Chapter 11
Yahn
I pressed my forehead against the cool glass of the hotel window, whispering urgently into my secure communicator.
The words caught in my throat, thick with fear for Ruhn.
“I understand,” I managed, my tail twitching anxiously behind me.
“No authorities. No one else can know.” My free hand trembled against the window frame, leaving damp prints on the pristine surface.
Outside, the vibrant streets of Arec pulsed with life and color, oblivious to my silent panic.
Behind me, the soft rustle of movement was my only warning before Aano’s reflection appeared in the window, his blue features hardened into something dangerous.
“Just doing what you said,” I whispered, frantically ending the call as Aano’s massive frame approached. “I’ll make contact again when—”
I never finished. In one fluid motion that belied his size, Aano crossed the room, yanked the communicator from my hand, and slammed it against the wall of our hotel suite. The device shattered, its pieces scattering across the polished floor tiles like tiny stars.
“What the fuck?” I spun to face him, heart hammering against my ribs. The loss of my only contact to Ruhn’s kidnappers sent ice through my veins. “That was—”
“Who were you talking to? Coms were off for our protection.” Aano’s voice had dropped to that dangerous register that made the fine hairs on my neck stand up. His blue skin seemed darker in the dim light of the hotel room, his eyes narrowed to calculating slits.
“Nobody,” I lied, backing away until my tailbone hit the edge of the minimalist metal bedframe. “Just checking in with an old friend.”
Aano moved with terrifying speed. One moment he was across the room, the next his massive hands clamped around my wrists like manacles. “Bullshit.” His breath washed hot against my face, smelling faintly of the Araced spices from dinner. “I heard ‘no authorities.’ You think I’m fucking stupid?”
My mind raced, searching for a plausible excuse that wouldn’t betray the Ducal Syndicate’s warning. If I told anyone about Ruhn’s kidnapping—even Aano—they’d kill my brother. But Aano’s grip tightened, and my thoughts scattered like startled birds.
“I need to check something,” he growled, releasing one wrist only to reach behind him.
I should have run. Should have twisted free and bolted for the door. Instead, I stood frozen, watching as he pulled a length of sturdy black cord from his open suitcase. My pulse thundered in my ears.
“Why the hell do you have rope in your bags?” The question burst from me, indignant despite my panic.
A mirthless smile curled his lips. “Always prepared. Though I’d planned to use it for a different kind of fun.”
Before I could respond, he spun me around, forcing me face-down onto the bed with a strength that made resistance futile. The mattress my cheek as he spread my arms, and bound each one to the slender bars of the bed frame, his movements precise and practiced.
“Aano, stop! This isn’t—” My protest died as he cinched the cord tight, the pressure sending an unexpected jolt through my body. To my horror, the sensation wasn’t entirely unpleasant. A confused heat began pooling low in my belly even as fear for Ruhn clawed at my throat.
“Who are you really working for?” Aano’s voice had turned low, dangerous. His weight shifted onto the bed behind me, one knee pressing between my sprawled legs. “The Ducal? Araced Intelligence? Who?”
I struggled against the bindings, the cord biting into my wrists. “Nobody! I told you, I was talking to a friend!”
His hand twisted in my hair, yanking my head around at an angle that forced me to look at him, standing beside the bed.
“Friends don’t make you look like you’ve seen a ghost. Friends don’t require secrecy from authorities.
” His blue fingers tightened, sending another ripple of confused sensation through me. “Try again.”
I bit my lip, tasting blood. The Ducal Syndicate’s warning echoed in my mind: Tell anyone, and your brother dies slowly. But Aano’s massive form loomed over me, his gaze unrelenting. If I didn’t give him something, what would he do?
“It’s personal,” I managed, my voice cracking. “Family stuff. Nothing to do with you or... or what we’re running from.”
Aano’s laugh was cold. “You expect me to believe that? After everything?” His free hand traced down my spine, an intimate gesture at odds with his harsh tone. “We have a mole, and it’s looking more and more like that mole is you.”
My tail lashed against the bed in agitation, betraying my inner turmoil. “Aano, please.” The words came out more breathless than I’d intended, my body responding to his touch even as my mind raced with terror for Ruhn. “I swear it’s not what you think.”
His weight shifted, his massive thigh now pressing against the back of mine. The heat of him burned through the thin fabric of my pants. “Then what is it?” His mouth was suddenly at my ear, his breath stirring the fine hairs at my nape. “Give me one good reason not to assume you’ve betrayed us.”
I choked back a desperate sound, caught between fear and something darker, more primal.
My wrists twisted against the cords, but Aano knew his knots.
The sensation of being at his mercy sent blood rushing to places that had no business responding in this situation.
Against my will, my hips shifted against the mattress, seeking friction against my hardening cock.
Aano noticed. Of course, he noticed. His hand splayed possessively across the small of my back, pinning me more firmly to the bed. “Interesting reaction for someone being interrogated.” His tone shifted to something more intimate, more dangerous. “Almost like you’re enjoying this.”
“Fuck you,” I hissed, humiliation burning my cheeks as my body continued to betray me, his heat against my skin driving me wild with need.
“That can be arranged.” The threat—or was it a promise?—sent another unwanted surge of heat through me.
I closed my eyes, fighting for control. Ruhn was in danger. My brother was being held by the most dangerous criminal organization in the galaxy, and here I was getting hard because Aano had me tied up and at his mercy. What the hell was wrong with me?
Aano’s hand slid around my throat—not squeezing, just holding.
The possessive gesture sent another jolt of inappropriate arousal through me.
His thumb traced my pulse point, feeling it jump beneath his touch.
“Stupid, beautiful Yahn. Always trying to carry the weight of the universe on those sexy shoulders. Just tell me what’s wrong. ”
I wanted to protest, to explain that I had no choice, but the words died as his grip tightened fractionally. The pressure made my vision swim, my cock hardening painfully against the mattress.
“You don’t trust me.” The hurt in his voice was real, cutting through his anger. “After everything.”
“It’s not—” I gasped as his other hand slid beneath me, palming my erection through my pants. “Aano, please...”
The sound of the door lock disengaging cut through my confused babbling like a knife. Aano’s head snapped up, his body tensing. His hand left my throat, but not before giving a warning squeeze.
“Not a word about this to Leah,” he hissed as the door began to swing open. “Not a fucking word.”
“Well, well... started without me?” she purred, setting her purse down on the table.
My cock twitched traitorously, heat flaring through my skin despite the knot of dread in my gut.
She crossed the room with the confident stride of a woman who’d never known true danger, trailing her fingers along my back.
My tail instinctively curled toward her touch as a moan escaped my lips before I could stop it.
“He’s been bad,” Aano improvised smoothly, his gaze meeting mine with silent warning. “Thought he needed a little discipline.”
I glanced desperately at him, wishing we could just tell her the truth—that we weren’t construction workers, that we were running for our lives, that my brother was now a hostage in a game we couldn’t afford to lose.
But Aano didn’t break character. Instead, his eyes darkened with unmistakable arousal as Leah’s hands moved lower, tracing the base of my sensitive tail.
“Bad how?” she asked, her voice a teasing whisper against my ear that sent involuntary shivers down my spine.
“Distracted,” Aano replied, running a hand up the length of my cock. “When he should be focused on more important things.”
The irony wasn’t lost on me. Here I was, my brother in mortal danger, and my body was responding to Aano’s touch like a starving man offered a feast. The cognitive dissonance was dizzying.
Leah’s hand slipped between my legs, and I lifted my hips, giving her access to glide her fingers around to my front. She my balls as Aano massaged my ass. “Seems pretty focused to me,” she giggled.
My hips bucked into her hand without my permission. “Leah—” I started, unsure if I was going to beg her to stop or continue.
“Shh,” she pressed a finger to my lips before kneeling before me. “Let me help you relax. You’ve been so tense since we landed on Arec.”
In a fluid motion, Leah yanked my pants down to my ankles.
The hotel air conditioning raised goosebumps on my exposed thighs.
Aano moved behind her, his massive Tholkon frame making her look even more delicate by comparison.
His blue skin had darkened with arousal, and I could see the outline of his double-shafted cock straining against his pants.
I was face down with my ass in the air, tail curled to expose my fluttering hole.
The vulnerability of the position sent conflicting signals through my system—fear and arousal tangled together until I couldn’t distinguish between them.
I pulled at the restraints, not truly fighting but testing their give.
“Perfect,” Leah breathed, running her hands over the curve of my ass. “Look at how his tail moves when I touch him here.”