Wrapped in Fire Read online

  He lunged forward and pulled her against him. The moment that he pulled her in close, she felt a surge of panic. She also felt a hum from the household icon. “Uh oh.”

  “What?”

  “You have fifteen seconds to get as far away from me as possible.”

  “Ah, pet. I am definitely going to need more than fifteen seconds. Your scent is amazing.” He pressed his head to her neck.

  She could see his doom approaching, as could his stuttering companion tried to warn him to let her go. When Hreon grabbed hold of him and flicked him through the square, the local population stopped to watch.

  In her entire life, even with the food riots, she had not seen someone beaten unconscious. She walked up to Hreon and touched his arm. His eyes were blazing bright, and his fangs were out. “Enough, Master Hreon. He’s done.”

  There was blood dripping from his hand, and he wiped it on his trousers before he touched her cheek. “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah. He just got grabby. I am fine, just a little shaken.”

  “Where is Hrothan?”

  She put a hand on his chest. “I sent him on his way. I didn’t think there would be trouble. It was just a straight line after all.”

  He sighed and pressed his forehead to hers. “You need to take care of yourself.”

  “Up against two of them, all I could do was wait for help. You showed up.” She kissed him.

  He enjoyed the kiss and then deceptively said, “Two?”

  She glanced at the other man who had hemmed her in. “Two.”

  He picked her up and walked her toward the man who was looking at his groaning companion. Hreon walked up to him. “You importuned my mate?”

  The man’s eyes went wide. “We didn’t know she was yours. She just said that she was a companion and breeder. We never would have dreamed of interfering with her if we knew.”

  “Why are you even here?”

  “Um, to meet with you, Overseer. Srin’s family has created a new solar collector. We have been travelling to try and gain more support for the business.”

  “You will not be doing business on Hellaz. Srin Majer will be banned from the surface, the station, and this portion of the solar system.”

  “You know who he is?”

  “Certainly. I was just making an appointment for a meeting. Consider it cancelled.”

  The man nodded. “Understandable. Is there a medical facility around?”

  Dorra pointed to a building just behind her. “The clinic is over there. They have a regen unit. It might take him a day or two, but he will be fine. I mean, if you get him there before he stops breathing.”

  She had been thinking about what could be done to stop her from being such a cotton ball, but when Hreon stalked back toward the residence, she decided to table it for the day.

  “How was your call with your mother?”

  “It was fine. They are arriving tomorrow. My great grandmother arrives tonight.”

  “Oh. Wow.” She looked at him and his clothing. “You are going to want to bathe and change.”

  He looked at her in surprise. “Why?”

  “I don’t know, but I do know that when a grandparent comes visiting, you are supposed to look your best.”

  He chuckled. “Fair enough. I am a little bloody. So are you, for that matter.”

  She looked at where her skin was pressed to him. “True. Hey. Where do my clothes go when you take them off?”

  “Itil, the maid, comes to the room when it is empty and gathers the laundry for washing.”

  “Where does it go when it comes back?”

  He blinked and entered the residence. “I didn’t show you the wardrobe?”

  “Nope. We tend to get distracted the moment we have privacy. Well, I do.”

  He snorted. “Are you trying to lighten the mood?”

  “A little bit. I was just scared, not harmed, and as soon as I figure out a way of defending myself, I will feel better about being out without an escort or bodyguard.”

  He growled. “I don’t want you out without me.”

  “I can’t wear you like a bag or backpack. I might eventually make a friend. I might want to go out for tea or coffee or to listen to music. I know I am here for you, but when you don’t need me, I want to be able to walk in this small part of the world.”

  He walked the hall to their bedroom and closed the door. He smoothed his hand over a blank portion of wall, and the wall opened to show an enormous room that had the formal robes, casual trousers, and shirts, as well as the snug office-style clothing. Her small but growing wardrobe was on an empty wall. She smiled at the black one, and he turned and headed through his office to the bathing pool. There were showers to one side that she hadn’t noticed before, so she stripped off and scrubbed at her neck under the hot spray.

  “Did he touch you?” Hreon was naked and looking at her.

  She grimaced. “Just my arms and neck. He was scent triggered.”

  “I should have broken his nose.” He wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to the side of her neck that was now pink from scrubbing.

  “I think you broke his entire face.” She washed the right hand that had done most of the smashing.

  “I wanted to break a bit more than that.”

  The water splattered, and the purplish pink washed away.

  “Huh. There is no damage on you.”

  He nipped her neck. “I am very sturdy.” He moved his hips against hers. “So, I seem you recall that you introduced yourself to them as companion and breeder.”

  She could feel the intensity in his body. “It seemed appropriate.”

  He turned her in his arms, and the water washed over them. “You don’t mind?”

  “My world is broken to hell and back; my people are scattered to the winds. If I can bring part of myself to the future, I am going to do it.” She smiled and shrugged. “We thought our world would last forever, and one giant space rock broke our environment, our societies, and all the ties to the past. If anything happens here and my bloodline has a little survivor in it, then it will pull me into the future, whether I am there or not.”

  He smiled. “An excellent way to think of things. But, one part I will take issue with.”

  She frowned. “What?”

  “Your people are here.” He pressed her hand to his chest, where his heart thudded slowly.

  “Did you eat them?” She smiled up at him.

  “No. I would have noticed the sarcasm when I tried to swallow. That is hard to get down.”

  “Ah, the sarcasm and wit aren’t in every one of my kind. Some of the men and women managed to keep spouses or children with them. They ended up on starting colonies.”

  He lifted her up, and they were face to face. “So, I am very lucky that you were in a divided batch sent to this sector.”

  “Lucky, cursed, it is in the eye of the beholder.” She draped her arms around his neck. The warm water still splattered on her back.

  Hreon pressed his lips to hers, turning off the water with the bump of his hand and continuing to taste her as he held her against the slick tiled wall.

  He slid his fingers against her, and the honey coated his digits. She was embarrassed, but her body was catching on to what needed to be done to make her physically comfortable with him. He eased into her and held her as she slowly inched down onto him.

  He shuddered. “It always feels so much better when I am actually inside you.”

  She gasped and arched her neck. He pressed into her and nuzzled her neck as he started to move.

  The wet slap of their bodies as they moved together echoed in the tiled space, and when she was right on the edge, he bit down, and she screamed softly. The sharp flare caused a ripple effect through her body, and he pinned her hands above her head and growled against her skin, followed by a grunt and a movement inside her that had her gasping. He released her neck and licked at the small punctures. He kept he
r pinned against the wall until she started to go cold, and then, he pulled her tight and walked her to the pool.

  He eased into the water and sat with her still wrapped around him, him fully fixed inside her.

  She leaned on his chest and sighed. “Hrothan was worried about something.”

  Hreon asked, “What?”

  “He said I should be more tired based on the levels that you are taking out of me. I feel relaxed and really good but not particularly tired. The only reason that I nap in the council is that I didn’t get much sleep, and it is really boring.”

  He laughed, and he moved inside her, which sent tiny cascades of sensation through her. She exhaled slowly and flexed her fingers on his shoulders.

  The shivers that went through her reached the edge of her skin and then returned to cascade inward, centred around where they were joined, and rippled outward again.

  He looked at her and kissed her lips. “What is going on inside you?”

  “I have no idea. I would say pinball, but you wouldn’t have any idea what that is. I guess it feels more like a fractal inside me. Patterns changing and expanding.” She gasped. “It is definitely different.”

  “Is it painful?”

  She shook her head. “Oh, no.” Her chest began to rise and fall as she got closer and closer to the edge. The pleasure used her nerves to spread in widening waves until she held onto Hreon and her entire body caught fire. Her scream was silent, her eyes were wide, and Hreon stared at her as whatever was running through her finished its course.

  He wet his hand and stroked it across her forehead when she slumped against him. His own body was quivering under her. “What was that?”

  She shivered again, and her body clasped and released his. “I have no idea. That is not a species’ specific thing. I don’t know what that was, and I certainly am not sure if I want to have it happen again.”

  “Did it hurt?”

  “No. It felt like my body was on fire, melting, and freezing in waves.”

  He stroked her cheek and glanced down. “What’s that?”

  She looked down at him and shrugged. “Your new icon is glowing.”

  “So is yours.”

  She squawked. “What?”

  She looked down, his head collided with hers, and he winced. “Ow.”

  She was busy staring at the icicle blue marking under her skin. It wasn’t the same as his but was feathered with frost.

  “Oh crap. What is this?” She slapped it, and her eyes widened as the air rushed out of her lungs while her body clasped and rippled around his. “What was that?”

  He shuddered and groaned, thrusting into her as he shuddered and the identifiable spasm ran through him.

  She groaned and pressed her head to his shoulder. “We are going to have to uncouple, or this is going to get awkward by dinner.”

  He chuckled, and that moved him inside her, and she grunted and pushed away from him, flipping into the water. She tried to ignore the start of the cascade, but it continued to sweep through her, so she sloshed to the edge of the pool and got herself out. She kissed Hreon quickly, but before he could grab her, she slid away from his grasp and went to get dried off and dressed.

  “That cascade thing is happening again, and if it can’t be stopped, I would like to know, considering the fact that your family is arriving soon.”

  It was difficult to make her way back to the bedroom, but she got into the closet and paused. Her empty part of the wardrobe now had a bright selection that was familiar to her. Hreon arrived behind her, and he asked, “What is this?”

  “My wish list from the shop. Hrothan said he wanted to see it, then he wanted a copy, then the shop assistant started flirting with him, so I am pretty sure he got laid.” She chuckled. “And I got a wardrobe. Hey!”

  She lunged forward and grabbed the box marked custom order. She opened the box and grabbed the first scrap of fabric, and she slithered into it. Having a custom-made silk thong was possibly one of the most indulgent things she had ever done. She turned to Hreon, and he blinked. “That is what you wanted?”

  “Yeah. It will take the worry out of me having biological substances sliding down my thighs. It might still happen, but not as much.”

  He hooked a finger into the side strap, and it released at the light tug. He raised his brows. “Is it supposed to do that?”

  She cocked her head. “Of course. These little suckers are expensive, so if they need to come off, they come off without breaking.”

  He reset the closure on the side and nodded. He slid his fingers against the silk, and he raised his brows. “It almost feels like being against your skin.”

  “Well, the idea was not armour plate. It was just for my comfort, emotional or otherwise.” She prodded him in the chest. “You have no idea how chilly it gets when your body is wet and exposed to the elements.”

  “Hm. Fine, you have a point. How many of these garments did you order?”

  “Twelve. I am guessing that gives me close to two weeks before I have to beat you at another game of P’cha.”

  She turned and pawed at the clothing before sighing and putting on one of the standard outfits with the panels.

  “Why not pick something new?”

  She looked at him. “What is your reaction to me wearing something new?”

  “I am in favour of it. I just went with Mrara’s clothing because folks should have recognized you as relating to a Hmrain.”

  Dorra shrugged and removed her clothing, walking over to the dresses, and she chose one that made her smile. It was a breast band, a flowing skirt with deep open slits up either side, and a chiffon cape attached to the back of the breast band with bands that held it at her biceps, elbows, and wrists. It was like wearing wings.

  She slipped away from him as he dressed, went to get her household icon, and then, she did her hair in a thick braid that hung down over her shoulder. She wished she had the formal makeup at her disposal, but she supposed she could play him for it another day.

  Chapter Thirteen

  They were downstairs in a sitting room with a smug and relaxed Hrothan when a new figure stepped into the room with Captain Sagar.

  Dorra watched as Mrara’s son and great grandson greeted her. The entire time she was hugging her relatives, Mrara was staring at her.

  “So, Hreon, who is this creature?”

  Captain Sagar made the introductions. “Great Grandmother, this is Dorra of Terra, the groomer from the floating station.” He was dismissive.

  “Is she now? That is amusing, Sagar, considering that both she and Hreon are now wearing the marks of their ancestors. The funny thing is that in everything I have heard about the newest educated creatures, I never heard of a Hmrain visiting them.”

  The woman was now standing in front of her with a clawed nail pressed to her light markings. “So, where did this come from?”

  “Uh. Badly chosen tattoo?”

  “Oh, you are not averse to body modifications?”

  “It depends. I am not a fan of carving myself up for entertainment, but you do have rather nice nails.”

  Mrara smiled. “Do you mind if I take some cellular samples?”

  “Does that mean you are going to claw me?”

  “Just a little, child. But, not now. We will go to the clinic, and I will have samples taken. I think we should do this before dinner.” Mrara linked arms with her and walked her past the three surprised men. “I can manager her, Hreon; she’s safe.”

  Dorra looked at Mrara, and she shrugged. The woman was deep green with black hair and celestial constructs dancing in her eyes.

  They walked slowly, and several locals stopped to stare. “So, Dorra. How are you enjoying Hellaz?”

  “I haven’t seen much of it. The station was nice, most of the time. This village is nice, but some of the guys here are creepy.”

  “I heard about the trade detachment that is currently in the clinic. How did you know t
hat Hreon would come to help?”

  “I didn’t. I have no options. You can’t really hide a blaster in these outfits, and carrying a knife around the overseer is completely forbidden.”

  Mrara nodded. “True. So, I think that you need some more weapons that are socially acceptable. I have a few ideas, and we can have them installed at the clinic and be home in under an hour. Fortunately, they have your scans.”

  Dorra blinked. “What kind of weapons?”

  “The kind you can use at close range. Claws and teeth.” Mrara chuckled, and her wings emerged in a bright wave of colour. She was a butterfly.

  “Oh.” Dorra smiled. “Good.”

  Mrara grinned. “So, do you have any fun family stories about giants with blue skin?”

  “I wouldn’t know. My family lost their connection to their original families two hundred years ago. No family stories.”

  “Ah, that would have made it easy. You are a delightful anomaly, Dorra. I look forward to seeing what your genome has to tell me.”

  “I hope it is chatty.”

  Mrara laughed. “So, how are you getting on with Hreon?”

  “I sleep through the morning councils and spend the rest of the day eating or wrapped with him.”

  “Wrapped?”

  “Pinned? Surrounded? Impaled? Pick your reference.”

  Mrara chuckled. “Sorry. I only know it from the side of the Hmrain. We simply want with our entire souls or whatever was installed in us. You have the mark of one of the assessors. They were sent out to find sentient species and plant monitors for future use. The first generation of Hmrain. They had fewer restrictions when it came to mating.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Seeing what genes will triumph in a few hundred years was their goal. The death of your world was unforeseen, as was that of the Hellaz. The Hmrain came in with our station in both cases and saved those we could. I know they were looking for sensual compatibility, but I never thought that we had any of ours on your world. Once we identify the genome, we can track it through those who have been dispersed or are still on the station.”

  “What would you do with them if you found them?”

  “Notify the Hmrain who find your species attractive, and they can join the bond auction.”