Dark Planet Falling

by Anna Carven

  Oops, she’d just executed a perfect arm-drag and inside-trip. It had been instinctive and automatic.

  No-one pushed her around like that.

  It had always been one of her favorite moves, especially against bigger opponents. This Kordolian had the size advantage, but she’d had the element of surprise.

  “I told you not to fucking touch me,” she snarled.

  The soldier growled in frustration, his features twisting with a look of injured pride. He moved under her and all of a sudden Sera felt her world toppling. In a flash, he’d reversed their positions, and now he was on top of her, his hard body pressing into hers.

  She had skills in jiujitsu and various other martial arts, but she’d forgotten that Kordolians were naturally bigger and stronger.

  They had an unfair advantage. They weren’t Human, after all.

  “You dare, female?” His voice was low and dangerous and his fangs were bared. Sera tried to estimate how fast she could knee him in the balls and run back to her room.

  Okay, so in hindsight, it hadn’t been a good idea to antagonize a Kordolian soldier, even if he looked like an ordinary trooper. But she wasn’t about to let herself get shoved around by anyone.

  Never again. She’d had a lifetime of people thinking they could push her around. That’s why she’d learnt to handle herself. Years of brutal training had given her strength and had grounded her.

  In her younger years, she’d given herself to the gritty fury of the Underground League, an illegal cage fighting circuit. As her alter-ego, Sera Rose, she’d had a glorious run.

  Sera shifted her weight underneath him, preparing to explode into action. She’d often been underestimated in the cage because of her size and her refusal to get biological enhancements. She’d learnt to use that to her advantage.

  The soldier had one hand on her neck, his fingernails digging into her skin. The other was pressed against her right arm, preventing her from moving it. Her left arm, however, was free. Perhaps a thumb to the eye socket would get this ball rolling.

  She took a deep breath, centering herself.

  But just as she was about to strike, the soldier was lifted off her.

  Xal loomed over them with a face like thunder, hauling the soldier up by his collar. “What are you doing?”

  “She was trespassing, your Highness.” The soldier’s voice came out as a hoarse rasp, the stiff collar pulled tight around his neck. “I tried to re-direct her, but she attacked me.”

  “Oh?” Xal’s voice was deceptively soft, his eyes promising pain. “Is that why you were sprawled on top of her like a common jarlek? Are you telling me you were unable to contain one defenseless Human female without resorting to brute force?”

  Sera snorted, taking offense at that last part. She was not defenseless. She got to her feet, straightening her clothes.

  “She attacked me,” the soldier repeated. “Caught me by surprise. I was not expect-”

  “Did you not receive the message, soldier? She is an honored guest aboard this vessel. You are to assist her, not restrain her like a common criminal.”

  “My Prince, I was unaware. I apologize, however I was unable to understand her. She does not speak Kordolian.”

  “And you don’t speak Universal? You’re a new recruit, aren’t you? What is your name, soldier?”

  “Erras, your Highness. Malion Erras.” He gasped as Xal tightened his collar.

  Xal took a deep breath, holding the soldier there for several seconds before releasing him. Erras stumbled and slapped his hand onto the wall, trying to regain his balance. He was breathing heavily.

  “You are to report to General Akkadian,” Xal commanded. “You will undertake training in Universal and one Human language of your choice. We don’t play by the rules of the Old Empire anymore, soldier. I want you to think for yourself, not blindly follow commands. Humans are to be treated as equals, and if I ever hear of you troubling this female again, I will send you to fight Xargek on Earth alongside the First Division.” He raised an eyebrow. “Oh, and you will undergo an extra phase of simulator training for the next three cycles. If what you’re telling me is true, then your technique needs work.”

  The soldier regarded Xal with disbelief. Then, it was as if a light went on inside his head as he realized he was getting a reprieve. He banged his fist on his chest in acknowledgement and slunk away down the corridor, his shoulders slumping in relief.

  Xal rushed to Sera’s side, his eyes full of concern. “Did that idiot hurt you?”

  “I’m fine,” she shrugged. If he had seen some of the hits she had taken back in her fighting days, he wouldn’t be so worried. “I’m sorry. I should have co-operated with that guy and not caused a fuss. I just lost my temper.”

  “Don’t be silly,” Xal murmured, his gaze roaming over her face. The terrible anger she had witnessed earlier was gone.

  Sera took a step back, regarding Xal with curiosity.

  A black bruise was starting to blossom over one cheek, and there was a cut above his eye, caked with dried blood. His wild hair was even more disheveled, and his dark blue robes were loosely belted, hanging around his tall frame as if they’d been hastily thrown on.

  “What the hell happened to you?” She was standing against the wall, and he moved closer, trapping her with his mesmerizing eyes.

  “Training bruises. I needed to release some pent-up frustration,” he replied, looking at her carefully. “Are you sure you aren’t hurt? I will send for the medic if you need her.”

  “Relax, Prince. I’m not made of glass.” He was close enough that his scent surrounded her. It reminded her of rain and morning in a pine forest. “And more importantly, are you okay?”

  She studied his face. He looked like a beautiful demon who’d been in a cage fight.

  One of his horns was grazed, the black surface torn away to reveal raw grey tissue underneath. She looked closely and saw that his horns were smooth and covered in a fine black layer, like microscopic velvet. “Look at you,” she murmured, reaching out to touch the graze.

  At first, he flinched. She moved her fingers along his horn and he let out a slow, shuddering sigh. He closed his eyes and his eyelids fluttered in pleasure, his long, almost-white eyelashes contrasting starkly with his silver-grey skin.

  He had such beautiful eyelashes.

  “Don’t,” he whispered, his voice cracking, but Sera ignored him.

  “You like that, don’t you?” She curled her fingers around his horn, stroking it gently.

  “Don’t tempt me,” he warned, a low tremor in his voice.

  “Why not?” Sera was fascinated by his response to her touch. His lips were slightly parted, showing the twin points of his fangs. His arousal was a powerful aphrodisiac; she was becoming wet. She longed to tear off his robes and discover what lay underneath.

  “I don’t have very good self-control right now.” Xal reached out and placed his fingers at her temple, running them through her curly hair. He inhaled deeply, trembling a little.

  His touch was like wildfire, sending delicious, tingling warmth right through her. Her pussy throbbed with a need that was almost painful, and she knew then and there that she needed his touch; she needed him inside her.

  “I don’t have very good self-control either.” Sera stared at Xal’s sensual, kissable lips. She wanted to taste him.

  “I don’t want to hurt you.” His long fingers caressed the side of her face, trailing over her scars.

  Sera laughed softly. “I’m not as fragile as you think, Xal. I’ve taken a few hits in my time. You won’t hurt me.”

  “Ah.” His eyes were still closed, and there was something almost ethereal about him. She found his alienness so seductive; he was wild and forbidden and unlike anyone she had encountered before.

  He leaned in, putting his lips against her ear. “Are you sure, female?”

  She responded by pulling him down the corridor, in the direction of her quarters. She was about to break her golden rule of j
ournalism, and she didn’t care.

  Screw the rules.

  She wanted this mystifying creature, and she would have him.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Xal allowed himself to be led, enjoying her assertiveness as she pulled him down the corridor, one hand curled around his, their fingers entwined. He had given up on trying to resist. Instead, he gave in to his lust, allowing himself to be overwhelmed by her.

  Her scent was all around him; a delicate, layered perfume on top, and underneath, the undeniably feminine essence of her.

  He opened his eyes and watched her from behind, his gaze traveling over the rounded curves of her perfect ass. As she walked, her hips swayed and her ass moved up and down, driving him nuts.

  After releasing his pent-up aggression fighting the General, he thought he’d be level-headed enough to avoid this kind of situation. But as soon as she’d touched his ultra-sensitive horns, he’d known he was lost.

  The lust had never abated, and under the fabric of his loosely belted robes, his cock strained, his erection almost painful.

  When he’d seen that soldier on top of her, he’d almost lost it. It had taken every bit of his self-control to do the rational thing. If he hadn’t sparred with Tarak in the simulation room, he didn’t know what he might have done.

  Xal stopped at the entrance to his chambers, which were closer than Sera’s, and the Qualum door unfused as it registered his presence. He pulled her inside, drawing her close to him. Her body was warm and soft, and he buried his nose in her hair, luxuriating in the feel of it; inhaling her scent.

  He couldn’t get enough of her scent.

  He looked down into eyes that were dark and filled with desire, her black pupils dilated in the dim light.

  A low growl escaped him, and he tucked his fingers under the hem of her pants, pulling them down. They dropped to the floor, and she stepped out of them, slipping off her soft shoes.

  She wore a tiny black undergarment that hid her sex and curved over her hips, completely revealing her bottom. Her legs were muscular and toned, and as she stood on her toes, leaning into him, he saw the outline of her well defined calves.

  She had a powerful body, which was honed for movement. He began to lift her top, but she stopped him. “You first,” she said. “What does a Kordolian male look like, under those robes?”

  She untied the loose belt at his waist and slid the garment off his shoulders, allowing it to drop to the floor. There was a sharp intake of breath as she took him in, and then she smiled.

  She rested one hand on his bare chest, trailing her fingers down his stomach, curling them around his erection.

  Xal groaned with barely restrained need. He wanted to tear off the rest of her clothes and fuck her savagely, but he resisted. It would be better to savor every last, delicious, drawn-out moment.

  She took his hand into hers and guided him down to her pussy. He placed his fingers on her soft mound, feeling her wetness through the thin, silken fabric of her undergarment. A low, guttural sound reverberated from his throat. She pressed herself against him, teasing him. He hooked his fingers under the thin band circling her hips and tore the flimsy garment free, tossing it away.

  She was wet and she was ready. He wanted to hear her cry out in pleasure under his touch. He wanted her to beg for him.

  She had led him to this, and now it was his turn.

  “Take off your top,” he told her, as he slid one finger between her moist folds. “I want to see all of you.”

  There was a moment of hesitation, and he saw doubt in her eyes. For the first time since he had met her, she looked vulnerable.

  “It’s all right,” he whispered, lifting the thin garment. She removed it slowly, crossing her arms, revealing the smooth, brown skin of her stomach and her full, round breasts. A black undergarment cradled her breasts, and he looked for a way to unfasten it, tugging at the bonds that held it tight.

  She laughed, a low, throaty, intoxicating sound. “Unhooking a bra is a skill you’re going to have to learn, big boy. It’s a centuries-old Earth mating ritual.”

  “Then I shall study this technique,” Xal purred, as he found the clasp. The garment came loose, and he dropped it, cupping her breasts. He bent down and took one nipple between his lips, circling it with his tongue. It firmed in response to his touch, and Sera moaned, arcing her back.

  Xal slid an arm behind her, running his fingers along the lean contours of her back, moving across to taste her other nipple, sucking it slowly.

  Her scent was driving him wild. He tasted sweetness and salt on her skin, and he savored its warmth against his tongue. His acute hearing picked up the hammering of her heart, beating a steady rhythm to her arousal. His fangs grazed the soft skin of her breast, and she shivered in anticipation.

  Xal rose, cupping her face in his hands, capturing her mouth with his.

  She yielded to his intense kisses, her tongue probing curiously, tentatively brushing against his fangs. He released her, running his hands through her curled hair, meeting her gaze.

  Her eyes were wide, and a faint, pink hue had spread across her cheeks.

  He was still in disbelief that this lovely creature was here before him, his for the taking, and that she wanted him.

  He was alien to her; a different species, and yet they were similar enough to be compatible. She was an enticing mystery that he wanted to unravel, even as their worlds balanced on a knife’s edge, the slightest mistake tipping them into oblivion.

  He wanted to taste her.

  He kissed the long lines of scarred flesh that ran from her temple, along her cheek, down to her jawline. They were marks of pain, suffered and overcome, worn proudly. He found them beautiful.

  He looked down and saw that her left arm was covered in a riot of color. Exotic flowers bloomed amongst verdant green vines. The artwork was intricately detailed, swirling around the toned curves of her biceps, trailing down her forearm, curling over her shoulder. Underneath, he could see more scars, artfully hidden amongst the flowers and leaves.

  He hadn’t known that Humans marked themselves in such ways. When he had first encountered her, with her formal suit and made-up face, he wouldn’t have been able to tell that she wore such proud marks underneath.

  Mesmerized, he traced his fingers down her arm, trailing over roughened scar tissue and the smooth, soft skin in-between.

  She’d revealed a secret, hidden part of herself.

  He kissed every part of her, right down to her fingers, and up close, he could see that there were thorns depicted amongst the beautiful flowers and vines.

  He dropped to his knees, looking up to see that she was delighted with his response, her dark eyes brimming with confidence. She held such power over him in this moment, and she knew it.

  It stoked Xal’s arousal even further.

  It would please him to hear her voice as she climaxed.

  He brought his lips against her sex, kissing here there, tenderly at first. Then he slid his tongue between her moist folds, tasting her salty wetness, getting intense satisfaction from the sound of her pleasure as she moaned. Her strong hands curled around his horns and a wonderful tingling sensation spread through his skull, erasing any traces of his excruciating headache.

  He went deeper with his tongue, and she bucked against him, gasping. He laughed at the sheer joy and freedom of it. He moved his tongue up and down, finding her incredibly responsive. With just the slightest flick, she would tremble and moan with pleasure.

  He searched and found that tender little nub, just where he’d thought it would be. Human anatomy wasn’t so different, after all. Xal sucked on that delicate point, and her moans turned into cries, becoming louder as he sucked a little harder. Her hands were all over his horns, moving up and down, her fingers at times sliding down to rake through his long hair.

  With his mouth on her clit, he slid one, then two fingers inside her pussy, being careful to retract his sharp nails. She was moist and tight inside and he stretched her a littl
e, causing her to gyrate her hips against him.

  “You’re impossible,” she gasped. “What fucking planet are you from?”

  He responded by flicking his tongue against her clit and glancing up at her face. She met his gaze for a brief moment, then closed her eyes and screamed.

  ~~~

  Sera was in another world. She’d looked into Xal’s burning amber eyes for just a few seconds, and she’d seen them crinkle in amusement. The bastard. He was driving her to insane heights and he knew it.

  She was helpless before him and he was all too aware of it.

  He was enjoying her pleasure, and all she could do was close her eyes as sensation overwhelmed her, brought upon by this dark, sinful creature.

  His tongue was impossible.

  His kiss was impossible.

  He was impossible.

  She was hopelessly attracted to him; she had been from the start. His body was paradise; when she dropped his robes she’d stood in astonished silence, her eyes raking over his honed, muscular torso.

  He’d watched her with a molten, possessive gaze, and she’d found herself wanting him with an intensity that terrified her.

  She’d never felt this way before about any human, so how could an alien, a being from a distant, dark planet, make her feel so good?

  In some remote corner of her mind, the thought occurred to her that she didn’t really know him, but that thought was washed away by her overwhelming desire.

  He was perfect. From his elegant, aristocratic features, to the symmetrical curves of his black horns, to his pointed ears and his silken, moonlight hair, he was magnificent. He was temptation wrapped up in an otherworldly package.

  And he had embraced Sera’s imperfections without hesitation, taking her as she was.

  She grabbed his horns, anchoring herself as he teased her clit, his long, smooth tongue stroking her most sensitive part.