by T. J. Quinn
She had to be losing her mind. How could she be reacting like this to a man’s touch? One that hadn’t shown any interest in her so far?
“If they don’t, I’ll retrace my steps and try to find my communication device. With it back, I can ask for assistance,” he explained, wrapping some strange bandages around her feet.
Relieved to see him finishing his task, she could focus on his words. “Do you think you can find it? You got lost once, what makes you think you wouldn’t get lost again?” she said, doubtfully.
“I only got lost because I couldn’t see where I was going. With you on my shoulder and running through the woods, it’s no surprise I lost my way,” he justified himself, as he released her feet and stepped away.
She muffled a sigh of relief and scolded herself for the sense of loss she felt the moment he stopped touching her. “You have a point there,” she conceded. “But what if you can’t find it? What then?”
“I’ll use the Paklyors’ vessel to get in touch with my friends.”
“You’d go up against the whole tribe, just by yourself? How often do you get these death wishes?” she mocked him.
He scowled. “They don’t guard their vessel. Right now, they can’t even fly it, since my crew disabled it.”
“So, we can’t use it to get the hell out of here?” she asked, disappointed.
“No. Even if my crew hadn’t disabled the vessel, it would be useless for us. It’s nearly impossible to fly someone else’s vessel, and certainly, I wouldn’t be able to fly a vessel that big by myself,” he explained, in a somber tone.
“We’re doomed. We’re never getting out of this place…” Arantxa whimpered.
“Please, don’t overreact. It’s only been a few hours. Give my friends a chance. I’m sure they will get us out of here,” he assured her.
She sighed, feeling suddenly tired. Ever since the Paklyors attack, she hadn’t been able to get proper rest, apart from the moments she had been unconscious from their beatings.
“Are you hungry?” he asked, looking at her with a slight frown.
She let out a small laugh, deprived of humor. “I don’t remember the last time I ate. The Paklyors aren’t the best hosts I ever met,” she said, in a sarcastic tone.
He took a small package from the bag. “These energy bars should be enough to keep you sated,” he said, handing her a small bar, half the size of a cereal bar.
She took one, looking at it with suspicion. How the hell something so small would keep her sated? She would need a couple of dozens like that one.
It smelled terrible, very spicy, fishy… like some dried fish thing and she doubted for a moment if she wanted to even try it. But she was hungry, more than she had realized until he asked her. She figured it couldn’t be as bad as what she had been fed by the Paklyors.
Taking a deep breath, she gave it a small bite. Despite its smell, the bar tasted like plain bread. Not sweet, not salty, just some bland dough. She guessed it was better this way, so she ate the rest of the bar, still certain she wouldn’t feel sated with just one. Humans ate with their brain as much as they ate with their mouths. Her brain refused the idea that a tiny bit of food was enough for her.
“Do you like it?” he asked, looking at her puzzled.
“It’s… it’s…” she struggled to find a word that wouldn’t offend the guy, but what could she say about that? “Not bad… really, not bad,” she ended up saying with a faint smile on her face.
“Have some water too,” he handed her a small bottle and she took a few sips of it, before giving it back to him. “I would give you more food, but if you haven’t eaten in a while, it might make you feel ill,” he explained, as he too ate one of the small bars.
“I’m fine, thank you,” she assured him.
“It takes a while for the nutrients to dissolve in your stomach, but you’ll feel sated in no time, believe me,” he informed her.
“Yes, of course,” she gave him a polite smile, still doubting his words.
A burst of cold wind slipped through the shelter’s branches, and she shuddered, regretting for the first time having ditched the furry blanket.
Arantxa pulled her legs up against her chest and wrapped her arms around them, feeling very cold.
“Are you cold?” he asked, as he put away everything he had taken out of his bag, including the energy bars.
“Just a little,” she admitted.
Korben pulled a small greenish pack from the bag, and when he opened it, it became some sort of small tent, barely enough for two. He secured it to the floor of the shelter and invited her in.
“Get inside. You won’t feel cold, and you’ll be able to get the rest you need,” he told her.
“What about you?” she asked, looking at the small space inside the tent.
“I’ll keep watch. I don’t know this place nor its fauna. I won’t put us at risk for a couple of hours of sleep,” he explained.
“That doesn’t sound fair…” she protested.
“I’ll be fine. Just get inside before it gets colder,” he ordered her.
She opened her mouth to protest once more, but the stony expression on his face assured her she wouldn’t get anywhere with it.
So, she meekly entered the tent, and he closed it behind her.
Arantxa sighed as she crawled inside the tent. Unexpectedly, the floor was soft, as if made of foam and it was warm inside. She would be able to, at least, rest. She doubted though she would be able to sleep. With the adrenaline rush gone, she could feel every sore muscle of her body and every damn aching bruise.
She lay down, face-up, watching as the darkness took over her small shelter. She sighed and tried to analyze all that had happened that day. It was hard to believe she was away from the Paklyors and what they did to her. Her life had been a complete nightmare for only a few days, but it had felt like a damn lifetime. She had been sure she would never be free again, so waking up to find herself with this stranger, had been a lot to process.
Certainly, she was grateful. She was just having some trouble believing it was real, that it wasn’t just a wild dream of her feverish mind. She would die if she woke up back in that cold, stinky chamber.
Sighing, she tossed for a while, but she must have fallen asleep at some point because when she opened her eyes again, a dim light lit the tent.
Chapter Ten
Korben watched the female entering the portable shelter and sighed, relieved as he closed it. Being around her was harder than he expected.
Her petite, luscious body had him constantly aroused. Knowing she wasn’t wearing underwear under that shirt made things even harder for him. Especially when he knew what the shirt covered. The sight of her naked body was engraved in his mind, and he would never forget it.
Knowing she belonged to someone else did nothing to appease his hunger for her. In particular, when that someone was Biurk, a low scoundrel he owed nothing to, he didn’t feel guilty at all.
He had accepted this job more because he was bored than because he wanted to help Biurk. But none of that changed the fact the female had crossed the universe to meet Biurk, not him. He had never imposed himself on a female, and he certainly wouldn’t start now.
He rubbed his face, his eyes lost in the dark woods.
He guessed he had been without a female for way too long. That was the only logical explanation for his craving. All he had to do was get off this damn planet, deliver the female to her future husband, and spend a few weeks having fun at one of the many brothels in the colonies. That should solve his problem. He just had to survive the next few days. It should be easy… but the twinge in his guts told him otherwise.
He wanted her.
As he had never wanted a female before.
He had no idea what made her so special, so different. He just knew she sparked the fieriest passion he had ever felt, awakening a raw hunger he was having trouble controlling.
Hearing her toss and turn inside the shelter didn’t make things easier
for him. Every toss sounded like an invitation he forced himself to ignore, knowing she wouldn’t welcome him.
The sun didn’t come a moment too soon. He wanted to leave as soon as possible so they could find a place to wait for his friends.
He jumped to his feet and stretched his large body as he examined the woods around them. He had seen a few small animals wandering the area, but nothing he would consider a major threat. He should have researched more about the planet, but he hadn’t planned to be stranded on it.
“Hi, there… could you please open this?” her voice took him out of thoughts.
He opened the small portable shelter and helped her out of it.
“Did you have a good night?” he asked her, his tone huskier than usual as he watched the way the cool air of dawn turned her nipples into small, hard pebbles.
“Yes… thank you.” She gave him a shy smile as she rubbed her arms.
“Did you get hungry?” Korben asked, smiling back at her.
Surprised, she realized she hadn’t. The small bar really worked. “Not at all.”
“Good. Here’s another one. You’ll need it.” He handed her another bar and a bottle of water. “We need to move out as soon as possible,” he warned her, and she nodded.
She ate and drank rapidly and went behind some bushes, to take care of her physiological needs. By the time she was done, he had turned the tent back into the small package.
“You’ll have to carry the backpack,” he told her as he helped her get on the ground.
“Yes, of course. I can do that,” she accepted.
Her feet felt a lot better than the night before, and the special bandages he had put on her feet would act as like shoes or at least stockings.
“Are you leaving the shelter like that?” she asked, looking at the small platform he had built the night before.
“Yes, it would take time we can’t waste to destroy it,” he explained, handing her the backpack.
She put it on, surprised it wasn’t as heavy as she thought it would be.
He crouched in front of her. “Now, climb onto my back,” he instructed her.
“What?” Arantxa asked, surprised.
“You’re not walking on those feet, female. Don’t make us waste any more time and do as I say,” he ordered her.
“There’s no need for this. My feet are a lot better…” she started to protest. The idea of wrapping her body around his was too damn arousing for her to even consider it.
“I can always throw you over my shoulder,” he threatened her, tilting his head to look at her and let her know he meant what he said.
She pursed her lips. “This is a bad idea…”
“Just do it. We’re wasting precious time with a senseless argument,” he cut her off, looking forward, in position to take her on his back.
She took a deep breath and finally climbed onto his back. His body heat slipped through the fabrics, and she instantly felt warm and cozy. But of course, she also felt aroused. So aroused she was sure he could smell it.
With no panties on, and perched on his back, her throbbing pussy was pressed against his back, she was sure he could feel just how wet she was.
Blushing like never in her life, she did her best to act as if everything was alright as if the wetness dripping from her pussy was a normal thing, but she was sure he knew better.
Korben had her rest her hands on his shoulders as he grabbed her by her thighs. It was a lot easier to carry her this way than over his shoulder, but it was also a lot more intimate.
The minute she climbed onto his back, his nostrils flared with her intoxicating scent and it took him every ounce of self-control not to turn around and blow her mind with a passionate kiss.
Instead, he made sure they didn't forget anything important, before he walked out of there, resuming their route up the stream.
They had been walking for a few hours, each of them lost in their own thoughts when she dared to speak.
“I just realized I don’t even know your name,” she said in a low tone.
“Is it important?” he asked back, scowling.
“Yes, I would say so. I want to know the name of my rescuer,” she explained, keeping to herself the other reason: she needed to know the man she had spent the last hours fantasizing with.
Not even the dreadful situation they were in had been able to steer her away from the naughty fantasies playing in her mind. His closeness, the hardness of his muscles under her touch, his male, musky scent making it impossible for her to think about any other thing other than him.
He chuckled but obliged. “My name is Korben.”
“Where are you from, Korben?” she asked, her hands playing absently over his shoulders, relishing the strength and power laying underneath her fingertips.
He cleared his throat. “I’m from Gorun, a small planet in the third quadrant, very far from your home planet,” he replied.
“Aren’t you tired, Korben? You’ve walked a lot more than we did yesterday,” she asked, eager for a few moments away from him.
She needed a few moments to recover her composure. Besides, she had to attend her physiological needs as soon as possible.
He looked around and stopped a few steps away, where there was smooth white sand for her to stand on. Only then, did he allow her to slide down from his back.
“We shouldn’t stay here long,” he warned her, helping her to take off the backpack. “We’ll eat and drink before we continue.”
She nodded. “I need a few moments alone,” she told him, slightly blushing.
“Just don’t go too far.”
“I won’t.”
She walked over to some bushes, not far from where he was, near the water and after she peed, she walked into the water to wash. She had never been so wet before in her life, and she was certain he could smell her scent.
When she returned to where he was, he handed her one of the energy bars and some water.
“We’ll walk for a few more hours, and then we’ll look for a place to make our own clearing,” he told her, as he packed their things.
“That sounds great. I can’t wait to get out of here,” Arantxa confessed.
“Are you that eager to meet your future husband?” he asked with a touch of disdain.
The truth was Arantxa hadn’t thought much of Biurk. She was sure he was to blame for what happened to her, but he was also the reason she had been rescued. Her feelings for the male alien had never been clear, and after the past days’ events, they weren’t any clearer.
“I just want to get as far away as possible from the Paklyors,” she replied.
“If you say so…” he stopped talking and looked around as if sensing something.
“What’s wrong?” she whispered, tensing up.
“We’re not alone,” he whispered back, pushing her behind him and taking out his weapon.
“Could it be an animal?” she asked, gluing herself to his back, shaking.
She refused to think the Paklyors had found them. Fate couldn’t be this cruel to her.
“I don’t think so,” his somber tone made her close her eyes and rest her forehead on his back, her hands clenched into fists around his suit.
“Please… please… don’t let them capture me again…” she begged.
“They won’t. I promise,” Korben assured her, though he knew he was making a promise he might not be able to fulfill. “Get behind those rocks,” he told her, signaling a few big rocks inside the stream. “Paklyors aren’t very fond of water.”
All of a sudden, a huge figure jumped out of the bushes, not far from them, brandishing a weapon, with a loud roar – a Paklyor warrior.
Korben shot at him as the Paklyor shot at him and for a while, Arantxa wasn’t able to determine what was going on. She kept looking around, waiting for more Paklyors to jump out of the bushes, but it seemed this one was alone.
Korben was finally able to kill the other male, but not without a few scratches.
He turne
d to look at where she was. “We have to leave now,” he warned her, as he walked towards the alien’s dead body to search him for any communication device and get his weapons.
Still shaking, Arantxa walked out of the water and waited at a safe distance for him to finish whatever he was doing.
“Damn… he has no communication device on him,” he cursed.
“That means he couldn’t warn the others,” she pointed out.
“Yes, but we can’t call my friends either,” he replied, in a somber tone. “Can you walk? We’ll go a lot faster if you do,” he said, his words expressing the urgency of leaving that place.
“I can. The bandages you put on my feet act as shoes,” she assured him.
Chapter Eleven
Korben grabbed the dead body and threw him into the stream, hoping that would throw whoever was with the alien, off their track. With luck, the stream would carry the dead body very far from where they were.
“Let’s go, then.”
He took her by the hand and practically dragged her all the way. They walked for over a couple of hours before he dared to stop.
Arantxa was tired, but she kept her complaints to herself. She preferred to walk over hot embers than go back to the Paklyors’ lair and all that implied.
“Do you think he was alone?” she asked him, as they rested for a few minutes.
“As far as I know, they never wander off alone. The Paklyors are very tribal, and they usually do everything in groups,” he said, his tone even more somber than before. “He might have lost his way while hunting and got separated from the rest of the group, but they shouldn’t be far behind.”
“Will you still make the clearing today?” she asked him, wishing fervently she never laid eyes on a Paklyor again.
He shook his head. “We need to get as far away as possible. There might be a tribe nearby, and though they might not know about us, they will treat us the same way as the other one treated you.”
She jumped to her feet. “Let’s keep going,” she urged him, looking around nervously.
“How are your feet?”
She raised one for him to see. “You did a great job bandaging them,” she assured them.
