by Jorja Kish
He shook his head to clear his tangled thoughts and murmured authoritatively, “Keep quiet and hold on to me tight. Remember, don’t move.”
The pressure around his neck and waist tightened, reassuring him that she understood his command and obeyed what he demanded. Braydok kept his gaze unwavering and his features stoic as the sound of boot heels steadily grew louder.
He pulled his shoulders back, managing to increase his six-foot-five height another inch before he lengthened his stride with long, powerful legs.
I’ve done this dozens of times. I can do this.
His jaw clenched when he felt the light tickle of moisture bead at the side of his slicked-back hair, gelled and coiffed to resemble the normal cut of a drone. He veered to the left side of the metal-lined corridor, giving the proper respect and distance for the approaching Horde drones.
The recycled air cast a heavy weight and the faint stench of boiling, rotten meat wafted in the surrounding air. Braydok’s nose flared, sensitive to the odour that churned his stomach. The woman jolted, tightening her arms around his neck and burrowing her face into the rough material of the uniform he wore. From the subtle shiver from her naked limbs and the tension he felt when her belly clenched, Braydok knew she inhaled the vile scent of the Horde drones.
It was one part of the disguise that the Liberators couldn’t duplicate, the unique odour of the drones. It had something to do with the internal sacks lodged behind their throats that produced a wicked-smelling enzyme that helped break down the extreme food sources the Horde drones chewed on.
Braydok’s stomach soured at the brief thought and he fought the shudder just as the first wave of drones marched in two columns by his even-paced stride.
The detail ended with a whip-like command officer dressed in a grotesque crimson uniform that reminded Braydok of shiny, coagulated blood stained on mortally wounded soldiers.
He strained to keep his features void of emotion as he passed the commanding officer, praying that his long, purposeful strides convinced the evil creature that he had an important place to be. Braydok was a few steps away when the guttural bark of the officer echoed in the empty corridor.
The woman tensed in his arms from the Horde commander’s undecipherable words. The foreign language was harsh and devoid of emotion, much like the sinister species that decimated countless of systems and infected hundreds of billions of life forms.
Braydok paused and turned to face the curled sneer of the smaller Horde commander, as he stood at attention staring straight ahead, expressionless.
The slicked-back jet hair glistened under the special lights that kept the Horde species energized from their prolonged space travel. Having been rarely off the ship, only to briefly set up colonization for their countless offspring, the command officers lived their entire existence on board the Conversion and Breeding vessels that scoured the galaxies.
The Horde officer stomped his arrogant form a few feet from Braydok’s towering height. With narrowed eyes, identical to Braydok’s contact lenses, the man barked out a vicious tirade of words. The language was harsh, nothing soft or soothing, just vicious and cruel.
Braydok tensed when the woman in his arms gave a slight jolt. Her limbs were stiff as boards and the galloping of her heart crashed against his chest. He could feel the wash of her sweat clinging to the uniform he wore and the sour stench of her fear curled around his body.
The inhuman eyes of the officer narrowed as he took one step closer. He tilted his neck slightly up and inhaled. His nose flared before a gruesome snarl exposed jagged, sharp teeth.
Braydok blanched and dropped his head and knelt down in submission from the Horde officer’s silent command. The fine hairs on Braydok’ neck stirred and spiked as the first glide of sweat dripped from his forehead. He swallowed and tensed when the creature leaned in closer and sniffed at the nap of his neck, a gesture of domination and control.
Braydok grounded his back molars and was sure they would be empty pockets of bleeding gums from the pressure of his bite. Come on, you piece of shit, get it over with and go on your merry way! His heart was a crescendo of wild beats that he feared it would explode in his chest, mingling with the wild beating heart of the woman clinging on his body.
He had no doubt she was on the verge of collapse.
His eyes darted, forcing his straining muscles to remain frozen as the Horde commander continued to sniff his exposed neck. A guttural grunt and snap of teeth just above the surface of his skin had Braydok jump slightly. The gargled chuckle of the vicious little creature was cruel. The officer stepped back, features twisted into a hideous display of perverse pleasure as he sneered and growled a biting command.
Braydok audibly swallowed. There was no pretence in the genuine fear that ghosted over his features until he managed to scramble them into an expressionless mask. He carefully stood and saluted the vile creature. The smaller man grunted with narrowed eyes, watching the lightly green pallor to the hulking subordinate. He harshly sniffed before turning on his black-heeled boot and stomped down the corridor.
Thank the fuck, Braydok’s thoughts exploded.
Braydok stood in silence. The first wrack of tremors had both him and his woman shaking. He wrapped his arms around her and leaned down to rub his chin against her soft hair. A protective instinct forced him to move and check the corridor before he placed a light, gentle kiss on the top of her hair.
“You did good, baby, you did good.”
Braydok felt the woman in his arms relax slightly.
He gave her another gentle squeeze before he headed down the opposite direction of the squad of drones. His stride was direct, making it appear that he knew where he was going.
In truth, if it weren’t for the specialized lens in his eyes, he’d be just as lost as the woman would be if she roamed the corridors. He followed the iridescent schematics mapped out in the orbital device and followed briskly, knowing that the longer he stayed on the Horde Mother ship, the chances of his cover blown increased, and that wasn’t acceptable, especially with this woman in his arms.
Keene was very specific when he shared the vision he had with Braydok concerning the woman. It was imperative to locate her and get her back to the Solace Dawn as soon as possible. From the ravaging heat that poured off her limbs that made her heart beat furiously against her chest, Braydok didn’t have any doubts that time was of the essence.
He just hoped that their luck didn’t run out before he got them to the secluded maintenance hub that docked his escape pod. From the way she rubbed her sweet spot against his belly and the flush of heat from her skin, to the chill that pimpled her skin, she was close to her transition. He had to work swiftly and get the hell off the Horde Mother ship.
“We’re almost there, Sheeala,” he reassured the breathtakingly pretty woman in his arms. In fact, after a closer examination, she was beautiful.
Braydok leaned down and rubbed his nose in the silky strands of Mackenzie Chambers’s hair. He marvelled at how soft it felt against his skin and the lingering aroma of her natural scent made him ache to possess her in every way. She was soft, feminine and laced with undeniable steel, and he wanted to protect her as he would his pod mates, Setti and Keene.
“Soon we’ll be able to slip through to the maintenance interior of the ship and use my pod to escape,” Braydok whispered, barely moving his lips as he marched along the corridors.
“I’m on a ship?” Mackenzie asked, startled at the information. Then again, when the world ended from ravenous creatures and nowhere was safe, a ship seemed plausible.
Braydok grimaced and silently cursed his slip.
He squeezed the woman in his arms and whispered, “Hush now, I’ll explain everything when we get to a safer spot.”
He felt her nod, shiver against his chest and hold him tighter to her womanly curves. Braydok suppressed a low moan and focused on getting the two of them to the waiting pod that docked against the hull. They planned to the last detail, those who took the
mission to liberate the females of Terra.
Throughout the Horde ship, in various areas seldom monitored due to their tight spaces, Braydok and the team sent to free as many women as they could docked their retrofitted pods to the hull. The advanced technology was an amazing asset, especially if it thwarted the Horde.
With the warping ability of Dark Tech, their ships were in a constant state of phase shifting in and out of known space and time, nearly impossible to detect, yet highly volatile if damaged, like taking out half the Horde Starship and the surrounding area. That was the reason only the smaller pods had the Dark Tech for these missions. Anything bigger was more of a problem if things went south. The Resistance didn’t want to be the ones that destroyed an entire star system. They were trying to save systems. They fought against extinction for all species touched by the Horde.
“We’re almost at the escape pod, Sheeala. Then everything will be fine.” Braydok prayed to his Gods that he was right.
Chapter 11
The flurry of activity in the corridors had Keene staying close to the edges, trying to slip deftly through the throng of busy crewmembers assigned to the Excalibur Class pod ship, one of the largest space-worthy cities roaming and hiding among the countless stars that stretched across the Andromeda Galaxy.
The moment Setti informed him that the pods sent out to retrieve the victims from the Terran planet were due to arrive within the hour, he rushed toward their pod chambers to get everything ready for their new occupant.
“Excuse me, sorry about that,” he muttered, dodging the bodies that lined the corridor, rushing to their assigned posts in a flurry of activity.
His large, crystal-blue eyes, exotic in an almond shape, blinked vertical irises. They resembled the eyes of Terra’s feline species. His quick steps pushed him through the crowd as he focused his attention on the stream of uniformed bodies getting in his way.
Blond hair, neatly braided in a long tail, swung back and forth from his rapid strides. Determination darkened his expressive eyes as he weaved in and out of the busy corridor, trying not to bump into the crewmembers rushing to their posts from the Amber Alert sanctioned from Captain Sturgoi.
“Well, it’s certainly not a dull moment,” he muttered under his breath.
“Sir?” a youthful ensign asked when Keene accidently bumped into him. He waved his hand at the crewmember and answered.
“Nothing, ensign, I was just commenting on the activity.”
The golden gaze of the youth, cheeks flushed with excitement, revealed a short grin. “This is my first time, you know, actually being involved with rescuing the females from the Horde. I wasn’t old enough to join”—his voice dropped to a whisper—“the Resistance.” His eyes shined bright with pride.
Keene nodded his head and gave a quick smile. “It’s good to have you in our fight,” he replied, inclining his head, ready to leave.
“Thank you, Tigard Seer Aloysius.” The ensign bowed, giving the respect to Keene’s station and importance.
Keene suppressed rolling his eyes and snorting, but he did lightly pat the youth on his shoulder before striding away. He felt his own excitement build, the closer he got to the section that housed his domicile.
Females were rare among the star travellers that dwelled on the Solace Dawn and the several other Excalibur Class pod ships that were scattered throughout the galaxy. The female of their species were genetically wiped out from the invading Horde who destroyed their planets, forcing them to live among the stars, continually evading and hiding from the scourges of the galaxy.
Keene slipped down an adjacent corridor, cordoned off for only those with bonded mates.
“Finally, almost home.” He sighed, relief easing the tension in his slender body.
He hated walking alone in the corridors. Not that he was afraid of anything bad happening to him. He was a bond mate, protected at all costs. He just didn’t like the fact that he was the shortest of his mates and often bumped into by others. None of it was intentional, but his petite physique enhanced that result, unless he was wedged between his towering bond mates. Each of his lovers was well over six feet. They were hard to miss. No one dared.
This section of the ship led to an area that was separate from the main hub, designed to keep each pod dwelling separate and self-sustaining in case of an attack, therefore ejecting each pod into space, sending the bonded mates to safety. It was a failsafe mechanism implemented when earlier Pod ships met devastating results when the Horde found the floating cities, destroying several species and decades of planning.
They learned a harsh lesson that nearly destroyed the Resistance, but in time, they found ways to safeguard their way of life.
The beating in Keene’s chest thrummed harder. His body shook with excitement, eager to be reunited with Braydok and meet the female known as Mackenzie Chambers. His skin warmed from the memory of his vision that made him flush with desire.
“Soon, you’ll be where you belong, Sheeala. I can’t wait to hold you and taste your breath against my lips.” Face flushed, Keene coughed at the sudden flood of mating pheromones that oozed from his skin.
“Oh, come on, not now,” he grumbled under his breath. “It’s too early in my cycle for this to happen now.”
He woke from the Sight with his dick hard and leaking, only to find his mates gone to their posts, leaving him alone with his lust. He furiously jerked off, squeezing his balls the way he liked as his hand blurred from the exquisite friction of his smooth palm, lubricated with the pre-cum that voraciously dripped from his slit.
Swallowing a soft moan, he quickly wanted to adjust the hard cock in his pants that mercilessly rubbed against the front of his trousers, smearing the sweet scent of his arousal.
“Dammit, now isn’t the time for this,” he repeated, irritated, cringing from the weight of his balls, heavy and aching to release the ready cum.
He rolled his eyes and avoided adjusting his cock, knowing too well that in this state, he was sure to erupt and mess his newly pressed pants with his sticky, sweet seed.
It wasn’t easy being a Tigard Seer, especially one with a supercharged libido and two bond mates made from the cloth of Gods. Small in stature, lean and delicate in form, Keene was the epitome of grace and beauty for any red-blooded male.
He frowned and shook his head, focusing on getting to their chambers and preparing their woman.
She didn’t know it yet, but she was theirs to keep.
He just hoped that there was enough time to stop the Transition before she went into Heat. Keene cringed at the thought, since he had heard stories about the uncontrollable urges the women went through when they transitioned, a time when the only need they had was to be mounted and rutted, not caring who or what filled their bodies. Only seed eased their heat and made it bearable.
A shiver cascaded down his spine, knowing how lucky he was to find his bond mates before he faced his first Heat. The thought of being mounted and fucked by strangers made his stomach sour. He was damn lucky, luckier than most of his kind who didn’t find their other halves and had to either be sedated for that period, if possible, or succumbed to their need and offered themselves to ease the uncontrollable lust that burned, sometimes killing them.
He knew too well the cost of refusing to fuck when the Heat encompassed his species, and not having the option of sedation. Grief glinted in his blue eyes as a memory of his best friend clouded his mind.
“Oh, Tempor, I miss you my friend, my brother.”
Tempor was too fragile and sheltered to undergo his first Heat at an age too young for the changes in his body. Unfortunately, his Heat was triggered by the Horde’s experimentation when they captured him before the Infiltrator agents rescued him.
A single tear fell from his eye, cascading down his smooth, golden-tinted cheek before he quickly wiped it away.
“No more of that now, Keene,” he whispered.
Straightening his shoulders and stiffening his back, the little Tigard Seer swiftly
walked down the labyrinth of passageways until he stopped at a nondescript door. He placed his palm on the scanner beside the right side of the entrance and waited for the scan to confirm that he was Keene Aloysius.
The panel chimed and a green light blinked before the door opened and he stepped through the threshold of his sanctuary. A sanctuary he hoped Mackenzie Chambers would one day call her home.
Chapter 12
The soft hiss of what could be a door opening tensed Mackenzie’s muscles, gaining a reassuring squeeze from the man who rescued her from a fate far worse that she could possibly imagine.
Please, please let us be safe now, she thought desperately.
The taut bunch of muscles that rubbed against her soft spots, causing more havoc to her body and senses, had Mackenzie swallowing the moans that wanted out. She knew from the heat on her cheeks that she blushed like a virgin.
Hell, it’d been so long since a red-blooded male held her in defined, muscled-arms that she could have considered herself as a born-again virgin. The fact that her ex-husband sought the comfort of other women, including her best friend, while they were married, messed with her head. The shithead frequently pointed out that she was too frigid in the sack and that she bored him between the sheets.
He was such an egotistical bastard who hid his true colours surprisingly well. Her ex-best friend and ex-husband deserved each other, both fake and shallow. Her only regret was that they would raise the baby they had to mirror their self-indulgent lives, if they survived.
How could she have been so blind, not seeing the two closest people in her life for what they were?
Maybe they were right and I am messed up.
However, she didn’t feel messed up, not while cradled in the arms of a stranger who made her skin sizzle. The fact that her head was foggy with a strange, consuming lust, making her body hum with pleasure…She shook her head against a chest made to snuggle on. Nope, she was just fine. She didn’t bother to stop a breathless sigh. The man had such a wonderful and sexy scent that soothed and excited her.
