Intentional Abduction (6 page)

“You’ve met others of my kind?” she asked, unable to stop the eagerness from entering her tone. “The Zonians rescued me from slavers when I was but a child, and once adopted, our old lives are forgotten. It’s supposed to be easier that way. But I do have to admit, sometimes, I find myself curious about the planet and people of my birth.” She couldn’t help the wistful note that flavored her reply.

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“You could visit, you know. While somewhat out of the way, it is not impossible to get to, although, we are strictly forbidden by the galactic council to show ourselves or interfere with the humans in any way. They are still little more than barbarians.”

Aylia shook her head. “No, I am on a mission, and cannot allow myself to be distracted by things of no importance.”

“Ah, yes, your mission. Getting pregnant.” He said it with a moue of distaste that made her defensive.

“You should be flattered that I chose you above all others. My people value strength and cunning. Any child you beget on me is sure to be a strong warrior.”

“Why not just go to a sperm bank and get yourself artificially impregnated instead? They have thousands of donors I’m sure that would have met your requirements.” Aylia knew what he spoke of. Pantariste had touched upon it as a solution if she failed to find a suitable male, but she could tell by the repugnance in her teacher’s tone that such a route held little honor.

“It is a long standing tradition that a Zonion warrior stalk the male she wishes to mate with. After his capture, she holds him by force or fear, and then takes his seed.” Anger tightened his features. “You do know there’s a word for that. Rape.”

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Intentional Abduction – Eve Langlais Aylia bit her lower lip. “How is it rape if you enjoy the act?”

“Just because my cock gets hard from your touching doesn’t mean I want to give you my seed. Mark my words, once I escape these chains, I will make you pay.” The trepidation he thought to inject her with failed to appear, and she grinned. “I knew I chose well. It is said, the more the male fights, the stronger the babe will be. Given your attempts to rebuff and scare me off, I shall breed the mightiest Zonian warrior ever.”

He groaned. “You are insane.”

“No. I am Zonian, and you shall be the first to bless my line.” Standing, she dropped her gown, and revealed her body.

“I won’t give you what you want,” he stated in a cool tone that belied the heat in his eyes and the steady rise of his cock.

“You will do whatever I wish. I am the one in control.” To punctuate her claim, she grasped his shaft and squeezed. His rod pulsed in her hand and he gritted his teeth.

Climbing onto the bed, she held his gaze. His blazing eyes stared at her with anger, but he couldn’t hide the lust underneath. With a smile of triumph, she guided him into her sex, her passage already lubricated with anticipation. Sinking 60

Intentional Abduction – Eve Langlais down onto his flesh, she closed her eyes in pleasure as strident sirens went off, making her ears ring.

Sirens?

Her eyes flew open and she realized the shrill bells weren’t in her mind, but blaring throughout the ship.

“Warning,” announced the ship’s computer.

“Incoming vessels. Hailing attempts are not being responded to.”

Aylia clambered off her purple warrior and shrugged back into her gown as she barked commands.

“Distance?”

“Forty parsecs. Estimated arrival, a quarter galactic unit.”

“Arm the weapon systems; raise the shield,” barked Jaro.

Aylia glared at him. “I am in charge here, not you.”

“Have you ever fought a battle in space before?” he asked.

“No. My craft has a cloaking device, so I usually travel unseen.”

“Well, this ship is too big for that kind of technology and thus a prime target for bounty hunters.”

“Why not get a smaller vessel then?” 61

Intentional Abduction – Eve Langlais

“And miss the fun and exercise I get taking them out?” A grin made Jaro’s dark lips part in a feral smile that showed off his pointy teeth.

Blood stirred as the lust for battle imbued her.

“Sounds like fun.”

“Unknown vessels have armed their weapons.” The computer broke their staring match.

“Fire on them,” she ordered.

He sighed. “You need to be on the helm.”

“To do what?”

“Fly the ship, of course.” His tone conveyed impatience with her question.

“The computer does that.”

“You truly are a virgin in more ways than one,” he said, managing to somehow shake his head and make her feel like a child, once again, being scolded by her teacher.

A tremor rocked the ship and Aylia stumbled before catching herself.

“Impact. Damage to shields, fifteen percent.” Aylia froze in indecision. On the field of battle, she knew what to do; slay the enemy. Out in space, she didn’t have her sword in hand, or even an enemy in her face, just some machine whose commands she’d not completely mastered.

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Intentional Abduction – Eve Langlais Another rumble shook the ship, a stronger one this time that sent items rattling.

“For frukx’s sake, princess. Would you let me go so we don’t die?”

“But you are my prisoner,” she replied dumbly.

“Fine. Tie me back up after the battle, but for right now, let’s call a truce and take care of these bastards.” The temptation to see him in fighting mode overrode the warning voice in her head. “You give your word that once the fight is done, you will resume your place as my prisoner?”

“You have my promise.” The cocky grin didn’t entirely reassure her, but just then another tremor wracked the ship and a new siren began blaring with a warning about bulkheads getting sealed due to depressurization.

Springing into action, she grabbed the key from the corner of the room where she’d hidden it and went to work releasing him. As soon as his wrists were free, he sat up rubbing them while spitting out a series of commands to the ship’s computer. Aylia tried to follow his complicated instructions as she undid his ankles, but he lost her with all his technical astral terms.

She’d learned to fly in a simulator, and relied on her computer to do most of the work. Jaro, on the other hand, seemed to have an intimate knowledge of just how his ship 63

Intentional Abduction – Eve Langlais worked and how to use it to his advantage. Just another facet and strength for the male she’d chosen.

Grabbing some trousers, he stepped into them as he marched barefoot to the bridge, still talking nonstop to the computer. Although he ignored her, she got to admire the rippling muscles of his back as he strode. Quite the different perspective from his previously prone position. It also brought home just how much bigger and wider than her he was.
If he chooses to fight me, I might find myself at a disadvantage.

But he’d given his word. As a warrior, his honor bound him to keep it.

“Arm yourself,” he said, finally speaking to her as they reached the command center of the vessel.

“You cannot shoot them down?” she asked as she strapped her various weapons to her body from the pile she’d left them in on the floor. She never went to him armed.

“You waited too long.” The reproach in his voice came through loud and clear.

A childish urge to stick her tongue out at him came over her. She curbed it—barely. He wasn’t her teacher; how dare he chastise her.

The screeching of metal on metal made her wince as one of the attacking vessels came alongside.

Striding to a wall, he keyed in a code on a console and a panel slid open to reveal an impressive array of weapons.

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Intentional Abduction – Eve Langlais Arming himself, he turned to look at her as she strapped her last knife on.

“I’m assuming you were the one in the docking bay in the cloak?”

She nodded her head.

“Well, at least you know how to fight a little.” Her jaw dropped. “A little? We’ll see who gets the most kills.”

A wicked smile tilted his lips. “Just try and keep up.” With a long stride, he left the command center, and she hurried to keep up with her shorter legs. This time, her view of his back made her think of various ways she could take him down.
Keep up indeed. I’l show him why Zonians are a
breed that demands respect.

Stopping somewhere midway on the ship, he held his finger to his lips and cocked his head toward a closed doorway.

They flanked the portal and waited. With a snick of pressurized air releasing, the door slid open and an ugly beast stuck its head out. Jaro’s blade sliced through its slimy, wrinkled neck, green fluid spurting from the wound.

“One,” he mouthed with a cocky grin before diving through the opening.

“Jerk,” she muttered as she followed, a foot long dagger in each hand.

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Intentional Abduction – Eve Langlais Just beyond the opening, the scent of scorched metal and melted plastic stung her nostrils, but the headier aroma of battle delighted her. Jaro was already engaged with two of the enemy with four more pouring through the makeshift hole.

With a battle cry learned at her teacher’s knee, Aylia dove into the fray, the silver edges of her blades flashing in the strobing red light of the silent, still sounding alarm.

Weaving and twirling among the pirates, she performed a deadly dance, each slice of her daggers, each kick of her foot, landing on the fleshy parts of the thugs who’d interrupted her quest. Alongside her, she could see her purple captive creating his own scene of death, his powerful thrusts leaving fatal wounds.

And the body count rose until there were none.

Chests heaving, she found herself facing Jaro, the slick sheen of blood not a deterrent, not when it proved his valor. Eyes glittering, he took a step toward her, and she must have moved as well because a moment later, she found herself pressed against him, her hands dangling by her sides, still clenching her blades as he caught her lips with his own.

Their first kiss. Actually, her only kiss. And oh my, did it ignite the flames of her desire.

A moan escaped her when he ran his tongue against the seam of her lips.

“Open your mouth,” he ordered.

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Intentional Abduction – Eve Langlais She never knew what she would have done; obeyed and explored the new sensuous delight or bitten off his tongue for his presumption, because at that moment, the clumping of boots and guttural cries of the second set of invaders who must have docked the ship at a different point came to them.

Moments later, they were once again caught in the fray of battle, but Aylia couldn’t ignore the tingle of her lips, the rapid beat of her heart in her body. It made her clumsy and one of the enemy finally scored a long gash on her arm.

With a shriek of rage, she took off the pirate’s arm just as Jaro, wearing a grim expression, used his longer knife to take off his head.

The second crew, not numbering as many, were quick to fall, leaving her alone again in short order with her prisoner.

A foolish part of her hoped he’d resume the kiss.

Instead, he appeared to avoid meeting her gaze. She wiped her blades on the tunic of a fallen foe and followed his lead in heaving the now dead bodies back into the hold of the docked pirate ship. A part of her knew she should reassert her dominance and chain him again, but another part of her enjoyed the mutual camaraderie they shared, much like she would with her teacher. In truth, she wasn’t eager for the truce to end and for them to return to their verbal sparring, 67

Intentional Abduction – Eve Langlais although with her blood still running hot from the battle, she couldn’t deny a desire to climb atop his rod and see if the second time brought as much pleasure. A thought which obviously did not plague him given the way he ignored her presence while cleansing his ship of pirates.

As if catching her regard, his eyes finally met hers.

“You going to stand there all day, princess, or are you going to give me a hand repairing this hole before we get sucked out into space?”

His rebuke proved a cold reminder that their relationship didn’t stem from mutual need, or affection. Not that she felt anything like that toward him.
He is a male, after
al , good only for giving me his seed.

Forcing herself to move, she didn’t respond to him because anything she said would have probably relayed her disappointment at the situation. She opened a sliding panel, which dotted the ship, and pulled out some repair materials.

Holding the sheet metal in place for him, she held it only long enough for him to rivet the piece in place for welding. She left as he ignited the torch and took care of hunting down the second hole, which lucky for them, was a lot smaller and in a storage room that she was able to seal off by herself. Ship secured, she turned around in the corridor only to startle with a visible jump when she saw Jaro standing a mere foot behind her.

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Intentional Abduction – Eve Langlais His clear eyes perused her, his face a blank mask, which made her want to fidget. When he said nothing, she spoke the first thing that came to mind. “You fought well,” she said, a trite compliment that he acknowledged with a cool smile. “I thank you for your aide. Now if you would return to your quarters, I must resume my quest.” His grin widened but held no mirth, not if the wicked lights dancing in his eyes were any indication. “Oh, I’ll be going back all right, but not as your prisoner.” Taking a step back, she slipped her hands down to her sides where her knife sheaths rested. She narrowed her eyes at him. “You swore you would return once we conquered the invaders.”

He took a step forward, and she retreated, keeping a distance between them. “Aye, I did, but you seem to forget something. I have no honor. Just ask my brother.” Aylia barely managed to sidestep his lunge. Sticking her foot out, she caused him to stumble, but he immediately righted himself and came at her again, his eyes alight with dark pleasure.

A shiver coursed through her despite the situation.

Damn but he’s attractive when he’s trying to kil things, even me.
She resisted an urge to shake her head, not just at her wayward thoughts in this dangerous situation, but at her stupidity in believing for one instant he’d meekly return to his role as 69