by Cynthia Sax
“Is this where the cave snake lives?” Yesun jumped off his mounted transport. His eyes glittered with excitement.
“This is where we make camp.” Xareni wiggled her ass against Ariq’s groin, tormenting him one more time, before dismounting their transport, taking Spark with her. “A skilled warrior doesn’t sleep close to his prey.”
Ariq must be an unskilled warrior. His gaze met his gerel’s. He planned to sleep close to and preferably inside his prey.
“Check your home, Spark.” She pointed to the cave.
The drakon flew into the entrance.
“He’ll verify no one has found it.” Xareni offered Ariq that explanation for her command. “The space can be used for storage.”
“We won’t be sleeping in it?” He lifted an eyebrow. Wasn’t it her home?
“You can sleep in it.” She shrugged. “I won’t be sleeping there.”
“I’m sleeping where you’re sleeping.” He met her gaze.
She frowned. “You—”
Frost, Seven-One, and Libor arrived, and she sucked back whatever it was she planned to say.
Ariq grinned. Knowing his feisty gerel, it was likely a protest of his plans.
Spark returned, carrying a gold disk. He landed on Xareni’s shoulder.
“It’s all clear.” She relayed that information to Ariq before he asked the question. “No one has accessed the cave since Spark and I left it.”
A feather floated to the ground.
Ariq tilted his head back.
The triplets continued to circle above them. They appeared to be mock attacking each other.
He stifled a sigh. They would be very little help during the expedition.
“Listen up.” He clapped his hands, getting the group’s attention. “We’ll set up one makeshift domicile for Seven-One’s equipment and four makeshift domiciles for sleeping in.” That should be sufficient for their needs. “One of us will stand guard at all times.” The area appeared to be isolated, but he wouldn’t take risks with his team and especially not with his gerel. “Two beings will share a domicile.”
Yesun glanced at Xareni. His lips parted.
“I will share a domicile with Xareni.” Ariq quashed the request he was certain the female-obsessed youth would make.
“I don’t sleep in domiciles.” His gerel removed her pack from the transport.
“You don’t sleep in domiciles ever?” Yesun asked the question Ariq was thinking.
His gerel grunted.
Ariq had learned to interpret her sounds. That was a yes.
She didn’t sleep in domiciles. Ever.
Sleeping on the top of the wall at the Refuge wasn’t an aberration. His warrior female didn’t inhabit structures of any kinds.
His lips twisted.
Convincing her to relocate to Chamele 2 would be more difficult than he had first imagined. She wouldn’t enjoy the long trip between planets.
Zondoo. He didn’t enjoy it, and he had no issues sleeping in structures.
“I will sleep in the open with Xareni.” He was sincere about not leaving her side.
“We have other matters to discuss.” His gerel didn’t reject his sleeping preferences. That pleased him. “The clones would have noted our arrival.” She extracted a small object from her pack. “Seven-One, I will take you to their community, introduce you to the elders.”
“This is happening.” The clone rummaged through his transport. “I need this.” He grabbed one of his private viewscreens. “And this.” He grabbed another device. “And—”
“You will take nothing except this.” Ariq’s gerel held out a crude object made of stone. “This is a gift for them. It is one of the tools of their ancestors. I found it in a cave.”
Seven-One took the object from her. “It was used for planting.” The clone must have studied the Carinae E clones’ culture. “But I have to show them the DNA and—”
“This is a first meeting.” Xareni’s tone was gentle but firm. “You have to show them you are not a threat. You respect them and their ways.”
Seven-One’s eyes widened. “Yes. Yes. I understand.” He set his devices down. “Thank you.”
“I’m going with you.” Ariq’s place was near his gerel.
“Someone should guard the camp.” That was her first protest.
“Libor, you’re guarding the camp.” Ariq assigned the modified humanoid that duty.
“Consider it guarded, Chamele.” The big male lifted a makeshift domicile out of his transport.
“The clones don’t embrace strangers.” Xareni moved without hesitation to her second argument against him accompanying them.
“They won’t see me. I’ll blend into the background.” He demonstrated that, fading in and out. Only his ass coverings and boots were visible, and he’d remove those before they arrived at the community.
“I could go too.” Yesun faded in and out also.
Xareni wouldn’t agree to have two additional Chameles accompany them.
“If you go with us, you will have last choice of everything—domiciles, covering cloths, nourishment bars.” Ariq addressed the youth while keeping his gaze fixed on his gerel.
“I’m not going.” Yesun abruptly changed his mind…as Ariq had predicted he would do. The young Chamele had already picked out the flavors of nourishment bars he wanted to consume during the expedition. “Frost, where did you pack the nourishment bars? I need to see them.”
The young warrior wandered off, seeking to protect his stash.
Ariq’s mission was to protect and woo his gerel. He gazed at her.
“You plan to follow me during this entire expedition, don’t you?” She rested her hands on her hips.
He planned to follow her for the rest of their lives. “That’s my strategy.” He grinned at her.
She sighed. “You can’t be visible.”
His grin widened. His gerel had conceded. His victories were accumulating. “I won’t be visible.” He grasped her leather-clad hand.
She lifted her eyebrows. “I can still see you.”
“I won’t be visible when we reach the clone community.” He amended his statement. “Seven-One, are you ready?” He looked back over his shoulder.
“I was ready moments ago.” The clone rolled his eyes as he followed them. “Do fated mates always make warriors abandon all logic? If the answer is yes, I don’t want one.”
“I hope you aren’t referring to us, Chamele.” Lines appeared around Xareni’s lips. “Because we are not fated mates.”
Ariq stared straight ahead of them. His gerel was deep in denial about their connection.
“I am a Chamele clone, not a Chamele.” Seven-One’s kind seemed to be proud of that distinction. “And—”
“And Seven-One knows not to interfere in another couple’s relationship.” Ariq tightened his grip on his gerel’s hand as he issued that warning to the science-minded youth.
He would discuss Chamele biology with Xareni at a later time, preferably when she wasn’t armed and wasn’t sporting a fire-breathing creature on her shoulder.
“And I hope you aren’t referring to us, barbarian.” His gerel tugged on her hand. “Because we do not have a relation—”
“We do have a relationship.” He wouldn’t release her leather-clad fingers. “And shouldn’t we be reviewing Carinae E clone customs before you introduce Seven-One to them?”
She looked at him, pursed her lips.
His clever female knew he was seeking to distract him.
“You’re an ass.” She walked faster. “But you’re right. We should review that.” Her voice grew louder. “Carinae E clones believe in both science and spirituality.”
Ariq had delayed the sure-to-occur confrontation between them, and he continued to hold his gerel’s hand.
He added that victory to his ongoing tally.
Chapter Twelve
Xareni was pleased with how the planet rotation had unfolded.
The expedition party had arrived
at the site safely. The first meeting between Seven-One and the clones had gone well. The Chamele clone had followed her advice closely, had impressed the elders. He had been invited back, would be reconvening with members of the community at sunrise.
The barbarian had faded into their surroundings and had remained silent. He kept one of his rough palms on her back at all times and, surprisingly, she didn’t mind that contact. It eased the tension within her, fed her confidence, stoked her passions.
He continued to touch her long after they had returned to the others in their party. The sun set. The makeshift domiciles had been erected. They ate nourishment bars and drank beverage.
Then they sat in a circle around a portable light source. Ariq wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her close to him. His body was hard against hers. Yearning sizzled and snapped in the air between them.
They would fuck. Again. Multiple times.
That was inevitable.
She wanted him. Her need had built to a point where it was a struggle to think about anything else. And he didn’t hide his lust for her. His ass coverings were tented around an impressive bulge. His grip on her was tight.
“Spark likes me.” Jeden, one of the triplets, stabbed a square of raw meat with an extended talon and held it out to the drakon. “He has wings. I have wings.”
“All three of us have wings.” Dialo bumped against Jeden and then against Vietor. “And I’m the handsomest.”
Xareni stared at the males. The brothers were identical except for their personalities, the way they held their forms, and the way they acted.
“You’re the most arrogant.” Vietor rolled his eyes.
“Spark likes me best.’ Jeden seemed certain about that.
The drakon blew a stream of fire over the meat, surged forward, gulped it down and hastily returned to the pile of golden disks he was protecting.
“That’s because you feed him.” Dialo impaled a square with his talons, offered it to the drakon.
Spark tilted his head, gazed at him with palpable suspicion and then blasted the modified humanoid with flames, singeing his hair, some of his feathers.
“Damn it.” Dialo jumped back. “I was feeding you, you irritable creature.”
The others laughed.
Xareni smiled. “He’s not as easily won over as that.”
“Neither is his mistress.” Her Chamele murmured that side comment into her ear. “Both are worth the effort to woo.”
Did he truly believe that? She studied his primitive face. Or were other factors at work?
“Fated mates have no choice over who they woo.” Her voice lowered. Her response was meant for him and no one else. “They are forced to be with the being they’re genetically compatible with.”
“Fated mates have no choice over this.” Ariq took one of her hands, placed it on his leather-constrained cock. “Acting on our genetic connection doesn’t require wooing. It doesn’t require spending time with my mate.” He stroked himself through the garment using her palm. “I could take your pussy without caring about your heart, your respect, your feelings. And that would satisfy our physical link.”
“The link is more than that.” She felt that truth deep in her soul.
“Our link is more than that.” His dark eyes gleamed. “Because we are fated to be more than merely mates. We are fated to—”
“No.” She jumped to her booted feet, unable to hear more, unwilling to open herself fully to a male who was destined to leave her. He would return to his planet, and she would remain on Carinae E.
She couldn’t forget that.
“The next planet rotation is a full one.” She addressed the group. “If you’re not on watch, you might consider getting some rest.” They were physically mature beings. She could only give them suggestions, wouldn’t tell them what to do. “Don’t leave the site.” Her gaze shifted to the winged triplets. “Or the sky above the site. Beings disappear on Carinae E and are never seen again.”
Libor, one of the modified humanoids, dipped his ridged head. “There are stories. And many of them are based on reality.”
“What stories have you heard?” Yesun, the Chamele youth, leaned toward the male.
Xareni nodded at Libor, grateful for the diversion.
He nodded back at her. The warrior would ensure the youths didn’t leave the site.
She could retreat, grab some much-needed privacy. All the togetherness was trying for her.
Xareni strode away from the group.
Spark didn’t fly to her. There were more meat cubes to be eaten.
The damn Chamele, however, followed her.
Strangely, she didn’t resent that…much. Being with him didn’t feel suffocating. It was as though he was a part of her now.
That frightened the shit out of her.
“We have mere planet rotations remaining before you return to Chamele 2.” She reminded both of them of their limited time left together. “We’ll fuck. We’ll spend time together. And that’s it.”
“We’ll fuck. We’ll spend time together.” Ariq clasped her hand. “But that’s not it, and we have more than mere planet rotations left. We have a lifetime.”
“That is impossible.” She shook her head.
He was returning to Chamele 2. She was remaining on Carinae E.
“That doesn’t seem possible.” He linked their fingers, her barbarian admitting to the unlikelihood of their relationship lasting. “But it is our reality.”
It couldn’t be their reality. Her lips parted.
“We’ll figure something out…in the future.” He shrugged his broad shoulders, appearing unconcerned with the challenges ahead of them.
Her lips flattened. It wasn’t his heart that was at risk.
“This planet rotation, right now, we’ll fuck, as you call it, under the stars.” He led her to the spot they’d chosen. A thick padded square was set on the sand. A larger fabric square had been placed under it, forming a border between the sand and the modified sleeping support.
Her gaze shot upward, met his. “Those aren’t mine.”
“I brought them.” A hint of a smile curved his lips. “I promised to rut with you until you screamed my name. We should do that in comfort.”
She glanced at the makeshift domiciles set up closer to the portable light source. He had likely brought a lavish structure for them to share also.
And she had rejected that gift. Guilt jabbed her.
“Structures have limited exits.” She owed him an explanation, and the darkness made it easier for her to talk, to lower her guard, to tell him the shameful truth, confess her weaknesses. “If those are blocked, a being couldn’t escape danger.”
“As your mother, your sister, you couldn’t escape your mother’s mate.” Ariq’s voice was soft.
He understood.
She blew out a breath of relief and nodded. “The last time I tried to stay in a structure, I couldn’t breathe, and my heart raced so quickly.” She touched her chest, the mere memory of that experience filling her with panic. “I passed out.” Her gaze met his. “Don’t tell the others that happened.”
They wouldn’t view her as strong, as worthy of leading them.
“I wouldn’t tell them anything you share with me.” He removed his boots, stood on the edge of the space. “You live outdoors. When it rains—”
“It rarely rains.” The few plants on Carinae E drew their water from underground streams.
She kicked off her boots also, stepped onto the square. The material was soft under her soles.
Xareni wanted to feel more than that. She wanted to feel her barbarian’s hard form against hers. Others could see her, view her scars. She paused. It was worth the risk. She stripped, baring her form to her male.
His breath hitched. “You’re so very beautiful, gerel.” He yanked off his ass coverings, revealing his rigid shaft, proof of his admiration. “Your face, your form, was meant to be illuminated by moonlight.” He drew her down to the surface of the padde
d square.
She trembled against him, suddenly nervous. “Ariq, I—”
“Tell me about your cave.” He rubbed her arm and pressed his lips against her forehead. “If it isn’t your home, what is it?”
She realized what he was doing. He was distracting her with words.
But she didn’t protest that tactic. She needed the diversion. The urge to run—to flee the site, him, everything—swelled within her. “I use the cave as a storage site, move to it when it does rain. The opening is large. If I stay close to it, I’m okay.”
She felt like a fool to be scared of walls, of being closed in.
And she shouldn’t be anxious about the upcoming fuck. She lifted her chin. It was nothing they hadn’t already done.
“Hmmm…” Ariq drew back, gazing at her with contemplation, acceptance, no judgment. “It rarely rains on Chamele 4 also.” He shifted her closer to him. “But we can’t sleep in the open like this there.” They lay on their backs and gazed up at the starlit sky. “We’d be attacked by rock vultures. They’re huge flying predators and have been known to kill fully mature Chameles.”
“You hunt them.” She assumed that was how his kind obtained the eyeballs to complete the rites of passage he’d previously mentioned.
“It is our claws—” He held up his hands, extended and retracted that part of him. “—versus their talons and sharp teeth.”
She wished she could battle the rock vultures also, wished she could see his hunting planet. Xareni rested her head in the curve of her Chamele’s shoulder.
But that would require traveling there in a ship, a confined space.
“I should be stronger.” Her jaw jutted. She should conquer her fears. All of them.
“You’re the strongest female I know.” Ariq moved over her, bracing himself up with his arms. “You’re perfect the way you are.” He brushed his lips along hers, a teasingly light hint of a kiss. “You’re stunning.”
“You do have a scar fetish.” She smiled, bathing in the admiration reflecting in his eyes, secure in the knowledge he desired her, imperfections and all.
Her worries dissipated under that heat.
Their future might be uncertain, but his adoration now wasn’t questioned. It radiated from him, warming her to her core. She lifted her arms, grasped his nape, pulled his face lower.