Kierce
Page 19
“I can see why the original crew didn’t do the job.” Lorrali wrinkled her nose and cleaned her hands. “Stuff stinks and clings to the skin.”
“Let’s take the lunch outside,” Elianna said. “See the blue sky.”
The techs were willing so Kierce escorted them all through the narrow corridors and outside, although they undoubtedly knew the way better than he did. He stood guard in silence while the humans ate, since the trio immediately fell into a conversation about a technical problem. After their meal, Elianna lingered while the other two retraced their steps inside and he seized the chance to give her a lingering kiss goodbye. “Don’t work too hard,” he said. “I know this is important and a rush job but, if you burn yourself out the first day or two, you won’t be able to do what the Alpha wants.”
“I’ve got you to remind me when to take breaks,” she said with an affectionate squeeze of his arm. “See you later.”
He returned to assisting Camron until quite late in the day, when the sun was setting and the sky grew dark.
“Better go get your lady and her helpers,” Camron said. “I’ll reheat dinner for all of us. Aydarr sent orders not to allow her to work till midnight the first night.”
He made quick time over the rough terrain to the Chimmer ship and ran into Lorrali and Sam on their way to the hut, escorted by Brant.
“Where’s Elianna?” he asked.
“She insisted on finishing the portside enviro circuits today,” Sam said. “We’re both so tired we can hardly see straight but she’s operating on another level of efficiency, running on sheer energy.”
“And likely to burn out if no one intervenes. Leave Elianna to me.” Kierce quickened his pace and was soon at the ship. He found Elianna sitting in the control chamber on the edge of one of the command chairs. “Are you all right?”
“I’m glad to see you.” She yawned. “I’m a little afraid of the dark outside, to be honest, so I was hoping you’d come get me. I should have gone with the others. Tomorrow night maybe I will. There’s so much to be done and I feel guilty walking away.”
“As long as you’re more or less on the schedule you gave Aydarr, you’re doing fine.” He gathered her into his arms and kissed her, standing as close as he could get, enjoying the feel of her curves against him. “I should probably be taking more advantage of this private session,” he said, “But this place makes me uneasy.”
Elianna frowned. “Yeah, as interesting as the technical challenges are, I’m not crazy about it either. “
“Besides, you need your dinner and your rest.” He studied her face in the harsh light of the Chimmer chamber. “I don’t like those circles under your beautiful eyes because they tell me you’ve worn yourself out today.”
“No argument from me. Are you coming?” she asked MARL17, who was hovering near the other, smaller MARL unit, which was still attached to the astronavigation unit.
“I am assisting with a complicated contextual analysis of stellar parameters,” he said, flashing green with yellow squiggles. “I must remain here.”
“See you tomorrow then.”
They descended through the levels and left the ship, Elianna sealing the portal after she stepped off the gangplank. Hand in hand, they strolled through the forest toward the huts. “I bet there’ll be a major card game going on when we get there,” she said.
“I’m not betting against you if we do play cards, not after you trounced me so thoroughly a few times in the—when we played before.” Kierce didn’t want to remember the time in the lab or ruin her good mood by bringing it up either. “Since there’s no privacy to be had and we’re sleeping in separate huts, we might as well join in.”
“No forfeits though,” she said, giving him a sexy smile, which he saw perfectly well in the dark with his night vision. “Save those for another time.” They walked a bit further in companionable silence and she cleared her throat nervously before asking, “How’s it going with the tiger? Have you tried transforming back and forth?”
He rejected the temptation to lie. “I’ve stayed in this form.” Rushing onward before she could ask anything else, he said, “It’s too soon for me to make the experiment.” Realizing he was walking faster in an unconscious desire to reach the huts and end the uncomfortable conversation, he forced himself to slow down.
Elianna gave him a sideways glance full of subtext and unexpressed thought but he refused to take the bait. Discussion of his problem right now wasn’t going to help. The silence for the rest of the walk wasn’t comfortable and when he entered the hut in single file behind Elianna, Camron gave him a quizzical look.
“Dinner’s ready,” was all the other Badari said, although he continued to frown as he filled their plates.
Kierce was glad Camron’s orders had been not to try to engage him on any personal topic. He felt the tension in his own body and conversation with Elianna was a bit stilted but eventually she seemed to move on from the subject.
She’ll bring it up again. And he should be glad Elianna cared enough about him to poke at this dangerous vulnerability he had, trying to help him resolve the issues but for tonight he just wanted it all to go away.
The pattern of the days repeated themselves, and Kierce relaxed deep inside under the simple routine of patrolling and doing basic maintenance chores at the huts, interspersed with taking care of Elianna. The other two Badari were like the men he’d grown up with, and there was no problem finding common ground as soldiers. Camron was matter of fact when giving orders and Kierce was content to obey. Time enough to claim a more influential place in the pack if and when he resolved his personal challenges and this assignment was over.
After lunch on the third day, Camron said, “My orders from the Alpha state you’re to take time off from other duties to work on whatever it is, so for the afternoon, go scout the island, do some hunting maybe, because we could use fresh meat. Report to me here at dusk.”
Only too happy to fall in with the orders, Kierce went exploring. The island was about sixteen miles long by nine miles wide and, with his Badari endurance, he had no trouble surveying most of what it had to offer, making note of spots he wanted to revisit later.
At the southern tip there was a promontory from which he had a magnificent view of waves crashing over reefs and against fantastically shaped, weathered spires of stone jutting from the ocean floor. He lingered there for quite a while, letting his mind roam, soaking in the peace gained from watching the water ebb and flow. I definitely want to bring Elianna here soon.
Although he was stuck on the island with no way off currently, he didn’t feel caged or imprisoned. It was a rare and blissful luxury to roam with no agenda other than sheer exploration. When he encountered the small herd of horned, hooved faleker on the island, which the Badari speculated must have had intrepid ancestors who swam over from the mainland, he watched them graze for a few minutes. To his own surprise, the urge to transform to the tiger rose in his mind, for the first time. He was tempted to chase the prey in the feline form.
Hastily, he repressed the idea. He was never going to take the other form again. If the goddess decreed he had to keep the tiger, it could sleep in his subconscious.
Kierce made short work of taking down the buck he’d targeted with a quick clean shot from his pulse rifle and dressed the meat on the spot, packing it up to take to the huts. Their party would dine on this for days, nothing would go to waste. He thanked the goddess for sending them the gift of sustenance.
All in all, he’d had an excellent afternoon, one of the best in his entire life no doubt.
And, he realized as he approached the huts, he hadn’t experienced so much as a twinge of a recurrence from the Khagrish drugs.
Early in the afternoon of the fifth day, Kierce got a telepathic message from Camron. Your lady says she’s done for the day. Time for you to do bodyguard duty. He had the impression the other Badari was concealing amusement. Take her on a tour of the island to clear her head for work tomorrow.
“Where’s Elianna?”
“She went to the humans’ hut. Said to tell you to knock when you got here.” Camron winked at him. “But remember two other people live there so it’s not all that private.”
Kierce wasted no time stepping to the other dwelling and knocking, sticking his head in the doorway. “Are you okay?”
Sitting on her bunk, she nodded. “We hit a major blockage on the subsystem I’m rerouting. Right now I just want to borrow your blaster and flame the damn thing so I needed to step away, let my subconscious work on the problem overnight. It’s a technique that’s served me well in the past.” She raised one eyebrow. “Camron called you?”
“He did indeed.” Kierce studied the narrow bunks and frowned. “He also reminded me you have two roommates. Where are they?”
She slid off the bed and came to him, resting her hands on his chest and going on her tiptoes to brush his lips in a sweet caress. “What they’re working on is going fine but no room for a third pair of hands so it was useless for me to stay on the ship. They shouldn’t be returning for a while.”
He caught her as she made to move away and kissed her properly, deep and with all the pent up emotions he’d been suppressing in the less than ideal situation they were in. Elianna melted against him, her curves soft against the hardness of his body. His painfully throbbing erection made the embrace more intense. Breaking off the kiss, Kierce looked over her head at the bare bones utilitarian hut and the narrow beds. “Not here,” he said, surprising himself. The place was dismal. Elianna deserved better.
“Then where?” She was a bit breathless. “Camron’s in the other hut, isn’t he?”
“I found a really pretty spot deep in the forest, made kind of a hideaway there.” He knew he was blushing. “In case we ever got any downtime.”
Elianna hugged him. “Sounds intriguing. Tell me more.”
“I could have us there in a few minutes if you don’t mind being carried.”
For answer, she held out her arms. “I’m all yours.”
Sweeping her into his arms, he kicked the door open and headed into the forest. He sent Camron a message as he ran at high speed. We’re going somewhere more private, might not be back for dinner but don’t worry about us.
She’s more valuable to the pack right now than anyone but the Alpha’s mate or the healer. Camron’s tone was amused but held a serious note of warning as well.
He couldn’t be angry because what the other soldier said was undeniably true. If the Chimmer ship couldn’t fly, the rebels were all doomed. It would be just a matter of time. She’ll be safe. I’d die to protect her.
Camron made no reply, and Kierce turned his full attention to the path he was following. Really more of a zigzag trajectory through the forest, going to a place only he’d been to. The area held no scent of the other Badari males. On the west coast of the island there was a particularly thick stand of old growth trees and one had fallen who knew how many years ago, forming a sort of natural cave in the way it had toppled against the other trees and a rocky uplift, the entrance hidden by younger growth. He’d made a cushion from soft mosses and flowers, and hidden purloined blankets, hoping he might get a chance to show Elianna.
When he set her on her feet in front of the trees concealing the entryway, she gave him a puzzled look and raised her eyes to the stone outcropping towering above. “Are we rock climbing? I’m not sure I’m up to the challenge, frankly.”
“Nothing so strenuous.” Kierce took her hand and led her through the dangling fronds until he reached the end, where the carefully altered hollow existed. She stood in the center of the generous space and smiled. “It’s lovely. How did you find this place?”
“I scouted, hoping we’d have time together while we were here on the island. Once I located a likely spot I did my improvements at night, after duty was done for the day. You like it?”
“Romantic would be an understatement.” She trailed one hand through a stand of gorgeous red-and-cream flowers. “I believe this qualifies as a bower.” Head tilted, she asked, “And you’re sure we’ll be safe? No interruptions?”
“There aren’t any predators of any size on the island. Certainly none to bother a Badari. And no people but us. I patrol daily. I’m sure.” He took off his boots and socks, and laughing she kicked off hers.
He picked her up again and carried her to the soft pile of leaves and blankets, laying her carefully on her back. She reached to hold him and they kissed, tasting each other, caressing and stroking each other’s bodies as if it had been months since last made love, rather than a few days. Kierce undressed Elianna rapidly but taking care not to tear her clothing, although passion made his hands clumsy. She helped him strip off his shirt and pants and they came together in a mad rush.
When he slid his fingers across her soft stomach and through the curls to gently explore her tender folds, Kierce was delighted to find her hot and wet for him. She stroked his shaft and fondled his sac possessively, using her clever fingers to tease the most sensitive spots on his body and he struggled not to come immediately, like an unschooled cub. Kierce moved her fingers aside and sheathed himself in the welcoming warmth of her body, plunging deep in response to her encouraging murmurs. Elianna rocked her hips in perfect rhythm with his thrusts and, next thing he knew, the sensual crescendo peaked and he was climaxing. She followed a heartbeat later and he held her tight as the tremors of the passion subsided.
“I never want to be without you,” she said as he rolled to the side to take his weight off her frame. He’d been careful not to crush her beneath him even at the height of his passion, but still he was concerned his big Badari frame was too much for her.
Elianna rolled onto her side and wrapped her arms around him, pulling them close again. “Don’t take all the lovely warmth away—my toes are cold.” To prove her point, she rubbed one foot over his leg playfully.
Shivering dramatically and laughing, he said, “You are cold—I’m sorry. I have a second blanket.” He reached out and hooked the cover with the tips of his talons, pulling it over them both.
“Much better.” She snuggled against his side, using his shoulder for a pillow.
He wished he could claim her as his mate right then and there. The bower, as she termed it, felt magical and removed from their grim reality, and would be a perfect place to seal their bond. His fangs deployed ever so slightly at the mere idea and his cock twitched, rapidly becoming hard and ready for more lovemaking. Kierce opened his mouth to ask her permission, but she spoke before he could.
“How are you doing with integrating the tiger?” Her voice was mild in tone, but he didn’t have to work too hard to hear a deeper meaning behind the inquiry.
Whatever he’d expected to hear from her lips, a question about the tiger wasn’t it. “I’m never transforming into the beast again. I told you that.” He winced at how harsh the words sounded. When would he learn to modulate his tone better, instead of blurting out his first thoughts?
Elianna sat up, clutching the blanket to her, covering her breasts. “Wait a minute. Are you telling me you haven’t been in tiger form the entire time we’ve been here on the island? Not even for a few minutes?”
“Not once.” Reluctant to admit she was right, he mumbled his answer. It was no one’s business but his if he chose to deal with his dual nature by suppressing the animal, but he had a suspicion she wouldn’t see it that way. Nor would the goddess. “I haven’t had any flashbacks from the drug since we’ve been here.”
“Don’t try to sidetrack me, although I’m glad to hear the news.” She frowned. “The one thing you’ve been telling me is how we can’t be mates until you control the tiger aspects of yourself, until you can be the tiger and still be Kierce, in control. To do it willingly instead of using it as a crutch to escape the recurrences. And now you tell me you haven’t even been working on it? The Alpha sent you here at my suggestion so you could deal with the issues and I could help.” He could hear the frustration behind her words and perhaps even a touch of anger.
“I’m ready to be mated, to claim each other,” he said, trying to redirect the conversation.
She shook her head. “I’m not. Kierce, you as the tiger are just as amazing and important to me as you are in the human form, or I guess I should say the Badari form. It’s part of you. You not accepting the feline, not exploring the possibilities of turning what the Khagrish did and the goddess mended into a blessing, an extra set of abilities only you possess…I can’t accept that. I won’t. You’re not broken, you’re whole, you’re a man with an extra strength.” She stopped, apparently tangled in her attempts to explain how she viewed his situation. After a deep, heartfelt sigh, she tried again. “Denying a part of yourself for the rest of your life is going to eat away at you and neither the Great Mother nor I will be able to help. I can’t watch you do such damage to yourself. To us.”
He appreciated her concern and caring, and was pleased all over again to hear reassurance she didn’t find the fact he could change into a massive alien predator a problem. Reluctant to be dissuaded from his chosen course of denial, he bit his lip and kept silent. He believed he was being reasonable and the choice was his alone. Wasn’t it?
“This isn’t your decision alone,” she said, as if reading his mind. “If we’re to be mates, we have to learn to share our concerns and problems.” She stared at him. “I want you to become the tiger for me. Please, right now. We have to break this impasse.”
Reluctance sat like a rock in his chest. “What will it prove?”
“You haven’t been the tiger since the goddess neutralized the poison. I’d like you to try it, see how you feel.”
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