ARMOR [New World Book 2] (11 page)

“I already feel like I’m
dying.”

“I’m so sorry, Dasks.” Amy
wrapped her arms around him. She buried her nose into his neck and inhaled his
maleness.

“Do the healing waters help
at all?” Dasks asked hopefully.

“Some.” Amy nodded. “The
moment I enter the water it swirls like mad around my left breast. The lump
shrinks for awhile then returns to normal size after I leave the water. I don’t
feel as tired either. If I could, I’d sleep in the pool. I never thought I’d
want to be an actual mermaid, but the idea has a certain appeal.”

“Maybe if the water heals you
for awhile every day you will continue to live longer.”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe Cobra can think of
something.”

Amy sat up. “You didn’t tell
him?”

“I didn’t have much time.
Then when I finally approached him, I just couldn’t.”

“But won’t he sense
something?”

“Yes he has. Cobra knows we
haven’t mated. He hasn’t asked why. He is waiting for me to go to him, and I
don’t know if I can.”

“Would he have left me on
Earth?”

Dasks seemed to choose his
words carefully. “You pose a threat to one of his warriors. A Castian would
never harm a female. Cobra could have left you behind with provisions, but
instead chose not to ask any questions. You are my female. The decision is
mine. I can’t free you to be with another. You are my responsibility. I know
that’s harsh. A male in must would seek to mate with you. Now that there are
other males with mates it has become generally known how to take a female. My
selfishness has placed you as well as my fellow warriors in danger. I have to
tell Cobra of your condition so he can warn the warriors not to touch you.
There may be a few who won’t care if you are dying. Someone may risk it
regardless.”

“Even knowing they could
die?”

“It’s not so hard a
question,” Dasks said quietly. “I still want to mate with you knowing I will
die. But now you are offering me a choice at being a father or a mate.”

“You have no choice about
mating. I refuse to mate with you.”

“Then you have no protection!”
Dasks sat up. “Damn it, what happened to Craig could happen to you and I can’t
heal you if my armor can’t envelope you.”

“I wish we knew if your armor
could heal my cancer.”

“We could try,” he claimed
desperately.

Amy took his face between her
palms. “Can you feel my answer?”

Dasks took her wrists into one
hand and dragged her under him. “I could make you,” he snapped.

Amy could see he wouldn’t. He
looked disgusted with himself before the words were even out of his mouth. He
was so desperate to save her. She could feel her heart reach out to him.

“Don’t,” he whispered
raggedly.

“Don’t what?”

“Every day that goes by binds
us closer,” he said.

“I love you. I want to make
love to you. Can’t we just enjoy each other with the time I do have instead of
agonizing over the time I don’t have?”

“Let me keep a part of you.”

“Dasks, a baby is a lot of
responsibility. We already know I will have a girl. It’s the reproductive cycle
of your people to produce a female and then in another four years a male, at
least according to what Cobra said. Once her shield drops, it will be game over
for me.”

“I need something of you.
Please?”

He looked so desperate and
she owed him so much, Amy nodded. When he released her wrists, she pulled him
closer.

Dasks’ warm mouth settled
over hers. As always his teeth retracted when they kissed.

Her tongue rolled lazily with
his. He settled more of his weight onto her.

Amy wasn’t certain how much
he weighed, but she knew it was hundreds of pounds. Instead of fearing being
crushed, she wanted more of him. An armored blanket. Phenomenal power enveloped
her and yet she could feel his helplessness. He clung to her like a dying man.
His expression was tortured.

“Dasks?”

“She would look like you.
Every day a daily reminder of what I lost.”

“Dasks, is that what you
really want?”

“No. I can’t, Amy,” Dasks
said.

“You can’t what?”

“I can’t give you a baby. I
can’t make love to you year after year knowing I can never have you.”

“It’s all right, Dasks. I
understand.”

“Do you?”

“I think I would be tempted
to let you mate with me.”

Dasks’ hand slid up and down
Amy’s thigh.

She lifted her legs higher to
wrap around him. Dasks’ head lowered to suckle a firm breast. Amy arched her
back. Her nails raked over him. Dasks groaned and Amy smiled. She could do
anything she wanted to him and his armor wouldn’t go up to protect him while
she was this close. Dasks had told her just how vulnerable he was. The Tonans
had captured human females. It appeared the planet Ulsy belonged to the enemy.
Human females were forced to have sex with the Castian prisoners to keep them in
line. Word had come that a collar had been designed to stop the Castians’ armor
from going up. During sex, the Tonans would sneak in and snap the collar onto
their unsuspecting victims rendering them helpless. Dasks told her that when
they returned to Dargon, there would be a new mission to save the captured
warriors and free the human females. Amy had shuddered when she had heard this.
She had family on Ulsy.

“Why are you thinking sad
thoughts?” Dasks asked before  trailing hungry kisses across her shoulder.

“I was just remembering how
vulnerable you are without your armor. I don’t ever want to be making love to
you with any Tonans around.”

“The environment is different
on Ulsy. I’m told the Tonans have developed a special chemical that makes them
appear to be Castians with a hologram of black armor. It isn’t hard. They are
our people—at least they used to be. Over time, their armor mutated to match
their deviousness. They are gray, dull, not a pure black. Their tails grow from
the lies they tell. When we snap them off, it hurts them because they are
reminded of how filthy they have become.”

“They sound soulless.”

“They kill for sport,
pleasure. Others’ pain and suffering amuses them.”

Amy shuddered and Dasks held
her closer.

“I don’t want to think about
them while you smell so good and I can almost taste you in my mouth. It’s not
fair you can take me past your lips and I can’t reach your sex inside to do the
same.”

Chuckling Amy pushed his head
lower. “Try.”

Dasks looked confused, then
grinned. Lower he went. His fingers parted her and one dipped within her.

Amy moaned and squirmed. She
jumped when Dasks’ lips settled over her. His tongue explored every inch of
her, laving and sucking until she was writhing under him. His mouth tugged at
her nub and she groaned. Her back arched and she gripped the covers beneath her
when his tongue delved deeper and he licked her insides. She felt so hot. Amy
knew Dasks was sensing what she felt. It was so arousing to make love to a male
who understood what she liked the moment he did it.

Dasks’ fingers and mouth
worked together. His fingers were slippery and Amy knew his secretions were
triggered by her scent as she grew closer to her climax. The sensation of him
seeping into her skin both calmed and aroused her. It was like a heady sexual
lubricant drug. Round and round his tongue laved her until she gasped with her
release. Her hands clasped into his silky hair tugging him back up.

“So that’s what that sweet
taste is,” Dasks said, licking his lips.

Dasks’ fangs were protruding
as he settled over her. His eyes were glazed and he looked drunk. When he
thrust up into her, Amy cried out. Long easy strokes soon had her panting,
wanting him even more. He obliged. Harder he thrust. Dasks’ powerful hands kept
her immobile beneath him, locking her in place as he thumped against her. Amy
wrapped her legs around his middle as he bucked, trying to hang on. When in
must, Dasks was a powerhouse of sexual drive. Amy cried out as his hips pumped
furiously against her. She was pinned to the bed. More of his heavy weight
settled onto her.

When Dasks growled in the
back of his throat, Amy knew he would grow bigger soon. More secretions from
his cock flowed into her and were absorbed. It was his cock’s way of claiming
her. The wetness surrounding her stayed constantly warm and was so pleasing,
her body gave in to her arousal. As always, she came first. She knew her smell
aroused him to produce his seed. Amy groaned as his cock began to grow harder
and longer. She could feel it filling her inch by inch. Her insides stretched
and she struggled to accept all of him. Amy held off for as long as she could
until it became unbearable.

“Oh, Dasks, please,” she
begged.

Dasks stroked into her then
slowly retreated.

Amy was writhing and moaning.
It was too much. Her eyes were wild when she glanced up at him.

“That is my pain,” he
suddenly said. “Hurting with a pressure that needs to stop. When I can’t mate
with you, I feel that. Unbearable need to have my pain eased. When I come, I
lose an actual piece of myself.”

With agonizing slowness Dasks
lowered his head and sank his fangs into her neck. The relief was immediate.
Amy wanted to sob, but he felt so good. She could see the look in his eyes as
he continued to rock against her. He couldn’t have a mate; his seed would spill
to the bed and he couldn’t have a child. What were they to do?

Chapter 7

Dargon was the most beautiful
place Amy had ever seen. The terrain was spongy and had a velvety texture but
was stiff and easy to walk on. It felt comfortable on her bare feet. It
reminded her of the interior of the space vessel. Trees the likes of which she
had never seen stretched to the very few clouds. They were a soft tan color.
The outer bark was like foam. When she pushed on it, it became hard, then sprang
back into place. No wonder Dasks complained of Earth’s puny trees that bent
under his weight. Huge roots wound around and embedded into the ground. If it
were a mystical planet, Amy could envision the trees walking on those roots.
Higher up she could see hunter green leaves half her size waving in a small
breeze.

Amy was introduced to Rask’s
mate, Grace. She was a beautiful blond with clear blue eyes. Amy noted that Dasks
kept a respectful distance from her as did all the Castian warriors except
Cobra who hugged her then introduced her to Leah and the rest of his family.
Amy remembered Dasks mentioning that the woman was pregnant. It was obvious
with one glance at Grace’s protruding middle.

Amy realized the baby’s
shield wouldn’t let any male, except for a relative or blood mate, close to
Grace.

Craig was allowed near her—he
was now a blood relative. Once Craig was given his armor by Cobra, his body
mass had increased dramatically. A once underweight boy looked like he had been
working out for years. Soon enough, the boy would be able to hold his own with
a warrior. Craig had needed to approach Grace with caution at first until the
baby she carried could be given his scent through her mother’s nose.

Since Amy was female, the
shield wouldn’t go up against her.

“Welcome to Dargon,” Grace
called out to everyone.

The woman looked deliriously
happy and was soon in her husband’s arms.

When Rask and Grace kissed,
Amy could see the love and affection they had toward one another. When Dasks
settled his arm across Amy’s shoulder, she moved against his side, wishing.
Dasks squeezed her harder and Amy knew he was feeling her emotions.

Meg had told Amy that Talsk
was so in tune with her and her needs, it could be annoying at times. It
seemed, when mated, a Castian male was able to invade his mate’s dreams. Meg
told her it took a while to get used to it. Talsk dogged Meg’s every move until
Meg had laid down the law and ordered him to give her some space. Talsk had
dutifully stayed out of his mate’s dreams unless sensing her distress.

The idea sounded like it
could become annoying. Always knowing what the other was doing, or feeling. It
was like being one person with two bodies. Amy wasn’t sure what to think.

Meg had assured her it was
odd but interesting.

Amy now understood why a male
Castian would die without his mate and vice versa.

When Amy asked Dasks why he
wouldn’t die if his warrior mate died, he had laughed at her. Then sobered
quickly when he realized she was serious. After all, the warrior mates had
bitten each other and drawn blood. Yes they were bound by blood, but not by
death. If Dasks and Amy mated she would be more than Talsk was. Amy would
become one with Dasks. It was necessary to give her eternal life—his eternal
life. Talsk already had eternal life, he was male.

“Would you like to see your
new home?” Dasks asked her.