by Kiersten Fay
Knowing her, not even that would stop her.
He’d tried to reason with her a couple of times, after giving her a few days to cool off. Unfortunately, she was less than thrilled with his “stunt” as she’d called it. Apparently the dragon couldn’t keep his mouth shut, although the bruises on his face might have given the story away. And before Cale could even get a word in, she’d stuck her palm in his face, saying, “Didn’t I tell you to go through Anya?”
“I’m not one of your subjects, Your Majesty!” he’d roared. Looking back, he had to admit, sneering at her like that may not have been the best method of persuasion.
Since then, Sebastian kept him busy with double shifts and odd jobs. Then Marik started to spend time watching over him, though Cale knew Marik would rather be with his mate.
And for the first time in ages, Cale could empathize. It was possible Kyra truly was his.
As it turned out, Velicia had been just as wretched and conniving as his mother, and his mother as cunning as she was selfish.
Yesterday, Cale had approached Nadua after a dream jerked him awake. It was of a memory that hadn’t belonged to him until he’d accidentally pulled it from Nadua that day, who in turn had garnished it from someone else.
Nadua had been reluctant to help him at first. Aside from the fact that she was still struggling with her gift, he was the man who had upset her sister.
When Cale heard that, his heart had clenched painfully, remembering Kyra’s words. Why are you hurting me like this?
But there must have been something Nadua saw in his expression, because with a curt nod she had taken pity on him.
It took some time, and a lot of patience on Cale’s part, but eventually the girl was able to pluck at that memory again and transfer it to him without being overwhelmed.
Cale rolled into the past like a heavy mist. He watched, boiling over with rage as his mother sat in Velicia’s home, plotting to induce a mate bond—with either of her two sons—using an elixir she’d discovered years before while a very young Sonya played at their feet. Worse, Cale discovered that his father had been proof that it worked.
By the time Cale came out of the trance, he had gone far past the Edge and had terrified Nadua with his unending bellow. At some point Marik had entered the room. They must have fought, but Cale couldn’t be sure. He was too far gone. He awoke some time later to Nadua pressing a cool rag to his head and a very pissed, yet mitigated, Marik.
“So how ‘bout you tell me what’s going on,” Marik had barked. “Or do I need to knock you out again?”
“Your mate hasn’t informed you?” Cale had asked, a bit surprised.
“Just that something from your past set you off,” Marik gritted in response.
“It’s not my place to say more,” Nadua proclaimed.
“Then that’s all you need to know,” Cale said to Marik before leaving without a second glance.
Marik had yelled after him, “Get your shit together, Cale!”
That was exactly what he planned to do.
The Serakian’s room had been his very next stop. “Is there anything you can do to break the bond?” he’d asked, still catching his breath.
Portia’s first response had been to shriek and then to knock him on his ass with a blast of heavy magic. Perhaps he shouldn’t have burst into her room in the middle of the night, but what else could he do? He must rid himself of Velicia and regain the ability to claim Kyra, or lose her forever.
Haven’t I already lost her?
Once the Serakian stopped screeching at him, she’d informed him that she could do nothing to help. “I’ve been researching the thing you call a mate bond since I boarded the ship,” she’d said after exhaling a tired yawn, “even though the Seer threatened to take my life if I even thought about it.”
“Seer?” Cale had never heard the word.
“The red-head,” she’d explained with a roll of her hand. “Nadua, I think her name is.” Then she continued, “The bond is too solid, like nothing I’ve ever seen…though we do have a name for such things.”
“Spare me,” Cale snapped. If the witch could not help him, then he had no use for her at all. He’d spent the next few days shamelessly wallowing, alone and on the Edge, cursing his mother anew, and now Velicia as well.
Finally, Sebastian had dragged him to the training room and knocked the shit out of him for a time, which marginally helped.
Kyra still wouldn’t talk to him.
Now all he looked forward to was rivers of Kayadon blood and their headless corpses, writhing under his feet.
Cale relinquished command of the ship to Sebastian but decided to stick around. “Have you heard back from those transmissions we sent out?”
“Not yet.”
“What of the dragons? Where are they?”
“Still in talks with the other clans.”
Cale scoffed. If it wasn’t for Tristan’s presence, he’d assume they weren’t coming at all.
As if reading his thoughts, Sebastian said, “We will proceed as we would with or without them.”
“What’s the plan then?”
“I’m taking the book’s contents into consideration, but I don’t want to rely solely on it. Portia’s in the process of working a concealment spell for the ship. And Nadua is scanning the future for anything that could help or hinder. Although she still can’t call visions on command, she may catch something.”
“Anya’s a good teacher,” Cale declared. He had yet to reveal what he’d learned of their mother. He wasn’t sure if he should even burden his siblings with the information. Not if there was nothing to be done, and it would only inspire their pity.
“Aye, she gives you the credit though.” Sebastian looked both prideful and irritated by that. “Says without your pushing, she wouldn’t be as far along as she is, and wouldn’t be such a help to Nadua.”
Cale’s chest bowed slightly, but then he found himself asking, “Was anyone else around when she said that?”
Sebastian saw right through him and shook his head.
Laughter burst out of Sonya as she landed on the bed, bouncing lightly before Ethan crawled over her. His expression was a wicked gleam of dark promises.
The Faieara male was insatiable.
They both were.
The last few weeks had been blissful bouts of sex coupled with long hours of teasing each other while trying to keep the pub running smoothly.
Needless to say, the patrons got kicked out more often than not.
As strong hands pulled at the laces of her bodice, she flipped their bodies so that she was on top, straddling his waist. He gave her a wry look, which she returned, fully intending to keep her current position. But just as expected, with one swift and calculated move, she was back under him in seconds.
“There’s more to your gift than just anticipation,” she accused. He was far too fast.
Clasping her wrists, he raised her arms over her head, holding them there with one hand.
He liked to be in control. But then, so did she.
“Nope,” he boasted, placing a hard triumphant kiss on her lips. As he trailed a path down her neck, he added, “The rest is just a lifetime of practice. A side effect of survival.
He’d revealed to her a little of his involvement with the pirates. He’d had to be cunning and brutal, passing from group to group, growing his reputation.
He nibbled at the sensitive flesh just above her collarbone. She groaned, wondering if he realized that made her fangs lengthen and her mind go wild. Claiming him was becoming a forethought, growing harder and harder to ignore. Not only did she no longer despise the idea…she was starting to crave it. She’d been suppressing the urge for some time now, fearing they were reaching the inevitable fork in their liaison.
They would need to separate soon if she were to ever to get back to any form of normality. Already she feared her mind would break when it happened…and it was sure to happen.
Though Ethan continued to deny a
ny attraction to the newest Faieara princess, or a desire for the promised union, he’d also not shown an interest in a mate bond with her.
And she never expected him to.
Ethan pulled back to gaze at her. Her violet eyes defied him in the most delicious way. That mocking smirk of hers was branded into his memory. She could offer him the sweetest kiss one moment and then knock him on his ass the next.
And he loved it.
How had this female enchanted him so thoroughly?
Just before taking her lips, he’d caught a glimmer of her little fangs. A beautiful snake, waiting to strike. So why was he still drawn to her? Every day he wanted more.
Some part of him realized what was happening, but he wasn’t ready to admit it aloud. There were still things between them that needed to be resolved.
Yet, at the moment, his mind was drunk on her delicious scent. Her wild, free nature always took him by surprise.
The first time she’d taken him into her wicked mouth, he thought he would die from shock. She had been eager to give him such pleasure. And even though she’d had her fangs at the ready, he had not been afraid.
He’d been turned on.
Now every time he envisioned her fangs sinking into his flesh, he found himself unconsciously nipping at her…actually encouraging her. What only months ago he considered a barbaric act, was now the most erotic idea imaginable.
But that couldn’t be what he wanted. Could it? Sure, he’d mulled it over on occasion, but…certainly she didn’t. He pulled back once more to look at her, seeing undisguised desire pool behind hooded lids. A single fang nibbled at her bottom lip, mesmerizing him for an instant.
He moved in to claim her lips, maybe brush a fang with his tongue, but she turned her head. “Don’t. I…I need a minute.”
Her breath heaved, and he was drawn to the rise and fall of her breasts moving under the tight bodice, its loosened strings dangling haphazardly over her chest. Pulling at them, he finished undoing the knots, freeing her from the garment. When he bent to take one taut peak between his lips, she moaned softly, arching for him, but the change in her mood finally penetrated the haze of lust.
Not ready to let her go completely, he positioned himself by her side and pulled her into the line of his body. “What is it?”
Again she nibbled that lip, looking far too sexy and…guilty?
Then it hit him. “Ah, you want to put those pretty fangs in me.” It wasn’t a question, but she nodded in answer.
Sonya expected him to fling away from her, but he didn’t. And he seemed unalarmed by her admission.
He wasn’t terrified that she would inadvertently claim him as hers forever, even while her teeth had been brushing over his shaft. But then, even if she did take him as her mate, he wouldn’t be bound to her like she would be to him.
“You don’t want that? Right?” she finally asked.
At length, he shook his head. The movement was minuscule. Almost unnoticeable. However, and to her great surprise, her disappointment was substantial.
Schooling her features, she gnashed her teeth, trying to will her fangs to recede and feeling horrified that she’d ruined the mood—and possibly their relationship in one fell swoop.
A stretch of silence hung heavy between them. What was he thinking?
He changed the subject. “Tell me about your home.”
She frowned, rolling off the bed. He didn’t try to stop her. He just laid there, looking sexy as hell in his lose white shirt, ready to ravage her if she demanded. But her throat had suddenly grown tight, her mouth dry.
He wasn’t asking about her home world. It had been obvious, ever since Cale’s outburst, that his curiosity festered. Every now and again, he would pick for information about her father.
The problem was, she hadn’t even discussed that night with her brothers. Not really. All they knew was that Sebastian had come home to find their father’s lifeless body, and her huddled in the cupboard, frozen in shock. She wasn’t ready to relive it.
“First, tell me about Evlon,” she hedged.
Arm bent, he rested his head on his palm, giving her a patronizing look. “Two suns orbit my world,” he started. “Our ancient ancestors worshiped them, believing that, united, they fuel the magic that encompasses Evlon.”
Sonya felt her anxiety wane, and she rejoined him on the mattress, her curiosity piqued. His arm opened in welcome, and he rested his hand on her hip. “Is it true?” she urged him on.
He smiled elusively. “Your turn to tell me something.”
She hesitated. “We didn’t have royalty like you. Instead we had village councils. Elders who presided over each town. They mostly just settled disputes between landowners and discussed matters that pertained to everyday life. Pretty dull stuff to be honest.” She glanced up at him, “So, is it true?”
His lips thinned, but amusement quickly curled the corners. “Partly, I believe so. For example, twice a year, the suns align in the sky. Somehow it causes a…unique effect on us.” He smiled as if remembering. “I haven’t felt the power of it in so long. I can’t imagine how it would overwhelm me now.” Then he paused, giving her a meaningful look.
“Well? What happens to you?”
“Uh-uh. Your turn.”
Again she frowned, not liking this game. “There isn’t much to tell,” she said honestly. “We lived simple lives, only starting to delve into science and technology when the Kayadon arrived. Very few of us had ever been off planet before that, though we’d been aware of the outer races for some time.”
“Hmm.” He leaned back on the mattress and clasped his hands behind his head.
She waited for him to speak. After a while she whined, “Well?”
“Well what?”
Poking him in the side, she growled, “Tell me!”
He rolled on top of her, whipping her arms above her head. She jutted her chin, growing irritated, yet aroused at the same time.
He smirked. “At twilight, the sky turns violet, with streaks of crimson. It will forever remind me of your eyes.” She blinked twice, taken aback by the sudden tenderness in his voice. Yet his next words stole her breath. “I love you, you silly woman. Why won’t you let me in?”
After choking on a gasp, she rasped, “You what?” Her heart sped, pounding harshly against her chest. She became aware of the hard muscles of his body over hers. He was making sure she couldn’t move.
“I love you,” he repeated irefully. He hadn’t intended to blurt it out like that, but he could no longer hold back. Her stubbornness was never ending. She evaded him at every turn.
“But…you can’t,” she insisted, eyes going wide.
“Can’t I?” he said. He could sense the panic flooding her. If he wasn’t holding her in place, she would have bolted by now. Was the idea of mating with him so revolting to her that she would deny her very nature? Still her fangs advertised her desire.
“You’re the one who doesn’t want to be with me like that. You just said so.”
“You misunderstand. What I want is for you to be upfront with me. This pirate thing hangs between us. How can we overcome it if you won’t talk to me about it?”
Swiftly, she fired off, “It’s nothing. I’m over it anyway. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“That sounded convincing.”
“Shut up! Get off of me!” She bucked but he held fast.
“I just told you that I love you, and you want to run away?”
“Do you think I should love you back just because you’re supposedly my mate?”
“Pretty much. Yeah.”
“Well, sorry to disappoint you.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Why are you being so stubborn about this?” He didn’t believe for a second she didn’t love him. Why was she denying it?
“Because, since you couldn’t trick it out of me, you’re trying to force it. You’re always making me do things I’m not ready for!”
Her words sliced through him, and he finally releas
ed her. As if she couldn’t get away from him fast enough, she scrambled off the bed, refusing to look at him as she laced her bodice. He could tell she was going to leave without a word. Probably wouldn’t talk to him for a full week or two, maybe never.
“Wait, Sonya.”
She paused halfway to the door with her back to him.
“You’re right, I’m sorry. Please don’t go. I can tell you keep me at a distance, and it’s driving me crazy, but I won’t bring it up again. Alright?”
Her shoulders hunched, and he thought she might be wavering. An agonizing moment later, she turned to face him.
“You keep me so off balance,” she admitted. “I have no idea how to deal with”—she gestured between them as if words had escaped her—“all of this.”
He pursed his lips together, unsure how to proceed. Finally, he said, “If you come back to bed, I’ll tell you what happens when the suns align.”
Repressing a grin, she replied, “Resorting to bribery?”
Already he knew he’d won. “Usually the best course of action.”
He saw the debate warring inside her. She wanted to resist, yet at the same time she wanted to submit. He imagined she had never experienced those conflicting emotions at the same time, at least before he’d come along.
Taking the choice from her, he pushed off the bed and crossed to her. Her gaze followed him cautiously, as if expecting an attack.
“No longer curious?” he drawled in a husky voice.
She averted her gaze, and one smooth shoulder hiked nonchalantly.
Cupping her face, he trailed his thumb over her cheek. “It would be better for me to show you.”
He dipped his head, and their lips drew together like a pair of magnets. After a few strokes of his tongue, she melted into his arms.
Chapter 26
The Sanctuary provided a measure of solace. It looked jungle-esque, full of a variety of plants, flourishing under the artificial light. A faux river twisted through a grassy plain. This room was no doubt the jewel of the ship, providing the crew with peace and life among their metallic world and the never-ending black space.
