by S. E. Smith
Vox realized that every warrior on the bridge had stopped what they were doing and were listening in fascination to their conversation. He stepped closer to Riley and gripped her arm, tugging her into the conference room, making sure the door was closed before he said anything else. He saw the genuine fear in her eyes, as well as the determination.
“I would never let anything happen to you,” Vox said as he ran his thumbs back and forth over her arm where he was holding her. He hid the grin as he felt her body react immediately to his touch.
“You can’t know for sure. Look what you did to the jacket Tina gave me! That could have been me instead,” she insisted looking up into his brilliant tawny eyes. “In every movie I’ve ever seen something bad always happens to everyone but the lead characters. Hell, even some of the romance books I read do the same thing! If you can rip up not one but two of my jackets by mistake how do I know you won’t accidently do the same thing to me one day?”
Vox let out an exasperated sigh. “Nothing is going to happen to you! This is not some entertainment holovid, Riley. Accept that Viper is going to bring your family here and I promise to never kill another one of your jackets ever again,” he growled out in frustration before he turned around to patch into the conference call with Creon, Ha’ven, and Adalard.
Damn it! Riley thought crossly. How am I supposed to convince him that bringing Pearl and Tina here isn’t a good idea if he refuses to listen to me! God, I can’t even imagine what they would do. Tina …. Riley knew her little sister would not handle being around so many guys very well. A bad incident when Tina was in her last year of high school had made her sister skittish about any of the male species, regardless of whether they were aliens or not. That was what motivated Pearl to move them to San Diego from Los Angeles. Things had changed when Pearl inherited a bar from an old boyfriend who died from liver disease. Tina became the manager, handling all the bookkeeping after she got her online accounting degree. Unfortunately, she became even more reclusive. She refused to leave the office during open hours and never went anywhere without an armed escort, namely Pearl, when they left at night.
Well, if singing was getting through to him, then singing it would be! She decided with a reluctant sigh and broke into her off-key rendition of Ninety-nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall. A girl had to do what a girl had to do.
Vox’s loud groan filled the room as he clenched his fists in a desperate attempt to not wrap them around Riley’s neck. Instead, he opened communications with the Horizon. He was sure if he could kill Raffvin and some of his men he would feel much better.
He saw Ha’ven and Creon on the Horizon and Adalard and Zebulon from the D’stroyer on the display screen. He listened as Adalard explained Mandra had been gravely injured during the attack on his uncle’s base. Bahadur, one of Ha’ven’s generals who had infiltrated Raffvin’s inter-group, explained Raffvin had decided to abandon the base. He ordered it and all the inhabitants he had enslaved to be destroyed. Mandra had made the decision to attack.
“What of Raffvin?” Ha’ven asked his younger brother, Adalard. “Were you able to kill him?”
Vox listened as Zebulon filled him in on the current status of the situation. He was furious Raffvin had slipped through their grasp again and worried about Mandra. He knew how fierce a warrior the huge Valdier was during battle. He was glad his friend would survive. He grimaced when Riley hit a particularly bad note. He suspected it was on purpose. He knew exactly what she was trying to do and it was time he finally let her know one of the reasons why he could not return her. He had a feeling she was not going to be very happy about it considering it was one of the things she kept insisting she was terrified might happen. He ended up cutting the meeting short since there was nothing else that could be done until Raffvin was found. In the meantime, he had a brother to send on a mission, traitors at home to take care, and a mate who was about to find out she was no longer completely human. Out of the three, the first two were going to be much easier than the last he suspected.
*.*.*
Lodar knelt down next to Vox with a fierce frown on his face. Tor stood over to the side with an equally accusing look on his. Vox sat on the floor of the training room where he had brought Riley, looking up at two of his most trusted warriors and closest friends with a pleading expression on his normally impassive face.
“What did you expect!” Lodar growled out in accusation. “She told you she was terrified of something bursting out of her.”
“That she did,” Tor agreed, ignoring Vox’s heated look.
“She said she didn’t want to turn into anything,” Lodar continued. “What part of your plan made you think blurting it out to her and then calling her cat forth was a good idea?”
“I don’t know!” Vox admitted as he ran his hand down protectively over Riley’s still, white face. “I thought if she understood why she couldn’t return to her world she would finally be more – submissive,” he finished a little weakly.
“How can you even think to use the words submissive and Riley in the same sentence?” Tor asked in disbelief.
Vox growled at his chief engineer’s tone. “She would never have believed me otherwise,” he insisted brushing her hair back from her face. He turned to Lodar. “Can’t you do something?”
“She fainted,” Lodar replied drily. “The best thing is to wait for her to come around. I am not sure if you want to be here or not. She might just succeed in killing you this time.”
Vox ran his hand over his face and lowered his head in despair. “You are probably right. Are you sure she is going to be alright?” He asked huskily.
Lodar laid his hand on Vox’s shoulder and gave it a sympathetic squeeze. “It was just a shock to her system. All the scans came back normal. She’ll be fine.”
Vox nodded in relief. “Leave us then. I think it best no one else is here when she wakes.” He looked up at Tor who straightened from where he was leaning against the wall. “Has Viper left yet?”
Tor nodded. “Yes. He was not happy but he is aboard the Horizon on its way to Earth.”
“Good,” Vox replied with a sigh. “Keep me posted on what is going on. I will join you in a few hours. Set our destination for Sarafin. I have some traitors that need to be dealt with,” he said with a hard, cold edge in his voice.
“Good luck, my friend,” Tor said as he smiled gently down at Riley’s face that had a bit more color in it than a few minutes ago. “I have a feeling you are going to need it.”
Lodar laughed as he stood up. “Just make sure she doesn’t have anything hidden on her.”
Vox shuddered when he thought of the two small devices that she was so fond of. He had found them and hidden them in a locked cupboard in their living quarters. He had also gone through the large pink case she had but he couldn’t find any other harmful devices in it. He hadn’t had a chance to check the large bag she was so fond of as she always had it with her.
He looked around the large training room. There were weapons lining the walls on three of the four sides. Perhaps this wasn’t the best place to bring her for her first shift. He knew she was ready for it. His cat was more than ready for his mate and he could sense hers was close to the surface. The last time he made love to her he could see the swirling lines of her cat running along her skin. He could also feel the increased heat of her body against his.
Just the thought was enough to make him hard. His cock swelled as he remembered the brief glimpse he had gotten of Riley in her cat form. She was magnificent! She wasn’t all lean muscle and sleek lines like the females of his world. She was nice and plump, with a rounded stomach that made his cat want to flip her onto her back so he could rub against it. She had been solid white with dark swirling lines of black through her coat and the beautiful blue eyes that made him feel like he was drowning every time he looked into them. Her face was framed by longer white hair that showcased the delicate lines of her face. His cat had gone wild. Unfortunately, Riley had taken one look at her front pa
w and fell over unconscious before he or his cat could do anything. Maybe he should have warned her what was about to happen instead of shifting and calling forth her cat before the door even finished closing all the way.
He glanced down and was surprised to see steady blue eyes gazing up at him in wonder and fear. He gently touched her cheek with a finger, stroking the silky skin. Neither one of them said anything as he sat holding her possessively against his body. He saw the confusion, the questions, and the wonder fighting each other as the magnitude of what happened flickered through her mind.
“Ever since I met you I have made one mistake after another,” Vox admitted in a quiet voice. “I have never felt the emotions that you bring out in me. I have always been in control but with you that control disappears. My body burns for you all the time, Riley. I love listening to you, even when you are singing that Gods awful song. I love watching your eyes flash with fire or laughter. I love how protective and fierce you are for those you care about. I love how you are soft to the touch and the passion in you when I make love to you. Most of all, I love you more than life itself,” Vox finished softly.
Riley blinked up at the most handsome, confusing, and unusual man she had ever met. He had totally turned her life upside down. He confused her with all the emotions he woke inside her when he was near and scared the hell out of her more than she had ever been before because she knew he had the power to break her heart. That was something she had protected ever since her mom took off all those years ago.
“Can you ever forgive me?” Vox whispered with regret. “Can you find it in your heart to at least give me another chance to not mess up?”
A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as warmth filled her. “You love me?” She asked with a sparkle of hope in her eyes.
Vox closed his eyes for a moment before he opened them and sighed heavily. “With every fiber of me and my cat’s being.”
Riley reached up and tugged his mouth down to hers. She kissed him with everything she had inside her. She let all her fear, hope, and love flow into it, showing him everything that she didn’t know how to express. Her lips caressed his, her tongue running along them until he opened to her. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him off balance until he was lying over her.
He pulled back far enough to look down at her. Her eyes were shining brightly and a small smile curved her swollen lips. His eyes searched her face for anger, rejection, horror but he saw none of that. Instead, he saw wonder, acceptance, and – love.
“You love us,” he breathed out.
“I have from the first. I just couldn’t believe I could be the heroine in the story. How could a guy like you want a smart-mouth, maturely figured girl like me? You are one sexy alien, Vox d’Rojah,” Riley admitted. “You could have any girl you wanted,” she added ruefully. “Why would you want me?”
Vox threw back his head and laughed before he looked down at Riley with a huge grin on his face. “I love your smart mouth. I am never bored. Your mature figure is…” A deep purr rumbled from him as he glanced down at her overflowing breasts trying desperately to escape from the top she was wearing and then down to her hips. He rubbed his swollen cock against her and chuckled when she gasped. “You are perfect. You are the only woman I want, Riley St. Claire from Denver, Colorado. You are the only one who can bring my blood to a boil. I would choose you over any other female,” he vowed with a soft, rumbling growl.
Riley licked her bottom lip, moaning with need when her tongue was not the only one licking it. She was startled by the purr that escaped her as Vox’s tongue touched hers, stroking it and her lip at the same time. She drew in a sharp breath as she felt his sharp teeth nip at it, her body arching in response.
“Vox?” She breathed out.
“Yes, my mate,” Vox purred deeply, rubbing his hips back and forth against her.
“Can I … Did I… turn into a cat?” Riley asked hesitantly.
Vox pulled back with a wicked smile on his lips. “Yes, you can and you did. You are a beautiful cat, Riley.”
Riley’s eyes widened in shock before she bit her bottom lip. “Can I do it again?” She asked anxiously.
“Would you like to?” Vox asked cautiously.
Riley thought for a minute before nodding shyly. “Yes…. Yes, I think I would like to try it again very much,” she said determinedly.
“Then come to me my mate,” Vox growled out in a low, gravelly voice that pulled at something deep inside her.
Vox rolled away from Riley, shifting as he did until his massive cat lay watching her intently. Riley felt her body tingling all over before she rolled over as a shimmering light engulfed her. She felt the shift as it flooded her. This time she embraced it. A sense of relief poured through her as she let her cat out.
Yes! Her cat purred. At last!
What the fuck? Riley gasped, startled.
Oh, I plan to do that too, her cat responded with a deep purr.
Riley gaped at her cat. You shameless little hussy.
Not hussy, pussy! Her cat purred turning her back to Vox and flicking her tail back and forth seductively.
Holy shit, Riley breathed as the heat she had experienced burst into a raging inferno.
Her cat stood up and stretched, putting her front paws out in front of her and lowering her head at the same time she rose up on her back legs flicking her tail. A loud rumble filled the training room as Vox watched his mate. The scent of her heat slammed into him like a wave crashing onto the cliffs. A loud snarl burst from him as he crouched and moved into position to pin her. Riley rose up and shook her larger body. White hair shimmered as it rippled back and forth with the movement. Her beautifully sculpted head turned and her lip pulled back just enough for her to flash her teeth in warning. Vox advanced on her slowly, his larger body throbbing with need and desire as his cat watched his mate tease him. She was playing a very dangerous game. He knew she didn’t have a clue as to what she was doing but her cat probably did. That damn tail of hers was practically begging him to snatch her and mount her. A low growl of warning escaped him as she flashed her teeth at him again. Her cat wanted to play hard to get. That was not going to happen. He had caged his own leopard too long to deny it any longer.
Riley turned as Vox charged at her. She swatted at him with her paw but the blow didn’t even faze him as he knocked her over onto her side, pinning her by the neck. She tried to get her back legs up under his belly to throw him off but he growled in a low dangerous tone that froze her. He kept his grip on her neck as he straddled her body with his bigger one. Riley shivered as she felt his thick, heavy cock brush along her belly.
Vox? She breathed nervously.
I won’t hurt you, Riley. Let my cat take his mate. He needs her like I need you, Vox’s low rumble whispered across her mind.
I can speak and understand cat? She asked as she let her head fall back against the padded mat.
Vox coughed out in a deep, gruff sound that tickled the fur near her ear. Riley hissed as he loosened his grip enough for her to roll over. She thought he was going to let her get up but instead the moment she was on her belly, he bit down on her again, placing his two front paws on either side of her shoulders while he pushed her head down closer to the mat. She snarled when his thick cock slid deep into her. He began rocking back and forth, taking her hard. Riley ignored the tearing of the mat as she dug her claws into the padded material. She hissed, arching her back so that he could drive into her even deeper as pleasure and warmth flooded her.
Her body jerked as spasms rocked her world. She let out a loud, wild cry that would have scared her if not for the pleasure sweeping through her in endless waves of ecstasy. A few more strokes and Vox’s loud roar shook the weapons on the wall. The huge male was locked to the smaller female caged under him as his body felt the ultimate release.
Mine! His cat roared over. My mate, my mate, he snarled over and over.
I love you, Riley purred out as her body melted down onto the matting. Ple
ase, don’t ever let me go.
Vox licked the fur around her muzzle gently, cleaning her with his rough tongue. Never, my fierce kitten. Never will I let you go.
Riley closed her eyes as Vox continued to clean her. She barely moved when he wrapped his larger form around her. A sigh escaped her as she settled into a deeper sleep, exhausted after everything that had happened over the past couple of hours. Vox laid his head down gently over her neck. His mind drifted as he thought of how much his life had changed since he first saw his beautiful, buxom mate standing up on the choosing platform giving the Antrox a piece of her mind. He rubbed his head along the still damp fur of her neck where he had held her down and couldn’t help but think he might just have to thank Raffvin before he killed the bastard.
Chapter 19
“Guall’s balls, not again!” Vox cursed as he stormed out of the commander’s conference room and hurried off the bridge after he received a report from Lodar that Riley was loose again. “I am going to chain her ass to my bed as soon as I catch her – again.”
The Shifter was scheduled to dock with the Transfer station in orbit around the planet in a little over an hour and his mate was sashaying her furry little ass up and down the ship. All the males were already about to revolt against him because of her and that was before she learned how to shift into her cat. They were determined to protect her even if it meant from him after he destroyed another one of her jackets by mistake. News had swept through the ship of how he had made her cry. Now, the news was spreading about how gorgeous she was in her cat form and every warrior was doing their damn best to catch a glimpse of her. The last three days had been a nightmare for him. Riley in her two-legged form was enough to drool over. Riley in her four-legged form was enough to cause every hot-blooded male in his prime to become filled with razor-edge sexual frustration. She had no idea just how damn sexy her wider hips, soft plump belly, and flashing tufts of white fur were to a bunch of cat-shifting warriors who had been in space for far too long. Not to mention, she didn’t know how to walk like a damn cat! She pranced everywhere she went, her tail flicking this way and that in innocent invitation to every male she came across.
