by Kiersten Fay
“I have a real talent for pissing off demons, don't I?”
“Just try to do what she says,” Anya pleaded. “Be respectful.”
“Pirates don't do respect.” He gave her a teasing grin.
Anya rolled her eyes, but couldn't prevent her smile. “I can tell we're going to be good friends, Ethan. We're okay, right?”
“Yeah, we're okay. I kind of got the feeling you were going to reject me anyway. Well, I'd better keep looking for my future wife.” His turned his attention back on the book.
* * *
——
* * *
After a long uneventful shift, allowing him nothing but time to obsess over Anya's proximity to that male, Sebastian entered his room. Once again, he'd spent the day battling the Edge.
He would shower and then go to her. Demand his right to lay his mark on her. Claim her once and for all. It was the only thing that would put him at ease.
He was caught by surprise when he entered the bathroom and saw Anya. Very naked, very wet, and covered in bubbles. Her pert breasts peeked through the soapy water lining the tub, strands of damp blond curls trailed around them. Sebastian's boots had become glued to the floor, his mind emptied of all but the vision in front of him.
“Bastian.” Her eyes sparkled with lust. A finger glided down the crevice of her breasts. “I need you.”
All the blood in his body invaded his shaft. He had his clothes off in seconds, tossing the last piece away just before he hit the water. Waves sloshed and spilled over the side. Anya gave a very seductive victory laugh that was soon nothing more than moans against his mouth.
With his rough hands, he caressed her skin, raking his way over her soft flesh until he met her core. Her head lolled, and she gave a sigh of approval, the faintest of smiles on her lips. An involuntary shiver rolled through her body and her hips bucked into his hand.
“You want more?” he asked, his voice was like gravel.
“So much more.” She sighed. Blue eyes peeked out at him through heavy lids. There was a seriousness in her words.
He dipped his head to take a hard nipple between his lips while delving his thick finger into her. Eyes flashing to silver with her desire, she gripped the edge of the tub for support while her body surrendered. When he felt her slick and ready, he replaced his finger with his thick shaft.
Her hand found the back of his neck, and she pulled him in for a smoldering kiss as he eased himself deeper. Her unusual aggression was surprising, but more than welcomed. He liked to be in charge during sex, but he'd let her take control if she wanted.
His thrusts became harder, faster, causing her to break the kiss and scream her pleasure. He loved that he could do that to her. The little sounds she made provided fuel for his fire, and he increased his pace. Gripping her backside, he held her firmly against him for deeper contact. Her body writhed, begging for release, as his did too.
Just as their orgasms were about to peak she whispered into his ear, nails digging blissfully into his back. “I want your fangs in me.”
His seed exploded forth in blinding pleasure. Her back arched, body strained from her own orgasm.
Their eyes locked as they caught their breaths. “Are you sure?” He panted.
She nodded, moving her golden locks aside and presented her neck to him. It was almost too much to believe, yet here it was. She was giving in to him, accepting his claim.
“What changed your mind?” Why was he asking this? Why hadn't he already sunk his teeth into that soft flesh? Even now his fangs throbbed with anticipation.
She dropped her hair and gazed up at him, as if she were wondering the same thing. Her cheeks flushed to a beautiful pink hue. “You were right about Ethan.”
Grinding sounds filled his ears. He realized it was his teeth. “Uh-huh.”
“Turns out he made a deal with my father for the right to marry one of his daughters.”
“And which daughter would that be?”
Crunch.
Sebastian had been gripping the tub too hard. An indenture in the shape of his hand now decorated the edge.
Her eyes widened. “It's not me!” she bit out. “I told him I was in love with you.” Her mouth clamped shut, the pink in her cheeks turned to a deep red.
She loves me. Me!
This beautiful, perfect in every way, ethereal creature was finally about to be his forever. The smile that crept onto his lips felt unreal, like he'd stolen something that should never have belonged to him, but had come to be his most treasured possession.
“Gods, I love you so much,” he grated.
Anya's shoulders slumped in relief, and her expression was elated. She began pulling aside her hair again.
“Not here,” he said. She paused, smile fading. “I want to make this good for you.” A yelp escaped her when his eagerness took over, and he lifted her to carry her to the bed. Their bed.
Silver eyes sparkled up at him as he laid her down and sat back to study her for a moment. Droplets still clung to her skin. Tendrils of hair were pasted to her shoulders and the sides of her breasts. She made his mouth water. Never had a more beautiful creature ever lived. And she was his.
Unable to delay another moment, he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers. She opened easily for him, inviting him in. Hot tongues met, dancing. A chuckle escaped him when she wrapped her legs around him to pull him closer. His little Anya was getting aggressive indeed.
Unclasping himself from her hold, he kissed his way down the line of her body until he found her tender core. She cried out his name when he began his wicked kiss. He teased her with his tongue until her body trembled under the onslaught of her orgasm. He could stay here forever, making her wiggle and writhe, but it was time to claim his mate.
Her eyes widened when he began crawling up her body. He worried she might be about to change her mind.
* * *
——
* * *
Body still rolling with pleasure, Anya watched Sebastian make his way up the length of her. His expression was fierce. An already pounding heart began to race. Was he about to bite her? Would it hurt? He'd said it would be pleasurable. What if that was only true for other demons?
He took her mouth in a scorching kiss, breaking away her thoughts. He pushed his shaft against her, rubbing their slickness together.
In a voice so rough it sounded more like a beast’s, he said, “Do you want me?”
Heart drumming, her answer came quick, “Yes.”
“Forever?”
“Yes.”
He shoved into her with the strength of a lust-maddened demon. The sweetest pleasure assaulted her senses. Practically lifting her hips off the bed, he thrust into her again and again, building her next orgasm to a peak, filling her full of more pleasure than she thought her body could contain.
She felt his sharp fangs sink into her neck.
Ecstasy was a word she'd never truly known before. Not until this moment. The energy between them shattered, exploded outward. Her body quaked at the unbelievable feel of him inside her. She found she was screaming, but only from the mind-blowing pleasure. It was almost too much to bear.
Then he began to suck, drawing her blood into him. Her vision faltered, specks of light flashing in her eyes. With his breath on her neck, his lower half continued to move between her legs. She'd never felt so connected to him. She wanted it to last forever. And with him, it just might. Somehow she'd captured this magnificent male, Anya thought with a wicked internal grin.
When he drew her blood again, her mind went blank. All she could concentrate on was the incredible sensations he was giving her. She couldn't hold it in any longer. The orgasm ripped a sound from her lungs she'd never before heard herself make. Vaguely, she registered a myriad of popping sounds as the room delved into darkness. Bastian released her neck, joining her, their cries of passion mixing in the air around them.
Finally, his body slumped beside her. But he didn't let her go. He pulled her against him, lay
ing kisses on the top of her head and streaking his hand down her spine. She sighed with satisfaction, burrowing deeper into his chest.
They lay there like that, basking in each other for a long while. Not speaking, just touching, kissing, loving each other.
Then Sebastian chuckled, which soon grew into a hearty laugh.
“What's so funny?”
“You broke my bulbs.”
Confused, she was about to ask him to elaborate, then she realized the room had been illuminated when they'd started and now there was none. In her ecstasy, she'd unwittingly destroyed all the light bulbs in the room. Embarrassed, she buried her face in his chest and couldn't help but snicker when he continued to laugh with joy over the destruction they'd caused. Soon they were both holding their sides, unable to quell their humor.
Once their mood died down, Sebastian examined the small wound at her neck. “Does it hurt?”
“Not at all.”
He dipped his head to give it a flutter of kisses. “You have no idea how gratifying this is for me,” he said, melting her heart with a look that said she was the most wonderful thing that has happened to him.
“It was pretty gratifying for me too,” she said with a sultry smile in place.
A sinfully wicked grin, full of masculine pride crossed his lips. “Yeah, I kind of got that. Guess I'd better invest in candles.”
She play smacked his chest, and he brought his hand down on her backside. Anya reveled in their intimacy, eating every bit of it up, but, for a fleeting moment, worry clouded her thoughts. He noticed.
“What is it?”
Eyes lowered, she said, “I just hope you don't come to regret this one day.”
Lifting her chin, he gazed at her with so much love in his eyes it almost hurt. “That could never happen.”
I hope you're right.
* * *
——
* * *
Still riding a high from the night before, Anya did a horrid job during training. She was too happy to fight. Frustrated, and in a more than usual crabby mood, Cale sent her away early, muttering under his breath. She thought she'd heard the word mate, but decided she was just being paranoid. With some extra free time to waste, she decided to see how far along Ethan was with the book. First she stopped by the galley to pick up some pastries in case Ethan was hungry.
With an abnormal expression, Marik handed her the food, then smiled and winked at her.
Hmm.
Ethan greeted her on her approach. He looked excited for the first time since she'd known him. At first she thought it was for the food, but then he explained that he'd made a breakthrough with the code.
“That's wonderful!” Then she noticed the bags under his eyes. “You didn't work through the night did you?”
He only shrugged, eyeing the bag. “Something smells good,” he edged.
Handing it over, Anya glanced at the once tidy room. Papers were strewn everywhere, bits of code written on each one, some notes crossed out, some circled. She couldn't begin to make heads or tails of it. One of the two computers was endlessly gliding through hunks of code. The other seemed to be switching through pictures of different planets. It was obvious he'd accomplished quite a bit.
“You should take a break. You'll burn yourself out if you continue like this.”
Without warning, a familiar squeal shot at them from behind. Turning toward the noise, she only caught a glimpse of Sonya as the demon smashed into her. Surprisingly strong arms wrapped around her.
“Oh, my gods, oh, my gods! He finally did it!”
Anya sucked in a breath. She couldn't know.
But her unending screeches and delighted bouncing said otherwise.
“You couldn't…You don't…How…” Anya sputtered.
Somehow understanding Anya's convoluted babbling Sonya offered, “It's a demon thing. We can just tell.”
Anya felt her cheeks flame.
“We have to celebrate!”
“No! That's okay.”
In a grave voice, Ethan interjected, “I don't want to know what this is about. Do I?”
All Anya could think to say was, “Uh.”
“Didn't think so.” At length, he stood. “Maybe I will get some sleep after all.”
From behind them, one of the computers beeped, demanding their attention. Ethan's mood changed instantly, from hurt masculine pride to hunter. He planted in front of the computer that had been cycling through images of galaxies, and rapped on the keyboard. Curious, both she and Sonya crowded around.
Ethan spoke quickly, “This could be it. The code seems to be pointing me toward a solar system in this particular galaxy.” He started rambling more quietly, calculating, as if he would be talking aloud whether or not they were there to listen. “Five moons, two moons, eight moons, three moons…” he said as he cycled through images of the foreign planets. When he stopped at the last image, Anya was almost knocked over by an unfamiliar wave of energy.
Sonya was by her side in an instant. “Are you okay? You're not pregnant, are you?”
“What!” That gave her pause. She supposed it was possible. “I don't think so.” For some reason, she looked to Ethan.
Ethan studied her. “Did you take his blood into you?”
“No, of course not!”
“Then it cannot be.” He faced the computer once more, hiding his emotions. But Anya didn't need to see his face to know he was deeply hurt that she didn't choose him. Even though Ethan knew perfectly well that he wasn't attracted to her either.
“So Faieara have a mating ritual similar to ours?” Sonya asked.
“It's not a mating ritual. It's a fertility rite. We don't believe in fated mates like you. We choose who we want.” He averted his eyes back to his screen. “But without the fertility rite, which could be likened to your idea of mating, there will be no offspring.”
“Idea?” Sonya growled.
Anya interrupted before they broke out into a full-fledged fight. “This is not important right now. I think seeing that planet is what affected me.”
“Hmm. What a coincidence, this planet is at the top of my list.”
Chapter 25
Undewla, the planet they were currently heading toward in the cramped shuttle ship, was various shades of white and blue, a result of being covered entirely in ice. Ethanule had done some research before they'd left, and the demons had heard rumors of it.
Possibly a clan, or hierarchy based society. The inhabitants were said to be cold, literally. Their blood was chilled, which helped to make the harsh conditions livable for them. They were thought to keep to themselves and typically didn’t trust outsiders. They were also said to have domination over the ice, whatever that meant. Their appearance mimicked the snow and ice that encompassed their planet—white hair, pale skin. It would be difficult to find them if they wish not to be found.
Anya stared through the small window of the shuttle as the blue surface of the planet eclipsed her view. She'd insisted on being part of the scout team, which included Sebastian, Cale, Marik, and Ethan.
Once she'd demanded that she be allowed to join them, Ethan had practically forced himself into the group, earning himself a killing look from Sebastian.
But Anya knew he hadn't come in order to try and win her affection. She'd seen in his eyes. He accepted her choice. He came because he was an elite soldier and loyal to his king. He felt it was his duty to protect his princess. She was grateful to him for that. And she hoped one of her sisters would find him worthy.
“Tell me about the energy you felt,” Sebastian probed.
It was the only reason he'd allowed her to come at all. Anya felt a pull, even now, to this planet. She had no words to explain it other than an encompassing need to get to Undewla as soon as possible. There was an urgency sifting through her with each passing minute.
“I felt a strong energy just by looking at a picture.” She studied the growing planet once more. “I sense something terrible will happen unless we get there
to stop it.” If one of her sisters was on this world, she feared she was in some kind of danger.
“If I've deciphered the code correctly, Princess Nadua, second in line to the throne, should be found here.”
Anya hoped to the gods that Nadua had lived a more advantageous existence than she had.
Sensing her troubled thoughts, Sebastian placed a strong hand on her upper arm and made smooth circles with his thumb. “If she's here, we will find her.”
Anya nodded, knowing he would do anything in his power to make that statement true.
Suddenly, she received another jolt of energy. In the cramped space, she made her way to the front of the cabin where Cale controlled their trajectory. The front window wrapped wide around the entire front of the small vessel.
“Do you see that basin with that patch of trees?” she said to Cale.
“You mean that treacherous looking canyon with the thousand tons of potentially unstable ice-wall on either side?”
“Yeah, land us there.”
“Right on.”
After a slightly rocky landing, the group donned their cloaks and heavy boots. All the males began fastening weapons to their person, easily hidden behind their thick clothing.
Cale handed her the sword he and Sebastian had gifted to her. “Your first field test,” he said, wrapping her fingers around the hilt. Trying to feign bravado, she fastened it to her belt, allowing her cloak to fall over it.
Finally ready, they stepped out into what she quickly declared to be the most horrific environment she could imagine. The cold bit at her exposed skin, stinging whenever the wind brushed past. She struggled to bring in icy air that was so cold she feared her lungs would freeze from the effort. They hadn't gone ten steps and shivers were already developing.