Elite Starfighter, Game 3 by Grace Goodwin

8

Darius, Battleship Resolution

The ache,the guilt of failing my brother, of his death was nothing compared to the thought of losing her. My life. My pair bond. Mine.

I held Lily cradled to my chest as I hurried to our quarters. I avoided eye contact with everyone we passed on the battleship, not wanting to stop and talk. Introduce the newest Elite Starfighter from Earth. She was a celebrity. I knew that, logically. The success of the previous two Earth females had ensured Lily’s arrival was highly anticipated by all Velerions. Everyone wanted to get a closer look. Meet her. Make her a friend.

The fifth officer who called out a greeting made me grind my teeth and turn down a less traveled route on the large ship.

I had no patience for others. The medical team had made me wait. General Romulus had made me wait. Lily was in my arms, and I was not stopping until I had her snugly in my bed.

I needed to know, to feel that Lily was safe and whole and alive. Having her heart beating next to mine, holding her, touching her—and soon, being buried deep within her—would be the only way to convince the completely illogical part of me that everything was all right.

My emotions raged out of control. I truly felt like I was the Atlan beast in one of Lily’s erotic books. I’d secretly scoffed at the beast character’s lack of discipline, his inability to master his physical and emotional need for his mate.

Now who was acting like a wild animal, struggling to speak, to think? Trying to maintain a thin veneer of civility so I would not scare the female I so desperately needed to protect?

I looked at Lily. Her long hair had partially escaped its braid and was now a wild, snarled tangle framing her face. The blanket I’d wrapped her in did not do enough to keep her warm as I walked through the battleship to our temporary quarters. She shivered and I pulled her closer, tighter to my chest.

She gasped in pain.

“Damn Vega, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I know. It’s okay.”

“No. I should have been more careful.”

“Nobody’s perfect, Darius. I’m fine. In fact, I can’t believe you are carrying me. I’m too heavy for this. Don’t you people have wheelchairs or something?”

We did, in fact, have mobile chairs that were very efficient. “I want to hold you.” I looked straight ahead and willed my heart to stop pounding in terror. She was in my arms. Safe. “I need to feel you.”

With a sigh I took for surrender, she settled her head back on my shoulder and made no more attempts to protest. When we arrived at the section of the battleship where they were housing the Titan teams who had fought today, I found Bantia and Ulixes standing outside our door, waiting.

“How is she?” Bantia asked.

“She’s fine,” Lily answered. “And I’m right here. My ears work just fine.”

Bantia laughed, the relief evident in her face. “Thank Vega. I don’t know what Darius would have done if—”

“Do not speak of it,” I commanded before she could finish. I did not need to hear my fears spoken aloud by another. Having my darkest thoughts shared would amplify my instinct to protect Lily at all costs. I was already fighting the need to lock my pair-bonded female in a room and keep her there, away from battle and cannon fire and explosions of rock burying her alive.

Ulixes inclined his head to my female. “We are very relieved to see you are well.”

“Thank you.”

He looked at me; our gazes locked as he spoke. “General Romulus has ordered all Titan teams to report tomorrow, after second meal. They have reviewed today’s mission and have teams scouring through what's left of the base. He will be giving us a report, and possibly a new mission, tomorrow.”

“We won’t be there.”

Lily stiffened in my arms. “Yes, we will. The doctor—or nurse—whoever she was, said the bone grower robots would have my leg better than new by morning.”

“No. You need more than one night to heal.”

“According to the doctor, I don’t.” She looked up at Ulixes. “We’ll be there.”

“I said no.”

Lily’s voice sharpened, the crisp cadence of her words becoming extreme. “I will be there. I cannot speak for Darius of Velerion. Perhaps he is planning to retire.”

Bantia was covering her mouth, but I could see the laughter in her eyes. I was not amused. “Lily, we will discuss this in private.”

“No we won’t.”

Ulixes cleared his throat and wrapped his arm around his pair-bonded female, gently guiding her back toward what I assumed were their temporary quarters, away from us.

“See you tomorrow,” Bantia called over her shoulder.

Lily drew breath to call back, but I lowered my face to hers and kissed her so she could not respond. When I let her up for air, Bantia and Ulixes were nowhere to be seen.

“That wasn’t fair.”

“When it comes to you, bonded one, I have no intention of playing fair.”

Her silence suited me as I carried her into the sparsely furnished soldiers’ quarters. There was a bathing unit, clean uniforms laid out for each of us, two meals, drinking water, and nutrition bars on a table no larger than one of the pillows on the bed. I could take care of my pair bonded, bathe her, feed her, and make sure she rested in my arms.

I didn’t need anything else. Not tonight.

Carrying her to the table, I settled her in the chair and pulled the foodstuffs toward her, opening everything. “You will eat. All of it.”

“You are very bossy.”

That made me chuckle, but only because Lily was already taking a bite of the nutrition bar I’d placed in her hand.

“Yum. This almost tastes like watermelon.”

I chose another flavor and ate the entire thing in two bites, saving the other bar of the same flavor for her.

“Drink.” The water cartridge I set in front of her was full and loaded with minerals and healing amino acids the doctor had assured me she would need to regain her full strength.

She sipped, then set it down. “That’s too cold.”

I lifted the cartridge, adjusted the temperature setting and handed it back to her. “Try it now.”

Eyebrow raised, she lifted the small opening to her lips and sucked more water into her mouth. “How did you do that? It’s room temperature now.”

Showing her how to adjust the water to her liking, I unwrapped more food and placed it before her, a feeling of intense satisfaction raising my chest as she devoured the food like she was starving.

Odd. I enjoyed caring for her. Seeing her satisfied. Sated, whether in bed from intense orgasms or from the simple act of drinking chilled water.

I’d never behaved this way before, and I had no idea how to stop myself or control the urge.

When she’d had enough, I lifted her and carried her to the bathing unit. There was no tub to recline in, but I pulled a small seat out from its built-in resting place in the wall and set her down. The medical gown was easy to remove, and I set the water stream to warm her. She leaned back with a groan, and I stepped out, quickly stripped, and joined her.

She frowned. “What are you doing?”

I didn’t know exactly; I only knew I needed her close to me. I needed to soothe her, care for her, take away her pain.

Her soft skin was smudged by a coating of sweat and dust. She’d been through so much, and yet to me, she looked even more beautiful than the first time I’d seen her.

I knelt at her feet and slowly, gently rubbed the cleanser over her body. When I stood and reached for her hair, she melted into my hold, and I took my time unwinding what was left of her braid and working the cleansing agent through the long strands.

“God, yes,” she murmured. “You’re hired.”

Unable to turn away, to blink, I studied her, hypnotized by her lips, the curve of her cheek, the tender welcome on her face. This was the real Lily. My Lily. Soft. Submissive. Gentle.

The fierce, defiant fighter who had driven me half-mad on the battlefield was gone, replaced by this delicate, serene goddess.

I’d done everything in my power to keep my body from reacting to her, but as she leaned into my touch, every protective, fierce, ruthless instinct I had wanted to mark her. Claim her. Punish her for every terrifying moment I’d spent digging her out of the rubble. Fearing she was dead. Forgetting to breathe. Every cell in my body flooded with guilt and pain at the thought of losing her.

That need to mark her filled my mind and I felt my body grow hard with lust and I closed my eyes, imagined taking her here, now, her hands on the small seat, her bottom in my hands as I pounded into her from behind.

“Well, that’s interesting.”

I glanced down to find her gaze focused on my hard cock.

“Ignore it. You are not ready.”

“Says who? You?” Lifting one hand, she reached for me, wrapping her fingers around my cock and squeezing until my knees nearly buckled.

“Lily, you should not…”

“Bossy, Darius. Too bossy.” She ran her thumb along the head, and a shudder ran through my body. “You are tense. I can feel it. Let me take care of you.”

“I am taking care of—”

Her mouth closed around my cock, and she slid my length deep. The heat of her made my balls draw up in pain as I fought back an instant release. When she swirled her tongue around my tip and used one of her hot little hands to stroke my balls, I was done.

I exploded, lost control, couldn’t stop. Didn’t want to stop as I pumped my cock into her mouth, gave her everything.

The release was shattering, emotions making my face heat, my eyes burn. She’d destroyed me in seconds, shattered my control.

“Why? Why did you do that? I’m supposed to be taking care of you.” I dropped to my knees before her, ready to pleasure her in kind, but she placed a hand on my cheek and shook her head.

“I’m too tired, Darius. I hurt. I just want to go to bed.”

Unwilling, perhaps unable to deny her anything, I rinsed her hair and turned off the water. I dried her gently, then left her for a few moments to take care of her personal needs while I dried myself and pulled down the soft bedding and fluffed her pillow. I felt completely out of my element until the door slid open and she was there, the curve of her body perfectly silhouetted by the light coming from behind her. Curves everywhere. Softness. Mine.

She was mine. If I had to feed her by hand, bathe her, and carry her to bed, I would. Every damn day.

I closed the distance at once and wrapped an arm around her waist so I could lead her to the bed. Once I settled her in place and lay down next to her, I pulled her into my arms and gently placed her injured leg on top of mine. Her soft sigh of pleasure made my chest tighten.

“Oh, you’re so warm.”

She snuggled in close, and I covered us with the soft bedding. Her eyes were already closed when I gave the command that plunged the room into darkness.

Lily slept for hours. I held her and replayed every moment of the day’s failed mission, determined that next time, no matter what I had to do, I would keep her safe.

Even if she hated me for it.