If he was lucky.
"I must return to my ship and care for my mate.
She has exhausted herself in her search for her
brother." He looked to the other young males who
were not quite Hienial and not quite human. "Kill
those who are pure evil. Leave those who still
have consciences to my mate. Once she has rested
she will insist on bringing them back from the hell
the Hienials introduced them to."
Damir stepped forward and nodded. Helping
the boy to his feet, he and Kaylen flanked him.
"We will watch over them but those she has not
touched will remain in strong confinement. The
others will be taken to guest rooms under guard
until we can determine whether to trust them or
until you take them from here."
"That is fair enough. I will send some of my
men down to help if you wish." He shifted Kiri in
his arms, brushing his lips over her pale cheek.
"You will excuse me to care for my mate. She is in
need of attention." He turned with a nod and
strode back to the transport.
Stepping on a Transport pad, he nodded to the
technician and they were instantly transported
back to the Revenge.
After barking orders to his crew for food and
medical supplies, he carried her to his chamber.
He felt the need to wash the Hienial taint from her
mind and body. When she sifted through her
brother's mind, he felt the oily taint of evil. The
unclean thoughts that made her feel dirty.
Since she was too weak to bath herself, he
would bathe her. It would kill him to be so close to
her, touching, even stroking her naked body, but
he would do it. He felt her need to wash the
Hienial taint from her body. She needed to be clean
or she would slowly go mad.
He pushed the silky red locks back from her
face and kissed her forehead. Her body may be
exhausted, but her mind raced as he held her. Her
heart sped up when he placed her on the bed.
Leaving her for just a moment, he hurried to the
bathing chamber to run the water into the large,
deep tub. Her heart beat faster when he removed
her clothing, picked her up and carried her into
the bathroom.
Kicking off his boots, he stepped into the tub
and sat on the wide ledge, still holding her in his
lap. Her eyelids fluttered, she turned her head and
licked her dry lips. "I--I thought..." the words
were barely a whisper.
"I am your mate, Kiri. I will never force you to
do anything you do not wish to do. Even now,
you know you want this. You would rather be
here, naked in my arms as I wash you, than to
endure another moment of feeling the Hienial filth
upon your flesh."
Drace began to wash her body. Starting at her
scalp, he washed and rinsed her hair before
moving lower. It nearly killed him to move the
cloth over her full breasts, down over her flat
stomach to delve into the secret recesses of her
most private places.
He closed his eyes, trying not to imagine how it
would be to caress her there, move his fingers over
her hardened nipples, circle her clit with his
tongue as he drank the nectar of her body from
between her legs. Suppressing a groan, he stood
with her still in his arms and exited the tub. Sitting
her on the wide edge that surrounded the frosted
illumi-glass, he dried her with a thick towel, even
going so far as to gently comb the knots from her
long hair.
She looked up at him as she moved to sit on her
own. "I'm feeling a bit better now." She blushed.
Her already pink skin from the warm bath grew
even redder as she struggled to take the towel and
cover herself. "I can dry myself now."
He held her hands for a moment and she
looked up into his eyes. Her tongue trailed slowly
over her lower lip and his cock jerked in his wet
trews. He'd been a fool to get into that tub with
her. He would have been a fool not to.
"You're still weak. Allow me to help you."
She shook her head. "I'm fine. Please, let me
dry myself."
Releasing the towel, he stood and walked away
from her. "I'll be just on the other side of the door
if you need me, just call."
He'd no sooner closed the door, than she called
him back into the room. "Drace, I--I"
He opened the door and found her standing in
the room, her towel wrapped securely around her.
He rushed back to her before her legs gave out
again. "Yes?" He cupped her face and gazed into
her eyes.
Her face reddened and she dropped her gaze to
her feet. "What does it feel like to--to kiss
someone?"
Drace swallowed thickly. He could smell her
arousal and her fear. He couldn't believe that a
woman as beautiful as his mate had never been
kissed. He was speechless for a moment. As many
times as those animals had forced her to their will,
in her heart, Kiri was still a virgin.
Leaning down, he cupped her cheek and gently
pressed his lips against hers.
* * * *
Drace's tongue slowly traced her bottom lip before
delving into her mouth. She moaned, unable to
hide her response from him. What was wrong
with her? She'd only just escaped the Hienials.
How could he make her want him so soon, after
what she suffered at the hands of her enemy?
He pulled away to nip at her bottom lip, forcing
her attention back to him. She opened her mouth
wider, frantically tangling her tongue with his;
desperate for more but unsure if she could go
through with it. But, this--kissing Drace she could
definitely handle. They were both breathing hard
when he pulled back. He reached for one of her
hands and drew it toward his erection, pressing it
there as it throbbed. She whimpered. Could she?
Could she make love to him? She just didn't
know.
Drace met her gaze, he lowered his head ever
so slowly then covered her lips with his, but this
time he took a little bit more control, forcing her
hand to stroke his cock through his still damp
pants. Why wasn't she screaming at him to leave
her alone? Why was she allowing this to continue?
As his tongue mated with hers, his big body
shuddered. She could feel his pleasure, his
happiness that she hadn't pulled away. Kiri
groaned, desperate to feel more of their bodies
touching, desperate for relief even knowing that
he was so much bigger than she and that if he
chose he could use his greater size to hurt her. If
she were honest with herself, deep down she
knew he'd never purposely harm her. It just
wasn't part of his makeup. He didn't have the
cruelty or the evil inside him that the Banarts and
Hienials did. She knew he didn't.
He
pulled away again, his face tight with need,
his eyes dilated. "Make a decision, mi ama."
She cocked her head, licking the taste of him
from her lips. He'd called her that before. "What
does mi ama mean?"
It means `my precious' or `my beloved'. It is
what my father called my mother and what I
dreamed I'd one day call my mate. Will you mate
with me, Kiri? Will you allow me to be a father to
Ryo and any other children we may be blessed
with?"
Kiri lowered her head again, stepped back and
turned away from Drace. She could feel his
whirling emotions but anger wasn't one of them.
He truly believed they were mates and she could
feel his determination to wait if that was her
decision.
She shivered knowing that as soon as she made
her choice she wouldn't be able to change her
mind. Not only would it be cruel to Drace, but she
knew her own body's urgent demands wouldn't
allow her to back out. Her body might ache for
Drace, her pussy weep with want, but her mind
rebelled warning her to run as fast as she could if
she wanted to remain free.
moved in, closer, closer until his body pressed
against hers, his arms wrapping around her. She
could feel his heart beating against her cheek and
knew she couldn't deny him, deny the mating or
the bond growing between them. His mouth
dipped, covered hers in a kiss that burned away
all thought of fleeing from her mind.
Kiri whimpered and rubbed against his front.
She could feel his steely erection pulse against her
belly and she trembled. He must have been as
desperate as she for the feel of skin-on-skin as his
trembling hands quickly opened her shirt and
breast bindings.
As he continued to kiss her, his fingers drifted
across her nipples, once, twice feathering across
the hardened peaks before squeezing them in time
to the dueling thrusts of his tongue. Panting,
Drace pulled away and lowered his hands.
She glanced up, looked into his eyes. The feral
hunger she saw there made her shiver. He stood
so straight and tall, his hands fisted and clenched
at his sides, leaving the next step completely up to
her. Would she go to him, mate with him or
would she walk away? He truly was leaving the
decision up to her. So, what was she going to do?
Kiri licked her lips then nodded. "Yes, I--I will
mate with you." She felt his hands on her hips
tugging her closer. As he kissed her neck and
nuzzled his way up to her ear, she closed her eyes,
just wallowing in the delicious sensations wrought
by his touch.
"Please, Kiri. Tell me what you want. What do
you want me to do, mi ama?"
"I want you more than I have ever wanted any
man. I want...I want you to make love to me like
you mean it. Like it means something to you other
than making a child with me, Drace."
Just like that, she was in his arms and he was
standing her beside the bed. With shaking fingers,
he carefully loosened her bath sheet. As the towel
hit the floor, his eyes lit up and he gave a
rumbling purr. The pleased sound of her Lioni
mate made her nipples tighten. She knew she
blushed when he focused on her breasts heat
burned her cheeks and she fought the urge to
cover herself with her hands.
"Mi ama, you are so beautiful. A feast for a
starving man. Fury will be so pleased when he
sees you, when he too gets to make love to you. I
can't wait to share you with him but first, you are
mine. Mine to have, mine to hold, and mine to
please." He dipped his head, rubbing his face over
her breasts and neck. "Let me please you."
Without realizing how, Kiri found herself on
her back on the huge bed that seemed big enough
to sleep a small village. She watched, her eyes
hooded as Drace stood above her and peeled his
still wet grey uniform pants from his waist and
legs. When he revealed the size of his cock, she
gasped. He was huge, swollen. As thick as he was,
how would he ever fit inside her without tearing
her asunder? She licked her lips, as a new wave of
indecision flooded her mind. She didn't see any
way it could possibly fit. Immense disappointment
washed over her where just a moment before fear
reigned. Would she always fear this? Would it be
the same with Fury? For the first time in years a
male was kind to her, felt for her and worried
about her needs above his own. She wanted--
no--she needed to be everything they thought her
to be. This was a chance at happiness she never
dreamed to have while in the cruel clutches of the
slavers.
Drace started to kiss her. They were slow
nibbling kisses. His mouth and lips moved across
her lips and jaw, traveling down her neck until he
finally reached her trembling breasts. He brushed
the sides of her breasts with his thumbs, watching
her nipples tighten as his hand moved lower,
trailing his fingers down to her hips. Finally, his
lips made their way to the nipples he had seemed
to overlook and she groaned with fiery need when
he latched on to the tip with his teeth. The tip was
even tighter bud then sucked it deeply into his
mouth, while using his other hand to give the
same attention to her other breast. When its twin
also stood at rigid attention, he let go of the nipple
he'd suckled to move to the other. Only when both
of her nipples were red and swollen and hard as
talia stones did he lift his head away from her
chest to look into her eyes.
Kiri arched her back, moaning with need. She
longed to bury her fingers in his hair and drag
him back to her chest. Demand he give her turgid
nipples more attention. A fire burned in her
middle. It was a sensation she'd never experienced
before now. It pleased her, making her want more.
Need more from this man. How? How could
something that had always been so painful,
something she'd always feared before have her
writhing in such desperate need now? By the Lady
Goddess, this was unlike anything she'd ever
imagined it could be. She'd felt Drace's pull on her
nipples all the way to her pussy, her clit. Cream
now dripped from her center to the bedding
beneath her. She writhed on the bed unsure of
what she wanted from him. Her mind whirled
with need, with a desire she never thought
possible. Her body writhed on the bedding
beneath them like a wanton and she knew she
would go mad if he didn't do something soon.
Kiri felt his hard cock pressed against her hip
and knew his need was at least as great as her
own. She realized with another moan that she was
rubbing her pussy against his thigh. She smeared
her body's juices along his leg. Like the great cat
he was, Drace purred in reaction. "Yes, mi ama.
Just like that. I love it when you rub yourself
against me, marking me with your woman's
cream." He swiftly rolled on top of her, lifted her
legs over his arms and spread her even wider.
Then, before the fear could return, before she
could even think to protest, with one long, slow
thrust, he buried his shaft deep inside her.
He slowly withdrew and returned, getting her
used to the invasion of his large cock before he
began to pound into her in long, sure strokes. It
felt like her body flew into a million directions,
fragmenting into thousands, millions, of prisms of
light as the pleasure-pain of her first male given
orgasm consumed her. She saw bright flashes of
color as wave after wave of pleasure filled her just
before the dizziness of her sexual exhaustion
became overwhelming. She squeezed her eyes
shut, no longer able to bear the exquisite
sensations.
Above her, Drace groaned. Her name spilled
from his lips. The love she heard in his voice, felt
in his kiss as he pressed his lips against hers filled
her with an elation she never thought possible.
She could feel the pulse of his shaft as his seed
bathed her womb and he collapsed over her,
resting his weight on his elbows, careful not to
crush her. Tears filled her eyes at his gentle loving
and she blinked them away. She would not hurt
him by making him think she had not enjoyed
their lovemaking.
* * * *
Fury stood in the doorway and watched, unable to
feel anything but joy as Drace and Kiri finished
their coupling. There was never any room for
jealousy through the bond he held with his old
friend. He loved him as a brother, perhaps even
more so. He could only be happy that Drace had
managed to bring Kiri to trust him enough to give
her the pleasure she so deserved. He'd known
through his bond with Drace what he would find
when he entered the room. He couldn't have
stayed away even if that was his desire. He
needed to see his mate receive her first bit of
sexual pleasure. Needed to know if it couldn't be
him giving her such mind-numbing delight, at
least his bond mate was the one given the honor.
When they'd returned to the ship, he had