Subdued

by Sara Fields

  I ignored my exhaustion and used all the adrenaline I could possibly muster. I could feel my legs start to cramp, followed by a pain in my abs, but I didn’t care. I wouldn’t focus on the fact that I was completely naked either. None of that mattered.

  I’d die all the same if Nix caught me again.

  I ran, and I ran hard. I didn’t stop for several hours until I was turning a corner and I sprinted straight into a hard body.

  I pulled back, meaning to escape, but the figure grabbed my arms tight.

  “Kaela?”

  Chapter Nine

  Tavik

  Failure. Defeat. Loss.

  We’d been quiet for some time, making our way through the outer limits of the city. None of us wanted to speak at all. We were mourning in silence. The battle had been rough, but the loss of our woman had pierced us to the very core.

  I heard her footsteps before I saw anything. Bare feet slapping against pavement, the harsh breath of an exhausted human, all sounds of someone on the run. I turned and then I saw her. Her reddish hair shone under the light of the waning sun. Her pale curvy figure, although marred with dirt, grime, and blood, was as gorgeous as the time I’d first laid my eyes on her. She didn’t lift her head or acknowledge that she’d seen me, she just continued running. The breath left my throat in a sudden rush of relief. I’d thought I’d never see her again, and here she was, naked, beautiful, and all mine.

  When Kaela crashed into me at a full-blown sprint, I’d hardly been prepared for it. I recovered quickly, catching her before she hurried past me. I took a step back, wrapping my arms around her and holding her tight. She struggled and kicked, trying to escape from my arms but I wouldn’t let her. Now that I had her back, I was never going to let her go. Ever.

  “No, no! I won’t go back,” she screamed, panic in her voice. It was as though she wasn’t even seeing me. She didn’t know she was safe once more.

  “Kaela?” I ventured softly, hoping that the sound of my voice would calm her.

  “Tavik?” she whispered.

  “Yes. I’m here,” I replied.

  “And the rest of you?” she whimpered, not daring to lift her head and see for herself, likely scared that she’d lost us too. I could feel her arms quiver, her fear causing both her body and her voice to tremble. She hadn’t wanted to lose us either.

  I squeezed her tighter, trying to calm her and give her hope, to let her know that everything was alright now that she was back with the four of us.

  “They’re here with me,” I responded, and I felt her body sag with relief. She was naked, filthy, and desperately needed a bath, but I didn’t care. I had her back. She was in my arms and Nix hadn’t killed her. I took a step back, looking over her naked body for wounds. Her knees were very bruised and upon closer inspection, I found her lip had split and was scabbed over and her nose had been bloodied. Most of her injuries looked as though they were beginning to heal. My gorgeous girl was mostly unharmed. She was lucky to be alive.

  I wanted to praise the stars for bring her back to me. With everything we’d been through these past few days, I’d thought she was lost to us.

  Zane, Valdus, Caleb and I had been through hell. We’d fought like madmen back in that forest, using every single trick we had at our disposal, including our telepathic communication between the four of us, as well as our camouflage ability to its fullest and our wits.

  We were strong, and we’d been in many battles where we’d been overwhelmed by the enemy, either in numbers or in strength. Using what we knew about battle tactics, we’d retreated to a nearby clearing that functioned like a bottleneck, where the trees and brush were so thick that Nix’s men could only approach us through a very small number of directions. It had broken down the hundred men he’d brought with him, funneling them into a much smaller, more manageable number coming at us at one time.

  The battle had been one of the bloodiest we’d ever fought together.

  I’d used my knife in close hand combat and led the four of us to victory. Zane had been by my side, while Caleb and Valdus had used their guns from the backline. The results to the enemy had been devastating. The ground had grown slick with their blood. I suffered a number of cuts and bruises, same as my men, but we were strong, and we were smart.

  Eventually, we had to move because the number of bodies was getting too thick to fight through. We climbed up into the trees and took down the rest from above.

  We knew how to fight while Nix’s army didn’t. They’d probably never even seen a battlefield like this before. I knew the Vakarran army was a formidable foe, but this group of men was not representative of it.

  Once we’d devastated their numbers, they ran around like toddlers, trying to figure out how to come together and form a plan. At that point, it became a simple matter to take the rest of them down.

  It had taken several hours to finish the battle, leaving the four of us as the last ones standing. It had fallen dark and the four of us rushed to find out where Nix went. We couldn’t find a trace of him, leaving all of us roaring with frustration. We had looked for Kaela for days but had found no signs of her, Nix, or any more of his men.

  I knew the chances of finding him and Kaela were slim, that he was probably long gone with her by now. He likely had a small Vakarran spaceship in his vicinity and he’d disappeared.

  We’d assumed he’d take her to the ISS Starrider, back into space and far from us. It killed me to know that Kaela was in his custody and there was little we could do about it now. He’d probably hurt her badly, probably kill her too.

  Days past and eventually, we had to swallow our sorrows and return to the war.

  We thought we’d lost her forever and were on our way back to the Resistance to deliver the terrible news. Alaina and Danika were going to be devastated at her loss and we were prepared to devote ourselves to them in return for their loss. Never had we thought we’d find Kaela running around naked on the streets of Atlanta, but here we were.

  The sounds of vehicles flying through the air murmured in the silence of the night and I stiffened. Kaela did too.

  “We have to get off the streets. Now. We don’t have time to make it to the central hub, so we’re going to have to hide out in one of the buildings here until morning,” Zane said, his voice low, his gaze wary as he assessed our surroundings.

  Valdus lifted his head and looked around, scanning for signs of the enemy, before pointing at an extravagant building nearby.

  “That one. Let’s go there. It looks like an old hotel of some sort and we can take over one of the floors. Easy to secure. Easy to guard,” Valdus replied in a hushed tone. I scanned the opulent structure, noticing gold filigree peeking through the wild green vines climbing the walls. It looked as good a shelter as any.

  “Good. Kaela looks like she needs rest,” Caleb said, and I admired the conviction in his tone. He wasn’t one to stand up to me often, but he needn’t worry because on this point, I agreed with him wholeheartedly. Kaela needed rest. And food. She looked dangerously dehydrated. She felt fragile in my arms and I could tell she’d lost several pounds since I’d last seen her.

  If I wanted to kill Nix before for what he’d done to us and my mother, now I wanted to mutilate him before I killed him myself.

  No one put a hand on my woman and lived to tell about it.

  Fucking no one.

  I lifted Kaela off the ground and flinched when I saw the state of her feet. Scratched and bloody, it appeared that she’d run over the remains of Atlanta in nothing but bare feet. I held her to my chest, wanting to take her pain away. She didn’t fight me and that’s when I realized she’d passed out from exhaustion in my arms. My face fell when I realized exactly how much of a toll these past few days had taken on her.

  Quickly, we ventured into the hotel, taking care to barricade the entryway door before we ascended several flights of stairs. We settled on taking camp on the sixth floor.

  Zane kicked in the door to the presidential suite and we all en
tered together. Valdus and Caleb did their best to block that entry too. If we were followed, Nix’s men would have to break through several barricades before they found us.

  I laid Kaela down on the dining room table while Zane pulled out his medical kit. Slowly, we worked to heal all her scrapes and cuts, taking special care with her poor feet. Caleb and Valdus gathered towels and washcloths, and slowly washed the dirt and grime from her skin as much as they could, unearthing more cuts and bruises in the meantime. When we were done, we just let her rest. She slept for a fair amount of time. When she woke, she’d need to eat.

  We had some nutritional pellets that I’d make sure to give her, but that wouldn’t be enough. Leaving the others to guard her, I went out, looking to gather anything the hotel might have left in its stores. There were some nonperishable canned food items in a pantry, along with some likely very stale crackers. I found a rather impressive wine cellar in the basement too.

  I gathered up what I could and brought it up to the suite.

  Kaela was awake when I’d returned and was chatting quietly with the others. I spread out the food I’d gathered on the table and gave her a flask of water.

  “Come. You need nourishment and I won’t take no for an answer,” I demanded. Surprisingly, she didn’t fight me. When she rose to her feet and walked without flinching, I sighed with relief. I heard her stomach growl as she took in the sights of the food I had gathered. I handed her one of the nutritional pellets first.

  “These don’t have much taste, but you need them. Did Nix feed you anything at all?” I asked gently, trying to hide my disgust for the man, and she shook her head.

  My fury was almost uncontainable to learn what I had feared. I swung around and lashed out at a nearby wall, easily cracking the sheet rock from my strength.

  “I’m going to fucking murder him.”

  I growled with my anger and she placed her hand on my arm. Her warm fingers felt electric on my skin and in that moment, I wanted more of it. Without a word, she pulled me to sit down in a nearby chair and sat in my lap. Her touch calmed me, and I did my best control my anger, if only for her. Instead, I focused on how much she needed us, and I began to feed her. She ate every last bite without complaint, even the nutritional pellets I gave her. When she’d eaten all the food I’d gathered, she sat back, and I took the opportunity to wrap my arms around her.

  “I’m so thankful to have you back,” I whispered in her ear and she purred happily, just loud enough for me to hear.

  “I’m happy to be back too,” she murmured.

  We sat together for a while, just enjoying each other’s warmth. After a bit, she told us what happened and the four of us surrounded her, keeping each other calm despite our need to tear Nix apart, limb by limb. Eventually, she stopped and paused for a moment, before speaking again.

  “Do they have a bathtub in here?”

  “Yup. And it’s a big one,” Caleb added suggestively.

  “I’d like to take one, with the four of you,” she replied, her eyes lifting to mine, hopeful and warm. Fuck if I was going to deny her such a thing. She deserved nothing less.

  I took her chin and pulled her lips to mine, devouring her in a kiss that left her breathless and trembling in my arms. It felt perfect. It felt right, and I was going to give her everything tonight, before we finished our journey and joined the Resistance in the morning. Tonight would be all about her. All four of us were going to see to her every waking desire, including those she didn’t know she had.

  She wrapped her arms around my neck and the five of us ventured into the massive bathroom suite, complete with a double vanity, a glass shower, and a hot tub large enough to fit all five of us. Valdus started running the water, using a number of oils situated around the tub. There were small soaps, some shampoos and conditioners, as well as a small bottle of body wash. I watched as Caleb took a small amount of soap and drizzled it in the rising water, creating a swath of bubbles that quickly covered the surface.

  She watched, enamored.

  “I haven’t experienced luxury like this since I was a little girl,” she whispered, her awe encapsulated in her voice. I grinned and squeezed her tight, before walking over and dipping her into the warm water. She moaned with her enjoyment and when goosebumps broke out across her flesh, I kissed her once more.

  Desperately, she began to paw at my clothes, grabbing the hem and lifting my shirt up and over my head. Her fingers explored my chest, running along the lines of my abs, straight down to the indentations at my hips. I found it hard to breathe, the heat from her body rivaling mine. Grabbing at my belt, she unbuckled it, licking her lips in the process and I suddenly wanted to kiss that delectable mouth. Slowly, she caught my gaze and with her dainty little fingers, unbuttoned my pants. Boldly, she took the waistband in her hands, pushing them down over my hips and revealing my cock to her view.

  She breathed in deep with excitement. Her gaze focused on my dick, hard for her and only her. It throbbed hard, craving to be sunk deep between her thighs. I usually didn’t wait to take a woman. If I wanted her, I threw her down and fucked her hard, but with Kaela, it was different. I wanted her to scream my name as I fucked her, but I reminded myself that tonight wasn’t about me. It was about her.

  I took a calming breath and finished undressing. She met my gaze and I grinned as I climbed in the bath with her. She moved toward me, gripping my arms and climbing on top of me. Teasingly, I kissed her neck while I grabbed her hips, holding her up high enough so that I teased her with just the tip of my cock. She pouted once she realized what I was doing.

  “Greedy little human, you are,” I murmured in her ears and she whimpered hotly into my shoulder.

  “Who’s the unlucky one to get first watch?” Caleb asked.

  Kaela paused for a moment, looking around at the four of us. I sighed, assuming the decision would likely be mine to make.

  “I’ll do it,” Zane offered, and I looked up at him in surprise. By the look in his eyes, I knew he wanted more. I knew he wanted to give her more than she needed tonight. Zane loved to mix pleasure and pain and he knew that she couldn’t handle him tonight. She wasn’t yet healthy enough from her imprisonment with the enemy. Despite all this, her eyes looked forlornly back at him and he shook his head. It was clear she wanted us all.

  “Not today, little human. When you’re feeling better, we’ll all have some fun,” Zane said darkly, and I noticed the hint of a smile on Kaela’s lips then.

  “I’ll take second watch,” Valdus said.

  “Caleb will take third, and I’ll take last watch. Good. Now that that’s settled, I need to fuck our woman,” I ordered impatiently, feeling the heat of Kaela’s pussy teasing the head of my cock, and the others nodded their heads in complete agreement.

  I took Kaela then and pressed her back against the walls of the tub. She gasped, and I brought my lips down to hers, taking what was mine to take. She opened her mouth, taking what she was given without complaint. My tongue twirled with hers, her delicious sounds of arousal undoing me. When I pulled my lips from hers, they were left pink, puffy, and well-kissed.

  Valdus and Caleb quickly disrobed, dropping their clothes in a disorganized pile on the floor of the bathroom. Kaela’s eyes drifted from mine to theirs, ravenous as she watched them take off every inch of fabric from their bodies.

  I took the moment to turn, looking to see Zane standing just outside the bathroom door. I knew that he could see the hotel suite’s entrance from where he stood, but he could also see us. He grinned when he caught my eyes, his eyebrows lifting suggestively, and I huffed with amusement. He may have elected to keep watch, but he was certainly going to enjoy himself while he did it. He leaned against the doorway and took the time to appreciate Kaela’s naked form. I smirked, turning back to watch her too.

  I knew then that what the five of us had was special. It would take an incredible woman to please us all. She deserved the four of us and I vowed that we’d give her everything she ever needed. She wa
s ours now completely.

  Chapter Ten

  Kaela

  I needed them so badly. My body was calling for all of them, demanding their touch, their cocks between my legs and their cum all over my skin. I wanted to taste them, to cleanse my mouth of Nix’s filth and my men were the only ones that could do that for me. I watched Zane for a second as his hands moved to cup his dick, rubbing up and down, showing me exactly how hard he was for me. The bulge in his pants was huge and incredibly distracting.

  Tavik cleared his throat and I turned my head back toward him. His green eyes had darkened into an emerald shade, stark in color as compared to the color of his skin. His breath was hot as he kissed my shoulders, working his way up to my neck and I groaned at the flutters of pleasure cascading through my body.

  I heard Valdus and Caleb join us in the water and I lifted my eyes, taking in the coppery boldness in their gazes and the hardness of their bodies. Sculpted chests leading down to abs of steel and below that, cocks as hard as clubs that jutted up out of the water toward me, demanding my attention. I bit my lower lip, breathing in the steamy air as Tavik held my hips firmly against the porcelain of the bathtub.

  He moved backwards then, bringing me toward the center of the tub and the three of them surrounded me. Valdus guided my head back, wetting and massaging shampoo into my dirty hair. His fingers scratched gently at my scalp.

  Fuck. That felt amazing.

  I couldn’t get enough of it. Gooseflesh popped up all over my skin and I shivered as my pussy clenched in needy desire. Next, he worked a variety of oils and conditioners into my hair and I moaned at the luxury. Shampoo and conditioners were rare these days and I enjoyed them whenever I had the opportunity. Over the years, I’d learned to make my own soap, but this kind of extravagance was exceedingly unusual.

  I felt Tavik’s hands on my hips as he lifted me up, depositing my ass on the edge of the tub. Slowly, he spread my legs and pushed his hips between them. I knew his cock was mere inches from my needy entrance, but still, he didn’t give it to me.