by Viola Grace
He glanced at her. “I will take care of any bruising as it develops.”
She wrapped the sheet and tucked it in, lifting the edge and shuffling out to see what he was looking at. The rain had ceased, and the moonlight was peeping through the clouds.
“What have you been watching?”
“There is a tree growing in the gardens, and it needed rain for its encouraged growth.”
“A tree?”
She stepped toward him, and he pointed to the gardens and the tree that should have taken sixty years to grow to that size.
“How did that get there?”
“I asked it to. I asked it to grow so that a swing can be created for you.”
Tears stung her eyes. A small comment had led to something beautiful being made for her. She looked up at him. “Thank you.”
He was close. Very close. She slid her hand up his chest and around his neck, urging him to kiss her. He didn’t hesitate.
The kiss was just as careful as every other touch she had gotten from him, but she wanted more. She released the sheet to fall at her feet and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself up until her legs were around his waist and he was supporting her with his hands. It was as blatant an invitation as she could manage. Thankfully, he was a very smart male.
He leaned back for a moment. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “Absolutely not, but it feels like what I should be doing.”
Banor chuckled. “Good enough.”
He threaded a hand through her hair, and the slow twist of his tongue in her mouth caused a spasm inside, and she could feel the moisture that was emanating from her entrance. His hands were busy holding her thighs, so when something slim started caressing her, she gasped. “Cheating!”
He laughed. “I am an Other, there is no cheating. My world, my rules.”
She shivered. “Oh, right. Well, then, as you were.”
She grunted as the slim shadow thrust into her and gradually widened. She kissed him as her hips rocked against him, getting savage as her blood pounded in her ears. She froze and shivered as her sex clasped the tendril of shadow that had been teasing her. Her body locked, and she exhaled a soft sound into his mouth as she squeezed the intruder in her body with a slow pulse.
Allura slowly broke the kiss and tucked her head against his neck. She never knew what to do next.
His dark whisper was amused. “So, you get naked and climb an alien that your species are hostile to?”
She nodded. “Is it Tuesday? I always do that on a Tuesday.”
He snorted. “It is Thursday.”
She sighed and looked at him, stroking the hard plane of his jaw. For someone obsessed with beauty, he hadn’t bothered to give himself more than the basics. He had pure features, and that was enough. “I always mixed those two up. I can go if you would rather I not be here.”
His hands tightened on her. “No, I think you should stay. You have committed to at this point.”
She kissed his neck softly. “Are you sure I won’t be any trouble?”
He swallowed, and she felt it under her lips.
“I am not sure about that at all, but you aren’t getting away.”
She nipped him lightly, and it seemed to trigger something. He turned and walked back into his room, and something under her thighs changed. His trousers disappeared.
The firm contact of the bed on her back sent a small trill of nervousness through her.
He lifted her and pushed her back on the bed until he was kneeling on it, and then, he lifted her up and held her entrance wide and lodged his cock in her opening. She gasped and shivered at the suddenness of it, gripping his shoulders to keep herself from sliding onto him.
He kept his hands under her thighs, and he smiled. “At your own pace.”
She inhaled deeply, and he slipped further into her. She gasped and lifted off him before sinking back a little lower. Having so much of him to hang onto made things easier. She eased onto him, one tiny motion at a time.
When he was finally inside all the way, she was covered in sweat and regretting a number of decisions. She slowly looked up from his chest to the thick column of his neck to his very serious face. He leaned toward her and kissed her, his tongue swirling slowly along hers.
She pulled and flexed, rising slightly and then slowly lowering herself. She felt his mouth smile against hers as his cock moved in and out of her without her effort. His hands stroked her skin, sliding over her back while he moved within her.
Allura moaned, and she tried to figure out which sensation she enjoyed more.
He broke the kiss and bent her back, latching on to her breast and sucking hard. She bucked her hips into his and hissed through her teeth when he shifted to the other breast, tonguing at her nipple while his cock still moved inside her.
Her senses burned, and she screamed as her core clamped down on him, trying to hold him inside her. He grunted and held her tight against him as his body quivered. He released her breast and held her up, biting down on her shoulder.
She gasped and tried to reconcile what her body was experiencing, but then... she fainted.
Chapter Seven
Waking up with a shapeshifter lying between her thighs was not what she had expected, but the slow lapping of his tongue against her had definitely set a new bar for alarm calls.
She looked down her body and asked, “What are you doing?”
He chuckled but didn’t look up. “If you can’t tell, I should try harder.”
“Ha. Funny. Not harder, please.” She shivered.
He tongued her clit and let out a low and animalistic rumble. She felt it run through her bones.
Her body arched, and her clit throbbed under his slow onslaught. When the tension finally eased, she slumped back onto the sheets. She groaned, and he moved up and over her, kissing her softly.
She tasted herself on his lips, but it wasn’t a turn-off.
Banor gathered her to him and held her with her back against his chest. She had no idea how long she had been out, but the moon was still high.
Allura looked out the window, and she sighed. “So, that happened.”
Banor kissed her shoulder. “Regrets?”
“No. Aches and pains, yes.” She chuckled. “You already healed my shoulder.”
“I did. That was a reflex. I apologize if it was surprising.”
“Good word for it, but it seemed to do the trick.” She chuckled.
He pulled her against him until she could feel every inch of him. “I was hoping for but not expecting your invitation. Thank you.”
“You are welcome.”
He rubbed his chin on top of her head. “You said I could completely be myself on the third time?”
“Uh, yeah. Perhaps I should say the third day, just to give myself a chance to not panic and ruin the mood.”
He sighed. “Too bad. As long as you didn’t faint again, I could have had you there before dawn.”
“My skin is screamingly sensitive right now. I think it can use a bit of a break.”
He kissed her temple. “Of course. It is at your will. But, thank you for the overture. It is much appreciated.”
She squirmed to face him. “The pleasure was all mine. I think. I don’t recall you...”
He kissed her. “We have to save something for my full form.”
Allura chuckled and swallowed nervously. “Should I head back to my room now?”
“Would you stay with me? I am still learning to sleep like a human. Having you here might help.”
“I didn’t think that the Others slept much.”
“We don’t. It takes practice.” He smiled, and his eyes were amused. “Will you help me practice?”
She nodded. “Of course.”
He made a happy sound and cuddled her against him. When she shivered slightly, a cloud of shadow moved over her, and she was warm again.
She smelled breakfast and
bolted upright. She was late.
“Relax.” Banor chuckled. “As you stayed for me, I thought I would bring breakfast to you.”
He was next to the bed and a discreet distance from her.
There was a table where the massage table had been, and one large chair was pulled up. Allura was suspicious. “One chair?”
He shrugged. “I can stand if you prefer.”
She sighed and looked around. “Can I take a fast shower first?”
He nodded. “Of course. Everything will be ready when you are.”
She got out of bed and winced as she pressed her thighs together. “Which way to the shower?”
He chuckled and pointed. “To the left.”
She nodded and slowly moved across the room, bare and aching. The promise of hot water was all that kept her going. The massage was one part of it, the sex was the other.
When she entered the huge wet room, she warmed up the water and stepped under the spray. She groaned and faced the water, letting it highlight all the small aches and pains that had stemmed from her having sex with an Other who still wasn’t quite to her scale. He fit, but it had only been because of his nature, or it wouldn’t have been possible.
She felt her cheeks getting hotter than the water. Allura couldn’t believe she had done that. She looked around for soap before realizing that he wouldn’t need it. Hell, he wouldn’t even need the shower.
She groaned and hit her thighs with her fists to loosen up the muscles that felt locked into blocks. She pounded on her butt as well. All the major muscle groups from the hips down were in rigor.
She didn’t cry. She had been through this before in basic training. She just needed time to loosen up.
Allura finished finger-combing her hair under the spray, and then, she turned off the water.
She crouched and then stood, carefully moving until she didn’t look like she had just suffered mild electrocution. She was still stiff, but she was mobile.
There were also no towels. She sighed and walked out, wet and dripping, having scraped most of the water off to leave it on the floor. Her hair was on its own.
Banor looked at her, blinked, and she was swathed in shadows for a moment before it retracted, and she was not only dressed but dry also.
“That is different.” She was wearing a deep blue dress, but it was in soft layers of silk that clung to her as she moved. The wide neckline had a narrow ribbon of gold and a band under her breasts. There was no support offered by the dress, and there was a lot of cleavage on display.
Her feet were in navy blue slippers with gold trim.
“Uh, right. Breakfast.”
She walked toward the table, and he got into the wide chair, patting his thighs. She gave him a narrow-eyed look, stood next to his legs, turned, and backed up until his legs were pressed against her, and then, she hopped up. He caught her with hands at her waist and turned her to face the table.
To her amusement, instead of scooting the chair, Banor simply pulled the table closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and his lips pressed against her neck. She shivered as he slowly kissed at her neck and shoulder while she daintily ate a breakfast large enough for three of her and yet seemed to only be just enough.
“I thought you were all about observing.” She shivered and ignored the determined points of her hardened nipples. He hadn’t done anything else but gently lick and suck on her neck.
He chuckled against her skin. “I have discovered that there are benefits to hands-on exploration with the right subject.”
Allura had to ask. “You mentioned to my father that there was a treatment for my situation?”
Banor paused. “Yes, there is.”
She turned her head to look him in the eye. “How would I go about asking for that treatment?”
He smiled and stroked her cheek. “You have been receiving it since you arrived.”
She blinked. “You... are helping me?”
He cocked his head. “Of course. It was one of mine that was dumb enough to hit you with the blank charge. It should not have happened.”
“A blank...”
He sighed and pivoted her to sit across his lap. “When an Other finds someone that they feel is compatible and that person is a solid, or human, they ask the person to receive the blank charge, and then, the transformation from human to Other begins.”
Allura frowned. “So, someone hit me with something to change me?”
“To mate with you. Generally, only the one who sent the charge can complete the transformation, but there were a few factors at work.”
“Wait. So, someone wanted to change me into an Other. They fucked it up, and I was dying until you summoned me here?”
He nodded. “That is a concise summation.”
“But, you shouldn’t have been able to complete the transformation.”
“If I were a normal Other, then no. I would not be able to do it. Fortunately for you, that is not the case.”
She stared up at him. “Why is that not the case?”
“I am a node. I am in touch with fifty Other colonies around the quarter. What they know, I know. They were shocked when you were struck and immediately contacted me to try and arrange assistance for you. It took a little maneuvering, but I was able to get you here voluntarily, more or less.”
She opened her mouth and snapped it shut. “Someone was trying to change me?”
He grimaced. “Doing it the way he did was not acceptable. He will be dealt with by his elders.”
“You are sure it was a guy?”
“They were attempting to mate with you, so pretty good guess.” He exhaled.
“So, as a node, is that why you are so... uh, big?”
He smiled, and his eyes crinkled in genuine amusement. “I usually spend time in a larger physical form, and I have expanded to take on that shape. Compressing myself into something resembling human was for your comfort.”
“Oh. Um. Thank you?” She bit her lip.
She had no sooner felt the slight coppery taste then he was kissing her, going far beyond repairing that small spot. He threaded a hand through her hair and bent her back over his arm as his tongue stroked and twisted inside her mouth. He cupped her breast, and his thumb rubbed over the nipple while she moaned into his mouth.
His hand moved, and his wrist twisted, leaving her right breast exposed to the morning air. He broke their kiss and pressed his mouth to her breast, sucking strongly and teasing her nipple with his tongue.
Allura couldn’t help it, she squirmed, pressing her thighs together. Her left breast was eased from the gown, and it got the same treatment.
A warm touch around her ankle that moved up her inner thigh had her holding her breath, but the tendril continued up until it was teasing its way inside her, and her voice was low and breathy. “Banor.”
He looked up with his eyes glowing. Her nipple was wet and shining. “Yes, Allura?”
“This does not count as the second time.”
He chuckled and nodded before he said, “Understood.” He resumed his worship of her breasts while the tendril plunged and retreated inside her, sending her rocketing into a hard orgasm that locked her voice and stuck in her throat. Her body locked in an arc, and then, she slowly relaxed.
He pressed a soft kiss to each breast and tucked them back into the bodice of her gown. Banor chuckled and hugged her. “I can see the attraction of starting the day with a fixed ritual.”
Her voice was hoarse. “That is not going to become our ritual.”
He smiled. “I will just have to do some research. It may take trial and error.”
She swallowed slowly. “You are not going to experiment on me.”
He tapped her nose with one finger. “I have already begun. Would you like to see your progress or the tree that has your swing?”
She was so easy to distract. “You put up the swing?”
He grinned. “Swing it is. Come with
me.”
It was an effort to get him away from the privacy of the castle, but when she looked around outside, she realized that the entire world was private. There was no one else on the whole damned planet.
If she ever felt like running, there was literally nowhere to go.
Chapter Eight
While Banor didn’t understand her fascination with swinging, he stood behind her and pushed while she giggled and laughed.
When she had stopped the flashbacks to her happy childhood, she said, “You can stop pushing now. I just want to sway a little.”
He nodded, and while she watched, a rock rose from the soil, and he sat on it. “So, as you are going to live, what are you doing with your life?”
She swung slowly. “I don’t know. I was in the defenders to protect colonists, but when I woke up in the med center, that was kind of out the window. So, now I guess I will have to start over.”
Allura chuckled. “It is a strange situation. Ready to die and then offered a chance for survival from an unexpected source. I thought the Others would hate me.”
He cocked his head. “Why? You were working for the benefit of your own people. We can respect that.”
She swallowed. “You know about me?”
“You shoot to disperse, not to injure. You do the minimal incursion requested by your people. Your allegiances are not strong.”
Allura blushed. “It was a job. My father is getting older, and none of my siblings are willing to find work. So, it was a way to get money, and I was good at it.”
“You were.” He cocked his head. “Is financial security the most important thing to you?”
“For my family? Yes.”
Banor nodded. “So, Thunder and Lightning?”
She closed her eyes and groaned. “Ah. My partner and I. He was lightning, darting forward and firing wildly. I was thunder, a low rumble that tried to clean up his messes.”
“Were you close?”
She chuckled. “We were partners, not lovers. He liked to make overtures, and I got very good at deflecting him. He already has three wives. That was not a situation I wanted to involve myself in, plus he was rather annoying.”
