by Vi Keeland
The Ka’al slammed the door behind him, the explosive sound nearly obliterating the mournful note of Lilly’s quiet sobs.
Chapter Six
She couldn’t stop. The despair came hot and hard, burning her throat and sending tears running down her cheeks. She hated to be so weak. Lilly should’ve expected their resentment. The minute the Ka’al had said the word Seraphelium Lilly understood history had reared its ugly head to begin her worst nightmare all over again.
Despite the pity in Dallas’ eyes, she feared there wasn’t anything she could do to alter her future and that scared the living shit right out of her. Lilly had learned from experience human males were ruthless creatures when they felt backed into a corner.
“P-please…” The word stumbled out on shattered breaths and she inhaled, working to control the terror threatening to choke her.
Dallas ignored her plea, stalking out of sight behind her. Water ran from the faucet at the sink and she heard the man sputter as it splashed.
“That’s not the usual Thaegan. You don’t need to worry about him,” Dallas said quietly.
“Anything. I’ll give you anything. Just don’t…” Lilly couldn’t bring herself to say the words. She’d fought the good fight on Earth only to find herself alone and trapped on a Drikspa frigate bound for Krystallos Three. But this was deep space. It wasn’t as if there would be docking stations with aliens to seduce. One quick shuttle hop and she’d be imprisoned forever so deep in the bowels of a whore house there would be no chance of escape. The hopelessness burned her throat and the backs of her eyes, bringing on a fresh wave of tears.
Dallas stepped into view, water dripping from the caramel curls of his hair, all remnants of blood washed from his face and head. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he said. “And despite what just happened—neither is Thaegan.”
She’d seen the beating the Ka’al had given him, yet the man’s split lip and swollen eye seemed to have disappeared. Lilly wanted to ask what the hell was going on with that, but convincing Dallas not to ship her into sexual slavery trumped whatever secret the human kept from her.
Swallowing her trepidation, Lilly found her indignation, allowing it room to give her strength and shield her in bravery. She didn’t deserve to be condemned for genetics. It’s not as if she could help who she was. Lilly had never asked to be given this power over men. Moments like this just proved once again what a shitty course her life had taken.
“You’ve got me trussed up like a pig and now the Ka’al is ready to send me to slaughter.” Swallowing her tears, Lilly pulled in a shaky breath, resolved to get herself free. She would not go into slavery without a fight. She threw back her shoulders, trying to portray confidence and a cavalier attitude, but only managed to put her boobs—with their traitorous hard nipples—on display.
Dallas dragged his eyes down her body, lust darkening the irises until they were rich as finely aged whiskey and just as smooth. Slow and needy, his gaze trailed down her naked flesh, leaving gooseflesh in its wake. Lilly shifted and another wave of her scent filled the air. Dallas’ nostrils flared. Good. A chink in that shiny armor of his. She’d managed to seduce him once tonight. She could do it again. As much as she hated being condemned for who she was, Lilly wasn’t beyond using her gift to save her life.
“I’m not sure what you did to him, but Thaegan isn’t himself right now.” The muscles in Dallas’ jaw ticked as he stepped closer, slowly unbuttoning his shirt.
“But Thaegan’s not here right now. There’s only you and me—alone.”
Dallas said nothing. He simply shucked off his shirt, the tribal tattoo on his forearm flexing with the movement. The dusting of hair on his well-defined chest narrowed to a line that circled his bellybutton and disappeared into his jeans. She hadn’t had time in the dark alley to admire the man. He’d felt solid and warm against her, but their encounter had been about the sex, not learning the fine details of his body.
And as much as she admired his torso, the one detail that seemed to be screaming at her was how remarkably unblemished it was for the pummeling it had just endured. “Dallas, how is it you’re even moving? I heard bones break and your face was raw when you got up from the floor. I mean…what the hell?”
“Suffice it to say I’m a wonder of alien medicine.”
She didn’t understand the cryptic statement, but as Dallas continued taking slow, measured steps toward her, his eyes locked on hers, she didn’t really care what he meant. All curiosity over his healed injuries evaporated as the man’s primal need flared his nostrils and tented his fly. Refocused, she sent a flux of energy crackling over her nerves.
Everything was fair in love and war—and survival.
The current hummed through her body, tightening her nipples and filling the air with the musk of her arousal. She needed to use Dallas’ desire as a means to her escape. And she had to do it before Thaegan returned. Now that the Ka’al had confirmation of what she was, Lilly had no doubt he wouldn’t get close enough to allow her to take him down again.
“Perhaps you can untie me and we can replay our little adventure in the alley,” Lilly suggested.
Dallas stepped between her legs, his jaw flexing as he scrutinized her face. “Thaegan advised against it.” With great care he laid his shirt over her torso, tucking it under her chin and behind her shoulders. It was warm and soft and smelled like the man bent at the waist, his breath feathering hot across her lips. “And until you tell me exactly what you did to my partner, and why you targeted the Znedu, you’re not moving from this chair.”
His eyes sparked with the jagged edge of danger. She swallowed hard against the panic percolating just below her calm exterior. “What makes you think I did anything?”
“Because Thaegan told me you did.” Cradling her face in his palms, Dallas swept his thumbs over her cheeks, removing the last remnants of the tears. “Now start talking.”
“I’d rather talk about us.” If she could just touch him, freedom would be hers. “Really, it will be so much more satisfying for both of us if you release me.”
Ignoring her plea once again, Dallas straightened abruptly and strode the two paces to the table. “Your story first.”
“Why don’t you tell me what you know already so I don’t bore you with details—”
“I don’t play that way, Lilly.” Dallas grabbed another of the battered wooden chairs and flipped it around. “This is about you.” Straddling it backward, he rested his arms casually over the chair back. “From what I know about my partner it will take the better part of the night to satisfy his needs. Which means I’m in no rush.” He lifted his hands and shrugged. “And from the look on Thaegan’s face, I’m thinking you’re going to want to answer my questions before he returns. I’m not sure I have any control over him when he’s around you. And I’ve definitely played the only trump card in my hand.”
Not knowing what Dallas would do once he knew the truth, Lilly continued to stall. “I’m not sure where to start.”
“The beginning’s always nice.”
She snorted in disgust. “The beginning’s a nebulous place. Beginning of my life? Beginning of the night? Beginning of this farce? Which beginning, Dallas?”
“How about the place where you found yourself alone in deep space—running?”
His question slammed into her with all the power of a slap to the face and she reeled from the impact. “I’m not running.”
“No?” He absently picked at his fingernails. “A beautiful human female alone in the middle of this godforsaken frozen abyss known as deep space, making a living as a high-end prostitute because it was her life’s ambition? I’m not buying it.” He looked up at her, his expression thoughtful. “Which means,” he held up a finger, “you’re undercover working for some agency or,” he lifted a second finger, “something happened on Earth that sent you fleeing.”
“There’s the third possibility. I was born out here.”
“Yeah, I would’ve gone there except you kn
ow Dallas, Texas. Nope. Not born out here.” He shook his head. “And since I’m intimately familiar with the government agencies, I’m thinking you’re not working for them either. Which leaves you hightailing it through space.”
Lilly kept the surprise from registering on her face. She had suspected Dallas and his partner were into something illegal, but mentioning the government meant he probably worked for them. What the hell had she stumbled into? “Yeah, I left Earth. But lots of people are doing it these days, looking for something more exciting.”
Dallas stood abruptly and swung the chair out of his path. “Cut the shit, Lilly. You sought me out tonight at the tavern.” His boots thudded across the floor until he was face-to-face with her, his voice a low growl in his throat. “Let’s not pretend our fucking in the alley was anything more than a fact-finding strategy. And when that failed, you came back to the tavern to save the Znedu. And when that failed, you tried to kill me. How am I doing?”
“I haven’t any idea—”
“Bullshit!” Dallas roared in frustration. Stomping back to the table, he cleared the decorative centerpiece with one swipe of his arm. The cutesy knickknacks shattered on the floor. Dallas leaned heavily on the table, his head hanging to his chest, his voice painfully steady. “I’m actually trying to help you here, Lilly. I work for a very nasty branch of the government. When Thaegan returns, he intends to take you in for questioning. And trust me when I say you just don’t want to have to face that squad of aliens.” He looked at her over his shoulder.
Lilly burst out laughing. No doubt from Dallas’ expression she looked like an escapee from the Pteran Omega asylum. In her opinion, when it came to interrogations, they rated about a minus three on her fear scale. Exile on the other hand, couldn’t be measured. Relief bubbled out of her.
“I’m glad I can amuse you.”
“I’m sorry, but in my line of work interrogations are part of the job.”
Dallas stared at her, one eyebrow cocked. “And which line is that?”
Staring at the man, his naked chest heaving with frustration, something inside Lilly broke. She had no idea why it felt right to trust Dallas. He’d done nothing but screw up her plans. But she was tired of being alone. Six months drifting in space without another human to call friend was no longer an option. Dallas might not be interested in continuing what they’d begun tonight, but Lilly wouldn’t know if she didn’t try. And she’d start by offering him the truth. “I’m a detective. Actually, I was a detective. Chicago PD. Now I’m a bounty hunter.”
“And the Znedu?” he asked.
“Has a rather large price on his head. But thanks to you and that oversized caveman of a partner it looks like I won’t be collecting that reward.”
“Tough life here in deep space. Why’d you leave the cushy detective’s job on Earth?”
“Same thing that made your partner run from the cabin.”
“The cerebellum thing?”
“Seraphelium. And yes.”
Dallas picked up the chair he’d flung and set it close to her. Settling backward on it once again, as if the back were a shield for protection, he pressed his body close to hers. “Why don’t you tell me what the hell that is? Seems I’ve got some missing pieces in this puzzle.” He brushed hair from her face. “I want to help, Lilly. But I can’t keep you safe if I don’t know everything. Thaegan mentioned some myth, but I’m thinking it’s much more than that.”
The man was an enigma. She wanted to believe the compassion in his voice was real, but the hard set of his jaw communicated something entirely different. In reality, when it came right down to it, she wanted someone to know. Someone who could share her burden without judgment. Lilly had no idea if Dallas was that person, but sitting here, bound and naked, she figured she really didn’t have a whole hell of a lot more to lose.
“She was my great-great-grandmother. It’s barely a part of me.” Lilly looked down. Even with Dallas’ hand warm on her shoulder, there was shame in the telling.
His finger came under her chin and gently lifted it. She had no choice but to stare into the chocolate pools of his eyes. “Then it’s not your fault. Whatever it is, the responsibility belongs to someone else.” His thumb brushed over her lips. “The beginning. Start at the beginning. I have no idea what it is. What you are.”
Confusion and frustration warred within her. How could he not know? The answers were as obvious as her beaded nipples and the dizzying aroma of her arousal. Dallas was so close she could feel his body heat pressing against her, making it hard to fill her lungs. Yet the man seemed immune to the sexual energy crackling between them. Even without trying, her own arousal was usually enough to affect any male close to her and drive one with his hands on her to sexual delirium.
“You seem, well…you’re very obviously human.” One side of Dallas’ mouth curved, his dimple softening the hard angles of his jaw. “But there’s something that makes you special.” His hand brushed up her face to cup her cheek and she couldn’t stop herself from leaning into it. “I just want to understand it.”
His eyes searched her face, settled on her lips and Lilly thought for a moment he might kiss her. She wanted to feel the heat of his mouth on hers. Instead, he dropped his hand, rubbing them both on his jeans. “Just please explain to me what Thaegan was talking about.”
Even that slight rejection stung. Now that she understood they weren’t selling her to the highest bidder, seduction and escape no longer mattered. What Lilly needed now was Dallas—a human man—to accept who she was. Filling her lungs with courage, she stared straight ahead, unable to witness his revulsion as she recalled the story her mother had told her the night of her first menses. “Serapheliums are an ancient race. They came from another galaxy, hundreds of light years from even deep space. It’s said they resembled humans, but their beauty was unmatched. Gods bowed down to their perfection and angels sang at their births.” She chanced a look at Dallas and shrugged, embarrassment heating her cheeks.
“I can see the resemblance.”
She laughed out her disbelief. “Yeah, whatever.”
“You’re too hard on yourself.” His hand feathered across her face and settled warm and firm on her shoulder, encouraging her. “Continue.”
“The Seraphelium were a small population of peaceful people. But warriors arrived on their planet, seeking new territories. Aliens from another planet. Not wanting a war, the Serapheliums offered a portion of their lands. But it wasn’t enough. The warriors needed slaves to make new weapons and build their armies. The Serapheliums rose up to fight against them, but they were too weak. The men were enslaved. The women didn’t know how to defend themselves and the warriors began taking them for their own pleasure. But it seemed the women had a special power over them. Though they had no effect on their own kind, the female touch of a Seraphelium could bring the opposite sex of another species to their knees with blind sexual need—”
“Thaegan said your hands were dangerous.” His hand slid from her shoulder, down her bare arm to her bound hands behind the chair, threading his fingers in hers. “And if you touched me, you’d make me forget everything except having sex with you.” The smile lighting Dallas’ face reached up to soften the danger that had sparked in his eyes. But there was no evidence of heavy-lidded lust.
“That’s the theory,” she said quietly.
He continued to toy with her hands. “How did you come to have this power?”
Though his fingers only tickled along her palms, she could have sworn it was Dallas with the sexual gift manipulating the energy flowing between them. His fingers seemed to be sending electrical impulses through her palms and into her bloodstream, kicking her heart rate up several notches. Her breaths came in shallow pants that barely filled her lungs and yet she couldn’t have asked him to stop. Didn’t want to lose the connection. The strumming made her acutely aware of the very male essence of him and she wanted that—craved it with every fiber of her being. Lilly swallowed the burning need clogging he
r throat, trying to find her voice.
“The female Seraphelium used their sexual gifts to control some of the warriors. They…” She hesitated, not sure if she could trust Dallas with the one piece of information that worked in her favor. But with him sitting so close and seeming to have no reaction to the sexual energy still vibrating the air around them, Lilly decided she had nothing left to lose and pressed forward. “They affect the hormones in the blood, overloading the sexual circuits of males and incapacitating them. While they were in the sexual fugue, the Seraphelium took their war ships and fled. But the ship held many complications. The food was wrong and there were new diseases that infected the population. Men and children seemed especially vulnerable. Those who didn’t starve, died of horrible plagues. No planet would allow them passage for medical help.
“Resigned to death, they wandered through space, waiting for the end. It appears they crash-landed in the desert of Earth with barely a trace of the ship. The large crater it left was thought to be caused by a meteor. Few survived, my great-great-grandmother among them. They were humanoid enough to blend in. Many found new mates. They fell in love and had families. Their past seemed to have been forgotten. That is until the first generation of females reached puberty and the gift—as we call it—surfaced again. By then, humans were reaching out into space and aliens were colonizing Earth. The mingling of races was frowned upon. Not wanting their children to be shunned, the Seraphelium vowed to hold tight to their secret.”
“It doesn’t explain why you left Earth.” His hand moved up to massage her forearm, absently offering the comfort she needed to continue.
“Humans, it seems, are very sensitive about the purity of their race, especially when it comes to the government and national security.” Lilly hadn’t thought about her fall from grace in months. The pain of the betrayal slammed into her as if it were happening again for the first time. “It seems positions like that are for those with untainted blood.” She swallowed the hot coal of anger in her throat, closing her eyes to hold in the tears threatening to spill.