by Celia Kyle
Who’d have thought she’d have to almost trick a guy into banging her?
Odd alien.
She reached the kitchen and discovered a small globe that gave off a soft glow sitting on the counter. Huh. An alien night light. Convenient.
She went to the big rectangular device that resembled an Earth refrigerator and stared at the handleless surface. Bending at the waist, she squinted and caressed the smooth material. No seams, not hint of a button to open—
A soft click reached her, the sound forcing her to freeze in place and listen a little more closely. Near silent footsteps came next, as if someone tried to sneak through the dwelling. She straightened and glared toward the center of the dwelling. Erudan? Was he trying to sneak out just to avoid her?
Dear god, did he hate her that much?
Staying just as quiet, she tiptoed to the entrance to the kitchen and peered around the corner, looking toward the central area. She scanned the space, spying a long lump on what she would call a couch. She recognized the dark hair and size of the body as her mate—er, Erudan.
Another movement snared her attention, this large person gradually making their way across the dwelling and… toward the couch.
An intruder! Heading toward her mate! Or rather, where she would have been if Erudan hadn’t insisted she take his bed.
Who would want to come after her, though? The moment the question formed, the answer burst forward, and fear settled like dense instacake in her belly.
There were only two people who would have followed her across six galaxies. Scratch that—one person—her father. The other wasn’t a person at all. No one could ever claim that the Department of Population employed anyone with a sense of caring or humanity. Then she acknowledged that Papa didn’t really fit the bill of a person either. He cared, all right. About himself.
Whoever the intruder was, there was no missing the fact that he drew closer and closer to her mate while Rhea just stood there gaping like an idiot when she could be helping. Right, she straightened her back. She could help. She’d gotten herself across six galaxies. She could defend her mate—whether he acknowledged her or not—from an attack.
She retreated and grabbed a Vian-sized knife from the block on the counter. She grabbed the massive hilt with both hands and returned to her place. She crouched just out of sight and waited for her chance to strike.
Rhea also silently hoped that Erudan would wake, realize the danger, and kick the intruder’s ass himself. The drive to protect her mate pumped through her veins, urging her to protect the large alien, but… But her hands were damp, fear and worry making sweat bead on her skin. The liquid made gripping the knife even more difficult and she tightened her grasp.
She wouldn’t fail Erudan. She wouldn’t.
And she’d only have one shot.
She took one calming breath, slowly in and slowly out, before she settled on a plan of attack. It was pretty simple, really—surprise. Surprise the creep and hopefully distract him long enough for Erudan to save her ass.
Fuck. While Rhea had wasted time panicking and worrying, the intruder had moved even closer to her mate. He leaned over Erudan, arm outstretched, and she decided now was the time to act.
Rhea sprang around the corner and charged the stranger. She held the knife in front of her like a javelin and hoped she’d be able to stab the guy at least once before he disarmed her.
Six
Erudan continued to pretend to be asleep. He kept his breathing slow and even as he listened to his dwelling-mate sneak through the front door and pad across the living space.
A smirk attempted to form on his lips and he pushed down the urge to chuckle. This was a game he often played with Corr. Corr was not a royally trained warrior like Erudan, but for such a large, street-trained male, he was quiet and agile. Corr had snuck up on Erudan a number of times, but not so many that he could call himself the victor in their games.
Corr would not become the victor tonight, either.
The air shifted with Corr’s nearness, and Erudan flexed his muscles, preparing to leap.
Except, before he could bound off the couch and knock Corr away, another surprised them both.
A high-pitched, furious scream split the night and a chill jolted down his spine. A combination of surprise and fear assaulted him and it didn’t take long to identify the source of the wretched sound. Rhea!
His blood heated and pure instinct took control. Only one thought throbbed in his mind—one wholly focused on the human female. He must protect her.
He jolted upright, leaping to his feet just as a pale-limbed blur collided with Corr.
Both Corr and his attacker went to the floor, the collision shaking the walls of the hewo dwelling with the impact. The two rolled across the floor in a tangle of curses, grunts, and growls.
Soft light glinted along the edge of a knife and his heartbeat doubled. He recognized Rhea, her smooth, shapely legs tangled with Corr’s.
A snarl built in his chest and then escaped his mouth, vibrating the air.
Corr was an unmated male. A male of honor. A male free and able—even willing—to take a mate.
And he touched Erudan’s female.
Unacceptable.
Baring teeth and claws, Erudan leapt into the fray. He shoved and rolled the two until Corr was close. He grabbed his dwelling-mate by the tunic and flung him to the far side of the central area. The side Rhea did not occupy. With a glance, he confirmed she was not bleeding, and then he leapt across the room and pounced on the other male.
It was not the first time they had exchanged blows, but it was the first time emotion fueled his actions.
Corr shouted as Erudan’s claws cut flesh and the tang of blood filled the air. It was the first and only easy strike. It did not take Corr long to realize Erudan was not playing and the male soon defended himself.
They grappled, grunting and growling as they both fought for supremacy. Erudan hardly felt the sting of Corr’s claws. He was too driven by the need to protect Rhea and punish the male for touching his female.
The scent of blood bloomed once more, Corr releasing a shout that vibrated the walls, and the male scrambled backward. “Mercy! By Vi, Erudan! Mercy!”
Chest heaving, Erudan froze in place. It would be dishonorable to continue his attack once Corr begged for mercy. That did not immediately banish his desire for blood, though.
Erudan shook his head, attempting to clear it of bloodlust, and bared his teeth at Corr. “Mine. She is mine. Touch my mate again and you will die by my claws.”
Corr’s mouth dropped open. “Mate?”
Across the room, Rhea sucked in a sharp, audible breath.
Erudan flinched. Why had he allowed that word to slip? Damn the stars. With one final show of teeth, he rose and ignored Corr.
He crossed to Rhea, crouching beside her, and scanned her curvy form for injury. The tunic she’d stolen rode high on her thighs, nearly revealing her feminine core. It took everything to resist stripping her until she lay bare before him. He did not realize he laid his hands upon her silken skin until he heard her swallow and her flesh pebbled against his palms.
Erudan jerked his hands away as if scalded. Perhaps she had seared him with her heat. His body blazed, a wave of scorching warmth flowing over his flesh, and he fought to ignore the sensation. “You are unharmed?”
He hardly recognized his own voice.
Rhea nodded. “Uh-huh.”
Still, he could not help looking her over once more. Her hair floated around her face like a cloud. Even though the light remained sparse, he spied the pink flush to her cheeks. Her plump lips were the color of bruised berries and were parted to allow for rapid breaths.
Breaths that made her chest heave.
He scrubbed his face with his hand, trying to banish the look of her only to… To look her over once more. It was as if his mind was no longer his own. He was unable to stop himself from staring at the alluring human.
Rhea’s body strained his
worn tunic and masculine satisfaction filled him at the sight of her in his clothing.
Then hunger filled him—the threadbare tunic clinging to her chest and hips while the arm holes gaped. When she leaned over to place the knife on the floor, the cloth shifted, giving him a glimpse of the side of one of her plump breasts. His gaze followed the natural curve until he spied the hard points firm against his tunic. Then he traveled south, to her creamy thighs visible below the hem.
The hem that had risen higher during the struggle and nearly exposed the juncture of her thighs.
Erudan groaned and closed his eyes as his head dropped forward. Only to realize what a mistake he’d made. The scent of her arousal floated closer and he felt himself harden. The craving to bury himself between her thighs surged and assaulted him once more.
Then he reminded himself that she was willing. She had already stated her intention and her body betrayed her need. He could claim her…
“I am just going to…” Corr began, only to stop the moment Erudan snapped his head up and glared at the male.
He had forgotten his dwelling-mate’s presence. If Erudan could see Rhea’s alluring qualities, so could Corr.
It was an unbearable thought. A thought Erudan knew would lead to death if he allowed it to take root—Corr’s death.
Erudan gripped Rhea beneath her arms and pulled her upright as he rose. He drew her close to shield her with his body.
Which was a mistake. Everything he did with Rhea seemed to be a mistake. Except when he had referred to her as his mate. That seemed to be the only time his mind and body did not cringe in regret.
But he could not think of that fact now. Not with Rhea’s form on display and Corr’s avid gaze enjoying the view.
Erudan glared at Corr. “Look away,” he snapped.
Rhea huffed. Did she shift closer? Was that the softness of her belly warming his hard length?
Frustration and indecision pushed a growl past his lips. He half marched, half carried her toward his sleeping area. “You should be in bed.” His bed. “Sleeping.”
“I was thirsty.” Rhea clutched his tunic—the one he wore—which meant her hands were a single layer of fabric away from touching his skin.
Ah, how he craved the feel of her hands on him.
Erudan prayed to Vi for strength to resist her charms. He bodily carried her to his sleeping area and placed her down just outside of the doorway. If he crossed the threshold, her nearness to his bed would be too much to bear. He knew his control would snap.
“Erudan, I said I was thirsty. I’m still thirsty. Even more after that fight to save your life. By the way, about the saving thing? A thank you would be nice.” She planted her hands on her hips.
Which made the tunic stretch further across her full breasts, and Erudan groaned.
“What?” She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t I deserve some thanks?”
He shook his head in both denial and disbelief. He braced his hands on the door frame. It was that or place his hands on her.
Rhea swallowed audibly.
Now his prayers to Vi had turned into desperate pleas. He grinded his teeth together. “I did not require saving. You endangered yourself for the second time this night.”
Her chin lifted. “Excuse me? I totally saved your ass. That guy was about to attack you.”
Looming over her was another mistake. From his height, he could see the shadow hollow between her breasts and another groan rolled from his chest.
Rhea stomped one foot, unfettered breasts bouncing with the movement. He gripped the door frame even harder and the crack of hewo wood echoed in the dwelling.
Rhea took a large step back, which was both a blessing and a curse. He could breathe once more, but now he was driven to follow her—to stay near his mate.
“Go to bed,” he rasped and regretted the angry heat in his tone.
She pressed her lips together, eyes flashing with a fury that matched his own. “Fine. I get it. Just tell me this before I go to bed like a good little puppet. Should I expect this kind of thing all the time? Because if I’m going to have to defend you every night, we’re going to have to get some smaller knives.”
Obtaining knives for her small human hands sounded more appealing than it should. Erudan banished the thought. “That was not an intruder. It is Corr, my dwelling-mate.”
She quirked a brow. “You fought him awfully hard considering he has a right to be here.”
“Because he could have claim—” Erudan stopped himself from revealing too much. He spun in place and stomped away, calling over his shoulder one last time. “Go to bed. Stay there.”
Before she could delay him with her seductive voice once more, he turned the corner toward the central area. The empty central area. Corr had wisely departed for his own sleeping quarters but the scent of blood remained.
Erudan retrieved the knife Rhea had used as a weapon. One which she’d intended to use to maim someone three times her size. Staring at the honed blade, it occurred to him that he had unfairly labeled her foolish. Brave was a better description.
As he returned the knife to the kitchen, her words continued to spin in his mind. Had she truly drawn a weapon and attacked Corr to defend him?
As Rhea would have said—hah.
Who would ever risk themselves to save a dishonorable warrior?
No one.
Seven
Rhea had two choices: nut up and leave Erudan’s room or accept her lack of brass ovaries and stay put. Honestly, acceptance was winning at the moment.
Mainly because she wasn’t sure how to act around Erudan anymore. After his reaction to Corr and the events of last night…
Erudan had snapped and snarled and fought—for her. Even more, he’d called her his mate.
He had used that word, hadn’t he? She hadn’t imagined or dreamed it. At least she didn’t think so. Even Corr had heard—and acknowledged—Erudan’s claim.
Which left her with a question she still hadn’t answered. Had he changed his mind about her? Or had it been hot running emotions snatching his control for a moment?
No way to discover the truth other than leaving her hideout. Crossing her fingers, she gathered her courage and left the room. She padded over the cool, smooth wood, following the delicious scents of cooking food. The promise of food and the rumble of male voices drew her toward the kitchen. The closer she moved, the hungrier she became until her stomach gurgled and grumbled. Whatever they were cooking smelled amazing. She might not be able to identify everything, but that didn’t stop her cravings.
The noise coming from her ravenous stomach almost made her miss the topic of the males’ conversation. Which, in between the grumbles from her stomach, she discovered happened to be her.
“You said mate.” That was Corr. “You bashed in my head, but not enough to affect my hearing.”
Erudan grunted and Rhea rolled her eyes. Men. Males. She crept closer, careful to remain silent while she approached. She was as interested in the topic as Corr.
Unfortunately, the two males fell silent. She stayed put a little longer, waiting, waiting, waiting for them to get off their asses and talk about the big M word some more. Except the jerks didn’t. Ugh.
Rhea sighed and stepped forward once more. If they weren’t going to give her some good eavesdropping action, she wasn’t going to stand around being hungry.
She managed one step before Corr spoke again and Rhea jolted to a stop.
“You should keep her.” Corr’s tone was light, his words mumbled as though he spoke around bites of the delicious-smelling food. “Have you placed your hands on her? She is a curvy little thing. I wager if you touch her body, you will rethink this decision.”
A loud, reverberating clang followed Corr’s words. As if someone slammed a pot onto the counter. Rhea nibbled her lip and tried to picture the two males in the kitchen. Based on the pitch and volume of the voices, she mentally placed Corr at the table. Which meant Erudan was probably the one banging pots and pans
.
Because he was cleaning up? Or because he had been responsible for cooking?
Her heart went all mushy and sweet at the thought of him cooking for her. Well, she allowed herself to be mushy for a second at least. Then she reminded herself that her heart had nothing to do with this situation. It was too wounded by Erudan’s rejection to know what was best at the moment.
Everything with Erudan—if there was anything—had to remain strictly physical with no hint of heart-based emotions in sight. She’d already let her heart get out of control on the way to Vialea. It was why she’d hopped off the Celestial Goruza with so much hope only to have it stomped into oblivion.
Something else slammed. A cabinet door? A chuckle immediately followed, Corr’s tenor unmistakable. She strained to hear Erudan’s response. If he decided to use his words like a grown male, she didn’t want to miss a single one.
Finally, big, sexy, and maybe-hers, snarled. “You will not speak of her thus.”
“Thus?” Corr hummed. “How do you mean? I am merely using my mouth to assign physical descriptors— “
“You will not use your mouth nor your descriptors. You will use nothing on her. Not even your mind. Especially not your imagination.”
A smile tugged at her lips. For all his denials, Erudan sounded distinctly possessive. Warmth fluttered in her belly. It was nice to feel wanted—desired—after he’d rejected her so many times in the few hours since they’d met.
Corr didn’t even try to hide his laughter, the male’s booming chuckles echoing in the dwelling. When they finally fell away, he sobered and spoke to Erudan. “I am only giving you a hard time. Of course, the female is yours. No male could look at you without seeing the truth.”
Erudan released a harsh breath. “I am an unworthy male.”
Corr snorted. “That. When will you release the past? Your every action over the last year has proven your honor. None can question your dedication to Vialea.”
“Enough. We will cease speaking of this.”