Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 119846 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119846 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
It was true—her skin still tingled faintly, and her breasts still ached dully. Her pussy felt warmer and more sensitive than normal, too—even though the aftershocks of last night’s pleasure with Burn and Bright had long since passed.
“Everything is going to be fine, sweetheart. I’m glad you stood up for yourself,” Bright said approvingly. “That took courage.”
“I don’t know if I could have done it alone,” Noelle admitted. “Thank you for standing up for me—both of you.”
“You never have to be alone, baby” Burn rumbled. “We’ve got your back. Always.”
Noelle looked up into their faces—Bright’s hazel-green eyes filled with kindness and concern, Burn’s dark eyes full of stormy protectiveness—and her heart gave a funny little twist.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you for protecting me.”
Bright put an arm around her shoulders and drew her gently to his side.
“Of course, sweetheart. We’ll always protect you.”
Burn came to her other side, wrapping a massive arm around her and pulling her in even closer.
“Fuck yes,” he muttered gruffly. “Nobody’s going to touch you while we’re here.”
Sandwiched between the two of them again, their bare skin warm against hers, Noelle felt herself exhale for the first time since Lupin had entered the cell. Their presence steadied her…strengthened her.
The three of them just stood there for a long moment, arms wrapped around each other in a wordless circle of comfort and warmth.
But deep in the back of her mind—behind the warmth and closeness and the fleeting sense of safety—Lupin’s warning still echoed.
“Nectaritis…sexual hyper-neediness…enjoy yourself at the auction…”
Noelle closed her eyes and tried to block it out.
It was just a scare tactic. Just manipulation. It meant nothing…right?
But even as she told herself that, doubt coiled in her belly…and the faint, restless ache between her thighs refused to fade.
29
NOELLE
The clang of heavy boots outside their cell jolted Noelle from the thin layer of sleep she’d managed to find after the three of them had lain back down. She bolted upright on the cold metal floor, her heart already thudding, breath catching.
Something about the sound wasn’t right. It wasn’t food being delivered and it wasn’t Lupin coming back with a smirk and another awful spa treatment. This was different…heavier…more final.
Bright sat up beside her, instantly alert, and Burn was already on his feet, his massive frame coiled like a spring.
Then the door opened.
A group of Skow guards filled the entrance, long rifles held tight in pale gray hands. Their appearance was just as nightmarish as Noelle remembered. Swathed in ragged black robes that looked like they’d been dredged from a battlefield, the creatures wore tarnished metal helms that obscured their faces—except for their mouths.
And those mouths… God.
Only the lower half of their faces were visible beneath the angular steel masks, but that was somehow worse than seeing the whole thing. Their gaping, lipless maws stretched impossibly wide, filled with long, yellow-gray teeth like gnarled fingers. Their gums were ashen and rotted, caked with dark, moldy sludge. When the one in the front spoke, it was with a grinding, wet rattle that echoed in her bones.
“Prisoners. You will come with us.”
Burn’s eyes flashed red in an instant.
“The fuck we will.”
Bright jumped to his feet, one hand going out fast, bracing against Burn’s broad chest.
“Wait,” he hissed. “Burn, look at their rifles—those are molecular disruptors.”
Noelle’s heart nearly stopped. Disruptors. What did that mean?
She soon found out.
“Those things’ll turn us into clouds of dust,” Bright muttered. “They pull that trigger and we’re gone. Nothing left. Not even bones.”
Burn let out a low growl but finally stepped back. His massive shoulders heaved as he fought down the Rage he was obviously feeling, the whites of his eyes still glowing faintly crimson.
“Fine,” he snarled through clenched teeth. “We’ll go with you. But don’t fucking touch our female.”
The lead Skow made a creaking, mucus-wet sound that might have been a laugh.
“Come quietly and no one will be touched.”
Bright stepped forward, his jaw tight.
“Noelle, get between us.”
She was already moving, instinctively pressing herself into the space the two warriors made, their big bodies flanking her like living armor. The moment she was tucked between them, Burn’s hand slid protectively across her lower back and Bright brushed his knuckles down her arm in silent reassurance.
The guards motioned with their weapons, and the group began to walk.
The corridor outside the cell was wide, but the cold metal walls seemed to close in as they moved. Every step echoed like a drumbeat, the sound of their bare feet and heavy boots clanging on the steel floor.
Noelle’s skin prickled. Her heart hadn’t stopped pounding since the moment the door opened. Her mouth was dry, and her stomach was twisted into a knot.
Why did she feel like they were marching toward the edge of a cliff?
Eventually, the long hallway ended in a shuttle bay. A small transport vessel waited there—matte gray and boxy, with what Noelle assumed must be Skow symbols etched along the sides. The guards hustled them aboard, still keeping their disruptors trained with deadly accuracy.