, and I wish you to be dressed as such. Bael Hislar and Bael Lerock had the misfortune to meet over a funeral. It was bad for them but excellent for forcing an intimate connection. You and I will have to do things the old fashioned way, minus the transporting of you down from the station.”
    She blinked. “What does the old fashioned way entail?”
    Thaxis walked with her out of the market and down a wide, sweeping set of stairs. He quirked his lips. “There are many methods. One involves stealing you away from your people.”
    “Already done.”
    “Another involves taking you by force.”
    “I know you haven’t seen what my Heshi brought, but it is not recommended.”
    “The third I can think of involves making you a part of the life of the village here. That will include you learning to go out on the fishing vessels and harvesting and planting in the fields. It will be boring and exhausting, but you will earn your place here through sweat and camaraderie in the fields.”
    “Wow. That does sound fascinating. What other options are there?”
    They were on a wide landing, and she could see the waves beating against the shore and an open expanse of water as far as the eye could see. The land was covered with a thick golden wave of grain.
    He stood behind her as she looked out over the waves of water and grain. “What would you suggest?”
    “Do I need to be part of their lives or part of yours?” She remembered the many moments in her tank where someone was with her. Those moments helped her get through her time alone.
    “Oh, I would definitely prefer that you be in my life, my house, my bed.” He wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to the side of her neck.
    She sighed and let years of abstention build up in a wave of lust that shivered through her. When he gnawed gently on her skin, she moaned and reached behind him to grip his hair.
    “That seems like the better option until I learn how to live on Ikanni and be the best one of me that I can. Whatever I have turned into.”
    He spun her in his arms and took her lips in a savage kiss that left her breathless with her blood pounding in her veins.
    When he leaned back and traced her lower lip with his thumb, she asked him, “Why me? Why not an Ikanni?”
    His red eyes warmed, “Because you were the one that I was called to. Your mind was meshed with mine. We are bound together, you and I. The Ikanni embrace destiny when it strikes us.”
    She smiled and drew a finger along the line of his jaw. “Usually, Terrans run from ours.”
    “No running, Kaia. You have nowhere else to go. I am not saying this to be cruel, but to make sure that you know, whatever happens next, I am not letting you go.”
    His arms were implacable. If she didn’t want to hurt him, she was going to have to embrace the hormonal whirlwind that he was generating.
    The wind tugged at her skirt, and she felt the coil of it wind up her thigh. The cool air had the feeling of a hand as it moved along her skin.
    Kaia shivered in his arms, and her breath caught as the caress of the icy air continued, chilling as it climbed until only her posture with her thighs close together kept it from advancing any further.
    He had a smirk on his face, and she connected the movement of the air with his intent. “So, that’s your Heshi-brought talent?”
    “Weather.” He stroked his hands down her spine and pulled her tightly to him.
    She could feel his erection against her belly through the clothing that separated them. “Weather?”
    “Yes. I am able to use my talent to control the sun and rain on the crops.”
    “So, you were really mad the other day. The lightning and storm was yours.” She bit her lip as her body warmed rapidly at the contact.
    “Yes. Bael Hislar should not have removed you from my home. How she got in is another mystery.”
    Kaia frowned. “I thought she just popped in like you do.”
    “We can only pop when