by Mina Carter
He knew she was aware of his presence from the slight intake of her breath and the stiffness that invaded her limbs. She didn’t look at him. Every line of her slender figure radiated tension.
“What was that about?” Crossing the room, he gripped her arm and turned her around to face him. She ignored the pull and yanked her arm free, leaving red marks from his fingers.
“What was what about?” Turning with all the grandeur of an Empress, she gave him an innocent, yet haughty expression. “Back there? Just the truth. Sorry if it hurts.”
“You’re sad.” The realization startled him. Reaching out, he tugged a strand of her hair loose and wound it around his finger. He loved her hair. The vibrant color and the feel of it against his skin was like silk. A sensual delight he hadn’t expected. “Why are you sad?”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. You can’t be that dense, surely?”
She tried to pull the lock of hair loose, but he held on. A short tussle ensued, one that ended when he slid his free hand around the nape of her neck and tilted her head. The delicate bones of her neck felt so fragile in his large, warriors hand. He gentled his grip and leaned in to kiss her, heat simmering in his veins, but she bared her teeth in warning.
“I thought we were past all this resistance.”
“We are?” She blinked at him, her lips pursed into a stubborn little pout. He wanted to lean down and kiss it away. “No, that would have been the fact you drugged me. It’s worn off. Otherwise, I’d have been climbing those warriors in your office like a tree.”
He sighed, and closed his eyes for a second. Damn stubborn humans.
“Ker’ann doesn’t work like that, little Moore Cat. It eases…the differences between our physical sizes, but it can’t create something that’s not there.” He opened his eyes again. “And this…between us? It is there. Any idiot can see you find me attractive.”
“Asshole. I think I like the healer more. He kinda looks like you...”
Anger flared without warning. His hand tightened in her hair. She squeaked, her face paling and he eased his grip again.
“Never look at Laarn again.” Jealousy dictated his responses. The thought of her in another man’s arms triggered a rage so deep it scared him. “The only man you should look at is me.”
“Whoa, whoa…calm down, big boy.” She stroked her hands over his forearms. Her touch was like cool water after the heat of the Arakaas deserts he’d visited as a boy. “I was joking.”
“Don’t.”
The order was short and sharp before he pulled her into his embrace. His mouth had barely covered hers before she tore away.
“No!”
Pulling back, he looked down at her. “No? Why no? We are compatible…you accepted my claim over you.”
“Not like I had much choice, did I?” Her voice was sharp and her eyes glittered with angry tears. Why did the sight of them make his chest ache?
“You took mine away to give them theirs. Not that they have much of a choice. Fuck a warrior or become a whore. Did it ever occur to you that humanity has been looking for other advanced races? That human women might find you guys attractive and come voluntarily?”
He stilled, his expression setting into unreadable lines. She’d called him out. He hadn’t considered that.
Shoving at his shoulder, she demanded. “You didn’t, did you? You just barged right in with bigger guns and took what you wanted.”
He shrugged. “It’s always been the Lathar way.”
“Well, the Lathar are idiots,” she huffed. “You’re an idiot.”
He ventured a small smile. “It’s been said before. Laarn still maintains I was dropped on my head at birth.”
“Huh. Makes sense.”
Sensing a thawing in her attitude, he leaned down to brush his lips over hers. She didn’t move or respond. He didn’t like her lack of response. Humans were far more complicated than he’d first thought. Last night had been filled with passion and a responsiveness he’d never imagined before and he wanted more. She hadn’t pushed him away though, that was something. Under Latharian law, he was more than within his rights to take what he wanted, but he found he didn’t want that. He wanted her to open up to him, to give herself. To him.
She lifted her chin. As a signal, it was tiny, but he had nothing else to go on, so grasped it like a lifeline.
He didn’t push, instead seducing her with soft touches and kisses. His lips learned the shape of hers, teasing at the corners, all his senses alert for any reaction from her. She relaxed, a slight weight against him and he eased her closer. She fit into his arms so perfectly that it had to be by design. The ancestors had to have designed her just for him. There was no other explanation.
Tilting her head back farther, he flicked the tip of his tongue against her full lower lip, then teased at it with a slight nip. She gasped, her lips parting. Softly, softly, he warned himself, not rushing in as he would have before. When she didn’t close them all the way, he kissed her again, stroking his tongue against the parted seam in a request for access.
Her response was a small moan and then she kissed him back. Triumph and relief hit hard and fast. A rumble of need and pleasure in the back of his throat, he deepened the kiss. Tasting her again was as good as his memory, wiping out all other thought. All that mattered was the two of them, her touch, as the rest of the universe whirled around them with a rapid beeping sound.
She pulled away, frowning. “What is that noise? It sounds like an alarm.”
He blinked, shook his head and focused.
“Fuck. It’s the red alert.”
Chapter Two
Cat had to trot to keep up with Tarrick as he headed to the bridge. The low-level lighting in the corridor flashed red in rhythmic pulses. Warriors scattered as Tarrick stormed through, parting like the seas before him. She followed in his wake, slipping onto the bridge beside him. Her breath caught in her throat when all the combat bots turned at their entrance, arms spread and talons extended as they focused on her and Tarrick.
Oh shit… Fear crawled down her spine at the memory of their sharp claws. They wouldn’t make mincemeat of their own commander…would they? He didn’t seem worried. Instead, he paused for half a second before a gleam washed over the surface of the octagonal pendant he wore. Interesting, it seemed their necklaces were less jewelry and more identification. Like a dog tag. She filed that nugget of information away and stayed close as he strode to the center of the bridge.
The central view screen in front of them flickered to life and she sucked in a hard breath. There were more ships now, but these weren’t the same design as Tarrick’s ships. Black metal glimmered in the light of this system's sun, and weaponry, or what she assumed were weapon arrays, bristled on all surfaces.
“Sheilds to full. Are those T’Laat clan ships?” Tarrick’s voice was sharp and cut through the noise on the bridge. “Who heads T’Laat now?”
Cat tucked herself in by an empty console just behind Tarrick and kept quiet. So far, her presence had been accepted but she didn’t want to call attention to herself and be taken back to Tarrick’s quarters. The more she saw, the more information she could gather. Never knew what could come in handy.
Jassyn looked up from a console on the opposite side of the bridge. From what she could work out, he appeared to be the latharian equivalent of the tactical officer; one trained in strategy and tactics.
“Varish T’Laat.”
Silence fell over the bridge at the name. It was a telling silence. Whoever this Varish was, no one liked him much.
“Draanth!” Tarrick swore, his tone dropping to a growl. “That changes things.”
“Incoming call from the T’Laat flagship, the Jeru’tias. Looks like they want to talk,” another warrior announced, his hands flying over the console in front of him.
Cat eyed hers with interest. She had always been good with computers. Perhaps she could switch hers on and get a peek at their system. Waving her hand over it did nothing, neither did
touching it. The surface only lit up when she put her hand flat on it. Jumping, she yanked her hand back, but the imprint remained in bright blue. Words scrolled across the screen.
Unknown operator, please present identification…
It flickered once, then her handprint disappeared to be replaced by an octagonal outline. She blinked. Okay, so the pendants could access the computer systems. Today’s little outing was proving more fruitful by the minute.
“Stall the transmission. Use interference from the human systems.” Tarrick was still talking, rattling off orders in quickfire sentences. “Someone put out a call to Fenriis. See how far away his war group is. We will need backup here. I don’t trust Varish.”
“Accessing the human comms relays.” A warrior closer to the view screen kept up a running commentary. “Boosting to full power.”
“Got it. No, wait…” Jassyn flicked his hair back over his shoulders and frowned at his screen. “Oh for fuck’s sake, it’s this bloody repeater pattern again. Can you shut it down, Talat?”
“Yeah, cleaning now. There you go…”
Tarrick prowled the central part of the bridge as his warriors worked, his gaze on the view screen. It was as though she wasn’t even there, which suited her fine. She could study him without him being aware.
That he knew what he was doing was obvious. An aura of command surrounded him; unmistakable and sexy. For a moment her lips tingled, reminded of the gentle and oh-so-seductive kiss he’d treated her to before they were interrupted. A kiss she shouldn’t have given into. Where had the asshole alien gone? She could handle him, compartmentalize to complete her mission, but when he acted all nice… fuck. She’d be screwed.
No falling for the alien, she told herself. He’s an asshole and you’re his slave. Remember that.
“Bring group configuration to hanrat-five-nine,” Tarrick ordered, hands clasped behind his back in the classic at-ease position. Huh, seemed certain things crossed not only cultures but galaxies and species too. “Are their weapon arrays active?”
His words brought her attention to the nasty looking canons on the other ships. She assumed they were canons anyway. The basic design didn’t seem to differ much from human models. Still a barrel to fire whatever nastiness at the enemy. From what she’d seen, the Lathar used energy-based weapons.
“Powering up. They outgun us.”
Shit, this was serious. Cat’s lips moved as she counted the canons facing them. If Tarrick’s ships were of a similar configuration, then yeah, they were outnumbered. And if this lot were worse than Tarrick’s group…fuck. Better the devil you knew.
“Use the base’s weaponry,” she lifted her voice so it carried. Tarrick pivoted to spear her with a hard gaze.
“What?”
She met his look. “Give me access to the base’s mainframe. With the weapon arrays, you’ll have a better chance against…those.” She waved her hand toward the opposing war group.
“She’s right,” Jassyn commented, not looking at her, his hands busy on his console. “They’re crude but have a decent yield. Our shields took a hammering from them yesterday. Firing systems are…well, unique. We can’t figure out how to work them at the moment. Been trying to crack them since yesterday, so yes, if she gives us access, we have the advantage.”
“Try nothing,” he warned her, striding over and accessing the console with swift gestures.
“Not trying anything other than helping to save your asses. Come on, log me in so I can give you access.”
“There, you’re in.”
Sure enough, the screen flared to life but rather than the alien system, she found herself in the base’s familiar mainframe.
She input the access codes for the weaponry and gave the Lathar access.
Ladies, forgive me.
*
“Thank you,” Tarrick said, watching his little human out of the corner of his eye. That he was surprised at her offer of help was an understatement, but he would not turn down an advantage like extra weaponry. Not against an enemy as dangerous as Varish. He half expected her to try something, like accessing the weapon arrays and turning them on the K’Vass ships. Something. But she didn’t. As soon as she’d granted direct access she stepped away from the console, her hands raised.
“Done, all yours.”
“I’m in,” Jassyn announced. “Powering up.”
“Response from Fenriis,” Gaarn called out. “Still over half a pasec away.”
Tarrick kept his disappointment to himself. Even at top speed, that meant they couldn’t rely on reinforcements.
“Okay, we’re doing this solo. Take us to combat status but cut the red alert warnings in this room. Activate all bots for possible boarding parties. If I know Varish, he’ll want not only the base but extra ships as spoils.”
The Lathar comprised of loosely related war-clans, but there was never any family loyalty lost or mourned. If Varish could defeat them, he would, and claim both the human women and Tarrick’s ships once he and all his warriors were dead.
He slid a quick glance at Cat. No emotion showed on her face, her manner calm and serene. His heart twisted at the thought of what would happen to her should Varish and his warriors prevail. He’d given her and her women a choice but Varish T’Laat wouldn’t. They’d be claimed and bedded within hours, willing or not.
Taking a deep breath, he nodded to Jassyn. “Put him on the screen.”
The view screen flickered for a moment then shifted from a view of the opposing war group to that of a tall, dark-featured warrior. Like Tarrick, he wore the leather and red sash of a War Commander, its edges shot through with gold. Unlike Tarrick, he hadn’t cut his warrior’s braids, his hair over his shoulders. A new commander but a dangerous one.
“T’Laat.” Tarrick inclined his head, a show of respect between those of equal rank. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”
“Can a warrior not check in with a kinsman now, without his motives being suspect?” Varish smiled. It was the oily, slick smile of a politician, one that all Tarrick’s instincts warned him not to trust. How the hell had Varish found them? His warriors knew the score. They knew not to talk about their missions, not even at the pleasure stops, and there was no way to track the ships.
Out of Varish’s line of sight, Jassyn coughed. “Trall-shit.”
Tarrick kept his expression neutral. Varish could use anything, even a flicker of an eyelid, and he’d be damned if he would give the rival warrior anything to work with.
“Your concern is noted.”
Varish’s smile widened. “And to offer my help with your current situation.”
Ah, now they got down to it. Tarrick offered a smile just as empty and false as Varish’s own.
“Thank you, but we have things quite in hand.”
“Really? Looks like a big sector here… plenty for everyone.” Varish moved to the side, his gaze focusing on Cat behind Tarrick. “You have found females?”
“A handful.” Tarrick folded his arms. There was no way Varish’s scanners could pick up the women in the holding cells, not through the Velu’vais’s shields. “The species in this sector appear to have the same problem as we have. Few women, even less fertile.”
“A few females is better than none.” Varish leaned back, a smug expression on his face. “Since this sector falls within my established remit, you will cede all captured women. At once.”
Tarrick heard the slight intake of breath behind him but couldn’t turn to assure Cat that Varish’s words held no weight. One did not look away from a snake lest it strike.
“Your established remit? I suggest you double check the records,” he advised. “This area falls under K’Vass space.”
“Ahh, it did,” Varish looked so smug Tarrick wanted to reach through the screen and splatter that long nose all over his face. “Before I submitted a requisition with the emperor’s recordkeepers. And…” he spread his hands. “I appear to have the advantage of superior numbers here. And don’t think for a momen
t I can’t see you’ve activated the weaponry on that primitive little station there.”
Tarrick stared back. “Marginally superior numbers, but it will make no difference. This is K’Vass space and we protect our own. Do you want to start something you can’t finish, Varish? Because I assure you we’ll send you packing with your tail between your legs.”
Varish smiled again. “With those ships and one little base? With the looks of the technology, I’m surprised it’s even holding its orbit. I’ll tell you what, Tarrick, given our kinship, I will give you one hour to think it through. Then you will cede the females or your bloodline will end here.”
***
Shitshitshit.
Only an idiot wouldn’t have realized that the situation was serious and Cat was far from a fool. Tension rolled around the bridge during Tarrick’s conversation with the other alien lord, the reactions of the warriors too careful and controlled. But it wasn’t until he cut the communication she realized just how serious it was.
“Lock down all comms channels,” he ordered as soon as the screen went blank. “And someone get me a direct line with the emperor. I want this shit sorted out now!”
He turned, gaze locking on hers and she swallowed. If she’d thought he looked dangerous before, it was nothing compared to the lethal aura that surrounded him now. He stalked toward her, intent written into every movement and swept her up into his embrace.
She bit her lower lip, allowing him to pull her close. Events were moving fast. So fast her head whirled. This morning it had been so simple. All she’d had to figure out was how to liberate just under a hundred women from the clutches of sex-mad aliens, find a ship, and pilot a course back to the safety of human-held space.
Oh yeah, and warn them that sexy, ripped aliens from the outer reaches of spaces were out there looking for women to capture and bed.
