Primal Heat (13 page)

He debated warning Kyber about who she was. Better to let him think it was a random Kin lover he was taking along or wiser to tell him that he'd be having discussions he may not wish to have? Farid wasn't sure. He defaulted to honesty with his cousin.
It is Brenna Preston.

The mental connection pulsed with wry humor.
You're a brave man.

She wants you to help her depose Arthur.
Farid ran a hand down her slim back, stroking the silky length of her hair.

Now he felt his cousin's wariness, rejection, denial.
I want as little involvement in human affairs as I can manage. I want to leave Earth as soon as possible.

Hear her out. She has risked much to speak to you.
Plus, Farid thought she was right. They did owe it to Earth to make sure they didn't leave the planet worse than when they'd found it. If Arthur was still in power when they left, he knew that would not be the case.

Still, resistance trickled through the narrowing link between Farid and Kyber. The younger man's tone was grudging.
I will be returning to the ship with my One in three or four hours. Your human may have an audience with me then.

Thank you, cousin.

A pulse of respect and affection came through the familial bond.
I do this for you, Farid. Not for her.

Farid chuckled, slipping his hand down to cup Bren's backside, grateful his cousin couldn't see. She stirred against him and his body heated in eager response. Hearing the horrible things she'd survived as a child only enhanced how much he respected her, wanted her.
She won't care why, only that she gets what her people need.

Kyber snorted.
I hope she has been worth the trouble it took to get her in your bed.

More than worth it.
Worth anything, but he kept that thought to himself. He could block the fact that she was his One from Kyber through a mental connection, shielding his mind, but when he saw them together and both psychic and animal powers focused on them, there would be no doubts left. Fortunately, Kyber was unlikely to say anything to Bren, but considering how long he'd sought his One, he was also unlikely to remain silent in private about Farid hiding the truth from his. As much as Farid craved Bren, the truth was something that still made him break out into cold sweat. Could he ever give himself so fully to such a bond and stay sane if he lost her? His father hadn't managed it, neither had his sister. Farid had watched the One bond destroy his entire family. Would Bren and he be any different? He had more than a few doubts on the matter.

I've given Tylara the coordinates I've pulled from your mind. Her people will send a shuttle. Expect them in an hour.
Kyber withdrew, narrowing the connection to almost nothing.

Thank you, sire.
Farid cut the link, sighing as he settled back against the hard stone ground. He'd insisted Bren sleep on him rather than on the rock, but he'd give much to have his soft gelpad beneath him now.

An hour left to enjoy her, to have her with no complications between them. The world might be in chaos around them, but what they enjoyed together was unfettered by the anger and pain that would come later. If she found out the truth about why he'd pursued her, if she convinced Kyber to confront Arthur, everything would change. Dread fisted in his gut, and he wanted to hold on to this moment, this time, for as long as he could.

He tightened one arm around her, cupped her smooth ass in his palm, and set the other hand on the ground to push himself up into a sitting position. She sighed, cuddled into his chest once he'd settled back against the cave wall, and brushed her lips over his skin when she spoke. “Time to get up?”

He hummed in the back of his throat. “Kyber contacted me. The rescue shuttle will be here in an hour.”

“An hour.” She wriggled against him, stroking her palms up his ribs, and he felt her smile against his chest when his cock jerked in response. “This whole gentleman thing where I don't have to lay on the dirt and rocks is kind of nice.”

His laugh was little more than an escape of air. “If I am touching you, it is difficult to notice anything else.”

Such honesty was unwise, revealed too much, but the words fell from his lips regardless. The more he was with her, the more he wanted to be with her. Not just for sex, but for the pleasure of her company. He liked talking to her, listening to her unique, Earthan point of view.

“Mmm, that's kind of nice, too.” She kissed his chest, flicking her tongue out to circle his nipple. He purred, using his grip on her buttock to lift her onto his cock. He hissed when her tight, wet sheath closed around him, and snarled when she bit his nipple.

“Kyber…said he was willing to meet with you. We should talk about what you should say to him.” Farid congratulated himself on being able to put together two whole, coherent sentences. For a man who made his living on words, his tongue had twisted and his wits had scattered the moment she stroked those soft hands over his skin.

She fell back on her hands, bracing her palms against his thighs. “So talk. I'm listening. Kind of.”

“When we're done. I can't think when you're offering yourself up like this.” He pressed a hand to her back, arching her torso even farther. He dipped forward and sucked her nipple into his mouth. Letting her head fall back, she dug her nails into his legs. He shuddered, lifted his hips into the crux of her thighs, and buried himself deep in her sex.

The physical reality of her was so much better than even the fleeting psychic connections they'd had. Now, he had to hold back on the mental link lest he lose control and bond with her. The psychic and carnal connections at once might overload his senses. Sweat broke out on his forehead at the mere idea of binding her to him forever. Despite their differences, despite the fact that he refused to acknowledge what she was to him, his mind and beast had latched on to her. Neither instinct cared about logic or right and wrong. There were no gray areas for his powers, there was only what fate had given. Bren.

She belonged to him, matched him on every level, but he wouldn't take her. Not truly, not fully.

It would drive him mad.

The thought should have cooled his rising ardor, but it did not. It had already been too long for the impatient beast. Its baser instincts knew only the need to claim. Soon he might not be able to touch her at all, lest his instincts and powers flare beyond his ability to control. He'd never come so close to losing himself as he had each time he'd thrust inside her.

“This…feels…amazing.” Her breathing hitched each time he entered her, her body bouncing down to meet his upward thrusts.

“Yes.” His voice was little more than a growl, his vocal cords vibrating as he hissed. He tried to pick apart the details, savor them each in their turn. The scent of her arousal, her wet sex tight around his cock, the flush that highlighted her cheeks, the sparkle of desire that flashed in her heavy lidded eyes.

He lifted his hands to cup her small breasts, his thumbs chafing the nipples until they darkened to a deep rose color. A smile curved his lips as he watched her body respond to him. Her pussy clenched around his dick each time he flicked a claw over her tight little nipples, dragging groans from them both.

She pushed her breasts into his hands. “God, Farid.”

“I know exactly what you mean.”

Her laugh was a rich, throaty sound that made his cock ache. He craved her so much. He held her hips down and rotated his pelvis against her clit, making her sob and wrap her arms tight around his waist, her hands rising to clutch his back.

He plunged inside her, and it felt so incredible he almost came. His lack of restraint should have stunned him, but with her he could do nothing except react. Her little gasps and cries, the slickness of her sex as it hugged his cock, the way her nails bit into his back, told him all he needed to know. She wanted him as desperately as he wanted her. Nothing else mattered. Not species or control or destiny. Just this, just her.

For the moment, she was everything.

Eternity, right here in his arms.

He ground himself against her, wanting to be as deep inside her as possible, wanting to claim all of her for himself, but hold part of himself back, that last, final part that he could never,
would never
give her. He cupped her ass, pulling her tight to him. His fingers slid inward to tease the pucker of her anus. He probed the tight recess, entering her a little at a time, pressing his finger in and retreating, again and again until she took his finger easily. He rubbed the head of his cock through the layer of flesh that separated her two channels.

“Farid!”

The sharp need in her voice only drove him on, made his movements faster, rougher. Her nails raked down his back, and the pleasure-pain made him shudder.

Her mouth closed over his shoulder, sucking on his skin before she bit down. Hard.

The feline within him snarled at the feral display, reveling in the ecstasy as much as the man did. Everything about her matched him, her passion always rising to meet his, whether the beast or the psychic was in command, she was there, throwing herself into their coupling. It never failed to arouse him.

“Please, Farid. I need more.”

And he knew he'd give her whatever she wanted, needed, craved.

He sank his finger deep into her ass, plunging hard with both his hand and his cock. He fought the widening of their mental link, his control slipping through his fingers as she screamed and fisted around him. Her ecstasy exploded through his mind, pulling him through the connection toward her. The feel of her sex clenching around his dick made it difficult to think, to breathe.

He came hard, and he gave his body over to the sensation, to the carnal rapture that could never be matched by any other lover. But he ripped his mind free of hers, wincing at her soft cry of pain. It was dangerous that she could even feel the loss of him. She shouldn't even notice unless he'd specifically wanted her to.

She was far too attuned to him, considering they weren't bonded.

Or not attuned to him enough, considering how much the beast wanted to bond with her, considering how much the man loved her.

It was the most devastating revelation of his life.

T
hey hadn't had time to have that talk Farid wanted. They'd been well into a second round of fucking by the time he'd alerted Bren to the fact that the shuttle was minutes from touching down outside their little cave, and they'd had to scramble to get dressed. She tried to ignore the fact that they reeked of sex. Likely the beast and psychic powers the Kith had would have told them what had been going on for the last day anyway.

It rocked her that it
had
only been a day. So much had changed so quickly, including how she viewed Farid…and the Sueni people by extension. The truth was that she'd wanted to use them as a means to an end. The Sueni would benefit if Arthur was gone, and she wanted Arthur gone for the benefit of Earthans.

Now she looked at them as just…people. Not overbearing, superhuman enemies. It was difficult for someone trained to dehumanize her adversaries in order to stay sane. For the most part, she had no regrets about what she'd done in her life. She'd killed people, yes, but she'd known they were people who were just as intent on killing her. She didn't even remember their faces anymore. The Sueni had been no different, until now, until this.

Knowing Farid had changed everything.
Liking
Farid had changed everything. She'd seen, so very clearly, how much icy control he had to have in order to keep his animal side in check. As much as she liked to chip away at that cool reserve, she understood if it was
all
gone, he'd be a serious danger to himself and others. But he went too far the other way, so uptight that he didn't allow himself to enjoy living. She wished she could be there when he found that inner balance he needed. The too tempting man would be irresistible.

The floor of the shuttle shuddered under her feet as they took off. She swallowed, all the blood draining out of her face as it hit home that she was about to leave the planet. What she had to do when she left it was more terrifying than she cared to think at this point. She
had
to convince Kyber to help. She could not—
would
not—fail. Farid reached over and slipped his hand into hers, as always sensing her moods, and giving her exactly what she needed, even if she wasn't sure herself. She squeezed his fingers, feeling something tight ease within her chest at his comforting touch.

Forcing her morose thoughts from her mind, she focused on staring out the window to her left. The ground below rushed away with enough speed to make her stomach feel as though it were floating. There came a place where the blue sky turned strange shades of white, the little ship shook and jolted hard, and she realized they'd left Earth's atmosphere. She pulled in a deep breath just to prove she could in the emptiness of space, and soon the sky was inky black with millions of stars cart-wheeling before her. After a few tense moments where she squeezed the hell out of Farid's hand, everything stilled to a perfect, silent calm.

“It's…breathtaking.” And it was. The most beautiful star-studded night she'd ever seen. Only it wasn't night, it was outer space. She shook her head. Of all the things she'd thought she'd do in her life, all the places she'd thought she'd go, this hadn't been anywhere near the list.

Farid brushed his thumb over her knuckles but remained silent. He hadn't spoken much since they'd come aboard, and not at all to her. A niggle of worry fluttered through her, but she tamped down on it. He had as many concerns on his mind as she did, and his expression as he stared down at his boots was troubled.

She brought his hand to her lips and kissed his palm. They were the only people in the back of the shuttle, and the pilots had other things to do besides watch her, so this might be the last time she was alone with Farid. If she didn't live through this, if Kyber was the evil, oversexed monster Earthans thought he was, or if Arthur managed to kill her, then she was glad she'd experienced this last day of freedom with Farid.

He gave her a small, distracted smile and tugged his hand from hers, tilting his head toward the window. “Look.”

Turning in her seat, she saw the Sueni fleet looming huge and vivid before her. Until now, she'd only ever seen it in satellite images and video feeds. Her stomach flipped. It was much more imposing and terrifying from here. She actually thought she was going to convince the man who ruled all of these ships—and an entire planet full of beings with superior physical and mental powers—that he should do what she told him to and get involved in what might become a very ugly war? She closed her eyes to shut out the sight of a massive spacecraft zooming closer with every passing moment.

The shuttle jolted when they docked with the ship, the locks on the door hissing as pressure released. Bren busied herself with unfastening the shoulder restraints on her seat while Farid did the same. Checking to make sure her hair was in its neat braid as she rose from her seat, she brushed at her dirty clothes. Not exactly the impression she wanted to make, but beggars didn't get to be choosers, and she was definitely here as a supplicant.

Farid jerked her out of her musings when he touched her elbow to direct her attention to someone who had boarded the shuttle. He dropped his hand quickly, as though the contact burned him. She glanced at him, but his gaze was remote, telling her nothing, and the fact that he seemed to have withdrawn completely the closer they came to the Sueni ships was a kick to the solar plexus for Bren. His voice was that cool, distant tone he'd used when they first met—the one she'd hated so much. “May I introduce you to Admiral Lady Tylara Belraj, commander of the Imperial Fleet, and second in command to the emperor on this expedition?”

Tylara Belraj. Of course, Bren had heard her name before, usually spoken in the hushed, reverent whispers used for movie stars. She was a compact, angular woman, with midnight eyes and short ebony hair. There wasn't a strand of gray, but Bren got the impression that the admiral was quite a bit older than she looked. Perhaps Kith didn't age the way Kin did. Tiny white sparks flickered in her gaze, but other than that, she showed no expression.

Bren gave her a crisp nod, one military woman to another. Tylara returned the gesture. “It is good to finally meet you, Sergeant Major. I've heard a great deal about you.”

“None of it good, I'm sure.” Bren didn't bother to hide a small smile.

Tylara's eyebrow arched. “A worthy adversary is rarely spoken highly of—it is a sign of respect that we dislike you so much, is it not?”

The woman's tone was so deadpan, Bren wasn't sure if she was teasing or serious. These Kith were a whole different beast, literally.

“She is joking, Bren.” Farid's words were the ones she needed to hear, but he stepped away from her.

The admiral's slim, dark brow rose a bit higher. “I wasn't aware that I had a sense of humor, my lord.”

Bren forced a chuckle, not looking at Farid.

“Don't encourage her, Sergeant Major.” Farid sighed, moving to put even more distance between them. His words about her using his title to push him away came roaring back to her. Hearing her rank had never been such a knife to the heart. Locking down on the anger and confusion that battered her, she straightened to rigid attention and gave him the kind of impassive stare she would have the day they'd met. It seemed apparent he wanted them to go back to that, so she obliged him, no matter how it pained her.

If Tylara took note of their frosty exchange, she showed no sign of it on her face. Instead, her nostrils flared and she sniffed the air. Bren fought a flush. God, was the sex wafting off them in waves? A ferocious frown pulled at Tylara's mouth, and her dark eyes flashed dangerously. “You are injured, my lord.”

He gave a short nod. “A flesh wound, nothing more. I'll see the medics in a moment.”

The admiral's hands curled into fists. “It is fortunate you were injured, Farid, because I have half a mind to throw your stubborn hide into lockdown for the night.”

“Under what charge, your ladyship?” His eyebrow lifted lazily and not a single ounce of worry filled his expression.

“Reckless endangerment,” she shot back. “You should have told us who you were meeting for your assignation if it would have posed a greater risk to your life than the average Kin.”

He tilted his head as though considering the many ways he could argue that logic. Always the negotiating diplomat. “I only endangered myself, Tylara.”

“You are under my protection, Lord Arjun.” Her nostrils flared with annoyance. “When you take risks like that and endanger yourself—”

“It makes you look bad?” He smirked.

Her face went completely blank and her chin raised a notch. “You know that has nothing to do with it.”

“You're right. That was unworthy of me. I apologize.” He bowed at the waist but offered her a sly wink. “Of course you care deeply about my well-being.”

Her jaw clenched and she shoved a hand through her short hair. She growled something that had to be a curse word. “How do the Earthans say it? You're a
pain in the ass.
”

Bren snorted.

“Didn't I just tell you
not
to encourage her?” Farid shot Bren a nasty look, sliding his hands into his pockets.

She lifted her hands and shrugged. “You're apparently encouraging her all by yourself. You don't need my help.”

Tylara leapt on that one. “No, he needed
our
help and he didn't alert us to the fact that he was potentially putting himself in danger by meeting
you
. He should never have been shot. They should never have had the opportunity.”

All amusement fled Bren as guilt hit her square in the chest. She swallowed and made no reply. What could she say? Meeting with her
had
put Farid in harm's way. It
was
Bren's fault he'd been hurt. Something else to tangle her up. She liked him, was grateful to him, but hated that he'd pokered up the moment they were with his people again. It made her stomach queasy, but she steeled herself against it. She had a job to do and her personal feelings about anyone didn't matter anymore. Convincing Kyber to undo the damage his arrival had done to their world was the important thing.

“You can go see the medics now, my lord.” Tylara's gaze swept Bren from head to toe. “I'll see that Sergeant Major Preston is shown to her quarters so she might…refresh herself.”

Quarters? Likely a holding cell until the emperor deigned to speak to her. Her heart twisted at the thought of Farid leaving her alone. Until this moment, she hadn't realized how implicitly she had come to rely on him. It had all happened so fast, too fast for her to see it coming. She
depended
on him, trusted him, without reservation or hesitation, the one thing she'd promised herself as a teen that she'd never do. Fool. Even as an inexperienced girl, she'd known better. There was no excuse for her now.

She focused on the wall behind the admiral's shoulder. “Good-bye, Lord Arjun. Thank you for all your…help. I apologize for your arm and hope you're feeling better soon.” She met Tylara's eyes for a fleeting moment. “I'm ready when you are, ma'am.”

“No.” Farid's hand settled on the small of Bren's back, the gesture at once possessive and protective, a tiny spark of the Farid she had gotten to know. “I'll take her, and then I'll have the scratch tended to.”

Through her clothes, Bren could feel an undercurrent of his power, almost a whisper through her mind as he spoke telepathically to Tylara. Bren couldn't quite make out the words, but she knew they were there. Odd. Was it because he was touching her or because of the more intimate aspects of their interactions lately? She'd like to ask Farid when they were alone again but had no idea if such a thing would be allowed—by him or by the admiral.

It wasn't as though she'd be free to roam around anyway. Why would they trust a traitor to her own recognizance on their ship? She wouldn't in their place.

Her chin lifted and she didn't look at either of them. It didn't matter what they did with her, so long as Arthur was stopped. She'd accepted the moment she sent the message to Farid that this mission would claim her life, one way or another. It already had. She could never go back to the military or her old life now, whether she was right and Arthur was stopped or not. The army wasn't that forgiving of stepping outside of protocol. Her career was over.

Only this mission remained.

Farid's fingers flexed on her back, urging her forward. “This way, please.”

She fell into step beside him and he dropped his hand the moment they were out of Tylara's sight. He didn't speak to her, didn't look at her. They wound down long, tubular corridors with round overhead lights that engaged when they passed and through doors that parted long before they drew near. He pulled her into a tiny, round glass room. “What's this?”

A smooth voice that was neither male nor female, but…almost both, sounded from overhead. “It is a multiveyor, Sergeant Major. It allows me to convey my passengers in multiple directions.”

“And you're the ship?” Bren's eyebrows arched, swaying a bit when the glass room began sliding at a rapid downward diagonal. Well, the talking spaceship made it official. She'd fallen into a strange science fiction movie, complete with hunky alien invaders. She shook the foolish thought away.

“I am the
Vishra
, yes. Flagship of the Imperial Fleet.” The door to the room slid open again, spilling them out into a hall that looked exactly like the one they'd just left. Farid towed Bren out and around another corner before they reached a door.

“Open,” Farid ordered and the door obeyed, sliding aside for them to enter. “Kyber has found and bonded with his One. He'll return to the
Vishra
shortly and he'll meet with you when he gets here. His estimate would put it at another hour or two.”