Page 347 of Gladiators of the Vagabond Boxset

Meena

Jakar was struggling hard. I could see it on his face, the spots going white as snow from shock and despair.

This was his worst nightmare come true; I knew that without having been told what he’d experienced.

I’d felt that thing around my neck for two days, but Jakar’s throat was scarred from wearing one so long.

They hadn’t put one on me, maybe because they hadn’t expected the extra captive.

They had to think he was the biggest threat they needed to control.

Didn’t matter; they’d made a mistake. I was going to fix this, just like I had last time.

I felt the determination settle on me like a mantle, making me feel bigger than I really was.

Now, I wasn’t just protecting myself, I was protecting him.

That made anything I was going to have to do worthwhile.

It was crazy to realize just how much he’d come to mean to me already, but seeing this panic—this fear—on his always-so-cheerful face struck me right in the heart.

I never wanted to see that again. I wanted my optimistic, happy-go-lucky Jakar back, and right now, it was up to me to make that happen. I knew what I had to do.

First, I needed to distract him—to get him out of his head.

He’d done it for me, even if I hadn’t realized it at the time: his flirting, the gifts he’d left me each day on the Vagabond.

That had drawn me out of the mess in my head and helped me focus on the here and now.

Once I got him to focus, we’d make our move to get out of here.

There had to be a way. And surely, his friends were looking for us too.

Maybe they would manage to get us off this damn planet.

Touch had helped ground me when I’d felt panic clawing at me inside that hoverbike trailer; it had been far too much like the even smaller box I’d been transported in on that space station. If Jakar hadn’t been with me, I probably would have started screaming.

Reaching up, I cupped his face with both hands, shifting to my knees so I could straddle his lap.

“Jakar, listen to me. We’ll get out of here.

This is temporary! You can do it, just focus on me.

” His eyes met mine, golden-yellow orbs filled with anguish that tore at my heart so fiercely that it physically hurt.

Racking my brain for the best thing to say to get him out of his head, I murmured about being unhurt myself, about his friends looking for us. I tried to tell him how much I loved his gifts, but nothing truly seemed to penetrate whatever deep hellhole in his brain he’d gotten sucked into.

I made a decision then and there; utterly crazy as it felt to make that choice so soon. Jakar needed me; he was my mission now, and I wasn’t going to let him down. Not ever. And once someone from the Kocchar family set their mind to something, we never let up until we’d succeeded.

“Jakar, your mate is safe. I’m right here. Come on, we’ve got to get out of here so we can make pretty four-armed babies. You want that, don’t you? I think we should do it in your greenhouse. Wouldn’t that be lovely?” I said, turning my voice sultry in the hopes of reaching him that way.

There was a flicker in his eyes then, progress.

Emboldened, I pulled him down until I could reach his mouth, kissing him with all that I had, his mouth cool against mine, cold sweat beading along the back of his neck.

“Oh…” he sighed, and then he was kissing me back—eager, like always—hands curling around my back to press me close, his tongue invading my mouth, pressing against my tongue, tangling, pulling, and retreating. “Yes, my mate,” he groaned.

He’d heard that, huh? I couldn’t help but grin, a rush of warmth filling my chest. Of course he did, and I just knew that he wouldn’t let me forget it, either. Well, bring it. We’d figure this thing out between us once we were safely back on the Vagabond, I wasn’t accepting any other outcome.

One hand cupped my ass to grind me into his thickening cock, and I shivered with a sudden spike of pleasure. Really? Right now? I shouldn’t be surprised—I had started this, after all—but this wasn’t the time or the place.

“Let me, please,” he said against my throat, his mouth lavishing kisses on any portion of my exposed skin.

I couldn’t help but shimmy against him again, brushing my breasts against his chest, my passage already weeping for him.

Fine, he’d get what he wanted, who cared if anyone saw?

Let them; they couldn’t take this from us.

I yanked my shirt over my head and brushed my hands over his chest in the places he wasn’t injured.

In return, he eagerly cupped my breasts, leaning in to suck one nipple into his mouth.

Then we were suddenly moving, my body up in his arms, my back pressed against the wall.

It was a little clumsy, extremely urgent, but perfect.

My leggings dangled from one leg, too impatient to take them off all the way.

Jakar didn’t even undress—he just freed his erection from his pants and lined us up.

He pierced me easily, and when he bottomed out, the tendrils at the base of his cock eagerly stroked along my clit.

“All right?” he panted, but he couldn’t seem to contain himself enough to wait for an answer, his hips retreating and pushing back in.

My nerve endings lit on fire in response, each ridge along his cockhead scraping deliciously along my insides.

“Yes!” I nearly shouted, only just remembering to muffle the eager noise against his unharmed shoulder.

“I need this too, please.” I didn’t want to think it, didn’t want to dwell on the possibilities, but if we didn’t escape soon, this could be the last time we had together.

I squeezed my eyes shut, blocking out the gloomy surroundings of this prison cell, imagining that we were back in that safe little hollow in the giant tree.

Or in the hydroponics bay on the Vagabond, Jakar’s domain.

Pistoning into me, all I could do was hang on for the ride, knowing I was safe in his arms, and let the sensations wash over me.

One hand was on my ass, pinning me against the wall so he could fuck me.

Another cradled the back of my head, tenderly shielding it from the metal panels I was pressed against. The other two roamed my body, tweaking my nipples, stroking my sides.

It felt like he was everywhere all at once.

I wanted this to be as good for him as it was for me, so I focused on fluttering my inner muscles around his invading member, squeezing him tightly and pulling him into my body.

It felt good, and it felt even better to clutch my fingers in his silky curls and kiss him, connected to him in every way I could think of.

When my orgasm crested, it was frantic and quick, my body clamping down on Jakar’s so fiercely that he growled in response. His cock twitched, growing even larger, and I felt his seed wash my insides as he came with me. Our bodies clung together long afterward as we both tried to catch our breath.

Yeah, I wasn’t the Meena from Earth anymore. She would have cared about a possible audience, about protection, or about whether this was too soon in a relationship. I was changed, but I was starting to think that wasn’t a bad thing.