by Viola Grace
“No. She acted in malice, and as long as she isn’t able to do it to me again, I am fine. Mlia wine is off my items to try now.”
He chuckled. “You are wise beyond your years.”
“I am wise based on my experience. I have just had more of that than most.”
“True enough. What did you want to be before the cataclysm?”
She wrinkled her nose. “A florist. An organic farmer, I wanted an apiary. All of those occupations took a short, sharp shock and stopped at the strike. When the world broke, so did my dreams.”
He let out a grunt and turned to lift her. “That’s it. You need a distraction.”
She thought that it was supposed to be her job, but she didn’t say a word. He walked swiftly through the halls, and she smelled greenery. A door opened, and she gasped at the forest and farm that was laid out in front of her.
“We will get a better view.”
It was the only warning he gave her as he crouched and launched them upward. She shrieked and wrapped her arms around his neck as his wings flexed and scooped air out and down.
Fiona finally opened her eyes and looked around, seeing upper levels and the forest below. “You generate oxygen here?”
“Not really; it costs more than you would imagine keeping the plants whole and active, but it does provide a morale boost to the crew. They have concerts in the gardens, most of the fresh food is grown here, and it provides a reminder of Idel.”
She smiled as she saw some of the variety of skin tones that she associated with Earth. “How many humans did you bring on board?”
“With yourself counted? One hundred and twelve. They seem to be doing well. They are relieved to work in the gardens.”
She chuckled and held on as he flew them lower, across the fields. “It was the first thing we lost. Stored food only lasts so long, so getting hydroponics up and running was imperative. I volunteered for that job, but my skills were needed elsewhere.”
He let out a sound that she interpreted as a growl. He pulled them upward and wrapped his wings around them while he let the ship’s gravity pull them down.
Fiona was secure in his embrace, but she squeaked in shock when she counted the seconds, and they were nearly to the ground.
His wings opened and billowed back behind him as he caught them inches from the soil.
She smacked him on the chest as he settled down on his feet. “Thank you for giving me a heart attack.”
He laughed. “I was after distracting you.”
“It was effective.” She was shaking, but there was a giggle in her mind. The inner chuckle shocked her. If she had to have near-death experiences to make her snicker, she was going to die laughing.
“Would you like to speak to some of your people?”
She tensed. “No, that won’t be necessary.”
Aarak frowned. “Why not?”
“Sexual prudism is a common theme in Earth cultures.”
“But... they used you.”
“It is also a highly hypocritical societal construct. Males are encouraged in sexual promiscuity, but women are villainized for it. It puts us in the lowest social class, and there is no way out once you are in it.”
He wrapped his wing around her, and they began to walk toward the exit. “So, when you said there was nothing for you...”
She moved toward him slightly. “It was exactly what I meant. They would not allow me to have a place among them if they knew what I was doing after the impact and definitely not if they knew I was your intimate companion. I would be contaminated beyond measure.”
“But, the folk here do know.”
Fiona looked up at him. “Are you going to make me live with them?”
He frowned. “Of course not. You will remain with me at all times.”
“So, it isn’t an issue.”
“I suppose not, but I thought that seeing your people would make you happy.”
“Seeing the plants makes me happy. Let’s stick with that. Tell me about the trees and the bushes.”
He took her on a tour of the Idel plants, and the head horticulturalist was only too happy to show her the leaves and tell her about the root spread and growth schedule. She lost her mind in the details of the plants, and for a short moment, she was happy.
She was examining a short berry bush and turned to grin at Aarak. His surprise made her laugh, and the horticulturalist was shocked when his lordship caught her up in his arms, and he flew her up to their living level.
His flight had crewmen and women hitting the deck to get out of the way, and by the time he had landed in front of their quarters, she was pretty sure what had lit his fire.
He didn’t make it inside. He pressed her against the wall and shoved her skirt upward. She gasped at the feel of his cock pressing into her, but it narrowed to enter her and thickened once it was inside.
He held her and stared into her eyes, not moving his hips.
Confused, she frowned, but soon, his cock began to twist and rub inside her, and she stared into his eyes in shock.
She sighed, whimpered, and clung to him with all her strength as he took her higher than she had been with him before his cock sent out the attachment that stimulated her clit.
She shrieked as it sucked and pulled hard at her, her body shook, and she clawed at Aarak, trying to gain purchase on his impervious hide. Her channel clutched at him in spasms as she met his gaze, as per his demands.
The molten silver of his eyes went dark, and he began to thrust his hips into her, rubbing her against the wall.
He paused and shook his head, his gaze returning to normal. He leaned in and kissed her softly, still deep inside her.
She was dazed, a little bruised, and utterly perplexed.
Aarak wrapped her in his wings so no one could see any part of her, and he walked the few steps to their quarters.
Once inside, he walked to her desk and set her bottom down on the edge. Still, without speaking, he knelt in front of her and spread her legs wider, he leaned forward, and his tongue slid into the wet and swollen space his cock had just been in, and she whimpered as it thickened and twisted around inside her.
His hands wrapped around her thighs and held her still when she tried to back away, but she was locked in his grip while her senses pushed her higher and higher.
Fiona jerked, moaned, gripped, and let go of his hair, shivering and finally flexing her hands in frustration as she lay back on the desk with nothing to hold onto.
The tension burned in her, and when she couldn’t hold back any longer, she screamed and clawed at the desk.
He kept his tongue moving against a sensitive spot inside her until she was dizzy. Fiona slumped back, exhausted.
She was still dressed, coated in sweat and panting for air. Aarak pulled his tongue out of her, and he stood up to cover her.
He whispered against her lips. “You need to laugh more.”
She tasted herself on his mouth and blinked. “If I do, you might fuck me to death.”
He grinned. “Never to death. I swore to uphold your health, and I will do it.”
“Before or after you wear out my lady parts?”
He laughed, and she smiled. It was nice to see that he was happy that she had been happy for a moment. It had been swamped by panic and confusion, but the happiness had been there.
“Fiona, take a quick shower and get changed. We will be landing on Ekadi in two hours. You will need to learn what you can about their traditions and situation before we set foot on the surface.”
She nodded and tried to get up. “Um, you are in the way.”
“I have your juices all over me. A shower for me is a good idea as well.”
She yelped as he lifted her and carried her into the lav. She leaned against the wall while he unfastened her dress and removed her shoes.
“I can do this myself.”
He shrugged. “I chose the dress, so I will remove it. While my wr
ap was convenient, it is not suitable for the Ekadi weather.”
She grinned. “Too drafty?”
“Quite.”
He turned on the sonic shower and turned her, making sure that the dirt on her skin was vibrated into the suction unit. He treated himself to the same situation, and she realized that if she got to the wardrobe, she could pick her own outfit. With a grin, she dashed out of the lav and through the living quarters, pausing only when she saw the long-sleeved dress and boots that were waiting for her next to the bed.
“Oh, balls.” She slumped her shoulders and dragged her feet toward the bed, picking up the very pretty dress in rich green, black and silver, and pulling on the soft black boots. The laces on the boots needed to be tightened, but once they were, it was like wearing a very comfortable pair of long socks.
The dress was in the standard configuration of being a long coat with a series of fasteners that closed it between breast and knee. The fabric was light, but it still felt weird not to have any underwear on. The dress flowed around her and touched the abraded front of her thighs. As long as she wasn’t standing on a glass walkway, she was modestly dressed.
Aarak wandered over to the wardrobe, and he pulled out a pair of snug trousers, some black boots, and a black vest that was split to allow his wings to settle neatly around him. Watching him get dressed was always fun. Everything went from the bottom up to be settled into position.
He tightened his boots and turned to her. “How do I look?”
She sighed. “Very pretty. Just a moment.” She walked over to him and straightened the line of the vest before adjusting his banded hair to fall forward while the rest draped down his back. “There you go. Very nice and rather dignified.”
He frowned. “Your hair came undone.”
She blinked. “It is fine. I just brush it and let it go.”
“No. Sit on your desk.”
She looked over at her desk and frowned. “I am a little nervous when you say that.”
“Good. Now, put your bottom on that desk and wait for me.”
She sighed and went to hop up on the desk. She sat and swung her legs as she waited. He disappeared into the lav and reappeared with a brush and some of the same kind of clips that he wore. It was a cross between a metal bead and a small tube.
To her bemusement, Aarak brushed her hair, separated the two locks over her temples, and rapidly braided them into columns held with the beads.
He set the brush down and smiled. “There. Now you are appropriately dressed as my mate.”
She smiled back as she hopped to her feet and took up her tablet for more study with her butt appropriately on her chair. She was into the stories of the Ekadi arriving on their word when her brain processed what he had said. Mate?
Chapter Ten
Fiona’s first steps on an alien world were not graceful. The wind that struck her and sent her skirt whipping around her legs made it hard to focus.
Aarak pulled her close and provided a windbreak at her back. “It is better near the city.”
She smirked. “I am just glad that the fastener goes as low as it does.”
He grinned, lifted her, and flew them both into the city where a large crowd had gathered.
The people of Ekadi were elegant, willowy, and had a smug sense of self-satisfaction that Fiona wanted to smack off their lips.
Their elected representative met Aarak, and the three elegantly dressed women behind him bowed low.
“My lord, I am surprised that you have bothered yourself with such a trivial matter.” The official waved his hand at the women behind him. “We have prepared an offering for you.”
The women smiled and swayed toward him. They paused a few feet away and curtseyed so deeply that Fiona could see they engaged in complete landscaping, the view down their cleavage was impressive.
“We are at your service, my lord.” They even spoke as one.
Fiona looked up to Aarak, who was still holding her. “You are not going to fall for this, are you?”
He smiled and shrugged before setting her on her feet. “You may need a rest.”
“Like hell.” She turned toward the offerings that were nearly a head taller than she was. “Your services are not required. Shoo!”
There was no word for shoo in Ekadi, but the women frowned and tried to go around her. It was a mistake.
Fiona kicked the legs out from under one of the ladies, punched another one in the nose and grabbed the third by the hair, pulling her to the ground by use of her green locks.
“Do not touch him, do not coo to him, do not think to come near him. He is not yours.” She growled it, let the woman go and stood straight.
Aarak wrapped her in his arms, and he apologized. “My mate is a little territorial. Where may we speak about the rising?”
The official stared at Fiona as Aarak lifted her off her feet and carried her into the tent that had been set up for the purpose.
The official waited until Aarak sat down on the specially designed chair with a fuming Fiona on his lap, and then, he took his own seat.
“The archaic practice of tithing to the creature is over. We are an intelligent people, and we do not need to placate an ancient god.”
Fiona snorted.
The official cocked his head. “You find something amusing, madam?”
“We have not been introduced. I am Fiona.”
“I am Master Hedding.”
“Of course, you are.”
“You did not answer me.” He looked offended, like an irritated forest elf.
Fiona looked at Aarak, and he grinned. “Go ahead, you did the research.”
“So did you, that is how I knew what to look for.”
“Go ahead, Fiona.”
She sighed. “Right, so the creature comes out every hundred years like clockwork.”
“Correct.”
“It eats half the harvest of the valley.”
“Correct.” Hedding looked irritated.
“It flies around the world for three years and returns to its home.”
“Correct. This is common knowledge.”
She smiled tightly. “Then, you know about what it does while it sleeps?”
He looked wary. “It sleeps. It hibernates.”
“It releases three years of food altered by the digestive process into the soil of the valley. The first burst of food lets it fly, and the rest of the time it goes looking for enough food to have an offspring that would double the fertility of your area.”
“No, that can’t be it.” He frowned and pulled out a tablet.
“Your land yields less each year following the rising until it returns. It is not a superstition, it is biology and horticulture.”
Aarak kept his hand wrapped around her hips. “That is what I have come to tell you.”
“Why didn’t you mention this earlier?”
“It did not come up. I usually amused myself with your welcoming committee.” He grinned.
“Yeah, that isn’t going to happen again.” She elbowed him in the ribs.
“Of course not. Now that I have found you, I no longer need to dip into other species.”
She frowned. “I have other questions for you.”
He grinned. “I will answer them in our quarters.”
Hedding cleared his throat and asked, “Do you mean that our civilization is built on a manure pile?”
Aarak shook his head. “No, it is dirt. The soil is enriched at a much lower level. Have you already seen the signs of the rising?”
Hedding shook himself out of his amazed confusion. “It will rise by dawn tomorrow. We didn’t prepare the offering.”
“You had better get to it, or the creature may not return. No return means that your valley will lose nutrients and fade away.”
Hedding bolted to his feet. “Please excuse me.”
Before Aarak could dismiss him, he was out the flap of the tent.
“Well, I have achieved what I wanted; do you wish to return to the ship?”
Fiona wrinkled her nose. “I would rather have a look around and see some of the city. I have never seen an alien world before.”
“All worlds are alien to you, as you are alien to them. Excellent attack sequence, by the way.”
She twisted her lips. “Yeah, how did I manage that?”
“You nap a lot, and I thought it a waste, so I have given you some subliminal courses.”
“Self-defense?”
“Nothing so useless. No, you have bar-brawling skills based on the Idel bodies and movements. It is a fairly close match.”
“Speaking of matches, why me? Why not one of the Idel who follows you with sad and wistful eyes?”
“I would kill the Idel. Besides, they are all vaguely related to me, so it is slightly perverse to think about.”
“How so?”
“Another question for the ship.”
She elbowed him again.
“So, would you like to see the city?”
“Yes. Yes, I would.”
He looked down at her with raised brows. “Would you like to see the creature?”
She nodded. “Please. If it is going to wake up tomorrow, I would like to see it just this one time. I won’t be around the next time it flies.”
“You will outlive your lifespan. I am quite sure of it.” He grinned, and his wings parted the closure of the tent before they were out in the sunlight again. He smiled, lifted his face upward, bent his knees, and shoved hard against the ground while propelling them into the air with great scoops of his wings.
The drag of gravity kept her tense and curled against him until they were at the altitude he wanted. When the pressure eased, she was able to look up and around.
“Holy heck. This is a crater.”
He grinned, and their path took them toward the outer rim. “You are very well informed.”
“I couldn’t see it from the crop-level images in the file, but this is an impact crater. Something struck this world with enough force to displace all this soil.”
“Correct.”
“Did the creature come with the asteroid?”