by Lili Zander
He chuckles, the sound raw and ragged. “My ego’s not the thing that needs stroking.” He guides my hand down to his cock, his eyes clouded with need. My fingers graze his shaft as he pistons into me.
This is so intimate. We’re joined together. No more chasms. No more distance. Just togetherness.
He presses into me, harder, faster. He’s not gentle, and he’s not soft. I don’t want those things. I don’t want to feel like a fragile, breakable doll. He’s fucking me, rough and fast and hot, and I can’t get enough of it. I wrap my legs around him and meet each stroke.
His fingers find my clitoris. “I can’t,” I gasp. “It’s too much.”
“One more time,” he says persuasively. “Come with me.”
He pins my wrists against the bed. His strokes become wilder, more uneven. He’s slamming into me now, burying himself deep. Sparks fill me. Desire threatens to overflow. His control frays as he nears his release. His fingers coax my clitoris into another orgasm, and he times it perfectly. Just as I shatter, he grips my hips so hard with his fingers that I’m going to have marks, and he climaxes with a grunt of pleasure and my name on his lips.
“That was…” Amazing. Stupendous. Mind-shattering. “…okay.”
He grins lazily. He knows I’m lying. “Just okay?” he drawls, the sexy sound doing all kinds of things to my insides. “That’s a shame. Give me a few minutes, and we’ll try again.”
14
Zeke
Once we are safely in orbit and on our way to Merin, I turn on the news. A couple of pundits are debating if unbitten humans should be allowed to serve as officers in the Imperial Army. “I don’t want to sound condescending,” Ray Kathir, the elderly male vampire says. “But let’s face the facts. Humans aren’t as strong as vampires. They move slower. They think slower.”
His co-host, an elaborately coiffed female vampire that I don’t recognize, nods soberly. “Then there’s the question nobody wants to ask, Ray. Can we really trust humans to be loyal to the Empire of Shayde? To the Empress? I don’t know.”
Racist garbage, disguised as concern. I reach for the controls to click past this nonsense when a breaking news bulletin interrupts me. “Imperial Army defeated in Deina,” the headline blares. “Over five thousand soldiers dead.”
Shock pulses through me. Five thousand. I lean forward to catch the details. They’re sparse, but from what I can understand, five units were sent down to put down the local resistance in Deina, one of the more populous planets in the Uncharted Reaches. On arrival, it turned out that the resistance was much stronger than our intelligence revealed. The units called for backup, but none arrived in time.
Ray Kathir is talking again, his face white. “Five thousand soldiers, slaughtered because of what General Levitan is calling a communication error. Why isn’t the General taking responsibility for his mistake and resigning?”
The woman shakes her head. “This isn’t General Levitan’s fault. He didn’t make the decision to plunge into this war. Empress Astrid did.” She purses her lips. “The Empress comes of age in a few weeks. Is she really ready to rule? Judging by what just happened in Deina…” Her mouth clamps shut.
She’s wise to stop. Already, she’s skating pretty close to treason by implying that Astrid isn’t ready to assume command.
Why the hell hadn’t there been backup? It’s standard Imperial Army protocol that backup units are always on standby, ready to phase-jump into orbit. Why hadn’t they been able to get to Deina in time?
Levitan’s calling it a communication error. Somehow, that doesn’t ring true.
I make my way to the cockpit, where Saber’s manning the controls. “Something happened.” Saber’s been in the center of Shayde politics his entire life. When it comes to political maneuvering and power struggles, his instincts are far better than mine.
I fill him in on Deina, and his face darkens. “Levitan wanted Astrid to fail,” he says. “He’d keep it quiet. Nothing that can be traced back to him. But I wouldn’t put it past him to have sabotaged the Empress.” He shakes his head. “Another assassination attempt on Ragnar too. The timing is suspicious.”
Our priority is Raven. Ragnar has already taken a sample of her blood, but once we get to Merin, we’ll do the same, and then begin the process of freeing her from this damn disease.
Helping Ragnar isn’t part of our plan.
Except the prince unhesitatingly agreed to return the stolen children to their homes. He could have killed Raven, but he let her go. He gave us new identities.
“The backup fleet arrived too late on Deina,” I think out loud. “A miscommunication isn’t the only reason for that to happen. They could have also run out of fuel.”
“Boarium.” Saber’s expression hardens. “Levitan’s been playing this game for a very long time. The disappearance of the boarium convoy at Rothis, the pirate raid a couple of days ago on Boarus 13, and now this…”
“If he’s hoarding boarium, there’ll be more shortages. More units will die if backup units fail to arrive. The pressure will increase on Empress Astrid.”
“And Levitan will suggest he stay on as Regent for a few more years,” Saber spits out in disgust. “As he’s always wanted. Power at all costs. Five thousand of his own troops are dead, and that means nothing to the General.”
I give Saber a sidelong glance. “We can help. Before we were diverted to Boarus 4, I was pretty close to finding Levitan’s cache of boarium. If we worked along with Ragnar…”
Saber thinks about my suggestion for a minute, and then he nods. “Let’s call him.”
Ragnar’s face fills the screen. “Hello, Zeke,” he says conversationally. He turns to Saber. “You thought I’d kill her? Seriously? We went through basic together, Hafsson. What the fuck?”
Saber looks briefly discomfited. “That might have been an error in judgment on my part.”
“You think? And then you stole the Valiant.” He sounds outraged. “That’s my favorite ship.”
“We put scratches on it too.” Saber doesn’t seem to be too perturbed by Ragnar’s reaction. “You’re too old to throw a tantrum, Prince Ragnar. Get over it.”
Ragnar leans back with a grin. “I’ve missed you, Hafsson. Nobody insults me quite the same way.” His smile widens. “Though your girl certainly did her best. If you’re calling about the children, I’m on it. The Ruby Rose is en-route to safer territory. My people have already cracked Gratvar’s infosec. I’ll make sure they are returned home, and if that’s not possible, that we do right by them. You have my word.”
His people have already cracked Gratvar’s systems? Ouch. I thought I was good at what I do.
“That’s not what I was calling about,” Saber replies, gesturing in my direction. “Zeke has an offer for you.”
I push aside my pique and address the prince. “Multiple cargo ships containing boarium have been lost in the last two years,” I start. “I’ve long suspected that Levitan’s behind the thefts.”
Ragnar doesn’t look surprised.
“After Rothis, finding out who was responsible became personal,” I continue. We lost five members of our team in Rothis. It still hurts. “General Levitan was quite happy for Saber to take the fall for losing that cargo, but we’d been ambushed. Someone had leaked intel; the smugglers who stole the boarium knew exactly what we were carrying and what our route was.”
“Harek.” Ragnar turns to Saber. “Why didn’t you come to me?”
“I didn’t want to accuse the General without proof.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Ragnar explodes. “Saber, I know what happened to your grandfather was terrible. It was a travesty of justice. But I thought we were friends. You should have come to me.”
Saber winces. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Okay.” The prince transfers his attention back to me. “Knowing Harek Levitan is behind this doesn’t help me. One more defeat like Deina and the Ruling Council will vote to stop the war.”
“Levitan wo
uldn’t destroy the boarium he stole; it’s far too valuable. He’s got it stored somewhere. I can help you find it.”
Ragnar’s lips tilt up in a slow, speculative smile. “I’ve tried to recruit you for years, Ulrich.”
“Have you?”
He laughs. “Of course. I’ve built the finest spy network in the galaxy. Why wouldn’t I want you? You’re among the best.” He leans forward. “I accept your offer and thank you for it. As soon as you land in Merin, Tomas will get in touch with you.”
Tomas? I put two and two together. “Tomas Cabal, from Boarus 4. Overlord Zimmer’s chosen champion. He was one of yours?”
Ragnar shakes his head ruefully. “Months of work down the drain,” he says. “Zimmer was running out of options. I knew he was conspiring with Harek, but I didn’t know what they were doing. Once Tomas lost that tournament, Zimmer would have run out of options. He would have flipped on Levitan.”
Shit. Zimmer would have been the proof Ragnar needed to depose the General. “Instead, I killed Klaus Zimmer.”
The prince laughs shortly. “Yeah, I saw the surveillance. Nice shooting.”
“You’ve got enough of Raven’s blood to get started on a cure?” Saber asks.
“I think so. You’re still going to Merin, right? I’ll send Ivar Karling there to do a blood transfusion.” He smiles without humor. “I like Raven, but until she’s free of the blood virus, she’s a walking risk. Someone could kidnap her and steal her blood.”
“Someone already did,” I point out wryly.
Ragnar’s teeth flash in a smile. “Valid point.”
Saber frowns. “The assassins that came for you. Were they Levitan?”
“No.” A cold mark settles on Ragnar’s face. “This attack was courtesy Gerra Clay and Patrik Keval. They’re also trying to destabilize Astrid. I’m assuming it’s over her plans to put a human on the Council once she comes of age.”
“Which human?” Saber asks curiously.
I bite back my grin. As much as Saber claims he hates Starra politics, it’s in his blood. For generations, his family has served on the Council. Hafssons have commanded the Imperial Army. You can try to outrun your legacy—Saber certainly has—but in the end, you can’t escape your destiny.
That thought wipes the smile off my face. I’ve spent the last nine years trying to outrun my past. If we can’t surmount our legacies, then I’m fucked.
Ragnar’s saying something. I banish that dark thought to the back of my mind and return my attention to the conversation. “Or there’s Zeke’s friend, Adam Masev,” he says. I stiffen in shock, and he flashes me an amused look. “It really is my job to know everything, Zeke. If Masev can break away from the more violent faction of Equality Pact, he’s a candidate. He’s smart, and he’s rational.”
Something beeps in the background. Ragnar grimaces. “That’s my cue to leave,” he says. “Be careful. Marya Revit is still after you. I’d help, but I’m stretched pretty thin at the moment.”
“I can handle Marya.”
Ragnar raises his eyebrow. “Can you? Very well; I’m not stepping into that land mine again. You know best. Zeke, thank you again for your help. I’ll talk to you when you get to Merin.”
He hangs up. I digest the conversation, then turn to Saber. “What did he mean, he’s not stepping into that land mine again?”
Saber grimaces. “A long time ago, Ragnar told me not to fall in love with Marya. I thought he was being prejudiced against humans. I lost my temper and stormed off.” He looks embarrassed.
Saber doesn’t talk about himself much, and I’ve never heard him talk about the prince except in the most general of terms. But listening to them today, it was obvious that they’ve known each other for a very long time. Is Marya the reason for the distance between them?
“Why do you think he warned you? Because Marya Revit is an assassin?”
“I doubt it; Ragnar admires that about Marya. I think Ragnar saw something that I was blinding myself to. I looked at Marya, and I saw what had been done to her, and I felt sorry for her. I wanted to do right by her.” His lips twist. “Pity is not a good foundation for a relationship.”
“And Raven?”
“What’s been done to Raven is terrible,” he agrees. “But Raven isn’t Marya. She still has the ability to love, to care for people. I don’t pity Raven. I admire her.”
“You should tell her that.”
He raises an eyebrow. “While we’re advocating for honesty,” he says, “So should you. Tell her everything.”
Saber’s parents were good people. So was Nero’s mother. They can’t understand how corrosive it is to be deeply ashamed of your family. How terrifying it is to know that their blood runs in your veins. How watchful I have to be to always do the right thing, because if I slip up, I’ll become my parents. “It’s not that easy.”
“Zeke, I’ve known you for nine years. You’re a good person.” He puts his hand on my shoulder. “You’ve been keeping Raven at a distance.”
He noticed? Of course, he did. “I don’t want to rush her.”
“Raven’s stronger than we give her credit for. She knows her own mind. Trust her.”
I still want you, she’d said to me. I’d pushed her away. I really hope I haven’t screwed up.
I change the topic. “So we’re working with Ragnar now.”
“We did screw up his plan. I guess we owe him one.” Saber’s lips curl into a smile. “You heard him, didn’t you? He’s been trying to lure you away from my team for a long time.” He shakes his head admiringly. “And here we are. Ragnar has a way of getting what he wants.”
15
Raven
I’m flying a skimmer over the frozen wastes of Boarus 4 in the middle of the night. The stars are bright, and the moon shines down on the ice. The very air seems to glow, silvery waves of light spilling everywhere.
The scene shifts.
I’m holding Zeke’s gun in my trembling hands. I lift the weapon and aim for the enforcer fighting Nero, and I fire. The man screams in agony, and falls back to the ice, blood gushing from the wound in his chest.
He’s dead.
I’ve never killed anyone in my life. I feel ill. Violated. Sick to my stomach. My soul tears to shreds at the finality of my action. Somewhere, there’s a child who’s waiting for a father who will never come home again. The way I’d waited for my parents.
The scene shifts again.
I’m in a tent, warm and secure. Three men touch me everywhere, their hands dancing over my skin, their clever mouths making me gasp and twist and clench. I hear myself whimper their names, I hear myself beg for more. I’m burning up. My braids are undone, and my hair spills everywhere. They stroke me, their touch like quicksilver through me, leaving only heat and desire in its wake.
Another change.
I’m in the port, cowering on the floor as Zimmer raises his gun. Things would be a lot cleaner if I just shot her. His eyes are cold and his voice distant. I can’t speak; I can’t breathe. Death rushes toward me, dark and grim and waiting, and there’s nothing I can do to ward it off.
Then Zimmer falls backward, and I see the terrifyingly precise bullet hole in the center of his forehead. Zeke holds the gun, his face expressionless, and then he steps over the body, cold and careless, and holds out his arm to me. His face flickers. One minute, he’s familiar to me, a vampire I’ve come to count on. The next, he’s a ruthless, merciless killer. Friend or foe, I don’t know which.
The world tilts on its axis.
I’m walking across Glacis, shivering with cold. The icy wind knives through me, leaving me numb. My vision blurs, and I ache to lie down on the ground and rest. You can’t, a young boy at my side says, his eyes filled with panic. You cannot stop. You must keep walking.
I know him. Baird Shaw. He saved my life that day, but Baird hadn’t made it out. He’d been killed by a wild pack of s’kal cats. But I survived.
For ten years, I survived.
The ice warms.<
br />
You are so beautiful, little human, Saber whispers. So soft, so responsive.
I’m lying on scarlet sheets, silky and cool against my skin. My hands are tied above my head, and my legs are spread wide. My three vampires are clothed, dressed in black from head to toe, while I’m naked for them, every inch of my body exposed to their hot, possessive gazes.
I arch into Saber’s caress, silently demanding more.
Please, I beg. I want to put my arms around him and pull him close. Goosebumps break out on my skin as he watches me writhe, takes in the restless need raging within me. Please take me.
The air shimmers. The voice that answers isn’t Saber. Are you mine, Raven Peace Unnuk?
Ragnar looms over me, an unreadable expression in his green-grey eyes. His brown hair falls around his face, the strands brushing my naked breasts, causing my nipples to pebble and harden. Blood is splattered on his face. Droplets coagulate across his forehead, crust on his knuckles. His fangs glisten as he lowers his mouth to my neck, inhaling deeply. The way you smell, he breathes. Sweet, sinful, temptation.
My heart hammers in my chest like a caged bird. This is a vampire of immense power and might. And the way he’s looking at me, hungry and demanding… I swallow hard as his thumb brushes over my lower lip. Heat builds between my legs and spread as I am, there’s no way to hide my body’s reaction to his touch.
Are you? Those eyes. Those amused, mocking eyes. Tell me, Raven. To who do you belong? Even as he speaks, his body slides over mine, hard, hot and ready. I whimper as he plunges into me. Your body knows the truth, he growls, nipping my earlobe.
Two hot tongues lick my nipples. Nero and Zeke. I’m tangled up in silk sheets, surrounded by naked men. My vision flickers. One moment, it is Saber who’s fucking me. The next moment, it’s Ragnar. Then Zeke. Then Nero. Bodies writhe over me, nibbling, nippling, licking my skin. My head spins. The men stoke the fire, over and over, until my desire is an out-of-control inferno.
