“No, no, it’s my turn. I pinned you this time.” Kaleb reached down and grabbed Shard’s hand, releasing his aching balls from that too-knowing grip. He didn’t doubt his lover’s ability sexually or his appetite. Shard would take over if given the opportunity.
“Your turn only if you can keep it.” Shard smiled and, with a shove on Kaleb’s shoulder, tried to reverse their positions.
Kaleb shifted his weight to the side, resisting the push. He reached down and rubbed Shard’s cock through the fabric of his pants. A low growl rumbled through his chest as he arched into the firm touch. Kaleb opened the fly of the pants, freeing Shard’s cock.
“I want to be face-to-face with you this time. I want to see your eyes when you come.” He pushed the pants down Shard’s thighs just before he dropped a hard kiss on Shard’s lips.
Shard’s tongue drove into his mouth and his fingers clamped around the back of Kaleb’s neck. His mouth moved hungrily against Kaleb’s and their tongues dueled. Kaleb nipped at Shard’s lips as he rotated his hips, rubbing their cocks together. His cock hardened even more at the hot lust in Shard’s eyes and in his scent.
“If you don’t stop playing, I’m going to show you who’s in control here.” Shard growled, dragging Kaleb’s head down for another kiss.
Kaleb was in total agreement with that demand, and within moments he had Shard completely naked. He wanted to drive inside him now, to feel the hot, tight clasp gripping his cock. Pulling back, he slicked the lube over his cock and moved his oily fingers down to the tight ring of Shard’s anus. He pressed, drew back and dropped more lube onto his fingers and then pressed in again. Curling his finger, he stroked the small gland inside and felt Shard tense beneath him.
Withdrawing his finger and dropping the lube, he hooked one of Shard’s legs over his arm. He pressed his cock against the tight entrance, pushing slowly forward. Kaleb tensed, hot sensation lancing through him as Shard’s muscles clenched around his shaft.
He pressed forward until his balls brushed against Shard’s buttocks. Wrapping his hand around Shard’s cock, he began stroking as he pulled his hips back. Rocking forward, he set a slow grinding pace, wanting to draw it out just a little longer. He knew he wouldn’t last long. The tight, hot, slick channel surrounding him felt too good. Kaleb’s hips pumped as he stroked Shard’s cock. He saw Shard’s muscles tighten and the way he arched into each thrust. Shard’s hands lifted and he began plucking at the flat disks on Kaleb’s chest. Kaleb jerked, driving his cock deep as piercing heat slammed through him.
His hips surged forward and all thought of drawing the play out for any longer fled. His balls drew tight, seed churning within. He drove into the tight, hot grip of Shard’s ass. Stroking his hand down Shard’s shaft, he pumped in time with the surge of his hips. Shard’s hips rolled up. A low groan rumbled from his throat as he came. Semen spurted, splashing across both their stomachs.
Kaleb’s head fell back as he stroked deep. Fire exploded, racing over his body. The intense orgasm hit as his seed spewed from his cock.
Releasing Shard’s leg, he collapsed on top of the larger man, resting his head on Shard’s shoulder.
Shard’s hand stroked through his hair. After long moments, Kaleb slowly stirred, levering himself up on one arm.
“Are you ready to go take that swim?” Shard tugged at Kaleb’s hair and smiled.
“We’d better. As much as I’d like it, we can’t play here all day.” Kaleb slowly withdrew.
“We can play again after we find those two women. Nerisa will be with her mate, but the other one—she could give us some problems wherever we put her.” Shard frowned and shook his head.
“What do you mean problems? We’ll just take her up to the ship. She won’t be able to escape from everyone up there.” Kaleb got to his feet and extended a hand to Shard.
“She got past our ship’s sensors. That kind of technology isn’t sold on the open market. Either she made it herself or had it done. If she made it, playing with what we have up there would be almost too easy for her.” Shard gathered his clothing and then took Kaleb’s hand.
Kaleb grimaced at the thought of the chaos she could cause, but they’d deal with it if it happened. He turned and began walking toward the river with Shard at his side.
Lina caught her breath as the men’s lips touched. Even though she felt like an intruder, she wasn’t going to miss a moment of this. She’d never seen anything more erotic than the two men on the video screen. Her heart kicked into a faster beat and her breasts felt swollen. She wanted to be there with them even if it was just to watch. Her fingers slid to the closure on her body suit. She skimmed her fingers down, parting the material to her waist. Licking her tingling lips, she settled back in her seat and cupped her breast. Her finger flicked over the hardened tip as she watched them.
The sight of the two men fucking seared through her. Her clit ached and she could feel the moisture gathering between her legs. She groaned and slipped her hand down her stomach to her pussy. Her fingers slipped between the lips and she rubbed in slow circles. Her free hand plucked at one of her nipples. Her inner muscles tightened and the building need grew. She wanted more. She pushed two fingers into the tight sheath and slowly withdrew them.
She panted and her hips rocked against her hand. Her thumb brushed over her clit. Her body shook and she desperately reached for the pleasure hanging just out of reach. She drove her fingers deep into her pussy just as she flicked the hard too-sensitive hood. Sharp sensation ripped up her spine, spreading over her body in a heated rush. She trembled and cried out softly.
* * * * *
She tried to concentrate. It was hard to focus on the area around her when her mind kept replaying what she’d seen on vid earlier this morning. She didn’t know if she’d seen anything as sexy in her whole life.
She moved slowly through the trees, watching for any sign of other shifters in the area. For the short time that she’d be here today, she should be safe. All the Santir searches focused on the other side of the mountain.
She knew Nerisa was in that complex even as she approached the entrance to the underground structure. She couldn’t sense her and would be unable sense her until she was much closer. She could smell smoke from a recent fire and there was a faint trace of female scent in the area around the ruins. Lina stopped abruptly and almost turned around when she realized that the smell wasn’t that of a female human.
With a resigned sigh, she shrugged and strode forward. She had a responsibility to see that the woman was safe and to try to explain the way of things now. The woman had a new life to learn and it was time she accepted it. Running certainly wouldn’t do her any good and Lina wouldn’t be taking her off the planet. After she’d explained the facts and sent Nerisa on her way back to her mate, she would begin the trek back to her ship. It was past time to leave this planet.
An uneasy chill coursed down Lina’s spine as she entered the narrow corridor of the entry hall. Something wasn’t right here. She stopped, cocked her head and sniffed. The scent of wood smoke and a transforming female lingered in the stale air. She couldn’t figure out what had her nerves jangling with alarm. There were no out-of-place smells or even a hint of anyone else in the area.
She took a few more steps until the sunlight would reach no farther. She pulled a light from her belt and clicked it on. Her shifter eyes were very good in the dark, but there had to be some trace of light for her to see. It was pitch black beyond the entrance. Not even a stray beam of light filtered through a crack in the ceiling. She took a few steps into the passage leading down into the mountain.
Surely the woman wasn’t spending her days in complete darkness. She frowned as she paced down the corridor. Lina emerged into an empty, large room. She’d expected to find Nerisa Regal in the first real room far enough away from the entrance to ensure that no light would give her away to any who might be outside.
She could see signs that the woman had been in the room, but she wasn’t here now. The
smell of smoke hung strongly in the air, very fresh, but the charred bits of wood in the pit didn’t glow. Nerisa should be here. Had the woman seen her approaching and run?
Suddenly, Lina sensed a shifter male running up behind her. The tingle of awareness coursed down her spine, a definitive alarm. Fear crashed through her and she responded instinctively. She dropped the light as she spun, claws bursting from the tips of her fingers. Those sharp talons made contact with a hard-muscled, cloth-covered chest as her light clattered on the stone floor. She leapt back, wanting space to move before she even really saw whom she had swiped.
Lina’s eyes widened and she shook her head in disbelief as reality slammed home. The big man with the long black spiraling hair she’d seen on the monitor stood before her. His white shirt bore four jagged tears across the chest. Red trails of blood plastered the material to his skin from chest to waist where the shirt disappeared into the tight black pants which encased his long, muscled legs. He looked much bigger, much stronger than he had on the vid-screen and the intimidation factor had multiplied off the charts.
“I didn’t just attack someone so obviously alpha.” Lina backed up a step as he stepped farther into the room. Without realizing it she’d spoken the words aloud. A strange mixture of uncertainty and anger warred for superiority within her.
“Yes, you did.” The intense look in his eyes astounded her. His dark brown eyes almost burned as they ran over her. She couldn’t mistake his sexual interest. “You have two choices. You can belly down the easy way or I’ll take you down, Lina.”
“I won’t submit to you. You have no authority over me. No man does or ever has.” Lina bared her teeth at him, her body loosening, preparing for a fight. How dare he presume to give her an ultimatum? And how does he know my name?
“I think a brighter light is in order for this.” A white smile flashed across his dark face. His hand moved to the small black rectangular com-link at his hip, flicked a switch and spoke just three words. “I’ve got her.”
Gods, this was bad. She eyed the trails of blood and held back a groan as she realized just what she’d done. While most people would understand that she’d been startled, she knew that he didn’t see the situation in that light. That attack could be viewed as a challenge and he obviously chose to see it as such. Although she doubted it would help, she had to try to talk him out of forcing a full submission. Anything less and she could sidestep the major issues and slip away at the first opportunity. Not that even full submission was going to change her mind on leaving. Living in a thent wasn’t for her. It would just make things much more complicated when she left. The Ardin of this thent would not only follow her, they’d feel they had a duty to do it.
She licked her lips and took a shaky breath. “You surprised me. Anyone would have come around swinging when they sensed someone running up behind them.”
“Especially if that someone was trying to hide something.” His eyes swept down her body.
“Well, I didn’t expect anyone to be coming up behind me that fast. I pretty much reacted on instinct. Surely you can understand that.” She let her eyes fall to the floor, hoping he took it as a submissive gesture.
He laughed. “Nice act. You didn’t expect anyone to find you at all. And you can stop trying to explain. I’m not going to fall for the ‘I was just scared’ story. You admitted you felt my presence. You knew I was Santir. That should have been enough information to know that you wouldn’t be hurt.”
Gritting her teeth, she managed to keep from yelling at him. She wished she could relive that moment. That one action had taken very many choices away from her. If she hadn’t attacked him, there was a good chance that she could have used a little trickery and gotten away from them. Now she had to face the big man in a fight or submit tying herself to the thent. Even worse, if her guess was right, the man she’d attacked was one of the Ardin, leaders of the thent.
Lights blazed as men filed into the room from three doorways. The men must have been deep in the ruins. She hadn’t felt anything until a moment ago. They placed small portable lights on the floor near the walls. Lina saw Nerisa being tugged after one man. When she saw the walls of this room, she no longer wondered why the Santir were here. This had once been a planet held by them. The walls were covered with paintings and carvings of tiron and Santir men and women.
“What are you waiting for, kitten?” The big man stripped off his shirt. “Surely you don’t think that I’ll face you in this form. You’re much too likely to be seriously hurt.”
Lina swallowed hard. She hadn’t given it much thought. She knew why he wanted to fight in tiron form, beyond the reason that he’d stated. Instincts were much more dominant in animal form. While in tiron form, she was more likely to submit, to acknowledge the dominance of the male before she pushed him too far, before he hurt her. There was also the experience factor. He’d probably fought more as a tiron than she had. Gods, how had they even known I’d be coming after Nerisa?
She pulled apart the lapels of her brown flight suit, pausing to unbuckle her belt and let it fall to the ground. Slipping the fabric off her shoulders and arms, she pushed it down over her hips. With a glance up at him, she saw that he was already naked. His body was gorgeous. His skin gleamed, a rich deep brown. For a moment, she allowed herself to watch the rippling movement of his muscles beneath the skin. A dart of heated arousal shot through her as she took in his well-developed thighs and the long, thick shaft between them.
She knelt, loosening the fastenings on her shoes and then stepped out of them and the one-piece suit. For a moment, she stood in her underwear. Her hands went to the front clasp of her bra. She tossed the filmy article on the flight suit. With a grimace, she raged at the tricks of fate. This was one situation she would have liked to have avoided. She pushed her panties down and stepped out of them.
Her only other choice, bellying down, would mean losing the freedom that she had known for so long. The Gods knew that she had no real chance of defeating this big man in any form. Even if she did manage the feat, she suspected she would immediately be challenged by the dark-haired man she had seen with him on that vid. He was probably lurking somewhere close. Kneeling, she folded her garments, placing the belt and shoes on top and then put them out of the way in a corner. Turning to face the large, dark-skinned man, she transformed into a tiron.
The man with spiral curls transformed into a large, black, heavily muscled tiron. Huge with a broad head, pointed ears and visible canines, he was every bit as intimidating in his feline form as he was in human form. His gaze locked with hers as he paced forward. Once she saw his size, it took every scrap of control over her instincts not to surrender and plaster her belly onto the floor. He would almost be chest high on her if she were still in human form. His paws were almost twice as large as hers. Her mouth dried. She’d never even seen a tiron as big as him.
“Submit,” he ordered with a rolling cough-grunt as he paced forward.
“Go away and leave me alone, big man. I’m not your concern.” Lina’s lips pulled back into a snarl. The second language was instinctual, encoded into the subconscious of every Santir at birth or transformation and in spite of geographic differences needed no translation. She vowed he would never know how difficult it was to defy him.
“You entered our domain. We found you. Submit,” the big black cat growled, beginning to circle.
Lina’s determination to show no fear wavered for a moment as she backed away from him. This is insane. I can’t beat him, she thought and then shook her head. She took a deep breath and gathered her courage. He was bigger and this was probably a losing battle, but she would try everything before she admitted defeat.
Lina pranced sideways, her body language one of unmistakable challenge. Her head high, her tail swishing, she growled at him. “Not going to happen. I’ve survived quite well without your protection. Go offer it to a cringing cub.”
“You aren’t escaping me. You will submit.”
The low, thre
atening rumble of his growl still echoed in the room when he pounced at her. The large head rammed into her hind leg instead of her torso as he intended when she tried to bound out of his reach. His grappling paws failed to find purchase as her sleek, twisting body slid away from him.
A low, angry hiss escaped Lina’s muzzle, her ears laid back as she whirled and leaped to a safe distance. She watched through narrowed, angry eyes as his muscled body rose with fluid grace. Something that large and brawny shouldn’t be that fast or agile.
It wasn’t only the fact that he had nearly grabbed her so easily that infuriated her. She could feel her body coming alive, responding to the situation with unmistakable arousal. By the Gods, something must be twisted within me, she thought. She wanted the man whose only purpose was to make her acknowledge him as ruler.
Lina fought her instincts which made her knees wobbly. She didn’t want to submit to the dominant male. She was more than her instincts, but she couldn’t entirely break their hold. In the past when someone had attacked her like that, she had come back swinging, claws ready to shred their flesh. This time her body seemed to have only two choices—submit or flee. The fleeing option seemed to have been taken away from her. There was a wall of male bodies in front of the door leading out of the ruin.
The large male stalked her. Lina’s movements mirrored his, keeping him at a distance. There was no way that she could beat him, even if she could overcome the instinct that seemed to be ruling her. He was too big, too strong. All she could do was make sure that he respected her. She bared her teeth at him.
Lina saw his muscles bunching beneath his fur again and lunged to get away from him. She had known that he was fast, but this time he demonstrated his agility. He landed and in the same motion turned and sprang. He crashed into her, knocking her to the ground. He rolled and was on top of her before she could draw in the breath which had been knocked from her, much less move.
Between Two Tiron Page 3