Fueled by Lust: Cato (Siren Publishing Classic) Read online

  Kallon laughed and extended his hand. “Please, come in Luna. I’m so happy to see you. You gave us a scare there for a while. I’m glad you’re back.”

  Lina grasped his hand and nodded. “You must be the doctor. I owe you a lot. You saved my life and I can never repay you for that. You ever need artwork or a tattoo, I’m there for you.”

  He grinned and motioned for them to come inside. “I might take you up on that. Duly noted.” When he turned back into the apartment, she immediately fell in serious like with him. His beautiful, thick braid fell to mid-calf and she couldn’t stop herself from reaching out and touching it.

  “Your hair. It’s gorgeous. I haven’t been able to get mine past the middle of my thigh.”

  “Yes, but yours is healthier. When I was analyzing you at the hospital, I found that your hair is much softer than mine. You’ll have to tell me what shampoo you use.”

  Both of them looked up and said, “What,” at the same time when Cato started laughing.

  “Look at you two. You act like you’ve known each other for years. It’s sort of freaking me out.”

  Kallon looked back at her and they both looked down. They had each other’s braids in their hands and were stroking them like they were pets. Their laughter mingled and they handed their braids back to each other. He laughed and walked over to the couch and plopped down. “Sorry, Luna. We’ll have to swap hair product stories another time. I understand that something ‘weird’ is going on and Cato thinks I might be able to shed some light on it. So, tell me and I’ll see if I can.”

  Cato pulled out the sketch pad from inside his jacket and laid it on the coffee table. For thirty minutes they all went through the pictures and Kallon’s eyes widened with each new turn of the page. He listened intently when Cato told him about the mutually shared dream. She was happy he skirted over the parts where they were naked and doing the horizontal tango. Kallon didn’t need that kind of detail to get the picture. Maxim joined them about ten minutes into the conversation and sat just as dumbstruck as Kallon when there was nothing left to tell.

  Cato shrugged. “Well? Any ideas?”

  Luna watched as Kallon pressed his lips together, leaned forward, and crossed his arms over the top of his thighs. He sat very still for a few moments and studied the floor. She could practically smell his brain burning as he tried to figure out the anomaly that was named Luna.

  Her eyes widened when his pools of liquid green snapped up and bore into hers.

  “The theory that Cato proposed of you being a psychic, as the other female, is sound. However, I need to know if you’ve had other instances of psychic ability.”

  Luna shook her head. “Not that I’m aware of.”

  Kallon propped his elbow on his thigh and sat his chin on his palm. His little finger tapped out a beat against his cheek as he studied her like a bug under a microscope. She tried not to fidget but gave up and glanced over at Cato. He was studying her just as intently. She got no help from Maxim either. They all jumped when Kallon stood and began pacing. She sympathized. She couldn’t think unless her body was in motion. Maxim spoke up and broke the tense silence.

  “Cato said she’s from Houston. There were other Insedi there for a while. Maybe she’s only able to pick up from our kind when they’re in the vicinity. Maybe that’s why she isn’t constantly psychic until they’re close by.”

  Kallon stopped dead in his tracks, swiveled around, and stared at her. Two lines appeared between his brows and he mumbled, “No. That would be ludicrous. How could that be possible?”

  Maxim scowled and leaned forward. “Hey, just because I’m spanking your ass at chess doesn’t mean you can blow my theories out of the water without consideration.”

  Kallon briefly glanced over at Maxim and waved his hand in the air. “No. I wasn’t talking about your theory, Maxim. I was talking about the one that just popped into my head because of what you just said.”

  Cato sat forward. “What theory?”

  Kallon approached her. “Would you mind if I looked at your neck?”

  “My neck?”

  “Yes. Your neck.”

  “Uh. Sure. But what does my neck have to do with this?”

  “That’s what I want to find out. Humor me. I’m guessing out my ass right now, but it won’t hurt to take a peek.”

  “True. Okay.”

  Kallon got closer and asked her to turn her head as he looked behind her right ear. He huffed and pointed at Maxim. “Bring me that lamp. I need more light. Take the shade off.”

  Cato got to the lamp first and brought it over. “Here.”

  Kallon moved it closer and she could feel the heat radiating off her skin. Her curiosity got the better of her. “So, what are you looking for?”

  Kallon gasped and stepped back. “Well, I’ll be gods damned. This is unbelievable. I didn’t think this was possible. No one ever did.”

  Luna looked up and caught Cato’s concerned look. Frustration laced his words.

  “What, gods damn it? Spill it.”

  Kallon motioned for them to get closer and he tilted her head to the left. Warmth from the lamp bathed the side of her neck again. She felt excruciatingly small as three huge men hovered around her.

  Luna’s initial curiosity morphed into immediate dread as she stared at the wall in silence. Their shadows stretched and fluttered across the glaring white paint until she felt like the blackness would reach out and snatch her away. She jumped when a palm landed on her shoulder and gently squeezed, as if sensing her unease.

  Kallon’s voice came out low and reverent as his finger traced along her skin.

  “Look here. It’s very faint, but it’s gods damn there. She’s Insedi.”

  Chapter 29

  Luna glanced up at Kallon and frowned. “What? What is it? What do you mean?”

  “It’s very faint, yet evident. You have an Insedi DNA marker of an artist’s quill. It’s your calling and it’s unmistakable.”

  All three men dropped to their knees and stared at her as if she was the Hope Diamond on display. It was unnerving. Kallon smiled, moved his braid aside, and turned his head.

  “Look, Luna. Behind every Insedi’s right ear is a genetic marker that reflects the predominant talent inherent in the breed.” Maxim moved the light over Kallon’s neck and she leaned in and gasped.

  “I see that mark on ambulances all the time. It’s a symbol for the medical field. This is why you’re a doctor?”

  He smiled and turned back to her. “Yes. It’s the healer marker of a staff and an entwined snake. It’s the Asclepius Wand.” He turned to Maxim, took the lamp, and motioned for him to turn his head. “Maxim is of the warrior class.”

  Luna squinted at the small marking as Kallon described it.

  “The circle represents the sun, which in turn signifies the Insedi collective nation. The dagger rising from inside and pointing to the sky shows they were born as protectors and capable of defending its people. If he were a warrior that directly protected the royal family, he would bear the same symbol, but four blue dots would surround the sun.” He turned to Cato and grinned.

  “This big lug here is a Seeker. They’re rare on our planet. Maybe one out of every 200,000 births produces a Seeker. I’ve only known two in my lifetime.”

  Luna was surprised at the flush that passed over Cato’s face when Kallon gestured for him to turn his head. She placed her palm on his hand resting across her thigh. “Cato. You looked uncomfortable when Kallon said that. What’s wrong?” He cast his eyes down then quickly brought them back up to hers.

  “I’ve always struggled with being one of a few. The race looks upon us with high expectations. It can be very daunting at times.”

  She reached out and caressed the side of his neck. “Let me see what your marker looks like.” He turned his head and Kallon directed the light behind his ear. Her fingers traced along an arrow angled to the right and pointing skyward with the base rising from and crossing through a thick horizontal black l
ine. “What does it mean to be a Seeker?” Maxim spoke up.

  “He may be embarrassed about being a Seeker, but our entire family is extremely proud to have him. It’s a great honor. He’s the hunter of knowledge as well as a representative of the Greek god Eros. This is why he’s so knowledgeable about many things and is especially adept at helping the Insedi locate potentials.”

  Luna glanced to Cato. “What are potentials?” She caught the quick look he cast at the other two men. Their eyes were questioning and it appeared that they were having a silent conversation just with their expressions. All three stood at the same time. Maxim walked over to a dresser and started rummaging around in a drawer and Kallon walked over to a mirror hanging on the wall. Cato held his palm out to her.

  “It’s just the terminology we use for the females that could possibly be a mate for an Insedi male. I’ll explain it all later. Come, we want to show you the mark.

  Luna made a mental note to grill him the first chance she got. The discussion had shaken him and she wanted to know why. “Okay.”

  She approached the mirror and Kallon motioned for her to turn her back to it. She did and Maxim handed her a small mirror. Cato pulled her braid aside and tilted her head to the right.

  “Put the mirror up to your cheek and look directly into it. You can see the reflection of your mark in the other mirror. She adjusted the mirror and strained to see what they had been enthralled over. Eventually, she was able to make out a slight pigmentation change. Cato placed his finger next to it.

  “See, it looks exactly like mine, except inverted. Instead of an arrow head, it has a fatter triangle tip with a small dot below the point. It’s an artist’s quill and the dot indicates either a drop of ink or paint, but really it could be any medium.”

  As he described the symbol, Luna was finally able to distinguish the shapes. She stared at the mark for many moments and tried to grasp the significance of what they’d revealed. How in the hell could she be an Insedi? How was it even possible? She looked away from the mirror as soon as Cato voiced her exact thoughts to Kallon.

  Cato pulled her down to sit with him on the couch and Kallon plopped back in his chair. Maxim brought all of them water.

  Kallon sighed and leaned forward. “Here’s my theory. Thousands of years ago the entry point for the vortex leading to Insedivertus was swallowed up by a major mountain shift. They knew this because it spit out boulders for about two days. There was no way for the Earth-side Insedi to return. There was a span of two hundred years before we had the technology to free the entrance. It was assumed that all the Insedi had perished since we can’t go longer than three months without a fresh infusion of energy. I can only guess that some may have found mates in that small window of time or a compatible energy source that allowed them to live long enough to find one. Probably both, since the progeny obviously survived. The odds are astronomical, but it’s entirely possible.”

  Maxim frowned. “What would’ve caused Luna’s mark to fade?”

  Kallon shrugged. “That still baffles me. With Luna’s mark being so faint, it appears the ancestral DNA degraded with each generation. Perhaps the longer they were Earth bound, the need for core stabilization decreased. Whether it was due to them being born on Earth, or our body’s way of evolving, I’m not entirely sure. Maybe as the generations continued, there wasn’t a need to pass through all the mating cycles and the patriarchal DNA began to thin out. This might be why she doesn’t display full capability of the Insedi breed, yet she’s shown knowledge of the land. Obviously this new breed dynamic is still capable of connecting with our world through the dream state as we do when we send energy back home. It’s also the reason why she was able to meet Cato in that altered state.” He sat back and shrugged.

  “Now if anyone has a better theory, I’m open to hear it. Either way, we need to take Luna back home right away.”

  Maxim nodded. “I can fly us out in the morning.”

  Luna felt her eyes widen and Cato frowned at the doctor. “Why the rush?”

  Kallon raised a brow. “Think about it, Cato. I need to test for her lineage. If she’s from one that’d been trapped here, it proves my theory that some lived, otherwise there was a rogue Insedi that mated and never returned. Either way, we’ll want to know who she belongs to. There were over one hundred Insedi males stuck here, so I’m more apt to believe she’s one of their progeny. Even if a few of them mated, we could have more, for lack of a better term, diluted Insedi that need to be found. The emperor as well as the families should be informed.”

  Luna grasped the seriousness of the situation. “This is surreal.”

  Cato squeezed her hand. “What about it, baby? You want to see your ancestral home and freak out a few thousand Insedi?”

  She looked at each of them and shrugged. “Hell, why not? I’ve been drawing the place for years. I might as well see the real deal.”

  * * * *

  Cato threw his keys on the bar and watched Luna wander around the great room, pretending to admire the furnishings. He could tell by her furrowed brow and faraway gaze that she wasn’t really interested in the pottery lining the fireplace mantel. He didn’t blame her one bit. The day’s reveal had kicked them both in the ass. The love of his life was of his race and he just couldn’t seem to get his mind wrapped around the odds of him finding her. Was that why he’d been drawn to her voice? Was there something inherent in the Insedi makeup that helped them recognize their own?

  Kallon was going to be all over this when they got her back home. He could see the excitement build on the doctor’s face the more he theorized Luna’s existence. Even through his initial stupor, Cato remembered being extremely thankful that none of his own ancestors had been part of the unfortunate one hundred. He would have died if he’d ended up being related to her. A shudder passed through his body and he decided he needed to get both of their minds off this surreal event.

  “Hey, baby. Why don’t you go grab a shower and I’ll throw us some steaks on the grill. We can watch a movie upstairs and push all this heavy stuff to the side. We’ll be dealing with it enough tomorrow.”

  She glanced over to him and graced him with a gorgeous smile. “That sounds fantastic. I want to watch something funny. Make mine medium rare and you got a deal.”

  Cato grinned, walked to the refrigerator, and pulled two steaks out. “Deal. That’s how I like mine, too.” She grinned back and headed to the bedroom. He winked at her when she walked by. As soon as she closed the door, he chuckled and opened a cabinet door.

  “I’ve got another way to distract you, my lovely Luna, and there’s nothing funny about.” He pulled out a jar of honey and grabbed a plastic bowl from the dishwasher. He watched the thick, golden liquid drizzle into the container and thought of all the possible places he could spread it. His dick went on instant high alert. He couldn’t get down the hallway fast enough.

  Cato stood outside the bathroom door and waited until he heard the click of the shower door. He slipped inside the room and stared at her curvy form outlined behind the tempered glass and muted by the billowing steam filling the room. She’d freed her long, jet black hair and he had to lean against the wall to steady himself. He set the bowl on the sink and practically tore the clothes from his body. He could almost hear his dick sigh in relief when it bounced free from the constricting material. He grabbed the bowl and opened the door. He saw her flinch and lowered his voice to a deep timbre.

  “No. Don’t turn around.” He smiled when she froze. “Raise your arms and grab the showerhead, Luna. Do it now.”

  He moved inside the stall and closed the door when she instantly reached up. He set the bowl on the marble bench protruding from the wall and stepped closer to her.

  “Good girl. Move the spray toward the wall, but don’t let go.” When she complied, he ran his palm down her wet hair and felt her melt under his touch. His dick slapped against his belly and he bit the inside of his mouth to keep from revealing how close he was to the edge.


  “Spread your legs. Wider. Yes. Like that. Good. Now don’t move until I tell you to.”

  Cato reached up and brought her left arm down while he moved her long tail of hair over her shoulder. He returned her hand to the showerhead and ran his hands down her arms, over her back, and paused above her buttocks. She started to tremble. He continued a lazy path over the curvy globes and knelt behind her.

  “Arch your back and push this luscious ass toward me.” Her low moan mixed with the sounds of water spattering in the enclosed space kicked his heart into overdrive.

  Reaching over, Cato dipped two fingers into the honey and lifted his hand. He paused to enjoy the sight of her glistening slit opened and throbbing in front of his face. The delicate lips were reddened and her clit had already extended from its hood. He had to restrain himself from flipping her around and shoving himself deep inside her.

  Taking a few deep breaths, he willed his hand to quit shaking. He touched his honeyed fingers to the top of her mound and drug his fingers backward across her slick flesh. He lingered at her clit and rubbed a few lazy circles before pausing at her opening. He saw chills bead up on her skin and her legs shook.

  “Don’t move, Luna.” He eased his fingers inside of her blistering channel and was glad her groan masked his own. Her inner walls throbbed and fluttered around his fingers as he worked them in and out in an excruciatingly slow pace. He saw how hard she fought to keep still and decided to reward her for the control.