Chapter 19: Kidnap

The wig pulled at her hair and Varna resisted the temptation to just pull the ridiculous thing off. As for the gown she was wearing ... Minara had insisted she wear it as it accentuated her figure. Luckily or unluckily for Varna she was practically the same size as Minara so she fitted her gowns without any alteration.

She looked down at herself, and with a sigh sat back against the carriage seat. She had a naturally slim figure, but the gown pushed up her breasts so they looked twice their natural size and were practically spilling over the top of the low cut neck line.

Minara had organized her release the day before and had been conspiring with Theasa to ensure the bonding with Mark Fuller ran its course. She had even endured being paraded in front of Minara's 'husband', a human word she was not sure she even liked. Minara and Theasa had insisted after they had spent most of the morning pulling and prodding her into the almost indecent dress and then painting her face. He was human so would know if the stupid getup would work on Mark Fuller.

Varna had moved on from such feminine things years ago when she failed the mating ritual and was banished from her family and life. Now she was a hardened warrior and a captain of her own ship, not some piece of arm candy her family had brought her up to be. It crossed her mind to make a run for it, but the biological imperative of her Grojan ancestry won out, but only just.

Theasa had sent word to Mark that morning that she was not well and would not be helping him work on the ship at least for the morning. So now Varna was trussed up in an attempt to finish what had started between her and the human during the invasion of a planet almost the other side of the galaxy.

She nibbled at her bottom lip as the sound of the carriage wheels changed from the rutted compressed dirt of the road to the cobles of the city streets. It would not be long now for her date with destiny. She had learned he was not just a human, not even a genetically modified human like Arron, Minara's mate, but half Grojan.

Being told that came as a shock and had twisted up her insides. Luirlan had been telling the truth, her perspective mate was his great grandson. Even worse, she had done some research after meeting the strange old man and found he was a senior member of the Rmaxis family, one of the richest, most influential families in the Grojan Empire. He had been against the war with the humans and had been outspoken in his opposition. Once the war had begun he had left political life and became a recluse. His son in law took over the family business and his position in the senate.

His family had disowned the old man and he had disappeared. She had also found out his granddaughter had failed the mating ritual during a political feud with another powerful family and there had been accusations of foul play and rigging of the results. It had all been hushed up at the time, but from what Varna could find out, Mark's mother should not have failed, it was someone getting at the old man because she had been his favorite.

It was ironic that had Mark been Grojan he would have been above her in social standing. Her family were just mid level court officials on the periphery of the Grojan government. It also meant that he could have been bonded with an heiress to a vast fortune and almost limitless power if he had not had a human father.

At the thought of his human father, Varna wondered for the hundredth time if she was doing the right thing. Nerves were now twisting up her stomach as the carriage stopped and the footman opened the door. He helped her down and she found herself facing the access ramp of her ship. The open door at the top and the presence of the person inside made her pulse race. She swallowed, the footman climbed aboard the carriage and the driver flicked the reins. She was alone, she had been given a shawl, which she now pulled round her shoulders with trembling fingers. She shivered and started to walk slowly up the ramp, a small voice in her head telling her, run, Varna, run now and not look back. She ignored it, her instinct for bonding beat at her, pushing her forward. Gripping her shawl tightly she stepped through the main door.

Mark was not having a good day. Theasa had found the day before that a main data bus to the engines had been damaged. There was no spare cable in the dwindling stores so he had been forced to reroute it. He had worked for hours and found much to his annoyance it had still been six inches too short so he had to pull it all out and find an even shorter route.

He was squatting down next to an open hatch in the deck when he heard soft footsteps behind him. He expected it to be Theasa and was about to stand up and ask her how she was when he heard a voice say hello. Every nerve in his body tingled at the sound. He stood and whirled round. The most perfect, most beautiful woman he had ever seen stood in front of him; she took his breath away. A shy smile played on her lips then the tip of her tongue flicked out leaving them moist and gleaming.

Mark had to remember to breathe before he could speak. His eyes moved from her mouth, met hers and held. "You're ... his voice trailed off as she released the shawl she was wearing and it fell to the floor. The movement caught his attention and he looked down, the low cut dress she was wearing revealed the soft curves of her breasts, her nipples beaded forming sharp peaks under the material.

"Oh my God, I..."

Varna felt the heat of his gaze on her body, her instincts had kicked into overdrive as her shawl fell. Her body trembled as the primeval forces of the Grojan bonding took hold, giving warmth in the most intimate part of her body. It ignited into a hot wet need. She sighed and took a step forward, watching his face intently for any sign of rejection. He didn't move back, he just stood watching her. If he wasn't going to reject her he must be affected by the bonding, but he just stood looking at her. If he had been Grojan at this point she would have been slammed against the wall, dress up around her hips, being taken hard and fast. Varna sighed raggedly, perhaps a little extra encouragement was needed with humans?

She moved her hands to the laces at the front of her dress and with a tug released the knot. The pressure of her breasts caused the laces to loosen, and the split in the dress to move apart revealing more of her smooth skin and the dark edges of her nipples. He groaned and closed the gap between them in two strides, one arm went round her waist, his other hand pulled the edges of her dress apart and cupped one of her breasts as his mouth slammed down against hers. She arched into his touch, one thought flashed through her mind. Gotcha.

He continued to caress her breast so gently as if she were a delicate treasure. She grabbed his hand, she was Grojan, it is not what she wanted; not now anyway, she pulled him tighter against her. There was something building between them she didn't understand, but the heat that had blossomed between her thighs at his touch would very quickly drive her mad. Her cabin was just down the corridor, it had a real bed, as owner she had privileges.

He bent slightly and picked her up as if she weighed nothing. She threw her arms round his neck and rested her head on his shoulder as he carried her to the Captain's cabin. She couldn't remember saying anything but she must have. He put her down and she stood on wobbly legs as he started to unlace her dress. She pulled it off her shoulders, and with a shimmy it pooled at her feet.

The heat of his gaze as he looked at her naked body caused her emotions to spike, Oh God! A detached part of her was surprised, was she thinking in human now?

Her eyes flicked to his face and their eyes locked. She took a step forward and he grabbed her and pushed her to the bed, her knees buckled and she fell back.

"You're not wearing any underwear." His voice flowed over her body.

She trembled then smiled. "Oh you're welcome, Mark Fuller." The bed dipped as it took his weight. The pent-up pressure was building as he moved over her and claimed her mouth, his hands moved down her body. She gasped as his finger slid inside of her.

"God, you are so soft and wet."

She instinctively opened her legs wider and for a moment felt exposed and vulnerable, but when he slipped another finger inside her, parting her delicate intimate folds the pent up pressure returned. She raised her hips, pressing herself against his hand, moving in time with his caress. His thumb touched her most sensitive spot and she arched into him. He seemed to hesitate as she moaned.

"Mark no, don't stop, please don't stop, you will kill me if you stop." She looked into his face and saw his smile, his eyes wide with passion.

The tension between them ramped up and he rubbed her harder, the roughness of his hands driving her wild. He bent his head and sucked one of her breasts, she grabbed his hair to force him down on her harder, her other hand fisted the bed covers. His teeth bit gently at her nipple and she shuddered. The world turned under her, fireworks ignited in her head.

She came back down, breathless, her body shaking with aftershocks. When she opened her eyes he was staring down at her. He was still fully clothed. That won't do at all, she thought.

He shook his head as if she had spoken out loud. "No, now it's my turn."

Her breath hitched as he pulled off his shirt. God, you are gorgeous! She spread her fingers across his chest and he chuckled. The vibration made her hand tingle.

He pulled off his belt then lifted up from the bed to remove his trousers. The sudden loss of his heat caused her to shiver.

Mark turned back to her and opened her thighs wider with his knees. Varna kept her eyes locked on his as she reached down and stroked his erection with her fingers. He groaned as she wrapped her fingers round him and pulled him toward her. She marveled at how hard he was, yet the skin was silky. A seed of doubt flashed in her mind - he was bigger than a Grojan everywhere.

"I won't hurt you, Varna, I promise"

She nodded. "I know." She wasn't sure if they had spoken out loud, but as he pressed against the entrance of her core all thoughts fled. All she could sense was the building pressure fighting for release. She did not understand what it was and she was a little frightened by it, but even that was forgotten as he pushed into her. Their eyes locked.

"God, you are beautiful, Varna."

There was a sudden stab of pain and she winced. She felt him hold still as her body adjusted to him, "It's all right, I'm fine." She smiled at him. He was fighting the energy that was building between them and she could feel it. She lifted her hips and wrapped her legs round him, pulling him deeper with her heels. He gasped and started to move inside her. She rocked against him, and as they moved faster the friction between them building she could feel he was nearing completion. She squeezed him hard and dug her nails into his back as he exploded inside her. The sudden connection tripped her over the edge again, and for a moment they were one person, two halves making a wonderful whole.

When she came back down to earth he was watching her face, his weight supported on his elbows. She smiled. "Ancestors, what was that? I never expected anything like that. It was if we connected on a whole new level. If you had been Grojan it would have been just hard and brutal." She touched his face with her fingers. "What are you?"

He ran his knuckles down her cheek. "Truly? I don't know."

He moved to roll off her. "No." She held him tight. "I don't want you to leave me yet." She flexed her muscles experimentally and she felt him start to stiffen inside her. She giggled. "Now I want it long and slow."