“The extra senses have never left me. The only way we can know how you’ll be affected is by tracking your chemical and hormonal changes.”
“Will I still have these abilities when you’re gone?”
His throat tightened, and he wondered if he’d be able to walk away this time. The last choice had been taken from him, and it had taken years for his need for Alicia to wane. “I just don’t know.”
“What happened to your first mate?”
“She found a new one when they thought I’d died in the war. When I returned, I wasn’t the same anyway, and I took a remote station assignment.”
“I’m sorry.” She gently brushed a strand of hair away from his face.
He tried to shake off the memories that still haunted him from time to time. “Those days were difficult ones for many. It was a living nightmare.” He pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose.
She brushed her cheek against his, and gave him a look of such understanding, it rocked him to the core. “Luckily, you won’t have to worry about a permanent attachment with me. I’m sure you’ll find your perfect mate when you return to your world. Everyone deserves peace.” Was it his imagination or did he see sorrow in the depths of her eyes? A part of him wished she were Valorian. He would hold on to her for an eternity. She was resourceful with a strong survival instinct. A fierce warrior.
“I have few memories of the Valorian people, but these stripes aren’t something I remember.” Her fingers stroked the stripes along his jaw.
He breathed easier at the change in topic. “Prime status is part of our warrior culture. It can only occur during a mating cycle, and is usually forged in battle.”
“Forged in battle, huh?” Her gaze sparkled with humor, while her fingers traced whorls on his neck. “It sounds very epic.”
He laughed. “I was quoting text from our histories. The truth is until recently I was one of the few of my generation to have made the transition to Prime. Those on our asteroid mines, however, have reported an increase in Prime status.” He rubbed the back of her neck with gentle circles, trying to ignore the way her lovely fingers were distracting his thoughts. “They say it’s a defense mechanism ingrained in our DNA. If our mates, our children, our livelihood are in any way endangered during a cycle, a change occurs. The stripes serve as camouflage on our home planet. It allows those in dangerous areas to blend in to the environment. I left my mate while the hormones still raged through my body. It was during my first fight that the rage overtook me.” His memories were broken, shuttered behind a red haze.
“Rage?” She gave a delightful moan at his ministrations.
“It’s a blood rage triggered by adrenal response. Makes us very efficient fighters. We become faster, stronger and more in tune with our senses during an event. It’s an ability that never leaves us once it occurs.”
Curiosity glimmered in her eyes. “Do your women get this blood rage?”
“If so, it’s never been documented.” He ran his fingers down the back of her neck.
“Do you always have this rage?”
He rubbed her neck with gentle strokes. “Only when my life is in danger.”
She touched his cheeks with her hands and sweetly caressed his lips with featherlight kisses.
“Hmm.” He smiled. “What was that for?”
She smiled back. “Just because.”
“I like random affection.” He kissed her gently, determined to show her that he could give her slow and easy. He could lock down the beast.
She leaned back and gave him a wicked smile, which kicked his pulse into overdrive. Her hands pulled up her shirt, dragging it over her head, and dropping it to the side.
Her perfect body called to him. His hands caressed her ribs and rubbed his thumbs against the sensitive underside of her breasts. “You are so beautiful.”
Kendra stared down at Azros. Warmth spread throughout her body. He thought she was beautiful. She leaned down to kiss him thoroughly, and wiggled out of her pants, to kick them off to the side.
He raised an eyebrow and grinned against her lips. “Nice moves.”
She pulled back just enough to smile at him. “You haven’t seen anything yet.” She gently stroked her pussy against the firm length of his dick. Her moist essence spread along his skin.
“You are so wet.” The words ended in a guttural moan.
“I am constantly wet when I’m around you.” She arched her back and moaned at the sensual pleasure spiking from the teasing strokes.
“Guide me, sweetheart.” His voice was ragged.
She reached between them, setting the head against her slick entrance. He gripped her hips and arched, driving deep into her pussy. The muscles of her channel squeezed and pulsed around every incredible inch of his dick. She cried out, digging her nails into his chest.
“Fall forward, just a bit.” He tilted his hips and went deeper than she imagined possible.
Shivers of delight raced down her spine. Her hips rocked forward and back. Little pulses of electric sensation lit all the nerve endings in her pussy. Fuck, this wasn’t going to take long. The rich scent she’d come to recognize as uniquely Azros surrounded them.
“You have such a sweet pussy. I love the way it milks my cock.” His grin was wicked sin. “Hold on to me sweetheart.”
She had a moment to grip his shoulders before his hips lowered then thrust hard, impaling her, burning her alive with sensation.
“Fate, I wanted to be gentle.” His voice was raw with lust.
God she loved his voice. “Don’t you dare.” She dug her nails into his skin.
His fangs gleamed and fingers dug into her hips. His feral gaze pierced her from eyelash-shrouded slits. He fucked her with deep, hard, intense strokes, which sent her spiraling into a sex-induced haze of pleasure. Every sensation built on the next until she was drowning in a maelstrom of erotic delight. She was falling. “Please,” she begged, pleaded. Her body rode him through the first crest of orgasm into another. She cried out, calling his name.
When her second orgasm shattered, his thrusts became erratic until he followed behind, slamming deep into her pussy.
He dragged her down into the comforting circle of his arms. “You are incredible.”
She curled against his body, his steady heartbeat a comforting thump against her ear. “You’re not so bad yourself.” Her pussy trembled in tiny aftershocks of pleasure, and the occasional purr from his chest soothed her further. She’d always been partial to giant cats. Especially sexy, dangerous and oddly cuddly giant cats. She huffed out a small breath. Azros was getting under her skin.
“You are thinking too loud.” His drawl was laced with humor.
She slowly rubbed her cheek against the entrancing velvet softness of his stripes. “My mind never seems to stop.”
“Hmmm.” He nuzzled the top of her head, and that sexy purr rumbled from his chest.
“How do you purr like that?” She absently continued stroking her cheek against him. It was such a fascinating difference in texture between bare skin and stripes.
His purring stopped. “It’s a part of our physiology.” His voice trailed off. “You know, I’ve never really asked why we do it. It’s just one of those things we’ve always done.”
Kendra pressed a kiss against a stripe. “I love it.” The purring combined with a scent she was coming to recognize as…she wouldn’t say happy, not yet, but definitely comfortable. Relaxed. Content.
“There goes that brain again.” He chuckled. “I must not be doing my job of properly exhausting you.”
Heat burned her cheeks and she cleared her throat. “Oh no, it’s not that at all.” Hell, if her body became any more relaxed, she’d be a puddle of goo. “This change is just a lot to take in.” It was time to get ready to head out.
“Want to soak in the pools for a while?”
He squeezed her against him and rolled them over until he settled against the vee of her thighs. Even half-erect, the man was impressive. She smiled up
at him, loving the way his still-damp hair fell in a curtain around his chiseled face. With a day’s growth on his chin he looked like a rogue. She ran her fingers along his jaw, surprised to find the hair to be soft.
“I would love to.”
He gave her a quick kiss and rolled off. In a second he was on his feet and holding his hand out to her.
She raised her eyebrows and took his hand, allowing him to draw her up. This kind of courtesy was new to her. And while not unpleasant, it took getting used to. She was used to calling the shots in all aspects of her life. Hell, when you worked in a pleasure palace, you learned to take what you could, when you could.
Their return to the Palace would be insane. Azros was cut from the stuff wet dreams were made of. He could throw her world into chaos. Of course, that was the problem, wasn’t it? Her life was already chaotic enough. It wouldn’t be good to become attached.
He pressed a light kiss against her hand.
Once they got back to the Palace, and this mating thing ended, she’d have to give him up. Azros had already gone to great lengths to reassure her this wasn’t permanent. He was looking for temporary as well. Right? You’re thinking too much!
He eased into the deep pool and guided her steps. Healing warmth immediately settled into her skin, easing aches she’d accumulated through three days of full-body abuse and minimal sleep. Knots of tension loosened, and she put disturbing thoughts out of her head. She chose to live in the moment. For now.
He pulled her into his arms, dragging her back to his chest. She rested her head against his shoulder and let the warmth of Azros and the hot springs do their magic. His chest rumbled in a low purr, relaxing her further. Her mind slowed in sated warmth. Kendra was never one to worry too much about the future. Why was she letting one man drive her crazy? She’d worry about tomorrow when it arrived. Their breathing synchronized, and she drifted into a light doze.
The perimeter chime jerked her awake. Kendra scanned the room. She moved his hands from around her. All senses aware.
“What was that?”
“An alarm.” She moved to the edge of the pool and jumped up on the edge. Water sluiced off her body. They had several minutes before anyone would find them. The scattered clothes were swept up and she moved back down the hall. She was unsurprised to find him shadowing her. The alarm sounded again. “We have company.”
His curse followed her down the corridor. She jogged to the stairwell door and slowly opened it. They slipped through and she walked to the back of the stairs and opened a recessed panel. The clothes were dropped and forgotten. She spared a glance at Azros, appreciating the fact that he’d already grabbed his pants from wherever he’d hidden them earlier.
She tossed him a thigh holster. The stunner followed. He tossed her the pants and shirt. She caught them and dragged them on in record time. With quick tugs on the straps, she had her temporary thigh holder tightened and ready. A stunner wasn’t ideal, but she’d work with what she had. On the next trip out, she’d upgrade all the weapons and ensure she didn’t lock her own piece in the damn safe.
Azros took point and she followed with weapon drawn, reminding herself that he had extrasensory advantage. She inhaled, but could only smell the residual odor of minerals and the rich scent of Azros.
They reached ground level and he paused, muscles rippling across his back. He was comfortable, almost in his element. It made her wonder. How did get caught in the first place?
He opened the door and they both winced at the slight creak. With quick hand signals he laid out the plan, and Kendra gave a nod with a jerk of her head. They took the room, slowly making their way to the next door. She took a breath, gave the signal, and palmed the door open.
Azros entered the room, weapon drawn, moving along the edge. Kendra took the other side, checking behind the furniture, wishing she could rely on more than just her eyes and ears. She inhaled deeply. What good was this extrasensory stuff if you couldn’t call it at will? A strange odor slipped through the sterile scents of the facility.
She paused, but he continued on, a growl deep in his throat. A familiar floral scent tickled the back of her throat. Something moved. She placed the scent with her memory. “Azros!” He spun 45 degrees and shot. A brutal, if familiar, voice yelled in pain. A body dropped to the ground. Kendra rushed over, keeping an eye on the surrounding area. She looked down. “Fate!”
“Chief!”
The voice had Kendra and Azros spinning, weapons aimed at the newcomer. Hands flew up and Kendra immediately recognized the pale countenance of her communications expert. She huffed out a breath and holstered her weapon. “Reeva. How did you two get here?”
Reeva dropped to a knee at Mase’s side.
Azros stepped in front of Kendra with a growl rumbling low in his throat.
“What is wrong with you?” She tried to move forward, but his arm wrapped around her waist, snaking her against his side. His muscles quivered under her touch.
Reeva clapped a hand on Mase’s shoulder. She eyed Kendra with interest. “It appears your Valorian has chosen a mate.”
Kendra tried unsuccessfully to step away. “He’s not my anything. How are you, Mase?”
He rose to his feet with a fist against his side. “I’ll live.” He glared at Azros. “I didn’t expect such a warm welcome.”
“It was either the stunner or ripping your throat out with my bare hands.” Azros still held her tight against him.
“I’d prefer the stunner, thanks.” Mase rubbed the back of his neck.
“Tell me you didn’t know it was him before you shot.” She glanced up at Azros. “Put the damn stunner away.”
He dragged a hand through his hair and shoved the stunner in the thigh holster. “I don’t memorize most scents, Kendra. He seemed familiar, but lately all familiar scents belong to those who are hazardous to my health.”
“What was that throat comment all about?”
He gazed down at her with the eyes of an unleashed tiger. Power. Control. “I’m still hunting. The mating cycle isn’t over yet.”
“Still hunting what?” Kendra clenched her jaw.
His fingers traced the curve of her jaw. Warmth and comfort sizzled along with a bite of lust in her nerve endings. His touch was magic. “You.”
“I don’t think so.” She tilted away from his fingers. “Let me go, or I’m going to do something we’ll both regret.”
“Chief, where is your comm?”
Mase shook off the effects with the resilience she’d come to expect from him. He rose to his feet. In this one instance she was thankful it didn’t take long to recover from a stun.
“Back in medlab. Why?”
Reeva tugged the comm from her ear and tossed it. Kendra snatched it out of the air. “Destiny’s Palace had been invaded.”
Chapter Five
Kendra placed the comm line in her ear. The insistent buzz of an emergency alarm echoed through the line. She recalled the message.
“It didn’t make sense, Chief.” Reeva crossed her arms and shrugged her shoulders. “To either one of us.”
Mase glared at Azros, flesh tinged violet. She almost called him down, but thought better of it. Being stunned hurt like a son-of-a-bitch. He stalked away from them. A light growl rumbled from Azros. She pinched the bridge of her nose and prayed for patience. “He is not a threat. I don’t fuck my subordinates, and I sure as hell wouldn’t fuck with my security team. If you don’t back the hell off, I’m going to shoot you, tie you up, and leave you here.”
Azros gripped her shoulders and leaned so close she could see the golden tips of long black eyelashes. “I can only control my instincts so far, Kendra. Stay away from men until this madness leaves me, or I don’t know what could happen.” He kissed her. A melding of heat and possession. This kiss was a statement. She bit his lip and he purred. Actually purred.
A throat cleared and Kendra tried to jerk away. Azros held her in the kiss for a moment more, staring down at her with challenge in his ey
es. Kendra could feel the heat of a blush coming up her neck to her cheeks. Azros ended the kiss and smiled. She barely controlled the urge to knock that smirk off his face. He made her weak, and that was dangerous.
“The next time you take something from me that I’m not willing to give, I’ll knock that smirk right off your face.”
“I look forward to it.”
She stared at him. He was getting off on this. She ignored the flare of interest his actions triggered. Now was not the time for this. He finally released her and she turned to her team, ignoring the curiosity in Reeva’s eyes and the hostility in Mase’s. “I have a job to do.” She moved away from Azros.
She tapped the earpiece. “Playback.” Each comm was voice activated.
“Destiny’s Palace is recalling all personnel.” David’s voice rang calm over the comm. “Alpha team prepare for relative diplomacy.”
Relative diplomacy. A knot of untamed emotion formed in her throat. Destiny had used their secure code. A code she’d never hoped to hear. They were all in danger. Kendra checked her internal chrono. “Interesting message. What makes you think it’s an invasion?” They had less than an hour until sundown. She jerked the comm out of her ear and tossed it back to Reeva.
“I received notice of ships invading our airspace.” Mase rolled his shoulders. He and Reeva looked no worse for their race across the Miora Flats.
“From one of your seedy contacts, no doubt.” Kendra gave him a smile that she didn’t really feel. Her veins had turned to ice.
“What does the message mean, Chief? Relative to what?” Reeva caught everything, but there were some things Kendra wasn’t prepared to explain. Not until she had to.
“It means we’re in danger.” She glanced at Azros, noticing the grim set to his mouth, the strain around his eyes. “All of us.”
“What happens now?” Azros pressed his fists against a table.
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