Damaged (Planet Alpha) (6 page)

Kyuk blinked, then surged up, grabbing Reiyn’s arms. The strength of him shocked Reiyn, and he fell back. They crashed to the deck, Kyuk’s strong body covering his. A surge of heat rushed through him, and Reiyn suddenly realized why blood oaths were forbidden among Xyran slaves, and especially amid males. Sex of all kinds was freely permitted, but blood oaths were proscribed. His cock filled, seeking the warmth of his mate. He shuddered, caught between the memory of Cori’s sweet skin against his and his blood-kin’s hard length on top of his body. He could almost sense them both inside his mind, as if they were one person. Energy rushed through him.

Kyuk shook him, hard. “Am I dead?” He shook him again, fingers tightening. “Tell me.”

“No,” Reiyn replied urgently, fighting his urge to shout. The power that filled him was almost uncontrollable. “You are not dead. We found you and revived you. The cryo-sleep did not kill you.”

Kyuk growled. “You lie. You look like Reiyn, but he is dead. He has been dead for over a decade.” He glared, skin shading toward red. “And his eyes were not such a weak brown hue.”

Reiyn couldn’t speak. Wordlessly, he reached up and plucked out his contact lenses, flicking them away. Kyuk’s face went taut. Reiyn felt his blood-kin’s spirit at the edge of his mind. Feeling him thus, after so long, sent his arousal out of control. His prick was so hard it hurt. When Kyuk’s erection nudged against his thigh, he rolled his hips. Kyuk’s eyes widened. Reiyn did it again, needing to get closer. The ache in his gums told him that his fangs had descended. When Kyuk opened his mouth, Reiyn surged up, desperate for a taste of blood—his, Kyuk’s, it didn’t matter.

Kyuk shoved him back before he could make contact, then groaned and ground down, pressing his cock down hard between their bodies. “Impossible. You are dead.”

“Not dead,” Reiyn ground out.

“What’s happening?” Cori asked.

Reiyn glanced at her. She was flushed and beautiful. She’d clearly forgotten she held a blade in her hand.

“Blood-kin,” Reiyn managed to say. Kyuk rolled them
, and suddenly Reiyn was on top. He thrust down, unable to stop himself. It had never been like this before. When they were children, they’d sworn oath to each other only a week before his mother had orchestrated his escape, and neither had been old enough to experience sexual arousal. This meeting, then, was his first experience with his blood-kin as an adult male. His hips moved of their own accord, seeking Kyuk’s heat, but even so, there was something missing: some essential piece that would truly seal their oath. He looked up. Cori’s hazel eyes gleamed like gems.

“Impossible,” Kyuk said again, but this time his voice broke and he closed his eyes, arching his spine. His mouth fell open, exposing his fangs.

“Not impossible.” Reiyn held on tighter. “Our oath is stronger than distance and time.”

Kyuk groaned and wrapped his legs around Reiyn in implicit acceptance. Reiyn glanced at Cori, knowing she needed to be part of this. Hoping she would not be disgusted or frightened. He took a risk. “Come here,” he said to her, pushing into Kyuk. It didn’t matter that they still had all their clothes on. It didn’t matter that Kyuk had just barely survived cryo-sleep, or that Cori didn’t understand what was happening. He wanted her closer, much closer.

She inched forward.

“Faster,” he demanded, grunting. The moment she was close enough to grab, he snatched her wrist and hauled her down. She fell, putting out her hands to catch herself, but Reiyn had anticipated this. He yanked her towards them. She had nowhere to go but on top of him and his blood-kin. The knife in her hand nicked Reiyn on the cheek, just enough to sting a little. Kyuk cried out the moment her palm met his neck, and suddenly power flared
among the three of them.

“Oh my God, what is that?” Cori asked, fear riding her voice. “I can feel you both in my
head.
” She made as if to pull away, but then another pulse of energy ran through the three of them and she moaned, leaning closer. “Jesus, what’s happening to me? What did you do?”

“We need your blood,” Reiyn said thickly. “To complete the bond.”

“A blood oath? Are you insane?” Cori protested, even as she licked the purple-red from Reiyn’s cheek. She shuddered, the movement undulating through Reiyn and Kyuk. She seemed to know exactly what he meant by blood-oathing.

How can she understand such a thing?
he wondered, but when Kyuk moved again, his thoughts fragmented.

“No.” Cori pushed away. “No way. I don’t know you.” She got to her feet and leaned against the bulkhead. “I don’t know
either
of you.” She gave Reiyn a look that was half-disbelief and half-despair.

“Corazon,” Reiyn said, his voice thick with the energy rolling through him. He tried to roll off Kyuk, but his limbs wouldn’t obey his mind. “You know me.”

“I will not hurt you,” Kyuk added, but she didn’t seem to hear. Reiyn watched her face close down.

“Leave me alone,” she said, stumbling out of the room.

Reiyn let her go, grief eating at his soul.

“She is right. She does not know who we are.” Kyuk coughed, still recovering from the cryo-sleep. “But now I know I am truly alive. Only blood-kin would be able to call me back from the lure of death.”

Reiyn forced himself to let go of Kyuk, rolling until he lay on the floor. The cold metal bit into his skin, but he didn’t care. “She may be right, but now, the moment to bond may never come again. No female would trust us with her blood, not after all this.”

Chapter Six

Cori huddled in a corner of the engine bay for a long time, staring at the dark fuel cell panel. She wasn’t sure what she felt anymore. Disgust? Fear?
Maybe grief
, a small voice at the back of her head murmured. She remembered being surrounded by the mental signatures of Reiyn and the alien captain, and it had been amazing.
Arousing. Everything you ever wanted.

“No,” she said aloud, wiping her eyes. “I didn’t ask for that.
They
didn’t ask. It was all an accident.” She licked her lips and took a shaky breath. “You can’t afford to freak out like this.”

She swallowed, then stood up, hands skittering over the worn metal panel behind her.
You’re stuck here with them. You can’t be running to the next room every time one of them moves.

“Okay. You can do this,” she told herself. “We just need to hide for a bit,
and then we’ll go back to Earth.”

“Cori?” Reiyn’s voice echoed from the corridor.

“Yeah, in here,” she replied, voice scratchy.

He cracked open the hatch. “Are there any food supplies on the ship?”

She blinked, not expecting that question.
He’s not going to say anything about what happened, is he?
she realized after a moment. It was just as well. She didn’t feel like putting her emotions through the wringer all over again. “I have some old military rations.”

“That will do,” he said, making no move to come into the compartment.

Get yourself together, Cori.
She rolled her head and straightened her shoulders. “How’s Kyuk?” she asked, walking toward the door.

“He will live.”

She pushed open the hatch further. Reiyn wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Fine. Let me get the food.”

He nodded sharply
, and she slid past him, heading for the storage compartment near the galley.

****

Kyuk pushed himself up again and again, breathing hard as he forced his sore muscles to move through the sequence of calisthenics. He needed to work the last of the cryo fluid out of his cells, and the only way to do that in this tight space was to go through as many motions as he could. When the hatch opened, he froze in place, still wary. He hadn’t survived this long without being cautious.

“It’s okay. It’s just me,” Cori said, stepping inside.

He let his body fall to the deck as her eyes roamed over his torso. He’d taken off everything except for his leather trousers when he’d washed up. The look on her face told him she was still angry. He had expected no less.
She is an extremely attractive female
, he thought, watching her walk into the room. His cock stirred, but he ruthlessly suppressed his urges. Now would not be a good time to approach her for sex, not so soon after the botched bonding. His instincts may be telling him that she was his ideal mate, perfect for him and Reiyn, but never would he force a woman to bond. He had one rule in his life: he would own no slaves.

“I’ve brought you some food.” Stiffly, she set a plastic package down on the mattress. To his surprise, she sat down
, too. “It’s pretty shitty food, but it’s nourishing.” She shrugged and picked at the package. “We have enough for several weeks, thankfully.”

He slowly moved closer, not wanting to startle her. “Thank you.”

She tensed, then nodded. “No problem.” She held out the package.

Kyuk took it from her gingerly. She pressed her lips together as if she wanted to say more. He waited, but she remained silent, so he tore open the plastic. The contents made his nose wrinkle.

“I know, it’s disgusting, but it’s all we have.”

He glanced at her, not sure what to say. He didn’t wish to frighten her. Reiyn clearly held her in high regard
, and Kyuk’s instincts urged him to reassure her, despite his culture’s disdain for females.

She shuddered faintly, not noticing his inner disquiet. “It’s lasagna. I think.”

“Lasagna,” he repeated, wrapping his tongue around the unfamiliar word. Sometimes English was difficult, especially with the fork in his tongue.

She grimaced. “Yeah. Well, that’s what it says on the wrapping, but I have my doubts. I usually just eat it as fast as I can so I don’t have to taste it.” She lifted a shoulder. “Sometimes it goes right down. Sometimes not.”

He inclined his head, understanding her reasoning. “Xyrans also have rations. I have consumed many in my lifetime. Thank you for the food.” He began to eat using the small plastic utensils that came with the package. He did not allow his face to change expression, even when he realized that she was entirely correct: it tasted terrible.

The woman stared at him as he wrestled with the food, then shook her head. “Yeah, tastes like shit, but what are you going to do?”

He lifted a shoulder, eating faster. She was right about that, too. Faster was better than slow.

She snorted as he swallowed with difficulty. “Good luck not choking.” She stood up and walked to the hatch.

“Thank you, Cori,” he said before she ran away. He lifted the food.

“You’re welcome.” She scooted out, but not before he saw her smile.

****

Nothing, nothing, nothing. Thank goodness for small favors,
Cori thought, flicking through the display. She’d set the sensors to do a passive sweep every four hours. An alarm would sound if the sensors caught anything, but she couldn’t help manually checking the logs. She clicked through one more section.
And still more nothing. No sign of anyone here but us.

The last thing she wanted was for the Xyrans to find them. They’d been stuck in the asteroid field for six days now
, and Kyuk had been courteous and calm the entire time. He’d managed to engage her in conversation numerous times, asking her about Earth and her work as a courier. She’d found herself opening up to him, and by extension, Reiyn, against her better judgment.
You can’t give them the silent treatment when they haven’t done anything to deserve it,
she reminded herself.

And every day Kyuk seemed both stronger, yet more relaxed. His quiet self-confidence attracted her more than she wanted to admit.
And it doesn’t hurt that he’s easy on the eyes, too,
she thought, tapping a finger on her lips. He was in incredible shape. He moved through her tiny ship with the sort of grace that spoke of how often he’d had to fight to survive. Only someone who spent a lot of time doing a great deal of strenuous physical activity had that smooth sense of movement.

Reiyn had grown more restive as the days passed, but he didn’t take his frustration out on her or Kyuk. The only reason she knew he was feeling agitated was when she’d catch him looking at her, eyes bright. She knew he remembered what they’d done up against her ship.

I know he remembers, because I can’t forget it, either
. She shook her head, shoving the memory of his skin against hers away yet again.
Just because you screwed around with him once doesn’t mean you should do it twice.
She struggled against the urge to reach out and touch him, but he wasn’t her man. He wasn’t her mate. And he hadn’t made a single move toward her since they’d rescued Kyuk. Truthfully, she had nothing to complain about, despite the close confines of the ship. Both Xyrans had been remarkably … civilized.
Maybe that’s why you’re feeling so irritated, Cori-girl. You don’t want them to be civilized.

Reiyn made an effort to keep just as quiet as his old friend. She’d watched them together a lot. They sat closer than most human men would
, and neither could seem to resist touching the other, here and there. It was always small things, like a hand on a wrist, or shoulders bumping, while they quietly spoke of their lives and what they’d done since Reiyn had escaped Xyran so many years ago. They made her uneasy. They looked like everything she’d always wanted, despite their Xyran heritage. She’d catch Reiyn watching her and have to leave the room. Kyuk wasn’t much better. She could feel his eyes tracking her whenever they were on the same side of the ship, yet they’d never had sex. Never touched each other intimately, but she could still sense him inside her psyche, like the crackle of static electricity on her skin right before a raging thunderstorm. Something would have to give, and soon, or she’d lose her mind.

If I haven’t lost it already
, she thought.

She wasn’t sure how much longer she could resist her instincts. She wanted them to stop being so damn calm and simply
… take her. Make her their mate. Take the choice out of her hands.

Damn it, stop this
, she told herself.
It isn’t fair to you or them, thinking like that. Keep your shit to yourself.

She wasn’t sure if it was the blood sharing that had her so on edge, or the fact that they weren’t acting at all like the Xyrans who’d captured and tormented her when she was a child. Neither warrior was what she
’d expected.

****

Reiyn stood outside the bridge, steeling himself. Cori had avoided speaking with him and Kyuk since the first day in the asteroid field. She’d shared her food. She’d been kind and polite, but she had not allowed him to get close to her again. She’d been skittish around his blood-kin. Kyuk told him to be patient, but he couldn’t do it anymore. She was his. She’d been his from the moment he’d put fangs to her neck that day outside the ship. And since Kyuk was his kin, she belonged to him as well. It was time she understood that.

“Cori,” he said, stepping into the bridge. He watched her shoulders go tight before she swiveled around to face him.

“Yes?” Her face was serene.

He knew she hid her true feelings. A glimmer of respect filled him. She had more control than most warriors. “Come, eat with us,” he coaxed her.

She wrinkled her brow at him. “I’m checking the logs.”

“You checked them an hour ago. There is nothing new to see.” He moved closer, bringing the hand he’d hidden behind his back into view. “I saved a turkey dinner for you.” He dangled the ration packet in front of her nose.

Her mouth twisted. “That’s my favorite.”

He lifted a shoulder. “Yes.”

“It’s the least horrible of them all, and there was only one turkey dinner left.” She narrowed her eyes. “You’re bribing me.”

“Yes,” he replied, not about to lie. Not anymore. He was done lying to her.

“What do you want?” she asked, eyes dropping to his waist.

A spark of satisfaction shot through him. He’d worn his vest open. If his bare skin was distracting her, he had more of a chance than he’d thought. “I want you to eat dinner with us.”

“Why?”

He shook his head. “Have we been anything but civilized since the rescue?”

She didn’t answer, looking away at the viewscreen.

“No, we have not. Even Xyrans can command self-control when the situation warrants it.” He tucked the ration into his pants. “You have no reason to avoid us.” He waited. He’d come to realize that she valued honesty above almost all else. Honesty and freedom. She would not let herself be a hypocrite.

“You’re right,” she finally sighed, standing up. She fidgeted with her clothes.

He didn’t smile. Didn’t move. She moved into his space and plucked the ration right out of his pocket.

“Okay. You win. Dinner it is. But don’t expect me to be cheerful.”

****

“That’s it,” Cori declared, standing up. “I can’t do this anymore.”

Reiyn glanced at Kyuk who shook his head the tiniest fraction. He had no idea what to do. He’d clamped down on his instincts so tightly his skin buzzed. She’d torn through the turkey dinner and tossed the package aside as if she were starving. Instead of calming her, the dinner seemed stress her out more.

“Cori—” he began, but she cut him off, rubbing her hands over her arms.

“No.” She slashed a hand through the air. “I don’t know what you’re going to say, but I’ve had it.” She looked to be on the verge of tears. “I can’t keep going on like this, as if nothing is happening. This isn’t just me.”

Reiyn looked to Kyuk again. His blood-kin was staring at her intently.

“What are you feeling?” Kyuk asked, his voice low.

She shivered visibly. “It’s like I have static running along my skin, all the damn time. What did you do to me?”

Kyuk raised his hands carefully. “You shared blood with Reiyn. That is no small thing.”

Her eyes went to Kyuk, and she took a deep breath. Then, to Reiyn’s shock, she seized Kyuk’s hands and gripped them tightly.

“You’ve been totally calm this whole time. How? How can you so calm? You’re a Xyran.” She took a deep breath. “Every time we talk, I can see you watching me. Like you’re waiting for me to crack open.”

“I would never want that. I have only tried to show you who I am.” Kyuk stroked his thumbs over her skin, obviously trying to soothe her. “Xyrans don’t have to be barbaric. It is simply culture that pushes warriors in that direction. I am not a barbarian. You know this, now. After all this time in this tiny ship, you must know this.”

Cori shook her head. “No. No way. The Xyrans who held me were evil. Terrible.”