Fractured Souls: Darkstar Mercenaries Book 3

by Carven, Anna

  Seventeen

  Alexis stood under the shower, warm water soothing her aching muscles as it cascaded over her back. As impossible as it seemed, this Kordolian warship had facilities that were as good as—if not even better—than anything she’d experienced on Earth.

  Luxury encased in light-sucking obsidian walls. Ha.

  After she’d hung out with Abbey for a while, Enki had taken her to Zharek’s labs for another thorough check-up—at Nythian’s insistence, apparently. The medic had reassured her that every organ in her body was functioning as it should, that her test results were absolutely normal, that the damage in her brain had all but repaired itself, and she shouldn’t have any further memory lapses or bouts of confusion.

  And she wasn’t going to die, even if Anuk’s consciousness untangled from hers.

  Zharek said it was biologically impossible, but a sliver of uncertainty still lingered in her mind.

  She’d been too close to death, far too many times.

  She looked down at her body, at her glistening brown skin, which was as smooth and unblemished as the day she’d been born. All her old scars had disappeared, even the faint white mark on her knee from when she’d fallen over as a child and cut herself on a rock. Her belly was flat and lean, her thighs full and toned. She was in peak physical condition, exactly as she’d been when she’d stepped onto the Malachi and said goodbye to Earth forever.

  As if she’d been reborn.

  A hollow ache spread through her chest. Before she’d left Earth, she’d considered taking a risk and making a quick visit to the island to see her mama, because there was no way she was going to leave without saying goodbye to the woman who had taken her in when she was twelve months old and raised her like her very own daughter.

  But that would have put Mama in danger, so she’d settled for a quick and emotional farewell on the comm.

  How painful, that she couldn’t even hug her.

  Sweet Mama Virginie. The eccentric, kind-hearted woman who’d saved four children from going into the Federation’s labyrinthine foster program. Alexis, Tasha, Kylian, and Felix.

  Alexis had no memory of her parents. Mama said her father was a space miner; he’d left for work six months after she was born, only to be killed in an asteroid mining accident. Six months later, her mother had succumbed to a deadly multiresistant prion disease.

  Mama Virginie always said they were good people taken too early. Alexis still visited the holo-memorials of her parents every year, watching the faces of the parents who’d given her life, listening to their voices, their appearance so realistic she could almost touch them.

  People she couldn’t remember. People who’d loved her.

  She looked just like her mother. Everyone said so.

  When Alexis appeared on the secure comm, Mama Virginie hadn’t blinked an eyelid. “You have done enough, my brave, clever daughter. Look at where you’ve come from. Look how far you’ve come. I am so proud of you. Travel well, Lexi. Be safe. Don’t worry. We will meet again, either in this life or the next.”

  “But I failed, Maman. I never found Tasha.”

  During her time at the HPA, she’d never stopped searching for Tasha Sedova, her sister from another mother. She’d followed up leads and clues and potential facial recognition matches, and several times she thought she’d almost had her. There had been glimpses of a woman here and there; petite and delicate-featured, sharp platinum-blonde bob, dark glasses… it could have been her, but she’d slipped away like a mirage before the algorithms could properly identify her.

  “I have a feeling, Alexis. It the same feeling I had before just before the two of you came into my life. You’re both living proof that miracles are possible. Ah, you were such a scrawny little thing. So many times you got sick, and sometimes I feared you wouldn’t make it, but you were a fighter. So was Tasha. She has survived, I feel it in my heart. I believe you will meet her again.”

  Alexis didn’t share Mama’s conviction—she’d seen too many cases that ended badly—but she didn’t have the heart to tell her. Mama Virginie was old and tough and kind, and if she wanted to believe that Tasha was alive and well somewhere, then so be it.

  I hope you’re well, Maman.

  Virginie would be okay. The boys were all grown up now, and they were tough bastards in their own right. They would look after her.

  Alexis hoped that one day, she’d be able to go back to La Réunion and see her again.

  But right now, she was trapped on a dark space station with a bunch of silver alien uber-warriors.

  What would Mama say if she could see her now?

  “Don’t let any man intimidate you, ma pupuce. They all have some sort of weakness. You just have to figure it out and show him that you’re the boss.”

  Something like that, probably. That sort of advice wouldn’t wash here, deep in Kordolian territory.

  She was way in over her head.

  Alexis sighed as she ran her hands over her smooth skin, working the soap—which smelled like cocoa and shea butter—into a thick lather, watching the wispy white suds as they disappeared down the drain.

  On a ship like this, where did all the water go? Where did it come from?

  As she stepped out, the water stopped, replaced with a rush of warm air that dried her body almost instantly. Goosebumps rose along her arms and belly and her nipples grew taut.

  Nythian, where are you?

  When would he return? She had no idea.

  Trust me, he’ll come for you, Abbey had told her, a mischievous glint in her eyes, as if she were enjoying watching this strange phenomenon unfold.

  Her silent guard with scary eyes—Enki—stood outside her quarters, listening for any sign of trouble, somehow monitoring her every move from behind curved black walls, but he wasn’t the guard she wanted.

  She wanted her big, rough Kordolian. She wanted to hear his deep, gravelly voice as he whispered in her ear. She wanted his magic hands on her body.

  Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Alexis went to the wardrobe-thing that was nestled in the narrow passage that led from the bathroom to her sleeping pod. She selected a loose sea-green tunic that hung down to mid-thigh.

  No panties. Maybe it was wishful thinking. She would climb into bed and stew in her lust until a certain someone came and rescued her from this impossible fever-dream.

  Inside her head, the Tharian was as silent as the cold vacuum of space.

  Anuk’s words echoed in her mind.

  I’m dying.

  Maybe this existence was an aberration, and she was living on borrowed time.

  She was in freefall, and the uncertainty was terrifying…

  And liberating.

  Fuck it.

  She wanted Nythian. Sooner or later, he would come to her, and she wasn’t going to deny him.

  She got into the pod. Closed her eyes. Pulled the sheets over her body and drifted…

  You’re safe now.

  She entered a trancelike state, letting silent images flit across the dark screen of her mind. Mostly, she thought about him.

  How did a being like him even exist?

  She didn’t know how long she remained in that state for. She drifted in and out of sleep, through dreams, across memories.

  “Alexis.” When his deep voice finally reached her ears, it sent a ripple right down her spine and into her pussy, which began to throb.

  Am I dreaming? She didn’t dare open her eyes.

  She was delirious again. Had to be.

  The sound of his voice drove her wild.

  Her clit throbbed with a tender ache, and she was overcome with the urge to touch herself, to relieve the pressure like she’d done so many times before.

  Instead, she clenched her teeth and made a fist, not wanting to dilute the intensity of her need.

  She didn’t want anyone to touch her but him.

  “Alexis,” he said again, and his voice was slightly distant, slightly muffled. Instinctively, she knew he wasn’t in the r
oom with her. There must be some sort of intercom that was allowing them to talk like this. Why not? This Kordolian ship seemed to have everything.

  “What are you doing?”

  “May I come in?”

  “What? You’re actually asking my permission? This is, uh, different. Am I not your prisoner anymore?”

  “It is different,” he rumbled, and her arousal kicked into overdrive. “So? Is that a yes?” He sounded mildly amused.

  “Yes, Nythian,” she said, surprised at how calm she sounded. “Not that there’s any point in asking. You were going to let yourself in anyway, weren’t you? Uh, Enki’s…”

  “Already gone. There is nobody else within earshot. Only me. We are completely alone.”

  Alone.

  With a big, powerful Kordolian male.

  “Ahh…” She curled into the fetal position, biting her lower lip as her body began to tremble. That’s how strong her need for him was right now.

  She’d never felt this fucking horny before. Never wanted another person so badly. Never been so obsessed and excited and apprehensive, all at the same time.

  She didn’t think it was possible to feel this way.

  “Alexis.” He said her name again, and this time, his words feathered along her cheek. He’s here! A pleasant shiver ran down her spine. So fast. She hadn’t even heard the doors open. “What glorious otherverse have you fallen out of, sweet human?” His voice was a deep, rumbling purr that radiated through every fiber of her being. “I have never seen a creature as perfect as you.”

  She felt nothing but his warm breath on her cheeks, her ear, her neck…

  He inhaled deeply, savoring her. Still, he didn’t touch her, but she could feel him, and the faint tickle of sensation on her bare skin was electric.

  She almost didn’t want to open her eyes. Without sight, everything was amplified. His warmth, the toe-curling sound of his voice, his scent…

  “Open your eyes, Alexis. Look at me.” There was an edge to his words now; he expected her to obey.

  A command.

  It made her even more aroused, but she still didn’t open her eyes. “What are you doing, Nythian?”

  “I am staring at you, wondering which part of you I should savor first.”

  “Oh.” She went perfectly still, the fine hairs on her arms standing on end. Something light and gentle traced across her cheek, and she realized it was his fingertips.

  Pure sensual bliss.

  “Look at you,” he said reverently. “So beautiful.”

  This big, powerful alien, who could break her in half with his little finger, was oh-so gentle with her.

  “Look at me, Alexis.”

  This time, she obeyed. Her eyes snapped open and she stared straight into Nythian’s face. The dim light accentuated his hard features, sculpting the hollows of his cheeks with shadow, burnishing his silver skin so that he reminded her of an ancient, regal statue; a fierce war-general or powerful lord.

  He was poised above her like a feline predator, his massive arms like pillars, his hands pressing down on either side of her. She got an eyeful of his chest, of his torso, of the sharply defined vee that drew her gaze toward his groin.

  She caught a glimpse of his…

  Oh.

  Oh my.

  The obsidian sheath of his armor was gone. He was completely naked, and he was…

  Amazing.

  His body was a study in brutal perfection, every line and contour perfectly etched, the result of countless hours of savage training and fighting.

  Alexis’s jaw dropped. The tender ache between her legs grew almost unbearable.

  His brilliant ruby eyes traveled slowly over her face; possessive, triumphant, as if she were his ultimate prize.

  A Kordolian warrior. Looking at her like that.

  Stars almighty.

  “I’m not a complicated man,” he rasped, his body so close to hers they were almost touching… and yet he didn’t lay a finger on her. His level of control was almost scary. “You are more than what I could have ever hoped for in this life. There is nothing in this Universe that can touch you when you’re with me. This is it. You are it. Do you understand, Alexis?”

  “I…” I think so. The enormity of his words hit her in the chest, blossoming into a warm feeling that grew and grew and grew. “I’m ready.”

  “Good.” He dipped his head and kissed her gently. “If you’d told me otherwise, I would have gone insane.”

  “You’re already driving me insane,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “Coming up on me like this, tempting me with your goddamn perfect…”

  “Perfect?” Although the tension between them was thick enough to cut with a blade, he managed to raise a pale eyebrow. “Perfect what?”

  “Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about, soldier.” Of course, she was talking about his body, his not-quite-handsome but impossibly attractive face, the impressive length of his cock, just begging to relieve her of this exquisite torture. “Now you have to prove to me that you’re really as good as you look.”

  Nythian didn’t say anything. He simply smiled, revealing the gleaming points of his fangs. It was a look of supreme confidence, almost to the point of arrogance, and it made her squirm a little in anticipation.

  Stars, he was breathtaking.

  The solid walls and the pod beneath her seemed to fall away, and suddenly it felt like she were floating on a bed of stars.

  Everything that had happened before… it didn’t matter now.

  She was at a turning point.

  A huge fucking turning point.

  And it felt incredible.

  “Come here,” she whispered, daring to curl her hand around the back of his neck. His skin was warm, almost feverishly so. She pulled him down, pulled his lips toward hers.

  They kissed. She ran her hands through his cropped white hair and was surprised to find it silky soft, a delicious contrast to his hard appearance. She moaned as he lowered his body a fraction, allowing his hard torso to press against her. Only the thin fabric of her top separated them. He pushed it up, his fingers skimming over her thighs, finding her slick entrance. His thumb grazed her clit, and she nearly had a meltdown as he kissed her harder, his tongue probing and insistent, his other hand caressing the side of her face.

  As she ran her fingers through his hair, she felt something… different. At his temples were slightly raised areas, as if he’d once had a pair of devil-horns. Ha. She wouldn’t be surprised. Horns would suit him perfectly. He tensed as she ran her thumbs over those areas, a low, guttural moan escaping his throat.

  Oh, so you like that, do you? She didn’t know what it meant, but he seemed to enjoy it, so she did it again.

  Something hard and undeniable pressed against her thigh.

  His cock.

  Holy hell.

  She closed her eyes as he dipped his finger inside her, a deep, approving rumble reverberating through his broad silver chest. His scent surrounded her, complicated, masculine, intoxicating.

  He stroked her, stretching her entrance, stimulating parts of her that she hadn’t even realized could feel like that.

  She brought his head down and kissed his temples, making small circles with his tongue.

  His moans turned into deep growls. His entire body shuddered. Impossibly, his cock grew even harder, digging into her thigh. She became acutely aware of its hugeness, and she yearned to have him inside her.

  His long fingers thrust deep, and she developed a newfound appreciation for his massive hands. She ran her fingers over his back, marveling at how every muscle was perfectly defined, as if chiseled from warm, living stone.

  He was magnificent.

  “Nythian…” she gasped. She whimpered softly as he slid one hand over her body, feeling her breast through the thin fabric of her shirt. He caressed her nipple, teasing it until it became taut.

  Alexis squirmed. How was he doing this to her? She needed more.

  “Alexis,�
� he whispered. “You need to trust me.” His fingers went under her chin, tilting her head back until she was staring straight into his eyes. “Give yourself to me, and I will make sure you never want for anything in this life.”

  “No,” she murmured, caressing the side of his face with her obsidian hand. Even with its alien skin of nano-Callidum-infused-whatever, her hand felt as alive as the rest of her.

  “No?” He raised a pale eyebrow.

  “That’s too… ah…” She gasped as he gently fucked her with his fingers, encircling her clit with his thumb.

  “Too what?” He pushed her closer and closer toward climax, almost ruthless in the way he drew out her pleasure.

  “Too one-sided.” She took a deep, shuddering breath, watching him through the haze of her lust. A faint layer of sweat coated her face and soaked through her top. Unable to look at his face for any longer—for fear she might go over the edge—she closed her eyes. “I’m not the kind of woman who lets a man take over and do everything for me.”

  Now firmly in command of her body, he chuckled, a low, devious sound that was so utterly Kordolian. “You misunderstand, human. I would never seek to rule you… unless that is what you wish, of course.”

  No… yes! Her instincts warred as she imagined a life where she allowed this powerful creature to totally consume her. “Wh-what I’m saying… is that you have to have to give yourself to me,” she rasped. “Completely. And then I’ll do everything in my power to give you what you need. What do you want from me, Nythian?”

  For a moment, he was silent, gently stroking her, making soft sounds of approval as she writhed gently beneath him, captive to his touch. “Very well. Be my anchor,” he whispered at last. “The one who pulls me back from…” Impossibly, his voice cracked. Now he was raw, almost vulnerable. Here was a side to him she’d never seen before.

  From what? Unable to speak, she held the question in her mind.

  “From becoming what I despise,” he said softly, his devious fingers going still, applying the gentlest of pressure, drawing out her need. “It’s not something I can really explain. With time, you’ll understand.”

  “Ahh…” His words only half-registered. She was floating on a cloud of pleasure.