Cathian Read online

  Nara scanned the large vessel as they led her through, taking note it was a first-class ship. She couldn’t read the strange language on any of the marked walls, nor did she see anyone as they traveled to another deck on a lift. She half-expected the Pods to roll down the wide corridor, but they walked.

  All three of them glared at her when she thought that.

  “Sorry. Don’t read my mind then.” She frowned. “You have to admit, with your shape, it’s weird that you’re walking.” She shot a dirty look at the wolfman. “You can let me go. I won’t run.”

  He growled but didn’t release her arm.

  She swallowed. Maybe he can’t talk. Maybe he can only—

  “He speaks,” one of the Pods stated. “He is mad. He thinks we made the wrong decision, purchasing you for our captain, and we should haul ass to reach the ship carrying Tryleskian women. That’s our captain’s race. We have already explained to Dovis that our captain needs a woman now. He’s suffering too greatly to survive much longer without being fed.”

  “It is insulting to offer this weakling to our captain,” the wolf snarled. “She is too little and ugly.”

  Nara’s mouth dropped opened. “You think I’m ugly? Me? You—”

  “Don’t!” one of the Pods squealed. “He wouldn’t find humor in being compared to the Earth version of what you think he resembles. He has a temper. And he’ll bite.”

  Nara sealed her lips together as the lift opened and they led her down a narrower corridor. They stopped in front of a door. The wolfman growled and gave her a rough shove forward. Nara turned to frown at the Pods. One of them moved closer to peer at her.

  “Are you familiar with the Tryleskian race? No. You are not. Yes, we are aware it is rude to ask and then answer before we allow you to speak, but our captain is in bad shape. The Tryleskian males go into heat every three years. Our captain miscalculated his cycle. He will go insane without female hormones. We will help you lure him into feeding.”

  “Thank you,” she grit out. “I like to speak for myself,” she added, after mentally demanded the guy allow her to carry on a regular conversation. “Lure him? What does that mean?”

  Another Pod answered Nara. “Tryleskians are a large warrior race. Our captain is quite aggressive right now, and he’ll either want to feed from you or kill you. You need to lure him into feeding to avoid being torn apart.” The Pod hesitated. “Yes. I mean that literally. He has been reduced to animal instincts, and being denied a woman for days while in heat only makes him more hostile and dangerous to any woman trying to entice him. You need to strip off your clothes when you go inside. It will allow him to smell your arousal.”

  Another Pod sighed. “Yes, we are aware you don’t want to touch him, and that you aren’t a pleasure worker. That is why we selected you. Tryleskian men prefer their women not scenting of other males. You haven’t been with a man since your ex-husband stole your money and slept with your friends. You believe all men are assholes. And we are aware that you aren’t aroused, but we have a solution.” He looked at the wolfman. “Do it.”

  Distracted by everything the Pods had read in her thoughts, Nara gasped when something sharp jabbed her arm, only spotting the needle when Wolfman removed it. “What was that?”

  “It will help prepare your body for feeding Captain Vellar. You would call it an aphrodisiac. Right now, he is in the bath trying to cool his overheated body. He feels as though he is on fire and is starving for female hormones. His mind is confused, and he’s filled with rage. You must go in there and remove your clothes quickly, before he leaves his bath to attack whoever stepped into his lair. Your naked body will seduce his senses.”

  “Put her inside,” one of the Pods ordered the wolfman.

  “No!” Nara desperately tried to fight.

  The wolfman hit the panel by the door to open it. She screamed when he shoved her forward roughly. Nara landed on her butt on thick carpet in a dimly lit room. They firmly sealed the entrance behind her, the Pods and the wolfman still on the other side of the door.

  She turned her head frantically, her gaze darting around, and realized she’d entered a large bedroom.

  Something growled viciously—a deep, terrifying sound.

  Nara sat frozen as she heard water splash. Movement to her right made her heart pound as she slowly turned her head. She knew she was supposed to strip naked to avoid the captain hurting her, but terror hit hard as something large filled the doorway—and she got her first glimpse of him.

  “Holy shit,” she whispered.

  She could only gawk at the extremely intimidating male who filled the bathroom entryway. Water dripped from a thick, shoulder-length mane of hair. It looked golden even while wet, softly flowing with hints of reddish waves. His beautiful cat-shaped, exotic eyes captivated her. They were a soft honey color in the dim interior of the room.

  His lips parted, which drew her gaze downward.

  He had strong, masculine features. His cheekbones were a bit harsh, his nose a little too wide, and his lips were unusually generous. His teeth were mostly smooth but he had sharp-looking fangs on the top. Another growl rumbled from deep in his throat.

  She had to admit, he appeared handsome in a wild sort of way. His face definitely held appeal.

  Nara’s focus lowered more, noticing how tense his body appeared. He was broad-shouldered, his bulging biceps displayed as his fingers gripped the doorway to the bathroom. There was a lot of golden skin on display too. He had a massive chest, which tapered down to some finely honed abs. She could see every ripple of muscle that led from his lower ribs down to his lean hips.

  He was totally naked. And her gaze widened as she took in the sight of one very turned-on alien guy. He looked human in that region, although bigger than her ex-husband had been. She couldn’t look away from the thick flesh protruding between his impressively muscular thighs.

  Until he moved, taking a step in her direction.

  While the wolfman had reminded her of an upright werewolf, the captain had her wondering if some overgrown, steroid-taking Viking human had bred with a lioness. The alien in front of her could have been their mature son.

  Her attention flew upward, staring at his face as he growled again, a chilling sound.

  Unable to move, too terrified to do anything but stare at him, she heard her breathing increase as her heart pounded, nearly panting with fear.

  He released the doorjamb of the bathroom and took another step closer. He snarled again, baring his sharp fangs.

  “Easy, big scary lion man. Please don’t hurt me.” Her voice shook. “Nice Captain.”

  Chapter Two

  The captain’s entire body appeared to tighten a second before he crouched a little at the knees…

  Then he leapt at her, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.

  Nara’s back hit the floor when his body plowed into her smaller one. He gripped her arms with his hands to pin her flat. She would have screamed if the air hadn’t been knocked from her lungs from the impact. The thick carpet saved her from being injured.

  The alien sniffed at her, his face hovering over her throat. Nara gasped in air but didn’t move, realizing he could tear into her flesh with his fangs. His breath blew hot over her skin with each harsh pant.

  He released her arm to grab hold of the front of her shirt.

  The captain easily shredded the material, exposing her chest. He lowered his head and brushed his nose between her bared breasts. His wet hair dripped and dragged over her skin when his nose slid lower, toward her ribs. He yanked harder on the shirt, ripping it all the way to her waist.

  “Please,” Nara begged. “Don’t hurt me. Captain? I’m Nara Barns from Earth.”

  Her shirt ended up completely torn open, allowing him to rub his face on her stomach. He softly growled and released the destroyed shirt. He fisted the waist of her pants next. The cheap prisoner-issue material tore at his slight tug.

  “Stop it!” Panic and fear battled for domin
ance. It might account for the sudden lightheadedness that struck, but her skin tingled, as if tiny little fingers were tapping over every inch of her.

  That’s when she remembered the wolfman giving her the shot. As seconds passed, Nara noticed other symptoms coming on quickly. She felt feverish and a light sweat had broken out over her body. The feelings scared her.

  The captain watched her but didn’t do anything else. It gave her the courage to attempt to wiggle away from him. He reached out and put his big hand on her chest, keeping her in place. Nara froze.

  He lifted his hand, and this time she tried to sit up.

  The captain pushed against her chest again, knocking her flat onto her back. He snagged her pants on one side with a big fist. One mighty jerk not only lifted her ass a few inches from the floor, but completely removed the pants. Her body dropped to the carpet, and he tossed the pants out of sight.

  Suddenly, the feel of his nose pressed into the vee of her thighs drew a gasp from Nara. Guessing what he had planned, she grabbed the long strands of mane-like hair. Her fingers threaded through the soft wet tresses and she tugged frantically to drag his mouth away from her pussy.

  He growled and ignored her actions, only pressing his face tighter against her thighs.

  “No!” He was acting like an animal, so she’d treat him as such. “Bad! Stop it!”

  His head jerked up, and pure rage flashed inside his exotic eyes when he glared at her. The snarl that came from his parted lips sounded vicious and threatening.

  Nara froze, realizing how stupid that idea had been. He wasn’t some rude pet, sniffing at someone’s inseam. He was a huge alien who belonged to a warrior race.

  One of the Pods had mentioned that, but she’d forgotten until this very second. It was a deadly mistake to make, especially if he decided to kill her.

  She carefully and slowly released his hair and pulled her hands back until they rested flat, up near her shoulders. She twisted her wrists and dug her fingers into the thick carpet to refrain from grabbing him again.

  He lifted his palm from her chest where he still had her pinned, snarled again as a warning, and continued to glare at her while he grabbed the inside of her thighs with strong hands. She didn’t struggle when he spread them wide, too afraid to do so, considering he appeared to want to take a bite out of her with those fangs once again on display. The captain was big enough to do anything he wanted.

  “Easy,” she whispered. “I’m sorry but you’re scaring me. It’s rude to just shove your nose down there.”

  Defiance flashed in his eyes as his hands pushed her thighs even wider apart, holding her totally open, his face just inches above her exposed pussy.

  She stared into his beautiful golden gaze, watching as his expression changed to a near-pleading look as he glanced down, a soft whine coming from his throat.

  Maybe he can’t talk, she thought.

  He inhaled, another soft pained sound coming from him, and she remembered he was suffering from a need of female hormones. That mousy alien had warned her what would be in store for her if she’d agreed.

  Nara swallowed hard. He could force her—hurt her, for that matter, do anything he wanted. Instead, he hesitated, hovering just inches from taking what he needed. He waited until she reluctantly nodded.

  A deal was a deal. At least he wasn’t that horned devil guy who’d talked about her like she were food or a torture candidate.

  “Okay. I’m still scared, but strangely starting to get turned on. Your people drugged me with something and it’s definitely taking effect.” She drew in a deep breath. “Just don’t hurt me.”

  His gaze lowered to her pussy. A soft rumble came from his parted lips. It wasn’t a frightening sound this time. His nostrils flared when he sniffed at her again, and then he lowered his face.

  Nara tensed as he nudged her labia. It surprised her when he slowly nuzzled against her, spreading her slightly with his nose, sniffing more. She clawed the carpet, forcing herself to stay still even though the urge to twist away grew strong.

  She never could have expected how it would feel when his tongue darted out and glided through her slit.

  Then he hit her clit, and she gasped. It didn’t hurt at all, but the instant jolt of lust felt as foreign as he was.

  He shifted his hold on her thighs, until his thumbs spread her sex wide open to his mouth. He had a thick tongue, wet and hot. He licked her in long, slow strokes. Feeling overwhelmed, she tried to wiggle away but he held her firm, his upper body pressing against her to drive her ass firmly down into the carpet.

  “Wait,” she gasped.

  He ignored her, moving back up from her slit to her clit. He paused, and then began licking her again.

  Nara threw her head back, her fingers clawing the carpet as sensations swamped her, strong as electric volts. Pleasure spread through her lower body up to her stomach, making it tighten, and to her chest, where her nipples hardened.

  “Bad,” she moaned. “Really bad.”

  He growled against her clit before his tongue moved away. She felt air blow across the bundle of nerves, making her keenly aware of the ache either he or the drugs had created, a second before he pressed his tongue against her entrance, pushing inside her pussy. He pierced her with it, and growled louder. The sound created vibrations that heightened her pleasure even more.

  She was stunned again when he shook his head a little, pressing his face tighter between her spread thighs to push his tongue deeper. She felt it moving languidly, as though he were kissing her. The feeling was strange, but so good. She’d never had a man do that before. She tried to ease away from his mouth again, for a moment of relief, but his hands held her pinned flat and open.

  He withdrew his tongue, a darker snarl coming from him as he found her clit again. He didn’t slowly lick this time. He lapped with sure, fast strokes, almost frantically, with just the tip of his tongue.

  Pleasure tore through Nara, raw sensations she couldn’t escape from, what with his strong hold on her and his tongue moving ruthlessly. She tensed, her body going rigid as she panted, moans tearing through her parted lips that she couldn’t hold back. Her vaginal walls clenched, tightened, and she knew she was going to come. It surprised her, but it felt so good she got over the shock quickly as she cried out, ecstasy rolling through her.

  “Oh God!” she shouted.

  He snarled something, perhaps a word she didn’t understand, before he stopped touching her clit to enter her pussy with his tongue again, shoving it inside deep, lapping at her release.

  Now she understood what feeding him meant.

  The sensation of that tongue extended her climax until she nearly passed out from oversensitivity. He withdrew it, and her body slumped to the carpet. The sound of her heavy breathing seemed loud inside the room, and she forced her eyes open to stare at the dim ceiling above.

  He’d licked her until she’d climaxed. It sure hadn’t hurt. The drugs she’d been given made her feel a little sleepy at that moment, but she fought the urge to pass out. She lifted her head to stare at the man still holding her thighs spread wide.

  His golden gaze studied her back.

  He moved, releasing her legs, and his body rose from the floor. Nara tensed as the massive alien crawled up her body until his face hovered over her breasts. He flattened his palms on the carpet next to her ribs, caging her under him, and his hips kept her thighs spread. He searched her gaze, seeming to look for something.

  “Cathian.” He had a deep, husky voice when he spoke.

  “What?”

  “My name is Cathian.”

  “But your crew called you Vellar.”

  He slowly lowered his upper chest until their skin was plastered together. His body felt unusually warm, but he didn’t crush her under his massive frame, bracing just enough weight with his forearms to avoid that.

  “My official title is Captain Cathian Vellar, Ambassador to Tryleskian. You will call me Cathian.” He paused. “What is your name?”
r />   She’d already told him but he’d seemed a little irate at the time. “Nara Barns. I’m a captain too. At least, I was until I was arrested for illegal trade and the authorities impounded my shuttle.”

  A frown twisted his lips. “You’re a sex slave. I was told they planned to buy one to feed me.”

  She wanted to wince over him believing she was a hooker. “I’m a trader by profession, but I got caught in the wrong solar system.”

  “Hm.” His gaze lowered to her throat then flicked to her blonde hair spread out next to her head. “Illegal drugs?”

  “Medicine only. I’m not a pusher of entertainment crap.”

  He studied her eyes. “I don’t care as long as you don’t take them. And you don’t.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I’d taste them on you and smell them. I’m a Tryleskian.”

  “I don’t know what that means. I’ve never heard of your people before today.”

  He sniffed. “They did give you Assionex.”

  “What’s that?”

  “The drug females take to help stimulate and prepare them before males go into heat.”

  “That wolfman gave me a shot without my permission.”

  Humor curved his lips. “You mean Dovis. He’s my best friend and first officer, in charge of my ship when I’m not. I know what a wolf is, and he’d be offended to be compared to a dog. Never call him that to his face. Did they tell you what I’m going to do to you?”

  “Sort of.”

  His beautiful eyes narrowed until his thick eyelashes nearly obscured his golden irises. “I’ll be senseless again soon, but right after I ingest your hormones I will have minutes of lucidity. You produce strong amounts, or I’d still be consuming you. I’m glad that theory about your race has proven true.”

  “What theory?”

  “Human females have strong sexual hormones in their fluids.”

  That news surprised her. “We do?”

  A soft growl made his chest vibrate against hers. “Yes. And I’m starving. I need you again.”