The Determined Hero (The Lost Planet Series Book 7)

by K Webster

  She reaches for me over the cooing Hophalix and squeezes my hand. “We’re so happy to have you here, Quinn. We’re all your friends. And the best thing about it is we’ve all been exactly where you are, so there’s no judgement and I’m always here if you have any questions. I know how confusing and insane it can all be.”

  “You can say that again. I feel like I went to sleep, and my life changed. Sometimes it feels a bit like a dream.” Or a fairy tale, but I don’t say that out loud.

  “It can take some getting used to, that’s for sure. You’re doing well, though.”

  “Well, I didn’t have much of a life on Earth II outside of the library, at least not one where I felt I belonged. Does that make sense?”

  “You have no idea,” she answers. “You didn’t have a family?”

  I shake my head. “Mine died when I was young. They got sick and couldn’t afford to go to the doctor. There was no one else.” She nods in sympathy and, feeling a burst of bravery, I continue. “This place feels more like home to me than Earth II ever did. I wasn’t upset when I woke up here…I was happy. Does that make me crazy?”

  Emery smiles. “No more than any of the rest of us.”

  After Emery leaves, I finish binding the thick cardboard I’d found and planned to use to make board books for the babies once they were a little older. There were some children’s stories I remembered by heart and I thought it would be fun to make their own little library. I make a mental note to ask around to see if anyone in the facility is an okay artist, because drawing isn’t my strong suit.

  I look around the library one last time before I close it down for the evening. The shelves aren’t full and probably won’t be for a while. There are a couple of them in a neat row. One day they’ll have hundreds of books on their shelves. They’re situated on the left side of the room. To the back in the middle is the little desk I use to keep myself organized. To the right is the window and the children’s area. Next on my list is to make a desk of the tablets to be used to check out with all the books loaded on them. I’d already loaned one to Molly while she rests in bed for the rest of her pregnancy. She’d nearly cried when I’d given it to her.

  That’s what I’d loved most about being a librarian in my other life. There was nothing like bringing joy to someone through a shared love of the written word.

  Closing the door, I shift my focus from work to my other labor of…something like love: Oz. He is going to sleep tonight if it’s the last thing I do. And I have a fool-proof plan.

  First, I go to the Nutrition Bay and load up a tray full of all of his favorite things. My forearms strain when I’m done. Whatever he doesn’t eat will serve as my dinner. I wave to the other morts and their mates and head for Oz’s workshop. It’s become our routine for me to bring him food in the evenings because otherwise he’d simply forget to eat. I can relate because sometimes that’s how I am when I’m reading a good book. Days can pass and I’d finish and realize I haven’t eaten or gone to the bathroom in much longer than I’d like to admit.

  I find him cursing at a mangled pile of metal in front of him, or at least I think it’s cursing—I haven’t quite decoded the entirety of the Mortuuan language yet. He’s peeled down the top half of his suit again and his pale white skin glistens under a sheen of sweat. I nearly swallow my tongue and forget how to convert oxygen to carbon dioxide. I only remember to move because Legolas, who is sitting in his customary position on my shoulder, twitches.

  Spotting me, Oz turns off a machine and places it back on his worktable. I can’t tell because of the pallor of his skin, but I think he has shadows underneath his eyes. His cheeks are sunken with hunger and even though I’ve only known him a short time he seems smaller, somehow. Like he’s wasting away in front of my eyes.

  Somehow, his eyes are bright despite being black as pitch. He crosses to me and takes the tray from my hands, setting it aside. Legolas skitters down my arm, hops to the floor and races to the little web he’s built in a corner.

  “Whisper. There you are. I think I’m close. The calculations seem accurate, but I won’t know until the first tests are complete. I’ll need more haxagranules to be certain, but I’m close. I have to be.”

  I want to tell him to slow down, that I can barely understand what he’s saying because he’s speaking too fast, but then he’s drawing me over to his worktable and pointing at various contraptions.

  “This was wrong in my initial conception. Wrong as rogshite, hahaha. But I recalculated and recalibrated and it’ll work this time. It has to work. It has to.”

  He seems to forget I’m there and he smashes goggles back on his face. They must be some sort of magnification lens, because the piece he lifts up to observe is the size of a small insect. “This is it. This is it. We’re going to blast those mortarekkers from the sky.”

  “Oz,” I attempt. “Oz, honey, maybe you should eat. Come with me.” I speak to him like I might a wounded animal. I don’t think he’d hurt me, but he doesn’t seem to be in his right mind either. “Let’s get some food in you. You’ll feel better after you eat.”

  “No time,” he mutters, “no time.”

  I reach for his arm and he pushes me away reflexively. The movement is so swift it catches me off guard and I stumble over my own feet, landing hard on my ass with an, “Oof.”

  The door to his workshop slides open and Galen appears. My stomach sinks. This is not the time for them to have one of those weird claiming arguments. With Oz in the state he is, it would end badly.

  Galen’s eyes go to me on the floor and they harden, followed by the popopopop sound that signifies their growing temper. “The rekk did he do?” he asks, more like growls.

  I shoot to my feet, trying to hide the wince at my aching butt. “Nothing. He didn’t mean it.”

  “He hurt you?”

  “Ha! Look at this,” Oz says, drawing both mine and Galen’s attention. Oz doesn’t seem to remember I’m there and hasn’t noticed Galen’s arrival. “It’s working.” The little module in his hand lights up, though I don’t know what it means or what I’m looking at.

  “Oz!” Galen says sharply and I suck in a breath, waiting for Oz to snap.

  “Stop it,” I say. “He doesn’t know what he’s doing. He needs to eat and some rest. Don’t provoke him.”

  “He’s as dumb as a rogcow,” Galen bites out. “He should be sedated…after I plant a fist in his face for putting a hand on an alien.”

  “You’ll do no such thing. I had it handled.” He gives me a look that says he doesn’t believe me, which I ignore. “Let me take care of it.”

  Galen merely crosses his arms and leans against the worktable.

  Fine. If he wants to waste his time, what do I care? “Oz?” I venture, furious at the tremulous note in my voice. I’m not afraid of him. He would never hurt me intentionally. Not my fierce, sweet Oz. He’s no villain. “Oz? It’s time to take a break. C’mon, I’ve got food.”

  “Can’t take a break,” he says under his breath and grinds a fist into his eyes before blinking furiously. “Can’t. Almost there. I’m almost there.”

  “I know, honey, but you’re dead on your feet. Let’s get you some food and we’ll go lie down together. Wouldn’t you like that?”

  I don’t want to startle him again, so I make sure I’m in his line of sight this time when I move to his side. Hesitantly, I lift a hand to squeeze his shoulder, like I might a frightened spider. This time, he barely seems to notice me and I lose a breath. “Oz?”

  At my voice he spins in my direction, his eyes a little wild and he wavers on his feet. His eyes cross, then roll back in his head as he crumples to the floor.

  8

  Ozias

  Nine Solars Left

  I wake to grunting. Loud, familiar, grumpy grunting.

  Galen.

  I’d know his voice from anywhere.

  “Leave me alone,” I murmur, barely able to crack my eyes open.

  “Trust me,” Galen growls, “it woul
d be more of a pleasurable task. Unfortunately, the alien has asked a favor of me. I would never disappoint a female, especially one as beautiful—”

  I snap my eyes open in time with my sub-bones popping. “Mine.”

  Galen grins at me, playfully slapping my cheek. “I knew that would wake you up long enough for you to walk back to your room.”

  He helps me to my feet and steadies me when I sway.

  “I need to…” I trail off, trying to blink away the heaviness of my eyelids.

  “You need to rest, honey.” Quinn’s voice snaps me awake. “Please? For me?”

  She asks so sweetly that I cannot deny her. “All right.”

  Quinn smiles, relieved. “Good. Let’s carry on then.”

  Blindly, with the halls blurring by, I walk behind Quinn, Galen all but holding me up. Once we reach my room, Quinn scurries about, readying things. I yawn, my eyes closing for a long moment.

  “Help him into the bed.” Her voice once again has my eyes fluttering.

  I fall into the bed with a groan. Quinn drags a blanket over me but then starts to leave. I grip her arm, gently tugging her to me. “Please stay.”

  “I will. Just let me grab your dinner. You can eat something and then sleep. I’ll be right beside you,” she promises.

  Afraid to lose her, I track her with my eyes. She’s so beautiful with her bouncing curls and glasses that make her eyes so big. Her creamy skin calls for me to mark it up and taste it. My cock hardens in my suit, but I ignore it as I focus on her cute rump. When she catches me checking her out, her cheeks blaze crimson and she laughs.

  Galen, however, is not amused. He stands in the doorway also watching my mate.

  “Mine,” I growl.

  “I don’t need a rekking reminder,” he snaps out testily. “You only say it every seven seconds. How could I forget?”

  “Hey,” Quinn coos. “He’s tired. Cut him some slack.” She smiles at Galen. “Thanks for helping getting him here for me. Please let the others know not to disturb us until he’s had a good night’s rest.”

  Galen stares me down for a moment longer before dragging his gaze away. He turns and leaves without another word. Quinn loads up a platter with some food and then comes to sit on the edge of the bed.

  “Eat,” she instructs in a breathy tone. “Please.”

  I flash her a half grin before opening my mouth for the offered sliver of seared sabrevipe. She squeaks when I playfully nip at her finger.

  “You’re supposed to eat and then rest,” she chides. “Not flirt.”

  I know all about flirting. Molly tells me all the ways of the alien world. Flirting is part of their mating ritual. I’m most definitely flirting with my mate.

  “I’d behave if you were naked,” I offer, grinning at her.

  She lets out a giggle. “You’re a mess. Eat and we’ll see what I can do about that.”

  My smile falls as I realize she’s serious. She wants to get naked with me? My cock aches as it strains against my minnasuit. Heat floods through my entire system as I imagine my mate’s naked body slick with sweat as she slides up and down over my cock.

  “You ate that so fast,” she breathes out in shock.

  “Mmm?” I ask, fixated on the pretty way her lips move when she speaks.

  “The whole plate. Who knew I could offer nakedness to get what I want?”

  “If you got naked, I’d do whatever you asked for, Whisper.”

  “Even sleep?”

  “Sure.”

  “That’s not convincing,” she huffs as she stands up. She sets the plate down and then peels away her top, baring her breasts to me. “What if I upped the ante?”

  I don’t know what that means, but I nod because I think that means she’ll show more skin.

  “If you promise to go to sleep after, we can have a little fun first.” She bites on her plump bottom lip, making my cock twitch. “But I need you to be more convincing. I need your promise.”

  I’m torn between wanting to mate with her and wanting to watch her sleep.

  “Oz,” she murmurs, shimmying out of her bottoms. “I’m naked. I could be yours. Just give me your word.”

  I drink in her beautiful form. Full breasts. Curvy hips. Dark thatch of curly hair between her thighs that I practically salivate to bury my nose in. “Mmm,” I rumble. “Yes, my mate. Whatever you ask for is yours. Now come to me and let me taste you.”

  She sashays over to me, a victorious glint in her eyes. “Take off your suit pants, Oz.” Her hands rest on my shoulders as she straddles my waist. “Unless you want me to take them off for you.”

  I slide my fingers into her hair, gripping her tight, and pull her to my mouth so I can properly claim her. She groans when our lips meet, giving me access to her tasty tongue. I devour my sweet mate while my clawed fingertips rake over her luscious rump. As we kiss, I guide her body to grind over my hard cock. The material is a nuisance, but it feels good to have her rubbing against me.

  “Oz…”

  I flip her over onto her back and then sit up to undo my pants. My claws practically rip through the material in an effort to shed me of my clothing. Finally, I manage to rid myself of the offending minnasuit and prowl over her naked body.

  “I’m going to taste every part of you, Whisper.”

  “Later,” she purrs. “Right now, I want to feel you. I want you inside me. I’m ready.” She grips my hand, guiding me between her thighs. Her cunt is slick with arousal. Primed and ready to take my fat cock. “Now, Oz.”

  I groan as I attack her mouth once more. She tastes like the sweetest thing I’ve ever consumed—the sweetest thing I’ll ever have. Our tongues duel as I slide my cock along her slick folds. Her whimpers are my undoing when I nudge the head against her opening. Without warning, I push into her with a hard thrust of my hips that has her crying out. Pleasure explodes through me, making me nearly black out. I’ve never felt anything so indescribably wonderful. My entire body shakes with the need to release my seed into her. I slow my movement so I can enjoy the sensation of her cunt gripping my cock.

  “How do you feel, my mate?”

  “Really good,” she whispers. “You can move those hips, honey.”

  I smirk against her mouth, thrusting hard again. She moans, her useless nails digging into my flesh but not breaking the skin.

  “I read the book,” she breathes, her fingers sliding into my hair. “I know what happens when you come.”

  My hips thunder into her harder as I attempt to devour her words with my kisses. “Mmm?”

  She turns her head, offering me her sweet neck. “Yes, mmm. And I want to be on top when that happens.”

  My mate’s wishes are my command. I roll onto my back so that she’s on top. Grabbing her dainty throat, I pull her to me so we can kiss again. Her pulse jumps in her neck. I rub my thumb against it, turned on by the way she moans so sweetly at my touch.

  “That’s it, Whisper. Make all the sounds you want. You’re mine and they all need to learn that.”

  She rocks against me, whimpering at my words. “Yours.”

  “I’m going to fill you up with my seed. Put a mortling in this beautiful body. Make you my family.” I nip at her bottom lip. “What do you think about that?”

  “Sounds like a happily ever after.”

  “Every fearless, beautiful heroine gets one, especially mine.”

  She shudders, her cunt quivering around my cock. I reach between her legs, seeking out the pleasure place they call the clit. The moment I touch her, just a simple pinch between my claws, she detonates like the thermablaster.

  Loud.

  Explosive.

  Beautiful.

  A series of figures glitter inside my mind as I realize my mistake from earlier while working on the machine. I’d feel inclined to stop what I’m doing, fix the device, and save our world…

  If there wasn’t a beautiful alien riding my cock.

  Alas, my situation is that I do have a beautiful alien riding on my cock
.

  Saving the world will have to wait.

  I’m her hero in this moment and that’s all that matters.

  I thrust my hips up hard from beneath her, earning a loud moan from her. My sac tightens a second before my release floods into her. The moment the toxica hits her system, she falls gracefully into my waiting arms. As her mate, it’s my duty to hold her and protect her. To keep her safe while her body renders her useless so she can take my seed. I stroke my fingers through her wild curls and kiss her head.

  “There, there,” I rumble. “I have you, mate.”

  I blink, blink, blink, fighting the fatigue that plagues me. She wants me to sleep. I promised her I’d sleep. But not now. Not while she’s vulnerable. Gently, I ease her off my cock and guide her to the bed beside me. I lie on my side and run my claws through her hair, pushing it away from her face. When her eyes that are filled with tears pin me, I know I messed up.

  She can’t speak, but I don’t need words.

  I’m supposed to sleep.

  I vowed I would.

  I’m pretty sure in some way she thought being on top would somehow keep me in bed and convince me to sleep.

  She doesn’t need to pin me, though.

  It’s much simpler than that.

  I made a promise.

  “I know,” I murmur, snuggling up close and drawing the blankets over us. “You said sleep. I’m going to try my best, Whisper.”

  She blinks several times, relief shining in them.

  “Before I drift off,” I say with a yawn, “just know you’re the best thing to ever happen to me. What I feel…” I blink open my eyes that must have closed. “What I feel for you is…it’s so intense, Quinn. I can’t get enough.”

  I blink open my eyes again.

  She’s gone.

  A panicked roar fills my lungs but is calmed when a warm cloth cleans off my cock.

  “Shh, Oz,” she murmurs. “You have to sleep for more than thirty minutes.”