by Kyle, Celia
Argan brushed his mouth across hers in a chaste caress, tormenting her with the barely there touches and she savored every connection. His lips parted, tongue darting out to lap at hers, and she gladly opened for him. And then, all it took was one taste of his warm sweetness. Like apple pie fresh from the oven—it both warmed and pleased her.
Their tongues tangled, Lily pushing deeper into his mouth, gathering more of his flavors, while he seemed to do the same. She leaned into him, aching to climb into his lap and get even closer to his hard body. But for now, she’d wait. Wait and enjoy the way his tongue caressed hers. The way they performed a wicked dance of what was to come… someday.
Lily sucked on his tongue, eyes closed as she pretended she sucked on another part of him, and Argan groaned into her mouth. Was he thinking the same thing? Lily on her knees while he brought his cock to her lips. She moaned and wiggled closer, her body burning for more of him. If she could just get him naked then…
“Ahem.” A soft feminine voice intruded on them and Lily fought to ignore it. Someone had to be out in the hall and talking loudly for them to be heard through medical’s doors.
“A-you’re going to be late-hem.” This time the woman damn near shouted, the voice bouncing off medical’s walls as well as within Lily’s ears. She winced and jerked away from Argan, pressing her fingertips to her temples.
“Dammit, Penelope,” Lily grumbled. “You know how much that hurts.”
Argan didn’t say anything. He simply snarled, baring his fangs as he looked around the room. Smoke drifted from his nose, pale curls dancing through the air and the display only ending once he’d shot a bolt of fire at the ceiling.
“Well, that’s rude.” Penelope sniffed. “And here I am, out of the kindness of my own Southern heart—”
“You don’t have a heart.” Lily ignored the smoke and fire and kept her mind on her errant AI. “You do have shitty timing, though.”
Penelope snickered. “You could go back to doing what you were doing, but I didn’t think you’d want an audience. You never search for voyeur porn, so I figured I’d stop you before Engineering Master Vende comes barging into the room in three… two…”
Medical’s doors parted and Vende strode into the space, his heavy boots thudding against the metal grating that made up the ship’s floor. “Have you completed the Binding?” Vende’s gaze went to their wrists. “You have. Then we must go. The shuttle is waiting.”
Lily kept her ass on the med bed. “The shuttle? Don’t we have to get Argan’s belongings from his quarters and—”
“No.” Vende wasn’t a male of many words.
Argan released her and stood to the side of the med bed, his body between Lily and Vende. “Do not speak to my mate in such a way.”
“Do not speak as if she is your mate,” Vende countered and Lily flinched. Just because they hadn’t come together the “normal” way didn’t mean she didn’t have feelings.
Argan took a large step toward Vende. “We wear the Binds—”
“As a method to bypass justice.” Vende matched Argan’s movement.
“Preor law is clear. We wear the Binds. We are bound. If you speak to Lily again—”
“You dare to threaten me again?” Vende snarled and Lily decided it was her time to speak.
She hopped from the med bed and darted around Argan to stand between the two furious males. “Okay, let’s take a chill pill up in here. Vende, quit baiting Argan.” She shot a glare at the engineering master before focusing on her mate. “Argan, ignore Vende and take me home.” Lily had one other thing to say to the other Preor male. “And if you get snippy with me again, you won’t have to worry about Argan or me. Penelope has my back.”
“Hells yeah, girlfriend.” If Penelope had her own body, Lily figured the AI would probably be snapping her fingers three times in a Z formation.
Why had she opened up Earth’s web to the ship again? Oh, right. For funsies.
Chapter Seven
Argan reminded himself—again—that he could not kill the engineering master because he interrupted at an inconvenient moment. A moment when Argan had his mouth slanted across Lily’s. A moment when he tasted her depths while he experienced her emotions.
Emotions he still could not trust. He did not know what his mate hid from him, but he would discover the truth when they were alone once more. For now, he had to tolerate other males in close proximity to his mate as they took a shuttle to the surface.
Males that did nothing but glare at Argan. He could not blame them for their anger. He had acted dishonorably and deserved death for the act like any other Preor warrior. But Lily had saved him and now he had another chance at a full life.
Standing just outside the shuttle’s back entrance, Argan scanned the group of males seated throughout the small craft. Two rows of three seats, their backs bolted to the shuttle’s interior walls, left an empty pathway to the pilot’s cabin. He was unsure who piloted the craft this day, but he did know the identities of the others.
Zafre and Tyff, two young warriors who’d been granted the task of protecting the females of Cole-Daven, the company that willingly treated sufferers of Pol Mutation caused by exposure to environmental hazards. There’d never been a treatment in the past but now… Now Cole-Daven rescued women and children who suffered the disease at no cost to them. It was a worthy cause, one Argan had supported as a warrior guard in the past.
The other two Argan knew well—Triem and Radoo. The males had stayed at his side after the injury left him Izz’bara. They did not abandon him then. They were not abandoning him now.
“Come,” he reached for Lily, savoring her touch as she placed her cool palm in his.
He drew her forward, leading her into the shuttle and toward the left side. There was additional shielding on the left to protect important mechanical systems from damage. It would shield his mate, as well.
Zafre and Tyff’s glares were heavy on his shoulders, but he looked to the others.
“Shaa kouva, this is—” he enjoyed the feel of those two words on his tongue.
Zafre snickered and a blinding rush of anger surged inside him. Anger that wasn’t his. Ah, his Lily was furious with the younger male.
“Ignore him, shaa kouva,” he murmured to her. “Zafre is young.”
“And dumb.”
Argan suppressed the smile that threatened to overtake his mouth. “As you say.” He squeezed her hand. “This male is Triem,” he gestured to the left. “And the other Radoo.” He waved at the maroon hued Preor warrior. “I have known them for over a century. Perhaps longer.”
Triem snorted. “He is so old he can no longer remember.”
“Not too old to launch you from this shuttle,” Argan drawled.
“Triem, quit baiting Argan.” Radoo rolled his eyes. An action their kind had picked up from the humans. “Can you not see that he is an old mated male, now? His mate has him by the tail and he can no longer fight back without upsetting his female.”
“Upset?” Lily scoffed. “Only if you don’t let me bet on the fight. Twenty bucks on Argan any day of the week.”
“Warriors and female, take your seats. We will depart shortly.” The crackling voice reminded him of… someone, but he could not place the male. A question for another time. Now he had to ensure that Zafre nor Tyff sat near Lily.
“Triem.” Argan tipped his head to the left and toward the front of the craft, silently ordering the male to take the left seat nearest the pilot.
Argan then sat Lily in the center seat and assisted her in securing herself before doing the same for himself. Without a look or gesture, Radoo had already taken the position Argan preferred—opposite Lily on the other side of the shuttle.
The shuttle engines flared to life, the rumble shaking the craft. Alarms in the bay blared and lights flashed, announcing a vehicle’s upcoming departure. The back doors slowly closed, cutting off the high-pitched sound and casting them in shadows.
Then the engines were stressed, the craft tremblin
g in a new way that signified movement. The inertial dampeners came alive, anchoring them as the shuttle sped through the bay and then out into the blackness of space.
“It’s so beautiful,” Lily whispered, gaze on one of the displays that revealed the world beyond the shuttle. “I can’t believe how peaceful it is.”
He glanced at his mate out of the corner of his eye. “Did you never take the time to enjoy the view when you came to the battleship?”
She winced, and he sensed her embarrassment. Uneasiness? Nervousness? About not taking time to view the world around her? He was unsure why that simple fact caused so many confusing emotions.
“Uh, I guess I was just busy.” She nibbled her lower lip, the soft flesh turning pink the longer she held it captive. “You know, when I took the shuttle to the ship.”
Argan did not need the presence of the Binds to know that Lily now lied. It was obvious to all males nearby.
“Shaa kouva,” he leaned close.
“Yeah?”
“You do not lie well. You should not try.”
“You.” She pointed at him, mouth hanging open. “I wouldn’t…” She closed her mouth and then opened it again, gasping like an Earth fish. “I don’t know how. I would never… Lie? Me?”
“Yes,” Radoo grunted. “You. Even I can see the lies in your head.”
Lily glared at his friend. “Nobody asked you, Mr. Grape.”
“I am Radoo.” He placed his palm in the center of his chest and then focused on Argan. “Did the Binds alter your mate’s mind so much that she forgets so easily?” Then he looked upon Lily again. “I will speak slowly for you, female. I am Raaa-ddddooo.”
Lily turned her attention to Argan. “Is he for real?”
“He is very real.” Argan nodded. “Did the Binds alter your mind? I did not believe so but perhaps we should turn around and—”
And the shuttle shuddered, metal body trembling and shaking them all. It jerked left and then right, swinging side to side like a broken-winged Preor. As quickly as it had shaken, it then flew straight, settling into a calm glide for another few breaths.
Argan remained tense, waiting to see if the erratic behavior was truly at an end, though the others had already relaxed into their seats. They each took shuttles often. Perhaps this behavior was normal? He would have to defer to Radoo’s greater knowledge and that male was already at ease. Perhaps…
The shuttle rose and then dropped straight down, yanking their bodies against their seat straps. The strong strips of fabric dug into his flesh and pulled at his wing base, bones and flesh throbbing with the strain. His dragon stirred, snarling at the rush of pain. It demanded he end the increasing ache. If he would not, the dragon decided it would. It would take control and—
And cause pain to our mate.
The dragon’s thoughts stuttered and ceased as it pondered Argan’s words. It did not like the implication. Disliked it more than it disliked the pain.
The shuttle surged up, slamming them all into their seats once more. That turned into a jarring bounce, and then he heard the precursor to death that anyone who had ever traveled in a ship instinctively knew. That creak. That whine. That groan.
Metal losing its battle against nature.
“What the fuck!” Lily screeched, and her fear flooded his mind. It consumed him with her panic and rising terror. “What’s happening? Penelope!”
Lily’s yells were followed by the pilot’s voice, the volume fighting the sounds of the shuttle tearing. “In atmosphere. Engines not responding. Prepare for water landing.”
“Penelope, god dammit! Get us out of here!”
Some minds could not handle stress and broke. It seemed Lily had one of those minds. As if the ship could somehow help them as they plummeted to Earth?
Impossible.
“Don’t curse at me. I’m not the one who crawled into a tuna can.” Penelope’s familiar voice filled the area. “And unless you stabilize your crash—”
“Water landing,” the pilot interrupted Penelope.
“—I can’t get a lock, and if I can’t get a lock, you’re going to experience a water landing.”
* * *
Lily glared at the ceiling. “Sarcasm? Really?”
She was so reformatting the bitch as soon as she got a computer in her hands. But first, she had to work with this bucket of circuits to save them. Her thoughts spun—or maybe that was the shuttle? Regardless, she sought out the plans for the Preor craft within her mind, digging through the data she’d crammed into her skull. Fuck, it was a lot of data. She really needed to go through it later and dump the unneeded shit.
Like the porn. Apparently the Preor warriors downloaded a bunch of Earth porn. She didn’t have to ponder the whys. Not while they continued their free-fall.
“Is sarcasm inappropriate? I believe it is commonly used to relieve tense situations.” Penelope sounded legitimately confused and Lily fought for calm.
Not just because she was annoyed with the ship. Also because she’d need it for the next few minutes if she was going to save them all.
Lily reached for the buckles of her restraints, pushing and pulling while she fought the straps. “Not in life-or-death situations.”
“Shaa kouva, you must remain seated.” Argan grasped her wrist, not allowing her to continue.
“I need to get to the pilot.” She yanked against his hold.
“He is busy—”
“Letting us crash. I can fix that.” Maybe. Sort of. Okay, the shuttle would be a loss but maybe she could save their asses.
“PILOT stated it is a water landing,” Radoo interrupted.
Lily should get an award for being patient with the big lugs.
Argan glared at his friend and she jarred his arm to get his attention again. “Yes, shaa kouva?”
If she wasn’t panicking about well, dying, she’d find the endearment sweet. “You need to trust me. Let me go speak with the pilot. I can fix this.”
He shook his head. “The shuttle’s flight is erratic, and you could be harmed.”
“I’ll also be dead if we hit the water,” she stated flatly. “Let me go.”
Argan’s fear and anger nearly overwhelmed her, sending her into a trembling heap rather than the determined woman she’d been moments ago. He was truly afraid of the idea of her getting hurt—of losing her.
For a moment, she ignored their free fall and simply focused on her mate. She covered his hand with hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Trust me. You fight with a sword. I fight with my mind. This is something I can fight.”
“Lily,” he rasped, and his voice reached into her. It wrapped around her heart and squeezed, the beat stuttering with the strength of his worry.
“I’ve got this.” Maybe. Hopefully.
Argan’s jaw hardened and a blanket of resolve wrapped around her shoulders. He released her wrist and reached for her restraints. His actions were quick and smooth, fingers pressing and twisting buckles until the spider web of straps fell away.
Now for the hard part.
Lily pushed to her feet and stumbled forward, grasping any firm object to keep herself upright. A metal bar, a bit of dangling net… she might have dug her fingers into someone’s hair and fisted the strands. It might have also been on purpose.
She’d teach Zafre to glare at her mate. The jerk.
Now isn’t the time, Lily. Now isn’t the time.
But if she was about to die, now was the only time.
No, she wasn’t going to die and neither would these fierce warriors. She wouldn’t let them.
She shuffled the last few steps and leaned against the wall, before reaching for the pad beside the door. Normally, it’d take nothing more than a push of a button to gain access to the cockpit. During a “water landing,” though, the front of the shuttle went on lockdown. It could only be accessed with the correct code. Or the backdoor code Lily programmed. 80085, also known as BOOBS. Childish yet memorable.
The door slid aside, and she met
the pilot’s surprised gaze—his mouth hanging open and eyes wide while his hands became motionless on the control panel.
“Hey, how ya doin’?” She grinned, feigning a confidence she didn’t have. “So, I hear we’re in for a water landing.”
“And you bitched at me for sarcasm?” Penelope huffed.
“I’m trying to put the man at ease, bitch.”
“Just plug in already. There’s still time but the ground is coming up awfully fast.”
Lily was sure that came from a movie, but she couldn’t recall which. “Yeah, yeah…” she grumbled and plopped into the copilot’s chair. “Where can I jack in already?”
“The mech bot installed one behind the maintenance hatch between the two control panels. Standard 3.5-millimeter port.”
“Perfect,” she mumbled and got to work, tugging on the panel. When that didn’t work, she yanked and pulled and jerked. And the thing was still shut. She looked up and met the pilot’s stare and then flicked her attention to the panel. “Little help here?”
His expression remained shocked as ever, but at least he listened to her and removed the panel. It looked damned easy too. Bastard. The sheet of metal fell away, and Lily found their salvation front and center—a 3.5-millimeter port with a cord attached to the interior’s casing.
“Aw, you even left me a cable.”
“Duh, of course,” Penelope scoffed. The little AI did care.
Lily got to work, pulling the cord out and unwinding it. One end went into the shuttle’s port and the other… She reached into the mass of her hair with her right hand while she clutched the other end of the cable in her left. With practiced ease, she found the spot she sought, the small indentation at the base of her skull that would save them all.
She brought the blunted tip of the cord to that notch and pushed, sliding the metal into its new biotech home. A jolt of electricity bounced through her mind for a moment, her processors reacting to the invasion. Like a body’s immune system, it went on the offensive, searching for the best way to infiltrate and integrate with whatever happened to be at the end of the cable. This time, it was the shuttle’s controls—a familiar interface.