Miners of Djaromir: Matrix

by Leora Gonzales

  She was emotionally exhausted and had literally no fucks to give when it came to any bully, much less the one in front of her.

  “What? Did your retarded friend cause another accident?” Tabitha asked mockingly, narrowing her eyes on Rue, her obvious target. “Serves you right for defending her fat ass when everyone knows she should have been sent back. I mean these guys are desperate but not that desperate.”

  “Who are—”

  Rue stopped Matrix’s question with a pat on his chest where her hand had been resting against the tense muscles. She’d really hoped to avoid the awful woman, but that wasn’t an option any longer. Not only had she used the r-word—which was totally unacceptable—but she was also in the process of eyeing Matrix up and down like he was a prime cut of man meat. Something that, as far as she was concerned, was also unacceptable.

  “Well, Lucy can’t say I didn’t at least try, right?” Rue mumbled to herself as she pulled out her hoops and slid them around her wrist as a makeshift bracelet.

  “What are you babbling about?” Tabitha asked snarkily, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

  “Can you put me down for a sec?” she asked Matrix, ignoring Tabitha where she was stamping her foot in irritation.

  He nodded but looked concerned as he followed her request. “Veruca—”

  “I got this, babe.” Rue turned around in time to see the look of disbelief on Tabitha’s face as she began to connect the dots between Matrix and Rue.

  “No way,” Tabitha breathed, looking around Rue to get the full picture Matrix presented behind her.

  Rue leaned out of the way a bit to give Tabitha a glimpse at the full picture, from the tips of his big boots all the way up his leather-clad body to his gorgeous face only made that much more scrumptious by the wicked scar that resembled a bolt of lightning through his beard.

  Licking her lips, she tried to hold back the shiver that worked its way down her spine but was unable to tamp it down.

  Her man was fucking hot.

  Tabitha’s mouth fell open as she looked him up and down, her gaze lingering longer than Rue liked. The tinge of jealousy that Rue felt was surprising, considering it was something she hadn’t dealt with before regarding a man.

  Shoes and purses? Yes. Dudes? Never.

  “You’re one of the lords here, aren’t you?” Tabitha asked, her voice breathy as if she were trying to pull off Marilyn Monroe but instead sounded like she had asthma. “All big and muscled and ….” Leaning forward, she blinked her overly mascaraed eyelashes. “We haven’t been introduced. You are?”

  Rue had been trying to keep her amusement to herself but was pushed over the edge when she saw Tabitha adjust her cleavage literally as she was asking Matrix the question. Not that she had to worry about Matrix being dazzled by a push-up bra and a perfectly veneered smile.

  Matrix frowned at Tabitha and moved closer until he was directly behind Rue. When his hands fell to her hips in what she considered a clear sign of his allegiance, Rue barely stopped herself from doing a fist pump. Instead, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath to center herself, pretending as if every single high school dream she’d ever had about the popular boy choosing her over the head cheerleader hadn’t just played out in real life.

  It took her a minute, considering how ridiculously hot Matrix was as he towered over her and practically everyone else in the vicinity. There was something about his size that sent shivers up and down her spine every time she had to look up at the gorgeous man. It made her feel dainty and protected. Something she’d never thought would make her panties wet, but Matrix proved her wrong.

  If they weren’t in the middle of a crowded dining hall, Rue would climb Matrix like a tree. Unfortunately for her, they weren’t, so she’d have to hold off her inner hussy craving for her to jump in his arms and command him to take the fastest route to someplace private. Not even a minute ago she was giddy at the idea of rubbing her warlord in Tabitha’s face, and maybe punch her in the face for looking, but now Rue just wanted—no needed—to get him alone.

  “This is Matrix, Warlord of Gunninng, and we were just leaving, actually…” she trailed off as she looked longingly at the door far behind the annoying woman.

  “Warlord, huh?” Tabitha gushed, holding her position before them. Her hand fluttered as she gave Matrix a dainty wave with her fingers.

  Rue barely managed to keep from rolling her eyes as she watched Tabitha fall into the flirtatious, femme-fatale role she loved to put on around the men. She fluttered her eye lashes, tossed her hair, and ran her hands over her hips as if smoothing out the skintight dress she was wearing.

  “Well, aren’t you just—”

  “Nope,” Rue interrupted with a shake of her head, unable to let the woman delay from her what she no longer had the strength to fight. “Sorry, Tabs. We don’t have time for whatever this” –Rue motioned between them— “is. We were on our way to our apartments for some alone time, if ya know what I mean.”

  Rue couldn’t help the little dig that popped out of her mouth and felt a teensy bit guilty for gloating as Tabitha’s mouth dropped open. She knew it was immature, but after Tabitha being such a pain in the ass for so long, Rue couldn’t easily shake it off. She knew exactly what the other woman was thinking and relished every speck of disbelief and outrage on Tabitha’s mean little rat-face.

  “He’s with you?” Tabitha asked, her voice raising an octave at the end. “But—but—how—why…”

  “I’m hers and she’s mine and we have things to do, so good-bye.” Matrix didn’t wait for Tabitha to get her shit together before he hustled Rue through the Djaromir who had stopped to listen to the interaction.

  They were almost to the doors when Rue dug her heels into the floor to slow him down.

  “Wait!”

  “What?” he asked with a huff, spinning around until they were chest to chest.

  Rue gulped, her mind blank as she stood with her nose only inches from the hard chest that she wanted nothing more than to rub her hands all over—and maybe lick. Okay, she admitted. She totally wanted to lick him.

  She shivered as the mere idea of licking the chest in front of her did crazy things to her insides. As if he could sense her unsteadiness, Matrix cupped her hip to hold her steady as she swayed forward.

  Close enough to catch his delicious scent.

  “Hmmm,” she hummed, pulling in a deep whiff of the musk she couldn’t seem to get enough of. She couldn’t really even describe exactly how it made her feel, except that she wanted to roll in it…literally.

  “Veruca?”

  “What?” Rue leaned into him, taking advantage of the tempting strength he offered. Her hands flattened on his pecs as she stared up at him.

  She loved how big and solid he was, his shoulders blocking out the world when he cuddled her close. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him to pick her up, but she kept the words at bay—barely. She didn’t want him to think her needy. She wasn’t super knowledgeable about relationships, but that was something men hated, right?

  Matrix bent forward, his lips barely brushing hers, even though she was up on her tippy-toes trying to reach him.

  “Enough,” he groaned, his hands tightening on her hips to pick her up.

  “Where are we going?” she asked, automatically wrapping her legs around his lean hips.

  “Back to our apartment,” he answered, smacking her on the ass.

  “But I wanted to—” Rue pointed over his shoulder to where Tabitha was still standing, watching them in disbelief.

  “Hit that woman?” he asked, chuckling when Rue’s mouth dropped open. “I know, I could tell.”

  “But—how?” she sputtered, trying to think of how she’d given herself away.

  “The minute you asked me to put you down, I knew what your intentions were. You’d pulled the decorations from your ears and had balled your tiny hands into fists. You were preparing yourself to attack.”

  “Oh,” she said, surprised that
he’d noticed those small details.

  “Plus, I had already heard all about the rivalry you have with that female from Colby. He was surprised you hadn’t already been involved in a physical altercation with her.”

  “What?! That damn Colby,” Rue hissed, declining to mention the fact that she had already tussled with Tabitha before they’d even arrived.

  “Don’t be angry at him. It was part of the report he turned in after the first day.” Matrix chuckled, his stomach muscles tightening against her core with the action.

  “Wait,” she interrupted, trying her damndest to ignore the feel of him vibrating against the crotch of her thin leggings. “You knew about me from the first day?”

  He shook his head. “I knew of you from Colby initially. Sparx also mentioned you in passing, but that wasn’t until after he claimed Lucy. I didn’t know you until you walked into the command center earlier today.”

  Veruca snorted. “You still don’t know me, big guy.”

  Matrix gave her a snort of his own. “You may think I don’t know you, and honestly, you’re partially correct. There are items from your past that I won’t know until you’re comfortable enough to share them with me. I may not know what your favorite food is or stories about your childhood, but, Veruca…” Matrix paused, watching her face closely. “I know you on a level you’re not ready to acknowledge yet. Don’t worry though, I understand your reservations. Up until a few days ago, you believed mating wasn’t real. Unlike you, I grew up hearing tales of how it feels and what a blessing it is to find a mate. It is something that I used to only dream about happening since I was old enough to understand what mating was. It still doesn’t feel real, no matter how often I touch you to prove to myself you’re not a figment of my imagination. The first time I saw you, I thought you were a mirage.” His hands tightened on her ass as if to remind himself she was truly there.

  She knew that’s what he was doing because she felt like doing the same thing. “It does feels like this is a dream,” she confessed, her heart pounding at the mix of emotions she was feeling.

  “This is real, Veruca.” Matrix hiked her up on his hips, hugging her tight. “All of this is real, I promise you. I felt the link between us the moment I saw you. I couldn’t ignore it then, and now that I’ve had you in my arms, I can’t imagine you out of them. My soul recognizes yours, my obsession. You may not feel the link between us yet, but give it time. The strands that tether us together are growing stronger with every second that passes.”

  “It just seems so crazy,” she began, panicked at the idea of this thing between them. She wasn’t ready to admit yet that everything he’d said was also how she felt. All he had to do was look at her and she felt like she didn’t have control over her body. For someone like Rue, who loved to have a handle on everything she touched, a situation like this scared the ever-loving fuck out of her.

  “I know that you’re strong and loyal to those you love but don’t let many close. I know that you are incredibly passionate—more passionate than I think you even realized, and it scares you a little to feel that passion with me.” When her breath caught in her chest, he stopped and dropped a tiny kiss on her forehead.

  “It scares me too, my obsession,” he admitted in a rush. “I’m scared that you’re going to look at the life I offer and find it lacking. I fear that one day you’ll look upon my damaged face and not be able to see past the scar. I’m worried that life on Djaromir is too dangerous and for your own good, I should let you go back to Earth, but I can’t. No matter how scary this is, it is also meant to be. You are everything I need. Let me be everything you need.”

  Seeking to soothe the gentle giant, Rue stroked his chest as he carried her. He’d managed to do something many had tried to do but failed—he’d made her speechless.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Matrix wondered what was going through his mate’s head as she mumbled to herself, which he’d noticed was something she seemed to do often. Yet he stayed silent, knowing his little female was working something out in her head, and he wanted to give he the time she needed.

  This was the reason he’d taken her to the dining hall earlier. He could tell she was trying to work something out, and knew that if they remained in the apartment, thinking would be the last thing to happen. His obsession was too damn tempting.

  Now, he worried he’d broken her by laying it all out as he had. Was it too much? Should he have waited? Slowed things down? Was that even an option?

  “Okay, executive decision,” she announced, surprising him as she propped her chin on his shoulder.

  Remaining silent, Matrix gave her ass a little squeeze to let her know he’d heard. Since he didn’t quite understand the human expression, he figured it was his best option.

  “I’m going all in,” she declared, biting at her lip.

  “I don’t understand,” he admitted, giving her a quizzical look as she seemed to study him, waiting for his reaction.

  “Oh,” she said, and her smile fell just a bit. “I’m going to give this…thing that we have between us, a go.” She waved her hand between the two of them, and he thought he understood.

  “A go?” he echoed, stunned that she’d agree to give them a chance so quickly. “But earlier…”

  “Are you trying change my mind?” she asked incredulously.

  “No!” Matrix rushed out in a huff, sounding more like a shout than anything. With a deep breath, he looked into her eyes. “I mean. No, of course not,” he assured in a much calmer voice. The last thing he wished was to startle her into changing her mind. “I was just…surprised. You seemed so resistant to admit the bond between us that I had not expected for you to make up your mind so quickly.” He hugged her close, dropping his nose into the curls tumbling around her. “Of course, I want you to be certain of your decision, never feeling trapped, but I’m not letting you take those words back. You’re mine now.”

  “And you’re mine,” she shot back with a pinch to his side where her arms wrapped around him.

  “Prove it,” Matrix growled, unable to resist goading her as he let her slide down his body until her feet touched the ground.

  Once she was safely standing on her own, he stepped back and took in the gorgeous sight of his mate. Her long, curly chocolate locks fell in riotous curls around her face and past her shoulders, and the gold hoops in her ears caught the light every few seconds. Veruca leaned back against the door seductively and braced herself. The pose drew his eyes directly to the round breasts taunting him as she breathed deep.

  Looking at her was enough to bring him to his knees.

  “C’mere,” she ordered with a crook of her finger as she leaned against the door to her rooms.

  Matrix couldn’t resist the call of his mate as she beckoned him forward with a sexy look on her face.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, her jaw dropping open as he dropped to his knees in front of her in the tunnel hallway. Veruca looked around nervously.

  Matrix answered by crawling forward slowly, stalking toward her until he knelt directly before her, face-level with her core, and breathed in deep.

  “You smell delicious, my obsession.”

  “Obsession?” Veruca repeated inquisitively.

  “You’re my everything,” he explained, looking up at her as he nuzzled the apex of her thighs.

  “Ummm,” she whined, looking about nervously.

  “What is it, Veruca?” he asked, burying his face deep within cradle of her thighs as she gripped his hair in her fists—not pulling him closer, nor pushing him away, just holding onto him as tight as possible.

  “Shouldn’t we take this inside?”

  Matrix grinned wickedly at her obvious worry, which made him wonder how she’d view some of the older traditions of Djaromir, traditions that had faded away once the lack of mates had become their normal.

  “I don’t wish to embarrass my mate,” he agreed as he reached around her to move the lever that would open the door to her rooms. “How
ever, remind me to tell you about some of our older traditions.”

  Veruca backed up with a giggle, Matrix following her on his knees playfully.

  “You’ve already shown me your marking,” she pointed out with a grin as she pulled the neckline of her shirt low enough to flash him the hickey he’d sucked upon her skin earlier. “What other stuff did I miss when I skipped that textbook that ya’ll pawned off as a flyer?”

  “Oh,” Matrix said with a dark chuckle. “This wouldn’t have been included in that briefing. Our culture has some traditions from long ago kept protected deep within the tunnels of Gunninng.”

  “Really?” she asked, obviously intrigued as he teased her with tempting bits of information.

  “Really,” he answered. “Since it’s not something that is practiced any longer though…”

  “What is it?” she asked, tipping back his head, using his hair as a handhold.

  “You truly want to know?” he asked, resting his chin against the top of her mound as he continued to tease her.

  Her fingers tightened in his hair, a silent threat, but one he understood.

  “My spicy obsession doesn’t need words to get her point across, does she?” he asked with a wink.

  “No, she doesn’t,” Veruca agreed with a crooked grin, her fingers now massaging the back of his skull.

  “As long as you don’t stop, I will tell you whatever you want,” he groaned, his forehead dropping forward as he gave in to the pleasure of his mate stroking his scalp.

  “How about this? I’ll keep touching you, as long as you keep talking,” she bargained. “Deal?”

  “Deal,” he said quickly, smiling into the lush flesh of her thighs.

  “Maybe we should move to somewhere a little more comfortable?”

  At the suggestion, Matrix looked up and noted his mate’s flushed cheeks. Between her blush and the hard tips of her nipples, which seemed ready to break through her shirt, he didn’t need to feel her desire through their developing emotional link to know how to proceed.

  His mate needed not only her curiosity satisfied, but also a satisfaction of a more carnal nature.