by Cynthia Sax
He stilled, meeting her gaze, his eyes darkening to dark crimson. “I shouldn’t. Balazoids—”
She pressed her index finger against his lips, stemming his flow of excuses. “Today, you’re not a Dreck and you’re not a Balazoid. You’re Darius and you do what you want, making your own rules.”
He hesitated, his face an unreadable blankness, his thoughts concealed from her. “This once, for you, I’ll be Darius.” He rocked back, kneeling between her legs, and he ripped the leather from his body, revealing pale skin stretched over defined muscle, flat nipples, and a groin devoid of hair, his cock thick and long and erect, ready to please her.
Sabria’s mouth dried and she licked her lips, yearning to taste him, all of him. He tracked the movement with gleaming eyes. “Beautiful,” she whispered, his body a work of art, a sculpture carved out of white rock.
Red blazed across his cheekbones, rare color in his ghostly face. “Vulnerable.” He circled her wrist easily with his long fingers and placed her palm on his abs, his skin warm. “A dagger slicing across here would end my life, freeing you.”
“I’ll never be free of you.” She sat upright. “And I’ll never allow you to be harmed.” She fastened her lips over his pecs, tasting salt and minerals and aroused male. “I’ll protect you, Darius.”
His lips twitched. “You’ll protect me.” He pushed her down, covering her body with his, scanning her countenance with his intense gaze, looking for what, she didn’t know. “Females don’t protect.”
“This female does.” She cupped his angular face. “When you’re with me, you’re safe. I’ll be your sanctuary.”
“My home.” Darius turned his head away, but not before she caught wistfulness in his red eyes. “Darius’ home.” He reached between their bodies, his fingers drifted over her stomach and mons and he parted her pussy lips, dipping into her wetness. His knuckles brushed her clit and she jerked, the contact exquisite.
“Our home,” Sabria moaned. “Touch me, play with me.” She pushed into his hand.
“I’m not playing,” he murmured, circling the sensitive bundle of nerves, coiling her need tighter and tighter. “I’m uncovering your weaknesses, female, with each stroke of my fingers. When we do battle, you’ll be defenseless against me.”
“Already…defenseless.” Sabria writhed, past pride, past caring, his teasing driving all other thoughts from her mind. She clutched his shoulders and sucked on his skin, his unique flavor coating her tongue, his words accessing her heart.
“I’ll attack this area first.” He ravished her, rubbing her clit with his thumb, pumping her pussy with his long, slender fingers, stretching her, torturing her, pleasing her. “Rendering you incapable of logic, of reason.”
Sabria panted, her lungs burning, her breasts numbed by the salve, feeling no pain, only arousal, joy and a strange sense of belonging, as though by offering him sanctuary, she had found her own.
“You’ll be helpless against me, Sabria,” Darius murmured against her cheek, his voice conspiratorially low, his warm breath fanning her skin. “You’ll no longer control me. I’ll control you, manipulating your body to please me.” He flicked her earlobe, the connection felt straight to her pussy.
“Darius,” she cried out, arching toward him, needing more, needing him.
“I’ll pin you in place.” He shifted over her, prodding at her entrance with his broad cock head. Sabria sucked in her breath as Darius pushed into her, filling her, sinking deeper and deeper, his shaft long and thick and satisfying.
“And subdue you.” He pulled back, withdrawing up to his tip, and he lunged forward, pressing her against the mattress, driving the breath from her. Sabria wrapped her arms and legs around his torso, hooking her ankles over his clenched ass, as he pillaged her pussy with forceful strokes, waging war on her body.
“Fuck me. Fuck me harder,” she ordered her assassin and he met her cries with harder thrusts, ruthlessly using her, the bed moving under them, metal scraping against tile.
“Harder.” Sabria whacked his ass with her bare heels, their bodies smacking together, Darius grunting in her ear, his breath hot and ragged.
“More.” She pushed him mercilessly, selfishly reaching for her own satisfaction, bliss hovering too far away to grasp. Must. Find. It. Sabria raised her hips, frantically meeting each thrust, her skin heating with contact.
“Oh.” She dug her nails into Darius’ back and he hissed. “Oh. Oh. Oh.” Her muscles wound tighter and tighter, coiling to the point of pain, her body straightening under him.
Darius pulled back and slammed into her, the stinging slap of skin against skin snapping her in two, her orgasm rushing toward her with the speed of a shooting star.
“Darius!” she screamed, clenching down on his shaft with her pussy muscles, holding on to him, the only constant, as her world spun around her in a dazzling array of light and color.
“Sabria!” he roared, driving even farther into her, spurting his hot cum deep inside her pussy, coating her with his essence, setting off another round of soul-shaking tremors.
As the euphoria eased and the energy drained from her battered body, Sabria loosened her grip on Darius, her thighs falling open, her legs slipping to the mattress. “Darius.” She gazed up at him, her eyelids heavy.
“Sabria, my female, my breeder.” He kissed the tip of her nose and his thin lips curled upward, fine lines feathering around his eyes, his face softening, appearing almost boyish.
My serious assassin is smiling. Sabria struggled to keep her eyes open, not wishing to sever the fragile connection between them, savoring a closeness she’d never experienced with another person.
“I could love Darius,” she murmured. Her brain caught up with her mouth and her face heated. “If he wasn’t such a woman-hating asshole,” she quickly amended.
Darius’ lips flattened. “I invented Darius as you invented the place where Drecks are equal. None of this is real.”
“The place could be real.” Sabria frowned, dismayed at his lack of hope. “We won’t know unless we search for it. We might have days or even weeks, before my brother comes for me and—”
“Your brother isn’t taking you from me.” Darius rolled onto his back, pulling her over top of him, his grasp on her secure. “You’re my breeder.”
He’s keeping me. Sabria stared across the room at the undecorated wall. “How will you keep me? Drecks don’t have breeders.” She doused the hope flickering to life inside her heart. “You said that.”
“I’ll find a way,” Darius muttered into her hair, his body radiating comforting heat. Sabria parted her lips, questions flooding her mind. “Sleep,” he ordered.
I can’t possibly sleep, not now. She closed her eyes. He’s keeping me. That must mean he cares for me. It must. Darkness descended, her thoughts slowing, stilling, stopping.
Chapter Five
Darius sat on the edge of the bed, watching Sabria, his little human female sleeping soundly, trusting him to protect her. He pushed a long strand of black hair away from her parted lips, the tendril curling around his finger, embracing him, a Dreck, a disposable being worthy of only high-risk assignments—killing heavily guarded Federation officials and exploring deep space.
Perhaps they found a place where they’re accepted, where Drecks are equals and there are no wars or killing. They have families, breeders they love and protect and offspring of their own, and they’re happy…
Is such a place possible? Darius dressed quietly, not wishing to wake Sabria, her body requiring sleep to recover. He winced as the leather slid over the scratches on his back, his breeder having marked him as thoroughly as he had marked her.
As he passed the chamber control panel, he tapped the surface, locking Sabria inside. Not that this precaution will stop her. Darius scowled, remembering how she’d hurt herself escaping from the chair, trying to run from him.
He stomped along the brightly lit corridor, scanning the space, spotting not a single shadow in which an assassin coul
d hide. The floor bots and ceiling-mounted weapons stilled, recognizing him.
I’ll have to kill to keep Sabria. Darius entered the bridge. The viewscreen remained open, stars scattered across the blackness of space, his ship on a direct course to Balazoid. She believes her brother will come from her and the Balazoid council won’t allow a lowly Dreck to claim a breeder. Fuck. This is impossible.
Darius filled the captain’s chair, the leather worn, the seat formed to his body, fitting him as perfectly as Sabria did. “Time to arrival?”
“Three days, fifteen hours, twenty-two minutes and thirty-five seconds,” the ship recited, its male voice curt and robotic.
Three days. He opened a view of his chamber. Sabria’s naked body sprawled on the bed, her beautiful face soft with sleep. “Ship, give the occupant of my chambers the same corridor access as myself,” he instructed, fearful the floor bots might target his overly trusting and woefully unarmed female.
“Corridor access granted.”
“Are we being followed?” How long before I have to kill her beloved brother?
“Negative, Captain.” Ship eased his concerns.
“Good.” Darius’ shoulders lowered. “Reduce speed.” I can’t return to Balazoid. They’ll take her from me. What are my other options? He laid his weapons on the console. “Ship, compare the characteristics of all Drecks reported dead within the last five years, searching for similarities.” He meticulously cleaned his daggers, polishing the blades until they shone and inspecting them for weakness, the ritual calming him, the steps ordering his thoughts.
“Process completed, Captain.”
“Report,” Darius ordered, feeling foolish for believing in Sabria’s wild theory. There’s nowhere Drecks are equal and happy. We’re alone.
“One hundred percent are deceased. Eighty-two percent were reported deceased while on deep-space exploration assignments. Seventy-nine percent were reported deceased exactly six months after their last transmission.”
Exactly six months? Darius dropped his favorite dagger and the metal clinked against the console. That’s impossible. “What were the locations of their last transmission?”
“Seventy-nine percent originated from sectors not maintained by either Balazoid or Federation forces. Fifty-three—”
“Stop report.” All of the transmissions ended in No Man’s-Land. Darius charted a route to its closest sector, the destination behind them, farther away from his home planet.
Home, a place where Drecks are equal.
Darius straightened in his seat, excitement zapping along his spine, the theory he thought wild no longer impossible. “Ship, display the detailed file of the last Dreck deemed deceased while on a deep-space exploration assignment.”
“Access denied.” The viewscreen flashed red in warning. “Attempt to access file flagged. My scans didn’t detect the flag prior to attempting access and I am unable to suppress the report.”
Fuck. Darius gritted his teeth, dreading the upcoming confrontation.
“Balazoid system security is requesting we open hailing frequencies, Captain.”
“Comply.” Darius erased the emotion from his face.
“Greetings, Operative Dreck.” The viewscreen displayed a Balazoid years Darius’ junior. “Commander Puxa of Balazoid system security speaking.” The kid smirked as he relayed his superior rank, even the most inexperienced Balazoid outranking a Dreck. “What is your reason for accessing this closed file?”
“Commander Puxa.” Darius inclined his head, struggling to control his irritation. “I have information indicating a possible threat originating from sectors beyond Balazoid and Federation control.” He met and held the young officer’s gaze. “Have we suffered unexplainable losses of ships in those sectors?”
The Balazoid’s gaze shifted to the left. “There have been no unexplainable losses.” He tapped his fingers on the console. “Sources indicate an unauthorized passenger on board your vessel. Please return to Balazoid to dispose of it.”
That bastard Grok must be the source. Darius stared straight into the viewscreen. “The female didn’t survive the interrogation,” he lied, deflecting the commander’s focus away from Sabria, their ship safely out of range of Balazoid life-form scanners. “I have jettisoned the remains to avoid contamination.”
“This will be noted in your file, Operative Dreck.” The boy’s lips twisted, his tone curt. “You are requested to return to Balazoid for debriefing.”
I never return to Balazoid after an assignment. While Darius’ gut screamed warnings, his gaze didn’t waver. “I will return to Balazoid after investigating the threat,” Darius relayed brusquely. The younger Balazoid opened his mouth. “The threat level is high,” Darius continued. “I won’t risk my home for a debrief.”
Commander Puxa frowned. “What is the nature of this threat?”
Fuck. What warranted this suspicion? “I don’t wish to discuss it over open communication lines.”
The Balazoid glanced behind him as though receiving instruction from someone else. He nodded, returning his gaze to Darius. “These lines are secured. What is the threat?”
Once I tell them the threat, I’ll no longer have any value. “The operative extracted her information from these supposedly secure lines,” Darius barked. “I will debrief upon return to Balazoid.”
“Operative Dreck—”
“This line is not secure. Relaying more information puts Balazoid and my life in danger.”
“We can’t put Balazoid in danger,” the commander agreed. “Return to the planet immediately, Operative Dreck. This is a direct order. You will be debriefed upon arrival. End transmission.”
“Fuck that order,” Darius growled. “Ship, reroute us to the origin of the missing Dreck ship’s last-known transmission and upgrade all Balazoid ships to hostile status.” He stood, unable to remain on the bridge alone, cut off from everything and everyone. “Inform me if any ships, Balazoid, Federation or merc, come within range or if anyone attempts to access your system.”
I have a female and a future to protect. Darius navigated the corridors blindly, desperate to confirm that Sabria was on the ship, that she was safe and his.
As he entered the chamber, she stirred, rolling onto her back, her breasts full and firm, her hips sweetly curved. He paused, taken aback at her beauty.
“Darius?” She reached for him, her golden hand slender and fragile.
She reached for him. The chill in Darius’ heart lifted. “I’m here, Sabria.” He stripped out of his confining clothes, eager to feel her soft skin against his. “I’ll always be here for you.”
He climbed onto the mattress, took her into his arms and pulled her back against his chest. Sabria sighed, her small sound of contentment easing Darius’ concerns, and she settled against him, fitting as though she was made for him, her womanly musk filling his nostrils and teasing his hardening cock.
Darius ignored his desires and carefully examined her healing wounds. The stripes of pink had already faded, the salve designed for his tougher hide, and he relaxed, comforted that his carelessness wouldn’t leave any scars.
“I’ll take better care of you from now on, female,” Darius vowed. He circled her right wrist with his fingers, securing her to him. Not enough. He rolled onto his stomach, his right shoulder and hip over her left side, partially pinning her to the mattress. Now she won’t escape me. He grabbed her free wrist, restraining both of her hands.
* * * * *
Sabria burrowed deeper into a decadent warmth, nuzzling salty bare skin with her lips. Darius. She opened her eyes and met his gaze, his expression dark and intense, focused on her and her alone.
“Hi.” She smiled self-consciously. His fingers linked around her wrists as though he feared she’d escape him while he slept.
“Hi.” His low voice aroused her senses, Sabria achingly aware of his naked body, his shoulder resting on hers, his hard cock pressing against her thigh, his legs straddling hers.
“This is nice
,” she whispered, cuddling closer to him, rubbing her toes along his shins.
Darius stiffened, his spine straightening and his muscles flexing. “It is…unusual.”
Sabria gazed up at him, noting his jutted chin and his clenched jaw, and she smothered a smile, his discomfort adorable. “We’ve broken yet another one of your rules, haven’t we? Balazoids must not snuggle with their breeders.” She lifted her hands, wishing to touch him, to reassure him.
Darius hesitated before reluctantly releasing her. “Breeders are for release only.” He dropped his gaze, tension crackling between them. “But I’m no longer a Balazoid, if I ever was one. I’m Darius, a male with no affiliations, a male alone.”
Whoa. What happened while I slept? Sabria ran her hands over his scalp, flattening a tuff of his hair, the short strand soft and fine. “Not completely alone.” She tickled his earlobes, flicking them with her fingertips. “You have me.”
He remained still, watching her, as she touched him. “We’ll search for your place, the place—”
Alarms sounded, sirens wailing and lights flashing. “A Balazoid warship has entered our sector, Captain,” a robotic voice echoed off the walls.
“Fuck.” Darius jumped out of bed, his response mind-numbingly fast, and he grabbed his clothes, the black garments strewn over the white-tiled floor. “Increase speed to maximum and employ evasive tactics, Ship. Try to outrun the warship.”
Sabria yanked a sheet off the bed and twisted it around her naked body. “What do you want me to do?” She raised her chin and met Darius’ gaze.
“Come.” He clasped her hand, his palm calloused against hers, and he linked their fingers. Darius pulled her behind him as he sprinted down the corridors. Sabria panted, struggling to keep up, determined not to slow her assassin down.
They thundered onto the bridge of the ship. The image of a state-of-the-art Balazoid warship filled the main viewscreen and Sabria’s stomach plummeted.
Darius dropped her hand. “Status.” He flung his form into the captain’s chair and reached for his personal viewscreen.