To Catch A Warrior [Unearthly World Book 5] Read online

  A huge inhale of breath and she stopped howling. Her hands went to her throat and she began to turn blue. Shit she’s choking. Titus grabbed her and flipped her over, locking his hands around her ankles. He shook her. When that didn’t work he wrapped an arm around her waist and struck her on the back between her shoulder blades. Food went flying and she gasped for air. Zabbie slumped in his arms.

  “You hurt me,” she whimpered.

  “You were choking to death.”

  Titus gripped her under her arms and lifted her to his height to examine her. He had never gazed at a more pitiful-looking being. Her cheeks were wet from her tears; her gaze was filled with sadness.

  “My back hurts.”

  “I suppose it does. I had to strike you to get the food dislodged. I didn’t mean to hit so hard. Let me look.”

  Titus set her on her feet and turned her. He lifted her shirt and winced. The blow left his handprint.

  “Why are all aliens so cruel?” she whispered.

  “You were choking.”

  “You gave me food and took it away.”

  “You were eating too fast. I thought you would—choke.”

  When he released her, she slumped to her knees. Her back was still exposed. She was no longer sobbing; she crouched in a ball and rocked. Titus wanted to rip his hair out. A Zargonnii female would be trying to beat him senseless. He was reminded his species and humans were different in the extreme. Everything was opposite. Titus got an idea.

  He crouched down and rubbed the red mark as gently as he was capable. She mentioned she craved another’s touch. She was warm and soft. She shivered. The door to the vessel had closed and Titus dropped his battle mode. He wasn’t much smaller when he changed, his hair stopped its wild motion, his fingers no longer sported long black claws. Her flesh was a magnet. Titus felt the urge to Holiday as he stroked her back and moved to the curve of her ass. A Zargonnii female would never let a male do this.

  She smelled of compliance, the scent was intoxicating. Normally Titus battled with a Zargonnii female for hours before they lay submissive. Zabbie’s acceptance of his touch while she remained unmoving began to drive him crazy. His hand shook. Her skin was softer than any material Titus had ever felt. The tunic she wore was bulky and slipped exposing the curve of a milky breast. His fingers traced the side of her breast enjoying the firm softness. Warriors who mated a human female told Titus humans were unlike any female he would ever encounter. This tiny thing was having a huge impact.

  “Are you going to take me to your planet?” Her voice was a mere whisper.

  “Yes.”

  “Will I be a sex slave?”

  “No.”

  Zabbie uncurled from her position. Titus continued to rub his hand gently over her skin. The tunic slipped covering her upper half and he was disappointed. Huge green eyes gazed deeply into his. Something about her vulnerability drew him closer. Her need of kindness, a touch, was unmistakable.

  “I’ve been alone for a long time. I wanted to see someone so much. I’ve dreamed of contact, a simple warm touch, a hug. Anything. I can’t be alone anymore.”

  Titus could see the invitation written all over her, her gaze filled with such longing. How fast her mood changes. He was moved to look deeper. Drawn into their emerald depths, holding him until his thoughts changed. Underlying sadness made his feelings turn to another lost, lone soul.

  “I lost a female human I was responsible for. I don’t deserve another.”

  “How did you lose her?”

  “My ship encountered the enemy. We were boarded by a Gorgano who killed a female. We were being struck from all sides; it was anarchy. Tonans were firing on us. My vessel was damaged to the point of no return, we had to abandon ship. There were two shuttles left. Bertha, a female I was in charge of protecting, and I were the last to leave. I am the commander of the southern Zargonnii. It’s my job to be last off the ship, but I should have sent someone to her sooner. She was so afraid of my warriors I didn’t think she would follow anyone else.

  “I put her in the better shuttle, but both vessels were battered. Each shuttle could only carry one passenger in that state. I had little time to punch in the location of my planet. I sent her off. The vessel should have taken her to my home where she would be safe. She’s nowhere to be found. This planet was my last hope. I’ve searched everywhere. I failed her.”

  “So you took the weaker vessel trying to give her the best chance? And have been searching since?”

  “Yes. There isn’t another planet I can think of or another worm hole to explore. If her shuttle went into a black hole it could be in an alternate universe. I’d have no hope of finding her.”

  “You flew into a sun with the possibility you would die, for her?”

  “Yes.”

  “You have a high sense of honor.”

  “Thank you.

  “And integrity.”

  “Thank you again.”

  “Too bad you’re filled with all kinds of stupid.”

  “Excuse me.”

  “She’s gone. Get over it. Get on with your life. At least what’s left of it. I’ve been alone for too long. So much time to think. I swore if I ever got to live again, I’d take chances. Do you know for certain this craft will make it out of here?”

  “No.”

  “You haven’t stopped rubbing my skin.”

  She was right. “A male Zargonnii is a very powerful warrior.”

  Zabbie chuckled. “I don’t want to fight you. I want to have sex with you. I know we just met. I almost choked to death. Fire creeps closer every second and this shuttle may not make it through the flames. To be touched again is something I dreamed of. It’s why I’m not pulling away.”

  “I’m a very dominant male.”

  “Good. I want to feel every touch as though it will be my last—it might be.”

  Chapter 3

  Zabbie reached to touch his hair. Thick strands slipped through her fingers. “What’s your name?”

  “Titus.”

  “Your eyes feel as though heat radiates from them.”

  “I could incinerate you.”

  “I’m guessing most of your kind’s foreplay doesn’t involve speaking.”

  “What humans consider foreplay my kind do things a little differently. Our females don’t speak the same language as the males, but we figure out what goes where when we need to,” Titus said.

  “Why do you look different than before? Not really smaller but not as scary.”

  Zabbie caught one of his hands to examine his fingers. He had the largest hands she had ever seen. His fingernails were black but not as long as they first appeared. His chest was covered in thick white fur with a ten pack oval bald shape on his belly tapering back to fur disappearing into his pants. His back was void of hair. There were spaces between each jagged tooth when there hadn’t been before. His skin-hugging black pants showed every bulge and muscle. He was a feast for hungry eyes when she had been so alone.

  “If you and I have sex I will claim you,” Titus said.

  “Won’t really matter if we die.”

  “If we live?”

  “I don’t want to talk about claiming, or your planet, or anything. I want to feel alive again before I die. Please?”

  “I’m a leader and a warrior.”

  To Zabbie it sounded like a worried threat. His honor held him back. She would have none of that. Too long she survived, no more. Death was a hairsbreadth while the fire moved in on her, traveling inches each and every day. Afraid she was dreaming, or fantasizing, she needed something to hold onto. She took his hand and kissed his bare palm, there was very little furry hair on the backs of his hands, like a big ass human man’s hands. She licked his skin, then settled his fingers onto the top of her chest. Each pad pressed against her.

  For a second he looked undecided. Titus said their kind battled during a Holiday she knew meant sex; there was no way in hell she’d get anywhere battling him. A little rough foreplay might entic
e him. Zabbie dipped her head and nipped each of his knuckles. She took his middle finger into her mouth and sucked hard while the pads of his other four pushed to indent her clothes.

  A growl began in his throat and she knew she had his attention. She drew her mouth off him as slowly as possible before hooking that third finger into the top of her shirt. Titus pulled in a careful way against the material, he then took the top of her shirt collar in one hand and made a fist, Zabbie braced herself. He ripped the shirt straight down. Zabbie’s breasts were free. It had been a while since she’d seen them. It was too cold on the planet to really wash much but her face and hands. If Titus was repulsed he didn’t say anything. They faced each other on their knees.

  “I’ll do my best not to battle mode but won’t make any promises,” Titus said. His voice was gruff.

  “Is that when you grow bigger?”

  “Yes.”

  He lifted both of his hands to cup each breast. Zabbie could see the pulse at his throat beating. The pads of his thumbs caressed her nipples. He smiled when they hardened, seeming bemused.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Our females only have breasts when they nurse; it’s a vague recollection from when I was a babe. We Zargonnii have impeccable memories. When we Holiday, the females have no breasts, no vulnerability. I was told a human females nipples would harden when touched.”

  “What else were you told?”

  “I was told human females will agree to almost anything.”

  “I’ll agree to anything. Everything you want.”

  Titus grabbed her around the waist making her gasp and he ripped her pants and furry boots from her. She wasn’t certain when he removed his pants but he was as naked as she. He drew in a deep breath and pushed her to the floor. She wasn’t hurt, he controlled his actions. Zabbie lay back on the hard floor, knees bent, hands at her sides. Titus rose to stand over her. She shivered when his bare belly stretched out to expand making him taller. His fingernails grew into short sharp looking daggers. His teeth grew to fill in the small gaps between his teeth. Red eyes blazed, warming her entire body making her squirm in delight. His massive cock was ramrod straight and huge. A warrior stood ready. When he threw back his head and roared, Zabbie closed her eyes not knowing what to expect.

  The room filled with deep breathing and when Zabbie chanced a glance she could see Titus, fists clenched, battling to breathe and control his emotions. She wondered if he would rip her apart and didn’t care. Ripped apart or burned to death, what did it matter? It did matter. She needed closeness before she died. Titus remained where he stood and Zabbie didn’t think he’d changed his mind. She wondered if he was wondering where to begin, there was no battle, just sex. An entire part of his mating ritual was gone. Zabbie crept to her knees and ran her hands up over his solid calves. She could feel every muscle straining beneath her fingers. His thighs, sculpted trunks, were warm to the touch. Zabbie cupped his balls and felt their weight.

  “Female, be careful.”

  “I won’t hurt you.”

  “Trust me, that’s not what I meant.”

  Zabbie figured it wasn’t. Both hands were needed to grip his erection to bring it to her mouth. Titus had the most perfect cock she had ever seen, sleek and smooth with the perfect head. Long and thick enough to make her shiver but not so big she would dread him inside her. She ran her fingers teasingly up and down his length before taking and licking his tip. Titus growled a warning she ignored. Opening her mouth as wide as she could, Zabbie pushed forward drawing him in deep. Titus tried to grab her hair but his hands were too big for her tiny tuffs. His hand spanned the back of her head while he thrust his hips forward.

  “No female has ever done this to me,” he growl grunted in his strange language.

  His exuberance should have sounded a warning. She wasn’t aware he’d never had this done to him, how could she? The idea turned her on until she realized she had a bull by the horns and he was a wild one.

  Zabbie tried to control the amount going past her lips. Titus gripped both her wrists in one hand pulling them high in the air above his waist while keeping a tight hold on her head. She had never heard anything male snarl and growl so low in their throat. It was almost unnerving. She was trapped. Zabbie pulled against him but he was controlling their movements. He controlled how much she took. She panicked unable to breathe until he pulled out, she gasped in air and he slid back in. His thrusts were deep but not extreme. Every few seconds he stopped to let her catch her breath. He was awakening every sense in her being, her pulse flip-flopped, her heart hammered. This was exactly what she wanted. Zabbie felt the moistness between her legs. His taste was better than the purple fruit she adored.

  Titus pulled from her mouth, gripped her under her chin and yanked her to her feet. The wall he pinned her against was warm and hard. Zabbie was ready for him. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her hands buried in the short furry hair on his chest. Most of his broad arms were bare except for four strips of white down his forearms. He had gained control and his wild hair no longer flew. The fingers digging into her flesh weren’t razor sharp.

  “Can you take all of me?” he asked.

  “I guess we’ll find out,” she said her words a mere pant.

  There was enough space between them for Zabbie to look down and watch as he entered her. Back and forth he rocked closing the gap between them until Zabbie pressed her head against the wall fighting for breath. His strokes were slow, controlled testing her depth until his hips ground against her.

  “Good,” he said on a soft growl.

  Titus pinned her to the wall. He gripped her wrists into a hand and pinioned them high over her head. Zabbie screamed when he pulled out and thrust his entire length into her heat. His growling and grunting grew louder as he pounded into her making her body bounce against the wall until he pressed more weight into her. Zabbie couldn’t move, couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. Never in her life had she been taken so powerfully. She wanted more.

  “On top,” she panted. “I want you on top of me.”

  “I will dominate you.”

  “Holy shit, you already have, trust me.”

  With a growl Titus spun them to the floor. He changed into battle mode. His hammering thrusts were hard to keep pace with. Zabbie knew she was ruined for any other male. If she lived, she wanted Titus. Her entire body curled into him demanding more. She bit any bare flesh her teeth came into contact with. Each bite was met with another thrust until she lay still, too exhausted to move.

  “My female,” he said on a growl.

  Titus pulled out and flipped her onto her belly. He smacked her ass when he lifted her high. She yelped. Her arms were pulled behind her back and held tight when he thrust into her hard. Zabbie could only moan and whimper. Her legs already aching from being wrapped around him so tight were now quivering jelly beneath her. He had her thigh in his hand pulling her as close as possible. With every inch buried inside of her Titus slapped his hips against her without removing more than a few inches.

  Zabbie screamed when she came. The sound ripped from her guts as though Titus dominated her emotions. He ground against her making her whimper and come again. He pulled from her slowly then thrust again. Pulled and thrust. Her legs were shaking, her body a trembling mass. When he collapsed on top of her, he breathed into her ear.

  “Give me a moment, female. We will begin again soon.”

  “Titus, let me rest.”

  “No. The fire wall is moving closer. I see it out the window. I want you once more before we fly out of here and into the sun’s heat. I’ve never wanted any female more than I want you, and a warrior takes what’s his. I meant what I said, Zabbie, you are my female.”

  Titus flipped her onto her back. He dropped battle mode, dipped his head and made a meal of her breasts. Zabbie had melons he devoured. Full blue warm lips nipped at her flesh making her wiggle. A finger slipped into her heat. A large finger that pumped quickly. Power was her blanket. If she were
to die this second, she would die happy.

  Zabbie could feel his cock pressed against her harden. Her breasts throbbing, he climbed back up her body and thrust into her after removing his finger. He went slower, savoring her. His breaths were deep, his growls guttural. A soothing tone from within his throat began. Zabbie loved the noise. The tone was crooning, hypnotic, gentle. She was cradled against his chest. Zabbie wasn’t sure if she liked the frantic pace or this one of leisure.

  “If we die, I won’t say I’m sorry,” Titus said. “I wanted a mate.”

  “A mate?”

  “My kind don’t mate,” his breath was slow and even.

  “But you said…”

  “My kind don’t mate with each other. It would be disastrous. I understand the fascination with human females now. You feel intoxicating, so much so, I wonder who has dominated whom. And I don’t give a shit, either way it’s euphoric.”

  He continued to thrust and retreat while she cuddled into him. His voice was deep, strong, and made her realize how much she missed hearing another speak.

  “My kind fight for dominance. I feel no need to battle.” The wonder in his tone bemused her.

  He slipped from her when he moved lower to gaze into her eyes. She was pinned with his intensity.

  “I won’t lose you. If we die, it will be together,” he said.

  Zabbie sensed a sadness in his tone. “Did you love her, Bertha?”

  “No. She was my responsibility. I never wanted to mate her.”

  “I’m not your responsibility. I’m not sure what you mean by mated. But thank you for coming here. My worst fear was dying alone. I’m not alone and that means everything to me. I’m not worried about the fire anymore. I stopped worrying the moment you entered me. Funny, the fire was all I thought about, wishing it would stay away, now I don’t care.”

  When Titus moved higher and lay still she shoved at his chest. He was heavy.