by T. J. Quinn
He chuckled and closed the door behind his back. “I’m fine too, salavíf. My day was hell as always,” he replied, scowling. “What’s that smell?” he asked again.
“I baked a cake,” I replied, almost absently, while I considered his words. “Hell? Why was your day hell?”
His expression darkened, and he shook his head. “It’s not important. What’s a cake?”
“Why do you keep working for the aliens if you’re not happy?” I insisted, intrigued with his words.
I had always thought the generals were allied to the Asseptians, as well as the dragons. After all, they did all the dirty work for the parasites. His words, however, made me doubt that.
“The pay is good,” he replied, scowling. “May I try this cake you made?” he asked, changing the subject.
I pursed my lips and considered insisting, but deep down, I knew he wasn’t going to tell me anything else. At least, not right now.
“Sure. I have been waiting for it to cool before I tried it myself,” I said, smiling as I walked to the kitchen table to cut two slices of cake. “I’m not sure if it’s good. It’s my first time,” I warned him before I handed him the small plate.
“If it tastes as good as it smells, you have nothing to worry about,” he assured me.
The cake was actually delicious. Better than I remembered them to be.
“Oh, this is good… so sweet,” he said after the first bite.
“You never had it before?” I asked, pleased with his words.
“No, never. We basically only need proteins to stay healthy and fit, so I’ve never tried most of the foods the Septians indulge themselves,” he told me, shrugging.
“I had never cooked before, but I loved it.”
“Can I expect delicious food like this every night?” he asked, teasing me.
“I’m not your maid,” I protested, but I actually liked the idea, despite my previous protests.
The fire glowed in his eyes. “No, you’re my mate,” he murmured in a sensuous tone, and my skin bristled with anticipation.
I cleared my throat and looked away. “Thank you for the books, by the way. I had a great time with them today,” I told him, changing the subject.
“I’m glad you liked them. I’ll bring you more as soon as possible,” he assured me, with a strange smile on his face.
“Could we go for a walk? I really would love some fresh air,” I asked, feeling a bit restless.
“It’s not a good idea. Sylan is still after you. He seems determined to get you back,” he said with an inquisitive tone. “Do you know why?”
“Does anyone know what’s on those creatures’ minds?” I asked instead. “He always showed some interest in me, so I wasn’t surprised when you told me I had been chosen for the breeding program,” I explained. “He regularly tried to get me alone so that he could play his little games with me, but I was always careful.”
“Well, he’s not over you. Not even when he was told to let it go,” he warned me.
“Do you think he will come after me?”
“Everything is possible. For now, it’s better if you stay inside, out of sight,” he told me in a grave tone. “He’s too lazy to do much on his own, but I know he has some scavengers working for him.”
I frowned. “Who would associate with a sleazy creature like him?” I asked, repulsed.
“You would be surprised. Most of the scavengers only care about staying alive, no matter the cost. Some would sell their own mothers, for what I have seen,” he assured me.
“Who are those people, the scavengers?” I asked, intrigued.
I had heard about them, but I had no idea they roamed freely through the city.
“They’re people rejected by the Asseptians, disease carriers, and crippled people, those they have no use for,” he explained.
“So, they simply discard them?”
He shrugged. “Easier than kill them and dispose of the bodies,” he said in a blatant tone.
“I thought they fed them to the dragons,” I admitted.
He chuckled. “Most people believe that. I guess it’s part of the myth surrounding them,” he said, amused. “But the truth is the dragons don’t eat humans.”
“How can you say that? They killed millions of people,” I protested, outraged.
“They didn’t kill that many, believe me. The Asseptians need living humans, not corpses. They only killed enough to tell your people what could happen if they didn’t surrender to the Asseptians,” he explained.
I scoffed. “I guess it worked.”
“No one has ever defeated the Asseptians. Despite their apparent fragility, they are one of the most deadly species I have ever met,” he said, with so much grudge on his tone, I finally understood why he had told me things weren’t just black and white.
“Well, we’ve eaten dessert before dinner, but I’m still hungry. What’s for dinner?” I asked, changing the subject, knowing he wouldn’t tell me more than he had.
“There should be some leftovers from last night. Would you like some sandwiches?” he offered, walking to the fridge.
“It sounds great. Let me help you.”
A few minutes later, we had a crunchy salad and two meat sandwiches over the kitchen table.
“I’m still amazed by everything you have here,” I told him while we ate. “Those captured lately told us stories of people living in caves and surviving with barely anything,” I added.
“I’m sure that’s true for those living outside the walls of the headquarters. The planet was severely affected by the dark, cold years after the attack. The food was scarce, the water was contaminated by all the toxic smoke of the fires ignited by the dragons… I’m sure it wasn’t easy for any of those that escaped the Asseptians,” Ryoko explained. “But here and in each of the Asseptians headquarters, things were quite different. They had all the technology they needed to filter the water and produce all they needed to feed the Septians and the enslaved humans.”
I scowled. “The porridge we were given every single day has nothing to do with the food you have brought,” she grumbled.
“I’m sure. The Asseptians are quite miserable. They control thoroughly what they spend on those they keep imprisoned, keeping it to the minimum possible,” he said, radiating all the contempt he felt for the parasites.
“Won’t they miss the food you bring?” I asked with a slight frown.
“No… I know the way around their controls. You don’t have to worry about that,” he assured me.
“I wouldn’t want you to get into trouble on my account,” I told him in a teasing tone, but I meant every word I said.
I didn't want anything to happen to Ryoko. My life kind of depended on him, and if he ghosted me, I would be in serious trouble. My years in the children’s quarters had not prepared me to face the cruel world outside the city walls, and going back was definitely not an option.
“That won’t happen, rest assure,” he said, getting up and starting to clear the kitchen table.
I finished my sandwich and helped him, my hands shaking a little, as anticipation seeped through me. Memories of this morning were fresh in my mind, and my body ached for more, but my mind still struggled to accept my surrender to the enemy of my people.
When we finished clearing the kitchen, he walked out of the house without a word, and I sighed, trying to understand him. He claimed that he wanted me to be his mate, whatever that meant, and yet he failed to comply with the smallest courtesies expected from people you lived with.
Ryoko didn’t tell me where the hell was he going and how long he would be away.
Sighing frustrated, I decided to take a quick shower and go to bed. I doubted I would sleep, but I would show him how little he affected my life.
Chapter Ten
Ryoko
I stared at the blue moon in the sky and sighed. It was time to go back to Maya, but I was nervous about it. This morning, things had escaped my control, and though it had been the best experi
ence of my life, I wasn’t sure how she felt about it.
I had promised to give her time to get used to me and becoming my mate, and I had jumped into the first opportunity to make her mine.
Maya was acting normally when I got home, but I could tell she was nervous. Giving her time to get in bed and falling asleep felt like the right thing to do, but my body ached for her so much I wasn’t sure I would be able to resist pulling her into my arms.
I wanted to give her all the time she needed to accept her destiny, but my body had urges I wasn’t sure I could control.
I finished my round around the house, making sure everything was as I had left them before heading back to the house.
This time, she was asleep when I slid into the room. Her heart-shaped face was lit by the moonlight, and my fingers itched with the need to touch her.
Forcing myself to do my part of the bargain, I took a quick shower and joined her in bed, staying as far away as possible.
I wouldn’t be sleeping much, not when my whole body ached for her warmth and her touch, so I laid on my side, my head over my hand, while I admired her in her sleep.
At some point, she moaned and rolled in bed until she was facing me, her petite body only inches away from mine, and I let out a breathless sigh.
Her eyes flickered, and she looked at me.
“You’re back…” she whispered.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up,” I apologized.
“You didn’t…” she sighed. “I was waiting for you, but I guess I must have fallen asleep,” she confessed in a sleepy tone.
“You were? Why?” I asked, tucking a lock of her auburn hair behind her ear.
Maya shuddered and closed her eyes for a second. “I wanted to make sure you came back safe and sound,” she revealed.
“Would you care if I hadn’t?” I asked softly, loving this loose tongued Maya.
“Of course, I would. I would be alone again,” a lonely tear rolled down her ivory cheek. “I don’t want to be alone anymore.”
“You won’t be alone anymore,” I promised, leaning forward and kissing her forehead.
“Do you promise?” she murmured, sliding her arms around my neck and pulling me closer.
“I promise,” I vowed, and she lifted her head to kiss me.
Her initiative warmed my heart, and I wrapped my arms around her, eager for more. Cradling her face, I deepened the kiss, sliding my tongue deep inside her, making her mine.
She moaned and caressed my head, her fingers going back and forth as if relishing on the rough skin. The feeling was eliciting, and I started feeling my self-control slip through my fingers.
I wanted her more than I had ever wanted anything or anyone in my life.
Eager, I pushed my tunic over my head and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her over my body to give her total control over whatever happened between us tonight.
She moaned, leaning over, roaming every inch of my chest with her hands, playing with my hard nipples, and uttering these sweet little moans of pleasure that hardened my aching cock.
Smiling, she pulled up, and with a lustful flourish, she pulled her tunic over her head and threw it to the floor, allowing me to look at her luscious body.
Picking my hands from her hips, she dragged them up until they were over her breasts, silently inviting me to play with them.
I didn’t need a second invitation. With a hoarse growl, I lifted my head from the pillow and captured her stiff peaks with my lips, my naughty tongue savoring it and teasing it.
Maya moaned and tilted her head back, giving me complete access, and I dug in, hungered for her. Kisses, nibbles, and licks… I used them all to take her to paradise, loving the way she rubbed her wet pussy over my hard shaft as if she too hungered for more.
“Ride me,” I asked her, kneading her breasts.
Maya gasped, her heart thundering underneath my touch, and I kissed her neck a few times to encourage her.
My fangs slid down as my lips slid up and down her pulsating vein, but I refrained from doing what my whole being demanded – claiming her. She wasn’t ready for that.
Oblivious of the devious thoughts coursing through my mind, Maya stood on her knees, freeing my hard cock, allowing it to stand up, proud, before she nestled the head at her entrance.
“God… you’re so big,” she moaned, breathing hard as she tried to slide down his shaft.
Smiling, I grabbed her hips and helped her go down on me, inch by inch, as I enjoyed the way her walls clenched around me, rubbing me in her way down.
When she was ready, I helped her go up and down my shaft until we both exploded in a mind-blowing orgasm. My urge to claim her felt gnawed at me, more potent than ever, but I held back, afraid I’d ruin what we had. We would have a long life ahead of us with luck, and this time would mean nothing.
Maya collapsed over my chest and stayed there, with my cock still buried deep inside her.
“This shouldn’t feel so good,” she grumbled, in a murmur, most likely not meant to my ears.
“Why not?” I asked, caressing her tousled mane.
“You know why…” she replied, still not moving, her face hidden in my chest. “We’re supposed to be enemies… not lovers,” she murmured.
“I’m not your enemy, Maya. Not even your people’s enemy,” I told her in a soft tone. “My men and I are as much victims as your people.”
She lifted her face and looked at me. “What do you mean?” she asked, intrigued but not shocked, as I expected her to be.
“We were brought here by force. The Asseptians tricked us with a false mission, and by the time we realized what was going on, they had imprisoned us,” I explained.
She sat up, straddling, and tried to roll over, but I kept her where she was. It felt good being inside her. When I was with her… in her, I felt I was home, something I had never felt. My people were nomads. They called no place home, but with Maya, I had finally found my home.
“You’re not monitored. You could escape whenever you want,” she pointed out.
“That’s not entirely true. The Asseptians don’t use ropes or chains to imprison us. They are a bit more sophisticated,” I tried to explain.
“How?” she asked, sounding confused.
“When they first captured us, they tried to infect us, to use us as their hosts, but our blood is toxic for them, and the parasites died in a matter of minutes,” I told her. “With that option off the table, they decided to use us as their soldiers. We would have thought for them since that’s what we do, we’re mercenaries, but they had little interest in paying us.”
“Then, how did they convinced you to stay?” she asked, with a slight frown.
“They didn’t. They used a neurotoxin that turned us into functional puppets. Puppets with no mind of their own, but that followed whatever order they were given,” I explained. “They infect us regularly with the toxin, making sure we don’t wake up and realize what’s going on.”
“But… you have a mind of your own. You’re acting against what you’re told,” she pointed out.
I nodded. “Something woke me up.”
“What? How?” she asked, clearly surprised by my words.
“I guess I should have said ‘someone’ woke me up,” I rephrased my words. “You woke me up.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I believe I had my first conscious thought the first time I saw you. I was still confused, and my mind was a mess, but deep in my soul, I knew you were special and that I was supposed to protect you,” I explained.
“That’s why you were always around?” she asked, startled.
“Yes… the more I saw you, the closer I got to you, the clearer my mind became. When you turned eighteen, I was finally off the toxin, and my mind was clearer than ever,” I told her.
“That doesn’t make any sense. How was I supposed to have done that?” she asked, incredulous.
“You’re my mate. My body recognized you and fough
t the toxin until it became immune,” I explained.
“Mate? You say it as if it meant something special…” she asked, still having trouble believing my words.
“It is. My people only mate once in a lifetime. A mate is a person who makes you whole, your other half, I believe your people call them,” I tried to explain, but how do you explain something so vital and yet so magical?
The bond between mates was unbreakable. Some even believed it went on after death.
She scoffed. “I knew people with three and sometimes even more ‘other halves’… humans rarely mate just once in a lifetime,” she assured me.
“Well, we do… and we live a lot longer than humans,” he said, with a faint smile.
Her frown became more profound. “And you think I’m your mate?” she asked in a low tone.
“I don’t think… I know for sure,” I stated.
“How’s that possible?” she asked, still not convinced. “I’m human…”
“My people have mated other species before,” I assured her.
“But… I don’t feel… I mean…”
“You still don’t feel the same way I do,” I finished her sentence.
She almost sighed, relieved. “Yes… I mean, I didn’t feel anything special when I saw you,” she pointed out.
“You were an only child. You wouldn’t have.”
“But I still don’t,” she insisted, slightly flushed.
I caressed her body before I looked at her in the eyes. “Would you describe what we have as something ordinary?” I asked in a sensuous tone.
“No… not ordinary…” she admitted. “But I wouldn’t go so far as to describe it as something meant to last a lifetime,” she added, and I could see she felt confused.
“That will come in time. I truly wanted to give you more time before we stepped to the physical part of our relationship, but the passion between us was stronger than me,” I confessed.
“Stronger than us…” she agreed.
I cradled her face and pulled her forward to steal a kiss from her lips, my shaft still inside her, hard again.
She closed her eyes and surrendered to me with a blissful moan. Rolling in bed, still attached to her, I pushed her against the mattress and restarted the love game until we were both riding the wild waves of paradise.
