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

  She raised her brows. “You know you’re only making me more curious.”

  He smiled. “I know. When Marc’s ready for me to, I’ll tell you our story.”

  “So in other words, I’ll never know.”

  “He’ll come around.”

  “Will he? Right now I feel like he’ll never let his defenses down around me.”

  Kirlos kissed her head and tightened his arms around her. “I’m sorry his actions are hurting you. He had a chance to fight Ragland before he took his company of shifters and left Earth. But he chose to let Ragland go, because he didn’t want to risk losing his chance to help his people get away. Now he thinks he made the wrong choice. If he’d killed Ragland five years ago all his people would be safe.”

  Larissa ached at the thought of Devlin beating himself up for his choice. He never cut himself any slack when it came to protecting those under him, and he would never forgive himself if Ragland succeeded in destroying the station. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Tears gathered in her eyes again. “I know he’s angry and afraid, but why is he being so cold to me?”

  Kirlos stroked her hair. “He thinks it’s better to ignore you than let you see how much Ragland is getting to him. He doesn’t want you to doubt his ability to protect you.”

  “I don’t want him to protect me. I want him to love me.”

  “He does love you.”

  She wanted to believe Kirlos, but she also didn’t want to get hurt any more. Even if Devlin did love her, she doubted he would ever be capable of acting rationally toward those he loved. Could she really stay on the station if he wasn’t going to acknowledge her ability to protect herself? Tears spilled down her cheeks. “I can’t go on like this.”

  Kirlos took her chin in his hand and tilted her head up so she was looking into his eyes. “Once we get rid of Ragland, he’ll return to normal.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut and sighed. “If normal for him means expecting me to take orders and refusing to acknowledge the connection between us, that’s not good enough for me.”

  “I know he’s difficult, Larissa, but he really loves you.”

  “Does he? Or does he just want to own me?” She wiped away her tears and opened her eyes again.

  Kirlos looked sadder than she’d ever seen him. “I’m not entirely sure he can separate the two.”

  She took a long slow breath. “If he wants me to stay, he’s going to have to learn.”

  Kirlos looked away and tucked a strand of his long hair behind his ear. “This conversation is too depressing. Why don’t we talk strategy? Captain Hardass won’t listen to you, but I’d love to know what you’d do if you were in charge of station defense.”

  She couldn’t help but smile at Kirlos’s attempt at levity. Kirlos definitely needed to spend more time stuffing that delicious cock of his up Devlin’s ass. Maybe that would soften him up a bit. “My ship is equipped with an anti-missile defense system. If I went out with the fighters, I could cover them from fire by Ragland’s people, forcing his pilots to move in closer where our people would have a better chance of taking them out.

  “If we assume Ragland has shelled out for top-of-the-line fighters, which I believe he has, the ships will be equipped with missiles while our crew has to make do with cheaper, short-range lasers. However, this means we have the advantage at close range. Therefore, our best move would be to neutralize the enemy’s missiles and force them into a dogfight.”

  Kirlos smiled. “You’re right. It’s a damn good plan. And there’s something poetic about Ragland being taken out by a ship he paid for. But even I draw the line at sending you into combat. Could you train someone else to fly your ship?”

  Larissa squeezed her hands until her nails bit into her palms. She’d had enough of this from Devlin. “I am perfectly --”

  Kirlos held up his hand. “I know you’re perfectly capable, but I love you too much to let you risk your life. Please consider training someone else.”

  Larissa sighed. This was the best offer she was going to get. “We don’t have much time, but someone who is familiar with ships of the same class and who is a fast learner could be trained to use the weapons. Of course, I know the ship and its eccentricities. No one else will be able to maneuver like I would.”

  Kirlos nodded. “I know. But Carlos is a top notch pilot, and he used to fly cargo for the Terran Marines. I’m sure he’s flown ships in the same class as yours.”

  “Are you going to talk to Devlin then? Do you think he’ll agree to let me do this?”

  Kirlos shook his head. “Tomorrow morning, I’ll gather our flight leader, Jeff, Carlos, and a few of the other top pilots. Then I’ll come get you and bring you to our meeting.”

  “So we’re doing this without Devlin’s permission?”

  Kirlos nodded.

  “But if he finds out --”

  Kirlos held up his hand. “I’ll take full responsibility.”

  “How will you get me past the guards? Won’t they inform Devlin if I try to leave?”

  “There’s a back door to our quarters, one only Marc and I know about. We’ll go out that way.”

  Larissa smiled, feeling better than she had in days. “Thank you.”

  Kirlos caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers. “I love you.”

  She swallowed against the sadness that rushed up from her chest. “I love you, too. And I love Devlin. But I can’t stay here if things don’t change.”

  She turned her head and saw her pain mirrored in Kirlos’s sun-colored eyes. His voice shook when he spoke. “I don’t want you to leave.”

  She couldn’t bring herself to say anything in response.

  After a few seconds, his lips curled up in a devious smile. “You know you’d miss the sex table too much if you left us.”

  A pulse of lust ran through her when she thought of all the wonderful evenings she’d spent at the mercy of the table’s wicked tentacles.

  Kirlos’s hand slid down her neck, teased the exposed skin of her upper chest, and cupped her breast. She gasped when he brushed her nipple with his thumb. “I do expect to be properly rewarded for defying our captain.”

  Larissa slid her hand across his belly until it fit against the outline of his erection which was growing harder by the second. “Don’t worry. I know just how to repay you.”

  He chuckled. “I’m sure you do. The captain will be back soon. Let’s see if we can get into trouble again.”

  She started to reply, but he pinched her nipple firmly, and she moaned instead, answering only with her body as she pulled him into a ferocious kiss.

  Chapter 4

  Marc froze when he caught sight of Kirlos’s and Larissa’s tangled bodies on the bed. He watched, mesmerized, as Kirlos lapped and sucked Larissa’s nipples. Larissa locked her legs around Kirlos’s back, and her hips arched as she silently begged the Cerian to bury his cock inside her.

  Kirlos taunted her by keeping his cock out of reach. He pinned Larissa’s arms by her sides as he continued tormenting her lush breasts. She squirmed and fought, but he kept up his attack. Then she shrieked. Marc wondered if Kirlos had sunk his teeth into her tender flesh.

  Seconds later, Larissa began to make the pants and whines that always preceded her orgasms. She thrashed under Kirlos until he let go of her nipples, doubled her legs up on her chest, and drove his cock deep into her pussy.

  Marc could tell from the way Larissa moved and the flush reddening her skin that she was close to the edge. His hand went to his cock. He squeezed himself and imagined her inner muscles gripping him as tightly as he knew they held Kirlos.

  Her dark eyes fluttered closed, but they opened wide when Kirlos tilted his hips back and gave her a deep, brutal stroke. “That’s right. I want you to watch me while I fuck you.”

  A smile spread across Larissa’s face, a look of pure joy.

  Kirlos brushed away the thick strands of hair that had fallen into her face and smiled back. Marc could feel their love for each othe
r. It pulsed around them and stabbed right at his heart.

  He started to button his pants and leave. They were so happy when he wasn’t around. Larissa had never smiled at him the way she did Kirlos. He wished he knew how to love like they did, so openly, so thoroughly, but he didn’t. His protectiveness, his need, his possession were all he had. If he weren’t so fucking selfish, he’d set both of them free.

  But without someone who loved him, he might turn into the monster he feared he’d become when Terra Gov fucked with his genetics and made him a wolf. Without a tie to someone kinder, calmer, saner than he was, could he stay human?

  Kirlos drove hard and deep into Larissa. She sank her teeth deep into her lip and scrunched up her face, obviously concentrating on the pleasure wracking her body. Marc was certain she was going to come until Kirlos stopped suddenly. The Cerian stayed buried inside her, but he didn’t move even a fraction of an inch.

  “Please. Gods, please.” Her voice was low and strained and beautiful.

  Marc pushed down his pants. Then he bent and pulled off his boots and stepped out of his pants. He knew he would only wreck their playful moods with his anxiety, but he couldn’t help himself. He had to touch them both, and he couldn’t wait another second.

  He discarded his shirt and approached the bed naked. Kirlos must have sensed or heard him. The Cerian looked over his shoulder and continued holding himself still despite Larissa pounding his back with her fists.

  Kirlos smiled and rolled with Larissa, forcing a surprised shriek out of her as he pulled her up on top of him. He held a death grip on her thighs, keeping her from moving up or down. “Lay against me like a good girl.” Kirlos’s voice came out like a purr.

  Larissa thrashed her head, trying to sit up. “No. I can’t. I’ve got to --”

  “I believe the captain would like to stuff something in that hot little ass of yours. Hold it up and keep it still.”

  Larissa gasped and looked over her shoulder, obviously surprised to see Marc. But she smiled and wiggled her ass at him. “Hurry! Please!”

  Marc reached for the tube of lubricant on the table by the bed. As he squirted some in his hand and greased his cock, Larissa watched him with hot, hungry eyes. He deliberately stroked himself with long, slow pulls of his hand, wanting to torture her, to make her beg, to make her want him as much as she did Kirlos.

  Kirlos slid his hands up her thighs so he could grasp her ass cheeks and spread them wide in offering to Marc. When he saw the tight pucker of her anus and Kirlos’s cock stretching her pussy below it, he couldn’t wait any longer. He knelt on the bed and guided his cock to her entrance. She opened for him, and he slid into her tight body.

  He groaned as he pushed deeper and let the tension ooze from his body. Kirlos released Larissa. She pushed back, taking him deeper. He grabbed her hips and pulled until he was fully seated in her. She whimpered and circled her hips. She didn’t need words to tell him she was desperate for him and Kirlos to move.

  * * *

  Larissa cried out every time Devlin drove his thick cock into her ass. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to the incredible feeling of having both men buried in her body. She reveled in the knowledge that they could feel each other’s cocks pressing against the walls of her channels. In the moments when they were all connected, she didn’t think she could ever leave.

  She rocked back, wanting Devlin to sink deeper into her. He growled and gripped her hips hard enough to hurt. He wasn’t changing, but the wolf was definitely ruling his lust.

  She groaned as Devlin’s pace increased. His deep animal thrusts had her grinding herself against Kirlos and flexing her hips so her clit rubbed across his pubic bone. Kirlos’s cock throbbed steadily inside her, and with every stroke, the vibrations nearly sent her over. She fought to hold herself back, expecting Devlin to command her to come when he was ready, but he didn’t say a word. He was usually full of commands in bed, but he hadn’t even scolded them for fucking without him.

  Larissa squeezed her inner muscles, clamping down on Kirlos’s cock and making his vibrations increase. Her breath rushed in and out in pants. She was so close, but she wanted Devlin’s hot words to send her into oblivion.

  Then, Kirlos bucked under her. His eyes went wide, and she felt the hot gush of his come inside her. She couldn’t hold back anymore. Devlin’s claws stretched out and stabbed her hips.

  She’d been terrified the first time he’d done a partial shift during sex, but now, hot, tight, painful pleasure squeezed at her clit. Her body convulsed, clutching and releasing Kirlos’s and Devlin’s cocks in rapid bursts. She fought to get air in her lungs.

  Devlin snarled and pinned her down, immobilizing her as his orgasm took him. He howled as he spilled himself inside her.

  The three of them lay panting for several long moments. Then Devlin pulled himself out, pushed up on his hands and knees, and crawled off the bed. She turned to look at him, but he was busy pulling on his pants. Not once did he look at her as he put on his clothes. When he was dressed, he walked out. She heard the whoosh of the door as he exited to the corridor.

  Kirlos sighed. “He must be even more scared than I thought.”

  Larissa lifted herself off him and stretched out on her back. “Do you really think things will change if we defeat Ragland?”

  Kirlos took a long, slow breath. Larissa had decided he wasn’t going to answer when he said, “I wish I could promise you that, but I just don’t know.”

  Larissa stared at the ceiling. Her heart hammered. Tears slid from the corners of her eyes. They ran down her temples, wetting her ears and hair.

  Kirlos sat up, pulling her with him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head against his collarbone. Then, she squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to cry anymore, but he stroked her hair and nestled his head on top of hers. “Let it out, Larissa.”

  Her body shook with silent sobs as her tears mingled with his silky hair.

  Chapter 5

  Jeff, the flight leader, glanced at Kirlos. “You weren’t kidding when you said she knew her stuff.”

  Larissa smirked. “I’m a damn good pilot. Lukas would never have hired me if he didn’t believe I could protect the merchandise.”

  Jeff looked at her and smiled. “I see why the captain and commander like you so much. Did you do many combat runs?”

  “I flew combat for about a year. I got burned out fast and wanted something less stressful. I kept working for the same merc company, but I switched to cargo runs. Eventually, I missed being stationed on Earth so I took the job with Federated Transport. Of course, it turned out to be nearly as stressful as my combat days.”

  Jeff nodded. “I agree with the commander. Carlos is the best candidate for flying your ship. I’ve never met a faster learner and --” Jeff froze in mid-sentence. His mouth hung open, and his eyes widened. He looked like a fish who’d realized he was no longer in the water. No one else at the table moved or spoke.

  Larissa’s back was to the door, but she knew without turning around that Devlin had walked in. She forced herself to swallow past the lump that formed as she swiveled to face him.

  The captain’s eyes glowed golden like his wolf. Larissa feared she’d see claws if she looked down at his hands, but a quick glance told her he was holding himself in check. He was also holding a pair of handcuffs.

  “Get up.”

  Larissa knew better, but she chose to resist. “Captain, your men have recognized that I am a valuable consultant. I wish you would reconsider --”

  “Get up now, or I’ll drag you out of the seat.”

  Kirlos cleared his throat. “Captain, I invited her. I strongly recommend you listen to what she had planned.”

  Devlin glanced at Kirlos. “I’ll deal with you later.”

  He growled as he turned back to Larissa. “I won’t repeat myself again.”

  Her heart pounded. Technically, as captain, he did have the right to bar her from the meeting, even to arrest her if she refused to
comply with his orders. She’d seen him berate other crew members for less serious infractions, but that didn’t change the fact that she’d had enough of his arrogant attitude and his over-protectiveness. “Captain Devlin, with all due respect, I have developed a battle plan which could make the difference in whether your men survive this fight with Ragland.”

  Devlin didn’t say another word. Instead, he dragged her away from the table, cuffed her arms behind her back and threw her over his shoulder. She kicked and fought, nailing him once in the shin. But she might as well have been a trapped butterfly flapping its wings for all the chance she had of getting free. She was no match for Devlin’s enhanced strength.

  After one final solid kick to his thigh, she gave up and focused her energy on keeping herself from being severely jostled as he took long, rapid strides. From her upside down position, she saw Kirlos exit the meeting room and start after them. Devlin whirled around so fast her head nearly collided with the wall.

  “Commander, you will continue with your meeting. I do not require assistance with our disobedient slave.”

  Fury burned in Larissa’s chest. How many times were they going to have this argument? She’d agreed to stay with them of her own free will. Now, Devlin was making her regret her choice. She twisted her head to look at Kirlos. Looking back at her, he shook his head and mouthed, “I’m sorry.”

  Devlin stomped down the corridor to his quarters. He slapped his palm on the locking mechanism so hard she expected it to break, but the door whooshed open.

  He headed straight to the bedroom, and she couldn’t suppress the wave of desire that curled through her belly. They’d done some of their best fucking when he’d been angry with her. But this time, she cursed her body’s response. She was angry and hurt that he would treat her as he had in front of his pilots. Yet her body tensed with lust at the thought of what he had in store for her.

  What would he do to her for her defiance? She’d pushed him harder than she ever had before. The idea that he would do likewise sent a wicked thrill through her at the same time it tightened her chest with fear.