Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 86162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
A blur of motion let her know he was shaking his head.
“Not definitely but it’s a possibility since in order to Bond you to me I must have my shaft buried to the hilt in your soft little pussy as I fill you with my seed.”
“Oh, well…” Abbey bit her lip. “I guess we should be careful, then.” But she couldn’t help feeling disappointed. The sense of rightness was still burning inside her like a flame—she wanted to consummate her relationship with the big Monstrum and form a Soul Bond with him.
“Don’t feel so sad, lelka,” he rumbled, stroking her cheek lovingly. “There are plenty of pleasures we can give each other in the meantime. And as soon as we get back to the Monstrum Mother Ship, I’ll Bond you to me.”
“What about Aunt Rose? Where will we live?” Abbey wanted to know.
“Wherever you want, sweetheart,” Solon assured her. “We can stay on the Mother Ship or we can live on Earth. Or we can split our time between the two.”
“I like the idea of that,” Abbey said thoughtfully. “I don’t want to leave Aunt Rose completely alone—she still needs some help to run the shop.” She sighed. “We have to stay open every day just to make ends meet.”
“What if you didn’t have to be open all the time? What if your aunt had some special flowers only she could get to sell? Wouldn’t their rarity make them more valuable?” Solon asked.
Abbey began to get excited.
“Do you mean the flowers from the Monstrum Mother Ship? Do you think Commander Rarev would let us sell them in the Rose’s Roses shop?”
“I don’t see why not,” Solon rumbled. “I’ll have to clear it with him first, of course, but I’m guessing he’ll say ‘yes.’ That way your aunt wouldn’t have to work as much and you could afford to close your shop more often.”
“Oh, Solon—that would be wonderful!” Abbey threw her arms around his neck. She loved working with her aunt but there was no doubt that the hours were long and tiring sometimes. If Rose’s Roses was the only shop able to sell the rare alien blooms from the Monstrum Mother Ship, their business would boom, even if they choose to keep the shop open fewer hours.
It sounded like the perfect solution and the perfect life to Abbey. She hugged the big Monstrum tightly and felt Solon squeeze her firmly but gently in return. He was always mindful of how much smaller she was than him and how much stronger he was than her. It made her love him even more.
“I love you too, lelka,” he murmured in her ear, and she realized he must have felt her outpouring of emotion.
She felt emotion coming from him as well—a love so wild and deep it nearly overwhelmed her with its depth and intensity. It was like expecting to step into a bathtub and finding you were swimming in the ocean instead, she thought. Truly, the big Monstrum’s love for her seemed to have no limits.
“I’m so glad you came to get me,” she murmured, nuzzling her cheek against his soft fur. “And I’m so, so glad that stupid exemption paperwork I filed didn’t go through!”
Solon shifted against her and she felt a surge of unease coming from him—but it was so brief that she almost wondered if she’d imagined it.
“Solon?” She pulled back, making his name a question. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, only I need to tell you something,” he rumbled. “You see…”
A knocking on their bedroom door interrupted him.
“Your pardon, Commander Solon, Lady Abbey, but I have been sent to tell you that the banquet will begin in half an hour. Please be ready to go when Chancellor Maprist comes to collect you.”
“Understood!” Solon called. “Lady Abbey and I are getting ready now.” He sat up in bed, bringing Abbey with him. “I guess we’d better hurry.”
“Okay.” Abbey nodded—they could talk about whatever had been troubling him later. Right now, they had to get ready for the banquet.
32
ABBEY
The Empress’s banquet was a meal unlike anything Abbey had ever experienced before.
She and Solon were ushered into a vast room with a high ceiling—she could tell by the way the sound echoed. Despite being in a new room she’d never visited before, Abbey walked with confidence. Spex had woken up from his nap and was sitting on her shoulder and Solon was right beside her, so she had no fear about tripping or bumping into anything. Also, the floor was clearly marked with a red wooden path leading through the gray marble of the floor which showed her where to walk.
They were seated on large, puffy cushions at a low table with a space underneath for their feet. To Abbey’s left was the head of the table where the Empress sat and to her right was Solon. To his right was Chancellor Maprist, who had come to get them as he had promised. As they were seated, an attendant announced their names loudly.