He lifted his hands to cup her small breasts, his thumbs chafing the nipples until they darkened to a deep rose color. A smile curved his lips as he watched her body respond to him. Her pussy clenched around his dick each time he flicked a claw over her tight little nipples, dragging groans from them both.
She pushed her breasts into his hands. “God, Farid.”
“I know exactly what you mean.”
Her laugh was a rich, throaty sound that made his cock ache. He craved her so much. He held her hips down and rotated his pelvis against her clit, making her sob and wrap her arms tight around his waist, her hands rising to clutch his back.
He plunged inside her, and it felt so incredible he almost came. His lack of restraint should have stunned him, but with her he could do nothing except react. Her little gasps and cries, the slickness of her sex as it hugged his cock, the way her nails bit into his back, told him all he needed to know. She wanted him as desperately as he wanted her. Nothing else mattered. Not species or control or destiny. Just this, just her.
For the moment, she was everything.
Eternity, right here in his arms.
He ground himself against her, wanting to be as deep inside her as possible, wanting to claim all of her for himself, but hold part of himself back, that last, final part that he could never, would never give her. He cupped her ass, pulling her tight to him. His fingers slid inward to tease the pucker of her anus. He probed the tight recess, entering her a little at a time, pressing his finger in and retreating, again and again until she took his finger easily. He rubbed the head of his cock through the layer of flesh that separated her two channels.
“Farid!”
The sharp need in her voice only drove him on, made his movements faster, rougher. Her nails raked down his back, and the pleasure-pain made him shudder.
Her mouth closed over his shoulder, sucking on his skin before she bit down. Hard.
The feline within him snarled at the feral display, reveling in the ecstasy as much as the man did. Everything about her matched him, her passion always rising to meet his, whether the beast or the psychic was in command, she was there, throwing herself into their coupling. It never failed to arouse him.
“Please, Farid. I need more.”
And he knew he’d give her whatever she wanted, needed, craved.
He sank his finger deep into her ass, plunging hard with both his hand and his cock. He fought the widening of their mental link, his control slipping through his fingers as she screamed and fisted around him. Her ecstasy exploded through his mind, pulling him through the connection toward her. The feel of her sex clenching around his dick made it difficult to think, to breathe.
He came hard, and he gave his body over to the sensation, to the carnal rapture that could never be matched by any other lover. But he ripped his mind free of hers, wincing at her soft cry of pain. It was dangerous that she could even feel the loss of him. She shouldn’t even notice unless he’d specifically wanted her to.
She was far too attuned to him, considering they weren’t bonded.
Or not attuned to him enough, considering how much the beast wanted to bond with her, considering how much the man loved her.
It was the most devastating revelation of his life.
7
They hadn’t had time to have that talk Farid wanted. They’d been well into a second round of fucking by the time he’d alerted Bren to the fact that the shuttle was minutes from touching down outside their little cave, and they’d had to scramble to get dressed. She tried to ignore the fact that they reeked of sex. Likely the beast and psychic powers the Kith had would have told them what had been going on for the last day anyway.
It rocked her that it had only been a day. So much had changed so quickly, including how she viewed Farid…and the Sueni people by extension. The truth was that she’d wanted to use them as a means to an end. The Sueni would benefit if Arthur was gone, and she wanted Arthur gone for the benefit of Earthans.
Now she looked at them as just…people. Not overbearing, superhuman enemies. It was difficult for someone trained to dehumanize her adversaries in order to stay sane. For the most part, she had no regrets about what she’d done in her life. She’d killed people, yes, but she’d known they were people who were just as intent on killing her. She didn’t even remember their faces anymore. The Sueni had been no different, until now, until this.
Knowing Farid had changed everything. Liking Farid had changed everything. She’d seen, so very clearly, how much icy control he had to have in order to keep his animal side in check. As much as she liked to chip away at that cool reserve, she understood if it was all gone, he’d be a serious danger to himself and others. But he went too far the other way, so uptight that he didn’t allow himself to enjoy living. She wished she could be there when he found that inner balance he needed. The too tempting man would be irresistible.
The floor of the shuttle shuddered under her feet as they took off. She swallowed, all the blood draining out of her face as it hit home that she was about to leave the planet. What she had to do when she left it was more terrifying than she cared to think at this point. She had to convince Kyber to help. She could not—would not—fail. Farid reached over and slipped his hand into hers, as always sensing her moods, and giving her exactly what she needed, even if she wasn’t sure herself. She squeezed his fingers, feeling something tight ease within her chest at his comforting touch.
Forcing her morose thoughts from her mind, she focused on staring out the window to her left. The ground below rushed away with enough speed to make her stomach feel as though it were floating. There came a place where the blue sky turned strange shades of white, the little ship shook and jolted hard, and she realized they’d left Earth’s atmosphere. She pulled in a deep breath just to prove she could in the emptiness of space, and soon the sky was inky black with millions of stars cart-wheeling before her. After a few tense moments where she squeezed the hell out of Farid’s hand, everything stilled to a perfect, silent calm.
“It’s…breathtaking.” And it was. The most beautiful star-studded night she’d ever seen. Only it wasn’t night, it was outer space. She shook her head. Of all the things she’d thought she’d do in her life, all the places she’d thought she’d go, this hadn’t been anywhere near the list.
Farid brushed his thumb over her knuckles but remained silent. He hadn’t spoken much since they’d come aboard, and not at all to her. A niggle of worry fluttered through her, but she tamped down on it. He had as many concerns on his mind as she did, and his expression as he stared down at his boots was troubled.
She brought his hand to her lips and kissed his palm. They were the only people in the back of the shuttle, and the pilots had other things to do besides watch her, so this might be the last time she was alone with Farid. If she didn’t live through this, if Kyber was the evil, oversexed monster Earthans thought he was, or if Arthur managed to kill her, then she was glad she’d experienced this last day of freedom with Farid.
He gave her a small, distracted smile and tugged his hand from hers, tilting his head toward the window. “Look.”
Turning in her seat, she saw the Sueni fleet looming huge and vivid before her. Until now, she’d only ever seen it in satellite images and video feeds. Her stomach flipped. It was much more imposing and terrifying from here. She actually thought she was going to convince the man who ruled all of these ships—and an entire planet full of beings with superior physical and mental powers—that he should do what she told him to and get involved in what might become a very ugly war? She closed her eyes to shut out the sight of a massive spacecraft zooming closer with every passing moment.
The shuttle jolted when they docked with the ship, the locks on the door hissing as pressure released. Bren busied herself with unfastening the shoulder restraints on her seat while Farid did the same. Checking to make sure her hair was in its neat braid as she rose from her seat, she brushed at her dirty clothes. Not exactly the impressio
n she wanted to make, but beggars didn’t get to be choosers, and she was definitely here as a supplicant.
Farid jerked her out of her musings when he touched her elbow to direct her attention to someone who had boarded the shuttle. He dropped his hand quickly, as though the contact burned him. She glanced at him, but his gaze was remote, telling her nothing, and the fact that he seemed to have withdrawn completely the closer they came to the Sueni ships was a kick to the solar plexus for Bren. His voice was that cool, distant tone he’d used when they first met—the one she’d hated so much. “May I introduce you to Admiral Lady Tylara Belraj, commander of the Imperial Fleet, and second in command to the emperor on this expedition?”
Tylara Belraj. Of course, Bren had heard her name before, usually spoken in the hushed, reverent whispers used for movie stars. She was a compact, angular woman, with midnight eyes and short ebony hair. There wasn’t a strand of gray, but Bren got the impression that the admiral was quite a bit older than she looked. Perhaps Kith didn’t age the way Kin did. Tiny white sparks flickered in her gaze, but other than that, she showed no expression.
Bren gave her a crisp nod, one military woman to another. Tylara returned the gesture. “It is good to finally meet you, Sergeant Major. I’ve heard a great deal about you.”
“None of it good, I’m sure.” Bren didn’t bother to hide a small smile.
Tylara’s eyebrow arched. “A worthy adversary is rarely spoken highly of—it is a sign of respect that we dislike you so much, is it not?”
The woman’s tone was so deadpan, Bren wasn’t sure if she was teasing or serious. These Kith were a whole different beast, literally.
“She is joking, Bren.” Farid’s words were the ones she needed to hear, but he stepped away from her.
The admiral’s slim, dark brow rose a bit higher. “I wasn’t aware that I had a sense of humor, my lord.”
Bren forced a chuckle, not looking at Farid.
“Don’t encourage her, Sergeant Major.” Farid sighed, moving to put even more distance between them. His words about her using his title to push him away came roaring back to her. Hearing her rank had never been such a knife to the heart. Locking down on the anger and confusion that battered her, she straightened to rigid attention and gave him the kind of impassive stare she would have the day they’d met. It seemed apparent he wanted them to go back to that, so she obliged him, no matter how it pained her.
If Tylara took note of their frosty exchange, she showed no sign of it on her face. Instead, her nostrils flared and she sniffed the air. Bren fought a flush. God, was the sex wafting off them in waves? A ferocious frown pulled at Tylara’s mouth, and her dark eyes flashed dangerously. “You are injured, my lord.”
He gave a short nod. “A flesh wound, nothing more. I’ll see the medics in a moment.”
The admiral’s hands curled into fists. “It is fortunate you were injured, Farid, because I have half a mind to throw your stubborn hide into lockdown for the night.”
“Under what charge, your ladyship?” His eyebrow lifted lazily and not a single ounce of worry filled his expression.
“Reckless endangerment,” she shot back. “You should have told us who you were meeting for your assignation if it would have posed a greater risk to your life than the average Kin.”
He tilted his head as though considering the many ways he could argue that logic. Always the negotiating diplomat. “I only endangered myself, Tylara.”
“You are under my protection, Lord Arjun.” Her nostrils flared with annoyance. “When you take risks like that and endanger yourself—”
“It makes you look bad?” He smirked.
Her face went completely blank and her chin raised a notch. “You know that has nothing to do with it.”
“You’re right. That was unworthy of me. I apologize.” He bowed at the waist but offered her a sly wink. “Of course you care deeply about my well-being.”
Her jaw clenched and she shoved a hand through her short hair. She growled something that had to be a curse word. “How do the Earthans say it? You’re a pain in the ass.”
Bren snorted.
“Didn’t I just tell you not to encourage her?” Farid shot Bren a nasty look, sliding his hands into his pockets.
She lifted her hands and shrugged. “You’re apparently encouraging her all by yourself. You don’t need my help.”
Tylara leapt on that one. “No, he needed our help and he didn’t alert us to the fact that he was potentially putting himself in danger by meeting you. He should never have been shot. They should never have had the opportunity.”
All amusement fled Bren as guilt hit her square in the chest. She swallowed and made no reply. What could she say? Meeting with her had put Farid in harm’s way. It was Bren’s fault he’d been hurt. Something else to tangle her up. She liked him, was grateful to him, but hated that he’d pokered up the moment they were with his people again. It made her stomach queasy, but she steeled herself against it. She had a job to do and her personal feelings about anyone didn’t matter anymore. Convincing Kyber to undo the damage his arrival had done to their world was the important thing.
“You can go see the medics now, my lord.” Tylara’s gaze swept Bren from head to toe. “I’ll see that Sergeant Major Preston is shown to her quarters so she might…refresh herself.”
Quarters? Likely a holding cell until the emperor deigned to speak to her. Her heart twisted at the thought of Farid leaving her alone. Until this moment, she hadn’t realized how implicitly she had come to rely on him. It had all happened so fast, too fast for her to see it coming. She depended on him, trusted him, without reservation or hesitation, the one thing she’d promised herself as a teen that she’d never do. Fool. Even as an inexperienced girl, she’d known better. There was no excuse for her now.
She focused on the wall behind the admiral’s shoulder. “Good-bye, Lord Arjun. Thank you for all your…help. I apologize for your arm and hope you’re feeling better soon.” She met Tylara’s eyes for a fleeting moment. “I’m ready when you are, ma’am.”
“No.” Farid’s hand settled on the small of Bren’s back, the gesture at once possessive and protective, a tiny spark of the Farid she had gotten to know. “I’ll take her, and then I’ll have the scratch tended to.”
Through her clothes, Bren could feel an undercurrent of his power, almost a whisper through her mind as he spoke telepathically to Tylara. Bren couldn’t quite make out the words, but she knew they were there. Odd. Was it because he was touching her or because of the more intimate aspects of their interactions lately? She’d like to ask Farid when they were alone again but had no idea if such a thing would be allowed—by him or by the admiral.
It wasn’t as though she’d be free to roam around anyway. Why would they trust a traitor to her own recognizance on their ship? She wouldn’t in their place.
Her chin lifted and she didn’t look at either of them. It didn’t matter what they did with her, so long as Arthur was stopped. She’d accepted the moment she sent the message to Farid that this mission would claim her life, one way or another. It already had. She could never go back to the military or her old life now, whether she was right and Arthur was stopped or not. The army wasn’t that forgiving of stepping outside of protocol. Her career was over.
Only this mission remained.
Farid’s fingers flexed on her back, urging her forward. “This way, please.”
She fell into step beside him and he dropped his hand the moment they were out of Tylara’s sight. He didn’t speak to her, didn’t look at her. They wound down long, tubular corridors with round overhead lights that engaged when they passed and through doors that parted long before they drew near. He pulled her into a tiny, round glass room. “What’s this?”
A smooth voice that was neither male nor female, but…almost both, sounded from overhead. “It is a multiveyor, Sergeant Major. It allows me to convey my passengers in multiple directions.”
“And you’re the ship?” Bren�
��s eyebrows arched, swaying a bit when the glass room began sliding at a rapid downward diagonal. Well, the talking spaceship made it official. She’d fallen into a strange science fiction movie, complete with hunky alien invaders. She shook the foolish thought away.
“I am the Vishra, yes. Flagship of the Imperial Fleet.” The door to the room slid open again, spilling them out into a hall that looked exactly like the one they’d just left. Farid towed Bren out and around another corner before they reached a door.
“Open,” Farid ordered and the door obeyed, sliding aside for them to enter. “Kyber has found and bonded with his One. He’ll return to the Vishra shortly and he’ll meet with you when he gets here. His estimate would put it at another hour or two.”
“He can’t hurry?” She searched his gaze, hoping he understood her urgency, but was met with a calm, blank mask. “This is important. I wasn’t kidding when I told you lives hang in the balance. Who knows what the general will do next? The plans he has for China could turn bloody.”
“I know. I am sorry.” He shrugged a broad shoulder. “He has waited years to bond with his One. You have only hours to wait to get what you want.”
She pulled in a deep breath. “I’m trying not to be impatient, I really am, but—”
“I’m afraid you have no choice but to wait.” He jerked his gaze away from hers as though he couldn’t even bring himself to look at her. His hands flexed at his sides. “Is the room acceptable, Sergeant Major?”
God, how stiff did he sound? Was this really the man who’d touched and kissed and sucked every inch of her body, bent her over a boulder and fucked her hard? Something deep inside her crumbled and she had to clench her jaw to keep from crying out.
Sweeping the room with her gaze as he’d asked, some distant part of her was surprised by how spacious it was. But a cage was a cage, wasn’t it? Utter terror squeezed her soul at being locked in, trapped, helpless. A million horrifying childhood memories flooded her mind. She’d promised herself she would never be helpless again, never be weak. She’d failed at everything, all of it. How would she live with herself if she failed to convince the emperor? She honestly didn’t know.
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