by Anna Hackett
“You’re mine now.” His voice was deep and rough. “Not just House of Galen, mine.”
She thrust back against him. “Yes.”
He plunged deeper, until she couldn’t tell where he ended and she began.
“You aren’t alone anymore, Sam. Never again.”
His breath was hot on her neck, his cock stretching her, and ripples spread through her body.
“I’ll be your shield, your protector, your champion. Wherever you need me, I’ll stand beside you, behind you, or kneel at your feet. Whatever you need.”
His words sent her higher and she cried out. She felt one hand slip down her back, sliding over her skin, worshiping her. She arched into his touch and his hand moved beneath her. A second later, he circled her clit and a cry tore from her.
Her orgasm hit, huge and frightening, stealing her breath away. Pleasure shuddered through her and she pushed back against him mindlessly.
A harsh sound came from Galen. He slammed into her one more time and pressed his face to her neck. As he came, he sank his teeth into that same sensitive spot where he’d already marked her.
The possessive gesture drove her up again and she cried out his name.
Galen landed on the bed, pulling Sam close to his side. He pressed his face against her neck.
He traced lazy circles on her skin. All that beautiful, golden skin that he couldn’t get enough of. He felt where he’d bitten her, a possessive mark he liked seeing on her.
What they’d done here in his bed…it had pulled him apart and put him back together.
“That was…” Her voice was husky and soft.
He looked down at her. She looked tired, satisfied, and a little smug.
“I don’t have words.” Her cheeks were flushed and there was a smile on her lips.
“I know,” he said.
She leaned over and pressed a kiss to his chest. “You’re just too damn sexy, Imperator Galen.”
His gut clenched. No one had ever called him sexy before. He was nothing compared to her. She was so beautiful, still so feminine, when he was hard and scarred. But she was looking at him like she wanted him inside her again.
“Next time I’m inside you,” he said. “And you’re clenching on me so hard as you come, you can call me imperator.”
She laughed, elbowing him. Then she reached up and touched his eye patch. “You ever take this off?”
He shook his head. “It’s not pretty. Just scars.”
Her hand drifted down to his chest, stroking the nasty scars there as well. Marks he’d never had medically fixed or removed.
“You got them escaping Aurelia,” she said quietly.
“Yes.” A ripple of tension moved through him. Old pain twisted up like a desert serpent ready to strike.
“Will you tell me?” she murmured.
“It’s an ugly story.” And it wasn’t one he’d shared with anybody. He and Raiden had discussed certain aspects of their history and their escape from their homeworld, but they were men, they didn’t linger over it.
Strangely, he found himself wanting to talk to Sam. Drak, why did he feel like she cracked him wide open?
“I did what I had to in order to save Raiden. Thraxian mercenaries had us cornered, and I was injured getting us free. I have no regrets about that.” Only that Raiden had already witnessed the slaying of his family, and Galen hadn’t been able to save them, or stop the destruction of their homeworld.
“Brave, heroic man,” Sam murmured.
“I was doing my job.”
“I don’t think Raiden was ever just a job to you.”
Galen pulled her closer, breathing in the scent of her hair.
“You did right by him, Galen.” She leaned up to kiss his eye patch, then moved to press her lips to the scars on his chest. “You are a hero.”
He sat up. “I’ve done a lot of things to ensure Raiden’s safety and build this House. Not all of them were heroic. A world like Carthago breeds survivors, not heroes.”
“The women have told me all about the work you do here, behind the scenes. Rescuing captives unsuited to the arena from the other houses.” She brushed her thumb across his lips. “You think I’m not going to respect you for doing what needs to be done? You think I don’t understand what it is to do what you have to do to live, even when it destroys little pieces of your soul?”
He slid his hand into her hair. “Sam—”
“I understand. And I think what you achieved here, what you forged from nothing, is amazing.”
He did the only thing he could and kissed her.
When she pulled back, she was breathless. She groaned. “I have to go. I promised to meet Harper, Rory, and the others.”
Galen nodded, but he was reluctant to let her loose. To lose their private time together. “And I have to meet with the imperators.”
Her face turned serious. “You’ll find me when you get back? Tell me how it went?”
He nodded again, tracing her healed neck once more.
She smiled. “I think I just proved beyond a doubt that I’m okay.”
“I’m not sure I’m entirely convinced.”
She climbed off the bed, seemingly unconcerned that she was naked. He greedily drank in all those glorious curves.
“Guess I’ll have to prove it to you again later.” She shot him a saucy wink as she headed for the bathroom.
Galen wanted to grab her and drag her back into his bed. His cock was already hardening just from looking at her. He’d lost track of how many times he’d already had her, but his body didn’t care. He wanted her like he’d never wanted anything before.
Sam Santos would never, ever suffer again. He made the vow to himself. He’d make sure of it.
As for keeping her… He looked at the tangled sheets of his bed. She’d just escaped hell. She needed space to decide what she wanted, and whether that included a man loaded with responsibilities and with a past of failure.
He wouldn’t push, and if she decided that she didn’t want him, he’d find a way to live with that.
After Sam left to meet her friends, Galen dressed and headed to his office. He had a meeting to prepare for.
What he hadn’t expected was to find his office crowded with his gladiators. He pulled up short in the doorway.
Raiden was standing at the window with Blaine and Saff, while Thorin leaned against the wall. Kace and Nero were standing by the door, and Lore was happily sitting in Galen’s chair like it was his office.
Lore spotted him first. “So.” The gladiator drawled the word, a huge grin on his face.
Galen should have expected this. He strode inside.
“How the mighty have fallen.” Raiden made no attempt to hide his smile.
“I’m just happy he finally got laid,” Thorin said. “It has been a long time.”
Galen scowled at all of them.
“How’s it feel?” Saff asked. “To fall under the spell of an Earth woman?”
“Out of my chair,” Galen growled at Lore.
The long-haired gladiator stood, waving to the chair with a flourish. Then his face turned serious. “We’re happy for you, G.”
Galen sat. “She is…” He had no idea how to describe Sam and what she made him feel.
Kace nodded. “We know. They worm their way under your skin, and leave you frustrated and dazzled at the same time.”
“And nothing has ever felt so right,” Nero finished.
Blaine pressed a hand to Galen’s desk. “Sam is one of the best people I know. She’s also my friend… You hurt her—” The man from Earth left the rest of his sentence unspoken, but Galen knew exactly what Blaine meant.
“Noted, gladiator.”
Thorin shook his head. “Never thought I’d see Galen fall for a woman. It looks pretty good on you, G.”
Galen fought back a smile. “If you’re all finished rubbing it in, I have a meeting to attend.”
Instantly, the atmosphere in his office changed.
Ra
iden walked forward. “Your meeting with the imperators.”
Galen nodded. “I need to bring them together.” Images of Sam’s blood spraying across the arena sand filled his head. “I need them to understand the threat the Thraxians and their implants pose. I need all their fighters to come together.”
“You don’t think they’ll agree, after what you have to tell them?” Blaine asked.
“The imperators have a long history of minding their own business.” Galen frowned. “I’m asking them to fight, to spill blood, and to end another House, once and for all.”
“There’s no telling what they’ll decide,” Raiden said.
Galen stood. “I’ll do what I can, and we have to hope we get enough allies together so we can end the Thraxians.”
“And stop them before it’s too late,” Blaine added.
Chapter Twelve
Sam lifted the drink that Regan had made her and took a sip. It didn’t taste too bad. If she didn’t think about it too closely, the beverage tasted almost like coffee.
Around her, the women were talking and laughing. She felt something brush her ankle, and looked down at the robot dog, Hero, sniffing at her feet. She smiled. The dog abandoned her a moment later to go back over to baby Finley, who was playing on a blanket on the living room floor. The baby grinned and clapped his hands. The two were best friends.
Cute.
“Sooooo, Sam got naked with our hunk-a-licious imperator.”
Rory’s words almost made Sam spray her drink everywhere. She looked up and saw that everyone was watching her. “Excuse me?”
“He didn’t leave her side in Medical,” Winter added. “And when she was healed, he scooped her right up and carried her off.” The doctor sighed.
“Hey, isn’t that breaking patient confidentiality or something?” Sam complained.
Winter smiled. “We aren’t on Earth anymore.”
“And there are no secrets around here,” Madeline added.
Rory grinned widely. “Besides, you have a rather large bruise there on your neck. Doesn’t look like a training injury.”
“Looks like a possessive alpha male mark to me,” Mia said with a smile.
Sam automatically fingered the mark, remembering exactly how she’d gotten it. She fought off a shiver. A part of her never wanted it to fade.
“Come on,” Rory leaned back in her chair. “We all have our own alien gladiator hunks, but if you think that we all haven’t wondered about that hard-bodied man, you’re crazy.”
Harper, sitting next to Sam on the couch, rolled her eyes. “Ignore her.” Harper scooped Finley off the floor and started bouncing him on her knee.
“No, don’t,” Mia said. “I’ve wondered.” The small woman got a faraway look in her eye. “He’s always so…controlled.”
Madeline crossed her legs. “I want to know too. I’ve wondered what happens when a man like Galen loses all that control.”
Sam blinked, her throat tightening. She’d missed this. She missed having friends who cared, and poked and prodded.
She set her drink down on the table. “It’s good.”
“Good.” Rory looked insulted. “That’s it?”
“Really good.” Sam thought of touching Galen, his big body moving over hers. “It’s beyond anything you can imagine.” She still felt a sweet ache between her legs.
The women giggled, and Rory fell back in her chair. “I think I just had a mini orgasm.”
“Rory.” Harper covered Finley’s ears. The baby chuckled.
“He’s a super alien baby, but he has no idea what I’m talking about yet.” Rory grabbed her son, nuzzling him.
“Things are kind of intense,” Sam said. “For now, I’m focused on taking down the Thraxians.”
“And getting as much hot sex as you can.” Rory winked and then looked down at her son. “Don’t listen to mama, baby boy.”
There was more laughter.
A House of Galen worker entered the room with a swish of skirts. “Mistress Samantha, the imperator has returned, and asks that you join him.”
“I bet,” Rory said.
But Sam felt tension creep in. She exchanged a glance with Harper and stood. “Regan, I liked the rica. Thanks. I’ll see you all later.”
She headed out and turned in the direction of Galen’s office. When she reached the doorway, she saw him at his desk, elbows resting on the surface. There was a dark and heavy vibe filling the room.
“Galen?”
He looked up, and one look at his face made her stomach drop. “It didn’t go well.”
“It didn’t go well.” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I have my allies, like the House of Rone and the House of Zeringei, and a few others. But in order to guarantee success, I need all the houses to get on board with this fight.”
She moved closer. “They don’t see the implant as a big problem?”
“Like I’ve told you, there’s a long history of the houses minding their own business. And some are arrogant enough to believe the Thraxians aren’t a threat.”
Sam dropped into the chair across from his desk. “That’s why you’ve rescued prisoners under the radar.”
He nodded. “It was easier than causing outright conflict with the other houses. Some of the other imperators are just arrogant fools, and others believe they are too powerful. The rest just don’t want to believe.”
“So where does that leave us?”
His head snapped up, his face determined. “We fight. I got word from Zhim when I returned that Zaabha has landed.”
Sam’s chest locked. “Where?”
“In the Forsaken Barrens, north of the city. It hasn’t moved for several hours.”
Blood roared in her ears. “It’s a trap.”
“Yes, but I don’t give a drak, Sam. I’ll pull my people and my allies together. Rillian has promised soldiers as well. We’ll likely still be outnumbered, and we’ll be in their terrain, but nothing will stop us. We’ll go in and destroy the implant research, we rescue the prisoners, and then burn Zaabha to the ground.”
She knew this was going to be beyond dangerous. She was well aware that Galen had some of the best fighters on the planet, but the Thraxians had numbers. They had prisoners, and fighters with implants that made them willing to follow every order.
To kill without hesitation.
Sam pressed her hands to her thighs, her nails digging through her trousers. There was a part of her that didn’t want to see the Zaabha Arena again, but she couldn’t let that part take over. All her life, she’d always stood up for what she believed in.
Galen pulled in a deep breath. “I’ve learned a lot about teamwork and determination from having stubborn, resilient humans under my roof. I’ve learned that the odds don’t always predict who’ll win the day.”
She smiled, but she knew it didn’t reach her eyes.
He sat back in his chair, like a king on his throne. “I don’t want you on the mission.”
Sam’s stomach revolted. She watched his hands curl into fists on the desktop.
“But I know you want to go,” he said, before she could protest. “I know you’ll need to go, and that you deserve to be a part of ending this.”
Her chest loosened. “Thank you.”
“I also know that you’re strong enough to bring the Thraxians to their knees. It will be my honor to fight beside you.”
Dios, he gutted her. Sam stood and circled the desk. She’d never in all her life met a man like Galen. A man of conviction, one who was a pillar of self-confidence, and wasn’t afraid to show how much he respected her.
She cupped Galen’s rugged face and leaned down to kiss him.
Instantly, his mouth moved against hers, deepening the kiss. He yanked her into his lap. She slid her hands into his hair, her tongue tangling with his.
“Now,” he said. “I need you now.” His hands went to her trousers, flicking them open.
“Someone might come in.”
He pushed her trousers do
wn, and she lifted her hips to help him.
“I don’t care.”
A second later, her trousers were gone, and he opened his own. Sam didn’t care, either. Desire ignited like fire in her blood. She straddled him and then he thrust inside her.
There. She moaned. So good.
Sam lifted her hips and started riding him. Their gazes locked, their lips just a whisper apart.
“You will not get hurt,” he said with a growl.
“You aren’t allowed to get hurt, either.”
His hands clenched on her hips driving her up and down. “You are so drakking beautiful, Sam.”
She moved faster, and soon, there were no thoughts of anything—only the connection between them and the pleasure crashing over them.
Galen strode into Varus’ stables, Sam and his gladiators beside him. It was early, and a hush still lay over Kor Magna.
“Galen.” The big man strode forward to meet them, his face serious. The former gladiator was huge, with a grizzled face and a shaved head.
“Varus,” Galen greeted him.
A young girl trotted beside Varus. The teen, Duna, was one of Varus’ best desert guides.
“I hear you’re going to war,” Varus said.
Galen gave a nod. “As I said in my message, we need tarnids. Zaabha is in the Forsaken Barrens.”
“Horrible place.” Duna’s nose wrinkled.
“Zaabha is a drakking abomination,” Varus spat. “The Thraxians and their sand-sucking allies the Srinar, as well.” He turned to Duna. “Have the team bring the beasts.”
“I’ll have payment delivered to you,” Galen said.
The man shook his head. “No. Consider this my contribution to the fight.”
Galen nodded, clasping hands with the former gladiator in a warrior’s hold. “Thank you.”
Galen saw Varus’ gaze shift past him, and knew the man was looking at Sam. Galen couldn’t stop himself reaching for her and sliding an arm around her waist.
He’d made love to her that morning—hard and rough. They’d torn up the sheets, desperate for each other. But despite gorging himself on her, he felt desire spike.
Varus studied her, his bushy eyebrows rising. “So, you’re Galen’s latest rescue.”
