Isla

Ryock’s looking a little green after we make the final jump to our destination, but he hasn’t run back to our quarters to get sick.

Everyone’s on edge since the attack, and we’ve been sticking together on the bridge.

We survived, but the adrenaline has worn off, and the reality of our situation has truly sunk in.

The Crima want us dead, and they’re willing to bend and break the Tribunal’s rules to do it.

I glance towards Lexi as she bounces Thorn up and down and blows kisses on his belly to keep him happy.

I can’t help but feel extremely guilty that I’ve dragged her into this mess. Maybe I should have just ignored her call. Maybe Ryock and I should have just remained on that planet.

If anything happens to her or Thorn, I’ll never forgive myself for it.

“Maul, we’re being hailed,” Marketh suddenly announces, and I can’t help but tense up as another ship appears in the space that can be seen through the window.

Ryock pushes away from the wall and walks over to my seat to stand beside it. He’s frowning at the display, but I don’t sense any alarm coming off of him.

Maul takes a long look around the bridge, his gaze lingering for a moment on Ryock, and then he nods his head at Marketh. “Connect us.”

There’s some sort of power play going on between Maul and Ryock, and I still don’t fully understand it yet. All I know is that Maul wants to take us to the Tribunal and Ryock is very against it.

Both of them want to protect us in their own way, and I have no doubt they’re both capable of doing it. But I can’t help but fear what is going to happen to me and my baby. Maul’s words about turning the whole known universe on its head keeps playing on a loop in my head.

My baby. I didn’t think it was possible. Seriously. Who would have thought humans and aliens can mix? But little Thorn himself is proof of it. He’s so beautiful, so new and amazing. He looks a great deal like his father, but I can also see all the good parts of Lexi in him.

Reaching down, I place a hand on my stomach and feel such a strong surge of love for the little one growing inside me that out of the corner of my eye I can see Ryock’s eyes flash.

I know he’s been worried and trying to hide it. Worried that I wouldn’t love our baby, but how can I not? Our baby is us. Our love. Our bond.

Ryock begins to purr beside me, reassured by my love for our child, even though there’s another potential threat literally ahead.

A blue-skinned man wearing a red mask that covers most of his face appears on the screen. “Greetings First Tiered Maul of House Lathuria, I am Fourth-Striped Byland. I’ve been commanded by the Supreme Leader to escort you to the Citadel.”

There’s a long, pregnant pause as Maul frowns at the masked man on the screen and the air thickens with tension.

“Define escort,” Maul finally says, breaking the silence.

The masked man inclines his head. “The Supreme Leader has received your messages ahead of your arrival. It is his wish that you and your crew are seen safely to the Citadel.”

Maul looks to Marketh and Marketh murmurs quietly, “According to the timestamps, the messages were received over an hour ago.”

Maul turns his head back to the screen. “We accept your assistance.”

Half a dozen more ships suddenly blink into the space outside the window and this time I feel Ryock’s alarm so intensely I find myself tightly gripping the armrests.

The masked man nods his head. “Please refrain from proceeding until we have formed our cover guard.”

Maul nods at the screen and the screen goes dark.

“Well, this certainly is different than last time,” Lexi says a little nervously.

“What happened last time?” I ask, watching as the ships grow larger and larger as they draw closer, surrounding us.

“Oh… ha… the last time we landed on Rathturia, the Red Masks arrested Maul and separated us,” Lexi explains uneasily. Then she quickly adds, “But that was because they thought he kidnapped me.”

“What?!” I exclaim and spin my seat around to face Lexi.

Why didn’t she tell me this sooner?

“Don’t worry,” Maul says firmly, butting into the conversation. “This time no one is going to separate us, my heart.”

“Oh, I know,” Lexi says, forcing a smile for him. “This time is totally different.”

Maul nods his head but his intense gaze remains locked on Lexi. In his eyes I see love but also a fierce protectiveness.

Ryock’s hand comes down on my shoulder and I glance up to see him looking down at me with the same fierceness.

I still don’t know what the future holds for us, but I can feel it in the very marrow of my bones that he would do anything and everything to keep us from being separated.

“Ahem,” Marketh speaks up. “I hate to ruin this very touching moment, but I’ve been informed by our escort that they’re in position. Shall we proceed?”

Maul tears his gaze away from Lexi as if it takes him a great deal of effort to do so and turns back to face his command station. “Proceed, Marketh.”

Ryock

I’ve had to control myself for so long. Boarding the ship, the jumps, the battles. The worry and heartache. All of it I’ve tried to manage inside of myself in an effort to keep it from sinking into Isla. Doing my best to keep her safe and unaware. I shouldn’t have. I can feel that now in my heart.

I can feel that she has been doing the same for me. Now that we’re almost to the Tribunal, her fears, like mine, are almost palpable. They’re becoming too much to bear.

Lightly touching her shoulder, I lean down to whisper in her ear. “We need to go to our quarters.”

Tearing her eyes away from the screen, she looks up into my eyes.

My need for her pulses through the bond and she nods her head. “I think that’s a good idea.”

Leading her by her hand, we walk back to our quarters.

Our bond has only intensified over these last few days. I believe it is now at its full strength. It’s so strong we can almost read each other’s thoughts.

She knows my heart, she knows my fears, and she knows of my resolve.

Nothing will separate us. Not now, not ever.

If it comes to it, I’ll take on the entire Tribunal by myself to keep her by my side in this life.

But I desperately hope it will not come to that.

Entering the room, my hand slowly releases hers.

No words are needed now. Not when we have the bond between us. This love between us. Love for each other and love for our unborn child.

All we need now is touch and connection.

Pulling my shirt up and over my head, I watch as her moves mirror my own. We’re in tandem now, each acting like a single entity with one purpose.

Once my shirt is gone, I watch as she removes her bra. My fingers itch to just tear it off of her. Damnable fabric. Out of all the clothes she insists on wearing, it is the least needed in my opinion.

Her breasts bounce as they’re released and my tongue aches to touch them. To taste them. If I could take my time, I’d lick every inch of her skin. Burn her taste into my memory and mark her with my scent.

But time is fleeting, and we don’t know when we’ll have another moment like this.

The rest of my clothes are quickly torn off. Pants, boots, socks. And hers are quick to follow as the full urgency of the situation hits us.

Minutes. We have precious minutes before we reach Rathturia and face whatever is before us.

Standing naked before my glowing star, I smile while she admires my body. Gone are the furtive looks. Gone are the bashful manners.

Here and now is all we have. We must enjoy every moment. Every second.

She pushes her panties down her slender legs and her scent envelopes me. Calling to that primitive part of my brain that craves to have her body against my body. To have her skin pressed against my skin.

Grabbing her by the hips, I give into the craving and pull her close. Head bending down, my mouth meets her mouth, and I devour her, unable to stop myself. She’s so soft, so sweet. Her taste alone is an aphrodisiac that makes my blood roar.

A purr builds up in my chest and she shivers. I lift her up in my arms and carry her to the bed.

Breaking the kiss, we both pant as I lay her down and crawl on top of her. She spreads her long, slender legs as I hover over her. This will be the first time we’ve actually done it this way, I think. I worry about how large my body is to her, how heavy I am. But I can feel through the bond that she has no fear.

She simply desires me. She desires that my massive body cover her body. To feel my warmth, my strength, and my undying devotion.

Looking into her eyes, I know words are still not needed, but I have the sudden urge to say them. “Isla, we have searched for each other since the dawn of time. Nothing will break us apart now.”

A small tear spills from her eye as she looks up at me and I almost regret reminding her of our perilous situation, but the words must be said. She must know what is in my heart. The truth I’ve come to accept in the very core of my soul.

“Even if we are separated, we’ll always find our way back to each other. In this life or the next.”

“Ryock,” she gasps and her legs tighten around my waist, trying to pull me closer.

I feel her need for me to be in her body. Her need to merge our flesh so we can become whole.

Fisting my hard cock in my hand, I slowly swipe the crown of it against her entrance. Each time I squeeze just a little to add my precum to her own wetness. I fear tearing her more than I want to admit. She’s so small and I’m stupidly big.

“Fuck,” I groan out through gritted teeth.

Her pussy is so pink, so tiny, it looks almost obscene as my thick head begins to spread her delicate lips.

Rocking her hips again and again, she tries to force me deeper into her and moans, “Please, no more teasing me. I can’t take it! I need you, Ryock. I need you now.”

Growling out loudly, I resist the temptation to just slam myself into her. I know that despite her pleadings I could hurt her and that is the very last thing I would ever want to do.

Pushing the head into her opening slowly, I move in a slow, aching rhythm. With each downward thrust, I push just a bit further in. Her walls are so tight around my cock that I can feel the silky smoothness gripping me, tugging me.

“Oh god!” she moans as I push until I’m nearly fully buried inside of her.

My chest finally rests against hers and I start to give in to my instincts. My cock pushes past her tight walls until I can go no more.

Pulling back, I pull almost completely out and she whimpers. Then I thrust in again and again.

Each thrust I can feel through the bond. Each magnified by her pleasure and my own.

Her nails bite deep into my back as she begins to rise up the steep peak of her arousal. My own is so close to matching hers that I grit my teeth to hopefully stem off the explosion that will surely follow.

She shrieks all of a sudden as our bodies slam together. Her mind going blank in ecstasy as mine loses all track of thought and control.

My body jerks and I follow her into orgasmic oblivion. My cocks swells and I grunt and growl as I pump her full of my essence.

“Oh god! I love you, Ryock. Mind, body, and soul,” she cries out as we hold on to the last moments of our bliss.

“Fuck,” I growl out in happiness.

I’d roar in triumph, but I don’t think she wants the others to hear.

My cock that was softening is slowly stiffening again and I push it back deep inside of her.

“Wait…” she giggles. “I say I love you and you all of a sudden are raring to go again?”

“Careful with your words,” I growl before I take her lips again. “They have consequences, my dear.”