Primal Heat (32 page)

Shadows gathered in her gray eyes, hurt reflecting there. “You don't trust me. You think I'm weak enough to be as easy a target as he imagines.”

“What?” Shock rocketed through him. He reached for her, but she stumbled back. “Don't you understand? What if something happens? What if Arthur hurts you again, or kills you? I can't risk it.”

Her mouth worked for a moment and she pushed a hand through her short auburn locks. “What if something happens to
you
? What if Arthur hurts
you
again, or kills
you
? The Sueni need you to lead them. It's your destiny, remember? I just got you back, Kyber. I just learned to live again. I'm not going to stand around and watch something happen to you. That would be seriously
not okay
with me. This was
my
idea and these are
my
parents. I'm coming with you.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“
No.
”

Her lips trembled, and she shook her head. “I can be of use here, Kyber. I
can
help. I want us to have the chance to bond again. I want us to break down these damn walls, but it won't happen if you really don't believe in me.”

“I believe in you.” He laughed, and salty moisture stung his eyes. If she only knew how badly he wanted that bond with her, but even without the barricades, he couldn't consider reforging their link when he might still die. If something were to happen to him, she would feel every moment of it. He couldn't do that to her. He couldn't put her in a position where she might die
or
where she might be willing to kill herself. As she'd said, she'd only just learned to live again. And he wanted her to
live
, even if it couldn't be with him. “Jana, I can't do it. I can't lose you.”

“Neither can I.” She cupped his face in her small, warm hands. “We're in this together, Kyber. We finish this
together
. Don't make me beg.”

He choked, closing his eyes as his chest tightened to the point he couldn't breathe. “By Anun, you know how to cut the deepest.”

Slipping her fingers into his hair, she pulled him down so his forehead rested against hers. “I learned from you.”

“That's not comforting.”

Her soft breath brushed his lips when she spoke. “I want us to have a future together, but neither of us can move on until we finish what we started.”

As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. He chuckled, the noise little more than a rasp of air. “I cannot believe I'm agreeing to this.”

“I can.” Tightening her hands in his hair, she took his mouth in a hungry, desperate kiss. Then she broke away with a gasp. “Oh, crap.”

“What?” He jerked back to look at her. “What's wrong?”

“I forgot my mesh armor.” She latched on to his hand and dragged him toward the door to an armory storage room. “Come with me.”

“Afraid I'll leave you while you're changing?” He grinned, allowing himself the pleasure of watching her backside sway as she walked. It might be the last time he got to enjoy it. He squelched the thought.

She shot a look over her shoulder. “You said you'd let me come, and I believe you.” A wicked little grin curved her lips. “I just thought you might want to watch me take my shirt off.”

A shout of laughter exploded from him as she pulled him through the storage room's door and shut it behind them. He couldn't believe that in a time like this, the woman had gotten him to laugh. She constantly amazed him and usually confounded him. He wouldn't have it any other way.

Dropping his hand to rifle through a storage locker, she came up with a small shirt of mesh armor. It was made of the same dark metal as everything else from Suen. She tossed it on the end of a long table in the middle of the room, unstrapped her gun belt, and set it down as well. Her nimble fingers flicked open the fastenings on her tunic, and before he even knew what he was doing, his hands were unhooking his own holster. Her top hit the table at the same time his razer did, and they shared a look of understanding.

It was possible neither of them would survive the coming confrontation. This might be the last time they had together, and they were going to take it. A grin kicked up the corner of his mouth, and he stepped farther down the table, away from their gear. “Well, they won't leave without us both, will they?”

“There are a few perks to this whole royalty thing.” She followed him, her fingers going to the placket on his pants. One hand opened his trousers, the other stroked him through the fabric. His fingers dipped into her bra, stroking her nipples until they were hard little points. Each sweep across them made her shiver, made her eyes burn to molten silver.

She tilted her head back and offered him her mouth. He took it, shoved his tongue between her lips, and savored the way she moaned into his mouth. Her scent intoxicated, her flavor bursting over his taste buds until there was nothing but her.

He gritted his teeth as she brought him to full, aching erection in mere moments. She slipped inside his pants, pulling his cock free. His hips rocked as she pumped his dick hard between her fingers. Fire rocketed through him, and his hands fisted in the short strands of her hair. Her eagerness, her frantic need shot through their link and made him groan. He broke the kiss and pulled her head back to suck and bite his way down her neck.

“Oh, God, we have to hurry or they'll send someone to look for us.” The sweet smell of her wetness intensified each time he nipped her throat, and the feline was wild for her, the man even more so. Bracketing her hips in his hands, he spun her around to face the table.

“Hold on to the other side,” he growled.

She bent forward and stretched to grasp the far edge of the table, her body already undulating in a carnal rhythm that made desperation fist in his belly. He had to have her, one last time, had to have this one memory to hold on to. Reaching around her, he opened her pants and jerked them down around her thighs.

His fingers plunged between her thighs and into her hot, welcoming sex. She cried out, and her pleasure at having any part of him inside her billowed through their connection, spurring him on. He wanted her hard and fast, wanted the reassurance of his body joined with hers. He needed it, her. Now.

He dipped forward and bit the soft globe of her ass. She jerked and squealed, and when he straightened, he saw her knuckles had whitened on the table ledge. “Hurry, Kyber. I can't wait.”

“Neither can I.” And he proved it, plunging his cock hilt-deep into her slick pussy. Her back bowed as she pushed against him, her hips working him as he worked her. His claws dug into her waist as he held her for his thrusts. He could hear how wet she was as their skin slapped together,
smell
how wet she was, how needy. As needy as he was. His stomach spanked against her ass, and he drove them ruthlessly, pumping inside her until their breathing was ragged and sweat beaded on every inch of bare skin. Anun, he was going to come, she got to him that fast. But he was taking her with him into the madness, the rush of ecstasy sweeping from him to her made her sob. He moved one hand around to flick a single claw over her hard clit, and she jolted beneath him.

“Oh, God. Kyber, Kyber, yes! Just like
oooh.
” He heard her nails rake against the table, her hips heaving upward as she took him as deep inside her as she could and came hard. Her inner muscles squeezed him so tight he groaned, wondering if a man could die of such intense pleasure. Her ecstasy came spiraling through their connection, slammed into him, and shoved him hard and fast into his own orgasm.

His cum burst into her, and he filled her, plunging deep and loving the rough friction. She whimpered and came for him again, her walls closing around him in rhythmic pulses that matched the satisfaction echoing in their minds. He threw his head back, clenched his jaw to keep a wild roar in, and hissed between his fangs as his orgasm dragged everything out of him.

Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her back against him and buried his nose in her soft hair. He held her tight and prayed harder than he ever had in his life that she made it through this. He didn't bother with pleas for himself. All his hopes and dreams for the future rested in this slim woman's hands. Without her, there was nothing.

He loved her more now than he had ever imagined possible.

A
rthur was there, Kyber could smell him.

The ships had started taking heavy fire before they were anywhere near the ground. The fighter wings had their hands full dealing with the planes and helicopters Arthur had waiting for them. The shuttle jolted and spun midair as the pilot dodged missiles. More than one of the Guardians had turned green at the constant roll of the aircraft. Jana's fingers were white-knuckled where she gripped her seat's harness.

His heart hammered in his chest, and he asked himself for the millionth time how he'd been talked into bringing his One along on this trip. She should be safe aboard the
Vishra
, not landing in the middle of a battlefield. They'd gotten no more than a single raised eyebrow from Johar on why it had taken them so long to climb aboard the shuttle, but no doubt even a Kin could scent the sex on them. He gazed at Jana now, saw her jaw was clenched tight, her lips set in a stubborn line.

A concussive boom just outside the shuttle made his sensitive ears pop. He hissed as alarms blared in the small interior. The pilot yelled from the cockpit, “Everyone hold tight! We're landing, but it's going to be a rough drop.”

As long as we hit the ground in one piece, I'll be happy.
Kyber made his mental voice sotto voce. The Guardians around him chuckled, grateful for the release in tension.

“Arthur's evacuated the town, so there are no civilians here.” Bren's voice came through their ear comms., broadcasting from the second shuttle. “But some of those guys in uniform are working with us to defeat Arthur, so do your best not to kill anyone that doesn't try to kill you first.”

Jana reached up and cued her comm. “My parents?”

“They're still here.” Bren hesitated for a long moment as though bracing to give bad news. “He's keeping them as bait.”

Assuming he was keeping them alive at all. No one said those words, but they all finished the thought themselves. Kyber pulled out his razer, flipping the setting to full charge. A silent Johar calmly pulled out an enormous razer rifle and charged it. The static was enough to raise the hairs on the back of Kyber's arms. Every other Guardian followed their lead, and the shuttle was soon filled with the sound of loading weapons.

He worked hard to steady his breath, to rein in the eager feline that wanted to hunt and kill its enemies. Soon, he promised himself and the beast. Glancing over, he saw that Jana had her weapon drawn as well. She met his gaze, terror and rage roiling like dark clouds in her eyes. He nodded, wanting to assure her he understood, but there was no time to talk now. They would have to save that for later.

If there was a later.

The shuttle jolted sideways, throwing everyone against their harnesses, and metal squealed as they bounced over rocky ground, but they were down. The door hissed as it opened, and everyone rose to ready themselves for the attack they knew was coming. Anticipation roared in Kyber's veins and his hand tightened on his razer.

Johar nodded to two Guardians, who slipped from the shuttle, silent as spirits. Two more Guardians took up positions on either side of Jana, and Kyber recognized them as Natheem and Dhalesh. The Kinsmen smiled grimly. Johar swung in beside Kyber. The remaining Guardians would ensure the safety of the shuttle. It did them no good to accomplish their mission if they had no way to leave once it was done.

As soon as they hit the open air, Kyber's psychic powers went dead. Arthur had obviously refined his white noise makers. Where before, Kyber had only been numbed, now it was as if the ability had been completely cut away. The beast rose greedily to the surface, always wanting to break free. He could smell the stench of Arthur. He didn't need the psychic side to know the man lay in wait, a serpent in the grass.

“This way.” He pointed his razer to the left of the shuttle.

Jana's hand touched his back. “That's the way to my parents' house. Two blocks up, three to the left.”

He nodded to indicate he'd heard her, and let Johar lead the way. Kyber's cat's eyes adjusted to the night, and he could see every detail clearly. His senses went on alert, taking in everything. The rattle of a bush from the breeze, the distant thunder of fighter wings that vibrated through his body, and streaks of orange flames and blue lasers trailed across in the sky as each side fired at the other. He wished his men well.

They'd gone no more than three of the five blocks they needed to go before they were engaged by enemies. Chaos unleashed around them as each side opened fire.

Blue lasers from the Sueni weapons lit the dark streets of the quiet little town. Men screamed, Kyber smelled death. Jana's slim body tucked in behind him as they crouched against a brick building. She aimed and squeezed the trigger of her razer, her shoulders rocking back each time a laser burst from the muzzle.

Natheem went down, a bullet ripping through his throat. He was gone before he hit the ground, his warm blood spraying over Kyber's face and chest. Fury pumped through him at the loss of one of his men, but there was no time to grieve. He wanted to tuck the emotion away, lock it tight within him, but the beast wouldn't allow it. It had control, and it fed on the full brunt of fury.

“Natheem!” Dhalesh choked, utter shock on his face.

Johar grabbed the man, hauling him away from the body. “He's gone, Dhalesh. We have to leave him or we all die.
Run!
”

They did, Johar dragging Dhalesh behind him. The humans were in hot pursuit, firing into the night. Kyber latched his free hand around Jana's wrist, needing to keep her near, to reassure himself as much as he could that she was unharmed. Sweat slid down his face, burning his eyes as he turned every few steps to fire.

Johar ran backward beside them. He pulled a small explosive from his belt and flicked his finger over the charge. Drawing back his arm, he released a leonine roar that could chill the blood and launched it at the humans. Kyber drew Jana against his chest to shield her as the device detonated. The ground beneath them shook with the explosion; dirt, rocks, and the sticky, sickening remains of bodies showered down on them.

She looked dazed when they stood but shook herself and pointed toward a tall wooden pole with a metal cone mounted near the top. “They're pumping the white noise through the town's tornado warning system. It's controlled down at city hall, which is about as far from where we need to go as possible, so I don't think we can stop it.” Her finger redirected their attention to a corridor between two buildings. “But we can cut through that alleyway to my parents' place. Do you still smell Arthur that way?”

Lifting his nose to the air, he tried to filter through the stink of smoke and blood for the general's scent. He was near, but the wind made it difficult to pinpoint now. “I'm not sure. We'll go to the house and see if anyone is there. We have to check.”

“Just go straight.” He could feel the fine trembling in her muscles, the fear that shook through her, but also the courage that kept her chin up, that worked to conquer the trepidation. “It'll leave us vulnerable if we get caged in, but it's the fastest way. The alley ends a half a block from their house.”

Dhalesh knelt beside them, and he glanced up. “We'll have to risk it. We're outnumbered, if not outgunned. Let's not lose anyone else to the general's men.”

The Kin's face was hard with rage, both hands gripping the ends of large razers. Kyber nodded in return, in complete agreement. His Guardians were, by definition, the best at what they did and the hardest to kill. Another person who'd given up their life for him. He gritted his teeth and vowed Natheem's sacrifice would not be in vain.

“Let's go.” Kyber jerked his chin at Johar, who moved out without a word. Kyber could feel the other man's silent fury, which was even more dangerous than when Johar yelled.

The strong emotions emanating from the people around him made Kyber's hackles rise, and he gave up trying to check the feline within, allowing himself to embrace this side without the guilt at his loss in control. He was both man and beast, he always would be, and he'd finally learned to accept it.

He was not a monster.

He was here to kill the monster who'd hurt so many, including him.

They ghosted across the narrow Earthan street and down the cracked, uneven cement path that was the alley. His nostrils flared, trying to catch familiar scents. They hadn't heard from the second shuttle yet, the comm. device quiet in his ear. They could simply be in a place where it was unsafe to speak aloud, the static hum that squealed through the town making it impossible to mentally speak with his cousin or the other Guardians. He tried not to let it make him uneasy, but the stillness of the night sent disquiet skittering down his spine.

Nothing moved as they crept down the long, endless alley, fenced in by the high walls. The four of them kept their weapons and gazes moving before them, behind them, above them to the rooftops. It went against his feral nature to be thus caged, and his claws and fangs elongated to their full, deadly length. The white noise reverberated through his mind, reminding him too much of his time as Arthur's prisoner. Cold sweat streaked down his temples, his heartbeat accelerating to a full gallop.

“We're here,” Jana's voice breathed in his comm.

He could see the house, surrounded as it was by distinctive military vehicles. Smoke swirled up from a tank in the middle of the road, burnt out by the razer cannons on the Sueni fighter wings. A fierce, predatory smile stretched his mouth, his fangs scoring his lower lip.

Dhalesh spoke in a near-soundless whisper, “Soldiers.”

Tension ripped through the group as a small coterie of Earthan warriors slipped onto the street between them and the house. Kyber hissed a string of Sueni curses that made the Kin grin back at him. Dhalesh lead them from building to building, moving along their side of the street as the soldiers began moving toward the Townsend house. A blue flash of light came from one of the windows, a razer being fired, and Kyber smiled. Someone had made it from the second shuttle. Whoever was in the house had wicked aim, and Kyber smelled both Bren and Farid nearby.

Thanks to Anun, they had survived.

“Let's give them a hand, shall we?” Johar's grin matched his and the Kith shot forward, superhuman speed making him barely discernable in the dark.

Jana sprinted after him, the Kin Guardian and Kyber just behind her. Gunfire lit the sky, and Johar disappeared behind the house with an inhuman battle scream. Dhalesh darted after his captain, passing Jana.

Then Kyber had no time to think of anything else except keeping Jana and himself alive. Four soldiers came at them, one hitting Kyber in the chest with a bullet. He stumbled, groaning as the metal hit his armor. He choked as he watched another soldier knock Jana's razer from her hand. She slammed her foot into the man's groin, and Kyber fought a reflexive wince. Righting himself, he turned on the soldier who'd shot him and fired his razer to hit him in the face, and the flesh and bone crumpled. Kyber was already on the other two before their comrade tumbled to the grass, slamming his razer into one's nose.

He hissed, slashing the other across the face, the feline reveling in the scent of an enemy's blood spilled. Both humans staggered before diving on him, and he went down with a roar. One drove his fist into Kyber's ribs, and the breath wheezed out of his lungs again, but he retaliated by stabbing his claws into the man's neck. He gurgled, drowning in his own blood. The other soldier struck Kyber's mouth, making his vision swim. Coppery blood coated his tongue, both his and the soldier's, when his fang caught on the man's fist and tore the flesh.

A high shriek of terror and pain split the air before the soldier slumped on top of Kyber. Dead. He shoved the body off him to see Jana with both her razer and his clutched in her hands. A bruise already darkened her jaw, but she looked unharmed otherwise. He grinned. “Nice shot.”

“Thanks for taking three of the four.” She gave him a small smile and tossed his weapon to him.

His hand shot out to catch it, the feline reflexes unerring. Pushing himself to his feet, he flipped his tangled hair over his shoulder. “It seems to have worked out well for us. Let's see who's in the house.”

“Someone from the second shuttle, if they survived this little run-in with Arthur's soldiers.” She mounted the steps, checked the door, found it locked, and jogged back down to flip over an odd little sculpture of a tiny, fat man with a pointed hat. Jana flicked him a grin, showing him a small metal object. “Mom always keeps the spare key under the garden gnome.”

He shook his head and said nothing. There were no words to express how strange that practice was to him. Instead, he held his aching ribs and followed his One up the steps and through the front door. His muscles shook from the adrenaline humming through him and from the fight with the human soldiers. He kept his gun up and his senses focused on any movement in the house. There were people here. More than one. None of them Arthur. A few bodies scattered around the living room, no doubt courtesy of Bren and Farid. Whisper-soft footsteps landed on the ceiling overhead, others came from the room next to them. He touched Jana's shoulder, pressed his finger to his lips to indicate silence, and moved toward the doorway.

His heart rate sped, rushing in his ears, and he smelled Jana's fear on the air. She settled next to him on the wall, her gun at the ready. Her species were not natural predators like his, and yet she'd never faltered. He'd never been prouder of her.

Whipping around the corner of the door, his razer trained on three human soldiers standing at a kitchen counter before they'd even lifted their weapons. Two dove for their guns, and Kyber's razer cut them down where they stood. The third soldier lifted his hands and began to speak, but a feline scream from outside had him spinning for an open door. Johar came leaping into the room, landing on a table in the middle of the room. His fangs were bared, crimson splattering his skin and clothing, his blue eyes feral and his braids swinging loose around his shoulders. He snarled, shoving his face into the human soldier's.