Kor'ven (Warriors of the Karuvar Book 2)

by Alana Serra

Some part of him believed he could go to her room, kiss her and touch her and convince her that they were still good together. That she needed him as much as he needed her. His body ached for her nearly as much as his heart did, and he was weak. Without anything to distract him, he found himself walking toward her room.

  And this time, he did not turn around.

  As he approached her room, Kor'ven felt an odd sense of unease. He thought it was only nerves, but every step he took made his stomach roil. Pushing through it, Kor'ven reached her door and knocked lightly, not wanting to simply barge in.

  When she did not answer, he began to think of that moment when he found her on the floor of her bedroom. He had felt her then, felt something was wrong with her. He could not feel her now--not since she had altered her implant--but something inside of him just seemed to know that all was not well.

  The fact that she was not in her bed was not immediate cause for panic, but when he checked the bathroom and did not find her, he began to feel it building within him. Racing down the hall, he looked for her in her office and her lab--the only two places he knew she might sneak off to once no one was looking--and he could not find her there, either.

  He was half in a frenzy by the time he made it back to her room. His chest rose and fell with rapid breaths, his tail slashed at the air, and he could scarcely concentrate on anything other than his growing sense of panic, and the feeling that he had failed his female.

  Perhaps that was why it took him several minutes to utilize his keen senses. Perhaps that was why the stench of chemicals did not immediately throw him. But once the acrid smell entered his nose, he knew what it was: a chemical compound humans called chloroform, meant to render someone unconscious with little physical exertion.

  Anger roared through Kor'ven as his mind followed the only logical path. Someone had taken her. Someone had taken his mate, and he was going to get her back or die trying.

  Shedding his lab coat, Kor'ven sprinted to the security office and grabbed the first weapon he could find--a bo staff. He was no warrior, but if someone had hurt his Adi'sun, he would break every bone in their body.

  He made it out of Helios before he realized a devastating truth: he had no idea where to find her.

  When a mated Karuvar--or a mated human--was in danger, their mate could sense it; could sense them. He could find them and give his life to save them. But Kor'ven was no longer mated, and he could not feel Adi'sun. He had no idea where she might have been taken.

  He let out a frustrated yell, slamming his newly acquired staff into a waste bin just outside the entrance to Waystation Helios. It toppled, and he scented that same harsh smell of chloroform again.

  Kor'ven's eyes widened and he turned to rifle through the trash, finding the cloth that was still soaked in the chemicals. He was a scientist. A master of processing fact and logic and piecing together a solution from what was before him. Perhaps he didn't need a spiritual connection after all.

  A combination of smells--the chloroform, and that stardust scent he recognized as belonging to Adi'sun--led him past the intake hub and into the street. From there, he saw the recent tracks of a set of tires skidding over the pavement, and he followed the much fainter scents through Everton.

  They all but disappeared near The Pit, but Kor'ven's instincts told him he was still going in the right direction. He followed the dirt path to the old building and crouched down near a window, his ears twitching as he tried to pick up even the faintest sound.

  He did not have to try very hard. He heard Adi'sun's voice and his heart soared. She was alive. Thank the Stars, she was alive.

  But as he listened, her voice wavered. She spoke with bravado, yet he could hear the fear behind her words. Who was she speaking to? Had someone made her an ultimatum?

  Kor'ven gripped his bo staff, that rage from earlier simmering within him. He had to approach this in an intelligent way. He had to devise a strategy. It was the best possible thing for Adi'sun, and he--

  "Then… I guess I'll just have to kill you."

  A savage roar ripped through Kor'ven's throat, and any thought of strategy was immediately abandoned as he threw himself through the window. Glass shattered around him, his arms and legs were sliced open and banged against the too-narrow surface, but he landed inside, knee and hands bracing him.

  He did not think, he simply acted. Grabbing the staff, he charged the human who stood before his mate. The man reached for some metal object within his jacket--a firearm, Kor'ven realized--but Kor'ven brought the staff down hard on his arm, knocking the weapon free.

  The man hissed, but rather than attempt to fight him unarmed, he put two fingers in his mouth and whistled.

  "Kor'ven!" Adi'sun's voice was all the encouragement he needed, and he jabbed the staff toward the human as if it were a spear.

  No one would harm his mate. No one would even threaten her. Not while he still drew breath.

  The human dodged, though, and Kor'ven's lack of training was exposed. He was not as agile, not as quick to recover. The human threw his elbow into Kor'ven's back and he gasped and doubled over.

  "Well this is a little unexpected, but I'll take it," the human said.

  He had the upper-hand, and yet he did not take it. He… retreated, an action which put Kor'ven on guard. He watched the human flee through the door, and some savage part of him was tempted to follow and make him pay.

  But his mate needed him more.

  "Untie me," she said, looking up at him with those beautiful blue eyes he had already begun to miss seeing.

  Moving behind her, Kor'ven made quick work of the rope binding her wrists. He growled when he saw the angry red marks in her skin, but he moved to untie her ankles before he could work himself into a rage once more.

  "I was wrong," she breathed, reaching out for him. She touched him as though she was grateful just to have the chance again. "I was so wrong."

  Kor'ven paused just long enough to look at her, but that moment was evidently far too long. Before he even realized what was happening, he heard a loud sound and then felt a sudden force, combined with a blinding pain in his shoulder.

  "No!"

  He turned to see three more men rushing into the room, one of them with a firearm drawn, the other two wielding swords. Kor'ven's wound burned, but it was nothing compared to the anger that drove him to his feet.

  They would not harm his mate. Not while he still lived.

  Bo staff forgotten, Kor'ven surged toward the man with the firearm. He used his size to his advantage, ramming into him and throwing him down. Metal sang as one of the others slashed at him, but the blade skidded off the scale plates on his shoulder and he grabbed the human by his collar, throwing him into the wall with a strength he did not even know he possessed.

  No one would hurt his Adi'sun. No one.

  He turned to face the last man, only to be struck by the pommel of a blade. One swift, hard punch to the stomach that tore the breath from his lungs. The human took advantage of that opportunity, raising the sword to strike.

  But before he could follow through, there was another loud sound. The man cried out in pain, holding his side as he dropped to the floor.

  Kor'ven did not understand, but when he turned to face Adi'sun, she was standing in the center of the room, her trembling hands holding one of the firearms.

  She looked at him with wide eyes, quite obviously in shock. The weapon dropped from her still-shaking hands, and Kor'ven crossed the room to reach her, drawing her into his arms.

  "You are safe now," he said, stroking her hair. "You are safe."

  Her small body was wracked with emotion, and Kor'ven would have gladly held her all night if she allowed it. But she pulled back after mere moments, her gaze focused and serious, despite her fear.

  "We have to get out of here," she said, and she reached for his hand, pulling him back toward the window.

  19

  Their first stop was not, in fact, to the police.

  The Everton police were
competent at handling human matters, and even mild disputes between humans and Karuvar. But this went beyond what they could handle. She and Kor'ven both agreed there was only one person who could properly determine how to proceed, and he was currently at least a day's travel away.

  Kor'ven was confident they could reach him, though, and so they made their way back to Waystation Helios and booted up the terminal in the conference room. The connection faltered twice, but on the third time, they were finally patched through and able to explain just what had happened to Drol'gan.

  Addison spoke of the note, something that made Kor'ven tense beside her. She also relayed everything Dallas had said, and Kor'ven provided the location of the factory, since she had not been awake to see it and was still in a slight amount of shock when they fled.

  When it came time to discuss the next steps, Addison felt a cold wave of dread wash over her. Her opinion had not changed. If anything, she believed more strongly than ever that they should alter the master code.

  But thankfully that was not mentioned. Drol'gan noted that he would speak to the authorities he had direct control over and send them to the scene. He advised the two of them to rest, offered them one of his bodyguards, and said he would see them the next day to discuss security and retaliation.

  Some part of her hated leaving so much unsaid, yet she was utterly exhausted, and she needed a chance to tend to Kor'ven's wounds before he hated her again.

  "I'm going to grab some supplies. Meet me in my office," she said, her voice sounding more tired than even she realized.

  "No," Kor'ven answered. "I have no intention of leaving your side tonight. Not after what happened."

  Her heart did a ridiculous little flip at that, a glimmer of hope blossoming within her.

  "Drol'gan did offer a bodyguard," she pointed out.

  But Kor'ven shook his head. "That is not his job. It is mine."

  God help her, that was the answer she'd been hoping for. She smiled a secret smile and led him to the supply closet, grabbing what she needed to clean and dress his wounds. She might not be a medical doctor, but she could handle the basics of first aid.

  When they made it to her office, Addison had him sit down and undo his harness so that she was free to work on his torso. Wetting a clean cloth, she wiped away blood that had started to dry, her gaze casting up to him after a few quiet moments.

  "I know what I did was…"

  "Incredibly reckless?" he asked, violet eyes narrowing at her.

  "Yes. That. But not without justification. I just wish it hadn't come at such a cost."

  "You are safe now," he assured her, and Addison gave him a sad smile.

  "That's not what I meant."

  She continued cleaning his wounds, an act through which Kor'ven did not look at her. Maybe she was wrong about what he'd said. Maybe he didn't want her. Maybe he just felt guilty.

  "You should not be doing this," he said firmly. "I can find a doctor."

  God, he really had a way of inciting her temper. Addison's fingers curled harder around the cloth as she dipped it back into the basin.

  "I think I can manage basic first aid," she snapped.

  "That is not what I meant." He met her gaze, and she noticed he wasn't angry, but… sad. "It is not your job to care for me. You are not my mate."

  Addison looked away and swallowed, making a few more gentle passes over his side. "By that same token, it's not your job to protect me."

  "There is no choice for me," he said with a small smile. "My heart recognized yours the moment I saw you."

  Her lips parted and she looked up at him, searching for any sign that he was being untruthful. But of course he wasn't. Kor'ven was many aggravating things, but he was not duplicitous.

  "Why would you possibly think it's any different for me?" she asked, her hand stilling.

  She realized the answer as soon as he began to speak.

  "Because you--"

  "I altered the genetic code that proves you and I are mates. But that doesn't change how I feel. I… I was scared," she admitted. "Terrified, actually. I watched my mother go from brilliant scientist to housewife, and I never wanted that for myself. I was afraid if I gave in to you--to this--that I would end up as she did."

  She wasn't able to look at him, but she saw his large hand as he lifted it to cradle her cheek.

  "I would not do that to you. I would never ask you to hide your brilliance."

  "I know," she said softly, finally looking up at him. "And I'm starting to realize maybe my father didn't want that for my mother, either. That maybe she made a choice, and she was happy with it."

  "You will not give up your career for me," he said firmly.

  "No. I won't," she agreed. "But I can compromise." A wry smile touched her lips. "I can learn to compromise."

  A slow, cautious smile spread across Kor'ven's face, his ears perking up just slightly. Setting the rag aside, she lifted her own hands to his face, tracing the definition of his cheekbones and the ridge of scales that followed them. Lifting up onto her knees, she pressed her lips to his. Soft at first, but with a slow-building conviction meant to tell him exactly how she felt.

  Some small part of her was afraid he would still say she'd lost her chance, but Kor'ven kissed her back with an adoration that took her breath away.

  She drew back, and because she was not one to do anything halfway, she said, "I don't care what my implant says. I love you, and I want you in my life."

  That cautious smile of his slid into something far more joyful, and without much warning, he pulled her up onto his lap, her knees resting on either side of him on the couch.

  "You are my mate. I do not need an implant to tell me that. My heart is yours, and I will love you through this life and into the next."

  Addison's eyes shimmered with tears, but she didn't have much of a chance to respond before Kor'ven's lips were skimming the underside of her jaw. He kissed down to her neck, painting a reverent path along her throat as he pulled her closer, and Addison had a hard time finding it in herself to stop him.

  "I need to finish dressing your wounds," she cautioned half-heartedly.

  "They can wait."

  She supposed they could. Especially when he spoke to her in that deep, sexy voice. Her hands moved over his shoulders and she let herself enjoy his attentions, noting with some amusement that he actually unbuttoned her blouse properly this time.

  Once the blouse was discarded, a little smirk tugged at her lips. "I can help with the--"

  But his hands moved behind her and he undid the clasps in one try. His own smirk overtook hers with a smugness that sent a shot of desire through her.

  "I learn quickly."

  He kissed her then, and Addison poured that desire into the kiss, earning an appreciative growl for her efforts, especially when she rocked gently on his lap.

  Feeling him beneath her, hard and ready, made her wish she was already naked so she could take him inside of her with one smooth action. But it also gave her another idea, and mischief glinted in her eyes as she pulled away from him, climbing off his lap despite his sound of protest.

  She knelt down on the floor and spread his legs apart, reaching for the ties of his pants. Kor'ven looked down at her with a confused expression.

  "What are you doing?" he asked.

  "You'll see," was all she said before she pulled his cock free from his pants and stroked over his length.

  He leaned back, lips parted, eyes closed, and Addison knew she'd been given the perfect opportunity. Without any preamble, she leaned over his lap and took the head of his cock into her mouth.

  Kor'ven let out a startled moan, one of his hands moving reflexively to her hair, though he did not attempt to control her. His hips rose of their own accord, pushing him deeper into her mouth, but she took that as an opportunity to challenge herself, taking even more of him, until she had to pull back to let her throat relax.

  Settling into a rhythm, she worked his cock with her lips and tongue, usin
g her hand to stroke what she couldn't reach with her mouth. He responded better than she could have ever hoped, his sounds loud and vibrating and completely unashamed.

  After a time, she could feel him getting close. She could see it in his eyes as she looked up at him, could feel it in the shudder that laced through him when she pressed her tongue against one of the ridges of his cock. She knew he would try to pull back, but she was ready for that. Her hands came up, arms resting on his thighs, nails digging into his hips. She took him as deep as she could manage and felt no small amount of satisfaction when he came in her mouth.

  When she finally pulled away from him, he immediately drew her into a hungry kiss. Before she could even get her bearings, he picked her up and moved her so that she was laying on the couch again, her back pressed to the arm of it.

  "Very demanding, aren't you?" she asked.

  Not that she was complaining. Karuvar had impressive stamina, and if he could recover that quickly, she would gladly take him.

  But as he tugged off her pants and panties, it seemed he had other plans. Her legs were hoisted over his shoulders, and he lay down on the couch in what must have been an awkward position for him.

  "I wish to do for you as you have done for me," he said, his breath warm against her slick lips.

  She certainly wasn't going to argue with that. Even if he had never done it before, he'd proven himself to be a quick study. And when his tongue made that first stroke over her slit, she wasn't entirely sure it would matter.

  Addison gasped, pleasure shooting through her at the attention. His tongue was long and thick, and he parted her lips almost effortlessly, licking over her folds, teasing her clit and cunt. She arched off of the couch, whimpering with need, and reached for something to grab onto. Her hand closed around one of his horns, and oh, that was a fantastic idea, because it drove him to plunge his tongue into her in one smooth thrust.

  She hooked her legs more tightly around him and grabbed on to the other horn, urging him on. He fucked her with his tongue for a time, and Addison could feel herself getting closer, but there was one last thing she wanted before she came.