Hero (19 page)

Somehow I feel safer among these Darconians than I do anywhere else."

The fact that Veluka was completely unnerved to discover that Grekkor was

involved made Micayla reconsider their plan. She was beginning to think it would be easier to assassinate him than it would be to get him to confess again--especially in front of witnesses.

"How is it that you don't know Grekkor, Jack?" Veluka asked suddenly. "I thought you knew everyone."

"No, obviously I don't," Jack said. "He's a little outside my usual territory and I don't deal in drugs."

"Or slaves," Micayla said. "I forgot to mention that he was going to put us on a slave ship."

"Yeah, well, that doesn't really matter now," Jack said. "What matters is that we find out where he is."

"And the hookers might not be any help if he doesn't ever visit them," Tisana pointed out.

"I really don't want to waste time going back to Orleon if that's the case," Jack agreed.

Windura smacked herself upside the head. "I can't believe I'm sitting here trying to hack into the hookers' network when all I really have to do is something much

simpler."

"Like what?"

"Like hacking into the Orleon Station docking log!" she exclaimed. "I set that system up myself. It will tell us where he went when he left Orleon--if he left Orleon.

Sorry it took me so long to figure this out. Don't know what I was thinking!"

Windura tapped furiously at the viewscreen for a few moments and then let out a

groan.

"What is it?" Jack said.

"You aren't going to like this, Veluka," Windura warned.
"Oh?" Veluka said wearily. "And why not?"

"He went to Nerik."

The silence in the room was so complete that Micayla could have sworn she heard

bees buzzing in the orchard beneath the palace windows. Then she realized it was

Veluka; his scales were flapping up and down so fast he sounded like a hummingbird on the wing.

"It has to be a coincidence," Kyra insisted. "He couldn't have known Veluka had anything to do with us. Maybe he's just going there to buy more cloaked ships for his Nedwuts. By the way, Veluka, does it have to be a ship, or is it just a device?"

Though she'd never seen if for herself, Micayla knew how the technology

worked--at least, in theory--but waited a moment for Veluka to respond to the question.

He didn't say a word but kept right on humming.

"The technology is very expensive and retrofitting a ship with it is prohibitive,"

Micayla said. "They have to be built with it. Essentially, the ships are covered with small scales that can be flipped over when cloaked. The surface is designed to allow light to slide over and around it, rather than be reflected, which renders the object essentially invisible--both to the naked eye and to any type of scan."

"And the Neriks are the only ones who can make ships like that?" Kyra asked.

"They're the only ones I know of," Micayla replied. With an eye toward Veluka, she said, "Think he'll ever stop doing that?"

"No clue," Jack said, shaking her head. "Never saw him do it before."

Tisana rose from the sofa to study him more closely. "Looks like he could use a sedative."

"I wouldn't get too close to him, Tisana," Jack warned. "He sounds like he's about to explode."

Trag walked in just then. "Who's about to explode?" he asked.

"Him," Micayla said, pointing at Veluka.

"Nah," said Trag. "He just needs a good smack to reset him." With that, he slapped the top of the Nerik's head and the humming ceased immediately.

"Thank you," Veluka said hoarsely.

"Don't mention it," said Trag.

"And just how did you know to do that?" Tisana demanded.

Trag shrugged. "I fucked a Nerik once. Had to do that twice before she stopped humming."

Micayla groaned inwardly, closing her eyes as her head began to pound again.

She was within a hairsbreadth of asking Trag to break the no-sex pact right then and there. After all, if he could do it with a Nerik, he could certainly stomach doing it with her. But no, that wasn't the reason. He loved Kyra. Yeah, that was it. The Nerik was just--

"A Nerik?" Kyra echoed. "You're kidding us, right?"

Trag shook his head. "No," he replied. "I forget where I was at the time."

Scratching his head, he added, "Maybe Hidar remembers. He was with me."

"I can't believe you would--" Kyra stopped there, rolling her eyes. "Oh, I really don't want to hear this. A Nerik!" she said again, this time with a visible shudder.

Trag threw up his hands. "Well, you did ask!" Eyeing her curiously, he went on,

"You aren't jealous, are you?"

"Hey, what's wrong with Neriks?" Veluka spoke up. "I fuck them all the time."
Kyra ignored this, save for a withering glance in Veluka's direction, and stared at

Trag as though he'd just sprouted horns. "Jealous? Why on Earth would I be jealous?

Grossed out, maybe, but certainly not jealous!"

Trag felt like his nuts had just been grabbed--and not very gently, either. He'd just asked Kyra--his brother's wife!--if she was jealous of him being with other women!

Swallowing hard, he wondered how he was ever going to talk his way out of this one. "I didn't mean--"

To Trag's surprise, Micayla came to his rescue. "You were in a brothel, right?"

"Well, yeah," Trag replied. "Hidar thought if I was with him he wouldn't get thrown out--which he usually does. I mean, nobody wants to do it with a Scorillian!

Where else would I...?"

Micayla shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't see the problem." Looking at Kyra, she added, "Why would it bother you?"

"It shouldn't--um, doesn't," Kyra stammered. "I mean--I don't know what I mean, but do you really have to go to brothels and pay for it, Trag? I wouldn't think--"

"Well, why wouldn't you think that?" Trag shot back. "After all, I had to practically beg you."

"No you didn't!" Kyra insisted. "I was perfectly willing to--" Kyra stared beseechingly at Trag, but there was something else in her expression that he couldn't quite figure out. He blinked hard and peered at her again. Then it hit him. She wasn't jealous; she felt sorry for him!

"Look, Kyra," Trag said, his temper rising. "You may have given me a pity fuck once, but that doesn't mean I only get it out of pity--or that I can only get it from Neriks!

Some women actually like me."

"And he doesn't always have to pay them either," Micayla put in. "I have it on good authority that not only will the hookers do him for free, most of them volunteer."

Micayla's comment stopped Trag from launching into a full tirade, but when he

looked at her, all he wanted to do was scream--or purr. It was as if a veil had been pulled away from his face and his vision was now clear. No, she wasn't like Kyra at all. She was better--stronger, sexier, more beautiful--and she'd just stood up for him. Cat was right.

The fire was right there in her eyes; he couldn't understand why he hadn't seen it before.

She was strongly attracted to him; he knew that now--whether she realized it or not.

According to Cat, all he had to do was purr and she'd be all over him--but could he risk it? Could he violate the terms of their agreement without considering her feelings?

As their eyes met, Micayla felt her mouth watering and practically had to bite her tongue to keep from hissing. If he moved or said a word, she knew she'd jump up from her seat and sink her teeth into him. Suddenly, it didn't seem like such a bad idea--quite pleasurable, in fact. She felt her upper lip beginning to slide up to reveal her fangs and could almost taste his blood...

Then she realized that snarling at him probably wasn't the best move at the time--

not when she was trying to be supportive. Kyra didn't love him--and didn't need his love--

not when she already had Tychar. Trag deserved more than her pity. He really needed to let her go.

Kyra was protesting that she had meant no such thing, but Micayla ignored her as

she got up and crossed the room to stand squarely in front of Trag. They were almost exactly the same height; she didn't even have to lift her head to look straight into his
fierce green eyes. "Hey, Trag," she said gently. "Got a minute? I think we need to go for a run or something. You know, to work off a little steam?"

His eyes widened as his jaw dropped. "Uh, yeah, sure, Mick," he said. "Whatever you want."

***

understand what had just happened. "You didn't have to do that," he said. "I'm a big boy.

I can take a little heat."

"Who says I did it for you?" she said, staring straight ahead.

"Well, it sure seemed that way to me," he said roundly. "Nobody was questioning your sex appeal."

"Oh? Is that what it was?"

"Well, yeah," Trag said, beginning to question it himself, "wasn't it?"

"Not really. I think it was more a matter of you being your own man." With a backward glance, Micayla added, "She doesn't own you, Trag. You can do whatever you want. You don't have to answer to her--and you don't have to please her either. You can fuck as many Neriks as you want."

"Don't believe I'd care for that, actually," Trag said thoughtfully. "It was okay once, but--"

Micayla gave an exasperated snort. "You do see my point, don't you?"

"Well, maybe," Trag began.

"She doesn't love you, Trag," Micayla said earnestly. "She loves your brother. I'm sure she's fond of you, but--"

"She may not love me, but at least she's never hissed at me," Trag said. His tone was careless, but he followed it with a careful glance to gauge her reaction. Something told him it was the right thing to say, but he wasn't completely sure...

She reacted all right; it stopped her right in her tracks. "Dammit, Trag! I said I was sorry! Are you going to keep throwing that in my face forever?"

"Maybe," Trag said with a nonchalant shrug. "Let's just say it made a big impression on me."

"Impression, huh?" she echoed. "Impression? I'll give you an impression..."

Trag had one brief moment to brace himself before she sprang at him with a snarl

and sank her teeth into his shoulder.

***

sweat--and as Micayla inhaled the pleasing aroma of his skin, she was sure he'd knock her on her ass, but he didn't. Against all odds, he began purring.

The vibrations seemed to settle into her chest as she licked the wound she'd made, and suddenly, she didn't just want to bite him and lick him, she wanted to devour him...

pull him in and make him part of her.

Trag pushed her against the stone wall of the corridor, his eyes glowing like green embers. Licking his lips, he leaned in slowly and kissed her, but unlike the other times
with other men, Micayla actually felt pleased by it and growled her approval. Desire washed over her like a tsunami. Her nipples tingled as they hardened against his chest, and as his tongue delved into her mouth, instead of feeling invaded she reveled in it; he was hot and delicious and sent flames racing through her body. The more she inhaled his scent and felt the vibrations of his purr, the more aware she became of the place between her thighs--a place that had previously felt empty and barren. As his kiss deepened, her clitoris tightened painfully and her vaginal mucosa began to swell and moisten, aching with a need too fierce and overwhelming to be denied. Suddenly, she felt his erection pressing into her stomach, a pressure that filled her with passion and made her long to rip off his clothing with her teeth, baring his body for her to feast upon. She'd already seen his cock. Now she knew what she wanted to do with it.

I want to suck it. The words were not spoken aloud but pounded in her head,

urging her into action. She tore her lips away from Trag's and was about to sink to her knees to kiss his thick penis when a voice called out, "Hey, don't stop on my account.

This is fabulous!"

Trag caught the expression of speechless horror on her face just as Micayla spun

away from him and sprinted off down the corridor to disappear around the next corner.

"Way to go, Trag!" Dragus said gleefully. "She's just as hot as the Terrans!"

"I'm gonna kill you, Dragus," Trag snarled, "and then I'm gonna rip you limb from limb and roast you over an open fire. Very slowly."

"Ha!" Dragus laughed, clearly not the slightest bit worried. "Want me to catch her for you?"

"Yeah, like you could really do that," Trag scoffed. "I'm not even sure I could catch her now..."

"Just watch me," Dragus said, tapping the comstone on his breastplate. "Hartak,"

he said pleasantly, "bring Micayla back here, will you please?"

Trag waited for a moment and then heard a distant scuffle and a muffled scream,

followed by Micayla shouting, "Put me down, you big snake!"

Moments later, Hartak appeared, carrying a kicking, cursing Micayla, his tail

sweeping back and forth across the stone flags as he swaggered toward them. "Been called a lot of things in my day, but never a snake," Hartak commented. "Where do you want her?"

Without a moment's hesitation Trag held out his arms. "Right here."
Chapter 14

Never before had Micayla felt such an onslaught of emotions. She was angry,

embarrassed, terrified, and turned on--all at the same time--and to top it all off, she'd just been captured by a dinosaur.

"You really need to learn to hold on to your woman, Trag," Hartak advised as he placed her in Trag's waiting arms. "She'll get all wilted from the heat if you keep letting her run off like that."

"Thanks," Trag said sardonically. "I'll try to keep that in mind."

Putting her arms around his neck, Micayla clung to Trag a little tighter than she needed to, her face buried in his hair. She felt like an absolute idiot for running and was trembling uncontrollably--though whether from fear or passion, she couldn't tell--but Trag obviously felt it too, and he gave her a reassuring squeeze.