“Using the trees, huh?” She slowed to a stop, pulling a rubber band out of the pockets she’d strapped to her thighs with Velcro. Flare in hand, she hoped it wouldn’t catch the forest on fire.Fuck it.She struck the flare against a piece of flint from her arsenal, loaded it into the rubber band, and aimed above her head. As he descended from the branches, she shot the flare into the air. Xexis had to disengage, snatching the flaming stick. By the time he’d disarmed the flare and discarded it, Aphrodite was already yards ahead.
Her blood pumped hot and fast. His thunderous steps as he chased after her filled her ears. It muffled the roar of her own heart. She slammed on the brakes and barreled in a new direction, following a creek away from her original path. Zigzagging over the creek, she checked her map. There was a massive collection of boulders and trees ahead. She could get over them and have the high ground.I don’t know what I’ll do with it, but I’ll have it.The boulders came into view, and she leapt for the rock face. Two massive hands wrapped around her waist and yanked her from the air.
Aphrodite and Xexis tumbled down into the creek. His hands slammed her wrists into the sopping wet muck. She thrashed back and forth, trying to find an opening.This isn’t over just yet.She bucked her hips, shifting his weight over her. He moved to pin her, and she used his massive thighs as a launch pad. Planting her boots against them, she shot out of his grip and up the creek. Her drone buzzed over her head. Kicking her way to her feet, drenched from head to heel, she set her drone to disarm. Aphrodite had seconds to catch Xexis aiming his grappling device at her back before she set off her drone. Like a spinning top, her metal octopus sliced through the net and wire as it rushed to grab her.
Her body was heavy already; she’d exerted herself too much since healing. Yet, the excitement and giddiness over a good chase, one she wanted, one she craved, was too much to stop now. Aphrodite dove for cover behind a thicker collection of trees, her drone whirling to catch up. She sent it up above her, using its live feed totell her Xexis’ location. Her mate lumbered out of the creek. He took cautious steps, scanning the forest with a beam of red light off his armor.
His armor.If she could disconnect it again, she could win. That’s how she ‘won’ last time. She pressed her wet back into the bark and held her breath. Calming her heart to a low, steady beat, she prepped for his advance. His scanner, if it was heat seeking, would find her instantly. Aphrodite gazed down at the live feed on her data pad. He was creeping toward her location.
Let him fall for the bait.She wasn’t going to cut it this time, but she knew where the connector lay now. Just at the base of his skull where his head met his neck, there was a small circular ring. He’d explained before that all his hunters used something calledinterface. Armor that works with the brainwaves. When one is hunting, he said, the brain is far easier for a computer to understand. She reached into her pack strapped to her thighs and dug for her tool kit.She wouldn’t be lucky to catch him by surprise this time.
A hand dove into her vision and snatched her by the throat. Nervous laughter and giggles broke out of her mouth.No time for the kit, just her and the drone. Xexis pinned her back to the tree. He rounded it, his sharp attention on her. She tried to push herself out of his grip. A second hand grabbed her right leg, and she was hoisted into the air. He tucked between her legs, seating himself against her. Aphrodite smiled down at him, hands fighting the firm grip he had over her throat. He cocked his head. She glanced up. He followed her lead. Her fingers curled to the data pad on her wrist and set it into disarm.Disarm him, now!The drone dropped down from the trees. His grip loosened as he went to grab the drone. Aphrodite had a split second. She planted her feet and hands against the tree and shoved as hard as she could.
He didn’t fucking budge.
“Fuck!”
He snatched the drone out of the sky and pressed the power button at the center of its head. It whirled, fighting till it was offline. He dropped it like a baseball to the earth and returned his attention to her. She kicked and thrashed in his hands. “Not fair, I can’t overpower you!”
There was a rumbling, deep in his chest, laugh that made her break out in goose bumps. He spared a free hand to his helmet. It clicked then released from his face with a hiss. Xexis dropped it over the drone before returning his gaze to her. It was smoldering and hungry. She’d seen him kind and patient and confused and hurt…but this…even across millions of light years and billions of species, one language was the same.Desire.And her hunter was hungry for his prey.
“You win,” she breathed. He lowered her from the tree. “You can claim your mate now.”
“You’ve once again proven,” he exhaled heavily, setting her fully onto her feet. His other hand let go of her leg to snatch her hair. A gasp broke through her lips as he wrenched her head backwards. His body pressed into hers, engulfing her. “That you are meant for me.”
She shivered as his eyes raked down her body. His attention stopped at her pants before snapping to her face. He wrapped her hair around his one fist like it were reins to her body. Two others came to the simple cropped shirt stuck to her back with muck. It tore like wet tissue paper. Her chest rose and fell as excitement swirled in her anxious stomach. He kept her jaw locked toward the sky, unable to look down where his hands moved down her body. The bra that survived the incident at the ship, being washed in their machines, and years of wear and tear, came undone like awound spring. Her skin burned under his gaze as his eyes were focused on her chest.
“I’ve been told these cause pleasure,” he purred, circling her nipples with the pad of his thumb. Her eyes fluttered shut. He growled, not a warning but in pride. His thumbs teased her nipples till her hips couldn’t resist. She bucked against him, desperate for friction. Warmth pooled between her thighs. His mouth was close to her throat. Pinchers traced her skin, leaving little red, hot lines against her skin. She felt his tongue flatten against her jugular. A strained whine rose in her throat. He breathed, “I am claiming you,Aphrodite,it would be insulting to quiet your pleasure.”
His fingers pinched her nipples, and she cried out. He chuckled against her throat, “Louder. I amKannatch,my mate’s throat should be raw before I am done.”
He pinched them again and she shrieked, “Xexis.”
“Perfect,” he purred into her flesh, licking up her jugular again. His thumbs returned to teasing her nipples. She nearly lost herself to the pleasure of it until the terrible sound of her pants tearing down the seam filled the forest. “Though, it is my understanding that your true pleasure comes from down here.”
A hand worked to tear the Velcro from her thighs and free her of all fabric. She was cold and naked against the tree as he ground his body against her. He tugged her hair again and she sobbed, “Xexis.”
He stopped ripping and tearing to reach behind his head. Twisting the cord, she couldn’t see anything but the movement of his elbows as the armor was disconnected. Piece by piece, it dropped to the earth around them. He didn’t seem interested in being careful or subtle. His tongue ran across her neck to the other side,leaving red tracks from his pincers behind. She couldn’t stop the shivers. Her thighs clenched together only to be ripped open. All Aphrodite could do was stare at the sky as he bit down onto the meat of her shoulders with razor sharp teeth. Aphrodite kicked, bucking her hips, and thrashing in tandem as he buried his teeth into her soft flesh. Xexis hummed, clearly happy with himself.
Blood trickled down her shoulder and pooled at her armpit before he could lick it up. Stars filled her vision. Xexis let go of her hair. Aphrodite snapped her head down seconds after he pulled his back. His long, flat tongue made quick work of the small droplets of her blood in his inner mouth. She didn’t have a chance to demand an explanation or curse him out for the pain in her neck. Instead, his lower set of arms looped under her knees and hoisted her up against the tree again. She hissed at the scrape of bark against her back.
“You’ll have to tell me, my mate, as I’ve been told mixed things. Some humans enjoy touch, some enjoy suction, some wish it wet, some can’t stand any pressure.” His upper arms pooled in her lap as he sat her cunt against his torso. She glanced down at where they met. Instead of speaking, she reached between them and took up one of his thumbs. He watched with ravenous curiosity as she pressed his thumb through her curls. Her clit jumped at the sudden touch. A moan trickled off her lips.It has been too long since I’ve been touched.
She would have never slept with anyone on her crew. Aphrodite would rather go celibate for the entire mission than be caught touching herself either. They all slept in the same cabin.
Aphrodite’s head fell back against the tree, sighing dreamily. He let her set the tempo, guiding his ministrations around her clit. His other hand returned to her nipples, finding a tempo he could do with both. Her free hand moved without thought and brought his head to her chest.Once more, desire was a language everyoneunderstood.His tongue lapped at her breast, circling and flicking across her nipple. Aphrodite rocked her hips with his touches. Teaching her mateexactlyhow to pleasure her.
Xexis was a fast study. She cried out as he pinched her nipple and switched his tongue to the opposite breast. The hand holding her up squeezed into the underside of her thighs. She would bruise later. Aphrodite wrapped both arms around his head and clung to him. Her legs began to tremble. Stars filled her vision again. Staring into the rainbow canopy of a foreign forest, engulfed by her mate, Aphrodite exploded with pleasure. Her insides broke, walls fluttering open and closed. Relief and goosebumps washed over her. She moaned incoherent sounds; her fingers prickled on the wrong direction of his skin.
Panting against her chest, Xexis murmured, “Someday soon, I will taste your pleasure. Drink from you and make you break the windows of the ship.”
She let out a bark of a laugh, “But today?”
“But today, I need to be within you.” He brought his forehead to hers, his pincers writhing. The hands that had been busy toying with her rushed to his waist. “You see, our species are not too different. As my mating organs align with yours.”
And by mating organ he meant the trunk. Aphrodite wheezed as a hearty slab of flesh and muscle dropped against her lower abdomen. She swallowed audibly and peaked. A long shaft, more ovular than the cylindrical human cock, of thick muscle with spiral ridges, ending in a tapered tip. There were two clear holes at the front, one larger than the other. One of his fists was wrapped around histrunk, stroking it in front of her. His thumb pressed into it and made it pulse before her eyes. She glanced up at his face, seeing the pride and hunger reflected in his obsidian pools.
“Yeah, sure they align, but,” she whispered, already hoarse.
