by Leia Gray
The tunnel opens up around us to a glass ceiling and a view of the vast, starry sky above. I crane my neck and peer upwards. It’s marvelous, the sky dotted with shining points of light and a glowing moon. A rare nebula visible to the naked eye presents itself in all its colorful glory, spreading out across the expanse of space in clouds of pink and red. The sky’s miraculously clear tonight, more than I’ve ever seen it before. The stars are like diamonds, so close I could nearly reach out and touch them. Darvok’s hand on the small of my back startles me, and I look to him with wide, awestruck eyes.
He wraps his arms around my torso, the hard planes of his body pressing into mine. The heat between us is nearly unbearable and the area between my thighs throbs with need. Darvok’s hand snakes down my arm and points to the heavens. “There,” he says softly. “You see that point of light, just beyond the nebula?”
I squint my eyes and follow the lead of his finger. Gotta admit though, it’s pretty hard to focus with a stunning alien’s lips at the crook of your neck. His voice rumbles right next to my ear. “Do you see it, Liana?” He says my name like a prayer, and I shiver at the low timbre of his voice.
There, beyond the pink clouds, shines a small orb, only a little bigger than the flickering stars. I strain my gaze toward it and see that it’s not a star at all. It’s a planet. “I see it.” My voice comes out in an astounded gasp. I’ve never seen so much of the galaxy spread out before me like this before. Was the ceiling magnifying the view somehow?
“That’s Rathia,” he whispers. “Home.”
A rush of emotion swells within me at the sight. It’s so far away, only a pinprick of light in the whole wide sky, but something rises in my chest that calls out to me, to him. Something that binds us together, and something that makes me feel like maybe it could be my home, as well.
It makes more sense now, in the light of the stars and the moon. I can see now the sadness in his eyes, the pain and fear and grief. He dedicated himself so fully to his duty that he failed to see what was right in front of him.
And now?
He takes me in his arms, whirls me around to face him, and kisses me.
I’m breathless at first, my mind still reeling with emotion. Darvok’s lips come down hard, claiming my own with such vigor I’m left scrambling to react. My hands snake around his waist, then up his back, grasping at the firm, wide shoulders. I kiss him back with all I have, there in the light of the stars and the moon and Rathia looking down upon us.
“Liana,” he breathes again, and then I’m flying, lifted easily in his arms. He rubs his nose against mine, placing kisses on my cheeks, my lashes, my chin.
When he hurries back to the hideout and closes the airlock behind us, it’s like all the tension and stress of the last few days melts away. In its place is a fire, hot and hungry, threatening to burn me from the inside out. And with Darvok’s hands on my body, his lips on mine, I just might let it.
16
Darvok
Honor be damned.
My blood runs hot as I carry the pretty young human into the hideout. My lips are on her before the door fully seals, my hands grasping anywhere they can reach. Her flesh calls out to me like a beacon, and the stone at my chest seems to feel the same. Its pulse against my chest deepens, bathing us both in rose-colored light.
“The Bond,” I breathe. Liana’s eyes are half-lidded with desire. Her cheeks are flushed pink in the dim light, and her lips hang slightly open, waiting for another kiss.
“What?” She’s confused, and why wouldn’t she be? She’s human. Hell, I’m pretty confused too.
But the Imala ore has spoken, and with it, the will of the Tia. I never would have guessed, never would have dreamed that the gods would gift me with such a mate.
“Some timing,” I mutter to myself with a wry smile. But that doesn’t matter right now. For the first time in years, the guilt and grief of the past fades into the background. The righteous fury that’s driven me all these years lessens for a blessed moment, and in its place, there’s only her. Her smile, her eyes, her body.
I need to claim her. I’d been a fool to resist this long. We were made for one another, a match written in the stars. And like the elders used to say on Rathia, when fate comes, it comes like a storm.
Nothing either of us could do would change that.
Krevith would just have to wait.
“It means,” I say as I lead her to the bedroom, “The Tia have answered my prayers at last.”
Liana sprawls out on the bed, her dark hair tossed around her head like a halo. It’s a sharp contrast to the silken sheets, and when I lower myself onto her, I realize just how blind I’ve been.
She’s perfect. And all mine.
“Tea?” Liana mutters between kisses. “Your gods?”
I chuckle at her mispronunciation, leaning down to nip at her earlobe. She sucks in a quick breath, eyes widening. Her petite hands wrap around my shoulders and pull me closer still, until the hard evidence of my desire presses right up against her groin.
If she keeps acting like that, I don’t know that I can restrain myself much longer. When she lifts her head up to plant another kiss on my cheeks, my neck, my face, I’m not sure I want to.
This stunning human, this strong and passionate woman, is my fated. And here in the light of all the gods, I would make her mine.
“I’ll tell you later, I promise.” And with that, our bodies take over, letting the full weight of our destiny take its course.
Liana grasps at me eagerly, desperately. I grind my hips into hers, but it isn’t enough. Every cell in my body screams for her, and who am I to resist the will of the gods?
“Clothes,” she mutters breathlessly, pawing at my chest. “Too many clothes.”
“Mmm,” I agree, making quick work of my shirt as she lifts it up and over my head. The air is cool on my bare skin, making it even more sensitive to her every touch. I push myself off the bed and fuss with the fastenings of my pants, but my fingers can’t move fast enough.
“Let me,” she says in a low voice, her eyes fixated on my crotch. Those small hands unfasten my belt and pull my pants to my knees, yet she never takes her gaze off mine. I can tell from the energy pouring off of her that she’s just as hot and hungry as I am, if not more.
Gods, how was I blessed with such a passionate mate?
All thought flies out the window when my cock springs free of its fabric prison. She sucks in a breath, unable to tear her eyes away.
“May I?” The words come out in almost a whisper.
Oh no, she’s not going to the only one having fun around here. “You first,” I growl, and press her back into the mattress. She falls with a squeak and I tear at her clothes, the fancy pageant dress turning to shreds in a matter of moments.
The way she moans and squeals when her body is completely bare at last, she doesn’t seem to mind.
I’ll get her new clothes. Better clothes.
But now?
“Mine,” I rumble, and take in the sight of her naked beauty. She’s curvy in all the right places, voluptuous and proud of it. This soft, human body was made for my warrior’s hands. There’s no other explanation for it. I lean forward and nuzzle my lips across her neck, her shoulders, her collarbone, leaving light feathery kisses along the way. She squirms sweetly under my touch, breaths coming hot and fast now. I can smell her arousal, and it only adds to the growing fire in my soul. She wants this just as much as I do. And who am I to refuse my mate?
I dip lower, kneading the soft skin of her breasts. I slip my mouth around one, teasing the nipple with my tongue. It hardens instantly, causing another delicious moan.
“Dar...vok...” She pants as I lap at one nipple and then the other, taking time to flick the hardened buds with the pads of my fingers when my mouth isn’t on her. Liana writhes under my touch, panting my name, and I nearly come right then and there. She’s so responsive. So sensitive. Not at all like the stone-cold women of Rathia.
I had n
o idea what I was missing out on, and now that I know? I don’t think I could ever go back.
Liana is it for me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I move lower now, my tongue moving from her nipples to her stomach, then lower. My hand snakes between her legs, already spread and waiting for me. She’s so wet...
“You feel that, don’t you?” I say as the stone continues to pulse against my chest. It fills the room with its divine light, casting long shadows on the bed while we move as one.
“The stone?” Liana says breathlessly. “What’s it doing?”
“The gods have chosen to bond us here today. It is the most sacred ritual of my people.”
“Bond...?”
“You are my mate, Liana. From this day, until my last day. You are the other half of my soul, the light to my darkness. The one the stars made for you, as you were made for me. Do you understand, Liana?”
When I look upon her again, her eyes are wet with tears.
“Don’t cry, my sweet.” I move back up to face her and brush the tears away with my lips, running a hand through her hair. “We’re together now.”
“It’s just...” She sniffs. “I feel it too, Darvok. It feels...oh gods, it’s overwhelming, and I...”
“It’s all right, Liana.” I caress her cheek to soothe her. “The Bond is an emotional experience as much as it is a physical one. You know that I would never do anything to hurt you, understand?”
She nods. “I’m safe,” she says, as if in a daze. It’s finally dawned on her that I’m nothing like her captors.
“Now and forever,” I promise her, with a kiss to the forehead. “I swear to you.”
“Darvok?” Liana says again, her voice stronger now. Her hand moves lower and cups my cock before I can say another word. Her eyes flash with mischief as she gives it a gentle squeeze. “Please, I’m burning up...”
A grin stretches across my face. She’s so beautiful like this, stretched out on my bed. “With pleasure,” I growl, and position myself at her entrance.
Liana holds me tight, our eyes locked as I guide myself into her. It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before, and I’m no stranger to women. But this one, this human, she’s different. And the Imala ore knows it. Once I’m seated all the way to the hilt, the stone glows brighter, nearly blinding us both. It yanks itself away from my body and off my neck.
As we move our bodies together, it floats above us, as if watching. The light no longer fluctuates; it’s a steady, warm glow that envelopes us both. Liana’s nails dig into my back as I seat myself even deeper, then her eyes open and focus on me. Hungry.
“Now,” she says, and I don’t need to be told twice.
There will be time for soft, sweet lovemaking later. For now, I’m a slave to fate and I rock my hips into hers faster, each thrust making her cry out. I brace my hands against the bed for leverage and dive into her sweet folds again and again. The lust and longing comes to a head, swirling within me till it coalesces right at the center of my being. Two souls, one destiny.
“Darvok—” Liana gasps, holding on for dear life. “I’m—”
Her sentence cuts off in a series of spasming cries, her body shaking against mine as pleasure takes her. Her walls clamp down and pulse against my cock, spurring me on. Faster, harder, I thrust into her again and again, surrounded with only her cries and sight of my mate beneath me, totally undone.
With a final cry, the crescendo breaks and the world shatters around me. Liana is my anchor in the storm, and I hold her close, peppering her chest with kisses as I let go, pleasure crashing over us in waves.
The stone’s light winks out and falls between us. The Bonding is complete.
All is quiet for some time after. We lay there, simply enjoying the feel of skin on skin contact. Her breathing slows, her eyelids droop closed. I can’t believe how things have changed, and so quickly. This hasn’t changed my mission or the internal fire driving me to seek revenge, no. It’s only intensified it.
Now I have even more to fight for.
I have her.
And that’s worth everything in the galaxy to me.
As she passes into an exhausted slumber, I extricate myself and stand in the doorway before pulling a blanket over her, kissing her forehead, and turning out the light.
In the coming days, we’ve got a lot to do. I kiss her forehead and steal away into the night.
17
Liana
I wake up on a cloud.
No, wait; that isn’t right.
I blink my eyes open further. Not a cloud. Just a ridiculously fluffy bed. The pillow is impossibly light and airy, and the blankets wrap around me like cotton candy. It’s the most comfortable I’ve ever been in my life.
Then I remember that I’m naked.
My eyes dart around, but no one’s there to see me. Reason starts to filter back in through the haze of sleep, and I remember him.
And what we did.
My hand snakes down my stomach to my folds, and there’s still a delicious soreness there.
It all seems so sudden, so intense. My life has definitely taken quite a few turns of late, and here I am, on a lost planet, hiding from savage aliens, while another alien takes me in his arms. Some world, huh?
It freaks me out a little that things are this intense this soon. I’ve never felt such an overwhelming pull to anyone. Especially not like this. But as I slip out of bed and head for the kitchen, I realize I can’t fight it. Why would I want to?
My life now, although it’s gotten a lot more chaotic, seems more vibrant, more full. Before, I was simply eking out a paycheck mining asteroids. Then the accident happened, and I lost everything. I’ve wondered more than once what would have happened if I was on the rock that day. Could I have saved them?
It doesn’t matter now, anyway.
The kitchen is bare, same as the bedroom. It’s a little strange not having Darvok around, but I assume he’s gone out to gather supplies or food. A note on the counter confirms that suspicion. It’s written in a surprisingly elegant script, signed with simply the letter ‘D’.
Liana,
Have gone to get food. I will return soon.
- D.
I can’t help but grin at the parchment. I’m still a little stir-crazy from staying in this bunker, but the outing last night really helped me get some perspective. My stomach growls noisily as I check the cabinets and icebox. All empty. No wonder he had to go out for food.
Doubt begins to creep in as I make my way to the bathroom. What if he’s gone for good? What if he never returns? What if something happens to him?
Nothing a hot shower can’t fix. As the hot water cascades down my body, I tell myself everything will be all right. It has to be. I wrap myself in a robe hanging by the door and dry my hair with a fluffy towel. The shower helped a lot, actually, and I feel so much more like myself now that I’m clean and warm.
There’s still a rumble of warmth deep in my chest, right where the stone landed at the peak of our pleasure last night. Whether it’s the Tia that Darvok talks about or some kind of divine celestial fate, I feel more strongly than ever that I’m meant to be here. With him.
I wash my face with cool water from the tap and it wakes me up instantly. My reflection no longer looks so tired and afraid, the way it had after my capture. I’ve been through a lot, sure, and I’m probably going to have nightmares forever, but some of the color has returned to my face, at least.
My hair hangs down across my shoulders in flowing waves, somehow fuller than I remember it being. My skin, pale and unmarked, positively shines in the light from the bathroom. It’s like that ritual with Darvok and the stone changed me somehow. Not in a bad way, though. More like...uncovering the person I was beneath, all this time. Once he peeled back the layers, my true self began to show through.
No man had ever touched me the way Darvok had that night. Sure, I’d had a few flings in the past, but nothing serious. The men back on my planet were nothing compare
d to my tall alien warrior. They were nothing compared to Darvok.
I smile as the name plays on my tongue and in my thoughts. We are from different worlds, different cultures. I admit I don’t always understand everything he does, like his obsession with that stone and his frequent meditation sessions, but I want to. Oh, how I want to. I’ve always been curious, a trait that has gotten me into trouble more often than not, and I want to know everything about my new savior.
But he is more than that, isn’t he?
I remember the light of the stone enveloping us as we made love. Now that we’d been together, there was something...almost familiar about him. Like he was someone I could have known long ago, or someone tucked away in the back of my subconscious. Mating with him last night was more like a reunion of souls and bodies than our first time.
And that scares me.
I shake my head at how love-struck I look. I’ve never been one to go ga-ga over a guy, and I don’t intend to start now. No matter how tall, dark, and handsome he might be.
With that thought in mind, I step back into the bedroom and get dressed for the day. I’ve just put on my shoes and dried my hair when I hear the sound of the door clicking closed.
“Darvok?” I call out. Good, the food’s here. I’m starving.
Then a rough hand appears from behind me, clapping over my mouth and muffling a scream. I freeze in horror for a microsecond as foreign lips draw close to my ear. The stench of Mixian Ale is all over him, gagging my senses. Consciousness wanes as another hand goes to my throat, and the last thing I hear is the man’s raspy voice:
“Good morning, beautiful. The boss has been looking for you.”
