Chapter Nine
Styx
“You are the first, mate. You are the reason for this night,” Blade told her, even though she knew this. The event had been planned once word spread of Harper’s arrival on the moon base. While the legions were not friendly with each other, it was custom to introduce a new mate to the leaders and their underlings of each legion and that had to be maintained. The balance had to be kept, even if Cerberus had tipped it when they’d gone after Harper. I’d heard a few times from Ivar, but only that they were still investigating, still following leads. Nothing tangible to share with Harper. Nothing to keep this event from occurring. While I hated to fucking mingle, I would use this opportunity to get answers that Ivar had yet to uncover. To be face-to-face with Cerberus himself.
“Two hours,” I grumbled again. I would look Cerberus in the eye and learn the truth, to find out if we were now at war. “Two hours and we will be done. You’ll meet the leaders of each legion and then we will leave. In the meantime, know that while everyone may be staring at you, they are seeing what they can’t have. You belong to me.”
“And me,” Blade added.
Seeing Harper in a Styx uniform, with the silver band, made me proud. The black didn’t hide her curves. She wore it well...when she was wearing it. We hadn’t given her much opportunity to do so, keeping her in bed—at least in my quarters—for most of the past week. One of us had been with her at all times. When Blade had left to work on the investigation into the Cerberus fighters who’d attacked Harper, I’d been inside her. Yes, inside. I fucked her and never pulled out when done, sleeping with her on top of me, my cock remaining nice and deep. I wanted the connection—needed it. When I’d had to see to my responsibilities, I knew Blade took very good care of her in and out of bed. While we fucked her together, we would not deny her our cocks if we were apart. Ever.
And now, with everyone looking at us like one would the wild animals on the Hyperion surface, I just wanted to tug her somewhere private and fuck her again. To be away from this bothersome group and alone with our mate.
My cock ached for her, and I didn’t give a damn who saw the outline of it my pants.
“Astra,” Blade said, tipping his head as way of greeting.
The female leader of the Astra legion stood before us, her uniform identical to ours except for the dark green band on her arm. She was older than I by at least twenty years, although no one knew her exact age and none dared ask. She was shrewd, but not evil. And that put her on the list of people from the other legions I occasionally did business with, even if I never trusted her. Those of us on Rogue 5 knew not to trust very many. Her hair was straight, shorn at her shoulders and a brilliant smoky silver—whether from age or birth I had no idea.
“It is an honor,” Astra said, smiling at Harper.
While we had history, and some of it not good, I had to give Astra respect for being courteous enough to approach. Others had not, only stared outright.
“A new planet, two new mates. It must be a drastic change for you.” The look on her face, the smile, was one I’d never seen before. Coy? Suggestive? I dealt with her as the leader of her legion. She had a keen mind for business and no tolerance for fools. I had seen her hard, relentless, ruthless. Never had I seen her like this. As a woman. A woman with secrets. Perhaps it was because she was speaking with another woman that her demeanor softened.
Harper took a deep breath and gave the legion leader a small smile of her own. “It is, but I have to admit, these two are growing on me.”
Astra’s smile faltered, but then she laughed. Others turned, curious to learn what was so humorous, but they couldn’t hear. “The NPU didn’t process what having your mates growing on you means, but I have to assume it is because they are very attentive lovers. By the look of you, you are well satisfied.”
Harper’s mouth fell open in surprise, and her cheeks turned pink. “That’s not—”
“Of course, she is. You doubt our claim, Astra?” I asked, turning the female’s attention toward me. While Harper’s embarrassment did not seem intentional, she needed a moment.
Astra’s gaze shifted to me. “She has yet to be bitten, Styx. You both wear her ink, but she does not carry your bite.” She turned her attention back to Harper, her body leaning forward slightly as she took in Harper’s scent. “She carries your scent. But I would not wait too long to claim her.”
Ah, the legion leader was bold, stating the one thing everyone wanted to know about. Everyone in the room had to be wondering why we had yet to bite our mate. The lack of scars on both sides of her neck was obvious to all. If she’d been from Hyperion, we wouldn’t even have asked. Hyperion females didn’t want a male to doubt, to hold back. They knew what was to come.
But Harper was human, and the only other human I’d known had blushed with embarrassment at the blatant talk of sex. Of fucking. Of biting and claiming. Earth females required a more delicate touch. Patience. Seduction. Consent.
None of these thoughts and details about Harper were something I would share with a nosy female from another legion, regardless of her rank among our people. She was after one thing. Gossip. I hated gossip.
Blade lifted his free hand, stroked his knuckles over Harper’s pink cheeks.
“Perhaps we should resolve that now,” he said, looking into our mate’s eyes.
They widened, but she remained silent.
“Yes, perhaps we should. Astra.” I said her name as a goodbye and followed Blade as he tugged our mate through a side door.
“You seem to keep tugging me into hallways,” Harper said, once Blade pushed her up against a wall. We were in a narrow corridor, alone, just like at the canteen on Zenith. This one, too, led to the outside for emergencies only. No one would come this way.
“We like to have you all to ourselves,” Blade replied, running his hands up and down her body as if he couldn’t help himself. “We are greedy like that.”
“You’re not really going to bite me now, are you?” she asked, thrusting her chest out.
Blade cupped her breasts and she sighed. “Is that what you want?” he asked, his voice husky.
We’d fucked her two hours ago, yet we wanted her again. By the way she was squirming and breathing hard, she was just as eager.