“Talia, come join me in the kitchen as I make food for all those hungry males.”
Talia followed her, speaking to the others as she passed by.
“Well, how was it?” Jana asked, as soon as the door closed.
“Amazing, I can’t believe how he made me feel! Tau is magnificent. You should see him.”
Jana laughed, “So what your saying is you want to share him with me?”
“No!” Talia screamed, before she caught the laughter in Jana’s eyes.
“Sorry, couldn’t help but tease you. I know what you mean though. Tarek is also magnificent.”
“It hurt at first.”
“I told you it would.”
“It didn’t last for long.”
“I told you that too.”
“I think I passed out afterwards.”
“Oh, it really was amazing…”
“Yeah. Tau said something I don’t understand.”
“I asked him about young.”
“Before or after?”
“During.”
“During, as in when he was inside?”
“No. He was only partially in.”
Jana laughed until she hit the floor. “Interesting timing you have there.”
“He asked me if I wanted to have young. I said yes, but I don’t want to carry them. He said that was no problem. He would carry them. What did he mean?”
Jana wasn’t laughing any more. “Long before I was born both male and females could carry the young. Who would be the carrier was a decision couples made together. When the Kriers came, they believed we were weak because many of the males carried the young. This made it impossible to fight. Eventually, the males stopped carrying the young. They now say they are incapable of it. No one pushes. By default, the females carry the young.”
“If they are incapable of it, why would Tau offer to carry the young?”
“He must believe he can carry them if he offered.”
“Talia, why didn’t you want to carry the young?”
“Jana, how will I fight? I enjoy playing with the young. Tau and I spend some time with them almost every day, but I can’t picture myself carrying one around in my body. I can picture myself taking down the Krier.”
“Let’s get this food out there before we have hungry males beating down the kitchen door.”
Talia shoved thoughts of Tau and him carrying their young to the background. She grabbed a few platters and followed Jana out the kitchen.
Chapter Eleven
The food had gone fast and the conversation was light. The men kept teasing Tau. It seems he may have been a little loud, especially at the end. Given the fact that they lived so far away from the center of the village, sound must really travel here. His cheeks were reddened, but he took all the good natured jokes with a laugh of his own.
Tau looked over at Talia and gave her a long wink, which caused the males at the table to act like young ones, causing her already red face to flush more. They moved into the living space as things turned more serious.
“We demolished the ship we captured and then shoved it under a mountainside to make sure any signal we didn’t catch would not be able to be sent.”
Talia’s expression sobered up fast as she listened to Zymar talk about the battle she had been a part of.
“My sentries around their base have been monitoring their communications and they have begun to miss the ship and crew. They are readying a bigger force to come and claim this part of the planet.”
“You fooled them once, Zymar. Do you really think they will fall for that again?”
“No, Tau. I think we are going to have to go to the next step, but we all knew this was coming, all of us except Talia.”
Tau sat up and leaned over until he was looking Zymar directly in the eyes. “Which step are you talking about?”
The two males held the stare until Talia’s voice broke in. “Does this step involve me?”
Talia understood Tau could not be considered passive or tame on his mildest day, but his level of pure aggression went up several notches if she was involved.
Zymar broke the stare first to look at Talia. “There is a possibility, nothing is final, and we will all have to plot this out carefully.”
“Why do I believe you have already plotted the best course to victory, Zymar and you are simply waiting for the rest of us to fall in line with it?”
“Probably because the best strategist in the room is currently plotting to kill me, but I know if he agrees, the chances of a victory in our favor will increase. If you can come up with something different, let me know.”
Tau got up and left the room. His heart had started to beast fast, and his hands were clammy as a strange sensation walked his spine.
Talia rose to follow him.
“He will be fine. Talia. He knows I am right.”
“He will be better if I am there.” She walked out of the room, throwing a quick smile at Tarek and Jana while avoiding Zymar.
“Tau.” He was standing in the back of the dwelling, out of sight of anyone on the main street.
“He wants to use you again, Lia. We won the skirmish, but not before your resistance was broadcast back to the Krier base. They want you. Every one of them have pictures of glory if their heads if they are the one to capture you.”
“You didn’t hear Zymar out. Maybe he has a different plan.”
“Lia.”
She held up her hands. “I know you’re right Tau, but we have to stop them.”
“You don’t understand, Lia. You’re not just bait. In order to bring a significant blow to them, they have to capture you.”
“Giving them a direct link to you.”
“I am not the issue here Lia. You are.”
“Wrong, Tau. I will not have you hurt.”
“Lia.”
“No. Tau, do you think I didn’t realize you don’t wear a dampener in your ears? You’re immune to the sound. How else did you manage to save me the first day? If I were not here, you would have been the one they used. You call me warrior, when you embody the word. Zymar does not want you going back in that situation. He doesn’t want them to get their hands on you. You’re too valuable to risk in the fight. That’s why they keep you restrained. I will not have you hurt. I will not risk you. Do you understand?” Talia was standing toe to toe with him now glaring into his eyes.
Tau reached out and pulled her closer, licking her lips until they opened. He plunged his tongue in, ravaging her mouth, making her cry out with little sounds of desire.
Taking a calming breath, he moved back. “Yes, little warrior.”
Talia found the word little funny and began to laugh. “Tau, I’m massive.”
“Think what you want, Lia. Shall we go back inside?”
She nodded her head and followed Tau back into the dwelling. She wished they could run away from their destiny, but she was sure it would find them no matter where they went.
No one said a word as they came in and took a seat. Zymar opened his mouth, but Tau gave him a warning look so they sat in silence for a while.
“When do you think they will come to invade?” Tau reluctantly asked.
“Right now they have plans to move in fourteen rotations. They believe we are lax after our victory and want to give us time to settle into that position.”
“Let me hear your plan.” Tau’s voice was soft and deadly. Zymar had better have it together.
Talia watched Tau’s face as Zymar spoke. His eyes moved rapidly like he could actually see the plan unfolding. Whenever Zymar said something Tau didn’t like he would hold up his hand and then point out several scenarios where the plan favored the Kriers. Then he would walk through it until he had found the best option, then motion for Zymar to continue.
Talia was in awe by the time the session had ended. She had never seen anything like it before. She now understood why Zymar was loath to risk Tau. It was almost certain victory sat in the hands of the race Tau was aligned to. If
she was captured and could not get out, Tau would turn himself in to keep her safe. She shook her head hating the bad taste that accompanied the thoughts. She would succeed or die trying. She would not let him suffer for her.
“Lia.” His lips pressed against her ear as he whispered her name and brought her out of her thoughts. “I know that look. Remember. Without you I have no life.”
She nodded her head in agreement. They would win.
“Talia, we are going to study the proposed battle field.”
Her gaze looked at Tau before going to Zymar.
“Go little warrior.” She found herself laughing. He obviously liked calling her that.
Giving Tau a quick kiss, Talia rose and said goodbye to Tarek and Jana before following the others out the door. One by one they disappeared.
“Tau.”
“Tread carefully, Tarek.”
“Think I will clean up.” Jana rose and retrieved the plates still sitting on the table and headed towards the kitchen.
Tarek stood and walked to the back of his dwelling. Tau followed him. They entered a room few even knew existed. He treated his special patients here and Tau was a special patient.
“I can’t lose her, Tarek. She is a part of me. Even now I can feel her heart beat in my chest. If she were to die, I would know it. I would feel the connection sever. I couldn’t survive the separation. Is it like this with you and Jana?”
“When we bonded it was like Jana’s soul slipped into my body and mine into hers. I feel at times I even know what she is thinking. If she were in danger, I would know it. When she is happy, I feel it like an extra pleasure and when she is sad my heart feels it. I have never known another Mian to speak of their connection in this way.”
“Do you think it is something different that happens to us?”
“Everything is different with us and you know it.” Tarek gave Tau a long look, concern was etched in the darkening of his eyes and the rising of his brows. “Have a seat on the table and let me look at you.”
He sat on the table, but held up a hand to stop Tarek from coming closer. “There is something I should tell you first.”
Tau watched as Tarek’s eyes darkened further and his shoulders tensed. He was sure the other male would not like what he had to say.
“Talia brought up the issue of young?”
“Did you tell her?”
“No.” Tarek went to open his mouth, but Tau raised his hand again. It worked every time.
“Listen. She brought it up as I was about to… you know. There was no time for actual rational thinking, which I am sure was a good thing. I had spent hours thinking about it anyway; I knew she was my other half. When she said she wanted young, but did not want to carry them, I said the only thing possible.”
“You chose to carry the young. Why would you do that? What makes you think you can do that? What if you’re wrong? I have never seen a male conceive. It may just be a tale like the ancients are just a tale.”
“If I’m wrong, why are you breathing like you just ran from here to Zymar’s camp? Why are you staring at me with barely controlled rage? I’m not wrong and you know it. I know it – I am changing.”
“Lie down and don’t say another thing until I examine you and run you through the scanner.”
Tarek worked fast, allowing his fingers to check for any obvious changes in Tau’s body. After giving him several dark looks; he changed the settings on the scanner and slid him inside. This scanner was for the Mians who seemed to be lined with the ancient ones. He would be able to tell more about Tau on this one than the one he kept in the hospital.
After a serious of beeps, he brought Tau out and showed him the scans.
“I’m changing.”
“Major changes, but not extremely major. Your body will allow you to carry your young; to nurture it. I believe it will stay this way until you decide to stop having them or nature deems you too old to carry.”
“Is it just us who can carry or is it any Mian male?” Tau asked.
“From the looks of this scan, any Mian male can choose to carry.”
“So couples are suffering without young because the male refuses to carry?” Tau’s voice conveyed his anger with his people.
“They do not know they can carry.”
Tau’s face showed what he thought about that statement.
“Have you thought this through?”
“Yes. Once we were an abundant society with many young and much laughter. Then the Kriers came and derided the males for carrying young when it made no sense for the female to carry. We allowed the Kriers to interrupt our way of life. Now we have few young and many women fight because they are warriors and can’t carry the young. Our males frightened of being the first to break a tradition that is not ours, suffer in silence. I would do this for all I have said, but in the end that is not why. I do this for Talia. I am willing to do the one thing she can’t. Her body is incapable of carrying, but mine is not.”
“You always have to be different. Let’s hope the males here can accept the simple truth that they can carry.”
“As long as we keep the males safe, I don’t care what they can accept.”
***
Talia walked the perimeter of the field again. It was the perfect place to stage a battle, away from any populated areas. Nobody would wander here by mistake. She knew Zymar was waiting for her to say something, but her thoughts were back in Azure. She could feel Tau’s anger and was distressed. She wanted to call the plan off, but they were going to come and she was now the prize.
Pulling in her thoughts, she walked to Zymar. They needed to make some additional plans.
“I believe both you and Tau are right. This could work, but there are some additional concerns I have and we need to inform Tau.”
Zymar nodded his head and she went home.
Chapter Twelve
Talia walked into their dwelling. It had not been hard to feel Tau’s position in the village. She walked passed the living area until she reached his all-purpose room. He was in the middle of the floor, allowing his body to flow in a series of stretches the warriors preformed.
Sliding down against the wall she, watched as one stretch fluently moved into another. She was captivated by the play of muscles across his back; the smooth skin reflecting the light as he moved. His muscles tensed and relaxed as she imagined her hands moving over them, feeling them tense under her hands as she whispered words in his ear.
He left the stretches and assumed the first position in the fighting stance. Moving almost faster than her eyes could track, he kicked and punched at an invisible enemy. His form was flawless. When his leg kicked out, he showed off the mass of muscles in them, making her stomach tighten and a flood of liquid seep out. He was graceful and fluid and he was hers.
Talia rose to her feet and crossed to Tau, who was now standing in the middle of the room. She placed a kiss on his neck as her hands stoked the muscles in his back. He stood still as she explored him getting a chance to see what her hands had only felt the night before.
“You’re beautiful” she whispered and traced his shoulder blades with her tongue. She imagined the smile on his face as she heard soft sounds come out of his mouth.
He pulled her around to the front of him. “I can’t match you in beauty.”
Talia’s eyes lit up before she poked her lips out in a frown. “I wasn’t done back there.”
“I know.” He lowered his head for a kiss.
She loved the way his lips felt. They were so firm yet soft at the same time. She opened up to let his tongue slip in, plundering her mouth the way he had plundered her heart, leaving no room for any other but him.
“Come with me, little warrior.” He reached down to swing her up in his arms. Talia found herself laughing against his chest. She would concede she was little when compared to him.
Giving her a wicked smile, he dropped her in the middle of the bed, watching as she bounced up and down.
“You bounce so d
elightfully.”
She reached up and pulled him down on top of her. “You fall so delightfully.”
“Anytime, Lia. As long as you’re there to catch me. You always wear too many clothes.”
He lifted her shirt and began kissing her abdomen, placing small bites and licks there driving her crazy as he took his time working upwards. He revealed small increments of skin as he went, whispering how beautiful she was. Whenever she squirmed too much, he would bite just a bit harder to get her to settle down.
Talia thought she might lose her mind at the simple touches and caresses he was giving her. He was worshipping her body, stoking a fire that was already hot from seeing him work out. He finally came to her breast. Instead of touching the nipple, he used his nose to push it up so he could lick the crease underneath. She never knew she was sensitive there. A hiss left her mouth followed by a plea.
“What do you want, Lia? You need me to touch you?”
“Touch me, Tau.”
“I am, Lia.” He bit the underside of her breast making her body thrust off the bed.
“I need your hands on my breasts. Touch them. I need to feel your lips on them.”
“Like this?” He took one nipple in his hand pinching it, while he sucked the other into his mouth.
A loud keening sound of approval left her mouth as she clutched at his head. He sucked hard and then nipped the hard peak with his teeth.
“I love the way you make me feel,” she murmured wanting more.
Talia sat up and took her shirt off, then reached for him. She gave him a slight upturn of the lips and looked at him with slightly glazed eyes.
“My turn,” she said as she pushed him back. Flipping over she crawled over his body, settling her legs over his torso. She settled on his lap before leaning over to lick his hard abdomen.
“I don’t know what I did to deserve you.” She placed small love bites right at the edge of his pants and licked the skin, sucking it into her mouth. She listened as he started breathing through his mouth.
Tau's Miracle: Alien Destination: Scifi FantasyRomance Page 7