Authors: Rebecca Airies
There had to be a way out of this.
“You almost burned me with your heat,
arra
. I knew we‟d be good together, but I
never expected…” A purr rumbled in his voice as his hips pressed against hers.
His tongue swirled over the stinging skin on her neck. The feel of his rough tongue
on the punctures caused a shiver of sharp pleasure to roll over her body. His muscles
tensed, his grip tightening on her for a few moments. Shock still fogged her mind as he
slowly pulled out of her. Turning her head, she watched as he moved to the edge of the
bed and rose to his feet. He lifted her. Cradling her, he pulled back the blanket and put
her on the soft sheets. With a smile on his face, he slipped into bed beside her. He
curved an arm around her and pulled her against his side. She could feel his happy
contentment just as he was certain he could feel her dismay and disbelief.
“Don‟t worry so much. Whether we‟d fucked tonight or not, you were still my
woman. The only difference now is that you‟ve admitted it.” His hand stroked her rib
cage and settled possessively on her stomach.
Don’t worry.
The man was obviously insane. She‟d just committed herself to him.
Getting out of that would probably be next to impossible. After all that, he didn‟t want
her to worry. She considered it amazing that she hadn‟t run screaming from the room
yet. Or at least tried.
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Lisia’s Journey
He nuzzled the hair away from her neck, apparently not reading her stiff posture or
the way she‟d deliberately angled her body away from him. He cuddled close, his hand
stroking down her side. She didn‟t know how she kept from yelling or taking a swing at
him. Her emotions flew through her mind, a storm of chaos.
“We‟ll contact your brother tomorrow and your
Shi’ans
. They need to know not
only have you accepted a mate here, but exactly where you are.” Hot breath brushed
over her ear as he breathed the words in a low whisper.
She opened her mouth and almost strangled in her effort to keep her voice to a
normal level. “Why now? We could have contacted him days ago.”
He placed nipping little kisses along her jawline. In spite of herself, she felt her
body begin to respond to those kisses. She wanted to stay focused and furious at him,
because she knew the timing of the upcoming contact had been deliberately chosen.
Before he hadn‟t really had any claim on her. Now he had an unassailable position in
her life and she couldn‟t contradict that without lying.
“We‟ll move your things over to my room tomorrow. Now that I‟ve had you, I‟m
not going to spend the night without you.” He turned her to face him and hooked an
arm over one of her legs.
She could see his face now. Sleepy satisfaction curved his lips, but she could see
hunger growing in his eyes as well as smell it in his scent. It underlay the feeling of
content that still rolled off him.
“I like having my own room.” She knew arguing about what she had and hadn‟t
agreed to would be useless right now.
It would probably be a good idea if she waited to do that until they were in a much
more public place. Right now, it would only end one way—with her screaming her
agreement as he withheld pleasure. He‟d threatened something like that when he‟d
warned her about his punishments.
“You‟re going to like sharing my bed even more.” His head lowered and he
nuzzled the hair away from her ear.
His teeth closed over her earlobe and nipped before he sucked on the tender flesh.
She drew in a hissing breath as the muscles in her pussy clenched. How did he know
just where to touch?
“What are you going to talk about with my brother?” She tilted her head a bit and
lowered her shoulder giving him more access to her neck as his mouth moved even
lower.
“Go to sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow. You‟ll find out what I‟m going to talk
to your brother about then.” He dropped a fleeting peck on her lips and pulled her close
again.
His body seemed to relax within moments, his breathing deep and even. At first,
she couldn‟t believe it, but he‟d fallen asleep almost between one breath and the next.
She stared at him for a little while wondering how he did it. That just didn‟t seem
normal.
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Rebecca Airies
Lisia sat beside Jarritt in a room on the first floor of his private quarters. The walls
were gray and a bunch of high-tech toys filled the room. She‟d spotted a musical
instrument beside the couch, but she could only see part of it and didn‟t recognize it.
They‟d taken position in front of a desk with a large monitor anchored to the wall. She
had no idea why they couldn‟t just use the more public communication room. She‟d
seen it while she was roaming one day and it would have more than sufficed. No one
would have needed to make any connection either.
She waited as contact was made with her clan. Jarritt appeared utterly relaxed in a
white shirt and dark pants and his satisfaction rolled through her mind. That infuriated
her. She knew he was aware of exactly how she felt. He was too confident and in too
much of a rush to get his way. The fact that her eyes were repeatedly drawn to him and
that she found him handsome even now only added fuel to her ire. She‟d made no
effort to hide her anger. He‟d only given her a smug smile and told her that it was time
to go talk with her brother and the
Shi’ans
. She‟d debated about whether to tell him the
full truth, but his attitude had decided the matter. The arrogant man could find it out
the hard way, since he wouldn‟t bother to listen to her on any other matter.
The large screen in front of her flicked on flaring white for a moment before the
image of her brother and Sian, the other
Shi’an
replaced it. The blond gold of her
brother‟s hair seemed to be a little red against the maroon wall in back of him. He
relaxed in a deep gray chair.
“You‟re looking good, Lisia. Who is this beside you?” Drake asked.
“This is
Shi’an
Jarritt E‟Sain of Telair clan, Drake. Jarritt, this is my brother Drake
and Sian Garand.” She smiled at her brother. It was good just to see him and be able to
talk to him. She felt a little more normal, a little more in control.
Drake nodded. “How are you doing? Are you able to come home yet? Have the
difficulties been cleared away?”
“Your sister forgot to fully introduce me. I‟m also the man who‟s going to be her
mate.” Jarritt‟s hand clasped around hers and squeezed gently.
“Is that true, Lisia?” Drake‟s eyes narrowed and he leaned forward. His hands
braced on the table in front of him.
She drew in a deep breath and grimaced. She tugged at her red shirt more to have
something to do to delay answering than to smooth any wrinkles. “I did acknowledge
his claim.”
“In words? Did you say them of your own free will?” Drake asked. She could hear
the anger in his voice.
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Lisia’s Journey
“At the time, I meant them,” she admitted honestly.
Drake‟s mouth tightened and his eyes narrowed as he switched his gaze to Jarritt. “I
don‟t think much of the protection your clan has provided to my sister. I also don‟t
think my sister was given much choice in committing herself to you.”
“She is committed and will be mated. If you‟d like to be here when it happens, we‟ll
wait to perform the ceremony until you arrive.” Jarritt‟s voice had gone cold and she
felt his anger rise.
His hand lifted hers, bringing her hand closer to him, physically reinforcing his
claim. Lisia wriggled her fingers when his grip became a little too forceful and his hold
immediately loosened.
Lisia rolled her eyes as she saw her brother‟s face darken with a flush of anger. She
could see the tension in every line of his body and knew that Jarritt‟s body held the
same tension. The two men were practically squaring off against each other with
galaxies between them. Male posturing. It wasn‟t going to solve anything.
“I‟ll be there.” Drake‟s voice rolled out in a smooth even flow. Lisia knew that it
was what he left unsaid that held the threat.
“I asked to speak with the
Shi’ans
of your clan as well. Where are they?” Jarritt
appeared to ignore the open hostility burning in Drake‟s eyes.
Drake‟s smile widened. “You haven‟t exactly been open with him have you? When
were you going to tell him?”
“When I originally planned to leave, never. If he hadn‟t been acting so smug this
morning, I would have explained.” She looked over toward Jarritt and found him
frowning at her.
“What haven‟t you told me?” Jarritt‟s tone dropped low and she saw a menacing
flash of teeth.
“Drake is my oldest brother, but he‟s one of the
Shi’ans
of the clan. Sian shares that
responsibility with him. You always referred to them as two separate things. I just never
corrected you.” Lisia shrugged and maintained his stare. She fought not to squirm
under that hard scrutiny.
“That does explain a few things.” Jarritt said in an even voice, but Lisia could feel
his controlled anger.
“Such as?” Drake raised a brow as he watched the other man‟s reaction.
“Such as her having so much freedom and even being unmated at her age.” Jarritt
relaxed back in his chair, drawing her hand to his thigh.
“What does my not being mated have to do with anything?” She tugged on her
hand, glaring at him when he wouldn‟t release her hand. “And my age. I‟m not old.”
She heard Drake‟s laughter, but ignored it, knowing that her brother had a
somewhat skewed sense of humor. Jarritt lifted her hand and nipped at her fingers,
before firmly returning it to the warmth of his thigh. He seemed totally focused on her
as if he‟d completely forgotten her brother and that he wanted to talk to him.
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Rebecca Airies
“You‟re not old, but you are older than most women are when they‟re claimed,”
Jarritt offered.
“Not all clans are as uncivilized as yours.” She smiled widely and deliberately. “I
never had any problem with any of the males.”
“Your brother‟s position protected you. Eventually, you would have found a man
willing to risk it to claim you.” Jarritt shook his head. His certainty in his beliefs was
obvious.
“There‟s also the fact that she has five older brothers.” Drake inserted cheerfully.
Jarritt glanced at the screen and then at Lisia. “There‟s a lot that you didn‟t tell me.
Any sisters or other relatives I should know about?”
“One younger sister and a slew of cousins, uncles and aunts.” She grinned.
“That figures. A huge joining with all your family present isn‟t possible right now.
There‟s too much risk.” Jarritt shook his head decisively. He turned his attention back to
Drake and the viewscreen. “We‟ll wait for you and the rest of her immediate family if
you‟d like to be here.”
“Of course, I want to be at my sister‟s wedding. What do you mean risk? Is Lisia in
danger?” Drake‟s voice lowered and a growl rumbled from the screen.
“There are some space pirates in the area. For the most part, the risk is to any ship
that travels in the area.” Jarritt looked directly at the screen.
„“For the most part‟ doesn‟t sound very reassuring to me. If you‟re going to marry
my sister, I want to know she‟s going to be safe with you.” Drake sat forward and
leaned his elbows on the table.
Just from his tone, she knew he was utterly serious.
Lisia knew that look. It was his “I‟m going to get my way” expression. It usually
worked, but she didn‟t think it would have quite the same effect on Jarritt that it did on
the men and women at home. She fully expected to see more bristling male ego at that
blatant challenge.
Jarritt laughed. “She‟s safe. She‟ll be well protected here. Come and see.”
Lisia watched her brother‟s head tilt and a smile lift one corner of his mouth. She
knew he‟d come to some decision, but she didn‟t know what it was. He could be
amazingly sneaky at times. She probably wouldn‟t know what he really thought until
she saw him in person.
“I‟ll be there as will at least one of her other brothers,” Drake said. “We‟ll talk more
then.”
“Thank you. I‟ll keep your sister safe. She‟s as important to me as she is to you.”
Jarritt drew his fingers across her knuckles, but his eyes remained on the screen in front
of him.
“I love you, Drake. Give my love to everyone at home.” Lisia took a deep breath
and tried to get hold of a sudden surge of emotion. She missed her family, wanted to be
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Lisia’s Journey
with them right now. It had been so long since she‟d even seen another member of her
clan.
“It might take me a few days to arrange things, Lisia, but I‟ll get there as soon as