by Sadie Carter
Dex sighed. “Go and get yourself checked by Racar. He should be finished with Zoey and Nassir. I will decide who will return home with you tomorrow. I believe I shall have to keep Zillion here.”
Yes, best he keep Zillion away from Zoey. And Boris.
“After he refused to train Zoey and the other females, I thought he only needed more time with human females to change his opinion.” Dex shook his head. “I heard of what he said to her and of how all the blasters went missing two days later.” He reached the door then turned back, his face stern although Boris saw his lips twitch. “I would appreciate if you returned those blasters when you get home. My younger warriors still need training. I will find someone else to train the females.”
Hmm, seemed Boris hadn’t fooled anyone.
***
“How does your wrist feel?”
Nassir jumped as the healer touched her wrist gently. She was so unused to being touched that her first reaction was to shy away or shove back. But she forced herself to stay still as he pressed on her wrist then turned her hand this way than that. The healer was a nice-looking man with kind eyes. Not as big as the other warriors she’d seen, but still much larger than she was.
He could so easily hurt you.
She could feel her heart racing and forced herself to take a deep breath then let it out slowly. He’d been nothing but gentle with her.
“Nassir? Does that feel all right?”
Once they’d been brought to the palace, she’d been led into this large bedroom with Zoey. A flurry of attendants had bathed them then dressed them in clean, floaty dresses, which had come from somewhere. She was pretty certain they weren’t Zoey’s. The other woman was curvier than Nassir but much shorter, and these dresses were too long, even for Nassir. Zoey’s had to be pulled up and pinned so she didn’t trip over it.
Then the healer had turned up, introducing himself quietly before examining them and explaining that Nassir would need to use a regen chamber.
She’d been nervous about being separated from Zoey but the other woman had given her a smile of encouragement and she’d somehow found the courage to go with the healer, whose name she’d already forgotten in her near panic.
“Nassir? Nassir, I know you do not know me so you have no reason to believe me when I tell you that I will not harm you. But I promise I only wish to help you. I do not know what you know of Zerconians, but we tend to be rather protective of females.”
“Z-Zoey said something to that e-effect.”
Actually, she’d said she would probably be locked in her bedroom for the next year once Dex calmed down enough to talk to her.
Racar gave her a small smile. “Our Emperor is very careful with his mate’s safety.”
Then why did he allow her to go to the markets on a strange planet with just two guards? Did he not know the dangers that lurked? She shivered. Nassir did, only too well. She wasn’t stupid enough to voice that opinion of course.
“Your wrist appears to be fully healed. Is there any lingering pain?”
“N-no. It feels fine. Thank you.” She stood and he reached out to clasp her arm as she tried to move away. She froze, her breath catching.
“What about the bruising on your side?”
“It is all gone. I feel as good as new.” Well, perhaps not as good as new. The regen chamber couldn’t fix her light-headedness or the cramping in her stomach from lack of food.
“I would be remiss in my duties did I not check. Perhaps you would feel more comfortable if you were to lie down?”
Panic flooded her. Lie down? Bare herself in front of a stranger? She wrenched her arm out of his hold.
“No! No, stay away from me.” She held her hands up, moving back toward the door. She needed to leave, to get away from here. She could not allow him to touch her.
Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her, something that both calmed and excited her. Whirling, she saw Boris standing in the doorway. His face was foreboding, stern as he stared at her, but she didn’t care. When she looked at him, all she saw was safety.
Before she knew it, she was standing so close to him they were almost touching. Her body still shook with aftereffects of the panic that had flooded her, but her breath came easier and she no longer felt as though she might pass out.
Boris let out a low, growling noise then pushed her gently behind him before stepping forward. The relief she felt at his appearance since turned into alarm as he stepped towards Racar, the menace rolling off him so strong she shivered.
“I was simply trying to examine her, Boris.”
She peered around Boris’s wide body to look at Racar who now stood with both hands up, watching Boris warily. Oh no, she could only guess that Boris’s face had grown dark and terrifying. She knew that look, she had seen him after that Royal Guardsman hit Zoey, and she would not want him to look at her that way. Although she could not understand why he was reacting this way to Racar.
“Boris,” she said hesitantly, reaching out to touch his good arm, remembering her body’s sharp reaction last time. But while there was a hit of heat that washed through her, this was more like slipping into a warm bath rather than being enveloped in an inferno of fire.
“Boris, what is wrong?”
“Nassir, might be best if you explained to Boris that I was not trying to harm you, just examine you.”
She frowned. “Do you mean he is angry at you over me?”
But that was impossible. Why would Boris care what happened to her? He did not even like her. And the feeling was mutual.
Oh yes? So why did you practically run to him as soon as you saw him?
It was merely that he was familiar to her and the healer was unknown.
“Yes, I mean exactly that. When he came in, he no doubt saw how petrified you looked and I believe he thinks I was attempting to harm you.”
But that was preposterous. However, as she moved around to stand in front of Boris, looking up...way up ...she saw the way he was focused on the healer, his gaze black, his body tense, a muscle ticked at the side of his mouth.
She just stared for a moment, completely shocked.
“I thought he didn’t even like me,” she whispered to herself.
“I think it is obvious that he feels something for you. Perhaps, though, you could save the revelations until after you have reassured him?” Racar asked in a tight voice. “I have no wish to have to use the regen chamber myself.”
She blushed as she realized she’d spoken aloud. She turned to look at Racar, who had grown more pale and wary. Did he really believe Boris would attack him because he thought Racar had been going to harm her?
Another growl erupted from Boris and he grabbed her arm, gently, attempting to force her behind his back once more as he took another step forward. Before she had thought it through, she threw her arms around his middle.
“Boris, wait! He was not trying to hurt me. He just wanted to check that I was healed. It was my fault I was so scared. I don’t like being touched.” Kind of hard to believe, considering she was wrapped around him as tight as a blanket. To her amazement, even with her weight hanging from him, he managed to take another step.
“Boris, please, you’re scaring me.” It wasn’t a lie. Even though she felt a small thrill that he would defend her, she did not wish to see Racar hurt for doing his job or to be the cause of that hurt. “He really was trying to help me. I’m the one with the problem. I do not trust easily.” Or at all. No, that wasn’t quite true. She found herself trusting Zoey. Something about the other woman screamed honesty. Maybe it was because she said what she was thinking. Without a filter. Nassir’s mother would have been shocked that an Empress would speak that way, but Nassir enjoyed Zoey’s openness and honesty. It was much easier than playing games and second-guessing every conversation you had with someone.
“I wished to check the bruising on her side, Boris,” Racar said in a calm voice. “She was kicked during the fight and I was concerned a rib could be broken.”
/> Boris pointed to the regen chamber in the corner of the room.
She turned to look at Racar as he nodded. “Yes, she has been in the regen chamber. However, I do not know what species she is. She would not give me that information, so I cannot be sure how well a regeneration chamber works on her. However, seeing how easily she just moved, I believe it is safe to say that she is fully healed.”
She blushed slightly and tried to untangle herself from Boris, but he merely plastered a large hand against her back. She froze. Even though he had not spoken she knew he wanted her to remain still.
He was still for a moment then she felt the tension in his muscles ease. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
That had been tense. To say the least.
She squeaked as he suddenly placed his hand under her ass. Oh Gods, it shouldn’t feel so good to have his large, warm hand against her forbidden area, but it did. Her body tightened, that place deep inside her that sometimes throbbed with a need she did not understand, made itself very known.
Her skin sizzled, and he pulled her higher, placing his arm beneath her ass so she was resting against his chest. She felt slight, a little childlike, but also safe.
At home.
As though being nestled against his chest was exactly where she was supposed to be. But how could that be? She decided not to question it for the moment as he turned and walked from the room. She was so tired. So sick of making all the decisions, of second-guessing everything and everyone. Of trying to figure out if an act of kindness came with an ulterior motive. In her experience, they often did. Like the male who had offered her shelter during a storm once. This was months ago, when she was more naive. He had seemed so kind, so gentlemanly, so trustworthy.
And she had awoken to him touching her, to him trying to force her legs apart so he could...
Boris made a low, soothing noise and she realized she had been whimpering.
“Sorry,” she whispered. “I think I nearly fell asleep.”
The heat from his body was incredible. Had she ever felt so warm? It would be so easy just to close her eyes and drift off. She was so tired...so very, very tired.
Boris felt alarmed by the feel of how slight the female was. He had known she was small, but dressed in her rags and now this floaty contraption, the truth of the matter had been hidden. But she hardly weighed more than a child. And it was obvious from the way she relaxed so fully against him that she was exhausted.
She needed food and rest. Not to attend a lunch held by the King of Maalika, and if she was his...he sighed. She was not his. And he needed to stop thinking that way. He could still not believe he had just reacted the way he had. He knew that Racar would never harm a female. The Zerconian healer was always gentle with females. Yet, when he had given in to the urge to check on her and had seen how scared she was, the need to protect had overwhelmed him.
He paused outside the door to the bedroom where Zoey was resting.
“Boris?” She lifted her head tiredly, staring up at him from sleepy, heavy-lidded eyes. She had the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen, a light purple that was almost at the opposite end of the scale to his dark purple-black eyes. “Is everything okay?”
No. No, nothing was all right.
He set her down on her feet, holding onto her as she swayed, his frown deepening. Her eyes widened, flashing with hurt before she averted his gaze from his. Then she stiffened and threw her shoulders back. “My apologies. I am fine now. You may remove your hand from me.”
And there was the princess back. Her formal voice grated on him like nothing else. He was hit by the need to wipe that cool, composed look from her face. Before he could think it through, he pushed her up against the door, placing his good hand on the door above her head, before leaning in and taking her mouth with his.
Sparks shot through his blood, and his cock, which had already been hard and throbbing due to her closeness, hardened even further, pressing against the clean pants someone had procured for him. The kiss wasn’t soft, wasn’t gentle. It was hard and hot and demanding. He thrust his tongue against her lips, demanding entrance.
When she let out a sigh, her body softening against his, he knew he had won her over. He pushed his tongue into her mouth, conquering her, taking from her, but she didn’t seem to mind. Her arms wound around his neck, drawing him closer. He lowered his hand, cupping her breast, cursing the fact that his other arm lay useless at his side. How he would love to pinch and squeeze her nipple while he ran his fingers through her folds. He could scent her arousal, it teased him, tantalized and enthralled him.
He shoved his hand between her legs and under her ass, drawing her up into the air, tired of having to bend himself practically in half just to kiss her.
Gods, she smelled good. And he didn’t mean that flowery scent that she’d obviously been bathed in. He hated that scent, it masked her, detracted from the beautiful smell of her arousal. Her folds were hot and damp against his arm.
The condescending, stiff female of just moments ago was gone, leaving in her place this hot bundle of need. When the door opened behind Nassir, he stumbled forward, caught off-balance and he only just managed to catch himself before they tumbled through the open doorway.
“Nassir? Boris? What on Earth...”
Boris pulled Nassir off him, setting her hastily aside, wincing as she stumbled and nearly fell. That was not well done of him. But he forced himself not to reach for her. He could not show what she meant to him. He was not even certain what she did mean.
Zoey stared from him to Nassir then back again. He held himself stiffly, at attention. How would she react, would she be disa—
Zoey clapped her hands, interrupting his thought, a gleeful smile breaking out on her face. “This is great! This is awesome!”
She gave a little dance. He risked a glance over at Nassir to find her staring at Zoey with no small amount of shock and disbelief. Although he was not certain if that was in reaction to their kiss or Zoey’s behavior.
“The two of you like each other. I can’t believe I didn’t notice. I kind of thought you hated each other.” Zoey shrugged. “Well, we’ve all seen with Moroco and Saffron that love and hate can be a very fine line.”
From what he had seen, Moroco and Saffron seemed to view arguing with each other as some sort of strange foreplay. To each their own. Still, he would not like to be at battle with his mate constantly.
If he ever took a mate. Which he did not intend to. Even if he didn’t have the issue of his vow to avenge his family, as well as his job of guarding Zoey, there was his physical appearance. Most females did not wish to have a crippled and scarred mate. It was why he sought out establishments where he could pay to have his needs taken care of. Those females did not turn him away and if they were disgusted by his appearance then they did not let it show. He preferred to fuck in the dark anyway.
But Nassir did not seem to be put off by his appearance.
He studied her again. That mask was coming over her face once more as she straightened, bringing herself under control. He admired her ability to control her reactions, even as it irritated him that she hid her true thoughts and feelings around him.
“I apologize, Zoey,” she said in a low voice. “I believe Boris was just trying to prove a point.” She nodded at him as if to say well done.
He scowled at her. All right, so he had been trying to wipe that cool look off her face, to show her that she felt more for him than she let on. But it had soon turned from a lesson into something far more intimate.
Zoey’s face dropped. “You mean, you don’t like Boris?”
Nassir gave a quiet laugh and waved her hand. “I do not know him. Believe me, what you just witnessed was simply a reaction to the stress we have all experienced today.”
Zoey bit her lip and looked at Boris. While there were many, especially among the female Zerconians, who believed that Zoey lacked intelligence, Boris knew that was not the case. And she saw far more than he felt comforta
ble with her knowing.
“Right. Of course. Stress. Happens to me all the time. I often jump Dex as soon as he gets through the door after a stressful day.” Her face grew tense. “Kind of hard to jump someone when they get home when you’ve already fallen asleep then leave before you wake up, though.”
Nassir sent him a slightly alarmed look. He wished that Dex would reveal to Zoey his true reason for being here. It might go some way to alleviating her unhappiness.
“So, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but King Rohan has invited us all to lunch. I don’t know about the two of you but I could use a really big glass of Sola. Might help cool Dex down a little as well.” She grimaced. “He is not a happy chappy.”
“Chappy?” Nassir questioned.
“Doesn’t matter. Suffice to say that Dex gets very grumpy when he thinks I’m in danger. It will take him a while to calm down. Meanwhile, we might as well eat, drink, and be merry.”
Nassir looked over at the bed with a look of such longing that Boris felt the urge to pull her into his arms, carry her over and tuck her in for a good, long sleep.
And then once he thought she had rested enough he would wake her by lapping at the cream between her thighs. The cream he could still smell from where she’d rubbed up against his arm.
“Zoey, I believe it might be best if I beg off lunch,” Nassir stated. “I am certain the King does not really wish me to join you and I would be more than happy to retire with a small platter of food.”
Zoey’s face dropped. “Of course, I’m sorry. You’re exhausted and it’s been a horrible morning. Only problem is that King Rohan requested your company.”
He saw the look of fear that flashed across Nassir’s face, gone so quickly he could almost believe he imagined it.
“He did? Do you know why?”
“No. But he probably wants to ask us about what happened today.” Zoey grimaced. “Not looking forward to that. Maybe I should take a vow of silence like Boris. Might keep me out of trouble.”
He did not think that even a vow of silence would keep Zoey out of trouble.
Nassir gave him a curious look. “Vow of silence? There is nothing wrong with his vocal chords?”
