Chapter Ten: Debate
When Abby woke the next morning, she was disoriented and felt strangely sad. It took all of two seconds for everything to come back to her, and she took a moment to make sure she was alone in the bed before she groaned and draped her arm over her face. She was in someone else's apartment, and she'd just had sex with an alien in the building's storage room.
More than that, she'd just had sex with an alien that she was deceiving.
Abby knew why her lie was necessary, why it had to be done, but that didn't make her feel any better about this. Sorrin deserved better. After hearing him talk about why he hated the Camadors so much, why he was alone, what she was doing to him seemed horrible. It seemed much worse than it had when she'd still been a prisoner and the person she was supposed to trick had been just a faceless entity who didn't really matter to her. She couldn't say as much now.
She and Sorrin still didn't know each other that well, but she couldn't deny that she was coming to care for him. He was rapidly becoming someone she knew she could trust, and Abby couldn't help but remember everything that had happened the day before. From him promising not to let anything happen to her, to the way he'd lowered his sword because she'd gotten between him and the person he wanted to kill.
Of course, thinking about that also brought her right back to thinking about things she didn't want to, like how if she didn't lead Sorrin to his ruin, the Caran of the Camadors would have all of her people killed. Starting with her, more than likely.
This was one of those rock and a hard place situations that she hated. The last thing she wanted to do was keep living this lie, but what else could she do? If she told Sorrin, there was a chance he could protect her, but he'd probably hate her and want her to get killed anyway.
He hated the Camadors, and rightly so for what they'd done to him and his people, and knowing that she'd been working for them, however reluctantly, would probably kill anything there might have been between them.
That made her sadder than she'd been expecting it to.
Just as she was resigning herself to getting up and getting the day started, Sorrin came back into the bedroom, holding a familiar mug in his hand. "I brought you coffee," he said, holding it out and looking unsure.
Abby blinked.
"This is my mug," she said, head tipped to one side. "Where'd you get it?"
"From upstairs," he replied, tone implying that it should have been obvious where he'd gotten it from. "Along with the coffee."
She blinked again.
"You went all the way upstairs just to make me coffee?" She was undeniably touched. Honestly, she couldn't remember the last time someone had gone out of their way for her. She was self-sufficient to an almost absurd degree, and people just seemed to accept that she didn't need their help without stopping to wonder if she might want it anyway. So to have Sorrin bring her coffee...
She sighed and reached out to take the mug, cupping her fingers around the hot ceramic and feeling strangely like she wanted to cry. He was being nice to her. Abby didn't even know he did nice.
"I wanted to talk to you," Sorrin said, sitting back down on his side of the bed that didn't belong to either of them.
"Okay," Abby said softly, not looking at him.
"Will you listen?"
It was an odd question, and yet not at the same time. No one usually asked things like that, they just assumed that whoever they were talking to was going to pay attention to them. The way Sorrin seemed so serious probably meant that this was important. And yet, Abby still couldn't meet his eyes. She took a sip of the hot liquid and nodded. "Of course."
"Good. I..."
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him fidgeting, and she wondered if this was going to be hard for him.
"I wanted to say that I'm sorry."
Startled, Abby looked up. "Sorry for what?"
"For last night. It was irresponsible of me to do that. When we have bigger problems to deal with."
"You were drunk," she said, offering him an out.
"I wasn't. I knew what I was doing. I wanted it."
Abby chewed on her lip. "You did?"
"Of course. Abby, I... I don't do things like this lightly. Not anymore. When I was younger and never knew what it felt like to lose everything that matters, I would have taken you to bed and felt no remorse for what happened in the morning. That was just how things were. Warriors have their pick of women or men or whoever else they want."
"Guess you have to do something when you're not fighting," Abby pointed out, shrugging a shoulder.
"Yes. But this is not the same. I wasn't...I was not thinking. I was only looking to feel something different. Something pleasant."
"Pleasant."
"Yes."
She shot him a look. "You do know that 'pleasant' isn't exactly a compliment, right? When you're talking about sex anyway. No one wants to hear 'I had a pleasant time' after they've given themselves like that."
Sorrin smiled at her, and it was a soft, tentative thing that made her stomach clench with shame and desire all at once. "I didn't mean it that way. It was...wonderful. I don't have the words."
"Oh. Well. Good then."
"Yes. Very good. But that isn't what I wanted to say."
Of course it wasn't. There was probably something terribly sincere coming that was going to make her feel even worse about what she had to do. "Go on."
He let out a breath. "I cannot give you what you deserve."
"What?"
"This is not the right time. There's so much going on. Your people are in danger, and I am one of the only people who can help you. The Camadors will take any distraction, any sign that your focus is not solely on them, and they will use it to their advantage."
"So you're saying I'd be a liability," Abby said. She wasn't even sure what she was saying or why she was saying it. This was a good thing. Getting Sorrin to break things off between them before it got any deeper, before she could do any more hurt to him, was for the best. It would save her from his anger being worse when he found out the truth. But at the same time, she felt strangely let down by his words. As if a part of her actually wanted him to want her and to want to be with her.
And maybe a part of her did, but that part was going to have to learn how to do without because this would never work. No matter how good and safe he made her feel.
"No," Sorrin said. "Well. We would be liabilities for each other. I have a habit of getting the people I care for killed. It's happened before."
"I know," she replied because she didn't need him to drag it all up again. Once was enough for the both of them to know what he meant. "So that's it, then."
"Yes. I still want to be your ally, your...friend," Sorrin said, as if he hadn't used the word much. "I still want to help you. But this shouldn't continue."
"Okay," she allowed. "That's probably for the best. You're probably right about that."
They smiled at each other and Sorrin got to his feet. "I'm going to go back upstairs and have a shower," he told her. "I will see you up there."
"Of course." Abby let him leave first, giving him time and space and taking some of both of those things for herself so she could think about how she felt. Everything was topsy turvy these days, and she barely had the energy to try and figure out what was happening and where she fit in with all of it. One thing was for sure, if she and Sorrin kept things friendly and mild between them, then it would be best for everyone.
"Great stars," Sorrin groaned. His fingers were tangled in Abby's hair, holding her down for a moment before he seemed to realize what he was doing and let her come up for air.
They were both in Abby's bathroom, the steam from Sorrin's shower fogging up the mirror and still lingering in the air, making everything slightly damp.
Abby was on her knees on the tiled floor, and Sorrin's back was pressed against the wall. The towel he'd been about to wrap around his waist when she'd come in had been discarded on the floor, and neither of them seemed too bothered about picking it up.
Of course, they were both otherwise engaged: Sorrin with tipping his head back and groaning gutturally at the sensations going through him, and Abby with having her mouth stretched open by Sorrin's cock.
She had honestly only wanted to make sure he had everything he needed when she poked her head in, reasoning that she'd already seen him naked anyway, so it wasn't like she had to be shy about it. But then he'd been standing there, water beading and dripping down his silvery blue skin, and her mouth had watered as well. His cock had been right there, half hard like he'd been touching it under the hot spray of water, and suddenly all she'd wanted was to lick every drop of water from his hips on down. She'd wanted to taste him, to see how much of him she could fit into her mouth before it got uncomfortable and then push past that just a bit.
Abby had been on her knees before she could stop herself.
Sorrin, for his part, seemed surprised, but he was much like human men, in that he wasn't going to say no to a mouth on his dick. He'd groaned when her fingers had wrapped around his shaft, and pushed his hips forwards, giving her the go ahead.
And that was how they'd gotten to here. He was so large that Abby still had her hand wrapped around the base of Sorrin's length while she worked the rest of it with her mouth, sucking at the head before she took more and more in, working her way down until the head of him was at the back of her throat and her lips were touching her own fist.
He helped, with fingers in her hair and the way he was rolling his hips and using his grip on her to put her where he wanted her to go. It wasn't harsh or demanding, just a gentle show of control, and honestly, it had her so wet. There was nothing hotter to her than a man who didn't need to yell or make demands to get what he wanted. A man who was just confident and naturally dominant enough that he only had to make the smallest motions to get people to comply.
And she was complying. She was sucking his cock like it was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted, eyes rolled up so she was looking at him, moans and groans and pleasure rumbling in her throat.
It seemed like it felt good to Sorrin, too, because he groaned her name along with a string of gibberish in another language, clearly enjoying himself.
He slid his cock in and out of her mouth shallowly, letting her catch her breath for a second before he was plunging back in, muttering and grunting, pleasure clear to see on his face.
There was a moment of pride for Abby in this. He'd spoken of how warriors could have whoever they wanted for the most part, and made it seem like others lined up for their chance to get to have this with one of them. And here she was, with Sorrin's cock half down her throat, swallowing around it as she let him have her.
When he pulled back next, she seized control of the situation, licking her lips and then pressing a kiss to the head of his cock before licking up the sides, swirling her tongue around the tip. She blew lightly over the wet, sticky head and then lapped up the bead of salty precome that had gathered there at the tip.
Sorrin groaned his approval at that.
"You are far too good at this," he said, voice low and husky with his desire.
Abby smiled up at him impishly, almost every bit of their earlier conversation forgotten. "Am I?"
"Yes," he said. "And far too smug. Get up."
There was command in his voice, but he released her, not using his grip on her hair to help her follow his instructions. She liked that. He wasn't going to force her, but the look on his face showed that he expected her to follow his instructions.
Even though he was naked and damp and she was fully clothed (if shorts and an oversized shirt counted as clothed), the power imbalance was still there. He was still so much taller than she was, so much stronger, and if he'd wanted to haul her to her feet and put her where he wanted her to go, he'd have no problem doing it. She was glad that he was letting her do it of her own volition and she got to her feet.
As soon as she was on her feet, Sorrin's hand came to the small of her back, and he guided her over to the counter. It was still wet from the condensation of the shower, but the mirror had cleared some, allowing Abby to see herself and Sorrin standing behind her. He loomed impressively, and Abby leaned back against him instinctively.
"Beautiful," he said in that same voice from before, and she shivered as his eyes raked over every inch of her that he could see in the mirror.
"You think so?"
He nodded.
His hands slid over her hips and then down, and he dipped his head to press a kiss to her neck and then one to the bared skin of her shoulder where the neckline of her shirt had slipped down enough to reveal it.
Without warning his hands slid back up, taking the hem of her shirt with them. He didn't take it off of her, but he did lift it up so that her chest was bared to both of their gazes in the mirror.
Abby's cheeks flushed, and she averted her gaze, but then Sorrin's voice was a rumbling presence in her ear, whispering "Look."
She was compelled to obey, and she licked her lips and then swallowed hard as she turned her eyes back to the sight of the two of them. Abby felt and saw Sorrin's hands move, cupping her breasts gently in his hands before his fingers strayed to her nipples, pulling and pinching them in a teasing fashion. The rosy buds hardened for him, and she moaned softly, meeting his eyes in the mirror.
"Open for me," Sorrin whispered, and Abby's legs spread automatically, widening her stance as he released one of her breasts and then let that hand travel down to take up a place between her legs.
Long fingers slipped against her, all that was separating his fingers from her wet folds was a thin layer of cotton, and judging from the way she could feel him rubbing her, she was willing to bet that she had already soaked through her shorts with her wetness.
"You want me," he said, and it wasn't a question.
Abby answered it anyway. "Yes. Please, Sorrin."
Sorrin smiled, and it was a sharp edged thing, full of teeth and promise. One finger moved past her shorts and slipped into her, making her gasp softly.
She was pretty sure that if Sorrin wanted to, he could get her off with just his fingers right here and now. But she could feel his cock, hard and sticky behind her, and she knew that wasn't how this was going to go at all.
Which was why when she suddenly found herself being pushed over the counter so her breasts were pressed against the just slightly warm surface of it, her legs wide and her bottom and crotch on display, she wasn't surprised at all.
The blush spread from her cheeks down her neck to her shoulders because she couldn't quite believe this was happening to her in her own bathroom, but she wasn't going to complain. It felt good in an odd way, and she gave herself over to it. To the look of pure desire on Sorrin's face to the throbbing between her legs that made it clear that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her.
When he pulled her shorts out of the way, he wasn't gentle, ripping them open at the crotch to expose her sex to him. His fingers rubbed at her for a moment, going from her clit to right over her entrance, and then, with a slight smirk, Sorrin spread that wetness over his cock.
She could just barely see him stroking himself in the mirror, and she had to bite her lip at the sight she made, bent over and spread for him to take as he wanted.
For someone who by his own admission hadn't done this in quite some time, Sorrin hadn't forgotten any of his form, clearly. He was different than he'd been the night before, and he pushed into her with determination, forcing her body to conform to the girth of him.
Abby moaned as she stretched to fit, feeling fuller than she could remember feeling in a long time, the night before notwithstanding. She moaned Sorrin's name, pushing back on his cock to indicate that she wanted more. She could take more, and she didn't want him to hold back.
He chuckled, clearly understanding what she was trying to say. One hand grabbed her hip and the other stroked down her back slowly, making her arch and whine for him.
"Tell me you want me," he murmured. It seemed to be as much for him needing to hear it as him wanting her to say it, and she smiled.
"I want you." As if that wasn't abundantly clear from the way she was presented for him, stuffed full of his cock, and ready for more.
"Good," he said, and then drew out slowly.
Every nerve ending inside of her fired all at once, making the slow, sweet friction of his cock sliding out of her all the better. She curled her toes against the tiled floor of the bathroom and glanced at her reflection in the mirror.
She looked like she was his.
He was holding her, his free hand winding into her hair to pull her head back and force her to look at the picture they made in the mirror. Each time he pushed forward into her, she slid forward, taking him and pushing back to tease him into doing it harder.
The teasing had its desired effect, and Abby couldn't hold back the swearing that burst from her when Sorrin started thrusting into her in earnest.
Their bodies moved together in perfect time, as if they were made to do so, and Abby couldn’t hold back the noises she was making for him. White hot pleasure pooled in her, growing hotter and deeper the longer it went on.
She worked her hand down between her legs, playing with her clit as Sorrin kept moving. Even when she called her out his name and came for him, he kept pistoning into her, holding on tight and making her shiver with the pleasure of it all. The stimulation made her come again, and the tightness of her body milked the orgasm from Sorrin, sending him over the edge right after her.
Together they panted in place, and Abby knew she was going to be sore for the rest of the day. Their breathing was loud in the bathroom, and Abby winced when Sorrin pulled out of her slowly.
“Now I need a shower,” she said, giving him a smile in the mirror.
“That can be arranged,” he replied. “It seems like I went and got dirty again myself.”
They held that eye contact for a long moment, and something unfurled inside of Abby. She couldn’t put her finger on exactly what it was just yet, but it was a pleasant, warm feeling that made her wiggle with muted delight.
They’d discussed not doing this again, but clearly that hadn’t worked well.
It continued to not work well when they ended up in the shower together five minutes later, Abby’s legs wrapped around his waist as he pounded into her under the spray of water.
Abby couldn’t bring herself to be too concerned about it, though.
"You have a problem."
Abby jumped as those words came seemingly out of nowhere, and she glanced around wildly, looking for the source of them. She wasn't all that surprised to see the Camador woman from the warehouse come melting out of the shadows. She’d gone out to get more food from the grocery store, and now she was standing near the car, her heart pounding.
"I do?" Abby asked, not wanting to sound ignorant, but she really had no idea what she was talking about. Well, to a point.
"Yes. The Caran is not happy with your progress. The warrior gets too close to victory."
"She's been watching me?"
The Camador inclined her head. "Of course. She wouldn't trust you to be able to handle this on your own. You are a human. She sent me to check on you."
"And that's what you're doing here," Abby said, it all finally making some modicum of sense. "I thought you were hiding because you didn't agree with the Caran's plan."
The woman looked nonplussed. "Perhaps that is why I accepted the job of being your minder."
Abby sighed, dragging fingers through her hair. "Fine," she said. "So the Caran's not pleased. I don't know what she expected."
"She expected you to be on our side."
"So she could make everyone on my planet into slaves!" Abby exclaimed. "That's not something I want."
"You would rather they all die?"
"No!"
"Then you don't have another option."
"Yes, I do. Yes we do," she said, taking a step forward. "We can fight." She hadn't been expecting this to go over well with the Camador woman, but the tinkling laugh that met her pronouncement only made her cranky. "What is so funny?"
"You cannot fight the Camadors," she said. "They always win."
"They always win because they always have the upper hand. Not this time."
The woman arched an eyebrow. "Why? Because your little warrior beau is going to stand up and raise his sword to us? We know who he is. We know how he was broken the last time he tried. It will be a repeat of that, only this time, he will die along with everyone else."
"So you're on board with the plan now, then?" Abby asked. "The humans don't mean anything to you?"
"The humans never meant anything to me," the woman snapped. "I just...don't think this is the answer to our problems. Subjugating one race so that we can rule from a planet that isn't ours. It's a bit extreme."
"A bit? Really? Only a bit?" Abby was past the point of caring if she was being rude or not. Right now the only thing that she was concerned about was figuring out if she was about to be exposed for what she was doing.
"You're being hysterical," the woman said, obviously not caring. "I don't blame you. When he finds out that you've been working for us, it will not go well for you."
Abby swallowed hard. "How do you know he doesn't already know?"
The woman laughed her wind chime laugh again. "He doesn't. If he did, then you wouldn't be alive. He hates us. He hates anything to do with us. And with good reason. We burned his family and slaughtered his friends and didn't spare a second thought for what it would do to him. We would have killed him as well, but he escaped. The Caran didn't care all that much. 'Let him live with it', she said when Gollen Par burned. He will never forgive you for being on our side."
"I'm not on your side!" Abby shouted. "You're not even on your side. You're going to lose, and you're right, Sorrin is pissed at all of you. I already kept you from dying once, do you think he'll hold back a second time? Because I don't."
"What is your point?"
"My point is that you don't have to stand with them. The Caran won't protect you, and you know that."
"And you will?"
"I already did once."
The woman seemed to take that under consideration. She drew in a breath of air and played with the ends of her hair. "You want something from me."
"I want you to play double agent," Abby replied.
"I do not understand."
"That's alright. I have time to explain."
It was one of those ‘by the seat of her pants’ plans, but when she’d finished explaining it to the woman, she actually seemed like she was considering it. It was important to remember that not everyone in a given culture was terrible. If they could get inside help from one of the Camadors, then they would have a huge advantage.
Maybe that would be enough that Sorrin would be able to forgive her for her dishonesty, even if she hadn’t actively been working against him. She could only hope.
“If I do this,” the woman, whose name was Kaleth, said. “I will never be able to go back to my people.”
“Better than dying with the majority of them,” Abby pointed out, using Kaleth’s logic against her. “You’ll be able to stay here on Earth when it’s over, though. You’ll be safe.”
“Can you promise that?”
Abby shrugged a shoulder. “Probably not. But you’d be on our side.”
It was a large step in the right direction, one that would probably make it easier for them to stand more of a chance against the Camadors. But it made one thing very clear.
She was going to have to tell Sorrin the truth. About everything. Just thinking about it made her want to hide under a blanket because he was going to be livid. But he was about to risk his life for this, and she had to let him know before that happened. Hopefully there would be something left to salvage at the end of this.