Chapter Twenty-Six
In the conference room the next morning, Roth with Maggie at his side, his ship’s leaders, the general, both elders, and the medical staff gathered for a briefing. The females’ doctor started things off with good news. Most of the men had already been released from med-bay, except for a dozen who were still requiring hydration. When she finished her report, and answered a few additional questions, the discussion turned to the investigation of who and how. The why could wait until after they found the culprit.
Trask and Roth assigned several officers to review all access to the galley and food stores since departure, as well as the computer’s surveillance scans. The medical team would continue to try to determine the toxin used to incapacitate the men which might also help identify the source. And, they increased security measures to ensure the safety of the food supply to prevent another such event.
Near the end of the discussion, Mordrun, who looked pale, drawn, and hadn’t seemed to have bounced back near as quickly as the younger men, spoke up. “Since no one is willing to point out the obvious perpetrator, I will.” His accusing gaze turned to Maggie. “The Earth captain had everything to gain.”
“Like what?” While she questioned the elder calmly, she hoped he read the glint of resentment in her eyes, which was well deserved after all she had done during the recent crisis. “Attempting to kill my fated mate would be an act of suicide.”
“It wasn’t Maggie,” Roth replied, directing a scowl at the offensive elder. “She rarely left my side before the sickness came on, and when she did, she was under guard.”
“I was?” Her question accompanied a sudden twist of her head in his direction, clearly surprised.
“Yes, mate.” He added nothing further.
“Why?”
“We’ll discuss that later.”
“I want to know now.”
“You don’t want to have this discussion in public,” he advised quietly.
“I don’t care if they all hear. I am innocent of what I’m being accused of.”
“No one is accusing you,” Roth shot back.
“No one, except him,” she snapped, glaring at Mordrun.
The general cut in. “I agree with your mate, Maggie. This conversation needs to be continued in private.” Of course, Trask would side with Roth. “In the meantime, we have a traitor to catch before another incident can occur. You have your assignments,” he added. “Dismissed.”
In moments, the room cleared, leaving her alone with her mate.
“You didn’t trust me,” she accused as soon as the doors swished shut.
“I couldn’t risk another outburst as we had on the bridge. I knew not being in command was emotional for you. I couldn’t be with you always and didn’t want to restrict you to our quarters, so I took precautions to ensure you kept out of trouble.”
“Which means you didn’t trust me,” she repeated, not looking at him, but at her hands.
“Not completely, no, although things have changed since then.”
At odds since the beginning, she had to prove herself, as he had with her. That didn’t mean his suspicions hadn’t stung—he could see it in the tension in her small frame, the stubborn set to her jaw, and before she looked away, the hurt in her eyes.
“Maggie, this was before you showed how much we all could rely on you. You took care of us when we were vulnerable, took charge of the ship—expertly—and as Trask said, you were calm and efficient during a crisis.”
“And I did every bit of it successfully for three years until your illustrious species came along and kidnapped us. I shouldn’t have to prove myself.”
He heard the wound he’d caused in the slight tremor in her voice and felt like an ass.
“We’ve both made mistakes, mate.”
He reached for her hands, which lay interlaced together in her lap, encompassing them with the warmth of his own.
“Look at me, Maggie.”
Roth waited until her blue-violet gaze met his.
“The truth is, we doubted one another. But is it so unexpected considering we are as similar as we are different? We are still two distinct species, from very different worlds with diverse social systems thrust together without warning. Just because our cells match up and our bodies are in tune, doesn’t mean our heads will so easily follow.”
“Or our hearts,” she whispered.
His fingers flexed at her words, and when he spoke, his voice was rough with emotion. “That’s where you’re wrong, little one. You captured my heart the first time I saw you lying unconscious on this very ship.”
Tears pooled in her eyes, coming close to overflowing her lashes.
“Ah, love,” he murmured, as he cradled her lovely face in his palm, his thumb whisking away the first drop to escape, that was like acid on his soul. “The physical bond came quickly; it took my thick head some time to catch up. I’m very proud of you, and I think every male on this ship is envious of the mate fated to be mine.”
Her shoulders softened, giving him hope he was starting to get through.
“I will strive very hard to trust first, and question second in the future.”
“And discuss putting a secret guard detail on me, third.”
“Agreed. Can you forgive me, purrada?”
Her eyes widened at his question, and he almost laughed at her shocked expression.
“After all the times I’ve screwed up, and you’ve forgiven me? Yes.”
“I spanked you for most of those screwups, Maggie.”
“Are you suggesting you take a turn on the mate’s helper?”
“That isn’t going to happen, mate, and why it’s built on your scale, not mine.”
“Huh,” she grunted, “something else that isn’t quite fair.”
“You want me over your knee?”
She wrinkled her nose at the notion. “Not particularly, besides, you wouldn’t fit over my lap.”
With a tug, he pulled her across his thighs, demonstrating how well she fit on his. Thankfully, she curled softly into him. His arms enfolded her tighter, and he buried his face in her fragrant hair.
“As I promised, Maggie, we’ll get through this.” With his chin, he brushed back the soft, glossy waves from her neck, seeking out her silken skin with his lips.
“I want to believe that, Roth,” was her husky reply.
He moved up her slender throat with tender kisses, the sound of her whimpered response making his pulse react, and his body harden. Always, his mate was as hungry for him as he was for her. He rose, with her in his arms and planted her round bottom on the edge of the table.
“Roth, anyone could walk in.” Her objection carried little heat when at the same time her fingers speared through his hair and her mouth opened wide beneath his. He raised his head, and as he met her passion-filled gaze, at the same time sliding the hem of her gown up her thighs, he spoke words of reassurance.
“Door locks.”
At the snick of the mechanism, he exhaled slightly in relief.
“What?”
“I wasn’t sure if this room received the upgrade to voice command. Thank the Maker it did.”
“Would you have stopped if it hadn’t?”
“To put you at ease, purrada? Yes, and suffered leaving you for the time it takes to make the long walk across the room to do it manually.”
She smiled up at him, opening her thighs in welcome. “Now you don’t have to, leave me that is.”
“Lie back,” he whispered gruffly, already tasting her sweetness on his tongue. The anticipation made him ravenous, as did the sight of his mate, gathering the hem of her gown to her waist and spreading for him like a feast on the table. With her heels at the edge, her knees wide apart, the pink flesh in between glistened wetly under the bright lights.
“Roth…”
That did it; his name breathed out in sweet, sultry invitation, wasn’t something he could resist. He dropped to his knees and buried his face between her thighs, listening as she repeated the airy chant. His fingers parting her exposed his prize, and he took it greedily, his mouth sealing over the pearly nub and lashing it with his tongue.
Maggie, responsive as always, bowed off the table as she sank her fingers into his hair and held him close. Her hips lifted, seeking more, and he gave it to her. One hand slipped beneath her bottom brought her off the table, as he drew harder.
While climbing rapidly toward a climax, her body quivered, and his name became an urgent plea.
Knowing what she needed, he slipped in two fingers and added friction to the sensitive spot he’d discovered just inside at the front of her warm, wet passage. He pressed there as he stroked, keeping up the motion of his tongue on her clit, carefully bringing her to the verge of flying, but not quite letting her soar. He planned to send her over the top, though not quite yet, and not in this way.
His cue it was time to stop came with a ragged breathless cry, and her sheath rippling around his fingers.
Rising over her, he quickly released his straining cock.
“Hurry,” she whispered, the need in her voice so stirring, he knew when his cock slid home, and he felt the grip of her tight, hungry pussy, it would take every bit of his control not to leave her behind.
“Maggie,” he groaned as he sank into her silken wetness. The pleasure was incomparable.
“I can’t wait,” she cried as her arms slid around his shoulders, hung onto him tightly, and her legs encircled his hips, drawing him nearer.
“Don’t wait, love,” he urged, as he began to drive into her heat. Surrounded by his mate, her body gripped him every way she could, except for her mouth. He resolved that omission quickly, taking her lips with his own as they both worked furiously toward completion.
Maggie found hers first, her body shuddering and tightening around and beneath him, making it beautifully clear. He followed shortly, needing only a half-dozen more powerful thrusts to find the stunning heights of bliss he had only ever attained with this woman, his fated mate.
Resting in comfortable silence afterward, their damp skin and bodies fused into one, a knock on the door, broke their shared peace.
A loud voice calling his name couldn’t drown out Roth’s grumbled, “Faex!”
“Commander Roth, the general asks that you join him on the bridge.”
“Tell him I’ll need a few moments.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Roth!” Maggie protested as she heard the warrior chuckle as he moved on.
“Mate,” he sighed against her damp temple. “It’s not like they don’t know what we’re doing in here. Why else would we lock a conference room door?”
“Roth!” she repeated, her pitch noticeably higher.
“Maggie, love, we’re newly mated. Everyone understands; in fact, they expect it.”
“For us to hump like rabbits on any available flat surface? I hardly think so.”
“I’m not sure what a rabbit is—and when we get to your planet, I look forward to seeing these creatures you constantly mention—but yes, flat surfaces and raised, standing, lying, sitting, in every which way we can. If we did it while suspended upside down from the cables in the engine room ceiling, no one would be surprised. It is the way of mates, especially those lucky enough to be fated.”
He pressed a kiss to her lips before rising over her, his arms bracing his upper body aloft as his hands bracketed her on each side. That’s when he noticed the glint in her eyes and grinned. “What was it? Standing? Or suspended upside down?”
Chuckling at her fiery blush, he lowered himself until his face hovered a minute fraction over her own. “That last one, my insatiable mate, would be helper position four.” He dropped a quick kiss on the corner of her open mouth. “We’ll try that one tonight.”
Roth rose over her, slowly easing out while still half-erect. He shook his head. Scarcely done and already planning the next lovemaking session; he was one to talk about being insatiable. “I need to get to Trask.”
“I need a nap.”
“You don’t want to come with me?” he asked, as he tucked himself into his pants while watching her watch him through half-lidded eyes. Ah, yes, she was his perfect mate, matching him hungry need for hungry need.
“Nap, shower, and food, perhaps in reverse order.” She frowned up at him. “I wasn’t sick, how do you have so much energy?”
“Muscle reserves,” he said with a grin, as he leaned over her for another kiss. “I’m twice your size and strength. It’s no surprise such a delicate flower as yourself would need extra time to bounce back.”
“Leave it to me to get matched with a comedian wannabe,” she grumbled—though without much heat—and put her slipper-covered foot to his gut and playfully pushed him away. Sitting up, she straightened her gown, adding, “Beware, big guy, this delicate flower happens to be a rose, which has thorns.”
Undeterred, his hands caught the edge of the table by her hips, his chest grazing hers. “I’d much rather join you for that nap, purrada, but duty calls.”
Palms on his cheeks, she smiled up at him. “I gladly pass that mantle of responsibility over to you.”
He quirked a brow. “Weren’t you just complaining about not being put in command?”
She shrugged. “I saved your asses, working 24/7 while you were lollygagging in bed. Now it’s my downtime.”
“Lollygagging?”
Blushing prettily, she lied. “A clinical term on Earth for recovering.”
“Mm-hm.”
“You don’t believe me?”
“Should I?”
“Heck, no.” She grinned.
“Kiss me, mate; then I must go.”
“Aye, aye, Commander,” she shot back, with a sharply executed salute.
“Smartass,” he softly uttered while bending close.
“Roth!” she protested, although it lacked bite from her softly parted lips, eagerly waiting for his kiss.
It was his turn to fib, which he did, with a barely-there brush of his mouth. “It’s a term of respect on Primaria, mate.”
She huffed a laugh of disbelief.
“You don’t believe me?” he murmured, echoing her earlier question.
“Heck, no,” she repeated, leaning up on her tiptoes. “Now kiss me, for real, Commander,” she whispered, “then you may go.”
His tongue came out and flicked across her lower lip, before he teased, also in a whisper,
“Aye, aye, Captain.”
It was more than a few moments before he made it to Trask on the bridge.