A Minx for Ryek & Holden : A Sci Fi Alien Romance (Tallean Mercenaries Book 5)

by Lynnea Lee

  “And what did you do before Reka 5?”

  “I was a mercenary. That’s how I know Zeylum. I was in his father’s crew. I was young, and my crew meant a lot to me. When my Captain died during our last mission, I left. I couldn’t imagine the ship without him. I came here to start over.

  “Reka 5 was new then. The fences weren’t even up yet, and old Crox and Yurgan did the best they could to keep everyone safe.”

  Still keeping her eyes on the dot that she thought was Holden, Angie asked, “How did you come to be the director?”

  “I suggested the fences and got a crew together to put them up, then I trained a few males to be guards and sentries. And the next time someone from out of the colony asked for the leader or the director, everyone just pointed them to me.” Ryek laughed. “I didn’t have much of a choice.” Then Ryek gaze dropped to his lap. “I think I’m in way over my head.”

  She leaned back against him and pulled his arms to wrap around herself. “How so?”

  “All these people are looking up to me to keep them safe. But I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m just making it up as I go.”

  “Aren’t we all? I don’t think any leader truly knows what they are doing is the absolute, undeniably correct thing. It’s not like they’ve trained in previous lives for the role.” Still leaning back, she tilted her chin up. “I think you are doing an amazing job.”

  “I have a lot to lose, and I have a lot to work for.”

  The dot on the screen that Angie had mentally thought of as Holden was now facing off against several enemies.

  “Shit, I can’t tell which one is ours anymore.”

  The drones just picked up body heat, so couldn’t decern between friendly or foe.

  “Holden will be fine. He is a strong male and very experienced.”

  “He better be!”

  “You care a lot about him.”

  “Of course, I do!”

  “Then why were you avoiding him before?”

  “Because every morning that I wake in his bed, I hope that something is different, but nothing ever is. How could I find my mate, or him his, if we keep fucking up each other’s life?”

  “I see.” Rye took a deep breath. “And me, why were you avoiding me?”

  “Because I didn’t want to get attached to you too. And I didn’t want to mess up your friendship. What if we gave it a go and Holden got upset?

  “He doesn’t feel that jealous rage when you are with me. And I don’t feel it when you are with him either.”

  “Well, it’s not like you get jealous about me anyway.”

  “I do.”

  “But we’ve just started seeing each other.”

  “I’ve wanted you from the day you set foot on Reka 5. But I didn’t want to poach. You were Holden’s. After the two of you parted ways, I was waiting for him to let you go completely, but now I see that he never would. You would go on dates with other males, and Holden and I would go hunt dragus or train together to stop ourselves from attacking whoever you went home with.”

  Angie hadn’t known at all. And all the pieces finally clicked into place. “So that’s why sometimes after my dates, Holden would show up at my door, still stuck in bloodlust after hunting dragus. I never actually went home with any of the other males. I would leave the baths with them, but we would grab food, and that would be it.”

  “I know.” Ryek paused a moment before continuing, “I warned a few males off you.”

  He did? All this was news to Angie. “Oh.” She didn’t have any words. This was a lot to take in.

  “Are you upset?” He bent and buried his face into her neck.

  Was she? Her body hadn’t reacted to any of the other males the way it responded to Holden’s, or now to Ryek’s. “No.” Angie thought of her conversation with Lettie. Could they both be her mates? Maybe Holden was right, and they were destined to be a triad, and Ryek had been missing from the equation all these years. She was almost afraid to hope.

  “There are rumors of mates destined to be triads, two males and one female. Do you think...” Angie trailed off, not sure how to broach the topic.

  But Ryek wasn’t fazed. He surprised her instead. “My mother and my sires are a triad.”

  “They are?” That was news to her, too.

  “They are. My parents split their time between their ship and the Mercenary Alliance compound. They are mostly retired, but today they are up there,” he said and pointed to the skies, “helping us out. My fathers are glad to take their ship out and shoot at the Dominion one more time. Once this is over, you can meet them.”

  So that explained Ryek’s side. But before Angie could wonder about Holden, the implications hit her. “Your parents? You want me to meet your parents?” Holy shit! That’s huge!

  Ryek laughed. “They will love you. I am not young anymore, and they are constantly asking me when I’ll settle down. I keep telling them I’m mated to my job and to my colony, but they are never happy with that answer.”

  Then the mess of red dots headed back down to disappear into the bottom edge of the screen, and a buzzing came from Ryek’s comm.

  “Holden’s heading back.”

  Angie sighed in relief. He was okay!

  Chapter 13

  Holden had trouble refolding his cheek crease and retracting his fangs. He always had difficulty returning to calm after a fight. Other males could fight the lust part of the bloodlust and regain composure, but Holden still struggled. He always had. It was rumored that those who relied on bloodlust most often to fight had the most challenging time coming back from it. And Holden had lived a life full of hunting and fighting.

  Stalking towards the comm office from his vehicle, he ripped his tank top over his head. He needed Angie now, and she was in there.

  He opened the door a little too violently, and the door flew open, hitting the wall with a loud bang. Angie met him in the hallway. She ran to him immediately, no fear in her eyes, just pure excitement and lust. She had never feared him, not even when his fangs were out and his jaws unhinged. She had calmed him from his bloodlust for years, and no other would do.

  Those pants she wore had to go. He ripped them off her, panties and all, and cast them aside. She wrapped her little arms around his neck, and he lifted her, plastering her against his body.

  “Holden, you are back. You are safe,” she murmured the words against his neck.

  He couldn’t form words, not yet, not with his jaws still unhinged and his fangs still out on display. So, he growled at Angie instead, a low, gruff growl.

  “Mmm, I love that sound.” She nipped at his ear. “Your growl does things to me.”

  He rubbed his fangs, still descended, up and down her throat and jawline, inhaling her scent through an open mouth. He knew that did things to her, too.

  “You are so hot when you are like this. I could never resist you.” She dragged her dull little human teeth against his jaw, mimicking him.

  Holden knew. Angie loved to fuck when he was stuck in bloodlust. It turned her on.

  She nipped his ear again, and then his face and his jaw. With her legs around his hips, she ground her body against the stiffened front of his pants, leaving hot, wet trails against the front of his body.

  Angie was perfect, and Holden couldn’t wait. He needed to claim her, take her, and he needed it now. He freed his erection from its tight confines, and it bobbed against the inside of her legs. She pushed against his body with her legs, trying to match them up. Angie was more eager than he was, though he doubted that was possible. Lining their bodies up, he thrust in, appreciating that she was already wet for him.

  She inhaled sharply before letting out a low moan at his intrusion. He thrust into her, still standing and supporting her weight with his arms. She weighed barely anything at all compared to him, and it was easy to lift her up and down his swollen cock.

  “Yes!” she hissed, tossing her head back.

  As his r
age subsided, his cheek creases refolded, and his fangs retracted. As he pounded into her body, he tilted her so that as each movement brought them together, his pelvis rubbed at her sensitive clit. Each thrust resulted in a breathy moan. It was hard to go slow, and he hadn’t had time to make sure she climaxed before entering her, but that didn’t stop him from doing everything he could to give her pleasure anyway.

  Her panting grew louder, and her channel gripped onto him tightly, milking him with every movement. Her body seized, and her dull nails dug into his shoulder, making perfect little half-moons on his skin. She was close, but so was he. He needed to last, needed to make sure she bursts before he did.

  “Come on, Trouble. I need you to come all over my cock.”

  Gripping her hips, he forced her down hard against his body so that he was impaled entirely inside her. Keeping her down so that there was constant contact against her clit, he ground his hips in hard, tight circles.

  She shrieked, the sound loud in the hallway of the comm office, as she exploded around him. Her body shook, then she sobbed against him as her body went limp and pliable. Holden thrust a few more times into her tightness and came, spurting his seed into her hot, pulsating channel.

  Holden backed against a wall and sunk to the ground, bringing Angie with him, tired, exhausted, spent. In his lap, Angie rested her cheek against this shoulder. He stroked her messy hair, and she hummed, contented.

  Their breathing slowed, and they finally noticed other security team members milling around them, busy with their work. Holden had lucked out. Many of the human females were shy about sex and took time to acclimatize to their culture, where sex wasn’t hidden. Angie had no such reservation, not even when she had been new to Reka 5. She didn’t mind an audience.

  Footsteps sounded, the gait familiar, and he looked up to see Ryek holding out a hand for him. In his other hand, he held a steaming towel. Holden took the hand and pulled himself up, still holding Angie to his body with the other arm. Together, they cleaned up their female.

  As they threw their clothes back on, a tugging sensation started in Holden’s chest. It was a sudden, undeniable need to hold on to Angie and never let go. He struggled to take a breath. His heart was so full of her that there was no room for air. He clutched at his chest, feeling faint.

  A firm hand reached out to steady him. “You okay?” Ryek asked, concern on his face. “You look like you’re going to pass out on us.”

  “It’s the large volume of blood rushing back to his head,” Angie teased. “It’s too much for his brain to handle.” She giggled at her own joke, and the sound was mesmerizing, and it soothed him enough to breathe again.

  “Only for you, Trouble,” Holden managed, trying to sound normal. He didn’t understand what was happening to him, but he didn’t want to worry either of them.

  “Come, let’s get home and rest before the next attack.” Ryek still had a worried look on his face.

  They walked out of the building towards their vehicles. Ryek was correct, of course, the attack wasn’t over, and now they had to prepare for the next skirmish as the landed Dominion troops gathered for their next offensive.

  Chapter 14

  The smell of food cooking filled Angie’s nostrils, and she stretched her body lazily. The soft sheets felt different, and the smell was foreign but familiar. Her eyes popped open. She was not in her own bed, and she was not in Holden’s either. But next to her, Holden lay sleeping, the soft sounds of his breathing a rhythm she could recognize anywhere.

  The sheets she untangled herself from were comfortable, crisp, and cool, but they were sterile and white. The large spacious bed made her frown. This must be Ryek’s bed. Did he need a bed big enough for an orgy often? Some Tallean males were known playboys who spent their unmated years sampling as many females as possible. Ryek didn’t have that reputation.

  In fact, he kept his personal affairs private, especially considering Talleans were usually very open about their sex lives. Angie couldn’t name a single person, male or female, who was rumored to have slept with the colony’s director. It was for the best; Angie was the jealous type. She felt a bit like a hypocrite now, considering she expected Holden and Ryek to share her.

  She lifted her head to look around. The place looked lived in, but bare and simple. Electronically controlled tinting on the windows shielded them from the morning sun. The floors were naked, with no rugs or mats. And the desk on the side only held utilitarian items. The place was spacious and airy, but it didn’t feel like a home. It needed a touch of color and warmth.

  Careful not to wake Holden—though she doubted her tiptoeing around him ever truly worked—Angie snuck off the bed and walked out to the kitchen. Ryek stood at the hearth, what passed as a Tallean equivalent of a stove, cooking slabs of meat. He looked up and grinned at her, his fangs peeking out under his lips.

  “Good morning, little minx.” His low and soothing voice was the perfect start to a day.

  “Is this your place?” Of course, it was. Why did she even ask?

  From the bags under his eyes, Angie knew Ryek hadn’t slept well. How could he with the Dominion right on the planet? She felt guilty sleeping through the night. She thought of the Dominion shuttles that had landed successfully, and a feeling of dread roiled in her stomach. “What happened after I passed out? When are we expecting the Dominion next?”

  “You are worried.” He put down his tongs and leaned over the counter to ruffle her hair before giving the top of her head a kiss. “Be calm. Our teams cleaned out the nearby shuttles we shot down. The shuttles that landed are at least a day away, and the Dominion troops will need to regroup. We have eyes in the sky that are tracking enemy movement. I’ve ordered everyone to sleep and eat so that we are fresh and ready for their ground push.”

  “But you haven’t slept. You have bags under your eyes.”

  “I tried. But we still have all day. You will help me sleep later, won’t you?”

  Angie nodded. She’d use every trick in the book if she had to. “Did we do good with the shuttles?” Angie wanted to know if they were on track.

  Ryek grinned. “We took down more than I’d expected. The Dominion didn’t send enough troops. They must still think we are a small colony.”

  The Dominion must have underestimated them. Even in the three years that she’d lived at Reka 5, she’d witnessed many improvements. And not just to their defense system either, but to their quality of life as well. Ryek was a competent leader, and Reka 5 prospered under his rule.

  Then she remembered the guard who had sabotaged the fence. “One of your sentries was a mole. Wouldn’t they have known?”

  “What’s a mole?”

  Right, Ryek wouldn’t know the Earth term. Angie looked for words to explain the concept. “A mole is like a long-term spy.”

  “He was not privy to our access of ground to air missiles. That was a new and secret addition. He also did not know about the mercenary crews we hired to orbit our planet. Trenton’s crew took out a lot of shuttles before they landed.”

  Trenton was the human captain of the Second Chance, a stolen, state-of-the-art, Dominion vessel. The word was that he didn’t waste any time outfitting the ship with the biggest guns he could afford. He and his crew of human mercenaries were making a big name for themselves in all the nearby settlements. They would go down in history as the galaxy’s first human mercenaries.

  “I’m glad they came to help. Trenton’s taken to space like fish to water.”

  “Yes. He is enjoying himself in space a lot more than he ever did on Earth. He likes his toys to have a lot of firepower.”

  “Boys and their toys.” She laughed, and Ryek grinned at her.

  “Now, no more worries. We have the next few hours to ourselves, and I plan on enjoying it with my best friend and our little minx.”

  Ryek transferred several seared pieces of meat onto a plate. It seemed Holden and Ryek were on the same diet: carnivore. Angie didn’t
mind. Ever since switching to mostly meat, she’d lost a lot of weight and kept it off. However, she could never remove sweets or joulka from her diet. She loved them too much.

  Holden wandered in from the bedroom, not wearing a stitch of clothing. He usually slept naked, and apparently, that extended to sleepovers. But it wasn’t like she was wearing much more. As Holden sat down on a stool and pulled her over to lean against him, she realized, as his hot skin touched hers, that she was only in her panties.

  Ryek pushed two plates of food over to their side of the peninsula and pulled up a stool to sit across from them. And suddenly wanting to be touching both of them as she ate, Angie extended her foot until it rested on Ryek’s thigh and left it there. Perfect! She was touching them both, and it felt good, whole. She didn’t try to understand it.

  Unlike the slab of pure meat on the two Tallean male’s plate, Ryek had arranged a few amberberries on the side for her. To drink, Ryek pulled over a big jar of nuri leaf tea that they just took turned drinking out of.

  “Sorry, I don’t have cups.” Ryek shot them an apologetic look.

  Angie almost choked on her food. “What? You don’t have cups? Like none at all?”

  “I drink out of this jar at home. And we have cups at the office. I don’t spend much time in my home.”

  And Angie knew it was true. The stark interior of his home proved it.

  Next to her, Holden grumbled. “I’ve told you many times; you need to delegate. The colony is too big for one male to organize. You need time to rest.”

  Ryek paused mid-bite. “Maybe now that I will have a family to come home to, I will work less.” He looked pointedly across the counter at them.

  Angie didn’t know what to say. They haven’t discussed any of this, and she still hadn’t even had sex with Ryek yet. Yet, he was speaking as if he knew she was going to be his mate, and they were going to be a triad.