Choosing Riley: Sarafin Warriors Book 1 (24 page)

He shifted back to his two-legged form
straddling her as she looked up at him with a quivering lip and
quiet sobs choking her. He looked down at her bright blue eyes in
confusion. He had done it again. He had destroyed another one of
her jackets, only this time she wasn’t laughing.

“What?” He asked as he reached out to touch
her lower lip. “I did it again, didn’t I? I messed up.”

Riley just looked at him as tears escaped
from the corners of her eyes. “I hate you! It was the last thing
she gave me and you ruined it,” she whispered as her lower lip
quivered uncontrollably. “I knew she loved me when she gave me this
jacket for my birthday and you ruined it.”

“Who?” Vox asked quietly, ignoring the men
who were silently helping Tadzio to his feet.

“My little sister, Tina,” Riley answered as
she turned her face away from him and closed her eyes, shutting him
out. “I miss my family,” she said quietly.

Viper stared down at the female who had
seemed so different and realized that maybe he had been a little
harsh in his judgment of her. Right now, he wanted to promise her
whatever in the Gods she wanted. He wondered if this was what his
brother felt whenever he was near her. There was something about
her that pulled at something deep inside him. He shook his head. It
had to be a trick. Surely this was part of their power. He watched
as Vox gently pulled his mate into his arms, muttering words of
apology and promises he would make it up to her as soon as he
could.

Two days later, Vox was ready to start
another war. He wanted – needed – to kill something or someone.
Once Riley had gotten over being so upset she had become very, very
angry. She swore she would drive him to the brink of insanity if he
didn’t return her home. She had started singing a song that was
about to drive him to that point. Out of desperation, he had
contacted Creon and demanded he tell him the location of Earth. A
rueful smile curved his lips as he thought of his mate’s tenacity.
It was one of the things he loved about her. She had finally worn
herself out that first night and fallen asleep. The problem was she
started again the moment she woke up and had been working on him
for two solid days. That was when he made up his mind he would
compromise with her. He would not take her back to her world but he
would bring a bit of her world to her.

“I will be going to Earth after we have taken
care of Raffvin,” Creon responded quietly. “My mate needs closure
on the life she had before. I owe this to her and to us so that we
can move forward.”

“I want you to take Viper with you,” Vox
stated. “I want him to bring Riley’s sister and Grandma Pearl back
to her. She misses them. I cannot return with her to her world.
There are still traitors among my people I need to take care of. He
will go in our place to her world for them.”

Creon’s eyebrows rose. He remembered the
young Sarafin royal as being a bit of a hot head, not unlike
himself. He wondered how Viper would handle being around females
who were so different from what they were used to. His lips curved
as he thought of what his own mate’s reaction would be to the news
he planned to return with her to her world to say goodbye.

“I will talk to Kelan. He has returned with
his mate Trisha to retrieve her father,” Creon shared. “I will let
him know that Viper will be joining us. From what Mandra said the
last time I talked with him, there might be a few more. Adalard,
Bahadur and Zebulon wanted to go as well. So far the only one
resisting is Ha’ven. He states he has enough females to choose from
and doesn’t need any more.”

“Viper is only going to retrieve the females,
not mate with one of them,” Vox stated firmly. “I will brief him.
He will need to spend time with Riley so he knows where to begin
his search.”

“So, how is it going with your mate? You look
a bit – tired,” Creon said with a grin.

“She has most of the crew ready to throw me
in one of the detention cells,” Vox replied just as the door opened
and Viper walked in with a dark scowl on his face. “I have to go. I
will contact you again in a few hours.”

“Good luck my friend,” Creon said with a
laugh as he signed off.

“We should be within range of Raffvin’s
hidden base by tomorrow,” Viper said walking over to the wall
replicator and ordering a drink.

“Good, I am ready to be done with this,” Vox
said turning to study his brother. “I have a mission for you.”

Viper turned with his drink in his hand and
raised his eyebrow at the edge of authority in his brother’s voice.
He only used that tone when he was giving him an order that he knew
Viper wasn’t going to like. Viper took a slow drink before he
responded.

“What is it?” Viper asked moving over to the
conference table and sitting down across from Vox.

“I need you to return to my mate’s planet and
retrieve her Grandma Pearl and her younger sister, Tina,” Vox said
forcefully.

Viper sat back and gazed at his brother with
a frigid look. “Why send me? You could send another warrior. I am
not an escort. I’m an assassin if you need one or a spy should the
need arise,” he replied in an emotionless voice.

“I want someone I can trust,” Vox replied
softly. “I am not asking, Viper. I am ordering you to go. Creon
will be returning to his mate’s planet. Kelan is already there. I
will have Riley share everything she can with you to help you.”

“Do you trust her? What if it is a trap?”
Viper asked slamming his hand down angrily on the table. “Have
these females taken all your wits from you and the Valdier?”

Vox growled low, the sound rumbling in
warning that Viper was treading on thin ice. “Do not question my
sanity unless you are willing to challenge me for my position. You
may be my brother but I will not let you or anyone else question my
leadership or my mate’s loyalty to me.”

Viper’s lips tightened. “Loyal to you but
what of your people?” He snarled back.

Vox stood up, towering over his brother who
was still sitting. “She chose five mates when she should have
chosen just one. She did it to protect the males that were left
from being used as food. She was prepared to die even as she freed
all the prisoners on that mining asteroid. She would have if I
hadn’t stopped her. She is my mate, Viper, accept it. She is your
queen and you will not disrespect her - ever. It is your duty to
protect her at all cost, even if it means with your life.”

Viper set his barely touched drink down and
stood up stiffly. “As you wish, my lord,” he said formally, bowing
his head in stiff respect. “I will get the necessary information
from my queen and prepare to leave as soon as our strike on Raffvin
is complete.”

Vox watched as his younger brother turned and
strode out of the room leaving him alone. He rolled his shoulders
in an effort to ease the tight muscles in them. If he had known
having a mate was going to be so much work he might have thought
twice about it. That was until images of Riley’s flashing eyes, the
twinkle in them when she got into things she shouldn’t, her wild
mass of hair twirling as she laughed or walked, and her gazing up
at him with burning eyes flared through his mind. He wondered how
he was going to survive until she forgave him. His eyes lit up as
he thought of how he had left her sleeping just a short time again.
Maybe it was time to wake her up. If he kept her too tired to argue
and too satisfied to be mad maybe he could win her love.

Finally!
His cat hissed.

Oh, shut up,
he grunted as he felt his
body react to his thoughts. He was going to go claim his mate over
and over again until she couldn’t think to be upset anymore. Then,
he would tell her about Viper going for her family. That should
make her forgive him once and for all. With the hope that this plan
worked, he stood up and strode determinedly out the door heading
for his living quarters and Riley.

*.*.*

Riley groaned as waves of heat flared inside
her. Her skin tingled where it touched the hot flesh rubbing
against it. She was having the most delicious dream. A hiss escaped
her as sharp teeth nipped at first one nipple then the other until
both throbbed and ached for more. Her legs fell apart at the first
tug on her neatly trimmed silk curls. A loud cry burst from her as
thick fingers rubbed her clit, making her slick and swollen with
their determined search.

“Vox,” she whispered sleepily.

“Yes, my fiery little mate,” Vox replied as
he ran his lips down over her softly rounded belly. “You were made
for loving, Riley” he groaned as he tugged on the silken curls. “I
love touching you and how responsive you are to me.”

“That feels so good,” she moaned as she bit
her lip as sharp waves of heat flooded her. “You better not stop if
you want to live.”

Vox chuckled as he gently opened her to his
lips, nipping at her engorged clitoris and purring as her body
reacted to his with undeniable passion.

“I wouldn’t even think of it,” he responded
huskily as her scent overwhelmed him and his cat.

He was going to have to tell her before too
much longer about the changes occurring within her body. His cat
could not wait much longer. He buried his tongue inside her,
lapping at the delicious moisture as it flowed over it. A loud purr
escaped him as his cat responded to his mate being close. He moaned
when Riley lifted her legs and draped them over his shoulders,
pulling him closer. Her body moved in increasing agitation as she
came closer to her climax and he increased the pressure wanting to
taste her release.

He slid his hands under the soft flesh of her
ass and lifted her so he could drink deeper from her flowing well.
Her loud cries told him she was enjoying what he was doing. He
spread his fingers out, squeezing her ass as he nipped her swollen
nub with his sharp teeth and was rewarded when her body exploded
over his tongue.

“Yes!” She hissed out, bunching the covers of
the bed in her fisted hands. “Oh yes!” She moaned, shuddering and
letting her legs fall weakly to the mattress.

He chuckled as he released her, moving
quickly to sit back and sliding his hands under her. “My turn,” he
growled out in excitement.

He flipped her over so fast she didn’t have
time to protest. Gripping her around the waist, he lifted her at
the same time as he aligned his thick, hard cock with her dripping
channel. He pulled her back toward him and watched as his cock
disappeared slowly inside her, his thumbs caressing the sweet
globes of her ass. He drew in a shuddering breath at the beauty of
the sight, his hands tightening on her hips to hold her still so he
could control the pace.

“Oh God!” Riley breathed out throwing her
head back at the feeling of fullness invading her body.

“Oh Vox!” He growled in response, watching
her beautiful curls flow along the delicate curve of her back.

Streaks of swirling black suddenly appeared,
teasing him and his cat with what she would look like in her cat
form. He held his breath, pushing in and out of her body slowly,
trying to draw more of her cat to the surface without having her
shift. He groaned as the swirls danced to the rhythm of his
thrusts. Never in his life had he ever seen anything more
breathtaking. His eyes jerked up to Riley’s when she glanced over
her shoulder at him as he mounted her with strong, swift strokes.
Her eyes had changed slightly, becoming more tilted at the corners
and the blue was swirled with darker blues and golden yellows. Her
pupils were more elongated, as well. He felt the pull of her gaze
as he increased the speed of his claiming. He was drowning in the
beauty of them as much as in the feel of her body wrapped around
his. The combination was too much for the fragile hold he had on
his control.

“Riley!” He roared as his body jerked
suddenly, exploding inside her with such force he fell forward over
her back in gasping pants. “Oh Gods Riley, I need you.”

Riley’s body clenched around his as she felt
his cock swell and lock deep inside her. She didn’t think she would
ever get used to the erotic feeling of being locked as one with
him. Her vaginal channel rippled with shockwaves as her orgasm
wrapped around his cock, pulling him deeper into her in response to
his own powerful one. Her head fell to the bed as she struggled to
catch her breath and not collapse under him. She wouldn’t have been
able to anyway with the way he was gripping on her hips as if he
was grasping a lifeline.

*.*.*

The next morning she realized one thing, if
she thought he would make love to her and leave, she had been sadly
mistaken. They had both fallen into a deep sleep after the third
time he took her, this time with her sitting on his lap while he
pounded into her and sucked on her breasts until she was totally
mindless. Even then, he had only slept for a few hours before he
woke her again loving her over and over in positions she turned hot
just thinking about. He continued his systematic attack throughout
the night, barely letting her fall asleep before he woke her to
start all over again. She had no idea how he could function since
she was a melted puddle against the sheets but once he started
touching her, she didn’t care how he did it, just that he didn’t
stop.

“You are going to be the death of me,” she
moaned as she felt his hand moving over her hip again. “If I could
bottle whatever you have inside you and sell it back home I’d be a
billionaire within a week!”

Vox’s hand tightened on her hip at her
mention of her home world. “I need you to talk to Viper. He will be
going to your world.”

Riley jerked in surprise and rose up to look
at Vox with her mouth hanging open. “When do we leave? How long
will it take? Oh my God, I didn’t think I would ever make it home
again! I’ll have to go see my Grandma Pearl and Tina. I won’t make
the mistake this time of not telling them how much I love them and
that I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world, no matter
what I normally tell them. Oh!” She released her pinned up breath
and sat up, uncaring of the sheets that dropped to her lap showing
all the ‘love bites’ that Vox had left against their creamy flesh.
“I have to get the paperwork to the proper authorities about my
ex-boss and his dad too! How long did you say it would take for us
to get there?” She asked, impatiently pushing her wild curls out of
her face.