Dazon Agenda: Complete Collection Read online

  Sensing she was on dangerous ground, she struggled to hide her repulsion. “It’s interesting. Very sweet…almost too sweet. It’s slightly bitter even.”

  His troubled expression faded, and he seemed indulgent again. “You’ll soon adjust to the taste. I hear it’s quite addictive for human women. Soon, you’ll be begging for the honor of sucking my cock.”

  Over her dead body. If for some reason her assassination attempt failed, Jordan vowed right then and there she’d end up killing herself before she allowed the emperor to make her his wife and keep her as his prisoner. The idea of sharing his bed was loathsome.

  He patted her on the head, much like one would a child, and smiled. “Now go deal with your guard.”

  She nodded stiffly as she slid off his lap, relieved when he donned his uniform with a flick of the button, hiding his nudity. She swore her hand burned where the cum remained, and the lingering taste of him in her mouth made her want to puke. Even knowing it was a psychological reaction didn’t help control it. She maintained a steady pace until she was out of his sight, and then she ran to the room assigned as her quarters, vaguely aware of two of his guards trailing behind, always maintaining an exact, and she presumed predetermined, distance between her and them.

  At least they didn’t follow her into her room, and as soon as the hydraulic door hissed open, she crossed the doorway and pressed the button to seal herself in. She went straight to the bathroom, scrubbing her hands with the hottest water she could stand before cleansing her mouth. Though the only taste remaining was faint cinnamon from her toothpaste, she still imagined she could feel and taste him lingering on her tongue, which prompted her to brush her teeth once more.

  Finally, feeling somewhat clean after the encounter with Aryk, she returned to the sleeping chamber, planning to track down Damon and find out why he had risked his life to come after her.

  She let out a startled cry when arms slipped around her, and a hand clamped over her mouth. She fought, trying to free herself from her assailant, before the familiar sensation of folding swept over her.

  When she opened her eyes a moment later, she was no longer in the bedchamber assigned to her at the Dazon palace. Instead, she stood on an alien world, unlike anything she’d ever seen before. She was on a beach, with tall purple mountains in the background, and the water had a lavender sheen as it washed gently onto the orange sand. The sky overhead was a riotous mix of orange, red, and gold, and there were two suns in the sky.

  Her abductor had loosened his hold, and she elbowed him in the solar plexus in an attempt to escape. When he grunted, she recognized his voice, having heard similar sounds from him before, though prompted from passion rather than pain.

  In shock, she turned to face Sash, staring at him with openmouthed shock. “What are you doing here?” She threw up her hands and looked around. “What are we doing here, and where is here?”

  “I’m rescuing you, and this is Outpost 182. It doesn’t have a real name, because we haven’t colonized yet.”

  She blinked, shocked to see Sash, and even more startled by the words coming from his mouth. “You’re rescuing me? Are you out of your mind? Now they’re going to kill Damon.”

  He shook his head. “Damon is aware of the risks, but he’ll be folding away early tomorrow morning. He figures they’ll keep him under observation that long, and he’ll have a chance to slip away when they realize you’re not in your room.”

  She shook her head, overwhelmed by everything that had happened to her in the last hour. Her legs failed her, and she sank to the soft orange stand, touching it without thought. She let the granules fall through her hands, appreciating how soft the sand was. Everything about the place was beautiful, including the smell. There was a hint of what she would call tropical flowers in the air, though she didn’t know what alien substance actually made the scent. It was a paradise, but it was also a prison. “How do you think this will help anything, Sash?”

  He sat down beside her on the sand, his expression difficult to read. “I think it helps by freeing you from the necessity of mating with the emperor. We’ll find another way. I refuse to allow you to sacrifice yourself to him for the greater good.”

  She bit her lip, deciding she had to tell him everything, so he’d understand why she needed to return. Before she could, he spoke again.

  “I’ve been an idiot.”

  Her head snapped up, and she looked at him in confusion. “What?”

  He wore a rueful smile. “I was waiting for the mating flare, which is why I didn’t tell you how I felt. Even knowing the odds of feeling it were fairly improbable, I think I must have clung to the idea because I saw so many of my fellow Dazon experience it.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not sure what you’re trying to say, Sash, but now isn’t the time.”

  He put his finger against her lips, silencing her gently. “It’s the perfect time, because it might be the only chance I have to tell you if we’re caught. I love you, Jordan. You’re my mate, and I don’t need the mating flare to tell me that.”

  She could feel her resolve weakening in the face of his confession. “But you didn’t feel the flare.”

  “I won’t either. I had Dr. Wy scan my latrael gland, and it’s shriveled to the point of uselessness. I’ll never feel it. I’ll never be guided by my shea. That part is a dead function in me. I have to rely on how I feel, and how my mate makes me feel. There’s no other woman that could ever make me feel the way I do for you. I won’t lose you to Aryk, and I won’t let you risk your life trying to create a peace he’ll never honor.”

  She forgot her good intentions when he reached for her, pulling her into his arms. She was wearing one of the garments from the closet, so she didn’t enjoy the ease of removing her uniform the way he did, with a flick of a button, but with his assistance, she was soon as naked as he was.

  He kissed her deeply, and she reciprocated, wrapping her arms around him as she caressed his tongue with hers, enjoying the connection. This felt right, and it was so different from the horrible kiss Aryk had inflicted upon her. She could feel a difference in Sash’s touch too, more certainty and no distance. He was clearly giving his all, having removed the last emotional filter between them.

  She kissed him hungrily, allowing her mouth to move down his body, and Sash didn’t resist when she pushed him backward, straddling below his knees as she positioned her mouth to take possession of his shaft. It was a familiar act, but it seemed new and different. Through the knowledge that she was his mate, and he loved her, everything seemed new and different, as though they had never done this before.

  She revised that opinion when she began to suck him with the familiar motions, knowing what suction he preferred, and reveling in his familiar moans of delight. Their shared love enhanced the familiarity, which was what made it new and exciting. It was always exciting with him though, and she moaned her own satisfaction as he twitched inside her mouth, coming down her throat with his familiar sweet taste.

  He had barely finished coming before he flipped her onto her back, his mouth moving to her breasts, sucking her in just the way she liked. She buried her fingers in his hair, holding him against her as she contemplated what it would be like to have this for the rest of her life. She’d be happy here on this private Eden, and for that moment, she was tempted to stay.

  Sash’s mouth moved lower, seeking out her core, and his tongue slipped inside her folds as he returned the favor. She moaned and arched against his mouth as he found her sensitive spots, having learned her preferences during the weeks they had been lovers. It didn’t take him long to coax her to climax, and she cried out his name as she clung to him, her thighs tightening around his face as she exploded in her passion.

  She was still coming down from the haze when he lifted her into his arms, striding into the water. She let out a small gasp at the warmth as it swept over her, surprised to find the substance felt more like silk than any water she had ever been in. “This is amazing.”
r />   “Not as amazing as you.”

  It should have been a cheesy line, but his sincerity made it the tender gesture it was meant to be. She kissed him again as she wrapped her thighs around his waist, reaching between their bodies to find his shaft to guide into her. He surged inside a moment later, and she clung to him like velvet, as though he was made to fit perfectly inside her. It was always like that with them, but this time, it was even more intense, and their connection felt deeper than ever as she looked into his eyes while he cradled her buttocks, providing support as he thrust in and out of her.

  She matched his pace, hands holding tightly to his shoulders as she strained against him, feeling as though she could never get enough. It couldn’t have actually been, but it felt like hours that they stayed in the water, making love and straining to reach fulfillment. She lost track of the number of orgasms she had, realizing that at some point they were just blending into each other, creating a sensual blur of pleasure as they both climaxed multiple times.

  Eventually, exhaustion wore her down, and she slumped against him with her last orgasm. He held her tightly in his arms before emerging from the water and placing her on the beach. A soft cloth appeared a moment later, and he wiped away the water, leaving her dry. She could barely keep her eyes open, and when she looked up at him, she saw he was in a similar state. Their lovemaking had worn them both out, and when he directed her to a shelter he must have arranged before bringing her here, she crawled inside gratefully, collapsed on the mattress, and slept deeply as soon as he was beside her.

  Chapter Five

  Jordan woke before Sash, relieved to find him still sleeping deeply. She looked out the temporary shelter, admiring the sunrise of two suns moving in tandem across the sky. It was an amazing place, but she couldn’t stay here forever, even if she wanted to—which she did. The idea of staying here with Sash, ignoring the rest of the problems of the world, and shirking her duty appealed greatly, but she couldn’t do it.

  With that in mind, she carefully eased around him, until she could reach the device on his wrist. It was clearly a different model than he’d used before, and it looked far more complicated. Since she didn’t read Dazon, she wasn’t certain she’d be able to figure it out without waking him up, but she had to try.

  She pressed a few buttons, and the screen showed her pictures of recent folding points. She thought the most recent one was her bedroom in the palace, though she couldn’t be entirely certain on the small screen. Holding her breath, she touched the image while holding tightly to Sash with her other hand.

  The folding sensation swept over her, and a moment later they were back in her room at the palace. They landed directly in the center, so whomever had figured out the coordinates must be very precise. That was a good thing for her.

  Sash started to stir, and she knew she couldn’t allow him to fully wake up, because he was likely to resist her efforts to remain here. With a regretful sigh, she reached for a heavy object on a nearby table, not entirely certain of its purpose, but assuming it was aesthetic. She hit him as lightly as she could while still ensuring he wouldn’t fully waken.

  Then she used his wrist communicator, buckled neatly to his other wrist, to try to reach Damon. His face filled the screen a moment later, and he seemed surprised to see her. “Are you alone?” she asked. At his nod, she said, “You have to get back to the folding ship, and you need to take Sash with you.”

  He frowned at her. “We’re here to help you. We can’t just leave you alone. He had a plan for getting you out of here. It didn’t work?”

  She didn’t answer his question. Instead, she said, “I have my own mission, Damon. I can’t discuss the specifics, but you have to take him and get him back safely to the Moon Consulate. Once he’s there, do your best to keep him from trying something like this again. Please. There’s so much riding on everything.”

  It was such a cryptic statement, but she was afraid to elaborate further. It was possible her room was bugged, either with camera or audio detection equipment. Perhaps even both. She’d like to think Aryk wouldn’t be quite that creepy, or invade her personal space to that extent, but she wouldn’t have been at all surprised to find out he had cameras everywhere, including the bathroom. The thought made her shudder for a moment, but she focused her attention on Sash again as Damon’s confliction played out across his expression.

  Finally, with a sigh, he nodded. “I’ll fold back to our ship then, if you can get Sash to do the same.”

  She nodded, hoping she could figure out his wrist device again. Damon’s face disappeared from the screen a moment later, and she carefully set down that wrist before lifting the other. She remembered the button to push to bring up the images for past folding points, and the one before her room at the palace seemed to be the inside of a ship.

  Before she pressed it, she leaned over Sash, glad to see his eyes opening, though he was clearly fuzzy. “I’m sorry. I’d love to stay at Outpost 182 with you forever, but I have my own mission, and it’s important. I need you to go back to safety, and you can’t come back again. Don’t try to save me, because I’m right where I need to be. I love you, Sash.”

  She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the mouth, interrupting whatever he might have tried to say as his lips opened slightly. “I hope to see you again.” With that, she touched the image of his ship and made sure she wasn’t in contact at all with him. A moment later, he folded out of her room and was gone.

  As soon as they returned to the Moon consulate, Sash strode off the ship, pausing briefly as a wave of dizziness swept over him. He placed a hand against the nearest wall as he shook his head, trying to clear away the last vestiges of double vision. He still couldn’t believe she had hit him. What was she thinking? She couldn’t be the sacrificial lamb. He wouldn’t allow it. If she didn’t want to be rescued, that was too bad. He was still going to do it.

  It was clear he needed help though, and he made his way to General Monash’s quarters, pressing the button to activate the chime. A moment later, the hydraulic door opened, and he faced Mac, Orix’s mate, as she held two babies in her arms. Without thought, he looked around for the third one, finding the little boy in Orix’s arms as the general joined his wife. The little girl he thought was Carmen reached for him from her mother’s arms, and he took her without thought. “I’m sorry to bother you so early, but I need your help.”

  Mac looked at her husband before looking at him. “Would you like me to leave the room?”

  Before Sash could answer, Orix shook his head. “There’s no need to leave.”

  Sash shrugged, not minding if she heard their discussion. He was certain Orix would have told her anyway afterward. “We have to get Jordan out of the palace. I need your help coming up with a plan.”

  The general froze for a moment, and then he let out a long sigh. “There’s already a plan in place, Sash.”

  He jerked, startled at the news. “What? What plan?”

  “Come sit down, and I’ll tell you everything.”

  Feeling bewildered, he followed the general and Mac into their quarters, taking a seat in an armchair as Carmen settled comfortably on his lap, deciding to play with his wrist communicator. He spent a moment to ensure it was locked down before letting the baby have at it. Idly, he noticed she had eyebrows, unlike her siblings or the typical full-blooded Dazon.

  The baby had been part of the original experiments Dr. Ha undertook without the Earth women’s permission, impregnating them with compatible Dazon DNA and creating the first hybrid babies. Unfortunately, there had been a high number of casualties among the Earth mothers, because Ha had implanted multiple embryos in each mother. The reminder of what a ruthless bastard Ha was hardened his resolve to get Jordan away from Aryk and the palace as soon as possible. “I need to know everything.”

  Orix nodded. “Jordan isn’t there to marry Aryk. She’s there to assassinate him. While she’s doing that, several small strike teams will infiltrate Dazonia Major, identifying and
taking out targets who wouldn’t accept Emperor Ysaak in place of Emperor Aryk. We want to ensure a coup, but there’s no point in following through with the assassinations from the strike teams unless Jordan takes out the emperor. She’s the only one who can get close enough with his paranoia and number of guards, at least close enough to do it discreetly.”

  Sash stiffened, shaking his head automatically. “No. It’s far too dangerous. If he realizes what she’s there for, he’ll kill her.” Or keep her locked up as his prisoner, at least until she could create an heir. The thought chilled him, and his stomach rolled with nausea. “Is Jordan aware of the plan?” It seemed like a stupid question as he uttered it, but he couldn’t believe she had voluntarily agreed to enter the lion’s den with the plan of assassinating the heavily guarded emperor.

  “Of course she is. She’s doing her job, and we’re going to do ours. I didn’t include you in the plan, because I figured you’d be needed here at the consulate, and I didn’t realize you had a personal stake in it.” His tone turned sympathetic. “Is Jordan your mate?”

  Sash nodded stiffly. “Yes, so you can see why I can’t let this happen.”

  Mac interrupted their discussion at that moment. “I agree with Sash. It’s far too dangerous.”

  Orix sighed, looking put-upon. “It is dangerous, but if Jordan can remove the emperor, Ysaak can take his place. We share the same goals as Ysaak, and there will be peace. That’s the most important thing to all of us, and Jordan recognizes that. She’s willing to die for it, if necessary, though we all hope it won’t come to that.”

  Anger surged through Sash, and he wanted to keep arguing, but he forced himself to take a deep breath and calm down. If he could remove emotion from the equation, he could see the logic in the plan. Had it been anyone but his mate who was supposed to kill the emperor, he would have fully supported the plan. He was certain she wouldn’t appreciate coddling, but he still wanted to rescue her.