Claim

by Tana Stone

  “I need to find food.” He looked from her to the mouth of the cave that was partially covered by a boulder.

  “Now?” She sat on the floor, her ass bare and her knees spread slightly. Her pants still lay in a heap to one side, evidence of their hurried mating.

  Tommel saw wetness between her thighs, and knew his seed was mixed in with her slick arousal. The sight almost made his knees go weak. “Now. You need sustenance to regain your strength.” Before she could protest that she had plenty of strength, he added. “So does the child.”

  She fumbled for her pants. “I’ll come with you.”

  “No,” he said, more forcefully than he’d intended. “I need you to stay here. I need to know you’re safe.”

  She rolled her eyes as she stood and pulled on her pants, hopping on one leg as she yanked her other foot through. “I thought I’d convinced you I’m not some delicate flower.”

  Tommel closed the distance between them in a single, long stride. He cupped her face in his hand. “Please, Bexli. Do this for me.”

  She looked startled by his fast movements and the urgency in his words. She met his eyes, and something softened behind hers. “Fine. But just this once, and only because I’m still coming off an orgasm high.”

  He tried not to grin, although he was pleased he had given her pleasure. “If that is what it takes to make you obey, I would have fucked you much sooner.”

  She slapped at his arm. “First of all, I’m not obeying. I’m doing this as a favor. And second of all, I warned you that if you talked like that I’d have to jump you again.”

  His cock throbbed at the thought, even though he knew he could not give in to his desire. He was right. He needed some space from the female and the power she had over him. He cleared his throat and stepped away from her. “I will be back very soon. Do not leave the cave.”

  She gave him a withering look. “I told you I wouldn’t. Now, go before the sight of you in nothing but those leather pants gets me going again.”

  He glanced down at his pants, which was what he always wore, confused as to why they would excite her, but he did not want to stay longer and ask. He hurried out of the cave, glancing back at her and feeling a twinge of longing. When he stepped around the heavy boulder hiding the entrance, he breathed in greedy lungfuls of air, grateful for the scent of sand and the hint of warmth.

  Tommel peered over the sands that stretched away from the rock shelf in rolling golden waves. The suns rose far on the horizon, tentative rays reaching across the dunes and reminding him how far he’d run with her in his arms.

  He’d made it to the mountains, but only to the edge. They still had a long journey to cross through them and reach the other side and, hopefully, the spaceship. A journey he had to make with an apparently insatiable female carrying his baby, who had no intention of being his mate. He fisted his hands by his side. As much as he wanted to shield his heart, he did not know if it could withstand this.

  Eighteen

  Bexli watched Tommel leave the cave, then scraped a hand through her hair. What was wrong with her? Had she just told the Dothvek that she wanted to screw his brains out again?

  “Get a hold of yourself,” she whispered out loud, the soft sound magnified by the cave’s curved walls. The poor guy had looked terrified, and she knew he was probably confused as hell. One minute, she was telling him she wanted to get as far away from him as she could, and the next she was climbing him like a tree. She hadn’t even cared when he’d made her say she was his while he’d fucked her brains out. In that moment, she had been his.

  She knew it was her overactive hormones, but she’d never wanted a guy as much as she’d wanted him. And she’d never been fucked as thoroughly before. Her nipples hardened just thinking about his huge cock filling her. Could she really give that up so easily?

  It wasn’t like she didn’t have good reasons to want to leave. This wasn’t her planet, and she’d never intended to stay. Not only that, but the Dothvek had a way of getting underneath her skin. Pretty much the only time she didn’t want to kill him was when he was inside her. Her skin warmed at the thought of his hard, ridged cock. Damn, if he didn’t feel amazing inside her.

  Bexli stomped over to where her pack sat crumpled by the wall. At least Tommel had brought it with them when he’d carried her to the cave. She paused as she glanced down at herself. And he’d dressed her, then, too.

  She couldn’t help smiling at that. Despite him being an overprotective jerk, he definitely had a sweet side. And a hot as hell side, she reminded herself, then just as quickly reminded herself to stop thinking about how much he turned her on.

  Picking up the pack, she rummaged through it. Her rations were still shoved into the bottom, although she didn’t want to touch those unless she absolutely had to. Her fingers scraped against the cool metal of the water canister, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Sex had made her thirsty.

  She screwed off the top and tipped it back into her mouth, almost moaning as the crisp water hit her throat. She drank a few big gulps before stopping, even though she could have easily finished the entire thing. She should save some for Tommel, especially if he was out finding food for her. The big guy might irritate the hell out of her, but she didn’t want him to keel over. Plus, she needed him to keep his strength up if her sex cravings continued.

  What is wrong with you, Bex? she thought, then answered her own question. She was pregnant with an alien barbarian’s baby, that was what was wrong.

  She had never planned to be a mother, or even to have a long-term boyfriend. Now, she had a baby on the way and a very possessive baby daddy who was not going to be easy to shake. Especially if she couldn’t keep her hands off him.

  She dropped the water canister back in her pack and sank down on the floor, leaning her back against the wall. She clearly needed a new plan, because what she was doing wasn’t working. She couldn’t keep sending the guy mixed signals. She might not be an expert in relationships, but even she knew that wasn’t cool.

  “So, no more sex,” she told herself, in a forceful voice.

  Even as she said it, her skin prickled with desire. “Okay, stop it. You’re still sore from the last time.”

  If she couldn’t stop thinking about Tommel, they’d never make it to the spaceship and rescue her friends. That thought was like a bucket of water being poured over her head. She cared about her crew way more than she cared about getting off. She imagined her friends being held prisoner by the Cresteks, and her resolve hardened. She could easily restrain herself if it meant they found her friends faster.

  Now that she’d steeled herself, she was impatient to get moving. She didn’t know how long she’d been sleeping or if Caro and Rukken had been able to catch up to them yet.

  “And I won’t know if I stay in this cave,” she muttered to herself. Bexli knew she’d promised Tommel she wouldn’t leave, but poking her head out wasn’t the same thing as leaving, right? She didn’t have any plans to run off, but she needed to see where they were, and what time of day it was.

  She stood and walked to the cave opening, peeking her head around the edge of the huge boulder that had been rolled almost entirely in front. She didn’t know what she’d expected, but she hadn’t thought she’d be looking out over the desert. Craning her head around, she saw that their cave was at the very beginning of the mountain ridge.

  That was good and bad. Good, because she could see if Caro and Rukken were approaching, and bad because that meant they still had a long way to go to reach the other side, where she was convinced the Cresteks had taken the ship. And where was Tommel? She couldn’t see him anywhere. Or hear him, although the Dothveks were known for being pretty stealthy.

  She squinted across the sand dunes, seeing no sign of Caro and her new boyfriend. Maybe they’d already made it to the mountain range and had gone right past them. Impatience stirred in the back of her mind. Bexli had never been great at waiting.

  She went back inside the cave and started to p
ace. How much longer would she have to stay by herself in the cave before Tommel returned? His hunting trip wasn’t an all-day affair, was it? She’d seen Dothveks leave to hunt on the sands and be gone for hours. No way could she wait that long without losing her mind.

  Maybe she could leave a note, she thought, although she didn’t have any paper. She eyed the cave walls. She could always write on those, although she didn’t write Dothvek, and he couldn’t read Lycithian. Just as she decided that she’d go out for a little bit and look for him, Bexli heard a noise.

  She ceased her pacing, both thrilled that Tommel had returned, and ready to give him a piece of her mind for leaving her when they should be making time through the mountains. Before she could open her mouth, she realized that the sounds were not being made by one person, and they certainly weren’t being made by the nearly silent footfall of a Dothvek.

  Her pulse quickened as she thought about who it could be. The sounds grew louder and more confusing—scuffling and grunting. Her heart hammered as she looked around the cave for something to use as a weapon, her gaze settling on her pack and remembering the hard, metal, water canister. She scooped it up and ran on tiptoes to the wall by the entrance, flattening herself against it and holding the pack over her head. If a Crestek came inside, she could take him out with a well-timed swing before he could even notice her.

  A low braying noise made her startle. Was that a jebel? As far as she knew, Cresteks didn’t use jebels. Only Dothveks. The fast-paced, muffled chattering that followed almost made her weep, and she dropped her pack to the floor with a thud. The voice stopped at the sound, but soon a huge figure crowded the narrow entrance to the cave.

  Bexli smiled up at him. She never thought she would be happy to see the exiled Dothvek who’d kidnapped her friend, Caro. “Hey, Rukken. Fancy meeting you here.”

  He cocked an eyebrow at her, but he was pushed aside as Caro barreled into the cave. Within moments, the pilot had thrown her arms around her.

  “We didn’t know what had happened to you,” Caro said. “I had a few guesses, but we didn’t know for sure, and then Tommel rode off to find you and we’ve been searching for you ever since.” She pulled back and sucked in a breath, as she held Bexli at arm’s length, looking her up and down. “Are you okay?”

  Bexli laughed, her voice cracking. “I’m fine. I’m glad it was you and not some Crestek.”

  Caro’s gazed scanned the inside of the dim cave. “Where’s Tommel? Did he not find you?”

  “He found me. We ran into a little trouble with a burjal.”

  “A what?” Caro asked as Rukken’s eyes widened.

  “Like a giant scorpion,” Bexli said.

  Caro slapped a hand over her mouth. “Is he…?”

  “He’s fine. He went to get food.”

  Rukken grunted from the doorway. “I should go look for him.”

  “No need.” Tommel’s voice was a rumble behind Rukken.

  Relief coursed through Bexli as he stepped inside next to Rukken. “I’m glad you’re back. We need to get moving. We still have a long way to go to get through these mountains.”

  “After you eat.” Tommel held out a long, pink-skinned fruit. He squatted on the floor and began to peel it.

  “I don’t need to eat,” Bexli said. “What I need to do is find my friends.”

  “You need food.” Tommel shot her a warning look.

  Bexli glared back, but felt the stirrings of desire as they argued. “I said I’m fine.”

  Caro’s gaze was ping-ponging between the two. “If Bex says she isn’t hungry, she’s probably not hungry. She can go for a while without food. It’s one of the cool things about Lycithians.”

  “Perhaps.” Tommel did not look up. “But she has never been pregnant before.”

  The cave went silent, and Caro’s head snapped to Bexli. “Say what?”

  Bexli’s desire to fuck Tommel was all but obliterated by her overwhelming need to kill him.

  Nineteen

  Tommel tried to ignore Bexli shooting daggers at him, but it was difficult since he could also feel the anger radiating off her. He suspected it wasn’t only their growing connection. Everyone in the cave could tell she was livid. He kept his eyes on the fruit he was peeling until he could no longer.

  When he finally looked up, Rukken was staring at him with a mixture of surprise and amusement. “And you are the father?”

  “Yes.” Tommel could not help bristling as the former exile’s eyebrows shot skyward. He knew he was not the youngest Dothvek around, but he was fully able to father a child.

  “I knew you two…” Caro started to say, her voice unnaturally high. “I didn’t know you’d done it so much that you’d gotten pregnant, Bex.”

  “It only takes one time.” Bexli’s tone was clipped.

  Tommel glanced up to meet her gaze and cocked an eyebrow at her. Her cheeks flushed at the obvious reminder that there had been more than one time and there would have been more if he had not left the cave for food.

  Bexli looked away from him with a huff. “My pregnancy is not what we need to be talking about.”

  “Really?” Caro crossed her arms over her chest. “Because it’s the most interesting bit of news I’ve heard in a long time. How can you even be sure you’re pregnant?” Caro’s mouth fell open. “Unless you two have been doing it for way longer than I thought.”

  Bexli put her hands on her hips. “We haven’t. Lycithians start showing signs very early on. Like hours after. That’s how I know I’m pregnant.”

  Caro relaxed her stance, but looked down at her friend’s flat stomach, as if a bump might pop out at any moment. “What kind of signs?”

  Bexli shrugged, not meeting Caro’s eyes.

  “She cannot shift.” Tommel looked up from peeling the fruit.

  Caro’s mouth dangled open, and she swung her head to face Bexli. “Is that true, Bex?”

  “Yes, but it’s not like it’s permanent. As soon as the baby is born, I’ll be able to shift like I used to.”

  “So, you’re keeping the baby then,” Caro said, her voice low then getting louder as she beamed at her crew mate. “I mean, of course you are. Holy shit, Bexli, you’re having a baby. I can’t believe it.”

  Bexli rolled her eyes as Caro threw her arms around her again, but she eventually smiled and returned the hug. “I guess I am.”

  Caro stepped back and looked her up and down. “Honestly, I did not think you would be the first one of us to get knocked up. Actually, I didn’t imagine you’d ever have a kid.”

  “That makes two of us,” Bexli muttered. “But I am, so I’m going to have to get used to the idea, and figure out how to work around it.”

  Tommel stood, handing the peeled fruit—its firm insides bright-orange and dotted with black—to Bexli. “What do you mean work around it?”

  She eyed the fruit but did not take it. “I still belong to a bounty-hunting crew, which means I still have a job to do. I’ll just need to figure out how to help bring in bounties without being able to shift for a while.”

  “Bounty hunters capture criminals, do they not?” Tommel asked, frowning at her.

  Bexli returned his scowl. “Yes.”

  “Except for Max,” Caro added. “She wasn’t a criminal, and she was probably the easiest bounty we’ve ever captured.”

  Tommel’s pulse quickened as he imagined the types of unsavory, violent aliens Bexli could encounter. “It is unsafe to capture criminals while you are carrying a child.” He did not add that he did not approve of the idea of her going after criminals even if she was not carrying his child.

  “I can’t stop working,” Bexli said. “I’m a part of a crew, and everyone pulls their weight.”

  “I mean, yes.” Caro bobbled her head. “But I’m sure Danica would make an exception since you’re—“

  Bexli held up a hand to cut her off, and Caro clamped her mouth shut as the Lycithian turned her gaze on him. “Being pregnant doesn’t make me an invalid. I thought I
proved to you that I wasn’t some fragile creature you could break.”

  Tommel’s face heated at the memory of pressing her against the rock wall and pounding into her. “That was…I never should have…I cannot allow you to take chances with my child.”

  Caro drew in a sharp breath, and Bexli’s cheeks turned a violent shade of red.

  “Your child?” Bexli asked, her voice so low he could barely make out the words.

  Caro grabbed Rukken by the hand, and tugged him toward the cave’s entrance. “We’ll give you two some privacy.”

  “I meant our child.” Tommel’s heart still raced, but his mouth went dry at the sight of Bexli advancing on him. Even though she was a fraction of his size, she looked like she wanted to rip him in two.

  “Let’s get one thing straight.” Bexli jabbed a finger into Tommel’s bare chest. “You may have had an equal part in making this baby, and you may be a really great fuck, but that does not give you any right to tell me what I can and can’t do. Are we clear?”

  Tommel gazed down at her flashing eyes and her heaving chest, and couldn’t help thinking that she was gorgeous when she was mad. It was a good thing for him, since she seemed to spend a lot of time furious at him.

  He knew enough about her by now to know that he was not going to be able to change her mind. The female was the most stubborn and independent one he’d ever met. If she wasn’t going to keep herself and the child safe, he would have to do it himself. Guarding her every move from now until the baby was born was something he would gladly do, if it meant he could keep them both safe.

  “We are clear,” he told her. “As long as you understand that I am not going anywhere. You are mine, this baby is mine, and your perfect little body is mine, whether you want to admit it or not.”

  Her gaze heated and drifted from his eyes to his lips. Her pupils darkened, and she licked her own bottom lip before letting out a small moan, grabbing the fruit from his hand, and stalking out of the cave.