Vrix (The Galaxos Crew Book 2)

by Juno Wells

  "Earthers. I want Earthers," Vrix said, scowling at the Tyboli. "There aren't any here."

  "There are a few." The Tyboli leaned to tap a few buttons on the screen, though he lingered a little too close to Griggs for Vrix's comfort. He needed to send a message to that bastard, and all the ones watching, that they couldn't touch her. That they shouldn't even think about touching her.

  Vrix stared at the images on the screen of three dark-haired Earthers, and racked his brain for what Heidi looked like. He'd heard Griggs describe her half a dozen times, but every word fled his brain with the scent of her skin and the tickle of her hair against his face.

  Griggs squirmed in his lap and he groaned at the unbelievable pleasure of her ass bumping against him. She fiddled with the screen and rubbed her cheek against his, almost purring as her hand slid under his robes to caress his chest. "Get a blonde one. So we don't match."

  Vrix's head almost exploded, along with other parts of his body. She might kill him. She might actually kill him without any weapon other than her curves. He pulled her off him so he didn't climax right in his robes, and handed the viewing screen to the Tyboli. "A blonde Earther. You have to have one somewhere. I'll pay any price."

  "We have a few in training," the Tyboli said, frowning at the screen as he tapped his chin. "But none ready yet. They are... difficult, as I'm sure you know, and training them has taken longer than we expected."

  "I'd prefer to break her myself." Vrix hated himself for saying it, and hoped it meant he was saving Heidi's life rather than condemning some other poor woman to something awful. "I enjoy the challenge, and since I have... particular tastes, I have to re-train them anyway."

  The Tyboli still waited near the door, showing no signs of leaving. "We will consider it and be in touch."

  Something felt off. Vrix's scales rattled in warning. He didn't like being in a closed room at the end of a hall, with only one way to the exit and dozens of Slasu guards between them and freedom. Particularly after Griggs's dance, he wouldn't put it past the Tyboli or the Slasu to try and steal her to sell to someone else.

  So Vrix did something he knew was ill-advised, but he needed the element of surprise to get them out the door. He pulled one of the clan medallions of the Slasu who attacked Griggs out of his robes and held it up so the Tyboli could see it. The alien's eyes widened and he retreated a step toward the door. Vrix lurched to his feet, careful not to knock Griggs over, and held the medallion up still more so the cameras could see it. "Here is something else to consider. I'm not interested in selling this one, and I will look very poorly on anyone who tries to take her by force. I don't share."

  The Tyboli cleared his throat and nodded, eyes darting around. His nervous reaction was enough to convince Vrix the Slasu club was behind the earlier kidnapping attempt. "O-Of course. We certainly would never attempt to remove a slave from its rightful owner."

  "See that you don't," Vrix said, mostly growl. He snapped his fingers at Griggs and she uncoiled herself from the couch, practically draping herself against him when she stood. "Because I will kill anyone stupid enough to think they can touch her. Understood?"

  "Yes."

  "I don't want any confusion on that when we leave." Vrix tilted his head at the door. "Got it?"

  "Of course, of course." The Tyboli retreated to the hall and stood well back, gesturing for Vrix to precede him. "After you."

  Vrix hated the feeling of someone walking behind him, but he wouldn't let the bastards see him hesitate. The moment they sensed weakness, they'd exploit it and both he and Griggs would be in a great deal of trouble. He grabbed Griggs and dragged her against his side, so focused on getting the hell out of there that he forgot her robes on the floor. The Tyboli offered them before he got more than a few steps, smirking and saying something about enjoying the view too much to cover it up.

  Vrix almost punched him. Too bad he still needed the asshole in order to free Heidi. They had to have her somewhere, trying to break her spirit. He hoped Heidi was as tough as Griggs, so she wouldn't be irreversibly damaged before they got her free. Vrix tossed the robes around Griggs so no one else would see her intoxicating body, and moved faster.

  When they reached the doors, suddenly reinforced with twice as many armed Slasu, Vrix looked at the Tyboli and hardened his expression. "I want at least one Earther tomorrow. I will be in touch."

  The Tyboli did that sneering half-bow again. "We will evaluate the inventory and see if we can find what you're looking for."

  Vrix growled and shoved past the guards, dragging Griggs along, and they plunged into the night. The sudden silence and chill was disorienting after the lights and noise of the club, and for a long while, Vrix could only hear his own harsh breathing as he strode down the street toward the safety of Pyix's hotel and the other Xaravians. Griggs muttered under her breath about the damn shoes, so he picked her up without breaking stride and carried her over the rough ground.

  She felt so light and fragile in his arms, so soft and vulnerable. It scared him how easily she could be hurt. He needed to protect her more. He'd find a way to build her an exoskeleton or something like his scales, so her delicate skin wouldn't get broken or burned or even bruised. Griggs sighed and started to wiggle free when they got within view of Pyix's, but she cut off with a squeak as his arms tightened. He couldn't let her go yet. Not with the memory of that damn Tyboli leering at her.

  Griggs tugged on his hair and said very quietly, "Come on, big guy. Keep it together. We're fine."

  Were they? Vrix didn't know. He exposed Griggs to the Slasu and made her even more of a target, and there was still no sign of Heidi. How long would they wait? Griggs wouldn't leave Caihiri without her friend, and that persistence might get her kidnapped and enslaved herself. Vrix would lose his mind and die trying to free her, fighting all the Slasu if necessary.

  Vrix passed the bar with just a wave for Pyix, unable to articulate anything, and climbed the stairs two at a time until they were in the safety and quiet of the room.

  The single room. That they shared.

  He needed a cold shower before they talked about anything. Vrix put Griggs down and stepped back. If he touched her again, he might not be able to stop. He could hardly see through the bluish haze over his vision. He started for the bathroom, trying to formulate a thought of what to say to her, but Griggs stood between him and the safety of cold water.

  She watched him, one eyebrow quirked, then dropped the loosely-tied robes. She stood there in that magnificent tiny outfit that reminded him with every breath of that sensual dance. Griggs smiled like it was a joke, and did a few moves like her kick-fighting dance, waggling her eyebrows and making faces. "Maybe I can have a second career as a dancer."

  Vrix held his breath, debating how honest to be.

  Griggs flipped her wild hair out of the way and moved her shoulder in a seductive dip, letting the strap of the bra thing slide down, exposing just a hint more of her rosy breast. A growl escaped before he could bite it back, and her eyebrows rose more.

  Vrix didn't want to risk losing her, but he didn't want to be a joke. When she started to shimmy again, Vrix caught her shoulder. "Stop."

  She froze, a sudden fear in her eyes, and Griggs cleared her throat. "I was just—"

  "I don't want to play games anymore," he said, his scales rustling. He kept his voice soft, not wanting to scare her. She looked ready to flee, already trembling in his grip. "I don't want to be a challenge to you, or a punishment for something, or whatever it is that makes you look so afraid."

  "I'm not afraid," Griggs said, but her voice broke and she didn't quite meet his gaze. "I was just screwing around, Vrix. It's not—"

  "You don't want to risk yourself," he said. Vrix touched her cheek, still wanting to comfort her even as his body spun out of control. "I know that. I want you, Cecily. But only if you want me, too. Not as a dare or a one-time thing."

  Her lips parted as she looked up at him, and that delightful red flushed from her cleavage all
the way up to her face. Griggs blinked and started to shake her head, though no words escaped to explain what she was thinking.

  Vrix had never been the most gentle or articulate of warriors, but for her—he'd do his best.

  He touched her forehead, then bumped his forehead to hers. "I want this."

  Then he touched her chest, near where that single miraculous heart beat. "And I want this."

  She trembled as he ran his hands down her sides and over the strong muscles and generous curves. "And I want all of this. But I want it more than once. I want us forever."

  "Forever?" she whispered. Griggs blinked rapidly, folding her arms over her chest in an effort to protect herself. He ached that she was so afraid of being open with him, but he wanted her to discover the freedom of being totally open and honest with someone. With him.

  Vrix caught her hands and squeezed them. "I know you're more comfortable in the fight, in competition. Being vulnerable is difficult. But you can trust me."

  Her eyes closed and she took a shaky breath. "I don't know if I can do what you want. If I can be what you want."

  His hands slid into her hair so he could tilt her mouth to his. "Then let me help you find out."

  Griggs

  Griggs’s face burned brighter by the moment, and as Vrix leaned down to press his lips to hers, she found herself reflexively turning her face away—not that she intended to. Something deep inside her would hardly let her accept his genuine attraction to her, let alone such a frank expression of it. Even back at the academy, where she had more than her fair share of fun, kissing was never part of the equation. At least, not like she knew it’d be with Vrix.

  She let out a soft gasp at the feeling of Vrix’s fingers tightening in her hair, reorienting her head to place their lips on an unavoidable collision course. Her eyes fluttered open, catching his stormy silver gaze. Something about the intensity there put her strangely at ease. There was nothing casual about this—not after what he’d said.

  Forever.

  In a sudden rush of confidence, she leaned up to meet the kiss, letting her eyes drift closed once more, an odd sort of determination to let go of her reservations swelling in her chest. It was a decidedly new sensation, considering that sort of determination was typically directed toward holding onto her reservations and her control over any given situation. To give it up was almost terrifying, but if absolutely nothing else, she could be sure that she was completely safe with Vrix. He’d never do anything to hurt her—physically or otherwise.

  His lips were surprisingly warm, and she found herself melting against his touch as he cupped her cheek in his rough palm. She eased a bit closer to him, letting both arms slip around his waist, sitting lightly at his firm backside. After a few moments of hesitation, she squeezed, an unintended moan escaping as she felt the well-trained muscle there. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t taken a few peeks here and there when he wore form-fitting pants, but feeling it was something else entirely. She found her mind wandering, musing on how it’d contract and shift as he pumped his hips forward, driving up into her…

  She gave a hard shake of her head as she pulled back, a little giggle accompanying it despite her attempts at stifling it. Vrix looked to her, an obvious question in his eyes, but she waved it off.

  “It’s nothing. Just… strange, I guess. I never thought…” She gave a soft squeak as she felt Vrix’s hands coming back to cup her ass as she had his. Despite her intense training regimen, she still retained plenty of softness there, though it laid over steel-hard muscle. He seemed to have little interest in what lay beneath, simply stroking and squeezing gently through the thin fabric that covered her there. The feeling of his fingers sent shivers through her, and she soon found herself torn between pressing her body closer to him and easing her hips back to urge him on in his attentions there.

  The choice was taken from her as he gripped her ass tightly and pulled her flush to his chest, the rapid beating of his hearts drumming out a staccato rhythm against her. Her own seemed to respond in kind, pulse rising more and more as the kiss deepened.

  Steeling her nerves, she tentatively opened her lips to him, her tongue meekly sliding forward to meet his, to explore and press. The opening alone saw Vrix drawing a hard breath in, but the feeling of joining seemed to drive him absolutely wild. The breath was released in a deep, rumbling moan, and their feet seemed to move in unison to bring them to the bed.

  Griggs felt the back of her knees pressed to the yielding mattress, and a quick jolt of boldness shot through her. Her lips nearly closed in the wicked grin that spread over them, and with a quick shift of her weight and repositioning of her hands, Vrix found himself sprawled out on his back atop the thick bedding. He twisted it in both hands in what might’ve been frustration, but his expression told another story completely. He was beyond thrilled, and made no effort to hide that fact—not that he could, with the way the fabric of his pants stretched and strained in a feeble attempt to contain the pulsing swell of his massive erection.

  “Ohooo, what’s this now?” She grinned, sliding up onto the bed between his legs, both hands running up the fabric and passing just inches away from his throbbing length on either side. They were pushed up nearly to his chest and dragged back down in what she knew was a cruel tease—one she enjoyed immensely. He twitched and growled, his skin flushing deep indigo, scales rattling in what might’ve been frustration or anticipation. It was hard to tell.

  She leaned in then, planting a few soft kisses at the base of his cock through the fabric, staring up at him from her position, the wicked pleasure no doubt showing in her eyes as she worked her way toward the tip. Watching him was nothing short of bliss. It wasn’t as if it was the first time he found himself under her, but it was certainly the first where he seemed to have no intention of fighting back once he’d been downed.

  As her hands came to the waist of his pants, she pulled her head up and away to inspect the mechanism with mock curiosity, and even confusion, dragging out the freeing of his captive member, though it was just as much a tease for herself as it was for him. She was almost afraid of what terror might lurk beneath, but if its shape in confinement was any indication, he wasn’t all that different from Earther men, a few bulges aside.

  Vrix gave a low growl and shoved her hand aside, unclasping and unzipping his pants in one fluid motion, prompting another barely-restrained giggle from Griggs.

  “Aw, c’mon. I was having fun.”

  He stared back in silent anticipation, his chest now rising and falling rapidly as she hooked her fingers into the band. His mercury-silver eyes flashed in equal parts wonder and frustration as he stared down at her, lifting his hips just slightly to let her slide his pants down and away.

  Vrix

  “Oh, Einstein there’s some mass here.” Griggs gave a low, soft whistle.

  Vrix knew full well that she was trying to play it cool, but the flash of surprise and borderline fear over her features when his member was revealed told him everything he needed to know about how their bonding was going to go—at least where biology was concerned.

  Vaant and Isla weren’t exactly prone to spilling the nitty-gritty on their mating, or lovemaking, or whatever they wanted to call it, and Vrix wasn’t the sort to pry—into that, anyway. The thought of whether things would fit the way he expected had certainly crossed his mind more than he’d like to admit. The way Griggs moved during training, how he found himself both beneath and atop her curvaceous, shockingly strong frame… the way her intoxicating scent hit his nose every time they got close, especially when they were sparring. Something about the excitement and exertion of it brought out something special in her, and he knew it’d be much the same if they ever shared a bed as they did now. She hadn’t quite exerted herself yet, but she would. That much was certain.

  No rush, he mused. She’d be astride him like some beast before long, and would no doubt make exactly that comparison whether out loud or in her mind. It’s not as if it wouldn’t be an apt
metaphor, considering their massive differences. Still, it seemed as though they were utterly made for each other, despite those dissimilarities both physical and cultural. Griggs was every bit the outsider, even in her own skin.

  Vrix shook his head hard, trying to disengage the musing haze that had come over him. Something about the agonizingly slow tease she was inflicting upon him was giving him the urge – and the time – to reflect on the incredible woman who now lay between his legs, her fingertips dancing feather-light along his length. The aching pulse she earned in response was almost enough to make him wince, the flared tip and base-bulb both swelling in preparation for what was to come.

  When she leaned over somewhat uneasily, her mouth opening to take him in, he couldn’t stop his hand from reaching out to stop her.

  “Cecily… I can’t wait any longer. I want that, so… so badly, but I need you. I need to be inside you, to have you atop me… to watch you.”

  While she didn’t seem relieved, she was eager to move on to the main event, as she doubtlessly would have called it. With a single swift motion, she peeled off the already-revealing top, bringing into view the full glory of her full, firm breasts. The sight alone drew a groan from Vrix, and when Griggs reached down to tear the rest of her outfit away with alarming ease, he pulled her up insistently to sit astride the slick length.

  A soft moan passed her lips as she leaned over, placing a hand at either side of Vrix’s shoulders, sliding her soaked slit along the length of his cock, little gasps escaping every time she passed over the bulb and head.

  If not for his excellent restraint, the sensation would have been enough to make Vrix simply pick her up at the waist and impale her on the massive member in desperation, but he’d resolved to let her take it at her own pace—no matter how excruciatingly slow that might be for him. Some of the conflict in her face had nothing to do with their current situation, but probably more something in her past. She had to be in control to protect herself, and though the alpha warrior part of himself wanted to roll her under him to exert dominance, he couldn’t risk scaring her. Even though stopping himself from grabbing her hips and fucking her into submission took a few years off his life.