Nefarion: Embrace of the Keepers Book 2 Read online

  As for her body, she had even less control over that. Even now in the back of her mind, past the mortification of his refusal, she was thinking of what might have happened if he’d said yes. Annabelle could practically feel his weight on top of her, and could imagine all too well those beautiful, long-fingered hands touching her skin, her breasts, between her legs. Imagining his mouth following that path had her thighs clenching together. All things considered, maybe it would be best to merely rely on Nefarion’s self-control and lack of interest.

  “You should be sleeping, young one. We’ll travel far before you can rest again.”

  Annabelle startled, focusing her eyes on Nefarion in the dark. She couldn’t see much of him and hadn’t known he was awake. He was a silent shadow leaning against the far wall, his smoky voice echoing through the room and sending shivers down her spine. That voice…it did not belong on Earth. Annabelle had never heard a voice so deep and so musical in all her life. It made her regret that he wasn’t much of a talker, because she could listen to that voice all day and never get tired of it.

  “I’m sorry, did I wake you? I can’t seem to get my brain to shut down enough for sleep after everything that’s happened.” Annabelle waited, but Nefarion didn’t speak again. She rolled over onto her stomach then, determined not to bother him any more with her tossing and turning. Her pillow was hugged close to her face the way she liked it and she closed her eyes, trying to force her brain to sleep. In that position, though, she couldn’t see Nefarion. So, it was a shock when she felt his heat at her back and his voice right next to her ear.

  “Keepers need little sleep, Annabelle. But even if I wished it, the smell of your desire would inhibit me.”

  Annabelle’s breath froze in her lungs and her entire body tensed. How had he gotten this close to her without her sensing any movement at all? She turned her head a bit to see him crouched over her body, surrounding her with his electric scent and huge body. He was close enough that even the slightest movement of her body would put them in contact. The lust-driven fool in her wanted to see what would happen if she rubbed against him. But her logical side wasn’t such a foolish tart, and she kept her body still.

  “I…I’m sorry, Nefarion, I didn’t mean to- “

  “You’re wet Annabelle. I told you I wasn’t the type of male you needed, but you taunt me with your desire still.”

  Annabelle felt him shift. His lips skimmed her ear and tracked down her neck with the lightest of touches, but it was enough to push a pulse of pleasure through her whole body.

  “I don’t mean to taunt you, but I’m not a Keeper, I’m human. I can’t hide my reactions the way you said Keepers can,” she managed to croak out, her throat struggling to push words out. The feel of his lips barely touching her was driving her crazy for more. She wanted those lips to press harder, preferably against her own. If she lifted her hips just a little her ass would be flush against him, and she was oh so tempted.

  “You want me that much Annabelle? You shouldn’t, I’m no good for you.”

  “You said that before, but you didn’t say why.” Annabelle was holding her breath, waiting for his response. He hadn’t moved away but he hadn’t moved beyond her neck either. She felt so conflicted, desperate for him to continue, but scared of the unknown. What if Keeper males weren’t shaped like human men? What if he did like it too rough?

  Very little was known about Keepers, they kept to themselves and slaughtered Scourge. They interacted with humans enough to set up the refugee camps, but even those places were a bit mysterious. And even if some things were known, transmitting that information to the public was nearly impossible right now. Earth had gone from a tech-obsessed society where you couldn’t pry the phones from people’s hands to an information dark age where just surviving was the priority. Annabelle really was operating in the dark here when dealing with Nefarion.

  “Balruin Keepers engage in…very intense love play, little human. In simple terms, we go at it like animals, for hours, sometimes days. Your body couldn’t take such exertion Annabelle. You’re frailer than a Keeper female, and don’t have the stamina to match one either. I could hurt you, woman.”

  Annabelle scowled into her pillow, annoyed by that assessment. She had stamina! Granted, she had no idea what kind of sexual stamina she was capable of, but she’d never know unless she tried it. The whole, “go at it like animals” gave her pause though. That seemed open to interpretation. Like was he saying the sex was wild and uninhibited, or did he just like the doggy style position? Not that it mattered, she was too embarrassed to ask. All she did know was that getting hurt was not what she wanted. She had to trust that Nefarion knew what he was talking about, no matter how desperately her body wanted his.

  “I’m sorry Nefarion, I don’t mean to be a bother to you. I’ll try to control myself and get some sleep.”

  “I will help you sleep, young one. No, I won’t take your body. But I will give you relief, and afterwards you will sleep and recharge for our journey.”

  Annabelle’s brain had stalled on the idea of getting relief when she felt Nefarion move. One moment he was hovering over her, and the next his knees came down on either side of her hips and she felt the cold press of his armor covering her back. The long length of his braid fell forward and lay against her cheek, and his teeth…oh, God, his mouth opened, and she felt his teeth graze her neck. And then she felt his hands move. They slipped under her hips, pulling her upwards against his body until her knees supported her hips a few inches off the floor.

  Annabelle waited with bated breath, wondering what he’d do next. Her hips were sitting firmly against Nefarion’s groin, and she could feel him, hard and huge, against her backside. He said he wasn’t going to take her, but he felt more than ready to do so. She had no real experience with men, so she couldn’t be sure, but Nefarion felt quite a bit larger than she imagined a man should be. Perhaps he’d been right, and he wasn’t what someone like her needed. Back before the invasion, when the world still made sense, Annabelle had always pictured herself eventually dating some fellow astronomer. A geeky type, who was shy, wore glasses, and would nervously bumble his way through lovemaking the way Annabelle had figured she would do.

  Nefarion was no shy geek. He was a dangerous alien from another world, an alien who was currently sliding one huge hand under her shirt and the other into her pants. He didn’t hesitate in his advance, his left hand quickly burrowed under her bra to cup her bare breast and the other curved around her sex under her panties. While Annabelle was reeling from these intimate touches, Nefarion sucked the lobe of her ear into his mouth, sending a hot wave of pleasure streaking through her body all the way to her core. She had no time to recover from that sensation before Nefarion stroked her breast firmly, latching onto the nipple and plucking it.

  Annabelle was gasping now, unused to the waves of heat cascading through her body. She’d played with her own breasts before of course, but that was nothing like this. Her breast felt swollen, hot, desperate for stronger touches, her nipple taut and aching. There was a jangling connection between her breast and where Nefarion was gently petting her mound. Annabelle wanted a deeper touch there, needed it, but he seemed in no hurry as he lingered over her ear and her breast. Just those two small touches were driving her desire for him into a frenzy. Her skin felt too tight, her breath too ragged, her body too empty.

  “Shall I touch you here, inside?” came Nefarion’s voice, his fingers stroking harder over her sex.

  Annabelle had to swallow a few times to clear her throat before responding.

  “Yes, touch me, please,” she said, a whimper falling from her lips as Nefarion immediately responded by sliding one finger through the seam of her sex, finding her slippery and wet for him already. He took his time exploring her lips before homing in on her clit, making Annabelle’s eyes roll back as he stroked and plucked and pressed. Her hips involuntarily moved against Nefarion’s, shamelessly rubbing her ass against his stiff cock. He growled at her the
n, and suddenly she felt his teeth again in her neck. He didn’t bite down, but the threat was there, daring her to continue provoking the beast.

  Annabelle was tempted to push her luck, but virginal caution stayed her. She stilled her hips with effort and focused instead on the feel of those sure fingers stroking and exploring her most private place. He seemed to know just how much pressure was needed, and where to apply it, to drive her mad with the need to come. And finally, Annabelle felt one blunt finger penetrate her, slowly at first, testing and stroking. Moan after moan escaped her lips, needing more, always more. And he gave her another finger, stretching and rubbing her inside until Annabelle was gripping her pillow with both hands and straining closer, closer.

  “I want to feel you come with my fingers inside you, Annabelle. No, I’d prefer to feel it with my mouth, and taste it on my tongue, but I don’t trust myself that far. Come for me young one. Now.” Nefarion thrust his fingers deeper, touching that place inside her that connected to her clit, and Annabelle felt herself break apart. Her sex convulsed with painful intensity, pleasure shooting like fireworks to every corner of her body. She heard herself cry out from a distance, her mind overwhelmed with the brutal intensity of her climax. Exhausted from the day, sotted and satisfied, Annabelle slipped into sleep with Nefarion still around her, and inside her.

  Chapter 6

  Gwen woke with a yawn, hearing her daughter grunting for her morning meal. She could have slept for several more hours in truth. Between the exhausting endeavor of being pregnant again as well as the sexual marathons she engaged in with Helion nearly every night, it was a wonder she could even lift her head. Helion claimed his son needed plenty of essence to grow strong, but Gwen knew the truth. Her mate loved her, mind and body, and couldn’t get enough of either. For someone who’d been on the brink of death so recently, being alive and in love was a heady feeling indeed.

  Looking around she found Evie in Helion’s arms at the large table. His officers were there, as usual. Gwen had taken to donning some pajamas before finally succumbing to sleep because the officers always breakfasted in this tent while discussing the day’s campaigns. And as much as Helion preferred to keep Gwen naked while in his bed, he was also possessive and protective, and wouldn’t risk any of his men seeing her naked. Gwen was always amused by his assumption that his men would find her appealing. In truth, she didn’t even know why Helion was so hot for her. She wasn’t thin, or tall, or stunningly beautiful. She was a short ginger who could stand to lose a few pounds, whereas Helion was a six-and-a-half-foot tall sex god with icy white hair and penetrating jade eyes.

  “Our daughter is ready for her meal my love,” said the sex god himself, moving away from the table to bring their daughter to her. Evie wasn’t biologically Helion’s daughter, but he’d accepted her as his and acted as in love with her as Gwen was. She accepted her daughter gladly, with a long, lingering kiss for Helion before donning her cover and putting Evie to the breast. There was no point in waiting for the room to clear, she knew from experience that the officers would be occupied in the tent for some time with the planning. Although…there did seem to be a marked grimness in the company today. Normally they practically salivated while planning their engagements, all eager to engage their hated enemy. But today there was a distinct pall over the group.

  “What’s wrong Helion? Has…has Mithrain’s body been found?” Gwen knew how much Mithrain’s disappearance weighed on her man. Mithrain was his friend, and his soldier. Losing him to treachery had hurt everyone deeply and added an element of suspicion towards their fellows that hadn’t existed before. Helion knew his officers could be trusted, but the rest of his men were being covertly examined one by one, looking for any signs of foul deeds or intentions.

  “No, my sweet, Nefarion is still on his trail, but hasn’t found Mithrain. He did find something disturbing last night however. We’ve been discussing his report this morning.” Helion’s lips were drawn tight, his eyes cooling considerably as his mind switched gears.

  “What did he find that was so disturbing?”

  “Nefarion saved a human woman from being raped by five human males last night my love. And then he took her to a refugee camp where she should have been safe from the Scourge. But when he arrived, the camp had been attacked. There were hundreds of male bodies, all victims of the Scourge.”

  Gwen gaped at Helion, aghast. She’d never wanted to go to one of those places. The rumor mill on those camps had been terrifying. She’d heard that women had to sell their bodies for food and a place to sleep, while the very old or very young were given barely enough to survive on, if any. She hadn’t dared go to a place where Evie wasn’t assured safety, much less one where she’d have to prostitute herself for basic necessities. But never once had she heard that these camps were vulnerable. One of the first things the Keepers had done on their arrival was to create the camps and shield them from Scourge detection. And never once had Gwen heard that the Keeper technology had failed. Until now.

  “But…those camps are supposed to be completely safe, you said the Scourge can’t locate them. How could that happen?”

  “We’re sending scouts to investigate the camp in more depth, little mother. But it seems likely that Mithrain’s disappearance and this attack on a refugee camp might be two heads on the same monster.”

  “A traitor…” Gwen looked around, taking in the officers’ reactions around the table. To a man, they appeared stoic and emotionless, but an aura of violence and anger vibrated around the room. And Helion was in the middle of that storm, the ice in his eyes burning with jade fire. Gwen shivered a little, but she knew Helion would never hurt her. All that rage was directed at the Scourge and the traitor.

  “Whoever he is we will find him, or them. Because it’s worse than just a slaughter this time. Nefarion said there were no women and children in the camp, where there should have been hundreds. The only conclusion that can be reached is that the Scourge have taken all those women captive, and the children, for what purpose we don’t know. But this is a disturbing change in their normal battle strategy, and it can mean nothing good.”

  Gwen’s stomach heaved, imaging the horrors that could be occurring to those women and children as she sat in this tent, comfortable, with her child safe. If she’d gone to a camp, that could have been her and Evie. Only Helion’s mercy had saved them. Helion had rescued her from a Scourge attack and had intended to take her to one of those camps. But Gwen had pleaded with him not to, and for whatever reason he had acceded to her wishes and taken her to his camp instead.

  “Oh, Helion…we have to find them, those poor women and children. I can’t even imagine how much they must be suffering right now…”

  “We will find out what’s happening my love, I promise you. I’m sending in Braith to investigate, he’s the best scout there is. He will investigate the fallen camp and report back very soon. And the High Commander is in talks with our allies, the mages and beast shifters. If we need them to aid us, they will come.”

  Helion turned away then and went back to planning the day’s engagements with his men. Gwen had never heard him mention the mages or shifters before. Helion had told her that there were many more planets around the galaxies that held all manner of sentient beings that the people of Earth knew nothing about, but he hadn’t yet gone into detail. She’d ask him later what mages and shifters were like, but for now she’d take care of Evie and let him do what needed to be done. Every day he left to kill the Scourge, and every day she worried until he returned safely. But he always did return, and she clung to that comforting thought every day he was gone.

  Gwen’s thoughts drifted to the poor girl who’d been assaulted. It never ceased to amaze her how cruel her own species was. Humans were in a battle for their very survival, but at every opportunity there were always some who’d turn on their fellow humans instead of banding together and fighting the real enemy. And of all the Keepers to find her and save the day, it had to be Nefarion. Out of all the K
eepers she’d met, she liked him the least. He was so different from all the others, different in a dark and sinister sort of way. Helion had told her that the shadow Keepers of Balruin were the assassins of their species. They dwelt in the darkness, killed from the shadows, and in general didn’t get along with other Keeper races. How terrified the poor girl must be, Gwen though sadly.

  * * * *

  That foul shadow Keeper had stumbled on the slaughtered camp by chance. There should have been a few more weeks before that was discovered by the Keeper scum, until at least the next supply run. Now the bastard Helion would be investigating, and the High Commander as well. These human females were beginning to anger him, always stumbling into his plans and throwing them into chaos. That Gwen bitch had Helion panting after her like a dog, a very protective attack dog. He couldn’t get near her between Helion, the guards he’d assigned her, and the ever-watchful Verdun.

  No matter. Nefarion wouldn’t find Mithrain, he’d made sure of that. And even if he did find the body, dead men told no stories. The bastard of shadows would chase his tail all over and stay out of the way. But once he returned, and brought that human he’d saved with him, well…she had a role to play in his plans now. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on her. Gwen was out of his reach for now, so this other girl would just have to pay the price for all the plans that had gone awry.

  Chapter 7

  The girl was doing a poor job of trying to hide her embarrassment, Nefarion thought, amused. Her cheeks had been blazing red all evening after she’d awoken from her long, restful sleep. He knew it had been restful, because he’d been curled around her the entire time. Sleeping with a woman went against his inclinations usually. Whenever he took a Keeper female it was always in her abode, or somewhere neutral, and he left immediately after. Not sticky entanglements, no emotional displays. But when he’d tried to remove himself from Annabelle, she’d immediately gotten fretful, her sleep disturbed by nightmares. And those had only abated for her when he’d taken her in his arms again.