A low growl shook his chest, shuddering through them both. He licked her lower lip, teasing her, probing for entrance.
Let me in. His voice reverberated in her mind. With that, the sizzling connection that bound her to him during the nights he shared her dreams snapped into place. She gasped, the dual physical and mental touch a shock. He took advantage, slipping his tongue into her mouth to tangle with hers. His fingers massaged the back of her neck, calluses rasping her skin as he let his hand drift down her shoulder and lower, until he cupped her breast in his palm. Her body jerked under the hot lash of pleasure, her nipple tightening to a painful point of need. His thumb stimulated the beaded crest through her shirt and bra, and she moaned into his mouth.
It was more than she could resist, no matter what kind of danger they might be in. She shoved her hands into his thick, silken hair. The texture was unlike anything she’d ever felt before. He groaned, thrusting his hips against the juncture of her thighs. She could feel the unyielding arc of his cock through their clothes, and she burned for him. Her pussy drenched with cream, her internal muscles clenching and loosening as her desire flamed out of control.
He jerked back, spinning her with that startling speed of his until they both faced the tree. She stumbled and caught the trunk in her hands, trying to maintain her balance. As if she could with him touching her.
His deft fingers popped the button on her jeans, slid down the zipper with a rasp of sound that made the hairs lift on her arms, and slipped into the vee he’d created. Her thighs shook as she fought to regain some sanity. He pressed his palm flat against her belly, holding her close while his cock rubbed her backside.
She clenched her jaw and tried to steady her breathing. She was here for a reason and getting laid wasn’t it. A throb of want went through her, but she got a stranglehold on her self-restraint. “I…need to talk to you. I—I didn’t come here for this. Not really.”
“Of course you didn’t. We’re in the middle of a forest. Not the best place for an assignation. Nevertheless, I am going to take you, Bren. I’ve waited so long to get you alone, to touch you, to run my hands over your soft skin.” His fingertips grazed the edge of her panties, sliding under the thin cotton. “The opportunity may never come again.”
“But—”
He dipped into the curls between her thighs, and she knew he’d find her slick with juices. Heat burned her face, and she was angry with herself for never being able to stop how she reacted to him, angry at him for always tempting her into reaction.
A shiver went through her when he kissed the side of her neck, and his groan reverberated against her skin as he circled a finger around her clit before sinking into her wet core. “Do you know how good you feel to me, khalaa?”
“Y-yes.” The mental bond was there whether she liked it or not. His desire trickled along that infinitesimal thread that joined them, and her pussy grew damper with every bead of his longing that reached her. Her own need sharpened, deepened, rose to match his.
He wasn’t even inside her yet and she was already teetering on the very edge of orgasm.
His thigh slid between her knees, nudging her legs apart as he tilted her torso forward with his. His thumb toyed with her clit while he pumped two fingers inside her. Even as he worked her, his other hand eased her jeans and panties down around her thighs. Cool air brushed over her bared skin, and a shudder ran through her. His movements were slow, tormenting her. She had to bite her lip hard to keep from crying out in frustration. Her tension bloomed, and she was terrified to scream, to whimper, to make a single sound lest someone be listening, watching.
The backs of his knuckles rubbed her backside as he unfastened his pants. When the hot flesh of his erection met her skin, she moaned. Desperation wrenched deep within her. Yes. She wanted to be filled by him. The head of his dick slid over the lips of her pussy, not entering her. Need tore through her and she tilted her hips to open herself for his penetration, but her movements were hampered by her jeans shackling her legs.
He ran his tongue up the side of her neck and caught her earlobe between his teeth. His breath cooled the moisture on her flesh when he spoke. “Tell me to stop.”
“I can’t.” The words ripped out of her, almost a sob. Her hips undulated helplessly. She wanted him too much to stop, her body’s needs overruling her mind.
Lacing his fingers with hers, he pressed their hands against the tree and pinned her in place. A soft chuckle broke from him. “Good.”
And then he arched his hips, piercing her with one hard thrust. She cried out, the stretch almost painful. After their late-night meetings, she hadn’t expected it, but those times hadn’t been real. Not like this. The carnality of it shocked her—his scent and feel overwhelmed her senses until everything narrowed to just him.
He froze behind her, still buried to the hilt inside her. Agony tore his voice to a ragged whisper, “I hurt you, khalaa.”
Wriggling to get closer, to force his cock even deeper, she pressed herself into him. He was so big, he filled her so well. It was amazing. Mind-blowing. “Stop and I will do a lot more than hurt you.”
He remained still, doing nothing to help her gain the satisfaction she craved. “Bren…”
“Don’t make me beg.” Because at this point, she would. Her body screamed with tension, fire and ice tingling over her skin. She gritted her teeth to keep from whimpering.
“I won’t.” He began moving again and she did whimper, so grateful that tears sprang to her eyes. She blinked them back, unwilling to let anything encourage him to stop again.
Sweat beaded on her forehead, sliding down her temples. The breeze wrapping around them chilled the moisture on her skin, but it was just one more stimulation, one more thing to make her moan. The thread of awareness that connected their minds filtered desire back and forth between them. Heat whipped through her, made her skin feel too tight, as though she would explode any moment. She closed her eyes, gasping for breath as he ground himself against her. “Oh, my God.”
Her pussy flexed around his cock and she could feel her orgasm building, knew he could feel it too. He groaned, and his claws slid forward, digging deep into the tree bark. “Merciful Anun.”
“Harder, faster. I’m so close.” She didn’t give a damn if anyone was nearby, and she knew that was stupid, that this was stupid, but it didn’t stop her. He gave her what she wanted, his hips bucking hard as he slammed deep. Waves of ecstasy radiated out each time he entered her, her whole body focused on that one point that joined them.
His fangs grazed her throat, scoring her flesh. She threw her head back on his shoulder, gave him all the access he could want, and arched her hips to meet his hammering thrusts. Their skin slapped together, the sound loud in the quiet forest.
One of his hands dropped to fondle her breast, his claws scraping her as he slipped lower to flick over her clitoris. A thin cry burst from her, and she clamped her inner muscles around him, giving as good as she got. His groan was as helpless as she felt.
He worked her clit in time with his thrusts, arching her forward into his finger, and back into his cock. Then the point of his claw raked her sensitive flesh oh-so-lightly. But it was enough. She was so hot, so ready, it was enough to send her flying. Her mouth opened in a silent scream, her body locking tight. Her sex fisted around the length of his cock, pleasure cascading through her with each rhythmic pulse of her inner muscles.
He rammed his cock inside her, dragging out her orgasm as he sought his own. He hissed between his teeth, the sound not quite human. When he came deep inside her, his fluids filling her with heat, her sex clenched again, making them both groan. His mouth opened against her neck, licking and sucking at her sweat-dampened flesh as his voice filled her mind. Yes, khalaa. Just like that. I have wanted this for so long.
So had she, though she’d never confess it to him. She didn’t even want to acknowledge it to herself. Her heart still pounded in her ears, her muscles beginning to cramp from the awkward, bent positi
on. The cloud of lust began to clear from her mind, and reality came back in an awful rush. She closed her eyes as she scrambled to gather up the unraveling edges of her self-control. Jerking her hand out from under his, she scraped her palm against the rough tree.
God, she was pathetic. How hard up did she have to be to fuck a virtual stranger, an enemy, out in the open? Especially when she had come for reasons that were more than a little time sensitive. How long did she have before Arthur realized she’d defected? Tomorrow morning at the latest, and she doubted she’d be that lucky. She needed to know if she could count on Farid and his emperor for help.
Dancing her hips away, she felt Farid’s cock slide from her body. A final shiver wracked her, pleasure ricocheting through her whether she wanted it to or not. And she did not, damn it. Why did the chemistry with him have to be so powerful, so right, so beyond anything she’d ever experienced before? She hated it so much. Almost as much as she craved it, him.
He sighed softly, righting his clothes as she did the same. Her movements were jerky, stiff as she lambasted herself for her stupidity. Mustering the flagging edges of her dignity and courage, she finally faced him. He wasn’t looking at her. His eyes were closed, his head tilted as though he were listening for something. Foreboding rippled through her, the hairs standing up on the back of her neck.
“What’s wrong?” she whispered as she pulled the gun out of the holster strapped to her ankle. Call it a reaction to him or just good old-fashioned gut instinct, but she knew something was out there. Could be a harmless hiker getting a voyeuristic thrill or it could be something much more dangerous. “I thought you were alone, Arjun.”
Then she heard what his sensitive ears had picked up first. The sound of helicopter blades slicing through the air. It was moving far faster and far lower than a commercial helo would, which meant one thing. They were screwed. A spotlight hit the clearing she’d never reached, the glow filtering between the tree branches, as soldiers repelled out of the aircraft and hit the ground.
She turned to run, but Farid grabbed her, dragging them both to the ground. “Down!”
Machine gun fire rapped a staccato beat as bullets slapped into the ground beside them. A root from the tree they’d fucked against slammed into her belly, knocking the wind out of her. She gagged for air but scrambled forward to take cover.
“I thought you weren’t followed!” He hissed, his fangs fully extended.
“Damn it!” Her heart pounded loud in her ears. She braced her back against the tree, held her weapon at the ready, and tried to steady her breathing so she could hear.
He snarled several words in his language that she was pretty sure were spleen-venting curses. The ground rocked beneath them as something large blew up, shooting flames and debris high above the canopy of trees.
“That would be my shuttle.” His voice was clipped, cold.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “I didn’t see or hear you land.”
“I was here long before you were.” If possible, his tone chilled even more, dipping into subarctic.
A distant rumble sounded as something farther away exploded. Oh, Jesus. Realization hit her in a sick rush. “And that’s my car. Shit!”
He snarled again, his eyes boiling green sparks, but said nothing else. He scanned the trees, and she could feel the heat of his power pulse out in a wave. What he was looking for, she didn’t know, but she took the opportunity to listen for approaching footsteps or movement. The machine gun fire had come at them from the north—the same direction as her car—his shuttle was south, but every second that passed meant they could be moving while Farid and she were pinned down. “Bren, where is your cell phone?”
“E.T. phone home?” She fished it out of her pocket and handed it to him. She could hear the whine of the helo coming back, spotlight on and ready to reveal their location.
“What?” He flipped open the slim phone and the screen lit.
“Nothing.” She shook her head. “You’d have to be human to get it.”
“I read their minds. They’re using this to track you.” He drew back his arm and launched her cell as far as he could.
She flinched as her one form of communication with anyone off this mountain shattered against a boulder. “Shit.”
Grabbing her arm, Farid began to drag her toward the flame-engulfed shell of his ship. She kept her weapon at the ready, not looking directly into the fire so that it couldn’t mess up her night vision. Getting that close to the fire would cast shadows and give even a moron a big clue about where they were. They wouldn’t even need the spotlight on them. She whispered, “What are you doing?”
His fingers tightened around her wrist, though she’d made no attempt to escape, which just made her want to fight him. She gritted her teeth and refused to do something that would guarantee they got shot.
“I sense no people beyond my shuttle. I’m getting us out of here before we’re killed. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Spare me the sarcasm, Arjun.” She twisted her arm in his grip as they moved. “And let go of me. Now.”
He did but cast her a cool glance as he moved behind her to watch her back. “My name is Farid.”
“Whatever.” Like it mattered what she called him. They needed to get out of this situation or her defecting wouldn’t do shit to help anyone.
Farid had seen the opportunity to have her and he’d taken it. He was nothing if not ruthless. Even though he would never bond with her, he wanted her, wanted to know what fucking a woman made just for him would be like. She’d come to him, so now she was his. And he would have her for as long as he liked, as long as his people were on Earth. If an infinitesimal part of him hoped the emperor’s One was never found and the Kith remained indefinitely, he silenced that inner voice quickly enough.
Though none of that mattered if he let them get killed this night. He kicked himself for having lost control and given in to the need to take his One without ensuring their safety. Guilt flooded him. He knew better, knew what could happen when he allowed even a moment’s inattention.
Clenching his jaw, he slid his slim razer pistol from the holster at the small of his back and kept his senses wide open, noting every movement, every conscious being that littered the forest around them. There were the native animals to the area, prey and predators, but aside from that there were two-legged predators. Humans. Seven of them, all large, and moving the way only experienced warriors did.
Their aircraft continued to buzz low to the ground, a light cutting through the trees. The beast within him chafed at being hunted, wanted to return the favor, and shred them with his claws. But his One would be left alone, and he wasn’t willing to do so. He had no doubt that she could take care of herself—she moved with the same air of experience as the warriors tracking them—but he had her by his side and he intended to keep her there. For now.
She paused, slipping behind a tree a moment before he would have warned her to take cover. He crouched beside her, one hand braced on the ground before him, his claws digging deep into the foreign soil. His heart pounded and he closed his eyes, allowed his other senses to come to the fore, and hid the sparks in his irises that made him easy prey. Using his razer would make the blue laser it emitted flash in the dark and alert others to their location. Better to handle the enemy silently. Bloodlust roared in his veins. The sound of a soldier’s footsteps intensified, making them drumbeats against the ground. His scent drew closer, and Farid’s muscles tensed, ready to spring and eliminate one of the threats.
He jolted when Bren’s hand closed over his shoulder, not expecting his One to touch him. He froze, and the soldier passed them.
Bren’s words were little more than breaths of air next to his ear. “Escape and evade. Do not engage.”
A shudder passed through him as he struggled to control the conflicting urges ripping through him. His eyes opened and he glanced at her, sending words he knew he couldn’t speak steadily out loud to her mind instead. Tell me, has someone finally re
belled against your general and now they are hunting you by association, or have you finally come to your senses and now your general and his men are out to kill you?
“How do you know they weren’t after you?” He dug his claws deeper into the forest floor when her lips brushed his ear. “Your shuttle was blown, too.”
He closed his eyes again, knowing the green sparks would be boiling fast and bright for anyone to see. They could, I suppose, but why bomb your car if all they wanted was to keep me on the planet?
“I-I want to depose Arthur.” Her fingers flexed convulsively on his shoulder, biting into his flesh through his tunic. “I don’t want anyone else to be hurt.”
And you want Sueni help with that? His heart slammed against his ribs, and though his mind had already worked out that logical conclusion, everything he knew about this woman said she would never betray her beliefs. What had Arthur done to make her change her mind about him? The blood rushing so hot in his veins chilled at the possibilities, and he zeroed in his senses on his One to be certain that she was as unscathed as she’d appeared when he first approached her. He might not want to bond with her, but he would never allow anyone to harm her. For the moment, she was his, and he protected what was his.
Removing her hand from him, she put enough distance between them so they were no longer touching. “You don’t want him in power any more than I do.”
Less. Though he had his doubts about convincing Kyber to reverse his nonaggression policy on Earth. That was a fight for another time. Farid wasted no more time speaking, opened his eyes, and motioned her forward. They needed to get away from here if he wasn’t going to be allowed to dismantle the men who dared to hunt his One. If they became a direct threat, he wouldn’t hesitate. Any details he wanted about what Arthur had done would have to wait until they were safe.
Farid jerked out his handheld comm. device and keyed the imager to call for help from the Vishra. A shout sounded nearby and Farid looked up to see the soldier who had passed them had circled back around. He lifted a pistol, aimed it at Bren, and Farid saw in excruciating detail how his finger squeezed the trigger. The muzzle flashed. Farid’s heart contracted, adrenaline exploding in his veins. He reacted without thought, with the lightning reflexes of his feline nature, launching his comm. into the exact path of the bullet. The imager burst into little more than metal debris. His other hand came around and he fired his razer at their attacker. The soldier screamed, dropped a small, round object to the ground, and convulsed as electricity sizzled through his body.
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