by Lynnea Lee
“Put me down,” she demanded. At least she tried to make the words sound demanding, but it came out shallow and breathy.
“Not until you pay the toll. One kiss. Human-style.”
“No way!” There was no force behind it, though. She felt so weak she wasn’t sure she could stand on her own.”
“Suit yourself; we can skip the kiss.” He rubbed the hard bar of his erection against her core again. An involuntary moan escaped her lips. So much for claiming she wasn’t interested, he would never believe her now!
She pushed at him uselessly. But she was wholly at his mercy. The hand on her ass squeezed hard, his nails digging in her flesh. He pressed her against his erection.
“Okay, okay!” She was terrified but also secretly excited about what might happen. She needed to get down now. If she didn’t, she might start grinding up against him. “One kiss and you let me down. Right?”
“Right. One kiss.”
Lettie meant to give him a small peck, but Vore captured her mouth and stole all sense from her. He devoured her mouth like a man starving, tongue and lips invading, tasting, and claiming. And before she realized what she was doing, she tilted her hips to rub up against him. She moaned into his mouth.
Then, he gave her bottom lip one last nibble, lowered her to the ground, and walked away. The jerk just walked away!
They found Angie and Holden setting up their tents at the campsite. Clearing away the dead leaves and vegetation from the center of the camp, Vore started a fire pit. He dug into the soil and mounded the dirt around the side to form a wall to contain the flame. He laid a bed of tinder at the center before adding logs he had cut earlier in a crisscross shape over the mound, then, he lit the fire.
Pulling out some utilitarian cushions and blankets from the vehicle, the two females settled around the fire to relax after the day’s work.
“Boy, what I wouldn’t give for some marshmallows!” Angie stretched her arms dramatically over her head.
“Mmm, I want s’mores!” Lettie added, a wistful look in her eyes. “I used to go camping with my family, and as a kid, that was the best part. But my brothers always kept the marshmallows in the fire for too long.”
Holden settled in next to Angie and pulled her in close. Vore did the same with Lettie. She stiffened awkwardly. It was clear Lettie was still trying to resist him, but Vore knew it was a losing battle. She would not resist him for long, not with the way her body reacted to his.
“What are s’mores?” Vore kept an arm around her stiff shoulders.
“And what are marshmallows?” Holden added.
Vore massaged her neck with one hand, and she slowly relaxed.
“It’s a treat we ate by the campfire. We hold a marshmallow in the fire with a stick, and then layer it with chocolate in between two layers of crackers.” She looked distant as if remembering another campfire from her old life.
“I know what chocolate is. I’ve tried some. But what is a marshmallow?”
“It’s like a puff of sugar. But where did you try chocolate?”
“Yeah,” Lettie seconded. “Where did you try chocolate? And how do I get my hands on some?”
“The Defiant raided a Dominion trade vessel a few missions back. They had crates of chocolate on board.”
Angie grumbled angrily. “Stealing our people wasn’t enough for them? They had to steal our chocolate too?”
“If it’s any consolation, the chocolate is now the property of the Defiant.”
Angie’s eyes lit up. “Any way I can trade for some when we get back to the colony?”
“I would trade for some if I had some credits to my name.”
“But you will, Lettie! You’ll get paid for this job. We should go in on chocolate together!”
Vore made a mental note to add chocolate to his seduction arsenal.
Digging into their packs, Holden brought out some nutrition bars. “Not chocolate, but it’s food, and I’m hungry.”
They passed the bars around and ate in relative silence, washing down their meal with cool, fresh water from the nearby stream. They had all worked up an appetite throughout the day and had skipped lunch. Lettie made a face at her bar but ate it without complaint. Vore made a note to do some hunting tomorrow so that they’d have fresh meat.
As the sun started its descent in the sky, the temperature dropped, and the females, with their thinner human skin and lighter mass, wrapped the blankets tightly around their frames. Vore brought out a bottle of Rhean spirits he had packed and passed it around. Having had run-ins with Rhea spirits before, Angie took a small sip before handing it to Lettie. She warned her friend to take tiny sips. Putting the bottle to her lips, Lettie tilted the bottle for a careful taste. But, even with Angie’s warning, she made a face and barely got it down.
“Oh em gee, what did they put in this?”
“Go slow, beautiful. You are small, and New Rhea makes strong liquor.” Vore shifted his body and tried to sit behind her so that he could put each leg on either side of her body, but she shuffled away. Maybe not tonight; Vore would have to be patient.
“Ooh, you know what we should play?” Angie piped up, bouncing where she sat. “We should play Never Have I Ever! That’s what people do around a campfire. It’s easy. We go around the circle, and each person says, ‘never have I ever’ and then list something interesting. Whoever has done that thing must take a drink. We can do a NSFW edition!”
“NSFW?” Holden repeated the strange sounds in English.
“Not suitable for work, it means naughty things.”
Lettie wrinkled her nose. “Not many things are not suitable for work in the Tallean culture. The boys will be drunk in no time, and maybe you too. Since you’ve been here for so long.”
“We can hold our liquor,” Holden assured her. “It sounds fun—let’s play it.”
“Okay, I’ll start!” Angie thought for a moment. “Never have I ever had sex in a crowded public place. So if you have, you drink.”
Both the Tallean males took a drink. Angie took a look at Lettie, urging her to continue the game.
Lettie flashed a calculated grin. “This is going to be easy. I’m going to get all three of you. Never have I ever had casual sex.”
Vore drank, then passed the bottle over to Angie and Holden. They both drank.
“You did not drink.” Vore noticed.
“Nope!” Lettie turned her head and looked him seriously in the eyes. “I’ve only ever slept with two men in my whole life, and I was in serious relationships with both.”
Was she trying to tell him something? Did that mean that if Vore got Lettie to sleep with him, it would mean she took him seriously?
“Your turn!” She sent him a smug grin.
So far, Lettie had yet to drink. What would make her drink?
“Never have I ever lied about not being interested in someone.” She would either drink or lie. Vore sent Lettie an expectant look.
Her dark eyes narrowed at him. She stuck out a hand, and Angie passed the bottle over to her. She took a small sip, all the while staring daggers at him.
“My turn.” Holden looked much too excited. He looked meaningfully at Vore before turning his attention to Angie, clearly aiming the next words at her. “Never have I ever invited a male into a threesome to test his interest in a friend.”
Lettie fidgeted with the wisps of hair that had fallen out of the knot at the nape of her neck. She tucked them back behind her ear, only to have them fall forward immediately again. Angie coughed uncomfortably. Lettie reached over to pass the bottle to her friend. As she sat back down, Vore pulled her close against his side.
“Looks like you’re stuck with me tonight,” he said softly into her ear. Then louder to Angie, “Now I regret bringing out the Rhean spirits. Holden promised to blister your ass for me earlier. I would have loved a show. I bet your ass looks gorgeous with a few red handprints.”
“Another time perhaps,” H
olden promised with a chuckle.
Angie slapped him in the chest in mock outrage.
“What? A promise is a promise,” Holden said. “And you deserve it.”
“Whatever.” Angie huffed and burrowed closer to Holden.
Vore could smell Angie’s arousal from where he sat. The idea of putting on a show for them must have turned her on. He watched as Holden closed his eyes and took a big breath.
Then his friend got up, pulling Angie with him. “We are turning in for the night.”
Vore nodded back at his friend as he took the female into their tent.
“Don’t even think about it.” Lettie got up and headed towards the second tent. She sounded much more confident than she felt. She needed to get away from Vore now. Although she had only two small sips of the booze, she already felt tipsy. Rhean spirits was strong stuff. The two alien men had taken substantial chugs.
As Vore stayed behind to put out the fire, Lettie grabbed a bottle of water and rinsed her mouth. Then she took a few gulps. How was she going to avoid his advances tonight? Vore had such a remarkable sense of smell; he would know immediately that every little growl and purr lit her up like the Fourth of July. There was nothing she could hide from him.
During the game, Lettie had purposefully stressed that she was not someone to indulge in casual sex. She thought it would deter him. But instead, Vore had seemed almost happy. She didn’t understand it.
Sitting on her sleeping mat, Lettie uncoiled her waist-length hair from the bun at the nape of her neck and shook out her tresses. Wishing she had a comb or brush, she finger-combed through the length. An unfortunate encounter with a falling clump of overripe berry this afternoon left a few strands sticky and tangled. Maybe she would have time to wash it in the river tomorrow.
Vore walked in, holding the bottle of liquor. The glow of the electric lantern cast a shadow that made it seem like he took up the entire tent. The bottle was emptier than had been when she had left. He must have taken a few swigs before coming in. Lettie had a moment of doubt. What if Vore was a violent drunk? What if he didn’t understand “no”?
She froze as he approached. He knelt beside her and reached for her hair.
“I’ve never seen it down. It’s beautiful.” Then he frowned. “You smell of fear. But this time with no arousal. Do I frighten you?” Was that hurt in his eyes?
“I’m being silly.” Lettie knew it was true.
“Sleep. I won’t touch you if you don’t want me to.”
He set up his sleeping mat beside hers. She pulled the thin, colony-issued blanket around her and settled in for the night, facing away from him. Sounds of fabric rustling caught her ear, and she peeked over her shoulder to find him stripping off his clothes. But he wasn’t paying any attention to her; he was simply getting ready for bed. A click sounded as Vore turned off the lantern, and the tent plunged into darkness.
Confused emotions warred in Lettie’s head. She was at once comforted by his behavior and disappointed. She hated feeling so wishy-washy about Vore. It was silly, and Lettie hated being silly.
Sometime during the night, Lettie woke to find herself plastered up against a very naked Vore. She rolled away, careful not to wake him up. But even with their body heat, the chill of the late summer night permeated the tent. Fall was inevitably sneaking onto Reka 5. She reconsidered her options and rolled back into the halo of his warmth. What harm would it do? He was asleep and had no clue anyway.
A heavy arm wrapped around her, pulling her close into his body.
“Cold?” an amused voice asked.
So much for being asleep, he’d caught her using him for warmth.
“Relax, little Lettie. I will keep you warm. But you’ll have to pay another toll. Another kiss, Tallean style this time.”
Before she could protest, Vore buried his face into her neck, nuzzling and nibbling at her throat and jaw. He rubbed his nose against hers, and she rubbed back, breathing in the masculine scent of him. Without thinking, she turned her face to kiss him with her lips. He didn’t hesitate to capture her mouth with his. As if with a mind of its own, her lips opened, and she moaned into his mouth.
He reacted fast. In a heartbeat, his body caged hers. With his knees braced on either side of Lettie’s body, his mouth ravished hers—one hand buried into her hair while the other explored her body. Instinctively, Lettie’s hands reached for him, enjoying the play of hard muscles under velvety skin.
His hand inched up her body, at first with soft caresses, but his motions got rougher as he read her body’s signals. Her body was on fire, and every rough squeeze of her breasts and pinch of her nipples drove her higher. His large hands moved up to her throat, and he pressed down tentatively at first, testing her reaction. A wave of anticipation tingled up Lettie’s spine.
“Yes,” she whimpered. She could hardly recognize her voice; it sounded so needy.
Vore lifted his head to look at her as he enveloped her throat with his massive hands. His green eyes were half-closed with arousal, and his lips lifted at the corners. He didn’t squeeze hard, just enough to apply pressure. The erotic feeling rushed over her. Her eyes rolled back, and her mouth opened as wet arousal dampened her pussy. Vore kissed her again, covering her mouth with his. Something big and hard brushed her leg, leaving a trail of wetness across her inner thigh.
A moment of clarity doused her flames, as she realized how close they were to having sex. Whatever happened to not sleeping with the man-whore? Lettie was disappointed in herself. She knew that she was unable to separate sex and love. Nothing good could come of this. Vore must have felt her change; he released his hold on her neck and lifted his head. He rolled off her, but stayed close, threading his arm under her neck so that it pillowed her head.
“That was much more than a kiss. I believe I’ve taken too much for payment. I owe you. Sleep, and I will keep you warm.”
CHAPTER FIVE
The perimeter alarm blared again, and Lettie stiffened in response. The alarm started ringing just a few minutes ago, and Holden was out investigating the reason.
“Get as high up the trees as you can, females!” Holden’s voice boomed as he ran towards them. Behind him, something enormous crashed through the forest, knocking down small trees and leaving a wake of destruction.
Lettie ran towards the ladder, which she had propped up against a nearby tree. Angie got there at the same time.
Before they could start climbing, Vore stopped them. “Not this tree. It’s too small. The coilbeasts can climb, but they are not great at it. Being the size they are, they tend to break branches and fall. He will be able to easily reach the first branch of this tree, and the second branch is not strong enough to hold you.”
He ushered them over to a mature specimen, a giant tree with an enormous trunk and huge branches, and set up the ladder. The first branch was nearly twice the height of Vore, and the ladder barely reached it. Lettie headed up the ladder with Angie following close behind.
Below them, Vore and Holden prepared for the fight. Vore preened in boyish delight to have a chance to take on the beasts of the forests. Holden, on the other hand, looked confident, but stern.
Lettie smelled the monstrosity before she saw it. The stench of carrion and decay grew intense as the coilbeast crashed into view. Lettie gaped at the horror. Vore and Holden planned on fighting this thing?
It looked like an overgrown python with legs, but much thicker around than any snake would be at that length. Still, it was long and sinuous with a low-slung body and four short legs tipped with claws. Its metallic scales glistened in the sunlight. It switched between moving like a snake, undulating its coils, and whomping across the ground with its truncated legs. The monster paused, swinging his reptilian head side to side as he sized up his prey.
Holden waved his arms in the air, catching the monster’s attention, while Vore snuck around it. The beast charged Holden, and Lettie held back a scream. But the big Tallean was quicker t
han his size implied, and he danced out of the way effortlessly. Vore grabbed the beast’s tail as it charged by and dug his heels into the ground. The monster halted with a loud yell. It did not appreciate having its tail pulled.
The monster started back towards Vore, focusing its vertically slitted eyes on its new adversary. Its flexibly coiled body bent in a curved U shape. It opened its jaw, fangs dripping a clear liquid. It struck at Vore. And this time, Lettie didn’t stop her scream. But just as Holden had, Vore danced away. The beast’s mouth snapped closed right beside him. Vore reached for the monster’s head, clamping down, holding the fanged maw closed.
Lettie remembered the shows on Earth where men caught alligators by holding their jaws closed with their bare hands. An alligator’s jaw was only strong in closing and not opening; maybe this alien monster was similar. But this beast’s snout did not fit into Vore’s hands. It was so huge that Vore held it closed by wrapping his arm around the muzzle. The monster shook his head violently, trying unsuccessfully to fling Vore off.
Completely distracted by his trapped snout, the monster didn’t notice when Holden kicked him hard across his side. The large claws at the end of the Tallean’s feet flung away the thick scales protecting soft flesh beneath. Holden readied for another kick. The beast, finally realizing his vulnerability, turned towards Holden, dragging Vore along with him. But it was too late—Holden’s claw sunk into the creature’s side, leaving four deep gashes.
