Leaving Earth (9 page)

Leaving Earth

by Loribelle Hunt

It molded her body, but it wasn't tight, the fabric soft and supple, cupping her breasts. She stepped back to get a better look in the mirror. It was ... okay. The outfit showcased her curves but didn't make her feel lumpy. It was actually really comfortable. She reached for the doorknob and stepped into the room. Cilia was standing by the door and smiled her approval before slipping into the restroom. Kendall walked through the small office and paused at the entry to the larger room. Daggar was surrounded by his warriors and she couldn't see him. He must have said something, because the man blocking her view stepped aside. Daggar crooked his finger, motioning her forward while continuing to listen to one of the others. She approached cautiously, unsure of what to expect and knowing he was angry to find her there. Plus he was the Overchief, king of the warriors to all intents and purposes. What did that make her? He kept insisting she was his and even that she outranked Laney here. That had to put her on at least equal footing with everyone else in the room. She tilted her chin up as she stopped next to him. He flashed a smile at her, taking her hand in his and gliding his thumb over her knuckles. Fire licked through her body at the contact and she fought it viciously. He was injured. She shouldn't want to kick everyone out and jump his bones. Thankfully, Cilia's entrance prevented her from making the demand.

Like Kendall, the other woman had showered and put on fresh clothes. She went to Daggar's other side and picking up 79

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by Loribelle Hunt

his wrist, took his pulse. Shit. Kendall should have thought of that. He distracted her too damned much.

"You need to go into the rejuvenating tank." Huh? The what?

"No," he answered, his tone implacable. She knew he wouldn't accept an argument about it.

"What is it?" Kendall asked the other woman. She nodded towards the end of the room and Kendall turned to see what looked like a glass fronted closet.

"We put him in, fill it with healing gel and it speeds up recovery."

"Let's do it then."

"No."

She turned to glare at him. His hand squeezed around hers.

"No, Kendall. What she isn't telling you is it's a minimum twelve hour stay. I won't leave you or my people unprotected that long," he said softly, but the others heard. Cilia snorted. "You know you can communicate with us in the tank."

"But I can't get
out
."

Kendall knew he would hate that, not being able to defend the people he was responsible for. She wasn't worried about that. She and Britt could take care of themselves and Laney, and there were plenty of warriors around if they needed help. But there was no mistaking his mulish expression and she felt her own exasperation rise.

Before she could argue, General Alrik Torfa stomped into the room. She'd met him once before, when he and Laney got 80

Leaving Earth

by Loribelle Hunt

married shortly before their departure from Earth. She'd thought him cold and austere. Unfeeling. But now his anger was a living, palpable thing in the air. The other warriors in the room, all except Barak Trace, backed away.

"What the fuck is going on here?" he barked at Trace.

"You're brother's an idiot, that's what," she snapped. Daggar snarled, so low she thought she was the only one who heard it. "Watch it,
der'lan
." She knew that tone and narrowed her eyes. There was no way he was pulling that dominant crap on her in a medical situation. Here she was the expert. She opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind, but snapped it shut when Laney and Britt walked in. Both women were armed, and Kendall admitted a small amount of relief over the familiar sight, Laney's gun and knife strapped to her thighs and Britt's pistol in a shoulder holster. Almost like old times. Except it
wasn't
old times. She glared at Britt who held her hands up before her in mock surrender.

"Hey, don't look at me," she said. "I don't have any more control over her than you do."

Laney just gave her that stubborn look that Kendall knew meant it was a waste of breath to argue with her. Exasperated and ready to wash her hands of both of them, she set her hands on her hips and scowled.

"Jesus H. Christ. Can't anyone follow a simple medical order?"

"No," chorused Cilia, Alrik, and Barak. Laney ignored her and turned to Barak, who was watching Britt oddly, a look of fascination mixed with something 81

Leaving Earth

by Loribelle Hunt

Kendall wanted to call fear. She dismissed the idea. This wasn't a man who was afraid of anything. "What happened?"

"Explosion," he said curtly.

"I'm getting sick of those," Laney said alluding to an event Kendall had heard about secondhand that had taken place months ago on Earth. Kendall had picked up some intelligence, but hadn't been able to get in touch with Laney so she'd arranged a meeting with Barak. He'd arrived just in time to assist Laney in repelling an attack by Delroi rebels against the Overchief, his brother Alrik, and several of their men.

Barak glanced around the room. "We should adjourn to someplace more secure."

Daggar sat up and she whirled back around to face him.

"Oh, no you don't. You're staying here in the infirmary. Where I can keep an eye on you."

His lips twisted in a smile that made her stomach drop as Alrik helped him stand and steady himself.

"Dammit, Daggar."

He shifted closer. Circling her waist with one arm and leaning into her a little, he whispered in her ear, "You're not going to win this battle. All you're doing is getting yourself in more trouble,
der'lan
."

The image he filled her mind with made her shiver and not in a bad way. Tied down. At the mercy of his tongue and hands. He stumbled a little as they left for the family quarters, and she realized with a small pang of disappointment, he wouldn't be up for that for some while.

"Don't count on it," he growled for only her to hear. 82

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He was like a grumpy bear. She smiled, almost laughed at the image, but kept the thought to herself. When they reached the family quarters, Barak stopped next to Daggar. "I want to check a few things out. I'll be back in a few hours."

"Do it," Daggar replied and they followed Alrik and Laney inside the living area. Britt had disappeared, but Kendall didn't think much of it. She could take care of herself and knowing Britt she was gathering information on the explosion. Laney would want that later. So did she for that matter. She was relieved when Alrik and Laney didn't stick around, instead going straight for the hall that led their suite. Daggar leaned more heavily against her as they walked down the other hall to his room and she worried he was expending too much energy trying to appear normal. He stopped on the side of the bed, bent his head to graze her lips lightly before sitting down hard. She shook her head, kneeling in front of him to remove his boots. She got them off and stood, nudged him so he lay down.

"You should be in the infirmary." He didn't respond and she thought he'd passed out, but when she looked up his eyes were glittering hard. Possessive and avaricious. She caught her breath and reached for the snaps on his trousers. His cocked hardened under her hand in an instant and she started to lift them away. He caught her, held her hands in his and pressed them against his erection. She pulled free, worked the snaps with clumsy movements.

"You need to rest."

"I need you." Starkly said. Impossible to resist. 83

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She helped him out of his clothes, then stood to remove hers. When she was naked, he reached out and pulled her down, arranging her limbs so that she straddled him. His cock pressed against her pelvis and she slid up so it nudged her pussy, fisted it so she could guide him inside her weeping slit. His hands closed over her lower ribcage and pulled her up.

"Not yet," he whispered, before taking one hard nipple into his mouth. He sucked it between his teeth, bit down, and she came screaming his name. The shudders wracked her body and he held her tightly, his tongue gentle now on the aroused tip, flicking the gold hoop, and building the lust between them into an impossibly tight ball of pleasure and pain. When she didn't think she could take anymore, his hands slid slowly down to her hips, gripping her as he released her nipple and met her gaze. He lowered her slowly onto his hard staff and she trembled as he entered her. Knowing he wanted her to hold back. Trying desperately to do so. But he felt so good and she knew it was a losing proposition. He smiled. "We'll worry about punishments later, hmm?" That gave her pause. What was he planning to punish her for? Coming without permission or arguing with him in public?

And did she even care? The things he could do with that flogger...

"And I will. Later,
der'lan
." He'd read her mind again, but she couldn't care, didn't care as he began to thrust inside her. She met him stroke for stroke, the pressure building, the rising pleasure so intense she thought she'd never be the same again. Sitting up straight, she rode him, let her head fall back as she came 84

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with a keening cry she barely recognized as her own. The night and day she had, the orgasms she'd had, left her depleted of energy and she was relieved to hear Daggar's roar of release moments later.

He gripped the back of her head and pulled her across his chest for a kiss that was almost savage, almost brutal, as his hot cum filled her. It finally occurred to her that they hadn't once used a condom. That should worry her, but she liked it, that there was nothing between them. It concerned her, that reckless disregard for her health or future, but not enough to keep her from sighing and rolling aside to snuggle up next to him and drift into a deep sleep.

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85

Leaving Earth

by Loribelle Hunt

When all the members of the royal family were safely secured inside their rooms, Barak retraced his steps to the council room where the explosion had taken place. It was only a matter of minutes before he realized he was being followed. Britt. That primitive part of his soul snarled.
Mine
. He smiled grimly. He didn't know what she was up to, but she didn't have a fucking clue who or what she was dealing with. He considered stopping, confronting her and sending her back to her quarters, but dismissed the idea. Like Laney and Kendall Marks, so to be Torfa, it would be damned near impossible to make this woman follow orders. His heart rate kicked up. He wanted to be the one she obeyed, the one who could control that mile wide independent streak. Not that Alrik or Daggar seemed to be having much luck in that department. Earth women. He couldn't figure them out. Why couldn't they be nice and normal and biddable like Delroi women? Why couldn't they see their men were only trying to protect them the best way they knew how?

Refusing to acknowledge, even to himself, that not all Delroi women were so obedient, he entered the rubble-strewn room. On feet so quiet he didn't hear her, Britt followed him in. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, listened. She was good. He felt no surge of psychic energy this time, as if she knew he could feel it even though he didn't share her gifts. If he weren't connected to her, if he didn't sense her when she was close, he would have missed her presence. Did 86

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she distract him so much he lost focus or was she that good?

Neither scenario was acceptable.

Opening his eyes, he turned his head to watch her, drinking in the sight of her compact curvy body wandering the room, the quiet cat-like glide as she moved. Perfect profile, striking eyes. His cock had been hard since he'd seen her yesterday and demanded attention. He struggled against his instincts and knew he was screwed. He wouldn't be able to stay near her and resist claiming her for very long. He promised himself he'd only stay in the Palace, in the city long enough to deal with this explosion. Then he'd leave. His chest restricted painfully at the thought, but he knew it was for the best. His past would catch up with him. It was too dangerous to keep her. The knowledge completely pissed him off.

"Why are you here?" he snapped. She shrugged, nonchalant, as unaffected by his presence as he was distracted by hers. It made him even angrier. She was his
der'lan
. How could she ignore him? How could she not feel what he felt?

"I know a thing or two about bombs," she said. "Maybe I can help."

Eyes narrowed, he watched her walk around the room, kneel and shift through rubble before standing and walking to the wall behind Daggar's chair. Most of it was gone, exposing a large hole.

"Point of origin," she said, turning from it to study what was left of the layout of the room. "Daggar sat here?" Barak clenched his jaw, part of him refusing to believe she could have anything to do with this. But the other part was a 87

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suspicious son of a bitch, and she was Earth's best spy. One of her best assassins, too.

She chuckled, met his gaze across the room. "You don't trust me. I don't blame you. I wouldn't trust me either, General Trace. Or should I call you Spymaster?" Laney must have told her. Another thing to add to the list of things pissing him off today. Did he say something or could she read him that well? Britt shook her head.

"Not Laney. Did you really think I wouldn't find out you'd accessed my file?" She shrugged. "Doesn't matter. I would have done the same if I had the contacts." She took a deep breath before frowning and kneeling down, shifting rubble at her feet. "I'm not here to spy on you." Gods, he wanted to believe that, but she was too damned good. He almost missed seeing her slip something into her pocket. Standing, she faced him again and spoke before he could call her on it.

"And I don't plan to be here long either. I did my own research before I came, heard some pretty damned disturbing things about you Delroi males." She gave him a probing look and her psychic energy flared through the room. He was careful to keep his face and mind blank. It passed and she picked her way through the rubble until she stood only a couple of feet in front of him. "Things I'm inclined to believe since our arrival, about Delroi men having the ability to mentally bond with a woman whether she wants to or not." It was definitely a probing question, but he didn't respond. What could he say? He certainly wasn't giving her the truth, not right now or under the current circumstances. 88