by Averi Hope
“When my child is safe…you and I will have a long talk.”
Caleb didn’t bother answering. As much as a tiny part of him dreaded the idea of sitting down with such a powerful man, a man he needed desperately to impress, most of his focus was on the stomach-turning sense that his mate was deeply in trouble. He moved with incredible haste as he went to his room and dressed in his civilian clothes, dark jeans, a black shirt, and a leather jacket he used to conceal his Keltairian blade. The sharpest blade in the universe.
Whoever is scaring my mate will feel my blade as it slices them into pieces.
He took a shuttle down to the planet’s surface and then exited onto the cool planet, ignoring the brewing storm. Freezing raindrops splattered, thinning the crowds of people usually congesting Ortago’s streets. A smell uniquely Ortago filled the air, flowers, fuel, and rain.
Thunder shook overhead as lightning split the sky.
Caleb closed his eyes and inhaled sharply. It wasn’t quite that he could smell Erin’s sweet scent; it was more that it helped him sense her.
He walked without seeing, following an invisible pull that sent him down dark alleys and farther and farther into the poorer areas of town. It seemed fewer and fewer people walked the streets, but those that did seemed to peer at him from the shadows.
Don’t get jumpy. Stay focused.
“Move faster,” a deeply accented voice whispered in his ear.
He spun around, punching out without thought. His fist connected squarely with something hard.
It struck the wall in front of him, the boxes near it tumbling over, with a loud crash. A series of heavily accented curses filled the air.
Caleb flinched. Oops.
After a moment, the cursing stopped. “And here I thought the good fleet admiral had warned you,” the voice said, a touch angry, and not quite so close.
“Well, maybe next time you’ll know better than to sneak up on a Keltair.” He hated that the creatures could make themselves invisible. It set him on edge.
“Lesson learned,” the Intaqual grumbled.
Deep breath. You need these damned creatures.
Another, deeper, voice spoke from the other side of him. “There’s more of us, Keltair, so maybe calm your nerves.
Caleb slowly unclenched his fist. “So this is his team?”
“Of course,” the first voice said smoothly, slowly growing closer. “And if you want to find your little girlfriend, you may want to move a bit faster. If Ahmed gets his hands on her…”
Caleb didn’t need him to finish. “Let’s go.”
As they moved, Caleb spoke softly over his shoulder. “How many of you are there?”
“Enough.”
His jaw twitched. I hope he’s right.
“And you’ll be right behind me the whole time?”
“Yes.” Then, after a minute. “We’ll try to extract the girl as quietly as possible, without risking the mission.”
“Erin is the mission,” he said without thinking.
The creature gave a soft bark of laugher. “No, we’re here to finally take down Ahmed. If we rescue the fleet admiral’s daughter in the process, well, that’s icing on the cake.”
I don’t give a damn what their mission is, all I care about is Erin. He increased his speed.
It took him a painfully long time of stopping, breathing in, and switching his direction before he spotted the building with the red door. Ignoring the half-naked dancing women in the windows lining the street, he hit the button beside the door. Two guards waited, their eyes narrowing.
“Password?”
Hell.
“I’ll take the right one,” the voice whispered in his ear.
Caleb nodded, moving closer to the guards.
“Password!” one of them ordered, reaching for his blaster.
Using his Keltair speed and strength, he pulled his blade from its sheath and leaped, slashing out at his throat. The guard fell with a spurting of blood. Beside him, the other guard struggled with something around his throat before slowly sliding to the ground.
He reached for the door, but froze. “Damn it. Do you have the code?”
“One second,” the disembodied voice replied.
A second later, the doors parted.
He weaved down flight after flight of stairs. Two doors lined with guards parted before he entered the new area.
In the room, men cheered and shouted as they stared over the railing at something below.
“Credits?” a naked purple female asked.
He almost shook his head, when he felt a card slide into his hand. He closed his fingers around it and handed it to the alien. She handed him a device and explained how it worked. Then, he put a tiny earpiece in his free ear.
A voice boomed into his head. “That’s right, friends. Fleet Admiral Stowe’s daughter of the Earth fleet is here for the taking. Look at her rosy pink nipples. And this pussy, fellas! I’ll tell you—I haven’t felt a tighter one.”
Caleb’s eyes narrowed and his gaze went red. Another man has stuck his fingers inside my mate? Those fingers will be the first to go. Then the arm. Then the rest of him.
“Calm yourself, Keltair,” the Intaqual whispered in his ear. “I’m recording all of this, and we need more. Remember the mission.”
Like hell!
He distantly heard the man continue, “So, let’s start the bidding at a thousand credits. And as a special for all our customers, the winner of this pretty little human will be allowed to try her out before he purchases her.”
Caleb’s steps were quick and angry as he walked to the railing, shoving two men out of the way. When he looked down, Erin was tied below, soaking wet and shivering. Her legs were spread wide. Her body naked for the leering gazes of the perverts in the room. A massive Vuret male reached between her thighs and parted her lower lips.
He wanted to roar – but not yet. He had to stay calm, to save her first. But everyone who’s touched her is going to die.
Numbers were called out. A screen changed rapidly as the numbers grew to ten thousand. But it all came at Caleb as if he was seeing it underwater, all he could see was Erin’s face leeched of color, even as she glared at the room of men.
I can’t wait any longer. Anger roared through Caleb’s veins. Jumping over the edge of the railing, he pulled his blade free and leaped down, slashing the throat of the Vuret who’d touched his female.
To his surprise, the crowd above began to cheer. Bloodthirsty bastards. They would kill their own mothers just for some entertainment.
Breathing hard, he reached down and pulled the key from the dying man’s waist as he gurgled blood. Two more guards were on him before he could get to her, and his knife made quick work of the first before stabbing the second straight through his eyeball.
Caleb grabbed the digital key again and pressed it to the locks on Erin’s wrists, hearing the click as they snapped open. Yanking off his jacket, he threw it over her, then reached for her as she reached for him.
“Can you stand?” he asked, looking for backup.
She shook her head slowly, closing her eyes and falling forward.
Caleb caught her before she slumped to the floor.
Where is that damn Intaqual bastard and his team? The fleet admiral’s daughter should be more important than taking down these animals. Wasn’t that truly what her father sent them for…?
Suddenly, he had the sinking sensation that the creatures might actually let them die if it helped their mission.
We’re on our own.
The ground beneath them shook as a Vuret, larger than any he’d seen before leaped into the sand on the opposite side of the ring from them. He wore a loose, purple robe, with nothing beneath it. His naked cock stood at attention.
Gasps from the crowd showed their excitement at seeing the fight between them.
Caleb’s gaze went to the two blades in the creature’s hands.
“Why don’t we settle this like men, little human?” the
Vuret asked silkily. “This female belongs to me.”
Caleb bared his teeth. “No. She belongs to me.”
The Vuret threw back his head and roared with arrogant laughter. The people in the stands above laughed right along with him.
“Either you are extremely foolish, or you don’t know who I am. My name is Ahmed Zhou. Leader of the Venomous Cocks. In my lifetime, I have sold thousands of aliens to satisfy the pleasure of others. I have sold for years before you were even born, and I will be selling long after you have died.” He flicked his blades together so they sparked. “And now, little human, do you wish to kneel before me and take a fast death? Or do you plan to use that tiny blade against me…and die slowly and painfully?”
Caleb clenched the hilt of his knife. “We’ll see who’s going to die today.” He moved so that he stood before Erin, protecting her too-still form. Where is my fucking backup?
His eyes narrowed. Regardless of when those invisible bastards show up, this man’s death is mine!
Ahmed came at him with all the recklessness of a bull. But the creature was expecting a human male. He had no idea he was facing a Keltair, an alien stronger and faster than nearly all other species.
The Vuret slashed down at him.
Caleb feinted, then kicked one blade out of his hand, while his Keltairian blade clashed against the Vuret’s other blade. Sparks flew. They drew back and clashed again.
The smell of hairy animal enveloped him.
“You’re faster than you look,” Ahmed said, his rotten breath heating Caleb’s face.
He didn’t bother to answer. Their blades twisted away from each other, then came together again in a shower of sparks. Caleb sprang back, and this time the Vuret kept his distance.
They circled each other, looking for weaknesses. The Vuret slashed out with the knife, and at the last second landed a punch from the opposite direction.
Caleb ducked, then landed a punch to the other creature’s throat. The blow would have crushed the throat of a normal human, but the Vuret was much stronger.
Ahmed gasped, grasping his hairy throat with his free hand and stumbling back.
That was for Erin, you bastard. Now I’m going to kill you for the rest of them.
It took only a second for his opponent to recover before he was charging again. This time, Caleb was ready. He ducked and lifted the Vuret off his feet, throwing him over his shoulder, but Ahmed’s blade sliced his back on the way down.
Caleb bit down to keep the sounds of his pain from exploding as he swiftly turned to keep his eyes on the enemy.
The crowd above had gone from chanting “human human” to “Ahmed Ahmed”.
These bastards really have no loyalty. He shook his head. Oh well, nothing like being the underdog.
He felt the hot blood trickling down his back, but he didn’t care. This was nothing. He knew real pain. Real pain was being surrounded by people who he thought were his brethren and being surprised when they carved him up like a piece of meat.
This I can handle.
The next time Ahmed charged, Caleb buried his blade in the creature’s stomach, pulling it back out just in time to roll, avoiding his enemy’s blade.
Ahmed staggered, his expression no longer one of confidence. “You’re no human.”
Caleb clenched the hilt of his blade tighter. “Afraid of taking on someone your own size?”
Suddenly, Caleb heard a sound behind him. Two more Vurets entered the room, their blasters calmly held out before them.
Shit. “What kind of coward can’t handle one man?”
Ahmed smiled. “I’m afraid I’m more a lover than a fighter.”
“Rapists aren’t lovers,” Caleb said, inching closer to Erin. “And slave traders are no better than dogs.”
The Vuret growled. “I’m going to make sure you’re sold to some giant male who wants to use you as a pincushion.”
He saw a movement out of the corner of his eye, and suddenly, the roar of a blaster filled the air. It fired over and over and the sand puffed out around them.
Caleb dived, covering Erin as best he could, only to find she was awake, clenching a blaster covered in blood. One that was pointed toward Ahmed.
Caleb sprang up again and whirled on the two other Vurets, who had jumped into the ring with them. He knocked one to the ground, burying his blade in his eye socket before spinning around and slicing out at the other alien’s legs. He let loose a bloodcurdling scream and crumpled to the ground.
Above them, screams from the stands began to fill the air. Caleb dived for Erin, pulling her into his arms even while she continued to fire. The lights in their room darkened, while in the area above them the lights grew brighter.
He suddenly realized that it was the Intaquals, not Ahmed’s men, who surrounded the room. No longer invisible, their blades flashed as they attacked.
One of them met Caleb’s gaze. “The fleet admiral orders you to get his daughter to safety, then go and see him.”
Caleb’s grip tightened around Erin, who looked small and pale in his arms.
I’ll take her back to the ship, but I’m not leaving her side.
With or without her daddy’s orders.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Erin lay in her bath, Caleb’s big body surrounding her. It was déjà vu, but in the best sense. She knew she should probably move, at least to brush aside the bubbles that were tickling her nose, but she couldn’t find the strength. It’d been the longest day of her life.
Ahmed had been taken into custody. Even though she’d blasted the crap out of him, she hadn’t been aiming for anything vital. Instead, she’d shot at his cock until all that remained was a massive wound. And nothing else. If I keep that up, I’m going to get a reputation.
She smiled at the thought.
“What are you smiling about?” Caleb’s keen eyes watched her, the corners of his mouth quirking slightly upward.
She stiffened. Somehow, telling him about Ahmed’s missing cock didn’t sound quite right. So she settled on something a bit less crazy. “What happened today.”
He ran long, strong fingers through her hair, his touch gentle and soothing. “You took down Ahmed’s entire operation in one fell swoop.”
No, she almost corrected him. Everyone had played their part. Her father had thrown Lord Dry-fen and Ambassador Eupher into cells, confiscating the necklace with encrypted data about Ahmed’s entire operation. He’d discovered enough information to send the force of the fleet out to round up any and everyone involved with Ahmed. The result was that the universe was a hell of a lot safer place now.
And then Caleb saved me from a fate worse than death.
She shivered. “Without you, I’d be dead. Or wishing I was dead.”
His hand froze on her hair. “I’d never have allowed that to happen. You’re my mate.”
Mate. The word was full of meaning, and filled her with both elation and fear.
“I owe you an apology,” she whispered.
“For what?” There was a smile in his words.
She took a deep breath. “For going into your dreams these past two years, for tying you to me. But I want you to know, I never knew what I was doing. I never meant to tie you to me.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “I couldn’t control it. I would end up there every time I was too tired, or afraid…or lonely for you.”
He reached down and tilted her chin up, so suddenly she was staring into his dark eyes. “What you did…it was the best thing that could’ve ever happened to me. I loved you. I didn’t want to lose you.” His thumb stroked her bottom lip, his gaze worshiping her face. “And I have an admission of my own.”
“What is it?” she asked curiously.
“I never got the message you sent after I left for the Earth academy.”
She simply stared at him for a moment. It was taking her a long time to understand. “You never received my message?”
He shook his head. “No, I didn’t. But after
you mentioned it to Kaden that day in your office, I had Hunter do some digging. He was able to uncover your message to me from when I left the academy. Apparently, my father hid it to protect me.
If I had heard it, I’d have turned right back around. You and I would’ve never been apart.”
Tears prickled her eyes. “You don’t mean that. You hate me for betraying you. For entering your dreams and—“
He silenced her with a kiss, his lips warm and insistent. Perhaps he doesn’t hate me. Perhaps he really does love me. Her heart swelled. She parted her lips, allowing his tongue access. The instant his tongue slid into her mouth desire like a rushing river moved through her. She caught his tongue with her teeth, sliding slowly down.
He groaned and heat sparked inside her. Shifting, she rubbed against his growing cock as it pressed against the side of her thigh. Trailing her fingers down his chest and belly, she closed her fingers around his hard length.
A growl, low and dangerous, emanated from the back of his throat. “Careful. You don’t know how much I’ve missed you. How much I want you.”
She laughed, grasping him more tightly in the palm of her hand. “It hasn’t even been a day yet since we were last together.”
His muscular chest rose and fell rapidly beneath her. His eyes were squeezed shut. “You should know, Keltairs are known for being horny as hell.”
Very slowly she stroked him, loving the sound of his heart pounding beneath her ear. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
Suddenly his hand grabbed hers, stopping her movement as his dark eyes flew open. “I need to make something clear to you before we go any further.”
Her humor fled in the face of his serious expression. “What is it?”
He eyed her warily. “I cannot do this halfway.”
“Good, because I prefer when we go all the way.” She could see her attempt at humor had no effect on his mood. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “Go on.”
“I’ve already made you my mate. You know that.” His chest rose and fell as he took a deep breath. “There can never be another woman for me than you…but I know you still have a choice what you want from our relationship.”
“Caleb—“
