Jakkar watched them, fighting the urge to demand that she remain with him so that he could hold her and watch over her. Shoving the impulse aside, he left the main cave and found Teron leaning against the rock face. His rage flared at the sight of the Ithyian even though his brain recognized the truth of Melia’s earlier words.
“I failed them, warrior.” The man’s voice was troubled and he could hear the same guilt in his words that he felt. Jakkar forced himself to respond rationally.
“You tried to protect them. You have proven yourself. I will no longer chain you.” He strode back into the cave to lie, sleepless, on his lonely pallet.
The next day was worse. Anna avoided him whenever possible, flinched when he approached her, and wouldn’t look at him when he tried to talk to her. When night came, she scurried into Melia’s alcove with her as if she was fleeing for her life.
By the third day, his guilt and anger were driving him crazy. He snarled at everyone, knowing that the harsh sounds only made her more afraid, but he was unable to stop himself. The need to hold her, to feel her safe in his arms, was an almost physical pain. And much more than he cared to admit, he missed her soft body against him in the night, missed their late afternoons by the bathing pool, missed the sweet sound of her laughter. Goddess, he even missed her arguing with him. His warrior instincts demanded that he assert his claim on her but there was no desire in her eyes, only fear, and he would not force himself on her.
That night, he tried to talk to her as bed time approached, but she hid against Melia’s shoulder again. Frustrated, angry, and unexpectedly desolate, he stalked out of the cave and into the night.
“Anna, why are you doing this?” Melia pulled back and lifted Anna’s face from her shoulder.
“What do you mean?” she asked although she already knew where the conversation was going.
“Jakkar did not hurt you; Jakkar saved you. And yet you treat him as if he was the one who tried to rape you.”
“It’s not that, it’s just…” Anna searched for words. “He killed Smerg, with his bare hands.” Every time she closed her eyes, she could hear the bone snapping and see Smerg’s head rolling across the clearing.
“He killed Smerg to protect you. Would you rather he patted him on his head and sent him on his way?”
“No, of course not.” She shivered at the memory of her helpless terror but the picture of Jakkar standing there covered in blood, his face a savage, alien mask, still haunted her. She had finally seen the violence he carried so close to the surface, and she wasn’t sure if she could move past it.
“He is a warrior. It is what he does. He would give his life to save you.”
“I know he saved me. I was praying for him to come, but when he did he was so frightening. He scared me,” she admitted.
Teron was sitting quietly in his usual place beside the fire but he looked up and spoke at her words. “He would never hurt you.”
Both women looked at him in surprise. His cheeks darkened under their stare but he continued in the same quiet voice. “I am not a warrior but I understand his pain. I failed to protect either of you.” His eyes flicked to Melia but he dropped his gaze when she smiled at him.
“It is tearing him apart that he didn’t get there sooner, that you were hurt,” Melia added. “When you shrink away every time he gets near to you, you just make it worse.”
Anna stared at her in dismay. She hated to think of Jakkar blaming himself for what had happened. Despite her current fear, she was still desperately grateful that Jakkar had come for her. She just didn’t know if she could feel safe with him again.
“What should I do?” she asked.
“You know what to do. Go to him. Talk to him.” Melia paused and added drily. “And if you just let him touch you, I’m pretty sure I will spend the rest of the night covering my ears.”
Anna gasped and laughed, and gathered enough courage to follow Jakkar out into the night. He was standing not far away, staring up into the night sky. His massive body tensed at her presence but he didn’t speak. She stood next to him, overwhelmingly conscious of his size and strength as she fought down her fear. Trying to calm her breathing, she followed his gaze up into the endless heavens. She was out so rarely after dark that the mass of stars that filled the sky was always a shock. The two moons were low on the horizon and she remembered their first night together. It gave her the courage to open her mouth.
“I miss you.” Her voice quivered. She hadn’t realized what she was going to say until it was out, but it was the truth.
He turned and looked at her and she cringed slightly, waiting for the memory of his blood-covered face to fill her vision. Instead all she saw was the face she knew so well, his jaw tightening at her reaction. He looked down at her frightened face and growled in frustration. “I am sorry that I failed you. I will not do so again.”
He started to turn away and she reached out and touched his arm. Her fingers were trembling but the familiar feel of his warm skin and taut muscles was unexpectedly calming.
“You didn’t fail me. Thank you for saving me.”
He was still facing away from her but she felt the tremor that ran through him at her words and she tugged on his arm gently, then harder when he didn’t respond. At the second pull, he turned and gathered her in his arms, his mouth descending on hers in that hard, hot kiss that left her helpless every time. It felt like coming home. Crying and laughing at once, she flung her arms around his neck and returned his kiss with equal intensity. He groaned and lifted her up in his arms, carrying her to the trees and laying her down on the soft moss underneath.
“You are mine to protect. Do not turn away from me again.” His voice was harsh and a shiver of dread ran up her spine, but she could see the torment she had caused in his eyes. She nodded quietly and his eyes flared to gold. Very carefully, he opened her jumpsuit and drew it away from her body. Remnants of fear still plucked at her nerves and she couldn’t help tensing, but his big hands were gentle as he ran them across her skin, leaving a trail of fire behind. He lowered his mouth to her skin and tenderly caressed every bruise, every mark that still stained her skin, worshipping her with his tongue and his hands until she was clutching at his shoulders.
“Do you trust me?” He raised his head as he spoke and looked at her. His voice was still harsh but her fear had dissipated under the tenderness in his touch. She had asked herself the same question once before and hadn’t known the answer. Now she stared up at his stern, hard face and realized that, despite the emotional turmoil of the past few days, she no longer had any doubts.
“With my life.”
Triumph flashed across his face at her response but it was the fierce tenderness in his eyes that tugged at her heart. He lowered his mouth and kissed her until her toes curled and her breathing turned ragged. Then he slid lower and parted her trembling thighs. One broad stroke of his tongue from swollen clit to anus and she almost came apart.
“You always taste so sweet,” he rumbled, the vibration of his voice adding to the sensations. Slowly he lapped up and down her cleft, just teasing her swollen bud with an occasional quick stroke. One thick finger plunged into her tight pussy and she writhed around it, loving the feeling, wanting more. He pulled out and the finger drifted lower, spreading her juices and teasing the puckered rosette of her anus, awakening nerves she didn’t even know she had. He pressed his finger gently against the tiny opening and her heart pounded in her chest.
His mouth swept up, tugging at her engorged clit until she was surging against him as his finger pushed through the tight ring of muscle. One more lash of his tongue and he plunged his finger completely inside her. She cried out and shattered around him.
He paused for a moment, tongue still sweeping back and forth and sending aftershocks quivering through her system, and then he turned her over gently. The moss was like a soft tongue against her throbbing nipples and she whimpered as he pulled her body back to his. Jakkar was on his knees behind her, drawing her hip
s up over his lap.
He entered her with the long, slow stroke that never failed to set her pussy quivering as she stretched around his massive cock. He stroked back and forth several times before letting his fingers slip down into the deep crevice of her buttocks. Her nerves were still tingling from his earlier entry and she pushed back against him. The incredible feeling as he slipped his finger back into her had every part of her body throbbing. Soft continuous moans of pleasure slipped from her lips.
Then another finger was pressing against the already stretched opening, while he continued the long deep strokes of his cock into her throbbing pussy. Her senses were overloading and she tensed but he kept pushing until both fingers were inside.
“Too much,” she moaned, but he only growled and pulled her closer.
“Trust me. This is only the beginning. Soon you will take my cock here as well.”
Dark desire washed over her at his words and heightened her arousal. The sensation of fullness was right on the edge of pain and fired every nerve in her body. She panted and pushed back against him as he thrust harder and harder, the moss rubbing against her nipples with every stroke, and he took a final deep stroke and widened his fingers as his cock swelled even larger inside the tight confines of her pussy. She screamed and came so hard that white lights exploded behind her eyes while his hot seed pulsed inside her.
Her body collapsed forward and he followed her down, rolling them to the side so that he could curl around her body.
“You belong to me, little human,” he growled in her ear. “I will never let anything happen to you again.”
With a deep sigh, she turned into his arms and buried her face in his chest, safe once more.
Chapter Fourteen
Anna was too drained to move after her reconciliation with Jakkar, so he simply wrapped her jumpsuit around her and carried her back to the cave—where he proceeded to make love to her again with such gentle, but persistent, enthusiasm that she forgot her exhaustion and had to muffle her cries against his shoulder.
She awoke in the morning feeling contented, and slightly sore. Deciding to talk Melia into a morning trip to the bathing pool, she bounced out to the main cavern. Melia was not in her usual place by the fire and Teron was not in sight.
“Melia,” she called cautiously, peering into her sleeping alcove. Melia was lying on her moss pallet, panting, and Teron was crouched next to her, holding her hand. He looked up at her and said quietly, “It has begun.”
Panic streaked through Anna but she tried to keep her voice calm. “Have you seen Jakkar?”
“The warrior left before I was awake.”
Damn. Didn’t Jakkar realize that every time he left her, something went wrong? The panic surged higher but she forced it down. “I’m going to take a look outside and see if he is within reach.” She looked around the small, dim chamber. “I think we will need light. Can she move to the main cavern?”
“I can walk,” Melia said in a shaky voice and tried to sit up. She immediately cried out and clutched her stomach. The blanket fell away as she moved and Anna’s shocked brain briefly noticed that she was naked before she saw the ripple, visible even in the weak light, which swept across her stomach.
Teron reached out and gathered Melia and her blanket gently into his arms. “Find the warrior,” he said. “I will start preparations.”
Anna raced out of the cavern searching frantically for Jakkar’s tall figure. Relief swept over her as she saw him returning from the falls, and she rushed to meet him. He smiled and reached for her, but she just grabbed his hand and started towing him back to the cave. “Melia,” she gasped. “She’s having the baby.”
He immediately joined her in hurrying back. Jakkar growled as he reached the entrance and saw Teron holding Melia, but he subsided as he watched the Ithyian carefully place her on his pallet. Teron started to turn to the fire but Melia grabbed his hand.
“The prayers.” She gasped. “You promised.”
Teron sent a helpless look to Jakkar and Anna but knelt back down by Melia’s side, still holding her hand, and began reciting words in a low voice.
Anna turned to Jakkar, keeping her voice low, as the alarm started to flare again and whispered desperately, “I don’t know what to do.”
“Be calm,” he soothed. “The body knows what to do. Gather the supplies and put some water on to heat.”
“Supplies? We don’t have any supplies.” Even she could hear the panic in her voice.
Jakkar shook her slightly. “Little human, concentrate,” he said sternly. His firm voice was calming and she took a deep breath and nodded. He smiled and ran a gentle finger down her cheek. “Go.”
Anna went to the fire and added water to the heating container before going to the supply cave and pulling out the medical kit. From Melia’s alcove, she retrieved the set of small diapers and blankets they had cut from a larger white cloth. Focusing on the small tasks helped Anna push back her fear, and she was calmer by the time she returned to Melia.
Teron was still crouched by her side, holding her hand and chanting the birthing prayers. Jakkar knelt behind Melia and supported her upper body. Melia was panting and seemed to be counting with each breath. Anna could see her belly still pulsing under the blanket. The movement slowed and with a final deep breath, Melia stopped panting and opened her eyes. She smiled weakly at Anna. “It won’t be long.”
Anna nodded and straightened her spine. She dropped the scissors and a length of thread into the now boiling water and laid a clean blanket under Melia. There was nothing else she could do except wait.
Time seemed to stretch infinitely as the three of them crouched around the laboring woman. Melia writhed and panted, in obvious pain but never making a sound. Her hair twisted in reflective agony. Jakkar’s face was grim and pale but he supported her with gentle hands. Teron kept up the quiet string of prayers although his voice grew hoarse, and Anna saw him wince each time a pang seized Melia and she clamped down harder on his hand. Anna knelt between Melia’s legs, counting down each contraction and watching as her body spread in preparation.
Melia made a high whining noise and with a gush of dark purple fluid, a head appeared. Gently Anna supported the baby’s head, urging Melia on, while Jakkar raised her upper body higher. Another whimper and the baby slid into Anna’s hands. He gasped and cried, high and thin in the quiet chamber. Tears were streaming down Anna’s face as she gently wiped the fluids from the tiny purple body and wrapped him in a cloth. His hands were waving in the air and as she reached to tuck them into the blanket, he grabbed her finger with surprising strength.
Anna’s heart flipped in her chest and a fierce wave of intense protectiveness swept over her. She would do anything to protect the tiny life in her arms. Even kill, she thought with grim intensity, suddenly understanding the nature of Jakkar’s violence. A knot she hadn’t realized was still there unwound. Looking up, she met Jakkar’s eyes and smiled at him. “I’m sorry,” she mouthed silently, as she handed the baby to Melia.
Melia’s eyes were also filled with tears and she nestled the small figure to her breast. The fine strands of white hair on the baby’s head stirred as he came into contact with his mother. As the baby began to suckle, Teron fell silent at last and Melia looked at him gratefully. “Thank you.” Her voice was a thin thread, but he smiled and bowed his head. Anna carefully cut the cord and tied it off, and Jakkar eased Melia down to the pallet. She curled on her side, watching her son feed with tired eyes.
Anna moved to the side, exhaustion overtaking her, and Jakkar pulled her into his arms. Together they watched the mother and child, and Anna had a sudden pang of envy. What would it be like to have Jakkar’s baby? She wanted to share this with him, with the man she loved. Love? The idea startled her even as she realized how much she did love him. When had this man with his devastating touch and his unexpected gentleness become so important to her? The thought of losing him almost stole her breath away. The thought of having his child filled her with
a hopeless longing. He was a different species, it was never going to happen, and yet a yearning ache filled her at the thought. Tears threatened again, even though she knew she was being a sentimental idiot. He felt the tension in her body and whispered in her ear, “What’s wrong? You did a wonderful job.”
“Melia did all the work,” she whispered back, but she didn’t turn and look at him, afraid he would see the longing in her eyes. Did he even feel the same way? He was so possessive, so protective, but perhaps he would be like that with any woman that he spent time with. Involuntarily, her hands curled into fists at the thought of Jakkar with another woman—the idea was unbearable. It was also irrational considering that apparently the only two women on this entire planet were Anna and Melia. Perhaps there were some advantages to shipwrecks after all. The thought made her smile and she sighed and relaxed against his broad chest. His arms tightened around her, strong and warm. As long as they were together, she would be happy.
Two days later, Jakkar finally tore Anna away from Melia and the baby—now officially named Demil T’Ron DuLass—long enough to join him at the bathing pool.
“Are you in a hurry?” she teased as he pulled her along and she pretended to drag her feet.
“Yes,” he growled, and her breath caught at the sight of his eyes already darkening to gold. Her stomach clenched and moisture flooded her thighs. They had all been taking turns with the baby, and Anna had been too exhausted to do more than nestle in Jakkar’s arms during the brief periods they had to rest. She quickened her pace to match his.
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