Forbidden (A Serian Novel) (6 page)

Chapter Nine

Ryder stood in the doorway of the bar. The job was to capture and leave. For some reason he just wanted to see her in person without the cloak hiding her face. He should be coming up with a trap instead of taking the chance of walking in on one
himself.

Cigarette smoke drifted into his nose. Living in the darkness of Seria, his eyes adjusted to the dim light quickly and he spied his target. She turned. Wild blonde hair fell in curls around her heart-shaped face. Blue eyes, with the unique exotic slant of their people, widened before she got over her shock of seeing who he was. She looked so much better in real life than in the photo.

She didn't run and that worried him more.

He saw only her stunning face, until she stood. His mouth dried and his eyes burned from lack of blinking, because he didn't want to miss a single inch of her. Seeing her without the cloak showed a lot more of her shape and it was perfect. Her raggedy shirt lifted with every movement and gave him a sneak peek of her blue-tinted skin. Dirt stained her clothes and skin, though nothing took away from his desires.

Trouble . . . he was in deep trouble. Hours after their last mental encounter, his desire intensified. He grabbed the doorjamb to steady himself and adjusted his growing arousal that tightened his pants to attempt the short distance from the door to where she still stood.

He walked toward her with caution. There was too much at stake, including his life. She held her chin high and showed no emotion as he neared. When her lips lifted into a smile, he hardened to near pain and had to catch his breath. She would be his downfall. There was
nothing more he wanted than to touch her, just to see how soft her skin really was and to see her body writhe beneath his as he took her over and over.

Where did that come from?

"Are you going to make this hard?" Ryder cursed himself for his poor choice of words. If she looked down she'd know just how hard she made him.

Eyebrows raised, her gaze lowered. She licked her lips, tempting him.
Teasing him. "What?"

He never worried when he talked to women but his tongue tied in knots around her. A woman had never tempted him to this degree. Not many tried after they heard his father's name.

"I'm here, not running if that's what you mean. Maybe we can make a deal."

She stood with her body close enough for her warmth to seep through his clothes.

He apparently had lost his mind. Being with a human or half-breed broke the laws on Seria. Ryder knew his father was waiting for reasons to get rid of him.

The pounding of his heart stopped as it re
gistered and he stiffened. This was what his father wanted to happen. It was his fault she was hunted.

Unable to stop his hand, he pushed a loose curl b
ehind her ear. He saw the green that swirled around the blue in her eyes and a tiny freckle below her right eye. Sexy.

Her breath hitched; she took a step back and co
vered the Serian symbol branded on her neck. "Don't."

At first she acted like she would seduce him, yet when he touched her, she pulled away. Ryder knew why. Too many gruesome things could've happened to her by the hands of other Serians.

"I'm sorry." Looking into her eyes, he saw her fear of him and decided then that he couldn't take her back. Not that he planned to once he realized who she was. No matter what his father decided to do with him, Ryder couldn't take her back to be killed just because of who her parents were. It shouldn't matter if her father or mother had been human.

Caught in his thoughts, Ryder almost missed the feel of Antikas closing in. They had to be close for him to feel the buzz of their energies without even using his ability.

Ryder never called for help and didn't understand why they came—unless his father had sent them. She had infuriated Jacrar by stealing his ship and besting some of his men. Now he would make sure she received the punishment he felt was warranted. By sending his Antikas, it just proved this was all a plan to take Ryder down.

Ryder rolled his eyes at the thought.

"We have to go." He grabbed her hand and started toward the door.

Once outside and away from curious gazes, she dug in her heels and her eyes narrowed. "I won't go back. Just kill me now and get it over with."

Shocked by her words, he stopped.

"If you don't come with me now, you
will
die. Antika soldiers are coming and they aren't here for pleasure." He couldn't stop his mind from wondering what she'd look like as he pleasured her. "Plus, this is your fault for getting involved with the Cryoks. That's probably why they've sent backup. Had it just been me here, you might have been freed, but you've pissed off the wrong Serian during your little adventure."

Ryder hated to blame her, but he couldn't tell her the truth yet.

"I just wanted to be free and I knocked out a few soldiers to escape, so boo-hoo for whoever I pissed off."

Ryder threw his head back and laughed. She did not look amused as he led her toward his small Traveler. He had landed the ship fifteen miles from the town and
then took the Traveler into civilization. The vehicle looked like a small black bullet-shaped ship, which used a special hologram to make it look like an Earth car on the outside. Its ability to hover still gave him the speed and easy maneuvering of the Travelers on Seria.

The female stopped and just then, he spotted two soldiers already waiting for them. Ryder shifted his body in front of hers and shocked himself once again by his physical and emotional reaction. He wanted to believe he’d just grown tired of trying to please his father, but he feared his reaction toward the half-breed had little to do with growing bored of his job. And if so, the cause couldn't be a good one.

Of course, the others he'd hunted before didn't cause him desire like the stiff temptress who stood behind him, and he had never given up on his responsibilities. Now, he understood why he dreamed of his mother's death. The time had finally come for him to prove to her that he was not like his father and had become the man she wanted him to be.

And the small female behind him, reminded him of
who he was.

"Why are you here?" He looked up at both men, but didn't care how strong they might be. If needed, he could outwit them and he would need to if he wanted to help his little teasing half-breed.

Both men had shaved heads, wore dark glasses, and their clothes were made of a black leather-like material covered them from head to toe except to show their faces. The flexible material made it easier on the Antikas to run and fight, and helped conceal their skin color from humans.

He knew the Antikas hid weapons in many places and both stood ready for a fight like the good little soldiers they were.

"This is out of your hands. Our orders are to bring her back for murder," the one on his right said. His voice sounded serious as he spoke like a true puppet.

Before Ryder could stop the stubborn female, she stepped around him. The petite half-breed looked as if she would take them on right then and there.
Cute, but idiotic.

"I didn't murder anyone. They killed my friend and hunted me.
And why? I don't remember doing anything that I should be punished for." She spoke with a calm voice even as her eyes darted back and forth, probably looking for the best escape route.

Ryder didn't know his father had sent men to her home but he should've guessed. There was no way he'd let Jacrar touch her. Her bravery made him
want to smile and spank her all at once, but he didn't like her close to danger.

Both soldiers stepped toward her.

She raised her maccas.

The Antikas stopped dead in their tracks.

Ryder never saw her reach for the weapons, and by the way their jaws dropped, neither did they. She was definitely trouble.

After everything she went through growing up as a half-breed, it surprised him that she only carried weapons that would stun instead of kill.

"I would be careful if I were you. Didn't you see the video of her at the port?" He referred to the footage stretched across Seria showing the small half-breed taking on Jacrar's soldiers and stealing the ship. Those she took down became the laughing-stock on Seria and Ryder had no doubt Jacrar punished them.

The woman looked up, eyes wide. Surprise lit her face. Her stance grew a little more confident as she looked back at the soldiers.

"You, of all people, should know not to interfere with our orders. She's wanted and if you aid her in any way, you'll be taken in, too."

Ryder gave her a quick nod. "Shoot them."

She fired without question and then turned her weapons on him.

He wasn't surprised by the switch.

"You need my help." Changing her mind came first, before he ended up with the two idiots on the ground.

"I don't need anyone. I've been on my own with little trouble, until you." Pain flickered across her face.

"I know and I have no doubt you can take care of yourself." His gaze traveled down her body before returning back to her eyes. "I don't know why Jacrar really wants you, but his reason can't be good. He's ruthless and will send every soldier under him to get you."

Shrugging, he decided to move and hoped she didn't fire at him.

"Another hand can't hurt." Ryder cringed at the thought of what his father would do once he heard from the two she shot, but an invisible chain formed between them, causing him to care less about his father’s opinions and more about her. Her bravery came forth in the video as she calmly took down each Antika, then her innocence and kindness showed in the weapons she chose to carry.

As he moved, he could feel her gaze on him and her silence made him nervous. He waited for the shot to come.

"Fine. What do you suggest we do?" Her eyes narrowed, lips pursed, and she held her chin high.

She didn't shoot! He kept his face from showing the relief filling every fiber in his body.

"We'll tie them up to give us a head start." He grabbed rope from his bag and set to work on one as she started on the other. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her, memorizing every detail about her. Especially, how her tight little backside moved around as she restrained the soldier.

Ryder glanced around for anyone watching. When he
saw no one, he got into the Traveler as he waited for her to decide.

The ground must have been fascinating to her as she worked hard to avoid looking into his eyes. When she looked up at him, a pained look crossed her face as if she already regretted her decision to trust him. Finally, after what seemed like forever, she got into the vehicle.

He wouldn't wait for her to change her mind.

Chapter Ten

Anara couldn't help but study the man beside her. Dark stubble dusted his jaw and cheeks. He had a long, straight nose that fit his looks, maybe just a little too well. Why did he have to look so good? Except for his face, some of his neck, and hands, she couldn't see any more of his skin.

Most of the time she hated seeing the blue tone, but for some reason on him she felt a need to see more.

She’d planned to incapacitate him and take off, not join allegiance with him, and not crave to see more of his skin. She wanted to throw something at him for being right. Luck would last for only so long, before she ran out.

The sound of his voice would bother others, yet Anara actually wanted to hear more of the deep, raspy tone. Now that she could really inspect him, she also noticed the jagged scar across his neck. She wasn't sure if she should feel bad for him or not. It had probably been inflicted by an enemy of his father.

"Your father is Jacrar, right?"

There was no missing the way his body went rigid or the way those full lips tighten
ed at the mention of the name.

"Yes." His voice sounded harsher than before, heavy.

"He killed my parents," Anara blurted, and looked away until she heard his loud intake of air. When she glanced over, it was to find his wide eyes staring back at her until he turned to watch the road ahead.

"I had no idea about your parents. My father has taken the lives of so many."

Like the stories she'd heard about his mother.

Maybe he really wasn't like his father. Anara bit her lip as she tried to figure out what to do. It wouldn't be the first time she'd been tricked by a Serian because she found him attractive, though she felt a stronger conne
ction already with the one sitting beside her.

Being near him made her feel safe.
And lost. She sensed when other Serians came near her, but with him, she felt enveloped. She’d practically allowed herself to get caught by those Antikas because the Jatron beside her now had distracted her. Something dangerous and invisible pulled her to him and she needed the perfect opportunity to get far away. No matter if he was good or not. She wouldn't chance it.

The Traveler stopped in an empty parking lot with trees lining the backside. It would be a potential way to escape, if she got the opportunity. The sky turned black and the only lights in the small lot came from the Traveler.

"You wait here, okay?"

Anara ignored him and trained her gaze out the small window.

He shut the ship down, causing everything to go black in the lot. The inside lights stayed on until he got out and shut the door behind him, leaving her sitting in the dark. Not that it really mattered, considering she grew up living in darkness.

She couldn't understand why he would leave her alone without any restraints. Did he trust her enough that he didn't expect her to run, or was he messing with her head? She tried the door.
Locked. He definitely didn't trust her then.

She jumped as the ship's door swished open to show him standing there with a frown on his lips.

"Let's go. I've got us a place to clean up and get some sleep, before we make our way far from here." He started to grab her bag.

"I'll keep this." No way would she let him take her only weapons. She stepped out of the ship and waited as he locked the Traveler. On Seria, she'd heard about some Travelers having the option to give off different appearances, but with her low status, she'd never been around any to see them.

She turned around to face a yellow building. Numbered doors lined the walkway with a window between each door. A light shined above each, though some flickered. She followed the Serian to a white door with a number four on the front. He opened it and stepped out of her way so she could go through.

One bed, a chair, and a television occupied the small room. A mirror hung above the headboard, and painted pictures of flowers seemed to be everywhere. She turned and caught him staring at her, before he shifted atte
ntion to his bag.

"What's your name?" he asked, catching her off guard.

"A Serian has never wanted to know my name. You care nothing about half-breeds, much less their names."

"I'm
not like most Serians," he said a little harsher.

She wanted so badly for his words to be true, but she didn't get her hopes up. "You
could call me half-breed, or, a more commonly used name, whore."

He ground his teeth.

"If you give me your name, I won't call you anything else. If you don't, then I guess I'll have to come up with something suitable." Hand on his chin, his gaze drifted over her body.

"Anara," She spat out. No way could she let him call her whatever he was thinking.

"Anara," he said. Her name rolled off his tongue and, to her dismay, sent a shiver up her spine. "You have a beautiful name. I'm Ryder."

When she didn't say anything, he cleared his throat. "Go ahead and take a hot shower if you want. This
could be your last chance to shower for a while."

Anara stood there, still unsure why she agreed to let him help.

"I'm sorry." His soft statement barely registered with her.

She jerked her head in his direction.
"For what?"

After a moment's hesitation, he looked at her and moved closer. "I'm sorry this is happening to you. Jacrar is a cruel man and you don't deserve any of this."

He lifted his hand toward her before balling it into a fist and pulling away.

A whimper tried to escape her lips. She hated how her body craved his touch. She’d never experienced arousal before and didn't know if she wanted to experience the feeling with Ryder. Forcing herself to turn away from his tempting eyes, she locked herself in the bathroom.

Anara studied the shower in confusion. On Seria, she didn't have the luxury of running water. Half-breeds could get only enough water to drink and bathe in. She'd heard about showers, but didn't know what to do.

She turned the blue knob first. Water rushed out before she could move. She screamed.

Ryder smashed through the locked door, gun raised. His gaze darted from her to the shower and his lips lifted into a half-smile.

"Not funny." She tried to look tough and realized how silly she sounded when she saw her reflection. Wet hair clung to her face and water formed small puddles at her feet.

"Here." Ryder grabbed a towel and wiped the dripping water from her face, bringing his body too close for comfort.

Anara gasped when their fingers made contact as she reached for the towel. A shock went through her body, increasing her powers. She felt his need combined with her own desires and excitement.

His finger grazed her ear as he pinched a loose curl between his thumb and index finger. She shivered as his touch went lower to her neck. So tender. He traced the Serian brand on her neck and watched her lips as she stood frozen. Her breaths came in short spurts. When he leaned in to kiss her, she couldn't stop him.

She didn't want to.

He held her close, teased her mouth with small nips. His full lips felt as soft as they looked as his kiss deepened, demanding attention. It didn't take long until she gave in and he took full advantage.

He moved her against the wall, his erection pressed against her stomach. An ache started between her legs and she wanted to feel his arousal there. Everything seemed to go so fast and Anara couldn't think past his mouth, and didn't like the way she was losing control of her body.

His kiss blew her first and only other kiss to pieces. And she had thought she loved the Serian at that time.

His broad shoulders bunched under her tight grip.

Their gazes locked when he pulled back. She stiffened at first when his hands gripped the hem of her shirt and pulled it up to remove it completely.

He held her arms in the air with one hand on her wrist and pressed his lips to hers once again. Arching her bare breasts into his chest caused a groan to slip past her lips when she met cloth instead of skin.

They dueled with their tongues as he cupped one breast. For the first time in her life, she wanted to be touched everywhere. She needed to be touched.

As he made a trail down her neck, she opened her eyes and gasped at the sight. Their bodies glowed everywhere skin touched. The white glow seemed to grow the longer they were together. Did their arousal make the light brighter?

Catching her off guard, he jerked away and broke all contact. Their ragged breaths filled the small bathroom.

"What happened?" She forced her needy cry back down her throat as he pulled away. Wrapping her arms tight around her exposed breasts was the only way to keep from reaching for him.

"I can't do this." The sound of his raspy voice sounded disgusted and sent a sharp pain through her chest.

She thought at first he pulled back because he saw the unique glow, but she knew why after he spoke. As a half-breed, she didn't meet his standards. Anara cursed herself for being such an idiot. She needed to listen to her head, not her body.

"I'll start the shower for you." He pressed the chrome piece at the top of the faucet in and twisted the knobs. Water started to stream from the bottom, instead of above. He pointed at the piece he pushed in. "All you do is pull this latch up and the shower will come on."

He left quickly with his eyes averted. The swift exit told her all she needed to know.

Anara removed her shoes, pants, and panties. She pulled the little latch and water switched from the lower faucet to the showerhead. A groan escaped her as she stepped into the hot shower. Her normal cold bath couldn't compare to the pleasure of a hot shower. The heated spray massaged her stiff body and just seemed to remind her of the way he'd kissed her neck. Now all she had was the water.

She forced away the memory of Ryder's hard body against hers and the way his hand felt kneading her breast. Her skin sensitive, she finished the shower quicker than she wanted.

After she dried and wrapped the towel around her, she looked into the mirror and stared at the black symbol on her neck that reminded her why Ryder didn't want her. It wasn't the symbol as much as the three chain links that branded her a half-breed. Trying to ignore the marking, she finger-combed her hair to the best of her ability and thought about the man outside the door.

She needed to get away from him. He wouldn't be any different than any other Serian and she planned to make him pay. The towel wrapped around her body would be a perfect distraction if she planned to escape Ryder.

The first time she escaped him, it led to Laili's death. Thinking about Laili obliterated all the sexual thoughts and gave her the courage to get away from him for good.

As she opened the door and walked out of the bat
hroom, she noticed him, shirtless, sitting on the bed staring at the wall. The ache between her legs came back and her nipples hardened against the towel. She hated how her body reacted seeing his hard muscles and the way his beautiful blue skin seemed to glow in the light. She could handle her attraction long enough to get away from him.

Remember Laili and all the others hurt by him and his father.

Ryder glanced her way, his eyes widened, and his mouth fell open.

She smiled and sauntered over to her bag, then rummaged to give him an eyeful. Anara could feel his eyes stroke over her body. Turning, she gave him no time to react as she raised her macca.

He opened and closed his mouth, but no words came out.

"I don't care if you're a Serian or not. Just because your blood is pure doesn't give you the right to look down on me." An unwanted tear ran down her cheek. She wiped away the evidence of what he did to her. Serians had always treated her like dirt since her birth and it hurt
even worse to have him do it. She should be used to the treatment.

"No, Anara, you don't—"

She fired, ending any lies he planned to express.

Grunting, she struggled to drag him
further up the bed. He weighed a ton, and what looked and felt like all muscle. Her body tingled as skin contact became unavoidable with his shirtless body and her still in only a towel.

With a light touch, she traced the thin, pale blue scars that layered his chest and around his back. The scars made her wonder how a high-class Serian ended up with what looked to be torture wounds. Maybe the same way his vocal cords were damaged. She jerked her fingers away as his body shivered.

The sight of his muscles tempted her to touch and she wanted so badly to see how male he truly was. Thinking about their kiss, heat exploded through her belly. Moisture formed between her legs and she squeezed her thighs together.

Anara cursed herself and her traitorous body. She dressed, grabbed her things, made sure to get the controller for the Traveler, and left before he awoke.