by Calista Skye
The thought hit her again like a soft, delicious hammer. She was fucking an alien. An alien who had saved her life and who had been nothing but good to her. And he hadn't made a big deal out of it. And he was so hot he would put any fashion model on Earth to shame. And who was now clearly vibrating right there.
Her climax reached another peak, just as Xark'ion's moves got more irregular and he seemed to be holding his breath.
Then he grunted like a tiger and his cock jerked and twitched and grew even larger deep inside, her and then he sprayed her insides down with hot alien warrior juices. It sent her into another orbit of pleasure, and when she came down, he was still inside her, filling her up and holding her in place.
She just stared at him for a while, enjoying the aftershocks and the closeness.
Then he withdrew, slowly and gently, and laid down next to her.
She lazily turned so she could still see him.
“Now,” he said and looked at her very seriously, “does this mean we're friends?”
Ava couldn't hold back a happy smile, which turned into a deep yawn. She'd been up for too long. “You know, I think it does. You learn quickly, warrior. I'll make a diplomat of you yet.”
15
- Xark'ion -
He let her sleep on his chest until Acerex had spun a third of the way around its axis outside the huge window. He relished the weight of her head, her quick heartbeat and her calm breathing. She was so innocent and defenseless in her sleep. The trust it spoke of was mind-boggling, and it warmed his heart more than he thought possible.
At the same time, it chilled him. Did she trust everyone this way? Would she show the same trust to aliens like the Solp and the Virin and the Kunuru? To the point where she'd happily stand among them, unarmed, and tempt them with something they really wanted, trusting them not to murder her?
The evidence pointed in that direction. She had behaved irresponsibly among the Solp, as she herself had admitted. Surely it would get her killed.
He groaned out loud at the thought. Nothing must happen to her!
On the other hand, she obviously took her mission as seriously as he had ever taken his own battles. She had the determination of a warrior. That demanded his respect.
And yet, how could he let her do things like that without intervening, just to save her from herself?
Not just for duty. But for herself.
The things they had just done ... it was too large for his simple mind. He knew what it was, of course. It was mating. He had mated with her. With an alien woman.
Certainly he had mated before, with willing Acerex women who, like him, hadn't found their Mahans and who, also like him, had no hope of that ever happening. Those had been pleasant occasions, certainly. Possibly more for the woman than for him. The critical shortage of females on the planet meant that the women could be demanding.
But with Ava, it was different. She hadn't been demanding. At all. She had let him do what felt natural and right, and she did seem to have enjoyed it. Not as much as he had, of course. That would scarcely be possible. But she had seemed enthusiastic enough.
Most of it was an act, he realized that. Of course no woman would enjoy such an embrace that much. It was undoubtedly a result of her generous nature that she would give him the illusion that she really liked his clumsy mating. She was a diplomat. She was used to being friendly with aliens. And she had been extremely friendly with him.
He couldn't sit still and slowly disentangled his body from her immensely enticing form. Again his manhood was stiffening at having her so near.
He put on his pants and got the pad.
Ava made a mewling sound in her sleep, and he couldn't help just taking her in. For an alien, she had a remarkable beauty to her. Couldn't he slip back into bed beside her and luxuriate in her warmth and softness and smoothness for just one more hour?
Holy Spirits, in the light from his home planet, it looked like her face had an inner glow of its own. Was she dreaming? Did alien women dream at all? How much of what they'd done last night meant something to her? Was it a terrible breach of duty for him to take advantage of her like that? He was supposed to protect this important woman, not enjoy her body.
He bent down to stroke the hair out of her face, but the contrast between her silky skin and his calloused, scarred hand was too stark. Who was he to touch something like this? In the height of passion was one thing, when she was awake and eager. But somehow, stroking her face right now seemed like a more intimate act, an invasion of her integrity that he couldn't bring himself to commit.
Yes, King Vrax'ton and Captain Cori'ax and Chief Ravex'ton had alien wives. Mahans, even. But he was just Xark'ion, the inept swordsman who had been blessed by having Groti'ax, a far better warrior, help him lead his squad for so long. He had to realize his limitations.
He breathed in her sweet scent one more time, then reluctantly straightened and quietly made his way out of her cabin.
He strode down to the hangar and got Groti'ax's sword out of the storage compartment.
He was assigned an old shuttle of Acerex design and set a course down to his own planet. His mind was overwhelmed. He had to think.
16
- Ava -
“Stars, he must have grown an inch in just a couple of days!”
Lily laughed. “Just about. The doctors aren't sure what to make of it. He's added a couple of pounds to his bodyweight in a week. They can't believe it. But they're used to Earth kids. The people down on the planet ask if he's maybe sickly, since he's so tiny for his age.”
Ava put little Zekax'ton down, and the boy waddled across the floor, just because he could. “Yeah, these half-Acerex babies grow in unusual ways. But I don't remember Anabel'ia growing like this. Sure, she walked super early too, but she was smaller.”
“I can only assume that boys are different. I mean, the Acerex males are much larger than the females. And this little guy eats like one, too. But hey, I'm not complaining. I'm producing enough milk to feed a full squad of these things, so I'm glad the demand is there.”
Ava sat down on the couch and lifted her mug. She'd had thousands of cups of coffee in her life. But now, the scent of the brew only reminded her of Xark'ion and took her back to the night before.
“Yeah, I bet. So. How's life?”
Lily crossed her legs. “Quiet and pleasant. Which makes for a nice change. The tribes are easier to deal with, Ravex'ton is working to improve the lands around our village, and I'm kind of itching to do something useful. But all my time is taken up with Zekax'ton. No, Zeke, that's mommy's pad. Don't drop it- okay, just pick it up. Fine, just leave it there. Try not to step on it- okay, it can take it. Well, he can't talk yet, but they say babies understand speech long before they can make the sounds themselves. So far, I'm on the fence about that.”
“Worth a shot,” Ava said. “You never know. His first language will be English, right?”
“I guess. Or he'll be fully bilingual, which is probably the best thing for him. Zeke, if you pull that thing, the lamp could- yes, fall down like that. It's fine, it still works. Yeah, I child-proofed our quarters so carefully, everything in this room is soft plastic and unbreakable stuff. I mean, I know boys like to explore their environment. But this is ridiculous. Just boiling water for coffee makes me nervous, because I know he'll somehow try to tip the mug over his head and be scalded. So I rarely drink it hot these days, just tepid.”
Ava chuckled. “Acerex males are super manly. I suppose we shouldn't be surprised that they're super boyish, too.”
“Exactly. And how is your own Acerex male? That bodyguard of yours?”
Ava smiled. Lily had always been direct. “He's fine, I think. No, I can't say he's my own. We've spent some time together on a mission that turned out to be only slightly successful. Actually, for a first attempt, we did pretty well. But we're both used to being in charge, so things were not as smooth as they could have been.”
She looked out at the planet outside, rot
ating calmly, as if everything was just like before. No, things hadn't been smooth with Xark'ion. Not until after the mission. Shit, it had been so damn great. Easily the best sex she'd ever had. And then he'd been gone in the morning, like a damn cliche. Gone somewhere on a shuttle. Down to his planet, of course. Away from her. Maybe her weak leg hadn't bothered him that much when he was about to get laid. But after he'd gotten his rocks off, it might be a different story. Or not. She just didn't know. Just thinking about the night before sent eager little tingles to her crotch.
Fuck. She'd only known him for a day or so, and still she missed him so much her chest ached, and she'd been walking aimlessly around the hangar all day, just hoping he'd return so she could be with him and feel his energy and safety. So damn pitiful, like a lovestruck teen-
“... calling Ava. Come in, Ava. This is the spacecraft Friendship calling Ava.”
“What?”
Lily's eyes glittered over the rim of her mug. “You were zoning out there. Hey, don't worry about a half-good mission. It's more than anyone could expect when you've got one of these guys tagging along. Heck, I love Ravex'ton to death. But going on an actual mission with him? No fucking way. Shit, we'd get on each other's nerves so much we'd pretty much have to have makeup sex all the time to smooth things over. I think you can be pretty happy that you two didn't end up killing each other.”
“Oh, there was nothing like that. He saved me from my own stupidity a couple of times. I can't believe the chances I took. I just walked straight up to a horde of totally unknown aliens on their own planet. Twice.”
Lily tilted her head to the side. “Yeah, that's not like you. He made you behave differently than you normally would, right? Ravex'ton did that to me, too. In the beginning. I kind of wanted to show off my diplomacy skills, even though I don't have any. Still, it made me a little more tenacious. Having him watch me work, I mean. I got more ... determined?”
“Yeah, I felt that too. Thing is, I really want the project to work. My way. The peaceful way. And I really wanted to impress him with that way of doing things. So I overdid it and it damn near killed me.”
“Don't beat yourself up about it. You know most missions are failures. A half success sounds pretty damn good to me for the first joint Earth/Acerex diplomatic mission. You'll iron out the issues in no time. Zeke, when you bang on the window like that, it's hard for Auntie Ava and mommy to talk. Yes, bang on the floor instead. What's your next plan?”
Ava crossed her legs. “We think we know where the king of the Solp is. So we'll find him, being more careful than we were down on his planet. And hopefully he'll tell us where to find the Kunuru.”
“How will you compel him to do that? The Kunuru are extremely secretive, you say.”
Ava smiled sweetly. “I'll bribe the living daylights out of him with worthless crystals and shiny objects. I've had Engineering make a crown of gold, Solp-size. Nano-polished. It glitters like crazy. They had to work on it in a darkened room to not be blinded by the reflections. And they told me I had to wear sunglasses if I take it out of its box. That king has to go for that. It's a scavenger species, after all.”
“The old-fashioned way is often the best way,” Lily agreed. “And it may be that your efforts are already working. I don't know if you heard, but everything has gotten real quiet. Suddenly no aliens are attacking the Acerex. It's the first time in centuries that's happened. Everyone is weirded out about it. And there's a cautious optimism in the air. Could it be peace at last? It's too soon to say. My own theory is that the Kunuru somehow got wind of you looking for them, and now they're backing down in fear of being found. Maybe for good. I mean, if they're that secretive, maybe not being discovered is more important to them than anything else. Heck, who knows how they think. They're aliens. Zeke, I think Auntie Ava thinks it's unpleasant when you pull on her leg like that.”
Ava turned and lifted Zekax'ton up on her lap. “Ooof, you're a big boy, huh! Oh, you'll break so many hearts when you get older. Is it just me, or are these mixed kids unusually beautiful? They have the strong features of the Acerex and the more harmonic proportions of Earthlings. And those eyes ... stars, this little guy already feels like he's piercing my soul.”
Lily shrugged. “We'll see if it lasts. Beautiful babies often turn into weird-looking adults. I should know, I used to be one.”
Ava laughed. “Nothing weird-looking about you, Lily. Of all of us Gideo girls, you're the one who turns the most heads.”
She put Zekax'ton down again, and he busied himself with a piece of string on the floor.
Lily curled her legs up on the couch. “And did Xark'ion turn yours?”
Ava thought. The night before was still so raw in her mind, the happiness and the doubts too. And the soreness. She wasn't sure she was ready to talk about it. But Lily had that quality about her that made everyone want to tell her everything.
“Maybe a little. Hey, I haven't been close to a guy for ... fuck, so long I don't even want to count the months. And then I spend the day in close quarters with one of these hunks. A smart one, even. A leader, the best one they have. Someone who was willing to leave his sword behind. Can you imagine? And he's kind and cool even when I blame him for my own mistakes. And then-”
Her voice cracked, and she was welling up out of nowhere.
Lily leaned in and took her hand. “And then something happened? Something nice, right? Girl, you're all deep sighs and dreamy stares today. It kind of nice to see, actually. You're always so serious and dutiful. He's brought a little color to your cheeks. You're glowing. It looks good.”
Ava wiped her eyes. “Something nice,” she confirmed. “At least I think so. He left before I woke up. Stars, this could be so awkward. I may have fucked this mission up before it's really started. I don't want to have to ask Harper for a new warrior because I screwed things up with the first one.”
Lily smiled. “I don't think you've screwed anything up with him. And if it doesn't work out, then hey, inter-species relationships can be tough. And nobody has really tried actually working with a warrior. Harper knows that. She won't blame you.”
“Well, we'll see if this one even wants to continue working with me. If he does, I'll have to be more professional. I'm acting like I think I'm his Mahan.”
Zekax'ton came over to Lily, and she lifted him up onto her lap. Then he immediately changed his mind and writhed so much she had to put him back down. “Well, certainly try to not risk your life. But if something really nice can happen, then I don't think you should hold back. We all need a fun fling from time to time, before we find our forever dudes. And who knows? You might be his Mahan. It can take them forever to realize. Especially if it's an alien woman. These guys aren't really in touch with their own emotions.”
“Tell me about it. I'm still shocked any time one of them says he's feeling a little hungry. That counts for downright emo behavior here.”
Lily laughed. “Exactly. Hey, I don't mean you should stake your life on you being his Mahan. You're probably not, right? Statistically. But totally explore this and see what it might lead to. Maybe you'll end up with that firefighter on Earth and Xark'ion will marry one of his own kind. Eventually. But whatever happens, it's a cool space adventure you can tell your grandkids about.”
Ava laughed. “Whoever they turn out to be. Thanks, Lily. Stars, my head is spinning from all this. Why can't space aliens from mysterious planets many light years from Earth be more straightforward?”
“I ask myself that every day. Then I stop, because it drives me crazy. No, Zeke, that's mommy's book. It's paper, it could rip- oh, for fuck's sake. That's it, young space alien. You're on milk rationing for the next ten minutes. Let that be a lesson to you. Or to me, more probably.”
- - -
Ava avoided the hangar for the rest of the day. If he came back, he came back. He couldn't stay away that long if he wanted to go on the next mission. And if he didn't, well, she could go alone. There was no time to find another bodyguard now.
She went to her quarters and sat down by the window where she and Xark'ion had drunk coffee less than twenty hours earlier. Now it had its night side to the Friendship, and it appeared mostly as a dark circle that obscured the stars. But here and there, Ava could see little points of yellow lights – campfires on the primitive planet below. Maybe Xark'ion was sitting right by one those at this moment, looking up at her and seeing the brilliant point of white light that was the Friendship when seen from down there...
“Pull yourself together,” she muttered to herself and looked down on her pad. “You're not thirteen.”
She glanced over at her bed. The sheets were still rumpled and untidy like they had been when she woke up. She got up and quickly straightened it out, barely managing to avoid burying her nose in it where he had been lying, just to get a whiff of that intoxicating scent of his.
She sacrificed another precious canister of water to make a pot of tea, and only when she had the steaming mug in her hands was she able to concentrate on her plans.
Xark'ion had saved the day when he found out where the king of the Solp might be. A citadel in the sky. Yep, could be.
She looked out at the planet again. A thin crescent of light had just appeared at the far edge, a brilliant white sliver of sunlight that would soon spread over all of the side that she could see.
No.
She couldn't work like this. The project of turning the Kunuru from enemies to friends was more important. Xark'ion made her act irrationally. He had held up his part of the mission just fine. She had not. She couldn't let her emotions get the better of her. She had to keep a level head.
If that meant that she had to be much colder to Xark'ion, then so be it. At least until the mission was finished. If he still liked her then, maybe something serious could happen. But for now, she had to be all business. The future of both Acerex and the Earth depended on it. She would not go into history as the girl who was so horny and lovestruck that she failed the most important mission of her life and started a war with the aliens.