by Ivy Barrett
“I can’t recall.” He pinched her nipple and she groaned. “I was intoxicated at the time.”
“Well, that’s more or less true.” He turned her around until they both lay on their sides facing each other. “If I hadn’t promised Rentar, you can guarantee I would have been balls deep inside you.”
Emboldened by everything that had passed between them, she raised her leg to his hip and rubbed her wet folds against his tight abdomen. If she was destined to be a carnal companion for the next thirty days, why not enjoy herself? She’d had few enough pleasures in her life. She saw no reason to deny herself this. “You promised him my ass.” Graphic things were easier to whisper, at least for her. “Does that mean you can’t fuck my pussy?”
He growled low in his throat and rolled her beneath him. “Say the words, hellcat, and I’ll give you whatever you want.”
She raised her arms overhead and parted her thighs, the invitation unmistakable.
He shook his head. “I want to hear it. Tell me what you want and where you want it.”
She licked her lips and forced the words out. “I want your cock deep inside my pussy. Please, Loax, fuck me hard.”
Hooking the back of her knees with his hands, he spread her legs even wider. Then he rocked back onto his knees, so he could watch as their bodies joined.
She felt more than saw, but it was no less evocative. Her pussy stretched tight around his thick shaft as he drove into her by degrees. He hadn’t felt this big earlier. Why did he feel so much bigger? She held perfectly still and tried to relax as the stretch began to sting.
He didn’t stop until his pelvis was flush with hers. Then he looked into her eyes, his expression fierce and possessive. “Mine. Your cunt is mine. Say it!”
“My…” she’d never use that word, not even in a whisper, “pussy is yours. Yours and Rentar’s.”
His red-and-black eyes squeezed shut as he slowly pulled back then pumped into her with more force. Was he fighting for control? He looked like he was in pain.
She understood the contradiction. He’d stretched her so tight the pleasure teetered right on the edge of discomfort. With Loax every pleasure seemed laced with a little pain, and she was quickly becoming addicted to the cocktail.
With a sexy-scary growl, he let go of her legs and entwined their fingers. Her hands were still over her head, so the new position rubbed his muscular chest against her breasts. Still sensitized from the clamps, her nipples tingled and burned with each rhythmic motion. Like everything else he did, it hurt and yet the pain drove her arousal higher. What had he done to her? No, that wasn’t fair. What had she willingly become?
Old insecurities rushed back in, branding her a slut and a pervert. She looked past him as she sank into the familiar misery.
All of a sudden he stopped. “Look at me.”
She shifted her attention back to his face and found his gaze boring into hers. The red lines were so bright now they nearly glowed and his black lips pressed into a tight, disapproving line.
“There is no shame in what we do. I don’t want to see that look on your face again.”
“Yes, Sir.” She drew his authority around her like a shield, driving back her grandmother’s ghost.
Their gazes locked even after he started fucking her again. She raised her legs up high on his sides, savoring the stretch of her body around his. “Why are you so… Why do you feel…”
When she couldn’t complete the question, he lowered his head and kissed her, scattering what little remained of her rational thoughts. She arched, taking him deeper, as he filled her mouth with his tongue.
“Gods, woman, you drive me crazy.” His hips shuttled faster and their mouths no longer fused, but he stayed close, sharing her breath, inhaling her scent.
She’d come so many times in the past few hours, she’d long since lost count. And each orgasm was different, separate from the others. This one struck suddenly, but seemed to last forever. She shuddered beneath him, unable to move while his body pinned hers to the bed.
He cried out as her inner muscles rippled around his shaft. With his head thrown back, he thrust his entire length into her then wrapped his arms around her, pressing her to his chest. She felt the hot jet of his seed deep inside her, prolonging her release. Her hands were finally free and she clung to him, shaking violently as wave after wave of pleasure crashed over them.
“Two years won’t be nearly enough, hellcat. I’m never going to let you go.”
His words had been barely a whisper, but they echoed through her mind like a gong. She pushed him back until she could see his face. “You’ve been honest with me, so I’ll do the same.” She didn’t want to hurt him, but he deserved the truth. “I still intend to enact the thirty-day clause. I’m not staying here.”
Chapter Five
The last thing Rentar expected to find when he entered the cabin he shared with his brother the following morning was Loax pacing the floor.
“She intends to leave us,” Loax explained as the door slid shut behind Rentar.
Rentar glanced at the door to Loax’s bedroom then at his agitated brother. “How long have you been out here? Are you sure she’s asleep?”
“I’ve monitored her on the security feed.” He nodded toward the holo-image still visible at the workstation across the room. “She’s sleeping like a baby.” And she was, curled on her side in Loax’s bed, hand tucked beneath her cheek. Gods, she was beautiful.
The surge of protective anger eased and he studied his brother more carefully. Loax looked terrible. Dark circles ringed his eyes and his hair was loose about his shoulders. Loax never freed his hair from its bindings, not intentionally at least. Something was seriously wrong. “What are you babbling about? The contract is for two years. That’s longer than most defenders get with their companions.”
“She intends to enact the thirty-day clause.”
He took a deep breath, determined not to overreact. “Why would she do that? She seemed fine when I left, in fact better than fine. She’d accepted us both and seemed ready for more. What happened while I was on duty?”
Loax started pacing again and his troubled gaze looked everywhere but at Rentar. “I think I scared her. I probably pushed too hard.” Four long strides took him across their shared living room. The Aganista was a battleship, built for firepower and speed, not the comfort of its crew. “Why the hell did you leave me alone with her? I always push too hard.”
Rentar caught Loax mid pace, firmly grasping his shoulders. “What did you do?”
“I flogged her.”
“After the spanking you gave her, you flogged her too?” Loax was always strict, but this wasn’t like him at all. “Did she do something to deserve it this time?”
His chin came up and he twisted out of Rentar’s hold. “She argued and disobeyed.”
“Her ass had to be tender. Where the fuck did you flog her?”
Loax’s only reply was an extremely guilty look. “She came really hard while I flogged her, and again when I fucked her.”
“You fucked her again?” Rentar shook his head, truly shocked by his brother’s behavior. “She just got here. What is wrong with you?”
“I think I’m in rut,” he said between clenched teeth. “The only time I’ve wanted a female this badly was when I met Fineeze. My orvatta is on fire and I’m hard again before my cock quits spurting. It’s irrational, and gods-damn painful!”
Tension gathered in Rentar’s abdomen. Fineeze was Loax’s mate, or had been until the Ventor massacre. This wasn’t an exaggeration born of a guilty conscience. Loax was honestly struggling for control, and his brother was the most disciplined person Rentar had ever known. “Has a human ever sent you into rut before?”
“No. Nothing like this.” He ran both hands through his hair, which was likely how it had come loose in the first place. “I ache. Gods, how I ache.”
“Take a sedative and go lie down on my bed. See if you can get
some sleep.” He pushed Loax toward the other bedroom door.
“I can’t. My shift is about to start.”
“You’re not fit for duty. Anyone can see that. Besides, we need to figure out what’s going on before you interact with the crew. This could be some sort of virus.” He activated the control panel implanted in his forearm and paged the infirmary.
“This is Dr. Leer,” the head physician responded. “What’s wrong, Commander?”
“I’m not sure. You need to come check out Loax. He’s had a really strange reaction to our carnal companion.”
“On my way.”
“I don’t need a fucking doctor,” Loax snapped as he plopped down in one of the armchairs, but he still looked agitated. “I need to be inside Amanda.”
“You’ve had her twice already. This isn’t natural.”
Loax rested his head back against the seat, his breaths growing fast and shallow. “Her image is locked in my mind and her scent surrounds me. I crave her taste and need—”
“Think about something else. What did you find out at the briefing? Amanda’s arrival eclipsed everything else yesterday.”
Loax groaned and rubbed the front of his pants. “Don’t say her name. I can’t take it.”
“The briefing,” Rentar prompted. “What was so urgent? Chancellor Savator generally delegates meetings to one of his ministers.”
“Their world organization…” Shaking his head as if to clear his thinking, Loax pushed back to his feet and started pacing again. The continual motion appeared to calm him, allowed him to focus. “Damn it. I can’t think of the name right now.”
“A human world authority?” Loax nodded, so Rentar suggested, “The United Nations?”
“Yes, yes, that’s the one. The United Nations proposed a settlement plan. They want us to stay on Earth, to form a Ventori colony or maybe even colonies. Chancellor Savator wants feedback, pros and cons.”
Was this part of Loax’s delirium? Humans were paranoid and distrusting of anyone different from themselves. Why would they instigate such a concept? There had to be serious ulterior motives. “What do they want in return, to discontinue the current program? Keep us away from their females?”
“No. In fact they want to expand them, see if human females can be persuaded to stay with us, form permanent family units.”
Shocked by the possibility, Rentar was relieved when the computer announced the arrival of their visitor. The topic needed a much deeper discussion, but he wanted to make sure Loax knew what he was saying. “Admit visitor.”
Dr. Feylon Leer hurried into the cabin, his neon-green gaze moving immediately to Loax. Leer was a Celestian/Partonese hybrid, so his appearance was unusual. Many mistook him for an android because of his golden skin, and there was simply no taming his spiky orange hair. But he was brilliant and compassionate, making him an ideal physician. The Ventori were lucky to have him. “How long has he been like this?”
“Several hours,” Rentar told him.
The doctor motioned Loax toward the sofa. “Please explain what you’re feeling and how it began.”
Loax sat on the couch, hands fisted on his thighs. “I’ve been in rut before. This is similar, yet more intense. I’m… I need her, crave her. Did she poison me?”
The doctor opened his medkit and selected a handheld scanner. After calibrating the device for a Ventori, he moved the scanner up and down near his patient’s body, assessing his condition in long, smooth sweeps. “Your temperature is elevated, as are your pulse and respirations. Not surprisingly, your hormone levels are quadruple normal. You, Commander, have entered your ridonous cycle. To use the vernacular, you’re in rut.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” Loax muttered.
The doctor fiddled with the scanner, apparently switching from one function to another. He kept the scanner pointed at the center of Loax’s body this time, then scrolled through the results. “I don’t see anything overly concerning. Having an alien trigger ridonous is unusual, but not unprecedented. There have been numerous documented cases since our arrival. I’m trying to determine what it is about humans that affects the Ventori this way, but as of yet, I haven’t been able to find the exact cause.”
Rentar nodded, accepting the explanation until something occurred that didn’t make sense. “But I’m not in rut. We’ve both been intimate with her.”
“Was your contact with the human equal to Loax’s?” Leer wanted to know.
“No. I was on duty most of the night.”
“Then I would avoid any further sexual interaction.”
Rentar laughed. “That’s not going to happen. You said this isn’t dangerous.”
“I don’t believe it is.” The doctor put away the scanner and closed his medkit. “Nothing in my research so far has indicated long-term complications. Your symptoms should cycle through as with any other ridonous. The more you indulge the urges, the faster they’ll resolve. I say enjoy the intensity, just don’t plan to accomplish anything else for the next week or so.”
“If we’re both in rut, it leaves the ship without a commander,” Loax argued, coming up off the sofa again.
“That’s what first officers are for.” Leer smiled. “Does your companion seem to be affected by your interactions?”
“I’m not sure.” Loax rubbed the back of his neck, eyes drooping almost shut. “She has been unexpectedly easy to seduce.”
Rentar caught the doctor’s attention. “He’d already been awake for forty-eight hours when she arrived. There was an emergency in engineering. This can’t be good for him.”
Loax’s eyes flew open and he growled, “You just want Amanda to yourself.”
“That’s part of it,” Rentar admitted with an unapologetic grin. “But I’m also worried about you.”
“I’m fine. Sleepless nights are nothing new.”
“You’re not fine, and it ends now.” The doctor opened a compartment on the back of the medkit and withdrew a mister. “Sleep deprivation is more dangerous than even this hyper-rut. I’m declaring you both unfit for duty until further notice. I can’t make you go, but it’s my medical recommendation that you take your carnal companion to Shadow Mountain for at least a week. I’ll reassess your condition when you return.” He held the mister in front of Loax and dispensed the medication, then looked at Rentar. “He’ll sleep for eight, maybe ten hours. It’ll give you time to catch up. Once he awakens, get off this ship, so you can both focus on your female.”
“You’ll get no argument from me,” Rentar told him, desire beginning to smolder all over again.
Loax mumbled something unintelligible and stumbled in the general direction of Rentar’s bedroom.
“I’ll notify Partenus and Todd,” Leer offered as Rentar hurried after his intoxicated brother. The first officers worked mirrored shifts like Rentar and Loax. This wasn’t the first time they’d been trusted with the smooth operation of the Aganista, and it wouldn’t be the last. Both ambitious defenders were nearly ready for their own command.
“Thanks,” Rentar called as the doctor left, then he helped Loax to bed.
“Tell her.” Loax’s words were so slurred Rentar barely understood him. “Shess right ta know.”
“I’ll tell her.”
Loax motioned toward the bathroom, but could no longer keep his eyes open. “Ointmmen… fer ass.”
Rentar chuckled, surprised by his single-minded focus. Even drugged out of his mind, Loax was worried about Amanda. Rentar stepped into the bathroom and retrieved the tube of ointment, tucking it into his pocket. Then he went to the officers’ dining hall and filled a tray with edibles humans were known to enjoy, or at least tolerate.
“Didn’t you eat already?” one of the bridge officers teased as he walked by the crowded table, one of four in the room.
“Breaking in a companion is hungry work,” called out another, and everyone but Rentar laughed.
“Need any help? Gods know when our
offer will make its way through the queue.”
He just smiled and kept on walking. The crew would find out soon enough just how overwhelming their companion had become when he and Loax left the ship.
Returning to their cabin, he let himself into Loax’s bedroom without alerting Amanda to his arrival. He wanted to awaken her softly with kisses. This entire day would be a long apology for the harsh treatment she’d endured the night before.
He placed the tray on the nightstand, pulled the ointment out of his pocket, and sat on the edge of the bed. She murmured sleepily and shifted position, rolling onto her back. In slumber, she looked even younger and more innocent. Was this lovely creature really his and Loax’s? It seemed almost cruel that someone so sweet would be devoured by their dark desires. Her silky hair spread out around her, haloing her lovely face. She wore an undershirt, but her sweet little nipples were visible beneath the white material. His cock twitched and started to harden, but he stubbornly resisted the urge to touch her intimately until she was wide awake.
Instead, he gently stroked her cheek with the backs of his fingers. “Amanda.”
She murmured again, moving her head restlessly.
“Time to wake up, love. I brought you something to eat.” Unable to resist the temptation, he leaned down and kissed her lips, a soft, chaste kiss that filled his heart with emotions he wasn’t yet ready to name.
* * *
Amanda reluctantly opened her eyes, knowing the world waiting for her was even more surreal than her dreams. She’d done this to herself, which made the situation even harder to accept. She was carnal compensation for two Ventori Defenders. She’d given up control of her life for the next thirty days. Her welfare, safety, and her body now belonged to the Drey brothers. Her motivation for entering the program no longer mattered. The hard-luck story hadn’t changed their attitude or expectations. At least, it hadn’t with Loax.