Intimate Enemy

by Jocelyn Modo

  * * * * *

  Still in a haze of pleasure, Azure stretched, feeling beyond self-indulgent, feeling wanton, a hedonistic goddess pleased with her god. Lone was out of bed, bent over, digging through his clothes, attempting to find his comm to answer a trilling call, and Azure couldn’t help but ogle him.

  He had made love to her so many times and in so many different ways, she should be completely wiped out. Instead energy zinged through her body. I’m ready to take on the universe. If Corra were here… Azure sobered. She’d wasted so much time, time better spent finding Trius and asking for his help.

  How could she have done this? What kind of person forgets their kin for sex—sex with her intimate, the male she would spend the rest of her life with, true. But still she had forgotten Corra when she had promised to find a way to save her.

  Gods unseen, she sucked.

  Rolling from the bed, she thought about her next move. Lone’s brother Wharm had promised his help, but she hadn’t heard from him and it had been hours. A sudden paranoid thought took over her mind, pushing out all the soft, sweet feelings left over from their lovemaking… What if Lone had used their bonding, their trinity-of-souls against her? What if he and his brothers were working for her father?

  “Azure?” Naked save the now silent comm in his right hand, Lone stepped in front of her.

  She couldn’t stop her heart from doing a little flip of approval at the sight of his tight body, his sleek muscles, his smooth, tan skin.

  He tucked two fingers under her chin and tilted her head back so she met his gaze. “I can sense your confusion, your anger and fear. I can hear some of your thoughts. Do you really believe I would betray you?”

  She blinked up at him, unable to answer. Panic burned through her brain, turning any rational, reasonable thoughts to ash. She couldn’t think clearly, couldn’t think past her guilt.

  Lone seemed to take her silence as a yes. He jerked away from her as if he’d been slapped. Without another word, he pulled on his clothes and stormed out of her room.

  The body bond between them made her feel the tightness of his muscles, the ache in his jaw. Yet she still couldn’t think past her dread. She curled up in a ball on the bed to cry, but no tears welled. Her eyes remained dry. Slowly—after many controlled breaths—her mind cleared.

  Maybe she didn’t know Lone or his brothers well enough to trust them, but she knew her father. He would never do business with a dual blood. There was no way her intimate was working against her. She shook her head at herself. What a fool to even consider it.

  Guilt swamped Azure for all the pleasure she had found, the unadulterated soul-shaking love she experienced in Lone’s arms when she should have been working toward saving Corra from degradation.

  Lying there naked and alone, she felt as if she were frozen in the void of space. Her body was bonded to Lone’s and craved his comfort, his strong arms around her, his warm breath against the back of her neck. Squeezing her eyes shut, she pushed her desire away. She rolled from the bed and headed for the tiny bathroom. Maybe the warmth from the cleanser would soothe her.

  She hit the old, rusted On button and closed her eyes as the cleanser spit soap on her head to foot. Suddenly a cold blast of air hit her. She opened her eyes on Lone, who stood in the open cleanser doorway, his black eyes blazing.

  “Answer my question.”

  “W-what?” She crossed her arms over her breasts, shivering. “What are you talking about?”

  “I asked you a question. Do you believe I betrayed you in some way?”

  Tears burned her eyes but like a coward, she decided to pretend the foamy soap had bled into her eyes.

  He was back. Furious. But standing before her tall and strong and…hers?

  “Answer me.” The demand in his voice made her snap.

  “No!” she shouted in his face. “I don’t think you betrayed me. I was overwhelmed. Confused. Worried. But I know you aren’t working against me.”

  She trembled with her emotions. Tears streamed down her face.

  “Good.” He grabbed her, pulled her out of the cleanser and against his solid frame where she literally cried on his shoulder. Wrapping his arms around her, he said, “Wharm told me what you told him. About your father, your cousin, you.”

  She continued to cry, a storm of tears bursting out of her—she was safe in his arms, safe enough to break down. He shushed her, rubbing her back in big and small circles.

  “I have to get her away from him. He’s horrible,” she sobbed against his chest. “I just want us both to be safe. To be free. Happy.”

  “And you will,” he replied with a soft, soothing voice. “You will.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut and forced herself to swallow her tears. Lone was being unbelievably sweet and understanding. He didn’t deserve an intimate on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Hell, he would never want to link their spirits and hearts now to finalize the bonding of their trinity-of-beings. And who could blame him? Her spirit and heart were breaking, and he deserved an intimate who was whole.

  Chapter Four

  Lone cursed the gods seen and unseen for letting his intimate be hurt and in fear. He would not allow it to continue. She may not have bonded completely with him yet, but Azure was his responsibility now, and he would see to it that she was safe, happy and free from her father. If that meant traveling into Vitca territory and rescuing her cousin, so be it.

  But first things first.

  He could feel hunger riding her body hard as if she hadn’t eaten in days. Smoothing her hair to the side, he kissed her cheek. “Why don’t you finish your cleansing while I order room service?”

  She took a shaky breath and backed out of his arms. Her face was blotchy and her eyes red from crying, but she seemed to collect herself as he watched—her eyes drying out, her chin lifting ever so slightly, her trembling ceasing, leaving a strong, capable female before Lone once more.

  “This section of rooms doesn’t receive room service,” she said, her gaze not quite meeting his.

  He felt the tension in her body as if it were his own. Before he decided how to address it without upsetting her further, she stepped into the cleanser and started a new cycle as the door automatically closed behind her.

  Vitca were a proud race who believed in honor. His intimate must be used to having plenty of credits. Otherwise the crappy hotel room and the inability to buy food would not mortify her so.

  He left the bathroom to scoop up her shoes and clothes and place them in a launderer. It was then that he realized she had no luggage, no change of clothes, no purse even. She had left her father’s house with only the clothes on her back and a few credits in her pocket to get here, which, apparently, hadn’t even been enough to feed herself.

  His heart swelled at the knowledge that his intimate had such courage, such loyalty to those she loved. Her cousin was lucky to have a place in Azure’s heart. It was where Lone wanted to be.

  “Where are my clothes?” Azure stepped just inside the room, a thin towel tucked beneath her arms, water from the rinse cycle beading her hair and pale skin.

  “In the launderer. Should be done in—” The machine beeped twice, signaling completion.

  Azure pulled her shoes and neatly folded clothing out of the small compartment in the wall and stepped into the bathroom once more. Lone smiled at the burning blush of her skin he felt from her through their body bond. He had explored every inch of her, knew every line, every curve—hell, their bodies were even bonded—yet she refused to dress in front of him.

  After a few minutes, the bathroom door whooshed open and Azure stepped out dressed in plain, nondescript but well-made clothing. He hadn’t noticed them before, too intent on getting past them to her flesh beneath, but now he realized she must have selected the pale-gray top and pitch-black pants so she would fade into a crowd. Not that she ever could. His intimate was far too beautiful to go unnoticed.

  “Let’s go find something to eat,” he said, offering her his ha
nd. When she hesitated, he tacked on, “We can discuss the rescue of your cousin.”

  She met his gaze, hers going wide and watery. “You’ll help me?”

  “Yes.” He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. “You are my intimate. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”

  With a smile, she pulled him down and kissed him. “I’m sorry I suspected you.”

  “I understand. You’ve only bonded with my body, not my spirit or heart. But you should know that they are yours as well.” He led her out of her tiny hotel room, up to his floor, the aria floor where music, food and alcohol were everywhere for the taking…if you roomed there.

  Lone walked up to a scrolling wall and tapped it, providing his print so that he could access his account. He quickly added her as a guest to his room so Azure could enjoy everything the aria floor had to offer. She was silent beside him, but he could feel her gratitude, her admiration for him. She humbled him.

  He had done nothing but hold her while she cried and offered to help her. She was his intimate. Everything he had was hers even if she never accepted him completely.

  A petite Vitca soprano dressed in a gown made of smart material, which rippled with colors to accompany the wearer’s mood, stepped up onto one of many long, narrow stages and began to sing A Song to the Moons. Her voice seemed to captivate Azure. She swayed to the lovely aria, her gaze fixed on the singer.

  “You like music?” he asked.

  “Love. All kinds.”

  “Good,” he said, squeezing her hand. “It’s my life’s work.”

  She turned to him, interest in her eyes. “You’re a musician?”

  He led her to a bountiful buffet table, brimming with both Vitca and Nashete delicacies. “Amateur musician. Professional musical instrument dealer.”

  An elderly Nashete couple in front of them ran their gazes over Lone and Azure then sniffed loudly, a distasteful look on their frowning faces.

  Azure dropped his hand. She’d abandoned him. He turned to reassure her but laughed instead. His sweet, little Vitca intimate was giving the Nashete couple a very rude hand sign. She met his gaze and arched an eyebrow at him.

  “What’s so funny?” she asked, smiling.

  “I—” He lost his breath as a fiery lick of his intimate’s spirit connected with his. Her strength, her character, her fortitude blew through him like a ghost of her possessing him. Holy shit. He had been prepared to wait months, even years for the spirit bond. But somehow, some way, the joining of spirits had already begun.

  “No.” She dropped her plate of food on the buffet table as she stumbled away from him, a look of horror on her face. “No.”

  He took a calming breath and reached out for her to take his hand once more. If they could share the body bond they had already created it should help both of them to accept the spirit bonding too.

  Azure looked at his hand as if he held out a clawed paw.

  “No,” she said again, then turned and ran from him off through the crowd.

  Lone gritted his teeth as her emotional pain tore through him, ripping at him from the inside out. She was more than afraid. She was terrified. The spirit bond meant they would be emotionally tied for life. And despite the body bond, his intimate, apparently, was not ready for that sort of commitment.

  He set his plate aside and followed her. She might be okay with living the rest of her life celibate, now that they were both unable to become physically intimate with anyone else, but Lone was the furthest thing from okay.

  Damned if he was going to spend the rest of his life impotent. He hesitated. As soon as he had the thought a worse one came—living the rest of his life without Azure.

  He was sick at the thought. If he had eaten, he would have vomited.

  He stalked his intimate through the dense crowd, fighting back her fear and his anger.

  Azure rushed through the crowd without direction. All she could think was that she needed to be as far away from Lone as she could before the spirit bond solidified, binding them together. Forever.

  She wanted to be free. Not tied to a male she didn’t know or love. Then again, she had spent her entire girlhood dreaming of finding her intimate, bonding with him, living happily in a beautiful home with loving children.

  She shook her head. That had been the dream of a child. Her dream as an adult was to be free. Before she’d met Lone, she feared becoming her mother, being enslaved to a male who was not her intimate. But now she feared being bonded to a male who was her intimate.

  Gods unseen, she couldn’t think straight because of the hormonal change that came with adulthood. She couldn’t think past her fear for Corra, her fear of her father who must be in pursuit of her, her fear of being tied to someone she barely knew.

  “Found you,” a gravelly male voice said as he grabbed and pulled her against him.

  Her body, bonded to Lone, rejected being held by another male. Her heart slammed against her chest, her hands fisted. Remembering her brief training in self-defense, she collapsed against him, throwing her attacker off balance so she could break free. She spun around to face him, brought her knee up to rack him. Hard.

  He made a high wheezing sound as he doubled over and collapsed to his knees on the floor.

  She turned to run but another male was at her back, his arm snaking around her waist, trapping her. She struggled against his grip but only accomplished hurting herself.

  “Wharm.” That one word carried a world of threat. “Release my intimate. Now.”

  Immediately she was free. She stumbled away, turning to see that her second captor had been Lone’s brother.

  “We were only trying to catch her for you,” Wharm said indignantly.

  “You and Kana frightened her half to death. Hurt her,” he said, looking at the male still kneeling on the floor.

  “We hurt her?” Kana said, disbelief lacing his shaky voice. “She damn near castrated me.”

  Wharm chuckled. “That’s what you get for underestimating her. Did you really think Lone’s intimate would be some wilting flower?”

  Kana used the wall for leverage as he stood, still panting, his face red and blotchy. “I didn’t think she’d perform sex reassignment surgery on me.”

  “Oh please. You’ve always been a bit of a girl anyway, Kana.”

  “Fuck you,” Kana growled.

  Lone sighed. “Azure, I believe you have already met my brother Wharm.”

  She gave a nod of acknowledgement, keeping her lips firmly pressed together to prevent laughter from spilling out. She was suddenly giddy. Hell, maybe she was losing her mind. She couldn’t stand still—shifting, moving, feeling uncomfortable where she was.

  “This is my youngest brother Kanaen, but we call just call him Kana.”

  “I am pleased to make your acquaintance,” Azure said, falling back on her manners to keep her steady even as she shifted again, stepped to the side.

  “Yeah, well I’m not,” the youngest brother mumbled.

  “Kana,” both Lone and Wharm rebuked him.

  “What?” He cupped himself. “Can you really blame me?”

  “No, not at all,” Azure said, taking another small step and finally feeling comfortable where she was. “Can you really blame me?”

  Kana tilted his head to the side and studied her, then moved his gaze right next to her. “Guess not,” he said. “It’s obvious you two have body bonded.”

  She glanced next to her only to find that she was standing a mere inch away from Lone. With a gasp, she stepped away. She really was losing it. Running away only to inch toward the male she ran from, needing to be near him even if she didn’t want to.

  She wished she had time to allow her hormones and emotions to settle long enough for her to wrap her mind around the situation and come to some decision.

  “Our bodies have bonded,” Lone said, “and our spirits have begun to bond as well.”

  Every muscle in her body tightened, her heart quickened.

  “Kitchka.” Lone cuppe
d her face in his large, warm hands and captured her gaze. “What do you fear?”

  “You’re a good male, but I don’t want to be enslaved to you. I want to be free to…grow and learn and see things I’ve never seen. I want to be me.”

  He released her, stepped back, glowering at her. “You think I’ll hold you back, shackle you to my side, force you to be who I want you to be?”

  “Won’t you?”

  “Of course not.” He looked appalled. “You fear the spirit bond but if it was completed, you’d know that I would never treat you as anything other than my equal, my partner in life.”

  Even without a completed spirit bond, she could feel the absolute truth in his words. Lone was nothing like her father. Or Oquin, the man her father meant to give her to as a gift, a thing, property. Lone was nothing like any male she’d had the displeasure of meeting. He had a sense of decency, fairness and kindness that every male in her small circle of life lacked.

  Her spirit bond lashed out, knocking the air from her lungs, weakening her knees. Everything inside her reached for her intimate. Lone gasped as their spirits connected again. This second time was stronger, more intense then the first. Her body bond with Lone flared to life.

  Lone pulled her against him and gave her a scorching kiss, one that zipped down to her toes, curling them, one that made her instantly wet and ready for him. His erection pressed against her stomach and she moaned into his mouth.

  Wharm cleared his throat.

  Kana said, “Right. Um, I’m outta here. You coming, Wharm?”

  Mortified, Azure jerked out of Lone’s arms. Blood rushed to her face as Kana quickly walked away. What was she thinking? Public displays of affection were for lowborn and whores.

  “Hey.” Lone took her hand and placed it over his heart. “There is nothing shameful about expressing our feelings for each other.”