Melody Embraced

by Serena Simpson

  “I’m going to have to go with no.”

  “Believe me the boots will work just fine,” Rolun told her.

  With a wave of her hand, she left them and went to sit in the sitting area around the dressing rooms. Her initial intention had been to dress them like they were her private G.I. Joe dolls, but they had a mind of their own. She let out an overly dramatic sigh.

  “Hi,” a woman who looked a little younger than her sat down. “Are you waiting for your husband to come out or your son?”

  “My security detail.”

  The woman gave her a long look before smiling. “I can’t wait.”

  They sat in silence until her teenaged son came out.

  “Mom,” the boy groaned.

  “You look, handsome darling. Do those boots fit?” He disappeared back into the fitting room.

  Jade’s guards came out dressed in black pants that reminded her why it was a delight to be female. The way they cupped their asses and pulled enough to suggest they were hung. Hell yeah… her guards were hot, how had she missed this before?

  “I want to thank Jesus and the Arch Angels for bringing me to this store today.” The woman gave Jade a smile as she watched the males pose for them.

  “I know,” Jade said softly as she watched her security guards have fun.

  Chapter Twelve

  Returning to the vehicles they dropped off in a remote location was a different experience than their original walk into the city. No one knew exactly what Jade’s security was for or who they were protecting, but now everyone understood who they were. It was in the eyes that followed them. Each of them looked at her with awe and a few gave her silent deadly looks that she should be in the middle of all this protection.

  Those she gave extra wide smiles to. Her team was more than physically beautiful, they were trained killers. It was in every lethal step they took. It made her feel good to watch men who walked with lethal grace take a step back to make way for them. This had been missing earlier. It always amazed her how the right clothes could give you a sense of purpose. Her team, some of who took bets on her failure was now invested in her survival. Not bad for a shopping trip.

  “My queen.” Lyrek’s voice brought her out of her thoughts.

  “I didn’t hear you come in. I was thinking about my guards and the shopping trip we took.” She was sitting on the floor in front of the couch legs spread wide while she did some stretching exercises in case she had to run again.

  He sat next to her pulling her close. “I heard about this shopping trip. It’s all anyone is talking about.”

  “I swear we need to find them, girlfriends.”

  He leaned over and placed a kiss on her neck. She presented her neck for another kiss and moaned. His tongue swiped over the area making the flesh sensitive.

  “My guards don’t understand why the queen’s guards were given a cohesive look, but they were not.”

  Darn it, she didn’t mean to start trouble. They needed something to pull them together to make them one unit. This made sense to her. When they got back after making sure she was safe inside they went to train.

  “What did you tell them?”

  “That the queen and I would be taking them out for their uniforms in a few days.”

  “And that’s why you are king.” She pushed up to kiss his lips.

  He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her until she was lying on him. “I love having your body pressed up against me

  “I bet you say that to all the pathetically horny women rubbing up against you.” The orgasm he gave her the other day made her needier for him deep inside of her.

  “Nope, only to you.”

  She laughed and nipped at his throat as she tried to find a ticklish spot on his body.

  “Are you serious?” She sat up with a put out look and wrapped her arms around herself. “There isn’t one ticklish spot on your body?”

  “Maybe you just need to look harder.” He pulled her back down into another ardent kiss when there was a knock at the door.

  “Food, going once, going twice, sold to the highest bidder.” Jaydel’s voice came in through the door.

  “I better be the highest bidder,” Lyrek put Jade to the side before he stalked across the room toward the door.

  Damn, that man looked like a jungle cat, he was all fleetness and danger rolled into one sinfully handsome package. He took the silver server from in front of Jaydel and closed the door.

  “You didn’t say thank you,” she reprimanded him softly.

  “He’s lucky I didn’t bite off his arm. Is the food to your liking my queen?” His gold eyes blazed like a living entity as he adjusted her on his lap. He fed her bite by bite, kissing, licking, or nibbling her between each mouthful.

  “I can hear your stomach you need to eat more.” He sucked her earlobe between his lips sucking on it like it was the sweetest candy. His fingers trailed down between her breasts before he brought another bite of food to her lips.

  “How can I?” She tried to complain before he placed the fork between her lips. She chewed and moaned at the same time. His fingers caressed her breast then the other one.

  “You're driving me crazy.” She arched her back thrusting her breasts closer to his hands.

  “Does my queen like her king’s hands on her breasts?” His fingers slid down pinching a nipple before he pulled at it.

  “Please Lyrek, you're teasing me.” He teased her every chance he got since she made the choice to be his queen. His hands found her under the table or in bed. Don’t let him pass her in the hallway. There was always an unexplored dark spot for them to make out in. She didn’t know why he was taking his time but the attraction was mutual. The erection he wore like a medal assured her of that.

  “I have to tease you. I want you so bad. If my byema were to come out you wouldn’t survive and neither would I. I can’t lose you, Jade. You’re everything I didn’t know I needed.”

  It was times like these that she had a hard time keeping in her words of love. She wanted to stand on a mountain and scream he was the only one for her, but caution told her it was too soon. Wait, Jade, she told herself. This was something she couldn’t afford to get wrong.

  Licking her lips, she allowed her hands to move downward as she sucked the side of his neck. He needed a mark to let everyone who saw him know he was hers.

  “My male, my king.” Her hands went to the bottom of the button up he was wearing. She undid each button with quick nimble fingers until she was pushing his shirt off his shoulders and down his arms.

  Take it slow rang out in her head even as she dived for one of his nipples. Her mouth slanted over it, sucking it between her teeth as she teased him with wet kisses and bites meant to excite.

  “Does my king like that?” She turned his words back on him as she pulled on his hard nub.

  “You’re playing with fire,” his voice was a deep sound that made her nipples hard and other areas wet.

  “I love fire.” The words were whispered around his nipple before she switched to the other. She sucked, and he groaned pressing the heel of his hand over the base of his cock.

  A need filled laugh escaped her. She reached for the zipper to his pants but he flipped her over laying her out like she was a feast. He stripped the shirt off that was already pushed up under her arms. Her bra was next leaving her lying before him like an offering to the fertility god. She giggled feeling like a teenager and not the almost forty-year-old that she was.

  “I love when you laugh like that. It makes me feel like nothing matters more than I do.” His hands caressed down her body while he pressed his nose between her breasts breathing in her scent. “I love the way your scent changes. Right now, you smell like cherry blossoms in the spring.”

  “You were the love them and leave them type with your smooth tongue, weren’t you?”

  “I was too busy leading battles and planning wars to love them and leave them.”

  “The women of the galaxy had no idea wha
t they were missing.” She caressed down his back while her nails lightly scored his skin. “Fortunately for you, I am willing to take one for the team.” She bit his shoulder giving him her sexy version of a growl.

  He pulled away from her as her hands went to his pants.

  “Too soon,” he panted.

  “You always say that. If we wait for you, we’ll die never having done the deed.”

  “It’s not a deed.” He pulled away as she unzipped his pants. “Jade it’s not safe for you.”

  She pulled away and pressed his chest to move him the rest of the way from her body. “You can’t keep getting me hot then putting me up like a flame-retardant doll.”

  “Jade.” The growl was a little more primitive, but she refused to look at him.

  “Lyrek, this is earth. We do things differently here. I’m about to do one of those things in the shower.”

  “Sit down Jade you're teasing the beast.”

  She rolled her eyes. Men! Didn’t matter what country or what planet, they always thought they were in charge. Well, not tonight. Living in this all-male city gave her some worries, but none of them were about Lyrek hurting her. He had mentioned several times that if his byema or beast as she thought about it came out, it would hurt her.

  She believed him. Already she had seen too many secrets to be naïve, that didn’t mean she was going to live her life in fear. She stalked towards their room. The room they spent every night playing and loving as well as laughing.

  “Last warning baby.” His growl tripped a nerve in the back of her neck that ran down her spine. She wanted to call bullshit but something in her was screaming caution.

  Getting to the bedroom now was for her survival. The need for release went away with the sound of Lyrek’s voice. He sounded half humanoid and half wild beast. Turn around she pleaded with herself but she knew if she saw him, she was dead. Her feet took off like she was Hermes.

  Her breath came out in large puffs as she ran across the room. Fear sat on her shoulders telling her that humans and aliens didn’t mix. She wanted to look over her shoulder to see where he was, but she knew he was stalking her, playing with her. There was no way she would make it so she ran faster. Bastard she thought just before her hand snagged out to reach the door handle.

  A weight hit her in her legs dragging her down. Her sweat-slicked hand fell off the door handle. She turned around wanting to face her death head-on. The room was filled with a wild masculine smell. It made her want to thrust her hips and hide at the same time. The mixed messages that smell scent would mess with her head even after death.

  It growled, he growled because she was ignoring him. Was it wrong to want to live a minute more? Reluctantly she dragged her eyes upward until she took in a magnificent beast. If you had to die… no, just no.

  He was huge, definitely prehistoric. Nope, he was alien. The painting she had seen of him in the restaurant didn’t do the real beast any justice. His head was almost the size of one of those smart cars. His body… everyone of Lyrek’s muscles was being used for the benefit of the creature in front of her.

  Slowly like time was on her side, she moved away from the door giving herself room to flee. The creature, the alien sabretooth knew exactly what she was doing. The intelligence in his eyes was scary. He backed up trying to lull her into a false sense of security.

  “I know what you're doing.” His head cocked as he listened to the sound of her voice. “That’s right you’re not the only intelligent animal in the room.” She almost laughed. If someone had asked her to refer to herself as an animal a week ago the fight would have been on. Man or woman in her case was to tame to meet and survive this animal.

  Deep breath she turned to stand and run. It waited until she took a few steps before it batted her across the room with its paw.

  She landed on her behind but her head cracked against the wall. “I’m not scared of you!” she screamed out. Yep, she lied, and they both knew it. She wet her panties and not in a good way. That didn’t mean she was going to turn over and let him kill her.

  “I come from a long line of hunters.” It’s possible, maybe her ancestors in Africa were warriors and hunted the food for the tribe. Maybe her great, great, great, great something or another had been a king or a queen. “You can’t do this to me, I’m a hunter and a queen.” Maybe whoever was listening through the door would put that on her headstone.

  He stretched on the floor before going to his haunches. When he leaped, she rolled away barely escaping his deadly claws. There was laughter in his eyes.

  “You think you let me live. I think I was canny enough to get away from you. Come on you bastard, I was supposed to be your abraza, your melody. Obviously, I am not. That doesn’t mean you get to tear into me without a fight. That’s right, me the human who’s not good enough for you is challenging you.” She stood up slowly, no sudden moves.

  When he came for her, she threw herself over his body until she was riding his back. Bad plan Jade! He turned in circles until he went up on his back paws making her slide down his back until she was holding his tail.

  “Bad plan Jade,” she screamed as he whipped his tail out her of hand. “You want me? Come get me. Aren’t you tired? You want some milk?” She really did have a death wish who knew?

  He stalked her across the living room but blocked her every time she tried to make it towards the exit.

  “You think you're so smart, well let me tell you what I see. I see a man and an animal that’s lonely. One that only wants to spend his life with someone special. I hope you both find her.” It took everything she had to leap at him.

  They met midair. Lyrek opened his mouth and snatched her out the air.

  “Don’t cry for me it was good while it lasted.” Blackness followed the blazing pain in her body.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Darn it, she really thought she’d wind up in heaven. No, she wasn’t devout enough to go to church every Sunday, but she respected those that were. Shouldn’t hell be brighter with all the fire and brimstone? It smelled of sickness; she was definitely in hell.

  “Yo, Satan’s minions I need some help over here.” She was in hell it was probably against their law to speak proper English. “Come on is this how you make people suffer? On second thought never mind, I’m suffering so bad. I’ll just lie here and suffer.” Was she really trying to draw attention to herself in hell? What was wrong with her?

  “Do you know who this Satan is? Maybe she has gone crazy?”

  “I think he is the one they worship. They seem to have a lot of gods.”

  “I hear you. Where are you? Who are you? What will my punishment be?”

  “Personally, I’m leaning towards spanking your ass.”

  “Lyrek?”

  “Maybe she’s not insane yet.” Rial hovered over her holding onto a piece of medical equipment. “Her body is metabolizing the venom and using it. You did well in picking your abraza.”

  Lyrek let out a growl. “She challenged my byema, almost dying in the process.”

  “True.”

  “Hey, you're supposed to be on my side.” Jade put her hands to her head feeling the wrap around her eyes, no wonder it was dark in here. “Also, I can hear both of you.”

  “Leave your eyes alone, I’ll take it off when you’re ready and not a minute before.”

  “Sir! Yes, sir!” Jade gave an answer that made her head ring before her body slumped back in the bed.

  “Sleep, you still need it.” Rial’s voice followed her into the darkness.

  When she woke up this time, she was clear headed. For some reason, she wasn’t dead. So much for being clear headed. Her sabretooth bit her, that was the only thing she was sure of. Her eyes were still wrapped, so she used her hands to appraise her body. There was a thick wrap on her shoulder. Pain rang through her body the minute she touched it. This was where she was bitten so why was there a wrap around her eyes?

  “You don’t remember hitting your head against the wall?”
/>   Was she talking out loud? “Lyrek?”

  “I’m here and I’m sorry.” He took her hand squeezing it. “I almost killed you.”

  She made a noise of agreement. “You’re right you almost did. What happened in the end?”

  “You challenged my byema.”

  “Your byema is a prehistoric alien sabretooth in case you didn’t know and he’s huge as hell. Next time you might want to give me all the details. I don’t want to think about those two fangs he has hanging down the sides of his mouth.”

  “Yeah he is, and he was determined to make you dinner.”

  “You know how to make a woman feel good. What happened?”

  “You got through to him, made him like you. You did what I couldn’t do. I think the fact that you cared about what happened to me, but also what happened to him made him decide to give you a chance.”

  “A chance?”

  “You are not what either of us expected and you’re not what we would normally call a queen. No one thought you would survive the bite. Being abraza isn’t guaranteed especially when you're being bitten by my byema. He took a chance and claimed you.”

  “So, it’s over.”

  “You’re adorable.” She could hear the laughter in his voice.

  “I just want one thing to be easy. How long was I out?”

  “Three days.”

  “What was Rial saying about venom?” She might not remember much but she did remember the word venom. Three days, anyone could have violated her. Normally, she would have worried about that, but not with Lyrek. She knew he would protect her. Her hand patted the mattress indicating the space she made by moving over.

  The mattress dipped as he made himself at home. She rolled over to be engulfed in his arms.

  “So, you claimed me and I was out of it.”

  “Shouldn’t you be upset over the venom?”

  “That’s coming but let me have my fun first.”

  “You are mine katza, there is no escaping me.”