by RK Munin
“Please,” she begs.
“I like the sound of your voice when it's so breathless and needy,” he murmurs, pulling her labia apart so he can blow a little breath of air across her needy flesh. She moans and tries to thrash under him, cursing when he holds her hips down. She whimpers and struggles more.
“Beg me again,” he demands and his commanding voice sends a delicious shiver through her.
“What if I don't?” she challenges, looking down her body to see his eyes lift enough to meet hers. His gaze is hot and promising and just the look on his face in almost enough to make her climax.
“Then I leave,” he growls out. “I leave you desperate and wanting. Do you really want me to leave?” He runs a finger over her clit, and she draws in a sharp breath.
“Please stay,” she begs.
“That's not enough, I think you know what I want to hear.” he tells her. She feels two of his fingers slip inside her, and she shudders with need.
“I'm yours,” she whispers, staring into his eyes and realizing she means what she says. “Stay and enjoy what belongs to you.”
“Mine,” he declares.
“Yours,” she agrees and then gasps when he swoops down and sucks her clit into his mouth. She wants to scream, but all the air seems to have left the room, and her climax sweeps through her with enough power to make her vision hazy.
When she's finally done thrashing under him, he draws back and grabs her hips and flips her over onto her stomach. She feels a moment of unease, but he lets go of her the moment she's turned over.
“On your hands and knees,” he commands. Her movements are clumsy. The intense orgasm left her loose limbed and boneless. With his help she manages to get on all fours and widens her legs to steady herself, looking forward to feeling him penetrate her from behind. His hands are on her hips, but he doesn't move against her.
She looks behind her shoulder to see him poised over her. His expression looks like he's fighting with something.
“Halin?”
He looks up to meet her eyes, and she sees fear.
“I don't want to hurt you,” he blurts out. “I feel out of control. I'm scared I will hurt you again, and you will never forgive me.”
She relaxes at his words, pushing herself back against him. “You won't hurt me,” she promises him. “I need you inside me, please.”
“Promise me you'll kill me if I hurt you,” he demands, and she almost laughs.
“I think that's a bit extreme,” she gasps out as he starts pushing himself inside her.
“No,” he grounds out, his voice barely above a gravely whisper. “If I hurt you again, I don't want to live anymore. You're the most precious thing in my world, and my life should be forfeit if I ever cause you fear or pain again.”
Unwilling to engage in this conversation any longer Mian pushes her body hard against him, forcing his erection deep inside of her and making them both gasp with pleasure.
“If you stop, I'll kill you right now!” she threatens. He chokes out a gasping laugh.
“As my love demands.” He starts moving and brings one hand around to start rubbing her sensitive clit. It's not long before she's gasping and moving against him, desperate for the next orgasm.
As her climax hits, she can feel herself squeezing his cock and a deep sense of satisfaction swells through her when he goes stiff, finding his own release.
He moves for just a little longer, then pulls her tight against him. He maneuvers them down onto the bed, cradling her in his arms. He manages all these movements without pulling out of her and little shivers of pleasure echo through her as he slowly softens inside her.
“You’ll smell like me now,” he murmurs, tightening his hold around her.
“You know I'll be cleaning myself off later,” she points out and prepares herself for his temper to flair. She feels him freeze.
“I want to chain you to me. I want to steal you away and keep you isolated so they can't even see you, let alone touch you. I find the impulse driving me, just as powerful as the primal need for food or water.”
Not once during that little speech did he tighten his grip or start roaring, so Mian relaxes a little. “But you know that’s irrational.”
“I know it, and I'm fighting that part of myself,” he agrees quietly. “I must return to medical before anyone notices I'm gone. I'm willing to cooperate so they can fix me, make these thoughts controllable. I've never been like this before. I don't understand what’s going on, but I promise this will be conquered.”
Mian feels hope for the two of them with those words. “I trust you,” she promises. “Just hold me a little longer and then you can go.”
They both lapse into silence, enjoying the feel of each other. Finally, reluctantly, he starts to untangle himself and rise.
“What are your plans for tomorrow?” he asks as he draws on his clothing. She notices his shirt is ripped in several places and grins.
“I'm getting a tour,” she reminds him. “I didn't get to see much yesterday. I'm scheduled to visit various places for the next week, all supervised by my own guards. I think I'm being shown a place called the Citadel tomorrow.”
He turns and takes a step so he’s standing next to the bed, towering over her. He sounds a soft growl that makes the fine hairs on her body stand up in alarm. “You won't let them touch you. The guards or any other males.”
It's an effort, but she forces her body not to react to his threat. Instead she sighs and gives him a disappointed look. “What do you think?”
He closes his eyes, and she watches him wage a battle with himself. “You're an honorable female,” he finally says. “If you felt loyal to a male you wouldn't let any other claim you.”
She nods and gets up on her knees to give him a hug. “I'm willing to be loyal to you if you keep working on whatever is going on in your head.”
He wraps his arms around her again. “The Menders took many samples from me today and tried out a few suppressants. They’re hopeful to find some anomaly that explains my actions. I’m sure tomorrow will be full of the same. But I’d like to return tomorrow night, if that's permissible?”
“You better,” she tells him with mock severity.
He releases her and is half way across the room to her open window when he turns back with a small, sad smile. “I wish I was the one to guard you and show you my world.”
“You will,” she promises. “Get better. I expect you to show me your home and tell me more about your family.”
At her words he gives her a brilliant smile. “I'd like that.” With that he jumps on the window sill and drops out of sight. She lets out a deep breath and falls back on the bed. She feels ridiculously happy, even though the man who makes her feel that way might not be sane.
But then again, she decides, sanity can be overrated.
CHAPTER 15
Mian opens the front door of her house to find four guards waiting for her. She recognizes the scarred Revin but doesn't know any of the others.
“We’ll be guarding you today,” Revin explains and introduces the men around him. “These are some of our finest warriors. This is Dacon, Povin, and Veran.” As he says their names, the men tap their fingers at the center of their chest and gaze at her with hungry eyes. She notices they’re having a hard time keeping their eyes off her neck, and it’s making her self-conscious. Maybe a tour around Hissa isn't a good idea after all.
Revin must have noticed her expression because he barks at the men. “Eyes up!”
All the men stiffen and snap their gaze up to meet hers. Revin addresses her apologetically. “My men will stop staring at your mating marks, but others will look, and I can’t order men not under my command to look away. Try not to take it personally. You need to understand how desperate we are. Those marks around your neck represent something every Hissa male wishes to have.”
“Right, I understand,” Mian assures him. “It's just really disconcerting. I've spent a lot of years on my own, and before th
at I was generally working among species that aren't breeding compatible with humans. I've never had so many males pay so much attention to me.”
“If you’re too uncomfortable you can stay in the house. But if you feel brave enough to venture out, it would be my honor to introduce you to Hissa,” Revin tells her, and she can see a bit of anxiety in the large warrior’s expression.
She decides to be bold. It’s her natural inclination. “What aren't you telling me, Revin?” He looks a little surprised, then looks away for a moment as if thinking something through. Finally, he returns his gaze to her and explains.
“Halin’s a good friend to me. We grew up next to each other and trained together.” He suddenly stops talking and his nostrils flair. He leans close to her and breaths in deeply.
She rears back, giving him an annoyed look. “I don't like you that close.”
He doesn't listen to her and leans in a little further, so she takes several steps back. When he steps forward, keeping pace with her, she's irritated enough to give him a warning shot. She taps him on the face with an open palm, putting enough force in the blow to get his attention but not do any damage.
“The next one will be a fist to your throat,” she warns him. “Just so you know, you're a hell of a lot bigger than me so if I hit you, I'm going to make sure the first one counts and puts you out flat. The second hit will make sure you don’t get back up.” His eyes widen with surprise, and a large grin curves his face.
“You're fierce,” he murmurs.
Dacon steps forward and places a restraining hand on the warrior’s shoulder. “Revin.” The name is a warning, and she watches Revin take a deep breath and give his head a little shake. He looks to Dacon and gives the man a small nod.
“I'm fine,” he assures the other man. “She smells good, but she also smells like Halin.”
“You can smell him on me?” she squeaks out. “I used the cleansing unit this morning.”
“His scent is unmistakable,” Revin tells her with a shrug. “He was here last night, and I can tell you both enjoyed yourselves.”
“Well, this is embarrassing,” she mutters.
Revin’s expression twists into one of anger. “You find Halin an embarrassment?”
Puzzled by his change in tone, she tilts her head as she regards him. Where did this furious indignation come from?
“I find it embarrassing that you can smell I had sex. I'm an adventurous gal, but even I like some privacy.” Revin seems to relax at her words.
“I forgot you were born free,” he admits. “Slaves would have no expectation of privacy. I assumed you were embarrassed because of Halin, not because you have an odd sense of propriety.”
“Hey,” Mian protests feeling downright maligned. “I'm human, raised free, and whatever I think is appropriate goes. I don't ask you guys to start adopting human customs, so don't push your Hissa norms on me.”
Revin is about to retort, when Dacon intercedes again, addressing Revin with a forceful voice. “This isn't part of our mission today.”
Revin looks at Dacon. At first, she thinks he’s going to yell at the other man, but instead his features relax into a wry expression.
“You're correct, Dacon. I apologize for my improper behavior so far. First, I find myself overwhelmed by her scent, and then I became unnecessarily aggressive in defense of Halin. I’ll recuse myself of this command and hand my leadership to you. You’ve always been the voice of reason no matter the circumstances.”
Dacon nods, and Revin steps back so the other man can stand before her. At this rate it won't matter if she wants to leave the house or not. They're going to spend all day talking and arguing at the front door.
Dacon taps his finger to his chest in greeting. She moves to tap her finger to the same place, but Dacon stops her.
“Men greet women by tapping our chests over our hearts. It’s a way to tell you we see you as the heart of us. To greet us, you tap your fingers to your throat to show us you understand we’re willing to lay down our lives to protect you. It’s been a long time since we had females to greet properly, so it might seem minor to you, but I know it’ll thrill many to see you perform a proper greeting,” Dacon explains.
It’s a simple thing so she taps her finger to the base of her throat. “Like this?”
All the men beam. “Exactly. The men will greet each other by tapping fingers to the forehead between our eyes. It symbolizes our mutual agreement to keep watch over our females and children. When Mara and her sister get back, you should tap your belly in greeting. It’s an acknowledgement of one life giver to another.”
“It’s not the most complex greeting system I’ve ever had to learn,” Mian comments thoughtfully as she runs through the various taps in her head. She’d rather be greeted as a fellow warrior but isn’t going to go against custom.
She taps her throat to each of them and then addresses her question to Dacon.
“Do all of you know Halin, or just Revin?”
“We’re all good friends of Halin,” Dacon explains. “That’s why we insisted we be given guard duty today. We hope to convince you to stay and give Halin another chance to woo you.”
Now the previous conversation starts to make sense to Mian. “You guys are some loyal friends.”
Nostrils flaring as he takes a deep breath, Revin growls a little. “You have no idea.”
Sliding her eyes over to him, she arches an eyebrow. “I smell that good, do I?”
“You smell so good that even the scent of Halin mixed in isn't enough of a deterrent,” he confesses and then looks surprised at his own admission.
Povin steps forward. “I have a temporary solution to this issue.” He pulls a small bottle out of a pocket and tosses it to her. She catches it and examines the item. The liquid inside is a light red, but there are no labels on the bottle. She pops open the top and sniffs. S,he can't smell anything.
“I was one of the men that held Halin back from you at the Council meeting yesterday. I caught your scent and knew it would be an issue later so I brought a powerful scent neutralizer. If you wouldn't mind taking it in the cleansing unit and using it, then putting on fresh clothes, it would help us and all the other Hissa males behave.”
“I've never been told I stink by so many in such a short time,” she grumbles, and Povin laughs.
“You don't stink, Mian,” he assures her. “If anything, you smell too good. I was in the group that greeted Mara when she first landed with Tiran, and I don't remember her smelling this good. I don't know why your scent is so much stronger, but it's powerful enough to be affecting me even when I wasn’t standing close. Please use the wash and change clothes. We can wait out here for you to finish. Or you can remain inside all day if you wish.”
“The choice is entirely yours. We be guarding you no matter the decision,” Dacon adds, and they all nod their heads in agreement.
Mian steps back with a small sigh. She does want to explore Hissa, not stay cooped up inside all day. Taking a shower and changing her clothes is a small price to pay to be able to go and explore a new planet. “Come on in and make yourselves comfortable. I'll be quick,” she tells them and hurries upstairs.
She washes herself first with soap and then the scent neutralizer, making sure to get every part of her. It leaves her skin a little dry but she ignores the discomfort. The rest of the clothes brought down from Fortune are the ones Halin bought her. She ends up wearing a bright peacock blue in the same shirt and pants style as all the rest. She hasn’t worn these clothes yet, so they should be scent free. If Povins red liquid does the trick, she’ll be safe.
When she comes downstairs the men all stand, sniff, and then smile at her.
“That's a very nice outfit,” Veran tells her. “The color is much better than the drab outfit you were wearing earlier.” She had originally put on one of her standard gray ship jumpsuits.
“Yes, much better,” Povin agrees.
“You guys are obsessed with clothes.” She grins at the
m, then steps closer to where Dacon and Revin are standing. “How do I smell?” They both lean in and sniff.
“You have no scent,” Ravin says with approval. “Even up close, all I can smell is the cotton that makes up your clothing and a faint hint of ammunition. But I can't smell you at all.”
“This will make it much easier to convince you of Halin's worthiness,” Dacon mutters. “I feared I might fail because your scent compelled me to pursue you for myself.”
“Well, that's good news, but damn, you guys really do have a good sense of smell. This outfit was sitting on top of a box of ammunition while Halin and I were unpacking everything.” She looks over to Povin. “I used up half the bottle. Do you think you could get me more?”
“That's easy,” Povin tells her quickly. “I’ll have more made and delivered by the end of the day.” He leans in and looks closely at the skin of her forearms. “You skin appears dry. I’ll have something sent along to help with that as well. The scent neutralizer is harsh.”
“That'd be great,” she agrees and then gestures to the door. “So, are we going to get this tour started or just stand around talking about my smelly body and dry skin?”
All four men chuckle, and Dacon steps forward. “There will be two of us with you at all times, if not all four of us. When we walk there will be two of us in front and two of us behind you. Please don't wander off. If you need anything, feel tired or hungry, just tell us. Today is for your pleasure so there is no need to push to see everything.”
“Great, let’s go exploring.” Without another word the men form a protective force around her and start marching her out the door with practiced ease. It’s obvious that this isn’t the first time these men have worked together. “Where are we heading to first?”
“Knowing you're a warrior, we thought you might like to see the Citadel. There are a batch of males halfway through their training, and we thought you might like to observe,” Dacon explains as they walk. She only half hears what he says because she's distracted by everything she sees. Now that she isn't surrounded by a dozen tall male bodies, being quickly moved from one indoor area to another, she has a chance to really look around and admire Hissa.
