Forged in Shadow (Dark Planet Warriors Book 5)

by Anna Carven

  Rykal gently pushed the apparatus away. “I can last long enough without it.” His look was one of mild surprise, as if her concern for him were something out of the ordinary.

  Arin wasn’t used being looked after either, but when Rykal worried about her, it only felt natural.

  “Let’s go.” He drank her in with his luminous golden eyes, handing her his soul in a glance.

  He showed her everything; his worry, his anger, his darkness, his light, his emptiness.

  And he invited her in.

  “Come.”

  Her cheeks stung, her throat burned, and her legs felt like jelly, but all of those things faded into the background as she took his hand.

  Arin had stared death in the face before being snatched from its jaws by her lover. She wouldn’t die here. There was too much they still had to do.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  There was movement in the air when there shouldn’t have been. Rykal led Arin into the main dock, searching for any means of escape. The First Division were looping around, ordering the old Human pilot to maneuver the Arawen back to Docking Bay One.

  But they couldn’t enter or exit, because there was nobody to operate the airlocks.

  As they strode across the vast floor of the docking bay, Rykal saw the reason for the draft. A stream of air was being sucked into the airlock and out to space, because it was partly open.

  There was a narrow gap between the inner doors, just wide enough for a person to squeeze through.

  That explained the low oxygen in these parts. He was glad Arin had her respirator. He would put his body through all kinds of pain and torture as long as she was safe.

  He might have to steal some of her air soon, though. His body could go without oxygen for some time, but starve it long enough and his nanites would fall into a low-energy state and retract.

  Another dull boom echoed in his ears, and the freighter shifted again, causing the floor to slope at a forty-five degree angle. As Arin lost her footing and slid down, Rykal drew his dagger and slammed it into the floor, using it as a handhold as he grabbed her around her waist.

  She latched onto him as the lights flickered and went out, her eyes blind and trusting in the darkness. “You know what I just saw before the lights went out?”

  “What is it, Arin?”

  “A fucking escape pod. I can’t see now, but look down, straight down, and you’ll see a dull grey structure against the wall. It has a large red triangle on the door.”

  Rykal saw it. It was surprisingly large for an escape pod, designed to fit perhaps fifteen to twenty Humans. In contrast, Kordolian ships were fitted with numerous small escape pods, designed to fit one or two people only. In an attack or disaster scenario, having multiple pods maximized the entire crew’s chances of survival.

  “You know how to work that thing?”

  “Of course.”

  “Is it trustworthy?”

  “Federation regulations require it to be checked and maintained once every six months. We can only hope they’ve kept it to standard.”

  “There is oxygen inside?”

  “There’d better be.”

  “Then hold on, my love.” In a series of fluid movements, Rykal wrapped himself around Arin, rolled onto his side, pulled his dagger out of the floor and held onto her tightly as they slid down the smooth, sloping floor.

  He crashed into the escape pod feet-first, protecting Arin from the impact. Rykal bent his legs and sustained the force of the blow as Arin flicked on her guide-light and punched a clear panel beside the door. It shattered, revealing a yellow lever which she pulled.

  The doors slid open with a hiss, and Arin pulled Rykal inside. He opened his mouth and took a deep breath as stale air entered his lungs and his heart started to beat normally again.

  A light flickered on. There were multiple seats inside arranged in pairs; Rykal counted sixteen in total. Arin slammed the door shut, pulling a large yellow lever to lock it. She then entered a series of commands into a data panel on the wall.

  Her movements were fluid and practiced, as if she’d done this kind of thing a hundred times before. “Two minutes,” she declared, but Rykal had no idea what ‘minutes’ were.

  Arin scrambled towards pair of seats, pulling Rykal with her. Even though the entire pod was tilted at a sharp angle, she moved nimbly and swiftly, strapping herself into a seat and motioning for Rykal to do the same.

  Rykal activated his comm. “We’re shooting out of here,” he informed his comrades, who were waiting nearby on the Arawen. “Found an escape pod. Don’t bother coming to get me. Just put some kuliks between yourselves and that floating piece of shit. It’s unstable.”

  “First Kalan, now Rykal,” he thought he heard someone - it sounded like Kail - mutter disapprovingly in the background. “Contact us when you’re clear,” the warrior snapped.

  The comm ended abruptly as a low hum reverberated through the pod. It was powering up.

  Arin’s fingers closed over his as a great metallic groan shook the freighter, followed by another explosion. Their world tilted sideways as the escape pod accelerated, shooting them out into the frigid vastness of space.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  They were drifting away from the Hendrix II and away from the Marcia, heading towards infinity as the pod’s thrusters propelled them away from the the danger zone at high speed.

  At least that’s what Arin thought was happening. She had no way of seeing outside, because the pod didn’t have windows. There was only the utilitarian grey of its walls and the harsh white light shining from the ceiling.

  And Rykal.

  And he was naked. Again.

  “What are you doing?” she asked sharply as the pod slowed to a constant speed. Once they hit inertia, with no accelerating or slowing down, it almost felt as if they weren’t moving at all.

  “Feeding my nano-particles,” he murmured, his eyes lighting up as he gazed upon her. “Why don’t you let me see your pretty face?”

  Arin glared at him, trying to hide the giddy feeling that had overtaken her. Her hands flew to her face and she peeled away her respirator mask, taking a deep breath.

  It was so good to be able to breathe normally again.

  Rykal unstrapped his safety belt and floated up into the air, leaving his weapons carefully arranged beside his seat. In a small pod like this, there was no gravitron to keep them grounded.

  He grinned, and despite her reservations, Arin couldn’t help the coy smile that tugged at her lips.

  He was just so fucking gorgeous. He drifted closer until he was poised just above her, and Arin felt the urge to kiss him all over.

  Not just on his sly, arrogant lips.

  She wanted to taste all of him.

  “Look at you,” she whispered. His physique was out of this world. Unashamed, she ogled him from head to toe, starting from the bottom, noting his long, muscular legs, which tapered to a taut, narrow waist. Of course, she couldn’t ignore the obvious; his cock was proudly erect, a trace of moisture beading at its tip.

  His cock, like the rest of him, was perfectly formed. There were small ridges that ran along the top of its length, and Arin’s mouth watered at the thought of Rykal sliding inside her. Her anticipation was building like a summer storm.

  Her gaze took in his abdomen, which began in a taut vee of lean, sculpted muscle, rising to an impressive six-pack which flexed as he grabbed the arms of her seat, drawing himself closer to her. Above his taut abdomen, powerful shoulders and arms sat atop chiseled pectorals. Arin marveled at the sight before her, even more so because she’d seen this body in action; she’d seen what he was capable of.

  Strong, swift, silent, and incredibly lethal. He was all of those things and he could have saved himself a hundred times over when they were on the freighter.

  Instead, he’d chosen to save her; to protect her, and nobody had done that for Arin in longer than she could remember.

  Why would they? She was used to looking after her
self.

  Now, he offered himself to her.

  Her eyes traveled to his face as she admired his elegant features. His grin had faded to a gentle smile, his sharp canines hidden behind dark lips.

  He brought one hand up to her face, caressing her skin with a featherlight touch, taking care not to hurt her.

  It still stung a little. Arin grimaced. She’d been singed by the heat of that inferno, and she probably looked like a lobster. She hoped her eyebrows were still intact.

  Rykal didn’t seem to care. He pulled himself closer, his body still suspended in mid-air as if he were a magical creature. He pressed his lips against her forehead, kissing her tenderly, his tongue caressing her singed skin. It stung and tingled at the same time. The sensation was wonderful. He trailed slow, gentle kisses down her cheeks, his lips exploring her face. He took his time, kissing her at the angle of her jaw where it met her ear, nibbling playfully on her earlobe, his sharp fangs grazing her delicate skin, kissing her behind her ear, trailing kisses down her neck.

  “I have waited far too long for this,” he whispered. “It has been one of the most difficult, painful, trying things I have ever done.”

  “Why did you wait so long?”

  “I wanted you to give yourself freely to me. Conquest is sweetest when taken freely, isn’t it, my ashika?”

  “Conquest?” Arin raised an eyebrow, amusement coloring her voice. “I wouldn’t know about that.”

  “You are my prize, Human. Now, let me share the spoils of conquest with you.” He kissed and licked the sensitive spot behind her ear. Her body went wild at that, a jolt of pure, carnal arousal coursing through to her pussy.

  For the first time in her short life, Arin was rendered speechless and helpless, because right now, Rykal could do anything he wanted to her, and she wouldn’t fight or protest. He had her dancing at his very skillful fingertips.

  He deftly undid the upper straps of her safety restraints, the ones crossing over each shoulder. Then he played with the one that ran over her hips, unbuckling them with ease. As his hand brushed over her thighs and lower belly, Arin felt wetness seep through her panties.

  No longer held in place, her body started to float upwards, and Rykal followed, pulling her towards him. “Have you ever had sex in zero Gs before?”

  “No,” Arin replied, “I haven’t. Have you?”

  “I haven’t,” he said, a mischievous note in his voice. “Not at all.” He regarded her with a cryptic look as they floated above the seats, moving into a horizontal position.

  Arin was in a dream. She was drifting through space with this magnificent creature who was both irresistibly perfect, almost to the point of being unreachable, and yet so beautifully flawed.

  At times, his vulnerability made him seem almost… Human.

  “Then we’re both about to find out what it’s like.” With great care, he began to undress her, sliding her flight jacket off her shoulders and down her arms. It floated away as his attention was diverted to her body. “I like this garment so much better than those horrible armor suits they make you wear.”

  “We can’t all run around in form-fitting nano-armor.” Arin reached out and placed her hands against his chest. From his appearance, she’d been expecting his skin to feel rough or cold, but it was smooth and soft and warm. “Only you guys seem to be able to get away with that.”

  “But you pull this off magnificently,” Rykal purred, toying with the hidden zipper nestled between her breasts. “And now it’s coming off for me.”

  He unzipped her from her breasts to her waist, exhaling slowly as a thin strip of her pale skin was exposed.

  Arin trailed her hands down his stomach, eliciting a small shudder from him. When she reached his cock, she curled her fingers around it. He groaned. She tightened her grip and pumped up and down. Rykal closed his eyes and gasped, his voice infused with a delicious mixture of tension and pleasure.

  When he opened his eyes again, his pupils had dilated, and his brilliant yellow irises had darkened a shade, turning the color of burnished gold.

  Arin became lost in his gaze. She stared into his face and marveled at what lay behind those eyes. This alien, so strange, yet so familiar, had come to her from a place she couldn’t even comprehend.

  What was his planet like? She couldn’t even imagine.

  Rykal bent his head, pressing his lips against the soft skin between her breasts. He inhaled her, tasted her, and kissed her as she teased his cock with her strong fingers. Becoming frantic, Rykal pulled her suit off her shoulders, revealing her toned, muscular arms. He stripped her down, the Syntech fabric stretching as he peeled it off her, revealing her breasts, her stomach, her waist. At the sight of her bare breasts, he growled and took one of her nipples into his mouth.

  Arin arced her back and released a throaty cry as he sucked her, forgetting where she was. His hot mouth and nimble tongue sent her wild, her nipples hardening as he paid careful attention to one, then the other.

  All the while, they floated weightlessly in the air, two beings at the physical peak of their existence, answering the primal needs of their bodies.

  Rykal broke loose with a gasp and stripped her to her ankles, slipping off her knee-high boots.

  “Finally,” he sighed, and there was great satisfaction in his voice. “I’ve been waiting for this for so long. I’ve been waiting for you. I want you so badly.”

  “I want you too,” Arin rasped as he pulled her against him, his cock pressing up against her lower belly. As their bodies met, a warm tingling sensation spread throughout her body like wildfire.

  Deep, aching need unfurled in her core, and she yearned to have him inside her.

  As Rykal held onto her, they drifted through the cabin, slowly rotating. The feeling of weightlessness made Arin more aware of the pleasurable sensations coursing through her body.

  Rykal’s hands were all over her, caressing her back, sliding over the curve of her ass, gripping her lean thighs. “Human,” he whispered, bringing his hand around to her pussy. “I think we are very compatible.”

  “So it seems.” Arin barely managed to get the words out as he tucked his fingers under the edge of her panties, sliding them down.

  “This is what I am most interested in.” He slid one deft finger into her moist entrance, making Arin gasp. He pressed his other hand against the small of her back, drawing her closer, sliding back and forth, increasing his speed until all Arin could do was close her eyes and let him take over.

  Her body was no longer under her control.

  Rykal pressed his lips against the hollow of her neck, sucking on her skin. His hot mouth was like molten lava, and together with the gentle thrust of his fingers between her moist folds, the experience became insanely erotic.

  And he was just getting started.

  Rykal brought his lips up against her ear. “My sweet Human,” he said, so softly his words were in-between a thought and a whisper. “I never thought I would find someone like you at this end of the Universe. You’re too good for me by far, but I can’t help but surrender to these instincts of mine.”

  What? Arin thought through a haze of mind-numbing pleasure. His words and actions were having a strange effect on her; they rendered her incapable of any logical, coherent thought.

  “I can’t help but crave you every waking minute. You invade my thoughts and drive me to near-insanity. I can’t stand the thought of you being with another. I need you to be mine alone. Do you understand that, my love?”

  Moaning, Arin nodded. Rykal growled and pressed his lips against the soft skin just above her collarbone, possessively grazing her skin with his fangs. Arin brought her hands up and ran her fingers through his silky-soft hair.

  Everything about him was tactile bliss. Even though he looked so hard and dangerous, and Jupiter knew, he could be hard, he felt wonderful under her fingertips.

  Her hands drifted down to his temples, where she felt a curious bump on each side. A low, throaty moan escaped Rykal’s lip
s as she touched those points.

  Arin liked that sound, so she caressed him again, focusing on those points, which seemed to be sensitive. He groaned and pressed his fangs against the bare skin of her neck, breaking her skin. Arin cried out as the heady combination of pain and bliss sent her into the next dimension.

  His warm fingers were deep inside her, stretching her, making her writhe in pleasure as she curled her strong legs around him.

  “I need more,” Arin whispered, running her thumbs over his sensitive points. “Give me more.”

  She’d turned into a lustful, carnal creature, her mind and body completely possessed by him. She couldn’t think of anything else but giving him pleasure and gaining it in return, and that turned her into a woman possessed as frantic need swept over her.

  Rykal slowly withdrew his fingers, eliciting a low, animalistic growl from Arin. They were almost upside-down now, but she didn’t care. She was barely aware of her surroundings.

  She grasped his magnificent cock and guided him towards her, teasing her entrance with its glistening tip, rubbing it against her clit. The sensation nearly made her howl. Instead, she whimpered. Rykal let out a deep cry and slammed inside her, the ridges of his cock grazing over her clit.

  The sensation sent her already saturated arousal into overdrive, and a new feeling worked its way into her core, a tension that made her grip him tightly with her legs and fuck him hard as they twisted slowly in the air.

  Her only anchor in this gravity-deprived place was him, so she clung to him like a demon as they went crazy for one another. Rykal didn’t hold back any longer. He used his powerful limbs to keep her exactly where he wanted her, thrusting his hips as their lean, sinuous bodies collided and eventually became one.

  Arin lost all awareness of time and place. All she knew was that her pleasure was building, and as they moved together, entwined, she took more and more from him, and he demanded the Universe from her and he took it.