by Lia Nox
Nothing responded.
Our orders were to find the other teams, and there was no way we’d be able to do that if we stayed in one place. Whether we liked it or not, come daybreak we’d be on the move. I liked that. Although there was nothing quite like a fight, a long march was something my body yearned for. I didn’t know if that was a product of our personality or a result of engineering, but our bodies needed to be active almost constantly. Unless the mission at hand demanded stillness, we were always on the move.
Of course, now we had something else to consider. While a long march through the wilderness would be nothing for the three of us, I didn’t know if Erin would be able to keep up. More likely than not, we would have to adjust our pace to hers.
As I thought of that, a small grin tugged at the corner of my lips. We had already adjusted to her pace once, hadn’t we? And it had worked out perfectly.
I sucked in a deep breath as the memories from an hour before took over my mind, images of Erin’s naked body dancing behind my now shut eyelids. How I ached to ravage her again, to feel her smooth milky skin against my body, my hands roaming over her body with no set destination. I had always thought there was no greater pleasure than to bash someone’s skull and stand victorious, but Erin had showed me how foolish I was. To be with her was far more intense than to be in a fight.
“How goes it?” I heard Roth ask, and I opened my eyes immediately. He stood just a few steps behind me, his figure hidden in shadows. His single horn added to his size, and I silently thanked the Masters for putting me on the same team as Roth. More than a relentless teammate, he was an enemy to fear. I had never been in a fight with him, and I hoped I would never have to be.
“Still quiet,” I said as I shook my head. “We should investigate the main station in the morning.” The faint scent of smoke tickled my nostrils, then the wind changed, carrying it away. “Someone may be there, hunkered down.”
“Maybe they have answers,” he sighed, worry flashing in his eyes. “We should have come across more of the other teams by now. I know we’re close to a deployment site, so where are they?”
“Dead?” I shrugged. It wouldn’t be the first time we’d act as a search party only to find out whatever team we had been looking for had been slaughtered. Some guys, no matter how strong and cunning, simply didn’t have what it takes to survive in a planet like this. Only the strong survived here. “Or maybe they tried to bolt. Wouldn’t be the first time.”
Roth stood in silence, weighing my words, and then gave me a barely noticeable nod. “If we stay in this place, there’s no way we’ll ever know. We set out at daybreak, check the main station, keep moving.” He was merely reiterating the plans we had agreed on, but it still pained me slightly to hear him say it.
There was nothing I wanted more than to stay in this little haven with Erin, even if just for a couple more nights. There was so much of her body we still needed to explore.
“Do you think she can handle it? A full day’s march?” I asked, my mind unable to detach itself from Erin. I didn’t exactly know why, but I couldn’t stop myself from worrying about her. More than needing the ecstasy she could make me experience, I had to know she was safe from harm.
“We’ll go at a slower pace if we need to.”
“Right,” I nodded.
“She’s having trouble sleeping again,” a voice said to our left, and both Roth and I turned to see Talos standing in the dark. Silent as an assassin, he had somehow walked outside without us noticing him. That was typical of him. If we needed to surgically remove an enemy, one camped deep in the bowels of a fortress, Talos was the man we sent. And he always got the job done. In and out without leaving any trace of his presence. . .aside from a dead body, of course.
“What do you mean? She was exhausted. Is she up?”
“No,” Talos shook his head. “She’s still on the same spot, and her eyes are closed. But she isn’t asleep any more. I can tell by her breathing. I worry about her.”
“That’s to be expected,” Roth said. “There’s a lot she’s trying to process. If I were in her shoes, I doubt I’d be able to get any sleep either.”
“Well, since she’s awake and we all have some time to kill. . .” I started to say, but a nasty sharp elbow from Talos hit my ribs and shut me up in a fraction of a second. I let out a small groan and then a chuckle, happy he hadn’t struck me with all his strength. “I know you want it too, don’t act like such a bastard.”
“We all want the same,” he said with a shrug. “But we have to keep our head on our shoulders. We have to remain focused.”
“Right, focused,” I echoed.
“But try to get some rest now,” Roth said, laying one hand on my shoulder. “Talos will keep watch for a couple of hours now, and then I’ll take over him. You go and try to get some sleep.”
“Understood.” Snapping my heels together, I marched toward the building and stifled a yawn as I stepped inside the courtyard. Our bodies had been engineered to work on little to no sleep, but our little experience with Erin had left me more exhausted than expected.
As I walked inside the building, her small figure immediately caught my attention. She remained curled in one of the corners, her tattered clothing and a scrap of fabric serving as blanket of sorts.
Her clothes were thin, would be easy to rip. And while I might not mind being the one doing the tearing, I didn’t like the idea of her wandering through the forest so badly protected.
Although the furniture was scarce, there were still a few cabinets in the back room. I looked through the different drawers and smiled as I found a few discarded items of clothing. Far too large for Erin, but that wouldn’t be a problem.
I grabbed a cutting knife from my bags, as well as a needle and line, and did my best to shape the fabric into what I hoped would be an appropriate attire for her. Although the needle and line were meant to mend wounds and not fabric, I couldn’t help but be proud of the end result. I had to eyeball her measurements, of course, but that had been easy. . .after all, the image of her naked body was now engraved on my mind.
Folding the pants and top I had produced, I was about to hand them to Erin when I realized she would need more than just lightweight garments. If I wanted to keep her safe, I would need to give her some armor as well. After all, if three hulking beasts like us had armor plating covering our chests, it didn’t make sense for someone as fragile as Erin to walk around with nothing but some stupid garments I had stitched.
Thankfully, the station had metal in abundance. I dragged a few cabinet doors and other pieces of jagged metal outside, and then used the portable blow torch we had in the bags to shape the metal into a makeshift chest plate. It didn’t look impressive as I wanted it to look, but I knew the plating would be strong enough to withstand a strong impact. And that was all that mattered.
Before heading back inside, I found myself working on one final item: using a torn piece of cloth, I braided it into a strand that she could use to tie back her hair. I knew I was being pragmatic—long hair needed to be restrained during combat—but part of me also knew that she would look even more beautiful with her hair tied back. It would leave her face free of any falling locks, an unhindered view at a face of unquestionable beauty.
“Alright, stop messing around,” I told myself, knowing I should be resting myself. If the guys spotted me so dutifully working away, I feared they’d turn me into their own personal tailor!
I packed up the tools, ensuring the bags were ready for our departure in the morning, and then made my way toward Erin, the clothes and armor bunched up in my arms.
Her eyelids fluttered open the moment I closed in on her, and I gave her a reassuring smile. “For you,” I said, placing the clothes at her feet.
Her eyes immediately darted to the braided cloth and, for a moment, she almost looked surprised. Then, with a quick gesture, she used it to tie her hair back.
And, just like I had thought, she looked even more breathtaking than ev
er.
Erin
I should have been sleeping. But after the dream, after their passionate touches, my mind wouldn’t steady.
What had I done? And would I be willing to go farther?
In the heat of the moment, I would have done anything.
Wanted to do anything. Would have begged.
And they would have given it to me. Everything.
Now, cold and alone, listening to their whispered voices outside, I wasn’t sure of anything. Even after Kern had presented me with my new garments, the braided bobble my favorite piece of all, I was still an outsider to them. Try as they might to welcome me, to accommodate to my needs, I was still separate from their group.
An outsider. It was how it had always been for me.
I hated it. Years of experience had taught me to remove myself from this kind of environment as quickly as possible, lest I get hurt again, be recognized as the odd one out, the freak.
Back home I’d had my space, I was part of the group but on my terms so that I never had to be plagued by worries such as these. But now I was here, on uneven standing with three beings who were used to each other’s company.
Clearly, there was no place for me with them.
As their voices hurried along, Talos appearing to direct the conversation more than Roth and Kern, I glanced around my surroundings. At first my eyes had been idly looking, never really focusing on any one specific object, but as a break in the trees beyond the door caught my eye, a plan seized me.
They weren’t looking that way.
I could make a break for it.
Being on my own would be hard, but not as awful as always being on the fringe of the group. Always on the outside, looking in. Wondering if I’d ever be enough.
Hesitating another glance around the makeshift camp we’d fashioned inside this station, I realized the time was now or never.
Slowly, so slowly, I pulled on the clothing Kern had given me. It was crudely cut, but far sturdier than the cheap uniform I’d been wearing when the pod had launched.
I grabbed the shoes, more like slippers, and wished he’d been able to find me proper boots as well.
Breathing shallowly, my pulse quickened as I crawled into the shadows, taking my time so as not to be seen or heard. Once I was certain they hadn’t noticed, I moved onto my feet and begun to tiptoe away, all the while straining my ears for any sound of being followed.
By the guys, or anything else.
Even though I knew this to be the best course of action for all involved, I felt an onslaught of guilt as I placed more distance between us. They’d been kind to me, had cared for me, and here I was running away from them. It shouldn’t have bothered me to think about how they’d react or feel, but as I gave a final turn of my back, second thoughts hit me.
I headed to the beach, my footsteps muffled thanks to the soft sand of this world, the grains catching between my wiggling toes as I walked.
Then suddenly the thick trees fell away to reveal a clearing, surrounding another station. Much larger than the one we’d camped in; the roof rose gleaming in the moonlight. Instinctively I backed away, doing my best to fall back into the deep shadows. A station might mean another team.
Roth, Kern, and Talos had been kind, in their own way. I couldn’t expect that from anyone else. Wondering how long it would take for them to start looking for me, if they even would, I scouted my nearby surroundings for a place to hide.
Eventually, I settled on a large clump of trees, the darkness of the foliage looking the most promising for blending into my environment. If Roth, Talos, and Kern were as skilled as I thought they were, they’d likely find me anyway.
Slipping past the trunks and inside the overgrown tangle of leaves, I noticed how this grouping of saplings appeared to stretch on and on, with many more trees helping to create a cave-like structure all around me. Curious as to where it would lead, I found myself following the makeshift cave as it meandered further away from the shore; even in spite of previous attacks, I wasn’t uneasy as I did so.
Maybe it was because I thought myself safe with the station so nearby, or perhaps it was my recklessness to act now and think later.
Absorbed by a hurricane of emotions mixed in with my thoughts, hopes, and fears, I failed to register the sound of another approaching. Nonetheless, when the hairs on my neck pricked up, as if to warn of an encounter soon to be upon me, I spun round, my arms raised. I wasn’t sure whether my arms were up to beat them or to surrender, but I kept myself in that position regardless.
Stunned eyes as wide as the moon blinked back at me.
My throat tightened, my eyes too growing in size. Standing in front of me was another woman, a human just like myself, dressed in a dress-like tunic.
I was in utter shock to have come face to face with her, having been so certain that I was the only one here; judging by her expression, she was reeling just as I was.
My mouth gaped open to say something but the words never left, instead they remained wedged in my throat, the pressure unbearable as we continued to stare at one another.
She was beautiful. Wherever she’d been staying must have been safe, as she looked well-adjusted to this world and well taken care of. Did this mean she was among friends, that there were other humans too?
I had so much to ask her, was so desperate to share what had happened to me, and yet I still remained silent, my voice blocked by surprise.
As I kept my sights trained on her however, I noted how emotions were getting the better of this woman—her cheeks damp from freshly fallen tears. Whoever she was, she was overwhelmed to see me.
“I, I thought there was only me,” she eventually said, her voice so slight, so quiet, that I had to strain to hear it. Upon voicing her surprise, the tears began to fall more freely now, her shoulders shaking under the weight of her sobs. Without thought, I went to her, my arms outstretched in a hug.
“So did I,” I said, my tone as low as hers.
We stayed in an embrace for a couple more minutes, the touch of another human form against my own such a welcome moment. I hadn’t realized how much I’d already missed a human connection with another.
After our hug, we burst out in nervous fits of giggles, this extraordinary meeting and how unlikely it was not lost on either of us. Out of all the worlds I could crash on, I’d ended up on one which was home to another of my kind.
But how?
“I’m Erin, and I’m so relieved to see another human, I can’t begin to tell you!” I exclaimed. “Are you safe? Did you find more people? More humans? How did you get here?” The words tumbled out of me like a waterfall, finally unjammed.
She shook her head, hands over her mouth. “I’m Delia, and I feel like I’ve been here for so long with only Axar, Zuvo, and Tarnan that I’d almost forgotten humans existed.”
“I’m sorry, but who?” Going off of her words alone, I guessed they were aliens, like my three back at the station.
My three, I chided myself, surprised to have placed such affection on them already, almost like I’d claimed them.
Even if I’d left them.
“Ah,” she laughed, her cheeks flushing, though there was no mockery in her response. “I met them after ending up here.” She squeezed my fingers. “Prepare yourself for this one, but they’re aliens. Not the scary kind. Well, maybe the scary kind, but not towards me, if that makes any sense. They saved me, they’ve been nothing but kind.” For some reason, her flush grew deeper and then she shook herself. “I don’t know how I’d describe them, some kind of cat hybrid, maybe?”
It was my turn to laugh now, though mine was quieter than hers, mainly due to the utter disbelief I felt upon hearing what she’d said: not only were Roth, Talos, and Kern aliens, but there were others here as well.
And, to make matters even more interesting, these new aliens sounded like they were different in origin to those I’d met.
She tilted her head at me, a quizzical expression on her pretty features.
“Hot?” she blurted out.
“So hot!” I agreed, both of us grinning as we listened to each other’s experiences. Somehow, by some funny twist of fate, we’d both been hurled into similar situations, having met men so removed from the norm we were used to.
Ha, even referring to them as men seemed wrong given everything I knew, however their enormous cocks, even if I’d just seen the outlines through the fabric of their trousers. Strong, rough, ruggedly handsome and extremely sexual men.
That I’d left.
That had worried when I had a bad dream.
A pang clutched my chest.
A funny thought popped into my mind as I thought of my guys—did she ache for their touches as well?
Did they yearn for her in a way she’d never experienced before?
Was she lonely, isolated within their group, or had they found a way to make it work?
I needed to know, longed to know, and yet there was a torrent of other topics that really should come first.
Surviving. That was what I excelled in.
But right now, what I wanted was to know. . .if she was happy, could I be happy too?
Roth
I knew something was wrong even before I realized the source of my unease.
I stood on the flat rooftop of the station, my eyes scanning the horizon as I waited for my turn to patrol the outer perimeter. Instead of getting some rest like I had ordered Kern, I had decided to help keeping watch.
This planet wasn’t like we remembered and I feared relaxing our guard in our old routines. Too much comfort was never a good idea. Especially now, that we had no idea what kind of obstacles or foes we could encounter and, with Erin in our group, we now had to go the extra mile and be even more vigilant.