Page 4 of Victoria's Embrace

Bending, he kissed her, slowly, deeply, taking a moment they didn’t have to taste her because he couldn’t help himself. When he pulled back, his cock hardened at the bright hunger in her eyes and he had to stop himself from dipping down to take her mouth again.

Groaning, he shook his head. “You are entirely too tempting, woman.”

She blinked in surprise. The smile that curled her lips was that mix of shyness and confidence singular to her. How she could be both at once, he didn’t think he’d ever understand, but crik if it didn’t push all his buttons.

After subtly adjusting his cock to a slightly more comfortable position, he withdrew the gun he’d taken off one of the Heliosian guards the night before, made sure they were ready, then led the way out of the building. He’d spotted a place to the north that looked abandoned, where they could hole up again.

He was taking them on an indirect route to the city center, wanting to stay in less populated areas for as long as possible. That meant it would take more time to get there which wasn’t ideal, but it was safer and meant less chance of being spotted. He hadn’t seen their faces on anyholos, but that didn’t mean bounty hunters or the slaver they’d been sold to didn’t have their images.

About halfway there, he spotted a desert flower growing from a crack in the kinitecrete road that caused him to do a double take. The numerous, thin petals curled and twisted, and the stalk was lined with sharp thorns. That mix of delicate and fierce, the determination to grow and bloom despite its dismal surroundings, reminded him so strongly of Vee it brought a smile to his face. He almost walked past it but paused.

Feeling like a lovesick fool, he quickly bent, plucked the flower, and tucked it into his pocket, ignoring the prick of the thorns trying to jab him.

* * *

A span later,after they’d made it to the building and checked to ensure it was empty, he moved to where Vee was keeping watch at the window. Coming up behind her, he ignored the illogically nervous pounding of his heart and withdrew the slightly crushed flower from his pocket then presented it to her.

She gasped softly. “Oh my gosh! Vi’kail, it’s beautiful.”

Some of the tension in his stomach eased only to double back twofold when he heard her sniff. Tipping her chin up, he gazed at her upside-down face with a frown.

“What’s wrong, baby?”

Why did she look so sad? Crik, he hadn’t thought. What if a flower meant something in her culture, something bad? She spoke before he could snatch the offending thing back and crush it under his boot.

“It’s beautiful and thoughtful and I love it. It’s just– it reminded me of when Snitch pounced on theleeliiaflowers from the cantina, the ones the Lusarians use for tea?” She giggled tearfully and shook her head. “He wallowed all over them like they were catnip. Goofy critter was blissed out for an hour afterward. He sounded like a drunk chipmunk singing.”

Oh, sweet crik. He’d thought he’d messed up but good. Realizing she was worried for Snitch eased the tightness in his stomach, but it also sent his own worry for the littlefírlarkrising up.

Turning her to face him, he cupped her cheeks but hesitated. There was a look in her eyes, one that stopped him from offering the generic words of comfort on the tip of his tongue. Instead, hoping he was reading her correctly, he gave her the truth.

“He’s valuable. Incredibly so. If Catty sold him, they won’ kill him. What they will do will hurt, but he’s been through it before and survived.” His chest squeezed at the distress that twisted her features. “It’s just as likely she threw him into one of the enclosures with the other animals, not understandin’ what he is. Regardless, Snitch knows what to do if one or both of us were ever caught. He’ll find a way out and follow your scent.”

“And if he can’t find a way out?”

“Then he knows I won’ stop till I find him and get him back.”

Vee went a little pale at the deadly promise in his voice but just as quickly it was gone, replaced with relief and fierce determination.

He owed that little beast his life a dozen times over. He’d track him to the edges of the universe to get him back if needs be. And if he was hurt? There’d be no saving the bastards who’d done it. They’d die. Painfully.

Before Vee and the giants came into his life, Vi’kail had never had friends, companions, another being who cared if he lived or died. There’d only been Snitch and, to a lesser degree, Luna’eva. Crik, without the little menace he might not have broken through the Veiling.

More than his life, he owed him what was left of his soul.

Chapter 3

Victoria resisted the urge to pace, knowing it would wake the guys, and instead quietly shifted her weight to her other foot, her eyes constantly scanning the brightly lit streets outside the window.

It was her turn to keep watch, something she’d insisted on doing despite the guys urging her to sleep. She understood they wanted to take care of her, that it came from a place of protectiveness and concern rather than because they didn’t trust her to, so she didn’t get upset about it. But she’d put her foot down.

Their intentions were good, but she was determined. She’d never been good at doing nothing, and the idea of sitting back and letting the guys handle everything not only made her feel useless, it made her feel antsy as hell. Besides, despite the tiredness dragging at her from not getting a solid night’s rest in… two days? three? she didn’t think she would’ve been able to relax enough to actually sleep.

Worry over Snitch, anxiety over what Catty was doing in their absence, urgency to get to the slave market, and the keyed-up edginess of knowing they were being tracked and could be found at any moment kept her restless and twitchy.

She was trying to keep up with the guys, to suck it up and deal, but she wasn’t at all used to being in this kind of situation. By the time they made it back to the complex, she was pretty sure she was going to have ulcers from the constant turmoil.

Minutes felt like hours. Time crawled as she stood guard, waiting for the sun to set. Finally, it went down, what felt like days later. Turning, she gently woke up the guys.

---