Thanks to the onboard S-Gen unit, we were both fully dressed in newly generated battle armor. His, a dark black and brown camouflage pattern that matched the rest of the Coalition Fleet. Me? I was dressed in armor as well, but it was a deep, striking blue, the patterns designed to match the exact flow of colors on my Hive skin. Mak didn’t want me going into battle again without armor, and this way, I could still tempt the Nexus with exactly what was underneath. If he just skimmed me with those creepy dark eyes, he might not even notice that the blue curves were armored, and not natural flesh.
But then, what was natural to a monster?
“Gwen, my bite is deadly. There is no reason for me to do this.”
“Humor me.” I walked to him slowly and melted into his body, pressing my lips to the center of his chest because as tall as I was, that was all I could reach when he was wearing his boots. “Please? Pretty, pretty please with a cherry on top?”
His entire body shuddered and I knew I’d won. “I don’t know what a cherry is, but I’ll take some pussy on top later as payment instead.”
Laughing, I lifted the specimen tube to his mouth, trying not to show how much his dirty words affected me. “I’ll go cowgirl on you anytime you want, Mak.”
He grabbed my wrist as I was about to stab his fang into the end of the tube. “What is cowgirl?”
I grinned at him and made sure he could feel my free hand exploring the stone hard muscles of his ass. “You lay down on your back and I ride your cock.”
“Like that first time?”
“Yes.”
A growl rumbled from his chest. “Yes. As soon as we’re done with this mission.”
“I agree with that.”
“I will also require you to be cowgirl on my lips, mate. I will taste you again before you come, and I will do it with you straddling my face.”
“Deal.” As if I’d ever say no to having his wicked lips and tongue working on me.
I shoved his fang into the vial and waited a few seconds for the vacuum tube to do its job and the venom to drip into the bottom. When I had several drops of the pearly liquid, I pulled it away from him and swatted his ass as hard as I dared, then scampered out of reach to the analysis station. Loading his venom into one of the small ports, I found myself humming. Happy. About to go into battle with an evil that had been at war with the Coalition for centuries… and I was happy.
The data was immediate, the display clearly stating what Mak had said. His venom was poisonous. But, it also asked if I wished an antidote to be made and I quickly pushed the button for yes.
The ship could work on an antidote while we took care of a few small problems on the planet’s surface. And then? I’d take a dose, climb on his cock for that cowgirl ride and shove Mak’s fangs into my shoulder myself if I had to. He was mine. If he wasn’t leaving me, wasn’t heading home to Rogue 5 and Kronos, then he was going to claim me properly.
End. Of. Discussion.
Mak watched me, arms crossed, clearly not amused. But he didn’t try to stop me. That was one of the things I loved about him. He let me be me.
Once the machine was doing its thing, I turned to him with a smile, ran and jumped into his arms. He caught me, of course. I knew he would.
“Kiss me, Mak. Kiss me, and then let’s go kill monsters.”
“Whatever makes you happy, female.”
I smiled at him, stroked my hand down his rugged cheek. “You, Mak. You make me happy.”
He froze, staring into my eyes as if I’d shocked him. Before I could go all misty eyed, or start spouting I love you or other silly nonsense, I kissed him. Hard. Fast. With everything, telling him without words how much he meant to me. Because the truth was, I wasn’t sure I could beat Nexus 4. The Nexus units were powerful. Tricky. Evil. Completely without conscience or morals. Their minds were so strong, it had been a freaking miracle I’d escaped the first time. And now I was going back for more. Voluntarily.
But I was going to try. I was stronger now. A lot stronger. Plus, I had Mak.
I pulled back and turned away, heading for the cockpit and the co-pilot’s seat before he could say anything. I was a good pilot, but he was exceptional, and I wasn’t so proud that I couldn’t admit he was far better than I.
“Gwen.” His voice called to me, but I didn’t stop or turn around.
“Come on, Mak. We’ve only got fifteen minutes to get down there.” I didn’t want to hear words of love or devotion or the word mate right now. I needed to go into this battle with nothing to lose. I needed to focus my entire being on defeating Nexus 4.
I needed to protect Makarios.