Prime Imperative (The Prime Chronicles Book 3) (18 page)

“Yes, you did…but it wasn’t that bad. I’m not used to conducting mental conversations and fighting off bad guys at the same time.” Her lips twisted into a slight grin. “I don’t respond well to orders.”

“And that’s the truth,” Damon grumbled. “She’s very independent.”

But she sensed with every fiber of her being, Iolyn had wanted to issue commands and take over. That it had almost killed him to hold back and merely give support from a distance as she fought for her life. And that in the future, when he was more sure of her, he’d be his usual autocratic self.

The Prime male instinct to protect one’s mate was strong and would never go away. They’d both have to compromise and adapt. They were a team now, not two separate beings.

“We’ll learn how to work together.” Iolyn swept a thumb over her lower lip, and she felt the touch all the way to her sex. “I promise to try not to take over. I can’t guarantee I’ll be successful. It goes against every instinct I have.”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them. Then it was as if he looked straight into her soul when he said, “I can’t lose you.”

Bria blinked back tears. His need for her was palpable. Her existence was essential to him—like air, water, and sustenance. She’d never been essential to anyone’s existence before. Well, she had for patients, but this was different. Not even Damon had shown this kind of emotion when he’d admitted to wanting her as his wife during their talk.

“You won’t lose me.” She leaned her face into the palm of his hand. All she wanted was to go somewhere private so they could begin their new life together. She sensed he wanted that also—very much.

But she still had a patient to care for. Later…

Later. I will hold you. Love you.

Bria shivered. She turned into his body and leaned her forehead on his chest.
I’ll look forward to all of those things…and more.

“
Gemate lubha
,” Iolyn breathed the words over her cheek before he tilted her chin to brush a kiss over her lips.

Damon hissed.

Bria, startled by the sound, turned, and looked at her brother. His eyes were filled with pain as he stared at her in Iolyn’s arms. Despite their conversation earlier that day, it would take a long time before he’d accept Iolyn as her lover, mate, and the future father of her children.

Iolyn placed his arm around her waist and squeezed. The silent support was appreciated. Her mate knew when to talk and when to shut up. Within a little over an hour of meeting her, he already anticipated her emotional needs. She hoped she’d be as supportive of his urge to protect her when it butted up against her desire to make her own decisions.

We’ll make adjustments as we go,
lubha.

Bria rubbed her cheek against his chest and inhaled his scent. It soothed her as much as his warmth and words.

“Why didn’t you just kill them?” Huw asked as he looked at the surgical laser Nadia had sterilized for Rat Bastard’s repair work. “You obviously had the upper hand at the end.”

“Huw,” Iolyn growled, “leave her alone. She doesn’t need to relive her experience to satisfy your curiosity.” He kissed the top of her head.

Bria sighed and relaxed against his strong body, letting him support her weight for just a few seconds. The paramedic had arrived and took over prepping Rat Bastard for surgery, so she had time to luxuriate in being held. It was nice having someone to lean on. She’d never had that before, never thought she needed it—not even with her family on Gliese 581C.

“But I want to know,” Huw said. “If we’re in battle, can she kill if needed?”

“Huw…” Iolyn stiffened against her. “Now is not the time for this.”

Bria stroked his chest, soothing him as he’d soothed her. “It’s okay.”

“No, it isn’t,” Iolyn whispered against her ear. “You don’t have to answer.”

“I want to answer. You all need to know.” Bria glanced at the patients in the regen beds. “I sensed the men would use my patients’ lives to force me to go with them. I couldn’t let that happen. I was relieved less-than-lethal force stopped them.” She shuddered, and Iolyn gathered her closer. She looked at Huw. “But I would’ve killed the men if I’d had no other way to stop them. Does that answer your question?”

“What about to save your own life?” Wulf asked.

Bria sensed Iolyn’s unease at her answer. He hadn’t liked that she’d stayed and endangered her own life.

She equivocated. “My life was never in danger.” She shivered, and Iolyn ran a soothing hand up and down her back. “I was worth money to them.”

Iolyn whispered against her cheek. “I’ll protect you in the future.”

“You can’t protect me from everything,” Bria protested.

“I can damn well try.” His possessive growl vibrated through his touch into her bones.

Damon cursed and left the medica.

Iolyn’s touch, his scent, his emotions combined to send a frisson of awareness down her spine and then into her sex. Her panties got wet, and her
gemate
mark burned.

Bria swallowed a low moan and fought the urge to bite his chest, right on the spot where his mark should be. A dominant-alpha-chest-thumping male had never been attractive to her before today. She’d always made it a rule to challenge and defy such male authority from the time she’d become aware she could solve her own problems.

Bria was at a loss to explain this sudden turn-about. She glanced at Nadia. The tall blonde had a wry twist to her lips. The woman winked at her and mouthed “later,” as if Nadia knew exactly what Bria’s thoughts were.

Yes, later. She’d ask Nadia, and maybe Mel and Lia, if they’d ever had the same feelings when their mates went all growling male on them.

One thing she was sure of—her response had nothing to do with logic or her past experiences with men. It must have something to do with her Prime nature and the bonding.

Sometimes, even a scientist had to accept that when it came to nature versus nurture, nature refused to be defeated. But, while this supremacy of nature was great for survival, it could play hell on personal, intimate relationships. Her life had just gotten more interesting.

Chapter 12

Starship Galanti, Iolyn’s Quarters

Iolyn paced the sitting area of his quarters like a caged animal. In a few minutes, he’d enter the bedroom, take Bria to bed, and complete the physical part of the bonding. This was what he’d longed for his whole life, right after he’d realized what the mark on his chest meant.

So…why was he hesitant about opening the door and claiming what was his?

Because, dumb ass, you’re afraid you’ll overwhelm her with your passion.

Oh, yeah, that was why.

Iolyn stopped and stared into space for a second or so, then turned and recovered his tracks for the tenth or so time. Maybe he and Bria needed to have a conversation about past sexual experience. Hers, not his.

A rumbling started low in his chest and before he could rein it in, he snarled and hissed, the sound akin to a thousand angry stinging insects. He didn’t care for the idea that Bria might have been with other males. But she’d been raised as a Terran, and Terrans dated and had sex before settling down. He understood the reality…but hated it.

And he suspected she might know something about Prime males using sex surrogates from her past conversations with Lia about Prime mating.

Damn it all. Susa.

Bria would eventually meet the sex surrogate who’d taught his brothers and him all about the sexual act. Susa knew things about him that no other knew, not even his family. But she was bound by oath never to tell, and he trusted her.

Bria would learn those things as their sexual relationship matured.

Susa was definitely in the past. Prime males were infinitely faithful once they’d completed the physical bonding.

Still, Iolyn needed to be prepared to address Bria’s concerns about his past sexual intimacy with Susa. He didn’t want Bria to be ambushed by the knowledge as Nadia had been when Huw had gone to Susa while he and Nadia had danced around their unusual bonding.

At least Bria had wanted to be with him from the moment she knew about him.

Iolyn smiled as he recalled how Bria had melted against him after her altercation in the medica. She’d taken to their telepathic connection with ease. Well, he frowned, except when she threw up those damnably strong mental walls she had. His sister-kin had them also.

Strong women. Strong mental shields. And Bria was a battle-mate just like the other two. But he never wanted to see her in battle. There would be no fighting for his
gemate
. She’d be safe and sound in a research lab on Cejuru Prime with excellent security.

The door to the bedroom swished open. He turned, and his cock grew even harder than it had been since he’d first scented Bria.

The dimmed spotlights over the bed cast an angelic glow around her tall, curvy body as she stood, framed by the doorway. Her long, dark, curly hair was clasped in a loose ponytail, exposing her graceful neck. She wore one of his workout shirts—and nothing else.

She was beautiful.

She was really here.

Iolyn swallowed hard, past the lump of emotion in his throat.

He moved his gaze down her body until it fixed on her long, bare legs. Her skin glowed from the bath oils Nadia and Mel had placed in his bathroom for Bria’s arrival. The scent floated across the space between them. She smelled of exotic jungle flowers from Cejuru Prime and her own unique musk, a sort of vanilla sweetness that made him want to lick her from top to bottom.

Without conscious thought, he closed the distance separating them. He stopped, his body so close to hers he felt the moist heat left over from her bath wafting off her skin. He inhaled and groaned low in his throat. She was aroused. Her earthy scent made his groin ache and his heart beat faster.

She wanted him! Thank the One!

And the One knew he wanted her, but how to go about it? He was a bundle of nerves. Afraid to scare her with his strong urges—his
needs
.

“The usual way?” Bria raised a delicately arched dark brow. She had a slight smile on her lips. “Or, do the Prime do sex differently?”

“No,” Iolyn’s voice came out low and husky, “the usual way works for us also.” He gently grasped her upper arms, pulled her against his body, and then kissed the top of her head. She fit him perfectly. He leaned back and smiled down at her. “With variations…at least on my part.”

“Vari-…” Bria coughed. “…variations?”

While she’d been open, accepting, and curious to this point, now he sensed nerves…and some fear. Nerves were okay. Fear wasn’t. He’d never hurt her.

Bria must’ve read the promise in his mind, and she relaxed into his hold with a little sigh.

Iolyn brushed a kiss over her lush pink lips. “I promise you’ll like my variations.” He went back for another taste of her mouth, sucking on her lower lip. “I’ll make sure of it.”

“You need to know.” Bria’s cheeks flushed a dark pink as she lowered her head and concentrated on his chest. “I’ve only had three sexual partners.”

He stiffened, a low rumble escaped his chest before he could stop it. He’d known this was a possibility, but now he knew how many. Would she think of them and compare him to them in her mind? It would kill him if she did.

Bria looked up, her eyes widened with distress. She trembled against him. She shook her head, her ponytail flinging wildly from side to side. “No…no, you don’t understand…”

Rein in the jealousy, you fool. You’re scaring her.

Bria continued, her words stumbling over one another. He’d missed some of her explanation as he tried to dowse the fires of jealousy raging through his mind and body. But when he heard her next words, he relaxed and regained control of the rampant emotions that had scared Bria.

“…only one time with each.” She let out a self-deprecating laugh. “I always thought I was defective or something. Then I found out they weren’t the right men…only you…have ever, um, made me wet…or ache…merely from scenting you…hearing you.”

She moved closer until he felt her from chest to groin, her taut, gently curved stomach trapped his erection between their bodies. Then she stroked his tightly clenched jaw with one silky soft fingertip. “Don’t be angry. I didn’t enjoy the act with any of them and often wondered what my women friends were gushing about all the time.”

“
Diew
, you’re sweet. So innocent…but then again not.” Iolyn turned her, placed one arm around her back and the other around her legs, and picked her up. “I’ll make sure you enjoy every damn second.” He brushed a kiss over her forehead. “Then you can gush to your female friends all you want.”

“Goody.” She gave him a sweetly brilliant smile and snuggled her head against his shoulder. Her warm breath raised chill bumps over his skin and caused his cock to jerk within the increasingly tight confines of his uniform pants.

Her unfettered response made him feel ten feet tall. So much so, he was fairly sure he could defeat the Antarean Fleet single-handedly.

When Bria licked the column of his throat, he inhaled sharply. His cock jerked again and spurted pre-cum. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to last long the first time, so he’d better make sure she came first.

“You taste good. Just like you smell. All male woodsy musk.” She nipped the underside of his jaw, and he shuddered. “Spicy.”

Diew
, if just her tongue and a little bite threatened to take him to his knees, he wasn’t sure he’d survive anything more intense. He’d have to remember to apologize to his brothers for teasing them about being pussy-whipped. He was fairly certain he’d be a member of that select male group by the time they reached Oz.

“Iolyn?” Bria whispered, her voice soft, filled with concern and something else…fear, again.

He touched her mind and read her worries. The last two lovers hadn’t been kind when she hadn’t responded the way they felt she should. His little
gemate
, a beautiful, strong, and intelligent woman, had no sexual confidence. Her insecurity made him want to howl, then go find the
apayebote
and beat them into the ground for hurting his mate’s tender feelings.