The Torid Affair by Laurann Dohner

Chapter Nine

 

Jessa woke to pain and total darkness. She tried to roll over but something heavy along her side kept her from moving more than her hand. It was curled up by her chest, near her chin. Whatever covered her body hurt. Every part of her ached. Especially her face. She tried to turn her head but agony made her cry out.

“Jessa! You’re alive.” She heard her older sister’s voice in the dark. They shared a room and their beds were spaced about five feet apart. Anabel sniffed. “I thought you were dead.”

“Something is on me. Help!”

Another sniffle. “Something happened,” Anabel said, her voice breaking. “There was an announcement over the emergency speakers. They’re going to come for us.”

“Mom and Dad?”

Her sister sniffed again but said nothing.

“Anabel?”

“It was Base Commander Tomes. There was an accident…but they know we’re here. They’re going to dig us out. He said two levels collapsed but they read our life signs. They know we’re here, Jessa. I yelled but he couldn’t hear me. The air vents are still working. I could feel the air blowing strong after he spoke.”

Jessa was confused.

“The ceiling came down on us. That’s why we can’t move. I’m stuck too.” Anabel sniffed. “Are you hurt bad?”

Fear muted her at her sister’s words.

“I’m here. Don’t die. Please, Tinker. Don’t leave me.” Anabel started to cry.

“I won’t.” The fact that her sister was calling Jessa the pet name their father used was even scarier. Anabel only used it when she was being super nice because something really bad had happened, like the time Nana Ann had died. She was the only grandma they had, and she’d visited them every year on Mars.

Anabel had played with her a lot in that terrible week following the news, calling Jessa by her nickname.

“Talk to me,” Anabel pleaded.

“My head hurts bad and some of my face feels wet. I can’t touch it. I think I cried.”

“I can’t feel my feet,” her older sister whispered. “Everything hurts, but not there. I tried to wiggle my toes but I don’t think they work.”

“I’m going to come to you,” Jessa promised. She inhaled deeply and used all her strength to push against the heaviness on top of her, trying to roll to the side of her bed.

Agony had her blacking out.

“Jessa!” Anabel sobbed. “Please talk to me. Say something!”

The sound of her sister’s voice woke her. Her head felt worse. “Anabel.”

“Don’t move,” her sister sniffed. “You didn’t answer me for a long time. Just hold still. I heard you scream and then nothing. Don’t move, Tinker. Remember what we learned in school? Stay still if you’re hurt. You might have broken bones.”

Jessa wanted to sleep. There was no pain when she did.

“Tinker! You say something. Don’t die!”

“I hurt,” she told her sister.

“Me too. They’re coming for us. I can hear machines. Listen.”

Jessa tried…but the next thing she knew, her sister was yelling at her again.

“Talk to me. Say something, Tinker!”

“I’m here.”

“You were out for a while again. Did you move? Don’t do that.”

“Okay.” Jessa inched her fingers in the cramped space and found her fluffy stuffed animal. She tried to hold it close but part of it was caught on something. She squeezed lightly and the body of the toy glowed. It still worked. She was eight and shouldn’t need a night-light, but Nana had bought her Flag for her fifth birthday. He was a replica of a bunny from Earth. She’d never seen one in person, and she loved him.

But the pale light from Flag revealed something horrible.

She could only see out of one eye. A large broken piece of the ceiling completely covered her, resting just a few inches above her face. A thin metal bar was poking out of the rubble, pressing against the side of her nose. It took her seconds to realize that might be why she couldn’t see out of her other eye.

The metal was in her head.

Jessa started to scream.

“Jessa!” Large hands cupped her face as she jerked awake and stared into a pair of strange green eyes. The room was dim but she could clearly make them out. The pupils were slitted instead of oval.

She recognized that dark, handsome face. Her and Maith were trapped in a bunker on Torid…but they were unharmed. She wasn’t buried under rubble on Mars or eight years old anymore. It had been a nightmare.

“Slow your breathing,” he rasped, caressing her face.

“I’m okay.”

“You screamed.”

“Sorry.” Then she winced. Veslors were sensitive to loud noises. “Did I hurt your ears?”

“No. What frightened you?” He was leaning over her, perched on the side of the bed, his chest touching hers.

“Flashbacks from my childhood. I’m fine now. I’m sorry.”

He didn’t sit up or release her face. “From when you were trapped? You said you might have nightmares.”

“I wish I’d been wrong. I figured there would be a high probability of it though, considering the circumstances. I hate being right most of the time.”

Maith released her face and straightened.

Jessa scooted up enough to sit and glanced around the room before looking back at him. “Did you get any sleep? Why am I on the bed?”

“You fell asleep. I carried you here, and yes, I slept.” He lifted his Veslor communications band. “For over three hours. That is enough.”

She felt guilty. Her screaming had obviously woken him. “I’m really sorry.” She reached up and pushed her hair off her face.

Maith suddenly grabbed her hand in his larger one, scowling. “You’re trembling.”

“It was a bad flashback. It felt like I was still trapped on my bed under all that rubble.”

“That is why you screamed?”

She hesitated, debating what to tell him. “I’ve already told you about my sister and a bit of what happened.” Jessa swallowed and took a deep breath. “It was horrible being trapped under all that rubble in the dark, but I managed to find a way to see. It was a toy with a light inside that my grandmother had given me. It was within reach because I always slept with it.”

Maith silently watched her without saying a word.

It helped when she broke eye contact with him. She went a step further and closed her eyes, pointing at her face. “I saw why I couldn’t move my head. A rod from what used to be the ceiling had pierced through my eye.” It choked her up a little as she turned her head and pointed to an area just behind her temple. “It stabbed through my eye and came out here. The rescue team had to cut the rod on both sides to get me out because they couldn’t remove it on scene.”

“Jessa…” he rasped.

“It was just the horror of realizing I had that thing inside me… I was eight.” She opened her eyes to peer at him. “I was sure that I was going to die. I lost the eye, they had to rebuild the eye socket to put in my ocular implant, and I got amazing skin grafts that took away any scaring. Part of my skull was replicated where the rod exited into the bed under me. I have nightmares about that instant when I realized what had happened to me sometimes…like I just did.”

He pressed her palm to his warm, bare chest. “You are safe now. This is the present. But touch is important. We relive our past battles at times, and my grouping will shift and sleep around the male having difficulties. It helps us remember we are with each other while sleeping, to avoid the bad memories. Would you like to be held? It will make you feel better.”

Surprise had her gaping at him. The last thing she could imagine was tough, dangerous Veslors basically cuddling each other in their alien cat forms. “Why shifted?”

A tease of a smile curved the corners of his mouth. “Always the questions.”

“It’s a good one.”

He chuckled. “We put off a lot of heat but sweat less in our battle form. It’s more comfortable.”

“Is that the real reason?”

He nodded. “That, and the male reliving the past tends to shift from the stress. We shift with them.” His expression sobered. “Do not share that with your fleet.”

“They wouldn’t believe me even if I did. You guys don’t seem like the snuggling types. I won’t tell anyone though.”

He inched closer and scooped her up, setting her across his lap. He adjusted and pulled her closer, until she found her cheek pressed to his chest, his arms wrapped around her. Then his chest started to vibrate as he made that strange but weirdly soothing purring noise.

Jessa relaxed in his hold and he let her touch his chest with her hand. Those slight vibrations were amazing to feel. It was…comforting. He was warm, and she felt safe.

“Thank you.”

He started to gently rub her back. Jessa closed her eyes and breathed him in. Maith smelled wonderful. He always did. She knew now without a doubt that it wasn’t some soap or shampoo he used, since he’d showered without his belongings while they were trapped. It was just him. It was foreign but alluring, so much so that she wanted to lick him to see if he tasted just as delicious.

There were a dozen things she should be doing. Jessa needed to check on her patients, then make sure the prisoners were still secured in cages. Carlton remained hugging that toilet. None of it seemed to matter as she kept her eyes closed and enjoyed the feeling of Maith holding her. His skin was too tempting not to brush with her fingertips, since he was shirtless. She may have even nuzzled her cheek against him.

The rumbling ceased and Maith lifted his head. She also felt his arms tense. It caused her to open her eyes. “What’s wrong? Did you hear something?”

His green gaze locked on her. “I…I need to go.” He lifted her off him, placed her on the bed, and quickly stood. He walked to the door wearing only sweats and left the apartment.

Jessa gaped as she watched the door automatically close between them. His sudden actions left her confused. Worse, it kind of hurt her feelings.

Worry quickly followed. It was possible that he was having his own issues over being trapped in the bunker. Guilt filled her. She’d been so focused on her own trauma that she hadn’t given his feelings much thought.

“I need to get my shit together and do better,” she said aloud.

Jessa glanced down at her wrinkled uniform and sighed, getting up and entering the bathroom. Luck was with her as she took in the stocked supplies on a shelf. The brands were horrible but she was able to wash her hair and use conditioner as she quickly showered.

Maith had left clothing bags on the counter next to the sink. They were obviously for women. One was a skirt and the other a tourist-like T-shirt. She snorted a laugh because she was about to wear the name of the planet she’d come to hate stamped across her breasts.

It was tempting to put on her used underthings, but instead she quickly washed them in the sink and hung them to dry off the shower door. Then she brushed her wet hair and cleaned her teeth. A quick glance in the mirror showed dark circles under her eyes. She’d slept far too little since being assigned on Torid.

Finished, she went into the other room, grabbed her med kit, and went in search of Maith.

She found him in the kitchen, heating meals. He’d somehow found a shirt and had covered his chest. It was too small and stretched tight over his body. The breakfasts were pre-packaged meals that only needed to be infused with water and heated. “Oatmeal of some kind?”

He met her gaze. “They were fast to heat and come in portable containers. I checked on all the humans.”

“How’s the kid?”

“The male is improving. He hasn’t woken.”

“Not surprising. Ned was heavily infected with the parasites. Did you borrow my scanner?”

He withdrew his own from the back pocket of his sweats. “I retrieved mine. The parasites are unknown to my kind but it picked them up.”

“Most of them should be dead by now. He reacted to the vaccine well. Do you need help?”

“No.” He returned the scanner to his back pocket and turned away, preparing trays with drinks.

“Thank you for the clothing.”

“They are too large for you but it was the best I could do. Most of the clothing was for males. I never see you wear dresses. I apologize for the lack of choices.”

“It’s okay. At least it’s not a mini skirt. It falls to my calves and has a stretchy waist, so it’s comfortable.” She stepped closer to him. “How are you holding up?”

He faced her once more. “Good. I contacted Roth but he’s sleeping. Gnaw spoke to me. They have started to move the debris above us. Defcon Red sent down special machines to help in the effort.”

“Do they have a timeline?”

He shook his head. “They are focusing on my signal to find us.” He glanced at his wristband. “Gnaw believes possibly a day at most. There are large sections of the mansion walls mostly intact, but they have collapsed. It makes moving them out of the way more difficult. It is best to go slow and with caution. They don’t want to cause us injury with a collapse of the bunker.”

“I agree with that plan. They’re going to have to cut the debris apart into smaller, more manageable sections,” she guessed. “Well, they’ll get us out.” She said it for Maith more so than for herself that time, carefully studying his features. He kept glancing away from her.

Jessa decided to address the problem. “I apologize if I said or did something that upset you. I’ve been so selfish. There’s no excuse for that. I was too wrapped up in my own issues to realize you might be experiencing some claustrophobia or something from being trapped down here. Then there’s the mental trauma of us having to kill in order to survive. You can talk to me.”

He closed his eyes.

“Maith?” She advanced until inches separated them and reached up, touching his face. “We’re in this together.” She wanted to be there for him emotionally, the way he’d been for her. “We’re going to be fine. You and I have each other to get us through this. I’m right here.”

He opened his eyes and pinned her with his intense green gaze. “You need to stop touching me and getting so close.”

She frowned, more than a little hurt by his words. “Why?”

He suddenly gripped her hips and lifted her. Her butt hit the counter and he stepped close. A low growl rumbled from his chest…then he shocked the hell out of Jessa by closing his eyes and kissing her.

Maith gently nipped her bottom lip with one of his fangs. She gasped at the slight sting, and he slipped his tongue into her mouth to deepen the kiss. He tasted as good as he smelled—and all thoughts left her head.

No one had ever kissed her the way Maith did. It was passionate, like he needed her more than air. She could relate, since she felt the same way at the moment. Her entire body felt as if it were going up in flames.

He snarled against her tongue and jerked his mouth from hers.

Jessa panted, opening her own eyes, feeling dazed as she peered at him. Her hands were clutching his shoulders. Somehow, her skirt had risen and she’d spread her thighs without even realizing it. Maith was between them, her legs wrapped around him tightly. Now that she could decipher information with her brain again, the fact that his cock was hard registered. There was no missing the feel of it trapped between their bodies.

“You need to stop touching me,” he warned, his voice soft but with a desperate tone. “I will take you, Jessa.”

Her heart pounded. Maith wanted her?

“Let go.” He glanced at one of the hands gripping his shoulders while he released her, tapping at her mostly exposed outer thigh, since she still had her legs wrapped around him.

“Is that a warning?” Her voice came out too husky. She was so turned on. “Because as far as threats go, it’s not a scary one.” She released one of his shoulders, only to reach up and caress his cheek.

Maith closed his eyes and his entire body seemed to tense.

“Take me,” she whispered.

Maith snapped his eyes open and snarled. Then his mouth was back on hers. So were his hands. Jessa moaned, rubbing against his big body. She’d never been so excited in her life. Nor had she ever wanted anyone as much as she did him. Desire engulfed her.

He suddenly broke the kiss again, but before Jessa could protest, Maith’s large hands slid along her body and he lifted her off the counter. He spun her around, and in the next instant, he had her bent over the counter. The material of her skirt was tugged roughly, the sound of tearing fabric filling her ears.

Her bare toes barely touched the floor and the edge of the counter dug into her hips a little. She opened her mouth to protest, but Maith was faster. He leaned over her, his upper body resting on her back. He grabbed a fistful of her hair, sweeping it out of his way, then his hot, wet mouth locked onto the side of her throat. He used his tongue and fangs to lick and nip at the sensitive skin. She moaned again, rocking back against him.

Maith released her waist with his other hand and tugged on the skirt until cool air hit first one thigh, then the rest of her lower body. It didn’t make sense to her, but that didn’t matter. All that mattered was the feel of Maith’s mouth, how much he made her ache, and the exhilarating pressure of being pinned under him.

Something thick pressed against her wet sex, and Maith snarled again. Jessa cried out his name as she realized he was working his cock inside her. He was big everywhere. Her body accepted him, even if it was a tight fit.

He pushed in a bit more, paused, withdrew a little, and then thrust deeper.

Jessa frantically clawed at the counter, trying to find something to cling to. She managed to grab the side, curling her fingers around the edge. Maith snarled again, loudly, his fangs nipping her throat, and he drove inside her again. He pinned her tightly to the counter as his hips pressed against her ass, filling her more.

Her eyes opened wide at the feel of something shoving against her clit. It was slick, hard…then Maith was fucking her fast and deep. She’d learned that male Veslors have something called a yunce. Darla had shared that little secret. But only now did Jessa understand how amazing the protective covering over their seed sac felt, rubbing against her clit. Pleasure tore through her, stealing her breath.

She heard loud moans filling the kitchen, and realized they were coming from her. Ecstasy built higher and higher inside her, until it was overwhelming.

The climax rolled through her. She would have screamed from the strength of it but her brain felt as if it were exploding. The sound that came out was more of desperate whimper.

Maith pulled his mouth from her skin and released an animalistic groan. Then she felt hot, wet pressure bathing her from inside. His hips jerked violently against her ass as he continued to ride her. The fist around her hair tugged her head back a little but it didn’t hurt. She was feeling no pain at all. Only the aftermath of the best orgasm she’d ever experienced.

Maith eventually stilled but kept his cock lodged deep inside her. She went lax on top of the counter, her cheek resting on the hard surface. Both of them were breathing too fast. She kept her eyes shut, just trying to recover brain cells. It was tough to form even a single thought. All she knew was that Maith had wrecked her.

A smile curved her lips at the thought.

“Hello?”

The female voice calling out came as an unpleasant surprise.

Maith withdrew his still-hard cock from her body with a speed that left Jessa feeling like part of herself had been ripped away. He gripped her hips and yanked her off the counter. Her feet hit the floor and her knees almost gave way, her legs feeling rubbery.

The strong Veslor with lightning-fast reflexes didn’t let her fall. He spun her to face him, leaned her against the counter and growled low. “Hold on to the counter. I can hear the pregnant female approaching.”

That snapped her out of her euphoric state. She watched him yank up the sweats, covering his cock. She couldn’t help but stare. He still looked hard. Maith tucked that big boy down and put his hands on her again, forcing her to face the slightly open door into the kitchen.

Jessa realized with dread that she must not have shut it when she’d come in, though she hadn’t expected a sexy interlude at the time. The center counter stood between them and the door. Maith pressed against her back, putting his hands on the counter, trapping her where she stood as the door slowly pushed open.

Wilma peered in cautiously and glanced around before she stepped inside the kitchen. She slammed the door behind her, appearing frightened. “Did you hear that? It sounded like two animals attacking each other! I think one of them is dead.”

Jessa had no words. She knew that Wilma must have heard them having sex. Maybe they had sounded like two animals. Heat warmed her cheeks and she was grateful that the counter hid the fact she only wore a big shirt.

“Everything is fine,” Maith said in a calm, steady voice. “Please return to your sleeping apartment. We will bring you a meal soon. It isn’t safe for you to wander around down here. Some of the humans who locked you up are now in those cages, but you’re still safer in your room until the fleet arrives to transport them to our ship in orbit.”

“But it’s not safe out there!” Wilma leaned against the door and hugged her protruding belly protectively. “Did you hear all those terrifying sounds? Are there guard dogs running free? I don’t want to be attacked.”

“There are no animals. I made the sounds.” Maith paused, probably trying to think of a convincing lie.

Jessa grimaced but didn’t admit she was also guilty.

Wilma glanced at the floor near the counter and frowned. Then her eyes widened and she jerked her gaze back to them. A blush rose to her cheeks as she stared first at Jessa’s face, then Maith’s.

“Oh!” She lowered her chin. “I’m sooo sorry.”

Frowning, Jessa glanced at the floor next to the counter. The skirt she’d worn was there, part of it ripped. It was easy to see, since the material had fanned out where it lay, the damage clearly visible.

Wilma spun, tried to grab the knob and missed. She got it the second time, yanking open the door and darting out. “Sorry. I’ll…um…be in my room!” Then she slammed the door behind her.

“Shit,” Jessa muttered. “She totally knows what we were doing. Fuck!”

Maith grabbed a handful of her hair and fisted it, lightly pulling as he pressed his front to her back. She had no choice but to turn her head and look at him as he leaned forward to peer deeply into her eyes.

“Do you regret it?” His gruff tone matched the flash of anger on his features.

“No.”

He studied her.

“I don’t.”

“It doesn’t sound like it.”

“She heard us having sex, Maith.”

“Does it embarrass you that she realized we’ve copulated? Your face is red.”

“No! Don’t put words in my mouth. That’s not it at all.”

“Then what is it?” He still sounded and looked furious.

“The investigators are going to question her, and she’s probably going to mention what we just did. We’re both working for the fleet. Can you say ‘unprofessional’ and ‘shitstorm’ when they hear about what we were doing in this kitchen? It will be part of the report given to Commander Bills! I mean, there are no rules against fraternization, but I’m pretty sure that doesn’t matter when we’re on duty. I’m certain someone will give us some shit. Maybe you haven’t learned this yet, but fleet ships thrive on gossip. Someone will blab, and we’ll be all that anyone talks about.”

He scowled.

Jessa sighed. “Have you met Cynthia Kane? She heads Med Bay. That woman has had it out for me from day one. This has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with how she’ll use us being caught in the act as a reason to make my life hell.”

Maith just kept scowling.

“You know what though? Fuck her.” Jessa turned, tugging on her hair. He released it. She reached up, trying to touch his face, but he took a step back.

His gaze lowered. “You need to shower. Go. I will finish preparing meals and pass them out.” He walked to the sink, turning on the water to wash his hands.

“Maith, I don’t regret what we did. I just wish Wilma hadn’t walked in on us right after.” She took a step toward him, then stopped. Jessa had never had sex without a condom before. It was apparently very messy. Proof of that was in the wetness racing down her inner thighs.

Maith kept his back to her. “We will discuss this later.”

His cold tone upset her. She tore her gaze away and went to her discarded skirt. It wasn’t wearable, so she used it to wipe the evidence of what they’d done from her legs, then balled up the material. The shirt she wore hung long enough to hide her girl bits and butt.

“Maith?”

“Shower. I’ll bring you something else to wear when I deliver your meal.”

“Fine. We’ll discuss this then.” She spun, deciding to give him time to cool off. Her legs still felt shaky as she opened the door to the hallway and walked back to the sleeping apartment they’d used. Wilma wasn’t within sight. That was the good news. The woman hadn’t hung around to gawk.

“I’m not ashamed,” she muttered. “Damn it. Why does he have to be such a grumpy ass?”