Chapter 11

Mitnick

My hands flew over the consoles in front of me as I worked to set our course and engage the autopilot. I'd communicated with Aramon during our take-off, and he'd let Solear calculate our route for me. That was one worry less while I did a final system check. With Solear's navigating, we'd have the quickest, sneakiest route to where we needed to go.

I glanced at my mate from the corner of my eye but focused on the tasks at hand to finish them as quickly as possible. She was curled in the navigator seat with a datapad tucked against her chest and her eyes locked on the row of viewscreens at the front of the ship. She was gazing at the dazzling view of Strewn, the debris field, and the stars beyond.

Her blonde hair lay in a braid over one shoulder, and I could see how her sky-blue eyes were flicking rapidly from one sight to the next. She seemed calm, even comfortable, to be here with me, but I wondered if she wasn't contemplating the implications of our departure right now.

Asmoded and Solear hadn't notified the captain yet, but I'd timed our escape during Asmoded's meal with his son. There would be orders not to interrupt unless it was an emergency. I knew the twins' loyalty to Asmoded was absolute. They were very protective of him, but maybe that was exactly why they were letting me do this. It would take the heat off the Varakartoom as soon as the watchers realized that my Harper wasn't aboard any longer. The question was, had they seen the shuttle leave from the other side of the ship? I'd picked our course carefully to blend with other initial traffic, but it was no guarantee.

"So… What should I call you? Your name is really Mitnick, isn't it?" Harper's tentative question made me jerk my head up from the scan data I'd been perusing to ensure we had no tail. I contemplated her question but wasn't sure what I wanted. I had always been Mitnick, except maybe when I was just a tiny fledgling and my brothers had still struggled to pronounce it right. But I liked Nick too, it was Harper's name for me. It felt right.

"You," I started to say, my mind whirling as I tried to put the chaotic, overpowering emotions that rushed through me into words. "You can call me anything, Harper, and I'd listen. But I like Nick. Nick is your name for me, and it makes me feel like I belong to you." She stared at me, her eyes wide, and then she smiled and I felt my dual hearts pound wildly in response.

"Okay, okay, that's uh…" She tilted her head as she contemplated her answer and I appreciated that she didn't rush into it, that she took her time to consider what she wanted to say. "I guess Nick it is. That's a human name too. It was how I first thought of you, so if you like it…I'll call you that." I more than liked it and when I smiled, that made her cheeks turn this lovely shade of pink.

A silence fell, and I focused on finishing my scans to ensure we hadn't been followed. I'd left some surprises behind on the com devices of the watchers. Now that we were safely out of range, no longer able to be followed, they would inform them that Harper had left the Varakartoom. That would leave the crew safe, just as the Captain wanted, and leave them with a cold trail.

Only a handful of scavenger ships were working on the far side of the debris field; they did not appear suspicious, so I dismissed them as threats. That meant we were safe, for now, but I still had to decrypt the data on Harper's implants to discover the true scope of the threat. Just as I'd loaded the files and started that process, Harper touched my arm with soft fingertips. "So, what's our destination now? Or are we aimlessly flying around so they can't find me?"

She did not seem bothered by that idea, but that was a silly plan and not a long-term solution. I wanted to ensure that Batok had no interest in her or the Varakartoom. Either that meant killing him, which I would very much enjoy considering what he'd done to her, or convincing him that we were not worth the effort.

"No, we are flying back to the mining planet I found you on. We're going to retrace your path in case that leads us to answers more quickly than waiting for that data to decrypt. My algorithms are good, but crunching data takes time, sometimes a lot of it… And I'm not waiting around while there's a threat."

My hearts fluttered when her fingers stayed against my biceps; I could feel them like soft, warm points of pressure through my armor. I knew her by now. She wanted answers because her curiosity was endless. But I worried that taking her to the mining planet would trigger terrible memories. She'd had a horrible time trapped inside that vault, I would not blame her if she never wanted to see that place again.

"Okay, that's a good plan," she nodded, her eyes going back to the star-studded stretch of space visible on the viewscreens in front of us. "How long until we get there?" she asked next, and when I told her it would be at least a week, she cast an uneasy glance over her shoulder. I instantly understood her worry; I'd seen her on my camera feeds those first two days. Having enough water and food mattered a lot. That was no surprise.

Rising, I freed her from the straps that kept her safely locked into the navigator's seat. "Let me show you around, my sweet mate," I said. I took her hand and started leading her past the stowage hatches, opening each one to let her see the stocked supplies.

The shuttles were always maintained with emergency kits and long-lasting food rations. I'd also taken the time to get extras from Brace, including foods she'd seemed to like and several human favorites that Brace had stocked since Mandy came aboard. I'd even taken a moment to gather a few of the clothing articles and a pair of sturdy boots that I'd been collecting ever since I found her.

"And the ship has a closed water system and an excellent recycling plant. We'll never run out of water," I added while I tapped the panel behind which said system was installed. She gave me a grateful smile, but she still didn't look at ease. Maybe that had more to do with our visit to the planet than her worry about having enough food.

Curling my wing around her back, I drew her closer to me with gentle pressure. "Something is bothering you, but I promise, you have nothing to fear. I will protect you." Then I tipped her chin up with my finger and covered her mouth with mine. Her sweet scent filled my lungs, her taste tantalized my brain. She clung to my arms as I swept her closer, tangling our tongues, drinking her gasps and soft moans.

I'd stolen kisses a few times, but this was the first time I could linger and simply enjoy for as long as she was willing. And she was willing, very willing. Her arousal perfumed the air around us, trapped between my wings and our bodies. It made my cocks grow painfully hard, and it incited my instincts to push for more, to lay claim to her in every way. To claim her with my mating cock as well as my pleasure cock.

I picked her up by her soft, curvy rear, and she assisted by curling her legs around my hips. A moan shuddered from her that made me lose a little more grip on the instincts that surged through me. More of this, and I'd give in, I'd throw her onto the bunk and fill her with my cocks. That was what a Mithrakon would do on my home world, his mate expected it. She'd even try to arouse those instincts if she could, but this was Harper, and she was human. My little Novi did not know Mithrakon mating rules, and I did not know enough about human courtship.

Then she arched her spine and the heat of her core collided with my straining cocks; I saw stars. I tasted her need, and more blood rushed to my groin. I was lost to her, lost to the mating heat that surged through my veins with each strike of my mating heart.

Carrying her in my arms, I located the bed and pinned her to it. My wings spread wide to block out any intruders from seeing her. Not that there were any, but the instinct was hard to shake. She looked dazed and flushed from our kisses. Her lips were puffy and pink, her breathing rapid, and her braid had come undone. When I started divesting her of her clothing, she eagerly assisted.

Her shirt tore when I pulled too hard, and her leggings ended up tangled around an ankle. The important parts were naked, that was all I had eyes for. Her silky pale skin, her breasts tipped with brown nipples, and the delicate petals between her thighs. My fingers circled the nearest ankle, and I started to pull her closer when she laughed. "Tit for tat, Nick. You need to undress too…"

I froze in place above her, my breathing coming in fast bursts and my mind spinning as I parsed her words. Then I yanked on the tab of my suit and made it split open along my chest. Yes, more skin to touch, more contact, that's what we needed. She didn't help matters by sitting up on her knees so she could kiss me again.

Once I was as naked as she was, I realized what a fatal error I'd made. Nothing held me back from claiming her now, no barriers to temper my instincts. There was only one thing I could do to hold myself in check. I yanked her closer, tangling our limbs and risking it all when her soft thigh brushed against my cocks. A lightning bolt of pleasure struck my brain; my vision narrowed down to only one thing, claiming Harper. No, not yet!

Breathing hard, I clawed back the control I'd lost. "Stay still," I warned her and glared when she gave me a grin. She was not aware of how dangerously close my basic nature was to the surface. I would not betray her trust. My hands were rougher than I would have liked when I spun her around and positioned her the way I needed her. Yes, that would work. That was not a traditional mating position, and if I did slip up and try to sink my mating cock into her, it wouldn't be the right way.

I ran my hands over her sexy ass, soft, round, and very pale compared to my tanned skin. She wiggled, her lush behind jiggling while she glanced over her shoulder at me in what was clearly a challenge. This female was perfect, and she was dangerous.

"Oh yeah? And what are you going to do about it?" she asked teasingly. I growled, and my hand snapped out in response; landing on the center of her back, I used it to push her down. Now she was pinned, but she still wiggled enticingly, her folds glistening with her wetness. My mouth instantly watered at the sight. Now this was an impulse I had no need or desire to control.

She moaned when I pressed my face against her small slit and took a long, thorough lick. "Nick!" she exclaimed, her fists clutching at the blankets, her hips bucking toward me. Yes, that was right, scream my name, little mate. Scream it loud. Intent on making her do exactly that, I settled on my knees and feasted.

***

Harper

Things might be moving a little fast right now, but I'd be crazy if I put a stop to something that felt as good as this. Nick had caught me by surprise when he took our make-out session to the next level, but my body was completely on board. It was an explosion of passion that we'd been heading for since the moment we'd exchanged our first words. Maybe even sooner for Nick, but love at first sight still seemed so fantastical that I needed more proof before I believed it.

His licks and suckling kisses against my needy flesh definitely didn't allow me much room for thought. It was all too easy to surrender to the pleasure he brought me, to let it sweep me away. An escape from the crazy world that I'd woken up in less than a week ago. An escape from the horrible nightmare I'd experienced before that.

It was obvious that his tongue wasn't quite the same as a human tongue. It was smoother but with a nubbed edge that he angled over my clit until I saw stars. Then he dipped it into my core, and pleasure lanced through my belly and made me gasp. It went deeper than should be possible, and when he curled it… "Fuck, Nick! Do that again," I demanded, panting into the sheets. He did, and an orgasm rocked me from those silky strokes along my G-spot.

I was trembling with aftershocks when he pressed a finger into my passage. That single digit felt big, already dragging along my walls and stretching me, but it definitely felt good. It had been a while for me since I'd last had sex, and I appreciated that he wanted to prepare me. I needed it. I needed everything he was willing to give me. This guy had me on fire for him in a way I'd never been for a guy before.

The second finger made me ache a little, but then I forgot about it when he started licking at my clit again. I was on the precipice of an orgasm quickly, my body clenching around him, my nipples aching where they rubbed against the sheets. Just a few more licks and I'd find myself tumbling over that edge into bliss.

"I think you're ready for me, Harper. Are you ready for my pleasure cock?" Nick said. I could feel him rise behind me, but I couldn't see; my eyes pinched closed as I focused on the magic his fingers were creating. I mourned the loss of his sexy tongue, but the heat of him against my back felt good too. The way he surrounded me as he leaned over me on the bed made me feel safe, coveted, and very protected.

"I asked if you were ready," he growled right next to my ear and I jerked beneath him. His fingers were still buried deep inside of me and the move drew out more sparks of pleasure as they shifted deeper. My skin broke out in goosebumps along my spine; who knew Nick would get this bossy?

"So ready," I told him, tilting my head to look over my shoulder at him. My belly clenched when I caught the feral look in his eyes. A little wild, dark; he was clearly hanging on to his control by the skin of his teeth. That should have frightened me, it should have been a warning that I was playing with fire. This was Nick, and I could never fear him. No matter what, he'd always try to protect me.

To see that desire stamped on his face, all for me, that he was this wild for me . That was crazy hot. That made me feel so wanted, and so pretty. So yeah, I was ready for him, ready for anything he wanted to do to me with the two cocks he was packing. I'd only briefly seen them, and they'd startled me for no more than a second, then it had turned me on.

His eyes glimmered like the gemstones they reminded me of, and he snarled like the namesake beast when he withdrew his fingers from my tight clasp. That I was in bed with the beast, not the rational computer hacker, was obvious, and I loved it.

The brush of one of those cocks against my opening made me freeze in place, and the hand on my shoulders continued to keep me pinned. It was warm, silky wet, and when he started pushing in, it went with ease. He had prepared me well, and I didn't think I'd ever been this wet before. That cock sunk into my core smoothly for the first few inches, but ridges followed next that stimulated each nerve.

As one cock slid into my core, the other glided up between my ass cheeks, not penetrating anything but naughtily teasing the untried ring of muscle. I shivered and moaned beneath him, my legs trembling as sensation coursed through me. It was too much; he was too much for me, and then he wasn't.

With a deep, heartfelt groan, Nick pushed his final inch of the ‘pleasure cock' inside of me. The thick, heated length of his other cock lay nestled between my cheeks, and as he started up a rhythm, so many nerves were stimulated that the orgasm I'd been edging toward until he stopped, burst through me like wildfire.

I think I shouted. I nearly blacked out from how intense it was, and then he pushed me for more. Nick was going to wring every ounce of pleasure from my flesh that I had to give. His thighs caged mine against the edge of the bed, my upper body pinned to the mattress by his chest. And both his cocks stimulated me at the same time.

When the next crest hit, he followed me. Growling as his release hit him, his cock kicking inside of me with each burst of seed. Wetness, warm and sticky, also coated my back and butt, erupting from the tip of his second cock. A languor spread through me, a sated exhaustion I gladly gave in to.

There would be time tomorrow to think about the consequences of our actions. I wanted to bask in this moment, and I wanted to fall asleep in his arms, knowing that I was safe and the most coveted person in his entire universe.