by Aurelia Skye
Leith nodded, and he managed to make the journey backward with OWN and Raven supporting him. He sat heavily on the bed, appearing to be exhausted from his exertions. It took him a moment to be able to swing his legs back into the bed, and he required assistance to do so. After he was settled, OWN and Nikki left them alone, and Raven sat beside him on the bed. His expression troubled her. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m still as weak as a baby. Maybe I was better off in the chair. At least I didn’t need help taking three steps with that.”
“And you must’ve fought off that last synthetic while you were in the chair.” At his nod, she shrugged. “That was impressive, and I know this is frustrating for you. I imagine it must be anyway, since I’ve never gone through something similar. The closest I have to compare is when I received an artificial leg for the first time. It takes a little while to get used to and fully integrate, so it leaves you wobbly. It’s nothing like what you’re going through though. I just want you to know that I’m here for you.”
“Are you sure?” His expression tensed. “This could take a while.”
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, knowing he was hurting and worried. “OWN and Nikki both said it should only be a couple of weeks at most before your muscles have fully regenerated. But even if it was twenty years, I’d still be right here beside you. I’m certain you’re my mate.”
His expression clouded. “I’m certain you’re mine too, which is why I don’t want to burden you with this.”
She took his hand in hers. “It’s no burden to support someone I love.”
His eyes widened. “You’re in love with me?”
Raven licked her lips. “I know I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, and when I’m with you, I feel whole and complete. I don’t know what else love would be.”
His expression softened. “When you put it like that, it makes perfect sense to me, and I feel it too.” His fingers tightened around hers as he said the words.
Joy swept through her, along with a sense of rightness that she didn’t question. Instead, she snuggled closer and focused on tempting him to eat the breakfast before him so he’d have enough strength to try to walk again after the sleeves had done more to regenerate his atrophied muscles.
Leith was doing well enough to walk to the mess hall three days later to attend a meeting Davis had called. Raven was certain she knew what the topic would be, and she was anxious to be there to support her friend. Leith walked slowly beside her, his arm entwined with hers. She was available if he needed to lean on her, but he had regained sufficient strength to make the walk by himself.
His weight never pressed on her, though he did settle heavily at a table when they reached the mess hall. He looked tired, and it was clear the short walk had drained some of his reserves, but he was making incredible progress. The more progress he made, the less worried he was, and there was a new lightness about him that she hadn’t experienced before.
Davis waited until everyone had settled and was quiet before approaching the center of the room. Raven looked around for Carrie, but didn’t see her friend. Either Carrie didn’t want to give away the news with her presence and a second heartbeat until Davis had made the announcement, or else she was too afraid of their reaction to be there. That broke Raven’s heart.
Davis was succinct. “Carrie’s having a baby, so things will have to change around here.”
There was utter silence for a moment, and then a clamoring of voices. Some were obviously excited, some were confused, and a few sounded angry. She glared at the group that was grumbling in protest.
“How did this happen?” asked a female cyborg, looking confused. “You made us turn off our ability to reproduce. OWN possesses the codes to change that, so how did this happen?”
OWN got to his feet, and the room fell silent. “Carrie doesn’t have the same biochip that the rest of us do.”
“What about the general’s chip?” asked a male cyborg. He was from the section that looked upset by the change.
“It must have malfunctioned.” OWN shrugged. “Maybe Freydon Rote played with it. I don’t know, but it happened, so as the general said, we have to consider some changes.”
“Like what?” asked the same male cyborg.
Davis took over from there. “The first thing is, I don’t want anybody upsetting Carrie. Whether you approve or disapprove, that’s your private reaction. When it comes to dealing with Carrie, you will only be supportive. She’s stressed enough and terrified of what everyone will think, and I want to make sure that you handle her gently. Is that clear?”
Raven was gratified to find no voice of dissent as those around her simply nodded. “Does this mean we can all have babies now?” she asked with a hint of hopefulness, still clinging to the image of holding Leith’s baby in her arms.
Davis frowned. “I’m not sure what it means, Raven. We had an embargo on reproduction for a reason. We need to make sure we have resources that are sufficient, and this world is too bleak to bring in future generations.”
“I felt the same way,” said Gwen, clearing her throat. She stood up beside Jason, who squeezed her hand in support. “When my husband wanted to have a family, I shut down the discussion, and then I ended up getting pregnant with Britta anyway. It was unplanned, but she was the best thing that ever happened to us. It was the same with Pollux, who was planned. Our future isn’t certain, but I know it’s a lot darker when you don’t have hope for future generations. I know it’s different with cyborgs, since you have a much longer lifespan, but at least for humans, some of us find our main purpose in parenthood.” She set down, looking a little embarrassed.
Davis seemed to mull over her words for a moment. “Nothing has been firmly decided yet, and I don’t think we should make any drastic changes to our current rules until Carrie has the baby, and we see how that progresses, but I’m not ruling out changing anything. It wouldn’t be right to have a baby with Carrie and then deny anyone else who wanted the experience. For the moment, we should take it slowly and evaluate how Carrie’s pregnancy changes things.”
Raven was happy to see most of the cyborgs around her nodding their agreement. She was mildly disappointed that he hadn’t immediately stricken from their rules the requirement to remain childless, but she understood a cautious approach too.
The meeting broke up shortly thereafter, and she stood as Leith got to his feet. She looked up as OWN approached, and Leith gave him his full attention as well.
“There’s no reason you have to come back to medical bay tonight, Leith. Why don’t you get a good night’s rest with Raven, and then come by the infirmary tomorrow for the sleeves?”
Leith stood even straighter, his shoulders firmed. “That sounds good, but how much rest do I need to get?”
OWN looked puzzled. “I suggest you sleep as long as you can.”
Leith cleared his throat. “What I meant is, am I physically cleared to make love to my mate?”
Raven could feel her face flushing, though her blue skin would hide the majority of that reaction.
OWN laughed softly. “If you feel up to it, you can do whatever you want. Just be slow and careful. And be lying down. Your legs aren’t strong enough yet for anything too unconventional.”
After that, the healer moved away, and Raven pressed her face against Leith’s chest to hide her remaining embarrassment. “I can’t believe you asked him that,” she muttered against his skin.
Leith shrugged, his body moving as he did so. “I wanted to know. I don’t want to rush things, but I’m tired of waiting for you. The idea of being able to touch you and give you pleasure the usual way is almost as exciting as being able to walk again. Maybe even more so.”
She lifted her head, grinning up at him. “When you put it like that, I certainly can’t refuse.” She grasped his hand in hers, struggling to rein in her impatience. She had to let him set the pace, so he could maintain the stamina to complete the walk to her quarters and be able to do what follo
wed. If she sped him up too fast, she would risk making him too weak, and while she was perfectly content to just lie in bed with him and cuddle, she was also eager to finally join with her mate.
10
Raven led Leith into her quarters as her stomach churned with nerves. She took his hand as the door closed behind them before turning to face him. Their faces moved together, mouths bridging the distance remaining between them. A sense of rightness filled her at the first touch of his lips against hers, though desire quickly eclipsed all other reactions.
When she put her hands on his chest, she could feel his body trembling. Concerned, Raven broke the kiss to look up at him. “Are you all right?”
He shrugged. “I’m a little shaky.”
Steering him toward the bed, she kept her arm around his waist as she helped him sit. “Is that better? I forgot your legs aren’t up to standing for long yet.”
Leith gave her a rueful smile. “My legs were feeling a bit fatigued, but that wasn’t what made me tremble.”
With a frown, she sat beside him. “What did?”
“You,” he said with a crooked smile. “Being so close to you is intoxicating, but it’s also a bit…scary.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re afraid of me?” Hurt rose in her, and she withdrew slightly.
He reached forward for her hand, pulling her closer. “Not you, but what’s coming next. I’ve never done this before.”
“Oh.” Of course he hadn’t, since he had been twelve when he’d fallen from the rocks. They had been intimate together once before, but this was different. “I haven’t either.”
He looked stunned. “How is that possible?”
She shrugged a shoulder. “I’m pretty sure I never had the chance before entering the military. After they made me a cyborg, I didn’t have the opportunity. I’ve been attracted to an occasional cyborg, but they all view me as their little sister, or someone to protect. They don’t come to me to satisfy baser desires, and I’ve been too shy to reach out. Until now.” She squeezed his hand.
Leith lifted his free hand to cup her cheek as they naturally shifted positions to be mostly facing each other. “Just so you know, I have no brotherly feelings for you.”
Raven grinned. “I’m relieved to hear that, but how do you feel?”
His expression turned serious. “Excited, nervous, and completely head-over-heels for you.”
Her face warmed, and she caught his gaze. As she looked into his eyes, which burned brighter with desire, she swayed closer. “I feel the same.” They were the last words she spoke before returning her mouth to his.
The kiss they shared was hungry and intense. Her tongue surged into his mouth, and his stroked it. Their tongues tangled as they rubbed against each other, while their bodies strained to get closer. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she pressed against him. She had no hesitation when he started removing her black uniform. He appeared to have no uncertainty as he stripped the top from her with confident movements.
Leith pulled back, spending a moment just staring at her. “You’re even more beautiful than I remember. This feels so different from last time. I wanted you before, but I couldn’t feel just how much. Now, I can feel everything.”
Her gaze darted to his lap at his words, and his meaning was obvious. She reached out to stroke the bulge, pressing her palm against his erection. He moaned and bucked his hips seemingly on instinct. His reaction was fascinating, and she slipped off the bed to kneel in front of him.
“I’m not sure I can last…” He trailed off with another groan as her fingers stripped off his pants. Despite his verbal protest, his hips lifted off the bed to assist her with the garment’s removal.
When he was bared to her from the waist down, Raven spent a moment just staring at his perfect male beauty. His legs were still thin, and the muscle tone was just barely becoming visible, but that wasn’t what held her gaze. She knew he would return to full health with a few more sessions in the sleeves, and she was too needy to focus on his medical issues at the moment.
Instead, her attention remained on his cock, jutting forth proudly. He was thick and long, with a slight upward curve. When she tentatively wrapped her hand around his length, he let out a guttural sound. She echoed it without thought, loving the feel of his velvet steel in her hand. She pumped her fist, making his body jerk, and his cock twitch. It was a hypnotic sensation, and his cries of pleasure were addictive. Each time he moaned or thrust against her, she was compelled to repeat the motion.
When pre-cum oozed from the slit in the tip of his shaft, she couldn’t quell her curiosity and had no reason to do so. Raven dipped her head, tongue flicking out to explore him as she tasted his arousal. It was salty, but not unpleasant, and she lapped up the next drop as she pumped her hand.
“More,” he said in a harsh grunt. His expression was strained, and he was clearly on the edge.
Raven surrendered to instinct by cupping the base of his erection in her hand and guiding the tip to her mouth. Slowly, she engulfed him, swallowing an inch at a time, until he was at the back of her throat. She couldn’t take him any deeper, and her hand encased what she couldn’t accommodate. She’d never done this before, but her body seemed to know what to do.
Her cheeks hollowed as she tightened her mouth and bobbed her head while squeezing his shaft rhythmically with her hand and suction from her mouth. His arousal increased copiously, filling her mouth with an unending stream of pleasure. She sucked and stroked until his movements became jerky and frantic, and he was breathing harshly. Occasionally, he exhaled syllables that sounded like her name, and he’d wrapped strands of her blonde hair around his hand.
With a hoarse shout, Leith’s cock twitched hard in her mouth before his cum spurted onto her tongue. Raven gentled around him, stopping suction and switching to slow, gentle flicks of her tongue. She reluctantly pulled away only when he was semi-flaccid and had collapsed backward on the bed.
Her knees twinged as she got to her feet, and she was both amused and amazed that she hadn’t felt even a second of discomfort while in the throes of pleasing him. All she’d felt was satisfaction. It wasn’t the same level of release as she’d experienced when he’d given her an orgasm back at the enclave, but she couldn’t deny finding pleasure in giving him release.
Still on his back, he held up a hand. Raven paused long enough to completely undress before accepting the hand and joining him on the bed. She straddled his form, and he lifted his hands to cup her waist. It was inexplicably difficult to meet his eyes.
“Raven.”
The soft sound of her name on his lips drew her gaze to his, and her insides melted at the tenderness she saw there. She licked her lips as she struggled to find adequate words. When nothing came to her, she leaned forward to kiss him again instead.
They shared another passionate kiss, tongues stroking as their lips molded, but it wasn’t enough. She shifted restlessly on him, and Leith broke the kiss to trail his mouth downward. Raven slid upward, wanting to make their interactions as easy as possible for him. She froze when his mouth reached her breast, his tongue snaking out to tease the peak to a hardened state. Pulses of desire shot through her, making her gasp and causing him to freeze.
He looked up at her as his mouth moved away, concern evident in his expression. “Did I hurt you? I don’t have much experience with this.”
She shook her head. “Felt good. Really good.” Her lack of vocabulary was amusing, but she couldn’t have formed a full sentence if she’d had to right then.
He returned his mouth to her breast, licking the nipple and sucking it into his mouth before moving to her other breast. He alternated between them until she was a writhing mess atop him, almost screaming her pleasure. There was a deep ache inside, both in her core and in her chest, and she needed him to soothe it.
Leith lifted her higher, and she moved upward to plant her hands on the wall for support. He had touched her with his fingers before, but his mouth was new. She’d never had an
yone taste her before, and she sobbed with anticipation, certain she was expecting too much and would be disappointed that the reality couldn’t match the intensity of what she envisioned.
She was wrong. When his mouth settled on her slit, his tongue surging inside to explore her, it was a thousand times better than she had expected. Raven pressed her palms to the wall as she grinded her hips to press more firmly against him. A strange sound—something between a moan and a sob—poured from her continuously, but she couldn’t stop it. All she could do was arch against him as his mouth moved under her, coaxing her to the edge of release.
When the orgasm slammed over her, it was the most intense of her life. Self-pleasuring never felt this amazing, and even his fingers bringing her to climax couldn’t compare. For just a moment, her existence distilled down to sensation and pleasure, and they overwhelmed her.
She was vaguely aware of sagging forward to press her forehead to the wall as her body shook under the onslaught. The bed might have moved, or it might have been her entire world shifting on its axis. Whatever the cause, she was floating for a moment and completely unaware of her surroundings.
The sound of his voice lured her back to reality. It was filled with gentle concern and an undercurrent of amusement. Perhaps even a dash of masculine smugness. “Are you still with me, Raven?”
Slowly, she nodded and turned her head to look at him. “I think so.”
He grinned, and his satisfaction was clearly evident. “I thought I’d broken you.”
She managed a small smile as her heart rate slowly decreased. “No need to sound so smug.”
That just made him chuckle.
She finally found the strength to push away from the wall and turn back to him. He was lying on his back, and his cock was hard again. She wanted him inside her, and she pursued the goal with single-minded determination as she crawled forward until she could straddle him.
He moaned, closing his eyes, when she took his shaft in hand to guide him to her opening. He looked strained and was clearly focused on not losing control. She smiled down at him, though he couldn’t see it with his eyes closed, as she guided him inside her opening. There was a brief moment of pain that quickly faded into a blend of pleasure and discomfort. Her startled cry mingled with his harsh groan.
