by Mina Carter
She stayed awake as he twisted and dragged Varish off the bed to kneel before him. His eyes met hers as he wrapped a thick arm around Varish’s neck and squeezed.
Her eyelids drooped down, only to snap up again when there was commotion at the door. More warriors burst in and fear lanced her gut, but then she relaxed as she focused enough to recognize Tarrick’s senior officers.
“Shit…he’s got T’Laat.”
“Secure the room.”
“Where’s the woman?”
“Over here…got her.”
She shuffled upright, her back to the wall as the warriors swarmed into the room, but her attention was all on Tarrick. His lips curled back in a snarl, he throttled the life out of Varish. The other warrior went purple, hands scrabbling at Tarrick’s arms, trying to get him to let go. But Tarrick held firm. Varish’s eyes turned back in his head and he jerked, then went limp. Shifting his hold, Tarrick curled back his lips and twisted, snapping the unconscious warriors neck with a sharp crack. The body dropped to his feet in a heap.
She shivered, not able to muster an ounce of sorrow in her heart for the dead alien.
“Well, haven’t you gotten yourself into a spot of bother,” a voice murmured softly, gentle hands smoothing down her limbs. She turned her head to see Laarn leaning over her, his face, so like her Tarrick’s, lined with concern.
“Iz nothi’,” she slurred and tried to swallow. Crap, her throat hurt like hell. “A mere flesh woun’.”
She laughed, amused she was quoting old movies in a situation as dire as this. Laarn shook his head and pressed something against her throat. Coolness ran through her veins, stealing away her pain.
“Are the others okay?” They had to be if Tarrick and his men were there.
“They’re fine… You worry about yourself.” Laarn shook his head. “I’ll give you this, you humans are damn tough.”
“They are,” Tarrick knelt on her other side, reaching out to stroke a gentle finger down her cheek. “And this one’s the toughest of them all. But what did you expect from a lord’s chosen?”
“Careful,” Laarn warned as Tarrick slid his arms under her shoulders and knees. “She’s badly bruised. A few cracked ribs, but thankfully humans are easy to mend.”
She sighed, feeling no pain thanks to the medication as he gathered her into his arms and stood. Just being held by him again was more than she’d hoped for and to her embarrassment, tears leaked onto her cheeks.
“Shhhh, it’s over, little one,” he murmured, pressing his forehead against hers. For a moment, they just stood there, and she clung to his shoulders as though she could absorb his strength through touch alone.
“I thought I’d lost you. Never do that again, Moore Cat.”
“Yeah, I’ll pass on the getting kidnaped by aliens thing for a while. Once is fine.” She chuckled, wincing a little at the movement. It didn’t help that he began to walk, but she didn't argue. The quicker they got off this damn ship, the better.
“I hope not. Since I plan to kidnap you right now.”
“You can’t kidnap the willing. Don’t you know that?” She smiled, closing her eyes and resting her head on his shoulder. He was here, she was safe, and she allowed herself to relax, letting the medication Laarn had given her do its job.
Soon after, she came to and found him carrying her down the corridors of his ship. The sight of the K’Vass avatar bots almost made her cry with relief.
“Never thought I’d be pleased to see those things,” she said, looking over his shoulder as he carried her into his quarters. Looking up at his tight expression, she felt awkward and nervous.
“Tarrick?”
He didn’t carry her to the bedroom. Instead, he put her on the couch in the main room and knelt before her.
“Moore Cat…” His big hands enveloped hers and when he looked up, the expression in his eyes made her heart stutter. “When we attacked your base, we didn’t know about humans. We…you have astonished me. How you work together to defeat the T’Laat. Amazing. Particularly for mere women.”
She pressed her lips together, brow arched. “You were doing so well there for a moment. Mere women?”
He hissed in frustration, shaking his head. “Old warriors struggle with change. We have no women, we’re not used to females with intelligence. The nearest thing we have are the Oonat, and they’re more animal-like. Grazers.”
Her eyes widened. “Varish had a woman in his rooms. Her face was longer, more like a cow…that’s an Earth animal. Also a grazer.”
“She was an Oonat.” Tarrick nodded, stroking his thumb over the inside of her wrist in a way that made her skin tingle. “They’re not very intelligent. Don’t even mount a defense when we raid their homeworlds for new females. They are nothing like you.”
Lifting his hand, he cupped the side of her face. It was no longer sore, but even with the best medicine in the universe, she knew she looked terrible. The swelling in her body was gone, but her skin was still bruised dark purple so she had no reason to believe her face had faired any better.
“You are remarkable,” his voice lowered at the same time his gaze dropped to her lips. He was about to kiss her, she realized, a second before he leaned forward to press a soft kiss against her lips. She murmured, lips clinging to his before he pulled back. “And have made me reassess my opinions on humanity. I have confirmation of the K’Vass clan’s claim to this sector of space.”
“And? Does that mean you’ll be raiding to collect more women?” she asked, tilting her head. “Or have you realized we’re more trouble than we’re worth?”
His lips quirked. “Sassy creature. You are a lot of trouble.”
He looked at her and his expression dropped serious. Her heart fell. They would continue raiding…
“I won’t let you go. I can’t let you go.”
The raw admission surprised her, almost as much as his fast move when he swept her into his arms and sat with her in his lap. His lips claimed hers in a rush, his tongue prying them apart to delve within. Heat hit, making her catch her breath and forcing her heart to beat at a rapid pace. His fingers drove into her hair, holding her still as he plundered her mouth with a desperation she’d never sensed in him.
Pressed against him, his body heat inflamed her, matched by the heat that infiltrated her veins. An ache speared her, centered in her pussy as the need to have him touch her, fill her, wiped out her ability to think of anything beyond his next kiss. She’d survived, and that was all that mattered. She needed this, needed the balm of his touch, needed him.
He pulled away, resting his forehead against hers again, his breathing ragged. “I’ll let the men go, send out a diplomatic party to your people, but I won’t release you, Moore Cat. Never.”
She pulled away to look at him in surprise. “So you’ll free some of us?”
He nodded. “Just the men. Not the women. My men would lynch me.”
“What about the women who don’t want to be here? Did you forget the whole kidnap thing? We don’t like that, remember? Or would you like to talk to the T’Laat to refresh your memory?”
He groaned, the sound turning into a soft chuckle. When he looked at her, his gaze was level. “Work with me, Cat. I’m changing centuries of tradition here to give you a choice, okay?”
Slowly, she nodded. He was, she appreciated that. But still… Sliding her hands up his muscled forearms, she played with the short hairs at the base of his neck. “Okay, but I have conditions.”
He arched an eyebrow, watching her. His hand swept up the curve of her waist to settle on her ribcage and his thumb stroked the under curve of her bust. It was distracting, and from the slight quirk of his lips, he knew it too.
“No drugs. Never again. For any of us.”
He froze for a second, then nodded. “It doesn’t work that way, but if it makes you happy, I’ll tell Laarn it’s not to be used except by the female’s request. Happy?”
A smile teased at the edges of her lips and she nodded. H
e was serious about this whole changing thing. “And if they refuse three times…You send them home. Agreed?”
His eyes widened. “But—”
“A-a-a!” She put her finger to his lips to hush him. “Work with me, or I won’t be a happy little Moore Cat. And you want a happy one, don’t you? Or at least one that isn’t in your computer system, screwing about with your bots.”
As she spoke, she opened her hand, revealing that she’d palmed his ident tag and dangled it in front of him. He swore, reaching for his neck, then smiled. The expression flashed with frustration and fire.
“Damned if I do, and damned if I don’t.” He sighed. “Okay, three choices, then the ones who are married to human men can return. The others, they must stay and support the claimed women… help us learn about your culture and how to appeal to your females. Do all humans drive such hard bargains?” he grumbled, tilting her head forward to drop a kiss into her hair.
“Harder,” she confirmed, shifting her position to straddle him. Her breath escaped in a hiss as she settled and the thick length of his cock pressed right where she needed it. “But if it’s harder you want…”
His growl was less frustration and more need as his hands closed over her hips. “Damn humans…I’ll give you harder.”
“Oh, I hope so.”
He had her flipped onto her back in a heartbeat, stretching his big, hard warriors body over her. She was still black and blue from her ordeal on Varish’s ship and wore her torn robes, but the look in his eyes said she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
“When I think of you in danger…” His eyes were so haunted she reached up to cup his cheek as she kissed him. “He didn’t—”
“Shhh, it’s over. No, he didn’t. I’m safe. I’m here, with you.” She punctuated each word with a soft kiss. “Please, Tarrick, help me forget. Touch me.”
With a growl, he did as asked, sliding his hands up her legs under the gray silks. His mouth covered hers again and the kiss swept her away.
There was no exploration this time, just heat. She didn’t care. After defying death or worse, she wanted to feel alive. And she’d never felt more alive as when she was in his arms. Her hands roved over his shoulders and down his biceps before she pulled at his jacket. She needed to touch him. Now.
His tongue brushed against hers in a hot, slick dance. The fastenings of his jacket resisted her and she growled, drawing a soft chuckle from him. He broke away for a moment to draw the zipper down, murmuring against her lips. “Ferocious little Cat.”
“Rawr,” she replied, and sliding her hands under the leather, dragged her nails up his back.
He gasped, spine arching and his eyes flared gold with heat. Need so intense she felt the burn.
“Mine,” he whispered, thumb under her chin forcing her head up so he could kiss her neck. She shivered, loving the feel of his mouth on her. “All mine.”
His free hand shoved her gown up past her waist at the same time he slid a knee between her legs. He was still clothed and she was naked beneath the robes, but she didn’t care, her hands dropping to the fastenings at his crotch. She needed him with impatience and desperation that bordered on painful.
“Now, please,” she demanded, her voice a breathy, erotic whisper in the silence of the room, and yanked at the ties. He reached down to tear them loose, freeing his cock. It slapped against her stomach, hot and hard, leaving a wet smear of pre-cum.
“Are you sure?” he stopped to look down at her even as he altered his position to fit the broad head against the entrance to her pussy. Desire gripped her and she nodded. He was big, but not big enough she couldn’t take him.
“Please. Now, I need you…” She turned her head to kiss the inside of his wrist where he was braced over her. “Now.”
His answer was to push into her, parting her enough to slide in half an inch. She sucked a breath in as a burning sensation sliced through her, followed by pleasure. It hurt, but it was a good pain, one replaced with beautiful sensation.
“Harder.” She gave voice to what they both wanted. He pushed again, and again, sliding deeper into her depths. Each time he did, she gripped him, as though her body was unwilling to let him go even to pull out of her long enough to slide back in.
“Fuck, you’re tight.” He collapsed onto his elbows over her, not crushing her but gathering her leg up over his hip. She helped by lifting the other and locking her ankles behind him. The change in position slid him deeper. They both groaned. “How can you be this tight? How can you…I…”
She blinked as he cut himself off, sure he’d been about to say something else, but he fell silent. His features tightened as he pulled back and powered into her again. Hard and fast, his rhythm set the couch beneath them to rocking as he took her, both still nearly fully dressed.
It was a wild ride, leaving her no options but to cling to him. He used every muscle in his body to taking her, bringing her pleasure until she was sure she couldn’t take any more.
He’d been holding out, and at the end of the next stroke, rocked his hips. His pelvis pressed to hers, trapping her clit between them and she cried out. It felt so good… mind-numbingly, gotta-have-more kind of good.
“That,” she panted. “Again.”
He did, adding a roll at the end of every thrust, sending her need and arousal higher. Not for long though, within a few thrusts she teetered on the edge of the abyss, tendrils of pleasure reaching up to pull her into the depths.
“Come for me,” he growled, slamming into her hard. “I want to hear you scream your pleasure. Want everyone to hear and know you’re mine.”
His. She was his.
With a cry, she gave in and screamed her pleasure for her alien lord.
Hours later Tarrick woke, wrapped around his little human. She murmured in her sleep and made herself more comfortable on his bare chest. They’d moved during the night to the bed. Mindful that she wasn’t as hardy as he was, he pulled the covers up around her to keep her warm.
He laid back, contentment washing over him. Humans. They’d been a total surprise. Tenacious, resourceful, and brave. Like smaller versions of the Lathar. Perhaps he should get Laarn to run tests to see if they were genetically related.
“Tarrick? You awake, you lazy ass?”
Speak of the devil and he will appear. Tarrick smiled as he reached over to tap the comms unit and froze. His gaze riveted to the inside of his wrist. Black marks on the skin wrapped around his wrist like creeper vines.
Familiar marks.
Marks that shouldn’t be possible.
Couldn’t be possible.
Eyes wide, he hit the comms button and brought his wrist closer.
“I’m awake, but we have a problem.”
Laarn snorted. “Tell me about it. The humans? They’re—”
“Genetically compatible,” Tarrick finished for him. “I know.”
“How the hell did you know that? The tests just came back.”
Tarrick smiled and reached for his little human. This would change the face of his world, of Lathar culture, but he didn’t care.
“I know because I’m looking at a set of mating marks on my wrist.”
His little human was his destined mate, and he would never let her go.
Ever.
9
Aliens were as weird as humanity. Just when Cat thought she’d gotten the Latharian warriors worked out, they went and surprised her.
She lay on a diagnostic bed in the Healer’s bay aboard the Velu’vias, the flagship captained by Tarrick K’Vass, War Commander of the Latharian Empire and all-round badass. Her badass, sexy alien warrior.
He’d claimed her as his when he and his men had captured Earth’s frontier base, Sentinel Five, where she’d been stationed. She’d forgiven him for that, mostly. There were worse things than being the woman of a high-ranking alien hottie. There were also… advantages.
Like being able to help form policy on how the Lathar dealt with their human captives, now that
they’d realized humans weren’t like any other species they’d enslaved. For one, they fought back, even when captured. Hunger strikes and passive resistance had confused Tarrick and his men. However, that was nothing compared to the escape and guerrilla warfare battle when a second, nastier group of aliens decided to steal the women Tarrick’s group had captured.
They’d quickly found out that pissed-off human women with military training were more trouble than they were worth. Way more trouble. Right now, enemy warriors who survived the combined K’Vass attack/human resistance were cooling their heels in Tarrick’s holding cells. They were currently leaderless and broken after Tarrick killed their leader for daring to lay a hand on Cat.
It had been more than a hand, but she shoved the unpleasant memories aside to focus on the here and now. She’d woken this morning to find Tarrick sitting by the bed, fully clothed, rather than naked and in it with her. Instantly, she’d known from his expression something was wrong. Rather than answer her, he’d made her dress and brought them both here.
She watched the holo-field arc over her body shift and change. Latharian technology was massively more advanced than humanity’s, but the holo-scanner reminded her of an MRI machine, even if it did seem to do…well, just about everything.
The symbols over her head moved down her body and she glanced at Tarrick on another scanner bed next to her. Because of the size difference between their species, she lay in the middle of the bed, but Tarrick, with his massive shoulders and hard, warrior’s physique, dwarfed his.
Laarn, the lead healer aboard the ship, and as she’d learned Tarrick’s twin brother, moved between the beds, studying both fields intensely. Like Tarrick and every other Lathar warrior she’d seen, he was tall and heavily muscled. That he was a doctor, as well, surprised her. Wearing the same leather uniform as the rest, although with a teal sash across his wide chest, he was more ready to go to war than into surgery.