“Don’t worry,” a male voice said. “Frik will be here soon to collect his prize. I’m sure you’re looking forward to seeing him. As for me, I’m looking forward to the five grand he’s going to pay me. You turned out to be my good fortune.”
Whoever had her was asking ransom from Frik. Darkness blurred his vision. She was still with that cruel Earthling. Tough luck, as the human saying went. She was going to miss Frik, and she’d better get used to it. Impatience ruling over common sense, he didn’t think twice. With a flick of his hand, he swiped away the wall that contained the door. Fury raged in his chest at the sight that greeted him. Ilse was sitting on the floor, blindfolded, her feet and hands bound. A man pointed a gun at her. The man’s eyes flared as the wall, which was nothing more than a metal sheet, fell into the house.
“What the fuck?” The man jumped to his feet, swinging the gun in Drako’s direction.
A female shriek pierced the air, but he didn’t stop to pay her attention. Not yet. Before the man knew what was happening, Drako had grabbed the gun and bent the barrel.
The man stared at the damage with wide eyes. “What the hell are you?”
A backhand shut the man up, sending him flying. He remained motionless where he fell. Drako bent down and felt his pulse. He was alive, although he didn’t deserve to be, not for what he’d done to Ilse. Only then did he turn his attention to her. Her chest heaved. The vein that had seduced him and made him lose all reason fluttered frantically in her neck.
“Frik?” she asked in a high-pitched voice.
He clenched his jaw. No, it wasn’t her lover boy. He didn’t bother to answer. She’d find out soon enough. He took the auto-injector from his pocket and injected it into the muscle of her upper arm. In a second, her body went slack. Before her back hit the ground, he caught her, sweeping her up in his arms. She was small and light, her physical attributes a reminder of her fragility. He stepped over the unconscious man on the ground and chose the quiet roads to go back to his pod. Within seconds, they were air-born. He knew exactly where to construct her prison. At the deserted mine dumps, he touched down, ensuring the invisible feature remained activated. The safest point was the highest one.
With Ilse in his arms, Drako climbed to the top of the mine dump. Krina technology allowed him to construct a comfortable den in minutes. Like the pod, the den would be invisible to any eye. He entered inside with Ilse. The den had everything from an advanced kitchen to self-adjusting, controlled temperature. Stepping into the bedroom, he laid her down on the intelligent bed. He’d tasted her blood and kissed her lips, but he’d not seen her naked. He couldn’t help taking his time in removing her clothes, item by item, appreciating every inch of her skin. Her breasts were round and soft with perfect little nipples. Her stomach quivered as he dipped his fingers under the waistband of her jeans to unfasten the button, as if she was aware of him even in her sleep. He dragged the pants over her hips, her soft skin sliding under his fingers. She was physically perfect and morally flawed, but she was his. At least for the month Altair had granted him. In a month, he’d feed on her body as often as his cock got hard. He’d cure the need in his loins and the lust in his veins. In thirty days, he’d get her and her enticing little body out of his system.
12
Life returned to Ilse’s limbs, but not reality. She blinked, trying to clear her vision and the fog that clouded her mind. Her throat was dry, and her head pounded. Her skin itched. She tried to lift her hand to scratch her arm, but it wouldn’t cooperate. Frowning, she strained her neck to take in her body and then gasped. Cold shivers ran down her spine. She was spread-eagled and bound to a bed. Naked.
Jerking on the ropes that held her hands and feet, she suppressed a sob.
Don’t panic.
She inhaled deeply a couple of times.
Don’t panic. Don’t panic.
The tension only made her headache worse. What had happened? After calling Pete, Samuel had blindfolded and tied her up on Pete’s instruction, who’d said Frik was on his way to get her. Then the wall of the shack had fallen down and someone had injected her with something that had knocked her out.
Where was she? She took stock of the room. It was unlike anything she’d seen. The bed was circular, reflecting the domed ceiling. The mattress was so soft and comfortable it seemed to mold to her back. Everything was a clean, off-white color. Except for the bed, there were no other furnishings. Despite her resolution, panic gripped her. Who had taken her? What was he going to do to her?
The questions were still assaulting her mind when an opening appeared in the wall. Her mouth dropped open. What was this place? Then all of her disconcerting questions were answered in a frightening, shocking instant when an impossibly tall, muscled man stepped through the entrance.
Drako.
Her breath caught. Her heartbeat spiked, sending her pulse through the roof.
He gave her a lazy smile––the unfriendly kind––while advancing slowly to the bed. “You’re awake.”
He was taller than she remembered, or maybe he carried himself taller than what chains allowed. Slacks covered his legs, but his sleeveless T-shirt bared his shoulders. The wound was completely healed, not as much as a scar in sight. The improbability of a wound like that healing in such a way only made her anxiety climb.
She yanked on the restraints. “Let me go.”
He stopped at the foot end. Like his smile, there was nothing friendly in his voice. “How does it feel, Ilse?”
She tried to swallow away the dryness of her throat, but there was no saliva to alleviate the sandpapery burn.
“How does what feel?” she croaked.
“To be so helpless?”
She concentrated on not choking on her tears. “What are you going to do to me?”
Ever so slowly, he leaned over the bed, placing his hands on either side of her hips. Catching his weight on his arms, he lowered his upper body between her legs. He held her eyes as he dipped his head, his lips close enough to touch her core. A full-body shiver ran over her.
Hot air from his lips scorched her sex as he spoke. “What do you think?”
Reflexively, she tried to close her legs, which only invited a cruel chuckle from him.
“Please,” she whispered. “Don’t.”
“You’re at my mercy, now,” he said. “How does it feel, Ilse? Tell me.”
“I’m sorry! I didn’t have a choice.”
“You’re a liar,” he said with a sneer. “Everything that came out of your mouth was false, except for this.”
The way his eyes darkened from yellow to gold warned her of his intent. She thrashed in her constraints. God knew how many times she’d dreamt about his mouth on her, but not like this. Not for warped reasons.
“Drako, don’t.”
Ignoring her protest, he flicked out his tongue. Light like a feather, he drew the tip over her clit. She jerked at the contact. A flame of desire licked over her skin, instantly setting off a dull ache in the nub. Without giving her time to process the sensation, he pressed his tongue flat on her folds and licked her from top to bottom. What was supposed to be a protest came out as an embarrassingly needy whimper. Her thighs quivered as he repeated the action, dragging his tongue through her slit. Heat penetrated her pussy, making her shiver despite how frightened she was.
“Do you like that?” he asked with a humorless grin. “Or are you going to lie about it, too?”
Before she could reply, he lapped at her with two long strokes before clamping his teeth over her clit and licking the sensitive bundle of nerves like candy. This time, the flame spread like a wildfire through her body. Her breasts turned heavy and her nipples hard. Her folds throbbed with slick wetness coating them. She bit down hard on her lip to prevent a moan from escaping. She wanted to look away from him, not wanting him to see the effect he had on her in her eyes, but he held her gaze with an unspoken demand. His expression was dark with lust, but above all with satisfaction, the angry kind that came with
retribution. By responding to him, she was giving him exactly what he wanted. Revenge. Her helplessness to stop her reaction turned her fear into anger.
“You lied to me, too,” she snapped.
Releasing her clit, he lifted his head a fraction. His eyes narrowed with a calculating look. “When did I ever tell you an untruth?”
“You said you wouldn’t bite.”
Some of the anger in his expression made way for guilt. “It wasn’t supposed to happen.” His gaze moved to her neck. “I would’ve used my technology to heal you and take away any discomfort, but I see the marks are already gone.” He smiled coldly. “I suppose you’re happy. At least you don’t have to cover your neck in shame.”
“What was that, anyway? Are you a vampire?”
“My species take pleasure from drinking blood, but only in small quantities.”
“Oh, great. You take pleasure from our pain.”
He flinched. “It wasn’t supposed to be painful. If done during intercourse, you will have more pleasure than you’ve ever felt.”
“I prefer not to have a repeat. It was horrible.”
“It won’t be next time,” he insisted.
“I fainted, and when I woke I couldn’t remember what had happened. No thanks. I’ll skip.”
He lifted another inch off her, his heat disappearing. “I went overboard, but that’s because I was starving, and I didn’t know all the facts. Next time, I’ll have better control.”
“Don’t count on it. As I said, there won’t be a next time.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“You can’t keep me here against my will.”
“I already am.”
“Untie me.” She scowled at him. “Give me my clothes.”
He laughed softly. “Sorry, little doll.” He placed his palm on her stomach, making her skin contract. “This time, the roles are reversed. You’ll stay naked, and I’ll decide what to do with you.”
He trailed his fingers over her mound to cup her sex. She was intensely aware of how wet she was from both arousal and his tongue.
“Is this what your government pays you for? To get wet for men?” He circled his thumb over her clit, dragging the pad through the discriminating evidence. “You’re trained much better than the first whore they sent.”
“I’m not a prostitute, and I’m not trained to get wet for men.”
His smile was pure evil. “Only for me?”
“No.” Damn. If he didn’t stop touching her she was going to come. She bit the inside of her cheek hard.
He stopped rubbing her clit only to flick his index finger over the nub. It was a matter of seconds.
“I beg to differ,” he said. “You’re always wet when you’re near me.”
She pulled on the ropes in frustration. “I’m not.”
Piercing her with his iron gaze, he abandoned her clit to drag his finger through her folds.
She wanted him to both stop and continue. Being so close to coming and needing the release with an intensity new to her was more than she could bear.
Triumphantly, he lifted his finger to her face. “See?” His eyes turned hard, mocking. “I guess you lied again.”
“You’re a bastard.” She suppressed a sob of humiliation. “Go on. Just do it.”
“Do what?”
“Do what I did to you so that I can get on with my life. That’s what you want, isn’t it? Revenge.”
He pushed to his feet. The last of his warmth evaporated, leaving her cold. “Oh, but you’re wrong, my little doll. It’s not revenge I want.”
“Then what?” she cried in frustration. “What do you want from me?”
His words were measured. “To finish what you’ve started.”
A chill ran over her. “Y-you mean like oral sex?”
His smile turned thin. “I mean sex.”
“S-sex? With you?” Her gaze slipped to the bulge in his pants. It would never work. It couldn’t fit. Was it even possible between their species?
“Fornication, coupling, banging, fucking. Do you need me to quote more terms?”
“No,” she whispered. “I get it.” She took a deep breath, trying not to hyperventilate. “Are you going to rape me?”
He gave her a hard look. “I’m not like you.”
Ouch. She guessed she deserved that. “I’m sorry, Drako. Really, I am. I wish you’d believe me.”
He turned his back on her and walked to the opening in the wall.
“Wait!” She didn’t want to be left here on her own with nothing but her frantic thoughts. “Just let me go. I won’t tell anyone, I swear.”
“You’ll go when I’m ready to let you go and not a second before.”
“If you think I’m going to have sex with you willingly, you’re mistaken.”
He chuckled. “Time will tell.”
A heavier thought struck her. What if his motives were darker than punishment for her actions? She knew who and what he was. If he set her free, he had no guarantee she wouldn’t talk.
She shuddered. “You’re not going to let me go, are you?”
Emotions flickered across his face. “Maybe not.”
There it was. The truth. She steeled herself with another shaky breath. She refused to show him her fear. “Sex isn’t going to happen, so you may as well kill me now.”
“I’m not going to kill you.”
“Why did you take me, Drako? Are you going to turn me into some kind of sex slave?”
“No,” he bit out.
“Then why keep me?”
“To save you.”
“From what?”
“It’s complicated.”
“From what?” she insisted. “If you’re not planning on letting me go, you may as well tell me.”
“Fine.” He took a step back to her. “You want the truth? The Krinar, my people, sent me on a mission to Earth. My goal was to determine if our species could live together in peace.”
Please don’t let it be what she was thinking. “You’re going to invade our planet.”
When he didn’t answer, her worst suspicion was confirmed. “Oh, my God. It’s true.”
He gave her a guilty look. “Nothing is certain.”
“You wanted to see how susceptible we are to sharing our habitat.” She gasped. “You’re going to tell your people to kill us.”
“After what your people did to me, what else do you expect? To say you’re kind and welcoming?”
“Not everyone is like Frik and Pete. I swear. Drako, you have to believe me. There are good people out there.”
“Like you?” he scoffed.
She averted her gaze. “I’m sorry for what I did to you, but it was the only way to save you.”
“Don’t lie to me more than you already have!”
As if the sight of her made him sick, he looked away from her with a sneer and stomped through the opening in the wall. It closed behind him in a beautiful finality of velvet-soft cream.
She didn’t know what was worse, being alone or with his dooming presence. He didn’t leave her for long. The wall reopened to reveal his imposing form. In his hand, he held a glass of water. With the worst of the shock being over, she took more time to study him. The fabric of his T-shirt and slacks were the same neutral color as the walls. It looked like linen, only softer. Everything seemed foreign. It made her throat close up with new alarm. What if he’d taken her to his planet?
She broke out in a cold sweat. “Where am I?”
He carried the glass to her. “Don’t fret. You’re still on Earth.”
She exhaled in relief. He stopped at the side of the bed, looking down at her with a broody expression. Miraculously, the ropes around her wrists and ankles started untying all by themselves. They curled and pulled, a slow dance of magic, as if invisible hands were manipulating them.
She stared at them in wonder. “Am I hallucinating?”
“It’s real,” he said in a clipped tone. “Move your arms.”
Obeying t
he order, she lifted an arm. He hadn’t lied. “How did you do that?”
“Krina technology.”
She pushed up on her elbows, but he placed a palm on her chest. “Slowly. You may be dizzy from the tranquilizer. Thirsty?”
She nodded.
He supported her neck and brought the glass to her lips. She drank until the glass was empty and licked the drop that ran over her lips.
“More?” he asked, following the movement of her tongue with his eyes.
“Please.”
“Stay there.”
He walked to the wall and disappeared through the opening, which this time didn’t close. She strained her neck to see around the opening, but could discern nothing but bright light that streamed from the other room. He returned shortly with a jug of water, refilling the glass and helping her to drink.
“Thank you,” she said when she’d had her fill.
“Water is free,” he said, “since that’s the one kindness you showed me, and so is the bathroom.”
“Free?”
His gaze remained cold. “Everything else you have to pay for.”
Her jaw dropped. “You want money?”
“No.” That icy gaze settled on her breasts. “We’ll negotiate terms.”
Vividly, she imagined those terms. She swallowed back an insult. There was no point in provoking him. She’d pretend to go along with his game and use whatever freedom he gave her to find a way to escape. Since the bathroom was free, she’d take that.
“I’d like to have a shower.” Every muscle in her body ached. She felt weak from the drug. A warm shower will make her feel better and help her gain back her strength.
“Through there.” He indicated the opposite wall.
Another opening appeared, revealing a bathroom with white fittings.
“How do you do that?”
“How it works doesn’t concern you.” He took a few steps away from the bed, giving her space. “Do you need help?”
She gave him a cutting look. “Not from you. I’ll manage.”
His yellow eyes turned hard. “As you wish.”
“Drako?”
“Yes?”
She wanted to thank him for saving her from Samuel, but since he only did it to kidnap her, she supposed gratitude wasn’t in order. Instead, she asked, “How did you find me?”
The Krinar Experiment Page 10
