by Amber Stuart
What are you doing here? she asked.
You need someone to enter the cave with.
You aren't worthy.
And you are?
Hope didn't reply. She couldn't. Not after what she had done.
You did not think you could take the alien in with you, did you?
She glanced at Cord, who had joined her. Even though he didn't know what was happening, she knew he offered his support. His hands hovered near his weapons, ready for her to declare the male in front of them friend or foe.
I hadn't thought of it, she lied.
The idea had flitted through her mind once they had reached the mountains. But there were too many what-ifs: what if the cave rejected him? What if he rejected her?
What will your family say when winter continues, when you return to your tribe and they know you did not meet your destiny? All because of an alien.
Hope's chest heaved as his righteous anger welled around her and the fear she had kept at bay—fear of failure, of being unworthy—drained from her. He had voiced the questions she had been unwilling to face.
I saw you. You killed. You made yourself impure all for that alien.
I had to.
I have killed only aliens. You killed one of us. One like you. One with a destiny. What makes you think the cave will accept that?
I'm—
Pure of heart? he scoffed. You have betrayed our kind. You even smell like that thing.
Hope hissed at the insult and attacked.
Cord was caught off guard. One moment the two Camo were glaring at each other in silent communication, the next they were grappling on the snow-covered ground, having rushed each other.
"Crut."
He pulled his gun and trained it on the male as he scrambled to gain the upper hand. Hope surprised him again when the punches started to fly, frantic yet accurate. The male was stronger but Hope fought dirty, biting, clawing, and using every bony part of her body as part of her arsenal. Cord almost felt sorry for the other Camo. So much for Hope being a pacifist—she was vicious.
Cord saw the glint of the knife before Hope did.
"Knife," he yelled even though he knew his warning was useless.
He couldn't squeeze off a shot, not while they thrashed around in a tangle of limbs. Not when he could accidentally hit her. Instead, he re-holstered his gun and threw himself into the fray, forcing his body between theirs, sacrificing himself yet again as the cold steel of the Camo's blade slipped between his ribs and pierced a lung.
The drawing of Cord's blood brought the fight to an abrupt end.
Hope hissed and grabbed one of Cord's weapons from its place on his hip. By now she was used to its heft and this time she knew she was capable of using it.
Her so-called companion pushed himself back on his heels, an astonished look on his face. You would kill me?
You know I killed for him already. I can do it again.
You would doom us all for that thing?
They looked at Cord, who lay between them. Blood gurgled from between his lips and from his side.
He is male. We are not that different from his kind. The cave might—
The cave will not accept him or you.
You cannot know that.
I do, he said and visibly deflated before her. I have already tried. I thought it might be because I was entering alone, but…
You are not worthy.
More worthy than you!
Hope watched as he curled up in shame. The fight had left him. She slowly lowered the gun and turned her attention to Cord. If she was going to heal him so they could meet their destiny together, she would need help. Fortunately she had access to a second life source, one who offered no resistance when she made her request. She took only as much as she needed to heal her alien.
Cord was getting used to waking in unfamiliar locations. Tents, the ground, inside caves, it was pretty normal for him. The cave, however, was unexpected and he wondered if this was where Hope had to do whatever she needed to do to end winter. Whatever it was, he hoped it was soon. He missed the warmth of summer. It had ended when his family had been murdered by his longtime friend. At the time winter had seemed fitting, but now he wondered if he was cursed to feel the gloom of winter for the rest of his—hopefully short—life.
Reluctantly he lifted his head and took in his surroundings. Nearby a large fire crackled in a pit. Steaming pots were suspended above it. Heat. Warmth. He hadn't expected to feel anything but coldness, not after the knife had—
Crut.
He groaned, remembering how his idiotic attempt at busting up a fight between two Camo had ended for him. Hope had saved him, yet again. If it weren't for her, he would be dead many times over by now. Why was he putting himself through this? Why had he put up with her, the pain, the damn unwanted erections? Did he value currency that much or was it that death wish Cass accused him of having?
Or was it something else, he wondered as he spied Hope across the cave. She was studying something on the wall and in the flickering light he could make out some rudimentary drawings that continued off into the darkness. Was that her destiny? Drawings? Maybe they were an instruction manual. That thought made him pause. Did she know what she was supposed to do or had he let her lead him blindly into a cave? Would she sacrifice him to her native gods? Would the spilling of his blood usher in spring? It was the only reason he could think of for keeping him alive.
By the time Hope stepped out of the shadows, Cord had made peace with the universe and was ready to die. He watched her dip some rags into the pots and soak them in scented water before tentatively approaching him. Her smile was disarming but he had accepted his fate and quietly watched.
Hope now understood her destiny. Her life had been leading up to this moment, but now she realized she had been inadequately prepared. Details had been kept from her. Perhaps purposely, perhaps not. She knew about the cave and how there were others like her with her gift who had a destiny to fulfill before they could then go on to have a relatively normal life. All the restrictions imposed on her would be lifted. She would soon be free, as would the male who had been chosen to accompany her. What she hadn't known was what was meant to happen inside the cave. The drawings had filled that gap in her knowledge. Two strangers were to enter the cave and create life, and from that moment, the next season would flow across the land.
She dabbed the dampened cloth across Cord's forehead. They had been strangers, two people from different places. Her alien qualified as one of the participants, she was sure of it. The cave had let them enter. All they had to do was create life and that would save both his people and hers.
He let her sponge his face clean and after rinsing the cloth, she wiped lower, across his hairy jaw and down his neck. She had seen the hair on his chest a few days ago when they had been in the tent. Still, she was curious to see how much more hair there was and pulled the layers of shirts back. She washed grime and sweat away as she went. Her eyes followed the wet rag as she wiped down his belly. He helped her remove his clothing until she came to his pants. She had been briefly distracted by his underarms and the two small pebbles of flesh on his chest, but she was determined to continue.
Cord swallowed hard as she cleaned him. He gripped the edges of the pallet bed he lay on. She was driving him insane every time she dabbed his flesh or grazed his body with her gaze. This was a tortuous way to die.
Cord dropped his head back and closed his eyes. He wouldn't be able to last if she kept this up. Embarrassing himself before dying had never crossed his mind. He tensed as she freed him from his pants, and after an excruciatingly long time she resumed washing.
His hips lifted of their own accord when she grasped his cock in her hand. Where was the knife? Surely there was a sacrificial knife. Maybe he should do it and put himself out of his misery. As long as she didn't cut his cock off first—a common fear among men.
The rag disappeared and was replaced wit
h something that was definitely not a knife. He exhaled slowly, glad that he would at least be going to the next life—wherever or whatever that was—in one piece. Whatever it was on his cock though, was soft and all encompassing. The feeling was familiar, but when he couldn't place it, he lifted his head to discover what it was, then wished he hadn't. Hope knelt next to him, his cock grasped in her hand and with her lips encircling him.
Up went his dammed hips again.
"Crut," he breathed.
Hope opened her eyes and trapped him in her gaze. His breath quickened and he bit back a moan, from pleasure or panic, he wasn't sure. She bobbed her head and he almost lost it right there. The last thing he wanted to do was shoot off in a Camo's mouth. But she wasn't just any Camo. He also realized that she wasn't just any woman. She was Hope.
He stared at her and wondered why this was happening. Coherent thought became more difficult when she introduced her tongue to his cock. Again with the thrust of his hips.
Did she want him? Did he want her? He knew his body desperately wanted her. Could being with her mean more to him than the currency she carried? Could he be with her? Had Cass known this would happen?
Hope divided her attention between pleasuring the male she had chosen to be her consort and the emotions that played over his face. She could almost feel his thoughts and it gnawed at her. What if he rejected her? What if he did not want to be her consort? Would his hatred of her kind be something he could not overcome?
She wavered. Being with him had seemed so right, but it would be hopeless if he didn't feel the same way. Hope pulled away, now certain she had misinterpreted his interest in her. Her chest tightened with the same fear she had felt about the cave and her destiny. She had made a mistake, so before he could reject her, she ran.
Cord swore as Hope hightailed it outside. He grabbed his pants, yanked them up and gave chase. The fear in her eyes mirrored his own. Didn't she know he wouldn't hurt her? Hadn't he proved that already? Cord knew he wasn't an admirable man, nor a very good one, but he had been ready to die so she could complete her destiny. He had nothing to offer her, just himself.
With another curse, he sprinted barefoot through the snow and caught Hope up in his arms. Without a word, because it was a wasted means of communication, he kissed her, plunging his tongue past her surprised lips and into the cavern of her mouth.
"Let's continue this inside," he said and turned her back the way they had come. Not wanting to lose his toes or any other extremities, he scooped her up and ran.
Once back inside, he lowered them to the pallet by the fire pit and pulled Hope across his lap. She straddled him and initiated their second—although technically third—kiss.
He smiled against her mouth and felt his heavy heart lift. A happiness he hadn't felt in years engulfed him. He hadn't felt this way since… well, now wasn't the time to think about it. He pushed it away to focus on the present. Now he had an extraordinary woman in his arms who wanted him and he wasn't that surprised to find he wanted her back.
Hope moved against him as he tugged off her clothes. He gazed at her nakedness, surprised again at the similarities between her kind and his. He reverently cupped her breasts and nuzzled them. Sliding his tongue between her cleavage, she tasted delicious. She tasted like hope.
She welcomed his touch and yearned to be closer. She sighed as his hot lips burned across her cool flesh while she explored the hard planes of his body with her hands. He shivered with each chilly touch ghosting over his chest, his nipples, and down to his throbbing cock.
With a growl, he pushed her back on the pallet and entered her. Her sudden hiss stilled him. Cass was right again, Hope was a virgin. He scrunched his eyes closed and cursed himself for taking her so roughly, for rushing her.
"I'm sorry," he gasped and withdrew.
Hope threaded her hands through his hair and pulled him back. She wrapped her legs around his waist and arched her back, offering her breasts to him again, letting him know what she wanted. And if that weren't enough, she rubbed her mound against his still-erect cock.
They moaned at the friction, both aroused beyond words. Cord almost lost himself again. He held his passion in check, at least until she was used to him being inside her. He rested the tip of his cock against her labia and slowly nudged inside her tightness. This time when he stilled it was so her body had time to get used to the size of his cock. Once he was certain she was ready, he lifted his hips and thrust into her pussy.
Hope clung to him. Never had she looked at a male—not even of her own kind—and wanted him as much she wanted her alien. Slick with his sweat and burned by his kisses, she wanted more. She dug her heels into his behind and forced him deeper. Each movement demanded he give her more, give it faster, give it harder. A part of her was afraid he wouldn't be able to give enough, yet she trusted that he could do it. He had to.
A moment of panic clutched her when he reached behind him and took hold of her ankles. His rough hands gently guided them to his shoulders, changing the angle of his penetration. She moaned when his next thrust went further than he had before. Those worries she had that he couldn't satisfy her fled.
Her thoughts scattered. She couldn't think, not while he drove into her, heating her like fire from the inside out. Her skin tingled and her toes twitched as reality shattered around her. The last thing she saw before closing her eyes to the searing light and giving herself to the pleasure surging through her was Cord, his no longer alien face frozen in raw emotion as he too reached release.
Cord had never been with a woman who glowed when she came. The light that seemed to come from inside her grew in intensity, almost blinding him as she writhed against him. He closed his eyes to the painful light and with a roar of satisfaction, his seed exploded into her.
He collapsed, making sure he didn't crush her, and cautiously opened one eye. The light that had mysteriously appeared had just as mysteriously vanished.
"What was that?" he asked the smug-looking woman beneath him.
She responded by yanking on his beard and assaulting his mouth with her dexterous tongue.
"Again? Already?"
He let her lead his hands to her breasts and mash them together.
"You're gonna be the death of me."
Hope snuggled closer to the warmth of her consort and smiled as she remembered all they had shared. She contemplated waking him for a fourth round but a familiar mind poked at hers, ordering her outside. Carefully she untangled herself from Cord, slipped into his large shirt and stepped out of the cave.
Outside a lone Camo waited, older than her by a few years but still a face she remembered well and fondly.
You fulfilled your destiny, he said. If he wondered about her clothing, he didn't let on.
Yes. You did not have to come.
I missed you.
She threw herself into his outstretched arms and sobbed. I missed you also.
I am glad that I chose well for you.
Hope clung to him in silence, trying to piece her thoughts together. How would she explain this to her consort?
With a snort, Cord awakened. He reached for Hope but found the other side of the pallet empty.
"Hope?" he said as he reached for his clothes and hastily pulled them on.
No response. She wasn't in the cave.
With his boots on and his weapons strapped firmly in place, he passed the wall with the drawings on his way to the mouth of the cave. The contrasting colors caught his attention and his curiosity got the better of him.
The drawings were simplistic. Two figures. One white, one brown, each with different colored skies, met. They traveled together to a black hole—obviously the cave—and entered together. Next, was what he could only describe as Camo stick figure porn and the last drawing teemed with an abundance of life.
Hope's destiny: to have sex in a cave, with a stranger.
Cord's hands fisted. He had been sacrificed, but not in the way he had exp
ected.
"Crut."
Hope felt his body tense and turned to see Cord leave the cave. He was fully clothed, weapons in place and angry. Their eyes locked briefly before he slid behind her.
What was that alien doing in the sacred cave?
He is my consort.
Clearly not happy with her answer, he hissed and pushed her behind him.
Hope caught his arm to keep him from going for his knife. She could not let them fight. Both of them were important to her.
The time you spent with them has affected your thinking. I cannot let you give up your place in my tribe to be with that alien.
I have fulfilled my destiny, she said and filled his mind with evidence of the change of seasons. Already the snow was melting, the winds dying. Even at this elevation birdsong could be heard. Please? I beg of you.
He lowered his arm, unable to argue with the end of winter. He can live.
Overjoyed, she hugged him again. When she looked up though, Cord was gone. She followed his footprints with her eyes and saw him lower himself over the ledge. He paused, as if looking at her for the last time before his head dropped out of sight.
No!
Strong hands held her in place, stopping her from running after him.
He made his choice, little one. Now it is beyond time for you to come home.
Three years later Cord jerked wildly as bullets riddled his torso. He fell forward onto his face. As he lay dying, one regret assailed his departing mind: he had abandoned Hope.
It was a regret he had lived with since leaving her in the arms of a male of her kind. She had used him. Made him fall in love her. And even though what they had shared that night in the cave, during the entire journey, had meant nothing to her, it had meant everything to him.
He was surprised he had lived three years. After leaving Hope, he had further isolated himself from humanity. Daniel, Cass, and her husband had made an effort, but after time had given him the space he desired. They knew a lost cause when they saw one. He had taken up drinking again, something he had stopped while with her. He had taken any job offered. He didn't care what the currency was. The more dangerous the better. If his friends thought he had a death wish before, it was nothing compared to now.
