He caught her fist in his palm, encasing the whole thing. He stared directly into her eyes.
She threw another punch with her left hand and he did the same thing. He slammed her back against the wall, bringing her hands over her head. His body pressed against hers, holding her in place.
And she thought she couldn’t breathe before.
Did he always smell this good?
“Don’t ever run away from me again.” One look into his eyes and she knew he meant it. He placed his cheek against hers. “Do you understand?”
His breath against the side of her face was hot and heavy. It made the nerve endings in her neck fire in response.
He was so… This was so…
Her nipples hardened. Her core heated.
I can’t feel this way.
She tried to struggle against him. Her body thrashed, but no matter how much she moved, she couldn’t break free. Did she even want to?
His hands clasped her wrists tightly, holding them firmly without effort.
“I don’t have to go anywhere with you,” she snarled back.
He nipped at her ear. “But you will.”
She moaned.
Shit. I want his body.
The traitorous thought crossed her mind before she could put a clamp on it.
He pressed his groin into her, making her feel the hardness of his cock on her belly. “You want me just as much as I want you. You look at me with lust and longing just as I look at you. You have thoughts, dreams and desires of fucking me just as I have the same for you.” He ground against her. “Make no mistake about it.”
Her breath hitched as his fullness branded her.
Oh God, I want him.
She wouldn’t say the words. But it wasn’t hard to guess, since her breaths were ragged and fast. “Why did you come for me?”
He lowered his head to her neck. “I made a promise to Eva. I don’t break my promises. And I promise you—if you pull a stunt like that again, I will always find you.”
“But—”
“Anything could have happened to you, to the children. You’ve caused Eva to worry—you’ve caused me to worry.”
His words were deep and throaty. Her body responded with a shiver.
“I don’t want…I can’t go back to slavery.”
He took a big whiff of her hair and she closed her eyes. “I will never let anyone enslave you again,” he said, his face buried in her hair.
“You can’t promise me that.” She wanted to believe him. But she had seen things, so many ways for a person to become enslaved.
Letting her hands go, he kneeled to pull down her pants. He pulled off her shoes and tossed them aside. She didn’t say a word to stop him. She should be telling him this wasn’t what she wanted, but she couldn’t lie to him—or herself.
He stood, letting his hands travel up her legs and hips.
“Are you lying to me?” she asked, finally finding her voice.
His hands roamed her breasts, tweaking her nipples. “I have never lied to you.”
“Eva…?” she whispered.
“Is waiting for you.”
Her knees buckled.
Using his powerful thighs, he pressed them against hers, making her legs spread apart. She didn’t object. She opened for him. He bent his knees and palmed her butt. He lifted, sliding her back up the wall.
She didn’t mean to grip his waist with her legs, but as if having a mind of their own, they did so with ease.
His mouth claimed hers, fast and needy. His tongue was ferocious in its pursuit, everywhere at once. Her mind was an addled mess, trying to keep up with what was happening. The need to taste him overpowered her. Her hands found their way to his head, holding and cradling him to her.
She felt his hand between their bodies, tugging and pulling. Was he pushing down his pants? She hoped to God he was. In the next instant his hand was between her legs, touching her valley, pushing her panties to one side. His fingers slid into her, dipping into her wetness. She wanted him. She whimpered just as his glorious head pressed against her pussy.
Yes.
On the next breath, he pushed inside her tightness.
And her world exploded.
She threw back her head as he breached her, not minding that it struck the wall. Every inch filled her to capacity, stretching her open. He didn’t ease into her, didn’t wait for her to adjust to his size. No, he took her with such force that she felt him in the deepest part of her.
He slid out and before she could catch her breath, he plunged again, lifting her up the wall, causing her back to scrape against it.
And then there was another plunge, even deeper than the last. “Ahhh,” was all she could say as she dug her nails into his scalp.
“You don’t get to mark me,” he rasped in her ear.
She didn’t want to before, but now she felt the urge, and it was great. But before she could even flex her fingers, his hands were on her wrists, clasping tightly. He held them high above her head with one hand.
Her breath came out in gasps. There was something about how he held her, how he claimed her.
“When you surrender to me completely, I will carry your marks for all to see.”
She’d never wanted to surrender to anyone so badly in her life.
He pulled his chest away but his hips stayed with her. His dick was the stake that held her to the wall. His gaze raked across her breasts, watching as her chest heaved up and down. Her nipples stood at attention, begging for his mouth. Hungrily he watched them, but didn’t move.
And she wanted him to move, fast and hard. Just as before. “Please, don’t stop,” she begged.
Using his free hand, he brushed his thumb across her lips. She parted them, wanting to taste him. He lingered long enough for her to lick his thumb then his hand traveled to her neck, clasping it. He applied just enough pressure to make her pussy clench around him. She tilted her head back, allowing him unencumbered access, inviting him to squeeze a little harder.
She whimpered under his touch.
She’d never been into anything sadistic, but the way he held her… She yearned for more. He had her where he wanted her and she was his to do with as he pleased.
When he released her, she made another plea as his hand trailed down her chest and to the bottom of her shirt, where he grasped and pulled it over her head. Silently he watched her breasts as they rose and fell with each erratic breath she took. She wanted him to touch, hold and caress them. She was about to tell him just that when he reached out and placed a finger on her nipple. Her breath hitched as he lingered there, circling it.
“You are mine,” he said, breaking the silence that seemed to have been an hour long.
“No. I don’t belong to anyone anymore,” she managed to say. Where she had found the voice to respond, she didn’t know.
Plunge.
Her eyes rolled up. Pleasure shot through her as she groaned loudly. “Please,” she begged.
He ground his hips against her. “Please what?”
She tightened her legs, ready for anything he would do next. “Fuck me.”
“Will you ever admit this is mine?” To emphasize “this”, he pressed farther into her, making her yell out and struggle against his hold.
“No.”
Now that she was free, she would never belong to anyone—ever again. No matter how good he felt inside her, caressing her walls.
He pulled back quickly, only to sink into her again—and again. He did it over and over until she thrashed against him. She bucked, needing to feel him deeper, and pulled against the hand holding her wrists, wanting to caress his muscles.
With each delicious stroke, waves of pleasure washed over her. He rocked against her and she welcomed him, her pussy clenching.
He grunted with each thrust, slamming against her. When she thought she couldn’t take any more, he used both hands on her wrists, separating them, holding her in place as he bent and straightened his knees with each plunge, ad
ding to his strength.
She wanted to watch him fuck her, claim her pussy, but her eyes had long since closed tightly. Her mouth fell open with cries, grunts and pleas. She didn’t know what she said, what she asked him to do. She just knew that she wanted everything he had to give and more.
With that thought, her world exploded around her. She didn’t have time to brace herself against the intense pleasure that overpowered her. Bright lights flashed in her head. She heard a voice yell out but didn’t know if it was her or him.
Her body shook like a freight train on wobbly tracks as her orgasm coursed down her body and through her core. Her slick desire surrounded him. Each thrust was louder than the last.
His grip began to loosen and his knees gave way with another thrust. “Oh Ancients,” he yelled as he found his own release.
Shuddering, he slowly let go of her wrists. Finally free, she held onto his shoulders as he lowered her gently to the floor. She slid down his sweaty body and adjusted her clothes, and didn’t mind as his cum dripped from her pussy onto her panties.
One hand splayed on the wall as he used the other to pull up his pants. “No matter what your mouth says, your body speaks a different language.”
She pushed him away but he took only one step back.
Realizing she wouldn’t be able to push him any farther, she dipped under his arm and retrieved her pants. She slid into them and her boots and began to walk toward the door. She didn’t get far before he grabbed her hand and pulled her around.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“To see about the children. I’m responsible for them.”
He turned them to rest his back against the door. “And I’m here to look after all of you.”
“I don’t need any help. I can take care of us.”
He nodded and ran a hand over his hair, pushing any wayward strands back into place. “That was your job, before it was given to me.”
“Who says? Not me.”
“My brother, Eva’s mate.”
At Eva’s name, she quieted.
“You still don’t believe me, do you?”
She looked away. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe that he hadn’t intended to sell her and the kids into slavery.
He pushed away from the door. “What if I tell you something about your friend? I don’t get to spend a lot of time with her but when I visit, I’m always amazed to hear about her antics.”
“Tell me something personal, something about her personality.”
His eyes shifted up and to the right, in thought. She held her breath.
“She’s a hard worker. She’s smart and funny. She’s loyal to my brother and our family and people.”
Ally shook her head. “You could be describing anyone.”
He smiled as he watched her. “I wasn’t finished. Warriors tread lightly around her. Her temper is just as quick as her sword hand and she has an unbelievable kill count for a female.”
“Kill count?” Ally asked, her heart rate speeding up.
“Let’s see…she killed a Tresdonian on Xenaris, one of Taio’s guards on Sonis, Sa’Mya’s uncle on Laconia—and she’ll kill me if I don’t bring you back safely.”
Eva.
Her body shook. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t confirm what he was saying, but deep inside she knew he was talking about Eva. Ally had killed her fair share of aliens and she’d learned from the best. “You should’ve started off with her kill count and I would’ve believed you instantly.” Before she could stop them, tears flowed freely from her eyes.
His strong hands were on her in an instant, cradling her, lifting her up. She covered her face, hiding her tears from him.
“Shh, don’t cry. I thought you would be happy to reunite with her?”
Her sobs tore through her with such force that she found it difficult to speak. “I-I thought I’d never see her again.” She tried to catch her breath. “I couldn’t save her and th-they t-took her from me. We were on Xenaris at the slave auction. I tried my best to get to her, b-but…” The memory of that day became fresh in her mind. No matter how hard she’d tried, she couldn’t get past the fence to reach Eva. She’d failed her best friend. Ally let out another sob.
Kiehle’s arms encased her tighter. All her burdens seemed to fade away within his grasp. “My brother saved her that day. He was the one to carry her away from the slave market.”
She looked up at him, not believing her ears. “Your brother took her?”
“Yes, he took her and gave her a home and she’s waiting for you.”
She’d thought she’d never see Eva again, had given up all hope of reuniting with her only friend. “Take me to her.”
Chapter Twenty
Two weeks.
That’s how long it had taken to reach Drazlan airspace and how long she’d had to think about how her and Eva’s lives had ended up so differently. She wasn’t the same woman Eva knew. So many things had happened to change her.
Things she didn’t want to ever talk about.
Things Eva probably wouldn’t understand.
On the outside, she tried to keep a calm composure for the kids. They were excited to finally get to a new planet, one that offered them safety. Eva had promised them an apartment with their own rooms and beds that she assured were softer than any Kiehle had. She bought them clothes to fill dressers and toys to fill their rooms. They bounced off the ship walls with energy and excitement about what was to come.
As for her…it was different. A mosh-up of emotions.
She was going to be reunited with Eva again. That first year of being separated, she had wished for nothing more.
Then…
Those wishes had ceased to exist.
She’d thought she would never see her friend again.
How much had both of them changed?
Married? A queen? Children? Those were three things she thought would never be mentioned in the same sentence with Eva’s name.
Slave. Whore. Barren.
Those were also three words she’d never thought would have been associated with her name.
What if they were so different now that their friendship wouldn’t last?
Two weeks of worrying about what was to come had seemed like forever. Whatever doubts she had festered and multiplied. Fears and insecurities took control. No matter what anyone said or did, she felt as though she carried all these emotions on her back. Like a burden.
Eva hadn’t given her any reason to feel that way. Their conversations during the trip were always polite. Eva would ask how she was doing and if Kiehle was taking care of her and the kids. Her answers were always “fine” and “yes”. The conversations always ended in an uncomfortable silence. What else could be said next? Eva would never ask her about her life in the brothels and Ally would never divulge her past willingly.
“This is a mistake,” she muttered.
“What’s a mistake?” Kiehle asked.
She kept her gaze out the window, watching the ship dock at a space station above Drazlan. Even though her view should’ve been dark, it was lit up by the lights of the station.
“I was talking to myself. I thought I was alone.”
As the ship eased closer to the platform, she could make out robotic hands lifting up and out to attach to its side. Once attached, the hands guided the ship to the platform.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, taking the seat next to hers.
She didn’t.
She did.
She shrugged. “I wouldn’t know where to begin.” She folded her legs underneath her. The bench she sat on was large, big enough to hold two Drazlonian warriors. She had stacked pillows on it to make it more comfortable.
“Start with how this is all very overwhelming for you.”
She slumped. “Am I that easy to read?”
“You’ve been disengaged.” He ran his hand down the side of her face. “You don’t have to go through this alone.”
&nb
sp; She turned to look at him. His hand cradled her cheek and she took a moment to enjoy the way it made her feel. He wore a burgundy skin suit with gold trimming. She’d never seen him wear it before. On his chest, two animals she didn’t recognize were entwined.
His eyes followed hers. “My family crest.” He outlined the animal with a finger.
“Nice.”
He raised a brow. “Just nice? Taio spent a lot of time designing the new crest. I think he was going for something better than ‘nice’.”
“Is he like you?” she asked, wanting to know more about the alien Eva had decided to marry.
“No. He’s more serious than I am. But that’s because he has more responsibilities. He is the king of both Drazlan and its moon, Sonis. He’s responsible for many lives. But we do have something in common. We’re both warriors. We trained with the best of the Drazlan Royal Guards.”
Serious. Warrior.
Eva had been serious. Her every thought had been one of survival. And warrior? Well, Eva was a trained martial artist. Any male she picked would have to match or exceed her fighting skills. It would only be natural for her to be attracted to someone just like her.
“Is he good to her?”
“Is that what has you so worried?”
Ally lifted her chin an inch. “I’m not worried.”
The side of his mouth rose with a twitch. “You’ve bitten your fingernails down to the skin.”
Frowning, she looked at her hands. Dammit. He was right. One more nibble and her fingers would start to bleed. “I wondered because, well, aliens have not been…very nice to humans.
“Erase that thought from your mind. He is very good to her.” He shook his head. “But I don’t think that is what’s really bothering you.”
She lowered her head. No. It wasn’t.
If Eva chose her husband willingly, then Ally knew she was happy—otherwise he would be dead. “You’re right. I am overwhelmed. I wasn’t expecting to reunite with her. I wasn’t expecting anything really. I prayed and wished for death for so long that it just seemed like my inevitable future. And then when Max and Yoshi came along, my only thought was to provide a safe place for them to live. I wasn’t expecting anything like this.”
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