Chapter 9CamilaBerus

Chapter 9

Camila

Camila hadn't expected things to go so far so fast, but she welcomed it. She'd also thought they'd make it back to his quarters, but the greenroom was more than all right. He set her body on fire, and she needed him to douse the flames before they both burned this place down.

He lifted her hips up to position her body over his cock. Then he pressed her down, and she gasped at the sudden fullness as he speared into her. She only managed to slide halfway down.

He was such a big male that Cami's knees were nowhere near the bench on either side of him. All she could do was rock her body. But she wanted, needed, a lot more leverage.

As if reading her mind, Berus stood, bringing her with him, and lowered her down onto a mossy portion of the greenroom floor, his cock still partially impaling her. He caged her body, his massive frame making her feel positively tiny in the best possible way.

He had more control in this position. His huge hands clamped down on her thighs and lifted her legs up and out, giving his massive body more space. When he thrust again, he slid in a little more. Cami moaned and clutched at his arms desperately. She was already so full, and she wasn't sure how much more she could take.

His mouth covered hers again. Despite having been with Tallean males before, today was the first time she'd kissed one, and certainly the first time one had kissed her back. His tongue swept possessively into her mouth, like he was satiating a hunger he'd never known before. His fangs pressed against her lips, not quite hard enough to break the skin, just enough to be a reminder of their differences.

When he pulled away, Cami caught a predatory flash in his green eyes before he buried his face into her neck. He explored her throat, nipping and kissing before running his fangs down to her collarbone, making her shudder.

She ran her hands over his body, feeling every bulging muscle. They were so hard that he felt more like stone than flesh. A body like this could crush her, destroy her, in a second.

He rocked his hips, impaling her inch by solid inch until he finally reached the end of her channel. She was stretched wider than she'd ever been, his cock pressing all the parts inside her that gave her pleasure.

"Fuck!" he groaned. "So fucking good."

Then he started to thrust.

Oh god! A rush of pleasure mixed with pain flooded her. She was wet, but it always took her body time to really get into sex, so this was normal, especially with his size. She tried to hold back a whimper, but one escaped anyway.

Berus reached down between them and pressed a thumb to her clit, massaging in firm circles, still thrusting. Her body keened as the pain faded and was replaced with pleasure so intensely blinding she couldn't do anything but scream. So she did, trusting the dense foliage surrounding them to absorb the sound.

He was so big it felt like he took up all the room in her body, not even leaving enough for air. She sucked in a ragged breath, and the scent of him, masculine and musky, filled her lungs, overwhelming her with lust and molten heat.

Cami was greedy for more now that she knew what she'd been missing. She wrapped her legs around him, pressing her ankles against his glutes to urge him on.

He growled, as if he'd been holding back the entire time and had finally snapped. He drove into her, his hips pistoning in and out in a punishing rhythm. The sensations ratcheted higher and higher before finally spilling over. She shook as she came, filling the air with her screams, tossing her head side to side on a pillow of soft leaves.

Berus's movements became jerky and uncontrolled. He snarled and wet heat flooded her.

She was still floating on a cloud of bliss, surrounded by the scent of green, of Berus, and sex, when she gradually became aware of people around them. Someone yanked Berus violently off her.

"What the actual fuck, Berus? You were supposed to watch her and make sure she was safe, not take advantage of her." Delaney came to kneel down next to Cami and started to wrap a blanket around her.

Dex, Ulrek, and another Tallean male were holding Berus back, even as he struggled. For a moment, it looked as if he might throw all three of them off.

"Are you okay?" Delaney asked. "We came the moment we heard the screaming. I'm so sorry. I didn't think Berus would do anything like that, or I'd never have left you with him."

It took a moment for Cami's brain to process the other women's words. Screaming? She thought…they thought…Berus was hurting her?

"No!" Then, realizing that might be interpreted wrong, she clarified, "I mean, yes, I'm okay. And no, Berus wasn't hurting me." She didn't want Berus to get in trouble because of this. "It was me. I offered."

"Of course, because of your training. But he was supposed to tell you that you don't need to do that here, that we'd drop you off at Reka 5 regardless," Delaney said. "You don't need to offer yourself to any of the guys here to pay your way."

"I told her that already," Dex said.

"Yes, he did," Cami said. "And so did Berus. But Berus saved me back at the bounty hunter's ship, and he carried me here. And then he protected me during all the turbulence, and I was so grateful. But it wasn't just gratitude. He told me I didn't need to, and he was being so sweet. I was sure he was going to end it with a nuzzle. But then I kissed him, and one thing led to another, and—" Cami sucked in a breath before exhaling, dropping her shoulders. "I'm sorry I was so loud. I really thought all the plants would absorb the sound."

Delaney relaxed, and so did the males holding Berus.

"Shit! I thought—" Delaney covered her eyes with her palm, then slid it slowly down her face. "I'm sorry. For future reference, the greenroom isn't well insulated for sound." She eyed Berus. "The crew already knows that because of Ulrek and me making too much noise in it."

Cami's face heated up as she realized that the whole ship, Berus's entire crew, had probably heard her screaming. Then panic set in. "Oh no! Rehden!" He'd be furious!

It was Ulrek who spoke. "Rehden was still in the training simulator last I checked. He wouldn't be able to hear anything from there."

"Oh, good."

Berus didn't seem so happy. "Why does it matter? He doesn't own you anymore. Why do you care what he thinks?"

Cami recoiled from his sudden aggressive, almost jealous, tone. Next to him, all three of the crew, though no longer holding him back, raised quizzical brows. Delaney moved to stand between him and Cami again. Cami had to be careful. She didn't want to trade one owner for another.

"Rehden will get violent if he finds out, that's all. He has a temper," Cami said. "I don't want to make any problems for the crew." That was the right thing to say. Berus calmed, but his crew continued to look at him with strange looks.

"If you are worried about Rehden finding out, you'd better get into a cleansing unit as soon as possible," said the Tallean Cami hadn't officially met yet. "Both of you. And we should spray any hallway you go through with something to mask the scent. You two reek of sex."

Cami hadn't thought about that. "Thank you. Um, I don't think we've been introduced." It still felt strange to look a Tallean in the face, but Cami did her best to do so without flinching. If they weren't going to treat her like a slave, she shouldn't act like one.

"I'm Tuhror. You've met my sister, Tahra."

"Oh! That's why you look so familiar."

"You can come use the cleansing unit in the captain's quarters," Delaney said. "You don't want to use the shared units. Rehden will probably end up going there after training in the sim." She eyed Berus. "And you—get to the cleansing unit in the med bay."

Not wanting to cause any more trouble, Cami meekly let Delaney lead her to the Captain's quarters.

Berus

Berus pulled up his pants as he watched Cami leave with Delaney, even though he wanted to go after her, snatch her up, and run to his quarters to hide her there for the rest of the trip. Maybe even forever.

"I tried to tell Delaney that Cami didn't need help," Ulrek said. "And I would have been completely right, if you hadn't gone all possessive and jealous there."

"Yeah," Dex agreed. "What the fuck was that about?"

Berus knew better than to lie to his crewmates, so he told the truth. "I like her."

"We promised to bring her to Reka 5. And we will," Ulrek said. "But if you decide to take her from Reka 5 after we land, I will not object."

That was his captain and long-time friend's way of saying that Berus had his support if he wanted to keep the female. Ulrek had always been the take what he wanted type. He'd changed a lot since leaving the Dominion, but in some ways, he was still the same male.

"Me neither," Tuhror said.

"I thought she was kinda cute myself, but don't worry, I promise not to charm her away," Dex said with a sly grin.

Of all the human males on board, Berus was the closest with Dex. They were polar opposites: Dex was smart and had been hired for his brain; Berus wasn't the brightest and had been hired for his brawn. Berus was huge, almost too bulky; Dex, lean and wiry. But the two bonded over good food and Rhean spirits. Dex had been the one to introduce him to good Earth-made whiskey. Despite being ridiculously smart, Dex never looked down on Berus for his lack of education. He also knew how to have fun.

Berus wasn't worried his friend would try to poach. But then, Cami wasn't his, so there was nothing to poach—

Fuck. Berus was confused.

"Since that wasn't the emergency that we thought it was, I'm heading back up to the bridge," Tuhror said, making his exit.

"Go to the med bay. Get cleaned up," Ulrek said.

Berus grunted. "I'm not going to the med bay." That had Ulrek and Dex sending him questioning looks. "I'm going to the training room to see if Rehden wants to spar."

Dex reacted with a loud guffaw. "I'll go make the popcorn. Someone save me a seat."

The vindictive part of Berus wanted to rub the fact that he'd had Cami underneath him in the other male's face. If Rehden reacted as Cami thought he would, and flew into a murderous rage, it would give Berus a reason to end his existence. There would be no other male claiming Cami, either. Berus didn't understand the possessive feelings coursing through him. All he knew was, Cami was special. And he planned on keeping her around until he figured out why.

Ulrek barked out a laugh, too, but stopped him from proceeding. "As much as I'd love to watch the fight, I can't allow that. Go to the med bay, Berus. Clean up."

Berus rarely went against his captain, but he couldn't stop the words that tumbled from his mouth. "I do not wish to wash off her scent."

"Go to the med bay and clean up," Ulrek repeated firmly. "And do not engage with Rehden. That's a direct order."

"Aww, come on," Dex whined. "Berus is hardly ever the troublemaker. That's Ckzarr and Roxy's department. Let him have his fun."

Ulrek snorted. "You just want to watch."

"I will neither confirm nor deny that."

"And humans call Talleans bloodthirsty," Ulrek snorted as they made their way out of the greenroom.

"Nah. Humans are just as bad. We had fights to the death in our history, too. But I have to admit: it's more fun to watch when the loser has the option to get back into the ring, looking for vengeance and with something to prove."

Berus had always fought because he had to. Because it was his job. But right now, he had an inexplicable urge to provoke a fight with the thief. He wanted to shove it in Rehden's face that Cami had utterly and totally fallen apart in his arms.

The two concluded their discussion on the merits of the fighting ring, and Berus ducked into the medical bay. He was greeted not by Tahra, but by the sound and smells of sex.

It seemed he and Cami hadn't been the only couple sharing pleasure. In the adjacent office, Tahra and her lover were more discreet. Perhaps the soundproofed medical bay helped.

The medical office also served as Tahra's personal quarters so she could be near her patients. The door between it and the medical bay could be closed but was usually left open. Today, it was mostly closed, but a pair of boots stopped the door from closing all the way.

Gavin had finally gotten past the fact that Tahra was Tuhror's sister and done what he should've many, many months ago. Gavin's reason for holding back with Tahra wasn't that they worked together but rather because he worried Tuhror would not take it well that he was fucking, or, as Dex put it, "diddling," his sister. But Tahra was an assertive female, and Berus had no doubt she'd eventually get what she wanted.

Berus wondered if they would end up as mates, or if it would remain purely physical. Most couplings ended up being nothing more than flings. It was how Talleans found their mate.

It was the reason why sex was such an open thing in Tallean culture. The human notion that coworkers shouldn't share sex was ridiculous to them. What if that very person ended up being your mate, and you never found out because you worked together? Sure, it made for some awkward situations, but it was better than missing out on a lifetime of happiness. For his part, Berus hadn't had any liaisons at work until now, largely because the Dominion military was comprised mostly of males and there hadn't been the opportunity.

Berus wasn't going to interrupt them and mess up their post-coital high like his crew had done to him and Cami. When Tahra stepped out of the office, she'd smell the reason why he was here anyway; he wouldn't need to explain a thing. Berus moved quietly to the cleansing unit, pretending he hadn't seen or heard anything, and stepped inside.