Tann: Delti Utopia 6 (A Sci-Fi Alien Weredragon Romance)

by Celeste Raye

  "So have I. We had a deal. I kept my end of it, but maybe you didn't. Did you send the pirates who attacked us?"

  "Have ya gone crazy in the head? Why would I steal my own cargo or waste money on hired men and another ship? You got a head injury, boy?" Torbin truly appeared confused.

  "Don't call me boy again unless you want to fight me one on one. Let her sit down, NOW!" he roared.

  Torbin motioned that it was okay to allow Mariana to sit on the dock locks, which had flat surfaces and stood at the same height as a chair.

  "What's ruffled your tail feathers?" Torbin asked. "I didn't shoot at ya. I gave ya the benefit of the doubt. Then, ya go accusing me of attacking my own ship and I didn't kill ya. Ya best start explainin'."

  "Think about it. Why would anyone attack this pile of crap? Who would imagine it held anything worth fighting over? It had already dropped its cargo, making it even less desirable. You want an explanation? Come aboard, alone. Tika, come on out!" he called, and she obeyed. "See, you've got leverage against me. I won't harm you at all. We have to talk, then you'll owe me more than one drink."

  "Alright, I'll trust ya. Just remember, I'm armed, and I won't hesitate to kill ya or to order the deaths of your ladies."

  "Fair enough," Tann agreed.

  The odd pair went inside the broken down spaceship, leaving Tika with her arms around Mariana.

  "What was it ya didn't care to say in front of the crew?" Torbin asked as they reached the first room filled with gold bars. The sight of his precious cargo took away his anger.

  "The ship that attacked us was new. It was huge and sported weapons all over its hull. The men aboard claimed to be pirates, but they didn't have the seasoned know-how of our kind. In hand to hand combat, they were useless. They depended on their weapons."

  "Okay, so some rich man wanted to play at being a pirate. I've seen it before."

  "That wasn't it," Tann argued. "The commander called himself Bull. His face was scarred and he had a big ring in his nose. I assume it was to match his name. Have you ever heard of him?"

  "We crossed paths once or twice," Torbin admitted. "He's for hire. He don't have a loyal crew. He takes on whatever crew he's handed."

  "The first thing he asked about was the gold. How did he know about it? Do you think the traders sent him to get it back?"

  "No." Torbin's voice held no doubt. "They wanted it off their hands too much. Gold bars stolen off a foreign planet would bring trouble they ain't ready to handle."

  "Then, how did he know there was gold on our ship. You certainly wouldn't broadcast it," Tann replied.

  "I got a leak among my men, don't I? It ain't you, or the gold would be long gone. Did Bull tell ya who it was?" Torbin sounded defeated. For one of his men to betray him, it meant he wasn't in control and they'd stopped fearing him.

  "I didn't get to ask him. It was a life or death struggle, and I won. The ugly, bullheaded man's dead: incinerated. He lost a lot of his crew and I sent the others back with a message not to mess with you or they'd receive the same consequences as Bull."

  "We'll never know who betrayed me, then."

  "I already do," Tann shocked him by saying.

  "How? Who was it?"

  "I have friends that watch out for us, Torbin. One of your men was seen behind the big casino accepting gold and drugs as payment for information. It was the information that cost you the raid on the space station."

  "Who told ya?" Torbin asked.

  "What difference does it make? I don't rat out my informants," Tann answered.

  "I need to know if they're trustworthy or lyin' for spite. I won't kill one of my men unless the information is reliable."

  "My source is reliable, I swear. You'll probably find proof in his personal belongings: drugs most likely. The kind that should have been at the space station. You do realize who he was working for, don't you?" Tann had a feeling Torbin was smart enough to have an idea of who the culprit was.

  "It's the big man, ain't it? He's usin' all of us. He knows I got a big stash of gold now and he'll be comin' for me."

  "Not if we send him on a wild goose chase. We'll toss your betrayer some important information, let him give it to the big boss, then move the gold somewhere he'll never imagine it could be. His men will chase the wrong ship, one owned by the authorities maybe, and they'll all go to prison. They won't turn in the big man, but he'll be chastised enough to let you keep your precious gold. Best of all, he'll kill your man, and you won't have to upset your crew."

  "That's a devious mind ya got there, Tann. Where did ya get it, mother or father?"

  "Both," he replied.

  Torbin choked on his laughter until he remembered, "Who's the traitor? Ya ain't never said."

  "Corsair."

  Torbin's face fell. "I treated that boy like the son I never had and he done stabbed me in the back. Ya can't trust nobody. He ain't nothin' but a pile of shit. The big man's goin' to have to wait in line for a piece of him. I'll tear the fool to pieces with my bare hands if it's really him. I guess I'll know soon enough. I'll be takin' a peek in that bag he carries all the time. How soon ya think one of the lawman ships will be passin' this way? I got a target painted on my back until we finish your plan."

  "I'll see what I can find out. It should take some time for him to reorganize. His pirate captain is dead, and so are a bunch of the crew. He has to find replacements that are trustworthy. I think we have a small window of opportunity. Let's get your gold counted and moved to a safer place. I need that whiskey, and I want to discuss Mariana and Tika's freedom."

  "I don't know what your thinkin', but they ain't gettin' free. They're my meal ticket for the moment, and Mariana gets me up to the tables in the casino where I can spy on the big man. He must have wanted to wring my neck the whole time he was watchin' tonight. I wondered why he didn't take a circuit off the floor, as usual."

  Tann had a dangerous admission he would soon have to make. In order to get law enforcement to cooperate, he'd have to call in some favors. For the plan to work and get freedom for Mariana and Tika, he'd be forced to make a deal with the devil, namely Torbin. That meant revealing his true identity to the pirate. The only way everyone was getting out of this mess untarnished was for him to risk it all. The space force would take down pirates, just not Torbin's band. Torbin could take his gold and retire. The girls would be free and he'd still have a job; hopefully with Mariana by his side. If everything went as planned, life would be sweet; if not, no one would be alive to care.

  Tann and Torbin came off the ship acting like long lost friends. Tann noted the surprise in the pirate crew who had remained on the way station, but the ones that had been onboard with him accepted it happily. They'd grown to trust him and thought of his intelligence and quick thinking as an asset to piracy. He'd won them over during the battle.

  Tika was none the worse for her adventure. She'd risen to the occasion quite well. It was Mariana he worried about. She was different, not just in looks. There was something in her eyes denoting a power she'd never had before. Wherever she'd been that night, which he figured to be the big casino, she'd learned something about herself and felt good about it. He was afraid she'd still choose piracy over him. They needed to have a serious conversation: one he dreaded. Torbin wasn't the only one he'd need to make a confession to. She was rocking back and forth on her improvised seat, obviously hurting. The scraped knees should be washed and bandaged. Her ankles had to be wrapped and iced to take down the swelling, especially if Torbin expected her back in the casino tomorrow. Some pain meds might help, and he wanted some time alone with her as well. He needed to reassure himself of their connection.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Mariana

  With a knowing smirk on his face, Torbin gave the order for Tann to carry her to her cabin inside the pirate's ship. The rooms he occasionally rented above one of the bars didn't make him feel secure under the circumstances. The ship was easier to lock up and defend.

  "Just put her d
own in her room and Mick will take care of the injuries. Ya wanted drinks for the crew ya used, and I'm buyin'. It's a special occasion. I'll be gone most of the night, watchin' over the movin' of my treasure, so I expect ya to come back and watch over the girls," Torbin stated with an uncharacteristic wink.

  So, he really had figured out her relationship with Tann and was fine with it. She guessed as long as she did the job he expected of her the rest was her own business. She wondered if Tann was the reason Torbin had warned her about the high roller's intentions. He must have some sort of respect for Tann or he'd never put up with the Naga's insubordination.

  Tann's arms were warm and being near him gave her comfort but aroused her as well. She was so glad he was safe, and their connection was intact. She knew he sensed the difference in her even if she didn't understand it herself. The night in the casino had changed her, for better or worse. He hadn't mentioned her appearance at all. Did he hate it or find it appealing? He'd managed to block her from knowing what he thought, and he wasn't too chatty as he carried her.

  "Which cabin's yours?" was all he said. Mariana pointed to the third one on the left. Tann raised his eyebrow in question because that particular cabin had been reserved for Torbin's second in command. It was larger than the others on this level and held a wider bed, though not nearly as large as the captain's.

  "He said I needed room for the dresses and shoes, as well as for Lolita to come and do my face every day. He won't let me stay at the bar. That's where the man who usually has this cabin is staying." Mariana knew she was chattering too much in order to fill the silence. She couldn't help herself. Tann made her nervous, and besides, she didn't want him to think she was in this room for the convenience of Torbin.

  He didn't reply to her rambling explanation. He simply sat her down, kissed the top of her head, and moved aside for Mick: the closest thing to a medic Torbin employed. "See you soon," he said and left.

  Mick washed the blood and dirt from her knees, then poured whiskey over the scrapes as a disinfectant. She hissed through her teeth due to the burning it caused. A smelly salve came next. She decided the stench was worth it when the pain was eradicated. Her ankles were tightly wrapped, and he presented her with two flat, limp, plastic packages. "Break the hard shaft in the middle when you're ready. They get really cold. Keep them on the ankles as long as you can stand it for the swelling. I'll bring more in the morning."

  She was struggling to get out of her dress when Tika arrived. "Let me help," she demanded. "We'll wash that gunk off your face too. I don't like it. You kind of look like the strippers."

  "Thanks a lot for making me feel worse. Did Tann say that too?"

  "He didn't say anything. It's a miracle he's still standing. I don't think he's slept more than an hour or two since we left here. He couldn't tell if the whole thing was a setup or not. Then, we were attacked. It was so crazy!" Tika told her. "I hid in an escape pod. I could've been lost out in space. Can you believe it? Tann said he'd find me. Did you get a bunch of gold coins from the gamblers? I wish I had the chance to pick some pockets. I want some money of my own. Have you seen Drake or York? I wonder what happened to them? Did they get work, or end up out there with the derelicts? I hope they're okay. I sort of had a crush on Drake. Imagine that combination: a water boy and a weredragon."

  Tika continued to talk as she scrubbed away at the offensive makeup and placed the cold compresses over Mariana's ankles. The pain meds were kicking in, and Mariana's eyes were drooping. She snuggled down, wearing a soft flannel shirt that fell well below her knees. Her last thought before sleep claimed her was that the shirt would fit Tann perfectly.

  The dream was so wonderful, Mariana hoped she could stay in it forever. Big, rough hands caressed her legs. The iciness that had permeated her body was replaced with warmth. As the hands rose above her knees, she became restless. A need for something more made her squirm in anticipation.

  A kiss on her lips and a hand between her legs told her it wasn't a dream at all. She tensed for an instant, then awareness of a matching heartbeat let her know it was Tann. She held still, allowing him to play unhindered. His fingers on her private places felt so good.

  "I know you're awake, baby. I feel your pulse fluttering faster. Turn on your back. I want to see your face and prove it's really you. The black hair is a bit creepy without your pretty blue eyes," his deep voice rumbled.

  She rolled off her side onto her back, letting her legs part. His white teeth flashed in the dark room, so she knew he was smiling, pleased that she'd given him better access and shown her face.

  "What time is it?" she moaned as her center dampened due to his touch.

  "It's late, two or three in the morning. Does it matter? Do you want me to stop so you can sleep?"

  "Don't you dare! You already blew me off for Torbin, your new buddy," she teased.

  "I'll have to make up for that, won't I? You've got some work to do, too. You have to prove that the black haired, golden-skinned stranger I saw earlier is my sweet Mariana," Tann replied.

  Mariana's skin was suffused with heat, and her special scent reached his nostrils. The perfume she'd practically bathed in for her adventure to the casino couldn't come close to masking that sweet, sensuous odor. "Ah, there's my sweet baby. You can't hide from me. I'll always know you. You're my baby, my love. Let yourself go, Mariana. I need to hear you call my name."

  "You claim to be the beast, Tann, but you make me one. I can feel it rising within me, desperate for release," Mariana proclaimed.

  Plunging his fingers deeper, he answered, "I want to hear it and see it. Let it escape. Never lock it away from me."

  His lips met hers, and his thumb stroked the small button that sent her into a frenzy. She bucked upward and cried out in his name, where his mouth inhaled it as she lost control.

  "Shh," he soothed. "Relax and let it flow. I wish to make this happen over and over, all night long. By morning, there will be no doubt to whom you belong. I intend to make you crave only me. Men who draw near you will feel my possession. It will keep you safe and untouched by others. Do you want this, my love?"

  His words were like a drug, infusing her body and soul with sweet, intoxicating joy. She should tell him that she was already marked as his possession and that she craved only his touch. Yet, she remained silent, not wanting him to stop his single-minded plan. Her hands took on a life of their own, roaming his hard body, and reveling in the idea that all of it was promised to belong to her.

  During her roaming, she discovered scars and cataloged each one to ask about later. His muscles were strained from holding himself up so he didn't crush her. She moved on down and groaned as she found his bare bottom. He'd come to her unclothed: a delightful discovery.

  Remembering how he'd asked permission to touch her the first time they'd been together, she decided to honor him in the same manner. "May I touch your manhood and give your beast relief as you did mine?"

  "You and only you may do so," he replied. "Just as you're destined to be marked as mine, I am destined to be yours. Touch me, baby."

  She wrapped her small hand around his engorged manhood, feeling it throb with desire. It held such strong life within it, as if it was a separate entity: hardness, covered in thin silk that could give so much pleasure. She gently squeezed and moved her hand from its base to its tip. Tann shuddered and moaned. At the tip, she found a single drop of moisture. Curiosity had her spreading it over the slit.

  "Oh, baby. You know how to make me tremble," Tann encouraged her.

  She did, indeed. Their connection was growing, and she heard his unspoken command to move faster. She complied. He spilled the beast's moisture over her belly and shouted her name. His manhood remained hard.

  Tann searched out and found the cloth that had been used to wash away her makeup. He cleaned her body with it while teasing her senses. He gave special attention to her distended nipples beneath the soft flannel, using the friction of the cloth to drive her mad.

  Mariana
couldn't stand it. Her chest was heaving with every breath she took, making her breasts come alive. She needed them to be touched, squeezed, and caressed. Tann was too slow in providing what she desired. She did it herself, kneading the plump flesh as he watched. He liked it. She heard his heartbeat speed up and his breath catch.

  "You're so beautiful, Mariana. How did I manage to find you in this universe? Many spend a lifetime and never find a match, yet here you are. You don't know who I am or where I come from and still you freely give yourself to me. I am honored and overjoyed."

  He moved her hands and replaced them with his lips. He suckled, leaving puckered marks as a brand.

  "Would you like to take control?" he offered.

  "How?" she asked excitedly.

  "Let me guide you," he answered. His huge, strong hands grasped her hips. He flipped onto his back, bringing Mariana with him. Now, she was draped over his body. Her head had landed in her favorite place, over the dragon tattoo and his heart. Unable to resist, she bit his nipple. He laughed and called her a wildcat.

  The hard staff under her belly shook as he laughed, reminding her he had promised to give her control. She pushed on his chest, getting into a sitting position, her legs spanning his hips. "Show me," she commanded.

  "You're halfway there already," he explained. "Rise up, put my staff inside you, and ride me."

  Her lovely blue eyes widened, and the black hair swung into his face as she pushed her lower body up. He aided in the awkward first try by grasping himself and holding it steady as she impaled herself. Her gasp was followed by a sigh of contentment. He was embedded to the hilt, and he knew she loved it.

  "We couldn't be any closer," she stated. "You are mine." Mariana felt her power rise to the surface. Tann gave her strength she hadn't possessed. Though Torbin claimed to own her as did the alien, Tann's possession set her free. What was inside her, no one could own. She began to move, her blue eyes locked with his gray ones. They hardened with resolve and power. The tension built, rising from her core. It encircled her heart, filled her lungs, and burst from her mouth. With her arms upraised in triumph, she went over the top, soaking Tann in her love. He returned the favor by filling her center with his seed.