Skhye Moncrief - [Feral 01]

by Feral Fascinations (lit)

  Paul patted Jake’s shoulder. “Sorry I wasn’t there for you, man.”

  Right. He’d probably rather be slitting my wife’s throat. “Well, I’m not going to say I told you so. But you were the best man to send on the mission.”

  Paul’s eyebrows arched as if questioning the point. “I don’t know. But the fortification is rubble.”

  The docking-bay door slid open again.

  Paul’s face split into a broad smile. “Sevra.” He threw his arms wide and hugged the stiff woman who managed to return the embrace while glaring at Jake.

  “Since everyone’s all cozy and reunited, I’d like to visit my wife.” Anything to get away from a traitor who needed strangling.

  Goro nodded. “Red Trekaar is probably pacing. She needs to rest. Report back to me after you check on her.”

  * * * *

  Kindrist faced the door in her quarters where she sat in meditation-style, legs crossed, the backs of her palms resting against her white-cloaked thighs. Jake was coming. And there was much to say. Would they have a different relationship after he had chosen to leave her the store of blood? More so, what did the gesture mean? Was he grasping the extent of psychic warfare? No con could be worse than the enslavement of one’s child. Jake had to be coming around. If only to help protect the child.

  Was that the only reason? She dared not dwell upon her weak neediness. Alas, once a person became attached to another, something always happened. Revenge. Attack. Death. But wasn’t there more to life than just free thought? Free thought implied the right to choose. A right of the individual to rise above animal desires and prove oneself elevated through actions of a person with a conscience.

  The door whooshed open.

  Her tall dark mate stood in the doorway, washed with Strako’s brilliance from the corridor.

  A mercenary. A man. Strength. Power. His clothing melted away to the memory of his muscled body and tanned skin.

  Her heart raced for more than a Beast Tamer.

  She took his blood that morning. Her reaction was nothing but pure. Real. Not a hormonal craving of a soul mate.

  What was he waiting for in the doorway? He’d saved her life and the child’s. Maybe her humbled stance wasn’t the right type of greeting. Maybe he yearned for something more jovial. She rose. “Welcome back, Jake. It’s time to celebrate your success.”

  He stepped through the doorway, and the door shut out Strako’s presence. “Paul saved the universe. I’m just jet fumes.” He took slow measured steps that he obviously tried to make look leisurely.

  “And thank you for the blood.” She laid a palm against her lightweight thin crew-member’s white tunic and pressed against her flat abdomen where their child slept.

  Where the future awaited. Would he even notice she no longer wore a mercenary’s garb?

  He stopped two steps away. “I like you in white. You’re softer. But I still see the soldier I married.”

  Thank the stars he did. There was no way to turn off her past. If only she could bond with the present. And the future seemed so unattainable. Fragile. As if any moment her body would reject the child countless free thinkers relied upon if she made one careless mistake. That’s where truth lay more than her confused thoughts would bloody the white crewman’s attire. “I’ve vowed to live the life of a wife until we know what fate has in store for me.”

  “I don’t care about fate. And Destiny has this plan I keep hearing about.” His boots ate the two steps between them, and he pulled her to his chest. “Fate’s crap.” He planted a hungry kiss on her mouth.

  What did he mean? That everything she had done and said was superstition?

  “Kiss me, Kindrist,” he commanded against her lips.

  Her heart stopped.

  So much yearning resonated in his voice. And she wanted to give him what he needed if only to get the same in return. She slammed her lips against his.

  Their tongues struggled in a futile dance to claim victory over the other. Who cared if he won. Just to stand there in his embrace and feel like a future awaited was enough.

  Her heart melted.

  Or was that her soul?

  His mouth marched a tingling massage across her cheek to her ear. “Do you think anyone can hear us?” he whispered.

  Sacred Devros, his behavior was one of caution. He feared speaking. Was the sex a ploy? She leaned against his hard shaft.

  No. The man was deep in the blood lust. Why was he so cautious? “The only private place to speak now would be The Chamber. Nobody expects us to return there after Darla attacked Paul,” she whispered into his ear.

  His stubbled cheek grazed her chin. The heat of his breath warmed her lips. He planted another kiss on her mouth, and marched his lips to her other ear.

  Her heart thrashed.

  Would he not confess or just mate with her? What torture this moment was.

  His hands slid to her ass where he squeezed her flesh so much that his manhood lunged.

  He groaned softly. “I heard Paul speak to Voldon,” he whispered. “Paul was behind your assault.”

  Voldon and Paul. That meant the feelings she held toward Sevra weren’t misinterpretations. Something intuitive had warned her against trusting the woman. Would Jake share more of what he knew? She anchored a demanding gaze upon her mate.

  “Later. There’s nothing for you to worry about. I’m going to kill him.” His lips promised her neck more than he could ever say in the way they reminded her of his hungry kiss.

  But he spoke of revenge. And revenge meant risking his life. What made a man who didn’t trust you suddenly want to seek vengeance for your assault? Dare she call this love? Or just fancy this respect?

  Her gut sank.

  Respect was more than enough. She leaned away from his gentle touch and stared into the deep sparkling pools of her husband’s black eyes. “I know you will.”

  He nodded solemnly and snaked his arms smugly around her chest.

  What now? She planted her hands against his chest and waited for him to react.

  Destiny had little left to deal her after sending her the perfect mate a mercenary could find.

  Love from him?

  Love was a trivial matter.

  Respect would see her through the long months ahead when she’d clutch at her fleeting lost life and hold steadfast to the future’s promise for that one moment the universe hinged upon. Destiny.

  The birth of her child.

  A child of legend.

  Voldon was wrong.

  The mad man couldn’t defeat Jake Straightarrow’s mate.

  Voldon now faced the end of his inheritance, his ancestors’ tyranny. But why was Jake staring at me?

  His palm began sliding along every bend of her body.

  The touch would drive her insane with need. “Jake.” She leaned her hips into his hardness and tilted her mouth up to his as a baby bird begging for a morsel. And Jake fed the starving chick. His mouth covered hers so gently her eyes threatened to tear.

  Would he do more?

  He slid his hand down her thigh and pulled her knee up to wrap her leg around his. Just enough to ensure her sex rubbed against his firm leg. And drove her racing heart. His sucking mouth set off on another expedition down her neck, searching or pausing to investigate. Whatever he was looking for, she didn’t want him to find it. To take his time. To spend all day exploring for sensitive spots on her body that made her hips wriggle her sex uncontrollably and necessarily against his leg.

  The motion was merciless.

  A wave of pleasure flooded her core. Not a rising orgasm. She clung to his arms and shoved him up to look into her eyes. “We must go to the bed.”

  His hands gripped her ass, and he wagged his head no. “After I finish taking care of you, I’m going to have a Beast Tamer and go look for the bastard who tried to kill you.” He clutched her sex against his leg and rocked her body, so intimately the overhead lighting stung her eyes. She clamped her eyes shut, threw her head back, and gasped
for air as the onslaught of pleasure washed his protective words deep into her mind.

  Chapter Twenty Two

  Blood lust temporarily satiated, Jake marched Kindrist through the sterile white corridors to the commander’s map chamber. He wasn’t about to leave her behind when he reported the day’s events to Goro. Especially with that glowing guy. Although the guard Strako seemed every bit the righteous freedom fighter lacking a halo, a wife was safer when she was in sight. Besides, Kindrist could hear about Paul’s little chat with Voldon if she were present at the debriefing. Talk about shit hitting the fan.

  What action would Goro choose to take? Would Paul and Sevra be interrogated? How could they separate Sevra from her torch?

  Talk about a can of worms. He waved his wife through the helm’s doorway, across the empty room, and followed her lithe sashaying form as her body flickered and disappeared into the invisible star-chart vault.

  Goro waited among the holographic stars and darkness on the other side. “Tell me.”

  That command didn’t need to be uttered and almost made Goro look weak. Jake stopped beside Kindrist. “Paul remote viewed. I came upon him in the forest. He was talking to Voldon.”

  Goro didn’t wince.

  Neither did Kindrist.

  Not the expected reaction. These psychics were true unflinching mercenaries.

  “Is that enough proof to allow you to interrogate him?”

  “Did he detect your approach?” Goro asked.

  “Not that I could tell.”

  One of Goro’s eyes twitched. “We’ll catch them at their own game as you earthlings say.”

  Not a fun round of cat and mouse when the mouse wielded a weapon that could snuff your ass. “Game? They’re out to kill my child.”

  Kindrist shifted her footing. “How?” she asked the commander.

  Good to see I’m not the only one questioning the plan.

  “Jake, you will refrain from taking Red Trekaar’s blood.” Goro’s gaze slid to Kindrist, shifting from serious to patronizing.

  Kindrist’s black hair flared fire-engine red.

  Were they having a private discussion? Damn psychics. They’d get my child killed. “Speak with your mouths. I’m in on this. No secrets.”

  Goro’s black eyebrow arched. His unyielding gaze slid to Jake’s. “As you wish. I was ordering Kindrist to remain guarded in her quarters.”

  “I merely pointed out Sevra has a torch and can kill my mate at a distance,” Kindrist snarled at the commander.

  Whatever glued their relationship together as more than commander and peon illuminated the dark space with more brightness than the sun.

  Time to call them on their game. “Okay, whatever you two have between you is obviously stronger than the bonds of soul-mate marriage. So, tell me this much, are you both going to end up getting my ass cremated because you can’t share these little secrets you whisper inside each other’s heads with me?”

  Kindrist turned a penetrating gaze to him, her hair still ablaze. “I hide nothing from you. Without you, I am dead. Our child is dead. The free-thinking universe is dead. There is nothing without you. Why do you question my motives?”

  His gut didn’t jitter.

  A good sign to say the least.

  And an excellent argument.

  But there’s so little to buy into when you’ve only been in space about a week. Believing anything more would be stupid. For now, buying stock in her answer was necessity. And his gut wasn’t grumbling otherwise. “I’m tired of wondering what you’re thinking. Now, I know.”

  Her head cocked ever-so-slightly to the left and her golden eyes flashed where they were encircled by her angry red mane.

  Hopefully, curiosity or respect sparked in that beautiful mask. Anything else would get the best of him. Not a good way to go out.

  Kindrist scowled at Goro and disappeared through the star-studded surroundings back onto the ship’s helm.

  What ticked her off?

  “Since the ship is on alert watching for Red Trekaar’s assailant, Paul and Sevra dare not attack either of you again,” Goro stated solemnly.

  The man dared utter the names so loudly. What if Paul was remote viewing? Jake stared through the shadows at Goro’s encouraging mask.

  “For Sevra to use her torch, she must be facing Voldon’s forces. Or her actions equate to betrayal by our crew. She is cornered more than she appears. And the only way we can cage her is to send in a raging were-mate who can disarm her, take her torch.” Goro shot Jake a stare. “She won’t fight you because of the loss to the crew. You’re an asset. You can take her out with little trouble. Without Sevra’s torch protecting Paul, he’s also easily imprisoned as a threat to crew members when he inevitably shifts into were-form.”

  Enough with the explanations. The plan made sense. Time to wait and see what comes from Goro’s strategy. Jake nodded. “We’ll see, then, won’t we?”

  Curiosity crossed Goro’s features.

  “I’ll be leaving to follow Kindrist.” And lay low for two days.

  Goro nodded.

  Jake caught up with Kindrist in the sterile corridor.

  She marched, staring ahead, the impenetrable mercenary dressed in confusing white. Not one of her blood-red hairs had faded to cold hard black.

  Seeing her angry was like witnessing her vulnerability. So, she cared for him or his blood. Was this only a reflection of her need to defeat Voldon with a legendary child? Or something else? Love? No way.

  Her clicking footfalls didn’t drum away the madness in his thoughts.

  Was a mercenary capable of love?

  Respect, yes.

  But love?

  Was the emotion even possible in the bigger picture of war raging throughout the universe when love translated into weakness? Mercenaries with flaws shoveled their own the graves. But the idea of this babe feeling for him was kind of nice. Especially after the mind-blowing sex.

  The gray door to their quarters swooshed open.

  Kindrist bullied forward, blatantly ignoring the risk of someone hiding inside.

  But nothing could be done. He followed into the empty room.

  Kindrist’s footfalls clipped across the room to the portal where a pink nebula painted the endless black view. She stopped and stared into space.

  The soothing effect of the view was similar to that of a fish tank—for him. But the red in Kindrist’s hair wasn’t draining quickly. Would she speak of her frustration in her vulnerable state? He strode over to join her.

  His whispering footsteps spoke louder than the whispering ventilation.

  Everything mocked him with secrets. Was it time to buy into Kindrist’s truth? He studied her pinched eye in her profile. “You don’t care for Goro’s plan?”

  She inhaled sharply. “It’s ludicrous.” She managed a glare for deep space.

  Since I can take care of myself, her frustration didn’t make sense. “Why are you so angry?”

  Her glare snapped to meet his gaze as she sidestepped to face him squarely, one set of fingertips gripping the portal’s ledge. “Look at me. I am no longer a mercenary. I garner no respect aboard The Seeker.”

  Really? She was these people’s super star. “How so?”

  She waved at her body. “I am expected to be a crew member but have nothing to do but gestate. I am nobody except the chrysalis in which the caterpillar metamorphoses into the sacred butterfly. And now Goro decides to risk my mate’s life by sending you in to disarm the enemy.”

  At least, she managed to keep Sevra’s name out of the discussion just in case someone eavesdropped. But there was more hidden in her words. He snaked his hands across his chest. “So you’re jealous of me?”

  Her face twisted with disgust. “Jealous? Look what I have done for so many peoples. I have given up everything—my very existence—to wed my soul mate, and now I am expected to forfeit my soul mate to capture the infiltrator.”

  How did she define everything? “Everything? Looks like you get the
fame, babe. I’m just the gratuitous penis.”

  “A penis can argue, debate, get my blood boiling. A bag of blood just lays there until it’s emptied.” She pivoted left, stomped across the room, activated the table, mashed another invisible button, and sat.

  Well, it’s kind of nice holding some sort of significance. But what kind of future did she expect? “We’re here for one reason, Kindrist.” He walked over to join her. “You and I, we are the chess pieces in the bigger game. What else do you want?” He stared down at her sulking form.

  “Aside from a meal to feed my grousing belly, I never knew.” She sighed. “There was never anything else beyond fighting and choosing my mate. And now they risk your very existence. Where does that leave me?”

  Well, there is nothing like the good reality kick of realizing you’re indispensable. That she wasn’t their star gladiator. But her irritated hair still burned with betrayal. Whether that be self-betrayal or abandonment by her field marshal.

  “I want to fight,” she growled and slammed a fist into the table top.

  “You seemed happier with your situation when I returned from Gameddaron.” He slid onto the bench opposite her. And boy what it a joy it would be to take his little redhead to bed.

  She stared off at the portal. “Do earthlings try to turn a tiger into a cow? It’s impossible.”

  “I don’t understand why you’re so angry now.”

  Her yellow gaze locked on his. “I spent two earth years searching through humans with heightened psychic abilities for you, Jake Straightarrow. Two years I listened to the condescension from my comparisons of you to other human psychics. You were the only human I could respect, mate. And the ridicule I received in the prospect of bringing you into the war was worth the sacrifice of my position in pregnancy. Truly. Completely. But I will not allow them to kill you by sending you in to certain death. You are my mate. And Goro is a fool.”

  Faith in purpose still proved priceless to a mercenary. “So you no longer trust Goro?”