by D T Dyllin
Forcing my hands over my head, his chest heaving, he studied me in silence a few moments before asking, “Do you feel any different? You look and smell the same to me.”
“No, but I wouldn’t. I didn’t go through what you did when Mikla spliced your DNA. Not even close.” I couldn’t even imagine the pain Kade had gone through, and as a child.
“You should have hummed your song. It helped me.”
I laughed, arching up to rub against him. “Yeah, it didn’t even cross my mind. Not even for a second.”
His expression hardened. “I’m afraid. I’m afraid to find out it didn’t work. Right now I’m so hopeful I’m about to burst. But once we’re together and I try to claim you …” He turned his head, his lip curling up as if in pain. “I wish I wasn’t this way. I wish I didn’t have to make you go through this. If I had known, I would’ve stayed safely in the distance just like I always have.”
There were no words to say in that moment. Soon we would know, and we’d deal with whatever outcome we’d been handed. “Don’t think about any of that right now. I need you here with me in this moment. We’ll deal with reality after … after you fuck me so hard and long my skin is a dark shade of indigo.”
Reluctantly, a smile teased the corners of his lips. “I like the way you think. Always have.”
He lifted me up, ripping my pants and then my shirt off, flinging everything into a pile in the corner, soon to be joined by his clothes. As soon as we were naked, he thrust into me, both of us eager for the main event. I raked my nails down his back, reveling in the feel of his hot skin burning against mine.
Pounding in and out, giving me no respite or reprieve, it only took moments before I was hurling over the cliff into the bliss of a sudden orgasm. He didn’t slow, not even for second as he continued to demand pleasure from my body, taking everything it had to give. I soared in a cloud of ecstasy, only aware of Kade, his scent, his taste … I existed to devour him as he devoured me. The more he gave the more I wanted … needed.
We were lost, but lost together, and I never wanted to be found.
“It’s kind of crazy, don’t you think, that a war basically just broke out in the Universe, and here we are locked away in your living quarters, fucking ourselves into oblivion.”
I nibbled my bottom lip, widening the circles I was making with my index finger on Kade’s chest. “War is usually a time of heightened emotions, and difficult decisions, irrevocably changing all it touches.”
Kade perched his head on his hand, spilling me from my spot on his chest. He gazed down at me as he tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “What are we going to do about the bond?”
My hearts sank into my stomach, twisting and turning. “You seem fine now, despite our inability to form the bond the dragon part of you craves.”
“That’s because we’re here, alone, naked, after having a major sex-a-thon. I’m not sure how I’ll react when we’re back out there again.”
Sitting up, I scooted from bed in search of my clothes. “You’ll simply have to learn how to control yourself.” Tugging my pants on, I glanced at the clock in the wall. “I’m getting worried about Jane and Ash, they’ve been gone a long time.”
“Or they’re already back and just didn’t want to disturb us.”
“We’re still here on Zeffrin, we’d know if we’d taken off.”
Kade pressed his naked body against my back. “Doesn’t mean anything. Come on, I want a few more minutes alone with you.”
Turning within his embrace, I cupped his cheek. “I don’t think—” My vision swam, my sense of smell heightening exponentially, causing Kade’s scent to cascade over me like a physical touch.
Before I could think better of it, I was climbing up Kade’s front, locking my legs behind his back. I buried my face in his neck, rubbing my nose against his skin, and inhaling deeply.
His hands slid under my ass, kneading. “I thought we were getting dressed and heading out of here?” He voice was nothing more than a low rumble.
“I-I feel … off.” My tongue snaked out to run along his neck, my body shuddering at the tart flavor. Overcome by the sudden and strange urge to mark him, I bit where I’d just licked him.
Kade slammed us against the closest wall, grinding against me. “You’re trying to mark me, like I did to you before. Does that mean—is something changing in you?” Hope was tangled up with lust in his voice, but he didn’t wait for an answer.
He dropped me to my feet, yanked my pants down, and tipped my hips so he could slide into me from behind. I clawed at the wall, bucking against him.
“Harder. Faster. Kade …” I whimpered, needing more.
He complied instantly, fingers digging into my flesh to hold me steady, his rhythm immediately brutal, and exactly what I wanted. His teeth pierced the flesh on my nape, causing me to cry out as I spiraled into an orgasm, my skin too tight and my blood boiling.
The room spun, and I leaned into the wall. “More, Kade. Don’t stop. Just don’t stop. Jusssdooo …” My words turned to gibberish, a high keening sound ripping from my throat.
Exploding in another rush of pleasure, Kade growled against my shoulder, tensing with his own release.
My vision went white, and then black … my eyes slipping closed as I sagged back against Kade. “Just need a minute. A little nap. Need a little nap.”
“Mmm …” I stretched, and purred, my body languid and at peace. Kade’s warmth burned into my back, and I wiggled against him, smiling to myself.
“Can’t believe you fell asleep like that.” His hand skimmed down my belly to rest on my hip.
“So? Did it work? Are we bonded? Something changed in me, I felt it.”
“I felt it, too.” He rolled me over so he could meet my gaze. “But we didn’t bond. At least not the way the dragon in me is craving.”
“Oh.” I’d been so sure. Something had changed in me, and when I woke up I’d felt so at peace, so happy.
“Hey.” He tipped my chin up, caressing along my jaw. “We’ll figure something out, like you said.”
I nodded, already considering and calculating other options. “We need to talk to Mikla.”
Kade growled. “No. He’s done enough. Let him stay in that cell. He can rot in there for all I care.”
Threading my fingers into his silky locks, I forced his gaze back to mine. “Stop. I’m the one who ultimately decided to inject myself with his concoction. I didn’t have to do anything. You know this. There’s no point in blaming him. At least for that.” There were plenty of other things to hold a grudge against my brother about.
“Whatever.” He stood abruptly, yanking on his clothes with jerky motions.
“Don’t you whatever me. You know I’m right.” Scooping up my own clothes, I got dressed in a hurry. I paused, sniffing myself. “Shower?”
His annoyance melted away into a dazzling grin. “I think you smell amazing. Like me, and you, and sex.”
“That means I most definitely need a shower.” I lumbered over to my private bathroom, quirking an eyebrow at him. “You going to join me?”
He shucked off his clothes again, bounding in to turn on the shower. I giggled, although my mood was only light on the outside. Internally, a dark cloud lurked, casting everything in shadow. Without us being able to bond, how long would it be before he turned into the crazed beast he’d been before?
Picking up a small, unfamiliar weapon of the likes I’d never seen before, I glanced around the cargo space. Boxes and crates were stacked to the ceiling, and I had one guess what was in all of them. “I thought Jane and Ash were merely going to make a grab for Zeffrin so the soldiers of The First Wave could take control. I wasn’t aware we were suddenly in the gun running business.”
Tamzea shrugged, her lavender eyes amused. “You know Jane.”
I exhaled a long breath. Yes, I did. She obviously couldn’t resist swiping some of Zeffrin’s products for herself. What she planned on doing with everything was beyond me. “How’d s
he get it all on here so quickly?”
“You and Kade have been holed up in your living quarters for quite some time. Jane and Ash, emphasis on Ash, have been lugging these crates up here all night. Although she must have a good plan of what to do with all of it because Ash hasn’t complained once.”
“Hey. I wanted to ask you something.” Shuffling back and forth, I stared at the ground. “I know I couldn’t have picked a worse time to have all of this stuff happen with Kade, but I—”
Tamzea wrapped me in a hug. “It’s not like you could choose the time. And I understand how wanting to sort out things in your relationship supersedes everything else.”
I wiggled out of her grip. “It shouldn’t supersede everything else, though. We’re at war now.”
“I’m pretty sure we’ve always been at war, we just didn’t know it.”
I paused, considering her words. She was right. The pureblood humans, also now known as the Denards, had been at war with the Universe since Earth had discovered alien lifeforms. The rest of us simply thought that the extinction of humans, along with the formation of the UGFS had made those old tensions disappear. They’d merely been hidden, therefore making all of us wrong.
“Coming through. Move. Get out of the way.” Jane lumbered our way, holding two large crates, swaying under their weight. She dropped them next to the other boxes, bending over as she huffed and puffed. Her eyes brightened when she saw me. “Oh, so you’ve finally come up for air. Did it work? Are you bonded with that massive piece of Talsen man-candy?”
“Jane,” Ash growled. “I don’t find it amusing when you try to make me jealous. Man-candy, really?”
“Trying implies that I wasn’t successful.” She tilted her head, considering him. “I’m pretty sure I managed to do the job. I mean, just look at the flames in your eyes.”
“I’m not jealous. It just pisses me off when you try to make me jealous. I thought we were past such games.”
Her hands settled on her hips. “Really? And what about little Miss Damsel-in-distress back there?” She raised her voice and spoke in a sickeningly sweet tone, while demonstratively batting her eyelashes. “Oh, Ash, please help me and my massively large tits. I don’t know what I would have done without you. Jane is sooo … lucky to have such a strong and powerful man like you.” Her lip curled back in a snarl. “I saw the way your eyes lit up when she was fawning all over you.”
“Only because you were so jealous. I won’t deny I find your possessiveness … endearing. Besides, we’re bonded phoenix mates, Janey. I could never want anyone but you.”
“Hmmmfff,” she grunted, stalking out of the room.
Sagging against the wall, I expelled one long breath, cupping my nape. “What hope do I have for a stable relationship with Kade when we can’t bond? Jane and Ash are fully bonded, and look how they still act.” My head thunked against the wall. “I’m screwed.”
“You and Kade are not Jane and Ash. You’re a Galvraron, for one, and they’re phoenixes. They thrive on drama, I swear. It’s their hot blood.”
“And what about Kade? He’s hot-blooded since he’s part dragon.”
“Part, not all.”
“But his other half is Talsen. They aren’t known for their even tempers either.” I rubbed my temples. “I’m going to lose him to the insanity again, aren’t I?”
Jane strolled back into the room without Ash. “Maddox and the First Wave soldiers he brought with him will be landing in about five to ten minutes. As soon as they’re settled, we’re going to take off and hightail it over to Gartian territory.”
“Nina know Maddox is coming?” I asked, wondering where she’d been hiding herself this entire time.
Jane nodded, busying herself by shifting around some of the crates. “Yeah, I told her when I found her skulking around the eating lounge earlier. She lost her appetite real quick, that’s for sure.”
As if speaking about her had conjured her, Nina appeared in the entranceway to the cargo room. “Is he here yet?” She ran her fingers over the scars on her face, her blue eyes wide.
“He’ll be here soon,” Tamzea offered. “Are you going to talk to him?”
Nina’s face blanched. “I don’t know. I’m not sure I’m ready.”
Jane lifted her head slowly, a devious smile twisting her lips. “Well, you’re not going to have much of a choice unless you plan on making Zeffrin your permanent home.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Nina demanded. “Are you kicking me off The Pittsburgh?”
“As a matter of fact, I am. You have ten minutes to gather what little belongings you have or you’re out of here without them.”
“Don’t do this! You can’t force us together!” she cried out, backing away from Jane in shock.
“Oh? Pretty sure I can, and am, forcing you together. Just call me Cupid.”
Tears streaming down her face, Nina ran back into the ship, hopefully to gather her things. Because I knew Jane would throw her off the ship if she thought she was helping, no matter how misguided her actions really were.
“Who’s Cupid?” Tamzea asked.
“He’s this little baby matchmaker from human lore. He would shoot people with arrows to make them fall in love.”
“Sounds ridiculous,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Only humans would think up such a silly thing.”
Jane threw her hands up in the air. “Human here. Stop insulting my heritage!”
“You’re only part human.”
Silence fell over us as our minds turned to the fact that Denards were full-blooded humans. No one thought they could survive, let alone thrive without being spliced with alien DNA like all the citizens of New Earth. It went to show that old prejudices die hard. Was it the rest of the Universe’s fault that the Denards existed? Had we in a sense created them with our lack of understanding and hatred? Was it also indirectly our fault that Earth had been destroyed? After all, it was the hatred of humans that caused them to divide into two warring groups … the Denards and the spliced humans of New Earth. Their war had subsequently spilled into the rest of the Universe. We simply hadn’t realized it.
Clearing my throat, I made my way back into the belly of the ship, calling over my shoulder, “I’m going to find Kade before departure.”
I passed Nina rushing by with a duffle bag thrown over her shoulder. I shook my head, and smiled. Jane was a hopeless romantic at heart. What she was doing with Nina proof of it. I was fairly certain she would die a long and painful death before admitting it though.
“Good luck,” I mouthed to Nina’s back, knowing she wouldn’t hear me. I was relieved to have her off the ship, but I still wished her the best. I simply would rather not worry about her loyalties any longer. Maddox was probably the only one who could handle her.
“T-minus five minutes until take off,” Jane announced over the intercom.
I hurried to find Kade, not wanting to be separated from him while I was in the control room. Whether he and Jane liked it or not, he’d be joining us in the control room from now on.
“Hail them again. They’re expecting us, why wouldn’t they be answering?” Jane nibbled on her nails as she stared through the viewing window out into space. We were hovering on the edge of Gartian territory, waiting for permission to enter.
Punching in the codes again, I waited for a response. “They’ll answer.”
“It’s so shiny. Is it a planet or a space station?” Kade was in awe of the Gartian planet, never having seen it before. Even when he’d been stalking … tracking me, he’d never been able to get close enough to get a good look, forced to stay out of sight and detection range.
“You’ll see soon enough.”
“If they ever answer,” Jane snapped. “It’s just I have a bad feeling about all of this.”
“You’re being paranoid.” I punched in the codes again, not so sure she wasn’t right, but not wanting to ratchet up her nerves.
“She’s not. We have a situation.” Dar hovered in the doo
rway, his expression tense.
Swiveling around in my chair, I scowled. “What kind of situation?”
“My brother, Zar, is here. He wants to speak with us.”
Raising my eyebrows, I met first Kade’s and then Jane’s gazes. “Okay,” I said. “Lead the way.”
“I really hate when they just pop onto my ship,” Jane grumbled. Ever since the Gartian overhaul, the alarms didn’t even go off anymore. That fact really pissed Jane off. She didn’t like unannounced visitors, even if it was just Dar’s brother.
Kade grabbed my hand, intertwining our fingers. It made him feel better to have physical contact with me when other males were around. So far, he hadn’t taken another trip to crazy town, and if that’s what it took, I was more than happy to oblige.
We followed Dar in silence to the engine room, Ash joining us along the way. Standing beside Masha, was one of Dar’s identical triplet brothers, his expression stricken.
“Civil war has broken out on my planet.”
“What?” Jane and I exclaimed in unison.
“Apparently some Gartians don’t want to be involved in the Universe’s politics anymore,” Zar responded. “They’re more than happy to continue manufacturing our alloy and existing in relative solitude. And they’re willing to fight for that right. They want no part of the war against the Denards and the uprising against the UGFS.”
I stepped closer to him, pulling away from Kade. “But don’t they understand that if the Denards win, they might just circle back around and try to finish the job they started with the G-Pox?”
Zar shook his head. “They believe we have enough resources now, coupled with being prepared this time around, to protect ourselves.”
“So what does this mean? The Gartians won’t help us?” Without the aid of our strongest allies, we didn’t stand a chance against the Denards and the UGFS. Plus, with the Gartians pulling out of the war, many other species would follow suit, believing the uprising a lost cause.
