Free Rebel Kato (Shifters of the Primus Book 1) by Elyssa Ebbott Page A

my belly heavy with child. I imagine Mira hand in hand with a strong, handsome Primus warrior as well. It’s nice to dream, at least. When I think how far I have come from the greaser who was playing tricks on her boss to vent years of frustration and disappointment I almost laugh. Even if this plan gets me killed, I would take these three days over a lifetime of what I had before.

18

Kato
    L iandra follows me into the shuttle. I make sure she is strapped in tightly and, as usual, take the opportunity to enjoy the soft mounds of her flesh. Then I take the seat beside her at the controls. Once I have us airbourne, I turn to regard her.
    “Your plan is good. But there is no need to put you in danger. You will stay in a safe place while we crush my father’s forces. There is a—”
    “Excuse me?” Liandra says. She tilts her chin slightly to one side, a sign that I have made a serious mistake. “None of your men know the systems on my ship like I do.”
    “Yes, I remember you said you were a Chief Engineer. Known amongst your people for your talents.”
    Liandra squirms in her seat slightly at my mention of her title, but she presses on. “Right. So it took me years to learn those controls. If one of your men messes it up, it will mean xenocide for my entire race. I can’t sit by and risk that.”
    I look away from her. “And I can’t risk losing you. We are at an impasse.”
    “You stubborn—listen. Once I punch in that command, there’s not going to be anywhere in the galaxy safer for me than on the ship.”
    “Very well. I will come aboard the ship with you.”
    “Didn’t you hear my plan? You know, the part about deadly gas that will boil your people’s skin from their bodies?”
    “I will wear a soot.”
    She stares at me. Though I have stared down warriors and beasts of the Dead Sea, her glare nearly makes me break eye contact. But I will not bend on this. If my kouva is going to be in danger, I will be by her side. I will protect her, even if it means watching my skin boil away from my body. I will not fail again.
    Finally, she looks away. “You’re lucky you are so fucking hot.”
    “Yes, my people generate internal temperatures upwards of 57 Barsuli—115 fahrenheit in your human measurements.”
    “No—I meant, nevermind. . .”
    “Why do you smile?”
    “I’m trying to imagine you telling a joke on purpose.”
    “I know many jokes.”
    She quirks an eyebrow at me.
    “For instance, a man falls from the highest towers of the Great Loris tree of Morsakuta. He falls and falls, wishing that he would land on something to crush his skull before he reaches the Dead Sea. He strains and sways his body, trying his hardest to collide with something, but he finds only air. After several minutes, he resigns himself to his fate. He decides that he never wanted a quick death afterall. He wanted to die while locked in honorable battle with the beasts of the Dead Sea.”
    I pause for a moment, holding back a laugh. “But the corpse of a Sakkar sits atop The Dead Sea and the man breaks his neck when he lands on it!”

19

Liandra
    K ato’s barking laughter is infectious. His joke was easily the dumbest thing I have ever heard. But seeing him smile and laugh until he clutches his stomach has me giggling along with him. Once I have finally controlled myself, I manage to say “That was about as funny as I imagined.”
    He beams with pride, not catching my real meaning.
    I look at his lap and trace the thick lines of his leg muscles with my eyes. I follow them to the outline of his cock against his thigh. He notices where I look at grins over at me. I watch as his cock stiffens, stretching the fabric of his leather pants until I think they might break. I hope they break. But the leather holds, and I can’t reach from where I sit so I am forced to look on longingly.
    “Will Mira be safe with Davoso?” I ask after a few moments, hoping to distract myself.
    “Yes. When my father learns the Separatists