Taken (Warriors of Karal Book 3)

by Harmony Raines

  “I am learning from a master, or should I say a warrior. My training wasn't anywhere near as thorough as yours, but I’m getting there. Maybe you could let me fly all the way home,” she said.

  “That might not go down too well with the Council. But if we get all the samples they need, they won't complain. Not much anyway.” Her excitement seemed to have penetrated his hard exterior, and there were flashes of colours across the backs of his hands.

  “Is it important?” she asked.

  “Maybe, there are some scrambled messages, it looks as if they encountered other ships,” he said.

  “You mean other aliens?” Chrissi asked.

  “Yes. There was some kind of rescue. That’s why they left the planet so early. There are some images of the ships,” he said, and then moved to press a button that brought the computer to life. “Computer, scan area. Wide range. Any unknown vessels?”

  “Scanning,” the computer said.

  “We’ll leave the computer running. It will alert us if there is a problem,” he said, when the voice told them there were no unknown vessels in their vicinity.

  “Do you think they are interested in the planet too?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. It looks as if the Hrokili are slavers, not after technology, but other beings that they can sell or use; there are no specifics. The Wambano gave the Karal schematics of some kind of defence grid, so we can protect ourselves.” He went over the results of the computer’s scan. “There is nothing in this sector of space that could be a ship. I think we should go out and explore, take the readings we need, and then sleep in here. At least that way we can make a quick getaway if the need arises.”

  “To come all this way and then be hounded by another species, it just seems wrong,” Chrissi said. “You know, until the Karal came along, we thought we were alone in the universe. Now it appears space can get kind of crowded.”

  “The planet might draw other species to it if it’s habitable. Then you can imagine sooner or later someone is going to colonise it.”

  “I hope it’s us,” said Chrissi. “But we can’t colonise it with slavers roaming the universe, can we?”

  “Maybe not,” he said, standing and taking her hand. “Let’s go, and for now I want you to stay close to me, because I would hate for anything to happen to you.”

  “I can take care of myself,” she said.

  “As long as you avoid pretty flowers,” he said.

  “Does that mean you won’t ever bring me flowers?” she asked.

  “Is that an Earth custom?” he asked,

  “Yes. Well it used to be, I remember my dad bringing my mom flowers on special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.”

  “Anniversaries?” he asked, passing her a backpack.

  “Yes, you know, like when you are married, a husband will buy his wife flowers on their anniversary.”

  “Married?”

  “A man and a woman promise to live together forever.” She saw his confusion. “A man gives the woman a ring, an engagement ring, it’s like a promise to be there for each other whatever happens.”

  “Your people have strange customs,” he said.

  “Well, didn’t your people have the same thing? When there were females on the planet. Before they died out?” she asked, slipping the pack on her back.

  “I don’t know. It is never spoken of.” He took a box from one of the storage compartments and said, “We should go, if we have to leave in a hurry, let’s at least have the samples we need.”

  “I can’t wait,” she said, and followed him down the ramp cautiously.

  They stood for several minutes, Chrissi transfixed by the birds flying overhead and the animals she could see in the distance. All around them, green grass grew. In places it was so tall it could almost be mistaken for bamboo.

  “It’s so peaceful,” she said.

  “Yes, it is.” He looked around at her, concerned, “Is the air all right to you?”

  “Yes. Is it to you?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Then stop worrying and let’s go get these samples,” she said, heading off towards the lake in the distance. It was approximately a mile away, and they took the time to look around them, seeing mountains in the distance, one with a plume of smoke rising from it.

  “A volcano: this planet is not as old as Earth or Karal. I think it would be of a similar age to your prehistoric,” he said when she asked if it was safe.

  “Wow, so around here could be a creature that will one day evolve into a sentient being?”

  “Possibly, but who knows what path evolution will take,” he said, bending down and taking a soil sample.

  They had reached the lake, and Chrissi took out a small vial and filled it with water. “How many of these shall we take?” she asked.

  “One from here, and then we will move around the shore and take more. I hope we can find a stream that feeds it.”

  “So we get to walk some more?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he said.

  “Good. I think I have spent enough time in the cruiser to last me for days, weeks even.”

  “That is why I thought we would walk, because we could have driven. The distance to the ship worries me.” He looked up at the clear sky, and then checked his communicator. Satisfied, he led the way over small rocks and shingle beaches.

  “I could walk for days, and explore everything.” They followed the edge of the lake as it curved round. There were small foothills in the distance and Malik hoped they would find a water source there. “I suppose Earth was like this once,” she said.

  “A long time ago. I expect Earth was very beautiful.” They crested a hill, and there before them was a stream, cutting through a small valley. “That is what we need.”

  He took her hand and they ran down the hill, her hair flowing out behind her like a silken flame. Giggling, and out of breath, they reached the bottom of the hill, but she couldn’t stop, and he had to grab hold of her waist to stop her going straight into the stream.

  She spun around, her eyes bright, her breasts heaving, and all thoughts of the stream escaped them. Malik stroked her cheek, his fingers brushing her hair back from her face. “You are more beautiful than any planet I have ever seen,” he said. “No, more beautiful than anything I have ever seen.”

  “Malik, please kiss me.”

  He didn’t waste time on an answer. His arms went around her, pulling her close. And he didn’t say a word, because there was no need. He lowered his head and captured her mouth, his lips firm, making her stomach flip over and heat pool between her thighs. When he pulled back and nipped her bottom lip, she thought she would explode.

  In one fluid movement, they collapsed to the ground, his fingers going to the buttons of her overalls. “I want you, Chrissi. I have wanted you for so long.”

  “Why didn’t you say something, or do something?”

  “Because I needed to be sure you felt the same way. I never wanted to force you.”

  “I do feel the same way, you silly Karalian, I think I always have,” she said, and took hold of his hand, turning his palm to her and kissing it, her tongue tracing small circles around and around, driving him made with desire. “I want these hands on my body. I want your lips on my skin.”

  He groaned and the colours swept across his face to disappear down under his collar, and she wanted to chase them, to kiss her way to the place where they originated from. Undoing his buttons, she kissed his skin, feeling the faint burst of static against her lips.

  The race to be naked culminated in them both pushing their overalls down over their thighs and trampling them to get them off. Malik didn’t wait, and soon his underwear was gone too, leaving him naked. She stood still, trying to figure out if she were dreaming, or if she was actually standing here, on a new planet, with a naked alien.

  Oh my goodness!

  Suddenly shy, she wasn’t sure if she could strip the rest of her clothes off. She wore a bra and panties, covered wit
h an old T-shirt that had seen better days. Next to his magnificence, she felt shabby. The old Chrissi, a female from Earth who had no right to expect the love of a man like Malik.

  He took a step towards her and she wanted to run and hide, not because she thought he would hurt her, but because she wanted him so badly. What if they weren’t compatible, what if she didn’t please him? What if he didn’t please her? After the weeks of build-up, this moment seemed too intense.

  Then he touched her, his hands spreading fire in their wake as they stroked her skin. A soft touch, the back of his hand along the length of her arm, making every single one of the hairs stand on end as if they were reaching out to him. One more step brought him to kissing distance and boy, did he kiss her.

  His lips were firm, soft, insistent. He wasn’t unsure and questioning like before; he was ready to take control, to take her. She swallowed her panic, opening her mouth to allow him to slip his tongue inside, stroking her lower lip, sending thrills through her body. Relaxing, she leaned in to him, placing her hands on his arms, and feeling the press of him against her breasts. Her nipples were taut buds, aching to be touched by him, to be naked against him, skin to skin.

  Malik moved his hands, they rubbed her back, caressed her bottom, squeezing it, pulling her hard against his arousal. She gasped, spreading her feet apart a little, to allow him to rub against her clit, which throbbed, needing attention. For a moment they stood there, the only two people on the planet, surrounded by nature as the sun began to set, spilling its rays across the lake.

  His fingers tugged at the hem of her T-shirt, and he pulled it up over her head. She raised her hands to help him, and then wrapped them around his neck, pulling him in for another kiss. Chrissi enjoyed the intimacy of kissing, the press of his lips igniting her desire.

  But he wanted more, and his hands went to her bra, unclasping it and letting it fall to the floor. Warm hands covered her breasts, his thumbs rubbing her nipples, making her whimper. Then he lowered his head and sucked one taut bud into his mouth and the stars came out in her head, bright flashes as his tongue rolled over them each in turn.

  Somehow her brain sent signals to her hands and she wrapped her hand around his cock, feeling the hard ridges and the large head, knowing he was different to a human male. The question of whether he would fit inside her was about to be answered.

  He laid her down on the ground, his hands pulling at the flimsy fabric of her panties, but he didn’t rip them, instead he pulled them down, easing her feet out of them. Chrissi held her breath when he moved, his body slotting between her thighs, which she spread wider for him. He hovered over her, keeping his weight supported on one arm, while his other hand stroked her inner thighs. She gulped down the wonderful pure air, the oxygen making her feel light-headed, or was it the touch of his hands on her clit?

  Damn, it felt so good, too good, and her body tensed as he rubbed her clit, his fingers slipping into her wet sex. Chrissi arched her back as he pushed two fingers inside her, stretching her, using a firm pressure against her inner walls which intensified her arousal. She wrapped her arms around him, kissing his mouth, his neck, his chest, urging him to make her come.

  But he pulled back, his hand going to her knee, and lifting it, before he moved his hips forward, the head of his cock pressing against her outer lips. He eased forward again, the head of his cock entering her. It was big, so much wider than his fingers, and she felt a moment of panic. Malik stopped moving, allowing her to adjust to his girth. Only when she relaxed again did he move forward, and her body yielded to him.

  Inch by inch he moved inside her, the ribs of his cock stimulating her inner walls. Deeper, until he broke her innocence, and she bit down on his neck until the pain passed. Malik was gentle, his body so attuned to hers, over the weeks they had been in space, that he knew when to stop and when to thrust forward, until eventually he had impaled her on his cock.

  She looked into his eyes. He was staring at her face, his hand stroking her cheek. In this moment they were one; it didn’t matter if they weren’t the same species, all that mattered was that they cared for each other, loved each other. And she thought he did love her, that was what his eyes said anyway, and the colours that flitted across his skin, which lit up against the backdrop of the darkening sky.

  His rhythm was slow, his thrusts long and leisurely, until their arousal grew, and he moved faster, in and out, his hips flexing, leaving her full and then empty. Her sex ached, her muscles stretched as they tried to accommodate him. Her orgasm was hovering close. Malik became more insistent, his lunges faster, harder. Chrissi rose to meet him, her hands on his back, nails digging into his flesh as she urged him on, urged him to take her to the ultimate pleasure.

  When he finally came, his thrusts stopped, the head of his cock seemed to swell inside her, and she felt his warm seed spurting into her. Her body reacted, tensing, her sex gripping him tightly and then she came, her sex contracting tighter around him.

  Malik cried out, his voice echoing around the small valley. She clung to him, letting his presence ground her, when her soul wanted to leave her body and fly up to the stars above their heads, which were appearing one by one in the night sky.

  When he had finished, he rolled off her, lying on his back next to her. They stayed like this for a while, watching the night sky as it lit up with the tiny lights of faraway stars. Never had she seen such beauty, never had she felt such love.

  Lilith was perfect; Malik was perfect. How could she have got so lucky?

  Nothing could spoil this moment.

  Chapter Twenty – Malik

  After watching the stars come out one by one, he had picked her up and carried her back to the cruiser. There they had eaten a meal before going to bed and making love again. He lay here now, with Chrissi in his arms, listening to her quiet breathing, thinking of how their lives would be once they were back on Karal. For that was where they were going, today.

  He had made up his mind as she cried out his name at the height of her orgasm. Now their relationship had moved on, and there was a chance she would get pregnant, he wanted her safely back on his planet. Away from any possible danger that might exist while they were out here alone. The threat of the slavers was real, especially since they had been seen in this sector.

  She stirred, and turned in his arms, opening her eyes sleepily. “Good morning.”

  “Good morning, Chrissi. Did you sleep well?” he asked.

  “Not so well as I have been up until now. A certain Karalian kept me awake half the night with his sexual demands,” she said, threading her arms around his neck.

  “I remember you making some demands of your own,” he said, kissing her neck, and nuzzling the hollow of her collarbone.

  “Really?” she asked, pressing her body against his, and then hooking her leg over his thigh. “And what were they?”

  “You wanted me to touch you,” he said.

  “Where?” she asked.

  He drew his finger along the length of her wet sex and said, “Here.”

  “And then what?” she asked biting her bottom lip as he pressed his finger inside her.

  “Do you remember now?” he asked.

  “It’s starting to come back to me,” she said.

  He pushed another finger inside her, drawing it along her inner walls, making her squirm. Then he withdrew his fingers, and turned her onto her back, his body moving to lie between her thighs. She opened her legs wider and he eased himself forward, the head of his cock brushing against her sex.

  Slowly he flexed his hips forward, his cock entering her, stretching her, stimulating her nerve endings, which were still inflamed from his previous lovemaking. Malik certainly had stamina, and she would be aching for days, but it was worth it, the pain a trade-off for the incredible pleasure he gave her.

  “Yes,” she said. “I most definitely remember this.”

  He thrust into her hard. “I will make sure you never forget me, Chrissi. Even if the whole universe separat
es us, you will always think of me,” he said, his rhythm quickening.

  “Let’s not think of things like that,” she said. “If all we had was here and now, I still wouldn’t change a thing. But we have the rest of our lives.”

  “Yes … we … do,” he said and then his cock fused to her inner walls and his seed spurted deep inside her, and he hoped, as her body responded, her orgasm sweeping over her, that soon she would conceive the child he wanted, the one that would make them a family.

  ***

  “We should get up,” he said. They had stayed in each other’s arms for another hour or more, the night was a distant memory, and the sound of birds calling reminded him of the samples they had taken. They needed to be stored away safely before they left.

  “I know.” She stretched. “Why don’t I make breakfast?”

  “Sounds good, and we can sit and eat outside. It will be nice to feel the warmth of the sun.”

  He kissed her, and his colours swept across his face, he longed to take her once more, but they had spent long enough in bed. The journey home would give them plenty of time to make up for all the wasted days and nights they had spent getting to know each other. He sighed, stroking her shoulder. No, they hadn’t wasted a moment; this was so much better than if he had forced himself on her. They had built a relationship first, in the way their children would when they reached their primes. He smiled. It would be a great thing to watch young Karalian men and women looking for their mate, rather than having them chosen by Darl and his DNA.

  “What’s so funny?” she asked.

  “I was thinking of our children,” he said. “How our son and our daughter will grow up and fall in love.”

  “Our daughter?” she asked, puzzled.

  “Yes. I can tell you now, because by the time we arrive home Elissa will have had her baby, and if all goes well, she will have given birth to the first female child of this generation.”

  He watched her expression as it cycled through surprise to wonder, and then her brow furrowed and she asked, “How?”