Kidnapping Casey

Laurann Dohner

Book two in the Zorn Warriors series.

All Casey wants is to avoid being arrested on trumped-up charges from her persistent ex-boyfriend. Running through the woods to escape two deputies sounds like a great plan until they catch her. Thinking it’s all over, waiting to hear the snap of the handcuffs, she instead hears a roar.

A huge, tall, muscular man comes to her rescue. She’s being saved by Bigfoot—and he’s the sexiest thing she’s ever seen. The attraction between them is instant, and after spending a little time with him, Casey wants to take him home and keep him.

There are a few problems with that plan. He’s not the legendary creature, but he definitely isn’t human. Argernon is a warrior from Zorn. They do have one thing in common—he wants to take her home and keep her. He’s kidnapping Casey.

An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

www.ellorascave.com

Kidnapping Casey

ISBN 9781419924552

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Kidnapping Casey Copyright © 2010 Laurann Dohner

Edited by Shannon Combs

Cover art by Syneca

Electronic book publication January 2010

The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.  (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

KIDNAPPING CASEY

Laurann Dohner

Dedication

I’m dedicating this book to my wonderful, supportive husband David, who always inspires me to write about true love and he gets a special thanks for all that “research” he does with me for those love scenes. (wink)

To my wonderful editor, Shannon Combs, who did so much to make this book—this series—look good.

Last but not least by any means, to you, the readers, who made a far-off red planet named Zorn a place on the map of finding love in the universe. Without your quest for a romantic tale, this book wouldn’t be possible. Thank you.

Acknowledgements

I’d also like to say a special thank you to both my editors, Shannon Combs and Pamela Campbell, who do so much to make me and all my books look good; the two women who took a chance on an unknown author and helped me make my dreams come true.

Trademarks Acknowledgement

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

Velcro: Velcro Industries B.V. Limited Liability Company

Chapter One

“No way in hell.” Casey glared at the two deputies standing by her car. “Don can drop dead.”

Ben Harst sighed. “You know the drill after last week, Casey. Don’t put up a fight. Don just wants to talk to you, so there’s no reason to get all upset. We don’t want to have to pin you down to take you into town in handcuffs again.” The man inched away from his patrol car blocking her car in the driveway, staring up at Casey on her porch. “Just come along peacefully.”

Greg Borrow nodded solemnly. “Don won’t hurt you. He broke up with Donna and he just wants to talk. That’s all.”

Fear inched up Casey’s spine. Donald Hass was the town sheriff, whom she’d broken up with six months ago when he’d cheated on her. The week before he’d had his deputies arrest her in town. Don had almost raped her when she wouldn’t take him back. If she hadn’t screamed to draw attention she had no doubt that he wouldn’t have stopped. Don wasn’t going to get his hands on her again. The guy was crazy.

“Leave me alone. You know he attacked me. Hell, Ben.” Her gaze flew to him. “You ran in his office when I screamed. He had me pinned down on his desk with my hands handcuffed behind my back taking my jeans down. I don’t want him. I’d never take him back. He needs a damn shrink.”

“He said you guys were role-playing. I really don’t want the details on your kinky sex life.”

“Kinky sex life?” She gaped at Ben. “He tried to rape me. He had you arrest me. He wasn’t taking no for an answer. Maybe you missed learning the law when you became a deputy, but it’s illegal to force someone to have sex. You can’t take me back to him.”

“Sorry.” Greg sighed. “We’re under orders to arrest you.”

“On what charge?” She backed up a few feet more. “You can’t arrest me without charging me for a crime.”

Greg and Ben glanced at each other. Ben turned his attention on her. “You kicked him last week and he wants you arrested for assault.”

Shock tore through her. “I was trying to make him stop pulling my pants down.”

“Well,” Greg announced. “Those are the charges. Now come here, Casey. We’ll read you your rights and handcuff you real gentle. You know he’ll drop the case if you just hear him out.”

“No.”

Both men walked toward her porch. Terror hit Casey. They were really going to arrest her. After last week she knew what Don was capable of. This time she bet he’d send his deputies away so no one would be there to save her. She fled into her house and slid the deadbolt into place. Casey wondered if they would really break into the house to come after her. She hoped not.

One of the deputies tested the knob, realizing it was locked when it wouldn’t turn in his hand. Ben spoke. “Open the door, Casey, or we’ll kick it in. Your car isn’t going anywhere. You have nowhere to run. You know you’ll take him back.”

“No. I won’t,” she yelled out and backed up more. “I know he’s a jerk now. He can go to hell.”

Alarm tore through her when one of them kicked the door hard. She heard the wood crack but it held. She ran through her living room, and as she reached the kitchen, the front door crashed open into the wall. Hatred for Don poured through her. Casey was so over his ass it wasn’t funny.

What she’d ever seen in the handsome son of a bitch…yeah, she thought, there was that. He was eye candy who could charm a nun out of her underwear, but those good aspects of him died for her when he’d cheated.

She flew down the back porch steps. She’d lived in the thick woods all her life and ran for them at full speed. If she could just get down by the river, she knew they wouldn’t be able to find her. Dozens of hiding places flashed through her mind.

Boots pounded down the porch steps behind her. Being five foot five wasn’t to her advantage in a race when everyone was taller, and had longer damn legs. Sprinting wasn’t her strong suit, she decided, as she dodged trees to avoid slamming into them. Ben cursed as he ran with Greg who breathed heavily as they pursued her.

One of them grabbed her long, dark brown hair as if it were a tether. Casey screamed out in pain as she was yanked abruptly to a halt. She felt a heavier body hit her from behind when Ben was unable to stop in time, so the three of them crashed facedown to the ground in a heap. Ben wasn’t an in-shape deputy, he was more of the donut-loving variety, so his body crushed her hard enough to knock the air from her lungs when he landed on her. Pain sliced through her body as the man shifted his frame on her smaller one. Someone gripped her wrist, yanking it painfully behind her back.

“Damn,” Ben panted, “you made us chase you.”

Dragging in air to her lungs, Casey screamed. She managed to yank her hand out of Ben’s hold while she fought. The deputy cursed when she shoved at his face with her free hand. Another scream tore from her as both men grabbed hold of her, pinning her to the ground on her belly.

“Stop fighting, damn it. Don’t make us hurt you,” Greg yelled as he grabbed her flailing wrist, using his knee to push her hip against the ground.

Pain made her scream again. The knee painfully dug into her, as he put weight on her ass. She saw him grab at his handcuffs. Movement from behind Greg drew her attention in that direction, and astonishment made her stop struggling when a huge man walked out of the trees.

No, she thought. He stormed forward. Long black hair flowed in disarray down to his waist. He looked huge. Black leather encased most of his deeply tanned body. Hair covered most of his features, and with his head lowered, she couldn’t see his face well. He moved fast but she couldn’t miss that body and her mind struggled to process the sight before her.

The formfitting material covering the stranger embraced wide shoulders and really muscular arms, the outfit showed his massive chest and trim waist. Thick, muscular thighs were showcased in pants that tapered down strong calves to some kick-ass heavy black boots that looked made to do serious damage.

A roar tore through the woods.

It made Casey, Ben and Greg all jump in shock. The two deputies hadn’t looked behind them yet, so Casey was the only one who saw that massive man coming. He was almost on top of them before the roar tore through the woods. Ben and Greg spun, staring up at their worst nightmare, right before the man grabbed both of them with his huge hands.

Ben’s body was literally thrown at a tree. The large man sent the overweight deputy flying a good ten feet as if he were a toy. Ben hit with a crunch and a loud groan that made Casey cringe as he slumped to the ground. His leg moved but he didn’t get up.

The stranger lifted Greg by the front of his shirt. Casey rolled over to see the deputy dangling in the stranger’s grasp. The long-haired man snarled deeply to reveal sharp teeth. A high-pitched scream came from Greg, making him sound like a terrified little girl.

A stunned Casey watched as the scene played out before her. Greg was a good six feet tall. The man gripping him held him almost half a foot off the ground, putting them nose to nose. The stranger viciously snarled at Greg before throwing him away, sending him to the ground with a grunt. Casey didn’t turn her head to see how Greg fared, terror kept her staring at the huge man standing above her.

She got a much better look at the man’s face when he looked down. He wasn’t exactly a man. He was male, she knew that instantly, but what hit her the hardest was he wasn’t fully human. This man had a wider, flatter nose than anyone she’d ever seen before. His lips were full and parted with scary teeth peeking out, that reminded her of a dog’s long canines. Maybe he was a vampire with those sharp fangs indenting his lower lip, except that is was broad daylight, so she doubted that.

His eyes were startling. Once she met them she couldn’t look away. If she had any doubts he wasn’t human, they were gone now. His eyes were an unnatural bright, electric blue that almost glowed. Long, thick black eyelashes framed them, making the blue stand out even more. They were absolutely the most spellbinding things she’d ever seen.

He took a deep breath before his lips slammed shut. The action drew Casey’s gaze to his mouth. A set of masculine lips tightened into a firm line before he bent over. Two large hands reached for her.

Casey wanted to scream. She wanted to roll away, but she just couldn’t move. Shock froze her. His bare, tan fingers were hot as they wrapped around her arms, just under her shoulders. His touch was firm, but undeniably gentle, as he pulled her off the ground slowly. There was no doubt that he was strong since she didn’t help him lift her. She was too bewildered to get her body to work.

Her legs barely held her weight when he stood her on her feet, making her realize that the top of her head didn’t even reach his wide shoulders, almost a foot in height separated them. His firm hands held her while she stared in wonder at those amazing eyes that hypnotized her with their exotic beauty, their gazes locked until he finally looked away.

Casey’s attention stayed on him as he studied the two downed men. Their gazes locked again when he swung his head back to her. Thick masculine lips parted slightly as he growled at her.

“Oh God,” she breathed. “What are you?”

A softer nonthreatening growl came from him. She would have screamed if his tone was vicious but it was more like he was trying to communicate with her. The truth sunk into Casey slowly.

“You can’t speak, can you?” She cleared her throat when it threatened to close up on her.

Frustration was clear on his rugged face. He had a strong jawline, pronounced cheekbones and his wide, flatter nose twitched. Those incredible eyes narrowed in irritation. With the shake of his head she had her answer.

“You know English? Do you know what I’m saying?”

He nodded.

“Are you a girl?”

A growl tore from his throat in instant protest. Anger sparked in his glowing stare as he shook his head. His fingers tightened for an instant before loosening again on her skin.

“I was just checking to see if you can really understand me. I know you’re not a girl.” She had to swallow again. Her throat was dry, her heart pounding. “What are you?”

He looked at her for what seemed like forever. The man’s intensely strange but gorgeous gaze tore from hers so he could look over her head. His mouth opened as a low growl came from his throat. It was a scary, vicious sound. Rage filled his expression in a heartbeat. His flat nose wrinkled and sharp teeth showed as his lips parted wider. His hold on Casey tightened almost painfully when his fingers tensed. Greg cursed from behind her.

Casey swung her head around. Sitting up, Greg looked terrified while gawking at the large male who held her. His shaking hands went for his sidearm.

“No,” Casey yelled. “Don’t shoot him.”

Greg ignored her, yanking at the gun in his holster. It took him a few tugs to clear it. The weapon waved wildly in their direction. Casey felt horrified at what was happening but she was helpless to stop it.

Hands released Casey’s arms to move lower to her hips. She was jerked off her feet and the world went upside down in a heartbeat. The fast movement made her dizzy. A gunshot exploded with a deafening noise.

The man gripping Casey locked his arm behind her knee when he started to run, holding on tightly to her. He moved damn fast. Casey was folded over his body with her hips nestled tightly against the man’s shoulder. It didn’t hurt but it jarred the breath from her lungs as she bounced on him. The ground passed beneath her at an alarming rate but she didn’t scream. Another gunshot exploded in the woods but the boom wasn’t as close.

They were weaving through the trees. Greg shouted in the distance but it wasn’t clear what he was saying. Casey guessed he was calling for backup. Was Ben dead? She heard something crack when Ben had hit the tree. Was it his body or the tree that had made that sickening noise? Casey pushed the thought away. She needed to worry about her own ass.

The large male creature, whatever he was, put a lot of distance between her and the two men they’d left behind. Casey was being kidnapped. She was afraid he would drop her as he moved at that rapid pace and exhausted himself hauling her extra weight, but he didn’t slow down at all. Whatever he was, he was damn strong, since he seemed to be able to run for miles. Harsh breathing was the only indication that carrying her was difficult for him.

They finally slowed to a walk as the sound of water reached her ears. She lifted her head, shoving at her hair to get it out of her face. She looked around at the world upside down. A large rock formation stood to the left with the river ahead. Casey suddenly knew exactly where they were on her property but it was almost on the border of one of her neighbors. A forty-foot waterfall hid a small cave behind the flowing water. She knew the place well. It was one of her favorite places to swim.

The man stopped to sniff the air as he studied the area. Slowly bending over, he loosened his arm around the back of her legs as his other hand braced her back as he put her down. She was totally released as he straightened up.

Casey stared up at the man, speechless. His hand clamped down on her wrist and his head jerked toward the water. She turned to glance at the highest point of the river, noticing the water cascading down into the narrower river flow below the drop. The hand on her wrist squeezed gently to draw her attention to him.

“You want me to walk for the water?”

He nodded.

“You really can’t talk?”

He shook his head.

Her heart pounded in her chest. “Shit. You can’t say words, can you? But you understand me?”

He gave a nod. He motioned his head in the direction of the water again.

Casey took a deep breath before turning to walk for the river. He kept hold of her wrist, moving next to her down to the water’s edge. She stopped to look up at him and noticed again that he was a huge son of a bitch. He had to be six foot five or six foot six.

“I could use a drink.” She tugged on her wrist.

He frowned, shaking his head, pointing to the waterfall. She followed his finger. Frowning back, she met his exceptional eyes. She wasn’t sure what he wanted her to do.

Irritation crossed his features. With a hard jerk her body abruptly collided with his much larger one. Before she could protest she ended up back in his arms. He lifted her against his chest so that she was cradled in his arms and walked into the water carrying her toward the waterfall.

Apprehension filled Casey. Was he going to drown her? She wrapped her arms tight around his neck as the water got really deep. He continued forward until the water touched her chin before stopping. Their gazes locked as he released her legs. Her body started to float away from his in the current and would have except that they still held on to each other. She eased her hold to grip his shoulders. They were at face level with only inches between their noses.

Casey studied his features curiously. This was the closest she’d gotten to his face. He was handsome. Tan skin covered his strong masculine bones. His full lips looked a little pouty making them appear sexy. The shape of his nose was strange but somehow it looked good on him. It made her want to run her fingers over it. From the tiny lines by his eyes she pegged him in his mid thirties, just a few years older than she. Her gaze met his again. He studied her with curiosity too. She saw it sparkling in his extraordinary eyes.

He pointed to the waterfall. Her gaze followed his finger before she looked back at him. He growled at her in that soft tone she was starting to think was sexy.

“You want me to swim for the waterfall?”

He nodded.

“Why?”

Irritation flashed again on his face. He brought his free hand up to make a claw of it, motioning with it. He pointed to the waterfall and everything fell into place for Casey.

“You know about the cave behind it, don’t you? Do you want us swim there to climb into the cave?”

He nodded. The frustration faded from his features and his arm around her back loosened. He jerked his head toward the waterfall before he looked back at the embankment. He growled, trying to communicate something to her so she glanced at the woods. He must be worried about the deputies following them. No one knew about the cave so Casey wondered how this guy had discovered it. He released her completely so she could make her way across the river where he wanted her to go.

Her clothes were heavy as she swam. Casey didn’t want to be found either. Getting arrested wasn’t on her list of things she ever wanted to do again. She paddled against the current heading for the waterfall. The river got deep enough that the bottom was untouchable for him so he swam close behind her. The worst part about going to the cave was swimming under the pounding waterfall that tore at her clothing and tried to push her deep under the surface. Relief hit her when she cleared the heavy curtain of water to reach the other side.

It was dim behind the screen of water but she could see well enough to make out the area around her. Clawing at the rocks, she started to climb out of the water toward the cave about four feet over her head. The stranger surfaced from under the waterfall as she crawled into the rocky cave. It wasn’t very big but it was drier about five feet or so inside. She scrambled away from the wet ledge to make room. She sat on her ass to watch as the guy followed her deeper into the cave. His attention focused on Casey.

With his wet hair plastered back she got another good look at his face. He had humanlike features but his nose was definitely wrong and the thick-lipped mouth was wrong too. In the darkened cave his eyes looked eerie as they seemed to glow in the dim light.

He pointed behind her so she turned, taking a good look at the interior of the cave. Surprise struck her. She hadn’t been in the cave in months. There was a sleeping bag spread out along the back wall with a backpack next to it. None of that had been there on her last visit. Casey focused her attention on him.

“Are you living here?”

A nod confirmed her suspicion. He reached for the front of his shirt, spreading the material open, revealing substantial muscles covered by tan skin. She was too taken aback to do anything but watch as the man removed his shirt completely. Casey inspected his chest, making note that he was a little hairy there, but it wasn’t excessive. A thin line of it ran below his bellybutton to disappear into those formfitting pants, his big hands reached for the waist as he toed off his boots.

He observed Casey silently watching him. She couldn’t look away. There was no question, she decided, that he had the best damn body she’d ever seen. He looked one hundred percent powerfully built human from the neck down. She’d never seen a better-defined body. Each muscle was ridged. The front of his pants opened hinting of more golden brown skin there.

Casey couldn’t tear her eyes away from the sight of him slowly lowering the leather material that clung to his skin. The pants inched down as he wiggled his hips, using both hands to shove them down one inch at a time. A gasp escaped her when his penis sprang free.

He was aroused. Her mouth fell open. He was thick, most definitely hard, and his cock was shaped slightly different from a human’s. The skin of his shaft was more of a reddish hue instead of the deep golden brown of his skin everywhere else. The head was thick, more of a mushroom shape than the smooth transition from head to shaft most guys had. He was proportioned to his big body. She’d never seen a guy this big, not that she’d had much to compare him to. Her few ex-boyfriends had been pricks in every sense of the word.

She felt her body respond instantly as she stared at his anatomy. In an instant, she wondered how it would feel if he slowly worked that thick, blunt tip inside her. Her pussy clenched in response to the image that flashed in her mind. Moisture flowed between her thighs. She slammed her mouth shut and jerked her gaze upward to his face.

A twinkle of amusement sparked in his sexy eyes, and his lips curved upward into a knowing grin. She flushed a little, feeling heat flame her face, as she prayed he couldn’t read what she’d been thinking about from her expression. A tan hand rose, a finger extended, to point at her. She blinked a few times, forcing air into her lungs, as it sank in what he must want her to do.

“Oh hell. I’m not getting naked too.”

He softly growled at her when his grin died. Glowing blue eyes narrowed before he moved. That muscled body drew closer. His body was graceful, powerful, and his muscles moved with lithe beauty. She was fascinated with every damn inch of his skin.

He moved so close that her eyes flew down to his cock again. A thick vein ran from the base of his shaft to just under the mushroomed head. She was close enough to touch the swollen flesh that pointed straight out at her. He slowly crouched, his face getting closer. Her breath froze in her lungs, her heart pounded, as desire shot through her. Would he want to fuck her? His turned-on state indicated that he wanted her.

Large hands reached for her, encircling her arms above her elbows. His skin was hot to the touch on her flesh chilled from the cold river water. He jerked her to her feet in a heartbeat. Her knees almost collapsed when he forced her to stand. His intense blue gaze glided down her body, seeming to take in every inch and a sexy, soft noise came from his parted lips before his hands released her. She took a deep breath until those hands of his went for the waist of her T-shirt.

The wet material was ripped up her body. Casey tried to turn away but he was faster. One arm wrapped around her waist, to pull her tightly against his skin. She was chilled from being wet, but his body was hot to the touch, as she was slammed against him. His hard erection pressed into her bared stomach as the shirt went sailing to the cave floor. Her bra-covered breasts were smashed against his muscular chest. He breathed her in, another sexy growl tearing from his parted lips, and his cock jerked against her belly where it was tightly pressed between them. He was incredibly hard.

“Please don’t hurt me.”

He frowned, shaking his head, a frustrated look crossing his features. His chest rose as he took a deep breath, so their bodies pressed more tightly together. Long seconds ticked by while Casey’s heart beat erratically. The hold on her eased until their bodies weren’t pushed so closely against each other anymore. A foot of space opened up between them. His cock wasn’t touching her now, but he didn’t let her arm go. His look lowered between them to his protruding member.

Casey’s eyes followed his gaze. This up close and personal, she realized just how thick his cock was. Her interest turned into a little fear at the thought of him working that inside her. He shook his head at her when she jerked her attention up to stare into his eyes. His hand slowly released her to point at the bedding behind her.

“What in the hell are you trying to tell me?”

He backed up and his hand rose to point to her remaining clothing. That long digit aimed at the floor and went to his bedding next as he mimicked covering up. Slowly, he turned around to present a wide, tan back to her. She saw a thin, long scar running from one shoulder blade to the underside of his arm at the bottom of his ribs. It was a mystery to her how he’d gotten it, but it looked like an old injury. He moved away to the edge of the cave facing the falling water, keeping his back to Casey.

She stood there shivering. Some of her fear eased when she realized he was keeping his back turned to give her privacy. Her gaze kept going to his body as she stripped out of the rest of her clothes. He had the nicest damn butt ever. Broad shoulders tapered down to his toned back and to that fantastic ass. She shook herself from thoughts of what it would feel like to rake her fingernails down the length of him.

Slowly turning to his sleeping bag, she climbed in it to cover up her freezing body. The bedding was thick and warm and Casey relaxed, warming up enough to stop shivering. She eyed his wide back and great ass again. He really was perfect and she’d never seen a man in better shape. A good three minutes passed before the man finally turned around. He walked over to their clothing on the floor, bending to retrieve it one piece at a time.

Casey watched him lay the items out over rocks so they would dry. His hard-on had gone down. Even soft, the guy was impressive, as that sensual flesh hung between his thighs. Finally he turned to face her and their gazes locked.

She had to give him credit, he seemed totally at ease with his nakedness. Her breath caught as he slowly inched closer. Crouching down next to the sleeping bag, he tilted his head slightly to study her. His beautiful blue eyes narrowed. He watched her face for a long minute as their gazes remained locked. It came as a shock when the large man suddenly lunged and she gasped.

Chapter Two

Terror hit the instant he touched her. He firmly pushed her shoulders with both hands until Casey was forced flat on her back. The bedding was torn from her fingers and jerked away from her body. Naked, he pinned her under him as his body came down on top of her smaller one. Large hands gripped her wrists to jerk them above her head, he forced his legs between her thighs to push them wide apart. She was spread-eagle under the man, pinned there firmly, with their noses almost touching.

He shut his eyes, sniffing at her for a few seconds before his face turned sideways, inching closer to her until his warm nose brushed her throat. A soft growl rumbled from deep in his chest. Against her inner thigh she felt his cock harden again as blood flooded it, lengthening it. Smelling her was obviously turning him on.

“Please don’t hurt me.” Casey hated the frightened quiver in her voice.

As he lifted his head, their gazes locked together. His eyes glowed brighter, desire and something primal showing in them. He shook his head, frowning, watching Casey. It was obvious he wanted to say something to her but she couldn’t understand him. Another growl rumbled from his parted lips, his chest vibrating slightly where it pressed down on her bared breasts, making her more aware of her hardening nipples. Growls were how he talked and she just didn’t speak growl. As frustration flashed in his eyes, Casey thought she could relate.

Electric-blue eyes closed as he lowered his face back against her neck. His breath was hot against to her skin, making Casey shiver a little at the sensation. He inhaled slowly and deeply, an erotic awareness going through her as his nose lightly caressed the line of her throat. He seemed to really like the way she smelled judging by the major hard-on he had pressed against her. He wasn’t hurting her though, or forcing her to have sex with him. He was just sniffing at her while holding her down. Their gazes locked again when his head rose.

Releasing her wrists he lifted his chest a little away from her body. She missed his warmth as he separated them from their stomachs up. His body temperature was hotter than a normal man’s. A smile twisted his lips when his eyes lowered to her exposed breasts.

Casey wasn’t sure what that meant. She tensed. The thought of fighting him crossed her mind, but she knew she’d never get someone his size off her. She felt tiny trapped under his expansive chest, and between the thickly muscled arms braced on both sides of her ribs, caging her in place.

Gasp was all she did when he dipped his head, sliding down her in the process, so his hard cock moved away from her mound and inner thigh. A hot mouth opened over her right nipple, his tongue sliding out to touch her. The man licked the crest of her breast, softly growling at her again. He sucked the bud into his mouth.

A jolt shot through her body as his slightly raspy tongue teased around her hardening peak. He sucked on her breast, pulling more of her inside that hot mouth of his, his sharp teeth clamped down on her tender flesh. There was no pain but he had a good grip on her between his teeth and the suction of his mouth.

Held immobile by what he was doing to her body, Casey’s shock started to wear off, to be replaced by awareness of what was happening to her. A few seconds later she was frantically pushing at his chest with her spread hands. His tense muscles felt like steel as she pressed hard against his skin trying to move him but he wouldn’t budge or release her breast. His mouth worked on her, suckling, causing her to stop struggling as hard tugs of his mouth on her nipple registered throughout her body.

The sensation wasn’t like anything she’d ever experienced before. She’d had a few lovers in her life, four to be exact, but not one of them had sucked on her as hard as he was. His teeth scraped her nipple, causing her to squirm under him, that hot mouth was making her ache between her thighs. It felt as if her breast was connected directly to her pussy.

Her clit started to throb under the man’s frontal assault. Her hands went from pushing at him to sliding up to his shoulders to clutch the curve of them. She felt her inner walls twitch, wetness flooding her, as the ache became a burning need. Her nails dug into his skin, a moan bursting from her lips, her hips arching into his stomach.

The man was relentless with that mouth. He finally released her hard peak with a soft popping sound before slowly moving to the neglected other side. Casey hated the way she lifted her back so her breast pushed against his mouth as he started suckling harder. He shifted his hips, sliding down her a little more, while her fingernails clawed at him trying to pull him up instead.

He was moving farther away from where she was throbbing with a need that was consuming her. The guy might look part animal but she thought he was bringing out the animal in her. She wanted him to work his cock inside her where she was soaked, where she ached to the point of pain for him to fuck her.

She wished she knew his name. He obviously couldn’t tell her unless it was some growling sound that she doubted she could mimic. As he released her breast cool air hit her wet nipple. She felt it pucker almost painfully in the chilly cave. Her gaze flew to his incredible blue eyes and they locked together. She saw a look of intense, burning hunger in those eyes. Casey wondered if she looked as turned-on as he did.

He pushed up off her body, inhaling deeply as he slid farther down. She realized what he was going to do when his attention moved away from her brown eyes. His attention lowered to her belly and then slid to her exposed sex. She tried to shut her thighs but he moved faster. He crouched between her legs, gripping them with both of his hands. He had rough skin on the palms of his hands that coaxed her wider open. He glanced up and took a deep breath to inhale her scent.

A gasp escaped her as he buried his face between her legs. She almost screamed from the intense sensation of having a man lick her sex. A hot, thick tongue swiped through her spread pussy and breached her entrance, pushing his tongue deep inside her. A snarl tore from him. Normally that vicious sound would have terrified her but he made it impossible to fear him. He moved his tongue inside her from side to side. She felt his tongue pressing against her inner walls a few times before he slowly withdrew.

She threw her head back still trying to shut her thighs but his hands held her wide open. All she managed to do was push her pussy tighter against his face. He growled again, a new sensation that had her moaning as he vibrated against her when he made that long, rumble. He had discovered her clit. She froze completely, forgetting to even breathe, as his tongue teased it.

“Oh God. Yes!”

Casey suddenly didn’t want him to stop. She threw her arms above her head clawing at his bedding, her back arching off his sleeping bag. She felt pure rapture when he licked her clit, focusing on the oversensitive bud. She stopped trying to slam her thighs shut. She spread them wider apart to give him easier access, her hips jerking slightly.

“Faster, please,” she begged softly. “That feels so good.”

He understood her. He increased the pace, getting a good hold, sucking on her clit with steady tugs as his lips sealed over the entire nub. She felt sharp teeth grip the outer edges of it but they didn’t hurt her. He rubbed his tongue rapidly against her clit. She hadn’t had sex in a long time; after six months of only touching herself, it made her ready to explode.

She didn’t even try to hold back. She came hard, crying out, as she jerked against his relentless mouth. Her head thrashed from side to side as she kept coming, while he continued to play with her swollen nub. Her cries turned into whimpers when she became oversensitive.

He released her slowly. Casey felt like a marionette whose tight strings had been cut. She went limp on his bedding until he drove his tongue inside her pussy without warning. She whimpered as he wiggled that strong organ back and forth inside her, pushing against her inner walls, sucking on her. She tried to slam her thighs shut but his hands pushed them wide open again.

His tongue slid out of her slowly as small growls came from him. Casey realized her eyes were shut. He slid up her body, moving between her spread legs. His hot, muscled frame pinned her smaller one under his as he settled down on her. She knew he was careful to not crush her under his heavier weight, since she could easily breathe. One of his hands gripped her calf, pushing it up so her heel was level with his hip. When she looked at him, blue eyes seem to glow right into her soul.

The rounded tip of his cock pressed against her pussy as he entered her. Casey moaned as she felt him pushing inside her body. He was thick and she knew the head of his shaft was thicker than anything she’d ever taken. There was resistance as her body tried to fit him. He kept sinking into her slowly, burying himself deep into her until she felt stretched to the limit. Their eyes were locked together.

The man growled softly at her and the sound was sexy to Casey. He started to move, withdrawing a few inches only to push slowly back into her. She experienced new, wonderful sensations as he filled her. Her muscles still quivered inside from her climax. She didn’t think. She released his bedroll to wrap her arms around his neck.

Casey couldn’t look away from him. He was almost beautiful, as pleasure etched his features, his mouth slightly parted as his passion-filled gaze fell to her lips. She knew he wanted to kiss her. She leaned up to offer him her mouth. She hoped those sharp teeth of his wouldn’t hurt her. When their lips met, she closed her eyes.

Almost savagely he dominated her mouth. She met his kiss and matched his passion. He moved faster inside her and with more force, the sensations making her moan. She loved the way he took possession of her with his full lips locked over hers, his tongue imitating the motion of him fucking her. It was sensory overload as his hips pounded in and out of her in rhythm with his kiss.

She tore her mouth away from his as another climax hit her. Pleasure tore through her body, her fingernails digging into his back as her hips jerked violently under his. She felt him tense, his body going rigid, before he drove deeper into her. His movements became frantic. His cock throbbed against her vaginal walls as he came with a roar. She felt him pulsing inside, his semen spilling into her.

He buried his face in her neck as he growled softly, saying something she couldn’t understand. They were both breathing hard and sweat trickled between their bodies. She felt his heart pounding against her breast. Casey remembered that her nails were digging into the flesh on his back so she eased her grip. The man on top of her lifted his head.

Long hair fell around them like a curtain, making the moment just a little more intimate. Their gazes met and locked. Casey stared at him in wonder. She suddenly remembered a song about wanting to be fucked like an animal. She just had been and it had been the best damn sex she’d ever had in her life.

“I wish I knew your name,” was all she could think of to say.

She almost had the urge to thank him for what he’d done. Her body felt more sated than it ever had been. She had zero urge to have him move off her. She just wanted to stay this way, with him pinning her under his hot body, with his cock still buried deep inside her. Having him on top of her felt right, like he belonged there, a perfect fit of their bodies together.

A small smile played at his lips. He winked at her. Pushing up off her chest, he braced his weight with one hand while he touched her breast with his other, cupping the entire globe in his large hand. A rough-textured, calloused palm slid over her tender skin, the sensation pleasant enough that she pressed against that hand seeking more. He released her before gripping his chest over his heart. A soft, sexy growl rumbled from him. He cupped her breast again and then his chest. She stared at him, wondering what he was trying to say.

“Breast to breast?”

Chuckling, he shook his head. Amusement lit his already-bright eyes. He lowered his body back on top of Casey to pin her there firmly. They admired each other for a long time. His smile faded slowly as he lowered his head. His lips brushed hers softly. Casey shut her eyes to kiss him back. This time they weren’t two frantically turned-on people coming together. This kiss was tender and long. He was exploring her mouth, learning her, and to Casey it felt like he was teasing. While he had possession of her lips he started to move inside her again.

Astonishment hit Casey, but so did desire. His cock was still rock hard. She knew he’d come, she’d felt him. He recovered way too fast to be human, just another reminder to her how not normal he was. She didn’t even want to think about the no-condom thing. Maybe he couldn’t carry sexual diseases. She wasn’t worried about pregnancy either. She’d worked for a veterinarian for two years before she’d started bartending school to make more money. Different species couldn’t breed. She was fully human and he was something else entirely. They were cats and dogs pretty much, she told herself. They might be sexually compatible but they sure couldn’t make a litter together.

He broke away from her mouth. She missed his kiss instantly but she changed her mind rapidly as he went for her neck and the skin on the top of her shoulder. Sharp teeth raked her flesh. It was an erotic sensation that drew her desire to a higher level. He could hurt her with those teeth but instead he was gently scraping along her skin.

Her gut instincts assured her she was safe with him. He moved faster on her, deeper, driving her desire up again. She raked her fingernails along his back and shoulders where she could reach while she lifted her legs higher, wrapping them tightly around his waist. Her heels pressed into his firm, muscular ass. Strong muscles there worked, tightening, as he slowly fucked her.

“Oh God,” she moaned. “Faster, please. I like it fast.”

He growled before he drove into her the way she wanted. Casey moaned, quaking under him. He was a powerhouse of sex. She pushed that thought away to just feel. Sharp teeth nipped her shoulder hard enough to bring her a flash of pain. It shocked her but didn’t really hurt. He hadn’t pierced her skin. It did excite her body into a climax, pleasure thrummed through her as she cried out. The large man groaned deeply next to her ear. She felt him throb, her muscles milking his cock as he emptied himself deep inside her again.

They both stilled except for their heavy breathing. Casey felt shocked by her responses to him. Minutes passed before he slowly withdrew from her body. She opened her eyes to see regret shining in those strangely beautiful blue eyes. He pushed up away from her upper body. Casey released his hips, unwrapping her legs from around him.

They shook from the workout she’d gotten physically. She was almost afraid of falling asleep as he sat down between her thighs. He sat back on his heels with his eyes locked with hers again. She wondered why he looked regretful. He couldn’t be regretting the sex, could he? She hoped not, because they’d done it twice and it had been amazing.

Touching his chest, he pointed to hers. His mouth curved upward. He had a sexy smile. Casey bit her lip as she eased up carefully, using her hands to brace her weight. She couldn’t close her thighs with him sitting between them but she did move back a few inches so there was a little distance between his knees and her exposed pussy. She sat up straighter to stare at him on a more equal level.

“I wish I understood you.” She touched her chest. “I’m Casey Santhrom. I live in a house close to here. I own this.” She waved her hands at the cave. “I own the land.” Her hands dropped as she studied him. He was watching her intently.

“You can understand me, right?”

He nodded slowly with a smile.

She smiled back. “You really can’t say words?”

He shook his head. A soft growl came from his parted lips.

“Okay. Can you write to me to tell me your name?”

Amusement lit his eyes. His lips twitched. He shook his head.

Disappointment hit her. She was hoping he could spell words out to her in the loose dirt floor of the cave. They could have communicated that way. Studying his features, she realized he looked human with animal characteristics. A grim thought hit her.

“Shit. Some asshole doctor did this to you, didn’t he? Is that what happened to you to make you so different? Was some geneticist experimenting on you? Did you escape some laboratory? God. That shit is illegal. We’ll get you help.” Her eyes flashed up and down his body. “We won’t let them get away with this. They’ve obviously been experimenting on you with some forms of animal DNA.”

The grin widened as he shook his head.

“No? I’m not right?” The blood drained from her face. Fear inched up her spine. Her eyes ran over him again. A local legend she’d heard growing up hit her hard. “Oh shit. I know what you are.”

A black eyebrow arched. His eyes sparkled as he grinned wider at her. Amusement was evident on his face as he silently watched her. She was glad he was amused. She wasn’t.

“You’re a Bigfoot. I heard they were furry but you’re only hairy with your long hair and your chest. A few of them were supposedly spotted in this area back in the sixties and seventies. That obviously wasn’t you. You are too young. Maybe it was your parents. Are you a Bigfoot?”

His body shifted so he sat down on his ass on the bottom end of the bedding. He showed her his bare feet. He had really large ones. She swallowed.

“Big hands, big feet…” Her eyes darted to his spread thighs. He was still semi-erect there. “Big everything. Hot damn. You’re a Bigfoot. Wow. This is so cool. You really do exist and…”

He laughed and Casey smiled back. She wondered how he’d learned to understand English, but she could guess. He’d lived in the woods all of his life and people were always around. He must have watched and learned to understand them. She studied his features. He looked like he was in his mid thirties. He was smart—she just knew that about him. He had intelligent eyes. He probably didn’t let the world know about him because they would have made his life a circus, between people wanting to gawk at him, the media wanting to exploit him and doctors who would probably die for a chance to get him into a hospital to study him nearly to death.

“So are there any Bigfoot women nearby?”

He shook his head. The twinkle left his eyes. Casey mourned the loss almost immediately. The guy was cute as hell when he was amused. When not amused he looked intimidating with his intense stare. She didn’t feel fear after they’d shared sex. He’d saved her from Ben and Greg too. She sensed he was no danger to her.

Casey realized he must have moved to the cave recently. He sure hadn’t lived there last summer when she’d been in it. He probably lived like a nomad, traveling around in thick wooded areas so he wasn’t detected. She wondered if he’d even been in a house before. Did he know what a television was? Modern plumbing? Sadness hit her. To live the way he did must be hard. She swallowed the lump in her throat.

“You can come home with me. I live in a remote area.” She locked eyes with his. “I live alone. You’d be safe there. I work. I don’t have much time for friends anymore so no one will bother us.”

A soft growl rumbled from him. He pointed to the falling water. Casey nodded, following his finger, and met his gaze. She was pretty sure he wanted to know what had happened out there.

“I don’t know if you’ll understand all of this, but I dated this guy. He slept with another woman six months ago. I caught him with his pants down literally. I broke it off with him. Now the woman he cheated on me with just broke it off with him so he is trying to get me back. Last year he was elected sheriff. He sent those two goons who work for him to my place to get me. He thinks if he can force me to be with him, that I’ll take him back. Don’t worry. I’ll handle him somehow and get him to leave me alone. That way those men won’t be back. You should come live with me. I have modern technology. You would like television and hot showers. You won’t have to hunt for your food anymore. I can buy it at the grocery store. I’m a bartender. I don’t have a lot of money but I make good tips and get by just fine. I can afford to feed you as long as you don’t eat a ton of food.”

Laughing, he looked down his body. His eyes rose to lock with hers.

She raked her gaze up and down him, laughing. “Okay. You’re big. We can supplement a little with some hunting. I own a lot of land. I can skin a rabbit and I make a great stew. It’s also good on the grill. We have a river to fish from. You don’t have to live like this anymore. I can protect you and teach you how to read and write. That way you can talk to me.”

Those incredible eyes looked highly amused again. She wondered what entertained him so much. He rose to his feet to walk to the backpack to open it. She saw a small device that he palmed in his hand. Walking back to her, he sat down cross-legged on the bedding and showed the small object to her. It was the size of a pack of cigarettes, all black, with a few buttons on it. She frowned as she wondered what it was. She’d never seen anything like it.

He pushed a button and growled. He chuckled, staring at her, watching every move Casey made as she looked at the small box on his palm. Something growled back from it. Startled, she jumped and then laughed at herself. It had to be one of those minirecorders that repeated what someone said. She’d seen some before, but none like the one he held. He pushed the button to growl again. He released the button. The box growled back. Casey smiled at him as her eyes left the box. He liked toys.

“I can buy you some way better ones than that. Wait until I get you hooked on music.”

Biting his lip, he slowly stood up. He walked to the edge of the cave to peer out through the thick curtain of water falling from above them to the river flow below. He turned to look at her. Casey watched him. She was hoping that he was debating the idea of living with her. She didn’t want him to live like he was. She wanted to keep him.

Guilt ate at her for that thought. He wasn’t a stray pet that she could take home to put a collar on. Her gaze ran down his muscular, sexy body. No, he definitely wasn’t a pet. She wanted to keep him, but it wasn’t in a put-a-collar-on-him way. Not unless that collar came with some handcuffs to tie him down to her bed so she could lick his body and play fun sex games.

He walked to the backpack again. He opened it to withdraw dry clothes. She watched him. The material was like his other outfit, a black leatherlike material. Someone had made those clothes for him. Her heart squeezed in her chest. Was there another woman like her out there who had made him those? Did he make a habit of saving strange women in the woods and making love to them? Was that how he got the toy and the outfits? Why wasn’t he still with whatever woman he’d been with? Casey wouldn’t let him go easily if she got him to go home with her. She’d want to keep him for as long as she could.

After dressing, he put on his wet boots again. His eyes finally turned to her. Bending down, he removed another set of clothes. He walked slowly to her, holding out the shirt and pants. She hesitated before climbing to her feet. She closed her fingers around the outfit. He backed up a few feet when he released them.

“I don’t think these will fit me but they are dry. I’ll try. Thank you. They are cool. I’ve never felt or seen material like this. It looks like leather but it’s softer.”

He was grinning at her again. Giving him her back, she dropped the pants on his bedding to try to figure out the shirt. She put it on her body only to discover Velcro-like fasteners instead of buttons on the inside seams of the front of the shirt. The garment was baggy as hell on her but at least she didn’t have to worry about him seeing her bra-free breasts flopping around under his shirt. It was that baggy. She had to roll the sleeves to find her hands.

As she bent over he growled from behind her. She grinned as she turned her head. He was staring at her ass peeking out from the bottom of the shirt at him.

“An ass man, huh? I thought you wanted me to get dressed.”

His eyes tore away from her exposed curves. He nodded.

Regret flooded her. The idea of doing it doggy-style with him turned her on. She bet he was good at that. Guilt ate at her again. Just because he had some animal-like features didn’t mean he liked to fuck like one. She bit her lip as she tore her gaze from his.

She opened the pants to step into them. They were way too long for her, realizing how tall his legs were judging by the extra material pooled at her feet. When she tried to fasten the pants she discovered another dilemma when they sagged at her. All she could think to do was roll the pant legs at her ankles to not step on them. She had no clue about what to do with the looseness around her waist so she held them up with her hand.

He was there crouched in front of her, before she saw him coming. He grinned, showing his sharp teeth, as he studied the problem. He rolled the top of the waist down a few times so it thickened around her hips and kept them in place. He studied his handiwork before he lifted his head, their gazes meeting.

Chapter Three

For the first time in her life Casey felt like a sex addict. Naughty thoughts inundated her mind as she stared into his incredibly blue eyes. His masculine scent teased her nose. Just being near him made her hot and yearn for him to strip her naked again to repeat what they’d done together on his bedding. She saw his nose flare as he sniffed at her, his eyes growing hungry as he stared at the V of her thighs. It was clear he could scent her arousal. His hands released her though, leaving her hips as he stood. He grabbed the backpack, shutting it, and hooked it over his shoulder as he moved closer to her.

It almost dazed her at how tall he was as she tilted her chin up to look at him. When both of them were lying down he hadn’t seemed a good foot taller than she was. She felt tiny compared to the big boned, muscular male. Sexual attraction sparked between them like electricity. His lips parted as he softly growled at her in that sexy way of his.

“I don’t know why, but damn, do you turn me on.” She flushed when she realized she’d said that out loud.

He grinned, reaching out to cup her face with his hand. The man had great hands. Rough skin brushed her cheek. She almost turned her head to look at his palm but that meant she would have had to tear her eyes away from his and she just couldn’t do it. He nodded his head.

“I turn you on?”

Blue eyes narrowed, his nose flared, as he softly growled. Thick lips parted, showing his sharp teeth. A sigh came out next. Tearing his gaze away from her, he turned his head to stare behind them at the falling water for long moments. His body tensed when he looked back down at her, pointing to the water.

“You want us to leave? But we just got dressed. We’ll get wet again and those men are out there looking for us. If they find me it’s one thing but nobody can get a good look at you. You know what will happen if someone sees you, don’t you? They’ll take one glance at you and know you’re different. They’ll—”

A growl cut her off. He shook his head, the hunger in his eyes replaced with anger. Casey bit her lip. Had he been captured before? Was that why he looked furious? Had someone once hurt him? She really wished that they could talk to each other. He took a deep breath, letting his touch fall away from her cheek. His fingers brushed down her arm to grip her hand, turning his body, tugging her gently to the water.

“No,” she dug in her heels while yanking on his hand holding her. “We need to stay here where it’s safe.”

He chuckled as he turned quickly to face her. Casey saw him bend over and in the next instant her world turned upside down as her hip hit his wide shoulder. He was carrying her again over his body, his arm locked behind the back of her knees to make sure she stayed there. The backpack next to her cushioned some of her body from his back.

“Damn it! Put me down. You don’t understand that when you attacked those two assholes they would have called for backup. More people are out there looking for us, searching my property, and if we go out there they will find us. No one knows about this cave so they won’t find us if we hide out here where it’s safe. We should stay hidden. We should—”

Casey gasped as the man just jumped from the ledge through the waterfall. Pounding icy water soaked her for a heartbeat before they were plunged into the river. She couldn’t make a sound as her lungs seized in shock from the frigid cold. Her upper body floated in the water as he broke the surface of the river, the arm still firmly locking her thighs to his chest. He was moving, swimming quickly for shore, and she felt the jar of his boots as he found purchase along the riverbed. She turned her head, felt air and gasped in a deep breath.

He walked out of the river still carrying her as if all hundred and fifty pounds of her wasn’t a burden as he stormed for the woods. Using both of her hands, she shoved her long hair away from her face. There wasn’t an inch of her not freezing from being drenched in river water. It was growing dark so she knew they were only going to get colder as the night wore on.

Fear crept into Casey when he stopped and growled deeply, his body tensing over something he obviously saw or smelled. It was probably the state police who would have been called in when the two deputies had been attacked. That’s how it would be looked at even though Casey knew that Bigfoot had really protected her and taken her to safety. She knew for sure that’s not how the police report would read. Now they were both going to be caught because he hadn’t listened when she’d warned him how unsafe it would be to leave the cave.

“Shit. What is it?” she whispered in case they hadn’t been spotted yet. “Take us back to the cave.”

He growled deeper. What scared her was the fact that she heard another growl respond that she instinctively knew hadn’t come from the man carrying her. It was farther way but close enough to let her know it came from something within easy range of them. She twisted, shoving frantically at the wet brown hair that fell over her face, trying to see around his wide back, but she couldn’t see around him. Were there two of them?

What if Bigfoot had a brother? She wasn’t a sex toy, damn it. She didn’t roll that way. If he expected to share her with another man he was going to learn differently. Worse, what if they were enemies like two bears crossing in the woods? Bears fought each other when they met up unless they were of the opposite sex and both in the mood for some loving. She’d heard bear fights from her home. It was rare but she knew the large beasts roamed her woods. What if it was a bear? The man holding her tightly was big but he wasn’t a match for a large, vicious animal.

Casey finally twisted enough so that she spotted the second male who looked a lot like the Bigfoot holding her. She stared opened-mouthed, upside down, at the new male who wore a similar leatherlike outfit that matched the ones Casey and Bigfoot wore. His hair was long and wild like Bigfoot’s only it was shades lighter than black. She saw glowing eyes, a different shade of blue, and those eyes locked on her. He growled deeper.

Casey’s Bigfoot growled back. It sounded like a threatening kind of growl that a predator put out to warn off another animal. Fear inched up her spine more at the thought that they might fight. Were her woods full of these things? Where the hell had they come from? She had a ton of questions but not a single answer. The man holding her took a deep breath, jerking his head at the other one and growled again. He wiggled his shoulder so the backpack hit the ground.

The second man tore his concentration from Casey. With a jerk of his head he walked closer, grabbed up the backpack and stepped away while he lowered his face, almost bowing, before he spun around. Casey was stunned as she watched the male march into the woods a second before her Bigfoot moved to follow him.

“Put me down.”

To her annoyance Bigfoot ignored her. He kept walking, carrying her over his shoulder, so Casey was left to put her hands on the curve of his back where it turned into his firm ass. She shoved upward trying to lever herself so she wasn’t dangling over his shoulder. All it got her was shifted on his body so her hip was hooked higher on his shoulder. It made her center of gravity off so it was impossible to lift her upper chest away from his back. It also brought her face closer to his ass and she knew he did it on purpose. She pushed but gave up when she realized he wasn’t going to put her down.

Casey was afraid as they walked quickly through the woods. She didn’t know there were going to be two of them and she had no idea where they were taking her. What if they had a few dozen Bigfoot men camping out on her land? She wondered if they all got together every year like a family reunion. Was her land their version of a park to hold it at? The sun went down, getting so dark that she couldn’t see a thing anymore, but it didn’t slow down either man.

Casey was starting to get a headache from all the blood settling in her head. She sighed. “Bigfoot guy?”

He softly growled at her, his hand rubbing her leg, but he didn’t stop walking. They must have traveled for miles but he wasn’t even slowing down.

“I’m getting a headache from this position. Do you understand? All the blood in my head is causing me pain.”

Relief swept through Casey when he stopped. He shifted her on his body to slide her down his chest, adjusting her in his arms until she was almost nose to nose with him. He held her firmly off the ground with one arm around her waist securing her to him. She could barely make out his shadow in the darkness. The moon hid behind dense trees overhead making him just a dark shadow in a darker terrain. Her hands gripped the curve of his shoulders.

With his free hand he shifted her legs for her so she understood. She clamped her legs around his hips as her arms wrapped around his neck. Two large hands cupped her ass, holding her against him. She locked her ankles together and then threaded her fingers behind his neck to help her hold on. She felt watched, but she wasn’t sure if it was her Bigfoot or if it was the other one.

“You can put me down. I can walk.”

He released her butt with one hand only to reach back to grip her bare foot, rubbing it. Casey nodded. What he was trying to tell her came across.

“Right. I don’t have shoes. I’ve got to be heavy though. Isn’t your back hurting? Your arms? Hell, the shoulder you’ve been lugging me on? I know you’re big and strong, but geez.”

He chuckled and then softly growled at her. He released her foot to cup her ass, holding her firmly in front of him, nuzzling her cheek with his. Understanding what he wanted, she turned her head to let it rest against the warmth of his neck. She inhaled his wonderful scent since her nose was touching his throat. Now that she wasn’t blocking his view anymore, he started to walk again.

Casey relaxed in his arms, enjoying the feel of her Bigfoot holding her. If he was determined to carry her then she was going to let him. Blindly traipsing barefoot in the woods at night while she was cold and wet didn’t hold any appeal. She shivered as the chilly wind blew through the trees and branches whispered above them. His body heat helped her stay warmer where she was pressed against him.

He stopped. Casey’s eyes flew open and she turned her head to see what he was viewing. It was too dark for her to see a thing, but light suddenly flared from the sky in the distance. She frowned, looking up, studying the small light that was streaking toward them. Her eyebrows shot up. Was it a falling star? She tried to wiggle out of Bigfoot’s arms. The flying thing looked like it was coming right at them.

“Shit,” she whispered.

The hands on her ass squeezed her gently. She turned her head to look at him but he was just a very dim shadow. A soft growl came from the other man and the mouth inches from hers responded. Casey turned her head when she heard a slight engine sound. What in the hell? Her jaw dropped open in shock when her eyes found the streaking small light again. With the light and the sound it looked like some kind of plane, but it sure wasn’t one she could identify.

She’d heard and seen plenty of loud helicopters in her lifetime. Even small planes didn’t sound like that and they had blinking lights on at night. Not even a small plane could set down in a heavily wooded area unless they were by a long stretch of straight road. A pilot would have to be insane to even try to land on any of the narrow country roads in this area. They were too thickly laced with trees that slanted over the roads. This was something new.

Whatever it was, it hovered above them. She stared up in shock as she saw a door opening wide, until the light blinded her. She looked at the area around them that was bathed in bright light. She could see they were in a small clearing with trees edging around them a good twenty feet away. Her gaze flew to her Bigfoot, clutching at him in terror.

His beautiful eyes sparkled with amusement while he studied her features carefully. Releasing one side of her ass, he pointed up, a grin splitting his lips.

Casey shook her head no in disbelief. “You can’t be serious. We aren’t going in that thing, are we? What in the hell is it?”

He continued to grin at her. It startled Casey when something dropped near them. She would have leapt out of his arms to run away but his hold on her tightened. He seemed to sense her terror of the unknown. Shock turned into horror when she saw what had dropped.

“Hell no.” She frantically shook her head. “No.”

He was moving before she could struggle. Her Bigfoot gripped the harness type contraption that dangled from the hovering vehicle above them. She tried to make him put her down, but Casey couldn’t get free. He growled at her, his amusement totally gone, as he released the harness to grip her with both his arms again.

Frantically shaking her head, she glanced from him to whatever was hovering. The lighted thing had to be a hundred feet above them. No way was she letting him strap her to something with a weird rope and have her raised into the air. Being arrested to go see her ex-boyfriend wasn’t sounding so bad at that moment.

The other Bigfoot was suddenly there next to them to strap the harness on Casey’s Bigfoot, since he wasn’t letting her go. Those arms might as well have been steel bands locked around her waist. The other man’s hands shoved between Casey’s body and the man gripping her tightly to secure the harness. The other man stepped back as the binding clicked closed. Their bodies swung in the air as Bigfoot’s feet left the ground. Instantly she stopped struggling. Casey wrapped around him tightly, gripping his body with her legs and arms. She clung to him, not wanting to fall.

Wind battered them as they got closer to the bright light. Casey buried her face in Bigfoot’s neck. “Oh God. Don’t drop me!” she yelled.

She could have sworn he chuckled. His strong arms were wrapped tightly around her. She already knew he was brawny but he’d been carrying her for miles as they’d walked to this spot. Now wasn’t the time for him to tire. She didn’t want to look down.

The engine sound got louder. She braved opening her eyes as they were lifted up into a metal room bathed in light. She stared in alarm at another Bigfoot. This one had wild red hair with glowing bright green eyes that fixed on her. He wore the same leatherlike body-encasing outfit, making her think it was a uniform. Every damn one of them was tall and muscular.

She had a really bad feeling that she’d been all wrong about Bigfoot. The mythical creatures were solitary according to legend and they sure didn’t have aircraft that hovered. Was he some kind of super soldier the government had made? Maybe some crazy scientist had made these men into some kind of secret Army experimental project. Who would volunteer though to have their DNA changed? She sure as hell wouldn’t. If her guy was some secret Army person why was he taking her back to his base? A whole new fear flooded her as they were lifted away from the open door to a metal floor. Bigfoot touched the ground. His body relaxed slightly but he still gripped her tightly.

The redheaded man was as big as Casey’s Bigfoot. He looked at her with a friendly smile. Growling, his eyes turned to the man holding Casey. Bigfoot growled back with a wink. Casey had a really bad feeling as the redhead unhooked the tether from the harness and stepped back. Casey met Bigfoot’s eyes. He was smiling. He turned then, still holding her, and moved for a closed metal door. As they reached it he didn’t touch a thing. The door obviously had some kind of motion sensor that activated it since it slid open automatically. He strode into a corridor with her.

“Put me down,” Casey almost begged.

Bigfoot kept walking until he reached a corridor, completely ignoring her plea. He paused in front of one of many doors, releasing her with one arm, to slap his palm on an electric pad on the wall. The door buzzed softly before sliding open. He walked inside, the door sliding shut behind them as soon as his body cleared it. Casey twisted her head to frantically look around the room.

A big bed with built-in drawers under it took up most of the small space. Along one wall were shelves with more drawers built into it. The walls were made out of some kind of shiny black metal material that was as foreign to her as most of the things she’d seen since coming on the ship. There was an open door across the room that was clearly a bathroom with a large shower stall right in full view. She was distracted from studying the room when the arm wrapped around her waist shifted to lower her body from his hold.

As he eased Casey to her feet she stared up at him. He gazed back for a few seconds before turning away to walk to a small screen with buttons. It reminded her of some kind of weird looking computer or small television. She saw him touch it with one of his fingers, a bright blue screen coming on instantly, with weird symbols scrolling across it. He let his hand drop after he pushed a few buttons before turning, his gaze locking on her.

“Can you understand me now? This is a program running on the conis that should let us communicate easily.”

Casey swallowed hard as shock hit her. Her mouth opened but nothing came out. She’d seen his lips move and heard his soft growl, but English words had come out of speakers hidden in the room. She tried to speak again. She didn’t know what to think or what to say. Too many thoughts were streaming through her head. Something finally popped out of her open mouth.

“You’re not a Bigfoot, are you?”

A black eyebrow arched. “I have big feet compared to you.”

“Sasquatch. You’re not one of them, are you?”

“I don’t know what that is. I’m not familiar with different breeds of humans.”

She needed to sit down. Humans? Her mind was spinning hard. He said it like human was a foreign word to him and he had pronounced it wrong too. It came out “hum-ins”. The way he spoke was strange. Different breeds of humans? They didn’t have different breeds of humans. They were made up of different racial groups. She took a few steps to collapse on his bed, never looking away from him.

A sigh escaped his lips. “You’re surprised that I’m not human. What did you think I was? What is a Bigfoot?”

“What are you?”

He hesitated. “I was told your Earth thinks life doesn’t exist on other worlds. I hate to give you a shock but that would be a wrong theory because there is life out there. I’m a Zorn warrior from the planet Zorn. We learned about your planet when a human woman was captured by another alien race and held captive with some of our Zorn people. My people escaped their prison and one of our Zorn warriors took that human as his bound. He is my brother. I believe you would call being bound a term called marriage. Some of my Zorn warriors came here to find human women to bound with. My brother and his human are very happy together.”

Casey was really glad she was sitting as she stared at the handsome Zorn alien man. Her eyes flickered over the tight outfit hugging his body. No wonder he was so buff. It made sense if he was a warrior. Another thought struck her. Were they some kind of warrior race that would attack Earth? Her eyes widened.

“Are you attacking my planet?”

A grin curved his lips. “No. Would you like me to?”

“No!”

He chuckled, reaching for the front of his outfit, starting to tug it open. “Good. War is something we don’t back away from, but we don’t start them either. We are an intelligent race. I apologize for not having an implant on me to insert into your ear so we could communicate. I wasn’t expecting you, Casey. I had gone down to the surface to get a look at your Earth. It is beautiful and different from my world. You only have one moon and it is too distant. Your wildlife is very tame compared to where I live. Is that why you are not a hunter or warrior race?”

She was clueless how to answer that last part. “You never came across a bear,” she finally said. “They are dangerous and big.”

“I did not.” He opened his shirt to tear it off his body completely. He threw it at the open door to the bathroom area. “Remove your wet clothing. We’ll shower. I am hungry. They will bring us something to eat. We have brought foods that the other human woman who is bound to my brother eats. She likes them so I hope that you will as well.”

She shook her head. “Back up.”

He frowned but took a step back from her. Casey almost snorted.

“Not literally. It’s a figure of speech. You’re losing me. What implant? What do you mean some of your men came here to find women? Aren’t there any women on your planet? I’m so confused.” She took a deep breath. “And what is your name? I’ve been calling you Bigfoot but you’re not one.”

He chuckled. “My name is Argernon. My people call me Argis Argernon. Argis is my title and place on my planet. My father leads Zorn. I am second son in line to lead. Do not be intimidated by my place. My father is very healthy and so is my older brother Ral. I will never have to lead my planet. An implant is something I’ll have you fitted with soon but I don’t want to do it here because it would be painful without a healer to insert it. We don’t have one on board currently. It is a small device that will be painlessly placed inside both your ears. That way we don’t need a conis to translate for us. You’ll be able to understand me and any other Zorn who speaks.” He chuckled. “And there are women on my planet. It’s just that some men wanted bound to human women. My brother’s bound made quite an impression on a lot of our males.”

“Conis?”

He pointed. “I think you would call that a computer. Is that correct? My brother’s bound has been working with the translation programmer so humans can understand some different words like our conis to your term computer. Some of it is still being tested but she gave me a few words with the translation. She said they would be useful to test. Computer was one of them.”

Casey bit her lip. “What other words did she tell you?”

He grinned. “Clit.”

“What did you say?” She was sure she had to have heard him wrong.

“Unis is our word for clit.” His smile spread wide as his eyes lowered to the V of her legs. “Our women have a unis. You call it a clit. That is the part of you that I—”

“I got it!” Casey flushed as she cut off the rest of that sentence. She remembered too well what he had done to her. “Okay. What other words did she give you to toss out there at humans?”

He cocked his head. “I think we’ll discuss those words at a later time. I feel dirty and we are both wet with river water that doesn’t smell good. Take off the clothing. Come with me to the shower. I will wash you and feed you.”

Standing slowly, Casey reached for her clothes. “I have to return home soon.”

He studied her. “I assure you that you will be returning home soon, Casey.” He smiled slowly at her. “But first I want to get to know you. I want to get you out of those clothes.”

She hesitated. He was an alien from another planet. She’d made love to him before thinking he was a legendary creature. She got up as she undressed slowly. He might not be a Bigfoot but he was sexy as hell. She wanted a repeat of his touching her. Their gazes locked as she stripped.

He watched her as he removed his boots and his pants. Naked, she soaked in every wonderful exposed inch of him. Her attention fixed on his middle. Instantly her body responded to his thick arousal pointing right at her showing how turned-on he was. Her inner muscles quivered as moisture flooded between her thighs.

The bathroom was tiny. She eyed the toilet. It was obvious what it was but it wasn’t the same as the one at home. The shower captured her attention most. There weren’t doors or even a curtain separating it from the rest of the bathroom.

Argernon chuckled. “I apologize for the lack of amenities but this ship was designed as a jumper. Our women are not warriors so we do not transport them on it. It wasn’t built with female comfort in mind. We couldn’t bring one of our larger ships close to your Earth for worry that your planet’s defenses would pick us up. When the jumper leaves orbit we will meet up with our larger ship that waits for our return to get back to Zorn.”

“A jumper?”

“A small craft designed for speed to transport our warriors from one place to another. Usually this craft is used to transport our injured or to get us to battle quickly. There are only ten living quarters that are private and one crew room they share and it only has two decks. This is the largest living quarter on the jumper that I took from the captain since I’m Argis. I wanted more privacy that is afforded to me on the jumper than on the larger ship we use for distance travel.”

“And Argis means what?”

“I told you. My father leads Zorn. Argis is a title of my family. Argis is…” He paused, his mind working, before he shrugged. “It is my family status on my planet. My brothers and I are all Argis.”

“Do you have sisters?”

“Yes.”

“Are they Argis as well?”

He shook his head. “Bratha. That is their designation. It means the female of my family. My mother is Bratha Alluwn. Her name is Alluwn. My sisters are—”

“I understand.”

He grinned. “Do you understand how much I want you?” His gaze raked down her body.

Casey’s body responded to the hunger glowing in his eyes. “Yes, Argernon.”

Large warm hands reached for her, gripping her waist as he lifted her over the edge of the shower stall. It just had a rim to keep the water from pouring out on the floor. The water came driving down like rain instead of from a single stream. Argernon made the flow start by reaching up to wave his hand in the air. He grinned as Casey gasped in surprise at the sudden soaking of warm water.

“Sorry. I startled you.”

The water was coming down so she couldn’t look up at him. She pushed her wet brown hair out of her face and lifted her hand to protect water from running in her eyes as she looked at his chest.

“How do you see?”

He chuckled. “They aren’t meant for sharing. They are meant to clean up fast. We will wait for sharing our bodies when we get out. Just stand there to get unsoiled. The water will wash us with chemicals in it but do not swallow it or it will make you sick. It cleans your skin and hair.”

She let the water pour down her but moved closer to Argernon’s body. He moved his hands on her hips, brushing his palms on her skin. One hand left her to wave the air above them to stop the water from pouring down. Casey wiped at her face with her hands so she could look up at him. He tossed his wet hair back. She stared up at his strong features realizing just how handsome he was even if he wasn’t human. As far as aliens went he was damn fine looking.

“I want inside you now. Close your eyes and do not startle. You will feel heat.”

He reached over to push on part of the shower wall. Casey heard a click and shut her eyes. She gasped as hot air hit her from above and from the sides. It was like being in a wind tunnel of blasting heat. If someone hooked up fifty blow dryers in different locations it was a close comparison. The water started to dry on her skin. The air blasts suddenly shut off. She opened her eyes to look at Argernon.

He was grinning. “It doesn’t dry hair but if you push the button enough it will. You do not want to do that though. It will make your skin dry and itchy.” He reached for her again to brush his fingertips over her skin. “You are so pale and soft. Your skin is delicate.”

Biting her lip, Casey eyed him. She let her teeth release. “Are we going to talk or are you going to take me to your bed?”

A grin split his face. “Follow me.” He let his hand slide to her hand to grip it. He tugged at her to follow him out of the bathroom. “Let’s go.”

She followed him back to the sleeping area. It was a big bed, longer than a standard king-size bed but it was just as wide. A muscular arm hooked around her waist as Argernon suddenly spun to face her. She gasped as he jerked her off her feet, just tossing her so she landed on her back on the bed with a bounce. His gaze locked with Casey’s.

“I saw a monitoring of one of my kind having sex with a human woman. Your sex is slightly different from women of my world. I want to learn everything about your body and I want you to learn about mine. I am slightly different from your human men.”

Excitement hit Casey. “Okay. I’m game.”

He blinked and arched an eyebrow.

“I’m game is a slang term for I want to learn about you. It means I’m in, I want to do that.”

He chuckled. “Good because we are doing a lot of it.”

Chapter Four

Argernon climbed on the bed after Casey. He stretched out his six-foot-five body on the bed next to her. Casey rolled on her side to face him until just inches separated them. She let her eyes slowly scan down his body to take in every detail of his naturally tan skin. She wet her lips. Argernon was totally lickable in her book. She just couldn’t decide where to start.

A grin split his lips. “How am I different from your human men?”

“Your features are slightly different.” She reached over to trace his nose with her fingertip lightly. “Definitely different there. You have sharp teeth and your lips are thicker. Your bone structure is stronger and more pronounced.”

“Am I attractive to you? I find your nose to be attractive for a bump.”

Casey laughed, nodding. He definitely was attractive to her. “My nose is a bump?”

“Definitely.” His eyes went to her breasts. “I love your pale skin.”

“Aren’t any of your people this white?”

He shook his head. “Never. I like that your body is much softer to look upon than our women.” His hand spread on her slightly rounded stomach as he rubbed her skin there. “You are very soft to touch as well.”

Casey let her hand drift down his cheek, continuing slowly down to his chest, his stomach, to finally stop at his hip, letting her eyes follow her hand as she let her palm caress the head of his cock.

“You are bigger here than a human.”

“In size? Aren’t your men built like us? Am I thicker or longer than your men?”

She hesitated. “The head of your cock is larger than a human’s. You’re bigger everywhere than any man I’ve ever been with, but they were smaller guys to be fair. Your tip is thicker but you thicken again a few inches down to the base of your cock. It feels amazing.”

That brought a chuckle from him. “That would explain how tight you are. You almost hurt me but it feels wonderful. You are perfect and feel incredible inside.” His grin died as hunger made his eyelids narrow. “You are softer inside than any woman I have ever taken.”

“What is the difference?”

“You don’t have rough ridges in your voltia. You are soft and the sensation…” He growled, moving closer. “I want you again. Your scent calls to me when you are aroused. I love how you taste. You flavor better, Casey. I inhale you when you want me and I have never been harder or hurt more to be inside a woman.”

She had to remember to breathe. She guessed voltia was their word for vagina. Her nipples tightened with his words, her pussy flooded with need, the memory of him between her thighs when his tongue had stroked her clit was a strong aphrodisiac. She couldn’t wait long. She wanted him now.

“Let’s stop talking and get busy.”

“Busy?” He rolled, suddenly pushing her on her back. “Does this mean you want me to fuck you?”

“Yes.” She gripped his rock-hard cock between them feeling him throb in her palm. Soft skin covered a steel-hard erection. “Please, Argernon. I want to feel you.” She spread her legs wide open as she tugged at him to move there.

He didn’t take any additional urging to climb over her to settle his larger body into the cradle of her thighs. Their eyes locked when he adjusted his hips, pressing his thick cock against her wet sex. He pushed in slowly. Her body resisted the thick, blunt head at the first press against her but Casey just lifted her hips to take him, spreading her thighs more to help open herself wider to accept him. The sensation of him pushing into her, stretching her, made her moan in pleasure. It was pure bliss as he filled her, sliding against all those wonderful nerve endings.

“That feels so damn good. You feel like heaven.” She paused. He probably didn’t know what that term meant. “Nothing has ever felt better than you do inside me.”

“Casey,” he growled. “I am trying to refrain. Don’t get me too turned-on or I am afraid I’ll hurt you.”

That got her to grin. “Hurt me?”

He didn’t smile back. “I am much stronger and I don’t want to hurt you.”

An image of him fucking her hard and deep surfaced in her imagination. In the cave he’d lost some of his restraint in the end while they’d been going at it. It had been a heaven and hell that she wanted to experience again. Her inner walls gripped him tighter with need. She wanted him like that. Fast, hard, unrestrained and wild. His cock almost withdrew from her completely, causing more wonderful sensations. A moan tore from her.

“I think I can take it, Argernon.” She wiggled her hips. “Give me what you’ve got.”

A growl tore from Argernon’s lips as he drove into her hard and deep. The sudden thrust made her throw her head back in rapture, her fingernails digging into his shoulders, as a loud moan tore from her lips. Argernon froze, buried deep inside her. He started to slowly withdraw.

“I am sorry I hurt you.”

She shook her head, opening her eyes. Her legs wrapped around his waist to lock him in place. “That didn’t hurt. It surprised me but it feels amazing. Do it again.”

“Are you sure?” Concern showed in his gaze.

“I’m not fragile. Trust me.”

He withdrew from her body, forcing her to release him from her legs wrapped around his hips. He pushed up to his knees to stare down at her.

“Roll over then and give me your ass.”

“Wow.” She swallowed. “Uh…I think you’re way too big to go there.”

He tilted his head, frowning at her. “I want to take you that way.”

She blinked. “You’re kind of thick for that. I’d be game but it would take some time to work that in and we’d need lube.” Her gaze flickered down to his impressive hard-on. “Lots of lube.”

Argernon’s frown deepened as confusion flicked across his features. “You’re ready for me.”

She bit her lip. “Are we both talking about anal sex? Do you know what that is?”

He shook his head. Surprise hit Casey. They didn’t have anal sex on his planet? That was just weird. After a quick glance at his thick-headed cock she couldn’t say she was disappointed that he wasn’t going to go there. He was too damn thick to do the anal thing with her without some pain involved in stretching her. She slowly rolled over to get on her hands and knees. Turning her head, she smiled at him over her shoulder, wiggling her ass at him in invitation and pushing it up higher since he was a tall guy even on his knees.

“Like this?”

“You make me so hard,” he snarled at her.

He dropped down on her body, caging her under him as he braced one hand on the bed to hold his weight, his free hand guiding his cock to her. He pushed into her pussy slowly. Both of them groaned loudly as he worked himself in deep.

“You are so hot, wet and tight.”

“It feels really good from this side too,” she moaned as he moved in short thrusts that teased her. Her fingers clawed his bed. “Please fuck me hard and faster.”

“My pleasure,” he growled.

His free arm hooked around her waist, anchoring her so she couldn’t move as he hammered her rapidly and deeply. His hand shifted, cupping her from the front as his palm rubbed against her clit. Flesh hit flesh as her ass hit the front of his hips. Casey couldn’t think through the rapture she felt as his cock pounded away at her. Something wonderful was building, her muscles tensing, as she hovered on total ecstasy.

“Oh God!” Casey panted. “Oh God! Don’t stop.”

“I couldn’t if I tried,” he snarled.

Sharp teeth gripped her shoulder. Another snarl tore from Argernon, muffled against her skin locked between his teeth, his hips powering into her even faster. Their bodies slammed together. Her vaginal walls clamped down tighter on his driving cock.

Casey screamed as she came hard. Sharp teeth released the tight hold on her shoulder as Argernon threw his head back. A roar tore from his parted lips, his body quaking over hers fiercely, his hot semen blasting inside Casey while he emptied his release into her. His hips slowed their movement until he wasn’t moving anymore.

Casey collapsed her shoulders to the bed, her ass in the air since Argernon had his arm braced around her hips to hold her in place. She panted and fought the urge to pass out from exhaustion. The man had fucked her within an inch of her life and she knew it. A smile twisted her lips. He was still planted inside her. His hand moved so his fingers explored her clit. It made Casey jerk a little since she was oversensitive.

A chuckle sounded from him before he slowly withdrew from her body, his fingers sliding away from her clit. Casey missed the feel of him inside her body. The arm holding her up gently released her. Argernon collapsed on his side next to her so he faced her. Casey let her ass lower as she shut her legs to slide straight out on her stomach on his comfortable bed. She rolled on her side so they faced each other. Their gazes locked together.

“That was the best sex I’ve ever had in my life,” she admitted with a grin. “You’re amazing and I almost feel like thanking you.”

Argernon grinned. “It was the best for me as well and I do thank you. You have made me very happy.”

Casey chuckled. “So do you go around saving women from getting arrested often?”

He frowned. “Why were they arresting you? I am familiar with this term. On Zorn it means you have broken laws and are taken to be judged for punishment if you are found guilty. I want you to tell me everything.”

“I told you I dated the wrong guy who slept with another woman. Last week he had those two deputies you rescued me from, arrest me. They handcuffed me, took me to Don’s office, and after they left he…” She flushed a little. “He wanted me to be with him again. I told him off. He started pulling down my pants and said some really awful things to me. I fought and screamed. He was going to force me to have sex with him but he had to let me go when his deputies burst into the room. He sent them back to arrest me again.” She shivered. “This time he might have not been stopped. Thank you, Argernon.”

Anger made his mouth twist into a tight frown, intense blue eyes burned with rage. “I can understand wanting to be inside you desperately, but to force a woman is inexcusable. I had heard you were a monogamous species. He was aware of this? That being with another woman sexually would make you not want him anymore?”

His words stunned her. She swallowed. “Not all humans are monogamous but most of us are and yes, he was aware. I take it that your world isn’t?“

Dread of what his answer might be made her stomach clench. Not that it should matter to her but the idea of him with another woman bothered her. He was from another planet. That whole ‘take him home with her’ idea was already blown to hell. She knew she was going to lose him and she didn’t want to. Depression hit her hard. She wished he had been a Bigfoot in need of a home. It wasn’t like they could enter into a lasting relationship now. He’d go back to his home planet.

“My world is different. Our males are highly aroused often. Do you understand what I say?”

“It means you have a high sex drive.”

Argernon nodded. “Our women can’t handle one of our men alone. Most men have two or three women in his home under his protection. We only bound with one woman. She is the one we favor the most and share our seed with to have offspring.”

Casey had to shut her mouth since it had fallen open. She didn’t like what he was saying and reminded herself it was a good thing they weren’t in a long-term relationship no matter how much something inside her rebelled at that statement.

“How many times a day do you have sex?”

He shrugged. “I like five times a day every day.”

That was a high number but nothing Casey couldn’t handle. Hell, the guy was amazing in bed. “Why can’t your women handle that?”

“Our women are different than you physically. I have read the medical reports that were collected on a human and they have the ability to enjoy sex many times in a day. Our women get sore and do not enjoy the sex after two times in a day. Their unis swells and is uncomfortable after sex. Their unis is inside their bodies and not on the outside like your clit is.”

“Wow.” Casey let the information sink in.

“That is one of the reasons so many of our men wish to bound with a human female. Not only can you match us for sexual desire in a day but you enjoy sex in many positions that are not enjoyable to our women. What they do not know is how amazing touching you is, how you are different inside, and by the Lord of the Moons, you feel amazing.”

Chuckling, Casey grinned at him. She reached out to let her fingertips explore his muscled chest. “That goes both ways.”

His eyes narrowed. “You are aroused again, aren’t you?” His nose flared. “I want you so much I hurt for you. Can I take you now?”

Lowering her eyes, Casey was amazed that Argernon was hard again. She ran her hand down his body to grip his hard shaft near the base, gliding her palm upward to the larger mushroomed tip. She brushed her thumb pad around the rim of the tip in a slow circle. Argernon softly groaned as he rolled on his back.

“Please touch me, Casey. Your hands are soft and pleasure me greatly.”

Casey straddled Argernon’s thighs. She used both hands to explore his balls, testing their heavy weight, and taking notice of the fact that there was almost no hair there. She released him with one hand, sliding it up his shaft toward the thick tip.

A hard nickel-sized patch of skin on the top of his cock was ridged along the upper side. Argernon whimpered when her fingers explored it. His large body jerked under hers. Casey froze. Her gaze flew up to his face.

“Did I hurt you?”

He shook his head as his gaze locked with hers. “That’s my hais. Feel the harder area? I would compare it to your clit from the way you react to me touching you. It is the most sensitive area on my cock.”

Casey ran her fingers over him, exploring every glorious inch of Argernon. He shivered under her soft touches as she cupped his balls with one hand and rubbed his cock with the palm of the other over the head. He had little pubic hair but lots of chest hair that trailed down his front to his waist. Argernon shivered again.

“I need inside you. I can’t take the teasing.” The words came out in a raspy tone.

Casey was thrown on her back in a heartbeat when he sat up. She gasped in air as his body came down on her smaller one. He pinned her, using his knees to spread her thighs wide open, and entered her without warning. Casey moaned, gripping his shoulders, wrapping her legs around his hips, and pulled him tighter against her. He stretched her inner walls with his thickness, filling her in one slow drive of his hips.

She cried out in bliss. “You feel so damn good.”

Argernon rode her hard and fast. He shifted the position of his hips, lifting her body higher by wrapping an arm under her ass to elevate her. He braced his other arm on the bed to lift his upper body off her chest. She had to release his shoulders. Her hands instead ended up gripping his driving hips. If it were at all possible Argernon moved faster and harder, pounding into her over and over.

Casey came furiously, pleasure exploding in her as his hips slowed. He groaned as his cock pulsed strongly against her vaginal walls, semen flooding her inside as he came. Opening her eyes, she watched Argernon’s face. He almost looked like he was in pain with his mouth open to show off his sharper Zorn teeth. His beautiful blue eyes were squeezed shut with his head thrown back. The pained look passed to one of peace when his eyes slowly opened.

A smile touched her lips. “That was…” She wasn’t sure what words would cover the amazing experience of having sex with Argernon.

“I know.”

Casey caught her breath. She was getting too attached to Argernon and she knew it. She hesitated. “Why did you bring me here?”

Slowly withdrawing from her body, his eyes looked anywhere but at her. His features hardened, all emotion wiped from his face. He moved away from her to stretch out on his back next to her on the bed then turned his head and met her eyes.

“I don’t understand the question.”

Casey turned on her side facing him. She hadn’t missed his reaction to her question. “Why did you take me from the cave and bring me here to your ship?”

He hesitated. “I didn’t want our time to end.”

She didn’t want it to either. She swallowed. “I have to go back in two days, Argernon. I don’t work until then but day after tomorrow I have to be back at noon. That’s twelve o’clock during the day Earth time.” She suddenly laughed. “Earth time. Boy, does that sound funny to say. I’m still in shock that I’m on a ship of some sort and that you’re not from Earth. How weird is that?”

He didn’t smile back. Instead his blue eyes narrowed and seemed to harden. “We need to talk about that, Casey.”

“We are talking.”

He hesitated before reaching for her. One of his hands cupped her hip, his large, warm fingers curled around her hipbone to grip her firmly. “I’m not taking you back.” He said the words softly.

Casey let his words sink in. “Excuse me? What did you say?”

He sighed softly. Bright blue eyes glowed at her with intensity. “I’m not taking you back. You know about us. The moment I heard you running through the woods I made a choice to save you. Those men didn’t really see me. You thought I was a Bigfoot. They will probably think I was one as well. You know the truth—that I am not something that can be explained away. My men want to find women on your planet and we can’t do that if your people are aware of our existence and our desire to visit. We aren’t looking for a war and we don’t want to fight with your people but we do want some of your women to bound with. I am not taking you back.”

Shock hit Casey hard before anger flared. “You have to take me back. As much as I’ve enjoyed this…” She waved a hand between them. “I own my home, have a job, and I have friends. Not many friends, I admit, but I have a life and it’s mine. You have to take me back, Argernon.”

He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “I wasn’t looking for a woman to bound with and I hadn’t even considered it until I met you. I didn’t pull out of you at the end of sex. I planted my seed in you, Casey. I bound to you. You are mine now and I’m taking you back to Zorn with me. I will do my best to make your life happy. You will love Zorn. It is a beautiful planet. My brother’s bound is human and she loves living there. She is happy and you will be too. I will commit to making sure you are content.”

Casey was too astonished to speak for long moments. He was taking her to another planet? He looked dead serious about it judging from the stern expression on his face. She’d wanted to take him home to keep him. Now he was informing her that he was taking her home to keep her instead.

Rolling away, she jerked out of his hold to get to her feet. She paced his small room, shaking her head wildly. She glared at Argernon when she stopped walking.

“No way in hell. You have to take me home. You can’t just adopt me and take me home like I’m some damn pet. You can’t take me from my planet. It’s kidnapping and I won’t go.”

Argernon flinched. He slowly climbed off the bed as well. He kept a good four feet between them. Regret shone in his eyes. “I am sorry, Casey, but I bound you. The sex was too intense and I did not expect my overriding desire or the fact that I couldn’t bring myself to pull out of you. There’s something I should tell you.”

“I am going home, Argernon,” she said softly, firmly. “You can’t keep me here.”

He blinked a few times. “I can keep you and I will. You could be carrying my offspring, Casey. We are breeding compatible.” His gaze lowered to her stomach. “Even now my seed could be taking root.” He looked into her eyes. “I can keep you. I am only sorry that you are so distressed to stay with me. I was hoping you would be pleased.”

“Pleased?” She gasped. “You’re kidnapping me from my life, Argernon. I have a home and a job.”

He took another deep breath. “Now you will have a new home that you will share with me. Your job will be as my bound. I will cherish you and protect you. I will feed you and care for you. That is your new life.”

“You son of a bitch!”

Argernon frowned. “I don’t understand. In my language a bitch is a female animal in mating drive.”

“Exactly!”

His lips twisted into a grimace. “My mother…” He closed his mouth. “Insults are your human way of dealing with anger. I understand. It doesn’t change anything. I am sorry you are upset over this. I was hoping you would be glad.”

Chapter Five

Casey was locked in Argernon’s room and she was considering committing murder. He had dressed, given her a large shirt to wear and food. He’d left her alone hours ago to brood. She’d tried to get the door open but it wouldn’t budge. She only had access to his room and to the bathroom. She had found a dagger-like knife that was now stashed under the pillow on the bed.

He’d brought her some kind of fruit plate with some cooked meat. She had no idea what kind of meat it was but it wasn’t like anything she’d ever tasted before. It was like some kind of long strip of steak that was tangy and delicious. The fruits had been terrific, though strange looking. The drink he’d given her was red—its taste similar to fruity flavored water.

Rage boiled inside her as she paced. Argernon couldn’t kidnap her to take her to another planet. She’d had sex with the guy. Admittedly, it had been great sex, but that didn’t mean he could keep her like a pet. Sitting down hard on the bed, she tossed her wet hair over her shoulder. She’d figured out the shower when he’d gone. She was furious with him and she didn’t want to smell like him or sex so she’d washed all traces of him off her body.

Argernon left her right after dropping the bomb about keeping her. He’d said he had duties to perform. What in the hell did that even mean? What did the guy do besides going around having sex with a stranger and kidnapping her after the fact? Casey burned with fury that she refused to let go of, because if she let it go she knew the fear would grip her.

The thought of being taken to another planet where she’d be at an alien’s mercy terrified her. She didn’t know Argernon at all besides how amazing he was at fucking her. For all she knew he could be abusive. Hell, she thought, she’d known her ex-boyfriend Don better. He’d been a cheating bastard, a liar, and in the end had used his job to almost rape her. What horrible character traits was Argernon hiding from her that she’d discover down the road? The fact that he was a kidnapper wasn’t lost on her either.

The door slid open suddenly, startling Casey. She glared at the tall alien as he entered the room. Argernon studied her as he paused inside the door that shut firmly behind him. The door worked fine for him. Obviously the pad to open it needed his handprint. Argernon watched her with caution radiating from him. His gaze left her glare to glance around the room. His attention returned fully on her.

“How many weapons did you find?”

Casey swallowed hard. “None. I wish I’d thought of that.”

Snorting, Argernon edged around the room, keeping some distance from her. He watched her closely as he moved. “I assume that an angry female with intelligence is spiteful, Casey. Hand over the weapons that you found. If you harm me it won’t do you any good. There are over a dozen men on this ship who will not let you leave. We have left your planet’s orbit and have docked with our ship. There is nowhere to escape to.”

“You are lying to me.”

“I do not lie. It is a useless endeavor and not honorable.”

“So kidnapping a woman is honorable?”

He frowned. “I did not plan on this, Casey. I went to your woods to visit your Earth and seek out your wildlife. I’m a hunter by nature and I wished to explore. I never counted on seeing you running from those men or saving you.”

“You took me to the cave. You planned that.”

“I wanted you but that was after I had rescued you. You drew me. You still draw me. I want you right now. No woman has ever made me feel as you do. I can’t resist you.”

Casey’s eyes flew to the front of his tight black leatherlike pants. He was clearly turned-on. The outline of his thick cock was unmistakable. He was definitely not lying about wanting her. She jerked her gaze up to his face to glare at him.

“Too bad for you I’m not some brainless slut who sees a big dick and forgets everything to fuck a man. Let me go, Argernon. I want to go back. It’s been fun, well, up until you told me I couldn’t go home. I’m not something you can just take home and adopt. I’m a person and I have a life.”

“Hand over the weapons you found in my quarters.”

Glaring at him, she stood up to move around the bed so it was between them. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not a warrior. I’m a woman. Let me go home, Argernon.” She decided to change tactics. She softened her voice. She wasn’t above a little begging. “Please?”

He arched an eyebrow. “And what if you are carrying my offspring? Our seed is very aggressive. That is why on my planet we only give our seed to our bound. Controlling who we planted our offspring into was impossible otherwise. Every time one of our scientists came up with a form of medication that prevented it, our seed overcame it. We are a very sturdy race. Zorn seed planted into a human woman will even take root there. My brother brought life to the human womb of his bound.”

The color drained from Casey’s face. “If you knew this then why the hell didn’t you pull out? Hell, that doesn’t work anyway, does it? Women get pregnant all the time that way.”

“Pulling out before our seed spills does work with Zorn. Only our seed after climax is viable for having offspring.”

“Then why didn’t you pull out of me?”

He was frowning. Argernon sighed as he let his arms drop to his sides. His hands brushed his thighs on his sides, rubbing his legs nervously. His intense blue gaze locked with Casey’s.

“I was unable to resist. I seem to have little to no control when I am inside you.” He paused. “You are an anomaly.”

“Look who’s talking,” she muttered. “Fine. You’re obviously an advanced race. You flew this ship here. You have all kinds of shit I can’t even identify in this room. You are obviously more highly developed in technology than my people are so give me a test and if I’m not knocked up then let me go.”

He frowned. “Your terms are…strange. I think I followed what you said. I do not want to give you up. I am keeping you if my seed took root inside you or not. I bound you, Casey. I did learn one Earth saying from my brother’s bound.” Bright blue eyes narrowed. “Deal with it.”

“You son of a bitch!” She wanted to slap him.

“I must admit to you that your insults do not reach their intended result. I do not feel offended by that remark you have used twice now.”

“Fuck you.”

He grinned suddenly. “With pleasure.” He reached for the front of his pants.

“No! That’s not what I meant. It wasn’t an offer or a request. It… Oh hell.” Casey was furious. “Keep your pants up. No way am I letting you touch me again. ‘Fuck you’ is an insult. It means something bad, you big, alien jerk.”

Argernon’s fingers froze over the front of his pants. He softly growled at her. “I want you and you want me. I understand that you are infuriated and I even understand that you feel I have somehow betrayed a trust by keeping you. It doesn’t change the fact that I have bound you and you are mine now, Casey. I am taking you home with me. You will like it. We can fight about this but in the end the result will be the same. You will live in my home as my bound.”

“You have to sleep sometime, Argernon.”

He tilted his head slightly. “Everyone sleeps. What do you mean by that wording?”

She glared at him. “It means if you want to live a long life you’ll rethink this and take me back home. It means you can’t be on your guard all the time and when you are sleeping you are vulnerable. You might be huge and stronger than me, but I won’t accept this.”

Rage hit his features. “You are threatening to kill me?”

“Shit,” Casey muttered as fear hit her hard. The guy was enormous and a warrior. He was damn strong and she wasn’t likely to ever forget it since he’d carried her for miles like she weighed nothing to him. “Just let me go,” she said softly. “Please.”

He moved lightning fast. Casey saw him coming in the blink of an eye but had nowhere to go. She screamed when he grabbed her arms, her feet left the floor before she flew through the air, to hit the bed facedown, hard. She expected pain but there was none. Her hands were yanked behind her back. One of his hands restrained her wrists together. Casey heard material tear. She couldn’t see what he was doing with her hair in the way. She turned her head, rubbing her face on the mattress, trying to clear the long strands away from her eyes.

“Let me go!” She tried to turn over but a knee came down on her ass. It didn’t hurt. He only applied enough of his weight down on her backside to hold her pinned down tight on his bed. “Damn it! Get off me!”

Material was wound around her wrists. She struggled but she couldn’t get free. She did manage to turn her head to see that he’d torn a strip from the sheets that he was using to tie her wrists with. He didn’t look at her as he bound her wrists. His hand released her but the material held them together. He removed his knee to step away from the bed.

“Let me go, damn you!” She rolled on her side, struggling to sit up.

Argernon growled at her. He gripped the front of her shirt at the neckline giving it a hard yank downward. Material tore all the way open along the front of the shirt so Casey’s chest and stomach were exposed. Casey gasped as she did a dive for the bed. She hit on her stomach, covering her now exposed breasts. Throwing her head back to clear hair out of the way, she turned her head to glare up at him.

“If you force me I will kill you, you son of a bitch.”

His gaze tore from her as he eyed the room. His attention returned to bed. A growl tore from his throat. The translator was malfunctioning, Casey thought, or there weren’t words for the angry sounds he was making. He tore the top blanket from the bed where it had been pushed to the edge out of the way. The pillows went sliding with the blanket. His dagger-like knife went flying to hit the floor. Argernon’s angry eyes shot from the knife to her.

“No weapon, Casey? What is that?”

“I have no idea exactly what that is. It’s not like anything I’ve ever seen before. It was in your bathroom. You tell me what the hell it is.”

He growled again, storming for the fallen sharp object. He yanked it up and walked for the door. He shoved his hand over the scanner to open the door. Casey watched him with dread as he threw the weapon into the corridor so it wasn’t in his quarters anymore. She saw a man stop to stare into the room. This was another Zorn warrior, one she’d never seen before. He had jet black hair, tan skin, was as big as Argernon, and wearing almost the same black outfit. The man’s eyes terrified Casey as she stared back at him. They were totally black, giving them an evil appearance.

Argernon snarled at the man in the corridor. “Keep walking, Daros.”

The man tore his stare from Casey to frown at Argernon. “Are you having problems with your human? Need a hand? I’m good with seducing women.”

Argernon roared before he stepped back. The door slammed shut blocking the curious eyes of the black-eyed Daros who was left standing in the corridor. Argernon turned and snarled in fury.

“Is that what you want? Should I hand you over to another male since you find me so distasteful that you wish to kill me with my own shara?”

“I don’t know what a shara is and don’t you dare let someone else touch me.” Terror rolled through her at the thought of Argernon letting another man near her. Tears filled her eyes. “Please don’t let someone hurt me.”

He took some ragged breaths. “A shara is kept to cut hair when it gets too long and it is also a good weapon to keep nearby in case of attack. I didn’t mean that about another male. I am furious. You are my bound. I will kill any man who touches you. If your human men share their women then I am as unlike a human as a man can get. Are we understanding of each other?”

Relief hit her. “Yes.”

“Good.” He started to remove his clothing. He still looked pissed. “Stop looking at me like that.”

“Why are you taking off your clothes?” Her anger was fading fast to be replaced with fear. Argernon was stripping. “Stop getting naked.”

“It is impossible to make you want me with both of us dressed. Our clothing would only get in the way.”

Casey had a really bad feeling. “You’re going to force me?”

Argernon shot her another angry look. “Never. Harming is the last thing I would do to you, Casey. I never want to bring you pain.” His amazing blue eyes narrowed, his thick lips tightening into almost a smirk. “I feel confident that I can make you want me.”

“Oh shit,” Casey muttered.

She was certain he could make her want him too if he really put his mind to it. Anger burned in her, as the fear was swept away. She felt as if she were on an emotionally charged roller-coaster ride. She just wanted off and not in the sexual way that Argernon was obviously set on.

She watched him with dread as he stripped completely. Her eyes took in his perfectly muscular tan body. Looking at Argernon with his ridged muscles and sexy long hair made her want him. She had one very turned-on sexy hot alien standing next to the bed. His eyes roamed her backside. Very slowly he bent over her as their gaze locked together.

“I won’t forgive you for this if you seduce me,” she said softly. “I’m angry and I don’t want you. That should be enough for you to respect my feelings to not do this.”

Argernon had the nerve to chuckle. “Do your Earth men believe it when human women say these things?”

Casey shot him a glare over her shoulder. Her neck was starting to hurt from twisting her head to see him behind her. “Yes, they do.”

His eyes sparkled with amusement. “You are making me think that your males aren’t smart if they can’t handle an angry woman.” He gripped the back of the damaged shirt still clinging to her body. He shredded the shirt, tossing the pieces over his shoulder to the floor behind him.

She tried to roll away but Argernon pinned her flat on her stomach with his hands. He suddenly gripped her hips with both of his large hands to yank them up, forcing her to her knees. With her hands tied behind her back she couldn’t brace her upper body. Her head and chest were against the bed with her ass up high in the air where he held her in place.

“Stay like this.”

“Go to hell, Argernon. You kidnapped me. You won’t let me go home. I don’t want you seducing me.”

His large hands caressed her skin. A shiver ran down her as roughened calloused skin teased her as he captured her ass with both hands, gripping her firmly to keep her there. One of his fingers slid along the line of her slit between her thighs, that same finger finding her clit. He tapped the sensitive nub repeatedly. His other hand shifted his hold on her butt, the thumb of that hand finding her pussy entrance, to rub back and forth a fraction inside her.

Casey squeezed her eyes shut. Her body responded to the large Zorn. He bent over her more. His large frame pressed against her curved body. Argernon’s long hair teased where his hair fell against her naked back. Hot breath fanned on her skin when moved in closer to her neck. His lips hesitated just next to her ear.

“You are mine now, Casey. I won’t let you go. I can’t. We’re bound together. You can’t deny what is between us. Do you really think I would just return you to Earth? Do you think I could return to my planet and just forget you? Could you truly forget about me?”

She hated the fact that he had a good point. She could never forget Argernon. They were damn good together. If he were human and wanted to live on Earth she’d be moving him into her house just to keep him in her bed. He wasn’t human and he was taking her to his home world.

“Let me go, Argernon. Return me to Earth. You can’t just take me away from everything that I know and expect me to be happy about it.”

He nipped her shoulder lightly with his sharp teeth. “I’m all that you will know. I will be everything to you as you are now everything to me. I will never release you or return you to your planet. I will get you as addicted to my body as I am to yours. You belong to me, beautiful.” His thick thumb worked inside her a little deeper, finding evidence that she was responding and using the wetness he found in her pussy to slowly start to fuck her in shallow movements. “I will teach you that we belong together. Agree to be my bound.”

Casey bit back a moan. She shook her head no against his bed. If she gave into him she’d be giving up her life on Earth. She’d never see her home again. She’d end up on some planet married to Argernon facing complete uncertainty. She tensed as his hands and mouth continued to her tease her. Her mind might be rebelling but her body was on Argernon’s side of the argument. His thumb moved in deeper, sliding in and out of her with ease in slow, teasing motion as her body got wetter with need.

“No. I want to go back to Earth. You can’t go around kidnapping women.”

Argernon froze. He slowly lifted his body away from hers. He growled softly at her. “I’m a warrior, Casey. I never back away from a fight. I will never give you up.”

“Go fuck yourself.”

“I don’t want to find self release. You showered while I was gone. I don’t smell me on you. You did this on purpose, didn’t you?”

Casey decided to plead the Fifth so she didn’t say a damn word. She couldn’t see him anymore, now that he had her ass in the air. She didn’t have the use of her arms to push her upper body off the bed. She heard the Zorn sniffing at her before he groaned softly. The thumb jerked out of her pussy, his other hand moving away so he couldn’t reach her clit anymore. He gripped her hip to keep her in place.

“You definitely washed my scent off you on purpose. You cleaned inside. You are getting wet. I smell your arousal but my seed doesn’t scent on you. I can’t taste it either.” He growled. “I don’t like that. You are mine and I like you scenting of my seed and sex.”’

“I want you to take me back home to my planet,” she ground out. “Isn’t life a bitch when you don’t get what you want?”

He softly growled. The translator stayed silent. She guessed that was him just sounding his anger. Panic flashed in Casey. Would he hurt her? She prayed not. She was helpless and vulnerable in this position. Her ass was in the air being held firmly there by his hand gripping her hip, her wrists bound behind her back.

“Don’t hurt me, Argernon.”

“I am debating on your punishment. If you were a Zorn woman I would spank you first, then tease your body, refusing to allow you to climax until you begged me. That is how they learn a lesson. Do your Earth men spank their willful females?”

“Please don’t do that.”

“I assume they do not. Your skin is so soft it would cause you real pain.” One of his hands released her hip to cup her ass firmly. His other hand rubbed the back of her thigh. “I would never hurt you, beautiful. You want me. You are highly aroused. Is it the thought of punishment, me binding you down, or the memory of my body joined with yours that makes you want me?”

“Go to hell.”

“I don’t know this place but I am sure it is not good by your tone.” He lowered his face until his long hair brushed her bared body again. He inhaled. A growl tore from deep in his throat, rumbling in his chest. “You smell so needy for me. You call to my body.”

He released her, moving away from her on the bed. Casey rolled on her side, watching Argernon as he walked to the storage wall. She wondered what he would do and what he was getting. He bent, rummaging in a drawer, before turning around.

His cock was jutting straight out to rise thickly showing that he was really turned-on. She tore her eyes from his hard-on because what he held in his hands got her full attention. Her mouth dropped open in shock as she watched Argernon brandish the item he’d retrieved. He was holding two wrist restraints that were made out of thick leather with a chain binding them together.

“Calm down,” she said softly. “I wouldn’t have used that knife thing on you. That’s why it was on the bed and not on my body. I’m not a warrior. I don’t even know how to fight. I was pissed off, um…mad at you, and I just found it so I put it on the bed. Please, Argernon. Don’t do something bad to me.”

He grinned, showing teeth. “You do not believe me when I say I will not hurt you? We use sexual frustration on Zorn to punish our women and make them submit.”

“That doesn’t look painless. What are you going to do with those? With me?”

He leaned over, his glowing blue eyes narrowing. “Anything I want, beautiful. I will teach you that you belong to me. You are my bound. I give you my seed. I give you my home to share and my protection. I will feed you, care for you and make you happy even if I have to teach you appreciation. You will be taught to not fight me and you will bend to my will.”

Casey stared at him in shock. “I won’t be broken.”

“I don’t want you broken. I want you to want me as much as I want you.”

Argernon grabbed her to push her flat on her stomach again. A knee went on her ass to painlessly pin her down. He made sure she was firmly pushed into the bed with enough of his weight that it was impossible for her to roll away. The chains rattled when the restraints hit the bedding next to her. He untied her hands but gripped them as he put one of the restraints on her wrist while holding the chain. He moved, releasing her with his knee. She rolled, trying to punch him with her free hand.

A large hand enclosed over her fist, catching it before she got the chance to hit him. He forced her other wrist into the restraint with an amused expression on his face. She was shackled in front now with only a foot of leeway spanning between her arms. He grabbed it in the middle. Backing up, he straightened from the bed, pulling her up by the chain.

The restraints were surprisingly comfortable. They were padded with something soft. Casey kicked at Argernon when she was jerked to her feet. He avoided her bare foot with a laugh. With a jerk her arms lifted over her head high enough that it put her on her tiptoes. He kept her at extended arm’s length while he smiled down at her.

“You are willful, Casey. I like that.”

“Just wait. I’ll show you willful, asshole. How is that for an insult? Do you know what an asshole is?”

His eyes narrowed as his smile faded. “I do. I am not an asshole.”

“It depends on who you ask. Let me go, Argernon. Now. Please. This isn’t funny.”

“I am not feeling amused any longer.”

He moved, stepping up on the bed. Forced by the chain, she had to step up to follow him on the bed since he held her chain above her head. It was climb on the bed where he pulled her slowly or dangle from her wrists when he lifted her. They both ended up standing on the bed. He said he wouldn’t hurt her and he hadn’t so far but what was he going to do to her standing on a bed?

Argernon looked up to the ceiling. She followed his gaze. A thick, large hook was part of one of the ceiling beams above the bed. Realization set in as she stared at that curved metal. Her eyes flew to Argernon whose head lowered. His eyes locked with hers.

“No way are you—” She squealed as he lifted her off her feet by the chain in his fist. “NO!”

He placed the chain on the hook. Casey kicked air. She was inches from the top of the bed where she hung from the ceiling. The restraints were padded so they didn’t dig into her wrists. She wasn’t in pain but it didn’t feel great either to be suspended by her arms. Her eyes flew to Argernon as he stepped back to study his work with a nod. His eyes were still narrowed.

“Put me down.”

He gave a shake of his head. “Zorn women are taller. Your feet should touch.” He turned his head looking around the room before he looked back at her. “I don’t see a solution to this problem. Your toes should touch but you won’t be harmed this way either.”

“Damn it, Argernon. This isn’t amusing. Let me down. It hurts.”

He sniffed at her with a frown. His frown deepened. “Never lie to me. I smell arousal and anger on you but not pain.” He got closer to reach up. He touched her hands and examined her wrists. “You are not in pain. Now you will know punishment for your willful ways.”

She tried to kick out at him. It was hard to do without traction. He easily avoided her foot. Dropping suddenly, he went to his knees in front of her on the bed as his hands gripped her calves. Casey gasped as he spread her thighs wide to put them on each of his shoulder so his face was between her legs. She stared down at him in shock. Their gazes locked.

“I will not let you come until you plead to me to bury myself inside you.”

He lifted his arms, trapping her thighs between them and his neck. Both muscular limbs curled around her thighs, locking them down as his elbows bent over the top of her thighs. His fingers spread her pussy lips wide open to give him full access to her sex, leaving her exposed and vulnerable to his mouth. With her hanging like she was, she couldn’t do anything but buck her hips, trying to avoid his intimate touch. It didn’t work. Argernon growled deep in his throat as he moved closer. Hot breath hit an instant before his tongue was against her.

Casey stared down at him in astonishment as the man stared up at her. His mouth was open. A wet, thick tongue teased her clit. The sensation made her clench her teeth to keep from moaning as spasms started in her pussy. He flicked her with his tongue over and over again. Pleasure shot through her at every sensation he caused. He stopped, tearing his eyes from hers. Intense eyes gazed at her sex. Argernon’s tongue entered her. He had a long, thick tongue that slowly invaded her body but then withdrew. He growled before he did it again. Then again. Occasionally he’d withdraw from her to torment her clit.

It was torture. Casey wanted to come badly. Every time she thought she might he would back off to stop touching her, staring at her swollen, throbbing clit. He blew hot breath over her. His tongue would enter her or he’d tease her throbbing nub again. Sweat tickled down her body. Her throat felt dry from her moans and heavy breathing. He wanted her to beg him to fuck her. She was ready to. She hurt with the need to get off. She knew he could make her climax and Casey needed to come more than she ever remembered needing anything. His tongue withdrew from her body.

“Do you yield to me, beautiful? Do you accept me?”

“Asshole.”

He growled. His lips covered her clit, his mouth totally enclosing her nub. He sucked on her hard, his tongue lashing against her clit back and forth with firm pressure. Casey cried out. Her body bowed on the edge of exploding. Argernon tore his mouth from her to growl at her again.

“I can do this for hours. Will you endure it well?”

Tears filled her eyes but she kept them tightly shut. No one could survive this kind of sexual torture. She didn’t doubt he could tease and taunt her for hours. Her body literally hurt from need. Her clit throbbed like a painful heartbeat between her legs. She shook her head no. Her eyes opened. She had to blink a few times to clear her tears.

“Please, Argernon. I can’t take it.”

Something flashed in his eyes. He eased his hold on her thighs before he gently removed each one from his shoulders until she hung with her legs closed. She fought a sob. He was going to just leave her sexually frustrated, hurting and needy. It was mean and just cold. He climbed to his feet on the bed. He reached up, his eyes locking with hers, as he gripped the chain to lift her from the hook.

She moaned softly when he eased her down until her feet touched the bed. She stared up at him. His eyes softened like he cared as he lowered her arms. She gasped as the blood flow started to return. His large hands started to gently massage her arms and hands. He lowered his body to sit on the bed and he pulled her down on her ass.

“I do not like punishing you, beautiful.” Regret flashed in his eyes. He kept eye contact with her as he kept rubbing her limbs. “It pains me to do it. I suffered with you. I hurt for you as much as you hurt for me.” He blinked. “Do you want me to make you come?”

She just stared at him. The pain in her arms faded away as he rubbed circulation back to her hands. She saw him clench his teeth a second before his hands released her to push her on her back. The move startled her. Large hands spread her thighs wide open. She looked down at him as he moved between her legs on his knees.

“Stubborn human woman,” he growled softly.

Casey threw her head back as Argernon went for her clit with his mouth without giving a warning. His elbows pushed her thighs wider apart as fingers spread her sex more open to his tongue. Two fingers from his other hand slid deep into her pussy. Casey cried out as she almost instantly came. The climax tore through her brutally while Argernon sucked on her clit, hammering her with his two digits. She came so hard she was sure it was more than once.

Releasing her clit, he slowly withdrew his fingers. Casey went limp and her eyes closed. She panted in exhaustion. Argernon moved on top of her so his body fit over hers, careful not to crush her. Opening her eyes, Casey met his intense stare.

“I am in the same condition and I hurt,” he rasped. He entered her.

Casey moaned as Argernon’s thick cock pushed into her. Her pussy was swollen and slippery wet so he eased into her even though it was a damn tight fit. She knew she was soaking wet. Just entering her and a single thrust was enough for him. She felt his cock pulsing deep inside her as his semen shot into her. He jerked from the power of his release, a groan breaking from his lips, as she watched his face while he came. Sweat trickled down from his forehead as his eyes opened. They stared at each other.

Casey reached up, her chains rattling, cupping his face with both hands. She knew she should slap him but instead she just wanted to touch him. Their eyes locked. She didn’t understand how he could do that to either of them but she believed he’d suffered the sexual frustration with her. The man came instantly just entering her, just as she’d come so easily for him.

“I hate punishment,” he whispered. “We both suffer. Do you understand?”

She did. It made no damn sense to her but she understood it was a mutual suffering they had just shared. “Why do it then?”

He blinked. “I am Zorn. You are my bound. You will understand in time.”

Casey really doubted it but she didn’t say that out loud. Argernon shifted on her. A groan tore from both of them as he started to slowly move, fucking her again. She wrapped her legs around the back of his thighs, lifting the chain over his head to allow her to wrap her arms around his neck, and just enjoyed what he was doing to her body. She had to look away from his intense gaze. She couldn’t take it when he locked eyes with her while leisurely fucking her. It was too intense emotionally. His mouth went to her throat, kissing her skin there, and licking at her.

He made her come again before he slowly withdrew from her body. He didn’t release her restraints. Instead he climbed from the bed as she lay there exhausted. She watched him walk naked to the drawer again. He pulled out another set of chains. She wasn’t afraid. She was too tired to get worked up over what he had in mind to do to her next. He climbed back onto the bed. Mutely she watched him hook the chain to the top of the bed. He attached the chain to the one holding her wrist. She just stared at him. He had in effect chained her to the bed.

“I don’t trust you and I’m tired, Casey. It saddens me to do this.” He pulled her into his arms. His eyes left hers as he sighed deeply. “Control, lights off.”

The room went dark. Argernon’s large, warm body wrapped tighter around hers where he was spooning her. She was comfortable. The chain was long enough that her arms weren’t pulled above her head. Her hands were curled at her chest. She shut her eyes to fall into an exhausted sleep.

Chapter Six

Casey paced. She could only move on one side of the bed. The chain wasn’t long enough to reach the outer door or the bathroom. She was wondering where Argernon was. He had awoken her two mornings in a row by letting her shower and use the bathroom. He’d eaten with her before leaving for hours at a time to work. He’d return with food, release her to use the bathroom and then he’d leave again. After two days she was tired of it.

He’d come up with a new way to torture her by avoiding her. He slept fully clothed in the bed they shared but refused to touch her. When she would curl into him she could feel how aroused he was but he would roll away growling at her. It was also driving her crazy that he was barely speaking to her.

The door opened as Argernon walked in looking tired. He studied her for a second before looking away. In his hand he held a tray of meats, weird looking fruits and a mug of something dark for her dinner. He headed for the bathroom after putting her food on the edge of the bed.

She sat on the bed digging into the food. Argernon always left the door open to the bathroom so she could watch him strip naked out of his uniform with his back to her. He had a really nice ass. His back was broad and his arms were muscular. Silky black hair fell to his waist, just teasing the curve of his butt. He had beautiful thick hair that ran in waves down his tan, toned back. He stepped into the shower.

This was torture too. She could see his hands as he touched his body. Large hands rubbed at his chest as he turned around to face her. He was sporting another major hard-on. She clenched her teeth, knowing what was going to happen next since he had done this every time he came in the door. He let his hand run lower down his body, his head still thrown back, eyes shut under the water that rained down, making his body slick, as he gripped his cock. He pumped his shaft, fisting it, as she watched.

Her hand went downward to the V of her thighs but stopped at the thick leather pants he had on her, belted shut with a thin locked chain. It was the equivalent of a chastity belt considering her hand wouldn’t fit between the waist and her belly since he’d pulled them tight. The material was too thick for her to feel her finger rub her clit through them. She was turned-on as she watched him masturbate. Everything about the damn man turned her on, but watching him come minutes later, hearing him growl as he shot out his release into the shower stall, was the worst.

Lowering his head, he turned away from her to let the water wash away the evidence from his body. He waved his hand upward so the water stopped falling. Reaching over to turn on the hot air that dried him, he slowly turned, lifting his arms to make sure it dried all of him. When his eyes opened he met her resentful glare. He blinked a few times before walking toward her totally naked, heading for more clothing.

“Feel better?”

He paused, turning his head, and fastened his gaze on her. “Yes.”

“Could you at least take these damn pants off me? I’m hot and you have them too tight.”

Thick lips twitched with amusement. “You can’t pleasure yourself.”

Gritting her teeth, she glared at him. “I hate you. You’re so damn mean.”

“You think I’ve been mean to you? Have you agreed to be my bound? Have you agreed to come to Zorn with me? No. You have not. The few times I have asked, you have demanded I return you to Earth. We are no longer in orbit, Casey, we have left your planet far behind. My Zorn warriors have found their females and we are on our way to Zorn so you can stop resisting and accept me. We would both be happier.” His gaze roamed down her body, a hungry look burned in them. “Wouldn’t you like to be naked in bed with me? I would touch you in so many ways while I buried myself in your warm softness over and over. We are both suffering because you are being willful.”

“You aren’t suffering. You’re in that shower so much your skin should be pruned.”

“I take no real pleasure from self release. I am Zorn. It is just not a matter of having a vigorous sex drive. My balls would swell and I would get sick if I did not release often. Pleasure is your body, beautiful. If you stop being willful and accept all that I offer, we will both be happy.”

Defeat made her shoulders droop. “We’re really not in orbit over Earth anymore?”

“I told you that already. I did not lie. We are traveling to Zorn. All of my warriors returned from the planet after they had found women to bound with them.“

“So fast? I thought it would take weeks at least.”

He was aroused again when he stalked closer to her. She hated noticing every bare inch of him and there were inches of hardened flesh pointing at her from below his waist level. He looked down at her.

“You don’t want to know what happens if you do not accept me by the time we reach Zorn.”

“Oh, give it to me straight. I’m sure it’s something horrible. What happens to me?”

He frowned. “You will be offered to other men until you find one you accept or you will be taken by one if you do not find one quickly. He may not offer to bound you. He could make you a house helper.”

“Like a housekeeper? I’d clean his home?”

He nodded. “And warm his bed. You and his other house helpers would sleep in his bed if he were not bound. If he is bound then you would sleep on the bed if his bound allowed it or only when he mounted you. If not, you would be lucky to end up in a household where you got your own room. If you ended up in a poorer household you would sleep on the floor in the bedroom with the man and his bound. He could and would offer your body to his guests who came to stay in his home or he could tire of you and trade you for new house help. In really poor homes all the younger males in it share one woman. The parents can’t afford more than one house helper for their sons.”

She gasped up at him. “That’s…horrible. That’s how you treat your women? Of all the—”

Argernon growled at her to cut her off. “We’re a male dominant race. Women are weaker physically and smaller than our males. They cannot protect themselves in battle against a male. You have been told how sexual a Zorn warrior is and you don’t know our history. Once we nearly destroyed our entire race because our males were ruled by their sex drives. Women were…”He looked uncomfortable. “Harmed and killed until their numbers dropped radically until we were in danger of becoming extinct. That is when we realized we needed a system to protect the women. A house helper is protected by the male in the house she lives in. He feeds her, clothes her and keeps her from harm by our wilder males because an unprotected female wouldn’t survive long. Much of Zorn is civilized but some is not, Casey. They aren’t given women because they abuse them until death. Any male found abusing or killing a woman is stripped of the right to ever have one under his roof. A man must prove his worthiness to have females and must have a safe house for them to live in.”

Frowning, Casey stared up at him. “Those women are people. Don’t they have a say in their lives?”

He hesitated. “Most are raised by their family and their family will let the woman choose which male she wishes to be protected by if he is worthy to care for her. Some of them end up as house helpers in nicer homes. Most males will ask house helper woman’s permission or her preference if he wishes to get a new one. Many women pick the men they are given to, but most house helpers stay in the same home all of their lives with the same male.”

“What about the ones who don’t fall under most?”

His eyes narrowed. “If they are willful, or cannot produce offspring after being bound, they are usually not desirable so they have fewer options. Most men won’t tolerate them for long and send them to someone else to be their problem.”

“I thought this bounding was solid, uh…permanent.”

“There are only a few ways to unbound once bound. A woman is barren, she has sex with another man, he abuses her or she tries to kill her bound. Men will share house helpers sometimes with other men but never their bound women.”

“What is your definition of abuse?”

“We do not beat our women and we protect them from harm. To not feed or not keep a decent home for a woman is abuse.”

Casey frowned at him.

Argernon sighed. “Accept me, Casey, and I will always protect you. I took you from your world so even if you are barren, even though you wanted me dead and probably still do, I will swear on my honor to remain bound to you.” His eyes narrowed. “Even if you let another male touch you I will keep you.” He growled. “I will kill him and make you watch him die. If you think the past few days I have been mean to you, then you will learn a new level of mean if you let another male touch you. Am I clear?”

“I thought you said you weren’t allowed to beat a woman.”

“I would never beat you. I wouldn’t have to.”

She swallowed hard at the cold look in his eyes. “I don’t know what bound is. I know nothing about your world and I don’t even know you that well. How can I accept something I don’t know a damn thing about? This is so unfair!”

“I know this is not fair.” His eyes softened along with his tone. “We have four and a half days to prepare you for your new life. I will tell you everything. Accept me, Casey.”

She stared into his eyes. “Give me a few days to decide. Can’t we just see how things work out with us? Can’t you stop punishing me and just let me get to know you? You’re asking me to bind my life to yours until I die. I’d like to spend time with you first before I agree to it.”

He didn’t look happy but he nodded. “Do not try to kill me, Casey. It would never give you a way back to Earth and you would be considered hopelessly willful. You do not ever want to have that label on Zorn. The truly hopeless females end up in med houses.”

“Med houses?”

“You do not want to know.”

“I asked.”

He sighed loudly. “I told you if Zorn males don’t release their seed often from their bodies that they get sick, when they do, they are taken to med houses where women are kept just for that purpose. No one wanted the responsibility of females who end up there. They are closely regulated by guards so no male can abuse the female, but she is forced to accept any male in need of release to cure him.”

Shock tore through Casey. “You mean…”

He nodded. “With your being human they wouldn’t consider it abuse to let more than a few males use your body. It is well known on Zorn that human females are very different so they could send half a dozen males to you per day. You would not be allowed to refuse even if they had to bind you down to accept those males.”

“What kind of screwed up world do you come from?”

“Is your Earth perfect? I did research on your planet. You have so many signals coming from the planet it was easy to listen to what you call the news. My world isn’t at war with itself and we do not have mass deaths fighting each other. Domestic abuse is rare and dealt harshly on Zorn. Not so on Earth.”

She had to give him that one. She nodded. “Will you give me a few days to decide?”

He reached for her nodding. “Stand. I’ll free you.”

She was on her feet almost instantly. He went for the keys to the locks on the restraints. He released her wrists from the restraints and then the chain around her pants. He unfastened them as he went to his knees again before her. He looked up as he tugged the pants down her legs. The look in his eyes made her wet and hot instantly. She burned for Argernon to touch her body.

“Lie back on the bed and spread wide for me, beautiful.”

She almost tore the shirt off herself even as she stepped out of the pants he pushed down her legs. She was climbing on the bed before she let herself debate it. She knew she should tell him to go to hell, that she should feel a little ashamed, as she stretched out on her back to spread her legs open to display her pussy to him. She promised herself she’d get even with him somehow later, but for right now she was hornier than hell, aching, and he owed her big-time for the past two sexually frustrating days he’d given her.

Argernon’s gaze locked with hers as he climbed on the bed after her. “Do you need me inside you or do you need my mouth? What do you need the most?”

“Both,” she whispered.

He growled, his hands gripping her thighs as his head lowered. She moaned, clawing the bed as his mouth found her clit. He didn’t tease her. His lips surrounded the throbbing and swollen flesh, sucking her gently into his mouth, as his tongue slid back and forth on her sensitive nub with enough pressure to make her go wild.

“Yes! Oh, Argernon!”

Another growl rumbled from his mouth, vibrating against her clit as his tongue moved faster. He sucked, moving his mouth in a way that tugged on her clit. Two fingers thrust into her pussy and he hooked them, finding the right spot to rub on the back side of her clit. That was all it took. A scream tore from her lips as the climax hit her, pleasure almost tearing her apart.

He didn’t give her time to recover, just releasing her with his mouth and fingers, to grip one of her thighs as he slid up her body. He pushed it up high so her knee was trapped between his chest and his elbow while he lowered on top of her. He didn’t need to guide his hard cock into her. He was hard enough to push into her body.

Casey clawed at his shoulders, bucking her hips, when Argernon pushed all the way into her until his balls were against her anus. He started to move in deep, hard thrusts. He adjusted his hips so the angle of his cock rubbed her G-spot with every drive in and out of her.

Frustration made Casey almost scream when Argernon abruptly withdrew totally from her. He lifted up as her gaze tore to his face in shock.

“Roll over. I want to mount you and fuck you harder.”

Eagerly she rolled over, pushing her ass up at him, her elbows bending to brace against the bed. Without warning Argernon drove into her from behind. His hands clamped down on her hips, wrapping around the curve of them, holding her immobile while he rammed her over and over. Moans tore from Casey’s lips with every slam of his hips against her ass as he drove into her deep. Pleasure and pain became blurred. One of his hands released her hip to shove between her thighs in the front so thick fingers braced against her clit, applying pressure, his palm against her lower stomach and the curve of her mound, as his hips increased the pace.

Casey lost it with the added pressure against her clit. Her pussy went wild, clamping down on Argernon, her vaginal walls clenching him like a fist, as the orgasm hit her. Screaming out her pleasure, she came. Argernon roared, bucking hard against her ass, his seed jetting into her. Collapsing to their sides, they lay entwined together.

A few minutes later Casey opened her eyes. Argernon was staring at her, watching her silently. She couldn’t read the emotion on his features but he didn’t look angry. She knew what she was thinking. The guy got her off every damn time. It amazed her. He was remarkable with that mouth. His cock was built perfectly to hit every right spot inside her body to make her come. It didn’t hurt that he was as sexy as hell. Total eye candy to the max. Those eyes of his were the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. She could stare into them forever. Even his voice turned her on with the way it was gruff or how he growled at her often.

“What are you thinking?”

His tongue swiped his lips. “You’re beautiful and you’re mine. I won’t give you up, Casey. I cannot. You are a part of me and I don’t want to leave your body because I want to remain a part of you.”

She swallowed hard. As far as what a guy was thinking after sex, those were some pretty intense thoughts. No man had ever made her feel as sexy, wanted, or even as needed than Argernon did. His mouth twisted into a smile.

“What are you thinking?”

“I’m just thinking about how you make me feel.”

A chuckle escaped him. Blue eyes twinkled with amusement. “From your screams of pleasure you are very fond of me.”

She laughed as she swatted his chest with her hand. “You think that’s funny, do you?”

“Yes.” He rolled onto his back.

Grinning, she sat up, putting her hands on his chest to rake her nails lightly down to his nipples. She hesitated before she lightly pinched them between her thumbs and fingers. His body jerked, his blue eyes flared with passion. She played with the hardening buds as she straddled him, rotating her hips, and rubbed against the hard length of him that was thickening by the second. She was wet enough and he grew turned-on enough that she was able to push back when in the right position so he entered her pussy. Argernon’s eyes shut, his grin gone as he moaned softly.

“Not laughing now, are you, baby?” She rolled her hips over him in a circle, moving him inside her.

Beautiful eyes snapped open. “Do you want to play?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want me to get loud?”

She grinned. “You always get loud. You roar, for Christ sake, when you come hard.”

His hands gripped her hips, lifting her body off him, to make her release him. He grinned. “I’ll be right back.”

She sat up, frowning, as she watched him almost run into the bathroom. He turned on the shower letting water slice down his body. She saw him cup himself, cleaning his groin area well, before he waved off the water. He didn’t even waste the seconds it took to dry as he strode quickly into the bedroom to almost jump on the bed. He rolled onto his back grinning.

“Play with me. Touch me.” He stared at her. “Will you lick me?”

Her eyes ran over his naked, wet body. He was rock hard again. It was amazing and kind of frightening that the guy rarely got soft. She moved, straddling his hips so her ass rested on his lower stomach, letting her attention drift over every inch of him from his stomach up. Casey nodded.

Licking her lips, she bent forward, intent on starting at his neck. She ran her tongue from his ear down to his shoulder, nipping him there with her teeth, enjoying the water drops and the taste of his skin. Argernon growled as his hands gripped her hips. She leaned up to smile at him.

“Hands up and don’t touch me.”

Glowing blue eyes narrowed. He didn’t look happy but he followed directions. He released her with his big, warm hands to put both of his arms up, folding them under the back of his head like a pillow. It really displayed his thickly muscled arms. Smiling, Casey went for his chest next. She went for one nipple, sucking on it, while she used her fingernails to lightly play with the other until both of them hardened into pointed tips. A groan sounded from the man under her, his body tensed while his hips arched up a few inches from the bed, lifting both of them.

“Down, baby,” she chuckled, releasing his nipple. “Stay still.”

“Patience isn’t something I have much of. You turn me on too much. Maybe in a few years you can play with my body more without me feeling like I will die if I am not inside you.”

Years? Shock hit her as she thought about years of having this kind of sex life ahead of her with Argernon. Was he for real? She scooted down his body, having to lift up high over his rock-hard erection, sitting on his upper thighs, to let her mouth trail kisses over his ribs. She licked him in a few places like the groove between the muscles on his abs. She let her teeth nip his hipbone. By the time she reached his thick and throbbing cock he was growling continuously and his body was tense enough to resemble a sexy statue. His legs shifted slightly apart but didn’t move enough dislodge her from her seat on him.

“Please,” he growled. His voice was deep and harsh.

She’d teased him enough. One of her hands gripped the base of his cock while her other hand brushed his thighs. She rose up.

“Spread your thighs open all the way so I can get between them.”

He instantly moved to obey her. A smile ghosted her lips. She could get used to giving him orders. She looked up at his handsome face, noticing his closed eyes, the passion-pained look, the tight press of his mouth and his sharp upper teeth hooked on his lower lip, noticeably indenting them. She moved between his thighs slowly, settling down to sit on her legs as she bent forward. Her other hand cupped his heavy balls gently, exploring them, caressing the underside of them with her fingertips.

“Baby?”

Argernon opened his eyes to look down at her. “Yes?” He almost panted.

“Hold still. Don’t choke me, okay? You’re way big. I like breathing.”

Confusion lit his features. “I’d never choke you.”

“Good enough. Don’t move your hips or you will.”

Casey lowered her gaze to his cock. She knew there was no way she was going to get him all the way in. She was just glad he agreed to hold still. If he thrust up into her mouth while it was wrapped around him then he’d definitely cut off her air. She wet her lips again, moistening her mouth, before opening wide.

She licked the large, round tip of him at first and swirled her tongue around his mushroomed head. The taste of him was a shock. Pre-cum was beading on the tiny slit there. To make sure, she ran her tongue over him again to taste more, letting her tongue trace that little crevice. A growl tore from Argernon. He tasted really sweet, like warm, melted sugar of some sort. He was delicious, and more pre-cum eased from his cock to catch on her tongue. She moaned, taking more of him into her mouth. It was a taste she could get addicted to. She had a feeling he’d just become her favorite dessert when she had a sweet craving.

The circumference of his cock barely fit in her mouth. Once she was past the thicker head, his shaft thinned slightly, but not by much, before it grew thick again. She heard Argernon gasp. His body moved, but he didn’t thrust upward into her mouth. He squirmed under her while growling in a low tone that sounded more animal than man. She heard his breathing increase to a loud pant until he sounded like he was having difficulty breathing as she sucked and licked on him. She took him as deep as she could before lifting up, turning her head, and then taking him deep again at the new angle.

“Casey,” he snarled.

It was the only warning she got before his cock swelled slightly. He was coming hard down her throat. Sweetness filled her mouth. She moaned in surprise and delight at the taste of him, swallowing everything he had to give until she was down to licking him clean with her tongue.

Casey had thought his pre-cum was sweet, but he tasted even better when he came. She milked him with her mouth until she reached the head of his shaft, taking every drop that hid there. Easing him out of her mouth completely, she ran the tip of her tongue over her lips. She knew what he reminded her of now. He tasted like honey and brown sugar melted together. It amazed her. Lifting up enough to see his face, she peered at him.

Argernon’s head was thrown back with his eyes tightly closed. He was breathing hard still, panting. His mouth was open. What shocked her was that one hand gripped bedding by his hip. He’d torn the material with his fisted hand. His other hand was on his chest. The sight of his blood made her gasp.

She climbed up him to grab his bleeding hand. She cradled it wondering what had happened. Her eyes flew to his face. That’s when she saw the blood on his lower lip and chin. Her eyes flew to the hand she held. She saw the small holes that caused the bleeding on his palm and the back of his hand. They were bite marks from his teeth.

“Why did you bite yourself?”

His sexy eyes opened. Amazement and satisfaction literally glowed from their depths as his full mouth curved into a grin. “You told me not to move. I wanted to so badly I bit myself to keep still. I knew with your teeth around me that startling you with my roaring out my pleasure wouldn’t be a smart thing to do. Lord of the Moons. That was…” He chuckled. “It’s a good thing you’re my bound. You definitely would be now if not before.” His uninjured hand moved to rub her stomach in a caress. His eyes followed his hand. Wonder filled eyes rose to lock with hers. “You took my seed down your throat. I am in awe of you, beautiful. You honor me more than any woman ever has.”

She blinked. “Huh.” She let his words sink in as confusion hit her. “Okay.”

A grin split his lips widely, an ecstatic look on his face. “Women don’t swallow seed. You must really be fond of me to take as much of me as you can. You accept me as your bound. I will make you happy, beautiful.”

Casey had to slam her mouth shut. It had fallen open. “Your women don’t swallow?”

He couldn’t wipe the grin from his face. He shook his head no. “They lick the hais but move away when seed spills. You took me into your mouth and you took my seed into your belly.” His hand caressed her stomach again. “Lord of the Moons, did that feel so good.”

“Wow. For a world with highly sexual men you guys don’t do a lot.”

He remained smiling. “What do you mean?”

“You don’t have anal sex and now you’re telling me your women don’t give blowjobs? They give lick and flee.”

He chuckled. “It is not called lick and flee. It is called tonguing. I assume what you just did to me is called a blowjob? You didn’t blow on me so why is it called that?”

She laughed. “Hell if I know. Maybe it’s because it blows a guy’s mind?”

He chuckled as he pulled her down on his body. “My mind is blown. I know this saying. Now I think I know what you must feel when I am tonguing your clit. I will do that to you a lot more. I was worried the first time I touched you that I would do it wrong. I am a fast learner though and you enjoy it as much as I hoped you would.”

“Back up,” Casey stared down at him in confusion and shock. “What do you mean you were worried you’d do it wrong and you had to learn fast?”

He chuckled. “You are slightly different from Zorn females. Their unis is deep inside and can’t be tongued. Your unis, clit, is very accessible. My brother told me about humans and what to do with one since he learned from his bound. What he didn’t tell me is how good you would taste and how it would turn me on to tongue you and hear you respond to me. Do I do it well? You seem to enjoy my mouth on you.”

She was stunned. “You learn really damn fast.”

He tilted his head slightly, staring at her. Argernon’s smile disappeared as his gaze narrowed. “What is that look in your eyes? Tell me what you are thinking.”

She slowly smiled. “I was just thinking that it’s kind of funny that a guy who’s never touched a human woman and who never tongued one is the best lover I’ve ever had.” She caressed his chest. “Some Earth guys should take lessons from you Zorn men. A lot of them couldn’t find a clit with a map drawn for them and have no clue what to do with one when they find it.”

He chuckled. “Maybe we should send Zorn women to your men.”

Chapter Seven

Casey gazed into Argernon’s eyes over dinner the next day. They were sitting on the bed, facing each other, with their trays between them. He’d just come in from his work shift. She was nervous but she’d had all day to think while he’d been gone. Argernon arched an eyebrow.

“What are you thinking about? You look very stern.”

“I have questions.”

“I was warned that humans are very curious. Proceed with your questions.”

She smiled. He looked ready to do battle with her judging by his grim expression and tense shoulders. “Relax. This isn’t going to be painful.”

“I don’t know about that. My brother warned me that his bound gets angry with him for reasons he sometimes can’t understand when he answers her questions.”

“That sounds ominous. Uh oh. Do you know what they fight about? Maybe we can start there. I want to know the good and the bad about this bound thing.”

He hesitated. “She refuses to run around his home naked.”

Eyebrows shot up. “Naked?”

“She is not comfortable naked in his home but that is the Zorn way. Our women only cover their bodies when company is over or when they leave the house. Weather permits as well.”

“And you want me naked when we’re at home together?”

He laughed. “What do you think?”

She grinned. “I might run around naked.” She winked. “It would save on getting undressed.”

He grinned widely at her. “I knew you were perfect for me.”

“Okay. We’re getting somewhere. What else do they fight about?”

His grin died a fast death. “She doesn’t like it that she can’t go outside without guards and without his protection. You will have to stay in our home where it is safe. Human women are much wanted on Zorn. I told you how our males are. Four attackers went after my brother’s bound in their home and would have killed her after forcing her to take them inside her body. You will be in our home but I have a beautiful home with a large yard and nice view where you will be safe. I will take you out often so you will not be lonely or bored.”

Casey digested that. “Okay. I can see the danger and appreciate that it wouldn’t be safe for me as a human to walk around by myself. I can live with that as long as I don’t have to sit staring at walls all the time. I don’t want to go house crazy.”

“No argument?”

“Not so far. What other fights do they have?”

He hesitated. “She was very upset when my father sent a woman to my brother.”

That brought a frown to her face. “Why did your father send a woman to your brother?”

“My father wasn’t happy that my brother bound to a human at first so he sent my brother a very desirable Zorn woman who many men wanted. He thought she would tempt my brother from his bound human woman but he was not tempted.”

“Is your father going to pull that shit with us?”

He shook his head. “No. He learned his lesson. He will not be sending women to our home to try to get me to bound to a Zorn woman instead.” He hesitated. “There is something I need to explain to you.”

“Okay.” She studied him.

Argernon hesitated. “I did not intend to bound with a human. When I left I didn’t make any arrangements to bring you home. I—”

A loud blasting sound pierced the room. Casey gasped, throwing her hands up over her ears, to mute some of the painfully loud noises. Argernon almost leapt from the bed, running for the door.

“Stay,” he roared at her.

He was gone that fast. The sounds blared through the room over and over again, hurting Casey’s ears even though they were muffled by her hands. Whatever that alarm was, she knew she hadn’t liked the look on Argernon’s face as he’d leapt from the bed to run from the room. He was shirtless. Her eyes went to his boots on the floor. He was barefoot too. She made a grab for a pillow, shoving her head under it to dull the loud blasts.

The sound suddenly went silent. Casey pushed the pillow off her head and sat up on the bed, biting her lip, wondering what in the hell was going on. Obviously it had to be something bad and urgent for Argernon to take off like that. He’d told her to stay, like she had the choice of leaving his room. She sat in the middle of the bed hugging the pillow to her chest, the not knowing and wondering was bad. She hated being left clueless.

Terror hit Casey as she heard a noise like a muffled explosion as the entire room shook like an earthquake hit. She sat there for seconds in shock before climbing off the bed to the floor under her that vibrated strongly. It hadn’t done that before. She walked for the door to stand there staring at it. What in the hell was going on? All she could do was gasp as she felt her feet leave the floor. The loud alarm screamed out rapid blares again. Her fingers clawed at the wall but she couldn’t find any purchase on the smooth texture. Her body felt weird as she frantically tried to find something to grab on to she realized things were floating in the room, including her.

Horror hit her as she realized what was going on. The gravity on the ship was gone. Her hands clawed at the wall again but she couldn’t find anything to grasp. She was disconcerted by the sensation. She pushed at the wall, but then screamed as she started to spin in the air as she moved away from it. She went upside down and the world went crazy as she flipped all the way over in the air. She groaned as she started to turn over again, rolling, grabbing for sheet, realizing she was over the bed. Her hand fisted in material so it slowed her momentum. The sheet started to move, pulling from the mattress slowly.

She grabbed another fistful to yank frantically. It made her drift slowly forward to the bed. She was almost sobbing now. Where was the damn gravity? Had that sound really been an explosion? Had the ship crashed? Had the engine blown up? They were in space. All those thoughts flew through her head in rapid succession.

She grabbed for the headboard when she almost flew slowly into the wall. As her fingers gripped it she sighed in relief. The bed had to be somehow bolted down because it was still attached firmly to the floor. The mattresses stayed put so they had to be anchored as well. She gripped the headboard with both hands and managed to angle her body so she had her ass on the mattress with her body curled against the headboard.

The alarm went silent. She didn’t dare release her hold on the headboard to wipe at the tears that had filled her eyes. The weird part was she saw a few of her tears in front of her. They hadn’t slipped down her cheeks. They’d floated away from her.

“Oh God,” she muttered, wondering if she was cursing what was happening or starting a prayer. All she knew was she was scared and Argernon was out there. Was he alive? Had that explosion sound been near him? She didn’t know. “Shit!”

Her next thoughts were horrible ones. What if she was the only survivor locked in Argernon’s room? Would the oxygen run out? Would she starve to death? Would she die drifting in space on a damaged ship? She just wanted Argernon to come for her to tell her what was going on. She wanted him to tell her that everything was all right. She wanted him to be all right. She gripped the headboard, clinging to it as time passed. It seemed like hours went by.

The lights flickered and she moaned. “Not a good sign.”

They flicked on and off, finally they went out and stayed out, leaving her in terrifying utter darkness. She clung to the bed, listening to the silence. Something bumped her that made her scream. She frantically touched what had brushed her back. A hysterical laugh escaped when she realized it was just one of Argernon’s boots. She pushed it away from her thinking about all the floating things in the room. More stuff would probably touch her and she tried to prepare for that so she didn’t scream again.

The ship felt dead now that the vibrations were gone and there was no sound whatsoever. She jerked awake when she started to float away from the headboard, the slight tug on her hand waking her, so she gripped it tighter, trying to stay alert. Taking deep breaths, she realized the air seemed fine to breathe, which was a good sign. She hoped anyway. Her thoughts centered on Argernon, wondering if he was alive still, because if so he still hadn’t come for her. The thought of something happening to him had grief slamming into her chest.

A slight noise finally drew her attention. She listened, heard it again, and strained to hear the faint thunk and then another. She realized the noise was getting closer. She swore it was outside the door. Her eyes went in that direction, feeling terror, unable to see anything in the darkness. A loud sound made her jump. It was metal hitting metal. She heard a pop similar to a water balloon bursting. Light blinded her for a second. It was a bright, long, thin crack of it. The door opened wider so more brightness spilled in.

“Thank God,” she almost moaned as she saw someone pushing the door open. It wasn’t Argernon but a stranger carrying a light with him.

The male had long red hair and he was shirtless, with blood smeared on his stomach. Fear inched inside her. His eyes were so dark they looked black but it could have been because she couldn’t see his face that well, giving him that scary appearance. He growled at her as he moved into the room.

Thunk.Thunk. Thunk.

Her eyes flew to his feet. He wore metal looking boots that made that loud sound as he walked across the floor. They were some kind of gravity boots. He reached the side of the bed and held out his hand. She saw blood on his hand but she reached for it anyway. Up close she could see some cuts on his stomach. His hands were also scraped like he’d hit something. His large hand wrapped around hers as he pulled her away from the bed. She let go of the headboard.

“What happened? Where is Argernon?” She tried to ignore the sick feeling of being weightless and floating. The only thing holding her was his hand as he maneuvered her on his back.

He growled. The power was out so the translator didn’t work. Frustration hit Casey. It was like being back in the cave with Argernon when they couldn’t communicate. The large man wrapped her hand under his arm while he curled it up toward his shoulder. He jerked his head to his other arm. She understood, so she wrapped her hand around his shoulders. He turned with Casey floated behind him, gripping him hard, as he started the jerky walk out of the room into the corridor.

“Where are you taking me?” Her voice shook. “Is Argernon all right?”

The man didn’t pause. He ignored her as he slowly walked down the corridor. She clung to him. It was obvious he struggled with the uncomfortable and loud boots he wore. He made it to a ladder that led up to a hatch. He looked up. Casey followed his eyes, seeing light coming from above. Another male peered down at them from the open hatch that was about four feet wide in a circular shape with a metal ladder leading up.

The redhead turned to stare at Casey, softly growling at her while pointing. His hand gripped hers on one of his shoulders to gently pry her hand loose. She understood, letting him go. He gave her a push toward the hatch a good ten feet above their heads.

A squeal escaped her as she flew in the air without anything anchoring her. Kicking her arms and legs didn’t do a damn thing. She was slowly heading to the hatch. Below her she swore she heard the redhead laugh. It was almost comforting that he found it amusing that she was freaking out. If they were dying he wouldn’t be laughing at her, right? She could only hope.

The man above her leaned down to grab her hands as soon as she was within reach. Her body kept going though the hatch until she banged lightly into the ladder with her left side. She stared up into the face of a black-haired male with glowing green eyes who wasn’t Argernon either. He was another stranger. A horrible thought hit her. Were they with Argernon or had the ship been boarded by other Zorn? Maybe they were a rescue team.

She met the stranger’s eyes as he pulled her through the hatch opening, gripping her by one arm. He had her clothing fisted at her waist when she was clear. He wore boots like the redhead below. She met his eyes.

“Argernon? Is he all right?”

The man blinked in confusion, clearly showing that he didn’t understand her. She looked down, gripped her shirt, and loudly sniffed it, as she stared at the man.

“Argernon?”

She knew the material smelled like Argernon since it was his discarded one from the day before and she knew they had a good sense of smell. The man seemed to understand. She saw something in his eyes that made tears well in hers when he tensed up. Pity.

“Oh God. He’s dead, isn’t he?” She grabbed the man by the front of his shirt. “Is he dead?” Her voice rose, knowing she was about to start sobbing.

The man suddenly cupped her face, leaning in and looked like he was going to kiss her. In alarm Casey jerked her head back. He looked amused as he chuckled, walking again, keeping his hands on her as they went down a corridor. She turned her head to look at the hatch but the redhead hadn’t followed them up. As a matter of fact, she didn’t even see light from the lower floor anymore through the open hatch.

The man paused at a door to force it open by cranking a handle. She gripped his shoulder to not impede him by being in his way. She stared in shock at the large room he walked into, which looked like a cargo area. She saw the lights through high windows of a small ship but couldn’t see anything inside moving.

He walked for the ship, lurching up a wide ramp in his awkward boots. Once they were inside she saw it was a well-lit, small room with another door. The man grabbed her, pulling her tightly against his body, while reaching over to push a large button. The ramp started to lift up to loudly shut. He gripped her with both hands, met her eyes, and then she heard a beeping sound.

If the man hadn’t been gripping her in his arms she would have slammed hard into the floor as gravity returned fast. The body against hers tensed hard, taking her weight, and then eased her onto her feet. She stumbled away from him when he released her.

Her body felt heavy after being weightless for so long. She felt dizzy watching the man bend over to do something to the boots before stepping out of them. Barefooted he straightened up to his full height of about six foot three. He pointed to the door behind her. She turned around as he walked close, hitting another button, as those doors slid open.

The interior of the ship wasn’t that large. She was stunned to see they weren’t alone. A thin brunette human woman was sitting on a bench seat looking scared. Shock hit Casey as their gaze met. The woman stood up instantly.

“You’re human,” the woman gasped.

“Yes,” Casey said as she tore her attention away from the brunette. She glared up at the man who’d brought her to the shuttle. “What is going on? Where is Argernon?”

“Calm down. I’m Rachael Dean,” she spoke softly. “Don’t yell at him. They don’t understand us. I don’t think the computers in here have the program the Zorn run to talk to us and they obviously don’t have the implants in their ears.”

Casey’s gaze shot to the woman. “Do you know what’s going on?”

“No. I was locked in my room until one of them showed up.” Fear made the woman’s eyes widen. “I don’t think they are Zorn. Look at his face closely and you’ll see differences like these guys have pointed ears.”

Fear hit Casey as she studied the tall man standing close to her who had brought her to the shuttle. As she really looked at him she saw differences as well. The guy’s eyes were slanted slightly, he did have pointed ears, and she noticed he had marks like spots on the backs of his hands. Argernon didn’t have any of that. She was pretty sure that these men weren’t Zorn.

“Shit.” Casey took a step back away from the guy realizing she had nowhere to flee to except the back of the ship where two men were standing, blocking the door that she hadn’t noticed before. She stared up at the man staring down at her. “What do you want? Can you understand me?”

The tall man inched forward to invade Casey’s personal space. A growl rumbled from his throat as he gave her a cold look as she took a step back. She glared back up at him trying to not feel terror. He moved closer, almost touching Casey now, to snarl something at her. He was showing sharp teeth. His tone wasn’t friendly. Behind her Rachael softly cursed.

“Don’t look down, but that guy is turned-on big-time.”

Casey’s gaze jerked down to the front of the guy’s pants. Fear hit her hard at the sight of the guy’s obvious state of arousal. He was turned-on big-time all right. She backed up more, right into Rachael, who gently gripped her. Turning her head, Casey eyed the other two men in the shuttle, both of the large males were staring intently at Casey and Rachael.

“We are in deep shit,” Rachael whispered.

“Just stay calm.” It was good advice to give but Casey was having a hard time following it. Where was Argernon and who were these men? Had they attacked the ship? It seemed really damn likely. “I think they might be space pirates.”

“Great. Just fucking great,” Rachael almost sobbed. “First I got drunk in a bar, ended up in bed with this big son of a bitch who could fuck like a machine, and then I woke up on a spaceship with said machine telling me I was the equivalent of his wife. Now this shit. Do you think they are going to kill us?”

“I don’t know. I hope not.”

Rachael sniffed. “I just want to go home. The guy who grabbed me is really nice and he’s hell on wheels in bed, but I didn’t sign up for this shit. I just wanted to have a good time and he looked like a great lay when I left the bar. Were you picked up outside a bar too?”

“No.”

Casey tensed as she saw the two men in the back start to move forward. One of them reached for the front of his pants, always a bad sign, his full interest locked on Rachael.

“Listen to me, Rachael. Do you know how to fight?”

The woman gripped Casey tighter shook. “No. Why?”

Casey swallowed hard. “That one is undressing and so is his friend now. They are stripping, which is damn bad.”

Rachael’s head swung toward the back of the shuttle and she whimpered. “Oh, God. Don’t fight. Maybe they won’t hurt us too much. They always say to not fight your attackers.”

Rage hit Casey. She turned her head to glare at man who had brought her into the shuttle, dread hit her as he removed his shirt slowly, his eyes locked on her breasts. The three men were going to attack them.

“I’m not going to let this happen without a fight.”

“Are you nuts?” Rachael gasped. “They are like seven feet tall and built like linebackers. It would be like punching a brick wall if you hit one of them.”

“They aren’t seven feet tall, maybe just under six and a half feet, and they aren’t as muscular as Argernon is so maybe they aren’t as strong. I’m not going down without a fight. Are you with me?”

“You’re crazy.” Rachael released her to back away.

Casey glared at the man who’d brought her into the shuttle. He opened his pants and pointed at her. He snarled, motioning at her clothes. She knew he was demanding she take them off. She shook her head. No way was she going to strip and make things easier for him. He was going to attack her. Her mind frantically worked. Attackers never expected women on the defense.

The other two men lunged forward, both of them grabbing Rachael by her arms, lifting her. Casey was stunned for seconds as she jerked her head around to see the two large men carrying a kicking and screaming Rachael toward the back of the shuttle by her arms. Both large males were totally naked. Casey instantly moved to go to Rachael’s defense. She even took a step before a large hand gripped her arm, spinning her around violently. She yanked out of his hold, stumbling back, glaring at him.

The man growled at Casey, showing sharp yellow teeth. His eyes narrowed as his nose flared. Casey lunged at him, turning as she hit his body, making him stumble as her shoulder hit his ribs hard. He hadn’t expected her to do that so she caught him off guard. They both went crashing down to the shuttle floor.

Casey landed on top of the man. He gasped out as she slammed her knee into his groin as hard as she could. She knew he had nuts. Argernon had them and this guy was humanoid too. He hissed in pain a second after her knee slammed into the vee of his thighs, proving that he definitely had something there to hit. The alien threw her off him to curl into a protective ball, groaning as he cupped the front of his pants.

She rolled on the floor, slamming into benches, knowing that was going to leave some bruises on her body as she forced herself to stand up. Rachael’s scream rang through the shuttle. Casey saw the other two men pinning the woman to the floor with one hand each at the back of the shuttle. With their free hands they were tearing at Rachael’s shirt. Both men had their attention fixed on Rachael as they stripped the struggling woman. She was screaming and trying to fight them off but her blows didn’t deter them. With their backs to Casey they hadn’t seen what she’d done to her attacker and were unaware that she was behind them.

Casey didn’t think. She screamed as she reacted, running at the two men to try to stop them from raping Rachael. She saw one of them turn right as she launched her body at him. She hit the man’s back, her fingers clawing at him. He tensed, managing not to fall over as Casey’s body hit his. She grunted as she flattened against him. Her fingernails found flesh, clawing frantically as her nails dug into his skin, making him roar out in pain. He twisted hard, flinging Casey away when she was unable to hold on.

She rolled across the shuttle floor once again to come to a halt when her body slammed into an unforgiving surface. A wall had stopped her this time, leaving her sprawled on her stomach. Her hip hurt the worst, followed by the pain in her elbow. She lifted her head to watch the man she’d attacked rising to his feet. She saw blood on his arm, coming from the fresh claw marks she’s left on his shoulder. Rage filled him as he stood his full height.

Behind him his friend turned his attention on Casey too. It gave Rachael a fighting chance. Casey saw Rachael sit up. She was bare from the waist up. Rachael screamed, looking crazy with terror. The man still gripping her thigh turned as Rachael clawed at his face. The man screamed too as he struck out blindly with his fist.

Casey saw it happen almost too quickly for her eyes to follow the motion. The man punched Rachael. He was strong and his fist slammed brutally into Rachael’s face, level with her mouth and nose. The impact caused a horrible crunching. Blood flew as Rachael’s head snapped back, her body flung flat to the floor.

Everything inside the shuttle seemed to freeze, even time. The man who’d been approaching Casey slowly turned, staring at Rachael’s still body. The man who’d hit Rachael backed up in obvious horror, releasing her thigh. Blood ran down his face from the claw marks along both sides of his cheeks that Rachael had just put there.

Casey was stunned for long seconds before she could move. She crawled to Rachael. Neither of the two men moved. Casey crawled faster. Rachael was sprawled on her back, her body bared except for what her pants covered. Casey was shaking badly as she reached the still woman. She stared down at her in horrified shock.

“Oh God.”

Hot tears fell down her face. Rachael was dead. Her lifeless eyes were open, staring at the ceiling of the shuttle. Her nose was broken, blood seeping down her face from the damaged area of her mouth and nose, her jaw looked broken as well. With shaking hands Casey touched Rachael’s warm skin at her throat to search for a pulse. She felt nothing. Rachael was definitely dead.

Casey turned to stare in horror at the man who had killed Rachael. He looked pale as he met Casey’s eyes. He backed up more, shaking his head. Casey just stared at him.

“You son of a bitch, you killed her. You really killed her.”

She heard growling. She turned her head to face the scary sound. The man she’d taken down with a knee to the crotch was getting to his feet. He was the one growling. He roared suddenly, storming for Casey and Rachael. Casey knew her life was over. These men were rapists and killers.

The man ignored Casey as he moved around her. He bent over Rachael’s body staring down at the dead woman’s face. He put his hand to her throat, snarling, before he lifted his head, still ignoring Casey. Pure rage gripped his features, all directed at the man who’d killed Rachael.

The enraged man moved fast, stepping over Rachael’s body, lunging to grab her killer by the throat. The infuriated alien hauled the naked man to his feet, another roar tearing through the shuttle again, a second before the incensed alien threw Rachael’s killer. His body went flying until he hit the far wall of the shuttle in the front. The man hit the floor after bouncing off the wall. The man who’d thrown him snarled again.

Casey was in shock. She watched the three men snarl at each other. They were obviously arguing. They ignored her completely so she felt safe enough to turn her attention from them. She picked up a discarded shirt from one of the men who had attacked Rachael. Her hands shook as she reached over to close the other woman’s eyes, covering up her face and breasts with the shirt.

The men started to fight. Casey was shocked as the two naked men attacked the one who had thrown the killer. They went to the floor in a dog pile of large bodies and fists. Casey got to her feet on shaky legs. The back of the shuttle was close to her. She moved fast, not thinking, knowing she didn’t have time to. She hadn’t heard the shuttle engines come on so they were still in the Zorn ship. She ran for the back door that automatically opened for her.

She was in the room where gravity had been restored. She turned to watch the doors slam shut behind her on the shuttle. She spun in the small cargo room to face the outer door. She saw a large button and dove for it. She hit it as hard as she could. A loud buzz sounded and seconds later the outer doors opened. She expected the gravity to go again but it didn’t. She moved forward, stepping out of the smaller ship. Gravity had been restored in the Zorn ship and the lights were back on.

Casey ran. She had no idea where she was going but she wanted to get away from those men. She bolted for the door she’d come through, feeling relief when it automatically opened for her this time. She ended up in a corridor and she turned, sprinting away. It had been dark when she arrived in this area of the ship but she remembered what side she’d come from. She was pretty sure she was going in the right direction. Somewhere on the ship was Argernon.

Chapter Eight

Casey’s side hurt. She was hopelessly lost and she hadn’t run into anyone. She’d found a hatch and had crawled down a floor. Where were the Zorn men? She was more afraid of running into the men who weren’t Zorn. If the men she’d escaped from were tracking her, they hadn’t found her yet.

She was pretty sure she was in the crew quarters area. She tried to find a place to hide but there wasn’t anywhere to go. None of the room doors would open on this level. She touched pads but the doors remained locked. The only doors that opened automatically were doors that shut off one corridor to another.

In her bare feet she couldn’t miss the slight motion of the floor under her vibrating slightly indicating to her that the ship was moving again. Relief hit her and then fear. Maybe the Zorn had control of their ship again but maybe not. She heard growling right before movement flashed, and she turned her head toward it.

A man was walking toward her dressed in all black like Argernon. He was looking at some kind of tablet thing in his hands, his full attention on it. His heavy-duty black boots were also just like the ones Argernon wore. He looked Zorn. Casey’s eyes flew to his ears peeking out of long black hair that was pulled back from his face, falling down his back, seeing that they were definitely round.

“Hey, you,” Casey called out. She ran toward him.

He stopped walking as his head snapped up. She saw him tense instantly before he spotted her. He looked shocked for a second but he recovered quickly, moving toward her. Casey was sure he was Zorn by the time they faced off, both stopping a few feet in front of each other. She met his glowing green gaze, feeling joy that he was Zorn. This close to him she was absolutely sure what he was.

“Can you understand me? Do you have one of those implant things?”

The man nodded. He reached out his hand holding it out to her palm up.

Casey hesitated. “Where is Argernon?”

He held out his hand closer to her. Casey eyed it and then lifted her gaze to his. “Will you take me to Argernon?”

Relief hit Casey when he nodded. She put her hand in his larger one, feeling his fingers firmly grasp hers. He slowly turned, tugging on her, so she followed him when he led her to a conis on the wall. He was probably turning on the translator, which made her happy because she wanted to be able to talk to him.

A hundred questions filled her head. Instead the man growled into the built-in device. Seconds later someone growled back. The man released the conis to look down at her. His eyes tore from hers to look both ways. He looked on guard to her, tense, like he was expecting trouble.

She heard faint growling minutes later but it wasn’t from the man gripping her hand. She turned around, staring down a corridor, only to see Argernon coming at her fast. He was still barefooted, bare chested and had two other Zorn men walking right behind him. His gaze locked with hers. Sheer happiness at seeing Argernon alive and well slammed Casey. She swore the man gripping her hand chuckled as he released his hold on her. In the next instant Argernon grabbed Casey, jerking her into his arms, pulling her tightly against him.

She slammed into his bare chest not even caring that he was sweaty. Her arms went around his waist as she hugged him almost as tightly as his crushing arms held her. His entire body seemed to quiver when he lowered his head to nuzzle the top of her head with his jaw.

She didn’t want to let him go, but as Argernon released her he forced her to. She looked up at him, seeing relief in his expression and a few other emotions she couldn’t guess. Mostly she saw his happiness at seeing her and she knew she was damn happy to see him again too.

He studied her face first and then started to examine her with his hands while he visually inspected her body. After sniffing at her a few times he snarled at one of his men. They snarled back. Argernon looked enraged when he faced Casey. One of the men tore open the conis panel to start working on it with a metal tool. He softly growled something and then there was a beep.

“I don’t care,” Argernon snarled. “Fix it right now. I want to know what happened to her. She should have been safe locked in my room. I smell Collis on her.”

“I’m trying to fix it, Argis Argernon,” a male growled. “We’re a mess. I got gravity restored and we’re moving again. I got us up to full power, but we’re still having internal problems with some of our systems. They fried us when they attacked and our internal sensors are shot. I don’t know if any of them are still on board or if we killed them all. I am hoping the lockdown procedure is working so if some of the Collis are still on board, that we’ve trapped them where they are.”

“Just fix it soon,” Argernon looked pissed off. “I want to make sure my bound is unharmed. She’s scenting fear and she was found wandering the ship. She came in contact with a Collis. Make it a priority. I can’t stand not being able to talk to her.”

“Argernon?” Casey stared up at him.

His head lowered. “Yes, beautiful? I wish you could understand me.”

“I can.”

He blinked. Shock transformed his features. A second later he smiled. “You can? The conis is working?”

“Yes. What in the hell is going on? If Collis are men with pointed ears, spots on the backs of their hands, and they look kind of like Zorn, then I definitely met them. They took me from your room and took me to some little shuttle. I escaped.”

Argernon’s mouth dropped open. He paled. “What?”

She fought tears. “They had another human woman there. They killed her, Argernon. They were going to rape us. I fought. She tried to fight. One of them punched her in the face when she clawed his face up. He hit her too hard and killed her. The three men started to fight each other and I got away from them. I’ve been wandering the ship looking for you, but I didn’t see anyone until that guy found me.”

Argernon snarled. The translator was quiet. He jerked his head around to glare at one of his men. “We need to search every inch of the ship and find these betrayers now.”

He turned his full attention on her. He caressed her cheek. “Did they hurt you? Tell me the truth.”

“I got away before they could do anything to me.”

Relief washed over his face. “We were attacked by the Collis. We’re not at war with them so we don’t know why they did it. They live on a planet not far from Zorn. They boarded us. We thought it was only one shuttle they used, but we have that one secured. If they took you to a shuttle then there’s another one. Our internal sensors are down so we can’t track anyone inside until it is fixed. We initiated lockdown so without a palm print it should seal off the ship at every junction.”

“It’s not working. I was able to walk around. The doors automatically worked except it wouldn’t let me into any of the rooms. It just would let me move from corridor to corridor.”

Argernon snarled, turning his head to glare at his men. “Fix it now, and alert everyone that lockdown is not working. Order our men to search every inch for those betraying Collis.”

“Yes, Argis Argernon. I’m sending out the alerts now.” The man at the panel was typing something into it.

Argernon turned to stare down at Casey. “I thought you were safe in my room. I am sorry. If I had known you were in danger I would have been there.” His shoulders slumped. “I failed to protect you.”

She was dazed at how upset Argernon was. “It wasn’t your fault. Really.”

He dropped to his knees in front of her. Casey was surprised as Argernon started sniffing at her, pressing his nose against her shirt, as growls tore from him. It was a vicious sound. His hands fisted on her shirt as his head snapped up.

“I smell more than one male on you.”

She swallowed. “I attacked one of them and I landed on him. Another one took me from your room. I’m fine, Argernon.”

He climbed to his feet, a look of fury hardening his features. “You’re my bound. I should have protected you better. I will never be remiss again, Casey. I swear it to you. Do you forgive me?”

She nodded. He was beating himself up over something that wasn’t his fault. She heard a beeping sound. Argernon spun around to face his men.

“What is it?”

“We have a breach on deck three,” one of his men snarled. “It looks like they aren’t done yet. They are heading right for us. I’m sending the alert and our males are on their way.”

Argernon shoved Casey, none too gently, against a wall. He moved in front of her, trapping her body there with his larger one. She felt fear as she stared at his wide back. She heard the Collis before she saw them. They were wearing those metal boots that clanked loudly on the corridor floor. Casey did a head count on the seven Collis as the pointed-ear aliens paused. The one in front leading the other six was the one she’d attacked in the shuttle and she saw the other two men who had attacked Rachael with him.

“That’s him leading them,” Casey whispered. “He’s the one I attacked because he was going to rape me. The two shirtless men behind him are the ones who killed Rachael.”

“Stay put and don’t move.” Argernon’s voice was hard to understand since he snarled the words harshly. “The leader is mine.” Argernon threw his head back, a roar tearing from his throat. “You will die for attacking my ship.”

The other man roared back. “We want the Earth women. They are worth a fortune. Give us the females, all of them, and we’ll leave you lowly Zorn alive.”

“How did they know we carried humans aboard?” It was the man who had fixed the conis. His voice was soft.

“I don’t know,” Argernon spat. “But it’s the last thing they will do after they tried to steal my bound. Kill them all.”

Casey gasped as Argernon roared again. Suddenly he was gone from in front of her, leaping forward, literally, to attack the alien who had tried to rape her. The alien’s face paled before Argernon was on him. Both men went flying backward into the Collis men. Argernon’s three men were in the fight an instant later. It was four Zorn against seven Collis.

Fear and horror hit Casey while she saw the men fighting. Argernon got lost in a pile of moving bodies. Most of them remained on their feet. The Zorn men snarled and were much stronger than the Collis. Casey figured that out fast as she watched one of Argernon’s men grab hold of a Collis, slamming his enemy hard against the wall, the crack of bones breaking reached her ears. The Collis screamed in pain before being sent airborne by the Zorn gripping him. The Collis went sailing past Casey down the corridor where he hit hard into a wall about six feet from her.

Her attention returned to the fight. Argernon was on top of her would-be rapist, his fists pounding the trapped man under him, blood showing on Argernon’s fists as they rose. More men rushed from down the corridor where the fight was blocking the way. Horror hit her when she realized they were more Collis and not Zorn. She could tell them apart now from a distance by their uniforms. The Collis wore black but their outfits were styled differently. Now the Zorn men were outnumbered four to ten.

A groan caught Casey’s attention. The Collis who had gone flying was cradling his broken arm as he tried to get up. She realized he was the man who had killed Rachael. He shook his head as he got to his knees. Casey saw the dropped tool on the floor, left by Argernon’s man when working on the conis. It was a metal instrument with a long, thick screwdriver-type implement on one end of it.

Rage hit Casey. That was the guy who had killed Rachael. Even though she hadn’t known the woman for more than a few terrified moments, she knew how the poor woman died in terror, trying to not be raped. Casey leaned down, picked up the tool and stormed for the man struggling to get up.

These aliens had boarded the Zorn ship with every intention of stealing human women and raping them. Her temper snapped when Casey saw the man turn his head. He must have heard her approach. He growled at her. Their language didn’t come across the conis to her. Whatever he said she didn’t know and she didn’t care. His growl was vicious with intent. He moved fast, even injured, and bounded to his feet. He snarled as he came at her.

“Fuck you.”

Casey yelled as she threw her body at him instead of backing away. It had worked with the other guy. She nailed him with her weight as their bodies slammed together, the tool in her hand shoved between their bodies, as they hit.

A scream sounded. It was his and not hers. Casey almost collapsed to her knees as the alien staggered back. She stared at the shocked expression on his face. Something warm hit her as it spread down her hands, arms, and chest. He stumbled back another foot so she saw the gaping hole in his chest between his ribs. He looked down his body, seeing his blood pouring down his belly and groin. His head snapped up so he could glare at her as he dropped to his knees. His hands pressed against the wound but blood still ran over fingers.

“Go to hell,” Casey whispered, knowing he was going to die, with the heavy tool still gripped in her wet, blood-soaked hands. “That’s for Rachael.”

The man’s eyes rolled up into his head before he fell back. His large body crashed to the floor. Casey turned away. The fighting was still going on but she saw bodies down. Terror hit her as she scanned the still, large bodies on the floor until she realized they weren’t Zorn. She didn’t see Argernon.

She got a glimpse of him when two men fighting in the front line went to the floor together. He was on his feet fighting another Collis. Argernon spun, his powerful leg shooting out, nailing the man who was trying to attack him from behind. The man hit the wall hard and went down. Argernon roared his rage. She saw blood on his face. Men moved as they fought so Casey couldn’t see Argernon anymore as the melee blocked her view.

A sound carried her way. She spun around. Zorn men, six of them, were running from the opposite direction. They actually had to jump over the alien she had killed. One of the men grabbed Casey with his arm locking around her waist. She gasped as her feet left the floor as he swung her out of the center of the corridor. He leaned back against the wall, lifting her up his body and adjusting her in his tight embrace until they were chest to chest. She dangled a good half a foot from the floor but she still had to raise her chin to get a look at his face. His fingers wrapped around the tool she still gripped, tearing it from her numb fingers to toss it away from them. His hand went to her waist.

Shock tore through her. The Zorn man looked a hell of a lot like Argernon. He sniffed at her, frowning, as his gaze flew to hers. He growled. She waited but the conis didn’t translate. Her attention turned to the wall. She saw that it was there, but it wasn’t working anymore. She looked back at him.

“Can you understand me?”

He nodded. One hand released her waist. He turned their bodies as he tore his gaze from her. She followed where he was staring. The Zorn men had all of the Collis who were still alive on the floor. Argernon stumbled forward from the mess, covered in blood. Casey saw his head lift. Their gazes locked.

“Let me go.” She hit at the chest of the man holding her.

The Zorn gripping her let her slide down his body. He released her the second her feet touched the floor. Casey was shaking as she closed the distance to Argernon. He just stood there waiting. Casey was alarmed with how pale he looked and there was a good amount of blood on him. He had it on his face, in his hair, down his chest, arms, and shoulders. His pants were torn above the knee on one leg. Blood even covered his bare feet.

She was in front of him in seconds. “Are you all right?”

Her hands reached out but he growled at her, showing sharp teeth. She jerked her hands back to just stare up at him.

“You look so pale. Please let me touch you.”

He growled again holding out his hands, showing her the blood as he turned his hands over. He met her look, slowly shaking his head. He made a sound she identified as he mimicked rushing water. Relief hit her.

“You want to shower first before I touch you?”

He nodded.

The man who had grabbed Casey walked behind her. He growled something to Argernon causing him to smile. Argernon was still smiling as he gave his full attention to the man behind her. He opened his mouth but instead of growling he softly groaned. All the tan color drained from Argernon’s face as he slowly sank to the floor.

Casey lunged forward trying to catch Argernon. He was too damn big to hold up but she did manage to slow him just enough so that the man behind her could lunge forward to grab Argernon too. The man gently lowered Argernon to the floor. Casey ended up on her knees next to him clutching his hand. His eyes were shut, he was too pale, and while he was breathing, he was definitely unconscious.

Argernon’s almost look-alike snarled loudly at all the men around them. He grabbed Casey’s arm, ripping her away from Argernon. She cried out in protest but the man moved fast. He dug his hands under Argernon’s body, lifting him. The man groaned slightly. Both men were about the same massive size but the man stood up with Argernon cradled in his arms. The man snarled, jerked his head to Casey, and then was storming away with Argernon.

One of the Zorn men moved forward to grip Casey’s arm. He softly growled at her as he gently pulled her to her feet. He gripped her hand, pulling her down the corridor. She realized they were heading in the direction that the man had taken Argernon. She walked faster, almost running. She did run when she saw the man carrying Argernon ahead. She tore her hand away from her escort’s hold. She wasn’t going to let Argernon out of her sight.

It was some kind of medical room. Casey saw an older Zorn man in the room as Argernon was gently placed on a flat bed. The Zorn doctor, Casey assumed, shot her a curious glance but then ignored her. The man went to work.

Argernon’s obvious relative moved to stand next to Casey. She looked up at him. “Are you Argernon’s brother?”

He turned his head to stare down at her. He gave her a nod.

“Is that a doctor?”

The man hesitated before he shook his head no.

“Where is the doctor?” Fear hit Casey. “He needs one. Isn’t there a doctor on the ship?”

The man looked grim as he growled, shaking his head, looking pissed as his eyes lingered on his brother’s still form. The man attending Argernon was cleaning off the blood. Casey moved forward to grab some of the small hand-sized towels the man had put on a small table next to the bed holding Argernon. She wanted to help so she worked on his other side, cleaning off the blood.

Argernon’s brother helped strip Argernon out of his pants so they could turn him over. The conis wasn’t working so they couldn’t talk to each other but both men understood her. That was something but she was still frustrated. They found a large bleeding lump on the back of Argernon’s head. He had a knife wound on his thigh where his pants had been torn above the knee where one of the Collis bastards had stabbed him. He had cuts, bruises and a few claw marks to show for the fighting. The worst and most worrisome injury was his head. The bulge from the lump was bad.

“Do you have ice? I need something really cold to put on the wound to reduce the swelling.”

The older Zorn got the equivalent of an ice pack. Nothing more could be done for Argernon’s head injury. Casey and the older Zorn cleaned and bandaged the other wounds. Casey helped the older man treat each man as more injured Zorn came looking for help. He wasn’t a doctor but he obviously had a little medical training.

* * * * *

They were three days from Zorn. The ship was crippled but the engines were fine. The conis program was damaged and they weren’t able to retrieve it. Communications were down all over the ship. They couldn’t even get in contact with the Zorn home planet. The Collis had taken out their long-distance communications when they’d fired on the ship.

Argernon’s brother visited often as Casey stayed at Argernon’s side. He didn’t wake up and she was worried sick over his head injury. By asking questions she knew they were having all kinds of electrical problems. Some parts of the ship weren’t livable so most of the Zorn moved to deck three with Casey and Argernon. The water systems were down so even showers were out. Casey knew they were also having problems with food since she was handed packets of dried food to eat.

Casey tended to the Zorn men who were injured while Argernon remained unconscious. Over twenty Collis attackers had been killed when they’d boarded the ship but the Zorn had only suffered four losses along with the death of Rachael. At least thirty Zorn males were living in the same area Casey was, so by Day Two everyone smelled due to the scarce water supply. The air circulating wasn’t the greatest either but she’d been assured they wouldn’t suffocate when she’d noticed the poor air quality and had asked someone.

She was frustrated. Argernon was healing but he wouldn’t wake up. The knot on his head had gone down. She’d talked to him while he slept, begging him to wake up, but he’d continued to sleep deeply. Every time exhaustion threatened to take her, she’d climb up on the bed with him to curl into his side. She rarely left the room they were keeping Argernon in except to use the bathroom.

She was uncomfortable since most of the male Zorn were living in the corridors and sleeping on floors outside the door. When some of them looked at her, she didn’t like the interest she saw there. Argernon wasn’t able to protect her so she just stayed at his side as much as she could.

They finally reached Zorn and the crippled ship was boarded by other Zorn. They instantly headed for Argernon with a mobile board like a cot with straps. Casey stood back while they loaded Argernon gently. She followed them. When one of the men had tried to stop her, she’d glared up at him.

“I go where he goes. Get the hell out of my way and let me follow him.”

Argernon’s brother had stepped out of a room at that moment. He growled at the man, glanced at Casey and nodded. The big man moved out of the way so Casey could rush after the men taking Argernon away. As they boarded a small shuttle Casey felt terror. She was going to Zorn but Argernon was gravely injured. She was facing stepping on an alien planet without his protection. Was that even safe? She didn’t know. She moved closer to his cot, gripping his limp hand.

Chapter Nine

Casey stared at the red planet around her in wonder and shock. She was exhausted and worse, worried. She’d just spend three hellish days of her life in a crippled ship with a lot of Zorn men, an unconscious Argernon, with no way to communicate except by asking questions that had a yes or a no answer.

The shuttle ride down to the planet had been bumpy and crowded with the injured. After they landed on the surface more Zorn rushed inside the cramped space to carry out the injured, going for Argernon first. Casey tried to follow the men taking him away, but one of them moved in her path, trying to prevent her from staying by his side.

“Get out of my way, damn it. I’m with him.”

The man had frowned, but he’d moved out of her way after sniffing at her.

She’d run after the stretcher that carried Argernon. They walked into some kind of hospital but not one like she’d ever seen before since it resembled an office building. They’d let her stay with Argernon but no one had talked to her. They’d put him on a table bed in a large, private room, under a machine that hovered over him scanning back and forth over his body. She paced, watching Argernon, feeling worried. He hadn’t woken up in three days.

She’d taken care of him by forcing water into him by dripping it into his mouth hour after hour. She’d hand bathed him with his brother’s help twice. She didn’t see any infection in his cuts and his bleeding had totally stopped. He’d actually started to heal. The gash on his head was closed so it was just a red-scabbed area. The bump though had worried her. It had just started to go down. The doors to the room opened to admit a Zorn woman.

Casey was taken aback by her. The woman was probably five feet ten, muscular and wore a tunic top with loose pants. She stopped to stare at Casey for a moment before walking all the way into the room. She cleared her throat.

“Hello, Earth woman. I am Scientist and Healer Ahhu.”

Casey almost hit her knees and would have if she hadn’t locked them together. “You speak English. Thank God!”

“I don’t speak it.” The woman touched her ear. “I have the upgraded translator implant programming to understand your Earth language. We also have the conis running so you can understand me in this room. I will get you fit with implants soon. What is your name?”

“Casey Santhrom. How is Argernon? He hasn’t woken up in three days.”

The woman darted her eyes to Argernon, clearing her throat. “He’s very ill. He hit his head hard but he will recover.”

“Why isn’t he awake?”

The woman moved closer, studying Casey. She sniffed and made a face. “You smell.”

Anger simmered up instantly in Casey. “I’ve been stuck in a crippled ship in tight quarters with a bunch of men for three days without a shower. What is wrong with Argernon, damn it?”

The Zorn woman growled. “There is not a need for rudeness. I was merely stating an observation. Would you like to bathe? I will see to it that you get clothing while we take care of Argis Argernon. He should be awake by the time that you are clean and smelling well again.”

“Lady,” Casey warned. “I’m about to lose my temper and then you’ll know rudeness. Tell me what’s wrong with Argernon, damn it.”

Ahhu stepped back, frowning. “He injured his head enough to put his body in a protective hibernation.”

Shock tore through Casey. “Hibernation? Like bears?”

The woman frowned. “What is a bear?”

“Forget it. How do we wake him up?”

Casey moved to Argernon to grip his hand. Between her worry for Argernon’s health, the constant concern on the ship that she was being lied to and they were slowly going to suffocate, and the fear of what would greet her on Zorn, she was an emotional mess.

“You need to bathe. Your smell is offensive. We will bathe Argis Argernon.”

The door opened. Three pretty women who were all tall and muscular too rushed into the room. They all quickly advanced to Argernon. One of them actually knocked Casey out of the way. Casey ended up stumbling back about four feet. The distress on the women’s faces was evident as they ran their hands over Argernon’s still body. One of them turned her attention on Ahhu.

“Will he recover?”

Ahhu nodded. “Yes, Bara. He had swelling in his brain but it has left no permanent damage. He shut down for more than a day so his body responded in kind to protect him. He’s hibernating.”

The woman swayed, tears filling her eyes. “We’ll wake him up after we bathe him clean so he isn’t upset by his odor.”

The woman sniffed. Her face crinkled into a bunch of wrinkles as she leaned down to inhale slowly. She lifted her head, her attention going to Casey, looking really pissed off as she glared right at her.

“Who is she? Her scent is all over Argernon. I didn’t detect it at first because of his body odor from days of not washing and all the other male scents.”

“Who are you?” Casey didn’t like, one bit, the way the woman was glaring at her. She was pissed off that three women were touching Argernon after knocking her out of the way. “And why in the hell are you touching him? Are you his sisters?”

Ahhu cleared her throat as she looked between both women. She softly growled. She turned her attention to Casey looking really uncomfortable.

“These are Argis Argernon’s house helpers. This is Bara, Valle, and Din.”

Bara snarled. “Why are you addressing her? You address me. I am house lead.”

Ahhu visibly flinched. “This is very displeasing news for all of you obviously. Argis Argernon bound to this Earth woman, Bara. You know I have to address her first now. You no longer lead his house. She does.”

Bara snarled, shock gripping her features as she paled, swaying a little on her feet. Her eyes shot to Casey. Casey saw emotions in the woman’s face. The woman was furious, shocked, and judging by the way her fingers clawed, she wanted to shred Casey with her fingernails.

Casey was in shock too. Argernon had told her about house helpers. She let the information he’d given her slam into her brain as understanding hit her hard. She stared at the three women while jealousy reared its ugly head, but mostly it was pain that surfaced. These three women lived with Argernon, slept in his bed with him since he wasn’t bound, and he kept them as his lovers.

Her body swayed a little. She backed up to sit down hard in the nearest chair. She felt betrayed and heartbroken. The anger and pain tore her apart at the same time. He’d said he wanted bound to her but she never thought, never even let it sink in, that he might have house helpers living with him.

Casey forced herself to her feet. She clenched her teeth as she blinked back tears to stare at the doctor or whatever she was. “I’d like that shower and please address…” Casey’s eyes went to Bara. “Her as lead. I’m not bound to him. He’s got enough damn women in his bed.”

Casey let her eyes drift to Argernon. Those women were touching him. One had her hand on his thigh right against his balls, another one had her hand on his heart rubbing his bare chest like a lover would, and the third one was touching his hair. Jealousy hit her hard. She wanted to cry. She blinked the moisture back, tearing her gaze from Argernon’s still body to Ahhu.

“I want to leave now.” Her voice shook and Casey hated it that her pain was evident.

Ahhu frowned. The door opened behind the woman. Argernon’s brother from the ship stormed in. He took in the room and froze. Behind him another man walked in. At his side was a human woman gripping his hand. The man was obviously another brother judging by the way he looked so much like Argernon. How many brothers were there?

“This is very tense,” Ahhu said softly. She turned her attention on one of the brothers. “Argis Rever, there is a problem.”

Rever frowned. “What is Argernon’s condition? Will he survive?”

Ahhu hesitated as her eyes darted from Casey to the three women touching Argernon. She nodded. “He will recover. His body went into hibernation from the trauma of the head injury. His house helpers will bathe him and revive him.” She paused. “He didn’t tell his bound about his house helpers. She’s stating she isn’t his bound and wants to leave now. I can smell her pain from here. She’s very agitated.”

Rever turned to Casey. Casey blinked hard as she met the eyes of the man she’d spent three days with. Now she knew his name. Rever opened his mouth and then slammed it shut. He frowned at Casey, his intensely blue eyes locking on her.

“Son of a bitch,” the human woman ground out, jerking away from the man she was holding hands with, spinning to face him. “Your brother is an asshole. Damn it, this isn’t why I sent you people to Earth to get women. I told you this was going to be a bad idea.” She spun back around, looking at Casey, sympathy welling in those eyes. “I’m Ariel. He didn’t tell you he had three women living with him?”

Casey shook her head. “I want to leave now.” She was proud that her voice didn’t break. “Right now.”

Ariel shut her eyes. When the man behind her touched her back she jumped, startled, and spun around. “Don’t touch me, damn it. This…shit!” She spun back around. “Did he bound you to him?”

Casey hesitated. Her eyes went to the three women who were still rubbing and touching Argernon as he lay unconscious on the table. Pain and anger flooded her at the same time. Her eyes went to Ariel.

“I never signed up for this shit. Can you get me out of here? I need a shower and I need…” Her eyes went to Argernon. More pain hit her. She had fallen for the son of a bitch. She looked at Ariel. “Away from him and them. Please?”

Ariel nodded. “I’m so sorry. Of course. I totally understand.” She turned to glare at the large man hovering behind her with the frown on his face. “Let’s take her home with us, Ral. Your brother is a fuckup, and no way in hell will I let him hurt her worse. He obviously lied to her and kept shit from her, so they aren’t bound.”

Ahhu moved toward the table Argernon lay on, to open a drawer under the bed. She took out a wand and a remote device. She pointed the remote to a wall with a screen on it to turn it on, walking to Casey. Ahhu’s tongue ran over her lips to wet them as she stopped before her.

“Please raise your shirt, Casey Santhrom. I need to check your lower stomach first.”

“Why?” Casey took a step back.

Ariel cursed. “Just let her so it so we can get the hell out of here.”

Casey sighed, lifting her shirt. The woman took the wand thing and slowly waved it over her stomach with one hand while reached out to tug at Casey’s pants to lower them to her hipbones. The woman turned her head, moving the wand away. Her focus went to look at a green screen. Casey followed her stare. She didn’t know what she was looking at. Ahhu tensed. Her gaze flew back to Casey.

“You are bound to Argis Argernon regardless of your wishes to not be. You took his seed in your belly.”

The three women who were touching Argernon gasped, one of them sniffing. Casey jerked her eyes to Argernon’s house helpers. Din and Valle looked shocked, but Bara was the one who’d sniffed, tears were sliding down her cheeks, her pain obvious. The woman lowered her head. Casey frowned at the doctor.

“You can’t make me stay with him because I gave him a damn blowjob. How in the hell does that thing even know about it?”

Ariel cursed. “Oh man. That’s not what they mean. They talk weird. Planting seed in your belly isn’t swallowing like that. It means to them that you’re carrying his baby. He got you pregnant, Casey.”

Casey stared at Ariel in shock. “No.”

Ariel moved forward to grip Casey’s hand. “I’m so sorry, but if Ahhu says you got planted then you are.” She reached down to lift up her baggy shirt. “Trust me.”

Casey stared down at the swollen stomach of the woman gripping her hand. The woman was at least five months pregnant. Casey’s gaze flew up to Ariel’s. She shook her head.

“I don’t care if I’m pregnant. I’m not living in his damn polygamist house.”

“I understand,” Ariel said softly. She turned, still gripping Casey’s hand. “Can we take her home with us?”

Ral shook his head. “She’s bound to him. I can’t interfere unless he’s abusing her.”

“What do you call this?” Ariel yelled at him. She waved her hand at Argernon and his house helpers. “You know how I’d feel right now, damn it.” The woman gave a dirty look at the other brother. “What in the hell was he thinking? You were with him.”

Rever hesitated. “I didn’t even know he found a woman. Once I boarded the jumper from Earth I never saw him until after we were attacked. He was injured so we couldn’t talk. His scent was all over her and her on him. She cared for him every minute and slept at his side when she rested. I didn’t know until I met her that he’d bound her.”

“I want to go home,” Casey whispered. “I…” She stared into Ariel’s eyes and pleaded. “I just want to go home. I just want to wake up. This is a nightmare, right? I just want my life back.”

Ariel gave Casey’s hand a squeeze, turning her head. She shot a glare at the big man who was frowning. He was hovering behind her. “Do something, Ral.”

The big man tensed, looking really unhappy. He nodded. He eyed the three house helpers. “Go home. She’s his bound and he didn’t warn her about you. She’s from a monogamous planet. Until he wakes to settle this mess he made, it is best if she is not upset more. Your presence distresses her.”

A growl tore from Bara as she shook her head. “She knows nothing of our men. How will she revive him?”

A growl tore from Ral’s mouth. He gave a curt nod at Bara. “You stay. They go.” He gave his attention to Ariel next. “Trust me on this. Take his bound to get clean. I will stay here to tend to my brother until you get back.” He gave a nod at Ahhu. “Show them to another room with a shower.”

Ariel narrowed her eyes. “Why do you want us out of here, Ral? I know you too damn well. Why is she staying?” Ariel pointed at Bara.

A growl rumbled from Ral. “Trust me and take his bound to shower. When she returns Argernon will be awake, then he can fix this mess himself.”

“But—”

Another growl rumbled from Ral. “Ariel, I love you. Trust me on this. Please?” His gaze locked with hers.

“Damn. I hate it when you give me that look. Fine.” Ariel turned to Casey. “Let’s get you a shower, a change of clothes and fed. Ral is making those women go home. They’ll wake Argernon up and then you can tear his balls off.” Ariel shot Ral a glare. “And he’d deserve it.”

Ral gave a sharp nod. “He would. He was warned well by you of human women. Thank you.” He gave her a wink.

“You owe me big.” She shot him a grin.

Casey made herself not look at Argernon or his three live-in sex playmates. She still felt betrayed and hurt. Jealousy played in her emotions too. It burned in her as Ahhu led them out of the room. She was pregnant? She couldn’t be. Of course they’d had sex so much that it was totally possible. Ariel gave a tug on her hand she held, leading a reeling Casey from the room to one next door.

Ahhu spoke to Ariel. “I’ll have someone bring food and clothing for Argis Argernon’s bound. I’ll also start the medications we give you, so she doesn’t suffer the swelling and heat that you did.”

“Thanks.” Ariel took a step in the path of the Zorn woman before she escaped. “Why did Ral want us out of the room?”

Ahhu swallowed hard. Her gaze darted to Casey and then back to Ariel. “Ask Argis Ral. It is not my place.”

Ariel let go of Casey’s hand to step closer to the taller Zorn woman, staring up at her. “I’m asking you. Don’t bullshit me, Ahhu. We’ve gotten to know each other really well these last few months. I’d even consider you a good friend. What in the hell is Ral trying to hide? We deserve the truth.”

Ahhu was looking really uncomfortable. “It would upset her greatly.”

Casey frowned. “I’m already upset. Just spit it out. What other fucked-up thing am I not being told, that is going to make me want to shoot Argernon?”

Ahhu met Casey’s curious look. “Our males are different from yours. They are very sexual. When a Zorn male is seriously injured they hibernate to slow their body’s functions down since they are unable to address their own needs.” The woman’s gaze locked with Ariel’s. “It happens to slow their sex drive and physical reactions down. To wake him up his body has to be woken.”

“Goddamn it.” Ariel took a step away from the door. “Ahhu, you get your ass in there and tell them to not let that woman touch him. I’m going to talk to Casey first. Do you understand? If he needs that, she’ll do it. Move now.”

Ahhu fled. Casey looked at Ariel with a frown.

“What in the hell am I missing?”

Ariel looked pissed. “You aren’t going to be missing me yelling at my husband, because they are going to hear it across the other side of the planet when I see him. What Ahhu said in their roundabout way of speaking is because Argernon couldn’t get off for days his body went into shock and shut down. To wake him up he needs to get his little guys moving, if you know what I mean. My husband sent us in here so he could have muscle chick do Argernon while he’s down for the count to bring him around. That’s what you’ll need to do to wake him up. A hand job will probably do the trick.”

Casey shut her eyes from the pain those words caused her. She felt sick and exhausted. She opened her eyes, meeting Ariel’s concerned ones.

“Let her. He doesn’t belong to me. He’s just a four-timing asshole and I…” She hated the tears that filled her eyes. “I don’t give a damn. Where’s that shower and food? I want off this damn planet when Argernon wakes up after he gets his fuck from that bitch. I’m suffering from exhaustion and I’m just…done.”

Casey spun away to locate the bathroom. She shut the door hard, locking it, and slid to the floor with her back to the door. She let it all out while she cried. The pain she experienced at finding out about Argernon lying to her about those other women was deep.

She’d been kidnapped from her life she wanted to go back to. The days she’d spent on board with Argernon before the ship was attacked and the following three days that she’d cared for him staying glued to his unconscious side until they’d arrived at his home world had torn her up. Most of all she cried because she’d fallen in love with the bastard.

Chapter Ten

Argernon’s fingers were twisting in Casey’s hair. A smile played at his lips, enjoying her tongue licking at the head of his cock. A growl poured out of him as pleasure seared through him. Her hot tongue jerked away seconds before he was coming hard. Ecstasy made him groan loudly as his release exploded from his body.

He liked it better when Casey wrapped her mouth around him to take his seed down her throat but he wasn’t going to complain about any way that she wanted to touch him. Opening his eyes, a smile on his lips, he found himself staring up at a white ceiling.

It wasn’t the metal ceiling on the ship. Confusion hit him. Casey tugged her hair in his hand trying to break free of his hold. He moved his head. He felt strangely weak. He stared in shock at Bara as she gave him a hate-filled glare filled with accusation. His fingers were fisted in dark brown hair.

“I’m not your human,” she spat. “I had to suffer hearing you moan her name over and over as I woke you.” She gave a hard tug with her head trying to get him to release her hair.

Distress tore through Argernon. He yanked his hand away like he’d been burned. Bara rose up to her feet. Argernon sat up, realizing he was in medical on a bed. His gaze flew around the room. He was on Zorn. How could it be? Movement in the corner caught his attention. Ral was leaning against the door. His brother looked at him grimly. Ral’s attention slid to Bara.

“Thank you,” Ral said gruffly.

Bara gave a hiss of anger. “You are not welcome. He said her name. You refused to leave me with him alone. I do not enjoy someone watching me with my protector.”

Ral took a deep breath. “You’re angry so I did not trust you with him until you calm. A woman in a rage is a woman I wouldn’t leave alone with my defenseless brother. It’s not like I haven’t seen you tongue a male before.”

Snarling, Bara showed sharp teeth to Ral. Snapping her head, her eyes glared at Argernon. “You promised to protect me and give me a home. I will not release you from your word. I—”

“Leave now,” Ral growled. “Give him time to recover.”

Bara went stomping for the door. Argernon had the realization that he was naked on a bed. His body was damp and the scent of soap was on him. Someone had washed his hair as well as bathed him. He was confused as hell. His confused look went to Ral as he struggled to sit up all the way and cover his cock from his brother with the sheet. Anger was evident in Ral’s stiff stance.

“The ship was attacked by the Collis,” Ral said slowly. “You suffered injuries when you fought them and you have been unconscious for three days. They were going after the human women to sell them for profit. There are some Collis willing to pay for forced house helpers if they are from Earth. Somehow they heard about what those women are like sexually.”

Argernon paled, the blood draining from his face. “I remember. Casey…” Pain pierced his chest. Had she died?

“She is alive but not well.”’

Argernon pushed his body to the edge of the bed to swing his legs over. He would have gotten to his feet but Ral moved faster, grabbing him by his shoulders firmly, holding him in place. His brother shook his head.

“Do not try to get out of bed. You are weak and unsteady. Ahhu had to hook you up for nourishment replenishment. You need some hours for your body to recover since you just came out of hibernation. You would be in much worse shape but your Casey forced nutrient paste down you and water for the three days she tended to you.”

“Where is she? If she is hurt I need to be with her. Were we attacked by more Collis? Take me to her. If I can’t walk then carry me to her side. I bound her.”

“I know what you’ve done.”

Argernon frowned. “Your rage is so strong I can almost taste it. Why?”

“Ariel is angry with me. She screamed at me and hit my chest with her fist. She is carrying my offspring and upsetting her is bad for her health and for the offspring. The only reason I don’t beat on you is because you are already weak. Ariel won’t even talk to me. She’s that angry.”

“I don’t have time to figure out why Ariel is angry with you. Where is Casey? If I can’t go to her then can she come to me? I want to see her myself to make sure she is well.”

“She’s alive.” Ral took a deep breath. “She won’t see you, Brother. She is currently barricaded in the next medical room and refuses to speak to anyone at all. Ariel has ordered us to leave your bound woman alone until she calms down. My belly-swollen bound is sitting in the hallway trying to talk her into speaking again.” Ral growled. “You really made a mess.”

Argernon frowned. “Casey is…” He shook his head. “What is going on?”

“You didn’t tell her you had house helpers. The three of them rushed to your side when you were brought to the medical building. Casey was at your side already. Ahhu said it was tense and painful all around as the women met. Bara is headstrong like you say you enjoy. She was unpleasant to your bound. Casey was shocked and hurt when she met your women so I’m sure Ahhu was putting it mildly on how bad it was.”

“Lord of the Moons,” Argernon groaned.

“We walked into that. Your house helpers were rubbing your body and touching you. Your bound was as white as a moon fish and I could smell her pain from across the room. Ariel took in the situation and reacted like she does when she is very angry. Casey renounced you as her bound.”

Argernon growled, trying to climb off the bed again. “No. I won’t let her go.”

“Stay put,” Ral snarled back. “Ahhu took care of it already. Casey can’t renounce you.”

Argernon stared at his brother. “I don’t understand.”

Ral took a deep breath. “Ahhu checked your Casey over. Good planting, Brother. You got your bound with offspring.”

Argernon grinned. “You are sure?”

Ral backed away, crossing his arms over his chest. “Positive. We were all in the room. Myself, my Ariel, Rever, your Casey, and your three house helpers were there. I don’t know what you are grinning over.” Ral’s eyes narrowed. “Your bound hates you and thinks you are the biggest deceiver on Zorn. She knows that Bara just woke you up from hibernation and how that was done.”

Argernon paled. “She knows that Bara tongued me?”

Ral gave a grim nod. “She knows.”

“But I didn’t have a say—”

“It doesn’t matter to them. Trust me. If another woman touched me, Ariel would remove a body part.” Ral’s hand slid down his body to cup his balls.

“Why did you let her?” Argernon snarled. “You were in the room.”

“You had to be woken from hibernation. Do you think your bound would touch you after watching three of your house helpers rub their hands all over your body? Three house helpers you made no arrangements to find other homes for so they were gone by the time you arrived back on Zorn.” Ral growled. “You didn’t even warn her that you had them under your protection. When I brought Ariel to my home I had sent my house helpers away. What were you thinking? You were warned by my Ariel that human women are monogamous.”

“I was going to.” Argernon snarled. “I had time still to make arrangements. Casey wasn’t sure she wanted bound to me. I had bound her already but she asked for time to decide and I wanted her willing to be my bound. I…” He shook his head. “I must speak to her.”

“You don’t understand,” Ral sighed. “She won’t forgive you. Ariel has assured me of this. You have wounded your bound. She had tears and a lot of them from the sound of it. I could smell her pain. You hurt her very deeply. Human women are not Zorn, Argernon. If you hurt one deeply, they refuse to let you into their heart, and without this they will never allow themselves to be bound to you. You should have warned her about your women and made sure she didn’t have to see them touching you.”

“I told her about house helpers.”

“Did you tell her that you had three of them?”

Argernon shook his head. “I was going to tell her that I would find them other homes and that by the time we reached Zorn they would be out of my life so she would be my only woman. The alarms sounded as I started to share with her my plans I had for the two of us. She carries my seed in her belly, Ral. She means everything to me. I understand now why you feel as you do for Ariel. I understand now why she means everything to you and how you could give up your house helpers for one woman. How do I fix this and get her back? I will not lose her.”

Ral reached out to clasp his brother’s arm. Sympathy welled in his eyes. “I do not know.”

“I have to get her back. I have to make this right.” Agony hit Argernon at the thought of losing Casey forever.

Casey realized she was being childish. She eyed the door. She’d barricaded it with the bed and a desk. Guilt hit her over the pregnant Ariel in the hallway who kept trying to coax her into opening the door. She admitted that she could have handled this better. She moved for the door.

“Ariel?”

“I’m here.”

“Are you alone? If I open the door will just you come in?”

“I promise.”

Sighing, Casey moved everything away from the door to unlock it. She peered into the hallway only to see Ariel, alone, smiling at her.

“No one is here but me. I sent everyone away. Can we talk?”

Casey let her in but she locked the door behind them. “I’m sorry. I took this really bad.”

“I don’t blame you.” Ariel sat down in a chair. She massaged her belly absently. “I’d be upset too. Argernon really fucked up.”

“He should have told me.”

“Yes. He should have sent them away. He knew that if he bound to one of us that he’d have to give up other women. I told him how our kind of women are.”

“It hurts. I thought he cared about me and I thought I was special to him. I fell for the asshole,” Casey admitted softly. “At first I was pissed when I realized he wasn’t returning me home. When he first kidnapped me I—”

“He what?”

Casey slowly explained how she met Argernon and how she ended up aboard the jumper. She blinked at Ariel. “Then we were attacked and I thought he was going to die. I stayed at his side on that damn small bed for three days praying he’d live so I could tell him that I love him. I was such a damn idiot. I should have known. We were two different worlds apart, literally, and it’s not like I really got to know him. How in the hell could I have fallen for someone so damn hard and so damn fast anyway?”

“I understand. I fell for Ral like that. I fell in love with him the first time he made love to me, I swear. He was amazing. He was so protective and masculine and he comforted me. I was kidnapped by a race of these lizard people and Ral fought a bunch of other Zorn men to win me.”

“Wow.”

Ariel smiled. “Not that we haven’t had our ups and downs, we have, but I love him. He’s like breathing air to me. He will do anything to make me happy and he makes sure I know how much he loves me.”

Sadness settled in Casey. “Argernon said he’d make me happy.”

“They are different from human guys but with Ral I find that’s a wonderful thing. I’m so sorry, Casey. Maybe he was going to send them to another household. You could talk to him.”

She shook her head. “Let him talk to Bara or Din or Valle. He’s got three of them.”

“They have a high sex drive. I can attest to that. Zorn men are a walking hard-on.” A grin split Ariel’s lips. “This has its advantages. Trust me. My sex life is over the top and it never gets boring or old or slows down.” She rubbed her stomach. “I was afraid Ral would lose interest in me when I got a big belly, but he thinks I’m sexier the bigger I get. The man has me totally addicted to having sex every few hours every day.” Ariel eyed Casey. “It’s a culture thing here as to why Argernon would have three women in his household.”

“He’s just a male slut.”

“He’s second in line to rule this entire planet. He’s like a prince. I’ve learned a lot since coming to Zorn. I thought women were mistreated and kind of had slave status when I came here but that’s not true. Women have a hell of a lot more say and control over their lives than you’d think. They are raised without jealousy of other Zorn women sharing a household. Their bodies can’t handle sex as much as the men need it, so according to the Zorn women I’ve spoken to, they like having other women to take that burden.” Ariel snorted. “They call being oversexed a burden. I don’t think they enjoy it as much as we can.”

“That bites for them.”

Ariel chuckled. “Totally. Zorn women only get jealous of bound women because they are allowed to have children and are in charge of the households. Most women though are willing to give that up to be house helpers because being in a good home means power and prestige to them.”

“How is cleaning someone’s house and being a bed warmer amounting to powerful and prestigious?”

“I’m with you there, but think about all the women who marry rich guys for their money. It’s the same here in that way. Zorn women actually could all bound to Zorn men if they wanted to but the truth is that most of them would rather live in a house with one or two other women if the man has the equivalent of money here. They get the best houses, the best food, the best of everything, and they like sharing the duties with other women.”

Casey eyed Ariel with a frown. “Do you have house helpers at your house? Do you let him touch other women? I won’t judge or anything. I hope I’m not being too nosy. I just can’t see myself ever living that way and being happy. Are you?”

A chuckle escaped Ariel. “We have a house helper. I’m thrilled she’s there. She’s an older woman, much older, and she treats me like the daughter she always wanted. As far as loyalty, well, if Ral touched another woman I’d castrate him.” She winked. “Not that he would. I can’t get enough of him. He’s got no reason to stray.”

“Did he have house helpers when you came here?”

“He’d sent them to one of his brothers’ houses. His father sent one to our house after I arrived though. She actually stripped naked and went on her hands and knees, shoving her ass in the air, waiting for my husband to mount her. I was so upset. We couldn’t communicate because the damn translators couldn’t read English yet. It was so damn frustrating. Try telling a guy if he mounts the bitch on the floor shoving her ass at him that you’d never let him touch you again with hand signals.” Ariel snorted. “It was hell and I stormed out. He chased me down and he never touched her.”

“I’m having his baby. My life is so fucked up.”

Ariel sighed. “Talk to him. Put your foot down by telling him what you need. He could have returned you to Earth. Hell, he didn’t have to take you with him. He carried you through the woods and kidnapped you. If his father finds out he took you against your will he’s in deep shit. He broke the law to bring you here.”

Shock hit Casey. “What?”

“All human women bound have to do so willingly. It’s against the law to kidnap an unwilling woman and bring them to Zorn. He took you and bound you without giving you a choice, Casey. If you want to hang him by his balls, you could tell his father what he did.”

“Would his father send me back to Earth?”

Ariel’s gaze dropped to Casey’s stomach. “No. I won’t lie to you.” Ariel looked up. “I can’t see their father letting you take off with his grandchild and hell, your baby wouldn’t be safe on Earth. You know that. When I realized I was pregnant I knew that no matter whatever happens with Ral that I couldn’t ever go home again. My child would be a freak. Can you say media frenzy, everyone trying to use my kid as a step to fame, and pure hell for my child?” She rubbed her stomach. “Here on Zorn my child is just like everyone else’s children. They don’t care that I’m human or that my child will be part human. They know about other races on other planets and accept them. Just being part Zorn makes them fully Zorn in their culture.”

“So what am I supposed to do? Go home with Argernon and watch him fuck those three women? Maybe we can draw straws on who gets him in what time slot.” Casey hated the bitter bite in her voice. “I hear since I’m the bound one I get to sleep in the bed and not on the floor. Whoo Hooo. Lucky me.”

Ariel shook her head. “No. You set that son of a bitch straight. It’s just you or you’ll find another man. Let me clue you in here. We’re the hottest damn commodity on this planet. There are thousands of good men on Zorn who’d jump through every hoop you put up if you agreed to bound to one of them. They’d be loyal and never mistreat you.”

“Bara did something to him to wake him up.”

Ariel sighed. “I know. I was the one who had to relay your message to Ahhu after I sent her to stop that from happening.”

“I can’t forget that. I’m sorry I let her, but I can’t forget it.”

Ariel nodded. “Let me talk to Ral. He knows a lot of good men. You need to find one on this planet to protect you. I’ll make Ral let you come home with us and we’ll introduce you to every man my husband knows until you meet one you can fall for. We’ll get you bound to someone who can make you happy and safe. You need that now. Think of your baby.”

Casey looked down at her stomach. “Will Argernon let his child go?”

Ariel rose to her feet. “You were forced to leave Earth, and he bound you without consent, since you were clueless what it meant when he came inside you. He broke the law. If push comes to shove he won’t have a damn choice. As long as the baby is on Zorn and is safe I don’t see how the father can protest. Hyvin Berrr can see his grandchild no matter what man raises him. There are a lot of good Zorn men, Casey. You could be happy here.”

It broke her heart but Casey nodded. “I can’t be with Argernon again. I can’t let him hurt me more than he already has.”

“I’ll speak to Ral, and we’ll take you home with us. I’m damn sorry, Casey. Argernon was a real asshole, and I hope he suffers for what he’s done to you.”

Casey watched the woman walk away. Her head slumped. For all she knew Bara was fucking Argernon right now. It really hurt.

Chapter Eleven

Casey’s ears no longer bothered her. Before she’d left the medical building Ahhu had given her a shot so she could painlessly put two implants in them. Casey could understand anyone talking to her now, but she’d been warned that not all Zorn could understand her. The English program was new and unless a Zorn thought they would be dealing with humans they didn’t take the time to upgrade their implant programs for translation.

It was late at night and Casey was exhausted. It had taken hours for Ahhu to find the time to implant the translators into her ears. Ariel’s husband had begged Ariel to go home with him because she was pregnant. He’d argued that she needed her rest and Ariel had given in to the big man after making it clear that Casey would be transported to their home when Ahhu was done with the procedure.

The three large Zorn males had escorted Casey from the medical building to a waiting vehicle. They’d driven her to a large, beautiful house on a hill. Zorn homes weren’t like Earth houses. They were more rounded, single story, but large. They were made out of some material Casey had never seen before that looked like stone sheets. The men had escorted her to the door. One of them had placed his palm on a scanner while smiling down at Casey.

“You are home. I am to escort you inside to your room. Would you like me to wake someone to bring you food?”

“I just want to sleep. It’s late, so I don’t want to disturb Ariel or her husband.”

The man blinked. He nodded as he opened the door. “This way.”

The other two men stayed outside. Casey walked into a large living room with an open floor plan. Two couches, some tables and some rugs decorated the room. The lights were dim, but bright enough to see by. She swallowed. The furniture looked like wood but it was a dark red that starkly contrasted to the utter whiteness of the floor and walls. It was a nice home.

The man led her down a hallway. Doors were all shut except for the room on the end. He walked in and waved his hand along the wall to turn on the lights in the bedroom.

“There is a sensor here. Wave your hand to turn the light on or off.” He indicated to an open door across the room. “This room is for your personal needs. Wave your hand high to turn on the water. There are motion sensors that control the water flow.” He backed out of the room. “Good living, human.” He strode away.

Casey sighed as she softly shut the door. She didn’t want to disturb her hosts. Ariel had been exhausted when her husband had led her away. Casey felt guilty about that, but she’d been damn grateful for Ariel’s friendship. The woman was just as outraged as Casey had been at what Argernon had done. It had really made her feel better to be understood. Her attention turned on the room.

The bed was a massive four-poster and high off the floor. All the Zorn men were over six feet tall while the women she’d seen were five-foot-eight to about a six-foot-one range, making them taller than the average human. Even their bodies were larger than most humans with their muscularity and bigger bone structures. Casey felt small for once in her life, almost fragile compared to the people she now lived with.

Next to the bed were tables with drawers. A dresser-like piece of furniture took up one wall under a large window. She walked over to the window. Nothing covered it so she stared out into utter darkness that gave her the creeps. Someone could be out there watching her back and she wouldn’t know it. She looked up above the window. No marks on the wall indicated anything had ever hung there to cover it. Maybe Zorn people didn’t believe in curtains. It made her feel like a fish in a bowl.

She was curious about the bathroom, but she ignored it. She’d used the bathroom at the medical center before she’d left. They’d even given her a weird-looking toothbrush. She placed the bag down by the bed. It had some personal items the medical center had given her including medication she was supposed to take every day. Since she was pregnant, Ahhu had warned her that her body temperature would rise without the medication, since Zorns ran hotter than humans. The medication would also help her avoid swelling from her body thinking it needed more fluids, another symptom she’d face as a human pregnant by a Zorn.

Casey kicked off the boots they’d given her, reaching for her waist. She unfastened her pants and walked toward the door after kicking them off. She decided to just sleep in a shirt. She wished that the Zorn had bras and underwear but Ariel had said they didn’t make them for women. Zorn women rarely wore clothing at home. They hated anything tight against their bodies.

She eyed the room again before waving off the lights. Casey found the bed and had to climb into it, literally, since it was so high. She was exhausted. She hated that she thought about Argernon, but she couldn’t stop. He was awake and he was going to be fine.

He’d wanted to talk to her. He’d asked Ahhu to give her a message. He’d wanted her to know that he’d never meant to keep other women after he’d bound to Casey and asked if she would please see him. She didn’t want to talk to him. She sure didn’t want to see him. She was done being hurt. What kind of man just tossed aside three women who depended on him anyway? Her opinion of Argernon was in the toilet.

She wondered as she curled on her side on the comfortable bed if Argernon was still at the medical building or if he was currently snuggled up in a bed with his three lovers. It hurt to picture that. She hated the jealousy that caused her so much pain. She kept telling herself that she was better off without him. Her hand reached down to curl over her stomach through the thin shirt she wore to bed. Argernon’s baby rested inside her. The shock hadn’t worn off yet.

Casey couldn’t deny that kids had always been a dream of hers. She’d always pictured a wedding first, some nice guy who worked a nine-to-five job as her husband, and the excitement of painting a baby’s room. She would have cried, but she was out of tears. Instead she was having an alien’s baby, one who had too many damn women in his life, and she was on a planet where she’d have to hook up with a stranger to even have a room to put her baby in when it was born. She didn’t even want to think about that scenario.

Of course her mind wasn’t listening to her. She’d have to find a Zorn man to marry. They called it bound to. It would be like a job interview in Casey’s mind. She’d interview men for the position, telling them what she wanted in a man, what she needed, and then have to go through the candidates to see who best could fill the role. It bit the big one. Depression hit her. She couldn’t return to Earth with a Zorn baby and no way in hell was she not having the baby. She wanted it even if the baby’s father was a lying asshole.

Rolling over, Casey blindly stared upward at a ceiling she couldn’t see in the dark room. Her head turned to the large window. It was still too dark out there to see anything, even after her eyes had adjusted to lights off. Zorn had three moons but it was a very cloudy night, so they weren’t visible. Ariel had promised her a terrific view when the weather was better. It didn’t matter. Casey shut her eyes. She needed rest. Tomorrow she’d deal with all of this shit when she wasn’t so wrung out.

A door slammed somewhere in the house. Guilt hit Casey. She must have woken someone when she’d come in, no matter how quiet she and the guard had been. She listened to the silent house before relaxing again. She took slow, shallow breaths trying to relax enough to drift to off to sleep. It was the best thing for her. Tomorrow she wouldn’t be so exhausted, and her brain might function right.

Something outside the bedroom door made a noise. Casey tensed but then forced her body to relax. It was probably Ariel’s husband getting his pregnant mate something from the kitchen. Maybe he was making sure the doors were locked. A gasp escaped her as the bedroom door was suddenly opened. Light from the hallway blinded her as she jerked upright. Argernon stood braced in the wide-open doorway with the lights on behind him. Shock slammed into her at the site of him.

“Welcome home, beautiful,” he growled softly to her. His voice was husky. “I’m sorry for the measures I went through to get you here. I know you don’t want to see me, but I want to see you.”

A shirtless Argernon was staring at her. Casey was speechless as she stared back at him. His hair was loose, running down his chest and arms. He gripped the doorway for long seconds, before he slowly walked into the room. He waved his hand along the wall to trigger the lights on. He moved his hand again so they dimmed enough that the room was almost shadowed but she could still see him really well. His glowing blue eyes were fixed on her.

“Did you really think I’d let you go, Casey? Did you really think that I would keep other women when I had you? I was going to make arrangements for the three of them to go elsewhere to another home. I thought I had time to do it, so they would be gone by the time we reached Zorn.” He took another step closer. “You are the only woman who is in my bed and you are the only one who will be there from now on. You look perfect in it.”

She looked at the bed she sat on, the color draining from her face. His bed? Her gaze jerked upward. He was closer. He put his hands on the end of mattress. Blue eyes stared at her intensely.

“You are everything to me, Casey. You carry my offspring in your belly. You belong to me and we both know it. Our offspring knows it. I apologize and regret the shock you suffered because I was unable to prepare a home for you that you would welcome happily, but I have fixed that. The house helpers are in new homes. I have arranged for an older house helper to come in the morning. Her duties never include touching me. She will take care of our home and our meals. She will keep you company and be your companion. All I require is you.”

The shock was wearing off. Anger was slowly building in her. “You think it’s that simple?”

He nodded. “I bound you and my seed planted in your body. I am thrilled, my Casey. Lord of the Moons, you make me proud.”

“That was so the wrong word to use.”

He frowned. “What word?”

“Proud. Let me tell you what I think of you. You should be ashamed of yourself and I think you’re lower than a pile of dog shit.”

His frown deepened. “I know ashamed and I apologize. I made mistakes, but I corrected them. I know shit, but not what a dog is.” His eyes narrowed. “I understand the insult and I understand that you are angry with me.”

“Understand this. I’m not bound to you. As a matter of fact, Ariel is going to introduce me to other men. I’m going to find a nice Zorn who isn’t a lying asshole for me to bound to. I’m not your anything, but the woman who happens to be carrying your child.” She glared at him. “I can’t believe you had those guards bring me here knowing I want nothing to do with you.”

Rage hit Argernon’s features. He snarled. His hand fisted on the bedding. “You will not bound to another male. You are mine.”

“No. Bara, Ville and Din are yours.”

“Not anymore. I found them other homes to live in.”

“Well, you better get them back because I’m not staying here.” She climbed off the mattress. She had to get closer to him to reach her pants. She bent, grabbing them, and backed away from him. “I want taken to Ariel’s home where I’m supposed to be.”

Hands grabbed Casey and she gasped as Argernon lifted her. She ended up sprawled flat on her back on the large bed. The pants went flying. He came down on her, pinning her to the bed under his large body, but he was careful not to hurt her or crush her. His eyes were inches above hers as he glared down at her.

“You live here with me in our home. You are going nowhere.”

“You can’t keep me here against my will.”

“I can and I will. If you let another male touch you I will kill him. If you escape and bound yourself to another male he will die, Casey. I will challenge him and kill him while you watch. You are my bound and I won’t let you go.”

Rage hit her. “You son of a bitch. Get the hell off me. You make me sick.”

He moved, rolling them both easily with his strength, and scooped her into his arms as he slid off the bed. He carried her to the bathroom. Very gently he put her down. He waved his hand so the light came on. Concern etched his features while he pointed to the toilet.

“You are ill? Should I contact Ahhu? She cares for our family and she will care for you if you need medical attention.”

Casey backed away from him. “I’m not going to puke. It’s a saying. It means I can’t stand you and you make me feel nauseous just looking at you. Do you get that? I don’t need a doctor. I need you to get the hell away from me and never come near me again.”

Argernon paled. “I have made things right, beautiful. You should know this and know how committed I am to you.”

“Don’t call me that. Never call me that again, you son of a bitch. We’re over. Do you get that? You’re nothing but a four-timing asshole. You had three women who depended on you, and who you slept with, yet you still fucked me. Do you think I believe you’re a better person because you shoved them to the curb for me? It just makes you a heartless bastard.”

He stared at her. He looked confused.

“What don’t you understand? Your girlfriends lived here and you just dumped them out like garbage. Is that supposed to make me think you’re wonderful? What about when you meet someone else and you come home to toss my ass out on the street? You’re really a winner. That’s sarcasm, which means the opposite of true. I think you’re an asshole and I think you’re mean. I also think you should get the hell out of my way because I want to leave.”

“I didn’t dump them on the street like garbage. I found them safe homes they requested to go to when I told them they weren’t under my protection any longer. They are in good homes with men they wanted to be with. I would never replace you. You aren’t a house helper. You’re my bound. I would never throw you out of our home. I swear to stay with you until death.”

“I don’t want a man like you, Argernon.” Some of her anger slipped away. “I just want free. I don’t like you anymore and I don’t want to be around you. I could never be with a man who lies to me and then does something shitty to someone else, three of them in fact, claiming to do it for my benefit. Thanks, but no thanks.”

“So you want me to bring them back here with us?” He frowned.

“There is no us. It’s over, Argernon. I’m leaving. Have a nice life.” She tried to walk around him.

He moved in her path to growl softly at her. “We were happy before, Casey. Remember? It’s just us again. Just you and I. Please forgive me. I made mistakes but I corrected them. If I hadn’t been injured I would have made all the arrangements before we reached Zorn. They would have been gone from your sight.”

She stared up at him. He really thought it was that damn easy. “You lied to me. I was happy with you because I didn’t know you had three women you were fucking waiting for you at home. One of which, I know for a fact, you just fucked hours ago. Get the hell out of my way before I do puke all over you. You make me sick.”

He snarled. “I wasn’t offered a choice. If I had been I wouldn’t have let Bara touch me. I woke up with her touching me. I thought it was you. I dreamed it was you. It was your name I said as the first word I spoke when I woke.”

She stared at him. Pain hit her. “It doesn’t change the fact though who it really was, does it? Get out of my way, Argernon. We’re over. I’m leaving. Get your girlfriends back and forget we ever met. I’m going to do whatever it takes to forget all about you.”

Argernon’s eyes narrowed. He shook his head. “No.”

“You don’t have a choice.”

His lips curved upward. “I do have choices and I will not let you go. I kidnapped you from your planet to keep you and I am going to keep you.”

Uneasiness settled in the pit of Casey’s stomach as she stared up at Argernon. “Please move.”

He backed up into the bedroom. Casey followed him. She walked to the pants that had fallen from her fingers when Argernon had grabbed her. She yanked them open to step into them. She pulled them up, keeping her back to Argernon, and fastened them. She bent to put on her boots. She was leaving. The bastard couldn’t stop her.

She straightened as she turned. Argernon was by the nightstand. He eyed her. She eyed him back.

“Goodbye, Argernon.”

He moved. For a big man he could move fast. He grabbed Casey around her waist to lift her. She screamed out as her boots left the floor. She landed on the bed face-first where he dropped her. Déjà vu hit her, as she felt him pin her down with his knee, while tugging her hands behind her. This time though he didn’t jerk them behind her back. He yanked them above her head. She heard chains rattle.

“Don’t,” she yelled. “Damn it!”

A restraint closed around her wrist. He yanked her other hand closer as another restraint closed over her second one. His knee moved away. Rolling over, she glared at Argernon.

“You can’t do this.”

He smiled, but his eyes were cold. “You give me no choice.” He pulled her up the bed as he reached for the nightstand.

She heard the drawer open. Struggling didn’t do a damn thing. Argernon didn’t release the chain that held her wrists together over her head. He used another set of restraints to secure her to the headboard. She glared at him as he moved back on the bed. He backed up more to move down the bed. She kicked at him, but he grabbed each of her feet, tearing off her boots.

“Don’t do this, Argernon. I don’t want you.” Tears filled her eyes. “You swore you’d never force me.”

He met her eyes. “You’re tired. I would never force you. I won’t let you go, Casey. You belong to me. You’re my bound.” He reached down for the front of his pants and slowly stripped them off.

She glared at him. He was turned-on. Argernon was always aroused. She jerked her gaze down to his cock that was standing straight up. She forced herself to look away. He met her angry look as he sat back on his legs.

“I need release. I’m in pain.”

“Fuck yourself.”

He nodded. “I assumed you wouldn’t help.”

She watched him turn his body to stretch for the nightstand again. Another drawer opened. He withdrew a tube. She had a feeling it was Zorn’s version of lube. He uncapped it, squeezing a white cream into his hand, spreading it on his hard cock. Argernon met her shocked gaze.

She refused to look down at his body again, but she could see his hand moving. He didn’t look away from her as he masturbated. She saw his eyes narrow as his mouth tensed. The bed moved with him as he started to move, his hips in rhythm to his fist on his shaft. She watched him tip his head back, his eyes closing, as his lips parted. He groaned as he came.

He moved off the bed to walk into the bathroom. Casey shut her eyes. She was in hell. He wasn’t letting her go. In the morning Ariel had to come for her. She’d figure out when she woke up and Casey wasn’t there that something had happened to her. Ariel had sworn she would help her and she trusted Ariel. Casey just needed to get through a night with Argernon. The water in the bathroom shut off. She opened her eyes to watch Argernon walk out of the smaller room totally naked. His glowing gaze locked on her.

He reached for her shirt when he settled on the bed. She tried to turn away, but the annoying alien was too strong. Her shirt lifted up as he tugged it to her ribs. His eyes went to her stomach.

“My seed planted there.”

“Let me go.”

He lifted his gaze to meet hers. His hands released her shirt. Both hands went for the waist of her pants to unfasten them. Beautiful blue eyes turned fierce.

“Never.”

She struggled, but she was no match for Argernon. He tore her pants down her legs, leaving her bare and exposed. One of his large hands caressed her thigh. She rolled away, which left her on her stomach with her bare ass exposed. He reached over again to caress her. A large hand cupped her ass gently, massaging.

“Don’t touch me.” She turned her head to glare over her shoulder at him.

Argernon sighed. “I would never hurt you.”

“You already have more than you’ll ever know. I won’t forgive you. Don’t you get that? Every time you touch me all I can see is Bara touching you, Din with her damn hands on your chest and Valle running her fingers through your hair.”

He snarled. His gaze jerked to hers. “I wasn’t awake to stop them.”

“They live with you. You have sex with them. Don’t act all innocent. It’s not something they haven’t done a thousand damn times before, right?”

He growled.

“Don’t growl at me. I don’t have three men at home who I sleep with. I don’t cheat. I’ve never screwed around on a man in my life.”

“Cheat?”

“Betray their trust by sleeping with other people when they think they are the only one.”

He frowned. “House helpers don’t feel betrayed if I touch other women. It is acceptable to them.”

“I’m not a damn house helper.”

His eyes widened and then narrowed. “You feel I betrayed you.”

“I don’t feel shit. You did betray me and that’s a fact. If I’d known you had those women at home waiting for you I never would have let you touch me. The second I knew about those women I would have walked away from you. Not telling someone something important like that is just as bad as lying to them. I thought I was important to you. I thought…” She forced herself to look away from him before she started to cry. She shut her eyes.

“I smell your pain.” His voice lowered to a husky tone.

She ignored him.

He softly growled. The bed moved when he stretched out next to her. “I never meant to hurt you. It hurts me that you suffer.” His voice was soft. “I never planned on taking a woman from Earth. I made no arrangements like the other men did to find homes for their house helpers. I knew you were mine and I had to be bound to you from the moment we shared sex. I would have found my house helpers homes before we arrived on Zorn if I hadn’t been harmed. I never would have let them touch me after you. I know you are from a race that feels pain and rage at the sight of it, like I feel at the thought of a male touching you. I do understand. Look at me.”

“No.”

He took deep breaths. “I would want to kill another male who I had to watch touch you. I want to kill at the thought of another man in bed with you, inside you.” He growled. “I feel pure rage at the thought of the males who touched you before me. I understand, Casey.”

“You don’t.” She turned her head, opening her eyes. She had to blink back tears that swam in her eyes so she could see him. “I don’t feel rage. I feel raw pain. Rage is easier to take than my heart feeling like it was torn from my chest. I can’t forgive you, Argernon. All I can see is those women touching you and knowing Bara fucked you today. Please, if you care for me at all, get away from me.”

Chapter Twelve

Argernon looked frustrated as he stared at Casey. “I swear to you that she did not mount me.”

“She touched you. She got you off somehow, right?”

His eyes darkened. “I was in a dream state and wasn’t aware of what was real and what was not. I thought it was you, Casey. I thought it was your hair I had in my hand. I thought it was your breath touching me. I thought it was your tongue bringing me to release.”

She stared into his eyes. She hated him and she loved him. His lifestyle caused her pain. Part of her realized though that she could have prevented Bara from touching him to wake him up. Ariel had sent Ahhu to stop Bara from touching Argernon. Casey had told Ariel to let Bara do it. She hadn’t meant it at the time, but it was done. She held responsibility for that, but the rest of it was all on Argernon. It didn’t ease the pain of it though.

“I can’t get past this, Argernon. I hurt too much. I feel betrayed by you and I’ll never trust you again. I have pride. Do you understand? You kept important things from me that let me walk into it blind and it hurt. I don’t think much of a man who makes a commitment to three women and then just dumps them when someone else comes along that he likes better.”

“I don’t like you better.”

She almost winced. She looked away from him. He’d set her straight. It hurt.

“I love you.”

Jerking her head back to him, she let surprise hit her. Sincerity burned from the depths of his eyes. He nodded at her.

“I love you, Casey. You are everything to me. I will not give you up and I will not lose you. You speak of pride, but let me tell you of my pride, lost for you. I never thought I’d hand women over to someone else to protect. I offered them a home and I thought I would never send them away. I did that because I would rather go back on my word to keep them than to lose you. I would rather hurt the feelings of three women I was honored to protect because I would do anything to not hurt you even a little. You do not want me, and yet even knowing this, I am ready to plead with you to forgive me and not leave me.”

Casey was stunned. She couldn’t speak. Argernon didn’t have that problem.

His mouth hardened into a tight line for a moment. “I plead for nothing.” His voice deepened. “I beg for nothing.” He paused, searching her eyes. “You are my heart. I beg you to forgive me, beautiful. You come before everything to me. You even come before my own pride. I’m a Zorn warrior. I have fought many battles in war. I carry scars from lost lives I took in battle. I hunt and I do it well. I have never been captured and I have never been brought to my knees.” He reached out to caress her cheek. “Then I look into your eyes and remember your laugh. I am there, beautiful. You have caught me and I am on my knees to you.”

Her heart melted. How could it not? The things he was saying to her were too much. She saw honesty burning in his intense stare. His tone sent shivers down her spine. She gazed into his eyes. The urge to touch him was so strong that she even tried to until her arms jerked when she moved. They stayed above her head where they were chained.

“I don’t know how to get past the pain,” she admitted softly. “I do love you too. I just…” she blinked back tears. “I don’t know how to not feel like this.”

He blinked. “Don’t think. Feel.”

“That’s the damn problem. I feel hurt.” Her voice broke.

“Casey,” he growled, moving closer. “Let me touch you. Let me make you forget everything but us together. There’s no pain in my arms or in my touch.” He was so close to her mouth that she inhaled his breath. Their gazes were locked together. “Let me love you.”

Shaking her head, she turned her face away. “No.” She rolled on her back to put a little distance on the bed between them.

Argernon sighed. “I can make you want me.”

“Don’t, Argernon.”

“I want you and I need you. I hurt for you and with you. The thought of losing you is one I will not accept.” He sat up to straddle her thighs.

Casey stared up at the naked man who was reaching for her shirt. She struggled but he had her pinned from the waist down. The restraints held her arms locked above her head.

“Damn it, Argernon. Don’t do this. I won’t forgive you.”

“You said you can’t forgive me as it is. Will this be any more unforgivable than the rest of what I have done?”

“There will be less to forgive if you don’t do this on top of it all.”

He had the nerve to chuckle. His grin was wide as he tore open her shirt. His gaze moved down her body. The smile died. “You are so sexy. Your skin is so pale. Your breasts are perfect and I love the taste of them.” He dipped his head.

Casey tried to twist away, but she couldn’t escape his hot mouth that found one of her nipples. His hands spread wide on her stomach, holding her down, while he sucked and licked at her hardening bud. She tried to ignore the feeling. Argernon sucked harder. She felt it all the way down to her clit. Squeezing her eyes shut, she bit her lip.

Argernon growled. He tore his mouth from her breast to scoot down her body. He changed positions so he could push her thighs apart. Casey tried to kick at him but Argernon was faster and stronger. He growled at her as his head lifted. Their gazes locked again.

“Behave or I will restrain you more. I don’t want to risk hurting you.”

She looked up at the ceiling. His gaze followed hers and he chuckled. She glared at him when he had the nerve to wink.

“There is nothing there to suspend you from, but I will fix that tomorrow. Tonight I can spread your legs and bind them to the bed.”

“This isn’t amusing, damn it. Let me go.”

He nodded. “For now.” He released her thighs to back down the bed. He got off it.

Casey shut her thighs, glaring at him as he walked for the dresser. He bent, showing her his muscular backside. He had the best ass ever, but she didn’t want to admit that even though she was admiring it. He straightened. Dread hit her as she saw that he held long, clothlike belts. She swallowed as he walked to the bed with intent in his hungry look.

“What do you have? What are you going to do with those?”

He didn’t answer her. Instead he crouched by the side of the bed. He was up to something and she knew she wasn’t going to like it. Chewing on her lip, she silently watched him. He was going to seduce her, and damn him, she thought, he could do it. Her body was already turned-on.

Argernon’s attention was focused on something near the bottom at the side of the bed. She saw his arms move, but not what he was doing. He straightened up, tossing the beltlike rope on the bed. He held the other one as he walked to the other side. He crouched next to the center of the bed again.

“Argernon? I’m not amused. Damn it, what are you doing? What are you planning?”

He stood when he finished. He dropped the beltlike rope on the other side of the bed. His intense gaze locked with hers. Casey knew she was in for a losing battle. She saw desire lurking in his eyes. She’d come to know that look well. He wanted her.

“Amusement has nothing to do with this. It’s a lesson, beautiful. I want you. I hurt for you. We need to be on the same level to understand each other. As long as you hurt, I hurt. As long as I hurt, you hurt. We will find common ground to build up from.”

He got back on the bed. She kicked at him when he tried to grip her leg, getting in a kick to his chest. He grunted but didn’t get angry as he caught her foot in his large hand. He got between her thighs. Casey was getting pissed off so she yelled out in frustration as Argernon forced her leg to bend. He pushed her knee up toward her chest where he held her like that with one hand. His other hand reached to the side for the belt rope. She struggled but he managed to use the soft material to tie it around her knee. He released her leg. To her annoyance she realized what he’d done.

“Stop, damn it. I don’t want to do this with you, Argernon.”

He growled softly as he gripped her other leg. Casey fought but he was just too strong. He carefully held her in place while he tied the belt around her other knee. He released her. Casey bucked her body, cursing at him. He’d tied her to the sides of the bed with her legs spread wide open. She could move her knees up and down a few inches but couldn’t close them at all. It didn’t hurt but she was totally exposed to his sight.

He was taking the view in. His gaze was fixed on her displayed pussy. She stopped struggling after she realized it was turning him on even more to see her buck and wiggle in the restraints. She glared at him.

“Pervert.”

“What is that?” He arched an eyebrow.

“A person who has sick sexual desires.”

He chuckled. “My sexual desires are as healthy as they come. What would you like first? Would it be my fingers or my mouth, beautiful?”

“Don’t touch me.”

He sighed. His hand reached for the lube container he’d left on the bed from earlier when he’d touched himself. “I think fingers first. You can resist but your body knows who it belongs to. My body only craves you as your body only craves mine.”

He spread the lube on his fingers. Casey was breathing fast. She clenched her teeth. “Damn it, Argernon. Don’t do this. Please?”

He met her eyes. “If I don’t you will leave me and I won’t let you go. I cannot.”

She tensed as he reached for her. She squeezed her eyes shut. She knew he was watching her. His fingers were coated with something warm and wet. He ran his thumbs over her outer lips, spreading her wider. She felt his hands shake. It shocked her that he trembled.

“You are a pleasure to look at, Casey. You are so soft and pink.”

Her teeth clenched together harder. His finger explored her slit. He slid his finger higher. Casey sucked in air as he started to play with her nub. She tried to ignore the sensation but the feeling was too good. She’d gone almost four days without his touch. She hadn’t touched herself either. Her clit throbbed at the attention it had been denied. She lifted her chin, turning her head from him, trying to hold still. She didn’t mean to move her hips against his finger as he increased the pressure. They still moved.

He pushed a finger slowly inside her, testing her. He growled low and deep. “You’re wet. I smell you, Casey. You respond to my touch.”

“It’s the lube,” she hissed out.

“No. It’s you here.” He withdrew a finger before he pushed in two of them slowly.

She bit her lip hard trying to fight the moan that wanted to tear from her throat as his fingers slowly stretched her. He explored inside her as his other finger rubbed at her clit. Her hips bucked when his fingers pressed upward until he found the area inside her that made a moan tear from her lips.

She was going to come. Her inner muscles squeezed his moving fingers. He jerked his finger away from her clit. His fingers kept moving inside her. It felt damn good as he massaged her G-spot but without the pressure on her clit her climax backed off.

“Damn you,” she panted.

“Tell me you want me.”

She shook her head no. “Never.”

He growled. “Do you know how long I can make you burn for me, beautiful?”

“Damn you.”

He growled. “I need you as much as you need me.”

He eased his fingers out of her. Casey went limp on the bed. She was breathing heavily. Her body ached and throbbed with need. Argernon stretched over her, his hands coming down on the bed at her sides. Their eyes locked when she looked up at him. They seemed to glow more than normal as passion flared in his eyes. They were breathtaking as he studied her.

“I need you.”

“Go to hell.”

“Wherever this place is that you speak has to be better than where I am now with wanting you and you denying me.”

He pulled back and she relaxed. The bed moved. She ached and her clit throbbed but she’d won. He was giving up. She took deep breaths trying to calm her body so her sexual frustration could ease. A gasp escaped her lips when two large hands slid under her ass. She lifted her head to watch in shock as Argernon sat on the bed holding her ass inches from the mattress. He slid his legs under her bent ones and scooted closer. She had a bad feeling this wasn’t over and that feeling made her moan with pleasure as he scooted even closer. His hard cock pressed against her slit.

His eyes met hers. He moved his hips so he was easing into her pussy. His thick cock pressed into her, pushing in slowly, making it feel like it was heaven and hell as her body stretched to accept the thick length of him. She was really wet so he pushed in easily, pressing his pelvis against her inner thighs so he could get as close to her as he could. He was buried balls deep in her pussy before he froze there. Their gazes locked.

He released her ass. Trailing his hands over her hips up to her stomach, he slid them lower to reach between her spread thighs. “I want to feel your release. I need you and you need me.”

She gasped as his fingers played with her. A moan tore from Casey. He was rubbing her clit as he slowly started to move his cock inside her. With the sensations of him fucking her while he massaged her swollen nub it was too much. She gave up fighting it. It was a battle she didn’t even want to win anymore.

A loud moan tore from her lips. Her hips bucked against him. The man knew how to make her respond. She wasn’t going to last. Argernon growled her name when he started to come. His cock swelled, getting larger, as his fingers strummed her clit faster.

Casey screamed out as the climax hit her. Argernon roared. Her inner muscles slammed tight around him, quaking, as his semen shot deep inside her. Their bodies locked together where they were joined as they both rode the pleasure. Casey turned her head, panting, while her body started to come down from the blissful high.

“I love you, beautiful,” Argernon almost whispered.

Hot tears burned behind her eyelids, which she kept shut. She wanted to say the words back. She just couldn’t do it. He’d lied to her. He’d let her walk into the mess his life was without even a warning. Earlier that day a woman had been touching him sexually and two other women had been caressing his body. It didn’t matter if he’d been unconscious and unable to agree to their hands being on his body. The image was still there in her head.

He slowly withdrew from her body. He touched her thighs, untying the belts from her knees with very gentle hands. She shut her thighs when she was free and rolled on her side away from him. Argernon was silent. He stretched out next to her on the bed. Long seconds passed. Argernon suddenly grabbed her, yanking her into his arms tightly against his body.

Casey gasped, her eyes opening, as she turned her head to stare at the man who’d just pulled her firmly against him. He held her so close that their skin was mashed together. He was wrapping his larger body around hers tighter. Their gazes met.

“I love you, Casey. Whatever it takes I will make you know this is true.”

She studied his eyes. He was a stubborn man. She saw him staring back at her. He wasn’t going to give up and he wasn’t going to let her go.

“What’s your plan? Keep me tied to the bed and keep making me want you by doing this every damn time you want to have sex with me?”

He sighed. “If that’s what it takes. You’re my bound, Casey. I will not let you go. You belong to me. I belong to you. You own my thoughts and my emotions.”

“It’s just your body that is community property, right?”

He frowned. “You are trying to stir my anger and you cannot. I understand your term. No. My body is not available for other females. My body belongs to you alone.”

“I’m tired.”

He nodded. “I know. I was told how you cared for me while I was unable to wake. Rever said he could see how strongly your emotions for me are. It means I know I have a chance of making you forgive me. I will, Casey. I will never stop until you are smiling at me again and you are willing in my arms. I miss you.”

His words broke her heart just a bit more. She missed him too. An image flashed in her memory of her rushing into his arms that last day before the ship was attacked. He’d lifted her against his body and they’d kissed before they’d started to eat their meal. It had been so perfect that day until that alarm had called him away. She almost wished they could go back in time.

Chapter Thirteen

A hot mouth was licking at her. Casey moaned as that mouth sucked and tugged on her clit. She bucked her hips up into the pleasure that was coursing through her body. Two thick fingers slowly pushed into her, stretching her pussy. She cried out as she came hard around those digits that were driving in and out of her. He withdrew them as her body stopped clenching around them.

Argernon’s body came down on her. He spread his thighs, pushing hers farther apart. Casey opened her eyes. Sunshine streamed in through the bedroom window. She met his eyes, as his thick cock nudged her soaked sex. He was entering her with one fast thrust that stole her breath away. Her arms went to wrap around his neck but her hands wouldn’t lower. Her wrists were still restrained to the headboard. She stared into his sexy eyes as she wrapped her legs around his hips, when he started to drive in and out of her in slow, deep thrusts.

Their gazes stayed locked together as Argernon fucked her. She moaned, wrapping her legs higher around his waist until her feet dug into his muscular ass. She could feel his muscles flex under her heels with each deep penetration. He rolled his hips, changing the position he hit inside her, and Casey had to shut her eyes.

“Yes.”

“There?” He growled at her in that sexy tone she loved.

He moved again to hit the same way inside her. Casey frantically nodded and clung to him with her legs. Her fingers wrapped around the chains that moored her to the headboard, hanging on for dear life. The hair on Argernon’s chest brushed her nipples making her moan louder with the sensory overload. When he lowered his face and kissed her neck, nipping at the skin along her shoulder with his sharp teeth, she lost it. She came hard again, her muscles clamping around Argernon. He groaned, biting her a little harder as he jerked deep inside her as he came.

“That was so unfair. I wasn’t awake.”

He released her skin with his teeth with a chuckle. “I can never be fair where you are concerned, beautiful. I will do anything to keep you here in my arms where you belong.”

Casey met his eyes. He was amused. She couldn’t help it as she smiled back at him. “You’re not off the hook yet, baby.”

He chuckled. “You are not off the…” His head rose and eyed her wrists and then looked back at her. “The headboard yet.”

“So that’s your master plan? Keep me chained to your bed, seducing me, until I forgive you?”

He grinned. “Will it work?”

“Is there food involved and a shower?”

He laughed. “Yes.”

“Let me go.”

His smile died. “Never.”

She studied his intense expression and the stubbornness in the way he looked at her. “I meant let my wrists free. Please?”

He studied her. “Will you try to run away from me? I won’t let you out of my sight if I release you, and if you get willful, I will install a hanger over the bed. I’ll have to lower it so your feet touch the bed this time.” His voice dropped to a deeper tone. “You know I will.”

“I know you will. Right now I’m just hungry and I want a shower. I am not plotting to escape. Not yet anyway.”

He laughed as he slowly lifted off her, withdrawing from her body. He rolled away to get off the bed. Casey turned her head watching him grab something off the nightstand. Their gaze met when he reached over the bed to her hands. He freed each wrist. She rubbed them as she sat up. Argernon held out a hand to her.

“We’ll shower before we eat. The new house helper should have arrived first light this morning. You will like her. She was a longtime friend of my mother. She will wear clothing in the house. I know you will appreciate this. Her name is Gava. She finds humans fascinating. She and Ariel get along well.”

Casey sighed. “Where did she come from?”

“My father’s household.”

Casey flushed. “She was with your father? They were lovers?”

He shook his head. “Her bound died recently and she was staying at my father’s house until she could find a new home. When a bound dies, his family or his friends take his women into their household to protect her until she can find a new home, or if she is old, until she dies. My father has a full house, and Gava loved her bound. She wanted no other male in her life, so coming into our home is perfect for her. She is very fond of me and I am very fond of her. We get along well.”

Casey frowned. “How fond?”

Argernon laughed. “She is like a mother, and I am like the son she imagined. She gave her bound two daughters, but no sons. You will meet her and feel no jealousy, Casey.”

“Okay.”

He chuckled as he helped her up. He kept hold of her hand as he led her into the bathroom. They showered together quickly. Casey brushed her teeth as she watched Argernon shave. They grew hair on their lower jaw that they shaved off. She’d realized that when Argernon was injured and hadn’t been able to remove it. She almost missed the hair there. It looked good on him. He smiled as she watched him.

“What are you thinking?”

“I liked the hair along your jaw when it grew out. It looked very sexy.”

He laughed. “Only very old men let it grow. I’m a warrior. We keep our faces clean of hair to show we are respectful of our elders.”

“Is that a Zorn custom?”

He nodded. “Zorn males who do not shave are…” He hesitated. “Not respectful and do not follow the laws well. Most of them end up locked up for crimes.”

“Wow.”

He nodded as he brushed his teeth. He gripped her hand leading her into the bedroom. He pulled on pants and handed her one of his soft black shirts to put on.

“I will buy you clothing. It will take a few days, but Gava will shop for you.”

“What does Gava do here? What will my responsibilities be?”

“Gava will do the shopping, the cooking and the cleaning. She will tend to your needs and make sure you are not lonely when I am not home. You can help her if you wish.” He glanced at her. “You are my bound. You are to be pampered and you are house lead.”

“I don’t understand the term.”

“You are in charge.”

Casey grinned. “I am? Do I get to order you around?” She tugged the shirt down her body. It fell to her thighs. She eyed her bare legs. “Can I borrow pants?”

He chuckled. “No. Bound women walk naked in the home but you are covered. I want to at least see your legs, beautiful. It is a fair compromise, is it not?”

“So you never answered my question. Do I get to order you around?”

His eyes sparkled with amusement. “What do you wish me to do? We’ll see if I will take your orders.”

She grinned. Her naughty side flared as she took in his mostly naked body. He was a prime specimen of man. Just looking at him made her want to touch him. Her eyes paused at the front of his pants. She couldn’t miss the bulge there. He was hard again. Her eyes lifted.

“Open your pants.”

His eyebrows rose, but a grin spread his lips as he actually reached for his waist and opened his pants. His cock sprang free. She eyed it with a smile. The man was built. She wiggled her finger at him.

“Come here.”

He walked slowly to her. She saw desire burning in him as he inched closer. He stopped a foot from her, staring down. The fact that he was taking orders from her was surprising but it really turned her on. He was a big, tough guy but he was doing everything she said. Their gazes locked as Casey slowly sank to her knees in front of him. Argernon growled at her, his cock jerked in front of her face, advertising that he was really excited.

Casey reached out to stroke the underside of his shaft with her fingers. Argernon’s legs tensed as he braced them. Casey smiled up at him. “Hold really still. Don’t move unless I tell you to.”

He groaned. “I won’t move.”

Licking her lips as her hand cupped his balls, she hesitated. “Spread your legs farther apart.”

He did it. It amazed her that he was letting her get away with this. He was usually so damn bossy and in charge. She breathed on the head of his cock making it jerk again. A growl rumbled from deep in his throat telling her that he was really turned-on. She licked the head of him, opening her mouth wide, taking him in as deep as she dared without choking. He moved. She jerked away, looking up. His hand hovered by her head.

“You moved.”

“I wanted to touch your hair.”

She shook her head. “No. Put your hands on your thighs. Keep them there.”

He growled, but did it. His eyes were narrowed. She smiled, turning her focus back on his cock. She opened her mouth to take him inside her again. She stroked him with her tongue while sucking on him. His balls tightened. He was so keyed up she knew he wouldn’t last long. She also knew he really liked this. He became so turned-on that he couldn’t hold back. She knew he was going to come when he started to shake. She released his cock with her mouth to look up at him.

Argernon looked ready to explode. His eyes were glazed over with lust. Sweat beaded on his forehead and his hands were fisted at his sides. Their gazes met. He was breathing so hard, his sharp teeth showed between his parted lips.

“Lie on the bed.”

“Casey…”

“Lie on the bed. I want you on your back.”

He groaned in protest, but he moved. She was amazed again that he was doing it. She watched him kick off his pants completely before getting on the bed. He rolled over so he was flat on his back. His eyes were locked with hers. He was breathing hard, and his cock was pulsing from need.

She kept the shirt on as she climbed on the mattress after him. She moved over to him, up on her knees. She let her eyes slowly trace every inch of him, before she threw her leg over his waist. She lifted the shirt so her bare ass rested on his lower stomach. His cock was hard against the seam of her ass.

Using her arm she pinned the shirt up at her ribs. Her eyes locked with Argernon as she reached down, lifting up a few inches from him, to put her hand between her thighs. She was wet. She rubbed her fingers through her lower lips, wetting her finger, to rub her clit. She looked up. Argernon had his full attention fixed on her finger and what it was doing. He started to breathe harder.

“Do I have your attention, baby?”

His eyes flew to hers. “Yes.”

She rubbed her clit faster. It excited her more, watching him get turned-on. His hot gaze left hers so he could watch her rubbing her clit with her fingertip. She reached behind her with her other hand, gripping his cock. Argernon sucked in air loudly, while she positioned him so she could ease down. She moaned as he filled her. Her pussy expanded snugly to accept him. His hands gripped her thighs, a snarl tearing from his throat.

“Lord of the Moons. That feels the best.”

She rode him while rubbing her clit. She was going to come. She knew he was going to come as well. She suddenly stopped riding him, but she kept fingering her nub.

“Baby?”

His eyes met hers.

“Don’t ever hurt me again, okay? You’re good at seducing me, but I’m no slouch in this department either. Do you want to come?”

“Please.”

She moved, lifting up and twisting her hips as she slammed down on him, driving him into her deeper. Argernon roared, throwing his head back, clawing at the bed. He came hard, his hips bucked under her. She pressed on her clit crying out as she climaxed. Her back arched at the intensity of it. She collapsed on his chest when the last of the pleasure moved through her.

Argernon wrapped his arms around her, gripping her ass with both hands. They were both breathing hard. His palm caressed the curve of her backside. A deep rumble of a chuckle came from him. Casey lifted her head to look at him.

“I take it that you’re not mad?”

“No. What is a slouch?”

She grinned. “I can seduce you too.”

“Beautiful, you could just smile at me and I would want buried into you, deep.”

“Well, if that’s the case, I won’t ask you to open your pants anymore, or give you a show of me playing with myself while I ride you.”

“Please do.” He grinned.

She laughed. “Okay. Only if you follow orders from time to time and ask really nicely.” Sitting up, she removed the shirt. She was hot with it on. “So what can I order you to do next? I have a few ideas.”

Argernon rolled suddenly, pinning her down under his body. “I would—”

Their bedroom door opened. Casey gasped. They were both naked. Argernon was on top of her and they were fused together, since he was still deep inside her body. She turned her head. Bara walked into their bedroom gripping a wicked-looking knife. It looked big and sharp. Horror hit Casey as she realized the woman was rushing at them.

Argernon sighed, not looking. “Gava, never enter our room. Casey is shy about—”

Casey used all her strength to shove at Argernon. She managed to knock him away from the oncoming woman with the knife, and screamed out a warning. Argernon saw the danger about the time he hit where Casey had shoved him to. A roar exploded from his lips as he gripped Casey. He rolled with her so they both fell off the other side of the bed. It was a hard landing that Argernon took the worst of it since Casey landed on top of him. She heard a cracking sound and stared down at Argernon’s face in. His eyes were closed.

“You humans think you can just take our men,” Bara yelled.

Casey got to her feet. Argernon didn’t move and he didn’t open his eyes, but she knew he was breathing. She realized he must have hit his head. She stared across the massive bed at Bara who stood on the other side, knife in hand, growling at her.

“I was with Argis Ral serving in his household. That human weakling tricked him into bounding with her while he was captured by an enemy.” Bara inched toward the end of the bed, knife fisted in her hand, glaring at Casey. “He gave me to Argis Argernon, and he promised me that he wouldn’t trade me to another household. He was tricked by you. I will not be removed from another household. The house I chose is not an Argis home.” The woman looked pissed as she moved closer to Casey. “I don’t have my own room. The male is not as good with sex as Argis Argernon. He can’t buy me the things I want, because he said he keeps a budget.” She spat the word. “I want my household back and you can’t be bound to Argis Argernon if you are dead. If he does not like it he will die with you. I will not give up my nice things.”

Casey swallowed hard staring at the knife-wielding bitch who was obviously totally nuts. Bara was a lot taller and stronger. Casey glanced at Argernon. He was coming around. His leg moved as he groaned. He reached for the back of his head to rub it, his eyes opened. He frowned, exploring the back of his head, as Casey’s gaze flew away.

Bara wasn’t just a danger to Casey. She was a danger to Argernon. He wasn’t going to let Bara get away with killing her. Casey knew that. Argernon would gut the bitch with the knife she used on Casey if Bara killed her. Casey took a deep breath. She did the last thing the crazy Zorn woman expected. She walked to the end of the bed, watching as Bara moved with her, until the bed was no longer between them. Casey screamed while launching her body at the bigger woman.

Casey saw shock widen the woman’s eyes as she realized Casey wasn’t backing away, but instead was attacking. Casey tackled the woman, grabbing for the arm with the knife with both hands, as their bodies slammed brutally together. They both went down in a heap. Casey landed on top of Bara. She knew Bara got the wind knocked from her by the loud gasp as they hit and Bara’s face paled considerably. Casey didn’t hesitate for a second. She lifted her knee, ramming it between Bara’s thighs hard.

The woman screamed a second later. Man or woman, Casey knew that fucking hurt. The knife dropped from Bara’s fingers so Casey could shove it away. The knife slid under the bed. As soon as Casey realized it was out of Bara’s reach Casey turned her attention to Bara’s face.

Hauling back her fist, Casey punched her in the nose with everything she had. Pain shot up Casey’s arm, but she hauled her fist back to hit Bara again. She saw blood. Bara screamed. Casey grabbed a handful of the woman’s hair to use it to ram her head into the floor. With her other hand, she again punched in the face.

Two large hands grabbed Casey around her torso. She was pulled off the screaming Zorn woman under her. Casey jerked her head around to stare at Argernon. He pulled her back into his chest while backing up. His hold on her shifted so he was wrapping his arms around her hips and her breasts. He hugged her to his body, while he backed both of them across the room, away from the woman on the floor.

Bara curled into a ball where she lay, sobbing, between cries of pain. Her nose was bleeding and both of her hands were cupping her groin. The sound of pounding boots penetrated Casey’s brain about the same time that Argernon cursed, spinning them both around. He pinned Casey to the wall. His body almost smashed her there. She could see over his shoulder when she turned her head to look over her own.

Four Zorn men dressed in black rushed into the room. They looked at the woman on the floor before their stares jerked to Argernon. The man with red hair snarled.

“What is happening here?”

Argernon growled. “That was my lead house helper until she went to another home yesterday. She did not like that I bound to a human so I no longer had a need for other women in my home. She came here with a knife. It is under the bed where it slid away during the fight. She attacked me and my bound with threats of death. She no longer had a right to be in my home. She trespassed.”

The redhead’s gaze flew to the woman on the floor and then back. His body relaxed slightly. He frowned as he met Argernon’s look. “Did you have to damage her so much, Argis Argernon? I understand your anger, but she’s female. This is unacceptable.”

Argernon sighed. “I hit my head. I was stunned. It was my bound who fought her.”

The man’s look flew to Casey. Shock hit his features. “Present her for inspection.”

Argernon growled. “She’s bare. That is why I have her here to cover her body from sight.”

The man nodded, examining the room. He walked to the dresser to get a shirt. He walked back to Argernon. He put the shirt on Argernon’s shoulder, draping it there. He turned to nod at the other men. Two of them took a step closer to Bara, guarding her, but they turned their backs to Casey and Argernon. Argernon lowered Casey to the floor to help put the shirt on her, tugging it down her body while staring into her eyes.

“Am I in trouble? She had a knife.” Fear crept through her. She didn’t know their laws. “Are they going to arrest me?”

Argernon shook his head. “Just do as he says. I’m here, Casey.”

She was shaking as she stepped around Argernon. The four large Zorn officers turned slowly to study Casey. The redhead was obviously in charge. His gaze went down her quickly with a frown. He addressed Argernon.

“May I, with respect?”

Argernon jerked his head. “Yes. Hold still, Casey. He is checking you for injures or markings to support that you were in a fight.”

She tensed as the big man approached her. He stared down at her. She saw he was still unconvinced that she’d fought Bara, by his disbelieving look. He hesitated a few seconds before slowly lowering to his knees. They were almost eye to eye. He held out both of his hands with his palms out.

“Please put your hands in mine.”

She was shaking, but she put them in his gentle hold. He stared at her hands. She had blood on them. Her right knuckles were damaged where she’d hit Bara a few times. The man released her hands. He visually scanned her from her toes up to her forehead. He was still frowning.

“Do you have any other injures?”

“I don’t think so. I took her by surprise. She didn’t expect me to tackle her. She probably expected me to run away, instead of at her.”

The redhead’s eyebrows arched up. “You leapt at her?”

“I threw myself into her as hard as I could, to knock her down.”

The man cleared his throat, looking astonished. “Explain how she was injured please.”

Casey sighed. “I slammed my knee into her crotch. It hurts regardless of what sex you are. I…uh…punched her in the face until she dropped the knife, and slammed her head into the floor, because I knew if she got up before I disabled her, that she’d kick my ass. She’s a lot bigger than I am. I only had surprise on my side.”

“Crotch?”

“Um, her…” Casey turned, looking at Argernon for help. “What do you call it?”

Argernon bit back a laugh. “She hit Bara’s sex with her knee.”

“Thanks.” Casey met the redhead’s eyes. “That’s what I did. She wanted to kill me. She threatened to kill Argernon. He already had a head injury when we came here and then he hit his head again when he rolled us off the bed. It knocked him out when we hit the floor, managing to avoid Bara stabbing us on the bed. He needs medical help.” Her glance went to Bara who was still whimpering, curled in a ball on the floor. “And so does Bara. I might have broken her nose. I felt something crunch.”

The redhead climbed to his feet, staring down at Casey. He looked at Argernon. “I heard human females were weak. She’s little. Her bones are so small and…” He shook his head. “Amazing.”

Hands touched Casey. Argernon pulled her back into his arms, curling his naked body around her back to hold her close. She looked up at him. He was grinning at the redheaded officer.

“She is smaller, but fierce. There is a lot more to human women than you would think.”

The redhead grinned back. “I will remove the intruder from your home.” His grin died. “She tried to kill you. Do you want to press full charges, Argis Argernon?”

Argernon’s grin died. “I do. She poses a threat to my bound. I won’t have that. She knew how to sneak into my home to attack us in our bed. Make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

The man nodded. “Do you need medical?”

“I’m fine.”

Casey frowned, looking up at Argernon. “You need to see a doctor.”

He sighed. “I am fine.”

She shook her head. “Fine. I’ll wait until you fall down, and then a doctor can look at you when you’re passed out cold. Of all the stubborn, stupid things men do.”

He chuckled as the redhead gasped in astonishment. Casey frowned up at the redheaded man wondering why he looked that way. His gaze was darting from Argernon to Casey and back. He looked confused.

Argernon laughed. “They are very willful. It is very amusing. She is a pleasure in all things. I could not resist her.”

The redhead backed away slowly. He nodded, but he looked uncertain. “I would train her better, Argis Argernon. Otherwise she might rub off on our women. They would all try to tell us what to do.”

Argernon looked at Casey with a sparkle in his eye. “You would be surprised at how pleasurable it is to follow a woman’s orders in the bedroom.”

She grinned at him. He had really liked her telling him what to do when she’d seduced him. She tore her gaze from his as the men lifted a still-crying Bara from the floor. Two of them carried her out. The other man crawled under the bed to retrieve the knife and all of them left. An older woman rushed into the room next.

Casey stared at Gava. The woman was six feet tall, had to be eighty, if she was a day, judging by the wrinkles on her face, but was in amazing health. Age hadn’t bent her back or softened her firm body. From the neck down she looked forty and a good forty at that. Her silver hair was long, nearly reaching her knees, and she wore men’s pants with a man’s shirt that hit her waist. The woman rushed toward them both.

“Are you all right? I called for security when I heard what was going on. She tied a cord from my door to another to lock me in my room. Thankfully, I have an alarm in there. I was worried.” The woman seemed to not notice or care that Argernon was naked. All of her attention was on Casey. She smiled. “You are very attractive.”

Casey grinned. “Thank you for getting help to us. Thank you for the compliment.”

The woman laughed. She finally turned her attention on Argernon. She shook her head, taking in what she could see of him behind Casey. “It is a good thing you males are not shy.” She made a soft sound with her throat. “Get dressed, please. I do not want to see so much of you.” She spun. “Food is prepared. Hurry to come eat. Your bound is with offspring and needs much food to fatten her up. She is so small that we need to make her bigger so she has an easier time birthing a big, healthy Zorn baby.”

Chapter Fourteen

Argernon chuckled. “She likes you.”

Casey turned in his arms. “What is going to happen to Bara?”

“You don’t want to know.”

“I hate when you say that. Give it to me straight.”

He hesitated. “She will be treated for mental instability, and sent to where she won’t harm anyone again. If she refuses treatment and punishment, then she will be sent to a med house.”

Casey paled. “Oh. That’s one of those places they send women to help sick males with sex, isn’t it?”

“She tried to kill you.” Argernon’s features hardened, rage burning in his furious look. “If she had been male, I would have killed her with my bare hands for coming after you. It is my right. Even if security arrived, if she were male, I could kill her in front of them for coming after my bound. She is lucky she is female. Death isn’t an option for her. She did this, so do not think about what she has done to her own life. She will be given options of what happens to her. She must pay for her crime.”

“How is your head? I wish you’d go see Ahhu.”

He shook his head. “I am fine.” A grin curved his lips. “I am proud of you. You fought well.”

“I fought dirty. I was scared she was going to kick my ass and kill both of us.”

He laughed. “You were fierce. You struck without pause and you took down your adversary.” His grin died. “Now do not ever do it again. I will strive to protect you better so you never have to defend yourself. You will remember that you are small and carrying my offspring.”

Her hand went to her stomach. “I don’t plan on any more fights. I didn’t plan on that one.”

He nodded. “Where did you learn to fight? Is that common on Earth? Do they train all humans to be warriors?”

She laughed. “No. I was raised with a lot of boy family members. They liked to pick on me so I learned to fight dirty to get even.”

Rage crossed Argernon’s features. “Tell me who they are and I will go to Earth to punish every male who has harmed you.”

She stared up at him. She was dazed when she realized he meant it. He wanted to go to Earth to kick some ass for her benefit. She smiled, reaching up to cup his face.

“You are so damn sweet.”

He frowned. “I am not sweet. I want to harm all males who caused you to learn how to fight to defend yourself. I will schedule transportation to Earth to make them suffer.”

She tried hard not to laugh. “Picking on is, well, no one hurt me. They teased me and they pissed me off, but they didn’t harm me.”

He growled. “I don’t want to hear about men teasing you. I want to kill men who touched you.”

She had to fight back another laugh. “It wasn’t sexual. Teasing is making a joke at someone else’s expense that they don’t find funny.”

He his body relaxed. “I understand. So there are no men on Earth I should go do harm to?”

“Just my ex-boyfriend and he definitely is not worth it. He’s the guy who sent those two men to arrest me. He’s not worth the time or the trip to Earth.” She leaned against Argernon, smiling up at him. “Besides, I don’t want to go on another damn ship ever again.”

“Food!” Gava bellowed from the other side of the house.

Argernon chuckled. “Did I mention she is like a mother? She sounds like one.”

“You did. I am starving.”

He released her to dress quickly in a pair of pants. He put a shirt on this time too. “Come, beautiful.”

She loved it when he called her that. She wasn’t beautiful, no one had ever called her that before, but he looked like he meant it every time he said it. Maybe to Zorn men she was. It was a nice feeling. Gava was waiting for them in a dining room. They sat down to a heavily filled table of food. Halfway through the meal, a buzz sounded.

“What was that?” Casey looked around the room for the source of the sound.

Argernon stood up. “Someone is at the front door. I will get it.”

Casey watched him walk away hoping that it wasn’t going to be another pissed off ex-house helper. One visit from Bara was more than enough. In seconds, Ariel and her husband walked into the dining room. Ariel looked angry, and so did her large husband, who was glaring at Argernon.

“Are you all right? I woke up and realized you hadn’t come to the house. We went to the medical building but they told us you left last night so we tracked you down here.” Ariel shot Argernon a dirty look. “Someone bribed the guards to bring you here instead of to my house. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you, Argernon?”

He grinned as he sat back down. “I am guilty. I made them bring my bound home to me.”

“It’s all right,” Casey said softly.

Ariel’s eyebrows shot up as she hugged her rounded stomach. “Really? You both made up?”

Ral chuckled. “I told you that it would be fine.”

Ariel shot her husband a flirty look. “If he’s anything like you, she didn’t stand a chance.” Ariel sat down, glancing at Gava. “May I? I’m always hungry. I swear this baby eats three times what I do so I go around in a constant state of starvation. If it wasn’t for the workouts I get I’d be as big as this house.”

A smiling Gava made a heaping plate to set it in front of Ariel. “Zorn offspring are like that to women. It must be a boy.” Gava shot both men a grin. “Their appetites in all things are extreme and they can’t get enough from a woman who holds them in their bodies.”

Casey almost choked on her food. Ariel chuckled while shooting her a look. “Get used to it. They are blunt like that. It’s a common thread to joke about what horndogs Zorn men are.”

Argernon frowned. “What is a horndog?”

“You.” Ariel pointed to her husband. “Him. It means you can’t get enough sex, and you always want it.”

Argernon grinned as his eyes went to Casey. “I am definitely a horndog then.”

Ral chuckled as he took a seat next to his wife, stealing a piece of fruit from her plate. She winked at him, obviously amused. Love shone in the way she looked at him and it was clear that he was just as crazy about her.

Casey eyed the couple. They were starkly contrasted. Ariel was small where her husband was big. Ariel was pale in coloring where her husband was deeply tan. They were happy together, and very much in love. She caught the way they looked at each other. Her gaze went to Argernon. He was watching her silently.

“What are you thinking?” His voice was soft.

She shook her head. “It’s nothing worth sharing.”

“I always find myself wanting to know what you are thinking.” He frowned.

Ral chuckled. “Get used to it. Your life has changed, Brother.” He grinned at his wife before turning his attention on Casey. “We aren’t used to this kind of relationship with women. Zorn women are quiet and they keep to themselves. Women socialize with other women. Most socialization happens between males and females in the bedroom. Even there not much conversation is exchanged. Human women interact with us on all levels. You speak to us and keep our interest.” His gaze went back to Ariel. “I want to spend all my time with my Ariel. She engages me in every way all the time.”

Ariel grinned. She winked at Casey. “In all ways. I’m almost terrified when I think of how many kids we’re going to end up with. Birth control doesn’t work with them. Their semen, I’ve been told, gets around every form of birth control they try.”

“What about condoms?”

Ariel chuckled. “Explain to Argernon what one is. Watch this. It’s amusing as hell.” She shot her husband an amused look. “Don’t say a word.”

Ral laughed. He popped another piece of fruit in his mouth just grinning as he gave a nod of encouragement to Casey. His eyes flew to his brother expectantly.

Sighing, Casey faced Argernon. “A condom is a stretchy soft material that fits over your cock from tip to base that catches your seed so it doesn’t enter a woman. Do you understand?”

Argernon snarled. He stood up looking shocked as he stared at Casey. He shook his head as he backed up. “NO!”

She was stunned at his reaction. She’d expected something funny. This wasn’t amusing. Argernon looked horrified. He was staring at her like she had just asked him to cut off his own nuts, and with a rusty knife, to add insult to injury. She frowned, shooting Ariel a dirty look.

Ariel laughed. “Tell her why you won’t wear a condom.”

Casey eyed Argernon. He still looked pissed off and insulted. He met her eyes. “When Zorn males are young—”

“Teenagers,” Ariel chuckled. “Really horny teenagers.”

Argernon took a deep breath. “We have little control over our sexual urges at that age. If left unchecked a younger male will…” He sighed, staring at Casey. “He will spend most of his time issuing self release. He will never learn to control his sexual desires.”

Ariel laughed again. “They’ll jerk off until they can’t walk, and get dehydrated, from what I’ve understood.”

With a sharp nod, Argernon glared at Ariel and then met Casey’s eyes. “In order to teach males control, and so they don’t self release over and over all day long, we are fitted with what sounds like what you mentioned. It is tight and with no room for release. If a male releases into one then it is painful because there is nowhere for the release to go.” He cleared his throat. “It is very painful.”

Casey stared at him. She didn’t laugh. That wasn’t funny. “Why let them do that to you?”

Ral sighed. “We need to learn control over our bodies. It is hard to go to training, or do anything productive, if all our males are self releasing constantly.” His eyes shot to Ariel. He smiled. “I learned control fast but some males…” his eyes went to Argernon and laughed. “Did not, did you, Brother? How many times were you found on the floor of your room in pain?”

Argernon growled. “Shut up.”

Ral laughed. His eyes went to Casey. “It was many, many times.”

Casey stared at Argernon. Sympathy for the teenage boy he must have been, welled in her. “Why didn’t you just take it off?”

He sighed, staring at her. “Because if tampered with, they give an even more painful shock. They are only removed for bathing and urine release, with an adult Zorn present to make sure that is all that is done. Three times a day, young males are allowed sexual release. I wanted more.”

“I’m hoping for a girl,” Ariel chuckled.

Casey nodded. “No shit.” Her eyes went to Argernon. “There’s room in condoms for release and they don’t hurt you. They just catch your seed.”

He shivered. “I will never wear something that embraces me like that.” His eyes narrowed on her. “You embrace my cock.” He grinned. “Very well. I will wear you often.”

Casey blushed. She was a little stunned that he’d say something that forward in front of other people.

Ariel laughed. “Get used to it. Like I said, they are very blunt.” Ariel stood up, giving a smile to her husband. “Let’s go home. All is well here.”

Casey watched the couple go. She could have begged Ariel to take her with her, but she remained silent until they were out of sight. Argernon was silently watching her. She turned, studying him back. A slow grin spread his lips.

“You did not try to escape.” He sounded smug.

“Would you have let me go?”

He shook his head. “You are my bound, beautiful. I will never let you go.”

“Why would she want free?” Gava looked at Casey with a frown. “Why would you not want bound to him? He is much desired on Zorn. He is Argis. Many Zorn women would beg to be his bound.”

“It’s a long story,” Casey sighed. Her gaze went to Argernon. “You’re still not off the hook.”

He chuckled. “And later you still will not be off the headboard.”

Gava stood. “I do not want to know.” She started to clear the table. When Casey rose to help her, Gava shook her head no. “You remain with your bound. You are in the beginning stages of your new bond. Enjoy the time together.” She disappeared from the dining room.

“You heard her.” Argernon moved to Casey. “Let’s go enjoy our time together.” He held out his hand.

“Gee, I wonder what you want to do.” Her gaze lowered to the front of his pants. The man was hard again. She looked at his face when she stood up. She put her smaller hand in his. “Are you ever not turned-on?”

He chuckled. “When you are not near me I am not aroused unless I am thinking about you. I want to take you outside right now. You have yet to really get to enjoy Zorn.”

“That’s true. When we arrived I was chasing after you to the medical place and when I left there it was dark.”

He walked her through the house, but instead of heading for the front door he headed toward the back. She wondered where he was taking her but then she saw the glass doors he walked her to and slid them open. The view of the city below was vast. The house sat on a steep hill, so she could look down the sharply slanted lawn to see a lot of Zorn. She noticed the tall, white walls enclosing the obvious backyard below them. She let her eyes take in the view.

Zorn really was a red planet. The vegetation she saw wasn’t green. It was all reds, purples, and blacks. The sky was a pinkish red. The city was mostly white buildings that looked rounded and curved in structure. She was far enough away that she couldn’t see people or much detail but she bet it would be pretty at night with lights below. The grass was a soft rusty red that shocked her a little with its color. Zorn definitely wasn’t Earth.

“What do you think?”

“It’s stunning and strange,” she said honestly. “It’s really different from Earth.”

He nodded. “I was on your Earth, remember?”

She looked up at him. “I remember in great detail.”

He chuckled. “I liked your blue and green water where it ran deep.”

“I liked the cave behind the waterfall on your sleeping bag.”

His grin curved more. “I was trying to give you a rest, but I don’t believe you need one since your thoughts are on our first joining.” He turned her to yank her against his body. “I want you.”

“Let’s go inside.”

He shook his head. “No one is here. Gava will not interfere.”

“Its broad daylight and we’re on a hill, Argernon.”

“I am aware.”

He went to his knees, tugging her down with him. They faced each other on their knees. She stared up at him. The guy turned her on. “What if Gava walks by the windows?”

“She won’t watch us. Sex is very natural here, my Casey. She will avoid the windows.”

Biting her lip, Casey stared into Argernon’s striking blue eyes. She loved him. After Bara tried to kill them both, it made her realize the woman hadn’t loved Argernon. She wanted what he could give her financially. He hadn’t broken anyone’s heart by getting rid of his house helpers. He’d just hurt Casey by having them in the first place. Argernon reached up to cup Casey’s face with his hands.

“I love you, beautiful.”

She smiled. “I love you too, baby.”

“Turn around.” He released her.

She went to her knees to get a better look at the view. Argernon moved behind her, spreading his bent legs so they were on the outside of hers. His warm body pressed against her back.

One of his hands cupped her stomach only to slide lower under her shirt, moving it out of his way. His fingers slid between her thighs. Casey moaned as he played with her clit. Argernon lowered his head so his mouth could tease her throat.

“You’re more beautiful than the view. I can never lose you, Casey.”

She pressed her ass back, rubbing against his hard cock trapped in his pants. He groaned as she wiggled against him. “I’ll forgive you for everything and stay here with you forever if you do one thing.”

His hand froze. “What? Name it, Casey.”

She smiled as she turned her head to look up at him over her shoulder. She met his sexy eyes. “Swear to me you’ll never touch another woman but me for the rest of our lives together.”

He nodded. “I swear. You are all that I want. You are all that I need. You are everything to me.”

“Will you occasionally take orders from me?”

He smiled. “Yes.”

“Then open those damn pants and fuck me.”

Argernon chuckled. “Do you want me fast or slow, beautiful? Tell me.”

She bent over, placing her hands on the red grass of Zorn. “Slow at first and then fast. That’s how I love it best.”

He growled at her. “You are perfect for me.”

She tossed her brown hair out of the way to look at him over her shoulder again. “Play with my clit while you fuck me and you’ll be perfect for me.” She grinned at him.

Argernon shoved his pants down. He entered her slowly. Casey shut her eyes reveling in the feel of the man she loved. Yeah, she could do this for the rest of her life happily if she had Argernon. Muscular arms slid around her. A hot hand slid between her thighs. Argernon’s finger rubbed against her clit as he pushed into her deep. Being bound to Argernon was sheer pleasure.

He started to move. Casey moaned. “Love me, baby.”

“Always, beautiful.” He chuckled. “And often. Very, very often.”

About the Author

I’m a full time “in-house supervisor” (sounds much better than plain ol’ housewife), mother and writer. I’m addicted to caramel iced coffee, the occasional candy bar (or two) and trying to get at least five hours of sleep at night.

I love to write all kinds of stories. I think the best part about writing is the fact that real life is always uncertain, always tossing things at us that we have no control over, but when your write, you can make sure there’s always a happy ending. I love that about writing. I love it when I sit down at my computer desk and put on my headphones to listen to loud music to block out the world around me, so I can create worlds in front of me.

Laurann welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

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Also by Laurann Dohner

Ral’s Woman

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