Coletti Warlords: Just Desserts by Gail Koger

was a skanky, blue-skinned female with a long, lizard-like tongue. If the bastard touched her again, he was a dead man. Lizard girl had a very talented tongue, and her specialty was blowjobs. Yeow! She got Talree off in record time.
    I mentally duplicated her actions.
    Poof! Talree appeared in front of me, his body shaking with need.
    I grinned. Hot dang, it had worked. I gave his penis another mental lick. “Liked that, did ya?”
    Talree’s voice was a purr of menace. “What do you think you’re doing?”
    Duh? “Giving you a blowjob.”
    “In the middle of a battle?”
    “Yep. It was the only thing I could think of to stop the beast.”
    My Warlord stiffened in outrage. “The beast was not in control.”
    I snorted. “In denial much? You were ten seconds away from killing the females too.”
    The rage drained from Talree’s eyes, and he nodded stiffly. “Your techniques are quite effective.”
    “Yep. Sex puts the beast back in his cage. So, partner , from now on, I’m your backup. If Mister Hyde makes another appearance, I’ll stop him no matter what I have to lick or suck. Got it?”
    A reluctant smile touched Talree’s mouth. “Yes, my lady.”
    “Good. Let’s get the hell out of here. I promised Tae we would take her home.”
    Soulet’s crackle of laughter shattered my concentration and the memory. “Using sex to obtain your mate’s obedience is very creative. Do you think it would work on Hank?”
    She definitely didn’t get it. “I did it to save Talree, not to control him. Hank needs to be able to trust you. Your father took away your choice when he signed the mating agreement with Kall. Do you remember how you felt? How betrayed? How hurt?”
    Her tentacles wilted. “A valid point. I wish Hank to be happy with our joining.”
    “He will be, but you need to give him time.”
    “Showing me how you and Talree overcame your differences gives me hope. Please continue with your story.”
    “Okay, back to the swamp.”

Chapter Ten
    Fog shrouded a shattered forest of trees. Vivid red cabbage-like flowers dotted the icky green water. Studded spikes sprouted from the center of the flowers and stank of rotted flesh. A horde of bee-type insects flitted from flower to flower.
    Talree skillfully guided the barge around the floating garden. From my perch behind him, I kept watch for any threats. My radar had been twitching for the last hour. I knew without a doubt we were being watched, but so far our watchers hadn’t made any hostile moves.
    Tae wiggled impatiently in my lap. “Why did you stop?”
    I started petting her again. “I thought I saw something.”
    “Few enter this place.”
    A purple dragonfly the size of a Great Dane hovered over the ship. My hand tightened on the laser rifle. Shit, look at the claws on that thing. “I can see why.”
    Something whooped in the swamp, and it darted away.
    Tae continued as if nothing had happened. “My home, Taborlin, lies beyond the forest of the dead.”
    I surveyed the tangled network of raised roots that spread from the charred trees. “Spooky-lookin’ place.”
    “It is haunted by the Old Ones.”
    I scratched under Tae’s chin, and one of her legs twitched rapidly. Guess I had hit her G-spot. “You mean there are real ghosts here?”
    “Yes, the dead are trapped forever in this place.”
    A cold chill skittered up my spine. “How? What happened?”
    “Their enemy, the Musa, ambushed the Old Ones here.”
    Using my Siren’s inner eye, I carefully searched for spirits. No scary ghouls to be seen. “None of them survived the attack?”
    “Only one. Quanah. He set off a weapon of such great power, it destroyed the Musa and every living creature within a hundred clicks. Even now, nothing lives in this land.”
    “Shit! We need to turn around.”
    “As long as we stay on the water, we are safe,” Tae advised.
    “Uh-huh. Maybe for you Tabors, but what about humans and Colettis?”
    Tae patted my hand. “Many humanoids have traveled