by Aeryn Jaden
Wide Awake
Book One in Breath of Life series Copyright © 2017 by Aeryn Jaden
First E-book Publication: February 2018
Cover design by Amara Lukas ALL RIGHTS RESERVED:This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
Breath of Life
Book One
Wide Awake
by Aeryn Jaden
a Sci Fi Romance Novella
Blurb:
Than has his life figured out. He's a fleet security officer, he's exploring the space and is happily unattached. Nothing out of ordinary. Until everything goes wacko. Suddenly the ship he's stationed on is malfunctioning, he's rudely awoken from cryo by a pole crashing on his capsule and has...memories he shouldn't have. What the hell is happening? He'd better figure it out, and soon, lives may just depend on it.
Dedication:
To my family, those wonderful people that support me even when they are befuddled by my brand of craziness.
Glossary
Drakar- Demon-like tall, warrior kasta of Arkana. Horns change color when maturity is reached and if not bonded in time, drakars go insane and need to be put down. Alabaster skin color, covered in scale like skin, purple flashing eyes, dark ink black hair, bat leathery wings. Only males, reproduce by eggs.
Gonan- Drakars’ cousins. Similar structure, lighter in colorit. Gentle sunny disposition compared to the more impulsive and headstrong drakars.
Shak- Hammock similar bed
Kenil- Head of a drakar family
Kadush- Husband. officially branded mate of drakars.
Pathra- Panther like shifters
Kalas- Violet colored liquid found on Arkana. Sacred, purifying, not capable of being misused
or causing harm. Genims- Gremlin like creatures, they mostly do the menial tasks around the priest kasta. Kind off assistants. They chattering language is one of the languages nobody but the priests understand.
Kashas- the ritualic mercy kill of a drakar gone mad.
Daggart- Crest of drakars. Custom made at birth, can be used as weapon, described as a cage ring for the thumb of the left hand, with an extendable blade if needed.
Tapas- Ceremonial room that can practically change, create and do anything for the mated drakars during their retreat- period of bonding. Kadalas- Large two legged beasts that drakars mostly used for military demonstrations and training, appearance similar to a mix between an eagle and furred felines.
Hasha- Wood stick that ends in a stone called gash.
Gash- Different types of stones linked to a certain element and that facilitate the use of energy for the priests.
Mazar- Chosen, avatar of Arkana.
Crumpa- Roots similar to potatoes.
Zagatis- First alien race to contact humans and offer them a treaty of commerce and technology exchange.
Chapter 1
Arkana
Planet K478, Year 2345, July 13 by earthian calendar
“I never loved anybody like I love you. Never knew I could.” K’Aran ducked his head and let the curtain of black shiny hair hide his flushed face. A feat a bit difficult for a seven foot tall giant. He never could hide his emotions from Than.
“You’re cute.”
The drakar bared his pointy incisors at his human in an attempt to look tough, making Than laugh breathlessly.
“You’re an idiot, Than.”
“Takes one to know one.”
K’Aran stopped trying to impress Than with his viciousness and cuddled the human to his chest instead. It was a strange sensation, one the human never wanted to get used to or take for granted. Than was well over six feet tall himself but nowhere near the drakar’ size. Not only was the drakar freakishly huge by human standards, his guy had the muscles and the strength to go along with his size. Than’s man was massive. In all ways. Than smirked and bit on the nearest nipple to his lips. Just because he knew how it made K’Aran squirm. They were too depleted of energy for anything else. Going at it for three rounds did that to a male- human, drakar or otherwise
“I don’t want you to leave. We’re better prepared now. Why do you...?”
His poor kadush. “You know I have to. Arkana is on the right track but it will be years, decades until you are ready for it. And I’ll come back. I promised, didn’t I?”
“I don’t like this, Than. Why does it have to be you? There are others that could...”
Than shushed him and kissed his pouty, quivering lips, seeing no reason to tell him what his kadush already knew, that there was no one else with Than’s connections to Arkana. How could the drakar look cute with his size and with his traditionally terrifying appearance, it was still a mystery for the human. But his kadush, his husband and heart always managed to pull it off when he wanted something. Than caressed the soft, leathery white-bluish skin of his cheek and saw his own smile reflected back at him in those expressive violet eyes. The black bat wings moved restlessly behind his shoulder blades as they always did when they were together. K’Aran had once explained that it was involuntary, similar to the way Than shivered when K’Aran touched him.
“I’m the best qualified. The best adapted here. It’s just for a short while and then I’ll be right back here by your side.”
“I know, Than. I just worry, kadush.”
The drakar smiled and winked roguishly, even now trying to set Than’s mind at ease.
“I’m expecting you to take my mind off such nonsense.”
“That’s what I thought I was doing during the last two hours,” Than quipped. “I’m really really worried. You should do it some more.”
K’Aran was maybe joking but his eyes betrayed his concern. It was silly of him, Than would
be fine. He tried to overturn the drakar, to get him on his back and straddle him. The human laughed instead he was the one that found himself under three hundred pounds of granite muscle. Next to his drakar, he felt almost fragile. His entire life Than had been the one in control, it was liberating to have someone like him to lean on. K’Aran voice rumbled in his ear and Than’s breath stuttered.
“Lift your legs up, my own.” He obeyed wordlessly before the drakar even finished speaking, quickly getting his legs wrapped up around his husband’s waist. Than was still stretched from before and the drakar slipped the tip of his penis easily enough. He then stopped to give the human time to adjust but Than’s formerly tired and content body didn’t have the patience to wait. Than pushed with his heels on his drakar’s ass, taking in almost all of his cock in one smooth move. The drakar’s cock was different than a human and the better for it, slightly longer, thinner at the tip and wider towards the base. Than loved to feel stretched and pushed to his limits with the K’Aran’s forceful gentleness, he loved the feeling of his kadush sinuously moving inside him, branding him once again with his heat. Than loved him.
He didn’t want to go.
“You burn me. You’re so hot inside.”
The drakar determinedly pushed in the last couple of centimetres and groaned as his incisors scratched his own brand under Than’s ear. It was customary to drakars to brand their kadush with their personal crest. Than remember thinking it was a form of torture or that he was branded as slave. Sometimes he couldn’t believe it had been just a year. K’Aran moved and the human’s reminiscent thoughts scattered, his eyes flew open straight to the mirror above.
“Oh God!”
“Kadush,” the drakar’s growly voice broke on the endearment.
/> Than was powerless, could only arch and whimper as he stared mesmerised by the flex of his
drakar’s buttocks and his majestic wings fluttering above them.
“My Than. Mine!”
His drakar was growling, the broken sounds caressing the side of Than’s neck as K’Aran
licked and nibbled and Than arched his neck, needing him, needing everything. He felt him push harder and quicker, erratically so. Soon The drakar was pounding Than into the suspended hammock-like bed with quick, precise jabs, the only sounds being the slap of their bodies against each other and the guttural animal sounds of their pleasure. Than’s cock was aching and dripping, its red crown so different from the pointy purplish tip that was pressing on his prostate with every thrust. He was close but still wanted to prolong the moment, imprint it in his memory and make sure there was no chance to ever forget or doubt what they were to each other. The human’s eyes were almost blind; solely focused on the glistening body pressing into him and he felt dissociated from everything, as if he was watching their writhing bodies from above, from that mirror. Only K’Aran’s sharp bite anchored him suddenly and he howled at the mixed sensation.
“K’Ar... K’Aran!” K’Aran didn’t stop. He seemed to become frenzied, pistoning back and forth, clutching Than’s body close with an almost desperate whine, his talon tipped fingers leaving dark red scratches on Than’s hips and buttocks. His razor sharp incisors finally released the human’s neck and the drakar started on his mouth, tongue probing and tasting with the same intensity his body was showing. Than was done for. The human’s body tensed and quivered, the pleasure too much to take. He stared into his own once brown eyes via the mirror, his new eye color specific for his new status here, overpowered by the deeper purple of his dilated pupil. He could swear he felt K’Aran’s cock pulse inside him and Than gasped at the feel of it, not needing more than that to spill all over his chest making a glorious mess between their plastered torsos.
“My God! If you get any better at this we’re in deep trouble.” The drakar’s rumble of amusement made Than sketch a smile as always. He was too tired for more, for real this time, there were parts of his body he could barely feel in his blissed out state. Hell, he was too tired to close his own eyes. but that was okay, Than much more prefered to look at his kadush’ flustered face.
“I think you broke me. I cannot move.”
“I broke you? You squeezed the life out of me, kadush.”
“Huh. You do know that your ass is mine for the next round.” Than winked salaciously,
loving the way K’Aran shivered in response. The drakar was a marvel, so responsive and honest with his desires. he was everything Than never knew he needed in another. K’Aran laughed and Than absently watched in the mirror a drop of sweat sliding down his drakar’s back, between those strong wings. The drakar was still on top, pressing Than into the soft net holding them, knowing how much the human liked the feeling of being blanketed by his larger body. K’Aran’s buttocks flexed and Than felt him slip out of him with a sigh of disappointment. They were much too tired to react in any way, Than was drenched in sweat, and come, they both should probably go and clean a bit but neither wanted to move a muscle. Arkana was far warmer than Earth, so they would not be cold even if the tapas wasn't a master at regulating the temperature to fit their needs. Everything was different here and thank God for that! Or Gods, as they venerated multiple deities on Arkana. Than found it made for a more relaxed and accepting society. The temples here were more like shopping malls, where you could find and purchase whatever you needed. Religion was not about putting blind faith into an unknown divinity. It was about getting together and thanking their planet for allowing them to live there and they had special rooms for that in the temples. The had special rooms for everything. Than thought he liked most of all the respect everyone showed their planet and their environment.
Drakars didn’t have cities per se, only vast areas that were inhabited by more than one family, at a seizable size between them. As a species, they were very territorial, so usually each family held and protected their land, the size of it depending on how powerful the alpha male and his family were. Another thing they did not have was females. Apparently the more submissive males could pop eggs. Eww. That thought had taken some adjustment to.
Everything was different here. The light was purplish, apparently a weird type of shortwave light with a higher frequency that humanity had ever seen before. Or so the human ship engineer had mumbled when he’d finally got the chance to recuperate some of his old scanning devices. Even sound travelled different here. I am different, Than mused with his eyes focused on the reflection of his face. The human’s hair had somewhat retained the same dirty blond nuance if a bit lighter now in the softer light, but his eyes had transformed due some weird reaction to something on this planet, becoming almost pinkish with their faded purple color. Probably the light again. And that weird water, the kalas. He had deep purple pupils now too, a bit darker than the natives had but purplenonetheless. His skin was becoming lighter with the passage of time, he’d noticed it not long ago. It almost matched K’Aran’s skin tone now. His buff husband had alabaster skin, purple eyes a shade lighter than Than’s and the darkest black hair Than had ever seen. It captured light and shone as if emitting the same blue-purple color specific to the two suns of Arkana. His wings reminded Than of glorified bat wings and he liked to tease his husband by calling him his dragonfly. The wings were much more resilient than their shimmery net of almost translucent black muscles showed and their softness was deceptive. He was gorgeous. Than was probably the sole human that considered drakars gorgeous but it was true. They were magnificent beings. Maybe they did resemble a bit the demons from earthian nightmares and fables but one would expect humans to be more accepting after more than three centuries of space exploration and colonisation. No such luck. However, just how did Than had ended up married to one of them was still a mystery. K’Aran spoke of drakars just knowing their mates, a combination of chemical signals and instinct. Romantic notions for humans that reminded Than of romance novels and tacky terms like ‘mates’, ‘destiny’ and ‘forever” but reality for Arkana. Crazy world, Than had ended up mated of all things.
He liked it on Arkana. He never wanted to go back on Earth. Or on cold metal tins that explored the vast universe endlessly while masquerading as homes away from home. But Than wanted even less for Earth to come to Arkana. K’Aran probably sensed with his almost preternatural sense that Than was brooding and gently licked at the human’s lips, a very efficient distraction technique. His drakar’s tongue was longer that Than’s and a bit forked at the end. That tongue should be declared a national threat with the things it could do. The human turned his changed eyes to his mate’s dear face, palms pressed to those chiseled cheeks as he pulled K’Aran’s face down again for another all consuming kiss. His incisors were really sensitive, so Than went for them first. The small iridescent scales under his jaw more so. The human threw a last look at his still alien reflection and lost himself in the pleasure of touching his forever.
He couldn’t lose this. He won’t.
Chapter Two
He was suffocating.
Where was I?It was dark and void. He could hear only the beats of his heart and his faible struggles to breathe. He could not move. He could not think. Where was he? K’Aran!His drakar
will know, he will come. K’Aran was a great warrior even among his people. He will not let Than die, of that the human was sure. That did not mean Than was a weakling. After all, he’d been a lieutenant in the AEF- The Alliance Exploration Forces, sometimes called the Alliance’s Army before... Before? Before what?
His struggles to breathe renewed, this time fuelled by despair and pure unaltered panic. Than knew it was important to remember something. He knew he had to open his eyes, to assess the situation and establish a perimeter of defence. Than knew what to do. He had trained his entire life to survive exactly this type of situations - waking
up in a strange place, immobilised, no memory of how he’d got there. It was like a reminiscence of the special training course Than had taken after the Academy to qualify for deep space exploring. The memory of the torture they had subjected him and the others to, before allowing them to go on their first official mission was strangely calming. Than forcibly regulated his breathing, taking smaller and smaller gulps of air. Now that he was calm, he could feel that something was terribly wrong. And it wasn’t just a bone-deep intuition. The air was wrong, too thin and cold for Arkana. It resembled... cryo regulated air. Medical kept the oxygen level thinner when resuscitating humans , something about not shocking their lungs. Only it was for a couple of minutes at most. Than had mentally counted five minutes from the moment he’d first regained a state of semi-consciousness.
His eyes did not want to cooperate. Than needed to see. He could smell something burning and that worried him. Arkana was very careful about wildfire as their homes were suspended constructions in forests of wild vegetation. An uncontrolled fire was certain death for the prey that sustained the population. The people on Arkana were absolute carnivores unlike humans. They needed the animals to thrive and survive.
Both the cryo-air and the scent of smoke were becoming insistent, his lungs now struggling to inflate. A sick feeling started in his stomach but Than still did not want to think about why it all seemed so familiar. By now another couple of minutes had passed... Wait, why am I waiting for the flux of air to change?His eyes popped open and Than screeched.
“No, no nonono!” His weak fists hit the plexiglas of the lid and his breathing got ragged and hitched on his sobs. That was suffocating again. The rational part of his brain knew he had to calm down and assess or he would be dead in minutes. The tiny crack in the transparent lid covering his capsule was not providing enough oxygen for a freak-out. Than did not understand what was happening but he knew he won’t survive if he did not calm the fuck down. K’Aran’s worried face flashed in his mind. He was depending on Than to get through this and come back to him. Than had promised. He’d never broke a promise and he wasn’t starting now.
