by Lena Grey
When asking for a break, they have not complained about being hot or tired. I admire them for this, yet it is apparent they are both of these things. Their bodies do not have scales to keep them cool in the daytime heat or the musculature in their legs to travel great distances without becoming fatigued.
When I feel a slight pressure against my back, my body’s reaction tells me, even before turning my head, that it is Jill-ee-un. The sensation of her hand on my back is not unpleasant, yet my response to her simple touch is unsettling.
“Hold up.” She grabs my arm to make me stop walking.
“What?” I say more gruffly than I intend.
“Vauss sent me tell you it’s time to make camp for the night.”
“No camp,” I growl. “Keep traveling.”
My response makes her angry, and she crosses her arms over the rounded teats on her chest. “Vauss is in charge here, not you, asshole. So, if he says it’s time to make camp for the night, just find a place to fucking camp, okay?”
She speaks her words quickly, which makes it hard for me to follow. Yet I am excited when she mentions just and fucking. When I respond, I keep my voice low so the others don’t overhear. “Jill-ee-un wants to justfucking at camp?”
When her eyes narrow, her face turns a shade of mottled red, and she reverts to her native tongue—a language I do not understand—I know I have interpreted her words incorrectly.
“Ohmygodno! WhatmakesyouthinkIwouldfuckyoutonight? Infrontofalltheothers? Whatajerk.”
“Jill-ee-un not ask Remmel to justfucking?”
“No!” she yells, drawing attention from the others. Then, in a lower voice she says, “No fucking, only camp.”
“Only camp,” I repeat, hiding my disappointment.
Chapter 6
Jillian
We’re sitting around the campfire finishing a meal of dried meat that Rykana sent and fresh berries that Deek and Darht gathered.
Vauss offered to hunt for fresh game, but we’re too tired and hungry to care what we eat. Beds have already been laid out using hides carried in the Rakuis’ satchels, and those beds are calling our names.
Layla, Jade, and I have our booties off. They’re not designed for long-distance treks through the woods, and our feet are killing us. By tomorrow night, they’ll feel even worse.
We’ve done way more walking on UD237 than we’re used to, and blisters are forming on my left heel and my right baby toe. In the morning, I’ll cover those spots with bandages, although I doubt that will stop my skin from rubbing raw.
It’s been an uneventful journey so far. I keep expecting to see wildlife or birds or even a rogue alien, but there’s been no visible signs of life other than a pile of animal poo here and there. I wonder if the size of our group makes all the creatures hide.
Remmel glares at me from across the fire, but I pretend not to notice. The language barrier makes communication a challenge, and I’m still a little freaked out by our earlier conversation. How he concluded that I wanted to fuck him after making camp for the night is beyond me.
It surprises me that he seems eager to go another round since he doesn’t even like me. I guess it’s like Kenzie says. She’s never known a guy of any species to resist no-strings-attached sex.
There’s no way I’m fooling around in camp, though. Sure, I’m sexually uninhibited. But I don’t like an audience when getting down and dirty. And sex with Remmel? Well, it’s pretty fucking dirty.
I need to stop thinking about sex because I’m getting hot and bothered. Rakuis have supersonic smelling abilities, and I don’t want Mr. Grumpy to get a whiff of my arousal and think I’ve changed my mind about getting busy.
Because I totally haven’t changed my mind… even if my TEASE is trying to change it for me by making my panties wet.
When Jade’s done eating, she rolls out the map Remmel helped create. “How far have we traveled?” she asks him.
He points to a place on the map that looks like it’s still a couple of days away from where we planned to split off into smaller groups. “This far.”
Jade groans. “Are you sure?”
Always the charmer, Remmel points to the same place on the map again and says, “Terran females slow.”
Vauss moves in closer and looks at the map. The concern on his face deepens, and he motions for the other Rakuis to gather around. He speaks to them in their native language. After some back and forth between Vauss and the others, Deek, Darht, Zeleck, and Reyzon all nod in agreement.
But Remmel isn’t happy with Vauss, and the two of them argue about something. As the disagreement continues, they both stand up, chest to chest, and my entire body tenses. I glance at Jade and Layla who look as uncomfortable as I feel.
I worry that Vauss and Remmel are about to come to blows when Reyzon gets between them. He pulls Remmel aside, into the shadows of the trees, probably to calm him down. When they return to the fire, Remmel nods curtly to Vauss. I guess he’s letting the older Rakui win the fight, even if he’s not thrilled about it.
With things settled among the Rakuis, Vauss turns to us. “When suns rise, we make groups.”
A surprised Layla reaches over and gestures toward the map. “But I thought we weren’t splitting into groups until we get here.”
“Travel takes too long,” Vauss says. “Make groups now. Find females faster.”
“How will splitting up now help us find our friends faster?” I ask. I’m not trying to be a bitch. I just don’t understand Vauss’s decision. “Won’t we cover the same distance whether we’re walking separately or together?”
He points to the farthest point on the map. “Deek and Darht run fast to here.” Then he draws three imaginary lines on the hide. “Reyzon and Jay-duh go this way. Vauss and Zeleck and Lay-luh go this way. Remmel and Jill-ee-un go this way. All meet here at hunting cave.”
Now I know why Remmel is being a dick. He’s pissed that Vauss saddled him with me. The realization stings, and I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from saying something I’ll regret.
“I think his plan is to send the youngest and fittest Rakuis ahead to the far point of the search area while the rest of us fan out to close the gap,” Layla says in Terran English.
“It’s not a bad plan,” Jade concludes. “Since you’re technically our leader, it makes sense that you’ll be guarded by two Rakuis. Jillian and I are good with guns and can hold our own if we run into trouble. Pairing us with one guy each should be fine.”
When we landed on UD237, the only weapons we had were stun blasters issued by Earth Gov. But we salvaged deadly, high-tech laser weapons from mercenaries who kidnapped us. The mercenaries don’t need their weapons anymore because the Rakuis killed them when they rescued us.
“Why stick Remmel with me, though? It’s pretty clear that’s why he wanted to punch Vauss’s lights out.” The Rakuis don’t understand English, although hearing their names gets their attention. To their credit, they don’t interrupt our discussion.
“You and Remmel might be frenemies, but the two of you did manage to find me and Jade,” Layla says.
“And Emily and Reese,” Jade adds.
Remmel’s the tracker who did the finding. I mostly tagged along for the sex and security while Kenzie and Trauhn ran off to mate. But I don’t tell my friends that. They don’t know that Remmel and I slept together, and I’d like to keep it that way.
I suspect that Vauss has an ulterior motive for putting the two of us together. It’s no secret that we don’t get along. Maybe this is his way of forcing us to make peace… or kill each other.
“Are you good with Vauss’s plan?” Layla asks me.
“He’s the boss, so I don’t think I have a choice,” I say. “But yeah, I’m good.”
She turns to Vauss and speaks to him in simple Galactic Common. “We agree. When the suns rise, we will split into groups.”
“Rest now,” Vauss says with a nod of acknowledgement. “Remmel take first watch.”
Th
e perpetual scowl on Remmel’s face deepens, and I get the sense that being assigned first watch means he’s been reprimanded for fighting with the older Rakui.
So, while Remmel stays awake and keeps the fire burning, the rest of us head off to our fur-lined beds. Jade and Layla fall asleep as soon as their heads hit the ground. I must be overtired or something because I can’t relax.
I lay on my side watching Remmel poke angrily at the fire with a stick. He adds another branch to the flames. Even in the dim light, I can see the muscles in his arms and chest bulge and flex as he uses his stick to stab at the branch until it starts burning. My breath catches in my throat.
Remmel may be an asshole, but he’s a sexy-as-sin asshole. He’s leaner and more handsome than most of the other Rakui males. And even though his shoulders aren’t as broad as Trauhn’s or as beefy as Reyzon’s, he’s still strong and wiry and can move through the forest without making a sound.
When we were looking for the other girls and I cracked a twig under my bootie or stepped on a crunchy pile of dried leaves, he would show me how to step more lightly, more carefully. I’m not saying he did it with a smile of encouragement, but he could have barked at me to be quiet instead of teaching me a valuable skill.
It occurs to me that I might not dislike Remmel as much as I want the others to believe. He has a lot of good qualities, even if a happy-go-lucky attitude isn’t one of them. Then again, I’m no Rosie Sunshine myself on most days. Kenzie’s the one whose glass is always half full. Mine is half empty on a good day.
Fuck it.
If I can’t sleep, I might as well keep Remmel company. I get out of my cozy fur bed and head toward the fire.
Chapter 7
Remmel
During a group hunt, it is always the youngest Rakui hunter who takes the first watch. Darht should be the one feeding the fire rather than me. Instead, I am being punished for questioning Vauss’s authority as the leader of the search party.
He claims his decisions were based on each warrior’s strengths. I understand his decision to send Deek and Darht ahead. They are the fastest runners in our group. And I agree with his choice to protect the Terrans’ leader Lay-luh with two warriors.
What I object to is being paired with Jill-ee-un. Vauss says Reyzon and Jay-duh are well-suited because of his strength and her knowledge of weapons. He also says that Jill-ee-un is a good partner for me because we found the other females. I argue that I was the one who found the females even while keeping Jill-ee-un safe, yet he said his decision stands.
I did not tell Vauss this, but Jill-ee-un is a distraction for me, which puts her in danger. When she and I are alone, instead of keeping my mind on the task at hand, all I can think about is mating with her again. Even now my cock stiffens with longing at the thought.
How can I protect her and track the other females when my thoughts are focused on the appealing feel of her smooth, pale skin… the allure of her rounded teats with their stiff brown peaks… the nub between her legs that brings her much joy… the taste of her when her pleasure crests?
I jab a stick at the burning wood, angry with myself for allowing my baser needs to consume me.
Self-discipline is a trait that every Rakui, male and female, learns at an early age. It is a trait that is essential for survival of the individual and the tribe. As a hunter, a tracker, and a warrior, I have always prided myself on maintaining strict control of my thoughts, my actions, my emotions.
It is the father’s duty to teach his son this discipline. My father is also the one who taught me how to be a tracker. When I was a young boy, he often took me hunting. In addition to teaching me how to stalk, kill, and dress my prey, he showed me how to walk through the forest in stealth, how to study the ground and foliage for signs of prey, how to memorize landmarks to guide me back to the village, and how to use the direction of the winds and the angle of the suns to my advantage.
When my father and my mother perished during the great sickness, along with most of the unmated females, a part of me perished as well. Since my family was gone and there was little hope of being mated and having a family of my own, I resigned myself to live the rest of my life alone in service to the tribe.
Until the Terrans arrived on our planet, the possibility of taking an alien as a mate had never entered my mind. Why would it? Females have never dropped from the sky before. And now that they are here, why would I want one as my mate? The only female in the tribe of puny Terrans that I find appealing is not interested in being my forevermore bond or carrying my kit.
I add another branch to the fire and jab it with my stick. Life truly was simpler before the Terrans arrived.
“Mind if I join you?”
I do not see Jill-ee-un approach the fire until she speaks. A rogue could have attacked our camp, and I would not have realized it until the predator was upon us. This proves that she is a dangerous distraction.
“Jill-ee-un rest,” I growl. “Hard journey when suns rise.”
“I can’t sleep.” She sits beside me, uninvited, and her scent calls to me. I jab at the fire again. “Since we’ll be traveling together again, I was hoping we could call a truce.”
“What is truce?”
“A ceasefire.”
My expression is blank. These words do not make sense.
“A truce or a ceasefire means we agree to stop fighting.”
This, I understand. “Jill-ee-un wishes to no fight Remmel?”
“Exactly.” She looks at me with a question in her eyes. “Maybe we could even be friends.”
Friends. That is what she calls the other females in her tribe. “How can Remmel be friends to Jill-ee-un? Remmel not female. Remmel not Terran.”
“Ohboythisiskindofhardtoexplain.” She takes a deep breath. “You don’t have to be a female or a Terran to be my friend.”
“Then what is friend?”
“Let’s see…” She leans her face on the palm of her hand and stares at me while she thinks about how to answer. “A friend is someone who’s not part of your family that you enjoy spending time with. They’re someone you trust. Friends talk to each other, help each other, have fun together.”
Ah, I believe I understand. “Trauhn Remmel’s friend. Rykana Remmel’s friend.”
“Yes! And if you’re open to it, I can be Remmel’s friend too.”
I think about this before I respond. “If Jill-ee-un Remmel’s friend, no more justfucking?” I have never shared furs with Rykana.
She laughs and nudges my arm. Her simple touch makes my gut clench. “Terrans call that friendswithbenefits. Why don’t we take it one day at a time?”
I am hopeful because she has not said no. If Jill-ee-un and I are friends, and friends talk, I should initiate conversation. “Is Jill-ee-un family on Urth?”
My question saddens her. “I don’t have any family.”
“They perished?”
“No. I just never had a family.”
“No father? No mother?”
“They abandoned me when I was a baby, which is what we call a kit.”
I find this shocking. “Is commonplace for Terrans to have kit then give kit away?”
She shakes her head. “Not really. Most parents care for their kits and are willing to do anything for them… even die for them. My parents weren’t like that.” Some time passes before she speaks again. “What about you? Do you have family back at the village?”
“My mother and father perished during great sickness. Now Remmel alone like Jill-ee-un.” She looks at me with sad eyes. In the blue depths, I see compassion rather than pity. A warming sensation fills my chest.
She makes a sour face, as if she has taken a bite of spoiled kerboo. “Kind of sucks, doesn’t it?”
I nod my agreement. I do not know this word sucks, although I can guess at its meaning.
Her sad eyes brighten. “Since we’re both alone, it’s good that we’re friends now. That way, we can be alone together.”
Chapter 8
; Remmel
The suns have moved past their highest point and are easing their way below the trees in the distance. Soon, they will sleep and the moons will rise to watch over the darkness.
When we started out this day, Jill-ee-un had a spring in her step and a curious mind. We covered much ground, and I showed her the most basic skills of a tracker. We managed to find a nest of gryzen eggs and the carcass of long-perished kerboo, yet we did not find any signs of the missing females.
Now she walks several short paces in front of me, limping along and occasionally stumbling over a rock or a twig. Her steps have slowed with the passing time, and now they cover far less ground than when we started our journey this day.
She has pushed her small body without complaint over the rough and difficult terrain. Though her frame is slight, her mind is strong and determined. Her will is as vast as the salty black water.
It is expected for her small, weak body to tire, yet I can sense that something more is slowing her down. Although she hides it well, she appears to be in pain. Her shoulders, once loose, are now high and tight, and her jaw is clenched. Beads of sweat dot her forehead, and her pale skin has grown even more so, losing what little color it had before.
This female, Jill-ee-un, is not my mate, yet I will care for her like she belongs to me. I have sunk my length into her tight warmth, and I have released my seed inside of her, although she does not carry my kit and she does not want me as her mate. Still, I must keep her safe.
I do not own her; she has made that clear. Yet, if it pleases her, I will gladly share my furs with her again. It is the one thought that continues to occupy my mind. Now that I have experienced the pleasures of Jill-ee-un’s body, I wish to experience those pleasures again and again.
For the good of the tribe, and for the warrior who will one day win her heart, I must protect her with my dying breath.
