by Sax, Cynthia
“I want to inject you.” Eshe raised a device resembling a gun. A tube of red-and-blue liquid had been placed in the barrel.
Kane eyed the concoction dubiously. This is what she wishes to inject into my mother? It didn’t appear stable, the contents moving. “Yes, test it on me first.” He held out his left arm. “Do you remember my parents’ address?”
“I remember their address.” Eshe pressed the cold muzzle against his biceps. “But this is safe.” She pressed the trigger and a needle pierced his skin, the pain sharp. “I think.”
Kane waited, silently counting. Nothing happened. “It is—”
He convulsed, a wave of excruciating agony sweeping over him. His body burned from the inside out, the internal attack temporarily numbing his brain, blurring his vision. As he adjusted he saw himself sitting in his woman’s cluttered mess of an office and he felt love, a love he’d only experienced when gazing at Eshe.
The images swirled and he stood in a brightly colored laboratory. A being with orange feathers and a beak worked beside him, squawking, irritating him. He understood every click and whir and wished for silence. He had work to complete. Beings were dying.
The laboratories changed, the walls turning silver, metallic. A large purple-and-green alien rumbled, “Dance with me, Essie.” He swung him into his arms, his face ridged, his head bald, his eyes Orogone. They danced around the space. Joy bubbled inside Kane, spilling out of his lips.
Then the ridged alien was gone and the dancing stopped. Kane hunched over an examiner, standing in a blazing-white laboratory. Many beings, all types, all colors, all shapes, surrounded him, doing the same. He was determined to be first to know all of the answers, to be the best, to be worthy.
“Kane, my One.” Eshe’s frantic voice pulled Kane out of the reverie. “Are you okay?” She touched his cheeks, her fingers soft and slender.
He blinked and her beautiful face filled his vision, her eyes wide with concern. “I’m okay.” Kane flexed his arm muscles, realizing it wasn’t a lie. He felt great, better than he’d felt in years, if ever. “You really should get out more. Your memories mostly consist of laboratories.” And pain. He’d never forget the pain.
Eshe lowered her hands and stepped backward. “You saw my memories?” Pink streaked across her cheeks.
“I lived your memories.” Kane pulled her close to him, his hard cock pushing against her soft stomach. “They were as real as my own.” And as lonely.
“Oh.” She stared at his chin, her head bowed. “I’m sorry. The memories should burn off, with the essence, during transfer.”
“And if they don’t?” Kane released her, not liking the thought of other men having her memories, feeling her emotions. They were personal, his and hers. “Will you give everyone that part of you?” Am I not unique, her One? He strode across the room and lobbed Eshe’s clothes at her.
She caught them, her reflexes as fast as his. “I’d make that sacrifice if it saved lives.” Her chin lifted, stubbornness written all over her countenance.
“You’re too willing to make sacrifices.” Kane yanked on his pants, fastening them quickly. Damn doctors, always putting other people first. “Get dressed.”
Eshe’s fingers curled around the hem of his shirt.
“Leave that on,” Kane instructed, the barbarian in him wanting her to wear his clothing, to show the world she belonged to him. Her body, at least, would be his alone. He tucked his gun into his waistband, the metal cool against his skin.
“Thank you.” Eshe donned her pants, sliding fabric over bare skin, her lack of panties exciting him. “Your scent…helps.” She concealed her eyes with those dreadful sunglasses.
Direct contact also soothed her pain. Kane slung the bag over one shoulder and linked his fingers with Eshe’s. “You only need to last a little longer, love.” Guilt coiled low in his gut. She delayed the joining, extended her agony because of him, because of who, what he was.
He walked toward the Hummer, matching her shorter stride. “You’re strong, Eshe.” He squeezed her fingers. “Stronger than anyone I’ve ever met.” He opened the passenger door, placed the bag in the backseat and helped her climb into the massive vehicle. “You can do this.”
“I’ll try my best.” Eshe summoned a small smile.
“You’ll succeed because you are the best.” He smiled back at her. “You’re worthy, more than worthy, perfect.” Her breath hitched, the amazement in her eyes telling him he’d said the right thing. Kane shut her door, rounded the hood and filled the driver’s seat. He slid the key in the ignition and placed Eshe’s hand on his thigh where it belonged.
“There are drinks in the middle console.” Kane drove fast, wishing to end Eshe’s agony as quickly as possible, to bond her permanently to him, to protect his mother.
The rising sun painted the horizon orange and red, his vision adjusting for the increased light. Kane glanced at Eshe. “You can see in the dark.” He didn’t have to hide this ability from her. He could be himself.
She rummaged through the custom-made console. “All Orogones can see in the dark. We must, as the planets we visit have different illumination levels.”
She chose fruit punch, his favorite, and opened the can. Other women fussed over their fingernails, their hair, their makeup. Eshe didn’t care about her appearance, his woman a gorgeous mess.
“Our eyes are the only part of our exterior shells that don’t change.” She offered him the first sip.
He tipped the can back, gulping the sweet liquid, his energy levels low. “I guess the saying was based upon truth. Our eyes are the windows to our souls.” Kane forced himself to add to the conversation, having experienced how his silence bothered her, how it ate away at her self-confidence.
“They’re the windows to my two souls.” Eshe laughed, the sound lightening Kane’s heart. “You must find my eyes strange,” she probed, taking the can from him. Their fingers brushed, the connection felt down to his unruly cock.
“Your eyes are beautiful,” Kane said softly, staring at the empty road. The black pavement stretched out in front of them. In the past he’d found this part of the route lonely, but he didn’t find it lonely today. Today his woman sat by his side, her left palm flattened against his thigh. “They’re the kind of eyes a man could look into for an entire lifetime.”
“Truly?”
Kane felt her gaze on him. She didn’t believe in him, questioning his attraction, his commitment. His alien woman didn’t know he’d kill for her, die for her, sacrifice everything he had, everything he was to keep her safe. Kane covered Eshe’s hand with his, holding her to him, never wanting to let her go. “Truly.”
Chapter Six
He cares for me. Eshe watched her One, focusing on him, trying to ignore her pain. He must. Kane drove with a grim determination, his chin square and his face hard.
“We’ll save your mother,” she assured him, patting his chest. The skin-on-skin contact helped alleviate some but not all of her agony.
His gaze flicked to her and then returned to the road. “We’re minutes away from my parents’ weekend home.” He turned the Hummer onto a narrow dirt road.
It would take longer than a few minutes to convince his mother to be transferred, to leave her world, her job, her mate. Eshe surveyed the flat land. A barbed-wire fence lined the road and cows, an intriguing Earth creature, grazed on grass. Their lifespans were much shorter than hers was yet they appeared contented, having no regrets.
The Kaws, a species she lived with for decades, also had short lifespans and they didn’t feel the anxiety about death, about no longer existing, that she did. They chirped and trilled happily.
“You’re sprouting feathers,” Kane said quietly.
Eshe glanced down at her hands. Fine orange feathers covered her skin. “Earth. I’m on Earth.” She folded her fingers into fists, willing her outer shell to change. When…if she joined with Kane, these shifts wouldn’t occur. She’d permanently resemble a human.
“W
hen my mother is concentrating on a medical case, she forgets where she is also.” Kane squeezed her clenched fist, tightening the connection between them. “The house could collapse and she wouldn’t notice.”
He understands. Eshe gazed at him with wonder. “I love you, Kane.” The words whooshed out of her mouth before she could stop them. The Hummer swerved and rocks sprayed the metal underbelly, the sound musical, light and happy. “I wanted you to know that,” she added.
“Do you need to stop?” Kane glanced at her, not acknowledging her confession.
I shouldn’t have said anything. Eshe nibbled on her bottom lip. He doesn’t care for me. “If we stop now, a warrior will find us before we transfer your mother. My laser light show, as you call it, will point him directly here.”
“We’ll take that risk.” Kane slammed on the brakes and she flew forward. He reached out, catching her before she smacked into the dash.
“Come here.” He pulled her over the middle console and set her solidly on his lap.
“We have to do this quickly.” Eshe spread her legs eagerly, needing his touch, wanting him. Kane reached under her shirt and curved his rough hands around her sensitive breasts. A surge of desire shot through Eshe’s body.
“Yes.” She arched, pushing her ass into the ridge in his pants.
“Yes,” he repeated, nuzzling her neck with his lips.
She needed more, more contact, more marvelous skin. Eshe tugged the T-shirt over her head, tossed the garment into the passenger seat and moaned with pleasure as she leaned back, her back pressing against his bare chest. He was muscle and heat and hard male, her One, her only.
“Beautiful.” Kane squeezed and released her curves, his tight grip spiraling Eshe’s arousal skyward, the contrast of his tanned fingers against her pale breasts exciting her. They were different—female and male, Orogone and mostly human, scientist and warrior—yet he completed her, made her whole.
Eshe wiggled, grinding her ass into his groin, unable to remain still, the sensations too intense, too right. She craved him as she craved sweetness, air, life. “I love you.” She’d said the words once. Saying them again wouldn’t change anything, wouldn’t change their future.
She couldn’t, wouldn’t think about the future now. Eshe unfastened her loose-fitting pants, her readiness wetting the fabric. She’d enjoy the moment, perhaps the last encounter she’d have with Kane.
He glided his coarse palm over her stomach, under her waistband, curling his fingers over her mons. She shuddered, the pressure exquisite.
“You’re hot for me, love,” Kane murmured into her ear, his lips vibrating against her skin.
Does he love me? Eshe rocked into his palm, the heel of his hand grazing her clit, sending waves of pleasure through her form. “I’m hot only for you.” A band of emotion tightened around her chest, restricting her breathing. “You’re my One.”
“I am your One.” He pushed his fingers into her wetness, the fullness sublime. “Only I can give you what you want, what you need.” Kane pumped her and she panted, the need inside her building, building, her souls pounding against her skin. “Only I can touch you like this.”
He worked her hard and fast, drawing more moisture from her core, her musk scenting the air. Eshe moved with him, lifting her hips into his finger thrusts, her body heating, verging on the edge of combustion.
“When we’ve completed our mission I’ll fill this sweet pussy with my hard cock.” Kane’s dirty words thrilled her. “I’ll fuck you senseless, Eshe.” He drove his fingers into her. Her juices splattered over his hand. “Claim you as mine.”
Stars. He knows what I want to hear. Eshe’s breathing grew ragged. “We’ll join.” Her thighs shook and her inner walls constricted around him, escalating the friction.
“We’ll join,” he confirmed. “We’ll be one.”
Hope intensified Eshe’s desire. Kane was a warrior and warriors rarely made false promises. He meant what he said. They’d join and she’d live. They’d have more time and he could grow to love her, to need her as she loved and needed him. She writhed. “My One,” she pleaded, not knowing what she desired, only that he could give it to her.
“That’s it, love.” He circled her clit with his thumb, winding her passion tighter and tighter. She smoldered. She burned, the heat inside her unbearable. “Come for me.” He thrust hard and she screamed, her souls bursting from her chest, her pussy clenching his fingers.
Kane held her as she bucked, fighting to escape the flames of her release, caged between the steering wheel and his unrelenting muscle. Her souls streamed around them, seeking an entry point, yearning to join with their One.
Soon. Tears trickled down Eshe’s cheeks, cooling her skin. Soon, my souls will be at peace. She clasped Kane’s pant-covered thighs, securing herself to him, riding the wave of bliss.
Gradually the tremors eased and finally stopped. Her souls returned to her body. Eshe sagged against Kane, sated, weary, disappointment edging her satisfaction. “Soon.”
“Yes, soon.” He removed his hand. His skin glistened with her juices. “After we join I plan to do this to your pussy.”
Eshe turned her head and watched him as he extended his tongue and licked his fingers. Kane’s lips curled upward, satisfaction softening his harsh countenance. “You’re delicious, Eshe.”
An engine rumbled in the distance. “The warrior is here.” She scrambled into the passenger seat, fastened her pants and pulled the shirt over her head, her heart beating quickly. “We shouldn’t have stopped.”
Tires spun and dirt splattered the metal underbelly as their vehicle shot forward, Kane driving the Hummer at its top speed. The sound of the engine grew louder and Eshe frowned. “The vehicle isn’t behind us.”
Kane leaned toward the windshield, his gaze fixed on the horizon. “Would the warrior hunting us know where we were going?”
“He’s hunting me,” Eshe corrected. “And warriors prefer to chase targets, not trap them. It’s one of their games.” Kane’s lips twisted. “Long lives spent doing similar tasks result in boredom,” she explained.
“That’s my father’s truck.” He pointed at the vehicle in front of them. Kane didn’t slow the Hummer, swerving to the side to avoid a head-on collision. Eshe’s ass smacked the leather seat as the vehicle bounced over bumps. A gray-haired man sat in the cab of the truck.
“And that’s my father,” Kane noted, grinning.
Tension eased from Eshe’s shoulders. She glanced at the passenger-side mirror. The truck turned, doing a U-turn, and trailed them. “He’s following us.” Kane’s father was an older version of him, having the same square chin, the same cheekbones.
“Orogones age very slowly,” she shared. “We live for a very long time, thousands of Earth years.”
Kane’s lips flattened once more. “I’ll die before you do.” He decreased the Hummer’s speed.
“You won’t die before me if we join.” Eshe placed her palm on his thigh and his muscles flexed under her fingertips. “You’ll be Orogone then with an Orogone’s lifespan and an Orogone’s ability to be transferred. You’ll also share my memories.”
“I already share your memories.” Kane stopped their vehicle in front of a large white country house.
A plump red hen herded her fluffy yellow chicks to safety, clucking her disapproval. A black-and-white dog raised his head, gazed at them, and then resumed his nap. A woman stood on the front steps in front of a screen door. She shielded her eyes from the sun with one hand. Her hair was as black as Kane’s, her lips spreading into a wide, welcoming smile.
She doesn’t know about the danger, about the risk she’ll be taking. Eshe glanced at Kane. He smiled at his mother, love radiating from him, and wistfulness filled her. Will he ever look at me with love, with caring?
“Are you ready to do this?” Kane asked.
“No,” she answered honestly. “This might not work, my One.” I could kill his beloved mother, destroy any feelings he has for me.
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nbsp; “We have no other options.” Kane grabbed the duffle bag from the backseat, exited the Hummer and slammed the door behind him, metal ringing against metal, the sound ominous. His father parked his truck behind their vehicle, preventing any escape.
Not that we can escape. Eshe pushed on her sunglasses, pressing them against the bridge of her nose, ensuring her unusual eyes, the eyes Kane claimed were beautiful, remained concealed. He’s right. We have no other options.
Eshe opened the door and jumped to the ground, the heels of her boots sinking into the soft soil. Is my science sound? Her stomach churned with doubt and her body ached.
“You must be the reason our son is shirtless.” Kane’s mother smiled at her, her gaze lingering on Eshe’s T-shirt. “And why he made that emergency stop.”
“I’m sorry.” Her face heated.
Kane’s father chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. His mother and I have made plenty of emergency stops in our day.” He nudged Kane’s shoulder. “We thought that gas-guzzling monster vehicle of yours finally broke down. That’s why I was driving out to give you a ride…and a rough time.”
Kane glanced at her and Eshe saw his dread. She clasped his free hand, trying to relay her support. I’m here. You’re not alone.
His mother’s gaze dropped to their linked fingers and her smile widened. “I’ve been waiting for this day, Son.”
“No, you haven’t,” he replied, his expression deathly serious. “There’s a situation.” He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling. “Grandfather isn’t human.”
Kane waited for the jokes, the disbelief, anything. There was nothing, silence stretching. “Grandfather is an alien.”
“They prefer to be called off-worlders,” his mother corrected, exchanging a speaking glance with his father. “More specifically, Orogone.”
“You knew.” Kane staggered backward, his legs weak, and Eshe’s grip on his hand tightened, reminding him he wasn’t alone. “And you didn’t tell me?” Their betrayal cut him deep. They were his family, his parents.