Heroic Abduction (5 page)

“—our best bet to locate such items is in the forbidden galaxy and market.”

“In other words, we’re going to get ourselves some smuggled goods. A sound plan.” Zista nodded her approval.

“Who is paying for it?” Betty asked, pausing in her attempts to find food to fix him with a suspicious glance.

“I shall of course. As I mentioned before, I have the riches, and they are moldering in my cargo holds.”

“And you’re just going to use them to help us?”

“Yes.” Heroic altruism? Check.

Zista shrugged a stunted wing. “Works for me.” She shoved Betty aside as she clawed an entry. Satisfied with what popped out, she took her steaming, and wiggling, dish to a seat and settled her feathers to eat.

Betty glared at her friend then the food processor. Dyre moved closer to help her, close enough he could smell the freshness of her skin, a skin that looked dewy still from bathing and whose moist appearance made him yearn to take a lick.

Were humans edible? He’d come across videos in his research on her kind that showed males feasting on their sex, a most delicate pink portion of their anatomy, with great relish while the female moaned in enjoyment.
I wouldn’t mind tasting her delicacy.
His cock twitched in agreement.

“Are you enjoying breathing down my neck, or were you planning to help me with this stupid machine?” she said in a breathy voice, interrupting his interesting train of thought.

“Help you, of course. I took the liberty of researching your dietary needs while you rested and had the computer program some of them in.”

Holding her hand and guiding it to the various buttons wasn’t necessary, but he enjoyed it, and thus felt the shiver that went through her when their skin touched. Was she cold? He knew of many ways to warm her up, although sticking her in a hot engine room held less appeal than the human method, which claimed the best way to heat an Earthling without causing shock was skin to skin.
Barbarian they might be, but they certainly have interesting ideas.

“This should create an Earthly favorite called p-i-z-z-a,” he said, stumbling over the strange combination of letters.

He didn’t move away as the machine whirred, couldn’t, especially when she squealed, “Oh my god, you finally did something right.”

She whirled and presented him with a beaming smile and shining eyes. Such joy infused her features it captivated him. He leaned in closer. Her breath caught. He—

“You are actually going to eat that? It looks like a bloody disc covered in white slime,” Zista observed, ruining the moment.

Betty recoiled and spun away. She grabbed the warm dish. “Don’t knock it until you try it. Compared to what you’re eating, I think it looks delicious, but does it taste good?”

I’ll bet she would have tasted delicious,
was all Dyre could think. Funny how his research into humans didn’t mention anything about their seriously strong sexual pheromones. How else to explain his reaction whenever she got near?

Seating himself at the table with a meal of his own, he tried to ignore her groans of pleasure.

“This is soooo good,” she enthused.

I’ve got something that tastes better.

“Dyre, you were wonderful for doing this,” she praised.

I bet you she’d praise me even more if I pleasured her.

“Do you have any other surprises like this?”

Yes. A big one.

Such un-hero-ly thoughts. Dyre rose from his seat, hands covering a certain area of his body, and spun before she could note her effect on him. He headed for the exit. “I’m needed on the bridge.”

Neither female caught his lie, but Dyre chastised himself anyhow. Heroes didn’t lie. But heroes did need to resist temptation.

Running to the bridge did nothing to ease his lust. He could still all too clearly picture the pink tip of her tongue as she licked her lips, lips he wanted to embrace just as he’d seen the other humans do in the mating videos he’d watched. He really should have skipped those, but he’d found himself curious about their sexual habits. And now, he wanted to try them.

From his research, it appeared that humans and Kulin were anatomically compatible enough to indulge in coitus, which he should have known given he’d heard rumors that some distant older cousins of his had chosen some barbarians as their mates.

But I’ve already ascertained she can’t be my mate.

With a sound of discontent, he flung himself in his control chair and drummed his fingers on his armrest. An incoming signal beeped. He ignored it. It returned a moment later, even more insistent, demanding he answer. He sighed before he tapped his console to receive it. The view screen before him replaced the speeding galactic vista with the mauve countenance of a female. A frowning one. Some things never changed.

“Hello, Mother.”

“How is my disappointing son?” she began, not wasting time with pleasantries. She considered common courtesy a sign of weakness. “Have you given up this foolishness of becoming a hero? Have you finally corrected your ways, ditched your absurd plan, and resorted to murdering and pillaging yet?”

Same old argument. “No and no.”

“You are a disappointment to me and your father, Dyre. The laughing stock of the family. I am a pariah among my friends.”

“So you keep reminding me.”

“Someone needs to try and put you back on the wrong path. Do you think I enjoy these conversations?”

“No, and yet you keep calling.” Daily.

“A mother can hope that the son she turned away has seen the light—and extinguished it.”

“I thought the whole purpose of banishment was so you wouldn’t have to face my good deeds?”

“Are you getting snippy with your mother?” She beamed on the view screen, her razor-sharp teeth peeking past her black lips. “I knew there was hope for you yet.”

Another sigh blew past his lips. “I’m a hero mother. A good one. Why, in just the last day, I conquered a beast terrorizing a village and rescued a female.”

Gagging noises emerged from the speakers. “Oh, why must you torture me? All I ever wanted was a son like everyone else. A son who would do me proud, killing his rivals and achieving the title of greatest assassin ever.”

“My path lies—”

“Hey, Dyre, who are you talking to?” Betty entered the bridge and cast a curious glance at the screen.

His mother’s jaw dropped, and her eyes opened wide. “Is that … Is that a
human
?” she whispered.

No point in hiding the obvious. “Yes.”

The squeal that emerged from his onboard speakers made both him and Betty wince.

“You abducted a forbidden barbarian. Oh, how wondrously evil.”

“I did no such thing,” he sputtered.

“Yes, he did,” Betty said, moving to stand in front of him. “He’s such a jerk. He totally ruined my plan to steal some hairy ogre’s treasure. Then, he had the nerve to tractor beam me, and my ship, onto his. Now he plans to take us to some place called the Obsidian Galaxy to get some illegal goods.”

His mother fanned herself. “Oh, wait until his father hears. Finally, something we can be proud of. Tell me, pale barbarian, has he ravished you yet?”

“Hell no.”

Did she have to sound so gleeful about it? It made Dyre’s more base and primal side want to rise up and make her swallow her words—among other things.

His mother shook her head. “A shame. But, still, it will take time to reach the dark galaxy. Plenty of time for him to take care of matters. My son, finally showing his true marauding colors.” With an uncharacteristic giggle, his mother signed off, and the view screen went dark.

Dyre smothered an urge to groan and smack his head off a wall. “Did you have to tell her that?” he muttered in obvious disgruntlement.

“What? The truth? You abducted me.”

“Rescued.”

“Ha. You can call it what you like, but I didn’t sign up to be a passenger on the
SSMeathead
.”

“The what?”

“Never mind. Who was that?”

“My mother.”

Her snub nose wrinkled in doubt. “Really? Somehow I find that hard to believe. What mother wants her son to kidnap and rape?”

“A Kulin one. I’m considered the shame of my family.”

She cocked her head. “Why?”

“Because I don’t follow the mercenary code.”

A smirk twisted her lips. “You aliens are whacked. Hey, maybe next time she calls, I’ll tell her you not only debauched me, but made me cry too.”

“Don’t do that. She’s liable to throw a party to announce it to her friends as a sign I’ve become the wayward son she always wanted.”

Betty laughed. “You know what, I’m beginning to think hitching a ride with you won’t be so bad after all. The entertainment value alone is going to be worth it.”

“There is nothing amusing about the situation. And the next time my mother calls, you will kindly correct her assumptions. You will tell her I am on a noble quest to help you and your companion acquire goods to bring back to the Zonian planet.”

“And if I don’t?” she said, one brow arched and taunting.

“Then I will give you what you so ardently refuse.”

He couldn’t have later said what triggered it. Was it the teasing challenge in her tone? The way she put one hand on her angled hip? The luscious pinkness of her mouth? The fact his control snapped?

Who cared? He lunged from his seat, placed his hands upon her waist to hold her in place, and slanted his mouth over hers.

I was right. She does taste delicious.

“Altruism is for the weak. ” –
A Mercenary’s Guide to Prosperity

“Altruism makes you strong.” –
The Unofficial Guide to Heroism

Hot lips.

Warm breath.

Blood on fire.

And pussy wet and ready.

All those things happened in a flash, taking Betty off guard, which she would later use as her excuse as to why she didn’t shove him away.

Okay, so she also didn’t shove him away because, damn it all to hell and back, she enjoyed his kiss. Really enjoyed it.

His mouth pressed firmly against hers, exploring with a hesitancy she wouldn’t have expected, as if he wasn’t quite sure of what he did. Did the big bad hero not know how to kiss? Good news for him, she did. Betty knew what she wanted, and she wasn’t afraid to take it.

She opened her mouth and sucked his bottom lip, his surprised groan a rumble that saw her wind her arms around his neck. As if her actions were the opener he needed, he reciprocated in kind with her top lip, which meant she one-upped the embrace with a dart of her tongue.

He pulled back and gasped. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to French kiss you, dumbass. Now shut up and get back here.” She tugged him close, and this time he didn’t protest when she slid her tongue between his lips. The tips of his pointed teeth grazed her, and she shivered in delight. It took only a few sensuous glides of her tongue over his for him to catch on, and soon they were meshed and panting, their bodies tightly pressed, his impressive erection a hard bulge against her lower belly.

His hands roved from her not-so-tiny waist to her plentiful ass, gripping the rounded cheeks and squeezing. A moan escaped her. She rubbed herself against him, practically purring in delight. It had been a while since she’d fumbled in the backseat of Jeremy’s car. And those inexperienced trysts held nothing to the fire currently lighting all her nerve endings.

“I thought you weren’t planning to breed him?” Zista rudely interrupted, Betty’s avian companion sneaking up on them on silent feet. “Did you want me to fetch the cuffs?”

Dazed, it took Betty a moment to realize they had an audience then a second to wish she had a gun to kill her. She drew away from Dyre and his wicked mouth. “Your timing sucks, big sister.”

“I could leave and return if you wish to finish.”

“If you wouldn’t mind,” Dyre stated, his eyes smoldering with passion.

Unfortunately for him, the interruption helped Betty to regain her wits.
This is such a bad idea.
Exactly why, she couldn’t have said, not when her body screamed
More!
But she was sure when she had a chance to think about it, she could list a few reasons why they needed to stop, starting with … Yeah, she’d have to work on that list later when he wasn’t so close, muddling her thought process.

Taking a few steps away, she took in a shuddering breath then another. “So, this Obsidian Galaxy place. How far is it? And what can we expect to find there?”

She ignored the flash of disappointment in his eyes. It didn’t last long. A speculative gleam replaced it. As for the wicked grin on his lips that promised more for later? An all-body shiver shook her.

She hugged her plump body and plopped herself in the first seat she could find.

“According to my computer, it will take around seven Earth rotational days to get there.”

“A week?” A week of hanging out with his tempting purple body?
I might need those cuffs after all
… to keep her chained away from him.

“Once there, we will barter for the goods you need for your Zonian planet.”

“A sound plan,” Zista said, bobbing her beak.

Not really. Once they got the stuff, they’d have to return home, and Betty wasn’t ready to go back to the nest and the gaggle of females there.

The Zonian race was matriarchal, which meant no boys. Not to say their species didn’t have males, they just weren’t allowed to live in the compounds the females established. On the contrary, the males lived in the wilds and were chased down, tied down, and ravished for their seed by Zonians deemed ready to breed.

It was a barbaric custom, and yet, both sides seemed content with the arrangement, or so a male told her when she came across one accidentally on a hunt. Weird people. But she did love them.

The Zonians had given Betty and the other orphaned girls kidnapped by alien slavers a home and a future, one that didn’t involve a brothel or auction—as a servant, whore, or meal.

Problem was, Betty longed for more than life in a village among cackling hens. She wanted adventure. Maybe even a little love. Or at least some hanky-panky. Not the breeding kind like the Zonians insisted on, just some skin-to-skin, panting, and orgasmic fun.