Warlord Reunited: 3 (Barbarian Claims) (5 page)

“Nothing will change between us. I’ll still be a weak human, unworthy of a great Chamele Warlord,” Ellie said softly.

The worlds shifted under Berke’s knees, the magnitude of his blunder hitting him. “Is that what you think?” He stared at his beautiful, clever, brave female. “That you’re unworthy?” She turned her head away from him but not before he saw her pain. “Ellie.” He buried his face in her lap, inhaling her delectable scent. “You’re worthy, too worthy. You’re irreplaceable, Ellie.”

“You said bonding with me was a mistake.”

“Bonding was a mistake,” Berke explained, wishing he could take back those words, words spoken out of shock at what he’d done, how he’d put her, his everything, at risk. “It exposes.” He waved his right hand, unable to label the raw, intense emotions he felt for Ellie. “And it puts you in danger. Tolui could target you to get to me.”

“Khan and Murad—”

“Were right,” he muttered against her leg. “I know nothing about human females.” She stiffened. “Any females,” he hastily corrected. “Not that you’re any female.” He raised his head and met her bemused gaze. “I’d do anything to protect you, Ellie. That’s why I sent you away.”

“Because protecting me is your duty.” She pushed a strand of hair away from his face, her touch light and loving and some of the tension inside of Berke eased.

“Because you’re my
gerel
,” he murmured. Ellie was more important to him than duty or even honor. “When I defeat Tolui and battle his army, it will be for you.”

“We’ll defeat Tolui together.” Ellie captured his face between her hands, her fingertips coarse, her hands belonging to a warrior female. “And there won’t be any more battles. My plan will work.”

Could we defeat Tolui together?
Berke leaned his forehead against Ellie’s, their noses touching, her breath teasing his lips.
Can I risk her to win this war? If she died…
“No. I can’t lose you, Ellie.”

“I’m not as fragile as you think I am.” She petted his head, smoothing his long hair, her caresses soothing him. “Before I met you, I was the best bounty hunter credits could buy.”

And I forced her to give that up.
Berke straightened. “All I wanted to do was keep you safe.” He lifted her, slipped into the captain’s chair and settled her on his lap, relishing her slight weight, how her ass nestled against his hard groin. “You’re my light, my treasure, my reason for being.”

“And all I wanted was to stand by your side,” Ellie whispered. “In battle or in peace. I’ll assist you, Warlord. Haven’t I already proven that with the clone detector?”

The clone detector could end the war.
Berke propped his chin on the curve of her shoulder. Ellie’s curls teased his cheek, soft yet strong, as alive and as contradictory as his female.

They watched the distant stars blur in the viewscreen, the constellations as familiar as his own hands, a symbol of all that he fought to protect.

No, not all that I fight for.
Berke flattened his palms against Ellie’s stomach.
All she wants is to stand by my side.
He took a deep breath and asked, “What is your plan?”

Ellie swung her legs to the side, her pert ass perched on one of his thighs and she gazed at him, studying his face. Berke didn’t know what she looked for. “My plan is your original plan except instead of Zeta trading Khan to Tolui for credits, I’m trading you.”

Berke frowned, thinking of reasons to discard the plan, not wanting his reckless female to be anywhere near his enemy. “Tolui will send a clone.”

“Which I will detect and reject.” Ellie grinned, flashing white teeth, the sparkle returning to her eyes.

“He’ll blow up the ship,” Berke countered, unwilling to take any chances with his
gerel
.

Ellie made a rude noise with her lips. “You’ve been fighting forever. He’ll want the satisfaction of killing you himself. That was Tolui on Chamele 1.” She trembled and Berke tightened his grip on her, seeking to ease her fear. “The rage I felt radiating from him couldn’t have been copied.”

“He could have killed you while in that rage.” Berke glared at the mark on her cheek, wishing to kill Tolui for that affront alone.

“But he didn’t kill me.” Ellie pressed an index finger against his lips. “Because I’m good and because he thinks we’re on the same side. He thought I was there to kill you. He still thinks that.”

Berke nipped her fingertip, tasting salt and female. “You’re good but not invincible and you don’t know what that clone-lover thinks.”

“Is it that bad that he loves clones?” Ellie caressed Berke’s nipples, swirling her fingers over the flat flesh, the stimulation hardening his cock. “I’ve met clones. They’re not that different from you or me.”

“According to Tolui, they’re superior.” Berke scowled, negotiating with the rebel an exercise in frustration, his demand for a clone-governed system ridiculous. “He has enhanced his manufactured warriors to benefit his own purposes, uncaring of the consequences, and he’d have Chameles serve these creations of his.”

“You? Serve?” Ellie laughed. “Never.”

“I only serve you.” Berke wedged his hands between her thighs, spreading her legs wider, opening her to him. “My
gerel
.” He stroked his fingers over her mons, her heat, her wetness seeping through the fabric of her blue flight suit. “I long to please you, Ellie.” He nuzzled against her neck, mouthing over her skin, wishing to give her ecstasy to offset the agony he’d caused.

“We’re on the bridge of my ship.” Ellie’s voice lowered to a sexy huskiness, her protest adorably feeble. “If someone hailed us, they’d see.”

“What would they see?” Berke extended his claws and raked them over Ellie’s flight suit, shredding the garment into strips, revealing pale skin, pink nipples, a triangle of short brown curls. “They’d see a Chamele
Warlord paying homage to his small human female.” He retracted his claws, not trusting his already frayed control, and he traced the scar on her neck with his tongue, licked over her collarbone, dragged his mouth lower to her succulent curves. “The female he will always desire.”

She arched her back, lifting her breasts. “Show me how much you want me.” Ellie held his head as he fastened his lips to her right nipple, sucking that intriguing combination of soft tautness into his mouth.

Berke feasted upon his mate’s slender form, thoughts of Tolui and clones and battles fading, his world narrowing to Ellie, her pleasure, her desire. He drew as much of her breast as he could into his mouth, applying a constant pressure, twirling his tongue around her nipple, playing her body as only he could, with tenderness, devotion.

“Berke.” She writhed over his thighs, rubbing her bare ass into his leg coverings, branding the leather with her scent of her skin.

“I’m honoring you with my mouth, with my body.” He caught her nipple between his lips and pulled, elongating the delicate tip. Ellie whimpered, that quiet sound of surrender exciting Berke. He released her nipple and skimmed his teeth over her ivory skin to torment her left breast.

“I’m worshipping you, my little bounty hunter, my reckless warrior.” He laved her with the flat of his tongue, swirling the tip over her nipple, and Ellie dug her fingernails into his scalp, the pain stimulating. He raised his gaze, meeting hers, and threw his habitual caution to the wild Chamele winds. “The only female I want fighting by my side.”

Ellie inhaled sharply, her response pushing her breast against his mouth, and Berke sucked on that decadent curve, accepting all of her, accepting fate. They were meant to be together, on her ship’s bridge, in his sleeping chambers, on the bloody battlefield.

Berke tugged and released, tugged and released, drawing moans from deep within Ellie’s throat. He’d protect her, kill for her, die for her. She stroked her trembling fingers over the ridge in his leg coverings, torturing him with her touch.

“Rut on me, Ellie.” He unfastened his leg coverings with a vicious yank, tearing the leather, and he lifted her. She wrapped her hands around his cock, positioned him at her entrance, her heat engulfing him, her wetness coating his tip, and she lowered on him, taking him inside her hot, tight body.

“Good.” Berke’s eyes rolled back in his head as she continued her leisurely descent. “But too slow.” He pulled her downward, digging his fingertips into her hips.

Ellie growled, sounding more adorable than fierce, and she clung to his shoulders, offering a feeble resistance Berke easily overcame. He drew her fully down him, her pussy lips touching his base, and her inner walls squeezing his bonding ridge.

“Better.” Berke loosened his grip, content to be inside his female, the connection between them humming.

“For you.” She swatted his chest, the smack of skin against skin loud, the contact heating his flesh. “I had my own plans.”

“Which were to torture me.” Berke squeezed Ellie’s glorious ass and regretted the action instantly, her pussy walls constricting around him, tempting him to spill his seed. “You push me too far,
gerel
.”

“You need to be pushed,” Ellie huffed, her eyes glittering and her cheeks flushed pink. “You’re too rigid, Warlord.” She rose on her knees, the delectable slide testing Berke’s restraint, and she fell down on him, taking his cock even deeper.

“You’ll soon take care of my rigidity.” He gritted his teeth as she rocked, her breasts swaying against his chest, her nipples grazing his skin. Her long, brown curls tumbled over her back, the tendrils teasing his fingers.

“If I can.” Ellie shifted, her rutting shallow and her rhythm unruly. “I need longer legs.” Her face twisted with frustration.

“You
are
small.” Berke suppressed a grin, feeling young and carefree, a warrior without the responsibilities of a planet, a people.

Ellie narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re not helping.” She stilled, allowing him to regain some of his control.

“You’re a strong female.” He met her gaze. “Ask for what you need.”

“I
am
a strong female and I’ll take what I need.” Ellie clutched his shoulders and pulled her body upward. Berke’s cock glided along her inner walls, encased in her wet heat. She paused with only his cock head remaining inside her, holding the control-stripping pose for five long heartbeats and then she let go, impaling herself on his shaft, her ass slapping against his thighs, her juices splattering his balls.

“Yes, take what you need,” Berke rumbled, impressed with his
gerel
’s strength and with her ingenuity. He cupped her ass, lifting her. “Rut on me.” He released her and she shrieked, grabbing his arms to slow her decent, squeezing her pussy around his cock.

“You’re killing me,” he groaned, assisting her yet again, unable, unwilling to stop the torment, to deny her. She raked her nails along his skin, leaving a stinging trail of red, the pain adding to his pleasure.

She touched his base and he drove his hips upward, pushing deeper, grunting with effort, needing to please Ellie, to shred her control as she shredded his. She held on to his arms, gripping him with her rough fingers, her lips parting in a gasp.

Berke captured her mouth, muffling the sound, tasting the spice of their evening rations, the meal eaten on the bridge as they both worked, together, side by side. She ran her calloused hands along his arms, across his shoulders and clasped his nape, tangling her fingers in his hair, her tongue stroking between his lips, her desire feeding Berke’s.

He slid her up and down his shaft, faster and faster, swallowing her pants, savoring her heat, her wetness. Her legs trembled and her pussy tightened around him, her passion as unstoppable as she was.

Berke rutted into her with a fierce determination, seeking to satisfy her, to bring her to fulfillment first. Ellie arched her back, pushing her breasts into his chest, and he held her to him, perspiration dripping between his shoulder blades, wetting the leather chair.

“Tell me what you need,” he demanded hoarsely, unable to last for much longer, his control stripped bare, his balls aching and the base of his shaft swollen.

“Smack my ass.” She tilted her hips, offering that firm, pale flesh to him. “Punish me.”

“Yes.” His cock bobbed inside her, his body agreeing with her proposal. “This is for leaving Dorian 2.” Berke slapped her ass, using a fraction of his strength, and Ellie cried out, her pussy tightening around his shaft.

“And this is for not returning to me earlier.” He heated her skin with his hand, the whack of skin meeting skin loud and arousing, driving them both closer to sexual fulfillment.

“For causing yourself unnecessary pain.” He cuffed her ass, careful not to cause lasting damage.

“For risking your life. For being reckless.” He rained playful blows down on her curves, marking her white skin. “For doubting my vow.” He rubbed the heel of his hand into the burn and she wiggled, her pussy juices soaking his shaft. “For threatening to break our bond.”

“For caring.” Tears streaked down Ellie’s cheeks.

“No.” Berke pressed his fingertips into her abused ass and she hissed. “For believing I didn’t care.” He slapped her ass with the flat of his palm and she screamed, clenching her pussy down on him, severing his control.

“Ellie,” he roared, thrusting upward, riding her orgasmic storm, finding sweet release in her willing body. He pumped hot cum into her pussy, filling her with his seed. She raked his back with her nails, punishing him as he had punished her, with passion and desire.