Page 41 of Sway’s Peace (Delivery Service #2)

“Thank you.” His lips hovered over hers, hesitating a moment before saying, “You should know, my father won’t know me by the name Sway. That’s the name I use now because I can’t use the name I was born with any longer.”

Her eyes parted again, focusing back on his face. This close, he could see the dark lines through the gray rings of her irises, and they were lovely. “What will your father call you?”

He hesitated again, just because he didn't want to say it. The echoes of his past, the screams of his victims, hated hearing that name. “Eefwan. My parents named me Eefwan.”

“I see.” She looked him over carefully. “And what do you prefer I call you?”

“Sway.” He didn't hesitate at all this time. “Eefwan is a name I have no more attachment to. And it’s a name I can’t legally go by any longer. All my crimes are attached to that name. I just thought you should know before…”

His voice trailed off, unable to finish the sentence, but she nodded in understanding. “We’ll take it slow. We’ll check out the colony first. And if you change your mind at any time and want to bail, before or after you meet him, I’m with you.”

Warmth rushed through him at her reassurance. His tail feathers still didn't spread, but his crest was straining at his scalp as it tried to rise with pleasure. The stretch was nice after a lifetime of caution and guilt keeping it down.

But the warmth of relief quickly transformed. It ran through his body before focusing into a heat in his lower belly, becoming a steady, throbbing burn that made him long to hold Grace closer. To press her body against his, to kiss and caress and squeeze her until she was singing for him.

It was a foreign desire. And maybe it was because he’d never experienced it before, but the feelings were heady, dizzying. All the more powerful for being unknown. The fires of lust were scorching him from the inside out, changing him in a way he was eager to embrace.

Sway’s pressed his cheek against hers, his spine arched over to get him closer to her. Their bodies were moving together. A soft swaying that was only serving to bring them closer together as his lips neared hers.

He wanted to kiss her. To taste her. To hold her. The sheer strength of the urge itself was what made him hesitate. He didn't want to overwhelm her. To frighten her with the power of his need.

But when she turned her head, seeking his kiss, he was helpless but to give into her.

It started so gentle. So sweet. Just a brush of her lips over his.

But it shocked through his nervous system like raw electricity.

Sway grabbed onto her with both hands, one to the back of her head, one to her lower spine, pushing her into him.

Taking immediate control of the kiss she started.

The warm softness of her lips, the subtle curves of her body, the way she arched her back up, her arms wrapping around his neck, only made him want more.

The warmth of her. The pressure. The heat burning through his veins was remaking him. Searing away everything he thought he knew, and awakening things he never imagined before.

Her tongue darted out, tapping against his lower lip. Requesting entrance so sweetly. An action that he’d once considered gross, invasive even, whenever his previous partners forced it on him, was suddenly enticing and exciting.

Just the simple change of it being Grace, of him wanting that closeness with her, made it not only bearable to entwine his tongue with hers, but sensual. Sexual in a way that it had never been. A disgusting chore suddenly turned into thrilling closeness.

It only made him hold her tighter. Exploring this new act with her. The taste of her, the harmony of her body moving with his, the heat in his groin as his cock threatened to extrude. It was an overwhelming riot of sensations that were sweeping him up in a storm he was afraid might break him.

But he longed for that destruction. He yearned for it to unmake him, so he could put himself back together in Grace’s name. For her pleasure. Just for her.

He-

The door chimed, alerting him that someone was requesting entry. He tore his lips from Grace, glaring at the offending door. Genuinely considering for a moment assaulting whoever was on the other side that dared to interrupt them.

But then he realized that his thoughts turned violent again, and he quickly cut that line of thinking off. He was not a violent person. Whoever it was probably had a reason to chime. It might even be important.

It better be important.

With obvious reluctance, he pulled himself from Grace’s arms and went to answer the chime. When the door opened, he was rather surprised to see Loyalty on the other side.

Aside from trips to the galley, Loyalty rarely left the guest room.

Goldie had given it up without complaint, sleeping in the medbay where she now lived and worked like she was used to such a thing.

Perhaps because he didn't want to bother anyone, Loyalty kept to himself and didn't wander around. Considering how most people reacted to his kind, Sway wouldn’t be surprised if he just didn't want to give the others a chance to be afraid of him.

The 108’s nostrils flared slightly, no doubt scenting their arousal. Sway had to, again, suppress the immediate urge to punch him directly on the muzzle for daring to smell Grace’s desire.

“Can I talk to you?” Loyalty asked. To Sway’s surprise, he was looking at him, not Grace.

He was highly tempted to deny him. Or send him away to speak to him later. But the look on his face was surprisingly serious.

After a moment, Sway stepped to the side, letting him come in. Grace smiled, waving at the other male. Her lips were puffy, her cheeks red, from his attentions. Sway rather thought she looked even prettier that way. And he liked even less that Loyalty was seeing it.

“I hear we’re lingering around the Song of Retrieval,” Loyalty said immediately, not even pausing to think about Grace or how pretty she looked. He turned to face Sway with his arms crossed over his chest.

Sway nodded once. “We are.”

“Any reason in particular?”

Unlike Grace, Sway didn't really want to divulge his past to this male. So, he just said, “We’re meeting someone there. Don’t worry, the captain won’t charge you for those extra days since it was an unforeseen stop.”

“That’s not my problem.” Loyalty shook his head. “I don’t really care how much I’m charged. How much do you know about that Song?”

Sway shared a quick glance with Grace. He only needed to share a silent moment with her for her to understand and smile. He could practically see the change come over her. He heard it in her voice when she talked. The professional came out in her, stepping in to take control just as he asked.

His female stepped forward, giving Loyalty a curious look. “Do you know something about them?”

“I’ve… met them before,” he said, his voice cautious but carefully neutral. “They are a well-known group in their circles. I know some people have come to them to hunt down specific family members. They’re a pretty large operation and they have good funding and resources.”

“So it seems,” Sway said, his tone pleasant, not giving away any of his inner thoughts.

“How did you meet them?” Grace asked for him. “Have you been to their colony before?”

“No. I told you that the male who gave me this body lost his mate and youngling,” he explained gently, his expression sad.

“I felt awful for him. They were attacked by pirates, and he didn't know if they’d been taken or killed.

He worked with the Song of Retrieval to find them.

This was before I met him. When he heard they died, he only cared about revenge.

A revenge that I funded with the promise that I would get his body after he succeeded.

“I met a few members of the Song during the last stages of his revenge. They were following him to see if they could recover anyone else from the pirates. They, er, did not really approve of the agreement I had with him. But they couldn’t rightfully stop it.

Coalition law allows me to claim a body if the previous owner agrees to let me have it upon their death. ”

“What were they like? The Song, I mean,” Grace asked. Sway was glad she did. He wanted to know, but part of him didn't actually want to voice the question.

Loyalty was hesitant to answer. And when he finally did, his voice was slow, his tone careful.

“They were kind. To the victims they retrieved. They didn't like me at all. Or the ratchi who owned this body. Or even the domini guards they kept with them. They are strict pacifists, and while they employ the domini to protect them, they don’t actually approve of what they do.”

Grace made a face. “That’s a bit hypocritical.”

“It’s not that unusual for farasie. They don’t really like being out in the wider universe because every other species is more comfortable with violence than themselves.

And while they will employ bodyguards and others to protect them, there is very much a sense of…

disapproval. Or maybe superiority is a better word. ”

“Why are you telling us this?” Sway asked.

“You’re from Rik-Vane, right?” Loyalty cocked his head at him. Sway hadn’t told him that. His eyes darted to Grace who flinched apologetically.

“I’m sorry,” she grimaced, looking at him guiltily. “I told him. I shouldn’t have without asking-”

“It’s fine,” Sway said, not that concerned about Loyalty knowing his origins. He faced the 108 male again. “Why does it matter?”

“I imagine that you’re not unfamiliar with violence,” Loyalty said, still speaking in that cautious, neutral tone.

“I’m reclaiming my pacifism,” he said, taking Grace’s word.

“Okay.” Loyalty didn't seem that impressed.

He looked at Sway for a long moment, his expression completely unreadable.

Sway frowned back at him, unable to figure out what he was thinking.

Before he got a chance to ask, however, Loyalty said suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, “I want to go down with you.”

“What?”

“To the colony planet. I want to go as well.”

“Why?”

“Is there any reason I shouldn’t go? I’m paying for my passage on this ship, and if we’re getting station leave, or colony leave I suppose, I’d like to enjoy it too.” Loyalty’s tone was flippant, like he might really not have a deeper reason than that.

But that was the exact tone he used when he offered to help Grace during the Covor situation. Falsely casual, almost totally nonchalant, but still steely with determination.

Did he want to go down there because Grace was going? She wasn’t going to be in danger on a colony filled with farasie. It was, honestly, probably the safest place she could find herself outside of the farasie home planet. So, that didn’t really make sense.

However, Sway couldn’t tell him not to come. He couldn’t control Loyalty. He had as much of a right to go to the colony as any of them.

“You know you don’t have to leave the ship,” Sway said. “We really aren’t going to charge you for these extra days. We’re staying because of me, not anything you did.”

Loyalty gave him a warm look. “You know, for a group of thugs from Rik-Vane, you lot are honorable males.”

“We really aren’t,” Sway frowned. “It’s just not a matter worth arguing over.”

“You don’t think you’re honorable?”

“Most certainly not.”

Loyalty chuckled. “I suppose we can disagree on that. So, I take it then that you won’t mind if I follow you?”

Sway was still confused about his intentions, but the truth was-

“No, I don’t.”

“Great.” He turned, tipping his muzzle to Grace. “I’ll take care of you two while you’re down there.”

Grace chuckled like she thought he was silly. No doubt, she had the same thought about the safety of a farasie colony as himself. Still, she was polite and genuine when she said, “Thanks, Loyalty.”

Sway didn’t need to be taken care of. Unlike her, he was rather annoyed at the reassurance.

It made it sound like he needed to rely on Loyalty, and he didn’t want that.

Doing so would make him indebted to him, and he didn’t like to owe things to others.

Part of the benefit of their crew was that they could do things like look out for each other without racking up a debt.

But before he could argue, Loyalty was leaving the room, looking mighty pleased with himself.

“What was with that?” Sway asked, confused as he stared at the door that had closed behind him.

Grace, giggling, took his hand. “I think he was worried about you.”

“Me? I think he meant you.”

Grace shook her head. “He asked to follow you , Sway. I think you have another friend.”

The look he shot her must have been hilarious, because she burst into laughter. Though he couldn’t imagine why that would be funny, he couldn’t be disgruntled. Not when the music of her joy was floating through the air. That was a sound he could listen to forever, even if it came at his expense.