She was obviously wearing one of Melia’s formal gowns, but what had been regal and elegant on Melia’s slender body turned sensual and inviting on Anna’s ripe curves. The draped neckline curved so low across her chest that he could almost see the pink flash of her areolas every time she breathed. The soft, green silk that actually covered her body clung tightly to her breasts, revealing her tightened nipples before swirling down across the soft curves of her stomach and circling the gentle swell of her hips. Both sides of the dress were slit from the ankle-length hem to high on each hip, revealing tantalizing glimpses of her legs from golden thighs to small, bare feet. His cock hardened so quickly that he actually felt light-headed from the blood rushing straight to his engorged flesh.
The sound of indrawn breath behind him snapped Jakkar out of his reverie and anger pounded through his head as he realized that his woman—the woman who was refusing to acknowledge his claim—was parading around in a scrap of cloth that let every man in the room appreciate her luscious body. A low growl started in his throat. Dragar and Trondar clamped down on his arms before he even realized he was moving.
“No.” Dragar hissed in his ear. “You can’t break the peace of the binding ceremony. It is correct attire.”
Jakkar’s muscles strained against the restraining hands, but Dragar’s words penetrated and he stepped back. His little human was watching him with those wide, seductive eyes but she looked away as soon as she met his gaze.
“Thank you for coming, my friends and partners.” Melia’s voice was low and serene. “Please be seated.”
She moved to the table and sat down. Anna immediately slipped into the seat next to her, and Dragar had to grab Jakkar’s arm again to prevent him from yanking her up and placing her in her proper place next to him. Reluctantly, he took the seat directly across the table instead. Dragar sat next to him while Teron sat on Melia’s other side and the remaining warriors filled in the rest of the seats.
Chapter Eighteen
Anna tried not to squirm in her seat as the banquet dragged on. The food looked delicious, served by a pair of small, dark, unobtrusive men with tails, but she barely tasted the few bites she managed to coordinate behind the annoying veil. Instead, she was acutely conscious of the soft silk caressing her skin, teasing her erect nipples, and keeping her in a constant low hum of arousal as it whispered across her body like a lover’s hands. Jakkar’s brooding presence across the table only made it worse as she remembered the intensity of the climax he had forced from her the previous evening.
She snuck a look at him from under her lashes. Instead of the open vest she had last seen, he was wearing a tight leather tunic that clung to every inch of his sculpted chest. Heavy gold cuffs surrounded each wrist and an equally massive gold collar circled his neck. All of the Sardorans were wearing similar clothing, although none of the others had such impressive ornaments. As the warriors had moved to the table, she had noticed that the upper back of each tunic was cut low to reveal their clan marks. The overall effect was impressive, if slightly barbaric, and only added to the excitement shimmering through her body.
The rest of the party talked casually of trade routes and common ports, but she couldn’t concentrate on the conversation enough to join in. Opposite her, Jakkar was equally silent, but she was as aware of his heated presence as if he were shouting at her. The one time she met his eyes they were so gold with desire that she couldn’t breathe, and it took every ounce of self-control she had not to give up and throw herself into his arms. She hoped that Melia knew what she was doing. Anna had tried to back out as soon as she got the first look at herself in the borrowed dress. It was undeniably beautiful and the pale green highlighted the soft gold of her skin and the warm golden brown of her hair. She looked amazing—and totally wanton.
“Nonsense, it’s perfectly respectable,” Melia had assured her. “Isn’t it Teron?”
Teron had taken one look, flushed scarlet, and gulped a response that Melia had taken as an assent.
“You see,” she said, waving an airy wrist. “Just keep calm and stay away from Jakkar.”
Considering that she was positive that Dragar had held him back twice already, she wasn’t sure that staying away from him was going to be possible.
“And it might be an idea to flirt a little with one of the men—perhaps Trondar, he’s relatively mild mannered for a warrior.” Melia had added. “But not too much. I don’t want dead bodies at my binding ceremony.”
Remembering Melia’s words, Anna raised her eyes from her plate, trying desperately not to look at Jakkar. Unfortunately, Trondar was too far down the table for easy conversation but Dragar was close enough. She studied the scarred face for a moment, intimidated by the man’s fierce appearance, but he felt her gaze and looked up. He returned her gaze impassively until she blushed, and then one corner of his mouth curled up. The twisted smile was unexpectedly reassuring and she smiled at him beneath the sheer veil.
“How do you like our planet?” she asked into a lull in the conversation. Her voice came out slightly husky from tension, and every man at the table except Teron fixed his eyes on her. Her cheeks flamed and she immediately dropped her eyes back to her plate.
“It’s very nice,” Dragar replied politely. “It may turn out to be exactly what we need.” For the first time she realized that he had a nice voice, deep and slightly smoky. She glanced up to find him regarding her with a solemn face but the slight quirk still twisting his lips. He was obviously on to her and the knowledge reassured her. He wasn’t going to misinterpret her intentions. She took a deep breath, which came perilously close to making her breasts overflow her bodice, and proceeded to carry on an increasingly lively conversation with Dragar.
Even though she avoided looking at him, she was still acutely aware of Jakkar’s presence and she could feel his rage increasing each time Dragar made her laugh. By the time the dinner finally drew to a conclusion, she decided that she had better give him a chance to cool off. When they all stood up, she clutched Melia’s arm as Jakkar started around the table. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Dragar reach out to restrain Jakkar again and she winced as he rounded angrily on the scarred warrior.
“Shall we proceed?” Melia’s cool voice broke into the strained atmosphere. Without waiting for a reply, she headed to the dais, and Anna stayed close to her side. Once there, Melia arranged the party so that she stood in the center of the dais, with Anna to her left holding the baby, and Jakkar to her right. Teron knelt at her feet while the remaining warriors formed a half-circle behind him.
“Do you vow your loyalty to the House of DuLass?” Melia asked, her solemn voice ringing in the quiet chamber.
“I do.” Teron’s voice was firm and solemn.
“Do you bind your honor to the House of DuLass?”
“I do.”
“Do you vow your loyalty as my jalka?”
“I do.”
“Do you bind your honor as my jalka?”
“I do.”
The ceremony sounded a little too similar to a wedding for Anna’s peace of mind, and she let her mind drift, rocking Demil gently and studying the beautiful room. She was still conscious of Jakkar watching her but she carefully avoided looking in his direction. Her attention returned to the ceremony when Teron removed his shirt and bowed his head. Thick dark hair covered a surprisingly muscular chest and Anna studied him curiously for a minute before she glanced up again and saw Jakkar’s eyes starting to pale to white. Hastily, she focused her eyes on Melia instead. The woman knelt forward over Teron, holding an oval device. Slowly she pressed it to his right shoulder. There was a brief flash of light and the distinct smell of burning but Teron never flinched. When Melia raised the device, an intricate design was branded to his shoulder. She lifted his chin and kissed him, her hair gently caressing his face, and the devotion in his eyes took Anna’s breath away.
Tears threatened and she couldn’t resist looking at Jakkar. His eyes were fastened on her, their glowing g
old sending shivers of longing up her spine. Teron had willingly bound himself to Melia. Was belonging to Jakkar really that different? She loved him so much and right then she wanted to be in his arms so badly that it was an almost physical pain. He read the uncertainty in her face and took an abortive half-step toward her but then Teron stood up and Melia moved forward and the reality of her situation came rushing back.
Anna hugged Melia and didn’t quite dare to hug Teron with Jakkar so close. He put his shirt back on, his normally reserved face wreathed in smiles, and took the baby from her arms. They exchanged smiles and then she slipped over to the bar she had seen when they entered the room while Jakkar congratulated the pair. She needed a drink.
“What can I get you?” Dragar’s voice was a low purr in her ear and she cast him a grateful glance as she took in the intimidating array of bottles.
“You can’t get her anything,” Jakkar snarled and she jumped as she realized that he had come up behind her. Dragar opened his mouth and she had the terrible feeling he was about to say something taunting when Melia swept up and between the two men.
“Warriors, it appears we have something to discuss.”
Both men stared at her.
“Anna informs me that you have made a claim on her.” She nodded at Jakkar. “But you have also told her that she is a prisoner and, as such, available to any interested party.” His mouth opened but no words came out. “Under the circumstances, I believe that I have a legitimate claim on her for her services to the House of DuLass and would be happy to bind her to my house.”
Her words fell into a stunned silence and Anna watched Jakkar’s face nervously. This was the part of Melia’s plan that she wasn’t sure she understood. If Melia bound Anna, she could still release her to be with Jakkar under a business contract, but because Anna would be a part of Melia’s house, Melia would exercise ultimate control. As a result, Jakkar could not sell her and if she was unhappy, she could return to Melia. His eyes fastened on her face and she could see the denial but before he could speak, Dragar opened his mouth.
“If she is merely a prisoner, then I could also assert a claim.”
All hell broke loose.
Jakkar let out a roar and leapt for Dragar’s throat. Melia pulled Anna to one side and she watched in horror as the two men smashed into the nearest wall. Jakkar was too angry to fight rationally and he had done little more than slam Dragar’s head into the wall again before the rest of the warriors pulled him off. His muscles strained against their hold, but his breathing finally slowed and they relaxed their grip. Dragar had a hand pressed to his head but he raised a taunting brow. Jakkar incinerated him with a glare. “I will deal with you later.”
He turned to Anna, shaking off the remaining hands like a dog shaking water off his back, and stalked over to her, anger rolling from him in waves. “You belong to me. I will never let anyone else claim you.” He grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the room. At the stairs, he swept her up into his arms. She peeked at him timidly from under her eyelashes but he didn’t speak until he had carried her into their cabin. The controlled anger with which he shut the door had her knees shaking, but she raised her chin defiantly and glared at him.
“Take off that dammed dress.” His voice was cold and deadly.
“It’s a beautiful dress.”
“Take it off or I will rip it off.” His voice hadn’t changed. Anna hastily wiggled out of the dress, emerging breathless from the tight garment and stripping off the veil at the same time. He prowled toward her and she backed up until the desk stopped her retreat.
“Apparently, I wasn’t clear enough before. You belong to me. I will never let you go and if I have to keep you naked and chained in this room when I am not fucking you into admitting it, I will.”
The dress dropped from her nerveless hand and he grabbed it before snatching the sheets off the bed and leaving the cabin. The door shut with a firm click. Anna stared at it for a long moment before rage overtook her and she threw the chair at the closed door.
Jakkar stalked on to the bridge and found Dragar back in his usual position. The other man tensed as he entered but flashed his twisted grin. “You certainly know to make an exit.”
“Don’t push me,” he snarled, rage still simmering through his veins.
“Actually, that’s exactly what I was trying to do.” Dragar sounded thoughtful. With a resigned sigh, Jakkar forced his anger down and settled into his command chair, prepared to wait for his second to explain himself.
“Were you going to let Melia bind the human?”
“No,” he growled.
“It was a reasonable solution,” Dragar pointed out. “She could have been with you without being your slave—the part that she seems to object to so much.”
“But she would have been bound to the House of DuLass, not to me.”
“And that matters?”
“Of course it does.” He glared at Dragar but the other man only nodded.
“I suspected as much. I wonder if Melia did, too.” He hesitated. “And when I mentioned that I could assert a claim, that was the finest example of mating frenzy that I have ever seen.” He rubbed the side of his head a little ruefully.
“What’s your point?” Jakkar snapped.
“That you should go ahead with the claiming ceremony.”
Jakkar felt his jaw drop. “You’re the one that told me that the Elders would never accept it.”
Dragar shrugged. “I did, but I wasn’t taking three things into consideration. First of all, ceremony or not, you have obviously formed a mating bond to the human and I have no doubt that she feels the same way. Second, the Elders may not have accepted it yet but our population has been decimated over the past few years. A little species mingling might be necessary. Third, do you realize that you have just discovered a new home world for our people? You are going to be a hero. How could they deny you anything?”
Jakkar stared at him in silence as the words penetrated. Everything that Dragar said made perfect sense and an enormous sense of relief swept through him.
“You are a genius.”
“I know.” Dragar grinned at him for a moment before his smile disappeared. He hesitated and then continued slowly, “And, Jakkar, even if the Elders don’t accept it, wouldn’t it be worth being Outcast to be with someone you care about this much?”
Once more Jakkar stared at his friend, letting the question sink in. For once, Dragar’s sardonic humor had completely vanished and he could see the pain in his eyes.
“Was it worth it for you?”
Dragar’s face tightened and Jakkar thought he wouldn’t answer but in the end he shrugged. “It wasn’t the same situation but, yes, I made the right choice.”
Jakkar nodded, suddenly certain that claiming Anna as his mate had always been the right choice. If it meant that he lost his clan, it would hurt him deeply, but not as much as it would hurt if he lost his little human because he lacked the courage to act on the decision that his heart had already made. The confused knot of anger and desire and hurt that had been roiling his insides since Anna entered the ship finally subsided as he acknowledged the truth.
Dragar read the conviction in his face and his expression lightened. “And if you didn’t agree with me, I was considering proposing a mating contract to the human myself. That dress was quite something.”
Jakkar was out of his chair before he registered the other man’s laugh. He growled but sat back down.
Dragar shook his head. “The sooner we get you officially mated, the better.” He turned back to the controls and laughed again. “And the sooner you tell your human the better, so she can stop trying to escape.”
“What?” Jakkar leant forward to review the screen. “What the hell is she wearing?”
The other man’s shoulders were shaking with laughter. “I believe those are the curtains.”
An unwilling laugh escaped Jakkar and they both watched as Anna crept down the corridor before uneasiness pricked Jakkar
’s spine. Moving closer, he watched the screen more intently.
“Where’s Nadodar? I told him to watch her.”
Sobering just as quickly, Dragar started flipping view screens. “There.” Nadodar was crumpled just around the corner from Jakkar’s cabin. His body wasn’t moving but the rise and fall of his chest indicated that he was still breathing.
“Find her again,” Jakkar ordered, anxiety sharpening his tone. Together the men scanned the screens. Jakkar sighed in relief as he spotted her in the corridor approaching the hold but immediately tensed as the view expanded to include the rest of the passage. “Who’s that behind her?”
The man approaching Anna was extremely tall and thin with a coiling rope of dark green hair down his back. He knew that the small crew was not Sardoran but the man was oddly familiar. An image flashed into his mind—the firefight on Melia’s ship and the retreating figure behind Rantor. “Goddess, he’s a saboteur.”
Jakkar leapt for the door and slammed against it as it failed to open. He reeled back, turning just in time to see the tall alien grab Anna around the waist, press something to her neck and haul her over his shoulder as she collapsed.
Chapter Nineteen
After Anna threw the chair at the door, she paced back and forth angrily. How dare he? Not only did he have the nerve to make such an arrogant statement, he didn’t even stay around long enough for her to answer him—or to carry through on his threat. If he thought she was going to sit around and wait for him to decide he had time to fuck her when he wasn’t otherwise occupied, he had another think coming. Just because she was locked into his cabin naked…Hmm. She checked the closets again but they were still empty. The bathroom didn’t even have a towel. She briefly considered the rubber floor matting but it was firmly attached. Panting after her struggle with the mat, she leaned back on her knees and looked around.
Anna and the Alien: A SciFi Alien Romance (Alien Abduction Book 1) Page 15