by Meg Ripley
"Who are you?" he repeated.
His voice was like the roll of thunder just as the air heats up right before a storm begins. He took another step toward her, staring at her with unwavering intensity.
"Liora," she replied, her voice coming out softer than she had intended.
"How did you get here?" he demanded.
He had stopped approaching and Liora felt a flicker of disappointment, wishing he would come closer so she could get a better look at his eyes. She struggled to come up with the words to respond, but even she wasn't sure how she had gotten where she was.
"I came through that building," she said, gesturing behind her.
"That's impossible. How did you get here?"
A spark of frustrated anger joined the combination of fear and excitement roiling through her. She gestured at the building again.
"Apparently, it's not impossible because that is exactly what happened. I was researching a pyramid in Egypt, I found a false wall, I stepped through it, I touched some hieroglyphics, and now I'm here."
It all came out of her in a rush as she went step by step telling him how she arrived in the new place, trying to clarify it for herself at the same time.
"I told you, that is impossible," he said harshly, rushing past her so that he could walk into the building.
She followed him toward the building but stopped just outside, afraid that if she entered she would end up back in the pyramid, and she wasn't ready to leave this beautiful place, or the equally beautiful man, quite yet. He stalked down the corridor into the chamber and flattened his palms on the walls as she had, pressing into the stone and turning several times to touch different areas of the walls. After several moments, he strode back toward her with such power Liora stepped back to create more space for him.
"I don't understand," he said, the low tone of his voice saying he spoke more to himself than to her.
He looked sharply at her and closed the space between them with one long step, forcing her back against the stone side of what she realized now was a small, single-chamber pyramid. His body didn't touch hers, but was only inches away, the warmth radiating toward her so she felt it heating her skin almost painfully. Her eyes met his and the boldness of the color along with the seething heat of his skin told her that he was not human.
"Where are we?" she whispered.
"You mean you don't know?" he asked, his voice dropping to nearly match hers.
"No."
"What are you doing here?"
"I told you, I was studying a pyramid. I'm an Egyptologist."
"But you don't know where you are?"
"No."
"We are at the center of Orion's belt."
Liora narrowed her eyes quizzically at him.
"The center of Orion's belt is a star."
The man scoffed.
"Is that what you think?"
Despite the desire building in her stomach, Liora felt the anger increasing at the man's arrogance.
"What are you?"
"I suppose you could call me a researcher, too, and right now I want to know how you got here and why you are here."
Liora opened her mouth to respond when another voice from close to the trees broke through the thick tension that had formed between them. The man stepped away from her and Liora felt relief as the cooler air soothed the slight sting from the heat pulsating from his body.
"Leave her alone," the female voice said.
Liora looked around the man to see a tall, willowy woman standing in the same place the man had been standing when she first saw him. She had a soft smile on her lips and her voice held a hint of laughter despite the chastising words.
"She's a stranger, Akusaa."
"Only until we get to know her."
****
Akusaa. The name reverberated through Liora's mind as the woman leapt gracefully down from the boulder and approached her. Liora had heard the name before during her studies. It meant "sunset", and as Akusaa grew closer Liora felt like the name fit her perfectly. She was lovely and mysterious, her eyes a shade of violet that reminded Liora of the streaks across an autumn sunset. There was enough brightness in her to remind Liora of the sun, but she was soft around the edges like the gently coming night.
"Come with me," she said, reaching out her hand.
Liora took her hand and allowed Akusaa to guide her away from the pyramid and toward the trees. She could feel the man's eyes on her as they walked, but she didn't look back at him. Akusaa didn't release her hand as they passed through the trees, but her skin didn't have the heat of the man's and Liora found the touch comforting as she moved away from the only connection to Earth and deeper into the unknown planet.
"What is your name?" Akusaa asked.
"Liora."
Akusaa nodded as if pondering the name and determining if it was appropriate.
"You'll have to forgive my brother. Amasis has a strong temper, especially when it comes to the pyramids."
The name brought a smile to Liora's lips.
"Why is that?" she asked.
"He is very serious about their history and our link with Earth. That is where you came from."
She said it as a statement rather than a question and Liora nodded.
"I don't know how," she admitted.
"You were meant to be here."
Liora didn't realize they had approached another building until Akusaa released her hand and opened a large wooden door. She followed the dark-haired woman into the building and down a short hallway into a massive room that seemed to take up the entire space of the building. Steam rose out of the center of the floor and Liora walked toward it, letting out a sigh when she saw it came from a tub sunken into the stone floor. Even though it got her clean, the outdoor shower at the camp never felt like enough and the idea of a bath made her feel weak in the knees.
"Go ahead," Akusaa said from the doorway as if she had read Liora's mind, "I thought you might like to bathe."
Liora wanted to be offended by the comment, but she knew that a fine film of dirt and sand covered her skin, and her hair hung limply from sweat. Without hesitation, she started to undress, waiting until Akusaa stepped out of the room to remove all of her clothing and step down into the tub.
The hot water rose around her and Liora let out a long moan as she felt weeks of tension dissolve from her muscles and her body relax into the tub. She let her head rest back against the side of the tub and closed her eyes. The sound of light footsteps behind her told her that Akusaa had returned, but she didn't lift her head. Liora heard the soft sound of something pouring into the bath and a sweet, powdery smell filled her nose. She opened her eyes and saw Akusaa tipping a golden liquid from an intricate glass vial into the water. She should have felt uncomfortable with a stranger standing beside her bath, but Akusaa's calming presence made Liora relax even further into the water.
A moment later she felt the woman kneel behind her and loosen the clips that held her hair in place. Her long fingers combed through the blond strands, loosening them until they spread out around Liora's head.
"Slide down," Akusaa whispered, and Liora complied, easing her body off of the step where she sat and onto the bottom of the tub.
Liora felt water stream through her hair and then smelled something fresh and soothing. Akusaa washed her hair carefully, then poured more water through it.
"My brother has been waiting for you," Akusaa whispered.
Liora's eyes opened sharply.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
The lovely woman touched her face gently, tracing it with her fingers.
"He said you would come."
Akusaa placed a stack of towels beside the tub and draped something white across a low bench. Without another word, she walked out of the building, leaving Liora alone and confused.
Liora took a long breath and reached beside her to pick up a sponge. She dipped it into the water and trailed it along her skin, thinking about Akusaa's words and the feeling they c
reated low in her belly. It reminded her of the feeling that came from touching the hieroglyphs and from the heat that radiated from Amasis's skin.
When she finished bathing, Liora climbed reluctantly from the tub and dried herself on the soft towels before picking up the cloth that Akusaa had placed on the bench. It felt like fluid in her hands and when she unfolded it, she saw that it was a long white dress. She dropped it over her head and let it flutter down her body so that the fabric grazed her skin and touched her feet.
Shaking her wet hair around her shoulders, she walked out of the building and back toward the pyramid.
****
"Child of the moon."
Amasis turned from the pyramid and she saw his eyes travel along her body where she stood on the boulder at the edge of the trees.
"That's what your name means," she said.
"I know," he said, approaching her slowly.
"Your sister is older than you?"
"Yes. First comes the sunset, then comes the moon."
Liora smiled as he came closer. The height of the boulder made it so that his face aligned with her belly and she could feel the heat radiating off of him again.
"She said that you knew I would come. What did she mean by that?"
Amasis leaned forward and brushed his face across her stomach, touching it just enough that the thin fabric of the dress moved across her skin. She drew in a breath, startled by the touch but craving more.
"Can I show you something?" he asked.
Liora nodded and he placed his hands on her waist, lifting her with the ease of a doll and placing her on her feet on the ground beside him. His fingers intertwined with hers as he led her toward the pyramid. The touch was not calming like Akusaa's, but hot and electrifying, making her hand tingle and her body respond as though it already knew him.
Amasis led her around the pyramid, walking close along its side until the passed it and stepped out onto a stretch of tall grass. She looked out in front of her, gasping at the sight of more than a dozen pyramids scattered across the bottom of what looked like a massive quarry dug deeply into the ground of the jungle.
"What is this?" she asked.
"Ruins," he replied.
The tone of his voice was reverent, holding the same deep respect and shade of awe that she knew hers had when she spoke of the ancient buildings in Egypt.
"Ruins of what?" she asked.
"Come see."
Amasis guided her along an overgrown path that led down into the quarry. She walked carefully, the ground beneath her pressing painfully into her bare feet, but the lure of his hand kept her from stopping.
"We visited Earth thousands of years ago," he said, walking up to one of the pyramids and resting his hand against its slowly crumbling side.
"Egypt," she said.
He looked back at her and nodded, then guided her further into the eerily silent empty city of pyramids.
"We taught the humans there about our culture and helped them raise their own pyramids just like ours. My ancestor was there."
Liora watched as he ran his hand along a symbol embedded in the side of another of the pyramids and when he moved it she saw that it was the circles she had seen on the wall in the pyramid she studied.
"This is his name in our ancient language. Seker. It means the night sun."
"The moon."
Liora's mind was spinning. She had felt such an intense connection to that symbol, but now she was realizing that it was not that symbol, but the man in front of her, the descendant who had been named for the extraterrestrial visitor who had engraved that hieroglyph into the stone when the pyramid was still new, that drew her toward it.
"He wanted so much for our people and the humans to cooperate, to learn from one another, and to exist together civilly."
"He engraved that into the pyramid. I found that inscription this morning."
"Yes. Unfortunately, the humans were not as open to the relationship. It wasn't long before our people decided that the Earth was a desolate place and the humans there could never be tamed enough for an allegiance to benefit our kind. The ambassadors returned and they sealed the portals that connected our worlds."
"Then how did I get here?"
"I don't know. No one has passed through that portal since they returned. I have been studying these pyramids my entire life and I have no explanation for it."
Amasis pulled her closer so that the front of her body touched his and she felt the searing heat building again.
"Your skin feels so hot," she said, wanting at the same time to pull away from the heat and to press closer to him.
"It's because of you," he whispered back, "It's how the men of my kind react to our mates."
Her eyes raised to his and she felt like she was falling into them, suddenly recognizing the color as the rare shade of the sky when the moon is full and the glow reflects from the clouds, illuminating the area just around it.
"How did you know I was coming?" she asked.
Without responding, Amasis guided her toward another pyramid and ducked inside. The cool, dark interior was a welcome relief from the bright sunlight outside, but being in the small building made her even more aware of Amasis's body.
"This is the portal my ancestor used. When he engraved the pyramid on Earth, the message appeared here," he touched the wall to show the section of hieroglyphics, "These," he said, pointing to a much newer set of engravings, "are mine."
Liora stepped forward and squinted in the faint light of the chamber at the engravings. They looked like the ones from the tiny chamber she entered behind the false wall.
"You made those?" she asked incredulously.
"Yes. Every time you touched my Seker's mark, I could feel it. I knew you belonged here with me and I wanted to connect with you, so I started making carvings. It wasn't until today that I knew you found them. I never imagined that they would bring you here."
"Why didn't I come to this pyramid, then? Why did I end up in the other one?"
Amasis shook his head.
"I don't know."
He took a step forward, the increased pressure of his body causing her to step back. She pressed against the wall just as she had when he guided her up against the first pyramid, but this time he flattened his hands to the wall on either side of her.
"What does your name mean?" he said, the sound of the impending storm rolling through her body and sending a shiver into her core.
"It means 'my light'."
Amasis rested one hand against her cheek and she tilted her face to brush her lips across his palm.
"Yes," he said so softly she barely heard him, "That is exactly what you are."
His lips touched hers gently, cautiously as if he gauging her reaction. The burn of his skin intensified until she worried she couldn't stand touching him any longer. He could sense her discomfort and tucked his head into the curve of her neck and shoulder.
"Only you can feel the heat," he said into her skin.
He touched a kiss to her neck and she shivered.
"Will you always feel this way to me?"
"No. Only for now."
Liora raised her lips to his and he caught them, letting his mouth nurture hers patiently until it opened and he could glide his tongue inside. She whimpered against his mouth, sighing at the feel of his mouth and the taste of his kiss. Her hands grazed across his back, the ever-increasing temperature of his skin stinging on her palms but she didn't care as she reveled in the curves and planes of his muscles.
Amasis deepened their kiss and Liora gave in to the temptation that had been driving her to the brink of her control since the moment she laid eyes on his stunning body. She ran her hands along his hips to the front of the tan pants that were his only garment. Slim brown strings tied them in place and her fingers worked quickly over the knot, releasing it so that she could ease the pants off his hips.
"Does anyone else ever come here?" she asked, kissing the middle of his chest.
"No," he re
plied through labored breath.
"Good," she said, running her fingertips along the hard length of the erection she had revealed.
Amasis gasped and his elbows bent, bringing his body closer to hers. She lifted her mouth to his and continued her slow torment, tracing her fingers along the ridges of his veins and the edge of the head, pausing to swirl into the most sensitive place on the underside. His breath came in ragged pants as if he was struggling to control himself. Liora touched one fingertip to the very tip of his erection, making it slick with the droplet of fluid that had formed there, and then ran it back down to the base.
Suddenly Amasis tore his mouth away from hers and looked down at her, his eyes flashing and his jaw set.
"If you are going to touch me," he said, reaching down and wrapping her hand tightly around his shaft, "Then touch me."
Liora gasped as he pressed her palm even more firmly against his cock and guided it to stroke him. She used her free hand to push his chest until he stepped back, forcing him against the small chamber until it was his back that was against the wall. He groaned as she held him still and stroked him with a fast, smooth rhythm that belied the patience she had maintained only moments before. His hands came forward to grip her hips and his eyes closed.
The sounds pouring from Amasis's chest grew desperate and she could feel his shaft hardening even more as he rushed toward climax. He made a gasping sound that told her he was right on the brink and she lowered to her knees, bringing him into her mouth just as her name came from him in a strangled gasp and he began to pulse against her tongue. She swallowed deeply, milking him until his loud cries quieted and his body relaxed. Even as she climbed to her feet she noticed the temperature of his skin dropping.
Her heart swelled as he drew her close to him. She suddenly felt whole for the first time in her life and she knew exactly what Amasis meant when he called her his mate.
"So, that's all it took to cool you off?" she asked.
He gave a short laugh through breaths that were still trying to normalize.
"That's all," he confirmed, "We are bonded now. You belong to me now."
