Chapter 23

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

They’d only been hiking maybe twenty minutes with quite a way to go to catch up to the others, given their head start, when Rykker abruptly grabbed Olivia and pressed his hand over her mouth firmly, physically lifting her as he stepped back into a thorny bush until they were both concealed.

If anyone else had done something like that, she would have been all elbows and fists, but this was Rykker. He was one of the good ones. And if he reacted to something she couldn’t see like that, there had to be a reason. A mere two minutes later she had her answer.

Raxxians. Quite a few from the sound of it. Apparently, there were indeed more in the area, just as Harper had said. She strained her ears, realizing that she could actually focus in on their conversations and even the sound of their footfall. It was an ability she didn’t know she had up until this very moment. She glanced up at Rykker’s statue-silent face. He too was listening, holding absolutely still and barely even breathing.

They remained like that, immobile, for nearly ten minutes after the Raxxians had passed. They’d been heading in a different direction than the one where the pair had just hidden their slain comrades’ bodies and it was a good thing. Being carnivorous as they were and with a penchant for raw flesh, the Raxxians were known to have a particularly strong sense of smell when it came to fresh blood. Had the wind been moving a different direction, this could have been a very bad situation indeed.

Rykker finally stepped out of their hiding spot and lowered Olivia back to the ground. “My apologies. There was no time to verbally?—”

“I get it. No apology needed. And thank you.”

He nodded, licking a finger and testing the wind. Pleased with the result, he pulled a small device from his pocket. It looked like a tiny blowgun but with a grip. He took a small dartlike thing and slid it into one end.

“What is that?”

“No time. Stay here,” he said, hurrying off after the Raxxians in a stealthy run.

What just happened? she wondered, resigned to sit still and wait. Hopefully, whatever he was doing wouldn’t take too long.

Rykker returned fifteen minutes later the device no longer in his hands. “There are more that way,” he said, gesturing ahead.

“But that’s where we need to go.”

“We cannot. We must find cover. There is no telling who else is out there. Hurry, follow close.”

He rushed toward a rocky outcropping not far from their location, his eyes scanning the terrain. “Yes, there,” he said, pointing to an overhanging area near some low bushes. “Under there. Quickly. I will follow and cover our tracks.”

Olivia didn’t argue. His tone of voice and the look in his eye relayed just how serious this was. She flattened out and crawled in as far as she could. It wasn’t terribly deep, just a jutting rock rather than a cavern, but it would suffice. Rykker had pulled up a few small shrubs and was using one of them to dust down their trail, hiding any sign of their passing. Satisfied, he then lay down and slid in next to her, pulling the shrubs close.

They had a pungent smell that was particularly nasty with Olivia’s newly heightened senses, but she knew what he was doing. Masking not only their trail but also their scent. If what he said about Raxxians was true, being blocked by rock on one side and that stench on the other were the best cover they could get out here.

They lay there a while before she heard the sound of Raxxians in the distance. The voices faded, but they didn’t move. Sure enough, nearly an hour later there were more of them. Whether they were from the same group or not, she couldn’t say. What she did know was they were unaware of the two hiding out so close.

Two more hours passed in silence before Rykker decided it was as safe as it was going to be. He turned his head to her and held his finger to his lips then pushed the shrubs aside and slid out, gesturing for her to follow.

Olivia crawled out silently and followed him as he took off in a new direction. She didn’t dare voice an objection. It was only a half hour later that she quietly asked where they were going.

“This isn’t the way back,” she whispered.

“We must detour. Now, no more talking until we know we are safe. Stay close.”

Without another word they moved, quickly cutting through the trees, scrambling over rocks and across small streams, and even traversing a few small ravines, courtesy of fallen trees. They moved until it was quite late in the day before they finally changed course, heading back toward the ship.

It was Rykker who finally broke the long silence. “Your friend will be fine. Arkness may be an egotistical man, but his medical skills are quite sound.”

“Sounds like you almost admire him, though grudgingly.”

“We have been friends since childhood. Of course, I do. But we are now men,” he said, flashing her a smoldering look. “As adults, things change. But rest assured, Harper is in good hands and will be well tended to. And when she has healed, she will be provided the Dotharian Runes.”

“Just like me.”

“Not like you,” he said, stopping and turning to face her directly. “You are special. Unique. I very much doubt there is another like you anywhere among the stars.”

Olivia blushed at the unexpected compliment. “You know, there are bound to be others. More survivors. I heard there were more on the Raxxian ship.”

“And we will do what we can. But we are at a distinct disadvantage right now. And eventually an alarm will be raised when they realize their comrades are missing. But we still have a window of opportunity.”

“But you killed them.”

“Yes, we did. Fortunately for us, Raxxians split their recovery teams and send them out for days, or even weeks before reconvening. And after a crash like this one? It is likely they are far less organized than usual. Gaps in contact are expected in circumstances like this. Let us hope their protocols have not changed.”

Rykker tapped a section of his collar, apparently reactivating his comms that had been shut off for the last several hours. He had multiple missed calls, all from Arkness.

“Where are you?” the man blurted when Rykker finally called him back. “I’ve been trying to reach you repeatedly. You should be here by now.”

“We had an issue with the Raxxians and were forced to divert.”

“Raxxians? How many? And is Olivia safe?”

“I’m okay,” she called out over Rykker’s shoulder.

“Thank the Gods. What happened?”

Rykker looked around, ensuring they truly were alone before continuing. “There were multiple Raxxian recovery patrols in the area. We hid for some time, then shifted course to travel around their area of activity. We are now heading your way again, but we are still far out.”

“But it will be getting dark soon,” Arkness said, clearly not thrilled with this situation. “Can you make it back?”

“Not safely before nightfall, I fear. Can you scan the area? I’m sending our coordinates.”

“Received. Stand by.”

Rykker and Olivia did just that, standing, waiting. Fortunately, Arkness was quick.

“Low-power scans show movement in the area, but not close to your position. A large group, from what I can make out.”

Rykker did not like the sound of that. “Raxxians?”

“I can’t turn up the power without being detected. I’m not sure who is out there.”

“Very well. But can you at least tell if they are coming our way?”

“It seems they are on a parallel course. They should not cross your path unless they change direction. But you’re right. It’s not safe to make the trek back right now.” Olivia could hear the conflict in his voice, but Arkness was doing the right thing, even if it was not what he wanted. “You will need to find safe shelter for the night.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

“How’s Harper?” Olivia asked, leaning over Rykker’s broad shoulder, the contact delightfully warm in the cooling air.

“She is doing well and is resting comfortably. I tended her injuries and gave her a restorative as well as a mild sedative. The mending of her body has begun, though she will require a proper healing once we are back in the city.”

Olivia felt the knot of uncertainty she’d been carrying in her gut all day finally begin to loosen. “Thank you, Arkness, for taking such good care of her. It means the world to me.”

“Of course. Anything for you.”

Rykker stepped forward, surveying the land. “We should get moving while there is still some light. We will comm you in the morning.” He then closed the line. “I see something that way,” he said, pointing to a deep river they had noted in the distance. “We should head over there.”

“What is it?” Olivia asked.

“I think it’s another crashed compartment.”

She squinted hard, scanning the distant waterway but seeing nothing. “Where? Wouldn’t it have shown up on the maps?”

“Not if it came in at an angle,” he replied, stepping close behind her, his arms wrapping around and guiding her until she was facing the right way. His heat and musk were a heady mix even given the stresses of the day. “You see it? That shape under the canopy on the near shoreline where the trees overhang?”

Olivia looked again, adjusting her focus to the shadowy area beneath the unbroken trees. She hadn’t even bothered looking there as any ship that landed through those trees would have left a trail of destruction. Unless…

“Oh, I see it!”

There it sat, almost invisible, covered in muck and sand, but the shape was unmistakable now that she knew what to look for.

“It must have come in at an angle, likely due to a thermocline forcing it laterally,” Rykker mused. “It would have hit the water from the side, thus coming to rest in that location without touching any greenery around it.”

“Like skipping a stone.”

“Skipping? I don’t quite understand?—”

“I’ll show you when we get to the river. Come on!”

This time Olivia took the lead, her spirits soaring at the thought of finding more human survivors. Or even alien ones for that matter. Anyone who made it out of Raxxian captivity was a brother or sister to her, no questions asked.

Rykker moved fast overtaking her and rushing ahead to the downed craft. He quickly made his way to the far side. He returned just a minute later, his face grim.

“Do not look inside,” he said flatly. “There were no survivors.”

“But the ship?—”

“Its hull tore open on the other side.” He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight as sobs unexpectedly wracked her body.

“It’s not fair.”

“I know.”

“They should have been free, not dead.”

“They should have.”

“I hate this stupid planet. And I hate those stupid Raxxians!”

Rykker said nothing, just holding her tenderly as long as she needed.

They trekked away from that location several miles, following the river until they found an area they could safely cross. The timing was good as it was finally really getting dark. Much longer and they’d have been stuck on the wrong side of the water. It was far less likely they would run into any threats once they crossed.

The crossing was quick and uneventful, and Rykker made them a cozy little campsite out of the bark of a strangely soft kind of tree layered atop fresh-smelling leaves. All told, it was quite nice, and that, along with the impromptu meal of berries and an odd tuber he dug up and rinsed in the calm pool at the river’s edge, set Olivia’s spirits in a much better place.

Rykker looked at the backs of his hands and arms with a bit of disgust. “You know what? I for one could really do without sleeping with Raxxian blood on me. I’m going to wash off.”

“I’ll come with.”

“You don’t have to. You’ll be safe here.”

“I know. But I think it would do me some good too.”

Rykker wasn’t about to object. “Very well. Come.”

He took her by the hand and led her to the calm water shielded by a little rocky outcropping that formed a nice eddy for them to bathe in. He shed his clothes without hesitation, dumping them in the water to soak while he rinsed his gorgeous body clean. Olivia had experienced his oral skills already, but she hadn’t taken the time to truly admire the amazing cock hanging between his legs. He was hung, all right. Possibly even more than Arkness.

Olivia stripped as well, the cool water and cool air making her skin tingle in a delightful way after the day’s exertion. She began rinsing off, watching him bathe, aroused at the sight of him in the dim light. But something was off. His back looked different. She moved closer and realized what it was.

He had large thorns the size of her thumb jammed into his flesh. It must’ve happened when he backed her into the thorn bush to avoid the Raxxians. He’d put himself in between her and the thorns and hadn’t said a word about it. And he’d been suffering them all day, his focus keeping her safe rather than his own injuries.

“You’re hurt. Why didn’t you say something?”

“They are nothing. Protecting you was the priority.”

“Well it’s not nothing if those get infected. Come here.”

He obliged, turning and crouching in front of her. Olivia gently began pulling the thorns out, massaging the wounds until the blood flowed, doing what she could to ensure he didn’t get an infection. There were only six of them, she was glad to find, but even after she had removed them, her hands kept running over his thick muscles, guided by a mind of their own.

Rykker’s head rolled slightly as he let out a contented groan. She felt his skin grow hotter under her touch, her own body reacting in kind. Olivia slid her hands over his shoulders and down his broad chest, cupping his pecs before sliding her hands lower over the rippling muscles of his abdomen.

Her hand grazed his cock, standing at attention in the fresh water, straining for her touch. So close his pheromones filled her nose, making her pussy pulse with fierce heat, her nipples hard against his hot back. She looked down, noting he had already stopped bleeding. Apparently, his kind mended exceptionally fast.

Am I really doing this —she started to wonder when he abruptly turned, locking lips with her, his hands grabbing her firmly and pulling her close until she shuddered with unbridled want. Yes , she was doing this, and it was wonderful.

Rykker picked her up and carried her from the water to their makeshift bedding, gently laying her down atop it. His hands moved with expert skill, touching her just right, caressing the spots that elicited the most favorable reaction before one slid between her legs. Olivia’s body jerked as he rubbed her clit, the electric jolt running through her limbs and leaving her breathless.

She reached for him, grabbing his hefty cock firmly, coaxing pre-cum out of it with a few fluid tugs, using it to coat his length as lube then sliding her hand up and down its entirety, feeling his heart pound harder in the pulsing manhood in her grip. Olivia now knew that Rykker, like his friend, was a virgin. One trained for years in the ways of pleasing a woman.

Knowing she would be his first was incredibly hot, and she didn’t want to wait any longer to sample his glorious cock. She shifted her hips, guiding him to her until the head was resting just against her desperate hole.

“Show me what you can do,” she said in a husky voice, her entire body trembling with anticipation.

He pushed his hips forward, his cock gliding into her while his hand held her lips open, easing its passage until he was fully inside and coated with her juices. He hesitated, taking in the moment, his face close to hers, breathing in her scent, savoring every last detail of this important event. Then he started churning inside her, his powerful torso moving in a way no human man ever could, sliding not just back and forth like so many men did, but angling his cock at just the right angle to stimulate her G-spot both on the way in as well as out.

On top of that, the pulsating ridges running the length of him were moving steadily as well, an additional sensation that made a small series of climaxes pop off unexpectedly, leaving Olivia tingling from head to toe.

A delicious buzzing on her clit snapped her from her reverie, her sensitive nub swelling even more as her whole body reacted, clenching up tight as he drove harder and harder into her.

“Yes, like that,” she groaned, loving the feeling of his balls slapping against her ass as he pounded into her missionary style until she could take no more. “Wait.”

He stopped moving immediately. “Did I hurt you?” he asked, concern in his eyes.

“Oh, God no. But I want to come with you fucking me from behind.”

A wicked grin spread across his lips as he pulled out of her and spun her over with ease. “It is my pleasure to oblige,” he said in his rumbling voice as his hands ran across her ass. “Hold yourself open for me,” he said. Olivia did as he asked, pulling herself wide just for him. “That’s a good girl,” he said as he slid his cock deep inside her, his enormous hands wrapping around her waist and hips like a massive beast taking what was his.

He thrust slowly at first, savoring every moment, but the sensations between them were simply too strong to hold back for long. Faster and faster he moved, his pelvis smacking against her ass, his hands pulling her back into him with every long stroke.

Olivia didn’t know how in the world she was actually taking his massive cock. Whatever it was the sensation was unlike anything any human man had ever come close to achieving.

“Oh!” she exclaimed as he gently stuck a finger in her ass, his rhythm steady, his balls slapping against her clit with every stroke. “Fffffuuuu!”

Olivia came hard, falling forward onto her belly as her entire body spasmed from the intensity of her climax. Rykker, however, kept fucking her, slower and more gently, but unrelenting driving her even further over the edge until she couldn’t take any more. Amazingly, he seemed to sense when it was too much, stopping and slowly pulling out, laying atop her tenderly until the twitching ceased.

“My God, that was amazing,” she mumbled.

“I am not done,” he replied with a happy grin. “You said to show you what I can do, and I wish to oblige.”

He moved again, his cock now pressing against her asshole, already slick with juices and pre-cum. Olivia took a deep breath and let it out, willing her body to relax. To open up and take him, if she could. He was far larger than any toy she’d ever played with, but her body had seemed to somehow adapt to handle him so far, and she hoped this would be no different.

Her Infala rune tingled, sending jolts to her nipples and making her face flush as she felt him penetrate her, gently, carefully sliding his cock into her ass. Her head thrashed side to side. The sensation was so intense, so overwhelming, she nearly lost the power of speech as she felt him fill her up with his manhood.

“Is that too much?” he asked, slowly thrusting, churning inside her while one hand slid around to rub her clit with an expert touch.

“Nnnnngggh,” was all she could say, a stupid grin on her face as she floated on the cloud of bliss.

Rykker was incredible. Powerful. Forceful yet gentle. It was so much at once that for a second Olivia thought she might either cum, cry, or both.

“I’m close,” he groaned, the words bringing Olivia to the precipice with him.

She could feel his cock swell even more, the rippling growing more intense as his orgasm grew near. “Yessss,” she groaned. “Cum in my ass.”

That simple command sent him right over the edge, a pulse of hot cum filling her up, his cock spasming hard, all while her Infala locked onto her bliss, as if it was cracking her head open and filling it with more pleasure than humanly possible.

But he wasn’t human. He was an alien. A massive, sexy alien. And he was all hers.

Olivia’s world went purple, her vision full of stars, her every sense aflame as orgasm after orgasm exploded through her body until she couldn’t take any more. But she could, she quickly learned, as her body sent her hurtling past her own limits to a place she’d never been. She was hallucinating. Smelling colors, tasting sounds, a synesthetic reaction the sort she’d only read about. She thought she might have bitten his arm, trying to stifle a scream, but she couldn’t be sure. And given his own orgasmic intensity, she doubted he’d even have felt it if she did.

It took a long time for them to have any semblance of sense return to them, and that was fine by her. Olivia’s emotions had been all over the map today with intense highs and intense lows. She hadn’t realized just how much she needed this until it happened. But now that it had, she just gave herself over to the overwhelming feeling of satisfaction and safety, passing out hard in her lover’s arms, barely rousing when he slipped free to quickly wash himself clean in the river then return to her side, nestling close and holding her safe and sound all through the night.