Dark Star ❈ Dark Nine Universe Bk2 ❈

Chapter 21

Diana's POV

Wolf-Rayet's long kiss ended with a soft blind-fold being placed around my eyes, then I was kissed by each Kor from the Enta Squad – shadowy, musk night-flowers. Followed by kisses from Star Squad – burnt stars, metallic perfume. And lastly Ninth Squad. While I only guessed the others, I can still tell each of Ninth Squad from one another. Pluto is first and his kiss is rough, I even taste a salty tear – he missed me so much he growls throughout, having to be pulled off. I then kiss sweet silver, mixed with soft secrets; Uranus. Saturn delves his tongue right past my lips, his amber smoke fills my mouth with his caring venom. Every kiss is a unique mating mark. Jupiter hovers over my mouth, I feel his forehead touch mine as he just feels me – and I think he wants to speak, but he keeps his thoughts to himself. A little pert kiss, quick and rushed. He overthought it and growls at himself at the end. Venus tastes purely feverish and possessive, he already can't wait to impregnate me again. Mercury nips my lip and doesn't want to let go, just holding onto it, his hands slyly touching my neck – swatted away from me by the next Kor in line. Terra smells earthy and almost human, kissing me once, politely, but suddenly coming back in to kiss me twice, to show he cares. Only two more left. Mars and Neptune. I feel my breathing flutter, my Enhanced Instincts telling me Neptune would be last as he was my Keeper. So Mars? Is right in front of me. I breathe in and I can't help it, I reach up for the blind fold – wanting to rip it off so I can see his eyes. But strong hands clasp my wrists; Neptune's. He keeps me from seeing and when I'm calm, he lets me go, trusting me not to reach for the blindfold again. Mars moves forward and he kisses both corners of my lips... and that's all, soft, no venom, just... soft. I lick the corners of my mouth, to get any venom on my tongue, even if it's miniscule. "Forgive me?" Mars whispers so quiet, so distant, hiding with shame. I reach out my hands forward, hoping he sees it as a yes. Mars moves closer again, he kisses me hard and I breathe him in, tasting his hot love for me, my lips caressing his before he's gone and I whimper.

Neptune comes down in front of me last, holding the rim of the bathtub. I place my hands down on the top of his. My lip wobbles as he kisses me gently, smiling over my mouth, "With me, cutey," Neptune sounds so sure, so cool and in control as he suddenly grabs me under my arms and lifts me out of the Elion bath. He tosses me over his shoulder, his Kor hand clenching my ass. My blindfold is quickly fastened by someone else, before it falls off – and then he's moving away with quick strides, we pulse through portal after portal, the air density getting thicker and thicker – before we finally stop walking, and the air perfectly matches my temperature, "Your new home, Orkora, it's just you and me right now," Neptune slides me down his front so I'm facing him, and he gently unties my blind fold, letting it slip away as I press against his abs.

The first thing I do is hold him so tight, I never want to let go.

"12 months," I almost yell it, "I was gone – I wasn't even here. I was in a coma and you all went to war for me! For me. And I had no idea. I had no idea you thought I was dead, c-couldn't connect, I was in this strange liquid, and – and," I pull back to look up into his rare eyes. Neptune so rarely lets his Stealth down, even now he shimmers almost to invisible when I catch his eye – still shy. I look into his liquid pools for eyes, mirrors but full of emotion, every Kor emotion he feels, all at once. He's listening intently, his hands smoothing over my waist and back, his Kor nails like claws, applying tiny hints of pressure, Kor foreplay, "I missed you... t-then Mars," I stop, sucking in a breath, "The Nemortica killed our bond," I say it with a monotone, "So he could survive if I was dead. But I wasn't, so when he found me, he wanted with all his Kor heart to eat me," I blink rapidly and then quickly rub away some tears into his blue skin, just blatantly rubbing my face into him – I'm just not done venting yet, "I couldn't even witness my daughter grow up," I shake my head as I look up again, "Lyra is so brave. And then the rest all grew up to be as big as you guys," I furrow my brows, "How strange – how weird. How cool."