by Mikayla Lane
Emily wrapped her arms around his waist and breathed in his unique scent as she closed her eyes. Everything felt so surreal, but in his arms the world seemed exactly as it should be, and she was happier than she’d ever been in her life.
“Does this mean I can keep you now?” Emily teased.
“There’s nothing that could ever make me let you go. I love you, and I can’t think of spending another moment of my life without you in it,” Koda admitted, trying not to squeeze her too tightly as he struggled with the intensity of his emotions for her.
“I love you too, Koda.” Emily squeezed him back and then pulled away from him. “So . . . when can we move?”
Koda laughed and pulled her back into his arms, unable to hide his joy that she would want to live with him on his ship.
“I was thinking that maybe we could spend the next few days here so I can show you around the ship and introduce you to some of the people and personnel. The people are unique and not too different from the humans, but there are some differences that you’ll want to make sure you can put up with,” Koda warned, hoping that the people and their strange ways wouldn’t make her want to leave.
“What’s wrong with the people?” she asked, thinking back to those she’d seen on the way there. “They seemed fine to me. Happy . . . friendly.”
“No, there’s nothing wrong with them,” Koda chuckled. “They tend to be a little fearful of new people though, and because we’ve tried to preserve as much of each of their home worlds as we could, there is an incredibly diverse and eclectic mix of beliefs, cultures, and traditions.”
“Do we have to do weird things or something?”
“No! Of course not!” Koda assured her. “Most are very friendly and all of them are good people or they wouldn’t be allowed to remain. There are certain areas of the park designated to each of the different planets and cultures. Like the flower you saw earlier, you will have to learn what can and cannot be touched.”
“So we have to follow their rules?” Emily asked, wondering how many rules there would be to learn and how she could teach Joey.
“Absolutely not. The only rule on this ship are the ones that Grai and I set when we rescued them. They cannot impose their beliefs or even the laws of their beliefs or planets on anyone else or they will be removed,” Koda explained. “We are a neutral community. We will respect their right to believe what they want, but any intolerance or offense towards others is not permitted.”
“How the hell can you make that work on a ship when we haven’t been able to figure out a way to do that on a planet?” Emily wondered.
“It’s different here,” Koda said. “These people have no country or world to go back to. They are grateful to even be alive or have anything that remains of the life they once knew, and they’ve seen enough death, destruction, and chaos to last them several lifetimes. Those who could not, for any reason, get along with the others due to a belief system that we deemed incompatible with life were found a planet more in line with their culture.”
“So, there’s no arguing, fighting, or trouble?” Emily couldn’t believe it.
Her limited experience with people on Earth made it clear that there were just some people and some belief systems that only existed to create death and chaos.
“It’s not allowed,” Koda assured her. “We cannot sacrifice the many for any one group that wants to create problems. Even allowing it onboard would cause too many problems.”
“What about the women and children?”
Koda shook his head sadly.
“There can be no exceptions, or we’d be opening ourselves up to terrorism and other acts of violence. Such things are horrific enough on a planet, but on a ship such as this, it could be catastrophic. We can’t take that chance because one particular group refuses to assimilate. Besides, there are many, many women throughout your history that have proved themselves to be just as brutal and capable as any man of creating violence through hate,” Koda explained.
“OK . . . so I just have to learn not to touch anything without asking. It’s not something I would normally do anyway, but I will make sure to always ask,” Emily agreed with a grin, thinking that it couldn’t be as weird as Koda tried to make it seem.
Koda took her in his arms and kissed the top of her head.
“I’m not the least bit worried about how you’ll do. I think you’re perfect the way you are, and everyone will love you. We came through while it was early, so there weren’t many out and about except for the parents taking their children to school or to daycare. I will take you around and introduce you later. If you’d like,” Koda offered, hoping she’d agree.
Although he knew that dealing with so many cultures and beliefs was nerve wracking, time consuming, and sometimes a pain in the ass, he loved the unique people on his ship, and he hoped that Emily and Joey could learn to love and appreciate them as well.
Emily looked up at him with interest and love shining in her eyes.
“I would love that.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Emily pulled away from Koda and walked back to the huge window in his room. She couldn’t help but wonder why he seemed so nervous since they came aboard his ship. At first she thought it was because he was happy to be back on board and was getting back into the swing of how things worked on the ship, but the longer they were alone without him making any move to finally make her his mate, the more she wondered if that was the case.
“What’s wrong?” Koda asked. “I can tell when you’re deep in thought over something,” he added when she looked at him curiously.
Emily snorted and rolled her eyes at him as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“Oh please, you don’t know me that well.”
Koda couldn’t take it anymore. Since the second they stepped on his ship the only thing he’d wanted to do was throw her over his shoulder and cart her off to this exact room so he could make love to her for the three days that they were scheduled to be on the ship without Joey.
The only thing that had stopped him from doing it was that he didn’t want her to be embarrassed, and he wasn’t sure if he could carry her and still have the strength to make love to her. Although he’d trained hard and worked even harder to move normally again, he was still weaker than he could ever recall being, and he was afraid of disappointing her.
With the bed only a few feet away, Koda wasn’t the least bit worried about his strength as he swooped her up in his arms and began walking towards the bed, ignoring her giggles and protests.
“Koda! Put me down! You’re going to wear yourself out!”
Koda gently laid her down on the bed and moved over her so she couldn’t wiggle out from underneath him. He looked down into her smiling face with her beautiful green eyes shining with love and laughter and gently took her lips in a kiss that quickly became more heated.
Emily wrapped her arms around his neck as she arched her body closer to his, enjoying the feel of his warmth surrounding her. She didn’t complain when he rolled them to their sides, deepening their kiss as he did.
His hand ran gently from her shoulder to her hip before reaching her bottom and pulling her flush against his body, groaning at the feel of her perfectly fitted to him. He could tell that he was quickly losing control when his hand began to tremble more than it normally did, and he tried to gain control of himself.
“Don’t, baby,” Emily whispered, pulling her lips from his. “I don’t care if you shake more; I want you to be yourself with me. Let go.”
Koda shook his head before grabbing her head in his hands and setting her on fire with another kiss. He was determined to remain in control long enough to properly mate with her and rolled her back over so the additional physical effort would help him rein in his desire for her.
This time his hand trembled only a little as he began to caress her everywhere, learning each curve of her body and what caused her to gasp in pleasure and what she enjoyed the most. When his arms were shaking from holdi
ng himself above her, he finally began to slide her clothes off until Emily sat up and took matters into her own hands.
She pulled everything off quickly then looked at him expectantly, her green eyes shining with desire and love as she reached for his shirt and almost ripped it as she tried to pull it off of him. Without a word, Koda jerked at his clothes with trembling hands until they were thrown on the floor with hers.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered as he moved above her, gently pushing her back on the bed.
Emily reached a hand up and caressed his cheek as she enjoyed the feel of his hard, hot body pressed so intimately against her.
“I’m tired of waiting,” she whispered as she wiggled beneath him, trying to encourage him.
“You’re killing me,” Koda groaned, already on the verge of losing his control with her.
Unwilling to end their lovemaking so quickly, Koda moved them to their sides and held her hips away from him with one hand as his lips nipped and kissed a trail of fire from her ear to her breast. His other hand cupped her breast briefly before he brushed his calloused fingers down her back, leaving behind a trail of heat.
She gasped when his warm, wet mouth enclosed around a nipple and tugged slightly, causing her to shiver in excitement and need. He sucked, licked, and teased her until she was ready to beg him for release. Instead, she reached under his arms and pulled on him until he moved upward, his body covering hers.
“I’m not done with you,” he whispered as he nipped and licked at her earlobe.
Emily decided to take matters into her own hands and wrapped her legs around his waist, undulating her hips until she managed to slip the tip of him inside of her. She paused, trying to adjust to his size as he clawed at the sheets and panted.
Koda squeezed his eyes shut tightly and shook as he tried to keep from plunging completely inside of her. He just about had himself convinced he could do it when she moaned and shifted her hips, taking him deeply into her wet heat.
“Gods,” he breathed out as he wrapped one arm around her waist, the other bracing himself as he ground himself against her.
“Don’t stop now,” Emily gasped, rocking her hips against him to get even closer.
“Hold on.”
She’d barely tightened her arms around him when Koda sat back, pulling out of her reach. She looked at him curiously as he grabbed her hips and pulled her towards him as he drove deeply.
Emily gasped from the angle and depth of penetration, barely hearing Koda warn her.
“Use the head board, baby.”
She had just grasped the small posts on the headboard when he drove into her so strong and deep she would have hit her head on the headboard if he hadn’t warned her. She cried out from the brief, intense pleasure as he slowly pulled back out and she wrapped her legs tighter around his waist.
Koda set a hard, hot pace that soon left Emily breathless and begging, though she wasn’t sure if she was begging for more or for him to stop. Finally, she cried out in release just as Koda roared above her. He began to shake so strongly he collapsed onto her and rolled quickly off so he wouldn’t hurt her.
Emily rolled to her side to face him just as he pulled her to his chest, still heaving as he tried to catch his breath. She closed her eyes and had just drifted off to sleep on his chest when she felt her arm itching. She moved to scratch at it when Koda chuckled and rubbed her arm for her.
“You can’t rub it off. It’s a permanent mark of our bonding,” Koda advised, grinning broadly as he caught his breath and got his shaking under control.
“The ator-ma? That’s what it is?” Emily asked, sitting up so she could look at it.
“Did you think we wouldn’t get it?” Koda teased, pulling her back down to lay beside him.
“It’s so pretty,” Emily whispered as she stared at the tattoo-like design on her arm.
She looked down at his left arm, saw an almost identical design, and she smiled into his dark eyes.
“It’s about time you made an honest woman of me,” she teased.
Koda chuckled, rolled on top of her, and gave her a searing kiss.
“I’m not nearly done with you,” he whispered. “I think it’s time I showed you the impressive bathing pool in our bathroom.”
Emily became instantly hot at the thought and tried to slide out from underneath him. Koda stayed where he was to tease her for a moment before getting up and holding a hand out to her. She took his hand without hesitation and let him pull her from the bed and to her feet.
He pulled her close and leaned down to give her another heated kiss when a short alarm sounded, and Emily jerked away from him and looked around the room in concern.
Koda ran to a wall that opened for him and grabbed two large robes. He pulled one on as he walked over to her and slipped the other around her shoulders and tied it for her.
“We have an emergency call,” he warned as he made sure she was covered before facing the wall. “Answer.”
Ratarran L’Tor came into view.
“Sir, I apologize for the interruption, but you need to come to Bridge Command immediately,” Ratarran advised, looking a little angry and concerned.
“What’s going on?” Koda asked as he turned the privacy mode on the vid comm so he and Emily could get dressed in private while he determined what was happening.
Emily began digging through the pile of clothes on the floor and started handing Koda his as she put her own on as fast as she could.
“Sir, I think it best for you to come and see,” Ratarran replied.
“Yo, Soda Pop! Some sissy bitch is wanting to come into the quadrant and have a chat with you. He claims to be a rep of your brother, Dagog,” Kit Mumford called out.
Emily looked fearfully at Koda and was surprised when he just shrugged and pulled her in for a kiss.
“I’ll be there in a moment,” Koda said as he ended the connection and looked into Emily’s beautiful eyes. “I’ll be back in a few minutes, and we can check out that bath.”
Emily scowled at him fiercely and folded her arms across her chest.
“You’re not leaving me here with that bastard out there! I’m coming.”
Koda paused then laughed as he gave her a kiss and patted her bottom.
“Let’s go, my fierce little mate, and see what it is that the asshole wants this time,” Koda said.
He led her from the room to the lift a few feet outside of his quarters, and they were in the Bridge Command in less than a minute.
“On screen,” Koda ordered and waited while the ship came into view. “Wow, that’s a seriously old ship. What the hell would be the point when that ship will be lucky to even make it here?” Koda wondered aloud as he looked closely at the dilapidated and obviously damaged ship on the screen.
“Suicide bomber?” Kit offered as he sat at his new station, still learning how to use the impressive weapons and defense systems on the ship.
“That’s more of an ignorant and cowardly act, which isn’t usually Dagog’s style,” Ratarran admitted. “I think it’s more likely that he somehow found out you were injured, and he wants to mess with your head or get information about how you fared.”
“Scanners show it’s a single ship. There’s nothing else even close to it,” Jamal added as he studied the scanners inside the orbiting pod on the edge of the quadrant.
Koda narrowed his eyes as he thought for a moment.
“Put them on screen,” he ordered.
Moments later a Relian clone came into view.
“Koda T’Alq,” the Relian said in surprise before quickly recovering. “I have been sent by Emperor Dagog to speak with you on an important and delicate matter. I am requesting entry into the quadrant.”
Koda surprised everyone by bursting into laughter.
“Bullshit. If there was anything that important, he’d come see me himself. Kit, train the pulse cannons on the lying bastard,” Koda ordered, watching the Relian’s eyes widen in fear.
“Wait!”
the Relian shouted in fear, then turned to someone else in the ship that wasn’t on the screen.
Several seconds later, a projected image of Dagog T’Alq came into view next to the Relian. He looked at Koda as if in concern, his eyes traveling up and down his brother’s body before he saw Emily, and he grinned.
“I had heard you were gravely ill and was concerned for you, brother, but I see that congratulations are in order. Not only for your recovery but for your mate. How lucky for you,” Dagog said, his tone making it clear he wasn’t happy about either outcome.
“Cut the shit. What do you want? Other than to verify I’m still alive?” Koda asked, sounding bored.
“Is that any way to talk to the brother who adored you and looked up to you? How cruel,” Dagog said with a feigned expression of hurt.
Koda barked out a bitter laugh and looked over at Kit.
“Fire on my command.”
“With absolute pleasure,” Kit replied as he rubbed his hands together in glee and prepared to fire.
“Come, Koda, what is the point? I am here only to see if my adored brother is well and to speak with you about a certain situation regarding our mother’s final wishes,” Dagog countered, still pretending to be hurt by Koda’s rejection.
Emily gasped. She knew there was no way in hell that Gran would have ever told that beast any final wishes. Child or not, Granala loved Dagog, but she didn’t trust him or hold any hope of him changing his ways.
“He’s lying to you. Your mother would never have told him anything,” Emily warned, glaring at the bastard who looked so much like Koda, but held none of his warmth.
“And how would someone such as you know such a thing?” Dagog countered, looking at her more closely.
Emily shrieked when Granala popped up beside her, her expression one of fury and abject disappointment.
“Wow, you can sure make an entrance. Where the hell have you been?” Emily whispered as she turned her back to the asshole on the screen.
Granala didn’t even acknowledge her. She only stared angrily at Dagog before turning cold eyes to Emily.
“I want you to repeat everything I say, word for word. Can you do that?” Granala asked.
