Page 248 of Starside

I do. I ride him as hard as I can, and he groans, watching me take him, over and over, letting me use him. I lean forward and grind against his hard muscles, chasing my pleasure. My hands are in his hair, his face is just inches away.

Not close enough. I want him to flood my senses, I want to feel him, smell him, taste him. I duck my head—and slowly run my tongue along the thin line across his throat. The only scar he has.

A reminder.

He groans. I feel him twitch inside me.

“Aris,” he says, my name like a prayer on his lips.

And I shatter. I pulse around him, crying out, and he seals his mouth to mine, swallowing the sound. He starts to take over then, fucking me faster than before, in hard, brutal strokes, like he can read me, like he knows this is exactly what I want from him. Then he stands in one smooth motion, holding me with what seems like no effort, presses me against the wall and fucks the sanity and attitude and anger out of me, never even breaking our kiss. He tastes me like he’s starving, like he needs this, and when I suck on his tongue, then rake his bottom lip through my teeth, he groans and breaks too. I feel him, pulsing within me, our gazes locked, our mouths now just inches apart. We’re panting, sharing breath, studying each other.

Fuck.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. He wasn’t supposed to be the cure to everything I never knew I needed.

This was supposed to be quick, and meaningless. But—

His previously unmarred chest is now marked with long lines where I clawed at him. I can feel blood hot against my lip where he bit me. My neck is tender. There’s an undeniable soreness between my legs and liquid dripping down my thigh.

We’ve ruined each other. And by the time we finally go to sleep in the pile of sheets, we’ve ruined each other even more.

When I wake up, my body is sore. Aching. Sensitive everywhere.

And Harlan is gone.

He took my sword.

He betrayed me, just like I always knew he would.

43

No.

My head is still spinning with confusion and regret, and this can’t be happening and why did I think it wouldn’t, when a step echoes through the cave.

Followed by several others.

Before I can get the sheet over me, three human men step into view. I recognize them. Questral challengers.

One of them has a long line below his jaw, as if someone almost killed him but didn’t. It bleeds when he raises his head. “Well, look at this. She’s already naked for us.” He turns to the others and laughs. They all look hungrily, disgustingly, at me, as if they’re going to have me and there’s nothing I can do about it.

“What do you want?” I demand, my voice sharpened with pure anger. They’ve picked the wrong fucking time to find me.

The one with the line below his jaw just smiles. “We watched him. We watched him leave you, with your sword in hand. But that’s not what we’re here for … No, we’re here for you.” He looks at the others. “The god didn’t specify in what state she was to be delivered … Perhaps he’ll take you in pieces.” He looks me over and smirks. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a woman. You’re going to see just how starved I’ve been.”

I pull the sheet over myself, but it might as well be nothing.

Nothing.

My sword is gone.

He took it.

But that doesn’t mean I’m defenseless. Because I have not gone on this great journey and survived both physical and emotional perils for three men to stop me.

I stand, letting the sheet drop, falling into my fighting stance. I ignore the heat of their stares.

“You don’t have a sword,” the man with the bloody mark says, laughing at me.