Vall's Will

by Linda Mooney

  Help me.

  Lifting up slightly on her knees, she took his member and lightly rubbed the flushed head between her lower lips, until her juices coated it. She pumped him several times, stroking his warm flesh over the stiff muscle, until she could see the tension on his face. A tiny vein in his forehead beat erratically, in sync with his speeding heartbeat. Gradually, she slowed down, then, keeping the shaft tilted upward, she slowly slipped it inside her.

  She stopped once it was all the way extended within her channel. She couldn’t move as his erection quivered, sending short bursts of searing heat throughout her body. Her skin tingled almost to the point of being painful. Fingertips, thighs, knees—every place where she made contact, her outer layer intensified the feeling a thousand-fold. Her inner muscles clenched involuntarily around him, and she heard Vall softly moan.

  Her hands were resting on his shoulders, and she looked down at him. His golden-brown eyes were almost ablaze with his need. It was then she realized how much he was holding back so as not to hurt her. His fingers rested beneath her ribcage, but they didn’t close around her.

  Gradually, she lifted with her knees, letting him slide almost all the way out of her. She stopped just short of him falling away, when she pressed back down over him.

  Slow slide up, then a hard push downward.

  The veins stood out in Vall’s neck. A smaller one pulsed on his forehead. His mouth was a tight line as he reveled in the reaction.

  Will continued to ride him, but she quickly realized she was growing weak. Worse, there was no way she could continue much longer, or bring either of them to completion. She wasn’t back at a hundred percent, and she didn’t dare risk another shot of stimulant so soon after the first one. She struggled to keep up the rhythm, and hopefully have him orgasm, when she finally stopped. The muscles in her legs trembled from the exertion. She bowed her head and lowered herself onto his chest as she gasped for breath.

  My Willis.

  I can’t go on. I’m sorry. I haven’t fully recovered.

  His hands took hers from his shoulders and placed them palm down in the center of his chest, directly above his sternum. Will sensed something happening, and opened her eyes to see a faint glow beneath his skin. That ball, or whatever it was she’d seen disappear into his body, was there, hovering near her fingertips. It had always been there, invisible yet powerful. Always present, but never showing itself until he wanted it to. Like her armor.

  The light turned reddish, until it looked like fire underneath the surface. Then, incredibly, the light moved. It curled its way up from his body and into her hands, before spreading into her arms. The glow burned as it slowly crept through her, engulfing her internal organs and leaving renewed energy in its wake. It was like having her self armor back, but erected internally, giving her unbelievable, unlimited strength.

  She wriggled her hips, pressing as much of his length inside her, when his hands grasped her around her waist. He lifted her slowly. It was excruciating and almost too much to bear as his erection raked over the hyper-sensitive inner walls. She started to close her eyes, until he suddenly rammed her down on top of him. Gasping in surprise, Will felt herself being lifted again…

  No. She wasn’t being lifted. She was being held in place. His hands were keeping her aloft, just over his groin, and he was using his hips to enter and exit her. Teasing her with every withdrawal, only to plow back inside her and nearly overloading her senses. He continued to hold her and work himself into her. Pounding inside her with faster and harder strokes, making the bed shake with every thrust.

  There would be consequences. She’d suffer the bruising and redness, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t think past her body’s reactions. She couldn’t speak, other than to gasp with pleasure as her release grew steadily closer. It threatened her with the possibility of it being bigger and brighter than a star. Threatening to explode within her with the force of a sun going nova, with as much heat and power as to almost incinerate her from the inside out.

  She fell on top of him, her hands still pressed against his chest. He moved her again, letting her breasts skim across his skin. Her mind went completely blank as she lost all sense of time and place. A scream echoed in her ears, and her fingers dug into the second heartbeat pulsating beneath her hands.

  The truest perfection continued to wash over her. It was unrelenting. Never ending. Torturing her, while also filling her with more happiness than she had ever experienced in her life.

  Eons passed before he stopped. Eventually, he straightened out his legs on the bed. Vall’s inner glow coated the outside of her skin, keeping her warm as she lay satiated on top of him. She could hear his heart keeping rhythm, his lungs drawing air.

  My Willis.

  Are you as happy as I am? Please tell me you are. Please tell me you are feeling this fulfilled.

  In answer, he shuddered. Will smiled, understanding.

  As his hands released her, she sensed herself drifting into unconsciousness. She could sleep now. She could rest without worry, without fear. Vall was with her. Or rather, she was with him. He would always protect her, even though Nion warriors were considered to be among the strongest beings in this galaxy. Somehow, she finally understood he was stronger and mightier than she would ever be. That’s why the Ben Objure had wanted him, because he was that powerful. He terrified them because he could defeat anyone. Any race, any species, any planet. Whatever he was, he was almost omnipotent.

  And she was his.

  The last thing she heard was the gentle sound of Vall snoring, his breath teasing the top of her bare head. Snuggling her arms under his back, she smiled and knew no more.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Threat

  Plymon checked the time scope on his monitor. Day shift had begun almost two hours ago, but Will had yet to check in. He didn’t expect her to make an appearance. Not this soon after being released from medical. But he believed she would have at least checked upon the status of the Legion.

  “Confirmed, Legion. We’ll meet up in two point six hours. Trinity out.” Granth turned around in his seat. “They’ve received their orders to take Vall on board and proceed directly to Regency Base.”

  “And leaves us doing what? Standing around with our shields lowered around our ankles?” Plymon gave a derisive snort. Will knew what their orders were, but she had yet to divulge them to him.

  He glanced again at the timescope. The Legion would be arriving in a little over two hours. Well, if Captain Tayte was too indisposed to pilot the ship, she needed to hand her orders over to him.

  He started to order Granth to open a private line to the Captain’s cabin, when he got a better idea. Smiling, Plymon got to his feet and started for the tubes.

  “I’ll be with the Captain if you need me.” Making a vague motion toward Magnus, he added, “You have the chair.”

  He was off the bridge before the navigator could reply.

  Now that he had a purpose to fulfill, he felt better. In fact, he felt so good, he began to wonder if perhaps Will might be able to have a quick fekk, to celebrate her new self. The closer he got to the Captain’s quarters, he could feel his dick begin to ache in anticipation. Plymon grinned. Yeah, even a halfway decent fekk would put things right between them again. And in two hours, that strange man would be somebody else’s problem. Two more hours, he reminded himself again, and his smile widened.

  The corridor in front of her cabin was still dark, which meant either she was still asleep, or she hadn’t emerged yet. Plymon walked up to the door and announced himself.

  The door remained closed. She had locked herself inside, which wasn’t like her at all. Especially when it was him wanting in.

  But remember, she’s still recovering. Blast “still”! The least she could do is let him have his say. To get their orders. To see how she was doing, and get an estimate as to how much longer he’d be hugging the Captain’s chair on the bridge.

  Slightly irritated, he banged on the portal
with the edge of his fist. “Will! I need to relay some information from the Legion! Let me in!”

  He couldn’t catch any sound coming from within. Briefly, he wondered if maybe she was back at Medical. Pressing the intercom button a few feet away, he waited for Granth to answer.

  “Bridge.”

  “This is Sub-captain Plymon. Is the Captain in her cabin?”

  “This is Magnus. Her life signal shows she’s in her quarters.”

  “Does it show her awake or asleep?”

  There was a pause. A too-long pause. Plymon almost growled when he repeated the question. “I asked if she was awake or asleep.”

  “Her heart rate is accelerated, as is her breathing. I would say she is awake,” came Magnus’s cautious reply.

  Her heart rate was accelerated? What could she be doing that would…

  A very ugly thought came to him. Punching the button again, he demanded, “Is there a second life signal within her cabin?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  The tone in Magnus’ voice said it all.

  Plymon returned to the cabin door and beat on it three times.

  “Captain Tayte! I demand you answer me immediately, or I shall be forced to assume the full captaincy of this vessel!”

  There was no way she could not have heard him. Plymon held back from pounding on the door again. He glanced down the corridor, debating whether or not to call security to open her door. Under the Statutes granted by the Regents, as acting Captain, he had the right to enter any cabin, locked or not, if he believed the occupant was either incapacitated or in danger, including the Captain’s rooms.

  He started to order Magnus to break the seal so he could enter, when the door slid to the side. Will stood there, totally naked, with undisguised anger reddening her face.

  “Under what conditions will you take command of this ship, Sub-captain Plymon?” She stepped menacingly toward him, her eyes flashing. “What force will you use against me to strip me of my title?”

  A movement behind her caught Plymon’s attention. He glanced up to see Vall walking up to stand by her shoulder. Like Will, he was nude, including that pissed off scowl on his face. At the sight of the man, Plymon felt his own resentment rise. Gritting his teeth, he met Will’s silent challenge.

  “Whether or not you release command of this ship to me is irrelevant. I will send a report to the High Regents letting them know how you are compromising this mission by having personal relations with Vall. Once they realize you’ve let this man become a personal issue, they’ll exclude you from having any part of their plan for him. And to make sure you don’t use your power or this ship to counteract their decrees, you’ll be removed of your command. You know they will.”

  He watched the interplay of emotions crisscross her face. She understood his threat. More importantly, she knew he was telling the truth. If the Regency heard she and Vall were being intimate, they would split up the pair as far apart and as quickly as possible in order to prevent any diplomatic trouble.

  Will dropped her chin, but her eyes remained locked on him. Plymon knew what was coming. This was the Captain Tayte who had impressed her instructors as she climbed the ranks. This was the woman who showed more force of will, and displayed more intellect, than ninety percent of her fellow officers. This was the Will who cranked up his libido every time she was faced with a power play.

  “You will not threaten me, Sub-captain.” Her voice was a low whisper that sent shivers up his back. “You will not report anything to the Regency. I will have every communication blocked. And the moment we touch down at Regency Base, you will no longer be a part of my crew.”

  The absurdity of her remark almost made him laugh. “Go ahead, Willis. Try to throw your weight around. I know the truth about you and pretty boy there. So does the majority of your crew. You want to get rid of me? Go ahead. But sooner or later your little indiscretions will no longer be secret. One day I’ll see you busted down so far in rank, you’ll be lucky to be aboard a warship.”

  She slowly shook her head. “You stupid, stupid man. Do you really think you hold any sway over me? So what if I give? What if I cave in to your promise? What then?” Will started to look back at the man standing so close to her back, they had to be touching, but changed her mind. Instead, she crossed her arms over her breasts. The movement caught Plymon by surprise, and he involuntarily glanced down over her fresh, new skin. At its silken softness and lack of hair. Something thudded inside his chest, leaving him almost breathless.

  “I know that the Legion of Mercy will be taking Vall back to Regency Base. I know that the chances of him and me remaining together is as hopeless as air in a void. I just never took you for the kind of man who would let jealousy dominate his actions.”

  The accusation struck a nerve. “I’m not jealous. And I would never let my emotions dictate what I do. I am here because I need to tell you the Legion will be arriving within two hours.”

  “You couldn’t send that message to my cabin?”

  Plymon blinked. She was right. The message would have been standard procedure. And he had started to go that route, but something in him had preferred to deliver it personally. Will must have noticed the guilty light in his eyes.

  “So why did you really come down here and pound on my door, Sub-captain, if it weren’t for your jealous beliefs that Vall and I were in the middle of some heavy lovemaking?”

  A hot film of fury suddenly infused his body. Before he was aware of his actions, Plymon reached out and snagged Will’s arm, and almost jerked her toward him.

  “You seem to have forgotten that you are my fekking companion!” he tersely reminded her.

  The figure behind her almost appeared to expand in a rush of darkness and shadow. Vall descended upon him like a silent wraith. Instinctively, Plymon threw up his shields to protect himself against whatever the young man intended. To his horror, Vall plunged a hand through the aura and grabbed him by the neck. Incredibly strong fingers dug into his windpipe, nearly closing off his air. Plymon tried to struggle, but the grip was too powerful.

  “Vall! No!” Will slapped the arm holding the Sub-captain. “Stop!”

  Plymon stared up into a face that no longer appeared docile and innocent. Instead, the man’s eyes were twin blazing suns.

  Let her be.

  The words were inside his head, sending more chills through his body.

  Will grabbed the man’s arm and tried to shake it. “No more, Vall!”

  Reluctantly, Vall released the Sub-captain and withdrew his arm. The armor closed up, self-sealing around the hole the man had created, until there was no evidence left to show where the breach had been.

  Plymon touched his neck with his hand. The skin burned. His throat ached. He tried to swallow, with great difficulty.

  “How? How did he…” His voice was raw. Raspy. He needed medical aid, and something cool to drink to soothe the pain.

  Turning around, Plymon left the corridor to have Killjorn look over his injuries. If Will wanted to diddle with the passenger, then he would no longer interfere. Let her have her fun. She would eventually be found out, and she would have to surrender her command as punishment.

  But, if by some weird circumstance she ended up at some later date at his cabin door, wanting to resume their relationship as if nothing had happened, well…

  Fekk it.

  Plymon felt his heart slide into the pit of his stomach. He wanted to say she could stand there until the universe froze over, but deep within himself he knew he would take her back. He wouldn’t be able to deny or ignore her, as much as he wanted to at the moment.

  It was time he confessed to himself how he felt about the Captain. And for that, he let out a steady diatribe, cursing himself and those feelings, all the way to the medical bay.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Handoff

  Vall slid an arm around her waist and drew her away from the door, back against him. The portal slid shut as she turned around to bury her face in his che
st.

  I do not want to go.

  “I don’t want you to go,” she replied. She was drained. The confrontation with Plymon had taken a lot out of her. Before she could ask for his strength, she felt it curling through her, moving at a slow, warming rate from her tummy to her buttocks. The life giving current made her weak in the knees. The hand he pressed between her shoulder blades was the only thing that prevented her from falling.

  “I don’t want you to go,” she repeated. “But I have no choice. The Regents want you where they feel they can best serve your interests. Where they can best protect you.”

  I need no protection.

  He sounded so sure of himself. Reluctantly, Will peered up at him. “Then why were you a prisoner on the queen ship?”

  Vall smiled at her but didn’t answer. She’d gotten accustomed to hearing him in her head. In all her years with the Regency, she had met just two other telepathic entities, but those encounters, although similar, had been nothing like the connection she had with Vall. She could feel the other telepaths when they were inside her head, moving around like a charge of static electricity. Talking to Vall was nothing like that. At no time could she tell if he was reading her mind or not. Either way, it didn’t bother her. Not even the possibility of him learning her darkest secrets and fears.

  He bent down to kiss her. Will sighed. Two hours more, and their contentment would be over. They would be split apart by trillions of miles and millions of galaxies, and there was nothing she could do about it.

  I must stop thinking about it. It hurts too much to contemplate what’s to come. We have two hours, and we must make the time count.

  I will not leave you.

  Will wrapped her arms around him. “You must go with them, Vall. For some reason we don’t understand, the Ben Objure have claimed complete ownership of you. They will destroy whole planets, entire civilizations, if they don’t get you back.”

  Vall frowned, then nuzzled her bare scalp. They have that power?