Camille's Capture (7 page)

She had to be every bit as tired and achy as he was
. She didn’t argue, groan, or—thank the gods—cry.

With a single short nod, she
placed her feet under her butt, stood, and reached for Aegis’s monster-sized boots.

Jaxon grunted like an old man wh
ile heaving Aegis’s torso off the deck, praying he wasn’t critically injured and praying the clamp that locked the fighter Cub to the dock still worked. Fuel would be good too.

The trip from the portal to the main cabin seemed endless.
At last he shoved the big guy into a seat and checked the chron. Though jettisoning a section took the station master a few maneuvers, they had less than two minutes.

“Is he
—” Cami swallowed, cutting off the rest of her question.

“Aegis is tough.”

“Do you have a medi-scan?”

He shook his head, already strapping into the command seat. “There’s no time. Buckle up. We’re getting out of here.”

“But Aegis—”

He cut her off while he fired up the main engines. “Fixing his injuries won’t matter if we’re sucked into the nearest black hole.”

Cami went silent. Probably convinced he was an asshole.

“Fighter Z23 to space station.” Jaxon thumbed his comlink directly to the station’s frequency, hoping for a friendly response. What he got was a whole lot of nothing. Not a huge surprise. They’d lost com
soon after landing. Right about the same time the enemy craft had arrived and began blasting the sisterhood’s shuttle.

Fortunately someone had authorized refueling. It must’ve happened shortly after they docked, ’cause the sitch had gotten into seriously ugly territory in a big hurry.

With no friendly station agent to release them, Jaxon focused on jockeying them loose by rocking the fighter back and forth. If he kept it up long enough, the tactic might work in about a million years.

Maybe the
connection had been half cracked by the recent explosions. A teeth-chilling wrench of metal grated. He jerked the fighter forward, knocking it against the anchoring clamp. The small craft strained, something snapped, and they broke free. Their ship zoomed straight ahead toward the station.

He slammed the thrusters into reverse and prayed some more while the
vessel thundered for the reinforced docking bay wall. They shuddered to a full stop. Slowly the fighter reversed direction, picking up speed as it flew backward, into the endless void of space.

Seconds later, the outer section of the station that had housed their vessel broke off from the main body. The mass of heavy metal tumbled
after them.

Jaxon
used every bit of skill he had maneuvering to avoid the flying debris. They were still too close to the shit storm. Finally their ship cleared the wreckage. He released the helm to the ship’s navcom.

“Goddess
be praised,” Cami murmured.

“Yeah.”
He almost grinned at her heartfelt relief. It was a whole lot more likely her prayers were being answered than his. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d even dropped by a feast-day ceremony.

She scrambled to unfasten the safety harness she’d used to strap herself in with Aegis and crossed to him. Capturing his face in her palms, she said, “Your leg.”

What in the seven hells? He glanced down. Right, his left thigh still had a nasty piece of shrapnel. Damn thing ruined his whole action-hero look. “Gotcha.”

She
hadn’t release her grip on his head. “Medi-scan?”

Either his ears weren’t working or she was just mouthing her words for some strange reason. Luckily he read her thought. He tried to get up, but the leg refused to cooperate, so he
kept his ass parked. “Third compartment over, top section.”

Maybe he let his eyes rest for a minute or thirty.
When he came to, Cami had eighty-sixed the ugly shrapnel, replacing it with a tasteful white bandage. She must’ve given him a couple of passes with the cellular stimulator too. The leg felt a hundred percent better. Damn near healed.

He grinned and turned to thank her.

But she was sitting in Aegis’s lap, which kinda took the fun out of the moment. One of the big guy’s massive arms held her nice and tight while she patted him down like her palms were medi-scans.

Jaxon damn near felt the touch of those soft hands as she went right on examining Aegis for injuries. Or maybe she just liked patting him.

As great as it was to see Aegis alert, Jaxon wasn’t feeling the joy-joy. Instead, a whole fleetload of ugly jealousy slithered through his veins, stealing his relief and turning his world black and bitter.

New Eden Space Sector G

Same day, 4402 SG

Aegis tried to pry his
hold lose from Cami and failed. His strength was useless against her charms. Not touching her was impossible.

He extended his free hand to Jaxon. “Join us.”

Seconds passed while he waited for the warrior to either accept or reject the invitation. Truth be told, he was uncertain which answer he preferred. Both would be disasters. He let his arm drift back to his side.

Should
he mate with the humans, his glamour vanished. The illusion was too fragile to survive intimacy. He had never tested the limits of his disguise, so he didn’t know precisely how much contact his veil of humanity tolerated. Each caress stole another piece of his mask.

Jaxon
might refuse, which meant losing his best friend and risking the impossibly beautiful Cami.

He needed both of them in order to avoid mating mania—the frenzied state of lust triggered by sexual frustration. The biologic phenomenon strip
ped him of control, turning him into the crazed monster humans feared. Neither of his frail mates could assuage his passion alone. Together they all had a chance to survive.

“Where are we?” Jaxon scanned the console.

“One parsec away from the station,” Aegis answered, although the fighter’s position glowed on the ship’s display star chart.

Cami
stopped his breath by wriggling free of his embrace and clasping Jaxon’s hand. Fearless, she tugged him nearer. “Be with us.”

She came f
rom Earth, where males no longer existed. She could not have understood what she asked.

H
er soft plea seemed to dispel the last of the other warrior’s doubts. Jaxon’s sensuous mouth curved, and a dimple creased one cheek. Some of his usual cocky optimism returned. He met Aegis’s eyes. “You want me.”

His
grin faded before Aegis had a chance to answer.

Jaxon
speared his fingers through his undisturbed brush cut. “Damn, I almost forgot. I couldn’t raise the station. The com system is down, or it’s being jammed.”

“Either way, we are isolated until the Space Corps notices the problem and sends reinforcements.” Aegis finished his friend’s thought. “We have enough duranium on board for the next two days. If the Baldoreans attack—”

“
When
they attack,” Jaxon said, his handsome face tightened into grim certainty.

Aegis nodded agreement. “Without refueling capability, we will not last long.”

“I’d rather go out fighting.” Jaxon’s expression grew even harder.

“I also.
Cami, however, is not a warrior.”

“The Baldoreans killed the shuttle
’s crew, and I bet they never gave the sisters a second’s thought.” Her delicate body quivered with fury. She clenched small hands into determined fists. “Those disciples were unarmed. Their status didn’t matter to your enemies. I vote for taking out as many of the evil ones as possible.”

“We are in agreement
,” Aegis spoke carefully, adding, “We need to conserve our resources to have the greatest impact on our enemy.”

First Cami then Jaxon looked
at him with the clear expectation of a decision. It took every kilogram of discipline he possessed to force his thoughts away from the primal urge to claim them. Keeping them alive outranked his need to bond.

“We will fight to the death if the Baldoreans initiate further hostilities.”

“Damn straight.”

“I too support you,” Cami murmured.

Aegis swallowed his doubts and shoved aside the dream of vengeance that had driven him for so long. His choices vanished with the small Earth woman’s first shy touch. Perhaps even before the initial miraculous contact. It mattered little when his destiny had been altered. The change was enough to accept without dwelling on details or endlessly taunting himself over nonexistent possibilities.

“We are united in agreement.”
With their course of action settled, Aegis’s urge to mate surged stronger than before. 

In a more perfect universe,
Aegis would have chosen a moonlit shore for their first intimate encounter. The compact interior cabin of a fighter was an elegant marvel of functional efficiency, however the ship lacked ambience.

His recent injuries left him with a few tender spots, but he was not worried about the
residual soreness. Tethysians healed quickly. The remaining aches would be gone by tomorrow. None of the damage was serious enough to interfere with claiming his mates. To consummate the bond while locked in the cramped cabin was far from ideal.

Cami’s presence stimulated his drive to reproduce and stripped his control at an alarming rate, removing his options.
The woman ignored his impenetrable barriers, fitting perfectly into his arms.

He embraced
her, acting on an instinct as powerful and automatic as breathing the humans’ dry air. She streaked into his life like a small comet brushing against him, changing everything. With the first gentle contact, her safety and well-being became his number-one priority.

If the human warrior joined them, then the combination of Jaxon’s and Aegis’s sperm could fertilize her ovum. Fighting his primal urge to claim them as his mates would be as futile as defying the laws of physics.

After intimate contact with the matches designed for him, a different mania followed—mating frenzy—the undeniable need for claiming sex. He might have days or hours of sanity left, again he had no way to judge. The mating imperative already grew stronger, heating his blood.

Jaxon’s
classic warrior features softened with hope. A glimmer lit his dark eyes. The expression on the man’s face could have melted a heart of stone.

A few hours ago, Aegis
believed himself immune to such tender emotions. Cami proved him wrong.

The
ir triad presented enough challenges without the added complications of mistrust and anger. Reactions he expected from Jaxon once his mask of humanity vanished. The betrayed did not care about reasons. How could he ever understand why Aegis had lived such a fundamental lie for so long?

“The Space Corps will send up fighters. We’ll retake the station and refuel.” Aegis willed calm confidence into his words.

Both Jaxon and Cami impulsively embraced him.

For a few seconds,
he closed his eyes, absorbing the miracle of their touch.

Cami’s small
body, so exquisite—silky, soft, and sweet to his senses—pressed tightly against him. Her lush curves cradled his hard edges, inflaming a ravenous need.

At the same time, Jaxon
wrapped powerful arms tight around Aegis’s torso while the warrior’s strong body pressed into his backside. The thick rope of Jaxon’s arousal wedged between his butt cheeks. His friend’s rugged chin, rough with beard stubble, scratched the sensitive scales on the side of Aegis’s neck. He burrowed nearer as if unable to get close enough. One work-roughened hand slipped free of the ferocious hug and massaged Aegis’s scalp. Clever fingers found the base of his knobby horns.

J
olts of pleasure shot directly to Aegis’s already straining cock. His glamour melted away under the thrill of the forbidden caress. Too excited to worry, he tilted his head, seeking more contact with those strong, talented hands.

Jaxon stiffened and stumbled
back, staring at him with widened eyes. “What in the seven hells are you?”

The warrior’s horror hit Aegis
’s gut in an icy blast of reality. He cringed and covered the second of vulnerability with a stony mask.

Cami shook off the intoxication of the males, moving closer to insert herself between them. She caught and held Jaxon’s gaze. “Why don’t you save the attitude for the real enemies?”

The warrior
drew in a breath as if to argue. She cut him off with a raised palm. “I don’t know what your problem with Aegis is, because it couldn’t possibly be something as stupid as a couple of itty-bitty physical differences. Personally, I find his pointy ears quite handsome. His horns define adorable.” She slid a palm down his proud jaw to his thick neck. “You can’t be upset about his gorgeous scales. They’re so warm and smooth.”

She
stopped petting Aegis long enough to glare at Jaxon. “Even if he were hideous, which he isn’t, he’s on your side.”

“Does the word
demon
ring any monster bells?” Jaxon asked, interrupting her ode to Aegis. His tone was biting, sinking her hopes for an easy resolution.

H
er temper flared. Of all the stupid male behavior she’d ever heard about, Jaxon’s irrational prejudice topped the list. Aegis’s stoic response ran a close second.

The warriors cared for each other
. They communicated with a glance. Goddess knew the attraction smoldering between them went both ways.

Jaxon
’s stubborn determination to throw away the love of a lifetime was too clear.

She swallowed a mouthful of bitter envy. S
he would have given anything to share the kind of true intimacy the male shunned.

She darted a
peek at Aegis. He’d averted his face, hunching his shoulders as if he were trying to hide his distinctive ears. She shook her head, disgusted with them.
Goddess save me from idiots, martyrs, and stubborn warriors.

A small step closed the distance separating her from Jaxon. She slapped both hands against his chest and stretched up on her toes. By angling her
neck, she managed to meet his gaze. “Back off right now.”

H
e continued to glower.

“Don’t you even care that Aegis was injured protecting us?”
She softened her tone hoping for kindness. And then she made a huge mistake. She drew a breath. Dear Goddess, the man smelled wonderful. His scent—dark, sweet, and spicy hot—woke a hunger she’d never known.

“Demons are hard to hurt,” Jaxon muttered,
staying unconvinced.

“Their feelings bruise as easily as anyone’s,” Cami whispered when all she wanted to do was peel off his uniform and rub against him. It took every bit of strength she possessed to drop her hands and
step back.

“
Tethysians have been persecuted by humanoids for centuries.” Aegis spoke, pain roughened his deep voice. “Baldoreans slaughtered my family. Others have done almost as much to eliminate our kind from the universe.”

“Humans kill demons in self-defense.” Jaxon’s mouth thinned to a tight line.

“Not H’nai. He kills for his own unholy reasons,” Aegis grumbled.

“The Baldorean mage?”
Cami asked, remembering a frightening holocast interview with the man.

“Yes.”

“Did you scar him?” She held her breath, waiting for his answer.

Aegis seemed to shrink. He shook his head. “
I did not have that honor. My mother marked his right cheek. She nearly took one of his eyes.”

“Sounds like a demon move.” Jaxon
scowled at his friend.

“She died to feed H’nai’s blood lust.”

Cami blinked back tears. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“It was long ago
.”

“Sorry.” Jaxon spoke
with curt politeness, continuing to stare at Aegis as if he’d never seen him before.

The
ir bitterness ate at Cami. She sought the right words to make them understand what was so clear too her—they were two worthy males tearing the bonds between them to shreds.

“
Is your real sitch, another bloodthirsty demon bent on killin’ humans? Or are you just after Baldoreans?”

Aegis angled stiff shoulders as if his stance
would deflect Jaxon’s anger. “If a lie is told long enough and loud enough, it is believed. However, no matter how long and how loud the lie is told, it never becomes the truth.”

“Is it true male demons go berserk, raping and killing humans
after they reach a certain age?” Jaxon asked with enough bite to make Aegis flinch.

“Yes, this happens at sexual maturity,” Aegis
’s lips pressed into a rigid line.

“Yeah?
When exactly does that happen?”

Aegis shrugged. “Sooner if he’s exposed to his mates.
Never if he breeds.”

“
Great plan, ’cause we really need more monsters.” Jaxon snorted.

“I am the last of the Tethysians, those you call water demons.”

Jaxon averted his eyes from Aegis, locking his attention on Cami. His sensual mouth tightened in anger. “See? He admits it. Tethysians is just another name for monsters. He’s a killing machine.”

“Aegis never hurt you. He
has fought by your side for how long?” she pleaded with Jaxon. Her heart was in her throat from their mutual pain and their stubborn male code of behavior that kept them from showing their feelings when it was clear to her how deeply they cared.