by Gail Koger
“You will stay where I put you.”
“I’m not a dog.”
“No, at least they are trainable.”
“You left me out in the heat without access to food or water. I did what was necessary to stave off heat stroke.”
He inclined his head. “I failed to remember you are still a fragile human. It won’t happen again. But, I expect you to inform me when you require care.”
I narrowed my eyes. “I’m not four. I’m quite capable of going to the bathroom on my own, and as hard as it is to believe, I can even get my own food.”
“I have many enemies who will try to capture you.”
Damn. He had one hell of a good point. “Okay, I’ll let you know. When I sense something, I expect you to listen to me, not blow me off.”
“You have my word that I will not blow you off.”
“And no more of this popping out without any kind of explanation. It’s rude, and I have the right to know what’s going on.”
The big, bad Battle Commander glared down at me. “Do you?”
I grinned at him. “Good scary face, but if you don’t want me to do something stupid, then you need to let me know what’s going on.”
“Deal.” Voss touched the control panel on the shower door, and poof, we were dry. Even my hair.
“Where’s my chocolate?”
Voss carried me out of the bathroom and dropped me in front of a table with a huge box of chocolate. “Good enough?”
Opening the box, I dived in, grabbed a piece, and popped it in my mouth. “Oh God, it’s perfect,” I moaned.
“Your clothing is in the storage unit,” Voss added, eyeing my bare ass.
Good thing modesty wasn’t one of my faults. I had a feeling I’d be naked a lot around the big guy. “You brought all my stuff?”
“Most of it will be shipped back to Tanith.” He picked up my favorite picture of Mom and me, and handed it to me. “I know how much you treasure this photo.”
I clamped it against my chest and let out a shaky breath. “Thank you. It was very thoughtful.”
“You are my mate. Your happiness is important to me.”
My jaw dropped. “Is this some kind of trick?”
“No, it is not,” Voss responded with a rueful laugh. “You are a suspicious little thing.”
“It comes from all those years of dealing with daddy dearest.”
His face hardened. “You father had much to answer for.”
“Boy, did he. Did you capture the other two traitors?”
“Uncle Saul has them in custody.”
“Good. Someone should feed them to the Tai-Kok.”
“It can be arranged.”
I looked at him in surprise. “Really?”
“I am the Battle Commander.”
“One of the perks of the job?”
“There are a few,” Voss said, popping a chocolate into his mouth.
Good God, my honey bunny liked chocolate. “Feeding them to the Tai-Kok is the perfect punishment. So much better than putting them to death with a lethal injection or firing squad.”
“I’ll have them transported to Tai-Kok territory and released in a shuttle stripped of all weapons.”
“That would be great. Do you think you can arrange a live video feed? All the people who lost loved ones to the monsters will want to see those traitorous bastards die.”
“It can be done.”
I smiled at the thought of the traitors being on the receiving end of the Tai-Kok’s sharp metal teeth. They needed to suffer. They needed to experience the horror and pain they inflicted on all those innocent children.
Shit! Was my need for vengeance turning me into some kind of monster? “You don’t think I’m a bit too bloodthirsty, do you?”
Voss leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on my bruised mouth. “No, you are the perfect mate for a warlord.”
“A bloodthirsty bitch with a short fuse who likes to blow stuff up?”
“A beautiful bloodthirsty bitch,” he corrected with another kiss.
Aw, how sweet. Yawning, I shook my head. “Most men would run screaming in the opposite direction.”
“Coletti warriors enjoy a challenge.”
“Be careful what you wish for.” I picked another chocolate from the box and took a bite. “Where’s the bed?”
“Shields down,” Voss commanded. The wall vanished, revealing an immense bed draped in black silk.
“Whoa! Your bed is shielded?”
“I am the Overlord’s Battle Commander.”
“Good point,” I answered, eyeing the collection of weapons mounted on the walls. “Use those much?”
“They have come in handy.”
“I just bet they have.” I pointed to one bloodstained sword. “Lop someone’s head off with that thing?”
“Hand.”
“Hand?”
“It held a laser pistol.”
“Oh! Gotcha.” I spotted a black ownership band on a copper-inlaid night table. It was the Colettis’ version of a wedding ring. Except you wore it on your neck like a dog collar.
I threw a quick glance at Voss and sighed. He expected me to throw a giant hissy fit. I knew one way or another I would be soon be wearing the thing. I was just too tired to get worked up over it. An ownership band for females was the cultural norm for the Colettis. When in Rome and all that crap.
I walked over to the table and picked up the collar. Beautiful copper etching had been worked into the onyx. It proclaimed to the universe that I belonged to the Battle Commander. The Colettis were a possessive bunch.
“The band is for your protection,” Voss stated firmly.
“It’s very beautiful.” I held it out to him. “Put it on.”
His eyes widened in surprise, and a pleased smile curved Voss’s hard mouth. He quickly fastened it on my neck. “You continually surprise me.”
“If it’ll keep Sargon and his kind from smacking me around, I’m all for it.” To my surprise the warm metal collar fit my neck perfectly.
“It will stop all but the most determined from harming you.”
“Malik won’t give a rat’s ass about it.”
“No, it won’t prevent him from trying to take you.”
The big guy picked an ornate gold box off the table and handed it to me. “A mating gift.”
I opened the box. Inside was a stunning starburst of copper and onyx necklace. I stroked a finger across the etchings. It was almost Egyptian in design and would look fabulous hanging beneath my collar. The fringed metal earrings matched the necklace perfectly. “They’re gorgeous, snookums.”
“Why do you persist in calling me those ridiculous names?”
“It’s an old Earth custom.” I climbed up on the bed, wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him. “Thanks, I’ll treasure them.”
“As I will always treasure you.” His hot mouth devoured mine in a toe-curling kiss.
Under all that ferocity, my guy was a romantic who made my bones melt and who I would love for all eternity.
His lips moved down my neck, raining searing, hungry kisses.
A strangled gasp broke from me as Voss nibbled on my breasts and his hand slipped between my thighs. Holy Mother of God!
Zarek suddenly linked with Voss. “I need you on the bridge. Akeem has his report ready on Joroco.”
“Yes, my lord,” Voss answered, giving my clit one last stroke.
I grabbed his head. “You’re not going anywhere until you finish the job.”
A grin curved his mouth. “You are a demanding mate.”
“You bet your ass I am.”
“Duty calls.” Voss kissed me again and strode over to the storage unit.
My gaze roved over the muscles of his hard torso as they flexed with a sinuous strength. “I hope this isn’t going to become a habit.”
“I am the Overlord’s to command,” he stated emphatically and pulled on a fresh battle suit.
“Right, and no one ever says no to the
big, scary Overlord.”
Voss stared at me for a long moment. “You will obey all of his commands. Instantly, do you understand me?”
“Yes, poopsie.”
“This is not open to debate. Zarek can easily destroy your mind.”
A wave of weariness swept over me, and I slid down on the bed. “I’m well aware of that, but he won’t.”
“What makes you say that?”
“He likes me, and it would really piss you off.”
With a frown, he picked up his boots. “He doesn’t fear me.”
“Maybe not, but he needs you, and you’re the closest thing to a friend he has.” I studied the nasty scar on Voss’s back. Images flashed across my mind. Malik had shot him in the back, and Voss had come very close to dying. That bastard was so going down.
A thoughtful look on his face, Voss pulled on his battle suit. “We share a warrior’s bond.”
“Yes, you do.” I dragged the sheet over me and snuggled into the pillow. God, I was so tired.
Voss pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Sleep.”
And I did.
Chapter Twelve
Tai-Kok marauders and fighter jets battled overhead. Flames and smoke poured from the incinerated ruins of downtown Phoenix. The ground shuddered under my feet as a crippled jet crashed into a grocery store and exploded.
Around me, panic-stricken people ran for the bunkers. A Tai-Kok ripped chunks from a moaning woman’s chest. I shot him and spun around as more gore-covered monsters swarmed toward me.
My stomach clenched in horror. There were too many. I had pushed my psychic abilities to the breaking point, and there wasn’t enough juice left to fight all of them. “Mom, where are you?”
“Here.”
Suddenly I was standing in that cold, cold morgue, staring down at her mutilated corpse. Her milky eyes popped open. “You must avenge me.”
“I will. I promise. No matter how long it takes. I will avenge you.”
With a mocking laugh, Malik stepped out of the shadows. “That is a promise you cannot keep. You do not have the skills to defeat me.”
Voss appeared. “But I do.”
“My father is the only one powerful enough to kill me.” A laser pistol materialized in Malik’s hand, and he shot Voss in the chest.
His mouth opened in an endless scream of agony, Voss glowed a fiery red and vanished.
“Noooo! Not again. You can’t die. I need you!” I shrieked.
“You are mine now,” Malik said gleefully and grabbed my arm.
I fought desperately to free myself from his painful grip. “Never. I’d rather be dead.”
“As you wish.” Malik raised a bloody sword.
“No!” I threw up an arm in an instinctive attempt to block the blade.
“Wake up, Zoey. It’s only a dream. Wake up.” Voss’s demanding voice reverberated through my head.
I jerked upright with an anguished cry. “Voss!”
My Battle Commander’s strong arms cradled me. “I’m here. You’re safe. It was just a dream.”
Wrapping my arms around Voss’s neck, I clung to him. “Malik was in my head.”
“No, he wasn’t. Your shields are far too strong for him to breach.” Voss’s eyes were full of calm reassurance.
“You’re sure?”
“Very.” He kissed me gently. “If Malik comes anywhere near you, I’ll know.”
A shudder shook me. “It was so real.”
“Your memories of the attack on Phoenix made it seem that way.”
I felt Voss moving through my mind, and the images of that horrible day began to fade. “You’re mucking with my head again.”
His mouth tightened. “Do you want me to stop?”
Another shudder shook me as I remembered the gutted corpses, the screams of the dying, the bright red blood coating the sidewalks, and the wails of the children as they were taken aboard the Tai-Kok and Rodan ships to be slaughtered.
Tears rolled down my cheeks. That day would haunt me forever. So many had died. I had fought the Tai-Kok with every ounce of my being, but I hadn’t been able to save the children. Those memories drove me. They gave me the strength to keep hunting the ones responsible for the massacre. “I need to remember what those monsters did. What Malik and my father allowed to happen.”
Voss brushed away my tears with his thumbs. “We will find him.”
“You’re damned right we will, and Malik will be the one bleeding out on the pavement.”
“My fierce little warrior.” He mouth devoured mine.
My stomach growled loudly, and I broke the kiss. “Sorry.”
Grinning, Voss shifted me in his arms and pointed with his chin. “Your meal awaits you.”
I stared in amazement at the table. A vase of copper-colored flowers graced the snowy white cloth. The heated plate held a Spanish omelet, toast, and hash browns.
“Aw, you brought me my favorite breakfast.”
“I take care of what belongs to me,” Voss responded, carrying me over to the table.
“How utterly romantic,” I muttered as he sat me on the chair.
“What did you expect, sugar tits? I’m a warlord.”
I gaped at him in astonishment. “Sugar tits?”
“Sugar tits is a proper Earth endearment, is it not?”
Holy hell, he was teasing me. I nodded solemnly. “If I was a hooker.”
“As snookums is a proper endearment for a small yappy dog, not a warlord.”
“Point made,” I said with a laugh. “Okay, how about honey buns?”
Voss gave me an affronted look. “I think not.”
“What do you want me to call you?”
All arrogant Battle Commander, he answered, “Voss or sir will do.”
“Uh-huh.” I hastily shoveled a forkful of eggs into my mouth before I could say something I would regret. I reached for my glass of juice and shot a glance at him.
Voss stared hungrily at my breasts.
Swallowing hard, I cleared my throat and squeaked, “You look like you want to eat me.”
“I do. Every inch of you.”
Heat pooled in my belly. “Oh.”
An implacable harshness settled over his features. “But duty calls.”
“Bummer.”
“Exactly.” Voss pointed to a silky black tunic, leggings, and boots lying on the bed. “Once you have eaten, put those on and come to the meeting chamber.”
Great. He was back to being the bossy prick. “Why?”
“Because I command it.” His voice was a purr of menace.
Yeah, like that was going to work. Stuffing more egg in my mouth, I chewed slowly, trying to ignore the merciless predator standing a foot away.
His breath hissed out. “Akeem wants to meet my mate, and he has very traditional views on females.”
“In other words, he’s a male chauvinist pig who thinks females are only good for sex, blood, and making babies.”
A growl rumbled in his chest. “You will treat him with respect.”
I searched Voss’s memories. Akeem headed the Togan clan and was one of Zarek’s most trusted advisors. “Gotcha. Dumb as a rock and mute as well.”
“I expect you to behave as a proper mate would,” the big guy snapped in exasperation.
Oh dear God, he did not just say that. I assumed my timid-mouse demeanor and answered meekly, “As my lord commands.”
“Zoey!”
I let out a terrified sob and cried, “Yes, my lord?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose as if he suddenly had a headache. “Eat your breakfast and please join me in the meeting chamber.”
Oh my God, he had used the P word! “I’ll do you proud, my love.”
A smile touched his hard mouth. “That endearment I can live with.” He kissed my forehead, and poof! He was gone.
Getting the big guy to treat me as an equal was going to be an uphill battle. One I wasn’t sure I’d win.
I hastily finished my breakfast, and slip
ped on my underwear and armor. With all the people trying to kill me, a girl could never be too careful. I dragged the tunic over my head, and the fabric caressed my skin like a lover’s hand. Nice.
Stroking the material, I figured it had to be some kind of blend of silk and velvet. Wonder if I could talk the big guy into buying me a couple of dozen outfits made with the stuff?
Big surprise, the tunic had a copper design woven into the fabric that matched my band. The Battle Commander wasn’t subtle about declaring his ownership.
Another shocker, the legging and boots fit me perfectly. Boinking several thousand women had given Voss an excellent eye for picking women’s clothing and jewelry.
I examined my image in the mirror. My face was still a colorful mess, but the clothes made me look like a million credits.
My Siren radar went on red alert, and horror knotted my stomach. Someone had murder on his mind. I quickly scanned the ship. Shit! Ten very powerful Coletti warriors with seriously bad auras were in the meeting chamber with Voss and Zarek.
The bombshell was that the worst aura belonged to Akeem, their most trusted advisor. Now I had a face to put with the creepy aura of the guy that kept visiting my father just before our planetary defenses went down. No wonder they could never catch Malik.
Akeem’s brainwaves broadcast his psychotic hatred of Zarek. He’d do whatever it took to destroy the Overlord. Except meet him on the battlefield, it seemed. Why? Because he was a sniveling coward? Or simply nuts? Who cared? A murderous glee radiated from Akeem as he poured wine into glasses.
I’d bet a million bucks that wine had something very nasty in it. I quickly linked with Voss and Zarek, and cried, “Don’t drink the wine, it’s poisoned! Akeem’s in cahoots with Malik!”
I felt their shocked disbelief and showed them Akeem’s murderous aura, then shared my memories of his numerous meetings with my father. “How do you think Malik always manages to elude you?”
A terrible rage filled both warriors, and their immense power burned through my mind. With a yelp of pain, I broke the link. Holy hell! I would not want to be on the receiving end of that.
Hastily I scanned Akeem’s warbird. Holy Mary, mother of God! He had a raiding party of about fifty heavily armed men standing by, and the weapons control officer was ready to vaporize our engines.
I flashed that information to Voss and felt him blast the hell out of the weapons control officer’s mind while blocking sword thrusts from multiple attackers. “Warn the others.”
