I heard Rezzer roar with laughter yet again. That beast and I were going to have to have a conversation later about his sense of humor. Still, I couldn’t stop the answering grin that lifted the corners of my mouth as I crouched to attack.
* * *
Lindsey
Oh. My. God.
He was here. Not just here, but right in front of me. So close I could feel his heat. Smell him. He’d been closer in the dream, but that hadn’t been real. I frowned. Had it? I’d dreamed of someone I’d never met, saw him in detail. No, I’d fucked him in detail and now he was standing before me. Bigger, hotter and better than ever.
Next to the huge aliens Rezzer and Braun, he was moderately sized. But even then, on Earth he would’ve been considered big as a linebacker, at least six-six. His hair shone, a soft blue-black that I longed to run my fingers through. The color was more vibrant, more real than in the dream. His skin was fair and looked human, not golden like the two sharp-featured aliens standing across from him in challenge. He wore a uniform not unlike mine, the armor looked a helluva lot better on him, hugging the defined muscles of his shoulders and tapered down to six-pack abs that made my mouth water. But it was his eyes that made my heart stutter, dark and almost…desperate. I couldn’t deny him, not with those eyes, those lonely eyes.
When my gaze roved back up, I saw his hands. Big hands. Not dinner plates, but strong. Blunt fingers that I knew could touch my body and bring me intense pleasure. I knew what they felt like on my breasts, brushing over my nipples. And lower down, I knew what they felt like deep inside, curling over my G-spot.
I hadn’t seen it in the dream, but I couldn’t miss it now. He had a mark on his palm. It was in the same place as mine. From here, the shape appeared to be identical. His mark was a little darker, but his skin was ruddier, as if he’d been outside in the sun.
As if my body knew what I was looking at, the mark on my palm chose that moment to flare to life and pulse, sending shockwaves of need straight to my core. I held onto the edge of the pit for dear life as my body tensed in response and my breasts grew heavy. Suddenly, everyone around us faded and all I could think about was hopping down off this wall, going up to him and throwing myself in his arms, demand that he take off his clothes and shove me against the wall of this arena…make me his. Forever.
That thought stopped me cold.
No. Not forever. This could not be forever. I had a little boy to get home to and Earth expressly forbid underage citizens from travelling off world. It was part of the coalition agreements and widely advertised. No woman with children could join the Interstellar Brides program or volunteer to serve as a warrior in the Coalition Fleet. It was forbidden.
Wyatt.
I took a deep breath and blinked away the fog of desire looking at Kiel caused. His chest heaved and he rubbed his palm on his thigh as if the mark on his hand had flared as well.
Was that what he meant when he told the big fighter we were ‘marked mates’? Was it because we shared a birthmark? The mark?
While I definitely wanted him to get me naked and fuck me again—for real this time—I didn’t want to belong to him. I didn’t want to be his marked mate. I didn’t belong to anyone, couldn’t belong to any man. Only Wyatt. I lived and fought and breathed for my son. Nothing could change that.
I’d completely forgotten that golden warriors had spoken a challenge until Kiel answered them.
“I accept,” he said, his deep voice new and yet familiar all at once. His eyes remained on me, but I knew he spoke to the two aliens behind him. “But she belongs to me.”
I gulped at that, squirmed too, at the finality of his tone, the searing look in his gaze.
“Then prepare yourself.” The two lookalike aliens behind him eyed me as well. I had to guess they were some kind of pair, perhaps cousins, for their golden coloring was identical and so were their features. Only the silver Hive additions were different. One had his left arm mostly replaced by the smooth robot-looking elements. The other had that silver eye and a silver hand.
He moved to stand directly beside me where my legs hung over the edge of the fighting pit, then turned to face his opponents. I could feel the press of his shoulder against my thigh. “I will not leave my mate unprotected as I fight.”
“She will be guarded.” I glanced over my shoulder, saw that the giant called Rezz spoke. He’d moved seats, positioning himself directly behind me.
Mr. Dinner Plate, Braun, was right beside him. The big man nodded. “Yes. This challenge is sacred. She will be well guarded as you and the Prillons decide the outcome of your claims.”
They were like an organized bunch of Neanderthals. There was honor among them, although they were going to fight—I hoped not to the death—for me. Did this mean that if Kiel didn’t win, the cyborg twins would be dragging me off by the hair to their cave? And both of them wanted me? Did that mean that they would take me together?
I glanced at Kiel, saw the determination in his gaze. He was not worried about fighting two partially mutated aliens. No, he was very confident as he took out his weapon and dropped it on the ground next to him. Next he unbuckled the holster from his thigh. Oh yeah, that was hot.
But I almost fainted when he reached behind his head and tugged off his armored shirt exposing his bare back inch by delicious inch.
I whimpered. I did. I couldn’t help it. My ovaries practically jumped for joy at seeing his bare torso. I’d thought the other aliens’ shoulders were broad, but Kiel? He won the hot man contest.
Broad, well-muscled shoulders weren’t just wide, they tapered dramatically into a narrow waist. I could practically see the muscles ripple and flex as he moved. Then he turned. “Oh my.”
He looked to me at the exclamation and he grinned. Dammit. I couldn’t compete against his hotness. While I liked him all alpha male protector, this wicked smile was like a drug to my hyped up senses. There was a distinct promise in that smile, one that made me think things I hadn’t worried about in years, if ever.
Sex. Hot, sweaty, never-wanna-stop sex.
“Wait for me,” he said, then turned to his competition.