by Lisa Lace
I come to in a bedroom, on top of a bed with gray sheets. The wall is lined with mirrors, and two comfortable chairs are placed in the middle of the room, on top of a fluffy white rug. I sit up in a panic, feeling as though I have just come out of a horrifying nightmare.
“Hey, hey. I’m here.” Orien presses his hand against my arm. He sits on the edge of the bed. Blood trickles out of his nostril.
He’s still hurting. Why? I take a deep breath and notice all the pain is gone. He healed me again. My eyes meet his, and a wall of emotion overcomes me. Tears erupt down my cheeks, and I leap on top of Orien, pressing into him. He kisses my forehead and face over and over.
“Why did you let him take me?” I ask with my face buried in his chest.
“Emily, I’m sorry. I wa—”
“Take me home.” I pull away and watch him.
He shakes his head and scratches his chin. “I will.”
His hand reaches for mine, and I jerk it away. “Leave me alone, Orien. Please.”
“I understand,” he whispers, leaving the room and shutting the door.
I fall back on the bed and rest my head against the pillow. He came back for me. I guess he does have a conscience.
Another set of tears wells in my eyes.
I thought he loved me. How could he have let that happen?
Orien
I stare out the window. Stars burning millions of miles away light the darkness of space around us.
This ship is nice. It’s not like the Blue Star, but what it lacks in speed, it makes up for in size and gunpower. Mor loves it. He’s spent his time while recovering from the poison inspecting every inch of it.
I wish I could get excited about it. I lean back in the chair, gripping my hands around the steering instruments.
Mor’s large feet clunk against the metal floor as he takes his seat next to me. He spins in the chair, then sighs.
“She doing okay?” I ask.
He shrugs. “I suppose, but she’s secure for re-entry.”
I nod and lean back, running my fingers along the red leather of the chair. It’s been six days of this. Mor goes to the cabin, where Emily has locked herself. He brings her food and water. She won’t speak to me; she hasn’t uttered one word to my face since I saved her from King Ursen.
We escaped just in time, with a fleet of ships of the Baromenian and Omicronian army chasing us to the edge of the Centaurus System.
But I planned on leaving anyway. I’m taking Emily back to her home, Earth. I run my hands through my hair and stare at the radar.
“Approaching the Milky Way edge,” Mor says. “Are you certain you want to do this?”
I can’t help but laugh. It’s not a matter of what I want. “What else am I supposed to do? Keep her as my prisoner? Three minutes till breach.”
Mor’s hands move across the keyboard. “Thrusters are on. But she’s your mate.” We’ve hardly talked about it this whole trip, but Mor’s known. My whole behavior changed the moment I met her. I started to care about something other than myself.
I clench my jaw and take a deep breath. “She deserves better. Two minutes. Life with us is dangerous; she’ll always be at risk of getting hurt. And where will we take her? We don’t even know where we’re going next.”
“Sounds like excuses to me.”
“She’ll be safe here.”
“But if she’s on Earth, then you won’t be able to protect her.”
“Mor—enough! I’m taking her back.” My attention glues itself to the blinking red timer. I have minutes left with Emily. My stomach twists. Entering in three, two—”
The ship engines surge with power as we speed through toward Earth. Thousands of planets pass by us as the outside turns into a blur. I watch the radar carefully, keeping our course clear and straight. The map blinks, measuring our distance from Earth. My fingers clench the throttle, and I push it forward.
Mor glances up. “What are you doing?”
I don’t respond.
“You’re going too fast.”
“Its fine,” I mutter. “The ship can handle it.”
The speed continues to increase, and everything outside becomes nothing more than a swirl of color until the bright light of Earth’s sun shines through, and we approach the solar system.
Mor’s body tenses, and his hands cling to his armrests. I just want to get this over with, and at this speed, we will reach Earth in a few hours.
I swerve the ship, dodging around several chunks of an asteroid that the radar hadn’t sensed. At least now I can start drinking again.
I don’t need to numb the world out when Emily is with me. She’s intoxicating enough. After this, I’ll need a lot to forget her.
“You need to slow down, Orien.”
I ignore him. With Emily gone, Mor and I can continue doing what we do best, stealing and conning, which is no way for Emily to live her life. But I know it won’t feel right after all this.
“What’s the point of rushing if we don’t even make it there alive?”
I still don’t respond.
“You’re risking her life for no reason. Isn’t that the whole reason why are giving her up—to protect her?”
“This is what she wants.”
“How do you know?”
“She told me.”
“Recently?”
I grit my teeth and yank back on the throttle. The ship lurches to a slow pace all at once.
Mor and I jerk forward in our seats. He lets out a low snarl and rubs his neck where one of the belts meets his skin.
“Emily should have a good husband and a nice home, or whatever the fuck she wants. I can’t give her any those things, Mor, so just drop it.” There’s venom in my voice and anger in my eyes. He doesn’t understand.
He frowns; deep creases form in the blue skin around his mouth, aging him for a moment. “You have a home, Orien.”
“Don’t—”
“You know as well as I do that the people hate your father.”
“Stop!”
“He’s dying! He may already be dead. You’re the heir! They would follow you as the new emperor!”
“Mor, shut the fuck up. I slowed down the ship; why are you talking about all this crazy shit? Okay? Just chill.”
“It’s not crazy, Orien. It’s what you were born to be, and Emily would make a great queen a—”
I hold my hand up. “Enough.” I sigh and rub my temple.
“That girl loves you, Orien. She might not ever say it, but I can see it in the way she looks at you.”
“She won’t even talk to me.”
I feel defeated, and neither of us discusses the subject anymore. We don’t even speak the rest of the trip. The minutes seem to drag on in the silence, but Emily’s presence gnaws away at me. I can smell her scent faintly wafting through the room. Every second that passes is a second I could be near her, touching her.
And then the green and blue world appears into view. Its white clouds swirl in its sky, with the sun shining onto its side, and the white moon stands opposite.
I stare at Emily’s home. This is where she belongs, I repeat to myself. Here is where she will live the rest of her days in happiness.
No, here is where she was hurt by those people, by that idiot man. Sickness rushes through me. She’s endured too much in one lifetime. Can she continue all on her own? It will be my fault if she fails.
“Do you want me to do the landing?” Mor asks.
“Nope. I got this.”
I grab the steering wheel and lead the ship through Earth’s atmosphere. The ship groans in protest. Retrorockets slow us down with a harsh jolt.
I jerk forward in my seat. Not the smoothest landing I’ve done. I pick an open field to land, where no human life is detected, but close to Emily’s home. I don’t want to turn this into a scene.
We have arrived.
“Want me to go get her?” Mor asks.
“No, I should say goodbye.” I pull myself out of the seat an
d return to the outside of her room.
“Hey—we’re here,” I shout. Nothing. “Emily, we’re here. Ya know, Earth, your favorite place.” A few seconds pass without a word. “Emily!” I pound on the door. “Fucking three suns, woman! Get your fucking ass off this ship!”
My voice is raised now, and I am shaking. I don’t know if it’s out of anger, fear, or sadness, but the emotion of everything is working its way up. “We just traveled across the cosmos to bring you back, so if you don’t open this door right now, I am coming in there and fucking dragging you out myself!” My fists are beating the door. “Emily!”
I collapse on the ground. My back slides onto the floor, and my shoulders tremble as I cry. “Emily, please. I love you. I want you to know that, okay. I don’t want to do this. I want you to stay. I want you forever. I love you so much. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry about everything. I know you hate me, and you should. I deserve it all. I shouldn’t have taken you in the first place, and I should never have given you to Ursen. I fucked up. I just wanted you to be safe. You can’t be safe with me.”
I’m blubbering like a child, and the tears run freely. “I love you. I’ll go now. I understand. But please, know that I love you more than anything.” I stand, trembling, and begin to walk to my bunk.
“Orien?”
I freeze at the sound of her voice.
“I forgive you.”
I turn. Emily leans against the door frame, with her arms folded. She has on one of Mor’s grey shirts, soft and so long on her, it’s a dress. He must have given it to her to wear instead because her clothing was in tatters.
I can make out the faint outline of her inimitable body through it in the dim light. Her shimmering black hair is pulled down over her shapely form. She bites on her lower lip, and her beautiful eyes flutter away from mine.
God, I must look so shitty right now. But she—she looks stunning. Her skin glows once more, and the color has returned to her cheeks.
I just want to touch her—feel her against my skin again.
The desire for her is too much, seeing and smelling her after being days apart. My whole body ignites as though it’s on fire. My heart rate soars, and every part of my being craves her wildly. I feel out of control.
Emily
I hold my breath. Orien’s eyes ignite. His long hair has been smoothed and brushed away from his handsome face, which is still streaked with tears. His hands begin to tremble, and his shoulders tense.
Is he going to attack me? He takes a step forward, then another. His pace becomes faster as he approaches me. Then, before I can blink his hands are on my waist. He lifts me up.
I let out a gasp as my back hits the wall. His mouth finds mine
“Orien,” I try to speak, but he’s drowning me in slow, deep kisses. He slides his tongue into my mouth, and his hands squeeze my ass. He groans. I can feel his cock stiffen against me. Every kiss warms my body, and a heated tingle surges through me.
“I need you,” he growls.
He sucks on my tongue when it enters his mouth. Every movement is frantic and furious, like a famished man eating for the first time in years.
I need him, too. My body and heart are aching for him. The whole trip home, I’ve been fighting with myself over him. I know I should be on Earth, but I love Orien. Every ounce of me burns to be with him, and I can’t imagine us being apart.
He backs away from the wall and throws me on top of the bed. His hands shake as he undoes his belt. My pussy is smoldering with desire. He rips away his pants, as well as his shirt. Still, I am completely mesmerized by his body. He grabs his hardened shaft and strokes himself several times. His tilts his head from left to right.
“I’ll try not to destroy the bed this time.” He grabs my hips, then flips me over onto my stomach, lifting my ass high into the air. I tremble at the vulnerable state he has me in. I am completely at his mercy.
His fingers push the shirt I am wearing away from my ass and find my glistening, wet slit. Two fingers slide in, and I moan, falling face-first into the mattress. He keeps my ass upright, though, and my breathing increases, as do the number of fingers he pushes into me. I buck under the power of his touch.
Then he bends down, and I feel his tongue run along my pussy, to my ass. I shudder at the erotic sensation. My whole body is in need, now, and I savor every flick of his tongue. I moan in complaint when he pulls away.
I want more, and he knows it. He stands up and runs a hand down my back to my ass. Then he rubs his dick along my clit, sending spirals of pleasure to my center. I gyrate my hips to increase the sensation and sigh with the building of arousal.
“I can’t wait any longer,” he says. His stiff cock presses past my pussy lips, and his full piece thrusts into me.
I gasp at the sensation of sudden fullness. It shakes my being like an earthquake. His hands find either side of my hips, and push them away, only to yank them back onto him, demanding entry. The thrusting exhilarates my body and drives me wild. He thrusts every inch of himself deep into me, and I feel myself stretching to hold him.
The only pain I feel is the ache for more. I match my movements to his to create a tantalizing dance, which pushes me deeper and deeper into the sea of lust. How could I have ever denied myself this pleasure?
I groan and sigh as he continues his relentless fucking, driving himself deeper into me. His hand slides down and finds my throbbing clit. He matches his touching to the rhythm of his force.
The intensity of pleasure causes my whole body to collapse. I suck in air as his weight falls onto me. I squirm and moan as he continues to fuck. His face buries itself into my neck. He is completely dominating me, taking me.
My walls come down all at once, and the intense orgasm propels its way through me, sending shocks of delight with each pulse. I can’t help but scream out.
His hands reach out and grip the edge of the bed tightly.
“Fuck,” he growls. I see the veins in his arms bulge, and his tattoos start to shimmer. His breathing is intense and ragged. He pulls out of me slowly, then rams himself in. He is trying to slow himself down, but the sudden shift of motion and speed causes a spiral of pleasure to take control of me, and I cum again, bucking and shifting underneath him as the power of release consumes me once more.
All his muscles flex, and he fills me. The pulses of his ejaculation match with mine, and he groans as his hips wildly drive into me. Our bodies swell with satisfaction.
No one’s ever made me feel this, and no one but Orien ever will.
And when it's all over, he rolls onto the bed beside me. Our bodies glisten with sweat and the traces of love. We don’t speak for a moment, but the release of tension between us creeps up on me, and a trickle of tears find their way into the corners of my eyes.
I roll to my side to try and avoid Orien, but he senses my emotion.
His arm scoops around me. “Why are you crying?” he whispers.
I don’t respond. Instead, I bury myself into his chest. His body is warm and comforting. We lay like that for a moment. Then I sit up abruptly. “So, we arrived?”
“Yeah.”
I fumble with the oversized shirt I’m wearing to cover up my body. I don’t know what to say or do. “Guess I should get going, then.”
“Guess you should.”
But I don’t move an inch.
“Do you need help with anything?” His eyes bore into my soul.
I wipe my eyes and clear my throat. “No.” I’m trying not to cry again.
“Okay.”
But then the tears start to swell in my eyes. I blink hard.
Orien watches me with a perplexed look. His hand holds my cheek. “Hey—hey. I don’t like to see you cry.”
My lip trembles in response. I feel torn between two worlds. I know I belong on Earth, but I know I love Orien. I could never bear going back to a normal life and being with Josh.
My lip begins to tremble, and I hide my face in my hands.
He continues speaking. �
��I know it's been a wild ride. I mean, not too many people can say they’ve been to a whole new system, fought a bunch of monsters, and escaped from the ruler of a whole planet? It’s a lot.”
“Yeah.” My voice is nothing more than a whisper.
“It’ll be okay.” He sits up and presses his forehead against mine.
I close my eyes. His arms wrap securely around my curvy frame, and he pulls me back into him. “I love you, Emily.”
I begin to melt into his words. I make my decision then and there. I pull away. I need to look at him when I say this. “I can’t,” I mutter.
“Can’t what?”
“You—I can’t.”
“I know.”
“No.” I grow suddenly flustered and start to chew on my fingernails. My anxiety rises through the roof, and my heart rate has skyrocketed. I could be about to make the biggest mistake of my life, but I have to trust myself. More teardrops trickle down my face, and he catches them with his fingertips.
“What?”
“I can’t leave you.” The words struggle to come out. My mouth twists from a frown to a smile, and I start to full-on cry. There’s no pretending, no acting—but everything in me is telling me to yes, and. “I want to, but I just can’t. God, why did you have to be such an asshole?” I’m laughing now. “You make me crazy, but I just—I just can’t imagine my life without you in it.”
Orien starts laughing as well. His arms tighten around me. “You make me crazy, too, but I fucking love it! I love every second of being with you. I never want it to end. You are my everything.”
I stop crying and shake my head. “I know that I’m scared.”
“Me too.”
“But Orien, I know that I love you.”
I kiss him, and his hand falls on the back of my neck and pulls me in for a long deep kiss. My mouth trembles.
“Oh, I love you. I love you so much,” he murmurs between our kisses. “Marry me.”