Marked for Danger [Marked 3]

by Jennifer Leeland

  "Those who dishonor the Stars shall be devoured in their own fire.

  "Placidians, accept the power given to you and your fellow humans on Nylar. Joined, you will be at peace. Alone, you are prey to those who seek your death.

  "Four shall join, marked by the knife. The destruction of the Brotherhood by them is the key to mankind's survival.

  "One shall give his arm.

  "One shall give his life.

  "One shall give his heart.

  "One shall give her soul.

  "The knife shall cut across the universe to lance the boil and kill the Blueshift Brotherhood. If they fail, the universe will fall. The stars cannot save those who will not listen. Heed and survive."

  Carina collapsed, and Xandros instinctively caught her. When he hefted her into his arms, they were back in the chamber aboard the Messiah, and Shaun stood in front of him.

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  Chapter Seventeen

  "Father Pestori escaped,” Shaun said as Carina painfully opened her eyes. She was in a med bay, every muscle hurting, but alive. Blissfully alive. “But every Brotherhood priest on that ship is dead. When I saw we couldn't get through that barrier, I sent your men back through the portal before it closed. Carina and the two of us are the only survivors."

  "What happened to all the boys you rounded up?” Xandros asked.

  Shaun grinned. “The princess paid them, and they disappeared."

  Xandros snorted. “Typical.” But Carina could tell he'd been touched by their loyalty.

  "Leo?” she croaked out. Immediately, Xandros's warm, familiar hands were on her face, and his worried expression made her heart clench.

  "He's fine, machinka. He and Princess Sera are just outside."

  At the sound of the endearment she thought she'd never hear again, tears gathered in her lashes. Stars, her throat hurt. “Where are we?” The last thing she remembered was the sight of Xandros bleeding, dying. She closed her eyes, the memory too close. She'd almost lost him.

  "We're aboard the Seeker. Your message was broadcast across every network, every array, every vid stream. How did you do it?” Shaun asked.

  "What message?” She had no idea what the fuck he was talking about.

  Xandros left her side for a moment and turned on a vid by her bed. Carina stared, unsure how to handle the sight of herself on screen with light beaming from her and strange words coming from her mouth. Stars! What the hell happened?

  "I think the princess may have an answer,” Xandros answered her unspoken question.

  But when he started to head for the door, she grabbed his arm. “Stay. Please."

  Shaun gazed at her and shook his head.

  She blinked as he extricated his arm from her grip. “What is it, Shaun?"

  For a moment, whatever roiled inside him seemed about to break loose. But he shook his head again. “Nothing. I'll get the princess."

  When Shaun left the room, she reached with her other hand to touch Xandros, to make sure he was real. She'd thought he was dead or close to it.

  "I should kill you myself,” she said even as her hands clutched at him.

  Xandros crawled onto the gurney beside her even though there was barely enough room for her. “Later. Kill me later. Right now, I just want to feel you."

  He enveloped her in his arms and pressed her face into his neck. She inhaled his scent and drank in his warmth. Never again. She wouldn't let him out of her sight.

  Quietly, he stroked her back in slow movements, and she relaxed in his arms. With her guard down, she let herself feel the things that lay buried beneath her anger, and tears burst from her. She cried so hard, her whole body shook. The fear of losing him, the loss of control in the midst of the crisis; the whole fucking thing flattened her, and she let it take her.

  Xandros didn't whisper that everything would be okay or tell her to stop crying. He didn't say anything. He held her gently, his hands continuing their soothing circles on her back. He didn't seem surprised or worried by her outburst.

  Soon the storm passed, and she felt like a limp dishrag. But when Xandros kissed her forehead and then tipped her chin to kiss her lips, she didn't feel like one anymore. He made her feel special, beautiful, cherished. Who knew her pirate had a sensitive side?

  "No one has seen me cry as much as you have,” she murmured against his chest.

  "Not just anyone has seen me get fucked up the ass,” Xandros told her.

  "I'm not a crier,” she protested.

  One side of his mouth lifted. “I'm not into getting fucked up the ass. So what? That's what love is, right? The good, the bad, the ugly, the weird is just part of who we are. And I love all of you.” He brushed her lips with his and tightened his hold.

  "I don't know what happened. I don't know if it will happen again,” she said in a rush. “What if—"

  He covered her mouth with his, and she forgot what they were talking about.

  When he lifted his head, his gaze was fierce and bright. “We aren't going to worry about what might happen. We'll deal with right now."

  She shifted and got a nice feel for what he wanted “right now.” “How about we take care of your little problem right now?"

  He leaned back and frowned. “What do you mean by ‘little'?"

  "Well, it's big enough, but I don't want to make a mountain out of a mouse turd.” She pressed her lips together to keep from giggling.

  She gasped when he smacked her ass with his hand. “Are you calling my dick a turd?"

  "I see you've recovered,” an amused female voice announced.

  Xandros didn't move, and Carina glanced at the princess. “Yes.” She couldn't help it. She grinned.

  Leo, standing behind the princess, stared at Carina like he'd never seen her before. “What?” she said impatiently. What in the hell was Leo's problem?

  He shook his head. “I don't think I've ever seen a smile like that on your face."

  To her frustration, Carina flushed. Xandros chuckled and stroked her hair. “I'll take that as a compliment."

  She glared at Xandros and tried to pull away, but he held on tight. She sighed and relaxed. It felt better to let Xandros hold her, worth all the embarrassment she might feel. They still had a long way to go. He hadn't trusted her, hadn't told her everything.

  But for now, she was too tired and too glad to be able to touch him to argue with him.

  "Shaun says you don't remember anything.” Princess Sera sat down in a chair next to them.

  Carina turned, her back plastered against Xandros's chest, needing that solid reassurance that he was with her. She studied Leo's mate. After Shanie had died, Carina had been set adrift, lost in the weight of her grief. For Leo, it had been worse. Marked and mated, Leo and Shanie had seemed to Carina like the perfect happy couple.

  But studying the princess and the way Leo glanced at the woman, the way his whole being seemed to focus on her, Carina wasn't sure her sister had been right for him. Of course, when she'd heard about Leo's fascination with Sera Placido, she'd had conflicted emotions. Fear that Leo might be put in danger because of the princess. Concern that the princess might hurt him since she'd seemed like a cavalier lover with no thought for the feelings of others. And anger that Leo would replace Shanie. Ever.

  Princess Sera had been right. If Carina had thought the only way to take down the Brotherhood was the death of the Placidian princess, she'd have done it in a heartbeat. She closed her eyes, but the truth couldn't be shut out.

  When she opened them again, the princess stared at Carina with compassion in her gaze and a soft twist of her mouth. “I think I mentioned we may have more in common than you think, Carina."

  Carina licked her lips, her mouth suddenly dry. “I think so. It was...incredible. I was enraged to see Xandros's blood, to see him hurt and dying.” The memory was sharp, and she groped for his hands to hold them tightly in hers. “I remember wishing I could do what I did on Nariad.” She pressed her lips together. “And then, it happen
ed. A rush of power and a glimpse of bright stars, and then nothing. I don't remember doing those things. Just like I didn't remember killing those soldiers on Nariad."

  Princess Sera nodded. “I believe this is the same power that rules my planet. Xandros told us there was a moment when you both seemed to be in space."

  The memory swamped her. Even though there was a huge gap in time, she vaguely remembered Xandros's touch, his mouth on hers, his love in every stroke. A huge band of stars cut a swath across the expanse of black space. She nodded. “I kind of remember it."

  "You've been given a great gift,” the princess said, and then she smiled. “Though it may not feel like it."

  Carina closed her eyes. “It makes no sense to me at all. Why me? Why not a Placidian?"

  "You heard the message,” the princess pointed out. “The Placidians and the Nyrals are bound by destiny.” She shrugged. “Perhaps they always have been. It's clear the power we thought was exclusively a Placido phenomenon is more widespread."

  That thought disconcerted Carina. “You mean the power that is on Placido might be on Nylar?"

  "I think it may be connected to the people, not the planet.” The princess rose and touched Carina's cheek. “I think your part in this is over,” she said gently. “You've sacrificed enough."

  "What about that power? How do I know it won't spring up when I least expect it?"

  "I don't know. The power rises and falls according to need.” Princess Sera smiled. “I spent most of my life thinking of it as a burden. It will not fail you when you need it."

  "What now?"

  The princess's smile faded. “Now we strengthen what we have.” Her expression grew sad, and her lips trembled. “Shaun has left us."

  Every cell in Carina's body ached. Of course he had. Shaun wanted revenge, the death of Father Pestori. And the man had escaped. Then there was Challah Pestori. Shaun's conflicted feelings for the daughter of the monster who had killed his sister might be his downfall. “He's gone after Father Pestori."

  "I couldn't stop him,” Leo said.

  Carina sighed. “No one could have stopped him.” She glanced at Princess Sera. “I know. I was wrong about you."

  The other woman raised her hand, an imperious gesture that made Leo smile. “Please. No apologies. I was never in any danger from you, Carina Tao. I believe if you truly wanted me dead, I'd be dead.” She smiled. “Perhaps before you knew he was my mate, you could have killed me. But after Leo marked me? Part of you knew killing me would be killing Leo."

  Carina tightened her grip on her silent mate. “When Xandros marked me, I realized—” To her embarrassment her voice broke. “I realized the connection between you and Leo went beyond sex, beyond anything.” Her gaze met Sera's. “I couldn't take that away from him."

  Sera nodded. “I know I'm not Shanie, but I hope you'll think of me as family, another sister if you wish."

  "I already do,” Carina admitted and smiled when Princess Sera Ellysa Placido widened her eyes in shock.

  "Thank you,” Sera said.

  "We're heading back to Placido,” Leo told them. “Meanwhile, I think Carina can rest in your quarters,” he said to Xandros.

  Rest? Not likely, Carina thought with a secret grin.

  Surprisingly, once Xandros carried her to their shared room on the ship, he lay down beside her and stroked her hair. That was all. Just ran his hand through the uneven strands. She fell asleep feeling safer than she'd ever felt before.

  She woke up some time later with her nose almost touching his. He was sound asleep, his features relaxed. There was a vulnerability in his face that made her heart clench. Stars, she loved him. He'd been willing to die for her, to sacrifice his life for a prophecy he didn't believe. He'd endured the torture of the Brotherhood to keep her safe, to fulfill her destiny, putting aside his own needs.

  Throughout the whole mess, she'd fought her fate, angry that words spoken by a dead Dormrelian could decide her future. Yet her mate had never questioned it. Oh, he talked a good talk, but his actions spoke louder. In the long run, Xandros put the universe before himself and freedom above profit.

  He hadn't lived up to his reckless reputation. Her bad boy was a hero and didn't even know it.

  She considered how things had changed. At sixteen, she'd had a crush on him, his cavalier behavior a magnet to her more dangerous side. At nineteen, she'd longed for him to sweep in and stop the pain of grief and loss. And when he didn't, she'd hated him as much as she'd desired him.

  Now she realized her mate was complex in ways she'd never known. She reached up and brushed a strand of his hair away from his face. He sighed in his sleep. The sound spurred her to wake him up.

  She squirmed down until she reached her goal. Sometime during the night, he'd removed his pants and only wore briefs and a T-shirt. His underwear posed no problem. She pulled them down slowly and took his semihard cock into her mouth. That was all it took. She loved the way his cock instantly responded, filling her mouth with its length. He groaned, and he groped to find her head and thread his fingers through her hair.

  His jerked his hips and thrust his length deeper down her throat. She slid her tongue over the smooth skin and sucked harder. With a low growl, he yanked her head away and hauled her up to his waiting lips.

  He devoured her, divesting her of her clothes so fast she barely had time to breathe. He pinned her to the bed, his dick pressed against her thigh, his hands banded around her wrists. A dark, foreboding expression tightened the features on his face. “Sneaking up on me, Rina the assassin?” he quipped.

  In a quick move, she flipped him onto his back. “You're not complaining, are you?” she murmured and rubbed her sensitive pussy over his thigh. “I haven't forgotten."

  Xandros raised his eyebrows. “Forgotten?"

  She squeezed his biceps with her fingers. “I said I'd make you pay, remember?"

  His grin made her heart flip. “Ah, yes. And I wondered what a submissive would come up with."

  She leaned down and whispered in his ear. “An assignment I had once possessed a ship like this. There were ‘perks’ included in its design. I wonder—” She reached for the small, almost hidden button on the headboard.

  Xandros's smile faded. “What are you—"

  Carina didn't give him time to finish. She pressed the buttons—the console blessedly the same as the one on that financier's ship—and before Xandros could say any more, his hands and feet were restrained.

  He yanked on the cuffs. “What are you doing?” Even though he glared at her, his cock was harder, pressed against her thigh like a bar of iron.

  "Exacting my revenge,” she said smoothly. Carina was a natural submissive, but having the man she loved helpless to her torment was a thrill. Her heart pounded, knowing that she'd pay dearly for this.

  When she dipped down and sucked his cock, he groaned and thrust into her mouth. She teased him, licked him, played with him. He strained toward her, his face tightened, and every muscle clenched.

  She explored his body to her heart's content, her tongue seeking those places that made his cock jump. When she slid her mouth over one of his nipples, he gasped and flexed his hands. When she left a trail of heat along the seam of his hip, tracing the outline of the bird on his inner thigh, he groaned. But when she licked the rim of his ass, knowing she loved it when he did the same to her and wanting to explore his reaction, he jerked as if electricity was shot through him.

  "Carina,” he gasped and pulled on the restraints.

  When she added her teeth, nipping and biting the firm flesh around his anus, he growled, a sound that sent energy straight to her pussy. Her nose was buried in his balls, and her tongue rimmed his tight hole.

  A sound of agony tore from him, and she stopped her torture. Splayed out on the bed for her, never once telling her to stop which might have worked—he was her Master—but he allowed her this as her due.

  She loomed over him and teased the surface of his chest with her nipples. Her gaze lo
cked with his. He panted, short, hot breaths that warmed her face. Heat licked along her veins at the dangerous expression in his dark eyes. “Master,” she murmured.

  He held her gaze. Even restrained, he took charge, his dominance showing through. “Take me inside you, machinka. I want to feel your cunt like a fist around my dick."

  She captured his cock inside her and slid down, the sensation so amazing, she immediately felt the rush of her orgasm start to wash over her.

  "Stop!” Xandros's command made her freeze. She whimpered, realizing that Xandros could be trussed up like a pig and still make her do as he wished. He was her Master, her marked mate. She belonged to him.

  "Please, Master,” she begged. “Let me come."

  His gaze coursed over her body hungrily. “Stars! I want to come all over you. I want to fill every single place in you. You're mine.” His hips thrust upward, quickening while he spoke. She groaned, trying to hold back her pleasure. His voice, his words, made it difficult. “You feel so hot, so good. Do you want to come? Do you?"

  She leaned back, impaled on his cock, her climax beating at her resistance. “Yes! Yes!” she screamed.

  "Then release me and I'll let you come."

  She fumbled for the buttons, her release imminent but his permission desperately needed. The minute the restraints dropped away, his hands were everywhere. He jerked her down, his mouth hot and demanding. He attacked her left nipple and sent electricity shooting through her nerves. His mouth demanded her response, and she gave it.

  "Xandros,” she cried out.

  He tore his mouth away from her breast and threaded his fingers in her hair. “You know what to call me,” he said, his voice gritty and hard.

  "Master. Please, Master."

  "Come all over me, machinka. Ride me and come. Make me come.” The order was sharp and intense.

  Frantic, she took him deeper, harder, and he clenched his fingers around her hips as he surged up to claim her. She bent down, changing the angle, and pressed her mouth to his. He tightened his hand still in her hair and thrust his tongue inside.

  Her release washed over her like a tsunami, taking everything with it—her anger, her fear, her past—and crashing it against the wall of her need. Again, he drove her higher just as she began to come down from her first climax. His hands stoked the fire again, sending her spinning into another rolling convulsion.