Jaxar

by Nancey Cummings

  Worse still, more damaged stasis chambers were found in the debris from the destroyed ship. The disabled cargo ship had not been so innocent.

  One escape pod had been recovered. The occupant, a low-level crewman, had no useful information to provide.

  “The surviving crew member of the destroyed vessel claims to have no knowledge of their cargo,” Seeran said. “Data recovered from the destroyed ship indicated that the captain was unaware.”

  “The captain’s not likely to boast about smuggling sentient beings in his personal log,” Vox interjected.

  Seeran narrowed his gaze at Vox, who remained blissfully unaware of how he irritated the male, which amused Jaxar. “I am disinclined to believe the captain,” Seeran said.

  “Any reason or instinct?” the warlord asked.

  Seeran frowned, which meant he had no solid evidence, only the instinct of a predator sensing agitation in his prey. “The ship’s logs indicate that an engine malfunction stranded the vessel. One hour after sending a distress call, the marauders arrived. The disabled vessel appears to be a victim of opportunity. However, there were communications between the two vessels several days before the incident,” Seeran said. “Someone tried to destroy all those logs, but data is never truly destroyed.”

  “The Council requests that we deliver the crew and the recovered females to Sangrin,” Mylomon said.

  The warlord listened while each officer delivered their report. The story emerged, or as much as could be gleaned from the bits of recovered data. The marauders, already hauling stolen females in stasis chambers, had arranged to meet the cargo vessel, whose crew may or may not have been aware of their illicit cargo. Every warrior at the meeting agreed that the captain, a male with a spotty reputation, had been aware and most likely worked with a select group to sabotage his own ship.

  Once disabled, the marauders would arrive and relieve the cargo vessel of the stasis chambers. Using an unlikely partner to smuggle out goods was not an unheard-of strategy. The Judgment happened to be nearby and answered the distress call faster than anticipated. A bomb, most likely planted by the marauders to keep the cargo vessel’s captain compliant, had been detonated as the marauders tried to flee.

  Jaxar did not blame them. He could not imagine a worse offense than to steal a person. The marauder’s crew had surrendered quickly and pleaded for mercy, but Jaxar still wanted to strap them to an oxygen tank and use them as target practice.

  “What is the status of the chambers?” the warlord asked.

  “The last unit has been transferred and is stable,” Jaxar said. He had not exaggerated when he said the units would fail without repairs. Stasis chambers were an older technology, but the machines continued to be very delicate. They overheated easily and could not be jostled without damaging fragile components. Each of the discovered chambers had been in critical condition. If they failed, the occupant would never be able to awaken safely, and they would suffer brain death.

  “Do we wake our guests or wait until we reach Sangrin?” the head medic, Kalen, asked.

  Paax considered the question. “We are four days out from Sangrin. Will they be harmed if they remain in stasis?”

  Kalen frowned. “Without question. The longer they remain in substandard stasis, the more damage they will suffer.”

  “Wake up our guests,” Paax commanded.

  Chapter 18

  Jaxar

  The doors opened silently to his quarters. The subtle green scent of his mate told him that she waited for him, despite the darkened interior. The burden of the long days lifted. His mate. His home.

  He showered quickly, scrubbing off the grime of the day, and climbed into bed. The mattress shifted and he wrapped around her sleeping form, his limbs tangling with her own.

  “Hey, you,” she muttered, sleep clinging to her words. “I couldn’t fall asleep in my bed.”

  “Vanessa, I will not complain about finding you in my bed,” he said, his voice soft and pliant.

  “I missed you, cinnamon roll. Didn’t think you’d mind.”

  She rolled over to face him. The low light did not hinder his ability to admire the mussed hair or the red indentation of fabric on one side of her face. Beautiful. He wondered what sort of dark figure he made against the dim lighting. Soon, her eyes would adjust, and she would see the circles under his eyes left by fatigue.

  “Hi,” she said.

  A lascivious grin spread across his face. “Hello.”

  “Are you going to be here when I wake up?” She pushed his hair back from his face.

  “No. Regrettably. There is no place in the universe I’d rather be than in bed with you,” he said.

  “Sweet words.”

  “True words.”

  “How long is this going to go on?”

  “It will be over soon. I loathe every moment I am away,” he said. The majority of his work had been completed. Life support on the other vessels had been restored and the engines functioned enough to limp back to Sangrin Station for repairs. Stabilizing the stasis chambers enough to be moved to the Judgment had been intricate work with little room for error. Fortunately, the females had all been successfully awoken and were recovering in Medical. Unfortunately, their memories had suffered as a side effect of the stasis. The medics were confident the females’ memories would return in time.

  Whether the captain of the vessel had knowingly smuggled females or a member of the crew had sabotaged the ship as cover was not Jaxar’s concern. The warlord, with the efforts of Mylomon and Seeran, could sort out that problem.

  “I am glad you are here. I missed you,” he said. He wanted to tell his mate she had been at the forefront of his thoughts every moment he was away, but he vowed to only speak the truth. No more half-truths and lies of omission. “I should have sent you a message, but I did not have the luxury.”

  “Don’t be away so long next time.” She yawned. “What time is it?”

  “Late. Sleep now.”

  “Wake me up before you go, baby. Love you,” she murmured.

  He tensed. Vanessa was half-asleep and did not know what she said. Still, his heart sang. “You love me,” he whispered, wrapping her sleepy form in his arms.

  Vanessa

  Coffee.

  The unmistakable aroma roused Van from sleep. It was early yet. She still had an hour on her alarm before she had to start her day. Except she didn’t, because her contract was over.

  She pulled the blanket over her head. She could spend all day in bed. What would the warlord do? Fire her and send her back to Earth?

  Okay, not funny. She had no remorse about losing her algae wrangler position but being sent away was not an option.

  “Good. You are awake.” Jaxar placed a mug on the bedside table and sat on the edge of the mattress.

  “I thought you had to leave early,” she said, her words partially swallowed by a yawn.

  “It is early. I have prepared the egg, cheese, and vegetable roll that you enjoy.”

  “You made me a breakfast burrito?” She sat up. Any meal she didn’t have to make was a winner. “You might just be the perfect man.”

  “I am not a man.” He pushed her down gently and leaned over her. His eyes focused on her mouth and she couldn’t help but lick her lips in response. “I demand payment for tribute.”

  “Tribute is a gift. Asking to be paid for a gift is tacky, Jaxar.”

  His gaze focused on her with a fierce intensity. “A kiss?”

  “Yes, please,” she breathed.

  Warm and firm, his lips claimed her. Awareness zipped through her body, pulling her away from the drowsiness of sleep and into a state of need. It was always like this when he kissed her, like her body had been asleep until his touch.

  Strong fingers teased and plucked her nipples through the tank top. “I’m wearing too many clothes again,” she said.

  “Agreed.”

  Jaxar lifted the top and she wiggled out of her sleep pants. It wasn’t graceful or seductive, but he
watched her with such intensity that Van felt like a star, burning bright in the night.

  She tugged off his shirt. Spreading like wildfire, his tattoos blazed a silvery amber light up his arms, shoulders, and chest. She traced the patterns, warm with body heat and desire.

  He pushed her onto her back and nuzzled her ear, nipping at the lobe. Her fingers found a spot at the base of his horns that made his entire body shake. She liked that. A lot. Rumbling with pleasure, she felt the reverberation deep inside her.

  Fangs pricked her skin. Van tensed.

  Jaxar paused. “Are you well? Your heart rate changed.”

  “No biting,” she said. Waiting for his response, she nearly blurted out promises of soon and that she wanted to but not at that moment, not yet. Soon. She didn’t know entirely what she wanted, but she knew she wanted him.

  “As you say.” His lips returned to the curve of her neck, nibbling and licking his way down her body to the juncture of her thighs. He pressed his face in, all lips and tongue and fingers and absolutely perfect.

  Best. Morning. Ever.

  Her body sang with bliss as she trembled and tensed and reached her peak.

  Jaxar rose to his knees and straddled her. With a thumb, he smeared the dripping precum over the magenta head. Fascinated, Van watched as he fisted his cock and worked its length. He growled and pumped, his hips rocking forward and his fist moving faster.

  “Cover me with your cum. Give it to me,” she commanded. She never particularly felt the need to be covered in spunk before, but it felt right with him.

  “Vanessa,” he moaned, sounding close. So close.

  He leaned forward, his cock thrusting between her breasts, and he shoved a pillow in his mouth. Stifling his bellow, he bit down and released. Ropes of cum landed on her chest and face as the fabric of the pillow tore.

  They stayed there for a moment, her on her back and him above, panting. A lazy grin tugged at the corner of his mouth as he smeared the viscous fluid across her skin.

  Van dipped her fingers into his cooling seed and licked her finger clean, enjoying the frosting her cinnamon roll made for her.

  Jaxar

  The taste of his mate would linger on his tongue all day. This pleased him immensely.

  Still damp from a shower, Vanessa shuffled to the table wearing only his tunic and clutching a mug of coffee. This, too, pleased him.

  “What? What’s that look for?”

  “Eat.” He pushed the plate toward her.

  “Not to sound ungrateful, but it’s cold.”

  “I have no regrets.” None at all.

  Color rose in her cheeks, red and delicious. “I can’t complain either.”

  He reheated the plate and presented it to his mate in a matter of moments. She took a bite and nodded. “This is good. Thank you.” She finished the first roll and drained her mug. “Listen, how much time do you have? There’s something we need to talk about. You know, because you’re my boyfriend and stuff.”

  More color. Interesting, even if he did not know the cause. He wanted to object to the term boyfriend, as he was not an adolescent. Had his behavior led her to believe that he was not mature? He scanned his memories, searching for what upset his mate. “Is it about the pillow? It was an immature display, but I remained in control of myself. I would never bite you without your consent.”

  “No! No. God, that was the sexiest damn thing I’ve ever seen.” She sighed and the oversized collar slipped off her shoulder. Distracted, she pushed it back up, which Jaxar lamented. When they were in their private quarters, if his mate had to wear any clothing at all, it should be the kind that fell off her body.

  “The company terminated my contract,” she said.

  “If you are worried about your place here—”

  “That’s the thing. I’m not sure if I want to keep my position here. Scrubbing out algae tanks isn’t my dream job.”

  He found himself unable to speak. He had been able to claim his mate less than an hour ago, but she forbade his bite.

  She did not want him.

  It was all he could think. He had wanted more time to court. He misled—lied to—the warlord to gain that time. No matter that Vanessa’s taste lingered on his tongue, no matter that he whispered words of adoration and devotion and brought her pleasure, his efforts had been for naught. She would leave him.

  Vanessa retrieved her satchel and brought out a tablet. “I want to go back to school and finish my degree. If I can find a program that will allow me to work remotely, maybe I can work part-time? I don’t know yet. My old professor back on Earth promised he’d take me back into the program, but I’m waiting to hear from him. That would be ideal so I wouldn’t lose any credits but, in the meantime, I might as well check out what’s local. Don’t you think?”

  She paused, waiting for him to answer.

  Jaxar swallowed, unsure what words would fly out of his mouth if he dared to speak. He wanted her to stay. Of course, he did. In his quarters. In his shirt. In his bed. In his life. “Whatever is best for you,” he managed to say.

  Vanessa tapped on her tablet, frowning. “I don’t know how you can tell me what I want to hear, but it still sounds wrong. Agreeing with me just to make me happy won’t work, so how about you tell me what you’re really thinking?”

  Astute and clever. How could he ever hope to hold such a female’s attention? “I wish for you to stay,” he said. “If I had my way, you would wear no clothes and we would never leave our bed. I would feed you from my hand every day and we would make love until exhaustion took us. When we woke, we would do it again.”

  “Wow, that’s very caveman of you.”

  “But you are curious and clever. I would have to work very hard to keep you too satiated with pleasure to think.”

  “Keep me sex drunk and blissed out. I guess that’s one plan,” she said, the corners of her crushed-berry lips quirked up.

  “It is a good plan,” he said with a nod, “but it is unsustainable. You should pursue your own interests. Do not think I am releasing you from our courtship. I will not. We will do the long-distance courting, even though I dislike the idea.”

  “I appreciate that you’re willing to compromise here,” she said dryly.

  “I am a very obliging male.” Obviously. Another male might have ripped his shirt off in a dramatic fit, thrown his mate to the floor, and fucked her until her only thoughts were of the pleasure they shared. Also, she would be physically unable to leave because her legs would no longer support her weight, on account of the hours of hard fucking.

  She shifted on the chair and crossed her legs. The hem of the shirt crept up, revealing her long, tan legs. Appreciation rumbled in his chest.

  The shirt-ripping floor scenario could still happen.

  “Just to verify, if I stayed, there’d be mind-blowing sex?”

  “At every opportunity.”

  “Endless orgasms?”

  “Followed by breakfast.”

  She licked her lips and he grew hard. Shoving the table to one side, he dragged her chair closer. She squealed with laughter and grabbed the sloshing mug before it overturned.

  “We’re going to ruin this poor table,” she said.

  “I do not care. A necessary sacrifice.”

  Vanessa climbed into his lap, which he liked very much. “How long before you go on shift?”

  “Not long.” Unfortunately.

  “Okay. We don’t have to decide anything today, but this is something we should decide together.” She settled against him and brought up a screen on her tablet. “I want to stay, if you have any doubt.”

  His heart sang. She wanted to stay. She chose to stay, despite having every reason to leave. She chose him. She wanted him. Joy repeated the same thoughts on a loop, and he was helpless to do anything but grin like a fool.

  “My old university is my first choice, but there’s an interesting university on Sangrin. They have an amazing botanical garden and a Welwita plant,” she said, interrupting his
thoughts. The image of a drooping plant surrounded by dead brown leaves filled the tablet’s screen.

  “Of course. Very famous,” he said.

  “It is,” she said, sounding pleased. “It can grow for nearly a thousand years and only has two leaves at a time. It’s fascinating. Imagine what we can learn about longevity from it. When we go to Sangrin for that wedding, do you think we’ll have time to tour the garden?”

  “Not the campus?”

  She lifted one shoulder in that human gesture he found so endearing. “I mean, I’m all about this Welwita. There just happens to be a university attached to it.”

  “Anything you want. I am happy to be there because I know you love me.” He wrapped his arms around her and held tight, even as she squirmed to get away. “Foolish. Remain still. You cannot escape my love so easily.”

  “Why do you like hugging so much?”

  “Are you not recovered from your concussion? Hugs are the best, because you love me.”

  “I was sleepy! My judgment was impaired. I didn’t know what I was saying.” Her words were firm, but the giggling undermined any chance of him relinquishing his hold. She was his now.

  Her short hair exposed the back of her neck. Jaxar leaned in, nipping and licking. Her giggle intensified into a squeal.

  So satisfying.

  “You dreamed of me because you love me,” he said, lips brushing against the nape of her neck. Her scent here was particularly strong, a heady mix of her own green growth and himself. This was how she should smell always. “It is understandable. I have been very valiant and impressive. I did save you when your vehicle was hit by a missile.”

  “I was unconscious,” she said.

  “And I sat by your side in Medical, holding your hand the entire time.”

  “I was still unconscious.”

  “When your roommate regurgitated all over your abode, I cleaned it and saw that she received proper medical care.”