by D T Dyllin
“You’re lucky you got that much out of him.” What I didn’t say was that Mikla probably had done it for a reason. Maybe for some kind of psychological experiment. I wouldn’t put anything past my brother when it came to such things. “So … what, you’ve been so afraid of bonding yourself to someone that you’ve remained celibate?”
He nodded, his hands clenching into fists. “I found myself going from a weakling to one of the strongest of my kind. Everywhere I go females throw themselves at me, and I can never,” he coughed, “seal the deal.”
I snorted. Scared of commitment much? “Sounds to me like you might be able to seal the deal too well. Like for a lifetime. But what about all the talk of fucking me all night long to see what color my skin would turn, and how being rough with you turned you on?”
Kade lifted his head, his limpid golden pools swirling with unreadable emotions. “I never lied. You simply assumed much.” He took one long stride, then two, closing the distance between us. “Just because I haven’t experienced sex doesn’t mean I don’t know what I’d like.” A sharp laugh pushed from his chest. “I think about it enough.”
Crestfallen, and hating myself a bit for feeling that way, I blinked back tears … again. Damn all over the place emotions. Why am I the one crying? I’ve had sex before. I just can’t have sex with him. But that was the problem, wasn’t it? I’d never burned for anyone the way I did Kade.
“Hey,” Kade murmured, crowding me, “what’s with the waterworks?”
Swiping at the offending salty trails, I forced a smile. “You’ll think it’s silly. Hell, I think it’s silly. You’re right. None of this is me.”
“Or maybe you were right before. Maybe this is you—but you from deep, deep down.”
“I sure hope not.”
Cupping my cheek, he tilted my head up. “Tell me.”
“I-I’m crying because I wanted to be with you … sex I mean. I want to—” A sob choked off my words, a lump forming in my throat. This whole thing is utterly ridiculous.
A grin stretched across Kade’s face, his eyes glinting. “You’re crying because you think you don’t get to have sex with me?”
My mind snagged on one word. “Think?” Hope buoyed my insides, sending tingles down my spine. Seriously? Get your shit together. It’s just sex. And it was probably a slip of the tongue. He’s not going to risk sex with you, not to mention you’d be an idiot to risk it with him now that you know the potential fallout.
He tugged me against his chest, and I inhaled sharply, loving the feel of his hard muscles surrounding me. Or maybe I would risk it. Quivering, I slid my hands around to cup his ass, sighing at how firm it was. Kade chuckled. “You’re like a human teenager going through puberty.”
“Pure humans don’t exist anymore,” I muttered, continuing my slow perusal of Kade’s backside.
“You know what I mean.” A low growl vibrated under my ear. “Stop doing that, or I’m going to throw you down and—”
“And what?” I challenged. “You want to risk being stuck with me for the rest of our very long lives?”
“It might not be so bad being stuck with you.”
Surprise ricocheted through my system. Never in a billion years would I have thought he’d ever consider me worth the risk. The fact that he did caused both of my hearts to flutter, and my stomach to twist. Warmth bloomed inside of me, and it made me want to … give. I wanted to give him pleasure. Yes, that’s what I want.
Dropping to my knees, I glanced up at Kade from under my lashes, his countenance twisted with confusion, and his gaze burned with lust. “What are you doing?”
I lifted an eyebrow. Like you don’t know. I fumbled with the fastenings on his pants, excitement making me dizzy. When his rock-hard cock finally sprang free, I slid it into my mouth eagerly and without pause. Groaning, Kade interlaced his fingers within my hair, my scalp burning when he tugged roughly.
My eyes slid shut, and I moaned, the taste of Kade on my tongue exotic, and yet somehow exactly what I’d needed. I dug my nails into his ass, holding him steady as I slid up and down on his length, sucking and licking. He bucked against me, mumbling nonsensical things under his breath.
Saliva pooled in my cheeks when he hit the back of my throat, his hips undulating in an off-kilter rhythm. He swelled larger, pulsing his release in long, warm spurts directly down my esophagus. I sputtered and choked, pulling away as soon as he was finished. Despite the less than spectacular finish, I wanted more. I wanted all of him, deep inside of me, damn the consequences.
Licking my lips, I savored the flavor of our intimate moment while I considered what to say. “Kade, I—”
I was airborne, the oxygen sucked from my lungs when my stomach hit Kade’s shoulder. Our surroundings passed in a blur as he dashed through the forest, one hand clutching me to him, and the other fumbling to refasten his pants. “What are you doing?” I managed to squeak out.
“Those natives we’ve been waiting for have decided to finally make an appearance. I got complacent with how quiet it’s been since we got here. And then my attention was— I got sloppy.”
“What?” Lifting up, I scanned the forest behind us, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. “How do you know they even spotted us?” Idiot! Why did I think having any kind of sexual encounter in our situation was a good idea? But that was just it … I hadn’t thought at all, I’d followed my feelings blindly.
“I don’t know if they’ve spotted us. But I hear them nearby so I’m attempting to put some distance between us and them before we figure out what to do next.”
Skidding to a stop, Kade muttered, “Oh, shit.”
Twisting around, I slid out from his grip, my gaze alighting on what he’d already seen. The forest came to an abrupt end, a cliff dropping off into oblivion several feet in front of us. It was a manufactured landmark, a mountainous mote of sorts, because several hundred feet beyond the cliff was what appeared to be a massive factory bearing the UGFS official seal, complete with the accompanying starburst logo, sparkling brightly in the sunlight.
Kade scrubbed his hand down his face, his brows knitting together. “What the hell? This shouldn’t be on a prison planet.”
A knot formed in my stomach. “No, it shouldn’t be.” And it did not bode well for either of us that we’d seen it.
“A Galvraron?”
I whirled around, coming face-to-face with several UGFS humanoid soldiers. They wore the duel blue military uniform, complete with UGFS insignia on their chests. Between the factory and these men, I knew without a doubt Kade and I had stumbled upon something we shouldn’t have. I had to give the UGFS respect for hiding whatever it was on a prison planet. It would definitely keep the curious away for the most part.
“Are you lost?” the same soldier asked, his eyes darting to Kade.
Glancing at the laser guns strapped to each soldier’s hip, I bit my lower lip. I half expected to already be dead or trussed up at the very least. We were unwelcome guests who had stumbled on something the UGFS obviously didn’t want the rest of the Universe to know about. We were a liability, and I knew very well how the UGFS dealt with liabilities. The fact that we were still sucking in oxygen pointed to the fact that it was because I was a Galvraron, although I wasn’t sure why.
“Yes, I’m … we’re …” I couldn’t bring myself to say we were lost for fear it was the wrong answer. But I knew I had to come up with something. I was sure our lives depended on it.
“Injured,” Kade supplied. “We’re lost and injured.”
I shot Kade a death glare. “Yes, I hit my head. I don’t remember … things.” It was a safe bet to feign memory loss and or disorientation. It would explain away any number of things.
“And what about him? Why doesn’t he know the protocol?” the soldier demanded, suspicion making its way into his eyes.
“He never knew anything, he’s merely hired muscle. My parents, members of the board of High Elders, sent him to—”
“High Elders? Your pa
rents?” The soldier gulped audibly, his hand dropping away from his laser gun. “My apologies. Come with us and we’ll get you medical aid and let you contact your parents immediately.”
Glancing at Kade, I shrugged. He responded with an ocular ‘What the fuck?’. But his guess was as good as mine. “Okay, yes. I would like to contact my parents as soon as I get my injuries examined. We were on our way here when we hit an asteroid storm. We had to use our escape pod, but the landing wasn’t exactly smooth.” That would cover our tracks if they’d already discovered our wreck.
“My apologies. We weren’t expecting another inspection until next week. If we’d known you were coming, we would have kept a lookout and aided you when—”
“Don’t worry about it.” I pushed past him, notching my chin up. “Everything will be fine now. Well,” I narrowed my eyes at the soldier in command, “I have a killer headache, and I don’t enjoy feeling disoriented. I’d like to get this visit back on track, so let’s get a move on.”
“O-of c-course,” he sputtered, nodding at his men. They marched ahead of us, casual in formation, but rigid with their movements. It was clear I made them nervous, which sent my mind reeling.
The humanoid’s words from Telvin rang in my head. “We’ve never had a Galvraron here before. At least not as a prisoner. Truth be told … if we get found out it could lead to some trouble. But when the opportunity to study one of you presented itself, we just couldn’t look the other way.”
At least not as a prisoner. His choice of words had struck me as odd before, but I hadn’t had time to consider them. Now it was imperative that I did. Somehow my kind was connected to Telvin and Zeffrin, and therefore the UGFS’s hidden agenda. The very same agenda I was working to expose. Was I working directly against my family without even knowing it? Maybe that was the real reason they’d sent Kade after me. I was going to have to do some digging.
An overwhelming feeling of dread swept over me, causing nausea to roil my gut. My people were mixed up with the UGFS, and therefore the Denards, of that I was sure. But why? Did they have some hidden, treacherous agenda like the Denards did, or was it another case of the Galvrarons putting science before morality?
My second heart kicked into action, my duel pulse thrumming erratically. I reached a shaky hand up to my neck to count the beats, unease constricting my breathing. My limbs tingled, my vision wavering as colored spots danced before me. “Something’s wrong,” I muttered, swaying into Kade’s side.
“Zula, tell me what it is,” Kade demanded, his voice filled with urgency.
Panic clawed at my insides, shutting down my ability to reason. “Something’s wrong,” I repeated, barely above a whisper. “Help me.” What if it’s the plate? What if it’s killing me? I don’t want to die … or to lose parts of myself … I don’t want to—
Kade’s strong arms swooped me up, cradling me to his chest. Sputtering to breathe, I pressed my face into his warm skin, seeking comfort but finding none. “We need to get where we’re going fast. I don’t think I need to tell you what’ll happen if—”
“I can’t breathe! I can’t … breathe!” Sucking in what oxygen I could manage, my focus narrowed in on myself, targeting and assessing every little twinge and pain in my body. Something is seriously wrong! I don’t want to die! “Please, Kade, please don’t let me die.”
Soft lips brushed my forehead. “I promise I won’t let you die. You’ll be fine, I swear it.”
For some inconceivable reason, I believed him.
“Zula, can you hear me?”
My lashes fluttered, and I groaned, exhaustion holding me in its thrall. “Go away, Kade. I’m tired.”
“Come on, my little Smurfette, open up those beautiful eyes for me.”
“Seriously? I’m knocking on death’s door and you’re calling me Smurfette? I told you not to call me that ever again!”
Kade’s golden gaze danced over my features with amusement. “Sorry. But it did the trick.”
My gaze darted down to take note that I was indeed awake and sitting up. Huh. Nicely played. “What happened? How did we get here?”
One dark eyebrow lifted. “You mean, how did we end up crashed on a prison planet that turns out not to be a prison planet? That part I’m still a bit fuzzy about. I’m pretty sure it started with a kiss. We might need to recreate the incident to jog your memory though.” He bowed, waving his arm with a flourish. “My lips are at your service.”
Shaking my head, I chuckled. A man who can make you laugh even in the direst of situations is seriously underrated. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it. I meant here,” I swept my arm in a circle to indicate the small room were in, “specifically this room. I don’t remember anything after I—” I swallowed the lump in my throat when I remembered. “What’s wrong with me?”
“You had some sort of meltdown, like a panic attack. I’m betting it was caused by an emotional overload.”
Rubbing my temples, I heaved a huge sigh. “Emotional overload. Right. That makes sense.” The longer I had the plate in my head, the more my control was slipping. I wasn’t sure if it was because it was affecting me more, or I was simply less able to keep myself in check as time wore on. Of course, it didn’t matter because the results were the same.
Cupping the back of my neck, I touched the rectangle, the metal alloy still cool to the touch, its temperature regulated by some unknown internal mechanics. “Fill me in on what I missed, since I obviously passed out.”
Kade sat down on the edge of tiny the bed, his hulking form dwarfing everything around him. “The UGFS soldiers brought us promptly here to the infirmary, where one of their medics looked you over. There were questions about the plate in your head. I quieted them with lies, of course.”
“Mmm hmm, of course. And what would those lies be?”
“Just that it was some Galvraron technology and I wasn’t sure what it did. That made them nervous, so they left the plate alone and checked out your other vitals, coming to the conclusion that nothing is seriously wrong with you.” He smirked. “I didn’t correct them about that part. Although they were only talking physically.”
I swatted at Kade’s arm. “There’s nothing wrong with me. And why didn’t you have them take the plate out?” I resisted the urge to claw at the offending device.
Kade shifted, tugging me into his side, his fingers brushing down to settle on my hip. “What if they didn’t do it right?”
His sweet scent tickled my nose, eliciting a small shiver. I couldn’t resist the strange pull I had towards Kade. He made me feel safe in an irrational way, as if when I was in his arms nothing could possibly go wrong. None of it made sense. Not counting the brief encounter from our adolescence, we’d only known each other for a few short days. Even with out of control emotions, why did I trust him? Why?
You shouldn’t. So simply stop. Mind over body.
“Hey,” he squeezed my hip, “you’re awfully quiet. Which is not like you. Tell me what’s going on in that complicated head of yours.”
“I have too many questions.” Sighing, I pulled away, missing the heat of his body immediately. “Tell me what you saw when they brought you here.”
Kade’s brows knitted together as he scowled. “Didn’t see much besides a crap load of weapons, most of them shit that’s new.”
“New?”
“Yeah, experimental from what I could tell.”
“Between here and Telvin …” Fuck. Running my hands through my hair, I considered things. Telvin was doing secret testing on unwilling hostages, and Zeffrin wasn’t a prison planet at all, it was a weapons factory of some sort. Something big was on the horizon, and I suspected we didn’t have as much time as we thought we did to stop it. “I need to talk to Jane and Ash as soon as possible. This changes things.”
Kade eyed me speculatively. “Why do you care?”
I snorted. “Don’t pretend like you’re unaware after I know you had The Pittsburgh bugged for who knows how long.”
“Yeah, all right, I know why the rest of your crew care, but why you? As a Galvraron, you could simply go back to your people and be on the other side of things. The side that’s probably going to win.”
“Is that what you’d do?”
Kade shrugged, flicking his gaze away from mine. “I’m a mercenary. I worry about me, and anyone who pays enough for me to worry about them.”
My face heated. “Is that the only reason you care about me?” Had I misread things, letting our interactions be colored by my distorted emotions? Sure, he was attracted to me, but in the end, attraction doesn’t add up to much.
He was on his feet in a flash, his back to me so I couldn’t get a read on him. “Your family is rich.”
He’s pushing me away. It didn’t matter whether or not I’d misconstrued things with Kade, he was terrified of commitment because of his dragon DNA. He wouldn’t be with me regardless of his true feelings. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. Stop it. You won’t care once the damn plate is removed and you get back to normal. “I see. At least you were honest.”
“Yeah, that’s me, honest to a fault.” Kade’s voice dipped low, cracking. He strode across the room, and cleared his throat. “I spoke to your parents while you were sleeping. As soon as you’re ready, we’ll be escorted to my ship and I’ll bring you to them.”
I nodded. “Right. To collect your bounty.”
“They seemed a bit concerned about us being here on Zeffrin, but I assured them that my silence could be bought. And that I was loyal because of what they’d done for me.”
“Mmm …” Settling back onto the bed, I rolled towards the wall. “We can leave after I rest for a bit more. You don’t need to stay.”
The edge of the mattress sank as he situated himself beside me. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Of course not. You can’t afford to let your pay day out of sight. After all, you’ve already invested so much time into tracking me down.” My tone sounded bitter even to me.