Pillaged: A Sci-Fi Alien Warrior Romance (Raider Warlords of the Vandar Book 3)

by Tana Stone

  I pushed the ache aside and turned away from him. “This is about revenge, not love.”

  “Against Lila?”

  The name of my former love spoken aloud was like a blow, but I shook it off. “Against the empire.”

  “If you are sure, Raas,” he said, “but you have not seen her since that time. Are you sure you should bring the human? You will not have formed mating marks. Your attachment will not be secure.”

  My heart thundered in my chest. Who was my majak to question my strategy against the empire or my intentions in visiting our colonies? If the human was fine with our agreement, why should he concern himself? It was a deal between us to protect her and to inflict pain on the admiral.

  “I promise you it will be secure,” I growled. My fingers twitched above the hilt of my battle axe until I steadied my breath. It was not Rolan who angered me—it was that he knew me so well and that he knew of my pain and humiliation.

  Even though it was his job as my first officer and most trusted advisor, it was a painful part of my past. One I’d worked hard to forget. Serving as a Vandar Raas had kept me busy enough, and pleasurers had served as welcome distractions, but I’d hardened my heart to all else. It had been my plan to serve as Raas until I was struck down in battle, instead of leaving the horde to take a mate. Until Rachael had come on board. Not that taking her as a mate would mean leaving the horde. That was not part of the deal.

  I told myself that it had been an easy sacrifice from one who had no intention of ever making a love match. In truth, taking a mate as part of a military strategy fueled both my desire to punish the empire, and my inexplicable need to protect Rachael. A need I could not confess to my majak, who might think it meant more.

  I thought of the beautiful female, and my cock twitched. She was certainly arousing enough to keep me interested, although I had steeled myself to the possibility of anything more than a physical connection. Still, it would be no hardship to bed her—one of the steps that would ensure she took my mating marks.

  “You are right about one thing,” I told Rolan as I stalked out of the cargo bay without a backward glance. “I need to get to work on those mating marks.”

  Chapter 21

  Rachael

  I’d finished the breakfast the apprentice had set out for me, and had been pacing for a while. I was too jittery to sit and watch the fire, which the apprentice had activated for me, and even a soak in the tubs didn’t appeal. At least the repulsive drink had cured my nausea, but I swore I’d never drink so much Vandar wine again in my life.

  “Where are you?” I whispered, eying the door for a hundredth time.

  The Raas wasn’t seriously going to leave me alone all day every day, was he? There was nothing to do in his spartan quarters, except stare out the wide wall of glass as the ship sped through space. Occasionally, we’d pass a hunk of rock, but all in all, interstellar travel was extremely boring.

  Having nothing to distract me meant I was alone with my thoughts, and that was the last thing I wanted. I did not want my mind to wander to my parents, or my home planet of Horl. By now, they would know that I’d escaped. Were they worried that their daughter was alone in space and possibly in danger, or were they more angry that I hadn’t gone through with my wedding to the admiral? Knowing my parents and how they’d treated me like chattel to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, I honestly didn’t know.

  I walked to the glass overlooking space and put my hands to the cool surface. My home world was out there somewhere, even if it felt like my life there was a lifetime ago. My throat thickened, as I realized that I’d probably never see it again. Not if I kept up my end of the bargain with Raas Toraan.

  A Vandar horde had no reason to go to Horl. It was a planet that had been loyal to the empire for longer than I’d been alive. Like everyone in the galaxy, we’d heard about the raider hordes, but never had one appeared in our skies.

  No, agreeing to be the Raas’ mate might keep me from the admiral, but it also ensured that I’d never again lay eyes on the rolling hills and cliffside towns that made Horl so prized by the empire. Unlike other planets, with rich stores of resources to be mined, Horl provided grain, produce, and renowned wine, so our verdant farmland was unspoiled.

  I twisted my head to take in the sleek space that was dominated by polished black stone and hard surfaces. It was a far cry from the arched mansion I’d lived in, with light streaming in from wide windows, and gossamer curtains fluttering in the breeze.

  “This is where you live now,” I told myself, hoping the force of my words would staunch the tears that threatened to fall.

  Had I made a mistake in agreeing to the Raas’ deal so quickly? I’d been so eager to get away from the admiral that I hadn’t thought things through, or considered what living with a Vandar horde meant. I hadn’t known. All I’d been sure of was that it would be better than life in a loveless marriage with a disgusting old man.

  I shivered at the memory of him. I had definitely been right to run from Admiral Kurmog. Even if my deal with the Raas was only military strategy for him and escape for me, he was a much more appealing bed mate. I didn’t even care if he was using me, and I was using him. Our pact might not be about love, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t enjoy every minute of being used by him to enrage the admiral.

  The doors behind me slid open, and I whirled around, my cheeks warming as Raas Toraan entered. Why did I feel like he’d caught me doing something naughty again?

  “You are up,” he said, not pausing as he took long steps toward me.

  “Did you think I’d still be sleeping?” I had no concept of time in a room with no timepieces and no suns to rise and fall, but I suspected he’d been up for a long time.

  He reached me, coming so close I felt the need to back up, but the only thing behind me was the glass wall. “You were sleeping deeply when I left and snoring very loudly.”

  My mouth dropped open. “I was not!”

  His mouth twitched, and his severe expression faded for a moment. “No, you were not.”

  I wanted to smack him, but he was looming over me, his gaze intense. I instantly decided not to complain about being left alone or ask him what was going to happen when we reached the Vandar colony. “Is everything okay?”

  He inclined his head. “We were able to route ourselves around the imperial blockade and set a new course. The horde will need to stop for supplies and for recreation before we reach our destination, but neither stop will be long.”

  “How does a horde stop for recreation?” I asked, envisioning a massive fleet of ships docking on Horl and raiders flooding the seaside.

  “The pleasure planets I mentioned last night.” His gaze moved across my face, and he brushed a curl off my forehead. “I forget you have never left your planet before and that Horl is known for being quite . . . restrictive in its customs.”

  His judgment of my home world struck a nerve. “How do you know anything about it? Have you ever been there?”

  “No.” His deep voice did not match my raised one.

  I put my hands on my hips. “Then you don’t know what it’s like, do you? It’s actually a beautiful planet.”

  “Controlled by the empire.”

  I flinched at that. He was right, of course. Horl was under total Zagrath control—and it was probably more restrictive in every way than Vandar culture. One glance at his exposed skin, and I knew that.

  “Fine. Horl is uptight compared to the Vandar, but it’s not like we don’t know how to enjoy ourselves. You’ve never lived until you’ve galloped across an open meadow on the back of a horse, as the two suns set over the horizon.”

  He rested a hand on my waist as if he was holding me to him. “And many of my raiders would argue that you have not lived until you have had a set of Felaris twins sucking your cock in tandem.”

  I drew in a quick breath. “Is that what you do on pleasure planets?”

  “Not always what I do, but pleasure planets are for fulfilling your
carnal desires.”

  I wasn’t sure what to say to that. Carnal pleasures were definitely not something to be discussed on Horl or encouraged, especially for females. “And we’re going to one of these pleasure planets?”

  “My raiders need a release before we continue to the Vandar colonies. It has been a long time since they have done anything but fly and raid.”

  I wanted to ask him if he would be going down to the planet, but I also didn’t feel like it was my place. It wasn’t like we were together in a traditional way. Sure, I was going to be his mate, but only because it served both of our purposes, not because we were passionately in love. Still, I disliked the idea of him with anyone else, especially twins.

  “I will not be joining my raiders at the pleasure houses.” It was as if he’d read my mind.

  I tipped my head back to meet his eyes. “Really? Does the Raas not leave his ship or something?”

  “No. I typically avail myself of the pleasurers.” He lifted a hand to cup my face. “But this time, I have other things to do.”

  My mouth went dry. “What kind of things?”

  His eyes burned into me as he dragged a thumb across my jaw. “Did you think I forgot last night, or what you wanted from me?”

  My memories were a bit fuzzy, although I remembered every moment of his head buried between my legs. “No, but— “

  “I also have not forgotten our deal, have you?”

  I shook my head, my pulse fluttering madly. “No, Raas.”

  He moved his hand from my jaw, tracing one fingertip down my neck to my chest and sliding it over my exposed cleavage. “If I’m going to put mating marks on this perfect skin, I will need to spend most of my time in bed with you.”

  I tried to speak, but only a strangled sound emerged from my lips.

  Lowering his head, he brushed his lips across mine. “Starting now.”

  Then he flattened me against the wall, and crushed his mouth to mine.

  Chapter 22

  Toraan

  I parted her lips with my tongue, moaning as I savored the sweetness of her. My body was hard against hers, even as she arched into me.

  Taking one wrist in my hand, I lifted her arm over her head and pinned it to the glass. She tried to pull it away, but I held tight. Then I took her other hand and pinned it to the small of her back, never breaking our kiss. I used my tail to stroke up the inside of her thigh as her moaning grew louder.

  When I tore my mouth from hers, her eyes were dazed and her chest heaving. “Toraan.”

  “Yes?” I bent and nipped at her earlobe, which elicted another moan.

  “Is that your tail between my legs?”

  “Mmhmm.” I moved it up higher, the furry tip twitching in anticipation. “Do you like it?”

  “Do Vandar used their tails to…?”

  I sucked on her ear as my tail reached the slickness between her thighs. “The tips of our tails are almost as sensitive as our cocks, and I plan to fuck you with both.”

  Her knees buckled but my hold on her kept her from slipping down the glass.

  “Is this what you had in mind last night?” I asked. “This is what you were thinking about when you were pleasuring yourself?”

  “I’d never thought of your tail…” she began, her voice desperate. “I didn’t mean to wake…”

  I inhaled deeply, drinking in the scent of her warm skin, and feathering my lips across the skittering pulse in her neck. “Do not apologize. I like a female who knows what she enjoys, and is not afraid to take it.”

  “But I don’t know,” she whispered. “Not everything. I mean, I haven’t done all that much, especially compared to one to your pleasurers.”

  I raised my head to meet her eyes. “They are not my pleasurers. They were only ever a distraction. I would take you over them, any day.”

  “Why?”

  I tightened my grip around her waist. “Because you will be mine. There is nothing more arousing than the sight of mating marks on your female—at least that is what I hear.” My gaze dropped to the smooth, brown skin of her chest. “I want to see them on you.”

  “So that it will anger the admiral?” she asked.

  Was that why? I knew I had not been thinking about the enemy when I’d kissed her. Even now, my desire to see her skin etched with my marks felt more like primal possession than revenge. “Of course,” I lied. I nuzzled close to her neck, but my lips hovered over her skin. “This is what you want, too, isn’t it? Safety with the Vandar as my mate?”

  She nodded, but I wanted to hear her say it.

  “Tell me you want me to claim you, Rachael,” I murmured. “Tell me you want me to fuck you until you get my marks.”

  She sucked in a breath. “I want you.” The words spilled out of her. “I want you to fuck me, Toraan.”

  I growled low before devouring her mouth with my own again. Her body pulsed as my tongue swirled with hers, stroking deep as I ground my hips into her. Moving my hand down from the small of her back, I slipped it under the hem of her kilt. Like all Vandar, she wore nothing underneath, which meant it was easy to feel how ready she was for me. Heat throbbed between her legs, as my fingers skimmed her ass cheeks, then parted her wet folds while my tail stroked her in the front.

  “You’re so wet for me,” I said when I broke our kiss. I slid two fingers inside her as the tip of my tail circled her bundle of nerves.

  Gasping, she reared back. Then her eyes went wide. “Can anyone see us here? Your horde ships are invisible. Could they be flying right next to us and watching?”

  “Don’t worry,” I said, my voice husky. “This is one-way glass. No one can see that my fingers and tail are fucking you.”

  She rocked into me, my words obviously igniting her desire as she opened her legs for me, letting me drive deeper. I released her arm overhead and she dropped it to my shoulder, digging her nails into my flesh as my tail flicked faster and my fingers stroked in and out. Her movements and her breathing became more ragged until she started to shake, her heat pulling around my fingers.

  She leaned into me as she trembled with aftershocks, and I slid my fingers from her. “How do you do that? Make me come so fast?”

  “I have only begun,” I told her, tangling my hands in her hair and pulling her head back so I could kiss her again. Then my hands roamed her body, moving from her back to span her waist, and cupping her breasts.

  I needed to feel more of her, taste more of her. I quickly unfastened her vest and slipped it over her shoulders. The air hit her exposed breasts, and the flesh around her nipples puckered, making her shiver.

  “So perfect.” I bent down and captured one tight peak in my mouth.

  She clamped her hands on my shoulders as I lavished attention on first one hard nipple and then the other, my mouth hot and urgent. Then I was aware of her fumbling with my shoulder armor.

  I helped her by unhooking the buckles, and the leather and metal clattered to the floor. My stomach tightened when she ran both hands down my now-bare chest, and her fingers slipped beneath the belt holding up my battle kilt.

  “I need to taste you,” I tugged at her kilt and it finally slipped off her hips and hit the floor.

  Before she could step out of it, I’d scooped her up and carried her to the bed, dropping her on it so that she bounced a few times. Staring down at her completely naked, I let out a low rumble in the back of my throat.

  I expected her to be shy, lying spread out in front of me like she was, but she wasn’t. Her gaze never left mine as she smiled mischievously and let her legs fall open just a bit.

  With a growl, I took her ankles and jerked her to the edge of the bed, spreading her knees and dropping down. Nestling my face between her legs, I nipped at the skin on the inside of her thigh. As much as I wanted to fuck her, I loved hearing her moans of pleasure and tasting her arousal on my tongue.

  Rachael arched her back as I dragged my tongue through her, parting her folds and finding her slick little nub again. She fisted the sh
eets as I sucked her, wrapping her legs around my back like she’d done the night before. I licked her until she was writhing and bucking against me. This time was even faster, and she screamed as she came.

  When her quivering slowed, I stood and dropped my kilt. Even though Rachael’s eyes were half-lidded with pleasure, her eyes widened as I stroked a hand down my cock, pumping it as I teased her opening with my tail.

  I lowered myself so that I hovered over her, bracing myself on one arm. “Are you ready for me?”

  She licked her bottom lip and nodded.

  I kissed her, my tongue delving deep as my body pressed against hers and I moved my tail out of the way, so I could notch my cock at her opening.

  Rachael drew in a breath before my mouth was over hers, subduing her cries as I pushed hard inside her. Wrapping her arms around my back, she scratched at me as I buried my cock as deep as it could go. I dragged my cock out, my crown teasing her.

  “You are mine now.” I thrust inside her and she gasped. “You belong to Raas Toraan of the Vandar. Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” she said as she panted for breath.

  “Now I’m going to fuck you until your body understands, as well.”

  Rachael hooked her legs around my waist, her hips moving to pull me closer. Her hunger for me made me move even faster. I had been right. She was better than any pleasurer. Not because she was so skilled, but because she was so unafraid to chase her own pleasure. When she detonated a moment later, her body spasming as she arched her back, it was all I could do to hold on.

  I buried my head in her neck as I hammered home, my strokes long and fast as her body clenched my cock like a vise. Rachael’s hands slipped as she tried to grasp my slick back, my muscles bunched beneath her fingers, and after a final thrust, I exploded inside her, holding myself deep and finally collapsing on the bed beside her.