by Kate Pearce
Her hands clenched into fists. She shouldn’t have touched him. She’d never get over him now.
“There’s no need to look so fierce, my female. Come back to bed.”
She started as she realized he was watching her through narrowed eyes. How long did they have together before the ship landed on Alpha Three? Hours? Days? She had no idea. It was too late for regrets. She only knew that she would stay glued to his side for every second that was granted to her and try and forget what would happen after that.
Einarr woke up again and was relieved to see that Frey was still with him. In truth, because of the narrowness of the cot, she lay sprawled over him, her cheek on his chest and her thigh across his groin. He had no sense of time. The ship sped through darkness which never seemed to end.
He sensed that she was troubled about something, but was unsure what it was. She’d tried to hold back her thoughts and her body from him during their last bout of lovemaking, and it wasn’t because she was tired or sore. It was as though she was deliberately building a wall between them. Didn’t she understand that he would never let her go? That he would fight and kill to keep her safe?
Perhaps things were different in her world, and mating with a man was always this powerful. That thought made him want to growl. She murmured something soothing against his chest and stroked his skin. He forced himself to settle down again. The ship hummed around them, its various sounds now familiar to Einarr and almost comforting. He thought of leaving the ship and finding out Aki’s fate. Had his twin survived within the ice or had the “eclipse” affected him, too?
If Frey hadn’t been with him, and he’d awakened by himself, would he still be alive? Her presence had soothed his fears and allowed him not to go into a blind panic at the strangeness of everything. If Aki woke up alone…
“What is it?”
She reached for him with her thoughts.
“I am wondering what has befallen Aki.” He cleared his throat and spoke his fear out loud. “I hope the Gods have looked kindly upon him.”
“Can you sense him?”
He opened his eyes and looked down at her. “How?”
She tapped his forehead. “With your thoughts.”
“Aki is not as strong as I am magically. I’m not sure if he would hear me over such vast distances.”
She came up on her elbows and leaned over him, her auburn hair tickling his skin.
“We could do it together.” She paused when he didn’t respond. “If you call him in your mind, I can add my telepathic strength, my thoughts, to yours.”
He studied her earnest expression and the line of freckles that drifted over her nose. “Show me.”
“Call his name. Shout it in your head.” Her fingers encircled the pulse at his throat. “That’s right, now…”
Her power flooded through him, sending Aki’s name booming out like Thor’s hammer into the darkness. He waited but heard nothing except the echo of his own words.
She sighed and kissed him. “It’s all right. We can try when we get closer to Alpha Three. It’s possible that he avoided any effects from the eclipse and is still frozen in the ice.”
“Or dead.”
“Would you sense that?”
He shrugged. “I do not know. I do not know anything anymore.”
She held his gaze. “I know that you are a strong man and that you will not let these strange and wonderful events break you.”
Her confidence in him shamed him. With a groan he speared his fingers through her hair and brought her head down so that he could kiss her. Who needed words when he had this? A blood link with the female who had made sure of his survival.
“Your people are all magical?” he asked softly.
“Magical?” She smiled at him. “Not really. We are all telepaths, which means we can talk without using the spoken word just like you and Aki can. The only Pavlovan family I’d consider magical is that of the Oracle. She has powers beyond the norm.”
“Does she use her power for the good of her people?”
“She foretells the future, and often finds Pavlovans their mates, which is pretty special.”
“Ah, she has the sight.” Einarr smoothed Frey’s hair away from her cheek. “I wish I had that gift.”
“Then you wouldn’t be here with me now.”
“I am glad to be with you, but still…” He hesitated. “I am afraid. I have no understanding of this place. I miss my home by the river and my family.” He had to swallow hard as his voice thickened. Would she think him a coward? “I am nothing, here.”
She cupped his cheek. “There is no shame in admitting you are afraid. That takes courage.” She kissed his nose. “If I’d woken up back in your time I’d be a raving lunatic by now.”
“Or dead,” he countered.
“Probably.” Her hand traveled down from his neck to his armbands. “I have no magic to save me either.” She traced the engraved marks. “These are runes, aren’t they? What do they say?”
“I cannot tell you the exact words because they are sacred. It is a prayer to Odin asking him to make me a channel for his power.”
Her fingers lingered on his arm, making all the fine hairs quiver to life.
“That’s why the armbands glowed when you were fighting.”
“Odin likes his servants to win.”
Her expression became serious. “Don’t tell them about your magic.”
“Tell who?”
“The scientists on Alpha Three. Especially not the ones from your home planet, because they don’t believe in magic anymore on Earth. They might tell FREN, and you don’t want them thinking of you as a potential weapon.”
“Who is Fren? Is he your earl or king?”
“FREN is an organization with similar powers to those of a king. But they aren’t good people, and they won’t use you or your powers for good.”
“But would they let me fight?”
“Not in the way you want. They’d take what they needed and you’d never be the same again.”
He frowned as her voice broke.
“These people are your enemies? Do you want me to kill them for you?”
“That’s very kind of you, but there are thousands of them. I just want you to be careful. I want you to survive.”
He studied her carefully, aware of her bone-deep concern for him. He touched her mouth. “Would you fight by my side like a shield maiden if Fren attacked us?”
She smiled. “I’d rather hide behind you. I’m not much of a fighter.”
With some difficulty in the narrow cot, he rolled her onto her back and crouched over her, his knees pushing her thighs wide.
“I would protect you.”
“I know.”
She was beautiful, his woman. Her skin pale and her hair the reddish brown of an autumn leaf on the turn. Soft in all the right places, too, but with a core of strength and practicality that had helped her face him without fear and convince him to live. He kissed her again and then allowed his lips to move lower, feathering down her throat to her breasts, where her tight, hard nipples awaited him. He took his time sucking them into his mouth and playing with them. She deserved to be worshipped and cherished.
“Your skin is so soft,” he murmured.
She gave a shaky laugh. “Flatterer. You just haven’t seen a woman for four thousand years. Anyone would look good.”
He kissed her slightly rounded stomach. “Nay. Only you. I only wish to please you.”
She moaned his name as he went lower, his tongue seeking and finding her already swollen bud and lavishing it with attention until she grabbed hold of his head, her nails digging into his scalp, and shuddered through a climax. He smiled against her throbbing flesh and, pointing his tongue, pushed it deep into her channel and then out again, mimicking the thrust of his cock. She was a little tender, but didn’t seem to be holding herself back from him in any way.
“Please…”
“Mmm?” He kept up the slow advance and retreat of his tongue as she started to
writhe underneath him, making it hard for him to breathe.
“Please fuck me.”
“I am.”
She gave a frustrated whimper that pleased him greatly. “With your cock.”
He gave her one long, last lick and then sat back on his heels and smoothed a hand over the stiffness of his wet shaft. “This?” He looked down at himself. “Are you not sore?”
“I don’t care. I want you.”
“Then you will have me.”
She sighed as he eased the thick crown of his cock inside her. He rocked back and forth until she allowed him deeper and then deeper until he was fully sheathed inside her hot, slick sex.
He held himself still, allowing the beat of his heart to slow and match the throb of his cock. Taking his weight on one hand, he wrapped the other around both her wrists and drew her hands over her head. Her brown eyes widened as he stared down at her.
“When you are tired of taking me like this, will you let me have your mouth or your arse?”
She didn’t falter. “Yes.”
He slowly rocked his hips. “Have you taken a man like that before?”
“In my mouth, yes.” She wiggled underneath him. “Do we have to talk about this now, couldn’t you just—” She gasped as he moved a little faster. He liked her spread beneath him and impaled on his cock, liked the way her body trembled and swayed toward him, seeking more even when she was obviously tired.
“Did you like sucking a man’s cock?”
She made a face. “Not particularly.”
“You’ll like sucking mine. I’d like to see you on your knees taking me into your mouth and making me come down your throat.” His mind flowed into hers, showing her how he pictured it, making her want it as much as he did. “I wouldn’t force myself on you, you’d take me willingly, and beg for it.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You’re that good are you?”
“The skill will be yours. Seeing your lips around my shaft will probably kill me.”
“How to bring a strong man to his knees…” she murmured.
“You would enjoy it.” Her slight smile made him want to smile back at her. “And my cock in your arse, too.”
Her cheeks reddened. “I haven’t tried that.”
“It is different, but it can be equally satisfying in its own way.” He closed his eyes as her flesh tightened around his embedded cock. “You are harder to fuck there, but then I can also use my fingers in your cunt and clit.”
“So I’ve heard. One of my sisters has two male mates, and she insists that having them together like that is the most amazing experience ever.”
“Two men?” Despite himself, Einarr’s hips started rocking back and forth, and his cock slid in and out of her. He forced himself to slow down, to give her everything without pounding into her with all his might. He almost succeeded, except she was as aroused as he was. She started to come all around his cock, clenching and releasing him until he could do nothing but follow her over the edge and pump his seed deep within her.
He released her hands and sank down over her, his face buried in her neck, his cock still inside her. Her hand came up and stroked his unbound hair.
“You really are incredible, you know.”
“I do my best to please.”
“Oh, I’m pleased. Can’t you tell?” She kissed him. “I just can’t believe that you want me. I mean, I’m nothing special. Slavin is a lot prettier than me and she’s a telepath and—”
He slid his hand over her mouth. “You are mine.”
She blinked and looked away from him. “Don’t say that.”
“Why not? It is the truth.” He removed his hand and stared down at her. “I am yours. You know this.”
She didn’t correct him, and after a long moment she nodded. “We should get some sleep. Then we can go and find out when we’ll arrive at Alpha Three.”
7
Frey kept her head high and her gaze level as she and Einarr entered the mess hall. Everyone was there, of course.
“Tecky.” Brown nodded to her. “Good job at keeping the Viking occupied in your cabin for thirty-six Earth hours. Don’t know how you managed it.”
Beside Frey, Einarr went still, his pale blue gaze coming to rest on Brown.
“We’re good, Brown. How close are we to Alpha Three?” She tried to maneuver Einarr into a seat, but he refused to budge. “I assume FREN still hasn’t been in contact, or else I would’ve heard.”
“We’ve heard nothing.” Slavin strolled over and smiled at Frey, putting herself between Einarr and Brown. “Alpha Three is only a few hours away. We’ll be preparing for landing fairly soon.”
Heald came out of the small galley kitchen with a couple of plates on a tray. “Sit down, Viking. We’re eating leftovers from the food stores. I’ve got eggs, pigcow and cheesera sandwiches for you both.” He winked at Frey as he set the food on the table. “I bet you need your strength.”
Frey contemplated crawling under the table. Was it that obvious that she and Einarr had spent their entire time alone fucking? From the way everyone was looking at them, she had to suspect it was. So much for her reputation as an uptight technician who never let her hair down…
“Where is Travis?” Einarr asked.
Slavin grimaced. “He’s trying to contact Alpha Three to give them a heads up on our anticipated arrival time. There is still a lot of interference from the eclipse. It’s proving hard to get through.”
“I hope everything’s okay down there,” Frey said. “It’s odd that we haven’t been able to raise anyone on any channel.”
“I know.”
Slavin sat down beside Frey, and Einarr finally joined them, his gaze moving between her and Slavin.
“Do you believe our destination is unsafe?”
“I don’t know.” Frey reached for her sandwich, suddenly realizing how hungry she was. “It’s probably fine. As it’s on one of the moons of Odin, it might have suffered a similar communications error to the one we had onboard ship.”
Einarr ate his sandwich in two bites and shoved the plate away. “I want my weapons returned to me.”
“You’ll have to speak to Captain Travis about that.” Slavin stood and pushed her chair in. “I’m going back to the bridge.”
“We’ll join you fairly soon.” At the thought that their journey was about to end, Frey’s appetite deserted her, and she passed the rest of the sandwich over to Einarr. He eyed her suspiciously but accepted her gift and ate it in seconds.
“When we’ve finished here and cleaned up my cabin, we need to go up to the bridge to prepare for our landing on Alpha Three.”
Einarr nodded, his thoughts obviously elsewhere. “Will the captain give me my weapons back before we land?”
“I doubt it.”
“But what if the base has been attacked?”
She stood up. “Apart from the odd spat between my people and the Etruscans, this section of space is mainly free of conflict. The only person who would attack the base would be your brother, so I don’t think you’ll be getting your weapons back.”
He shrugged, his expression calm. “I don’t need them.” He flexed his fingers. “I have all the power I need.”
“You promised not to use it on the ship.”
“But not when we land.” He shot her a hard blue stare. “Mark my words, Frey. If I need to defend you, or my brother, I will do so.”
Einarr waited as patiently as he could for Frey to finish her preparations and get ready to disembark the ship. After packing her possessions and delivering her bags to the cargo hold, she took him back up to the bridge.
“We’re going to sit here.”
Einarr took the seat she indicated and watched as she buckled him in and then did the same to herself. In front of him, he could see the rest of the crew. Some of them were engaged in bringing the ship ever closer to a purple and black sphere straight ahead of them. Captain Travis was issuing orders, his voice calm, his gaze fixed forward.
“All
crew. Landing procedures will commence in one minute,” Slavin said. “Make sure you are in your approved seating. Thank you.”
The engines under his feet changed tone and roared deeper now, making the floor tremble and the upcoming planet tip alarmingly to one side. He fought back a desire to puke by swallowing hard and grabbed the armrest of his chair. Just as he did, a coil snaked out from behind his neck and wrapped itself around his throat and then into his ear and nose. He jerked forward with a growl.
“Don’t fight it, Einarr. It won’t hurt you. It’s just a precautionary safety measure in case the ship loses life support.”
Frey had obviously anticipated his desire to rip out the coiled wire and wrestle the thing to the ground. He tried to relax as the ship maneuvered again and came back toward the planet at some speed. Closing his eyes and praying seemed like the best option available, so he did that. Slavin’s voice continued to talk softly in his ear as she guided the ship in, communicating with someone on the ground at every step.
He kept his eyes closed even when the noise diminished, and when he felt the bump of solid ground beneath him, he breathed a prayer to the Gods.
“Ship is secured. Safety devices will deactivate in thirty seconds,” Slavin said. “Captain Travis requests that Tecky stay with our guest and disembark last.”
“Copy that,” Frey said.
He remained in his seat until the web of wires retreated, and he surreptitiously rubbed his throat. The crew filed out, glancing curiously at him and smiling at Frey who didn’t say a word. At last, only he, Frey and Captain Travis were left on the bridge. He wished he had his weapons. He had a sense that his welcome might not be as benign as Frey expected.
Travis came over, his expression guarded.
“Science Officer Frey, fall in behind me and the Viking and proceed to the docking bay.”
“Yes, sir.”
Einarr held out his hand. “Where are my weapons?”
“They have already been taken off the ship. I’m sure the personnel at Alpha Three will return them to you when they deem you sufficiently rehabilitated.”
“I would prefer to have them now.”
