Alpha Hunter (28 page)

“Are you ready to admit it yet?” He whispered the question against her parted lips. “I know you felt it last time we did this.”

She knew what he was asking. She’d opened her end of their link completely the last time he’d been inside her and the result had been glorious. “I love you. I’m not afraid of the words or the emotion.” She paused for a long, deep kiss before adding, “As for life mates… It’s hard for me to believe that anything will last forever, but I’m willing to give it a try.”

He shifted his weight to his forearms so he could look into her eyes. “I will always love you. I’ll provide for you and protect…I’ll be a much better protector than I was
two days ago.”

She framed his face with her hands and kissed his lips. “To borrow your
two favorite phrases, it wasn’t your fault and you did nothing wrong.”

“Your sister was so angry. She said she’d never forgive me if you died. It was
Larria all over again.”

“I’m sure she didn’t mean it.”

He shook his head. “She meant it. I know she did, because I felt it too. If you had died, I never would have forgiven myself.”

“But I didn’t die,” she stressed. “
You taught me to read the signals and think on my feet. You gave me a strategy. A strategy that worked, by the way. So you and Tori both better stop picking on the man I love.”

“You’re right.”

He’d meant to say more, but she stopped him right there. “Just keep saying that and we’ll get along just fine.” She squeezed him tight with her inner muscles as she added, “Are we going to talk or—”

He wrapped his arms around her and rolled to his side, bringing her with him. Drawing her top leg up to his waist, he moved in shallow strokes, creating motion while still allowing them to press together from chest to knee. They slid against each other skin on skin a
s his mouth made love to hers. Their hands caressed then clung then caressed again as they basked in the ultimate intimacy.

Tenderness flowed between them, warm and
soothing. He shifted her head to the bend of his arm and deepened the kiss. They took their time, sharing emotions as freely as they shared their bodies. Each breath, each gasp and sigh communicated more clearly than complex words or deep conversations.

Suddenly he rolled to his back and s
ettled her on top of him. She tossed her hair out of her eyes, which made her breasts jiggle. His gaze gravitated toward the unintentional display and he cupped both her breasts with his warm hands. She covered his hands with hers, amazed at how perfectly she fit his palms. How could she doubt this would last forever when everything about him felt preordained?

She drew her body up slowly, savoring the sensual glide of his body inside hers. When her folds clung to the flared head of his cock, she paused for a moment
, building the tension, then descended just as slowly.

His hands gripped her waist and he growled, “Move or I will.”

More than happy to oblige, she rocked her hips, taking him deep as his fingers slipped between her thighs. He effortlessly found her clit and rubbed over and around the swollen nub as her rhythm gradually increased.

Arching her back, she let their combined passion wash over her in tingling waves.
Each sensation in her body echoed in his, ringing on and on like the tolling of a bell. She felt the thickness of his shaft and yet she sensed the snug grip of her inner muscles. Her arousal excited him and his eagerness made her even hotter.

She pushed his hand away
from the apex of her thighs and leaned forward, needing faster, needing more. Their link revealed her restlessness, so he adjusted their position one last time. He sat up then laid her back across the blanket, shifting his weight to his knees as he surged deep inside her.

Face
-to-face, fingers entwined, they moved together as one. He filled her with strong, steady thrusts and she opened for him body and soul. They poured into each other and wrapped around each other, no beginning and no end.

“Now!”
He grasped her hips, tilting her pelvis to a better angle as he pounded into her. “Come with me now.”

Pleasure burst deep inside her, rippling up through her and spilling into him. He cried out sharply, head thrown back as his seed released in rhythmic spurts. He shuddered and groaned then leaned down and kissed her.

They floated down slowly. He was above her and inside her, yet he was careful not to crush her with his weight. She wrapped her legs around his waist. Their lips caressed each other, yet their tongues barely touched.

“I just injected you with a very strong sedative,” he whispered.

She laughed, her sensitized nipples rubbing against his chest. “If this is how you administer injections, I’ll think of all sorts of reasons for needing a shot.”

“You need to rest.” He raised his head, his
expression suddenly serious. “You nearly died, angel. I want you to sleep and let your body heal.”

“All right.
I’ll sleep, but tell Odintar to release me in the morning.”

“I’ll let him know you
’re stronger than he thought, but I trust his judgment. If he wants you in sleep thrall there’s a damn good reason.”

“I miss you again already.” She pressed one last kiss to his lips then released the visualization.

Angie remained in sleep thrall for the next four days. Despite her telepathic complaints, Odintar insisted her body needed the break. He was shocked by her ability to function within the sedation. Only her farseeing ability combined with the strength of her spirit could enable any part of her to escape such a powerful spell.

Each night she
streamed into Blayne’s mind and they created a new setting in which to play. After the first night, Blayne insisted she conserve her energy and allow him to form the visualization. Reluctantly she agreed. Each fantasy was unique and special, but they were still fantasies. She was restless and ready to return to real life.

Odintar appeared to her late the fourth afternoon. His features seemed e
specially savage and blue rings were clearly visible in his dark eyes. She always thought of him as an Ontarian, but he was also half Rodyte. Like the Shadow Assassins. “You’re a terrible patient.” He softened the criticism with a smile. “But I understand your impatience. Let’s get you out of here.”

She felt the sedating weight lessen and then light seeped in under her lashes. She groaned and turned her face away from the
illumination.

“How do you feel?”
Odintar asked.

She hadn’t realized how much of the pain sleep thrall was absorbing. Every muscle in her body felt strained
, her joints ached, and the discomfort was amplified tenfold in her head. “I thought you healed me.” She rubbed her face and pressed her fingertips against her temples. “I feel like shit.”

“It’s remarkable you feel anything
at all. Few would have survived such a blast.”

Slowly blinking until her eyes grew accustomed to the light, she
looked at her new friend. “Thank you for patching me up. Blayne said you worked your ass off.”

“
My ass is still intact. Would you like to see it?”

She laughed, but it made her head pound
even harder, so she waved him away. “I’m definitely not ready for your sense of humor.”

“Then I’ll leave you to your mate. He’s even harder to deal with than you are.”
He chuckled and left the cabin.

Blayne entered half a second later
, gaze warm and caressing. “Welcome back.”

She
could barely lift her head off the pillow, but she always had a smile for him. “I’m starting to understand why you were so worried.”

He
dragged a chair closer to the bed with his foot then sat and took her hand. “Worried doesn’t begin to cover it.” His jaw clenched and he blinked several times before he whispered, “I don’t want to live without you.”

The conviction in his words would have terrified her a month ago, now
they soothed her. “You won’t have to try. I promise. I’m not going anywhere.”

He drew her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles, affection and tenderness saturating her mind.
She’d never realized love could be so intense until she’d opened her mind to Blayne. “I should go. You need to—”

“I’ve been sleeping for days. I want to know what happened after I passed out. You refused to
talk about any of it in our shared dreams.”

“I had better things to do in our shared dreams.”
He grinned and reluctantly released her hand.

Rather than drawing her arm back, she rested her hand on his leg, needing to touch him.
“So tell me everything. Did you catch Nazerel?”

His frustrated sigh was answer enough, but he elaborated, “He flashed out with Sevrin
an instant after he tried to kill you. I tracked his first jump, but then his nanites scrambled his signal and even I couldn’t tell where they’d gone.”

“Then he’s still in the wind.” She muttered an expletive under her breath.

“He’s crafty and fast on his feet. No one can deny that. However, we’re learning more about their operation every day and the more we know, the more likely it is we’ll get the jump on him.” He paused and looked her over. “Are you sure you’re ready for all this?” She just glared, so he went on. “We recovered two of the missing females and the project’s doctor/scientist.”

“
That’s great, but aren’t reinforcements on their way from Rodymia?”

“They are, but we’re hoping to raid at least one more of their houses before the
rest of Sevrin’s team arrives.”

“Rodytes can’t teleport?”

He shook his head. “Most Rodytes can’t manipulate magic. Still, their technology is top rate. They have hyperdrives that will allow them to arrive almost as fast as if a Mystic were opening portals for them.”

She shoved two pillows behind her back and
propped herself up against the wall. “If their technology is so impressive, why do they even care about magic?”

“Don’t we always want what we can’t have?”

“I suppose. And some people are naturally discontent. Not to mention obsessive.” Tension crept into his expression and his thumb tapped out an anxious rhythm against his thigh. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m not sure if the next subject will please you or piss you off.”

She chuckled. “With me you never can tell.”

He smiled and scooted to the edge of the chair. “I don’t know. I think I’ve got your moods just about figured out.”

“Then why are you dodging the question?”

After a short pause he said, “Morgan identified your rapist
s.”

“All three of them?
That was fast.”

“Her toys are almost as impressive as ours.”
He sounded overly careful as if he was preplanning every word.

Neither of them was comfortable with the topic, so she
tried a bit of humor. “Can she take me to another planet in the blink of an eye?”

“
Her skills are different, but just as important.”

She scowled at him. “I get it. You’re impressed by Morgan.
Good thing my eyes aren’t green.”

He
chuckled. “I’m impressed by Morgan’s ability to ferret out information. The woman doesn’t interest me in the least.”

“Glad to hear it, so what did she learn?”

“Two of the villains were already dead. One died in prison, the other in combat.”

She stilled, dreading his next answer. “What happened to the third villain?
The one who was still alive?”

“I didn’t kill him. I know that’s not how you wanted this resolved.”

After releasing her pent-up breath, she nodded. “I wanted him punished, but I didn’t want to be responsible for ending his life.” She looked at him meaningfully and added, “I didn’t want you to bear that burden either. I’ve been in your mind, love, and melded with your being. I know how deeply you feel it each time it’s necessary for you to take a life.”

“
I told you, he’s still alive.”

“
Then what’d you do with him?”

“He’s on Ontariese undergoing
the behavioral modification I described to you. He’ll never be allowed back on Earth and he’ll never hurt another living being. By the way, his wife seemed relieved to be rid of him.”

“
Wife?” She shook her head, repulsed by the idea of any woman being subjected to that sort of man. “I can’t believe anyone would marry one of those creatures.”

He leaned over and kissed her, a light reassuring kiss. “It’s all in the past now, resolved once and for all.”

She smiled, but she wasn’t quite ready to close the door on the past. “Before we move on, can I ask one more question?”

“Have I ever refused to let you ask a question?”

“I only do that when I’m dreading the answer, but still need to ask.”