by KH LeMoyne
“Every inch was you.” He licked across the scar over her right breast and then stopped, evidently seeing something in her expression.
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t believe me. The truth is, the real you, your drive, the choices you’ve made, your passion to help those you care about is a hundred times more enticing than the woman in my dreams. You can’t imagine what you do to me.”
“I’m glad she saved you, Trace.” She tried to hold him closer, pulling on his shoulders, wanting to comfort the sad quiet in his eyes.
He held her firm, his attention no longer playful and gentle, but focused as he bent to her nipple and roused her with his lips and teeth. “There won’t be any pity moves. I don’t want your body unless you want me desperately, always. Life’s too short.”
She gasped as he bit down, the sharp sting sending a tremor of need through her body. His fingers moved lower, stroking, and teasing without mercy until her gasps couldn’t keep up with her need for air.
Perched on the edge, as he’d promised, she swallowed the desire to beg him, waiting until his body shifted hot and firm between her thighs. No words or warning preceded his quick thrust. Instinctively, her legs clutched him as her climax built at his silent command. And still, he kept her on the brink, his fingers rolling her nipples, his mouth tasting at her lips, his cock teasing inside her.
“Trace, please.” At the slight tilt of his mouth, she realized he’d been waiting for her to beg, the onerous man. She didn’t care as long as he moved and didn’t stop. Nothing filled her mind and senses but him—no fear, no plans, no threat, only his flesh against hers as he drove her higher.
“That’s my Analena.” He withdrew and then thundered back into her, catching her scream with his mouth. His tongue and his cock worked her until she swirled in sensations that began and ended with Trace.
Three hours later, stiff with pleasant aches, Analena slid out of bed, trying not to wake him. His lethargy saved her from one more round of delicious sex. Not that she’d complain, too much. But she had things to do, and the man was determined to extract every ounce of energy she had to give. She needed a little left over for other things.
The sheet dropped from her body as his arm snaked around her thighs. She held her breath as he kissed the crease between her thigh and buttocks, then rested his face against her ass cheek, as if he’d fallen asleep there.
Not fooled, she threaded her fingers through his thick hair. “What are you doing?”
He rubbed his bristles lightly against her flesh with a chuckle. “Making sure it’s not a dream, Angel.”
***
“I can test your DNA and see how it reacts. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t talk to Analena first, or that it’s an acceptable risk.”
“But if it works, then I can be normal.”
Analena had paused at the tunnel entrance at the first comment. She remained out of their field of vision to listen for Trace’s response. Perhaps an unfair test, but it would be awkward to step in now.
“What exactly would normal feel like for you, Hena?” he asked.
“I’d—want to be like other girls.” She flashed a hand down her prosthetic leg. “No one would see this.”
Trace rolled his lips for a second, “My daughter would be close to your age. I’m going to tell you what I would have told her. Nobody that is worth your time is going to reject you because of your leg.”
“That’s easy for you to say.”
“It’s very easy for me to say. I find each of you to be gifted and special. But I’m guessing this discussion is really about boys, men, and growing up. I can tell you, as a male member of the species, that the loss of a body part wouldn’t stop me from caring about or loving someone.”
He had the wherewithal to look uncomfortable, but Analena had to give him credit; he didn’t back down. “Just so we’re clear here, Hena. I get wanting to be attractive to someone you’re interested in. But honestly, love and having a physical relationship with another person is about sharing who you are and seeing beyond their outside layers. The outside stuff isn’t anything you can count on. It changes with time. The inside—respect, courage, generosity, how someone treats you—those things are the keepers.”
Hena looked doubtful.
“That doesn’t mean I won’t do everything I can to help you. We’ll run some tests. It wouldn’t hurt for you to give this some thought before you talk to Analena. A whole new leg is a huge decision, entailing days of recovery, undermined issues, and risk.”
The teenager nodded and left. Analena couldn’t quite tell if she’d absorbed Trace’s point or not. Everyone had to learn things their own way.
“That was quite the speech.”
Trace gave her a sideways glance and shrugged. “She’s a sweet, lovely girl.”
“It’s hard to be sixteen and feel imperfect.”
He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her onto his lap, shifting to let her feel his arousal against her hip.
She wiggled, uncomfortable with the public intimacy and his obvious feelings.
His embrace tightened, letting her know his touch was no accident, and that he sought her acquiescence. She gave in with a cross between a laugh and a sigh.
“Imperfection isn’t something any of you need to worry about.” He brushed her hair from her neck to give him better access for a kiss. “If she looked around, she’d realize that Aaron is waiting for her notice him.”
She groaned. “Matchmaking now?”
“No. She’s too young, and he knows that. But hopefully, she won’t discount him for too long.”
“You sound like her father. Have you ever considered having more children?” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them, a too easy quip to his early question of the same. Regret surged into her chest as his arm stiffened around her waist. His fingers pressed to her lips, and he didn’t let her turn when she would have apologized. He just held her tight as his cheek met hers.
“I never wanted that pain again.” His lips touched at the lobe of her ear as his breath stirred against her skin. “But I would give you a child, Analena. If that was what you desired, I’d do everything in my power to have a baby with you.”
Chapter 14
A flash of light from the virtual screen against the rock wall registered from the corner of Trace’s eye. Dormant since Radar’s last message and the delivery of the AG, the message unit now pulsed, phrases repeating in large neon letters.
Radar: Onyx?
Radar: Piper?
Confirm
Radar: Your location—compromised—presence detected—estimated time 20 minutes
A brief image of armed soldiers crossing the grasses below the satellites wavered on the screen.
Trace whipped around to Aaron. “Round up the kids. They take only what they can wear or carry.” Grabbing his duffel, Trace jammed his notes and tools in outside pockets.
Aaron hadn’t moved. “We can’t leave here.”
“Like hell you can’t. Consider this a very serious drill if you have to because we’re out of here in fourteen. Now get those kids moving.” He squatted before the device and typed into the keypad.
Backdoor or front?
Radar: Front— estimated time 19 minutes —4 squads—crusher—have identified demolition weapons
Rushing to the table with his supplies, he activated every compression sequence he could reach. The metallic segments of the surgical unit flipped, swiveled, and folded in on itself, condensing into a unit the size of a two-by-two-inch box. “Where’s Analena?”
Trace shot a glance around at the scurrying kids, searching for the thick black braid. One more second, and he’d go find her. He slammed lids on test samples and stuffed everything into his duffel and other bags.
“What are you doing?” Analena’s sharp tone rang from behind him.
He turned in time to catch the flash of shock on her face followed by a quick mask of her emotions as she took in his duffel. He jerked
his head toward the message. There was no time to assuage her doubts. “Your security’s been breached. The kids are packing. You have another place scoped out?”
Instant recognition dawned. She spun on her heel, directed Bits to get her backpack, hurried several other children along, and then disappeared through the doorway to her room. One minute, and she was back with a bag strapped to her back. With military precision, she began forming the children into pairs.
“How do we keep them from following?” Trace asked.
She nodded to Aaron. “He has the codes for charges we’ve already set.”
“Good, you go. It’ll take me an extra few minutes to pack up the research. I’ll follow with him.”
He could see his own desperate need to say more mirrored in the frustration on her face, but she turned to Aaron. “I’ll leave a boat. Don’t wait too long or let them get you. We’ll be at the caves by the shore.”
She glanced back at him.
Trace shook his head. “Go. We’ll be behind you. Just keep going and don’t stop.”
Aaron grabbed the straps of one of Trace’s bags and slung it over his shoulder with his own. “I’ve got to check the charges. Take the far left tunnel. Get to the bottom and keep going. Thirty feet, take the sharp right turn. You’ll hear the water.”
“Got it. I’ll be right behind you.” Trace glanced back at the timer counting down on the message screen. Seventeen minutes. “Aaron. If I’m not there by nine, blow it.”
“Trace—”
“Do it.”
Trace didn’t bother to watch him leave. Instead, he ran through the back rooms ensuring nothing was left. He paused in the tunnel. Only the Entity remained.
Cursing under his breath, he stuck his hand in.
We’re leaving.
Others come.
Bad people. We can’t stay. If you can leave, you should do so.
You are the female’s champion?
Champion? What an antiquated perspective. Then again, he dreamed of angels.
You choose to commit as the female’s champion?
Yes. He’d do anything for her.
Forever?
Yes. She was the only thing that stood between him and hell.
Then, you will be our champion as well.
The crystals of the bowl shifted, hexagons multiplying and rising, curving and closing. The crystals circled the fluid Entity, designing a sphere. Trace held his breath as the crystal finished its circle, sealed in the Entity and shrank to one third of its original size.
Trace placed the segment of intelligent metal that he’d bought from Rasmond on the sphere. The hard bit liquefied, spreading to coat the crystal ball. Two thin whips of the metal secured themselves around the structure as handles.
Seizing the ball, he ran to the main cave and snatched his duffel. Twelve minutes.
A small sound echoed behind him. He whipped around, his laser out and ready. Bits was crouched at the far end of the room, partly hidden behind a chair.
He grabbed her around the waist, tucked her against his chest, and ran.
Ten minutes. They’d never make it.
Fuck that. “Hang on tight, sweetheart.”
The whine of laser fire sounded, strafing the cave behind them, as his feet slipped down the first tunnel. He regained his balance and vaulted forward, his heartbeat loud enough to cover his noise. Bits had a stranglehold on his neck, cutting off the little air he had left.
He didn’t need the countdown to know he was out of time, but he charged up the last grade and rounded into the sharp turn to the right.
No sound of water. He couldn’t hear much beyond the thundering of his pulse.
The ground lurched beneath his boots. Aaron’s arm dragged him to the dirt as the first charge activated.
“Getting slow, old man.”
“Complacent living,” he huffed, as he crawled to dump his duffel and the ball into the bottom of a small pontoon. Putting Bits in the center underneath the bags, he helped Aaron push off into the cold current as the next charge peppered them with rocks and dust.
***
The thwack of the putty making contact with the cave’s roof was getting on Analena’s nerves. Not that she wasn’t thankful they were able to string the new lighting globes quickly, but every empty moment without Aaron and Bits hurt her heart. And then there was Trace. She couldn’t let herself think about him or she wouldn’t be able to breathe.
Focus on the kids. Catalog the action items to make this new spot habitable. They’d been here for two hours, long enough for the others to catch up, long enough for everyone to feel the strain and jump at any sound that might signal their arrival. Even with their head start, each of the boats had felt the rumble of the explosions and seen the debris.
“Hena, can you see what we can pull together for a meal?”
Unusually silent, the girl headed off for the few bags of supplies they’d managed to carry with them.
“Why do the security balls look different?” Analena didn’t know who she expected to answer. Aaron usually handled security with her, and lately, Trace. She closed her eyes at the silence.
“I modified them to dampen sounds in our grid and project a shield in case of gas detection.”
Analena whipped around at Trace’s deep rumble. Very wet but beaming, Aaron, Bits, and Trace stood at the edge of the cavern amidst the launching bodies and shouts of the children. She made her way through and caught Bits as she lunged into her arms.
Too upset to look Trace in the eye, she grabbed Aaron and strangled him with a hug. “What took you so long?”
“Little detour.” Aaron answered, extracting himself. “Had to port the pontoon around a small cave-in and then almost capsized.”
Analena struggled to filter air through her lungs, still not quite able to wipe the fatality she’d envisioned from her mind. “And you Bits? You were supposed be in the line.”
She’d left the question light, but the little girl didn’t lift her head from Analena’s shoulder.
“I lost my bear.”
Aaron winced, and Analena’s stomach turned again with how close they’d come to leaving a child behind. Gar had moved beside her and brushed against her arm to pat Bit’s corkscrew curls. “Your bear’s okay.”
He gestured to Trace’s duffel and moved to crouch beside the large bag, searching in one of the outer pouches. After an elbow-deep dig, he pulled out the tattered bit of cloth and stuffing. “You dropped it by that bowl in the hallway. I figured, since you lose it a lot, it was safer if Trace brought it. I’m sorry, Bits.”
Freeing the child to tackle Gar and her bear, Analena took a deep breath. “Well, I guess we should get back to work.” She risked a glance at Trace. He’d turned away to sort through the additional supplies. “We need to search out the best water access and set up a filtration system. Then start on bedding.”
“Let’s see if this helps.” Trace strode across the new cavern to a tunnel running parallel to the waterfall. Aaron and several of the children followed him. Doubtful of getting any work done, Analena trailed behind.
Trace had placed a metal ball on the ground near the water’s edge.
“Another security device?”
“No, one more person we couldn’t leave behind.” He pinched a spot on the metal, and the texture liquefied, sliding away to puddle at the base of a crystal ball. He palmed the top of the crystal, and the rough texture enlarged to three times its size and then cracked at the top. Light danced along the walls of the tunnel as the ball glowed and opened, crystals compacting and retracting from the top, shifting toward the bottom to form a three-foot high pedestal. The Entity glimmered, cradled inside.
A light vibration shook the tunnel before a tiny fissure cracked in the ceiling. Fibers of green wound their way toward the Entity, splitting off tendrils to dip into the bowl before splitting again to grow toward both the waterfall and the new cavern.
The kids cheered and clapped. Analena swallowed hard. “How d
id you—”
Trace folded his arms across his chest and smiled. “I told them we were leaving. They wanted to come.”
Chapter 15
Trace had watched Analena’s stoic, shell-shocked reaction for an hour. It was all he was going to take. He moved behind her, circled her wrist with his hand, and pulled her out of the pile of children asking questions.
“You guys take your issues to Aaron and Hena for a little bit.”
Her hand tensed beneath his touch. “Where are you taking me?”
“I’ll let you know.” He pulled her down one of the corridors until the sounds of kids dissipated, then stopped and faced her.
“Do you want me to stay?”
“I—what kind of question is that?”
He titled her face to see it in a crack of sunlight from overhead. “This is an easy yes or no answer, Angel. Do you want me to stay with you? You haven’t even given me a look since we arrived.”
“Yes, but—I have too—”
The rest of her argument he cut off as his mouth covered hers. His lips and tongue possessed her with more dominance than he’d intended, but he wanted the lesson understood. He also didn’t want her to think.
She pushed away, breathing hard. “I’m not going to stop taking care of these kids. And if Radar has more to rescue, I’m going back in.”
“Wouldn’t expect anything else.” He cradled her face in his hands. “But you don’t have to do it alone anymore, Analena. If you say yes, I’m at your back—forever.”
“You can’t possibly mean that.”
He didn’t doubt she had trouble believing him as he took in the dark circles of fatigue around her eyes. “The last few hours were that bad? Did you really think I wouldn’t come back?”
She looked stunned, though he took it as a hopeful sign.
“It’s going to take weeks to get even a fraction of the home life up and working that we had before.” Giving her one more minute of avoidance, he added, “Things go faster with more hands.”
