Page 23 of Keeping Freya (Warriors of Arracate #3)

T’Rak

W alking away from Fr’Ya on this strange planet, not knowing where danger will come from, is one of the hardest things I have ever done.

I know she is relatively safe here; no lifeforms, big or small, are to be found in the near vicinity.

I use the cover of the bush to make my way towards the settlement, which I know in my gut is the Den.

It only takes me about half an hour to get to the edge of the jungle.

I hear the people before I have visual confirmation.

When I do, I know I am right. It looks like one big culmination of bars.

A louche watering hole sits on the outskirts of the square, and when I observe, two aliens roll out fighting.

A crowd yells at them from the inside, but fights must be common because nobody is following.

I trek around the edges of the clearing, and everywhere I look, it is the same sight.

Bars, pubs, with scattered houses and what looks like a hotel in between.

On the south side, near a dark and heady sea, a huge landing strip where at least a dozen different space ships reside, instantly, I spot the Sternotheri ship, and my blood starts pumping.

I found him! We are in the right place, and I will finally get my revenge.

Thoughts of my brother try to push into my mind, but I shove them away, reaching for my calm. I cannot let emotions cloud my mind right now. With Fr’Ya in the mix, I cannot allow myself to make mistakes.

Making sure nobody is able to spot me, I crouch down and crawl even closer to the edge of the jungle.

Trying to peek into the town. Groups of aliens walk across the streets, going from tavern to tavern.

Some operate solo, but most of them seem to be in some sort of group.

Interesting. After a minute with nothing, I crawl towards the next spot, which repeats itself until I find the most perfect lookout.

There is nothing for me to do now but wait.

Wait until the High Commander appears. I wonder if he will be alone or if he will be accompanied by some of his henchmen.

They must be the last of the Sternotheri, and a weird feeling hardens my body.

Shoving that down, I also pull out my binoculars and settle in to wait.

Today is my lucky day, because I do not have to wait long before my mark appears.

The heat of the planet makes him smell even worse than when we encounter their race in Space, and I am glad that I am far away.

He is walking with two other Sternotheri, a couple of Caudata, and a Krait.

An unsavory bunch that is absolutely clear.

They halt on the square and talk about their plans.

Fragments of their conversation find their way to me; something about meeting up here tomorrow, and I look back to see the bar they came from.

Memorizing everything, I stay still and watch.

The High Commander walks back towards their ship.

One of the goons follows, and the other stays behind.

I know a weak link when I see one, and I am itching to get my hands on him.

However, he re-enters the bar they came from at the same time his colleagues reach the ship, so there is nothing I can do.

Looking up at the sky, I see the red hue of sunset. Time for me to go back, because I have no doubt Fr’Ya will be anxiously waiting, and she will follow through on her threat of following me.

Retracing my steps, I do my best to erase all the tracks I made in the vegetation. Though I highly doubt the thugs that frequent the Den are looking outside the clearing, I am not taking any risks.

I run back, and about twenty minutes later, I find my mate still firmly locked in the tree I left her in.

I call out to her softly, “Fr’Ya! It is me; you can come out.” For good measure, I fire up the scanner, which confirms her heat signature.

“You know, we really should have agreed on a secret password,” she replies from above. “Because how do I know it’s you and not some strange alien who is like a shapeshifter or something?”

With a sigh, I rake my hand through my hair. “There are no shapeshifters on this planet. There are, however, a lot of criminals, and the High Commander is here.”

She squeals, and I hear movement in the trees. “You found him!”

“Not so loud, but yes, I did.”

Her grinning face comes into view. “That is awesome! Help me down, please?”

I help her down, her body sliding against mine for the last feet.

“T’Rak,” her voice is husky and breathless, and the bond is pulsing fiercely now that she is so close. I do not move away from her, I cannot move away now that the sweet scent of her arousal is hanging in the air .

Her hands land on my chest, and she looks up at me. Anticipation shines in her eyes when she wets her lips. I groan when I see her tongue coming out; the sight of her pink lips instantly hardens my cock.

I lift her chin and lean in. “Can I kiss you?”

She rolls her eyes. “You don’t have to ask permission for every kiss anymore, big guy. Though I love that you’re so careful with me.”

Grinning, I bring my lips down on hers, softly caressing her mouth with mine.

I suck on her upper lip, making her moan, and when she opens her mouth, our tongues collide and start a primal dance.

Her taste explodes on my tongue, and I can barely hold myself together.

Pressing myself against her body, I cup the back of her neck to take control of our kiss.

Each stroke of my tongue was more deliberate and more arousing.

More, I need more, and I rip my mouth from hers. “I need you, Fr’Ya”

“Oh yes,” she replies, her hands roaming my chest.

I lift her with one hand, pinning her to the tree. She lets out a little yelp and wraps her legs around my waist. She looks mesmerizing. Her cheeks are pink, her lips are swollen, and her breath comes in pants.

She tugs on my jaw. “Kiss me, big guy,” she commands, and I happily oblige.

Kissing her is quickly turning into my most favorite pastime. My cock is aching, and I rock against her core. Arousal blooms all around her, and I grind into her.

She arches into me, and her arousal is all I can sense. The bond is pulsing, and I am almost certain she feels it too.

Fr’ya moans my name, and I lean my forehead against hers, my tail caressing her breasts.

“What do you need, my treasure?” The endearment slips out, but she does not seem to mind .

“You.. I need…” She lets out a frustrated groan, and her eyes snap open. “How far can we take it till you can’t back out of this bond anymore?”

I kiss her softly. “The bond is ours, and ours alone. There was no going back for me since I laid eyes on you.” She starts protesting, but I silence her with another kiss. “I am a selfish male, Fr’Ya. I will take anything you give me, even if it's just glances from afar.”

Her eyes grow dark and misty. “You say the sweetest things,” she murmurs. Her hands roam over my body, caressing my sides, my arms, and my shoulders. She sighs, and I cannot help but thrust into her a little bit.

“We can do as much or as little as you want. No expectations, just you and what you need in this moment.”

For an instant, I lose the caress of her hands as she brings them to the top of the front zipper of her suit and slides it down. All the way down. My tail has a mind of its own and slides inside, caressing her nipple as I grind my cock against her core.

“Like this?”

“Yes, exactly like this.” Her soft moans accompany the words, and I bend down to retake her mouth.

Nibbling, sucking, thrusting, I claim her mouth. Her hands roam my body as my tail fondles hers. She opens my suit, and her touch lights me up from inside.

“I cannot think straight when you smell so good,” I murmur into her hair. “Your arousal is the sweetest scent I have ever breathed. Do you think you can cum for me again?”

“I don’t know,” she pants, moaning as I grind into her again. “Chances are high if you keep doing that.”

I chuckle and bite her lower lip. “Let me keep doing ‘that’ then.”

Every movement takes her closer. I kiss her neck, pluck at her nipple, and when I feel her tighten in my arms, I bite her earlobe. “Cum for me, Treasure. Gift it to me.”

She arches her back and, with a wordless scream, she cums.

I hold her in my arms, cradle her while she comes down from the high, and touch my forehead to hers. “Are you okay?”

She opens her eyes and smiles at me. “Yes, I’m okay.”

Reluctantly, I let her go and zip my suit up while I take a step back.

“What are we going to do now?” she asks while she covers herself as well.

I pull up the pack and take out the tent I brought. “We camp.”

“Right here?” She looks doubtfully.

My answer is a grunt. “Stay here so that I can scout the area.”

She arches an eyebrow but sits down as I move around the tree.

Scanning the area again, I find a spot with solid ground and low vegetation.

The tent is easy to set up. The outer material has a high-tech cloaking layer, and when I am done, it is nearly invisible.

I call out to Fr’Ya and smile when I see the stunned look on her face.

“I thought you were setting up a tent?” she asks, astonished.

Grinning, I nod while continuing to set up perimeter posts that will scan the environment and warn me when something approaches.

“I did. See if you can find it.”

She grins back. “Camouflage, nice, I like it.” She starts searching for the tent, and I laugh when she stumbles against it, nearly making it collapse.

“Wow, that is great camouflage indeed.” She easily finds the entry now and moves inside. I join her when I finish the perimeter posts, taking the pack with me.

Fr’Ya is lying curled up on her side and looks up when I enter. “It’s a bit barren, but I’ve had worse. Are you sure nobody can find us?”

“The shielding works until something stumbles upon us, but I have set perimeter posts that warn us.” She nods, satisfied with my answer. “You should get up, though, so I can put the sleeping mat down.”

“You’ve got a magic pack there, buddy. Does it also contain food?”

“Yes.” I give her a puzzled look, and she rushes over, taking the pack from me while I prepare our bed.

We munch on the travel rations, and when I secure the tent, she watches my every movement. I lay down on the sleeping mat, my tail snatches her wrist, and I pull her against me.

She sighs and snuggles into me. “Good night.”