by Tana Stone
He turned from Danica to see other warriors helping their mates down from the furry backs of jebels. The twin warriors—Dev and Trek—had started unpacking the equipment to erect a temporary shelter, their movements in perfect sync with each other. Before he could pull his own pack from the back of the jebel, his gaze caught the female with strangely colored hair—Danica had called it lavender—stomping toward him. He knew she was not human—she was a Lycithian and she had an unusual talent for taking the form of other creatures—but her natural form looked very much like the humans.
Although Bexli was not large, her face blazed fury, and he instinctively took a step back.
“Why are we stopping?” she asked, throwing her arms wide. “It’s not even dark. We could ride for a lot longer.”
“It is not safe at night.” He noticed Tommel walking up behind Bexli.
Although the Dothvek warrior didn’t speak, he stood behind Bexli as if he was guarding her. K’alvek wondered for a moment who the seasoned Dothvek was protecting—the female or him. Seeing her eyes spark as she glared at him, he suspected Tommel was there for him.
Bexli crossed her arms and tried to tap one toe, but her feet had sunk into the powdery sand, so she could only jerk it up. “If it’s not safe for us, then it’s even less safe for Caro. She’s out there somewhere being held prisoner by a murderer.”
Danica put an arm around Bexli. “I totally get it. We’re all freaked out about Caro, but we need to follow the Dothveks’ lead. They know the desert better than we do. If something happens to us because we’re too tired, it won’t do Caro any good.”
Bexli’s shoulders sagged. “You’re right. I know you’re right. I just don’t like the idea of Caro spending another night out there with him.”
Holly joined them. Her red curls were piled on top of her head and her eyes were narrowed in concern. “What’s going on?”
“Bex is frustrated that we’re stopping.” Danica shot the female a look that K’alvek recognized. One that told her that she needed to help the situation. “I’m explaining that we need to be safe so we can reach Caro in one piece.”
Holly nodded, her mound of curls bobbing. “I know we’d all like to ride through the night again, but trust me when I tell you that crazy shit happens on this desert after the sun goes down. Don’t you remember that T’Kar and I had to fight off a giant sand snake?” She rubbed her arms briskly. “Apparently those fuckers only come out at night.”
Bexli glanced at the ground, as if one might burst up at any moment.
“I don’t know about the rest of you.” Max walked up, rubbing a hand on her backside. “But my ass is killing me. If I have to ride on the back of that jebel for another second, I might never walk again.”
Holly grinned at the woman with short, dark hair, nudging her in the ribs. “Come on, doc. That’s not why you’ll never walk again. We all see how huge your guy is.”
The women all glanced back at Kush, who was pounding long stakes into the sand, his broad shoulder muscles rippling and his long braid swinging.
Max blushed, swatting at Holly. “Look who’s talking. The whole camp heard you screaming about how big T’Kar is.”
As if on cue, T’Kar walked over and joined Kush in staking the tent. Even though he’d been born a Crestek, the huge alien now wore the leather pants of the Dothveks, a curved blade hanging at his waist, and looked every bit the sand barbarian.
“Um, that wasn’t what I was screaming about,” Holly said, dropping her voice and glancing over her shoulder at her new mate. “I was yelling because he told me that his creepy dad had my birth control implant removed when I was in the Crestek city.”
All the women gaped at her.
“Are you…?” Max asked, her eyes darting to Holly’s stomach, which normally had a slight curve to it, anyway.
Holly shook her head. “No. I mean, I don’t think so. Honestly, I don’t know if I really care that much anymore. I mean, I’m technically married, right?”
Danica folded her arms across her chest. “I don’t know. None of us were invited to your wedding.
Holly rolled her eyes. “You mean my arranged wedding? Well, you didn’t miss much.”
“I can’t believe they removed your implant,” Max whispered. “I knew the Crestek chancellor was weird, but that’s over the top.”
Holly nodded. “I know T’Kar didn’t have anything to do with it, but I was yelling at him for not telling me sooner.”
“You guys were pretty busy escaping the city and fighting off giant snakes and scavengers,” Danica reminded her.
“I know. I’m over it now.” Holly waggled her eyebrows. “And it’s not like I’m going to deprive myself of the pleasure of his huge—“
Max dug her elbow in Holly’s ribs, and K’alvek cleared his throat, a reminder to the women that he and Tommel were there.
Holly shrugged with a mischievous smile teasing the corners of her mouth. “I can’t help that. He is huge.” She dropped her voice to a stage whisper. “They all are, right? And those rings? I mean, hello! Talk about ribbed for my pleasure.”
K’alvek exchanged a glance with Tommel, who still stood behind Bexli, his massive form solid and unmoving, although his cheeks did appear to be tinged slightly pink.
Danica cleared her throat. “All right. Let’s keep it down. We’re scaring the natives.”
Even Bexli laughed before turning her attention back to K’alvek. “Will you promise me we’ll leave at first light?”
He gave her a curt nod. “You have my word.”
“Fine.” She turned and ran headlong into Tommel’s broad chest.
He caught her by the arms before she stumbled back and fell to the ground.
“Are you following me?” she asked, looking up at him.
Tommel cocked his head at her. “I was making sure you were all right. You are my responsibility.”
Bexli pulled away from his grasp. “Just because I have to ride with you, doesn’t make me yours to watch over.”
“Actually,” K’alvek said. “That is exactly what it means. I assigned Tommel to you precisely because I knew you would require the most attentive warrior.”
Bexli’s mouth gaped open. “You gave me a babysitter?” She swung her gaze to Danica. “Did you know about this?”
The captain in turn looked at her mate in surprise. “No.” She hesitated as she met his steady gaze. “But I trust K’alvek. If he thinks Tommel is the best choice to ride with you, I think we should listen to him.”
Bexli clamped her mouth shut and fisted her hands by her side. “Do I need to remind you that I’ve led covert missions into some of the dodgiest places in the galaxy?” She jabbed a finger at her own chest. “I was the one who went over the Crestek city walls and found Max and Kush.”
“And you also blame yourself for your friend’s disappearance,” K’alvek said.
“Because it’s true.” Bexli’s voice trembled. “If I hadn’t left Caro and neglected to come back and walk with her to the tahadu, she never would have been alone and vulnerable. If I’d been there, she’d still be with us.”
“You don’t know that,” Danica said. “It’s impossible to know what might have been, and you’ll go crazy if you keep second guessing yourself.”
Bexli shook her head. “All I know is that Caro is my friend, and she’d do anything for me or any of us, and when she needed me, I let her down.”
“Even if you are right.” Tommel’s voice was a low rumble, “Thinking this way does not bring her back faster. You need to calm your thoughts.”
Bexli scowled at him. “I’m sorry if I’m not tough enough for you. Not all of us can be emotionless warriors like you.”
She stalked away, not seeing Tommel flinch from her words, his face darkening before becoming stony again.
“I am sure she didn’t mean that,” Danica said. “Lycithians aren’t known for being level-headed.”
“It is fine.” Tommel pivoted to follow Bexli with his gaze as sh
e strode to the edge of the sand valley. “I will make sure she does not go far.”
He walked off, his broad shoulders squared. K’alvek wondered if he’d made a mistake in asking the older warrior to watch Bexli. It wasn’t that he had any doubt in Tommel’s abilities—the Dothvek was as fit and deadly as any of them—but he hoped he hadn’t been wrong in thinking that the warrior’s steadiness would offset the female’s impulsive nature. He also hoped he was not asking too much of the Dothvek. The warrior had already sacrificed greatly in his life. Was it fair for him to ask this of him, especially since Bexli did not appear to be grateful for his presence?
He glanced over to where Tommel stood unpacking their jebel’s pack, patting the matted brown fur of the animal’s wattle as he kept one eye on Bexli, who sat with her back to him.
Danica slipped a hand in his, her gaze following his. “Don’t worry. She’ll be fine. Sometimes she needs to blow off some steam.”
“Maybe it was a mistake asking Tommel to watch over her. Maybe I should have assigned one of the twins to the task.”
Danica shook her head, a small smile quirking at the corner of her mouth. “Tommel is perfect. He’s exactly what she needs. She just doesn’t know it yet.”
K’alvek sighed. He hoped so. Otherwise, it would be a very long journey for both of them.
Nineteen
Caro woke with a start. It was dark, and the temperature had dropped. She sat up quickly and the blanket fell to her waist, reminding her that she’d fallen asleep completely naked. She jerked it back up, even though it was too dim to see anything.
Moonlight glowed outside the tent, light peeking in between the two flaps, and it was quiet—no fire crackling or water splashing. The scent of cooking meat had even dissipated. It was obviously the middle of the night. Had she really slept that long?
She dragged a hand through her hair, which was now only damp at the base of her neck. She’d been tired, but she hadn’t known she’d been that tired.
At least she wasn’t tied up again. Rukken had said he needed to tie her up at night so she couldn’t run. Either she’d been too out of it to rouse, or he’d felt guilty at the thought of waking a sleeping woman to tie her up. Not to mention the fact that she wasn’t wearing any clothes. Were they still outside by the pond?
Caro glanced around her, looking for her clothes and hoping he’d brought them inside for her. Her eyes had adjusted to the low light and she almost yelped when she saw the big body lying next to her.
Although he was sleeping above the covers, Rukken lay next to her on his back. His hands were laced behind his head, and his breathing was slow and steady.
She guessed she shouldn’t be mad. After all, it was his bed, and there wasn’t really another place to sleep. She wondered how long they’d been sleeping side by side.
A sliver of pearlescent moonlight shone on his bare chest, and she fought the urge to touch him. She leaned closer, her curiosity getting the better of her. For the first time, she could look at him, really look at him.
The dark tattoos covered more of his chest than on most Dothveks she’d seen, and as she studied the tribal markings that swirled and arched across his muscles, she realized that many of them were roughly done. She suspected that he’d etched most of them into his own flesh after his exile, and she suspected that each of the symbols meant something to him.
Caro traced the air above the disc pattern carved around his nipples, wishing she could touch the bumpy flesh without waking him. Her gaze traveled from his chest down his thickly veined arms to the leather straps wrapped around his wrists. She glanced at the animal skin tied around his waist and the belt that held his blades, secretly thrilling at how primitive he looked in his sleep.
Her heart stuttered. The blades. He hadn’t removed them when he’d fallen asleep. She guessed he never took them off, needing to be prepared in case he was startled in his sleep. He hadn’t counted on her waking up in the middle of the night, though.
She eyed the blade nearest her, her throat tightening. Could she do it? Could she actually kill him?
She shook her head. No. Even though she wanted to escape, she knew she couldn’t murder him in cold blood. But maybe she could injure him enough that he wouldn’t be able to follow her when she ran.
The thought was sobering, but she knew she had to do something. She might not get this chance again. Leaving her untied had clearly been a mistake, and he probably wouldn’t repeat it. It wasn’t something she could count on. No, she needed to act now, if she was going to act at all.
Caro held her breath as she moved her hand slowly to the curved blade hooked to his waist. She slid it painstakingly up, until it was free of the belt, and she gripped it in her hand.
It was heavier than she’d expected, and it felt strange in her hand. She hesitated with the knife over him. What did she do now? Where could she stab him that would incapacitate him without doing fatal damage?
She zeroed in on his shoulder. If she stabbed the muscle, he wouldn’t be able to use one arm, but it shouldn’t kill him. But would losing one arm slow him down enough? Probably not. Maybe she needed to stab him in the leg, although she couldn’t hit the femoral artery. She looked down at his muscular thighs, bare below his animal skin. If Dothvek anatomy was as close to human anatomy as it appeared to be, he’d bleed out in minutes.
The blade shook in her hand. If she didn’t hurry, she would end up dropping it on him before she decided what to do.
Caro moved her gaze from his legs back to his chest and gasped. His eyes were open, and he was watching her. Before she could say anything, his hand darted out and grabbed the blade, snatching it from her grip and tossing it aside. The momentum of his body flipped her on her back and then he was on top of her.
The air rushed from her body from the shock and the speed of how quickly she’d been thrown. He jerked her arms over her head and pinned them down, holding them together with one of his hands while he braced himself over her with his other arm.
“You were trying to kill me?” he asked, his voice husky from sleep.
She shook her head. “No, I swear.” Her words crackled with desperation.
His face was so close to hers, his long hair fell forward and tickled the sides of her face. “I do not know if I believe you, female.”
“I was just going to escape.”
His breath was jagged, as if he’d been running a race, and his bare chest was flush against hers. His cock was a hard bar pressing between her legs, and her mouth went dry as she realized she couldn’t escape him now, even if she wanted to.
“Is that what you want?” he asked, moving his hips so that his cock brushed the slickness between her thighs.
She didn’t know what she wanted anymore, but she knew her body ached for him.
Twenty
Rukken’s heart knocked against his ribs, no longer from the shock at seeing her holding his blade, but because he lay between her legs, his cock notched at her wet heat. Even though she was completely naked, he still wore the leather around his waist. He quickly pushed it up and out of the way.
She was beneath him, her body trembling and her pupils dark. He could sense her own shock but also her desire, her pulse trilling where he held her hands over her head.
He shifted his hand so that it didn’t press against her wrists, but instead his fingers entwined with hers, and he lowered his head to her neck. Inhaling her sweet scent, he kissed his way up her throat to her ear. “Is this what you want, Caro?”
She arched into him and let out a soft moan. “I don’t know.”
He tilted his hips and the thick crown of his cock parted her folds slightly. “You do not know, or you do not want to say this is what you want?”
She exhaled and the warm breath danced across his shoulder. “Rukken.” The sound wasn’t more than a whisper, his name said like a plea. She parted her legs, lifting one knee and hooking her ankle around the back of his thigh.
Rukken moved quickly from her neck, cr
ushing his mouth to hers. He’d never kissed a female like he kissed her, sweeping his tongue hard to open her lips to him. There was nothing soft about the kiss or the way she kissed back, pressing her body into his and gripping him harder with her leg. He wanted to taste every bit of her, and his tongue stroked hers even as she lifted her hips and ground them into him. He moaned and his fingers forced her hands back into the blankets as he kissed her, the needy noises she made making him dizzy with desire.
Moving his mouth from her lips to her jaw, he nipped kisses down her neck again. Her bare skin held the hint of pond water, but mixed with her heat, it was the most intoxicating thing he’d ever tasted. She inhaled sharply when his beard scraped her nipple as he moved down her chest, a small growl escaping her lips.
He hesitated, worried he’d hurt her.
“Don’t stop,” she begged. “It didn’t hurt. I liked it.”
She did like it. He could feel how much she liked it, and his heart pounded even harder.
Covering the warm peak of one breast with his mouth, Rukken rolled his tongue around the pebbled flesh, and her body writhed beneath him in response. She stifled a cry.
“There is no one to hide your sounds from out here,” he said when he pulled away. “I want to hear your screams.”
He dropped his mouth to her other breast, sucking the nipple until her moans filled the tent.
“I shouldn’t want this,” she gasped.
“But you do.” He lifted himself up and stared down at her feverish expression. Her brown eyes, usually soft and curious, were dark and molten.
She nodded, biting her bottom lip as if trying to stop herself from admitting it. “Please, Rukken.”
He released her hands, moving his palm down her body until it reached the leg that was hooked around him. He moved it higher, shifting himself so his broad tip pushed at her entrance. She lifted her hands, her fingertips stroking the tips of his ears, sending frissons of pleasure down his spine and making him bite back a groan. Her eyes were locked on his as he pushed the crown of his cock inside her, feeling her stretch to let him in, the first raised ring around his cock squeezed by her tightness.