Kede held her hand through the loshee and while it was nothing new to his taste buds, he enjoyed watching Joyce consume what she called “dessert.” She moaned and groaned with each new bite, closing her eyes as if she embraced rapture.
Every sound further hardened his cawk until he ached for the petite woman. But he remained in place, resting on the cow-ch with her hand cradled in his.
They spoke for many hours, skin against skin as he explained the world he’d dragged her into. With each word, he cringed anew, furious at himself over his actions.
Damn him to the darkness, he was a selfish bastard.
What is a harae?
The question was easy to answer. She was the very heart of a male. He did not know happiness until he mated his harae.
And I’m that? Your heart?
He’d stiffened his spine and answered with his true feelings. Yes, despite their rough beginnings, he recognized her as his. While she termed their culture barbaric in many ways, he refused to back down from his decision.
She was his and he was determined to woo her. Once she selected a House, he would petition her Holder of House for permission to join. If she resolved to establish her own House, he requested the opportunity to prove himself as a fierce protector and excellent provider.
She did not immediately say no and he took heart in that fact.
Was I ever truly your possession?
No. Never. It was a status required by law. He admitted he’d demanded the males retain their distance. That had been out of his possessive feelings and her protection. Kede was not the only warrior on a ship who did not know how to interact with females. There were over two thousand males who had done nothing more than look at a female Doshan after the age of eight when they began their training.
They remembered their mother’s love and the lust they felt when near a woman.
A female offers the comfort and warmth of love while sating the male’s lust.
It is dangerous to have one on the ship, surrounded by males.
It’d been hours and while she’d learned much from him, he’d learned even more from her.
Like the fact she had no House. The Enners left Joyce unprotected from the elements and she was forced to seek shelter with others who’d been abandoned as younglings.
She was an or-fan and had never been a-dop-ted.
She had few friends and none of these pets she spoke of though she had wished for a dog. He made a mental note to speak with Resane to see if a dog could be safely brought aboard ship. He hoped it was not a large beast the males would see as excellent prey.
Now their evening was drawing to an end. Her head dipped even now and he glanced at the timekeeper. Many hours had passed since Yare brought them sustenance and it was very late indeed. He should carry her to her rooms and secure her for the night.
Yet that would involve releasing her. He was not yet ready to let go.
He allowed himself to be a selfish bastard a little longer.
Kede rubbed his thumb along her inner wrist, feeling her strong pulse against the pad of his digit. Her skin was soft and smooth, no evidence of hard labor marring her flesh. He had seen so many vids of females performing the tasks of males and he was glad his Joyce never endured such hardships. Her soul was battered by her past, but she was not physically marred by her life.
He admitted some of the bruising her heart took was due to his actions.
He would fix things.
Even if she did not choose him as her harau.
Joyce released a snuffling snore, and he grinned. The low sound reminded him of sleeping in the barracks when he was in training.
Her head dipped, easing toward the back of his cow-ch and he knew it was time to end their evening. He ached to slide her into his bed, but he knew enough to realize that would upset her. She would not choose him if he continued to make selfish mistakes.
Jerking his head in a nod, he made his decision. He would take Joyce to her rooms next door, secure her with his own codes, and then leave her.
He did not believe he would sleep through the night.
Perhaps he should simply remain outside her door. Invading her space would upset her, but remaining near could not violate her privacy.
Yes, that was the perfect idea.
He carefully released her and dug through a drawer to find his emergency kit. There was an emergency covering that would satisfy his needs for an evening. Tomorrow he would speak with the supplies department to see if there was something more suitable to sleeping outside her door.
Wrapped blanket in hand, he returned to Joyce and carefully roused her.
“Joyce,” he whispered her name. “You must rise, my harae.” He winced the moment the term left his lips, but he could do nothing for its release. “It is time to return to your rooms.”
Joyce snuffled again and she slowly opened her eyes, blinking rapidly until more focused orbs met his. “Kede? Huh?”
“You fell asleep as we spoke. It is time for you to return to your rooms.”
With the end of his sentence, he noted the falling of her expression. As if she were saddened to be returning to her space. She had demanded the rooms, and that they be secured against all. He was unsure why she would be disappointed at being escorted to her space.
“My rooms. Right.” She nodded, but the sadness prevailed.
“Joyce? Do you not wish to return? I will do as you ask.” He held his breath, praying she wanted to remain. He did not allow his hopes to rise very far in case she was about to pummel them into the ground.
“No, going to my room is a good idea.” She sounded reluctant, but he did not try to change her mind.
He’d already treated her as less than a Doshan female in the past. He would not do so now. Company was at the female’s discretion. She wished to return and she would.
Kede held out his hand for her, waiting for her to place her palm over his. He assisted her from his cow-ch and led her toward the door. He still clutched his emergency covering in his other hand and he tightened his hold. Her skin against his… It was as if he’d been welcomed by the bright light. There was never something he enjoyed more.
Not even the last hug and warm smile from his mother rivaled this touch.
The panels parted for them and he examined the hallway before drawing her from his suite. It took moments to pad the twenty feet that separated their doors and there they stood for a moment and then two.
He waited for her to grant herself entrance and yet she still didn’t.
“Joyce?” He furrowed his brow. “Is something wrong?”
Her gaze was focused on their joined hands he suddenly felt as if he’d done something wrong, that he’d offended her by touching her without permission.
He quickly eased his pressure and moved to slide free of her grasp. “I am sorry, I presumed too much.”
Joyce shook her head and raised her attention to him. He noted the wide smile that graced her lips and the brightness of her eyes. “No, I was just… enjoying this part.”
“Which part?” His frown remained.
“Being walked to my door after a date. Even if Doshans don’t do that, it just felt… nice.”
“Date?” He mouthed the word again. “You mentioned this before.”
“Yeah,” she shrugged. “When two people who like each other more than friends spend time together. To see if they enjoy being together.”
“We did this date?” He narrowed his eyes.
She gave him a rueful grin and tugged free of his touch. “I thought we had, but I guess not.”
Kede did not let her retreat. He sensed her sadness at his question and he would allow for no further confusion. “No, hold a moment. I do see you as more than just friends and I do enjoy spending time with you. If that is a date, then we had this date. We have had many of these dates. Even as you screamed at me.”
Joyce snorted and shook her head. “You were happy even when I yelled at you?”
Shock filled him. “Of course. You are beautiful, but when you are filled with anger and rage, you glow as if you were filled with the bright light itself. The passion you show, the life and fire that fills you. My Joyce, I love being in your presence whenever you grant me such an opportunity.” He risked her beautiful anger and cupped her cheek. He stroked more of her silky skin and suppressed the shudder that assaulted him. “Your beauty caught my eye when we were on Terra, but it was your fire that called to me. You would not be a typical Doshan harae. You would not agree with my every decree. You would fight with me and win. As a warrior, there is no greater adversary than those who would battle when there is no hope to be had.”
He traced her lower lip. He’d seen the vids of Terrans kissing. They brushed their mouths together and licked within each other’s mouths. They seemed to draw pleasure from the act and he wondered if he would as well. “I failed when I took you without permission. I have done so many things without your agreement. But even as you scream at me over it, I cannot regret what I’ve done. You have never stopped fighting when so many obstacles have been placed before you. You are stronger than any can comprehend and if you would but say the word, I would be yours in an instant.”
Confusion drew her brow down. “You’d be mine?”
Kede nodded. “It has always been that the male, who is the stronger half of the mating, claims the female. The female must agree, but it is still the male who claims his mate. It has been that way since the beginning of time, no? Even in Terran history it is expressed this way. The male may ask, but it is the female who adopts his name and designation. Even though your planet fights for equal rights and treatment, it still happens.”
She nodded. “Yeah, I guess.”
Kede knew he should withdraw his touch but he let it linger another moment, and then another. “As the weaker hopeful, should you ask, I would happily be your harau. I will no longer push you on this. I am at your mercy, Joyce. Just know that I wait for your word.”
Shock filled Joyce. Not just at the fact that he so readily admitted he’d been wrong to take her and in how he’d treated her. No, he also… put the decision entirely in her hands. The fierce male who commanded the Vehly, the man who made demands instead of asking, humbled himself before her.
“There’s no way I’m stronger, Kede. I…” she shook her head.
“We shall have to agree to disagree.” He tilted his head in apology. “I see a female who has retained her passion and power through not just a kidnapping, but also a near-deadly wound and then transition to Doshan. She stands before me, tall and filled with fire after fighting her way free of a large battle. She even continued snarling after nearly being kidnapped from the Vehly more than once. She is the strongest female I have ever encountered.”
Joyce rolled her eyes. “You’re basically saying I’m a bitch.”
“If that is the Terran term, then yes, you are a bitch I would gladly stand beside for the rest of my life.”
“That…” she sniffled and ignored the sting of gathering tears. “That is the sweetest insult anyone has ever given me.”
Kede grimaced. “I was not trying to insult you. Already I am failing.” He shook his head and his touch eased. “I am sorry.”
She wrapped her fingers around his wrist, halting his retreat. “No, it really was nice. I promise.”
“You have to tell me if I injure your feelings. If I do something that will diminish me in your eyes.” His thumb went back to stroking her lower lip and she fought the shudder that threatened to overtake her.
Yet even though she tamped down her response, she could do nothing against the arousal unfurling inside her. With him so close, invading her space with his body and scent, she was overcome with her desire for him. He was sexy and sweet, if clumsy with women. Even when he was being an ass, she wanted to be near him.
That need was even greater now.
“I’ll tell you,” she readily agreed. This… this might, hopefully, possibly work. It wouldn’t be easy. Hell, it’d probably be messy as hell, but she was willing to try.
She’d been attracted to him from the first moment she laid eyes on the male. That attraction hadn’t vanished.
They remained that way for a moment, and then two. The ship was quiet, the engines rumbling with their soothing hum that she’d come to appreciate in the late hours. The warriors didn’t wander the halls, joking and laughing as they went about their day. This quiet time gave her a chance to relax and rest from her tension-filled days.
But tonight… there was a different kind of tension assaulting her.
“Kede?” she whispered.
“Yes?” his voice was just as soft.
“On Terra, dates usually end with a kiss.” At least the first date. After a few, she would have welcomed him in her bed. Of course, his definition of date and hers differed a tiny bit.
She did not think roaring at him about turning her into a slave qualified as date material.
“I have seen vids of this. I would like…” He snapped his mouth shut so hard she heard his teeth collide.
“Kede,” she stepped closer to him until her breasts brushed his chest. “If it’s something you want, you can tell me. I don’t want you to change who you are,” she rested her palm on his chest, enjoying the solid feel of his body. “It’d just be nice if you didn’t push so hard. Tonight was a really good start. I enjoyed myself and I’d like to do it again when you have time. I know you have a ship to command, but—”
“I will make time for you.”
She smiled widely. “I like that you would, but I don’t want you to neglect your duties for me. If you have free time, I’d like to spend it together. That’s all.”
Kede nodded and she smiled wider. Only the smile turned into a yawn and she groaned.
“You must sleep. I shall see you tomorrow for mid-day meal.” The words were snapped out and he grimaced. “I am sorry. Would you like to see me for mid-day meal?”
“Yes.” She slid her hand over his chest, up to his shoulder, and then wrapped it around the back of his neck. She tugged a little, but he resisted. “Kede, I can’t kiss you goodnight if you don’t cooperate.”
His eyes widened a moment and then they burned with a heat she now recognized as desire. He immediately followed her silent order, easing his head closer to hers.
The moment he was within reach, Joyce brushed her mouth against his, her lips soft while his remained firm. “Relax, Kede.”
“I do not know—”
“You touch me so gently, even when you’re angry. Gently touch your lips to mine. We’ll discover more together.” She whispered against him and then tried again. She internally smiled when he responded, meeting her mouth with a tentative touch.
The next caress was stronger still. The third had her moaning and leaning against him. She nudged his hand from her face and wrapped both arms around his neck, tightening her hold. Each kiss had her giving him more, and he returned each caress, mimicking her movements as they took things further.
He encircled her waist, hands resting on the top curve of her ass and she eased closer until their bodies were aligned chest to knees. His hardness pressed against her hip, branding her with his desire.
Yes, Kede Tria wanted her and the more time they spent together, the longer this kiss lasted, the more she craved him as well.
She lapped at the seam of his lips, licking him gently, and his movements stuttered.
Her innocent Kede. At least where kisses were concerned.
“Open for me, Kede. Let me show you,” she whispered and when she tried again, he did as she asked.
Their passion rose then, flying high and her body responded to the new aspect of their kiss. Her nipples pebbled and hardened while her pussy heated and grew heavy with her desire. She wanted him. She’d wanted him the first moment she collided with his massive body and she wanted him still.
She tangled her tongue with his, tasting and being tasted. His sweet warmth invaded her and she groaned.
He tore his mouth from hers, and she forced her eyes open.
Panic filled his face. “Joyce? Have I hurt you?”
She tugged him close again. “It means that I’m enjoying it. Make me moan again, Kede.”
He released a growl and delved back into her again, taking control. She gladly let him consume her, making love to her with his mouth. That allowed her to concentrate on his scent, his flavors, and the feel of him hard and thick against her. She rubbed against him, reveling in the shudder she drew from the strong commander.
Her body continued to heat and warm beneath his assault until she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to keep herself upright much longer. With the next shift of her body, he moaned against her mouth and she smiled.
The subtle break in their kiss had him withdrawing yet he didn’t release her. He leaned away and she tilted her head back to meet his gaze. “You are like a drug, more potent than the strongest wine. That was…” He took a deep breath causing his chest to brush her nipples and she shivered with the bolt of pleasure that assaulted her. That small movement had him frowning at her. “You are cold?”
She grinned and shook her head. “No, I enjoyed it.” He still looked skeptical and she toyed with the hair at the base of his neck. “I truly did.” She shrugged. “Sometimes a woman enjoys something so much that it sends a shiver down her spine.”
“And that is what happened?”
“Yes,” she nodded and then a cocky smile graced his features.
Men were all the same.
“Doshan females do not do this.”
Joyce shrugged. “Terrans do. It could just be a carryover from, you know, before.”
There was no need to define “before.”
“I am glad it ‘carried over.’ I will enjoy making you shiver for me.” He smiled and she found herself answering his with a grin of her own.
“Maybe I will, too.” Joyce took a step back, easing from his arms. “You can give it another shot tomorrow.” He tightened his hold on her waist a moment before finally stepping back and releasing her. A crinkling package brushed her hip and she stared at the small bag he held. “What’s that?”
“This?” His face darkened.
After all the time she’d spent on the ship, she recognized the deepening of his tanned skin meant he was embarrassed. It was a Doshan blush. She just had to be wary when they paled. That was when she’d be in trouble.
Warriors only paled when their body needed that blood in other parts of their body. Like, perhaps, suffusing their muscles before they leapt into a fight.
Yeah, losing color equaled bad, getting darker equaled good.
“Yeah,” she tilted her head toward the small bag. “That.”
Kede released her completely and tugged at his collar with his free hand. “It’s, uh, it depends.”
“Um, okay. It depends on what?”
“It could be an emergency covering meant to provide a male with a comfortable and warm cushioning as he slept. And then it could also be something I picked up by mistake.”
Joyce wrinkled her nose. “Why would it be a mistake?”
“Perhaps a male might use this to sleep outside his female’s…” Kede coughed. “To sleep outside a female’s rooms as he is concerned for her safety.”
“I… see.” She drew the words out slowly and he squirmed beneath her gaze. “I can appreciate that you want to ensure my safety.” She laid her hand over his heart. “I mean that, Kede. But you don’t need to sleep here.”
“You will let me sleep with you?” His eyes brightened and he looked like such a hopeful puppy. She hated dashing his dreams.
“No, I’m saying that you can stay in yours.” She shook her head. “And I can stay in mine.”
“But—”
This time she pressed her fingers to his lips and when he kissed her, running his tongue lightly over her skin, another shiver overtook her. “No buts. I’m the only one able to get into my room, correct?”
Kede nodded. “I am only allowed access in the event you have been harmed.” He grimaced. “I could not allow you to be unreachable. I am sorry. I have already violated your trust.”
He’d tried. That’s what mattered to her. “It’s smart. I’d hate it if I fell and couldn’t get up. But otherwise, we’re the only ones who can get past this door?”
Kede nodded. “We are the only ones on the ship who can gain access. There is no one with higher authority.”
“Then you have no reason to worry and you can sleep comfortably in your room.”
A speculative look gleamed in his eyes. “Is that a directive or a suggestion?”
Joyce barked out a laugh, unable to keep it suppressed. “You’re spending way too much time around Terrans.” She shook her head. “It’s not an order, but a strong suggestion. Sleep, Kede. Sleep and I’ll see you for mid-day meal.”
She took a step toward the door, but before she traveled more than a foot, he hauled her to him, plastering their bodies together as he lowered his head to hers. The kiss was hard and fast, nothing slow and seductive about it. It was a fierce, speedy, claiming and then she was released.
“When you enter your quarters, secure the door. I will submit to you and allow you to direct many things, but your safety is not one of them, my… Joyce.” Kede winced and she saw the apology in his gaze.
“Thank you for caring.” She didn’t address his slip. She would take the opportunity to learn about him and discover if they were a match, but she knew the feelings inside her. “And I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Joyce turned and placed her palm on the pad and stepped into her quarters as soon as the panels parted. She turned and waved to Kede.
Yes, she knew the feelings filling her veins. Feelings that told her Kede was her male, her harau. She just needed to work up the nerve to claim him.
Kede did not sleep outside Joyce’s rooms as he desired, but instead built a small bed beside his doors just inside his quarters. Then, if it became necessary, he was already half way to her. It was a plan that did not violate her “suggestion.”
The idea held great merit when he’d returned to his suite. Now, as the early hours crept upon him and his back ached, he was not sure the idea was smart. In fact, as he stretched and his neck cracked, the idea seemed very stupid.
He sat up and leaned against his doors, using their support to steady himself as he shook off the remnants of sleep. He would be haggard and tired through his shift, but he would survive. He would be spending his mid-day meal with his Joyce.
A warmth took up residence in his chest. She had not yelled at him over his slip. It would be wrong to repeat the phrase in her hearing again. He would be pushing his luck.
He would only try it once more.
Maybe twice.
No more than three times.
A low chime announced someone outside his quarters. Already his staff bothered him. Could they not allow a male to waken at his own pace?
The chime came again and he sighed, shifting his legs so he could stand.
Then it announced once more. Before he could blink, it came a fourth time and then the doors parted, sending him sprawling to the ground.
Anger rushed over him. Who dared gain emergency access to his quarters? Who had the sun-sized balls to—
“What in the darkness, Resane?” He snarled at his friend, but the medico did not react to Kede’s anger.
“Thank the light. Get off your ass, Kede.” Resane reached for him and grabbed his arm, tugging him to his feet. He was surprised at the male’s strength and he wondered, not for the first time, why the male had given up his blades and gone into healing. “We have problems. Grab your blades.”
Resane, the normally cool and collected medico, was filled with rage. His face was nearly white, a feat for the Doshan race, and his muscles bulged with restrained power.
“Are we under attack? Why were the alarms not raised?” Kede shot the questions at his friend as he raced to his storage drawers. A press of his thumb on the surface granted him access. His true warrior blades lay on the midnight fabric. “Were we boarded? By whom?”
Without thought they were in his hands and he was ready for battle.
“The council.”
The two words slammed into Kede’s gut. They’d arrived then. He’d run out of time and he was no closer to tying Joyce to his side than he had been when he brought her aboard. His only hope was that they would not address his missteps before he had a chance to speak with Joyce.
But first…
“Why am I armed, Resane?”
Rage filled the medico’s gaze, rage and fury unlike he’d ever seen. It was then that he saw his friend held his blades. Gone was the pristine white of a medico and in its place was the dark uniform of a Vehly officer.
“They have taken Joyce and declared her Terran. They will return her to Terra within the hour.”
Kede’s heart froze, his muscles clenching with the verbal blow.
They would return her to Terra to die.
“Then they must be prepared to meet the darkness for if she leaves this ship, I will banish their souls myself.”
Resane didn’t hesitate to jerk his head in a quick nod. “And I shall be at your side.”
Movement behind Resane drew Kede’s attention and he spotted both Yare and Hassee lingering near the door. The males were clothed as Resane, both having donned officer uniforms and now clutching their blades.
“As shall we.”
This showing of support did not speak of Kede and the loyalty he instilled in his crew. It proved the devotion a single Terran turned Doshan female had earned.
Kede jerked his head in a quick nod. “Very well. Where have they taken her?”
“They are on the command deck in your large meeting room.” Yare was quick to answer.
The space easily fit five hundred males.
“How many did they bring?” He shot into the hallway and strode toward the lifts.
“Seven councilmen and two hundred warriors,” Hassee supplied.
“Warriors? Not simply guards?”
“Warriors.” The ambassador returned, his anger easily heard. While their class often provided protection, it was not to be used in the form of keeping individuals safe as part of a traveling party.
They defended their world, not the men who ran it.
The lift doors parted and they all climbed aboard.
“Ambassador Haspava?” Kede kept his voice low, attempting to keep his tone calm and smooth while rage roiled inside him.
“Yes, Commander?”
“I will try to remain calm, but I tell you this now, as a male speaking of his female. If they have harmed her, I will take the hand of every male who has touched her.”
“As is your right.”
As was his right. Yes, he had a right to tear apart anyone who dared split a mated Doshan pair.
He kept those words close. It was a vow spoken from the commander of the Vehly as the harau of Joyce Enner to Ambassador Haspava, Primary Ambassador of the Doshan people. A vow which was heard and accepted.
It was his right.
It was his right to stride down the barren hall of the command deck as he did, unhindered.
It was his right as he continued to enter the gathering room that held seven Doshan councilmen and two hundred fellow warriors.
It was his right to stare down every single warrior who dared meet his gaze. He did not miss the shame filling their faces. That alone may save some of them.
Then he spied his Joyce… She stood on the low dais, Doshan councilmen to her left and Terran officials to her right. He disliked her being near other males, but then he noticed the rest. She was dressed in no more than thin shorts and an equally thin t-shirt. She was practically exposed to these males, but then he noticed the source of the warriors’ shame. Yes, she was half-dressed, but she was also shackled at her feet and ankles, disheveled, teary eyed and a darkening bruise marred her cheek…
It was his right—his privilege—to kill them all.