Even when she and Drakkal were apart, he found ways to let her know he was thinking about her. Leaving little gifts in places he knew she’d be, having food sent to her when he couldn’t join her for a meal, or sending holocom texts—some of which left her so horny that she was ready to leap at him the moment they were together.
Drakkal doted on her when they were together. He didn’t treat her like glass, like she was some delicate little thing that would shatter at the slightest touch, but he made her feel cherished, worthy, important.
Loved.
They didn’t spend all their free time in the bedroom, though. She especially enjoyed when he’d head down to the simulation chambers with her. They’d load into sims together—though they were in separate rooms, the system loaded in holographic avatars of the other participants—and engage in competitions that began as friendly contests and always ended in fierce rivalries. He’d topped her on kills and accuracy the first few times, but she’d finally begun shedding the rust and rediscovering her groove.
Shay had won the last time, if only just barely. She hadn’t passed up the opportunity to gloat—and to warn him that he wasn’t ever going to win again once she had her baby and got back into shape. Many of the men she’d known on Earth would’ve had their egos bruised by that. The crowds she’d run with during her rebellious, misguided years had been filled with males who’d carried their heavy but fragile masculinity on their shoulders, and many of them didn’t like to be outdone by a woman.
Drakkal had only grinned, emerald eyes twinkling with pride, and told her to bring it.
She plucked a nut from the bowl and popped it into her mouth. Its sweet and salty flavor reminded her of cashews, but these were a little sweeter and had a hint of vanilla. She hummed appreciatively and ate a few more.
“I’m getting so fat,” she said just as the door opened.
“Pfft. You’re a runt, terran,” Thargen said as he entered the room and approached her. He reached over to snatch a few nuts from the bowl, tossed them into his mouth, and chewed noisily. “Anyway, all the flavor’s in the fat.”
Shay leaned back in her seat and chuckled. “Do you even realize how messed up some of the stuff you say is?” She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. “Have you eaten a human before?”
“Don’t think I have.” He plopped down on the empty chair near hers and turned on the extra screen—the one Razi used to watch his shows while he was on surveillance duty. “Hard to say. Memory ain’t what it was. At least I think it isn’t.” The vorgal reached up and tapped the scar on the shaved side of his head.
She used her toes and shift her chair from side to side. “Well, if someone’s going to eat me, I might as well taste good.”
“Probably best for me if you don’t tell Drakkal about any of this,” he replied with a laugh. “And I say why be tasty when you can be tough? Make them work for it, and let the fuckers choke when they try to swallow you.”
Shay laughed. It hadn’t taken long to find her place in the crew. They’d accepted her without question, had treated her as family from the beginning. And even though they were all breaking the law just by being a part of Arcanthus and Drakkal’s operation, they reminded her much more of her father’s military buddies than any criminals she’d associated with.
“Those tattoos on your face…they’re military, right?” she asked.
Thargen nodded. He absently flicked through different entertainment feeds on the screen. “Vorgal tradition. Rank and honors for everyone to see.”
She studied the markings on his cheek. They were blood red, centered around a symbol that looked like an axe or a similar ancient weapon, radiating outward from that center. She flung her mind back to things her father had shown her long ago; the vorgals had been allies of the United Terran Federation for a few decades, and Dad had been familiar with their military system. She’d seen that symbol before.
“You were infantry, right?” she asked.
“Yup.” He lifted a finger, indicating a spiked symbol above the central axe. “Vanguard. First in. We got to do all the fun parts.”
“That how you got the scar?”
“Yeah. Don’t really remember much of what happened. I’m sure I killed plenty of the bastards, though, because I was covered in a lot of blood that wasn’t mine afterward.” He turned his head toward her and grinned, fully displaying his pronounced canines and tusks; it should’ve been an unsettling expression, but Shay had come to appreciate it.
“The healers said I should’ve died,” he continued. “Severe brain trauma, or something like that. But Urgand fixed me up right there, knee-deep in mud and blood. He dragged me off that field.” His gaze dipped briefly to her belly. “My head’s kind of…foggy, most days, and I can’t pretend I understand all the medical shit Urgand goes on about sometimes. Don’t know if I ever really did. But I know you and your youngling are in good hands with him.”
It was a rare moment of comfort from him, and honestly, Shay had really needed to hear it—especially today. She’d tried hard not to think about it, had tried to suppress her nervousness, to occupy her mind, but it had all been festering just under the surface. She trusted Urgand, there was no question about that. It was just… What if something was wrong? What if she’d done something wrong?
Thargen’s grin stretched wider. “And growing up around here, your youngling will be a little ass-kicker for sure.”
Shay returned the grin. “There’s no question about that.”
Knowing that her baby would be so loved here made Shay’s heart feel like it was near to bursting; her child would be as loved and accepted as she’d felt among her father’s friends.
The door opened, and Shay and Thargen turned their heads to find Samantha standing in the doorway.
She had a warm smile on her face as she met Shay’s gaze, and her voice was brimming with excitement when she said, “They’re ready.”
Shay’s heart leapt, and her anxiety returned with vengeance. She wanted this. She needed this—the baby needed this—but that didn’t stop the worry that was making it difficult for Shay to fill her lungs with air. Was it better to know or to remain ignorant? Was it better to be aware of potential problems and complications, even if they couldn’t be solved, or to carry on blissfully unaware?
She felt like that should’ve been easy to answer, but she couldn’t figure it out. She’d been in shoot outs with dangerous people, had felt bullets and sizzling plasma bolts zip by within centimeters of her face, had partaken in deals that could’ve erupted in terrible violence at any moment…and none of that had been as scary as the prospect of a simple medical exam was now.
Circumstances—like being a wanted criminal on Earth and then being abducted by aliens—had prevented her from getting the medical attention she should’ve sought after first discovering her pregnancy. Things hadn’t been much different here on Arthos—at least not until recently. Even if it made her uncomfortable to know they must’ve spent a big chunk of money on it without asking her for anything in return, Arcanthus and Drakkal had purchased medical equipment specifically to assist in prenatal, birthing, and postnatal care. Urgand had been setting it all up over the last few days.
Shay had no more excuses, no valid reason to hide. Her fears didn’t matter—this was for her baby.
Shay pushed herself out of the chair and patted Thargen’s shoulder. “Looks like you’re on your own now. Don’t have too much fun.”
“I always have too much fun, terran,” he replied, finally stopping the entertainment feed on something unexpected—a Volturian drama.
Samantha grinned. “Did Razi finally corrupt you?”
Thargen chuckled and shook his head, settling more comfortably into his chair. “This shit’s funny. Even funnier when I tell Razi that to his face.”
As Shay moved toward the door, she lowered her voice and said to Sam, “He totally has a hard-on for that Volturian actress.”
Thargen barked laughter. “Damn right I do, terra
n!”
Shay thrust a finger at him, narrowing her eyes. “Hey! I work in here. You’d better clean up after yourself.”
He waved a hand dismissively. “Only time I mix work and pleasure is when I have to kill someone. Now get to the infirmary before your kitty gets anxious.”
Both the women laughed.
“Arcanthus has the whole place calling Drakkal kitty now,” Samantha said as they stepped out into the hallway.
Shay smirked, falling into step beside Sam as they walked down the corridor. “He doesn’t seem to mind when I do.”
“You’re his mate. Of course he doesn’t mind.” A smile played on Samantha’s lips. “Arc does just about everything he can to needle Drak, but Drak retaliates in kind. Seems to be their way of showing affection for each other.”
Chuckling, Shay nodded. “Sounds about right.”
Comfortable silence stretched between the two of them for a few moments. Shay glanced at the other woman, who, along with Thargen, was fast becoming her closest friend. The two humans were complete opposites, but Shay suspected that had they met under different circumstances, had their lives not taken the bad turns that eventually led them here, they would have met some other way and formed a friendship all on their own. Samantha was a caring, compassionate woman with a great sense of humor she only revealed to those close to her.
Were they still on Earth, Shay would’ve loved to teach Samantha’s abusive ex a lesson after Arcanthus was done with him—if there was anything left.
“Sooo, out of curiosity, what’s it like with a sedhi?” Shay asked. “I mean, we’re both mated to some pretty alien aliens, and well…there’s some differences between sex with a human.”
Eyes going wide, Samantha stopped and turned toward Shay. “Oh my God, you have no idea how badly I wanted to ask you the same thing! I just…didn’t know how to.”
Shay chuckled. “You just ask. Easy.”
A blush stained Samantha’s cheeks. “Not so easy. It’s a little…embarrassing. Other than Sekk’thi, I was the only female here, and well… I just didn’t know how to really…bring up sex, you know? And it’s pretty clear that her experience with it is pretty different from mine…”
“Yeah, Sekk’thi sure isn’t shy about it. Though at the same time, neither am I.”
Samantha peeked back and forth down the hallway before meeting Shay’s gaze again. “When you and Drak have sex, does…anything weird happen?”
“Other than getting cock-locked for extended periods of time? Nope. It’s some pretty amazing sex, and if I were to say it gets intense…well, that’d be an understatement.”
“Oh God, yes. The sex…” Sam’s expression turned curious. “Cock-locked?”
“As in, we’re locked together. You couldn’t pry us apart with a damned crowbar.”
Sam’s eyes widened. “You too?”
“Me too? Okay, back up a second there. Now I need the deets.”
To Shay’s astonishment, it was possible for Samantha to get redder still. The poor girl was far too self-conscious, but Shay found it endearing.
“I, uh…though I broke it when I first saw it,” Samantha said, the corner of her mouth quirking sheepishly.
“Wait. Broke it? As in his cock?”
The shy woman nodded. “It…split.”
Shay stared at her, unable to process what had just been said. “Split?”
“Split.”
“Like…”
“Like into four parts.”
“Holy shit!”
Samantha laughed. “I was horrified. I mean, not by him. It was a shock. But I swear his ego has never taken a hit like it did then. Can you imagine how a guy would feel when his mate recoils from his…you know, the first time she sees it?”
Shay curled her lips in and bit them, trying to contain her mirth, but failed. Laughter burst from her, so hard that she had to catch herself on the wall. “I would have loved to see the look on his face.”
“In hindsight, it was pretty funny.” Sam grinned. “He still hasn’t laughed about it.”
“I can’t imagine he would.”
Samantha tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled. “It does feel nice though. Really nice.”
Shay’s thoughts immediately turned to Drakkal. “Yeah, they do. And Arc also…locks?”
Sam’s tongue slipped out to run over her lips. “It kind of more…latches.”
“Latches?” Surely it couldn’t be bad if Samantha said it felt nice, but just the thought was… Shay shuddered and cringed. “Do I want to know how that works?”
Shaking her head, Sam chuckled. “It doesn’t hurt. Well, it does if you try to pull away before it’s done implanting.”
“Implanting?”
“Well, it like, grabs…the walls…” Samantha caught her lower lip between her teeth, leaned closer to Shay, and raised a hand, fingers and thumb pressed together. She opened her fingers slowly. “And pries them open. To, uh…well to make sure all the, um, the you know gets in there.”
Shay recoiled, dropping a hand to cup her groin as though she could shield it from the mental image Sam’s words and demonstration conjured. “And you saw it before he stuck it in you?”
Samantha nodded. “Yeah. I did. I mean…look at Arc. He’s…” Her eyes shut and a dreamy smile curled on her lips. “Perfect. He’s so perfect.”
“Freaky cock and all, huh?”
Sam laughed again. “Yes. Freaky cock and all.”
“Yeah,” Shay agreed, her lips twitching into a smirk. “I love my knotty kitty, too.”
“Your knotty kitty?”
“Cause, you know, he knots.” Shay held her fists one atop the other, as though an invisible cylinder were in her grasp, and expanded the lower hand.
Laughter burst from Sam. “Oh my God! That’s a good one.”
When they reached the infirmary a little while later, Shay’s cheeks hurt from how much she’d been smiling and laughing. As soon as they entered the sterile, white room, her unease returned. The center of the room was largely open, but most of the wall space was taken up by cabinets, counters, and medical machinery for which Shay had no name. It’d been so long since she’d been to a doctor—a trustworthy doctor, anyway—that everything looked only familiar enough to be unsettling.
Drakkal and Urgand stood beside a large chair that looked like something out of a dentist’s office. Though with just a little spattered blood and dimmer lighting, it would’ve made a perfect horror movie prop.
This is not the time to let that imagination run, Shay.
Samantha placed her hand on Shay’s arm and smiled gently. “I can’t wait to hear the results.”
Knowing full well she was failing to keep her concern from showing in her expression, Shay smiled back at the woman. “Thanks, Sam. I’ll let you know.”
“You’ll be fine. Both of you.” Sam gave Shay’s arm a gentle squeeze before releasing her hold and exiting the room.
Drakkal grinned and walked over to her. “Was about to come looking for you myself, kiraia.”
She looked up at him and smirked. “Sam and I were having a little female bonding time. There were some…interesting discussions.”
“You were talking about cocks, weren’t you?”
Shay’s grin widened.
Drakkal chuckled. “And you reached the conclusion that mine’s the best, of course.”
She looked him dead in the eye, serious as could be, and said, “Yes.”
“Good.”
Her lips twitched and she lowered her voice so only he could hear her. “I quite enjoy my knotty kitty.”
He drew in a slow, deep breath and lifted a hand to his temples, covering his eyes. “That’s another pun, isn’t it? Kraasz ka’val, what is wrong with you terrans? Do not tell Arc that one.”
Shay snickered. “Better hope Sam doesn’t tell, either.”
Drakkal’s hand fell, and his brows were low as he stared down at her. “You said that to Samantha?”
“Maaaaybe.�
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His lips trembled and peeled back to reveal his fangs, and he drew in several breaths as though he meant to speak but had failed to find the words before finally saying, “You’re lucky I like you, terran. Get on the fucking chair.”
Shay laughed as she moved to the chair. “Oh, I love it when you talk dirty.”
Though she was sure there’d be no fucking on that chair…at least not while Urgand was present.
Urgand manipulated a control, lowering the chair to a more comfortable height for Shay to sit. He wore a long white coat that might’ve looked right at home in a hospital or lab back on Earth were it not for its collar, which fit snugly around his thick neck. She’d also never imagined a doctor quite as broad shouldered and clearly well-built as him…or with face tattoos and short tusks protruding from his lower jaw.
“This won’t take long,” Urgand said. His voice was deep and gravelly, but it possessed a decidedly professional tone that eased a bit of her nervousness.
More of her anxiety faded when Drakkal positioned himself beside her, not quite close enough for them to be touching, but close enough for Shay to feel his body heat.
Urgand used the controls to raise the chair, simultaneously lowering its backrest to smoothly lean her back. Components of the chair shifted as her position altered, cushioning the new points of stress on her body at her lower back and neck. Without thought, Shay reached out and grasped Drakkal’s flesh and blood hand, clutching it.
“Got you, kiraia,” Drakkal said softly, giving her hand a squeeze.
In that moment, she loved him. She loved him more than she’d thought possible so early in their relationship, more than she’d thought possible at all, but there it was. She really, truly, deeply loved her gruff, sweet, persistent azhera.
She held his gaze, unable to voice the emotions swelling within her, until movement on her other side drew her attention away.
Untamed Hunger Page 24
