Page 22

Lisa

Day 15

A t some point in the night, while the two of us sit outside quietly under the stars, I doze off in Juk’s arms. I silently cried for what felt like an eternity at his truthful answer, but it’s what I needed to hear. I need to stop kidding myself with false hopes about things—like getting off of this planet, of finding all the others alive...

It was miraculous we all survived to begin with. All that we know of—Meg is still uncertain. But now with this news from Jade, all I can think about is Chunhua. Of Delphine. And now, oddly more than anyone in the cargo hold, all I can think about is Katie, And how I have let her down.

She is counting on me to find the others, to find Allison. Allison, Gabby, Vivianna, and Chelsea... while I worry about them, they’re resourceful. They can take care of themselves, when needed. But Katie, she is like Jade. Maybe not as much, but she relies on her twin. And now all I can think about is having to tell her, face to face, that Allison is either dead or stuck at the bottom of a gorge in enemy territory.

That is, if Katie even makes it back to the den alive. She’s out there, on this frosty, horrible planet, alone with an alien stranger. Evie and I made have found mates—something I am still grappling with—but that doesn’t mean there’s one out there for all of us. Right?

These are the thoughts that plague me in my sleep. I dream of watching the cargo hold fall into the gorge. I dream of Katie being crushed under the rocks in the cave-in. I dream of her crying, and screaming at me for not saving Allison. For not saving Chunhua and Delphine. For not being smart enough to protect us from something like this.

Later, in a daze, we must have gone back into the cave. I wake up warm by the fire, snuggled up against Juk. Vaguely I remember sliding back down the icy tunnel, exhausted both emotionally and physically from this so-called rescue mission.

The fire at my back crackles as someone stokes it. Soft voices murmur over the sound of the embers. It sounds like Evie and Axyll, quietly discussing the discourse for the day. Today, we split up again. Last time, with Katie, it was unintentional. Jade needs medical attention, which she will not get here. Not in this cave, or even in the Snowscape den—not medical attention as we know it. But she will be better cared for there. Evie will look after her, and with the help of the healer, whose name escapes me, she’ll get better. And then she too, will have to come to the conclusion that we’re never leaving this planet.

I lie quietly in Juk’s arms, his large chest rising and falling as he sleeps. I don’t want to socialize with the others yet. I’m not ready to face this day and what we might find at the gorge. What we might not find. There are too many possible outcomes at this point. The thought of any of them makes my head spin.

So instead, I focus on Juk. Of the feel of his right arm curled around my back, keeping me close to his chest. Of the feel of his left arm, heavy and muscular, draped on top of me. It’s like a teal weight blanket, making me feel secure and safe. Calm. A feeling that has been fleeting these past few weeks.

My head rests against his shoulder as I watch the rise and fall of his chest. During the night, my leg crept up and wrapped itself around him. Combined with the feel of his arms around me, the heat radiating off his skin and the warmth of the fire behind me... this feels nice. It somehow feels familiar, like this is where I’m meant to be.

He is quite handsome, for an alien. There are different species in the Gragon Belt that have made themselves home there, some for generations. I’m not new to seeing alien species, both those who are considered anthropoids and compatible with humans, and those too different. I’ve had friends of different varieties. I’ve been attracted to and briefly dated others.

But Juk takes the cake. His jaw is square with sharp angles, and high cheekbones. He has long, blonde eyelashes that match the hair on his head. Asleep, he has his usual scrap of leather out of his hair and the long tendrils fall free from their usual bun. I didn’t realize just how long his hair was, as it tickles my face as I crane my neck to get a better look. It falls to his shoulders, a bit longer than the alpha’s. It might be a bit longer than mine as well.

I shift my gaze back to his face, to his lips. My own tingle at the memory of our last kiss. What would it be like to kiss those lips now? Without tears pouring down my face, without the stress of the others and our situation weighing down on me. Just a kiss because I wanted to. Because I find myself falling for this man, despite how hard I’ve tried to ignore it. I gave Evie such a hard time about it, but she’s right. There’s something here, at least for the two of us. Who knows how many of the other humans will pair up with the pack.

It’s unexplainable, but that’s OK. Some things don’t need an explanation. And maybe by searching for one, by trying to blame it on astrostingents, it may ruin whatever this is budding between us.

Out of my peripheral vision, I see shadows moving around. A timid female whisper joins Evie’s, and I know Jade is awake. I feel like I should join them and help them prepare for the day. But I just want to lie here a little longer, tucked into Juk’s arms. They don’t try to rouse me, which I appreciate.

I place my hand flat against his chest and shift my head so it rests next to it. The deep sound of his lungs breathing in and out is like the ocean to my ears. I’ve only ever seen an ocean once, on Gragon 8. It was large and ominous, the black waters casually rushing in and out from a dense fog. That was terrifying, but the sound of Juk’s lungs is soothing despite the comparison. It’s accompanied by the beating of his two hearts.

I close my eyes and try to see if I can differentiate between the two. One sounds like a human’s, the rhythm familiar. The other, from what I can tell, seems to beat faster with a continuous beat, like the ticking of a clock. Together they sound chaotic, but when focusing on one at a time, the sounds are beautiful.

Juk lets out a low rumble in his throat. One of his white fluffy tails at my legs twitches, and his left hand shifts to cover mine. “That tickles,” he murmurs, as his fingers still mine. I didn’t even realize I had started to stroke his soft skin.

“Sorry,” I whisper.

“I did not say I did not like it,” he murmurs back, and when I glance up, there is a smirk on his face. He opens one blue eye and looks down at me. Light glints off his Seeker somewhere, the crystal shining. I’m not religious at all, but whatever deity made the Celetans sure made an art out of them.

His fingers slowly start to stroke the top of my hand. I place my palm flat on his chest, feeling the suede-like texture of his skin. No wonder they stay so warm in this wintry place. I wonder if he’s soft in other places. I wonder what it would feel like to have that soft texture inside me.

Axyll murmurs something in their native language that I don’t understand. Juk’s Seeker flares for a moment, before he answers back in a low murmur, his aquamarine eyes not leaving mine. There’s a desire lurking behind them. It bores deep into my own eyes, right down into my heart where it beats, sending throbbing, aching need between my legs.

Suddenly the cave feels too warm. Too stuffy, too crowded . I wrap my hand in Juk’s, my heart beating wildly in my chest. I want him . The thought is so bright in my head, it pushes everything else out. The rescue mission, the others in the cave, the hopelessness of being stuck here. It’s suddenly so loud in my head, that one thought beating with the rhythm of my heart, the pulsing of my core, that I take in a sharp inhale of air. I’ve been putting off this desire for so long that it’s now demanding I take action. Everything else can wait.

The noise of everyone else in the cave disappears, white noise to my ears. I’m vaguely aware of Evie and Jade crawling out of the cave, of the Celetans following them. All I can focus on is the steady beating of my heart, thrumming in my ears. Every part of me feels like it is on fire under Juk’s hot stare.

The moment the cave is empty, Juk’s lips come crashing down on mine. The kiss is fervent and desperate, one that has been pent up since the moment our eyes first locked when they rescued us from the bridge.

Juk wraps his arms around me and rolls onto his back. His cold tongue plunges into my mouth, eliciting a groan. Shivers run down my body as my nipples perk beneath my suit. Juk’s hands run down the length of my body as my fingers find his hair. It’s surprisingly soft, and thick. I would have figured it to be coarse like the fur in their wolf form.

I suck lightly on Juk’s tongue, the cold minty-like feeling rushing down my throat. His moan echoes in my mouth, and his hands grip my bottom tightly. I can feel the throb of his erection trapped beneath me, the long length throbbing against my leg. And now I wish it wasn’t his tongue in my mouth.

But we don’t have much time. As Juk breaks the kiss for a moment, gasping for air, our eyes lock and I know he is thinking the same thing. Now isn’t the time for slow and exploring. I can’t let the others leave without saying goodbye, but if I don’t have Juk inside me soon, I am going to explode. When this rescue mission is over and we’re back at the den, then we’ll take all the time we want. We can lock ourselves in his hollow— our hollow, I suppose it will become—for days if we want to.

Just a few days ago you refused to think of staying here. And now you’re excited to have a hollow of your own . It’s funny how fast things can change.

Juk’s hands run up my body again as I sit up straight, as I straddle his chest. I want to feel his hands on me, to feel that soft skin rub up against my own. Slowly, I unzip the front of my suit. Juk’s eyes watch in fascination as the toggle moves lower and lower, pulling apart the thick black fabric. But brief disappointment flashes across his face as he sees the shirt I’m wearing underneath.

I can’t help but laugh and lean in for a quick kiss. He growls at me and starts to tug more on the zipper impatiently. With quick movements, I pull my arms out of the long sleeves and lift the shirt off. It lands across the cave, and I have a feeling I won’t be putting it back on again. It’s dirty and stained, another symbol of my refusal to accept our fate. But it’s time to move on. To let it go.

The crystal on his forehead shimmers as he takes in the sight of me. He presses his teal hand against my bare stomach. His palm is warm, and his thumb slowly strokes back and forth against my skin. It’s a comforting moment of awe and wonder as he stares up at me with nothing but love. I’ve never been on the receiving end of such a look, and my heart does a flip.

Then the heat returns to his eyes, and with that, the urgency. His hands run up my body and cup my small breasts. Pleasure courses through me, melting me to my core as his thumbs lightly circle my nipples. I need more.

Quickly, I stand and rip off the rest of my suit. Bare before him, Juk inhales sharply, his blue eyes narrowing with desire. Before he can do anything more, I straddle back over him, and move aside his loin cloth.

I’ve seen the Celetans naked in my two weeks here. They are unabashed by it. They shift so frequently that it is natural to find one strutting across the cave naked after coming in from a run in their wolf form. I think I’ve even seen brief glimpses of Juk, but this is the first time I’ve really taken a look.

It’s no surprise he’s big. He’s the biggest guy in the pack.

No time to be shy, I wrap my hand around his length and he groans at my touch. My small hands can’t grip all the way around, the tips of my fingers unable to meet. But his size doesn’t scare me. If anything, my mouth waters and my body throbs harder, wanting this beast inside me.

His cock is a deeper shade of teal than the rest of his body. There’s no hair here, only thick veins running down the appendage. Three large, soft testicles rest below the enormous shaft, and as I give an experimental pump, my other hand tries to cradle all three. The motion is clumsy, but it doesn’t seem to matter as Juk lets out a feral groan, and pre-cum starts to spill down the shaft.

I run my tongue up, catching the trail along the way. Like the feel of his tongue, the pre-cum is cold. It has a slightly sweet taste, like venisa juice from home. I guess I’ll never really miss Gragon 6 with this tasty reminder right in front of me. Juk, you might be very lucky in the head department .

But not right now. I sit up straight again, and shift my weight over him. His hooded eyes meet mine as I position myself over the head of his cock. It presses against my entrance, stretching it already.

“Leesa,” he whispers. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I am not sure how much longer I can hold back. I have never mated before.”

He’s a virgin? OK, I wasn’t expecting that, but I am also not surprised. The Celetans don’t seem the type to sleep around. Mates are taken seriously, and result in a deep bond. I’ve seen how love-struck Evie seems despite everything else going on.

“Then let me show you,” I say.

Before he can protest, I inch my way down on his cock. My core stretches around him in ways I didn’t think possible, and I can feel every throb of his heartbeats reverberating inside me. I feel so full as I slowly seat myself down, wanting to take all of him even if it rips me apart.

Juk’s hands grip my hips as I finally settle at the hilt of him. With a slow, rolling motion, I grind against him. The movements do not stay slow for long. They build in acceleration and intensity, as the stress, grief, and torment of the last few weeks comes out of me. Tears stream down my face as I ride towards the release that will free me. The release I so desperately need after everything that has happened. The release that will solidify my future here, as Juk’s mate.

Juk starts to meet me with each roll, thrusting up into my core. His abs look fantastic from this angle, and one of his balls slaps my backside with each motion. It can’t be good for his broken tail, but that doesn’t seem to be a concern as he starts to move with feral ferocity.

As the tension builds and we both get closer to breaking the mounting pressure between us, I take one of Juk’s hands and shift it forward slightly. His thumb almost instinctively finds my clit, and his sharp nail digs into it just at the right angle.

I cry out in pain and pleasure, in grief and hope as the tension snaps within me, and stars fill my vision. All thoughts leave my mind and my body takes over. Every little piece of tension floods out of me, and with a loud howl, Juk joins me in release.

His seed rushes into me, both cold and on fire, and I don’t bother to think of the repercussions his release inside me might cause. There’s no need because, incredulously, somehow over the past few days I have fallen in love with him. I am his and he is mine, and whatever comes from that is welcome. I’m not going anywhere.