Shifter’s Station 2: Pilot’s Heart Read online

  Shifter’s Station 2: Pilot’s Heart

  Silvia Violet

  All rights reserved.

  Copyright ©2006 Silvia Violet

  No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared by any electronic or mechanical means, including but not limited to printing, file sharing, and email, without prior written permission from Changeling Press LLC.

  ISBN (10) 1-59596-352-9

  ISBN (13) 978-1-59596-352-9

  Formats Available:

  HTML, Adobe PDF,

  MobiPocket, Microsoft Reader

  Publisher:

  Changeling Press LLC

  PO Box 1561

  Shepherdstown, WV 25443-1561

  www.ChangelingPress.com

  Editor: Michele Bardsley

  Cover Artist: Fabiano Fabris

  This e-book file contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language which some may find offensive and which is not appropriate for a young audience. Changeling Press E-Books are for sale to adults, only, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

  Dedication

  Without the brainstorming efforts of my darling husband, a self-proclaimed geek and avid sci fi fan, the world of Shifter’s Station might never have been developed. I owe him many, many special thanks.

  Chapter 1

  Marcus Devlin’s boots echoed in the empty corridor. Everyone but the skeleton crew in the command center was in bed, where he’d been with his lovers until an emergency summons dragged him away.

  He’d never put much stock in premonitions, but he had no other explanation for his certainty that this call was trouble of the worst kind. In the weeks since he’d killed Denis Ragland’s lackey, Marc had lived with a heavy feeling in his chest, one that said the fight with Ragland was far from over.

  Marc knew neither he nor his people would be safe until Ragland was dead. The man saw them as his only significant threat. Marc would do whatever was necessary to defend the men and women who ran his station. His crew had trusted him when the government they’d fought for had fucked them over and hung them out to dry.

  He took a deep breath as he pressed his palm to the keypad on his office door. Then, he used his wrist unit to signal the command center. “I’m available now. Route the call to my office.”

  “Yes, Captain Devlin.”

  Ragland’s face filled the screen. Marc’s stomach hardened into a knot at the sight of the man’s smug smile. Why the fuck did his premonition have to be right?

  “I just left a warm bed. You’d better make this interruption worth my while.” Marc used the authoritative voice that was known to scare even the most hardened crew member.

  Ragland frowned. “You’ve never been able to intimidate me. Don’t try now.”

  “Do you intend to make a point or is this a social call?”

  “I was feeling magnanimous, so I thought I’d give you a warning.”

  Marc raised his brows and gave Ragland a look of contempt. His heart thundered in his chest, but his long years in the military had taught him how to mask all emotion.

  “I’m going to destroy you.”

  “And I thought I got out of bed for an important conversation.” Marc reached forward to shut off his unit.

  “I have a very special position picked out for myself in the Protectorate. I will not allow your principles to get in my way. I’m going to destroy your station. But first, I’m going to make sure you suffer by killing everyone you care about.”

  “Cut the melodrama, Ragland.”

  Ragland smiled. “I’m looking forward to seeing you again.”

  This time Marc did cut the communication. Then, he let his head drop into his hands and massaged his temples, trying to ease the throbbing in his head.

  At least he hadn’t given Ragland the satisfaction of seeing his fear. That was what the bastard wanted. That and the knowledge that Marc would be looking over his shoulder, knowing an attack was coming but not from where.

  “Fuck!” His people would have to waste valuable time and energy preparing for a full-scale defense even if Ragland was only sending an assassin.

  At least coolly making preparations was better than dwelling on the unsettled feeling in his stomach. If a threat like this had come from anyone else, he would brush it off. He had every confidence in his people’s ability to defend themselves. They’d beaten a team of highly trained Cerian fighters after all. But Ragland and the men who’d chosen to follow him when the shifter program dissolved were every bit as strong as Marc and his crew. They were equally matched, but unlike Marc, Ragland didn’t care who got hurt as long as he got what he wanted.

  Marc contemplated sending Kirlos and Larissa down to Abrigana until the threat passed. The thought of harm coming to them made his chest tighten until he could barely breathe. But he knew they’d never agree to go. And while he had a fierce need to protect them, his need to have them close by was even stronger. They humanized him like no one else could, and his humanity was the only thing that made him better than Ragland.

  * * *

  Larissa groaned as Kirlos sank deep into her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and tilted her hips to take him deeper. But the sound of the bedroom door sliding back penetrated the haze of pleasure that surrounded them.

  Shit! Devlin had returned. He’d told them both to lie still while he was gone. The thought of what he might do made her shiver with apprehension and wicked lust.

  Kirlos looked down at her. She mouthed “uh oh,” and he smiled.

  She held her breath, waiting for Devlin’s explosion, but he didn’t say a word. Kirlos pulled out of her and rolled over. Then she saw the captain. He’d sunk into the chair across from them and dropped his head into his hands. She and Kirlos sat up. She got off the bed and went to Devlin, kneeling beside him. “What’s wrong?”

  His back rose and fell as he took a long slow breath. She reached out to caress him, but he brushed her hand off and sat back. “I just talked to Ragland.”

  “What did he want?”

  “He’s planning to destroy us. We’re inconvenient to his plans for Protectorate domination.”

  Kirlos snorted. “If he comes here, he’s going to die. Then his whole movement will fall apart without him to lead it.”

  “As will ours without me.”

  Pain echoed in the captain’s voice. Larissa’s heart sped up as fear pumped through her body. She ran her hand over Devlin’s short hair. “You’re going to give the bastard exactly what he deserves.”

  Devlin snorted. “I’m certainly going to try my damnedest to. I want to live almost as much as I want Ragland dead.”

  Kirlos pushed back the covers and sat up. “I assume Ragland didn’t detail his plan for our annihilation.”

  Devlin shook his head.

  “What did he say?”

  “He’s coming to destroy me, the station, and everyone I cared about.”

  “Any hints about when?” Kirlos kept his voice steady, but Larissa noted that his hands gripped the sheets so tightly his knuckles were white. She worried he’d rip the fabric.

  “That’s part of the fun for him. He not only wants me dead, he wants to know that I’m spending my days waiting for an attack. He’s a cat. He likes to play with his prey.”

  Larissa rubbed her hand in circles on Devlin’s back, wishing she could comfort him. “Do you think he’ll want to do the job himself?”

  The captain nodded. “Killing me would give him too much pleasure. He won’t leave it to anyone else.”

  “As if anyone else could carry it off -- he’s the only shifter whose strength of bot
h body and mind matches yours.”

  “True. He won’t trust me to any of the others, but that doesn’t rule out his sending an assassin for you or” -- he turned toward Larissa -- “you. He may lead his squad of shifters and mercenaries and attack us all at once, or he may pick us off one by one.”

  Larissa’s heart slammed against her ribs. This was the first time she’d ever heard Devlin talk about a fight without being irritatingly arrogant about his chances of winning. And when he spoke, she heard the growling rumble in his voice. He wouldn’t be on the verge of changing if he wasn’t feeling powerful emotion.

  She studied Devlin’s hands and noticed they were shaking. When she looked into his eyes, they’d changed from dark amber to the golden color of his wolf, but she could see the fear in them. He looked away quickly, embarrassed by what he’d revealed.

  She’d never met Ragland. But after hearing Devlin, Kirlos, and other members of the station’s crew talk about him, she’d imagined someone with Devlin’s deadly strength, the training to be a focused killing machine, and absolutely no conscience. Now that she’d seen what the prospect of Ragland’s attack did to Devlin, she feared that as bad as it was, her mental image wasn’t evil enough.

  Tension vibrated in the room until Kirlos cleared his throat.

  “How do we prepare to crush this bastard?”

  Devlin was silent for several seconds, but when he spoke, his voice was fully human again. “We double the numbers of men on patrol both inside and outside the station. But doing so will divert resources from shipping and inspection. Send a communication down to Abrigana and find out how many men they can send us for temporary work as loaders. We need a few Abrigan cargo pilots too. We’ll focus our own crew on our special clients and leave routine deliveries to those we can bring in.”

  “We should alert Donovan. Ragland will almost certainly refuel in his sector of space. With his tech skills and equipment, he can lock onto Ragland’s signal and alert us to his presence.”

  “Good. Do it. We’ll also see that Jeff has his pilots doing drills twice a day every day. Have him keep a squadron ready to fly out with a moment’s notice.”

  Larissa felt Devlin relax as he began issuing commands. By making him focus on something other than his fear, Kirlos had been able to comfort him in a way she never could with caresses. She wished she could get to know the man under Devlin’s tough exterior as well as Kirlos did, but the captain wouldn’t let her in.

  Devlin’s list of plans went on for several minutes before he wrapped up his discussion with Kirlos. “Page Claire or whoever’s supervising in command at this hour. Have them wake all the officers. I want everyone in the conference room in one hour.”

  Kirlos frowned. “Do they really need an hour? If we’re getting them out of bed, we might as well do this now.”

  “I need an hour.”

  Kirlos raised his brows.

  Devlin smiled for the first time since he’d returned. “I have no intention of leaving this room until I’ve reddened both your asses for defying me.”

  Larissa inhaled sharply as her fear receded and her body pulsed to life.

  Chapter 2

  “I want you at the side of the table.” Larissa didn’t move, unsure if Devlin were directing her or Kirlos. “Now. Both of you.”

  Larissa took a deep breath as she stepped up to the long side of the Cerian sex table. Anticipation zinged through her body. She’d expected a simple spanking but Devlin obviously had something more complex in mind. Whatever it was, it would ultimately be delicious but with his current mood, she knew he would work them both over thoroughly first. She glanced over her shoulder at him. Why did he have to look his finest when he was about to deal out pain?

  “Table, take their wrists and stretch them out.”

  Tentacles snaked out and captured Larissa’s wrists. They pulled her forward until her chest lay flat on the table. She raised her head enough to see Kirlos lying beside her in the same position.

  “Secure their ankles.”

  More tentacles slid over the side of the table and dangled down until they reached her feet. They wrapped her ankles to two of the numerous thin legs that supported the table. Devlin leaned forward and caressed her spine. “Ready?”

  She nodded and sucked in her breath.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him take something out of the drawer at the end of the table. But before she could register what she saw, he cracked it against her ass. Lines of fire sizzled down her legs and up her spine. Gods of Earth, it was his most wicked crop. It had a large, soft leather loop at the end that delivered a fiendish sting.

  He caressed her other buttock with the tip. She tensed, waiting for the blow. She heard it snap but didn’t feel any pain. Then she realized he’d hit Kirlos. She opened her eyes and peeked at the Cerian, watching him as Devlin nailed his ass again and again. Kirlos’s teeth sank deeply into his dark, red lips. His ribs expanded and contracted rapidly, but he didn’t make a sound. He loved to make Devlin work for the cries the captain wanted to hear.

  She was so mesmerized by Kirlos’s beauty that she failed to notice Devlin shifting his attention to her. His blow caught her by surprise, and she screamed. The sound echoed in the room. She forced herself to focus on the sound rather than the fire on her ass. Devlin kept the blows coming fast and hard.

  Finally, he stopped. Larissa floated, feeling lost and unaware until Devlin laid his hand on her back. “Deep breaths.”

  She obeyed without thought, pushing his hand up as she pulled air in until her lungs could take no more. Then, Devlin pushed his hand down, forcing her to exhale. “You’re mine, and I will protect you.”

  His voice had a haunted edge to it. She wanted to turn over and pull him into her arms. She longed for him to accept the comfort she wanted to give. But sending her to heights of sensation and pleasure was his way of working through his emotions.

  Pleasure rushed in to fill the void of sensation as her pain receded. She squirmed against the side of the table. Devlin slapped her sore ass with his palm. “Don’t move.” She fought for control as her body screamed for release.

  Devlin slipped two fingers inside her and pumped them in and out. She pushed back against him. Another slap with his hand. “I said don’t move.” He drew the nails of his other hand slowly, deliberately across her welted ass. She sucked in her breath and squeezed her eyes shut, fighting the pain.

  “Relax and breathe.” Devlin wiggled the fingers he’d kept inside her, curling them against her G-spot. She panted. How could she possibly relax if he expected her to stay still?

  “Table, wrap her hips.” A tentacle streamed out and circled her upper thighs right under her buttocks, pinning her to the side of the table. Devlin worked his fingers under it and started plundering her again.

  She gasped as he flexed his fingers, filling and stretching her. As he kept driving in and out, she fought the growing wave of orgasm, knowing he would expect her to wait for permission.

  She heard the slap of the crop again, and her eyes flew open. Kirlos was looking at her as Devlin worked his ass again. His orange-yellow eyes were wide with lust and pain. She smiled and opened her mind to his gentle probe, wanting to let him feel how hot the sight of him made her. She swallowed hard as Devlin stroked her particularly hard and Kirlos licked his lips, riding the sensation of pleasure through her thoughts.

  Then Devlin slapped him so hard the crack made her jump. A small squeak escaped Kirlos and Devlin chuckled. “I won’t stop until you really scream. You know that’s the price of defying me.”

  Another hard crack. Kirlos jerked. He squeezed his eyes shut, and he left Larissa’s mind, unable to hold the connection and fight his need to scream. Devlin hit Kirlos again in the exact same spot. A drop of blood slipped from Kirlos’s lip where he’d bit himself to keep control.

  Larissa gasped. The sight of him struggling to take what Devlin gave him was achingly beautiful. Her body kicked even closer to orgasm as she watched the two m
en locked in a struggle with each other.

  Devlin slapped her ass hard enough to make her gasp. “Don’t you dare come.”

  A low whine escaped her. She didn’t understand how Kirlos could be so controlled. Devlin could get to her without even trying.

  Devlin twisted his fingers inside her, deliberately baiting her to defy him. Sweat soaked the table under her chest from her efforts to fight her need. Devlin stroked her again, and she thought she was going to lose her battle to obey. But then he pulled out quickly and tossed the crop onto a chair, pulling something else from his torture drawer. She heard the single tail unfurl and squeezed her eyes shut. She’d seen him use the whip on Kirlos a few weeks ago. Would he use it on her, too?

  Kirlos broke after five fast strokes of the whip. His cry ran through Larissa as if he were touching her inside. Devlin hit him one more time and then leaned over and ran his tongue along the Cerian’s spine. “Beautiful as always.” Kirlos panted and said nothing.

  Devlin dangled the tip of the whip, letting it tickle Larissa’s back and ass. “How many can you take?”

  Larissa’s heart pounded. If she said “none” she knew he’d let her go. He’d never pushed her to take more than she wanted. But she did want it. As much as her ass stung, she wanted to sink even deeper into the sexual trance Devlin had woven around the three of them. “Three.” Her voice was low and husky, not like herself at all.

  Devlin stroked her back with his hand. “I’m very pleased.”

  “Table, untie Kirlos’s left hand and Larissa’s right.”

  He slapped Kirlos’s ass lightly with his hand. “Help her take what she’s agreed to.”

  Kirlos gripped her hand tightly in his. “Look at me.” His words were broken by his panting breaths, and his face and neck were damp with sweat. The intensity of need in his eyes paralyzed her. She wanted both to soothe him and to feel what he was feeling. She released all her defenses and let him into her mind. She watched his eyes widen as he felt her lust.