by Elin Wyn
“I know,” I cut her short, then pushed my hips up and forced her to roll to her back. I followed her and she reacted fast, lacing her legs around my waist and trapping me in place. I thrust hard and fast, driving my entire length inside her drenched pussy, then I just let it happen.
I could feel her fingernails clawing at my back, hard enough to leave marks, but I didn’t care. All that mattered was the way her pussy became tighter and tighter around my hardness, her whole body shaking and twitching as she neared oblivion.
“Oh, Sa’lok,” she breathed out, arching her back. “I’m gonna come.”
And she did.
She moaned hard, her legs tightening around my waist as she urged me to keep on thrusting, and I was more than happy to oblige.
I ravaged her until my body and mind were beyond ready, every single nerve ending turning into fireworks, then I just gritted my teeth and let fire and thunder explode up my spine.
“Yes, yes,” she whispered against my ear as I gave her all I had, my warm seed filling her up. We didn’t move for a long time. I kept my forehead pressed against hers and looked into her eyes. “This was amazing, Sa'lok.”
“No,” I smiled. “It was so much more than that.”
By the time night came, the shadows growing long around the room, we were already fast asleep, our bodies in a tight embrace.
And even in my dreams, I knew the simple joy of it.
Sleeping by my mate.
Teisha
“G’morning,” Sa'lok whispered as he pushed a stray lock of hair away from my face. I had one arm draped over him and my head was resting on his chest. When I opened my eyes, I found him looking down at me, a smile on his lips.
“Good morning,” I repeated, narrowing my eyes as they adjusted to the light. Sunlight was filtering through the curtains, bathing the entire room in bright yellow tones.
From outside the room came the sound of hurried voices and distant laughter, a hallmark of the floor where officers like Sa'lok had their quarters. “What time is it?”
“It’s almost noon,” he replied, gently leaning in to brush his lips against mine. “You slept through the entire morning. I didn’t want to wake you.”
“Oh, God,” I groaned, pushing myself off the mattress and sitting up. “I needed a night like that. You were right. I was dead tired.”
Smiling, I cupped his face with one hand and returned his kiss. More than just needing a good night’s sleep, I had needed the rest of it.
“See? I told you.”
“Yes, you did,” I laughed, kicking the sheets back and jumping out of the bed. I picked up my clothes from the floor, but I took my time as I did it, fully knowing that Sa'lok’s eyes were on me.
For a moment, I considered getting back into bed with him, but as much as I hated to admit it, there was something more important we needed to be doing.
“What do you say? Are we ready to hit the mountains now?”
“If you say you’re ready, then I’m ready,” he announced, and less than ten minutes later we were making our way toward the hangar.
On the way there, we swung by the lab and told Mariella and Maki to get ready. The two of them were already back at work, but the exhaustion I had seen on their faces last night was now gone.
“I’ll be ready in thirty,” Mariella chirped, hurrying out of the lab. Maki, though, didn’t move. She remained standing next to her desk, her posture rigid. Her lips were a thin straight line, and she was pale.
“Is there anything wrong?” I asked her, but Sa'lok laid one hand on my shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze.
“You can stay here, if you prefer,” he told her. “You’ll have a consultant role on this op. Tu’ver’s dying to get out of the building and do something for a change, so I might hit him up. Does that work?”
“Yes,” Maki breathed out, relief washing over her face. “That’d be perfect.”
As we made our way out of the lab, I threw Sa'lok a questioning glance. “What was all that about?” I asked him, not sure where Maki’s hesitation had been coming from. It wasn’t like we were going to war. We’d just be doing some light exploration.
“She’s still reeling from what happened on the dig site she was working on,” Sa'lok said. “The Gorgos attacked, they were forced into the tunnels...it was rough. Evie sent a message that Maki might need some time before she’s ready to go back in the field.”
“Fair enough,” I nodded. Mariella would be overjoyed—Maki would be staying behind, sure, but Tu’ver would be taking her place.
The two of them were one of the first human-alien relationships that had arisen after the Vengeance’s crash landing, and they were going as strong as ever.
Or so the rumors said. I didn’t put much stock in rumors, but the way her eyes lit up whenever we mentioned Tu’ver...yeah, Mariella was in love.
And what did that mean for me?
For us?
I… didn’t know.
And now probably wasn’t the time to think about it.
By the time we got to the hangar, my hovercraft had already been placed on one of the launch pads. “What the hell’s that?” I cried out, hurrying toward it so I could see the fuselage up close. Someone had painted it, and the few dents in there had also been ironed out.
“I put in a work order a couple of days ago,” Sa'lok smiled. “Looks good, doesn’t it?”
“It looks great.” I turned around to meet his gaze and returned his smile.
I wanted to go on tiptoes and kiss him right there in the middle of the hangar, but I restrained that urge.
Last night had been amazing, no doubt about it, but that didn’t mean Sa'lok and I were an item.
Did it?
It was far too soon for any of that, and I sure as hell didn’t want to pressure him.
Clearing my throat, I looked away from him just in time to see Mariella and Tu’ver stepping out of an elevator.
Mariella was wearing cargo pants and a light jacket over her blouse, her boots polished to a shine. As for Tu’ver, he was wearing his tactical uniform, his vest loaded with ammo and grenades.
He looked like he was ready for war, not archeological research.
“What?” he frowned, noticing the way Sa'lok and I were staring at him. “It pays to be prepared. And after what happened at the last dig site, I can guarantee you I won’t let the Gorgos catch me unprepared.”
“If we’re lucky, we won’t come across any of those assholes,” Sa'lok laughed, clasping the other K’ver’s forearm.
Even though Sa'lok was an engineer by trade, most of his missions having to do with paperwork, he was still at ease among those whose sole purpose was to eliminate the enemy. That didn’t surprise me.
I had seen Sa'lok in action, and as far as I was concerned, he was as good as any of the strike team leaders.
“Don’t worry,” Tu’ver said. “I’ll cover your ass in case they show up. No need to be scared.”
“Scared? I’m not the one who showed up carrying half the armory.”
“If you’re done fooling around, boys, I think it’s time for us to go,” I interrupted them, popping one of the doors open and stepping inside.
Mariella walked in after me, and I pointed her at one of the seats in the back. Tu’ver climbed in, and the two of them settled into the seats in the vacant cargo hold. “You’ll be my second,” I told Sa’lok as I took my seat at the controls.
The moment I placed my hands on the yoke, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The last few days had been a refreshing change of pace, but nothing came close to this feeling of absolute control.
Smiling, I looked down at my dashboard and, once I was sure we were flight-ready, I started revving up the engines.
“We’ve been granted permission for takeoff,” Sa'lok said, shouting over the mighty roar of the engines as they warmed up.
The moment I heard his words, I let some more power fly into the engines, and the hovercraft pushed itself off the pad.
&nb
sp; Seconds later, we were cutting a straight line through Nyheim’s air traffic, going up into the heights where only government aircraft had permission to go.
“We’ll be there in the blink of an eye,” I told everyone over the radio system, and then gave them a little taste of what I could do.
Diverting all the energy and fuel I could spare toward the engines, I turned the hovercraft into a fast-moving bullet that cut across Nyheim’s blue skies.
In the distance, the jagged peaks of the mountains greeted us, wisps of clouds slowly drifting over them.
It took us close to four hours to reach the other end of the mountain range—where the intersection point was—and I started my descent once we were just a few miles from the coordinates we had.
They’d pointed toward a spot at the base of a mountain, and that’s where I took us.
“What the hell’s that?” I heard Mariella ask over the radio once we were close enough to see our goal clearly.
None of us had an answer. Even though nobody had really known what we’d find, I was pretty damn sure that what we were looking at hadn’t been considered as an option by anyone.
Instead of the ruins we’d been expecting, or a desolate area we’d have to excavate as we had the site in the jungle, we were looking down at a massive encampment, clusters of tents merging together to make almost a city of their own.
Hundreds of tents were strewn around the base of the mountain, the barren landscape dotted with all kinds of colors.
Even from a distance, I could see people milling around down there.
Against all odds, we weren’t the first ones here.
Someone had beaten us to the punch.
Sa'lok
“Please, be careful,” I grumbled as Teisha lowered her hovercraft far too close to the jutting rocks for my comfort.
“Don’t be such a baby.” I didn’t have to look at her to know she was rolling her eyes. “This isn’t the first time I’ve done this.”
“Just make sure to pick a place that’s inaccessible on foot,” I warned her.
“You’re worried about those camps?” she asked.
“I know there’s no way they didn’t notice us,” I said. “A low flying hovercraft tends to attract attention.”
“Which is why I’m looking for ledges someone can’t climb alone,” she said. “However, I think it’s bold of you to assume people who set up camp at the base of a mountain don’t have mountain climbing equipment.”
I hadn’t considered that.
Teisha expertly drifted her hovercraft around the mountain so that our landing place, should we be lucky enough to find one, was out of the camp’s sight.
“That could work,” Mariella pointed to an outcropping.
“Look at the mountain beneath it,” Teisha said. “See how it looks crumbly? That’s because it is.”
“I’ve had enough crumbling mountain sides to last me a lifetime,” Tu’ver muttered.
I wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but I didn’t miss the smirk that appeared in the corners of Mariella’s mouth.
“We could try lower on the mountain,” I suggested. “It won’t be as dangerous if we’re not in sight of the camp.”
“Good idea,” Teisha nodded after some consideration. “Something is off about this mountain. I just can’t put my finger on it. I’ll feel better knowing we’re closer to the ground.”
“Never thought I’d hear those words come out of your mouth,” I chuckled.
“Me, either,” she agreed.
If I had to guess, I’d say we were on the exact opposite side of the mountain as the camps. Teisha finally found a rocky outcropping she was satisfied with.
It was flat enough, sturdy enough to support the weight of the hovercraft, and roughly one third up the side of the mountain.
We disembarked carefully in case the outcropping wasn’t as sturdy as it looked from the air.
“We need to do recon on the camp,” Tu’ver said. “No human settlements are supposed to be out here.”
“Is there a law against it?” Teisha asked. “I don’t want to creep around treating ordinary people like criminals.”
“That’s foolishly optimistic of you,” I warned her. “Remember the world we’re living in now. We have to assume a group of humans purposefully separating themselves from society in secret are up to something unsavory.”
“I know you’re right,” she sighed. “Just let me pretend the world isn’t as horrible as it is for a moment, okay?”
“Okay,” I nodded. “You go ahead and spin your fantasies while I prep the climbing equipment.”
“Deal.”
I made my way to the storage compartment under the hovercraft and pulled out crates of rope, grappling hooks, attachable cleats, and anything else we might need.
Tu’ver appeared beside me.
“Why do you do that?” he asked.
“Do what?”
“Indulge her delusion,” he said.
“She’s not deluded,” I replied. “She knows full well why we have to check out the camps. I just don’t like completely crushing the optimism out of her. Not too many people have it anymore.”
“Optimism doesn’t serve people in times like these,” Tu’ver said solemnly.
“I disagree. I think it helps the humans cling to their humanity,” I replied.
“As long as she doesn’t get in the way,” he replied.
“That’s a fine way to talk about the woman who just flew us here. Mariella would be disappointed in you.”
That seemed to shut him up.
“You’re right,” he nodded. “It’s difficult knowing we’ve likely found another host farm.”
“Is that what we’re calling them now?”
“Can you think of a better name for a place set up by the Gorgos to collect human host bodies?” he asked.
“No, but that doesn’t mean I like calling it a host farm.”
“None of us do,” he replied.
“We can tie off the ropes here,” Teisha called suddenly.
Tu’ver and I turned our attention to her. She stood by a thick outcrop of stone fused into the side of the mountain.
“Told you she’s not deluded,” I murmured to Tu’ver.
“She could still be deluded,” he muttered back. “But at least she’s helpful.”
“I’m going to tell Mariella you think a sunny outlook is delusional,” I taunted.
“You don’t have to,” Mariella’s voice came from behind me. “I’ve been standing over here the whole time.”
She pointed to an area concealed behind the body of the hovercraft.
“Good,” I grinned. “Please tell your mate that there’s nothing wrong with looking on the bright side.”
Mariella barked out a laugh.
“Don’t you think I’ve been trying that since I met him?” she grinned. “He’s a right old stick in the mud, but I love him anyway.”
“Thank you, darling,” Tu’ver smiled. “I love you, too, despite your deliriously happy outlook on life.”
“So long as it keeps me sane,” she shrugged.
I couldn’t help but feel a small pang of jealousy for what Tu’ver and Mariella had.
If their characteristics and attributes were written out side by side, they wouldn’t appear to be compatible.
Yet here they were. It must be nice to have that kind of unconditional love, the kind found only in a mate.
For a moment as I’d drifted off to sleep last night, I’d felt something like it.
Or maybe I was the delusional one.
I shook the thoughts away. I had a job to do and I needed to focus on it.
I brought the ropes to Teisha and she secured them around the rock.
“Can you tighten them?” she asked. “I think they’re probably tight enough, but I’d feel much better knowing those burly arms of yours gave the ends a tug.”
I pulled on the ropes until the knots were so tightly wound together, I knew we’d have to
cut the ropes loose if we ever wanted to use them again.
Teisha looked everything over once more and nodded with satisfaction.
Harnesses and hooks were distributed. Soon, all four of us were over the edge of the outcropping, skirting around the side of the mountain to overlook the camp.
We didn’t speak to each other during the climb.
As we neared the camp, we moved with more caution. If anyone in the camp spotted us, we wouldn’t be able to escape easily.
“Look over there,” Mariella whisper-shouted. She jerked her chin in the direction of the camp. I turned to see what she was looking at. She’d spotted a cluster of rocks, each bigger than I was, that would make a good perch.
I reached out and tapped Teisha’s shoulder, indicating that she should make her way over to that spot. The others followed.
Soon, we were all concealed behind the boulders.
“Any signs of Gorgo infections?” I asked.
“Nothing,” Tu’ver answered. “Even with my vision at max, all of their eyes are clear. They’re moving and socializing normally.”
“Maybe we really did stumble upon an independent colony,” Teisha said wistfully.
“We should be so lucky,” Mariella sighed in agreement. “It’s so tiring stumbling upon threat after threat after threat.”
“I think I know who they are,” Tu’ver said, his tone dark.
“Who?” I demanded.
“I think we’ve found the new anti-alien headquarters,” Tu’ver muttered.
“For fuck’s sake,” Teisha muttered. “What are they doing out here? You don’t think it’s another attempt to start an alien-free civilization, do you?”
“I can’t say for sure,” Tu’ver replied. “But I can see they have weapons. General Rouhr needs to know about this. It looks like they’re planning something big. It can’t be a coincidence that they’re here.”
“Not after our last run-in with those weirdos,” Teisha muttered. “They’re too happy to deal with the Gorgos.”
“I’ll call it in,” I said.
Pulling back from the rocks, I hunkered over my comms unit. “That telepathic connection with the Puppet Master would have been useful about now,” I grumbled.