Beneath a Trojan Moon Read online

Relda’s pulse jumped, then raced. “The marshal will come for me.” Please find me, Hunt. “He’s a single-minded man who never gives up.”

  Li lifted a shoulder. “He isn’t coming, Ms. Dela-Cruz.” A sharp smile. “Who do you think sold you out to me?”

  Her vision blurred and everything inside her just…stopped. The pain was so great she felt like she was choking.

  “Everyone has their price.” Li’s smile deepened. “I’m very good at finding people’s weaknesses and exploiting them. The Marshal’s Office was very easy to infiltrate. Now, settle in, we have a long flight ahead.” His gaze slid over her body. “And we’ll enjoy it…together.”

  Her chest was so tight she could barely breathe. She couldn’t summon any reaction to her captor’s grand plans.

  She was shattered inside.

  Hunt…her mind shied away. She couldn’t even think about him. It hurt too much.

  “I’ll have one of my men come in and give you another dose of my special concoction. Can’t have you able to use those fabulous powers of yours.” Timothy Li strode out, bellowing orders.

  Relda sagged in her chains. She needed to find a way to escape and then she had to decide what to do next.

  She had to leave Souk.

  She looked out the window, at the crowded spaceport, and beyond it the shadows of the Jabaal Mountains and the shiny jewel of Lake Gameelah nestled at their base. She thought of her girls there, waiting for her to return.

  Hunt. Could he really have betrayed her?

  She managed to pull in a tiny bit of air. She moved, the chains digging into her wrists. The pain cleared her head a little.

  Memories of Hunt rushed in. His bright, vibrant energy field. The composed way he faced her attackers and the nano-droid. The intense, possessive look in his eyes as he loved her.

  Hunt, her tough, noble warrior who still honored the memories of the family he’d lost and the soldiers under his command who he felt he’d failed.

  A man who would die before betraying anybody.

  She had to get off this damn ship and get to Hunt.

  The door slid open and a familiar man entered. Wearing a familiar uniform. Deputy Westin.

  “Hunt will track you down and kill you,” she said.

  The man neared, a pressure-injector in his hands, his eyes were filled with misery. “I know. I guessed where he’d stashed you…”

  “Why did you do this? Do Timothy Li’s dirty work and betray Hunt?”

  “I’m sorry. I have a daughter…she’s sick. Abolian Plague.”

  Relda’s stomach clutched. It was an incurable disease that slowly destroyed organs.

  “I couldn’t afford the cloned organs she needs—” His voice hitched. He raised the injector. “I’m so sorry.” A ragged whisper.

  She lifted her chin and stared out the window. She was a survivor. Whatever happened, she wouldn’t accept this lying down.

  Suddenly, an alarm blared through the ship. The deputy raced to the comms panel and slapped a hand against it. “What’s happening?”

  “The fucking marshal’s issued a no take-off order.” Timothy Li’s voice thundered through the comm. “We need to go. Now! Inject her and get your ass up to the cockpit to help.”

  Relda scanned the spaceport. Gasped. She saw a crowd moving through the starships, headed by a small group in dark uniforms. One dark-haired man in front stood taller than the crowd.

  Her heart spasmed. He was coming.

  Westin stepped in front of her.

  “Please, don’t do this,” she said. “We’ll help your girl, but don’t do this.”

  He sighed. “It’s too late.”

  There was a faint roar and she heard the ship’s engines flare to life. Oh, no.

  Relda tried to tap her abilities again. There. Just a small flare. The poison had worked out of her system just enough. “I’m sorry, too.” She pulled as much energy to her as she could and tossed it at the man.

  He flew backward, light flaring around him. He hit the wall, his head making a sickening crack against the metal. He slumped to the floor.

  She looked up at her chains. She stared hard and watched as the silver links turned faint yellow then flared to molten orange. The chains broke.

  She fell forward onto her hands and knees and barely stopped her face hitting the smooth floor. She felt the throb of the engines through the floor. Not long to takeoff.

  Standing, she scanned the room. She needed some clothes, she needed the Trojan Moon, and then she was getting off this ship. She found the smooth panel of a storage cupboard. Inside were some silver jumpsuits.

  She might want Hunt’s strong arms wrapped around her, but—she bit her lip—she knew she couldn’t keep him. She’d made a mistake here, letting people close. She didn’t want them hurt because of her.

  Suddenly, the ship lifted off the ground.

  No!

  ***

  Hunt ran toward the sleek, silver cruisership. He could see its engines were already running and it was seconds away from takeoff.

  He was still thirty meters away when it rose into the air.

  “No!” he roared.

  He lunged forward, hot steam bathing his face. Hasan gripped his arm and pulled him back.

  Hunt’s heart was a cold, hard rock in his chest. He couldn’t lose her.

  Suddenly, the ship—only ten meters off the ground—lurched sideways.

  His lungs constricted and the crowd—mostly Souk market stall owners who’d come when they’d heard Relda was in trouble—gasped.

  He got a quick glimpse of the starboard engine. It was overheating.

  The ship slammed into the ground, taking out a nearby freighter with a crunch of metal before coming to rest tilted sideways like a spaceport drunk after a binge.

  Hunt broke free of his deputy. As he neared the ship, he saw a cargo door open. And a slim figure leaped out.

  His steps slowed. The woman striding toward him wore a silver jumpsuit with bright blue accents. Her dark hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, which threw her face into stark relief—high cheekbones, strong jawline and those eyes, glimmering with red flames.

  There was no sign of the flirtatious fortune teller or even the sensuous woman he’d made love to.

  This woman was the powerful Vega-Lyran.

  As she neared, the starships either side of her shifted along the ground, moving out of her way. A wave of power emanated off her, making Hunt’s skin prickle.

  The crowd behind him went deathly silent.

  “Marshal, a Timothy Li is in the ship. You’ll want to arrest him, Deputy Westin, and the rest of Li’s men.” Her voice was toneless, her face cool and composed.

  She might be some mythic psionic race, but she was still Relda. His Relda.

  Hunt grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into his chest. He pressed his cheek to the top of her head. “I’m so glad you’re okay. When I saw the apartment…” His throat closed up.

  Her body softened for a second, leaning into his. “I’m fine. Barely a scratch.”

  He breathed deep and under the crisp smell of the jumpsuit, he smelled her. That addictive spice.

  Then she pulled back. The flames in her eyes has dimmed. “Hunt—”

  There was the sound of rockets firing. They both turned and saw a small, one-man, escape ship launch from a hatch on the crashed cruiser.

  “Damn it.” Relda swore. “Timothy Li.”

  “I’ll put out his description on the Patrol watchlists. We’ll find him.”

  Relda shook her head. “He has the Trojan Moon.” She glanced at Hunt with her otherworldly eyes. “I can’t let him get away with it and…he knows what I am.”

  She threw one glance at the crowd. At the people she’d called hers for four years, and even through the flickering red, he saw the flash of agony.

  She stepped away and raised her hands in the air.

  The escape ship was rocketing straight upward, a vapor trail behind it.

  Relda’s hands
began to glow. A bright, eye-searing gold.

  The escape ship faltered. It stopping rising and started to fall back toward the ground. It began a sickening spiral.

  The murmurs in the crowd were a mix of horror, shock and excitement.

  Hunt knew Relda heard them because he saw her shoulders hunch a little. But she kept her focus on the ship.

  Timothy Li’s ship hurtled back toward them. Hunt heard his deputies directing the crowd to move back. But Hunt just watched Relda.

  She was magnificent. Was there anything more attractive than a strong, powerful woman?

  Suddenly, the ship slowed. Relda moved her hands, like a beautiful dance, and the ship stopped. She moved her arms toward an open area free of ships not far away.

  And set the ship down.

  She was striding over to it and Hunt was one step behind her.

  The cockpit opened and a slender, black-haired man crawled out, collapsing on the ground. He was sobbing.

  Relda bent and snatched the Trojan Moon from around his neck. Then she leaned closer and whispered to Timothy Li. “Never mess with a Vega-Lyran. I could kill you in a blink.” She clenched her hand into a fist and Timothy Li flinched. “You mention me to anyone, come after me or mine again, I will snuff you out.”

  Li’s terrified eyes turned to Hunt, and seeing the uniform, he started blathering. “She tried to kill me! Arrest her!”

  Hunt’s jaw cracked under the tension tearing through him. He kept his voice low. “You almost killed my woman. You blew up my apartment. You carried out crimes in my city. You. Almost. Killed. My. Woman.” Even Hunt heard the towering rage in his voice. “You’re lucky I don’t just let her kill you now.”

  Behind him, Hunt heard his deputies running up. “Marshal!”

  “Deputy Hasan, arrest this man. I want him locked in a cell.” Then Hunt turned to Relda.

  She was watching the crowd. He moved closer. He knew what she saw. Confusion, awe and fear.

  “Relda, give them some time—”

  “I have to go.”

  His gut clenched. She wasn’t talking about going back to her house. She was talking about leaving. Souk. Him. “No.”

  “Not your decision, Calder.” She took one step and he saw her wobble.

  He’d been expecting it and when she collapsed, her scooped her into his arms.

  He didn’t spare the crowd another glance, just said to Hasan, “Contact me if you need me.”

  Chapter Eight

  Relda woke to dappled sunlight on her face and the sweet scents of fresh water, green grass and jasmina blossoms. She opened her eyes, taking a second to orient herself.

  She was dressed in a simple, white linen shift that was soft against her skin. She lay nestled amongst a mound of pillows laid out on a blanket at the edge of Lake Gameelah. She saw her small, tidy lake house with its lovely cream walls, black iron accents and a green jasmina vine climbing up the side of the house. The large glass doors were thrown open and white, gauzy curtains fluttered in the light breeze.

  Energy was zinging through her. Physically, she felt great, but inside, her heart was broken.

  She had to leave all this behind.

  She turned her head and saw him.

  Hunt was reclined on the cushions beside her, reading one of his books. As always, he looked ridiculously masculine. He was everything she’d ever wanted in a man.

  But she had to leave him behind as well.

  It wasn’t just to save herself. It was because she put him, and all the other people she’d grown to care for here on Souk, at risk. She’d never regretted being Vega-Lyran. It was who she was. But this was the first time she wished she were just an ordinary human with no extraordinary abilities. Then she could be the lover of a marshal, welcome him home every evening, take him into her arms every night.

  She must have sighed, because Hunt turned to look at her.

  He smiled. “You’re up.”

  “Yes.” She was, and the energy in her was looking for release. This was her chance to have Hunt one more time before she left.

  And she was taking it.

  “The girls?” She glanced at the house.

  “Gone back to the city. They wanted to fix things up at your house.”

  The thought of never seeing the girls again left a pang under her heart. But Hunt would take care of them.

  Relda crawled over to him on her hands and knees. He watched her coming, tossing his book aside. His ice-blue eyes ignited.

  No, she’d never tire of seeing the heated desire in Hunt’s eyes. The thought of some other woman in his future enjoying the sight made claws rake her insides.

  “Relda—”

  “Don’t talk.” She settled between his outstretched legs. Then her hands were at his belt and the trouser fastening, stripping them away.

  He made a deep sound in his throat, but he helped her with a lift of his trim hips. His big cock spilled out into her hands. She traced the thick, pulsing vein on the underside, enjoying his hiss of breath.

  She made a humming noise in her throat. “So long and thick.” She didn’t give him a chance to say anything else. She leaned down and took his erection in her mouth. She licked and sucked, felt the buck of his hips and his big hand cupping the back of her head. But tough, protective Hunt Calder didn’t pull her hair or direct her moves. He just held her there, supporting her as she pleasured him.

  She took him into her throat, relaxing her muscles and then swallowing against his cock. It took her a little while to adjust to his size. His deep, long groan made her smile. She pulled back, swirled her tongue around the head of him, before taking him back in.

  The sun was warm on her back, the man beneath her hard and the desire curling inside her incandescent.

  But much as she wanted to make him spill in her mouth and lap up all his seed, she wanted him buried deep inside her more. She needed him to fill the aching emptiness inside.

  Relda pulled back, licking her lips.

  Hunt groaned again. “Nothing like seeing a woman who loves her man’s cock and isn’t afraid to show it.”

  A hot thrill went through her. Her man. For now, in this moment, he was. She ripped the shift over her head. As he took in her nakedness, his gaze hot on her breasts, she’d never felt more beautiful or more wanted.

  She straddled his lap, using her hands to position his rock-hard cock between her legs. Then she lifted her head. His gaze locked with hers and she sank down, taking him in, inch by hard inch. Her lips fell open, the delicious feeling of him stretching her was incredible.

  When she’d taken him all, she gripped his muscled shoulders, while his hands clutched her hips.

  “You are so beautiful. And tight,” he growled.

  She rose up. “I’m planning to ride you hard, Marshal.” She sank back down.

  The muscles in his neck strained. “You ride me anyway you want, Relda. I’m all yours.”

  She knew—deep in her heart—that was true. She just couldn’t keep him.

  Desire and pain drove her to set a punishing pace. Rising and falling on him, squeezing his cock with her inner muscles until he was swearing, his hands helping to slam her body down on his.

  Her orgasm didn’t build slowly or give her any warning. It just slammed into her, bowing her back as her scream echoed over the lake. Her body convulsed, her nails digging into Hunt’s skin, trying to find some anchor in the overwhelming ecstasy.

  When she could breathe again, Hunt’s arms were tight around her, holding her still. And his cock was still lodged deep inside her, hot and hard. “Hunt?”

  “You done?”

  Her legs felt like water and her skin was flushed. “Yes.”

  “Good.” He moved, throwing her back on the pillows, his big body coming down hard on hers. Her legs fell apart, his hips falling deeper into the cradle of hers. Then he started pounding inside her.

  Infinite energy. Her eyes threatened to roll back in her head. Hunt powering inside her, filling her up. It was t
oo much, too good.

  “Mine.” He tilted her hips, forcing himself deeper. “You’re mine, Relda. Not letting you get away from me.”

  Relda couldn’t respond. Crazily, she felt her body tightening again, another release about to crash over her.

  He thrust again and they both shattered. She bit his shoulder, her teeth sinking into hard muscle and Hunt’s groan was loud as he poured himself inside her.

  They were both panting on the cushions, clutching each other like survivors of a starship crash.

  “I have to go, Hunt.”

  “No.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut. “Yes. Not just to keep myself safe, but to keep the people here safe. From my powers and whoever comes looking to use them.”

  His arms tightened around her. “No.”

  Stubborn man. She pressed her lips to his chest. “You saw the way they looked at me. They’ve known me for years and still—”

  “They were in shock, Relda. Give them a chance.”

  She started to shake her head and he cupped her cheeks. “When they heard you were in trouble, they all refused to stay behind. They wanted to help find you—”

  “Then they saw what I could do.” She gripped his wrists, drank in his strength. She’d need it to tear herself away. “How long before one of them talks to the wrong person, or needs e-creds? I have to go. Don’t make this harder than it already is.”

  He let out a long sigh. “Okay.”

  She grabbed a handful of her curls and pushed them back over her shoulder. “I need to get back to the city, get some things from my house.” She hid all her churning emotions behind a cool face.

  His tough features were so composed she had no idea what he was thinking. His glittering gaze traced over her face. “I’ll take you.”

  He wasn’t going to fight her. Relda felt her lips tremble before she firmed them. Stupid of her to want him to shout at her, fight with her, fight for her.

  When he pushed her back on the cushions, her eyes widened. He was on her before she could move, running a hand up her bare thigh.

  “But first, I have something else I want to do.”

  As his hand dipped between her legs, found her wet and slick, her eyelids fluttered and she arched, pushing herself into his hands. Just one more time.