15 Targeted (50 page)

“I…they are. Yes, they are,” she said quickly, forgetting she’d been trying to conceal this problem earlier. Now she was more concerned with hiding what was going on between her legs—it was so damn
embarrassing.

“Why did you not tell me?” Tragar demanded, coming to sit on the bed beside her. “Are you in pain?”

“A…a little,” Emily confessed, biting her lip. This close to him, his warm, spicy scent was really hard to ignore and it made the throbbing between her legs so much worse she could hardly stand it.

“You should have asked for help.” Tragar was already slipping off the bed to get on his knees before her. He was so tall this was much easier than if he’d simply tried to bend down while they were sitting side by side. But it put him between her legs, or it would have if Emily hadn’t closed her knees and shifted her hips to one side. The action put almost unbearable pressure on her incredibly sensitive pussy but she couldn’t help it—suddenly she would rather do anything than let him between her thighs.

“Emily, are you all right?” The big Kindred looked at her, eyebrows raised questioningly.

“Fine just…just my breasts hurt. That’s all,” she lied quickly. Part of her knew she ought to tell him something was wrong between her legs—he would probably understand it better than she would. But it was so embarrassing and weird and she kept having flashes of memory—Jason from high school saying that they should try something new…that she would like it…
No!
She pushed the thought away hastily. To distract Tragar, she fumbled clumsily with the adjustable straps on the pale green top, shortening them until the hem of the light garment was well above her nipples.

The big Kindred’s expression darkened.

“Your breasts are even fuller than they were last night! They must ache, my
Khalla.”
He cupped one full globe and traced the swollen pink peak very gently with his thumb.

Emily bit back a moan at the answering surge in her swollen pussy. God, he was driving her
crazy—
even more so than he had the night before! And with every breath she drew in his maddening scent which made her squirm with unrequited lust. God, this was torture!

“Are you certain the nectar build-up is the only thing bothering you?” Tragar was watching her restless movements with a skeptical look in his golden eyes.

“Of course.” Emily forced herself to hold still, even though his light touch on her nipple and his warm scent were still driving her crazy. “I just didn’t want to ask you for help because I know you feel like it’s wrong…wrong to, you know, suck the nectar out of me.”

“It is considered a grave offense,” he said, nodding. “But I believe it is a worse offense to leave you in pain…” He sighed. “Which I am guilty of doing. For that, I must ask your forgiveness.”

“What? What do you mean? You didn’t know,” Emily protested.

“I suspected. But I hoped I was wrong.”

“Why? Because this is a sacrilege—blasphemy? Isn’t that what you called it?” She nodded down at her full breasts. There was a tiny golden droplet on the one he was cupping now—it was almost as if her body was anticipating his touch, as if her breasts were ready to give up their nectar but only for his touch.

“Not for that reason.” Tragar looked troubled. “You have never asked me
why
it is considered blasphemy to drink a
Khalla’s
nectar. It is because draining a
Khalla’s
breasts and swallowing her bounty forms a very strong emotional bond between a
Khalla
and her chosen mate. So strong that it makes him jealous and overprotective—unwilling to share her with anyone. But a
Khalla
must belong to the whole world—all of Rageron must benefit from her healing ways.”

“I see.” For some reason Emily found she had to blink back tears. “And you…you don’t want that kind of bond with me. I understand.” She looked away, unable to meet his eyes.

“It’s not that I don’t want a bond with you,” Tragar said fiercely. He lifted her chin so that she was forced to meet his steady golden gaze. “It is only that you deserve better than me, Emily. I didn’t want to form a bond for
your
sake.”

“Right. It’s not me, it’s you. Never heard
that
one before.” She shook her head. “Look, you don’t have to do this. We’re almost to Rageron and I know I’ll find help there so just…just go drive the ship.”

He frowned. “Just go and leave you aching and in pain? Is that what you mean?”

Emily shifted uncomfortably. God, he smelled so
good.

“I’ll be fine, really.”

“No, you won’t. Not until I drain your nectar.” He leaned forward and placed a gentle, open mouthed kiss on each of her nipples in turn. Emily felt a surge of lust and her pussy throbbed so fiercely she could barely bite back the cry that rose to her lips. God, if he only knew what he was doing to her!

“All right,” she whispered breathlessly, thrusting her breasts forward to give him easier access. “Go ahead…do it.” Maybe if she just let him get it over with, he could go back to the command center of the ship and she could find a way to take care of her other problem—although she didn’t have any idea how. But anything to get the big Kindred and his maddening scent out of here!

Tragar slipped her right nipple into his mouth and took a deep pull, sucking hard to get the nectar flowing.

The answering pull in her pussy was more than Emily could bear. She threw back her head and cried out in painful pleasure, her fingers fisting in the bed’s coverlet as the overwhelming sensation rushed over her.

“Emily?
Khalla?”
Tragar stopped sucking at once and looked at her with concern. “What is it? What happened?”

“I…I just…” Emily knew she couldn’t hide it anymore. She parted her thighs, releasing the pressure she’d been putting on her swollen pussy. “I’m having a problem. Here.” She nodded between her legs.

“What’s wrong?” Tragar was between her knees at once, examining her with a look of concern on his dark face.

“It hurts,” Emily whispered. She could feel the tears building in her throat but she tried to hold them back. God, this was so
embarrassing.
But it was painful too—so painful she couldn’t keep it a secret any longer.

“I can see why you’re in pain.” Tragar had pushed up her long skirt until the top of the slit was almost at her waist. Bending his head to get a better look, he scanned the area between her wide-spread thighs with anxious eyes.

“You can?” Emily whispered. “I mean…I thought maybe it was just me. I woke up feeling so weird this morning and then it just kept getting worse. Especially when I smelled—”

“When you smelled what?” He looked up sharply.

“When I…I mean…” Emily fumbled, trying to find the right way to say it. “Well, you keep telling me that I have a scent that’s going out everywhere but all I can smell is
your
scent. It’s dark and spicy and amazing—way better than any cologne I’ve ever smelled.” She gestured emphatically with one hand. “And it’s driving me
crazy
all of a sudden! Even worse than it was when you first brought me up to your ship from Earth.”

Tragar sat back, looking troubled.

“You smell my bonding scent, I fear.”

“Your bonding scent? What’s that?”

“A pheromone Kindred males put out to attract females to them. It only manifests when a warrior wants to bond with a particular female. It…draws her to him, sometimes even against her will.”

“Well, at least I know I’m not going crazy,” Emily said. “But…I thought you said you
didn’t
want to, uh, bond with me. Whatever bonding entails.”

“I never said I didn’t want to—I said I don’t deserve to,” he said in a low voice. “But my body clearly thinks otherwise. This is what comes of tasting your nectar I suppose.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t—”

“No, don’t say it.” Tragar raised a hand to stop her. “I cannot help it that my body reacts to you this way—any more than you can help reacting to my scent. Usually when a
Khalla
is on the verge of
Vlammen
she is already in the Holy Mountains surrounded by the elders and accompanied by her chosen mate. We are in unusual circumstances here and doing the best we can.”

“Wait—back up…” Emily shook her head. “Did you just say I’m going into
Vlammen?
Isn’t that the third stage of the
Tenrah?”

He nodded gravely. “It is.”

“But…I’m still producing nectar!” She nodded down at her full breasts. “I thought that meant I was still in the second stage—
Scintil—
right?”

Tragar shook his head. “Not necessarily. Some
Khalla
stop producing nectar as they near the end of the second stage and enter the third but some continue all through their
Tenrah.”

“But then…how can you tell I’m going into the third stage?” Emily demanded.

“By this.” He nodded down between her spread thighs to her swollen pussy. “By how sensitive you are and the fact that your pussy has begun to reject your own touch just as your nipples did earlier.”

“Let me guess—only my chosen mate can touch me there now?” Emily tried to sound sarcastic but her voice came out breathless instead. She couldn’t help remembering the feel of his cock sliding against her, the broad head rubbing against her sensitive clit…

But Tragar was shaking his head.

“Even my touch might be more than you can bear. Look…” Very,
very
gently he cupped her swollen pussy mound in one large, warm hand.

Emily bit back a moan as she shifted her hips to get away from him. His touch wasn’t nearly as painful as her own but it didn’t feel good either—it was too intense—too
much
somehow.

“What’s
wrong
with me?” she asked, frustrated almost to tears. “All this time even when I couldn’t touch myself—my breasts I mean—at least
you
could touch them. And now…
this.
What the hell is going on?”

“Your pussy honey simply needs to flow,” Tragar rumbled. “But it cannot—like your nectar, it’s being inhibited.”

Emily bit her lip. “By the star-silver thing I used, right?”

“Possibly. For whatever reason, this happens to
Khalla
sometimes when they enter
Vlammen
. They grow incredibly sensitive when their honey needs to flow.”

“So then…there must be a cure, right? Some way to make things all better?” Emily looked at him hopefully.

He nodded. “There is. It is called the Healing Kiss. Traditionally it is given only by the
Khalla’s
chosen mate.”

“Okay.” Emily felt a surge of relief. “So you just need to kiss me? No problem.” She was so eager to feel better that she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around the big Kindred’s neck and pulled him in close. His warm scent invaded her senses and she pressed her mouth to his, taking his sensual lips in a heated kiss she could feel all the way down to her toes.

Tragar seemed surprised at first but then he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back, exploring her mouth gently before sucking her tongue into his mouth until Emily moaned with breathless pleasure. God, he tasted good! Hot and spicy like cinnamon candy—the flavor of his mouth was wild and delicious and completely addictive.