Sabin, A Seven Novel (34 page)

How can I make him understand the danger that lies out there? “Sabin, something lurks out there that will destroy either you or the others. I know it. Don’t ask me how, because I can’t answer that. But please don’t go. At least not now. You said that Judgment Day was useless without Paradox. As long as Paradox is protected, let them have Judgment Day for the time being. Don’t let them draw you out like this. You need an army to go in there.”

He full on smiles at me and when he does, he is flat out stunning. “I love how you’re so worried about me. It melts me, Serena.”

As much as I want to melt him and tell him he does the same to me, I need him to know this shit is for real. I’m not telling him to show how much I care. Well, maybe I am, but this is real!

“Sabin, listen to me! You’re not getting it. I don’t want you to die out there! Yes, I love you and I’m glad this melts you, but …”

Warm, strong arms wrap around me and tuck me into the strength of his chest. His scent suffuses the air around me, relaxing me.

“It’s going to be all right. I’m going to be all right. I promise I will come back to you.”

“You fucking better. You gave me that damn puppy. You owe it to me, damn it.”

His chest rumbles as he chuckles, but I’m not in the least bit joking.

Two days later, my guards arrive with Drey. The men are holed up in their sec center, tightly wound, and I’m tied up with Wild Walter. He’s crazed, that adorable fuzzy thing. He tears around the house like someone put a firecracker up his butt, and then crashes. House training is ridiculous. I take him outside every hour on the hour, he pees, and then runs back inside and pees again. What the fuck! I want to kill him. But then he stares at me with those damn puppy eyes and I’m a goner. I’m not sure if I melt more when Walter looks at me with his big puppy eyes, or when Sabin does. But I don’t dare tell Sabin that.

My guards, whom I call Tom, Dick, and Harry, are not the joking type. They don’t like my nicknames for them either. Their names are weird and unpronounceable. So I call them by their letters. And ironically they are T, D, and H. Sabin doesn’t like it. He thinks it’s disrespectful.

“I’m sorry. But your language makes it difficult for me.”

His stony expression lets me know all I need to. “How would you like it if they called you S?”

“Honestly, I wouldn’t care.”

“Call them by their fucking names.” He’s more pissed than I thought.

“Okay. Teach me.”

He is extremely annoyed. He tugs on his hair and that’s a definite signal for me. “How many times? A hundred?”

“This is only three.”

“Touhurandrun. Toorundrun. The accent is on the Too.”

“But I can never get that little sexy gagging thing you do in the back of your throat.”

“Yes, I know,” he says dryly. “You don’t
have
a gag reflex.”

“Very funny. Tooundrun.”

“Close enough. Druh’ahan. Draan. Pull it out long.”

“That’s what
she
said.”

He tilts his head. “You think you’re funny.” He’s doing his best to hold back a smirk.

“Draaaan.”

“Very good.”

“That’s what
I
say.” My hand rubs his now growing erection. His lids drop to half-mast and his teeth scrape his lower lip. When he does that, I want to rip his darn clothes off.

“And Hrennuan. Renwan. It should slide off your tongue.”

“Renwan. Easy and it slides right off the tongue, exactly like you.”

“That’s what
you
say.” Hands slide into my hair and pull my head back until our gazes lock. His heavy lidded eyes are dark, pupils dilated, and his breath is warm on my lips. “Is this what you want, tease?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Can you pronounce your guards’ names properly then?”

“Yes.”

“Or do you need a … firmer lesson?”

“Hmm. Perhaps a
firmer
lesson is in order.” My ribs tighten with his words because all I can think or want is his body over mine, pushing inside. He pulls my shirt off and then my shorts. I follow with his.

“How firm of a lesson do you want?”

“As firm as you can give.”

He takes my hand and puts it on his cock. “Is this firm enough?”

“Oh. I think that will do very nicely.” I walk backwards to the bed and he watches as I sit on the edge and scoot my hips forward. Then I hook my finger, beckoning him to me. When he’s close, I spread my legs and he drops down with the intention of licking me. But I have something else in mind.

“No, Sabin. I want you inside. I want to feel you.”

His hands are on the tops of my thighs and I reach for him. “Please. I need you.”

He lifts my hips to move me so he can get on the bed. Then I find myself straddling his hips. I’m dazed by the speediness of his actions.

“I want you on top.” His voice is heavy with desire.

I stop for a second, wondering whether I can be carefree in this position. Being on top is so exposed. Everything is right there for your lover to see, and I don’t know how adept I am. Will I look clumsy and goofy on top? Or will I look sexy like I want to look?

“Stay with me, Serena. Don’t wander away. I want you here, in the moment.”

“Right.”

“Lift up a bit.” When I do, he inserts his tip, and I start to move, but then I stop. “Do what feels right, my love. It’s supposed to be good. Make it work for you.” He lifts his hips a bit, moving in some, and then out some, and I catch his beat, rocking my hips, and then I seat myself all the way. Once the pleasure spikes, I abandon my worry about how I look and get lost in the sensations of what’s happening to my body. And it’s everything that Sabin always is. All my sensitive spots light up, and suddenly I think about not having him in my life. My mind gets trapped in the turmoil of this nightmare. Sensing my distress, he sits up and kisses me.

“Where are you, lost girl? Talk to me.”

“I’m frightened … terrified for you.” My hands clench his hair and I tremble.

“Don’t be. I have the best of the best with me.”

“You’re not immortal. And I don’t want to live without you.”

Lips skim over mine and he moves inside of me. Eyes dark as coal with lashes to match bore into my own and my heart pounds so hard I’m sure he feels it every bit as much as I do. His hips move up and mine react, receiving him. We stay together like this, breathing each other’s air. Everything inside of me is stretched, filled with Sabin, my heart, my soul.

“Don’t leave me. If you do, I’ll splinter.”

“I’ll never leave you. I promise,” he says. His hand takes mine and laces our fingers together. His other hand finds my clit, presses and circles and he says, “Give it to me, Serena. And call my name out when you do. I need to hear my name when you come.”

He brings me to the most delicious orgasm, and I cry out his name as he asked me to, but then I get to watch and hear him catch his own. Gawd, he’s amazing when he comes. The noises he makes, the way his muscles flex, and the little thing he does with his tongue. Afterwards, we sit, still tangled up, resting our foreheads against each other’s.

“I want you this way again and again.”

“Sabin, I meant what I said.” I trace a place on his hip with the tip of my finger.

“I know. And I did, too. I won’t let you splinter. You’re my heart, Serena.”

He won’t … intentionally. At least I believe him. But he can’t control everything like he thinks he can. And I can’t stop this feeling of doom I have.

A cold nose rubs my knee and I see it’s Walter. I chuckle. “See what you did?”

Sabin checks out what I’m looking at and shakes his head. “I see.”

“I wonder how many peepee spots there are. Better get up.”

“Don’t you fucking move one inch. I’m not done with you yet. We’ll get an MSI to clean it up if he made a mess.”

“Did you …?”

“Yes, I had Rafe send for some. I can’t have you burdened by this puppy. This is for your enjoyment, not to be chained down by it. Now where were we?”

Oh, my, this man is insatiable, and I’m not complaining one bit.

Edge and Verus assure me we won’t go in blind, but for some reason it doesn’t feel that way. I’m of the same mindset that Serena is. Something doesn’t feel right here. We suit up and prepare to depart. Serena’s expression isn’t what I’d like to see right now. I can almost hear her heart battering her ribs and her blood pumping in her veins.

“Come here,” I say, beckoning to her. I pull her aside and explain, “All the information they have is good. We’ll be fine. I’ll be back before you know it. Now get one of the men to take you diving to get your mind off us.” She licks her lips and wordlessly nods. Then she practically throws herself at me, coiling her arms around my neck.

“Please listen to your instincts out there. I swear if you don’t make it back here, I’ll …” Bending my head, I lick the tear that drips out of her eye. Then I kiss her.

“I’ll be back, Serena. Be ready for me.”

The Seven stand in a tight formation, with me at the helm, and we depart.

“Verus, what’s our ETA?”

“Thirty five.”

“Transparency activated everyone. There is no room for error here. We get in. We get out. Do not engage unless it’s necessary and then do so quickly and silently. Try not to wake up their compound. The less action on their part, the easier task on ours. Am I clear?”

A resounding yes echoes back to me. “Edge, Verus, beam an image again to us via MSI so we have the blueprint in our own personal databank. If anyone needs to abort or extract, do so. The plan is to get Judgment Day and get out. Whoever grabs it first, communicate it so we can depart immediately.”

All hands agree and about then, we enter into the planet’s atmosphere.

“This place looks like a bloody firestorm,” Helios remarks.

“It’s a good deterrent. Who would think to come here?” Drey says.

“Truth,” Verus says.

“How far off?” I ask.

“Five,” Edge answers.

“Prepare,” I say.

We clear the atmosphere and it looks like a lava show. “What’s the temperature here?”

“I’m showing two thousand twenty Celsius,” Verus says.

“Hot as hell,” Rafe says.

“So, where are they?” I ask.

“According to our data, should be dead ahead,” Edge says.

We keep moving when a large egg-like structure rises up out of the ground.

“This is interesting,” Rafe comments.

“What are you showing for security?” I ask.

“Nothing.” Verus fiddles with a gadget.

“That can’t be right.” I scowl. “There’s no way they wouldn’t have any security at all. This is a trap.”

Rafe says, “I think so, too.”

“Sabin, your call. What do we do?” Verus asks.

We hover above ground for a few and then I say, “Send in an explorer. We wait for the results.”

Verus does what I say and a little while later we get the results. No one is in there.

“The fuck? Where are they? What do your scanners say?”

“Sec center, do you have a reading on this?” Verus asks.

One of the newbies, Hrennuan, who was left in charge of the sec center, replies, “There are life forms on the planet, but not in the building.”

Rafe growls. “This was planned. They were tipped off.”

“How many?” I ask.

“Get out of there. Now.” He yells.

“Move it and shut it!” I give the order. But we’re almost too late. We high gear it out of there and fifteen minutes into travel time, I ask if everyone’s okay.

I don’t relax until I receive six answers.

“That was way too close for comfort. Verus, make sure we’re not followed.” The words are barely past my lips when out of nowhere, Shaurok ambush us. They go for our suits, because without them in space, we’re all dead.

“Take no chances,” I scream over the melee. The Shaurok come at us, teeth bared, pupils dilating into their irises like red ink spreading on paper as they salivate, ready for a kill. Traveling as fast as we are, it’s hard to land a lethal blow. Weapons slice into them, cutting them to pieces. But it’s not easy as they strike out at us. The fact that there is no gravity here makes it hard to get leverage. We’re unable to use our weapons that fire, because any slight error could result in an accidental casualty of one of The Seven. For a short time, I have my doubts on whether we’ll scrape through this one, but we do. In the end, only a dozen Shaurok aren’t enough to take us down. When the last Shaurok is dead, I look around to see all The Seven intact. Only now do I allow myself to relax a bit.