by Lynnea Lee
Two males seemed too small of a team to have planted all the charges and gone after his mate. And Yris’s actions were not those of a male who thought he was alone. He’d acted as if he had back up, as if he’d expected more males to charge in. The way the entire operation was planned left a bad taste in his mouth as well. It wasn’t like the Dominion to be so sloppy and desperate. Kean suspected it was an individual player eager to keep Vosthea and its profits for themselves.
Zharor would get all the information out of the traitorous bastard. He was good at his job.
Kean was glad that only his compound had been attacked. The Euphora production labs were attached to the compound. But the lab holding the Tallean-Human reproduction research was elsewhere.
Gallus, a current Dominion merchant who planned on leaving the fold once he had a new hideout established, had funded a separate secret lab. Gallus had more than just credits invested. His human mate was slated to be in the first trials. She desperately wanted a child of her own, and Gallus was willing to spend his life’s fortune to grant her her wish.
Kean wondered if Sarah would be willing to create life with him. Once everything calmed down and Vosthea recovered from the shift in power, he would ask her. Until then, he just wanted to spend more time enjoying his mate’s company.
The stalker, who still hadn’t noticed him, paused and sniffed the air. It made its signature clicking noise before heading off into the water to cross the river, distracted by its next prey.
Kean hurried towards the cave, eager to hold his mate in his arms.
Chapter 18
Eyes at the entrance of the cave reflected the fire and glowed back at Sarah. She clutched at the blanket and shrunk back into the mattress. But the eyes didn’t move away; they got closer and closer, and as they did, Sarah relaxed. This pair of eyes looked familiar. Talleans had predator eyes that reflected the light in semi-darkness, and she recognized this pair.
“Kean?”
“Sarah.” Kean’s handsome face stared back at her. He hurried towards her and gathered her into his arms. “My mate.” He buried his face unto the crook of her neck and inhaled as if trying to breathe her into his system. “I do not smell any blood, but are you hurt?”
“No, I’m fine. I think a stalker was after me, but it left when I lit the fire.”
“I’m sorry I took so long. The same stalker still prowled the area, and I waited for it to leave.”
“You are here now, and that’s all that matters.” Sarah copied his actions, burying her face into his chest, and inhaling his wonderfully masculine scent. She wrapped both arms around him and held him tightly. “The compound. What happened?”
“They planted three charges around the compound and sent in a group of badly trained hired males. I believe it was a decoy.” He threaded his fingers through her short hair and tilted her head to look at him. “I believe they were after you.”
“The males came shortly after you left. They knew I was there. And I overheard them talking about them knowing I was your mate and how they were getting paid to get me. They came prepared, Kean. I don’t know what the hell they used to knock down the door, but it took the whole wall with it.”
Kean’s face darkened. “I saw. I will need to rethink my build of my panic room. Once the tunnel collapsed, the fighter they sent retreated. But Yris is still alive, and Zharor will find out what he knows.” He settled on the mattress with her and pulled her into his lap. “I’m sorry you were in danger because of me.”
“Am I really your mate, Kean?” Sarah needed to know. It seemed the entire compound had guessed it before she’d known about it.
“Yes, little one. My one and only. I didn’t realize it until today. But it seemed everyone living in the compound already knew.” He smiled at her wryly. “It’s often like that. The couple is oblivious to the obvious, but everyone around them can see it clearly. I was so sure that I would be the exception and see my mate for who she was from the start.”
“Then don’t apologize for putting me in danger. Isn’t it part and parcel to being your mate? If I’m going to accept the good parts, then I’m going to have to accept the bad parts, too.”
“Even after you know what I do?”
“I knew what you did when I walked over to your side of the negotiation table when we first met. I just wasn’t ready to see it in person when I did. But I’ve come to terms with it now.” And Sarah had. She was never one to chase the bad boys but had ended up with one anyway. “I’ve had time to think about it. By the books, no one in their right mind would call you a good guy. But I’ve seen firsthand how you operate. I’ve met the people whose lives you’ve saved. Sure, a few in the compound betrayed you, but most people living there look up to you. They see you as a hero. And you are my hero too.
“I don’t care what horrible things you had to do to get to where you are, and I don’t give a flying fuck what you still have to do now to maintain it. If I’m your mate, then I’m in for the long haul. You’ve got me, Kean.”
And got her, he did. Sarah found herself on the mattress, Kean’s hard body pressed atop of her. She wrapped her legs around his hips, pulling him close. Her hands traveled long his body, enjoying the bulges and ridges of his muscles.
The sounds he made as he nuzzled her neck, the Tallean equivalent of kissing, were full of animalistic need, and it turned her on. His hands roamed under her shirt to cup her breasts. He gave the nipple a light pinch, and she gasped at the erotic feeling. He chuckled against her skin and pinched a little harder. She hissed.
Not to be outdone, Sarah grabbed the hardening length pressing against her thigh and gave it a squeeze. She was rewarded with a snarl. She tugged a few more times as Kean froze in place.
She pushed herself up. “Strip and kneel back. I want to explore you.”
“I have a demanding little mate. I will do as you say, but only if you strip as well.”
“Done.” She pulled off her clothes quickly, wanting to get her hands on Kean’s body. She wanted to explore him.
Looking amused at her eager attention, Kean sat back on his heels, one hand stroking his large erection, the other reaching for her.
The last time, Sarah hadn’t gotten a good look at his magnificent cock. She ran a hand over the thick mushroom shaped head, the skin was like the softest velvet over the hardest iron bar. A drop of precum collected at the tip, beckoning her to lick it off. She did, savoring the musky saltiness.
“Mmm,” she hummed before enclosing the entire head in her mouth.
She smoothed one hand over the length of his cock, and the other fondled his heavy sack. His balls were velvety smooth as well. While some Tallean had hair on their chest, they were hairless down below. Kean was hairless on his chest too.
Kean’s firm fingers gripped her head, moving her up and down his cock. “Fuck!” the word echoed in the cave as he pushed her farther down his shaft.
Sarah opened wide and tried to take as much of him into her mouth as she could, but her jaws were tiny, and they ached. Kean held her there, careful not to hurt her, and fucked her mouth as far as he could.
“You are mine, Sarah. My mate’s mouth is mine to use.”
The way he took control of her and used her was a huge turn-on, and Sarah squeezed her legs together, suddenly feeling very empty. She reached down to touch herself with one hand, her fingers gliding through the slipperiness, and moaned.
“Yes, touch yourself. Get yourself ready so I can fuck that tight little cunt.”
Kean’s dirty words drove her wild. She no longer wanted to wait. She wanted him to fuck her now. She protested, whimpering around the cock in her mouth. She stuck her ass up in the air and wiggled her hips.
“Does my mate want to be fucked now?” He pulled her mouth off his cock. “Tell me you want to be fucked. Tell me you want my cock.”
Sarah licked her lips and looked Kean in the eyes. If he wanted her to say the dirty words, then he was going to get wh
at he wanted.
“Fuck me, Kean. I want your cock in my cunt. Fuck me now.”
He replied with a feral growl. Lifting her easily, Kean turned her around and pushed her chest down onto the mattress. He gripped her hips roughly, pulling her ass up into the air. A thick finger found her opening and pressed in.
“My mate is so wet for me.”
Kean lined the head of his shaft up with the glistening slit of his female’s tight opening. Sarah was so perfect for him, and he was eager to possess her. He grasped her hip tightly, knowing that she would involuntarily move away from the intense feeling when he pushed in. She was tiny, and he was not a small male.
But she’d taken him before and would take him again. This position would just be more intense.
Kean pushed in, grunting as her muscles fisted him and held him in place. Sarah whimpered but didn’t move. He pulled out slightly and gathered her juices with his fingers to smear all over his shaft. Then, with his hands back on her hip, he pushed in again, this time, harder. She cried out and crawled forward at his intrusion, but he held her still and continued thrusting into her.
“Be a good girl and stay still as I fuck you.” He fought against the tightness of her channel. She was wet and slippery for him, but even so, she felt so tight that it was hard to move. Kean reached around her to play with the bundle of nerves, sliding over her clit, fingers wet with her juices. She moaned, and her channel squeezed him.
He resumed his movement, fucking her, and again Sarah crawled forward at the intense sensation. He released her clit and landed a loud crack on her rounded buttocks. “I said, stay still as a fuck you.”
“It’s too intense,” she whimpered.
“Good. That’s how it should be.” He fucked her hard, and she cried out at every thrust, each time louder. He pulled out until only his head remained in her and looked down at his cock. It glistened with her wetness.
He loved how wet she got for him. He loved how her tiny body made him feel so big and powerful. And he loved how strong she was, mind and body. And most of all, he loved her.
Knowing he wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer, he reached around again to play with her clit. He moved his fingers in time with his hips, stroking her with each powerful thrust, until he felt her channel clench impossibly tight around him.
“Fuck!” he swore.
Her screams dissolved into wracking sobs, and her channel fluttered around his cock, pushing him over the edge as well. Kean snarled as he came, pumping spurt after spurt of his seed into her.
Sarah sobbed into the mattress, and Kean shifted them so he could hold her, suddenly worried that he’d been too rough with her. The scent of her pleasure had been strong throughout, and he hadn’t sensed any pain. But now, he was unsure.
“Was I too rough with you?”
“No.” She managed between sobs.
“You are crying.”
“It’s a good cry. That was amazing. You were amazing.”
Kean cradled her against his chest. He couldn’t believe that after all the horrible things he’d done, life had still granted him the perfect mate. He didn’t deserve her. He rubbed a soothing hand up and down her back, and she relaxed. Next to them, the fire crackled and warmed them from the night chill.
“You are my Stars, little one. I love you.”
No reply came. Kean frowned and looked down at his mate. But Sarah was already fast asleep. He, the most feared male on the planet, had professed his love to a female for the first time in his life, and she hadn’t even heard.
Chapter 19
It took Sarah a moment to realize where she was when she woke, her back plastered against Kean’s chest. Right. They were in the cave next to the tunnel exit. And by the looks of it, she had fallen asleep after the amazing sex they’d shared as it was already early morning.
She stretched and hissed at the numerous sore muscles she had. Yesterday had been a rough day. Not only had there been a murder attempt and multiple explosions, but she’d also had to run from would-be kidnappers and had risked becoming stalker chow. And of course, she couldn’t forget the mind-blowing sex. Ending the eventful day cuddled up with Kean had made it all better, even if it had been in a damp cave.
“You are awake.”
“Mmm,” she agreed with a yawn. “Shouldn’t we head back to the compound? It’s already morning.”
“We should wait until the sun is high in the sky to make the trek back. The stalkers are less likely to attack then. I’ve commed Zharor and updated him of the situation.”
“So what you mean to say is that you’re stuck here with me.” She grinned, happy to have some time with him. Once they got back to the compound, he’d have a lot of work to do, especially after that attack.
“Yes! And I’m glad to be here. There’s no meeting to go to, and I get to spend time alone with my mate. It’s almost a vacation.”
“That’s a sad vacation.”
“Then I will take you on a real vacation when things calm down.”
His sentiment was pure, but Sarah didn’t need a vacation. She’d spent too much time doing nothing, both at Gadrek’s and at Kean’s compound. What she really wanted was her sister. She couldn’t believe that it was just yesterday morning that Kean had promised to find her sister. So much had happened.
“I don’t need a vacation. But I do want my sister.”
“I will find her for you. I have not forgotten.”
“Thank you.” Sarah thought about the photos she’d seen on his PPC. “I saw photos on your PPC of your brother. You loved him.”
Kean closed his eyes, and Sarah almost regretted bringing it up. When he opened them again, it looked as if he was somewhere else, perhaps back in the past.
“I looked up to him. We did everything together when we were young. As Kanon got older, he developed a degenerative disease. The Dominion offered me the opportunity for an education. They promised me that when I finished my schooling and worked for them, I would be able to use my knowledge to find a cure.
“My brother was a good male. He was aghast at the things I did for the Dominion. With my understanding of biochemistry, I’d developed biological weapons for them. I told myself that how my discoveries were used were beyond my control. I lied to myself.”
Sarah scratched lightly at his scalp, and Kean leaned into it before continuing his story.
“In my spare time, I researched the degenerative disease that plagued my brother. It was widely known that the disease was genetic, but the more I researched it, the more that theory seemed wrong.
“The physician working with my brother had been a close friend of my father, and he too was suspicious of the information he’d been given. Ulkin encouraged me to keep looking for the truth. My research led me to a small moon in the middle of pirate territory. There had been rumors of a plant that produced the exact symptoms of the disease.
“While I was there, a group of pirates attacked the moon for seemingly no reason, and the Dominion called back my ship. My crew left without me, leaving me stranded there. At first, I’d thought it was a mistake. But I later learned the order was to leave me behind. I didn’t understand at the time why the Dominion would leave me stranded on purpose.
They must have thought I would die on the moon. I know now my brother didn’t suffer from a disease at all. He’d been poisoned over many years. The school we’d gone to had been Dominion owned. My high marks and propensity for science marked my brother and me for the Dominion. They poisoned him to give me a reason to join their academy.”
Kean buried his face into his palms.
Poor Kean. He blamed himself for his brother’s death. “It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know. You did everything you could to help him.” Sarah pulled his head to her chest and cradled it, stroking his hair.
Kean’s story about his brother reminded Sarah of Jadus, the youngster who guarded the creche. “I met a kid named Jadus at the compound. He said his fa
ther suffered from a disease that made him weak.”
Kean nodded. “The same. It was not a disease; his father was poisoned. The family racked up a large debt trying to cure him. His mate worked long hours at a seedy bar and was attacked by a gang of unscrupulous males. She was unable to work after. The healer he owed the debt to sold the debt to me.
“When I saw their situation and heard their story, I pardoned the debt on the condition that Jadus came and live with me. He was starving; the whole family was. Jadus insisted on working to provide for his family, so I gave him a trivial job.”
“He’s a good kid.” Sarah smiled, remembering the tyke’s witty reply to the arithmetic question. Then wanting to know more of Kean’s story, she asked, “What happened after they stranded you on the moon?”
“The Dominion had sent the pirates after me when they realized I was coming close to finding out the truth. I impressed the pirates enough for them to spare my life though; I promised them I could produce Euphora and make them rich. By the time I made it back to civilization, my brother was dead. A sudden worsening of the disease had been the official reason.
“The Dominion, realizing I was still alive, offered me a deal. They would leave the rest of my family alone if I kept the knowledge of the poison to myself. I made the deal to save my parents. I could have saved so many people if I’d released the information I’d found. But instead, I’d let them all suffer to save my own.
“Stars! Kanon would be so disappointed in me.”
“No, Kean. Stop! Stop thinking like that. If the roles had been reversed, he would have done the same for you. You loved your family, and the Dominion used your loyalty against you.” She leaned down to kiss his head.
“It doesn’t forgive what I did next. I figured since I’d already condemned so many, I ran with the pirates for a while, producing Euphora. Eventually, I became the leader when they realized following my lead made a lot more credits. After I made enough with the pirate group to settle down, I stayed here with Zharor. We built our compound and continued to churn out Euphora. I have destroyed many lives.”