Chapter Five

Lord Dominiko

I knew Jago was serious, and the little firebrand would no doubt try to kill Linnius if he touched him, which only served to endear him to me that much more. I’d already seen what he could do with a knife. But he might get himself hurt or killed in the process, and I found that I really didn’t like that idea too much. I didn’t want to think about why.

Linnius surrounded himself with personal guards, too, and even though, in my opinion, he, himself, had no real intelligence, he had an animal-like cunning that had so far stood him in good stead. He had thwarted several assassination attempts on himself to date. He would easily see Prince Jago’s contempt, and he wouldn’t be pleased by it.

But if someone—like me—were determined and skilled, and wanted Linnius’s death badly enough, then they might just be able to achieve what others before them hadn’t been able to as yet. I needed to think about how I might use Jago to my own advantage. I hadn’t survived in the Pton world as long as I had by doing otherwise.

I had some time to figure it out before we arrived back on Pton. But first things first. I needed to get the Tygerian colonel off my back long enough to slip into the rift and locate the wormhole that would take us home. That meant opening the channel back up and talking to him. Making a deal for just Rakkur.

I nodded toward a door to the bridge. “Out that way is the bridge, where my captain has been trying to evade your colonel’s ship, thus far without success. I imagine your colonel is getting more and more agitated. Would you like to go with me to speak to him?”

“Yes. But I’m afraid I don’t know him all that well. He and Prince Rakkur got married on Loros, and I didn’t meet him until just before we embarked on the ship back to Tygeria.”

“I still think it’s a good idea if he sees you.”

“All right then.”

We went out onto the bridge, and I spoke briefly to the captain, having him open up a channel to the Tygerian ship. A few seconds later, the screen winked on and Tariq, a big, handsome Tygerian with the typical red beard of the Imperials and the same color eyes as I had was staring back at us.

“This is Tariq. Are you calling to surrender to us, or do you only want to insult us again?”

“I’m here to present you with my best offer. A chance to see your mate alive again.” Tariq snarled at us alarmingly before saying something sharp and harsh to someone standing near him. He turned back to us, and I saw his gaze scan quickly over Jago, lingering on the bruises along his jaw.

“Your Highness, you’re injured,” he said, not making it a question.

“I’m fine, Colonel. I got into a little fight with the Pton soldiers when they brought us onboard.” Loud growling started up, and Jago had to raise his voice to get above it.

“But Rakkur is good—completely unharmed.” I thought Jago was wise not to mention the bump Rakkur got on the head when he’d fought the soldiers too. Surely the man knew how volatile his own relations were.

He made a grunting sound but didn’t look at all happy. He’d be even less so once he heard what I still had to say.

“Your mate is uncomfortable on my ship, I’m afraid,” I told Tariq. ‘Our information about him didn’t indicate that he was quite so…so far along in his condition.” There was more snarling, which I ignored.

“That’s why I’m making you an offer. I’ll let you send a shuttle craft to dock with my ship for a very brief window of time, so that you can retrieve him yourself and take him back with you to your ship.”

“What kind of trick are you trying to pull?”

I lifted one shoulder. “No trick as far as your mate is concerned. However, Prince Jago will stay aboard our ship and go back to my planet to become a hostage of the Pton.”

Tariq began to curse rapidly in Tygerian, and I could hear a chorus of loud arguing behind him. Finally, one clear phrase came through loud and clear, and it came from the Colonel.

“It’s out of the question! Surrender them both now, or I’ll destroy your ship and everyone on board!”

Dominiko shook his head. “You’d better start to use your head, Colonel, as this is your last chance. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt now that you’re upset over the situation, and I’ll give you some time to think about it. But my patience is limited.”

I glanced over at the captain, who quickly cut the audio, amid the numerous curses.

I smiled over at Jago. “I think that went pretty well, don’t you?”

He looked back at me like I’d lost my mind. “Are you serious? He was furious. He’ll never go along with this idea.”

“He’ll come around.”

“How do you figure that?”

“Because he has no other choice, princeling. He will either take the offer, or I’ll go into the rift and do my best to lose him there. It might be a bit difficult, but remember I’ve been in the rift before, and he hasn’t. I think I’d have a decent chance to elude him and get away, while he would more than likely never find his way out again. If he won’t take this offer, he’ll risk losing both of you, along with his unborn child and maybe his ship and his own life. He can bluster all he wants or needs to if it helps make him feel better, but the outcome will be the same. He’ll come around. Now I’ll have someone escort you back to your cell, and you can try to prepare the prince. Later, we’ll go back and speak to the colonel one more time. This time I’ll try letting him see his young husband. We’ll see if that will change his attitude.”

****

Jago

Lying next to Rakkur in the dim cell and holding tightly to his hand, I could feel my hands trembling a little. We had argued for over an hour, but I had come no closer to changing his mind. He was adamant that he wouldn’t leave me behind. But he had no choice in the matter. Soon we would be taken to the bridge to meet with Lord Dominiko, and we’d contact Colonel Tariq to learn his decision. Both Rakkur and Tariq had to stop being so stubborn.

I was still ready and willing to offer myself instead of Rakkur, though I was beginning to waver a little. Not that this wasn’t the only viable choice, but I was unsure if I’d be all right. Pton sounded like a fearsome place. And though I was attracted to Dominiko despite the fact he was my enemy, I wasn’t sure he would or could keep me safe. I was afraid that if I went through with this, my life would be essentially over, and I’d never get home again.

Rakkur had argued with me bitterly before he’d dozed off, and he didn’t even know what really awaited me on the Pton planet. For him, it was the unknown factor, while I knew what was waiting, and I was about to lose my mind over it. The idea of being confined to this dula , and never being allowed freedom again? That was awful.

Dominiko said he’d work out a trade for me, but would he really do it? Captivity was a fate worse than death to me. If it happened, then I’d find a way to end it, one way or the other, and not just meekly accept my fate. And if that emperor ever touched me, I’d find a way to kill him.

Rakkur still hadn’t agreed to go along with this, but I knew he could be overruled by the colonel. Once Tariq saw him, and once he learned what would happen to Rakkur if he didn’t go through with this, I thought the decision might be made for all of us, and at a much higher level. Having one of us back was better than nothing.

Not that it would be an easy decision for anyone in our family to make. I couldn’t even imagine the “discussion” that would happen with the king and Blake, not to mention with my omak, Anarr, and the General. It came down to my life measured against Rakkur’s but with one, important difference—Rakkur was expecting a baby, and that made it two lives against one. It made all the difference. At least it did to me.

It was still a dreadful decision, though, and that was why I’d taken it out of their hands. I admit that I’d had second and even third thoughts after what Dominiko told me about the emperor and his so-called dula , with his multiple wives and male concubines. What if Dominiko couldn’t keep me safe from that horrible emperor?

Add in the fact that I might never see my world again, and it became a terrifying prospect. I only hoped I could go through with it.

As if I’d been broadcasting my unease, the door suddenly opened and Dominiko beckoned to me. I got to my feet and went to meet him, hoping I didn’t wake Rakkur. He had been so upset when we finally stopped talking about it all out of sheer exhaustion. He needed to sleep as long as he could.

“Is it time yet?”

“Why else would I be here?”

Why indeed? Yet he made no effort to take me or beckon me to come out. As usual, he sounded irritated, but his eyes were dark, instead of glittering like they usually were, and he sounded almost irritated.

I waited for him to give me an order or grab my arm, but he just looked at me and then he did something I didn’t expect. He stepped inside, closed the door behind him and pulled me into his arms.

He looked down at me, his extraordinary eyes gleaming in the dim light. He groaned and then leaned in and without another word, his mouth came down not on my lips, but on my throat. He brushed his lush lips over the side of my throat again and again, and I felt his tongue gently licking at my skin.

****

Dominiko

I could feel the hot blood rushing through his veins. What had brought me here to him like this? I wasn’t sure. I’d been brooding in my room over the Tygerians and how annoying they were. I dreaded talking to them again, but it would be necessary soon. My thoughts turned to Jago and what I’d told him about claiming him as my bounty. Why had I decided so precipitously to do something that was sure to infuriate the emperor and set us at odds again?

Other, that is, than the fact I despised Linnius and would do whatever I could to irritate him. And taking the hostage as my own bounty would surely do the trick. It was undoubtedly my right as the one leading this expedition, however, and the council would back me on that. He could rage all he wanted to, but there wasn’t much he could do about it, except kill me, of course. But not if I killed him first.

As much as I’d enjoy that, Jago would be an enormous amount of trouble to me, and I spent my days avoiding trouble when I could. I was biding my time and waiting for a good opportunity to seek my revenge against Linnius. Or so I’d been telling myself.

The passion of the Tygerian colonel had lit a fire in my blood. Or at least a small flame had sparked that still seemed to be burning and becoming more intense. What the hell was I waiting for? What if the opportunity had finally come and the time to act was now?

The emperor had murdered my father years ago and I owed him a bad death. It was past time I gave it to him.

Along with this rising conviction, thoughts of Jago kept filling my mind. The minute I saw him at the door, blood lust, jolting in its intensity, swept over me, exciting my slight arousal at Jago’s nearness to a full-blown erection and almost taking me to my knees. It took everything in my power to hold myself back from taking him in my arms and biting him. Gods, he would taste so sweet. I licked over his throat again, probing his skin over the spot where I’d bite him.

We all knew about blood lust for our enemies, but we were also aware that there could be something similar for our lovers too. People spoke of the bloodlust hitting them unexpectedly and without warning. It could happen in moments, at the touch of a hand or a single glance across a room.

There had been examples in my own family. My grandmother was one.

Itaka had been a young princess from a far distant, conquered planet in our galaxy named Touzia. She was renowned even as a child for her great beauty, charm and wit. Yet when she was first taken as hostage to live in the court by the old emperor, she was extremely young. She had faced a great deal of jealousy from the older, more established wives and concubines. Her enemies were legion, as she told the story, until one by one, they all mysteriously began to die, sometimes quite quickly and painfully.

A few others disappeared—simply vanished into thin air—all of whom had been seen visiting Itaka shortly before the disappearances occurred. Before long, this brought little Princess Itaka to the attention of the emperor. He requested that she be brought before him, and when she entered, her blonde hair long to her waist and her big, green eyes in her beautiful face sparkling at him, the blood lust struck the emperor hard and without warning.

The emperor began to lavish gifts on her and make her extravagant promises. But more significantly, he fed on her within minutes of meeting her. She was so tiny, her servants feared he would drain her, but he made himself stop and he fed her his own precious blood to restore her. He never left her side for three days, and when he finally did, he arranged for her room to be moved next door to his.

And though she was suspected in the numerous deaths of some of his favorite wives and concubines, the court’s suspicions were never allowed to be mentioned in his hearing again. The emperor had become utterly charmed by her. He shielded and protected her, refusing to let anyone lay a hand on her or even speak a word against her. She became his overwhelming favorite, and he even eventually built her a special wing in the palace, an addition adjoining his own.

Love was rare for the Pton people. But bloodlust was alive and thriving. I just never imagined I’d become a victim of it.

As I stared down at Jago’s sweet, beautiful, totally irritating little face, a strange feeling swept over me. It was so alien to me I had difficulty identifying it. What was it? Tenderness? Possessiveness? Surely not bloodlust. I refused to believe that—but the evidence for it was staring me in the face.

If it were true—if it possibly could be true—then this insignificant though gorgeous little prince now held immense power over me. It made me unreasonably furious to think I could be bound in any way to such a person.

I needed to taste him to make sure.

He was standing very close to me when he parted his lips and raised them to mine, like a sweet invitation. What else could I do but kiss him? There was nothing else I wanted to do—except drain every drop of his blood from his little body. I quelled that impulse, of course and took a deep breath to calm myself.

My hand found its way under his robe and closed around him as I slowly began stroking him. He gasped and looked up at me in confusion.

We locked gazes, as I gently pulled and stroked Jago’s only half-erect penis. Slowly it began to grow harder in my hand, and Jago arched up into my grip, moaning softly. I was firm but gentle as my thumb skimmed teasingly over the head on each upward stroke.

****

Jago

I’d never had any man’s hand on my private parts, but now this handsome alien lord had done it twice. And I had no idea it could feel so good. As much as I hated the idea of this Pton, touching me, I didn’t want him to stop and I’d never felt this way before.

He leaned close to my ear and whispered. “If you want me to stop, just say so, and I’ll leave you alone.”

He pulled back and gazed deeply down into my eyes. I felt myself flushing and looked to the floor but shook my head ever so slightly. “No, don’t,” I said, hardly recognizing the raspy whisper as my own.

“Don’t what?”

My face burned with shame. I didn’t want him to stop. Gods help me, but I didn’t.

“Don’t stop.”

Dominiko leaned closer to me, trailing kisses down the side of my neck. I shivered and moaned and thrust my hips upward toward him. He was driving me crazy with sensations I hadn’t known existed. He dipped his thumb into my slit, and I made a strangled sound, bucked my hips uncontrollably and came with an intensity that made my knees weak. It was too fast, and it embarrassed me, but I’d never felt anything like it before.

I put my arms around his neck and clung to him, breathing hard. He held me close and licked my throat again, this time just under my jawline. Then his teeth suddenly sank into my skin, and I moaned at the sudden pain and tried to pull away, but he was holding me too tightly, with one hand behind my head to keep me in place. He sucked gently at the bite, and I knew he must be taking blood. His lips were hot and demanding, and so soul-consuming I didn’t know if this was a punishment or a seduction. I felt restless and anxious and scared but still like I wanted to be even closer to him somehow, even though he was the source of all my anxiety. In seconds it was over, and he pulled away, releasing me. He was breathing hard and would have stepped back, but I clung to him, still wanting to breathe him in. I saw that his eyes had changed, and they were much darker than before.

“You should let me go, princeling,” he said, his voice rough and low-pitched. “I need not to be so close to you for a few moments.”

“No. I’m scared, and I need you,” I whispered to him, and looked up into his eyes.

“What are you scared of? And by the way, your answer should be me. ”

“No,” I said in a rush, cutting him off. “I mean, I don’t know. You bit me.”

“Just a little taste. Did I hurt you?”

“No,” I said, though it was throbbing a little.

He stepped back quickly and stared down at me. “Are you having second thoughts? Not that you have much choice in the matter at this juncture, but it would be easier all the way around if you were cooperative. I can’t let you go, Jago. I wish I could, but I believe it’s too late.”

“Oh. Well, I’m not having second thoughts. Not exactly. But I have been arguing with Rakkur about it, and he’s pretty upset. He’s frightened.”

He gave me a long, intense look that I couldn’t quite read, and lifted one shoulder in what must be a universal gesture. His face unexpectedly flushed a little. “ He is? Or is it you who’s frightened?”

I shrugged the same way he had. “Maybe it’s me—a little.”

I looked up at him, and it gave me an odd feeling to look so deeply into those strangely beautiful eyes and know that he wasn’t sure of something either. He always seemed so supremely confident.

“Don’t worry—I’ll do it,” I said, quickly before I could change my mind. “I’ll go with you. I have to do this to save Rakkur. And I don’t like the idea of never seeing you again. But this is so fast—I don’t think it’s supposed to be this way. Have you done something to me?”

He was no longer touching me, but he looked back down at me, and his eyes softened. “Not yet.”

“I’ve also a little freaked out over the idea of the dulas , too. It seems so barbaric.”

“Just because a custom isn’t a familiar one doesn’t make it necessarily barbaric. Just different from what you’ve known. I’ll keep you close to me, and we won’t be there long. My grandmother, Lady Itaka, was only ten years old when she first came to live there , and she thrived for many years.”

“Gods, was your grandmother really so young when this happened to her?”

“Oh yes. She came as a captive and a hostage. But she soon became a favorite of the old emperor, and he gifted her with jewels and riches and eventually her own wing of the palace.”

“A favorite, huh? I guess the fact that she was a child, and a pedophile was abusing her every night didn’t have much to do with it.”

“I make no excuses for the old villain. But when no one stepped forward to save her or to become her hero, she became her own and saved herself. You’ll have to do the same, though I’ll be there to help you. Lady Itaka was bold and took charge of her own destiny, and we’ll have to do the same.”

We gazed at each other for a long moment, the air growing thick with something unidentifiable between us, and just as he took a step closer, and I thought he was going to kiss me again, an alarm sounded, and a voice came across his communicator.

“Lord Dominiko, the Tygerians are demanding to speak to you again.”

“I’m on my way,” he said into his device, and turned back to me. “Wake up your uncle, little prince. It seems Colonel Tariq is ready to negotiate.”