Warrior's Paradox (Cadi Warriors Book 3)

by Stephanie West

  “Where will I hide?” she inquired, distracting him from his morose thoughts.

  Tytus’ frown broadened, hearing her question.

  “What?” she asked.

  “I am having second thoughts about you coming along. I know the needing will cause you pain while I’m gone, but this mission has the potential to be very dangerous.”

  “I’m going with you. Danger is my middle name. June Danger Devi,” she announced with her hands on her hips.

  An amused smile spread across Tytus’ face, seeing her defiant stance.

  “That is not your name. If anything, it’s June Danger quo Munitor.”

  “Oh? How do you figure?” June cocked her head.

  “I am Tytus quo Munitor, and you are my mate,” Tytus informed her.

  “I like the sound of that. June Danger quo Munitor.” June puffed up her chest as she adopted her best superhero pose.

  “You, human females are as fearless as warriors. I don’t know what I was thinking. It didn’t work when Madhava and Dagaa tried to keep Providence at home.”

  “Darn right. Remember that tenacious quality you said you liked, well, it’s a double-edged sword.”

  “I’m starting to see that.”

  “So where am I hiding?” June returned to her earlier question.

  “I suppose we can use a large bag, to carry you on and off the rota.”

  “Oh, my god, you’re going to pack me in your carry-on luggage,” June burst out laughing. “This is the most harebrained scheme ever.”

  For smart people, they’d come up with a really silly plan to hide her. Of course, their minds had been on the larger problem at hand.

  “We’re going to be discovered, aren’t we?” Tytus asked dryly.

  “Yeah probably. But after sneaking around as much as I have lately, I’m willing to accept the challenge.”

  A subtle sound outside captured their attention. If they didn’t do something, whoever was arriving would see June.

  “Climb into the rota, and pull the cape around you,” Tytus instructed.

  June scrambled into the cab of the vehicle without time to spare.

  “It’s the stuff I requested,” Tytus whispered, as June pulled the hood over her head.

  June listened to the muffled voices as Tytus accepted the delivery. It was a tense few minutes, but eventually Tytus tapped on her back.

  “He’s gone. You know, you didn’t look too unusual down there. I don’t think you’ll be noticed unless someone is right next to the rota, or you stand up,” Tytus commented encouragingly.

  “That’s good.”

  With the impromptu test run of Operation Carry-On now complete, they quickly packed the new boxes onto the hover-trailer and brought the rest back into Tytus’ lab.

  “June, if I show you how to harvest the tracking plate out of these handhelds, do you think you can do that?”

  June peered into the box holding two dozen of the cell phone communicators.

  “Probably,” she replied. She’d taken small electronics apart on numerous occasions.

  “Good. I know several aspects of Cadi technology are more advanced than Earth’s, but much of that is limited to what you see here in my lab. Most of Cadi has limited access to technology, as we struggle to rebuild. I have to salvage parts from more common gear, like these handhelds, to meet our needs.”

  June had only seen Tytus’ lab, and the landing field just outside. She had no clue what the rest of Cadi looked like.

  “It must have been rough going from hyper-advanced, to war ravaged,” June replied as she tried to picture what had happened to Cadi society.

  “The decline happened over a few hundred years. We became used to it, which is sad. We lost so much. I sometimes wonder what we could’ve achieved if we hadn’t been so foolish.”

  “It’s sad that sometimes we have to lose almost everything, to appreciate what is truly valuable in life.”

  “True.” Tytus smiled at her. “So, how are your sewing skills?”

  “Passable,” June replied.

  “Jorg, sent me these dermal patches. Once you remove the tracking plate from the handheld, it needs to be sewn into a small pouch made of the false skin. I think your smaller nimble fingers will have better luck with that task.”

  “I still don’t like the idea that you’re going to cut open your skin and insert a chip.” June stuck out her tongue in disgust.

  “I don’t like the idea either, because you’re getting one too.”

  “Ah dammit.” June hated needles, not to mention the idea of cutting herself open.

  “June, we can find another way.”

  “Nope. I can do this.” June squared her shoulders.

  “Jorg supplied the necessary numbing agent, so everything should be fine.”

  “Okay let’s crack these puppies open,” she said as she grabbed a handheld from the box.

  The more they talked about cutting her open and jabbing something under her skin, the more she feared she’d lose her nerve.

  Tytus showed June what to do with the first handheld, then she took over from there. June had three of the pouches constructed when she realized she was sweating. A bead of sweat dropped onto the tracking plate as she extracted it from the communicator. Thankfully they were impervious to water and most chemicals.

  “Dammit,” June muttered.

  The insidious needy heat had returned. June wiped her brow then re-sanitized everything.

  Repress, repress, she admonished herself.

  June looked around, hoping Tytus hadn’t noticed her predicament. They really didn’t have time for this nonsense. She had over a dozen more of these little units to create. Tytus and others were depending on her. This little tracking chip would help them locate someone, if the worst happened.

  Tytus emerged from his apartment.

  He looks so sexy with that stern contemplative expression. June smiled wantonly. No, behave.

  June quickly looked back at her task, while silently she tried to force herself to relax. When Tytus stopped behind her, June jumped nervously.

  “I gotta go use the ladies room,” she announced awkwardly. Being close to him would only make her condition worse.

  June quickly hustled towards the bathroom. When she made it into the small room she glanced at the shower. Dousing herself in cold water might stave off the need long enough for her to finish her work.

  “June.”

  June startled when Tytus walked into the room. Her eyes flew to his in surprise.

  “I can scent your need.” He moved behind her, pinning her against the sink. “That’s one thing about bonding. It makes my senses heightened where you’re concerned,” he growled into her ear.

  June swallowed hard and gripped the counter tight. Her knees felt weak. Words alone never incited her the way Tytus’ did. The deep rumble of his voice melted her insides.

  She was really trying to resist, but he wasn’t helping.

  “I have an experiment I’d like to try, but I have something to ask you first,” Tytus continued.

  “What?” June managed to get out the breathy reply.

  “How would you feel about carrying my young?”

  Tytus’ seductive voice vibrated in her ear. The way he pressed against her back, June could feel his desire for her. A flood of moisture crept down her thigh when Tytus laved her neck.

  “Yes,” was all she could say.

  June would’ve agreed to anything at the moment, though the thought of bearing Tytus’ child didn’t bother her.

  “I have a theory I’d like to test.”

  With one hand, Tytus reached into her cloak, and began massaging June’s breast. Her nipple hardened beneath his palm. June felt Tytus stroking his cock at her back, with the other.

  “It seems to reason that my bite forces your body to ripen, making you ready for me.”

  June was barely able to concentrate on what he said. She wished she had a view of Tytus, as he played with himself. It was aggr
avating. All she could see was the reflection of him bent over her shoulder, when she wanted nothing more than to finally see him in all his glory. They were quite a compelling sight, nevertheless.

  Tytus yanked her robe open, exposing a swath of bare skin. June stared at the image of him massaging her breast, his face buried in her neck. His red skin was such a deep contrast to her own. Tytus glanced up, and his fathomless dark eyes met hers.

  “So beautiful,” he groaned as he continued to palm her breast. His fingers alternating between circling and pinching her nipple.

  June did feel beautiful, bared like this, being pleasured by a demi-god.

  Tytus’ mouth latched onto her shoulder, where he’d bitten her before. June let her head roll to one side, giving him easy access. The spot begged for his attention, among other parts of her body. Tytus’ sharp teeth grazed her skin, but he didn’t bite down. He worked his stiff flesh faster, straining against her back. June trembled from the mounting desperation. She needed more than his teasing touch on her breast.

  Suddenly Tytus reached around her, with the hand he used to pleasure himself. His slick fingers frustratingly bypassed her swollen clit, and delved into her soaked pussy. The instant he made contact, June orgasmed harder than she’d ever known possible. Liquid nirvana seized every square inch of her body, making her convulse. Tytus kept one arm banded around her chest as his fingers continued to plunge into her spasming vagina.

  “No more,” she begged, when she caught her breath.

  Tytus pulled his fingers free of her body, but still held her tight, as she slumped against him.

  “Are you okay to shower?” he growled into her ear.

  “Yes. How are you?” June panted.

  “I relieved much of my need when I scented yours earlier.”

  That’s what Tytus was doing when he retreated into the bedroom.

  “I think your experiment worked,” June said.

  She finally felt sated, in a way she hadn’t, since he marked her. He must have introduced some of his seed to her aching pussy. That had to be what caused her sudden violent climax. He’d given her body what it was begging for. June turned in Tytus’ arms and pressed a kiss to his chest.

  “Good, now bathe before I get other ideas,” he husked in a gravelly voice.

  As Tytus quickly exited the bathroom, June could still see a bulge beneath his kilt. He kept relieving her need, but she was doing a piss poor job of satisfying his.

  That has to change.

  6 Trial and Error

  June

  June awoke with a start when someone jostled her. She opened her eyes to see Tytus standing over her.

  “Good morning my mate.” June smiled up at him.

  It was so weird waking up someplace beside her condo back home. She’d started getting used to the colony, now she was on Cadi. Even more unbelievable was waking up to her very unusual, but handsome new husband. He was a welcome sight first thing in the morning.

  “Good day, beautiful.”

  She looked around the apartment in confusion as she stretched.

  “How did I end up in the bed?”

  The last thing June recalled was helping Tytus pack the finished tracking plates.

  “I put you to bed. You were asleep on your feet,” Tytus replied, as he helped her up.

  “I’m sorry. I should’ve been giving you a hand. Were you able to get everything done?”

  “Yes. I even got a bit of sleep myself. If I didn’t have your assistance, I’d still be scrambling to get everything accomplished.”

  “Good,” June yawned.

  “Here. Eat something.” Tytus handed June a piece of fruit, a protein bar, and a cup of the Cadi coffee.

  “Thank you. Oh, sweet nectar of the gods,” June moaned as she took a sip of the hot beverage.

  “When you’re done getting ready, come out to the lab,” he chuckled.

  “Okay.”

  June quickly ate and washed up, then wandered into the lab. When she found Tytus, she nearly puked up her meager breakfast. He was in the process of crudely stitching closed a gash, high up on his thigh. June didn’t dare make a sound as he finished working, then slathered some sort of cream on the wound.

  “June, you are pale.”

  Tytus quickly vacated his chair to catch her, when she swayed on her feet.

  “I’m fine.” June fanned herself with her hand.

  “Sit,” he insisted, as he led her to the reclining chair.

  Tytus fetched her some water, then sat beside her. He monitored her with a furrowed brow, as she regained her composure.

  “This is why I never got into biology. I was sick the day we dissected frogs,” she blanched. “Does the tracker work?” she asked.

  It would suck if Tytus went through all that, to discover she’d botched things up.

  “It does. You did a wonderful job with them. Now comes the hard part.”

  “I know,” June groaned. “Let’s do this before I chicken out.”

  June pulled up her cape, exposing her thigh, while Tytus collected the necessary supplies.

  “Did you see that I got everything cleaned up, all on my own.” Tytus pointed to the lab tables they’d occupied.

  June looked over at the counters to see them still cluttered with tools.

  “Hey!” He’s such a fibber.

  As the word came out of her mouth she felt a pinch in her thigh. Her head swung around to see Tytus pulling the injector away from her skin.

  “You are sneaky,” she informed him.

  “Yes, but it worked,” he grinned.

  June poked her leg and felt nothing. It had already gone numb.

  “Now the gross part,” June swallowed.

  Before June closed her eyes, she saw Tytus gritting his teeth, as he picked up a small blade.

  “Just relax,” he said, as he rubbed her knee.

  Back and forth his hand massaged her. It was calming, but only so much so. She clenched her eyes shut, bracing for the worst.

  “I can’t relax. Just do it.” June gripped the chair, fighting the urge to hop up and run. “If you keep coddling me by rubbing my knee, we’ll be here forever.”

  “Well, it’s already in, I just need to stitch you up and apply the cream that will speed your healing.”

  June’s eyes flew open to see Tytus poking the needle into her flesh. If she weren’t so flabbergasted by Tytus’ creative maneuvering to distract her, she might have had a conniption at the sight of the incision.

  “Seriously Tytus? You were distracting me again with that knee thing. I’m going to have to keep my eye on you. You’re a wily one.”

  “Probably so, but don’t watch me now, you’re turning pale again.”

  June squeezed her eyes shut as he stitched. This hadn’t been nearly as bad as she feared. She shook her head in amazement. Tytus was quickly proving to be more than she could hope for in a man.

  He’s sweet. I can’t believe he’s mine. June grinned.

  “I think my name is going to look great stitched into your thigh.”

  “To think, I was just thinking how sweet you are. Correction, you’re a smart ass,” June snorted at him.

  “That’s fair,” Tytus laughed. “All done, but it’s going to be a minute before you’re able to walk again.”

  “But you’re up and moving already,” she argued, even though she knew her leg would buckle under her if she tried to get up.

  “I didn’t use as much numbing agent on myself.”

  “Of course, you didn’t. I should’ve known, macho man.”

  “How else do you expect me to slow you down when you get that wild look in your eyes,” he teased.

  “Are you afraid I might eat you alive?” she retorted coyly. “Might I remind you, of who bit whom first.”

  “Look, your implant is showing on my handheld.”

  Tytus evaded her taunt with an impish grin, just a bit of fang peeking out.

  Cute and rotten, a dangerous duo.

 
His handheld pinged as they were looking at it. The Cadi, scrolling script appeared. It was beautiful. She would have to ask Tytus to teach her how to read it some time.

  “The others are almost here. Let’s get you stashed in the rota.”

  “Alright.”

  Tytus picked June up and headed towards the warehouse hangar.

  “Thank you for everything.”

  June reached up and tugged Tytus down for a final kiss before she hid. Their lips didn’t part till he set her gently into the hovering vehicle. June settled in with a content sigh.

  “Is that going to be comfortable enough?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  This time she had a few blankets to pad her spot, along with the infamous body bag, and a pack full of snacks nearby.

  The sound declaring the arrival of Tytus’ cohorts, captured their attention. As Tytus headed out of the hangar to meet them, June pulled her hood over her head and burrowed into the blankets. A few minutes later, Tytus returned and got into the rota.

  “We’re off. I let them know I’m taking the rear. That way their eyes will be forward,” he whispered, while facing front.

  “Do you think I can look around?”

  “Yes, just keep covered.” Tytus glanced back. “You look like a pile of blankets.”

  June scrunched the blankets around her, pulled her hood tight, and propped her elbows on the bench seat. It was a comfy enough position to peek out at the world, as they exited the hangar.

  The violet tinged sky still amazed her. The lovely hue only happened on Earth when the sun set. They crossed the dark stone tarmac, where several spaceships of varied shapes and sizes were parked.

  The large, mostly barren landing field turned into a narrower road flanked by buildings, as they entered a populated area of town. Most of the people traveled the stone cobbled streets on foot, but there were also many rota zipping by. June’s mouth dropped open when someone rode past on a tan and black striped tiger the size of a horse.

  Those must be the manx, Tytus described.

  June also found herself in awe when she saw her first Toufik. The man or woman reminded her of Chewbacca from Star Wars.

  I’ll never get over all the types of people.

  Her eyes darted about, trying to take everything in. There was just too much. It was overwhelming. Many of the buildings were stone and looked positively ancient. The scene reminded her of Old-World Europe. The commercial district with its bustling streets and shops, gave way to an area that held tightly packed rowhouses. The two-story homes were made of black stone, wood and stucco. Smoke drifted up from the chimneys, reminding June that despite their advances, the Cadi still cooked and heated their homes with fire.