She rubbed handfuls over his smooth skin, marveling at the layers of hard muscle just below the surface. Checking to make certain he was still unconscious, she gave in to curiosity and took his manhood in her hand. She ran her fingers up and down the length of him, from the tip all the way to where it protruded from his body. His wasn’t short and squat, as Eli’s had been.
She cupped it in her hand, rubbing the slick mass of leaves onto it. His skin was so warm there. So smooth. To her amazement, it grew longer in her hand. Hotter. Harder. Lexi stared at it, both horrified and fascinated at the idea that something so big could ever fit into a woman’s vaginal opening. His thick finger had been the size of her holographic lover’s probe, filling her completely. But this was so much bigger. Maybe the women of his Tryb had larger vaginal canals than women on Earth, she mused, allowing them to take in something so huge.
Her rear passage tingled, reminding Lexi of what he’d done there. She heard his voice again, explaining that to derive the full effect, the leaves must be introduced inside the body as well as out. Steeling herself, she rubbed a handful of the leaves together, liberally coating one finger with the slick substance. Then she ran her hand further down between his legs, feeling for the tight pucker of his anal opening. Tentatively, she mimicked what he’d done to her, working bits of the salisis leaves into his rear passage with the tip of her finger.
He shuddered and let out a harsh groan. His eyes never opened but his hand shot out, grabbing her wrist and guiding her hand to circle his manhood instead. His fingers clamped around hers, moving her hand up and down its length from base to tip.
Embarrassed at being caught, Lexi tried to pull her hand away. But it was no use. His fingers held hers firmly in place. Eyes still closed, he muttered something as he guided her to stroke faster. His erection grew even stiffer as her hand slid up and down, aided by the slick leaves. He tensed. Suddenly, his body jerked and a thick milky white stream shot out of the tip, spraying her stomach and breasts.
Lexi had learned about semen. But she’d never seen the process by which a man produced it. She’d had a shocking jolt of arousal when he wrapped her fingers around his erection, guiding her. Feeling it swell in her hand, listening to his breathing quicken as he reached gratification. Now she ran a hand slowly over her breast, reveling in the strange sensation the substance created where it touched her skin.
It was all so new. Today he’d kissed her for the first time, invaded her mouth with his tongue, gotten her whole body tingling. Then he moved his finger in and out of her bottom, making her heart race and her pussy clench. Somehow, he brought her to gratification, taking her higher than she ever had been using only his bare hand. Now she’d done the same to him. No probes. No holograms. No mechanical devices. These ancient practices of physical stimulation leading to sexual arousal and then gratification—they were intoxicating. Why had her people ever given them up?
His breathing slowed. The tremors ceased and his iron grip on her hand loosened. He seemed to have fallen asleep again. Lexi waded back into the water, scrubbed her hair with the last of the leaves, then ducked her head under. She rubbed traces of salisis off her body. Her fingers lingered on her nipples, still tingling from his touch.
That odd metallic taste at the back of her throat was growing stronger. She waded back to shore, looking for the flask of water. Ayron had shoved the lit torch into the damp sand and dropped the spares he carried alongside it. She saw the water flask she’d been toting nearby and grabbed it.
She swallowed a few gulps, then retched. Drinking only made the taste worse. Her head was spinning. Then she remembered the smaller bundle of herbs. Nadina had crushed them, mixed them with water and made her drink a whole flask of the nasty-tasting stuff. Apparently it was a necessary part of the treatment to leach the sun’s poison out of her body. She scanned the area. Torn shreds from the empty packets of salisis lay scattered on the sand. But the bundle of herbs he’d entrusted her with were nowhere to be found. Lexi realized she must have dropped them somewhere along their route.
She knelt beside Ayron. He was still out cold. He’d neglected his own body to slather salisis on hers. Surely he needed the herbs now as badly as she did, maybe more. She picked up one of the spare torches and touched it to the lit one. Holding the flame high above her head, she gave the area another scan. Still nothing.
Heart sinking, she realized what she’d have to do. Retrace their steps through the labyrinth of passages. She knew Ayron had been bleeding, despite the makeshift bandages he’d made out of strips of the cloth from her breast covering. She’d try to find her way following drops of blood, looking for the occasional smudge of a footprint they may have left in the patches of soft soil here and there on the cave floor.
Lexi got on all fours and gathered every scrap of fabric she could find from the torn packets. She’d drop a piece every time she entered a new tunnel, using them as markers to make her way back. She took one last look at the unconscious man, then got to her feet. Raising the torch high, she squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and headed back down the long dark passageway.
* * *
Eyes still closed, Ayron rolled over on his side, stretching out one arm to pull her close. Naia had been a brazen little wench last night. She’d taken advantage of his exhaustion, creeping into bed next to him and running her soft hands all over him while he was asleep. Then she’d been very naughty, doing that thing she always teased she’d do someday. She’d slipped one finger up into his ass, the way he always did to her when he wanted to arouse her wildest hunger.
He’d already been hard from her hands roaming over his body. He remembered waking up just enough to grab her wrist. He’d wrapped those tantalizing fingers around his stiff rod, making her finish what she’d started before he fell asleep again. Now he and his cock were both awakening. He gave a low growl and groped for her. Ready to pull her face-down over his thighs and administer the spanking he’d sworn to deliver if she ever followed through on her wicked threat. Already planning to follow it up with the lovemaking she’d missed last night.
His hand came up empty. No doubt she’d gone to Judah, cradling him in her arms and suckling him at his first tiny whimper, keeping the baby quiet so he could sleep undisturbed. But something wasn’t right. He stretched his hand out further. There was no lingering scent of her, no soft nest of furs underneath him. Only hard ground.
His eyes popped open. He squinted in the torchlight, making out a glowing ceiling high above. The sound of rushing water became a roaring in his ears. Consciousness snapped back in. He was hit with a wave of nausea. His stomach churned and he rolled over, retching.
Painfully he got to his knees and scanned the grotto. The waterfall at one end of the cave splashed noisily into a deep blue pool spreading out to fill nearly half the huge cavern. A tangled riot of purple and blue vines fell along the edges. Taller trees ringing the pool grew nearly all the way to where the roof glowed with multicolored stones.
Grief hit him, worse than a blow to the gut. It had all been a dream. Naia was gone. And so was their son. He’d brought her here to the grotto for their first mating. It was one of the most beautiful natural wonders on Iridia, seldom visited because the journey here was long and treacherous. But they were young and in love, seeking the privacy only a place like this could afford. They’d come twice more over the years. Naia had been certain Judah was conceived here during their last visit. He hadn’t set foot in the place since.
He stood up and made a full circle. The female was nowhere to be seen. She must have wandered off somewhere while he slept. He cursed Eva and her contest. Cursed Eli for being the one to find her. Cursed his own overdeveloped sense of responsibility. He’d been the one who originally brought her into the Tryb. He felt obligated to rescue her from being claimed by a cruel master. Had it been one of the other men, maybe he would have been able to sneak out of the cave after finding them together, leaving her to her fate without a qualm.
He wasn’t
sorry he’d killed Eli. If he hadn’t, he’d be the one lying on the floor of the cave right now. The man would have plunged the knife into his neck without flinching. In a battle to the death, there was no room for remorse. Besides, Eli was a troublemaker. Always had been. He had a nasty streak in him that seemed to have gotten worse over the years. Ayron knew in his heart if he hadn’t killed Eli, it was only a matter of time before the man wreaked havoc in the Tryb.
But now the female was his problem, at least until he could drag her back home and foist her off on his grandmother. Controlling this outsider wouldn’t be easy. Serves her right, the meddlesome old biddy, he told himself angrily.
He looked down at himself, covered with dried bits of salisis. His body tingled all over, inside as well as on the outside. Slowly he came to the realization that his dream was no dream. The female he thought was so innocent had been the one insolently running her hands all over him. Based on the lingering aftereffects, she must have gone so far as to coat her finger with salisis and slide it up his ass while he lay helpless on the ground.
He tried to muster up a sense of outrage at the violation. But all he felt was a grudging admiration for her boldness. That, and a stirring in his cock. She’d been furious at first, glaring at him angrily when he worked the salisis into her backside with his finger. Then she started panting heavily and threw herself against him. Wanting more. Demanding more. He’d obliged, brought her to—what had she called it? Gratification. By the time she finished moaning and writhing against him, it had taken every ounce of his self-control not to throw her on the ground and take her then and there.
He remembered feeling suddenly weak afterwards. Then nothing—until he was roused by those hands roaming all over his body. He’d been half-conscious, but his cock had woken enough to demand attention. Especially after the little spitfire did to him what no woman ever dared to do before. Did she think she was saving his life? Or was she simply trying to get back at him for doing it to her?
Ayron waded into the water, scrubbing the last bits of green from his skin. Then he dressed and grabbed the torch. Cursing, he set off after her, his anger growing with every step. The little fool must know she wouldn’t get far. Yet she persisted in trying to run away. Look what happened when she took off out of the cave, he fumed. She’d nearly been the death of both of them.
He’d always wondered if maybe he’d been too soft with Naia. To be fair, she’d never really given him reason to punish her harshly. She’d been gentle. Compliant. She didn’t have the fiery nature he’d seen in Eva’s prize.
In deference to her delicate nature, he’d never spanked Naia properly, like the other men of the Tryb did to their mates. The few times he did, she’d been so contrite, crying and begging his forgiveness, that he ended up cuddling her after only a few whacks. Then she’d slide to her knees in front of him, take his cock into her mouth, and please him the way she knew he loved to be pleased.
Maybe if I had been more firm with her, spanked her more often, she wouldn’t have ignored me and gone off with Judah when she knew I didn’t want her to. Maybe she wouldn’t have died. The thought popped unbidden into his mind, adding to his resolve. He vowed to start out right with this one when he caught up with her. Show her who was master. If any woman deserved a good spanking, this troublesome female surely did.
* * *
Lexi turned left into the passage, snatching up the bit of cloth she’d dropped at its entrance. She hurried along clutching the precious bundle of herbs she’d recovered, hoping she could get back before Ayron woke. Hoping he’d suffered no lasting harm. She didn’t know how important the herbal drink was to their healing. All she knew was without it her thirst had grown and she felt like there was a beast gnawing at her belly.
When she spied a dim glow in the distance, she thought it was the torch she’d left burning in the sand back in the grotto. But it was too soon. By her count, she had three turns left to go. The glow came closer and she heard a shout.
She took a few running steps, made another turn—and came face to face with Ayron.
“You’re alive!”
He grabbed her by the arm and shook her. “No thanks to you. Where in the name of all the gods did you think you were going? Haven’t you learned you can’t survive out there all alone?”
“But I…”
He never gave her time to finish. He grabbed the torch from her hand and shoved it into a crevice along with his own. Then he dropped onto a nearby rock and pulled her face-down over his lap. His hand cracked down on her naked bottom.
“I’ll teach you not to run away,” he growled, smacking her again.
“Stop it! I was only…”
Another vicious whack took her breath away.
“I don’t care what you thought you were doing. You will never… never… never leave my side again without permission. Do you understand?”
He emphasized his words with harsh blows from the flat of his hand. Lexi thought he’d spanked her hard when she refused to take off the cylerian. But that had been nothing compared to the thrashing he was intent on delivering. His palm connected with her bare bottom again. She heard the crack, then hissed as the pain took hold, searing her tender skin with another lick of fire.
It was every bit as bad as the searing rays of the sun had been. Worse, because she couldn’t escape into darkness, couldn’t cloak herself to stop the agony. Every attempt she made to explain only seemed to fuel his outrage, earning her more fierce whacks. She struggled against him. But when her body rubbed up against the rock-hard bulge under his garment, it seemed to make him even angrier.
“You won’t be using that sweet little pussy to change my mind! Not this time. You’re getting the spanking you deserve. The spanking I should have given you long ago…”
His words died off, echoing down the stone walls of the passage. Suddenly, he stood up, shoving her aside roughly. Lexi fell to her knees. She stayed huddled there, trying not to burst into tears. Afraid to do anything that might inflame his anger any further. She didn’t think she could endure even one more whack on her aching bottom.
He stood with his back to her, chest heaving. If she didn’t know better, she’d have thought he was racked with sobs. After what seemed like forever, he reached up, grabbed the two torches and started back down the passage.
“Come on,” he barked, still without looking at her.
She managed to find her voice. “Wait. I need the light. The herbs…” She was scrabbling on the ground, desperate to find the bundle that had gotten her into so much trouble.
He whirled around and snapped at her. “Herbs? What are you talking about?”
“The herbs,” she sniffed, swiping a hand across her eyes. “The ones we need for the drink. I dropped them in the passage. I had to go back and find them. Here they are,” she declared, holding up a dry, grayish-green bundle.
“That’s why you left?” He held one of the torches out toward her, throwing his body into the shadows. She shielded her eyes from the blinding flame, unable to see the expression on his face.
“We need them. I was afraid you’d… we’d die if we didn’t have the drink.”
“We wouldn’t die. But we will heal sooner with it. Be able to travel in a few days.” His voice was expressionless. “Still, you shouldn’t have gone off alone like that. You could have been lost forever in this maze of passageways. Been dead long before I found you.”
She held up a scrap of fabric. “I left a trail. With these. I dropped one every time I turned. So I could find my way back.”
He made a sound deep in his throat that turned into a cough. Had it been anyone else, she’d have thought he was stifling a laugh.
“Apparently it worked.”
He took off down the passage with long strides, leaving her to hurry along behind breathlessly. The way back seemed much shorter than her frightening solitary journey. In only a few minutes they’d reached the entrance to the grotto again.
Despite her thirst, Lexi stopp
ed dead. When they got here earlier, she’d been in such agony she barely noticed her surroundings. But now she took a good look around.
She had never seen such a beautiful place. Perhaps the fact it existed at all on this barren planet added to the impact. But even on Earth, she was certain nothing like it could be found.
The dark passageway opened onto a grotto. A wonderland. There was no other word for it. High above her head, glowing stones studded the ceiling of the cavern, like multicolored stars in the sky. At one end, a waterfall three times her height poured into the turquoise blue pool from an underground river. Vines tumbled down over the rocks alongside it, bearing leaves of such dark blue they were nearly purple. There were even trees growing here, ones she’d never seen before. The scientist in her longed to examine them, discover how they could thrive in this environment.
But it was a spot on the cavern wall opposite the waterfall that took her breath away. The mountain holding this cavern had eroded away enough that veins of translucent crystal running through the rock had been laid bare on the outside. Now rays of the twin suns shone through them, bathing the entire cave in soft glowing light. It was like standing inside a medieval cathedral when the sun hit a stained glass window. Soft cerulean, emerald green, rose pink, pale amethyst—light poured in through the crystals, projecting every color imaginable onto the floor and walls of the grotto.
She knew even in her desperate state earlier, she’d never have missed seeing this. Comprehension dawned. “It’s the time of day. This only happens when the suns start descending toward the horizon.”
Beside her, Ayron nodded. He’d been standing there in silence, watching her face. “We call this the Grotto of Light. The harmful effects of the suns are filtered here, through the crystals. The glowing stones above us absorb the light in the daytime. They shine during the hours of darkness, like the night sky in the outlands.”
His to Claim (Alien Masters Book 2) Page 9