Freedom (Delroi Prophecy) Read online

  “I’m just trying to make conversation here.”

  “Sure you are,” she said, and gave him the easy answer. The one that wouldn’t betray anyone. “I teach self defense classes.”

  She suspected he would keep asking until she answered and maybe the response would make him back off. From what she’d seen, Delroi males preferred women who couldn’t take care of themselves, who weren’t independent like she was. If she felt a twinge of regret over that, tough shit. She knew better than to try to change a man.

  “Hand to hand or weapons?” he asked with no change of inflection at all.

  “Both.”

  The line was buffet style and she picked everything that looked familiar. She wondered if she’d ever feel full again? Then she followed Roarr to a small private table tucked into the back corner of the room and looked around. The large open space was filling up, but to her surprise it wasn’t all men. Maybe a quarter of the occupants were female.

  “I thought the Delroi secluded their women,” she said, unable to resist her curiosity.

  He shrugged. “Some try. Especially warriors.” He looked around. “All of the Delroi females on this ship are mated, most of them to warriors actually.”

  “So you don’t totally get away with that possessive overprotective streak,” she murmured. Interesting. He turned to her with a hard look in his eyes, a combination of determination and retribution and the guarantee of sex. A lot of incredible out of this world sex. The thought stopped her cold. Dude. Where the hell had she got that from?

  “Let’s just say we have ways to retaliate against women who scare the life out of us.”

  She caught her breath. His words were more than promise, more than threat.

  “And what’s that?” she whispered, stunned and enthralled by the images she caught from his mind.

  She’d experimented with BDSM years ago, but hadn’t been able to trust enough to get the most out of it. He leaned close, pressed his lips against the curve between her shoulder and neck, and nipped her.

  “I’ll show you, baby,” he murmured. “When we get home.”

  Those words were like a bucket of icy cold water. She’d never had a home. Never been able to slow down long enough to put down roots. The concept was so alien she’d never even entertained it. She shifted away from him, desperate to change this weird mood that had come over her, to go back to that more comfortable place in her expectations.

  “Who does this ship belong to?” she asked.

  “The Overchief. His brother is good friends with Barak Trace, so they offered it to Falkor when he chased his mate back to Earth.”

  “Chased her?”

  She cocked an eyebrow, unable to believe Janice Hawkins couldn’t get rid of one annoying man. Roarr grinned.

  “I suppose she wanted to make him work for her.”

  “I guess,” she said, but she couldn’t imagine it. The idea was, well, silly. When she wanted a man she went after him. She didn’t know Janice, but she did know her rep. It concerned her for a moment. Was Janice somehow being held against her will? But powers or not, Kareena had seen the two together. She didn’t think that was an issue. So what then? She didn’t have a clue, didn’t want to speculate, and was delving into an area she had zero experience in. It made her damned uncomfortable.

  Thankfully, Roarr changed the subject. “There’s another mess hall and a lounge on the other side of the ship. Maybe I’ll show you those this evening.”

  She suspected that would be a bad idea. “I really should spend some time with Parker and Zola,” she hedged.

  He narrowed his eyes, but nodded his head in acquiescence. “The three of you have a lot to learn about your new home. Don’t isolate yourself too much, angel. The rules are different on Delroi.”

  It wasn’t his words that made her shiver, but the sensual promise, almost a threat she felt when his shields slipped. He caught them almost instantly.

  “Are you a telepath?” she asked softly, despite knowing that indulging her curiosity about him wasn’t the way to keep her distance.

  He shook his head. “Empath, and very few people know.”

  “I’ll keep it to myself then.”

  But why was he sharing such a big secret? Was it a show of trust? It made her nervous and warmed her at the same time. Damn, she needed to get a grip. They finished breakfast and he took her back to the guest quarters, pointing out the rooms assigned to Parker and Zola. Then he handed her a small communicator, explaining it was one of the ship’s spares and would have to be returned when they arrived at Delroi.

  “Let me know if you need me for anything.”

  His eyes were bright with innuendo and possession. Her body responded against her will and she realized how easy it would be to get used to him, to learn to crave him. She took the device.

  “Thanks.” If he was insulted by her brisk standoffish response, he hid it well.

  ***

  Roarr was ready to live up to his name by the time he decided the hell with it. Kareena had managed to avoid him for two days. She was using her friends as a shield, staying with them until late in the night, and then rising early in the morning to explore the ship on her own. She probably knew it better than the warriors by now. The comm unit he’d given her had a tracker, so he knew exactly where she was. He had no compunction whatsoever about knocking on Parker’s door at two A.M.

  Kareena answered before he could tap again, an irritated look on her face, full lips pressed into a line that could only be called pouty when she saw who it was. He wanted to kiss the pique out of her. Instead, he looked beyond her to see all but a chair light off, her friend sleeping peacefully in her bed. He was as amused at Kareena’s attempt to avoid him as he was irritated. Until he sensed her arousal and her struggle to overcome it. Their bond was strengthening despite her efforts but her fight against it was taking its toll. She couldn’t afford to waste that energy while she was still recovering. It angered him that she wasn’t at least taking care of herself if she wouldn’t let him do it. Reigning in his emotions, he took her hand and tugged her across the hall to her room.

  “Come on, baby,” he said when they entered. “You need rest.”

  “No,” she whispered. “I need you to touch me. I need you inside me.”

  The door and his good intentions slid shut behind them. She stepped forward. Her eyes were dark with lust and confusion. He groaned. According to the traditions of his clan he couldn’t fully claim her until she gave a sign she was ready. That didn’t mean he couldn’t touch her. Couldn’t seduce her. But he wasn’t sure it was fair to either of them right now. They were both under the influence of hormones increased by the mental bond forming. A thing their scientists still couldn’t explain the why or mechanics of. Worse than that, she really didn’t have a clue what she was getting into. The Delroi had kept their ability to bind their mates to them from the Earthlings. Except for the small percentage of women who’d been claimed, they had no idea they’d been invaded for something other than natural resources. So far as he knew, none of those mates were complaining.

  None of them had been held prisoner for several months by a group of sadistic psychics either. But he sensed more than that. Kareena’s resistance was marrow deep. He was certain she’d avoided romantic relationships long before her captivity. He hadn’t discovered why yet, and other than looking through the medical records they’d taken before leaving Earth, he refused to look at the more in depth background check that had been completed. He wanted her to confide on her own. Which was damned hard to do if she avoided him.

  “Roarr?”

  Yearning bled into her voice. If he was a real bastard he could use his powers to ratchet that up. Since she didn’t understand where it was coming from, he should probably try to diffuse it some, even though he was pretty sure that wouldn’t work. He had to explain. Though thinking through the fog of lust and raging need was getting damned hard. Especially when she stepped close, went to her toes and nipped his bottom lip. H
oly hell, he didn’t know if he had this kind of control. He put firm hands on her shoulders and set her back.

  “Kareena, I need you to listen to me a minute, baby.”

  “Later,” she said, pulling her shirt off as soon as he dropped his hands.

  “You’re not playing fair.”

  She gave him a sultry come hither smile and pressed close. He could feel her nipples through his shirt and groaned.

  “You talk too much, Roarr. How ‘bout more action?”

  She was bewitching. His temptress. He hit the bottom of his well of self control. Hoping she could handle the storm she’d unleashed, he untied the drawstring on her pants, let them fall to her bare feet, and discovered a reserve of restraint. Their previous encounter had been fast, fumbled. He wanted to take his time with her tonight. He needed to learn every curve and angle and sensitive spot. Had to know what would tie them together forever. When she reached for him again, he caught her hands and held them behind her back.

  “Oh, no,” he whispered. “Not this time. On the bed, baby.”

  She turned her back and he caught his second glimpse of the large tattoo that started on her shoulder and draped down to the center of her back. So graceful. So pretty. He’d wanted to explore it before but hadn’t had time. He stopped her now, a hand on one hip, lifting the other to trace the vines and small flowers that surrounded a bird.

  “What is this?” he asked, stroking the feathers.

  “A hummingbird,” she said, shivering as his lips brushed over it.

  Oh, he liked that response. The way her skin warmed to his touch, the fine vibration under his fingertips as he skimmed them down the curve of her waist. When he refused to let her turn around, she gave a tiny growl of protest. Instead he nudged her forward, until she was stretched out on the bed waiting for him. He pulled his boots and shirt off, but hesitated at his pants, deciding to wait on them despite how uncomfortable they’d become. He lay down next to her, propped up on one elbow and set his hand on her belly. She was so much smaller that he was almost afraid to touch her. In the end he couldn’t not touch her, though. And taste her. He shifted over her body, spread her thighs and settled between them. Tasting her was suddenly the most critical thing in his life.

  He kissed his way down her throat, imagined his mark tattooed there, visible so everyone would know she belonged to him as was the way of his people. She had more tattoos, tiny stars almost like a necklace dipping from her collarbone into a gentle curve that met over her chest. He kissed each before moving lower.

  “Why the stars?” he whispered.

  “The ones I couldn’t save.”

  He heard such pain in her answer and a part of his soul he’d never known existed understood she wasn’t ready to let him comfort her. Not yet. Not emotionally. So he gave her the next best thing, the physical comfort he knew she needed, whether she admitted it or not. He cupped one breast and held it to his mouth, flicked his tongue over her nipple. She groaned, raising her hands to grip his hair.

  More, she said telepathically.

  He needed to be in charge, but the intimacy of her mental touch, the trust implicit in it made him freeze. For a moment, he considered giving her exactly what she wanted, but she was letting him feel more than her emotions. He knew what she was thinking, knew she was only thinking of physical gratification. And while he intended to satiate her every need, he refused to do it at the expense of their relationship. She may still be denying it, but he knew exactly who she was to him.

  Instead of taking her nipple between his lips, he kissed the inside swell of her breast then slowly moved his way down. He nipped. He licked. He intentionally stoked the anticipation rising between them. When she rolled her pelvis in silent demand, he gripped her hip to hold her still. He looked up the length of her body, felt her smoky gaze like a stroke on his skin and knew she was using her telepathy again to urge him on. He gave her the smile he reserved for trainee warriors on report, a mix of sympathetic and disciplinarian.

  “I like when you do that, baby, but it’s not going to hurry me up. This is not just sex. There’s nothing casual between you and me,” he said softly.

  Before her misgiving could grow to fear or retreat, he leaned close to spread the lips of her pussy with his fingers and blew a hot breath over her. Then he licked her. She was wet and hot, sweet as sugar. He went back for more, his tongue circling her clit before returning to thrust into her cunt. Her muscles spasmed at the invasion and he felt the yearning for more in her mind, the urge for him to fill her. He wasn’t ready to fuck her yet, wasn’t ready to give up her addicting taste so he thrust one, then two fingers into her and sucked her clit between his teeth.

  He moved his fingers, thrusting back and forth slowly as he teased her clit. He kept his mind locked with hers as he tested her reactions. A soft touch, a gentle lick, elicited a craving for more. As he increased the pressure, dying to know how she’d react to a bit of pain, her arousal grew, her demands more desperate. He could sense how close she was to orgasm and wanted to taste her release on his tongue. She moaned a protest when he withdrew his fingers from her channel. Replacing it with his tongue, stroking deep. He rolled his thumb over her clit, harder and harder, and finally squeezing, pinching when she shared the image with his mind. The building orgasm crested and her muscles locked around him.

  Chapter Four

  Her mind splintered. The pleasure that seized her was so fierce she wasn’t sure she’d survive it. She knew Roarr wasn’t done with her either. She’d lowered her shields, created a bridge with him that she wasn’t sure how to break. It made her panic, realizing he had access to her mind that she could no longer block. Before she could think it through, figure out how to re-erect her shields, he moved up her body. He left a trail of biting kisses to her chest where he cupped her breasts and held them to his mouth. He held her gaze as he sucked one nipple into his mouth, wringing a cry of pleasure from her then switching to the neglected side.

  Her arousal was building again, faster than she’d ever experienced, and this time it wouldn’t be quenched until he was inside her. She stroked his shoulders, feeling his desire for a firmer touch in her mind, and dragged her fingernails down his spine. He arched into her caress, didn’t protest when she moved one hand between their bodies to rub his cock through his pants. He was hard. Hot. She remembered the feel of him inside her, thick and long. She wanted to feel him in her palm, in her mouth. When he hissed in response and jerked to his feet, she knew she’d shared the desire. A second later he stood beside the bed, naked and panting.

  Licking her lips, she rose to her knees and crawled to the edge. She reached for him, wrapped her hand around his shaft, and leaned forward to lick the drop of pre-come from the head. Masculine, salty, and all hers. She buried the thought before it took root, before he could pick it up. He shifted closer, his cock nudging her lips, and she opened her mouth to take in the tip while stroking his length. He was sharing his desires with her and she saw no reason not to give him what he wanted. On her terms of course.

  Slowly, she took more of him into her mouth, and then just as slowly withdrew until he almost sprang free. Her fingers brushed, back and forth, along his sensitive shaft as she did. Again and again until his mental demands, his need to claim and take over, swamped her. She moved her hands to grip his hips as he took control, thrusting in and out of her mouth in long fluid strokes. Faster and faster, until she felt his orgasm building, knew he was seconds away. When she felt his intent to stop, she dug her nails into his skin in protest. She wanted to feel him orgasm as he had her. Wanted the taste of him on her tongue. He growled as he came, jets of salty sperm filling her mouth as he froze, buried between her lips. She sucked until there was no more then collapsed on the bed, not quite believing she’d let herself get so carried away. It should have frightened her, but she was ready for more. He chuckled as he joined her, rolling her to her side so her back was to him.

  “Good, angel,” he whispered against her ear as he lifted
her thigh up and back over his. “Because we’re far from done.”

  Unbelievably, he was erect. His cock was hard against her, sliding back and forth over her pussy but not entering her. He cupped her breasts, plumping, squeezing, rolling her nipples between his fingers. When she couldn’t stand being empty a moment longer, he thrust into her. His strokes were slow and measured. It wouldn’t normally be enough for her to reach the climax she yearned for, except his hands were still firm and demanding on her breasts. When one slid between them, down and over her pelvis, she held her breath. He dragged out the anticipation, making her wait several seconds before pinching her clit. She exploded.

  He rode her through it, never altering his pace, until her shudders subsided. Then he flipped her over, moved her to her hands her knees and started all over again. The same slow torment, over and over, until she thought she’d go mad. She wanted him hard and fast. She felt an unfamiliar craving. To be claimed. To be possessed. As if her revelation was just what he was waiting for, everything changed. His control disappeared and he gave her what she wanted. He fucked her. It was wild and primal.

  She felt her mind and body spinning out of control. The orgasm that raged through her was fierce, rolling through her in wave after wave of sweet torment. The last thing she was aware of was his arms locking around her, of his cry muffled against her nape. A satisfied smile curved her lips before she passed out.

  When she woke he was spooned behind her. His hold was possessive, one hand on her breast the other cupping her sex. She could have handled that. It was his thoughts, his feelings that were overwhelming. He was thinking of them in the long term. Planning to take her home with him. His possessiveness veered into jealousy, domination. She tried to move out of his arms, but they tightened around her. He was gentle, but it was clear he wouldn’t let her go. He pressed a kiss to her nape.

  “What’s wrong, der’lan? You unleashed the beast and decided you couldn’t handle him?”