She studied Pitch. He was one hunk of a man. Black hair and the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. But that didn’t mean he was sincere.
They might be defected Warriors and not really taking her to her sister. But if so, how would they know Halah’s name, and why would they care about her?
Maybe they were Dispensers—The Lair’s equivalent of The Dome’s Assassins. She shuddered at the thought.
Whoever these Warriors really were, she didn’t feel comfortable just sitting around and waiting for her fate…
* * * * *
Leila’s eyes fluttered open. Darkness surrounded her. She must have fallen asleep. Her eyes took a moment to adjust. The light above a scenic picture on the wall cast shadows around the bedchamber.
Strangely, everything looked neat, clean, and in its place. A pleasant scent even wafted through the air.
Vanilla. They must have turned on her scenting system.
The Initiation was over.
She stretched under the covers, feeling delightfully sore and tender. Her mind seemed clear, or relatively so, considering what she’d been through. Her memory was a bit patchy though.
The men had showered her, along with themselves, and then put her to bed. She vaguely remembered their hands cleansing her body, but that’s all. If they’d had sex with her in the shower, she didn’t remember that.
Her foot made contact with something warm. She turned her head. Erik.
Surprised by his presence, she rose up on her elbows. Nobody else was around. He lay beside her, quiet and still.
At the realization that he had stayed with her after the ceremony, in case she needed anything, she presumed, her heart softened. She lightly pushed back a few strands of soft brown hair that toppled onto his forehead, and kissed him gently. In sleep, he looked so adorable that she couldn’t help but smile.
She snuggled next to him, laying her head on his chest. Strong and firm. His arm came around her, but other than that, he didn’t stir. He felt so warm, and he made her feel safe and secure.
Thinking about tonight…she never knew fucking could be so incredible. She hoped what had happened wouldn’t harm her relationship with the others. Sex did that sometimes, even on Xylon.
She rubbed Erik’s stomach. Peeking under the covers, she saw he was naked. So was she. His words came back to her— my most secret, carnal need. Her body trembled.
Although she’d enjoyed the re-initiation—what she remembered of it—she really wanted to know how it felt to be precious to one, special man. This man.
Earlier, he’d said, now you’re mine . Maybe he’d just meant for the rest of the Initiation, and didn’t mean it for his entire life. She needed to find out, before too much more time passed.
Tonight was an experience she’d needed to complete for personal and professional reasons, but multiple partners wasn’t something she wanted to do again. Probably. She held back a giggle.
The pill and Initiation chemicals had enabled her to be sexually free and beg for more. She couldn’t believe all the things she’d allowed them to do to her, to her body. But she felt complete now, like she’d gotten back something stolen from her long ago.
Tomorrow, an important mission began. She hadn’t expected to leave so soon, but she knew now that she was protected, they’d leave at sunrise. She needed rest. With her memories of the night held close, she shut her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Seven
Strapped to a command chair, Leila sat at the orbiter’s navigation and communication controls. She stared out the front portals and let her mind drift.
Xylon’s orb glowed pink and blue-green in the distance. Two of Xylon’s five moons also shone in the darkness of space, the spectrum of vivid colors a sight to behold. She couldn’t see the other three moons from her vantage point.
Marid loomed closest. She had always believed the Xylon system one of the most beautiful with its variety of hues and unique planetary formations. Too bad such violence and conflict between The Lair and The Dome spoiled that beauty.
She glanced to her left at Erik, who sat in the pilot’s command seat, a look of deep concentration on his face as he went over the pre-orbit check list. Kam sat behind them and to the side, operating weapons and tracking controls.
Her body still tingled from the group fucking last night. She thought today would be awkward, but everyone treated her as always. The only difference she noticed appeared in Erik’s eyes, when she sometimes caught him staring at her with a combination of passion, tenderness, and what looked to her like possessiveness.
Nobody had mentioned anything about the rite to her, so far. The morning had been too busy for anyone to think much about the Initiation, she supposed, though she certainly managed just fine.
She thought Erik had stayed in her bed last night, holding her close, but this morning she’d woken up alone. Maybe everything had been a dream. She held back a nervous laugh.
She remembered most of what had gone on during the rite, or thought she did. Strangely, she didn’t feel embarrassed by any of it. The ceremony certainly hadn’t been what she’d expected.
Though a society ruled by sex, Initiations weren’t generally discussed openly, not the particulars of what happened in a specific rite, anyhow. So, her only real reference was her original Initiation, which she’d rather forget.
The re-initiation was something she would never forget. They had showed her things about her body and needs that she’d never even imagined in her fantasies.
She felt a little nervous about eventually facing Torque. If anyone was going to make lurid comments or references to what had happened last night, he would be the one.
After showering earlier, she finally worked up enough courage to look at her scars. Her heart had beaten faster than she’d ever remembered. She had feared seeing no change. Fortunately, the marks had looked significantly faded. She had almost collapsed in relief. The disfigurement would never totally disappear since the scars cut so deep, and the damage had occurred before she’d attained the ability to self-heal.
But, she figured within another forty-eight hours, unless you knew what to look for, the once ugly wounds would hardly be noticeable. If she’d been able to suck Braden, too…
“Status?” Erik asked her.
Switching her thoughts back to the present, she turned her attention to the panel in front of her. She studied the readouts. “On course. Estimated time of arrival is…six point three minutes.”
“Anything on tracking?”
“All is clear,” Kam reported. “We’re looking good.”
Erik’s hand brushed hers on the control panel and their eyes locked. Her nipples hardened and moisture gathered between her thighs. Amazing. She wanted him again.
She didn’t think the dose of chemicals, along with the pill they gave her, had worn off completely. She still felt some residual effects. Or perhaps that was just a way of giving herself permission to feel horny again. As if she needed permission.
She’d spent so much time pushing Erik away that it now felt exhilarating to admit she wanted him and be able to act on the desire. She no longer feared his sexually controlling nature. In fact, she craved it.
Giving up control sexually resulted in such strong orgasms for her that she yearned to experience the explosive power of submission again. With Erik alone, this time. She wanted to strengthen their bond to each other and learn everything possible about him.
Multiple sex partners on Xylon were the norm. But, only his cock had penetrated her pussy and ass. The rest had used tongues and fingers and dildos. Still, she wondered if Erik resented the others touching her.
She had sucked everyone off except Braden, and that fact might make him uncomfortable. But her actions were necessary for her healing. And he’d approved everything that had happened.
Most breeders had three people in their Alliance doing the initiating. She’d had four. She wondered if that was a first.
A low beep drew her attention to the sens
or screen. “We’re coming up on their outer shields.”
Erik took the controls. “Switching to manual. Tighten your straps, and hang on, everyone. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.”
As the craft hit Marid’s first line of defense, the orbiter shook. The vibration rattled Leila’s bones and made her see double.
Kam aimed a laser, blasting a hole through the energy net. “Go! We’re clear of the outer shield.”
Erik quickly maneuvered them past the temporary entry, before Marid reset the net.
“They’ve picked us up,” Leila said. “I see two interceptors on my nav screen. Kam?”
“Nope. There are four. I’ve got them on tracking.”
She adjusted her settings. “Yes, you’re right. I see them now.” Her heart picked up its pace. Four against one.
Erik grumbled. “So much for Halah’s assurance that only one interceptor team patrols this sector. Damn woman. Braden said to be prepared for deception. Good thing he had us fitted with additional power.”
“I hope it’s enough.” Leila switched on the extra weapons loaded for this mission. “Supplemental weapons active.” Her nerves were frayed enough about infiltrating The Dome, and now it looked like Halah Shirota might have betrayed them already. “Should I send a distress message back to Xylon?”
“No,” Erik said. “We’re all right. The Egesa don’t know we came from Xylon. We could be from Tamara or another neighboring planet. Let’s keep it that way. No need to announce ourselves as loyal to Xylon, or worse in their eyes, The Lair, if they tap into a transmission and find out we’re Warriors.
Maybe they’ll get sloppy if they think we’re just galactic merchants or something equally unthreatening.”
“Locking weapons,” Kam said.
“Hold your fire, unless they shoot first. Let’s see if we can get out of this the easy way. Go ahead and contact them, Leila. And lie, please. Maybe they’ll be receptive to a female voice.”
Leila chuckled, though felt little humor in the situation. “Right.” She clicked on a generic, ship-to-ship channel, knowing they’d connect. “This is Orbiter 9-0. We are currently experiencing navigation problems and have drifted off course. Request permission to land for repairs.”
A laser struck their side. The orbiter rocked once, but stabilized quickly.
“That worked well,” Leila mumbled. “So much for the easy way.”
“Minor hit only,” Erik told them.
“Can I fire now?”
“Fire at will, Kam,” Erik ordered.
“Firing.” As the shot exploded, the orbiter’s lights dimmed from the power drain. “A missile hit directly into the engine of the leader. He’s useless.”
They sustained a hit in return, and then another stronger shot jolted the ship severely.
“Shit!” Erik struggled to maintain control and keep them on course. A burning smell filled the orbiter, but no fire or smoke. “Hit to port side. What did that do to us, Kam?”
“Damn lucky bastards. They took out regular and supplemental weapons’ control, except for minimal laser operations.”
“Enough to blast through their net? We’re coming up on Marid’s internal shield,” Leila warned, watching him struggle to find more power.
Kam pushed several buttons and turned a control knob. “We’ll find out. Brace yourselves.”
* * * * *
Torque slapped an electronic pad on Braden’s desk. “We’re getting in reports of massive executions on Marid.” Braden’s heart squeezed tight. He grabbed the lighted pad. “Slaves?” Most of Marid’s slaves were former Xylon residents or Warriors. His stomach churned at the thought of their deaths, and he felt sick.
“Just those who are Xylon breeders. The females. I can’t get verification about the males. The numbers are significant though.”
“Why only the breeders? They’re sterile and no threat because of The Dome’s new formula. Is Daegal trying to prove some sort of point or something?” Braden threw down a laser pointer he’d been attempting to fix.
“Unknown. But the data is all there, what we know of it. We’re also picking up large movements of equipment, ships, and personnel. They’re getting ready for something, Braden. I can feel it. Should we call the team back?”
“It’s too late. They’ll be through Marid’s defensive net by now and out of communication until they get inside The Dome.” Besides, they had to get their hands on that formula. Otherwise, within three generations the Warriors would be practically wiped out. And this system, as well as others, would be at the mercy of the Egesa Slave Masters. This mission might be their best opportunity to infiltrate The Dome. He had to see it through.
“They’ll be picked up as breeders when Halah tries to get them processed. And now that all breeders are being executed…” Torque shook his head.
Braden dragged a hand down his face. “We’ll have to trust in their ingenuity for survival. They knew the risks going in. This mission is too important to scrap.”
“Damn. That sounds cold, coming from you, brother. They don’t even know about the executions. They can’t protect themselves from an unknown danger.”
“I have a whole planet to worry about right now. I have to make the best decisions for everyone. Halah will know about this turn of events and figure something out. She has too much at stake personally to fail.
They’ll be all right.”
“You’re going to trust some female who betrayed her people? They’re your best friends, Braden. Kam is Alexa’s brother. What are you going to tell her about this?”
“Damn it, Torque! Support my choices or get away from me. I don’t want to argue with you about every decision I make.” He raked his fingers through his hair. Leaving the others at Daegal’s mercy tore him up inside. But he had a duty to Xylon and its people. He couldn’t start making decisions based on personal feelings. At this point, he had to trust Halah.
“Let me go in as backup.”
“Forget it. I need you here. At least, for now. Gather all team leaders and issue a standby alert. Start shutting The Lair down, as a precaution.” He stood up, slightly hunched over, and walked over to the monitor panel. He hadn’t recovered yet from the pain Alexa had inflicted on him last night.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Braden frowned. He wasn’t keen on discussing private matters, but at least it gave him something else to focus on for a moment, until he could formulate a plan in his head on what to do about Marid and the executions. Daegal couldn’t get away with mass murder. “Alexa didn’t quite understand why I needed to come last night during the Initiation.”
Torque’s eyes widened slightly. “You’re joking, right? What did she expect you to do, wait until you got back to her? No way would that have been physically possible.”
“Well, I think specifically me coming on Leila’s tits is what aggravated her. She, um, got a little rough with my dick.” To say the least. He needed to instigate some major damage control before she was going to allow him back into their bed.
“You told her everything then? You are crazy.” Torque cringed, as if feeling his pain. “I told you to keep quiet.”
“I didn’t actually tell her all the details at first. But she kept looking at me like she knew.” No way could she have known what happened in Leila’s bedchamber, but Alexa’s eyes had held a spooky knowledge when he’d returned to her. Maybe he was simply reacting to his own guilt over the situation. Whichever, last night was definitely his final Initiation. He hadn’t specifically promised not to come during the rite, but the way it happened had hurt Alexa’s feelings. And that disturbed him. He’d never purposely hurt her.
“Women are experts at giving men that look, whether they know anything or not. So, I take it, you caved.”
“Yeah, I caved.” He wouldn’t have felt right about keeping the truth from Alexa. The truth always came out eventually. Better she hear it from him than someone else.
“Well, you should be healed in a few hours, at leas
t.”
“Thank goodness for that. I just wish I could heal her hurt feelings as quickly.” He hated when they argued. Loneliness filled his heart. Although less than twenty-four hours had passed, he already missed holding Alexa in his arms.
“She’ll come around. Is she going to take this out on Leila? They had a good friendship building from what I understand.”
“I don’t know.” He hoped not. Alexa didn’t have that many friends on Xylon yet. And given their group dynamic, if Leila and Alexa didn’t get along, that would cause a lot of strain on a lot of friendships. “Her hormones are out of whack with this pregnancy. The one thing our healing won’t fix, since lack of the proper hormone levels would harm the babies. I have no idea how she’s going to react from moment to moment.”
“Remind me never to get Branded.”
“You can’t hold out forever, Torque. Your time will come. I recommend you choose. Otherwise, the Council will choose for you. You don’t want to end up with someone you can’t stomach. Branding is not reversible.”
Torque grunted. “I’ll think about it. Besides, they can’t physically force me to Brand someone.”
“Don’t be so sure. I’m trying to get the regulations changed. We’ve both seen the Council push beyond a person’s free will to do what they feel is best for Xylon and this system.”
“True.” Torque frowned. “They’re not pushing for Alexa to multi-mate, are they?”
Braden’s heart clenched at the thought. And he saw the concern in his brother’s eyes. “Not yet. If they do, we’re out of this system, regardless of my responsibilities. I won’t let that happen to her.”
“You could choose her mates.”
Had his brother lost his mind? Braden couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. “After what happened with Mother, how can you even suggest that?”
Torque shrugged. “I’m trying to figure out what’s best for everyone, without another tragedy occurring.”
His Carnal Need (Xylon Warriors 2) Page 15