Codename Spring (8 page)

Evard groaned and shifted from time to time but he never raised his head.

The traumavac was waiting when they emerged into the massive central courtyard. Saroji and a fully armored Protectorate soldier waited with a hover cart. With his helmet in place Jocelyn couldn’t be sure, but she suspected the guard was General Noirte himself.

“I didn’t request an escort.” It would seem odd if she didn’t at least mention him.

“Armed escorts are standard protocol when responding to any ambassador,” Saroji told her.

The female guard laid Evard on the hover cart and reluctantly stepped back. “One of us should go with him. He’s our responsibility.” Her hand crept toward her weapon, suspicion clear in her small, dark eyes.

The escort stepped between her and the cart, forcing her back even farther.

“There isn’t room for everyone,” Saroji said as she maneuvered the cart onto the small ship.

“Then everybody’s fuck buddy can stay here,” the female guard yelled, growing more belligerent by the second.

The escort fired a warning shot, barely missing the mouthy guard’s head.

“Come on,” the other guard urged. “He’s not worth dying for.”

“This isn’t right.” She rushed forward and he wrapped his arms around her, which didn’t keep her from kicking wildly and at seemingly impossible angles. “That whore is up to something! I won’t be outmaneuvered by an ambassador!”

Jocelyn allowed the cloak to gape as she blew a kiss to the irate guard. Then she climbed in after Saroji and quickly righted the cloak before her escort joined them in the traumavac.

The small ship immediately took off, accelerating with enough force to make the benches shimmy. Her escort pulled off his helmet, confirming Jocelyn’s suspicions.

“You seasons are going to be the death of me,” Ra’jen told Jocelyn with a playful glower. “What if she had shot you in the back?”

“My brave escort would never have allowed it.” Saroji handed her a uniform bottom and she pulled it on under the cloak. The top was more complicated. She looked at Ra’jen expectantly and he rolled his eyes.

“You certainly weren’t this modest a few moments ago.” Despite his muttered complaint he politely turned his head.

She abandoned the cloak entirely and pulled the top on over her head. Saroji had even tucked a hairband into the pocket of the pants, so Jocelyn quickly pulled back her hair.

“What did you use to render him unconscious?” Saroji had already begun a cursory examination by the time Jocelyn finished her transformation. “His heart is still beating. Why did you alter the plan?”

“I used a pulse pistol and I didn’t alter the plan. I just shuffled the sequence of events. We still need to stop his heart to sever Inwatta’s tether.”

Ra’jen moved to the cockpit to give them more room and Jocelyn shed the lingering remnants of her Spring persona. Evard needed Dr. Grier at her absolute sharpest, which meant she could not allow her patient to distract her.

Saroji cut his shirt up the middle and exposed his chest. His skin was oddly pink and shiny. “Is he regenerating?”

“The pulse must have burned him. I hadn’t realized.”

Sweeping her hands up and down his torso, Saroji continued the diagnosis. “There’s damage to the right lung. Shall I repair it now or wait until after we revive him?”

“That’s up to you. I can’t tell you how to use your power.”

“He’s your patient.” Saroji smiled. “And maybe a bit more.”

“Maybe a lot more,” Jocelyn admitted. “Let’s get this over with.” She turned around and found the pulmonary triggers. Peeling off the adhesive covers, she carefully placed each pad. Her heart fluttered irregularly, driven by fear and empathy.

What if she couldn’t bring him back?

She pinched off the thought, refusing to consider the possibility. She would bring him back. She would free him from Inwatta’s tyranny and they would live long, happy lives on a world free of the Gathosians.

“Ready?” Saroji prompted.

No. She would never be ready for this, but she reached back and placed her finger over the activation screen. Saroji held up her hands, proving she was clear of the hover cart. Jocelyn caught her bottom lip between her teeth. Blood trickled into her mouth, and a strangled cry escaped her throat. She swept her finger across the screen and sent current ricocheting between the triggers, stopping Evard’s heart.

Chapter Seven

Evard swam in a sea of pain and darkness. Soothing heat rolled across his chest but the warmth built, intensified until the inferno engulfed him, consumed him. He screamed, writhing as the flames licked away his flesh.

Open your mind, Evard. We can’t help you if you won’t lower your shields.

He didn’t recognize this voice. He tried to scan but he was too weak. He needed energy. Desperately!

I am Saroji. Jocelyn is my best friend. Let me help you.

Saroji Noirte wanted to heal him? Who was Jocelyn? An image rolled into focus, bringing with it the most amazing rush of tenderness and longing. Flowing chestnut hair and clear green eyes, a mouth perfectly formed for kissing. Spring? No, Jocelyn.

Evard, please. Let Saroji help you. Your heart is just barely beating and I’ve done all I can. I will not lose you now!

She sounded so sincere, as if his life actually meant something to her. He’d already given her the formula. Why did she care…

Listen, you stubborn ass.
A male presence shoved into his mind, stronger yet less skilled than Saroji.
Jocelyn risked her life for you. The least you can do is accept the life she saved. If you don’t lower your shields right now I’ll punch a hole in them.

General Noirte, I presume?
He barely had strength enough to push the thought out of his mind.

Let my sister work. We’ll talk when you’re stronger.

Silencing the warnings screaming in his mind, Evard slowly lowered his shields. The tether to Inwatta was gone. It felt oddly disconcerting after so long. Saroji moved with amazing fluidity and skill. He tried to follow her, to keep track of everything she did, but it was impossible. She was like the wind.

You’re distracting me.
She paused.
And Jocelyn isn’t a whole lot better. I’m going to cast you both into a dream trance. Do you think you can find something to do for a couple of hours?

He pictured the playroom in the Pentagon and felt desire spiral through his being.
Oh I think we’ll manage.

Darkness closed in around him, a velvet tranquility that numbed his senses for several minutes. He enjoyed the floating sensation, the utter nothingness. No pain, no fear, no useless rage. His heartbeat strengthened. No warmth, no hope. No love.

A pinprick of light broke through the darkness, drawing him deeper into the dream. The light expanded, illuminating a padded pedestal.

Why here? We just escaped this place. Why would you want to go back?
Jocelyn’s voice revealed her uncertainty, but as usual he couldn’t sense her emotions.

This is the site of Inwatta’s defeat. I want to revel in the memory and prove to myself that she’s really gone. If you want to go somewhere else, I understand.

She stepped out of the darkness and smiled at him. “I want to be with you. The location makes no difference to me.” A red velvet cloak covered her from neck to ankles and he wanted her naked. He sent her the command in a silent image with a surge of sizzling desire. Her lashes lowered and she raised her hands to the clasp. “Did seeing me restrained excite you?” She released the clasp and let the material slip off one shoulder.

His body stirred to life, restless and needful. “You know it did. It made me so wild I nearly attacked a Gathosian agent.”

With a siren’s smile she turned, letting the cape sag low around her hips.

“I don’t want to think about anyone but you. I’m yours, Evard. Only yours.” She dropped the cloak and drew her long hair over her shoulder, offering him an unobstructed view of her back, ass and legs.

His cock hardened and his balls tightened. He helplessly stroked his shaft, unable to stand there looking at her and not succumb to carnal urges. “Turn around.”

She rotated slowly, giving him plenty of time to enjoy each new angle. “Would you like me to finish you off?”

“No. I want your mouth.”

Needing no further instruction, she sank to her knees. “May I touch you?”

“No.” The denial sounded harsher than he’d intended, but his need for her made him feel primal and possessive. “Grasp your ankles and part your lips.”

She’d been in restraints the first time he’d felt her tongue on his cock and entered the slick haven of her mouth. Her lips parted and he paused to trace them with the head of his cock. So soft, so warm and willing. He slowly pushed past the silken portal and groaned at the wondrous heat. Her tongue swirled against and around him as her lips sucked firmly.

He stroked the hair back from her face as he slid in and out of her mouth. Their gazes locked and energy arced between them. Longing and tenderness, desire and joy, all the emotions he needed to feel from her burned within her eyes. And still her being remained hidden, protected, inaccessible.

Confused by the contradiction, he pulled out of her mouth and scrubbed his face with his hands.

“Why’d you stop?”

“It felt too good,” he muttered. “I want this to last. Get on the pedestal.” He helped her up onto the padded surface and guided her hands back to the far edge. It didn’t quite allow her to recline, but it created an intriguing angle for her hips. “Bend your knees.” She did and he pushed her thighs wide, watching as more and more of her pussy was revealed. He placed her heels on the edge of the pedestal and gently traced her slit. His thumb swept up one side, across her hairless mound and down the other. “Was this your idea?” He needed to know if this had been forced upon her.

“Autumn convinced me that most men prefer it this way.”

He sighed, thrilled that the Gathosian bitch had nothing to do with it. Kissing his way down her inner thigh, he nuzzled her sex. Her scent intoxicated him and her cream teased his tongue. He lightly licked her folds, intentionally avoiding her clit. She wriggled and groaned, trying to guide his wandering mouth where she wanted it.

“Be still,” he warned her with a firm nip on the thigh then resumed his meandering caresses. “Oh yes.” He dragged his tongue over her denuded skin, indirectly teasing her sensitive nub. “So soft like this.”

“You’re driving me crazy,” she whimpered, helplessly bucking against his mouth.

“I can tell.” He slowly pushed two fingers into her sopping wet pussy, watching her face as he began a teasing shuttle in and out. “You’re already so wet.”

“Let me come.”

“Let me feel how much you want me,” he countered.

Her gaze collided with his, passion-glazed yet angry. “I don’t know how to lower the fucking shields!”

He pulled his fingers out and moved his hands to her hips. “I think you’re afraid. You’re not sure you can trust me so you’re playing it safe.”

“How can you say that? I just saved your life.”

“That proves I can trust you. How do I make you understand that you can trust me?” Moving to her side, he scooped her up and walked across the room. A large four-poster bed formed out of the darkness, bedding conveniently folded down. He placed her on the bed and crawled in beside her, stretching out on his side. “Look into my mind. Our link allows you to see anything you want. My past. My present. My hopes and dreams. Tell me what you see, what you feel.”

Her touch was tentative and light, and horribly awkward. But he refused to guide her. He wanted her to explore on her own, to discover as she was ready to learn.

Jocelyn moved through Evard’s mind, fascinated as much by the new ability as by the events she was witnessing. His childhood had been so long ago. Four years of Gathosian hell were nothing compared to what he had suffered. The realization gave her pause. Did she really want to know him this well? If this bond had only been formed to facilitate his rescue, then why…

“Look around, Jocelyn. Answers to all your questions are there within my mind.”

She pushed deeper, rushing through countless horrors as she searched for the present. Suddenly she was reliving the last few weeks from Evard’s perspective. She felt his utter hopelessness. Then the flicker of hope as he discovered the formula. She knew their meeting had impacted her profoundly but Evard had been every bit as affected by the bonding ritual.

“I can release the bond if that’s what you want,” he whispered, “but I want nothing less. You are my mate and only for you would I make this sacrifice. I want you to be happy.”

Warmth spread through her, hope and happiness. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face against his chest. The steady thud of his heartbeat made her smile. Coming so close to losing him had shown her exactly how much he meant to her. She’d just never dared to believe he could return her feelings. For the first time in many long years she felt safe.

“That’s right, love. Let it happen. There is no danger here.”

Her shields slipped a bit more and emotions burst from her in an embarrassing gush. She scooted up and found his mouth with hers, needing the sweet escape of their kiss. He patiently waited as she adjusted to the new vulnerability.

You are so incredibly beautiful.

His response to her surrender swirled through her—tingling, hot and intoxicating. She released her last hold on the barriers and opened completely to the gentle penetration of her mate. He rolled her to her back but held himself off her, his chest barely touching her nipples.

No. I want you over me. In me. Wild!

With a primal growl he moved between her thighs and thrust his cock into her wet pussy. She arched into the drive, taking him deeper, needing all of him. He held her arms down to either side of her head and claimed her mouth with demanding urgency.

She let the sensations sweep her along. Her emotions flowed freely across their link and he stilled between her thighs. His lips left hers and he looked into her eyes. “Thank you. For my life. For your trust. For all of this.”

She wrapped her legs around his hips and squeezed his cock as hard as she could. “Will you finally let me come?”

He laughed and resumed his rhythm, dragging his shaft across her clit with each long stroke. She pulled his mouth down to hers and sucked his tongue back into her mouth, loving the dual penetration. Her clit tingled and her inner muscles rippled, then she came in hard spasms. He thrust to the hilt and followed her over the edge.

Joy surged across their link, radiating in both directions. They clung to each other, lost in the wonder of their dream-reality.

“Wow,” she whispered as he rolled them to their sides.

“And then some.”

“Can you poke your head out of the dream and see how Saroji is progressing?”

His expression went blank for a moment, then he shook his head. “She’s good. I can’t budge her thrall.”

“She’s half Bartonese. A fact I’m pretty sure the Gathosians don’t realize.”

He nodded. “With her abilities, she can mask her signal, make herself feel like any other Pryett.”

“All of these abilities are so strange. Humans can’t do anything.”

“You’re remarkably easy to bond with.”

She punched him in the shoulder. “Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

“No, I’m serious. Interspecies mating is tricky business. If humans are genetically neutral, it could be very significant in the grander scheme of things.”

“Only if humans want to be bred!”

“Only if all the species destroyed by the Gathosians hope to survive.”

She stilled, searching his gaze and his feelings. “You’re serious.”

“A mating bond with you should not have been this successful. We owe it to others to find out why it worked.”

“All right. Mr. I-can’t-stop-being-a-scientist-for-even-an-hour, you can run all sorts of tests on me, probe me in all sorts of horrible places with unimaginable—” His pinching fingers stemmed her flow of words, then she dissolved into laughter.

“I’ll probe you all right.” He separated their bodies and flipped her onto her stomach. She tried to crawl away but he grabbed her hips and halted her retreat. “Fold your legs beneath you. Head down.”

She knew what he wanted and that authoritative tone always made her pussy ache. Intentionally taking her time about it, she moved into the position he described. Her ass was in the air now and her face rested on her folded arms.

He traced her slit with his fingertip, tweaking her clit before moving to his real destination. “You were already wet from enjoying my mouth, and now you’ve got my come too.” He scooped out the warm liquids and moved them up to her other opening. “Whatever shall we do with all this lubricant?”

“I didn’t use a butt plug,” she confessed. “I was too embarrassed to ask Autumn for one and you didn’t give me back my bag when I left.”

His fingertip circled her anus twice, eliciting tingles. Then he slowly pushed inside. “This is a dream, sweetheart. In the real world we’ll have to work up to it. But here we can do whatever we want.”

She chuckled, amazed that she’d forgotten. His finger slid in and out, the sensation odd yet evocative. He taught her the rhythm, almost backward from before. The sensations were stronger as he pulled out and seemed to pause as he drove deeper.