Hathir. She would be forced into any number of formal events before the wedding and Hathir would be at all of them. Crap. Not only would he 30

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  be at all events, she was going to have to try to best him in hand-to-hand combat. Double crap.

  Despite Sill’s worries, she was confident in her ability to win in the singing portion of competition. After all, it was Thea’s voice that sang all of the anthems for the gladiatorial combats. A lip-sync expert was in attendance at all of the events to give a face and body to the songs.

  Thea had not been up for that portion of the gig.

  It was how she had first met Stavin. She had been at another Mer-thaka sing and was belting out songs from their history with passion and enthusiasm. Stavin had approached her and asked her to submit an audio recording to the Arena.

  They had taken on her voice as the voice of the Mer-thaka Arena. He had helped her to select pieces over the years and when Sill had finally made noises about settling down, Thea set her two best friends up on a blind date. The rest was history.

  As the group applauded his choice of second, Thea started to shift her way to the back of the ballroom. She was almost to the hall when she backed into a living wall.

  “Leaving so soon? The party hasn’t even started.” Hathir’s voice rolled through her with the dark sweetness of dark Terran chocolate.

  “I believe that my duty to my friends has been done. I have some projects that I need to finish at 31

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  home.” She deliberately didn’t look up and meet his eyes. Those hypnotic orbs were too tempting for her. She wanted to wrap that silky red hair in her hands and pull his head to hers. She wanted to sink into his eyes and be lost forever. She wanted to get the hell out of there before her common sense deserted her.

  “How often do your best friends get betrothed?”

  “Only once, hopefully.”

  “Then why would you miss one moment of this precious event? I promise you that I will make no advances to you while you are here.” His voice was in her ear, his breath warming her cheek and neck in a disturbing way.

  “It isn’t you I am worried about.” She muttered it, but his chuckle let her know he had heard her loud and clear.

  “Perhaps I would be able to speak with you and explain exactly what an Arkhage soul mate is?”

  He wasn’t touching her in any way, but her blood was singing in her veins.

  “Can you explain without making any innuendo or romantic proposals?” She was caving in and she could feel it.

  “I can. Would you care to have this conversation in more-private surroundings?

  Stavin’s study perhaps?”

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  “That sounds acceptable. This way.” She led the way easily. She had been here dozens of times before Sill and Stavin had begun their courtship.

  The easy companionship between Stavin and herself had always been one of her secret points of pride. As a Mer-thaka, Stavin had a love of song, so he and she had a friendship that started with music.

  She palmed open the security lock that was coded to open at her touch. Years ago, she had needed a quiet place to rehearse and Stavin had been accommodating. She had full access to his home, day or night. This was a detail that they had kept from Sillohoran. She probably would not have understood.

  Rich wood and deep burgundy cushions decorated the room. There was a fireplace at one end of the room with conversational chairs. Thea took one of them, Hathir sat across from her.

  “The soul mates of Arkhage. How are they chosen?” She jumped right into the topic before she could lose her self-control and climb into his lap.

  “No one knows. When young men and women begin feeling a pull, they attend a Gathering where they can meet and hopefully find their match. Only a matched pair can reproduce and not always then.”

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  “No? You must have a disappearing species then.”

  “You would think so, but enough breeding couples produce multiple children to make up the difference.” He stared into the fire. “When the young people who are destined to be soul mates meet, half of each soul is torn from its owner to host in the other.”

  “Why? I don’t understand why.”

  “The better the match, the better the chance for reproduction or so our scientists believe. Now, back to the first meeting. The half souls switch places. It is thought that this will strengthen the bond between the two.”

  “Wait. You couldn’t have been on Earth at the time. We were under observation for entry into the Alliance.”

  “I was not on Earth and you were not on my mother’s ship behind your moon. Our souls met and matched through space. It was as disconcerting for me as it was for you.”

  “I really doubt that. I had no idea what had happened until you just explained the half-soul switch to me. There was no reason to believe that I had half an Arkhage soul inside me. I have just felt odd my entire life…until today. Why did our souls come home?”

  “We are both mature adults. They returned home to exchange experiences. You are extremely 34

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  intelligent, by the way, and I am a little leery of the vocal competition.” He wagged his eyebrows.

  “But I am looking forward to the physical match.

  It should be very stimulating.”

  “Fine, you are going to kick my ass. I accept that. But are you saying that my soul now has a record of your experiences and that I can access them?” Her astonishment was rippling through her.

  “Of course. It is the whole point for the switch, or so we are informed by those who carry on our histories.”

  A knock on the door startled them both. A servant entered a moment later and brought a tray with a tea set.

  Thea smiled at the familiar face. “Thanks, Rin.

  How did you know?”

  “You always hide in here, miss. I did bring enough tea for two though. I thought you might have company.”

  “Thank you and you can tell Stavin that he needs to be watching his betrothed and not his friends.”

  Rin grinned and his deep blue features glowed for a moment. “I have told him, miss.”

  “Shoo, your brother needs to mind his own business.” Thea got up and fixed herself a cup of tea. Rin left with a wiggle of his ass and a wink.

  He had been flirting with her since he first left the 35

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  ocean. His position as servant in Stavin’s house echoed his being a page in the Arena. All good training for his own household one day.

  “I believe you have a fan there, Theadora.”

  Hathir was right behind her and she poured him a cup of tea and handed him the cup and saucer.

  “Thank you.”

  “I was there the day that Rin first left the sea. It is a big day for the Mer-thaka. He sort of bonded to me that day.” Thea returned to her seat in front of the fire. “He has women falling all over themselves…and several men. Cute little bugger though.”

  “And you have never indicated that you would appreciate his advances?” The question was casual, but the expression on his face was not pleased.

  “Of course not. He’s like a puppy. An immature pet of some kind.”

  “He is attractive.”

  She could feel her lips twitching in amusement.

  “I am sure that he would be flattered that you noticed.”

  “That wasn’t my point. Weren’t we discussing the effects of soul mates?”

  “We were. Nice change of topic, by the way.

  What do we do now? Our souls are back where they belong. Nothing binds us any longer.”

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  “There you are wrong. I can feel you in my mind. I know your hopes, your dreams and you know mine.” He sipped at his tea and then put the cup down with a smooth movement. “Forever, you and I will be drawn to each other. Two orbital bodies circling each other. We are meant to be together—you and I.”

  Thea put her own cup down. “I don’t think so. I can’t live my life quietly while women throw themselves at you in front of me. My heart would break with each touch, each kiss that they fling at you. I have avoided the public eye my whole life and with you, I would be living inside it.”

  Hathir tented his fingers and was silent for a long time. “Thank you for being frank with me. I did wonder if that was what had driven you away earlier. I have to say that if I had known my soul mate would come to me, I would have lived a different life. I was told your planet was locked and the likelihood of you being one of those invited to join the Alliance was astronomical.”

  “I can accept that, but what about the hordes of women?”

  Hathir gave her a knowing look. “I can’t guarantee that they will all stop once it is made public that you are my Arkhage soul mate, but most of the true fans will be delighted that I have found my one, true match.”

  “What if we try it and they keep coming?”

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  “I will retire. We can purchase a home here or live at my home on Arkhage, whatever you wish.”

  Hope was stirring in his deep brown eyes.

  Her mouth opened in shock. “Retire? But you are the Grand Champion.”

  “I became a gladiator because I had no hope of finding you. No chance of living a family life back on Arkhage. I needed a new path in life, so my mother took it upon herself to arrange for aptitude testing and aside from a horticultural bent, I was geared toward physical combat.” He shrugged.

  “Quitting a life I never really wanted is no hardship.”

  “But it is so much of your life. I can feel that.

  Whoa, that’s weird.” She rubbed her head as memories of fights spilled through her. Training sessions, meeting Stavin for the first time. A thousand emotions spilled through her and they were not hers. Once she touched it, the spill came faster. A waterfall of foreign experiences was washing through her and she couldn’t stop it.

  Clutching her head, she fell to her knees. Sex, fighting, his mother, friends, parties, travel, studies, his garden at his home all tripped through her mind willing her to know him.

  Strong arms lifted her, placed her on a lap and rocked her as she gasped and shivered in the grip of the maelstrom. “Easy, sweet. It’s alright. It is a memory storm. It will pass.”

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  Gradually, her tightly closed eyes opened to the world around her. She was safe and sound, held in the arms of the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. The pervading loneliness of his thoughts echoed in her mind, so she leaned up and planted a kiss on that bold and sensual mouth of his.

  How a kiss could be passionate and chaste at the same time was beyond Thea’s knowledge, but with lips closed, they expressed their longing for one another. Mouths brushed against each other—

  light, delicate, then bruising and intense. When her senses righted themselves and she could think again, Teddy drew slowly away from Hathir. He followed her mouth for a few inches, then eased back himself. They were both breathing heavily and Thea was sure that her panties were damp.

  She knew that his cock was rock hard—it was digging into her thigh.

  Hathir raised his hand and rubbed his thumb across her lips. “They are swollen.”

  That wasn’t the only thing that was swollen.

  Her breasts were pushing against her gown and her thighs were rubbing together like cricket legs to stop the ache between them.

  “I think I should go back to the chair.”

  “I think you should stay here. Your body agrees.” He ran his hand down the side of her 39

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  body not pressed against him and she shivered violently. “So sensitive, so responsive. Perfect.”

  She was grasping at straws, but didn’t want to push away on her own. “I thought you said you would make no efforts at seduction here. This sort of contradicts that.”

  “I meant in the ballroom. Why do you think I was so eager to get you alone in the study?” His chuckle caused ripples of sensation in her and she tried to lift off his lap without castrating him in her haste.

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  Chapter Five

  heater! You knew that I was uncomfortable i

  “C n th

  at room and I would take any excuse to leave it.” She gave up when his arm formed a warm band around her waist and held her to him.

  “I did. Just as you knew that I was waiting for an opportunity to pounce.”

  “I didn’t then. I do now.” She was a little sour.

  She crossed her arms over the peaks of her eager breasts and scowled at him. “Cheater.”

  “Ask any of the glads. If you win, it isn’t cheating. I have definitely won this round.” He snuggled her against him and she relaxed in his embrace.

  It was the place she wanted to be after all.

  He lowered his mouth to hers, teasing the seam of her lips with his tongue until she parted them on a moan. She learned his taste—dark, sweet and spicy. Chocolate and chilli pepper.

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  He lifted his head for a moment, “Mmm. Honey and roses,” before diving back into her mouth with exploration on his agenda.

  She would swear that he learned every tooth, every slide of her tongue against his. Her taste, touch and texture in a kiss that seemed designed to gentle her. Her body was limp, only his embrace keeping her upright for his kiss.

  She learned him as well, the texture of his mouth, the slightly rough stubble on his chin, the heat of his flesh against hers and the hypnotic beat of his heart. The slow and steady pulse contrasted sharply with her racing blood.

  Finally giving in to impulse, she sat up, grabbed fistfuls of his hair and took control of the kiss. She pursued and he gave ground. She could feel his surprise and smiled as she sucked his lower lip into her mouth, biting it gently.

  He groaned in reaction and that noise prompted her to end the kiss. She drew back, shaking. “That was interesting. Let’s not do that again in the study of my best friend’s fiancé.”

  His breath was coming a little faster, his heart pounding harder. While he was recovering, she shifted off his lap and sat in her own chair. She knotted her fingers together and held them tightly in her lap. “I think we should be getting back to the party. Your fans are probably wondering where you are.”

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  “I don’t care.” He crossed his arms and scowled. “I am not letting you leave here until you agree to let me court you. We will be at several public outings with the happy couple and I can’t be that close to you without trying to make you mine.”

  “Do you swear not to scamper off with one of the glad wraps?”

  “What is that?”

  “Ah.” She blushed a little. “There is a clear plastic film back on Terra and it is used to wrap items for storage. The way some of the women plaster themselves to the gladiators, it reminded me of that product.”

  Thea rose, scooped up their cups and saucers and placed them carefully on the tray. He hadn’t answered her. Straightening her gown and hair, she made a beeline for the door to the study.

  Hathir stepped between her and freedom. “I swear to peel all women off me within seconds of their first contact, either with words or hands.

  Good enough?”

  She looked into his earnest face. “If you can make it through the rest of the party, my answer is yes.”

  “Then let’s go.” He held his hand out to her, a brilliant smile running over his face when she took it.

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  She could see her future in the smile. Now, they only had to deal with the present.

  “Hello, Ambassador. This is my soul mate, Theadora Comet of the Alliance Protectorate of Terra.” It was his traditional greeting for anyone coming into their orbit. Thea extended her hand in formal greeting and accepted the pass of digits over her own.

  “Pleased to meet you, Theadora Comet. Hathir, may I offer my congratulations to the finding of your long-lost soul mate?”

  “Your congratulations are accepted, Ambassador.” Hathir was keeping his left arm firmly around Thea and she smiled graciously and inclined her head at the congratulations.

  Apparently, the fact that Hathir had a soul mate he had not been able to find was common knowledge. All of the males who had come in for an introduction were aware of it. The females seemed disappointed that the lost mate was not them.

  Thea was feeling a little more hopeful. The few women who had tried slinking up to Hathir had been greeted with cold politeness and they had scurried off after his formal introduction. Stavin and Sill had come by and congratulated them formally for finding each other. Not a mean feat in a universe full of billions of compatible beings.

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  “Sill, can you take Professor Galios off my client list?” She didn’t have a chance to ask her in private. Hathir’s arm was still firmly around her.

  “He’s an excellent client, why?”

  “He insulted me. Called me an example of mediocre evolution in action. Hathir almost tore his greasy little head off.”

  From a pocket that Thea didn’t know she had, Sill whipped out a data pad and made a few rapid notes. “There. His last deposit is returned and he has been instructed to find a new accumulator. No reason given.” Sill reached forward and patted Thea on the shoulder. “No one knows who you are, but you don’t need to put up with jackasses.

  Plus, your opinion of him may colour your research.”

 

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