Choosing Riley: Sarafin Warriors Book 1 (15 page)

Riley jerked into a sitting position,
fighting to drag the blankets off her head and push her wild mass
of curly hair out of her face. She scowled deeply in irritation at
Vox. She grabbed one of the blankets and dragged it around her
shoulders.

“Well, you are the stupid warriors! Go kick
them off. I am not in the mood to deal with anyone until after ten
o’clock in the morning, a good breakfast, and three pots of coffee.
You go on, I’ll follow in a bit,” she said before she started to
slide back down under the pile of blankets again. “Besides, it’s
too damn cold to fight. Tell them the heater is broken.”

“Vox, we could really use your help,” Adur
barked out. “They have breached one of the lower levels that wasn’t
sealed off.”

Vox let loose a long stream of curses. The
damn purple bastards were only a level below them. He had to get
Riley out of there now! Those bastards always kill anything that
isn’t of value. If they saw Riley, they would know she was very
valuable. They would kill everyone else to get to her.

Vox leaned over and ripped the pile of covers
off of Riley, flinging them across the room with a flick of his
wrist. His breath slammed out of him and his eyes widened as he
gazed down at where she lay glaring up at him. His throat worked up
and down as he fought to get a sound pass the lump in his throat.
His eyes glazed as he took in her lush figure in the sheer blue
lacy cloth. The front had a deep vee that went all the way down to
her softly rounded stomach. There were slits on each side that
parted leaving her legs bare and only a narrow length of the fabric
lay between her legs. His eyes roamed her full figure, noting the
darker rose color of her nipples that poked up, lifting the sheer
material and leaving very little hidden from his view. He could see
the slightly darker patch of curls between her legs.

It was official. He was an idiot. He was the
biggest, stupidest male in all the known star systems. He had
fallen into her bed, wrapped her in his arms, and slept like a baby
while she was wearing…. He swallowed again as she rolled over onto
her hands and knees in an effort to get out of the bed. His cat
went nuts. Before he even realized it, he was draped over her back
molding his groin to her ass and rubbing his pulsing cock against
the shadowed line while his hands kneaded her hips. His loud purr
rumbled through the room as he rubbed himself back and forth
against her.

“What in the hell?” Riley’s voice faded as
she looked over her shoulder at Vox’s glazed eyes. “What do you
think you are doing?” She demanded hoarsely as she felt his swollen
cock pressing against her.

“Mine!” He purred in a deep, low voice.

The door opened behind them and Lodar stuck
his head into the room. His eyes widened when he saw Riley pinned
on her hands and knees with Vox’s hands glued to her hips. From
where he was standing all he could see was creamy flesh and a hint
of sheer blue lace.

“Aw Gods, Riley,” Lodar groaned out loud.
“You are killing me! Vox, you are going to have to wait. The
Marastin Dow have broken through the first door and they are
heading this way.”

“Gods! She is gorgeous,” Cross murmured in a
low voice, peeking over Lodar’s shoulder with wide eyes at Riley’s
lush figure. He could feel his dragon sitting up and taking notice.
It was a good thing his symbiot was back on Valdier with the Hive.
If the damn thing reacted the way the man and the dragon did, Vox
might be in trouble.

Vox jerked back to the fact the alarms were
blaring around them and glared at Lodar and Cross. His eyes
narrowed when he saw the glazed look on their faces as they stared
at the sheer cloth covering Riley’s breasts as she turned and sat
down again on the bed. He stepped in front of her so he was
blocking her.

“Get out!” Vox roared in outrage.

Lodar jerked back, running into Cross, and
nodded. He turned to leave but couldn’t resist one more peek at
Riley sitting on the bed with her hair all disheveled and wearing
an outfit he would never forget for the rest of all his lives. He
shook his head and hurried out when Vox took another threatening
step toward him.

“Vox,” Cross started to say in a deep, husky
voice.

“Get out before I kill you both,” Vox
snarled.

“Just hurry,” Cross muttered before he turned
and followed Lodar with a shake of his head.

Vox turned and glared at Riley. “Get dressed.
We don’t have much time. I need to get you somewhere safe.”

Riley glared at him and pointed to the door.
“You get your happy little ass out of here and I will. I’m not
getting naked with you watching me!”

Vox growled out a warning in a low voice.
“This is not the time for modesty. Get dressed now or I will dress
you.”

Riley stood up and walked over to where she
had laid out her clothes the night before. “Turn around and I
will,” she said stubbornly putting her hands on her hips and
glaring at him.

Vox swore loudly before he turned so his back
was to her. He had to quit looking at her or neither one of them
would be dressed in another two seconds. He closed his eyes but
that only made the image of Riley standing proudly in front of him
in that damn sheer outfit with her huge, perky breasts pointing
daggers at him and her creamy flesh begging for his touch.

Drink milk,
his cat purred.

Guall’s balls,
Vox groaned forcing his
eyes open and his mind to start reciting every damn training
procedure he could remember from his youth.
If I don’t claim her
soon I’m going to explode.

“I’m ready,” Riley’s voice sounded
breathlessly behind him.

Vox turned to see Riley dressed in a long,
heavy dark green skirt, a pair of knee length black boots and a
thick white sweater. Her hair was still a mass of wild curls that
begged for him to twist his hands around the silky strands while he
fucked her until he and his cat was totally sated. He watched as
she pulled that damn huge bag that she carried everywhere over her
shoulder.

“Well, are we being invaded or not?” Riley
snapped annoyed. “I haven’t even had a chance to brush my damn
teeth. This is really pissing me off,” she said running the tip of
her tongue along the edges of her smooth, pearly white teeth.

Vox muttered the entire rite of passage
ceremony speech each Sarafin warrior was required to say before he
finally gave up and decided he needed to get her out of here before
he just said to hell with everything and fucked her. He turned with
a sharp nod and strode out of the door at the same time as a blast
flung the heavy metal door at the far end of the corridor open.

“Run!” Vox snarled as he felt the change
coming over him. “Get to the bridge!”

Riley looked at the faces of the purple
creatures swarming through the door, turned and hauled ass for the
bridge. She could hear the screams as Vox roared out and charged
into the group. Riley decided this was definitely not the way she
wanted to be woken up in the mornings. Her heart felt like it was
about to explode as she raced through the corridors and up the
short ladders until she was on the same level as the bridge. Fred
was at the top of the ladder motioning for her to hurry.

“Vox!” Riley cried out as she let Cross reach
down and pull her the rest of the way up. “Those purple people
eaters are going to get him! Someone has to help him.”

“Tor and Lodar are with him. Come up onto the
bridge,” Banu said gently as he wrapped his arm around Riley and
pulled her toward the bridge. “The damn door won’t close so we are
going to have to do what we can to keep them out.”

“Do you have a gun?” Riley asked, looking
with frightened eyes at the other men who were working frantically
on a control panel.

“Here, you can hold this one,” Banu said,
pressing one into her hands. “Don’t worry, it is not
activated.”

“Banu, I don’t think giving Riley a laser
pistol is a good idea,” Fred’s left head started to say before his
voice faded at the glare she sent him. “Riley, you know you have a
tendency to do things….” His right head decided he better not
finish the sentence when she pointed the pistol at him and
glared.

Vox, Tor, and Lodar tumbled through the open
doorway snapping and snarling. Tor and Lodar shifted back into
their two-legged form but Vox remained in his cat form. He had
blood splattered all over his coat and along his muzzle. He turned
dark eyes on Riley before he shifted.

He strode over to her, gripping her arm and
sitting her in front of the communications console. “You will sit
there and not move! Do you understand?” He snarled.

“But what if….” Riley began, pushing her hair
back behind her ear.

“No!” Vox snapped, turning to place his hands
on each side of the chair caging her in. She was forced to sit back
when he leaned forward, menacingly. “You. Will. Not. Move!”

“Well, fine!” She snapped back in
frustration. “I wouldn’t want to have to save your sorry ass
anyway!” She sniffed out indignantly.

Vox leaned forward looking deeply into
Riley’s eyes. “I will not let them take you.”

“Vox?” Titus asked as he stepped forward in
concern.

“They want Riley. We heard several of the
bastards stating she was to be captured unharmed,” Tor answered for
Vox who was still glaring at Riley.

“They have a buyer for her,” Lodar said
quietly moving to stand next to the door.

“That will explain why there are two of their
damn ships,” Adur said coolly. “They don’t normally waste two ships
on a freighter this old. Someone must have known Riley was on
it.”

Vox turned his head, finally breaking eye
contact with the stubborn female glaring at him. “When I find out
who, I am going to kill him.”

Riley rolled her eyes and released a loud
sigh. “Come on, guys. Get real! Who would want me? I’m about as
pleasant as fingernails on a chalkboard.”

Bob moved forward and looked over Vox’s
shoulder. “I would want you, Riley,” he said quietly.

Riley looked up startled, blushing. A
surprised smile curved her lips at her big, green friend’s words.
In truth, it was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her.

“You are such a sweetheart,” Riley replied
shyly. “Some Jell-O girl some day is going to be very, very lucky
when you come calling.”

“I don’t believe this!” Vox exploded as a
wave of jealousy swept through him. He looked back and forth
between Riley’s glowing face and Bob in frustration.

“Vox, I think you are going to have to wait
to tear Bob apart,” Tor said gruffly trying not to laugh at his
friend and leader’s unfortunate luck where Riley was concerned. “We
have more company heading this way.”

Vox gave Riley one more warning glance before
he pulled away. He had erupted into uncontrollable fury when he
heard the command from the Marastin Dow leading the raiding group
to get Riley. His comment that a king’s ransom worth of credits was
at stake told him that they would stop at nothing to get her. The
damn purple species lived for murder, mayhem, and credits. The only
difference between them and the Antrox was they enjoyed killing for
the sake of killing. Their young were often encouraged to try to
kill each other. The species’ philosophies were definitely survival
of the fittest. It was amazing any of them survived long enough to
grow into an adult. The adults who did survive were forced to
commit to twenty years aboard raiding ships. Life aboard was not
much better. If a position came open for advancement it was usually
due to someone murdering their commanding officer.

He, Tor, and Lodar had taken out the first
ten members of the boarding party before the others fell back to
regroup. He knew a larger wave would be involved in the next
onslaught. He rolled his shoulders, ignoring the sting from the
numerous blasts from the lasers. In his cat form, his fur was very
thick. It was almost impossible for a laser pistol to penetrate it.
Laser swords were a different matter. He had received several deep
cuts along his side as he sliced through the group that was surging
onto the lower level.

“Whatever happens, do not let them get
Riley,” Vox snarled before he shifted back into his cat form.

Riley scooted back in her seat when the huge
cat turned its tawny eyes to her. It trotted over to her, staring
at her intently. If she didn’t know better she would swear the damn
thing was challenging her! The look in its beautiful eyes was one
of amusement, desire and possession.

It’s official,
Riley thought as she
leaned forward, tilting her head to the side as she fell into the
shimmering yellow depths.
I’ve lost the last of my sanity if I
think a cat thinks I’m desirable.

Her pulse jerked as the huge head lowered to
rub its muzzle against her leg. She reached out her hand and gently
touched the thick fur. She bit her bottom lip to keep the smile
from showing when she felt the massive chest rumble with a
purr.

Leaning forward, she couldn’t help but
whisper in its twitching ear. “You are pretty cute for being a big
hairball.”

The huge cat jerked its head up and shook it
back and forth as if denying it was merely ‘cute’. Vox’s eyes
narrowed dangerously before he let his long sandpaper tongue
stretch out and run the length of Riley’s cheek drawing a startled
shriek from her. His lips pulled back, showing his long fangs as he
reacted to her outrage.

“Vox, here they come,” Tor called out looking
down the corridor as Marastin Dow poured from the upper and lower
levels.

Bob turned a pale green as he watched what
looked like hundreds but was more than likely fifty or more of the
species converged on the bridge. “I will protect Riley with my
life,” he stammered out.

“Let’s give them hell, boys!” Riley said with
false bravado as she stood up to look down the corridor at the mass
of purple flesh rushing for them. She let out a squeal when Vox
moved back over and pushed her back down into her sit
forcefully.