by Vi Keeland
Dallas didn’t know if that was the case, but the undisciplined way his logical partner was acting was completely out of character. He had to believe something was going on.
“What do I need to do?” Dallas asked.
“Cut off her clothes and search every inch of her skin for something, anything that isn’t a normal human mark.”
He turned back to Lilly. She’d schooled her expression. Her face no longer held any emotion, as if she were resigned to whatever he needed to do. What he really needed to do was release her and sink his cock deep in her wet heat and forget that she’d likely screwed up everything with Grebetz. What Dallas did instead was turn and drop to his knees front of her.
“You know I’m not going to hurt you, right?”
Her head bobbed in affirmation, but her eyes and thinned lips remained firm and immovable.
“You would make it easier on us if you just told Thaegan what he wants to know.”
“But I haven’t any idea what he’s talking about.” Lilly’s chin jutted forward once again, her tone pitched ever so slightly higher as she spoke.
If Dallas hadn’t spent months in Quantico, studying interrogation techniques, he wouldn’t have picked up on the lie.
He wasn’t sure what he’d find, but he was resigned to stripping her naked to uncover whatever it was she was hiding. Looking into the chocolate pools of her eyes was too difficult, so Dallas stood and walked to the back of the chair. Gently, he put the blade of the Ba’alkin dagger into the cuff of her fur coat. The black mark on her shoulder, singed by the laser, screamed at him. Like he needed another reminder of how he’d already hurt her tonight.
Dallas tried to convince himself that none of this was his fault. If Lilly would come clean he’d have the truth and this whole ordeal would be over. He’d simply turn her over to Bastower at QAL headquarters and file this night under the “Shitty Memories” category.
But Lilly was forcing him to humiliate her and that just pissed him off. Well, he’d just get this whole damn mess over. He pressed the blade upward, intent on cutting through the coat’s sleeve, but it jumped out of control. The dagger curved toward her wrist and Dallas whipped it away before it ripped open Lilly’s arm.
“What the hell was that?” Dallas looked up at Thaegan.
“I guess I should’ve mentioned the dagger feeds off strong negative emotions. Anger. Resentment. Misery. It senses it in the handler and seeks to draw blood.” Thaegan shrugged. “I have no idea how it works, but it’s the reason Ba’alkin daggers aren’t legal. I figured you knew.” He shot him a false smile. “Think happy thoughts and you won’t hurt her.”
“You could’ve mentioned that before I put the blade to her skin.”
“My bad.”
Dallas brought the blade back to the sleeve of Lilly’s coat, filling his mind with thoughts of her writhing against his body. With gentle sawing motions, he cut from wrist to neck, letting the front of the coat fall to the floor. He did the same to the other sleeve and soft fur lay at her feet like some wounded animal. He wouldn’t bother with the back until he’d separated the sleeves of her blouse.
He couldn’t quite ignore the quick rise and fall of her breasts, their pink nipples pinched into tight points, begging for his attention. Blood rushed to his cock and Dallas had all he could do to focus on the sleeve in his fingers. With great care, he cut down the white satin fabric from throat to wrist, the material only half as soft as the skin beneath. He lifted the straps of her bra away from her shoulders before slicing them through.
Setting down the knife, he offered Lilly another chance to stop this madness. “Are you sure there isn’t something you want to tell us?”
Lilly’s shoulders stiffened beneath his hands. Continuing to stare straight ahead, she shook her head in response. The flaxen waves of her hair brushed seductively across the backs of his hands and Dallas had to bite back a groan.
He hated that she was making him do this, but he had no choice. He felt Thaegan’s anticipation like a force slamming into him. He reached over her shoulders and laid his palms high on her chest, brushing away the remnants of both the front of her blouse and the bra. The floral scent of her perfume wrapped around his nose and he wanted nothing more than to step to the front of the chair and bury his face between her breasts, filling his lungs with the heady scent.
When Thaegan’s hungry gaze traveled the length of her torso and back, a shiver rippled up Lilly’s back. Dallas gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze as his thumbs absently stroked the sides of her neck.
“There’s nothing there.” Thaegan cleared his throat and pointed. “Now the skirt.”
Dallas didn’t think he could stand having the woman laid bare in front of him. He would do anything to keep that from happening. “It could be on her back,” he said hopefully.
Dallas parted the yellow silk of Lilly’s hair, brushing it over her shoulders and covering her breasts. He thought it would be easier, but when his hands swept over the milky curve of her back, he heard Lilly’s sharp intake of breath and his cock jumped. “Lilly, lean forward so I can pull the shirt and coat away.”
With her arms bound behind her, she couldn’t do more than arch her back, which of course thrust her chest forward and he nearly groaned at the sight of her dusky nipples poking through the golden curtain of hair. He pulled the fabric free, adding it to the growing pile on the floor.
Thaegan came around her back and bent for a closer look. “Pull her hair away from her neck.”
Dallas ran his fingers along the back of Lilly’s skull, lifting the hair and exposing the delicate arch of her neck, taunting him to lean over and kiss the tender skin until she sighed his name. Not finding anything, he dropped her hair and reminded his dick once again that this was about identification and not seduction.
The Ka’al checked through the rungs of the wooden chair. “I’m not seeing anything. Skirt next and then the boots if we don’t find anything.”
Dallas picked up the dagger and shifted positions so he was kneeling in front of the woman. The misery in her eyes tracked his every move. With the heat of her body radiating through his clothes, Dallas had all he could do to focus on their objective. Jesus. Under normal circumstances, he’d love to have Lilly naked, bound and at his mercy. But this situation was quickly deteriorating from craptastic to completely shitty.
“Lilly, I don’t want to do this,” he said. “Just tell us everything and this will all be over.” And Christ, Dallas wanted it to be over. If he cut that skirt off, leaving her bound in the chair with nothing but the tiniest slip of a thong covering her body, he was sure he wouldn’t be able to control the lust he felt for this human. She had touched a part of him tonight that he thought had died months ago on Canus Delta. But maybe Thaegan was right and even the synthetic blood wasn’t making him immune to whatever power she held over males.
“Why did you pick that particular Znedu tonight at the tavern?” Dallas asked nonchalantly as he brought the knife to the bottom edge of her skirt.
“He looked wealthy.” Her gaze trailed over his face, but neither of them were giving away any hint of what they were feeling. “Besides, Znedus are amazing lovers. And business was less than stellar earlier so I thought I deserved to treat myself to hot round of sex tonight.”
Thaegan growled at her words, but the insult didn’t bother Dallas. Regardless of what they found, the woman before him had been just as turned on in the alley as him. No female body could fake that kind of arousal. There had been nothing about their sexual romp that had left either of them dissatisfied.
“So, you didn’t cull that Znedu from the crowd for any other reason?” Dallas asked.
She leaned forward, the heat of her breasts pressing against the back of his hands, her face a breath from his. “Why don’t you tell me why you care?”
“Let me remind you, human,” Thaegan’s voice, low and menacing, came from behind Dallas, “you are not in a position to ask the questions.”
She
sat back in a huff, the motion bouncing her breasts in front of him.
“I thought you realized I’m just another working woman. What more reason do I need?”
Ignoring the pull of her body, Dallas lifted a brow and shot a look at the knife, offering another chance to stop this craziness.
“Do what you have to do, human. You’re not going to find anything.” Lilly smiled, but it didn’t reach the dark depths of her eyes. “In the end, you’re just going to have a mouth full of crow as you shovel out thousands of credits to replace my wardrobe.”
Laying his palm on the inside curve of her thigh, Dallas worked his fingers beneath the supple leather and lifted it away from her leg. Her skin was flushed and warm under his fingers, and he worked to ignore the sensation. The razor edge of the blade cut through the material like soft butter. He curved it carefully around the side of her ass and tugged a little harder to cut through the waistband. He repeated the motion again along the side of the other leg, but it caught on the elastic of her thong and she squirmed a little as it pulled taut a second before snapping the lacey material under the sharp blade of the dagger.
His breath shook as he released a heavy sigh. Dallas really had no desire to remove the leather and expose the velvet flesh that lay beneath. But he had no choice. With trembling hands he slid his fingers down the warm skin of her belly, hooked them under the leather fabric at the waist and lifted it away.
With all that naked flesh exposed to him, Dallas couldn’t help but drink in her breathtaking beauty. The soft roundness of her breasts and belly begged to be caressed. But it was the satin flesh at the apex of her thighs where Dallas would really like to press his kisses and his tongue, exploring lower into her satin folds.
“See? Nothing.” Lilly didn’t quite pull off the breezy indifference. “So, why don’t you untie me, find me something to wear and I’ll be out of your hair?”
“Separate her thighs.” Thaegan’s command caught them both by surprise.
“Really, I think you two Neanderthals have taken this—”
Thaegan’s impatience didn’t allow her to finish. “You can do it gently, Dallas, or I can do it…” His last words hung in the air with deadly intent.
Dallas looked over his shoulder at his partner. The large Ka’al trembled, his fists clenching and unclenching at his side, his thighs bouncing with unspent energy.
“But I can’t guarantee her safety if I’m forced to move closer,” Thaegan said evenly.
“I’ll do it.” Dallas turned back to Lilly. She shrugged and the corner of her mouth trembled with the hint of a disinterested smile that made her look more nervous than cavalier. But he noticed Lilly didn’t shift to open her legs wider for them either.
Dallas laid his palms on the alabaster skin of her inner thighs, her body trembling beneath his palms. Having a woman quivering at his touch usually thrilled him, but he suspected this had more to do with fear than sexual arousal. Praying there would be nothing, suspecting there was, he pushed her thighs apart until the chair hindered anything more than a cursory inspection.
“Scooch forward,” Dallas said quietly as he curved his hands around Lilly’s sexy ass and forced her butt to the edge of the chair. Though she didn’t fight him, her reticence was obvious. With one side of it cut, the thong slipped under her as she slid forward. The heat of her body and her nakedness slammed into him, forcing the air from his lungs.
“Lilly, I refuse to pry your legs open,” Dallas said quietly. “But Thaegan will if you don’t.” Unable to bear being near her without touching her more intimately, Dallas stood and stepped back.
Her gaze flitted nervously to Thaegan but stayed only a moment before skittering back to Dallas. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, her legs parting in slow increments until she was completely open to them. Her pink folds glistened enticingly, beckoning his cock to slide into her slick channel. But her silky slit didn’t hold his attention for long. A scarlet mark the size and shape of a ripe summer strawberry drew his gaze to her left inner thigh.
The heavy aroma of her arousal increased tenfold, the smell warm and inviting. His mouth watered to bury his tongue in that heat and taste her honeyed flesh. But Dallas had only seconds to enjoy the earthy scent before Thaegan lunged for Lilly. For a second time the feral cry of frustration accentuated his partner’s movement.
Dallas reacted immediately. Slamming his body into the Ka’al, he managed to do nothing more than send the alien off course and crashing into the dining table.
Thaegan turned back slowly, growling low, the primal look of sexual hunger darkening his eyes.
“You will not touch her, Thaegan,” said Dallas.
“Who will stop me?” His partner roared the words as he ran at Dallas.
But Dallas anticipated the move and used the alien’s own momentum to roll him over his back. Thaegan crashed to the floor. “Thaegan. You don’t need to touch her. We’ve proven she’s a Seraphelium. Now—”
“Now she satisfies my needs.” Thaegan charged again. This time when Dallas tried to dodge him, Thaegan anticipated the move and slammed his shoulder into Dallas’ gut, knocking him into the small couch under the front window. His partner stormed over to him and hauled him up by his shirt. In quick succession he landed punches to Dallas’ jaw and eye. The pain rang through his skull and the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. Whatever had taken hold of his partner had doubled the Ka’al’s incredible strength.
With all the power he could muster, Dallas brought his knee into Thaegan’s groin. It was enough to loosen his grip and Dallas balled both hands together and brought them down hard to the side of Thaegan’s head. His partner released him and stumbled back but didn’t fall. Thaegan’s dazed expression gave Dallas some hope. He charged the Ka’al, hoping to knock him on his ass and maybe knock some sense into his head. But Thaegan was quicker. He dodged at the last second and rammed a heavy fist into Dallas’ side. He heard the crack of bone and the piercing pain of broken ribs forced a scream from Dallas’ lips. He went down hard, his head slamming into the stone hearth of the fireplace, completely crumpling his battered body.
The thud of Thaegan’s heavy feet vibrated the floor. Dallas rolled to see him moving toward Lilly. He wasn’t sure what his partner intended, but had no doubt that whatever had taken hold of Thaegan had robbed his partner of rational thought. As the world warbled in front of him, Dallas forced his swollen lips to move. “Schrak nal tine kres. Rebk nesht bekin na’al.” Brother of mine blood. Not of birth but of war.
Thaegan stopped as if he’d hit a wall.
Despite the slur, Dallas forced the words through his swollen lips. “Riecks lackt tral dein Ze’alkr.” I lay thee at the feet of thou most Holy. Dallas had never intended to utter the words out loud—ever. Words he’d heard Thaegan repeat in a nonsensical mantra for hours at his bedside on Canus Delta. The musical notes had penetrated the haze of his coma and carried Dallas from death’s door back to life. “Esch nar lemrl sesche.” And beg for your life’s soul.
But when the Ka’al turned, Dallas could see the prayer cutting through the madness that had engulfed his partner and dared to continue. “Riecks kre’ick tine lemrl barkt laewsherl irk tine schrak qai’id.” I promise my life in servitude for mine brother’s health. It had taken him months to translate the words from the Ka’al dictionary to English. And when he realized the power of what Thaegan had offered him, Dallas promised himself never to use it against the one man who had given him everything. “Unt tine nerst tane fa’ulk.” If mine prayer but be granted me this day.
But desperation trumped all personal promises.
Dallas felt his body healing, the pain ebbing from his face where Thaegan had pummeled his flesh. Dallas forced himself to sit up.
“You heard?” Thaegan asked.
“Every word,” Dallas groaned as agony stabbed through him.
“And you invoke this promise I made?”
“If it means you’ll leave Lilly to me, then yes.”
“You know what you ask?” Thaegan’s gravelly voice was low and even.
“You don’t want to force yourself on her, Thaegan.” With his arm supporting the knitting ribs, Dallas forced himself to his feet, his head swimming with the effort.
“The witch brings it upon herself with her powers.”
“It’s not right to take without permission. Despite whatever has taken hold of you, you wouldn’t be happy if you did.”
Thaegan shot a look of pure hatred over his shoulder. “But she begs for it when she uses her magic.” He turned back to Dallas. “But you don’t believe that.”
“I know you believe it.” Dallas inhaled a shaky breath, the throb in his side already easing and his swollen lip returning to normal, his words no longer slurred. “I’m asking you to leave her alone. Regardless of what she’s done, the woman deserves to be safe while she’s in our custody.”
“Now that we know what she is and how she controlled the Znedu, she deserves only one thing,” Thaegan’s yellow eyes were hard and cold as a luna crystal, “and you know what that is.”
“I understand. And we’ll get to that. But you have to promise me you aren’t going to act,” Dallas waved his hand up and down, pointing to the madness that thrummed through his partner, “on whatever the fuck’s come over you.”
“She’s come over me,” Thaegan roared, pointing a shaking finger at Lilly. “You. Are. Just. Not. Understanding.” He looked at Lilly again, the ridges of his nose deepening as he scented the air. “Even now she works her powers.” Thaegan turned and stalked toward the door. “I’ll have to leave her to you. If I stay she will surely push me to the edge of delirium. And if I don’t release this sexual energy, I will surely lose my mind.” He put his hand on the old-fashioned doorknob, but didn’t turn it. “I’m just wondering who’s going to protect you when I’m gone.”
“I think I can take care of myself against a human female. It’s not like I haven’t had practice in that arena.” Dallas forced a laugh.
“But she’s not human.” Thaegan pulled the door open. “I’m not giving you any more time than it takes me to release this sexual itch and when I return, you better have her ready.” He started to leave, then turned back to throw one last dig. “Just be sure she isn’t controlling you, brother.”