by Celia Kyle
Ahlan spoke in a low, urgent whisper. “A ship docked during the night. It was not a trading vessel and I have heard things. Word is the captain bribed dock officials to keep their arrival quiet. Then I was told the Rargar escaped not long after.”
“No, it didn’t,” Erudan muttered. Ikkim’s peacekeepers had not received training equal to a royal’s, but their containment facility was solid. Nothing escaped.
Unless they received aid from an accomplice. A powerful collaborator with the means to bribe dock officials.
Rhea moved closer and Erudan straightened to his full height. Her fear roused his protective urges. Urges that visited him rarely. Acting on the desire, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and drew her to his side. She rested her hand on his waist, so trusting that he would protect her.
The unwavering faith of one mate in another.
In that moment he decided he would not give her reason to second guess her belief in him.
Rhea’s fingers flexed against his side, betraying the anxiety she experienced. Despite her fear, her voice remained steady. “Last night the Rargar said something about a slave ship. He was going to… to put me on it and…” She swallowed hard. “Do you think that secret ship is the one he was talking about?”
“Perhaps, but I know what you are truly thinking.” Now that he’d accepted her trust, even more of her thoughts drifted to him.
“You do?” She frowned. “How?”
Ahlan seemed interested in his answer as well. The young one’s gaze bounced between Rhea and Erudan, his nose twitching above his short tusks.
The difference between Rhea’s frown and Ahlan’s thoughtful glint was due to the boy’s familiarity with Vians.
They both had questions. They both deserved answers.
Although some would tell him he had no obligation to the station urchin, Erudan had formed a bond with Ahlan and he intended to honor that connection.
It was not the time, however. As they stood there speaking, the ever-present noises of Ikkim had gradually faded until now they were surrounded by quiet.
Ahlan shifted from one foot to the other, muscles in his young body tense and prepared to run—a common response to unnatural silence. The lack of sound signaled peacekeepers on the move.
“Erudan.” Rhea’s whisper was hardly more than a breath. “What’s happening?”
“Nothing we wish to be a part of.” He kept his arm on her and grabbed their dropped bags with the other. He took hold of Ahlan’s tunic with that same hand.
The heavy thud of the peacekeepers’ footfalls approached, drawing nearer with every breath. Erudan tightened his grip on both Rhea and Ahlan and whisked them off their feet and into a nearby alley. The shadows weren’t as deep or all-encompassing beneath the day’s light, but it would have to be enough.
In truth, he had no reason to fear the peacekeepers—he was one of them—but parts of the equation did not add up, which filled him with unease.
The chances of a secretive ship being used for slave trading was good. And not unheard of in the galaxies.
Though that was not the full source of his unease. No, it was the missing Rargar. And the fact that it had targeted Rhea. The ship’s arrival and the Rargar’s release might not involve Rhea, but the coincidence was enough to make him suspicious.
In the alley, he set both Rhea and Ahlan on their feet and beckoned them to follow. His transport was not far, but to avoid detection, he led them through the network of alleys. They traveled a long route that took them far from the market. Soon they reached the invisible divide between the commercial district and the poor residential area.
Erudan stopped and turned to Ahlan. “Find your way home and do not come out again until tomorrow.”
“I might hear something useful to you. Shouldn’t I— “
Erudan shook his head and crouched to Ahlan’s level. “If there is bad business that concerns me, I will not see you caught in the trap. Go home and look after your family. I will not have you endangered because of our… friendship.”
It was the first time he had admitted to having a friend and it felt right to use that word with the young boy.
Even in the narrow alley, where buildings blocked the bright sun, Ahlan’s reluctance showed.
Erudan put his hand on the boy’s shoulder and softened his tone. “I will send Corr during the night. If you have news for me, share it with him and he will get me a message.”
Ahlan huffed and finally nodded. The young one glanced at Rhea with his streetwise eyes and then darted down another narrow alley. He melted into the shadows as if he’d been born in them, leaving Erudan alone with… his mate.
He repeated the word in his mind, reveling in the sound as acceptance continued to spread within him. The drive to protect her consumed him and he was ready to destroy any that threatened her—his mate.
Mate.
The draw to her, the magnetic pull, was too intense to pretend that she was anything less than his and his alone. Their shared emotions, thoughts, and sexual need fed off each other until they blended. He did not understand how or why Celestial Mates had matched him to Rhea, but now that he had her, he would keep her.
They traveled in silence, steadily making their way to his transport. They got within two blocks but then the peacekeepers were there again. He drew her into the shadows of a run-down building, hiding once more.
“I don’t like this,” she whispered and hugged him closer.
He placed his lips at her temple. “I do not either. Once we are on the transport, I will discover what is happening.”
She nodded and then froze in place, not even breathing. Soon low voices reached them, growing louder as a group approached and came into view.
Rhea stiffened further. She drew in a quick breath and released it in a whisper. “Dad? Calvin?”
Erudan barely heard the words, distracted by the overwhelming scent of her fear.
Whoever this Dad and Calvin were, they were a threat to his mate. Her fear pounded at him, suffusing him with her desire to run and hide. Rage pushed forward, overcoming her panic until all he could think of was destroying anything—anyone—that caused Rhea distress.
Rhea reached up and placed her palm over his mouth, silencing his rumbling growl. A growl he hadn’t even realized he’d formed. That she sensed his need for blood reinforced his claim that she belonged to him.
The two humans were surrounded by armed soldiers and accompanied by… the Rargar. Erudan clenched his fist, fingers itching to reach for his own weapon, but he resisted. Acting now would only draw the group’s attention and leave Rhea vulnerable.
Which would make it even easier for them to take her.
Eventually, the slow group passed. Erudan held Rhea tightly to him until he no longer heard their voices and then pulled her along to retrace their path.
He broke into a jog, anxious to put a locked door between them and those two males.
“Where are we going?” Rhea ran alongside him.
“I have a dwelling in Ikkim. None know of it and we will be safe there.” Perhaps it was not as comfortable as his hewo dwelling, but it was safe.
Eleven
Rhea kept it together until they reached Erudan’s dwelling. She couldn’t believe the difference between the hewo tree and Ikkim station. The previous night she’d enjoyed a spacious home. His Ikkim dwelling was like an Earth studio apartment. His central living area doubled as his sleeping chamber and opened into the small kitchen. There was only one door and that led to the cleansing room.
Faced with the comfort of the worn out old couch and the tatty throw blanket tossed over the back of it, she felt herself unravel—emotions overriding all else.
How had her father reached Vialea so quickly? Why had he brought Calvin? And then there was the Rargar. Had he hired the alien to hunt her? Capture her and put her into a life of slavery? If not for Erudan…
She could think of only one reason for her father and Calvin to come tromping through the docks
of Ikkim—they were looking for her. They wanted her back. With Earth law and the Rargar on their side, she worried they actually could.
Rhea trembled and crawled onto the couch. She clutched her stomach, fighting to keep the nausea at bay.
Erudan moved around the dwelling with swift, efficient strides. He checked the locks on the door and secured the windows. Unlike his hewo tree dwelling, this had several windows. Several other ways for another to break in.
She watched him closely, memorizing every line and plane of him. She mentally recorded the way his clothing tightened across his body and the smooth, efficient way he moved.
She had used her savings to pay for a Celestial Mates match and passage to Vialea. If she was dragged back to Earth, the chance of ever getting back to the planet was dismal at best. The chance of seeing Erudan again…
Erudan froze in place and then spun to face her, yanking a gasp past her lips. She dragged her gaze to his face and widened her eyes at his ferocious expression.
A snarl lifted his upper lip, exposing wicked teeth. “Never. Ever. Will I allow anyone to take you from me.”
His vow pierced her heart like an arrow, pinning her to the couch. She couldn’t move—didn’t move—until he crossed the room and lifted her from the couch. He lowered himself into her seat and pulled her onto his lap, sitting her across his hard thighs.
And another part of him that was very, very hard.
“You are mine, Rhea Lux. My female. My mate. Mine…”
His voice lost the harsh edge at the end of his declaration. He cupped her head and slanted his firm lips across her mouth, and she discovered where that edge had gone. He poured his rough emotions into their kiss.
It was impossible to think she’d known Erudan less than a full night and day. But when he claimed her with his kiss, she felt like she’d spent her entire life yearning for him. And now, she was rewarded for her patience and she didn’t know what to do with her prize.
Her left arm remained pinned between their bodies, but her right was free. Free to explore and touch and discover every spot that brought him pleasure.
Erudan groaned against her lips. “Yes. Touch me.”
Rhea trembled with his urgent command. He didn’t have to tell her twice. She clutched his shoulder, exploring and learning the thick muscles that made up his hard body. His hands weren’t idle either. He caressed her back, squeezed her hips and cupped her ass. He adjusted her position until her ass wiggled against the hard evidence of his desire.
A desire her own body echoed. Her nipples became hard nubs and heat pooled between her thighs. Her clit ached and throbbed, begging to be stroked and teased by his rough fingers. His hand slid up from her hip, tracing the curve of her waist and continuing until he cupped the plump weight of her breast.
Erudan circled his thumb around one firm nipple and a whimper escaped her lips. A whimper he swallowed with a deep groan of his own. Rhea pressed her thighs together, battling to alleviate the needy ache between her legs, but the movements made her crave him even more.
If only they had as many arms and hands as Zav. Then she could touch him everywhere she desired and all at once.
Desperate to feel more of him, to be touched everywhere by his talented fingers, she wiggled and shifted until she sat astride his hard thighs. He followed her through her squirming, not relinquishing her mouth even after she had her pussy settled firmly over his cock. And what a hard, thick cock it was. She knew he’d stretch and fill her like no other. He was so strong, so powerful… She wondered if she’d be able to walk when all was said and done.
Rhea rocked her hips and grinded her wet, cloth-covered pussy against his length. Yesss…
Erudan ripped his mouth from hers and threw his head back as he released a tortured groan. “You will destroy me.”
Well, then, they’d destroy each other. With every squirm and rub of her pussy over him, she chased a building climax. She experienced every detail of his thick length. Every ridge and—
“No.” His growl jerked her out of her mental ode to his cock.
Gripping her ass, he lifted and forced her to put an inch between his cock and her desperate center.
She whimpered and slid her arms around his neck. His eyes glittered, sparks of need flickering as their stare continued. Did hers look the same?
He answered her question. “I can see your desire, mate.” He pitched his voice to a toe-curling rumble and breathed deeply. “I can smell it. Salty. Sweet. But I will not make you mine, make you scream my name while we remain clothed.”
“Oh.” All her brain processed was his intent. The whole “will not make you mine” part of his statement. This was too close to Calvin’s refusal that…
Erudan snarled. “You will not think of another while I claim you.”
Okay, comparing him to someone else wasn’t a good idea.
One of them had to maintain some semblance of calm and it looked like it’d be her. She took a deep breath and pushed her craving for him to the back of her mind. She feathered her fingertips over his brow, silently stroking his skin and urging him to calm.
That was when she noticed…
“Erudan? You’ve changed color again.”
He squeezed his eyes shut. “It cannot be stopped at this point.”
Stopped? She frowned at him in confusion. “Why would you want it to be stopped? It’s part of you. But will you tell me what it is? Does it hurt? You look like you’re in pain.”
He drew a ragged breath and a myriad of expressions flitted over his features, a testament to his internal struggle. Just as she was about to reassure him that…well, she didn’t know what kind of reassurance he needed. Regardless, if he needed soothing words, she would give them. With very little shock at all, she realized she would give him anything to banish the tormented air that surrounded him.
He vibrated, and then a strong tremor overtook his body. Opening his eyes seemed like a fierce battle and he eventually brought his gaze to her.
“It is the firez.”
“Oh.” Rhea swallowed hard. “Zav said… Is it true, then?”
He huffed and groaned. “I do not know. Did she tell you that it is my time of needing?”
“Um… yeah. Something like that. She also said…” Just spit it out. But it was too hard. What if Zav had been wrong about the definition of firez? Then she’d be embarrassed as hell and hunted by Calvin and her father.
“Mate, tell me what troubles you.”
Despite everything—meaning her squirming desire to get back to the business of grinding on him—she smiled. “Ugh, fine. I really hope she wasn’t spouting nonsense.”
“Rhea.” It was a warning, but there was a little growl in there that…
She shivered with the raw, primal quality of his voice, and then gathered her courage. “Honestly, I don’t even remember. But…” Dang it, her voice went all small and mousey. She wanted to be a sex goddess, not this needy thing. “Erudan, are you this way for everyone? Or just…”
“You,” he answered without a hint of hesitation. “It is biological, but this is only for you. Firez has never felt this way before.”
Rhea smoothed her hands down his face and then his chest, stopping when she reached his racing heart. “What’s different?”
Erudan shuddered. His hips arched between them, his cock making contact with her core again. He gasped. “Like I am dying. Like I will die if I cannot have you. Claim you. You are my mate, no matter this mistake with Celestial Mates. Though it was not a mistake at all. I did not finish my application. I do not know how it is possible that you came to me from across worlds. But if I do not claim you I feel as if I will die.”
Warmth and pleasure rippled through her and it had nothing to do with her achy, intimate flesh. No, it had everything to do with her heart.
Dammit. She’d come to Vialea with every intention of protecting that damaged organ from any new pain, not to open herself up again. But as she gazed down into Erudan’s fevered eyes, sh
e knew. This was a male who could not hurt her spirit, but one who would nurture and protect her. The truth in his words couldn’t be denied, not even by the ghost of past heartache.
Resting her forehead against his, she brushed her lips over his. Erudan wrapped his arms around her, crushing her breasts to his chest as if he could meld their bodies.
Emotions not her own stretched across their physical connection. They penetrated her mind and filled her thoughts. Were they his? Was she suddenly able to read him? Even more, could he read her?
She closed her eyes and opened her mind to him. She poured out every last detail of the fantasy that’d kept her up last night, wallowing in his scent. “Then make me yours. Claim me.”
With a vibrating growl, Erudan braced his arms beneath her ass and rose from the couch. Startled by the sudden movement, she threw her arms around his neck and hid her face against his throat.
He shuddered again and her body responded, thighs clenching as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He adjusted her position, making sure her pussy was settled over his hardness once more. He tightened his grip and reveled in the friction between their bodies.
“Oh God,” she whispered while locking her ankles. “You feel so good. Please don’t make me wait. I want you inside me…”
Her raw plea sent heat up her cheeks. She’d never been with a man before, and the thought of receiving someone as big as Erudan… Would it be as delicious as she imagined from books she’d read?
“It will be even better.” Erudan growled the words against her neck.
She groaned from embarrassment. “I forgot you’re inside my head. I’ll try to keep my thoughts to myself.”
“Do not dare. I want to know your fantasies. Show me everything you crave and I will give it to you.”
Everything? Oh, my…
Her imagination went haywire, fantasy after fantasy flickering through her mind. Lost in the deliciousness of “what if,” he carried her across the living area and into the cleansing room. Oooh, she had shower fantasies, too.
But he bypassed the shower and… kept going? Wait, there was another door in the cleansing room that she hadn’t seen earlier. He pushed through that door and she took a moment to glance around this hidden area. Which—bless Vi and Alea both—had a bed. It dominated the space and didn’t leave room for much else, but it was a glorious, glorious bed.