“Where would I have to be initiated? Would we need to do it immediately?”
Braden spewed water over himself. He coughed to clear his lungs. “You’re saying yes?” he rasped out.
“Maybe.”
“Most initiations are performed on Xylon in The Lair, but we need to get you protected as soon as possible. We prefer to do off-world rites either on-ship, or we can do it here, if that’s more comfortable for you. I, um, kind of already planned it that way actually, if you agree.” He wiped the water from his chin. “It’ll be okay, Alexa. Really. Like a date…sort of. Or a fantasy. Anything you want.”
The eager look in his eyes and sound of his voice drew her in and made her feel all soft inside. She liked the fantasy of believing it meant more to him than just something for ‘the cause.’
“Yes. I’d rather do it here than on some ship.” So, she’d decided. If she didn’t agree and something horrible happened because of her, she’d never be able to live with herself. There was one last item though. She hadn’t asked about it again, because she’d been afraid it would confirm everything they said. But now that she had made her decision, she needed that last piece to fall into place. Just to be absolutely sure. “I want to read my mother’s journal, Braden, before we do this.”
Braden cleared the bed of the food and other picnic items in record time. Then he just stood there, staring down at her, apparently still in shock by her decision. “Of course. I’ll get it for you.”
Alexa drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. Even though Kam had tried to reassure her, Braden was still a stranger. She felt self-conscious about having sex with him. But also intrigued, especially since having that vision. He was such a powerful and sexy man. She watched him leave the room, admiring his tight ass.
This might work out better than she thought. Leila went through the Initiation but remained unmated, so she figured that if she wanted to, she could do likewise. Go through the Initiation, then refuse to bear children, if she decided enough was enough. She would ultimately choose her future. Not anyone else.
Braden returned in record time, probably still not comfortable with leaving her alone. “Here it is. I’ll sit over there in the chair while you read.”
She nodded and opened the journal to the first page.
Page after page, she read. All about how her mother was initiated by two women and one man—oh, ick. How the man, her father, a Warrior from Xylon, had later gotten her pregnant. Her mother’s belief and fear that the Xylon aliens would take Alexa.
In the journal, drawings of Xylon and five moons filled several pages. The images just like in Alexa’s dreams. Finally, passages appeared about her mother’s inability to handle what her father was. She’d suspected he had another mate elsewhere, probably on Xylon. The stress of that belief had affected their relationship so adversely that eventually he left, and she never saw him again.
Additional pages held specifics to various ceremonies and life on Xylon. Those she skimmed, planning to re-read them in more detail later. But she found out what she needed to know. Alexa closed the journal. She ran her hand along the front cover and took in a large breath. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
“Are you sure, Alexa?”
His softly spoken question touched something inside her. She could see the caring in his eyes, and an unfamiliar excitement started to build in her. Desire? “You’ll…you’ll help me through, right?” Stupid question. He was as excited as a man with a new gadget to get on with it. She could see that. Men always seemed ready to make love. No. This wasn’t making love. It was fucking—damn, she really hated that term sometimes. It was sex. Just sex. No matter what Leila had tried to convince her of, she knew the truth now, and was willing to deal with it and the consequences of her decision.
Her life was about to change in so many ways. But she couldn’t turn her back and simply walk away. Not with a clear conscience. And Braden was the first man in her life that she really felt attracted to and excited about. She didn’t want to lose that. Or what might be…
“I’ll be right there with you, Alexa, every step of the way.”
* * * * *
The woman looked up at her bound hands, then down at her bound ankles. She stared at the closed bedroom door.
Two men—both Warriors. One woman—a Healer, maybe a Warrior, too. She didn’t know. Three. The right number for an Initiation. She knew Alexa was in the house somewhere, waiting for the ceremony to begin. She doubted the rite had taken place yet, otherwise they’d have been dealing with Alexa’s sexual appetite and never would have noticed her presence.
There was still time to stop this.
She pulled at her hand bindings. Too tight to work loose. She had to get out of there and back to the Marid ship. Tell them what she had found.
The Healer would be easy for the Egesa to defeat, Warrior or not. She was delicate-looking and couldn’t be that strong. The two male Warriors would be harder to bring down, but it was do-able with the right force and element of surprise. Then Alexa would belong to Daegal to do with as he pleased. And she would have paid her debt to The Dome of Marid.
She twisted her foot, trying to loosen one of the ankle ties. She just needed enough leeway to—
A light knock sounded at the door. It cracked open a couple of inches, then a couple of more. Kam, she thought his name was, stepped inside. She was surprised that he’d come back. This time, she wouldn’t blow the opportunity.
He stood there staring down at her, a confused look on his face. If she played the pathetic female, maybe he’d unwittingly help her out.
“Are you all right?”
She shook her head, then pointedly looked down at her ankle.
He bent to examine the skin. “You’ve rubbed it raw.” He glanced up at her. “Can you speak? You don’t have to. I’d just like to know if you can.”
Knowing better than to get distracted by his pretense of caring, she ignored the question. Forcing out a couple of tears, she tried to look and feel shaken, which wasn’t difficult, given the circumstances. He might even think that was an answer of sorts to his inquiry and feel sorry for her.
His fingers hovered over her ankle. Then he pulled at the tie. “I’ll loosen it a little, but I won’t take it off. Don’t rub against the other restraints. I can’t help you any more than this.”
* * * * *
Erik glanced toward the closed bedroom door, where Kam had gone to check on the woman. He and Leila tried to stop him. The man still looked pale. But Kam always worried more about others than himself and insisted on looking in on her.
Clearing his mind of his friend, he instead gave the woman, who so frustrated and fascinated him, his full attention. He needed the distraction. “Hard-ass?”
Leila shrugged. “I thought the word fit.”
He crowded against her until her back bumped against the wall. “It does. And it’s not pretend, sweetheart.” His lips brushed hers when he spoke. “I am a hard-ass. And I don’t like being ordered around by a woman.” A smirk touched his lips. “Unless she’s ordering me to fuck her harder. I’m always willing to comply in that situation.”
“That’s not funny.”
“It wasn’t meant to be.”
Leila turned her head, no longer meeting his eyes. “Back off, Erik.”
He saw the pulse beating rapidly at the base of her throat. His beat just as hard. “No.”
Her gaze snapped back to his. “What?”
“You heard me.” Her shocked expression was exactly the reaction he had expected and hoped for. He was pushing her. On purpose. But he didn’t care. Or maybe he cared too much. He stroked the length of her brown hair, so long. Visions of that hair tangled in his fists with him pumping into her hot, wet pussy had him hard in a flash. He pressed closer, so she’d feel her effect on him.
At the pressure of his body, she bit down on her bottom lip, then released it. “If you don’t back off, I’ll—”
“What?” Erik g
lanced over his shoulder, hoping Kam would stay put for the moment. He turned back and cocked an eyebrow at her. “What are you going to do?”
She went completely still. Somewhere nearby the ticking of a clock counted off the seconds. Leila tilted her head, then reached up and caressed his cheek.
It was absolutely the last thing he expected of her. He jumped back as if she’d burned him with her touch. He wanted her submission, her desire, even anger or outrage was fine. Tenderness or compassion was the last thing he wanted. From any woman. “Forget it.” He turned and flipped on the television. “I wonder if Alexa gets NNN,” he muttered.
Several silent moments passed before she spoke. “NNN?”
Surfing the channels at record speed, he didn’t even spare her a glance. He didn’t dare. He was afraid of what he’d see in her eyes…and how he’d react. “The National Naked Network. It’s the only thing on this damn planet worth watching.”
* * * * *
She studied Kam as he stared out the bedroom window, lost in thought. Good. Stay that way.
With small movements of her foot against the mattress, she slowly worked her shoe off, and in the process, loosened the tie until it gave way. She’d learned the little escape trick from a long-dead companion, but it came in handy from time to time. Now she’d be able to get out of there.
She tried to push the shoe over the edge of the bed to draw his attention, but it stuck in the footboard. She made a whimpering noise instead—something small and pathetic, helpless sounding, until Kam finally turned toward her.
“What?” He sat down beside her. “Damn, you got the tie off.” He frowned and reached for the restraint.
She scissored her leg up and over, aiming for his face with her foot.
Kam grabbed her leg. His fingers curled tightly around the material of her pants.
Damn the man!
He bent her leg to a comfortable position, and his features hardened. “How stupid do you think I am?”
Apparently not as stupid as she had hoped. But she wasn’t stupid either. She still had a plan.
“I don’t like my kindness being repaid by an attack.”
Too bad. Poor baby. She completely relaxed her muscles. When she felt his grip ease a little, she jerked her leg back and kicked forward hard, catching him in the frontal lobe. This time she didn’t underestimate him or hold back.
Kam shot to his feet. He grabbed his head and staggered to the door. Without a word, he slipped to his knees and toppled over backward.
She tapped her foot against the other ankle restraint. A spark flew, and the tie fell off. The energy ball had neutralized the main electrical current wired into her clothing and set up for body-to-body transfer on forceful contact, but she still had enough residual current left for a minor spark or two. It wouldn’t work through her rubber-soled shoe though, so she’d had to get that off first.
When she had kicked Kam, thankfully, he’d gotten enough of a jolt to make him fall. She hadn’t transferred the first time, hoping to be able to knock him out without using what precious little current she had left. But he’d surprised her with his agility and strength. He was only a Class 2 Warrior from the markings on his jacket. She had been a Class 1, before betraying her people. A quick glance at the man showed he was definitely out, but she didn’t know how long it would last.
Thank goodness, she was limber. She kicked her leg over her head and took care of one hand restraint with another spark, then tugged loose the other. Now she was completely out of current and basically helpless. She’d have to rely on her wits from here on out.
She sat up and quickly put her shoe back on. She didn’t have her transport-connector or vid-cell. She couldn’t get out through the window. She’d make too much noise, and it would take too long to get the screen off. She couldn’t sneak through the house unnoticed.
Desperation had her reaching for her only escape. Kam’s transport-connector. She also lifted his disruptor. She might need that. She fiddled with the connector readings. Both ships were in transport range now, but his control wouldn’t open the shield cloaking the Marid ship from Earth’s detection.
She couldn’t stowaway on the Xylon ship. They’d be monitoring the air movements too closely and had probably placed her on Xylon’s most-wanted list by now. So she couldn’t even materialize aboard and pretend she was a stranded Warrior who needed help. There was a Marid sub-station in the city—right near the cemetery. She’d materialize there.
If she didn’t complete this mission, she was dead.
Chapter Seven
Braden tugged off the covers on the unmade bed to reveal cream-colored flannel sheets topped with slightly darker-covered pillows. The lighter color reminded him of Alexa’s skin. The darker, the color around her nipples. His cock immediately hardened.
Hold it together, man. His fingers were actually shaking. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this excited around a woman. He felt like a young man about to get his first lay.
He set the Initiation case on the padded bench at the end of the bed and opened it up. Everything looked to be there. He snapped off one of the night-table lamps to dim the lighting. The overcast sky outside helped add to the intimacy.
Alexa’s nervousness filled the room as she paced behind him. “Should I lock the door?” she asked.
“No. That’s not necessary.” He didn’t say, for fear of making her more nervous, but he and Alexa needed to remain accessible in case any Egesa decided to materialize. They might need help from the others. With so many Warriors around, the creatures probably wouldn’t chance it, but Egesa were unpredictable.
He drew a deep breath and rubbed his palms together. His hands felt like all the blood and heat had drained out of them. Why did he feel so awkward? He’d initiated many women. He’d just never initiated one alone. And certainly never one whom he wanted to take as mate. That upped the seriousness of the ceremony.
He still needed Kam and Erik for backup in case he couldn’t handle Alexa’s sexual appetite himself. He seethed at the thought of them touching her. Images of their hands and mouths exploring and pleasuring her body filled his brain.
Earlier, he’d spoken to Leila about his concerns, and she agreed to make the decision if it came down to it. As a Healer, she’d be able to tell if Alexa needed more sexual satisfaction than he could supply. Even so, he’d left specific instructions about what they could and couldn’t do to Alexa’s body.
“Can you hurry it up?” she snapped, then lowered her voice. “Sorry.”
Her words brought him out of his thoughts. A woman doing what she believed was her duty, was his first thought. He hoped that wasn’t the case, and it was just that she was filled with as much nervousness as he was. “It’s all right, Alexa. Relax.” He needed to heed those words himself. On his part, the nerves weren’t based on not knowing if this was the right thing to do, but on his anxiety that he might not be able to make it an orgasmic experience for her. He wanted her to want this, want him. He certainly wanted her, with a fierceness he’d never known. He would use all his sexual skills to bring her the greatest pleasures, so she wouldn’t regret what was about to happen.
He wasn’t going to conduct this ceremony like some cold, impersonal rite. And he’d be damned if that’s how she ended up remembering it. He turned and sat down on the side of the bed. “Come here, Alexa.”
Tentatively, she approached him. “Do you want me to take off my clothes now?” Her gaze settled somewhere along his shoulder and stayed there.
The question contained no enthusiasm. She seemed lost in her own thoughts. Kam’s words gave him hope. Sexually and emotionally attracted to him, the man said. He kept those words close to his heart. She was just nervous. That’s all. Even though she’d agreed to the Initiation, she still had to be wary. And he understood that. It was time to take control. As soon as he touched her, everything would be okay. If not, he’d back off and find an alternate plan. “Look at me.” His voice came out low, husky.
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br /> She raised her gaze to lock with his, and tangled her fingers together. She looked a little pale. He wanted to take her in his arms, hold her tight, and tell her everything would be all right. Except that would be putting too much emotion on the line. And emotions weren’t something he dealt with well, not his own anyhow.
“You will do everything I say. Understand?”
Silence greeted his question. She pulled some more on her fingers, interlacing and releasing them.
“Alexa…it’s necessary. I promise you will feel only pleasure. You need to let go of whatever is holding you back and trust me. Can you do that? If not, we need to stop this right now.”
“No. I want to do this.”
Still, she looked uncertain as to what to expect. He didn’t blame her for that. But he knew how to fix it.
Time to get her thoughts away from her worries and onto her body. He skimmed his fingers down the front of her covered breasts, watching for her reaction.
She gasped at his touch. Her nipples pebbled beneath the thin sweat shirt and bra. Her whole body trembled, and surprise crossed her face. He smiled at her reaction. Good. She liked his touch.
This wasn’t going to be two strangers completing a rite. This was a man and a woman bonding themselves together forever in the deepest way possible. Alexa just didn’t know that…yet.
Alexa’s heart pounded. She had to calm down. But Braden’s touch was as no other. So sensual, like in the erotic vision. She wanted him to touch her again. And again. The explosion of desire that raced through her when he brushed her breasts was unexpected and more powerful than she thought possible. Braden was the sexiest man she’d ever known. And behind the intensity of his eyes, she saw his tenderness. He let it sneak out from time to time, and she wondered what would happen if he ever allowed that emotional wall to completely crumble.
Deep down, she needed everything the Initiation represented. To break free. Experience what it would feel like to be wild and unfettered. To live a different, more fulfilled life. Braden, and the group he was a part of, could bring her that. She was still undecided about the breeding part. But she’d deal with that later. She wanted to visit their world, explore, and learn everything she could about Xylon and other planets. And most of all…she wanted Braden, fiercely.
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