Gweneth scowled. “This is a horrible idea.”
“On the plus side, it’s never a hardship to touch you.”
“You sweet talker.”
“I try,” Ellard said.
“You always know the right thing to say to make me feel safe.”
The tension creasing his face eased and his eyes softened to a pretty leaf green.
“I like your eyes. They’re so pretty. They remind me of the forest. Some men have long eyelashes. You have long lashes.”
Ellard raised his hand to cup her cheek. “They’re the same color as yours.”
“No they’re not. Are we going to have our first argument?”
Ellard chuckled, and the dread in the pit of her stomach faded. If they could joke while incarcerated on a reiver ship, they could manage to have sex to order. “One cycle, I’d like to make love in an actual bed. A nice, comfortable bed with a sanitizer room attached. Food and maybe a beverage.”
“I think we could arrange that. I have a suite at the castle. Big gel-bed.”
“How big is your sanitizer room? Big enough for two?”
“I don’t know.”
Gweneth grinned. “Doesn’t matter. We’ll experiment once we get home.”
Ellard leaned closer and pressed his lips against hers. He seemed so calm, and his demeanor helped to stuff down her panic. She could do this and retain her dignity, even if every reiver on board this ship lined up to watch.
Gweneth let her hands creep around Ellard’s neck and wriggled closer. She scowled at the discomfort and pulled back. “Could we lie down?”
Ellard pulled back and nodded. “Lie against the wall and I’ll take the side nearest the door.”
If he rested with his back to the door, none of the reivers would see much of her or him either. She could do this.
“Take off your tunic,” she suggested.
“Why?”
“I like looking at your sexy chest.”
He eyed her with a steady gaze. “You’ll see my arm stump.”
“It won’t scare me.”
“It’s not looking that good. Because my Stores ripped off, it hasn’t healed in a nice way. The combination of my shift and the plant made a mess.”
Gweneth made a choked sound. “I’m so sorry. I know your feline genes will have healed you, but you should see a medic. Ellard, what are we going to do?” Gweneth bit her lip. “No forget I said that.” She pressed a kiss to the base of his neck, drawing in his familiar scent.
“We’re going to pretend we’re in the privacy of my suite with an entire eve ahead of us. No drama. Nowhere else to be. We’ve just eaten a delicious meal—”
“What sort of meal?”
He stroked a finger across her lips. “A steak. A thick, juicy malpack steak and one of Keira’s pies to finish. Keira makes good pie. That’s how Jarlath and I met Keira. She was picking berries to make a pie.”
“That sounds good.” Gweneth lifted her chin to search his gaze. “Do you have anything against vegetables?”
“I can eat a few.”
“Good to know.” Cracks were beginning to appear in her brave front, her throat so tight with fear it had become difficult to squeeze out words.
“Hey, hold on to your confidence. We’ll get out of this somehow.”
“It’s hard.”
“I know. Back in the war, after I learned Marjo and Mareeka, the twin chameleon shifters, had duped me, I found it difficult to get my mind straight. I blamed myself and when I lost my arm…” He stared at her, passion swirling deep in his gaze. “I didn’t want to live.”
“I’ve heard bits and pieces about the war. The leader of the House of Cawdor was a nutter.”
His brows rose. “What is a nutter?”
“His brain tripped its wiring. He had kangaroos in the top paddock.” A loud giggle erupted at his expression and she clapped a hand over her mouth. “He was a sandwich short of a picnic and had bats in his belfry.”
“You’re poking fun at me.”
“Earth speak. I learned it from my friend Olivia.”
“The leader was a despot,” Ellard said. “He wanted to rule Viros and take advantage of our mineral deposits.”
“He failed,” Gweneth said. “These people will fail too. We will get Leeam and Sheera back to their family.”
A thud sounded on the door and Malasses strode into the area between the cells. “I expected the pair of you to be busy by now.” He sniffed the air, his nostrils flaring and making an odd sucking noise. “You haven’t finished because I should smell sex.”
Gweneth froze and peered over Ellard’s shoulder. “It’s him.”
“Ah!” The man had taken his attention from them to study Leeam and Sheera. “A young couple. You have done well, Captain.”
“We put the collars on them like ya told us. The trap knocked the stuffin’ outta ’em,” the captain drawled. He stood apart from the horned man, his hand on his sword hilt.
“I can see that. They require food.” The horned man turned to their cell, his face hard with determination. “Feed my possessions. I go to dine. On my return, I expect to see them looking healthier.” He wheeled around and strode away.
“Is that… Does he have a tail?”
“Yes,” Ellard said. “I’ve heard of the Kiraxes race, but I’ve never seen one in person. They’re fierce fighters and very territorial.”
“What do they use their tail for?”
“I don’t know. He has horns and scaled skin too.”
“Perhaps he grasps with his tail and then gores his victim,” Gweneth said. “I don’t feel like having sex.”
Ellard ran his hand down her back, a slow, comforting slide. “We need to send them some energy.”
“I know.” Gweneth sighed and grasped his face so he glanced at her. “It’s the situation, Ellard. Not you.”
“I understand.” He repeated her words then kissed her, his lips silky soft and tempting. “If I don’t get a chance to tell you…”
She slapped a hand across his mouth and glared into his kind face. “Don’t you dare speak now. We can say everything we need to say to one another once we return to Viros. Do you hear me?”
Ellard peeled her fingers away from his mouth. “I think Leeam and Sheera heard you.”
“We did,” a soft voice carried to them from the other cell.
“Not helping,” Gweneth snapped.
“No more talking. The horned man means every word. Now close your eyes and pretend we’re lying in your favorite place and we’re all alone. You tell me where we are.”
Gweneth racked her brain and smiled. “We’re on Viros and we’re having a picnic on Keira’s farm. We’re at their swimming hole.”
“The perfect place,” Ellard whispered. “Have we gone swimming?”
The vision exploded in her mind and she started talking. “We arrived at the picnic spot on your cambeest. It’s hot and we wanted to refresh ourselves. After your cambeest has taken a drink, we remove his saddle and tether him. He’s happy and busy snacking on the different plants. We’re hot too, so we strip off all our clothes and go for a swim. The water is cold and I stop mid-thigh deep. You splash me and start a water war.”
Ellard laughed against her temple, his warm breath feathering downward. “I bet I win.”
“We both win. Once we’re both wet, we relax in the shallow water. It’s warmer and more comfortable. Your arm is around me, holding me tight and I feel happy and secure.”
“Give me two arms, kitten. Let me be whole in your dream.”
Her eyes flicked open and she frowned. “I’ll do that, but know this. To me, you are whole. You’re strong and kind and a good man. I don’t need two arms.”
Sadness tinged his faint smile, and she made a mental note to reassure him another time. The truth—she didn’t notice his missing arm, not when the male was so big and strong and managed to work around the disability most of the time.
“Shush, kitten. Tell me what we do next
.”
Obediently, she closed her eyes and sank back into her vision. Heat. Water. Naked bodies. Ellard.
“You start touching me. A phantom skim of fingers across my face.” She felt the light touch of his fingers and smiled, releasing the tension she’d held in her body and relaxing against him. “You grasp my hip and hold me still while you explore my breasts. You pinch and tug and stir a longing inside me, an emptiness that only you can fill.”
His hand slipped beneath her tunic and up to her breast. He stroked her nipple through the lacy cup of her bra, the friction sending the first stirrings of arousal to life.
“Your skin is soft. I love touching your skin.”
Gweneth wriggled and tugged up her tunic to bare her bra.
“Tug it aside for me, so I can lick your nipples.”
Gweneth wriggled again and unfastened the hooks so it fell away from her breasts.
“Beautiful,” he whispered and dipped his head.
The instant heat around one nipple had her sighing. Something about Ellard felt so right. She was certain she loved him, even though it had happened so quickly. Love at first sight. Maybe. Almost. Definitely lust at first sight, which sounded weird because she’d always pictured someone like Ry. Understandable since he stood as her role model.
“Gweneth, where have you gone?”
“I was thinking I wanted you from the first moment I saw you.”
She heard a swift intake of air and waited for his response. When it didn’t come, she didn’t push. Not the right time. Instead, she burrowed her hands under his tunic and stroked his flat belly and the ridges of his abdomen. Their mouths met and she allowed herself to sink into the vision again—one of picnics and privacy, skinny-dipping and hot, fulfilling sex.
His muscles pressed against her, his body surrounded her with heat and protection. Skinny-dipping, she reminded herself. Her fingers wandered, wriggling beneath his tight-fitting trews.
He lifted his hips. “Yank them down a bit. They can watch my butt.”
“I do,” she said primly. “Whenever I get a chance.”
“What?” He stared at her, questions swirling in his green gaze.
She bit her lip, unwilling to reveal her innermost thoughts while incarcerated in a cell. Although, he couldn’t get huffy and leave. A captive audience. “Because you belong to me,” she blurted. She managed to keep her focus on his face, saw the way he froze and held his breath.
“No one has ever wanted me in that way before.” His words sounded hoarse, as if she’d shocked him. “Not a woman.”
She slipped her hand downward and curled it around his cock, tightening her fingers until she garnered his full attention. “I’ve told you about my father and how Ry offered me an escape from an arranged marriage. I have good role models and I know what I feel. This isn’t a whim on my part.”
“But—”
“Ellard Tetsu, if you tell me once more that you’re ugly and handicapped, I will box your ears!”
His brows rose. “Pardon?”
“I will beat your face with my fists and don’t think I can’t because a pissed woman can do anything.”
“I know what it means.” He stroked her face, the rough pads of his fingers leaving a tingly trail of awareness. “I can do without scars to add to my looks.”
“Well,” she said.
“You might have convinced me.”
They stared at each other for a long sec, and Gweneth found her lips quirking. Ellard laughed softly and she lapsed into a full-out grin.
“Well, good.”
He kissed her, a tender exchange of promises and warmth cradled her heart. She thought she might have convinced him. Finally.
“Slip my trews down,” he urged.
This time she followed his suggestion. She wriggled down his body and took him in her mouth.
“No, I—”
“This one is for you, Ellard. I want to do this, and it might be enough.”
“But—”
“Stop arguing.” She bent to explore his shaft, delighting in the contrast in textures, the softness over rigidity, the way he expanded his length and size. He groaned, a low sound full of need and urgency, and she enjoyed that too.
Gweneth became aware of her feline part, the weight of tension exploding through her mind. A rumble squeezed up her throat and erupted free.
“You’re purring,” Ellard whispered.
She swiped her tongue over the head of his cock, savoring his wild, musky flavor so much she repeated the move.
“Your tongue feels rougher than normal.”
She lifted her gaze. “What?”
His breath whooshed out, and he stared at her face. “Nothing.”
Gweneth went back to her task, licking and manipulating his flesh, dragging grunts and groans from him as she took him inside her mouth. Kaya had told her about this, described the act and what to do. She remembered everything, and sucked him as deep as she could.
His big body trembled and the amount of pre-cum increased. She licked and teased, thrilled that he’d allowed her this intimacy. His hips shifted, pushing him deeper. Recalling Kaya’s words, she used her hands at the base of his shaft for better control while she made free with her lips and tongue, teasing the head and giving him the friction he needed to orgasm.
His hand smoothed across her head, gripping and releasing her hair. His hips bucked, pushing his shaft deeper. He jerked back, allowing her respite before he thrusted again.
He cried out, his cock pulsing, then he was coming, shooting his seed down her throat, his big body shaking with the force of his release.
Gradually, she pulled back. She wiped the back of her hand over her mouth and grinned at him. “Doing that makes me feel powerful.”
Ellard yanked up his trews then reached for her, dragging her into his embrace. “It also brings out your feline. Did you feel her?”
“I felt something.”
“You were purring and your tongue felt rougher than normal. For a sec there, your eyes shifted.”
“Really? I wonder if I’ll manage to shift one cycle. Watching Jannike and Camryn play with their mates in cat form… I suppose I shouldn’t tell you this, but I get jealous. A bad character flaw.”
Ellard slid his mouth over hers in a tender kiss that she felt clear to her toes. His eyes were bright as he smiled at her. “There is nothing flawed about your character, kitten, you’re the nicest feline I know.”
“Ellard.”
The soft whisper had them both sitting up to stare around their cell. An almost transparent figure stood in their cell with them.
“Niran?” Ellard murmured.
“It is I. My apologies. I didn’t mean to peep on your private moment.”
“It’s all right,” Gweneth said.
“Thank you. The Indefatigable is close. I said I’d shimmer aboard to see what we’re up against. Are Sheera and Leeam here?”
“Uncle?” Leeam’s voice crossed between the cells.
Niran turned to face them, relief filling his expression. His shoulders slumped momentarily before he turned back to Ellard. “Report for Ry, Shiloh and Ransom.”
“Scothage reiver crew, not overly intelligent but they managed to set traps for Leeam and Sheera. Paid by a Kiraxes called Malasses to collect Incorporeal specimens. He has collared Sheera and Leeam to prevent them from using their full powers. Scothage consist of a captain and six crew. There could be more but that is the number we can confirm. The Kiraxes is the dangerous one. He seems to know a lot about the Incorporeal race.”
“He would,” Niran said tersely. “Old foe. The ship’s destination?”
“Destination is Kiraxes.”
Niran nodded. “I’ll tell them.” He faded from sight.
Gweneth and Ellard stood and walked to their cell door. Sheera and Leeam had also stood and appeared healthier than earlier.
In the distance, a siren sounded.
“They know they’ve come for us,” Ellard said.
> Niran flashed back and presented two small blasters and two knives to Ellard. “Ry said to tuck these away. They might come in handy.”
Ellard handed a knife and blaster to her and she tucked the knife in her boot, the blaster in the internal pocket of her trews. With her tunic pulled over the top, the Scothage reivers wouldn’t notice the weapon during a quick visual.
He flashed into the other cell and handed Leeam and Sheera thin blades. “The Kiraxes is vulnerable to strikes in the gut. Wounds in this region are always fatal to them. Use the weapons wisely since you will have one chance. I will be back and attempt to shimmer you off the ship, but those collars are a problem. The Kiraxes will have the control on his person, and I fear the collar will prevent you leaving his vicinity.”
“Yes, Uncle,” Leeam said, but his uncle had already gone.
Running footsteps sounded, heading toward them and two breathless Scothage reivers appeared, weapons brandished, eyes wild while the sirens continued to wail. The Kiraxes arrived, expression angry yet determined.
“Ah, my property appears healthier.”
The dull boom of an explosion sounded, the ship jerking violently. The Kiraxes lurched off balance, striking the cell doors. The two reivers squawked in alarm. One flew against the wall, bounced off and hit the Kiraxes, knocking them both off their feet.
Sluggishly, the ship righted and Malasses rose with a ferocious scowl. “If anyone comes near my property, you will shoot to kill. If you fail, I will skin you alive.” His tone said this wasn’t a threat. With one final, glare to reiterate his warning, he took off at a sprint.
“Attract their attention,” a voice whispered against Ellard’s ear.
“Hey,” Ellard said. “What’s going on? Is someone attacking? You need to let us out of the cell. We can help protect the ship.”
“We not be stupid,” a reiver said. “They be coming for you.”
Another boom sounded, closer this time and the entire ship shuddered.
In the Incorporeals’ cell, sparks flashed without warning. A pained groan filled the air, and a weird curse that came from the corner of the cell snared everyone’s attention. Leeam and Sheera stood there, mouths open, then belatedly Leeam doubled over and groaned.
Gweneth caught the faint flicker, gone in a blink. Was Niran injured?
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