by Ruby Dixon
“Um, I need to know if Kivian and the others are okay on the other side.”
“Please define your parameters more clearly,” it tells me. “Parameters that require clarification due to language barrier: ‘others,’ ‘okay,’ and ‘other side.’”
Oh, fuck me. “How many life forms do you show aboard the fucking—excuse me, keffing—enemy ship?”
That gets a response. “Sensors indicate four life forms.”
Four?!
Only four?
A panicked sob catches in my throat. Four? That might mean it’s a fight to the death and the others need my help to survive…depending on if any of them are left. I imagine Kivian on the other side of the door, reaching for me, unable to quite get to the release that would open the hatch…and me standing stupidly on the other side with a vase, waiting.
Waiting.
Waiting.
Screw that. I’ve never been the kind of girl that’s good at waiting. Just look at how bad I am at sticks. Patience is not one of your virtues, I tell Duh Fran. Why wait until it’s too late?
It’s enough to convince me.
“Computer,” I bellow out. “I need you to open this fricking door because I’m coming through.”
“Please define your parameters more clearly,” it begins.
Argh!
To my surprise, a moment later, the door hatch hisses and begins to open. Oh god. What if I’m too late? What if it’s the enemy deciding to come through on this side? I clutch my vase tight, ready to attack.
A figure pushes forward, and before I can think, I swing. The vase hammers into the midsection of the alien in front of me, nearly snapping my wrists with the impact.
Kivian doubles over, groaning. He looks up at me in shock. “Fran? Wh-what’s wrong?” he wheezes.
“Nothing!” I tell him.
And then I burst into noisy tears.
16
KIVIAN
“So, you got all of the crystal?” Fran’s eyes are still reddened from her weeping fit earlier, making me feel guilty despite the beaming smile on her face. I rub my stomach, not sure if I’m more upset that I’m going to have a sore gut for the next day, or that Fran was so terrified she felt she had to attack.
It’s the latter, of course. I hate that my mate was so frightened. “The crystal’s unimportant,” I say, and gesture that she should come sit by me on my bed.
We’re in my quarters. I needed to bathe after working up a sweat in the ooli ship, since they keep the temperature at a swampy heat that made me swim in my own juices moments after we boarded. Fran followed me in, still rattled. The others are in the mess hall, celebrating our victory and the crystal we’ve brought on board, as well as all of the other plunder we took while on board. We should join them, but I think Fran needs a few minutes to herself to gather her thoughts…and I just need to be around her.
I’ve never felt such fear until she rammed me in the gut with a priceless Ilsi vase. Not over the vase—though I like to think of it as a retirement plan of sorts—but the fact that she was so terrified. I immediately thought she was in danger, and I’ve never felt such intense terror. Such intense need to protect another person. She’s become everything to me so very quickly.
Even thinking about her in danger still has me rattled. Truth be told, she wasn’t even at risk. The situation was handled. And yet…
We can’t go on like this.
We got the crystal from the ooli. That much is true. We cleaned out their stores and emptied their stash of credits into our own coffers. I tell myself that’s what they get for dealing with contraband. Truth is, I don’t feel bad in the slightest for stealing from them. Physical credit chits are only used to buy illegal things, like banned technology, crystals…
And slaves.
Along with trunks full of chits, two cases of crystals and enough wine and weapons to make me wonder what kind of party these ooli were going to throw, we also retrieved their ship’s logs. Included in those logs are the usual chatter…and several communications between Jth’Hnai and an unnamed trader. The ooli had lamented to him about his toy being stolen from him on Haal Ui Station and wanted a replacement. The trader agreed and made an agreement to meet up on a nearby station—a seedy one—so Jth’Hnai could pick out a new plaything, free of charge for being such a good customer.
A few months ago, I would have taken that information and robbed both the ooli when they showed up and the slaver of his credits and been on my way. Now, I can’t stop thinking about the human females that are being held captive even now. Are they strong and brave like my Fran? Or terrified?
I can’t leave them to their fate, no more than I can leave Fran to hers.
She’s not mesakkah. To our race and dozens of others, she’s nothing but a walking, talking toy. A pet. She knows nothing about our world or any of the other cultures that populate the galaxy.
All she’s ever asked for is to go home.
A month ago, I’d said no. Said I couldn’t ask that of my crew. Now, everything’s changed. Fran holds my heart in her delicate hands and I can’t bear the thought of not being able to protect her. She’ll be safest on Earth, away from all of this.
I’ll take her back to her home planet. It’s a long, dangerous journey, but she deserves happiness and a long life. As a pirate’s captive toy, I don’t know that she’ll have either. The thought makes me ache, but I can’t sacrifice my contentment for hers.
I want to immediately vid my brother and ask him how he keeps Chloe safe. How he handles the stress of having such a person as his mate, but I know the answer—he’s chosen to live as a farmer on some backwater planet where no one ever goes, because he can’t give her up. My brother, who was once one of the most feared mercenaries in six galaxies, grows crops and digs in the dirt…all for the love of a female.
Would I do the same?
“I would, but I’m a terrible farmer,” I murmur.
“What?” Fran gives me a curious look, sniffing.
I pat the bed again. “Come sit.” I want to demand it, not ask, but I know my Fran. I also know I need to touch her, if nothing else than to reassure myself that she’s all right. Her fear is gnawing at my soul.
Fran moves cautiously forward, her eyes luminous, and she sits next to me. Her gaze is locked on mine and she looks so fragile and lonely that it hurts me.
I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t help myself—I haul her into my lap, tucking her under my chin and holding her close. She stiffens in my arms for a brief moment, and then yields when she realizes I’m not going to attack her.
“Are you all right, little one?” I murmur against her soft hair. “Shall we talk about why you’re so upset?”
She relaxes against me for a long moment, silent, and then punches my shoulder with one small fist. “You assholes left me behind.”
I want to laugh, except she’s truly upset. “It was for your safety, I promise.”
“Really? What am I supposed to do if something happens to you?”
I shake my head. “It was an easy fight. Once we boarded, the ooli ran and hid from us. No one fired a single shot. All we did was round them up and sent them into cryo-sleep. It’s one of the easiest takeovers I’ve ever had.” It was so easy, it was practically laughable. I suspect she would have enjoyed it, if she’d have been there. She would have liked to see the outraged look on Jth’Hnai’s ugly face when he realized it was us boarding his ship to rob him a second time. Ah, that was a good moment.
“The computer told me it only saw four life signs.” Her voice is hard. Flat. Accusing.
Is that why she was so panicked? “Mm. Yes, when there are people in cryo-sleep, most systems don’t count those as technically ‘alive.’ You are but you aren’t, and so it likely only picked up our signals.”
Her jaw clenches with mutinous anger, but she nods, understanding.
I’m still surprised at her frustration. “You’re angry,” I say, wonderingly, and touch a finger to her jaw. “Why?”
She’s already said that once, but her emphasis changes everything. My heart pounds and my body aches with what could have been. I know what I have to do, though. She can’t stay here with us. She’s right—if anything were to happen to me, she’s a target for every deviant male on this side of the universe. “My sweet Fran,” I murmur, stroking her cheek. “I haven’t been fair to you.”
“No, you haven’t,” she murmurs, her gaze on my mouth. “You should have let me come with you.”
I don’t know whether to laugh or groan in agony. The heated looks she’s sending my way are the most delicious torture possible. She shifts on my lap and her thigh rubs against my aching cock in the most incredible—and frustrating—way. If only I’d pushed harder, taken her when I had the chance—
But then it would be that much more difficult to let her go, and let her go I must. Keffing hell, but I hate having to be virtuous. It’s not a trait that suits me well. “I wouldn’t risk you, little one.”
“You’re not risking me,” she tells me in a soft, soft voice. Her arms go around my neck and she moves closer to me. I’m helpless to resist the lure of her words, her sweet lips, her nearness. “I’m the one that’s ‘risking’ me.”
“I won’t let you—”
She puts a finger to my lips, stopping my words. “You don’t get to decide,” she whispers, and leans in to press her mouth to mine.
I’m so fascinated by this strange movement that I forget all hygiene laws and remain utterly still as her lips brush against mine. I’m not revolted—in fact, I’m more aroused than I think I’ve ever been before, and I groan. Her breath fans against my skin and I feel the tip of her tongue slide along the seam of my mouth. She pulls away a moment later, a hint of a smile on her face as she meets my gaze. “Do your people not kiss?”
“Is that what this is, then?” She’s mentioned it before. No wonder she stared so hard at my mouth just now. I can’t stop gazing at hers. It’s shiny and her lips are so fascinatingly plump. It makes me want to do that all over again.
Fran nods and rubs up against my chest, her mouth close to mine, so close that our breath is mingling. “Want me to show you how to do it?”
I shouldn’t. I should be virtuous and push her away—again, not one of my better qualities. Instead of telling her no, I groan and cup the back of her neck, leaning in and pushing my mouth against hers.
It doesn’t feel quite the same when I do it—my lips mash too enthusiastically against hers and she goes still against me, waiting. I feel like a callow youth that’s never gotten his cock wet, and I inwardly command myself to do better. She was gentle when she caressed me, and I can’t help but think that I should follow that lead. I soften my mouth, caressing her lips with mine in soft, exploratory nibbles.
That elicits a moan from her, one so throaty and achingly gorgeous that the hairs on the back of my neck stand up…along with my cock. Ah, she’s sweet, my Fran. Her lips are marvelous, and I can’t stop kissing them. Such a deviant sort of hobby, this kissing. No wonder people keep snatching humans to take as slaves—
I jerk away from her, hating my own thoughts. Slaves.
She gazes up at me with confused eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“We can’t do this,” I tell her, caressing her cheek with my thumb. “It’s not right.”
“What’s not right about it? We haven’t even gotten to the tongues yet.”
Tongues? Have mercy. I’ve never been so keffing hard. I close my eyes, trying to stay in control of my body. Her fingers play against my nape, and I can feel the swell of her large, bouncy breasts pushing against my chest, can feel the slight weight of her hips on my thigh. Why is everything about her so perfect?
I bury my face against her neck, inhaling her scent. I can’t resist a little lick of her skin there. Another hygiene law broken, but I’m not sure I care. Judging from her gasp and the way her fingers tighten against me, she doesn’t care either.
But that’s all I’ll allow myself. Reluctantly, I pull back. I can feel the throb of need from my horns to my tail, but I can’t give in to it. It’s not fair to her. “We need to talk, Fran.”
Her dark eyes widen and she gives me a worried glance. “You know, when humans say that kind of thing, it’s never good.”
“This is good, I promise.” I pull one of her hands from my shoulder and clasp it in my own, against my chest. “Remember how you said you wanted to go home? Back to your planet?”
She tilts her head and gives me a narrow-eyed look. “Don’t.”
I ignore that little statement and continue. “On the ooli ship, we pulled their records. They were going to pick up another human slave for Jth’Hnai. The trader he was in communication with mentioned him picking his choice, which means he has several. I know the others aren’t keen on traveling to Earth, but with the money we’ve made off of these shipments, we’ll have more than enough to go off the maps for a bit and take the scenic route back to your galaxy—”
“No.”
“—Along with a few friends we pick up along the way. We’ll rescue the others and bring you all back to Earth—”
“No.” Her expression gets even more stubborn.
“—And it’ll be a good deed for all and we can return to our lives, knowing that those ooli won’t be touching another human female. I think it’s a very good plan, don’t you?”
“No,” she repeats firmly. She looks furious, but her lower lip trembles. “Is that what you want, then? You want to go back to your regular life without me around?”
17
KIVIAN
I’ve hurt her. Kef it, why do I have to be the noble one? I’m terrible at it. “Truth be told, I’d rather have you naked and in my bed under me, breaking every hygiene law from here to my Homeworld.”
Her eyes widen with surprise. “You would?”
“More than anything.” My voice is husky with emotion. “Don’t make it harder for me to be noble than it already is.”
She gives a little laugh that sounds like a half-sob. “I don’t want you to be noble, you big bastard. I like the laughing, cheating Kivian that doesn’t give a damn about the rules. I don’t want to go back to Earth—not if you’re not there.”
I groan. “You’re not making this easy.”
“I don’t want it to be easy! I want to stay with you.” She cups my jaw in her small hands, her earnest gaze searching my face. “You big idiot, I’ve fallen in love with you and I don’t want to leave you behind. I don’t want you to leave me behind, either. I want to learn how to be useful in your crew. I want to wake up in your arms instead of just in your bed. I want to break all those hygiene laws with you.”
“Fran, little one. I would love nothing more than that. But every day that you’re out here with me, you’re not safe.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why?”
“Just that.” She shrugs. “Why am I not safe?”
“Well, for one, this is a pirate ship with no plans for retirement. We make our living smuggling and stealing.”
“So?”
“So we’re wanted in several galaxies, and if the law ever gets their hands on us, we’ll be spending the rest of our lives on the most remote prison planets they can find.”
“Then we don’t let them find us. You’d really let someone take you off to prison?” She arches an eyebrow at me. “That doesn’t sound like you.”
“No, most likely we’d go down fighting.”
“I’d do the same. And I trust you to keep us out of the law’s hands.” She pats my chest, as if that’s answered all her questions. “You’re not new at this, I can tell. How long have you been a pirate?”
I shrug. “Thirty years, give or take.”
She sputters. “We’re going to have the racial age discussion some other time. For now, I think it’s safe to
say that if we get another thirty years out of this, we’ll be doing great. Most marriages don’t last half as long.” Her fingers trace along my jaw and slide down my neck in the most erotic—and ticklish—of touches. “Is that the only concern? It doesn’t matter to me. I know what I’m getting into.”
Why is she making this sound so very simple? “It’s not my only concern. There’s the fact that you’re a contraband race—”
“All the more reason not to get caught with me.” She gives me an impish look and licks her lips.
Those damned, glorious lips. I want to taste them again. “It’s not me I’m worried about, Fran. It’s others that think of you as a pet or a slave.”
“You’ll protect me,” she whispers, leaning forward. The tips of her breasts graze against the plates on my chest, and I feel the erotic contact all through my body. Her tempting mouth is dangerously close to mine again. “And you can show me how to protect myself. Show me how to shoot a gun. How to take care of myself. How to be part of your crew.”
I don’t point out that most vessels of this class are four-person jobs. Truth be told, there’s room for her in my cabin, and the others don’t mind her coming along. There’s always more to be done, and I’d love to have her at my side. Not just because I’m dying to taste her lips again, or to push my cock into the wet heat of her cunt—I love her mind. I love that she’s brave enough to try to prick my ego when it gets too big, and that she’s not afraid of telling me her thoughts. I love that throaty, gleeful laugh she makes when I let her win at sticks.
She’s my mate. I must be an idiot to even consider letting her go.
“What about Earth?” I ask, because I have to.
“What about your planet?” she challenges. “If I stay with you, I want to be your partner. Not your pet. I’m pretty sure that means we won’t be accepted back in your home town.”
“No civilized planet will have me anymore,” I tell her with a grin.
“Then we’ll just have to stick to uncivilized ones.” Fran leans in and brushes her lips against mine in the briefest of caresses, and my cock feels like steel. “And be uncivilized together. If that’s what you want.” She leans back, a worried look on her face. “You…haven’t said what you want.”