Initiation

by Ruth D. Kerce

Lizard-man swung around. He clicked his tongue at something in the shadows and then scurried away into the night, dragging the case on the ground behind him.

  Alexa felt Large-cock shiver, and he didn’t feel so large anymore. His grip around her arms eased.

  She took immediate advantage, twisted, and stomped on his foot with her boot. He wailed, then pushed her, or she fell, because the next thing she knew he was gone and she was on her knees, her palms scraping against the pavement.

  Fat raindrops began to fall on the cement around her, and one plopped onto the back of her neck. The icy chill felt good, revitalizing.

  She glanced up, in pain, but ready to flee. As soon as her legs would support her. She didn’t know what had just happened and didn’t care, as long as she got away intact. She’d let the police figure it out, after she was safe and sound behind locked doors.

  In mid-crouch, a presence stopped her.

  A man stood nearby, his hands shoved into a long, dark coat. Feet spread apart. Face obscured by the darkness. “You’re hurt,” he said, his voice tight, angry.

  The other man! The dark one from the cemetery. She recognized the tone. This was not happening. Her vision swam in front of her, and she slumped to the ground.

  Braden fought back his temper. He should have killed all three of those damn Egesa for daring to put their hands on Alexa.

  The two survivors would return to their ship and transmit what happened back to Daegal on Marid. The man would know that Alexa was under a Warrior’s protection, and that at least one Xylon ship was here in Earth’s orbit, cloaked from detection. Maybe it would be a deterrent…for the moment.

  He walked over to the car, shut off the engine, and grabbed the keys. Primitive transportation. He coughed at the noxious smell. Gas-fueled vehicles needed to be replaced with something cleaner and more advanced, if Earth hoped to progress beyond their current technological boundaries.

  He scooped Alexa up in his arms. She curled into him, as if instinctively knowing he was there to help. Vaguely, he registered how good she felt in his arms, then immediately pushed aside the thought. He had a job to do. She wasn’t his. He didn’t have the right to feel anything. Even though Laszlo had relinquished her to him for now, the man still had the right to come back and claim her as his mate.

  The rain began to fall harder, slowly turning to sleet. He needed to get her inside. The poison had already taken effect and caused her to black out. She’d be experiencing the pain soon.

  With purposeful strides, he headed up the stone walkway toward the arched front door. Her mother’s home. He’d been monitoring the residence for weeks, waiting for his chance. After the woman died—an unfortunate circumstance, he hoped Alexa would finally come home. “You should have done your job, Adrian, and not kept your daughter from us.”

  Alexa would need instruction and training to fulfill her destiny. Provided she survived long enough for him to get her back to Xylon.

  * * * * *

  A feeling of constriction stirred Alexa. Her eyes fluttered open. She was inside the house, tightly embraced, and someone was carrying her toward the master bedroom.

  The stranger.

  Would this nightmare ever end? “Let go!” She struggled, arching her back and pushing against his rock-hard chest. She’d have had more success pushing at a wall; he was that unmovable.

  “Stop it, Alexa. You’re hurt.”

  The use of her name, this time, was as calming as a caress. His voice slid over her, soft and determined. She stilled and stared up into his violet eyes. In the dark, his eyes had looked black, but they were really a dark violet. Menacing, compelling, eerily beautiful.

  His hair was black—a military cut that had grown out. The stubble on his face was black; his clothes were black. A small scar on his left cheek, just below the eye, caught her attention. She had the sudden urge to caress the mark of imperfection.

  Her weight seemed no problem for him to bear. “How do you know my name? Who are you?”

  “My name is Braden Koll.” He entered the master bedroom, pushed open the bathroom door, and set her on the counter between the double sinks. He flipped on the light. “Just sit there, please.”

  The word please sounded strange coming from the man’s lips. His voice was soft and compelling, but his body was all hard and intense, wound tight.

  Her chest began to hurt, and her hands, bringing back the memory of what had happened. “Those men…”

  He took out a small tube of something, then shrugged off his coat and draped it over the side of the garden tub. “Don’t worry about them right now.” He glanced down her body.

  Alexa followed his gaze and gasped. Her breasts were completely exposed. They looked raw, scraped, spotted with blood. She moved to cover herself, but the stinging in her hands made her wince.

  Braden brushed her fingers away. “Let me tend to you.”

  “I don’t even know you!” She’d found a gun in the nightstand last night. If she could get to it… She scooted forward to hop off the counter.

  He grabbed her waist. “Listen to me. Those scrapes will become extremely painful and cause permanent damage if you don’t let me put this cream on you.”

  She shook her head and seriously considered kicking him in the nuts. Unless she got in a good blow, she probably wouldn’t have time to get the gun before he recovered. But she could flee the house. Hide.

  Except…the other men might be lurking outside, waiting for her to come out. At least this man, Braden, hadn’t tried to hurt her. Yet.

  Leaning close, his voice came out low and velvety soft. “Alexa, you know what those creatures did. You saw what they were. And you can also see I’m not like them. Trust me.”

  Trust? He had a screw loose if he actually believed that. “I don’t know what to think. What I saw. Who to trust.” Her voice shook, but she couldn’t control it.

  Pain surged through her chest. She winced and flapped her hands in the air. “They’re burning!” Her breasts felt like acid was eating right through the flesh.

  “Let me help you.”

  She had no choice. The pain was too severe. She sucked in a breath, tried to control her tears, and nodded.

  Braden helped her out of the coat and what was left of her emerald-green sweater and matching bra. At the sight of the wounds marring her beautiful breasts, his temper rose.

  He should have followed her sooner, seen to her protection better. The Egesa had figured out the ploy with the decoy, and had tracked Alexa to the house.

  She sat with her head against the mirror and her eyes squeezed shut, tears escaping the sides.

  “It’ll be all right,” he told her, his voice steadier than he actually felt.

  He flicked the top off a silver cylinder, set the dose, and waited for the white goop to fill his palm. If already initiated, she’d heal almost immediately with the help of the cream. In Alexa’s current state, her body wouldn’t recover until sunrise. He set aside the container, then rubbed his hands together to warm the substance.

  With a light touch, his palms covered her soft, full breasts.

  She jerked, then settled back with a sigh.

  The cream would not only heal, but contained a drug that would seep into her system and relax her, so she could sleep. He gently caressed her breasts. Perfect. A little more than a handful each. And he had large hands.

  “That’s nice,” she whispered dreamily.

  He felt her body begin to relax. In response, his body tightened. The sight of his fingers massaging her breasts, the weight of the soft flesh in his hands, the feel of his palms rubbing against her hard nipples, made him want to open his pants, strip Alexa down, pull her to the end of the counter, and plunge himself deep inside her pussy.

  “Your hands feel good.”

  Torture. The urge to fuck this woman, make her surrender to his will, was growing to an unbelievable need. He’d never felt like this with any of the other women he’d initiated. What was happening to him? He brushed his thumbs acr
oss her nipples, watching for her response.

  “Oh…” Alexa’s eyes popped open. “Braden?”

  His throat felt dry, his cock hurt, and his hands twitched. He ached to explore her body. He knew he couldn’t. Not yet. But soon. Very soon.

  Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she slid down the counter.

  He caught her in his arms and propped her up, then carefully tended to her hands. No poison there. The scrapes just needed cleaning and a regular antiseptic. The bruises on her arms where the Egesa had held her would soon fade. In time, all this would just be an unpleasant memory.

  If she wasn’t healed properly by morning, he’d call in a Xylon Healer.

  “Come on, Alexa.” He carried her into the bedroom and lay her on the mattress. He stripped off her black boots and socks and loosened the belt on her pants, so she’d be more comfortable.

  She looked so innocent that something inside his heart twisted. He brushed aside the soft emotion and flipped the bedcover over her. Tenderness was not in his make-up, and he had no desire to discover that elusive, human emotion now. The problem was he knew too much about her from his research. If she were Xylon, he wouldn’t even be giving her a second thought. She’d just be another woman to fuck into The Lair.

  He walked back to the bathroom and took the vid-cell from his coat. He punched in a set of numbers and waited. The display flickered, then popped up an answer.

  “Damn. Only ninety-six hours until we leave.” If they waited any longer, they’d miss the entry point back to their star system. He’d have to work fast. He punched in some more numbers. “Kam, lock on my location. I need you and Erik to secure this perimeter.”

  A foul odor reached his nose, like rotting fish in stagnant water. He disconnected the transmission and stepped to the door. He glanced into the bedroom.

  In the short time that he’d been gone, one of the Egesa had materialized inside the house and stripped off the bedcover, along with the rest of Alexa’s clothes.

  The creature sat crouched between her spread thighs, a blood-red initiator pulsing in his hand, ready to stab its poison into Alexa’s unprotected cunt.

  Braden had no time to think, only act. He drew his disruptor and fired. One second there. The next gone. So fast, the Egesa hadn’t even uttered a sound.

  Daegal must want Alexa sterilized bad to send someone back in for a second try so soon. Or maybe the creature had made the decision himself, not wanting to go back to the ship and report his failure.

  Braden quickly moved to Alexa’s side. He brushed his hand down her arm, along her abdomen, making sure she was okay. His gaze drifted over her naked body, taking in every detail. Her blonde hair lay tangled around her head, and dark circles stood out under her eyes. She’d been through an ordeal tonight. He wished he could remove her memory of the entire experience.

  Her full breasts rose and fell with each breath. The nipples still hard; the buds a deep, sexy beige. Taunting him. Soon, he’d know their taste. And she’d squirm beneath his mouth and tongue.

  His gaze slowly continued down her body, learning every dip and curve. The plane of her stomach flared out nicely at her hips. Further down, between her open thighs, his perusal stopped.

  Dark-blonde hair covered her pussy. Damn. He wanted to touch her. Open her up. Put his mouth down there. Suck and bite her clit. Tongue-fuck her slow and thorough. Make her come. Lick her clean. Then do it all again.

  “Braden?” a deep voice called from behind him.

  Jerked out of his fantasy, he flipped the covers over Alexa’s naked body. He turned. “Hey, guys.”

  His most-trusted friends, Kam Nextor and Erik Rhodes, stood near the bathroom door. Like him, they were part of the elite team of Warriors trained to protect the people of Xylon, and part of a special mission to search star systems for compatible women.

  Those children born of Warriors and left on other worlds, if of age, were to be initiated for breeding and brought back to produce more Warriors for Xylon. Three ships were currently conducting searches, each responsible for a different star system, with more ships to be sent out soon.

  Unfortunately, the Egesa were on a similar mission, except their orders were not to breed, but to sterilize these women, and to keep them from the Xylon Warriors at all costs.

  Kam peered over Braden’s shoulder. “Alexa?”

  “Yeah. Laszlo gave her to me.”

  Erik’s intense gaze snapped from the bed to Braden. “No shit? Can he do that?”

  “Apparently.”

  “She’s agreed to everything?”

  “Not yet. The Egesa tried to get to her at the cemetery, then out in front of the house, and again just now in here. I need you two to stay close, while I take care of her. Help monitor for intruders. She’ll wake in a few hours, and I’ll explain things.”

  “No problem.” Erik moved to stand over Alexa. He studied her face, then turned back to Braden. “Why don’t we just get her back to the ship?”

  “This is going to be hard enough on her as it is. I don’t want to force her compliance. Familiar surroundings might make her more willing to cooperate. I think among the three of us, we should be able to keep her safe right here.”

  “Damn straight.” Erik turned back toward her. “Why didn’t the Egesa transport her up?”

  “Their ship must be out of range. Or maybe they didn’t have time to calibrate their hand-helds for multiple transport.”

  Erik smiled. “She is so fucking hot. We lucked out with her. I can’t wait to watch her come. I can’t wait to make her come.” He rubbed his hands together. “When’s the fucking-frenzy?”

  Braden held his temper in check. Erik had simply made the logical assumption. They’d all initiated women together before. Still, it bugged the shit out of him. “I’m getting to hate that term.”

  Erik turned and cocked an eyebrow. “You’re the one who came up with it.”

  Karma was a bitch. “Yeah, well. There will be no Alliance for her Initiation.”

  Erik laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “No.” Even though Kam and Erik were like brothers to him, he didn’t want to share Alexa.

  Kam drew Braden’s attention with a touch on his arm. “You can’t quell the sexual appetite she’ll experience by yourself.”

  “I will.”

  “Braden, no one man has that type of stamina. Her mind could snap.”

  Braden brushed Kam’s hand aside, avoiding his gaze. He didn’t want to talk about his feelings or his decisions concerning Alexa. Especially when he didn’t fully understand them himself.

  He’d see to her. Somehow. Alone.

  Chapter Three

  Alexa pried open her eyes. She felt groggy, sore. Disoriented. Where was she? She forced herself to focus.

  Sunlight filtered in from partially opened window shades. Yellow-flowered wallpaper surrounded her. Vanilla scents teased her nose.

  Okay…she remembered. Her mother’s bedroom, her bedroom now, as long as she was in Black Marble.

  She’d had the worst dream, or more accurately nightmare. Far worse than her normal ones. The only comforting part of it all was a handsome and sexy savior, who protected her from harm. She wouldn’t mind him appearing in more of her fantasies.

  A sigh eased from her lips, and she stretched languidly.

  “Good morning.”

  Her heart jumped. She swung her gaze to the green and beige padded chair in the corner. Braden. He hadn’t been a dream. She surged up on the bed, and the covers fell.

  With a gasp, she reached for the sheet.

  In mid-stretch, her gaze dropped to her naked breasts. Wait. They looked perfectly normal. How could that be? She clasped her hands over them, squeezing and caressing the smooth flesh. She couldn’t believe it. No pain. No scratches. Nothing. If it all hadn’t been a nightmare, then her skin should be raw with angry-red welts.

  Braden groaned.

  Her gaze flew to his. She suddenly remembered his hands applying some substance t
o her breasts and massaging them with tender care. Then he had flicked her nipples, and…

  “You’ve healed beautifully, Alexa.” His gaze honed in on the protruding nubs, and he licked his lips.

  She snatched up the cream-colored sheet. As she moved under the covers, she could feel that the rest of her body was naked, too. Her face heated. Where were all her clothes? She scanned the room but didn’t see them. Braden must have stripped them off her last night.

  At the realization that he’d seen her completely naked, a tremble of nerves ran through her. Had he violated her? She shifted uncomfortably. She didn’t feel violated. Of course, that didn’t mean anything. Her stomach clenched at the thought that he might have taken advantage of her vulnerable position. He could have touched her anywhere. Done anything. “Did you…?”

  “No.” His gaze raked the outline of her body, and he rubbed his chin. “I didn’t rape you, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

  He said it so casually that his words held the ring of truth. Still, she couldn’t afford to let her guard down. “Thank you for what you did.” He’d saved her from those horrible things, and the miracle cream he’d put on her was a generous gift.

  A barely perceptible grin crossed his face, and he nodded.

  She didn’t know what to think of the man. Maybe he truly didn’t intend any harm…only help. He looked like every woman’s fantasy. Strong, sexy, dangerous. Her gaze swept him from head to toe and back again. She paused at his lap.

  He shifted his hands to cover his groin.

  She’d seen the massive erection. Oh, my! After she practically shoved her bared breasts up like an offering, she supposed she couldn’t fault him for the reaction.

  “What are you still doing here?” Had he simply waited for her to wake up, to make sure that she was all right? Would a stranger, with no ulterior motive, do that?

  “I’m here to initiate you, Alexa.”

  Initiate! He might as well have slapped her. The shock would have been the same. The word’s meaning speared through her. Fear chilled her to the core, and her stomach clenched. That’s the word he’d used to describe what those three were doing in the graveyard. So Braden was a part of their group, as she originally thought.