His Fire Maiden Read online

  “That’s very kind of you.” The words sounded sarcastic, even though she didn’t mean them to. Violette wanted to say more but over-thought every word before it made its way out of her mouth. She was used to conversations where she either gave orders or argued a point. “Back on the ship, you said something about your father not being anyone to grieve over. Why is that? Was he a bad man?”

  “He was a full-blooded Bevlon.” The statement was simple as if that should fully explain his past.

  “And your mother?” He’d called himself humanoid when he was trapped in the crate, but Violette wanted to know more. The man kept his emotions close, but she saw the pain in his eyes.

  “Human.”

  “I guess I don’t understand. So, being Bevlon means you don’t mourn the dead?” Violette couldn’t imagine. She missed her father every day.

  He sighed heavily and studied her. “What are you asking?”

  “I’m trying to…” Violette gave a helpless gesture. She was about as good at these get-to-know-you conversations as he was. “I don’t know. I’m trying to make conversation, trying to understand why you are the way you are. Were you close to your parents? Were you happy as a child? Are they alive?”

  “Oh.” That seemed to surprise him, as if no one had ever asked him such questions before. She found that sad. “My, ah, mother’s people, humans, they tend to think I am too fierce, a spawn of the devil, the reincarnation of Ancient Old Earth’s demons, that kind of thing. So they really don’t have much to do with me.”

  “That doesn’t make sense to me,” she answered. “It isn’t as if aliens are a foreign concept in the universe.”

  “True, but Bevlons just happen to look like the old earthling version of pure evil, and it doesn’t help that my paternal race as a whole are self-serving and cruel.”

  “But surely your mother didn’t feel that way. I mean, she had you, so that means she had to accept who your father was.”

  “I’m unclear how it happened. After my birth, my mother wanted nothing to do with her demon baby. The last I heard she’d wed a human charm-preacher and settled on some remote planet. I have no memory of what my mother looks like, and my father refuses to give me so much as her name. For all I know, she is married to the Data Moon Brimstoneman who tried to have me sacrificed several years back.”

  She started to laugh at the obvious exaggeration, but then stopped. “You’re not kidding, are you?”

  He shook his head. “No. It’s how I came to be with my current crew. They saved me from the fire.”

  “Fire? I thought Bevlons liked the fire.”

  “Fire hurts, but it won’t kill me directly. Intense heat will dehydrate me over a period of several agonizingly painful days. Accounting for that fact, the Brimstoneman had me dragged over sharp rocks to tear my flesh. A Bevlon’s skin can survive flames, but our insides cannot. If the zealots had any kindness, they would have tried to drop me into freezing temperatures so that death would come swiftly.”

  “So then you were raised by your father, like me,” she said.

  “Yes, I was, but not like you. Because of my mixed heritage and lack of hooves and horns, the Bevlons thought I wasn’t demonic enough. They accused me of being too tame and put me through trials to toughen me. When I was of age to do so, I left.”

  Violette wanted to reach out to him, to pull him into her arms, but refrained. Dev clearly had no place in either culture. She couldn’t imagine such a life. No wonder he was so close to his crew.

  The sun had almost set behind the horizon. Bright stars gave light to see by. Once at the settlement, Dev put the kit on the ground and pulled out a collapsible emergency ladder. She watched as he secured it to a fruit tree branch.

  Soft, steady whistles came from under the canopy as if the creatures slept. “Do you think they wait around for tall visitors to feed them?”

  He picked an orange seed off his pant leg. “I think they eat grass and probably wait for food to fall on the ground. If they were gluttonous, the one I put into the tree would have taken more than his fill, so I think there is no harm in giving them better access to—”

  Her lips cut off his words. Violette wasn’t sure what prompted her to act, but she kissed him.

  Dev pulled back in question.

  “Come closer,” she whispered.

  “There are rules about prisoners.” He glanced to the sleeping aliens.

  “Just a little bit closer,” she insisted. “The night is cool, and you are warm.”

  “I am trying very hard to resist you.” He swayed in her direction.

  “I wish you wouldn’t.” She licked her lips, noticing how his eyes kept dipping down to look at them. “You’re a very rules kind of man, aren’t you, Dev?”

  He nodded. “I have certain codes I live by.”

  “Closer.” She kept her voice soft as she leaned into him. “We all have codes, rules, duties.”

  “We are on opposite sides of—”

  “Of?” She touched his chest, sliding her fingers over the hard ridges of his muscles.

  “Of…” He glanced down, and she drew her hands up to cup his face and turn his gaze back to hers.

  “Come closer.” The more he tried to resist, the more she wanted him. She saw the struggling in his expression, knew that he wanted to deny himself the pleasure they shared.

  Violette gripped his face tighter. The heat of him drew her to lean fully against his body. This made more sense to her than conversation. What could she say that wasn’t already said? He wanted to protect Josselyn. She needed to honor her father with revenge. This was not a point on which they would meet. Even so, take away that fact, and she was left with wanting to kiss him.

  Rigid control over her emotions only kept her desire for him at bay for so long. In that they were the same. But, there were no eyes on them here, not that she cared if people found out she’d had sex with a Bevlon. She did care about her crew thinking she was going soft.

  “Closer,” she demanded in a part growl.

  Dev finally returned her kiss. He cupped her ass and lifted her off the ground in one swift movement. Her nerves tingled where they touched and ached where they didn’t. She wrapped her legs around his hips. He walked her away from the canopy, only to go to his knees when they were hidden from view behind the fruit tree.

  Firm ground pressed against her back, and she unwrapped her legs. The hunger grew. With every brush of his clothing, the frenzy inside of her built. When she touched him, she felt alive. Her breath quickened. She clawed at his pants to strip the material off him before moving to wiggle out of her own. No man had ever driven her to such a chaotic need. This was a primal dance they both understood.

  He pushed the back of her leg, lifting her thigh to kiss the sensitive flesh leading from her knee to her sex. She ran her fingers through his dark hair. The natural heat made the trail of his mouth unmistakable, and with each kiss, she tensed with growing need. Moisture gathered in her pussy. Her toes curled in anticipation. She tried to force his head to her sex, but she could no longer move him than she could change the rotation of a planet.

  Violette bit her lip to keep quiet. She doubted the natives would be moving around anytime soon, but this is not how she wanted to be caught. Her hips lifted and gyrated as if with a mind of their own. Her legs worked against his shoulders, hooking him the best she could manage to urge him closer.

  Lips finally met the sensitive flesh of her sex, and she inhaled a sharp breath. Intense heat added to the pleasure of his wet kisses. Her heels dug into the ground. Hands roamed her thighs and stomach. She was aware of him and only him. An ache built inside her, centering on his mouth.

  Violette pulled his hair. Dev obeyed her plea and crawled over her body. His handsome face hovered over hers. She ran her hand under his shirt to his back. His muscles shifted. The pant of his breath tickled her cheek. The depths of his dark eyes bore into hers. Deep emotions were buried there.

  Slowly he entered her, each second filled w
ith the promise of completion. She lifted to kiss him, but he drew his lips beyond her reach and continued to stare into eyes. In that moment, she understood what he sought. He wanted her to know who she was with, who was giving her pleasure. It was a desperate need that she should see him for what he was—a self-proclaimed demon.

  But Violette did not see a demon when she looked at Dev. She wasn’t frightened by him, or repulsed. In fact, it was quiet the opposite. She was attracted to him on a primordial level. He was gravity, and she was a helpless meteor being drawn into his orbit. They crashed together as he slid fully into her depths. She gasped as he rocked his hips into her. The stars danced behind his head, framing his dark hair with their bright light. Rarely had she seen stars so big from the surface of a planet.

  “I wish we could stay,” she whispered. “Never leave.”

  Dev’s head tilted back as he quickened his pace. Climax hit them in unison. She tensed, trembling as pleasure washed over her. He stiffened above her, a beautiful statue of masculine perfection. After a long moment, he drew his head down to look again into her eyes.

  “The rest of the universe doesn’t matter here,” she said, not really thinking of how much she revealed to him. They were joined in ways beyond that of their physical bodies. “Reality doesn’t matter here.”

  “Ugh, fellas, I’m not sure Dev wants to be rescued.”

  Violette blinked in confusion at the loud male voice. It took her a moment to realize that three of Dev’s crewmen stood nearby. They averted their gazes as if to give them a moderate amount of privacy. None of them were Josselyn’s husband.

  “Maybe we should come back later,” the intruder continued. “Let a guy finish up.”

  Violette was wrong. Reality did matter here. It had come to find them, just as it always would.

  Chapter 16

  Dev quickly rolled off of Violette and adjusted his pants while attempting to shade her with his body from Rick, Jackson, and Lochlann’s view. Under normal circumstances, he’d have been pleased to see his friends. Considering the compromising position he had Violette in, their timing could have been much better.

  “So, are we saving him or…?” Rick covered his eyes but peeked through his fingers.

  “Rick,” Dev warned.

  “Dev?” Jackson arched a brow to reveal his concerns.

  “There are only the two of us,” Dev answered. Then, gesturing in the direction of the canopy, he added, “Well, us, and the native whistlers.”

  “Wait, I know her,” Rick exclaimed. “Dev, that’s Violent Violette. She’s the one who wants to kill all of us. Dev, you’re doing Josselyn’s sister?”

  Dev glared at the man and opened his mouth. Before he could answer, Lochlann ordered, “Stop talking, Rick, if you know what is good for you.”

  “All I’m saying is that Dev is the man,” Rick muttered. “It was a compliment.”

  “I am Captain Violette,” Violette answered. All gentleness left her tone. Dev resisted the urge to look at her. “I do not want to kill everyone. I am not Josselyn’s sister. And I am not violent.”

  “Dev, what does this mean?” Lochlann asked, glancing at Violette.

  “I escaped.” Dev wondered how to describe what he had with her. What he wanted to say, and what her take was on their relationship, were probably two very different ideas. “I took her with me.”

  “Her crew?” Jackson queried.

  “We used the escape pod. They didn’t follow us,” Dev answered.

  “Good,” Jackson stated. “Now perhaps we can end this.”

  “What?” Violette gasped. She stepped quickly to where the emergency kit was on the ground and searched inside it while keeping her eyes on the men. She withdrew a handheld medic and arched her hand back as if she would throw it at them. “Dev gave me his word that I would be protected. No one is going to end me.”

  Jackson arched a brow and drawled, “I meant end the fight between you and your sister, not end your life. If I were going to kill you, I’d have done it already. Josselyn asked us not to.”

  “And where exactly is this sister of mine? I’d like to thank her personally for that consideration.” Violette smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. The men didn’t answer. She shrugged and let the smile fall. “Worth a try.”

  Violette lowered her arm. Her expression hardened. He wished he could pull her aside for a moment of privacy, or rewind and freeze time to the minutes before Rick interrupted them. There was much he wanted to say to answer her words, “I wish we could stay. Never leave. The rest of the universe doesn’t matter here. Reality doesn’t matter here.”

  Dev wanted to erase the hardness from her eyes, but now was not the time and he wasn’t equipped to talk about emotions. All he could do for her was try to change her life’s course. That was his plan in taking her. That is what he’d continue to do. “Is the ship nearby?”

  “I parked it in—giant spaceholes what in the bloody nova is that thing?” Rick pointed behind Dev.

  Dev turned to find one of his Murkernal friends hopping toward him carrying a baby Murkernal in his arms. Soon, the others emerged from beneath the canopy, all holding infants and whistling happily. Dev glanced up to the fruit, and then to Violette, before looking once more at the natives. Apparently, the food he’d given them had extra special side effects.

  “No, seriously, what are those things?” Rick demanded.

  “Murkernals,” Dev said.

  “Dev’s been planting seeds,” Violette supplied. “Ah, congratulations, Devekin, I think you’re a daddy.”

  “Exactly how long were you on this planet?” Rick asked, snickering.

  “The ship,” Dev demanded. He lifted his hand to gesture politely at the locals even as he stepped away from them. He didn’t want them to get excited and try to climb him again. To Violette, he muttered, “I’m really glad we didn’t eat the fruit.”

  “How about we find that ship of yours? I don’t want to catch what they have,” Violette answered. Her eyes turned to where they’d had sex moments before.

  Dev nodded. Even though her comment made a small twinge in his gut, he knew she was right. Of course, he didn’t want to get her pregnant. That would be impractical given their circumstance, and he knew how hard it was to raise a baby on a spaceship. Then why was he feeling so…

  “Thank you, stranger, thank you,” one of the cheery, little, bouncing beings said.

  Dev frowned. “Time to go.”

  Chapter 17

  Well, Violette got what she wanted. She’d wanted to remain kidnapped so she would be brought onto Dev’s ship, and that’s exactly what happened. Unfortunately, her “sister” wasn’t on board. The murderer couldn’t hide forever. She’d find Josselyn and the next time she wouldn’t hesitate to do what needed to be done. The weakness she’d felt on Quazer could not happen again. She shouldn’t have let Josselyn walk away.

  Apparently, fearing what might await them on the rescue mission to get Dev, the crew dropped off the captain, his wife, and their son, as well as Evan and Josselyn. Violette couldn’t imagine trying to raise a baby with her lifestyle. Maybe someday having children would be a possibility. She glanced at Dev. Would they even make good parents?

  They? Violette turned her eyes away. She couldn’t think like that. They were not a “they”. The ache inside her grew stronger.

  Violette desperately wished she could pick up a communicator and call her father. She wouldn’t tell him she was having relationship issues, but it would be great just to hear his voice. Now she was alone with no one to call when she was having a bad day. It’s not like Isaac would want to chat about her feelings.

  “Are you hearing me?” Dev asked, studying her from across the small table in the common area. He’d been trying to justify what Josselyn had done. Violette was sure the woman had her reasons, but those reasons didn’t change the fact that a good man was dead. Sighing, he continued, “Do you not trust my word? If so, I will stop speaking.”

  “I believe you b
elieve her lies,” Violette stated. “I do not.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. She felt the divide between them but didn’t know how to conquer it. When they were together, alone, kissing and touching, she experienced their deep connection. In those moments, there was clarity. In the seconds after that clarity left her, and she felt emptier than before.

  Duty. That is what she needed to remember.

  Dev did not love her. They were on opposite sides of the blood oath she’d sworn to her dead father. Wishing to change that fact would do no good and only made the ache inside her chest worse. He was close, right there within touching distance, and yet she could not have him, not all of him as she wanted. The sorrow that filled her made her want to cry out, but she held the emotion in.

  Family first. Duty second. Then everything else.

  She glanced around the metal common area. The ship was larger and much nicer than hers. It looked like an older model decommissioned by the Federation.

  “Got it,” Rick stated, strolling into the room with an old holo-box. She wasn’t sure what to make of the pilot. He seemed careless and light, but she had a feeling his jokes were a mask hiding something much deeper. There were fleeting moments as they walked back to the ship that his guard had fell when he thought no one watched to reveal sadness in his eyes. Seeing her looking at him now, he questioned, “How’s it going…Velvet Violette?”

  “No,” Violette stated in response to the new name.

  “Vengeful Violette?”

  “No,” she repeated.

  “Ah, no worries.” Rick winked. “I’ll keep working on your pirate name, starbeam.”

  Dev stiffened and grabbed the holo-box from Rick. “I will launch you into deep space.”

  “Message received, mission command.” Rick loosely saluted Dev and then plopped down on a chair several feet away.

  “The captain’s wife found this hidden in the ducts of the ship.” Dev set the box down. “I thought you might like to see it.”