by Webster, K
“Not a chance, doctor. We both know you’ve used up most of your energy the first two times. You need to be well rested when we’re done. It’s time to let someone else take charge for a change.”
For a moment he doesn’t argue. The muscles in his neck tense as I angle my hips to take his cock in as deep as possible, finding a spot inside me that has stars exploding behind my eyelids. He tugs me forward, making me squeal a little, and takes a beaded nipple into his mouth, teasing it with his wicked forked tongue. I imagine what it would feel like to have that tongue on my clit again and feel myself clench around him.
He hisses as though in pain. “You think you’re in charge of me?” he asks.
I take his hands and pin them above his head. He could break free of my grip if he wanted, but he lets me hold them there, leaving him vulnerable, splayed before me. Mine. “I am for now. I can do anything I want to you.”
Lifting my weight up on my knees, I move until he’s almost falling out of me, then drop back down. He grits his teeth instead of answering, which is an answer in itself. I repeat this, clenching around him when he’s deep inside, then releasing until only the tip of him remains, until he makes growling, desperate noises in the back of his throat.
I didn’t plan on focusing on my pleasure. This was all about him, for him, but the sound of his arousal echoes in my brain. It’s all I can think about. The desperate, gruff moans Avrell is making are because of me.
I shudder against him, the orgasm swelling inside me like a typhoon. His movements become jerky and uncoordinated and his fingers bite into my hips. “Take your pleasure, stormy one. Take it with me.”
His raspy words are all I need. My pussy clenches around him with an intensity akin to violence, making him shout his own release moments later. I must have lingering toxica in my system, because I’m paralyzed on his chest within seconds.
“If I had any energy, I’d take you like this again, my mate, while you’re still immobilized by the toxica. It’d be slow and torturous—for both of us.” His hands rub my back, soothing us both. “For now, I’m going to hold you until you’re back to yourself again. I don’t know which I like better…you unable to argue back at me, or your filthy tongue.”
I don’t know how long it takes me to work the rest of the numbing agent out of my system. All I know is I’m sad when I can lift myself up to sitting again. The truth is, we don’t know when we’ll be able to do this again. For all we know, it could be the last time.
“Don’t look so sad, sweet mate,” Avrell says as he helps me to my feet and to the decontamination shower.
“I’m not sad,” I protest.
He smiles at my words. “There’s my argumentative one. I will finish the cure and we will find a way back to the Facility. Our mortling will grow up with their whole family. This I promise you.”
I can feel the seconds ticking away as he helps clean me up. I’m still partially numb, so I have to lean against him as he soaps up my body and cleans every crevice and fold with the utmost care. He may be an arrogant bastard, but he’s a gentle one when he wants to be. A caring one when he wants to be.
Maybe he’s only gentle and caring with those he loves…
I blush, which of course he notices. His cock grows against my stomach as his fingers trace the growing wave of pink over my chest and throat. “You flush so pretty for me, little mate,” he says with a growl. “Are you trying to keep me from my duties?”
“I would never,” I say, but I press onto my tiptoes to take his mouth one last time. One, I promise myself, and then I’ll let him go because I know I can’t hold onto him forever.
When I pull away, he’s trembling, but not from need. The water is freezing. “Let’s get you dressed. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
* * *
“How’s he doing?” Julie asks several hours later.
We both try to keep busy, but after we feed the patients another dose of meat—officially wiping out our stash, there’s not much left to do but wait and watch as Avrell tests and retests his serums. Eventually, Julie throws her hands up and pulls me away to start packing supplies. It goes left unsaid that we may never need them, but it’s better than sitting around biting our nails.
I pause in packing bits of preserved food into boxes and containers. Every little bit will help. “He’s tired—”
“I’ll bet he is.”
I ignore her. “But I think he’ll be okay. He’s already stronger than he was a couple days ago. I think the meat helps. It’s not a complete cure, more like it holds the symptoms off for a while? But doesn’t completely eradicate the virus.”
“Still, it’s the first positive sign we’ve had. If he can turn that into a cure, then the possibilities for this planet are endless.”
I don’t know about her, but my mind turns to the Kevins. If they find out Mortuus is inhabitable again, I don’t want to know what will happen. The only thing they know is greed and destruction.
“He will,” I say firmly, pushing the thought from my mind. “And then we’ll fight.”
Julie doesn’t mention it, but I can almost feel her thinking about the fact that she doesn’t want to come with us. It goes left unsaid as we continue packing. The hours pass and we’ve packed food, medications, and ammunition into containers. We store them by the Loading Bay doors and as we’re about to head back inside, Julie puts a hand on my shoulder.
“What is it?” I ask.
She doesn’t say a word. Instead, she lifts her hand and points in the distance. All I see is the ever-present cloud of red-orange dust that fills the sky in every direction. “What is it?” I repeat.
“Look,” she says, but I look at her instead of where she’s pointing. Her face has gone bone white through her mask.
A lance of fear chills my spine.
“There,” she adds.
I follow the line of her finger and squint.
At first, I don’t see anything. What could she see? Another rabid wolf? One of those birds we were told about? God forbid it’s another mutated monster we haven’t come across.
Instead it’s much, much worse.
The clouds of red-orange dust part in delicate swirls around a plane of some sort. One with a very recognizable emblem on the nose. Earth II fighter ships. Flying. Alive. Not blasted out of the sky by Oz’s weapon. This is bad. This is really bad.
My stomach drops to my feet.
A scream rises in my throat, but lodges behind a knot there.
Julie finds my hand and squeezes so tight I can feel the bones grind against each other, but I barely notice. I go numb and then white-hot with adrenaline.
No.
It can’t be.
Nonononono.
I thought we’d have more time. We need more time.
This can’t be the end.
I haven’t said everything I need to say to Avrell yet.
We haven’t met our baby AJ.
I want a chance for those things.
One chance.
My gaze hardens.
We will get that chance.
Or die trying.
10
Avrell
Two.
There are just two ships.
Two Kevins, not an entire army.
“Get Sayer on the comms,” I bark out. “Zoe, keep the patients safe.”
“What?” Zoe shrieks, grabbing my lab coat as I start to walk away. “Eleanor is here. She can watch them. I can help. What are we going to do?”
“Lines are dead,” Julie calls out. “It’s not looking good, Av.”
“Keep trying,” I grit out. “I have an idea. Come on, mate.”
I take her hand, guiding her out of the comms room and into my lab. I’m feeling energized, which gives me hope regarding my cure, but right now, I need to protect everyone here. I can’t do that while inside my lab.
“Hit me with an electrolyte booster,” I order, my mind already making lists of what we need to do.
Zoe, for once, obe
ys without question. I can sense her fear, which only makes me want to succeed that much more. She’s looking at me to protect her. My brave, fierce mate needs me to keep her safe.
I won’t let her down.
Or anyone else here.
She finds the electrolyte tabs and tosses me a handful. I down them in one swallow, quickly shedding out of my lab coat.
“We need to get down to the vehicles in the caves,” I tell her. “Suit up and grab a zonnoblaster.”
After we put on our zu-gear, it isn’t until we’re trotting through the dark tunnels that I realize we don’t even need the zu-gear if my hypothesis about exposure is correct. However, at the very least, the suits and masks will keep our face free of dust and debris. It’s a long trek and I’m winded, but we eventually make our way down to the giant underground bay where several vehicles await.
I rush over to the doors and open one. The geostorm is intensifying, which has the two ships circling lower. They’ve yet to land. I need them to. With the big weapons mounted on the front, I have no doubt they can blast the prison to bits if they so choose. We need a distraction.
Unfortunately, I know the risk we must take.
It won’t fail.
I won’t allow it.
“You know how to operate one of these vehicles?” I ask Zoe. “It’s Earth II technology, so I—”
“I can drive it,” she interrupts. “Where am I driving it to?”
I gesture to a clearing. “There. Circle around a few times and then drive through that narrow valley. Our goal is to force them to land.”
“Then what?”
“Then we do what’s necessary.” I grab her shoulder and press my mask against hers, meeting her worried gray eyes. “Shoot if anyone gets close. Do not under any circumstances allow them to capture you.”
“O-Okay,” she stammers.
“You can do this, stormy one.”
She nods and then scurries over to the brightest vehicle. After a moment, its engine fires up. She maneuvers the machine out of the garage and then accelerates, quickly zooming to the clearing.
I rush out of the bay, my eyes on the two ships. They begin circling like predators, hungry for my mate. The ground vibrates beneath my feet as they angle their ships, the weapons attached homing in on my mate.
“Go, Zoe!” I yell even though she’s out of reach on the comms.
Pakow!
I’m knocked on my rump as the side of part of the mountain explodes. My heart stops inside my chest until Zoe’s vehicle flies out of the debris cloud. She guns it toward the valley. Another explosion has her vehicle rocking from side to side, but she manages to evade them. One of the ships pulls back, but the other zooms after her.
“Come on, come on,” I growl.
At the last second, the ship pulls back. From my vantage point, I can see Zoe has stopped the vehicle. The ships seem to notice and they start lowering, sending dust swirling everywhere.
“Let’s get those motherfuckers,” Julie says, appearing beside me like a shadow come to life. Her zonnoblaster isn’t like mine. It’s bigger and more complicated. I’ve never seen anything like it. I sure hope she knows how to use it.
“Did you reach anyone on the comms?”
“Nope. Looks like we’re on our own, Doc. Ready to kick some Kevin ass?”
“The sooner we do, the sooner we can get rekking back to saving our people in there. Let’s go!”
Julie darts out in front of me. “Stay behind me. We’ll run along the mountainside, not in the open. Their focus is on Zoe.”
As soon as the engines cease their roaring, Kevins spill from both ships. At least fifteen or twenty from each ship come running out, weapons drawn. We’re completely outnumbered.
The Kevins are all charging toward Zoe’s stopped vehicle. We have to stop them.
“Get to Zoe,” Julie hisses. “I have an idea. Don’t wait for me.”
My body is still weak from The Rades’ hold on me, but I don’t let it deter me from rescuing my mate. I put her in harm’s way so that we could lure them to the ground. So far, we’ve succeeded in doing just that. Now, all we have to do is eliminate the Kevins.
As soon as I reach the mouth of the valley where the Kevins have started running, my comms crackle, allowing me to hear my mate’s heavy, terrified breathing.
“Zoe!” I rumble. “Are you okay?”
“These…therfuckers…gonna kill…oh shit!”
“Drive through them!” I yell. “Now, Zoe!”
My noise alerts a few Kevins in the back. As soon as they see me charging, they point their weapons at me. I’m a healer, not a fighter, but when my mate’s life is at stake, I can’t take any chances. I begin firing my zonnoblaster. I manage to take down three of the five running my way. The other two charge too quickly. A loud sound rumbles the earth, but I can’t make out the source because a Kevin launches himself on me, knocking me on my back.
“Roscoe,” the Kevin grunts from exertion. “Caught me a motherfuckin’ alien! Check this shit out!”
He has my zonnoblaster in my hand pinned beneath his knee, but my other hand is free. I fling off my glove, bare my claws, and rake it along his side, tearing into his flesh. He howls in pain.
“Eddie! What the fuck?!”
“Don’t be a pussy,” Eddie bellows. “Help me with this monster! He has claws.”
“I have teeth, too,” I snarl, my sub-bones popping loud enough to vibrate through me.
Eddie’s eyes widen a fraction when I bare my teeth at him. Roscoe takes off running, leaving his friend behind. Eddie and I grapple until I’ve flipped him. He struggles to keep hold of my weapon, but I don’t need it.
Boom!
The earth trembles violently from a nearby blast. Sickness churns in my gut as I fear they’ve obliterated my mate. A crazed rage overtakes me. I pierce my claws into Eddie’s throat and savagely rip through the flesh and tendons. Bright red blood flies from his neck in a thick spurt, splattering my face mask and blinding me. Since I can’t see him, I continue to shred at the human beneath me with my claws. As soon as his grip on my weapon falls away, I yank it from his grip, shove the barrel into what I hope is his nog, and pull the trigger.
Kapow!
The body jolts and then nothing. Quickly, I yank off my face mask, uncaring if I’m exposed, especially now that I think we might survive it having seen those other mort-like men. I have to find my mate. Now. I rise to my feet, scanning the thick, red clouds of dust.
“Zoe!” I yell and cough through the particles clouding the air around me. “Zoe!”
I grab my zonnoblaster and rush toward the mouth of the valley where I last saw Zoe. As I rush through the haze, I trip over bodies. All are Kevins. Not my mate. When I finally reach her vehicle, I nearly choke on my horror.
No.
No!
Her vehicle is in a few massive hunks smashed along the side of the mountain. I scan the area, looking for her body. Please let her be okay.
“What did you do?” someone bellows at me. “You killed them all!”
I turn in time to see Roscoe racing my way. My sub-bones pop one by one as I ready my battle stance. Just as I aim my zonnoblaster, he darts away. The blast hits a dead Kevin, blowing hunks everywhere. Roscoe appears again. He’s agile, quickly darting his way over to me before I can take my aim again. I grunt when he knocks me to the ground. My head spins as fatigue weighs heavily on me.
Not now.
Rekk no!
The Kevin slams a useless fist into my face but howls in pain. His hit knocks my nog to the side, but his bones are less dense than mine. All humans are. I learned this while studying the females and comparing them to the morts. I’m certain by the way he sobs, he’s broken many bones from that hit.
I may not be a fighter, and instead a healer, but my fierce need to find and protect my mate feeds my instinct. All I can think about is locating her. First, I need to eliminate this weak creature.
“You landed on the wrong planet,�
�� I growl, piercing his face with my claws and yanking him to me.
Since their necks seem to be their fragile point, I use my newly elongated fangs to pierce his flesh. He screams as I latch on to the tendons and pull back. The sounds are sickening and wet, but it’s necessary. His blood, like that of Eddie, gushes out in an arced spray, hitting the earth beside me with a splat. His body collapses and I shove him away.
“Zoe!” I roar. “Zoe!”
I search the wreckage but come up empty. Each body I find belongs to a Kevin. Perhaps she managed to escape. I rush back toward the clearing. I’m stopped when a ship hovers in front of me, weapons aimed right at me.
But, rather than shooting me, it lands. Then, the engines cease making noise. I choke on the dust and squint to see Julie behind the glass. No rekking way!
She waves at me, but my primary concern is Zoe. I begin searching for her when I hear her sweet voice.
"Avrell!”
From beyond the ship, she runs my way. A relieved growl rumbles from me as I charge for my female. The distance isn’t far and as soon as she reaches me, she pounces. I snag her small body into my arms, hugging her to me. Her body trembles as she sobs, squeezing my neck and wrapping her legs around my waist.
“I thought you were dead,” she cries. “I was so scared.
“Still here, mate. Still here with you.”
“Your mask,” she croaks out when she pulls away to look at me. “Oh no. You’ve been exposed.”
“It’s going to be okay,” I assure her. “The other mort-like men we saw didn’t have masks. There has to be a reason why they could survive. This is the least of our concerns.”
She rips her mask off before I can stop her. “If you die, I die.”
I’m annoyed, but then her lips are on mine, kissing me like this is our last solar alive. The Kevin’s blood can be tasted in our kiss, but neither of us cares as we consume the other.
“How did you escape?” I ask, pressing my forehead to hers.
“Julie must have stolen one of the ships. As soon as I saw the ship shooting at the men, I hid in a crevasse to avoid getting shot. Then, I ran past them and out into the opening looking for you. The dust was everywhere. We must have crossed paths and didn’t even realize it.”