Warlord's Mercy - Cynthia Sax Page 0,11

shoulder, strapping that arm over her collarbone, holding her to him. His other hand remained on the gun.

The heat from his big form coiled around her, both soothing and worrying her. He was alive, was with her, but his temperature was too high to be healthy.

“That blonde cunt lasted longer than I expected.”

“That blonde cunt was Flor, my friend.” Lea trembled with anger, with fear, with grief.

Tolui rumbled, the sound low and deep, and he mouthed over her neck.

That unexpected touch added another emotion to the mix—desire. His lips on her skin enflamed her passions and distracted her from the horrible conversation.

The males exchanged jibes, talking about cock sizes and females they’d abused in the past. Her Warlord male skimmed his teeth over her neck, up and down, up and down.

She moaned softly, lost in his rough touch.

An engine roared, breaking the trance he’d placed on her.

“Fuck. That’s a Chamele ship.” Daisun yelled that warning to his males. The Palavian wasn’t so brave when faced with prospect of confronting one of those warriors. “We gotta go.”

Bootheels hit sand. The noises faded until she no longer heard them.

Daisun and his brutes were gone. She slumped against Tolui. “We’re safe…for now.”

“Chameles.” Her Warlord retained his hold on the gun.

“They won’t locate us.” She wasn’t worried about that slim possibility. “The rock blocks their lifeform scans, and they don’t know the terrain like I do.”

The male grunted. He didn’t sound convinced.

“Trust me, Warlord.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ve survived on their hunting planet for solar cycles.”

He sighed heavily. “Setting. On shoot.” Her Warlord slid the lever on her weapon to its original position. His fingers shook.

She holstered the gun and turned to face him. His skin was flushed. She touched his cheeks. “You’re burning up.”

“Healing.” He folded over her, almost toppling both of them. “Rest.”

“We can’t rest here.” She jostled him as she retrieved the medic pack. That was needed immediately. She would recover the other pack later. “They might return, might enter the tunnels.”

She had to relocate the Warlord to a safer location.

“Come with me.” She wrapped her arms around Tolui’s large form and moved with him deeper into the underground space.

Polished non-corrosive metal attached to the walls acted as mirrors, reflecting the sun’s rays. The ancient lighting system illuminated the narrow space.

“These were erected by some of the first Chameles.” Or so Har, her selling partner in the garment fabrication venture, had told her.

Where he got that information, she didn’t know.

“Their descendants relocated to the other planets once travel between them became possible. I have no idea why they did that.” It wouldn’t have been a choice she’d make. “Chamele 4 is the best planet.”

Tolui huffed.

“It is the best planet.” She defended her home. “Most beings don’t understand how beautiful it is. I’m the only being who knows about this part of the tunnels, for example.” She led him through them. “Though I guess you know about them now, too.” She smiled at her Warlord.

His head was bowed.

Her secrets were safe with him. He wasn’t seeing anything other than the stone floor.

“To reach my chambers, we have to turn right three times, left twice, right four more times, and then take another left.” She relayed the verbal directions as they navigated the labyrinth. “There are chambers situated closer to the entrance, but those would be the first ones accessed by anyone. I thought, if they were empty, the beings might give up their search and not discover mine.”

They entered a small chamber.

The path leading from it consisted of stones spaced at different intervals from each other. The rest of the floor was covered with pieces of sharp-edged debris.

“This is my alarm system.” She waved at the simple trap. “It takes skill to cross it. If any invaders are unsuccessful, their cries should give me some warning.”

She looked at Tolui. His eyes were bleary. Sweat beaded on his high forehead, cheeks. He shuffled, not lifting his booted feet. If she released him, she suspected he would fall.

“You won’t be able to cross it.” She shook her head.

The male couldn’t hop from stone to stone, not without injuring himself.

“That’s okay.” She summoned a smile. “We can rest here.” It wasn’t optimal, but it would be safe for now, and with some effort, she could make it comfortable for them.

“Yes.” Tolui sat with a thump on the hard stone floor, not offering a protest, not waiting for additional instructions. “Rest.” He reclined, closing his eyes.

Fear skittered over her form. “Rest temporarily, not permanently.” She