by Hope Hart
He stops at my kradi, and a woman I haven’t met ducks out of it, a large empty bucket in her hands.
“I have arranged for baths to be drawn for you and the commander,” he says.
“I could kiss you.”
The ghost of a smile plays around his mouth, and a tiny bit of the strain on his face disappears. “I don’t believe Ellie would like that.”
I laugh. “Nope. Good night, Terex.”
He glances up at the sun and then grins at me. “Good night.”
Chapter Eleven
Sarissa
The kradi is quiet…almost lonely. For the first time in days, I’m by myself, without any plans running through my mind.
The bath calls to me, and I strip off, removing the earring from my ear, and slide into the water with a sigh. I’m so tired I’m worried that if I close my eyes, I’ll fall asleep in the bath, so I force myself to dunk my head, scrub every inch of my body, and get out, wrapping one of the long cloths the tribe use as towels around me and then leaning over to wring out my hair in the bath.
“Sarissa?”
“Come in,” I call, smiling at Ellie. “You didn’t have to get up for me,” I say, and she rolls her eyes.
“Don’t worry.” She runs her hand over her bump. “I was already up.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Huge. I know you’ve only been gone for a few weeks since Beth’s mating ceremony, but it feels like it’s been months.”
“You poor thing.”
She smiles. “This little guy or girl will be worth it. I’ve always wanted to be a mother. How’s Vivian doing?”
“Ruling with an iron fist.”
She laughs, and I grin as she hands me a dress. I recognize it as one Vivian wore often when she was here.
“She had her coronation. I can’t tell you how weird it was seeing an actual crown on my cousin’s head.”
“I bet. And you? How are you doing, Sarissa?”
I shrug, picking my earring off the floor and showing it to her. “I have the chip.”
I slide it into my ear, and Ellie nods, her eyes steady on my face. “That’s great. But how are you doing?”
I open my mouth, and my throat suddenly tightens. My eyes dart, and Ellie gives me a sympathetic look.
“Listen to me prying into your personal life. You’re exhausted. We can talk later once you’ve had some rest.”
She rubs my arm and smiles at me before waddling out of the kradi as I pull on my dress, unsure why I’m suddenly so upset.
My mission is complete. I’ve brought the chip back, just like I wanted.
So why am I not jumping for joy?
Maybe I’m just tired.
I wonder if Korzyn has had his arm looked at. Something tells me he’s not the type to go to the healers unless someone drags him there.
It’s none of your business what the commander does.
I picture him lying in bed, teeth clenched in pain, his arm throbbing. What if he gets an infection?
That’s it.
I stride out of my kradi, making my way to the healers’ one. Zoey is murmuring to Moni, one of the healers who provided me with a salve that’s meant to loosen up my scars.
Zoey glances at me and smiles, finishing up her conversation and making her way toward me. She looks content and completely at home here, and I attempt to shove down the envy that twists my stomach.
“Sarissa, you haven’t slept yet? You look exhausted.”
I smile. “I’ll go to bed soon. Hey, did the commander come by at some point?”
She shakes her head. “I’ve been here since shortly after you arrived. Couldn’t sleep. How come?”
“He took a nasty slice to his arm. It needs to be dressed, but he’s likely so stubborn that he’ll ignore it and then attempt to fix it himself when it doesn’t heal properly.” I roll my eyes, and Zoey laughs.
She reaches for a salve on her workbench and hands it to me, along with a handful of bandages. “Give it a clean and then that salve should do the trick. I’d offer him a tonic for the pain, but something tells me he wouldn’t take it.”
“Nope. Thanks.”
“Anytime.”
The sun may have just risen, but the camp is already coming to life. Babies are crying, their mothers soothing them, kids are negotiating playing outside, and families are laughing together over their morning meals as I walk between a row of kradis.
I ring the kradi bells.
“Yes?”
The commander’s voice is low, almost hoarse, and I hate myself for the way it makes my stomach flutter.
“It’s me.”
Splashing. Good God, he’s in the bath. I don’t wait for him to reply. “I’ll come back later.”
His laugh is a low challenge. “Enter.”
I grit my teeth. Another game. If he thinks he’ll turn me into a drooling fool just because he happens to be naked, he can think again.
I push through his kradi entrance and come to a halt as silver eyes meet mine.
He’s obviously just washed his hair because water is dripping down his face, along the smooth line of his throat, caressing the muscles of the best chest on Agron.
Stop staring, dummy.
His eyes laugh at me as I grind my teeth, stepping closer.
“I noticed you were favoring your left arm. It doesn’t make you weak to go to the healers, you know.”
He lifts it from the water, and we both examine the deep cut. Blood oozes out, and I let out a growl.
“Are you trying to get an infection?”
“It was dirty. It needed to be cleaned.”
His tone is suggestive, and I heroically manage to fight back a blush. I stare him down. It’ll take more than that to make me uncomfortable.
Yeah, right. So why are you sweating, hmm?
The corner of his mouth lifts, and he moves. I clamp my eyes shut, ignoring his low laugh as he gets to his feet. From the sound of things, he’s drying himself off, and I gulp, wishing I could fan my face.
“You can open your eyes,” he murmurs, and I jump.
He’s standing inches away, and I clear my throat again.
“If you sit down, I’ll be able to reach.”
He gives the salve in my hand a look of distaste, and I wave it at him.
“It’s an antiseptic.”
He sighs. “Fine.”
He takes a seat, the towel parting to reveal one huge muscled thigh.
Don’t look down.
I jump at the touch of his hand on mine, and I realize he’s reaching for the salve. He smiles, looking far too pleased with himself, as he places it on the table next to him.
Silence.
“Hold out your arm.”
He complies, and I use one of the bandages to gently spread the salve along the cut. He hisses, and I wince.
“Serves you right for not paying attention.”
I know when he got this cut. It was right after I admitted I was his mystery woman.
From the frown on his face, he’s thinking the same thing.
“How are you feeling now?”
“Better. I’ve regained most of my energy. That disgusting water you forced on me saved my life.”
I let out a pleased hum as I wrap a bandage around his bicep before tying it off. I pull my hand away, and he catches it in his.
We stare at each other, the crackle of his fire the only noise in his kradi.
Fuck it.
I lean down, and he meets me halfway, his mouth hard on mine. The commander kisses as if every kiss is his last, with a kind of desperate urgency that makes my thighs clench.
His hands cup my head, holding me to him as his tongue presses against my lips, demanding entrance. I open for him, and he sweeps into my mouth with a growl, making me tremble with need.
He pulls me close until I’m straddling him, and I groan at the feel of him so hard and thick beneath me.
Turns out the commander is packing. He moves his lips to my neck, t
railing down my skin, and my eyes flutter shut as I sigh against him.
Korzyn’s low laugh makes me jolt, and I blink open my eyes as I stare at him. I’ve never seen him look so…happy before. Tiny lines are crinkled next to his eyes, which glow silver with satisfaction. His full lips are curled into a smile, and I reach out, tracing that smile in an attempt to memorize what it looks like.
“Why did you stop?”
Am I slurring?
“You fell asleep against me. Should I be offended?”
“Did not.”
His smile widens into a full-fledged grin. “You snored.”
He gets to his feet, holding me easily in his arms despite his injury. I expect him to let me slide down to the ground, but instead, he walks me to the furs in the corner of the kradi, placing me down on them.
“What are you doing?”
“You need to sleep.”
My eyes widen at that. And they widen even more as he ditches the towel, crawling under the furs next to me.
“Um.”
“You came to me,” Korzyn says. “You sleep with me.”
“Uh—”
“Close your eyes.”
I feel like I should argue my point, but he hauls me into his arms, and he’s so warm next to me, and I feel so safe that I…do.
Korzyn
It has been many years since I woke up next to a female. And never did I imagine I would wake up next to this one.
Sarissa…cuddles.
I never would have expected it from the prickly female, but she is slumped over my chest like a baby karja, her claws tucked away as she nuzzles my chest and lets out a tiny snore.
Something uncomfortably like contentment makes my lips curl.
Then I frown. I must not forget this female is a deceiver. A cunning little liar who can’t be trusted.
And yet she is also fiercely loyal. I’ve seen it in her every interaction—even when she had the chance to be rid of me while I was dying in that cave.
Sarissa stretches, a purr leaving her throat, and her nipples rub against my chest.
I grit my teeth. I’m harder than I have ever been, my cock aching as she nestles closer, the wet heat of her suddenly right where I need her.
“Sarissa.”
“Mmm.” She grinds on me, and I see stars.
“I won’t tumble you while you’re still asleep,” I grit out.
She sighs against my chest, the warm air blowing gently against one of my nipples, and my abs clench.
I once told Arix about the thixis, an animal that lives in the Seinex Forest. It’s a small, unassuming animal that would make perfect prey for any predators that hunted it.
But it has a bulb in the back of its throat. With one exhale, the predator becomes a meek, obedient creature.
Sarissa has more in common with a thixis than I ever imagined.
I bury my hand in her hair and pull, just enough to lift her head off my chest.
“Sarissa. Wake. Up.”
“Mmm.” She blinks open her eyes, which are still blurred with sleep, and I can’t help it; I take her mouth, enjoying the low laugh that leaves her throat.
“I was having the dirtiest dream,” she murmurs, grinding against me. “Spoiler alert, you featured heavily.”
It has been a long time since I have been with a female. Which must be why I’m struggling not to spill against Sarissa’s soft thighs.
I pull her closer, taking her mouth once more. She softens against me in a way that’s wholly unexpected for the vicious female and yet incredibly erotic. A male who takes this female to his bed knows she would bend only for him and just enough to keep him obsessed with her for the rest of his life.
Ring, ring, ring.
Distantly, I can hear someone ringing the kradi bells. I ignore them, and Sarissa does the same.
“Sarissa?” a voice calls.
She groans, tearing her mouth away from mine, frustration clear on her face.
“Yes?”
“It’s Alexis.” The voice is full of suppressed laughter. “Ellie said you were back with the chip, so I went to your kradi…” Her voice trails off, and Sarissa seems to come back to herself, blinking at me.
She tenses, glancing around, as if realizing she’s in my kradi. With me.
My hands fist, and I force myself not to reach for her as she rolls away, gathering her clothes.
“I’ll be right there,” she calls, fumbling with her dress. I get to my feet, and Sarissa’s gaze drops below my waist. I suppress a laugh at her choked inhalation, and her cheeks turn red.
I step behind her, tying her dress. “We’re not done,” I murmur in her ear, and she shivers. Alexis’s appearance has reminded me that the female will leave this planet as soon as she is able. But she will not leave without feeling me moving deep within her.
My need for her body changes nothing. She started something with our kiss beneath the stars. And now I will finish it.
I may have mistakenly thought she would be my mate when I kissed her that night under the stars, but that changes nothing.
I will have her before she leaves.
Chapter Twelve
Sarissa
I didn’t have any nightmares last night, which, after talking about my family yesterday, was wholly unexpected.
Instead, I had a burning-hot sex dream, starring the commander himself.
It must have been because I was so exhausted.
Are you sure it wasn’t because of the commander’s arms… and how good those arms felt around you all night?
Yup, I’m positive.
I ignore the snarky voice in my head that calls me a liar as I follow Alexis to the clearing where all of the human women in this camp usually gather as a group.
“Ellie and I didn’t say anything.” She smiles over her shoulder at me. “Nevada knows, of course, but we wanted to let you be the one to tell everyone.”
For one absurd moment, I think she’s referring to my morning grind against the commander.
I realize she’s waiting. She’s talking about the chip. Duh.
I take the earring out of my ear. “Awesome, thanks.”
I can hear the other women before I see them, the sounds of gossip and laughter echoing through the camp.
I pull the glass jewel out of my earring and let out a sigh of relief when the silver chip glints at me in the sunlight.
The clearing goes silent as soon as I appear. I don’t waste any time, simply holding the tiny chip up to the light. Heads crane, and I’m instantly surrounded by women who are whooping and hollering. Some are sobbing, while others have tears steadily dripping down their cheeks. Clara is laughing incredulously, while Aria does a little boogie, shaking her butt as she winks at me.
Alexis is standing close by, and I hand her the chip. With that simple act, a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
I’ve done my part. Now it’s up to her and Kate to see if the chip will work.
Nevada appears next to me, Danica in her arms. I grin at both of them, running a hand over Danica’s soft head.
“Nice work, Rissa,” Nevada says, and I smile. From Nevada, that’s glowing praise.
She lets the other women chat excitedly for a few more minutes, and then she hands Danica over to me with a wink.
I smile down at the baby, who blinks up at me while sucking on her thumb. “Joke’s on your mommy,” I coo. “I was hoping for a Dani cuddle.”
Nevada grins back at me before stepping up on a large rock. She puts two fingers to her mouth and lets out a piercing whistle.
I glance down at Danica, but she’s completely unconcerned.
I sway with her in my arms. “Between your warrior father and your fearless mother, you’ve got some baller genes, kid.”
The women give Nevada their attention, and her face sobers.
“Okay,” she says. “We have the chip.” She smiles as the other women cheer. “Yes, that’s all thanks to Sarissa’s determination and gung ho attitude. And her s
exy commander, of course.”
The other women crack up as I groan. “He’s not my commander,” I mutter, but Nevada ignores that.
“But the chip is just the first step. Alexis and Kate need to get onto the ship to see if the chip will work. I don’t have to explain exactly how dangerous that is. They’ll be heading to the ship tomorrow, under full guard, and if the Braxians agree it’s safe enough to get on the ship, they’ll let us know if the chip is usable. They’ll also do some analysis to see if the ship can actually be flown out of here. In the meantime, we have bigger problems.”
The clearing goes silent, all signs of celebration gone.
“War is coming. And it’s coming soon.”
Nevada explains everything, from the trap the Dokhalls set for anyone crossing the water, to the camp—and our attempt to set it all aflame.
“They know they’re no longer hidden, which means their plans are in high gear. They don’t know we have the chip, but I have little doubt their spies will find out soon. We need to prepare.”
She glances at Ivy, who nods, stepping forward.
“I’ve created a schedule of tasks that need to be completed. These include everything from sorting and building weapons to reinforcing the camp gates and taking stock of our food levels. If you’re not sure where your skills will be best used, ask.”
Nevada nods in agreement. “Believe me, there’s something for everyone.”
One of the younger women, a teenager called Lace, raises her hand. “How long do we have?”
I’ve always liked Lace. A few days after we landed—before we realized we’d need the control chip to use the ship—Nevada and a bunch of the other women had a meeting. They worried about allowing the younger women to get on the ship. After all, many of them were under the age of eighteen, and as Clara argued, you can’t even enlist for the military in the USA until you’re seventeen. Were they really mature enough to make the decision to go to space on such a risky journey?
Amongst the women who landed with me, there are five or six teenagers, ranging in age from fifteen to nineteen. Teenagers are tough, and so far, the younger women have rolled with the punches, fitting in well with the Braxians their age.
