by T. S. Ryder
Libba nodded at her stiffly. Biryl gave Brask a knowing look as the other two Stlozyn hustled from the bay. Once they were alone, Brask offered Libba an apologetic smile, which the human ignored.
"So what's the story there?" she asked instead.
"What story?"
"Are they a couple?"
Brask snorted. "No. Trafin has a mate on the moon. She was a scientist, but when she moved in with her mate her research grants dried up. He's a Justice Warrior, like me. She has a higher rank than him and it’s tradition that he'd go to live with her, so when she decided to go with him, it was seen as an insult to her position. Biryl isn't interested in having a mate."
"I see." Libba walked through the plants, her muscles visibly relaxing.
Brask found himself daydreaming about how she would look in the colorful robes that Stlozyn wore in their homes. Scientists always wore their robes and had elaborate colors to designate rank, but Justice Keepers wore loose fitting trousers and tunics that wouldn't rip when they took their beast's form when on duty, and robes of whatever color they pleased when at home.
With Libba's proportions, a robe that went to her knees and cinched at the waist would have every dragon on the moon base where he lived drooling. They'd all be jealous that he was the one she was with.
Unless she decides she doesn't want a true relationship. Just because we're having a child doesn't make her my mate.
He turned away, surprised at how his flames cooled at the thought that Libba might not want to be with him, even though he knew the reasons they were having a child together were not conducive to a long-term relationship.
"When you say you don't have anything on Earth to return to, what do you mean?" He plucked a flower shaped like a funnel from its stem and sucked the sweet nectar from it. "I'm not a scientist, but even I can see that humans have strong social bonds. Maybe even stronger than is common among Stlozyn."
Libba's shoulder's tensed.
"Well?" he pressed. "If we're meant to be in a relationship, I need to know these things."
"You do, I suppose." Libba crushed the petals of a pink flower between her fingers. "I don't have anything on Earth. I've been in university getting various diplomas for a decade now. My parents… well, my dad left me and my mom when I was a little girl, and my mom only had one loser boyfriend after another. She died a few years back. And I only had one real friend. He died of cancer last year."
She gave him a tense smile. He opened his mouth.
"Don't tell me you're sorry," she said sharply. "It's for the best. Especially since I can't return."
Brask hesitated. Opening up about his own past to her wasn't something he really wanted to do. But, as he had said, they needed to know things about each other since they were meant to be in a relationship.
"My parents are both scientists. Not extremely well-known, but still very successful in their chosen fields of research. They were very disappointed when I became a Justice Warrior. They didn't come to my graduation from the academy, and I haven't spoken to them since I moved to the moon base."
"That's terrible." Libba returned to him, squeezing his hand. He liked how it felt to have her hand in his. "Well, they can both go screw themselves, because you're fantastic. If they can't see that then it's their loss."
"Thank you." He laughed, his flames glowing. "Not many would agree with you."
Libba hummed. Her gaze flickered to his lips and she wet her own. Brask held her hand tighter as she went to pull away, his gaze fixed on her mouth.
Why did he feel so nervous? He thought about just pulling her into his arms, but that would probably frighten her. "I want to kiss you."
She turned wide eyes on him. She opened her mouth, closed it, and pulled away. Her eyes narrowed and she put her hands on her hips, staring at him.
"I never kiss a man on the first date," she said.
Brask grinned, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. "Then it's a good thing I'm not a man."
For a moment he thought she was going to pull away, but instead, she put her arms around his neck. He lowered his mouth to hers. His flames leaped and danced, burning hotter. He pulled her closer, hungering for her taste. Libba moaned, pressing herself against him, then suddenly broke free. She panted, smoothed her shirt and gave him a smile.
"You're not a man so you got a little exception to the rule," she said. "But that was your one free taste. You want more, you have to work for it."
She scooted out of the room. Brask sat down on the bench, dazed. He'd never been affected by kissing a female like that before. Perhaps it was the knowledge that she was carrying his child that had made him react too strongly. Whatever the case, Libba had said he was going to have to work to get more.
The hunt was on, and what a delicious hunt it would be…
Chapter Five
Teasing Brask was fun.
Libba had never been much of a flirt. She always knew exactly what she wanted, and if a guy showed interest, she was blunt in whether she was interested in his attention or not. Maybe it was this crazy situation that made it different with Brask. She was pregnant with his baby–without even having slept with him–and so she teased. She flirted. She was trying to figure out exactly how he felt towards her.
After that first kiss, he did plenty of flirting back but didn't try to kiss her again. It was a little disappointing.
The more time she spent with him, the more she liked him. If she had felt this way about a guy on Earth, she would have suggested moving in together. But the fact that circumstances had forced them together gave her doubts. Between the pregnancy hormones and the fact that he had saved her from being melted down, she didn't know if her feelings were genuine or not.
Still, once they were in the moon camp where Brask, Biryl and Trafin lived, she was all too happy to spend all her time with him. She quickly got used to the glittering, scaly appearances of the Stlozyn, but the open curiosity they all showed towards her was overwhelming, to say the least. The morning sickness that accompanied her through the first month didn't help, either.
If it wasn't for Brask holding her hand when they were in public and explaining things about their culture when they were alone, she was certain she would have broken down and demanded to go to the Science Board to be put with the other abducted women. It was just all so strange. So frightening. She longed for just one thing she could hold onto and say that she actually understood.
When it was just her and Brask teasing each other, she had that feeling, like something had finally fallen into place. Like even on this alien moon, she was home.
A couple of months after their arrival on the moon base, Libba watched Brask cutting up a carrot-like vegetable for the soup he was making. She was supposed to be setting the table, but she was too fascinated by the way he deftly wielded his knife to do anything but stand and stare. He wore a robe that was open to the waist, revealing sculpted muscles covered in tiny scales. Were they warm? Would they catch her fingers if she trailed her hands down his abdomen?
"I hope I didn't scare you off," she blurted suddenly.
He didn't even glance at her. "Scare me off what?"
If she was some sexy model in a movie, she'd have jumped up onto the counter and parted her thighs just enough for him to catch a glimpse of her underwear. Maybe shrugged a shoulder and let her robe fall off it. She felt her face going red as she imagined it. "Um… nothing."
Brask tipped the vegetables into a pot of water and turned to her. "I hope I haven't frightened you."
"How would you have frightened me?"
"My clumsy attempts to seduce you." His blood-red eyes twinkled. "I don't have a lot of female experience."
"When have you tried to seduce me? You haven't even kissed me since the hydroponics bay." Libba folded her arms and frowned at him. "Is this a cultural thing? Is kissing something entirely different from seduction?"
"No."
"Then why are you saying you hope you haven't frightened me?"
>
"You're right. I misspoke. I hope I won't frighten you." Brask was next to her before she could reply, bracing himself against the wall, trapping her between her arms. "Because I am going to seduce you. Tonight."
Libba opened her mouth to refute him, but his mouth caught hers, swallowing her half-hearted protests. She moaned, wrapping her arms around him. Her body heated and she felt it tighten. Her nipples hardened, so extra sensitive that the feeling of being pushed against his chest had her almost crying out for mercy. Brask's hand traced the curve of her hip, moving to her thigh. He picked her leg up, wrapping it over his hip.
Was there a reason she shouldn’t be doing this? Libba abandoned herself to the well of passion rising in her. Digging her fingers into Brask's scalp she pulled him hard against her, thrusting her tongue into his mouth. Brask chuckled, answering her fervor with his own.
"Your skin is so warm," she moaned, her hands moving to his shoulders and tracing the contour of his spine.
"That's because my fires are burning hot right now," Brask replied.
He ground against her, setting sparks alight in her core. He tugged at the bottom of her robe, pulling it out of the way. With her leg over his hip, he had clear access to her now.
Libba gasped. Brask's strong grip on her kept her upright, but as soon as he slipped a finger into her, the leg that was supporting her lost all strength. She sagged against the wall, throwing her head back. Her fingernails caught on his fine, glittering scales. Her alien lover held her up, but she shook her head.
"Brask, I'm too heavy—"
He cut her off with another kiss, and Libba was all too happy to let him. She loved the sensation of his body pressing against hers; with one swift movement he had disrobed, and the feeling of him pressing against her thigh had her gasping again. Brask's thumb began moving in small circles and she stopped breathing, all of her strength focused on feeling Brask and what he was doing to her.
Just when she thought she might pass out, Brask abruptly stopped. He stepped back, keeping his hands on her hips until he was certain she could stand. Libba stared at him, panting, too confused about his sudden departure from her to ask why. Goosebumps broke out along her skin from the lack of his heat on her.
"I want to do this properly, in a bed," he said. Taking her hand he brought it to his lips, and Libba bit her lip, unexpectedly touched by the gesture.
He led her to the bedroom, leaving their clothing behind. Libba's heart raced. Now that she had time to actually think, she couldn't believe this was really happening. Somehow even more impossible than the fact that she was staring into an alien's eyes was that he wanted her, Libba Ross, the girl with no future prospects.
But what did the future matter?
Libba stepped up to him again. As their tongues tangled in an exquisite dance, Brask slowly backed towards the bed urging her to lie down. Libba's core heated and tightened, every nerve in her body trembling with the anticipation of what was to come. She didn't even care if she was fully ready–she wrapped her thighs around his hips, aching for completion.
He entered smoothly, with one motion. Libba's back arched, her body crying out for more. Brask's hands roamed her body, sending ripples of pleasure from her sensitive nipples. He braced himself on the bed with his elbows, his mouth seeking hers like a missile.
The rhythm started slowly, as though he wasn't quite sure she was ready to take all of him. With a moan of frustration, Libba thrust her own hips forward, meeting him, encouraging him to go faster. Her moan quickly turned to pleasure as he obeyed her spoken wish. Her body felt like it was on fire, writhing beneath him, whispering words that she was only half-aware of.
Their eyes met as the rhythm picked up. Libba smiled, feeling Brask's hot breath on her lips. He was so utterly perfect… Her fingers slid down his back. His gaze was tender and at the same time devouring as he slipped a hand between their bodies, using his thumb again on her.
Lights exploded in front of Libba's eyes. She snarled, her mind drowning under wave after wave of pleasure. Her teeth clamped down on Brask's shoulder, his skin tasting smoky and delicious. Her lover cried out, clinging tighter to her as he followed her into ecstasy.
Slowly the high diminished, and Libba closed her eyes. Every muscle in her body felt like it had been turned into pudding, and she relaxed on the bed beneath her. Brask sighed a warm breath over her neck and he kissed her throat.
"Amazing," he whispered. "Better than I imagined."
"Better than anything I had before," Libba replied. She stretched her arms over her head. "Honestly. Why couldn't I have met you years ago? We could be doing this every night."
Brask propped himself up on an elbow and grinned down at her. "You want to do that again, then?"
"Duh," Libba said, rolling her eyes. "Maybe for the rest of my life."
Libba gasped, uncertain how Brask was going to take that last statement, but he chuckled and buried his face into her neck. The heat began building again already. Amazing.
Biryl's voice came from outside. "Brask, I need to talk to you!"
Libba groaned. Just my luck.
Her lover made a face as he withdrew. Hurrying to the wardrobe, he withdrew a set of clothes for himself and Libba. She dressed, hating to think of Biryl knowing what they did. But if the pilot was interrupting, it must be important.
Biryl was pacing in the other room, ignoring the discarded robes that he was striding over. He carried a tablet with him.
"This had better be important," Brask said, a clear growl in his voice.
"I wouldn't have come anywhere near this place if it wasn't," Biryl replied, expression serious.
Libba's face flamed.
"We've received a message from Din."
A cold ball of fear sunk into her stomach, no matter how much she tried to push it away. Brask will protect me. He won't let that sadist near me.
Her dragon cursed and reached for the tablet. He tapped in a few commands, and soon the voice etched into her mind and nightmares filled the room.
"Justice Warrior Brask," the alien greeted. "It's good to see you. The Science Board has sent me to retrieve the human female you took from Earth."
Libba's skin crawled and she quickly backed away from Brask and the tablet, so that her abductor would not see her. She felt sick and pressed a hand to her mouth. A muscle twitched in Brask's jaw, but Libba was too wrapped up in her own fear to notice. Had they really sent him to get her? Why? Brask had told her that he could legally have her with him since she was pregnant with his child. Was Din lying, hoping to get her back again? Why not just go find another woman to abduct?
Libba felt guilty about wishing that fate on another woman, but it was true. She would rather Din looked for another subject for his experiments than continue to hunt her.
"What is the meaning of this, Din?" Brask growled. "I informed the board that I had the female, and she sent a statement assuring them that she wished to be with me. She carries my child, and we have every legal right to be together."
"Wrong." Din sounded delighted. "Just before you sent in your information, the Science Board put a ban on unauthorized human pregnancies."
"And why come now?"
"Because your situation was under debate. It's been agreed upon now, though. Your relationship with the female is not protected under the old laws, and so she is to be taken to the Board. Since you were unaware of the changes you will not be punished, but her pregnancy must be terminated and she must be placed with the other females taken from Earth."
"Over my dead freaking body!" Libba shouted. She rushed forward, but Biryl caught her and held her back. "I'm not going anywhere with a sadist like you, you freaking asshole!"
Brask shot her a warning look. "I will bring the human to Bronæl myself. The child was conceived before the laws were put in place, I'm sure the Justice Board will allow—"
"If you don't hand her over, I have been authorized by both the Science Board and the Justice Board to arrest you." The Science Alpha so
unded more than delighted now. He was positively gleeful. "So what's it going to be? Brask the—"
Brask turned off the feed. He put the tablet on the counter and closed his eyes. His muscles were bunched so tightly that he trembled. Smoke curled from his mouth and nose. Libba pushed herself out of Biryl's grasp and began pacing. One thing was certain, she wasn't going to go with that sick, twisted alien. He'd kill her on the way there and make up some story about her purposefully spacing herself or something. She'd kill him first.
She'd kill herself first.
"Biryl, prepare the ships. This is beyond unethical. We will fight the… 'asshole'," he managed a small smile at Libba before he grew serious, "but only if we must. I have received no orders from the Boards themselves, and must assume Din is lying for his own means."
Biryl nodded. He dashed from the house and Brask turned to Libba. His gaze softened and he held out his arms to her. Her fears welling again, she was grateful to collapse into his embrace. His strength helped her believe there was a way out of this.
"I won't let anything happen to you." He kissed her gently. "But I'm afraid that seduction I promised you will have to wait."
Libba forced out a laugh. "Don't wait too long. I'm not a patient woman."
Brask kissed her again. "Understood."
Chapter Six
There weren't many hiding places on the moon base itself, but a series of tunnels led deep underground several klicks away. Given the scope of these tunnels, it was almost impossible to be locked in by ground forces. It was why Brask had chosen this location for a base in the first place. There was a chance, however unlikely, that once he declared his intentions of setting up a colony, not under direct supervision of the Science Board, he would be branded a traitor, and the community he had built here would have to go into hiding.
For now, though, he sent Trafin with Libba to the tunnels. He needed to make sure she was safe in case things got out of hand. Hopefully, this could be resolved without violence, but he wasn't going to give up his human to the blasphemous dragon.