by Presley Hall
As we round a corner on one of the paths that cuts through the village, I feel the weight of someone’s gaze on me. I smile to myself, knowing it’s Axen. It’s a strange feeling, and I have no idea if the other mated couples feel the same, but it’s like we’re connected somehow. My awareness of him is a steady, constant thing, like a warm blanket over my shoulders, and it sharpens whenever he looks at me.
It’s amazing and impossible and unexplainable. I love it.
Charlotte smiles as Axen wraps an arm around my waist, his nose gently nudging my temple as I relax into his arms.
“Good morning,” he greets, nodding respectfully to her. I turn and smile at him. He looks excited, though I’m not quite sure why. “May I interrupt? I want to show you something, my kira.”
I tilt my head, giving my friend an apologetic look.
She chuckles and waves us away. “Go on. I need to find Droth anyway.”
Stepping away from her, I let Axen lead me toward his hut. Our hut, now. I moved my things out of the women’s lodgings and into his dwelling right after the arwuar attack. It was an easy choice to make. There wasn’t all that much for me to move, and I haven’t regretted it once. I want nothing more than to wake up in his arms every morning and fall asleep beside him every night.
By the time we reach the hut, Axen is practically vibrating with excitement.
“What have you been up to?” I ask, arching a brow at him. He grins, pride gleaming in his eyes, and opens the door without a word.
I step inside, my eyes adjusting to the relative darkness as I blink rapidly. Then I frown, not quite sure what I’m supposed to be looking at. Everything seems the same. My satchel for gathering supplies is at the foot of Axen’s bed, a little shelf near the door where he leans his weapons and sets his knife, some spare material for our clothes, and… nothing looks that different.
Still beaming, Axen takes my hand and leads me to the other side of the bed. My breath catches as I look down and see what he wanted to show me. A makeshift sort of basinet sits on the floor. It appears to be roughly carved from wood, and he’s padded it with skins, furs, and other clothing material.
“For the baby,” he says. My eyes widen, and then he points up. When my gaze follows his gesture, I see that there’s a rig of ropes set up along the ceiling. “I’ll tie my weapons up there, so that they’re out of reach and the baby won’t get hurt. And he or she can sleep in this until they’re old enough for a real bed. I positioned it away from immediate sunlight, but it’ll be warmer away from the window, so they should sleep better…”
I stare at him, my ears ringing. It’s such a simple gesture, and maybe I’m more hormonal than usual lately, but I can’t help the rush of emotions that surge inside my chest.
He’s making space for our baby. He’s going out of his way to make sure that our little one will be safe, and comfortable, and protected. They’ll be shielded from immediate line of sight, easily defendable, and not in danger from all the weapons.
Axen trails off, meeting my eyes when I don’t say anything. Too many emotions to name at once are all crashing around inside me—love, adoration, disbelief, surprise. My throat goes tight, and I throw myself into his arms, delving my fingers into his hair and kissing him deeply when he catches me.
He grins against my lips. “Do you like it?”
In answer, I kiss him again. “You’re amazing,” I rasp around the lump in my throat.
A pleased growl rumbles in his chest. He holds me gently, one hand on my waist and the other cupping the back of my head, keeping me pinned close to him as I arch my body against his.
“I can’t believe you did all this, Axen,” I whisper. “It’s… beautiful. Thank you.”
“Anything for you. For both of you.”
I shiver as his low, protective voice in my ear makes goosebumps break out along my arms. I pull him closer and kiss a path down his throat, nipping his skin gently in a way I’ve learned he likes. His arms tighten around me, his happy growl turning into a deeper, more insistent sound.
“You’re so good to me,” I say, kissing him between each word. “I’m so lucky I found you.”
“No, my kira. I’m the lucky one.”
I can feel him getting hard against my stomach, and I reach down, sliding my hand easily beneath his loincloth and wrapping my hand around his stiff cock, stroking slowly with a tight grip.
He lets out a rough moan, tilting his head to nip at my neck and shoulder, his stomach tensing, shoulders drawing up as he thrusts into my hand. I smile, my eyelids drooping as arousal floods me.
I love the sounds he makes, the animal snarls and grunts I can conjure from him with nothing more than a touch. I can feel his need, barely kept in check, thrumming like liquid heat between us. I kiss his throat again, tugging on his hair until he groans, his fingers tightening as they settle on my hips.
“Elizabeth.” The word spills from his mouth like a prayer and a command all in one.
My thighs clench, responding to the raw need in his voice. I can feel my own body heating up, growing wet and ready for him.
Without warning, he slides his hands down, scoops me up, and tosses me onto the bed. I laugh breathlessly, spreading my legs in anticipation, but he crawls onto the end of the bed and tugs my legs together. He smiles at me, leaning down to kiss the little swell of my stomach, a brief moment of gentleness and adoration, before he grabs me by the hips, flipping me over to my hands and knees.
I gasp, shivering as he pushes my skirt up and out of the way before spreading me apart with his hands.
He leans down, holding me tightly, his tongue licking broad, firm strokes between my legs. The slick warmth of his tongue slides over my entrance, curling down and brushing over my clit with a little flick. I moan weakly, bracing myself on my elbows and arching my back as he licks again, his strong hands gripping my ass to keep me spread out and allow himself room.
I know how much he likes doing this, and I’m certainly not complaining. I moan in encouragement as he laps at me, growling at the taste. One of his hands releases me, sliding between my legs so that he can rub my clit while he keeps licking, expertly drawing me closer and closer to the edge.
“Fuck, Axen. Keep doing that. Just like that. Oh…”
I gasp, unable to catch my breath as he keeps touching me. He makes me feel so eager, so wild, completely lost in the connection between us.
My thighs are wet from my arousal, his fingers soaked with it. He moans against me, his other hand sliding to the small of my back and pressing down, urging me to drop my chest even lower.
“You taste so good, my kira. So slanching good,” he mutters.
Just when I’m on the verge of coming, he slows his tempo. My stomach tenses up, breath hitching as he rubs his fingers so slowly over my clit and teases my opening with slow, lazy licks, like he could happily feast on me forever.
I gasp in surprise when he twists his hand, sliding his thumb inside me while the rest of his fingers continue working at my clit. He draws his mouth away, biting down right at the point where my thigh meets my ass, and I let out a noise I’m certain I’ve never made before in my life. The orgasm that’s been threatening hits me in a rush, and I come hard around his fingers. He growls against my skin, lapping away the sting from his bite as he pulls his hand away.
I crane my neck a little to look at him over my shoulder when he rears up behind me, big and feral and powerful.
Axen’s eyes are wild, his lips pulled back in a snarl that shows his slightly elongated canines. He tears his loincloth off, revealing his thick, flushed cock, and braces himself over me. One hand lands on my hip, holding me in place, the other slides up to grip the back of my neck.
“Yes,” I moan, unable to keep my eyes open as he pushes inside me, filling me completely.
He leans down and tugs my shirt away so that he can devour the skin of my shoulders and neck with his lips. A large, calloused hand slides from my hip to one of my breasts, teasing a nipple as he starts to thrust. He�
�s merciless and brutal, as precise and focused here as he is on the battlefield.
The sounds of our moans fill the small space, and I don’t even bother to try to muffle my mouth, although I’m sure our sounds can be heard outside the hut too.
Finally, his rhythm stutters, and he lets out a rough sound. He puts his free hand on my swollen stomach, holding me still just like that as he continues to drive into me like his life depends on it.
“When you’re ready,” he promises, “I will give you another child. And another. As many as you’ll let me.” He kisses my cheek, nuzzles my mussed hair. “As many as you want, Elizabeth, I swear. I will give you everything.”
I moan weakly, too shaky and overwhelmed by sensation to push myself up and arch against him. I clench my inner walls around his cock, and he collapses over me, rocking deep inside me. I whimper as he slides one hand down from my stomach, finding my swollen and sensitive clit.
My toes curl, and I have to squeeze my eyes tightly shut, focusing on just breathing and on how good he makes me feel.
“Please, Axen,” I whisper. “Come inside me. I want to feel you.”
Just like in nearly everything, he doesn’t deny me my wish. My mate roars, his hips jerking as he tries to push as deep inside me as possible. A moment later, I feel the now-familiar flood of warmth as his cock pulses and jerks. He groans out my name, and that sound alone is enough to push me over the edge.
I tighten around him as I come again, milking his thick length as he empties himself inside my body.
For a long moment afterward, we don’t move. My cheek is still pressed to the bed, and I relax against it, feeling boneless and happy.
“I’m glad you like the modifications I made to the hut,” Axen whispers. I smile, turning my head as he kisses me, his large hands sliding down my sides as we both come down from the high.
“I love them. And I love you too.”
Squirming beneath him happily, I make a satisfied little noise in the back of my throat, and he huffs a laugh when he feels me clench around his cock.
“I don’t want to let this end,” he confesses, kissing my shoulder. “You’re so warm, and you feel so good. I never feel more alive than when I have you, just like this.”
My eyelids droop as I smile. “Me too. It’s perfect.”
When he finally pulls out, he settles us onto the bed and wraps his arms around me, drawing me close. Now that we’re face to face, I tilt my head up and press a kiss to his lips.
I can taste myself on his tongue and smell myself all over him. It settles me, making possessive satisfaction flare inside me. I like having my scent coating his skin.
“You’re mine,” I murmur. “I think part of me always knew that, even when I was so scared to admit it. I think part of me fell in love with you the night of Churbac’s attack.”
My hand lands on his side, my fingertips grazing over the spot where I once stitched him up. The wound is fully healed now, with an angry, knotted scar to remind us forever of how we got to this point. There are more scars on his chest from the arwuar, and some around his shoulder. I touch every single one, marking them as permanent reminders of his strength, his resilience, his determination to live for me. To fight for me.
“And you are mine,” he whispers, brushing my hair from my face. His eyes are gentle and warm, his smile wide.
I continue to trace the marks on his chest as he kisses me, admiring the difference in texture between the scars, his silvery markings, and his normal blue-tinged skin. He kisses me like it’s the only thing he ever wants to do, and I know it won’t take long for us to get swept up in each other again.
But that’s all right. The day is young, and while there’s plenty of work to be done, it’s not urgent. Nothing matters but him and me, and the child he made room for—the child I know he will love, and the many more we’ll have together one day.
I’m so lucky to have found him, in the midst of what should have been the most terrifying experience of my life. Thanks to him, I feel happier and more free on this prison planet than I ever did back on Earth. And I know he will always keep me safe.
My partner. My protector.
My beast.
Epilogue
Gemma
The night of the attack
In one moment, we were all gathered around the fire, preparing to eat, and in the next all hell broke loose.
My ears are ringing, and I can barely see through the thick plumes of smoke wafting through the village. The Voxerans are shouting to each other and roaring at their enemies, their voices rising in wordless battle cries.
Raiders.
Oh God, the raiders came back. They found us. My heart lurches in fear, racing inside my chest, as I grab Ivy’s and Elizabeth’s hands and race toward shelter.
But… there is no shelter. Not truly. There will be nowhere for us to run if the Voxerans fall. Tears of terror fill my eyes, and the fact that I can barely see is making me panic even more.
I freeze as a Voxeran races by, spear in hand, and launches himself at an alien raider. I can barely see the alien’s body, but I can tell that it has way too many legs and arms, and it lets out an ear-piercing screech before it goes silent. Nausea curls in my gut. There’s so much chaos, shouting, and roaring, and the stench of blood is everywhere. It’s ringing in my ears. I can’t—
“Gemma!” A voice cuts through my rising panic, and I blink at Ivy. She grabs my hand and pulls sharply. “Come on! We need to get somewhere safe.”
I follow her, stumbling blindly over loose dirt and pebbles. We lose Elizabeth at some point, and I scream when I realize she’s not holding either of our hands. My free hand grabs at nothing, groping in the darkness. Ahead of us, another part of the village wall crumbles amidst the flames, and Ivy lifts her shirt, coughing into it. My eyes water as I try to see through the smoke.
To my left, I catch sight of some of the other women running away from the source of the loudest sounds. Ivy and I share a look and then nod, following them. We throw ourselves to the ground outside of the largest building in the village, the meeting house where most of us sleep these days. I try to figure out who’s here—are we missing anyone?—but I can barely see. Even things like hair color are hard to identify in the dim light, with my eyes still stinging and watering.
“Is everyone all right?” a voice whispers. “Who’s here?”
“Shhhh,” Ivy hisses, crouching down and peering around the side of the hut. She’s still holding my hand, her grip tight enough to hurt, but I’m determined not to let her go. I can’t lose any of these women who have become my friends, the only humans left that I know.
“Can you see anything?” another voice whispers.
“Shhh,” Ivy repeats, squinting through the smoke. The fire flickers brightly in the darkness, a frightening complement to the sounds of battle. I have no idea how many of the Voxerans might, even at this moment, be dead or dying. I don’t know how many raiders are here. A shiver of fear wracks me as I remember what it was like to be under siege back at the crash site, when Churbac and his men first attacked.
I try to stay still and calm and just remember to breathe, though that’s difficult with so much smoke. The women around me are frozen solid, all of us straining to listen. I just pray that the noises of the fight don’t come closer.
A flash of movement catches my eye, on the roof of the hut. My eyes widen as I see an alien raider with six limbs, bulging red eyes, and thick mandibles dripping saliva. He’s crawling along the roof of the house, and before I can open my mouth to shout a warning, he lunges for Ivy.
I choke out a cry and throw myself forward, pushing her out of the way. The raider grabs me instead of her, and he howls as I scream and kick as hard as I can. But he’s stronger and bigger than me, and he has way more arms.
“Gemma!” Ivy screams. “Gemma!”
She tries to reach out for me, and several other women do too, trying to fight off the alien’s grip and free me, but it’s no use. He lets out
a victorious howl and starts to run back into the thick of the fray, his arms still wrapped around me.
My heart is beating so fast it feels like it’s going to burst, and I struggle with all my might against the limbs that feel like iron bars around my body.
“Help! Please, help me!”
A ragged scream pours from my lips when I see some Voxerans fighting several of the raiders nearby. I recognize Kzuri among them, and my heart leaps. He was the one who defended me the first time Churbac attacked, who put a spear through the raiders’ leader and almost killed him. At his side is Axen, and the massive warrior looks my way.
Axen snarls and tears his spear from the guts of another fallen raider. He gestures at Kzuri, who looks over to us and meets my gaze.
For a moment, time stands still.
It’s like we’re frozen, trapped in a single second that will last for an eternity.
Then anger and fear twists his features, and he lunges toward me with a savage cry, fighting his way through the raiders that separate us. I renew my own efforts to try to break free, but there are too many limbs on this thing, and when I try to wriggle free of one hand, two more take its place. I sob, helplessness overwhelming me as the alien raider carries me closer and closer to the ruined walls of the settlement. I writhe in his grasp, trying to fight, but there’s nothing I can do.
Just as I’m certain that all hope is lost and I’m about to die, I hear a shout. I open my eyes and gasp as Kzuri nears us, spear and knife in hand. He lets out a cry that makes goosebumps scatter over my skin, and the alien who’s holding me turns and hisses at him.
The look on the Voxeran warrior’s face is so fierce that I think he could probably tear my captor limb from limb with no weapons at all—just his bare hands. But he’s so focused on the man holding me that he doesn’t notice the other raiders converging on him. There are six of them, at least, armed with a variety of weapons.
No.
“Kzuri, look out!”
A new wave of terror rises up in me, and I scream so loudly that my throat aches. He pivots, swiping one raider’s blade away, and grunts as another takes its place. He barely avoids losing an arm to the onslaught, and my skin chills as the alien holding me gives a feral yell of encouragement to his comrades.
