by Cathryn Cade
“How are we to search the prince’s pets without offending him?” she mused. “We can’t just show up and announce that he’s brought aboard a dangerous creature. That would be most undiplomatic.”
“No.” Bringing up a hologram of the ship, Slyde zeroed in on the area behind the ballroom. Sirena turned to watch as the three-dimensional image of passageways and rooms revolved slowly.
“Here’s where they’ve stowed the pets.” He indicated a room that connected the quarters reserved for the Aquarians with the passageway behind the ballroom. “Some of them came on from Pangaea, as Halix mentioned in our briefing.”
“Why, if you scented the serpent earlier, did we scent it again today when the Aquarians boarded?” she asked, frowning.
“I don’t know,” he said grimly. “I hope to the seven hells that what we smelled today is just some harmless snake.”
“I could bat my eyes at the handlers and ask for a personal tour,” she said.
“Yes, and have to dropkick one or both of them when they assume you want more than a tour.” He shook his head. “Azuran’s hosting a party tonight. We’ll slip away and search through his pets then.”
She looked him up and down wryly. “You’ll slip away?”
“I can be subtle.”
“I’ve yet to see it.”
His lips twitched. “You have seen it, you just didn’t know it.”
She rolled her eyes as she slipped off the console. “Right. Well, we know where the creature is, if there is one.”
“There is one.” Concentrating on the hologram, he looked up as she spoke again.
“And one more thing, Commander,” she said coldly. “Do not ever again presume to control my behavior as you did when we greeted Prince Azuran. You had no right—”
He stepped closer to her, his back to the gym and its occupants. Anger flared at the memory of her flirtatious greeting, but it was tempered with reluctant admiration. She was going to fight him every step of the way, his siren.
“I do have the right,” he said. “You gave it to me, remember? In the terms of our wager.”
She scowled up at him.
“I certainly did not. I agreed not to have sex with another male during the wager. I said nothing about conversing with one.”
He touched her cheek, stroking the petal-soft skin. “We both know that kind of ‘conversation’ is a prelude to sex.”
“Are you calling me a liar?”
“No,” he growled. “I’m explaining that Azuran wants you, and he’s accustomed to getting what he wants. So unless you want me to be forced to fight for you, refrain from flirting with him.”
Her eyes widened with alarm. “Slyde! You can’t fight him. Not only is he royalty, those men of his would kill you for touching him. They’re warriors, not just court followers.”
He bit back the retort that not only was he of royal blood himself, but his brother dragon could take them all on and win. A growl of frustration rumbled in his chest.
She lifted her own hand to touch his face, concern deepening the hue of her eyes. “Slyde, swear to me you won’t think of doing such a thing.”
The touch of her hand inflamed him. He wanted those clever, capable hands all over him. “Persuade me.”
Sirena slipped her other hand around the back of his neck and urged him to bend his head to her. She tipped her face up to his, her eyes drooping. Arousal heating his blood, he set one hand on her waist and cocked his head, waiting for the touch of her lips on his. Why had they not kissed before this? Now that it was imminent, he felt as hungry for her lips as a starving man for food.
Her lips brushed his. Her breath puffed softly against his skin as she spoke.
“If he kills you, you’ll never have me,” she murmured. And slipped away.
He blinked. He nearly grabbed her and hauled her back into his arms to take the kiss she had so teasingly denied him. But she was watching him, ready for just such a move. He could easily best her, but would such a move persuade her that he was the male for her?
“Not much of a persuasion, siren.”
“We’ll call it a warning—much like yours.”
He bowed in acknowledgement of the hit. “I need a workout. I’ll meet you on the mats.”
Chapter Ten
Sirena sagged against the padded wall, gasping for air. Slyde leaned over, hands braced on his knees, broad chest pumping like a bellows. They had gone from a ferocious session of sparring with dummies to a run around the gymnasium’s moveable obstacle course. It had become a competition. What Sirena lacked in sheer strength, she made up in agility. But now both of them were spent.
“Is that all you’ve got?” He cast her a look from under his brows.
“Huh. I ran circles around you.” She panted. “I’ll show you how to better that twist kick, if you like.”
He straightened, still breathing heavily, and looked down at her. In the brief singlet they wore to train, he was magnificent, his heavily muscled body displayed to perfection.
“Is that an invitation, Commander?”
She snorted, lifting her arms to push back her hair, ignoring the fact that she wanted to lick the satin skin on the massive column of his throat. Although Serpentians didn’t sweat, their skin glowed when heated by exertion or ambient temperatures. His smooth skin was nearly luminous, especially where the pulse beat in his throat. She was surrounded by his scent—musky and tantalizing, smoky. Maybe she should just trip him and jump on him while he was down.
“When I issue an invitation, a man knows it.”
“Yes, I’ve seen it—several times.”
She narrowed her eyes dangerously. “And that bothers you, doesn’t it? Why?”
His face tightened, and suddenly they were two alpha predators, facing each other, battle ready.
“An invitation means little when it’s open to all,” he grated.
They glared at each other. Then she thrust out her breasts and tilted her hips, a taunting pose that contrasted sharply with the molten rage inside her. She made no secret of her pleasure in men, but she gave equal pleasure in return. How dare he act as if she were in the wrong.
“Sanctimony also means little when it is prompted by jealousy,” she hissed. Turning on her heel, she stalked away into the women’s locker room.
She refused to admit that the tight, icy ball lodged high under her ribs was hurt.
Slyde stood there, breathing as hard from anger and frustrated passion as from his workout. Damn the woman. Could she not see that he only wanted…
He gave a snort of humorless laughter. That he only wanted her glory all for himself? That as a Dragolin, he’d mate only with a female who’d cleave to him for life, giving all her sweet fire to him? No, of course she didn’t. She was Sirena—a law unto herself. Be damned to her, then. He wouldn’t apologize now.
He walked toward the men’s locker room, already pulling his brief singlet open. As he walked into the gleaming changing room, rolling his shoulders to ease the tired muscles, he stopped short. The new female cadet, Tawnee, stood in the center of the room, looking around. She bit her lip, her lovely eyes wide.
He frowned down at her. “What are you doing in here?”
She stared at his bare chest. “I—I didn’t pay attention to where I was going, Commander. I’m sorry. I’ll go, and let you take your shower-dry.”
She walked toward him and then paused, so close he could smell the sweet scent of her.
“Unless you’d like me to give you a shoulder rub?” she offered. “I am trained in all kinds of massage.”
He looked down into her wide, guileless eyes. Was she as naïve as she appeared? She was a lovely girl, and he was almost tempted to take her up on her offer. He was used to women hitting on him—Serpentians were forthright about their desires. So were many of the passengers. Just now, his control was stretched thin. He didn’t think he could bear much more sparring with Sirena.
“No, thank you, cadet,” he said stiffly. “The ship’s
massage specialist can do that for me. Go along—and watch where you’re going next time.”
“Yes, sir.” She smiled up at him and sauntered out of the room, slender hips swaying. Slyde locked the door behind him before stripping down.
Sirena was in a foul mood as she readied herself for the Aquarian prince’s first party that evening. As she stepped out into the main lobby, Slyde Stone appeared from another elevator. His gaze swept over her and his face tightened, his impressive jaw clenched.
Sirena narrowed her eyes and strutted to the huge double doors that led to the ballroom. He disapproved of her ensemble. Let him. She wore her favorite outfit of gold raw silk, the two pieces bound on by narrow ropes of gold that wrapped about her throat, arms, and hips. Though brief, it was comfortable and not nearly as precarious as it appeared. Of course, if every male in the vicinity wanted to hold their breath hoping it might slip, that was all right with her.
She was going to enjoy herself this evening, and Slyde Stone could choke on it. Though she would sooner choke herself than tell him, he was breathtaking, elegant and handsome in olive silk smoothly tailored to his huge frame. The cut emphasized the breadth of his shoulders and the lean length of his legs; the color set off his golden brown hair and eyes. She wanted to draw him back into the elevator and take him straight back up to her quarters and have her way with him—several times. She would bet he had more stamina than most.
He followed her across the lobby without a word. Two Aquarians stood guard. At the sight of the two Serpentians, they pulled the doors open wide. Sirena knew that she and her co-commander were an impressive couple as they paused in the open doors. Smiling lazily at the faces that turned their way, she strolled into the party.
The Orion’s ballroom was a unique space, with an interlocking series of walls and ceilings that could be changed according to the planned use. Tonight it resembled a seraglio, with ornate columns and latticework panels framing conversation areas made cozy with sumptuous rugs and cushions. Holographic fountains tinkled among ferns. A Barillian trio piped soft, haunting music. The prince, enthroned in a divan with a beautiful woman at each elbow, held court in the largest enclosure. An elaborate game board sat before him, scattered with gem-studded playing tokens.
“Ah, welcome, Serpentian friends,” he said as Sirena and Slyde crossed the room to him. “Come, eat and drink with us.”
Servants appeared at their elbows, bearing trays with an array of libations. Sirena chose a crystal flute of pale blue wine with the delicate scent of rare Pangaean ice-berries. She saluted the prince with it, watching his gaze sweep over her.
Sipping her wine, Sirena watched the Aquarian ladies drift nearer to Slyde. She snorted inwardly—she wished them luck. He might look good enough to eat, but he would be a cold mouthful, even for an ice princess.
She sank gracefully onto a cushion and gave Prince Azuran a look over her glass.
“Lovely wine, Your Highness.”
“It is a good vintage—very old. You must eat.” He beckoned slightly, and another servant appeared, kneeling beside her with a large tray of delicate hors d’oeuvres. Sirena selected several. She could eat what she liked, as many hours as she spent training with the guard. With a deft twist, the servant activated a hover mechanism on the underside of the plate and it floated at her side, ready for use.
Slyde sat nearby, an Azurian lady at each elbow. He didn’t appear to be working very hard to fend them off. With laughter like soft chimes, they helped him select a huge plate of hors d’oeuvres. One of them laid a napkin across his lap. When he downed his drink, the other immediately signaled for more.
Sirena chose a stuffed lii blossom from her plate and bit down on it, hard. The crisp petals crunched between her teeth and the creamy stuffing spurted into her mouth.
“Umm, delicious.” She licked her fingers slowly as the prince watched.
“Yes,” he agreed. “I am sure it is.”
They smiled at each other. From the look in the prince’s eyes, he was perfectly willing to do more than flirt. This knowledge warmed her like healing balm.
One of the Aquarians leaned over and moved a playing piece on the game table.
“Do you play?” Azuran gestured at the ornately carved board. “Galacticus, a particular favorite of ours.”
Sirena shook her head. She didn’t often play games of chance, although she’d enjoyed a match on her last leave with a handsome club owner on Indigon. It had involved forfeiting items of clothing. She suspected he’d used his telepathic powers to cheat, but no matter—they’d both gotten what they wanted in the end.
“I won’t interrupt your current game, but I would return at another time for a match,” Slyde’s deep voice cut through the hum of conversation, the background of music.
The prince bowed slightly. “I will await the opportunity,” he replied. The two men raised their glasses to each other and Sirena smirked into her drink. A pair of alpha males, metaphorically pawing at the ground and snorting.
“But, come,” the prince said, holding up his glass high. “Tonight, we celebrate.”
At his cue, the party sprang to life. A horn called out a long, triumphant note. The music swung into a swift, lilting beat that thrummed through the very fabric of the room. A burst of laughter drew all eyes to a flurry of movement as several young women whirled into the center of the room. Clad in nothing more than light, shifting veils, they were lithe beauties of every hue from dusky to pale. They shimmied, twisted and twirled to the beat of the music, smiling flirtatiously at their audience as they danced.
Their audience called out in delight and, as servants circulated again with drinks, the party came to life. More passengers streamed in. Sirena saw the other crew commanders in the crowd, as well as several of the guard. Serpentians were always up for a party, particularly a wild one. Navos and Craig appeared, the only ones in uniform.
The dancing girls beckoned others to join them, and soon the room was traced with syncopated lines moving to the beat of the music. Guests began to toss items of clothing away, imitating the girls who were now shedding their veils. Cries of approval and laughter echoed.
Sirena danced with the prince, another Aquarian and a few of the passengers, including one whose mate appeared in the middle of their dance, scowling at Sirena, to drag her partner away. Sirena shrugged at him with a moue of amused regret and snagged another drink off of a passing servant’s tray.
She sipped it, surveying the room over her glass. Strangely, she was not in the mood for further flirting, even with the gorgeous Azuran. It was more entertaining to spar with her maddening co-commander.
Ah, well. Perhaps this would be a good time to check out the prince’s menagerie. She sauntered slowly around the perimeter of the room, inhaling delicately. Through the scents of food, drink, perfumes and the assorted fumes of aroused and overheated dancers, she could still make out the faint scent of creatures.
Slyde stood in a group on the far side of the room, his princesses hanging on him like icicles. Well, she could call him on her com-link if she needed help. As if anything was likely to arise that she couldn’t handle.
Still carrying her flute of wine, she glided out of the ballroom.
Chapter Eleven
Slyde watched her go. Damn the female, where was she going? She wasn’t slipping off to meet Azuran—he was talking with Craig. If she’d found another lover, Slyde would have noticed—he’d been watching her like a cobra.
If she wasn’t trysting with a male, that meant she was going to look at the prince’s menagerie, searching for the source of the scent. Sirena cared fiercely about her job. He knew she would die to protect the Orion and its crew and passengers, just as he would. He considered it one of her most admirable traits. However, she was supposed to wait for him. If necessary, he could shift into his brother dragon and deal with any dangerous serpent.
One of the Aquarian princesses stroked her hand up his arm, swaying closer to him so that her fragrance wafted up around
him. Her silver hair shimmered as she tilted her head to smile up at him, and her milky skin gleamed.
“More wine?”
“Thank you, but no,” he said. The two were a pleasant distraction and a useful screen between him and any other interested females, but he’d had enough of their clinging ways.
Extricating himself from them with an apologetic smile, he strolled behind a screen as if headed for the men’s room. Instead, he worked his way around the perimeter of the room, until he reached the door where Sirena had disappeared. He could still catch the faint scent of her alluring perfume, though here it competed with the scent of animals. He grinned to himself. His lovely co-commander would not appreciate the juxtaposition.
The scent of creatures was stronger in the passageway, the music fainter. Crossing the passageway, he used his com-link to unlock the door of the large storeroom, and the door hissed open.
The first thing he saw was her wine flute, sitting atop a large cage. Cages of varying sizes had been set in rows the length of the room. From behind the narrow bars, eyes watched him, some beady, some large and bright, some flat and shiny. The blue iguana flicked its tongue from a large cage to his right, and he tapped the bars in casual greeting as he passed.
Then Sirena’s auburn head popped up near the far end of the room.
“Ah, you’re here,” she said coolly. “I’m nearly done with this row.”
“It’ll be faster if we work together.”
“True. Come and help with this creature, then. I’m not at all certain what this is, much less if it has teeth.”
He strode the length of the room, past snakes, iguanas and lizards, which he knew she would’ve handled without a qualm, being a Serpentian. He bit back a smile as he saw the creature she was regarding warily. A dark, hairy hump in the center of its cage, it regarded them with two liquid eyes, but did not move until Sirena opened the latch of its cage. Lifting its head, it whined plaintively.
“C’mere, fella.” Slyde reached into the cage, lifting out the silky animal in one hand. A long pink tongue shot out and swiped his chin. Slyde grinned at Sirena. “It’s a juvenile canine—known as a puppy.”