by Jaylee Davis
Kord’s moment of self-doubt stunned him. He’d never experienced such a feeling. Come to think of it, fear was unknown to him, until now. A new unwelcome sensation swelled within him…panic.
He stared at his female’s lovely face, focusing his attention on her delicate features. Her long hair tumbled over his arm and hung down against his thigh. A brown tendril trailed over her cheek, hiding half her face. He brushed it aside and frowned. A bruise marred the right side of her jaw where the Krell male had struck her. The area was slightly swollen. Angered by the sight, Kord let out a fierce growl.
At the front of the shuttle all talking stopped.
Silence reigned for several heartbeats. He heard one set of cautious heavy footsteps on the center walkway and knew Thoren approached. The warrior pulled up short the second Kord raised his head and glared at him.
“Calm, brother. Are you in control?”
“Yes,” Kord snapped, irritated further by his partner’s question. He looked down at his injured mate.
“Why are you angry?”
“The Krell struck her before I could kill him. She’s bruised.”
“Do you want the medic to treat—”
“I want the medic to jump out of the shuttle and take his tech junk with him.” Kord ripped the circular disk off his chest and threw it toward the front of the craft.
Thoren immediately relaxed and leaned against one of the seats. He chuckled. “Your control is truly amazing. You hit him.”
Kord snarled. “I was aiming for Morshant.”
“Hey! I’m trying to help you,” Morshant shouted back, sounding highly insulted.
Thoren lifted one shoulder in a halfhearted shrug. “We need to talk.” He pointed to a seat down the row from Kord’s position. “May I sit?”
At first, Kord wanted to refuse, but better judgment overruled his instincts. He gave his partner a stiff nod.
After he settled into the chair, Thoren glanced toward the front of the shuttle briefly before he spoke in a hushed voice.
“Morshant contacted the captain and explained what happened to you. He was reluctant to allow your female to come aboard, but we convinced him to let her stay with you as long as she remains in our quarters, isolated from the rest of the crew.”
Kord growled again. “Our quarters? Impossible. I’ll kill you and the other warriors.” At Thoren’s raised brows, he amended, “Or die trying.”
“No one needs to die. I volunteered to share the corridor outside our room with Draven and Flyn.”
Kord snorted in derision. “I’m sure they’ll be pleased with that arrangement.” His female shifted in his arms, temporarily drawing his focus away from his partner. She yawned sleepily and squirmed in his embrace, but her eyes remained closed. Consciousness was returning faster than he’d hoped.
Thoren chuckled. “It beats a slimy mud hole on some border world, sheltering from an Alliance bombardment. I’ll encourage them to be happy about volunteering to sleep in the hall with me.” He smacked the knuckles of one beefy hand against the palm of his other hand, regaining Kord’s full attention. “We need to stay nearby. The general won’t be as welcoming as the captain. He’ll want your head removed from your neck. Someone should stand guard at all times until you’re over the claiming lust. We’ll manage. It’s only for a day or so. Afterward, you won’t be a threat to the ship or the crew. You’ll be a mated warrior, calmer and freed from the rage. The general will have no grounds for ordering your execution.”
“And after? What will happen?”
Thoren shook his head and shrugged. “We’re still working on that. Maybe the ship’s engineer can section off a portion of our quarters to give you and your female privacy. No matter what, we must continue with our mission, especially now.”
Especially now? Kord gave him a puzzled look.
“The Earth government won’t be able to hide what happened here tonight. Our presence made no difference one way or the other. The Krell were seen and filmed by many of the natives. Morshant believes the Alliance ambassadors will take advantage of this opportunity to push forward. It’s only a matter of time. As soon as Earth joins the Alliance, we can present our petition. Our brothers on Pella chose you, me, Draven and Flyn for this mission because they trust us to behave in a proper manner. We’re representatives for all the surviving Tauran warriors born during the Phase, royal blood or not.”
Kord groaned. “And I’ve let them down.”
“No. You’re proof of what we know to be true. The human females are our only hope. Without them, the empire will destroy us or banish us to some uninhabited planet where we’ll all eventually die, alone and forgotten.”
“We’ve been promised one of the continents on Pella.”
“True, but only if we have mates.”
Kord shuddered. In a matter of hours, he’d be the first male of his generation to claim a mate. They couldn’t colonize an entire continent all by themselves. Their mission had to succeed. If the females of Earth were as responsive to a warrior’s kiss as his mate, then his clan brothers would be saved from extermination. Surely there were females on the planet who were willing to brave the journey to Pella to find mates. He had to believe in the possibility. The reality rested quietly in his arms, so very fragile and so very much his. Mine…never leave her…keep her safe. The mantra repeated over and over in his mind, making rational thought near impossible.
“How does it feel?”
Thoren’s question derailed his train of thought. At first, Kord leveled an angered scowl at him, but he recognized the sincerity in his partner’s expression. The question wasn’t out of line. Phase-born warriors simply had no idea about what to expect once they found their mates. Kord was blindsided by the sensations running through his body and mind. He refocused his attention on his female while trying to think of an answer.
He shook his head. “There are no words to describe how it feels. I know she’s mine. There’s calmness within me. The beast inside is content as long as she’s safe. Right now, I don’t sense her fear or any threat so it’s easier to control the rage, but if she were in danger, I’d fight to the death to protect her.” I’d kill my brothers. He kept the revelation to himself.
“So the rumors are true? A mate can ease the struggle?”
Kord answered with a sharp grunt.
“Then I hope our mission is successful and over with soon. I’d like to experience the feeling,” Thoren muttered.
“I just want this shuttle ride to be over. My latent time is nearing an end. I can sense it.” He jerked, as if hit by an enemy blaster.
“Stay calm. I detect no claiming scent yet. If I did, you know I wouldn’t be sitting this close to you.” Thoren huffed out a confident chuckle. “We’ll arrive soon. Our brothers are waiting for us in the landing bay. They’re anxious to see you with your female. Try not to take their heads off if they stare too long. The three of us will escort you to our…your quarters. We’ll make sure no one interferes.”
Kord simply nodded and sucked in deep, calming breaths. The enticing aroma of his mate washed over him and swamped his senses. He’d maintain control…for her. He had no other option.
Chapter Six
Hot damn. He’s the best kisser in the world. So addictive.
Voices, deep and resonant, intruded on her dream. Pam didn’t want the kiss to ever end, but the masculine tones wouldn’t stop. Her dream lover faded and reality inched ever so slowly into her awareness. However, his hot body remained along with the strength of his embrace. She felt safe, cradled in a warm cocoon. It was strange. She relaxed, hoping her fantasy would come back full force. In the meantime, she listened to the voices. The words were clear and understandable.
Two men were talking. She couldn’t help but eavesdrop on their unusual conversation. The subject intrigued her. One of them had found a mate. The other one seemed happy for him, or so it sounded. They were taking this woman to their ship—a spaceship. How she knew that piece of information eluded her at t
hat moment. There was some discussion about a mission, which she didn’t understand. One man assured the other there would be no interruptions once they arrived at a landing bay. For an odd reason, Pam felt comforted by his words. Why should she care one way or the other? She wasn’t an astronaut.
Something nagged at the back of her mind. The idea that things weren’t all they seemed gnawed at her. Had she forgot something? Did she need to wake up and go to work? That must be it. Her father’s campaign was in full swing and going great. She needed to hurry or she’d be late. Her family depended on her. She had to meet them for a press conference. Trapped in a dream state, Pam tried to force her eyelids open.
The effort brought on a new alertness. She became intimately aware of a pair of strong arms surrounding her. Warmth seeped into her. Hot skin pressed against her so tight she felt it through her clothing. The silliest of ideas popped into her mind. Did she get drunk and end up sleeping with some stranger? Was he a tall, musclebound, dark stranger with long, black hair and metallic eyes?
Remembrance of all that had happened crashed into her, and she awoke. Her eyelids lifted, revealing familiar but alien surroundings. A man she recognized stared down at her. His lips lifted in a tentative smile while his expression remained guarded. Unable to help herself, she smiled back. Then she remembered what had happened right before she passed out.
“You…drugged…me.” Her words came out stilted, and her mouth felt as dry as desert sand.
“The sedative was necessary. I’m sorry you were frightened. Please believe me, Sandra. I’ll never hurt you.”
His hold tightened. He seemed concerned, and his apology sounded so very sincere. She really liked hearing the part about how he’d never hurt her. His words calmed her more than she wanted to admit. In fact… What the hell?
“I understand you!” Pam tried to jerk away, but her body was too lethargic—drugged. A peacefulness she didn’t want permeated her mind. “How is it possible?”
“A translator implant behind your ear.” She must have looked frightened out of her mind, because he rushed on to explain. “We all have them. It’s a quick painless procedure, completely harmless.”
“You put some alien thing in my head?” Her question came out as an accusation. She wanted to touch the areas behind her ears, but her arms wouldn’t follow her mind’s commands.
Another man’s deep voice intruded on their exchange. “I did the procedure. Kord held you still.”
“You aren’t helping, Thoren.” Kord snapped at him.
“Let me go! I don’t want to be here with you. I have to find my friends and go home. Now!” She struggled in his arms, succeeding only in twitching hers and her legs.
Kord shook his head. A look of intense sadness crossed his face. She’d hurt his feelings. In turn, she felt horrible. An urge to ease his unhappiness overcame her. Intuitively, she knew all it would take was for her to reach up and slide her palm across his smooth, masculine cheek. If only her body would respond to her commands, she could coax a smile back to his handsome face. In fact, she could look at him forever.
“If you mean to find the male and female who came into the bar with you, then you won’t find them. I saw the Krell capture them.”
Pam tore her gaze from Kord to stare at Thoren. “You have to save them!” She turned back to Kord. “Amanda won’t be able to recover from something like that again. If one of those Krell aliens rapes her, she’ll just give up and die this time,” she pleaded, blinking back tears.
Kord gave her a puzzled look, then glanced at Thoren.
The other man snorted impatiently. “Krell males and human females aren’t compatible. Their primary sex appendage is barbed, and will disembowel a human female with one thrust, but they don’t rape their captives unless provoked. Will your friend do this?”
Confused, Pam admitted, “I don’t know.” She thought back to her own ordeal with the Krell and stared at Kord. “You stopped him…” The next words caught in her parched throat.
“Krell males become sexually aggressive when a female strikes their sex organs.” An angry scowl darkened Kord’s face. “You wouldn’t have survived.”
The terrifying reality of what could have happened if Kord hadn’t rescued her in time sunk in. If it weren’t for the sedative keeping her calm, she most certainly would’ve fainted dead away. Instead, she buried her face into Kord’s wide chest, using it as a shield to try to block out the memory.
“She fought with a Krell?” Thoren sounded astonished.
A ferocious growl rumbled from her rescuer. “Stop speaking! You frighten her,” Kord warned. To Pam’s way of thinking, he sounded exactly like a mad dog.
She heard shuffling and heavy footsteps. One peek revealed that the other barbarian had retreated to the front end of the passenger cabin. A large, comforting hand stroked up and down her back. Maybe it was her imagination, but it seemed as if the warmth from his touch soaked through to her bones. Her fear melted away. Despite all her misgivings, Pam snuggled closer. Safety was there, in his arms. For how long, she had no idea.
What would become of her? And what about her friends? That reminded her of a larger problem. Dear god! Her parents! They’d be frantic, thinking she’d been kidnapped…or worse.
“Kord, please, you’ve got to take me back. My family won’t know where I am or if I’m alive or dead.”
He dipped his head and pressed his lips to her ear. In a hushed tone, he said, “No…Sandra.” Did he just emphasize her fake name a bit more than necessary? “We must go to my ship. You’ll be safe there with me. Your friends will be rescued soon. My people are tracking the Krell transports right now. They can’t escape.”
“After that, will you let me go home?” She held her breath, dreading his answer.
Kord nuzzled his face against her jawline and inhaled. He nipped her earlobe. The warmth of his breath caressed her skin as he exhaled. A soft groan accompanied his action before he finally answered.
“No.”
“No?” Pam tried to lift her head.
She wanted to confront him face-to-face, but he refused to move his head, keeping her cheek trapped against his hot chest while his lips brushed over the sensitized skin near her ear.
“You are mine, my mate. I’ll kill anyone who tries to take you from me.”
Although his words were spoken in a soothing manner, the message was far from calming. Panic seized her. She was the female the two men in her dream had talked about. Kord believed they were mates! He intended to take her to his ship, to his quarters where they would be alone…together…undisturbed. Oh, shit.
“That’s impossible!” Pam tried in vain to push away from him. Damn aliens and their drugs.
Escape wasn’t an option for her at that moment. She stopped trying. Once she had control of her body again, then perhaps an opportunity would come along. Whatever happened, she needed to keep her wits about her and her options open. Some advice from her self-defense teacher came to her rescue. When you can’t run away from an attacker or overpower him, the only option left is to surrender and wait for an opening. Her present situation fit the kidnapping scenario. Since she was a governor’s daughter, most of her classes had been geared to just that possibility. Get to know your enemy, gain his trust and stay alert. When it came to Kord, she could certainly do that. In fact, her body was already primed and eager to get to know him in so many ways.
Silly alien thinks I’m his mate. How is that even possible?
Intent on asking him, Pam tilted her face away from his chest. Kord’s lips touched hers before she could utter a sound. He kissed her tenderly at first, coaxing her mouth open by skimming the tip of his tongue across her lips. Unable to resist, she opened for him and their tongues entwined. His taste threatened to overwhelm her senses. Suddenly, nothing else mattered in that moment, only Kord and what she needed from him.
Hungry for more, Pam yearned to deepen the kiss and reached up to grasp him behind his neck. To her delight, her arms obeyed her
mind’s command this time and she tugged. In an instant, they were locked in a soul-searching kiss, not because she’d moved him lower, but because she lifted her upper body to close the distance.
Pam melted in his arms as she yielded to his tightening embrace and let him take control. His tongue led hers on a journey of exploration and sensual delight. A low soft growl rumbled deep in his chest, and the vibration against her breasts made her nipples hardened instantly. They became so sensitive the soft cotton of her t-shirt felt like fine sandpaper. Another deep rumble came from him, setting off a wave of desire that didn’t stop until it reached the apex of her thighs. She was wet once more, drenched with the evidence of her desire, and her clit tingled, aching for attention.
Kord broke away from the kiss and buried his face against the side of her neck. He took long, deep breaths, almost panting. Pam was in no better shape. She struggled to breathe quietly while she took back control of her body. No longer lost to Kord’s mind-bending kiss, she glanced forward and realized there were several other males on the ship. Embarrassing. How could she have let things spiral so out of control in front of a group of men? Alien men.
Pam grabbed a handful of Kord’s long mane to cover her face. Through a gap in the strands, she took a quick peek toward the front of the ship again. The men sat in the front rows, facing forward. Thoren was the only one standing, but he faced forward as well. His massive body blocked the entrance to the pilot area. She hoped none of them had witnessed their out of control kiss.
“Once our shuttle lands, stay close to me when we exit. Don’t leave my side unless I tell you. Do you understand?”
At first, Kord’s voice startled her, but she nodded without lifting her face away from the curtain of privacy she’d made from his hair. At the moment, she preferred to stay hidden.
“What if I can’t stand or walk? You drugged me, remember?”
He chuckled. “You’re recovering fast. By the time we reach the Defiance, you’ll be able to move normally, and we’ll finish what we started.”
