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Helbri was behind her when she turned and put the wrap on. He sighed and stroked her hair. “Are you all right?”

Her lip trembled, and she took a deep breath. It didn’t help. She started to cry in huge, ugly sobs, and he caught her against him, sitting on the floor and cradling her in his lap. He didn’t tell her to hush or that everything was fine. He let her cry it out until all of the pain, panic and adrenaline had burned itself out of her system.

He sat with her until she was calm and the hiccups had stopped. “Too bad he fell. The next shot was going to blow his cock off.”

She giggled and sighed. “That was my next target as well.”

“I will get you something to eat and possibly something else to wear. I don’t think we have any more female clothing, but we can make do.”

She nodded. “Right. Bring me a sheet and a knife. I can make something.”

“After you eat. You need to purge yourself of the paralytic completely, and getting your digestive tract involved is going to help.”

She scooted off his lap and nodded. “Right. Practical stuff.”

“Yes. Practical stuff. We have a day or two before we get home. Rest, recover and figure out what you want as your outfit.”

She snorted. “You are just all in favour of
naked day.
”

“Or week or however long it takes before you are comfortable in your skin again.” He winked.

The meal was good. The tea and water were exquisite, and she shucked out of her wrap before crawling into bed. She slept almost immediately, curling toward the wall to make sure nothing came up behind her.

Helbri’s scent enfolded her, and his arms were around her, which was a good thing. She was lying on top of him, covered by the sheets and nothing else.

She rubbed her cheek against his chest, and his arms tightened around her. “Hello, Helbri.”

“You sound more like yourself, Cleo.”

He stroked her hair, and the erection pressing against her belly flexed slightly, growing slick at the possibility of sex. Her own body was reacting the same way.

“I feel more like myself. That was some scary shit, Helbri.”

“Which is why I was summoned. He had killed over thirty sacrifices that way in the last seven months. It was only when an investigator was killed after having spotted the Skkolos that they knew what was doing it and that it was not a legitimate religious practice. The investigator was able to send a report before he was dragged to the city.”

“Why didn’t he simply leave? If he killed the investigator, he had his ship.”

“The master was enjoying his life on Ytheera too much. The adulation, the chance to see his toxins at work, they all created a drug-like effect that he was susceptible to. He went mad, as you saw.”

“Up close and personal.” She squirmed on him, and his cock throbbed against her.

“Are you trying to fidget me to death?”

She bit her lip. “Not really.” She carefully leaned up and braced her arms on his chest. “I was wondering if you would care to do a bit more exploring.”

He stroked his hands down her sides and up her back. “Are you sure? You have been through a trauma.”

She scooted up his body until she was facing him, and she licked his lower lip. “I was stuck for hours, unable to move any of my limbs. I could feel but not react. I would like to have the chance to react to something if you would not mind.”

Helbri leaned up to complete their kiss. “I believe I can do that.”

With an odd expertise, he wrapped his arms around her and turned until she was tucked underneath him. He kissed her again and eased down her body. “Stop me if anything is uncomfortable.”

She whispered that she would, and he kissed and licked his way down her body.

She wove her fingers through his hair and held him to her when he found a spot that increased her heat. The curve under her breasts, a spot a few inches to the left of her navel and the delicate skin under her navel all needed extra attention.

Cleo parted her thighs and directed him toward her wet sex. He nibbled at her clit and then lapped at her flesh, taking in the slick cream that was his invitation to enter.

She twisted as his tongue delved into her with slow motions. Her fingers in his hair tightened as her arousal wound tight. The gasping shriek that heralded her climax echoed in the room.

He gave her splayed folds a number of small, soft kisses before working his way back up her body.

He seemed to find sensitive spots on her body that only woke after pleasure had shocked her nerves.

She moaned, sighed and wrapped her arms around his head when he suckled at one breast and then the other. She was shaking with the need to have him inside her, and as his cock nudged her open for him, Cleo felt relief and anticipation.

Helbri moved up her body and kissed her savagely, threading a hand through her hair and nipping at her with teeth that were sharp enough to be a threat.

The sense of danger ran through her, and she lifted her hips to his in invitation. It was all the request that he needed.

Between his lubrication and hers, he plunged into her, causing her to suck in a sharp breath at the shock of the stretching fullness.

The first long stroke took him all the way out, and then, he pistoned back in. Long undulations of his body culminated in his hips rocking against hers and his sliding in and out of her. There was no time for a slow seduction. She wanted him deep and hard.

Cleo dug her nails into his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his thighs. Against his mouth, she whispered, “More. Harder.”

He gave her what she asked for.

Their breathing was ragged as they both strove for release, and while Helbri shuddered and shouted first, Cleo was right behind him with a gasping jolt of overtaxed senses and a low moan.

Helbri lay on her but braced himself on his arms. He was still inside her. Smaller but still definitely present.

Cleo felt him nuzzling her sweaty temple, and she smiled. “Thanks for that.”

“Did I hurt you?”

“If you did, I asked for it.”

“No excuse.” He brushed his lips down her cheek.

“I suppose not. Bad Familiar.” She lifted a hand and brought it down on his backside.

Helbri lifted his head and stared down at her. “You didn’t actually do that.”

She shrugged. “Call it post-coital dementia. Besides, I have been wanting to do that since the first time you bent over your weapons collection.”

He wrinkled his nose and shook his head. “Well, I am glad to know your wit has returned in full force.”

“You can’t keep a good Terran down.”

Helbri let more weight drop onto her. “I think I can keep you down as long as I want.”

She frowned. “Helbri, I have to pee.”

In a moment, he was off her and helping her up. She was almost to the lav when she turned and said, “Sucker!”

He was out of the bed and on his way to the lav in seconds. Fortunately, she was faster with the door closure.

He didn’t try to barge in, and she did have to pee, so she used the facilities and washed her hands before getting a damp cloth and pressing it to her overheated genitals. Friction wasn’t something that she normally had to take into account, but few of her lovers had Helbri’s stamina.

Once she was tidy and less chafed, she opened the door and yelped. “Helbri. I had no idea you were waiting there. Against the wall, all creepy like.”

“I wanted to make sure that you weren’t going to dodge anymore of my presence.”

“Ah, sorry about that.”

He shook his head with a grin. “No, you are not.”

“Now you are catching on.”

He laughed and offered her his hand. “Come on. You need another meal, and that is definitely within my job description.”

She smiled, and together, they had a naked breakfast. Too bad she didn’t get to watch him fry bacon. That would have been worth paying money to see.

“So, Cleo. Are you ready to actually be on Lrrko and make it your home?”

She shrugged as she finished her tea. “At this point, yes. I will take it. I am ready to get some stability under me.”

“I am fairly stable.”

Cleo smirked. “How long do we have until we get to Lrrko?”

“Long enough for you to try and get something stable under you.” He wagged his eyebrows.

“Hands tied or behind your head?”

“You choose.”

She looked at the breakfast dishes. “Do we have to wait an hour?”

“No. This isn’t swimming.”

She grinned and led the way past the bedroom and through the ship to the firing range. She smirked.

“Hit the mat, Familiar.”

“Here?”

“Yes, it is as close to exhibitionism that I will execute, so drop to your back, or I will call this a failed experiment in witty banter.”

The thud nearly deafened her, and her victim was splayed out at her will, hands behind his head.

She knelt beside him and ran her hands over his body. “Oh, just like Christmas.”

He might not have gotten the reference, but when she wrapped her mouth around the head of his cock, she had his full attention.

It wasn’t a bad way to spend a few days in space.

Medic Alveck was very careful with her as he ran the baseline scans. “You are ready for a harvest right now if you are willing.”

Helbri gave her the authorizing nod.

“Yup. Go. Stab me and suck the little cells out. Enjoy. Let me know when you are done.”

She lay back, and Helbri held her hand.

When Alveck got his equipment together and he readied the first extraction tube, Helbri held her other hand.

Alveck asked, “Is that necessary?”

When he was extracting from the second side and Cleo’s patience had run out, she tightened her arms and prepared to use some of the self-defense moves on the medic.

Helbri gritted his teeth as he held her. “It is definitely necessary. I would urge precise speed. She has lost her patience.”

The rest of the harvest was over within a minute.

Cleo lay back and panted as the medic escaped.

“There, there. It is over now.”

She was bristling with indignation. “I just had my crotch stabbed, and there was no foreplay involved.”

Helbri looked like he was trying not to laugh. “I am aware.”

She pulled her knees together and sat up slowly. “What is next?”

“Meeting the Elders. They have been eager to meet you.”

“Anything to do with my escape?”

“Probably.” He smiled grimly.

“Can they take you away from me?”

“Never. We have a bond that goes far beyond assignments.”

She blushed. “You say the sweetest things.”

He snorted, and they waited to find out if her eggs were viable.

It was a tense five minutes, but eventually, a relieved Alveck returned and inclined his head. “Ten eggs. Excellently done.”

Cleo snorted. “Thanks; I worked hard on them.”

Alveck looked confused, but Helbri snapped his fingers. “Is she free to go?”

“I have to do one scan to make sure that there is no damage from the extraction, but after that, she is free to go.”

Helbri held her hand during the exam, and the moment it was over, he winked. “I have a surprise for you.”

He disappeared for a moment, leaving the room. Her instinct was to keep scanning it, because she had seen his camouflage ability on the ship. Naked hide and seek was now one of her favourite games.

He came back in wearing a tight blue shirt and black pants that hugged all of her favourite landscape. In his hands, he held clothing in similar colours and a pair of knee-high boots draped on top.

She dropped the sheet she was wearing and reached eagerly for the clothing.

Alveck stared, swallowed and excused himself.

Cleo looked down and smiled at the bite pattern across her breasts. “I think this scared him.”

Helbri smiled, and she could see the memory of the previous day in his eyes. “It was a request I was glad to honour.”

“It was fun. I don’t know how many times I will make that request, but I enjoyed it.” She took the shirt and pulled it on over the offending marks.

He ran his fingers over her cheek. “I am glad. Now, the Elder Council is waiting.”

“I know, I know. Time to get my butt chewed.”

He winked. “Put it on the wish list.”

She laughed and finished getting dressed, wiggling her toes in her boots and smiling.

She walked at Helbri’s side to the roof, and she settled on the riot runner with ease. She glanced over her shoulder. “Do you want me to drive?”

He shuddered. “No. While you managed to make it to the airbase, having seen the video of your journey, I am amazed you made it in one piece. I will drive until you have a chance to take proper instruction.”

“Fine, but the instruction had better come soon. Flying these things is fun.”

He sighed, and it was nearly enough to part her hair. With a few easy movements, he got them up in the air, and they were soon gliding across the city to a larger building that had much more security than the med centre.

Cleo cocked her head. “Is there one of my people in that building?”

“There is. Elder Lynni is taking up the protection and management of the Brides and working on the status of women on Lrrko in general.”

“Okay. Good.” She had read the Bride contract, but she hadn’t signed it.

Helbri was carrying the tablet, and they had agreed that she would need witnesses when she did finally sign it, so it would be in front of the Elders.

They landed on the roof under the watchful gazes of four guards who collected their retinal scans. When they were authorized, they entered the building and headed down to the council chambers.

Outside the chamber, Helbri handed her the tablet, and she brought up the contract.

When it was ready, they walked into the council chamber, and the guards closed the door after them.

The sole woman at the council had to be Terran, but Cleo had never seen a Terran like that. The colouration on one side of her body was hot pink and the other side was a pearly white.

Shaking herself free of the distraction, Cleo signed the Bride contract before anyone said anything.