Dron felt the life nectar working as he sunk deeper into the water, letting the thick liquid wrap around his body all the way up to his neck .

He was in pain, but he’d been through worse.

It was his mind that was really bothering him.

The panic.

In all of his life, Dron had never felt the level of panic he felt when he realized Tempest was in danger.

He should’ve known way beforehand. Should’ve been paying attention.

Instead, Dron was too focused on watching the woman in wonder as she perused the dangerous wilderness.

It was his fault. No, that wasn’t true. He couldn’t have known there would be a kaznok lurking nearby. They usually stay deeper in the trees. In all of his time living here, he’d only seen maybe a handful of kraznoks. It was just Tempest’s bad luck that she got between its meal and it.

He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to release all the pent up stress he could still feel in his body. Dron knew that in a few moments all of his injuries would be healed thanks to the life nectar.

It was good planning on his part that he had this tub in his home. When he first requested the builders to create it, there was pushback. Those in the lower class didn’t typically have their own life nectar pools, but he appeared before the high council and managed to convince them, based on the fact that he was a high-ranking military man, an alpha. The fact that it meant he would never need to use the community life nectar pools meant he would need to have one of his own.

He was never more grateful for the community’s prejudices against him as he was now that he was sitting in his own private pool.

The water shifted slightly, and Dron’s eyes popped open. Tempest was on the far edge of the pool. Her entire body was shaking.

Dron couldn’t figure out if it was because of what had happened to her out in the wilderness or because of his proximity to her. He’d nearly let his alpha completely take over when he was fighting the beast. Now he had to worry about if she thought he was going to hurt her. She’d already called Mexyn once claiming to feel unsafe, she’d have even more of a reason to do so again now that she’d seen him in that state.

"I’m not going to hurt you." Dron grumbled out and stretched his limbs trying to get the life nectar to work faster. He wanted to get out of that pool as quickly as possible and get away from this woman. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"I know." Tempest nodded her head.

"Then why do you tremble? Are you still unwell? Is the life nectar not doing its job?" Dron fought the urge to move closer to her and examine the wound on her arm.

"No, it’s fine." She lifted her hand, and he could see the wound had already closed. It was just a long red line on her skin now. In a few more minutes even that would be gone.

"I’m just... I don’t know...restless?" Tempest shrugged her shoulders, and she slowly inched in his direction.

Dron was uneasy, but he didn’t move.

Suddenly the strangeness of the situation hit him. He was in the pool nearly naked with his wife. A woman who didn’t want to be here with him. One who had already made it known that she was not interested in anything more than a bodyguard.

"Can we talk? Maybe take my mind off what happened out there?" Tempest questioned.

Dron swallowed hard. He didn’t know why he was so nervous. There was no more danger around. No one but Tempest.

"If you’d like." Dron dipped his head once in affirmation.

"So...do things like that happen often to you?"

"You mean am I silly enough to go out in the woods unprepared? No. Things like that don’t happen to me often." Dron snapped out but instantly felt bad for the bite in his words. "Though, I understand your desire to find out more about the world around you. I can’t imagine what it must be like for you, waking up in a new place and being told to live."

"Exactly. It all feels like a really bad dream." Tempest side and leaned back against the wall.

"All bad then?" Dron asked.

Tempest peeked at him and issued a soft smile, "No, not all bad. For instance, this bath is otherworldly. I could stay in this forever."

"I wouldn’t recommend that."

"Why? Will I get sick if I stay in here too long?" Tempest turned her head as she questioned him.

"I don’t know. There were rumors of people becoming immune to the effects of life nectar after prolonged use, but I’m not sure if that’s just propaganda or not. It could be high society’s way of keeping us lowly folk in check." Dron tilted his head to the side as if he were truly thinking about it.

"Got it. If I stay in here too long, it’ll stop working." Tempest nodded again and inched even closer to Dron.

If he reached out now, he’d be able to touch her. He’d have her in his grasp. Moon Goddess, how he wanted that.

"How are you?" Tempest asked and gestured behind him. He turned his head to look over his shoulder and winced. The nectar was working, but he wasn’t completely healed yet. His injuries were much worse than Tempest’s. "Can I see? I mean, check everything is okay?"

"You don’t have to do that." Dron mumbled.

"I’d really like to." Tempest gestured for him to turn, and he did as she asked.

Dron clenched all of his muscles when he felt her small, gentle finger begin to trace along the sinews in his back. Just that one gentle touch was enough to set his body on fire.

After a few seconds he turned back around, expecting Tempest to move away, but she didn’t. Her eyes were hooded, and her breathing was erratic.

Was she ill? Again?

"Are you alright?" Dron asked as he looked down at her.

"I’m more than alright. In fact, it feels like I’m flying. Does the life nectar make you feel like that too?" She lifted her hand and gently laid it on his arm.

Dron looked down at it. Confusion rocketed through him. Confusion and desire.

He didn’t know what she was doing, but he liked it.

"Make me feel like what?" Dron’s voice was nothing more than a whisper.

"Make you feel like you want to connect?" Tempest chose her words carefully.

Connect? Was she playing with him? It was the only explanation Dron could come up with.

"You’re needy?" He asked, but it must not have translated well to Tempest because she shook her head and backed away.

"No, I’m not. I was just wondering." She huffed, and he could see the way the light slowly started to dim from her eyes.

"Needy isn’t a bad thing, Tempest. Your body knows what it wants. Knows that I can give it to you. Do you want it? Do you want me?" He moved in closer, like a predator stalking its prey.

Tempest’s eyes widened, and she darted her tongue out to lick her lips.

If she wanted to play games with him, then he could do the same. It was dangerous, but all he had to do was remember to stop.

"What do you want?"

Tempest shook her head slightly.

"Tell me, my temptation, tell me what you want. And if you lie to me, I will know."

She let out a soft gasp, and it made the desire Dron was feeling that much stronger. He wanted to say screw it all and just take her right here in this tub, but he had to control himself. He had to make sure she didn’t have any power over him.

"I want to...touch you." She spoke, but her voice trembled.

It had to be a trick. She wasn’t asking for him to do something to her. He thought she would want him to pleasure her. After all, it did seem like that would be the logical thing.

"You want to touch me? The cursed alpha?" Dron questioned, raising an eyebrow in her direction.

She didn’t seem to notice his skeptical tone.

"Yes, I want to touch you...so bad." Tempest moved in closer, her hand lifted out of the water. Dron’s eyes skated slowly down her body. The parts that he could see out of the water.

Right at the edge of the water surface, her breasts were covered by a cloth. Even through the material, he could see the shape of them. The way her small nipples were hard and peaked.

He couldn’t believe it. Didn’t want to fall victim to the trap, but he had meant what he said about her lying. He should be able to tell if she was being untruthful. He was a great judge of character, at least he thought he was.

But she was aroused. There was no mistaking it. The way her body was reacting.

Dron decided to go along with it. She was playing the game well.

"Then have your way, little one. Touch me." Dron spread his arms slightly to the side. Determined to stay as still as possible.

He soon found that it was nearly impossible. The second she let her fingers graze his skin, a deep rumble started in his chest. He clenched his hands and let her continue her exploration.

"Is this okay?" Tempest questioned.

"Yes...keep going." Dron requested.

She gulped down her nerves and let her free hand move up to his other shoulder. She dragged her nails down his skin. Not enough for pain but enough for him to truly feel it.

"You’re beautiful." Tempest whispered, and Dron forced himself to keep looking at her.

"I told you about lying to me." He growled, ready to take a step back.

Tempest’s eyes shot up to his, "You did. And I haven’t lied. You are beautiful, Dron."

He couldn’t hold himself back any longer. He grabbed hold of her waist and pulled her close to him. Close enough that she would be able to feel his desire for her. His primary shaft hard as steel and more than ready to slide inside of her.

"Tell me to stop. Tell me you don’t want this." Dron grunted and gasped in surprise when instead of pushing him away, Tempest lifted her leg and wrapped it around his waist, placing her core closer to him.

"You’re going to be the death of me." Dron muttered as his hips started to move on their own. He wanted to get closer. Wanted to feel her warmth around him. He knew that he shouldn’t think like that. It would do nothing but frustrate him when she pulled away at the last second, but still, just being as close as he was to her felt like a dream come true.

"I’ve never... I’m supposed to be waiting." Tempest muttered as she let her face drop to his shoulder and pulled herself tighter to him.

This was what Dron knew was going to happen. She would get him worked up and then leave him in pain.

"You were waiting for me." Dron continued to move his hips. He pressed her tighter against his body. He couldn’t bear to be even an inch away from her. He’d been close to other women before during the testing, but they’d have pushed him away long before now. Tempest was holding onto him like he was her saving grace.

He’d never felt anything like this before. Never had a woman hold him like this. If he wasn’t careful, he would forget that he would never be allowed to finish.

It felt like a million different thoughts were going through his head at once.

Reasons that he should let her go.

Reasons why he should strip her naked right here in the water.

Reasons why he knew this was a trick.

Reasons upon reasons.

Still nothing stopped his hips from moving.

Dron took a breath; he was already at the edge. He had to stop. He knew he had to stop before he completely lost his grip on reality.

Just as he was ready to move away from her, Tempest let her head nuzzle closer into his neck, and she moaned.

"Blessed goddess." Dron groaned in return, and quickly he had her pinned against the wall of the tub.

She whined and pulled him tighter against her body as he quickly began to grind against her core. He felt his body building and building. It had never felt this intense.

It was intense and something more.

Something different was happening to him.

His entire body tingled, not just his groin. But from the tips of his toes to the top of his hornless head.

What was happening to him?

"Dron, I’m so close. Don’t stop. Oh god, don’t stop."

Tempest’s words excited him to the point of near lunacy. He wanted to scream out in pleasure, wanted to rip her loincloth off and rail into her. Wanted to give in to his baser needs.

A small voice in his head let him know that this was exactly what she was hoping he’d do. She was tricking him into forcing himself on her. Then there would be no contest. He’d not only be exiled; he’d be put to death.

He fought to keep his wits about him. She had to be the one to give him explicit permission. In fact, if Dron had his choice, he’d wait until Tempest begged him.

How it would thrill him to see her on her knees in front of him.

His knees buckled at the thought.

"Temptation..." Dron groaned, "Say yes...please."

How quickly the tables seemed to have turned. A second ago he was wanting to hear her beg, and here he was begging her.

"Dron, oh hell," Tempest’s body shuddered in his arms. He was so pent up he wound up slamming the palm of his hand against the edge of the tub.

The hard marble didn’t break, but the pain radiated up his arm. It was just enough to distract him.

"Say the words, Tempest, say yes."

"Dron, oh....mmm..." she groaned and clawed at his just healed back.

He growled and yanked her head back using her hair just as he felt her tongue lick up the column of his neck.

To hell with the rules.

He didn’t need anything else but the desperation in her eyes to tell him what he needed to know.

He used his free hand to grab for the cloth keeping her hidden from him.

Like a warning from the moon gods themselves, the lights flickered on and off.

"No!" Dron barked, and this time when he slammed his hand against the edge of the tub, it broke.

"What...what is it?" Tempest blinked a few times as she peeled herself off him.

"Someone is here." Dron held onto her for a second more, he wasn’t ready to let her go. When the lights flickered on and off again this time twice in quick succession, Dron knew whoever was at the door was growing impatient.

They would soon come to find out what it meant to test Dron’s patience.

"Be still. I shall return." Dron looked down at Tempest’s flushed face one final time as he lifted himself out of the tub.

She squeaked and looked away when she came face to face with his engorged manhood.

He shrugged his shoulders at her sudden bashfulness. Dron wasn’t ashamed.

He stormed out of the bathroom, ready to rip whoever was at the door to shreds. As he walked through the house, life nectar dripping off his body, he realized something. He hadn’t come to completion, but the intense pain that he was used to after coming so close to the edge wasn’t nearly as bad as it always was. It was bearable.

Dron tried not to think too hard about it.

He walked to the door, and just as the guest passed the indicator for the alarm to activate the lights again, Dron pulled it open.

Pure rage agreed through Dron’s body.

It was no emergency. It wasn’t the guards coming to take him away. It was Gerax, and he had the nerve to look aggravated.

"You better have a good reason for disrupting me." Dron growled, but before Gerax could answer, his eyes widened and he looked over Dron’s shoulder.

He didn’t have to tell Dron what he saw. Dron could smell her. The scent of his omega. Tempest was standing behind him and the scent of her arousal was thick in the air.