Initiation (Xylon Warriors 1) (19 page)

A small sound escaped Leila, and Erik shifted his gaze to her. Were those tears in her eyes? He cocked his head, trying to figure her out. She’d always intrigued him. And frustrated the heck out of him, at the same time.

A flutter of emotions crossed her face as she stared at him. Tenderness, understanding, compassion, and…regret?

He mentally shook the thoughts away. He was imagining things. Still, he felt the need to say something; for
she
was the woman he truly wanted beneath his hands, his body. The thought struck him hard. He cleared his throat. “I have no choice, Leila.”

“I know. Braden said no penetration, unless—unless you’ve already…”

He shook his head. “I didn’t. He wouldn’t want that, I know. Neither would she, if she were in her right mind.”

“Would you, if you could?”

“I can.”

At her frown, he puffed out a gust of air. He’d intended that as a joke to lighten the situation. Bad idea. “Sorry. I just meant that I’m capable. Would I? Honestly, at one point, yeah, I would have. Now? No, I don’t think so.”

She’d stiffened when he first answered, but seemed to relax at the rest of his words. Interesting. He’d have to explore that in more detail later.

“Why?”

“I saw them together.” The words came out before he could stop them. He looked away, not wanting her to question him further. He didn’t want to deal with any mushy feelings that he didn’t fully understand himself.

He leaned over and kissed Alexa between her breasts, then flicked his tongue over each nipple until they were wet.

“Suck, suck,” Alexa begged.

Erik groaned. He sucked one deep, then the other, pulling hard on the distended nipple, until even Leila moaned.

He reached for Leila’s hands. “Pinch her nipples.”

“What? I—”

“You have to. I can’t do this alone.”

“You’re lying. You just want to watch.”

“Would I lie about something like this?” One side of his mouth quirked up. He trailed his tongue downward, across Alexa’s skin. Over her ribs, down her stomach. Her legs fell open, and the scent of her sex stirred his senses and his cock.

He watched Leila gently squeeze Alexa’s nipples. Her eyes remained fastened on the mattress as if not looking at Alexa made what she was doing a duty instead of a pleasure. He pushed Alexa’s knees wide and licked at the sticky moisture on her inner thigh. The taste of her filled his mouth. Delicious, just as he’d imagined.

Alexa reached for his head. “Yes…”

His tongue flicked closer to the source of that moisture. He glanced up. Leila was watching him. She tugged harder on Alexa’s nipples when their eyes locked. He wondered if she even realized it. “Use your mouth,” he whispered. “Suck on those beautiful tits of hers, Leila.”

She gasped, clearly in shock, then glanced at the breasts she was fondling. “I don’t think—”

“Like this.” He lowered his head between Alexa’s legs, eyeing her clit. Leila wouldn’t look away this time. He’d bet his damn blue balls on it.

The bedroom door flew open and three people stalked in. Leila jumped up. Her heart clenched hard.

The three monsters from her past.

Her stomach churned and bile rose in her throat, making her nauseous. Dare, Shear, and…Rave. Daegal couldn’t have sent a more effective trio.

Erik jerked upright and moved forward, standing between her and the three. He raised his disruptor and fired.

Dare dove and fired his weapon, missing his target. A lamp exploded, barely missing Leila, who’d shifted to Erik’s side. He didn’t have his shield jacket on, and Dare had ripped the control out of hers. They were doomed.

A disruptor beam flew past her head. She screamed and jumped onto the bed and over to the other side.

“Stay back there!” Erik ordered and moved to block her body from them. “Get down!”

Without the light of the lamp, darkness surrounded them, except for the lightning outside, which sent streaks across the room. The eerie play of light and shadow made Leila shudder.

A sound of barely-contained anger rumbled from Erik’s throat, and he fired his disruptor again.

Rave fired back, grazing his shoulder.

Erik stumbled backward.

“Erik!”

“I’m okay.”

Rave’s laugh of triumph filled the room. “You need to find some more powerful friends, Leila, dear,” she taunted. “Your current group is mildly entertaining, but that’s all.”

Erik sent a shot flying toward her face, and another toward Dare. In the dark, his aim was off, and he missed hitting anything vital on his targets, which would have incapacitated or disintegrated them.

Shear returned the shot, drawing blood on Erik’s arm. Another beam flew past.

Leila shrieked, rubbing her leg where the disruptor shot grazed her.

“Dammit. Stay down!” Erik never took his eyes from where he thought his targets were, as he continued to fire their way.

Leila ducked, barely evading a shot that flew past her. It exploded a small television nearby.

“Fight
me
!” Erik demanded. “Leave the others alone. They’re helpless.”

Leila tugged on Braden. No response. She rushed to Torque, trying to revive him. Wait! He had a disruptor. She felt along his belt. Nothing. Shit. It must be in his jacket, which was not within reach. She looked toward the door. No way could they get out of there. She couldn’t get to any of the transport-connectors. They were on the other side of the room. Where was Kam?

“You’re outnumbered,” Shear shouted, followed by an echoing laugh. “Surrender, or you all die!”

* * * * *

Gabriella clapped her hands as she watched the screen. “I wish the sound was working. It was so nasty of you to send those three, considering their history with Leila.”

Daegal chuckled. “I thought so. Wickedly nasty. I’m glad they were on-ship in Earth’s orbit.” He clicked a button and the computer video of Leila’s Initiation played on the center screen.

A frown crossed Gabriella’s face.

“What’s wrong, my dear?” His cock hardened as he watched Dare mount Leila.

“You play that thing too often. Just like—”

“Jealous?”

She sashayed over to him and dropped to her knees. “Seems pointless, that’s all.” She pulled open his pants and ducked her head. “I give the real thing.”

“Ahh…”

Gabriella’s slurping and licking, along with Dare’s frantic fucking of Leila, while Rave fondled herself on screen as she and Shear watched, made him come hard and fast. “Yeah. Get all of it.” He held the back of Gabriella’s head, not letting her go, until she’d sucked him dry and his dick fell limp. There was a lot to be said for the real thing.

* * * * *

Torque rubbed his chin and struggled to a sitting position. What had happened? The wall behind him scratched his back, and bright lights from above hurt his eyes.

A musty odor hung in the air. Bars and gray walls surrounded him. Hollow, metal clanks and distant screams floated down the corridor.

A cell. He’d been in so many of them during his lifetime that the realization didn’t elicit anything more than a frustrated moan.

Braden sat on the floor to the left, rubbing his head. The woman, Alexa he thought her name was, lay on the bunk behind his brother. She seemed to have made it through her appetite, because she was sleeping quietly. Sane or not, they wouldn’t know until she woke.

Kam had curled up in the corner opposite him, on the floor, and wasn’t moving.

Erik and Leila lay jumbled together in the far corner, just beginning to stir.

The last thing he remembered was Erik’s fist hurling toward him. He rubbed his jaw. That’s what he got for trying to help. He should have stayed put on the Sand Moon.

The click of a camera up in the far corner of the cell drew his attention. Its red light flashed. Obviously, they were somewhere on the Marid ship. And closely monitored. The Egesa would probably split them up soon, depending on what Daegal intended.

Braden must have finally gained his senses, for he turned quickly toward Alexa. He grabbed the thin blanket on the cot and covered her naked body.

“What happened?” he shouted.

“Take a good guess.” Torque pushed to his feet. He almost laughed at the shocked look on Braden’s face. “Yeah, it’s me, little brother.” He examined the bars. Reinforced steel. Primitive, but effective.

“What are you doing here, Torque?”

“I thought I was rescuing you.”

Erik pulled Leila into his lap and held her close. “Are you okay?” He swiped the hair from her eyes.

She nodded, then gasped and pushed his hands away. “Are you okay? You were hit.”

“I’m fine. They just grazed me.”

His hand caressed her thigh. “They got you, too.”

She brushed at his fingers. “It’s nothing.”

“You haven’t started to heal yet.” His brow furrowed.

That caught Torque’s attention.

“Leave it,” she snapped.

A frown crossed Erik’s face, and his eyes narrowed.

“You’d better check on Kam,” Torque suggested, before Erik could question her further. He could tell the interference wasn’t appreciated, but the man kept his mouth shut.

Leila glanced up at him briefly, a look of relief in her eyes, then scrambled off Erik’s lap. “Kam, wake up.” Her hands fluttered over him, trying to bring him around.

“These aren’t my pants,” Braden said, tugging at the band around his waist.

“Maybe they didn’t like looking at your naked ass as much as hers,” Torque replied, nodding toward Alexa.

“Funny.”

“Is she okay, Braden?” Erik asked, staring at Alexa with a worried look on his face.

“I hope so. Physically, she seems uninjured.”

“Are
you
okay?”

“Yeah. I’ve got a hell of a headache though.”

“The wine was drugged.”

He rubbed his temple and looked over at Torque, their eyes locking. “That would explain it, I guess.”

Torque broke contact and examined each corner and wall of the cell. “There’s no way out.” He crouched down next to Kam. “What’s wrong with him?” he asked Leila.

“I don’t know yet.”

He touched her thigh. “You should see to that.”

She nodded, but that’s all the acknowledgment she gave him. Obviously, at least to him, she hadn’t gone through the third step of the Initiation. She couldn’t self-heal. Generally, he didn’t come across that with the younger women. Most weren’t opposed to sucking cock, especially if the initiating Warriors were halfway skilled lovers.

“You have to Brand her, Braden. It’s the only way to save Alexa now,” Erik said, his eyes and voice intent. “You’ll know where she is at all times. They’ll have to let her go. There will be nowhere for them to hide her. The Egesa won’t kill her, like a normal Branded Breeder, not once they discover her secret. They’ll want to break her genetic code to learn how to defeat us biologically. And even at that, they can’t come after her until they find a way around your mark. It’s what you have to do.”

“I can’t. Not here. Not like this. I won’t.”

“What’s with them and the woman?” Torque asked Leila, his voice lowering so only she could hear.

“She’s a super breeder. Newly discovered.”

He turned to stare at Alexa. No wonder they were protecting her like a rare find of jewels. He stood and walked over to the cot, staring down at her. “Erik’s right, Braden. You have to Brand her. If you don’t, I will. Her safety has to be preserved.”

Braden surged to his feet. “You lay one hand on her, Torque, and I’ll kill you with my bare hands. I swear it.”

Standing nose to nose, Torque studied his younger brother with interest. Something more was going on with him and this woman. He could see it in Braden’s eyes. Possession, vulnerability. Love?

No. That couldn’t be. His brother had sworn off love long ago. Except for Frost. Pain pierced him at the memory of the nickname he’d given the woman. She’d been one cold bitch, no matter how loving she acted with Braden. His brother had refused to listen to anything negative about the whore. Then she’d maneuvered
him
into a compromising position. Braden had walked in on them. He’d blamed Torque for the entire affair. Torque suspected deep down that Braden really did know the truth though, because he’d shied away from serious relationships since. Regardless, Frost had disappeared from their lives after that, which was for the best.

He raised his hands in mock surrender. “Fine. You do it then. I don’t want some strange woman shackled to me for life anyhow. I have enough problems already. Actually, my Brand might not even take, given my banishment status.”

Erik touched Braden’s arm. “There’s no other way.”

“Even if I were to agree, we’re being monitored.” He indicated the camera. “They’ll see and stop me before I can complete the procedure.”

“Disable it.”

“That’ll bring them down here just as fast. And if Alexa can’t climax, it won’t work. I could end up doing more harm to her than good, if I push too hard.”

Torque rubbed his chin. His gaze fell on Leila, still trying to revive Kam. Maybe there was a way. “We need a distraction, that’s all. It’s do-able, unless she wore your dick out. You’ve never had problems making a woman come. Or at least you never mentioned it.”

“Like I would.” Braden snorted. “Any trouble will bring guards down here. I don’t think it’s a good idea.” A look of worry crossed his face. “How’s Kam, Leila?”

“He seems all right. I can’t find any visible wounds, other than a lump on the head from where they knocked him out. I think he’ll be okay. He just needs some time. He’s more susceptible to head trauma than the rest of us, and he’s had more than his share lately.”

Torque tried again. “Do you want to hear my idea or not?” Someone had to take control of this situation. They were wasting time.

“Not particularly. I already said—”

“Braden,” Erik responded. “Let’s hear him out. What did you have in mind, Torque?”

“A little
show
for the camera with Leila. Enough to keep whoever is watching occupied, but not bring them down here.”

Leila rose and stepped over to them. “Excuse me? What kind of
show
?”