Isla

Outside our ship, night has fallen, and I swear every bug that lives on this planet has awakened. The sounds they make are nearly deafening. Back home, on Earth, I thought crickets were annoying, but I’d take them over this racket any day.

I run my fingers along Ryock’s warm chest. Tracing the lines of his defined pecs as I lay beside him, unable to sleep.

Back home. That feels strange to say. To think of a planet, not a house, as a home is almost too overwhelming. Almost as if the thought is too big for me.

I think I’ve held up pretty well so far with this whole being abducted by aliens thing, but something in the back of my mind is starting to bother me.

It almost feels like something is missing… like my memory.

With everything that has happened, I haven’t really had a lot of time to think about how I got here. To think about how I was taken in the first place. I tried back in the lab, but then, you know, Gararl tried to eat me.

Now, though, unable to sleep, I have nothing to do but think… and the memories of what happened eludes me.

Was I drugged? Or were the memories taken from me? I remember walking home from work and then bam, I’m being shoved into a glass cage with an ugly blue lizard-man.

What happened in between that?

I almost want to think I was grabbed from Earth and taken straight to the lab, but something feels off about that.

There’s like this itch in the back of my brain, an itch I can’t reach, and it’s starting to drive me a little mad.

Things don’t make sense. The timing is all off.

Like how was Lexi able to infiltrate an alien slave market and send someone to rescue me so quickly? Don’t get me wrong, my sister is pretty fucking awesome. She’s a total badass, and I’ve always looked up to her, but even she has her limits.

There is the possibility that she was able to discover my location right away, but again, my instincts are telling me that’s not the case. That’s too damn easy.

I was in that lab, what? A week? Two weeks max? And space is a pretty big place…

It could be luck, but when has luck ever been on my side?

Ryock snores softly and then purrs a little when the tip of my finger traces around his nipple. If I focus really hard, I can actually sense what he’s feeling right now. His happiness, his contentment.

We’re locked up pretty safe in this ship. Though we have yet to stumble across any intelligent life forms, the ship is equipped with a security system to alert us if someone approaches.

I know because Ryock was very adamant about showing me how everything on the ship works so I can use the features if I need them.

My finger circles around and around, but then I sense him start to awaken. Not wanting to disturb his sleep, I stop tracing his nipple and press up against his side, draping my arm over him.

He’s so wide, my hand doesn’t reach across him.

Ryock’s purr deepens and his arm wraps around me, locking me against him. I sense him drifting back into deep sleep again and relax.

I don’t know all the details of his past, but now that we have this connection between us, I can sense it in a way. It’s like he’s been carrying this dark cloud around inside him, a dark cloud that’s been slowly consuming him, and ever since he met me this cloud has been fading away.

In a way, I kind of feel the same way.

My life wasn’t exactly awesome before I met him. After my parents died, I tried to drown my pain away in drugs, booze, and boys. I was just too young to know how to deal with it. My sister, she tried to be there for me, but I was too hurt, too angry at the world to let her help me. I ended up pushing her away and created this huge rift between us.

By the time I started to figure out I didn’t want to kill myself with drugs and boys, it was too late.

I didn’t know how to reach out to her.

Lexi… Knowing that she’s out there, somewhere, looking for me, makes me feel both happy and sad at the same time. Happy that even after all the stupid shit I did, she didn’t give up on me.

And sad that she doesn’t know what happened to me. If I had to search an entire universe for her, I think it would drive me crazy with worry.

If only I could just pick up the phone and talk to her…

I glance towards the backpack, willing that communication device to ring, or beep, or make whatever noise it makes.

But then again, once I connect with Lexi… will I have to give up Ryock?

We already went through this on Yarrel’s ship, and I still can’t figure out a solution.

We can’t go back to Earth, and we can’t go back to his planet.

At this point, I’m not even sure I want to go back to Earth. Despite the lack of amenities, I think I could be happy staying right here as long as I have him.

I’m not sure when it happened, before this connection between us or after. I suppose it doesn’t really matter.

But home has become wherever Ryock is.

* * *

Bliss. That’s how Ryock described our two souls connecting, and the next few days are absolute bliss.

We have an entire paradise at our disposal, and we make good use of it. We explore, play, bathe in the pool, and spend our nights wrapped up in each other on the ship.

With each second that passes, with each breath I take, I can feel the connection between us growing. Evolving. I’m becoming so attuned to his emotions, so attuned to him, that I can almost anticipate what he needs or wants before he even realizes it.

Like right now, as we laze about in the afternoon sun with full bellies from our big lunch, I can sense his need to lick me.

And it’s not just a want on his part. Oh no. Now that I’m tapped into his emotions, I can definitely tell how much he’s been holding himself back. His tongue practically aches with the desire to taste me, to mark me.

To learn every inch of my flesh.

I try to ignore it at first, because you know, the whole licking thing still grosses me out.

The last thing I want is a tongue bath.

But as his purring becomes deeper, and he keeps shifting beneath me, I decide it’s finally time to give in.

I mean, he’s already done so much for me, the least I can do for him is this.

Twisting around in his arms, I take a deep, fortifying breath and then say, “Okay, you can do it.”

“Do what, my love?” Ryock blinks down at me in confusion.

Sighing, I reach up and pull his head down to mine. He purrs and nuzzles his nose against mine in the sweetest way.

I swear I’ll never get enough of this. Get enough of how affectionate and sweet he is.

I close my eyes, enjoying it for a moment, before I answer him. “You can lick me, big guy.”

Ryock stiffens and I can feel his surprise almost like it’s my surprise. Then I feel a spike of eager excitement before he squashes it.

“No,” he says, despite me knowing that he wants it. “I know how much the idea… disgusts you.”

He’s got me there. I suppose this whole sensing each other’s feelings thing is definitely a two-way street.

“I do not wish to disgust you,” he admits.

“You don’t disgust me,” I explain quickly and lean back so I can look into his eyes. “It’s the idea that disgusts me. When I think of licking in the way you want to lick me, well, I think of the way animals lick things.”

He frowns and I don’t even have to tap into the bond to realize that what I just said hurt him a little bit.

Shit.

“You’re so not an animal!” I insist. “Please don’t think I’m trying to imply that. It’s just that back on Earth, humans don’t really lick each other like that. Animals do, but not us humans. When we lick each other, it tends to be more sexual in nature.”

Ryock just stares at me and for a moment I’m afraid he’s still hurt, but then he asks, “Sexual in nature? How?”

Of course he would lock in on that.

I don’t know if I want to hide my face or laugh.

Despite all that we’ve done with each other, and what we’ve done every night, I still blush as I try to explain. “Uh, you know… when we lick each other, we’re not doing it to clean each other, and we can’t mark each other in that way. When we lick each other, we’re doing it for pleasure. So, uh, the places we tend to lick, are you know… all the good places.”

Ryock’s eyes darken and he nods his head slowly. His pulse quickens and mine quickens in response.

Bending his head down, his voice is all rumbly when he says, “Tell me about these good places.”

Oh, jeeze. If I were wearing panties, and I’m not because there just wasn’t enough of them in my pack, I’d have to change them.

I shift uncomfortably on his lap and have to look away from his smoldering gaze. “You know…”

His voice deepens even more and he leans closer. “Tell me.”

Did it just get hot out here? I know we’re in a tropical paradise, but damn. I swear it just went up ten degrees.

I shift some more on his lap and my face flushes with heat. I sneak a little peak up at him, catch the intense look in his eyes, and look away.

What is it about this guy that makes me feel like a blushing virgin again?

“You know—” I start again but stop when he makes a displeased sound.

Yeah, I guess I’ve been saying that too much. The whole point is that he doesn’t know. This is literally new, uncharted territory for the both of us. Even though sex is certainly not new to me, it does feel a little like I’m starting from scratch again with him.

Racking my brain, I try to come up with a ‘good place’ I wouldn’t mind him licking that’s still rather innocent.

“The neck,” I finally offer up.

He leans even closer and his breath is hot against my ear as he asks, “If I lick your neck, it would pleasure you?”

I shiver and try to calm my racing heart as I nod my head.

Ryock makes a pleased rumbling sound and then he pushes his nose against my neck. He nuzzles me at first, just rubbing his nose back and forth, and I can’t stop my breath from quickening.

My neck has always been a weak spot for me, it’s extremely sensitive. When a guy kisses or nibbles on my neck, my insides get all gooey and my limbs turn to mush.

Maybe it wasn’t the best of places to start this whole licking experiment on now that I think about it.

Ryock takes a deep breath, breathing me in, and then I feel the first stroke of his tongue.

I was totally expecting it to be all wet and sloppy, but it’s the complete opposite. There’s a rough, grainy texture to his tongue, and as it drags across my skin it seems to stimulate every little nerve-ending.

I feel myself melting into his arms.

“Does this pleasure you?” he asks, and if I couldn’t feel him through the bond, I might assume it was a rhetorical question.

But I can sense his curiosity so I answer, my voice sounding all breathy, “Yes.”

He makes a pleased sound deep in his throat. “Good.” And starts licking my neck in earnest.

“Oh god, Ryock,” I moan and cling to him.

With each stroke of his tongue, I feel something inside me start to unravel, and the bond between us blooms open. His emotions start to pour into me. His pleasure, his deep satisfaction that his instinct is being fulfilled, and it only seems to amplify everything I’m experiencing.

“Don’t be afraid to use some teeth,” I encourage him and instantly regret it when he suddenly stops.

“Teeth?” he repeats as if I’m the weird one now.

“Yes, teeth,” I chuckle. “Like you did back at the pool. Don’t like really bite me, just nibble a little…”

“Like this?” he asks and then he lightly nips my neck.

I immediately feel this amazing little zap and my core clenches.

“Yes,” I exhale. “Just like that.”

He continues to make rumbly, pleased sounds in his throat as his mouth works its way down my neck.

I arch my neck to the side to give him better access and have to grip his arms tightly to keep from sliding off his lap.

There’s a hum growing in my chest. It’s faint at first, then grows and grows until it feels like my ribs are vibrating.

“So sweet,” Ryock purr-growls, then he grips my arms as his mouth works its way around to the hollow of my throat.

I arch my back, thrusting my chest out as he begins to nip-lick his way down to my breasts.

Why did I fight this? I have to wonder as I turn to mush in his arms.

Not only does it feel amazing, but I feel like I’m giving him something he needs, something only I can provide.

He pauses when he meets my cleavage and then gives my shirt a dirty look for keeping him from my breasts.

I sense his intention a second before he’s able to carry out the action.

“Ryock, no!”

His dark, smoldering eyes lift to mine and I see a flash of fang as he growls, “You do not need clothes. They only keep you from me.”

“I do,” I insist. “I only have so many and we don’t know how long we’ll be here.”

His eyes narrow and he gives my shirt another dirty look.

“Please,” I plead, sensing his desire to rip the shirt off of me. “I don’t have hair like you do to protect my body from all the stuff around here.”

With a grumble, he nods his head, agreeing with me. His grip on my arms relaxes and then he tells me to, “Take your shirt off.”

My bones feeling like jelly, I straighten and reach down to grab the bottom of my shirt. Just as I start to pull it up I hear a faint beeping coming from our left.

Ryock stiffens beneath me and I get a flash of apprehension before he shuts it down.

“What is that?” I ask and look to where the beeping is coming from.

The backpack is there, leaning up against the trunk of a tree, right where I left it.

“Lexi?” I gasp and scramble off Ryock’s lap before he can stop me.

“Isla…” he says but I’m so excited, I barely hear it.

I rush over to the backpack, squat down, and dig the little communication device out of it. The device is beeping a steady beep and I’m so nervous and excited my fingers fumble with the thing and I almost drop it.

It takes me two seconds to find the little flashing button and click it.

Straightening, I watch as a picture is projected out of the device and displayed on the trunk of the tree the backpack was leaning against.

What appears to be some kind of hospital room comes into focus, then a bed with a woman reclining in it.

My eyes drink in the woman on the bed, drink in the familiarity of her face. It feels like forever since I last laid eyes on her but she still looks the same.

“Lexi?” I ask softly.

“Isla?” she squeaks.