Page 26 of Keeping Freya (Warriors of Arracate #3)

Freya

S tanding in front of T’Rak, he does everything he can to hold me as close as possible. His tail is wound tightly around my waist, and he cages me in his arms, where they hold onto the steering part of this magical hovering board we’re on.

The wind blows through my hair, and I lean back against his chest. I can almost imagine we are not on a strange, hostile planet chasing T’Rak’s nemesis if I close my eyes.

Unfortunately, we are and I’m trying to help T’Rak by looking out for signs of the other hoverboard.

T’Rak spots the abandoned vehicle before I do, though, and he slowly reduces speed and stops the board.

“Stay here,” he commands.

“No way, Jose,” I say, and he glares at me.

“I am coming with you, big guy, no more leaving Freya alone. Period.”

With a grumble, he jumps down, gun at the ready. He looks around before he helps me down and hands me back my gun.

We don’t speak as I follow him towards the edge of the road. The foliage is thick here, but we can see where the High Commander went.

“We continue on foot,” T’Rak says, and I wordlessly follow. Keeping my gun ready and my eyes and ears open.

We walk for a while until we reach a small stream. The water is clear, and I look at T’Rak. With a curt nod, he gives me the okay to drink, and we both take a couple of healthy sips before he fills the water bottle.

“I need to see where his trail went,” T’Rak says. “Can you stay here?”

I smile at him. “You know, if you ask nicely, I am much more willing to listen.”

He grunts and scouts the other side of the stream. It takes him a while, but when he comes back, he sits down next to me.

“I cannot find a clear trail. We have two options; they both move north, so I suggest we just pick one.”

I throw a rock in the water. “Well, I’m no help here. I’m not a nature girl. I never even went camping before yesterday. You should just pick, and I will follow.”

He broods for a couple of minutes before he stands and offers me a hand to help me rise. “We pick that one,” he points to a small track across the water on the right.

We walk in silence, T’Rak is hyper-focused on any sort of tracks, and I give him his space.

I feel guilty; if it weren’t for me at the bar, he probably would have killed the High Commander.

I curse myself for letting him catch me; if only I were a little bit quicker.

Maybe I should have let him take me further, because my escape also cost T’Rak time.

My thoughts are going round and round, and I am so lost in them I don’t even notice T’Rak stopping, and I bump into him.

“Are you okay?” he asks as he steadies me.

“Yeah, I'm just tired.” I realize I am dead tired. I look up, and I see the sky glowing orange and red.

“It will get dark soon,” T’Rak says. “We will make camp and continue tomorrow.”

“But…” I hesitate, and he turns around and pulls me against him.

“You come first. We have no idea if we are on the right track. My scans show nothing, no life forms, and I want you to be in good form when we continue tomorrow.”

I sigh. “You’re right. Let’s find a good spot for our camp.”

T’Rak takes my hand, and we walk until he finds a good place to set up the tent.

There’s a small clearing to the side of the track, and he places me on a fallen log as he does all the work.

I try to help, but he refuses, and I am too tired to argue.

Not just physically, I feel mentally exhausted as well, so I took a break to pee, and now, I watch.

Okay, I might be ogling because it’s hot on this planet, and he has shed the top of his protective suit, so all his gorgeous muscles are on display.

His shoulders tighten, and his arms bulge.

I mean, his forearms practically have me drooling.

I clench my thighs, no… no… bad hormones, but it’s too late.

T’Rak turns and gives me a heated look before he stalks my way.

“You can go in; the bed is ready. I will set up the perimeter pods and check our surroundings before I join you.”

“Okay.” My voice is husky, and I wet my lips.

“T’Rak,” I whisper when he turns to walk away. He turns back to me and places his hand on my cheek, thumb stroking my skin.

“Look, I’m—I’m sorry, okay? I know I messed up your chance to get the High Commander. If I could have just been one second sooner, he wouldn’t have been able to grab me, and you could have shot him and ended it all. That bar fight was peanuts; you would have come out unscathed.”

He leans in and gives me a tender kiss. “You worry too much, Fr’Ya.” Then he pulls me in and takes a deep breath. “Seeing you in the hands of my worst enemy was the most terrifying moment of my life. Worse than the Krait, worse than anything I have experienced. I could not stand to lose you.”

I’m quiet after that declaration, because he will lose me when I return to Earth.

I push myself off his chest and look at him, really look at him. “I’m sorry, T’Rak, for everything.”

“Do not worry,” he interrupts me. He balls his fists, and his tail slides across my ankle. “I do not like it when you are not close to me. Especially here.”

I take his hands in mine. “Nothing can get to me when you’re here, T’Rak. I trust you, and that’s something coming from me.”

He gives me a sad half-smile, and I rise to the tip of my toes to kiss his lips. He leans in when I step down. Pulling me against this body as he continues the kiss.

T’Rak has really paid attention to our previous kisses. His skills improve with every kiss, and I think he’s better than some of my human exes.

His kiss is deep, desperate, and claiming.

He holds me so tenderly, but kisses me so fiercely.

The utter contradiction makes my heartbeat speed up even more, and I feel a need pulsing in my core.

Breathless, I whimper his name, and his hand moves up my side, caressing my hip, pulling me close to him. Panting, we break the kiss.

“I should go, we cannot out here—it is not safe.”

With disappointment in my heart, I watch him leave .

I look around the clearing before moving towards the tent and spot a bush with berries on the side.

Big, red, juicy berries. They pull me in, it has been so long since I’ve tasted real fruit!

They come off easily, and I pick as much as I can carry.

The berries tempt me to have a taste, but I’ll wait for T’Rak. He’ll know if it’s safe.

I’m seated in the center of the tent with a buffet of different foods in front of me, when T’Rak returns.

“Look what I found!” I lift a berry. “Do you think we can eat those?”

He pulls out his scanner with a grunt before nodding. “Not poisonous.”

“Yay!” I can’t remember being this excited about food, ever. The sweet taste of the berry explodes on my tongue when I bite the skin, and it’s almost overwhelming. I let out a deep guttural moan.

“That good?” T’Rak asks me in a strained voice.

I swallow before replying. “Amazing.” Handing him one, I stuff my face with another. Then another, then another. T’Rak also eats at least three, then we feast on all the other food. I’m so tired I can barely keep my eyes open. Wordlessly, he tugs me against him and we immediately fall asleep.

I wake up because something is poking me in my back. It’s hard and long. Did T’Rak miss a branch on the jungle floor when setting up the tent?

He pulls me against him with a moan. Gasping, I realize that there’s no branch poking me in the back - it’s his erection!

“Fr’Ya,” he murmurs. “Fr’Ya!”

As if he can’t control himself, he grinds against my back, faster and faster, creating friction to get himself off. I should be repulsed, I mean, this is not normal behavior. But the thought that he is trying to get himself off in his sleep while dreaming of me has me clench my thighs.

I sneak my hand down to my pussy, and I immediately get frustrated by the suit I’m still wearing.

“Off…” Murmuring to myself, I slide the zipper down and let out a little moan when my fingers reach my pussy.

I am drenched. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I have this feeling that being this turned on is not normal, but my body has a mind of its own, and when T’Rak grunts in my ear, my fingers latch onto my clit.

Frantically circling and working myself towards an orgasm.

I bite my lip to keep it in, wanting to follow T’Rak over the edge. It barely takes more than a minute before he lets out a deep groan, and I feel something warm against my back. On the other hand, I am not as silent as he is, and I shout out for him.

Immediately, he sits up and looks at me, bewildered. “Fr’Ya?” his gaze latches onto my open jumpsuit, my hand on my pussy, and his eyes turn dark. Then he appears to realize what got me in this state of disarray. Horror crosses his handsome face as he looks at the stain around his crotch. “Did I?”

Hastily, I shake my head. “No big guy, just some harmless grinding.” For some reason, I can’t stop touching myself, and his eyes zoom in on my movements.

“What are you doing?”

“It’s called masturbation, you know what that means, don’t you?”

“You should let me do that.” The tone of his voice is husky, and he licks his lips.

I shimmy myself out of the suit, and it falls to my waist easily. “Yes, please, with your tongue.”