by Anna Carven
“Oh.” I bask in the sensation of his gentle caresses. “You are a clever male. Well done.”
“It was nothing,” he says gruffly, awkwardly, as I sit up, leaning into him. “But we have to go quickly now. There will be others coming for us.”
“Where are we going?” I blink, and feel around in the dark for my goggles. Tarak presses them into the palm of my hand.
“Earth,” he says, with absolute certainty. A thrill of excitement shoots through me. “Come, amina.”
“You keep calling me that.”
“Hm.”
He stands, and I put the goggles on. “A term of endearment?”
“It means ‘loved one’ in Aikun.” He brushes my hair out of my face and lifts my hood. “Imperial Kordolian does not have an equivalent word.”
“Oh.” Oh, indeed. The General just keeps on surprising me. I decide I like this lyrical little pet name.
I follow him out of the cave and Xal joins us. The three of us look up to the sky. The dark walls of the crater surround us, but at the top, there’s a patch of pure, uninterrupted space, a river of stars glittering across the black, impenetrable canvas.
We say nothing as we climb back out of the crater. As we reach the top, I see a big black shape down below.
The destroyer has crashed into the ice, leaving a giant gash in the hard surface.
The wind whips and howls around us and Tarak moves behind me, shielding me.
“That’s our way back,” he says, nodding towards the stranded ship.
“It will still fly?”
“Of course. Its body is made of Callidum, and nothing destroys Callidum except for Callidum itself.”
“Massive tongue-twister,” I say, as both Tarak and Xal give me a strange look. “Never mind.” I shake my head. There will be plenty of time on the flight to Earth to teach these Kordolians about Earth humor and Earth customs.
And Tarak and I will have plenty of time to ourselves. Oh, yes we will. I smile underneath my scarf, feeling a little giddy. What started out as a misguided, terrifying, but well-intentioned abduction has turned into a fantasy beyond my wildest imagination.
I’m going home with my very own growly, arrogant, domineering Kordolian male.
It turns out he’s not so bad after all. There are people on Earth who are going to have major problems with the idea of Kordolians coming to live with us, because the silver-skinned guys can be as scary as hell when they want to. But we’ll deal with that headache when it happens. The universe is changing, and if these guys don’t find mates in this generation, there won’t be another generation of Kordolians.
Right now, the Kordolian Empire are desperate, and desperate individuals can do terrifying things, like enslave other species.
I’d much prefer Tarak and Xal’s approach, especially if they can protect us from evil Kordolians and disgusting insect-aliens. Earth is ripe for the picking; we’ve just been lucky so far.
I yelp as Tarak lifts me into his arms, and all of a sudden we’re barreling down the mountainside again, going so fast that everything becomes a blur.
As we reach the bottom, waiting for Xal to catch up, Tarak lowers me to the ground. He pushes my hood back ever so slightly and pulls down my scarf. He bends down, his lips brushing against my ear. “The journey to Earth is long,” he whispers, his warm breath tickling my skin. “You Humans live in such an insignificant part of the universe that it will take almost six cycles to get there.”
“Is that going to be a problem?”
“I will teach you a thousand and one things in that time, my amina.” His deep, resonant voice is filled with hunger, causing me to shudder. “So it will not be a problem for me at all.”
Oh, no. He’s doing that thing again, where I get all warm and fuzzy inside. Can’t he at least wait until we’re alone? Devious male.
“I also have things to teach you, General,” I say softly, as he pecks at my earlobe with his warm, sensual lips.
“I am full of anticipation, Abbey of Earth.”
Suddenly, the trip back to Earth doesn’t seem so long. Tarak takes my hand, squeezing it, and we start to walk across the ice as Xal catches up to us. The place is eerily silent, the crashed black ship rising out of the ice like a strange, brutal sculpture.
It’s so Kordolian in appearance, just like my beautiful male.
So here we are; the most lethal soldier in the universe, the future ruler of the Kordolian Empire and me, Abbey Kendricks, chocolate lover and bioscientist, heading for Earth.
We’re opening up the pathway for the survival of a species, and I just can’t wait to show Tarak around my home planet.
Kordolians and Humans, who would have thought it?
If Tarak and I are anything to go by, there may be hope for the universe yet.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Tarak
I wake and find her side of the pod cold. The sheets are tangled and her scent lingers in the air, but she is not beside me.
We are entering Earth’s orbit; the final leg of our long journey. Following Abbey’s advice, Xalikian has initiated contact with the Humans and found them surprisingly receptive. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that my First Division have made it to Earth after rescuing the Humans from the Xargek infestation on Fortuna Tau. Diplomacy is not their strong point, but they must have made some sort of an impression.
I am looking forward to the debriefing.
The sound of retching reaches my ears. I pad across the floor and find her bent over the toilet.
“What’s wrong, amina?”
“I feel sick.” Abbey turns to me, her face pale. “I’ve been queasy these past few days, but this morning has been the worst. You know what this means, don’t you?” Her eyes are full of meaning, but I am lost.
“You are not well,” I state, coming behind to push her hair out of her eyes. It has grown longer during the trip to Earth, and it is lush and beautiful, a glossy, light brown color, streaked through with hints of gold. I like it this way. “You must rest, and I will get Zyara to see to you.”
“Tarak.” She shakes her head, a flicker of amusement breaking through her misery. “I’m sick in the morning, and I’ve missed my last period. My contraceptive implant’s due to be replaced right about now.”
I blink as these details filter through, trying to process them. Contraception? Period? These are things Human females are familiar with. I’m just a simple Kordolian General, who is about to introduce our species to Earth. I am not trained in such complex things.
Abbey gets up and activates the shower. She steps out of her robes, letting them fall to the floor. Underneath, she’s completely naked.
Unable to help myself, I let out a low growl of appreciation.
She is perfection in every way. Her soft Human skin has become lighter during our journey, a consequence, she tells me, of being away from the sun. Humans are like plants, apparently. Without the sun, they will eventually wither and die.
She will be enjoying the sunlight soon.
Her hair cascades down her shoulders, curling at the top of her breasts, which are perfectly round and full, her dark, delicate nipples contrasting with the paleness of her skin. Her waist is narrow and her hips are curved and generous, cradling her delicate sex.
She beckons to me as she steps under the stream of the shower. She has set it to warm, which is her preference. Steam begins to fill the cubicle.
Naturally, I have no clothing to discard. I follow her as she turns her face up into the cascade of water.
She faces me as my arms circle her waist.
“I think I’m pregnant,” she says, and the effect on me is more powerful than a twenty-megakorr fission bomb.
The first emotion that courses through me is happiness; fierce, unbridled happiness, of which I have never known the like. The second is pride; I am proud of my female, and she will be a magnificent mother to our child. The third is protectiveness; I will kill anyone or anything that threatens her and our u
nborn child.
I say nothing; I simply lean in and kiss her deeply. She responds, her mouth hot and wanting.
And then?
Panic.
I lay a hand on her stomach, and for the first time in my life, I am uncertain, and unsure what to do. “You are with child?” I pull her close. “I must summon Zyara. You need to have a full medical check-up, and then you must rest. You can stay here while Xalikian and I begin the negotiations with the Humans. I will not have you exerting yourself. Do you wish for anything? Food? Drink? I will-”
“Tarak.” Her soft voice breaks through, and I realize she’s said my name a few times. “Relax.” She places a hand on my chest. “I’m touched by your concern, but I’ll be fine. Even if I am pregnant, and this is still an if, although I’m fairly certain, it doesn’t mean I suddenly become an invalid. I will continue doing normal things, and you will treat me normally and not wrap me up in cotton wool. We will be fine.”
She smiles, her luminous skin glistening with moisture. She is remarkably calm and self-assured, the very representation of the Goddess herself.
My racing heart slows. If she is with child, I have no need to be concerned. She is in control and there is nothing more for me to do except protect her.
That is a given.
“You are beautiful,” I say, enjoying the feel of her warm, wet skin against mine. My erection rests against her belly, and she brings her arms around my neck.
“You’re incredible,” she replies huskily, and I can bear it no longer. I take her into my arms, her body silken and wet and gleaming. I carry her out of the cubicle and into our sleeping pod.
She laughs; a sound pure and light like starlight, and I kiss her fiercely.
A sudden thought causes me to hesitate, and I release her lips. “I don’t want to harm the-”
“Don’t be silly,” she says, putting a finger to my lips. “As I said, you don’t have to walk on eggshells around me.”
I raise an eyebrow. It’s another Human phrase I don’t understand, but I get the gist of it.
“I have little experience with such things,” I admit finally. Females and young ones and such things are not my area of expertise.
“Don’t worry, my big, bad General. I’ve got this.” She pulls me down, aggressively, hungrily, and I enter her, finding her tight and wet and wanting. I gasp as pleasure overwhelms me.
She is perfection.
And up here in space, on the verge of reaching the planet Earth, the realization hits me.
I am home.
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