by Kiersten Fay
Left the both of them completely unfulfilled.
Surely she was hurting for release. Her own demon nature should be punishing her for putting on the brakes. So why was she denying herself, and him in the process? She couldn’t hate him that much.
There must be another male aboard that she used, someone available to take care of her needs.
“Vietta.” He ground his teeth as the truth of it emerged.
She was doing this to him on purpose. Rotten little female. She had teased him and then condemned him to this miserable state. She enjoyed making him suffer.
He adjusted himself in his pants, debating if he should go after her.
He cursed as his first customer appeared in the door. One of the ship’s mechanics, by the looks of him. As the male called out his order, another individual stepped through the tavern doors.
It was going to be a long night.
Sonya wiped the sweat from her brow before continuing to smash her fist into the practice dummy. The peaks of her knuckles had finally begun to sting, but hardly enough.
Ever since she’d stepped away from her pub, it was as if she were riding the cusp of the Edge. She drew more power into her next punch.
She had to get her body under control, lest she hurt someone. If she were to allow the Edge to overcome her, those around her would be in grave danger.
When she was very young, she’d witnessed an inexperienced demon reach the Edge. The circumstances eluded her now, but violence had ensued. It had taken several large males to restrain the female until the ignited chemicals diluted in her bloodstream and the effects wore off.
She remembered thinking she never wanted to become like that, a thoughtless monster, mindlessly lashing out.
Later, when her father had been callously murdered, she recalled wishing she’d had the power of that same, formidable female.
At the time, her young age had prevented such strength.
Sonya slammed her fist into the dummy. It swayed with a harsh vibration.
It wasn’t till she was much older that she’d found the Edge for the first time, the day she and her brothers had been betrayed by their mother and Velicia. To this day the memory burned the blood in her veins.
The boys had been ready to join the fight against the invading Kayadon, and Sonya had been begging them to let her come along. She had been fairly young at the time, barely seventeen.
Sebastian had refused.
How silly it felt now to recall how she had pouted, when in the end, all their lives had been cruelly upheaved.
The fiendish women she once called family had tricked Sebastian and Cale, pretending to send them off with a hug, only to inject them with a solution that made them sluggish and weak. Sonya had been aghast, outraged, but instead of giving into her violent desires, she had helped the boys commandeer Marada—once a Kayadon ship—and flee.
Sadly, soon after, their planet had been destroyed by war, rendered unlivable.
The heel of her boot made contact with her stagnant opponent. The spiral metal base gave a resonating protest.
The second time Sonya had been so near the Edge was for the same reason she was now. A frustrating pent-up desire that went unfulfilled. Shortly after they’d recruited their first crew, a male had taken an interest in her.
Unfortunately, being the only living female in the family, Sebastian and Cale were grossly overprotective. And to this day, they intimidated away any male who even looked sideways at her.
In the beginning, she hadn’t cared much for male attention and was comforted by her brothers’ protectiveness of her. However, when the next few males were driven away, her appreciation rapidly grew into resentment.
She’d quickly figured out how to take care of herself, however. And when that didn’t work, she would come here and beat the living shit out of something.
Sparring with her brothers worked the best, allowing her to take out her resentment on them while keeping herself sane. Win, win. Well, almost win, win. The problem? She spent so much time sparing and training she’d grown to be quite a skilled fighter, and no one else, except maybe Marik, would dare join her on the mat. She had to admit, no one else had much of a chance against her.
Essentially, they’d be the equivalent of this practice dummy, bouncing around in stunned silence.
She gave a final whack and then grabbed the rag off the floor to wipe her face. Odd. She usually felt so much better after hours of vigorous physical activity, but there was still a faint tingle rolling through her. Perhaps a cold shower or little alone time would kill it for good.
Her efforts were for naught.
After having forced herself to come twice, the craving was still there, like a weed that kept growing back.
After dressing, she headed back to The Demon’s Punchbowl. She’d left Ethan quite abruptly and now worried he had gone through all her product in a single night.
She found him sitting at a table with a group of men, enjoying a game of cards and sipping a drink. The four other males at the table looked up and smiled at her in greeting. That is, until they saw the dangerous look she was giving Ethan.
Ethan spared her a glance and then focused back on his cards.
“What are you doing?” She stomped toward the table.
One of the males scooted away from the table. “I should get back to Bree. She’ll be wondering what’s kept me. Alright if I’ll pay up later, Ethan?”
“Sure thing,” Ethan replied, still not bothering to look at her.
The other three set their cards down and relocated to a table across the room.
“Thanks a lot. I was really on a roll,” Ethan grumbled, gathering up the pile of notes and chips in front of him.
“You do realize you’re supposed to be working.” She crossed her arms.
He gestured around the room. “It’s dead. There’s nothing to do.”
“Then you find something to do.” She paused, noticing that music filled the room. So he’d managed to fix the speakers. That didn’t give him leave to fool around.
“Like what? Everything’s clean, and you are obscenely organized. What’s left but to have a little fun and maybe fill my pocket?”
“You really are nothing more than a despicable pirate, aren’t you?”
His deep-blue eyes narrowed on hers. Disregarding his winnings on the table, he rose to his feet and stepped toward her till she felt crowded by his closeness. A muscle ticked in his jaw. She stood her ground, clenched her fists, and glared up at him. Vaguely, she noted that the three remaining males watched them in silence, but she didn’t care.
Ethan looked her up and down before leaning a bit closer. “And you are a horrible tease, vietta.”
There was that word again. Insults didn’t bother her, but she’d like to at least be able to understand them. “What does that even mean?”
He hesitated, and she wondered if he would refuse to tell her. “Roughly, it means rotten female.”
“Charming.” Then why did he say it like a term of endearment? “Coming from you, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
He hissed out a curse through clenched teeth. Sonya grinned, excited to see if he would throw the first punch.
Before either of them made a move, a soft voice pulled Sonya from the argument. “Uh, hi guys.”
Sonya’s anger drained away, and she whirled around to pull Anya into a tight embrace. Then she set her at arm’s length to thoroughly assess her. “How are you feeling?”
Not surprising, Sebastian appeared behind Anya. “She claims to be fine,” he answered for her, “but I wish she would spend a little more time recovering in bed.”
Anya rolled her eyes. “I’m quite well, thank you. Restless, even. We are on our way to the Sanctuary, but I wanted to stop by to see you, as well as to thank Ethan for what he did for me.”
“No need, Princess,” Ethan replied. “I’m just glad you’re alright.”
Sebastian put his arm around Anya and pulled her close, “Sonya,
I’ll find you later to discuss how we are to proceed with Marik’s rescue.”
“Actually, I’ve got time now,” she said, relieved that they would finally be going after Marik. “Why don’t I follow you to the Sanctuary, and we can discuss it there.”
Anya waved to Ethan as she followed Sebastian out the door. Sonya didn’t spare him a second glance.
Moments later, the artificial sunlight of the Sanctuary warmed her skin. This foliage rich deck was the most unique and beloved part of the ship, a massive space designed to resemble a patch of fertile land.
Anya took a deep breath and smiled. Then she strolled along the path that weaved over a trickling rivulet. Instead of following, Sonya and Sebastian remained by the entrance.
Sebastian tore his eyes from his mate and faced Sonya with a frown. “We’re nearing Undewla as we speak. Aidan will begin scanning the surface for any sign of Marik.” He paused. “Anya and I will be taking the second shuttle to the surface to conduct our own search.”
Sonya gaped at him. “Just the two of you?”
“Aye. I would go myself, but she refuses to allow that. She feels responsible for his situation and believes her gift would allow her to sense where both Marik and her sister might be.”
“And what am I to do? Sit here like a lump and wait?”
First Cale left without her, and now Sebastian expected her to stay behind—again? A girl’s ego could only take so much.
“I can be useful, you know.”
“I know. That’s why I want you to stay here and act as captain till our return. With both Cale and Marik gone, there’s no one I trust more to do the job.”
“What about Aidan?”
“I want him scanning for Marik full time, not worrying about leading the crew. You did a fine job before. Please don’t fight me on this, Sonya. I’m exhausted from arguing with Anya. The chit can be very stubborn when she wants to be.”
“You sure you’ll be okay? She was captured the last time.”
Sebastian grew pained, and Sonya regretted her reminder. “Darius is dead now, so I no longer have to worry about him. I’m taking more precautions this time as well. Plus, since it will only be her with me, I can watch over her more readily. I won’t have to split my attention between her and others.”
“Fine,” Sonya relented, albeit a bit stubbornly.
“One more thing. I want you to keep the pub open if you can. I see Ethan has already begun taking shifts.” At her look, he quickly added, “It’s for the sake of the crew. With all that’s happened, I don’t anticipate we’ll be able to get to a space city for some time, and I can already see the strain that’s taking on the crew.”
Sonya felt it herself. They’d all been running on high gear for some time now, and it didn’t look as though that was going to stop any time soon. “But I’m nearly out of product. There’s not much left for the crew’s entertainment.”
“I have a personal stash in my room. Feel free to take it.”
Sonya had forgotten about that. Sebastian always hoarded extra bottles of his favorite liquors. “When are you leaving?”
“In a few days. Need to make sure Anya is truly recovered. Also, I want to see if Aidan discovers anything useful”
“And while he’s doing that,” Anya said from behind them, her arms placed innocently around back as she leaned in to listen to their conversation, “I’ll be practicing my gift.”
“That’s not what I mean by recover.” Sebastian shook his head.
“And I’ve told you I’m fine. I’m not going to lie in bed till you’re ready to leave.”
Sebastian scrubbed his hand down his face.
Sonya couldn’t help but laugh at them both. She nudged Sebastian in the shoulder. “You have quite the mate, brother. She’s as fierce as any of us.”
“That’s what worries me.”
Chapter 12
Sonya raided her brother’s liquor stash on her way back to the pub. She’d been surprised by the amount Sebastian had accumulated and wondered if she’d find just as much hidden in Cale’s room. She didn’t doubt it one bit, but wouldn’t go through his belongings until she was low on supplies again.
She scowled at Ethan as she brushed past him on her way to the stock room. He lifted his chin and mirrored her expression. Apparently he’d collected his winnings before taking his place behind the bar, but where he’d stashed them, she couldn’t see.
Inside the small rectangular stock room, lined with shelves, she knelt down and set her load on the floor to rummage through it.
From the doorway, Ethan said, “What did they say?”
As she proceeded to organize the bottles on the shelf, she relayed Sebastian’s plan, informing Ethan that he’d be working in the pub more than previously anticipated.
“I should be there to protect the princess,” he replied. “Not slinging drinks.”
“You’ll have to take it up with Sebastian,” she grumbled, ignoring the weird feeling that accompanied his tone. They hadn’t resolved their previous argument, but she wasn’t in the mood right now.
“I’ll do that,” he declared.
“Assuming Sebastian refuses your request, and he most likely will, I expect you here for the morning shift. Also, you’ll no longer participate in drunken gambling while you’re on the job. In fact, there will be no drunken anything, understand?” She stood and faced him.
His expression displayed a mixture of irritation and amusement.
“I know the concept of a hard day’s work is difficult for you to understand, pirate, and you’re functioning on a damaged moral compass—”
He frowned. “My moral compass may be damaged, but at least I’m not a slave to my baser needs.”
She stilled. “You’re saying I am?”
“You are a demon, after all. Your kind are notorious for their debauchee and barbarous natures.”
She choked out a laugh. “My people are barbarous?”
“You said it.”
She crossed her arms. “And this coming from a pirate.”
“You know nothing of it!” he snapped.
“And you know nothing of me!”
“I know more than you think. And even if I didn’t, I had you pegged purely by the manner in which you dress yourself.” He gave her a disgusted once over.
That gave her pause, and she resisted the urge to look down at herself. Her outfit was no more revealing than any other female on the ship. In fact, compared to some, she could be considered downright modest. Her skirts, she had to admit, were on the short side, but that was only to accommodate her tail. Besides, she liked them. Not that it mattered what anyone else thought of her, especially not some hypocritical pirate.
“Get out of my pub before I smash your face into the wall,” she hissed.
Instead, he took a step closer, goading her with his defiant expression. Her blood fired in a way she’d never felt before, and the pace of her heart increased with a surge of excitement. She was used to people backing down when she issued a threat. They never willingly opened themselves up for attack.
She tilted her head at him with renewed interest.
He seemed to note the change in her, and something like smugness formed behind his eyes.
“Don’t be a moron,” she snapped, suddenly unsure how to proceed. “I wouldn’t want to damage my newly acquired stock. Go speak with Sebastian. I hope he does take you with him. Then I won’t have to suffer through your insolence.”
If she didn’t know any better, she would think his frown showed a hint of disappointment.
Long after he’d left, Sonya was still puzzling over the fact that she hadn’t just dragged him out of her pub and knocked him on his ass. He deserved nothing less. She was also surprised to find that she needed another session in the training room so soon.
Ethan went in search of Sebastian, bewildered by what had happened between him and Sonya. How was it that she hated and desired him at the same time? Her indecisiveness was enough to drive his sanity t
o the brink.
During their first argument of the night, her contempt had been palpable. Nothing had driven him to anger so quickly. She continued to see him as…what were her words? A despicable pirate. He couldn’t figure out why that bothered him so much.
Yet, just now, she had once more become aroused. He knew this because her resolve had shifted wildly between furious violence and carnal aggression. In the end, she had settled on confused avoidance.
He would have preferred either of the other two.
He found Sebastian and Anya just as they exited the Sanctuary. Sebastian caught the look in Ethan’s eye, and he held up his hands. “No. You are not coming with us.”
“I can’t allow you to go alone.” Ethan glanced between Sebastian and Anya.
“You can, and you will,” Sebastian said. “I’ll not risk losing anyone else, and I can only stand one stubborn Faieara on this expedition. Besides, we need you here translating that book.”
“He’s right.” Anya smiled at Ethan and grabbed hold of Sebastian’s arm. “I sensed the presence of my sister before I was taken by Darius. I’m sure we’ll find her and Marik in no time. Please don’t worry, Ethan.”
His shoulders slumped. He could tell neither of them had any intention of relenting. “What about the cold?” he asked Sebastian. “Anya and I were nearly rendered catatonic by it. How can you take here there a second time?”
To his surprise, Sebastian grinned. “I found a special suit for her to wear. I almost forgot we had it. It’s bulky, but it will protect her from the weather. And if anyone besides me touches her, it will zap them into a coma.”
Ethan’s brow rose.
Sebastian placed a hand on his shoulder and met his gaze. “I will not let her out of my sight.”
Ethan pursed his lips. “If you change your mind, just say the word.”
Sebastian nodded.
As Ethan headed back to his room, his mind once more drifted to the little demon temptress.
She had appeared insulted when he commented on her clothing, but how could she be? Her dress was designed to snare a male’s attention, and snare it she did. The men on this ship constantly looked her way, and she disregarded their attention as though it were to be expected.