Taylor sighed and shook her head. She glanced around the hall, noticing that there were only a few soldiers walking around. It was past midday, but not quite evening yet. Most people were busy with their daily assignments. Taylor had nothing better to do than return to her quarters. "But I’m not going to expect anything when I get there," she muttered as she entered the elevator and hit the button for the top floor. "I’m just going to do my job. That’s all."
It was too bad she couldn’t manage to sound convincing, even when she was talking to herself.
Chapter Sixteen
Taylor re-entered the suite expecting Maia to be up and about, or at least in the shower. She wished she had taken one herself before escaping from the room. Hopefully, Andrew had not noticed her disheveled appearance, and he would not forget his promise of discretion.
Concerned that there was no sign of her prisoner, Taylor made her way back to the bedroom. Her eyes widened when she peeked through the door. Maia was still in bed, sprawled on top of the rumpled sheets. A slight smile spread across her face as she took in the ikthian’s deep, even breathing. She was still fast asleep, just as Taylor had left her. And even while she was sleeping, Taylor felt the same tug of attraction as the night before. There was no way Maia could be exerting some control over her at the moment.
Since Maia was not awake to notice, Taylor took the opportunity to study her more closely. During their wild, probably regrettable encounter, she had been in such a desperate rush that she had not paused to admire the view. Now, Taylor wished she had taken a little more time.
If Maia had been human, her skin would have probably been a paler shade. Taylor could almost picture it. She would have been a very beautiful human by anyone’s standards. Normally, Taylor would have been proud to brag about sleeping with such a gorgeous woman. Instead, she felt a little queasy. Whether the feeling was from the apparent error in their actions or the knowledge that anything between them was a doomed relationship, she could not tell.
Something about the way Maia was positioned invited a closer look. Taylor walked around the bed and surveyed the ikthian, taking note of every curve of her body, of the small indentations where her hipbones caused a slight swell on her pelvis. Everything from her beautiful crest down to her toes drew her gaze. And then there was the tempting flesh between Maia’s legs. Taylor glanced down, though she felt somewhat perverted for staring while Maia was asleep. The similarity of their anatomy shocked her now that she took time to think about it. She could not believe the humans and ikthians were so anatomically similar. She knelt down on the bed, trying to get a better look.
Taylor lowered herself to her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows. There, she could see the details much more clearly. The flesh between Maia’s legs was completely hairless, like the rest of her body. Her outer lips were a darker shade than most of her silvery-white skin, but her clit was no longer swollen. Taylor reached out to part her folds, but stopped, knowing that she should not do this. They had already decided once was enough, but she could not help feeling a magnetic pull to Maia. Hesitantly, she teased apart the flesh to get a closer look.
Maia whimpered as Taylor touched her. Her hips rocked forward slightly, but she did not wake up. Unable to stop herself, Taylor ran two fingers over her clitoris. It only took a few passes before she could see it start to swell with arousal. She leaned down and placed a teasing kiss against it. Maia arched up into her mouth, another moan tumbling past her lips.
Suddenly, Maia's eyes blinked open. Her hand instinctively shot down to the back of Taylor’s head. It seemed to take her a moment to realize what was going on, but when she did, she spread her legs wider. "Don’t stop," she muttered, her voice still thick with sleep.
Taylor pulled her mouth away and lowered her fingertips to Maia's entrance. Now that Maia was awake, her reservations had vanished along with her resolve. She slid inside of Maia with two fingers, curling them forward and trying to find the same magical spot as before. Maia’s sharp hitch of breath let her know when she hit the right place. She dipped her head and took Maia's clit back into her mouth, lashing her tongue over the tip. Maia's hips twitched, and more wetness flooded around her fingers. Pleased with that reaction, Taylor groaned softly around the firm ridge in her mouth, enjoying the way it seemed to grow harder between her lips. It had been so long since she had gone down on someone. She decided that she was going to enjoy herself.
Slowly, she released her prize, placing a few more kisses on its tip. Maia’s clit stood out from beneath its hood, and Taylor moaned softly as she ran the fingers of her other hand over it, making the ridge pulse. She took it between her lips again and began sucking greedily; enjoying the soft whimpers coming from above her and the slick heat that poured out over her hand. Her fingers were still wrapped in tight, slick heat, and with every pull of her mouth, Maia’s inner muscles seemed to squeeze around her.
Taylor pulled her fingers out, smirking as Maia groaned at the loss. "You’re already close, aren’t you?" she whispered as she looked down at her glistening folds.
Maia’s only response was a soft cry of need. "Please, Taylor. Do not tease me," she begged.
The sound of Maia’s high, insistent pleas tugged at Taylor's heart. She dipped her head again and took Maia into her mouth, and the ikthian let out a strangled sob of relief. Taylor slid her fingers back inside as well and began a gentle thrusting motion. The more she curled her fingers forward, the more Maia’s hips bucked. She released little gasps of pleasure with each thrust, and began to writhe in an attempt to get closer. Taylor sped up the motion of her hand. She had meant to hold out longer, but she found herself getting carried away with Maia's need.
"Come for me," Taylor said, breaking her seal around Maia’s clit just long enough to whisper the words. Her free hand wandered up along Maia's stomach, nails raking slowly over the twitching muscles.
Maia’s thighs trembled, and her hands tightened their grip in Taylor’s hair. "Oh, Taylor," she whimpered as she pulsed over and over with her release. With each contraction, the tightness in her body loosened until she was left a shivering mess. Once the contractions faded to aftershocks, Taylor withdrew her fingers and placed a few kisses on Maia’s inner thigh. "You liked that, huh?"
Panting and blushing, Maia draped one arm over her eyes. "Yes," she admitted, her voice slightly muffled in the crook of her elbow.
Taylor crawled up by her side and collapsed next to her. She ran a hand over Maia’s stomach. "Hey, are you all right? Did I do something wrong?"
Maia shook her head. "No. I am just getting used to…this. I told you to keep going." She finally removed her arm and met Taylor's eyes. "You were wonderful."
"So were you," Taylor murmured, a small smile on her lips.
They stared at one another for a while, drawn into a reflective silence. Maia turned and reached out to stroke Taylor's arm. "We made a mistake," she whispered, her smile receding.
Slowly, Taylor withdrew her hand, breaking the contact between them. She took a deep breath. "Yeah, I suppose we did."
"Taylor, we both know nothing can come of this."
"Yeah, I know."
Taylor sat up and deliberately shifted towards the other side of the mattress. But Maia followed, reaching out to clasp one of Taylor's shoulders and gently drawing her back. "That does not mean that I do not feel…" Taylor swallowed to loosen the knot in her throat as one of Maia's thumbs traced the line of her jaw. "Even though we cannot do this again, I want you to know that it meant something to me."
"If it meant something, why do we have to stop?" Taylor asked, even though she could come up with several answers to that question on her own. She knew it was wrong, but she was desperate for an excuse, any excuse. When Maia did not answer right away, she sighed. "No, you’re right. I’m sorry. I mean, I’m your guard…"
"This reaches beyond us, Taylor. You are hardly my guard anymore. This planet is my prison, and you happen to be the person they elected to keep me company. But
none of that matters. I will be traded away to the Dominion within a few weeks, and once I am taken back to Korithia, they will kill me."
The words seemed so final as Maia spoke them. Taylor felt her stomach twist into a hard knot. "Don’t talk like that." The thought of Maia dying made her chest ache. "Maybe…maybe we’ll just keep you on Earth. Maybe you have some information, something useful…"
"I doubt the rest of your species would care for my research," Maia said, her voice gentle, yet firm. "And humans certainly do not care for ikthians. It is obvious every time I leave this cell." Maia massaged Taylor's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, but Taylor's muscles only bunched up further with tension. "The negotiations will take several weeks. Perhaps something will change between now and then. We have no way of knowing."
Taylor nodded, taking a deep breath and letting her shoulders relax slightly. "Yeah, sure." Roberts had been so sure Maia would provide them with something useful when she first arrived on planet. Now, Taylor felt disappointed that her mentor had been wrong.
"You will survive this, Taylor, but for now, we should refrain from being physically intimate anymore."
Even though she knew it was the right decision, protests rang in Taylor's head. Her eyes began to sting. Suddenly, she wanted Maia close to her. "Can…can I hold you at least?" she asked before she could think better of it. "Just for now?"
"Of course," Maia said, curling up against Taylor’s chest as they settled back down onto the pillows. "Just this once, and then…"
"Then we stop," Taylor whispered, unable to hide the sadness in her voice. She breathed in Maia's scent and bent down to kiss the top of her head. If this was going to be their last moment of intimacy, she wanted to memorize every part of Maia that she could. It seemed like everything had happened far too quickly. Maia had only just come into her life, as odd and twisted as their relationship seemed.
"Sleep well," Maia whispered against Taylor's throat, brushing the soft skin with her lips before she closed her eyes and surrendered to a fitful sleep.
Taylor remained awake for a long time, listening to Maia breathe and trying not to think about how that kiss would probably be their last.
Chapter Seventeen
During the next few days, Taylor tried to stay as far away from Maia as possible. Maia had been right to remind her that any further involvement could only lead to trouble. The first time, they had both been too desperate to pause and reason with one another. She could dismiss the second time as harmless curiosity. She had wanted to know what Maia looked like, felt like, tasted like. But her hunger had not abated.
The fact that an alien—an ikthian—had evoked such a strong reaction from within her made Taylor uncomfortable. She questioned herself again and again, wondering if Maia was manipulating her, but even when they were apart, her attraction did not leave. Surely there was no way that Maia could coax such responses from her when they were not even in the same room. Her desire for Maia frightened her, but it was genuine.
For her part, Maia seemed listless and depressed. Taylor could not blame her. Her situation looked bleak, but Taylor was in no position to help her. Even when she did try to initiate conversation, Maia answered any comments and questions half-heartedly. She no longer seemed interested in talking, despite the longing looks she cast when they were in the same room together. Taylor began leaving food for Maia so that she could have her own meals in the mess hall, although she made sure to lock the door behind her every time she left.
One evening, about four days after she and Maia had sworn not to touch one another, Taylor found herself sitting at a table with Rachel during the evening meal. The two of them spent most of their time talking about the latest military operations, but they exhausted that topic quickly. Rachel looked like she had something else on her mind. She kept glancing up at Taylor, mindlessly stabbing at bits of food left over on her tray.
"So…is it true?" she finally blurted out, breaking the silence in her usual blunt way.
"Is what true?"
Rachel looked around furtively, trying to make sure that no one was close enough to overhear them. "That you're having sex with the ikthian."
Taylor's eyes widened in surprise before narrowing in annoyance. "Andrew," she muttered, completely ignoring the rest of her food. She set her fork down on the tray with a loud clack. "I'm going to kill him."
"So, it is true?" Rachel repeated, pushing away her own tray. She rested her elbows on the table. "Taylor, I can’t believe this. She’s a prisoner and a danger to the human race."
Taylor held up her hands in a defensive gesture. "First of all, I know what I did was wrong. Maia and I already agreed never to do it again. Second, she is a prisoner of war, not some all-powerful creature from beyond the deep. She can’t do anything to hurt us."
Rachel looked at her with a furrowed brow. "It’s trying to seduce you, Taylor. It would be safer if you just requested someone else take over the watch."
"And let some other guard abuse her? You know no one else on base would treat her humanely."
"Because she isn’t human. And I wouldn’t believe everything she says to you. You know what ikthians are capable of. They don't call them sirens for nothing. Maybe this one is seducing you so she can trick you or worse..." Rachel hesitated. "Just remember that there's a lot of bare skin for her to touch while you're having sex."
"She's not doing that at all, Rachel." Taylor placed her hands on the table to keep them from shaking. "She didn't seduce me, and she isn't going to poison me. She's very much aware of the fact that she’s probably going to die on this rock."
"You seriously just called Earth a rock? It sounds like it's gotten its claws into you already. Next thing you know, you'll be telling me it's wrong to keep one imprisoned."
"I'm not suggesting anything," Taylor snapped. She glared at Rachel. "I'm a human first, and I remember that. It’s because I’m human that I treat our prisoner of war with some respect…We don’t talk much anymore, anyways."
Rachel sighed. "Whatever, Taylor. You know I trust you, just…not the ikthian."
"And that’s understandable. Hell, I should be able to sympathize more. I watched them kill Jackson even after I threatened to shoot Maia. The seekers didn’t value either of their lives at all."
Rachel stared at her quietly for several seconds, afraid to interrupt Taylor’s painful confession. "I know it’s been rough, Taylor," she said after a long pause. "Just promise me you'll be careful, all right? Ikthians are dangerous."
Taylor sighed, but decided to indulge her friend's worry. "Aren’t I always?" Rachel frowned at her, obviously still not satisfied. "If anything comes up, I’ll go to you first, okay?"
Rachel took both of their trays and stood up. "Okay Taylor."
Taylor did not wait for Rachel to unload the food trays. Instead, she nodded her farewell and headed for the barracks. As she walked, Taylor began thinking about Maia. They had been avoiding one another’s company as much as possible, but the more distance they tried to maintain, the more miserable Taylor became. She knew Maia felt the same even without asking. The thought of Maia’s impending doom made Taylor sick to her stomach. Perhaps she should take some time to talk to her, or do something to help make her more comfortable. Maybe...
Unfortunately, that was when her communicator buzzed. Taylor glanced down at the screen, noticed Commander Roberts's picture, and answered the call. "Commander. What can I do for you, Sir?"
"The ikthian leaders have responded, Lieutenant. They didn't agree to a ceasefire, but they definitely want to open negotiations. The other generals and I are in my office. How fast can you get there?"
"Give me five minutes," Taylor said, setting off at a jog. As eager as she was to hear their response, the reminder of the open negotiations made her stomach clench.
Roberts was waiting for her outside his office when she arrived. "Look sharp, Taylor," he said as soon as he saw her. "The brass is present."
Taylor saluted, more out of habit than any
thing else. She knew Roberts liked to see her as more of an equal and less of a subordinate. "Thanks for the warning, Sir." She checked her fatigues quickly to make sure her clothes were in order. The last thing she needed was a general to find some excuse to criticize her appearance.
"I just want this to run as smoothly as possible," Roberts said. "If we’re lucky, Bouchard will keep his mouth shut for the duration of the negotiations."
Taylor made sure to lower her voice. "He’s here again?"
"I’m not happy about it either, Taylor, but the generals think he’s useful, so we’ll keep that to ourselves." Roberts reached out and straightened a corner of her fatigues. "Ready, soldier?"
Taylor nodded and they walked into his office, saluting the assembled generals together. Hunt was among them, as well as Bouchard, like Roberts had warned her. "At ease," Hunt said, stepping out from behind the desk. "Lieutenant Morgan, I’m glad you’re here. The ikthians have sent us an offer, and we want you to weigh in on the matter based on your time spent with the prisoner."
The request caught Taylor off guard. She did not consider herself very knowledgeable about ikthians, unless someone was asking her how to kill them. Judging by the amount of creases in Bouchard’s brow, he was inclined to agree. "I’m happy to lend what help I can, General, although I don’t know how useful my opinion will be," she said hoping her words would ease the death glare that Bouchard was shooting at her.
Unfortunately, Roberts only made the situation worse. "Actually, Lieutenant, you've had more experience with ikthians than most of us. Like it or not, you are something of an expert, at least on the ikthian you've been assigned to guard." Bouchard's frown made it clear that he did not consider Taylor an 'expert' in anything, but he held his tongue.
It was Hunt that resumed speaking instead. "We received a recorded transmission from the Dominion a little under an hour ago." Hunt approached the monitor on Roberts's desk. A frozen image of three standing ikthians waited on the screen. "Are you ready to watch?"
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