Cosmos' Promise

by S. E. Smith

  Terra, Cosmos called out silently. Honey, I’m almost to you. Can you hear me? We are going to have to move fast. We only have eight minutes to get the hell out of here.

  Cosmos? I’m locked in another room, Terra responded with frustration. I can’t see a thing. The light I have barely cuts through the darkness and I don’t want to drain the charge on it.

  I know, sweetheart, Cosmos responded. RITA2 was able to open the door with the help of some sensors I’ve deployed. In just a minute, a charge will destroy the locking mechanism. When it does, you are going to have to move fast. Turn to your left and head straight down the corridor and make a right at the corner. There is a door and stairs leading up to the rampart surrounding the fortress. I have a transport waiting for us. Rico and Garrett are with me. They are trying to help the other women that were taken.

  There are men in the corridor, Terra said fearfully. I can hear them trying to get in.

  I’ll take care of them, Cosmos replied. You just be ready to run the moment the lock is blown.

  Alright, Terra answered. Just… just be careful.

  I will, Cosmos promised. Be ready… now!

  Cosmos rounded the corner on silent feet. There were three warriors in the corridor. Two of the warriors were working on the door leading into the room where Terra was hidden while the other stood over a huddled figure sitting against the wall. He could hear the sobs of the older woman who was begging the men to let her go. Cosmos let out a loud roar, charging at the men just as the sensor inside the locking mechanism of the door exploded with a small pop.

  Cosmos aimed the modified laser pistol he had developed, using a design similar to the one the Prime warriors had, at the men. He fired three quick shots hitting each man in the chest. The pulse of energy knocked the men backwards where they collapsed. The door to the room holding Terra swung open and she tumbled out, almost tripping over the legs of one of the downed warriors.

  “Cosmos!” Terra cried out, running toward him.

  Cosmos wrapped his arm around Terra’s narrow waist, pulling her into him and brushing a hard kiss over her lips before pushing her behind him as four other warriors came into view further down the long corridor. He stepped in front of Terra as one of the warriors raised his arm and fired at him. The energy shield pulsed around both of them.

  “Go!” Cosmos demanded. “Get to the transport up on the rampart and get the hell out of here. RITA2 will guide it.”

  “What about you?” Terra asked, gripping Cosmos arm.

  “Don’t worry about me. Go!” Cosmos ordered as two more shots were fired at them. “Now! We only have five minutes left to get the hell out of here before RITA2 turns the defense systems back on.”

  Terra nodded and stumbled backwards before turning and running. She heard the sound of laser fire behind her and prayed to the Gods that Cosmos would be protected. She gripped the edge of the doorway, turning to watch the men retreat as Cosmos fired on them. Biting her lower lip in indecision, Terra turned reluctantly and began climbing the steps.

  *.*.*

  Cosmos let out a curse as another round of fire lit up the shield of his suit. He could see the power levels beginning to drop with each hit. He wanted to follow Terra but he needed to get the old woman curled against the wall up and to safety first. He couldn’t leave her defenseless.

  Aiming, he fired a couple of shots forcing the men to duck back behind the corner. Reaching down, he gripped the woman’s arm and pulled. He winced when the woman let out a loud screech of terror.

  “Chill out, will you! I’m just trying to help you, damn it,” Cosmos growled in a low voice when she started fighting him. “You need to get up and move.”

  “Please don’t hurt me,” the woman wailed.

  “Damn it! I’m just trying to save your ass,” Cosmos said, yanking her up and shoving her behind him. “Now move your ass or I’m going to knock you out. I’m running low on power and the defense systems will be up again in less than three minutes.”

  “I have to stay,” Lady Mey ‘Toc Keila pleaded. “This is my home. I am in charge of protecting the women here.”

  “You are ….” Cosmos started to say but was cut off by the flash of a warning signal indicating he had less than twenty percent power left in his suit. “Listen, I don’t have time to argue with you. If you want to stay, I’ll get RITA2 to seal you in one of the rooms until the defense system is back online,” Cosmos growled out in frustration as several more shots hit his suit and the power dropped to a dangerous level. “Shit! RITA2, open a damn door then seal it behind her before I get my ass shot.”

  “On it, honey,” RITA2 replied in a cheerful voice. “Second door behind you. Shove her butt in the room and get the hell out of there. DAR is booting up and you have more company approaching.”

  “More… Damn it all to hell,” Cosmos cursed loudly, roughly pushing the old woman through the door that RITA2 had opened. “How many and who the hell are they? Can you dismantle or shut down their systems?”

  “Oh, I don’t think Dumbass would appreciate that. There are fifteen battle skimmers approaching. J’kar, Borj, Derik, and a host of others are coming in hot and heavy. Something tells me they are not going to be happy to discover you are here anymore than these other guys,” RITA2 replied with a deep sigh. “Damn, but they are really something else when they are all protective and angry - even Dumbass is hot.”

  Cosmos ignored RITA2’s observation of the desirability of Prime warriors, especially Terra’s dad, and instead gripped several small explosives in the palm of his hand. They weren’t powerful enough to do more than stun anyone approaching but it would give him time to get up the stairs without a bunch of guys shooting at his back. The power of his suit was depleted and unless he could patch into the MFV to recharge it, he was shit-out-of-luck.

  Tossing the explosives, he turned and sprinted up the stairs taking them two at a time. He stumbled as the explosives detonated but was able to keep his feet under him as he fell against the wall. He pushed off, reaching the top of the stairs in time to see Terra fighting with a couple of warriors who had scaled the wall to the upper rampart. He paused for a brief second, watching in amazement as she twirled around, knocking one warrior off his feet and opening a long slice along the arm of the other warrior who had grabbed her. The moment the warrior released her, she brought her knee up into his groin bringing him to his knees. The other warrior who had been knocked backwards down several of the stone steps had regained his footing and was preparing to attack her again.

  Cosmos charged the man from the side, wrapping his arms around the man’s waist as he tackled him. He landed on top of the man and struck him several times, hitting the warrior in the chin, nose, and throat. He was able to stun the man long enough to reach for the pair of wrist cuffs he had on the utility belt around his waist. He quickly slapped the thick band around one wrist before flipping the man over and gripping the man’s other wrist. The warrior fought briefly but Cosmos let go of the man’s arm just long enough to grab a handful of hair and quickly slammed his forehead into the stone floor, taking care of any resistance. He had just immobilized the one he had tackled when he felt his body being lifted as he was grabbed from behind. A moment later he was airborne. His breath left him as he slammed into the low stone wall surrounding the upper part of the fortress.

  Cosmos vaguely heard Terra’s outraged cry before the shadow of the remaining warrior hovered over him. He fought to regain his breath, searching for his other laser pistol when the man’s eyes widened in surprise before rolling back in his head as he collapsed. Terra stood over the inert body holding one of the helmets from the MFV between her hands.

  “Take that, you… you jerk! Weak female, my ass,” she growled out breathlessly.

  Cosmos grinned up at her as he climbed to his feet. “Remind me never to piss you off,” he said huskily as he brushed a tender kiss along her lips.

  “I hate to put a rush on things but DAR will be back online in about thirty seconds,�
�� RITA2 replied just as an explosion shook the area as one of the hovering skimmers exploded. “Mm, I take that back. He is back online now.”

  “My father…” Terra cried out as she watched as another one of the skimmers exploded.

  “Tell her not to worry, Cosmos,” RITA2 replied. “DAR knows not to attack them. I warned him about the incoming skimmers and he knows who the good guys are, not to mention that killing the leader of the planet isn’t a good idea.”

  Cosmos watched two of the skimmers on the ground lift off before rapidly disappearing over the south wall of the fortress. “Why didn’t the damn defense system knock those ships out?” Cosmos asked as he turned back around to watch Garrett, Rico, and a taller woman dressed in a long gray gown rush up the stairs.

  “He couldn’t take a chance with the females on board,” RITA2 replied. “His defense protocol is to protect the women. His programming prevents him from harming a female under any circumstance.”

  Cosmos turned his head and watched as several of the incoming skimmers engaged the two remaining skimmers while three went after the two vessels that had taken off. He looked back as his men reached the top of the rampart and hurried toward him and Terra. Garrett pulled the woman behind him while Rico looked like he was ready to erupt into a Berserker’s rage.

  “Love the suit but you need to work on the damn battery life,” Garrett snapped out as he pulled the woman closer to him when she tried to pull away.

  “Let’s get the fuck out of here,” Cosmos said, ignoring Garrett’s comment. “I’m not going to give Teriff a chance to take Terra again.”

  “I’m not going,” Rico said stubbornly as Cosmos turned toward Terra.

  Cosmos looked over his shoulder with a dark frown. “What the fuck do you mean you aren’t going? We have to get the hell out of here!”

  “I said I’m not going. I’m going after the girl,” Rico said turning away from Cosmos, Terra, Garrett and the other woman. He grabbed a helmet off the MFV that he and Garrett had arrived on. “I’m taking the MFV.”

  “Like hell you are, Rico,” Garrett growled out turning to Cosmos. “Open the fucking Gateway and take the women. I’m going with Rico.”

  “What in the hell is wrong with you two?” Cosmos asked, stunned. “Rico, let Teriff and the others go after the woman.”

  “I can’t,” Rico said in a quiet voice as he sat on the MFV and powered it on.

  “Why not?” Cosmos asked exasperated with the two men he trusted the most to follow orders and get a job done.

  “This is ‘why not’,” Rico responded holding up his left hand. A series of small circles showed clearly in the center of his palm. “I have to go after her.”

  Cosmos cursed loudly as he watched Rico lift off without another word. “RITA2, you make damn sure that DAR doesn’t fire on Rico!” He ordered as he watched the MFV glide over the wall and circle back toward the south and the mainland.

  “I have to cover Rico’s back,” Garrett said reaching for the helmet in Terra’s hand. “I can’t let that crazy son-of-a-bitch go off alone. Maria would castrate me if anything happened to him. Take the woman back and keep her safe until I return.”

  “No!” The woman said pushing back against Garrett with an angry frown. “I am going.”

  Garrett looked fierce as he shook his head. “Like hell you are!” He growled out.

  The woman smiled nastily as she pulled the laser pistol that had been at his waist up and leveled it at his chest. “Like ‘hell’ I am. That is my sister they took. I will not be denied.”

  Cosmos ran his hand through his hair as he looked back and forth between Garrett and the woman then back down to where Teriff was exiting one of the attack skimmers. His breath exploded out of him as he realized exactly what it felt like to be in the middle of a Mexican standoff. He glanced at Terra who was watching with wide-eyed amusement as Garrett and the woman stared at each other.

  “Fine!” Cosmos exploded as he looked back down at Teriff who was shooting daggers at him. He handed his helmet to the woman. “I don’t know what the fuck is going on but I am taking Terra with me right now. You two cover your asses or I’m going to be sending in Avery and her crew to come get you out and that is going to piss a LOT of men off,” he promised as he gripped the portable Gateway device tightly in one hand while he wrapped his other arm around Terra, pulling her against him.

  In seconds, a shimmering doorway appeared. Cosmos glanced one more time at Teriff who started forward sharply when he saw the Gateway open between their worlds. His loud roar of rage echoed over the noise far below. Cosmos smiled wickedly before he gave a sharp nod to Teriff in acknowledgement of the challenge the warrior had just issued. Without a backward glance, he pulled Terra through the doorway with him.

  Chapter 10

  Cosmos paused on the other side of the Gateway, waiting for it to close. The moment it did, he pushed Terra back against the wall of his lab. His lips covered hers in a deep, desperate kiss of relief, hunger and need. His hands ran up under the thin T-shirt she wore until they reached her breasts. He groaned when he felt the unbound flesh. He cupped the heavy weights in the palms of his hands, stroking his thumbs over the taut nipples as he ran his lips along her jaw to her neck.

  “If you want me to stop, you better tell me now,” he muttered hoarsely as he gently nipped her earlobe. “I am going to make love to you, Terra ‘Tag Krell Manok. I’m going to claim you as mine and no one, and I mean absolutely no one, is going to take you away from me again,” he vowed, pulling back to look down into her eyes.

  Terra shuddered as need poured through her body, leaving her shaking. “You’re damn right no one will,” she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I want you, Cosmos Raines – forever.”

  Cosmos swept Terra up into his arms. He turned and headed toward the stairs leading to the upper level of the lab. He took them two at a time before heading to the set of double doors securing the room from the rest of the warehouse. He pulled Terra closer as she laid her head against his shoulder and turned her face into his neck.

  “RITA, secure the warehouse. I don’t want anyone, and I mean anyone – alien or human – getting into it,” Cosmos ordered as he headed up the narrow stairway to the second level and his living quarters. “Have RITA2 give you updates on Garrett and Rico and have her help them any way she can,” he added as an afterthought.

  “Don’t you worry, honey,” RITA replied with a sigh of contentment. “I’ll hold the fort while you claim your mate. My sis is informing Tresa and Tilly that you have Terra. Both of us are monitoring the Gateway so no one will get through without going through us.”

  Cosmos pushed the door to his bedroom open with his shoulder and released the breath he was holding when he saw the tousled sheets on his king-size bed. His cock was hard as a stone as he thought about what was about to occur. He should have claimed her weeks ago regardless of his promise to her brother. He only hoped the big guy was more understanding than Teriff. If looks could kill, Cosmos was a dead man.

  All thought deserted him when Terra reached up and nipped his neck before running her tongue along the vein. A low moan escaped him as he carefully lowered her onto the bed. He followed her when she refused to let him go. Her lips were pure torture as they continued up to his jaw. Her hands tangled in his hair, holding him to her as she rose up enough to rub her breasts against his chest.

  “I don’t understand what is happening but I feel like my body is on fire,” she whimpered as she continued to run tiny kisses over to the corner of his mouth. “I hurt, Cosmos. What is going on?”

  Cosmos chuckled at the confused, breathless question. “It’s natural, baby.”

  Terra pulled back far enough to glare up into Cosmos’ eyes. “Well, I don’t like it! I don’t understand and I want you to make the ache go away,” she demanded, looking frustrated.

  “Oh, I’m going to make the ache go away,” Cosmos promised as he pulled back far enough to reach for the bottom of her shirt.
“I don’t think you are going to be complaining when I get done.”

  Terra gasped as Cosmos jerked her shirt over her head. His muttered oath echoed when he saw what his hands had discovered earlier, she wasn’t wearing a bra. The rounded mounds swelled as he stared down in awe at them. Her nipples were a dark rosy color. He didn’t think twice, his mind was on auto-pilot as his mouth zeroed onto one of the taut tips. He latched onto the rosy peak hungrily, sucking deeply and running his tongue roughly over it.

  “Cosmos!” Terra cried out, arching up with a loud gasp. “Oh Gods!”

  Cosmos released the swollen tip, turning his head to attack the other one with the same zealous hunger. His hands worked their way down to the button of her jeans. He flicked the button before reaching desperately for the zipper. With a smooth jerk, he had it down and was gripping the sides of her jeans with both hands.

  He pulled her jeans and panties down, cursing when they got tangled around the tennis shoes she was wearing. He pulled back, sliding down to the end of the bed. With a quick jerk, he pulled her shoes and socks off. He tossed each one over his shoulder impatiently before he grabbed the end of her jeans and ripped them the rest of the way off. He tossed them onto the floor next to the bed.

  His eyes darkened as he took in the beauty of the woman lying in the middle of his bed looking at him with flaming silver eyes. His eyes ran down her slender length, pausing to take in the rapid rise and fall of her chest as she struggled to catch her breath. His eyes moved possessively down pausing again at the smooth folds between her legs. Terra’s legs moved restlessly when she realized where his eyes were focused. Cosmos reached forward, gripping her thighs and forcing her to open for him.

  “You don’t have any hair here,” Cosmos purred as he ran his finger along the silky fold. A smile curved his lips when her thighs fell apart. “I think you like that.”

  “No, Prime women to do have much body hair except for on our heads,” Terra groaned as he continued to stroke her. “I love it but it is making the ache worse,” she whimpered. “Please, I need you to do something.”