by Astra Lynne
"Amelia?" Mattaki's voice, always deep, but now sounding much deeper, washed over her and caused her skin to tingle. She turned and looked at him slowly. Her head felt slightly heavy like she had been drinking, but yet she was not dizzy or drunk. The colors of the canopy were even more brilliant and seemed to be pulsing with each heartbeat. Her eyelids felt heavy, but she didn't feel sleepy. In fact she felt the exact opposite of sleepy, she felt alive and hyper aware of everything. "Hmmmm, say that again," she told him. "Say my name again; I like how you say it."
Mattaki eyed her suspiciously and chuckled to himself. He should have warned her, eating too many of the fruit could sometimes cause a Euphoria. She only had a few, but perhaps her metabolism processed the fruit differently. "Amelia," Mattaki began, "I think you have had too many berries."
"No, I have had exactly the right amount of berries." Amelia ran her fingers over her skin. Had her skin always felt this smooth?
"The berries have fermented perhaps," Mattaki chuckled.
"Your voice, I can't believe I didn't notice it until now, but your voice is so deep and smooth. I've never heard anything like it." She reached out and touched his bottom lip with her fingertips. His lips were so full and soft. She thought of the sweet tenderness of his kiss, wanting it again.
Mattaki's breath hitched from the electricity her touch sent coursing through him igniting his Nacresscence to sear his skin in the most deliciously sweet agony. "Sweet Amelia," he growled nearly unable to contain himself. "You cannot do this, not this way."
"What way is that? This way," she asked playfully running her hands down the length of his neck and across his broad shoulders, fingering the swirls of his glowing hot Nacresscence.
"You are not yourself," he growled from the desire he felt for her.
"Then who am I," Amelia whispered so close to his chest he could fell her breath on his skin. Amelia was overwhelmed with a feeling of wanting to touch every inch of him, to taste him. All of her defenses, reservations and hesitations were gone leaving nothing but desire in their wake.
Amelia's hands drifted further down Mattaki's chest, pausing briefly at the waistband of his pants. His sharp intake of breath was nectar to Amelia's senses. She liked knowing she could make him breathless. He desired her, she could feel it and it made her feel powerful in a way she never had before with anyone else. She wanted that, needed that more than she had ever wanted to admit. She wanted it here and now, with Mattaki in this magical place.
Mattaki, unable to contain himself for another second, grabbed her wrists and wrestled her effortlessly to the ground with the full length of his body and pinned her hands above her head. "Yes," Amelia groaned in desire, wrapping her leg around his and lifting her hips to make as much contact with his body as possible. She felt it, his warmth spreading through her.
"Amelia," Mattaki hissed against her neck. Her hips moved against him in a maddening rhythm rubbing her soft, tender thighs against the length of his engorged cock. He could not take advantage of her like this. She was feeling the effects of the Eanab berries, and while this may be what she wanted, deep inside, her reasoning was compromised. He did not want her to regret giving herself to him. But his body, his heart and soul all wanted her in every way. He wanted to feel her pinned beneath him writhing and breathlessly purring his name as he drove into her, tasting her skin and leaving no doubt in her mind that she was his. But this was not the way.
"We cannot sweet Amelia," he growled breathlessly against her lips.
"Yes we can," Amelia countered pulling his bottom lip into her warm mouth and teasing him with her tongue.
"No, we cannot….you are not thinking clearly…." Mattaki reasoned rolling onto his back. He had to break their contact before he spilled himself against her touch.
The shock of Mattaki pulling away slapped Amelia in the face. In an instant, her desire turned to anger. How dare he, she thought. Was he not the one calling her his fated one? Was he not the one who kissed her? Was he not the one throwing her over his shoulders like some sort of cave man? Some sort of hot, muscular alien caveman she wanted to climb on and impale herself on at this very moment? She was so aroused she could feel even a single bead of sweat coursing down her neck and between her breasts. Between her legs she could feel her engorged clit throbbing hungrily for release and it drove her insane. She was so hot and so close, she knew he would only have to touch her and make her cum so fast and so hard, but instead he was choosing to pace like a tiger on the other side of the canopy far away from her. She licked her lips and bit her bottom lip trying to steady her ragged breath.
"Amelia," Mattaki began but his words were nothing but a reminder of his refusal and she did not want to hear it.
"Oh, forget it!" Amelia's voice reverberated around the canopy causing the Narbaq to glow even brighter. She straightened her tunic as she struggled to make her way out of the canopy. She just wanted to put distance between the two of them and lock herself in her room. Who was he to turn her down, she thought. Surely he found her attractive; at least if Mari-Ursian men were anything like human men, she had felt his attraction against her leg. His very sizeable attraction too, she thought. She groaned in pent up agony as she beat her way through the thick vines. She was so distracted she barely heard or gave notice to Mattaki calling her, urging her to wait for him. She didn't care what he had to say unless he was calling her back to fuck her hard on the ground of the canopy. Geez where did that come from, Amelia wondered. She could think of nothing but how much she wanted Mattaki right now, in an urgent way, a primal and animalistic way. This must be what it's like to be a man, she thought. She liked it, even if he wouldn't satisfy her need, she'd do it herself when she was alone if she had to.
Amelia pulled and chopped at the vines like a woman possessed until she was through the vines and into a clearing. She didn't know exactly where she was but she kept walking all the same. She wanted space away from him and would work out the right direction eventually. She was scarcely aware Mattaki was somewhere trailing behind her but she didn't care. She could hear him calling her but she just kept stomping away like a petulant child. Vines and limbs bit at her skin as she fought her way in the direction of the lodge. She felt the skin on her ankle tear with a hot searing pain. Wrapped around her ankle was a thorny vine. Of course, leave it to me to find the one dangerous vine in the whole freaking jungle, she thought. Amelia reached down and untangled the vine from her ankle and swiped at the trace of blood from the torn skin. Rising up, she felt a sharp pain against her temple and then the world went black.
Chapter 15
From somewhere far in the distance, Amelia could hear someone groaning and whimpering. She soon realized it was her own groaning and whimpering she was hearing. Not long after, she became acutely aware of why she was groaning when a dull pain pierced all the way from her left temple to her eye, and then throughout her body. Instinctively, she raised her hand to feel her head and could feel a raised goosegg covered by some thin plastic like bandage.
"Shhhh, do not touch it," a voice from faraway said to her. She recognized the voice but could not place it. Amelia cracked her eyelids to see she was surrounded by bright white light but all she could see were blurry blobs of white and magenta. It was like when she was awaken on the ship with Ellenaki. That was it! The voice, it was Ellenaki! Amelia's eyes flew open momentarily before she squinted against the brightness of the room. She attempted to sit up but her head swam in an unsteady way making her feel nauseous.
"Back down you go," Ellenaki soothed placing a hand on Amelia's shoulder and guiding her to lie back down. "
"Ellen! I mean Ellenaki…I was so worried, I didn't know if you were alive or dead," Amelia spat out quickly.
"I am fine," Ellenaki soothed. "You gave us some worry, however. We didn't know what became of you, and then when you show back up you have this nasty injury on your head." Ellenaki checked the bandage on Amelia's head and stroked her hair.
"Where am I," Amelia asked.
&
nbsp; "Don't worry, you are back at the Hive and you are safe."
"Where is Mattaki?"
"Don't worry about Mattaki right now, all is well." Ellenaki's voice betrayed her concern and Amelia grabbed her hand.
"Tell me where Mattaki is," Amelia demanded, still unable to sit up, but no less fierce.
"My, you are concerned for a warrior you've only known a brief time," Ellenaki said with a smirk.
"Where. Is. He," she spat determined to know.
"It's a long story."
"So condense it, I got nowhere else to be."
Ellenaki smiled to herself. "Very well, I'll tell you everything as long as you cooperate. Here, have some water."
Amelia took the glass obediently and took a drink. It was cold and tasted slightly sweet. It reminded her how thirsty she was and she drank the rest greedily. "OK," she said breathless, "Anything else?"
"Mattaki is in confinement."
"What the hell is confinement?" Amelia could feel her eyesight focusing. She saw Ellenaki had a dark purplish ring under her eye and several small cuts and scrapes over her face. No doubt a result of the attack on the Hive. "Oh Ellenaki, your face."
"It is ok. They will heal with no scars," Ellenaki assured her touching her face. "Confinement," she continued, "Is much like what humans refer to as jail, or the brig."
"What? Why," Amelia asked.
"The bump on your head, do you remember how you got it?"
Amelia tried to remember. She remembered being in the canopy with Mattaki and her cheeks flushed hot and pink at the thought. He turned her down and she was trying to get away from him. "My foot got tangled on a vine, and when I stood up everything went black."
"A vine?" Ellenaki asked.
"Yeah, see?" Amelia showed her ankle where the scratches were.
Ellenaki touched the scratches and eyed her curiously. "Anything else?"
"No, I remember a sharp pain when I stood up and then everything went black."
"Hmm," Ellenaki looked at Amelia's foot for a long time before tapping in some notes on a holographic tablet.
"Well," Amelia coaxed. "Are you going to tell me why Mattaki is in confinement?"
"You were hit by a member of Councilor Mashda Urak's security detail," Ellenaki began. "Councilor Mashda is Mattaki's uncle and the head of the Council for the Reaping."
"So why did this Mashda guys bodyguard hit me?"
"He said you were running towards the Councilor in a threatening manner." Ellenaki studied Amelia's face, searching for a hint of guilt and finding none, only confusion.
"I didn't see anyone…I may have been walking, um, with a purpose, but I wasn't running and I certainly didn't run at anyone because I didn't see anyone," Amelia was confused.
"Yeah, that's the strange part,"
"But you still haven't told me why Mattaki is in the brig…um, confinement."
"Mattaki saw the security officer hit you and attacked him. He nearly killed him before several other security officers and Ninurta could remove him. You were so badly injured Joshur ordered you brought here for treatment."
"He attacked the guy for hitting me?"
"Yes," Ellenaki smiled.
"Can I see him? Where is confinement?" Amelia struggled to get to her feet only to have Ellenaki push her back down on the table with one hand. She is much stronger than she looks, Amelia thought.
"Later, for now you rest. I'm going to give you an injection. You had a bleed on your brain from the impact and this will speed the healing, but it will make you sleep."
"No, I need to see Mattaki," Amelia protested.
"Mattaki is well, it will wait."
Amelia tried to get up again, but the room began spinning and slowly faded to black.
* * *
Mattaki paced like a pent up animal in the small space of his barracks. Outside of his door were four very heavily armed guards, an explosive trigger alarm that required two keys to disable and a sensor drone that would track his every move if he managed to escape. He had to see Amelia to ensure she was alright. Ninurta had promised to bring word to him, but he had been called away on orders from command. Mattaki knew Ninurta would find a way to get word back to him another way, he was sure of it.
The security officer had been hiding behind some brush when Amelia knelt mere centimeters from him. She could not see him in her distracted state and when she knelt, the security guard attacked her like a coward. Mattaki could see nothing but the smirk on the face of the security officer as Amelia's body crumpled limply to the ground. With an anger he had never known, Mattaki ran the distance to where the officer stood over Amelia with his weapon drawn. In a blind rage Mattaki began beating the officer. He blacked out for a moment until he was pinned to the ground by his father, Joshur, and his brother Ninurta and four other officers. He had been covered in blood and bits of flesh and hoped he had killed the coward that had hurt Amelia. Even now, Mattaki's rage had not dissipated, making his Nacresscence burn his flesh like the white fire of Anu. Mattaki ran his hands through his short blue-black hair in frustration and punched the wall.
"Mattaki, formation!" Joshur's deep booming voice echoed off over wall in the small barracks causing Mattaki to go on point. He hadn't heard his father come in. Even though it was his father, and his commander, Mattaki still felt unsteady in his rage. "The human Amelia is well. I have reports that she has awakened on her own and is now resting." Joshur measured the slight relief he saw on Mattaki's face before taking a step towards his son. Though he was a fierce and strong warrior in his own right, Joshur, despite the current circumstances, had been impressed with the raw strength of his eldest son. "At ease, my son," Joshur commanded softly.
"I cannot be at ease, father," Mattaki said, scrubbing his face with his hands. "Even now, being charged with treason for half killing that coward, I would gladly finish the job if I could," he spat continuing to pace.
"The bond between fated ones is strong and sacred. The judiciary could understand your pull to protect your mate, but there are other complications at play."
"Because she is human," Mattaki offered.
"Yes, by in large, because she is human."
Mattaki continued to pace and pound his fist into the palm of his other hand. "She was not trying to attack Mashda. Mashda was not even nearby. The security officer was scouting the area, saw Amelia and hid until she was upon him. He targeted her and attacked her without provocation."
"Why did Amelia not see the security detail," Joshur asked.
Mattaki closed his eyes and shook his head. Because of me, he thought. She did not see the security detail because she was angry with me. "She was distracted by an argument we had," Mattaki offered.
"About?"
"What does that matter? She was distracted because of me, and she nearly died because of it."
Joshur softened at the look of hurt and anguish on Mattaki's face. For even a warrior as decorated as him, his weakness was his own fated mate and their children. "Mattaki," Joshur whispered, closing the distance between them and grasping his son by the shoulders. "In my eyes, you will always be that small pup who played at battle with my dress sword. It was bigger than you but you tried with all of your might to hold it high and steady as if you were already a commander. Even then, I saw how clever and determined you were. Now, I need you to be a man, clever, determined and in command of yourself." Mattaki met his father's gaze and stood upright and at full attention. "You are not to blame for this," Joshur continued, "Amelia was attacked because of another's hatred and cowardice, and there will be justice. One way or another, I will see justice served. On my sacred honor to you as my son, I do so swear." Joshur embraced Mattaki briefly and quickly left.
Mattaki paced, but began to relax for the first time in the two cycles since the attack. Amelia was ok and recovering, and his father, the High Commander, believed him. It was a start. He knew attacking a member of the Councilor’s security team was treason, and thus carried a swift punishment, but surely his uncle wou
ld not corroborate the story of a coward. He knew in his heart his uncle was prejudiced against the humans and was not a supporter of the Reaping, but surely he would not bring dishonor on their family by supporting a lie, and an attack on not just a woman, but a woman even less capable of defending herself against a warrior. He lay back on his bunk and closed his eyes. He tried to concentrate on Amelia's face, but all he could see was her small body crumpling to the ground, seemingly lifeless. How could he live with himself thinking she was distracted because of their argument? Why did he not try harder to stop her? Why did he not insist on her staying with him until the effects of the berries had worn off? Why, why had he not just taken her as he had wanted to? So many questions and so many opportunities to have had everything differently. At last, he allowed the sleep that had eluded him for so long to come and overtake him. Tomorrow, he would think strategically. Tomorrow, he would find a way to be with Amelia again.
Chapter 16
Amelia watched the flurry of activity below from the window of her apartment high above the Hive. The Reaping, though delayed due to the recent attacks, carried on despite the dangers. Recent intelligence indicated the Scincidians had intercepted and destroyed four ships containing cryogenic chambers. Over 8 million men, women and children, and still the Mari-Ursian Council refused to admit the Scincidians were attempting genocide and committing acts of war. A small contingency of Human Ambassadors continued working with the Council to develop legislation and treaties on the integration and storage of Humans but Amelia felt they were little more than puppets used to satisfy public opinion. While she and Ellenaki had been working on research on the regeneration of Earth, Amelia was distracted by Mattaki's impending trial. She had not been questioned on her part in the alleged attack on Councilor Urak yet she and Mattaki still faced trial and possible execution. It was all so unfair, she thought. Mattaki was in a fight for his life because she had acted like a petulant child. She wondered if he was comfortable even though Ellenaki had assured her those in confinement were treated fairly and usually confined in their homes or familiar spaces. In Mattaki's case, that was his barracks room in the Hive. Amelia didn't know if it was comforting or more frustrating knowing he was so close, yet still miles away. She longed to be with him, to tell him she was sorry for being so careless and stubborn.
