Coletti Warlords: Just Desserts (6 page)

I politely waved back.

Talree tilted my head up, and his dangerously predatory eyes locked on mine.
“Why were you looking at another male’s penis?”

“What? A girl can’t be curious?”

“Your brothers allowed this?”

“Not exactly.”

“The males in your life have not properly trained you,”
Talree grumbled.

“Trained? I’m not a fucking dog. I make my own decisions.”
I poked him in the chest with my finger.
“Got it?”

“You will obey me in all things.”
Talree tightened his grip on my chin
. “Got it?”

One look at his glowing red eyes, and I knew the beast was gaining control. I petted his chest.
“Okay, sure, not a problem. We good now?
”

An evil smile touched Talree’s mouth.
“My sex toy is eager to taste you.”

“It wants to eat me?”
I squeaked when the inch-long, copper-colored tentacles undulated against my clit. Each sinuous flick created a firestorm of pleasure.
“Wowzers.”

“Like how that feels?”

My body quivered as they slid against my sex.
“Yep. Yep. Right there. Oh my God! Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”

Talree pushed my knees apart.
“The bond we forge is unbreakable.”

“You mean…till death do us part kinda thing?”

“Yes.”
He thrust inside me.

My breath caught at the alien invasion. Okay, that hurt. A lot.

Talree’s mind ruthlessly seized control of me, branding me, claiming me body and soul. The pain was replaced by the exquisite pleasure of his touch. His hard, muscled frame felt like home. His body had been made for mine. We belonged together. Forever.

I squirmed as the tentacles flexed, electrifying my womb. My eyes rolled back in my head. God, that felt so good. Was it possible to die from sex? I think I wanted to find out.

Talree’s incredibly long dick moved aggressively inside me, filling me, stretching me. His mouth was hot and dominant as he drove me mad with pleasure. The world shattered and spun away.

A scant second later, Talree came deep inside me with a shout of pure triumph.
“My mate!”

Spasm after spasm shook me as I fought to get my breath back and my swirling senses under control.
“Please tell me the beast has been defeated.”

He nibbled on my neck.
“I have it under control.”

A thunderous explosion shook the cavern, shocking me back to the present. I curled protectively around Thor as bits of rocks rained down on us. Shit! Had the Tai-Kok had found us?

Haki scurried up my leg.
“Big boom.”

“It’s okay. I won’t let the monsters hurt you.”
I slid my laser pistol into its holster. Sending up a silent prayer, I opened my Siren senses. I still couldn’t link with Talree, but to my utter relief, I could sense the Tai-Kok. Two of them. I gingerly probed their minds. They had crash-landed and were working on repairing their ship. Nice of them to provide us a way off the island.

Thor, my budding predator, asked,
“We kill?”

“I kill.”

Thor’s face grew red, and he waved his fists.
“Me protect Momma.”

Detja had warned me this would happen. Protecting their womenfolk was hardwired into a Warlord’s DNA.
“I have a very important job for you. You need to watch my back and make sure none of those nasty Tai-Kok sneak up on me. Okay?”

“’Kay.”

I quickly turned the survival kit into a makeshift baby carrier, tucked Thor inside, and strapped it on.
“Haki, I need you to contact your mom and have her tell Talree the Tai-Kok crashed on our island.”

“Me tell.”

Chapter Six

Wild winds whipped around me as I climbed up the narrow ledge, cursing silently at the rocks cutting into my bare feet. If the Tai-Kok got their ship repaired before I made it to the top of the island, I was going to be pissed.

I slipped on a loose stone. “Whoa!” Arms spinning wildly, I desperately tried to regain my balance and began skidding dangerously close to edge of the eight-hundred-foot drop-off.

“Momma! No fall!”
Thor yelled, tugging on my braid.

At the last instant, I managed to grab an exposed root and stop my slide to certain death. My horrified gaze followed the laser rifle as it rolled over the edge and fell into the swirling black water below. Crap. I so needed my powers back.

Haki announced abruptly,
“Momma says Talree knows about Tai-Kok.”

“That’s it? Did she say when they were coming for us?”

“No.”

“Wonderful. No ‘How’s the baby? Are you all right?’”

“Me no tell Momma Thor hatched.”

“Could ya?”

“’Kay.”
Haki broke our mental link.

Easing my body around a large boulder, I let out a relieved breath. “Yippee-ki-yay. We made it.”

Thor giggled in my head.
“You funny.”

I took a step and grimaced at the pain in my crotch. I felt like a bowlegged cowboy who had ridden one too many bulls.

A high-pitched, bloodcurdling cry jerked my head up.

“Fan-fucking-tastic!” A friggin’ purple gargoyle with a twenty-five foot wingspan swooped toward us.

“Birdie hungry,”
Thor warned.

Pride swelled within me. My baby could sense it.
“Watch what I do.”
I reached out and seized the gargoyle’s mind.
“No eat!”
I put the image of the Tai-Kok in its head.
“Eat that.”

The gargoyle shrieked, shook its head, circled around, and came at us again.

Dang. My critter control was definitely on the fritz. I drew my laser pistol and watched as the gargoyle got closer and closer.

Thor queried anxiously,
“Momma shoot now?”

“Not yet. It’s still out of range. C’mon, you ugly-ass buzzard. Come and get us.”

The gargoyle’s huge wings flared out, and its talons stretched toward me.

I fired.

A sizzling red bolt sliced through the creature’s chest. It tumbled backward, hit the edge of the cliff, and plummeted down, down, down.

A satisfied smile curved my mouth when its huge body slammed into the ocean with a loud
splat
. I holstered my gun.
“Critter control comes in real handy when it works, Thor. Dogs, cats, snakes, bugs—you name it, I can call them, wind them up, and sic them on the enemy.”

Thor asked,
“When me do?”

“In a couple of years.”

“Want do now.”

“It take lots of practice, and you’re not strong enough yet to manipulate other beings’ minds.”

“Get stronger.”

“Yes, you will. Just like your daddy.”

The wind suddenly died down.

Unease trickled down my spine. We were being hunted, but by what? The Tai-Kok or something else?

I stopped and carefully surveyed the area. Silver grass rippled in the breeze like a shimmering cloth of silk. At the edge of the plateau, shattered pillars of stone covered the mangled remains of the Tai-Kok’s black, bullet-shaped marauder. Damn, getting that to fly again would require a miracle.

But where were the monsters? Under my breath, I called, “Come out, come out, wherever you are.”

Thor tugged on my mind.
“Monster dead, Momma.”

I turned.

The bloody carcass of a Tai-Kok was draped over a small boulder. Its heart had been ripped out.

What had killed it? The gargoyle or something else?

A large shadow passed over me.

I looked up, and the breath froze in my lungs.

The granddaddy of all gargoyles circled overhead. Its chilling cry seemed to go on forever.

I darted under an overhang of rock.

“He mad.”

“He certainly is.”

Haki burst excitedly into my mind.
“Help comes.”

“About time.”
The ground shook beneath my feet. Fuck. Grandpa Gargoyle had landed.

The gargoyle threw his head back and let out an ear-shattering screech.

Just my luck. I had killed his mate.

Thor wiggled in his carrier and projected a mental picture of a Tai-Kok climbing up the ledge behind us.
“Tai-Kok, Momma.”

“Yep.”
And the sneaky bastard was about to save our asses. I picked up a rock and hurled it.

Smack!
It hit the Tai-Kok dead center in the forehead as he climbed onto the plateau. He squawked angrily.

Grandpa’s head swiveled around.

A horrified honk broke from the Tai-Kok as the gargoyle pounced.

Chomp!
Grandpa ate him whole.

Whoa! For such a big critter, the gargoyle moved incredibly fast. I’d never be able to outrun him. Summoning every ounce of energy I had, I tried to teleport. Nothing happened. I tried again. Zip. Nada.

The gargoyle shrieked and dug at a leg bone jammed between his front teeth.

Aw. The poor thing couldn’t close his mouth.

Haki gave a yelp as Zarek’s terrifying power cascaded through him and crashed into my mind.

The world spun dizzily for a moment. Shit! Shit! Shit! I hated having the big scary in my head.

“Daughter, you continue to amaze me at the trouble you get yourself into,”
the Overlord stated grimly as he made himself at home in my brain.

“It wasn’t my fault.”
God, what was I, twelve?

“It never is.”

Thor cried in delight,
“Papa come to take us home?”

Papa? How did he know that was the name I used to call my grandfather? I had never told Thor about him.

“Soon.”
Zarek examined every inch of my son.
“Thor is the mirror image of his father at this age.”

His obvious pride and joy in his grandson was expected, but the bastard was already plotting Thor’s training. Come hell or high water, my kid was going to have a normal childhood.
“Thor’s not going into warrior training until he’s six.”

The Overlord had the gall to laugh.
“The choice is not yours to make.”

“I’m his mother,”
I growled.

Zarek pointed out coldly,
“He is Talree’s heir and one day will become Overlord. Many will want him dead. Do you wish Thor to be unprepared?”

“No, sir, but he’s just a baby.”

“A very powerful baby who must learn to control his abilities.”

“Me want learn,”
Thor exclaimed.

Of course he did. Time to change the subject.
“Are Hank and Soulet safe?”

“They will join you shortly,”
Zarek answered.

Snap!

My Siren Spidey sense shouted a warning.

The gargoyle loped toward us.

Shit! Grandpa had dislodged the leg bone.

“You’ve angered the Demic.”

I rolled my eyes. Duh.
“Ya think?”

A sharp pain zapped me in the butt, and Zarek growled,
“Lose the attitude.”

“Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. It’s been a tough day.”
Which was about to get a whole lot worse. Grandpa Gargoyle’s glowing green eyes were locked on me.
“Could you please teleport us back to the cavern? I’m pretty sure me and the kid are on the gargoyle’s dinner menu.”

Zarek deadpanned,
“Ya think?”

The gargoyle’s gigantic mouth opened, displaying rows of needle-sharp teeth.

I aimed my laser pistol at Grandpa Gargoyle.
“Save my son, dammit.”

Projecting an aura of sheer menace, Zarek queried,
“Are you telling me what to do?”

“Yes,”
I shot back testily.

Poof. We were standing in the cave. I heaved a sigh of relief. My knees threatening to buckle, I wobbled over to the rocky platform and muttered, “Sadistic prick.”

The Overlord inquired pleasantly,
“What did you call me, daughter?”

Fuck.
“I called you a sadistic prick, sir.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and waited to die.

“An apt description,”
Zarek said mildly.

Huh? I opened my eyes. Why wasn’t I dead?

“I’ve become quite fond of you,”
Zarek answered.

Fond? I could live with that.
“I, uh, care for you too.”

Zarek laughed uproariously.

Aw, c’mon. My big fat lie wasn’t that funny. I tried again.
“You have my utmost respect. Sir.”

My father-in-law chuckled.
“At last, the truth.”

Whatever. I removed the backpack and pulled Thor out.
“You okay, little guy?”

“Fun. Do again?”

“Maybe later.”
Gathering my courage, I asked Zarek politely, “
Any chance you can cleanse the Drakash from me? I hate being helpless.”

“You have never been helpless.”

Was that a compliment? Who knew? I shivered at the fluttering sensations in my head. Zarek was working his magic.

“You are once again a threat to the galaxy.”

Hank and Soulet suddenly fell into the cavern and hit the ground with a loud
thud
. Arms and legs entangled, they lay there for a long moment, breathing hard.

I eyed the blood and shredded bits of flesh covering them. They looked like refugees from one of those slasher movies. Soulet must have done her Tasmanian Devil routine.
“You guys okay?”

“Do I look okay? I’m stuck with this lunatic who doesn’t have the sense God gave a goose,”
Hank snapped and shoved Soulet off him.

Soulet erupted to her feet.
“You are a coward.”

Hank got in her face.
“And you’re fucking nuts.”

“Ah, guys, we’re on the same side. Remember?”

Waving an enormous claw in my face, Soulet spat,
“This son of a Vera worm has no battle skills.”

“My battle skills are the only reason you’re still breathing, kitten,”
Hank snarled.

Kitten?

“I did not need your help. I am Askole. We do not run from a fight.”

Hank threw up his hands in disgust.
“See? Not one lick of common sense. We were outnumbered fifty-to-one, and instead of retreating, she attacks.”

“Askoles do have hyperspeed,”
I pointed out.