Avenging Enjel Read online

  Lexi winced. “Unpleasant.”

  “Very.”

  “So, you came back to check on me?”

  “Yes. Adaptation comas are not uncommon, but I was worried.”

  She looked at his wings and the strength of his arms. “Did you have any work done?”

  “I had my strength increased and my wings reinforced so that I can carry a larger load.”

  “Like Strike?”

  “Usually Pulse.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I think you should take a shower. You need a change of clothing and your face is scratched.” Lexi reached up and stroked his cheek. His blood stained her fingertips, and she curled her fingers into a fist.

  “As you wish, Lexi. May I return and continue this conversation?”

  She waved at her suit. “I am wearing white after all.”

  He grinned. “You are familiar with Enjel customs.”

  “I believe the signals are supposed to come in the form of swatches of fabric, but I guessed that the clothing was close enough.”

  Colour highlighted his cheeks as he got to his feet. “You are right on the matter of my needing a shower.”

  She rubbed her face and got out of bed. “I need a walk.”

  “Well then, keep me company?”

  Lexi smiled. “Sure.”

  He took her hand and tugged her down the hall to his quarters. Her arm brushed his wing, and she shivered at the contact. Her nerves were on high alert.

  “How did the assignment go?” Lexi took a seat at his desk and put her feet up on the hardwood surface.

  “Pretty well until one of the Korbali tried to chew his way through Pulse. Patches healed him, and Strike is on body heat for now. Theory is watching the prisoners and trying to get them off world.”

  “So, we have the base to ourselves and the bots.” She averted her gaze when he stripped off his bodysuit. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to look, but if she started looking, it was going to lead to touching.

  “We do.”

  Naked, he strode into the lav, and she peeked at the firm curve of his buttocks as he moved through her line of vision.

  She breathed in through her mouth and out through her nose for a few minutes while he was in the shower. Keeping herself calm was the key to not jumping Winger.

  Lexi recited facts about the Enjels in her mind that should have turned her off. Even knowing that they kidnapped women from other species as a matter of course wasn’t enough to make her reject the idea of a night with those wings wrapped around her. Too bad it was early afternoon.

  When he emerged with a towel around his waist and his hair and wings damp, she had to swallow and remember to breathe again.

  Winger sat at the edge of his bed and combed his long black hair. “So, Lexi, what were you up to while I was gone?”

  “Well, there was a two-day coma, but before that, I enjoyed working on the finer points of my Taser control.” She wrinkled her nose. “I am getting used to my hair being white, though.”

  “It suits you, as does your new eye colour.” He worked on his right side, tugging through tangles until it hung straight in slowly rippling waves.

  “Thank you, Myrik.”

  He jerked in surprise. “How did you know…”

  She tapped the side of her head. “I got all the Guardian files I could find. Yours was one of interest. In case you were wondering, I have clearances way above your pay grade.”

  He chuckled. “It is good to hear my name again. We usually stick to code names while on base, just for safety.”

  “Oh dear, am I being less than safe?” She raised her brows.

  “I would think so. Just having your feet on my desk is courting disaster.”

  Lexi chuckled and put her feet down on the floor. “Better?”

  “Yes, but you are still wearing too many clothes.”

  Laughter burst out. “I thought there was a slow and deliberate courtship on Jela.”

  “There is, but this isn’t Jela.” He put his comb aside, got to his feet and moved to stand in front of her. “I am in desperate need of rest, Lexi. Join me?”

  Her hand shook as she placed it in his. She curled against his body in a hug that had everything to do with getting comfortable with him and nothing to do with need, fear or body heat.

  Chapter Six

  Lexi woke when bots trundled in and left a meal on the table. Myrik was still fast asleep, sleeping like a huge, muscular angel.

  Lexi slipped out of his embrace, went to the lav and peeled off her clothing before taking a shower. She pulled her hair out of its tail and washed it, trying to get her nerve up to jump off the cliff in her mind.

  She left the shower and used the solar dryer. Her skin was still baby-soft from the time in the suit, so she hoped that her sensitivity would not be too much for her to handle.

  Clean, dry and nervous, she paused and nibbled at some of the food that the bots had brought in. Once she had worked up her nerve, she returned to Myrik’s bed and crawled in.

  His arms came around her and held her to him for a moment. He nuzzled his face against her hair.

  When his arms touched bare skin, she felt him pause. She closed her eyes and pressed her hands to his chest, slowly stroking downward until she was almost touching his erection, and then, she brought her fingers back up his body.

  She repeated the touch, and he shivered.

  A whisper stretched between them. “Are you sure, Lexi?”

  She placed her hands on either side of his face and pulled him toward her for a kiss. She stroked him, caressed him and rubbed her thigh against his restlessly. “Answer enough?”

  “No. Tell me that you are sure.” He paused and his hands were unmoving. “I need to hear the words.”

  She looked into his eyes and smiled. “I am sure, Myrik.”

  It was apparently what he needed to hear. He pinned her on her back, and his wings created a cavern for them. Privacy, warmth and a tickling sensation whenever her limbs touched the feathery panels.

  He kissed her neck, shoulders, nibbled at her breasts and drew heavily on her nipples and parted her thighs with his. Myrik was in a frenzy, and Lexi was as far from objecting as she possibly could be.

  When he ran his tongue over her belly and flicked her navel, she bucked and shuddered as her first orgasm in years ripped through her.

  Myrik’s emotions spilled into her, and his lust caught fire, sparking hers once again. He lifted her legs and placed them over his shoulders until they rode the wide blades next to his wings.

  She experimented by rubbing the soles of her feet against the base of his wings, and he shuddered, thrusting his hips toward the bedding.

  She wanted to laugh, wanted to scream, but instead, she gasped when he used his thumbs to part the folds of her sex, and he dove in with intensity. With his emotions and focus running through her, it was difficult to separate her arousal from his.

  She screamed when he turned the lapping attention to her clit, and she braced her feet against him while her body arched and her thighs quivered.

  He surged up, and she went with him, her legs over his shoulders. He settled his cock against her and slowly pushed inside, the head moving into her heat with a small pop.

  Lexi gasped and flailed around, gripping the sheets as he thrust into her, rocking her back.

  The thrust and retreat of his body brought her closer to another climax. She could hear her own voice calling out in a dozen languages, “Harder, don’t stop.”

  Each full slide ground her clit against him, and the rhythmic pressure was building faster and faster with every hard plunge.

  She shrieked, and her body clenched around him, holding and gripping his cock as it pulsed and fluttered.

  Lexi could feel his orgasm before he jerked into her tightly, but his shout of triumph was as unmistakable as it was ear shattering. He helped her lower her legs a moment before he slumped on top of her, squishing her i
nto his bed with a thud.

  Their breathing gradually evened out.

  “Lexi?”

  She blinked rapidly when she realized that the voice was coming from her earpiece.

  “Um, yes, Theory?”

  “If you and Winger are going to sociin, take out your com!”

  “I am guessing it turned on.”

  Myrik muttered, “It wasn’t the only one.”

  She punched him in the shoulder.

  “Yes, Lexi, it was turned on. The Korbali have excellent hearing, and now, they are mating all over the place.”

  Grinning, Lexi nodded. “Understood. Removing com now.”

  “I thought you were done, several times actually.”

  She laughed, “I might be, but Winger might not be. Talk to you later.”

  She reached in and removed the com unit, placing it on the bedside table once she confirmed that it was off. “That is embarrassing.”

  Myrik nuzzled at her neck. “I am with my mate. What is embarrassing about that?” His contentment was radiating from him like a wave of comfort and warmth.

  “Mate? Really? I think we skipped a few steps.”

  “As I stated, we are not on Jela. I have no desire to subject you to the leap of faith.”

  It was a tradition that freaked Lexi out the first time she heard of it. The woman who had agreed to complete courtship and had chosen her Enjel mate was set on the edge of a cliff and had to step off at the appointed time with the faith that her true mate would be there to catch her and fly her away to safety.

  “Good. I have a fear of heights.”

  He laughed. “You are joking.”

  “Nope. Terrified. I am pretty sure if I had seen the first trip to the skimmer, I would have disgraced myself. The second trip, I buried my face against you and held on.” She chuckled.

  He was pressed so tightly against her that she was amazed she could breathe.

  “We will have to work on desensitization in regards to your height issues. I much prefer to fly around the cities on my own.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I would like to have you with me.”

  “I am a security risk. I am not sure that it would be a good idea for me to leave the base.” The idea of crowds made her a little queasy.

  “We will find a way for you to have a bit of a life. I want you to live a normal life, including socialization with others.”

  She blinked. “I am sure that living with five Guardians will be plenty for me.”

  “That is only for now. We are due for a rotation shortly. None of us knows how long we will be posted on Whiccin, but the Imperial Consort has bound our movements together. Yours and mine, I mean.” He clarified.

  Lexi stroked his sides and sighed. He had plans for her. He was eager for her to be happy, that much was certain. If only she could find a way to tell him that she was quite sure she was not going to be alive much longer.

  One tidbit of information that she had managed to pull out was that the Drafu had a rather large bounty on her head. Even in the heart of a Guardian base, she was bound to be found eventually.

  Myrik eased out of her, and she winced at the ache in her flesh. He was bigger than she had counted on, and her body was a little bruised. It was happy but definitely bruised.

  He shifted off her and turned her on her side, curling against her back and holding her close. She sighed happily when he covered her with his wing. The joints of an Enjel wing could flex in a multitude of directions. It was probably why the loss of their use was tantamount to death, it was an injury that took away their classification as a flying species and deprived them of very useful limbs. For an Enjel, death was better than walking everywhere.

  Lexi stayed with him until he fell asleep again, and then, she slipped out of his embrace and back into the lav. A quick shower and dry later, she was back in her suit with the com unit in her ear.

  She had something that she needed to research.

  Chapter Seven

  Lexi blushed furiously. Sociin–raucous lovemaking culminating in repetitive screaming that can be heard from a distance of two miles.

  It was a very specific definition for a very particular situation. Theory’s people were nothing if not precise.

  Lexi sat at the com centre and let her mind wander through the data stream. For her, this was akin to masturbation. She enjoyed the power, the pleasure and the instant gratification that she achieved surrounded by all the archives of the Nyal Imperium.

  A strange tickle reached her via the data stream. “Hello?”

  “Lexi, this is Hydra. I thought I would catch you in here. How are you doing?”

  “I am fine. My transition has been successful and my enhanced abilities have been integrated under my control.”

  “Good. There is a Drafu ship coming your way. They are a little steamed that you got away.”

  “How steamed?”

  “If they don’t kill you, they are going to send someone who will. It is a matter of honour now.”

  “I understand. Can I leave the Guardians, so they won’t be in danger?”

  “No. Remain with them at all times. That is an order from the imperial house.”

  Lexi paused and then asked, “How do you deal with being in Nyal space? You know that you are still a classified alien.”

  “I am very aware of it, but my children are the imperial heirs. I have a place through my friends, my family and my innate charm. Just kidding. I am in charge of the Guardians but that isn’t common knowledge.”

  “Why did you tell me then?”

  “You are not only of a very high-security clearance, you are in love with Winger. Nothing like having a strong, deadly man taking care of you until you can take care of yourself.”

  “Do you speak from experience?”

  “Of course. I met his imperial majesty when he was a Guardian, and I was a teacher in search of something that tasted like coffee. In our life together, he has held me up when I needed it and stood back while I went rampaging through the imperium. No other consort has ever left her emperor’s side.” There was a laugh in the data stream. “Frequently, he has encouraged me to get the hell out and do what I wanted to do. It is just easier for him in the long run to let me zip around.”

  “That reminds me. Are you moving the Whiccin Guardians around?”

  “Yes. The team combination is not optimal. Are you prepared to join the ranks?”

  Lexi blinked. “I thought the teams were restricted to five?”

  “Oh, hell no. They are as big or small as they need to be. Each team is assessed every three months or five assignments. They are delicate ecosystems that need to be maintained.”

  Across the base, Lexi felt Myrik starting to wake. “I have to go now. Winger is waking up.”

  “Heh. You have joined the tradition of sneaking away while your male is unconscious. It is a Terran thing, and we are very proud of it. Consider your taking on the oath of Guardian. It would benefit you immensely.”

  The connection went dead, and Lexi removed herself from the data stream, unjacking and heading back to her Enjel’s quarters in under a minute.

  She peeled off her suit in the doorway, and as she eased it closed, she stepped out of the fabric. Naked, she crawled back into bed with Myrik, removing her earpiece before she settled against him.

  “Where were you?”

  “Playing in the data stream and doing a check-in with the Imperial Consort.” She smiled as he kissed her shoulder.

  “You took a shower.”

  “I was sticking to everything.” She shivered.

  He slid his hand between her thighs.

  She parted them for him, wincing a little as he slid two fingers inside.

  “Did I hurt you?”

  “No, it is just something I am not used to. I have been in the suit for years if you will recall.”

  He turned her to face him. “I apologize for my enthusiasm.”

  She
patted his cheek. “Don’t be sorry. I enjoyed myself, several times in fact.”

  She felt the heat of lust in his mind and the rise of his erection against her hip.

  “I think I will forego the pleasure of being inside you for a day or two. I do not want to cause you additional injury.”

  She sighed when he removed his hand from between her thighs. Part of her sigh was relief and the rest was disappointment.

  He slipped his hand down her belly instead, pausing and seeking out her clit. He slowly circled her clit until she twisted against him. Her shoulders rubbed against his chest and his free hand worked her breasts, kneading and stroking, occasionally pinching until her breath sawed in and out of her lungs.

  Lexi curled around his hand as her clit twitched and her channel clutched for an occupant that wasn’t there. A low, shuddering groan escaped her, and when the touch on her clit turned from pleasure to pain, she grabbed Myrik’s wrist and sent a jolt through him.

  He blinked and jerked away. “Damn. I forgot you could do that.”

  “So did I.” She chuckled weakly. “That was what I was practicing. Notice that I didn’t send you across the room with it.”

  He stroked her belly with the hand she just zapped. “It is duly noted. So, what are your plans for the day?”

  “More exercise. More practice. Finding my account balances and seeing if I can afford anything other than the bodysuits. Don’t get me wrong, I like them, but I miss earrings and dresses. I was always a little girly.”

  “The Whiccins have an excellent marketplace for that sort of thing.”

  “Do they? I will take it under advisement. I am guessing, with the Guardian base hidden, that I can’t just order the clothing for delivery.”

  “It is always best to get the sizes taken in person.”

  “Fair enough. In that case, I will do some research on Whiccin dress shops.” She kissed him quickly and rolled out of bed before he could deepen the kiss. She landed on her butt but was up and across the floor in seconds, thanks to the enhancement.

  “You are definitely fast.” He was sitting with his wings flexing as he stretched his hypnotically arranged musculature.