by Leslie Chase
The murmur of agreement that followed made my blood freeze, but Gurral raised a hand and silence fell instantly. At least he had authority over his followers — that was something.
“If some of them slew Rarric, we’ll figure it out,” he assured them. “Don’t worry, my friends, I will not take any chances. Humans are tricky beasts, not warriors like us. We’ll only bring those we are certain we can trust with us. Beginning tomorrow, I shall question all the humans I have any doubts about. If they had anything to do with Rarric’s disappearance, I’ll find out.”
A threat and a promise in one. To reassure his followers, Gurral would kill the other humans, but he couldn’t touch my khara or suggest that she was to blame. I’d have laughed if it wasn’t so horrible: my beloved was safe, but her fellows weren’t — even though she was the one who’d attacked Rarric.
And the other humans would give up Lisa. I had no doubt of that: Gurral’s questioning would be brutal but effective, and he’d break even the bravest of humans. If he interrogated them before we left, he’d discover the escape plan.
That settles it, I told myself. We have to get out of here tonight.
15
Lisa
The prytheen talked loudly outside the pod as the rest of the humans filed in, weary from a day’s work. Every one of my muscles ached and I longed for a solid night’s rest, but with my nerves jangling like this I knew I couldn’t expect one. I felt as though I’d had a dozen cups of coffee and despite my exhaustion, sleep was a thousand miles away.
But the rover was complete. Hopefully, anyway. Maria and I had checked and double-checked it. Henry had bounced around it, comparing the finished device to the blueprints. He was satisfied we’d done everything right, and it was his job to keep me safe. I tried to trust his programming.
All the diagnostics Maria ran told us the rover was good to go. Logging in through my wristband, I double checked. The remote diagnostics said everything was in working order and ready to go. Even the navigation system worked, though without a map of Crashland all it would be able to do was map where we’d been. We’d have to find our own path, or rather Torran would.
I wished we could turn the engine on and test the damned thing. That was out of the question, though: the battery took forever to charge and while it was plugged into the pod’s power supply the hover engine wouldn’t start. As a safety feature that made sense, but I didn’t like it.
It’ll work, I told myself. It has to work.
Testing was irrelevant anyway. If our heavy landing had broken part of the rover, we were trapped: there was no time to do any actual repair work. That didn’t make the suspense any easier to bear though, and I longed to get under way.
Maria looked at our handiwork dubiously, her hologram monkey perched on her shoulder after making his own inspection. “When do you think we’ll leave?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “Sooner rather than later, I expect. We should get something to eat.”
As soon as I said it, I realized I hadn’t eaten all day. Nutrient paste made from trees had never sounded as good. The matter processor doled out our scant rations into small bowls and we ate as we walked back to our quarters.
The other humans had already gathered there, looking frightened and unhappy enough that I was glad the prytheen didn’t know how to read human body language. Someone who knew how to read our mood would have known we were up to something immediately.
Maria embraced her husband and daughter, whispering in German to them, leaving me to face the Carringtons.
David Carrington was the first to speak, holding up a bowl of unappetizing goop. “We, uh, we saved as much food as we can spare.”
I smiled, surprised and touched. He wasn’t coming along on our escape but he’d still done what he could to help the rest of us. Not like his father, who just glared at me.
“Thank you, David,” I said, taking his offering. “That will be a big help.”
He grinned and nodded, but before he had the chance to say anything more, the door slid open behind me. Everyone froze, and we couldn’t have looked more guilty if we’d tried.
A large blue hand landed on my shoulder and squeezed. I relaxed instantly, recognizing Torran’s gentle touch, and Maria stifled a giggle that made me want to glare at her. But at least it broke the tension of the moment and the other humans turned away, pretending to be very interested in something other than the alien warrior in our midst.
I turned and looked up at Torran. Even given the circumstances he didn’t look happy. “What is it? Is something wrong?”
His gaze flickered across the room quickly before settling on me again. “We have to leave tonight. Tomorrow will be too late.”
I didn’t know whether to feel scared or relieved. At least it meant an end to the tension of waiting, but the reality of plunging into the darkness was terrifying. Even with a warrior like him to look after me.
“Now?” I asked, but he shook his head.
“Once the other prytheen are asleep,” he said. “The slower they react the more likely we are to get away.”
A shiver ran through me. I’d thought a lot about the dangers of traveling across this damned planet but the actual escape? I’d glossed over that in my mind.
Fortunately Torran hadn’t. My alien warrior took everything into account, which meant we had a chance. But the idea of a running fight to get away still terrified me, and I put a hand on his broad chest to draw strength from him.
Maybe Carrington has a point, I thought, shooting the man a glance. Staying’s deadly for Malcolm, but for him? It might be safer to stay and trust Gurral’s mercy.
That still meant accepting slavery, though, and I wouldn’t do that. Not even if my brother was safe here, and he wasn’t. Alex and Maria weren’t about to accept slavery for themselves or their daughter, either. My resolve firmed up as I looked at the three of them. It’s not just me and Malcolm, it’s the Dietrichs too. We’ve got to get out of here.
“Okay,” I said to Torran, setting an alarm on my wristband. If I somehow managed to drift off, I didn’t want to risk sleeping through to dawn and missing our chance. “Later tonight, then. We’ve gathered all the supplies we can.”
Not much, but it would have to do. Torran nodded, placing his hand on mine and squeezing gently. I felt better immediately. “You will be safe, my khara. Do not worry. If you need more food on the journey, I will hunt for you.”
“Is there anything else we can do to prepare?” I asked him. He nodded again.
“I must see your vehicle, now that it is built,” Torran said. “The better I know what I’m working with, the better a chance we have.”
Hearing that, Maria jumped to her feet. I waved her back down. “At least one of us ought to get some rest, and you should spend time with Tania before we leave.”
She raised an eyebrow and grinned, and a flush spread across my cheeks. “If you want to show him the rover alone, I won’t stop you,” she said. “I do need my sleep. But take care and remember what we talked about.”
I nodded wordlessly, not trusting what I might say if I spoke. She’s worried about me, I reminded myself. That’s a good thing, right?
Torran and I made our way down to the engineering bay quickly and quietly, staying out of sight. Once we were inside, he shut the door and turned to me.
“What did the other human say?” he asked. “It made you uncomfortable.”
“Nothing,” I said, too fast. My blush deepened as I realized just how alone we were. This wasn’t like the time in sickbay where he’d been my patient. Here he towered over me, strong and powerful, and my pulse raced as I bit my lip.
The room was soundproofed so that work here wouldn’t disturb people living in the pod. No one would hear anything that happened in here. That thought made my breath catch as I looked up at the blue-skinned alien standing so tantalizingly close.
A second later he stepped back, a sharp, sudden movement. He’d felt the same pull I did, I knew it, but
he wasn’t giving in to his desire. And neither would I, I told myself.
“Here. The rover. It’s ready to go.” I pointed at the vehicle, feeling a little foolish. It wasn’t as though he could miss it. But Torran seemed grateful for the excuse to look at something else, examining the white body of the rover with a careful, cautious gaze.
“Not well camouflaged,” he said at last. “And it’s large, too large for comfort. It will not be easy to hide its trail.”
I tried to keep my temper under control. “It’s not meant to be a military vehicle, you know. Being spotted easily was a feature for the Arcadia Colony.”
“Here it might be a death sentence,” Torran said distantly, turning his attention to the door seals. The rover didn’t have its own air supply, but it did have filters and he nodded approvingly at the door’s tight fit. I watched, feeling foolish. It wasn’t like I needed his approval.
He examined the rover with a thoroughness that took time, looking everywhere, hands running over the curves of its hull. I felt a pang of something as I watched. Jealousy? That was ridiculous. How could I be jealous of a vehicle?
But it was hard not to wish he was giving me that thorough inspection instead.
“It will serve,” he said at last, and I put my hands on my hips, glaring at him.
“Oh, I suppose you’d do better?”
A grin flashed across his face, gone as fast as it appeared. “If my technology worked, Lisa, I would whisk you away on wings of fire and show you the galaxy.”
“But since it doesn’t, you should be a little nicer about mine, which does.” I frowned, trying not to show the way my heart skipped a beat at his words. Torran dropped down from the rover, stalking closer, and I stood my ground as my heart raced.
A sparkle in his eyes, Torran stood just too close for comfort. I repressed an urge to lick my lips nervously, keeping up my glare.
“You are right,” he purred. That was the only word for it, a sound no human voice could make. It sent a delightful shiver across my skin. “This is what we have, and I am grateful for it.”
I swallowed. Took a deep breath and a step forward. Closer to him. “We have to go soon.”
He nodded, golden eyes gleaming in the dim light. The intensity of his gaze burned into me, setting something in my soul on fire, and I froze. Torn between the impulse to move closer and the knowledge that I shouldn’t.
I should keep my distance. Keep myself safe. Stay away from the dangerous alien predator.
The trouble was, I didn’t want to.
I might have stood there forever, torn between two impulses, but Torran was more decisive. He moved so fast I hardly saw him, stepping close and sweeping me up in his arms. The air left my lungs in a loud gasp, a shiver ran through my body, and my back hit the wall with a thump as Torran pressed himself against me.
His arms felt strong, comforting, powerful. His heartbeat, strong and steady, echoed through me where our chests pressed together. His strange alien skin felt so different to a human’s.
I tried to say something, but nothing more than a whimper came out. Torran looked into my eyes, his face inches from mine, and growled softly.
It wasn’t a threat, or if it was, I wanted him to deliver on it. My heart raced and my teeth dug into my lip as I struggled for some kind of self-control.
“This may be our last night alive,” he said, voice low and strong and deep. “And I will not waste it on hesitation.”
His mouth lowered to mine, a powerful kiss sending tremors through me. My lips parted in an eager moan as he took what we both wanted, his tongue pressing against mine, probing, exploring. Almost without me thinking about it, my arms wrapped around him and pulled him close.
Torran didn’t need any more encouragement, lifting me and kissing with a fierce passion that drove all thought from me. My body ached for him, needed him, with a desperate fire I’d kept hidden from myself. Now that we touched, I couldn’t deny it any longer.
When at last he broke our kiss, I gasped for air. But I wanted his touch more than I wanted to breathe, more than anything, and I struggled for some semblance of control as I looked up at him.
His grin revealed sharp teeth, predator’s teeth, and his eyes burned with a need that frightened and excited me. The idea of being hunted by a man like this… I moaned again, leaning in to kiss his neck, biting gently.
That made him shudder, arch his back, tense against me. Strong hands squeezed me, and his claws slid out, sharp even through my clothes.
“If this is our last night, let’s make it something to remember,” I whispered, not sure if he’d hear, if he’d understand. Then I bit his neck, my teeth digging into tough prytheen skin, and he gasped and pulled me back.
The wild look in his eyes, the easy strength with which he held me, the powerful hunger that burned in him — all of it sent shivers of need and lust through me as he turned and pinned me to the side of the rover, clawed hands pulling at my top. The fabric parted easily, his claws tearing fastenings he didn’t understand, and in moments he pulled it from me.
I panted breathlessly as Torran stepped back to admire me, a blush spreading across my face, down to my now-bare breasts. The urge to cover up was strong, almost overwhelming.
But when I moved to raise my arms, Torran growled a warning and I stopped. Froze. His eyes devoured me, a careful examination that left no doubt how much he wanted me, how much he enjoyed the sight of me. If I’d needed any confirmation, the bulge in his pants made it perfectly clear.
He whispered a word I didn’t know, voice deep and almost worshipful. Reached out for me again. I stepped aside, moved out of his reach while smiling and blushing brighter, shaking my head and pointing at him.
Turnabout was fair play. If he got to look at me…
It only took Torran a moment to understand, and then he laughed happily, pulling off his tunic and casting it aside. His bare chest rippled with muscles, the faint dark pattern on his blue skin almost hypnotic as he breathed. And his abs — my gaze drifted down and I licked my lips as saw his perfectly defined muscles, the vee that led down further.
His scars only made him sexier. Whatever threats had marked his body had done nothing to hurt his sex appeal. He’d overcome them, ending up stronger and smarter and oh so much hotter in the process. I reached out for the fastenings of his pants, wanting to see more of him, but this time he shook his head, grabbing my wrist and stopping me.
The touch of his hand held me still, frozen, a cascade of sensation rushing through me as he stepped closer. I tried to pull back, to get free — not that I wanted to succeed. He kept his grip easily, grinning as he pulled my arm over my head, pinned me to the rover, held me in place.
I grinned back, my chest heaving as my breath sped up. With my free hand I grabbed for him, but his reflexes were too quick, his grip too sure. Catching my wrist he dragged it up, pinning both my arms with one hand. Leaving me helpless. Trapped.
His.
I shivered at the touch of his free hand, feeling the brush of his claws as he trailed them down my arm, over my shoulder, across my chest. Pressing with just enough pressure that the sharp points dug in, but not enough to hurt or scratch. My breath caught, my eyes widened, and I bit back a cry as his fingers teased my breasts, circling, brushing my nipples.
Arching against him, I urged him on, but he was in no rush. Torran had me at his mercy and he intended to make the most of it. Lowering his mouth for another kiss, he swallowed my cries and drew his hand down, claws scratching deliciously, on the edge between pleasure and pain, until he reached the waistband of my pants.
“Oh god,” I whimpered as he broke the kiss again, a smug, catlike smile on his lips as his fingers tugged the pants lower. My mind melted under waves of lust and I struggled against him, but his grip was too strong, too powerful. Inescapable.
A tug, and the fastenings of my pants parted, Torran’s claws tearing them open as though they weren’t there. I kicked off my boots, squirmed out of my pants as he
tore them from me, and then I was naked.
Pinned to the side of the rover, bare before an alien predator, and loving it. My cheeks heated at the thought, but there was no guilt. This felt right in a way I wouldn’t have been able to imagine before meeting Torran. I needed him, needed his touch.
Desperate, I pushed forward, arching to press myself to him. He chuckled, kissing my lips, my neck, my breasts, sharp teeth scraping my skin to make me cry out.
No. Not going to let you have all the fun. As much as I loved being helpless in his hands, I needed more. I ducked my head, kissing his neck, then bit down hard. Torran gasped, his hold loosening for a second, and that let me pull away, twisting out of his grip.
Laughing breathlessly, I ran. And made it all of two steps before he was on me, pouncing and scooping me up. His arms wrapped around me from behind, pulling my naked body back against him, and his hardness pressed against me.
“You don’t get away,” he growled, that sexy voice making me shiver as he lifted me. But I wasn’t struggling. My hands reached back, pulling at the unfamiliar fastenings of his pants until they fell open.
“Who says I want to go anywhere?” I asked, wriggling back against him and feeling him swell. He growled, hands squeezing and exploring, and I shuddered as my hand closed on his cock.
It swelled in my grip, alien texture strange and enticing under my fingers. And then it buzzed, vibrating powerfully enough to make me gasp in shocked surprise.
Torran chuckled, pushed me face down against the rover, growled into my ear. One hand slid down between my legs, parting them, fingers brushing across my pussy oh-so-delicately. My body responded instantly, a wave of pleasure and need washing away every conscious thought as his teasing touch drove me wild.
A finger parted my folds, rubbing firmly but gently, making me whimper and moan. I matched his speed, stroking the massive shaft of his cock as he pushed me to the rover and drove me closer, ever closer, to an orgasm.