by Maia Starr
“What are we…”
My voice trailed off as Laike closed the door behind us.
“You are not safe in that room anymore,” Laike said with a sigh. “You will have to stay in here with me where I can keep an eye on you. It is safer. There is more security here.”
I suddenly felt a crushing guilt weigh on my shoulders. Laike looked so tired. He wasn’t even trying to take advantage of me; he was just trying to keep me out of harm’s way. Why couldn’t I just let him?
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
Laike looked at me, bewildered, before his face broke out into a handsome smile that made heat rise to my cheeks.
“The Thressl’n don’t apologize,” he said softly, moving toward me and touching my shoulder. Perhaps it was a gesture of comfort for the Thressl’n race, almost like a hug.
The nearness of Laike’s body made my heart drum in my chest, and fire filled my body. I suddenly knew what I wanted more than anything in the world. The best part was that it was attainable.
Laike’s handsome face contorted in confusion for a moment when I took his strong hand in my own. The heat of his body so close to me was getting to my head. Did it really matter what I did here? Nobody would have to know about it. Besides, was there any harm in doing what I wanted in what could turn out to be my last days with Laike on Jenal’k?
I knew what my body wanted, and for the first time since I had arrived on this planet, I was going to take control.
Chapter 6
Laike Ostra’ki (Repair and Maintenance)
I had been so consumed by the danger being posed to the human, not to mention my own life, that the soft, warm touch of her hand had been shocking. All the blood seemed to rush from my body and into my groin, where the unfiltered desire drove me to distraction. I had never wanted anything as badly as I wanted to take Emily and claim her as my own. I had felt the threads of fate tugging us together in a way I had never felt it, particularly when it came to my career.
Emily’s cheeks were flushed an attractive red, and her clear eyes were boring into mine. There was a compelling look on her face as she gazed up into my eyes; a look I had never seen in person. But I knew exactly what it meant. I wasn’t completely oblivious after all. She wanted for me to take her.
Heat coursed through my body, but I wasn’t sure where to start. What if sex with a human was different from sex with a Thressl’n female? There was no way of knowing for sure. Still, I wasn’t going to let that stop me.
Emily gasped softly when I reached out to caress her cheek, and I nuzzled my lips against the soft nape of her neck. Desire electrified my every action, and her scent was so pure and sensual that I had to try hard to keep from inhaling deeply. I could feel myself hardening against my thigh, unsure of whether I should hide it from her or show her exactly how she made me feel.
Apparently, Emily could feel it too, because the flush on her cheeks grew darker and her arms wrapped around my waist. She was a little bit reluctant of me; clearly she had no trust for me yet, but the needs of her body had consumed her enough that she was reaching out to me and letting me in.
I ran my hands experimentally along her body; it was perplexing, to say the least. She was such a beautiful human, and I had never in my life expected to mate with anybody at all, let alone a creature from another planet.
But her amber eyes flashed with heat when they locked on mine, and my desire for her reached a new height. Suddenly, all of the modesty and inhibitions I had taken on to serve my destiny melted away, and I stood in front of Emily not as a man who repaired ships and cleaned up after others, but as a powerful man with a rapid intelligence. I stood before her as myself.
She seemed to sense the shift and grinned as though she liked me better this way, without the burden of my people weighing me down. Emily tilted her chin up at me and suddenly our lips were touching. I was electrified from the inside out by the heat of her mouth enveloping me so sensually. I never would have thought that a simple touch could generate so much longing.
At that point, all of my self-control went out the window. Emily moaned as I pushed her gently but firmly against the wall, my member firm against the heat of her middle. We both sighed in pleasure from the connection of our most sensitive sensory organs, and the fire that had been lit began to spark out of control.
Without even registering it, our clothes were stripped away until we were left pure and alone in front of one another. Neither of us had ever seen another creature from a different planet in all of its natural glory, and I had a feeling that no other human in the entire universe would compare to the brilliance of Emily’s body.
My hand reached straight for the soft, milky-white slope of her breast, and her eyes closed. Her chest was heaving as she took deep breaths, unable to fight her longing any longer. I kissed her again, and this time our naked bodies found comfort in each other, and the pleasure experienced was doubled as my member pressed against the opening between her legs.
Heat filled my loins, and a tingle of desire brought me to the edge of my self-control. I would have to be gentle with the human, since she was clearly vulnerable after her injuries, but my body wanted to tap into a power I had never been able to express before.
“Are you going to be okay?” I asked, using the last ounce of restraint I could muster to see to Emily’s well-being.
“Yes,” Emily whispered.
The sound of her voice renewed my longing, and before either of us could register it, I submerged myself inside of her. Her cry of pleasure electrified my entire body, and I held her close as she writhed beneath my touch. Her soft hands gripped my biceps carefully as she shifted with my member inside of her; every tiny movement coursing a new chart of bliss throughout my body.
The pleasure was breathtaking, and I explored every inch of the human curiously. She was so much smaller; so much less dense than the Thressl’n. It was clear she had the potential for high muscle definition, but it didn’t come as naturally to humans as it did to my people. My hands found their way to Emily’s waist, and I thrust hard inside of her again, steadying her slight body from the power of my burst of activity.
A low groan escaped her lips, and I couldn’t help but grin. This was the most exciting sexual experience I had ever had. I felt close to bursting already, and we had only just begun. But I wouldn’t be selfish. I wanted to see to Emily’s pleasure.
I grew still, curious to see what a human might do if allowed to take the lead. I was surprised when her eyes opened and locked on mine, a dark energy crackling between us. Emily wrapped her arms around my neck, and her legs against my waist, with her pressed her back against the wall.
“Don’t stop,” she whispered.
The unstoppable fire returned to my loins, and my brain was no longer capable of rational thought. All I could do was gratify myself inside of Emily as she gasped and panted in unmistakable ecstasy.
Still, I had to be careful. Her brain was injured by Zod, after all. But I shoved inside of her again and again, unable to restrain myself. Her gasps grew into deeper, more guttural moans of bliss until suddenly, Emily’s amber eyes widened. We held each other’s gaze as her body began to contract tightly around my member, and her climax drew me to the point of no return.
I unleashed a powerful burst of activity inside of her as her body seemed to intuitively squeeze my own until I could no longer hold back. I hissed in pleasure as my abdomen tingled fiercely and my hot flood began to escape inside of her.
I was consumed by the beauty of Emily’s face as she received me inside of her, her body trembling against the support of my own. I shoved deep inside of her one last time, and I could feel her every muscle clinging to me as if reluctant to let me go.
Finally, we parted, both of us out of breath and somewhat bewildered by what we had just experienced.
“I will set up the bed,” I said quickly, and left the room.
***
If Absle’s claims were going to be investigated, I would have to
cleanse my house of any trace of a human. By day, I made it very clear that Emily was to stay inside my bedroom, which had its own secure locking mechanism. I had designed it myself long ago, back when I was a youth in the dormitories and I needed to ensure my safety from the other boys. By night, however, she was free to wander my home as she pleased, so long as I was there to protect her.
Our relationship hadn’t changed very much despite our tryst, though the one consequence was that it was nearly impossible to ignore the curves of her body late in the night when she happened to nestle into me. Still, it was clear that our mating had been a one-time thing, as both of us had been vulnerable, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
This didn’t happen until about twelve revolutions later, when my door was suddenly hammered upon in an authoritative manner. My stomach dropped.
“Silence!” I commanded Emily. She hadn’t heard the knock, so she glared at me in disapproval when I shoved her inside the closet and locked the door. Hopefully she would know better than to defy me by now. I only had her best interest at hearts.
“Ostra’ki!”
“Captain Zod,” I said as respectfully as I could possibly muster. His face was dark and furious, but I tried to pretend that I didn’t notice the malice rolling off of him in waves.
“I heard a report that you had my captive in your clutches.”
“Your what?” I asked, feigning bewilderment. Of course he meant Emily, but I couldn’t let him know I understood what he was talking about.
“Don’t play dumb with me, boy!” Zod exclaimed.
The shrill timbre of his voice made my blood curdle, but I simply smiled brightly at him.
“It is quite an honor to have you at my home, Captain Zod. Please, come in and enjoy a midday meal.”
Inviting the Thressl’n people you respected in for a meal was a traditional form of reverence, and Zod’s face flashed with confusion for a moment. Clearly, if I had the girl, I wouldn’t be inviting him in.
“All right,” he said, though the standard protocol would have been for him to refuse the offer. But he pushed me and searched the room unabashedly, as if looking for something. I prayed to the gods that Emily would stay silent and avoid detection.
“What would you like?” I asked cheerfully. It was surprising how easy it was for me to act friendly toward this man who I despised more than anything else I had ever hated in my life. Anybody who could harm a hair on Emily’s head should have been thrown in the pit and not allowed out.
“Surprise me,” Zod said dismissively. “I’m going to have a look around your house.”
“Oh, what an honor,” I said as if to myself, hurrying to the kitchen. With any luck, he wouldn’t go back to my bedroom before the meal was served.
I worked quickly to prepare a modest meal and used my best silverware for my guest. I laid the table out as intricately as possible and saw just as Zod stopped by the doorway of my bedroom.
“Why can’t my key open this door?” Zod demanded.
“Oh, I beg your pardon,” I said, scurrying down the hall and overriding the code I had put on the door for extra security. “I had bad experiences at dormitory and developed a special lock. It’s patented, don’t worry. It’s in use in the treasure trove of your ships.”
“I see,” Zod said darkly, eyeing me. “I heard stories about you, Ostra’ki. That you take things that don’t belong to you and that you’ve always been kind of a strange man.”
I laughed dismissively as I unlocked the door to my bedroom and we walked inside.
“It sounds like you have been speaking with my best friend, Absle. He greatly admires you. He would do just about anything to rub elbows with you and climb rank.”
“You don’t say,” Captain Zod said, as if the news was so common that it bored him. I laughed again.
“In fact, the day your ship arrived, he took the liberty of cleaning your room. I saw him just as he left with a body bag in tow.”
“What did you say?” Zod exclaimed, stopping inches away from my closet doors. I couldn’t let on how hard my hearts were racing. If he opened them, we were through.
“A body bag. Absle mentioned something about the crematorium, though it seemed to take him a while to get around to it.”
“The what?! You wait right here, and don’t you dare move, under penalty of death.”
I did my best to look surprised.
“Of course, Captain Zod. I will wait right here as you command.”
“Good,” he said.
I stared at Zod’s back as he rushed out the door. I could hear his hovercraft start and head northeast toward the crematorium, and relief flooded my breast. He had been inches away from discovering the human.
“Are you all right?” I asked, throwing the closet doors open briefly to check on Emily.
But there was no answer. Emily was gone.
***
My hearts banged hard in my chest as thoughts of the worst possible situation entered my mind. Emily had fled the house, possibly out of fear of both myself and Zod. But Zod was on his way to the crematorium right that moment. If she was spotted by him, then it would take a miracle to save her now.
The worst part about it was that I had been given a direct order by Zod to stay put until he returned. I had no idea how long that would take. If I left, I would appear guilty, and the whole charade would go out the window. If I didn’t, Emily’s life was at stake. The chances of her discovery were slim, but there was still the possibility, and that was what really drove me to distraction.
I paced around the room, my mind spinning with possible plans of action, but the truth was that I felt like my hands were tied. I was in the middle of being investigated, and the truth was that Emily had brought her fate onto herself by disobeying my orders. Again. When would that woman ever learn?
Just a few moments later, I heard the sound of Zod’s hovercraft speeding by. He stopped at my house as if on second thought and hopped out, coming into my home without even knocking this time.
“Ostra’ki!”
“Yes, Captain Zod?” I asked, my biggest smile plastered on my face.
“Where does that friend of yours live?”
I felt a twinge of nausea. Although he had already tried to kidnap my female, Absle truly had been the best friend I had ever had. Still, he was a controlling, bitter man who had often put me in harm’s way for his own entertainment. Not only that, but he was going to put Emily in the worst danger of her life. Unfortunately, he had left me no choice but to eternally regret his mistakes.
“He lives in the red deserts of Armath, in the cleaning sector. His lot is 108B.”
“Understood. You should know, Laike, that your friend took something very valuable from me, and destroyed a thing that is very precious. For that, he is going to pay the price.”
The nausea returned.
“What is going to happen to him, Captain Zod?” I asked. “The death penalty?”
“Even worse,” Zod said with a sneer. “I’m going to recruit him to fight in the war. I have a personal stake in it if the right side is victorious.”
The news made me uneasy, though I was relieved to know that I hadn’t caused the immediate execution of my oldest friend. Still, the guilt felt insurmountable. But I had to do the right thing. There had been no other choice.
“I see,” I said quietly.
“Don’t worry, Ostra’ki. Many thanks to you. You have been most helpful. I will find a way to reward you for your honesty. Men like you are hard to come by.”
His words left me feeling worse than ever as Zod grinned sickeningly at me and boarded his hovercraft. He sped away, leaving me alone with my guilt as I remembered the smiling face of Absle as a child. What had I done?
***
It took me a few moments to remember the real issue at hand. Emily had escaped from my bedroom when Zod arrived and had caused me the biggest hassle she could possibly bring to my life. Now I had no idea where on the planet Jenal’k she might be, and it was
up to me to discover her whereabouts before anybody else did.
I jumped into the hovercraft and sped off toward the red desert. If she went there, her body would be unable to handle it. That is why the camps for the human females had been set up in the mountains near my home. The announcements had made it clear that humans required special accommodations, such as a lot of the fluid water and indirect sunlight.
It was frustrating to roam the lands without being able to spot my target or having any idea where to begin. Emily could have been anywhere by then, and her disappearance had really come at the worst possible time. Of course, I couldn’t blame her. Zod had been so close to the closet where I hoped she would be safe that I was certain our treachery would be discovered.
I wished I could shout Emily’s name, but it was impossible without detection. Night was already falling over the land, and humans were so small that she could have been hiding just about anywhere and I wouldn’t have known it in my craft. Still, it was the best way to cover a large amount of ground, and I hoped that because of her bright, pale complexion, she would stand out among the foliage of the mountains and I would be able to return her home sooner rather than later.
Unfortunately, no matter where I looked, I saw no trace of the human I had lost. It was crushing to drive alone in my hovercraft with nothing to think of but my betrayal toward my best friend and the danger the human female might come to should she be discovered.
Not only that, but if Zod happened to see her again, then there would be no doubt that I had been the mastermind of the scheme all along, and Absle the innocent party. Although he had only done what was right in his own mind, my stubbornness and nonconformity had been enough to send my best friend to a war-torn region of the universe. It was likely I would retrieve his body in a body bag and carry it to Kelron myself.
“Gods!” I growled, hitting the steering panel of the hovercraft hard. There seemed to be no winning at this awful game. If I hadn’t framed Absle, the female would have gone back into Zod’s evil clutches.
