Drak. Vek felt his legs go weak at the thought. Gently, he sank a finger inside her.

  “Yes, Vek.”

  She was so warm, so tight.

  “Harder.”

  He slid his finger out and back in, giving her what she wanted. He couldn’t take his gaze off her. She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. He stroked her with his other hand, his fingers brushing over a small nub nestled at the top of her folds.

  “Oh!” She arched up. “Right there.”

  “Here?” He rubbed it again.

  “Yes!” She was panting. “That’s my clit. It gives me pleasure.”

  He rubbed it again, in slippery little circles. She was writhing against his hand now.

  “Mia, can I…?” He wasn’t exactly sure what he was asking.

  “Taste me, Vek.” Her eyes glittered. “Put your mouth on me.”

  Yes. That was exactly what he wanted. He lowered his head and growled. Then he licked her, from the top, all the way to the bottom, and back again. The wild, mewling sounds she made drove him on. He slid his hands under her curvy buttocks and lifted her up to his mouth.

  Mia threw her head back, her body twitching as he lapped at her. He was so hungry.

  “My…clit.” Her voice was breathless. “Suck it.”

  He obeyed, sucking the small nub into his mouth.

  Her entire body stiffened and she screamed his name. Vek watched the pleasure suffuse her face, her mouth falling open as she rode out her release.

  He smiled. This was even better than winning a fight.

  She flopped back on the pillows, her skin flushed. Vek held her, stroking a hand over the smooth skin of her belly. “Mia.”

  “YOU SOUND HAPPY WITH YOURSELF.” Mia smiled, enjoying the languid feeling filling her. “That was so good, Vek. Thank you.”

  He stroked his hand lower, moving gently between her thighs. He fingered her again, his gaze laser focused. “You’re swollen.”

  “From my arousal and my orgasm.”

  He slid his finger inside her again, and she bit her lip.

  “That’s…” she cleared her throat. “That’s where you’d slide your cock inside me, if we make love.”

  His head jerked up. “My…it would not fit here.”

  She smiled. “I promise you it will. When we’re both ready.”

  Vek frowned. “I saw guards…brutalize women and some men.”

  She sat up, slipping the straps up on her dress. “What they did wasn’t sex, Vek. That was about power and pain. This, what’s between us, this is something else.” She reached out and touched his mouth. “God, you have the sexiest lips. They were hidden before, but now I can see them perfectly.” She rubbed her thumb over his bottom lip.

  He licked the pad of her thumb. “I can still taste you.”

  She blushed, and reached down to push her dress down. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

  “Thank you, for letting me touch you.”

  “I should be thanking you.”

  “Now that I’ve tasted you, I’ll crave more. Crave you.”

  Mia shivered. “I’m okay with that.” Her gaze dropped to the bulge straining the front of his trousers. “And now I’m going to touch you.”

  His body shuddered. “I wanted to pleasure you. I don’t expect—”

  She pressed her finger to his lips. “Shh. I want to. Do you know how many times I’ve imagined touching you like this?”

  Air was sawing in and out of his lungs as she opened the fastening on his trousers. She lowered the cloth down and his large cock sprang free from a patch of black hair.

  Oh, he was so big and thick. She licked her lips. It was as powerful as the rest of him.

  Mia took his cock in her hand and Vek groaned. It pulsed in her palm, and she curled her fingers around it, sliding up and down.

  Another desperate groan ripped from him and desire fired inside Mia again. Pre-come leaked from the head of his cock, sticky on her fingers. Oh boy, she wanted to take him in her mouth and taste him.

  “I want to taste you, Vek.” She slid between his thighs, leaning over him. She pressed a kiss to one rock-hard thigh, and his body quivered.

  “You do?”

  “Yes.” She licked the bulbous head of his cock, and his hips jerked up. His body was strung tight beneath her.

  “Why?” The word shuddered out of him.

  “Because I want you. And you want me. And it’s time we both get something we want.”

  She lowered her head, the musky smell of him making her mouth water. She gave him a long, slow lick before pulling him in between her lips.

  Mia licked and sucked as much of him into her mouth as she could. He made a strangled sound in his throat. She worked him with her mouth and tongue, loving the salty taste of him. Soon, he was groaning, loudly and desperately, his hips bucking up. He kept his hands planted in the cushions.

  She reached for one large hand, and brought it to her head. His fingers tangled in the strands of her hair.

  “Mia…I’m not going to last much longer.”

  The deep growl of his voice shivered through her. She sucked harder, taking him deeper.

  A last, large groan ripped out of him. “I’m going to…” He tried to pull back.

  Mia held fast, and then she felt his body shaking. He growled her name as he came, pumping his release down her throat. She swallowed it, and when he collapsed back on the cushions, she shifted, lapping at his softening cock.

  When she looked up his gorgeous body, his marks were the darkest black she’d ever seen. His dazed, satisfied gaze was on her. Looking at her like she was the most amazing, most desirable woman in the galaxy.

  She moved upward, pressing kisses to his skin. She touched his full lips, dragging her thumb across them, then stroked his smooth jaw. “You are incredible.”

  “Mia—”

  A banging on the garden door broke the moment, and made Mia start.

  Dammit. She wasn’t ready for their time to be over. Vek tensed and leaped to his feet. Mia rose and pressed a hand to his arm. “We’re in the House of Galen, remember. It’s okay.” She straightened her dress and motioned for him to get dressed.

  She hurried over to the door, smoothing her hair. When she opened the door, Galen and Raiden stood on the other side. God, she hoped it wasn’t obvious what she and Vek had been doing.

  “Found you,” Galen said.

  “I’m sorry, Galen. I needed to get Vek out of his cell. I had to make him see that what happened wasn’t his fault. He doesn’t need to be caged—”

  “I’m not concerned with that, Mia.”

  “You aren’t?”

  Galen lifted his gaze, and when he spotted Vek, his single eye widened slightly. “You look—”

  “Like a man,” Mia said.

  Vek self-consciously stroked his jaw. “Mia asked to cut my hair and shave my beard.”

  “Suits you,” Raiden said. The gladiator raised a brow. “I’d guess a few things suit you.”

  Mia felt heat in her cheeks. Right. Clearly, it was completely obvious.

  “Vek,” Galen said abruptly, obviously moving on. “I want to take you back to the arena to see if you can track the attackers. Nero did what he could, but he lost them in the busy hub in the lower levels. There were too many scents.” Galen’s face darkened. “I lost two good men and I want the sand-suckers responsible found.”

  “And Vek’s senses are unparalleled.” Mia looked up at him.

  “I’ll help.” Vek straightened. “Whoever attacked me, hurt Mia. I want them to pay.”

  “Good,” Galen said. “Let’s go hunting.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Vek followed Galen, as the imperator led them out of the House of Galen. He tried to focus on finding the drakking aliens who’d drugged him, but he was so conscious of Mia by his side.

  She’d laid down before him, naked, and let him touch her, taste her. Like a private offering just for him. Then she’d touched him and pleasured him. Even now, desire was a hungry echo that reverberated through his body. She’d given herself to him—a man who had been no more than a beast for so long.

  He wanted more. Much, much more.

  Galen led them up to the top level of the arena. When Vek stepped out at the spot where he and Mia had been sitting the night before, his muscles locked.

  His gaze fell to the stairs, and the image of Mia falling played over again in his head. His jaw went tight.

  Mia grabbed his hand and squeezed. “Not your fault.”

  A sound rumbled through his chest. It would be a long time before he believed that.

  She leaned closer, her voice low. “Do you know what I think of when I look around here? Our first kiss.”

  His cock stirred, and his anger dimmed.

  “Now, let’s find these assholes, Vek.”

  He drew in a deep breath and nodded. He circled around, teased by that strange scent that he’d picked up the night before. Something like plants and dirt. Another hint of a memory flickered through his brain, but it slipped away before he could grasp it.

  There was something about this scent that made his skin prickle and his gut go tight.

  Following a delicate thread of the smell, he broke into a jog. He headed back into a tunnel, with Mia, Galen, and Raiden quickly following behind him.

  Vek jogged through the tunnels beneath the arena. Several people were trudging through the tunnels—off-duty gladiators and workers. They were quick to get out of his way.

  The scent dimmed and Vek paused. He stroked his jaw, surprised for a second to feel smooth skin. Mia shifted closer, and her scent hit him. His mind returned to the garden above. To having his mouth between Mia’s legs, lapping at her beautiful taste, watching her find her release.

  Giving Mia pleasure was his new favorite thing.

  “Anything?” Galen asked.

  The imperator’s voice almost made him jerk. Vek pulled in another deep breath, filtering out Mia’s scent. Taking another breath, he forced himself to focus. He circled around the space and picked up the attackers’ trail again.

  “The scent grew faint. But it goes this way.”

  They moved deeper into the tunnels, and came out in a large, open area. Several tunnels converged here, forming a hub, where arena workers and shopkeepers had small tables set up selling goods. Nearby, he smelled cooking food, and the tart scent of different ales. There were several open doorways in the walls, and he guessed they led to places where people could eat and drink.

  There were so many people, and a tangled jumble of scents.

  “This is where Nero lost the trail,” Galen said.

  Vek did several loops of the space, conscious of people staring at him. That included a number of women. Their fascinated gazes slid over his face, and then lower.

  He ignored them. He’d had a lifetime of people staring at him—with fear, awe, curiosity. Some females had come to the fight cells, paying money for rough sex with fighters. Vek had never accepted the offers. He glanced over and saw Mia scowling at the females. Warmth hit his gut. His Mia was possessive.

  Plants and freshly-turned soil. The smallest hint of the scent reached him, and he lifted his head. He took two steps in one direction, but the scent faded. He spun and moved in another direction. There. It grew stronger. He strode forward.

  Mia fell in beside him. “I love watching you work.”

  He looked down at her. A small smile tilted her lips.

  “It’s amazing. You can do things that no one else can do.”

  He wanted to argue that it was just his enhanced senses, but a flush of pride filled his chest. He led them into what looked like an abandoned tunnel. Unlike the other brightly-lit, mostly-clean corridors, this one was dark and dank. They followed it for several paces, until the tunnel began to glow with light.

  The tunnel ended at a metal grate, and through it, he saw daylight, and the city beyond. The center of the grate looked like it had been melted by something. Careful not to touch it, he arched his head and looked out. It was a good drop to the ground, but nothing life-threatening.

  “They escaped through here,” Vek said.

  Galen stared at the melted grate, scowling. “And out into the city. They could have gone anywhere from there.”

  “I can try and follow the trail.”

  The imperator thrust his hands onto his lean hips. “It’s likely they would have had a transport waiting.”

  Which made the trail near-impossible to follow.

  “What’s this?” Mia crouched and picked something up.

  Vek stared at the small thing on her palm. It was a flower. Its long petals were crushed, like it had fallen, and gone under someone’s boot.

  Raiden moved forward and frowned at it. “It’s a unique color.”

  Vek agreed. It was not quite red, not quite pink, not quite purple. As Mia moved her hand, the petals glittered with an iridescent sheen.

  “I’m no expert on flowers,” Galen said. “But I’ve never seen one like this before.”

  Vek leaned over and took a sniff of it. “And I’ve never scented one like this before. But it is the same scent that the attackers had.”

  Galen gave a single nod. “Good work, Vek. Let’s get this to Regan and see if she can identify it.”

  “Do you think it’s a clue?” Mia asked hopefully. “Do you think it’ll help us find Dayna and the others?”

  “It could,” Galen said. “But it is best not to get your hopes up.”

  Vek stepped closer to Mia, touching her back. Whether or not this flower was a clue, he’d vowed to help her find her friends.

  Her hand crept into his, and he folded his fingers over hers. He would keep searching for the missing women.

  Whatever Mia wanted, he would get it for her.

  MIA SAT IMPATIENTLY at the dining table, in the spacious living area that belonged to the high-level gladiators. She tapped her fingers restlessly on the glossy surface. Vek was sitting next to her, but he wasn’t sitting very still. She felt heat pumping off his big body, and his annoyance at waiting.

  She snuck a sideways look at him. He was such a fascinating blend of strength and power, with a touch of sweetness beneath. She was pretty sure no one else would agree with her when she called him sweet, but Mia saw it. He was also extremely talented with his hands and mouth. She shivered. Being the complete focus of his attention was…amazing.

  Mia knew he’d give his everything as a lover, as well. She shivered again.

  Hot memories from the rooftop garden peppered her head, and she pressed her thighs together. God, she couldn’t believe she was crazy about a blue-skinned alien. She hadn’t seen that one coming.

  Vek glanced her way, his eyes glowing. “I smell your—”

  She slapped a hand against his mouth. “Shush.”

  The door opened and Regan marched in, clutching a number of things in her arms. Galen and another man followed behind.

  Mia stared at the newcomer. He looked like a desert pirate. He wore a sand-colored shirt crossed with a leather bandolier, and dark brown trousers that slicked over lean hips and long, muscular legs. Tawny hair was tied at the back of his neck and his rugged face was dominated by gold-colored eyes. They were a deep amber color, different than Vek’s.

  “I believe everyone knows Corsair,” Galen said. “Except you haven’t officially met Mia.”

  The man inclined his head, then looked at Mia. “I’m glad to see you’ve recovered from your ordeal.” He gave her a gallant little bow.

  Caravan Master Corsair. She knew he’d been a member of her rescue team, leading the gladiators into the desert. “Thank you.”

  Beside her, Vek let out a low growl. She glanced at him and saw he was staring at Corsair with narrowed eyes. She reached out and patted his hand.

  Galen turned to Regan. “Regan has an update for us.”

  The scientist set her things down on the table and looked around at the assembled group. “The plant Mia found in the tunnel is not native to Carthago. It is definitely the source of the toxin used to poison Vek. I’ve asked around the underground market, and several plant dealers that I know. Almost all of them said they’d never seen it before. But then I got lucky.” A smile lit up her pretty face and she pushed a strand of her blonde hair back. “I found someone who had seen it. It’s called a Neralla flower.”

  Galen pressed his hands to the table. “They’d seen it in the Illusion Mountains.”

  A hush spread over the room.

  Raiden frowned. “How could it be growing in the Illusion Mountains if it isn’t native?”

  “My guess is that someone is planting and growing it up there,” Regan said.

  “The Nerium,” Mia breathed. “Did Zhim find out anything more about them?”

  Galen shook his head.

  “Why would they attack Vek?” she asked.

  “We don’t know,” Galen answered.

  “Where are these mountains?” Mia demanded.

  “That’s where I come in,” Corsair drawled. “I’ve been there before. I led my caravan across the Illusion Mountains, once. It’s a dangerous, poorly-charted trek that I’d never planned to do again. The path through the mountains can be treacherous—landslides, sinkholes, or suddenly no path at all. And the weather is mercurial. It can be dry one second, and then you can have a freak storm and flash floods the next. And things up there are…strange.”

  “Strange?” Thorin said.

  “You superstitious, Corsair?” Raiden asked with a raised brow.

  Corsair lifted a shoulder. “I’m a man of the desert, Raiden. I’ve seen things that defy logic and definition. How do you think the mountains got their name? People and animals disappear up there. Landmarks and vegetation can change, in just hours. It’s easy to get turned around and lost. And it’s easy to have your entire caravan picked off, one by one, if you aren’t careful. I lost several people up there.”

  Something flashed across his face, so briefly that Mia almost missed it. But it didn’t soften her resolve. “We need to go there. We need to find Dayna.”

  “There’s more,” Galen said. “Zhim found something on Ryan.”