His hands, which had been gripping her hips, slipped down to explore her body and Lauren moaned when she felt him pluck gently at the silver rings in her nipples, increasing the tension caused by the gold chains.
“Master,” she whispered. “Master, please. It’s too much…too intense…”
“Then you will learn to bear it, for me, because I ask you to,” he murmured. Lauren felt one of his large hands trace down the length of the golden chains until he came to the one attached to her clit ring. “I’m going to rub your sweet little clit, Lauren,” he told her, his fingers tracing lower. “Going to rub it while I fuck you, do you understand?”
Biting her lower lip, Lauren nodded. “Yes, Master.”
“Good, then open yourself even more for me. I want you to spread your cunt again.”
It was harder this time, spreading open her pussy lips for him. Lauren lost her balance and was forced to go from her hands and knees to her elbows as she did as he asked. The change in position forced her ass even higher into the air, giving Xairn better access to her pussy.
Lauren moaned as his thrusts deepened and then gave a low cry when she felt the blunt pads of his fingers circling her silver clit ring. God, she was going to come again, come so hard while he fucked her and fingered her…she couldn’t help it. Didn’t want to help it. She just wanted to give in to the intense pleasure that was peaking inside her and let her mate mark her as his forever.
“Come for me then,” he whispered through their link. “Come and let me feel your pussy clenching all around me.”
With a low cry, Lauren did exactly that, giving in to the pleasure of her master’s cock pounding inside her pussy and his fingers caressing her clit. Giving in to the pleasure of being taken and claimed.
Xairn allowed her orgasm to trigger his own. With a low roar, he fucked as deeply into her as he could and then held rock solid and still, pressing the head of his cock to the mouth of her womb as spurt after spurt of hot cum bathed her inner pussy, filling her and marking her as his for all eternity.
The pleasure was so intense that Lauren felt light-headed again. No, more than light-headed, she realized as her orgasm peaked. She was really dizzy. So dizzy she could no longer remain upright. With a little gasping cry, she fell over on her side as the world spun around and around.
“Lauren?” Xairn had finished coming and was instantly alert to her condition. “What’s wrong?” he asked anxiously, cradling her close. “Are you feeling all right?”
“I feel…strange.” Lauren put a hand to her head and tried to sit up but the world started spinning again and she had to lie back down. “That was intense, really intense, but I’ve never felt like this afterwards before,” she admitted. “I’m not sure what’s going on.”
Xairn rolled her over onto her back and stared into her face, his eyes filled with worry. “Was I too rough? Did I hurt you?”
“No, no, it was nothing like that.” Lauren was seeing double, two sets of anxious red-on-black eyes looking down at her. She closed her own eyes, trying to block out the strange vision. God, what was wrong with her? Rather than getting better, she seemed to be getting worse. Much worse.
“Come on.” Xairn fastened his flight pants and then gathered her into his arms. The world spun again as he lifted her off the bed.
“Come on? Where…where are we going?” Lauren protested.
“To the med station to see Sylvan. I think something is wrong.”
“I can’t go like this,” Lauren protested, motioning down at herself. “I’m still all…all linked. Not to mention completely naked.”
“Here, then.” Swiftly he removed the chains and somehow managed to wrap her in a red silk robe at what seemed to Lauren the speed of light. “Now, let’s go.”
“Really, Xairn, I’m fine,” she protested. “Let’s just stay here and take it easy.”
“Fine, are you?” he growled, setting her on her feet. “Let’s see you walk a straight line, then.”
“All right.” Lifting her chin, Lauren tried. But with her first step, the world swayed around her and she nearly fell.
“See?” Xairn swung her up in his arms again, his eyes anxious. “Your balance and equilibrium are completely off. We have to get you checked out.”
Reluctantly, Lauren agreed. “All right.” She sighed. “But I bet I’m just hungry. It’s been hours since the last time I had anything to eat. In fact, I’m starving.” And suddenly she was—completely and totally ravenous. “Xairn, let’s skip the med station and go out for a bite,” she begged, her stomach growling. “I feel like I’m going to faint if I don’t get something in me right now.”
But Xairn shook his head. “Let’s see what Sylvan says first.”
And he carried her, still protesting, out of their suite and down the long curving corridor to the med station.
Chapter Fourteen
“You did the right thing, putting her right back into the stasis chamber,” Sylvan said. “It probably saved her life.”
Merrick felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. The minute he’d landed in the Mother Ship’s docking bay, he’d put in a call for Sylvan. Now the two of them were crammed into his little star-duster, staring down at the milky, once more opaque stasis chamber. “So then…you think she’ll be all right?” he asked, trying to keep his voice indifferent. “Not that it matters—I don’t even know the female. But I do feel responsible.”
“Responsible, hmm?” Sylvan gave him a sharp look which Merrick returned with a scowl.
“Yeah, responsible and that’s fucking all.” Merrick wanted it to be true but try as he might, he couldn’t get her out of his head. The way she’d cried and clung to him, her petite body shivering against his much larger frame…the warm, feminine scent of her hair, the feel of her trembling against him…somehow it had gotten to him.
“Her vitals appear to be good,” Sylvan said, frowning at the blinking lights on the chamber door. “So that’s a good sign. But…”
“But what?” Merrick frowned. “What’s wrong with her?”
“There may be…complications,” Sylvan said reluctantly. “Depending on how long she’s been in that chamber and what exactly was done to her, she may have stasis sickness when we bring her out of the chamber the second time.”
“Stasis sickness?” Merrick shook his head. “What the hell is that?”
Sylvan clapped him on the shoulder. “Nothing for us to worry about right now. I’ll call a team and have them move the life pod and stasis chamber down to the med station. I, myself will open it and personally oversee her recovery. Will that be all right?”
“It’s all right with me.” Merrick shrugged. “As I said, I don’t even know her.”
“No, but you brought her in and if what you told me is right, you comforted her when she was upset and confused. That puts you in the roll of her protector.” Sylvan frowned. “I know it’s not a roll you’re comfortable with so if you’d rather I found someone else to speak for her and watch out for her interests—”
“No!” The word was out before Merrick could stop it. “No,” he said again, frowning. “You’re right. I brought her in—I’ll be responsible.”
“Very well.” Sylvan nodded gravely. “I know you have her best interests at heart, Brother.”
“I do.” Merrick frowned. “I don’t know why but…” He shook his head and looked at his friend. “Thanks for taking care of her yourself, Sylvan. I appreciate it—especially after I ruined your joining ceremony.”
Sylvan laughed. “You didn’t ruin it, Merrick! I would have rather had you there but as it turns out, Nadiah had someone else to perform the luck kiss with so it all worked out in the end.”
“Nadiah? I’ve never met her but do you mean the daughter of your mother’s sister?” Merrick asked.
Sylvan nodded. “Yes, that’s her.”
“Then I’m glad I wasn’t here after all. Forgive me, old friend, but I wouldn’t have wanted to frighten your kin.”
Sylvan frowned. “Don’t be silly, you wouldn’t have frightened her.”
“With this face?” Merrick pointed at himself. “Hell yes, I would have frightened her,” he growled. “I frighten any female that looks at me. Except…” His eyes went to the sleeping girl with her cloud of midnight black hair.
“Except who?” Sylvan urged softly. He obviously saw the direction Merrick’s gaze was taking because his voice got even softer. “Except her?”
Merrick scowled. “It means nothing but…”
“But what?” Sylvan asked.
“Well…when I first got her out of stasis I was sure she would scream the minute she opened her eyes and saw me. She’s obviously been through a lot—there are bruises and wounds all over her.” His hands clenched into fists. “I’d like to catch the son-of-a-bitch who did that to her, who hurt her.”
Sylvan shook his head. “I’m afraid there’s no catching him—he’s dead.”
“What?” Merrick demanded. “How do you know?”
“Because it was the AllFather. If I’m right, and I think I am, this female is the last one he abducted before his son, Xairn, went to confront him. We looked everywhere on the Fathership for her and couldn’t find her. She must have crawled into the stasis chamber before the life pod deployed.” Sylvan shook his head. “If you hadn’t found her, she might have been lost, floating in deep space forever.”
“The AllFather, huh?” Merrick shook his head. “No wonder she looks like she does. That sick bastard must have tortured her.”
“I think that’s a pretty safe bet,” Sylvan said quietly. “She was missing for awhile before he was defeated. It’s hard to say what he did to her but I’m sure it wasn’t pleasant.”
Merrick looked at the fragile form of the girl and something like awe crept into his heart. “She was abducted and tortured and Goddess knows what else. But despite all that, she wasn’t scared of me when she saw me. She…she clung to me. Wrapped her arms around my neck and didn’t want to let go.” He gave a harsh laugh. “Thought she was going to fucking strangle me before I calmed her down.”
“It sounds like she knew a good male when she saw one,” Sylvan said, smiling. “You see? You’re not so frightening to females after all.”
“Yes, I am—to most of them,” Merrick objected. “Which is why I’m damn glad the daughter of your mother’s sister didn’t have to perform the luck kiss with me.”
Sylvan looked troubled. “There isn’t much that frightens Nadiah. In fact, sometimes I think she’s too fearless for her own good.”
“What do you mean?”
His old friend sighed. “Just that things with Nadiah have gotten…complicated lately. She’s back on Tranq Prime now, challenging the blood bond her parents set up for her when she was only six cycles old.”
“Challenging a blood bond?” Merrick, who had been raised on Tranq Prime, knew exactly what that entailed and how risky it was. He gave a long, low whistle. “That’s bold, all right. What kind of warrior did she get to challenge for her?”
Sylvan frowned. “That’s the thing—the one who is seeking to break the bond isn’t Kindred. At least, I don’t think he is.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Merrick asked, perplexed. “How can you not know if he’s Kindred or not?”
Sylvan shook his head. “I really shouldn’t say any more. He’s not exactly my patient but—”
“But you’re worried about your kinswoman and you need to unload.” Merrick squeezed his shoulder. “Come on, old friend—say what you need to. I’m as silent as the grave and you know I’ll be leaving as soon as I meet your bride and my duty to this little female is discharged.” He nodded at the shape in the stasis tube. “I’ll probably never even meet the male you’re speaking of.”
Sylvan sighed. “All right. Well, he comes from Earth, just like my female, Sophia. But he looks Kindred—that’s how the mix-up at my bonding ceremony occurred. Deep and Lock, my second brothers, mistook him for you, since they’d never met you before and didn’t know you’re a hybrid. They forced him into the ceremony and Nadiah kissed him.”
“Some mix-up,” Merrick agreed. “The poor male must have been pretty fucking confused.”
Sylvan nodded. “He was—although he rose to the occasion admirably. Later, when he offered to challenge for her, I took some of his blood, trying to find a way to strengthen it and him for the coming conflict.” He rubbed the back of his neck, as though to ease tension. “At first blush, it appears to be completely human which would be in keeping with the fact that he was born and raised on Earth. But the results of the long term analysis are starting to come in and they’re so strange that—”
Suddenly he broke off, his head cocked to one side in a listening gesture.
“Sylvan?” Merrick frowned. “You all right?”
“Forgive me.” Sylvan shook his head. “But I’m getting an urgent message from Sophia. Apparently there’s an emergency down at the med station.”
“Then go,” Merrick urged him. “The girl will be all right as long as the stasis chamber is sealed, right?”
“Right.” Sylvan nodded. “And I’ll send a team to bring her right away—as soon as I finish dealing with this. He turned to go but Merrick put a hand on his shoulder.
“One more thing, Brother, since you know about this little female. What’s her name?”
“Oh, um…” Sylvan frowned, obviously concentrating. “Elise, that’s it. Yes, Elise.”
“Thank you.” Merrick looked back at the girl.
“You’re welcome and now I really must go. I’ll talk to you later.” Sylvan clapped him on the shoulder once more and then left the star-duster in a hurry.
“Elise,” Merrick murmured to himself, staring at the fragile form still cradled in the dreamless sleep of stasis. “Elise…”
* * * * *
“I’m sorry to have Sophie call you, Sylvan, but nobody seemed to know where you were,” Olivia greeted Sylvan anxiously as he burst into the small exam room near the back of the med station. She and Sophia and Kat were all huddled anxiously on one side of a cot which held Lauren. On the other side of the cot, Xairn hovered anxiously, holding his female’s hand and looking as worried as a male could look.
“It’s all right,” Sylvan assured her. “I was with Merrick in the docking bay—he finally got in.” He looked at Lauren. “Now what seems to be the matter?”
“She’s very faint and weak. So dizzy she can’t even sit, let alone walk. I had to carry her here.” Xairn sounded near panic. “This came on very suddenly—I am extremely worried.”
“Of course you are,” Sylvan said soothingly. “All right, you say it came on suddenly. What was she doing when the symptoms hit? Any kind of strenuous exercise?”
“Um…” For some reason both Xairn and Lauren looked embarrassed and while it wasn’t easy to tell with the Scourge warrior’s gray skin, Sylvan was almost positive he was blushing.
“We were just…Well, actually we were, um…” Lauren shifted in the cot and the scent of sex wafted to Sylvan’s sensitive nose. Oh.
“Never mind,” he said briskly. “Let me just draw some blood and run a few tests. We’ll see what’s going on.”
“I really don’t think there’s anything wrong with me except I’m hungry,” Lauren protested, holding out her arm for the needle he was preparing. “Seriously you guys, I feel like I could eat an entire week’s worth of cupcakes right now. And I bake a lot of cupcakes in a week.”
Olivia frowned. “You have a really strong feeling of hunger? Like you have to eat right now or you’re going to be sick or faint?”
Lauren nodded. “Exactly.” She looked at Sylvan pleadingly. “Please, can’t one of the girls get me something to eat? I swear I’m starving over here.”
Sylvan frowned as he collected the blood sample. “I don’t know if that would be a very good idea. If, Goddess forbid, something was truly wrong and we needed to operate, we would want your stomach to be empty.”
“That’s what I feared,” Xairn said, his face turning pale. “Which is why I refused to let her eat before I brought her here.”
“Just let me run those tests,” Sylvan began but Olivia shook her head.
“There’s only one test you need to run, Sylvan.”
“What?” He finished taking the sample and sealed the small wound in Lauren’s arm with flesh glue. “What are you talking about?”
“Come here.” Olivia beckoned to him and whispered in his ear.
After a moment Sylvan nodded. “All right. We’ll do it at once.” He looked at Lauren and Xairn. “Just sit tight for a moment. I’ll be back in five standard minutes.”
* * * * *
Lauren watched fearfully as Sylvan left the room and went to run whatever tests he needed to find out what was the matter with her. Could it be that there truly was something really wrong? Was she dangerously ill? Was she—
“Stop worrying, doll.” Kat patted her on the arm comfortingly. “You’re going to be fine—Sylvan’s the best doctor on the whole Mother Ship. Isn’t that right, Liv?”
Olivia nodded. There was a secretive smile playing around the corners of her mouth that Lauren couldn’t understand. “Absolutely. And I bet he’ll come back with good news.”
“Good news?” Xairn growled. “How in the seven hells could anything which makes Lauren faint and sick good news?”
“We don’t know for sure yet so I’m not saying anything,” Liv said. “But just wait—it shouldn’t take long to check.”
“What shouldn’t take long to check?” Sophie sounded exasperated. “Honestly, Liv, why are you being so secretive? Would you mind telling us exactly what’s going on here?”
“I’m not saying anything until we know.” Olivia looked stubborn. “I don’t want to raise any false hopes.”
“False hopes?” Lauren shook her head. “Now you’ve lost me completely, cuz. Seriously can’t you just tell me—”