Vykor Read online

  “If they put half as much energy into trying to understand human females as they did organizing protests and bombings, they’d likely have found mates by now.”

  “Some of them, maybe. Most of them don’t really want a mate the way you’re thinking of them. They want someone to control. Someone they can lash out at when life doesn’t go the way they want it to. Honestly, I hope none of them find women to date. They’ll only hurt them.”

  “But they won’t hurt you. I won’t let that happen.”

  “Protect.” The thought came unbidden from the back of his mind, leaving him slightly unsettled. It hadn’t been his thought. At least, he didn’t think it was.

  “We’ll protect each other.” Lily covered his hand with hers, the tender gesture soothing his anger like cool water over a flame.

  He turned his hand over to intertwine their fingers, then leaned in to steal a kiss. She tasted sweeter than veli berries, and a hunger that had nothing to do with food tore through him, threatening to shred his control. He lost himself in their kiss, revelling in Lily’s passionate response. She moaned softly, one hand lifting to stroke his face. He let go of her hand and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her onto his lap without breaking their kiss.

  She settled onto his lap with another low moan, her soft weight pressing against his cock. The damned thing had been semi-erect since their first kiss, but now it was hard enough to rival steel. The rux was intensifying, and he didn’t know how much longer he’d be able to fight its effects.

  Lily stroked a hand up his chest, her fingers lighting on the buttons of his shirt. She toyed with them for a moment, then started undoing them until she could press her palm to bare skin.

  “Should stop. Don’t want to.” She murmured between kisses, her voice low and husky.

  “Have to.” He tried to be rational, but the storm of desire she stirred inside him was making it hard to remember why they should be stopping.

  She huffed in frustration and pulled away just enough to break their kiss. “I’m losing my mind.”

  “Me too.” He slid a hand up her flank to cup one generous breast in his hand. “But I’m not giving in to this madness here. It’s too dangerous. When I claim you, my sadina, it will be somewhere safe, warm, and private.”

  “That’s a pretty word. What’s it mean?”

  “Mate. You are my sadina.”

  “I like that better than mate. It sounds…” her hands fluttered between them. “It sounds proper, somehow. Is there a word for what you are to me?”

  “Sodono.”

  She smiled, then repeated it carefully. “Sodono. I like that, too.”

  The way she said it made his heart gallop and his blood roar in his ears. It took him a moment to realize it wasn’t a rush of blood he was hearing. It was something else. But what?

  “Vykor? What is it? Every now and then you stare off into space, like you’re listening to something I can’t hear.”

  “I’m listening for Cupcake. I should be able to hear her claws on the floor.” It wasn’t a complete lie. He had been listening for the dog. It also sounded better than admitting he was listening to a weird noise only he could hear.

  “You can hear her toenails click? Seriously?”

  It was one of the many reasons he enjoyed living on Earth. Here, he was considered exceptional, his senses, healing ability and strength above average. No one could fly, either. The only time he saw a dragon overhead was when Karos stretched his wings. “I can.”

  “Any sign of her?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Damn. I was hoping we could get the charm attached before someone took Cupcake out for her nighttime walk. It’s got to be getting late by now.”

  As if in confirmation, the lights outside started going out, bank by bank. They rose from the bunk, untangling themselves as they went, and walked over to the cell door. There was enough light they could see the guards, and a few offices were still lit, but most of the warehouse was dark and quiet. A faint light came from the shipping container across from them, and a silhouette stood by the bars of one door. Jet, he guessed by its size.

  The shadow vanished before he could do more than raise a hand to wave and he dropped it again before the guards noticed the movement. The last thing they needed was to attract unwanted attention.

  Lily wandered back to the bunk and started tidying up the remains of their meal, stacking everything onto the tray, then carrying it back to the gate and sliding it through the slot in the bottom.

  She shivered as she stood, and he moved out of sight to wrap an arm around her shoulders. “You should put your coat back on.”

  She leaned into his side. “I like this better. You’re warmer than any jacket.”

  They stood in companionable silence for a while, just holding each other. One day soon, he wanted to hold her like this as they stood under a starry sky, or watching a sunset somewhere. Alone. At peace. Someplace he could strip her out of her clothes and claim her as his mate.

  His cock twitched, his balls aching at the erotic thoughts that raced through his mind. He wanted to sink his fangs into her throat and taste her as he slid into the soft heat of her body. Wanted to feel their souls entwine, connecting them forever. He’d never be alone again.

  A door slammed shut somewhere in the dim shadows, and the click of toenails on concrete caught his attention. “Cupcake’s out there.”

  “Quick. Turn off the light so no one can see us. The tray’s already out, maybe she’ll come by to mooch for scraps.”

  He tapped the simple, battery powered disc that was their only source of light, and the cell went dark. He could still see Lily, though. She was a shadow by the doors, already crouched on the floor, facing outward.

  “Come on Cupcake. I know you can smell the food. Come on, girl.”

  They’d left a bit of the broth in the bottom of the cup, and she had a piece of the sandwich stashed in her pocket. She’d been confident it would work, and as the sound grew louder, Vykor grinned. His clever little sadina had been right.

  The massive animal moved into sight gradually, as if the shadows had come together to form her body. She grumbled a greeting, wagging as Lily crooned to her, holding out the soup container. She buried her muzzle into it, and Vykor hurried over to join them, the charm already in his hand.

  “Cupcake, this is Vykor. He’s a friend.” She glanced over and nodded, then said in the same soft voice. “Move slowly, give her a second to get used to you. If she growls, don’t pull away, just stay still a moment.”

  “If she bites me, are you going to kiss it better?” Now he was this close to the dog, he wasn’t sure this was such a good idea. The dog’s teeth were big enough to do some damage.

  “She’s not going to bite you. She’s a good girl. Right, Cupcake?” She scrunched the dog’s ears and she leaned into her hand, groaning in delight.

  Vykor eased his hand through the bars, but the dog ignored him. Lily gave her the bit of bread and peanut butter while Vykor used the distraction to slip his other hand through the bars. He held the dog’s collar in one hand and managed to attach the charm to a metal ring that already held a flat metal disc. He positioned the charm behind it, then moved his hand to stroke the top of Cupcake’s broad head. “All done.”

  “She likes you.” Lily guided his hand to one of the dog’s ears. “Rub right there and you’ll have a friend for life.”

  He did as she said and Cupcake leaned what felt like a half-tonne of weight against his hand, grunting and growling in pleasure.

  Lily giggled. “I now pronounce you man and dog.”

  “If I rub your ears will you be mine forever, too?” He didn’t know where the words came from, but whatever part of his brain was doing the talking really needed to shut up…or come up with some better lines.

  “If we’re really mates, it won’t matter what you do. I’ll be bound to you forever, right?”

  He let go of Cupcake and turned to Lily, taking her by the hands and drawing her
away from the door, out of sight of the guards. “You are my sadina. I know you are. That means you are mine to cherish and protect for the rest of our lives. Nothing in the galaxy will be more important to me.”

  “How can you be sure? I’m sorry, Vykor, but you don’t have a dragon’s spirit, so how is any of this possible?” Her hands moved within his as if she was trying to gesture with them, but he didn’t let go.

  Staring down at her in the dim light, the truth struck him like a comet. She really was his, and he would never, ever let her go. “Dragon or not, you’re my mate. Maybe he’s asleep, or maybe I don’t have one at all. I don’t have the answers. I just know that when I look at you, I see my future.”

  “You think he’s asleep? Is that possible?”

  “I don’t know.” He placed one of her hands on his chest, over his heart. “But if there is anyone in the world that can call my dragon, it would be you, my sadina.”

  “You want me to call him?”

  “What harm could it do?”

  She furrowed her brow, then nodded. “Good point.” She cleared her throat and spoke again. “Hey, dragon? If you can hear me, we really need you right now. Until now, you’ve left Vykor to fight all his battles alone. Don’t you think it’s time you stepped up?”

  He held his breath for one second, then two, then three. Nothing happened. No voice. No magic. No difference.

  “Did it work?” she asked.

  “No.”

  She sighed. “Well, it was worth a try. But I think I’m kind of relieved. I mean, I know Vykor, the man standing in front of me right now. I don’t know anything about dragons.”

  He gave her a rueful smile. “It seems that isn’t going to be an issue for either of us.”

  “But we are mates, right? I mean, we wouldn’t feel this way if we weren’t.”

  “We are mates. That much I am sure of.”

  She nodded. “If your dragon isn’t going to make an appearance and get us out of here, then I guess we’ll just have to wait a little longer to be together. It’s getting difficult to think about anything else. I don’t know how much longer I can do this, Vykor.”

  He folded her into his arms, every part of him hard and aching with need. “Just a little longer, razdi. Then we can give in to the madness.”

  She trembled and nestled closer to him. “Alright, my mate. I’ll wait.”

  She’d called him her mate again. She believed they were destined for each other. Nothing had ever sounded so good.

  Chapter Six

  Lily didn’t sleep much. How could she, when she had more than six feet of sexy, aroused alien pressed against her? They shared the bunk as best they could, but the limited space meant that Vykor was on the thin mattress, while she sprawled on top of him. They slept in their clothes, huddling beneath their jackets and the one meager blanket left for them. Their shared body heat helped stave off the worst of the chill, though they were both too far gone into the rux to really pay attention to anything but each other.

  Every kiss raised her body temperature another degree, and when he slipped his hands beneath her blouse to stroke bare skin, she felt like she might burst into flames. She was drunk on desire, and it took every ounce of willpower she had left not to tear off her clothes and let him take her. Not even the thought of letting him see her scars gave her pause, which was a testament to how powerful the rux had become. She hid the evidence of her abuse from everyone, but she wouldn’t do that with Vykor. He’d already seen what her past looked like, seen how afraid she could be, and hadn’t turned away.

  She dozed fitfully over the course of the night, too keyed up to rest for more than a few minutes at a time. Lying together like this was a risk and they both knew it, but it was warmer this way, and as hard as it was to touch him without doing more, it was easier than being away from him. She needed to feel him, to stay connected no matter what.

  They were on their feet seconds after the lights came on in the warehouse. Vykor moved to the doorway, peering out as men started calling out to each other in greeting. He guarded the door while she used the toilet, mortified at the necessity to do so in front of him.

  “Looks like they’re bringing food to Hanna and Jet,” he reported after a few minutes.

  “Nothing for us?” She asked as she used one of the hand wipes to clean off her hands, then used several more to tidy herself up as much as she could. Her hair was a chaotic tumble of curls, her clothes were rumpled, and she didn’t have a stitch of makeup left, but at least she felt a little cleaner.

  “Doesn’t look like it.”

  She stretched and wandered over to join him. “When we get out of here, we’re going to find a nice restaurant and order everything on the menu, along with about a dozen cups of coffee. I would kill for a latte right now.”

  “If I could, I’d conjure you everything you could wish for. A feast fit for a queen, as well as a sanctuary to shelter us during the rux.”

  “You don’t have to do anything like that. All I really need is a hotel with room service. Ooh, and maybe one of those decadent jacuzzi tubs.”

  He placed his hand on the small of her back, his fingers moving in slow, concentric circles that were so distracting she almost forgot what they were talking about. “I will take you into the mountains. Somewhere we can be alone. It’s a tradition among my species. Though we’ll need some help getting there.”

  “I don’t care where we go, as long as we get to be alone, soon.”

  “Agreed.”

  “If you had magic, would you really make me a feast? Do you know how to do that?” She raised a hand and moved it around like she was waving a magic wand. “Abracadabra, Harry Potter, Poof!”

  He chuckled. “No need for a wand. As a boy, I memorized and practiced all sorts of spells and incantations, both Fire and Snow magic. I desperately hoped that the priests were wrong. I had to do it in secret, of course.”

  “What? Why? Didn’t the priests want you to be ready in case your dragon appeared?”

  He shook his head, lips thinned, eyes hardening for a brief second. “They had made up their minds already. The kinder ones thought of me as one the Gods had somehow overlooked. A forgotten child they should pray for. There were others that thought I was proof the Gods were displeased with my species, or that I was being punished for some terrible transgression by my parents. They believed that by punishing me, they were doing the Gods’ work.”

  A surge of anger, raw and powerful, burned away the fog of lust that clouded her senses for a moment. “It’s a good thing they live on another planet, or I’d kick their butts for what they did to you!”

  His anger faded instantly and he looked down at her with amusement tinged with surprise. “You actually mean that.”

  “Of course I mean it. Those priests were assholes.” She pointed out the gate to the grim-faced guards. “Just like those guys. Arrogant, heartless jerks who spend their whole lives lashing out at anyone or anything that doesn’t fit into their limited worldview.”

  Vykor chuckled, stepped behind the shelter of the wall, then tugged her into his arms. “My little razdi. How I adore you.”

  Then he kissed her with bruising intensity, crushing her against him as his kiss stole her breath, then her mind. She was so caught up in the kiss it took her a second to really register the booming roar that shook the walls of their cell. It wasn’t until the second roar tore through the air that she realized Vykor had lifted his head and was staring at the ceiling, grinning so broadly his fangs showed.

  “What is that noise?” she asked.

  “Karos,” Vykor replied, still grinning. “They found us.”

  She stepped away from Vykor to peek through the bars. The warehouse was in chaos. Men shouted as they ran for the doors. They were all armed and angry, but they weren’t working together. Instead they bunched up in front of the doorway, weapons raised as they yelled and shoved at each other.

  The only ones acting deliberately walked together, and they were heading stra
ight for them. In the middle of the group was her half-brother, and he wore an expression that chilled her soul.

  “We’re in trouble.” She stepped out of sight and tipped her head toward the door. “John and a handful of his men are heading this way.”

  Vykor cursed and leaned over her to look for himself. “They’re wearing tactical armour.”

  “Probably spent their whole operating budget on it. We know they didn’t spend it on the décor around here.” She didn’t know why she was making jokes at the moment. A reaction to the fear, maybe?

  The air was full of the sound of gunfire and panic, punctuated by the bellows of an enraged dragon that was invariably followed by terrified screaming. Explosions boomed, shots rang out, and Lily was almost grateful she was safe inside. Only she wasn’t really safe.

  Vykor backed away from the door, drawing her behind him as he went. She wouldn’t stay there, though. He was in as much danger as she was. Maybe more.

  John appeared at the gate. “Both of you stand by the bunk. If you move, my men will shoot you. Understand?”

  “Got it,” she replied, amazed at how steady her voice sounded.

  Two men hauled the gate open and then two more stepped into the cell. One had his weapon trained on Vykor, the other was aiming at her. Adrenaline surged through her veins, filling her with an almost irresistible urge to do something.

  John reappeared. “New plan. You and the freak are coming with us.”

  She stepped in front of Vykor and glared at her brother. “He’s not a freak!”

  “Don’t fucking start, Lily. You were never smart enough to know when to shut the hell up. Now, get over here and don’t do anything stupid. I’ve already killed one member of this family. Don’t think I won’t do it again.”

  “She stays here,” Vykor said.

  “The hell she does. There are two fucking dragons out there right now, along with a bunch of alien bastards hurling fireballs. You two are my ticket out of here. Now both of you shut up and get over here.” John snapped his fingers and pointed to the ground in front of him, and something inside of Lily cracked wide open, spilling out a torrent of fear, loathing, and pain.