Page 9 of Murgul
“Oh, good! This won’t be too much of a shock, then.”
Before my words can register, I reach up and grab the base of one of his impressive horns, pulling our faces together as my lips meet his for the first time. Taking advantage of his shock, I slip my tongue into his mouth, being mindful of his sharp teeth, as I slide closer to the heated bulk of his body. Stroking my tongue against his is a different tactile sensation than I’ve ever felt before. The forked length slides against mine sinuously in two places instead of one.
A heavy weight on my waist catches me by surprise, and I pull away to look down, only to see his deadly tail lying over me, spiraling down my leg, pulling me closer. Grinning at him, I press my lips to his again, enjoying how soft they are as we proceed to make out like horny teenagers. Eventually, he pulls away, and we are both panting for breath while smiling like morons at one another.
“I stand corrected. NOW, I know of kissing.”
His astonished tone, along with the bemused look of pleasure on his face, fills me with happiness. Murgul has not had an easy existence, and I’m going to make it my goal to shower him with sunshine for the rest of our lives together.
Leaning in, I smooch him one last time before lying back down, a happy grin on my face.
“Aren’t you glad I wouldn’t let you sleep on that tiny couch thing again?”
“I bow to the superior wisdom of my Starshine in this matter.”
Sniffing in faux pique, I roll my eyes at him. Only to shriek in laughter when he uses the ridges on his tail to tickle the bottoms of my feet until he’s satisfied that I am no longer pretending to be miffed at him. After I catch my breath, I turn over so that my back is facing him and scooch until I’m pressed up against the comforting warmth emanating off his much larger form.
“Goodnight, Murgul. Sweet dreams.”
“Thank you, bright one. Worry not, I will watch over you so that your dreams are also sweet.”
Chapter Seven
MURGUL
I do not know why we cannot go down to the planet. After all, we are the weapons specialist. What if there is something down there that needs killing?
For the last time, Slavic stated this is a reconnaissance trip only. Since Bikar’s scans have resulted in zero life found, he wants to take a look planet side, scout the area for clues, and come right back. This is not a war mission, Vrog. For Ruk’s sake, this was a refugee village, not an insurgency. There is not to be any killing!
More’s the pity.
Vrog fadesto the back of my mind, his disgust and displeasure radiating through our shared consciousness. He’s been grumbling since the moment we woke this rotation, andSlavic, ever the dutiful one, informed us over the fast-breaking meal of what comes next—after Bikar reported finding nothing useful, of course. I can tell that his inability to find something,anything, is weighing heavily on him. He is sitting across the room at his station, flipping through screens, analyzing gods know what data as he sulks.
Looks like I am not the only one who is displeased with being left behind.
Glaring across the room, I watch Slavic stomp out of the helm room to meet Einar and Ruarc in the cargo bay, where the shuttles are housed. Stalking over to my station, I slide down into my seat, flicking my tail out of the way as my fingers dance across the screens, activating the weapons systems. Thanks to the talents the frackin fairies forced upon us as younglings, the Zenith is no longer an ordinary ship.
The weapons system is something one would find on a far more advanced ship, as are the tech and mechanical components. Even though this is supposed to be a simple in-and-out trip, the universe is unpredictable, and nothing is guaranteed.
Nothing.
I refuse to allow anything to happen to my brothers. Not if it is within my ability to stop. Technically, Slavic told me to keep an eye on the radar to make sure no one tries to sneak up on us while half the crew is off ship, but he did not explicitly say I could not be weapons hot while he was gone.
Yesssssss. Details matter. Perhaps some being will be stupid enough to come within range, and we can blow them up!
Chuckling a bit at the deluded excitement Vrog feels at that possibility, I shove him to the side and refocus on myschematics. A ping tells me that one of the shuttles just passed through the defense shield and is officially outside the protection of the Zenith. Tics go by as I watch the dot moving on my screen, waiting for the shuttle to break Deapra’s atmosphere before landing.
The sound of the door whisking open and then closed is the precursor to my mate’s delicate scent as she enters the room.
Without turning, I slide into her thoughts. Curling a lip at Bikar as he smirks at me from his side of the room.
“What are you doing, bright one?”
Bikar speaks aloud before she can reply.
“They have reached the surface of the plant. Whatever is in the atmosphere around Deapra is causing some interference between the shuttle and the Zenith. I still have readings on all of their vitals, but the comms appear to be fracturing. Thankfully, this is not going to be a lengthy foray, and I can discuss this with Slavic as soon as they return. If the shuttle is having problems, then once they leave it, their personal comms will more than likely be nonfunctional.”
Concern fills me at that, and Bikar shoots me a pointed look. If the planet has a component that interferes with tech, this will pose a significant problem going forward. If something were to go wrong and the comms failed, Bikar and I would essentially be flying blind above Deapra. Weapon trajectory is an exact science and does not allow for any margin of error. Fear of killing my brothers would prevent me from firing upon the planet if air support were needed.