Mission To Mahjundar (A Sectors SF Romance)

by Veronica Scott

  “I was already in love with you.” Face set in serious lines, brows drawn together, she said, “I had to send for Bandarlok, or so I believed. I’d summoned him long before I met you.”

  Hugging her tight, he kissed her forehead. “I know. To be honest, I was probably buying time for myself, too, not laying it all on the line, what was in my heart. I wasn’t sure myself. I said a lot of harsh things in the heat of the moment, there in the tomb. I apologize.”

  “No need. I understood your suspicions. And you were right in your accusations. Originally I was merely—what did you call it?— hedging my bets, by getting my father to assign you to escort me. I had little concern for you and Johnny, only that you were from the Sectors and Maralika and Vreely wouldn’t want to have outworlder eyes on any of their black deeds. But the longer you and I were in each other’s company on the road, the more I had to fight my heart when it came to you.” She pulled the furs tighter.

  Mike drew a deep breath. Here we go, this is where I blew it in the tomb. “You know I’ve got deep feelings for you?”

  “But you don’t want to rush me.” Her voice held a hint of amusement again. A small dimple showed in her cheek.

  “Right. What you said, about the goddess giving us a second chance? I don’t want to miss the opportunity. I want everything to go right where you and I are concerned.” He ran his free hand through his hair. “Riding away from that bastard’s camp yesterday, leaving you behind, knowing you were being mistreated, in danger, was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I wanted to take my blaster and level the place, grab you and get the hell off this planet. Anyone who knows me will tell you I never lose control on a mission, never get distracted from the job, but lady, you got through my shields without trying. I’ve never felt like this about a woman before.”

  Evidently pleased by his emotion, she tilted her head. “Should I apologize?”

  “Don’t you dare.” Unable to resist temptation, he leaned over to kiss her, keeping the contact light.

  Shalira seemed to have other ideas, grabbing him so hard she pulled him off balance and narrowly avoided falling on the bed. She kissed him with mounting passion, her tongue tracing the seam of his lips until he parted them with a groan and shifted to pull her into his lap, into a better position as their tongues tangled in an erotic dance. Her shapely bottom pressed against his raging hard-on and Mike broke off the caress, fighting to stay in control of the situation, remembering she’d recently been traumatized by Bandarlok. Ignoring her puzzled expression, he moved her off his lap, onto the blanket beside him.

  Taking one soft hand in his, he said, “Back at the tombs, I was pretty mixed up, not sure of my emotions, afraid to trust myself, so I didn’t speak plainly and I nearly lost you.” He stopped, taking a deep breath against the pressure of emotion in his chest. His heart thumped so loud he was sure she could hear it. “I love you, and I don’t ever want to be parted from you again. Will you—will you marry me? I’m sorry I don’t have a ring to offer you, but I swear I’ll have the Andromeda’s captain marry us as soon as we arrive in orbit.”

  She rested her fingers on his lips in a gentle shushing motion. “Rings and ceremonies won't change what’s already between us. The gods wouldn’t have favored us this far if they didn’t mean to see us through to the end. You answer my unspoken wishes, grant the dreams I’d locked in Pavmiraia’s amulet. You give me the true love I never thought I’d find. I can’t imagine any other future than being by your side.”

  “As my wife.” Unwilling to accept anything less, determined to give her all the protection he could, in his world or hers, Mike pulled her close again and resumed the kiss. He slipped down on the sleeping pad until they lay wrapped around each other, his erection tenting his utility pants, pressing into the warm crevice of her equally clothed body.

  Startling him a little with her boldness, Shalira yanked his shirt loose and ran her hands under the fabric, massaging his naked back in lazy circles as they continued to kiss.

  Mike pulled away, rubbing noses with her for a moment before saying, “You’ll be my one and only wife, by the way.” He hoped she could hear the teasing tone in his voice. “In case you had any doubt.”

  Shalira laughed as she unfastened the unfamiliar tabs on her borrowed uniform shirt. “I’d better be! I’m convinced the Sectors model for marriage is far superior to the Mahjundan custom.” She kissed his neck, nipping ever so slightly. “No concubines, either.” She tossed the shirt aside.

  “Not one, I swear.” His eyes were drawn to her exposed breasts, covered now only by the filmy white bra she’d been allowed to keep by the nomad women. He cupped the soft mounds, one in each hand, and planted kisses on the pillowy tops, slipping one thumb under the edge of the fabric to tease at the left nipple, watching the sensitive flesh pebble under his attention. Shalira closed her eyes and arched into his touch, grinding her hips against his erection.

  Mike swallowed hard, pulling his hands away from her delectable body. “Shalira.”

  Probably startled by the seriousness of his voice, her eyes flew open. Arms entwined around his neck to keep him close, she said, “What is it? What’s the matter? Why are you stopping?”

  “Are you sure you want to make love to me tonight?”

  “Don’t I look like a woman who wants to pleasure her man and be pleasured?” When he didn’t immediately respond, she released her hold on him, rolling onto her side, propping her head on her hand. “I appreciate your restraint and I honor you for it, but I’m not as delicate as you believe. What Bandarlok tried to do was ugly and violent and full of hate. I’m leaving all of that on the other side of the river. We’re here now. You’re my future, the man I love, and I want to replace the bad memories with good ones. I need such peace. I need you.” She reached out, touching his thigh and sliding her fingers until she found his cock, straining at the heavy fabric of the utilities. Her clever fingers undid the fastening and slipped inside his trousers. Wrapping her hand around as much of his erection as she could and stroking from root to tip, squeezing gently, she said, “And I don’t want further delay in starting on those good memories. All right?”

  “Anything you say, Your Highness.” Capturing her lips, Mike went to work on disrobing both of them as rapidly as he could.

  Glad she didn’t have to spend any more time persuading Mike to proceed with making love to her, Shalira allowed him to remove her bra and slide the silky panties down her legs with aching slowness, before tossing them aside. He sat up for a moment to remove his boots and muttered something about turning down the light. She lay back against the fur, one arm pillowed under her head, while she heard him removing his trousers. Wishing she had her sight, so she could view her lover, she sighed.

  Instantly Mike was next to her, his long, hard body pressed against hers, his cock jutting against her thigh insistently. “Are you all right?”

  “Impatient.” She trailed one hand along the hard sculpture of his chest, past his hip bone, and caged the impressive girth of his shaft with her nimble fingers. Rubbing her thumb across the head, then teasing the edges with a light caress before sliding her fingers to the velvet pouch below, she was pleased at his indrawn breath, the way he pressed closer to her as she stroked him.

  With a shiver of delight, she felt his lips close over her nipple, licking and teasing the sensitive bud with just enough pressure. He pulled her gently into a better position and kneaded the other breast with his free hand, murmuring in apparent pleasure while he continued his attentions. She ran her fingers through his close-cropped hair, massaging the back of his neck as he traced a path over her belly, gently parting her thighs to explore the intimate area hidden there. Releasing her breast, he trailed kisses down her stomach, which tickled and made her squirm with pleasure. Raising his head for a moment, he said, “I’ve had all the injects for any disease known to humans.”

  “So practical. I wasn’t worried,” she said, pleased he cared to reassure her.

  “But I don’t
have any protection with me. Johnny and I weren’t expecting to be, uh, social on this trip.”

  “Protection?”

  “Condom,” he said, stroking her inner thigh, fingers coming achingly close to her already damp clit as he played with the curls at the vee of her legs.

  “If we create a child together, I’ll be happy, won’t you?” She was puzzled and a bit hurt.

  “A baby with you would be wonderful,” he reassured her and Shalira heard nothing but the truth in his emphatic tone.

  “Well then, now we’ve settled every possible issue—oh!” She gasped as he lowered his head and his tongue embarked on a series of skillful exploration of her most sensitive places. She squirmed in pleasure as Mike demonstrated his experience and talents as a lover. Delicious tremors ran through her, his attentions pushing her over the edge, into the throes of a glorious orgasm. Trying to be quiet and not awaken Saium in the outer chamber, she bit her lip and moaned with pleasure, arching in his hold and grinding her hips against him.

  “Now then,” Mike said after a few minutes, pleased satisfaction in his tone, “I think you’re ready for me.”

  “You delight in understatement,” Shalira answered. She grabbed at his shoulders, pulling him closer. His cock pressed against her and he reached to guide himself past her outer lips and deeper inside, thrusting carefully at first.

  Locking her legs behind his back, Shalira pulsed her internal muscles, caressing his shaft and releasing as he pushed in and out of her body, moving faster and penetrating deeper with each movement of his hips, urged on by her reaction. Talk of how to best please a man was frank in the harem, and while she wasn’t as experienced as many, she knew more than an emperor’s daughter might ordinarily. People tended to forget she was present, so quiet she was, and she had excellent hearing.

  Shalira blanked her mind, concentrating on the moment and Mike as the waves of pleasure coursed through her, every move of hers met by an answering one from him, heightening the sensations. His cock was buried deep within her and her orgasm was close. “Kiss me,” she panted, “or they’ll hear me scream your name.”

  He obliged, his tongue pushing to meet hers as they clung together, locked in the moment and the overwhelming sensations.

  Mike held her close to his heart as the intensity of their mutual climax peaked and began to fade. “I love you,” he said, smoothing her damp hair away from her face.

  “I love you, too.” Limp and sated, Shalira curled into his embrace as he pulled the fur over them. “I don’t think I could be any happier than I am right this moment.”

  “A challenge if I ever heard one,” he said, hugging her. “In the best possible sense.”

  True to Saium’s prediction, the rain continued all the next day, but the skies were clear at dawn on the day after. Reenergized and optimistic about the success of his mission, Mike led the group away from the cave. After a few hours on the trail, a more gentle rain fell. They had to stop briefly to pull out rain gear before continuing into the foothills. His formerly ebullient mood fading, Mike’s uneasiness grew. The thickly forested terrain seemed ripe for an ambush. He’d been briefed on the fierce, superstitious mountain tribes, who were sworn enemies of the lowlanders. Saium’s earlier discussion about the people who lived on this side of the river rang true in accordance with the briefing they’d had. It was rumored an even more hostile tribe ruled in the heart of the Djeelaba but Sectors intelligence lacked any details on them.

  Late in the afternoon, Johnny brought his horse even with Mike’s. “We’re being followed.” He kept his voice low.

  “Yeah, I’ve seen the signs. Small party of men, hunters maybe, flanking us for the past half hour.” Mike glanced at Saium, confidently riding in the lead. Drawing his blaster, clicking the safety off, Mike raised his voice to ask, “How far to the next network of caves?”

  Saium eyed the forest beside the trail and glanced at the mountains ahead. “Only a short distance.”

  “Which is what he said the last time you asked, too.” Johnny spat. “I think our guide’s forgotten a few things about the area since he was here as a boy. Want me to break off, go do some hunting of my own, find out what we’re up against?”

  “This terrain would be a bitch to fight in, too many trees to get a clear line of sight, us stuck on the trail, no cover.” Mike glanced at Shalira behind him, hunched against the rain, clinging to the saddle on her horse. “I think you’d better go scouting. If they attack before we get to the cave, or somewhere else we can make a stand, I’ll need you in reserve.”

  Johnny reined his horse in as Shalira’s passed and a few moments later he vanished into the surrounding terrain, off to reconnoiter whoever was stalking them.

  The attack, when it came, was silent and deadly. Multiple darts impacted Mike’s body in a deadly rain. Unable to penetrate the tough Sectors material, the projectiles striking his utility uniform bounced off, but one lodged deep in his hand like a giant stinging insect, and another hit his neck. He yanked them out. A burning pain spread from the two spots immediately, and his hand went numb, the leading rein for Shalira’s horse sliding from his fingers. His head swam as pain barreled through his veins. He tried to shout a warning to her but his tongue was thick and his jaw locked. Assaulted by double vision and weakness, he dropped his blaster. Dimly, he heard shouts and then he was toppling from his rearing horse, falling helplessly into the dense vegetation lining the trail.

  Inwardly raging with anger, he landed face down, helpless to break his fall or turn himself over. Expecting to be trampled by the horses, or killed by the enemy troops, he fought against the pain and paralysis, to no avail. His mind was full of frantic worries over Shalira and what might be happening to her with him out of the way. Frustration burning like acid in his gut, he tried to at least move his head and check on her. Excited shouting and laughter from their jubilant attackers sounded from all directions.

  Johnny, I hope you’re seeing this and steering clear of the ambush until you can take action. As his consciousness flickered, he clung to the memory that his cousin was out there somewhere and would surely intervene at the first opportunity. Lords of Space, let him rescue Shalira, get her to safety, no matter what happens to Saium and me.

  Defenseless, he couldn’t avoid the violent kick in the ribs that rolled him halfway over in the clinging, wet vegetation. Another blow threw him onto his back, allowing him a hazy view of his enemy. Five or six heavily muscled warriors surrounded him in a loose circle, laughing, moving like a pack of feral dogs. One who seemed to be the leader poked at him with the finely chiseled stone tip of a spear, before raising the butt of the weapon. Mike saw the blow coming but was helpless to protect himself, the world blacking out as pain exploded in his temple.

  Shalira felt the reins suddenly go slack in Mike’s hands and her horse slowed, ambling to the left to nibble at something. “Michael?” Reaching one hand to where he ought to be, she found nothing.

  In the next moment, a sharp pain arced through her arm and she recoiled, nearly slipping from the saddle, feeling as if she’d been bitten by an insect. A second sting as something lodged in her thigh. She yanked the projectile from her clinging skirts, which had blunted most of the impact. It felt like a heavy oblong wooden bead, feathered, with a sharp metal tip.

  Throwing the dart to the ground, fear growing, she rose in her stirrups, listening intently, craning in all directions as she softly called his name. “Michael, what’s happening? Saium?”

  As the mare continued to move lazily from one browsing spot to the next, she heard strange men shouting in some unfamiliar dialect, voices rough with anger or excitement, but no sound from her own companions.

  Panic swept over her like a cascade of ice water. Clenching her fists, she pressed them to her mouth in horror as memories of the terrible incident in childhood flooded through her mind. Unable for a moment to distinguish between the awful memories and the present, she slipped from the saddle, intent on hiding herself. Keeping hold on the
stirrup as she landed, to prevent the horse from wandering off as much as to steady herself, she shook her head, trying to dispel the flashback. I’m not a child any more, my brother’s been dead for fifteen years, Vreely’s dead, this isn’t happening.

  A warm, burning sensation spread through her body from the two places where she’d been “stung”. Dizzy, she clung to the reassuring bulk of her mare, fingers clenched on the edges of the saddle blanket. The horse swung its head for a moment to sniff at her before making a huffing sound and resuming its grazing.

  I need to see, I need my eyes. She prayed desperately, but vision refused to come. I should get back on the horse, attempt to flee. But without someone to guide her, she wouldn’t get far.

  The sounds of assault were dying down, and a moment later Shalira sensed four or five people surrounding her. She heard their soft footsteps on the grassy woodland floor as they approached, smelled their sweat and some kind of paint. The newcomers stopped a few feet away from her.

  Shaking with terror, fighting the memories of her childhood, Shalira called for Michael again, to no avail.

  “Your men can’t help you, pretty one,” said a guttural voice directly in front of her.

  Shalira recognized the dialect, a common trade talk used in the marketplaces all over Mahjundar. “Who are you?”

  “You’ll know us soon enough,” said the man, an unpleasant glee underlying his words. At the same moment, two others grabbed her arms. Weakened from whatever drug had been on the tip of the darts, she struggled against their hold, trying to twist and kick her way free. “I demand you release me!”

  Someone grabbed at the Windhunter collar, jerking the chain in an attempt to yank the jewelry from her neck.

  “Don’t touch her, you greedy fools!” yelled another warrior, much older from the timbre of the voice. “Can’t you see she’s blind? And wears the symbol of the Lady as well as the necklace you’re trying to steal? You’d better heed her demands, and release her.”