The two bartenders moved so fast as to be running, making and serving drinks to the demanding crowd. There was a band tuning up their digital instruments at the back of the room adding to the overall noise. He and Cyra would have to wait to speak with her contact.
Dez stepped closer to Cyra. He made himself as big as possible to appear as imposing as he could. He wouldn’t allow anyone else to touch her. If only he could wrap her in his arms, but there was no way she wouldn’t permit that. Finally, one of the bartenders acknowledged them. They ordered a couple of drinks, but this male was not her contact. They continued to wait. A bar this busy had to be a good source for networking.
A drunk male stumbled toward them. He stared at Cyra. There were four others with him. The pack was moving toward his mate. “Cyra, we should go?”
“What? No. We have drinks coming and I still need to make contact.”
“Please, my queen.” Before he could continue to present his reasons for leaving, the group was on them.
“It’s her,” the male slurred loudly. “This is the tentacle slut. Varik told me about you. We may not have tentacles, but there’s five of us. It will feel like tentacles when we fuck you like the slut you are.”
“Apologize.” Dez stepped forward out of the shadows and moved Cyra behind him.
“You don’t have tentacles either. How are you going to pleasure that fucking slut all by yourself?” He grinned his stained toothy smile and winked a red-rimmed eye.
At the word slut, Dez roared and hit the male in the face so hard that the breaking of bones was audible over the sounds of the bar. The unconscious male flew back into his buddies knocking them down in a writhing pile. Dez roared at them again. They scrabbled and pulled their leader with them, leaving the bar as they made fear-filled noises of apology. They never turned their back on Dez. Their eyes were as wide as saucers.
Dez turned to check on Cyra.
“Your, your eyes.” She stuttered.
They must have gone red orange. He consciously lowered his lips from the fearsome grimace and pinched his flared nostrils. He’d meant to be menacing, but she was nervous—scared of him. He reached for her.
She gasped and cringed back from him.
“I would not hurt you, my queen.” Although he’d exposed his brutal predator side, it was only to protect her.
“They were just talking.”
“They would have attempted to harm you. There were five of them.” He crossed his arms to keep from reaching for her again. How could she not perceive the threat? “They were not in their right minds with drink. And I would never allow you to come to harm.”
She placed her hand on his forearm. “Thank you, Dez.”
Dez wrapped his arm around her torso and tugged her close, noting the bar had gone quiet. The band and all the patrons stared at them. There was no way she’d be able to communicate with her contact. He’d had no choice but to protect her, but maybe he’d gone too far. “We should go.”
She glanced around. “Right.”
They returned toThe Treasure. Dez guided her through the halls of Cassan by the hand based on memory and his innate sense of direction. He kept her closer to him than he had when the left the restaurant. He couldn’t make himself let her go even after they were safe on the ship.
“Are you alright?” Dez asked her once they were in his room and he could finally release her. He shifted his gaze over every inch of her, confirming she was truly unharmed.
“Yes, thanks to you.” She shivered. “They really did want to hurt me didn’t they?”
“They did, my queen. Something I would never allow.”
She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him. It was chaste, but she kissed him. His heart and brain exploded. His mate had voluntarily touched him and kissed him. He embraced her around her waist, holding her close, prolonging their kiss. She allowed it for such a short time before she pulled back and put her forehead to his. He loved that she was almost as tall as him. He could look her in the eyes. Or he could have if her eyes were open. Her shuddering breath heated his skin.
She lifted her head and opened her gorgeous ocean-blue eyes. “I have to go.”
She freed herself from his hold and left.
He flopped back on his bunk. It wasn’t perfect, but it was progress. He could still feel her on his lips. Slowly, he licked them and savored her taste. With a groan, he rolled over pressing his erection into the thin mattress. She would kill him before they got to Kolben.
Chapter24
Cyra escapedto her water chamber. She could have visited the salt pools at one of the station’s spas, but she preferred to be alone. Alone she could let her skin release the feel him. Release the energy she’d absorbed from him.
Their impossible connection clawed at her.
