by Pearl Tate
So, this is it. Even though I knew this day would come, I honestly didn’t expect to have a mate when it happened. Now there’s someone besides myself I have to worry about and must keep safe. I can’t stop the ball of dread that settles into my stomach as I put my own hand into the air in agreement.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
- Ashlyn
I’m extremely thankful we don’t stay at the meeting much longer. It’s interesting and everything, but all I want to do is be alone with Atticus. We haven’t had any time to relax since early this morning.
Brock whisks off with Brittney the minute it becomes clear that they’re ironing out the fine details. Jo-Anne and Lisa have the best rapport with the Ashen—specifically Jo-Anne if you don’t count Sol’s mate, Janette. Sol and Janette are both staying with the Ashen, processing women to be future mates.
“I’m sorry that we hadn’t talked more about Quasar and our society and customs that you’re going to be exposed to—”
Cutting off Atticus, I can tell he’s as surprised as I am. “It doesn’t matter.” When he’s left standing with his mouth open in the doorway of our bedroom, I rush to explain. “I mean… it does matter…”
Atticus is shaking his head, smiling as the door slides closed behind him. “I understand.” Releasing the fastener on his suit, he moves toward me as I back up until my knees hit the bed.
My legs give out underneath me, and I settle onto the plush surface, still staring at Atticus as he begins to peel away the material hiding his body from my view. “Some of the other women are organizing classes we’ll be able to attend to get up to speed on your history and laws and…”
Trailing off, I blink as he’s suddenly naked in front of me before I even realize it. When his hands reach for me, I surrender to the overwhelming desire I feel bubbling at my core. Whether it’s me or him, I’m not sure, but I know that this is what I want. Right now, he obviously feels the same.
Shuddering as he begins to undress me, I stay silent, enjoying the way his fingers send bolts of awareness to every part of my body as they pass along my skin. “I missed you so much. Just the brief periods of time we were separated made me hunger for you, missing your scent.” The words are whispered against my skin as his lips follow his fingers, peeling off my clothing.
“That’s good,” I whisper back. I’m totally aroused already, which really is a good thing since he’s so big, and I don’t want it to take as long as last time for him to get inside me. I can feel the slick moisture between my legs already, and that only makes me more excited.
All I’ve thought about over the last day is how much I couldn’t wait for this exact moment to come. When we could be alone and getting naked. My crotch aches, full of want, and I wish he would hurry.
Atticus gives me a slow, full smile that makes my heart speed up in anticipation. “It’s not really good to miss you so much though. I think we should make time during the day to be alone more often, don’t you?”
Giving him a squeak as he tugs off my pants, I think about sneaking away with him to have sex during the day. The idea is titillating and foreign. There are so many different things we could do when we sneak off…
“Ashlyn?”
“Hm?” I bring my attention back to his face, hovering over mine as his hair floats out next to him.
“I need you now.” Those are words I never thought I’d hear from a man, and as I open my mouth to tell him that, he bends down and his lips cover mine. His kiss is scorching as all the need in my body implodes in a sensation that has wetness seeping down my legs.
Pressing himself between my legs, he lifts me into his arms, and I lock my legs around him, trapping his hard dick between us. Lust overwhelms me, whether it’s his or mine, I don’t know, but suspect it’s a combination of both.
With a bold thrust of his tongue, the textured surface drags against my lips and tongue, making me whimper with excitement as goosebumps break out over my skin. Groaning in return, he cups the back of my head, pinning me to him as he thrusts into my mouth as if he’s been dying to claim me—which he probably has. Licking and nibbling on my lips, I respond eagerly, knowing that this is what I’ve needed all my life.
Him.
I feel like I’m going to die if he doesn’t get inside me soon. The heat between us ramped up so quickly, it’s like the worries and issues of the Discovery don’t matter. Nothing exists outside of each moan and thrust of his tongue and cock against me. He’s everywhere around me as his hair circles me before I feel a solid surface against my back.
I don’t even realize I’m rocking my hips against him until I’m pinned against the wall. The additional leverage has me pressing back harder, placing that exciting pleasure point called a clit against him and sliding the wetness against the surface of his hard cock.
My breasts are pressed up against his rock hard chest, and my aching nipples seem to feel the heat flashing through his mating marks. My arms tighten around his neck, and I can feel my nails dig into his upper back as his hand cupping my ass squeezes me while his other roams my body.
His fingers creep toward my pussy as his hand supporting me shifts while we kiss. I gasp in surprise, our lips breaking off momentarily as his fingers run through my folds, spreading my juices I’m leaking around. The sensation is cool and arousing as our foreheads rest together, and we pant, looking deep into each others eyes.
Stroking me gently, he gives me a heated look as I squirm slightly, bucking my clit against his length harder. “Are you aching for me to be inside you a much as I’m dying to feel your tight, wet heat wrapped around me?”
Arching against him, my voice is gone as I open to answer. Of course, I want that, but the only thing that comes out is a high-pitched wail that doesn’t sound like a yes or no. Atticus continues to tease me, watching my face with fascination until my eyes close and roll back into my head from the pleasure.
“Would you like me inside you like this?” Tilting his own hips back, I feel his huge, hard cock drag along my clit until he’s pressing the tip against my opening. Panting, I force open my eyes to look at him as I nod quickly. “Atticus… please. I… I’m ready.”
“Yes.” His hips roll as his cock bounces at my entrance before he presses back against me. Panting, I push down against him, adding some weight and leverage against his dick. “More, now?”
He’s barely pressing against me, and I don’t understand why he’s making me wait! Groaning, I use my legs around his waist to press down more firmly, feeling myself open as he stretches me with the tip of his cock. “Yes… more.”
Now he groans, because it’s more but not enough. “Yes,” he gasps. “Definitely more.” Rocking his hips against me, I feel him slide and inch or so in and out as I hang my mouth open, gasping at the pure pleasure that ricochets through my body.
Digging my nails in deeper, I circle my hips to add to the sensation. He gives me the most intense look as he studies me, pressing inside me gently as he spreads my legs wide. Holding my ass, he keeps me from dropping down on his hard length, torturing me with the pleasure and wait.
When he pulls out, only resting against my entrance again, I let out a moan of protest. Why? My face must show my confusion because he chuckles lightly. He’s so mean.
But then his fingers dig into my thighs, spreading my legs farther while taking my mouth in another hard, demanding kiss as he surges inside me. The thrust takes my breath away, and I gasp at the intrusion even as my muscles clamp around him in ecstasy. It’s perfect.
Biting my lip, my eyes close as my neck gives out, and my head hits the wall behind me. His words are muffled in my neck as he slowly pulls his hips away, dragging his veiny cock along sensitive tissue that’s clamped tight around him. “Relax for me, Ashlyn… let me in.”
I want him in. I’m not even sure how to relax, but as he slows and begins pressing kisses to my neck, I melt, giving myself over to his touch. He’s so strong, I don’t even have to brace myself. Muscles dance in his chest, s
ides, and ass as he rocks his hips. “That’s right, my mate.”
Anything after that is unintelligible as I whimper at his small intrusions bouncing at my entrance. Over and over he tortures me, ramping up the intensity until he thrusts deep again without warning. His arm snakes around my hips, locking me in place as he drives into me.
Pressing my back against the wall with his weight pinning me, it takes everything I have to stay relaxed as my impending orgasm makes me tighten in anticipation and my legs spasm. I can’t hold back as my back arches and legs spread wide to allow him maximum penetration as I explode in ecstasy. Crying out his name, he continues to pump into me before he buries himself deep, and I feel the already familiar sensation of his own eruption inside me.
The warmth soothes me as his feeling of contentment mixes with my own, making my body sag. Atticus rubs his cheek against mine as he pulls from my neck, his hair loosening from my body as the vibration around us slows. Smiling up at him, I feel absolutely sated with happiness as my body shifts with him. For the first time in my life, I realize that I’m living in the moment.
It doesn’t matter what the next few days will bring. I trust him to do the best thing for both of us, and I’m content just being with him. A lot of women would consider that stupid or old fashioned, but it’s so much more than I ever thought I’d have in this lifetime. Just being with him and loving him for however long we have is enough.
The wall at my back disappears as he pulls me tight to his chest and steps quickly to the bed, while every step bumps him high inside me. Lying us both down on our sides, his fingers skim over my face followed by his lips as he continues to roll his hips against me, still hard and buried deep. By the time he reaches my chest, I’m squirming for more and gripping his head as his hair continues to wrap up my arms, dancing across my skin.
He’s still hard inside me as he makes me senseless with need all over again. Of course, I don’t mind, surrendering myself to him as he begins to thrust all over again. It’s… he’s all I want. I don’t need anything but Atticus.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
- Atticus
TWO WEEKS LATER
The View Room is packed with bodies as the first glimpse of Quasar becomes available. We’ve all agreed that the rotation we’ll settle into around the planet will be further out than ever before. What we’re attempting is something never done—or even speculated could be done—and we couldn’t have done it without the Ashen.
True to his word, Sol and Janette were able to work as liaisons with the Ashen. Not only did they help us contact the other Quasar ships through their systems so the Council couldn’t trace the communication, but they also gave the engineers detailed instructions on a redesign that has essentially made our ship invisible. Ghost-like.
Instead of having the waves of all our communication floating around in space, they’ve devised a way to mask them. When the science behind it was discussed with engineering, the easiest way for them to explain it to those of us with very limited knowledge of what was proposed was to say that they changed the vibration of our communication.
So, instead of us having to worry about them being able to track us or realize we’re still alive and headed toward them, we’ve essentially tricked them into thinking we’ve endured the same fate as the Explorer. After everything was in place, an almost duplicate communication to what we all received from the Explorer was broadcast out, and then all the new technology was engaged.
For the last rotations, we’ve been traveling toward Quasar in stealth mode. Exciting, but more than that—dangerous. “Is that it?”
Ashlyn shifts in front of me, where we’re both of us are facing the screen, waiting for the planet to materialize. Sure enough, where she’s pointing, you can see a small glow coming into focus. We’re still traveling at a high speed, and the small speck enlarges quickly, even while I answer. “Yes, but we won’t get too much closer. Our rotational radius won’t be detected if we stay beyond five hundred milcouples away.”
She nods her understanding without looking up. There are gasps from the other females around the room as they too focus on the planet that their mates have called home. Even I can see the damage to its surface from this distance. Pollution and waste have taken over much of its habitable land, and that’s the primary reason space exploration became such a priority in the recent annual rotations.
“Do you think Brock’s already in orbit here?” It’s sweet of Ashlyn to be thinking of my best friend. I was just thinking about him too. Who knows, maybe she picked up on my own thoughts. Brock’s part of a reconnaissance team heading for the surface, led by Matthias and Selas—or should I say—Karen? She’s been the real leader.
In addition to taking Vekel, who has been working with Brock to recover more details from his memories, the team plans to meet up with Chevepak on Quasar. They’ll do their best to help as many males as possible, while at the same time trying to work undercover to identify who’s behind the repressed memories and spies planted—not to mention—who might be behind it.
Brock’s training has taken a lot of time over the last rotations since every spare minute that he’s not practicing drills, is spent with his mate, Brittney. Her health and mobility continue to improve. The hard part for her is the physiotherapy. Our nanos are easily attaching to all the female’s biology and correcting diseases, but the muscle tone and strengthening Brittney needs still takes hard work.
Squeezing Ashlyn back against me, I lean in to whisper into her tiny shell of an ear. “Probably not. I believe they’re at least a rotation behind us due to their craft’s speed. And we won’t see them when they come by either.” Turning toward Brittney, who’s standing next to us I add, “I’m sure it’ll all go smoothly.”
Brittney’s resting her hand on her chest with a tight smile on her face. “I’ll let you know.” The wink she gives after startles me, but Ashlyn’s tinkling laugh of response is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard.
Everyone is quiet as we watch the planet get larger until our forward momentum stops, and it becomes clear the planet won’t be getting any closer. Brittney leans over toward Ashlyn and I, keeping her voice down out of respect for the rest of the males around the room working and communicating with their neural implants. “That’s it, huh? It’s only the size of a dime?”
Ashlyn tilts her head back on my chest, arching her back and effectively thrusting her ass hard against my always eager cock. Gritting my teeth, I put a tight smile on my face as I wait for her words. “That’s really as big as it’s getting? How’re you going to see anything from here?”
Squeezing her shoulders, I lean down to answer them both, “Just watch.” Turning my gaze back to the screen, I wait and they follow my example and do the same. Sure enough, it’s only a few breaths later, and once we’ve come to a powered-down state, that the magnified view kicks in on the screen. When it does, a low murmur begins between three males in the corner.
One of them pulls away from the others to move closer to Bren, putting his head down to discuss something. I could tap in, but haven’t bothered. Most neural implant discussions are open, but it’s my time off and I’m trying to have the same perspective as Ashlyn today. I want to experience things the same as her while we’re together.
It’s only a moment before Bren turns to address the room, holding his hands up for attention. “Everyone, please note that we’re now scanning the recent communications to pick up on any discussions that may help us with our—”
“Bren, as discussed, we need to bring to everyone’s attention to the foreign spacecraft circling Quasar.” Torko’s clear, calm voice carries easily across the view room.
Bren turns, putting his hands on his hips to watch with us all as an object floats slowly across the surface of the planet. Only the outline can be determined, but just like the differences between physiology, many of the spacecrafts have identifiable details that make them stand out. “I see it. Marel.”
Bren’s voice i
s brittle as he turns to look at Hannah. She tosses a pitying look toward Shelly and Callim who’re only a few seats away. It wasn’t that long ago that Callim was scheduled to go to Marel as what he thought would be an ambassador. The only question is… an ambassador for what?
Not that many males are privy to the hierarchy of the females on Quasar, especially the Council who make the rules for the remaining families on the planet. But you’d think if there was an ambassador program to another species planet, at least the captains in the Quasar space fleets would know about it. Based on that fact, and the drugs found in Callim’s system that he had to detox from, something more than just being an ambassador is going on.
So, the question remains… why do the Marel have one of their very distinctive, round-shaped spacecrafts orbiting around Quasar?
CHAPTER THIRTY
- Ashlyn
I can tell from the tension in the room, that this isn’t something anyone suspected they’d see. Another alien craft around their planet. Atticus’s arms have tightened across me, and my eyes shift to Brittney where she’s standing next to me.
I can sense Atticus’s anticipation. Confusion and maybe—fear? No one’s saying anything right away. Even Bren seems to be thinking hard as he moves his gaze from the view screen to Hannah. “Is this bad?” Looking up at Atticus’s chin, I keep my voice down so only he can hear.
Standing, Hannah moves closer to Bren, and their voices drop for a sentence or two that we can’t hear before Atticus turns his attention to me and leans in to whisper in my ear. “No one thought we’d see another species’ spacecraft in our airspace. That’s never been how this works. Even the males that Callim informed us were taken off planet out of the Sanctuary of the Order were transported in Quasar spacecrafts to the zone border.”
When I nod, he straightens to stare at Bren and Hannah again. Atticus told me before that they considered the possibility of spies on the Discovery from the Quasar Council before, but the guys never thought they’d actually be killed by their leaders. I’m not sure if it’s their naivety or what, but Hannah’s admitted she isn’t surprised at all.