Trained in Blood [Lords of the Expanse 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Honor James

  “I know I will, Titan.” She had complete and total faith in him. “I trust you and believe in you.” Holding onto him she breathed him in. “We both believe in you fully and completely.” She rubbed her body against his and as much as she hated to she pulled back. “You need to try to contact Lord Mauricio.”

  “I will, love,” he told her softly. “Stay here and rest please?” he asked, softly stroking his hand down her back. “I will go and get a message to him to contact me.” He’d have to leave it vague. “And from there we will have to wait. If he is off world it may take some time, but if he is here then we will be able to alert him all the sooner.” Shifting he stood and then, turning, covered her back up before moving to dress.

  “Believe me, your child and I are determined to stay right where we are.” She watched him and grinned. “Go, Titan, he and I are perfectly fine just laying here until you come back to us, until you come back to us and feed us,” she said, grinning.

  Straightening from pulling his boots on he frowned slightly and moved to her side. Sitting he touched her cheek. “Will you be all right until I get back?” he asked with real concern. “I don’t want you to suffer any if you are in need now, love,” he told her when he saw the automatic reply starting to form in her mind. Her eyes told everything he realized and hid the smile at that realization. She couldn’t hide her thoughts completely. That would remain his little secret he knew. It would be useful to keeping her safe and out of trouble.

  “We will be fine until you can return to us, my Lord husband.” She touched his cheek and smiled. “Go, Titan. I’m not moving an inch from right here and right now, darling. I promise you.” She paused only a moment. “A blanket would be wonderful. Feel like covering me up?”

  Rolling his eyes at her he pulled the heavier cover up and over her body. Leaning over he kissed her lightly. “You had better be here when I return,” he said softly brushing his lips back and forth over hers. That said, he stood and moved quickly to the door before the temptation of her was too much and he forgot his mission.

  She had the urge to jump from the bed and move to the couch but didn’t. Instead she lay back on the pillows with a goofy grin on her face and turning on her side, began to talk to their child.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Returning after a half hour during which he’d left his message with a couple of people who could find Andries and after feeding thoroughly, Titan stepped into the room and paused. Violet was lying on the bed speaking softly, and from the words he assumed she was talking to their child. Smiling faintly at her unusual ways he stripped down in silence and then moved to the bed and slid in behind her sliding his hand over her belly to rest where hers did. Kissing her neck he smiled at her look. “What are you filling his head with?” he asked softly.

  “Telling him stories about his father.” She said with a grin, “It’s good for a babe in the womb to hear their parents’ voices, to have the mother talking to him.” She looked over her shoulder. “And to have the father talking to him.” Her hands rubbed over his as she added, “He feels you. When you place your hands on my belly, he can feel you.”

  “Really?” he asked with surprise in his voice. “I didn’t know that,” he said and then he stilled. “He uh…” How the hell was he going to phrase this? “He’s not aware when his mother and I…are together is he?” he asked, putting emphasis to the word “together” and hoped she’d get his meaning.

  She grinned. “I could let you think that he does.” She touched his hand, stroked his hand. “But no. He feels our love for each other, he feels how much we need each other but he can’t feel you inside of me, Titan, I promise.”

  Grunting in relief he nodded. “Good, some things no child needs to know this early in life,” he murmured. Stroking her belly gently he rested his cheek to hers and curled up behind her even more before he closed his eyes. “I sent out several messages for the Lord Colonel to contact me and made sure he knew it was urgent. I just hope he is on our world or it will take a long time for him to get the messages even with the point-of-contact communications we have.”

  “I hope that he and his Lady wife are close.” She paused and then asked, “When we have our son, Titan, where will we be? Keep in mind that he’s likely thinking like that right now. Where would he be able to take his wife where she would be safe, protected, and away from the bulk of the Alliance High Council.”

  “On his ship which is outside of the purview of the Alliance,” he answered easily and quickly. Cursing softly he rubbed his cheek to her skin. “It means that he won’t be returning until after his Lady wife gives birth, at least not back to Castitas,” he muttered.

  “Will you be able to reach him, however, Titan? One of the messages you sent, will they get through to him hopefully?” she asked and licked her lips. “Because if they are on a ship, the doctor will be able to take the wife and babies and run before he would know they were gone.”

  Nodding he hugged her gently closer, his acts instinctively protective. “He’ll get the message,” he told her. “I worded it in such a way that no one, even he, will know what I’m referring to. I just told him that an emergency had arisen that I felt he needed to be made aware of as it concerned his House.”

  “I believe in you, Titan. If anyone can save the woman and her children, it’s you.” She rubbed her hands up and down his arms before sighing. “For now, however, husband, you need to feed us. Your son and I are beginning to get hungry once more.”

  Smiling at her words he loosened his arms so she could turn over in the bed. Once she was facing him he slid a leg up between hers, lifting her higher against him. “Take what you will,” he told her softly as he bared his throat to her.

  She once again rubbed her cheek and then lips to the side of his neck before she licked where she was going to bite and with a moan she reached down between them and took him in hand and guided him into her. “Slow and easy,” she whispered next to his ear as she felt him hard and moving inside of her. As soon as he bucked into her deeper she struck, her teeth buried deeply, and she fed.

  Groaning he cradled her head close. “This is not the way to convince me that we should be slow and easy,” he told her as he rocked into her pussy. Pulling her leg up over his hip he continued to move in and out of her body trying for that slow pace she had wanted.

  As she rode him, every time she slid down his body she shook with need and whimpered in delight. The taste of him was like nectar from the gods. It was strength and pure. Finally she pulled back and sealed the wounds on his neck with delicate licks. “And yet you are giving me slow and easy.” Her lips found his and kissed him even as she urged him into a faster pace.

  Cupping her bottom in his hands he picked up the pace as she’d demanded his mouth slanting across hers to deepen the kiss.

  Her heel dug into his ass as she rode against him harder, faster, and with as much need as he gave her. She rode him for a while before she pulled back and gasped, “Titan.” She was so close. “Again, bite me again, feed from me, my Lord, please.”

  He looked ready to argue, but seemed to change his mind. She’d taken a lot from him and he hadn’t yet taken enough back in return. Pulling him closer so his face was buried at her throat she squeezed encouragingly. His tongue slid lightly over her flesh and then, in the next moment his teeth bit into her skin. His arms pulled her closer to him. His hands squeezed and massaged her ass as he drove his cock into her over and over again. Her pussy took his cock as he sucked and swallowed down her blood.

  She’d just needed him to take from her. If only a little she’d needed it desperately. She heard herself crying out with the touch of his lips to her throat and felt herself flying away with her release. She was holding on to him so tightly she could have sworn his body merged with hers in more than just the most obvious of places.

  His seed spilling inside of her cunt, Titan let out a breath and felt his teeth release the enzyme even before his brain clued in and then he wondered at the brilliance
of that. But it was too late. His body had marked her as his and he knew, when he lifted his head, he’d find the faint red marks of his House lineage. Pulling back gently he looked down to her throat after sealing the twin punctures and saw just what he knew he would.

  She was warm and pliant in his arms, a happy and content smile on her face. “That felt amazing, Titan.” She turned to look at him and touched her fingers to his lips. “What’s wrong?” A shiver ran through her entire body. “Titan, what’s wrong?”

  Shaking his head he smiled for her. “Nothing, love,” he whispered even as his eyes drifted back to her throat. “I marked you,” he murmured softly. Moving a hand he stroked a finger over the soft but very clear red lines that showed his lineage and all those of his House.

  She shuddered at the touch and let out a moan of pleasure. “Marked me?” It came out as a breathless sound, her body clenching around his cock. “Oh god, what is that?”

  “It’s something the male of our species can do with an enzyme that is hidden in the recesses of his teeth. It’s a one-time thing and only works for the one female that shares the soul tie with him,” he told her softly, still tracing the lines ever so lightly. “It shows the world that you are part of my House and tells them of my lineage.”

  She whimpered with each touch and bit her lip. “And it’s very erotic.” She turned her heated gaze to him. “The feeling of your hand, your fingers moving over the lines. It’s like I have a whole new erogenous zone, Titan.”

  Smiling slightly he licked at the mark and then chuckled softly at her shiver. “I will have to remember that you like to have it stroked should I ever need your attention on me,” he told her softly.

  “You have my attention at all times anyway, Titan.” She whimpered then. “If you keep that up, Titan, you and I will be doing far more than just being here, and being together.”

  Smiling slowly he nibbled on the mark enjoying each clench of her body, the small rush of wetness around him, and the scent, gods her scent fired his blood. “And just what might be this ‘far more’ you are referring to?” he asked in a quiet tone.

  “I need you again.” She breathed over the roaring in her ears. “I can’t believe it, we just finished and already I need you again, please.” She begged him softly as they lay there locked together and his finger ever so lightly caressing her mark.

  “Do you hear me denying you, Violet?” he asked her softly. Rolling to his back he moved her over him and smiled faintly at the look on her face. “Now, if I am not mistaken, and I’m pretty sure I’m not, you were going to tell me some of the very interesting things you learned during your hellish two years.”

  “Where would you like me to begin? With how they taught me to kill, how they forced the knowledge they had of your people into my mind or what?” The look on her face was one of pain, upset.

  Sitting up under her he wrapped his arms around her. “Don’t, love,” he said softly. “Please don’t hurt,” he whispered to her gently as he rubbed her back. “I don’t care, about any of it. Just please don’t hurt.” It hurt him to see that pain on her face and in her eyes.

  “I’m trying, Titan, I really am. Yes, they taught me the ways of a whore, how to give pleasure and cloud a man’s mind. Is that what you would like?”

  “No,” he whispered. “It hurts you and that hurts me so please, no more,” he asked of her. Squeezing her a little tighter, but ever careful of the fragile life they’d created he held her to him. “I was only…teasing.” He tried the word out. “I failed at it and for that I am very sorry. I would never hurt you, Violet, and yet I have.” He was a failure and he’d have to accept that.

  “No, you didn’t hurt me.” How did she explain? How did she explain that just the thoughts of what she did, what she was forced to do made her stomach curl? “You haven’t failed, Titan, if anyone has it’s me because I can’t deal. You have been nothing but wonderful to me. I just, I’m trying, Titan, I really am trying, love.”

  Nodding against her cheek he held her to him. “I know, love,” he whispered softly to her. “Just know that I will always be here for you, Violet. No matter what you tell me, what you don’t, I will always be here.”

  “I know.” She just held onto him as she calmed her heart and soul. She was aching, a deep hurt that filled her and after a while abated and left her with just the feeling of love that she not only felt from Titan, but for him as well.

  “I’m sorry I ruined what promised to be a very, very promising time, Titan.” Now she could kick herself. She couldn’t believe that she had brought all that up when he just wanted her to show him a part of herself, show him that she could and would be able to deal with giving as good as she got.

  Leaning back he smiled at her gently. “Don’t apologize, Violet,” he said softly. “It’s better to know now than have you resenting anything I might say that refers to that time. I’m glad you told me.” He gave her a narrowed look. “The sarcasm I could have done without.” Titan gave her a wink and then kissed her cheek. “But I am glad you told me.”

  “The sarcasm was needed or I would have broken, Titan.” She rubbed her cheek to his lips when he brushed the kiss there. “I won’t ever hold secrets from you, Titan. You’re mine and I’m keeping you forever and a part of that means that there will only be truth between us and that is what you will forever have from me. Truth.”

  “Good,” he said before pulling her tight to him again. “I will always be as honest with you, Violet. It’s not in my nature to lie. Lies only confuse situations and I learned long ago that the world we live in is mired in enough confusion without adding to it.”

  “Then we are good, Titan.” Her head pillowed on his shoulder she simply held there close to him and breathed in, accepted the comfort and love that he gave her.

  Holding her for several long minutes Titan finally lifted his head. “No more tears, love?” he asked softly. Stroking back her hair he dipped his chin so they were eye to eye. “I do not like to see your eyes fill like that, Violet. It cuts me when you cry.”

  “No more tears, Titan. Happiness for us from here on out. We deserve to be happy so we will.” She nodded. “Everything will work out fine, we will get through all of this, and we will be all the better for it, love. I promise we will get past this.” She was telling more herself than him.

  Nodding once more he kissed her softly and then lay back down, the mood having fully been broken. As she settled over him he wrapped the blankets about her body ensuring she was covered and warm, so sweet of him. “If you ever do want to talk, love, not today, but one day,” he said, softly stroking her hair, “I will be here to listen and hold you, Violet.”

  “Not today,” she agreed and closed her eyes. “But one day. One day, Titan, I will tell you everything, I promise.” Her body nuzzled up and closer to his. It was as if she were trying to crawl into him. “I love you, husband.” Her last whispered words before she dropped off and into sleep.

  “I love you, too, my precious wife,” he said softly once he was sure she was asleep. Pressing a kiss to her head he wrapped her in his arms and just held her as he went to sleep.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Yes, sir,” Titan said a moment before he closed the link and leaned back in his chair. Rubbing his hands over his face he sent out the call to his crew to let them know that they needed to prep the ship for a departure in three days’ time. Now all he had to do was tell Violet and figure out either how to get her to remain behind or how to keep her safe on the ship during the mission. He couldn’t leave her behind so he knew he had to take her with him.

  Violet walked out with a bowl filled with a frozen sweet cream and grinned. “This is so good. Would you like to try?” Seeing the look on his face she paused. “What’s wrong, Titan?” she asked and moved to his desk to take a seat on the top of it facing him.

  Sitting up in his chair he leaned his forehead to her knee and just sat there for a moment. “I’ve been ordered on a mission,” he told her as he lifted hi
s head, his hands rubbing over thighs gently. “It’s being classified Black Level Five which means that I can’t take you with me,” he said softly. “But I also can’t leave you here, Violet. I need you to be with me.” He sighed and let his head drop again to lean in her lap. “I have no idea what the hell to do.” And gods did he hate admitting that.

  “Yes, you can’t leave me behind for several reasons. One, I would find you. Two I can’t be.” She licked her lips and shook her head. “I don’t want to be alone, but mostly because of number three, the fact that without you and your blood your child and I would die and that’s just not acceptable to me.”

  He had to smile at number one. He liked the resolve in her voice when she said number one. Number three unfortunately was the biggest problem. “You’re coming, love. I just have no idea how the hell I’m going to manage to get you on board yet. But”—he looked up at her—“we have three days to come up with a plan so when the Alliance snoops to do their checks no one will find you and we can launch without trouble.”

  “They can’t honestly expect you to leave me behind anyway. That’s just, that’s crazy, Titan.” She grumbled, “Besides, it’s your ship, love. If you have need to stow me away, shouldn’t you have the best access to the best hiding places?”

  “I do. My worry is where that’s going to be. This is a highly secret mission, love, which means that the Alliance is going to have their goons going top to bottom with the best scanning equipment on the market looking for what shouldn’t be there. I have a couple ideas, but I need to check them before I can risk you or our child there,” he said as he finally sat up and leaned back in his chair. “Come here,” he ordered holding out a hand, his intention to pull her into his lap and cuddle her.

  She moved into his lap easily, the bowl of sweets set off to the side as she moved from the desk to his lap in one motion. Arms around his neck and legs moved to one side of him she sat sideways in his lap and nuzzled up against him softly. “I love you, Titan.”