“You threatened to knock me out,” he teased.
“It wouldn’t have been that hard to do it,” she said with a strained laugh. “You make me laugh.”
“You sang to me,” he said.
She bit her lip and leaned forward to rest her head against his bare chest. “I love you, Edge. I was terrified when Bailey said you were dying. You make me want more out of life,” she quietly said, her voice catching on a sob. “You make me believe that love can be worth the risk.”
“Ah, my little goddess, you are the one who makes me believe. I love you, Lina. I have since you ordered me not to fucking die on you,” he murmured, rubbing his chin against her hair.
“Really?” she sniffed.
“Really,” he promised with a deep chuckle.
She leaned her head back and looked up at him. “How much time do we have before you have to meet Jag?” she asked, sliding her hands up his chest.
“As long as we want,” he vowed, bending over and picking her up in his arms.
He turned around and walked back to their bed. Laying Lina gently on the soft covers, he opened the towel covering her. Placing one knee on the bed, he leaned forward and captured her right nipple in his mouth. Her loud gasp filled the air as he sucked on the hard pebble.
He made a path down her stomach, brushing soft kisses along her ribs before reaching her hips. He slid between her legs when she opened them for him. Spreading her soft folds, he exposed the tiny nub that brought her so much pleasure. At the first swipe of his tongue, he knew a flame was ignited inside Lina.
“My Amate, today I will show you how much I love you,” he murmured.
Lina’s breath caught in her throat. A rush of feelings swept through her. Every time he touched her, she felt like she was on fire. Spreading her legs farther apart, she lifted her hands to her breasts and played with them while he tortured her clit.
“Yes. Oh, Edge, yes!” she hissed, wanting more.
Liquid heat pooled inside her and prepared the way for his fingers. She cried out when he added a third finger, stroking her while at the same time torturing her clit with his tongue and teeth until she was panting. She stiffened when the first wave of her climax hit her.
She groaned when he released her. She started to open her arms, expecting him to move up her body so he could enter her. Instead, he sat up and rolled her over until she was on her belly.
“On your knees,” he ordered, a slightly desperate note in his voice.
Still throbbing from her climax, Lina rose to her knees. He leaned forward and gripped her hip with one hand. Looking over her shoulder, she saw his hand holding his cock ready to enter her. Her eyes moved up to lock with his heated gaze.
“I want to take you hard,” he warned through gritted teeth.
“I love it hard,” she replied with a raised eyebrow. “Let me feel you, Edge.”
She got her wish. His thick, bulbous head pressed against her swollen labia. He was so aroused that she wasn’t sure he would fit at first. A guttural moan escaped her when he pushed forward, impaling her on his thick shaft. He gave her body a moment to adjust to him before he began moving.
Lina swore she could feel each stroke as if it were magnified. His cock, completely wet from her orgasm and his precum, slid along the sensitive walls of her channel. Shaking her head, she fought against another orgasm, unsure she could handle it.
Edge felt her stiffen. He released her hips in favor of her breasts and leaned over her body. The position pushed him even deeper inside her. Lina was ready to scream as he began driving into her with a force that took her breath away. She decided he must have been holding back before or the drugs must have had some impact on him because she didn’t remember him being quite so large.
The sound of their flesh smacking together drove her wild. Hot liquid coated his cock with her arousal, and she went over the precipice, locking down on him as she came again, this time harder than the first time. Her arms began to tremble, and she collapsed on the bed. She bowed her head with her ass still in the air.
Edge released her breasts to grip her hips again. She knew he was watching his cock as it slid in and out of her. It was growing larger as the blood flowed into it. The feel of his cock as he pulled it out to the tip and pushed it back inside sent her spiraling out of control.
“Edge!” she harshly cried out, gripping the covers in her hands.
“Yes, yes, yes!!!” he groaned, jerking twice before he stiffened and held her hips in a fierce, bruising grip while his cock pulsed inside her. “Oh, my goddess.”
Pulsing wave after pulsing wave locked them together. Tears burned her eyes when he leaned forward again and wrapped one strong arm around her waist. She could feel his lips against her shoulder.
“I love you, Edge,” she said in a soft, rough voice.
“Not as much as I love you, my beautiful Amate,” he murmured, easing them down onto the bed.
Chapter Thirty-Three
You’re late,” Jag said with a raised eyebrow.
“You would be too if you had someone like Lina in your arms and had also been through hell the past two years,” Edge retorted before he grimaced and ran his hands through his hair. “My apologies. It was hard to leave her side.”
“I wouldn’t be apologizing,” Thunder muttered under his breath.
Vice grinned. “I wouldn’t either,” he replied, lifting up a bottle sitting on the bar near the window. “Drink?”
“Yes,” Edge nodded with a grin.
Jag motioned for him to sit down at the oval table. He paused when he saw the fourth man sitting quietly at the far end. He studied the man, trying to guess what species he was.
“Edge, this is Dakar. He is a Kassisan. His people were kind enough to assist with your rescue,” Jag introduced.
“The invisibility cloak,” he murmured, nodding to Dakar. “Thank you for your assistance.”
“I will pass on your regards to Ambassador Ajaska,” Dakar replied in a dry tone.
“What can you tell us about what happened to you?” Jag asked.
Edge glanced around the table before picking up the glass that Vice had placed in front of him. For a moment, he was lost in thought. Taking a deep swig of the fiery liquor, he allowed it to warm his blood before he began.
“Dagger and I were on a mission when we were shot down. I was knocked unconscious. I don’t know what happened between the crash and when I woke up on an Armatrux slave ship. I assume Dagger dragged me out. For the next year and a half, I worked in various mines until a Waxian named Deppar purchased me…,” he said, relating everything he could remember, including names, places, and what was mined.
The next several hours passed quickly as Jag related what had happened to Dagger and the fact that Dagger and he had both been presumed killed in action. It was the tenacious determination of a woman named Jordan Sampson, who refused to believe Dagger was dead, that had given them hope that perhaps he had survived as well.
“Deppar wanted to know about our military operations, locations, equipment, movements of men, anything and everything. He also wanted to know where Razor, Hunter, and other leading members of the Trivator forces lived and worked,” he shared.
“What did you tell him?” Dakar asked.
Edge looked at the Kassisan. He had been silent throughout the debriefing. Now, he sat back in his chair, sliding one finger around the rim of his half-empty glass.
“To go fuck himself,” Edge replied with a hard tone.
Waxian Battle Tank Warship:
“Commander Achler,” the first officer said in a stiff tone.
Katma sat in the chair, staring out at space. Her left leg hung over the arm of the chair while she tapped the toe of her right boot against the floor. In her right hand, she held a bottle of dark green liquor that was half empty.
“What is it?” she finally replied.
“The warship should be minimally operational in less than an hour. The decks with hull breaches were sealed. Once
we are operational, we have orders to return to base,” he said.
Katma tilted her head. She was watching her first officer’s expressions change in the reflection on the bottle in her hand. She didn’t miss the two security guards who had quietly entered the room either.
“By whose order?” she asked in a deceptively calm voice.
“The Prime Ruler, Commander,” he answered.
“The Prime Ruler…. You do know that I am the mate of the Prime Ruler, do you not, First Officer Waxman?” she asked, slowly standing up and turning to face him.
Waxman’s face hardened and he nodded. “Yes, Commander. If you would please follow me, I have orders to escort you to your… quarters,” he said.
Katma raised an eyebrow. “Well, if you were ordered by the Prime Ruler, then I must obey like a good officer,” she quipped.
Waxman eyed the bottle in her hand. She could tell he was noting that it was more than half empty. Stepping around the chair, she wobbled a little before straightening. A soft giggle slipped from her lips.
“Please leave the decanter, Commander Achler. I believe you have had enough to drink,” Waxman stated.
She gave him a pouty look, sticking out her lower lip. Swinging the bottle between her fingers, she shook her head and sighed. There was no way she was going to give up a fine Raftian liquor without good cause.
“As long as there is still a drop left in this bottle, I can assure you I have not had enough. Do you know that this is the first truly fine liquor that I’ve had in over three years? Three years, Waxman. For three years, I was left to rot in a cell on our dear home planet,” she murmured, stepping closer to him.
“Commander, I must insist that you place the decanter on the floor now,” Waxman said, pulling his laser pistol from his hip and aiming it at her.
She narrowed her gaze on his face and pursed her lips. With a shrug, she bent to place the heavy glass decanter on the floor. As she expected the pistol in Waxman’s hand dipped along with her movements.
Rotating on her foot, she kicked his hand and swung around with the glass decanter. The heavy glass container struck him in the head, shattering his cheekbone and jaw while the pistol flew upward. Katma pushed her first officer into the two security guards standing behind him. She reached up and grabbed the pistol as it fell. With cold precision, she immediately fired three shots, killing Waxman and the two security guards.
Lifting the decanter to her lips, she drained it before dropping it on Waxman’s stomach. Wiping a hand across her mouth, she stepped over the three bodies and looked up and down the corridor. She had less than an hour to gather her belongings and commandeer a transport. It would take her only a fraction of that time since she had been prepared for Prymorus’s betrayal from the start.
“It is a shame that Deppar was so lousy at keeping secrets, my darling mate,” she murmured to herself as she walked down to the flight bay.
“Now, to find my other ship along with the red crystal ship which my beloved finds so interesting,” she replied, her eyes hardening.
Epilogue
Rathon: Two months later
“Hey, stranger,” Lina said, gazing at the viewscreen.
“Holy Mother… Lina?!” Tim’s shocked voice sounded strange to her after not hearing it for so long.
“Actually, it is Goddess Lina now,” she chuckled, leaning forward and staring at the image behind him. “Where in the hell are you?” she asked.
“What? Oh, Chicago. You honestly wouldn’t recognize it. The city looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. Where are you? Are you on Earth? Where in the hell have you been? What happened? Hell, are you alright?” he demanded, running both hands through his already disheveled hair. “I can’t believe you’re alive.”
Lina laughed again. “Yeah, well, neither can I nor the other gals,” she admitted with a sigh. “I’m on Rathon, the Trivator’s home world. Or, at least, I’m in orbit around it. We are heading down in a little bit. How did you get Colbert to agree to the rebuilding? You know that bastard is the one who sold me along with the other women to the blue dipstick,” she growled.
Tim grimaced. “Colbert and Badrick are both dead. They’ve been dead for a while. Destin and Sula have taken over the rebuilding, though Destin has been spending more time meeting with alien dignitaries lately. The day-to-day operations have pretty much fallen into my hands,” he admitted.
“Who is Sula?” she asked.
Tim chuckled and shook his head. “A lot has changed since you were taken, sis. Destin is married to Sula, an Usoleum Princess and Ambassador of the Alliance,” he said before his expression grew somber. “When are you coming home?” he asked.
Lina bit her lip and looked down at her wrists. She took a deep breath and looked back at the viewscreen. With a rueful grin, she lifted her arms.
“A lot has happened since I was taken,” she said with a grin. “Destin isn’t the only one who is married.”
“Holy shit! Lina… I swear, if some bastard has…,” Tim’s voice faded.
Lina knew exactly why it did when she felt Edge’s hands on her shoulders. He slid them down her arms as he stood behind her and gazed at her brother with a fierce expression. She tilted her head back and scowled up at him.
“I was just telling him,” she said with a slight pout.
“I know,” he replied, bending to brush a kiss across her lips before he straightened and looked at her brother. “If it helps, she claimed me first.”
Tim’s mouth opened and closed several times before he grunted. “Why does that not surprise me?” he dryly replied.
“Everything is good, Tim. I promise,” Lina softly assured him before she shared everything that had happened – with a few minor omissions like her getting shot.
They talked for over an hour about the different things that had happened. It felt good to talk with Tim again, but it also felt different. They had both grown and changed over the last two years.
”Will you be coming back to Earth?” he finally asked.
Lina reached up and gripped Edge’s hand when she felt his hand tighten on her shoulder. She drew comfort from his touch when he gently squeezed it. She leaned against him and smiled at her brother.
“We may come for a visit, but we will be living here. I’d like to try it. There are other humans here so I won’t be alone, and Edge was given time off to rebuild his strength. We are going to go to his home for a while. It will give us some time to rest without running for our lives,” she explained.
Tim was quiet for a few seconds. He turned when someone called his name. With a grimace, he turned back to her and gave her a look of resignation.
“I’m needed. These are the times when I really miss Destin,” he commented with an apologetic expression.
Lina shook her head. “We are about to depart as well. We can still chat. You go rebuild Chicago. I’m… I’m going to go enjoy life for a little while,” she said.
Tim’s expression softened. “If anyone deserves to enjoy life, it is you, Lina. I love you, sis. Never forget that,” he said.
Tears burned Lina’s eyes. “I love you too, big brother,” she murmured. “Talk to you soon.”
“Soon… I know…. I’m coming,” Tim shouted over his shoulder. “Love you, bye!”
Lina chuckled when the screen suddenly went dark, then quickly swiveled in her seat, wrapped her arms around Edge’s waist and burst into tears. He gently guided her to stand up and wrapped his arms around her. She shook her head, crying and laughing at the same time.
“I’m such a wuss when it comes to emotions now. It seems like every time I turn around, I’m crying,” she complained, wiping at her cheeks.
“Perhaps you should see Stitch before we leave,” he suggested, brushing her hair back from her face.
She looked at him with a surprised expression. “Why? I don’t feel sick,” she replied with a frown.
This time it was Edge who chuckled. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and a mischievous gr
in. Bending over, he whispered in her ear. Her eyes grew huge when what he said sunk in.
“No way,” she breathed, shaking her head.
“Oh, it is very possibly a way,” he teased.
Her lips parted at the thought. Pregnant? Edge thought she could be pregnant?! She frowned, trying to think when she last had her period. The days blurred, and she honestly couldn’t remember.
“Well, fuck me!” she whispered.
“With pleasure,” Edge agreed with a grin, bending over and scooping her up in his arms. “We have time.”
Three weeks later, Edge stood on the beach. A gentle breeze blew in from the ocean and the last rays of the sun were streaked across the sky. He turned around and was about to head back to the house when he saw Lina hurrying out of the door. She was tossing her shoes back into the house behind her.
With an apologetic smile, she ran across the soft, black sand toward him. He lifted his hand and grasped hers, then brushed a kiss across her lips. They both looked out at the setting sun.
“You almost missed it,” he said.
She grimaced. “Your mom called. She wanted to know if I’d like to go to the market with her tomorrow,” she said, wrapping her arm around his waist.
“Both my mother and father have fallen in love with you,” he observed with a pleased smile. “I knew they would.”
Lina snorted. “She wanted to go shopping for baby clothes. I told her I thought it was still a little early,” she replied with a dry tone.
“It is never too early,” he stated.
She shook her head. “Now you sound like your father!” she warned.
“Goddess forbid,” he replied with a fake shudder.
“Oh, look!” Lina whispered in awe.
The last rays of the sun shone over the horizon while the twin moons rose. The effect, combined with the water from the ocean, made the sunset look magical. Once again, he was glad he had followed his instincts to build his home on the island of his clan. This island oasis rose up a hundred miles off the mainland.