by Tracy Lauren
“I am not done with you yet,” I growl, flipping her over onto her belly. She moans and arches her back, angling her sex for my perusal, but she does not look over her shoulder. She trusts me, knowing whatever I do to her will bring pleasure.
I spread her ass cheeks and lean in for another kiss, gliding my tongue through her folds and dipping into her sopping wet cunt. She wiggles on my tongue and I know she wants something harder…deeper. I push my finger into her again and it stretches her. I watch as she bounces against it, her body sucking my digit into her tightness. It is a sight to behold. I lick at her there, where our bodies connect. I want to touch her everywhere, to light up every erotic zone on her, until I am all that she feels, all that she ever wants to feel. And even if I cannot tell her that she is mine, she will know it.
I reach around to her clit with my other hand as she continues to fuck my finger. Her cries of pleasure become wild the harder I ram into her. I want to keep tasting her, I want no place on her body to be left neglected, so I seek out her other hole. I slide my tongue around her rim and she moans deeply, changing her rhythm.
“You like that, my prey?” I ask.
“Don’t stop,” her voice is a desperate sob. By the Gods, I can deny her nothing when she begs.
I continue my assault on her tight holes, relenting only once to rip my cock free from my pants, the front of which are soaked through with my cum. Purity’s mewlings become more frantic as I tease her most private places. We both feel her orgasm nearing and I think I might just cum along with her.
Then, she’s spasming again and I feel it all the more intensely with my tongue buried in her ass and my finger deep in her cunt. It pushes me over the edge. She’s still letting out little screams of pleasure when I jerk my cock over the round globes of her ass, letting out spurt after spurt of hot seed all over her milky flesh. She reaches around and slides her fingers in my cum, grazing my cock as she does.
“I wanted to do that for you,” she complains. She turns to face me and I see her fingers glistening with my seed. Purity licks them clean and I groan as I watch her.
“You made me cum twice… Maybe I can do the same for you?” she asks tentatively. My words are caught in my throat. My cock throbs even harder for her now, wanting more than just release across her back. Gently, she pushes me back down onto the fur.
She begins by kissing me and moaning against my lips. “Mmmm, all of you tastes good,” she tells me.
“That’s your pussy you’re tasting on my tongue,” I tell her bemusedly. She doesn’t seem to mind. No, she just keeps on tasting me all the way down, stopping only to dig her teeth into my neck. I growl, that primitive feeling washing over me again.
“You think to lay claim to me, my prey?” I question, my brow raised. She answers by biting into me again. Another spurt of cum shoots from my jutting cock.
“You like that, don’t you?” she asks, wrapping a hand around my dick, stroking it while she nibbles at my neck. “Tell me if you like this,” she asks, moving her mouth to my cock slit. She tongues it, lapping up my spent seed still glistening there. I watch her with intense interest. She looks so hungry for me… A mirror of my own desire, no doubt.
When she peeks at me, there’s a smile on her lips. “You’re big all over, aren’t you, Hero?” she asks, double fisting my cock. “I’ll just have to do what I can,” she tells me before sucking the head of my cock between her lips. She moans against it and my eyes roll back in my head.
The sensation is beyond words. Surely, nothing has ever felt so good. My fingers find her hair and I stroke her as she sucks on me, using her hands and mouth to bring me pleasure. All I can think of is how lost I am, until I am cumming into her mouth. Then my thoughts are clear. There is only one thing on my mind…and it frightens me.
Clear as a bell, I cannot force the thought away and it spills from me, despite myself. “I am yours,” I whisper as I draw her body against mine, hugging her close.
We lie there like that, our hands still searching and exploring one another. Everything is fair game and she toys with the stubbed horns around the crown of my head. The madness I felt before cumming dissipates and my guilt tries to creep in. Purity has her hold on me though, and her gentle murmurs cut through my darkness. In this moment, I am happy.
“Do you know what it is to be a hero on my world?” she asks me. “I don’t think I ever really gave it much thought before you. But you’re the definition of it…brave…selfless…honorable.”
“You do not know me well,” I remind her. But her appraisal feels healing and I accept the words, finding solace in them.
“I’ve known lots of boys in my life, but you’re the first man I’ve ever met. The first real man. I don’t know anyone who would’ve protected and cared for me the way you have the past few days. I know we can’t really talk to each other yet, and there’s still so much to learn, but it doesn’t matter. Whoever you were before, whatever your life was like, I know you. I’ve seen your true colors. You can fill me in on the details later.”
“I’m glad you feel that way,” I tell her, stroking her back… “How many boys?” I ask, raising my brow at her. I use her language for the word so she will catch my meaning and she sits up suddenly, swatting at my chest.
“Did you just use English?” she exclaims.
“You did not answer my question,” I respond. A smile breaks over her face and she swats at me again. “You’re asking about boys?” she laughs and settles back against me. “I didn’t mean like that. But since you’re asking, I’m no virgin. Still, there haven’t been many boys.”
“Good. Not many came before you either and there’s never been anyone else I’ve wanted so strongly,” I admit.
“Do you think we can start working on your English?” she asks. “I want to understand you so badly—to know what you’re thinking and saying,” she tells me. Her voice is sad and heavy.
“Your language is a struggle to replicate, as I suspect mine would be for you. Do not worry though, my prey. We will get you a translator soon, then it will not matter.” I stroke her hair and kiss the top of her head. At some point Purity drifts back to sleep.
Left alone with my thoughts, the guilt creeps in.
Chapter 24
Purity
When we woke in the morning Hero seemed to be in one of his moods again. I try to tell myself it’s no big deal. Once we can really talk, things will get easier. But I can’t keep my heart from sinking when he leaves the cave and motions for me to stay behind.
He must have seen the look in my eyes, because he was quick to ease my worries with a passionate kiss that left me panting. He whispered sweet and indecipherable things against my neck and I was smiling again before he left, feeling secure in our deepening bond once more.
Now, the day is new and I’m feeling better than I have in a while. With Hero gone I figure I might as well make use of my time. I comb out my hair and re-braid it, then head down to the stream for a quick rinse… I definitely need one after fooling around with my lizard man last night. When I’m done, I decide to see if I can find some more of those roots vegetables in the area surrounding our cave, knowing I’ll recognize the green and purple stalks poking up out of the ground. I swing by the cave and grab my fanny pack, figuring I’ll make use of it until I can make a larger basket or bag of some kind. Eventually we’ll probably need both, I realize. Baskets to store things in the cave and a satchel for collecting the roots.
As I walk, not daring to stray too far from our campsite, I mentally consider all the things we will eventually need to make this place a home. Storage is big, we’ll need to keep our food clean and off the ground. It would also be useful to have another water skin or a pair of cups so we aren’t always having to share the one Hero carries. What we really need is a large tureen to store water in for the day’s use; that way we aren’t having to keep running back and forth to the stream for refills.
I spy the thin stalks I’m looking for poking from the ground n
ear the base of a tree. Kneeling down, I begin to dig them out. I’m thinking about storage again and the best ways to keep things from spoiling when the idea of winter hits me. We’re going to have to start thinking ahead, planning for a long season where food is scarce. I estimate it’s either late spring or early summer now, though I really have no way of telling. I wrack my brain, trying to remember something I might have picked up in a science class somewhere along the way about the signs of the seasons.
“Buds,” I mumble, scanning the plants around me. If it were spring, they’d be budding. I’m nose deep in a bush, scrutinizing it for signs of the seasons, when I hear a branch snap nearby.
My heart stops and I rise to my feet, willing my senses to hone. Then, not more than 20 feet ahead of me, a man steps out from behind a tree. Or rather, an alien man. I suck in a breath, ready to scream as I take a stumbling step backwards. But his hands are up in a calming gesture and when he speaks, I have to steady myself on a nearby tree, because the words that come out of his mouth… They’re English.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?” I ask, still steadying myself on the tree. I’m trembling so hard I can barely stand.
“You have nothing to fear from me. My name is Rylan, I am here as part of a rescue effort,” he explains.
I look around anxiously, wondering where the rest of his so-called rescue effort is. He sees my fear is unabated and is quick to continue. “I am alone right now, but our ship is cloaked not far from here—”
“Our? Who’s this ‘our’?”
“My mate, myself, and a few others. My mate is human, like yourself. Her name is Faith. It is important to her that I find the other humans—”
“Where is she?” I demand, skeptical of his story. I eye him harshly, judging every aspect of him for signs of deceit. He is tall, like Hero, though not as broad in his shoulders, and clearly, they are different species. Hero is all lizard and this guy is…something else entirely. His head is shaved along the sides and the rest of his locks are tied back in a long braid. He wears pants and a vest and I see only one small gun on his hip, no swords like Hero carries. His hands are tipped with evil-looking black claws and his skin is white in some places and mottled green in others. His eyes are what really stand out though, for they glow fluorescent green and while they’re unsettling…they also look sincere.
“She was hurt. Tell me, what’s your name?”
“Purity. What do you mean hurt? How?”
“There are bad people on this planet, Purity, people who are actively seeking you and the others. My mate was shot by one of them while trying to defend me. She nearly lost her life, but there is a medical bay aboard my ship, a good one. Do you have any injuries that need tending?”
I shift to hide the still-bruised side of my body and hope he doesn’t have a clear view of my scabbed-up scalp. “I’m fine,” I assure him.
“You look well,” he agrees, but those eyes of his shoot over my shoulder and I notice him watching our surroundings.
“What are you looking for?” I ask harshly.
“The one you are with…”
“Hero,” I tell him.
“He’Rokvska Naa,” he says, his voice growing rough and clipped in an effort to make out the sounds of Hero’s full name. “I know him.”
“You know Hero?”
“I know the gladiator, though not well. I met him the night this all began.”
“Gladiator?” I question. Actually, I’m all questions. When did this begin…how…why?
“We should leave this place before he returns,” Rylan says urgently, gesturing that I should come with him.
“Excuse me?” I step back, building the distance between us.
The expression on Rylan’s face is perplexed, like he can’t quite fathom my reaction. “The gladiator is dangerous, Purity.”
“Damn right he is,” I agree, a subtle warning to my new friend.
“I can protect you from him. I promise you, there is nothing to fear. Please, come back to the ship with me. Once you talk with my mate things will become clearer. You will be safe with us.”
“Stay away from me,” I say, holding my hands up to keep him at bay. “I’m safe with Hero.”
“You wish to remain with the gladiator? The hunter?” It’s like Rylan just can’t believe me.
“I’m with Hero and nothing’s going to change that,” I tell him, standing my ground. Hero saved me. I love him. I’m not going anywhere without him by my side and I sure as hell don’t trust some alien asshole who’s trying to steal me away from the one person I have in this world, regardless of the fact that he says he has a human mate.
“Ayo,” he says, hands up, trying to calm me once more. “I did not mean to frighten you. Has…has the gladiator been caring for you?”
“I wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for him,” I confirm. Still, Rylan’s expression tells me he’s got serious doubts.
“He is a killer, Purity. I want to trust your judgment, but I cannot help but wonder if he has some ulterior motive.”
“If you don’t get the fuck out of here right now, I’m going to scream and when Hero hears me, we might see for ourselves what kind of killer he is,” I bluff, not knowing if Hero is even close enough to hear me call for him. Let alone if he’d hurt anything besides the furry little things we’ve been eating for dinner.
Rylan steps back. “I fear I have played this wrong and you will be the one to pay for it. Truly, I care only for your wellbeing. We will be here a few days more, trying to round up the rest, but if I do not see you again, the airfield is to the east—”
“The airfield?”
“There are ships there. But I must warn you, something is happening back at the dome. I do not know what, but the guards have all been killed and the hunters have scattered.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“If you would just come back to my ship and speak with my mate—”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I say with finality.
He sighs. “So be it. To the east.” He motions toward the top of the mountain, discernible through the trees. “There is a star there, at night, just above the peak. It is the brightest star in this part of the sky. You cannot miss it. Follow that star and it will take you to the airfield. But again, I warn you, there are killers on this planet. You are not safe here…nor do I think you are safe with the gladiator.”
“Then clearly you don’t know him,” I counter.
“Let us hope that is the case. My mate and I will be headed to the Iredescan colonies.”
“Good for you.”
“Say it.”
“What?”
“The Iredescan colonies.”
“Iredescan colonies,” I repeat.
“Say it again.”
“Iredescan colonies.”
“Do you think you can remember that?”
Tears well in my eyes and I hope I’m making the right decision. Nodding solemnly, I repeat the words over and over again in my mind.
“If you escape this place with your life, you have friends on the colonies. If you ever need us, we will be there. Do you understand me?”
I nod again, willing my tears not to fall.
“You are sure you trust the gladiator?” he asks once more.
“If you’re so sure he can’t be trusted, why don’t you just carry me away kicking and screaming?”
“I am only here to save those who want to be saved,” Rylan tells me. There is weighted sadness to his voice, reminding me I’m not the only one who’s experienced hardship. “Do you remember my name?” he asks.
“Rylan,” I tell him.
“And my mate’s?”
I shake my head no.
“Faith,” he reminds. “And the colonies?”
“Iredescan.”
“Good. I must leave you now, Purity. There are others out there who might still need my help. I pray that you know the gladiator better than the rest of us.”
Rylan bac
ks away, disappearing into the trees. The second he’s out of sight I turn on my heels and run, disregarding the soreness in my leg.
Seeing someone in the forest, being reminded that we aren’t alone here on this planet—it all makes my blood run cold. My heart pounds in my chest. I won’t feel safe again until I’m back in Hero’s arms.
Chapter 25
He’Rokvska Naa
I left Purity early this morning to find a quiet place to reflect. My honor is in tatters and the guilt surrounding my treatment of her is heavy on my shoulders.
I misled her. Had she understood our purpose here she would have never been so quick to trust me…so quick to give herself to me. I, on the other hand, was quick to abuse her trust.
I sigh, looking out at the world from my perch atop the mountain. I can see far and wide from this vantage point and I take in the beauty of this world, so unlike my home planet.
I have not been myself here. It is not my way to behave with such dishonor. It is not my way to abandon my duties and renege on a contract. Yet now…now that Purity and I have…well, we have not yet mated. But after what we have done together, I can hardly hunt her. I do not want to hunt her. I want her warm in my bed.
I close my eyes as a breeze hits me and I think of Purity in our cave, sitting cross legged on our fur blanket, combing out her golden hair. It is a pleasing image. I am happy with her here on this world, I realize. There is no place like this mountain on Braga Faro Sintra. The skies on my world are tinted red, the atmosphere there so clouded with pollution you cannot even see the stars. Still, I cannot stay here forever, nor can I keep Purity in limbo. But what can I do with her?
My reputation will be ruined if I return to my world with no kill and nothing to show for the hunt, save a weak pet I have brought home with me. I groan and rub at my neck, knowing full well that Purity is no pet. But that is how she will be viewed on a gladiator’s world. And how will they judge me, He’Rokvska Naa, as I work to build up my house? They will wonder why I was matched with such a weak adversary and why I was unable to perform the deed required of me.
