“Calm down.”
“She is mine,” Mak repeated.“Mine! She does not go into battle without me. She is mine to protect. Mine.” He was going full beast, or whatever alien version of it he possessed. I knew his fangs were down. Knew, from seeing him fight back the instinct to bite me last night that his eyes were probably glowing, that his muscles swelled, his fangs dripping with venom.
Leaning back, I put my feet up on the table, crossed my ankles and literally twiddled my thumbs. I wanted to laugh at the horrified expression on the governor’s face. Hesoooodeserved this little Hyperion display of rage. I knew Mak was acting, but they didn’t. All they knew was they could smell us on each other.
Such simple-minded males. As if that was the end of the discussion.
“Mak—” the governor began, but Mak was having none of it.
He leaned forward, put his hands on the table and glared at everyone around it.“I will kill anyone who tries to stop me. It is my right to protect her.I have no doubt if she’d chosen Marz orTanethey’d feel the same. And withTane, you’d be dealing with anAtlanbeast right now. Be thankful I’m only Hyperion andForsian. She. Is. Mine.”
The governorsatback in his chair and ran a hand through his dark hair. I almost felt sorry for the guy. Almost.
“By the gods, I thought theAtlanswere bad.” The words were mumbled, then he sighed, motioning Mak to sit back down. “Fine. Marz and Vance will take the first section. You two will cover the second,” he said, referring to me and Mak.“We don’t know what we’ll find, so this is recon only. If you have an open shot at destroying their comms, take it. Otherwise, note the location and returnhere so we canplan afullstrike op. Got it?We’re only going to get one chance at destroying it orthe Hive will know we’re on to them—and I don’t want you to fuck it up.”
“Yes, sir.” I knew I looked like the Cheshire Cat about now. Knew, and didn’t even try to hide the smug smile I felt tugging at the corners of my lips.We were going on a mission. Together. Our plan had worked.Mak and I, well, we were good at more than just fucking each other’s brains out. I didn’t have to look at him to know what he was thinking, feeling. And we could work this room like putty in a preschooler’s hands. Ihadn’t felt this… connection to anyone in a long time. If ever.
“You leave in an hour. Head down to the hangar for flight checks.”The governor’s gaze met mine and I could have sworn I saw a glint of amusement there. “Earth females. I should have known you’d be trouble, even after picking a damned mate.”
“The best kindof trouble.” I hopped out of my chair, slapped Mak on the arm and tugged him along behind me. “Let’s go, Mak. We’ve got ajob to do.”
Mak was on my heels.I could feel him hulking behind me like a storm cloudas we walked down the twisting corridors of Base 3. But it didn’t bother me, it made me feel safe. Even if he’d been acting for the crowd in there so he could get sent on this mission—so he could leave me—even I’d believed he had some kind of primal urge to protect me. Just for a moment.
We’d accomplished our goal. I was heading out on a mission. My pussy no longer felt abandoned and neglected,I had the governor and all the males on the planet off my backand Makarios of Kronos was going hometo Rogue 5.
Win-win. Just like we bothwanted. So why did my feet grow heavier with everystep toward the shuttle hangar?Toward good-bye.
God, this sucked. I didn’t want a brooding, controlling, dominant Neanderthal for a mate. And yet, I wanted Mak. And he was all of those things. Every. Single. One.
I could hear him breathing, but he didn’t speak. Didn’t say a word. Didn’t touch me. He was a shadow behind me and I wondered if he felt the same way. Were we both just shadows of our former selves?Not really living? Not really dying, either?Going through the motions until we got what we wanted—off this fucking planet?
And that was depressing as fuck because last night felt like living. I’d felt for the first time in a long,long while. Mak would head off toroam the galaxy like Han Soloand I’d return here, go on missions, but would I be able to feel again? My hand wouldn’t give me the orgasms Mak could. And that was the kicker. I had exactly what I’d wanted. A life—while being on the Colony wasn’t exactly home sweet home—with missions, with purpose once again.
Now I’d have that, thanks to Mak.Because since I chose him, he wanted me to go on missions, to do what I was supposed to do with my life. As long as my goal wasn’t to be officially claimed by him, he was fine. He was leaving.
But somehow, over the course of one night, I wanted a tiny bit more. No, not tiny. Huge. I wanted Mak’s huge cock. What hot-blooded female wouldn’t?One taste—and I did mean taste—and I knew I’d ache for more. My pussy clenched at the thought of never being filled with his enormous cock.
Shaking my head to clear it,because I was being all girly and ridiculous,I stopped cold in the deserted hallway and turned around. “Thanks, Mak. That was perfect. You should win an Academy Award for that performance.”
He stopped and frowned.“What is this award?”
I studied him. His fangs were still down. His skin flushed. His hands were in fists at his sides and his chest was heaving. What the hell? “It’s an award given to actorsback on Earth. What is wrong with you? Are you all right?” I reached up and placed my palm on his cheek. I couldn’t reach his forehead, but I’d take what I could get.
He was hot to the touch. Burning up. “Are you sick? Do you guys get a fever?”
He lifted one hand and wrapped it gentlyaround my wrist, holding my palmto his skin. “I was not acting, female.”
It was my turn to frown.He hadn’t been acting?“What? But everything went according to plan. You’re going with me to the moon.We’ll destroy the Hive up there and then you can goback to roaming the galaxy or whatever it was you’d been up to.Rogue 5,Forsia. Wherever it is you want to hang your hat.”I used my thumb to pet him, because I could, and because standing so close to him made me want stupid things. Like to be more. But more what? Normal? Beautiful? Helpless? Perfect?
I didn’t know what Mak wanted in a woman. But apparently,even after several rounds of fucking,I wasn’t it. If I had been, those fangs would have been buried deep last night and I would have been screaming in pleasureas he made me his forever.Because the way Rachel and Kristin had said, their men had looked at each of them and wanted to claim them on the spot. There wasn’t any of this one night stand stuff. It was forever with them.
But not Mak. It had been a trade. A bargain, with hot sex thrown in.
And as for claiming? God,I would have let him. I knew the truth. Couldn’t lie to myself about my newfound weakness when it came to him.He was like a drug. I was hooked.What was wrong with me? Was there some kind ofForsianbrainwash?Did his cock have magical powers? Something with his cum like I’d heard theVikenshad? Seed power?
I yanked my hand away, disgusted with myself. I was not the kind of woman who trapped a damn man. Not my game. Never had been, never would be. Mak wanted to fuck and he wanted toleave the Colony. He’d been honest with me from the start. Being upset about it now was beneath me, especially since that was what I’d wanted,too.Me on missions. But that had been yesterday.“Let’s get you home,Mak. You don’t belong hereanymorethan I do.”
“Is this how you say good-bye, female?”