Styx’s pale green eyes darkened to the color of moss, his features hardening, all amusement gone. No. He hadn’t known. Good. We were back in the game. I sat up straighter and waited until I had Styx’s full attention. “Bryn is a Hunter. He’s here by order of the Seven to bring the killer to justice.”
“And you?” he asked.
“I’m here for the bounty on his head.”
Styx threw back his head and laughed, the sound deep and highly contagious. “You are trouble, Katherine of Earth.”
“You have no idea.” This time, my smile was real. “We came here out of respect, to ask your permission to hunt in your territory.” I waited for the humor to fade from his eyes before continuing. “If you refuse, we will return to our ship and leave. If you kill us, more Hunters will follow.” I lifted my chin in Bryn’s direction. “Bryn is an Elite Hunter, sent by the Seven. If he fails to return, more will come, and they won’t be alone.”
Styx turned to Bryn. “What is the bounty on this target?”
Bryn named a price that made no sense to me, but caused Blade to stiffen and two of the guards behind me exhale a bit too loudly, but Styx didn’t bat an eye. “How long do you need, Hunter? To catch your assassin?”
“Two days.”
Styx grinned. “I’ll give you three. Silver will be your escort and help you catch this killer.”
“Thank you.” Thank God Bryn knew not to argue.
But Styx wasn’t done. “My help is not free.” He turned to me and I scowled back. “When the assassin is caged, you will have two choices, Hunter.”
Styx stepped forward, moving toward me on silent feet. When he stood before us, he raised a hand to my jaw and slowly stroked the side of my face with his fingers. They were hot to the touch, and gentle. So gentle they almost masked the death I saw in his eyes. “Catch him. And when you do, you will have a choice. The bounty is mine…or she is.”
“She’s my Marked Mate.”
Styx looked at me and I held his stare. Backing down now would be suicide. “It’s your choice as well. Do you believe in your Hunter?”
I swallowed over the lump in my throat. “Yes.” It wasn’t a lie.
“Then make the deal. Three days. If he catches the killer, I collect the bounty and you both walk away. If not…then you stay here and allow me a chance to win your heart.” His thumb touched my lip and I held myself perfectly still, afraid the smallest movement would set Bryn off, despite the thick hands still holding him in his chair, despite the room full of weapons pointed at both of us. “I see fire in you, Katherine. I would love to explore it. Learn what you like, what you need. Perhaps Blade could fuck you while I watched? Perhaps we would take you together.” His touch lingered, but his gaze lifted from my lips to my eyes. “If you like a woman in bed, we could share that as well.” Leaning over, so close our lips nearly touched, he breathed the next words into my mouth. “Or do you enjoy pain, sweet? Should I tie you to my bed, bite your soft skin and spank you until you beg me to fuck you, to make you scream with pleasure?”
“That’s enough.” Bryn’s eyes had changed somehow. They were actually glowing, pure menace rolled off him in waves. “Keep touching her and no one leaves this room alive.”
Styx laughed, but stepped away with a shrug. “Three days. But she must remain unclaimed, Hunter. It’s too late to take her now. If you fuck her, I’ll know. I’ll smell your stench in her sweet pussy and kill you both.”
Bryn was shaking his head, but I knew where this was going. Styx had us backed into a corner. Bryn wasn’t here for the money. At least, he’d never mentioned it. I was sure he wouldn’t have walked away from me, leaving me unclaimed for the reward. For him, this was about serving his people. About honor.
Styx was pure mercenary. Ruthless. Greedy. The kind of scum I was used to. But he had honor, in his own way. He followed his rules of his making, but he would keep to his word. I had no doubt. “Agreed,” I said, before Bryn could protest.
Styx turned his head to the side and Blade approached. As they whispered to each other, I took in the dynamic. This man was his second-in-command. He glanced at me once, then away, nodded. His fair hair was long and tied back at his nape, although long strands had come free and moved as he spoke. Why did he have to look like that stupid, sexy elf? Styx and Blade were both perfect male specimens. Salt and pepper. Light and dark. Opposites and I could only imagine being in the middle.
Middle? I shifted, realizing I was having lust filled thoughts of two men. Was there something in the air? Pheromones? I hadn’t even had sex yet and I was thinking of the possibilities of a ménage. Of course, with Styx talking about tying me down to his bed and biting me?
As much as I hated to admit it, being pursued, actually wanted by such a hot male was intoxicating. The compliments, and Styx’s intense interest felt really, really good to my bruised and battered ego. I still wanted Bryn, but it was nice not to feel like the ugly mutt begging for scraps at the table for once.
Blade lifted a hand to the side of his head, to his ear, and I realized he was receiving some kind of communication. He whispered in Styx’s ear, his heated gaze on me as he spoke in a tone so low I couldn’t actually hear anything.
Blade stood and Styx turned to us. “We have a lead on your criminal, Hunter. I believe his name is Garvos?”
Bryn was shaking, he was so furious. “You already knew.”
“Of course. Who do you think sent the informant to you on Everis?” Styx’s smile was pure evil this time. We’d been played. “But I wasn’t expecting you to bring such a beautiful surprise.”
Me. He was referring to me.
“She’s mine,” Bryn insisted.
Styx’s smile made me shiver. “For now.”
Chapter Five
Katie
He turned to the woman. “Silver, please show our guests to their room.”
“We’ll stay on the shuttle.” Bryn shrugged off the men at his shoulders to stand.
“Oh, I think not. Your shuttle has been relocated until the Hunt is complete.”
“You bastard.”
Styx held out his hand to me, the consummate gentleman. I placed my hand in his and allowed him to gently pull me to my feet. “Yes. I am. And I know what I want, Hunter. The bounty…or this.” He lowered his lips to the back of my hand, his fangs just grazing the skin as I held absolutely, perfectly still. When he raised his head, his gaze locked with mine. “Go with Silver. Eat. Rest. Your Hunt begins in three hours.”
This was practically a pissing match with me as the prize. The roomful of Alpha males was really intense. If Bryn failed?
I couldn’t think about that. And yet, I couldn’t not think about it. Bryn had taken control and spanked my ass for sneaking aboard his ship. What would Styx do to his female? Did he spank? Did he dominate?
I looked him over. Of course, he did.
I should have been afraid. If Bryn decided to fight them? If he gave in to the Hunter’s instincts I saw blazing from his glowing eyes? Well, things would go bad fast. Twelve-to-one was not good odds. I couldn’t fight these guys. Hell, I couldn’t fight off Bryn. I’d been over his knees with a flick of his wrist and he hadn’t been intent on hurting me, just on making me very aware of who was dominant in our relationship.
Ah.
I narrowed my eyes at Styx. Studied him as he was studying me. While I didn’t consider myself to be unattractive, why would he want a female from another planet? A stranger no less? Yeah, it made sense with Bryn since we were Marked Mates, but Styx had no reason—unless there were zero females on Rogue 5—to want little ‘ole me. Or he was just being a bastard to mess with Bryn?
Hell yes, he wanted to throw Bryn off his game. That was obvious. And typical. This was Styx’s turf and he was practically peeing on it to show who was in charge. But there was real interest there. His touch…lingered. I had no idea what woman would one day end up in his bed, but damn.
I doubted she’d be in a fat hurry to get out of it.
“You will give me your word that you will not touch her while I hunt,” Bryn replied, his tone as sharp as a knife and as quick as a tossed blade.
Styx smiled then, his teeth a brilliant white. And fangless. Hmm. Was biting their mate true? The second-in-command leaned in, spoke to Styx again. He nodded, then crooked a finger in my direction. “Of course.”
Bryn put his hand out in front of me to stop my movement toward Silver where she waited near the door. Now that the deal had been made, I wanted to get the hell out of here. My nerves were shot. All this alpha-male, chest-beating bullshit wore on my nerves. Styx watched the motion of Bryn’s hand.
The mark. He was looking for the mark. He was smart. Really smart. He had to know about Everians, about having marks on their hands, being mated. Sure, Bryn was a gentleman and would probably protect any female under his watch. But he was behaving like a Neanderthal. No. He was behaving like a Marked Mate and Styx was testing that.
The question was, did Styx give a shit? Would he be willing to separate us anyway? Keep me for himself?
The feral look in his eyes as he dropped my hand, his fingers sliding through mine in a caress that was a bit too intimate, said yes.
If he wanted me, he’d have me…and make me like it.
“Don’t worry, Katherine. I promise you, no matter what happens, you’ll be well taken care of.”
Bryn growled and pulled me to his side.
Styx’s intense gaze burned a hole in my back as we followed Silver, along with half a dozen armed guards, out of the room.
* * *
The moment the door slid closed behind us a locking mechanism tripped, the sound loud and unmistakable.
“Arrogant bastard.” Bryn turned away from the door and looked around, as I did.
We were in a suite that would put the best hotels in the world to shame. Thick, plush rugs lifted to hug my boots, so heavy and dense moving through it was like walking through sand. The walls were decorated with art and statues, paintings of foreign landscapes surrounded by frames gilded with gold. In the center of the large room was a massive bed, large enough for three or four people, covered in shining blue and silver bedding that shimmered like silk.
Next to the bed, stacked neatly in two piles, were all of our belongings, everything I’d sneaked on board sat on the floor. I spied the small box I’d taken from my suite at the Touchstone, back when I’d been so sure of myself, so eager to use it.
Now? Now I was realizing that I may have been a fool to follow Bryn here.
“You shouldn’t have come.”
I sighed. Apparently, Bryn was thinking the exact same thing. “If I hadn’t, there would be no deal. You would have tried to sneak around and you would have ended up dead, just like the other two Hunters.”
He grunted, but didn’t take his eyes from me. “Perhaps.” His hands fisted at his sides, and his eyes still glowed. “But he will not touch you, Katie. Do you understand?”
Jeez. I’d wanted him to react, to claim me, to do something. But suddenly forcing his hand this way made me feel—cheap. Like a cheater. If he didn’t want me? Fine. Didn’t want to claim me? Fine. Just fucking fine. We were in a hell of a mess now, and he couldn’t touch me anyway, not with Blade, the crotch-sniffer, waiting to scent Bryn’s seed in my pussy—which was just—gross. Who knew what Styx would do if that happened?
Would he really kill us both?
Somehow, I doubted I’d get off that easy. No. I’d seen that look in a man’s eyes before. He’d kill Bryn and take me anyway.
I must have taken too long to respond. Hell, I wasn’t sure his question required an answer. Of course Styx wasn’t going to touch me. He’d given his word, and for some strange reason, I knew he’d keep it.
“By the divine, Katie. You will answer me. Do. You. Understand?” So fast I barely saw him move, Bryn pounced, picking me up and throwing me over his shoulder.
I bucked and kicked, pounded at his back, but his only response was the sharp sting of his hand on my ass as I tried to get off his shoulder. He spanked me. Hard. I was already sore, the pain of his swats bringing tears to my eyes. There was no gentleness, no sweetness or play. He was angry. Furious with me.
But how twisted was I? I welcomed the pain. It made me feel alive. It made me burn. Doubly so since I hadn’t recovered from his earlier spanking. I wanted more. I needed him to rule me. Without his control, I didn’t feel safe.
Hell, I never felt safe. Had been filled with panic and dread until this, until his firm hand on my ass settled my soul, if not my fists on his back. But I wasn’t planning on telling him any of that.
If he was going to have me, truly own me, heart and soul—he was going to have to fucking earn it. I was done giving things away. Done trusting. Warden Egara said I could start over, have a new life. She was a liar.
Nothing changed. Men were men. Assholes were assholes. Criminals were the same whether they were selling drugs in a back alley in Cleveland or bargaining for bounties on the Hyperion moon. And men like Bryn? The fantasy hero I’d built up in my mind?
I wasn’t sure they actually existed.
The sad realization stilled my protests as Bryn tossed me onto the bed none too gently. I bounced once and came up onto my knees staring him down where he paced at the foot of the bed looking like a god. I brushed my hair out of my face and I could see his dark eyes were narrowed, his jaw clenched. He was breathing as hard as I was but his eyes were back to their normal color.
Was that a good thing? Or a bad one? And why was I such a tangled mess where he was concerned. He was going to make me lose my shit. And that was something I did not do. Ever. Not since I was about six years old.
“Are you crazy?” I shouted, my hand coming to my butt and rubbing it. And wasn’t I a dirty, naughty girl? His little bit of rough-housing had my pussy practically dripping in welcome.
“Me? You’re the one who snuck on the ship. You’re the one flirting with a Hyperion liege lord.”
Now my eyes narrowed. “I was not flirting with him.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Oh really? He was going to fucking bite you. He had his fangs on your skin. Do you have any idea what that means to a Hyperion male?”
“I assume something along the lines of this.” I held up my palm so he could see my mark, the mark that burned and pulsed with need for my mate. My very angry mate.
“If he bit you, let that serum sink into your flesh, you would belong to him. Is that what you want?”
“What? No! Of course not. That’s why I’m here, you idiot. Because I want you.”
He huffed at that. “You should have stayed on Everis. You’re reckless. Dangerous.” He paced, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. “Maybe I can sneak you out of here, send you home.”
“They stole our shuttle, genius.”
He rounded on me with a snarl. “That, too, was your doing, mate. You have caused me no end of trouble.”
That was enough. I was done. This masochistic game I was playing with myself? Over. “Fine. You want me gone? I’m gone. Find Garvos. Kill him like the Elite Hunter you are. I’ll stay here like a good little girl and entertain Styx and his minions while I wait for you. But when this is over, I’m done. I’m done with this. I’m done with you. Done. Take me back to the Touchstone and I’ll pick someone else. Hell, maybe I’ll stay here and take Styx up on his offer. At least he wants me.”
He stopped dead in his tracks, a total predator. “What did you say?”
Oh, this was dangerous territory, but all of my internal alarm bells seemed to be broken. “I said, maybe I’ll stay here and let Styx tie me to his bed and fuck me. Spank me. Make me beg and scream and—”
Bryn was on me so fast I couldn’t finish my sentence.
“He will not touch you, mate.”
“I’m not yours, Bryn.”
“Yes. You are,” he snarled, his eyes glowing again. He had my hands locked above my head, his body over mine. If I hadn’t been so angry, I would ha
ve tilted my hips, rubbed my body on his, eager for his touch, his heat, his weight. Instead, all I was eager for was a fight.
“Are you serious?” I asked. Maybe he was crazy. “I begged you to fuck me, to claim me. I begged you. I seduced you. I stripped naked and sneaked into your bed. I threw myself at you and you still refused to claim me. I’m not your mate, Bryn. Not anymore. I’m not your anything. I’m done.”
“I refused to claim you because I had already accepted this mission. Before I met you. And once I knew you existed, it was too late. I can’t refuse a summons from the Seven.”
“So what? Even after claiming me, you could have come here, killed this guy and come home to me.”
“No.” He shook his head, but some of the rage melted from his shoulders, his body softening over me. “This was a suicide mission, Katie. I didn’t know if I would return.”
I sighed. “Exactly the reason I came along.”
“It’s too dangerous here! You’re unmated and any of these aliens could claim you.”
I growled, a sound deep in my chest. How was I going to get through to him? I bucked under him, wrapping my legs around his hips so I could hold him to me in silent demand. “Then claim me. Make me yours.” My palm throbbed as if it liked the idea. So did my pussy.
He shifted enough to pull my shirt off over my head. His eyes lowered to my chest. Everian underwear was somewhat similar to Earth’s. My bra was black, utilitarian, yet had some serious lift to it. Like a combination of underwire and push-up. I knew my breasts were lifted and had an ample amount of cleavage above the edge of the bra so I didn’t bother to look down. I inwardly cheered that Bryn’s gaze lowered to the soft mounds, and lingered.
“Mate, this is a dangerous game you play. You push me too far.” The words were gritted out past clenched teeth. He was at the brink. He’d already told off Styx and growled at me like a damn Neanderthal. I couldn’t miss the thick outline of his cock beneath his uniform pants where it pressed into me with wicked heat. He wanted me. Desperately, but his damn control…I hated it. And loved it.
His Virgin Bride (Interstellar Brides: The Virgins) (Volume 2) Page 6