Page 13 of Marked for Vengeance
Part of his mind had screamed at him to pin her against the nearest flat surface and lay claim to her body. His cock had turned to steel and throbbed in time with his pounding heart.
Her defiance only made him want her more. The scrawnies were terrified of their creations. Bysshe had never been afraid ofthem, but he’d never challenged them, either. The android was controlled, deliberate, and thoughtful in all his interactions with Vengeance and his clan-brothers. He was also the closest they had ever had to a father figure.
Loris was different. She had fire in her soul, and her body was beautiful. Strong. Powerful. He’d broken more than his share of the pleasure bots the verexi had provided for their use. With Loris, he wouldn’t have to worry. She was not delicate or meek in any way. She was his match in every way, even if she hadn’t accepted that yet. Once they were safely away from this place, he’d show her the true meaning of pleasure. How many orgasms would it take to convince her she belonged to him? He looked forward to finding out.
When the females were ready, they all gathered near the fire. The three humans stood together, watching Vengeance and his brothers with open interest along with some trepidation. Trust would come, but not yet.
He rummaged in the bag he wore slung over one shoulder until he found what he was looking for. He handed the blaster to Risk. “You will need this more than I will.”
His clan-brothers stared at the weapon. Then, with a snarl, Havoc cuffed him in the back of the head. He saw it coming and decided not to react. Now wasn’t the time for them to argue.
“You took one of the weapons from the cache? That’s forbidden!” Havoc said.
He laughed it off. “You think I was the only one? Nearly half the stash was missing when I got there.”
“Bysshe will skin you all alive and recycle your hides to make more of those jumpsuits he likes,” Havoc muttered.
“He will have to catch us first.” Vengeance wanted to be gone already. Night was falling, and Loris was unfamiliar with the dangers of this place. The planet they’d crashed onto was full of threats, and a great many of them were nocturnal.
He offered Risk the weapon again. “Keep the blaster. You can use it to protect your female. Havoc and I will vanish into the woods soon. The mercenaries won’t find us. They will come for you and this ship.”
Risk finally took the weapon. “I will be waiting for them. They can’t have it.”
“The ship or the female?” Havoc asked.
“Both.”
So at least one of his brothers had learned what he already knew. The three females were destined to become their mates. Loris for him, Hope for Risk, and the soft-spoken Maddison belonged to Havoc. Or she would once his brother figured it out. He wondered how long it would take. Longer than him, anyway. That was good enough for him.
“I feel the same about my little warrior.Mine.” He stressed the last word and added a low growl at the end to make his point clear.
Havoc scrubbed a hand through his beard and looked thoughtful. “I don’t know if Maddison is mine…but she needs my protection. She is too gentle for this world. And for me.”
Vengeance nodded. Hope had a quiet strength to her, but Maddison was wary, her eyes shadowed with remembered pain. He’d seen it before. All the fa’rel had endured torture and experimentation at the hands of their captors. They rarely spoke of it, but they didn’t need to. They all bore scars on their bodies and on their psyches.
It was time to go. He and his brothers locked eyes and nodded once. They bowed their heads and knocked horns in a ritual they’d created for themselves.
“Good hunting, my brothers.”
Vengeance took Loris by the hand and led her into the trees. Havoc gestured for Maddison to follow him and went a differentway. The two women looked uncertain, and Loris made a low sound of protest. “We’re not traveling together?”
“No. Separate is safer. Four of us traveling together would make it difficult to mask our trail.”
“You don’t understand. Maddison is my…” Loris sighed. “She pays me to protect her. I should stay with her.”
He shook his head. “Havoc is her protector now. And I am yours.”
His little warrior looked entirely unimpressed at this announcement. “I can take care of myself.”
“Anywhere else, I would agree with you, but not here. This is my home. You need to trust me to keep you safe.”
Even in the fading light, he saw the way her eyes crinkled and her lips twitched into a brief grin. “The local wildlife isn’t the only thing I’m worried about, big guy. As it happens, you’re at the top of my potential threat list.”
He tightened his grip on her hand, reveling in how well it fit inside his larger one. “I’m the most dangerous thing in these woods, but I’m not interested in hurting you.” He turned to stare down at her, his grin wide enough she could see his fangs. “The only screams you’ll make tonight are ones of pleasure.”
“There will be no screaming of any kind unless you piss me off. If that happens, I can’t guarantee you won’t be making all sorts of unhappy noises.”
She was magnificent like this, her words lashing out like knives in the dark and her warrior spirit on full display.
