Cathian Read online

  She reached up and rubbed his arm. It still bothered her that he refused to allow her to finish his heat cycle. The idea of him fucking another woman had jealousy burning through her gut.

  Another thought struck, and she stilled her exploring of his skin.

  “You can only get a woman pregnant while you’re in heat?”

  “Yes.”

  “Could you get the woman who will take my place pregnant?”

  “I requested older females who are no longer able to conceive. If I were to impregnate one, I’d have to life-lock with her to ensure the future of our children. It’s our law.”

  Nara gaped at him.

  He nodded grimly. “I am hoping they managed to find females past breeding age.”

  Chapter Six

  A bell stirred Nara from a deep sleep. The mattress moved as Cathian rolled away from her. Cool air hit her warmed skin where he’d been, and she shivered, burrowing into a ball. She heard his clothes rustle, and then the door opened. Her head jerked up as she came fully awake.

  “They’re about to dock,” an unfamiliar female announced from the hallway. “I tried to contact you, but you didn’t pick up, Captain Vellar.”

  “I was sleeping.” He yawned, as if to prove his point. “I’ll shower and then welcome the arriving party.”

  “I’m ready to take away the sex worker.”

  Cathian’s entire body stilled and he snarled. “Don’t call Nara that. She’s much more.”

  Nara loved Cathian a little more for coming to her defense.

  “Chill out. You are very grumpy when you’re in heat. Your people brought five women with them, and they are eager for you to choose one. I’m not an expert on your heat, but I read up on it. You’re only supposed to be with one woman. Are you going to try two this time?”

  “Shut up, Marrow. You know my culture forbids that. It’s offensive.”

  “Then get her out of your bed and cabin. I’m ready to take her away. I’ll send in someone to change the bedding. Nothing pisses off women more than smelling the scent of another. I know you have a hyper-acute sense of smell, and so do your women.”

  Nara met Cathian’s glance when he turned his head. Regret and dread filled her. She wondered what his thoughts and feelings were, unable to tell since he masked his features.

  He addressed Marrow. “I’ll meet them in the cargo bay when they land. Don’t allow them onboard. Keep them contained there.”

  “Yes, Captain. What about the woman in your bed?”

  “We’ll shower, and she’ll be ready to go when I leave my cabin.”

  “I’ll just stand out here and wait then.” Marrow snorted. “I’ll hold up the wall.”

  “You do that.”

  The doors slid shut and he turned to face Nara. “It’s time.”

  Tears burned behind her eyes. She hesitated and then pushed the covers off, rising naked from his big bed. She wanted to offer to stay again, but the night before he’d been clear that he wouldn’t allow her to risk her life.

  “You’ll be safe with my crew, and they will take you to the nearest space port to find passage to retrieve your shuttle. I had Dovis issue you a card with many credits to make certain you have the ability to pay.”

  The sweet gesture made her love him even more. Be brave, she mentally ordered. Inside, she died a little, knowing that not only would she be leaving, but he’d completely forget her while he fucked some alien bitch, out of his mind from the heat.

  “Let’s shower.”

  She followed him quietly into the bathroom and they stepped into the large stall together. He waved on the water, which poured down to soak them. Hot tears spilled out and Nara turned her back to prevent him from seeing them.

  His hand startled her when he gripped her hip. She turned in his direction.

  Their gazes met, and then Cathian snarled, yanking her against his body.

  She clung to him, crying while he hugged her. She didn’t want to go. She really didn’t want someone else touching him. What if he got the woman pregnant? If that happened, in four months she’d be waiting to meet up with him, and he’d never show. Or worse, he’d introduce her to his life-lock.

  “Please let me stay,” she whispered.

  “Don’t ask that of me again,” he ordered softly.

  “I can’t help it!”

  He rubbed her back, keeping her tight against his chest. Water poured down their bodies. “Four months will pass quickly.”

  “What if you get her pregnant?”

  His entire body tensed. “Then I must do my duty to her and our children. I’d have no choice.”

  “You could let me―”

  “No. I could never live with myself if I hurt or killed you.”

  Anger rose, and she pushed away, glaring up at him. “It’s my life, my choice, and I’m willing to risk it!”

  “I’m not.”

  “How would you feel if you knew I was about to fuck some other guy?”

  He snarled, rage taking him over in a heartbeat. He fisted one of his hands and swung, punching the shower wall. The sudden show of violence startled her enough to jump and stare at his back, since he now faced away from her.

  “I’d kill him.”

  She was stunned at the amount of jealousy his snarled tone implied. “Wow. I didn’t expect such a strong reaction.”

  He spun to scowl at her and turned off the water. “I’m very possessive.”

  “So am I. Please don’t make me leave! It is killing me knowing you’re going to be with someone else.”

  “Damn it, Nara. We’ve been over this. You’re the one I want, but it’s too dangerous. No.”

  They stared at each other. Tears filled her eyes and she opened her mouth to argue with him again. He cut her off before she got a word out.

  “It’s too great a danger. I won’t remember what I do to you, will lose the ability to think at all while gripped by the end of my heat. I’m barely able to stay in control now.”

  “I get that. You just punched a wall. I’m grateful it wasn’t me.”

  “I would never hurt you. That’s why you must leave.”

  “You said you black out. I assume your body would just take over. I’m still willing to risk it.”

  He closed his beautiful eyes briefly, then opened them. “I go feral. I’m dangerous when it begins. I could accidentally kill you, Nara. I’m afraid it would hurt you enough that you’d put up a fight. I warned you that women have died that way. I will not risk your life, Nara. We’ll leave it to fate and hopefully, in four months, we’ll meet again.”

  “Damn it, Cathian! Say we do it your way? What if we meet up in four months and we don’t want to be apart again? You’ll go into heat in three years. Do you expect me to just step aside and let you fuck one of your women then too?”

  He stared into her eyes and a look of misery etched his handsome face. “I’m hoping there’s more available data by then. Maybe one of our males will spend his heat with a human and document it. We could also visit my planet to have them run tests on us. I refuse to allow you to be the first…like some test subject.”

  “I have feelings for you. Do you understand that?”

  “I won’t risk your life.”

  “But—”

  “I have feelings for you too, damn it!” He snarled, looking enraged. “But you are not staying. I won’t take the chance I might kill you. It’s time for you to leave.”

  She knew the subject had ended for him as he pulled away and stepped from the shower. Depression hit her hard as she turned off the water and dressed in clothing provided for her by the crew. Cathian had made up his mind and nothing would change it.

  She kept her dignity in place when he opened the door and allowed a crew member inside his cabin to strip his sheets and remove all traces of her. Marrow waited at the door to lead her away. She was a type of alien Nara couldn’t identify, but she looked buff for a woman. Her skin was a light brown and a soft layer of tiny hair, like fuzz, covered every