by T. S. Ryder
Tom bit back a curse, struggling to release himself from the confines of his pack. More footsteps echoed towards them.
His heart nearly stopped when Sara stepped out from her protected hiding spot and held her hands in the air. "I am Lieutenant Sara O'Neill of the UCS, identify yourselves at once."
"O'Neill?" A familiar voice said. "Well, well. I thought that T'shav would have spaced you by now."
Flanard. Tom cursed. How had he gotten here? Did I miss a second tracker?
"Colonel." Sara's hands dropped. "Am I glad to see you!"
"Lieutenant, you shouldn’t be. After you told me about what your lover's mission was, I contacted the Ruziers Corporation. They transferred his retainer to me once they found out that he was really the son of the warlord Zon."
Sara stepped back. Her gaze flickered to Tom, eyes wide.
"It's a shame I have to kill you. I took a look at your record. You're a good soldier. But then, you wouldn’t have stayed one, anyway. You'd be ejected from the Corps, whether for helping a dangerous criminal or—"
Tom dropped his pack and jumped into the corridor, firing rapidly at the colonel and his men as he shielded Sara with his body. She fired from under his arm, a hand on his hip as she guided him towards the shelter again.
Gunfire answered back as the USC dove for cover. Tom continued to fire, aiming at any scrap of person that he saw poking out from between the pods. He didn't dare think about the casualties of this firefight; the humans in the pods now taking blasts. The two hid behind the nearest pod, Sara crouching at his feet.
"Give up," the colonel shouted. "You don't have a chance!"
"We'll see."
Sara spun around, a hand going to her face. Tom saw her plunge her fingers into her eye socket from the corner of his eye. Something small and round spun down the corridor. Sara grabbed him, pulling him back. Her hands clapped over his ears, and out of instinct he did the same for her. A flash of light, a high-pitched grating sound, and everything was still.
"Your eyes are grenades?" Tom asked, heart hammering, as he stared at the human.
Sara shrugged. One eyelid dropped over the empty socket, but she grinned. "Why have bionic eyes if you can't use them to sneak explosives around? Just stun grenades, though. I'll get them tied up and put somewhere secure while you finish the anchors."
Tom almost kissed her. But he knew a single kiss wouldn't be enough, and there wasn't time for anything else. Besides, they had to talk first. He encountered patrols twice more, but they were easily dispatched. After he settled the anchors, he returned to his ship. His mate was already waiting for him.
"So how do we get out of here without the colonel's ship blowing us up?" Sara asked, taking the co-pilot's chair as he sat in the pilot's chair.
"Easy." Tom smiled at her as he hailed the USC ship hanging in space next to them. "Greetings, soldiers of the United Species. My name is Tom, and I am the son of Zon, warlord protector of the Rouge Systems. My sensors are telling me that your ship is powering its weapons. I advise against that. Half my father's fleet is on its way. They should be here in a few minutes. I'm sure my father would love to show you what happens to people who threaten his son."
The colonel's ship was gone in two seconds. As expected, they weren't about to mess with Zon's family. Tom nodded in satisfaction, activating the anchors on the cargo ship. The net activated. There were no interruptions in power, so it would hold. He set the course, and they were off.
"So… you really were trying to help these humans," Sara said. She wrapped her arms around her middle. "And you really are Zon's agent. His son."
"I am. I don't blame you for not trusting me, though. I should have—"
Sara shook her head. She pressed her fingers to his lips, silencing him. "There's time enough for that later. Right now I have something you need to know."
Tom's brow furrowed but he nodded.
"I'm pregnant. And it's your baby. I understand if you don't want to—"
Tom held up his hand. His breathing was shallow, eyes wide with wonder. "You're pregnant?"
Sara bit her lip and nodded. "I shouldn't have kept it a secret."
"There's time enough for that later," Tom whispered, echoing her words. He threaded his hands into her hair and kissed her. "Time and more than enough time."
Sara moaned and threw her arms around him, bringing herself to him like a woman possessed. Tom was only too happy to let her carry him away.
She all but threw him against the wall, catching his mouth in hers, her hands pressing against his shoulders, pinning him into place. His arms circled her hips, his hands cupping the soft but firm roundness of her rear end. When she slipped a leg between his, grinding against him, he let out a moan.
"You're mine," she whispered, breaking from his mouth to pepper kisses along his jaw and neck. Her actions had a strong, immediate effect on him. Muscles began trembling with desire, his stomach tightening.
Her hands drifted down his body, fumbling with the clasps on his clothing. Tom was more than happy to help her, and soon his clothing was in a heap on the floor. Her clothes quickly followed. A purple flush rose in his lover's cheeks as she stepped back and took a good look at him.
"Stupid Flanard. It's all his fault I didn't get any of this while you were in the height of musth."
Tom gripped her hips, walking her back towards the table. "You'll have another chance next year."
A grin nearly split Sara’s face. "And the year after that."
He made to lay her on the table but she shook her head and turned swiftly so she was pressing him against it. "You're the big strong T'shav warrior and most time I'll be fine with giving you total control. But tonight you are mine, understood?"
Tom rose a brow. He never gave up control. Not for anybody. But as Sara encouraged him to sit on the table, a coy smile lighting her face, he realized that breaking rules had its own rewards. He perched on the edge of the table.
"You are beautiful," she whispered, kneeling between his legs.
Her touch was light as she ran a hand up his thigh before taking him into her mouth. Tom fought for control as powerful waves of pleasure coursed through him. His head fell back and he let out a throaty groan. A giggle from Sara did interesting things to him and he fought the urge to add his own movements. Instead he rested his hand on her head, weaving his fingers through her hair as he felt her rhythm.
A groan had him looking back down at her. She had a hand between her legs. He found himself wishing that it was her on the table and him kneeling before her, able to give her this wonderful pleasure.
"Sara," he moaned, feeling his pupils expand as he gazed down at the curve of her spine leading to the twin globes of her perfectly squeezable ass. He trembled on the edge and gripped Sara's shoulder, pushing her away.
Luckily she knew what he meant and quickly stood, pushing him further onto the table and climbing over him. The firmness of her knees squeezed his hips as she straddled him. That coy, teasing smile was back as she pressed a kiss to his mouth before allowing him to enter her.
Her warmth and tightness nearly undid him, but he bit his lip and braced himself against the table. Sara set the rhythm, the heat building between them all the faster from the weeks they spent longing for one another but refusing to give into their desires.
Tom gazed at his lover, his Starmate, the mother of his unborn child. He loved the way her shoulders shuddered, the way she let her head fall back and arched her back, pressing her breasts upwards like an offering. They were too delicious to resist, and Tom bent over her, kissing first one, then the other. He was rewarded by another moan.
He was so close he wasn't sure how much longer he was going to last but he grunted and held back. He would see his beautiful human find release first. Thank the stars, she was as close as him. Within moments she threw her head back, letting out an almighty scream. Her body sagged against his. He caught her and held her close as he released his own desperate control.
Strength fle
d and he collapsed back, the table creaking dangerously. Sara's warm body lay over his. He stroked her hair as they both panted. Eventually they swapped a few kisses before Sara rolled off him. Her arm rested on her stomach as she smiled blissfully at the ceiling.
"How can it get better than that?" she wondered aloud.
"I don't know. But I'm looking forward to seeing if it can."
With a sigh she rolled closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her. He smiled. It was good to know that he had found his Starmate. And that she had found him.
Epilogue: Sara
Colonel Flanard's testimony against her was considered highly tainted, and so to Sara's surprise, she was not evicted from the Corps. The United Species were eager to prove that they would treat humans with dignity and respect. As such, within a few months after the incident, she was assigned to be an ambassador between the United Species and Zon's fleet. The months passed quickly, with Sara adjusting to her new role and the new relationship she had with Tom. Starmates.
Sara glared at her traitorous swollen ankles, her hands resting on her belly. "I don't understand why my feet have to look like pumpkins."
Chuckling, Tom sat beside her. "Would you like me to rub them?"
"Not right now. Thanks, though." Sara sighed, leaning against him.
What started off as a tentative situation so they could get to know each other better had quickly become them living together, and now there was no question that they were mates. That was the way T'shav did things. They took mates, they didn't marry, although Tom assured her that they could if that was important to her. Sara had never really thought much about marriage, and so she was happy to stick with T'shav traditions.
"The last batch of humans were woken today," Tom told her. "They're doing well. Total count, five hundred and seventy-two humans. They've already started to put together a good infrastructure together."
"Good. I'm sure it's terrifying for them, but starting over… that's human spirit. Do any of them remember anything about being abducted?"
Tom shook his head. "I'll bring the reports for you to take a look at. They were all taken in a period of time between 2000 and 2100, though. So you and my mother were among the first to be taken from Earth."
"Speaking of your mother, she'll be coming back soon, won't she?"
"Probably." He brushed her hair from her face, gazing tenderly into her eyes. "Are you feeling full? I can call her and tell her to bring the baby right away."
Sara shook her head. It hadn't even been a standard month since she had given birth to a healthy, robust baby boy. She and Tom had named him Alex Tang. Alex after her father, Tang after Tom's best friend growing up, who died when he was a teenager. Alex was the spitting image of his father, except for one thing. Rather than the black eyes that all T'shav had, Alex had blue eyes, the color Sara's had been before her accident.
The door to their room opened. In strode Tom's parents. His mother, Lisa, beamed at Sara. His father, the huge, intimidating warlord, Zon, carried the tiny bundle of blankets that held his grandson.
"We're heading down to the sanctuary," Zon said, handing the baby to Sara. "Are there any messages you would like to give the humans you helped save?"
Sara shook her head. "Not right now. Thank you, though."
Zon nodded as he and Lisa put their arms around each other. Tom was right when he said that they were deliriously happy. If Sara didn't know better, she would have said that they had just met each other, and were in the earliest stages of falling in love. She had never known two people who adored one another as much as these two did.
"If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask," Lisa said, smiling at her. "And if my son isn't helping you enough—"
"Mom, please." Tom shook his head, and Sara laughed.
"He's helping me just fine. Thank you."
The warlord and his lady both nodded and left the room again. Sara settled back with a sigh, gazing at the tiny baby in her arms. It was a little frightening how small he was, but he had more than enough people around him to protect him from anything life threw his way.
And he had parents who loved each other.
"Have I told you lately how amazing you are?" she asked her mate, smiling up at him.
"Yes… but what am I amazing for now? Last time I believe it was because I put jam on your toast for you."
"Well, it was amazing toast."
Tom rolled his eyes, earning him a laugh. Sara adjusted the baby, shifting her legs into a more comfortable position.
"You are amazing because even after I assumed the worst of you, you forgave me and still want me as your Starmate."
Tom brushed a kiss on her lips. "You're amazing for the same thing, then."
Sara nestled herself against him, sighing in contentment. For the first time in far too long, she felt safe. The man she loved also loved her. She had a strong, healthy baby. It was no longer her against the galaxy, no longer hiding herself from those closest to her. And knowing that she would never have to hide again was the most wonderful feeling that she could have possibly imagined.
*****
THE END
Bought by the Barbarian
Description
His broadsword is his only love. Until he sees her curves.
T’Shav mercenary Ronan doesn’t want love. He wants a woman to take care of his ‘condition’, meaning raging hormones. And the bridal service is going to get him one. So where is the sweet, submissive wife he ordered?
Paramedic Erica Chase is bored to death on her spaceship. Until she and her cousin Bethy are sold to a bridal service. There’s no way she’s going to submit to her new owner. But why does he have to be so mouthwateringly hot?
What’s a gal to do? Just devour the sexy alien? Hell no. He says he’s not touching her until she’s on her knees begging for it. He must be joking.
But Erica needs the hunky alien to find back Bethy. And Ronan has his own mission to complete. Space is a crowded place with enemies at every corner. It’s a good thing Ronan enjoys a bloody fight.
Stuck on the same spaceship, Ronan knows one thing for sure. Anybody who thinks they can lay a finger on his mate and his unborn child will find another thing coming.
What Ronan wants, Ronan gets.
Chapter One: Erica
The medical bay of the USC Battleship Sidhe was probably the most impressive one in the United Species fleet. It was full of the most up-to-date medical equipment, including DNA scanners that could tell a person what diseases they were genetically predisposed to in under a minute. It was also connected with real-time updates on scientific breakthroughs on various species: Dibat, Aphrosian, Suesue and many more.
Erica Chase could remember vividly how she had felt the first time she came aboard the ship. She had been in medical school back on Earth before waking up one day to find she had been abducted and kept in a stasis chamber for hundreds of thousands of years. Almost everything she had known was ancient history. Even now, if she stopped to think about it, she was overwhelmed, feeling like she could easily have a mental breakdown. So she simply didn’t think about it, focusing on her job as a paramedic relief aid worker.
Erica stood at attention, waiting for the chief medical officer, a green-skinned, winged Odap, to address the gathered paramedics. The translator chip implanted behind her left ear was buzzing. She'd have to get someone take a look at it soon.
"Teniscore can be a dangerous world," the CMO said, glaring at the volunteers. "It’s been hit by a small asteroid, causing extensive worldwide damage, and as such it's the responsibility of the United Species Corps to step in and help the residents out. But the denizens of Teniscore are mainly T'Shav mercenaries, so you need to keep your wits about you. Especially the females among you. Understood?"
Erica nodded, though she had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. T'Shav were thought of nothing more than mercenaries across the galaxy. The males were considered especially dangerous because of their musth, a horm
onal fluctuation that made them more prone to violence, but that also produced pheromones that made any woman exposed to them go crazy with sexual lust.
But Erica had met several T'Shav, and they were perfect gentlemen towards her. In fact, she had been rescued from a medical corporation that wanted to perform experiments on her by the T'Shav warlord Zon and given a place in his human sanctuary, until she decided to explore the galaxy.
"Some of you might not take me seriously," the CMO continued, flapping his wings so he lifted a few inches from the ground. "But for your own good, you must not stray from the Corps officer assigned to your group. Do not leave the regulated safety zones. The USC cannot protect you if you don't follow the rules."
Beside her, her cousin Bethy shifted, snickering under her breath. She brushed a strand of impossibly fine hair from her face. It was always falling out of the bun that United Species Paramedics were meant to keep their hair in. Erica's own brown bun was still tightly in place. But then, it had always been thick and coarse.
"The way he's going on you think that these uniforms were negligees," Bethy muttered.
Erica snorted loudly, which caused a few of the others to give her dirty looks. The uniforms were shapeless things, designed for comfort and maneuverability rather than looks. Erica had needed a size larger than what was commissioned to accommodate her extra-sized curves. She wore it as baggy as possible, but sometimes she still thought that she might as well walk around naked. Back on Earth, she had been self-conscious about her size. Everything about her was curvy, from breast to butt to thighs to stomach.
Out here, though, curves on women were highly sought after. Not like on Earth where the ideal seemed to be big boobs, big butt, stick-thin everywhere else. In this new world she found herself in, they wanted curves everywhere. Flat stomachs were unattractive. 'Thigh gaps' were a cause for medical concern. When she first mentioned wanting to lose weight to her doctor, the Dibat had been horrified at Erica wanting to 'starve' herself.
