by D T Dyllin
“Zula, I— None of this will matter soon. Once they get that plate out of your head, you won’t give a damn about me, or any of this.”
I opened my mouth to protest. He knew it wasn’t true. He knew I wasn’t like other Galvrarons. But what had I expected? He was a bounty hunter, and I was his bounty. Things had simply gone a little sideways, and now they were back on track. End of story.
“Zula, talk to me. I need for you to understand. None of this is personal.” His warm palm rested on my shoulder, heating my skin through the thin material of my shirt.
“I understand,” I snapped. “Now please stop touching me. Don’t ever touch me again.”
Silence fell over us, and I pretended to doze, until finally I actually did.
I awoke to find Kade curled around me, his hot breath fanning the back of my neck. Careful not to disturb him, I rolled within his arms until my nose was inches from his. His eyes darted back and forth beneath his closed lids, his consciousness elsewhere. I wondered for a brief moment where his dreams took him, and if they were good.
Grinding my teeth together, I internally chastised myself. It was no business of mine what Kade dreamt about. He was merely an exceptionally attractive specimen of a Talsen, and with my boost of lust, courtesy of the plate in my head, my body craved him. It was basic biology. The primal part of my brain, the one that was currently in control, viewed Kade as a desirable mate. He would produce a strong child, healthy, and although not a Galvraron, he was smart and compassionate. I simply had to remind myself that I wasn’t in the market for any of those things. I didn’t need a man, and I certainly didn’t want the responsibility of a child. I could barely take care of myself at the moment.
Kade’s eyes snapped open, the golden orbs glowing with surprise, before sparking with hunger. His lips crashed into mine as he flipped us over, his massive frame caging me in. All thoughts of what I didn’t want were swept from my mind as his tongue entangled with mine, drowning me in need. My hands, compelled to explore the muscular terrain of Kade’s body, slipped down to kneed his ass. He pivoted his hips, grinding against me. I moaned, wanting … needing more.
Breaking our kiss, Kade pressed his feverish lips along my jaw, muttering against my flesh, “You know we can’t take this all the way. I’m not going to end up bonded to someone who’s going to walk away.”
“That won’t—” My words were swallowed by a moan when he bit down on my right nipple through my shirt.
I was still reeling when he yanked my pants off in one smooth move, spreading my thighs. He fell on me, a flurry of lips and tongue. Arching up, I threaded my hands in his silky locks, screaming.
Pleasure burned through my veins, my entire being focused on the little buddle of nerves between my legs. Rocking against Kade’s mouth, my muscles locked up and my eyes rolled back in my head. I hung there on the edge for a moment, a high keening sound filling my ears. And then I was spasming around his tongue, and pulling at his hair, wanting it to stop and to never end all at once.
I collapsed on the bed, boneless and dazed. “I never knew it could be like that.”
“You think I’m done with you?” Kade’s laugh, followed by a soft exhale of breath against my cooling skin, caused goose bumps to erupt. “Not even close. That was just the appetizer.”
“Appetizer? Really? That’s a horrible—” When he fell upon me again, lapping at me faster than before, I decided he could use all the horrible puns and sexual innuendos he wanted, as long as the end result was his face buried between my thighs.
Sprawled across Kade’s bare chest, his heart thrummed evenly under my ear, and his strong scent permeated the air. Or maybe it was our scent, our drying sweat intermingling to create something new. We hadn’t had sex, at least in the traditional sense, but he’d made me come more times than I could count, all the while his pants had remained firmly in place.
“Hey there, LaLa. How long have you been awake?” His fingers sifted through my hair, tugging.
I turned my head to meet his gaze. “LaLa?”
He grinned. “Yep. You do this thing, right before you come, sounds kind of like you’re humming, and then it turns into a scream. Music to my ears.”
Scowling, I smacked at his chest. “My name is Zula. Zuuuu-La. Not Smurfette or LaLa. Say it … Zula.”
“Violet.”
“What? Why are you saying—”
“It’s the color your skin is after I make you come half a dozen times. I could call you that.”
Shifting, I sat up, scanning the room for my clothes. Spotting them, I leapt from the bed. “No. My name is Zula. That’s what I want you to call me.” I yanked my pants on, glaring at him.
Kade stretched, peeling himself out of bed. “All right, LaLa it is.” He dipped to pick up his leather vest, stuffing his arms through the holes. “We should probably get going soon. I’m sure our hosts know what we’ve been up to.”
I tugged my shirt over my head. “How would they know?”
“Well, LaLa, I’ll tell you. You’re loud. Very loud. Louder than I would have ever suspected.” His lips curled up into a salacious grin. “Not that I’m complaining.”
My entire body warmed from the bottom of my feet to the tips of my ears. “All the more reason why you can’t call me LaLa!” I tossed my boot at his head, completely missing.
“No one will know what it means.”
“I will!” I screeched, tossing my other boot, and missing again.
He chuckled, collecting my footwear for me. “Exactly.”
The rest of what he’d said finally sank in. “Wait. Going. As in …” His shoulders slumped, giving me all the answers I needed. I wasn’t sure why I’d thought what we’d done would change anything. But it was clear it hadn’t. Not really. “Right. Give me my boots, please.”
“I thought you—”
“It’s fine. I get it. Now give me my boots.” When he didn’t move, I stomped over to him, snatching them out of his hands. “Thanks.” Why did it feel like my ribcage was shrinking, like I couldn’t suck in a deep breath because everything was too tight?
“What do you expect me to do? Not take you to your parents?”
Sitting on the edge of the bed, I shoved my right foot into my boot. “No, of course not.”
“Then tell me what you want from me? I didn’t make you any promises. I didn’t—”
“That’s right,” I snarled, “you didn’t make me any promises. And I don’t expect you to do anything but be the bounty hunter you are.” Dropping my head into my hands, I screamed out in frustration. “I can’t control it. These emotions. I can’t control any of it.”
Kade’s strong arms encircled me, surrounding me in his scent, the last thing I needed in that moment. I shoved at him, drawing a hurt expression onto his face. “I like you, LaLa. I have for a long time. Since I was a kid and you gave me the song that I’ll keep with me forever. And now I have another tune, a much more erotic one to play in my head for the rest of my life.”
“Glad I could give you so much. I always aim to please.” I slid my eyes shut. Stop. Stop it. You’re acting insane. You formed an irrational attachment. Get over it. Mind over body. Mind over body.
Pressing my palms into my eyes, I shook my head. “I’m sorry. I can’t control myself. You’re absolutely right about everything. Things will change once I get the plate out of my head.” I kept telling myself that, but I was terrified that even after the plate was removed, my feelings for Kade would remain the same. It didn’t matter if it was irrational or complete lunacy, I was attached to him in a way I never had been to a male before. I wanted to know more about him. I wanted to be closer to him. I simply wanted … more of everything to do with him.
Time for a subject change. “Did my parents request that I contact them before we leave?”
Kade patted down his vest, adjusting hidden weapons. “No. They were satisfied with getting the status report from me.”
“Okay then. I guess it’s time to go.”
I truly didn’t have any idea how much. Kade was a mystery. A puzzle I very much wanted to piece together. So much of him was a contradiction, his actions and words often not adding up. Of course, the reason was because I didn’t have enough information to make the connections, but I probably never would. After he took me to my parents, my chances of seeing him ever again were slim.
When I didn’t respond, Kade hit his palm against the sensor, the door sliding open as he huffed something I couldn’t make out under his breath. Glaring at his back, I traipsed after him, my attention immediately captured by my surroundings. The corridor we entered was grey, plain … utilitarian, but it opened up into a massive room, filled with machinery, and hundreds of workers.
Scooting up beside Kade, I whispered, “Where are the weapons?”
“On the other side of the factory. I saw them on our way in.”
I furtively glanced at the workers as we made our way past them, something striking me as odd. They didn’t seem like typical factory workers, but I couldn’t quite put my thumb on why.
As if reading my mind, Kade said, “I think they’re the Zeffrin natives you’ve been looking for. It would explain why no one attacked us on our trek through the woods.”
“But … that’s …” I openly stared, realizing he was right. The workers were various species, both male and female, but they all had a rugged appearance, putting off an air of danger. “How are they getting them to cooperate like that? There’s a reason why they were sent to Zeffrin to begin with.”
Kade grabbed my arm, tugging me along. “Don’t draw unwanted attention to yourself. We’ll be in the clear soon and I want to get the hell off this creepy planet.”
“You don’t need to worry about that. My parents are obviously important to this operation, so they wouldn’t hurt me.”
“Yeah, you’re safe, but I don’t want to have to shoot my way out of here.”
Oh. Right. He was worried I’d do something to put him at risk. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”
Kade picked up the pace, my feet barely touching the ground as he yanked me along beside him. “Look, this whole place gives me the creeps. I want the hell off of this planet. There’s a shuttle waiting, and we’re not slowing down to stare and ask questions.”
I tried to loosen his grip on my arm, but instead of yielding the desired result, he scooped me up and threw me over his shoulder, my hair falling into my face to obscure my view. “Hey! Put me the hell down! This is definitely going to draw attention to us.”
“This? Probably not.” He palmed my ass and squeezed. “There were several officers present when your parents said I needed to get you back to them as soon as possible, even if you protested. They made it seem as if it had something to do with the crash, but I knew better.”
Wriggling, I slipped within Kade’s grasp, my face hanging level with his ass. Without thought, I bit.
“Ow!” he muttered, hoisting me back up. “Did you seriously just bite my ass, and not in a fun way?”
“Put me down!” I demanded, pummeling his back with my fists.
“I don’t take to orders from small, blue, ass biters.”
“Put me down!”
“I will, when we get to the shuttle,” he growled.
“Put me down!”
He swung me up, catching me in his arms. He countenance was thunderous, his eyes glowing like flashlights. “Is this better?”
I raised my eyebrows. “Am I on my own two feet?” His scowl deepened. “Then no, it’s not better.” I leaned up to shout in his ear, “Put me down!”
His arms opened, and I fell on my backside, pain spiking from my tailbone up my spine. Scrambling to my feet, I concealed my grimace, not wanting to give Kade the satisfaction. “Now that’s better.”
“I’m definitely asking for more money.” He stalked off ahead of me, mumbling under his breath.
I called after him, “Don’t forget to tell my parents about your extra … services. I’m sure they’ll be thrilled to hear how above and beyond you go to get the job done.” Shit. Get it under control. You have more important things to worry about than that infuriating Talsen. Like figuring out how you’re going to deal with your family once you’re delivered back into the belly of the beast.
I strode after Kade, my head held high, and my pace slow. If he wanted to hurry, then I was going to take my time. Screw him.
“Nice of you to join me.”
I tilted my head in acknowledgement, studying the shuttle Kade was leaning casually against, seemingly not a care in the world. Or at least that’s what he’d have me believe. His body was languid, but his features were pinched with annoyance.
Marching over to the shuttle, I brushed past Kade. “I’m driving this time.”
“Like hell you are.”
Ignoring him, I clamored into the spacious shuttle, obstinately buckling myself into the pilot’s seat. “Try and stop me.”
Kade sealed the door, and turned, a low growl rumbling in his chest. “If you don’t move on your own, I’ll have to make you move.”
I notched my chin up, scanning the controls. They were standard, and would be easy to work. “Nope. Not moving. I’m flying this time, so give me the coordinates to your ship.”
“You’re not flying,” Kade ground out through clenched teeth.
“Yes. I. Am.”
Kade’s hands were on the harness, unbuckling me as I slapped and bit at him, screaming profanities. In the back of my mind, I realized we were both acting like children, but even that thought didn’t stop me. Somehow during our tussle, I ended up underneath Kade, my arms pinned above my head, both of our chests heaving.
“Are you done?” he growled, his voice rough.
“Not even close.” Jerking upward, I slammed my forehead into his nose.
He immediately let me go, his hands going to his face to stop the blood dripping from his nostrils. “What is wrong with you? Have you officially lost your damn mind?”
Shooting him a death glare, I swiped at a few drops of blood on my face. “How about bleeding somewhere else? It’s unsanitary.”
Kade sat back on his haunches, a smile slowly creeping across his face.
I shoved at him, pulling myself up into a sitting position. “What are you grinning about, jackass?”
He shook his head, his lips stretching wider. “If you want to fly that bad, have at it, LaLa.”
The nickname conjured images of our intimate time together, which I had no doubt was exactly what he was going for. I didn’t miss the fact that I was angry enough to kiss him, my hearts pounding out a staccato rhythm of need. It was another primitive reaction conjured by my body’s out of control emotions. One I couldn’t deny.
Lurching forward, I slammed my mouth against Kade’s, his bloody hands fisting my hair. Thankfully, his nose had stopped bleeding, although the copper tang filled my mouth when I slipped my tongue in to press against his. I moaned.
A sharp rap from outside the shuttle startled us, and we scrambled apart. “Everything okay in there? Do you need help with coordinates or—”
“No, no!” I called out, struggling to catch my breath. “We’re good now.”
“All right then.” Another tap sounded, and all was silent from outside the shuttle.
I kept my gaze on the controls, not wanting to see the smug expression that was surely on Kade’s face. “Coordinates, please.”
He leaned over to punch them in, his hair whispering across my face. “There you go, LaLa.”
Grinding my teeth together, I buckled my harness. “I hate you, you know that? I really hate you.” The Talsen was driving me insane … well, more than the plate in my head already was. If my emotions were like a pendulum swinging back and forth, his
were like a black hole sucking all sense of reason from both of us.
“Love and hate are two sides of the same coin, my little LaLa.”
I threw my hands up in the air. “You’ve made it quite clear that you want nothing from me but a passing fling, so why do you keep doing things like giving me nicknames and calling me yours?”
Leaning back in his seat, Kade flicked his gaze away. “You won’t want more than a passing fling once that plate is gone.”
“Oh, whatever!” I punched the sequence code to ignite the starter, the engine roaring to life. Damn Kade! And damn this stupid metal monstrosity in my head! I was sounding and acting more and more like Jane with each passing moment. I wonder what she’d make of me now?
We lifted straight up, the ceiling fanning back to reveal open sky. Setting the autopilot for once we were off Zeffrin, I steered the shuttle cleanly into space, the stars twinkling in welcome. “How long do you think it’ll take us to reach your ship?”
“Not long. We weren’t that far off when we went down on Zeffrin.”
Tapping my chin with my left hand, I kept my right loosely on the control panel, in case I had to adjust anything. “Telvin and Zeffrin being so close together is definitely not a coincidence,” I mused aloud.
“Nope,” Kade mumbled.
Two flames shot past our window, zooming along our flight path with intent. The form in front had the distinct shape of a bird. Or a phoenix to be exact. The other wove back and forth as if unsure of itself. Jane and Ash! Glancing at Kade, I expelled a long breath realizing his eyes were closed. He would have no idea what waited for him when we docked on his ship. My relief morphed to worry. It wasn’t like I could just leave with Jane and Ash. I still had the stupid plate in my head to worry about. Tamzea would most likely be able to remove it without causing me any damage, but what if she was on Telvin? All I knew for certain was that Jane and Ash weren’t captives there.
A small cruiser ship loomed in front of us, floating silently in hibernation mode. I nudged Kade with my elbow. “You need to open your ship for us.” I slowed our speed, switching on the thrusters.
