by Susan Hayes
He settled onto the couch beside her and turned to face her. “Help is coming. My people have our location and will bring equipment to clear the rubble and make a path for us.”
“That’s good news. I don’t suppose you have any news on my sister or my friend? I heard you mention their names.”
“I’m sorry, there was no information on either of them. The wounded of both species were taken to our ships to be treated, and things are still chaotic. I can tell you that no female humans were killed in the attack. Wherever your companions are, they are alive.”
She breathed a sigh of relief and the knot in her chest loosened a little. “Thank you.” Then the rest of what he said sank in. “Wait. You said no female humans. What about males? What about your species?”
“The area where the mayor and other high-ranking guests were seated was not targeted, but several security officers and organizers were killed in the explosions.” His mouth turned down at the corners. “As were many of my fellow Pyrosians. They came to claim their matches and start a new chapter in their lives, and now they’re dead. It’s hard to accept.”
“I’m sorry, Tarjen. This was not the way you should have been welcomed to our world.” She went against everything in her training and reached for his hand, covering it with hers. He turned his hand and gripped hers tight.
“You are not to blame for the actions of others. You have nothing to apologize for.”
“I know, but it’s a human thing. We say we’re sorry when we sense someone is hurting. Did you know any of the males killed?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so. There were five hundred or so of us claiming mates at this event, but because of my job, I travelled with the Prince and didn’t spend much time with the others.”
“And the Prince and Princess are alright? I thought I saw their shuttle flying away after the explosions started.”
“They are unhurt, as is my commander, his mate, and their daughter.” He lifted her hand to his mouth and feathered several soft kisses over her knuckles. “Soon, everyone that I care for will be safely onboard the Firebrand.”
“And then what?”
The look he gave her was hot enough to weld steel. “Then we let the Scorching take us. By then, both of us will be too far gone to control ourselves.”
“What about Melody? I’m not leaving my little girl to get naked with you!” She tried to pull her hand back, but he didn’t let go. After a few seconds of tugging, she gave up with a disgruntled huff and glared at him.
He chuckled, and somehow it made him even sexier. Her pulse raced and her fingers tingled everywhere he’d kissed her. “I will ask Gwen if she would watch over Melody for you. That way our daughter would be in the nursery, close by. You will be able to see her during the lulls when the Scorching fades for a time. She will be guarded and cared for like the treasure that she is.”
“Wait. Did you just call her our daughter?” For the second time in an hour, she found herself in Tarjen’s lap. He lifted her as if she weighed nothing at all, then wrapped his arms around her and gave her a sweet and sexy smile that made her brain melt around the edges.
“I did. That is how I think of her. She is a precious gift.” He bowed his head to nuzzle her lips. “As are you. Come with me, and I promise that you will be the star I orbit for the rest of our lives. There will be no one else for me, seska. Once we complete the bond, I will never desire another female as long as I live.”
“This is crazy.”
He cupped her cheek in his hand and stared into her eyes. “For you, it must feel this way. For me, there is nothing crazy about it. This is what was meant to be.”
Need coursed through her, accompanied by an even more intoxicating feeling: hope. Her resolve shattered like glass striking concrete as she let go of her fear and kissed him. The moment her lips touched his, the fire in her blood became an inferno.
His fingers tangled in her hair, supporting her head as he took control of the kiss. She moaned into his mouth, her hands exploring every part of him she could reach. He cupped her breast, rubbing his thumb over her already taut nipple, and she squirmed as her clit started to pulse and her pussy grew slicker with every touch. She was sitting across his lap with the impressive ridge of his rock-hard cock pressing into her hip.
Breathless and giddy, she felt like all her senses were dialed up to eleven. She craved his touch, the subtle, spicy musk of his scent, even the taste of his mouth as he kissed her. “Too much,” she muttered, barely aware she was speaking. “Hurts.”
“It’s the Scorching. We’re running out of time.” He nipped her lower lip and slid one big hand down her legs, not stopping until he hit bare skin. “Let me ease your pain.”
“How?”
“If you reach orgasm, the need will subside for a little while.”
Embarrassed, she closed her eyes and nodded once. “Afterward, I can help you the same way?”
He uttered a rueful chuckle. “As much as I want your hands on me right now, it wouldn’t do any good. There will be no reprieve for me until we are fully mated. I have waited my entire life to find true release, I can wait a little longer.”
“What?” he couldn’t mean what she thought he did. Could he? It had to be a translation error.
“Pyrosian males only reach orgasm with their destined mate.” He gave her a lopsided grin. “I’m looking forward to finding out what that feels like.”
“Never? Oh wow. I hope you’re not disappointed…”
He didn’t answer her in words, but his next kiss was so hot she almost came on the spot. When he stroked his fingers up the inside of her thigh, she parted her legs for him and uttered a moan so loud she worried she’d wake Melody. When his fingers reached the silken crotch of her panties, Aria had to bite back another moan. Her toes curled and her whole body tensed in anticipation of what came next.
Chapter Five
Tarjen knew they didn’t have long before the others arrived, but he would make the time they had left count. Then he would bring his new family to the Firebrand, see to it Melody was safe, and spend the next few days proving to Aria that he could be everything she wanted in a mate.
Her soft moans vibrated against his tongue as he kissed her, and when his fingers brushed over the delicate fabric covering her pussy he uttered a low groan of his own when he discovered she was already wet and ready for him. He moved the cloth aside and slid a digit inside her desire-slicked folds. She bucked her hips against his hand, grinding herself against him. Her passionate response made his cock so hard he could have punched through the hull of a battlecruiser with it. He couldn’t wait to lay claim to her lush body and complete their mating. She was so much more than the fantasy he’d clung to all these years. Her file had told him the facts of her life but meeting her – flames and fury – she was amazing.
It didn’t take long for him to find the delicate bundle of nerves he’d read about in his research. He circled it with one finger, then gently stroked over the area. Her response was breathtaking. A soft intake of breath, a thrust of her hips, her toes curled with pleasure.
“Yes?” he broke off their kiss to ask.
She laughed and peeked up at him. “So much yes.”
“As you wish,” he replied.
She laughed even harder. “The Princess Bride? How do you know about that movie?”
“I did my research.” He stroked his fingers over her clit again, using more pressure this time. She moaned, wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, “I can see that. Don’t stop.” Then she kissed him again, and his world went up in flames.
He followed her request to the letter, providing her with unrelenting pleasure every way he could think of. He fingered her clit hard and fast, working her into a frenzy. She rode his fingers eagerly, and when he changed positions and slid two fingers into her tight channel, her wordless keening cry told him she was close. He pressed the pad of his thumb against her clit as he fucked her with his hand, watching as she finally lost
control and came apart in his arms.
When the moment passed, she sagged against him, breathless and spent. He raised his head, lingering to brush a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth. Her eyes fluttered open and she gifted him with a shy smile.
“Better?” he asked.
She gave a slight nod, her smile widening. “Much. I can think clearly again.”
He withdrew his hand from her body, placing those same fingers in his mouth so he could savour the taste of her. “You are delectable.”
She blushed. “If you say so.”
“I do. And I will keep saying it until you believe me.” His communicator chimed several times in succession, and he knew their time was up. He should have warned her, but instead he smoothed her dress back over her legs and kissed her again. He wasn’t ready to let her go.
There was a low hum, the air in the room shifted, and they were no longer alone. Six members of the royal guard appeared about ten feet away, at the precise coordinates he’d provided.
“Senior Guardsman Rix. We’re here to escort you and your family to safety, sir.”
The Scorching was affecting him so badly it took a moment for him to remember the young male’s name. “Guardsman Dres, what are you doing here? You and your men should be guarding the prince.”
A familiar chuckle from the shadows filled the room. “Did you really think the prince was going to send some random member of the ship’s crew to retrieve you and your mate? We’re here at his order. The threat’s down here, not on board the Firebrand.” Keth, one of his oldest friends, stepped into the circle of light and grinned. “It’s good to see you alive and well. We’ve been worried.”
Aria looked at the new arrivals, then skewered him with a look he was already starting to recognize. She was annoyed with him…again. “You might have warned me we were about to have company.”
“They were quicker getting here then I expected.”
“You mean you decided to kiss me instead of telling me they were on their way.”
“If I had a female as lovely as you in my arms, I would have made the same choice.” Keth stepped forward and offered her his hand, human-fashion. “I’m Keth, a member of the Royal Guard, and a friend of your mate’s. It’s good to meet you, Aria of Earth.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too.” Aria took Keth’s hand and used it to extract herself from Tarjen’s lap.
Seeing her touch another male had him on his feet a second later, one arm wrapping possessively around her waist as he drew her away from his best friend. The other guards vanished into the shadows, no doubt to start clearing the rubble.
“Tarjen!” Aria twisted her head around to glare at him. “No grabbing.”
“Apologies, seska. It is getting difficult to think.”
Keth merely took another step back. “It’s progressing quickly, then?”
“Very. We need to get back to the ship as soon as possible.” The Scorching was consuming him, shredding his control and making it harder to focus with every passing second.
“You could teleport back to the ship immediately. I will bring the child by shuttle.”
“No.” Both he and Aria spoke at the same time.
Keth grinned. “It seems you are already in agreement on some things, at least. We’ll clear the rubble as quickly as possible. You’ll all be back on board the ship soon. This planet seems to get more dangerous each time we visit. I’ll be happy once all of our people, and their mates, are safely in orbit and away from this place.”
Aria tensed, and Tarjen shot his friend a warning look over the top of her head. Anyone who upset his mate would pay a steep price, even his life-long friend.
Keth quickly changed the subject. “The equipment we use will make a significant amount of noise. Perhaps you should wake your daughter, so she is not startled?”
“Good idea.” Aria wriggled in his arms. “Let me go so I can see to Melody.”
He released her, but followed, keeping himself between his family and Keth. He couldn’t help himself. This was one of the reasons why newly mated couples were isolated during the time of the Scorching. It lessened the odds of fights breaking out if someone stood too close to another’s mate.
“How bad is it?” Aria asked, her voice pitched low enough only he could hear her.
“I will survive.”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course you will, no one ever died of a lack of nookie.”
He didn’t recognize the word she used, but he worked out her meaning. “Actually… we can.”
“Well, shit. Don’t do that, okay?” She gave him a worried smile, and then turned to lift Melody. Without hesitating, she turned back and offered him the still sleepy child. “Here, if you hold her, I can pack up her blanket and things. That way, we’ll be ready to go as soon as they clear a path.”
He settled the baby against his shoulder. She snuggled into his arms, uttering a tiny sigh, and all the pieces of his life fell into place with perfect clarity and a sense of abiding calm that held even the Scorching at bay…for now.
Keth went to join the others, and Tarjen didn’t see him again until the way had been cleared and they were escorted to a waiting shuttlecraft. As he helped Aria aboard, Keth came running out of the stadium, holding an unconscious female in his arms. Her blonde hair fell across her face in bloody tangles, and it wasn’t until Keth got her inside that Tarjen recognized the female as the same one who had been assigned to his group, the one who had learned enough of their language to wish them good luck.
“Eva!” Aria gasped and leaned against her safety harness to get a better look at the female Keth was carefully securing into place on one of the bench-style seats that lined the walls of the shuttle.
“Is that her name?” Keth glanced over at Aria, then back to Eva. “It is as beautiful as she is.”
Understanding dawned. “She is your mate?” Tarjen asked in Pyrosian.
Keth nodded, his gaze still locked on Eva. “I found her trapped in the rubble. When I touched her hand, I saw the Spark fly between us.” He buckled in beside her, his hand on her brow, slowing the bleeding from the gash on her head. “Torel will save her. He has to.”
“What are you saying? Is she going to be okay?” Aria interjected.
Tarjen switched to English. “Keth found her trapped in the rubble. We’ll get her to the ship for treatment.”
“Why don’t you just teleport there? Wouldn’t it be faster?”
Keth answered first. “She has a head injury. It isn’t safe.”
She wrinkled her nose. “So, teleportation is not safe for children or anyone with injuries. Why do you use it at all if it’s so unsafe?”
“Because when sneaking around a strange new world that doesn’t know aliens exist, it’s best to be subtle,” Tarjen explained.
“Subtle, huh? I don’t think that word means what you think it means.”
He recognized the movie quote and even caught the meaning behind it. He was finally getting familiar with the slang and cultural references of Aria’s part of the world. Soon, he’d understand everything he needed to about Aria and once he did, everything between them would be perfect. It was only a matter of time.
The shuttle ride was almost over before she realized they had taken off. She had expected a rocket-launch style rumble, or at the very least the sudden acceleration of a jet taxing down a runway. There was nothing like that. It wasn’t until Tarjen activated a viewscreen and showed her a real-time image of the planet spinning slowly beneath them that she grasped the reality of her situation. She wasn’t on Earth anymore. She was in space, on her way to an alien vessel with a man she barely knew. Panic dug its sharp claws into her chest, but as quickly as it struck, it vanished as Tarjen reached over and squeezed her hand.
“Your world is beautiful.”
“We’re going back, right?”
He nodded. “Once the Scorching passes, we’ll return. You will see your sister and friend again.”
Piper. Why hadn’t anyone hea
rd from her or Haley? Where were they? “I’m worried about them. I know we’re going to be distracted soon, but please, if anyone hears from my sister or my friend, I need to know. I’m worried. Other than Melody, they’re the only family I have left.”
“I will see to it,” Tarjen promised.
They lapsed into silence after that. She watched Keth tend to Eva, amazed at the tenderness and affection he showed the woman despite the fact they’d never so much as spoken. “Is she his mate?”
“She is.” Keth answered without looking up. “I only pray that she is not taken from me before we have even begun our life together.”
Aria didn’t know what to say. Everything she thought of sounded trite. “I hope so, too,” she finally said. There had been enough death and sadness today.
The ship touched down with a gentle thud, and she glanced at Tarjen. “What did we land on?”
“The floor of the shuttle bay. It’s a large hangar, full of ships and people.” The charming smile of earlier was gone, now. It had to be the effects of the Scorching.
“So, we can breathe? What about gravity?” She wished she had thought to ask these questions earlier, but, kissing him had seemed like a much better use of her time.
“Atmosphere and gravity are much like they are on your world. You’ll see.”
They stayed seated as Keth carried Eva out a doorway that simply appeared in a bulkhead near the front of the ship. One minute there was nothing and the next, poof. Door. Beyond was an empty white room, but before she could get a good look, the door closed with Keth, Eva, and the shuttle pilot inside.
“That’s the shuttle bay?”
“That’s the airlock. It’s also a decontamination chamber. It takes a few minutes to cycle. Once they’re on their way to medical, we’ll go in. Be ready.” His hand tightened around hers and he exhaled sharply.
