by Shae Mills
"That's why I want the extra men. We may find ourselves fighting up to three generations or more of our own stock."
Dar put his drink down and rubbed his hands through his hair. "Do you want me to accompany you?"
"No," came Korba's terse response. "Your presence here will prove invaluable should we fail."
Dar looked up into Korba's worn face. He had never seen his friend this way before. Dar saw what he considered to be excessive fatigue, a poor way to enter a formidable battle. Suddenly, he was stricken with pangs of guilt, and he jumped from his chair. Uncontrollably, his burdened mind began running through all the pleasures he had recently experienced with Chelan, a woman who should have been here with Korba and not with him. Dar felt as though he had robbed Korba of his last—
Dar shook his head, shocked at the line of thought he was pursuing. But his mind persisted. He felt as though he had robbed Korba of his last sexual pleasures, his last chance to experience love before entering what was going to prove to be a fatal battle. Dar had seen the toll the whole ordeal was taking on his friend, and Dar knew that Korba had borne more than his share of this mission's burden in order to rid his mind and heart of Chelan. He shuddered.
Korba watched Dar's back, and recognizing agitation he perceived that it could be the result of more than the revelation about the mission. Normally, Korba would have left Dar alone. But recently, Korba had felt that he was about to confront the reality of his own mortality. That realization propelled him forward into a realm he knew would more than likely only add to his mounting dread. He looked down at his drink. "How is she?" he asked quietly.
Dar felt his throat constrict. "She's fine," he answered as benignly as he could.
Korba tipped back the remains of his drink and then stood. He walked out of the Command Center and into the workout area. Dar turned and followed his friend. He found Korba squatting by the icy pool, his hand aimlessly creating a small succession of ripples. Dar sat down next to him, and both men were silent for a long time.
Dar spoke softly. "She asks about you often. She loves you deeply, my friend."
Korba's hand ceased its motion temporarily, and his eyes registered a fleeting glint of happiness. Then he resumed his futile motion, his gaze once again growing clouded.
"Would you like to see her?"
Korba stood and shook his head slowly. "No, it is best that I do not. I need to stay focused."
Dar rose beside his friend. He searched for ways to help ease the ache he knew gnawed so deeply in Korba's soul, but he came up painfully empty. After a few moments of silence, Dar tapped Korba's shoulder lightly. "I'll have those men ready for you by the end of the week."
Korba simply nodded, and Dar turned and walked slowly toward the Command Center. Just as Dar reached the entrance, Korba spoke, his voice solemn. "Take good care of her for me, Dar."
Dar hesitated. "I will," he said with conviction as he nodded to his friend. He lingered a moment longer. "I will," he repeated quietly, and he turned and left Korba's Command Center.
* * *
Dar exploded through the security entrance of his workout area on board RIBUS 8 and slammed back against the closed door, his chest heaving. All of a sudden, he wanted Korba to have Chelan in the worst way, yet, smothered by his own anxiety, he too wanted her desperately.
He squeezed his eyes against his raging emotions. Part of the problem was sleep. He badly needed sleep. Yet he needed to get the men ready. No, sleep came first.
Dar pushed himself away from the door, tearing his flight gear and shroud from his body as he traversed the workout area in a flurry of black. Entering the silent Command Center, Dar looked up into the darkness of his chambers. With measured steps, he ascended the stairs, his catlike eyes adjusting instantly to the inky darkness. Even before he reached the sleeping platform, he could hear Chelan's quiet respirations and smell her sweet scent.
He crept silently to the side of the bed and looked down at her. A thin white sheet gracefully draped her soft curves like a beautiful tapestry, her bare arms clutching the silken fabric to her breasts. Her long, golden brown hair coated the pillow like the elegant strokes of an artist's brush.
Dar did not hesitate. He removed his weapons and his uniform, and carefully slid in behind her. She stirred lightly at his motion and instinctively turned toward his warmth. He nestled down next to her, feeling her fine breath against his sensitive skin. Then he reached for her, pulling her longingly into him. She moaned softly as he pressed her warm, sensual flesh into his, his hands caressing every inch of her satiny smooth skin. She stirred again weakly and raised her hand to his chest, her fingers resting softly against his skin like whispers in the wind. He kissed her forehead tenderly and closed his eyes.
Chelan nuzzled into the warmth and security beside her. She wrapped herself about him like a precious gift and kissed his chest tenderly. His gorgeous male scent permeated her thoughts as she slipped back into quiet slumber.
Dar inhaled deeply, his powerful arms surrounding her tightly. Soon, the internal storm within him tamed, and he, too, receded into serene oblivion, relieved beyond words that the beautiful alien woman was by his side.
Chapter 26
It had been two weeks since Chelan had last seen Dar, and she hadn't remembered that he had shared her bed just a week ago. He had come and left like a fleeting shadow of darkness. Even though she missed the Warlord dearly, Fremma's effervescent company was always a welcome addition to her day.
But this day was not going well. Chelan awoke slowly from a restless night's sleep. She lay quietly on her side with her knees drawn up tightly to her chest. She was cramping badly this time, and she wondered how she was going to avoid Fremma until the incapacitating pain left her. All she wanted to do was spend the whole day alone in a warm shower in an attempt to wash away the inconveniences imposed on her by her female body.
Chelan closed her eyes and tried to keep her mind occupied. She attempted to focus on what she had studied the day before, but the spasms of pain shot through her pelvis and back, fingers of it radiating down her thighs. Her eyes watered. Suddenly, she was aware of movement near the stairway. She closed her eyes again. "Oh god, Fremma, not today. Go away," she mumbled to herself. She took several deep breaths and let her knees down. Panic seized her at the thought of him knowing of her menses. In an effort to conceal her discomfort, she painted a small smile on her lips and clutched the blanket to her chest. But she did not have to fake her happiness long as she looked up into hot, glowing eyes. "Dar," she breathed.
He sat down beside her. "Good morning," came his soft, deep voice. "How are you?"
"Fine," she replied shyly as she pressed back onto the pillows. Another cramp rocked her, but she bravely ignored it.
Dar reached toward her with one hand and smoothed her rumpled hair. "You did not sleep well," he commented with concern.
"How can you tell?" she asked warily.
His hand left her hair and traced a line under her eye. Chelan looked down. "It's that obvious, hey?"
Dar continued to smile at her in silence. Chelan glanced back at him. "I don't think you've slept in a while, either," she commented quietly.
"No, not for a while," he admitted. His body warmed at the thought of their night together earlier in the week, but he did not want her to be disappointed that he had not woken her, and so he kept it to himself. He continued to study her and was becoming troubled with the rigidity with which she held herself. Then he smiled slyly. "I could use a shower right now. Care to join me?"
"No, thank you," she replied a bit too quickly.
Dar moved up the bed closer to her. Slowly, he leaned into her, touching her lips tenderly with his. Then he nuzzled her neck, but her response was tepid. Dar smiled to himself. He had detected the change in her body scent before he had even reached the bed, and his suspicion was confirmed by her aloofness. He straightened and looked deeply into her eyes. "Oh, Chelan," he breathed, "why didn't you tell me?"
Chelan f
roze. "Tell you what?"
"You do not have to suffer in silence. I know that you are bleeding."
"Oh god," she muttered in embarrassment. She sank deeper into the bed and turned away from him.
But Dar was not going to let her wallow in her shyness. "Are you cramping?" he asked firmly.
Chelan simply clutched the blankets tighter and nodded.
Dar placed his hand on her shoulder, holding her firmly as he removed the coverings from her back.
"No!" she protested.
"Shhh," he soothed, and he began to massage her lower back.
Chelan moaned and closed her eyes as his expert hands relieved her back pain immediately. He continued for a long time, and she breathed easy for the first time in hours.
"Is this your first time since you've been with us?" he asked.
Chelan's eyes opened wide. "First time?" she repeated. She turned her head and strained to look at him.
Dar hesitated. He moved more directly into her line of sight, his confusion apparent. "Yes?" he whispered.
"No," replied Chelan. "This is my seventh... or maybe eighth... or, I don't know. I've lost track."
Dar raised his brows in disbelief. Chelan nodded. "That's how I know roughly how long I have been here. I cycle every twenty-eight Earth days, give or take, except I missed one when I was first brought here, I think. Why? How often do your women cycle?"
Dar shook himself from his stupor. His hand began to work on her back once again. "Once a year," he said quietly. "Once an Iceanean year."
"Some people have all the luck," she commented dryly. "No wonder you said that pregnancies with your people were so carefully planned. We have to carefully plan to avoid such an occurrence."
Dar watched as her respiration increased, and he knew that she had been taken by another cramp. "Why didn't you tell Fremma or me?"
She rolled her eyes. "It's my problem. It's a female problem."
Dar sighed. "Our men become as intimately familiar with our women's bodies as we are with our own. Your cycles are not an embarrassment, Chelan. And there is no reason to suffer through unnecessary pain." Dar rose. "Lie still, and I will be right back."
Dar left quickly, and about ten minutes later, he returned. He sat down on the bed and presented her with a white capsule and a glass of water. "Here, take this."
Chelan hesitated only momentarily and then trustingly obeyed. Dar watched her carefully, and almost immediately, her face began to lighten. He smiled at her. "There now, that was a nerve inhibitor. It acts by numbing the pelvic area."
Chelan smiled back, her pain receding rapidly.
"Now, take this." And he presented her with another capsule.
Chelan took it and swallowed it. "What was that?"
"I'll explain in a minute," he said as he stood. "And I'll have no arguments," he added gruffly. And with that, he scooped her from the bed, her sheet tangled tightly about her.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
He grabbed her gown in passing and started out of his quarters. "I'm ridding you of your problem," he informed as he carried her into the workout area.
Chelan closed her eyes and hugged into him, deciding to accept her fate. Besides, it appeared she had no choice. Once in the shower room, he set her down on her feet. He touched some controls along the side of the tub containing the strange, illusive fluid she had encountered so long ago. The diaphanous liquid began to swirl soundlessly, seeming to disappear downward, yet the level never varied. Chelan peered in, trying to locate a source for the replenishment, but like the shower, the liquid seemed to materialize out of nowhere.
Dar grinned at her and her insatiable curiosity. "The spa is a treatment we use for recovery when we are sore or wounded. The medium is an engineered fluid infused with minerals and medications that both soothe and promote healing."
Chelan was still mesmerized by the swirling medium that had now taken on a more viscous look, as if morphing into a light oil before her very eyes.
Dar just shook his head with amusement. He finally cleared his throat to get her attention. Chelan's head popped up, and Dar continued. "That last drug was a powerful muscle contractor combined with a hormone. It will cause your uterus to form and shed all its lining at once and then force it to go through a series of approximately five or six hard contractions, expelling its contents. You won't notice it because of the other drug. I'll stay close by with you, and if you feel ill, or faint, or experience any pain, I want you to tell me. Okay?"
His tone was authoritative, and Chelan nodded emphatically.
He took her face in his hands and kissed her gently, yet passionately. Then he took a step back. "Now, I'm going to shower while you relax in the spa. The medication takes about twenty minutes to work." His voice became stern. "You will call me if there is a problem, right?"
Chelan smiled at him. "I will," she assured.
Dar frowned at her. "You had better. If you try any endurance stunts or try to work through any complications, once you have recovered I will tan your pretty round butt."
Chelan blushed. "I understand fully."
He grunted at her and then backed away toward the shower. Finally he turned from her and began to undress.
Chelan unwrapped herself from the sheet and quickly stepped into the fluid. Gathering her hair, she lowered herself slowly. She watched as the peculiar medium wrapped itself about her, gravitating to her, caressing her. But she was still wary, actually more worried about the effects of the liquid than that of the pills. Finally satisfied that her skin was not going to dissolve, she lay her head back on the edge of the tub and let her hair cascade to the floor. She closed her eyes. The day was looking up after all, and if she ever returned to Earth, she was bringing a truckload of those pills with her.
In a very short time she heard Dar step from the shower, and she glanced at him as he began donning fresh uniform pants. "That was a pretty short shower. Surely you desired longer."
Dar smiled. "You've ruined them for me. They're not the same without you," he informed salaciously. Then he became serious again. "Now, how do you feel?"
"Fine. Perfectly normal, in fact."
"Good," he replied, visibly relieved. He sat down near the shower and withdrew one of his knives, studying the blade.
"You didn't have to rush because of me."
"I didn't want to be lazing around while the drug was working. Your physiology is not identical to ours, and neither Stose nor I can predict the effects the drugs may have on you."
Chelan remained silent as she watched him begin to hone the blade. Then she looked down into the liquid, but she could neither feel nor see anything amiss. It was amazing.
Finally she relaxed once again and closed her eyes, the warm soothing liquid practically lulling her to sleep. When next she looked about her, she was startled to find Dar sitting on the floor beside her, his folded arms resting on the side of the tub. He stared lovingly into her bright brown eyes.
Chelan smirked at him. "How the heck did you get from there to here without me hearing you?"
He grinned and then shrugged innocently. Chelan stared back at him for a long time and then placed her hands on his bronze arms. Leaning forward, she kissed him gently. "Thank you," she said softly.
Dar's action was unexpected, immediate, and swift. He sprang to his feet, reached down for her waist, and snatched her from the fluid, setting her in front of him. Defensively, she covered her breasts in response to his abrupt actions.
Dar held her around the waist firmly. He stared down at her, unspeaking. His respiration increased as he feasted his eyes upon her. Slowly, he looked down to her folded arms. Gently, he pulled them away from her, exposing her firm erect nipples to him. He slid his arms around her and watched as her full breasts pressed into his sensitive skin, her sensual softness spreading over him.
Dar's gaze then returned to hers, but his heart was unexpectedly heavy. He knew that today was the day he had dreaded, the day he would take her with him to RIBUS 7. She
had not become his completely, and now he had run out of time. The unforeseen change in battle plans had robbed him of his moments with her, and he knew that once she stepped into Korba's domain, what portions of her loyalty and fidelity to Korba he had won would be ripped from him.
He stared at her longingly, and she reached up to him with her lips and began consuming him. Dar reciprocated immediately, for he could not resist her sweet kisses. But what he had not anticipated were her hands. They passed over his slim hips and drew together at his groin. Dar raised his head and moaned as her fingers began to manipulate him, gently kneading him.
Dar's loins burned, and he struggled desperately to contain his feverish desire. He was thankful for the tiny amount of protection afforded him by his uniform, for he now knew that her direct touch would have sent him beyond reason. This revelation disturbed him. Only now did he realize how vulnerable he was to her. What he had always believed to be his superb physical mastery over his sexual urges and prowess was now measured only in degrees of relativity.
Dar hardened to her seductive caresses and shuddered as her lips traced enticingly over his chest. A tremor rippled through his taut body as he grasped how close he was to taking her, aggressively if necessary, a thought he never dreamed would ever cut through his disciplined mind. Maybe it is the exhaustion brought on by the mission that is tampering with my control, he thought.
Dar closed his eyes, determined to win the battle over his rampant desire, while equally determined to allow her to continue. Then, without warning, Chelan dropped to her knees in front of him. She traced his abdominal muscles with her tongue as her fingers effortlessly began to release all his male fullness from his uniform.
Dar was unexpectedly rough as he grabbed her arms and wrenched her up and saw her face suddenly stricken. His eyes burned into her. "You tempt fate, Chelan," he hissed. He gritted his teeth. "I will have you if you continue."
Chelan understood, and her facial expression eased slightly. "I want to learn how to please you, Dar. I want to make you come," she whispered.