by Rena Marks
“She’s obviously giving him pussy,” someone snickered.
“Got some taint for us?” the third one sneered, stepping in close enough to peer down her thin shirt.
“Get away from me!” She shoved him as hard as she could, but another grabbed her arms.
“Fucking let her go, or I’ll flag down the guards,” Marcus, Adam’s father, gritted out. He stood with a couple of other men from her camp. Joe and Austin. A few of their wives lagged further away.
“Flag down the guards for what? A piece of ass who gets favored treatment? She’s just as homeless and dirty as the rest of us. But she gets treated like royalty and taken inside the gates for a day? She gets food while the rest of us starve?”
“We’re not starving,” Joe said. “They provide for us.”
“The food is gonna run out one day. And then what?”
“We’ll worry about that day when it comes. Come on, Everly,” Marcus said. “Walk this way.”
Twice in one day she’d been told to walk away from danger. She didn’t need to be told twice.
Quickly she stepped around the man who stood nearest her, ignoring him as he pretended to sniff her like an animal. He threw his head back and howled. The others with him laughed.
Her party was quiet as they made their way through the dark to the next lighted area of their camp.
“Thanks for rescuing me,” she said.
“No problem,” Marcus said, his eyes staring straight ahead.
“It is. It is a problem,” Leeann, Austin’s wife huffed. “We can’t keep defending her. The whole section is wondering why she gets special treatment. Gifts. Extra food. Who is she among the rest of us?”
“She’s one of us,” Marcus snapped. “And you’re enjoying the extra food at her expense.”
“Look, you all find her purposeful. You have kids. I don’t. I don’t see the need to keep her in our camp, drawing drama like a magnet.”
“She’s one of ours,” Joe said, reiterating Marcus’s statement.
“Just keep it in mind,” Leeann said, rubbing her hand on her husband’s arm. “If things get too much rowdier…we want to keep the children safe, after all.”
There was silence after her words.
Leeann threw her a triumphant look.
And with that, Everly knew her fate was sunk. She would no longer be able to blend. She’d have to move on, sooner rather than later.
Chapter Six
Two weeks later:
“How has Everly been doing?”
Renegade studied Thane intently. “She struggles. The humans are not as friendly with her any longer.”
“I need to visit her.”
“Not yet. Robyn hasn’t figured out what’s wrong with Zee. He’s been out of it too long. We can’t have you mingling scents with Everly and risk him getting a whiff of the combination. It’ll drive him insane.”
“She needs me.”
“Can’t you just stay on top of the wall and talk to her?”
“Shouting from that angle? Not being able to touch her? Having the entire world know of what we speak?”
“And that is why you can’t visit her. Ever since the media aired that special, people have wondered why she was allowed to enter Xenia that night. Right now she’s known as Jane Doe. But what happens if you stir up enough curiosity for someone to research her name? All she wants is to be able to blend in. You’ll ruin that if you get her identity revealed.”
Deep down, Thane knew Renegade was right. But surely this didn’t mean he could never see Everly again? He couldn’t live outside of Xenia and she couldn’t step foot inside. What the hell was he going to do?
He loved Zee, but living without Everly was killing him, even while his friend literally wasted away. And yet, Thane being around Everly could possibly kill Zee. He was lost in his head, reduced to an animal-like species of whatever he’d descended from. He could no longer formulate speech and had been subjected to being muzzled to keep his constant howling under control. With as much attention and focus on Xenia, they didn’t need rumors of creatures becoming nightly scares. In the mornings, he was tackled, chained, unmuzzled and fed. When he became restless a few hours after, Everly back on his mind, he was tranq’ed and re-muzzled to keep down his sounds for the rest of the day.
Through it all, Robyn was no closer to figuring out why he craved Everly with such an unnatural fervor.
A telepathic thought entered his mind.
Steele: Thane. Robyn is going to try an experiment. She wants a personal item of Everly’s. A blouse. Something unlaundered, fresh with her scent.
I thought we wanted to keep Everly’s smell away?
We did. Now we’ll introduce it and see if it calms him or riles him.
Of course it’s going to rile him. Especially since it will have my scent present when I grab it from her.
There was silence in his head.
You did want me to get it, right? Perhaps he’d misread the situation.
Yes, you need to get it. But you won’t be able to touch it. Robyn wants you to retrieve it from Everly, to explain that it needs to be as intimate an item as possible, and she’ll need to enclose it in a specially coated, air-tight bag that can be soaked in a solution to remove as much outside delivery scents as possible.
Then why even have me request it? Why not go yourself? Or send Renegade? Thane was aware his response sounded bitter.
There was that mental silence again.
Then he literally heard Steele’s mental sigh. Because we need as intimate an item as possible. It’ll be less embarrassing for Everly for you to explain that. And you will be present to help her get this item…drenched with scent.
Holy fuck. Drenched? Did Steele mean what he thought he meant?
“I’ll go down during patrol and let her know to be at the spot near the wall where she met you last. That way it won’t seem as if someone is seeking her out,” Renegade said.
“What time is your shift?”
“Dusk. I’ll have her meet you after dark.”
“Will she be all right making her way to the wall?”
“We’ve given her something to protect herself.”
Thane narrowed his eyes at Renegade. Things had been harder for Everly than they’d let on.
“She’s fine. We won’t let her be hurt. It’s just something Pax and Steele came up with and it gives her a sense of security. A bit of control. It’s a pill she takes with her lunch that enables her to harness static electricity. Sort of like you can with bolts of electricity.”
Renegade thumped him on the back. “Go get the sterile bag from Robyn. And be on top of the wall with it when the wall lights turn off. You’ll be able to jump down and wait for her. I’ll be here when the sun rises to help you back up.”
Thane nodded.
* * * * *
Thane waited on top of the wall.
He’d never noticed how loudly the lights of the wall sounded when they were shut down for the night. It gave off a loud thump and a brief but buzzing hum as the glow slowly faded. The seconds seemed endless as he impatiently waited. As soon as his eyes adjusted to the dark, he jumped.
And perhaps he was too eager. It took nearly a half an hour to hear the sounds of soft footsteps approaching.
“Everly,” he whispered, not wanting to scare her.
“Thane?” She turned the corner, and her entire face lit up. He wrapped her in his arms, lifting her easily. Her legs wrapped around his waist as his mouth lowered to hers.
“I’ve missed you,” he said, between kisses.
“I’m so sorry. I never got to kiss you goodbye. I didn’t think it would be so long before I got to see you again.”
She took a deep breath and pulled away from him. “I wanted to be able to talk to you once more before I left.”
Alarm hit his gut. “Left? Everly, what are you talking about? Where are you going?”
“I’m not sure yet. But it’s too difficult to stay here. People are starting t
o resent me.”
“But you’re safe? Renegade told me Steele and Pax made you a weapon.” At her blank look, he continued. “A pill.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh, that! Ohmigosh, I can’t believe you’re touching me. Every grown man who touches me gets knocked out flat. Including one of the Xeno Sapien guards who reached out to grab my arm when I tripped. Poor guy. He cursed both Pax and Steele when he woke.”
That didn’t sound like mild static electricity. Thane wondered if Renegade and Steele knew how strong the weapon was. Obviously it was controllable. Just what was it?
“Maybe it’s turned off somehow? Just for tonight?” he asked. “I’m not sure. I’ll have to ask Steele how it works.”
“Let’s just be grateful,” she said, palming his face in her small hands and kissing him some more.
If he had to let her slide down him, she was going to feel the erection that felt like a steel bar across his body. There was no way to control it. So instead, he held her.
“How long are you here for?”
“I have until barely before sunrise. Renegade will be back at this spot to help me over the wall before people start waking for the day. The Xeno Sapiens on patrol have been told that we’ll be at the swimming pond.” Extra patrol was usually canvassed around the bodies of water to discourage humans from fighting near the area. For one night, no one would notice the lack of patrol.
“Renegade told me you were going to visit—that you needed something from me. But he said he didn’t know what. I can’t imagine what I have that you want, so of course there was nothing I could bring. Unless it’s the canopy? But there’s no way I can carry that back by myself.”
Bastard. Of course he told her that much but not everything, leaving it up to Thane to explain an awkward situation.
“Baby,” he said, trying to ignore the giant smile that broke out across her face at his endearment. She was so sweet. “This is a favor to help Zee.”
She blanched. “Oh, geez, I didn’t even ask! How is he?”
“Not much better. But Robyn has an experiment in mind and she hoped it would be easier coming from me.”
“Nuh, uh.” Everly shook her head. “I’m not going back over the wall. He almost killed you, Thane. He fought you when your leg was broken!”
“You don’t have to go back.” He crossed his arms over her back, keeping her pressed to him. “It’s not that. They need something personal. Something with your scent on it. An article of clothing.”
“Oh. Well, why the hell didn’t Renegade tell me to bring something? I could have grabbed anything—a skirt from the laundry.”
“Because it has to be something with a strong dose of your scent. Something not clean. And something that hasn’t been touched by someone other than you.”
She looked at him puzzled for a moment, so he continued on in a rush.
“Robyn sent me this special bag for you to put it in. Then you seal it up, and she’ll soak it in a solution to take all of the pheromones and germs and everything else off the outside of the bag. Then when they get to Zee’s pen, she’ll dump the contents of what’s in there within the confines before he wakes up. That way, hopefully he won’t be enraged that another has touched you. But she can see if a dose of your…scent induces him to come out of his primal state. His other state.” At her blank look, he continued. “His other DNA. The half of us you refer to as alien.”
“I got that,” she said wryly. “I’m still stuck on the fact that you just asked me, without so many words, to stick my panties in a bag for someone to sniff. Because that’s what you want, right?”
“I’m so sorry,” he said. “It’s an outrageous suggestion, I know. I was appalled when they mentioned it to me. But so far they haven’t been able to find a solution for his condition. And tomorrow, they’re checking on a den that he’s dug out. They think he might be making a tomb.”
“Tomb?”
He nodded. “He’s much worse. There’s no communicating with him. All he does is roar for you. We’ve taken to muzzling him. The last thing we need is for the human workers and visitors to become concerned.”
“So the experiment is to see…if he wants my panties?”
“Basically. It’s to see if your scent calms him. We’re hoping after being deprived for a while, maybe it’ll trigger him to change back to normal. Then we can reason with him. See what’s going on with him. Run some tests.”
“Okay,” she said. “Um…want them now?”
He swore he could feel his cheeks heat. “How about later? Before I leave? That way as much of you as possible is on them.”
“Well considering you’re here, they’re already pretty dren—” she froze.
There was that word again. His voice was a growl where it burrowed from deep inside his chest. “Drenched?”
She shook her head slowly, up and down. Once. Twice, as if to verify.
He felt his need spiral out of control. “Whatever happens, don’t let me touch them.”
Her pink tongue came out to wet her lips. “Are you planning to…touch me?”
“I live for it,” he muttered, and sank his mouth onto hers.
Her mouth opened, as greedy for him as he was for her. His tongue lashed against hers, tasting her, learning her, claiming her.
The only sounds he could hear was heavy breathing, his and hers. Her hands rested possessively around his neck, on his shoulders, wherever she could touch.
She tore her mouth from his. “Thane,” she gasped.
“Baby?”
“Those panties you can’t touch?”
“Yeah.” He panted.
“They’re pretty damn soaked.”
If possible, his cock hardened even more.
“I should get them off,” she whispered.
“Our first time,” he muttered. “I’ll never let Zee live down that I couldn’t take your panties off for our first time.”
He set her on her feet. She hiked up her knotted skirt and fished a tiny scrap of peach fabric down her thighs, over her knees. He gulped when he watched her lift one foot, slide the panties off, and then lift the other foot to do the same. He’d never seen anything so erotic in his entire life.
She stood, twirling her panties over her fingers. “Now what?”
He couldn’t even form words. He handed her the bag. She unzipped the top, popped the panties in, and zipped the top closed.
“Now can you touch me?”
“Wherever you wish.”
She tossed her head back, baring her throat. “Everywhere. Please.”
He pulled her onto his lap, facing him, her skirt hiked up to her thighs.
“What if someone sees?” she asked.
“My friends are keeping people away from here. But if it makes you feel safer, we can stay dressed.”
“Okay.” Her lids were heavy and her tongue darted out to wet her gloriously plump lips.
“You’re so sexy when you’re filled with desire.”
“You’re so sexy. You fill me full of desire,” she whispered.
His hand inched along her inner thigh, making her breath catch. She was breathing hard as he slid his thumb up to her crotch. For a moment, he’d forgotten she wasn’t wearing panties. His thumb came into contact with silky smooth, soaked skin. Glorious skin, primed for him. Swollen and slick.
Her soft moan drove him wild, egging him on. “Oh…my…Thane, that feels so good. Please don’t stop,” she begged.
He knew at that moment he wanted her to call him my Thane ‘til the end of time.
He rubbed his thumb against her slit. The soft, petal-like folds parted easily for him. He explored the intricate, delicate layers of silk as her sweet musk wafted up, filling his senses. “You smell so good,” he muttered. “I want to taste.”
He brought his thumb up to his mouth and licked it. Her flavor burst on his tongue, a cloud of sweet need that threatened to do him in. His thumb now wet from the heat of his mouth, he brought it back down to her sex.
&nbs
p; He covered the tiny bud of pleasure and she tossed her head back as she gasped her pleasure.
“Rub it,” she demanded.
He chuckled, moving his thumb in slow, sensuous circles as she demanded. Then when she least expected it, he gave her clit a soft flick.
Her fingers tightened on his shoulders. “Ohh!” she moaned.
“I want to taste more of you,” he whispered. “I want you to come on my tongue.”
“Thane,” she murmured, as if she couldn’t form complete words.
“Let me?” he begged.
She nodded her permission, heat flaring in her eyes.
He lay flat on his back, looking up at the sky. She crawled over him and he helped her move with his hands on her buttocks, knee on either side of his head. She held her skirt up with her hands.
Soft, tender pussy came within his reach. He didn’t even wait for her to lower herself fully, he raised his head and met her halfway.
She bit off a choked cry when his mouth clamped onto her. Her flavor burst on his tongue, the sweet tang of her essence ratcheting his desire. He didn’t give her any mercy, trying to focus on her pleasure but losing himself in exploring her body with his tongue. He lost track of how many times she came before she crawled backward, removing herself from his face.
He rose with her, wanting to see how her face looked when she’d been satisfied. Her eyes were half lidded, the tiniest smile stretching her full lips.
She was back to sitting on his lap, facing him. “I want you inside me so bad.”
“I’m pretty…thick,” he growled. “I’ll go slow. You tell me to stop if you need time to adjust.”
At this moment, Everly just wanted him to cram inside. She felt so empty without him. But he seemed determined to hold back, so she nodded and she felt his cock nudge at her entrance.
He was incredibly thick with girth. She felt every inch of him as he slowly pushed his way through her thickened, sensitive folds.
Land sakes, she felt so very, very full. Finally, he was buried to the hilt and it was all she could do to not shatter around him with the sensation.
“You feel incredible,” he groaned.
