Warrior's Pain (Cadi Warriors Book 4)

by Stephanie West

  Riley’s writhing channel gripping him tight. Her inner muscles moved along his erection with a control he never thought possible. He wanted to go slow, to relish this moment, but the sights, sounds, and sensations snapped his tenuous control. Cyprian surged forward stabbing Riley deep.

  “Fuck,” Riley keened.

  He pulled back, reveling in the silky heat that gloved his flesh, then gripped her hips tight, and thrust savagely into her glorious body again. Riley cried out, thrashing her head back and forth, as he started up a brutal rhythm. Cyprian’s hips slapped against her lush behind over and over, wringing the most delicious sounds from Riley’s writhing body.

  The need to consume the sweet mouth that gasped and cried overwhelmed him. He fell forward on his elbows, slamming his mouth into hers. Riley kissed him, her tongue frantically spearing into his mouth.

  Riley wailed into his mouth as he pounded into her quaking channel with wild abandon. She dug her the heel of her boots into his ass, goading him on, like the beast he was.

  Cyprian’s mouth found her neck and he bit down. Riley contorted beneath him, as his conjugo serum pumped into her body. Her teeth latched onto his shoulder, breaking the skin. Cyprian growled at the sublime sensation.

  Riley’s rhythmic squeezing faltered, as a spasm worked through her channel. Cyprian thrust faster and harder. His shaft strained as he ground into her grasping depths. With each lunge, Riley clenched him tighter. It was rapture and agony combined.

  The flood of moisture, and hailstorm of wild spasms in her sheath, made Cyprian erupt. The ecstasy seared through him like a supernova. Cyprian threw back his head and roared to the ceiling, shoving deep one last time. His body seized in rapture as Riley milked the release from his body, while crying out her own fervid bliss.

  After several minutes Cyprian finally summoned the energy to roll to his side. Beautiful satiated sighs fled Riley as she caught her breath. It felt good holding her against him, as he came back to reality.

  “What was it you wanted to do?” Cyprian asked on a long, satisfied, exhale.

  “I call bullshit,” Riley giggled and slapped his chest. “I may have blown your mind, but there’s no way you’re going to let me plant explosives in Cuttles’ office.”

  “You are right, Little Manx.” Cyprian covered Riley’s hand, where it rest on his chest. “However, I do agree that we must do something. I understand what is at risk, but I don’t want to see all these people die any more than you do.”

  “So, what do we do?” Riley frowned up at him.

  “I think we need to contact Aculus and create a plan, though I want to discuss it with Vintor first.”

  Cyprian wasn’t keen on working with his rival. But if the bony male had enough honor to try to save Riley, then he was willing to give the risky alliance a chance. What other options did he have? Ashtoret and the others were still too far away. They weren’t set to arrive till the Toufik were auctioned off. By then it would be too late.

  “I bet Cuttles would let you visit his office and give you a tour of engineering. He’s got a crush on you after you saved him, like a wiggly squiggly damsel in distress,” Riley teased, as her hands roved his stomach and chest, mimicking the Overseers’ tentacles.

  Cyprian chuckled and tugged Riley onto his chest, then gripped both of her tickling hands.

  “You may be right. He was eager for new business and rather grateful,” he conceded. “Behave with those fingers of yours while I contact Vintor.”

  “Whatever do you mean?” Riley asked as her hand drifted lower and pinched his ass.

  “Evil female,” Cyprian growled, still reeling from what she’d done earlier to his ass.

  Riley giggled, but she visibly clasped her fingers together and adopted an innocent look. Cyprian snorted in disbelief as he swiped a finger over the communicator strapped to his wrist. Frustratingly Vintor didn’t answer his hail after several pings.

  “Not answering?” Riley asked.

  “No. I was hoping Vintor could meet us here, since its more private than the suite.”

  “Let’s wash up and you can try again.”

  Cyprian smiled as he watched Riley’s luscious rear climb off the bed. She bent down to unbuckle her boots giving him an even better view. Riley cast him a beckoning glance, and he leapt from the bed. She giggled as she took off for the washroom.

  Trouble, he grunted to himself, as he followed.

  “When we see the smugglers again,” Cyprian began.

  “I know, I’ll have to pretend to be a good little slave,” Riley finished for him, while turning on the bathing stall.

  “You weren’t that good of a slave,” Cyprian quipped.

  “Oh? I thought I was a very, very good slave,” Riley demurred as she cupped his crotch.

  Cyprian’s shaft kicked, eager for another round.

  “You’re a very dirty slave,” Cyprian countered as he pushed Riley beneath the spray of water.

  Riley sputtered and laughed as she batted the water from her face, then began to wash. Never before had he enjoyed bathing as much as he had in the last day. Cyprian watched with rapt attention as Riley pulled her hair up and lathered the long locks. His brow furrowed when she then turned serious, and let her hair fall.

  “Thank you.” Riley smoothed her hand over Cyprian’s soapy chest, as she looked up at him with gratitude.

  “For what?”

  “Coming to Distraho. Rescuing me. Trying to stop all this craziness,” she said with a smile.

  “We might not succeed,” he warned.

  “I know,” Riley replied with a far-off look. “I’m really glad you’re on my side. I pity the poor souls if they were left with just me. I’m a piss poor savior. Every time I try to help people it turns to shit. I don’t know how I find myself in these situations. The longer I live it just seems to snowball, getting bigger and crazier. I’ve gone from trying to rescue my brother from himself, to keeping an entire race safe. With your help, these people have a fighting chance.”

  “Don’t down play what you’ve done,” Cyprian said with a frown. He didn’t like hearing Riley denigrate herself.

  “Come on Cyprian. You figured out what I was up to. If you weren’t a good guy, everyone would be screwed.”

  “Hardly. Before I became a general, I was being trained by my sire to be an interrogator. I can recognize when people are lying or leaving out the truth. When I was half your size, I knew how to get answers out of full grown males. And though I refused to follow in my father’s footsteps, my mere presence has scared more than a few warriors into spilling what they know. But never once did you breakdown and betray what you knew. That’s impressive.”

  “Thanks.” Riley gave him a small smile, then rested her cheek against his bare chest. “I just don’t understand. Why me? Why does everything have to be a struggle? I wouldn’t mind it so much if I could put a checkmark in the win column. But at the end of the day, that doesn’t seem to be my lot in life.”

  Cyprian cupped Riley’s cheeks and lifted her face so she had to look up at him.

  “That’s going to change,” he promised. Cyprian felt Riley’s pain as if it were his own.

  “I believe you. Thank you for coming to my rescue.” Riley gave him a genuine smile.

  The way she said the words, Cyprian knew Riley wasn’t just thanking him for rescuing her from Distraho.

  Cyprian wrapped his arms around Riley and lowered his lips to hers. He never truly understood the meaning behind the gesture, when he witnessed the human females kissed their warriors. He’d shake his head at the public display of affection. But now Cyprian knew it wasn’t just a precursor to more erotic acts. With the one kiss, a host of emotions were shared, which words could never convey.

  Riley

  “Vintor is still not answering,” Cyprian said as he grabbed his clothing.

  Riley was distracted by watching the giant man strap on his kilt. He wasn’t just drop dead sexy, he was amazing. She smiled as she touched her lips. Rile
y looked up from his broad muscular chest to see the scowl on his face. He was concerned about his friend.

  “They’re probably still at the coliseum,” she offered.

  “Let’s check the suite. I don’t want to contact Aculus before conferring with him.”

  “I can’t wait to see June and Ion again,” Riley said happily as they left the hotel room.

  Riley wasn’t willing to dwell on the possibility that she might not see them again, considering the daunting task ahead. With Cyprian by her side, she was filled with hope. Cyprian turned her world around, and now Riley felt almost invincible.

  This is going to work. Things will be back to normal soon.

  No sooner had the thought crossed her mind then she laughed.

  “What?” Cyprian asked, his brow arching.

  “I just told myself things would be back to normal soon,” Riley chuckled again. “But what the hell is normal anymore?”

  “That is a rather ambitious aspiration considering…” Cyprian finished his comment by eyeing her hair and tattoos.

  “Thanks, smart ass. I was thinking something sympathetic and touching might come out of your mouth. But, oh no, you just had to get a dig in about my hair and tattoos.” Riley bumped her hip into him.

  “Don’t forget the piercings, Little Manx.”

  Riley couldn’t help but laugh at the rotten man. He’d effectively put a halt to her spiraling train of thought with his ornery comments.

  “You were right, your sense of humor is a little twisted. For all you know, I’m very normal for a human female.”

  “I’ve only met three other human females, but I’m still thinking no, Little Manx.”

  “Hey buddy, you’re pushing it,” Riley declared as she pinched his side.

  Cyprian jumped back with a hearty chuckle.

  “I like your warrior’s ink. Mine is all black, but yours is full of color. You are a moving piece of art.”

  “Fine, you’re forgiven.”

  As they walked, Riley smiled at the way Cyprian distracted her from the stress of the world. But her thoughts still reverted to the whole question of normal. Her last version of normal revolved around the human colony. The Miran Sona had gone through the effort of taking her, so they probably wanted her and June back. Where Riley could’ve managed at the boring colony before; after meeting Cyprian, New Earth felt as appealing as prison. Everything in her life had changed, and there was no turning back time.

  “So, after all this, will June and I be going back to the colony?”

  Cyprian stopped and turned to Riley. There was a crease in his brow.

  “Let’s discuss it when this is over,” he insisted.

  Riley frowned. Being a slave wasn’t the illustrious future Riley had envisioned for herself. But belonging to Cyprian had filled a void. She wanted to be free, but not free of him. She suddenly felt like she was drifting in limbo and it frightened her more than the threat of death.

  “Okay.” Riley nodded.

  Cyprian was right. This wasn’t the time to dwell on it.

  “Just relax,” Cyprian said as they reached the suite.

  “I wasn’t real relaxed before.” Riley gave Cyprian a wane smile.

  Cyprian opened the door and they walked in. Mave, Pacen, Gio, and Nomino were talking and laughing in the central sitting room.

  “You missed quite a show, but I see you got your human back,” Mave said.

  “I did.”

  “You didn’t happen to come across Adeoda did you?” Mave asked as he approached them.

  “Unfortunately, I did. We need to talk about that. First, where’s Vintor?” Cyprian asked.

  “In your room.” Mave gestured.

  Riley followed Cyprian to the bedroom. When the door slid open, Riley froze in shock. Vintor lay bloody and bound on the floor, and the despicable reptile stood pointing a gun in Cyprian’s face.

  “You’ve been playing a dangerous game, General,” Mave growled. “Did you think my friend wouldn’t find a way to reach me?”

  Faster than Riley could process, Cyprian reached back and pushed her out of the line of fire. He ducked while lunging for Jyk’s gun.

  Mave grabbed Riley from behind. She felt the point of a knife bite into her ribs, and gasped.

  “Don’t do anything stupid,” Mave growled, while tugging Riley over to his friends.

  The three other smugglers had their guns drawn and trained on Cyprian. The general eyed them as he pointed Jyk’s gun back at the reptile.

  “Lower it,” Mave snarled.

  Riley bit her lip to repress a cry as the knife pressed deeper between her ribs.

  Cyprian growled in frustration, then eased his finger off the trigger and lowered his arm.

  No. Shit. Shit. Shit. Oh, no.

  “I’ll take that back,” Jyk hissed as he retrieved his gun from Cyprian.

  “If you harm her, I promise I’ll take you apart a piece at a time,” Cyprian snarled as he eyed the knife pressed against her side.

  “Don’t worry, General. We’ll show the curvy human the same hospitality you showed her,” Mave sneered.

  Cyprian struggled as the reptile and the smugglers bound his wrists. Riley tried to get free of Mave, but he held her tight. If she hadn’t been there, Cyprian might’ve had a chance to fight his way free.

  “Is the distasteful business over?” Cuttles asked as he emerged from another room along with several of his guards. “I am sorry, General. I appreciate what you did for me, however, Jyk is a very important client, and he suggested you might be bad for business.”

  Cuttles, you fucking bastard!

  Cyprian eyed the Overseer menacingly but kept his mouth shut.

  “I should kill you for the betrayal,” Mave informed Cyprian. “But, you’re going to earn me a pretty credit on the auction block.”

  Riley could see the concern in Cyprian’s eyes, though his countenance was stoic. He glanced briefly at her pendant before he was jerked away.

  Riley’s mind spun as she watched Jyk and the Verrater guards haul Cyprian and Vintor out of the suite. She had to do something. She would contact Aculus, but she didn’t know how long it would take him to respond. There was no way she could stay with Mave and his band of perverts. God only knew what they would do to her. Riley also refused to lead Aculus into a bad situation. Her eyes landed on Cuttles.

  Perhaps the greedy bastard is my ticket out.

  This time, Riley didn’t hesitate to act, like she had one too many times before.

  “Overseer.” Riley captured Cuttles’ attention as he turned to follow his guards.

  Cuttles stopped and looked at her inquisitively.

  “If I’m not mistaken, now that I’m without an owner, I revert back to the house,” Riley said while pinning the tentacled man with a pointed stare.

  Come on take the hint, you greedy fucker.

  “Despite our differences, we are the general’s kinsmen. We’ll take possession of his property,” Mave insisted as his grip tightened on her.

  Cuttles looked from Riley to the Cadi smugglers, then back to Riley. She wanted to smile in triumph as she saw the avaricious gleam creep into his eyes.

  “Unfortunately, gentlemen, title to this chattel was in one name only. Since that individual has forfeited his rights, while on my asteroid, his property becomes the property of Distraho. If we were on Cadi, we would abide by your laws.”

  Mave growled in anger when Cuttles waved a few guards over to collect Riley. Mave had no choice but to release her. His few men were nothing compared to the entire security force of the asteroid. Riley shrugged off Mave, and walked toward Cuttles, her head held high.

  “You are a scheming one,” Cuttles commented as they entered the hall.

  “You and I both know I made you a lot of money. I don’t see why we can’t continue on that path. Besides, look around, why would I want to leave all of this?”

  Riley gestured to the resort as they walked. She was doing her damnedest to play off Cuttles
’ arrogance and greed.

  “Your novelty will wear off eventually,” Cuttles countered.

  “And when it does we’ll find some rich lonely sap to sell me to. I think we can do so much better than that lot of barbarians.”

  “You are an unusual female.” Cuttles’ laugh warbled. “Show her to the slave’s wing,” he said to the nearest Verrater guard.

  If they take me back to that cell my plan won’t work.

  “Hold on a minute,” Riley said as the guard took her arm. “I’m not planning on taking off. Really, where would I go? I’d like to sleep on a mattress that isn’t stained. Surely you can spare a room. Maybe the one I was in earlier.”

  “Do you also want meal service delivered?” Cuttles asked incredulously.

  Riley could tell she was pushing her luck.

  “Of course not. I’m sure I can earn my keep, like before. I’ve also got a few other ideas bouncing around my head. Besides you wouldn’t want me to catch some disease from the vermin in those cells.” Riley shivered in disgust to emphasize her point.

  “Fine, but this arrangement lasts only as long as you are profitable.”

  “Of course. Just promise me you’ll sell me to someone who knows their way around the bedroom,” Riley insisted with a wink.

  “I don’t know, human,” Cuttles chuckled again. “By then you’ll probably have manipulated your way into a partnership.”

  The Overseer knew Riley was working an angle, but he just assumed she was attempting to put off her servitude.

  “I would love to discuss that partnership and my other ideas,” Riley joked. “Do you have time to meet in your office, in the morning?”

  “Yes,” Cuttles said with a quizzical shake of his head. “Escort her to the Trivalis wing, suite one-hundred and five.”

  “Thank you, and I never got a chance to thank you for lunch,” Riley said with a bow.

  Cuttles nodded as he waved her off.

  Riley walked tall as the Verrater led her to the hotel room. She waited till she entered the room and took refuge in the bathroom, before she took a deep heaving sigh.