Demon Possession (32 page)

“It’s not a man I’m looking for.” Darius nearly growled.

“A woman criminal?Surely you are joking. Captain, my crew is mostly men. Trust me, a woman would have an even harder time staying hidden on this ship.” The crew hooted and hol ered with not-so-fake enthusiasm.

Darius continued in a drab tone. “I know it seems far-fetched, but in good conscious I cannot rest until I’ve found this criminal. Yours is only one of many ships I intend to search. I’m sure I’l find nothing,but I must be thorough.”

“I commend you Captain.” Sebastian replied on an almost sarcastic tone. His rage flared at Darius’s act of playing the hero. “Most people, these days, would just right it off and let the man, I mean woman, go instead of wasting valuable resources. Tel me what did this criminal do that merits such a vigilant chase?”

“She’s a thief and a murderer, without conscience or morals. She had come aboard my ship disguised as a stranded victim of pirates, and betrayed our hospitality at the first opportunity.”

“Wel there’s your first mistake. Pirates would never leave behind a woman, she’d be part of the take.” Again the crew laughed and hol ered.

“Yes thank you, I’l remember to seek your council in the future.” Disdain dripped from his words. “She had kil ed many of my crew, intending to take over, before I put a stop to it.”

“Fascinating, is this a large woman we speak of, with the strength and size of a man perhaps?”

“No, she’s just under five and a half feet.”

Sebastian made his eyes widen in shock. “Such a wee creature caused you so much trouble?” Sebastian coupled his surprise with a mocking smile.

“Between you and me I wouldn’t be spreading that around.”

Darius kept his features cool but his eyes revealed the anger Sebastian was inciting. Good. It wil throw him off balance.

“Just let me aboard so I can have a quick look and I’l be on my way.”

“Unfortunately I cannot.” He didn’t miss the flash of warning in Darius’s eyes.

Just then someone entered the control room. He didn’t have to look to know who it was. His every cel was tuned to her presence, her scent. Sebastian used al his strength to keep himself in check. He couldn’t look at her, though he badly wanted to. Anyainhaled a sharp gasp and flung herself to cover.

Although Darius couldn’t see her, he would be able to hear her if she didn’t keep quiet. From the corner of his eye it didn’t seem she could make much noise if she wanted to. He knew she was in the throes of a panic and could do nothing about it, lest he make Darius suspicious. Many of the crew exchanged worried glances but kept to their posts.

“Why, might I ask, can younot?” Darius continued unaware. Danger lurked in his tone.

“I’ve recently entered into a contract,” Sebastian explained, exuding the appearance of ease, as if Darius’s pursuit was a trifling matter. “I won’t bore you with the details, but a condition of the contract is that no one is to enter or leave my ship until delivery is made. The Serakians were brought in to activate wards around my ship.” Sebastian never thought he’d be thankful for the wards, and thus a credible excuse. “Feel free to scan the ship and see for yourself.”

“Convenient.”

“Convenient? It’s damn inconvenient. Many of my crew have been more than a month without a woman. Their tempers are getting difficult to tolerate.

Whatever happened to the good old honor system?” Sebastian al owed himself another glance from the corner of his eye. Anya was slumped on the floor pain etched in her features. “Tel you what. I’l have my crew do a thorough search of the ship and get back to you in an hour.”

“How far until your drop-off? We’l fol ow you.” Darius pushed.

“We stil have far to go, you’d be waiting months. We came through the warring zones hoping to shave off some time but the pirates have been a nuisance.”

“I thought you said you’d only been attacked once.”

“Yes, but we’ve had to double back and change our route to avoid further conflict.” Sebastian was great at lying when it came to protecting his family. He would do anything to keep the people on his ship safe. “I promise you we wil do a thorough search. I’l just need to tel the men that there’s possibly a wee woman hiding on the ship and the first one to find her … wel you get the idea.”

“No!” Darius’s outburst hushed the renewed laughter of the crew. “No one touches her!”

“Okay.”Especial y not you, you bastard, you’l never touch her again. Sebastian was going to cut off Darius’s hands and shove them down his throat. Along with any other appendage that might have touched his Anya. “No one touches the wee criminal.” He’d used up the last of his patience and control to keep the venom out of his voice.

As soon as the transition was cut, he lunged for Anya. His chest squeezed with fear at finding her unconscious.

Anya woke feeling like she’d been tossed into outer space, reeled back in, and tossed back out again. Her brain was pounding in her skul . Her body felt shaky and weak. Her eyes felt strained and her lungs hurt. She sensed Sebastian at her back holding her close to his chest and sought deeper contact, rubbing herself against him. As if he knew what she needed, his arms tightened around her.

“How are you feeling?” His voice rumbled soft next to her ear.

“Mmmm.” He was warm and smel ed like a purely intoxicating man. How did she feel? She was here, in his arms. He loved her. That’s al that mattered.

He must have forgiven her after their argument, but for the life of her she couldn’t remember making up with him. How did she get in his bed?

Her eyes shot open as clarity sparked through her. “Oh gods!”Darius is here!

“It’s okay Anya, I have everything under control.”

“Oh gods! Oh gods!” She chanted in a panicky whisper. Her throat was scratchy, and tight. “We have to go!” She studied her surroundings. It looked like she’d been lying peaceful y in his room as though nothing were wrong, as though evil incarnate wasn’t lurking close by. Had she imagined it al ? No. He’s here. She could sense the familiar hum of TheExtarga.

Then she made the mistake of looking out the great domed window. The Hel Ship was leering down at her, like a malicious hideous beast, skulking in the darkness of space, a maleficent hunter who had found its prey andwasabout to strike with deadly accuracy.

Feeling exposed,her body jerked to get out of sight. Bastian held her before she could fling herself out of bed. “Stop it! He’l see me!”

Sebastian’s big body pinned her to the bed. “No he won’t, you can’t see in from the outside. It’s like a one-way mirror, reflective on the outside.”

That was a relief, if only a smal one. “Bastian, why are we stil here? We have to go! Now! He’l destroy you!”

“I’ve bought us some time. I might be able to convince him you’re not here at al . He’l move on if I can.”

“What?” Her struggles stil ed.

“He said he had many ships to search.”

“Did he tel you he’s looking for his slave?”

“No. You’ve become a notorious lady kil er.”

“A what?”

“A dangerous con-artist who he seeks to rid the universe of. He’s playing the honorable vigilante.”

“You’re joking with me.”

“Nope. And if it’s true that he has other ships to search, then that means he’s not sure where to find you. The day you escaped, had many ships been scheduled?”

Anya took a breath, braving a glance past Sebastian at The Hel Ship. “Only a few, but I disabled the security system, changed the codes, and erased two weeks of recorded data.”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “You did?”

Anya nodded a little sheepish. “How did you buy time?”

Sebastian repeated the conversation between Darius and himself. Sebastian’s plan was to go down in half an hour, inform Darius that their search came up empty, and hope he was desperate enough to get to his next target, and to get out of the warring zones.

up empty, and hope he was desperate enough to get to his next target, and to get out of the warring zones.

“He won’t buy it. He’l attack. He won’t take no for an answer.”

Sebastian’s brows drew together thoughtful y. “He’s wasted a massive amount ofresourcesto fol ow us here. Al to get you back. It doesn’t make sense, unless …” Sebastian trailed off,eyes going dark. “Has he mated you in some way?”

“I don’t think so.”

Sebastian exhaled a harsh breath. “Does he want to?”

“I don’t know.”

“There’s got to be a reason he’s gone to these lengths to find you, something more than just a bruised ego over losing a slave. Anyone who’d lost a slave would spend a day, maybe a week looking to recover lost property. After that, they would cut their losses and buy a new one. Darius is hunting you. Why?

Is it because of your gifts?”

Oh gods, he’d guessed it.

“I can see from your face that’s it.

She couldn’t answer, couldn’t tel him, not yet. She wanted to hold on to her fantasy a little longer. Would he look at her differently if he knew? But if Darius did attack, Bastian would find out what she is. She would have no choice but to show him. She would save these people no matter what, even if the cost was her life. She would give them a chance to escape, to hide.

“Promise me something.” Anya knew her eyes must look stark, they felt like they were glued in perpetual shock. She had to struggle to keep her lip from quivering.

“Anything.”

“Promise me if you … if we get away from Darius youwon’tseek him out. You’l take your crew and hide. Keep them safe … okay? And if you see him coming, you’l run as fast and as far as you can. Push the ship as hard as you can to get away.”

Bastian shook his head. “I’ve vowed to kil him … and I wil . And stop talking like you’re going away. You’re not going anywhere. My crew is strong, they wil fight for you.”

“No. Please just keep your ship, your crew, your family safe. Please. I’ve put everyone in danger and I have to make it right.”

Eying her warily he replied. “What do you mean? How do you plan to do to make it right?”

In a smal voice, “I’l think of something.” Actual y, a plan had already formed. It had been in the works since she’d been at leisure to study more closely the workings of the ship, its complicated engines, and the unused warp drive. Sebastian hadn’t stocked enough power supply to use it because it had never worked, but what they didn’t know was she had al the power they would need, and she would give it al if she had to.

“The look on your face is making me uneasy.”

A strong sense of determination had come over her. This may be her final night with Bastian. “Then kiss me and make it go away.” She cooed. It was selfish to want him at a time like this, but there were two outcomes for her future—one; she would be captured by Darius, her friends and loved ones kil ed. Two; She would reveal herself for what she is and cause Sebastian to see her differently—either way she wanted this last moment of happiness with Sebastian, even if she didn’t deserve it.

There was a third outcome, a happy-ever-after outcome, one where she would be free to love and cherish Sebastian for the rest of her life. But that outcome seemed unlikely at this point. She wouldn’t let herself dwel on it.

Sebastian couldn’t stand that look on her face any longer. She looked both defeated and determined at the same time. In her mind she had already lost. It looked as though she didn’t believe they would get out of this alive. It pained him that she had so little faith in him to keep her safe.

He would just have to prove it to her.

In the meantime she had asked him for something, and he would not deny her. He would have to make it quick, not able to pleasure her at his leisure. For hours he could explore her body, find what made her quiver with delight and exploit it until she screamed his name.

Immersinghimself in the feel of her soft warm body beneath him he leaned down and claimed her mouth, more forceful y than he intended. Rewarding him she gave a smal sound of approval and kissed him back with what could be described as desperation. Her arms came around his neck to lock him in place, as if he’d go anywhere when he had her right where he wanted her.

He took a moment to caress her tongue with his before trailing his lips down her jaw to her neck, he gave a smal bite, testing the waters.Anya’sbody came alive, her breath hitchedand sheshuttered. With that, she raised an eyebrow at him, and hejust gave her a wicked grin. Maybe she wasn’tready to be claimed by him, but her bodysurewas.

When he covered her breast with one hand her eyes rol ed and her head fel back, body arching to his touch.Ready indeed.

As quickly as possible he eased off her and removed her shirt, the next instant her hard little nipple was in his mouth. He twirledhis tongue over the first peak, then the next. His hands flowed over her body, cupping the tightest most luscious ass that was ever captured by five fingers. She moaned softly for him and he took her mouth with his as she pressed her core against his painful y hard shaft.

Driving him mad with lust Anyacontinuedrubbing herself against him, but he wouldn’t let it be that quick. He wanted to take his time with her.

Without a doubt he felt the presence of another male threatening what was his.Not mine yet, he reminded himself.Anya was not yet ready to give herself to him ful y. It worried him that she could yet be claimed by another, leaving her free of his mark went against every instinct he had. Time is what she needed, and until now he’s beenmore than wil ing to give it to her. Now he felt an urgency deep in his soul, an urgency to final y claim his mate and an urgency to protect her with his life.

Gripping her thigh he opened her legs to him,and with his hand found her warm and slick. He groaned while Anya sucked in a sharp breath with the first contact. He loved her reactions. Sebastian watched her face as he rubbed her swol en clitoris. Her eyes closed in ecstasy and then with a gasp they opened wide as though surprised by the intense pleasure.

The sight of it had him growing harder stil .

Inserting one finger, then another, he sucked one tight nipple into his mouth, pinching it lightly between his teeththen making slow circles withhis tongue.

Growing stil a look crossed her face as if she were grappling with a decision. Her gaze flickered to his engorged cock, looking as though she wanted to