“Holy shit!” She exclaims as she bounces up and down over my cock. The combination of her warmth, her moans of pleasure, and her backside slapping against my waist is enough to send me reeling over the edge. “I’m going to cum!” She says breathlessly, and I keep pounding myself into her at full throttle until she screams my name. I can feel her contracting around me, which makes me lose all control over myself. I moan, fully spiraling into complete bliss as I fill her with warmth. I slow my thrusts, feeling myself pulsing inside of her until I release her.
I turn her around. We’re out of breath and drenched in sweat, but it was worth every second. I kiss her, long and slow, listening to her breath as I embrace her. This was easily thousands of times better than what we did during my application, and as we collapse on the floor in complete bliss, I look into her eyes and know she’s thinking the same thing.
“Cute tattoo,” I tell her as I pull her close to me.
“I hope you’re not offended by it,” she jokes.
“I’m going to put in a very angry complaint to the matchmaking facility over this,” I tell her. She laughs, and I expect her to say something about this whole mix-up. But I can tell in this moment that we’re both just glad that we have actually found each other, and anything else can wait for now. All we have to do is rest, feeling the warmth of each other’s skin as we drift off into a deep, peaceful sleep.
CHAPTER 9: A NEW PLAN
IZZY
I wake up next to my Avroxee. His breathing is slow and calm as he sleeps, his arms wrapped tightly around me to keep me safe. Last night was indescribable, and I wouldn’t mind waking him up so we can do it again.
We laid our clothes out to dry somewhere in the temple. It wasn’t exactly the most comfortable place to sleep, but sleeping next to Killuk made the night a little more bearable. My feet pad across the stone floors as I pull on my robes, finally dry from our swim. Soon we’ll have to get them wet all over again, unless we decide that we’re going to live on this island forever. I gaze at the ancient texts etched into the walls, fascinated that I’m actually here, on a completely different planet light years away from home.
I bet the Strange Sisters will have a fit once they hear about all of this. I have a funny fantasy all of a sudden, one that involves Killuk coming back with me somehow. I have no idea how I’ll be able to hide him on Earth, but if we could sail for the rest of our lives; maybe we wouldn’t have to worry about that.
I can hear Killuk calling for me, and I pull down his clothes to take to him. He smiles softly at me, and we exchange a look, both of us realizing what a crazy night we had last night. I smirk and he starts laughing.
“What is it?” He says, as I throw him his clothes.
“I just keep thinking about…your dick,” I tell him, trying not to laugh.
“What about it?” He says, suddenly serious.
“I’m just surprised, really,” I tell him. “It looks almost exactly like a human’s.”
“Wait! So you’ve seen a human penis in real life?” He asks, but by now I’m walking out of the temple, into the jungle surrounding it. I stare out at the ocean, looking at the village on the shoreline, in the distance. We would have to come up with something soon. As much as I love the idea of our own private island, we can’t survive here knowing that Zayin could be looking for us. And once they did find us, then what?
“What are you thinking?” Killuk asks me. I dress while standing on the sand, deep in all my confused feelings. We’re supposed to be together, but not like this.
“We can’t live the rest of our lives in fear, Killuk,” I say. “We need to think of another plan to get out of here.”
Killuk ponders for a moment. “Zayin and the others might be searching for us,” he says. “Maybe, we could trek to the next village, but we don’t have enough time to gather any supplies for the journey, and it’s dangerous to travel in the jungle unprepared.”
I think back to all the places I’ve been on Avrox so far. We could stay here, but it wouldn’t be long before a message was issued about the two of us escaping. I run my hand along Killuk’s head. There’s no way I’m leaving him and going home. We will have to escape this place together, and I can only think of one way to get off Avrox.
“The transport station,” I tell him.
He nods, already agreeing with my crazy plan. “We’ll catch whichever one is leaving,” he says. “Most of them drop off on one of the moons. That’s where most of the routes lead. Once we’re on the moon station, we can go wherever we want.”
Wherever we want? I wouldn’t even have to go back home. No more making coffee all day for annoying customers. No more lonely walks to the bus stop, or hiding out in my room, in my apartment, as my ex tries to harass me about whatever conspiracy he’s thinking of now.
“What are we waiting for?” I ask as I step over the rocks and into the roaring ocean. “Let’s get the hell off of Avrox.”
The walk back is terrifying, as we weave in between huts and clay buildings in the hope that Zayin and his cronies won’t find us. Even members from the facility are a threat, and they’re harder to scope out since they could be any of the alien species wandering around the village.
We press our backs against the wall of the docking station. I can hear a voice calling out departures and arrivals, over a loudspeaker. There’s one scheduled to leave for the moon base in just a few minutes. Killuk and I work out a plan to sneak aboard through the cargo area, since neither of us has a boarding pass. We watch as some Avroxee load several packages into the back of the ship. I can make out several faces inside, most of them female. They stare out of the windows, most likely upset that they’re going home after failing their trial week. I’m relieved that I won’t have to be one of them.
Killuk and I weave in between ships, until we reach the cargo area of ship number 12. We carefully watch as an Avroxee turns his back to grab a piece of luggage. Killuk gives me the signal to run into the cargo hold, and I make a mad dash until I’m safely hidden behind a stack of crates. I peek over the top, watching Killuk as he carefully calculates his next move. I can’t contain my excitement, knowing we’ll be off of this planet soon. I was so excited to see Avrox, but now that I have what I’ve been looking for, I think it’s time for me to head out and see what else this massive galaxy has to offer.
I nod at Killuk over the crate, and he realizes he has an opportunity. He jumps over several cases and slides into the cargo hold with me. I’m just about to celebrate, until I notice something is wrong. He’s struggling, holding onto the side of the crates, his face straining. I stand up, only to discover that there are several Avroxee holding onto Killuk’s leg. I grab his hands, desperately trying to pull him in with me, but it’s too late. He’s being dragged back out into the station. It’s not long until an Avroxee, one of Zayin’s henchmen, grabs me and pulls me out as well.
We look up to see Zayin himself standing there, next to Kate, both of them wearing smug grins.
“Thought you could take off before your trial runs out?” Kate asks.
I’m not having any of this crap. “I know the two of you have plotted something together,” I tell her. “I have proof of it. Ten thousand dollars seems like quite a hefty sum for ruining someone’s life. We’re going to report you and have your title revoked.”
“After all I’ve done for you, setting you up with your true mate, this is how you repay me?” Kate asks.
“Sorry, I’ve already found my mate without your help.” I say, gesturing to Killuk.
“I told you this wouldn’t work,” Zayin says, fuming with rage.
Kate’s expression changes as she adjusts her glasses. “Don’t worry,” she says. “There’s hope for us yet.”
She snaps her fingers. The henchmen fly towards us, grabbing our arms and dragging us outside the station. Killuk and I try to fight them, but their grip is too strong. “Just some defecting clients,” Kate says calmly to concerned passerby.
“Where are you takin
g us?” I demand as we’re taken further into the jungle; far off the path to the village. Kate exchanges a knowing glance with Zayin.
“There’s an ancient practice, Killuk,” he says. “I’m sure you’ve heard about it. Before mates were carefully selected on Avrox, we were given the chance to fight for them, instead.”
“What are you saying?” Killuk asks. We start to slow down, and I can hear the sounds of the ocean nearby. It’s not long until we get our answer, as we’re thrown in front of a giant stone structure, decorated similarly to the temple where Killuk and I stayed on the island.
I look over at Killuk, and his eyes tell me that this isn’t a temple. Zayin’s henchmen roll away a large rock from an entrance, and we’re dragged inside. A dark set of seemingly-endless stairs awaits us, echoing with sounds of dripping water and small creatures shuffling around. Our feet splash in deep puddles on our way down.
The stairs lead us to an enormous opening, and soon we find ourselves inside of a massive room. There are benches made of stone, rows of them surrounding a large area of undisturbed dust.
“Gods,” Killuk says under his breath, his skin almost white. “It’s an arena…”
CHAPTER 10: BY COMBAT
KILLUK
Izzy gives me a terrified look from the benches, as I stand in the center of the ancient arena with Zayin. This place must have been waiting here for centuries for people like us to disturb it. Apparently Zayin is the bloodthirsty type; an Avroxee that prefers the old traditions to the new. I can feel my knees shaking under me as Zayin circles around, watching me as if he were a hungry Wanchan.
“How are we doing this?” I ask. “No grease? No weapons?” Zayin nods his head as he removes his robes, revealing mountains of muscles rippling on his body. I’ve had my training, but I’ve never been prepared for anything like this.
“Only these weapons,” Zayin says as he holds up his meaty fists. Now I’m really shaking, but I don’t have time to be afraid. I look up at Izzy, determined to do whatever I can to keep her out of Zayin’s arms.
A gong sounds, and Zayin lunges for me before I have any time to react. He knocks me into the dirt in one swift movement that knocks the air from my lungs. I try to swing at him, but he holds my arm down as he continues to punch me in my ribs. I cry out in agony as I hear a sharp crack, and I know that he’s broken something.
He stands over me, and I take the opportunity to sweep my leg to knock him down. However, it’s hardly enough to make him stagger. He laughs as he grabs my neck in his hand, pulling me onto my feet so he can batter me again and again with his other fist. I can hear Izzy’s cries of horror as my vision blurs. I can’t let him win, but my strength is no match for his. I realize that no amount of training can save me here.
I muster every ounce of strength that I have left, and swing my fist into his temple. He drops me to my knees and I run as far as I can away from him, just to give myself some time to recover. He laughs, actually giving me a moment to rest, since he knows he’s about to win this fight.
But then, something stirs inside me. I remember the sounds we heard walking into this place. For somewhere so undisturbed, there was quite an amount of activity happening inside. I scan the arena, and hidden along the walls I find exactly what I’m looking for.
Holes. They’re large and so intricately designed that they almost blend in with the arena. Just under them, I can make out dark stains on the rocks, and I realize now that I still have a chance in this fight. If only I can communicate that to Isabel.
“The walls!” I call out to her. She looks confused, and for a moment I’m tortured by the fact that she can’t understand. I look around, noticing a gate behind me - a dark room just beyond it. That has to be what I think it is. Izzy keeps watching me, and I make a motion for her to jump. We only have one chance at this, and it’s all or nothing if she’s caught.
Izzy finally understands, and in a brief second she hurls herself over the walls, and sprints towards me.
“Stop her!” Kate shrieks from the stands, and soon Zayin’s friends are running after her. I grab Izzy by the arm and show her the gate. We only have seconds now as Zayin rushes towards me.
“Run,” I tell Izzy. “There’s a lever back there, pull it. It’s our only chance.” Izzy nods, kissing me on the cheek.
“I love you,” she says. Her words echo in my ears, and for a second I almost forget where I am.
“And I love you,” I tell her. “Now, run!”
She swoops to the side just as Zayin swings his fist towards me. I have to hold him off long enough. I dodge from side to side, avoiding each punch that he throws at me. I glance over at Izzy. She’s almost at the gate, but the others have almost caught up to her. Zayin grabs my arm, swinging me down onto the ground with a sickening thud. He bends down next to me, his hand clasped around my skull. Thankfully, I see Isabel slide gracefully in between the bars of the gate.
Zayin puts his mouth to my ear. “She’ll be mine,” he says menacingly. I muster a smile, despite my split lip.
“Only if you can swim,” I say. At that moment, a tremendous roar shakes the arena and water bursts from the walls, knocking Zayin away from me. Water fills my ears, mixing with the screams of Izzy, Kate, and the other Avroxee as we’re all swept and scattered across the arena.
It’s over my waist now, and still filling up the place. Zayin trudges through the water towards me, fury in his eyes. I dive down, swimming out of his way, and I feel a trail of bubbles behind me as his arm hits the water. I peek up at the surface, startled to notice that it’s over our heads now. Zayin is struggling, and his arms are flailing as he attempts to tread water.
I don’t have time for him anymore. I need to get Isabel. I dive again, swimming as fast as I can towards the gate. Izzy’s floated to the top, trying to get one last gasp of breath. I meet her underwater, helping her through the gate. We swim to the top, gasping for air. We clamber onto the stands as they fill up with saltwater, looking down at the chaos below. The other Avroxee are struggling, and it’s not long until they’re belly-up, their faces drained of color.
“Someone stop them!” Kate screams. We find her clinging on to the side of the walls of the stands, desperately trying to climb out of the arena, but then a jet of water sloshes over her, instantly drowning her cries. She doesn’t come back up.
“Let’s go,” I tell Izzy as we jump over the benches towards an opening near the top.
The last thing we see before shutting the gate is Zayin as he struggles to stay afloat. We stay just long enough to see him choking and sputtering, before his head goes under, then his arm, and then his fingers and he sinks deeper and deeper into the abyss.
Izzy holds me up as we trek through the jungle, soaking wet. My ribs are aching, and I feel myself growing weaker.
“We have to get to a facility,” I tell her. “We need to tell them what happened.”
Izzy shushes me, telling me we’ll get it figured out. She reaches into her robes, and is horrified when she pulls out shredded scraps of paper. “The notes,” she says somberly. “They’re ruined. There’s no way we can tell the facility now without proof.”
“There’s another way,” I say. “We have to keep moving…”
We reach the facility and the secretary panics as I collapse onto the floor. Izzy calls out for help, and it’s not long until a group of facility members are at our side.
“Wait,” one of them says. “This girl is the one we captured snooping around last night. She’s a threat to Avrox and the Mating Program!”
I hear voices agreeing with him, but Isabel’s rings out over all of them. “There’s been a mistake,” she cries. “I can show you right now!” She bends down and takes my hand. As soon as our fingers interlock, I begin to feel a soft hum flowing through my body, almost like electricity. The group stands back, their mouths agape. I look up and see that Izzy and I are engulfed in a soft-blue glow.
The True Love Effect.
EPILOGUE
I
ZZY
“Almost there,” I say excitedly. He groans under my touch. “No peeking,” I say, keeping my hands clasped over his eyes. It’s hard to stay balanced with the floor of the boat rocking underneath us. We’ve been sailing for days on the bright pink waters of the planet Reyna, finally reaching my special surprise, to celebrate our one-year anniversary.
“Okay, now!” I announce, removing my hands.
Killuk looks out in awe at the island in front of us. It’s massive in size and lush with vegetation. Our boat slides onto the soft white sands, and we jump onto the shore.
“I can’t believe you found this,” Killuk says, grabbing me and swinging me in a circle so fast we almost fall on our asses into the sand. This is the second planet we’ve been to in our personal “Oceans of The Universe Tour” as we’re calling it. It’s one of many stops in our journey, in the hope that we can satisfy Killuk’s ever-growing need to sail and explore other worlds.
After we proved ourselves to the facility, several members were able to track the computer history in the matchmaking department. With some further investigations into Kate’s computer, they were able to discover that she was indeed conspiring with Zayin to make me his mate. We realized that Zayin had been rejected from the program before, because of his violent nature and mafia-esque connections in the village. He had paid Kate to switch around some files to help him score an Earth girl.
They never did find them in that arena, and it still haunts me to think of them sealed away in their watery tomb. But, because of our findings, we were offered positions on Avrox, replacing the corrupt members of the matchmaking department. We declined politely, at least for now. We have a lot of ocean we need to cover.
I still keep in contact with the Strange Sisters via holophone, and am glad that they believe the strange tales, now, that Jasmine tried to tell us long ago. They also think my alien boyfriend is really hot.
The Avroxee Mates Series: Boxset Bks 1-3 Page 18