Free Draechen's Mate [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 2] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) by Scarlet Hyacinth

have surely had lovers before.”
    So it did bother him. Clearing his throat, Sari got up as well and started to arrange his clothes and hair. “It’s because of my connection to Jenarra. Jenarra’s priestesses are forbidden to have sexual relationships. It’s not an official thing for me, but my stepmother used to enforce it herself, arguing that it’s necessary.”
    “That doesn’t make any sense,” Karein answered. “Your mother is High Priestess, is she not?”
    Sari shrugged. The topic always made him uncomfortable. He didn’t want to discuss the reasons behind his conception because it had always hurt him. Once, he’d been a wide-eyed child who didn’t understand why he was different, but then, his father had finally pulled him aside and explained. From that moment, Sari had understood that the love his parents showed to him wasn’t for him as a person, but for Jenarra.
    He supposed that Karein would find out sooner or later, so he decided to explain. “My mother had a vision from Jenarra. The goddess told her to have me because I was needed for our people to thrive. She never would have given birth to me if not for Jenarra telling her to.”
    The king had believed her, but naturally, the queen hadn’t. Of course, the problem might have been solved if after that one time the two had shared a bed, they’d stopped seeing each other in that capacity, but Selbrian and Onyerre’s marriage had been an arranged union, and what little balance had existed in it had been shattered after Sari’s birth. Or so Sari had been told at least. He’d only ever known Onyerre as the bane of his existence and his parents as loving, in their own strange ways and for reasons he had always doubted.
    Karein must have noticed the shift in Sari’s mood. Just like before, he cupped Sari’s cheek gently, his previous shock apparently forgotten. “I knew it. You are a gift from above. No one so beautiful can exist out of mere mortals.”
    Sari opened his mouth to argue against that assessment since he wasn’t perfect at all. But before he could say anything, Karein crushed their mouths together in a soul-wrenching, all-consuming kiss. At first, the move shocked Sari so much that he couldn’t even respond, but Karein’s tongue licked over the seam of his lips, demanding entrance, and Sari automatically gave it. His eyes drifted closed, and he melted into his mate’s embrace. As he surrendered to Karein’s demand, the draechen’s tongue thrust into Sari’s wet cavern. Tentatively, Sari met the slick muscle with his own. While he was fairly certain that his clumsy shyness couldn’t have satisfied Karein’s sexual need like the skill of an experienced partner, his mate groaned, stabbing his fingers through Sari’s long hair. It was Sari’s first kiss, and far better than anything he’d ever dared to imagine. He found himself rubbing against Karein’s body, his dick throbbing, desperately needing the friction, craving more contact with his mate.
    A rip of material warned Sari that Karein wanted the same thing, and whatever scruples had held him back until now were no longer enough. Sari honestly didn’t know what would have happened had a knock not sounded at the balcony door. Karein broke the kiss and released an oath. “Give me a minute,” he said. “Something’s wrong.”
    Sari nodded, taking a few deep breaths as his mate opened the door. As it turned out, the person intruding on Sari’s private moment with his mate was the lieutenant Karein himself had mentioned. The new arrival saluted Karein and bowed slightly at Sari, then said, “Highness, you need to go. I believe Prince Hareematek is looking for you. I’ve managed to distract the guards so far, but they were predictably unwilling to leave their post. It’s far too risky to linger here.”
    “Thank you,” Karein replied. Returning to Sari’s side, Karein pressed another bruising kiss to his lips. When he pulled away, he murmured, “I’ll see you in