Worlds Apart 4: Ryan's Hope

by Bonnie Rose Leigh

  Chapter Five

  Looking for a safe topic, one that would help her get to know this new mate of hers and one that would distract her from the sheer maleness of Ryan, she reached for one topic most men, in her experience, enjoyed talking about—their toys. And this ship was definitely one high-tech toy if she’d ever seen one. “Do you spend a lot of your time on board this ship?”

  Nodding, Ryan gave her hand a tentative squeeze. “I spend several months at a time on board, but with a new mate, well, that’s something we can work through if you need to be planet side. Though for safety reasons, I’d rather we stay onboard Retribution until we figure out what exactly the Black Rose has planned.”

  “That makes sense.” When she felt his surprise wash through her, she quirked her lips, as amused by his stunned expression as his honest surprise that she’d agree with him without argument. “Did you expect me to argue with you? Did you not miss the whole brain bleed episode on the planet’s surface? I hide in my lab for a reason. Too much emotion can kill me if I’m tired or stressed. Even with the shielding the lab is surrounded with, it doesn’t completely block others’ emotions. You’ve seen that for yourself—though I believe the dampening field in the lab was turned off prior to today’s attempt on our lives. Having a place away from the majority of others where I can work and live in relative isolation is my idea of heaven.”

  “Not too isolated though?” he asked, his voice turning husky as a wave of intense desire poured out of him and over her.

  How was she supposed to deal with her own overwhelming attraction for her new mate when she could feel his as well? She might as well just hop in the sack with him now at the rate she was going. Just walking next to him, smelling his musky male scent had her itching to explore his body, every centimeter. She wanted to lick him from head to toe, back to front, and every inch in between.

  She cleared her throat and tried to concentrate on answering his question. “No, not too isolated.” She could feel the blush spread across her face as she thought about what might happen with just the two of them on the ship, alone for hours and days on end.

  Looking at her mate from the corner of her eye, she allowed herself the freedom to enjoy the reactions he stirred in her. Though he wore his hair shorter than most Lionese men she’d seen, it did in no way detract from his overall beauty. Made up of different shades of brown, red and even darker blacks, his hair practically shimmered beneath the ship’s lighting. Ryan’s warm eyes were the exact same color as hers, one of the most obvious physical signs that you’ve met your perfect match, the True Mate of your soul. Ryan had a rugged beauty that drew her as no other before him. His sharp cheekbones and full lips made her itch to trace the contours of his face with her fingertips. Would his skin feel as good beneath her hands as she imagined?

  Beneath the scrub shirt he still wore, she could see the muscles in his chest flex and bunch with his every movement. As her gaze drifted lower, down over the ripped abdomen and flexing thighs, she couldn’t help but focus on the thick cock pressing against his pants. She could see the shape and size of him through the thin material of the pants and it made her womb spasm in need. Her heart sped up and her hands began to tremble as wanton need, hungry and savage tore through her. Her clit twitched, and her aching and empty pussy clenched in unadulterated desire, a need so pure she would surely combust if she didn’t do something about it.

  When Ryan’s nostrils flared and his heated gaze snapped to hers, she knew he could smell the slick cream spilling from her pussy. Liana could feel the blush steal across her cheeks and knew that even though he wasn’t Empath, he could sense her embarrassment because he suddenly pulled her to a stop, then cupped her cheek.

  You honor me, moya.

  For one moment, she stared blankly as his sincerity poured through their bond. He honestly felt honored that she was attracted to him, that his scent aroused her. Being an Omega Lionese female, she’d never felt worthy of any man’s attention. It was monumental that this hero to their people, one who’d gone into battle to rescue the Black Rose’s victims again and again, felt honored to be with her. In that moment, she knew it would take very little effort to fall completely and irrevocably in love with this man, and though she knew there were valid reasons why she should avoid an intimate relationship with him given her Empathic abilities, she couldn’t think of a single one. He was her mate, designed for her alone out of all the other woman in all the known universes. Who was she to turn away such a precious gift? Liana licked her lower lip in anticipation.

  Ryan groaned. “Hold that thought, little one. We’re almost at the meeting place so we’ll have to explore the heated looks you’re throwing at me after our meeting.” Though, how I’m going to keep my hands off you that long, I can’t imagine. You’ve blasted through whatever will to resist I may have had when your pussy starting spilling out such a luscious and beguiling scent. It’s mouthwatering, and my beast wants to wallow, to bathe himself in it.

  Liana’s entire body quivered in reaction to his words, to his emotions. She could feel his beast rubbing up against his human skin, anxious to touch and be touched. She could sense Ryan’s struggle to give her the space and time she’d need to come to terms with having a mate. She could feel his body’s demand that he claim her now, before something happened to tear them apart before ever experiencing the bonding of one mate to another. She could also feel his absolute conviction that she was his and that he would fight to the death to keep her and any children they may have safe from the Black Rose. He would never allow anyone to harm her. Ever. His loyalty to the Chantrean people, to the faceless victims waiting for rescue, had swung her way completely in the course of one afternoon, when he’d thought he’d lost her before ever getting to know her.

  “Then today, after the others leave, before we do one thing more for our people, let’s claim each other. I don’t want to wait, Ryan.”

  “Are you sure, moya? I can wait. There’s no hurry so long as we’re near. I can hold out until you’re comfortable with us, with the depth of our bond. I understand being Empathic complicates this for you.”

  Shaking her head, Liana reached up and cupped her mate’s cheek, felt the stubble of his beard’s shadow rasp against her palm. “That’s just it. Being Empathic is a help in this case, not a hindrance. I can feel exactly how you feel about me, what I mean to you, and my qualms are nothing in the face of what I’ll gain by joining my life with yours. I need you just as much as you need me, moyo.”

  When Ryan’s eyes actually glittered with heat and his heart sped up in response to her words, she knew she’d made the right decision. They were right for each other and she’d not lose her chance at having a mate of her own from fear of the unknown. She didn’t need the Manruvian Mate Bonds to know for sure they were destined mates, but she’d honor her new mate, their new people and their new goddess, by performing the ceremony as soon as she could arrange it. She supposed she should ask Ryan first before just going ahead and making plans for them—even if they were made only in her mind at this point. Swallowing down her nervousness, Liana looked into her mate’s eyes, felt warmed by the heated longing in his intense gaze. “Will you wear the Manruvian Mate Bonds and complete the mating ceremony with me if we can make the arrangements to do so while meeting the others?”

  After a brief flare of surprise, Ryan’s lips curved up into a wicked smile—one that made her think of sweaty, exhausting sex and wicked, sensuality leading to endless pleasure. “I’d be honored if you claimed me as your mate. We’ll arrange for the ceremony for as soon as possible. In the meantime,” he whispered, that wicked glint back in his golden brown eyes, “why don’t we seal our impending mating with a kiss?”

  Liana’s heart stuttered in her chest, then sprinted ahead. Gah! She couldn’t wait to taste his lips, to let his flavor mix with hers and seep into her system. As though reading her thoughts, Ryan slowly lowered his head as she lifted to her tippy toes. Their mouths met in the middle, merged, nipped and ret
reated, caressed and soothed, coming together gently, sweetly before the tenuous control they’d kept on their passion snapped.

  She didn’t know when she’d lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck, but suddenly, she fisted her hands in his hair, twisting the strands in her grasp as she tried to get closer. She wanted to sink into his very skin, merge completely with him as lips and tongues parried and twined, suckled and stroked, tasting and exploring. Liana groaned. She couldn’t help it. When Ryan’s hands slid down her back, gripped her ass and lifted, Liana wrapped her legs around his waist and sank into the kiss, plastering herself against Ryan’s chest. By the Goddess, she groaned.

  “You feel so good, baby,” he murmured. His lips trailed down the column of her neck, over her pulse point. When his cock met the notch of her pussy, they both moaned at the sensation. Grinding against the rigid length of his shaft, Liana rode her mate, needing to come like never before. With her fists still wrapped in his hair, she kissed him for all she was worth. Tongues dueled, mimicking the motions of their hips. They both gasped and moaned, their lungs labored, and sweat shimmered atop their skin as they both strove toward release.

  When Ryan moved one hand from her hip to the front of her scrubs and pressed against her clit, Liana finally shattered, her climax rolling over and through her in waves. Whether it was the sudden movement, her thrashing or the sounds of her release that triggered it, Ryan followed her over the edge, shuddering as he bathed the front of his pants and hers with come.

  “I can’t believe we just did that, in the middle of the corridor for Goddess’ sake,” Liana muttered, hiding her face against Ryan’s neck.

  His low, husky chuckle sent another wave of lust barreling through her body. Pushing away from his chest and too embarrassed to look her mate in the eye, she stared over his left shoulder. “You better put me down. We should be coming up on Glendor pretty soon, don’t you think?”

  “There’s no need for embarrassment, not between us. But you’re right. I imagine we’ll be approaching Manruvian Air Space very soon and should be at the Command Deck when that happens.”

  With great reluctance—she could feel just how much he regretted having to put her down—he allowed her body to slide down the length of his, pulling out another low moan from the both of them.

  “Next time we come, we’ll be naked, and somewhere where I can spend hours exploring your body,” he vowed.

  Liana didn’t doubt that for a minute. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. Before her thoughts could continue down that avenue, an alarm sounded throughout the ship. “What’s that?” she asked, though she had some small idea.

  “Our proximity alarm,” he confirmed. “Something—or someone—is coming up on us.” Gripping her hand in his, Ryan took off at a jog, pulling her behind him. “Contessa, what is the nature of the alarm?” he asked, his voice now grim and determined. Powerful. The Alpha Male protecting its mate and den as he prowled the length of his ship in search of an unseen enemy.

  Chapter Six

  As they jogged down the corridor, Ryan smiled, forcing back a chuckle. His come and hers had left its wet evidence on their clothes for all to see—the first step in the claiming, technically, as they were both similarly marked. Looking back, he didn’t feel any regret at all for having dry humped his mate in the hallway of his ship. Well, he did regret not being inside her when she came. Next time—he promised to himself—he would be.

  When Contessa’s synthesized voice sounded through the ship, Ryan once again focused on their current situation. “We’ve just reached Manruvian Air Space, Commander Morgan and both the Victory and Vengeance are approaching our orbiting position above Glendor.”

  “That’s excellent news. Thank you, Contessa. Turn off the proximity alarm, then send word to the other ships that we’ll be arriving directly at the Strategic Control Room within in the next quarter hour.”

  “Acknowledged. Working. Messages relayed to both the Victory and the Vengeance. The three princes and their mates will meet you at the Allied Base’s Strategic Control Center within the next quarter hour as per your request.”

  By the time they reached the Command Deck from where they’d be able to transport directly to the moon below, Liana had her embarrassment under control…mostly. “Where can I change my clothes? I packed an extra set of scrubs and I think now might be the right time to change. I don’t think either one of us wants to meet the three princes wearing come-soaked clothing,” she added, her lips quirked up in a mischievous smile.

  Ryan chuckled, squeezed the hand he still held from their mad dash down the hallways. “You do have a point there. I keep a wardrobe of clothes on board, but until we can arrange for some clothing for you, the scrubs you brought along will have to do, unfortunately.”

  Liana nodded but he could tell her thoughts weren’t on her attire. He wasn’t sure exactly how he knew that, but he was suddenly sure her thoughts were on the upcoming meeting and not something as trivial as her wardrobe. Perhaps the mental bond between them was stronger, he mused, because of his mate’s Empathic abilities.

  As far as he understood it, the mate bond usually allowed the couple to know each other’s general feelings—whether they were happy and sad—and could help locate a mate over long distances. The bond also established a telepathic connection between the pair. Yet no one had mentioned being able to read their mate’s mind because of the bond. When he had more time, they’d have to explore the possibilities, but that time wasn’t now. They had a meeting to attend. Everything will be fine, moya, beloved. I’ll guard you with my life and so would everyone we’re about to meet down below.

  Liana raised her fear-filled gaze. Are you sure?

  Absolutely positive, baby. He watched as Liana’s forehead puckered in thought, then lost himself in a storm of heat as his mate began undressing. He needed to readjust himself in his trows, but he doubted she’d miss such an obvious move.

  Within minutes, he and Liana had changed their clothes. They were ready to transport to the surface, and thence to the underground bunker that the Chantreans and Manruvians trained in. It was now used as a jump off point while searching for the Black Rose and her rebel bases. After giving his mate a comforting squeeze, he called out to the ship’s computer.

  “Are you ready?” he asked, wanting Liana to be comfortable. If she needed more time, well she could have it. She’d almost died today and the others would have to understand.

  Though he could feel her nervousness, Liana nodded. “I’m ready.”

  “Contessa, transport us to the Allied Base. The Strategic Control Center, please.”

  “As you command. Working…”

  By the time they entered the conference room in the Allied Base, the others were already there and waiting for them. If he hadn’t spent the last five years working loosely with these three princes—Hunter Shi’Lan, the crown prince of Chantrea, Prince Taliff Shi’Lan and High Prince Mikel of Manruvia—he might have been embarrassed at keeping them waiting. Instead, he wanted to get all the facts laid out calmly and efficiently, so they could put some sort of protection plan in place on his mate. He would not lose her, not now that he’d finally found her.

  With his palm pressed against Liana’s lower back, he guided her into the Officer’s Lounge—what passed for a conference room when organizing rescue missions—where the three princes and their mates were waiting. He could hear them talking and laughing in the background. What he wouldn’t give to be able to be sharing laughter with his mate right now. He could feel the nervous tension running through her body, trembling slightly against his palm, and he wanted to wrap his arms around her to offer her what comfort he could. At least she hadn’t shrugged off his touch. It wasn’t enough to soothe his beast completely, but it went a long way to keeping it calm when so many males were near his female, when danger surrounded her and he’d yet to claim her, mark her as his. Perhaps once the mating ritual was complete he’d be able to bear a bit of separation from her, but looking
down into her worried gaze, he didn’t see that happening anytime soon.

  As he quickly scanned the room, he tried to picture it as though seeing it for the first time. At least as head scientist researching the fertility problems facing their people, Liana had become friends with Amy, Ryan’s sister, and knew Eve because she was Liana’s original pride leader when she was kidnapped from Earth. Also, as they were raised on Earth like she was, Amy and Eve probably felt like home. Only Mikel and Maryann would perhaps be strangers to her, and he wasn’t even sure of that. Until Hunter had arrived in the Landing Pad, he had no idea that either his sister or her mate knew Liana, not until Hunter cried out her name in a gasp.

  “Good evening everyone.” Hugging his mate to his side, Ryan led her to one of the love seats and pulled her down next to him. Rather than crowd around the conference table in one corner of the lounge, Ryan had purposely chosen to sit in the oversized furniture at the other end of the room, something the women could lounge in. The topic they were here to discuss would be stressful enough on them—and on himself—that sitting in uncomfortable chairs to discuss it was unnecessary. “I think most of you know my mate, Liana Peterson.”

  “She’s the head scientist in charge of discovering the cure to our fertility problems on Chantrea,” Amy clarified because Mikel obviously knew nothing about her. His face had showed no signs of recognition, not even when Ryan had told them her name.

  Even Eve shook her head. “Before leaving Earth, Liana was considered by most of the world as a prodigy. A genius who’d graduated college with a doctorate before her twelfth birthday. Taliff couldn’t have chosen better for what our planet’s needed most when he took her off world and brought her out here,” Eve admitted.