Return to Dark Earth

by Anna Hackett

  But as long as Niklas was safe, that was all that mattered.

  “Niklas,” she said quietly.

  He refused to look at her. “No.”

  “Let me go.” She cleared her throat and found her hardest, coldest voice. “Let me go and get back to the ship.”

  “No!” He roared it.

  Below, the zombies roared back.

  She slipped a little, her wrist falling through his clenched hand.

  “No, goddammit.” He was looking at her now, his blue gaze boring into her. “You get turned into a fucking zombie and I promise I will hunt you down, put you in a cage, and work to get you back.”

  “You are a good man, Niklas. Far too good for me.” She’d always known that. “Let me go.”

  His jaw clenched. “Never.”

  When her hand slipped out of his, his pained bellow echoed in her ears as she fell into the mass of zombies below.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Nik stared into the darkness, his arm still outstretched. His frantic heartbeat echoed like a hammer striking his skull. He couldn’t see her, just heard the frenzied cries of the zombies as they rampaged below.

  No. No. He didn’t let himself think. He leapt up and charged across the roof, not even looking to see where there were holes or weak patches.

  He reached Galen and the others. They’d retracted their aeropacks, so the wings were gone and they just wore what looked like heavy backpacks over their combat armor.

  “She fell?” Galen’s face was grim.

  Niklas eyed the man who’d once been his friend. Galen was a few inches taller and a lot leaner than Nik. Nik glanced at the other soldiers. A human woman, a slightly-built Modian, and a young blond man. The blond looked about Nik’s size.

  “I need your armor,” Nik bit out.

  The man blinked. “What?”

  “Combat armor. Now. Hurry.”

  Galen stepped closer. “Nik, it’s too late. She’ll be one of them—”

  Nik felt a muscle in his jaw tick. “Take your damn armor off!”

  The blond agent stood frozen, but when Galen nodded, the younger man reluctantly stripped his heavy chest armor off.

  Nik slapped it on his own chest. “Weapon.”

  It was the woman who stepped forward and handed him her plasma shotgun.

  Without another word, Nik turned.

  “Phoenix, you’ll need this.” Galen held out a mini zip line and retractor, similar to the grappler Nera had used.

  He took it. “Thanks.” Then he turned and ran back to where he’d last seen her.

  He attached the zip line to the edge of the roof and clipped the other end to his belt. He lifted the shotgun and stepped into the hole.

  As the zip line lowered him, he aimed up at the roof. He shot out a larger section of it, the mostly rotted pieces falling down, letting more sunlight flood into the room below. The zombies moaned and writhed, scrambling back into the shadows.

  Now he aimed his weapon downward. The shotgun’s boom was loud in the confines of the room. The zombies scattered.

  The floor was smeared with black blood. He prayed there wasn’t any red mixed in with it.

  His feet touched the floor. He unclipped the zip line and strode forward. Where was she? All he could see were zombies hovering in the shadows, trying to work out how to get to him and at the same time, avoid the sunlight. He shot any that got too close.

  One large zombie reared up in front of him. Nik swung the shotgun around, but a laser weapon whined, and the zombie fell under a hail of green laserfire.

  Nik looked up and saw Galen lowering himself down on another zip line above, clutching a laser rifle. He gave Nik a nod.

  Nik nodded back and focused again on the shadows at the edge of the room. The zombies definitely seemed more sluggish and uncoordinated. They clearly didn’t function best in the day.

  He spotted a doorway and pushed through, taking down three more zombies as he went.

  Then he heard a high-pitched ringing sound, followed by the sounds of fighting.

  He charged in, afraid of what he was going to see.

  And there she was.

  She had her sword out. She was twirling and slashing in a horrific sort of dance. Zombie body parts were flying, and some creatures looked like they were trying to retreat. Others had their hands clamped over their ears, frozen where they stood.

  Nik took down another zombie and reached her. God. She was covered in blood from head to toe.

  But she was alive. Gloriously alive.

  “Couldn’t let me rescue you, huh?” He grabbed her and yanked her close for a second. Then he pulled back and checked her arms, her legs.

  “No bites.” She stared at him. “You came after me.”

  “I said I would.” He frowned. “What’s that annoying ringing sound?”

  She pulled out her Sync. “It got damaged when I fell and started making this noise. The zombies don’t like it. They must have sensitive hearing.”

  The Sync’s screen was cracked. The thought of her falling made his chest tighten again. “Let’s get out of here.” Not able to let her go, he tugged her back toward the other room.

  Galen appeared. He eyed Nera with a hard, assessing gaze. “You’re alive.”

  “Yes. Sorry to disappoint.”

  He didn’t react to her barb. “You’ll have to be scanned before we board the ship.”

  Nik bristled, but Nera pressed her hand to his arm. “Of course.”

  “Let’s get the hell out of here.” Nik decided not to punch Galen, since he’d come to help and he was doing his job. But it was a close call.

  They attached themselves to the zip lines and zoomed upward. Soon, they were navigating across the roof toward the others. Every step of the way, something dark and ugly—born in that moment Nera’s hand had slipped out of his—was growing in his chest. It pumped through his veins like poison.

  He thought he’d lost her.

  “Ms. Darc?” The female agent stepped forward. “You’ll ride with me.” Suddenly, the wings on her aeropack shot outward.

  Nera stepped closer, busy eyeing the aeropack like she’d just been out for a quick bite to eat, not battling for her life against monstrous zombies.

  The agent attached a harness to Nera. “Hold on.”

  Galen appeared, holding up his scanner. He ran it over Nera’s long form. It beeped. “You’re clean. You won’t even have to spend any time in the decontamination chamber.”

  “Glad to hear that,” she said.

  Galen turned to Nik. “You’re with me, Phoenix.”

  Nik watched as Galen expanded his aeropack wings, then attached the harness to Nik.

  “Ready?” Galen asked.

  “I was ready ages ago. Let’s just get out of here,” Nik replied.

  “Done.” There was a quiet rumble from the aeropack and Galen pushed them off the edge of the roof.

  They dipped at first, and so did Nik’s stomach. Then they soared upward, the wind rushing against his face.

  He turned his head and saw Nera and her ride beside them. She wasn’t smiling, but he got the impression she was enjoying herself. At any other time, on any other occasion, Nik would have been interested in the flight. Would have appreciated the bird’s-eye view of the city ruins below.

  But now that feeling inside was choking him and he couldn’t even speak. He’d almost lost her.

  As they neared the Drake, he saw that it was no longer on the ground, but hovering in the air. A large cargo door on the side of the hull retracted.

  Nera and the female agent went in first. He watched the woman slow the pack’s engine, then both women touched down, running a few steps to come to a stop. An electronic capture field shimmered blue beyond them, a precaution for a bad landing.

  The other two agents went in next.

  “Our turn,” Galen said.

  They flew through the door and seconds later, Nik’s feet touched metal. He let out a breath. Safe.

  Avril
was waiting for them. “Nik, I am so pleased to see you’re okay. I’ve brought the medics so you can get your injections straight away.”

  Nik nodded. Now the adrenaline of Nera’s fall was wearing off, he felt the fatigue and nausea of the radiation poisoning. He bared just enough skin for the medic to jab him. Nik winced, then redid his trousers. He watched a female medic doing the same for Nera.

  Avril gestured. “We really need to debrief—”

  He brushed past Avril, grabbed Nera’s arm and strode toward the exit.

  “Nik?” Avril called out.

  He didn’t bother answering her.

  “I believe Phoenix and Darc need some time to…clean up, rest…recuperate,” Galen said drily.

  Nik charged down the corridor toward his cabin.

  “Niklas—”

  “Don’t talk.” His voice was low, harsh.

  “We’re both alive—”

  “Be quiet.” He reached his quarters, opened the door with a bang of his palm on the lock, and dragged her inside.

  Once the door locked behind them, he spun her and slammed her against the wall. He moved in, his hands pressed to the wall on either side of her head. His chest was heaving, and he wasn’t sure what he wanted to say. God, he wasn’t sure the black, ugly pressure inside would even let him talk.

  All he knew was that it needed her, he needed Nera. He needed to know she was alive, okay, and his.

  “You’re upset,” she said.

  Upset. Upset didn’t begin to describe what he was feeling. He kissed her.

  Heat. It was like being swallowed by molten flames. He deepened the kiss, thrust his tongue into her mouth and she tangled her tongue with his. God, she tasted so good.

  “I thought you were dead.” He tugged her silver-blonde hair back. “I thought—” his voice broke.

  “I’m alive.” Her mouth slid away from his lips, nipping at his jaw, then down the side of his neck.

  Nik suddenly realized he was pawing at her, after they’d both spent a rough night stuck in a zombie-infested ruin.

  He stumbled back. “God. Sorry, Nera. You probably want to rest, clean up.” He raked his hands through his hair. “I’m tearing at you like a jacked-up schoolboy.” He opened his door. “Go. Rest.”

  He led her to her door, felt her watching him, her gaze intent. He opened her cabin door and gently pushed her inside. His hands flexed, he wanted to drag her back to him.

  They stared at each other as the door closed between them.

  Suddenly, Niklas was at a loss as to what to do with himself. He strode back to his room. His hands cried out to be on her flesh, and that ugly pain inside was still beating at him.

  He’d almost lost her. She’d almost died.

  Cursing, he stomped into the tiny bathroom. He stripped off his armor and his dirty clothes, and dropped them on the floor. He was usually tidy, but right now he didn’t have it in him.

  After running the water burning hot—well, it was mostly spray with the water-saving devices ships used—he scrubbed off the filth. Then he switched to cold to douse his still raging emotions. He pressed his palms to the wall and let the water beat over his head. It didn’t work.

  Finally, he flicked off the water and got out. He ran a towel over himself, then wrapped it around his hips. He might need to hit the gym, or pull out some work to do, anything to distract himself from thinking of Nera falling, his hand uselessly grabbing air.

  He stepped into his room. He’d taken a few steps when a weight hit him, sending him sprawling onto the bed.

  An agile body landed on top of him. He smelled the familiar scent of her mixed with damp skin. She pinned him with her legs, her knees digging into his ribs. Her hands slammed his wrists above his head.

  “You don’t shove me out of your cabin in some misguided idea of taking care of me.”

  “Nera—”

  She shoved at his hands, pushing him deeper into the bed. “I say when I fuck, not you.”

  “You fell into a bloody pit of zombies. I thought I’d let you recover from that.”

  “Oh, I plan to recover.” She shifted against him.

  He noticed her hair was still damp from her shower and slicked back against her head. And she was wearing a simple T-shirt. His gaze narrowed. One of his T-shirts. One that had gone missing months ago. Her strong body slid against his, and in a flash he realized she was bare under the shirt.

  She leaned down and nipped his jaw. “I plan to recover by riding us both into oblivion.”

  His cock swelled. “Nera.”

  She pushed his wrists again. “Leave these here, understand?”

  He wanted to touch her, but he saw something in her eyes…he nodded.

  “I have a Naamah,” she said.

  The implant protected against pregnancy and disease. “I do, too.”

  She released him and reached down. She snatched his towel away and made a humming noise in her throat. “Finally.”

  Nik closed his eyes and made a choking noise. She was going to kill him.

  She circled his cock, started stroking it. “I want you to know what to expect. I’m going to slide down on your cock, fill myself with you, then I’m going to ride you hard.”

  His hips jerked toward her.

  “You like the sound of that?” She leaned down and nipped at his mouth, tugging his lips between her teeth. “You’ll keep your hands where they are.”

  “I want to touch you. I will touch you.”

  “Not right now. Right now, I’m going to touch you. Take you.”

  He saw her shallow, fast breaths, felt the tremble of tension in her body. She was enjoying herself. She undulated her hips and he felt the wetness of her on his hipbone. He groaned.

  “Don’t move,” she warned and scooted back until she sat on his thighs.

  Then, before he realized what she had in mind, she leaned down and sucked his cock into her mouth.

  Damn. He tried to stay still. Her mouth was so hot and she was sucking him so tightly. She didn’t start gently, no, not Nera. She swallowed him down and worked him hard. She pulled back, swirled her tongue around the head of him, teasing the underside, before sucking him back in.

  “Nera…I want…” He could barely string words together. “I want to be inside you.”

  She raised her head, licked her lips. “I’d like to feel you spill down my throat. But I want you inside me, too.”

  His cock twitched in her hands and she smiled. She let go of him to pull the T-shirt over her head. Then she was rising above him.

  His lungs constricted. It was the first time he’d really seen her naked. She was all slim, muscled limbs, a small waist, and the gentle flare of hips. So damned beautiful. Her breasts were high and firm, her nipples pink against her smooth skin. She lifted her hips, and used one hand to position him between her thighs. Then, watching him, she sank down.

  “God.” He threw his head back deeper into the pillow. But he never looked away from her nebula eyes. Her lips parted as she took him inside her. She was tight and hot, and it took her a little while to work him all the way inside.

  “You fill me up, Niklas.” She pressed her palms to his chest, her nails biting into his skin. Then she started to move.

  Sliding up and down, she was graceful at first. She looked like some pagan priestess, taking a faithful worshipper on a sensual journey.

  But beneath that sense of reverence, he felt wild desire ignite—hot and scorching. It was pure need, nothing divine about it. She started moving faster, slamming down on him harder. Her teeth sank into her bottom lip.

  “That’s it,” he groaned. “Ride me.”

  “I always knew it would be like this.”

  “Like what?” he asked.

  Her eyes opened. “Perfect.”

  With a growl, he lifted his hips up, meeting her downward stroke. He sank into her as deep as he could go and she moaned.

  He felt his release growing, circling at the base of his spine. But he wanted to watch her
come first. “Come for me, Nera.” He felt the fine tremors in her body, knew she was close.

  She shook her head. “Can’t. I just want to watch you come.”

  He frowned. No way in hell. He wanted to see her pleasure first. “You will come.”

  Her eyes flashed. “You aren’t in charge of me, Niklas.”

  “Maybe not. But I am the man who’s in charge of your pleasure.” He moved one arm down. “I’m going to touch you.”

  She stared at his hands, her hips still rising and falling. She didn’t say a thing.

  He took that for assent. He cupped her breast, flicked at the nipple with his thumb. She made a small sound.

  Later, he promised that he was going to suck those pretty nipples into his mouth and explore every inch of her skin with his tongue.

  But for now, he traced a path down her middle, touching her belly button, and admiring the sleek muscles of her flat belly. “All this lean, attractive strength.” Then he dipped lower. Her movements slowed, her body tensing a little.

  Softly, he touched her between her thighs. He moved lower until he felt where they were joined, then he slid his fingers up and found the hard nub of her clit. “Keep riding, Nera.”

  She rose and fell again, and the movement made his fingers rub against her.

  She gasped, then clamped down on him. Her movements became faster, harder.

  He moved his thumb, tried small, firm circles, flicks, and gently pinching her clit between his fingers. He discovered what made her cry out.

  He smiled, then he kept caressing. She was losing her rhythm, driving herself down onto him mindlessly, focused only on sensation.

  “Niklas.”

  He heard the faint tremor in her voice. “I’m here, I’ve got you.”

  Another plunge and she exploded. Her back arched and she screamed his name. Nik had never heard anything so right before.

  She shuddered above him and he gripped her hips. He yanked her down hard and his own release rocketed through him. He roared out loud, knew he’d be leaving bruises on her hips.

  When he fell back, spent, she dropped down on top of him, her face pressed to his neck.

  They stayed like that, recovering, until their harsh breathing returned to normal.