Her Alien Alpha (Salvaged Hearts Book 1) Read online

  That didn’t matter, not now. I was more interested in ways out. I only saw two, a breach in the wall that led to a maintenance tunnel and the door we’d entered through. The doorway was a shadow within a shadow, barely visible in the darkness, but at least I knew it led to a path back to the ship. I took a step toward it.

  Delkor stepped into my way. It was as though an eight-foot wall of blue muscle and glinting metal blocked my path. I swallowed, took a step to the side. He mirrored my motion. Nope. I wasn’t getting out of here that easily.

  I took a deep breath, put my hands on my hips, glared at him. “Out. Of. My. Way.”

  He didn’t move, standing so still he seemed more like a statue than a person. Was he even breathing? I couldn’t tell.

  If he wouldn’t get out of the way, I’d have to get him to move. Bracing myself, I put a hand on his chest and shoved.

  To my surprise, he offered no resistance. I’d expected it to be like pushing a wall, but he turned easily, letting my hand slide off him. My balance lost, I staggered forward, into his arms.

  A moment later I was on my back on a pile of stripped insulation. Delkor crouched over me, eyes gleaming in the darkness, his hands keeping me pinned. My heart raced at his touch, and I failed to keep in a quiet moan. When I tried to shrug him off and sit up, he simply pressed me down into the pile of soft foam, shaking his head.

  “Khaa-Ree.”

  He said my name as though he was tasting it, and my breath caught at the sound of it on his lips. Every word he said in his low rough voice made me squirm, but my name? Even mangled, it lit a fire in my soul. Mouth dry, I bit my lip and tried to keep my rebellious body under control.

  The irony almost made me laugh. I’d come all this way, out as far from the Terran Oligarchy as possible, to get away from men. And here I’d run into one who made me weak just by mispronouncing my name. Swallowing, I looked into his shining eyes. There was no hostility there, no anger.

  Do I really believe I can read this alien’s emotions through his eyes? As crazy as it sounded, the answer was yes.

  His metal hand came up, brushed across my cheek, my neck, down to the collar of my jumpsuit. I’d expected the metal to be cold, but no. It was warm, his touch gentle and powerful at the same time. Another small moan escaped me as he pulled at the fastening, my body melting with anticipation.

  With a mental effort that surprised me, I pulled myself together and caught his wrist. Not that I had a hope in hell of stopping him if it came to a struggle — I’d felt his strength and I knew better. But he stopped at my touch, looking at me.

  “Not so fast, big guy,” I told him. “We barely know each other. I’m not jumping into bed with you.”

  Impressed with how much conviction I managed to put into my voice, I hoped that some of that carried across the language barrier. And that he didn’t see through my bluff: I did want to jump into bed with this sexy mountain of a man, wanted it more than almost anything. That didn’t make it the right choice; I had others to think about, a crew that relied on me.

  Sometimes being the boss sucked.

  Delkor grumbled something, but he pulled back, sitting up and keeping me pinned beneath him. I fought down a brief moment of confused disappointment, half-wishing he hadn’t listened.

  “Khaa-Ree no?” I blinked. Even Alice didn’t pick up languages that quickly. Not just a pretty body, then. My alien had a brain. Or perhaps a computer, given the metal implants showing on his body.

  And when had he become ‘my’ alien? My subconscious had a lot to answer for. I swallowed again, looking up at him and wondering if I would have preferred him not to understand.

  But… if we learned to communicate, it would make everything easier. If he understood me, perhaps he’d take me back to the Ladies’ Choice. I groaned, frustrated. There were better things he could do to me, right here, if I let him.

  None of which would help my crew, and they might be in trouble already. If Syrcen couldn’t get his revenge on me, the five of them were vulnerable and they might not even see it coming. And even if they did, I knew my crew too well to think they’d take off and give the Drall time to cool off. Not without me.

  Michaela would complain endlessly, I could almost hear her now, but she wouldn’t leave anyone behind. Nor would the others. They’d mount a rescue attempt, one which would get them all killed unless I got back to the ship in time to stop them.

  Damn it, I don’t have to justify this to myself. Just do it. But I did: not to my brain, but to my traitorous body that ached for more of the alien’s — of Delkor’s — touch.

  As difficult as it was, though, I forced myself to ignore the waves of lust Delkor sent through me, ignore the aching desire for him. Ignore the way I felt when he straddled me, pinning me down. Ignore the hard pressure pressing into me where his huge—

  No, damnit. With a frustrated hiss, I put a hand on his chest, on that close-but-not-quite-human skin and pushed. Gently, no need to make a fool of myself if he didn’t take the hint. A moment later, he rose with a frustrated growl. A sound that made me quiver, a shot of fear and lust hitting me. If I pushed him too far, he’d take what he wanted.

  And then it won’t be my fault, the devil on my shoulder whispered to me. I closed my eyes, counted to ten, and ignored that voice.

  We needed to communicate. And since he was clearly the better language student, I’d better take on the role of teacher.

  “Door,” I said, pointing at the patch of darkness in the shadows of the room. Delkor followed my finger, frowned, then repeated. Or tried to.

  “Doh-ar.” I sighed. This might take a while.

  8

  Delkor

  The female was a mystery to me, as was our hideaway. Enhanced senses told me no one had been in this room in years, but whoever was here last had stripped it down to the walls and further. Sluggish airflow moved through the chamber, full of contaminants. My implants still searched for a network to connect to, anything that would speak to them.

  Nothing. The frequencies were silent, eerily empty of even carrier waves. That only happened on the most primitive planets.

  But this was unmistakably an Imperial outpost, or what remained of one. The architecture gave it away, even with most of the surfaces torn down for parts. How anyone had let this happen was beyond me.

  Not that it mattered. Right now, I had two priorities: learning more about this strange female and getting her somewhere safe.

  We shouldn’t have stopped so soon, but my energy reserves had run dry and I needed to rest. My run had taken us far enough that our enemies wouldn’t track us easily — but there weren’t many turnings from the path I’d taken. The damage to the station was too severe, leaving many passageways sealed.

  It was one of the larger stations I’d been on, which made its condition all the more mysterious. There was a station like this in orbit around Flower of the Empire, but that was one of the great Imperial strongholds. Not a wreck, inhabited by Drall and… whatever species Khaa-Ree was.

  That was a question I could try to answer, at least. We’d traded words, following Khaa-Ree’s lead, and my implants pulled together her language piece by piece. Slow going, but I’d learned enough to ask a simple question.

  “I am a Caibar,” I told her, trying Imperial first. Pointing to myself, I hoped she’d get the hint. “I am Delkor, of the Caibar. What species are you?”

  I pointed at my mate and her brow crinkled in a delightful confused expression that made my desire for her surge.

  Fighting down the urge to take her, I tried it again in her language.

  Her frown deepened as she concentrated. I repeated myself slowly, trying to match her pronunciation of the words as much as possible.

  “Khaa-Ree,” she said at last, tapping her chest. “H’mun of Ert.”

  H’mun? My databanks came up empty, as did my memory. How could there be a species in Imperial space that I hadn’t even heard the name of? My unit had been briefed on every world and species in the
Empire and beyond.

  I tried to ask, but we didn’t have enough language in common yet. Frustrating, but there was only one way to address that and we were already doing it. Now that we’d started on more complex topics things went quicker on my side, my implants learning syntax and context along with the vocabulary.

  Her beautiful, musical voice kept talking and my understanding grew. Of all the gifts the Empire had given their slave-soldiers, this was the one I’d regretted most. Occupiers need to be able to make demands of those they conquered and interrogate those who resisted — we’d be little use if we couldn’t quickly learn the language wherever the Empire sent us.

  Very convenient for the Empire. Awful for the Caibar they sent to do their dirty work. Memories surfaced, harsh smells of burned plastic and ionized air, the blue-black rubble of the Adrellan capital, and the frantic words of our victims becoming comprehensible. I shivered, trying to turn my mind away from the atrocities the Empire forced me to be part of.

  “Delkor?” Carrie’s voice cut through the painful memory and I blinked. Her bright eyes wide with concern, she watched me, and I wondered how long I’d been silent. “Delkor, what’s wrong?”

  I shook my head, not knowing how to explain. Simple phrases would not be enough to convey what I’d been through and the complex language I needed was still beyond me.

  “Bad memories,” I said at last, clamping down on my emotions. “They are not important now, please continue.”

  Now it was Khaa-Ree’s turn to blink, sitting back surprised. She’d seen how fast I picked up her language, but that was the most complicated my answers had gotten. After a moment she smiled.

  “You can’t have learned that quickly,” she said, voice hushed. “How did you do it? Implanted computer?”

  “Training. And, yes, implants.” I growled my answers, testing the vocabulary I’d learned. “Soldiers work best when we can communicate with locals.”

  “You’re a soldier?”

  I turned away. That was a more complicated question than she knew, and far beyond my ability to answer now. But the basics were shareable.

  “I am Delkor, Alpha of a Caibar pack,” I told her. “We were soldiers of the Empire.”

  And what had happened to the rest of my pack? My men were somewhere out there, alone and hopefully alive. My duty called me to them and sitting here would not save them. They, too, needed to return Home.

  Finding Khaa-Ree was a wonder, one I didn’t yet trust. Everything about her felt right, and it took a deep effort to doubt my response to her. I had to make that effort, though: I knew it was possible to forge the bond. Rubbing the back of my neck, I touched the small scar where Joster had cut the slaver chip from my spine.

  It can’t be a trick. This is so much more than the Imperials ever made me feel. I tried to believe it, but trusting that certainty didn’t come easy. Would I have thought the same of Duke-Admiral Lonsuise before Joster removed that cursed implant?

  With a sharp cutting gesture I turned back to the matter at hand. No point in worrying about those hypotheticals when my duty called me to my pack. I’d investigate on the way.

  “I must find my men,” I told my mate. “To do that I require a ship, and…”

  I trailed off, seeking words I hadn’t learned yet. Frustrating, but no matter. A ship would be a fine start.

  Khaa-Ree watched me warily, pulse fast and fingers tugging at her uniform. Nerves warring with arousal, I judged.

  “Come,” I told her, only for her to bristle, stepping back and crossing her arms.

  “Hold on, we’re not going anywhere,” she told me firmly. Most of the words meant nothing to me at the time; I only know what she said in hindsight. “Not till I know more about what’s going on.”

  First she wanted to leave, now she wanted to stay put. I had no time for this. Neither of us did. My mate would learn to trust my judgement soon enough.

  Without answering her, I swept her up in my arms and carried her out into the corridor again, trying to orient myself and ignoring her kicking and squealing. Leaving now, with my energy reserves still depleted, might be rash — but I had to do something.

  “Put me down, you fucker,” Khaa-Ree shouted, managing to land a kick hard enough that I felt it. “Put me down and tell me why the Drall want you.”

  My frustration ramped up as she wriggled in my arms. Caught between twin urges, I struggled to decide. On the one hand, the desire to find and rescue my pack, to find out what in the Black Sky was going on. On the other, the near-irresistible urge to carry the writhing bundle of sexiness that was Khaa-Ree back to the makeshift mattress…

  “I have a ship, you asshole!” The words she shouted into my ear finally penetrated, silencing my internal debate. “Tell me what the hell’s going on and maybe I can help.”

  Carefully putting her down, I looked at her. Captain Khaa-Ree? She didn’t look the part, but as soon as the thought crossed my mind I realized how foolish I was. I knew nothing of her culture, and I’d met her amongst criminals — for all I knew she was in disguise.

  “You command a spaceship?” I said it slowly, making sure I understood.

  “Yes.” She glared at me. “You listened but you didn’t hear anything I said, did you?”

  My mind flicked back over our conversation and I realized it was true. My implants had decoded her language, but the meaning had slipped past me. Too focused on my pack, on my mission, and on my doubts. A flash of anger burned through me, fast as lightning. Anger at myself for letting my thoughts get divided, anger at the Empire for planting doubt in my head, and angry at the universe for the impossible jumble of duties pulling at me.

  No problem is without a solution, I reminded myself. I’d torn down an Empire that everyone had thought unbeatable. I’d survived more battles than I could count. Against all the odds, I’d met my mate. If I failed to keep her, that was on me.

  “You have my apologies, Khaa-Ree,” I said, bowing low, my tail lashing behind me. She wouldn’t know the stance of apology, but I hoped the meaning would get through regardless. “You are right. I learned your language, but I was too preoccupied to pay attention to what you said.”

  She pulled an odd face at that, an expression I couldn’t yet read, and shook her head. “Okay, I’m not used to a guy apologizing so quickly.”

  “Then the males of your species are fools,” I responded with quick anger. “How can they call themselves men if they do not respect their females? When you are right, of course I will accept that and apologize — no warrior would do otherwise.”

  She smiled, just a little. “Ah. And if I tell you I’m leaving?”

  “Then you are wrong.” I smiled back, letting my teeth show a little. A predator’s smile that sent a shiver through her. “You are going nowhere without me, my mate.”

  Khaa-Ree’s heart raced and her cheeks reddened. “I’ll go where I like.”

  “Yes. And where you like is with me.” Her little gasp drew me closer, my desire for her growing every second. Khaa-Ree was the most desirable female imaginable, and everything she did, every little gasp, every tiny movement, drove me wild for her.

  “I’ve…” Khaa-Ree trailed off, swallowed, tried again. “I have to get back to my ship. And that’s where you’re going too, right? So…”

  She bit her lip, backing away. But not fleeing, I noted. Not actually trying to escape but daring me to chase her.

  “The ship will wait,” I told her, making up my mind. “The Drall will watch for you there, and I need to recover my strength before I charge back into the fight.”

  “So… what do we do now?” Khaa-Ree spoke with a quiet whimper.

  “More language lessons.”

  My mate’s face was caught between disappointment and relief, not sure what to make of that. I grinned my predator’s smile again and lifted her without warning. Before she’d started to struggle, I had her back in the chamber we’d left and pinned to the pile of insulation foam.

  Khaa-Ree looked up at me
with wide eyes, pulse racing chest heaving. Sitting up over her, I ran a hand over her clothed body before taking hold of the fastener at her neck.

  “What is this called?” I asked, meeting her eyes and grinning.

  “Uh.” Khaa-Ree stared at me, licked her lips. “That’s a zipper.”

  I pulled it down, slowly and carefully. She bit her lip, a delightful gesture that made my cock stiffen, and a flush spread from her cheeks, down across her chest as I parted her top.

  “This?” I tugged the gap wider, looking down at the beautiful full breasts it revealed, cupped in a fabric undergarment that I immediately wanted to tear off. Nothing should be between me and my mate.

  “Jumpsuit,” Khaa-Ree whispered the strange word, and I added it to my vocabulary. A shiver ran through her body, and she pulled the fastener — the zipper — down the rest of the way.

  I slid her jumpsuit off her shoulders, my fingertips brushing her skin, finding it smooth, soft, warm. Alien, and yet everything I’d dreamed of from a mate. Breath catching in her throat, Khaa-Ree reached up with a trembling hand and touched my chest. Gently at first, so hesitant that I barely felt the contact, and then in an urgent caress.

  Encountering the fabric straps that held her undergarment, I growled and plucked at them, fingers sliding down beneath them.

  “Bra.” She breathed the word, her eyes tracing over my body as she explored with more confidence, fingers tracing my muscles.

  I did not like this ‘bra’ — it was between me and my beloved, and its fastening didn’t cooperate. One swift pull tore it off, and a shiver ran through Khaa-Ree’s body as I bared her breasts. Fingers dug into me as her hands tensed, and a low moan escaped her lips.