Fueled by Lust: Makar and Baruch (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Celeste Prater

  Slamming into the mercenary and pinning him to the tree, Makar grasped a handful of black hair, yanked sideways, and slit the meaty throat from ear to ear. Shoving the body to the side, he swung around at the sound of gunfire. He watched in awe as Baruch reformed to energy upon every shot, yet kept his steady advance on the man now staggering backward while screaming, “El Diablo” into a handheld radio. Only the steady click of an empty gun could be heard above the sound of the asshole’s neck snapping at the hands of his very pissed-off mate.

  Baruch stood over the limp form for several long beats, muscles shivering at the need to do more damage.

  Keely’s hurt.

  Head snapping up, Baruch swiveled around and quickly joined him. They found Keely hugging the tree in a white-knuckled grip, the thin whip still held firmly in her fist. Her ragged breath was rushing in and out, and her eyes were squeezed shut. Relief suffused them both upon seeing the injury wasn’t as deep as first thought.

  Slowly, they peeled her fingers from the bark and pulled her away from the tree. Baruch gently pried the branch from her hand. She stiffened, and her eyes peeled wide, gaze locking onto the man Makar had killed. Her words came low and frantic. Pushing out with each gasping breath.

  “So much blood…so much blood. It’s too bright. No. No. I can smell it. Oh my god, I can smell it.”

  She immediately lunged forward, clamping them both around the waist, fingers digging into their backs. Her body shuddered uncontrollably as they quickly led her away from the forest and into the clearing. Makar felt his emotions bouncing all over the place from how close she’d come to death and having to witness what he’d done. Baruch began to tremble before pulling them all down to the ground in a tight huddle.

  “Oh, sweetie. We shouldn’t have left you alone. Please forgive us.”

  Makar strained to hear the words she was mumbling repeatedly against his chest.

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

  Baruch stroked her back and pulled them closer. “It’s okay, baby. It’s over. Nothing to be sorry about. You did so good. We’re very proud of you.”

  Long minutes passed before the adrenaline eventually wore off, and their breathing settled. Keely finally lifted her head and blinked a few times. She took a deep breath and tried to compose herself. Her eyes locked with his. His stomach clenched at the paleness of her skin.

  “I’m sorry I lost it there for a second. I’m glad you killed him. I could see it on his face. He wasn’t going to stop until I was dead. I’m glad you did it.”

  Before Makar could respond, the crackling of a radio drew their attention. Keely’s head jerked to the left, and her eyes immediately narrowed. He was thankful that her color was finally returning. Her voice had strengthened as well.

  “He’s calling for his buddy, demanding he repeat what he claims to have seen.” She pried herself out of their arms and straightened to a sitting position. She looked to Baruch, a hard determination on her face. “Bring it to me.”

  Baruch leaped up to retrieve the radio while Makar moved her out of the sun. Settled on the ground beneath the shade of a tall tree, Keely leaned against the trunk, brows furrowing as her eyes darted back and forth in thought. By the time Baruch returned, one eyebrow was cocked, and she was carrying the look of a righteously pissed female. She accepted the radio from Baruch and thumbed the talk button on the side. Her words were deep, slow, and ominous.

  “El diablo sabe quién eres.” Her tone lowered even further as she practically growled into the device. “Ejecutar pendejo.” She released the button and calmly set the radio aside. It crackled for a few minutes before a low, fearful voice drifted from the com. He spoke a few trembling lines, and the radio silenced. Keely’s head lolled back, and her lips lifted slowly into a sneer.

  “He’s praying.”

  Baruch’s eyes widened. “Damn, Keely. I don’t know what you just said, but even I got chills. What was that?”

  They all looked up at the sound of a helicopter in the distance. Glancing to Keely’s upturned face Makar watched her lips twist with disgust, eyes narrowed.

  “The devil knows who you are. Run, asshole.” She snorted. “I see he took my advice.”

  Baruch’s voice immediately drifted through his mind.

  Gods damn, Makar. I think I should feel bad, but I’m hard as a rock. I’m so in love with this female.

  Right there with you, brother. That was sexy as hell.

  Snatching the first-aid kit, Makar cleaned and dressed her arm as Baruch reformed into a ball of rolling smoke and floated up through the tree branches. He hovered at the top for several minutes. The second he returned, he plopped down next to them, chuckled, and patted Keely’s leg.

  “You definitely scared the shit out of him. The bird’s just a spec on the horizon. Either he’s done with us, or he’s going for help. We need to leave the radio here. They might have tracking on it.” He rolled his head against the trunk and smiled.

  “Good news, though. I spotted something red over the next ridgeline. The trees were swaying just enough that I caught a sliver of an angled corner. Definitely man-made. Bad news is we have to change directions and head west to get to it. We’ll need to walk this ridgeline in hopes of finding a slope. I still can’t see anything close by to shimmy down without a lot of effort.”

  Keely heaved out a breath. “Okay, let’s do it. This time I’m sticking to you like glue. Whatever happens, just don’t drop me.”

  Chuckling, Makar stood and turned so Baruch could place her on his back. “Wouldn’t think of it, sweetness. I don’t want to be on the end of your wrath, that’s for sure. You’re scary.” His skin tingled when her breath brushed across his shoulder, and she snorted.

  “Nah, I’m a lightweight. I just used their superstitions against him.”

  Baruch scoffed, “Lightweight my ass. Mental attacks are just as lethal as a physical weapon. He could’ve easily swung this way and attempted to spray a ton of bullets at us. Nope, you struck hard, sweetness. Don’t fool yourself. We’d be proud to have you by our side in battle.”

  Makar felt Keely drape across his back and released a contented sigh when her head pressed against his. By the look on Baruch’s face, he could tell he was enjoying the gift of a sweet smile. They walked for several minutes in total silence. The farther they ventured into the thickness of the trees, the tighter her grip became around his neck. With each mysterious sound of the forest, her legs tightened around his waist.

  “You can relax now, sweetness. There’s nothing in here that we can’t take care of.”

  “I know. I just can’t seem to stop expecting something to pop up and scare the piss out of me. I’m apologizing now if I end up blowing out your eardrum when I scream.”

  Baruch snorted and threw her a lopsided grin. “This is nothing compared to Glaxon 8. If you could’ve seen what called that place home, you’d appreciate these little sounds.”

  “What’s Glaxon 8?”

  “A planet that’s going to stick in my nightmares for a while.”

  “Why?”

  Should I tell her? I probably shouldn’t have brought it up.

  No, go ahead. It’ll distract her until we can find that structure.

  “Makar and I were flying the royal transport loaded with the emperor and six other elite guards to Messor. We got skyjacked by a slaver vessel. They were colonizing Glaxon 8 and needed some bodies to help them with the dirty work. A group of Nawiens and Protonecians got snagged as well. We ended up escaping and fled to the surrounding forests.”

  “How’d you get away?”

  “We told you that the emperor was getting married. Well, that’s where he met his mate, Tana. The Dar Kan had swiped her a month earlier. She’s the one that stole the device that unlocked our shackles.”

  “That was very brave.”

  “Indeed. She’s very feisty. It seems like that’s an innate trait of Earth females.”

  “Tana’s from here?”

  “Oh, yes. She
was in your FBI and working on a ship when she got snatched.”

  “Geezus. This is crazy. So what did you see that’s worse than this place?”

  “We’d scattered and were to meet up by the river. After being separated from the emperor and Tana, we had to wait for the others before we headed to their camp. The next morning we woke to a horrendous sound that caused our flesh to crawl. Shortly, the Nawiens and Protonecians came crashing through the trees, and they looked scared out of their skulls. We immediately knew why when we saw what was chasing them. The damn thing was huge. It trampled three of the Nawiens as if they were bugs, skewered another with one of its three horns, and snapped a Protonecian in two with a single bite. We didn’t wait around to see what else that monstrosity could do. There weren’t any weapons available that could’ve put a dent in that thing.”

  “Why didn’t you just mist so it couldn’t see you?”

  Makar patted her leg. “Believe me. That would’ve been preferable. Sometimes it’s very difficult when you get the crap scared out of you, or your emotions are all over the place. In this case, we were unable because something on the planet was inhibiting the ability. That’s how the Dar Kan was able to cage us in the first place. We just hauled ass and hoped everyone else could keep up.”

  “Ah, I didn’t think about you not misting when you were captured. So, how’d you get away from the animal?”

  “All of us ran for what felt like hours. The beast wouldn’t give up. We sent a mind call out to the emperor to warn him so he could get Tana to safety. We didn’t want to bring that damn thing to the emperor’s doorstep, but the river to the right and sheer cliffs on the left kept us from leading it away. You don’t know how relieved we were when we finally rounded into their camp and found that he’d staked out our swords. The Dar Kan had confiscated them upon our capture, and he and Tana had stolen them back. That male definitely has his shit together. You put those two in the same room, and there’s no telling what they can accomplish.”

  “Geez, you’re killing me here. What happened?”

  Baruch chuckled and tugged on the toes of her uninjured foot. “Once we had those swords in our hands, our fates changed. The hunter became the hunted. We skewered the thing within seconds and then had him for dinner. He was rather tasty.”

  “That’s unbelievable.”

  Makar laughed. “And it’s the precise reason why we hacked off the front horn and brought it back to Insedivertus. It’s on display at our gym. We’ll show it to you when we get back.” He liked the feel of her dainty hand patting his chest.

  “No, it’s not that I don’t believe you. I just meant that my mind couldn’t quite comprehend the idea of so many other beings out there. We Earthlings are full of ourselves. It’s naive to think we’re the only thing hanging out in the universe. So, how’d you get off the planet?”

  Baruch pushed back some low-hanging branches and motioned them through while explaining their good fortune.

  “Our very intelligent emperor made sure to leave some bread crumbs for the empire to follow. There was nothing better than the sight of a monstrous, Insedi warship swooping down from the sky to lay waste to those ugly blue bastards.”

  “Blue?”

  “Yep. Yellow eyes, too.”

  “Okay, you win. The little critters in here seem like child’s play. I’ll quit whining, but I have a favor to ask.”

  “Anything, sweetness.”

  “Put me down.”

  Chapter 12

  Keely felt Makar stiffen and caught the look of apprehension on Baruch’s face.

  “Nothing bad, guys. My arms are starting to go numb, and the ankle just woke up. Can we rest for a bit?”

  Within seconds, Baruch had her plucked off of Makar’s back and lounging on a pile of soft leaves. He began massaging her tingling hands while Makar dug in the med kit for the numbing agent. Their concerned, beautiful eyes kept darting back to her, ensuring she was comfortable.

  Keely shook her head and tried to determine when she’d quit thinking of them as the enemy. Was it the second they’d made her laugh, or the moment their genuine protectiveness became apparent? Her musings came to a halt as soon as the needle crossed into her line of sight. She clenched her teeth and looked up to the thick canopy of leaves while warm hands clasped her leg. Baruch tried to relieve her anxiety.

  “Go ahead, baby. Dig your nails into my arm if you need. I don’t mind.”

  Makar chuckled. “Don’t worry, your flesh is safe. I’m finished.”

  Keely lifted onto her elbows, watching as he rewrapped the injury. “You’re good at that, Makar. I didn’t even feel a sting.” She was surprised when he scooted behind her and eased her against his chest.

  “The last thing we want to do is hurt you, Keely. We wouldn’t be able to live with ourselves.”

  Unsure of how to respond, Keely didn’t protest when Baruch elevated her leg onto his thigh. His gentle pats to the bottom of her foot were soothing. Makar clasped her hands and attempted to get the blood flow moving again. Many minutes ticked by as she enjoyed their attention. Soon, she realized she could either doze off, or start the journey to learning more about these two enigmas.

  “I know you guys wanted to wait until I could see your world before you gave me details about yourselves, but I think you can make an exception considering the circumstances. You agree?”

  Baruch glanced up, his hand stilling on her toes. “Sure, as long as you still agree to come back with us. You really need to see it, Keely.”

  Keely raised her brows. “So, I had a choice this whole time?”

  Shrugging, Baruch threw her a lopsided grin. “Well, yes, actually. We never intended to force you. It was more of a gentle persuasion.”

  Makar’s chest rumbled against her back. “We would’ve stayed glued to your side until we got rid of the evidence and convinced you to not disclose our presence.”

  “So, if I’d just walked out of the alley and gone home, you wouldn’t have stopped me?”

  “No, but we’d be parked on your couch until you talked everything through with us.”

  “Really?”

  Baruch flopped onto the ground, stared up to the stretch of green, and gently stroked her leg. “The only exception is if you’d started screaming like a banshee. Then we wouldn’t have had a choice but to subdue you and haul ass to the club.” He rolled his head to look her directly in the eye. “I’m glad you didn’t do that. You’d hate us. I wouldn’t be able to stomach that.”

  “You’re right. I’d hate you. Okay, then. Let’s start fresh, and you can kick off the convincing. First question. Why are you here?” Makar’s deep voice drifted over her shoulder.

  “Survival. Plain and simple.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Baruch released her leg, sat up, and braced himself on his hands. “When we got jacked by the Dar Kan, we were chasing Basilius. He was on his way to Messor to kill his cousin so he couldn’t replace him as the new Protonecian king. Basilius was a nut bag that killed all of our females six years earlier in an attempt to control our destinies. Fortunately, he died on the planet, so that worry is gone. But his actions are still prevalent. We had no choice but to come here and find compatible mates.”

  Keely sat stunned for a long moment. “Oh, my god, that’s horrible. This whole time I suspected that you were coming to take us over. I’m sorry for even imagining that. You must have lost so many relatives. I…even your mothers?”

  Baruch nodded. “Yes, we lost them all. Mothers, aunts, cousins, grandmothers, and our mate.”

  “You were married?”

  “Yes. Her name was Tianus. We were together for four years.”

  “Did you have children? Wait, I’m sorry. That was insensitive.”

  “No, it’s okay. We were fortunate not to have to endure that tragedy. Many others did. I’d wish that upon no one.”

  “I understand. Uh…so how long have you two been here on Earth?”

  “Over a week. Once we we
re rescued from the slavers, the emperor sent all of the Elite Guard away. He ordered us to rest and get our heads straight. We decided it was time to start our search.”

  Makar’s hand slipped gently down the side of her arm, and Baruch looked her directly in the eye, the warm silvery gaze holding her captive. She suddenly remembered Makar’s urgent dinner invitation by the elevator. Had they targeted her? A flash of warmth lit her chest, but quickly diminished at the next thought. How many others were they courting? No, it’s none of your concern. This is stupid, Keely.

  “So…um…do you have last names like we do?”

  Both of them chuckled, and Makar answered her question. “We’re Makar Decanus and Baruch Abella.” He spelled out their full names.

  Glad to be on a different topic, she strangled out a laugh. “Well, I thoroughly mangled the spelling of your first names, so thanks for clearing that up. How long have you known each other?”

  Baruch’s eyes took on a faraway look. “Since we were seventeen. I was from the outlying rural Teretina tribe. When my father died, my mother returned to her family tribe of Esquilina. They resided inside the city of Urbis, where the royal family also lives.” Makar’s deep voice continued the story.

  “My family was from Urbis, so we met each other in school and became fast friends. My father no longer lives either. He died from a broken heart.”

  Keely frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “He was so in love with my mother that he starved himself of energy. Many took their own lives in order to join their mates. It became common to hear of a male wasting away in the mountains, refusing to come home.”

  “How did he starve himself that way? I don’t understand.”

  “We’re half-human and pure energy, Keely. The energy side of our nature is in tune with our planet. We share this essence in order to survive. Once my mother passed and my father’s core was no longer stable, he refused to accept offers of sustenance from Insedivertus. It cannot be forced. He wanted to go.”

  Keely’s mind swirled around the revelation that they were half-human, while her emotions leaped forward and cried out at the senseless tragedy that had befallen them. So much loss.