by Presley Hall
“So… your plan is to set off a gang war?” she asks, her eyes widening.
I consider for a moment, then nod. “Yes.” My lips stretch in a wry smile. “Now do you see why I didn’t want to say it?”
She makes a low humming noise in her throat as she considers it, then she finds my gaze in the darkness.
“You know, I’m starting to see why we’re mates,” she murmurs. “Because you’re fucking crazy.”
“Are you saying you’re crazy too?” I tease, keeping my voice low.
“I must be. Because that actually sounds like it might work. I can’t think of a better plan, anyway.”
My heart swells, and despite the danger of our situation, I have a sudden rush of gratitude that Raina is here with me. We feel like partners, like a team, and I love that my mate is so fearless and brave.
“We should get out of here,” I whisper, stepping back and taking her hand again. “We’re not likely to find out anything else by lingering, and I don’t want us to be discovered. Once we’re out of Hyron’s territory, we can decide on our next steps.”
She nods, and the two of us slip back out onto the street.
My body aches with tension by the time we make it out of the part of the city controlled by Hyron. I roll my shoulders, allowing some of the tension in them to drop away as I stop bracing myself for a possible fight. Raina and I continue walking quickly down the street, putting more distance between ourselves and the border of Hyron’s territory, and she glances up at me with a question in her eyes.
“So how do we spark a fight between the two sides? Between Hyron and Strakk?”
“I think the best way will be to bring the fight to Hyron,” I say. “A battle in his territory will provide the most cover for us to sneak in and find K’Mek amidst the chaos.”
“And how do we do that?”
I let out a grim chuckle. “We make Strakk angry.”
It’s late, and I don’t want to be out on the streets any longer than necessary. Even the less dangerous parts of Pascia are full of criminals and lowlifes. But an idea has sparked in my mind, so instead of turning in the direction of our lodgings, I guide Raina toward another part of the city. She shoots me a curious glance but doesn’t object, and I feel another rush of happiness at how deep the bonds of trust between us have become.
Most of the markets are closed at this time of night, but fortunately, I know where to find someone who can supply us with the items we’ll need. We’ve traded with him a few times before, and although he won’t be happy about having his sleep disturbed, the price I’m willing to offer should soothe his annoyance.
As we near our destination, I fill Raina in on the plan that’s been slowly forming in my head. She listens intently, nodding along as she chews her lower lip. When I finish, she makes a soft humming noise.
“I think that could work. There were some gangs in the neighborhood I lived in back on Earth. I always tried to keep my head down and not get mixed up in any of that, but I knew how fiercely protective they were of their territory. Any kind of perceived threat or attack could set off tensions between rival groups. And what you’re suggesting would definitely be seen as a threat.”
“It would,” I agree. “But it will be dangerous. We’ll be posing as Hyron’s followers, so if we’re caught by Strakk’s people, it will end very badly for us.”
I can feel a slight shiver pass through her body as she walks close beside me, but her voice is full of determination as she speaks. “Then we’ll just have to make sure we’re not caught.”
The plan is simple. We’ll sneak into Strakk’s territory bearing marks that identify us as Hyron’s followers and set off a small explosion in a key location. The explosion itself won’t be intended to cause harm, but it will draw attention, making Strakk and his followers believe they’ve been targeted by Hyron. If my assessment of these two criminal overlords is correct, Strakk won’t stand for that. He’ll retaliate immediately, and when Hyron responds, a full-scale war will be tipped off.
And in the midst of that, we’ll find an opening to grab K’Mek.
As I think it through in my mind once more, it really does sound crazy, and I find myself almost wishing that Raina had refused to go along with it. I’ll be right by her side the entire time, but that doesn’t guarantee her safety. There are a number of ways the plan could go wrong.
But as long as she’s on this planet, she’ll never be truly safe. The recent raider attack on our village is proof of that, and it certainly won’t be the last one. Charlotte and Elizabeth are with child, and although every single Voxeran in the village would fight to protect our little settlement, this is no place to raise a baby.
An image of Raina, her belly swollen with my child, flashes through my mind, and my heart swells. So much has changed between us since we set out on this journey, and I can feel our bond strengthening as her acceptance of it grows. That possible future—a future of children and a family and a life together—seems to grow more real by the moment.
And for us to truly build the life I want to give her, we need to get off this slanching planet.
With a fresh wave of determination rising in my chest, I come to a stop outside a ramshackle hut and rap sharply on the door. It takes a few heartbeats, but then I hear movement inside through the thin walls.
“Stand back,” I warn Raina, my voice low.
She takes a step away, her eyes wide and alert. A moment later, the door is yanked open and a blaster appears, aimed right between my eyes.
“Hello to you too, Yaveen,” I say dryly, making sure to keep my grip on my spear relaxed and my other hand in plain view so that he can see I’m not a threat. “I’m sorry to bother you this late at night, but we need supplies. I can pay you well.”
Yaveen steps out of the shadows, his many eyes blinking as he takes me in. His slitted nostrils flare a little, and the dark blue of his skin blends with the shadows. “How well?”
I chuckle. I knew starting the conversation by discussing payment was the right choice. Already, he’s lowering the blaster, interest gleaming in his eyes. I shift my pack to one shoulder and reach inside, coming up with one of our last gems. I hold it out in my flattened palm, and Yaveen’s demeanor changes immediately. The blaster disappears into a holster at his hip, and he steps back, allowing us to enter the darkened interior of the hut where he both lives and works.
He flips a switch, and a dull hum fills the air as sickly blue-white emanates from a bulb on the ceiling.
“What do you need?” he asks, a few of his eyes still staring at the gem while the rest focus on me.
“We need an explosive device,” I tell him. “It doesn’t have to be powerful, but it needs to be loud. And it needs to give off blue smoke when it detonates.”
“Blue smoke? But that—” All of his eyes snap up to look at me, then he shakes his head, clearly deciding that if I’ve got a death wish, it’s none of his business.
Everyone in the city knows that blue is Hyron’s color.
“All right.” Yaveen nods. “I can do that. Anything else?”
“Yes.” I grin. “Just one more thing. I need a bit of grease, if you have it.”
All seven of Yaveen’s eyes blink at me, one after the other in a strange cascade. He must well and truly think I’m crazy now, but I don’t care. Those are the two items Raina and I need in order to carry out our plan, and as long as he can give them to us, he can think whatever he likes.
“All right,” he says again, shifting his gaze from me to Raina as if he’s trying to discern if she’s as insane as I am. She meets the stare of his many eyes without flinching, and I grin.
“How long will it take?” I ask.
“Not long.” Yaveen shakes his head, waving a hand. “I already have a bomb that should do exactly what you need. It will only require slight modification to release blue smoke. And as for the grease….” He gestures to a cluttered work table behind him, which is laden with metal scraps, tools, and small containers. �
�I’ve got plenty of that to spare.”
“Good.” I smile at him, resting my spear against the wall and crossing my arms over my chest to make it clear we intend to wait right here until he’s done.
He grumbles under his breath but gets to work, and Raina comes to stand beside me as we watch him tinker. She stands close enough that her arm brushes against mine, and just as I’ve come to expect by now, my body reacts to her proximity. But now, after everything that’s happened between us, it feels different than it used to when we would accidentally touch.
A flood of images and remembered sensations fill my mind, and I clench my jaw, willing my cock to stay soft despite the desire burning through my veins. I do what I can to keep breathing even and my mind focused, determined not to let Yaveen have a chance to betray us like K’mek did. But it takes all of my training as a warrior to maintain my focus.
I’ve lost myself in Raina once, and I feel certain that I could do it again and again and still be ravenous for more of her.
Maybe her thoughts are whirling with the same memories mine are—akhi, I hope they are—because her breath quickens a little as she stands beside me, her perfect breasts rising and falling a bit faster. I shift my weight, fighting off the urge to tell Yaveen to slanching hurry up.
Fortunately, he was right. It doesn’t take him long to modify the explosive to the specifications I gave him, and when he’s finished, he hands it over to me along with a small jar of dark grease. I give him the gem in exchange, and his many eyes widen greedily as he looks it over. Then he glances up at me, his face twisting slightly.
“Good luck.”
He says it as if Raina and I will most definitely need it, and although he has no idea of the specifics of our plan, he’s not wrong.
I chuckle, dipping my head in acknowledgement. “Thank you.”
After storing the items he gave us in my pack, I usher Raina outside of his ramshackle hut. We still have quite a bit of time before sun-up, so we head back toward our accommodations. Unlike our stealthy mission to scope out Hyron’s territory, this gambit will work best in the light of day.
Besides, tomorrow is the day of our planned rendezvous with the others. It seems wise to attempt the break-in just before we leave the city, since it could be dangerous for us to remain afterward.
Raina and I are quiet as we walk through the darkened streets, both of us wary and alert.
I know we should get some rest before we face the challenges that tomorrow will bring, so when we make it back to our lodgings, I do my best to tamp down the arousal that still burns through my veins. Gods willing, there will be other chances for Raina and me to explore each other.
If I have anything to say about it, we’ll have a lifetime.
As the door to our room closes behind us, I set my spear and my pack against the wall, then turn to speak to Raina—but before I can utter a word, she shrugs off her pack and throws herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck as her lips collide with mine.
For a moment, shock stiffens my muscles. Then an instinct older than time itself rises up inside me, and I wrap my arms around her, holding her close as I angle my head to deepen our kiss.
Sleep, exhaustion, worry, fear… all of it slips out of my head as my entire world narrows down to a single thought.
I need this woman.
I love this woman.
So slanching much.
21
Raina
Kaide groans against my lips as his large hands splay across my back. Our entire bodies are pressed flush together, and I can feel how hard he is already, the thick length of his cock pulsing against my belly through the layers of clothing that separate us.
Fuck, it feels so good to kiss him like this. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it, or about what it feels like to be in his arms. The whole way back from Yaveen’s place, my mind was a mess of thoughts and images and emotions, and I felt like I might go crazy from it all. Even the slight friction from walking, from the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other, made my clit throb with need.
Now I’m grinding against Kaide like a cat, gasping into his mouth as jolts of pleasure shoot through my veins. He kisses me back in a way that makes me think he’s just as desperate as I am, and even that turns me on more.
I like knowing that I’m not alone, that Kaide is right here with me.
For so much of my life, I convinced myself that I was fine on my own, that it was better that way, even.
But now, having gotten a taste of what it feels like to have a partner, to have someone by side, I want more of it.
I want more of Kaide.
He’s taller than me, so he has to curve his spine a little to kiss me, nearly bending me backward with the fierceness of his kiss. When he finally tears his lips away from mine, I let out a needy, inarticulate sound of disappointment.
He just grins down at me, heat flashing in his gray eyes. Then, without a word, he drops to his knees.
My breath hitches. I’ve already come to accept that the Voxerans are unreasonably gorgeous, and that Kaide is the best-looking one of them all. But the sight of him on his knees for me, his large hands gliding down over my waist before coming to rest on the swell of my hips, is one of the sexiest fucking things I’ve ever seen.
He doesn’t even bother to undo my pants at first. He just buries his face between my legs, breathing me in. The warmth of his exhale teases my clit, and my toes curl in my shoes as I whimper softly.
Kaide makes a noise that’s almost a purr, and goose bumps scatter across my skin as he finally moves his hands to the button and zipper of my pants. He’s figured out how to work them smoothly, and it only takes him a second to get them open. Hooking his fingers into the waistband, he drags my pants and panties down in one quick motion.
Then he nuzzles the spot at the apex of my thighs again, sliding his tongue out to lick my folds as his tongue bumps against my clit. My body jerks as an electric spark of pleasure rushes through me.
Kaide rumbles a satisfied sound, nudging my clit and then swirling his tongue over it before he tilts his head just a little to look up at me. Thick lashes frame his cat-like eyes, and the swirling white markings on his skin are already glowing brightly.
“Do you like when I touch you here?” he murmurs.
I nod, swallowing hard as I try to find the mental capacity to answer. “Yes. That’s my clit, and it feels… it feels really good.”
He smiles, a wicked and hungry curve of his lips, then darts his tongue out to circle my clit again, watching my face as if to gauge my reaction. I catch my lower lip between my teeth, sucking in deep breaths as heat spreads through my entire body.
Kaide surges to his feet, picking me up easily and depositing me on the bed before gently tugging my shoes, pants, and underwear all the way off. I scramble to tug off my shirt as well, desperate to get rid of all my clothes. I want to feel his skin against mine.
But to my surprise, although Kaide unties his loincloth and tosses it aside, he doesn’t crawl up onto the bed with me. Instead, he stands back a little, gazing down at me with such open hunger on his face that I can feel my skin flush from the heat of it.
“Show me,” he murmurs roughly. “Show me what you like. I want to know exactly how to please my mate.”
My stomach flips over and over on itself, not just from his dirty command, but from the way he called me his mate. There was a time when hearing those words fall from his lips would’ve felt like a bucket of cold water dumped over my head, extinguishing the flames burning inside me.
But now?
Now it feels more like a canister of gasoline, an accelerant that turns the arousal in my veins into a damn inferno.
I feel a tiny flutter of nerves, but I push it aside as I hold his gaze. Although I’ve never really been shy about sex, I’ve always been careful to keep my walls up, even with guys I’ve slept with. I’ve never really let myself be vulnerable in front of another person, and the idea of touching myself
in front of Kaide feels incredibly intimate.
But fuck, I want to.
The look in his eyes makes me want to give him anything he asks for. I want to see how high I can stoke the fire that seems to blaze between us.
So, keeping my eyes locked on him, I run my hands slowly over my stomach. I go to my breasts first, since that seems a little less brazen, massaging them gently before rolling my nipples between my fingers. I tug on them just hard enough to edge the line between pleasure and pain, and when I gasp, Kaide lets out a deep groan.
He sounds almost tortured as he reaches down to wrap one hand around his thick shaft, squeezing lightly. I don’t know if he’s doing it to bring himself pleasure or to stop himself from coming too soon, but either way, the sight of him fisting his cock as he watches me touch myself makes a flood of arousal seep from me.
Breathing harder, I keep one hand on my breast and finally slide the other one lower. Kaide’s gaze tracks the movement, hunger playing across his features as his pupils dilate.
When I drag my fingers through my folds, he mirrors the movement, slowly sliding his hand up and down his cock. I’m wet already, so fucking wet, and my clit is begging for attention. Having Kaide’s mouth on me was one of the best things I’ve ever felt, and I’m already so worked up that I know it won’t take long for me to come.
Circling my slick fingers over my clit, I find the rhythm and tempo I like best, arching my back a little as I give myself over to the flood of sensations rushing through me.
“Akhi.” Kaide’s voice is rough, the muscles in his cheeks jumping as he clenches his jaw. “I can smell how aroused you are, my kira. I can see it. Oh gods.”
There’s no room left in my mind for any sort of embarrassment over the fact that he can smell me. No room left to be shy about the fact that he can see how slick my thighs are and how desperate my movements are becoming as I near the peak.