Page 10
Story: Myra's Monster
That was question was easy, though the answer slipped from my mind as I tried to focus on it. As darkness gathered around my thoughts, I did my best to visualize the instructions as clearly as possible. All he needed to do was find the emergency release and pull it…
I woke,gasping and naked, cold hard decking painful under me and the harsh light making me cover my eyes. The burned plastic smell of the air, the unsteady feel of the artificial gravity, the flickering lighting, all let me know I was aboardMyra’s Joy. The thought that I’d been aboard a Tyradyn bioship seemed ludicrous. Like a dream, or a nightmare.
Wasn’t it more plausible that the malfunctioning airmaker had pumped some toxin into the air and I’d lain here, hallucinating? I groaned and struggled to open my eyes, hugging myself against the chill and wondering about oxygen deprivation.
Whether from the airmaker’s fuck up or an unprotected leap from ship to ship tucked into the hollow of a Tyradyn warrior’s body my brain felt like someone had stuffed it with cotton wool. My body ached and tingled, bruised and satisfied, and as my mind began to clear, I recognized the feeling. I’ddefinitelyhad sex.
Foggy memories insisted it had been with a six-limbed alien warrior. But common sense reminded me I’d shared my ship with two men. The thought was enough to make me sit bolt upright—sleeping with Volkov or Hess wasnotpart of the plan.
The cabin spun around me erratically as I looked around for them. Instead, standing beside the airlock, I saw Tyr. My heart skipped a beat.
Somehow, it was real.Hewas real. Tyr stood there, unmoving, one pair of eyes open and watching me, the other two shut. Motionless, his carapace gleamed in the flickering light, he might have been a sculpture.
But as soon as I met his alien gaze, the multi-colored frills flicked open around his neck. His thoughts surrounded me, pressing gently against my own and filling me with warmth and love.
“What the hell am I going to do with you?” I asked, pulling myself to my feet. “Importing Tyradyn tech is illegal enough, now I’m coming back with a living Tyradyn warrior? Customs is going to pitch a fit, then throw the book at me.”
Despite my grumbling, I couldn’t keep the smile from my face. It was real.Hewas real.
I kill Customs.Tyr’s answer echoed in my skull, making me snort a surprised laugh, though I wasn’t sure he was joking.Protect you from anyone who throws things at you.
He came to me, limbs clicking on the metal deck as he moved with precision and lifted me in his arms. Tyr looked out of place in theJoy,his strange techno-organic carapace a wild contrast to the messy, worn-down old ship. But in another sense, he fit perfectly, as though he was the element I’d been missing to turnMyra’s Joyinto my home.
“No killing law enforcement, Tyr,” I told him, throwing my arms around his neck and kissing him. In the bright electric light, his fanged mouth looked even more terrifying than before. But that just sent a frisson of desire through me—I was safe, I knew I was safe, in his arms.
Maiming? Light mauling?I caught the amused tinge to his thoughts. Thank god, hewasjoking. Probably. I hoped so, anyway.They will not harm my Myra.
Okay, maybe not joking as much as I’d like. But we had weeks to sort out how to smuggle him past customs before theJoyreached settled space. Weeks to get to know each other and come up with a plan.
And we’d start planning as soon as I finished welcoming Tyr to his new home. I kissed him again, feeling his lust building as Icautiously stroked the frill around his neck. His tongue pressed against mine, his hands explored my naked body, and my brain shut up as he squeezed me to him. Desire sparked desire, the feedback loop leaving us both desperate for each other.
With the last of my willpower, I guided him toward my bed. It was no grove of black flowers, but we’d make do.
The End
I woke,gasping and naked, cold hard decking painful under me and the harsh light making me cover my eyes. The burned plastic smell of the air, the unsteady feel of the artificial gravity, the flickering lighting, all let me know I was aboardMyra’s Joy. The thought that I’d been aboard a Tyradyn bioship seemed ludicrous. Like a dream, or a nightmare.
Wasn’t it more plausible that the malfunctioning airmaker had pumped some toxin into the air and I’d lain here, hallucinating? I groaned and struggled to open my eyes, hugging myself against the chill and wondering about oxygen deprivation.
Whether from the airmaker’s fuck up or an unprotected leap from ship to ship tucked into the hollow of a Tyradyn warrior’s body my brain felt like someone had stuffed it with cotton wool. My body ached and tingled, bruised and satisfied, and as my mind began to clear, I recognized the feeling. I’ddefinitelyhad sex.
Foggy memories insisted it had been with a six-limbed alien warrior. But common sense reminded me I’d shared my ship with two men. The thought was enough to make me sit bolt upright—sleeping with Volkov or Hess wasnotpart of the plan.
The cabin spun around me erratically as I looked around for them. Instead, standing beside the airlock, I saw Tyr. My heart skipped a beat.
Somehow, it was real.Hewas real. Tyr stood there, unmoving, one pair of eyes open and watching me, the other two shut. Motionless, his carapace gleamed in the flickering light, he might have been a sculpture.
But as soon as I met his alien gaze, the multi-colored frills flicked open around his neck. His thoughts surrounded me, pressing gently against my own and filling me with warmth and love.
“What the hell am I going to do with you?” I asked, pulling myself to my feet. “Importing Tyradyn tech is illegal enough, now I’m coming back with a living Tyradyn warrior? Customs is going to pitch a fit, then throw the book at me.”
Despite my grumbling, I couldn’t keep the smile from my face. It was real.Hewas real.
I kill Customs.Tyr’s answer echoed in my skull, making me snort a surprised laugh, though I wasn’t sure he was joking.Protect you from anyone who throws things at you.
He came to me, limbs clicking on the metal deck as he moved with precision and lifted me in his arms. Tyr looked out of place in theJoy,his strange techno-organic carapace a wild contrast to the messy, worn-down old ship. But in another sense, he fit perfectly, as though he was the element I’d been missing to turnMyra’s Joyinto my home.
“No killing law enforcement, Tyr,” I told him, throwing my arms around his neck and kissing him. In the bright electric light, his fanged mouth looked even more terrifying than before. But that just sent a frisson of desire through me—I was safe, I knew I was safe, in his arms.
Maiming? Light mauling?I caught the amused tinge to his thoughts. Thank god, hewasjoking. Probably. I hoped so, anyway.They will not harm my Myra.
Okay, maybe not joking as much as I’d like. But we had weeks to sort out how to smuggle him past customs before theJoyreached settled space. Weeks to get to know each other and come up with a plan.
And we’d start planning as soon as I finished welcoming Tyr to his new home. I kissed him again, feeling his lust building as Icautiously stroked the frill around his neck. His tongue pressed against mine, his hands explored my naked body, and my brain shut up as he squeezed me to him. Desire sparked desire, the feedback loop leaving us both desperate for each other.
With the last of my willpower, I guided him toward my bed. It was no grove of black flowers, but we’d make do.
The End