The Unveiling (D'Shar Men 2)

"Come on, let's start up an account. It'll take my mind off things." How can I deny a request like that?

"Argh, all right."

"Yes!" Drusi said, wiping the tears from her face. Her cheery yellow aura calmed, and her hair returned to its normal golden brown hue.

"One thing we've learned from humans these past few years, being single can and should be fun. It's time to take a note from their book," Rivka said, suddenly filled with a sense of purpose. She could show others like her that not finding your bond mate wasn't a sentence to loneliness. She'd never let it stop her back home, so why should Earth be any different? She'd had dates, the occasion dalliances, and a few failed relationships. The last had hurt so bad she'd been put off until now. Clearly, it was time to come out of her shell, because waiting around doing nothing was driving her to think dark thoughts best left untouched. She pulled up another chair and opened up the silver laptop that rested on the desk they were sitting in front of.

"This is kind of exciting," Drusi said.

“I know. I wish we'd done this sooner."

"Well, Shar Connection is fairly new," Drusi said. "I actually saw an ad for it when I was surfing the net, and I couldn’t resist digging a little deeper."

"It's brilliant, whoever thought of it." Riv booted up the computer and opened up the Internet. "What's the web address?"

"It's www.Sharconnect.com."

The two of them moved closer together as the site came up. Fast tempo music played, and an image of Earth and Tagett appeared.

Whether you're looking for the love of your life or some fun companionship, this site will help you find a romance that's out of this world. The tag line made them both giggle. A screen popped up on the side and a woman with olive skin, amber eyes and dark teal hair spoke.

"Here at Shar Connect we use tests, questions, and graphs to find you a match that will place you with your ideal date. We take the business of dating seriously, and so should you. No more blind dates with people you have nothing in common with, or settling. Give us a try. The first month is free."

"Perfect, Rivka, let's get you started," Drusi said.

As they set up her profile they talked about the type of Bonding Ceremony Drusi had always dreamed of, and Rivka was content. She might not have her happily ever after, but she had taken control of a situation that had long plagued her. She needed to get rid of the bitterness souring her soul, or she wouldn’t be much good to anyone. As it stood she wasn't sure if she'd want to bond with her mate or kill him. A real man never kept a lady waiting, and she'd been on hold for a mighty long time. Mating response or not, he had a lot to answer for.

Chapter Five

Buzz. The vibration of his phone on the counter made him scowl. He set the reconnaissance file on his desk, glanced at the screen, and rolled his eyes. Since he'd gone with Mars to Among the Stars, his baby brother had been relentless in his pursuit to get him out again. He'd had a good time with Beckey, but he didn't feel the urge to repeat the experience. There was no spark. Not like the one he'd felt when he saw Rivka. He placed a hand over his head and growled. "Fuck." What he'd hoped would make him feel better had driven home the point he set out to disprove. Rivka had the potential to be the most important person in his life. Denying The Wanting never ended well. You'd go insane, become bitter, or never be truly fulfilled. It was a grim future. One he wanted no part of, henceforth, The Purge. His cock came to life as he pictured her wicked curves hinted at under the black material of the traditional garb. Her amethyst eyes popped against her brown skin and color changing hair. I wonder what color it turns when she comes. His mind filled with vivid images of the priestess sprawled across his bed, head tossed back, full lips parted, ample breasts heaving.

It felt wrong to want someone who was such an important figure on such a visceral level. He adjusted his length and moaned aloud as sensation shot through his body. He hadn't felt like this since he was a teenager. Bastien massaged the prominent bulge. His eyes drifted closed. His breathing grew ragged. He unzipped his jeans in search of more contact. Freed from his cloth boxers, he wrapped his large hand around his quivering shaft and stroked up. He pumped faster, squeezed tighter. Sparks of pleasure fired, setting his body aflame. His legs shook, and his balls drew up as he released a stream of blue-tinged liquid. The warm cream ran down his hand, onto his wrist and pants. Still he continued to come. Drenched in his own juices he pushed away from the desk and walked into his bathroom.

He stripped down and studied his reflection in the mirror. His eyes were dilated, and his tan skin was splotchy and flushed. I’m out of control. It wasn't an emotion he was used to. Bastien stuffed the splattered clothing into his hamper and turned on the shower with his powers. He'd never been one to remain in denial. Rivka was his mate. What did he do about it? Bastien climbed into the shower, placing his head against the tile as the hot water rained down on his skin. Did he want this? His first instinct was to keep his distance, but that was impossible with her planning the ceremony. He closed his eyes and ducked his head under the showerhead.

The joy that was supposed to follow the reveal of his mate didn't come. Whether it was due to The Purge or the fact that he was used to being along he couldn't say. The thought of holding someone else's happiness in his hands terrified him. Emotions weren’t something he'd understand. He'd set them aside since he was eleven and shipped off for training. “I know it’s not easy. The life of a warrior is a hard one. You’ll have to make many sacrifices, but it will be for the good of many. It’s time for you to become a man. The time of childhood has passed.” The last words his Father spoke to him in person danced in his brain. His heart gave a twinge as regret flooded in. He'd never forgiven his father for the brush off he'd given him that day and then his parents were gone. I'm not wired for this shit. I'm acting like Zasha, and she's three months pregnant. I never wanted any of this! That's why I did The Purge in the first place.

He scrubbed himself down, rinsed off, and stepped onto the rug, snatching a black towel off the rack. The bottom had dropped out of his world, and he was scrambling for purchase. Millions of questions he couldn’t answer bombarded him like enemy fire. His head felt too small. The walls around him seemed to close in. He rushed through dressing in a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a pull over. Bastien slipped on a pair of gym shoes and called Mars back. He needed to get out, take his minds off things.

"Hey Bro, I thought you were going to blow me off like you usually do," Mars said.

"I was thinking about it."

"Ha ha. You up for some pizza and beer, just the brothers."

"I'm down for a boy's night," Bastien said.

"Wow, my Earth speak is clearly wearing off on you," Mars said.

"I know how to adapt to my surroundings."

"Yes, you do." There was sadness in Mars’ voice that made him frown.

"You okay?" Bastien asked.

"I'm fine. It just sucks how we grew up apart from the others. Phelan and Kade had one another, but I was on Earth and you were on Cinth training. It's marked us in a way, set us apart the others. I'm more human than Shar most days and up until very recently you've been like the Tin Man, unable to really feel or at least express those emotions to others."

"Tin man?" Bastien asked.