by Rena Marks
“Will you be okay?” Violet asked.
“I will recover. Until then, do not accept any challenge, and stay with Talpin and the other warriors.”
“They watch me pee!”
Four little words with a huge meaning. He would have laughed if she didn’t appear so uncomfortable.
“The Leanthrils have our steel bracelets, my love. They can transport to the planet which is where you must stay. The Ambassador Elders will have need of your council, and you, theirs. Tell them everything you can of Earth, strong points, failings.”
“I can face the Earth leaders. After all, they take enough of my money when they need support in campaigns. That may be a reason unto itself why they want me back. If Joshua has convinced them that me and my contributions are gone unless I’m returned, it might be a sticky situation.”
Cadoc stumbled, his exhaustion was catching up to him. Violet cried out and he tried to soothe her fears.
“I’m tired, Violet, nothing more.”
“You need to rest.”
She sounded so concerned, but she was right. He needed to sleep if he was to heal. Cadoc cupped her face in his hand. “I will rest and heal. Do what you can and then we need to talk. I need to know your feelings. I love you. I have no doubt word of my mating tattoo will be out soon. The planet will know how much love I feel for you. For a human female. The warriors will be stunned. To think a warrior was gifted with a rare tattoo. They will all want a human female.”
“What about your own females?”
“They will be thrilled. The ratio of male to female here is almost as large as Roxian’s planet. In fact while you’re leader, why not coax that vessel that joins females to males to bring women here?”
“I might put it on my agenda. After I do some serious threatening.”
“Threaten all you want. You have back up. Soon you will have me.”
“I have to let you rest.”
She then placed her hand against his jaw, her fingers trailed down his skin. She gave him all the more reason to heal. When she turned, she vanished. Cadoc slipped into sleep. His father was gone, and he rested easy.
* * * * *
Cadoc’s eyes fluttered open. He was alone. The bandaging on his head was gone, there was no pain. He wondered how long he’d been out. His thoughts fled to Violet and what must have occurred in his absence. Longing to touch her, his fingers involuntarily twitched. A series of machines blipped and bleeped telling him he wasn’t fully recovered as yet. His mate was worth the wait. Cadoc closed his eyes. When she returned to him, he needed to be whole and healthy.
For now he would bide his time.
Chapter Thirteen
“Open hail,” Violet said calmly. All around her, the human females gathered, lending their strength.
An image of Sergeant Durant appeared on the vid-cam, and he looked startled to see her.
“Violet Knight, are you safe?”
“Apparently,” she said drily. “As I’m now the leader of Docadia.”
The sergeant’s jaw dropped. There was complete silence on his end. “I don’t understand.”
Several commanding officers behind him rose from their chairs to stand.
“I don’t know why you don’t understand,” Violet said. “We told you we were not being held hostage. I am leader of Docadia and these ladies,” she swept her arm around the room, “are my advisors.”
“I have it under the strictest confidence that you are all being held against your will. That you have been kidnapped and taken by the Docadians, and a bounty has been placed on the leader’s head.”
“So you are going to have my head for my kidnapping? Does that really make any sense?” she asked him condescendingly.
He flushed a dark red. He turned to the militia in the rest of the room. “In fact, I was told they are being manipulated into what to say, should we get to see them.”
“And let me guess as to who your strictest confidence was. My ex-fiance? Joshua Seatra? The one who was angered that I called off the wedding and his source of money?”
By the look on several faces, she knew that was the exact answer.
“As I already explained to you, Sergeant Blank, Joshua is the one who set up the kidnapping. The other ladies and I were kept safe by the Docadians.”
Another uniformed man stepped up. “Ms. Knight, you said you were now leader of the Docadians. Can you tell me how this came to be?”
“I’ve mated with the current leader, and he’s been injured by the ones who were sent to kidnap us. The leadership falls to me while he’s incapacitated.” The rest of the ladies stepped in closer to her, as if giving her support. “Jilly,” Violet called out.
“Yes, exalted ruler of Docadia.” The computer voice answered in a most professional tone.
Violet sucked in a breath, and fought the urge to flinch with embarrassment. “Please run the contact video you recorded of Mr. Joshua Seatra for both parties.”
The video played, complete with the IP address of the Leanthril vessel that recorded him. When it finished, the screen changed back to Sergeant Durant. His face was stone.
“I see, Ms. Knight. The council will reconvene to consider this new information. However, please be warned that the bounty is still in place for your vessel.”
“No, you be warned. If there is one hair harmed on any person’s head, it’ll be war, Sergeant. I don’t see how we can give you any more proof than what we have, yet you refuse to see we are well and happy.”
His face turned beet-red. “We are certainly reconvening to discuss this. We will—“A flip of a button on Cadoc’s captain chair cut him off in mid-sentence. With it, Jilly’s new app clicked in with a resounding thunk.
“Love that hang-up,” Josie said.
“Well done,” Talpin said. “I’m going to go check on Cadoc’s progress while you remain here, safe under the shields. If he’s awake and able, I’ll come back to get you to bring for a visit.”
She nodded.
As soon as he left, the women began speaking. “I can’t believe you’re the leader,” Trina said. “And I can’t believe those Earth assholes think we can be forced back there like wayward teenagers.”
“They’re doing it for a reason,” Dahlia said. “Earth receives a percentage for every woman who accepts a mate from the brideship.”
Trina’s mouth dropped. “You’re kidding? How is that legal? Isn’t that like selling women?”
“Potatoes, potah-toes. Men have justified their treatment of women over the years to where things skate just this side of the law.”
“Jilly, you’re still connected to the GSS, correct?”
“Yes, Vi.”
“I think we need a favor. Do you remember when you filled out my questionnaire for me?”
“I do.”
“You had mentioned that there was paperwork to fill out if anyone wished to leave the ship, correct?”
“Yes.”
“How about producing some paperwork for all of us to visit Docadia? Along with it, a stamped date of it being filled out at the same time as my questionnaire?”
“I can manage that.”
She and the rest of the ladies were sitting in the same spot when Talpin returned to her. After a swift kiss for Dahlia, he turned to Violet.
“Are you ready to beam to the hospital?”
She nodded, winking at the girls.
They materialized right outside the room in the hospital where Cadoc was earlier.
“The medicine’s been stopped. It should be a normal sleep now, since only saline has dripped through his veins since. He’ll need to be wakened, though,” Talpin said, waving her through while he waited outside with the guards.
Violet entered the room she’d been in earlier. Cadoc lay still, no movements fluttering his eyelids at all.
She placed her palm on his chest.
“Open your eyes, my love. It’s all right now.”
Cadoc took a deep breath, his bare chest moving beneath her sprea
d palm.
“Sweet flower.” His voice was deep, but well rested now, though his eyes remained closed.
“Hey.” She placed a palm on his jaw. “Sleepyhead. It’s time to wake up. The doctor stopped the medication to keep you induced, and the remnants should be lifted from your body now.”
“I’ve been at full strength.” He stretched his arms above his head, his muscles flexing as he tested.
“You are.” Violet could appreciate every aspect of the strength in those muscles.
A quick glance around the room let him know there were no guards, but she still answered his unspoken question.
“They’re all outside in the hall, ready to run in at a moment’s notice. But the doc said you should be able to protect me within the room now.”
She fluffed his pillows, propping him up to sit.
“I didn’t get to tell you. I love you, Cadoc. You’re mine, from the first moment I saw you. From when I was three.” She touched her forehead to his.
“I love you as well.” His voice was deep when it rumbled. “Always. I will protect you with my dying breath.”
“Which almost came. Those Berserkers are huge.”
She felt the fear in her heart when she remembered the way he seemed hit by a truck. The way he was so still.
“Hey, a warrior can go through much more than that,” he said gently. “I’m fine. We have a long, fruitful life ahead of us.” His full lips touched briefly on hers.
“Perhaps not,” she said. “The humans are investigating Joshua. I sent them the video of him recording from the Leanthril ship. But they are still considering us kidnapped. I also let them think you were incapacitated.”
“Then, my love, let’s enjoy the time we’ve got together.”
In one smooth move, Cadoc swept her flat into the bed next to him. He felt warm and strong. The smell of fresh soap hit her senses before he pressed himself to her. He was completely naked beneath the sheets.
“You were up,” she accused.
He smiled. “I’ve been waiting for my mate. Talpin and I agreed it was best for me to lie in hiding. I’m your secret weapon,” he confided.
The weapon in question prodded against her womanly bits.
“So tell me,” he said, nibbling on the tender curve of her neck. His hand made its way under her shirt to lay flat against her belly, warm and loving. “How many little warriors would you like to create?”
“Babies? I hadn’t thought about it.” Why not? “But I think it depends on the first one. With your fighting skills, and my kick-ass skills, she may be out of control. If she has a decent head on her shoulders, I think a dozen more or so will follow.”
“She?” He blinked adorably. “We will train a female to fight?”
“Of course.”
“But it will be her brothers’ place to protect her. And then her mate’s.”
“Yes. But she needs to be able to take care of herself, too. It gives her a sense of purpose, and a sense of power to know she can.”
“I’ve never thought of that. We always set aside our females for protection. They were supposed to be loving, nurturing.”
“And so will our daughters be. Just as I am. I will love and nurture our sons, as much as I love you. And I’ll protect you, as much as you protect me. We’re a team.”
“I like this,” he whispered, sinking his forehead to touch hers. “I like this new idea of mateship. A team. By the way, Talpin showed me the video of you fighting Draconis. By the stars, I would never have expected a female to battle with nothing but her body. No weapons. Instead you used his own against him.”
“That’s what self-defense is about. Using what’s around you and training yourself to not freeze in a tense, unexpected situation. And I was tense, wondering if he was going to thrust that sword in you before I could get there.”
“I like the thought of our daughters being able to defend themselves.”
“You do? I’m so glad. I got the impression that some of your council was appalled.”
“I’m more than glad. I was actually a little turned on. Like the night I met you and you were so forward as to ask me to stay the night with you, and tell me exactly what it was you wanted. Our females would have beat around the bush and let us figure it out. We would never have known how much we truly pleased them.”
“Oh, you please me, all right. Now, come here. There’s something I’ve been dying to do.”
“What is that, my mate?”
“I’d like to kiss you like this.”
Her lips were soft and sensual when she brought her mouth to his and her tongue heated his desire when it delved in and out of him, stroking against his and tasting his essence.
It was over way to soon as Violet abruptly broke the kiss. “But I’d like to kiss you like that elsewhere.”
He sucked in a breath when she scooted down the mattress and lined her face up with his massive member.
“Violet,” he rasped, as if barely in control of his own voice.
“Shh,” she said, and licked the crease where his leg met his hip. His entire body trembled, where he balanced himself in a push-up position. His balls hung, hot and heavy, and she used her tongue to trace the seam of the sac. Then she kissed her way up his shaft, from the base all the way to the tip, wetting him thoroughly before taking him into her mouth.
She wasn’t sure how in control he was, with his bucking and trembling.
She raised her lips to kiss his abdomen. God, she loved the soft skin there. There was not an ounce of fat anywhere on his perfectly honed body. She nibbled for a moment on the tender skin of his belly before coming back to look at the proud cock that bobbed wetly.
“You’re so beautiful, Cadoc. So hard everywhere.” She traced a vein on his cock with her finger.
Cadoc hissed through clenched teeth when her lips closed over the head of his cock. She sucked it for a few moments.
“Mmm. You taste so good. I love this. I can’t get enough of you.” She stopped talking and took more of his cock in. Up and down she moved her head, until at last she let it slide from her mouth.
Cadoc protested at the sudden chill.
“Shh, I just want to taste your balls again. I’ll go back.”
Her petite tongue flicked out and pressed gently against his ball sac. She took an entire testicle into the warmth of her mouth, loving it tenderly. He groaned.
Who’d have guessed the noises he made would be as erotic as his cock in her mouth? She laved his balls until she moved back up to his cock. She continued to drive him crazy, sucking his musky sweetness into her mouth. She clamped onto his ready-to-burst cock, sucking hard as he growled. Her tongue swirled around and around the tiny hole, where she hoped for a tiny drop of pre-cum to taste. Every muscle in his body was clenched tightly, the tension palpable. Violet relaxed her throat and let his cock thrust as deeply as she could. She released it to say one last thing.
“By the way, babe, I wanted to know how you felt about daughters because we’re having one.”
He hauled her up to the pillow and plundered her mouth with his.
She was so hot inside her core. She felt the head of his cock poking against her, and then he was breaching her body, slipping the barest inch inside. She held her pelvis up, wrapping her legs around his hips. He slid in to the hilt and slowly pulled out again, before setting up his rhythm, deep and slow and sure. His forearms supported his weight, and he looked into her eyes as he stroked in and out of her.
“A little girl? Gods, I love you.”
“I love you just as much.”
Their lovemaking was different this time, tender and loving, but just as sexy as it always had been. When the orgasm hit, Violet turned her head to the side and bit his bicep as it erupted violently, clenching her body all around his swollen cock.
“Violet,” he gasped, and then his warm cum spurted inside her.
His mouth came back down onto hers, lightly kissing and bringing them down from their high. Finally he pulled
away.
“You’re carrying my child.”
“Yes.” She placed her hand over his where it lay on her flat abdomen. “It’ll be a while still.”
“Then let’s get back to space. I want everyone to know.” His eyes shone with excitement.
He pulled her up from the bed, but she pulled away laughing. “Let me at least clean up and dress.”
He looked down, as if he’d just become aware they were naked.
“Ten minutes,” he growled, and kissed her nose.
* * * * *
There was cheering when they beamed aboard the ship, Cadoc holding Violet close to his side.
“Violet,” the voice of Jilly said. “My sensors indicate that three just beamed aboard. You are with child.”
“I know, Jilly,” Violet said, rolling her eyes. “Thanks for blurting it out.”
“What?” Dahlia exclaimed. “Oh, my stars. Congratulations!”
Several of the warriors were clasping Cadoc, and pounding their chests in a Tarzan imitation. But some looked worried, their eyes bouncing back and forth between them.
“Come out with it,” Cadoc growled.
“We just…well, we wonder how this works with the human gene pool.” The warrior speaking winced. “Years ago, your father had said that diluting our genes would result in punier tattoos.”
“Define puny.” Cadoc’s voice sounded baffled.
Another warrior cleared his throat. “My half-human son may get a…needle as a weapon. Or a pin.”
“A nail.” Someone called out. “A thumbtack.”
“A sponge.” Someone else said.
Cadoc sighed. “Thank you all for listening to my father’s ignorance. But what if he’s right? What if our tattoo DNA is compromised? Let’s put things into perspective. Most of you witnessed Violet’s amazing battle skills…without weaponry. Supposing our offspring inherited that bravery? The agility? Supposing a new twist on genetics enabled our female children to carry their own tattoos? Wouldn’t you want your daughters to protect themselves if they were ever in a bind, like Violet has been? Should we be worrying about the possibility of a son getting a pin tattoo? As we’ve learned, tattoos come for a reason. A pin…well, I imagine an ingenious offspring can find a use for it. Imagine finding a species of dragon with impenetrable scales, and just as he’s about to bring you to his mouth to eat, you conjure your pin and send it sailing between the scales, the only vulnerable spot. The needle can find its way to his heart, or brain.”
