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Prologue
The Sand Moon
Obscured by heavy, black clouds from an approaching storm, no stars or planets glittered in the eerie-looking night sky. She’d counted on the darkness and worsening weather to hide her presence and keep her safe. She’d counted wrong.
Josella’s pulse raced, and her heart pounded against her ribs. She kicked out a half-broken window from the second story of the abandoned abode she was hiding in and crawled onto the outside ledge. Quiet did her little good now. She needed to escape.
She cut herself on a jagged piece of glass, and blood trickled down her arm. She winced, but ignored the wound…and the pain. She’d tend to it later.
The Egesa had found her!
Raised in another star system, the first time she’d seen the half-lizard, half-humanoid creatures with their bald heads, yellow eyes, long thin tongues, and claw-like hands, she’d screamed her head off. Her sister had warned her about the vile Slave Masters, but the warning didn’t do the monsters justice.
She’d since learned the Egesa considered humanoid females a prime catch. On the Sand Moon, she was considered sexual currency among many of the gang-like groups.
As she swung onto the branch of a nearby tree, their foul stench filled her nostrils. The creatures lurked close by. Despite their attempt at stealth, she heard them moving through the building, trying to locate her.
Grateful she hadn’t chosen a place in the flatlands to hide, she shimmied down the tree and ran into the hills. She knew of another place a few miles away. Only by moving from place to place had she survived so far. Her luck wouldn’t last forever. She needed to find a way off the moon soon or find a protector.
Previously held captive on Marid, the main moon of Xylon, she’d stowed away on an orbiter, trying to escape the Egesa Slave Masters who had held her. On Marid, she’d been a mine worker, so she hadn’t worried about sexual abuse, just torture. Just. She’d blocked out many of the memories for her own sanity. When she’d boarded the orbiter, she’d hoped they were headed to Xylon, where her sister lived—where she would be safe. But that had been wishful thinking.
If she’d known they were traveling to the Sand Moon, the most primitive of the Banishment Zones, she might have stayed put on Marid. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d eaten. She stopped to catch her breath.
A light breeze fluttered her long hair into her face. She pushed the tangled strands away, cringing at the gritty feel on her fingers. Sand. She hated the sand.
“Josella…” a voice rasped in the darkness.
Her heart leapt, and she took off running. She couldn’t let them find her. Please, Halah, she begged silently to the sister she hadn’t seen in years. Halah had cared for her after their parents died in an explosion. She was the only person Josella truly loved and trusted. Please, rescue me.
Chapter One
The Lair of Xylon
The crowd didn’t deter him. He knew what he wanted, what he needed, what he intended to have. From across the room, he located her, a radiant beauty among women. He’d known she was here. He felt her energy.
Her easy grace, combined with strength, intelligence, and a sensual innateness drew him like no other. His heart rate accelerated, and his body went on sexual alert. You belong to me!
She attended the festivities only on official business. She never participated in the Joining Party rituals. He knew. Once his erotic visions of her had begun, he’d monitored her every move. “You are predestined as my mate, my beauty. I will allow no other male to claim you. Only me.”
She’d dressed in the traditional female Joining colors of orchid and pink—instead of Warrior black and Medical white that reflected the status of a Xylon Warrior and Healer. He liked the feminine look. So did his cock, which stirred in anticipation of being gloved deep within her.
Soon, her body, along with her emotions, would belong to him. He intended to show her every decadent, physical pleasure she’d ever imagined, as well as some she’d probably never dared even in her fantasies.
Where her emotions were concerned, he knew her dark secrets. He understood what she needed, maybe better than she. The visions, explicit and detailed, revealed her deepest desires to him. He planned to give her every one of those desires for as long as life existed in his body—a body that throbbed with need as he watched her search the crowd, looking for signs of trouble.
The flowing, almost sheer pink skirt she wore hung down to her knees. Split on all four sides, the garment exposed a good amount of shapely thigh with each step she took. Underneath, she wore a translucent covering that barely hid her pussy from his view. His hands fisted at his sides. He wanted to rip away the material and plunge his fingers up inside her, until she cried out to him in ecstasy.
The orchid-colored sleeveless top, cut deep in front and narrow on the sides, allowed an enticing view of her full breasts. He itched to caress those mounds, brush his mouth along the soft-looking flesh, and suck the nipples he saw straining against the thin material.
The fact that other Warriors also saw her seductive assets made him crazy. A low growl rumbled from his throat. He wanted to hide her away from all others’ eyes, make certain she craved what he alone offered—total emotional and sexual completion.
More than arrogance about the ability to satiate her fueled his thoughts and actions. He’d do anything to make her want and need him. Of her own free will, not from a sense of duty to Xylon and their society, or as a result of predestined visions, but because she couldn’t live without him and what he could give her.
A sparkle, trailing along her satiny tresses, captured his attention. Her cinnamon-colored hair hung in a braid, woven with a golden ribbon, all the way down to her waist. He preferred her hair loose, and images of the long strands brushing across his naked body came to mind.
She sexually teased her lovers with great delight, or so he’d heard. She liked control. So did he. Regardless of her declared sexual tastes, he knew in reality she craved even more carnal, erotic experiences. He’d see that she got them.
Through him, she’d learn the pleasures of submission. Her body trapped beneath his, vulnerable, with her begging him to give her his cock, to take her to sexual heights she’d never known, was a fantasy he would fulfill.
She stepped clear of the crowd, and he eased closer. Even from this distance, her eyes drew him, identical in color to her hair, sparkling with intelligence and sensual secrets. With his view of her now unobstructed, he took in her gorgeous legs, toned and long, even though she wasn’t a tall woman. He ached to feel those legs wrapped around his waist while he rode her hard.
Golden laces adorned her feet. Not close enough to see her toes, he imagined a soft pink covered the nails. He wondered how she’d react to his tongue grazing the soles of her delicate feet, lapping between each small digit.
The urge to claim her, now, hit him so hard he felt lightheaded. Because of her breeder status, many male Warriors wanted to Brand her as their own, but all had failed. He would not fail. She was his breeder-mate. The visions showed him the truth. You’ve seen our future, as well, haven’t you?
“That’s why you’ve refused all others,” he said aloud.
A soft voice whispered, “Refuse? I would never refuse a Class 1 fuck, honey.” A feminine tongue licked at his ear. “Come with me and my friends. We will pleasure your body.”
He frowned and brushed aside the female seeking attention. “Find someone else.” Other women paled in comparison to her. He stalked forward, never taking his eyes off the woman soon to be his.
Leila Abdera didn’t see him, but she felt him stalking her, felt his sensual pull. In an attempt to evade him, she weaved through the throng of Xylon Warriors engaged in the Joining Party festivities.
Joining Parties, where Warriors indulged in sex acts while others watched, weren’t a preference of hers. But as a Xylon Healer, she attended these events in case anyone overindulged and required treatment.
Their entire society revolved around the joining of bodies, and sometimes even minds, for true breeder-mates. Or so the legends told. The complete physical and mental connections kept them unified and strong. Until recently…
Due to constant attacks from the Egesa Slave Masters, determined to either enslave or extinguish Xylon’s people, their society had suffered greatly. Xylon’s new Warrior Leader, after taking control, had vowed to shift the balance of power and rebuild their fragile numbers so they could effectively fight their enemies once more.
The Joining Parties helped the Warriors relax after their intensive training sessions. These occasional festivities drew most, if not all, those inhabiting The Lair—the underground headquarters for the men and women commissioned to protect the planet.
Not to detract from the event tonight, she wore the female garb expected of participants, though she no longer indulged. Certainly, one less Warrior wouldn’t make any difference.
But he was persistent, intense, determined. Carnal and raw in his needs. Her body craved him. Her mind would not allow it, other than in her fantasies.
The man was too dominant. A Class 1 Warrior. He would need to tame her, insist on submission. Submission was not an option for her. Only when she maintained sexual control did she allow herself to join with another. Abused in the past, she had long ago determined never again to put herself into a vulnerable situation. Still, the thought of allowing this one man control over her body, to experience the darker taste of complete sexual surrender, intrigued her.
She shook her head. The joining going on around her had affected her thinking and sensitized her body, making it difficult to resist her burgeoning needs. Giving in to her needs would only lead to disaster. Normally, she managed these events without incident. Tonight was different. She felt him touching her mentally, manipulating and changing the images in her head to something sexually wicked, each time her gaze flickered over an erotic coupling. “That’s impossible. I know he can’t do that.”
Her nipples hardened and moisture gathered between her thighs. She often experienced erotic visions of them together. Not official breeder visions, she wouldn’t accept the events as such, only powerful fantasies. Within the sensual thoughts, she gave him what he desired and enjoyed it. Tonight the decadent images, stronger than usual, ran wild and plagued her at every turn, screaming to be fulfilled. If he approached her now…
“No.” She circled around a banquet table, seeking a distraction. Her stomach rumbled from the mixture of sweet, tangy, and spicy odors. Food would take her mind off her other, physical hunger.
Before she indulged, a particularly lusty threesome caught her attention. Pitch Pantera, a Class 2 Warrior, along with the Xylon Leader’s two sisters, lay naked atop a low platform, among a pile of multicolored rugs and pillows. One woman hungrily sucked Pitch’s cock, taking his full length down her throat. The other crawled along his body and straddled his face. She lowered her shaved pussy over his mouth. “Lick me,” Leila heard the woman order in a tone that no lower-ranking Warrior would ever disobey. Both females held the highest-level Class 1 ranking and used their power unabashedly to fulfill their needs. Pitch spread her wet folds and tongued her lustily.
Though normally not averse to watching, Leila turned away. She felt too achy and on edge tonight. If she stayed here much longer, her body would force her to participate with someone, somehow, or she’d go mad with wanting.
She rushed forward and smashed into a broad chest. Masculine fingers wrapped around her forearms, restraining her. Her heart lurched, and a gasp caught in her throat.
Panicked, she tried to pull away. Her eyes snapped up to the face of the male holding her. “Oh.” She breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed. “Kam.” It wasn’t him. Nor any other who might demand compliance. She glanced down at his hands on her. “What are you doing?”
“Looking for you.” His voice deepened. “I need you, Leila.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “Need me?” Someone bumped into her, pushing her closer to the Warrior’s body. Her breasts grazed Kam Nextor’s chest, and her nipples hardened so much they hurt. His muscular thigh pressed against her pussy. When he made no move to step away from the intimate contact, uneasiness crept up her spine. “Kam?”
She tried to pull back, but he held her tightly. The tall, blond-haired Warrior, with kind blue eyes, and half-brother to the mate of the Warrior Leader, had always made her feel safe in the past. Now, she wasn’t so certain. Though in his arms, she remained protected from any other Warriors still seeking a joiner.
I’m on edge and paranoid. Kam was her friend and wanted nothing more from her than that. She trusted him. Her eyes rose to meet his. “You look pale.” She cupped his cheek, checking his temperature against her palm. She was about to ask him if he felt ill, when she heard a low growl, not from him, but originating elsewhere. The vibration skittered along her ultra-sensitive nerves. She glanced over her shoulder. No one seemed to be paying them any special attention. Where had that sound come from?
Kam whispered in her ear. “I need a shot.” His fingers tightened around her arms, almost painfully, drawing her attention back to him.
She pushed away the apprehensive feeling enveloping her, and her gaze returned to his. His request didn’t surprise her. They’d been through this too often lately. “Kam… You’ve had enough.” His addiction to the special formula created to treat him saddened her. She wished another, better, way existed to ease his pain. “Besides, I can’t leave the party. You know that.”
“Please.” He rubbed his thigh along her pussy.
Oh! To avoid gasping at the incredible feel of his thigh between hers, she chewed at her bottom lip. His movement, no doubt on purpose to sway her, reminded her of how long she’d gone without an orgasm, even a small one.
“Three other Healers are here. Just one more shot to see me through for a while. We have a mission coming up. I need to stay strong.”
The pleading look in his eyes softened her heart to his need, and compassion overruled better judgment. His headaches were steadily growing worse and more frequent. She knew he feared for his sanity. The shots helped, but they overstimulated his body, raising his heart rate and blood pressure. And lately the medicine made him more aggressive.
“Is the pain bad?”
“Not yet, but the throbbing started about an hour ago. I won’t make it through the night.” He moved his thigh away from her.
She almost groaned at the loss of contact. She needed to come badly.
“Please, Leila. Help me.”
She couldn’t refuse to ease his suffering. “Do you have your transport-connector?”
He relaxed, releasing his hold on her. “Yes.” He unhooked the connector from his belt. “The lab?”
“My quarters.” She kept a small supply of special drugs there, for running tests and experiments in private during off-hours. As a perk of being in charge of the medical facility, she’d arranged installation of custom equipment right into her assigned living space.
“Thanks, Leila.” He leaned down and brushed a soft kiss across her cheek. In the next instant, the air shimmered, and he was gone.
She reached for the transport-connector on her woven belt of gold and black-colored material to follow.
A muscular arm snaked around her waist, pulling her roughly back against a body as hard as stone. Not only his chest and stomach, but she also felt iron thighs and an equally iron-hard cock pressing close. A spicy scent teased her nostrils. She didn’t need to look. She knew who had her restrained. Him.
“Meeting Kam again?” the deep voice rasped.
Perspiration formed beneath her hair and down the center of her back. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest, and she couldn’t seem to find her voice. He leaned closer, wrapping her completely within his body heat. His tongue traced the rim of her ear, achingly soft and slow. Oh, my! Her limbs trembled at the moist touch, which she felt all the way down to her toes. She tried hard to control her body, her reactions. She didn’t want him to know how much he affected her.
“Are you letting Kam fuck you now, Leila?” he whispered, pressing his pelvis purposely against her. The fingers of his free hand grazed the outside of her right breast, moving back and forth in light, lazy strokes, easing beneath the material and inching toward her nipple.
His touch and voice were soft, but she felt his anger simmering right below the surface. Her sex life was nobody’s business. And she didn’t want him touching her intimately without permission, no matter how fantastic his hands and tongue felt. Not to mention his cock, which the uniform he wore did nothing to contain. She elbowed him in the ribs.
“Ow!” His arm dropped from her waist, and he stepped back. “Damn, Leila.”
She spun around to face him—Erik Rhodes—a man too sexy for his own good and the second-highest ranking Warrior in The Lair. No woman refused Erik…except her. Maybe that’s why he persisted so doggedly. “Why are you such a bastard?”
One side of his mouth quirked up into a grin. He raked his fingers through his thick, brown hair, while rubbing his side with his other hand. “I asked a question. No need to get violent, sweetheart.”
Leila pressed her fists to her hips. “Don’t call me that. I’m not your sweetheart. I’m a Warrior worthy of the same respect as any other Warrior. You enjoy getting a rise out of me too much, Erik. Go play with someone else.”
He crowded her into a nearby corner, his green eyes glistening with mischief under the lights. “You’ve got that backwards. I’m the one who gets a rise out of you.” His hand brushed his thigh. “And I’m not playing, Leila. I want you.”
Her gaze dipped between his legs. The noticeable bulge shot her sensual cravings to painful proportions and brought back the image of his long, thick cock. Unknown to him, she’d seen him erect once on a video monitor, seen him jacking off, as the Earthlings called it, according to Alexa, the mate of the Warrior Leader, who had been born and raised on that planet.
She gave herself a mental shake, dislodging the erotic image, along with the sudden, unexpected desire to taste his cock, and know how deeply into her mouth she could suck its length. When he leaned closer and brushed her cheek with his, she trembled and tried to push him back.
He wouldn’t budge.
“I’m not interested, Erik.” Her voice shook just slightly, but enough to be noticeable—damn it.
“You’re lying. You need a good fucking. By me.”
She sucked in a sharp breath. The man was too arrogant and unfortunately intuitive for her best interests. She refused to let him rattle her, though. “I need to leave.” Duty and friendship took precedence over desire, giving her the excuse she needed. “Keep your cock sheathed and under control. I already have plans.”
His lighthearted grin faded. “To meet Kam? You two seem joined at the hip lately. What’s going on? Am I going to have to challenge one of my best friends for you?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. There’s nothing physical between us.” Why she even explained, she didn’t know. With him towering over her, the spicy scent of his body, the sounds of sex surrounding them—she didn’t know what she was doing or saying anymore. She should have simply said, “I’m not some prize to be fought over and won.” And left it at that. But this wasn’t her first encounter with Erik, by far, and tonight she didn’t feel like parrying with him.
“Then you won’t mind if I join you two.”
She sighed. “Erik, stop stalking me.”
He pressed his body along hers, crowding her even deeper into the corner. His hands roamed her hips and eased down toward her ass, gathering her skirt with his fingers at the same time. He caressed the bare skin of her thigh, then moved slowly toward her pussy.
His light touch felt good against her skin. He knew just how to touch her for the greatest sexual response. She couldn’t stop herself from leaning into him and mewling.
“Mmm. That’s right, baby.” His lips touched the edge of her mouth. “I’m not stalking you, Leila. I’m seducing you.” The vid-cell on his belt beeped, causing them both to jump at the unexpected interruption. He grumbled and stepped back, palming the communication device.
Leila breathed a sigh of relief. Probably for the best. She really didn’t want to deal with him right now, not in these surroundings. He stimulated her senses too much, made her crave things that would only complicate her life. She took advantage of his distraction and activated her transport-connector.
Erik frowned when she dematerialized out. “Talk,” he said into the cell. He barely paid attention to the voice on the other end, even though it belonged to Braden Koll, the Warrior Leader. His mind remained elsewhere.
Whenever he pressed his body closely against Leila’s, he smelled her arousal. She desired more from him than friendship. He knew she did. She just hadn’t admitted her need yet.
For himself, he wanted to rip off her clothes, drop to his knees, bury his mouth between her legs, and suck her essence inside him. On missions, they worked well together. He knew they’d burn hot as lovers, if she’d give him a chance to prove he wasn’t really the bastard she often labeled him.
“What?” he asked, missing Braden’s words.
The Marid Mission is a go, he was informed.
At the thought of a new mission, his heartbeat accelerated, and the blood raced through his veins in anticipation. Leila was essential to this particular mission’s team. At least one Class 1 Warrior needed to accompany her to Marid, one of the five moons orbiting their planet. He’d already petitioned Braden to allow that Warrior to be him.
Although the Joining Party seemed crowded tonight, many of Xylon’s Warriors had fled or abdicated to the side of the Slave Masters after the last uprising. Most believed The Lair would fall and decided to get out, align themselves with the stronger side, while they could.
The Lair hadn’t fallen. But now, few remained in comparison to their previous numbers. With fewer Warriors available, Leila would have to comply with Braden’s decision, whether she liked his team assignments or not.
“I’ll be there,” he answered, when instructed to materialize outside the Council Chamber for a special meeting. He disconnected the transmission and re-clipped the cell to his belt.
He stared back into the corner where he’d had Leila trapped. While touching her body and looking into her eyes, the need to fuck her had grown stronger than ever, making more than his dick hurt. Something deep inside him had turned over, making him feel raw and exposed.
He needed to know the details of the relationship between her and Kam. It bothered him that all of a sudden they were spending so much time together, and in secret.
Kam kept too many secrets, even from his close friends. Erik had never liked secrets.
He’d believed Leila when she’d said nothing physical was going on. He supposed. But she hadn’t explained further. Why? He grabbed his transport-connector.
No matter what the mystery between Kam and Leila, he knew one indisputable truth. “That woman is mine.”
* * * * *
Leila prepared the stimulant. “Drop your pants.” If the Warrior Council—Xylon’s governing body—found out about this, they’d both end up banished to one of the outer moons.
Kam’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
“I’m going to inject the medicine into your hip this time.” She tapped the three-pronged needle. “It’ll be more effective. Lean over the back of the seating, there.” She pointed to the red and blue stuffed lounger behind him. Usually, she tended to him in The Lair’s Med Lab, but her quarters provided better privacy, especially since he needed the stimulant more often. From now on, she’d inject him here. That way, she could ensure no one discovered their secret.
“Are you all right?” He tugged at his belt.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re flushed. I know it’s not from the prospect of seeing my naked butt.” He chuckled and waggled his eyebrows.
“Don’t sell yourself short. I’m all aflutter.” She batted her eyelashes, then laughed at the ridiculous action she’d witnessed once on an off-planet satellite feed. Even so, she recognized Kam as a strong, sexy man. A woman would have to be blind not to acknowledge that, even if uninterested in a relationship. His blond hair and pale, blue eyes often turned heads—both female and male. “After you dematerialized out, Erik showed up. It’s nothing.”
“Somehow, I doubt that.” Kam pushed down his pants and leaned over. “Go easy on me. I’m not him. Remember that when you’re sticking me.”
She sterilized a spot on his hip, and slowly injected the stimulant. Kam’s biology of half-Xylon, half-Tamarian caused his body to rebel on a regular basis. She pulled out the prongs, and waited for the three puncture wounds to self-heal, an ability most Warriors and breeders possessed. After only a matter of moments, the punctures closed and disappeared. Too bad he couldn’t self-heal the rest of his body. The internal damage was too intricate and severe. The best he could do was hold his own, and not even that anymore without the stimulant. Unable to resist his submissive position, she caressed his butt cheek. Nice. Strong. Worthy of a woman’s touch. She wondered how Erik’s would compare.
He stiffened slightly, then chuckled. “You might not want to do that, unless you’re prepared for the consequences.”
Her pulse jumped, and she jerked her hand away. Touching a patient sexually during treatment went against Xylon’s medical code of ethics. “Sorry.” She stepped back. She obviously still needed a sexual release of some sort. Damn the party, and Erik’s presence hadn’t helped. “You’re all done.” She turned to dispose of the needle.
He slid his pants up. “Thanks. Have you told anyone about this?”
“About the injections? No.”
“Braden would pull me from missions if he knew. He’s already thinking about it, because of my headaches. I couldn’t stand reassignment to research and training. You will keep our secret, won’t you?”
“I don’t have a choice. The Council wouldn’t approve of the use of an experimental drug on a Warrior. They’d remove my ranking, if they found out.”
Kam frowned. “I’m sorry. I put you in this situation. I know what you’re doing could cost your authorization status. Let’s arrange this situation where you’re not involved anymore. Give me some prongs and formula. If caught, I’ll say I stole the medicine and have been injecting myself.”
“No one’s going to believe you, given XT-66 isn’t a drug we supply for general Warrior use. It’s specific for your biology. I made the decision to create, administer, and test these injections, not you. I knew what I was involving myself in. It’s getting harder to keep private though. Erik has already noticed we’re spending a lot of time together.”
“I didn’t realize. What’s he think we’re doing?”
“Fucking.”
At her response, Kam nearly choked. He coughed to clear his throat. “Sorry. I wasn’t expecting you to say that.” When she said nothing further, a concerned look entered his eyes. “I’ll fix it.”
“No need. It works in my favor, actually.”
He cocked his head, then leaned back against the lounger and crossed his arms. “He wants you, Leila, and for more than just a fast fuck, unlike some others I’ve seen hovering around you lately.”
“He wants any woman who will spread her legs. Sex is all he ever thinks about.” As many Warriors did these days. Even though their society revolved around physical joinings, Xylon seemed overly obsessed with the activity, in her opinion.
“That’s not true, and you know it. At least, he’s not like that anymore. You can trust him. Erik sometimes speaks before he thinks.” When she arched an eyebrow, he amended, “Well, more than just sometimes, but he’s a good man. With a good heart.”
She shook her head. “He’s too aggressive.” Even though that was exactly what she craved, deep down. “I couldn’t relax with him. I need a different sort of man. Someone more like…you, maybe.” Kam was such a gentle soul, most of the time. He never demanded more of her than she wanted to give. As such, she knew she could control him. She’d never be able to control Erik.
“Is that an invitation?” A smile tugged at his lips. “Is that why I got the extra special treatment here in your quarters?”
“Maybe. What do you think?” Mixing sex with friendship often drove a relationship right over the edge to destruction. She’d hate to lose Kam as a friend. But I need sex. She shifted uncomfortably.
He uncrossed his arms and glanced at the remote sensor strapped to his wrist. The small device displayed readings from the mood sensor clipped to his belt. “I think you just want Erik to think you’re fucking someone on a regular basis, hoping he’ll leave you alone.” His eyes met hers. “Or maybe you’re overstimulated from the party, and from Erik. And you’re looking for someone to ease your sexual tension. A substitute.” When she pulled her gaze from his, a slow smile crossed his face. “Or am I completely wrong on all points here, and you’re finally seeking a breeder-mate?”
She turned her back. “I’m not interested in mating with anyone. Not to breed. Not yet.” The thought of being bound to someone, especially someone who might expect submission made her shudder. However, she could never respect a man who allowed her to dominate. Bound forever to someone she didn’t love or respect… An intolerable thought indeed.
Eventually, Xylon’s Council would insist she mate for the good of their society, to help repopulate their numbers. Not many breeders remained. And predestined breeder-mates, those who experienced special, erotic visions of their future prior to being bound together, were even rarer. She feared her fantasies, those she refused to accept as anything else, were actually just that—those rare visions. If so, it meant she and Erik would eventually join and mate for life, no matter her wishes. She chewed on her thumbnail.
The Council had been patient and understanding with her up to now, but their patience wouldn’t last forever. She needed to heal her damaged psyche, so she could move on with her life, minus this overwhelming, psychological weight she carried. Maybe then she could even indulge her true sexual desires without fear.
“I’m not what you need, Leila. Believe me. Erik cares about you. Give him a chance. He’d never hurt you. Not intentionally anyway. We both know what you’ve been through. Getting involved with a dominant male and having a good experience would help you get past things.”
She spun back around, not believing how simply he presented the solution. “Get past things! I can’t just get past things. And don’t tell me what I need.” The vehemence in her voice made her cringe. He’d hit too close to the truth, for her own thoughts had drifted in much the same direction lately. “Sorry.” She lowered her tone. “What’s done is done. I don’t intend to cower in the corner and whine about it the rest of my life. But I have to deal with it in a way that doesn’t make me crazy.” She would decide when and how to move on, nobody else. “That’s just the way it is, Kam.”
He strode forward and wrapped her in his arms. “If I could change what happened to you, I would. Erik would, too. Your Initiation Rite should have been an erotic, satisfying experience. Not a time of torture and degradation.”
Though a strong, caring, and probably a sexually safe man, Leila still stood stiffly against him, unable to totally accept his tender gesture. She couldn’t give in to her emotions, any more than she could give in to her darkest desires. If she did, she feared she’d crumble completely.
The ceremony to prepare her body for breeding had scarred her for life, literally and figuratively. Nobody knew about her physical scars, except the trio who had caused them, along with Xylon’s former leader. And only a handful knew about her emotional scars. Her team had found out about her atypical experience when a video recording of the rite had surfaced during a mission.
She’d learned to live with what had happened to her as best as she could. Consequently, she avoided sex, except when her need grew so great that she couldn’t ignore the cravings. In those times, she chose a male who she could control and who would give her a mild release, just enough to quell the desire for more. Easy. Clean. And taken care of. Not overly satisfying, but better than nothing. She glanced up at Kam. He would fill that need perfectly. If only he were willing.
His eyes locked with hers. “I see your thoughts, Leila. I don’t need my sensor to tell me what you’re feeling right now. You don’t conceal your emotions well. Just because I’m a nice guy most of the time, doesn’t mean I will let a woman control me. I know that’s what you look for sexually.”
Disbelief filled her, and she gaped at his words. “How did you know what I—”
“Warriors talk. At least some of them who’ve indulged you have.”
Damn males. None of them could keep their mouths shut. A Warrior who took a submissive position during sex shouldn’t brag about it. If she could satisfy herself, something she’d never been able to manage very well, she’d turn her back on the whole lot of them. “Certainly, you could submit with the right woman.”
His hand drifted down to her ass, and he squeezed one fleshy mound through the barely there material. “Not a chance. Don’t for a moment underestimate what I might demand from a woman. My needs might surprise and even shock you.”
When Kam again squeezed her ass, and then glided his fingers down her crack while murmuring something in her ear about “a good ass fuck”, she pushed his hand away and stepped back. Better not chance getting involved in something she wasn’t yet ready to handle.
His vid-cell beeped, breaking the tension between them. Even so, he continued staring at her, his gaze raking her body, through the next three beeps, before he took the transmission. He disconnected after only a moment. “Braden wants me in the Council Chamber. You need to come, too.”
“The mission to Marid?”
“Yes. He’s ready to put together the team.”
A mission. And an important one. She knew she rated as an automatic member this time. She looked forward to it. Anything was better than dwelling on personal matters that others couldn’t even begin to understand, no matter how hard they tried. “Let’s go.”
* * * * *
Halah stared at the accommodations prepared for her soon-to-be prisoners. A communal bed, good enough for slaves, sat in the corner. Pillows and extra blankets covered the hard floor. A private area to bathe, more than most slaves enjoyed, was located conveniently through a side door.
They’d be captured within a few days, and become her responsibility. The place and time were set. She’d finally managed to attain enough credits to qualify for slave ownership, if she so wished for a personal stable. Still, she knew the Egesa Slave Masters watched her closely, not trusting her loyalty—the lowly creatures.
She hated what she’d gotten herself into, but changing the past wasn’t possible. She had to live with her choices.
At least one woman would be among the captured. The Healer. Then, she suspected anywhere from one to three additional slaves. She wondered if the Class 2 Warrior she’d battled on Earth would be one of them. Since their encounter, she hadn’t been able to get him out of her mind. She’d suggested his presence for this mission, knowing he and the Healer often worked together. She’d read the information in The Dome files. The massive amount of data Marid possessed about Xylon’s personnel astounded her.
The blond-haired Warrior occupying her thoughts helped tie her to a bed, but hadn’t taken advantage. So noble. Tying him up, stripping him bare, and fucking him mercilessly held appeal, and she intended to indulge. She had the right to get a little fun out of this deal. If he wasn’t among the selected Warriors sent, perhaps she’d choose to play with another.
Getting to keep them as her slaves would be the challenge. They were considered enemies of Marid, more so than most Xylon Warriors. If discovered, the Commanders will try to take them from me. As their captor, keeping them was her right though. Even Marid’s leader couldn’t argue with his own law. She hoped.
Regardless, whoever ended up as her prisoners, she’d treat them as she wished, not as ordered. Her treatment of them would be better than the poor enslaved who toiled in the mines or those who served as experimental patients for research. They should consider themselves lucky. By agreeing to help, she was doing them a favor.
She’d need to see to their safety and eventual escape, too, whether she liked the prearranged plan or not. The Warrior Leader held too much control over her to defy him. Her hand curled into a fist, a nervous reaction. If Marid’s Leader found out that she had betrayed The Dome, her life would be over. She planned to be extra careful.
After completing this assignment, she would, in turn, finally get what she’d searched for over the past few years. Then she’d disappear to another star system and leave this entire life behind her. Maybe she’d even return to Earth. The planet, still primitive in comparison to Xylon and its moons, involved a simpler lifestyle. And Earth was free.
For now…
* * * * *
Leila settled in at the Council Chamber’s official table. Thirteen heavy chairs surrounded the large, wooden structure. Warriors occupied half the seats.
During the last uprising from the banishment zones, many Council members had vanished, including their former leader, Laszlo, who’d led the Warriors for as long as she could remember. After his disappearance, Braden had taken charge. And he didn’t always do things as laid out by Council Law.
At the head of the table, he sat tall, looking strong and capable. His dark hair and violet eyes commanded attention. Alexa Sandor, his mate, now pregnant with twins, sat to his left. Erik sat to Braden’s right. Torque Koll, Braden’s brother, sat next to Erik.
Torque made her uncomfortable. His shoulder-length black hair, deep brown eyes that looked nearly black, and muscles that went on forever intimidated her to say the least. From the stories she’d heard, his badass looks went right along with a rebellious nature. They’d only worked together once, briefly, so she didn’t really know him, or know what to expect from him.
Kam sat beside Alexa. Their blond hair and blue eyes weren’t an identical match, but close enough. The half-Earth, half-Xylon woman was his half-sister, and the only super breeder remaining on Xylon. Leila sat next to Kam.
Tonight’s meeting consisted of a mixture of select Warriors and friends. Braden called these types of meetings for sensitive issues or missions that had already received Council approval, if a problem or special circumstance arose.
Braden cleared his throat, as he always did to start a meeting. “You all know from Kam and Leila’s research that a serious problem exists. The substance used in the first step of our Initiation Rite, to protect our people from poisons and diseases, is no longer effective. The Egesa somehow found a formula to combat the protective elements. Through sexual penetration, Marid Assassins, along with Commanders, can now sterilize our unbranded female breeders, which puts us in a vulnerable position.”
Leila shuddered at the mere mention of the Egesa. The half-lizard, half-humanoid Slave Masters from Marid were cruel, disgusting creatures. Their Commanders and Assassins—former Warriors—were even crueler. They possessed the same high-level training as Xylon’s protectors, along with inside knowledge of Lair society. Without their leadership and betrayal of their own people, Xylon could have easily defeated the Egesa long ago. Now, if Xylon’s Warriors didn’t defeat them soon, their kind would take over the planet and any other planet they could enslave.
“This mission,” Braden continued, “involves taking an orbiter to Marid, getting inside The Dome, finding the compound they’re using to override our protection, and retrieving it for analysis. All the details are in the folders in front of you. In addition, any information acquired about the Marid Leader—Daegal—is to be brought back for study, so we can find ways to destroy him and the Egesa central headquarters in The Dome.”
“I thought Daegal was to be neutralized on this mission, not further studied,” Alexa replied.
“The odds of accomplishing an assassination without additional information are slim at this time. And we want to make sure we take out The Dome along with him, otherwise someone else may simply step in and take control.”
“Like Laszlo,” Erik stated bluntly.
“Laszlo will not betray us!” Kam responded without hesitation, his voice hard and unwavering. His hand curled into a fist on top of the table.
“So you say,” Erik shot back.
By Kam’s aggressiveness, Leila could tell the shot was beginning to adversely affect him. Beneath the table, she squeezed his thigh to let him know he needed to ease off.
He slumped slightly in the chair. The hand on the table pressed flat. His other hand brushed across the top of hers, under the table, in acknowledgement. When he continued, he lowered his voice. “Yes, Laszlo’s disappeared. But he’s working to help us, not working against us. I know he is.”
“Either way,” Braden interrupted, “it doesn’t change what needs doing for the safety of our female breeders. With the approval of the Council, I’ve chosen a team.”
Leila glanced around the table. Everyone in the room seemed to stop breathing in anticipation of the announcement. Equally anxious about his selection, she returned her attention to him and waited.
“Leila, you will be Research on this mission. You’re the only one who can properly identify the substance we’re seeking. Kam, you will be Consultant. Before Laszlo disappeared, he confided sensitive information to you about Daegal that might come in handy. You’re to collect the additional data we need about him and The Dome. Team Leader is Erik.”
Given the Warriors in attendance, Leila knew the leader would be Erik or Torque, since she doubted Braden would go himself—not while Alexa carried his unborn children. And now with his new position, the safety of The Lair Compound lay on his shoulders.
Torque, though Braden’s brother, often acted unpredictable and wild, and was not really leader material, in her opinion. Erik, also wild, took his duty as a Warrior seriously. He was the logical choice. However, she wasn’t the one doing the choosing, so the possibility had existed that Braden might have figured differently and picked family.
She and Erik always worked well together, as long as their focus remained on work. But an orbiter was a small craft. Being in such tight quarters might prove sexually difficult. At least Kam would be along to act as a buffer.
“How are they going to get inside The Dome?” Torque asked. “We should send someone to break through their defense system, so the team doesn’t waste time trying to find entry. Let me go in first.”
“That’s not necessary. We have a double agent already in place.” Braden flipped a switch. “Watch the monitor.”
The expansive monitor on the wall behind him flashed white and gray, then a picture of a woman appeared. Erik and Kam groaned. Leila stared in disbelief, unable to make a sound.
“Are you shittin’ me?” Erik finally asked.
“Not at all,” Braden said. “After you land, she will capture you. As her slaves, you’ll have access to the inside. She’ll help you get what we need, then aid in your escape.”
Leila stared at the female depicted on the screen. Dressed all in black, with short black hair, she looked the same as when they’d encountered her on their last Earth mission, where Braden had found and sexually initiated Alexa. The woman had spied for Daegal, passed along their whereabouts, and gotten them captured. Braden must be out of his mind.
“What’s her name? What’s her story?” Kam asked, not once taking his eyes off the screen.
The woman had done Kam some serious damage while on Earth. Leila was surprised he looked more intrigued, right now, than enraged. The electrical charge she’d hit him with had further damaged his already chemically off-balanced system.
“Our records indicate her name is Halah Shirota,” Braden answered. “A Class 1 Xylon Warrior before she turned. The Egesa captured her sister, Josella, then captured her when she went in alone, against Council orders, to get her sibling back. Daegal apparently promised to free them both, if she completed the Earth mission and brought back information. He didn’t fulfill the bargain, and Josella mysteriously disappeared. But Halah has obtained certain freedoms within the Egesa society.”
“In exchange for Lair secrets, no doubt,” Erik said.
“No doubt. She contacted me, via Laszlo’s private communication board not long ago, wanting to return to The Lair.”
“You can’t trust her, Braden,” Kam interrupted. “I found that out firsthand.”
“We have some assurance. From the electromagnetic waves transmitted by her implanted Xylon brain chip, I’ve managed to locate Josella in one of the banishment zones.”
“I thought the tracking chips were only short range,” Alexa responded.
“They are with our hand detectors. But a booster tracking computer, available here on Xylon, was recently repaired. The chip codes are still loading as we speak. The long-range device allows tracking as long as the person remains in this system.”
“Has Laszlo been tracked?” Kam asked.
“His chip code cannot be found,” Braden replied.
Erik snorted. “Big surprise.”
Next to her, Leila felt Kam stiffen.
Braden flipped off the monitor. “Tomorrow I’m sending Pitch and my sisters out to the Sand Moon to find and hold the girl captive. We’ll keep that information and Josella’s safety as leverage until we successfully complete this mission. That will ensure Halah’s cooperation.”
“Sounds risky to me, Braden,” Torque replied. “Anytime you depend on the emotions of a female, you’re apt to get screwed.”
Leila and Alexa turned their heads to stare at him.
“What?”
“It’s settled,” Braden answered. “Study the plan in the notes. Kam and Erik, wait out in the Council antechamber. I want to talk to you two again, in a few minutes. Torque, you and Leila stay in here, please.” His gaze settled on his mate, and his eyes filled with compassion. “You can go, Alexa. Get some rest. Then maybe later you could help out with the new arrivals. Two Earth females are being brought down.”
Leila saw Alexa frown. Xylon routinely recruited DNA-compatible women from other planets to breed with, since so many of their own females were sterile. Alexa, though one of those recruited women herself, never had agreed with the process. But she’d proven invaluable in calming Earth women and helping them adjust.
“Yes, I can do that,” she replied.
It looked to Leila like she wanted to say more, but she held her tongue. Alexa wasn’t one to fear speaking her mind, so she was certain Braden would get an earful later. Alexa understood her mate’s position and knew when to keep silent on a matter while in front of other Warriors. Leila often marveled at how quickly the woman had adjusted to Xylon society.
Braden aided Alexa to her feet and caressed her slightly rounded stomach. “I’ll join you later.”
She nodded, her eyes softening. She lightly kissed his lips, then looked around the table. “Good luck, everyone. Be careful. My thoughts will be with you.” She dematerialized out.
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