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  When the meal was done, the men picked up the dishes and joked as they elbowed each other for the best spot at the washing sink. Even Arez took her dishes and scrubbed up.

  Silently, she asked Rekfa. If he can have any woman here, why does he want me?

  You will not die in the next forty years, or in the next four hundred. He has wanted a mate, but he had no one to choose from.

  So, my lifespan is my attraction?

  Part of it.”

  Well, it is better than being wanted for my boobs. She chuckled silently and smiled as Arez rejoined her.

  The gathering moved to the sides, and the men shifted the tables. A band tuned up and the songs started. Couples joined and began a dance of steps and turns.

  Arez smiled. “Will you dance?”

  Before Gala could say that she didn’t know how, instructions were given to her. “Sure. Let’s dance.”

  It took more coordination than she normally had, but Arez managed to help her take the first few steps in the dance until she was able to get the hang of the motion. After that, she was stepping, twisting, turning and gliding with the rest of the dancers.

  When she collided with him during a slow turn, the full-body contact sent a shockwave through her. The exhilaration of the connection rippled through her.

  Arez froze at the same time, and his rapid breathing told her that he was just as aroused as she was.

  Rekfa took over. “Come with me.”

  Rekfa wrapped her arms around Arez, and they left the festival by means of flying straight up.

  Rekfa flew them to a copse of trees with lush grasses. Gala’s palms began to sweat before they had landed.

  She shivered with nervous tension, and her skin did the most extraordinary thing. The hair follicles on her arms and the rest of her rose, and for the first time in her life, she felt what it meant to have gooseflesh.

  When she had been small, one of her caregivers had read her a story about a boy who went out to learn what fear was. She had that same feeling right now. She wanted to know what it felt like—what everything felt like—and she wanted it all at once.

  Arez looked around and admired their location. “This looks comfortable.”

  Gala nodded. “Rekfa chose it for its distance from other settlements. The grass is thick and soft, and the trees are shielding. Even Yodin and Aster have yet to make it to this particular stand of green.”

  He turned to her and lifted one of her hands to his lips. “If I do anything you don’t like, tell me.”

  “If I do not, Rekfa will.”

  The soft but firm curve of his lips caressed her knuckles before turning her hand over and stroking across her palm. She watched as he pressed his lips to her inner wrist and made his way up her arm.

  To feel his lips moving on her skin was a completely new sensation. She now had a visual and physical sense at the same time. Her mind was in an anticipatory clamour.

  Arez smiled. “Stop over-thinking this and just feel.”

  “It is difficult. I want to remember every touch.” She looked up at him through eyes that felt heavy.

  “This is not your only occasion. I will be close at hand whenever you need or want me.”

  She didn’t ask why. She didn’t want to know why he wanted to be with her. It was only enough that he was with her right now. Her future would take care of itself. It always did.

  Chapter Six

  Her clothing rustled to the grass with a soft sigh. She watched as Arez removed his own clothing, and Gala fought the urge to rub herself against him.

  His body was hard muscle and gleaming, richly toned skin, and the temptation was mighty. Her mind was quiet, but she could feel Rekfa watching through her eyes.

  Arez wove his fingers through hers and pulled her hands to the small of her back, using the leverage to tug her against him.

  The impact of her body against his sent a wave of heat through her that made her gasp. His erection was pinned between them, and her belly rubbed against it as she squirmed for full contact.

  Objectively, she knew what happened next; she just didn’t know what it felt like.

  “Touch me, Gala.”

  He released her hands, and she wasted no time in exploring his skin.

  Heat was the first thing she picked up on. There was a light sheen of sweat that let her hands slip over his muscles with ease. His skin was marked with scars, and she followed her instinct to press her lips to some of the knotted tissue.

  He shivered as she used her mouth to touch him.

  “What made these marks?”

  He cleared his throat. “I was a miner and that is where my second life took hold. The scars are from a lifetime with minerals and working with men as hard as the stone they mined.”

  “You died?”

  “It is a requirement for immortals to have a catalyst that unlocks their potential. For me, it was a mining accident that left me floating without oxygen for five days. When they found me, they were shocked when I started breathing again.” His voice was harsh and low.

  He ran his hands over her back, cupped her buttocks and worked around her sides and back up again.

  Arez moved a hand between them, and he pressed his fingers between her thighs, covering her sex for a moment before rocking his hand against her.

  The firm pressure against her clit buckled her knees, and she ended up on the ground.

  Grinning, Arez followed her down and knelt beside her in the grass. He pressed a hand to her breastbone and eased her back into the springy green bed.

  He looked her over from head to toe, and a flicker of wonder came into his gaze. He moved slowly and eased on top of her, kissing her softly as he kept his body away from hers by a few tempting inches.

  The kiss began slowly, a light meeting of the lips that grew wild rapidly when Gala followed instinct, opened her mouth and invited him inside.

  He groaned and dropped an inch until she could feel the heat of his chest above her. Her nipples ached, so she arched against him and rubbed her skin against his. The sensitive tips of her breasts tingled with urgency while heat and moisture became apparent between her thighs.

  She smelled the musky heat of her sex and blushed but kept the kiss going as she undulated beneath him.

  Arez moved his head and broke the kiss, causing her to whimper. He kissed her neck, and she bucked upward. Her body felt tight, her skin was hot; she wanted him moving inside her, but she wasn’t sure how to go about getting it.

  She reached up and ran her blunt nails up his ribs, over his back and down to his hips. She gripped the globes of his buttocks as he continued to nibble and kiss her neck.

  Gala could feel him smile against her skin, but when he yelped in surprise, it was her turn to grin. Rekfa gave her the power to pull him down on top of her.

  She let out an oof, and he lifted his head.

  “That wasn’t fair.”

  “Fair can come later. I want to come now.” She leaned up and nibbled at his jawline.

  His expression grew intense, and he slid his fingers against the folds of her sex, rapidly dipping in to the slick moisture before circling her clit with his long, strong fingers.

  She gasped and hung on as her body began to twitch and buck with every movement of his digits. A humming started in her limbs, and she gasped and then squealed as a rush of energy ran through her body, radiating outward from that one point of contact.

  Arez murmured, “And now that you have had yours, I may have mine.”

  Her eyes went wide as he opened her thighs to give him access. He shifted his hips until his cock parted her folds. The slick residue from her orgasm made the entry easy, but the restriction inside her caught them both by surprise.

  She stared at Arez while shouting internally, What the hell?

  New life, new start. I removed all old scar tissue and that includes the internal damage.

  Gala looked up at Arez, “It was damaged, so Rekfa
repaired it.”

  Arez pulled his hips back and slid forward slowly in minute increments. “First times are never easy. I will attempt to make it enjoyable.”

  She chuckled. “You already have.”

  His harsh expression softened, and he kissed her, tangling his tongue with hers and moving his hips in the slow and dedicated advance.

  The tension in her flesh held him tightly, but there was only a gentle ache as he stretched her to her limits. Their kiss grew wild again as the invasion went from awkward pressure to pleasure when he was fully home.

  They both sighed in relief when she had completely welcomed him. He lowered himself and glided on the sweat between them as he rocked back and forth, bringing that delicious tension to a roaring wave with his dedicated focus. He might have been claiming that this round was for him, but she was benefiting from his deliberate attention in the best way possible.

  Her sighs and cries of delight ran through the small meadow. His groans and grunts chased her soft sounds like hounds after rabbits.

  She felt her inner tension nearing the release point, and Arez stepped up the beat. He rocked into her hard. She gripped the grasses next to her to hold them in place as the force started to move her backward.

  Anchors of energy held her in place while she lifted her hips to respond to Arez’s every thrust. They slapped together in primal focus until the pleasure that rippled along every nerve finally broke free. Her scream of release exploded with the energy of Rekfa behind it and waves of power broke through the small glade of trees.

  Arez’s roar of triumph echoed along hers, and to Gala’s amusement, golden warmth came from him. It was not the light of a fighter, but one of an artist. Whatever Arez had been in a former life, he had been hiding what he truly wanted in this one.

  As his body arched above her and he trembled, she took in every straining inch of him. He slowly relaxed and let his body drape over hers for a moment before rolling to his back. His hands skimmed over her skin, and she wiggled against him.

  Rekfa slid into her mind and whispered that they needed to be going. Once the temples had been changed, she would have swathes of time to spend pursuing the details of the new experiences with any partner she chose.

  She sat up and propped her arms on his chest. “I have to get going. Rekfa wishes me to continue to remake the temples. Will you come with me—us?”

  He grinned. “I will join you for a few cities, but there are matters I need to attend to.”

  She felt a little hurt, but she nodded. “Right. Shall we get dressed and get going?”

  He chuckled. “Can’t you do it while I am still inside you? This is the most amazing sensation I have ever experienced.”

  She clenched on him slightly but eased away slowly. “I think that it is best that I get dressed, and for that, I need control of all my limbs.”

  Gala stepped away, and Rekfa bathed her in a wave of energy that went from head to toe in a rush. She was clean in seconds with no trace of sweat or semen.

  Her clothing fluttered into place around her, and she was soon as dressed as she was capable of.

  Arez got up and looked down. His cock was still shining and dripping with cum. “Would Rekfa please extend me the same courtesy?”

  Gala reached out and swept him clean with a bright glow of energy. She closed her eyes to keep the image of him semi-hard and satisfied in her mind.

  Rekfa had been right. All things were new again. The world had kept her more unpleasant memories from tainting her current experience, and she appreciated that. Life and love was complicated, but this was a new start. If she thought about herself coming to life from the moment she had touched Rekfa, it meant that her old life was only a dim memory.

  Once dressed, Arez pulled her against him and kissed her. “A serene start and the power of blooming is now embedded in this meadow.”

  She looked around, and the green grasses were indeed in bloom with the heady scent akin to clover. She wanted to stay in this safe place with the warm, new memories.

  “It is lovely, and I want to return here, but for now, we need to go.”

  Rekfa lifted off, and Arez came with them. They landed outside the next city, and she went about her task while he remained outside the temple.

  He joined her on four more temple renovations before he took his leave.

  Gala’s journey became quiet and introspective for the next twelve cities before she approached the capitol.

  The temple was larger, and the streets were lined with folk who wished to see her. Hostility also reigned as the aliens allowed trade visas also came to watch the new Avatar. This was the most dangerous part of her journey and that is why it was left for last. Rekfa wanted to make sure that they were completely integrated before she faced danger.

  The first market stop marked the initial attack. A blast came at her from a high window, and the extended energy of Rekfa wrapped around her as she raised her hand to deflect it back from whence it came.

  She continued her path, and a knife thrown at her back shattered against her personal shielding. The crowd attacked the would-be assassin, and she continued her slow walk through the streets to the central temple.

  Arez landed behind her and watched her back. Yodin and Aster also landed and followed her as she walked up the steps of the temple.

  The building began to shudder the moment she stepped into it, and the now-familiar renovation took place on a grander scale.

  It brought back images of the French quarter in New Orleans when she finished the terraces facing both sides; the inner courtyard was elaborate and soothing at the same time.

  She was done. Her first true task as Avatar was complete. She only had eternity stretching out ahead of her.

  Are you pleased with what has transpired?

  Yes, though I don’t know why Arez had to leave.

  He had to dismiss his mistresses. He had some in every city. It would have taken some time and much of his accumulated wealth.

  Mistresses?

  He does not need them now that he has a mate.

  Are you referring to me?

  I am. No one else on this world would dare to come near you and make a sexual advance. He not only dared, he asked me before you arrived, though do not let Yodin and Aster know that.

  He asked for me?

  He did. He came to me and requested that he be allowed to court my new Avatar. I was to remain out of it and let him see how far he could go on his own. I admit to offering some encouragement but that is as far as my influence went. The rest was all you, and your sense of loss and frustration when he parted from you convinced me that it was the correct decision. You are a solid match. I have seen enough of them to know. He will give you emotional freedom, and you will let him show his softer side. He does not need to be the tough male around you. In a fight, you would win every time.

  Gala smiled. He wasn’t wrong. She had access to the strength of an entire world in her limbs and mind. Being able to feel and impervious to damage was the greatest gift she could have hoped for.

  The chance at a permanent companion was one that she was going to grab with both hands.

  Grinning, she emerged from the temple and joined the immortals of Rekfa on the veranda. The attendants of the temple looked eager to explore the new structure, and Gala made her final announcement. “My name is Gala-Rekfa, and I am the new Avatar of Rekfa.”

  The crowd cheered; she greeted the attendants and let them become familiar with the temple she had created. White-on-white stone gleamed in intricate designs, and the panels that had flown in the wide temple spaces now covered window openings with elaborate designs.

  Aster came over and hugged her. “You are so different.”

  “I am me now. Well, us. We are us now.” She wrinkled her nose. “I am not explaining this correctly.”

  Arez smiled with admiration in his eyes. “You are now one. It is wonderful to see.”

  She gave him a
slow smile and walked up to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “It is good to see you again, too. I have come to grips with certain things, and one of those things is spending my free time with you if you are amenable.”

  He blinked and bent his head to hers. “That is a very mild word for what I wish to do. I wish to spend eternity with you, learning your moods and letting your evolution shape this world.”

  She whispered against his lips. “And I wish to see what you can become when proving your masculinity is no longer an issue. Trust me. I believe you, now let the art flow.”

  He spoke with his lips against hers. “Thank you.”

  Epilogue

  The seventh wave of Terrans had just been released, and Gala-Rekfa had invited twelve males and twelve females to join the Rekfan.

  Gala sauntered into her home and listened for sounds. She turned and followed the noise of hammer on stone.

  Over the last two centuries, Arez had become known for his sculpture and creative spirit. Gala had simply been known to create laws and stringent regulations for those seeking to live on Rekfa. It was now a hub of trade, peace and political neutrality.

  All races were welcome, and because of Aster and Yodin, there were blends of genes here that did not occur anywhere else in the Imperium.

  Arez was working on a huge marble depiction of a globe with all the cities outlined and images of the immortals and Gala carved into the cloud cover. Her face was everywhere.

  He was frowning at the sculpture, and he raised his chisel again.

  “Hello, beloved.” She smiled and walked up to him, standing behind him and sliding her hands down his chest, drawing small circles on his bare skin.

  He turned his head to kiss her; his stone-dust-covered hand wove its way into her hair. “You have been gone forever.”

  “Two days. You could have come with me.” She punctuated her words with soft kisses.

  “With you here, nothing needs to take me away. What do you think of it?”

  “It is amazing. Where are you going to put it?”

  “The spaceport. It will be the first thing that landing aliens see.” He chuckled.