“I know.” Honor turned and pounced, knocking Carver flat on the bed. He pinned him and then licked his neck.
“You have no idea how good that feels.” Carver turned his head to the side and arched his neck. Honor was making circles with his tongue then biting in the center.
“But I do know because you did it to me.”
“I—wait. We can’t keep doing this.”
“Why not?”
“Don’t you have to work?”
“Ah!” Honor was up and running to his communication unit.
“Damn but you can move fast for a big guy.” Carver realized that much like himself, Honor could be rather scattered. Clearly, he’d forgotten something. “Are you late to an appointment?”
“No. I had devotee checking on the man from the auction and the news report of the explosion.” Honor flashed Carver a rather chagrined look. “Rather than be interrupted, I told him to put the information in my work file.”
Carver got up and moved over to the desk. Instead of a standard keyboard, the Krase had an odd gel-like substance that they placed their hands on in order to communicate with their computer. It was more organic input than mechanical. Carver had no idea which way was better, so he didn’t make comparisons that way, only noted that their cultures’ way of doing things was different. He grinned. Everything would be new and interesting to him. He wondered how long it would be before the novelty wore off. He hoped never.
While Honor worked, Carver got behind him and kissed his shoulders and his neck. His skin was tougher than human skin, with that fascinating red color, but it was apparently just as sensitive in certain spots.
“You are not helping me.”
“I didn’t say I would.”
“I’m trying to save another human.” Honor looked over his shoulder. “The sooner I save all the humans, the faster I can retire.”
“And once you retire?”
“We can fuck all the time.”
Carver laughed.
“Well,” Honor offered, “perhaps not all the time.”
“Yeah. Let’s leave some time to eat and sleep.”
“And to bathe. I understand you humans like that particular activity.”
“We do.”
“There is a bathing tub in the room I set up for you.”
“There is?” Carver didn’t remember seeing it when he was there before.
“Go there and prepare yourself for me.”
Carver tried very diligently not to snicker, but he couldn’t help himself.
Honor turned around. “What?”
“‘Go and prepare yourself for me,’” Carver tried to imitate Honor’s rather imperious tone then laughed. “Talk about sounding bossy. And who says I’m going to let you have your way with me again?”
“You will.” Honor grinned. “You are now my love slave.”
“I am?”
“Oh, yes. There is no escape.”
“You realize it’s a two-way street, right?”
“I do not know what that means.”
Carver leaned down and placed his mouth against Honor’s ear. “I am your willing slave but you are mine, too.”
Honor shivered and pulled his hands away from the computer. “Perhaps you don’t need to be prepared for me after all.”
Carver moved back before Honor could pull him close. “Now, now, now. You get on with the helping humanity thing while I go and relax in the tub.” Maybe getting used to this new world wouldn’t be so difficult after all. Carver was about ready to leave when he realized he was naked and a good portion of his body was covered in glistening lube. “Pants would be good.”
“Here.” Honor rose and went to a panel in the wall. It opened when he pressed on it, revealing something similar to a clothes closet. “Krase warriors wear these when the weather is hot.”
“It looks like a loincloth.” Carver slung it around his hips.
Honor’s eyes darkened. “You best go before my strosan makes me incapable of letting you leave.”
“Wow. You are kinky. You get aroused when I put on clothes.” Carver left before Honor could respond. He didn’t have to walk far to get to the room set aside for him. He tried not to think about how close Honor had put them to one another. He understood that Honor had been smitten long before he showed up. It was unusual, but not creepy or anything. Honor had readily told him the truth, and he was now genuinely interested in him. Maybe love at first sight was a real thing. It sure had been on Carver’s end. Or at least lust. When he’d seen Honor striding toward him over the white sand, he’d wanted to do him right there in the dunes.
“I thought to myself, screw the revolution of jild pickers. I just wanted to get him naked and then have him.” Carver was glad they’d waited until after everyone had been freed, bathed, clothed, and fed. He had to admit that Honor had been worth the wait. From tough to tender, they’d pretty much run the gamut of emotions. Carver had a feeling things would only get better with more time. Even if Honor had to continue working and they could only see each other occasionally, that was okay as long as they could ultimately be together. With no clue about what to do with himself for a job, fun, or anything, Carver certainly had a lot to keep himself occupied.
After cleaning up in his room, he went to Honor’s door, but thought better of interrupting him. The sooner he found the other enslaved humans, the sooner he could retire. That was good. But also, Carver wondered how many of his fellow abductees were in dire circumstances.
“And I think I’ve found the first thing that I’d like to do.” From what Honor said, Carver gathered that Blessed and Tyler had assisted in finding the stolen humans but they’d ended up spending more time on Krase to help the found Earthlings assimilate. That would be something he would need to take advantage of at some point but not something he’d be good at now. However, he could certainly assist in retrieving his own kind. Where a human might not trust a Krase warrior, he would certainly trust a fellow human.
“What’s even better is that this goal—helping to find my fellow Earthlings—also assists Honor and will likely result in us being allowed to stay together.” Carver could tell Honor’s bosses that his job could be interpreting Earthling words, behavior, and the like. It made perfect sense.
Carver entered the shuttle bay, excited to tell Acerith about his plan, but as soon as he entered, all the Krase looked at him. Their attention wasn’t casual, and it wasn’t exactly sexual. Baffled about what was going on, Carver went over to Acerith and settled on the bunk across from him.
“Hey.”
“Hey.” Acerith was fussing with his few possessions, something that he seemed to do in an effort to calm himself. On Earth he’d be labeled obsessive-compulsive, but his own species might all behave the same way.
“You got a read on this?”
Acerith didn’t even bother to look around at the handful of Krase in the shuttle bay. “It’s what you’re wearing.”
“I got that, but what about my clothing, exactly? I mean it doesn’t feel like a horny vibe.”
“Horny vibe?” Acerith tilted his head to the side, making his slightly pointed ears catch the light in an unusual way. Before Carver could translate, Acerith waved him off. “Your kind is so compellingly strange.”
“Thanks.”
“It was praise. Of a sort.” Acerith looked around at the Krase, who were still staring at Carver without one single attempt to be subtle about their interest. “You are wearing a Krase garment.”
“So?”
“It is unheard of for another species to wear their clothing unless they have killed the warrior and stolen it from him.”
Carver rocketed to his feet. “I didn’t kill Honor!”
Acerith yanked him back down. For a smaller guy, he was just as strong as Carver himself. Maybe more so.
“You didn’t allow me to finish.” Acerith surreptitiously looked right and left. “It’s also symbolic of possession.”
For some insane reason, the first th
ing Carver thought of was The Exorcist. He shook his head. That wasn’t the kind of possession Acerith was talking about. “You don’t mean demons, you mean— oh.” Carver looked around again and realized it wasn’t a lustful look but one that mixed curiosity, coveting, and concern.
“You’re wearing an officer’s clothing, and you have bite marks all over your neck.”
Carver reached up and touched them, trying valiantly not to feel guilty but he managed to do so anyway. “We didn’t do anything wrong.” But then he wondered if they had. “I thought Krase warriors were gender neutral?”
“They are.”
“So there isn’t a male-on-male taboo, right?”
“There is not.”
“Is there some kind of interspecies thing?”
“There is not.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
Acerith leaned close. “Honor was supposed to rescue you and free you. It appears to them he has turned around and enslaved you.”
“He didn’t. I was with him willingly.”
“That may be, but it looks bad.” Acerith sighed. “To them it might look as if Honor’s loyalty is compromised.”
“I thought you said—”
“Once a Krase officer—keep in mind that Honor isn’t just a warrior but an officer who is also in charge of this mission—once he retires he can fuck anyone or anything he wants. He can buy as many sex slaves as it takes to satisfy him. But while he’s a member of the military, he’s supposed to stay with his own kind unless he’s fucking the creatures he’s conquering. It’s a fine distinction, I know, but there it is. The real issue with you is that Honor was supposed to find and free you, not keep you for himself.”
Carver realized that by giving into his attraction to Honor he might very well have ruined his career.
Chapter 11
“I am not compromised.” Honor stood on deck with several of his fellow officers. He knew something was going on when he entered the bridge and found that most of the Krase there were officers and all matched his rank. He was in command of the mission, which made him the final authority on all things, but there were several others who were the same caliber of officer as he so that all areas of the massive transport could be effectively managed.
“The human was witnessed by several warriors in the shuttle bay wearing your loincloth and covered in marks that were clearly the result of sexual congress.” Cursed Joy kept his voice even. He had nothing to gain but much to lose. By joining the hunt for the Earthlings, he gained ground with those who lead but lost chances to add to the three dots riding on his right cheek. “Our mission was to free the Earthlings, not to enslave them to our officers.”
“I didn’t enslave him.” Honor felt a rush of conflicted emotions. He and Carver had joked about enslaving one another, but Honor would never actually force Carver to be with him. The thought alone was nauseating. “Carver Tam came to me of his own free will. All you have to do is ask him.”
“Carver Tam had been on a jild farm for some length of time.” Honor waited, wondering what that had to do with anything. “Carver Tam may not have been able to think clearly or act in his
best interests.” Cursed said this without drawing his intense gaze from Honor. “I did not take advantage of him.” If anything, Honor had struggled to ensure that was something he didn’t do. Moreover, he’d also not just fucked Carver like some mindless warrior in the grip of releasing his fluids, but he had mated with him. Honor was on the verge of sharing that but refrained. He might actually hurt himself and possibly Carver worse by admitting he was emotionally involved with him. “It was mutual.”
“Perhaps.” Cursed looked grimmer than Honor had ever seen him, and that was saying a lot when they’d been on several violent campaigns together. “But you are relieved of duty until those who lead can determine exactly what has happened.”
Despair crushed down on Honor as if he’d somehow tumbled into a black hole. His life was in service to his world. There was nothing else for him. Ironically, he now understood far more deeply the pain that Carver had suffered. Losing everything one was familiar with was devastating. In Honor’s case, there was also a great fear. He could be retired. If he was extremely lucky, that was the penalty he’d face. However, if he wasn’t so blessed, he could be made an example of to other warriors. This could be done in a multitude of ways from stripping the mark of honor off his face to skinning him alive. Either way, he would no longer be working for the Krase military. Depending on which way those who lead went, he might not be able to even see Carver again.
When Carver had left, Honor had bid him good-bye without fanfare. Had he known it was the last time he would see him, he might have behaved differently. But he hadn’t. And now it was too late to change things.
“Just like when Carver went for a run that morning.”
“Did you say something?” Cursed asked.
“No.” Honor thought it best to keep his sudden insight to himself.
Just like Carver and all the other Earthlings, Honor had woken up and lived his life with no idea that everything he knew and took for granted could be suddenly taken away. It was terrifying. All he knew and accepted as normal was now in jeopardy, and there was nothing he could do.
Honor wanted to argue his case, but he knew he would simply be wasting his breath and everyone else’s time. Once a decision came down from those who lead, it was irrevocable except by them. Refusal to follow a directive would only worsen his situation. So Honor shut his mouth, handed over his insignia, his weapons, and then stood there feeling oddly naked.
“You will be confined to your quarters.” Honor didn’t ask if he was going to be allowed to see Carver. He knew he wouldn’t be. If they thought he’d enslaved him and taken advantage of the human in some way, they certainly weren’t going to allow Honor to get anywhere near him. What was Carver going to think? Would he believe that Honor was abandoning him and ending their relationship? Honor allowed that scenario to run through his mind as he strode down the hall toward his rooms. He couldn’t help but picture an emotionally devastated Carver.
But then, he remembered how the humans behaved once they were mated. Now he saw an enraged Carver who would stop at nothing to get to him. The notion was somehow a powerfully romantic one that made Honor smile. Carver would fight to reunite them and that—no. That idea was not good because Honor feared Carver would be hurt. There were hundreds of thousands of Krase warriors on board the vessel. All of them would be vigilant in carrying out the orders of those who lead. If Carver refused to stay away from Honor, they would have no choice but to imprison him or possibly exterminate him if he became a danger to the ship and crew. Gone was Honor’s fear for himself. His concern now was for Carver. How could such a simple thing as handing him clothing be taken so out of context?
“Your devotee will also be confined to his quarters.” Cursed Joy nodded to his room, and devotee dutifully entered. Honor made no attempt to mentally communicate with him. Doing that would only potentially cause more damage to them both. Honor had heard rumors that sometimes devotees were interrogated first so that those who lead could glean information to use against the warrior they sought to condemn.
At his doorway, Honor turned to Cursed. “I would ask only one thing.”
Cursed considered him for a moment. It looked as if he would automatically refuse Honor’s request before he’d even asked, but then he nodded slightly.
“Carver is my mate. As such, he will be concerned about me. Please explain to him I have not been harmed but must be kept in isolation.”
“Mate?” Cursed lifted one brow with a curiously human expression on his battle-scarred face.
Honor used other words that he knew from other cultures. The Krase had no word for the notion as they simply didn’t pair off the way humans did. Once Cursed understood, Honor continued, “Once mated, a human can be extremely determined to protect their chosen. If you doubt me, all you have to do is take a look at what has happened between
several of our officers and humans.”
“I’m aware.” Cursed made a face. It was fleeting, but still clear that he was disappointed and a bit disgusted by Honor’s actions. There was no doubt in his mind that Honor had made the exact same face when he’d discovered Noble’s love for Kyle. Just like Honor had thought all that time ago, Cursed believed he was immune to the allure of humans. Honor knew if Cursed spent any time around them at all he would fall victim to their charms just like every other Krase warrior had.
“You think I and the others who have fallen to the Earthlings’ appeal are weak?” Honor had thought that, too, until he realized how strong love made him.
When Cursed frowned, Honor knew that was exactly what he thought.
“You do not know them.”
Cursed met Honor’s probing gaze. “They are no different from any other species.”
“They are unique.”
“I do not think so. I fail to understand what you, Blessed, and Noble—it matters not.” Cursed cut himself off. “The issue is over as there will be no more Krase involvement in retrieving the humans.”
“Who will retrieve the illegally stolen Earthlings?”
Cursed stared at him without answering.
“Who?”
“You have no right to know.”
Had he made such a mess of things that they would rather let the remaining humans simply stay in their enslaved state rather than bother to find them and free them? If that was the situation, Honor felt responsible and didn’t think he could ever forgive himself.
“I ask that you tell me. This has been the most important mission of my career. If I’ve endangered those who remain…” Honor let his voice trail off because he had no idea how to put his shame and fear into words.
Again, for a moment, it looked as if Cursed was simply going to turn on his heel and walk away. But he seemed to take pity on Honor. “Those who lead have now cordoned off Earth’s airspace. What the unscrupulous slave trader did will not happen a second time.”
“This is good.” Honor had been aware of and helped to enact that particular plan. “Just in case one does try to go back, we will know and be able to stop him before any time distortion can occur.”
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