Page 43 of Savage Union

I tried to push the worry out of my mind as I hung Turk’s shirt carefully on a hook and entered the shower unit. As I rinsed the shampoo out of my hair, I tried to reassure myself. There was no way it would go that far. After all, Turk didn’t even know he was my Fated Mate—he thought I was just a boy he’d hired to navigate his ship. As long as I kept my distance and slept on the ground rather than getting in bed with him, everything should be fine.

Right?

I certainly hoped so…or I was shortly going to be in a lot of trouble.

20

TURK

Ishut off the overhead glows and got into bed, trying not to think of the boy in the shower not ten feet from where I lay. But it was a losing battle—Cass wasallI could think about.

Why had I healed him? The thought hovered in my mind as I tossed and turned. It was true that the venom produced by my fangs could either kill or heal, but a Brute was only supposed to heal his Fated Mate. So why had I healed the boy—why had I put my mouth on him?

I could still taste the salty flavor of his skin, lingering on my tongue. And I could still see the tears in his big, amber eyes. Goddess of the Four Faces, why did he have to be so fuckingpretty?For a boy, anyway, I amended to myself. But I had never noticed the beauty of another male before. Why should I start now?

He was in the shower a long time—almost long enough for me to fall asleep. When he came out, a puff of scented steam followed him and he was wearing my shirt again, which was huge on him.

He looked around and I saw him eyeing the floor at the foot of the bed, but I didn’t want him sleeping there. It wasn’t rightto invite him to my quarters and then force him to sleep on the floor like a dog.

“Come here, boy,” I said, motioning to him. I scooted over to give him half the bed and patted the mattress invitingly.

But he didn’t come—he stood there, looking at me uncertainly. It was almost as though he was afraid of me.

I cursed myself for a fool. Ofcoursehe was fucking afraid of me! Look at what he’d just gone through tonight—he’d nearly been raped by a Brute almost as big as me. The memory was doubtless still fresh in his mind.

“You don’t have to worry—I won’t touch you,” I told him, trying to offer some reassurance.

“I never thought you would,” he protested in a low voice. But still he hesitated. I sensed he needed to know I truly wasn’t interested in him. Which I most definitelywasn’t, I told myself.

“Suit yourself,” I grumbled and turned on my side, facing away from the empty spot on the bed. “Sleep where you want but make up your mind soon—we have to be up early.”

He hovered a moment longer…then climbed into the bed beside me. I felt him get settled under the covers and I could tell he was trying not to touch me, but the bed was just too small. I felt his narrow back brush against my own as he curled into a ball behind me.

I had a completely irrational impulse to turn and take him in my arms…then I gave myself a mental shake. What the Hell was wrong with me? I was acting like the boy was a lover or a Fated Mate when he was nothing of the kind.

Still, Jerx’s words echoed in my mind.

“You know Catamites! They got certain needs. Like theyneedto suck cock—theyneedto get fucked. It’s part of their DNA.”

It was a ridiculous justification for what he’d tried to do to Cass, but Ihadheard that Catamites and those from their homeplanet of Cata Prime didhave sexual needs that had to be met or they could get sick. Could Cass have needs like that? And if so, what?—

No.I cut that line of thought off firmly. The boy was a navigator and that wasall. In fact, he was probably going to be our only navigator from now on. After Gurflug’s threats to land us all in a black hole, I wouldn’t trust the slimy Galafruxian to navigate The Illyrian on a simple trip to the nearest moon—let alone to a whole other star system or galaxy!

For once I wished that I hadn’t taken Yorrin’s advice. But of course, my pilot had no way of knowing what an entitled bastard Gurflug would turn out to be. I just hoped that now he had been punished he would learn his lesson and behave his fucking self.

With a sigh, I closed my eyes and tried to relax. I told myself it didn’t matter that I was sharing my bed or that I could feel the slight warmth of the boy’s body against my own. I just needed to get some rest.

But it was a long time before sleep took me and even then I had troubling dreams…

21

JESSINA

Iwoke up pressed against something warm and hard that smelled really good. Spicy and clean and masculine. Without opening my eyes, I pressed my face against it and inhaled deeply.Mmmm…why did the scent make me feel so safe? Not to mention so aroused. I could feel my nipples getting hard and between my legs, my pussy was wet and hot and needy.

I let out a low moan and rubbed myself against the warmth. Goddess, it wasamazing. But what was it? What?—

“Good morning, Cass,” a deep, familiar voice rumbled in my ear.

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