Thunde

by Arcadia Shield

  “Good idea.” Jessie turned away from Thunde and shrugged her shirt back on. “Now, will you teach me how to throw a blade?”

  Chapter 12

  As Jessie let out the breath she’d been holding, she felt some of the tension leave her. Thunde’s touch on her skin had been torture, but in a good way, and he’d been gentle with her as he’d explored her injuries. And, as he’d stroked her skin, she’d given into the ridiculous idea that he might want her. The way he’d run his fingers up her back had made her shudder with pleasure.

  Had he seen her react so obviously to his touch and knew she desired him? She hoped she hadn’t embarrassed herself in front of Thunde. But she liked the feel of her strong protector at her back, looking after her, and making sure she was safe.

  Thunde didn’t need to be so gentle, though. Jessie longed to feel his strong muscles and have them wrap around her, crushing her to his chest. She wondered what he'd taste like. He had full lips and a mouth she knew she’d enjoy kissing.

  Jessie shook her head and smiled to herself. Thunde would help her get out of this game, but that would be it. She was no match for a Vorten. He had amazing women to choose from on his own planet, strong goddess type women, who would be able to hold their own and not be afraid of him.

  But the more Jessie got to know Thunde, the more she realized she wasn’t scared of him. He did have his moments of being terrifying; he was a warrior, bred to kill. But he seemed calmer when they were together, and she could see he relaxed when she talked to him. Maybe there would be an opportunity for them to be together once they were out of the game. But he’d never want her; a warrior like Thunde wouldn’t look twice at Jessie.

  She turned back to him. “So, about those blades?”

  “You want to learn now?”

  “Why not?” asked Jessie. “You said yourself, the Fraken are likely to send more beasts in to attack us. I want to stand a chance against them.”

  “You have me to protect you.”

  Those words sent another shiver of pleasure through Jessie. “And you’re injured, and you could get hurt again. If I have to stand on my own, I need to have better skills than I currently do.”

  “You can’t get good at blade throwing in just a few tries.”

  “If I have the right instructor, I can,” said Jessie. “So, will you teach me?”

  Thunde nodded. “It’s not a bad idea for you to know the basics. Let’s find a clearing where I can assess your throwing skills.”

  “I have none,” said Jessie.

  “You will have some abilities.” Thunde grabbed both of their bags from the ground. “Follow me.”

  Jessie couldn’t help but smile at the commanding tone in Thunde’s voice and did a quick salute behind his back. He sometimes acted like she was one of his warriors. Maybe that meant he had respect for her and could see she was worthy of being around. She hoped so.

  “This will do.” Thunde pushed aside some tree branches and revealed a small clearing. There was cover overhead and several large tree trunks in front of them. “You can aim at those.” He pointed at the trees.

  Jessie pulled a throwing blade from her bag and stood facing the trees. “How do I begin?”

  “Not like that.” Thunde grabbed her hips and swung her around to the side. “Stand side on to the thing you wish to strike. Use your dominant arm to throw the blade.”

  Jessie ignored the feel of Thunde’s fingers pressing into her hip bones. “How do I throw the blade?”

  “Get it so it’s spinning in the air,” said Thunde. “Put your weight into your back foot and transfer it so the power drives through your arm. That will have the most impact.”

  Jessie practiced a few times, shifting her weight backwards and forwards as she loosened her joints. “Like this?”

  “You’ve almost got it,” said Thunde. “Let me show you.” He took the blade from her hand.

  Jessie watched as he shifted backwards and forwards, his muscles rippling beneath his trousers. “Wasn’t that what I was doing?”

  “Hold onto me,” said Thunde. “Feel the way my hips move.”

  Jessie swallowed as she grabbed hold of Thunde’s hips and gripped tightly. “Move again.”

  Thunde obliged, pivoting and moving his hips, legs, and arms working in a flowing movement. “See the difference?”

  Jessie tried to concentrate on Thunde’s movements, but all she wanted to do was hold onto him. His body was perfection, the way he moved so smoothly despite being injured. “I think I’ve got it.”

  “Now, try with the blade.” Thunde stepped out of Jessie’s grasp, turned, and handed her the throwing blade. “Stand side on and use your weight to propel the blade out of your hand.”

  “What am I aiming for?” asked Jessie.

  “The center tree.”

  Jessie let out a breath and focused on the tree. She could do this. She wanted to impress Thunde and show him she was worthy of his attention.

  “Take your time,” said Thunde, his voice low and his mouth close to her ear. “I’ve been throwing blades since I was able to stand, so don’t expect to be perfect. You won’t get this on the first go.”

  Jessie gritted her teeth. She would hit the tree. She wasn’t going to fail in front of Thunde. Adjusting her footing, she tensed her core and drew back her arm. She let fly with the blade, but although her aim was accurate, it landed short of the tree.

  “That was good,” said Thunde. “Use a little more power, and you’ll hit it.”

  “I don’t have the muscles for this,” said Jessie.

  “You’ll get there,” said Thunde. He hurried over, retrieved the blade, and returned to her side. “Try again.”

  “You don’t think you’re wasting your time on me?”

  “Definitely not.” Thunde smiled at her. “I see potential in you, Jessie Keenan.”

  Jessie felt herself smile, even though she was annoyed she’d failed to hit the tree. “Second time lucky.”

  “And if not, you’ll go again until you succeed.”

  “You sound like you’re drilling one of your warriors.”

  “You could be one of my warriors if you want to be,” said Thunde.

  “I’d be laughed out of your squad if you try to get me in.”

  “There’s a place for you in the squad,” said Thunde. “But it won’t be on the front lines. As I said before, your brainpower is valuable. You will be an asset if you decide to join us once we get out.”

  “It would be amazing to work with you.” Embarrassment roared through Jessie and her face heated up. “I mean, to support your plans. Work with the other Vortens.”

  “Then prepare to be amazed,” said Thunde, as his smile widened. “Axen has never let me down. If he says this is going to work, then it will work. We just need to wait and make sure we get the timing right. Just like throwing a blade.” He pointed towards the tree. “Now, go again.”

  Thirty throws later, and Jessie was dripping with sweat. Throwing a blade was harder than it looked.

  “You’re improving.” Thunde retrieved the blade but didn’t pass it to Jessie. “We can practice some more another time.”

  “But I’m so close,” said Jessie. “It hit the tree that time.”

  “See, you are getting better.”

  “If I can just do it again, I’ll be able to get it to stick.” Jessie held her hand out for the blade, determined to show Thunde what she could do.

  “As much fun as this is, we can’t stay out in the open for long. The Fraken will want to know what’s happened to us. They'll have seen I was injured and could use that to their advantage. We need to get out of here, find a safe place to hole up, and await further instructions.”

  Jessie dropped her hand with a disgruntled sigh. “So, you don’t know where the exit is in this game?”

  “I never said there was an exit,” said Thunde.

  A little of the hope Jessie felt faded. “There really is no plan?”

  Thunde turned towards her and
stroked her cheek. “There’s a plan.”

  Jessie stared into Thunde’s grey eyes before her gaze drifted to his lips. What would he be like to kiss? Would he hold back and be afraid he might damage her, or let out his passion? Could she ignite something in this Vorten, bring him to life, and get him to cherish her in every way possible?

  She raised herself on her tiptoes, but Thunde pulled back and dropped his hand from her face.

  “We need to move. It’s not safe here.”

  Jessie lowered her gaze. Of course, he wouldn’t want her. She stubbed her toe into the ground as Thunde gathered their scant supplies. “Yes, the sooner we get out of here, the better.” She had to think beyond this game and the reality of life on the run on her own. Thunde said she’d be an asset to his fight, but he didn’t want her, and that stung.

  ***

  Thunde stomped ahead of Jessie, his fists clenched. He was being weak. These games were all about killing, but he wanted to do the opposite to Jessie. He wanted to protect her, learn all about her, and be the one to make her smile every day. In the few days he’d known her, something had changed in him. How had this tiny human altered him so much in so little time?

  When she’d been holding onto his hips as he’d instructed her with the throwing blade, he’d barely been able to concentrate. He’d felt her hot fingers searing through his clothes and had wanted to turn and mold himself to her, taste her skin, and see desire in her eyes.

  He shook his head. She was determined as well, and he’d seen Jessie’s frustration when she wasn’t succeeding in the blade throwing. But she’d improved under his instruction, and it was only a matter of time before she would be sailing blades through the air and hitting the target. He wanted to be the one to teach her and see her blossom and realize how amazing she was.

  And she could teach him, as well. She had a head full of knowledge about different alien races, and he knew Axen would want her on his mission to disrupt the Fraken games. She would be a valuable asset. But to him, she was already more than that, and it frustrated Thunde that he couldn’t do anything about it.

  Thunde slowed and listened for Jessie’s footsteps behind him. She was following, but at a distance, as if she didn’t want to get too close. He must have scared her somehow, and he didn’t want that.

  He stopped and waited for her. “If you could visit anywhere in this galaxy, where would you want to go?”

  Jessie hummed a few notes under her breath, her cautious gaze looking anywhere but Thunde. “Well, on Earth, it’s estimated there are one hundred billion planets in this galaxy alone, so I’m not sure where to begin.”

  “Might be good to start with the most habitable ones,” said Thunde.

  Jessie chuckled and finally met his gaze. “Good point and I don’t know all of them. The First Galactic Quadrant might be a good place to start, though. Before aliens arrived on Earth, we’d figured out there were habitable planets there. But they were too far away for us to get to.”

  Thunde scratched his chin as he figured out where Jessie meant. “You don’t want to go there. The Manatee have bases in that quadrant. They destroy any ship they encounter if they get the opportunity. You might like to start with the Deorg homeland.”

  “They’re not in this galaxy, though,” said Jessie.

  “No. It means you’ll have to go through the Vortex,” said Thunde. “Would you be up for that challenge?”

  “Of course!” A sparkle of pleasure lit Jessie’s eyes. “Once I’d established a base away from Earth that was going to be my first trip. Going through the Vortex will be incredible.”

  Thunde smiled, a dart of happiness hitting him as he saw Jessie’s joy. “Well, why not start with that trip first?”

  “I don’t have anywhere to stay,” said Jessie. “Anyone who remembers me on Earth will think I died in the attack on the Capella, and my belongings burned up in the attack on the ship. I’ve only got what I’m standing in right now, and this needs a good wash. No alien will take me in looking like this. And my e-credit savings are minimal. I loved my archive work, but the pay wasn’t amazing.”

  “Stay with me,” said Thunde. “I mean, just until you get yourself a permanent base.”

  “You?” Jessie stared at him. “Where do you live?”

  “I used to live in the Fraken owned warrior base. It was where you were kept when in prison. But it's easy to find another home. Space for us both.” Thunde realized he was talking too quickly and slammed his mouth shut.

  Jessie’s eyes widened. “We would have been close to each other when I was in the cell?”

  Thunde nodded. “The Fraken like to keep us all close. They sometimes let us in the training arena before they send prey into the games. It has something to do with creating an intimidating atmosphere as prey go by. Never thought much of that myself.”

  “And you never wanted to break any of the prisoners out?”

  “And take them where?” asked Thunde. “My last few cycles have been all about the games. It's all I've had to focus on.”

  “But not anymore?”

  “Not anymore,” said Thunde. “Things are changing. Don’t give up hope. I know none of this makes sense to you, and, to be honest, it doesn’t make sense to me, either. But we’ll get out of this, and you will get your trip through the Vortex. And when you do, you’ll be amazed. It’s like nothing you’ve ever experienced.”

  “I can believe that,” said Jessie.

  Thunde touched Jessie’s hand. “I’ll take you on the ride of your life.” He pulled back and grimaced as his shock collar activated. He was surprised it hadn’t happened before. The Fraken would be furious they were avoiding open areas, and the audience would not be amused by what they’d seen so far.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Jessie.

  “Nothing is wrong.” Thunde moved away from Jessie, listening intently for the sound of an active comms link. “Stay here.”

  “Where are you going?” Jessie hurried to keep up with him. “Can’t I come with you?”

  “It’s not safe,” said Thunde.

  “This whole game is unsafe,” said Jessie.

  “The Fraken want to talk to me,” said Thunde. “I can imagine what they have to say will not be good.”

  “I want to know what they tell you,” said Jessie.

  “It will be the usual thing; kill the prey, win the game. But we’re not going to do that.” Thunde slowed and gazed down at Jessie. “They will have seen what happened to the dragon. They will know something is wrong and will want retribution.”

  Jessie grabbed his arm. “From you?”

  “From both of us,” said Thunde, “which is why you need to keep yourself safe and out of their way. If they don’t know where you are, then they can’t get to you. The comms links are always out in the open. And once they spot you, they won’t let you out of their sight. And, if they see us together, they will definitely know something is wrong. Stay hidden in the trees; it’s the best option.”

  Jessie chewed on her bottom lip but then nodded. “I’ll hide, but don’t be long.”

  Thunde went to touch Jessie’s arm but held back. He needed to keep a healthy distance between the two of them. He’d let his guard down with Jessie and made mistakes because of that. The Fraken could have seen those mistakes, and it would be to Jessie's detriment if he showed weakness now.

  He dropped his hand to his side and walked away from Jessie without another word.

  Chapter 13

  Evening fell around Jessie as she waited for Thunde to return. It had been at least an hour since Thunde had left her to speak to the Fraken, and she was beginning to worry something had gone wrong.

  She also couldn’t get the thought out of her head that he’d pulled away when she’d made a move on him. It had been a clumsy move, and she wasn’t even certain she was going to kiss him, but she got lost in the moment. For a second, they'd been working as a team, and she liked that. But it had passed, and Thunde made it clear he didn’t want her.

/>   Jessie knew her geekiness put guys off. She understood not many people got fascinated by dusty archives and ancient information stored on chips. But to her, it was fascinating, a window into another world, into other lives, lives that have been lost and the only memory of them stored in the archive. It made her feel almost magical, like she had the ability to bring ancient things back to life.

  As she unpacked her bag, sorted through it, and then repacked it as neatly as possible, she puzzled through Thunde’s behavior around her. When she’d been talking to him, she was sure he’d shown a real interest in what she had to say, and he’d encouraged her to speak about her archives and interest in space travel. Was he only doing it to be kind? Did he secretly think she was boring and would be glad to see the back of her once they were out of the game?

  And, she mustn’t forget Thunde was supposed to be hurting her, chasing her through this game, and trying to end her life. But Jessie had never felt safer than she currently did. Even though she was surrounded by danger, having Thunde by her side took that away. And now she'd found that, she didn’t want to let it go. She wanted to keep Thunde by her side but had no clue how to do that.

  Jessie clenched her hands around her bag strap. She was being foolish. A hot warrior like Thunde would see her as a friend, or maybe a sister, someone to protect and pat on the head, not someone whose clothes they wanted to rip off and ravish on the ground.

  Just the thought of being taken by Thunde made her blush. Jessie was inexperienced with guys. Other than a brief relationship straight out of college, followed by an equally unsuccessful relationship with a fellow archivist, her skills with men weren’t great. And Thunde must have had plenty of women, and why wouldn’t he? They must go weak at the knees when they saw his muscles. She knew she did.

  Jessie realized she was humming under her breath and smiled. Despite this crazy situation, she was happy. And being with Thunde was the cause of that. He gave her hope, a glimpse of something incredible, and she wanted that. She wanted that with him. Of course, she wanted out of this game and to stay alive, but there was the offer of something so much more. That was tempting and not something she could shake off easily.