by Leslie Chase
“Mine,” he growled into my ear, and bit down on my shoulder. Sharp teeth dug in, my body arched as his fingers rubbed faster and faster, and I screamed as my orgasm ripped through me. Everything melted away in wave after wave of white light, and I would have collapsed if Torran hadn’t held me up.
“Oh god,” I whimpered as I managed to recover, twisting around to look into his golden eyes. “That was amazing.”
His smile lit up his stern face, and he kissed me firmly on the lips. A tingle ran through my body again and I realized he wasn’t done with me yet. Could my body take any more?
I fumbled at the rover’s side door, sliding it open to reveal the spacious interior, padded for comfort during a rough ride. Which was exactly what I hoped Torran would give me.
He lifted me again, firmly but gently lifting me into the vehicle and parting my legs. Bracing myself, I moaned as I saw his hard cock. So big, bigger than I’d imagined even when I held it. And those ridges! I shivered at the delicious thought of them inside me and knew that I needed it more than I could say.
Torran didn’t keep me waiting this time, climbing on top of me while covering me in kisses and little bites. I reached up to pull him to me, fingers digging into the muscles of his back and urging him on as his cock pressed against my opening.
“Please,” I moaned, flushing again as I heard the pleading tone in my voice. His smile appeared again, a delighted grin as he gazed down at me.
And thrust.
The sensation was incredible, unbelievable. Torran slid into me with a single smooth motion, his powerful body slamming me into the padding of the rover. I’d never felt anything so perfect — he fit me like a key to a lock, a perfect union that sent me into writhing, gasping ecstasy.
A growl, and he drew back, leaving me empty and aching for a moment before he slammed home again. And again. And again, each time faster, harder, more powerful. Each time making me cry out, until my throat was hoarse and my body shook. My fingers clutched at him, pulling him closer, urging him on as he pounded into me.
My body shook with pleasure, my nerves alight with it as Torran drove me on and on. His cock, his wonderful alien cock, filled me more perfectly than anything I’d ever imagined — and then it started to vibrate inside me.
That was too much. I arched under him, screaming as I came in an endless wave of ecstasy that melted the whole world around me. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything aside from feel him inside me. My body convulsed around him, and I pulled him over the edge too. With a roar that drowned out my cries, Torran came inside me, filling me, completing me.
Spent, panting, we collapsed together, my arms wrapped around my alien lover. There was no space for deception now, no distance between us, and I couldn’t deny it to myself.
I was his, he was mine. We belonged together.
Snuggling into his arms, I rested my head on his chest.
You’d better not die tomorrow, I thought as the darkness claimed me.
16
Torran
Resting in my khara’s arms was the best feeling in this or any other world. As far as I’d traveled, as much as I’d seen of the universe, I’d experienced nothing like the wonder of Lisa’s body pressed against me. She rested, breathing slow and even, one arm flung across me and her head resting on my chest.
I should sleep too, I thought. Gather strength for the coming fight. But the idea of wasting these moments when they might be the only ones I’d ever share with my khara was ridiculous. I had one chance to savor her presence, one night to remember her by.
If I died protecting her, I wanted the memory of tonight burned into my soul. Something to keep me warm in the cold dark of death.
Lisa muttered something, shifting her weight restlessly, and I stroked her hair. Soft, smooth, a delight to the touch.
She murmured happily and stilled, relaxing again. Perfect.
I don’t know how long we lay there, intertwined. It wasn’t long enough. All too soon, the hologram puppy appeared beside her, barking and nuzzling at her.
It took an effort to resist the urge to smash the emitter. It was right — we had to go now if we wanted a hope of escaping.
“What is it?” Lisa asked sleepily, blinking awake. The play of emotions across her face was a delight to watch, starting with sleepy confusion, moving through embarrassment and then delight as she remembered the night. Only then did reality hit, and she sat up abruptly, looking at her hologram.
“You shouldn’t have let me sleep,” she said accusingly. I chuckled.
“You set an alarm. I’d rather have gnawed off my arm than wake you before it did,” I told her. “And you needed the rest. This will be a long day.”
The hologram whined and Lisa reached out for it, scratching behind its virtual ears. Something about the tiny mammal made me relax. An ultrasonic effect, or simply cuteness? Did it even matter?
My khara muttered words in her own language to the hologram, and glyphs appeared between its ears. She glowered at them and then sighed.
“I wish we had more time,” she said, the comfort of our time together fading as quickly as morning mist. I sighed, rolling up and grabbing my clothes.
Hers were ruined, torn to shreds and scattered around the room. My impatience with their fastenings hadn’t left much to salvage, and Lisa didn’t waste time trying. She grabbed a spare outfit from a box in the corner, pulling them on quickly while I watched transfixed by her beauty.
Noticing me, she tried to glare. Her blush and little smile spoiled the effect and were nearly enough to tempt me into tearing the fresh clothes off her. Patience, Torran, I counseled myself. We’ll have plenty of time together, no need to rush things now.
That assumed we both survived the day but delaying our escape wouldn’t make that more likely.
Once Lisa had stamped her feet into her boots, she made her way to the door and opened it, peeking cautiously into the dim corridors of the colony pod. I tensed, wondering what waited for us out there. The other prytheen had been suspicious enough that Gurral might have set extra sentries. Was she sticking her head into a trap?
I wouldn’t let Lisa take that chance. Holding her back, I stalked out into the corridor, listening for any sign of movement. Nothing. It was as quiet as a tomb. So far, so good.
“Stay with the rover,” I said, holding up a hand as Lisa tried to follow me out. “Get it ready to go while I fetch the other humans. If any other prytheen comes, don’t wait for us. Just get out of here and get to safety.”
She didn’t look happy at the suggestion, and I didn’t blame her. I didn’t want to separate us either — but if something went wrong with the plan, at least with the rover she had some small chance of escape. Not a good chance, but far better than the rest of us would have.
“You stay, I’ll go,” she countered, crossing her arms and glaring at me defiantly. “The others won’t listen to an alien.”
“They had better, because I’m going,” I replied. Her defiance might have been amusing under other circumstances, but we had no time for it now. “I cannot get the rover ready to leave, and I do not know how to drive it. You will have to prepare it.”
Her glower deepened, but she had no answer to that. Thank the ancestors, because I couldn’t bear the thought of her walking deeper into the pod, perhaps into a trap. I turned away, but her hand caught my tunic and pulled me back.
“Wait,” Lisa said, fumbling at her wrist and taking off the band with the hologram emitter. “Take Henry, that way they’ll know I sent you. And don’t you dare get yourself killed doing this. I don’t want to lose you.”
Before I could respond, she stepped close and kissed me. Her soft lips planted a promise on mine, and a shiver ran through me as we parted. I had no words, so I nodded and snatched the wristband, turning before my feelings for my khara overcame me.
Why couldn’t we simply go, vanish into the night? We would be long gone by the time anyone followed, and I’d cover our trail too wel
l for anyone to follow. Even bringing her brother, we’d move fast enough to vanish into the woods.
But I knew better than that. Lisa would no more abandon her people than I would mine if the situation were reversed. As different as my khara was from me, in that we were alike.
The pod echoed empty around me and I breathed a little easier as I found the door to the humans’ barracks unguarded. After the suspicious way the others had spoken earlier, I’d worried that there might be more security to deal with. But no, Gurral wasn’t willing to force more guard duty on his men.
He might regret that tomorrow.
I took a quick detour on the route to the humans' cell, stopping by sickbay and retrieving the rifle I’d hidden there. It was a risk, coming that close to the armory guard, but our need for a weapon outweighed the chance of getting caught.
No one saw me. Perhaps fate had decided to bless me. Or perhaps it was setting me up for a bigger fall later. I didn’t trust luck.
The way to cell was clear and the door slid open silently. Inside, the humans looked up at me with a start. All of them were awake, even those that weren’t going, and I wondered if any of them regretted that decision. If so, this was their last chance to change their minds.
Even if Gurral spared their lives, anyone who stayed wouldn’t get another chance.
“It is time,” I said. “Come with me as quietly as you can.”
“Now hold on everyone,” the red-faced oldest male human said, holding back the others. “How do we know this isn’t a trap? For all we know you’ve already killed Lisa and you’re testing our loyalty.”
I growled, frustrated and annoyed. Resisting the urge to grab his outstretched finger, I narrowed my eyes and replied. “If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t need an excuse. Gurral wouldn’t blink an eye. I am only here because Lisa wants to save as many of you as possible. And she gave me this to show I come from her.”
The wristband buzzed as I held it up and Henry appeared in my arms. I glared over the holographic bundle of fluff, looking at the humans and daring them to doubt my word. The virtual animal barked twice, then turned and licked my face. Caught by surprise, I tried not to laugh at the sensation as the hologram’s forcefield brushed across my skin. A weird, somehow-delightful sensation.
As undignified as it was, the display seemed to calm the humans. Malcolm held a hand over his mouth, muffling a laugh as I struggled to keep a straight face. The others all relaxed. The older man scowled, but that had settled the question of whether I was on Lisa’s side.
“She will get you all killed,” he grumbled, shaking his head. Switching to the human’s language, he spoke sharply to those who gathered their supplies to follow me.
They didn’t stop to argue, and soon four humans stood ready to leave. Another four stood back, the red-faced man and his sons. The Carringtons, I remembered the strange human name now.
The younger ones looked less certain than their father but the four of them stuck together. I had to respect that loyalty, even if I thought it misplaced and dangerous.
“This is your last chance,” I said, addressing the human leader. “Once we leave, you will be stuck here at Gurral’s mercy.”
“Better that than dying in the forest,” he snapped back. “We will be perfectly fine here.”
I didn’t argue further, shouldering the remaining pack — that had to be Lisa’s. One last check that no one was watching the corridor, and then I led the other humans out into the pod.
The lighting was dim by my standards, and the humans seemed almost blind as they stumbled along behind me. I cursed under my breath, slowing to let them keep up and wincing at every sound. The guard at the armory could hear us at any moment, even if no other prytheen came inside.
Sundered Space, if we make it out of this, I’ll be amazed. But luck or fate sided with us and somehow we reached the engineering bay and the waiting rover undetected. Malcolm leaped forward, throwing his arms around his sister in a quick embrace while the others loaded their supplies aboard.
The five humans packed the rover fast and got it ready to move. One of them disconnected the power cable from the vehicle and, with an almost inaudible whine, the anti-grav field kicked in.
Primitive, like all human technology. It barely lifted the vehicle. But the important thing was that it worked. We had a chance.
“Which of you are going in the stasis tubes?” I asked. The five of them looked at each other, uncertain, and I grumbled. Had they not discussed that?
No time for any long debate. “Very well. Who here is the best driver?”
Malcolm’s hand shot up and Lisa glared at her brother. No one argued, though. I gave them a second, then nodded.
“You and Lisa will remain awake,” I told him, turning to the remaining humans. “You three, into stasis. We’ll wake you when we’ve arrived.”
They shared a look, the male going pale. Before I expressed my impatience, though, the older female grabbed his hand and practically dragged him to the back of the rover. She said something to him in a human language, not the English I’d learned a few words of but something harsher on the ears. After a moment he nodded.
“I have told him it is safe,” she told him, switching to Galtrade. “We crossed the stars in stasis, a few more days won’t hurt us. We are trusting you to get us all to safety. Don’t fuck it up.”
I felt the ghost of a smile on my face as I nodded. “I will do everything in my power to protect your family.”
With the odds against us, it would be dishonest to promise more than that. I refused to lie to them, and I doubted that Maria would appreciate a comforting untruth anyway.
She hugged her daughter, lifted her into one of the stasis tubes and closed the lid. A green light came on and she sighed.
“I wish they didn’t look so much like coffins,” she said, running a hand over the sealed box. “Sleep well, Tania.”
Lisa’s arms enfolded me and we gave the two parents their privacy as they sealed themselves in. Despite Maria’s brave words, she had to be frightened. They would sleep in stasis until they were woken, but that might never happen if we failed.
Without the support units on a colony pod, the passengers couldn’t be revived. I shivered at the thought of saying goodbye to Lisa like that and didn’t know if I had the strength for it. That was one reason I hadn’t let her be one of the frozen passengers on this journey.
“Time to go,” I told my khara once the Dietrichs were safely in their tubes. I lifted her into the rover’s cabin, shooing Malcolm out of the driver’s seat. He might be a skilled driver, but I would trust this to Lisa first.
She looked like she might say something, but no words came. Instead she pulled me close for a kiss, and I ignored her brother’s disgusted noise as we embraced passionately for what might be the last time.
Parting from her, I went to the loading ramp controls. They were simple enough — press this button and the ramp would drop. Once I did that, we’d be in the hands of fate. Would any of Gurral’s men see the ramp lower? How quickly would they respond? There was no way to tell. I didn’t think much of their discipline, but they wouldn’t have to be very alert to notice the vehicle leave.
I looked back at the rover, meeting Lisa’s eyes through the windshield and seeing her fear and determination. For a moment we drew strength from each other, and then I hit the switch.
The ramp dropped fast, hitting the ground with a rattling thump loud enough to wake anyone nearby. I leaped out, ready to attack any prytheen unlucky enough to be immediately outside, but there was no one there.
Behind me, the rover leaped forward, engine roaring as it powered up. I jumped up to the hang onto its side as it rumbled past, the antigravity engine as loud as I’d expected. Even if they’d missed the thud of the ramp, there was no way the prytheen would miss this.
Before we could orient the vehicle, Myrok appeared around the colony pod, looking for the source of the sudden, unfamiliar noise. We saw each other at the same mome
nt, and I threw a knife as he dove back into cover. The blade hit his shoulder rather than his throat, and his roar of pain filled the night.
Any attempt at stealth was futile now. I banged on the windshield to get Lisa’s attention and pointed in the direction of the game trail I’d seen. The rover bounced on the uneven terrain, Lisa stamping on the accelerator, and I clung on with one hand, unslinging the laser rifle with the other as we hurtled towards the trees. Behind us the howls of pursuit started, Gurral’s followers waking in confusion and setting out after us.
In the farmland we were far too fast for a prytheen to run down, though the bumps threatened to tear my arm off. A knife clattered from the back of the rover, a spear whizzed past me, and I glanced back to see Myrok at the head of a band of warriors chasing us.
A feral grin pulled at my lips. If he caught up with us I’d enjoy tearing his heart out — he’d threatened my khara, would have killed her if I hadn’t intervened. I owed him for that.
Getting away is more important than getting revenge, I reminded myself. If I could save Lisa but her tormentor survived, I’d take that bargain. But if someone was going to catch up to us, then let it be someone I already had reason to kill.
With a crack of ionized air, a laser bolt snapped past. Then another, closer, as the shooter adjusted his aim. Lisa hauled at the wheel, pulling the rover into a sharp turn that nearly threw me clear, and laser fire burned into the vehicle’s hull.
I snarled back at our pursuers, raising my own rifle one-handed. Only two of them had lasers, but if they hit the engine, our escape attempt would end before it had properly begun. The trees were close, tantalizingly close, but the shots were landing too close for comfort.
Shooting from the back of the rover was a fool’s game. Bouncing unsteadily, needing one hand to hang on, I’d never hit anything. I tried anyway, snapping shots in the vague direction of our pursuers and hoping to slow them down. It worked, a little — some of the hunters dropped to the ground to avoid my shots.
