PrimalHunger (9 page)

“You could hear their movements on the sand, in the air. No
one would ever be able to sneak up on you again.”

“So you keep saying, but this is still temporary.” Her lips
lifted in a half-smile.

“Right.” He didn’t know why that irritated him. “Temporary.”
He nipped at her lips. “Of course, you may get to keep some of these little
side effects. We both lost our lust for one another after a time in my first
mating. You never know—”

She growled and kissed him with a fierce passion that sent
him reeling. So she didn’t like hearing about his previous mating, did she?
Their tongues dueled for possession, stroking, teasing. She ended the kiss with
a satisfied smile and he just stared up at her. Her hair was a curtain of fire
around them. The silky length tumbled down her shoulders and back, curling
against her skin and clothes where he’d splashed water earlier.

“The extra senses have never left me. The only way we can know
how you’ll be affected is by tracking your chemical and hormonal changes.”

“Will I still have these abilities when you’re gone?”

His throat tightened, and he wondered if he’d be able to
walk away this time. The last choice had been taken from him, and it had taken
years for his need for Alicia to wane. “I just don’t know.”

“What happened to your first mate?”

“She found a new one when they thought I’d died in the war.
When I returned, I wasn’t the same anyway, and I took a remote station
assignment.”

“I’m sorry.” She gently brushed a strand of hair away from
his face.

He tried to shake off the memories that still haunted him
from time to time. “Those days were difficult ones for many. It was a living
nightmare.” He pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose.

She brushed her cheek against his, and gave him a look of
such understanding, it rocked him to the core. “Luckily, you won’t have to
worry about a permanent attachment with me. I’m sure you’ll find your perfect
mate when you return to your world. Everyone deserves peace.” Was it his
imagination or did he see sorrow in the depths of her eyes? A part of him
wished she were Valorian. He would hold on to her for an eternity. She was
resourceful with a strong survival instinct. A fierce warrior.

“I have few memories of the Valorian people, but these
stripes aren’t something I remember.” Her fingers stroked the stripes along his
jaw.

He breathed easier at the change in topic. “Prime status is
part of our warrior culture. It can only occur during a mating cycle, and is
usually forged in battle.”

“Forged in battle, huh?” Her gaze sparkled with humor, while
her fingers traced whorls on his neck. “It sounds very epic.”

He laughed. “I was quoting text from our histories. The
truth is until recently I was one of the few of my generation to have made the
transition to Prime. Those on our asteroid mines, however, have reported an
increase in Prime status.” He rubbed the back of her neck with gentle circles,
trying to ignore the way her lovely fingers were distracting his thoughts.
“They say it’s a defense mechanism ingrained in our DNA. If our mates, our
children, our livelihood are in any way endangered during a cycle, a change
occurs. The stripes serve as camouflage on our home planet. It allows those in
dangerous areas to blend in to the environment. I left my mate while the
hormones still raged through my body. It was during my first fight that the
rage overtook me.” His memories were broken, shuttered behind a red haze.

“Rage?” She gave a delightful moan at his ministrations.

“It’s a blood rage triggered by adrenal response. Makes us
very efficient fighters. We become faster, stronger and more in tune with our
senses during an event. It’s an ability that never leaves us once it occurs.”

Curiosity glimmered in her eyes. “Do your women get this
blood rage?”

“If so, it’s never been documented.” He ran his fingers down
the back of her neck.

“Do you always have this rage?”

He rubbed her neck with gentle strokes. “Only when my life
is in danger.”

She touched his cheeks with her hands and sweetly caressed
his lips with featherlight kisses.

“Hmm.” He smiled. “What was that for?”

She smiled back. “Just because.”

“I like random affection.” He kissed her gently, determined
to show her that he could give her slow and easy. He could lock down the beast.

She leaned back and gave him a wicked smile, which kicked
his pulse into overdrive. Her hands pulled up her shirt, dragging it over her
head, and dropping it to the side.

Her perfect body called to him. His hands caressed her ribs
and rubbed his thumbs against the sensitive underside of her breasts. “You are
so beautiful.”

Kendra stared down at Azros. Warmth spread throughout her
body. He thought she was beautiful. She leaned down to kiss him thoroughly, and
wiggled out of her pants, to kick them off to the side.

He raised an eyebrow and grinned against her lips. “Nice
moves.”

She pulled back just enough to smile at him. “You haven’t
seen anything yet.” She gently stroked her pussy against the firm length of his
dick. Her moist essence spread along his skin.

“You are so wet.” The words ended in a guttural moan.

“I am constantly wet when I’m around you.” She arched her
back and moaned at the sensual pleasure spiking from the teasing strokes.

“Guide me, sweetheart.” His voice was ragged.

She reached between them, setting the head against her slick
entrance. He gripped her hips and arched, driving deep into her pussy. The
muscles of her channel squeezed and pulsed around every incredible inch of his
dick. She cried out, digging her nails into his chest.

“Fall forward, just a bit.” He tilted his hips and went
deeper than she imagined possible.

Shivers of delight raced down her spine. Her hips rocked
forward and back. Little pulses of electric sensation lit all the nerve endings
in her pussy. Fuck, this wasn’t going to take long. The rich scent she’d come
to recognize as uniquely Azros surrounded them.

“You have such a sweet pussy. I love the way it milks my
cock.” His grin was wicked sin. “Hold on to me sweetheart.”

She had a moment to grip his shoulders before his hips
lowered then thrust hard, impaling her, burning her alive with sensation.

“Fate, I wanted to be gentle.” His voice was raw with lust.

God she loved his voice. “Don’t you dare.” She dug her nails
into his skin.

His fangs gleamed and fingers dug into her hips. His feral
gaze pierced her from eyelash-shrouded slits. He fucked her with deep, hard,
intense strokes, which sent her spiraling into a sex-induced haze of pleasure.
Every sensation built on the next until she was drowning in a maelstrom of
erotic delight. She was falling. “Please,” she begged, pleaded. Her body rode
him through the first crest of orgasm into another. She cried out, calling his
name.

When her second orgasm shattered, his thrusts became erratic
until he followed behind, slamming deep into her pussy.

He dragged her down into the comforting circle of his arms.
“You are incredible.”

She curled against his body, his steady heartbeat a
comforting thump against her ear. “You’re not so bad yourself.” Her pussy
trembled in tiny aftershocks of pleasure, and the occasional purr from his
chest soothed her further. She’d always been partial to giant cats. Especially
sexy, dangerous and oddly cuddly giant cats. She huffed out a small breath.
Azros was getting under her skin.

“You are thinking too loud.” His drawl was laced with humor.

She slowly rubbed her cheek against the entrancing velvet
softness of his stripes. “My mind never seems to stop.”

“Hmmm.” He nuzzled the top of her head, and that sexy purr
rumbled from his chest.

“How do you purr like that?” She absently continued stroking
her cheek against him. It was such a fascinating difference in texture between
bare skin and stripes.

His purring stopped. “It’s a part of our physiology.” His
voice trailed off. “You know, I’ve never really asked why we do it. It’s just
one of those things we’ve always done.”

Kendra pressed a kiss against a stripe. “I love it.” The
purring combined with a scent she was coming to recognize as…she wouldn’t say
happy, not yet, but definitely comfortable. Relaxed. Content.

“There goes that brain again.” He chuckled. “I must not be
doing my job of properly exhausting you.”

Heat burned her cheeks and she cleared her throat. “Oh no,
it’s not that at all.” Hell, if her body became any more relaxed, she’d be a
puddle of goo. “This change is just a lot to take in.” It was time to get ready
to head out.

“Want to soak in the pools for a while?”

He squeezed her against him and rolled them over until he
settled against the vee of her thighs. Even half-erect, the man was impressive.
She smiled up at him, loving the way his still-damp hair fell in a curtain
around his chiseled face. With a day’s growth on his chin he looked like a
rogue. She ran her fingers along his jaw, surprised to find the hair to be
soft.

“I would love to.”

He gave her a quick kiss and rolled off. In a second he was
on his feet and holding his hand out to her.

She raised her eyebrows and took his hand, allowing him to
draw her up. This kind of courtesy was new to her. And while not unpleasant, it
took getting used to. She was used to calling the shots in all aspects of her
life. Hell, when you worked in a pleasure palace, you learned to take what you
could, when you could.

Their return to the Palace would be insane. Azros was cut
from the stuff wet dreams were made of. He could throw her world into chaos. Of
course, that was the problem, wasn’t it? Her life was already chaotic enough.
It wouldn’t be good to become attached.

He pressed a light kiss against her hand.

Once they got back to the Palace, and this mating thing
ended, she’d have to give him up. Azros had already gone to great lengths to
reassure her this wasn’t permanent. He was looking for temporary as well.
Right?
You’re thinking too much!

He eased into the deep pool and guided her steps. Healing
warmth immediately settled into her skin, easing aches she’d accumulated
through three days of full-body abuse and minimal sleep. Knots of tension
loosened, and she put disturbing thoughts out of her head. She chose to live in
the moment. For now.

He pulled her into his arms, dragging her back to his chest.
She rested her head against his shoulder and let the warmth of Azros and the
hot springs do their magic. His chest rumbled in a low purr, relaxing her
further. Her mind slowed in sated warmth. Kendra was never one to worry too
much about the future. Why was she letting one man drive her crazy? She’d worry
about tomorrow when it arrived. Their breathing synchronized, and she drifted
into a light doze.

The perimeter chime jerked her awake. Kendra scanned the
room. She moved his hands from around her. All senses aware.

“What was that?”

“An alarm.” She moved to the edge of the pool and jumped up
on the edge. Water sluiced off her body. They had several minutes before anyone
would find them. The scattered clothes were swept up and she moved back down
the hall. She was unsurprised to find him shadowing her. The alarm sounded
again. “We have company.”

His curse followed her down the corridor. She jogged to the
stairwell door and slowly opened it. They slipped through and she walked to the
back of the stairs and opened a recessed panel. The clothes were dropped and
forgotten. She spared a glance at Azros, appreciating the fact that he’d
already grabbed his pants from wherever he’d hidden them earlier.

She tossed him a thigh holster. The stunner followed. He
tossed her the pants and shirt. She caught them and dragged them on in record
time. With quick tugs on the straps, she had her temporary thigh holder
tightened and ready. A stunner wasn’t ideal, but she’d work with what she had.
On the next trip out, she’d upgrade all the weapons and ensure she didn’t lock
her own piece in the damn safe.

Azros took point and she followed with weapon drawn,
reminding herself that he had extrasensory advantage. She inhaled, but could
only smell the residual odor of minerals and the rich scent of Azros.

They reached ground level and he paused, muscles rippling
across his back. He was comfortable, almost in his element. It made her wonder.
How did get caught in the first place?

He opened the door and they both winced at the slight creak.
With quick hand signals he laid out the plan, and Kendra gave a nod with a jerk
of her head. They took the room, slowly making their way to the next door. She
took a breath, gave the signal, and palmed the door open.

Azros entered the room, weapon drawn, moving along the edge.
Kendra took the other side, checking behind the furniture, wishing she could
rely on more than just her eyes and ears. She inhaled deeply. What good was
this extrasensory stuff if you couldn’t call it at will? A strange odor slipped
through the sterile scents of the facility.

She paused, but he continued on, a growl deep in his throat.
A familiar floral scent tickled the back of her throat. Something moved. She
placed the scent with her memory. “Azros!” He spun 45 degrees and shot. A
brutal, if familiar, voice yelled in pain. A body dropped to the ground. Kendra
rushed over, keeping an eye on the surrounding area. She looked down. “Fate!”

“Chief!”

The voice had Kendra and Azros spinning, weapons aimed at
the newcomer. Hands flew up and Kendra immediately recognized the pale
countenance of her communications expert. She huffed out a breath and holstered
her weapon. “Reeva. How did you two get here?”

Reeva dropped to a knee at Mase’s side.

Azros stepped in front of Kendra with a growl rumbling low
in his throat.