by Lia Nox
“STOP!” I heard someone shout right behind me, but I couldn’t even tell who that voice belonged to. I spun around on my heels and squinted my eyes, but all I saw were Kern and Talos figures, their silhouettes cut against a dark background as lighting exploded in the sky. The afterimage of the scene burned in my retina for a whole second, and that was enough for my stomach to lurch.
Where was Erin?
“Erin?” I shouted, trying to make myself heard. “Where is she?”
“She’s missing!” Kern shouted back, pointing toward the slippery mess at his feet. His boots were caked in mud, and the rain made it so that the mud was now starting to turn into a river that rolled down the steep hill we were on.
Talos shouted something as well, but I couldn’t understand anything of what he was saying. He pointed furiously to the mud that kept on rolling down the hill, and I quickly surmised that Erin must’ve had slipped on the mud and tumbled down the hill. In the middle of a storm like this one, that was all it took for someone to become separated from their group.
I gritted my teeth so hard that pain shot up my jaw. I was furious at myself. How could something like this happen?
Erin was our priority and we had failed. For a split second, I almost wished the Masters would materialize in front of us to inflict the punishment I knew we deserved. I ached for some pain, something that would soothe the anger I felt toward myself. I had told Erin she had now become a member of the team, and I had drawn her membership on her arm with the blood of an enemy she killed. She was one of us and we had failed to protect her. For that, I almost wished the ground I stood on to open up and swallow me.
That thought didn’t last long. Self-pity was the most useless thing on a battlefield or situations of life-or-death, and I threw it away just as quickly as it appeared.
We had to find Erin.
No matter what, we had to find her.
Erin
All around me the howl of angry winds drowned out any other signs of life. It had gone from a fairly pleasant day to one of violent storms, the sand so whipped up that it lashed at our faces. It had been frightening with the guys by my side, but now that I was alone, surrounded by nothing but smoky winds, I was beyond scared. I was frantic.
Whenever I’d been alone in the past, it had always been in a situation I’d had time to plan for—splitting up to cover more ground, unexpected enemies who heard an alarm—there was always a kind of contingency plan. It was never something like this!
Banshee-like wails come from the left of me—or was it the right?
Fuck. I didn’t know.
To steady myself, I rested my hand on my chest, my heart almost beating its way through. The pulse was so intense that my muscles started to jump with the same rhythm, one of fevered worry as I stumbled about alone. It was hard to tell whether I’d progressed in any one direction or merely gone around in a tight circle; it caused a deep rooted fear in me to take hold.
Despite having always been fond of my own company, it had also been a clever means of protecting myself from heartache. If nobody got close, nobody could break my heart or leave me alone. I’d learned that lesson at the orphanage, my parents having thrown me away like unwanted popcorn kernels.
But being on this planet had changed how I saw the world: Roth, Talos, and Kern had coaxed me out of my hardened shell, they’d taken the time to show me that being part of a team didn’t have to equal pain, it could mean love too. At first I’d gone along with their company out of necessity—and my love of great sex—but now it was a part of me, I couldn’t be without them because I didn’t want to be.
My pride had tried to keep this truth away from everyone else, even myself, but now that I was alone and at its mercy, there was nothing for me to do save accept that I needed help. I was only as strong as my team, and without them, I had no further strength to give.
“Please find me,” I whimpered, my tone dominated by the vile hurricane and carried off so that none could hear it. Had I even heard it? My frame vibrated with gentle sobs at first, before deteriorating into heaving sobs that rocked my very core.
I dropped to my knees, pulled about like a ragdoll in the process, and curled into a ball. I was helpless.
A curdling wail tolled right beside me.
My head snapped up, my nose inches away from the beast’s open, razor sharp jaws. I gulped down the saliva that pooled in mouth, transfixed with fear. It would only take one bite and the world would take black.
It sniffed me again, its gaping gash of a mouth so close that I could feel the moisture that lay within. If I wasted any more time in this defenseless position, I would soon learn how it felt to be chewed within its wet, stinking muzzle. To die in such a way wasn’t meant for me. I may be terror-stricken and alone, but I needed to stay tough if I was to make my way back to my three lovers, to a team that made me feel the most important and cared for I’d ever felt.
My fear had given way to self-loathing, to pitying myself, but now it was turning into a more positive force, one that bubbled up inside of me like a volcano.
I dipped my head down, the monster taking it as a sign I wasn’t going to fight back; I heard its jaws loosen into a wider maw as it went for the first, and final blow. As it reared its head to do this, I lifted mine and headbutted with all my might.
The yowling, harrowing noise it made punctured through the unrelenting gales.
“ERIN!” I heard coming through, strangled yet fierce, as if the voice was being squeezed through. It was a weird sensation for my ears, but the relief that hit me when I heard my name was akin to discovering religion: it was divine, powerful, and worthy of thankful prayer. Before I was able to call out back to them, however, I was thrown backward by their charging approach, Roth leading at the front.
Landing with a harsh bump, I imagined that my ass would be tender for a couple of days, though it would be worth it. My team had found me.
My guys.
Mine.
Roth and Talos tore into the beast which had been bearing down on me, while Kern rushed over to make sure I was okay—he’d seen me fall backwards as he’d followed behind Talos. His thick fingers pressed at different points of my figure in search of any wounds, his touch soft despite the urgency of his actions. My skin flushed and tingled in response.
“Thank you for coming,” I whispered, curling into him.
“Always,” Kern purred, before planting a kiss on my forehead. “We’ll never leave you unless you ask us to.”
It was amazing how such a tender moment could be born of one so extreme. I’d been staring into the jaws of death, quite literally, yet now I was being embraced by one of my lovers. Knowing they would never want to leave me unless I bid them was even more magical, a window in time I hoped to peer through for years to come.
These men were turning me into an old romantic.
Holding his gaze for a little bit longer, I eventually released him so that he could lunge back into the battle. Turning my attention to the scene before me, it became clear that the slain monster’s friends had turned up to see what had happened, no doubt having remained on the outskirts to observe.
Seeing the fight clashing in front of me, I fumbled about to locate my own weapon as I watched Roth, Talos, and Kern uses theirs in between barehanded combat. When I’d headbutted the beast, it had been more logical and less likely to draw its attention than reaching for a weapon. But now I was free to move without hungry scrutiny, I could savor the weight of it in my hands once more.
Roused by the connection, I clambered to my feet and entered the fray. Roth gave a hearty chuckle when he saw me join in, his eyes wild like untamed flames; he was having fun with this. Talos and Kern were happy to see my confidence return, though they didn’t look quite as thrilled about the fighting as Roth did—there was a hint of enjoyment in Talos’ expression, but it was always fleeting.
I jammed the prongs of my taser into the exposed throat of a passing creature, the beast more concerned with taking down
stronger foes than I. It twitched and convulsed before whimpering into a fallen heap, ready for Talos to finish it off with his blade. Blood squirted into the air, causing Kern to grunt in displeasure as it rained down on the ground.
Visceral though it was, I was happy to see the beast killed.
A dying squeal from the final enemy signaled the end of our struggles.
“Iyadvenhli!” Roth cheered.
A victory cry? Judging by the joy that painted their blood spattered features, their skin now a mix of grey and red, I suspected so. As was their custom, they marked themselves with a bloody line to document their kills. Primal though it was, there was something about the way they decorated themselves that roused me once more. It was a primitive ritual, one that should have turned my stomach in its crudeness, yet it thrilled me. I supposed it could be because of how steeped in tradition it was, but I guessed at a more carnal reason: they looked hot when sweaty and bloody after battle. The marks where a way to symbolize their success, an equally attractive quality when bloodlust was coursing through your veins.
“We celebrate tonight!” came Roth’s invigorated voice.
“Yes, but let’s find shelter first,” Talos reasoned, Kern appearing to be in stout agreement. If I was honest, the idea of being away from the frenzied storms and lashing grit was at the top of my priority list as well.
Roth was clearly annoyed that the revelry would have to wait, but he also understood the reasons for it.
Funny, grumpy man.
At last, a dank looking cave came into view. It was a compact space, though wide enough to accommodate us all. Barely.
Our hearts still beating on high alert, our bodies primed for more unexpected trials, we were all charged with nervous energy as we settled into our new surroundings.
As I jiggled on the balls of my feet, I knew exactly how I’d be getting rid of this adrenaline.
Talos
Now that we were safely tucked away from the storm, I was able to let myself enjoy having found everyone again, having found Erin again.
When we’d all been scattered about by the wind and the cruel beasts that used it as an opportunity to strike, I’d been shaken at being away from Erin for so long. It was disconcerting being isolated from Roth and Kern, but at the heart of my fear had been a rational voice reassuring me that they were okay. That same voice hadn’t been able to say the same of Erin.
As I observed the room, all three of my companions quivering with anxiety, adrenaline and relief, it became apparent that we all needed to unleash the woes that had been weighing on us.
Some of that had been done already in the brief search for this hideaway, however there was more still to be worked off. Under normal circumstances I’d have suggested sparring, but seeing as this wasn’t normal by any stretch of the imagination, I felt other means would be more beneficial.
Not to mention more enjoyable.
Judging by how Erin was regarding us right now, I could sense that she felt the same way.
I could taste her on my tongue already, the zest of her damp flesh a potion so potent I was under its spell before it touched my lips.
A knowing smile flickered across her features.
She knew what she was doing to me.
Unshackled from the restraints of my constant theorizing, thanks to the storm which still raged on outside the stony walls of our den, I found myself unashamedly brazen in what I wanted.
As swift as the gusts roaring outside, I strode over to her in a couple of steps. I had my arms on either side of her as I backed her up and pinned her against the wall, the girlish whimper she exhaled only maddening me further.
I didn’t have to see the others’ faces to know how startled they were at my actions; my usual demeanor of quiet restraint having been cast off. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear that I could feel Roth’s wide, amused smirk as he watched me give myself over to my carnal urges. If he was finding this enjoyable, I could only guess at how he’d respond to my next moves.
Free of my worries about being gentle, I ripped at Erin’s clothes, her shirt tearing open across her chest. The material parted like wet paper, her heaving bust spilling out and over the edges of her bra.
More gasps came then, her face red as the heat of her skin increased, my treatment of her so out of character that she was burning up. That’s how I wanted her to be; I wanted her to burn brighter than she’d ever done before, and just for me.
I was going to make her mine, mark her as my own.
She’d never forget it.
My hands squeezed at her bosom, my touch forceful, unforgiving. Erin squirmed as I kneaded her breasts, my hands moving from fondling all of her chest to squeezing and flicking at just her nipples. I managed to halt myself long enough to examine how she was responding to this new, never seen side of me: her eyes were heavily lidded and barely open as she moaned against me. I was controlling her, the master that I’d never been allowed to be before, but it was what she wanted. You only had to look into that hazy expression of hers to see how gripped with passion she was at this point.
Locking away my sensible clear headedness once more, I dropped onto my knees so that I could suckle at her nipples. I was sucking so hard that her skin was growing a dark red, a combination of my mouth and her flushed skin.
As they each grew firmer under my waggling tongue, I lightly bit down—it wasn’t enough to break the skin, but it was a sensation that had Erin wriggling. Coordinating between licking and nibbling, I had her under my power. She was mine to do with as I wished and, by the cosmos, I was going to do some unspeakable things to this delicate beauty.
Snatching at her trousers, I tugged them off in clumps of fabric, her clothes beyond repair. Throwing the bits away, I turned back to see some of her ginger hair poking from behind her underwear; I growled as I ripped them off of her as well, her body quaking under me with fevered exhilaration at my aggressiveness.
Now that she was totally naked before me, I quickly gripped her and spun her around, pressing her front against the cold wall of the cave. She gasped as her hot flesh came into contact with the icy stone.
I used my feet to hitch her legs wide apart, making sure to spread them as far as they’d go. Hurriedly I yanked my trousers down to unleash my bulging cock. I ran my fingers along her wet slit before rubbing along my shaft, making sure that I was a little slick for my entry. Not that I should have worried: the second the head of my length touched between her pussy lips, her juices engulfed me. I gripped her hips just above her ass as I pounded into her in one, swift movement.
“Oh, fuck!” she cried, her body riding me as I kept ramming every inch of my erection into her tight, dripping hole. At this angle, she felt even tighter than before, which only made me want to pummel into her harder. I needed this to be rough. We’d fought for our lives, we’d—I’d —almost lost her, in all that commotion it had dawned on me how awful that would be.
Relishing how she ground against me so willingly, her groans only of pleasure, I released my hands from her hips and moved them higher up and around to her bust. Grabbing them tightly, I had her sandwiched between me and the wall, her body unable to move except for bouncing on my cock.
“Ahhh, yes. . .oh. . .fuck. . .” she exclaimed between gasping for more air, our speed so intense that even I was struggling to take in enough oxygen. “Harder. . .oh, God. . .Talos, please!” Such hunger, it amazed me. I was already giving her a brutal pounding, our bodies striking like a blacksmith’s hammer hitting an anvil, and still she couldn’t get enough of me.
I leaned close to her, my lips nuzzled into her neck as I bit her skin. “You’re mine,” I told her, my voice gruff and low. “Say it, say that you’re mine.” Never had I needed anyone to make such a bold claim, but I knew I wouldn’t be sated, the beast wouldn’t be able to sleep again until she’d said it. “Erin,” I growled again. “Say. You’re. Mine.”
“I’m, I’m yours, Talos. Oh. . .my God. . .I’m yours!” Erin screamed out as her p
ussy jerked around my cock, her muscles in the throes of an orgasm that had her wails bouncing off of the empty surfaces of the cave. Her cries were deafening. It’s all that could be heard apart from the slapping of our wet skin as I continued pounding into her.
I wasn’t satisfied with just one orgasm for her though, and I was by no means ready to have mine.
My thrusts didn’t slow as I forced her to power through her orgasm and onto the next, one of my hands reaching down to quickly rub at the sweet spot between her swollen lips.
“Fucking hell!” she shouted out, my unrelenting vigor a surprise to her, even in spite of the times we’d made love before.
Although this was not making love. I was fucking her like an animal, without tenderness, only concerned about us both coming over and over again. I wanted her almost unable to stand up straight by the time I was through with her. If she wasn’t stumbling, her movements uncoordinated thanks to a rush of lust, I would carry on until I got that result.
Strumming at her sensitive bud, I began my ascent to my own orgasm. The oncoming explosion I felt unlike any other climax I’d neared before; my whole body was burning, my nerves fraught, my muscles so tightly wound they felt like they could snap. . .
“Ahhhggh!” I grunted as I took deep, slow thrusts while I emptied myself into her.
Her knees began to buckle, with only my strong arms keeping her upright. Withdrawing from her as quickly as I entered, I spun her around again so that I could look at her pink face, her cheeks so bright with color.
Holding her to save her from crumpling into a heap at my feet, I gave her a slow, lingering kiss; it had all the sentiment of a star crossed lover embracing his partner after too long apart from her.
“Thank you,” I purred between another stolen kiss.