by R. E. Butler
He linked their fingers and said, “I’m proud of you.”
“For what?”
“We’ve been running for two hours. You haven’t once complained.”
She rolled her eyes. “What would complaining get me?”
“Some sympathy and maybe a kiss.”
Her brows rose. “Oh. In that case, let me make a list of complaints.”
With a chuckle, he kissed her. “Let’s get on our way.”
“I’m right behind you.”
They skirted along the edge of the forest, listening and watching for soldiers. When they reached the tunnel entrance, he stepped out of the forest and looked around. After deciding the way was clear, he brought Pilar with him, running from the trees and climbing over a rocky section several feet in height. On the other side of the rocks, he located the device used to view the magically hidden tunnel.
The mountainside appeared whole, but with the device, he could see exactly where the tunnel was. Hiding the device again, he said to Pilar, “Are you ready?”
“For what? Where’s the tunnel?”
“It’s hidden. I need you to trust me.”
She tilted her head. “Of course I trust you. I just walked away from everything for you.”
“I know. I can’t wait to thank you properly for your trust.”
She giggled. “Villi, you’re making me blush.”
“We’re going to walk to the tunnel. Just follow me and it will be fine.”
“Okay.”
He took a few steps to one side and then headed for the mountain with Pilar right behind him. He stepped through the magical façade and she made a soft squeaking sound of surprise, then laughed.
“Holy stars! What was that?”
He turned to face her, pulling out a glow tube that Dex had put in all their packs. Cracking the tube and shaking it until it turned bright yellow, he held it aloft and said, “It’s magically protected. No one from outside can see where the tunnel is or see anything going on in here, unless they’re looking through the device.”
She looked around the tunnel. It was several miles long. “This is pretty neat.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“It looks like a long walk,” she said.
“It is. It will take at least as long to traverse this tunnel as it did the forest, but we don’t have to rush and there aren’t any soldiers in here looking for us.”
“That’s good.”
“Would you… like to take a break?”
She looked down at the rock floor. “I don’t know.”
“There are a few small caverns along the tunnel that are used for storing supplies and resting. When my people created the tunnel, they ensured that if it became necessary, any people who traveled along the tunnel could stop, rest, and refuel. My father said that one of the caverns has a natural hot spring.”
“That would be heavenly. Won’t your family be worried about you, though?”
“The leader of our group said he’d give me until tomorrow night to return to the city before he came to look for me. We can rest and relax.”
She nodded. “I’d like that.”
He took her pack and hefted it onto his back. The extra weight didn’t bother him and he knew she would appreciate not having to carry the heavy pack, even if it was only for a little while.
The first cavern they came to held hide pouches of dried meat, cheese, and fruit. He took one of each and tied them onto his belt. They passed two more caverns that were empty. By the time they reached the next cavern, he knew it was the one with the hot spring; he could feel the moisture in the air and smell the moss that grew on the rocks.
He ducked inside with Pilar behind him. They followed a tunnel that had a few turns and then opened into a large cavern. Against one wall of the cavern was a hot spring that spilled into a deep, wide pool.
“Oh!” Pilar said as he led her to the pool, the glow tube illuminating the surface. The water was clear and steam rose from the surface.
“I have more glow tubes in my pack,” he said as he removed her two packs and then his own from his back. He handed her the glowing tube and opened his pack, extracting several more tubes. Saving enough for the trip through the tunnel later, he cracked and shook them up, setting them around the pool. The bright glow lit up not only the pool but also the rest of the cavern.
Along a nearby wall, someone had left a hide pack of towels and blankets, and several bedrolls. He removed two towels and shook them out, the hide pack having kept them free of debris.
Pilar said, “Villi?”
He knelt next to her. “What do you need?”
“I wanted to know if… you wanted to get in the water with me?”
“I’d be honored.”
He helped her stand and they faced each other. For a moment, neither of them said anything, and then she laughed. “I feel like it’s my first time, even though it’s not. I hope… that’s okay? I don’t know if it matters to you that I’m not untouched.”
“I would prefer that no male had ever seen you bare before, but I would never hold your past against you. Whatever you experienced in your life brought us together. I’m grateful for it.”
“I feel like the luckiest female in all the galaxy.”
“I’m supremely lucky as well, Pilar.”
He tugged off his tunic, laying it over the packs. Pilar removed her coat and he took it from her, setting it on top of his shirt. She gripped the hem of her tunic but he stilled her hands.
“Let me,” he said.
He lifted her tunic slowly, revealing her creamy skin. She lifted her hands and helped him pull it off completely, and then he laid her tunic aside with his own. He placed his hands on her waist and pulled her close. “You’re so lovely.”
She ran her fingers up his arms and across his shoulders, curling them around his neck and drawing him down to her lips. “You are, too,” she whispered against his mouth.
Their lips met and parted, their tongues sliding together. He wrapped his arms more fully around her and drew her closer. Her skin was so soft and warm, and her breasts were pressing against his chest. Sliding one hand from the small of her back to her side, he trailed his fingers up until he was touching the curve of her breast. He moved enough to allow space between them so he could touch her more completely. Cupping her breast, he rubbed his thumb in a slow circle around her nipple. She moaned softly, her fingers sliding through his hair as she sucked on his tongue. He brought his other hand up to touch her other breast, cupping them and rubbing the tight buds. She shivered, her nails digging into his scalp as he tugged lightly on the buds.
At the same moment, their hands both went down as they reached for the closures on each other’s trousers. She loosened the ties that secured his, and he undid the button on hers. Breaking the kiss, Villi released his hold on her trousers and brought his hands to rest on hers. She pushed down, freeing him from the garment. He toed off his moccasins and stepped from his trousers. Then he went to his knees, helping her off with her shoes first before hooking his fingers in the waistband of her panties and trousers, and sliding them down her legs. She was beautifully built, curved in all the right places.
Standing slowly, he grabbed the towels from the floor and then lifted her into his arms, carrying her to the pool. He put her on her feet and then laid out the towels on the edge. Inside the pool were a series of carved steps, and he followed them until he was waist-high in the steaming water. Looking up at his soul mate, he patted the towel and smiled at her.
She joined him, sitting on the towel and easing her legs into the water.
“Oh, it’s lovely,” she said.
He gently pushed her legs apart, moving between her knees. Leaning forward, he kissed her as he slid his hands up the outside of her thighs. She scooted closer and wrapped her arms around his neck, tilting her head and deepening their kiss. He loved the way she tasted, sweet like the hoshi nectar he enjoyed spreading on bread. Sliding his fingers over her hips, he softly brushed the
apex of her thighs, touching the soft lips of her sex. Her skin was bare, and the silky evidence of her arousal coated his fingertips as he pressed the tips between her lips. He brushed his fingers down, circling the entrance to her sex and then up, sweeping them over her clit with the barest of touches. With each pass, he lingered longer on her clit, rubbing the tight nub until she panted against his lips.
Tapping her clit with one finger, he slid his hand into her hair and fisted it lightly, pulling her away from his mouth until he could see her. “Lie back for me,” he said hoarsely.
She bit her bottom lip, her eyes heavily lidded as she slowly laid back. The towels were large enough that her back was protected from the rock. He pushed her thighs farther apart and bent forward, leaning down to kiss her stomach and then her hips. He moved his hands to her pussy, using his thumbs to spread her open. He licked her clit, swirling his tongue around the bud and groaning at the sweet taste of her. His whole body roared at him to take her immediately, but he wanted their first time together to show her that he would always put her first.
Sucking on the nub lightly, he slipped a finger to her entrance, pushing inside slowly. She was hot and wet, her pussy gripping his finger as she moaned. She was tight and his cock was large, and he didn’t want to cause her discomfort. As he played his tongue over her clit, he pulled his finger out and added a second slowly. She reached for him, fisting his hair. Adding a third finger, he stretched her more, her sweet mewling driving him wild as he sucked and licked her clit.
“Stars, Villi,” she said, moaning loudly.
Twisting his fingers to rub her silken walls, he flicked his tongue rapidly over her clit. She inhaled sharply, pressing her knees against his shoulders. Then she shuddered, her pussy clutching his fingers tightly as her back bowed and she cried out in pleasure. He pulled his fingers from her, sucking her glistening arousal.
She sat up slowly and climbed into the water with him. As their mouths met once more, he turned and placed his back against the edge of the pool, sitting on one of the carved steps. She straddled him, reaching between their bodies to grasp his cock. Stroking him slowly, she placed the head at her entrance. He cupped her cheek, wanting to watch her face as she lowered herself onto him. She held his gaze as their bodies slowly came together until he was seated completely inside her. She was so hot and so tight; he was certain he’d never experienced anything so amazing.
She leaned forward and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she began to move on him. He slid his hands under the water and grasped her hips, thrusting up to meet her. The water lapped at the edges of the pool as they moved together. He pushed back his orgasm, wanting her to come again, bringing one hand to her stomach and pressing his thumb to her clit.
She moaned, flexing her hips and moving on him faster. Her pussy began to clutch him and he increased the movement of his thumb, pushing her toward another climax. She broke from their kiss, panting and groaning before burying her face in his neck as she came, chanting his name.
He followed her, coming harder than he ever had in his life. His cock spasmed over and over, filling her, his vision blurring as warmth pulsed through him. Wrapping both arms around her, he held her tightly as they came down from the stars.
She sniffled and he cupped her face, tilting her head so he could see her. Worried he’d been too rough, he asked, “Did I hurt you?”
Tears tracked down her cheeks as she smiled. “No. It was so good it made me cry. I didn’t know it could be like this.”
He brushed the tears from her cheeks. “I didn’t either.”
“This was a really wonderful way to start off our life together.”
“My life didn’t begin until I met you.”
“I feel the same way.”
She slid off his lap and he stood, helping her from the pool and handing her one of the towels. As they dried off, he said, “When we’re settled in the city, I want to mate you properly. Some of the couples are from your side of the mountain and they like to wear matching rings.”
“Do you think I might know them?”
“The leader of the other team of males who infiltrated the city with me knew you when he saw your business card. His name is Dex.”
Her brows rose. “He worked in the medical center as a guard. I saw him from time to time when I visited my friend Sloan.”
“Sloan was one of the first ones to come over the mountain, along with her soul mate, Warrick.”
“I don’t understand. She told me that they were moving out of the area along with their family members.”
“They came to our city to live.”
“Why wouldn’t she tell me?”
“They weren’t supposed to tell anyone.”
“But if they’d told me, I would have come with them. We might have met long ago.”
“I’m sorry if this news hurts you.”
She smiled, but he could see in her eyes that she was still mulling over the news. “It’s okay, I promise.”
“I don’t want you to be upset with Sloan.”
“I’m disappointed, but it’s not like I had a terrible life. I had a job I enjoyed and friends. I just didn’t have you. That I might have known you before now makes me sad, but it’s only been a few moon cycles since she left.”
“I wish I had met you a hundred moon cycles ago,” he said as he arranged the bedrolls together. After gathering the pouches of food, he took her hand and led her to the makeshift bed. Opening the pouch containing dried fruit, he fed her a slice of dried gisselberi.
“It’s almost perfect in here,” she said as she stretched out on the bedroll.
“Oh? What would make it completely perfect?”
“If we could do what we did in the water here on the bedroll.”
He chuckled and leaned over, kissing her.
His soul mate had the best ideas.
Chapter 6
Pilar was so comfortable lying on top of Villi that she would have been content to stay that way forever. The cavern was warm and intimate, and the sound of the water lapping in the pool was peaceful. She propped her head on her upturned hand and said, “Do we need to get on our way?”
“We can stay a little longer if you’d like, but we should be back in the city before nightfall so that no one worries.”
“What would you have done if I’d told you no?”
“I would have tried to convince you that we were meant to be together.”
“I might have not listened and called for help.”
“I knew it was a risk when I broke into your home. I was hopeful that you’d give me a chance to explain myself.”
“I’m glad I did.”
They finished eating the dried fruit and meat, but she hadn’t cared for the cheese so she’d let him finish it. They were both thirsty, so he’d filled one of the pouches with water from the spring. Although it was hot, it quenched their thirst. They dressed and cleaned up, putting the towels and bedrolls away. He offered to carry her pack again, but she didn’t mind carrying it since he had his own plus one of hers. When they reached the tunnel, he cracked a glow tube to illuminate their way. She took his free hand as they walked.
“Tell me about your home,” she said.
“It’s your home now, too,” he said, which made her smile. “We all live in hide tents. Mine is simply furnished with a bed, couch, chair, and table. My brothers’ tents are on either side of mine. I hunt to provide for the needs of the city. Sometimes I hunt beasts for their hides and meat, and sometimes I trap and bring them back to the city to be raised and bred. We have herds of faisans that provide hides, meat, and milk. There are also pens of fourn which are used for their eggs, meat, and feathers, and there’s a lake where we fish, as well.”
“I’ve never fished before.”
“I’ll teach you.”
“What am I going to do in the city?”
“After you meet my family, you can take time to adjust to your new home, and then you can do whatever you like. Every
one is expected to help out in one way or another.”
“I can cook. I taught at the culinary academy in Kyvern City.”
“That’ll be very useful.”
“How many live in the city?”
“Over seventy.”
She chewed on her bottom lip as they walked, thinking about how there was an entire city of people living on the forbidden side of the mountains. According to Villi, they’d been there for several generations, after a few males decided that the soul-walk machine wasn’t the way to find a soul mate. Before the females were found to be sterile, Norlanian males used wooing chambers in the mountain, taking their chosen females and convincing them to be their mates. Villi’s people would sneak into the wooing chambers and drug the males, giving the females an opportunity to either remain with their mates or leave and join them in the forbidden city. Now that males weren’t finding soul mates on Norlan, the wooing chambers weren’t used anymore.
“Why are your people called Ligaru?”
“I’m not certain. My father said that the forefathers of our city went to the government and said that they wanted to discontinue soul-walks, that people should be able to choose their own mates without governmental interference. They were rebuffed, called instigators, and threatened. When they settled on the other side of the mountains, the government banned travel to this side, declaring it ‘forbidden.’”
“I was told that there’s nothing on the other side of the mountains but certain death from beasts and monsters. When I was young, one of my classmate’s father told him that the Ligaru would come for him if he misbehaved and take him away into a world of living nightmares.”
“That must have terrified him.”
“You do look like me but also a little different. Your skin is darker and your teeth are sharp.”
“It’s how we developed over the generations, to become more suited to our new world.” He paused for a moment and she turned to face him. “Our females aren’t sterile, either. Whatever happened to your people didn’t happen to ours. There are children in our city, and no one is born with blue hair.”
“I don’t understand.”
