Hrad shakes his head. He pulls the rope belt out of the warrior’s pants. “Wrists in front.”
“Why?” I ask even as I rebind his hands in front of his body.
Hrad then uses the rope to secure the warrior’s hands, so they point down and are attached to his thigh. He lifts his eyebrows and doesn’t need to explain a thing with words.
Now the warrior can’t zap anyone except himself.
We repeat the process with the other warrior. When they are both secure. We take in the scene.
“They did not summon help. There is no one close enough.”
“I’m going to pull up the camera feed as an early warning.” I run through a mental list of everything that needs done and try to order it before I speak. “We’re going to pack the ship. PutHugh in a body bag and strap these two into the cargo hold. I want to land near the bridge before it gets dark.”
Hrad glances up at the sky and then at the mess they have made. “As much as I want to spend the night with you, wrapped in my blanket. I’d rather be focusing my kam on you, not scanning for potential attackers.”
I grab the front of his shirt and pull him in for a kiss. “I would also like to ignore this mess, and the settlement, however…” I sigh. I’m not the one affected by the rut, and I doubt he will speak up when there is other work to be done. The rut is a complication we need to account for. “What do you need?”
“For the moment, nothing, even though I am hard and aching for you, I’m not sure if it is because I need sex or because I want more of your arousal fluid on my skin.”
I snort. “You have to stop calling it that.”
“What would you like me to call it?”
I open my mouth, but I have no fucking idea.
He stares at me. “You don’t have a name for it?”
“No.”
“Then my name is better than no name.”
I grin. “I will come up with a name.”
“You do that.” Hrad inclines his head. “Would you like me to help with Hugh before I start packing this away?”
“No. Secure the warriors first. And I’ll bring that feed up.” I pull out the tablet and set it up so we can monitor it as we work. I begin packing our supplies, and Hrad joins me in cleaning up the mess after relocating the warriors. He leaves out rations, and we take a moment to sit in the dirt and eat once the ship has been filled.
I can’t tell if my underwear is damp from sweat or his cum. My uniform clings to my back, and I would kill to fall into the river for a wash, even though I can’t swim.
“You’re frowning. What’s the problem?” Hrad asks after finishing his sludge.
“Just wondering how long it takes to learn to swim, because I am grubby.”
From the way he looks at me, his eyes dark with hunger and the marking glowing bright, I don’t think he cares. “I need that second lesson.”
I swallow loud enough that I’m sure he hears. “Really?”
“I need you.”
He’d stripped off his shirt when lifting crates and bodies, and the markings on his arms haven’t stopped glowing even though he’s not actively making a charge.
My pulse quickens. “How about you give me a moment to freshen up? Find my clean underwear and…”
“I don’t care about your underwear.”
“Sweat?”
“No.”
