Dovis

by Laurann Dohner

  She inhaled…and once more loved the way he smelled. Better than food when she had gone too long without eating. Her body began to do funny things again, too. Her nipples beaded and an ache started between her legs. Part of her began to throb down there.

  She’d forgotten to stay away from him. Mari knew she was breathing faster.

  Dovis’s soft brown eyes widened as they stared at each other. His nostrils flared, and his hold on her hand tightened. “Shit.”

  “I forgot.”

  Her gaze lowered to his lips, and for some reason she wanted to touch them. She hesitated for just a second before reaching up with her free hand and lightly brushing her fingertips against them. They were firm but pleasant. The texture wasn’t quite like her own.

  She jerked her hand back, realizing what she’d done.

  “Fuck.” Dovis’s voice deepened. “I need to leave.” He released her hand. “Now.” He spun around and activated the door to open.

  Mari didn’t want him to go. She had freedom and a new life. She was a female human in her twenties. Last time she’d caught his scent, her body had ached for a long time. The idea of sex made her curious, and she’d seen the captain kissing Nara. It looked nice. “Stay! Please?”

  He paused.

  “Please stay. Will you at least kiss me?”

  He faced her and took a step forward, the door closing at his back. “You don’t mean that.”

  “I do.” She stepped closer.

  “You’re only attracted to me because of the bite.”

  “Maybe…but I still want you to kiss me.” He’d also saved her life. She was smart enough not to mention that to him though.

  No one had really cared about her enough to break rules. Captain Cathian had implied if anyone ever found out what Dovis had done that he could be killed. Maybe he’d only taken the risk because she was crew…but she stared at his mouth, wanting to feel it against hers anyway. He was so handsome without the snout. Less frightening.

  He moved closer still. “Don’t hate me later. Swear.”

  “My promise is given.”

  He grabbed her waist, making her gasp at how fast he could move—and then his mouth covered hers.

  Her lips were parted from the sound she’d just made, and his tongue delved inside, meeting hers.

  She thought he smelled wonderful, but his taste was even better.

  Mari moaned, clutching his shoulders. Thoughts left her mind and all she could do was feel.

  Dovis kissed the hell out of Mari. She tasted sweet and his body felt on fire. The idea of shifting back to fur at that moment was something he feared, but the urge didn’t surface.

  He lifted Mari off the floor and she wrapped her thighs around his hips. He had to tear his mouth from hers to watch where he walked. He made it to her bed and placed her on the mattress, following her down.

  He licked her throat and placed kisses there. Her little fingers were tearing at his uniform, trying to get to skin. He freed one of his arms and reached to the side of his shirt, fumbling with the hidden flap, and finally tore it open. He had to lift off her to remove the entire thing and toss it away.

  Mari’s eyes were wide. She panted and ran her hands along his bare chest. Her touch on his sensitive skin nearly drove him insane.

  He wanted her. His shaft swelled until his uniform pants were almost painful. He stared into her eyes. “Tell me to stop.”

  “More,” she whispered. Her hands seemed frantic as they stroked his skin from his chest to his bare shoulders. She dug her short fingernails into his skin and tried to pull him closer.

  “Damn it, Mari. This is just from my saliva.”

  “Don’t care. Please! I hurt.” She released his shoulder and eased a hand between her legs. “Right there. It throbs.”

  He inhaled the scent of her arousal and snarled, lifting up and pulling away from her hold. She made a sound of protest but he ignored it, grabbing her little feet and tearing off her foot covers, tossing them aside. He bent, reaching for her pants next. They had one overlapping button he just tore off before yanking the material down her legs. Humans didn’t appear to wear undergarments…or at least an ex-slave didn’t.

  She had a small bit of fur between her legs. The scent of her need was stronger minus the clothes, and he dropped to his knees, grabbed her thighs, and yanked her to the edge of the bed.

  “You asked for this, Mari. Don’t forget.”

  “What are you doing?” She tried to sit up and close her legs.

  He didn’t let her. Instead, he spread her thighs wider and buried his face in that little patch of fur.

  The taste of her on his tongue had him snarling with need.

  She moaned and her fingers plunged into his hair. She didn’t try to tear him away though, as he licked and tasted her.

  The hard little nub he licked made her moan louder. He remembered what he’d read about humans when he’d researched what Cathian might do to feed from Nara, after she’d been brought onboard when his friend was in heat.

  He sucked and licked on her clit. He had to hold her down when she bucked her hips as if he were hurting her, but he knew better from the pleasured sounds she made. The scent of her arousal grew stronger, and then she cried out his name. The little nub he focused on began to soften slightly.

  He gently stopped and released her thighs, straightening to see her face.

  Mari’s eyes were closed, her pale skin flush as her breathing raced.

  He reached down, opened his uniform pants, and let his shaft free. Dovis gripped her legs, lifted them to rest on the his hips, and slid one hand under her waist to pull her closer. He looked down as he lined them up, until the tip of his shaft pressed against her flesh.

  “Mari, are you certain?”

  She opened her eyes and met his gaze. “Yes.”

  “I’ll be careful.” Humans liked facing positions, from what he’d read. He could see her expression and it would let him know if he caused her pain. She looked small down there, but he pushed against her slit. She was really wet. A groan tore from him as he aimed thick tip of himself against the slit of her pussy. He paused and then released the base of his shaft, getting a good hold on Mari’s hip. He pushed in all the way in one swift thrust.

  She cried out, and he lowered his upper body, pinning her under him as he took possession of her mouth. He was buried deep inside her tight sheath. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and he kissed her. She hesitated for a few seconds but then began to respond. He withdrew a little, paused, and pushed back inside her body.

  He loved the way she felt. Wet, snug around him, and so hot. Soft even there. He thrust slow and steady, liking the way she wrapped her legs around his waist, their bodies pressed against each other. He wished he’d removed her shirt, though.

  He broke the kiss, allowed his hand to shift to claws, and carefully tore open the material to see her breasts.

  They were beautiful. Not too large…the perfect size. He dipped his head to taste one of her taut pink nipples. She moaned again.

  He rocked his hips faster and her moans grew louder.

  She felt perfect and so right. His balls tightened and he knew he was going to expel his seed soon.

  Mari dug her fingernails into his back, clawing him. It increased his pleasure.

  He released her nipple with his mouth. “Harder,” he urged.

  Her nails dug into his skin, and he knew she was probably leaving scratches along his back. He fucked her faster. Her sex tightened around him and then she threw back her head, almost screaming. It hurt his ears but he didn’t care as he stopped holding back, thrusting harder.

  His seed expelled, ecstasy ripping from his balls upward to his brain.

  He braced his arms to keep his weight from crushing her as he slowed his thrusts until every drop of his seed was inside her. He didn’t want to move, enjoying the feel of her pinned under him with her limbs wrapped around his body. Their skin touched everywhere. That felt good, too, but not as amazing as wha
t they’d just shared.

  Mari cleared her throat, and he looked down to find her watching him. She smiled. “You vibrate down there.”

  Her words confused him. “I don’t understand.”

  “You were kind of growling the entire time, and it gave off vibrations.” Her cheeks turned pink. “Can I see you down there?”

  She surprised him again. “You want to see my shaft?”

  She nodded.

  He’d already shown himself in skin, and they’d bred, so he agreed. “Fine. Release me.”

  She hesitated but finally eased her hold around his neck and his hips. He pushed off the bed and got up from his knees on the floor to stand. Mari sat up and stared at his groin.

  Her eyes widened…and he looked down.

  Red blood was smeared on his shaft, which remained semi-hard still.

  “Is that normal? I’m not on my monthly cycle. I would have warned you.”

  Her innocent question jerked him out of his shock. “No.” He bent, pressed her onto her back, and spread her legs again. There was red blood on her sex now. It hadn’t been there before he’d inserted his shaft. “Shit! I think I hurt you. That’s not my blood. It’s yours. I’d know the scent anywhere after biting you.”

  “It was my first time. Maybe that’s why? It hurt for a split second when you entered me, but then it felt so good it didn’t matter.”

  “You’ve never been bred before?”

  “No.”

  He held out his hand. “Stand.”

  She took his hand and he pulled her up. He spun her away from him and wrapped one of his arms around her waist, pulling her against him. “I’m going to bite you. It will heal whatever damage I did. You were very tight.” He used his other hand to move her hair from her neck, then dipped his head. She was short, but he bent low to reach her shoulder and lick her skin.

  He shifted back to his other form and gently sank his teeth into her flesh.

  Mari gasped, stiffening in his hold, but she didn’t try to pull away. He tasted her blood, tempted to drink, but withdrew his fangs, licking at the bite before inspecting it. The puncture wounds sealed almost instantly. He leaned in again and licked away any blood, cleaning her.

  Mari squirmed against him.

  “Hold still.”

  “You’re making me ache between my legs again. Throb,” she whispered.

  He flinched when she peered up at him. He waited for her to jerk away, since he was in his normal form, but she didn’t. She seemed calm. He adjusted his hold on her waist and his claws brushed lightly over her skin, where her torn shirt gaped open. It reminded him that he’d hurt her if he took her again the way he was.

  “Lay down on the bed and take off that damn shirt.”

  She yanked off the torn material and tossed it aside.

  He hated to see the sight of blood on her thighs. He’d done that to her…but on some species, it happened their first time. She wouldn’t be in any pain, now that he’d bitten her, any damage he’d done repaired.

  He bent, removing his shoes and his pants as he forced the fur to recede. His jaw ached from two changes so close together, but it didn’t matter. There was no way he’d risk hurting her. He crawled onto her bed in skin.

  “Are you certain you want me again, Mari?”

  She held his gaze, reaching for him. “Yes.”

  Chapter Eight

  Dovis woke on his back and stared up at the cabin ceiling. They’d never dimmed the lights before falling asleep.

  He was stunned. He’d bred with Mari four times, until she’d passed out. He’d just meant to close his eyes for a few moments, but he’d fallen asleep, too.

  She currently dozed as she lay mostly on top of him, her head resting on his chest. One of her hands moved from time to time along his rib cage, as if she were assuring herself in her sleep that he remained in her bed. It tickled a little.

  He’d never slept with a female before. Brothel workers were paid by the hour. He bred them once or twice, then left. That was the sum of his sexual history. What if Mari regretted what they’d done together?

  His stomach churned…because he didn’t.

  Raff’s words haunted him. Could he keep Mari interested in him if he kept biting her? Was that even fair?

  He moved his hand carefully, untangling it from her long hair that spilled across her back, part of him, and over the bed. She had a lot of it, but he liked the silky texture.

  Mari stirred and lifted her head. Their gazes met and she surprised him by smiling.

  “You stayed.”

  “Did you want me to leave?”

  “No.”

  “Are you angry over what we did?”

  Her smile faded and she looked confused. “Why would I be?”

  He sighed. “Mari, my bite arouses you. It could be viewed as if I’d drugged you.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “It is. You only showed sexual interest in me after I bit you.”

  She stared into his eyes for long seconds. He prepared for the worst. For her to order him to get out and turn angry, now that he’d pointed out the truth. It was her right to accuse him of taking advantage of her. Hell, he felt guilty.

  “I knew what your bite did to my body, but I still approached you. You tried to leave. I asked you to stay. You even kept asking me if I was certain of what I wanted every step of the way. I wasn’t lying when I said yes. Don’t make this into something bad, Dovis. Please?”

  He gently stroked her cheek. “I feel like I didn’t leave you much choice. I should have been stronger but I wanted you too badly. I’m sorry, Mari.”

  She rolled away from him and got out of bed, almost running into the bathroom. The door slammed behind her.

  He watched her go and snarled, sitting up. “Damn it.”

  He stood and began to dress. He shifted back to fur and finished putting on his uniform. then took a seat on the edge of the bed. Mari took her time, but she finally came out, her hair wet and a towel wrapped around her body. She looked surprised to see him waiting for her.

  “We need to talk about this, Mari.”

  She shook her head. “We don’t. You regret what we did. I’m just an ex-slave and you’re head of security. It would embarrass you if anyone ever found out you’d lowered yourself to visit my cabin, that we had sex. That’s why you snuck in. I won’t tell anyone.” She went to offer her palm by raising her hand toward him but then stopped herself, wrapping her arms around her body instead. “You have my word.”

  He rose to his feet and frowned. “That’s not it. I’m afraid you’ll regret what we did once you have time to think about it. You were obviously saving your body for your mate.”

  Her eyes widened as she gaped at him. “No. That’s not what I was doing.”

  “I’m the first male who’s ever bred you. It’s why you bled.”

  “Who was I supposed to be with? Fellow slaves? A Ricket? There was one human male slave at the station. The Teki usually only bought females. I hated him. He was older and mean. And the Teki thought I was ugly. I wasn’t attracted to any of the other alien slaves. No one interested me until you, Dovis.”

  He felt confused. “Nara thinks I look like Earth’s version of a dog. A type called a werewolf.”

  “I don’t know what a werewolf is.” She studied his face. “But you look good right now to me too. I admit, I’m a little worried about kissing your muzzle, though. Your teeth are sharper.” She shocked him by coming closer and reaching up, gently touching his face. “Your fur is soft. Do you want me to kiss you to prove I find you attractive no matter what you look like?”

  He backed away. “No. I’d hurt you in his form.” He lifted his hand, showing her the claws. “Not only would kissing me be painful, but my touch would be, too.”

  “Oh.”

  “I should leave. The attraction you feel for me isn’t real, Mari. It’s from my bite. I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you. I…I am sorry.”

  He left her cabin fast befo
re he could beg her forgiveness. The hallways were empty as he made his way back to his cabin on another level without running into the crew. The Pods would probably know where he’d been. Sometimes he hated having them onboard, but they were crew. He doubted they’d tell Cathian or anyone else what he’d done.

  In his room, he stripped down and showered. Messages waited for him when he checked. Cathian wanted him to undock them from the station and head toward Callon, where they needed to visit to purchase those pets the Tryleskians had asked them to buy.

  He put on a fresh uniform and commed his friend.

  “Were you sleeping? I assumed so since you didn’t answer my hails.”

  He wanted to confess to Cathian what he’d done with Mari but didn’t. “Yes.” It was the truth. He’d gotten a few hours of sleep. “Everyone is back onboard?”

  “Yes. Raff was the last to return.”

  “I’ll go to the bridge now.”

  “Mari said the engines should work perfectly and requested I keep a few spare parts. I bought them.”

  “Good. I’d hate a repeat of what we just went through.”

  “I would too.” Cathian paused. “Are you feeling alright? You sound off.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Did you visit the station? York said he left you a message but you didn’t answer him either. He wanted to visit a brothel and said your mood might improve if you went with him.”

  “No. I’m on my way to the bridge.”

  “We could undock in six hours if you want to go get laid first. I’m not exactly looking forward to buying a few hundred animals to transport home.”

  “I don’t want to visit the brothel.”

  “Fine. Undock us and get us to Callon, then.”

  He left his cabin and reached the bridge. The three Pods were waiting for him. He snarled. “Great.”

  One blinked up at him. “Her feelings are hurt.”

  “You made her cry while she showered, and feel ashamed,” Two muttered. “Asshole.”

  Three, usually the happiest of the three, just glowered at him.