by Rowan Bishop
Valarae’s body tensed up so fast she almost jumped. She spoke slowly through gritted teeth, “We… are going… to die.”
Akyra made the right decision, she knew it. So much that if Val slugged her for it, she would have to be okay with it.
I am not going to betray Raemus. Even it means giving up a chance to save everything I’ve ever fought for.
Jexica stepped in. “Val? Easy girl.”
But Valarae spun round, grabbed Jexica by the shirt and slammed her against the office wall. “No! I won’t go easy!” She let go of Jexica and spun round to Akyra again, who moved in to restrain her if she had to. “I won’t listen to any of this shit! You got us into this mess. I’m trying to get us out, and if you won’t let me, then you’re going to die because of it. Not me. You!”
Valarae stormed past Jexica out the door, who stared at Akyra with disbelief. “What was that?”
“Guess she she doesn’t want to get killed. You okay?”
Jexica rubbed her shoulders tenderly. “Yeah, no big thing.”
Akyra added, “Sorry. I shouldn’t have let it get to that.”
They stood in silence for moment before Jexica said, “I’m gonna go. I’ll check in with you later.” She grabbed the door handle. “You sure you don’t want to do it?”
Akyra sighed. “That’ll be all. Thank you, Jex.”
And then, she was alone.
She walked over to a table where Titans stacked some of their gear. Hastily, she rummaged around the packs and belts until she found a knife. A big knife.
A big fucking Titan knife.
Akyra set it on the table and stripped her shirt off. Making sure her hair was back out of the way, she rubbed her left shoulder.
It was right where it always was. She’d rubbed it, felt it, thought about it everyday of her life since the breeding program administrators strapped her whole body down, head to foot, and using a large pneumatic injector, shot the birth control bolt into the deep fatty subcutaneous layer of her shoulder.
All Sec-Ops soldiers had birth control injected into their skin, both men and women. That was part of the job. But Akyra already had it when she signed up. Her implant was a traumatic ordeal, however. Her implant went deeper—significantly deeper—than the other’s. And it was meant never to come out.
Akyra Roux was about to change that.
She found a first aid kit. Cleaned the site. Wrapped her shirt around her bicep to catch the blood. Some of it, at least. There was going to be… a lot of blood.
It took took her five minutes to slice open the skin, high enough on her shoulder only one eye could see the area. But she finally saw it, half the size of her pinky.
Once halfway through the excision, she grabbed another rag from someone’s pack and stuffed into her mouth—so she could scream.
The bolt was made of organic material, so it had long since bonded with the living tissue around it. Which meant she couldn’t simply squeeze it out, like a monstrous splinter. She cut it out. All the way.
Her screams alternated between muffled shrills and low groans. She used the screams to help keep her focused through the agony.
But her tears, rushing down her face in streams, were not due to the physical pain. The tears were actually tears of joy. Of relief. Of freedom.
She was sweating profusely, however. That was from the pain.
When the bolt was finally out, she tossed it on the bloody table. She’d never seen it before, only imagined it. But it was not what she expected. She leaned over to examine it, not surprised how faint she’d become. Blood covered the bolt, but a light blinked on one end. A small green light. Had it always blinked inside her?
Then, the green light stopped. It faded off. And another began to blink in its place.
A red one.
Akyra unwrapped the blood soaked shirt from her arm, jamming it into the two inch slice that, she finally noticed, pulsed a red stream.
Little Miss Roux? Can you hear me? Are you so afraid of your own blood all over again?
She fumbled her headset to her ear. “Gayla? Gayla, you on this channel? I think I need your help…”
Dropping the headset to the floor, she looked again at the birth control bolt she slashed from her body, remembering everything the act meant.
She watched the red flashing light, knowing it now sent a signal outward through the galaxy. Church guardians would know very soon. If she wasn’t planning on being dead so soon, they’d be on their way to kill her.
She laughed just before she passed out. “Bring it, fuckers,” she said to the ceiling, now lying on the floor in a pool of blood and tears. “You know where to find me now. I’ll be with my Titan.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Love was always ours.
We snatched it back
from the teeth of the gods.
graffiti found within the ancient ruins of the Grand Basilica on Mars
Gayla radioed Raemus soon after she found Akyra sleeping on the floor of the Titans HQ office.
It was a horrible scene, but Gayla quickly saw what had happened, that the wound wasn’t as bad as the bloody mess looked to be. Akyra cut an artery, but she was going to be fine. The floor of the Titans office, however, was going to need some serious cleanup.
Raemus was back at Ishkari Abbey within an hour, burning an insane amount of fuel rushing to be at the side of his true love.
“A little dazed,” Gayla told him privately. “but nothing serious. I’ve treated her for a lot worse, trust me. She probably had to get a little crazy up here,” she tapped her temple with a stylus, “to do that kind of surgery on herself. Pretty badass, if you ask me.”
Raemus nodded. “Can she still fight?”
Gayla smiled. “Hell yeah. She’s probably more pumped to fight now than ever.”
But Raemus realized he’d meant something else. What he really wanted to know was: can she still fuck?
It was a blunt, obscene thing to think. But he couldn’t help it. He needed her. He’d been craving her body again since the moment she fell into his arms from the roof of the carrier.
Of course he thought about fucking her. He loved her! He went to her room, and he went to find out whether she still could or not.
“Hi, big guy.” Akyra said from her bed, which the abbess offered her as a token of respect and honor while she recuperated.
Raemus dropped his flight gear in the doorway, and rushed to sit on the bed’s end. He tried not to stare at the bandage around her shoulder. He knew what happened. He knew what it meant. “Hello, sweetheart. You… get a bed?”
She shrugged. “Don’t really need it. But it’s nice.”
“But if you don’t really need it, why are you still in it?”
“I dunno, big guy. Maybe I’ve been waiting for you. Why did you come back to me?” Akyra leaned in to Raemus, wrapped her arm around his neck, and kissed him on the lips. A surge of pleasure and excitement flooded her whole body. She’d been thinking of that kiss nonstop for hours. And it was as good as she’d hoped.
He reached around her waist, pulling her to him, pressing his lips harder into hers… So soft, so full. So irresistible!
He grabbed the hem of her small white shirt and pulled it up over head, neither of them paying her bandage any heed. The pain from her stitches underneath, however, caused a her to wince.
“Sorry, Akyra. Are you gonna be okay to do this?”
“Oh hell yes, please don’t stop.” She kissed him. “Please don’t ever stop.” She kissed him again, opening her mouth to his, inviting his tongue to follow her own.
His hands followed the curve of her body down to her legs, pulling down the sheet, feeling that she wore only panties. He wrapped his fingers around the strap and pulled them down while she lifted her butt and helped wiggle them off.
Like before, even their deepest kisses were interrupted by their persistent smiles. Their lust for each other was immense, but they were simply astonished by the power of their love, and they jus
t couldn’t not smile at their happiness. Even as Akyra began grabbing Raemus’ crotch, tugging and pulling, feeling that thick cock through his pants.
She was naked—except for her bandage wrap and the simple, metal pendant. “Now it’s your turn.”
She got up on her knees on the bed, and pulled him up to his feet alongside. “You undo your shirt. I’ll take care of this.”
Akyra’s heart beat tremendously with excitement as she unhooked his belt and unlatched his pants, letting them gently slide down his powerful, thick thighs. Now there, right in front of her, bulging through his tight briefs was an equally powerful, broad cock.
She slid her fingertip into the top band of his briefs, paused to look up at his eyes and smile, then she tenderly pulled down the front of his briefs to reveal every inch of that heavy, gorgeous, kissable, suckable, absolutely fuckable fat cock.
It swung down and hung in front of her mouth, and she sucked in a deep breath. “You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to do this,” Akyra said. She opened her lips wide and gently glided her lips over the swollen head, feeling the immense heat of its skin on her tongue.
Both Raemus and Akyra groaned at the same time.
She placed both hands on his thighs, while gently, tenderly, lovingly, sucking his cock. As she did, she tugged his pants and briefs farther and farther down his legs. With the first few inches of his solid, hard cock still in her mouth, she looked upward, suddenly realizing how difficult it was, in fact, to smile with such a big one in her mouth. He already had his shirt off, and she was happy to see his face raised to the ceiling, his arms tense with pleasure.
“Get on this bed now, Raemus.”
But that was that last time she bossed him. Once he looked down to her, and she saw that his beautiful eyes had gone black, she knew he was now in charge.
And he was going to finally take her body the way he wanted.
They didn’t have much more time together.
But the one thing they didn’t get during their Shu’ri was time to lie together in bed after they’d made love. And, dammit, this time they were going to get it. Even it meant lingering on this bed that was impossibly too small for both their bodies, especially Raemus’ towering, muscled physique.
But they did their best. Even if it was comically awkward. For Akyra, she need only focus on the luxurious ache of her pussy that had, for the first time, been repeatedly fucked and filled without any birth control. It was exhilarating to imagine the possibilities of what Raemus’ sexy, warm blue cum was doing inside of her.
Akyra nestled her head into Raemus’ chest and closed her eyes, knowing their time now was getting shorter. She smiled.
After a few minutes of silence, Raemus asked, “Did you know humans used to mate for life. Or at least tried to?”
“Umm, maybe. I think I remember hearing something about that.”
“They called it marriage.”
Akyra thought about it. “Sounds nice.”
“The couple would pledge vows of support and monogamy. They would take the same name, sometimes the man’s name, sometimes the woman’s name. Then they lived together. Had a family.”
“Couldn’t they just pick a new name together?”
“We could do that.”
Akyra lifted her head to see his face. “Are we doing that?”
Raemus repeated Akyra’s own word, “Sounds nice.”
“What would our name be?” She returned her head back to his chest.
“It’d have to be something meaningful. Think about it.”
“Yeah, you too.”
Akyra sat up on the bed. When Raemus leaned up on an elbow, they stared at each other for several minutes. In that gaze, they silently tossed the idea of lifelong monogamy back and forth with their eyes, considering it, doubting it, craving it, dismissing it, and finally loving it.
But never forgetting for a moment this might be, despite their ideas, their last moment together. Forever.
“I don’t want this to end, Akyra.” He fell back to the bed, pulling her down on top of his body, hugging her tight.
“Me, neither.”
“I finally have you. You know?”
“Yeah. Five more minutes, okay?”
“Yeah. Okay.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Our father Raemus once recalled his galactic diplomats to the flourishing megacity of Ishkari, his capital on Minora. Upon their arrival, the diplomats hoped to receive detailed mandates, lengthy edicts, and meticulously crafted stipulations for the governance of the galaxy.
Instead, our father raised his fist for their attention, saying, “Friends shall know only kindness and grace. Enemies shall know only wrath and slaughter.”
He dismissed them, and his will spread throughout the galaxy without further ado.
The Collected Virtues of His Eminence Raemus Kolach Petrus, 2nd ed.
Akyra and Akino were once again in the Titan HQ, examining Pergamon from the hologram table. Raemus was back in the field. Half of the Titans were with him. Half of the Banshees operated under his command, too. Rayeley had volunteered her squad, for she always wanted to prove she was ready for a fight.
Valarae was no where to be found. This surprised Akyra, not because she and Raemus both suspected that she wasn’t trustworthy anymore, but because… Where the fuck could she go?
Ishkari Abbey was almost one hundred kilometers from the large sloping valley Raemus selected for the final battle. Both Colonel Weir and Bin Ar-Drezar’s forces dug in two hundred kilometers farther south.
But the highlight of their morning so far was the new icons that showed up just before dawn. The computer assigned them the color purple, initially projecting the text “Unknown units, unknown loyalty” over them.
Akino had opened his tapper, replacing the text by typing “Xerxus assets, unknown loyalty.” Akyra noted the last two words. So much was hanging on them.
Had Xerxus made any decision in the night? Akyra rubbed her forehead. I can’t believe I’m rooting for an infidel psychopath who tried to kill me. Twice.
“Captain Raemus, this is Sergeant Akino.”
Akino switched the comm to amplify through office audio system. “Hey, brother. This is Raemus. Go ahead.” His voice boomed through the air, his deep baritone rumbling within Akyra’s chest. It felt… oddly sexy.
“Okay, I haven’t picked up movement from Weir’s group or Xerxus for over an hour. My guess is that they’re checked in. Ar-Drezar’s assets are basically behind Weir, so they’ve probably combined forces.”
“Copy, Akino. Stay in touch.”
Akyra knew the provisional plan, but one of the most successful strategies of Titan commanders was shifting tactics, often dramatically, in the middle of an engagement. Maybe this is why Raemus is the only alpha male I’ve ever met who was such a good communicator, Akyra thought. Being skillful at communicating any changing plans was crucial to staying alive. So that makes sense.
According to the provisional plan, she had some time to check in with her remaining team, which was Emilia’s squad, Jexica’s sniper team, and Polliana and the other vehicle commanders. As she stepped into the bright Luminara sun from the Titan HQ, she realized how much she counted on Clarx as her radio operator. Even though he’d be mostly silent, doing his job often via his tapper, she liked having him around. There was nothing so gratifying as having a loyal buddy to boss around at whim.
The Banshees remaining at Ishkari Abbey did what any group of well-trained, ferocious badasses would be doing: they were eating. A lot. She found them in the building adjacent the orphanage.
“Captain, any sign of Sergeant Klipssen?” said Staff Sergeant Scarlex Mathus, one of Emilia’s team leaders. It was no secret that Val had gone AWOL in a fit of fury. While Akyra was just as happy to see her go, Val had been the lead non-commissioned officer, and every sergeant felt uneasy without her.
“Sorry, Scarlex. If I knew more, I’d tell you. Scoot over, will you. I’m starving.”
&
nbsp; All the women in the make-shift chow hall smiled to each other. Specialist Jaessa Agnersson, the heavy gun operator in Emilia’s squad, gently elbowed Akyra’s good arm. “I bet you are.”
The room erupted with laughter.
Akyra talked through a mouthful of bread. “Nice, ladies. I’m not the only one getting laid around here, so I don’t need any special attention. Now eat.”
Jaessa was about to lean in to ask how Akyra’s shoulder was doing when Akino nearly kicked in the door. Everyone spun round to see this opinionated, fierce Titan’s blank face.
Akyra was already on her feet. “Akino?”
“Captain, it’s Corporal Nilsson.”
“Clarx?”
“He’s in trouble.”
Akyra grabbed Emilia by the collar and sprinted back over to the hologram table within seconds. Akino was trying to explain to her, but she could barely hear him as she scrolled the image, scanning unit icons. She mumbled something, whispering to herself. Emilia heard her captain’s fear, herself saying, “No, no, no…”
A handful of red triangles glowed among the friendly icons. As Akyra zoomed in, she saw that the red triangles weren’t just intermingled. They surrounded one of the blue circles. In fact, they surrounded the blue circle with Clarx’s ID over it.
She hammered on her headset. “Raemus, what’s going on. You got Clarx?”
But Raemus didn’t answer. From the position of the icons, it was obvious he and two other Titans tried desperately to close in on Clarx’s attackers.
Akyra dropped onto a bench and opened her forearm tapper, accessing all the commander data feeds, including Raemus and Clarx’s body cameras.
From here, within two minutes, she watched Clarx die.
Some of Weir’s commandos had barged into Raemus’ recon unit, completely by accident. Neither side had a chance to regroup for the firefight. And Clarx, without the experience of years in the field, ended up separated from his group.
And Weir’s commandos took advantage if his mistake.