by Lynn Best
“Where are you taking him?” Brandy asked one of the medical staff tending to Wrek’s wounds.
“A healing pool,” the medic said, and then went back to ignoring Brandy.
They took Wrek away and locked him in a room, not allowing Brandy to see him. She waited in the hallway for what felt like hours, sitting on the floor, worrying.
Finally, the wall opened, and a medic stepped out. He seemed surprised to see Brandy there.
“Can I go in?” she said, standing up. “Is he okay?”
“His vitals are stable, but I am afraid you cannot go in.” The medic regarded her with something like distaste in his expression.
“Let her in,” a voice called from inside the room. Wrek.
Brandy didn’t wait for the medic to agree. She rushed past him into the dim, damp room.
It felt like stepping into a sauna, one that was lit only by glowing lights that rippled and shimmered, throwing dancing beams around the room. The floor at her feet was rock. Ahead of her, the pool gave off both the light and the moisture. It was about the size of the pool her childhood best friend had, maybe fifteen feet in diameter, though it was hard to tell because the shape was not regular. The light glowed from the bottom of the pool. By it, she could see Wrek bobbing chest deep in the water.
“Hi,” he said with a smile.
“Hi.” She was so glad to see him. She approached the edge and crouched where he was, his elbows resting on the deck’s surface.
“I’m going to live, Brandy. You can stop making that face.”
“What face?” she asked.
“The one where you look at me like I’m on death’s door.” His grin was wry.
She stared at his body, searching for wounds. There were several, but they were all pink and healing, like the skin beneath a scab that had just fallen away. “How did you heal so fast? You were…”
“I was a mess. That hvratha tore me up. But Tork created a healing pool for me, and the medics used the salve. I’ll need to visit here a few more times, but I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
She dipped her hand in the water. It was the perfect temperature.
“Want a swim?” he asked, damp curls dripping into his big lavender eyes.
“Can I? Will it do anything to me?”
“Other than make your skin look amazing? No. It’s safe.”
She gazed at the water, wanting to get in so badly. Wrek was naked and she didn’t have a bathing suit, so there was that little problem. She could go in her bra and underwear. She’d done a lot worse in her life.
“Okay, I’m coming in. Turn around.”
He raised an eyebrow, but complied, staring at the back of the cave wall.
Brandy stripped, laying her clothes on a dry bit of stone off to the side. Clad in only her skivvies, she lowered her body into the water. It felt amazing.
Sighing, she let the water flow over her. It came up to her collarbones while standing, so she didn’t have to tread water to stay afloat. Being inside the warm pool made her muscles relax.
“Can I turn around now?” Wrek called.
She swam up, wrapping her arms around his torso. He winced, and she pulled back. “Oh, no. I’m so sorry.”
He turned to her, a soft smile on his face. “It’s nothing to apologize for. I’ll heal quickly with no harm done.”
“No harm done? Your whole body was shredded.” Her eyes roved over the pink skin of his scars. “Why did that thing attack us?”
Wrek’s eyes darted away. “There are many here who do not want to see Drake or any of us mate and take our proper place amongst the leaders of our country. Plus, I think he might have wanted to mate with you. Many here do.”
Brandy flushed. “Oh.”
“But you’re safe,” he said, taking her hand. “I’ve vowed to protect you.”
She watched their fingers lace together under the water. The more time she spent with Wrek, the more she was growing to like him. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you saving me. It was… No one has ever done that for me.”
Their eyes met. Something tightened between them, almost like a rope cinching between her body and his. She contemplated his eyes, the curve of his cheek as it dipped down to his lips. He was handsome in an entirely different way than Drake or Tork—smart and kind. And he cared about her so deeply.
Maybe it was the water on her skin or the fact she knew Wrek was naked beneath the surface. Maybe it was the sexual tension that had been building between them all this time. Whatever it was, sitting there holding hands with Wrek made her flesh tingle and her sex ache. She had a strong impulse to press her body to his, to push him against the pool wall and wrap her legs around his torso. But he was injured. She didn’t want to hurt him further.
But the ache down below couldn’t be denied. And now the soaking wet bra seemed to be rubbing against her nipples, making them harden and yearn for a rough touch. Was Wrek capable of such a thing? She flipped her gaze to him, seeing the heat in his hungry eyes. They kept darting from her eyes to her lips and down to the tops of her breasts where they skimmed the top of the water’s surface.
With one soft hand, she trailed her fingers over the shoulder that wasn’t injured. His eyes lit up at her touch.
“How hurt are you?” she asked, moving closer and causing the water to slosh a little between them.
“Not very much,” he whispered. One of his hands floated onto her waist and started urging her closer.
She followed his lead, cutting the distance between them in half. His body and hers were separated by the thinnest slip of water. One of her thighs brushed against him, starting a tingle down there, too.
Brandy placed her other hand on his neck, careful to keep it from the injured skin. “Is this touch okay?”
Wrek nodded vigorously, his tongue pushing between his lips before slipping back again. “That touch is more than okay.”
She slipped a hand around to his naked chest. “Is this?”
His torso rose with the breath he sucked in. “That’s good.”
Wrek’s other hand curved around her body. Now there was barely a trickle of water between them. Brandy’s legs naturally fit around Wrek’s, centering her over the hard shaft beneath her. His strong thighs supported them as her arms went around his neck. Their mouths were perilously close together. Brandy gazed at his full lips, licking her own. Now her nipples were throbbing against the thin strip of fabric as they begged to be released.
Brandy had been taking all the control in her interactions with Wrek, but she slowly felt him take command. Hands cupped her ass, bringing her into him so his shaft pressed against her folds. Her core was barely hidden by the piece of soaked fabric she wore. She knew if they weren’t in the water, those panties would be soaked either way. Heat was burning from between her thighs. A heat she wanted extinguished with a solid pounding.
He moaned as she slid over him. Then he helped her grind on top of him, rubbing their most sensitive parts together. Her breasts bobbed and splashed in the water. Releasing one hand, she reached around her back and unclasped the bra. As it floated away, Wrek’s eyebrows went up.
“Your breasts are magnificent,” he said in awe, floating a hand up to cup one gently.
But gentle wasn’t what she wanted right now. She leaned in, pressing her taut breast into his hand. The signal worked. He gripped harder and then began tweaking her nipple, pulling on it and making it grow. When the other begged not to be neglected, Wrek seemed to sense that and moved over, twisting the nipple between his finger and thumb in such a way that she bucked on him frantically.
His lips found hers and then his tongue, grazing hers with a sensuality his brothers were not capable of. She gripped his head and kissed him passionately. She wanted all of it, all of him.
Wrek pulled back and Brandy let out an utterance of protest, but instead of stopping, he lifted her and placed her on the pool’s side. She glanced down, noticing this head was right in line with her lower half.
&
nbsp; Silently asking for consent, which she gave with an eager nod of her head, he pushed her knees apart and moved in on her panties.
Brandy reclined, arching as he let his mouth and nose linger just an inch from her throbbing core. She wanted the panties off, wanted to tell him to tear them away, but she held back. Wrek was as slow and methodical with sex as he was with his science experiments, testing each touch, each kiss for a reaction and then continuing accordingly.
At first, he stroked the outside of the fabric with his fingers. She groaned and shivered. Finally ran his tongue along the strip of fabric, stopping to bite it with his teeth. At this, she pushed her hips up, letting him know to keep going. With a low chuckle, he slipped one finger along the fabric, stopping before it gave way.
She was on fire, no longer just wanting his touch, but needing it. Pressing her lip between her teeth, she sought her own pleasure. Using one hand to keep her upright, she used the other to find her hard nipples and stroked them herself. When she looked down, she found Wrek watching her with fascination.
He grinned before slipping his fingers where she wanted them to go.
He roved them over her clit and into her warm wetness. The stroking pulled her closer to the edge. When he let his tongue replace his fingers, her moans turned into gasps. The throbbing expanded, making every nerve ending pulse with pleasure. The nipple between her fingers added shockwaves of heat to the already growing earthquake in her pussy.
“Stop,” she said just before she came.
He raised his head in alarm. “Is everything okay?”
“More than okay,” she said, pulling on him.
He followed her lead. Using his strong arms, he hefted himself out of the pool, sitting on the edge beside her.
She had no time to waste. Standing up, she pulled off the panties, straddled him, and slid down onto his rock-hard cock.
The burn and stretch felt so amazing. She dug her nails into his shoulders, swiveling her hips. He cried out, too, and she remembered his injuries.
“Oh, Wrek, I’m sorr—”
“No,” he said, grabbing her to stop her from getting up. “Don’t stop. It feels too good to stop.” He pulled her down on him slowly, every inch of him filling her with pleasure.
She rocked back and forth and up and down, wanting it all, every possible variation. When he grabbed her waist and moved with her, it magnified the feeling. His head was back as he pleaded with her for more. And she happily gave it to him as he reciprocated with upward thrusts to meet her demands.
Their writhing turned desperate, animal, and she loved it. This was no timid Wrek. This was a side of him she’d never seen. He gripped her hard, gritting his teeth in the animal pleasure of it all. Purple eyes flashed as he used one of his hands to speed up the tempo. He was taking charge, making things happen. And it was so sexy.
The rhythm built a tension inside her that she could no longer hold onto. Riding his cock, she climaxed as waves of joy washed over her body. The orgasm built and built, never seeming to end as he drove into her. She was shaking, convulsing, the pleasure building into a crescendo. He continued to move her up and down, keeping her in a loop of pleasure that blew her mind.
When she was done, he cried out, tensing beneath her as he surged into her. He shook, head back, mouth open. She watched his body tremble, satisfied.
That had to be the best lay of her life.
Amazement in his eyes, he said, “How soon until we can do that again?”
12
They sprawled on the side of the pool, both exhausted and completely satisfied.
Brandy laughed, a low sound in the back of her throat. “Who knew you were capable of that?”
He leaned up on one elbow and kissed her forehead. “With you, anything is possible.”
She put her hand on his cheek gently. “You really are something.”
He grinned, leaning into her touch. But then he was up, drawing on a robe that waited on a rock ledge nearby.
“Where are you going?” she asked, sitting up.
“I’ll replicate clothes for you before I go, or you can use that robe.” He pointed to one sitting next to where his had been. “I’d love to stay, but I have to get back to the lab. Very important work. It’s going to be more important very soon.”
She cocked her head, curious. “What’s going to happen soon?”
“Nothing to worry about,” he said, pulling his robe strings tight as he bent to give her another kiss. It was sweet and lingering and made her think about their lovemaking, wishing there could be more of it.
But Wrek was gone before she could entice him to stay. Dedicated to his work. It was something she admired, but didn’t entirely understand when her own work had been the very thing she’d been trying to get him to stay and do.
She got up and dressed leisurely in the soft yoga pants and loose T-shirt Wrek had ordered for her. He’d also left her three different dinner options—a chicken Caesar salad, a quinoa and vegetable hash, and a veal parmigiana. She ate portions of each, and all were delectable. Near the end of the meal, her stomach began to feel queasy, so she stopped eating. Too much rich food after such an explosive tryst.
Wrek had also left the door open, so she wandered out, taking a stroll along the purplish hallways. She wondered absentmindedly if she should be afraid. Wrek had mentioned there were lots of creatures on this ship who wanted to mate with her, but she passed lots of guards, too, all of which seemed to be looking out of her. She had no doubt Wrek had sent at least one of them to keep a casual eye on her without her knowing.
Her stomach twisted again—with pain this time. A low dull throb. She wondered if she’d injured something during her time with Wrek. Totally worth it. She’d ask him for some painkillers when she saw him next.
Following the hallway around, she came to the ship’s bridge, the large doorway open. Drake and Tork were inside, along with several other crew members, in a heated discussion. Brandy glanced in, deciding it seemed too tense for her to enter. She started to skirt past the opening when a giant beam of light shone brightly from the bridge’s center.
Turning, she watched as figures began to appear within the beam’s center. Fuzzy shapes materialized as shouts went up from the aliens on the bridge. Several alien beasts and humanoids came into focus. Han, flanked by his brothers Rahan and Kahn, aimed weapons at the aliens scrambling around the bridge.
“Han!” Drake shouted, reaching for the wall.
Han hit the top of a round globe-like device, and a pulse shot out like a wave. It hit Brandy’s body, paralyzing her. She fell, dully aware of the floor. Unfocused eyes stared up at the purplish ceiling as everything around her buzzed like she was very drunk.
The world around her faded and sharpened a few times before she was able to make out a face above her.
Rahan. She tried to speak to him, to touch his arm, but nothing was responding. He studied her, a worried expression dominating his features.
Strong arms slid under her body, and she was lifted. Rahan held her to his chest as he walked her into the room and toward where they’d materialized. As her head lolled lifelessly to the side, she took in the disarray. All of Drake’s crew lay on their backs, immobilized. Drake, Tork, and Wrek followed her with their gazes, sending her plaintive looks. She wondered what they would say if they could. Would they beg her to stay?
They didn’t have the chance. Neither did she.
Light filled her vision, then a warm tingly heat as parts of her body seemed to float away. They were beaming her up. In the next second, everything went black.
Brandy woke to a wave of nausea so strong she was vomiting before her eyes were even open.
Lurching up and tilting to the side, she stared at her own sick. Her stomach was revolting. Clutching it, she examined the room. She had no idea where she was, and the surrounding space gave her no indication. Everything was white and glowing. The bed resembled a cloud with fluffy cotton blankets. Curtains draped from the four posts around her,
obscuring her view of the room beyond.
“You’re awake,” a voice said.
Charis appeared in the slit between the curtains, throwing her arms around Brandy’s neck. “Oh my God. I was worried sick. They took you and then Han said he couldn’t get you back, not without hurting you, and I was just beside myself. Are you okay?” The words came out in one long stream as Charis hung onto Brandy for dear life.
As she wrapped her arms around her friend’s body, she realized just how big Charis had grown with the pregnancy. She knew Cartharian babies grew faster than humans, but she hadn’t known they grew that fast.
“I’m okay,” Brandy said. “At least, I think so.” Another wave of nausea crested. Brandy put her hand over her mouth, hoping to spare Charis.
“Are you sick? It’s normal. Here, this will help.” She grabbed something on a nightstand beside the bed and brought it over to Brandy. It was a clear, bubbly liquid. When she drank it, she grimaced. It tasted like an old jock strap.
“Oh God, that’s awful. What is it?”
Charis stared into the empty glass. “Something the doctor whipped up for me, but it will come in handy for you. Morning sickness can be a real drag, but this will help. It made me feel much better.”
Brandy put her hand on her stomach, hoping the liquid would settle it. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
Charis took Brandy’s free hand, gazing into her eyes. “Enough about me. How are you? Is everything okay? Were they terrible to you?”
“They were… okay. Sometimes more than okay.” She thought of Drake, Tork, and Wrek. “Are they here? I mean, what did Han do to them?”
Charis frowned. “They’re in a holding cell right now. Han confiscated their ship. They’re going to be tried on criminal charges.”
Tried on charges. That sounded bad. “Han’s not going to do anything to them, is he? They’re nice guys for the most part.”
Charis gave Brandy a look that was so soaked in pity in made her want to vomit again. “Honey, how can you say they’re nice guys? They abducted you, locked you up.”