The orgasm blew through her, ripping away carefully placed shields, leaving her wide open. Every nerve in her body twitched and stretched, and every muscle clenched. She couldn't control the keening cry that poured from her mouth. She convulsed and squeezed the dildo hard.
She was still shuddering with the force of her release when he opened the restraints, and she was crushed against him for a soul-shattering kiss. His tongue devoured her mouth as the dildo still thrust inside her pussy. Helplessly, she arched against him, her bruised body desperate for his.
He laid her down on something soft, like a mattress, and removed the dildo. His mouth dipped down to taste her, own her, drive her even higher than any mechanical device ever could. Words tumbled from her lips. “Oh God, your mouth. So good. Please. Master. I want—I want—"
When he lifted his head, his volcanic gaze burned into hers. “What do you want?"
"Your cock. In me. Please, Master.” She didn't whisper her need. She said it. Out loud.
With an animalistic growl, he covered her body with his and plunged inside her. She wrapped her legs around him, driving him deeper, urging him to be rougher. He lifted her legs and opened her wider to his invasion. He stared at her, demanding, without words, to keep her eyes open.
Her hands free, she touched him. She cupped his face and wound her fingers in his hair. “Master, come inside me. Set me free,” she said.
It was erotic to watch him let go, to come for her. His neck muscles corded, and his face clenched, and it was all she could do to hang on, not to come.
But then it happened. She dropped off the edge, before she even realized what had happened. Burning pain, a ripping sensation combined with overwhelming pleasure that stunned her.
Her arm was on fire, licks of burning heat etching her skin and shriveling her nerves. The pain added to her pleasure, increasing it, extending it. She screamed a long ear-ringing wail.
Oh shit.
Burning. Pain. Her arm.
"Fuck,” he shouted and jerked his cock out of her, his cum spilling over her belly, her breasts, her neck, and splattering her face. One of his hands pumped his cock to spread more of his seed all over her. The smell was intoxicating, and she arched toward him.
Her arm still throbbed, and she glanced at it. Red lines were burned into her skin, a recognizable shape beginning to brand her. The bastard had almost marked her. Part of her reveled in the fact he wanted to possess her so much. But the fear was far more prevalent. Had he succeeded, the consequences, for her at least, could have been unimaginable. Yet, deep down, she wanted that mark desperately. She shut her brain off and ran on instinct. She needed to get away. Now.
Still dizzy from the force of their sexual collision, she managed to slip out from under him and stumble to the door.
"Wait,” he said, and he lunged for her, grabbing her ankle. She sprawled on the floor and managed to roll away from his hands.
He froze. “You're a Nyral female?” His gaze was riveted on her arm.
A combination of anger and fear spurred her to jump to her feet and then kick her leg out in a vicious swipe as she went. She nailed him in the gonads.
He crumpled to the floor, and she scrambled to open the door. Briefly she glanced back, afraid she might have hurt him. His breath hitched, and he glared at her. “You'll pay for that,” he growled and stumbled to his feet.
But then, she sprinted out the door, naked, cum stuck to her skin, frightened, with the mark of a herwalk, a bird of prey and a known enemy of the little machinka, burned faintly on her forearm.
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Chapter Two
Let your guard down for one minute, Xandros thought, and you'll get a foot to the dick every time.
Gingerly, he stepped toward the door and peered into the hallway after the small fleeting figure. He rubbed the red skin on the inside of his thigh. He'd never worried about marking a woman before. But something about this one obviously created an answering need in him.
Talk about inconvenient.
He knew the myths about Nyral mate marks. Hadn't he been raised on that garbage? Marks were a genetic anomaly, created when a man spurted his seed into a woman. There was nothing mystical about that. Oh, he'd heard the stories. He'd been fed the bullshit that mate marks tied two people together for eternity, that the connection transcended even death. Blah, blah, blah. Xandros was a practical man. His culture may have put some mystical meaning onto a simple physical phenomenon, but he wasn't going to fall for it. Still, it was odd to see the mark on his skin.
"What happened?” His second in command, Norton Ferris, appeared in the hallway. “Was that your naked chick I just saw sprinting across the club?"
"Yeah.” Xandros straightened his back and tried not to wince as he picked up his hastily discarded clothes. The dull throb changed to a sharp pain when he pulled his pants over his gonads, and he hissed a quick breath. Damn her. Xandros was well aware of the scrutiny of his subordinate.
"Want me to acquire her for you?” Ferris's brown eyes shone in the dim light of the club's corridor.
Hell yes, he wanted her. The minute he'd spotted the woman on the dance floor, he'd ached to possess her. Not just fuck her, own her. The second his hand had touched her neck, the minute she'd leaned against him, he'd been lost. Her surrender had spurred him, created heat that nothing, not even a kick to his balls, could cool.
But he didn't have time to chase down a mysterious woman who quenched his ravenous sexual appetite. Information had come to his attention, and he had to decide if he was going to use it or not. The whereabouts of Shaun Fenway was always big news these days.
His past had certainly come back to haunt him lately. He and Shaun had been friends as children but not close. Not like Xandros had been close to Leo Eyler. Yet on Nylar, Shaun and Leo had never met.
Now the two men seemed to be inseparable: one consort to Princess Sera Placido and the other some kind of bodyguard to the royal couple.
Xandros had often been criticized by his crew for being loyal to those from his past. The facts couldn't be argued. There weren't too many men from his childhood who remembered him. The ones who did were usually trustworthy.
He wiped the sweat from his face with a towel and then rolled his shoulders. Shaun had contacted him a few days ago. A lot of old contacts looked him up when they wanted something done covertly or needed illegal connections. But Shaun had the same connections Xandros did, so what the man wanted was a tantalizing mystery. Xandros had the choice to meet with him or turn him over to the Brotherhood. Shaun knew that. Of course, the fact that his old friend had been a Blueshift Brotherhood assassin turned good guy in a white hat riding with the almighty Leo Eyler was fascinating, and Xandros wanted to know the details.
It was this curiosity, this need to know, that drove him to peddling information the way a smuggler might peddle spaceship parts. For some reason, knowing made Xandros feel safe. He ignored that thought and focused on his second in command. “Our appointment is here?” Xandros hadn't told Ferris who he was meeting.
"He's waiting in one of the lounge rooms.” Ferris glanced around the dungeon, and Xandros noted the way Ferris's lip curled. The man clearly found the sexual escapades of his captain disgusting. Xandros narrowed his eyes. It wasn't the first time he'd seen this. There was always a risk choosing men who weren't from his planet, who didn't understand his culture. In the long run, they just didn't accept him. Time for a new right-hand man.
"Right. How long have you been on the Ariana, Ferris?” He slipped past his second, and Ferris fell in step with him.
"Three years."
Xandros nodded briefly. That was long enough. Ferris had been a good man in a fight, but lately he'd been shying away from the dirtier aspects of the job. They were halfway down the hallway when Xandros asked, “What's her name?"
Ferris stopped dead, his stringy muscles tense, and his pointed chin shot up. “What?"
Xandros sighed. “I'm not stupid, Ferris. You'
ve been less eager to put your life on the line, a little more nervous about some of our murkier jobs. That usually means a woman."
"Captain—"
"I'll give you a good severance package, Ferris, don't worry.” It would be easy to get rid of the man. Money was great leverage.
"I always thought—” Ferris swallowed nervously.
Xandros snorted. “Spit it out, Norton.” The man's first name was hardly ever used, and he had the totally inappropriate thought that it would sound weird if a woman screamed it in the throes of an orgasm.
"I wouldn't think you'd want me to leave. With what I know."
Xandros stared at the man, noting he sweat and shook. The sneaky shit. Xandros grinned. “I've never had a problem."
Ferris's eyes narrowed. “No? No one blabbed?"
The grin fell away, and Xandros studied the man. “Not and lived."
When Ferris cleared his throat and gazed at his shoes, Xandros proceeded to the lounge room. He shook his head. He'd thought Ferris would have more of a backbone. Love. It fucked a man all up.
At the door, he left Ferris outside the meeting room and strode inside.
Shaun Fenway had changed quite a bit. His hazel eyes had always seemed on the verge of laughter when he'd been young. Now they were watchful. Bitter. Old. He was tall and muscular, in good shape. There was a sculpted look to his arms and legs that told Xandros the man was used to taking care of himself.
"Well?” Xandros crossed his arms.
Shaun didn't stand. The only movement he made was to raise his eyebrows. “What? No foreplay?"
Xandros threw his head back and laughed. The man hadn't changed all that much. After all, the core of a man remained no matter what chaos ensued around him. He plopped down in a chair and leaned back. “Old friend, I'm here. That's foreplay enough for some."
The other man's smile was razor thin. “Perhaps. But I don't succumb that easily."
"I've heard rumors to the contrary."
The speed that Shaun possessed stunned Xandros. The man was over the table and at his throat before Xandros knew what happened. He froze and put his hands up. Shit. The guy wasn't even out of breath. The blade he wielded was a Nyral pyver, a ceremonial knife carried by royal guards.
His gaze held Xandros's, and the cold metal pressed again skin. “I'm not here about rumors."
"Why are you here?” Xandros asked coldly.
"There are two men missing, and I need to find them.” The blade never moved.
"Why would I know where they are?"
"You know everything about the Brotherhood. You trade information with them.” Something dangerous had crept into Shaun's tone. Fascinating. There was so much venom in Shaun's voice when he mentioned the Brotherhood. Xandros understood that kind of hatred very well. For some reason, it made him feel some kind of kinship with Shaun, a connection he couldn't ignore.
Xandros tightened his lips. “I stay the hell out of their way. You should know why."
"I want you to find my friends. You're the best in the business.” Shaun twisted the blade over Xandros's skin like a caress. “And no matter what the rest of the world thinks, you're a man of your word.” He slid away from Xandros and then shoved the knife back in a hidden holster in his arm. “I trust you."
"I won't do this unless you tell me everything.” Xandros rubbed his neck and wondered how close to dying he'd really just come.
Shaun nodded. “The two men are...colleagues."
"From the Brotherhood."
"Yes. And like me they were forced to do the Brotherhood's bidding. Aron Kirkland had a mother held hostage, and Finn Black had a mate.” Shaun's jaw muscles flexed.
"Had?” Xandros prompted him.
"The Brotherhood murdered them and captured Aron and Finn. I haven't seen either of them since."
"Why?"
"Because I joined Leo Eyler. Because my actions made all Nyral males suspect."
"How do you know the Brotherhood didn't kill them?” Xandros stared at his old friend. Shaun's fists were clenched, and his gaze slid away. Guilt.
"The Brotherhood wants what it has always wanted.” Shaun tightened his lips. “The death of Princess Sera Placido.” He let out a short breath. “How familiar are you with the Star Prophecy?"
Xandros snorted. “You mean that magic woo-hoo Princess Sera Placido is pedaling? Not a damn thing. Why?"
Shaun's face was set in stone. “She's not pedaling anything,” he said in a hard tone. “There's a prophecy—"
Xandros held up his hand. “Spare me. I don't believe in that shit. The Stars don't determine a man's fate. We do."
The snort Shaun responded with set Xandros's teeth on edge. The man certainly didn't seem like some religious fanatic. “Look. The Star Prophecy is the Brotherhood's bread and butter. You don't find it at all interesting that several of the predictions in it have come true?"
In truth, Xandros wasn't comfortable with anything he couldn't explain. It was easier to scoff at it. “Oh?” He managed to sound bored.
"The prophecy predicted a dark brotherhood that would permeate all systems and all planets. It predicted that a mate of a Nyral man named Eyler would have immense power and begin a religion.” Shaun ticked them off on his fingers one by one. “It predicted the return of the Placidians to their abandoned home planet."
Xandros's stomach tightened. “And the Brotherhood has claimed that they hold the key to these prophecies. You say one thing. They say something different.” He shrugged. “So what?"
"So the rest of the prophecy could refer to Aron and Finn. Three Nyral males who serve the Eyler family may mean them."
With a slash of his hand, Xandros tried to dismiss the prophecies. “It's too obscure, too vague. You're muddying up something very simple. You want Father Pestori dead because he killed your sister."
The flash in Shaun's eyes was the only warning Xandros got before the man's knifepoint was again aimed at his throat. “Nothing about this is simple, Xandros. And mention Mira again, I'll kill you."
This Xandros could understand. “Kill me all you want. You're giving yourself an excuse to take revenge.” He cocked his head to the side. “Or is it the good father? Maybe you'd rather take it out on his daughter."
The knife blurred as Shaun tossed it. Xandros dodged, and the knife clanged when it hit the metal wall and fell. They stared at each other. Xandros raised an eyebrow. “Why am I really looking for these men?"
Shaun rose, and Xandros tensed. Was the man going to really try and kill him? But he only walked across the room, bent down, and picked up his knife. “They're an integral part of the Star Prophecy.” His face had no expression as he took his seat and met Xandros's stare.
Xandros shook his head. “Bullshit."
For a moment, Shaun was silent. Then, he sighed. “It doesn't matter what you believe. It's what the Brotherhood believes. And they believe that Queen Sera Placido must die to gain power over all the systems. They believe Aron and Finn are part of the prophecy."
Typical mumbo jumbo bullshit. It sounded like the Brotherhood. “Again, why not just kill them?"
Shaun's gaze slid away. “I don't know. But I do know the Brotherhood is trying to blackmail Leo and Sera, and they're using these two men to do it.” The way he wouldn't meet Xandros's stare was suspect. Xandros was pretty sure the reasons given weren't all there was to this.
Xandros glared at him. “What you hide from me could get people killed, Fenway."
It was right there, ready to be revealed, but Shaun shut it down, and Xandros could tell he wasn't saying everything. “They're using these two men to force Princess Sera out into the open. Leo will do anything to protect her."
"And you'll do anything to protect them both."
Shaun's head shot up, and he met Xandros's gaze. “Yes. Anything."
Shit. He meant it. Whatever Xandros asked for, Shaun would do it. For them. Xandros tapped his fingers on the table. “You know I'm usually quite eccentric when it comes to payment."
Yes, he'd remember. Xandros had always been willing to do things for a kiss or more. Male or female, he wasn't particular as long as they did one thing: submitted to him in that moment.
"I reserve the right to follow my own rules, not your princess's."
"Naturally,” Shaun agreed.
There was much more to this, and Xandros wanted to know what was behind it all. Part of his need to know was wrapped up in Leo Eyler. His old friend was up to something. Xandros had a few good reasons to keep tabs on Leo.
"Okay. I'll find them.” He glanced at Shaun who had visibly relaxed. “I'll name my price when I bring the information.” Slowly, he allowed his gaze to peruse the man. Even across the length of the table, Xandros could feel the heat increase between them. Shaun's face flushed with color, and he tensed, but there was no rejection of the silent threat. He'd said anything, and he meant it.
Xandros stood up and bolted across the table, catching the other man by surprise. He gripped the back of Shaun's neck and restrained the arm with the holster with his other hand. Then he bent down and took possession of the man's mouth, punishing him, demanding his submission.
Shaun didn't fight him. Xandros felt Shaun's cock like an iron bar against his thigh. They were Nyral males, and Shaun was no submissive which only made Xandros harder. When he broke the kiss, Shaun was breathing heavily, his eyes half-closed.
"That was a down payment.” Xandros released him. “Be prepared to pay up when I come back."
The only response from Shaun was a crooked smile that almost made Xandros groan out loud.
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Chapter Three
Three weeks later
When Xandros wanted to drink, the last thing he needed was a crowd surrounding him like in this place. It was the only bar on Muerte, a planet aptly named death for everything here was dead boring. He lifted his glass and glanced around the bar. It felt good to be on his own again, without a crew, responsible only to himself. Being a space acquisitions expert—or pirate, as some small-minded folk would call him—was enough adrenaline for anyone, but he missed the days as a lone tracker.
Marked for Danger [Marked 3] Page 2
