When she touched his knee, bile rose to choke him.He swallowed a gag and his shock.Never had he reacted to a female like this, no matter her species.Nausea churned, and the pain intensified the longer she was near him.Something drove him to get away from her, as fast as he could.But he dared not react when she’d take it as rejection.
He layered his hand over hers, registering the coolness of her skin.She sighed.Maloidians liked warmth, craved it.
A pearlescent shimmer rippled over the ship.Through the shielded door to the expansive space, the thin line of Maloidian steel became visible.Zive hadn’t lied when he’d said he had some data-analysis knowledge.Since it didn’t sound like their business was done, Cylo smiled at the female.
“Am I your first Etterian?”he asked, setting the glass aside.Little doses of sjari caused a high.Too much killed; then again, too much of anything was lethal.
“Yes.”She huffed out a laugh.“Is it that obvious?”
He lowered his voice to rasp, “If we had more time…”
He’d do nothing, but she didn’t know that.
Her eyes widened, the solid black warming.Her scent intensified.Oh, she liked the implication, or was it his tone?He’d test the latter on Wren.
Just imagining her reaction hardened him like he hadn’t twice had his fill an hour ago.He drew in a shuddering breath, his fingers twitching with the need to touch purple skin.Not wanting to reveal his secrets or weakness, he willed his body to still.
“Are you alone?”he asked, running his nose up her neck.He didn’t breathe, not trusting himself not to gag.Her scent wasn’t unpleasant, but it was missing something and was far too potent.Added to the nausea roiling in his gut from the poisoned wine, he had to be even more vigilant.
His inability to ‘play’ a role couldn’t be the work of the Ethera, could it?If so, how had the other Eths suffered through this when encountering females not their Dar Eths?Perhaps their lighter eye color had deterred advances though would a Maloidian behave according to Etterian expectations?
Neither would a human bound to their internal compasses and barely adhering to the rules laid down by their law or government.Which meant every one of Wren’s reactions was all her.
His chest swelled.She chose to be with him, not succumbing because of an ancient bond beyond her control.He was addicted to her, obsessed almost.
The second Serratu Kayarra sank onto the seat beside him, sighing with happiness—no doubt from the body heat he exuded.Such a weakness could be exploited.He threw his arm around her shoulders and tugged her into the curve of his body.She moaned and burrowed into him, splaying her fingers across his chest without hesitation.
They were too easy to manipulate—
He growled.“Put the dagger back.”
She chuckled, waved his most recent creation at him, then slid it into its sheath.
He leapt up and away from them, running his hands over his body.“Eysso.”He opened his palm, waiting.
She shrugged and placed the dagger into his hand.
He narrowed his eyes at them but gave them a smirk as if he found their actions amusing.“At this rate, laying with either of you might have been the death of me.”
“Perhaps,” the second female said, her tentacles swaying in a peaceful rhythm despite the heat in her gaze.She was enjoying toying with him.
A muted grunt snapped his gaze in the comm’s direction.
He stiffened then scowled when both females hugged his sides.
“We have orders to kill him, Korre,” Eysso said in Maloidian.“Pity.”
Mm, so this wasn’t an impromptu call for aid?Barro had planned this.But why?
“I say we keep him in our quarters.”Korre stroked his chest, her gaze fixed on the path her fingers took.
Again, nausea squeezed a knot in his stomach.He swallowed past the lump and feigned a struggle to shake them off.
“We could tell Barro we tossed him out an airlock.”
Eysso ran her fingers along his jawline.She hummed.“I like the way you think.”
At another of his daggers leaving its sheath, Cylo gritted out in Maloidian, “I do not.”He shrugged them aside and with ease.When he reached for his blaster, he met a foot extended so beautifully by Korre.
