Tied up in Customs (The Department of Homeworld Security Book 4)

by Cassandra Chandler

The room—ship—was starting to spin. At least, that was how it felt to Eric.

  What the fuck kind of messed up society was Sorca from? And these were the “good guys” out to protect Earth?

  Yeah. Right.

  The enormity of it made him sick to his stomach. His planet and everyone on it was in even more danger than he’d ever imagined. The differences between the people of his homeworld seemed so small compared to this.

  And what about Sorca? If her ultra-controlling government found out that she had bonded to an Earthling, what kind of retaliation could she expect? Eric didn’t believe for one second that they would just let her walk away.

  They’d already put a self-destruct system inside of her. Who knew if they had a way to trigger it remotely? The thought made his heart pound. He had to protect her.

  “Don’t send the transmission,” he said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You can’t tell your government that we’re pair-bonded.”

  She bristled, and he reached out to her, grasping her arms and pulling her closer in the near-claustrophobic tightness of the ship. He was going to say something, to explain that he wasn’t fighting her bizarre combat-based mating ritual.

  Instead, he kissed her.

  It wasn’t slow and it wasn’t gentle. He knew she didn’t need those things, and he needed…her. Immediately.

  He crushed her against him, hands pulling on her clothes, tongue driving into her mouth. It only took her an instant to match his frenzy, her hands burrowing into his hair and holding him locked against her.

  He felt her kick off her shoes and followed suit. Then their clothes practically flew off their bodies, ripping in their haste. He was overwhelmed with the need to touch and keep touching her. He needed more.

  The moment they were naked—except for the remains of his handcuffs—he picked her up, relieved that she finally trusted herself enough to wrap her legs around his waist. There was a mostly smooth patch of wall near the ladder that led to a hatch in the ceiling.

  He swung her body around toward it, hoping he wouldn’t press her up against a control that would be activated by contact with her bare skin. He’d seen how she entered commands into the ship by tapping on what looked like etchings in the walls.

  As soon as her back was braced against the metal, he pressed his dick to her core. He was already hard, but her muscles were so strong that it took much more force than he was used to using to drive himself into her.

  “Tell me,” he gasped. “Tell me if I hurt you.”

  “You won’t hurt me, Earthling.”

  He let out a tiny chuckle at what was becoming her pet name for him. Then he pushed himself into her, deep.

  Every millimeter of flesh that parted for him felt like fireworks erupting through his body. Her pussy was so wet and tight and…perfect.

  To him—for him—she was perfect.

  He let himself go, his dick sliding against her flesh in frenzied thrusts, her moans and gasps spurring him on. Her nails dug into his back, pain ringing out and joining into the deafening chorus of being, of everything he was feeling, physically and emotionally. Pain and pleasure. They faced them together. At least for this moment.

  “Eric,” she gasped.

  Her back arched off from the wall with enough force to nearly knock him back. He grabbed the ladder to keep himself stable, to give him better leverage to intensify his thrusts. He had never fucked anyone like this before, so wildly, abandoning the veneer of civility to share the primal ecstasy of another’s flesh.

  He pinned her against the wall, grabbing her thigh to keep them connected safely. Her body clenched his dick hard, her strength flowing through every part of her like a drug. He wanted more.

  He hammered his hips against hers. Her pussy pulsed around him, milking him, pushing him over the edge into the purest sense of abandon he’d ever experienced.

  “Yes!” Her scream echoed from the walls.

  His vision exploded into stars as his climax joined hers. “God, Sorca,” he yelled.

  He kept on pounding into her, pulling every ounce of pleasure possible from their connection, keeping them both in the epicenter of bliss for as long as he could until it finally started to fade. At last, he stopped, pinning her to the wall, feeling their bodies’ rhythmic communication—their heartbeats pulsing where they were joined.

  “That…” She licked her lips, her chest pressing against his in sporadic gasps. “That was amazing.”

  He hesitated a few moments, but then pulled himself from her body before daring to speak. “You can’t send the transmission.”

  Her smile faltered. Dammit, he wished he had more time, but this had to be settled immediately and there was so much to do. So much ahead of him.

  Her gaze grew fierce and he knew he was in trouble. She shoved off from the wall, as he’d expected. The force of it knocked him on his ass. She followed immediately, pushing him down and grabbing his wrists, pinning him to the floor of the ship.

  “It isn’t that I don’t want you,” he said.

  Her grip on his wrists loosened.

  “You said you might relinquish your position in their military. What would happen to you if you did? I don’t trust them to let you go.”

  She sat back on his hips, their bodies comfortably pressing together. She pulled his arms down as she moved, so that his hands rested on her waist.

  “The High Council won’t risk violating the agreement with Cygnus-1,” she said. “If they do, they know they’ll never receive new samples of Cygnian DNA. Besides, they only have to wait until I die due to an Earth ailment or age or my own...”

  “Impulse control issues?”

  The scenarios she presented were hypothetical, but he didn’t like even thinking about it. Still, when she grinned this time, he felt as if he was part of the mystery behind the smile. His chest felt full at the realization—knowing it would only make it that much harder for him to walk away.

  “I am the one who has bonded with you. Once I die, the Coalition can clone me again and reprogram my mind with the latest imprint they have on file from before this assignment. They risk nothing by giving me a single lifetime with you.”

  He sat up, fast. So fast that they nearly conked heads.

  “Clone you again? Reprogram you? Holy shit, Sorca, is everybody—”

  She covered his lips with her fingertips. “It’s only the Cygnian hybrids, as far as I know.”

  “How many of you are there?”

  “I don’t know. They don’t let us meet.”

  Of course they didn’t.

  “I still don’t understand how such an oppressive government controls so many people—so many cultures. And you say they maintain peace?”

  “Balance helps.”

  He knew he was going to regret asking, but he did it anyway. “And that is?”

  “A drug that regulates the mental and emotional states of most citizens. Hence it’s name—‘balance’. It’s meant to maintain equilibrium and keep everyone functioning at maximum efficiency. But it also…dulls the will.”

  He covered his eyes as she spoke, shaking his head. “I should have guessed.”

  He dropped his hands back to her hips, preparing to argue further. He doubted Sorca would just go along with him. She was too determined, too passionate for that.

  “If they even suspect that they can’t replicate you, there’s no way they’ll let you go.” He opened his eyes to hold her gaze with his. “Do you understand? That’s why you can’t tell them we’re pair-bonded.”

  “I understand your concerns, but it’s too late. The transmission has already been logged in the ship. There’s no way to stop it.”

  Chapter Ten

  “That doesn’t mean I can’t help you.” Sorca let Eric nudge her aside so that he could rise. She stood with him, trying to make him see reason. “For however long I have—”

  “Stop. You don’t get it.” He paced a few steps away, putting as much distance between them as he
could on the small vessel.

  “Get what?” She wasn’t sure what he was planning to withhold from her. Or why it should matter enough that her breath was catching in her chest.

  He let out a deep sigh. “You say we’re married according to your ways. I’m not going to try to get out of that.”

  She couldn’t believe his words. Was he actually accepting her as a bondmate? Fully?

  “It was my error in judgment that put us in this situation,” he said.

  “Error.” Her heart felt leaden. Her vision grew red around the edges as the extreme sways in emotion took their toll.

  If he thought their pair-bonding was a mistake, there was no way he would ever truly accept her. She would be a tool for him, just as she’d been for the Coalition all of her life. At least it was a familiar role.

  “Then tell me how I can be of greatest use to you.” The sharp edge to her tone was new to her ears.

  “Partners don’t use each other, Sorca. That’s what I’m trying to tell you.” He crossed back to her, gently gripping her arms. “I don’t want to use you. I want to help you.”

  “You want to help me? But, I’m supposed to—”

  “So am I. I can see it in you. It’s what we both do. We serve. We protect. But have you ever stopped to think that maybe you need protection as well? The Coalition has exploited you. Exploits all of their populace from the sounds of it.”

  “It’s all we’ve known.” She couldn’t begin to imagine another life. Except...

  Except, she already had. She had already been creating scenarios where she remained on Earth with Eric. She could find a way to contribute—especially with their shared abilities and military training. She would ease his life with her presence. They would spend their days together bringing peace to his people, and their nights sharing their bodies, bringing peace to each other.

  The idea of it was frivolous and dangerous. It could only bring disappointment, such as she was feeling in that moment. There was no way she could attain that life.

  “I don’t want to use you,” he said.

  “Then you do not wish to be my bondmate.”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “Then what do you want, Eric?”

  He stared at her, the muscle along his jaw twitching again. “I want my planet to be safe. I want my people—all of my homeworld’s people—to find a way to get along. And I don’t want to be at the mercy of a soulless dystopian government for its survival.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t give you any of those things. But as long as you strive for them, I can promise to be at your side.”

  “Is that what you want? If you could do anything in the world—anything in the universe, I should say—what would you do?”

  No one had ever asked her that question. No one asked anyone that question in the Coalition.

  “If you knew that you had time, Sorca. If you weren’t so okay with being…replaced with an exact duplicate. What would you want?”

  “I would want to spend that time with you.”

  “You’ve only just met me.”

  “I believe I’ve learned a great deal about who you are in that time. You’ve risked yourself to save me multiple times. You’ve gone along with what you thought was a game—first to support your friend, I suppose, and then to try to help him. You’re both playful and serious, and can be as impulsive as I, while never abandoning your mission.”

  The more she considered it, the more traits they seemed to share. The physical compatibility alone would have been enough for her, but she believed they could eventually forge a true emotional connection. Like the one between Serath—Adam—and Evelyn.

  “I think we’re a good match, Eric Peterson. I will make your mission mine and protect Earth at your side. I will protect those who you care about and…hope to someday be counted among them.”

  “You already are.”

  Her heart seemed to swell in her chest, her ribs enduring a pressure unlike anything she’d experienced. She felt…full.

  “You’re talking about giving up the galaxy to stay here with me,” he said.

  “It’s not that much of a sacrifice.”

  He laughed and shook his head. His eyes darkened as his pupils dilated. Was the thought of staying with her that stimulating to him? She shifted a bit closer, tilting her lips toward his.

  When he spoke, his tone was serious again, his breath warm on her skin. “I need to talk to your commanding officer. And I need to know that Brendan is okay.”

  “I swear to you that he is safe.”

  “I believe you. I’ll just feel better when I see him with my own eyes.”

  “Night will fall shortly. I can answer more of your questions in the meantime.”

  “Let’s start with these ‘hostile aliens’ invading Earth. You called them the Tau Ceti?”

  “Yes.” She tried to mask the disdain she felt for them from her voice.

  “What do they want? Territory? Resources?”

  “So far, all we have determined is that they are…feeding on the populace.”

  His eyes widened. “They’re eating people?”

  “Not all of them.”

  “Not…” He sputtered. “What parts are they leaving behind?”

  “I’m being unclear. Their genetic engineers have altered the base physiology of the Tau Ceti so that they are capable of biting a human and drawing out blood, siphoning out chemicals that give the Tau Ceti a feeling of wellbeing, and returning the blood to their target.”

  His expression was oddly devoid of emotion. He looked almost as though he’d been stunned. Perhaps he still didn’t understand. She struggled to find words that would assist him.

  “Brendan has been calling them, ‘vampire space frogs’.”

  “Vampire space frogs,” Eric repeated. “I’m just…going to give my subconscious some time to work on that. How are the humans affected by the attack?”

  “Most likely they suffer from chemical imbalances afterwards. And the Tau Ceti must perform some sort of mindwipe on them, which would be disorienting at the least.”

  He let out a breath. “Like we don’t have enough problems already. Why don’t the Tau Ceti just take that drug the Coalition is using to control the rest of the populace?”

  “The Tau Ceti are one of the few sentient species whose physiology is incompatible with Balance and Coupling,” she said.

  “Coupling—the other drug… I probably shouldn’t ask, but what does that one do?”

  “It takes the body through the stages of sexual arousal through climax.”

  He snorted and shook his head. “Drugs instead of sex.”

  “Or in addition to. Many citizens choose to take Coupling with a partner to increase its effectiveness in providing emotional fulfillment. Having now experienced…” She struggled again to find the best word to express her thought.

  “The real thing?” he suggested.

  She smiled. “Indeed. Having now experienced ‘the real thing’, I can state that it’s not at all effective in providing a true sense of emotional or even physical connection.”

  “And what will the High Council do once others in the Coalition start to hear rumors about what Brendan and his…bondmate have experienced? Or this General of yours and his Earth partner? Are we going to be overrun by Sadirians looking for Earth mates?”

  She had to laugh at that thought. “Not at all. Earth is a designated preservation planet. It’s exceedingly difficult to gain authorization to come here, and there must be a compelling reason to do so.”

  At least, there should have been. With the arrest of the planetary liaison and the presence of the Tau Ceti, she had a feeling that perhaps more was going on planetside than even General Serath knew.

  The crease appeared between Eric’s brows that she had noted correlated with his experience of strong emotion. This time, he seemed deep in thought as well.

  After a few moments, Eric said, “With how controlling the High Council is about everything, h
ow is it they didn’t know about the Tau Ceti presence?”

  “We have recently discovered that Earth’s planetary liaison was corrupt. At the very least, he’s been smuggling items offworld to accumulate resources—most likely with the help of the Tau Ceti. Several high-level members of the Coalition have been arrested in conjunction with our investigation.”

  “Has anyone questioned this liaison yet?”

  “I have. I’m the head of security for the Coalition’s flagship, remember?”

  He smiled at her softly. “That’s right, you are. It sounds like an important position.”

  “It is.”

  He was still holding onto her arms and began rubbing his thumbs back and forth across her skin, causing the follicles to stand on end in that stimulating way. The motion seemed instinctual to him, as if he didn’t even have to think to provide her with pleasure and comfort.

  “You’re offering to give up a lot to help Earth,” he said.

  “To help you. But yes, Earth will benefit as well.”

  “Did you discover anything useful from the liaison?”

  “When I was questioning him, my priority was to find conspirators within the Coalition. I wasn’t thinking of your world or people. If Serath allows it, I’ll question the liaison again with this in mind.”

  “Do you think Serath will let me be present?”

  “That depends on whether you join the Department of Homeworld Security or not.”

  Eric let out a little laugh. “Brendan must be having the time of his life with this.”

  “Actually, he takes the entire situation quite seriously. He’s convinced the matter is more serious than we know, and has theorized that any number of your…‘urban legends’ are actually rooted in extra-terrestrial activity on the planet.”

  “Alien sewer-gators. Great.”

  “He hasn’t mentioned ‘sewer-gators’, but he has speculated about beings known as Grays, the Yeti, and Bigfoot.”

  Eric lowered his head. His shoulders trembled, as if these names had frightened him.

  “Don’t be afraid,” she said. “I’ll protect you from any alien incursion—”

  He started to laugh, lifting his face to hers with a tense smile crossing his features. “I’m sorry. The absurdity of it all is just getting to me.”