Stealing Mercury (Arena Dogs Book 1) (40 page)

Samantha frowned. “I wish I had your enthusiasm, Captain. I’m afraid this isn’t over. Not for me.”

“Not for us.” The Captain’s grin stretched into something more serious. “You aren’t alone Samantha.” The grin popped back into place. Even Pillar, that old coot, wants in on the action. Heard from him right after you left the ship. Seems he found something interesting on some symbol you asked him to look into.”

“The surrogates.” The word came out as nothing more than a breath, but Mercury heard.

He smoothed a hand along her spine and whispered back, “The Mothers.”

The Gwendella

Earth Alliance Beta Sector

2210.186

Samantha wasn’t sure how long she slept, but she woke feeling warm and safe and at peace. Knock had gotten them all safely back to the
Gwendella
. And they’d spent an uncomfortable forty-eight hours in the Captain’s Closet before the
Gwendella
had been searched and cleared to leave the port. Carn and Hera had been there too. Despite the long stint in darkness and silence, they’d come out as exhausted as ever. Hopeful but exhausted.

She’d fallen into bed and to sleep the moment they’d arrived in Mercury and Lo’s room. Lo’s heat curled along her back and her cheek pressed against Mercury’s broad chest. The steady rise and fall created a sense of intimacy she’d never expected to have. It spoke not of sex, but of the day-in, day-out constancy of love.

Mercury loved her.

He’d been willing to risk his life, Lo’s life, to protect her. She’d known he had no lack of courage, but she hadn’t understood the truth—that his willingness to risk came not from courage but from love. He’d loved his brothers then and now he loved her, too. She should have seen it earlier, but the miracle of it hadn’t been able to penetrate the barrier she kept around her heart. Not until she’d met his eyes through that fence.

She traced her fingers over the ridges of his abdominal muscles, circled his belly button, delighted in the ripples of reaction.

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head as his hand stroked over her shoulder. “Welcome back,
courra
.”

“Did I go somewhere?”

His hand tightened, then traced down to circle her wrist and bring it to his lips. “Don’t ever leave me, Samantha.” Worry and fear deepened his voice.

She reached up to frame his face. “I won’t.”

“Lo is here. You’re in our cabin.”

“I know. It’s fine. I should never have tried to hide how I feel about you from the crew.” Her voice shook. “How I feel about you both.”

“Tell me how you feel,
courra
. Let me hear it.”

 “I love you.”

He smiled, all dangerous teeth, and it filled her heart with happiness. He pressed his lips to hers and they took their time enjoying the simple pleasure of kisses.

When the kisses tapered away, Samantha traced his lips with her finger. “I’ll love you even more if you tell me there’s a shower system somewhere close.”

His grin widened. “Built into the wall.”

“Hallelujah,” She whispered, trying not to wake Lo.

Mercury stretched beneath her and she realized he slept completely bare. She was nude too for that matter. She almost forgot how desperately she wanted to bathe. Almost.

“How did I get so lucky?” With a start she remembered the others. She looked around the room. “Carn and Hera?”

In a whisper of flowing movement, Mercury rose from the bunk and pulled her along with him. Lo sleepily edged into the warmth of the spot they’d vacated.

“The Captain gave them the quarters next to ours. They’re fine.” Mercury pressed a panel on the wall to reveal the shower. He urged her inside. “And I’m the fortunate one—to have a mate who will know how to properly adjust this temperature in this overly complex chamber.”

“Don’t tell me you were taking cold showers all the way from Haverlee to Roma.”

His silence spoke for him.

“You should have said something.”

“The cold showers proved…useful…at the time.”

A laugh bubbled up and spilled over in frothy giggles. “Well, it isn’t one of the great mysteries of life. You only have to say the temperature you want.”

“I tried that, but it still gave only freezing cold spray.”

“Probably that growly voice of yours.”

Mercury silenced her with tiny kisses scattered over her face. His lips honed in on hers, licking, nipping, clinging.

Breathless, she stated the temperature they needed and a warm steamy spray soaked them. Mercury stroked the sudsy mixture over her curves. He left no centimeter of skin unattended. She returned the favor, endlessly fascinated by the strength and warmth of his body.

When the need their touches created grew too great, he turned her and placed her hands against the wall. One hand gripped her hip while he used a foot to encourage her to widen her stance. She complied, eager to take him inside.

His other hand stroked the length of her spine, pressing her shoulders forward even as he pulled her hips back. Her palms slipped down the wall. Her heart beat faster.

At the feel of his cock against her sex, she pressed her forehead to the smooth surface between her palms. She breathed deep and pushed back to take him.

He surged forward. Their earlier touches had readied her for him. He stroked deep, his cock filling and stretching her to her limits. Her moan seemed to urge him on. He stroked harder.

She felt wild and free. His fingers stroked along her belly then dipped down to press firmly against her needy clit.

Samantha screamed.

Mercury panted against her ear, blowing hot breath across her shoulder.

Her nipples puckered.

His hips slammed against her ass and his cock jerked inside her.

 They panted together and kept each other from sliding to the floor in a puddle. Samantha let joy fill her heart—together they could accomplish anything.

Mercury wrapped his arms around the slick body of his mate and pulled her close. He should take her to the
Gwendella’s
medic to ensure her health, but that would wait, for a short time. The shower spray had long since stopped and her skin would soon chill. He loved the way her body colored when they made love. The golden glow that spread across her skin had already started to fade when he tucked a length of soft cloth around her.

Her gaze caught on Lo and pink tinge bloomed on her cheeks. The shameless Dog sat nude, the evidence of how much he’d enjoyed watching them stood stiff as he dragged a leisurely hand up and down his length. Mercury knew she hadn’t been aware when their loving had woken Lo. It had been inevitable. Their loving was rarely quiet and Mercury didn’t mind sharing his beautiful mate with his pack brother. He took pride in her generous nature.

With an approving look from him she went to Lo, but it was concern, not passion, on her face.

“Lo.” She crawled onto the bed and put her hands out palms up, waiting for him to lay his large hands in her small ones. When he complied she squeezed his fingers and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips.

Lo frowned and looked away as if he thought Samantha wouldn’t share her body with him, but Mercury knew his mate better now.

Her hand slipped free and cupped Lo’s cheek turning his face back to her. “I need to tell you, before I can...before we can...”

“Fuck,” Lo finished for her. At her blushing nod, Lo turned a questioning look to him. “You need to help her with her vocabulary.”

Mercury shrugged. “She gets me hard just fine.”

“Good point,” he agreed.

“Lo, please.” Samantha made a little frustration noise. “I need to tell you about Rachel.”

All the teasing leached out of Lo’s face. “We found her by the wall. She told us where to find you and Hera.”

“She helped me,” said Samantha. “And I think she cares for you.”

Lo spoke through a locked jaw. “She may not be an enemy to our people, but I can’t forgive what she did to me.” He covered Samantha’s hand against his cheek. “You have taught me to give up my hatred, be content with that. I am.”

Samantha pressed her forehead to Lo’s. “Okay. I wouldn’t have felt right not telling you.”

“You told me.” Lo lifted her chin and smiled. “Can we fuck now?”

She laughed. “Yes.”

Lo took her to her back in a flash of movement. Mercury leaned back against the wall and took his cock in his hand as he watched his pack brother bare Samantha’s body. Lo licked at her pussy until her belly flushed a shining gold then crawled over her and sank his cock into her slick cunt.

Mercury moved his hand on his own cock, remembering the feel of being inside her. The pleasure on her face as she gasped for breath and tossed her head, overwhelmed with pleasure, made his balls tighten.

She turned her head and smiled at him. Only his shoulders touched the wall now. His hips thrust into his grip of their own will. Her eyes lowered to his cock and her pink tongue swiped across her lip. Her sated body came back to life. He could see it in the thrust of her hips and the way she threw her head back with a strangled groan.

Lo lost his rhythm and collapsed into her arms. She pulled him close, wrapping him in her warmth.

Mercury knew he’d chosen well for his pack. His courageous mate had freed them and helped them free Carn’s mate. But more than that, she’d given them back their hope.

Samantha stroked Lo for a moment then pushed him up and sat-up alongside him. The flush of color still spread across her skin as she wrapped a length of the bed sheet around her. Lo tugged against her but stopped when she spoke.

“I have something else I have to tell you, but I’m not sure..”

Mercury moved closer and took one of her hands, twining his own around it. “You can tell us anything,
courra
.”

“I know.” She took a deep breath then released it slowly. “The medic,” she began. “She seemed to think….” Mercury’s heart suddenly beat a slow, grim march in his chest. Lo looked just as worried.

“She thought, maybe…” Samantha started again.

“Tell us, little Sam.” Lo stroked a hand along her arm.

“Uh…” Samantha’s gaze met Mercury’s. Her eyes penetrating and unblinking. “I may be pregnant.”

He stared at her, his brain frozen by her words. Could it be? Yes, of course. She’d given him everything. It was easy to believe she could somehow give him this one more impossible miracle. His lips tipped up and he suspected a smile would soon find its way onto his face. She carried his child. The happiness that gave him made him want to fuck her all over again.

When she saw his joy, she smiled then turned to Low and wrapped her hand around his jaw. “If I am pregnant…”

“The child is Mercury’s,” said Lo.

It was a reassurance, that his brother had followed their customs and taken what care he could to make sure Mercury would father his mate’s child. But Mercury knew now that Samantha had committed to them, he didn’t need to worry over such things.

“The next will be yours, brother.” His words stopped Lo and left him speechless. His mate only smiled and nodded.

She met his gaze. “I love you.” She turned back to Lo. “I love you both.”

He stalked to the bunk and tangled his hand in his mate’s hair as he kissed her. Taking her scent, the scent of his mate and his brother mingled together, into his lungs and his heart. As he released her, he ran an affectionate hand down his pack brother’s back. Together they all tumbled down onto the bed, wrapped in each other’s arms. Mercury thought he couldn’t be happier to have his mate and his brother so close, so at peace.

When they’d been in the captain’s closet, Samantha had explained that one of the resistance members had been sneaking out Dogs that had been declared dead in the arena. And the medics had implanted a sub-dermal data-slip in her arm. It would help the contact Haven, the base of the resistance. Jupiter and Senneca hadn’t died that day in the arena. With Samantha’s help they would find them, he was certain of it. She had changed everything for him and his pack. She would give him a child. The first of their kind to be born free. And she was well on her way to healing Lo’s heart.

He rubbed his cheek against hers. “I love you, Samantha Devlin, for always.”

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

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Stealing Mercury
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Charlee Allden is a long time fan of love, adventure, and happily-ever-after. She writes sexy, intense, out-of-this-world romance and is a two time winner of the On the Far Side contest, sponsored by the FF&P chapter of Romance Writers of America®. She has also won the Golden Acorn contest and been a Reveal Your Inner Vixen contest finalist. She loves to hear from readers at
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