“Because there are so few women on Ontariese, it’s necessary for each woman to declare a social alliance when she finds a man she’s interested in sexually. This tells other men to back off until the alliance is over.”
“A social alliance isn’t permanent?”
“No. A permanent relationship is called lifemating. Finding your soul’s mate is not a simple thing. Those are rare and precious joinings.”
Pulling off his shirt, he watched her eyes dilate as they moved over his naked chest. His rebellious body hardened and he sank to his knees beside the tub, hiding his erection. “Why don’t you have the water massage activated?”
She made a bland gesture toward the control panel. “I couldn’t make it work. The water feels nice so I just decided to soak.”
He paged through the various diagrams. “There are five preset programs. Basic whirlpool, back and neck, legs and hips, torso and shoulders, and sensual message.”
She laughed, rubbing her face with wet hands to smooth the hair off her face. “Start simple and we’ll experiment. I thought you were coming in.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
A slow, beckoning smile parted her dewy lips. “You didn’t duck fast enough. Maybe the water will relax you. I promise I’ll behave.”
“I sincerely doubt it.”
Her brow arched. “You doubt the water will relax you or I’ll behave?”
“Either.” He laughed. “Both. Scoot forward.” He shucked his pants and slipped in behind her. Warm water engulfed him and her sleek hips slid against him as he parted his legs. This was definitely not relaxing.
“Do I just press the pad to activate the program diagramed?” she asked.
As she leaned forward to reach the controls, he could see the elegant column of her back and the side of her breast if she moved just right. His hands grasped the edge of the tub, refusing to touch her. She needed to relax—they needed to relax.
“Yeah, just press it.”
His voice broke and she glanced over her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
Mechanically, he nodded and she activated the water message. Countless air jets shot the water all around their bodies, raising the temperature and making bubbles.
“Oh that’s nice.” She settled against his chest, casually resting her hands on his thighs. Trey groaned. “Are your brother and my aunt—what did you call it, life mates?”
“Yes.”
She wiggled, angling her head to see his face. “You’re suddenly all closemouthed. Does it bother you that your brother has found his soul’s mate?”
“No, I’m…yes, I should have…there is no simple answer to that question.”
Her head turned to a more natural angle, relaxing against his shoulder. “So explain it to me. I’m fully capable of comprehending complicated concepts.”
“And creating alliteration.” He slid his hands from her shoulders to her elbows, enjoying the heated softness of her skin. “I don’t love Charlotte. She was meant to be with Tal. You have only to see them together to understand that their souls are truly mated. But I long for the contentment they’ve found.”
“What keeps you from finding that sort of contentment for yourself?”
“I have nothing to offer a life mate,” he said softly. “Lovers find me physically pleasing, but to secure a relationship beyond a social alliance, men must be extraordinary in some way. I have no Mystic abilities. I no longer have a place on the council. Why would a woman permanently bond with me when there are so many others to choose from?”
He could feel the tension in her body, knew what he said upset her but he couldn’t see her face. It took her a long time to speak. “Aren’t you from one of the royal houses?”
“As are hundreds of others.”
She shifted against him, her hands moving up and down his thighs. He wasn’t sure if it was the topic or just lying in his arms that was making her restless, but it was driving him crazy.
“I’ve seen pictures of families, viddisks and archived recordings, but no one I know has a mate of any kind.”
Her softly spoken words twisted through Trey and shame drove away his self-pity. He had known love. He had been held in the arms of a nurturing mother and seen pride gleam in his father’s eyes. His string of social alliances had only seemed shallow and cold when held up against the strength of Tal and Charlotte’s soul-deep bonding. Still, he had known the comfort of affection and the thrill of passion. His uncertainty was nothing compared to Krysta’s isolation.
“I thought it was merely one more way for Hydran to control us,” she went on. “But there were no males of our species available on Earth so he gave us the Companion.”
Trey chuckled, pressing a kiss to her temple. “There is no shortage of males on Ontariese. We will be thrilled to have two hundred healthy…”
“What’s the matter now?”
Why hadn’t he realized it before? He’d been focused on the fact that they all had Mystic abilities. “There could be hundreds born of Krystabel. How will we ever determine the rank of succession?”
Krysta laughed. “You concern yourself with the strangest things. You’re so hesitant to talk about yourself that it’s hard for me to understand what you’re thinking half the time. Then you’ll say something that makes me believe we’re very much the same.”
His hands covered her breasts and Krysta gasped. Even through the water, his body heat seared her skin.
“I’m not hesitant to talk about myself. I’ve told you more than you need to know.”
“Oh really?” Her nipples gathered against his palms, making it hard to concentrate. “What’s your fondest childhood memory?”
He stroked the pads of his thumbs over her sensitized nipples in perfect synchronicity. “The day Tal left for the Conservatory.”
She laughed.
His hands stopped stimulating her but didn’t move to a less intimate position. “He was six and Vee accepted him as an apprentice. It was a great honor for Tal personally, but it also honored our family. Even at eight, I knew I would never be able to compete with him, never be what he is. So I was glad to see him go.”
She couldn’t bear the raw candor that tore through his tone. Turning, she knelt and threaded her fingers through his damp hair. “Your brother would have been useless to me. Just as Vee is useless.”
His lips pressed together and she suspected he was trying not to smile. “Tal wasn’t allowed to leave the Conservatory for an entire cycle after the initial Choosing. I had my mother’s attention entirely to myself for the first time in six years.”
“Do you have one of those holodisks of her? I’d very much like to see her.”
“Sorry.” He rubbed his cheek against her palm. “It will have to wait until we get home. You better get back in the water, I’m losing interest in the bath.” He circled her nipple with his index finger.
She started to turn around but he shook his head.
“Sit and cross your ankles behind me.”
His hands guided her down. Sliding forward and bending his knees, he made room for her between his legs. She wrapped her legs around his hips and pressed herself against his chest. His erection throbbed against her belly. She barely stifled a moan.
“Are we done reminiscing?” he whispered.
“For now.”
His mouth grazed her lips but didn’t linger. “You said I’ve said things that make you think that we’re very much alike. What did you mean?”
She gave his hair a playful tug. “I thought we were finished talking.”
“Reminiscing. This is different.” He flashed a thoroughly unapologetic smirk.
There was no help for it. He had indulged her and he expected the same in return. Heaving a loud sigh, she rattled off her observations as quickly as she could.
“We’ve both had very little control over many aspects of our lives. We’ve both been subjected to various forms of training from a very early age. We’ve both found ourselves in leadership
roles we didn’t necessarily want. And neither of us has a clue what we want to be when we grow up.”
The last one made him laugh. “I see what you mean. Except I knew what I wanted until…”
“Until you rescued my aunt?” His beautiful amber gaze darted away and Krysta knew she’d found the heart of the matter. “Why did you agree to command the second mission? If you feel like you’re destroying your future by rescuing us, why are you here?”
“Because the High Queen of Ontariese asked it of me.” His gaze returned to her face.
“The very woman who made you feel obsolete?” She traced his mouth with her fingertips, craving the taste of his kiss. “I’m not sure I could have been so honorable.”
He narrowed his eyes to glistening slits, his hands sweeping her body from armpit to hip in one teasing stroke. “Would you rather I weren’t? Would you rather I curse the changes life has cast upon me and work out my frustrations on your luscious body?”
A tingle of excitement coiled deep in her belly, expanding through her entire body until her toes curled. Did she want him to overwhelm her senses, to take their slow, sweet love play to the next level? Did she dare?
His hand tangled in her hair, pulling her head to one side. “Offer me your mouth,” he growled.
She licked her lips, uncertain.
“If you want this, show me. Offer me your mouth and I will take the rest.”
Slowly, leaning toward him, she parted her lips and offered her mouth to his kiss. His claiming was instantaneous. His lips slid against hers, stroked, devoured. He nibbled and sucked her lips then finally delved inside with his tongue, tasting. Touching, questing.
She clung to him, accepting the onslaught and attempting to respond, but his demand was so great she could hardly keep up. Her head spun, lights danced before her eyes even after she closed them.
“Trey,” she cried. Hot, liquid tension gathered in her core, waiting for the stroke of his fingers, the slow penetration of his shaft. Just the thought was enough to unravel her senses and make her shake all over.
“Soon, sweetheart. I’ll be there soon.”
His hands hooked beneath her arms, lifting her, arching her until her breasts thrust toward him wantonly. “Do you want me here?” He captured a nipple deep in his mouth.
She moaned, twisting in his hands, loving the feel of his mouth, but needing so much more. He suckled and nibbled, licking her until she was wild to have more. “Please!” The one word was a desolate wail.
“Please what?” He moved his mouth against her sensitized skin. “Please move? Please harder? Or please put your fingers inside me?”
The graphic question shook her. This was not the gentle lover who had tenderly initiated her into the ways of sex. She was overwhelmed by his demand yet she knew this was just as much a part of Trey as the patience. His hands dipped beneath the water, resting on her inner thighs. “Are you sure you’re ready for this? I’m in the mood to devour.”
Resting her hands on his shoulders, she spread her thighs, offering herself to him without hesitation. Fierce or gentle, this was Trey.
“Are you sore from last night?” His question confirmed her confidence. Even in the midst of his aggression, he was concerned about her, protective of her. She could trust him.
“A little.”
“Then stand up,” he ordered.
“Why?”
Before she could ask again, his hands grasped her waist and propelled her upward. She stood directly in front of him, her sex level with his face. She turned toward the towels, but he grabbed her wrist. “Not yet.”
“What are you doing?”
He chuckled, a deep, throaty sound that sent tingles all over her exposed skin. “If you’re too sore to take me again, I want to at least taste you.”
She swallowed hard as desire twisted through her uncertainty.
“Move closer.” His hands found her hips and pulled her toward him until his warm breath wafted across her damp folds. He lifted her leg to the edge of the tub, arching it over his shoulder. Then his thumbs parted her, allowing his warm, wet tongue to explore her feminine flesh. She gasped, she swayed, but the only thing to grab on to was his arms.
“Relax. I’ve got you.”
The brief teasing flick of his tongue hadn’t prepared her for this. He licked and stroked, nipped and gently sucked until she was keening with pleasure and trembling with impending release.
“That’s it. Come for me. I want to watch you come.”
His tongue settled over her sensitive nub and slowly, oh-so slowly, he pushed two fingers into her core. The combination sent her out of control. She arched her back. Her inner muscles rippled and clenched as reality spun away. Her knees buckled and she collapsed into his arms.
“You’re so beautiful.” He kissed her, cradling her against his chest. “I’ve never seen a woman so utterly surrendered to pleasure.”
Krysta giggled, feeling embarrassed now that she was back in control. “You had a little something to do with the pleasure.”
A high-pitched squeal interrupted his response. It wasn’t loud, but it was distinct and very annoying. “What, by the ghosts of the night moon, is that?”
“Shouldn’t we go find out?”
“Stay here,” he said. “It may be nothing.”
He stepped from the tub, offering her a spectacular view of toned flanks and tight buttocks before he threw a towel around his hips.
The sound ended abruptly but Trey’s angry voice immediately followed. This wasn’t good. Krysta activated the drain and reached for a clean robe. Something was wrong. She tried not to eavesdrop, but his aggravated conversation was taking place in Ontarian so she needn’t have bothered. He paced the length of the bedroom snarling into his comlink.
After a moment, he tossed the tiny device onto the bed and turned to face her. “What’s going on?”
“Hydran moved the children to ward D.” He took a long shuddering breath. “Vee shifted into the likeness of an Operation Hydra guard and transported himself inside The Center. He’s decided to play hero.”
* * *
Hydran absently stroked his whiskers and ignored the giddy racing of his heart. How was he supposed to remain thoughtful and composed when he wanted to shout for joy and bounce around the room like a child?
“Just look at him, Corra. Have you ever seen a creature so glorious?”
His daughter stood beside the examination table stiff and silent, her gaze riveted on the alien male. The body beneath the loose gray garment was thin and long-limbed. Shimmering beneath the bright lights, the creature’s pure white hair cascaded over the edge of the table and pooled on the floor.
“You can’t keep him sedated indefinitely,” Corra whispered urgently. “The dosage you’re using is already dangerous.”
“How can you be unaffected by this wonder? You saw him morph. You saw him teleport. He is surely the most powerful creature we’ve ever seen. Why aren’t you excited by this opportunity?”
She moved toward him, her light blue eyes wide and luminous. “Father, I’m afraid for you. I’m afraid of what this project has cost you and the sacrifice you’re expecting of others. Where does it end? What—”
“Is this about Rawdon?”
Squaring her shoulders, she met his gaze directly, surprising him with her fortitude. “Rawdon is no longer your concern.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“You will never hear from or see Rawdon Stacey again.”
Hydran studied his daughter’s lovely face. Surely she wouldn’t openly defy him. She had never done so before, not in forty-five years. “Not good enough.”
“It has to be.” The glint in her eyes made it obvious she intended to say no more. Shifting her stance, she motioned toward the unconscious alien. “Is he the same species as the others?”
Stunned by her subtle rebellion, Hydran dragged his gaze from her flushed face. She had defied him. Over her spineless weakling of a husband, she had set them
at odds. He quickly shoved his hands into the pockets of his lab coat. It wouldn’t do for her to see how tightly he clenched his fists.
“I’m not sure yet.” He moved closer to the table. “I think he was subtly morphing his form while I scanned him initially. I don’t trust any of my preliminary readings. Obviously that won’t be a problem any longer.”
“Is Saebin all right?”
Hydran glanced at her but his attention drifted back to his captive. “What’s wrong with Saebin?”
“Incapacitating the man overloaded her implants. She began seizing and her handler couldn’t get her stabilized. You didn’t notice any of this?”
The anger in her tone drew his gaze back to Corra. “My attention was occupied by the male.”
“Oh, I’m aware of that. You’ve developed such a case of tunnel vision I’m amazed you can navigate your shuttle. I’ll go check on Saebin. Two weeks ago she was the center of your universe, the object of your obsession, and today she was invisible. I don’t understand you at all.”
He listened to the sharp tapping of her retreating footsteps, but already his attention had returned to the alien male.
* * *
“I thought you said the Tempest is invisible.” Krysta watched as the sleek vessel gradually filled the forward viewport. A soft iridescence undulated across the surface of the ship, making the silvery alloy glow with pastel lights.
Aurora borealis. She had seen a vidfile of the phenomenon. It was as if the Northern Lights had been captured within the surface of the Tempest. It was beautiful, hypnotizing. She didn’t think the graceful ship deserved so brutal a name.
“She’s undetectable to scanners. You have to be close enough for a visual and Lyrik isn’t going to let that happen.”
She smiled. He obviously admired his friend. “How long have you known Lyrik?”
He glanced at her caressingly while his fingers glided across the shuttle’s control console, activating the landing sequence. When Dro Tar notified him that the Tempest had arrived, Trey decided to meet with the other commander before contacting Hydran.
Operation Hydra (Beyond Ontariese 2) Page 15
