by Liza Probz
“I’m glad the world believes it true, but it’s not. We’re alive and well, and after one thing.”
“What’s that?” She pressed his fingers to her lips and licked them clean as his breath caught in his chest. “I’m bleeding inside my stomach. I can feel it.”
“Then drink more.” He lifted his wrist to her lips and moved closer.
She nodded and gripped his arm tightly as her blue eyes filled with innocence. “What are you looking for, Vartik prince?”
“You. I was looking for you.”
Chapter 11
Mayra inhaled heavily at his words. The handsome stranger was entirely overwhelming to her senses. He was a man out of myth, a legend with a muscular body and a smoldering smile. And he’d come to rescue her.
Would he also be the one to unlock her powers?
Mayra swallowed, shaking her head to clear of it of such thoughts. But she couldn’t completely banish the effect of his words. He’d called her beautiful, and he’d seemed to mean it. Still, could she trust him? Terap had said he would be her savior, that he would lead her to a life that even the old Vanfian oracle would envy.
Staring up into his penetrating eyes, she could almost let herself hope.
“Why?” she asked, when she could remember how to speak.
He was brushing her hair back from her forehead while staring into her eyes. “Why what?” he murmured.
“Why were you looking for me?”
A small grin tugged at the corner of his seductive mouth. “Because we need you. You are part of something bigger, bigger than the both of us. Something we can’t do without you.”
Mayra slid up the bed and away from her handsome companion, suddenly feeling exposed. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked down, no longer able to meet his gaze.
He wants to use me. Like all the others. He needs my powers, not me.
The sensation of his thumb rubbing against her cheek brought her eyes back to his. “What is it, beautiful?”
“I wish you would stop saying that,” she said, slipping under his arm and moving to sit on the edge of the bed, her back to the Vartik male. “We both know it isn’t true.”
“I don’t know who’s been filling your head with lies, but I can prove that I’m telling you the truth.”
She looked over his shoulder at him, her eyes narrowing. “How?”
Nojan gave her a cocky smile, then grabbed her hand, pulling it close to his body. “Feel what you do to me.” He settled her hand over the bulge that was straining against the fabric at the juncture of his thighs.
Mayra was amazed at the hardness she felt there. And the size. He must be enormous, she thought before letting out a gasp and yanking her hand back.
The Vartik male let out a soft chuckle. “You blush so prettily,” he said, planting a lazy kiss on her shoulder.
The sensation of his lips against her skin sent a shiver through her. It felt so warm, so right, that she wanted to relax back into his arms. But could she let her guard down now, when all of her life she’d learned not to trust others? Especially ones who promise friendship.
Just like the creature who used her tears to steal my dinner.
“You’re too stiff,” he whispered against her ear. “You need to rest, to relax. We both do.”
Hearing the strain in his voice, she realized that he really did need to rest. He was tired, perhaps exhausted. But why?
“You should rest,” she said, moving to stand. “I’ll find somewhere else to—”
“Oh no, you don’t.” Nojan grabbed her around her waist and pulled her back down to the bed. “I can’t have you wandering my ship while I’m asleep. You’ll stay right here in my arms, and we’ll both get the rest we need.”
Mayra didn’t know how she’d ever get any rest, pressed so closely to his warm body. Her anxiety only climbed when he tightened his hold on her. She wanted to run, to hide in the dark and try to figure a way out of the mess she found herself in.
She’d gone from knowing her place as a servant to the Vanfian princess to hurtling through the stars, destination unknown. Although some part of her wanted to trust the man who’d saved her from a short and brutal life as a whore to the Vanfian princes, it was still too soon to determine whether her situation had actually improved.
“Let me go,” she demanded, knowing already that he wouldn’t. Mayra had spent her entire life as someone’s property, so giving orders didn’t come naturally to her. Still, things had changed quickly in the last few hours, and she’d felt the lifeblood of a guard spill over her hands. Maybe she could push her newfound reserve of hidden strength a little further.
She felt his hands on her shoulders, pulling her around to face him. “Look at me,” he said, his fingers pushing her chin up. Mayra struggled to disobey, but something in his tone forced her gaze to meet his.
“You will rest here in my arms. You will not get up and wander the ship. You will heed my commands.”
It was as if weight were pressing down on her consciousness, a pressure to do everything he told her to. Before she realized it, he had her underneath him, his eyes bright and focused.
“Relax, angel,” he breathed, and Mayra felt the tension slide out of her limbs.
What is he doing to me? How does he have this power over my body? Over my mind?
She began to struggle against the pull he had on her, but she couldn’t look away from his piercing gaze. She felt as if she could fall into his chestnut eyes. They were so large, so close that she could see her own blue eyes reflected in them. They became a swirl of blue and brown, with tints of green.
Suddenly, Mayra was transported. It was like she was floating above in the blackness, hovering above a big bright orb. The orb had its own flecks of green and brown that dotted the deeper and lighter blues.
Territh.
Just as she discovered the focus of the vision, it faded into mist as she felt his lips press against hers. Then the only thing she could think about was his kiss.
His lips were soft, the pressure light and teasing. Mayra had never been kissed before, had never known what exquisite pleasure she was missing. Now part of her hoped this handsome alien would never stop his tender exploration of her mouth.
He sucked gently on her bottom lip and she couldn’t help but sigh. She felt his tongue brush against her lips and wondered at the sensuality of the sensation. Was this how it could be between a man and a woman? Something soft and wonderful? All she’d ever experienced was degradation and fear.
His tongue licked at the seam between her lips, back and forth, until she opened her mouth to let out a small gasp. Nojan took advantage of the opening, his tongue sliding between her lips to find her own. The feeling was like nothing she’d ever experienced, causing a shiver to run through her entire body.
Before she realized it, her arms were climbing his shoulders, her fingers burying themselves in his thick hair. Mayra surrendered herself to his questing tongue, starting to kiss him back, starting to accept the rampant feeling of desire that was taking control.
When she licked his bottom lip, Nojan let out a ragged groan. “By all the gods, woman,” he growled, then redoubled his pressure, his lips claiming hers in earnest.
Mayra moaned, her body besieged by the unfamiliar awareness of her own response to his seduction. She wanted this. She wanted this virtual stranger to explore every inch of her body.
His tongue plunged into her mouth and she sucked it, silently rejoicing when she felt the shudder run through him. Then he pulled away and she wanted to weep.
His eyes bored into hers. “Get some rest,” he whispered, moving off of her to lie beside her.
Mayra rolled over, hugging herself tightly. Why had he stopped, just when things were getting interesting?
He’s not into you, her inner voice whispered. Not really. If seducing you makes you cooperate, then he’ll seduce you. Whatever it takes to make you docile, obedient.
He pulled her into his arms, and his warm body pre
ssed against her back.
“You’re all stiff again,” he said softly into her ear. “Believe me. I wish we could continue as well, but we both need rest.”
Mayra heard the exhaustion in his voice. Maybe he’s telling the truth. A tiny ray of hope shone inside her.
And he was right. She was on the edge of collapse as well. So much had happened in the last few hours. Her flight, her wounds, the confrontation with the Vanfian king, all had sapped her energy. The adrenaline she’d been running on was quickly fading. Rest didn’t sound so terrible.
Mayra decided to relax her guard enough to sleep. Once her batteries were recharged, she would be better able to fend off the handsome Vartik’s advances and figure out what her next move would be.
Besides, it felt good to be in his arms. She could feel a measure of comfort creeping over her, a comfort she’d never once experienced in her life as a slave. This feeling could become addictive, she thought fleetingly as sleep began to blur the edges of the world.
But for now, it was just what she needed. Surrendering to that comfort, Mayra fell into a deep slumber.
Chapter 12
Nojan struggled to pull himself out of sleep, so pleasant did it feel to be snuggled beside a warm and supple female body. He could feel her even breathing beside him and in that moment wished he could press his ear to her chest to listen to her heart beating.
The thought put a smile on his face, and as he cracked his eyes open and took in the enticing woman in his bed, the smile widened.
She’s perfect, he thought. Her hair was molten, the most beautiful shade he’d ever encountered. Like the Vartik sunset. Skin like cream with limbs so long and lithe they left him aching. And that’s not even considering her breasts.
They were immaculate, so bountiful and round. He wanted nothing more than to expose them to his hungry gaze and even hungrier mouth. Beneath her breasts, her waist tapered away to almost nothing before rounding out to hips that made his hardening cock twitch in his pants.
His grip on her waist tightened briefly as he realized how truly small it was. In fact, her ribs were close to protruding, and when his gaze made its way to her face, he saw that her cheeks appeared slightly hollow.
His poor former slave had been severely underfed. Nojan was surprised at the level of anger that filled him. Moving carefully so as to not disturb her rest, he untangled himself from the girl despite his desire to remain by her side for several more hours. He padded into the small mess of the ship and began rummaging around, looking for items that might interest her.
As he began assembling ingredients, Nojan thought back on his encounter with the oracle so far. She wasn’t what he’d expected, even though he hadn’t really had many expectations. From his sister’s warning, he’d thought to find an ugly, suffering creature. Mayra had been suffering all right, but the word ugly would never apply to her.
He’d never felt such an instant attraction in his life. Part of that was due to his indifference to Vartik women. They were similar to men in their builds, with nothing that he would call curves. Mayra, on the other hand, had more curves than a planet with an unsteady orbit.
Talk about celestial bodies. Mayra’s was heavenly all right.
Grimacing at the ache in his lower region, Nojan began constructing a meal he hoped would appeal to her. Life as a slave could not have been easy for her. On Vartik, slavery had been outlawed for a hundred generations, but many other places in the galaxy were not so enlightened in their thinking. In fact, he would call the Vanfians in particular the opposite of an enlightened species. Their viciousness was legendary.
His brow furrowed as he considered what life must have been like for her. Perhaps it wasn’t too bad. She was known as an oracle in training. That must have allowed her some leeway, right?
The memory of Mayra’s treatment at the hands of the Vanfian king after her capture made him think otherwise. And the fact that he could span her waist easily with his hands, and that she didn’t have a spare ounce of fat on her body, made him realize that whatever special treatment she might have received as a future oracle did not mean she hadn’t suffered more than her share of pain. Her life would have been much different than his, as a pampered son of the king.
Nojan vowed to make things better for her. Never again would she have to endure endless degradation. He would protect her from anything or anyone that meant her ill. He would keep her safe, make her realize what a treasure she was.
Protect your heart. She will steal it.
His father’s words appeared in his head and gave him pause. He could tell now that the king was correct in his assessment. The amount of longing he already experienced for the poor little creature might only grow more powerful the more time they spent together.
Nojan was torn. Part of him welcomed the opportunity to lose his heart to the enchanting angel he’d rescued. She was everything he’d ever fantasized about physically, a girl from the pages of his book of dreams. And if she turned out as sweet and kind as his father predicted, then she would be the perfect woman for him.
In every aspect save one.
He couldn’t breed with her.
As a member of the Vartik ruling family, his duty was to produce further heirs for the family line. Having Vartik blood was dangerous, and although the universe thought their species extinct, it did not mean that the day might not come again when they were hunted down for their essence. As a result, all Vartiks, especially the royal ones, were charged with the sacred task of breeding for the good of their people.
And only a Vartik could mate a Vartik. With the exception of Jazmine. Leave it to my brother to find the one loophole, Nojan thought wryly.
Maybe if one loophole exists, another might as well. Still, the odds against such a find were astronomical, like finding a Vartik female that looked like Mayra. Near impossible.
Nojan had never sought the crown, had never had much ambition for ruling. He preferred his experiments, his books, and his research. A life lived in the mind was one that was familiar, one that he preferred. But now, his body was reminding him of the world outside his laboratory. It was unfamiliar territory, exciting and perilous. Would the adventure be worth the possibility of eventual heartbreak?
Who could say?
For now, Nojan decided he would see where this attraction could take them. It was perhaps doomed before it began, but the idea of not taking a chance, the thought of not exploring that delectable little body of hers, was anathema.
Besides, someone had to unlock those powers of hers. And if they were tied to sex as his father had suggested, then her virginity would need to be taken to transform her into the oracle they needed.
And he’d be damned if another male would claim that prize.
The thought of another man touching Mayra filled him with enough rage to make his hands shake. Nojan was a bit of a stranger to strong emotion, so it came as an uncomfortable surprise to him to learn that he was as susceptible to jealousy as his brother, Marek.
“Ouch,” he shouted, dropping the pan he’d been holding, not paying enough attention to the heat source. His hand was turning pink with the burn. Stupid, Nojan, he cursed himself, turning off the heat and setting the pan down.
“Are you okay?” Her voice was soft, and she was still blinking away the sleep from her eyes.
Nojan gave her a small smile. “I’m fine, angel. Just a minor incident.”
She padded closer and took his injured hand in her own. “A burn,” she said, her eyes widening at his reddening skin.
“It’s nothing,” he said, gently extracting his hand from hers. “Don’t worry your pretty little head about it.” Nojan bent to retrieve the first aid kit from a nearby cabinet. He opened the kit and pulled out a healing salve.
She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Can’t you use your own blood to heal yourself?”
Nojan laughed. “Kind of like cutting off my nose to spite my face, isn’t it? Cutting myself open to heal myself? In any event, this salve will do
the trick.”
Mayra shrugged her shoulders, then inhaled heavily. “Something smells good.”
“I’m glad you think so.” Grabbing her shoulders, he steered her to the small table, settling her into one of the chairs. “I hope you brought your appetite.”
As if it had been waiting for acknowledgement, her stomach chose that moment to grumble loudly.
Nojan laughed, a wide grin breaking out over his face. “Sounds like you did.”
Chapter 13
Mayra had been awakened by the delightful smells coming from outside the small chamber she was resting in. At first, she’d thought it was a dream, a delirium brought on by the extreme stress of her situation.
Maybe the whole thing was a dream, she thought. Maybe I didn’t kill the guard. Maybe I wasn’t sold off to a handsome stranger bent on using me for a task so nefarious he won’t even tell me what it is until it’s too late. Maybe I’ll wake up on my mat in Demaylia’s room and everything will be the way it was.
Except the bed she was on, as small as it was, was too comfortable to be mistaken for her thin mat. It all happened. I’ve gone from slave to captive. From the known horror of being a concubine to the Vanfian princes, to the unknown terror of whatever the Vartik has in store for me.
Still, the food smells good. Mayra cracked open her eyes, rolling over to sit up and stretch her limbs. She stood, taking in the confines of the chamber. There was the bed she rested on as well as a wardrobe that must hold her new owner’s things. And in the corner was a desk piled high with books and notes and instruments whose purpose she couldn’t begin to understand.
There was another door besides the one leading out to the remainder of the ship. It was leaning open, and she wondered what it held. Peering inside, she saw that it was a bathroom and she almost shouted in relief.
After she’d finished her business, she peered into the mirror, catching sight of her disheveled appearance. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to straighten the riotous waves to little effect. I wish I could do something about these clothes, she thought, frowning down at her ripped and soiled dress.