Ash: A Phoenix Warrior Romance (Phoenix in Flames Book 9) Read online

  “What about free trade? You have things we might need and I’m sure we have things you might.” Catow said. She was clearly tired of Onrue handling things.

  “That’s certainly a place to start. Do you have much trade outside your empire?” Razar asked.

  “Honestly? No, very little. Our empire spans great distances and is always growing. I think that might need to change now.” Catow admitted. Onrue was clearly the unhappy one now.

  “What of Earth?” Onrue asked.

  “What would you want there? The planet is poisoned and the few people left have hidden underground.” Razar admitted.

  “Too bad. I’d heard it was rich in resources and people.” Onrue admitted.

  “We were supplying them until the planet got too bad to support life. It’s a good lesson to planets who industrialize at the expense of their world.” Lista mentioned.

  “Yes, yes. Of course you are right.” Onrue agreed.

  It didn’t matter if they went to Earth. The different domes and reinforced living areas had plenty of protection and all were hidden to all but the most determined hunter. That was doubtful these people would look that hard.

  By the time they made the agreement on trade and certain exchanges of medical and other tech not generally useable for war, Jackow had arrived and as soon as she was sequestered in her room, the females and children were sent to the large ship.

  “It looks like the exchange is completed. Cravr, would you escort Jetsue to us?” Razar asked.

  “Right away.” Cravr said before he left. He was one of Razar’s brothers, but he didn’t know him well. Most of Razar’s brothers stayed planet side and helped Razar where and when they could.

  It wasn’t long before Jetsue came in the room. He cast nervous glances at the detailed guards for Razar that were around the room. That he was nervous was clear and there seemed a touch of fear. Was it only because he’d been defeated or was there more? That probably would never be clear to them. For now, the agreement would be initiated and Razar had a hostage only valuable to Catow. Luckily, that female seemed to hold the most power of those present.

  Chapter 4

  His Intended

  She was worried until she heard they were back. Peace talks with such an aggressive people could never be easy. Had they not had the leader’s son, those peace talks would never have happened. No dummy, she saw the writing on the wall. The alliance would never be an easy one.

  Right now she was hanging out in the cafeteria and picking at her food. Her mood lifted immediately when the others came to the cafeteria. She just felt better the moment she saw her whole group present. Silly? Maybe but it was how she felt. Ash gave her a quick kiss and now she was on top of the world. It seemed it was too late to change the way she felt.

  Even if she was afraid of commitment, they already had one between them. It was impossible to see her future without him near. Sitting around talking at her table, it seemed like things should always be like this. Would he take the next step with Ash? Uncertainty filled her as she thought about it. Since her capture months ago, she’d thought she would never have a boyfriend, much less a lasting relationship.

  Staring at Ash, she felt strong feelings for him. It was only a matter of time before they were together in a physical way. Things had certainly changed. The others were talking about what had happened on Oison with Razar and the enemy leader. Agreements were made and prisoners released. Now they would see how things worked out. Mike held some concern that they might head to Earth. What would happen if they did? There was little there for anyone to lay claim to.

  “Spend the night with me.” Ash whispered. Staring at him silently, she finally nodded. Tonight would be the beginning of a whole life.

  Everyone ate with gusto. All the excitement certainly built an appetite. Soon, all their plates were clean and they began to head down their own paths. It was down to just Ranger, Maple, Ash, and her. Just those not yet in a physical relationship. It made her wonder what the sex would be like, but so far he’d only touched her gently.

  “Are you ready to go?” Ash asked. Again she nodded and they got up and left after saying goodbye.

  Her room was closest so that was where he escorted her. Her belly was full of butterflies. Her breath had sped up and her heart was trying to beat out of her chest. Was this even normal? She didn’t know because she’d never had normal sex the way regular people did. That’s what she was about to learn about now. This was the moment that would decide how their relationship progressed and if she could even stand to have sex with someone she cared about without freaking out.

  They were in her room and Ash closed and locked the door. She was shaking, that’s how nervous she was.

  “Come here, Sweetheart. Let me just hold you for a while.” His warm arms wrapped around her pulling her close.

  His scent was spicy and exciting. It made her want something more than just being held. He stepped back to take off his shirt and drop it to the ground. She explored his smooth warm skin with her hands. The silky feel enticed her to touch him everywhere.

  “We can just undress and get on the bed. Exploring each other’s bodies doesn’t have to lead to anything if you’re not ready for it.” He said all the right things to calm and ease her worries.

  Snuggling and kissing wouldn’t take a toll on her, not anymore. They’d done quite a bit of that and she’d learned to relax and enjoy being with Ash. They both undressed and laid down in her bed. Her breathing was still rapid, but maybe it was more because she was turned on than anything else.

  Ash’s body was gorgeous. His cock was long, thick, and hard. It dripped from the end and she bent over to lick it off and he groaned. “You like that?’ She asked. Her experience hadn’t been varied since she’d not been there long, thank heavens.

  “Gods, yes! Now I want to show you something.” He got between her legs and inhaled sharply while she felt her face heat up. “It’s alright, you smell incredible.”

  She wasn’t sure what to think of that. Nothing had prepared her for Ash. Suddenly, his tongue raced up her seam from gate to clit and she whimpered. He did it again and it sank inside her. First he tongue fucked her then he moved his tongue to her clit and slowly sank a finger deep inside her channel. Arching up against him, she felt it enter her as her channel grasped it.

  “Yeah, Baby. You’re so damn tight and wet.” Ash commented.

  Now he began to move in and out speeding up as he went. Adding a finger, he slowed again and then sped up. Finally he added one more finger and he pounded into her as his tongue delighted her little bundle of nerves. Never had she felt anything so wonderful, but she needed something more. She just wasn’t quite sure what.

  Caught completely off-guard, her orgasm hit and she wildly thrashed against his hand as she screamed his name. Nothing could have ever prepared her for that amazing feeling. It was something she’d want more of. Now she worried about what to do for him, but not for long.

  Ash slid up her body. “Are you ready for me?”

  “God, yes!” She exclaimed. If what he had just done was that good, going all the way had to be even better.

  She felt the head of his cock at her entrance and he slowly worked his way in. It pinched and felt like she was stretching to fit something huge. Good thing she was soaking wet. After a minute or so, he was finally all the way in. Ash’s forehead was drenched in sweat. It was obvious he was having a hard time holding back.

  “How does that feel, Baby?” He asked.

  “It feels good. Go ahead and move slowly.” And he did.

  This was only for a little while before he started banging inside her harder and deeper. He was so long he seemed to bottom out inside her hitting her womb. That didn’t hurt, but it felt odd. Some of the spots he hit felt amazing and she was well on her way to her release in no time.

  “That one spot feels good. Doesn’t it Baby?”

  “Oh yes. Faster.” She was fully immersed in this sexual play and wanted more.


  No longer did she have doubts about being intimate with Ash as her mind was practically spinning and she was on the edge of claiming her next orgasm. Her scream echoed around the room as her pussy slammed down on his cock and he couldn’t move for a moment. Then he broke free and pumped into her hard as she felt his hot seed fill her.

  Lying cuddled in his arms, she felt safe and happy. She’d known other females who had loved sex, but she’d never thought she would be one of them. Ash had just played her body like it was a finely tuned instrument and he had pulled forth the loveliest tune. Her eyes closed and she slept the deepest most restful sleep she could ever remember having.

  The proof was in the pudding or something like that was what Angel sometimes said. She woke still wrapped in Ash’s arms. That made things real. He’d not snuck out as soon as she fell asleep like she’d heard players did. This made it clear he planned to stick with her for good. She nestled deeper in his arms and fell asleep again.

  This time an annoying alarm woke her and Ash turned it off. “Hey, Beautiful.” He grinned at her. “How about a quickie before work?”

  Dear Lord! That sounded great to her. “Oh, yes!”

  No sooner had she said it then she was flat on her back with her lover on top of her. The best thing was she wasn’t afraid of him or what he was about to do. Not even a little bit. First he kissed her breathless then he checked to be sure she was ready for him. She was soaked with the anticipation of his hard staff entering her.

  He positioned himself and she felt the head of his hard cock slowly sinking in. She was impatient and she wrapped her legs around his waist and arched upward to help him along.

  Gods, Baby!” His voice was hoarse with need.”

  “Take me.” She assured him. It was all it took and he plunged deep into her core.

  “Yes, you feel incredible.” He said just before he began to pound into her hard and deep.

  This was what she’d been missing and hadn’t thought she wanted. Now she knew better. Their relationship had moved ahead miles and she was ready to make it permanent. Her core felt tight and ready to explode. Just a little more and she would be in heaven. Ash was simply amazing and she knew in her heart no one would ever be able to take his place.

  She screamed his name as her body tightened around his and convulsed in wave after wave of pure pleasure. He screamed her name in return as she felt filled with his hot seed. Once he was empty, he collapsed rolling off to the side of her. They lay side by side breathing heavy and trying to bring their bodies under control.

  A few minutes and they were beyond relaxed, their bodies totally sated. She wished they could just spend the day in bed resting and playing. Unfortunately, they needed to clean up and get dressed. Their day had just begun.

  Chapter 5

  Love Blooms

  He was on his console watching for anything while his mind went back to Nila. Last night and this morning had been incredible. It was clear what made her so much more than any female he’d been with was that she was his. They had an emotional and spiritual connection he’d never felt with any other being in the universe.

  Ranger sat next to him grinning. “How did things go for you last night?” He asked with a wink.

  “Good. Don’t expect me to ask you since your eye seems to be on my innocent sister.” That wiped the smile off his face.

  “How innocent do you think she is?” Ranger asked.

  “Untouched and she will stay that way until she is older.”

  “Hmm.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” He asked. Was Ranger implying Maple had already been with a male? That wasn’t possible, was it? The dirty look he gave Ranger made the male squirm. Good.

  This wasn’t fair and he knew it, but it was the way brothers were supposed to protect their sisters. Sure, Nila was younger than Maple. But Nila needed him to protect her because she had no one else. She was also his fated one. That also made things different. He’d never hurt her and he’d always look out for her.

  Both of them turned their attention back to their screens. “Ranger, look at this a second.”

  “What? There’s nothing, oh, I see it. That speck is tiny and it flashes so fast. How did you ever notice it?”

  “Phoenix have slightly better vision than humans. I actually caught it out of the side of my view because I was talking to you. I believe that may have made it more noticeable.” Now he spoke louder. “Hey, Oak! I need you for a second.”

  “What’s up?” Oak asked from just behind him.

  “Watch my screen very closely. It’s hard to see.”

  “Yes, I see it. That looks like it’s very small. We need someone to check it out before it gets any closer.” His brother got on his com right away. “Rider is going to check it out.”

  Ranger and Rider got teased a lot about being brothers because their names were similar and they had the same coloring. There were several siblings on board, mostly brothers. Originally, everyone had thought the two were at the least cousins. They turned out not to be related but the teasing went on.

  “Your brother will see what’s up.” He poked Ranger.

  “He’s not my brother.”

  “You can’t tell it by looking.” He said. Oak as the boss right now couldn’t tease anyone. It didn’t seem like being in charge was much fun. Ranger was quiet, pouting.

  “Rider says it’s unmanned and resembles a bomb to him.” Oak leaned down. “It’s heading straight toward Oison. I’m contacting Teresa and Razar.” He could hear the chatter but only made out a word or two. “Rider? Shoot it down once you’re further away.”

  It was five minutes later when the whole world seemed to explode. Even though it was still at the edge of their galaxy, shock waves buffeted their ship. The planet facing the blast would also be hit with severe and unexpected winds.

  His opinion? Once the son was free, they must have planned to take out the prisoners including the queen’s niece. He was shocked because even aggressive warlike people usually had some honor. Razar would likely contact them and confirm what had happened. This would make peace unlikely if not impossible.

  He was glad he’d detected the bomb as it had headed in. Now they would do all they could to upgrade their radar to detect this kind of thing. Had it hit, it would have destroyed the entire planet. Apparently the value of the hostage was not what they’d hoped for. Now they needed to use other methods to safeguard their galaxy and the people who lived there.

  When he was through with his shift, he felt relief. He went to find his female so she could help him relax and get relaxed herself. She was in the cafeteria at the table all alone. This was the place they met more often than not. The others would join them soon, but once they ate they would bug out and head to a bedroom. Now he understood the mated pairs so much better than he had before.

  His plate full, he hurried to the table to sit by her. No one else was there. “It’s been a hard day. I’m so glad to see you. That makes me feel better.”

  She smiles shyly as her face gets pink. They’ve not been intimate long and he can tell she’s unsure of their relationship. “I’m glad to see you too.”

  Hopefully her day wasn’t as trying. “You should eat. I want to leave as soon as we’re done. Your room or mine?” He asked.

  “Mine is closest.” She whispers. Nila looks at him and smiles.

  Oak joins them then Elm and Mike. Angel comes with Ranger and Maple. Everyone’s plates are full and they all have a good appetite. “So what is Razar doing?” Mike asked.

  “He’s wanting to be sure it was them. We have other enemies that have attempted to destroy Oison recently.” Oak replied.

  It was true, but that was with old technology not with this cutting edge stuff. Maybe their enemies were playing nice with each other in order to destroy them? That was as possible as anything else. Gods, he hoped the tech heads would find a way to detect those bombs. That he’d found it defied logic. All it had been was a flash on the screen the size of a pin head
and it hadn’t shown itself often. Luck had been on their side.

  “I guess we are at an impasse for now?” He asked.

  “Until Razar gets some answers, yes.” Oak agreed.

  No one had anything to say and they all finished eating. It was time for them to say goodbyes and slip to Nila’s room since she preferred it. They made it down the hallway to her room. Excitement washed over him as they entered and the door closed behind them. Whether she was fully aware of it or not, she was already his.

  Clothes flew in all directions piling up on the floor as he stripped quickly and she moved a bit slower. Naked, he watched as the last of her clothing landed on the floor. He sucked in a breath as her beauty was fully revealed to him.

  “Gods, you are gorgeous.”

  “Don’t just stand there. Let’s get busy.” She demanded. It seemed her shyness was leaving her.

  “On the bed on your hands and knees facing away from me.” He demanded. She followed his instructions precisely.

  Moving up to her lovely rear end, he rubbed her ass cheeks softly before checking her preparedness. She was wet and ready. Placing his cock at her entrance, he moved in all the way. Gods! Nothing could stop him now.

  “You’re squeezing me so tight. I love it.” He admitted. That seemed to make her wetter than ever.

  “Move!” She demanded so he did.

  At first, he set a slow but even pace. His hand moved to her clit and he circled it. Listening to her sweet moans and whimpers added to his enjoyment. That made him move faster as a tingle ran down his back alerting him that he would find his release soon. Nila needed to find hers first. He was certain she was close. His hand moved faster as did his plunges into her sweet center.

  It wasn’t long before she started screaming his name and he followed her into climax with her name on his lips too. His mate was perfect in every way. Once they were both calm, they lay together in bed snuggled up. Soon, he would ask her to mate with him. Nothing would make him happier than if she did.