Vanquished

by Allyson Young

  If he’d put a child in her today, Vayne would be past thrilled, but he selfishly wanted to have Neira to himself for some time. Time he knew she would require as well. Easing her slumbering form toward the other side of the bunk, he worked his way to the bottom, stepping over the clothing on the floor as he made his way to the display. Keying in his request for food, he then sent a message to Leric, asking for an update. The time he and Neira needed together would have to take place at a later date and preferably somewhere on Nibiru where there would be no risk of immediate requirement for him. Even a sovereign was entitled to—what had Neira referenced? A honeymoon. His cock stirred and he ignored it, heading into the cleansing area.

  Returning to his sleeping room, wearing a loose pair of underclothes, he forced his feet to carry him to the door, rather than climb back into the bunk with Neira. He was in no way replete, but she would require time to rebound, if not physically, emotionally. As if he timed it, a crew member stood framed in the opening, balancing a tray of food with one hand raised to request entry. Vayne took possession of the container and the man, Brena, if he remembered correctly, made an attempt at saluting him gravely, but his face broke into a wide, pleased smile. The sovereign supposed the bonding was written all over him and he smiled back, surprising them both.

  “Sir. Blessings.”

  “Thank you.”

  Brena shuffled backward and inclined his head before striding away. The news would be all over the ship in moments, and combined with all the other revelations they’d been treated to on this voyage, Vayne suspected it would prove to be fodder for weeks to come. And the ramifications? Years.

  “That smells wonderful. I appear to have worked up an appetite.” Neira moved into a seated position on the edge of the bunk, a sheet wrapped around her. Vayne viewed her with smug satisfaction, soaking in how well ravished she appeared, before schooling his features. His chosen didn’t approve of arrogance, although possessed a certain amount of that trait herself.

  “I ordered your favorites.”

  “You pay close attention, Vayne. Part of your charm.” Her smile was wide and bright, but he didn’t miss the hint of wariness in her tawny eyes.

  “There is much I don’t know about you, Neira, but we have the rest of our lives to learn about one another.”

  The smile became tremulous and she turned her attention to the food, and he didn’t challenge her. He set the tray down and prepared them both plates. He would continue to feed her and provide for her needs, not yet ready to relinquish the privilege.

  “I surrendered to you, Sovereign. Don’t think I’m not aware. But now that we aren’t sexually involved in the moment I’m struggling with it.”

  Vayne offered her a morsel to eat while he formulated a response, appreciating how honest she was being with him. Tell her bluntly or sweeten it? He decided on the former. “Of course you’re struggling. Consider all that you’ve experienced, your history and your training. It wouldn’t make sense for you to find surrender an easy thing. You honored me with your trust and granted me control. As I told you, it’s not something I take lightly. Allow me to continue to prove that to you, my little warrior, because there is no going back.”

  She accepted a piece of fruit, chewing slowly, regarding him speculatively. “No going back? You couldn’t be wrong? I no longer have a choice?”

  “None. I will not let you go. You’re stuck with me.” He knew that levity with humans made difficult conversations more palatable.

  “You were wrong about certain aspects of the bonding process with humans.” Neira looked so solemn, her golden eyes grave and her brow furrowed.

  “And pleased about that. I truly am because I don’t want you to be any different than you are. But we are bonded.” He heard the inflexibility in his tone and by the way her eyes flickered, she did as well. “Until death parts us.”

  “A contingency we didn’t discuss,” she said drily. “Your first lifemate faded—I know that was a genetic thing. But what happens to the female if the male dies in a true bond?”

  How had they come to this discussion? Because your chosen is bright and not easily dissuaded. “I don’t intend to fade anytime soon, Neira. But to answer your question, Shadalla females fade when their mates do unless there are children. Something to do with having a reason to live. More research must be carried out to determine if such is the case with human females.”

  “Lord. You’re more like us humans than you know, Vayne.”

  Choosing not to pursue that comment, vaguely offended because he wasn’t certain he wanted to have anything in common with humans other than Neira, he ensured she’d had enough to eat before urging her to the cleansing room. “Do you require my help?”

  She snorted, a delightfully feminine sound. “No. I doubt we’d actually cleanse, and I’m well aware you have other things that will require your attention.”

  Watching her saunter across the small space, the sheet discarded, Vayne knew she was right and dragged his stare away, lest he be too tempted and give in to that lure. He surreptitiously rearranged his cock before he struggled into yet another uniform. Neither of them was wearing a stitch on that honeymoon. As he fastened the last closure, Leric contacted him. The message was brief. The ambassador was aboard and waiting his attention. Vayne was equally brief, directing that the hunters board one of the other ships, given that they were larger and could offer quarters, and the human male be placed in the one holding cell the Tomodr boasted. He wasn’t going to give Rush any hint of hope. The man was adept at the games of politics and wouldn’t be offered any opportunities or a sense of comfort. There would be no escaping the consequences of his perfidy.

  He moved to the cleansing room and sucked in his breath at the sight of Neira rubbing her hair dry with a towel, droplets of moisture scattered over her shoulders and the tops of her breasts. A sultry, sensuous smile graced her lips when she saw him staring, and she set the towel down.

  When one narrow brow arched at him, he collected himself and spoke. “Ambassador Rush has joined us. I’m going to go and charge him with the crime he committed, give him something to think about until we get to Nibiru.”

  “May I attend you?”

  He was reluctant, and it had nothing to do with her being his lifemate and female. Rush and his cronies were the reason for the Shadalla’s frantic search for females to perpetuate their species, and Neira was his because of that search so the issue was clouded with different emotions. No, he hesitated because he didn’t want her to be in the presence of another monster and risk any reminder of her time of imprisonment and torture.

  “Vayne?”

  He sighed. “You may. But if it becomes too much for you…”

  Moving with speed and surety, she stepped close, close enough for him to scent her, and he put his arms around her, astonished when she snuggled close. He’d expected to have to work harder for her affection outside of their bed.

  “I’ll be fine. I need to do this. It won’t mean the same closure for me as for you, but as close as I’m going to get, unless you find Baraith and can take him alive.”

  He hadn’t thought about it that way. If Rush had his way Neira would no doubt have been disposed of back in the hospital, without her connections and contacts. And most certainly would have met her demise on that mining planet. No loose ends. He nodded.

  “I’ll get dressed.”

  “Wear the paca.”

  There was only a slight hesitation before she inclined her head against his chest, and he carefully set her away from him to retrieve the garment. Neira came to him naked, her skin glowing from being cleansed—and perhaps from his claiming—and stood quietly as he helped her into a pair of underwear. The feel of her beneath his hands shook his resolve, made him want to put off seeing Rush. As if she divined his thoughts she ran her fingers over his shoulders as he crouched before her, then brushed at his hair. He rested his forehead against her, dragging in her spicy scent and palming her buttocks.

  “We s
hould go,” she murmured.

  Ah, but he didn’t want to leave these quarters, the scene of their ultimate commitment to one another, when a contemptible coward lurked a deck below and the journey home was fraught with danger. Vayne drew on his sovereign persona and stood.

  Meeting her stare with his own, they didn’t need to speak. Perhaps the bonding was different with humans but already he could practically read her thoughts—and she, his. His bride understood duty. He eased the paca over Neira’s head. It drifted and settled about her as before but it seemed she wore it with even more regal grace.

  Offering his arm, he waited until she set her hand on it and they exited his quarters—as a bonded pair. What should have been the proudest moment of his life was a trifle marred by what awaited him. Vayne grimaced ruefully. His thirst for vengeance was about to be quenched after decades, but it didn’t mean as much to him as the woman at his side. Fate indeed played interesting tricks.

  The ambassador still wore the raiment of his trade, if somewhat rumpled and askew. He doubtlessly had been mishandled during his removal from the Home World but bore no visible injuries. Considerably older, his face worn and seamed, Rush maintained that shallow attempt at superiority he’d affected years ago when Vayne thought to use his daughter against the man. Perhaps not shallow to him, however, because Rush took his time getting to his feet and curled his lip at the sight of Vayne and his chosen.

  The sovereign knew the instant Rush recognized Neira. The paca had probably served to give the impression of a Shadalla female until they moved closer to the holding cell. If he’d required additional confirmation he’d received it. Neira saw it too, her hand tensing for a brief moment as the color drained from the ambassador’s lips.

  “Ambassador.” Vayne gave a brief nod.

  Visibly trying to pull himself together, the other man wiped at his mouth with the back of one hand. “What is the meaning of this, Sovereign? This kidnapping.”

  “You are being transported to Nibiru. To face charges of genocide.”

  With a glance at Neira, Rush furrowed his brow. “I assure you, I have no idea of what you refer to. This is preposterous and—”

  Vayne cut him off, tired of the charade. He’d indeed lost the taste for it now that the end was in sight. “Save your response for the trial, Ambassador. I find I’m not interested.”

  ****

  Evil hid behind many faces, or perhaps wore them blatantly if one had the wherewithal—or the inclination—to look. Neira stared at the weedy old man who quavered in the face of the accusation. He reminded her of a surface rat trying to find a way back to the safety of its burrow without leaving its spoils behind. But his voice reminded her of something else and if not for Vayne’s reassuring and supportive presence she might have felt faint. The echo and flicker of horrible memories danced in some remote area of her brain but were easily dismissed. They weren’t going to whisper to her anymore.

  She didn’t follow Home World politicians or their politics, although as a soldier she had done their bidding. One was the same as the other to those in the service. Don’t wonder why. Do…or die. She dismissed that errant thought too. Neira hadn’t laid eyes on this poor excuse for a human before but she’d heard him more than once, his voice unmistakable. Thin and with the undertone of bluster. Surface rat.

  “Baraith threw you to the dogs.” It was a calculated risk, but she took it.

  Vayne went so still she wondered if he breathed, but Rush’s attention was fixed on her. He opened and closed that petulant mouth and swallowed before replying. “If you’re referring to the Juxtant Monarch, I’ve never met him and thus have no idea what you might be insinuating. And who might you be to speak thus to an ambassador?”

  Ignoring his attempt to distract her, Neira spoke quickly. “It must have been difficult for you, wondering if I knew you were present on Ureses. Difficult for you to travel inconspicuously there, when he summoned you.” She was guessing, but it made sense Baraith would use and blackmail anyone still alive that had been involved with the genetic weapon. And for sure he couldn’t go to the Home World, being so easily recognized.

  “I have no idea—”

  “He has his own exit strategy, Mr. Ambassador. He put you in the sovereign’s path to make it easier for him. Provide him some cover.” Would he hear the lie?

  Rush narrowed his beady eyes and she could almost hear his brain spinning. She tried one last time. “Don’t you wonder how I ended up here? On this ship with the sovereign? Doesn’t it seem strange—like a conspiracy? I would think you’d want to push back and take a little revenge of your own.”

  With a bitter sound that passed for a laugh, the man gestured at Vayne. “I’ll see no mercy regardless.”

  “But you’ll have the satisfaction that he isn’t living a luxurious life while you’re…not.”

  She put unobtrusive pressure on Vayne’s arm, and he followed her lead and turned to escort her from the area. She fought disappointment when the ambassador didn’t immediately respond, but better they kept up an act of indifference.

  “He’s closer than one would think. And he has a bold plan. I’d tell you if I knew more,” Rush called out to them.

  Vayne slowed their progress and moved his head to stare back at the ambassador, then spoke to the single guard. “Feed him and ensure he has access to a change of clothing.”

  Instead of returning to the cramped cabin, he walked her along to the lift. “Well done, little leicat.”

  The praise warmed her, although in truth they hadn’t learned much. Baraith hadn’t survived as long as he had, on the run, eluding both the hunters on the Home World and Vayne’s, without cunning and resources. And he was known for his machinations. That warmth in her belly chilled to ice when she thought of bold plans and who might be aiding him.

  They gained the bridge almost immediately, and she shadowed Vayne without a sound, feeling him process the little information Rush had provided. It was eerie how quickly she was learning to read him. Like a soul mate. After ushering her to a seat, he took the captain’s chair and she watched as his crew brought him reports and made verbal additions in response to his questions. It appeared he’d called for reinforcements and they’d arrived and were now planning to run the blockade of Outriders between here and Nibiru. Neira hated the feeling of being helpless on a star vessel. She preferred to do her fighting face-to-face and hand-to-hand. As she brooded, it struck her how seamlessly she’d fit into Vayne’s space—and when confronting Rush, Neira had thought of the sovereign as her lifemate.

  Her previous anxiety and wariness had diminished considerably, replaced by a sense of calm acceptance. She glanced around and encountered not a few wistful stares, all with an undertone of what she interpreted as pride and excitement. It struck her she was now ranked as royalty and Neira wondered if she wanted the burden or if she could even shoulder it and do it justice. Vayne fixed her with a look and she returned it. The very air seethed and she cast off her worries in the face of such lust. The dampening of her underwear made her shift in her seat and the sovereign’s eyes dilated, the ocean turquoise absorbed by the dark pupils. The others on the bridge vanished in her narrow vision. Her focus was entirely on Vayne, and she struggled to remember where she was and exercise some decorum.

  Leaning forward, he muttered, “I want to become that cave male your people speak of, Neira. I wish to drag you back to our quarters and have my way with you. But duty calls and I must ask you to retire there, and wait. Our connection is distracting the crew.”

  Nodding, she shakily got to her feet, grateful one of them had some control. Maybe this was what came of a long sexual drought broken by amazing hotness and exceptional sex, but there was a time and a place. Her presence on the bridge had been calculated, she knew, and the message was received—bonded. Vayne was indeed a politician as well and knew how to make a statement, but now it was about maintaining discipline for the upcoming battle. So many roles, and her admiration grew. He rose with her and again of
fered his arm.

  Such little time had passed, yet so much had transpired. Neira was distracted by Vayne’s closeness once again in the narrow confines of the shaft. They stepped out and his hand drifted over her buttocks. Her soft underwear wasn’t enough to contain her immediate response. The damp fabric flooded with her arousal and Vayne nearly dragged her to their quarters, his eyes wild and his gait awkward because of his erection.

  He slammed his hand against the scanner and whirled her through the door as the panel hissed open. The paca was removed unceremoniously, the whisper of the fine fabric abrading her nipples and her senses. Vayne’s strength mocked her height and healthy weight as he lifted her right off her feet and held her against the wall.

  Neira registered the coolness of the hull until Vayne’s mouth found hers and she heated past any boiling point. Wrapping her legs around his lean hips, she yanked him closer and the bulge in his pants pressed deliciously against her apex. She worked her pelvis against him, searching for just the right pressure on her clit.

  Vayne chuckled and spoke against her lips. “I see we must learn to share control, little warrior.”

  She bit his bottom lip and soothed the mark with her tongue, her hands pressing against the back of his shoulders, one trailing upward to caress his nape. “You don’t have a lot of time,” she whispered.

  “I have no time, yet I must find some, because I won’t be able to function in this state.” With a grunt he used his weight to pin her while freeing a hand to reach between them. Her panties were yanked to one side, the fabric twisting along the cleft of her buttocks and providing some interesting friction.