Dark Horizons

by Rae D. Magdon

  Maia heard a gasp above her, and she lifted her eyes. Taylor was staring down at her, her hair a tousled mess and her face flushed with pleasure. She pleaded for more without words, and Maia tightened the seal of her lips, not breaking eye contact. A few more drops of warmth slipped from the pulsing head of Taylor's cock, and she ran her tongue over them, humming as the taste spread across her tongue. The shaft rippled in her hand, and Maia felt her own inner muscles throbbed in response.

  The hand on the back of her crest tightened, applying soft pressure until Maia slid her lips as far along her shaft as she could before meeting her hand. "Oh God," Taylor purred, stroking along her neck. "Your mouth feels incredible." Her hips twitched, as if she was fighting the instinct to thrust.

  Maia found it more and more difficult to concentrate. Taylor's words of encouragement kept running through her head, fueling her own need. She tried squeezing her thighs together, but it did nothing to ease her discomfort, the insistent pressure between her legs. Every time she moved, she could feel how wet she was. She needed to be touched. To be filled.

  Instinctively, Maia reached down to cup herself with her other hand. She teased herself open and explored with her fingers, desperate to ease some of the ache. Taylor's eyes shifted, and Maia could tell that she was watching when another pulse of heat spilled over her tongue. She drew her lips back up along the shaft and worked over the head in slow circles. "You like doing this enough to touch yourself, huh?" Taylor teased, stroking down the side of Maia's neck. Maia stopped what she was doing, a little embarrassed, but Taylor's hand gave her shoulder an encouraging squeeze. "Don’t stop. Keep touching yourself. I want to watch."

  Maia felt a pulse of wetness slide over her fingers, and she began circling the hard ridge of her clit. She stared up at Taylor with pleading eyes and continued doing her best to lash her tongue over the tip of her cock. Her stomach twisted as she realized that she wanted more of the heavy, slightly salty taste that was spreading through her mouth.

  Taylor's thigh muscles tensed, and Maia felt the base of the cock begin to tighten in her palm. "Maia," she said, her voice a little frantic, "I…I need to…"

  Maia suddenly realized what was going to happen, and she knew that Taylor was trying to warn her. However, instead of pulling back so that her lover could release, she deliberately swiped her tongue over the sensitive tip one more time before sliding her lips as far along the pulsing shaft as she could. She could feel how full it was, and she was very curious to find out how Taylor would taste.

  Taylor could not stop herself. Her fingers dug into the back of Maia’s neck, and her hips rocked up, unwilling to give up Maia’s mouth even for a moment. Maia heard her shout something like her name as the incredible pressure pounding along the shaft of Taylor's cock finally released, spilling out in blissful pulses.

  The first shot of warmth startled Maia a little, but she managed to swallow it down. She knew that the wetness filling her mouth belonged to Taylor, and that knowledge made her fingers slip even faster over her own clit. The taste was just as good as she had hoped, and she could not help sucking and licking at the head of Taylor’s cock in an attempt to get more.

  A few seconds later, her own orgasm came crashing down on her, causing her inner walls to pulse and her swollen clit to jump beneath her fingers. She felt herself squeeze around nothing, and she made up for the emptiness by rubbing her clit even harder, grinding the ridge in firm, quick circles until she was screaming around the shaft filling her mouth.

  Slowly, Maia pulled her mouth off the toy and looked up at Taylor. The human lay on the bed, gasping for breath. Maia grinned and allowed herself to lie down next to Taylor. She draped her arm over her lover and pulled her close. Briefly, Maia wondered if she would have behaved like this with another lover, perhaps another ikthian, or whether there was simply something special about Taylor. As she let her hand wander over Taylor’s cooling skin, she tried not to think about the lack of a future they had.

  Taylor glanced over at her. "That was incredible," she said, her mouth curling into a satisfied grin. She propped herself up on her side. "How about you?"

  Maia blushed and let her hand wander to Taylor’s hip. "I…enjoyed myself very much, actually."

  "How much?" The teasing tone in Taylor’s voice made her smile. Many things about Taylor made her happy, although she still did not know why.

  Maia tugged on Taylor’s hip. "Enough that I am very interested in experimenting with this new toy some more."

  Taylor took the hint and eased herself over Maia. "I think I can arrange that."

  Maia moaned as Taylor reached down to hold her hip, nudging her legs apart. Taylor settled between her thighs, and she gasped as she felt the shaft of the cock brush just above her knee.

  "Are you sure…" Taylor began, but Maia silenced her with a kiss before she could finish the sentence. She wove her fingers through Taylor's hair, pulling their mouths together in a hard, deep kiss. Taylor kissed her back, nipping at her lower lip and sliding her tongue forward. They did not pull apart until the need for air made both of their lungs burn, and even then, it was only for a few seconds. Maia could feel the pressure inside of her building again, and she was incredibly aware of the toy as it brushed against her inner thigh.

  "Taylor, please," Maia murmured. Her lips grazed Taylor’s chin as she nuzzled just beneath her jaw. "Please…I want you inside of me. I want to know how it feels…"

  Taylor's stomach muscles tensed above her, and Maia knew she was about to get what she was begging for. "Go ahead," Taylor said in a strained voice. "Take it at your own pace."

  Maia's hand left the tangle of Taylor's hair, sliding down her back and around her side to reach between their bodies. Her fingers gripped the shaft of the toy, and she guided it carefully between her legs. She stopped breathing for a few seconds, and her heart skipped a beat.

  Maia’s breath hitched as the head rubbed against her, sending little sparks of heat rolling over her skin. She hurried to tilt her pelvis down, feeling the tip slide through her folds until it was resting against her opening. Taylor trembled above her, bracing herself on tense, powerful arms, looking down into her eyes. Their lips caught in another kiss, and Taylor’s hips pushed forward to meet hers. Maia whimpered a little as the head stretched her, but it was a pleasant sensation. Soon, she was rocking her hips to try and take more.

  Taylor thrust forward, burying the first inch of the shaft inside of her. She cried out, raking her nails lightly between Taylor's shoulder blades. It was almost too much all at once, but thankfully, Taylor gave her a few seconds to adjust. As she grew accustomed to the stretch, Taylor leaned down and kissed her again. Maia let out a soft whimper against her mouth and relaxed, losing herself in Taylor's lips

  The two of them picked up a slow, steady rhythm, moving against each other as if they had done this a thousand times before. Maia felt her body relax into a warm, melting sort of heat, and Taylor was finally able to slide all the way into her. She heard Taylor’s breath hiss as their bodies finally joined, and she ran her hands up and down the human’s back, feeling her shoulders rise and fall with each breath. For a moment, words hovered on Maia’s lips, words she desperately wanted to say. But she knew she was not ready, and Taylor was probably not ready to hear them. Perhaps someday, if by some miracle she did not end up dead, and Taylor was still around to hear them…

  Maia forgot everything else as Taylor began to move, thrusting inside of her, pulling out again, catching against sensitive places deep inside of her that she had not even been aware of before. She could not focus on anything except the pressure between her legs, and the ache that was steadily growing with each pump of Taylor’s hips.

  Taylor paused above her, reaching out with one hand to stroke her cheek. Then, the tender moment broke, replaced by a deep, coiling need that urged both of them back into movement again. Maia shivered as Taylor's hand left her face, sliding down her throat and over her breast before making its way down her stomach. She fo
rced it between their bodies, skimming over the ridge of her clit.

  Maia screamed as Taylor pushed back the hood, pressing down firmly with the pads of her fingers. Taylor's hips began moving again, driving deep inside of her, and heat coiled in her abdomen. She knew that she was hovering on the edge of release. It would only take a few more thrusts for Taylor to send her screaming over the brink.

  "Maia, please..."

  Maia was surprised to hear Taylor beg. She suddenly realized that Taylor was almost as close as she was. She squeezed down, deliberately tightening her inner muscles around Taylor's length. She pulsed as she imagined what it would feel like when Taylor finally came inside of her. Taylor lowered her lips to Maia’s throat, kissing her pulse point. "I want to feel you come around me…I need to..."

  The words and circling fingers were enough. Maia went rigid, digging her nails into Taylor’s broad shoulders and throwing her head back. Her inner muscles pulled tight around the shaft inside of her, and then loosened again in a series of harsh flutters. A few tears leaked from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks as she felt herself clutch desperately at the toy, spasming with blissful release.

  As soon as Maia tightened, Taylor flew over the edge, slamming forward one last time. Warmth rushed up along the length of the cock, gushing from the head with each pump of her hips. Maia writhed beneath Taylor, clutching at her, pulling wave after wave of bliss from deep inside of her.

  Once the two of them stopped quaking with the aftershocks of their release, Taylor shifted her hips back and pulled out of Maia. She took a deep breath, smoothing a hand through her tousled black hair. "How was that?"

  Maia looked up at her with wide eyes, amazed that Taylor even needed to ask. She sat up and kissed Taylor on the lips. "It was wonderful. You were wonderful." She wished she could express to Taylor just how wonderful she was, but she feared getting any more deeply involved with her, though they had long ago passed any point of caution. What was stopping her from being honest now? Perhaps she wanted Taylor to know any feelings she had were genuine and not a ploy to escape Earth.

  Taylor reached between her legs and eased the shorter end of the toy out, placing it on top of the dresser before collapsing on the bed. "Good," she muttered. Apparently, she was too tired to retreat to the couch. Maia did not mention it, glad to have Taylor with her for a while longer. It might be one of the only moments the two of them had left. She settled back down on the mattress and wrapped an arm around Taylor’s middle, drawing her close.

  "May I hold you?"

  Taylor nodded, suppressing a yawn. "Yes, please," she murmured against Maia’s shoulder. "I’ll just…shut my eyes for a bit."

  Maia could hear the sleepiness in Taylor's voice, and reached down to pull a cover over them. "Stay as long as you like. I do not mind your company." She heard Taylor's deep, even breaths and knew she was asleep. "In fact," she whispered, mostly to herself, "I am starting to wonder what I will do without you."

  Chapter Twenty Nine

  The next day, Taylor found herself wandering the base, unsure where her feet were taking her. After what she had shared with Maia the night before, she wanted to talk through her thoughts, but she was not sure where to go. She thought about visiting Rachel, but decided that she did not want to impose on her friend twice in such a short period of time. She did not trust Andrew to keep her secrets anymore, although they had come to a sort of truce over the past week when he showed up for his turn at guard duty.

  As she passed the mess and watched a group of naledai stroll down the steps, a second option occurred to her. Akton was familiar with ikthians, certainly more than any of the humans on the base. He was also her friend. Maybe he would be able to give her some perspective. She followed the group past several buildings and over to the docking bay where all of the ships were kept. A large naledai frigate was at rest there, and Taylor walked toward it, feeling slightly more hopeful.

  The naledai standing guard outside the ship was surly at first, but once she mentioned her name and told him that she was looking for Akton, he seemed more at ease. "You said your name was Taylor?" he asked, studying her for a moment. "Akton's mentioned you. Says he met you serving on one of Nakonum's orbital stations. Not many humans are brave enough to go in the middle of an alien warzone."

  "I killed a few ikthians there," Taylor admitted. The resistance on the naledai home-world was bloody, and she had seen both humans and naledai die defending it.

  "Well, go on in." He stepped aside, opening the door to the decontamination chamber for her. "He's probably down in the engine bay."

  Taylor nodded her thanks. "I'll keep it in mind." She stepped onto the ship. The naledai crewmembers inside seemed slightly surprised to see a human, but none of them objected to her presence. She walked by them without comment, heading for the elevator. She had been on enough naledai ships to understand their basic layout.

  As the guard had predicted, Akton was in the engine bay. He had taken a panel off one of the processors and currently had it in pieces. He stared at the pile of wires and parts as if calculating his next move. He looked up when Taylor walked into the room. "Taylor." Akton straightened up and turned around to greet her. "What brings you onboard?"

  Taylor crossed the width of the small room and stopped beside him. "I was wondering if we could talk."

  "Sure. I don’t need to have this put back together for a few more days." Akton gestured at the pile of parts. "What’s on your mind? This is about the ikthian, isn’t it?"

  Taylor nodded. "I need some advice."

  Akton leaned against a wall and clasped his hands in front of himself. "Well, start at the beginning. I have a feeling this is going to take some time. You have that look on your face like…something bad happened. If you were naledai, I’d say you looked as if a Greskar had ripped your mother’s right arm off." Taylor raised an eyebrow, and Akton shook his head. "Well, it sounds better in the native tongue."

  Taylor laughed and she felt some of her tension ease. She tried to think about how to best word what she wanted to talk about. "Well, I’ve been spending a lot of time with Maia." She waited for Akton to say something, but he only nodded for her to continue. "And…I think I’m in too deep to go back."

  Taylor told him everything. About Bower and the other guards, about her fight with Maia, about how they had made up and tried to get to know each other better. The whole time, Akton sat back and listened patiently. After she finished, he leaned against the wall for a moment, staring thoughtfully at nothing. Finally, he said, "You really care about her, don’t you? It's not just the pheromones talking?"

  Taylor was taken aback by the question. "Of course."

  "And you think she cares about you?"

  Taylor hesitated. "I don’t know. I think so. That’s how she seems to feel when I’m around, but…how can she? I’m standing between her and freedom." She leaned against an engine box. Her fingers flexed over the edge of the casing, drumming anxiously on the metal. "The worst part is, I know what will happen to her if the Coalition sends her back to Korithia."

  Akton released a low growl from within his chest. "You’re not the only thing keeping her here, Taylor. Remember the armed guards and the mounted turrets on top of all the buildings? Even if you left the door unlocked, it’s not like she would just be able to walk out of here."

  "No. But…I am…I was…her guard." Taylor sighed. She did not feel like Maia’s guard anymore. That part of their relationship had disappeared long ago.

  "You’re also the only human on base that views her as a person now, even if it took you a while. I know what the Coalition tells humans about ikthians. It’s somewhat disturbing. But you know that they’re not all evil, no matter what the Dominion does."

  Taylor groaned and massaged her temples. "I know. You should see the way people act around Maia whenever she leaves her chambers. They think she can kill them with just a look."

  "But you don’t." Akton paused for a moment, considering something. "If you met other ikthi
ans…ones like Maia, who weren’t a threat to the Coalition…would you consider them your enemies?"

  Taylor was surprised by how easily the answer came to her. "No, I wouldn’t. Not anymore."

  Akton looked around the room for a moment before stepping close to Taylor and lowering his voice. "Not all ikthians are members of the Dominion."

  Taylor was quiet for a long moment. She studied Akton intently. Obviously, he knew more than he was telling. "I didn't think naledai soldiers associated with ikthians, unless you count shooting them."

  "The situation is desperate on my home-world," he said, sounding almost too casual. "My superiors will work with anyone that wants to help set the naledai free. If they happen to be ikthian rebels who want to bring down the Dominion, why should we reject their help?"

  Taylor was floored by Akton's information. She had never imagined that ikthians might be working to fight against the Dominion, or to help the naledai. "Does the Coalition know about this?"

  "For the most part, no. A few of the generals might, although I doubt they would admit it in public. It looks bad for them. I’ve seen this sort of psychological play before. They tell you the enemy is without exception. That way, soldiers never hesitate when it’s time to kill."

  Taylor pushed off the engine and folding her hands behind her back. She looked at Akton, a plan forming in her mind. Perhaps she could do one small thing to make up for her mistakes.

  "Do you know what Maia was researching before I captured her?"

  Akton shook his head. "I know she’s a geneticist, and was cited in a lot of Dominion propaganda…"