Chapter 23
Mara
“This is bullshit!” Mara exclaimed. She moved to hug the taller female.
Gora hugged her back awkwardly. “I can’t go on with a busted leg and since my rat of a partner abandoned me to save his own ass, I have to leave.”
“At least you’ll get medical treatment,” Mara told her.
“Look, before I go. I want to warn you. Don’t trust anyone but Vaelor.”
“Do you know something?”
“I heard a few players at the beginning of the competition mumbling complaints about you, a weak human female, and Vaelor, an unknown species, joining the games.”
“Who made the complaints?”
“All of them, including my ex partner.”
Mara was taken aback. Did Blaine feel this way too?
Mara patted her shoulder. “You have proven yourself to me. You helped me when you didn’t have to.”
“I think of you as a friend.”
Gora smiled at her. “I wish you luck friend.”
It was sad to see the only other female in the games leave. It left Mara alone with only male players. This was going to be interesting.
Four teams remained. Her and Vaelor. The Slurchan and Rasilian, their names she could never remember. Blaine and Dugan. Vor and Esto.
The last two players had become more reserved than before. Not that they were social to begin with. But they had decided to leave before the rest of them had been released by the Game Master.
“Let me check your cuts,” Vaelor pulled her to the side.
“I’m okay. Let’s get to the campsite and then we can treat everything—including the cut I see on your face.”
“It’s not bleeding.”
“Not now but it was when we finally got out of the Veil.”
“Then, let’s go,” he took her elbow firmly but gently and led her away.
She was grateful for the support because she was still reeling from disorientation.
They were a mile out from the end of the Veil boundary. Vaelor stopped and frowned.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
Mara looked around for danger but didn’t see anything.
“The campsite is supposed to be up ahead another mile. But…”
She waited.
“No one is there. No fire. No scents of the other players.”
Now she was frowning. “But all the players left ahead of us. Someone should be there by now.”
“They’re not.”
“What should we do?”
He took her hand in his and began walking. “We go to the campsite.”
“But you don’t think anyone is there.”
“If there is no problem with the campsite, we will stay there tonight.”
They continued to walk the last few miles until they reached an open clearing. There was a fire pyre set up but no fire.
“It looks like it's just us,” she commented.
She was going to be alone with Vaelor, no one else around. Just him and her.
“I’ll start the fire,” he offered. He took his pack off and tossed it down.
“I guess we can set the tent up next to the fire.”
“That would be the most convenient.”
Mara opened his pack and pulled out the tent. She set it up, while he gathered more timber for the fire. Next, she pulled a food packet out for each of them.
“Here,” she handed his packet.
“Thanks.” He sat next to her, and they warmed their food packets up.
They ate in silence at first.
“I’m sorry that your friend was disqualified.”
“I can’t believe Felon would just leave Gora there injured. He’s a real asshole.”
“I agree. But at least she is somewhere safe and getting medical treatment. Speaking of which, I need to check your injuries.”
“I’m fine.”
“Come closer to the fire and lift your hair up.”
She knew it was no use arguing with him. Lifting her hair up, she used her hair tie to bind it on top of her head.
He sat behind her and gently touched the back of her neck.
“There is a bruise here where I knocked you down too hard.”
“You saved my life. And Gora’s. Thank you.”
Vaelor growled. “You never have to thank me for protecting you. That is my honor and my duty.”
He reached for something in his pack and pulled out a medical kit.
“I am going to apply a healing gel. It should also ease the aches you feel.”
She allowed him to apply the gel, wincing at first to the cold gel but it soon warmed up from his fingers rubbing it in gently. There was a bruise on her wrist and a scratch on her cheek.
As his deft fingers rubbed the gel, she couldn’t help but stare at his lips. They looked so soft. It wasn’t the first time she had thought about kissing him. But with them constantly surrounded by others, there was no time to act on it—until now.
Their eyes locked and heat exploded between them. He gripped her face and brought her to him. She went willingly.
“Vaelor,” she whispered.
“Mara. I’ve been dying for a taste of you since the first moment I saw you.”
He took her in a deep passionate kiss that left her dazed a little.
She moaned wrapping her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
Vaelor’s strong arms circled her waist, and he pulled her up against him. She felt the sizzle of their contact. His lips on hers made all rational thought leave her mind. She forgot everything except the way he made her feel.
Mara wrapped her arms around his thick neck and rubbed her body against his.
Their body heat ignited. She was desperate to feel his skin.
Reaching for the front closures, she pulled them apart.
He must have wanted the same thing because the top closures to her biosuit were suddenly open.
She helped him with removing the clothes.
Soon all she was wearing was her bra and panties. She shivered from the cold.
“Inside the tent—now,” he growled.
They practically jumped inside the tent, landing on the inflated heated bedding.
He pressed against her and kissed her again.
The next thing she knew the straps to her bra came undone and her breasts were freed from the confines.
They were supported immediately by his large hands clasping on to them and squeezing.
“Vaelor.” She whispered his name when he released her lips and trailed kisses down her neck.
“I like it when you say my name in that way.” He growled out.
She moaned as he leaned down, bringing a nipple to his mouth and sucked it gently at first. Then he applied more and more suction. It felt so good to have him suckling her. He used his teeth gently to tug to add an extra pull. She arched her back so that he could take more of her.
Mara needed to feel him. She reached between their bodies and rubbed her hand against his hardness.
Vaelor was huge. Bigger than any man she had ever been with before.
There weren’t that many. But it made her wonder for a minute whether she could take all of him.
The only way to know for sure was to try it.
“Vaelor, I need you.”
He pulled her panties down her hips and tossed them somewhere in the tent. Then he quickly shed his own biosuit. She was grateful that the tent had automatic lighting so she could admire his perfect body.
“If you don’t want this, tell me now.” He said.
She looked into his eyes that darkened. He meant it. If she told him to stop, he would. Knowing that only made her want him even more. She wrapped her legs around his waist and grabbed his sexy pointed ears with a small caress. His eyes sparked at her.
She nibbled his lips and chin. “I want you… I want this.”
Everywhere their skin touched, it made the fire inside her burn brighter and brighter.
“The gods know that I want you,” he admitted.