Mystic Militia

by Cyndi Friberg

  “You don’t have a choice.” She rocked to the balls of her feet and kissed him, allowing her lips to express all the tenderness swelling within her heart. I love you, Lor dar Joon and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.

  He pulled her tighter against his body and deepened the kiss. I can think of all sorts of things I’d like to do about it.

  His bawdy claim made her remember Odintar’s warning about six men on a ship with an unclaimed woman. She eased back without moving out of his arms. “Odintar said something about a social alliance. What was he talking about?”

  His entire body tensed and his gaze narrowed dangerously. “Odintar asked you to declare a social alliance? I’ll kill him.”

  “No.” She chuckled at his emotional pendulum swing. “He said I should declare a social alliance with you before six men get me alone on a spaceship.”

  “He’s right.” He reached down with one hand and boldly cupped her behind. “If I have no official claim to you, the others will feel free to pursue you.”

  “So how do we make your claim official and are Ontarian claims permanent?”

  “There are two kinds of relationships on Ontariese.” He chuckled. “Actually there are countless kinds, but only two are official. The social alliance is a temporary monogamist relationship. All other males know the female is off limits until the social alliance ends.”

  It sounded like the social alliance landed somewhere between friends with benefits and dating. “What’s the other official relationship?”

  “Life mates. That requires a permanent bond and a lifelong commitment. Tal and Charlotte are life mates.”

  She didn’t miss the wistfulness in his voice. Clearly his long-term goal was to find a life mate. “So if we declare a social alliance, the crew will consider me taken?”

  “You’re taken either way. The social alliance will simply make it official.”

  “All right. So what do we need to do?”

  He moved his hands to her hips then pulled her pelvis flush with his. Even through his thick robe his erection was obvious. “Say, ‘I declare a social alliance with Lor dar Joon.’”

  She licked her lips. This suddenly felt like a wedding. God, she hoped there’d be a wedding night. “I declare a social alliance with Lor dar Joon.”

  “I declare a social alliance with Victoria Logan.” He pulled her up along his body until their lips were on a level. “Now you’re officially mine.” And then he kissed her.

  * * * * *

  “Why don’t we take a shower? I think you could use a little relaxation.”

  Lor bit back his angry response and took a deep breath. Tori didn’t deserve his temper. She’d been wonderfully patient with him all evening, tirelessly trying to improve his mood. “Go ahead. I’m not very good company right now.”

  “That’s why I suggested the shower.” She smiled and drew her tunic up above her waist, showing a narrow strip of tone midriff. “Let’s get naked.”

  “I can’t be gentle right now. You don’t deserve what I’d give you.”

  She pulled her top off and walked toward him, breasts gently swaying. “Let me decide what I deserve. Maybe I like it rough.”

  She had no idea what she was asking. How could she know the dark impulses and ravening hunger he battled on a daily basis. Tal’s training had taught him control and self-discipline, but Lor’s Joon blood ran deep. He came from a long line of conquerors, men who took what they wanted without hesitation or regret. His dark nature had surged as he realized he would soon lead the House of Joon. He hadn’t felt this…aggressive in a very long time.

  He fisted his hands at his sides. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You won’t. You need this and I want to give it you.” She placed her hand over his pounding heart. “Let me comfort you. Please.”

  Without even realizing he’d moved, his fist was suddenly tangled in her hair. “Pants off.” She responded to the command instantly, pushing them down and kicking them aside. She wasn’t wearing shoes or socks. Or undergarments, he realized as his gaze moved over her naked flesh. “I want your mouth.”

  She sank to her knees and parted her lips.

  Desire, hot and demanding swelled within him. Her sweet submission excited him beyond bearing. He released her hair long enough to get rid of his robe. He kicked off his sandals and paused to look at her. Her hands rested on her thighs and she watched him with wide, uncertain eyes. “You’re right. I could never hurt you, but I can’t hold back tonight. My emotions are too raw. Are you sure you want this?”

  Rather than words, she opened her legs and parted her lips.

  Lor had to look away. She was so beautiful just the sight nearly snapped his control.

  Determined to at least start out slow, he moved closer and angled his cock toward her mouth. She grasped his shaft and closed her lips around the tip, sucking firmly as her fist pumped lower. It felt like paradise and yet it fueled the fire already raging inside him.

  “Just your mouth.” He pulled her hand away from his erection then guided both her arms up and bent her elbows. “Lock your fingers behind your head.”

  Her gaze narrowed in confusion, but she did as he directed, taking on a completely passive role.

  Her helplessness allowed him to slow down, to savor her surrender as well as keep the fire from burning out of control. He caressed her face as he slid in and out of her mouth. She kept her lips snug and her head angled slightly back.

  He watched her eyes, needing to know she wasn’t overwhelmed by his need.

  Open the link, Lor. I want to feel you.

  He hesitated, dreading her reaction to his feral side. She’d only glimpsed hints of the abuse he’d endured as a child and the destruction created by his family. The Joons were evil tyrants who had slaughtered millions on the altar of pride and ambition. He shook his head, unable to expose her to the darkness. Not tonight.

  She lowered her arms and rocked back onto her heels, releasing him in the process. “Don’t hide from me. You’ve seen all of me. You know my insecurities and fears. Share this with me. I want to know all of you.”

  He pulled her to her feet and kissed her brutally, allowing her to taste his savagery. She opened for him, clinging to him as she accepted every aggressive thrust of his tongue and harsh nip of his teeth. “It’s too soon.”

  “No. It’s not. Either you trust me or you don’t.”

  He growled against her damp lips. “Those words will come back to haunt you.” He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. His mouth claimed hers again as he shoved her up against the nearest wall. Their torsos meshed and he squeezed her ass cheeks, thrilled by the resilient flesh.

  Supporting her with one arm, he slipped his other hand between their bodies and tested her readiness. Her slit was soaking wet, slick and hot, more than ready. He pushed two fingers up inside her and found her clit with his thumb.

  “Come for me.” She rested the back of her head against the wall and panted. “You’re not getting my cock until you come.”

  She tightened her inner muscles and wiggled as much as she could while sandwiched between him and the wall. “I don’t think I can,” she cried.

  “You will.” She stilled at his assertive tone and closed her eyes. He needed her to obey, to trust him with her pleasure. Her breasts quivered from her harsh breathing. The temptation was more than Lor could resist. He bent and captured one pink tip between his teeth. He applied pressure gradually, sucking her into his mouth as soon as she cried out.

  Her pussy fluttered around his fingers, but he was pretty sure she was still holding on, stubbornly clinging to the last of her control. “Open your eyes.” She did. “Know me as I know you.” He gradually opened their link and saturated her mind with his inferno.

  Tori screamed as Lor blazed into her mind. She came hard, arching nearly off his fingers as lust, fury and possessive hunger combined in a terrifying cocktail. His hands moved to her ass and he thrust his cock deep into her sti
ll pulsing body. Another wave of pleasure crashed over her, but she wasn’t sure if she came again or if it was the longest orgasm of her life.

  He’d warned her that his emotions were raw, but she’d never imagined anything this intense. He was so angry and yet his desire for understanding was every bit as strong. He didn’t want to frighten her, much less hurt her and still he pounded into her like a madman.

  She clung to him, surrendered and still, offering her body like a healing balm. He wasn’t gentle. She hadn’t expected him to be, but she also hadn’t expected the emotional tempest raging within him. How did he ever manage to appear calm with all of these emotions tearing him apart?

  He pulled her away from the wall and took her down to the floor. Her legs still draped his arms and he knelt between her open thighs. He thrust even harder now and her body responded to the seer carnality of his claiming. She arched off the floor and cried out as another orgasm tore through her.

  Before the last wave past, he pulled out and shifted her legs to his shoulders. She cried out again as he dragged her up to his waiting mouth and began to devour her cream. Only her shoulders remained on the floor. The rest of her body arched like a human waterfall spilling from his mouth. The position was awkward and uncomfortable, but the complaint only lasted a second as his mouth took control of her thoughts.

  He licked and sucked as if her cream alone could sustain him. His hands held her thighs in place, preventing her from sliding down to a less vulnerable position. His eyes opened and his gaze drilled into hers as he pushed his tongue deep into her body.

  Mine. The word required no elaboration. He shuttled his tongue in and out as his eyes remained locked with hers. She might have been frightened by his aggression if she couldn’t sense the pain driving the harsher emotions. He was taking what she’d offered because life was unbearable without her. How could she possibly resist him when tenderness threaded through even his harshest command.

  More. He moved one hand to her abdomen and covered her clit with his thumb. Give me more. With a few skillful strokes he had her coming again.

  Reality spun away as sensation eclipsed thought. A triumphant rush of approval barreled across their link and he drove his cock back into her clenching heat. Her legs were still angled over his shoulders, so her body was bent in half as he filled her again and again.

  She couldn’t really move, could only take what he gave her and ride out the storm. The intensity ebbed a bit and she quickly sorted through the emotions bombarding her mind. He was close. He was also afraid he was going to hurt her.

  I’m fine, Lor. In fact, I’m wonderful. She saturated the thought with joy and pushed it into his mind.

  A strangled sound escaped his throat, but he seemed to be incapable of coherent thought. He slowed, shrugged and then her legs slid down to his elbows. His rhythm was less frantic now, each stoke long and smooth. She rubbed his arms and squeezed his shoulders as the embers of her last orgasm caught fire again.

  She watched his face, fascinated by the power so evident in each grimace and gasp. She still couldn’t match his thrusts, but she arched and drew her knees back until her legs were barely touching his arms.

  “Now!” He moved faster and pulled his hands out from under her completely. Without missing a stroke, he took her face between his hands and kissed her fiercely. As his body possessed her utterly, he drove himself over the edge.

  She captured his sharp cry in her open mouth and felt his cock jerk hard inside her. He ground his pelvis against hers and detonated her final release. They shuddered against each other as shattering sensations burst within them both. They shared gasps and laughs and heated breath as the pleasure went on and on.

  “Thank you,” he whispered, his kiss reflecting his gratitude. His lips were gentle now, almost reverent as if to apologize for his treatment of her.

  She returned the kiss and allowed him to feel her contentment. When he finally pulled away she nipped his chin and said, “I told you I like it rough.”

  He laughed, clearly delighted by her unexpected reaction.

  * * * * *

  Tori had never been on a spaceship before and the Sentinel was everything she’d imagined and more. From the highly textured floors to help the crew maintain a solid footing to the auto-extending benches and seats, she was fascinated by the technology. The ship was compact and streamlined, everything designed to maximize limited space. The larger lower level contained the crew quarters—closet-size cubicles with little more than sleeping berths, two crew members per room—storage bays and the modest commander’s cabin. The upper level consisted of the galley, which also doubled as a briefing room, and the command deck, a.k.a. the bridge. Tori wasn’t allowed on the bridge so she spent most of her time hanging out in the galley. Even with a Mystic-assisted jump through hyperspace, it was going to take four days to reach Earth. It was easy to understand why Mystics avoided conventional forms of transportation.

  Late afternoon on the third day, five of the six crew members filed into the galley. Tori immediately looked at Lor and asked, “Should I leave?”

  He smiled at her and shook his head. “I’m just going to catch everyone else up on what you already know.”

  She scooted around in the U-shaped booth and made room for three of the five men. Lor and Dekker sat on the extend-o-bench, which appeared as if my magic. Odintar had helped her learn names. Despite his fierce exterior and dry sense of humor, Odintar was surprisingly likeable.

  Dekker, Kris and Sid were the soldiers chosen by Director dar Aune. They were all buff and serious, with short hair, cleanly shaved faces and sharp gazes. The Mystics by contrast were bohemian. Their hair was longer, much longer in Blayne’s case, and Blayne had a short goatee.

  Lor began a detailed outline of everything they knew about the alpha hunters. “We’ve verified that my father is no longer their benefactor so we need to focus on the Rodytes.”

  “If I can be so bold, sir, how was this verification achieved?” The question was in the eyes of all the men but Blayne was the only one bold enough to ask.

  “Lilt dar Joon is dying.” Tori saw the tension in Lor’s face and knew he wasn’t ready to talk about it. “The elders left his dignity intact by keeping their silence, but they slipped him poison somewhere along the way. Lor will soon head the House of Joon and it’s pretty obvious that he’s not a friend to any of the Shadow Assassins.”

  Blayne’s sliver-blue gaze focused on her as a vague smile curved his lips. “How did you become involved in all this?”

  “I’ll tell you after the briefing. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  “It pertains.” Lor watched Blayne closely but his features remained expressionless. “Tell him now.”

  “My sister was targeted by Nazerel. He’s made contact with her and attempted to capture her once already, so we don’t think he’s going to give up.”

  “Where is she now and how was the attempted capture foiled?” Dekker asked.

  “I was posing as her at the time. Allenton and Lor were with me. There was a fight. Lor was hurt and that’s when Allenton left with Nazerel.”

  “There is a slight possibility Allenton pretended to defect to protect me and Tori, but stronger indications point toward his switching sides.”

  “Once a Shadow Assassin always a Shadow Assassin,” Sid said, and the other soldiers nodded.

  Lor went on to explain that Angie had likely been targeted because of her Ontarian blood, which indicated that the hunters had access to some sort of laboratory.

  The soldiers remained attentive, yet Tori found Blayne’s gaze drifting toward her as often as he looked at Lor. She was solidly attracted to Lor, but she had to admit that each of these men was appealing in his own way. It was sort of like going on tour with a bus full of Chippendale dancers.

  “Any questions?” Lor asked as his orientation wound down.

  “Any chance your social alliance will be ending soon?” Blayne asked with a bold smile.

  “No,” Lo
r stressed. “Find your own human.”

  “Oh, I intend to.”

  Lor had been trying to downplay a potential conflict, but the exchange made Tori tense. If these men went on the prowl, they weren’t any better than the hunters they were here to apprehend. She hadn’t known about the woman shortage on Ontariese when she agreed to help Lor.

  Relax. He wasn’t serious.

  She looked at Lor and tried to smile. Are you sure? He seemed pretty adamant to me.

  There are rules against operatives having sex with indigenous people. All of these men know better than crossing that line.

  She’d been on Ontariese when Lor made love to her, but if they’d stayed on Earth, they likely would have “crossed that line”. She didn’t pursue the argument, but the trepidation didn’t lessen. Each man on this ship would have no trouble getting laid on Earth and only God knew how long it had been since each of them had slept with a real live woman.

  Lor dismissed the crew and they returned to their posts, then he slipped into the booth beside her. “You’re still brooding, I can sense it. Hasn’t anyone ever flirted with you before? Blayne obviously finds you attractive but he would never betray my trust by pursuing you.”

  “Then Ontarian men are way different than human men. Fidelity is the exception not the rule on Earth.”

  He slipped his arm around her shoulders and drew her closer to his side. “The voice of experience?”

  She sighed. She hated talking about past lovers with someone she was newly dating, but it seemed to be an inevitable stage in every relationship. “I’ve had three semi-serious relationships and all three of them cheated on me.”

  “Then they were fools.” He turned her head and gave her a slow, sweet kiss before he added, “Females are so scarce on Ontariese that if a man is lucky enough to enjoy a social alliance, he does everything in his power to make the female happy. We try very hard to keep our mates satisfied because, if we screw it up, there is a very good chance we will not be granted another.”