Sarazen's Claim, Book One (13 page)

He purred when she began to unravel the braid he’d coiled it in, combing her fingers through the silky looking strands. But they weren’t silk, the texture was almost coarse, a reminder that the man beneath her was in fact more than a man. “As children, Sarazens are born with a full mane. But as we mature, it begins to shed to reveal our markings and only the center stripe remains.” She hummed with curiosity, turning her cheek into the stroke of his fingers, taking his palm then to compare the size difference. No surprise, his fingers could fold almost in half over the tops of hers, palm to palm. “Does it hurt? When your claws come out?” She slid her hand up his to surround his index finger, rubbing at the pad with her thumb, and remarkably she actually felt the tendon flex and the harder cartilage slide out to reveal the long black claw. “No. I believe it may have, when I was a cub. But no longer.”

It slid back under his nailbed, and she kissed his fingertip just because he was a big tough warrior, and felt his rumbling growl shake her entire body. It made her laugh and wrap her arms under his neck to touch a kiss to the corner of his lips, just shy of an actual kiss, gasping gently when his big hands settled on her butt and tugged her higher up his body. Higher up, until her breasts were almost sitting on either side of his face, and her knees did in fact fall to either side of his hips.  She sat up and looked down at her scary, hot, snarly alien man cat. At the unbelievable bunching of muscle under his golden skin. How it flexed and rippled like ropes of iron at the stroke of her palms, quivered, jumped a little. He was stunning, an unbelievable creature of such remarkable strength, and he was telling her that she belonged to him. “Amazing.”  She murmured, and squealed out a laugh when he suddenly, with no warning flipped her down and reversed their positions.

The breath oomphed out of her softly, her heartbeat kicked into high gear while for a moment he just sat there above her and stared with his pupils having slit vertically and taken on a metallic golden sheen. “I would see all that is mine, Clary Starborn.” He told her gravely, and even though she licked her dry lips and couldn’t find words to speak her answer. Repeating over and over to herself, that she had no reason to be afraid. That she had no reason to be an idiot. Her nod, had him leaning down to rub his nose up the length of hers, down the other side, finishing up with the softest kiss she had ever received.

She kept him there by reaching up to cradle his sharp cheekbones, taking another kiss, and another until he growled deep in his chest and tore himself away. His animalistic chuff made her blood sing, the burning look of lust in his eyes that he kept on a very tight leash while he took his index finger and released his claw again. Just like in her fevered dream, she watched him lower his hand to the neck of her dress and with barely a hiss of noise he pulled down, slicing the fabric so cleanly she idly wondered what those claws could do to skin.

Cool air touched her breasts, making her nipples furl into hard points right in front of his eyes. He licked his lips hungrily, his powerful hands shaking a little when he stroked them down between her breasts, his skin so hot on hers it almost hurt. But it was a good, delicious sort of burn, the kind that made her quiver and her breaths come shorter, “So soft, my one. When I first saw you, saw these,” He cupped her breasts and a soft moan feathered out of her mouth, she twitched with the desire that whipped up so powerfully, “I thought you were already carrying a cub. Sarazen females only ever have such soft, beautiful breasts when they are breeding. I had seen mated pairs, females carrying cubs and secretly I envied the males whose mates were so lush and soft, when more often than not our females are tough and sinew like our males. I now know I will be the cause of such envy, to have so soft and beautiful a mate. This brings you pleasure?”

His hands covered her breasts totally, kneading gently, his thumbs brushing and rubbing over her nipples like he was testing their texture. Exploring it. While she did her best to lie there and not writhe or moan wantonly. She confirmed that yes, his touching was in fact bringing her pleasure, lots of pleasure. “Not nearly enough,” He stated with a serious frown, “I do something wrong if I am not able to draw sounds of it from inside you.”

“There is no wrong,” She gasped out, and he gave a studious hum, nostrils flaring wide to catch her scent, and a deep purr rumbled out of him after a second. “Firelight,” He suddenly commanded, and instead of the warm white lights, they shifted to flickering orange and red and yellow, like firelight throughout the room.

She was distracted by that for a moment, and missed how he sliced her gown the rest of the way open. “Come,” He ordered, tugging on her hand to get her to her feet, positioning her just so in front of him, whipping the remnants of her ruined dress off of her and prowled around her in a loose circle, his hand never leaving her body. The room spun around her at the dizzying stroke of his palms, his massive body behind her while he stroked his hands down her shoulders, gently moving her hair around to cover her front, so he could inspect her backside. She shuddered and shivered at the gentle brush of his fingers down her spine, touching each vertebra like he was counting them. Swirling over her hips, palming her butt with a pleased grunt.

He touched her like he was committing her entire body to memory, burning the texture of her skin into his mind so that any time he wished he could recall the sensation. When he was satisfied that he knew her shape from behind, he scooped her hair back over her shoulders and stepped up, molding his taller frame to hers and lifted her arms up and back to loop around his neck so that he could have unrestrained access to her front. “Know, my one, that I find you no less than perfect.” He growled in her ear, making her blush clear to her toes.

His hands circled her hips and whipped her around to face him. She had time to gasp and to clutch at his arms, a sound of surprise yipping out of her at the strength in his one hand where he scooped her up by having palmed her butt to lift her higher against his chest. His low growl made her nerve endings sing, the press of her breasts on his hard chest, her stomach filling the hollow of his, she fit. They fit. Her heart was pounding so hard she wondered if he could feel it, hear it. She felt him take a breath to speak, but an unfamiliar voice came from the communicator on his wrist, “Apologies, commander. Commander Brennaugh of the Fifth is requesting an immediate audience.”

A very unhappy growl feathered out from the lips of her Sarazen, his answer to be there shortly clipped and tight. He sighed then and dropped his brow to hers, licking his lips, giving half a smile when she stroked her hands down the tail of his hair. “Soon, my one, we will have uninterrupted time for ourselves.”

“I look forward to it.”

“I know not how long this will take. If you grow tired, it would please me greatly to join you in our bed, and have you naked like this. The feel of your skin on mine is a pleasure I would have as often as possible.”

“I am confident I can make that happen.” She touched her lips to his softly, their lips parting with a wet smack. “Go. I’ll be here.”

Thirteen

In a foul mood at having been called away from exploring the glorious figure of his mate, he stomped onto the command deck and threw himself into his chair with a growl. “Brennaugh, there best be an excellent reason for this interruption. I was with my mate.” The face of his fellow commander filled the view screen, his scarred face etched in seriousness, “Commander Tarek of the First, my apologies. My ship will soon be within proximity to yours, the council having sent us on a mission to seek out the remaining human ships. I would ask a boon of you before we enter in to deep orbit.”

He chuffed, confident he knew what this boon was that Brennaugh wished to ask of him. He rubbed his hand down over his face, inhaling the sweet scent of his mate, and grudgingly admitted if in the other male’s position, he might ask the same boon. “You and your warriors wish to see if any of the females aboard my ship, are possible mates to any of yours.” Brennaugh inclined his head, “Yes. The breeding festival draws nearer, and with this mission, all of my men will be unable to attend. With your permission and that of the council, I would give my warriors the same well-earned opportunity that you and yours have been blessed with.”

It was not an unreasonable request, but one he alone could not agree to. He had taken responsibility for the welfare and wellbeing of the few precious human females, the ones unmated at least, and he had made sure that every two of Clary’s earth hours, another regiment of his men were allowed to take guard position near the open doors of the female’s living quarters. So far he was almost all the way through the entire rotation, and no more of his warriors had been called. Of the twenty, only four had been claimed, which meant there were sixteen still yet to be potential mates to his people. He inclined his head, “I have no objections, Brennaugh,” He saw the triumphant flash of the other male’s eyes, and held up a hand to stay his response. “My mate is their chosen commander, I must speak to her first, so that she may gain the willingness of her people. I advise you to alert the council of your request, gain their approval, bring your ship in proximity and await my response.”

Brennaugh blinked in confusion, asking if the females did not understand the importance of what he asked, genuinely confused, and he inclined his head. “They have been told. But these females are not like our own. They do not have a beast within to guide their instinct, and they do not recognize us with visceral certainty. They are not bred for ward as we are, and just now they are still debating whether or not the find us trustworthy. We are the second alien species they have encountered, as you know, and they still are coming to terms with the attack upon their ship by the Na’ah. One of mine claimed vengeance for his female, against the harm brought to her person by one of her own. All of the humans witnessed him in full shift. Witnessed our justice. I regret that it frightened some of them greatly, and as they are under my protection, I must give them the choice.”

After more discussion about the many differences of a human mate, Brennaugh was satisfied with his answer and agreed to await his answer. He felt frustration as he headed back to his quarters, back to his mate, because he was uncertain of her response. Actually, he was more uncertain of the response of the other, unmated females. They were unaware of the rotation of his warriors to their section of the ship, and now he would have to answer that question if it was asked. Risk his mate’s displeasure, when the bond between them had begun to grow and strengthen. 

She was waiting for him in their bed, curled on her side, asleep, giving him the perfect opportunity to crouch down beside her and ease a lock of hair from where it had fallen over her cheek. She had pulled most of it into a long braid, but a few strands had escaped it and were laying against her fair skin like licks of fire. She made such a small bump in his bed, taking up not even a fourth of the space. Her breath was even and deep, her sleep calm and it was intensely satisfying to know she had done as he asked and climbed under the coverings, nude. He watched her sleep for some time, taking the time to thank the gods of his fathers for rewarding him with such remarkable beauty, and eventually she stirred. It was a gentle waking, her lashes fluttering and settling on his face in the low light. “You’re back.” She murmured, rendering him incapable of speech at the emotion that rose out of nowhere. His return made her smile, made her happy. “Was something wrong?”

“No, my one. We will discuss it upon rising.”

“Okay. Coming to bed?”

“Yes.”

She smiled at him sleepily, her eyes drifting closed once more. He stripped free of his boots and flight trousers, trembling with the restraint it took not to snatch her up and claim her right then. He had crawled in behind her, and his soft, intoxicatingly scented mate had turned to him and snuggled up against his chest. “You’re naked.” She slurred sleepily, not tensing or stating discomfort, “As are you.” She made a sound of pleasure when out of self-preservation he slid his thigh between hers, gathering her close to at least attempt to satisfy the urges beating around inside his skull. To calm the rigid pounding of the blood engorging his shaft, but the painful arousal only increased. Would only be soothed by their joining, by their mutual completion. “I get to see what’s mine tomorrow,” She told him with a sleepy smack of her lips, turning her nose to his throat to breathe deeply of the pheromones no doubt pouring from his skin, “As you wish, my one.”

Fourteen

Tarek woke her gently the next morning with a soft string of kisses down the slope of her cheek. It made her smile and turn her face into the caresses, blindly reaching for him to draw him back down into the warmth of the bed. “Good morning,” She said against his throat, arching into the firm sweep of his hand down her spine, wishing she could purr too to show him her appreciation of the caress. “Good morning. I would linger here with you all day, my one, but unfortunately I cannot. We have things to discuss.” She groaned and stretched, laughing softly when he picked her up, sheets and all to carry her into the enzyme wash.