Fractured Chances Read online

  He set the jar of honey back on the counter. “Preparing dessert.”

  He flexed his fingers against her hips. “Do you trust my claws?”

  She blinked and nodded, sitting up on her elbows. “I do.”

  “May I use my fingers on you?”

  She blushed and avoided looking him in the eye. “You may.”

  He leaned in and kissed her. “Thank you. Now, grip the sides of the table and keep your hands out of the way. I want to feel you.”

  Nan wasn’t sure what he was up to, but then, he dragged his tongue over her lower belly while his fingers slid inside her, and her mind went blank. The light came in and streamed across her face. She flinched and covered her face for a moment until the light was blocked, and she was in a cocoon of darkness that smelled like Varix with only his glowing eyes for light.

  She blinked.

  He chuckled as he continued to explore her with his fingers. “They can do more than fly, but the full extent of their flexibility is something that we can explore another day.”

  The comment caused her eyes to widen, and she imagined what that was referring to. He exhaled along her skin as he moved between her thighs. His tongue flicked at her clit, and she moaned and grunted as his fingers moved deeper.

  The living cavern she was inside was ideal for her to relax; it was warm, it was comfortable, and it was safe. When he knelt between her thighs and his hands kneaded at her breasts, tweaking her nipples in turn, she closed her eyes and let the sensations overtake her. Sex, the one part of life where guys needed to multitask.

  Chapter Twelve

  Ten days after their visit to the colony, they were on their way to the station with the travelling khitans and Little Buddy. Varix kept glaring at the small creature.

  “The bots fixed the hole. How did she get out?”

  Nan chuckled and stroked her excited little friend. “She chewed a bigger hole.”

  He sighed. “It’s a good thing that Hyrnan is fairly close. I don’t want to have to feed that little beast longer than necessary.”

  “I can find her something to eat if necessary. So, are the predators up there?”

  He nodded. “The shuttle collected them when I went out yesterday.”

  She smiled. “Good. It wouldn’t do for our passengers to go hungry.”

  Varix snorted. “Oh, they won’t go hungry. They will hunt for anything that moves and is smaller than they are. Etska knew that before I agreed to bring them.”

  “So, that is the issue. You have to make sure that they know they are accepting a very attractive predatory species.” She chuckled.

  “Precisely. As they are usually given as protection for the companions, they need to be able to bond with the khitans. You are my proof that your species can manage it.”

  She grinned. “So glad to be useful.”

  He chuckled, and their pilot left the atmosphere to head for the station where the cruiser was waiting. From now on, they were to be served, and she wasn’t going to be able to lift a finger. It was a bit frustrating, but Varix promised to keep her occupied.

  He had brought some of his instruments and stated that they would be asked to perform for their hosts at a dinner. When she had asked what she was supposed to do, he had replied, You can dance. Apparently, he watched her from the confines of his studio.

  She grimaced at the thought of performing in public, but she couldn’t really do a game-gutting explanation or how to feed nearly twenty people with no budget and a pointed stick.

  “So, who makes the demand for entertainment? The Hmrain or the companion?”

  He grinned. “Either can make the request. As guests, we must oblige.”

  He reached out and took her hand. “It will be fine. I assure you.”

  Little Buddy nudged her ear and licked it.

  They were on the shuttle for four hours when the station came into view. Nan asked, “Wait, wasn’t the station further away?”

  Varix smiled. “It is mobile. I didn’t want the khitans stressed, so I brought the station closer to Abix.”

  She chuckled. “If we had been closer, the shuttle would never have crashed.”

  He squeezed her hand. “In that case, I am definitely glad that it was a greater distance away. If you had landed and simply disembarked, I might never have met you. I mean, if you had remained in that static state, your scent wouldn’t have come through, and I would not have introduced myself.”

  She laughed outright. “You didn’t introduce yourself. You carved out a windscreen on the shuttle and told me that I had to get out or die.”

  He smiled. “My courtship may have been unorthodox, but it eventually worked.”

  Nan sighed. “It is a good thing that I believed you to be initially terrifying, or things would have turned out differently.”

  “Initially?”

  She smiled. “Now, you have certain charms that I appreciate. I don’t think about days without you in them.”

  He grinned and lifted her hand to his lips. “Would it be bad if I hauled you into my lap?”

  “As we are going to be docking soon, I think you can wait.”

  He turned her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm, slowly trailing his mouth down her arm. By the time the shuttle was settled in the belly of the station, she was trembling, and her knees were pressed tightly together.

  When they got up, she glared at him. “You are positively evil.”

  He smiled. “Just reminding you of my certain charms.”

  She winced, and they collected the travelling khitans and walked through the bay and to the cargo lift. Little Buddy was looking around curiously, her nose twitching. Varix entered a code, and the lift moved sideways across the station.

  “Oh, that is weird.” She crouched and kept the khitans calm. They cuddled up against her while they were transported to the cruiser.

  The lift moved smoothly, but she was relieved when the doors opened again. Two lines of crew in black and red uniforms formed an honour guard for them. The captain—by his insignia—came toward them and bowed. “Lord Varix, it is good to see you again. Lady Nan, it seems you survived transporting your charges.”

  Nan nodded. “I did. My career path has taken an odd turn.” She patted her thigh, and the khitans lined up next to her. “Do we have an environment arranged for them?”

  The captain nodded. “Adjacent to Lord Varix’s quarters.”

  She smiled. “That is what I was told, but I wanted to check. Sometimes what Lord Varix says alters slightly in translation.”

  Varix reached out and pulled her snugly against his side. “She came out on the losing side of a negotiation.”

  Nan chuckled. “He cheated.”

  “I won.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.

  She made a face, and he chuckled.

  The captain looked at the smiling Hmrain, and he blinked. “Right. Do you wish to retire to your quarters, my lord?”

  “Please. Lady Nan will not let me have her in occupied hallways. She’s fussy that way.”

  She clapped a hand over her eyes.

  Varix placed her hand on the back of his wrist. “That means she knows I am right, but she doesn’t want to verbalize it. So, yes, our quarters, please. The khitans need to get away from all this metal.”

  The captain nodded, and two of the crew escorted them through the belly of the ship and up to their quarters. There was an access door that led to the khitan environment next door, and all three of the creatures explored and romped around while Varix bent her on her hands and knees on the bed and slid inside her. He flexed his hips against hers and bent forward to cover her, his chest rubbing against her back as he held her breasts and put his weight on his wings.

  She moaned and grunted as she moved back to meet him. Her arms wobbled, and she dropped to her elbows, pressing her forehead on them as her muscles gave up the fight to keep up and focused.

  Varix growled and pulled her
back against him, resting on his heels and pushing up and into her while she reached back to clutch at him. When he pressed his lips to her neck, she threaded her fingers through his hair, and when his teeth pierced her skin, she came.

  His fingers rubbed her clit, and he kept one arm around her as he pressed into her and shuddered.

  She felt her body jerking, and he slowly released her shoulder before licking at the wounds. He wrapped his hand around her neck and kissed her cheek. “You feel like I am coming home.”

  Nan could feel him throbbing inside her. “You are no home I have known, but you are the one that I want.”

  His hand tightened on her neck before he moved his grip and stroked her breasts and belly. He whispered, “At what point does it go from admiration to addiction?”

  She chuckled. “When I say no and you keep going. That is when I would say you have a problem.”

  “Then, that day will not come. I love hearing you say yes.” He whispered it in her other ear.

  They cleaned up, and when they had finished a second round in the shower, the khitans were all lined up on the bed. The ship was moving.

  Nan slipped on her robe, and Varix wrapped his towel around his hips. It was time to get the wardrobe sorted. Varix wanted to match.

  Designer Treal was wonderful. By the time Nan and Varix were walking out of their shuttle, Nan was dressed in four layers of gowns and robes, had a forehead band that had Varix’s chest design in black, her makeup had been done, and her hair was braided in whatever manner his lordship had decided. Nan had just kept reading the brief on Hyrnan while he worked.

  The clothing and hair let the other Hmrain know that they were not here to get comfortable.

  Athena was wearing a glowing bronze gown that was nearly transparent. She smiled. “Hello, Lord Varix, Lady Nan. Welcome to Hyrnan. Lady Nan, this is the overseer of Hyrnan, Etska.”

  Nan stepped forward. “Lady Athena, it is delightful to have been invited to deliver the khitans. They have been eager to meet you.”

  Athena looked behind her. “Where are they?”

  “They are waiting for a request to join us. The handoff will be later as we see the facility that you have arranged for them.” She felt a nudge on her arm from Varix. “Oh. Sorry. I forgot.”

  She extended her hands to Athena. “Thank you for your welcome.”

  Athena chuckled. “Thank you for your visit.” Athena clasped her hands, they hugged, and the Hmrain relaxed.

  Athena had to allow another female into her territory. It was doubly a thing for her as she was the colony controller. No one arrived on Hyrnan without her authorization. These were the rules of her world.

  Athena linked arms with her, and they started walking toward the growing town down below. The woman whispered, “Let’s see how long it takes them to figure out that we are leaving them.”

  Hands gripped Nan’s waist, and she was cradled carefully against Varix’s chest, and he took off while Athena was caught up in a similar manner.

  They landed at the very elegant home of Athena and Etska. Nan looked around and smiled. “It’s nice.”

  Athena chuckled. “It is. With all the admin, I admit it is nice not to have to lift a finger.”

  “I have chores and do all the cooking, but I am one of those freaks that has to have something I can do at any time.” Nan grinned. “So, you jumped into a K’liir claw?”

  “Yeah, I thought it would save me from the companion classification. You surrounded yourself with teenagers?”

  Nan grinned. “That was not intentional, but it was the end result.”

  “And then you hauled your pilot out of the restricted zone to keep him from a death sentence and took responsibility for the crash.”

  Nan nodded. “That sounds familiar.”

  “So, I think that the lack of foresight might just be a species trait.” Athena grinned. “Now, this is where I thought the khitans could spend their time.” She showed an elegant building with huge cat doors, overlooking a swath of green valley that was ideal hunting territory for them.

  Nan looked to Varix, and he nodded. She summoned Little Buddy and waited. “They are coming. I also hear that you have put the predators into the wild already.”

  “They have a few hundred acres and have been put behind aggressive fencing. I hear they are good eating, so if they expand beyond the fence, I don’t mind.”

  Nan asked, “Does Etska hunt?” She didn’t know how to ask the question about the claws.

  “No. I mean, he is excellent at tracking, but I have never seen him hunt.”

  Nan frowned and just asked. “Does he have claws?”

  Athena was wary. “Not that I am aware of.”

  Nan nodded. “Okay. Just had to check. I mean, the wing styles are different, so there are bound to be other differences.” A soft set of wingbeats made her turn around, and the khitans were on their way down. Little Buddy landed proudly on Nan’s shoulder, and the other two were gracefully on the stone patio.

  Athena gasped and knelt, reaching for the pair.

  Nan stepped forward. “Whoa there. Just a minute.”

  She scratched the ears and got the khitans purring, and then, she reached back and took Athena’s hands and pulled her forward. She took the images of Athena smiling, of Hyrnan, and Etska, and put them in the minds of the khitans.

  Athena’s eyes went wide. “Oh. Wow. I can see what they are seeing.”

  Nan moved away as the khitans moved toward Athena and nuzzled her neck. Athena was smiling and giggling.

  She moved back to Varix. “Well, they are showing her what they have learned about mating right now.”

  He blinked. “You can see what she sees?”

  “I can see what all of them see if I am within fifty feet of them. Little Buddy is the only one who is more circumspect about peeping while we are having sex. The rest of them are fascinated. I hope they don’t try it themselves.”

  He leaned toward her. “They are replaying our coupling?”

  “Yeah.”

  Etska frowned. “What are you whispering about?”

  Athena finished her moment and got to her feet. “Etska, I need to speak with you.”

  “But our guests...”

  She walked up to him and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. “Now.”

  Nan chuckled as their hosts walked away while Athena’s white head murmured to her confused lover. He must have caught on because he grabbed her and flew her up toward their private quarters.

  Varix murmured, “Would you like to take a flight?”

  She looked up at him and smiled. “No. I just met the first human on equal footing that I have seen in quite a while, so I will be here whenever they finish.”

  A green man came forward. “My lord, my lady, please follow me, and I will provide refreshment.”

  Nan linked her arm with Varix. “I promise to sit in your lap if that makes you feel better, but all fooling around stops when they come back.”

  He grinned, and the khitans followed them. “Deal.”

  She should have made sure to mention that he couldn’t use his hands. Damnit.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Athena and Etska returned in new clothing. Nan would have been amused, but she was kneeling on Varix’s lap, and three of his fingers were inside her while his teeth were in her neck.

  Nan shuddered with aftershocks. “Can you give us a minute?”

  Athena chuckled and called the khitans over to introduce them to Etska.

  Varix’s jaws released her, and he lifted his head to lick the punctures.

  Nan cleared her throat and whispered, “Move your hand.”

  She gasped, “Ah! Not that way.”

  He chuckled and withdrew his fingers, his thumb stroking her clit.

  When his hand emerged from her skirts, he calmly licked his fingers, making her groan in mortification.

  Apparently, her groan was enough of a signal.
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  Etska chuckled. “It is a good thing to know that your mate’s sense of privacy is similar to mine.”

  Varix grinned. “They will get over it in time, or we will just engage in a lot of short, hard flights.”

  Nan growled, making Little Buddy sit up from where she was chasing the tails of the two khitans. The discovery that the adrenaline from a sudden descent was similar to approaching orgasm had caused quite a few weird and X-rated flights.

  Etska raised his brows. “Does she find pleasure in it?”

  Nan lunged up and clamped her hands over Varix’s mouth, and she muttered to the other Hmrain. “There is a result.”

  Athena laughed. “Don’t worry about it, Nan. I am sure that the handful of Earthers that have ended up with the Hmrain all have moments of intense embarrassment.”

  The house attendant brought out a platter of food and more drinks. Athena smiled. “Thank you for bringing the khitans. I am sure that I will get used to the images.”

  Nan smiled as Little Buddy thudded onto her shoulder. “Don’t worry. They will soon offer up instant replays. You can check on any sunburns or freckles that way.”

  Athena blushed. “Oh. Good.”

  “But seriously. They are great companions and will gut anything that comes toward you with hostility. The horns protect their necks, and the tails act as a steering strut in the air. They can also throttle you if they get too excited.” Nan smiled.

  “Why is yours so tiny?”

  Nan reached up and stroked under Little Buddy’s chin. “She’s not supposed to be here. She stowed away under the wings of your female. The matriarch sent me an authorization once we were already in the air, and she came out and took her usual perch.”

  “Matriarch?”

  “Khitan the size of a buffalo. Ask your new buddies.” Nan was trying to ease away from being belly to belly with Varix, but he casually put a hand on the middle of her back and held her in place. “The patriarch is larger.”

  The conversation between Varix and Etska involved managing the new colony. He offered Etska some tips on establishing the spaceport a safe distance from the transport of the colony.