Athtar was exactly where she knew he would be, sitting on the balcony outside their daughter’s room, looking out at the stars. Laella’s little body was tucked snuggly against his shoulder, looking impossibly small. Her heart still flipped every time she saw them together, her big, tough fighter so obviously besotted by his tiny daughter.
Precious was lying at his feet and wagged her tail happily when she caught sight of Faith. Her head reached Faith’s waist now, but she still acted like the same sweet puppy. Her ability to shift had only manifested twice since Kaisar, both times when she thought that Faith was in danger.
“Athtar, what are you doing?”
“She couldn’t sleep.”
“She couldn’t or you couldn’t?” she asked dryly. He frequently woke in the night, convinced he was dreaming. Depending on his mood, he would turn to her or go find their daughter.
He grinned. “Maybe a bit of both.”
“Well, put her back in her crib. You know Precious isn’t going to let anything happen to her.”
With obvious reluctance, he climbed to his feet and walked back inside, Precious at his heels. He placed Laella back in her crib, and for a moment they both stood there admiring their baby. Her skin was almost as pale as Faith's, only the slightest hint of blue reflecting her Elginar heritage, but her little fringe of hair was as white as Athtar’s and her eyes a matching shade of blue.
“She’s so beautiful,” she whispered.
“As beautiful as her mother,” he agreed. “And as smart.”
“She’s only six months old. I don’t think you can determine her intelligence yet.”
“Of course I can. I understand her fucking perfectly.”
“Well you can understand her in the morning. Come back to bed.”
He didn’t move. “What if she needs me?”
Her heart melted but she gave his arm a gentle tug. “I’m sure she’ll let us know. But right now, I need you.”
That got his attention and he turned to her immediately, the white flames growing in his eyes. “What can I do for my mate?”
“I have this ache. Right here,” she said, trailing her fingers across her breasts and down between her thighs.
“Want me to take care of that for you?”
“You’re the only one who can.”
“Fuck yeah.” He hauled her up into his arms with the effortless strength that still made her knees go weak and her pussy dampen. As he strode along the corridor, she ran her fingers through his beard. He had let it grow back out since the wedding and it was as wild as ever.
“My Viking,” she whispered.
“Your everything, baby.” He flashed a white grin and she rolled her eyes.
“You are entirely too sure of yourself.”
“Nah. I know how lucky I am.”
“I do, too.”
When they entered the bedroom, he dropped her on the bed, but she scrambled back off before he could join her.
“What are you doing?”
“I want to taste you.” Her hands were already pushing his sleep pants down over his narrow hips. He responded by whipping her nightgown over her head and she sighed as she heard the fabric tear.
“You’re very hard on my clothes.”
“Then stop wearing them in our fucking bed,” he growled.
Bossy man. She curled her fingers around his already erect cock, knowing that would shut him up. He stopped talking and buried his fingers in her hair. She still kept it short but that didn’t stop him from giving it the little tug that always zinged straight to her pussy. Eagerly, she leaned closer and took a long, slow lick as he vibrated against her hand. Mm, he tasted so good, smelled so good. She buried her nose against him before moving down and sucking one big, blue ball into her mouth. She rolled it gently with her tongue then moved to the other one, moving back and forth while she stroked his pulsating erection, until he was groaning with pleasure. When she finally took his cock in her mouth, he was so hard she knew he wouldn’t last. Dragging her tongue along the underside, she took him deeper, moving faster until his fingers tightened to the edge of pain, until he called her name and came in a delicious wave as she drank him down.
“Now it’s my turn,” he growled, lifting her to her feet, then higher so they were face to face. She wrapped her legs around him, acutely conscious of her wet, swollen pussy as it rubbed against his hard abdomen. He used one big hand to press her closer against his body while he kissed her, tongue thrusting deep into her mouth and demanding her response.
“I fucking love tasting myself on you,” he said when he finally raised his head.
“I know.” She grinned at him.
“Of course you do. You’re fucking brilliant.”
He lifted her higher so that he could reach her breasts. They were still engorged from motherhood and he growled approvingly as he tugged and sucked at her taut nipples. She arched her back, seeking more of the exquisite sensation and he reached under her to tease her hardened clit. Her hands tightened in his hair, as strongly as he’d held her, and he thrust a thick finger deep inside her pussy just as he scraped his teeth across a sensitive peak. She came in a great rolling wave, clinging to him as he worked her though it, drawing out her climax until the last faint shudder.
“Also fucking delicious,” he said, lowering back down.
“Which is your favorite?” she asked breathlessly.
“I haven’t tried your delicious cunt yet tonight. I need a full set of data before I can reach a fucking conclusion.” Living with her was definitely rubbing off on him.
“It’s the only way to be sure,” she agreed solemnly.
He tossed her onto the bed again, but this time he followed her down, parting her legs with a satisfied smile.
“Fucking perfect,” he said, then dipped his head and used his extremely talented tongue to wring two more climaxes from her. She was still shaking from the last one when he flipped her on her stomach and drove his cock deep inside her pussy in one long push. All she could do was hold on as he gripped her hips and thrust into her again and again with hard, demanding strokes, his cock pulsating with each movement and sending exquisite vibrations from her ass to her already swollen and sensitive clit. His hands tightened, and she felt him swell impossibly larger as he came with a hoarse cry and the hot seed flooding her insides sent her over into another soaring climax.
He collapsed down next to her, automatically pulling her close, before he rolled to his back and tucked her against his chest. She loved this, this moment of intimacy when their bodies were still flushed and sticky and the scent of sex filled the air. She snuggled closer and traced a finger along the lines of his tattoo. After Laella’s birth, he had added two more symbols—one for her and one for their daughter. Beneath her cheek, his heartbeat gradually slowed and she felt his body relax.
“You were looking very thoughtful earlier,” she said softly. “What were you thinking about?”
He shrugged. “I was just wondering…”
“Yes?” She tilted her head back so that she could see his face.
“What would you think of buying a ship?”
“Another one?”
“Not a spaceship, a sailing ship. This is a fucking water planet, after all. I thought we could do some exploring, as a family.”
“And maybe a little trading,” she said dryly. He didn’t need to work—Karthajin had shown his gratitude for their destruction of the weapon with a reward that was more than enough to keep them in comfort for the rest of their lives—but she knew how much he enjoyed trading.
He grinned, his teeth flashing white. “Maybe.”
“You would have to add a lab.” Her work with Lelani was making exceptional progress, despite her pregnancy and Laella’s birth, and she wasn’t prepared to leave it.
“Of course. I’ve already ordered the fucking equipment.”
“I suppose you’ve already bought the boat as well.”
“Maybe.” He grinned again, and she laughed and snu
ggled down in his arms.
Athtar lay back in the bed, savoring the soft weight of his woman across his chest, and watched the stars through the open window. A bright flash of light crossed his vision, a ship departing from the nearby space port, and he searched for any hint of longing. There was none. It crystallized the decision he’d been heading towards ever since his daughter was born.
“I was thinking about something else as well.”
“About what?” she asked sleepily.
“About selling The Lady to Ultana.”
“What?” She tried to sit up, digging her sharp little elbow in his ribs in the process. It was a good thing she never realized what effective weapons they were.
She reached for her glasses, then peered down at him. “Why do you want to sell her?”
“I’m never going back to that life.” Saying it out loud, he could hear the truth in his words. “It’s not fair to Ultana not to have her own ship.”
His second had taken over as captain, even though she had received her share of the reward along with the rest of the crew. The only one to actually take advantage of the money was Grabon. When Athtar and Faith returned to Sherae for the final stages of her pregnancy, Grabon had decided to leave the ship as well. He was taking short term security contracts but Athtar knew he was really searching for a mate of his own. He blessed the stars that he had been lucky enough to find his.
“You’re right about Ultana,” Faith said, and he saw her take a deep breath. “She does want her own ship. But not The Lady.”
“What the fuck’s wrong with The Dancing Lady?”
“Nothing,” she said quickly. “But she wants something she can call her own.”
“Why the fuck didn’t she tell me?”
“Because she knew you’d act like this?”
He grumbled a reluctant agreement, but she kept talking. “So I think we should take The Lady back and let her find her own ship.”
“You really want to keep her?”
“Of course. You know I love that ship.”
He believed her. In the time they had spent traveling before he finally put his foot down and brought her pregnant ass planet side, she had enjoyed every minute of it. Her boundless curiosity had her fascinated with every place they went and, other than having to spank her a few times when she tried to put herself in danger, he loved having her with him.
“We could get a smaller ship,” he offered half-heartedly. Now that she’d suggested it, he liked the idea of keeping The Lady close at hand.
“Why? It has everything we need for shorter trips, including my bathtub. We’ll be traveling back to Kaisar soon when Ella has her baby. And it already has my lab set up so if we decide to take the kids traveling for any longer period of time, we’re already prepared.”
It took a minute for her words to sink in.
“Kids? As in more than one?”
She gave him a rueful smile. “I’m not positive but I got a little distracted by Laella’s birth and never started back on my birth control. I always thought you couldn’t get pregnant while you’re nursing but…”
He was still frozen in place and she bit her lip. “You don’t mind, do you?”
With a muffled growl, he rolled her under him and proceeded to show her exactly how happy he was about her announcement.
A very long time later, Faith was asleep against his side and he was no longer watching the stars. Instead, he watched his sleeping mate and thought of his daughter sleeping nearby. He put a protective hand over Faith’s stomach and smiled. He had always thought he had been fighting for freedom, but this, this was the only thing really worth fighting for, and he would fight for the rest of his life to keep it. He wrapped his arms around his mate and went happily to sleep.
Author’s Note
Thank you so much for reading Faith and the Fighter! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it – Faith and Athtar were both so much fun to write, although I’m afraid I’ve worn out the F key on my keyboard! Whether you loved the book or not, it would mean the world to me if you left an honest review on Amazon. Word of mouth is incredibly helpful for authors and I’d love to know your thoughts!
I’m both happy and sad to come to the end of the series. (The end for now! I have definite plans to revisit the Alien Abduction universe. In fact, there is a tiny little clue in this book as to who the next hero will be, although you haven’t met the heroine yet!) This was my first series and I’m still beyond grateful to all of you who have encouraged and supported this dream.
So what’s next? I’m glad you asked! My next series is about Aliens invading Earth. When the Yehrin ships first appeared in the skies over Earth, they promised a new era of technological advance. But after disaster struck, the friendly Yehrin scholars were replaced by fierce Yehrin warriors. Ruthlessly suppressing any opposition, they are hiding a dark secret - they need Earth females for the continuation of their species. Read on for the Chapter One of Alien Conquest!
As I’ve said many time before, the SFR community is truly amazing, from both authors to readers. Tiffany Roberts was the first author to extend a welcoming hand to a rookie, but she was followed by many, many others. In particular, Bex McLynn is not only an amazing author, but a true friend. I’m currently working with her on an exciting project that you’ll hear more about in the very near future!
My readers also never fail to amaze me with their support! Among so many wonderful readers, it’s impossible to mention everyone, but I have to thank Janet S. and Kitty S. for their eagle eyes, Kathryn S. for her friendship, and Kate B. for always making me smile!
And in case you missed them, the previous books in the Alien Abduction series are:
Anna and the Alien
Beth and the Barbarian
Cam and the Conqueror
Greta and the Gargoyle
Deb and the Demon
Ella and the Emperor
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Chapter One
The incessant beeping of her alarm finally registered, and Emily reached out blindly to turn off the annoying noise. When her outstretched fingers couldn’t find her phone, she forced an eye open and immediately flinched at the light streaming through the window. The abrupt movement made her stomach churn and for a minute nausea threatened to overwhelm her. What on earth had happened? She rarely drank and hadn’t had a hangover since her first year of college. This feeling put that one to shame.
The alarm kept squawking so she managed to pry both eyes open and, moving with extreme caution, followed the sound. Her tiny studio apartment meant she didn’t have far to go before she discovered her phone under the coffee table. Turning off the alarm with a sigh of relief, she pressed a hand to her pounding head. Stepping carefully around a discarded pizza box, she made it to the window and closed the heavy curtains. With the sunlight dimmed, her headache receded a fraction and she was able to look around.
The small apartment was one of her job benefits and she usually kept it as neat as pin. This morning it was a wreck. Besides the pizza box, papers and books covered the floor. Only a sheet remained on her bed, the quilt and pillows strewn around. Even her clothes were scattered about the room. Her bra hung from a lampshade and it looked like her panties were mounted on the doorknob. Panties? As the sight of her underwear penetrated, she suddenly realized she was wandering around naked. She never slept naked. Her gaze traveled to the disheveled bed in horror. What had she done? This time the nausea could not be controlled and she barely made it to the miniscule bathroom before losing the contents of her stomach in an urgent rush.
She was still leaning over the toilet when a cold nose touched her ankle. She jumped, screamed, and clutched her head in pain. The cold nose nudged her again, followed by a chirping noise. This time she kept enough control to look down. Small black eyes looked up at her from a mop of purple-colored fur.
“Oh Tribs, I’m sorry. What are you doing here?” Even
as she gathered him up, the memory started to come back. “That’s right. Sam brought you with him last night.” Tribs was an Anderian sekhmet who belonged to her colleague. Putting him down, she watched him scurry over to the water bowl, his six short legs barely visible beneath the fur that reached almost to the ground. As she brushed her teeth, more memories surfaced. Sam had come over last night to celebrate the end of the project they had been working on for the past two months. She had ordered pizza and Sam had produced a small bottle of orange liquor. That part was clear but after that, all she remembered was laughing a lot. Everything else was gone.
Pulling on the robe on the back of the door, she returned to the main room. As she grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, she saw the note on the door.
My dear L'chka,
I am so happy you have agreed to be mine. I wish I could have been here with you this morning but I want you to relax. Do not worry about work. I emailed Margie and told her that you were sick.
Until tonight,
Sam
Work? Her eyes flew to the kitchen clock. It was after ten o’clock. The alarm had been a reminder of her weekly staff meeting. She picked up her phone to call Margie but saw the outgoing email on her mail app. Sam had sent the message from her account. Why would he do that? And why would he think she had agreed to be his? With a groan she collapsed on the small loveseat, clutching her bottle of water. Tribs chirped at her until she picked him up and set him on her lap. As she did, her robe parted. A blue stain ran down her inner thigh. She poked it cautiously and it felt slightly sticky. As the pain in her head subsided, she finally noticed the slight ache between her legs. Even though she hadn’t had a lot of experience, she had enough to recognize the sensation. She had a horrible feeling that she knew exactly what had left that stain.
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