3013: STOWAWAY (3013: The Series) (10 page)

Deke couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Sonja was a precog? Why hadn’t she told them? When they got back to the ship, she was going to have to tell them everything. Trevar was going to have to fess up to his knack of reading emotions, too. If they were really going to make a go of this, then there couldn’t be any secrets…or schemes, he amended to himself as he saw a familiar grin creep across Trevar’s face. He knew that look. It invariably meant Trevar had a great idea that was going to land them all in trouble.

Again.

“How long do you need?” Deke asked, keeping hold of her hand.

“Two minutes.”

“You’ve got them,” Trevar said, taking up a stance so that he was leaning against the bar. To everyone else, he looked like he was simply relaxing, but he kept an eye on the door as he began typing commands into his wrist unit. Deke didn’t have to see the screen to know that Trevar was remotely activating
Arca’s
highest security protocols and telling the AI to prep the ship for launch. By the time they got back, everything would be ready and waiting.

Deke kept his attention on Sonja, but she wasn’t paying any attention to him, or anything else for that matter. Her eyes were closed, and her expression was completely blank. She looked younger this way, and far more delicate. Protective instincts surged through him, along with a sense of possession so powerful it took him by surprise. Sonja had unlocked something deep inside him, a part of him that Deke had thought long since dead and gone. He hadn’t allowed himself to care for anyone after his mother had taken him to be tested, and then walked away, leaving him terrified and alone with strangers. He’d watched her leave, and she hadn’t even looked back.

Not once.

Sonja came back to herself so quickly it was almost spooky. One second, she wasn’t there, the next her face was animated again and her eyes flew open. “We have to go! The ones who saw me are coming this way. There are four of them, and they think they’re going to catch us in here.”

Deke nodded and Trevar shoved himself away from the bar. “How the fuck do they know where we are? No, forget I asked, that’s not important right now. Which way to we go?”

“Out the main doors, turn left, then down the first stairs we find.”

“The elevators would be faster.”

“They have a friend hanging around on the main floor, watching the elevators. We have to take the stairs.”

“You’re just full of surprises.” Trevar flashed her a grin and took her hand. Deke still had hold of her other one and he knew damned well that neither of them had any intention of letting go of their woman. Not now, or ever.

Trevar felt an itch at the back of his neck, like someone was watching them. He knew that it was only his imagination, but it set his teeth on edge. It was going to be a very long walk back to the ship. He forced himself to keep his pace slow and casual, despite wanting to scoop Sonja into his arms and make a run for it. They should have considered the possibility that her family would have posted a reward. It just never occurred to him that they’d take the search off-world so quickly. After all, if they knew she was aboard their freighter the Alliance would have simply ordered them to hand her over.

Right before they tossed him and Deke’s asses in a Martian cell.

They made it to the stairs, and he chanced a brief look back. Sure enough, four determined looking men were heading straight for Kaspar’s. Sonja had been right. That gave him some comfort, since she had also predicted that they would get back to the ship. What happened after that…well…it looked like they were about to run out of options.

The rest of the journey was made in tense silence that was only broken by Sonja’s softly spoken directions. They avoided the corridors that lead directly to their ship, taking a roundabout route that took a few minutes longer. It wasn’t until they were inside the airlock, the doors sealed behind them, that they all sighed with relief.

“Nice job, kitten. That’s a hell of a gift you have. I don’t suppose you’ve ever considered hitting a casino with that talent?”

“And here we go,” Deke said, shooting him a dirty look.

“What? Do you have any idea how fast we could have our down payment if Sonja is willing to do a little wandering through the time stream?”

“That would be cheating,” she said, but her eyes gleamed with mischief even so.

That’s my girl.

“We can talk about this after I get us the hell out of Dodge. Deke, can you sync with the
Arca
and maybe find a way to make sure she doesn’t communicate with any Alliance vessel or outpost until we’re clear? I know I sound paranoid, but we have to assume the outpost got that alert, and if our voyeurs say anything to them…”

“I…uh…already blocked all but the most urgent incoming messages. What we can’t see, we don’t have to respond to, right? I’ll make sure the AI doesn’t get chatty with anyone without our direct orders,” Deke said.

“You blocked…no, I don’t want to know. I’m thrilled to hear I’m finally starting to rub off on you, kid. Nice job.”

“Congratulate me later, after we figure out what the fuck we’re going to do next,” Deke said, heading to the nearest terminal.

Trevar tugged on Sonja’s hand. “You’re with me, kitten. There’s no way I’m letting you out of my sight again, not after what happened the last time.”

“I have no idea how they could see anything at that distance,” she muttered as he towed her along behind him.

“Any visual recorder with a zoom feature would’ve worked. No sense worrying about how it happened. Chalk it up to Murphy’s Law and move on, which is what we need to be doing.”

“I
am
sorry, though,” Sonja said, her normally lilting voice somber.

“Don’t be. I’m not.”
He stopped and drew her into his arms with a sharp tug. “This makes things simple. You’re never going to get away from your parents, not after this. So you’re either going to have to go back home, or you can stay here with us, and we’ll fight like hell to keep you.”

He kissed her, cutting off any response she might have made. They didn’t have time to discuss it right now. Later, he’d have to see if he couldn’t pull together something a little more romantic and a lot less practical.

But first, he had to get them out of here.

***

CHAPTER TEN

All three of them stayed in
the cockpit, sitting in tense silence until the jump-engines engaged and they were safely away. Sonja spent the time curled up in Deke’s lap, watching the station and the extraordinary view of the planet beneath it growing smaller and smaller. Once they were clear, Deke lifted her out of his lap and brushed a slow kiss to her lips before settling her back down in his newly abdicated seat.

“I’m going to make us some dinner. It won’t come close to what we missed out on at Kaspar’s, but it’ll have to do.”

“Do you need any help?” she asked.

“It’s best no one witness the carnage that ensues when he cooks,” Trevar said and then gave Deke an intent look that was met with a nod.

“You stay here and keep Trevar company. I won’t be long.”

Once Deke was gone, Trevar leaned back in his chair and patted his lap. “Come here.”

“Is this the part where you give me grief for not mentioning the whole ‘precog’ thing before tonight?” she asked, moving to perch on the edge of her seat.

“No, this is the part where I want you in my arms. Now get your ass over here. You and I have a few things to talk about before Deke gets finished making dinner.” He held out his hand to her, one finger crooked. “Don’t make me come over there and fetch you, kitten.”

She loved it when he used that tone of voice. Arrogant, commanding, with just a hint of mischief. She was wet almost instantly, her breasts suddenly aching with the need to be touched and her heart racing as fast as the ship that carried them between the stars. She was in his lap a few seconds later, her arms around his neck as she tried to get herself comfortably settled.

“Any more wiggling about and I’m going to be too fucking turned on to do any talking at all,” he warned her.

“Maybe that’s my plan.”

“I like the way you think.” He started unbraiding her hair as he spoke, his fingers brushing over her taut nipples every few seconds.

“So why are we still talking?”

“Because I have something important I need to say. I understand why you didn’t tell us about your gift. You were protecting yourself. I don’t have that excuse, but I didn’t tell you my talent either. I’m an empath. Not a very powerful one, but I can pick up on strong emotions. That’s how I know that you’re in love with Deke.”

Her jaw dropped. “I’m what? No, I’m not!” Her denial rang false in her own ears, and she had no doubt Trevar knew it wasn’t true, even if she was only now coming to realize it.

Holy galactic sonic booms. I’m in love.

“Yes, you are. He loves you, too. And yeah, I’m blowing the surprise, but fuck it, we’re running out of time. The thing is, I love you, too. Never planned on it. Never wanted to fall in love with anyone, but I did. And if you think I’m going to let you go back to Earth, or anywhere else without us, you’re crazier than I am.”

Sonja’s heart did a triple back spring in her chest and tears stung at her eyes as she stared at Trevar in amazement. He loved her. It was impossibly improbable, but somehow she’d found her way to the only men in the galaxy who had ever treated her like a person and not an object. They didn’t care about her tattoo, or her money, or her family connections. They cared about
her
.

“I said this to Deke earlier, but I’m telling you, too. I’m not going anywhere, Trevar Storm. I’m staying right here with the two of you. I love you. Stars help us, I love both of you. I think—no, I know that I’ve been dreaming about you for years. That’s why I knew I could trust you so soon after we met. In my precognitive dreams, I’ve known you both for a long time.”

He stared into her eyes for a long time, his fingers still working at unraveling her braid as the silence stretched out. Finally he wrapped a long tress of her hair around his fingers and gripped it firmly. “Okay then. One thing we need to get clear. You are
mine
now. Forever. No take backs. No leaving. No lies. Every part of you, from your sweet smile to that delicious pussy, belong to me.”

“And Deke,” she reminded him gently.

In response he wrapped another coil of her hair around his hand and used it to draw her in closer, so that their breath mingled and she was staring into his steel-gray eyes. “Deke, too, but we’re not talking about him right now. Here, in this moment, it’s just the two of us. I want you to remember this, Sonja.
I
claimed you.”

Trevar held her by the hair as he pressed the marking device to her face, making sure that she didn’t pull away before it was done. The moment she’d said she loved him, he had known what he was going to do. At first, Sonja didn’t seem to understand what he was doing, but as he pulled the device away, her beautiful blue eyes widened and her lips parted in a gasp. His mark now sat by her left eye, the flowing lines of his and Deke’s initials forever ingrained on her skin. A rush of primal feelings hit him as the reality of what he’d done sank in.

She was claimed.

“What the hell did you do to me?” Sonja demanded, her hand coming up to her cheek.

“I claimed you. You’re our chosen, Sonja. Ours to protect, cherish and enjoy for the rest of our lives.” He held up the device so she could see it.

“You…you have a marking device? But how? Is this even a real claiming tattoo? And what the hell were you thinking, marking me without any warning like that!” She pursed her lips and her brows furrowed as she stared at him.

“I didn’t plan on giving you a chance to say no,” he said, but the truth was more complicated than that. If things went badly, then he would shoulder the blame alone. Deke didn’t even know he had claiming rights, and Sonja had never agreed to be claimed.

“If it’s ugly, I’m going to kill you,” she grumbled.

“Give me a little credit. I wouldn’t slap just any old symbol on your face, thank you. I do have to look at it every day for the rest of my life, you know.” He finally gave in to the need to kiss her, cutting off whatever argument or protest she might have been planning. They were past words now. It was done.

He felt her tiny hum of satisfaction buzz across his lips as he kissed her and her mouth opening to his in silent invitation. Not that he needed to be invited. She belonged to him now, and he intended to enjoy laying claim to every inch of her. Her dress rode higher up her thighs as she squirmed again, baring a welcoming expanse of skin. He dropped a hand to her thigh, pushing the fabric even higher. There were a great many things they should be talking about right now, but all he really wanted to do was bury his dick inside her tight heat and stay there forever.

She moaned into his mouth and his cock twitched in its fabric prison. He wanted her so badly it was a physical ache. Her love for her was a balm to his soul, making him whole.

“I love you, Sonja.”

“I know.” She lifted her head so he could see the desire burning in those glacier-blue eyes and then laughed at his expression. “I don’t need to be an empath to know you love me. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have claimed me. This….it’s real, isn’t it?” She touched the new tattoo with her fingertips.

“It’s real.”

“Show me.”

A wicked idea formed at the back of his mind and he ran with it. “You do as I say, and I’ll show you a whole lot more than your tattoo. Ship, set all view screens in the cockpit to reflective mode.”

And just like that, Sonja found herself sitting in the center of a mirrored hemisphere. She twisted so that her back was to Trevar’s chest, and then gasped as she saw her new reflection staring back at her.

The design was beautiful.

Sonja knew some elites who paid small fortunes to artists to create the perfect tattoo for their chosen. None of them came close to the elegant lines that now adorned her face. Trevar had managed to combine her bondeds’ initials into a complex pattern that accented her natural bone structure. Trevar had been keeping more than one secret from her. Not only was he an empath, he was an artist.

“It’s perfect,” she said, sweeping more of her hair from her cheek so she could see it better.

“I’m glad you like it. I think it looks fucking sexy on you, kitten.”

Trevar lifted her up a few inches, settling her back into his lap so that her legs fell to the outside of his and she was facing straight ahead. The hard ridge of his cock pressed against her ass, and she elicited a low groan when she deliberately wriggled her hips against his groin. “Care to explain why I’m facing away from you? I thought we had things to discuss?”

“We discussed them. I’m an empath. You’re my chosen. End of conversation.” He reached around to cup one of her breasts in his hand, teasing the nipple with the pad of his thumb. “I have something else I’d much rather be doing right now. The rest can wait.”

“I see.”

“Not yet, but you will.” He lifted her hair away from the nape of her neck and began kissing his way down to her shoulder. The delicate touches and the heat of his breath made her shiver. He gave her hardening nub a light pinch and then released it, sliding both hands down her body until he reached the bottom of her dress. Gripping it firmly, he began lifting it higher, baring her legs as she watched their reflections in the glass.

His teeth grazed her skin as he nipped her between kisses, his gray eyes gleaming with lust as he
watched over her shoulder, a voyeur to his own enjoyment. Calloused fingers brushed along her inner thighs and he moved his legs further apart, spreading hers at the same time. His movements grew impatient, his nips strong enough to sting as he tugged her dress up past her hips, revealing the blue lace panties he’d bought her earlier.

“You picked out my favorite pair,” he said, his voice rich with approval and husky with desire. He plucked at the silken ties where they were fastened high on her hip, and the scrap of fabric came away with a tug.

“I think I know why they’re you’re favorite…”

He winked at her reflection before drawing the dress up over her head and tossing it onto Deke’s empty chair. “Damn, you are beautiful.”

The hunger in his gaze was intoxicating, empowering her to grow bolder. Daringly, she licked her lips and palmed her own breasts, toying with her nipples until they stood out in sharp peaks. Trevar groaned and she felt his cock pulse against her backside. He jerked her legs even further apart and slid two fingers into her exposed pussy, rubbing her clitoris in tight little circles as his teeth bit lightly into her shoulder.

“Keep your hands right where they are. I want to watch you play with those pretty breasts while I make you come. You’re mine, Sonja, and I am going to make you scream my name ever
y damned night from now until the day I die.” His voice flowed over her, dark and seductive, sending a fresh wave of cream to soak her pussy as he worked her clit.

“Promise?”

“Fuck yes, I promise,” he vowed, his hand moving faster now, building up an exquisite friction across the delicate bundle of nerves. A rush of pleasure hit her and she moaned, her eyes closing and her head falling back against his shoulder. He pressed harder and Sonja felt an orgasm begin to bloom inside her, growing with every stroke of his fingers.

“Open your eyes and watch, kitten. This is your first orgasm as a claimed woman. I want you to remember it. Fuck knows, I will.”

“When did you get this pushy?”

“The second I saw my mark on your skin. Get used to it.”

She couldn’t help but laugh at that, and he responded by growling low in his throat and moving his hand faster. Every stroke ended with his fingertips just breaching her channel, teasing her until she found herself arching her hips in greedy thrusts. The more she watched the two of them, the wilder she became. Finally her orgasm hit and as her inner walls flexed and pulsed. Trevar drove his digits in deeply, triggering an even stronger release.

“Trevar!” she cried, her voice filling the small room.

“And that’s the first day’s promise kept,” he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. They stayed like that for a moment, a look of pure male satisfaction on his face as he stared at their entwined reflections.

Sonja touched her fingers to the mark he’d put on her face, then reached back to touch his shoulder. “I want to see my mark here. This claiming goes both ways.”

His smile softened, and his eyes nearly glowed with pleasure at her statement. “I would be honored to wear your mark. You’re sure?”

She understood what he was asking her. While every claimed scroll was tattooed, not every bonded unit chose to take the additional step of marking the men. It was a declaration of commitment and of love, two things that did not come with many arranged bondings or non-consensual claimings. “I am very sure. I left home because I wanted to find somewhere I mattered. Where I was more than this damned mark on my face. As it turned out, it wasn’t s
omewhere
I was looking for. It was someone. Two someones, in fact.”

“You will always matter to me, Sonja. Never doubt it.”

He closed his legs and carefully helped her untangle her limbs from his before coaxing her to stand up. He rose behind her, and she watched as he stripped out of his uniform, baring every sculpted inch of his body for her perusal. Every time she saw him, the thrill was the same. Her head knew that he was nearly twice her age, but her heart didn’t care. They were going to have a long, happy life together. She didn’t have to use her gift to know how it would be, because she simply would not accept any other outcome.