by Keira Conrad
The smile was back on her face, but it was a more hesitant version. Her eyes widened as an idea popped into her head. Her mouth formed a silent “O” and he smiled at her enthusiasm.
“Next time you come to camp, I’ll pack a picnic,” she said. He knew about the things called picnics, on account of the metal data chip implanted in his skull, but she mistook his lack of response for confusion. She struggled to explain the concept to him.
“It’s when you pack up food and eat it in the wilderness,” she said. She rested the palms of her hands against his chest. Excitement was creeping into her voice. “I suppose that’s not hugely exciting for you, and it’s probably even a little silly now that I think about it, but it’s a common activity for people who are dating on my planet, plus, if we’re out in the woods, we’d have some privacy and maybe could sneak in a little…” Her words trailed off, but she pressed herself against him and he got the idea. The pleasant feeling of her breasts against him could not distract from the troubling word she had uttered.
He put his hands around her upper arms and gently moved her back. “Callie,” he said. “We are not dating.”
“I know we’re not dating,” she said. Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. “I know we just have a business arrangement. I should have chosen my words more carefully. I just got excited.”
“And I appreciate your enthusiasm,” he said. He didn’t want her to be embarrassed. He just wanted her to understand. Perhaps it was time to tell her. “Callie, I once had what your people call a wife. And I will never take another one.”
“You were married?” Her mouth opened and closed as she struggled for words.
“I do not wish to talk about it,” he said, “other than to tell you it ended badly. I will tell you plainly that I’m fond of you. I’ve enjoyed our time together. But I will never fall in love, or take another woman as my wife.”
She looked crestfallen. He’d made a mess of everything.
He scratched the back of his neck as Cyril led her down the hallway to the speeder waiting to transport her to her people. This was not how he had wanted them to part. He realized the dangerous line he was asking both of them to walk. He wanted her to care for him, but not too much. He wanted to adore her, but not love her. He wanted her body all the time, but he didn’t want responsibility for her heart. He wanted her to give him a son, but without being his mate. He wanted everything on his terms, but his terms were confusing.
He fought the urge to rush after her and take it all back. He cursed himself for letting her walk away with so much uncertainty. For putting her through tests to gauge her affection when he was the one guarding his heart. One mention of dating and his mind jumped ahead to marriage. All he should have been worried about was treating her with basic chivalry and kindness.
He would think of a way to make it up to her. He’d push aside his issues and misgivings and find a way to make her realize what was between them was real. He couldn’t say where it was going, but he wouldn’t stop it from happening, either.
21
The young warrior, Cyril, delivered her back to camp on a speeder. No dragon for her this time. She took no pleasure in the ride, either. No thrill as they sped through the forest and the wind caressed her face and brushed back her hair. All she felt was a cold, hard punch of disappointment in her gut. Why was he so cold and distant when he sent her away? And why had she groveled for his attention and made that stupid comment about a picnic? Just the thought of it made her insides shift.
She tried to distract herself with thoughts of camp. She imagined the women gathered around Riyad as he taught them to survive. But her mind kept doubling back to the emotional turmoil of that morning.
How could he send her back like this? Was this all women were to him? A vessel to be used for pleasure and discarded once finished? It was humiliating.
She had to be missing something. After the first time he claimed her, he had become gentle and tender. And even in that initial coupling so filled with passion and a desperate need, he had looked after her needs as well. She was confused, annoyed, and discouraged. But that didn’t change the fact that she desperately wanted to see him again. She longed to lay in his arms and recapture that feeling of utter safety and contentment. It had been a long time since she felt something so exquisite.
The speeder slowed as they reached the human camp. Callie hadn’t expected a hero’s welcome, by any means, but she was confused when the handful of women talking near the perimeter fence shuffled back to the mess tent without so much as a hello.
Cyril helped her down from the speeder and she thanked him for the transportation. She moved into camp and looked for a friendly face, but there weren’t a lot of people milling around. She supposed most of them were still at breakfast. She headed for the mess tent to see her friends.
She was about to step inside when she heard voices. The mocking tone stopped her dead in her tracks.
“It’s like a prom date who picked you up in a limo but drops you home the next morning in a pinto.” Hearty laughter broke out and Callie’s cheeks flushed in shame.
“She didn’t look so high and mighty climbing off the back of that junk-heap speeder.” She didn’t recognize the voice, but that didn’t stop each comment from stabbing her like a knife.
“Was that even the same guy? Do you think they passed her around? Let everyone have a taste?” She hadn’t had a full, proper crying bout since they arrived, but she could feel the tears welling within her, threatening to break loose.
“Callie, you’re back!” Flora stepped outside their sleeping tent with a giant smile. At least someone was happy to see her. Callie turned to her and was immediately engulfed in a giant hug. “I’m so happy you’re here,” Flora said.
“How are things here?” Callie was curious about Riyad. Was he living up to their promise? And how had her own people been treating him?
“It’s only been two days, but you won’t believe how different it is.” Flora looked genuinely excited. She had finally shed the fog of sadness she wore after their arrival.
“Things are going well with Riyad?”
“He’s amazing,” she said. “He showed us two sources of water near camp, and we figured out why our imaging wasn’t able to detect it. I can’t give you technical details – you’d have to talk to one of the other engineers – but it was pretty cool.”
Callie didn’t particularly give a shit about the technical details, at the moment. Now that their immediate survival seemed assured, thanks in no small part to her, she felt entitled to indulge her other emotions. And there were a lot of conflicting ones racing through her mind at the moment. Joy at the memory of the physical pleasure she had shared with Vaka. Hopefulness at the budding emotional attachment between them. Guilt at the thought of her unshared information about infertility and their true mission. Frustration with the way Vaka denied what was between them this morning. Shamed with how she was unceremoniously dumped at the camp and the women whispered about her.
Callie realized Flora was looking at her with questioning eyes, and her introspection was interrupted as she jolted back to the present.
“I asked if you’re okay,” Flora said. She wrapped her arm around Callie’s waist and walked in the direction of their tent.
“I’m okay,” Callie replied. In truth, she really wasn’t sure how to categorize her current condition. It had been a long time since she had been in such a state of agitation. Her jumbled emotions were rioting for control.
“Juno’s off hunting with Riyad, but Andromeda will be so excited to see you.” Flora prattled on as they crossed the camp and Callie was sincerely thrilled to see the change in her. “I understand why you weren’t scared. The first time I was alone with Riyad I almost shit myself, but he’s not the barbarian meathead I was expecting. He knows everything about the plants here and he brought me seedlings.” Flora paused for a breath and ushered Callie inside their temporary home. Andromeda was on her bunk reviewing test results on a t
ablet, but she jumped to her feet when she saw Callie.
“You catch up with Andromeda,” Flora said. “I’m going to run to the greenhouse and get some seedling samples. I want to show you how fast they’re growing. You won’t believe it.”
Callie stepped further into the room. It was good to be home.
“You’re back, and you’re in one piece.” Andromeda gave her a quick hug. “I was worried about the compatibility of the mating process.”
“It was fine,” Callie said. The act of sex itself had been the simplest part of the entire ordeal. “Their reproductive anatomy was familiar. I knew how to handle what he was packing, and he seemed thrilled with what I brought to the table.”
“I’ll need a full description of his physiology later. Maybe a few sketches,” Andromeda said. Callie had to fight back a giggle. That was not going to happen. “Actually, maybe we should go to med bay so I can give you a quick exam and make sure everything’s fine.”
“That’s not necessary, Doc.” Callie settled on the edge of her bunk. She was suddenly very tired. “I’m fine.”
“No funny business?” Andromeda hugged her tablet to her chest. Her concern was touching.
“No funny business. Just a good, old-fashioned roll in the hay.” Callie swung her legs onto her bunk and laid down.
“At least you don’t have to worry about a baby,” Andromeda said. “That must be a relief.”
Callie knew her friend was just trying to help, but mentioning the casual deception they were engaged in just stirred up all the feelings Callie was so desperate to quiet. She covered her face with her forearm and tried to block out the world. “Don’t say that. It makes me feel guilty.”
“Callie, be reasonable,” Andromeda cautioned.
“And what about our mission.” Callie gave up on rest. She sat up in her cot and swung her feet back to the floor. “I couldn’t stop thinking about the cryotubes. All those plants and animals we brought from Earth to unleash on the ecosystem here.”
“Callie, those plans are so far down the road. Now is not the time to worry about it.”
“But what if they find out? It would be a disaster.” Callie sprung to her feet. “Not to mention the ethics of the situation. Terraforming this planet into another Earth never seemed that wise to me, but, frankly, I was okay with it when we thought the planet was abandoned. The only people hurt would be ourselves if shit went sideways. But we’re planning on fucking up their home, and they don’t even realize it. They’re helping us, for God’s sake.”
Andromeda let out a deep sigh. She sat on Callie’s bunk and patted the mattress. “Calm down. You’re not thinking clearly. You’ve been under an inordinate amount of stress in the past two weeks and it’s fried your brain. Get some rest. Juno will be back soon, and I’m sure she’ll want to show us whatever hideous beast she gets with her blaster. We have plenty of time to figure out all these details.”
Callie felt ready to collapse. Andromeda was right about one thing: she needed to rest. She lay on her bunk and let Andromeda cover her with a blanket.
“We’ll work something out, Callie,” she said. “We won’t screw them over.”
Callie took comfort in the truth of those words. The humans wouldn’t screw the Verakai over. If she had to, she’d make sure of it herself.
22
Callie busied herself around camp the next couple of days. There was plenty of work for the engineers, now that their equipment was up and running thanks to Riyad. The Verakai hadn’t developed advanced technology on their own, she learned. The few items they had, such as the speeders and holographic technology Callie had seen at the mountain, were scavenged from others, including their enemies the Obeday. Keeping non-native technology operational had made them very good at troubleshooting systems and making repairs on the fly. Riyad was gifted at both, and his knowledge was making him irreplaceable around camp.
Callie’s emotions were like a feedback loop. The more he helped them, the more guilty she felt, and she became all the more determined to find a solution that would work for all of them.
She struggled for a way to get back in Vaka’s good graces. She hadn’t meant to give him the idea that she wanted him to be her husband, for crying out loud. The whole discussion seemed silly now that a few days had passed. She had just been chattering on because she was happy. She was relieved after being under extreme stress. She needed to make him realize she felt the same way; being tied to someone else was the last thing she wanted. But they could still be fond of each other. And burn off stress fucking like rabbits.
She was in her tent, changing out of a T-shirt spattered with hydraulic fluid, when Juno popped her head inside.
“Callie,” she said, “visitor at the gate.”
Humans could pass through the perimeter fence anywhere they wanted, thanks to the communication devices strapped to their wrists. The Verakai, on the other hand, needed to check in at the security gate.
She tried to stop her mind from racing. Juno called for her, but she knew it could be any of the warriors. The security team treated her as the unofficial liaison to the tribe. Maybe Riyad requested help. Maybe it was someone entirely new. Still, she was embarrassed to admit to herself how much she wanted it to be him. And how much she wanted to put things right after their unfortunate parting.
She pulled on a fresh shirt and walked to the gate. When she could tell it was Vaka, she had to fight the urge to break into a jog. She saw his cargo - a woven basket tucked under his arm – and ran to him with a smile.
“A picnic,” she said. Her voice rang out with joy, and in that moment, she realized how much her happiness depended on him. The thought terrified her; she embraced him anyway.
“I don’t know the particulars, so I hope I got it right,” he said as he held out the basket for her inspection. “And I can’t take credit for the food. Shiva packed it for me.”
“It’s perfect,” Callie said. He carried the basket in one hand and offered her the other. They headed for the tree line together.
“There’s a place I want to show you,” he said.
He led her to a secluded grove. She walked through a rock archway and was greeted by an area of soft groundcover bathed in sunlight.
“That looks like a perfect spot for a picnic,” she said. He placed the basket on the ground and reached inside for a blanket.
“It’s so nice and secluded out here,” she said as he shook out the blanket and spread it on the ground. “Nobody would find us even if they were looking.” He didn’t seem to be getting her hints. He sat on the ground and started rummaging through his supplies.
“Vaka, you’ve got me all alone out here.” She crouched next to him and kissed his muscled arm. “I appreciate your determination to provide me with the perfect picnic, but I think lunch will keep for a bit, don’t you?”
“You liked what we did.” He almost sounded like he couldn’t believe it. Callie didn’t understand his reservations. Didn’t he know he had almost driven her mad with pleasure?
“Liked is the wrong word,” she said as she leaned in to kiss his lips. “I loved it.” She rested her hand on his giant, muscled thigh. Her breath was starting to quicken and she felt the familiar warmth flood her core. “I can’t stop thinking about it. Your hard cock stretching out my little pussy is the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I think about before I fall asleep at night. I think about it all day long, and I get so wet I worry someone will notice.” She moved her hand higher and lightly stroked his loincloth. “You’ve turned me into a freak. I have to find places around camp where I can be alone, so I can slip my fingers between my legs and get off.”
His breath matched hers. Quick and shallow. “Show me how you do it,” he said.
She liked it when he got bossy. There was something about driving him so crazy that the caveman part of his brain took over and started issuing terse commands. His skin flushed and his eyes darkened.
She’d never removed her
clothes so fast; she was naked in under a minute. His lips parted as he watched her. She leaned against a rocky outcropping and planted her feet apart, completely bared to him.
“Wider,” he ordered as he touched himself through the leather. Callie bit back a whimper and followed his instructions. He sat a few feet from her, but he wanted a better look. He rose to his feet, casually untied his boots, stripped off his loincloth, and settled on the ground inches in front of her. He wanted a front-row seat and she was determined to give him the show of a lifetime.
She cupped her breast and tugged her swollen nipple with one hand. The other slid lower. Her pussy glistened in the sun and she ran two fingers up and down the length of her wet slit. Her flesh was already engorged. Ready for him. She’d been like this since she left his arms. Unsatisfied and wanting more.
He watched her with an intensity that was disarming, and she knew he’d never hand her off to an underling again. His cock jumped and twitched as she spread her lips for him. Her clit, red and distended, peeked out from her folds. She rubbed it with the pads of her fingertips and Vaka inched closer. He stroked his mammoth cock with one hand, and reached for her pussy with the other. He caressed her slick warmth and felt for her opening.
Her legs trembled when his finger pressed inside her.
“More,” she moaned. He added a second finger with his next thrust. He pumped his thick fingers and out of her, watching her as she stretched to accommodate him. She groaned and rubbed her pussy harder. She tried to force him to go faster. To impale herself on his fingers, but he wouldn’t be rushed.
He pulled his fingers free. Her juices ran down his hand and his forearm. She grabbed for his hand, desperate to have him back inside her. She never wanted to feel empty again.
