Mated to the Beast (8 page)

“My mate is here. If I leave this ship, she is coming with me.”

Although it was true, I preferred my mate accept our match, forced bonding
was
possible. Sometimes, it was the only way to save a warrior’s life. I would not force her to accept the bond, but simply being in her presence soothed my beast. I would seduce her, make her come over and over until she thought of nothing but pleasing me, fucking me, soothing me.

I crossed my arms over my chest. I knew she would not like to be commanded, but I would carry her off if necessary.

I didn’t need a full bond to hold off the beast for now, I just needed to be near her. Forced bonding was dishonorable, a desperate act by a desperate man, and something I would not do. Forcing the link between us boded poorly for the union long term. If I was going to be mated with this Earth female for the remainder of our lives, I wanted her to at least like me. I wanted to fuck her, coddle her, cherish her—and fuck her some more, but I would not take an unwilling female.

I’d rather die.

However, seduction was a game I was eager to play.

“She isn’t leaving with you, warlord, because she hasn’t accepted your match. She’s not a coalition bride, she’s Captain Mills of Recon Unit 7.” The commander was equally adamant. “Right now, she’s mine.
Prillon
warriors do not force females into mating bonds they do not want.”

Sarah grinned then and my cock swelled. There was no question she was even more lovely when she wasn’t all stiff and proper. She felt victorious and powerful with the commander backing her, but that wasn’t going to get her what she needed to be happy and it was time to remind her of that.

I pointed at the commander, but turned to face her. “He won’t let you go get your brother.”

Her gaze darted from my face to her commander. “What
can
I do?”

“Go back to your unit and follow orders until your two years is up.” When her shoulders stiffened at the commander’s direct words, he added. “You’re one of the best recon leaders we have. You’re smart, fast, and don’t panic under fire. The men trust you. You could do a lot of good here, captain. We need officers like you.”

I growled again; the thought of my mate going back into battle without me by her side was more than my beast could tolerate. Just thinking of the firefight I’d witnessed, ion blasts darting over her head, made my beast begin to pace. The commander would know my displeasure at his words. For a Prillon, he was big, but I was bigger. “She is
not
going back to battle.”

“Go home to Atlan, warlord,” he countered. “Find another mate.”

“I want no other.”

Sarah’s shoulders tensed at my vow and her gaze darted to my face as if she did not believe my words.

“Then wait for her two years of service to be up,” the commander ordered.

“Like hell,” I growled. “I’ll be dead by then.”

Her eyebrows went up.

The commander looked me over. “Mating fever? How much time do you have?”

“Not much.” I offered him the brief response while I stared at Sarah.

“What do you mean you’ll be dead? You’re sick?” she asked me. I saw concern fight for space in her heart, right next to her anger. Perhaps there was hope for us after all.

“Commander, may I please speak with my mate… in private?”

The Prillon glanced between the two of us. When Sarah nodded, he walked out without another word, the door sliding shut behind him.

Seeing her worry gave me some measure of hope.

“Mating fever,” I told her. “Atlan males have it, although when it strikes is unique to each individual. It lasts for several weeks, slowly building until it is all consuming. I’m older than most who get the fever, but that is irrelevant. When it takes over, it overpowers logic and reasoning and turns the male—me—into what we call a berserker.” I held up my stained hands. “My body transforms into more beast than man. Rage fills me until there is no reason left, only pure animal instinct. I can rip the heads off the Hive without blinking, but I won’t want to stop. The only thing that can control an Atlan berserker is his mate. The only way to calm the beast is to be soothed and accepted by our mates, to fuck.”

Her eyes widened.

“And if you don’t… fuck, you die? That doesn’t make sense.” she said, surprised. Just hearing the word
fuck
from her lips made me groan.

“It is called
mating
fever for a reason. It is meant to ensure that all Atlan males are appropriately matched and mated, allowing for the continuation of the species. If a male doesn’t mate, he dies.”

“Like survival of the fittest,” she replied.

“I do not know that term.”

She held up her hand. “It doesn’t matter, but I understand… the concept. If you have to fuck someone, then go find a space prostitute or something,” she countered, waving a hand in the air. “You don’t need me. Any vagina will do.”

Anger swelled at her last statement. “Not anyone will do,” I growled, then took a deep breath. Of course, a short while ago I’d thought differently, but now she was in front of me. Now I knew, deep down to my soul, that this Earth woman was mine. I didn’t need a matching program for verification. “It’s the
mating
fever. This means that it can only end by fucking a
mate
. In my case, this means you.”

When she remained silent, I pushed on. Stepping closer, I said, “Do you know what I see when I look at you?”

She shook her head.

“The palest of skin I want to touch. I wonder how soft it is. Are you soft everywhere? Your breasts, you try to hide them beneath your body armor, but they are round and full. Easily a handful. I want to cup them and feel their weight. I want to watch as your nipples tighten when I stroke my thumbs over them. That plump lower lip, I wonder how it will feel when I nibble on it. And your pussy—”

She held up a hand, most likely to push me away, but her hand settled on my chest. I covered her hand with mine and walked her backward until she bumped into the wall. I didn’t give her space—that wasn’t what she needed—and I pressed one of my legs between hers. Because of the height difference, she practically rode my thigh.

I watched as her pupils dilated, her mouth fell open. Good, she wasn’t thinking now. If there was a female who needed to stop thinking, it was this one. She needed someone else to watch out for her, to take care of her for a change. Starting right now.

“You are mine, Sarah, and I will not give you up.”

“I have to fuck you and then you’ll be cured? You won’t die?” She looked me over in a very heated way and I let her look, let her see the desire in my eyes, feel the heat of my body close to hers. “Fine. I’ll fuck you once—a one-night stand—and then we can go our own separate ways. It’s been a while and I’m sure you’re… probably… an interesting lover.”

While I found her agreement appealing, I shook my head, for she still didn’t understand. “There is no
own separate ways
. We mate for life. And, getting back to the mating fever, it’s not just once. We will have to fuck again and again…” I leaned closer, nudging her cheek with my nose, breathing in her sweet scent, “…until the fever is soothed, until it has passed.”

She lifted both hands to my chest and I grabbed her wrists, pinning them over her head as I continued my exploration of her neck, then buried my nose behind her ear to smell her hair. Her breathing became ragged as she whispered in my ear, “And if I won’t fuck you again and again until the fever is soothed?”

“I die.”

“You want me to be your mate so you don’t die?” she asked. I lifted my head and looked her in the eye, our lips apart. My respect for her grew when she held my gaze, didn’t retreat. That was a good indication her dislike for me had lessened. When she licked her lips, I knew she was mine.

“If you refuse me, Sarah, I will leave this ship with my honor intact. If you refuse me, I will die.” I bent my knee and lifted her body off the floor so she rode my leg, her clit and pussy rubbing my thigh through our uniforms. “But death means nothing to me. I’ve been fighting the Hive for ten years, woman. I’m not afraid to die.”

She shook her head slightly, as if trying to clear a lust-filled haze. “I don’t understand why you are here. Can’t you go find a woman on Atlan who actually wants a mate?” With her arms over her head and her hot core pressed to my thigh, she was spread before me like an offering, but I would not take her, not yet.

“
You
are
my mate. I want
you.
I want you because you are the
one
for me. I feel it. The first time I saw you I wanted to throw you over my shoulder and carry you away.”

“Because a woman can’t fight,” she bickered.

“Obviously a woman
can
fight. I just believe they
shouldn’t.
It’s not that. I wanted to carry you away because I wanted to press you up against the nearest wall and fuck you. Something like this.” I nudged her core with my thigh. “And preferably without clothing or your team watching.”

Her mouth fell open and her eyes dilated. The rise and fall of her breasts sped up as she fought her body’s craving, her need of me, fought the call between matched mates.

“Do not deny your desire for me as well.”

She sputtered, looked at my chest, the floor. Anywhere but at me. “I don’t even know you.”

“Your body
knows
me. Your soul knows me as well. In time, your heart and mind will catch up. That’s what’s special about mates. Our connection, it’s visceral. It’s so deep, so permanent, that it defies logic. There is no room for doubt, for we
know
we are meant for each other.”

She shook her head, her eyes closing as I tensed my thigh muscles, rubbing her core with my heat and strength.

“Do you deny the… connection?” I asked.

She shook her head, her hair rubbing against the wall. “You know I can’t.”

“Can’t what?” I asked, running my lips along the delicate curve of her jaw, the swirl of her ear, the rapid pulse thrumming in her neck. I could smell her. Sweat, definitely, but something musky and feminine that soothed and aroused the beast inside.

“Can’t deny you.” My heart leapt at her words, words I had feared would never fall from her lips.

“Ah, Sarah. Such an admission was hard for you. I will keep it safe, guard it as I will you. Do not fear… our bond. While I need to fuck you to survive, there is time. I will honor your need for time, at least for now. I will not take you until you allow it, until you beg my cock to fill you.”

She moaned and I pressed my advantage.

“But now, I want to kiss you, Sarah. I need to taste you.”

She opened her eyes and the anger, the resistance was gone from her gaze. My beast wanted to howl at the submission I saw in her soft gaze. My Sarah, she fought so hard to be tough, to be a warrior. She was strong, yes. But she didn’t have to be, not all the time. I was here for her now, to share her burden, to take on her troubles. Protect her from danger. She was also mine, mine to fuck, mine to tame, and mine to protect… she just didn’t understand it yet.

Chapter Six

Dax

I waited, our breaths mingling, her lush thighs squeezing mine.

Instead of replying, she tilted her chin and her mouth met mine.

In that moment, that instant, the beast came out. He took over the kiss, one hand tangling in her hair, cupping her head and tilting her just the right way to take the kiss deep and hard. My tongue filled her mouth, finding hers and tangling, tasting, licking. Her flavor only enhanced my need and I pressed my thigh into her more, hoping she’d use it, to ride my leg and find her pleasure. She didn’t deny me this, for she squirmed and pushed off with her toes to move herself against me as I kissed her and kissed her.

Her lower lip was as plush and decadent as I’d suspected. Her body was soft, even beneath the body armor, and a perfect fit for mine. My beast raged for more, not wanting to stop at just this wild kiss. Even though my body craved more, this was not the time or place and I held the beast back. Lifting my head, I took in Sarah’s closed eyes, flushed cheeks, swollen, red lips. A growl rumbled in my chest and her eyes opened, cloudy with desire.

“I want you. I want to bury my cock deep in your wet pussy and fuck you until you can’t walk. I want to hear my name on your lips as you milk my seed.” I tugged on her bottom lip with my teeth, slightly sharper because of the beast, then soothed the slight sting with my tongue. “I want to taste you, Sarah, everywhere, hold you down and lick your pussy until you scream your pleasure.”

She laughed then and I wanted to kiss her all over again. “We don’t even like each other.”

“I think we like each other just fine.” I swiped my thumb over her cheek, then stepped back. I didn’t want to do so, but she was a dangerous challenge my beast didn’t want to resist, even without her ion pistol aimed at me.

“We don’t like the predicament we are in,” I added. “You are the only female who can keep me from dying and I might just be the only one who can help you save your brother.”

She bit her plump lower lip and frowned. “How? The commander has already forbidden us both from going after him.”

“Actually, there is a solution,” I replied, ignoring my desire to tug that lip from her straight teeth. I unbuckled the cuffs from my belt and held them up. “Mating cuffs. You see I’m already wearing mine. Wearing them shows I am committed to my mate—you—and only you. No one who sees them will doubt my claim.” She looked at the gold bands dangling from my fist, but her hand lifted to wrap around the metal that encased my own wrists, her soft exploration making me shudder. I wanted her hand on me in other places.

“What’s their purpose?”

“The cuffs are a form of commitment, an outward sign of mating. They ensure we remain in close proximity until the mating fever is gone and we are well and truly bonded. Atlan mating cuffs are recognized throughout the coalition. No one will doubt who you belong to, ever again. Just as all who see me will know I am yours.”