Wild is the Blue

by Cecilia Randell

  “Damn contraption,” he muttered.

  Blue laughed as she continued to place kisses over his jaw and down his throat. She took her time at his collar bone. Something about the gentle arc of it capping his chest muscles drove her crazy.

  Man nipples and collar bones. Who knew they’d be my weaknesses? Is that weird?

  The cincher finally loosened and Felix groaned. “I can’t help but think there’s something very unfair about you still being clothed.”

  Blue pressed herself against him in short rocking motions. “Then keep doing something about it.” She went back to kissing every inch of his skin. Her fingers tingled as she played them over the muscles of his back.

  He groaned then went back to getting her out of her clothes.

  After another minute of tugging, he leaned back. “This is not working.” Giving her a nudge, he pointed at her feet. “Boots.”

  Blue, the heat now riding her with enough urgency she didn’t want to argue, hopped off of him and bent to unfasten her boots. If she tilted her head just right, she was at the perfect level to…

  “Boots,” Felix said again. “As much as I think I love where your mind is going, we have something else on the agenda.”

  Blue tore her gaze away and focused on the footwear that needed to come off. “Right. Boots.” Buckles and too many laces. Where are the zippers when you need them?

  Finally, she got them off, then unbuttoned her pants and pulled those off as well. Wearing only her shirt and underwear now, she jumped back onto the bed, and Felix.

  Blue pushed against his shoulders and he lay down. Straddling him over his stomach, she went back to kissing every inch of his skin.

  He groaned and buried his hands in her hair. “Pet.”

  She raised her head.

  “Want in you, now.”

  She smiled and went back to what she’d been doing.

  He growled and flipped them so she was now on her back. “If we’re playing like that,” he said before lowering his own head and taking control. His lips skimmed over the sensitive skin of her neck as his hands slipped under her shirt to grip her waist. After a minute, Felix pulled back, breathing hard.

  He knelt between her legs, leaning forward so he could keep hold of her. His hands still circled her waist, his thumbs nearly meeting in the middle. “So fucking tiny,” he whispered. His eyes pinched.

  “Hey.” She waited until he met her gaze. “I’ve been handling Mo’ata, and Levi.” She waved to his penis. “Your… lower parts aren’t all that much bigger.” She grinned through her urge to flip them back over so she could gain control once more. “We’ve got this.”

  He grinned back. “But they are bigger, right?”

  “For fuck’s sake, get over here.” She reached for him.

  Felix shoved her shirt up so her bra was exposed. A few tugs, and he undid the front clasp. Staring at her bare breasts as her nipples puckered in the cooled air, he licked his lips. Then he covered them with his hands as he leaned in once more to seal their lips together.

  The now familiar heat stole through Blue. It was just about passion, it was about intimacy, and Blue didn’t think she’d ever tire of it. One of Felix’s hands moved down, and there was a tug at her underwear.

  “Over,” she managed to say. “Works better with me on top.” A lesson learned through one too many nights of armpit to the face.

  Without hesitation, Felix flipped them. Blue once more straddled the mercenary, her legs stretched wide by his hips. She sat back and pulled her shirt the rest of the way off, then wriggled out of her underwear.

  After another few kisses to his chest, she met his gaze. Her core clenched as she reached for him, her hand wrapping around his hard length. She kept their eyes locked as she guided him into her and eased down.

  He was wider than the others, but not by much, and not enough to make her uncomfortable if she was careful. In small, quick motions, she worked herself over him until he was fully seated.

  She leaned forward, hands on his chest, and found the angle she liked. It hit something inside her just right.

  Then she moved.

  A second later, Felix matched her thrust for thrust. He followed her lead, slowing when she did, picking up the pace when her own hips moved faster. His hands roamed over her, first digging into her hips, then skimming up to cover her breasts, before moving lower to the juncture of her thighs where his thumbs teased at the spot before moving back up to repeat the pattern over and over.

  They continued like this, finally coming together, until the pleasure came together in a burst of sensation that moved through Blue and stole the strength from her limbs.

  A second later, Felix released inside her, his face clenched in strain.

  Blue collapsed onto his chest, her lungs straining. When she caught her breath, she shifted up and placed a kiss on his jaw. “Worth the wait?”

  A breathless laugh escaped him. “Worth it, but the wait? Why did we decide to wait?”

  She poked his side then ran her fingers down the defined muscles there. “That was your idea.” She shifted again, or tired to, but the drying sweat stuck their skin together. “Now, is there a shower around here? Otherwise, this is going to be a very interesting first meeting with your parents.”

  Felix groaned, but not in pleasure. “Please don’t mention them while we’re naked.”

  She giggled. “I love that you’re finally naked. Know what one of my favorite things is?” She went to push up and one of his arms wrapped around her, holding her down to his wide chest.

  “What?”

  “Naked cuddles. You’ve been missing out, dude, what with not wanting to take your pants off before.”

  He rocked them together. “Not anymore, pet. Not anymore.”

  Felix kept them there for another ten minutes before relenting and pointing her to a small door at the end of the room. “Shower is there. Unless you want to go for another round?”

  She thought about it. They did have some lost time to make up for, though it technically wasn’t his day. She didn’t really think Forrest would have a problem adjusting the schedule for a week, though. “You said we had five hours?”

  “Less now, though I hate to admit I didn’t last long that first time.” He stared up at her with hopeful, pleading eyes. “So what do you say?”

  “Round two?”

  He nodded.

  She dove in for a kiss. Round two it was. She really should keep him to herself while she could.

  Then the shower.

  Then everything else.

  Chapter 19

  BLUE

  The shuttle settled on a field on concrete. About a mile away, nestled among towering trees bearing turquoise foliage, stood a… structure made of a silvery-gray material.

  “Is that your… family home?” Blue turned to Felix. Her cheeks flushed as she remembered how they spent the last couple hours. True, most of the time had been spent in cuddles, but the rest was… satisfying.

  He ran a hand down her back. “It is less institutional in appearance the closer you get.”

  She curled her hands into fists then stretched them out. “All right. This is it. We start here.” Her skin buzzed and her blood rushed. Despite all her worry leading up to this, now that the moment had arrived, she was ready. More than ready.

  Kill them with politeness, kill them with politeness. She could do that.

  The shuttle touched down with a bump. With a hiss the door opened and a ramp extended down to the landing pad. From the opening, the sound of hooves and neighing grumbles reached her. Beast was being unloaded from his stall in the lower hold. A few screaming growls answered him.

  “What is that?” Forrest asked.

  “Poumas. Ones who have never seen a quorin before.”

  “And we start off with a bang.” Trevon slapped Felix’s back. “Lead the way, mercenary.”

  Felix looked down at her. His wide grin was firmly in place. “Shall we, pet?”

  Blue snarled
up at him and snapped her teeth. Forrest handed her the piquet’s leases. Garfield batted at his and Vivi gnawed the leather. Blue gave them a tug and both piquets looked up at her with wide eyes. Surely she could let them off. They agreed to no blood…

  “No,” she said, giving them a glare.

  They looked away and gave their bodies a shake, fluffing out their fur, making themselves look larger.

  Felix held out his arm. Blue placed her hand over it, like a lady in some historical drama. He led her out and down the ramp, the other four men lining up behind them like an honor guard.

  Waiting a few yards away were ten people mounted on poumas, as well as seven additional of the feline mounts, saddled and ready. One of the men dismounted and strode to the base of the ramp. He stood straight, his back stiff and shoulders back, mouth in a hard line.

  Blue stretched her mouth into as natural of a smile as she could manage.

  “Father,” Felix said. He steered her to stand before his the man. He was an older version of Felix, hair gone to grey, and green eyes standing out in his tanned face.

  “Felix.” No smile, no words of greeting.

  Blue gritted her teeth and kept the smile in place.

  “I’d like to intr—“

  “Some old friends are here. When they got word you were finally coming home your mother thought it would be nice for you to have a few more familiar faces around.” General Audal didn’t even look in Blue’s direction.

  Fuck politeness. Looked like she wasn’t as over her anger as she thought.

  “Excuse me.” Blue stepped forward.

  Blood?

  Not yet.

  “Excuse me, General Audal.”

  The man turned his head and lowered his eyes to hers. One brow rose.

  For fuck’s sake.

  “Look,” she started in. “I don’t know what’s considered polite here on Cularna, but where I come from, even the dog has better manners than what you’re showing right now. You don’t know me, fine. You don’t like the fact that I’m here, fine. Your son is here, for the first time in a very long while. And how do you treat him? Like he’s some lowly peon who can’t even form his own sentences or a thought of his own.” She, the piquets, and Beast growled. Bodies moved behind her. From the corner of her eye she caught Duri and Prin fanning out to the side. Their postures were casual, but she knew they were ready to move.

  Felix’s shoulders shook. “What happened to ‘the power of politeness,’ pet?”

  Blue turned her glare on him. “I told you not to call me that. And fuck polite.”

  A finger tapped her shoulder. “Pixie, are the cubs rubbing off on you? Also, Beast is about to try to gore one of the poumas.”

  She twisted around to see Beast, head lowered at the pouma General Audal had been riding, pawing the ground.

  Her anger faded to annoyance. “We can’t let him maim anything, can we?” she said. But it would be nice if we could.

  “It would be best. Pet.” Felix’s smile was wide, and it was the genuine one.

  “Sure thing.” She patted his arm. “Pookie.” Then she strode off toward Beast, piquets in tow, leaving General Audal standing stone-faced in front of his son and her other men.

  “Beast?” She laid a hand on his shoulder and smoothed it over his coat. “Yes, I got angry. I forgot the rules. Doesn’t mean you get to break them too.”

  He stilled under her hand. His hoof came down and his head came up, though the growl didn’t subside.

  “Okay. You keep growling and I—“ She cut off as a dark-haired woman dismounted and sauntered up to Felix and his father. She knew that face. It was older than the one in the photo, but that was the ichika who’d put her Felix through emotional torture.

  Her muscles tensed. Beast swung his head in the direction of the reunion from hell. Vivi strained against the leash and Garfield gnawed on his.

  Protect pack.

  “No maiming,” she ordered aloud.

  Silence.

  “No maiming or I don’t let you go.”

  Protect pack, no hurt, came the grudging reply.

  “Promise?”

  Promise.

  Blue released the leashes. Vivi and Garfield shot over to Felix’s side. Vivi leapt. Felix spun around, caught her, and continued the movement so he once more faced his ex. She couldn’t make out exactly what he said, but the words, ‘armor’ and ‘claws’ were clear. Vivi nudge her nose into his neck.

  Moving to join her guys once more, Blue was blocked by her demon-mount. “We are not doing this again, you stubborn mule.” There was no equivalent for the last word in Common, but her meaning must have made it through.

  Beast bared his teeth at her.

  “Fine, you can come over with me.”

  Beast cocked his head, bobbed it, then trotted off toward the ramp, leaving Blue behind.

  As she followed her mount, she swept her gaze over the others who’d come to greet them, most of whom she assumed were Felix’s family. All but three had the dark hair and square features of the Audals. Then there was an older man, silver haired and trim. Beside him, on a dark-coated pouma, was a young woman with golden hair. Last was an older woman with light brown hair.

  She stared at Blue, brows lightly furrowed.

  “Felix, darling, it is so good to see you again,” Portia was saying as Blue drew up next to the awkward trio.

  Mo’ata caught her arm in a firm hold. “Let him handle it, shopa.”

  Blue opened her mouth to protest, then closed it. He was right. This was Felix’s unfinished business. She wouldn’t step in unless it looked like he needed help.

  “Why are you here?” he asked in a flat voice.

  Portia reached out a hand, and Vivi growled. Brown eyes went wide in fear and the hand was snatched to a rounded chest. “What is that thing? You won’t let it hurt me, will you?”

  Felix’s lip curled. “This is Vivi, she is not a thing, and the only ones who can save you from her are Blue and Forrest. So far the no maiming rule is still in effect. Keep pushing, and it may no longer be.” He tilted his head. “I will ask you again. Why are you here?”

  “I- I thought you might want to see me.”

  “And why would I want to do that?”

  Silence fell. Blue’s gaze wandered to General Audal. The older man ignored the confrontation between his son and his son’s ex and focused on Blue.

  Blue raised her brows and gave the general a wave, flashing her ring.

  The general’s gaze darted to Felix’s hand where his ring was on display. His lips twitched, but she didn’t think it was in amusement.

  “I’m going to ask you to leave, Portia,” Felix said.

  “Your mother invited me.”

  “I don’t know why she would have done that. I made it very clear that we were over.”

  “Do not be rude, my son,” a charming voice called out. The woman with light-brown hair.

  Blue snorted. It was okay to ignore everyone who’d accompanied their son on his visit home, but not the ex fiancé who’d done her best to warp Felix into something he wasn’t and didn’t want to be? Did his parents really know the truth of what happened? How could they want Portia anywhere near their son?

  Felix sighed. “Mother, it is not appropriate for Portia to be here. I have engaged in a trial period with a new partner. Which you knew.”

  His mother dismounted. That seemed to be the signal for the rest, because they too slid to the concrete. The entire party headed for the shuttle.

  Why does this feel like some twisted version of the OK Corral? Someone’s going to whip out a six shooter and grow a handlebar mustache any time now.

  One or two cast smiles her way. Probably Garret and Avery, the next youngest siblings. The others, despite being in casual clothes that matched the style she and her guys had stuffed themselves into, could have been wearing starched uniforms and shining boots. They were very much in disciplined-mercenary-mode.

  The smiling woman, her dark hair in a l
oose braid that fell over her shoulder with a waist-cincher sporting scrolls of different colors, headed straight for Blue. “I’m Avery,” she said with an outstretched hand.

  And I was right. Blue grasped her hand. “Blue Faust.” She gave the woman a wry smile. “Should I give you introductions? Or shall we wait for this drama to finish playing out? Because it obviously has nothing to do with me, considering I’m not actually here.” She tilted her head. “Or maybe I have a cloak of invisibility around me.”

  Avery tugged Blue over to her and linked their arms. “Oh, if we waited for the dramatics to end with that one, we would never be done. And what is a cloak of invisibility? You have such things on Earth?”

  “Uh. No. Sorry, it was a reference to a book I read once.”

  “Well, let me introduce you to everyone, and then you can return the favor.”

  “Avery,” General Audal ground out.

  The youngest daughter looked to her father, though she didn’t let Blue go. “Father, you and I both know Portia being here is a mistake. You and Mother both have some misguided idea that Felix joining the Special Infantry Units was some type of rebellion, that he’ll come to his senses soon. What if he already came to his senses?”

  Oh, Blue liked this Avery. She watched Felix’s parents closely. General Audal’s lips tightened and he flicked his gaze toward Portia. The corners of his eyes pinched. He did know something, or he wasn’t as in agreement with Portia being here as he let on.

  Felix’s mother, however, widened her hazel eyes. They glistened with unshed tears. Then she turned those eyes on Felix.

  Blue knew exactly what was coming next. Her mercenary couldn’t deal with tears.

  “Well, shit,” she whispered under her breath.

  Avery patted her arm. “She does this. Most of us have learned to ignore her, but Felix… well, he’s her baby.”

  Blue groaned.

  “Mother,” Felix sighed out. Setting Vivi on the ground, he cast a pleading look Blue’s way. She was about to intervene when his lips and eyes tightened. “Mother,” he said again, straightening, his voice firm this time. “Send Portia home. This time is for you to get to know my new intended. We,” he gestured between the dark-haired girl and himself, “have not been a ‘we’ in a very long time. Even if I had not met Blue, Portia and I were never going to be together, no matter how much you had your heart set on the match.”