by Lisa Lace
"He's lost bits of his memory, Sonya. We'll leave the two of you alone." Dr. Phillips spoke as Alec opened his eyes and turned to stare at the beautiful woman who had stolen his heart. She moved up beside him and reached over, brushing his hair back and staring down at him.
"You scared me. You don't get to do that ever again." She crawled up into the bed and straddled him, her black dress rolling up over her delicious thighs. Alec reached up and grabbed hold of her, the world moving entirely too fast. He breathed in deeply, the truth slapping him in the face.
"We've mated." He let his eyes roll over her, his body hardening and wanting to mate again over and over. "You love me."
"I do love you and you almost died at the hands of another Alpha. He didn't play fair, so I finished him off for you." She leaned down, pressing her chest to his and brushing her lips past his.
Alec reached up and grabbed her face softly, turning her and reaching down to press his hand firmly to her back. He needed her trapped against him forever.
"I love you so much. Are you okay?" he whispered, not giving her a chance to answer before he pressed his lips to hers. Forcing his tongue into her mouth, he groaned loudly and tightened his grip on her. His free hand brushed down her side, over her hip and latched onto her thigh. She yelped and jerked from him.
"My leg." She moved his hand back up to her hip and he shifted to look down her body.
"Did that bastard hurt your leg?"
"Yes, but it's almost healed. He was a smart one, using drugs to keep me from shifting and prevent my wounds from healing." She growled softly and ran her fingers through his hair. He couldn't do much to concentrate on the topic at hand. The scent of her desire overwhelmed him.
"He didn't touch you sexually, did he, Sonya?" Alec pressed his lips to hers again, shifting his hips forward to press his erection against her stomach. He needed to be inside of her.
"No, baby. You got there in time. I assume my brother was a huge part of that." She licked at his lips and rubbed herself against him, lifting her leg to hook it over his hip. He rolled her under him and tugged at the needle in his arm before burying his face into the side of her neck.
The monitors beside them began to scream and the door behind him opened as voices filled the small room. Alec looked up and growled loudly as several people approached them.
Dr. Phillips held his hands up and moved to the monitors. "Just let me turn these off and we're out of here."
"Hurry, and lock the fucking door," Alec growled and turned back to Sonya, brushing her hair as the rest of his memories came back. Worry over losing her crashed into him and he groaned, his face contorting as he hovered above her.
"Baby, are you hurt? What's going on?" She reached up and brushed her fingers along his shoulder.
"I thought I had lost you. I can't live without you." He opened his eyes and blinked through the tears that burned him for the first time in a long time. "I can't believe you're here with me."
"I'm here and everything is fine. The company is doing great and Dax is dead." She pulled him down and he was content to smother her below him.
"How long have I been in here?" He slid his hands down her sides and pressed them between her and the bed, cupping her rear and lifting her a little as he ground himself against her.
"A week."
"A week? Shit." He rolled his hips a little, whispering against the side of her neck, "Let me in."
He felt her shift, her hips lifting as she slid her hands along her legs, pulling her panties down a little. He pushed them the rest of the way and tugged at the hospital gown that barely covered him. She growled against his chest, nipping at him as he sunk into her, his yell primal and filled with emotion that left him raw in front of her.
She was his and no one would ever touch her again.
"Mine," he growled and consumed her, licking and kissing everywhere he could reach as he worked her with a frenzy. She took him over the edge over and over again, her body becoming one with his.
"No," she growled against his mouth as she tightened her legs around him. "Mine."
"Yes, baby. Forever."
Sonya tugged at the tight white dress that hugged her frame tightly. The adventures of late had her wishing they had waited a while to celebrate, but Alec needed it and so did their packs.
She reached up to brush her hair back slightly and winced at the dark bruise under her arm. It should have been healed, but her body was busy working to rebuild itself and provide sustenance to the life inside of her.
She brushed her fingers by her stomach, a smile touching her face. Alec didn't know yet, but she was thrilled to tell him. Never in a million years would she have thought having a family would have brought her joy and contentment. Fear, yes, but nothing more.
Family was important to her mother and father. The thought made her sad - her mother and father wouldn't be a part of the day.
Her father should be the one walking her down the aisle, but knowing him, he would laugh at the thought. He was too traditional to waste time on perfunctory ceremonies so that the humans would recognize a union. He hadn't married her mother in the eyes of the law, but they were bonded by blood and mating. Sonya smiled as her eyes filled with tears, the thought of him scoffing at her a sensation she wanted to remember, even if only for a moment.
A soft knock at the door caused her to jump. She smiled and walked to open the door, her father's best friend smiling down at her.
"You ready? It's time." He reached for her hand and Sonya grabbed it, a shiver rushing through her spine.
"Do we really have to do this?" she whispered and moved to stand beside the large Beta. "It seems so silly to me. Dad would have rolled his eyes at everything."
Parik chuckled and glanced down at her. "Yes, we do have to do it, and your father would have been thrilled that this day finally arrived. You're so independent that he worried himself sick over your lack of concern for finding a mate. Today he rests, grateful and content, next to your mother with our ancestors."
"I wish he were here. I would love for him to see me and Cade happy and whole."
"You know he would be if he could." Parik chuckled softly. "He was far more concerned with you finding happiness and a mate than your brother."
"Cade's not even dating. I think his fears were misplaced." Sonya glanced around the large foyer of the church. "Is my brother here?"
"No, but I'm sure he's coming. You know the boy has no sense of timing at all." Parik paused outside of the elaborate church doors. "Are you going to tell Alec today that he's going to be a father?"
"How did you know?" She glanced up at him.
"I can tell. Your father had me train in the ways of our people for the last forty years. The glow coming off of you is different."
"Do you think he will accept my news?" Sonya glanced up at her Beta and watched him closely.
"He's going to be thrilled. Alec is a good man, a great Alpha and will make an incredible father." Parik moved her to the back of the church, the large crowd standing up and turning toward her as a wedding march spilled from the speakers. Sonya glanced up the lines of people to lock eyes with her mate, Alec handsome and looking deliciously beautiful in his suit. He winked at her and the world fell into place.
He was going to be thrilled.
"I love him," Sonya whispered as they started up the aisle toward him.
"I know you do. Your father did as well." Parik squeezed her hand and walked them to the front. Sonya was surprised to see her brother standing next to Alec, his suit perfectly starched and his hair combed for the first time in forever. Tears filled her eyes as she looked over at him. What a beautiful surprise.
He blew her a kiss and winked as Alec moved toward her, taking her hand and tucking her against his side. She took a deep breath and turned to the preacher, focusing on the movement of his mouth as the words he spoke were lost in her emotion.
The smell of Alec washed over her and she growled softly as he looked down at her and smiled. The p
reacher continued to talk as they stared at one another. Sonya was going mad with the desire to tell him the news of their pup. She took his hand and pressed it to her stomach, glancing up at him and mouthed, 'yours'.
His eyes went wide and he turned to face her fully, cutting off the preacher and taking her face into his hands. "A pup?"
"Yes, baby." She reached up and brushed her hand along his face as the room went silent.
"I couldn't be happier. I love you so much, Sonya. We're going to have a million little ones together." He knelt in front of her, pressing his lips to her stomach softly.
"You can just skip to the end," Sonya whispered and the whole room erupted into cheers and laughter.
Life was hard and troublesome at times, but one thing had the power to make it all worth it and she had found it.
Love.
EXCLUSIVE: Abduction Part 3
Editor’s note: Abduction Part 1 and Abduction Part 2 are available in Ayrie and Anders!
Bethany opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Klowix sitting on a chair next to her. He was talking on his T-screen to someone, and his eyes flicked up when he saw Bethany was awake. Without saying anything, he got up and walked out, blurring and speeding away so fast that her eyes couldn’t follow him.
Bethany’s heart sank. He was still mad, she knew it. Klowix came back a few seconds later, though, followed by Dr. Yie, who asked how she was feeling.
Bethany did a quick mental inventory of her body. “Good, actually. I mean, I’m tired, but otherwise I feel fine.”
Dr. Yie nodded and addressed Klowix. “As I said, having you in physical proximity for another few days will help.”
“When will we be able to separate safely? I still need to send her home.” Klowix spoke directly to the doctor and did not look at Bethany.
“Two weeks, maybe three. Of course, we’ll test her first to make sure everything is ok.”
“Is there anything else I should know about the sharing?” Klowix frowned at Dr. Yie, who wrung his hands and didn’t meet his eyes.
“No, Commander, nothing. I assure if I had realized you didn’t know, I would have…”
Klowix brushed him off. “Dismissed, doctor.”
He sat down next to Bethany again and put a hand over hers. For a moment, she thought he was making a tender gesture, but she gasped as she felt the familiar pleasure tingle through her. She noticed that Klowix had what she could only describe as a bracelet on under his uniform, but she couldn’t focus on it for long; she was too busy moaning in bliss.
When Klowix was done, his face was flushed, and Bethany felt weak and limp. She should let him send her home. Could her heart keep beating? Could her lungs keep inflating with him taking more and more from her? Even though it felt so good, she should tell him to let her go.
She opened her mouth to do so, but different words came out. “I don’t want to go back. I want to stay here.”
Klowix frowned at her. “You were brought here illegally and against your will.”
Bethany restrained herself from rolling her eyes. What was it with Evions? Talk about persistence; how many times would she have to tell him she wanted to stay before he got over the illegal disaster that brought her here? She wondered if he’d make her beg. She found the thought strangely sexy.
“Please, Commander, I want to stay. Yes, I was brought here against my will, but now I’m here because I want to be. Let me stay?”
Klowix considered her. “Very well. Now, sleep.”
Bethany didn’t want to sleep, but she obediently closed her eyes, wondering if he would watch her while she slept. The doctor had said he needed to stay close. She liked the sound of that.
“Come.”
Bethany grimaced. “Commander, I’m still really tired.”
Klowix held out his hand and raised his eyebrows. Bethany reluctantly took it and let him lead her to the dining room.
“The doctor says you must not lie in bed, or your strength may fade. You need to keep active. After breakfast, we will go for a walk.”
Bethany stumbled, and Klowix grabbed her elbow to stop her falling on her face.
He may have read the alarm in her expression. “Not in the hover. We will walk. You must regain your strength.”
Bethany much preferred the idea of being locked in the bedroom with him, but didn’t say anything.
The others gathered around Bethany when they saw her.
Snia pulled her into a hug. “We were so worried. Are you ok?”
“I’m fine.” For now, she added in her head. Would she even survive the next sharing?
She snuck glances at Klowix as he ate in silence, which was unusual for him. He usually made an effort to make conversation. Before breakfast was half done, his T-screen began vibrating. He glanced at it before getting up and swiftly going to his room, closing the door behind him.
Lizzy didn’t look up. “The king.”
“What?” Bethany choked on her glass of water. “The king calls him personally?”
“Oh yes, every now and again. He is the commander of all the forces on Telion, after all.”
“I didn’t know that. I thought it was just in the area or something.”
She looked at Klowix’s closed door, imagining him commanding a planet’s worth of soldiers.
“Anyway, he’ll be in there for at least an hour. Conversations with the king are never short. Your walk may need to wait.”
Relief swam through Bethany as she leaned back against her chair. At least an hour – she’d be safe for at least an hour.
“Let’s do some shopping.” If she had one guaranteed hour of life, she wasn’t going to waste it. Who knew what would happen next?
Culip happily produced a T-screen out of nowhere. “Now that’s what I’m talking about. Let’s see, Bethany still needs some more going outside clothes…”
“Speaking of shopping, when did Klowix start wearing a bracelet?”
Beoli laughed. “He bought that the day after you two first did the sharing. I thought he was going to give it to you, but I guess he decided he liked it.”
Bethany laughed too. She couldn’t imagine anything less Klowix-like than wearing jewelry; she supposed there was still a lot she didn’t know about him.
The hour flew by, and soon Klowix was back, holding his arm out for Bethany to take. By then, the others had her dressed in what counted as “appropriate” for Evions; she found she missed the silk dresses, having gotten so used to them over the past few weeks.
She eyed Klowix’s hand, and sure enough, he brought it up to grip the back of her neck, gently but firmly. Bethany’s eyes slipped closed and she fell back against his chest. She could feel Klowix’s heart beating behind her.
When she opened her eyes, no one was looking at her, seemingly embarrassed, as though catching her in the act of sex. She guessed they were, in a way, and she blushed.
“Come on.” Klowix gestured to Trili, who took Bethany’s hand. The rush of essence coming into her rather than going out was becoming familiar, but it didn’t turn her on the way it did when it was Klowix touching her.
She still felt a bit shaky as Klowix led her outside. There was a path going around the city, though there were few people using it – almost everyone was in a hover. Klowix steered Bethany along, taking her past some of the greener areas of the city. Bethany was amazed at how tall the trees got on Telion. They seemed to be touching the sky.
As much as she was enjoying the walk, Bethany stumbled to a halt. “I’m tired again.” She began to think longingly of her bed.
“Come.” Klowix didn’t give her a chance to protest before he took her in his arms and moved so fast it made Bethany’s head spin. The world flew by them, and a second later, Bethany was sitting on a bench in completely unfamiliar surroundings.
She looked at him. “I’m getting used to that.”
“That is good to know.”
They sat in silence for a while, Bethany watching the few other people on the path g
o by. Mostly, the Evions looked human, except for when they did those flashes of super-fast movement. Bethany realized that she hadn’t been outside properly since she was taken, and she missed it.
“Ok, I’m ready.” She stood up, but Klowix gestured her back down.
Bethany hid a smile and waited for his command before setting off again, suddenly enjoying her walk a lot more.
After a while, Klowix told her they were heading back. They passed a woman with her hair in a high bun, who glared hotly at Bethany as they passed. Bethany took half a step back, alarmed at the venom in the woman’s expression.
Klowix’s brow drew down in a frown and he pushed Bethany slightly behind him and turned to face the woman.
His voice boomed at the woman. “Is there something you’d like to say?”
The woman paled a bit, but held her head high. “I have nothing to say to Evions who disgrace our heritage.”
Klowix seemed to expand as his expression darkened. “Well, if that’s the case, maybe you’ll have something to say to the magistrate. Such talk is banned on Telion, which means you’ve just committed a crime.”
Bethany didn’t know what was going on, but she was transfixed by Klowix. He looked like a great predator, preparing to spring on its prey.
“Who do you think you –?”
“Commander Klowix of the fifth division.”
“Forgive me, Commander, I didn’t know…”
“Didn’t know who you were speaking to? Well, perhaps that’s for the best, if you would have veiled your true thoughts to one who would call you to account for them.”
Klowix took a small device out of his pocket, about half the size of a T-screen. By this time, a crowd had started to form around them. Klowix typed something on the screen, and turned his glare back to the woman.
“Your name, citizen.”
“Unili of the seventh citizen’s division, sir.” Her voice was suddenly very small, and she was clearly regretting her rash comment very seriously.
Bethany heard a loud wailing coming closer and closer. It sounded like someone being tortured, but when it got closer, she saw that it was a hover. Men leapt down and bound Unili with what looked like glowing ropes of light. They bundled her into the hover, after saluting to Klowix.
