Sarazen's Vengeance: Book 1.1 (5 page)

She loved the feeling of it. Was slightly terrified by how much she loved it. He didn’t say anything else. Patiently waiting, holding her close while she collected herself. He touched a feather light kiss to the top of her head. Purred softly to her. The sound vibrated in his chest, right under her ear, filling her with the strangest sense of relaxation. She nuzzled deeper into his tunic. Seeking more of his warmth. Wanting it to permeate her to the bones.

“Will it hurt? The download?” she asked. Her voice muffled by his tunic.

He immediately answered. “Of course not. Ga’rae has told me to make certain we go slowly. Perhaps a quarter of information at a time. There may be headaches afterward. I have already procured tonics to ease them just in case. I would never do anything to hurt you on purpose, my one. Not ever.”

Andi stared sightlessly at the holographic vista. Analyzing the shocking realization that she believed him. Without question, she believed he would never hurt her on purpose. It made her throat burn. Made her slightly uncomfortable while at the same time put her at ease. She titled her head back. Setting her chin on his chest so she could see the deep purple of his eyes.

Ohlen looked right back at her. Continuing to comb his long fingers through her hair. She marveled at the reaction of her body. She had been so certain she would never in her life ever want to have anything to do with a man, ever again. Yet here she was, feeling desire. Her fingers itched to trace his tattoos. To know what they meant. To touch him.

“No one has ever given me a gift before.”

His tawny brows pulled together with confusion. “Never?”

“No.”

“Why not?” He turned his knuckles to her cheek. A tender caress both reassuring and sweet.

“My parents died in an engineering accident when I was three months old. I was transferred to the 
Aria
because
 
they had more resources to offer an infant. I didn’t have anyone who would care enough to give me anything.”

He stared down at her for several long minutes. His expression changing as he came to some kind of decision,

“We do not have to do this now, my one. I only wished to offer you the choice.”

Andi shook her head. Gave him a little squeeze,

“I don’t want to be a victim anymore. If you have the tools to help me do that, I’ll use them.”

His pupils expanded and contracted in a split second. A visual reminder that he was not at all human. She heard his throat work. Stayed still and enjoyed the sweet nuzzle of his nose on her brow.

“May I lift you up onto the table? It is a bit of a jump for your small self.”

Andi found herself laughing, “Everything is a bit of a jump around here. You Sarazens area gigantic.”

Ohlen carefully scooped her up. Hugging her close for a few moments before he moved to lay her on the table. He even went so far as to carefully sweep her hair out from under her so she wasn’t laying on it.

“Alright?” he asked gruffly. Like he knew he had just made her melt and was trying not to let on.

She smiled at him. Beginning to believe under all that gruff warrior business he was a giant softie. He cleared his throat while reaching across her body for the ocular device.

“If at any time you are uncomfortable, I will stop the download.
”
She gave a non-verbal acknowledgment and he frowned at her seriously. “Anything. If you experience even as much as a twinge of discomfort. I insist.”

“Okay.”

He harrumphed. His fingers skipped over his wrist unit. Then over the surface of the goggles. Glancing at her in between each adjustment as though waiting for her to stop him. She watched him intently, admiring how handsome he was. Unable to keep from smiling when she noticed the tips of his ears turning the tiniest bit pink.

Was he blushing?

“There will be a pulse of light.” his voice was a bit hoarse, “Images will flow across the screen and I anticipate that it might feel strange. The download will begin almost immediately. Afterward, you will be exhausted. Your mind will need several hours of sleep to reboot and accept the download. I vow, you will wake in our bed, in our quarters. I will be at your side the entire time.”

Andi stopped him from settling the goggles on her eyes with a touch of her hand. Immediately he removed them, frowning at her when she sat up. They were shoulder to shoulder now and she didn’t think. She just went with her instinct.

She cupped his hard jaw in her palm. Feling not an ounce of scratchy stubble there that would chafe or abrade. Only smooth skin stretched tight over hard bone. The barest of pressure of her fingers and he tilted his head, her name on his lips. A careful question. She tasted the sound of it as she brushed her lips boldly across his. Felt his breath catch. She wasn’t an expert, but he followed her lead. Kept his kisses light and gentle despite how she could feel him quivering. She pulled back just far enough to see the violet of his eyes.

“I’m safe with you. I believe that. I trust you.
”
The breath chuffed out of him
.

“My one,” he murmured huskily.

His body followed her when she lay back down. Jolting when she giggled, his ears turning an even darker pink. He gave himself a little shake before carefully settling the goggles over her head. At his questioning look, she nodded. Steadied to let him pull the alien device over her eyes. Nerves jangled, more from excitement than uncertainty. She blew out a deep breath, her cheeks warming when he took her hand in both of his and brought it to his mouth.

“You may startle at the beginning of the program. Squeeze my hand if at any point you are frightened or uncomfortable.”

Before she could properly process the feeling of his lips brushing against her skin, there was indeed a flash of light. Just like he said. It was bright enough to make her jump. A barrage of images followed the flash at an alarmingly dizzying rate.

She blinked when she opened her eyes again. Expecting the sterile white room, or to have been surrounded by holographic trees. Not the familiar surroundings of Ohlen’s quarters. He was right there again. Sitting in a chair beside the bed with a tablet in his hands, frowning at whatever he was reading.

The second she shifted under the sheets, his eyes were on her. His frown evaporated in favor of a stunning smile, “How are you feeling?”

Andi licked her lips while she looked around the room. Her mouth so dry, she could feel her taste buds screaming at her for water.

“Fine, what happened? Did it not work?”

He chuckled and moved to sit beside her on the bed. He must have read her mind as he handed her a tall glass of water.

“The download was completed, my one. Yesterday.”

“What? Yesterday? But I just lay down!”

She reached up to touch her head. Instinctively searching for the goggles. She found nothing but her hair.

“It was completed within three of your earth hours. You managed to smile at me when I took the goggles off, but then promptly fainted. I took you to medical to assure myself of your health and then brought you here. I had not anticipated such a reaction. I apologize.”

She realized the reason he’d been telling her every step of the process wasn’t just to explain. It was to put her at ease. So she wouldn’t be surprised by anything. Andi stretched as she sat up, not flinching or cringing when he moved closer,

“I take it since we’re back in your quarters, everything was within normal limits?”

It took him a second to answer.

“There were no abnormalities. The scans indicated your mind has accepted the data without issue. And…these are 
our
 quarters, my one. All that I am, all that I have now and in the future, belongs to you.”

Five

Ohlen watched Andi struggle to understand. To accept what he told her. Watched her gnaw on her full bottom lip. Her lashes fluttered with her confusion as she shifted uncomfortably beneath the blankets.

“Have I made you uncomfortable?” he asked. Praying for the day when their bond was strong enough to allow him to feel her emotions. Instead of catching the jumbled scent of them.

“No. I’m just wondering why. I mean, you’re um, not exactly getting the prize of the litter with me.”

Her lips rolled together as a shameful flush painted her cheeks. Waiting for what he assumed was his judgment. She did not understand her value. She saw herself as damaged or less than the others. Until their bond was truly formed, Andi would have no idea how truly precious she was to him. Ohlen reached for her. Slowly enough to give her time to push him away. Relieved when she so readily allowed him to draw her into his lap.

Though she came to him without hesitation, he could still feel the fine threads of tension in her body. Scent her nervousness while he held her close for a moment. Let the sensation of her soft body in his lap, the ridiculously arousing press of her breasts against his chest, burn into his mind. Into his memories. This was the first time she hadn’t flinched from his touch out of habitual fear. It seemed like so small a thing, but to him it was monumental. He slid his fingers into her hair. Combed through the silky soft strands. Lifted them to his nose to inhale the sweetness of her unique scent.

“You’ve been informed by your commander of how matings work among my people?”

“She explained that you’re ah, older than us.” Andi murmured. “That you mate only once and only to one woman. There were a lot of other details. In all honesty, I was a bit fixated on being invisible, as I’m not the sort of woman a warrior should have for a um, wife. Mate.”

Ohlen’s beast snarled and slashed at his insides to hear her speak of herself that that way. With the total belief that it was true. He wanted to roar at her that she was wrong. Struggled to not let his fury for a dead man overtake his tone.

“Your past is just that, my one. Your past. We make our own future now. I see you, Andi. All of you and you are my solace after so long alone. Without doubt, you are more than I had ever imagined. More than beautiful, more than brave, more-“

He was forced to stop talking because Andilifted her lips to his again. Trembled in his hold when he growled softly. But she didn’t pull away
.
He followed her lead for now. Content to learn this mating dance of mouths that she called, kissing. More than content to learn the soft, sweet curves of her lips. To discover what made her shiver. What made her breath catch. What made her fingers dig into the muscle of his arms and hold on tight.

Ohlen tried to situate her so that his cock wasn’t digging into her thigh so obviously. Another sound was pulled from him when his Andi wound her arms around his shoulders to stay right where she was. He could scent her desire, the soft fragrance of it intoxicating. He could feel her uncertainty despite her boldness. The white hot curl of her tongue across his lips was tentative but no less potent. It took every ounce of willpower he had not to pounce on her and devour her, one lick at a time. It was akin to torture, easing away before he lost control or took over. Before he took more than he should.

“I see now why my commander was so enraged when I happened to disrupt his time kissing his mate.”

The flush on her cheeks darkened. Her eyes sparkled with shyness. Her stomach gave a hungry rumble.

“I’m sorry,” she gasped with embarrassment.

He chuffed at her. Kissed her again softly as he knew how and nuzzled at her soft cheek. “It is no wonder you hunger, my one. You have been asleep for a full cycle. Come.”

****

Ohlen took her to what she’d started calling ‘the Media Room,’ for the next four days. Each time he explained the next step of the download process. What she might experience and where she would be when she woke up. Because of her reaction after the first download, he was adamant about taking her to the medical bay immediately after each session. Ensuring she suffered no adverse reactions.

The second download completed, Andi opened her eyes to see Ohlen right beside her, his hand stroking down over her head. As soon as Ga’rae had cleared her to leave, Ohlen carried her back to their suite. Kept her cuddled close to his chest the entire way. As though she needed to be handled with the utmost care. The third time had been the same. So had the fourth.

The fifth time Andi opened her eyes, she found herself curled up on the bed in their quarters.

Ohlen was kneeling beside her holding one of her hands in his. Just looking at her. She felt the rhythmic sweep of his thumb brushing tenderly back and forth over her pulse. He had the oddest expression on his face. It wasn’t an expression that scared her. Waking up to Ohlen being so close didn’t scare her either. It was more that whatever emotion he was feeling, allowing to show on his face, made her stomach flip. Churn with a mix of uncertainty and shyness.