Claim

by Tana Stone

Shaking her head with a quiet laugh, she stepped back into her tent, her feet sinking into the sand. Without any lanterns, she had to feel her way in the dark, her toes bumping up against one of woven rugs that she’d layered over the sand to serve as a carpet. She had a lighter one that she could use as a blanket and she was eager to burrow under it. The physical exertion of putting up the tent had warmed her, but now goose bumps prickled her skin, as the cold, night air snuck in between the tent flaps.

  A beam of moonlight illuminated the inside of the tent for a moment as the tent flaps were opened and closed. Bexli didn’t need to turn to feel the heat of the body behind her. His presence crowded her, and even though he wasn’t touching her, his warm breath ruffled the top of her hair.

  She didn’t turn. “I guess this means you and Rukken are finished?”

  His only response was a guttural noise that came from low in his throat. Heat pulsed off Tommel in waves, and Bexli braced one hand on the center tent pole to keep her knees from buckling. She didn’t know why he was there, or what he wanted. The Dothvek had never done anything but scold her and watch her and make her feel like a misbehaving child.

  “If you came to check on me, I’m fine. I managed to set the tent up all by myself, thank you very much.“ Bexli didn’t say that Caro had helped her a few times or that putting up a tent was a two-person job.

  When he still didn’t respond, she turned, prepared to tell him exactly how self-sufficient she was. The argument died on her lips when she saw his face in the shadows—jaw tight, shoulders tense, eyes burning with intensity.

  “Are you okay?” Her question came out as a soft whisper, and she instinctively reached out a hand to touch his arm.

  “It has been a long time since so many of my brothers have fallen in battle.” He looked down at the hands that had carried them, flipping his palms up. “So much death.”

  Bexli was no stranger to death—she had seen soldiers fall before—but she had never lost a member of her crew. She knew that many of the warriors who’d been killed were Tommel’s friends, or Dothveks he’d known for years. She suspected he’d known some all of their young lives.

  Even though she didn’t know the warriors like he did, she’d still felt the shock of seeing so many dead. She’d pushed it away, but she knew the image of the bodies strewn across the sand was one she’d never banish from her memories.

  “Tommel, I’m really sorry,” she said. “I don’t know what I can do to—“

  He silenced her with a finger to her lips. The touch made her jump, but the warmth of his skin was startling, considering the cool of the night. He dragged his finger across her lips and cupped her jaw in his hand. “You are alive.”

  She didn’t say anything, the tremor in his voice making her throat constrict. She could feel the need storming through him as his rough hand caressed her face, moving down her neck and then tangling in her hair. He tilted her head back, so she was looking up at him, and he leaned his forehead to rest on hers. His breathing was uneven, and his body trembled as if he’d been shot through with electricity.

  “Tommel.” She didn’t know if she was begging him to stop or to keep going. She was both terrified by what he needed and exhilarated by the force of his desire.

  “So much loss,” he whispered, his voice hoarse. “So much death.”

  His other hand pressed against the small of her back, moving her forward until their bodies touched. Everything about him was rigid, and it seemed as if every muscle in his body was coiled to the point of breaking.

  “We’re both alive.” She knew that her words were what he needed, and she knew in that moment that she was what he needed.

  He groaned, tugging her closer, the hard bar of his cock bumping her stomach. At that moment, all she wanted was to pull him to her and prove to both of them that they were alive. She didn’t care about what she should do or about making smart decisions. She just wanted to live in the moment and let herself go.

  Didn’t she deserve some pleasure in the middle of all the chaos? Hadn’t that been what her friends had found? She may not want anything serious, but she could sure go for some mind-blowing sex. And it was pretty clear Tommel could, too. Maybe fucking him would finally get rid of all the tension between them and make him look at her as something more than a fragile female he needed to protect. She could show him that she was far from fragile.

  Bexli put her hands on his chest, lightly scoring his skin as she dragged her nails down his sculpted muscles to the chiseled bumps of his stomach. He sucked in a breath as she skimmed her fingers lower, dipping below the waistband on his pants and sweeping across the ridges leading even lower.

  “Bexli,” he ground out, his hand shifting from her back to close over her hand and stop her.

  “Tell me you don’t want this,” she murmured. “Tell me you don’t want to fuck me.”

  His grip tightened around her fingers. “We cannot. I cannot.”

  She arched her body into his, bumping his cock and feeling its insistence as it strained against his snug pants. “Oh, I’m pretty sure you can.”

  He shook his head even as he moved so that his lips tickled her ear. “You are too…”

  “Too what?” she asked. “Too ready? Too wet for you?”

  He groaned, almost as if he was in pain.

  She tugged her hand out from under his and closed it around the outline of his cock, almost gasping at the size of it. “You may be huge all over, but I promise you it won’t break me.”

  Tommel jerked his head up, his gaze dark and molten. “You do not know—”

  “You think you know what I want?” She raked one hand through his hair. “I know I want you to fuck me, Tommel. I need to feel you inside me. I need to feel, and if you can’t do that, then—”

  She didn’t get to finish her sentence before his mouth was crashing against hers, taking desperate possession as he swept her lips open with his tongue. His hands went to her waist and then down to her ass, gripping it hard and lifting her until she was straddling him.

  Bexli wrapped her legs around him, feeling his cock bump up against her opening and moaning into his mouth. Her head swam and her heart skittered wildly, as he devoured her mouth with deep strokes of his tongue.

  He went down to his knees and then dropped her back onto the rugs covering the floor, never breaking their kiss. She pulled at his pants, trying to free his cock, as his hands fumbled with her pants, finally getting them down her hips. Bexli kicked them off the rest of the way, the cold air hitting her bare ass.

  Tommel sat back and yanked his own pants down, his long, thick cock springing up to jut ramrod straight away from his body. She stared at the ridges ringing its length, and thought about the whispered comments the other women had made about how good they felt. She wanted to feel them. She wanted to feel him—all of him.

  He spread her legs and gazed down, his expression like that of a starved animal as he notched himself at her entrance. He hesitated and met her eyes, his crown barely inside but already stretching her.

  “Do it,” she whispered.

  He did, plunging into her and making her arch back and gasp, the sharp pain shifting into an unbelievable sensation of being filled completely. A feeling she didn’t ever want to end.

  Nine

  Tommel swallowed a cry as he held himself inside her. She was so tight and, as she’d told him, so wet for him. It was as if he was being grabbed by a vise and squeezed. He wanted to go slow and be gentle, but he couldn’t. Not when his blood was roaring in his ears, and Bexli was writhing beneath him.

  Even in the dark tent, he could see her hair fanned out around her head. He stroked a hand down her face as she let out a breath.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “More than okay.” She turned her head to take one of his fingers in her mouth and sucked it hard.

  That did nothing to help his self-control. Tommel pulled his finger from her lips and crushed his mouth to hers. He needed to taste her again, to savor her
sweetness, and feel her slick tongue tentative against his.

  But Bexli kissed him back hard, her tongue fighting with his and her fingers scraping through his hair as she pulled his head closer to hers. There was nothing shy or hesitant about the way her mouth mated with his.

  As she kissed him back with a desperate need, Tommel’s hips moved seemingly of their own volition, stroking out and then in again. Her breathing stuttered as he held himself deep, savoring the delicious heat of her.

  “Move” she commanded, tearing her mouth from his. “I won’t break.”

  She was so small compared to him, but she’d taken all of him and was begging for more. Tommel knew he should stop, but he couldn’t. He’d imagined how she’d feel around his cock too many times. Her tight little body felt even more incredible than he could have guessed, and her breathy noises made it impossible for him not to respond.

  “I do not want to hurt you,” he said between gritted teeth as he slowly dragged himself out, missing the tightness of her instantly.

  “I swear to the gods or the goddesses or whoever the hell runs the show here that if you don’t fuck me hard, I’m going to find someone who will.”

  The thought of another male burying his cock inside her made him hammer himself back inside with a possessive roar. “No one else can have you.”

  “Then you’d better fuck me so hard I don’t want anyone else.” Her voice teased between gasps.

  He moved his hands to her hips, his fingers biting into her flesh as he thrust himself again. His body vibrated with a million sensations at once as he dragged himself back out of her, feeling every tremor as she ran her hands down his stomach and left a scorching trail.

  Tommel drove in again and again, unable to stop his savage rhythm as her gasps became screams. He reared back and scooped his hands under her ass without pausing, lifting her hips and hooking her legs over his shoulders. The angle let him drive even deeper, and he rolled her hips so that his ridges rubbed against her swollen nub.

  Her breathing became faster and her cries louder. There was no doubt that Rukken and Caro would hear every slap of flesh and grunt of pleasure. He didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was the female he was buried in up to his balls and feeling and hearing every moment of her pleasure.

  Holding himself inside her, he stared down at where their bodies met. The look of her pale skin being split by his dark-gold cock made him let out a possessive growl.

  “You like to watch me stretched around your cock?” she asked, and he looked up to see her eyes flashing at him through the dimness of the tent.

  Her words made heat flare in his belly, but he couldn’t speak. He lifted her hips higher and plunged deeper, moving one thumb to brush against her nub with each hard stroke.

  “Tommel,” she cried, her fingers gripping his shoulders as he braced himself over her with both hands.

  He was close enough to see her eyes fluttering as she arched back, her teeth biting at her lower lip. He rolled his hips to stroke her slick bundle of nerves with his ridges again, and her fingers dug mercilessly into his skin.

  He didn’t care. The pain barely registered as her body begin to ripple, and her husky moans became cries. He pumped harder as her muscles clamped around his cock so tightly he had to close his eyes as light exploded behind his eyelids. Feeling her clench around his cock made Tommel lose all control. He slammed into her, coming in a furious rush of heat as he bellowed his release and emptied inside her.

  Bexli held on to his slick shoulders, trembling and panting. He felt his heart pounding and her own pulse fluttering as he slipped her legs back down and kissed her forehead then rolled off her and onto the rug next to her.

  The tent was filled with the sounds of their heavy breathing and the scent of passion. He was sure steam would billow out if he opened the flaps.

  “Wow.” Bexli rolled over and put a hand on his bare chest. “I honestly didn’t think you had it in you.”

  Tommel twisted his head to look at her. He was sure that what he’d had in him was now sticky between her legs. “Had what in me?”

  She laughed and flopped back down. “I didn’t think you liked me.”

  His heart clenched as he thought about how he felt every time he looked at her or thought about her. “I like you.”

  “I’m glad.” She traced one finger lazily across his chest muscle. “I like you, too. More than I thought I did, I guess.”

  Even though his heart should be slowing down, Tommel felt it hammer in his chest. He knew how to protect her, and he knew how to fuck her, but panic rose in his throat when he thought about giving her more. It still felt too dangerous to open his heart to anyone, especially to an alien female who was planning to leave his planet as soon as she could.

  He put a hand over hers to stop its movement on his chest, patting it brusquely and standing. He tugged his pants up without meeting her eyes. “I should let you sleep.”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  He paused at the tent flaps, but did not look back. “We have a long journey tomorrow. We should both be rested.”

  He strode out of the tent, the cool, evening air hitting him in the face as the tent flaps fluttered closed behind him, and he heard Bexli cursing.

  It was the best thing for both of them, he told himself as he balled his hands into fists and stalked away from her tent.

  Ten

  She should definitely shift into a giant Carpithian blood beetle and tear his head off, she thought, as she watched him walk out of the tent without looking back.

  “Motherfucker,” Bexli whispered.

  She may not have been known for being great at relationships, but even she didn’t walk out on someone right after screwing their brains out. It was plain rude.

  Falling back on the rug, she felt the sand sink under her and puff out around the edges. And what was with the gruff silver fox being so good in bed? That had been a surprise. She’d never expected him to have so much energy. However old he was, he definitely wasn’t too old to fuck like a god.

  She felt a throb between her legs, as she squeezed them together at the memory of his ridges rubbing her clit. She heard the other women whispering about the ridges, but she hadn’t known what exactly they’d meant until now. She would take more of that any day.

  She scowled at the tent flaps. That is, if Tommel hadn’t freaked out and walked out on her. Rolling over, Bexli tried to forget about him and fall asleep.

  It had just been sex, like she’d wanted, right? Isn’t that what she’d said? She’d wanted to screw someone’s brains out, and Tommel had wanted the same. She’d sensed his need to be close to her and to replace the hollow feeling of loss with something real.

  And that was what they’d done—in a big way. Her cheeks warmed at the realization that half the desert had probably heard them working out their issues on each other. At the very least, Caro and Rukken had gotten an earful. Not even Caro could sleep through all that screaming.

  She groaned. It would be so awkward in the morning when they all had to pretend nothing had happened. What was even worse was that Tommel was probably going to be back to his usual gruff, overprotective self. If he attempted to treat her like a child after he’d practically impaled her with his cock, Bexli was going to kill him.

  She’d proven that she wasn’t some fragile thing, but she knew he still didn’t see her that way. For some reason, the Dothvek was convinced she was his to protect, and she suspected that fucking her wasn’t going to make him feel less possessive. She didn’t know if she could handle him going full barbarian on her.

  Bexli tossed and turned for a while longer before she sat bolt upright. “Screw this.”

  She located her shirt then groped around for her pants. After a little more fumbling, she found her pack and shoved both inside. She didn’t need to wear anything at the moment, but she’d need them later. She checked to make sure she had a steel bottle of water and a ration pack—necessities she always kept in her go bag—b
efore hooking both straps over her shoulders.

  Bexli felt a little guilty about leaving in the middle of the night, but not because of Tommel. She felt bad for leaving Caro without an explanation. She knew it wouldn’t take her crew mate long to figure out that she’d gone on ahead, since that was her usual role in the group. Since she and Pog could shift into other creatures—faster creatures—they usually ran ahead. This was no different. She was going ahead because she could make better time on the sands as either a jebel or a sand lizard. Probably a sand lizard, she thought, remembering that jebels had wattles that were unflattering and jiggled as she ran. She might not be the vainest girl in the world, but no one liked to feel their chins swinging.

  Although this time, she was also running from something. To be fair, he’d run away first. She was only increasing the distance.

  Tommel had run out so fast he’d probably be grateful to know she was gone, Bexli thought, giving herself a grim chuckle. If he could have shifted, he’d most likely have turned into a Telexian panther—the fastest animal ever clocked—and dashed out of the tent.

  Bexli didn’t blame him. Not really. She’d freaked him out by saying she liked him. If she’d kept things distant and hostile, their usual MO, he might not have run. But, she had said it and he had run away, proving to her that she wasn’t ready to get close to anyone again. Especially not someone who was so skittish.

  She gave the tent a quick scan—making sure she had everything in her pack—before peeking outside. She held her breath, almost afraid Tommel would be sleeping outside or standing guard. It might be tricky to explain why she was completely naked with a pack on her back. When she didn’t see his familiar large frame, she let out a breath of both relief and disappointment.

  She stepped out of the tent, being careful not to let the flaps slap behind her. Shivering, she rubbed her bare arms briskly, feeling the goosebumps prickling her skin. It was simpler to shift if she wasn’t wearing any clothes, but the less time she was standing completely naked out in the open, the better.