Zsilvia wasn't sure what she meant, but her arms were starting to give out. Her body was weakening beneath her and the tears she had been withholding now slipped down her cheeks. As she felt her hands starting to fall away from the rock, she cried for everything that she had gone through, from what she remembered to the things that she had completely blocked out, and for the life that she had never had the opportunity to live. It was pain that she couldn't explain, and yet feeling it suddenly made her feel free.
A crash beside her brought Zsilvia's attention back to the present moment. Just inches away from her, the roots of one of the large trees on the other side of the reflected sky had dropped onto the dirt.
"Hold on, Zsilvia," George said.
She glanced over her shoulder and saw George scrambling down the length of the tree toward her. Fear rose within her chest. He was moving quickly down the prone tree without holding onto anything. At any second his feet could slip and he would fall into the reflected sky. Her hands slipped again and Zsilvia let out a gasp. She fought to keep her grasp, but her muscles were weak and tired, and the sweat on her palms made them slick. Her eyes closed and she let out the breath that made her lungs burn.
Zsilvia's hands released from the rock and her body began to slide back through the dirt. Her hips had just dropped off of the edge when she felt the movement stop and a strong grasp take hold of her wrist. She looked up and saw George standing on the bank, one hand gripping a piece protruding from the edge of a massive boulder as the other held tightly to her arm. It was the same grip that had frightened her so deeply when she went to his house with him on the first night he was on the compound, the grip that had made her question everything that she had been feeling and everything that she believed about her life and her future. This time, however, it felt protective and safe.
George took a step back, pulling her up slightly. Zsilvia looked into his eyes and felt everything around her disappear.
"Trust me," George whispered.
Zsilvia felt her heart jump, but the words sank into her and she felt herself lift her other hand and grab onto his wrist. The moment of reciprocation exchanged the energy and need between them, encompassing everything that had built within each of them and multiplying it. Zsilvia felt her body pulling up until she was able to dig her knee into the ground and crawl away from the edge. She sagged into the ground, gasping against a breath she didn't realize she was holding, and watching as tears splashed into the dirt beneath her.
The voices of all of the women crashed around her and Zsilvia could hear them coming toward her over the tree. Questions, demands, and shouts seemed to pound around her, pressing down on her until they constricted her lungs and cut off her breath. Finally she held up her hand behind her.
"Stop," she said, her head still hanging.
The voices silenced, but she could still feel that they were standing close behind her.
"Leave her alone," Loralia said, "Let her be." Loralia crouched down beside Zsilvia and placed a hand on her back, "Come with me."
Zsilvia allowed Loralia to help her to her feet and guide her away from the others toward the back of the cavern. The glow from her skin illuminated the darkness around them and Zsilvia followed Loralia into a tunnel that led away from the front chamber and down into another. They walked along in silence, but Zsilvia felt oddly comforted by the quiet, peaceful woman's presence.
Loralia led Zsilvia through a larger chamber and down another tunnel and then a third into a small but high-ceilinged space that felt airy and fresh. The air was cool around her, but she could see steam rising behind a partial wall created by stone formations meeting from the floor and ceiling of the chamber.
"You are safe here, Zsilvia. Relax. Take a bath if you'd like. That storm isn't going to end anytime soon. When you're ready, come back to the main chamber and take the other tunnel down into the second cavern. That's where I'm going to bring the rest of the group."
"Thank you, Loralia," Zsilvia said.
"Of course."
As soon as Loralia left the chamber, Zsilvia started toward the steam at the back of the space. She bathed in the warm, deep water, allowing it to ease the pain and tension in her muscles and wash away the dirt from her hands. By the time she finished her bath, her tears had stopped but she didn't want to go back to the rest of the group. Instead, she stepped out of bath, wrapped herself in one of the wide, thick towels that had been stacked beside the pool, and roamed around the space. It was a strange feeling being there, almost as though she were walking through a memory. She knew this had been the private home of someone once, a space that had been cherished and calming to one of Loralia's kind. She wondered how long it had been since the person who had lived in that particular space had succumbed to the illness, and how long after that it had been before Loralia had stepped into the chamber and claimed it as her own.
"Why won't you speak to me?"
Chapter Ten
The sound of George's voice startled Zsilvia and she turned to him, pulling the towel closer around her to conceal her body completely.
"George," she breathed, not sure what emotion was in the name.
"Why won't you speak to me?" he repeated, stepping closer to her from the entrance to the chamber.
"What are you doing in here? Loralia said that she was bringing everyone to another cavern."
"She did, but she told me where she had brought you so that I could come talk to you."
In that moment Zsilvia realized that Loralia hadn't meant that she alone would be safe in that chamber, but that she would be safe with her thoughts and her words.
"I'm not dressed."
"I don't care."
George took another step closer.
"I do."
"Why are you avoiding me?"
"I'm not avoiding you."
Zsilvia pulled the towel closer, but couldn't bring herself to step away from him even as he drew closer.
"Yes you are. You have barely spoken a word to me since the other night. What happened?"
"Nothing happened. I haven't been avoiding you. I have been with you every day."
"You have been near me, yes, but it's like you put up a wall between us. That first night that I was here, before Zuri came to the house, and then the day before the shuttle came, I thought…"
"You thought what, George? That I could entertain you until Ivy came?"
George looked stung.
"What are you talking about?"
"I've seen the way she looks at you, and of course I can't blame her, but I also can't compete with her. She is so small and delicate and beautiful. She's everything that I'm not, so why would you want anything to do with me now that she's here?"
George took a step to close the space between them.
"Because I love you."
"What?"
Zsilvia couldn't allow herself to believe what she had just heard.
"Ivy means nothing more to me than an assistant. You are everything. You are beautiful and strong and sexy, and I have loved you from the first moment that I saw you. You should never feel anything less than stunning."
"It isn't just that," Zsilvia said.
His declaration of love was entrancing and she wanted to hear it again, but it wasn't enough to erase the fears that still hovered in the back of her mind.
"What is it?"
Zsilvia looked into George's eyes and felt her body respond to him. Knowing that there was nothing left for her to lose, nothing to sacrifice but the pain that had followed her throughout her life, she told him what she had told Eden, detailing the horror she had faced and the betrayal she had felt when there was no one there to believe her, to protect her, or to even care.
By the time she was finished, George's jaw was squared with anger and she could see emotion sparkling in his eyes.
"I am so sorry that you went through that, and if I made it worse for you. I would never have come on to you that strong if I had known."
"You couldn't have known," Zsilvia said.
"I would never hurt you."
George stepped closer to her again.
"George," Zsilvia whispered.
"You never deserved to be treated that way. I wish that I had been here."
Zsilvia could feel her breath slowing and deepening.
"You didn't even know that I existed then."
"I should have. I should have been with you. I should have been the only person to ever touch you."
"I'm sorry," Zsilvia said.
"No," George said, stepping up to her so that his face brushed hers, "Never say you're sorry. You did nothing wrong."
Zsilvia tilted her face toward his to get more of the touch of his skin and the feeling of his breath along her jawline and neck.
"I have known since the moment I saw you that you were meant to be my mate. I've wanted you more than I could ever have imagined wanting anyone or anything. I wish that I had waited for you, that you could be the only man that has ever touched me."
George nuzzled her nose with his.
"We have lost so much time," he whispered, "let's not lose any more wishing for something that we can't change. I may not be able to take away what was done to you, but I can promise you that from this moment forward I will be the only man who will ever touch you, and that I will never do anything to make you fear me. I want to show you how you should be touched."
"Please."
"But I won't do anything without your permission. I want to bond with you the way you deserve. May I kiss you?"
"Yes."
"Thank you."
George leaned forward and gently caught Zsilvia's lips with his. His mouth moved tenderly over hers, the kiss as rich and luxurious as the one he had given her outside of his cabin the night before Ivy's shuttle arrived. After a moment he lifted his mouth away from hers, giving them both a chance to catch their breath.
"May I kiss you again?"
Zsilvia nodded and George dipped his head to capture her mouth again, bringing his hands to her hips. The tip of his tongue touched the inside of her lips, coaxing her to open them so that he could explore her more thoroughly. Zsilvia complied, opening her mouth and inviting his tongue in across hers. George moaned softly and pulled closer to Zsilvia so that their bodies touched. She could feel the pressure of his erection and her need for him began to spiral, but he moved without urgency.
"May I take your towel off?"
"Yes."
George's hands moved from her hips to the fold of the towel at her breasts and slowly released it, revealing her body reverently.
"You are the most magnificent thing I have ever seen," he said softly and Zsilvia felt her knees weaken slightly.
"I want to see you."
George stepped back to allow Zsilvia to take the hem of his shirt in her hands and peel it off over his head, kicking off his boots and socks and she went to work on his belt. They moved slowly, savoring each moment as they relinquished themselves to the feelings that they had been experiencing since the first second their eyes met.
"May I touch you?"
"I am yours," Zsilvia said, meaning the words with every ounce of her essence, "I have always been yours. You may do with me whatever you'd like."
"You are giving yourself to me?"
"Yes."
"All of you?"
George lifted one hand to stroke along the outer swell of one of her breasts and then brushed the pad of his thumb across her nipple. Zsilvia gasped at the touch and arched her back into it, touching her hands to his shoulders to give herself strength.
"Yes."
George took her hand and led her to the low bed against the far wall. He guided her onto it so that they knelt together in the middle of the mattress, their bodies just touching.
"Forever?"
"Always."
Tucking his hand behind her head, George led her down onto the bed. He lay on his stomach in front of her, slipping his arms beneath her legs so that she bent her knees slightly. Resting one hand to her stomach, George sought hers with the other, intertwining their fingers on the mattress beside her. He looked into her eyes as he leaned forward and drew his tongue through her core. Zsilvia's breath caught in her throat and her body arched off of the bed with the force of the unexpected, unknown touch. George pulled back slightly and blew a gentle stream of air onto her until her body relaxed. He repeated the movement, sweeping his tongue along her folds, tenderly bringing her forward so that her body opened to him.
After a few moments of the delirious feeling of his tongue, Zsilvia felt George sit back on his feet and reach for her hands. He pulled her toward him and their foreheads met. Her body trembled and she closed her eyes to focus on that singular moment.
"Make love to me, George."
Zsilvia handed her control over to him, completely letting go of what lay behind her and offering herself entirely to this man who had proven to her that she no longer had to be afraid.
George cupped his hands around the backs of her thighs and guided her forward, lifting her so that her legs went to either side of his hips where he knelt. His hand touched her lower back and his eyes burned into hers, holding them unwaveringly as he brought her forward so that the warmth of her opening nestled against the tip of his erection. Zsilvia wrapped her arms around his neck, grasping at his back as George eased her hips down so that she enveloped his shaft within her.
Zsilvia gasped at the feeling of him stretching her, filling her after so many years of having no one near her. He held her firmly against him and maneuvered so that he could rest her back against the pillows and come down on top of her without withdrawing from her. She felt shielded by his body, protected by the beautiful muscles and powerful strength rather than intimidated by them. George moved within her slowly and Zsilvia drew her knees up to open further to him. The movement drove him deeper within her and George cried out. He stilled, holding himself deeply inside her but not moving as if fighting to maintain control.
When he seemed to have regained his composure, George began to move again, the long, slow strokes massaging her and building pressure deep in her belly like she had never experienced. She knew that she was climbing toward a climax, but it was the first that she would experience from another person and she felt slightly overwhelmed.
"Are you alright?" George asked, pushing back to look into her face.
"No one has ever…"
He thrust into her and Zsilvia gave a sharp cry.
"Ever?" George asked leadingly.
"No one has ever made me…"
He gave another slightly harder thrust and Zsilvia bit her bottom lip against a moan, allowing her eyes to close as she lifted her hips toward him. George came down over her so that his body touched hers from the chest down and his mouth came to the soft place just beneath her ear.
"I guess that does make me your first."
He touched his mouth to hers, kissing her deeply as he picked up his rhythm. She gave herself over to the sensation of him and let his body nurture hers as she continued to spiral higher. Suddenly the intensity grew to almost unbearable before it shattered around her, releasing into a series of spasms that drew George deeper into her body and brought groans of satisfaction from his chest.
"I love how that feels," he whispered to her, rocking his hips to meet her contractions.
Zsilvia gasped for breath and reached up to take his head in her hands.
"George," she said and then waited until he opened his eyes to look at her, "Fill me."
That simple statement seemed to push George beyond the brink of his control and he gave a deep grunt before starting a faster, harder pace with his hips. Zsilvia writhed beneath him, savoring each fulfilling thrust as his sounds grew louder and more frantic. He gave a final hard thrust and Zsilvia felt his cock throb, pulsing wildly as the heat streamed from his body and filled her just as she had asked.
George dropped down be
side her, scooping Zsilvia into his arms so that their legs tangled and her head came to rest on his chest.
"I love you," she finally let herself whisper.
Now that their bond was complete, she felt stronger, better prepared to face whatever challenges lay in their way, and that was put to the test almost immediately.
George reached down to draw the covers up over them, but before Zsilvia could let herself drift to sleep in his arms she heard a frantic shout from the mouth of the cavern.
"Zsilvia! George!"
Loralia's voice sounded terrified and Zsilvia sat upright. She scrambled to grab George's pants and toss them to him so that he was covered by the time Loralia appeared in front of them.
"We need to go," Loralia said.
"Has the storm stopped?" Zsilvia asked.
"It doesn't matter. We need to leave and go to the settlement as fast as we can."
"What's happening?" George asked.
"I just heard from Bannack," Loralia said, sounding as though she was choking back emotion so that she could communicate with them clearly. "The first of the Covra are hatching."
(To be continued in Part VIII…)
Book 8
Chapter One
The scream from across the settlement was still ringing in Lynx's ears even as he stared down at the lifeless body of the man in the middle of the road. He felt paralyzed even as the other warriors around him tried to get his attention. Finally he felt a hand grab him by the back of the neck and shake him until he turned around and faced Ero.
"What do we do, Lynx?" Ero asked.
Lynx shook his head, trying to regain his focus so that he could think clearly.
"I don't…" he started.
Ero shook him again and a sharp pain shot down Lynx's neck and along his back, helping to cut through the fogginess in his mind.
"You don't get to not know," Ero said. "Pyra left you in charge for a reason and now you have to figure out what we are going to do about this."
Lynx nodded. Ero was right. Pyra had entrusted him with the honor of being in charge of the settlement while he and half of the others had gone off to find a nearby kingdom that had maintained good relations with the Light Ones for the years leading up to the Covra locking the settlement in place. Their powerful leader had overlooked other, older, and potentially more capable warriors to give Lynx control over those who had stayed behind to look after the Light Ones and the settlement. It was his responsibility and his duty to Pyra and the rest of the Denynso to stay calm and help them decide how they were going to move forward.
Alien Romance Box Set: Uoria Mates II Complete Series (Books 1 - 10): A Sci-fi Alien Warrior Invasion Abduction Romance Page 31