by Ella Maven
I held my breath, opened the compartment door, and swam against the current of rushing qua.
Naomi
The qua was warmer than I thought it was going to be, but the shock of it still made me gasp, which meant I got a mouthful of liquid. It wasn’t that I didn’t like pools or lakes. I did. I just didn’t like when my feet couldn’t touch the bottom, which was always since I was stupid short.
I didn’t have to worry though. With one kick of those massive booted feet, Gar sent us soaring to the surface. With one arm locked around me, he pushed with the other, slicing it through the water as if there was no resistance. His strength amazed me, and soon, before I could panic about not breathing, we were breaking the surface.
I sucked in great gulps of air as Gar, with no help from me, swam toward the shore. He heaved me out on a rock first where I lay on my back sucking in oxygen as he hauled himself to his feet next to me. He shook himself not unlike a dog, and I glared as I watched the qua roll off his scales in little beads. His hair didn’t even look wet. Meanwhile, I could imagine I resembled a drowned rat.
I pushed my wet hair out of my face and rolled until I could peer down into the qua. Sure enough, the cruiser wasn’t visible. At all. The entire cloaking shield situation fascinated me.
I flopped onto my back again to find Gar’s hand in my face. I took it and he pulled me to my feet with more strength than necessary so that I landed against his chest with an “oomph.”
He peered up at the sky and then scanned the tree line. We were in a small clearing near the qua, but all around us was dense forest, the blue leaves of the trees swaying slightly in the early morning breeze.
I shivered, feeling the chill of my drying skin, and the knowledge we were now vulnerable. The Uldani would be looking for us—we’d stolen a damn spaceship from them in addition to blowing a hole in their secretive bunker. I’d bet they were pissed.
Gar dipped our qua canteen into the lake, refilling it before screwing the cap on tight and shoving it into the back of his pants. As I wrung out my hair and pulled it into a knot on my head, Gar leaned down so he could speak quietly. “I need you to do as I say. Not that I think you’re not smart, but this is my planet. These are my enemies. And I know the best route and what to do. Okay?”
“I have zero arguments over that,” I said, shaking out my limbs and doing a few stretches. “You lead, big guy. I’ll follow quiet as a mouse.”
He cocked his head to the side. “What’s a mouse?”
“A very small furry thing.” I formed a circle with my hands to show the size of said rodent. “This big. They are known for being quiet except for little squeaks when they’re scared.”
“Despite your stature, you are not a mouse,” he frowned.
I propped my hands on my fists. “I’ll have you know that I have a reputation for being meek and shy.”
He snorted. “Meek? My Naomi isn’t meek.”
It hit me that he wasn’t wrong. Around him, I wasn’t meek Naomi, at least not anymore. “Around you, I’m not.”
He held my gaze as he asked, “Why is that?”
I blinked at him. “You make me feel invincible. With you at my back, I swear I could fight an army of Kulks even though I don’t know how to throw a punch. And now that I know how you feel about me, I have the strength to stand up to you. To be honest with you. I’m not worried you’re going to leave me.” I hadn’t realized this was how I felt until the words tumbled out of my mouth. “Your devotion makes me stronger.”
As I spoke, his back straightened until by the time I was finished, his chest was puffed out like a blowfish, pride bobbing to the surface of those purple eyes of his. He thumped his chest. “I do that for you.”
It wasn’t a question, but I answered as if it was. “Yes.”
A smile crossed his lips. “There is no greater honor than strengthening my mate.”
“Well then, wear that badge with pride, because you earned it.”
He pressed a kiss to my lips and then touched our foreheads together in a tender gesture which reminded me of the greeting the warriors often gave either other. Then he reached for my hand and gripped it. “As much as I’d prefer to stay here with you, we need to move. Fast and quiet.”
I nodded. “Fast and quiet. I can do that.”
With a squeeze of my hand, he took a step into the forest, and I followed, feeling as though home was in our reach.
Twelve
Gar
I was impressed with how well Naomi kept pace with me, despite her legs being half as long as mine. When she began to stumble, around mid-day, I hauled her onto my back and carried her. I missed my bike, which would have reduced the time of this trek back home, but I didn’t dare return to where I’d stashed it. I’d planned to never see it again, and the thought of once again feeling the vibration between my legs filled me with longing.
It’d been a long time before I felt like I was capable of more than dying for my cause. Naomi made me feel like just maybe I was meant for more. Had Fatas really changed her mind about me?
I traveled through the forest with every sense on full alert so I could detect any enemies or predators. This wasn’t a safe part of the western hemisphere. Pivars roamed here, and we crossed over many trails trampled down from Rizar packs who used them as a path from their hunting grounds to their coastal caves.
I knew the area, but I was uneasy. So much could go wrong here, and while I’d never been afraid for myself, I was terrified that one momentary slip of concentration would mean Naomi would come to harm.
By the time the sun began to drop below the horizon, Naomi’s limbs trembled where she clung to me, and I didn’t like the paleness of her complexion. If I were alone, I would have pushed myself to keep going, but I knew my fatigue was causing my senses to dull. I didn’t trust myself to keep her safe, not without some food and rest.
I wasn’t comfortable resting on the forest floor where we’d be ripe for salibri or pivar attacks. The only other option was up. I scanned around us for the largest tree I could find and then stopped at the base. The branches were dense, and with a bit of work I could make a pallet out of leaves.
I shuddered. I flecking hated heights. Flying in the cruiser was different but climbing trees and buildings had never been something I enjoyed. I couldn’t believe Drak had lived in a flecking hut in the trees for fifteen cycles.
“Gar?” Naomi’s voice was hoarse.
I patted her thigh. “We’ll eat and rest,” I pointed up. “In there.”
“In the tree?”
I held back another shudder. “Yes.”
“Why?”
I helped her to the ground and kept her steady when she wobbled. “Pivars and Rizars can’t climb.”
She wrinkled her nose and plastered her body to mine while she scanned the small clearing with wide eyes. I patted her back. “Don’t worry. We’re safe now. But we both need rest and the only way either of us will get it is if we’re somewhere they can’t reach us.”
“Yeah, okay,” she finally stopped her desperate searching for predators. She peered up. “Um, how are we going to get up there?”
I flexed my hands, and my claws lengthened. “These.”
She swallowed as she studied them. “Right.”
After directing her to my back once more, I made the ascent with her clinging to my shoulders. I didn’t look down, only up, but even that made my head spin as the air seemed to thin. Was I imagining that? Fleck heights. By the time we reached a dense network of branches, I was panting and my machets, sensing my fear, threatened to rise. I carefully helped Naomi onto a branch where she could rest her back against the thick trunk. She was eyeing me warily, and I took a moment to close my eyes and get myself under control while I hunched on a branch in front of her.
“Gar?” her soft voice flowed through the air, as fingers brushed along my scalp.
I exhaled and blinked my eyes open.
Concern tightened her features. “Are you okay?”
She went still. “What?”
I gritted my teeth. “I flecking hate heights.”
“Then why are we—”
“Because this is where we’ll be safe,” I snapped, more forceful than I meant.
But Naomi didn’t take my attitude personally. She smiled and ran her hands over my chest. “So, let me get this straight. You weren’t scared to blow yourself up. You weren’t scared to shoot your way out of an underground bunker or crash-land into a lake. But you’re scared to climb a tree?”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “What’s your point?”
She leaned forward and rubbed our noses together. “Well I’m scared of all those other things, but I’m not scared of heights. I’ve been on building support beams six stories off the ground.” She wrapped her arms around me and planted a loud kiss on my neck. “So, we’re a good team.”
Her beaming smile was enough to put me at ease. I still wasn’t comfortable, but I relaxed enough to sit with Naomi while we ate what was left of our stash. All day, I’d managed to pick some berries and nuts on our path, and we ate some of that, preserving the rest for the morning.
After that, I created a makeshift bed with a crosshatch of branches and leaves. It wasn’t exactly comfortable, but I settled on my back and let Naomi use me as her cushion. She came to me with a soft sigh, pressing her head to my chest, her little fingers slowly trailing over my scars—something I wasn’t sure she realized she even did. Her touch followed the same pattern every time, and the gentle rhythm and predictable path of her fingers settled me.
“So, what happens next?” her low voice carried on the breezy night air.
“What do you mean?”
“When we get back, what will that controller be able to tell you?”
“We won’t know until Nero gets a hold of it. But it could mean an end to our battle with the Uldani once and for all.”
We’d learned recently that the Uldani had sold Drixonian warriors before and during the Uprising, including Daz and Sax’s brother, who we all thought was dead. If Rex had really been alive this whole time…I didn’t want to think about what his life was like, especially if he ended up owned by the Plikens or on several other underdeveloped planets in our galaxy.
If I had the knowledge Mave was alive and not dead… I wasn’t sure what could keep me from tearing apart the entire universe. I glanced down at Naomi. She could. She’d be the one thing holding me back from a suicide mission. That must be why Daz and Sax hadn’t lost their minds yet—their mates kept them grounded and focused.
“Do you think we’ll ever get back to Corin?” she asked.
I liked that she said we. “For the first time, I feel confident in saying yes. I think so. I’m not sure I’ll see it, but maybe our Mave will.” I pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and she flexed her hands on my chest.
“And what comes next … for us?”
I ran my hand down her spine to coast over her lower back before palming her ass. Despite the weariness settling into my bones, my cock took notice of her proximity, plumping in my pants until I was sure she both noticed it and felt it. “I will be loyal to you. I will protect you with my life. And I’ll care for you until my last breath. That is what is next for us.”
She gasped and picked her head up so the stars glistened in her shiny eyes. I still didn’t know I deserved to have a creature as sweet as her. When she looked at me like this, I could believe I was a hero. Thank fleck she couldn’t see my aura. Even if she knew my secrets from the truth about Mave, to my fear of heights, she was spared the violence and anger that lived in my head.
“Those are the vows we all dream of. Devotion and loyalty.”
“Bigger than love,” I grunted.
“Right,” she grinned. “Fleck love.”
“Fleck it.”
I hauled her up my body and slammed my lips onto hers. Immediately she melted in my arms, and a moan slipped from her lips to dissolve on my tongue. Her legs straddled my hips and I felt the heat of her sweet cunt on my stomach. Such a tiny thing, my Naomi.
My cock pulsed in my pants, seeking her heat. I reached down and squeezed, letting it know it had to wait, that I didn’t want to rush her, especially as she lost herself in the kiss.
But she knew what I wanted and slowly rose above me. She drew her shirt over her head and looped it over a branch near her shoulder. The moonlight shone through the leaves above us in streaks, highlighting the small brown that raced over the pale skin of her chest. I thumbed a nipple, and she arched her back.
“Take off your clothes,” I rasped. “I want to see my mate.”
She blinked at me, her dark eyes nearly black in the darkness. She slipped out of her pants quickly, hanging them near her shirt, and then settled over my crotch, rubbing her cunt along my shaft still trapped in my pants.
I ached to let my cock free but there was something about the glint in her eye that had me fisting my hands at my sides. The sweet smell of her arousal was torture, and I couldn’t look away from the bouncing of her breasts as she worked herself on me.
She continued to grind on me as she bit her lip. My sweet, untouched mate liked being in control when we first began our touching. I was more than happy to let her, especially because she’d shown she’d let me know when I needed to take over.
I watched as her face flushed, and sweet little moans escaped her lips. She braced her hands on my stomach and bucked her hips, riding my trapped cock with increasing strength. I helped her keep her balance with my tail wrapped around her lower back. Just when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, she gasped out a little cry of frustration. “Gar, I need—”
“I know what you need,” my voice was a near growl as I tugged with my tail. With a soft grunt, she landed on my chest. I released the buckle of my pants and groaned as the pressure on my cock eased. I lowered my pants down my thighs, freeing my cock. I fisted it, stroking it a few times. Libo leaked from the tip, dripping down my shaft to coat my balls.
“Fleck, you smell good,” I said, burying my face in her neck. Her hands came up to frame my face.
“You feel good,” she whispered, rubbing her cheek along my jaw.
“Let me inside you, little one.” I positioned her so the tip of my cock nudged her entrance. “Let me fill you.”
“Please, I need it.”
Fleck, her voice was so sweet. “I’ll always take care of you.”
With more power than I intended, I entered her with a punch of my hips.
She gasped out a cry and dug her nails into my scales. “Oh, fuck,” she murmured.
I clenched my jaw and held myself still. “Okay?”
“Yes,” her voice was strained. She rolled her hips, and my head spun. “Yes,” she echoed softer this time. “Feels good. Move, Gar. Fuck me.”
I didn’t wait for her to ask again. I powered my hips into her as I held her body against mine.
She writhed and moaned on my cock, her sweet pleasured cries filling the air. Heat raced south, pooling in my groin until all I felt was fire licking at my balls. The need to release inside of her was a constant barrage of sensations, and my cora felt like it would punch through my chest.
Only when I felt her body shaking with tremors did I also come, stifling a roar as I came inside my mate. She clutched me, aftershocks still jerking her limbs, as I rolled us onto our sides, our bodies still connected. She peered up at me with half-lidded eyes, a satisfied smile on her face. Hair wrecked, hips reddened from my hands, and stuffed full of my cock, she’d never looked more beautiful.
“Sleep, little one,” I murmured. “Tomorrow we go home.”
“Home,” she whispered happily, pressing her face into my chest. “I can’t wait.”
Neither could I.
Naomi
My entire body ached so much it hurt to lift my hand to my mouth to drop in a few nuts. Then it hurt to chew. And swallow.
Everything that had happened in the last few days was catching up to me, and yesterday’s mad dash through the dense forest, even when Gar was carrying me, had been about the most my body could handle.
Oh, and I was sore from Gar fucking me last night like a demon possessed. At least that was a good ache, one I relished. I had insisted on walking today because the thought of holding on with my arms wrapped around Gar’s massive shoulders made me tremble. I knew he’d carry me like a baby if I let on how weak my arms were, and I also knew that would slow us down. So, I ignored the numbness in my feet and kept walking. One foot in front of the other. Placing them in Gar’s giant footsteps. Moving forward.
Which was why when Gar suddenly stopped, I nearly crashed into his back. I let out a little shriek, and he immediately spun around, smashing me to his body with his hand clamped to my mouth. My eyes went wide, and I struggled for half a minute on instinct until I forced myself to stay calm.
This was Gar.
Safety.
I blinked up to find him staring off into the forest, focusing on a specific point. His eyes were black as night, his nostrils flared and his teeth slightly bared. It was then I heard the scrape of something on tree bark, followed by a rustle of leaves.
Gar’s hand dropped from my mouth, and my eyes went wide as he hauled me into his arms and took off at a sprint so fast that the entire world was a blur. I didn’t know what we were running from, and I didn’t care. I didn’t make one sound of protest, since fear was currently clogging up my throat.
There was no way anything could outrun him, right? Nothing could catch us now, not an Uldani, or Kulk, or—
Gar came to a sliding halt so quickly my stomach revolted.
I glanced up and nearly pissed myself.
Standing in front of us was a line of crocodile-looking creatures. They stood about six-feet tall and had elongated snouts revealing rows of gnarly teeth. They had stumpy tails and massive spears clutched in their three-fingered hands. And worst of all, they reeked, like dead fish mixed with rotten fruit with a side of spoiled milk.
