A Claim for Calix: A Sci Fi Alien Romance (Tallean Mercenaries Book 4)

by Lynnea Lee

  “I would rather be free and in danger than to be safe but locked up. That’s not real safety.” She put her hand to the collar Cal had forgotten to remove in his haste to get her cleaned. “I don’t mind a leash if it means that I will be attached to you. I like the idea of being physically connected to you at all times when we are out.”

  “I like that idea too. Then I must do better to protect you.”

  Emma snuggled into him. “You have already saved me more than once, Cal. I owe you.”

  “You owe me nothing.”

  Emma seemed much better now. The color had returned to her cheeks, and her skin was no longer cold and clammy.

  “I was so scared I would never see you or the Defiant again.” She looked up at him. “I want to feel alive, Cal. Kiss me.”

  He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea, so soon after her ordeal. He hesitated.

  “Please, Calix. Make me forget.”

  Cal leaned in and captured her lips with his, wishing that he could taste her. Taste was mostly made up of scent, and Cal couldn’t smell a thing. He would need some other reaction. He dragged his fangs along her jaw and the side of her neck. She gasped.

  “Wait, we didn’t spra—”

  “I smell nothing.” Cal continued nibbling a trail down her neck.

  What he didn’t tell Emma was that he had sprayed the room again this morning while she was in the cleansing unit. He had accidentally stepped into the mist and inhaled a good lungful. He hadn’t been able to smell a damn thing since. He hoped it would fade soon.

  Emma relaxed and moaned. Cal brought them down to the bed and rolled so that he was on the bottom. He pulled her over him and encouraged her to explore him with her mouth. She did, trailing kisses down his shoulder.

  Her slick pussy left a trail of wetness on his abs, letting him know he turned her on. He reached down to finger her, and she rode his hand, trying to find release. He put a hand on her hip instead to guide her onto his cock.

  “Get on me, my sweet. Ride me. I want to watch you.” With his other hand, he reached up to caress her breast, rubbing a thumb over a hardening nipple.

  She reached for him and guided the head of his cock to her entrance. Emma dropped down onto him with a moan. Cal guided her down, then he gripped her hips tightly and rocked her.

  Emma tossed her head back, her mouth opened in rapture. She was beautiful, a goddess. She rode him, her blonde waves a halo around her body.

  Afraid that he was gripping her too hard, Cal released her and sunk his fingers into the sheets.

  Emma didn’t like that, since that first day after Cal had stopped them, he had been very restrained with her in bed. Cal was holding a part of himself back, and she wanted all of him. She wanted him not only when he was sweet and sensual, making love to her, but also when he was rough and dirty, fucking her. She knew he was holding back.

  Even now, when his grip started to tighten on her hip, Cal released her and gripped the sheets instead. Emma didn’t want to be treated like delicate china. She was ready to replace bad memories with good ones of Cal. Cal had wanted all of her, and she, in return, wanted all of him.

  She slowed her movement and moved to get off him. Looking him in the eyes, she bit her bottom lip and turned to show him her rear. She got on her hands and knees on the bed. Then she lowered her chest to the mattress so that her ass stuck up in the air.

  “Calix, fuck me. Fuck me hard. I need you.” She hoped that making her wants clear would push him to act.

  A low growl rumbled from his chest, but he hesitated.

  “I need to be fucked hard.” Then deciding to take a little risk, she added, “Are you going to give it to me? Or do I have to find it elsewhere?” She had no plan of finding it with anyone else but him.

  A violent snarl echoed in the room. “You are mine, Emma! No one will touch you. You want to be fucked hard?”

  “Yes, I need it. Please!” She wasn’t beyond begging if it meant he would lose his control.

  Rough hands gripped her hips, and the bed dipped as Cal moved behind her. The tip of his cock was lined up with her pussy, but Cal didn’t push in. He just held her in place.

  “You want me to fuck you? Tell me you are mine. Tell me no one else will touch you. And I’ll fuck you good and hard.”

  Oh wow! That’s so fucking hot! Emma felt like coming from just his words alone.

  “Yes! Yes, Calix. I am yours. All yours.”

  Fingers threaded into her hair and fisted it, pulling her head back lightly. It felt primal, good. His hand on her ass squeezed hard, and Emma moaned, encouraging him to continue. With a growl, Cal thrust into her hard, and Emma gasped. She bit her lip, trying not to scream.

  He was so big it was almost too much in this position, but Emma welcomed it. This was Cal. He would never hurt her. Emma wanted everything he could give and more.

  As promised, Cal fucked her hard, driving into her until she didn’t know where she stopped and he began. Pleasure rose in her center, building and building, until it felt as if she would die if it built any more. Cal kept her there, poised over the edge for what seemed like an eternity. Then the dam broke, and searing white blinded her vision as her world exploded in shards of scintillating pleasure. Cal followed right behind, roaring his own nirvana.

  It took an eternal moment for Emma’s senses to return. Cal spooned her from behind, his cock still half-hard inside her. His hand rubbed soothing circles on her belly, and his face was buried in her hair.

  “Mmm,” she hummed happily. “That was amazing. Promise, Cal, that you will take all my bad memories of sex and replace them with you.”

  “I promise,” he whispered into her hair.

  Feeling a little guilty, she added, “I wasn’t going to go to anyone else for sex. I just didn’t want you to hold back.”

  “Good. That means the unmated males on the ship wouldn’t need to worry about dying.”

  Emma hoped he was exaggerating, but she wasn’t sure.

  They laid there, connected, and Emma drifted off.

  She was rudely awakened by a buzzing sound from the floor. Cal grumbled and separated them. He reached for the comm on the floor and pulled up a message on the screen.

  “The feed for the tepins has arrived. Arus just moved it into the food lab for us.”

  Cal went into the washroom and returned with a warm, steamy towel. He cleaned her off and helped her into one of his tank tops.

  “We still haven’t bought clothes for you. Though I don’t mind you in my clothes indefinitely.”

  “I think I need more underwear and a bra. Do you think we can get these items without leaving the ship? Like internet shopping? I don’t think I want to go out there again. Not after what happened.”

  Calix didn’t want her out there either. He wanted Emma safe on the ship.

  “Ashe would know how to get such items.” He took out his comm again and punched in a code.

  Zeylum’s voice came over his comm. “What do you need?”

  “First, we got into some trouble on the way back, and we owe Mia a dress. It’s covered in blood now.”

  “Is Emma okay?”

  “Yes, but you might want to make it back soon in case trouble comes knocking. I left the guy alive.”

  “Stars, Cal! I expected this from Vore, but not you. How many times have I told you guys, if you are going to cause trouble, then make sure they are too dead to lead trouble back to the ship.”

  Too dead to lead trouble back to the ship? Did the crew of the Defiant regularly make people dead? Emma’s thought must have been plain on her face because Cal laughed.

  “No, my sweet, we don’t make a habit of killing unnecessarily.” Then to Zeylum. “Can Ashe bring back a few items for Emma while you are out? I don’t want to take her back out after what she went through.”

  Ashe’s face popped onto the screen, and Cal handed Emma the comm.

  “What do you need?”

 
“I need some basics, like underwear, bras, and clothes for around the ship and for going out.”

  “What’s your size? We don’t have a great choice here, but there are some stores that sell things from Earth.”

  “I’m not sure what size I am anymore. I needed to lose twenty, maybe thirty pounds, according to my doctor back on Earth. But I lost some of the weight since then.”

  “I’ll just grab some stretchy clothes in a few sizes. I never wear anything else anyway. You are close to Mia’s size, so no matter what I bring back, I’m sure it will get used.”

  “Thanks, Ashe.”

  Cal took the unit and ended the comm.

  “Did you want to help our tepins settle in?”

  Emma had completely forgotten about her new charges. “Yes! Let’s do that. Thank you for remembering them, now and at the market. I had forgotten about them completely until we got back to the hangar. And once back on the ship, I forgot about them again.”

  They found Arus in the food lab watching the tepins.

  “You look better,” Arus said, giving her a once over. “It is great that someone is finally putting the food lab to use. I can cook, but I’m no good at growing things. The greenroom and the food lab were originally Cal’s idea, but he lost interest in the lab. I assume I have you to thank for this.”

  “I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to get everything running smoothly. But I’m willing to try.”

  Arus left them then.

  Emma opened the enclosure and lifted one of the chubby female tepins to her chest.

  “It’s so cute!”

  “Don’t get too attached, my sweet. That’s food. You shouldn’t play with it.”

  “I’ve always did play with my food.”

  Chapter 14

  “Ugh! I hate Vosthea,” Ashe lamented. “I’d be happy if I never set foot on it again.”

  They were all sitting around the lounge, having a casual crew meeting before they arrived at the planet of outlaws.

  Zey clutched at his heart dramatically. “I’m offended, my mate! Was your time alone with me on Vosthea so bad? I kind of enjoyed it, especially the part where you pretended to be my slave.”

  “You were the only good part of the whole experience. The innkeeper was creepy. Some lady tried to solicit you for sex in front of me. And we were taken prisoners. Not to mention, stalkers are terrifying, and I never, ever, ever, want to see one again. Ever!”

  “I will fight a thousand stalkers for you, my mate.” Zeylum put a fist to his chest, pinky side out.

  The entire crew got along with each other so naturally, and Emma felt a little like the odd woman out. All the other females were mates. And while Cal had told her many times that she was his, he had never called her his mate. Emma knew it was because despite spending a lot of time together, he had not formed a mating bond with her. Mating bonds couldn’t be forced, and they couldn’t be faked.

  “I saw a stalker in a fighting cage once. It was scary!” Lettie exclaimed. “It looked like if a big cat did it with a lizard and then birthed an abomination. Think of a deformed, mottled lion with reptile feet and slitted eyes. Totally creepy. And it made clicking noises like it was counting down to eat you.”

  “Yup, that’s a stalker. Zey had to fight one to save me. I thought I was going to shit myself. I was so scared.”

  “They are scary! But our boys can handle them, no problem!” Lettie smiled up at her mate. “Vore fought a coilbeast on Reka 5. Those are nightmares too. That’s what I miss most about Earth. The worst we had were bears and sharks. Out here, the bears and sharks were liable to make hybrid babies that could breathe air and water, and have eight-inch claws and fifty rows of teeth.”

  Emma giggled at the mental image that the description brought up.

  “Would you like me to fight a stalker for you, Lettie?” Vore grinned, a sparkle of mischief in his eyes. “I would love to fight a stalker for you.”

  “You are just looking for an excuse to pick a fight with one and plan on using me as bait!” Lettie smacked him on the chest with her hand.

  “You are perfect as bait. So tasty.” He licked his lips suggestively and growled at her.

  Before the couple could jump on each other and derail their meeting, Zeylum took over, listing out their jobs and the details of their mission

  A sense of envy crept into Emma’s consciousness. The couple looked so ridiculously happy, and Emma wanted what they had. Hadn’t Lettie said that Cal was looking for a mate. Was this what he was looking for? Was Emma doing him a disservice by staying with him? He should be out looking for his mate, and instead, he was now stuck with her because he had taken her from the club. Emma felt guilty. She didn’t want to be the reason Cal had to settle.

  As if sensing her negative thoughts, Cal squeezed her arm and smiled at her.

  “We need to split up our duties once we get to Vosthea. The Defiant is staying in space and joining the other mercenaries Kean has hired. Kean has mercenary ships at all three of Vosthea’s ports. On his signal, we will drive the hovering ships away with any force necessary. Our recently acquired sister ship will join us soon. The Destroyer has been stripped of its Dominion insignia and rebranded. We have hired a small crew for the ship from the Alliance.”

  Emma wrinkled her nose. She had no idea who Kean was or what the Mercenary Alliance was and made a note to ask Cal later.

  “The Destroyer will join us in driving off the Dominion ships. Cal, I’m sending you over to act as Captain once it arrives.”

  Cal grunted an affirmative.

  “But before the fight starts, we need to drop off the females on Vosthea. They will stay safe within Kean’s compound.”

  Emma froze. She would be separated from Cal. What if something happened to him?

  “No way!” Ashe protested.

  “Fuck no!” Vore roared.

  “I’m not going to hide in some fortress while you get shot at in space.” Ashe stood with her hands on her hips.

  “And there’s no fucking way Lettie is setting foot into Kean’s compound.” Vore looked ready to attack something.

  “The females will go down to the planet and stay in the compound.” Zey’s voice was quiet and even. “They are safest there, should anything happen to the ship.” Then he turned to Ashe. “I would not be able to fight if I didn’t know you were safe.”

  Vore growled, and Lettie put a hand on her mate’s thigh, trying to calm him.

  “No fucking way! Kean asked Lettie to leave me and join him not long ago. There is no way I’m going to let her step foot in there.”

  “If the ship gets captured, I will not have our females taken and used as ship whores. If you were captured or killed in battle, would you prefer Lettie be safe with Kean or be taken as a Dominion slave? All the females will be safely guarded at Kean’s compound. That is final!”

  No one argued. And Zeylum continued the mission overview.

  Cal first noticed Emma’s mood dropping as Lettie and Vore bantered. He had hoped that showing her how happy the mated couples were on the ship would make her more comfortable. Cal could and would give her that. There was nothing more he wanted than a female to love and care for, laugh with, and banter with. But instead of making her happy, the opposite had happened.

  Then, when Zeylum had told them that all the females would be hidden in Kean’s compound while the males fought, Emma had looked upset. That look of panic in her eyes when she thought of being abandoned had flickered momentarily across her face. She hadn’t said anything, though.

  Zeylum continued briefing them on their mission.

  “Kean is meeting up with the Dominion representative that lives on Vosthea. They always had a live and let live situation going since the Dominion only owned Vosthea in name. The planet had always been owned by its criminal inhabitants.

  “Up until recently, a crooked merchant named Soren controlled one of the ports, Kean owned the other one, and the Dominion repres
entative controlled the last and smallest port. Soren died in a recent event against a small, barely known delivery crew, and Kean, with the help of Ulrek, had taken over the second port.”

  This took Cal by surprise. He’d had run-ins with Soren before and hated the swindling, double-crossing bastard. Cal still had a scar from the last time Soren tried to stab him in the back, literally. “It’s bout time someone finally took Soren out. Who runs this delivery crew? I want to know who to send my thanks to.”

  “His name is Bax. The fight was over a human female.”

  Good! If Soren was dead, that meant Bax had the female now. Soren had a habit of killing his toys.

  “Stars!” Tanith cursed. He hit the table with his palm as he spoke. “If Kean already owns the second port, then he is looking to take over the last port on Vosthea.”

  “Yes. Kean wants the Dominion off his planet, and he plans on taking the last port so they could not return. They can’t swarm his planet if the shuttles are shot down before they land.”

  “He would own the whole planet.” Calix looked at Lettie. “Have any regrets yet? You could have ruled a whole planet with Kean.”

  Vore lunged at Cal with a growl, but Lettie held him back.

  “I have everything I need in Vore.”

  “Stop baiting him, Cal. Kean is paying us very well for the job, and we don’t need Vore’s jealousy to fuck it up.” Zeylum looked annoyed, but Cal knew that Zey was used to the two of them messing with each other.

  Cal was surprised Vore hadn’t used Emma to get back at him.

  “We should arrive tomorrow, mid-cycle. Get some rest and spend some time with your mates. It may be a few days before you see them again.”

  Cal stood, bringing Emma up with him. They walked down the hallway, but not towards his room.

  “I’m out of the loop. I have no idea who all these people are. Who is Kean?”

  “Kean is a chemist. He used to work for the Dominion. But they stranded him on an outer planet moon when pirates attacked. They left him to die. He now produces and distributes a drug called Euphora out of Vosthea. It’s a lucrative business. It seems he is poised to own the entire planet soon.”