“You don’t know either, you can only imagine,” she countered. “With the collars, you’d know.”
“I can handle his energy, for it is a twin to mine, no doubt. But you won’t be able to handle that kind of burden from both of us. I won’t allow you to endure it.”
She hopped down, went around the desk and paced. “You won’t allow it? Who made you the decision maker? We’ve been matched. We’ve been mated. The testing would have given you a mate who can handle whatever you have to offer.”
Ah, her words rang true. My mate was not weak, but strong. Perhaps too strong. “I will not allow you to handle the burdens of my command.”
“We are at a stalemate then,” she replied. Ah, was she fierce. There wasn’t a meek bone in her body. “Perhaps I will have to change your mind.”
Her gaze dropped to my cock, which was still hard. It wouldn’t go down until I came deep inside her. And then, I wondered if even that would tame my need.
“You think to fuck me into compliance?” I asked.
“That’s what you tried to do to me.” Her arms crossed over her chest again.
The corner of Ronan’s mouth tipped up, and I didn’t need to read his mind. She was right. We had.
“And you wished to suck my cock for mine,” I countered.
She arched a brow, not denying it.
“So we drown in sex until one of us compromises,” she offered.
I looked to Ronan who only arched a blond brow. She was being transported to Prillon Prime and Prime Nial the moment we took her to the transport room. The coordinates had been set.
She understood now why I refused to collar her. That seemed to be enough to appease her, at least for the moment. A détente in this one topic. If she was this angry about the collar, shipping her off to safety would not be met with happiness. She would fight me on that decision as well. I could easily overpower her, force her to leave, which might become necessary. Her safety was not up for any kind of compromise or negotiation.
And so I would take this time before she hated me to have her again. To sink into the feelings of being with Erica, in Erica, the pleasure I felt even without a collar. For when I set her on the transport and gave the order to the tech, she would hate me. Perhaps even choose another mate before her return from our homeworld.
But she would be safe and that was all that mattered.
I curled my finger, beckoning her over. With my other hand, I gripped my cock and stroked it. She came toward me slowly, her gaze on my moving hand.
“You have two mates. Two cocks to satisfy.”
She looked to Ronan, who’d remained quiet and watchful through our argument.
I grabbed my desk chair, which had been knocked out of the way, dropped into it, continuing to stroke my hard length. “Lift up that dress and climb on.”
Her eyes widened and I watched as she transformed from disgruntled and aggravated mate back to aroused and eager. Her temper flared as hot as her pussy.
We watched as she slowly lifted the dress. Ronan opened his pants, pulled out his cock. She moved close, ready to climb into my lap.
I shook my head. “Turn around.”
A little frown formed, but she complied. I grabbed her hips, saw my handprint still on her ass. “This way.”
She caught on quickly, backing up and sitting on my lap, getting her legs positioned over mine, facing away from me. Her feet didn’t touch the ground so I gripped her hips, lifted her up so I could align my cock at her entrance, then lowered her down. She surrounded me, one hot, tight inch at a time.
Ronan moved to lean his hips against my desk.
Only when I was fully seated did I use my feet to wheel my chair closer to Ronan. He spread his legs wide so I could move close, so close that Erica was aligned perfectly to tip her head down and suck Ronan off.
She did. She sucked. I fucked. Ronan tugged at her hair.
We didn’t last. None of us could hold back our orgasms. We’d been primed, eager. I’d heard of make-up sex from Chloe, but had never experienced it before. The intensity of it. The shared need. But it was even more powerful now, for Ronan and I both knew we would be sending her away. This would be the last time we were together like this for a while. Perhaps she sensed our tinge of desperation, for she came with a moan, nothing more, for she was swallowing as much of Ronan’s cock as she could.
Her inner walls milked and clenched, dripped her arousal all over me.
And that had me coming, filling her, my cum seemingly never ending.
Ronan growled, bucked his hips up and I watched her throat work to take it all.
She lifted her head, licked him clean as I raised her up and pulled out, held her close as Ronan righted his pants. I handed her off when he was done and did the same. She was quiet and compliant. Thank the gods. And I loved seeing her like this. Content. Sated.
Coated in my seed.
We stood, went out of my office and down the corridor. She didn’t question where we were headed, probably because she thought we were returning to our quarters for more.
But we weren’t. She only stirred when we were almost to the transport room.
“This isn’t the family area. The wall isn’t brown.”
We didn’t say anything, just went into the transport room and right up onto the pad. “Lock in coordinates to Prillon Prime as previously directed,” I ordered.
Ronan kissed the top of her head. “Ronan!” she said, quickly understanding.
I went up to her, kissed her. “Your safety is crucial. We can’t do our jobs if we worry about you, about a possible child.”
“Wait a minute, you can’t send me back to Earth!”
“You are going to Prillon Prime where you will be safe until this battle is over.”
“I should be with you,” she countered.
Ronan stepped off the pad. I took one step back and she followed. Holding out my hand, I stopped her, kept her on the pad.
“Engage transport lock,” I said, yanking my hand back. I knew she’d resist and had prepared for this, warned the tech to be ready to use the transport lock which kept whomever was transporting from leaving the pad. It was used for criminals, or those we needed to ensure wouldn’t refuse transport, or to ensure they went from one pad to the next without incident.
I had to wonder if it had been used on a mate before, but I would see her safe. She would be with Prime Nial in seconds.
Ronan stood at my side as she called our names. I ached to grab her, pull her into my arms again, but it was not to be. I was responsible for her safety and that came over my need for her. We’d only had her a day and now we would be separated.
“We will come for you as soon as it is safe.”
“Kaed!” she cried. “Damn it, no!”
“Transport,” I growled, and watched her disappear before my eyes.
11
Erica, Prillon Prime, Transport Room #27
* * *
At least when I transported this time, I came through in my dress. I might be an astronomer, but I wasn’t up on transporting. Molecules bending. Wormholes or something. Why Earth clothing—even the ugly IBP gown—hadn’t materialized when I’d come from the testing center, I had no idea.
Now was not the time to wonder more. Like Harry Potter and the flue powder, I was almost immediately somewhere new. The room looked identical, but Kaed and Ronan weren’t here. The transport tech was someone else and a pretty woman —a human woman—was standing at the bottom of the steps.
“You’re here! Yay!” She clapped her hands together in her excitement.
When I made my way off the pad, she pulled me into her arms. For once, there was a woman taller than me. If I had to guess, I’d say she was about six feet tall. She appeared younger, more slender and had gorgeous blonde hair. She looked like she could be either a runway model or a beach volleyball player. She wore a similar dress to mine, but hers was in a dark red that matched the collar around her neck. It seemed women who were matched from Ear
th were huggers.
“I’m Jessica.”
The tech bowed to her as we walked by and she leaned in close. “I’m also Lady Deston. Prime Nial is one of my mates and he’s the ruler of the planet and the entire Coalition Fleet. Fancy, right? But I’m from the states, served in the military and I eat with a fork and knife like everyone else. I don’t feel all that fancy.”
She took a deep breath and laughed. “Sorry, you’d think I haven’t talked in a while. It’s just that you’re from Earth and we’re rare up here. I’m excited for some girl time.”
“Thanks,” I replied, although I didn’t feel much like girl time. I felt like kicking ass and taking names. I thought back to Chloe’s choice of clothing from earlier. Maybe I should have selected the fighter uniform after all. I wanted the thigh holster and space weapon now so I could hold the transport tech up and force him to send me back. Then shoot my mates for being idiots.
“Where exactly am I?” I asked.
Her mouth opened, then closed. “You don’t know?”
I laughed. “I was on the transport pad, coordinates locked in before I knew what was happening.”
She frowned after hearing my answer. “Well, you’re on Prillon Prime. Karter contacted Nial and requested you stay here while they deal with the Hive weapon. I thought you would know, be… prepared or something. It’s not like you need a suitcase up here with S-Gen machines, but still.” She paused, studied me. “You’re safe, at least. You don’t look scared of the battleship being blown out of the sky. In fact, you look… angry. You’re mad because Karter and your second want you safe?”
I glanced over my shoulder at the tech, and Jessica took my arm and led me out into the hallway. Just as unexciting as on the battleship.
“Spill, girlfriend.”
I glanced at her collar, the dark red completely different than Chloe’s gold. I put my hand to my bare neck and Jessica’s gaze followed the gesture. Her eyes widened.
“You’re not collared.” She put her hand on my arm. “Holy shit, did you refuse Karter’s claim? Are you going to ask for a different mate?”
I shook my head. “No, I want Kaed and Ronan.”
She frowned. “Okaaaay. Then why—”
“He won’t give it to me.”
“What, the collar?” Her mouth fell open. “Are you serious? I mean, Prillon males are ridiculously possessive. I’m surprised he let you out of his sight, let alone transport off his ship without being claimed. Nial would have been here with me now to meet you, but he’s working with Karter and the other commanders on the plan to get more ships out there and find the new Hive weapon. And Ander, my second, is with them.”
“Yeah, but you’ve got the collar,” I pointed out. “No one is going to jump you.”
I didn’t think anyone was going to jump me either. If Karter wasn’t keen on keeping me, what Prillon would be?
“Did Karter jump you? I mean, it’s just the collar he refused, not you, right?”
I couldn’t help but blush because it felt like fifteen minutes ago I was being well-fucked by him and Ronan. Together. Not felt, it had been only fifteen minutes ago. They’d given me an amazing orgasm and used that to their advantage, getting me onto the transport pad before I’d fully recovered.
“Don’t worry, he’s not that disinterested.” I felt his seed sliding down my thighs as I replied. “Seems no man—regardless of what planet they’re from—can say no to a woman who wants him naked.”
“And you want them? You want to keep them?”
“Yes. I do. Stubborn jerks.”
She stomped her foot. “Still, this isn’t right. You’re here and he’s there and you have no collar. No one knows you belong to him on Prillon Prime. I’m sure up on the Karter, it’s well-known.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she added, “I don’t think we should let him get away with this, do you?”
“No,” I grumbled. “I want to go back to the Karter and give him a piece of my mind.”
“Damn it. This is hard.” She reached out her hand and took mine with a gentle squeeze. “I don’t blame you for being angry, but your ship might be attacked at any time. I know he sent you here without asking, but he is thinking of your safety.”
“From what I’ve been told, a battleship can always be attacked. Karter and Ronan are always going to be working, fighting the Hive.” Even though we were just outside the transport room in a hallway, I began to pace. “I was matched to him. The testing had to know a Prillon warrior’s job would always be to fight, to face possible death. It’s no different from being married to a soldier or a police officer back home. There are no guarantees in life, Jessica. The matching protocol had to know I could handle it, even if Karter doesn’t want me to. Ronan, too.”
She studied me, cocked her head. “I never thought of it that way, but you’re right. It’s the entire philosophy behind their tradition of choosing a second.”
“Exactly.”
“Why would the testing match you to a mate or a situation you could not handle? You belong with them.”
I sighed, then smiled. “I’m so glad you think so. I thought I was the only one. Chloe’s with the I.C. and she’s still up there. She fights for Pete’s sake. Goes out into battle. I mean, look at me, it’s not like I’m going to tip over in the wind. I’m sturdy. Strong. I can handle this. I need to. Commander Phan said I was Lady Karter and in charge of all non-military stuff on the ship.”
“That is true. As the Commander’s mate, you would be elevated to a place of honor and responsibility within his battlegroup.”
“I can’t do anything helpful from here.”
“No, you can’t.” She grabbed my arm again, tugged me back into the transport room. The tech bowed to her again. “Set the transporter to return coordinates on Battleship Karter. Lady Karter is going home.”
The tech raised a dark brow but remained quiet. Jessica copied the motion and didn’t say a word. I watched both of them, clearly a silent battle happening in front of me. Jessica was Lady Deston, mated to the leader of Prillon Prime and the entire Interplanetary Coalition. Her mates, Nial and Ander, were in charge of the entire Coalition Fleet. She could probably order Kaed and Ronan both to do whatever she wanted.
The transport tech didn’t stand a chance. Yet he was military, so did that mean he was to report up to Prime Nial, her mate?
“Now,” she added, which got the desired effect.
“Yes, Lady Deston.” He nodded to me to proceed onto the platform.
Guess that answered that.
I felt the now-familiar vibrations beneath my feet, felt the hairs on my arms rise.
She grabbed me in a fierce hug. “Go. Be with your mates. We’ll see each other again soon.”
I’d been here five minutes and I knew I had an ally—and a friend—in Jessica. “Thank you.”
“Transport ready, Lady Deston,” the tech said.
I went up onto the pad, looked to Jessica. She curled her fingers in a little wave, but she was gone before I could wave back.
Commander Karter
* * *
“Status update,” I said, hands on hips.
The flight bay had three levels of decks, cargo and evac ships readying on each of them. From our location on the docking control station, we could monitor each deck, see the ships as they were being maintained and processed for use. Beyond was the invisible environmental shield, the powerful barrier that maintained our air and oxygen levels and other essentials for life to function. With no exterior wall, it was as if someone could walk across the deck and jump into space. Nothing but blackness and stars were beyond.
The bay’s activity was higher than usual. Non-essential personnel, females and children were calmly organizing in front of their assigned ships to be taken to the rendezvous point in the safe zone. This wasn’t a full evacuation like Varsten had ordered, but a precautionary one.
With the lack of data from the probe, we had no proof Sector 437 was next, but we weren’t taking chances wi
th non-military personnel.
Their relocation served two purposes, to remove the innocent from any chance of attack by the Hive’s new weapon and to clear the flight bay of the non-military ships. We needed it available for incoming support squadrons, and quickly.
While there were some spots always left vacant, Prime Nial had ordered advanced strike and recon crafts to assist the Karter in finding the probe and then neutralizing it. We’d double the size of our fighter population and enhance our weapons, offense and striking capabilities. But they couldn’t land until the other ships cleared out.
The transition was going smoothly, but I was still impatient. I was used to dealing with high-stress situations. The ship was battle-ready, my highest-ranking and most experienced leaders, some from engineering, some pilots, others from comms and navigation and infantry, surrounded me. The Atlans had sent their Commander, Warlord Wulf, a massive beast who’d seen even more war than I had. I had been waiting for him to go into mating fever for years now, but he always maintained control. I was starting to believe the bastard had some kind of superpower.
One of my most sincere hopes was that he would not go beast and rip my battleship to shreds before the new Hive weapon did.
Chloe and Ronan were present as well. The I.C. was well represented. Normally that thought wouldn’t have bothered me.
Today? Today, I felt… different. On edge. It was all because of Erica. Reassurance of her safety on Prillon Prime eased my mind, but I still thought of her. No doubt she was furious with us for forcing transport on her. Her safety was top priority. I’d rather have her mad than dead.
And yet, the Personnel Commander, or PC, had asked after her, wished to liaise with her as to her orders. Erica, to the PC, was her boss and should be leading this relocation. She should be with the other civilian command team, consulting and adding her expertise.
I did not know exactly what my mate’s talents were, as had spent more time fucking than talking, but after she left, I had taken some time to review her profile in the Interstellar Brides processing protocol files.
The Commanders' Mate Page 11