Just Desserts

by Gail Koger

  Grinning madly, Balldar grabbed the front of my overalls and pulled me inside. “You stink of Talree.”

  “So I’ve been told. Release Talree or die. Your choice. You’ve got two minutes to decide. Ticktock.”

  Balldar yanked me off the floor and shook me until my teeth rattled. “Shut your mouth, female.”

  “That’s the best you’ve got? One minute. Ticktock.”

  The old coot shook me again. “Do you know who I am?”

  My gaze froze on Talree. He was hanging from a chain in the ceiling. His nude body was covered in cuts and bruises. “Balldar, the dead guy?”

  “You, a tiny female, think you are capable of killing me,” he bellowed in astonished fury.

  “Yep. Time’s up.” I punched the old creep hard in the throat.

  Balldar gagged, and his grip tightened.

  I hit him again.

  Fighting for air, Balldar dropped me and staggered back.

  Hot dang, it finally worked. “Word of advice, asshole. Never, ever take on a female suffering from PMS and a lack of chocolate. You’ll lose every time.”

  Balldar’s face turned an interesting shade of blue.

  “Run!” Talree shouted.

  “I’m not leaving without you.”

  The old guy gave a funny rasping gasp, and down he went.

  The rogues stared at me in stunned disbelief.

  “Surrender or die,” I barked in my best cop’s voice.

  Growling like rabid wolves, the rogues drew their swords and surrounded me.

  Shit. I eyed them warily. They wanted to turn me into a shish kebab.

  “Remember, Kaylee, we just practiced this scenario in your tactical training,” Caleb called.

  Boy, did I remember. I got my ass handed to me.

  “If Kaylee dies, the beast wins,” Talree warned his father.

  “The only ones in danger are the traitors,” Zarek reassured him.

  “Keep their attention on you, petka.”

  “Not gonna be a problem.” I dodged a sword thrust and another and another.

  “Your little female seems to be in a bit of trouble,” a harsh voice announced in High Coletti.

  I glanced over my shoulder.

  A holographic image of Malik floated in midair. His flat, dead eyes and blunt features had a brutal quality to them. The aura of menace was enhanced by a horrific scar across his right cheek.

  “Nah, I’m good, but I could use some chocolate.” I ducked a whizzing blade.

  “Gut her, and Talree becomes my beast,” Malik cried.

  “Now, Datlow,” Zarek commanded.

  Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Web balls slammed into the rogues, enveloping them in thick webbing.

  Their faces contorted with rage as they struggled to free themselves.

  “Bey, my pistol.” As soon as it dropped into my hand, I turned and fired at the chain holding Talree.

  It disintegrated. Talree dropped to the floor.

  The link with my family shattered unexpectedly, and Zarek burst into my head. His fury was terrifying. I threw up a shield and retreated.

  Talree cautioned urgently, “Don’t fight him. He needs to use you.”

  Fuck. “Why me? Why not one of the rogues?”

  “Be quiet,” Zarek commanded.

  I trembled violently as I felt him take control.

  My voice was deep, harsh, full of authority, and simmering with a barely controlled rage. “Malik, you are dead to me. You have been branded a traitor. You will be hunted down and face the rite.”

  A nasty smile curled Malik’s mouth. “I’m hard to kill, old man. Know this; your precious Talree is a dead man. I’ve instructed my second in command, Commander Hotan, to destroy the entire planet of Jabal.”

  Holy moly. “Can he do that?”

  “Yes,” Talree answered.

  Zarek linked with someone and commanded, “Now!”

  Boom! Malik’s image wavered.

  Yay! The Overlord’s warriors were attacking Malik’s ship.

  Electric-blue flames danced over the metal walls. Snap. Crack. Smoke billowed from the ceiling. A multitude of alarms blared.

  “We will see who dies first,” Zarek snapped.

  Poof! He vanished from my mind. My knees wobbled badly. I never, ever wanted to do that again.

  Malik gloated. “Die, brother.”

  Talree bared his fangs in a snarl. “I challenge you to Ditkar.”

  Malik’s maniacal laugh echoed around the warehouse. “The dead cannot fight, brother. Your warriors are now my beasts, and soon I will have my army of ferals.”

  Another blast sent a geyser of sparks spraying across Malik’s control console.

  Five Coletti warriors popped in.

  Malik pulled his sword and, bellowing a war cry, charged them.

  The holographic image abruptly disappeared. Hopefully, that meant Malik was dead.

  “Search for the warbird,” Zarek instructed me.

  “Yes, sir.” I opened my Siren senses and scanned the heavens. Shit. Malik hadn’t been lying. There was a Rodan ship heading our way. “Does a Rodan battle cruiser have the capability to turn Jabal into space rubble?”

  “It does,” Talree answered.

  “Unless we can come up with a spaceship, like now, we’ll be space debris in about an hour.”

  “There are two marauder fighters a click away. Take one and join me at Tigre,” Zarek said.

  “Wait! We can’t leave the Tabors to die,” I cried.

  Talree snatched a ship’s command key off Balldar’s belt. “Will you come with us, Datlow?”

  “To save my people from extermination? Yes.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  I broke my mind meld with Soulet. Boy, did I have a headache. I opened my eyes and noticed Soulet was sprawled comfortably on the cavern floor. No sign of Hank. I guessed he was still patrolling. “And that’s how I met the Tabors and formed the best SWAT team in the galaxy.”

  “Your ability to create partnerships is unique.”

  “The bottom line is survival. Mine and theirs. You do what you gotta do to keep your families safe, and if friendship grows out of it, you’re very, very lucky.”

  Hank teleported into the cavern, beat all to hell.

  Soulet’s tentacles stood straight out from her head. “You appear to have been dropped from a great height.”

  He scowled. “I was.”

  Smothering a laugh, I picked up the med kit and ran the scanner over him. “Landing didn’t go as planned?”

  “Hit a tree,” Hank admitted, more than a bit embarrassed.

  “Emergency teleporting can be tricky.” I sprayed his already healing cuts with an antibiotic sealant. “Grandpa Gargoyle get the drop on you?”

  He glared at Soulet. “I was distracted.”

  “Maybe you two should talk,” I said cautiously.

  Hank spat, “About what? How she tricked me?”

  “There was no trickery involved,” Soulet protested.

  I quickly interjected, “When an Askole finds their mate, a whole shitload of pheromones are released and…uh…things get a little heated.”

  “Heated? It feels like I have been dosed with Spanish fly.”

  Her confusion evident, Soulet asked, “What is this Spanish fly?”

  “It’s an aphrodisiac that gives men the hard-on from hell. Your pheromones created the same effect.”

  “I am responsible for his shrinkage?” There was a touch of horror in Soulet’s voice.

  Hank growled. “Shrinkage?”

  Time to change the subject. “Did you see any sign of the Tai-Kok on your patrol, Hank? You had a bird’s-eye view of the island.”

  He gave me a look of withering scorn. “Nice try.” He turned his attention back to Soulet. “Let me get this straight. You think I have a small dick?”

  Instead of explaining, Soulet shoved the image of her brother’s huge penis into his mind. “Am I wrong?”

  “Maybe you shou
ld date your own kind, kitten.”

  “Whoa! Enough already. Like it or not, you two are bound together. Forever!” I shouted.

  Hank retorted grimly, “Not if I kill her first.”

  There was a slight snick as Soulet’s talons extended. “You can try.”

  “No! No fighting! Have you lost your friggin’ minds? You’re mated, Hank. Get over it. You’re acting like a fucking teenager. Soulet, your remark was uncalled-for. Apologize to Hank.”

  A hint of red crept up her squirming tentacles. “I misspoke. Your penis has brought me some pleasure.”

  “Some pleasure?” Hank snorted. “I gave you the best sex you’ve ever had.”

  I rolled my eyes in disgust. This guy had been the commander of Earth First, the organization dedicated to stopping the Colettis from taking over our world?

  “My memory is a little hazy,” Soulet said, fluttering her eyelashes.

  Oh my God, was she flirting?

  “Maybe this will refresh it.” Hank grabbed the back of Soulet’s head and crushed her lips with urgent, greedy kisses.

  Soulet spun violently. Seconds later, clothes went flying in every direction.

  Hoo-boy. It was like they were in heat.

  Hank shoved Soulet up against the wall and thrust into her over and over again.

  Yikes. I quickly turned my back. I did not need to see that. Ever. Again.

  Their hoarse, throaty noises were driving me nuts. Covering my ears, I chanted, “La, la, la, la, la.”

  Soulet howled as she came.

  Were they finally done? I peeked over my shoulder. Of course not.

  Skin slapped against skin. “You like that, kitten?”

  “Yes!” Soulet shrieked.

  “How about this?”

  Her ragged, desperate cries filled the cavern.

  Hank demanded, “Do you want me to stop?”

  “Noooo!”

  I yelled in English, “Yes! Stop. Now! You’re supposed to be guarding us, not fucking your brains out. Do you want to piss off Zarek? Well, do ya?”

  They both ignored me.

  “Arrgh!” Maybe I should stun them. It might put them off sex for a while. I pulled my laser pistol and aimed. Shit! I couldn’t do it. I’d probably fry something important.

  A guttural moan tore from Hank.

  Damn. I fanned myself. Was it getting hot in here? I’d love a little horizontal mambo with my Warlord. Who was I kidding? I just wanted to feel his arms around me.

  The grunting got louder and louder.

  Ugh. How did Thor and Haki sleep through that? Picking my kids up from the makeshift bed, I walked to the cavern entrance, wincing at the sounds of Hank’s penis going deep into Soulet.

  After carefully surveying the island, I plopped down on an outcropping of rock. Grandpa had fled the area.

  The need to touch Talree was overwhelming. I reached out mentally. My Warlord was in the middle of a vicious dogfight with a Tai-Kok marauder. A fierce salvo rocked his ship.

  He returned fire. Ribbons of dazzling energy flashed from Talree’s Talon fighter. The blackness of space was abruptly filled with the brilliant yellow flames of a disintegrating spacecraft.

  “Good shootin’, sweetie.” I soaked up his mental essence. It reminded me of his scent. Spicy with a touch of mint.

  Talree’s mental fingers brushed my mind in an intimate caress. “I did not mean for you to deliver our son alone.”

  “Shit happens.”

  “Your ability to attract chaos never ceases to amaze me.”

  “Yep, it certainly makes life interesting,” I responded with a laugh.

  “Our son is well?”

  I flashed him a picture of Thor. “He’s perfect. Your father said he’s a mirror image of you at that age.”

  “You are my heart, Teka.”

  “I love you too.”

  A huge explosion filled the Talon’s view screens. The ship pitched radically.

  “Aft shield is failing,” a computerized voice warned.

  Cold fear knotted my stomach. “How bad is the damage?”

  “My father blew up the Donkal, the Tai-Kok high commander’s prized battle cruiser. A piece of the debris hit my ship.”

  My Warlord was definitely gloating. Losing the Donkal was a major blow to the Tai-Kok. “The only damage is to your aft shield?”

  “Yes.”

  Phantom hands massaged my stiff neck. I groaned in pleasure. “Thanks, sweetie, but shouldn’t you be concentrating on the battle?”

  “The battle is won.”

  “The Queen Mother has finally paid for killing millions of innocent species? For kidnapping Hank, Thor, and me?”

  Talree’s tone was one of extreme annoyance. “No. She escaped.”

  I looked around nervously. With her ability to open wormholes, she could be anywhere. “She’ll try to grab us again.”

  “The fleet will be in orbit shortly, and Commander Zan brought a UR generator.”

  “Which does what?”

  “It generates a magnetic field that blocks wormholes from forming.” Talree stroked my back soothingly.

  “Best news I’ve had all day.”

  Soulet screamed in ecstasy.

  “Who is making that noise?”

  “Believe it or not, Hank and Soulet have mated. They’re either trying to kill each other, or they’re fornicating. Loudly. Continuously,” I grumbled.

  Talree let out a low whistle. Something he had picked up from my brothers. “The mating frenzy can go on for weeks. My father is aware of this?”

  “Oh yeah. He was doing a happy dance over adding Soulet to the family.”

  “It does strengthen our ties to the Askole,” Talree said thoughtfully.

  “Kall, Soulet’s intended, might not feel that way.”

  “He’d be a fool to contest the mating.”

  I snorted. “Ha. The sick old pervert has been lusting after her for years. He’ll do something stupid.”

  “Then he dies,” my Warlord promised.

  “I like the way you think.” I pressed a kiss to his sinful, hot mouth.

  Talree’s magic fingers moved south, his caresses delicate and unhurried. A delicious warmth danced over my body. “Shouldn’t you be looking for the Queen Mother?”

  He gave my right nipple a rasping kiss. “Commander Zan and my father are overseeing the search.”

  “Good. That’s good.” I squeaked as Talree’s teeth scored my left breast.

  “I told him I needed time with my mate.” He nibbled on my neck.

  My core pulsed with a sudden moist hunger. “Wise decision.”

  “I even brought chocolate.” Talree’s hands skimmed my ass in a blatantly possessive move.

  “Cerreta’s French Mint?”

  “Yes.” He licked his way down my stomach.

  “Smart man.”

  “I am.” Talree’s hot mouth closed over my throbbing clit, and his ghostly tongue lapped and savored me. With one lightning-fast move, he spread my legs and thrust into me, the tip of his cock hitting deep inside my womb, creating a delicious friction.

  The mind-melting cataclysm of bliss had me writhing wildly. “Oh God. Oh God.”

  “Ack. Ack.” It sounded like someone was trying to hack up a hairball.

  My eyes popped open. “Bey?”

  The eight-legged freak was perched next to me. “This is not the time or place to engage in sex. The snake queen is still free.”

  “I know that. How’d you get here?”

  “The Askole transported him from one of their fighters,” Talree answered, kissing me like a starving man.

  “Ack. Ack.”

  “Give it a rest, Bey.”

  “I should not be subjected to your peculiar sexual appetites.”

  “Then you better stay out of the cavern.”

  Talree chuckled. “They’re still going at it?”

  “Is the pope Catholic?”

  Right on cue, Soulet screeched loudly.

  Bey�
�s fur stood on end. “What kind of alien creature makes that horrible noise?”

  “An Askole in heat.”

  “I do not understand,” Bey responded.

  “Go ahead and take a look.”

  Bey scurried into the cavern. Splat! Splat! Splat!

  “What the fuck?” Hank roared.

  I burst out laughing.

  Talree joined in.

  Soulet hissed furiously, “Release us.”

  “All humanoids will cease sex acts,” Bey rumbled in disgust.

  “You have no authority over us!” Hank bellowed.

  Splat! Splat! Splat!

  It got quiet. Too quiet.

  Exhaling a long breath, I asked, “You think he killed them?”

  “No, but they might be in danger of suffocating,” Talree answered.

  “Guess I’d better go check on them.” I wanted to cling to Talree, but duty called.

  Talree tightened his grip and kissed me hungrily.

  “Ack. Ack.”

  Yippee. Bey was back. I gave him the one-finger salute.

  A web ball splattered my boot. “Not funny.”

  “Uncle Bey,” Haki and Thor cried in unison.

  He had to wake the kids.

  “Hatchlings.” Bey ran his leg over them in greeting.

  Haki wiggled in excitement. “We go home?”

  “Soon, little ones,” Talree reassured them.

  Thor crowed proudly, “Daddy, me hatched.”

  Talree mentally stroked Thor’s head. “Yes, you did, and I’m very proud of the way you helped your mother.”

  “Me did good.”

  “Want go home,” Haki whined.

  I sighed. “We all do, Haki.”

  “Me wet,” Thor complained, squirming in my arms.

  “If you’re finished with the family reunion, it’s getting a little hard to breathe,” Hank groused.

  Sometimes families could be a real pain in the ass. Drawing my knife, I cut my boot free of the webbing and checked Thor’s diaper. The poor kid was soaking wet. “Bey, could you please free Hank and Soulet?”

  “Only if they stop poking each other.”

  “Bey,” Talree growled in warning.

  “I will release them immediately.” Bey skittered off.

  The second the pesky Tabor disappeared inside the cavern, I turned my attention to the love of my life. “I knew there was a reason I kept you around.”

  “Other than my ability to keep you in chocolate?” Talree’s firm lips closed over mine in a deep, drugging kiss.