Unbondable(Kindred Birthright #1) - Evangeline Anderson Page 0,51
his heart was pounding. He had a feeling—a strong feeling—that he needed to keep her near him. Raak didn’t know why and he didn’t question the certainty he felt—he was used to trusting his gut.
He was prepared to offer several reasons why she ought to stay with him for a while longer so he was relieved when she grinned at him and said,
“I’ll stick around for a while, if you don’t mind. I’ve never really been anywhere but the Mother Ship and Earth until now. And since I finally have my fangs taken care of, I’m ready for an adventure.”
“An adventure, huh? I think we can manage that, baby girl,” Raak told her. As for the fangs in question, he couldn’t help looking at her shining smile with regret. Her fangs had been beautiful—they gave her face character. Not to mention dishing out multiple orgasms when she sank them into his neck.
But it was selfish to feel that way, Raak told himself sternly. Just look at Kara—she was so much happier now. So much less tense. Shrinking the unruly fangs had clearly made her feel confident and relieved—it was wrong of him to wish for their return.
However, though Raak was able to push down his own sorrow at the loss of her lovely little fangs, he couldn’t quite quench the feeling of unease he felt when he thought of what Qi had said.
“Whatever is flowing outward will be forced to flow inward.”
Wasn’t that it? But what had Qi meant by it?
Should have asked, Raak thought, trying to keep his worry for Kara from showing on his face. Shouldn’t have just let her rush in and shrink them like that.
But she had been so eager—so happy. How could he deny her the very thing she’d been longing for, for years?
“…are we going?” Kara asked and Raak realized he’d zoned out, focusing on his worry instead of listening to the lovely little female speak.
“Where are we going? Well, I’ve always wanted to try trading on Yi’pisselon. It’s only a hop-skip-and a wormhole from Xephron Five,” he told her, picking up the thread of the conversation. “Yi’pisselon’s in a binary star system and the people there are binary too.”
“Binary?” Kara frowned. “What does that mean?”
“You’ll see.” He grinned at her. “Anyway, they’re known for producing some of the most exquisite artwork in the galaxy. Only problem is, Yi’pisselon is a closed planet. They don’t trade with outsiders at all.”
“They don’t?” Kara frowned. “Then how do you expect to get to trade with them?”
“I can’t…not by myself,” Raak told her. “But if you’re willing to help me, I think I have an idea…”
“What kind of idea?” she frowned. “Is it even legal?”
“Not quite,” Raak admitted. “Art from Yi’pisselon is extremely rare and outlawed in most other worlds because they don’t believe in fucking around with a closed planet. But I have some buyers lined up that will pay top-credit for anything I can bring them. If you help me make the deal, I’ll give you half,” he offered.
Kara nibbled her lower lip and he could see her thinking it over. She was a good girl who wasn’t used to breaking the law, but he could tell the situation appealed to her—not necessarily for the credit, though—more for the adventure.
“We won’t hurt them, will we? The Yi’pisselons, I mean? There must be a reason other planets don’t want to bother them.”
“They don’t want to mess up their culture,” Raak said. “But I have a way to trade with them without bothering them a bit. They won’t even know we’re there—even when we’re right under their noses.”
“Really?” Kara looked at him wide-eyed and he couldn’t help thinking how beautiful she was, even when she was indecisive. Gods, the little female had really gotten under his skin, somehow, hadn’t she?
“Really,” he promised her roughly. “I may be a soulless bastard, baby girl, but I don’t go around hurting other people for the hell of it. I can get us in and out of Yi’pisselon without anybody even knowing we’re there.”
He could see on her face the moment she decided to trust him and for some reason it made his heart squeeze like a fist.
“Well,” she said at last. “All right—what do I have to do?”
“I thought you’d never ask, baby girl,” Raak said, grinning at her again. “Let me show you…”
Twenty-Three
“Are you sure this is going to work?” Kara asked doubtfully, looking at the leather harness Raak had gotten his replicator to cobble together.