by Nora Blaze
“There’s more,” I say, and the room quiets. My heart pounds with so many eyes boring into me. If they know the truth, if they actually understand what might be at stake, they’ll understand why this is all necessary.
“My lucex rose in response to this woman, and when I first laid eyes on her, I saw a flash of light.”
A second passes. I do not have to explain what this means to the attentive room. Without mates, our population dwindles toward extinction, and they all live with the same urges that pulse through my veins.
The silence is broken when the Third Seat laughs. He blurts out a loud, deep chuckle and the rest of the room follows.
I seethe with anger as they make a mockery of me.
The Third Seat stands as the screens zoom around him. “UrTak is like a boy, convinced his lucex has risen! Let him be on his way. No more of these childish fantasies.”
I grab the small podium in front of me and slam it against the tile. “Fools!” I yell, my fury boiling over. “We are warriors! We are meant to fight, not to hide behind our shields!”
When I see the scornful faces staring back at me I turn. I will not be humiliated, not when I know what is right. And I will not fool myself into thinking the High Council can be swayed.
“Our mates would be ashamed of your cowardice,” I hiss and storm out of the chambers.
Loretta waits back at my dwelling. The moment I set my eyes on her my resolve strengthens. I will fight for her no matter what the High Council says.
“How’d it go?” She stands and folds her hands nervously in front of her chest. Her breasts are full in the smooth purple tunic I picked for her, which she has cinched at her curves, and I grunt with desire.
I begin to open my mouth to answer her question but the hesitant need in her face tears me open. There must be more that I can do, even without the support of the High Council, and I refuse to fail the woman the stars have destined to me.
“We will not leave tonight,” I answer. “But I will fight again tomorrow.”
Loretta slumps down against the bench, her back against the window. A curling white vine grows in a pot next to her and stretches across the glass. Her disappointment pains me but I do not want to promise her more until I know how I will deliver. I need my words to her to be true.
I will show her my heart when I achieve victory.
“Come,” I say. “Even a fighter like you needs to rest.”
I place my hand on the small of her back and walk her to the lounge. “Dwelling, light fire,” I say, and a small pit rises in the center of the room, its smoke swirling in blue curls that airwaves gently whip into the ceiling vent.
The rug around the fire is soft, woven from a rare moss that grows only on Triov, and I gesture for Loretta to sit as I tend to the smoldering logs until a whoosh of flames rises up. Depression still lingers on her face but I see that the primal joy of the fire brings her a slight relief.
“Tell me a story from your childhood,” Loretta says. “I’d like a distraction.”
I settle beside her and offer my arm. She curls against me, warm and safe by my side, and the satisfaction makes my heart thump and my cock thrum. “My childhood,” I say. “I suppose it was like the childhood of every other warrior on this moon.”
Loretta laughs softly. “So, piloting spaceships and killing monsters with your bare hands?”
I chuckle, gladdened that her personality comes through even when she is sad. “No, Loretta. We of course give our children knives when they hunt monsters.”
I pull her closer and stretch my free arm out to grab the pink bottle of twomka, then pour us each a small glass. “Here,” I say. “A relaxing drink to sip during my story. Perhaps it is like the Earth drink you would be willing to die for?”
Loretta tries a sip, then winces and coughs. “It is like an Earth drink. Whiskey, we call it.” She takes another small sip, then nods. “It’s good.”
There are many childhood stories I would like to tell her. Distinguishing myself in the combat academy involved many adventures, as did my quest to be named a warrior once I hit maturity. But I suspect that Loretta has had enough blood and violence for a while.
Tomorrow will bring new dangers, I am certain.
“I lived during my junior years at an academy, as do all boys,” I say. “Mountains surround the ancient buildings and in those mountains a very rare flower grows. We call the flower the lost jewel, and during our breaks from classes, I would search the mountains for this bloom. This is where I learned to climb the cliffs and sprint across the jagged terrain. It is where I fell in love with my moon, the water of our frigid streams and the crisp air, fresher than anywhere I have known. It is where I fought my first beasts and watched my first eclipse and where I first traveled as a team with my Chosen Brothers. When I think to my childhood, it is those mountains I remember, more than anything else.”
Loretta sighs contentedly and I know that she appreciates my story. “What about the flower?” she asks. “Did you find the lost jewel?”
I stand and cross to the shelving where my artifacts are displayed. “My first summer,” I say as I take the flower, now encased in a crystal cube. The thin petals are splashed with blue and purple, the same range of colors that distinguish our species. They spiral upward, swirling together in a way that recalls a ceremonial KrysOlakn dance.
“Here,” I say as I hand it to Loretta. “I found it on a far peak during the coldest season of the year.”
She examines it and her face glows with an equal beauty. “It’s wonderful.”
“Yes,” I agree. “And you should have it.”
Loretta blinks. “Me? I can’t accept this.”
I grunt. There is no point in winning any victory if I can’t share it with her. “It is a sign of great disrespect to decline a gift.”
She glances down at the flower. “Thank you,” she whispers. “I’m happy to accept it.”
I join her again on the rug, the fire warm on my skin. “Now, tell me a story of your childhood. I could also use a distraction.”
Loretta leans back against me. “My childhood. Let’s see. Do you have ice skating here?”
I nod. “When hunting or battles take us out on the ice, some KrysOlakns wear blades on their feet, yes.”
“On Earth we ice skate,” she says. “It’s like dancing on the ice. I was obsessed with it when I was a girl and so was my sister. Our parents took us skating every weekend, my mom sewed me dresses for my competitions, and Dad took so many pictures you’d think we were Olympians.”
I chuckle. I’m not sure who these Olympians are but I am pleased by the image of Loretta as a child, flying across the ice in her ceremonial competition dress. “You were surely one of the best skaters on your planet.”
Her laugh rings out like bells. “Not at all. I was horrible. But I think that’s why I liked it so much. My family and I were just having fun together, and those are the memories I treasure. It meant more than winning a competition.”
I trace my talons along her arm, watching the way her softness gives to my pressure. “I hope I can give you many more days like those happy memories.”
Loretta turns her face up to me and the flicker of the burning logs plays across her cheeks. My desire swells as I watch breath pass her lips. I want to claim and kiss her until they are swollen again, puffy and raw.
“Thank you for the story,” I say.
“Thank you,” she answers sweetly.
I lower my hand to the small of her back and turn her to lay her across the rug. Loretta sucks in a breath, surprised, and when she sees the eager look in my eyes she giggles. “What are you doing?”
“Now I am going to pleasure you,” I answer. “I will give make you climax until you are tired and ready for another deep sleep.”
Loretta bites down on her lip as I straddle her, my knees on either side of her hips. “UrTak,” she whispers my name. “I don’t know…”
I pause, my body hovering above hers without touching. I
s she expressing disinterest? I have no doubt that I satisfied her before and an animal instinct rises up in me, rejecting the idea that she would not want me again, but without her permission I will not allow myself the luxury of her touch.
“What don’t you know?” I ask.
“Everything happened so fast before. Is it safe for us to be together like this? Are there like, sexually transmitted diseases I need to worry about?” She swallows. “Are you sure pregnancy is impossible?”
I shake my head. “Our species has eliminated such diseases and as I said, no KrysOlakn has successfully mated with another species. Even with our own kind, intercourse only led to successful reproduction on the night of our ritual, the night when LunKak disappears into its shadow.”
Loretta presses her hands between her legs, pushing into the folds and further igniting my hunger. She looks torn, need aching across her eyes.
“There is more?” I ask.
“It’s just…” she trails off, blushing and erotically shy. “You’re so big. I don’t know how I took you in the first place. It’s like I can still feel you inside me now.”
I growl with satisfaction. “And you are so tight, my beautiful. It is like a dream to mount you.”
She whimpers and squeezes her thighs together. “I think I need a break before I can take you again.”
I smile, relieved that this is all. I drag my face down, hovering between her thighs as I huff her scent. “That is no problem. I will simply pleasure you with my mouth.” I run my tongue across the bottom of my sharp teeth as I cast my eyes up to her. “Yes?”
Slowly, Loretta nods. “Yes,” she whispers. “Yes, please UrTak. Yes.”
I toss her tunic up, grab her bare hips and hitch her close. Loretta’s curly hairs and dripping cunt are just as I remember them and my horns and cock thrum in response. When I lower my head and take a first slow lick of her delicious flavor she grabs my horns, squeezing tight.
The pleasure rocks me to my base. From her trembles I know that I could bring her to climax in minutes, but I desire much more than that.
I have been destined to care for this woman, and for the rest of the evening, that is exactly what I do.
Chapter Fourteen
Loretta
When I wake, my thighs ache from a night of squeezing them while UrTak pleasured me. The rigid bend of his tongue feels made for my folds and he reaches deeper into me than any human ever has.
I’m not sure what we’re doing or what it could possibly mean that I have been so intimate and trusting with a species from a different world, but I do know that I’m not ready for it to end yet. It’s not just that UrTak gives me such pure pleasure and deep satisfaction. I trust him in a way I’ve never trusted someone outside of my family. He’s purposeful and kind, considerate and powerful.
I trail my fingers over my nipples, visions of the night before lingering behind my eyes.
Voices pull me from my dreamy recollection. I sit up in bed and when I realize that UrTak is gone my heart sinks. My feelings for him have grown so strong over such a short length of time, it makes me dizzy.
Our fates are entwined here on the weird moon, and I can’t imagine anyone I’d rather hold onto than him.
I wrap a nightgown around my naked body. The fabric reminds me of silk and it’s printed with a pattern of a small white flower. I pad barefoot to the top of the stairs and listen.
It’s the voices of the aliens who helped rescue me. I haven’t seen them since I gained my translator, but UrTak talks of them often and I quickly connect the KrysOlakn voice with PryZor and the Triovian voices with Grov and Mokrov.
“How long will the intelligence be good for?” UrTak asks. “Will the Wehizx ship remain on the asteroid long?”
“There’s no way to know,” Mokrov answers. “All we can say is that it’s there now with only one spiral fighter to guard it.”
“Then we should go,” PryZor answers. “We shouldn’t waste a minute. By the time the High Council realize we’ve taken a few ships we’ll be halfway home anyway.”
“You’re too cocky,” Grov grunts. The Triovian’s have distinctly husky voices. “And we still don’t have a strategy for dealing with those cyborgs.”
“But we do have twenty more warriors, suited up and waiting for our call,” Mokrov replies, his voice calm and rational.
“What do you think, Grov?” UrTak asks. “Worth the risk?”
Grov laughs. “I never said it wasn’t worth the risk.”
My heart thuds. They’re going to launch a mission to save the women. To save Marie. I had begun to doubt that it would happen when UrTak came back from meeting with the High Council. His disappointment was obvious, even if he kept a confident face on.
But now they’ve decided to go for it. They’re going to disobey their moon’s government in order to launch this mission.
My heart bursts with hope. I pull my robe tight and rush down the stairs. When I turn the corner, they’re all standing in the lounge area, their faces darkened with concern.
“Loretta!” UrTak declares. “You’re awake.”
Mokrov turns to me first. “My name is Mokrov,” he says, lowering his head with respect. “I am glad to meet you again, Loretta.”
I turn to the others. “Grov. PryZor.” They look pleased that I know their names, although how could I forget the aliens who saved my life, UrTak’s Chosen Brothers? “Thank you for rescuing me.”
“It was our duty,” Grov answers.
“I have news for you, my beautiful,” UrTak says as he steps forward. All the other aliens glance at him when he uses that word, beautiful, and a blush warms my cheeks.
“I know,” I answer. “I heard. And I hope you’ll all understand that I need to go with you.”
UrTak blinks. He tightens his brow as he stares at me. “Loretta, this is simply too dangerous. You don’t understand.”
“I understand that you’re all risking your lives to do this, not to mention breaking a long list of KrysOlakn laws, from the sound of it. The women will be traumatized and horrified and you won’t be able to communicate with them. If I go along I can help. They’ll trust me. Otherwise, they’ll probably fight you every step of the way and make it much more difficult to pull off your plan successfully.”
The aliens all exchange a look. “The quicker we can get out of that ship the better,” Grov nods.
I turn to UrTak. It’s his approval I truly care about anyway.
He smiles at me, impressed. “I will not argue with you, Loretta, if this is where you feel you should be.”
I take a shaky breath and let it out slowly. The thought of returning to the Wehizx is terrifying but I don’t care. Marie and the other women need me, and I’ll do anything in my power to free them.
“Okay,” I say. “Let’s go.”
UrTak and PryZor speed me through the tunnels beneath the city in the hovering, bullet-like craft they call their racer. They’ve given me a jumpsuit made out of a stretchy, tough fabric, another piece of advanced technology that will help keep me safe on the mission. My heart pounds in anticipation as we fly through the darkness and arrive at a complex that seems to have a military purpose.
Other aliens in tactical gear meet up with us as we move silently through the building. A few glance at me, seemingly startled by my appearance, and I make funny faces back at them.
It’s rude to stare, I figure, no matter what planet you’re from.
We board the ship that I recognize from before and quickly take off. Grov and Mokrov position themselves up front to pilot while UrTak, PryZor and I head to a sitting area in the rear of the ship that I hadn’t seen before.
We’re doing it. We’re really going after the Wehizx.
UrTak has projected confidence all morning, but I know we’re flying toward serious danger. I battle all my fears down. I need to stay strong so that I can do my job.
I need to not think about what might happen to me. What might happen to Marie. There’s no confusion in my
mind that the Wehizx could capture me again. Their brief psychic touch was bad enough. Gestating their disgusting parasitic babies would be an actual hell.
But if UrTak and all these warriors are willing to risk their lives for total strangers, I can do the same.
I look to him. He’s projecting a screen from his wrist device and reviewing what looks like schematics of the Wehizx ship. His face is furrowed tight and I can practically feel the steady beat of his concentration.
“Do you always look at him that way?” PryZor asks me. “You know, on our moon, he’s considered extremely ugly.”
UrTak grunts. “This is not the time for joking, PryZor.”
I laugh into my hand. It’s nice to see someone tease UrTak. I thought Chosen Brothers might be a way to recognize each other as warriors but I’m beginning to see them as a sort of family, too.
UrTak reaches out a strong arm and grabs me by the waist, pulling me to him on the bench. His talons clink against the metal-like fabric of my jumpsuit. “You are beautiful on every planet,” he whispers to me.
Warmth gushes through me. I did not expect he would touch me like this in front of the others. Maybe it’s the pre-battle energy in the air.
Maybe that’s why I slide closer to him and take a deep inhale of his now familiar scent.
PryZor takes a seat at the bench across from us and darts his eyes over our bodies. “Damn,” he says. “I knew there was something going on between you when you stood in front of the High Council bragging about your lucex, but I’ve never seen UrTak go for a woman like this.”
I look up to UrTak. “You did what?”
“It is nothing,” he growls. “And you know me, PryZor. I would not lie.”
PryZor taps the small table by his bench and a glass of twomka rises up. “If your lucex is truly risen you should make a long night of it when the moon next disappears. The two of you could change history.”
A quiver tingles down my spine. I know he’s referring to the mating ritual. It seems absurd to imagine my body carrying a KrysOlakn child, but when I think of what PryZor says, and what it would mean to their species, a deep urge to do just that rises up.