The wall between Archon and Naelia’s emotions burst and Archon was suddenly drowning in her emotions. Fear, despair, anxiety, and depression came off her in waves. The pain was so intense that it was actually causing a buzzing sound in his ears. He tried to push through the pain and listen to Naelia's words. She was doing her best to try to tell him that she was leaving him. Her words however didn’t have the impact she expected. Archon understood. He knew she loved him and that she was just looking for a way to survive. It was her pain after all that was crippling him.
Naelia was his lifemate and no matter what it took, he would make sure that they would always be together. If she needs to live in the lava tubes, he would find a way to make that work. Hell there were perfectly good tubes just beneath Fort Nuuk with a thriving Venusian community. It was just that simple. The UFE and this base meant nothing to him without her in it.
He was positive he could find a way to still be an intricate part of his UFE unit while taking his downtime with Naelia in her home in the lava tubes. There were no laws or rules that demanded he live above ground on base with the others. In fact isn’t that what the outer-ring is about in the first place? Having a safe home deep in the lava tubes beneath Fort Nuuk was the right thing for Naelia and the babies.
Naelia was his life. She was more important than anything else in the world. If she wanted to live in the lava tubes he was fine with that. It was a little too warm for him but he would make it work. He would however never let her say goodbye. She is his lifemate and they are meant to be together no matter what. There were some that could shame him for not making that clear to Naelia before that day. Archon would ensure that she never again had to wonder what he would choose… It would always be Naelia.
Archon immediately started to absorb more of her pain until he helped her to calm down enough to convince her that she would not be leaving without him. He said it again and again out loud to her until it finally sunk in. He and Naelia were meant to be together and they could and would work together… They would always make it work together.
Right now however, he needed to take immediate steps to relieve her anxiety. After just a few seconds of thought, he decided that the best course of action was to immediately get her out of the barracks and off the base. He packed up everything they collected in their time there, and they went on foot through cave entrance and down into the lava tubes that ran beneath the base.
There was a small group of Venusians that called the cave home. The leader Rhellia had introduced herself just the day before at one of the pre wedding celebrations and said she would be happy to have them as guests for the honey moon. Archon was pretty sure Rhellia would welcome them as permanent members of the clan.
Archon hoped this would be enough. He prayed these tubes take some of the pressure off of Naelia. He really hoped she wasn’t insistent on returning to the lava tubes she grew up in under the Sahara desert. He would make it work, but it would be very hard. That was a decision however that didn’t need to be made right away. Instead, they decided to make this their temporary home, and leave the rest for another day.
In Archon’s mind, living in these tubes beneath Fort Nuuk gave them the best of both worlds. He could continue to spend time ad do missions with his UFE team, while retiring home to the lava tunes between missions and at night with his lifemate and children. It also meant they could go topside during the day and continue with the wedding celebration, but spend every night no matter what in the tubes.
Returning to the tubes under the Sahara however would be a major hardship. For one, it would be dangerous for him to come topside. The Reptilians and Greens dominate the desert. That meant he would have to give up his position in the UFE. It also meant he would have to have a new robotic enhancement to regulate his core body temperature. That little enhancement isn’t one of the easiest to survive. Still, if Rhellia doesn’t welcome them or if Naelia isn’t one hundred percent happy, he would do it all for her.
About an hour into the descent Naelia asked if he would mind if she removed some of her clothing. Archon smiled and assured her that was fine with him. She pulled off her coat, shoes and dress, then let down her hair. She stood before him in nothing but her shift, her skin shimmered and glistened. In that moment he realized this was the way she should always look. So perfect without all the Earthling clothes piled upon her.
At the pace Naelia was able to go, it took them about three hours to make it to the core of Rhellia’s camp. If Archon had been on his own he could have moved double time and arrived there in less than an hour. As Archon expected, Rhellia was excited to have them as her guest. She immediately put them in a large room on the east side of the caves.
A woman named Qyrlyn brought fresh clothes, water and food to their room. Qyrlyn was one of the regular Venusian woman that serviced Archon’s unit. She smiled and suggestively offered her services the moment she recognized him. Rhellia’s clan loved Archon’s UFE unit. As the elite unit on base they had special privileges. Privileges that extended to their Venusian concubines. It seemed Rhellia and the others felt like it was an honor and pleasure to have Archon and his finance chose to stay with them.
After just a twenty minute rest, Archon was pleasantly surprised to see Naelia had rosy cheeks and bright happy smile. She looked like she was happy here. She chose to wear the Venusian silks provided by Qyrlyn instead of the clothes they brought with them. She kept her hair down and her feet bare.
Archon felt her renewed mental strength and his soul seemed to be satisfied with her wellbeing. It gave him hope that this room could become their new home. It was amazing how one day in the lave tubes could do so much for her mental health. She seemed to be almost back to carefree woman Archon had come to love and respect. Archon smiled and moved forward and pulled her into a warm embrace. She hugged him back then cupped his face in her hands.
“Archon, thank you for showing such patience and care for my needs. This feels right. This feels like it could be our home. Thank you doing this for me.”
Naelia smiled brightly at him and Archon couldn’t stop from pressing his lips to her. Just as she had to return to the earth for comfort his soul needed to reconnect with hers. As soon as Archon felt Naelia’s soft full lips pressed tight to his...his body started to burn. He felt heat start low in his stomach and push its way out until every molecule in his body was smoldering with desire for his lifemate.
He felt Naelia grow tense and he knew she sensed his desire. He started to pull back thinking that she was uncomfortable with intimacy, but was pleasantly surprised when Naelia wove her hands in his hair and pulled him closer. Archon allowed his hands to fall to her small waist. They kissed and touched for hours until he finally had to stop or cause himself more pain than pleasure.
Archon pulled away and told Naelia that he was going for a swim in the pool. The pool was the main water supply for the camp. It was not only used for drinking, but was also used for bathing and recreational swimming. It was naturally heated by the lava that flowed deep beneath it. Naelia smiled and said she was tired and was going to get some rest, while the babies were still asleep.
Archon headed out to the lake his heart full of pain. He felt guilty and hated that he wanted more from her than she could give. His soul and his heart understood that his lifemate needed more time it was just his stupid body that couldn’t wait. It was going to be another long and frustrating night. He doubted the warm pool water would help take off the edge. For that reason, he decided rather than bathing in the hot water, he would instead run topside and take a proper cold shower in his units Barracks. That would also give him an opportunity to check in with me and the rest of our unit.
Chapter 17
Naelia was just going to lie down in bed when she heard a soft knocking. She moved toward the door and moved aside the silk flap that served to keep the room closed. Naelia was pleasantly surprised to see Qyrlyn standing at just outside.
“Naelia, can I come in to have a little talk with you?” Sh
e asked pleasantly.
Naelia pushed aside the silk and pointed inside indicating Qyrlyn could enter. The room was small, and the only place to sit was on the bed or on the Nahay mat on floor. As was the custom of the Venusians, Qyrlyn moved closer to the center of the room and immediately sat on the Nahay.
Naelia followed her and sat down so they were facing each other. They kissed briefly again in the custom of the Venusians then Naelia smiled and said casually
“Welcome Qyrlyn to my room. I’m not in the mood for sexual activities tonight. However it is a pleasure to have you visiting. Would you care to converse or are you looking for a sexual encounter?”
Qyrlyn gasped in surprise at Naelia’s bluntness then grabbed at her chest then immediately said
“Oh. Wow such plain speaking. I can appreciate that. I too would like to speak plainly. I think someone needs to tell you the truth. You are Venusian born but seem to lack the common sexual sense the rest of us Venusians have. I spoke to your mother Chisamea earlier today. She thought perhaps these words coming from a stranger would be easier for you.”
Qyrlyn’s swallowed hard then began to visibly quake. She took a deep breath and pressed her hand against her chest again before she continued
“I didn’t always live with our own people. I was born above ground in a Reptilian camp. My mother was a Venusian harlot that enjoyed the more deviant side of our nature. As such she drank too much and she let others take advantage of me. I was used in ways that I wasn’t ready for and didn’t find pleasurable more than once and I don’t like to talk about when I was a little girl. I know a Reptilian took away your choice and left you broken inside. Naelia we can help each other to heal if you want.”
Tears fell from Qyrlyn and Naelia’s eyes as they talked. Minutes turned to hours and still they sat and talked. Honestly before Qyrlyn told Naelia, she didn’t even really know what happened to her was even wrong. Venusian, females are often forced to endure the behavior of the males. They are not allowed or expected to fight. Male’s strength always prevails and eventually he will get what he wants. Naelia had been lying to herself about how much her submission to the Reptilian hurt her.
Qyrlyn told Naelia how sexual intimacy should really be between a man and a woman. How it can feel comfortable and pleasant with someone if the woman really wanted to be with the man. Naelia wondered what it would have been like with Archon. Could it really be pleasant? She hated the whole process of being with the Reptilian. He was rough and it hurt and Naelia felt helpless and violated. Qyrlyn held Naelia while cried for what the Reptilian took away from her.
Then Qyrlyn told her how people, especially Venusians, need to be intimate with their special someone. That it isn’t just custom for it to be done at regular intervals. That there is in fact a chemical reason why it is essential. That the sounds that have bene ringing in Naelia’s ears is from a lack of sexual activity. That her own body is demanding satisfaction. She explained how Venusians really do have to have it all the time to remain mentally healthy. That sex is just as important to their wellbeing as regatta. Then, in Naelia’s opinion she said the harshest words Naelia had ever heard
“You know, you’re not the only one suffering from lack of sex. Archon is suffering terrible because he didn’t have any intimacy with you. You get to just kiss him and touch him as often as you want. The intimacy is just enough to satisfy you. But that kind of behavior causes him real bad pain in his man parts. Blue balls. That man has been walking around for months with blue balls. If you don’t give what he needed soon… well, he's going to have to find another woman to take care of his needs. Now you don’t want to happen because he's a real fine man and every Venusian woman in this camp would be happy to have sex with him.”
Finally, Qyrlyn said she was tired and was ready to go back to her own room. Her words were still bouncing around in Naelia’s head and she decided she had to do something. So before Qyrlyn left, she asked her if she would instead stay and look after Brielle and Bryson while Naelia went to the lake for a quick swim with Archon.
Qyrlyn agreed and Naelia took off for the lake. Naelia wanted to ask him if what Qyrlyn said was true. She needed to know if he was in pain because she wasn’t intimate with him and most of all she wanted to be sure he had not gone searching for a woman to take care of the needs for him. Naelia arrived at the lake and was surprised when there was no sign of Archon. She called him several times, but received no response. Qyrlyn words were repeated over and over again in my brain.
“If you don’t give him what he needs soon, he is going to find another woman.”
Naelia dropped to the ground with her hands in her head full of anxiety and worry. She laid their locked in fear for several hours before she finally pulled herself back together enough to walk back to the room. When Qyrlyn saw her she huffed and put her warm arms around Naelia while she said
“Our talk was too late, wasn’t it? Your Earthling went looking for someone to relieve him. But don’t you worry about it because he’s in love with you. There is still time to get him back to your bed. Then, you can keep him there. Qyrlyn’s going tell you everything you need to know so that he will never go wandering again”
Archon took a quick cold shower and threw new clothes on before going in search of me. Archon found me sitting in the main dining room with Odelin and some Venusian concubines and some soldiers from the third and seventh battalions. Archon knew most of the visiting battalion members from past missions.
He smiled when he entered and was greeted warmly by everyone present. He sat down and fell easily into a friendly conversation. It was so nice to just chat about the days gone by. They like me, was very happy that Archon found his lifemate and all of us were looking forward to the wedding. It was nice to have life go on around us. It made what we did important. Life wasn’t the war, it was the wedding, babies and love that filled our moments when we weren’t on missions. The moment I excused myself to go home with Odelin, Archon stopped me.
“Can you give me a few minutes? I want to talk to you about something.”
I nodded and let Odelin know I would be home in a few minutes before sitting back down and facing Archon. I sat silently as I waited for him to gather his thoughts. I already knew what he was going to say. I knew all about the trouble Naelia was having living topside. I even knew they already more or less move in to the lava tubes with Rhellia’s clan. Still, I remained silent as stared at him with my cold eyes. Finally, he shook his head and blurted out everything. All the while, his natural instincts told him to keep silent yet he’d held nothing back. For some strange reason, he’d never been able to keep anything from me. None of my unit had. Hell, even the first time we met he’d been too honest for his own good.
Maybe it was because I listened, but didn’t judge. I always seemed to understand and make Archon and the rest of my unit feel like everything was right in the world even if it couldn’t be more wrong. I patted his back while he dried his tears. Then I told him that no matter where Archon lived or how many missions he participated or didn’t participate in, he and Naelia would always be family and that our unit would always be there for him. By the time we finished talking, Archon realized the sun was coming up. He kissed bid me good night.
Chapter 18
Archon made it back to his new home just before the sun came up. Naelia was still upset that he went last night and she wasn’t ready to talk to him yet so she pretended to be asleep. He climbed into bed next to her and Naelia was suddenly overcome by the smell of a sex.
She rolled over and looked at his serene resting face and couldn’t stop from thinking how he looked so content and satisfied. She was immediately reminded of how Qyrlyn told her that he would seek pleasure with other women. The thought made something inside of her chest ache with pain. A pain worse than she’d ever experience before.
She had a feeling inside of her that she didn’t even have words for. She had to get away from Archon before she acted out on the anger and pain. She was very ang
ry at him. She couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t just ask her for what he needed from her. Naelia was also at herself for being stupid and not knowing that sex was more than just a silly pastime. Naelia felt foolish that she made assumptions and didn’t ask. Now, she felt like her foolishness was probably going to cost her Archon.
With her anger and pain wrapped around her like a cloak of invisibility, Naelia crawled out of bed as quietly as she could, and scurried out of the room. She went immediately to Qyrlyn’s room and asked her to take care of her children for the day. Naelia needed some time alone and would most likely not be back by nightfall. Then she stripped naked and started walking deeper and deeper down the lava tubes.
Archon knew he was tired, but he was still surprised when he woke up to the sound of one of the child demanding breakfast. He rolled over expecting to see Naelia waking up to feed them. Instead he saw an empty where Naelia should be. Then, he looked over to crib in the corner of the room and was again surprised not to see Naelia. He took a breath and calmly listened for her. Nothing. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, then decided she must have gone outside to go to the bathroom.
His turn to be daddy. He would just need to keep them occupied until mommy came back. Archon swung his feet over the side of the bed and walked towards children. Bryson was getting crankier and another was having a seriously intense crying fit. Things would get really bad, really fast if his hunger wasn’t addressed soon. Archon lifted him in his arms and put his pinkie in his mouth to try to buy some time. Bryson accepted the pinkie and quieted down enough for Archon to hear movement outside. He looked towards the door in expectation of Naelia walking in at any moment, instead, he heard a light knock followed by a soft Hello. Archon recognized Qyrlyn’s voice right away
“Good day, Archon. Naelia stopped by a while ago and asked me to help you with the children today. She says she needs to spend some time mediating alone convening with Ewmjir. Can I come in and help? One of the children sound mightily hungry. As you know I recently lost my daughter. My breasts however still carry mother’s milk.”
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