Lina
LINA
T harion’s eyes gleamed with both hunger and hesitation. My heart raced, torn between desire and caution. His struggle for control intrigued me, stirred something deep within.
“Would you stop if I told you to?” The words tumbled out before I could think better of them.
His gaze locked onto mine, intense and unwavering. “Even if it killed me. You’re the only one who could control me, the only one who’s safe from me.”
A shiver ran down my spine, not entirely from fear. “Then what do I have to worry about?”
I leaned forward, my tongue darting out to trace his lips. The taste of him - alien, dangerous, intoxicating - flooded my senses. Tharion growled, a low rumble that vibrated through me.
His hands gripped my waist, fingers digging into my flesh. Not painful, but firm. Possessive. “,” he rasped, “you don’t know what you’re doing to me.”
“Maybe I do,” I whispered against his mouth. My fingers traced the swirling markings on his neck, feeling the rapid pulse beneath his gray skin. “Maybe I want to.”
Tharion’s breath hitched. His pointed canines glinted as he spoke. “This isn’t a game. I’m not some tame pet you can play with.”
“Good.” I nipped at his lower lip, emboldened by his restraint. “I don’t want tame.”
His eyes flashed, cold fire burning in their depths. In one fluid motion, he pinned me against the wall. His horns caught the light, giving him a demonic appearance.
“Last chance,” Tharion growled. “Tell me to stop now, or I won’t be able to.”
My answer was to kiss him fiercely, pouring all my pent-up desire into it. His lips crashed against mine, hungry and demanding. I tasted blood - whether his or mine, I couldn’t tell.
Distantly, I heard the hum of the station’s systems, the faint echoes of voices from far-off corridors. But my world had narrowed to this moment, this hidden room, this dangerous man who set my body on fire.
Tharion’s hands left trails of heat in their wake. I arched into his touch, desperate for more. My fingers tangled in his hair, tracing the line of horns at his temple.
He broke the kiss, moving to my neck. The scrape of his teeth against my pulse point sent jolts of electricity through me. “Tell me what you want,” he demanded, his voice rough with need.
“You,” I begged. “All of you.”
“Careful what you wish for, little human.”
He pressed me harder against the wall until I was trapped, panting.
“Last chance to back out,” Tharion warned, his eyes searching mine for any signs of hesitation.
I stared him down unflinchingly. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Tharion’s mouth claimed me with a hunger that left me breathless. His tongue, a warm, insistent presence, explored my mouth with a dominance that made my knees weak. I pressed against him, my fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt, as he kissed me with a passion that bordered on desperation.
He broke away, his breath coming in ragged gasps, and trailed hot, open-mouthed kisses down my throat. I tipped my head back, granting him access, as he lavished attention on the sensitive skin beneath my ear. A moan slipped from my lips, and I felt him smile against my neck.
“You like that, don’t you?” he murmured.
“Yes,” I admitted, my voice barely louder than a whisper.
Tharion’s hands moved to the waistband of my pants, his fingers deftly undoing the fastenings. He sank to his knees before me, his gaze never leaving mine as he pulled my pants and underwear down in one swift motion. The cool air of the abandoned office kissed my exposed skin, but the heat in Tharion’s touch kept me warm.
He held me still, his strong hands gripping my hips, as he leaned forward and pressed his mouth to my core. I groaned as his tongue darted out, tasting me with a thoroughness that left me dizzy. He was relentless, licking and sucking with a skill that seemed almost supernatural, as if he were attuned to every twitch and moan that escaped me.
I lost myself in the sensation, my fingers tangling in his short, black hair. His name fell from my lips like a prayer, a chant that grew more fervent with each passing moment. I was close, so close, and when I came, it was with a cry that echoed off the dusty walls of the forgotten room.
But Tharion didn’t stop. He continued his ministrations, his tongue delving into me with renewed vigor, drawing out my pleasure until I was teetering on the edge once more. I came again, my body shuddering with the force of my release, and this time the world around me slipped away.
As I struggled to catch my breath, Tharion’s hands slid around my ankles to remove my boots and pants completely, then he lifted me effortlessly, his forearms sliding under my thighs, and I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer.
I could feel the hard length of him pressing against me, a tantalizing promise of what was to come. Tharion claimed my mouth in a searing kiss, and then, with one swift motion, he was inside me, filling me completely.
The sensation of Tharion entering me was like nothing I’d ever experienced. The broad, triangular head of his cock stretched me, a moment of intense pressure that bordered on discomfort but didn’t quite cross that line.
As he slid into me, the soft flanges running down the sides of his shaft sent waves of pleasure through me with each inch he advanced.
I cried out as he filled me to the hilt, those flanges pressing against my inner walls in a way that was wholly alien and completely intoxicating. My body clenched around him, adjusting to his size, to the unique anatomy of a Vinduthi male.
Tharion held still for a moment, allowing me to acclimate to the sensation of being so intimately connected with him. His breathing was ragged, a testament to the effort it took for him to maintain control. I could feel his cock twitching inside me, pulsing with a life of its own.
When he finally began to move, it was with slow, deliberate thrusts. Each push and pull of his hips made the flanges along his shaft ripple against me, sending shivers of ecstasy coursing through my veins. It was as if he was built to fit perfectly inside me, to touch every sensitive spot I never knew I had.
I cried out, my body stretching to accommodate him, as a wave of pleasure washed over me. I was coming already, my inner walls clenching around him as he began to move within me.
“Look at me,” Tharion commanded, his voice harsh with need.
I forced my heavy eyelids open, meeting his cold, compelling gaze.
“You’re mine,” he growled, his hips snapping against mine with increasing urgency. “Say it.”
“I’m yours.” The words slipped from my lips with an ease that should have frightened me.
Tharion’s pace quickened, each thrust driving me higher and higher, until I was on the edge, about to shatter into a thousand pieces.
“Come for me, ,” he ordered, and my body obeyed, my climax hitting me with the force of a supernova.
Tharion followed me over the edge, his body shuddering against mine as he found his release. We clung to each other, our breaths mingling, as we rode out the aftershocks together.
Still joined, Tharion carried me to one of the dormitory beds. The mattress creaked as he laid us down, his weight pressing me into the worn sheets. I inhaled deeply, catching the musty scent of disuse mingled with Tharion’s musk.
“Are you alright?” Tharion asked softly.
I nodded, unable to find words. My body hummed with residual pleasure, every nerve ending still alive and tingling. Tharion’s cock twitched inside me, sending a fresh wave of sensation through my core.
“We should talk about how we’re going to get out of here,” I murmured.
Tharion nodded, but made no move to separate us. “Those bugs won’t give up easily. We’ll need to be careful.”
We lapsed into silence, the only sound our mingled breathing and the distant hum of ancient machinery. Despite the danger lurking beyond our temporary sanctuary, I felt oddly safe. Tharion’s body was a solid warmth against mine, his arms a protective cage.
“We should explore,” I said reluctantly. “See if there’s anything useful here.”
Tharion grunted in agreement, but still didn’t move. His fingers traced lazy patterns on my skin, following the curve of my hip, the dip of my waist. I arched into his touch, my body responding despite my mental protests.
“Tharion,” I whispered, half warning, half plea.
He chuckled, the sound vibrating through his chest and into mine. “Just a few more minutes.”
I didn’t argue. Instead, I let myself relax into his embrace, savoring this moment of peace amidst the chaos of our lives. The rough texture of his skin, the warmth of his body, the steady thrum of his heartbeat – all of it combined to lull me into a state of drowsy contentment.
Eventually, practicality won out over comfort. Tharion eased out of me with a quiet groan, leaving me feeling oddly empty. We dressed in silence, stealing glances at each other as we put our clothes back on.
“Let’s see what we can find,” Tharion said.
Good idea. At least better than thinking too deeply about what I’d just done.
We began to explore the abandoned mining office, our footsteps echoing in the dusty silence. Shelves lined the walls, filled with outdated equipment and faded paperwork. I ran my fingers over a console, leaving trails in the thick layer of grime.
“Look at this,” I called, picking up a device that looked like a cross between a flashlight and a geiger counter. “Think it still works?”
Tharion took it from me, turning it over in his hands. He pressed a button, and a weak beam of light sputtered to life. “It might come in handy.”
We continued our search, finding more odds and ends – a first aid kit with expired medications, a box of protein bars that had long since turned to dust, a leaky tap that produced a thin stream of stale smelling water, a rack of mining helmets with cracked visors.
“This place is a tomb,” I muttered, frustration creeping into my voice.
Tharion’s hand on my shoulder made me jump. “We’ll find something useful.”
As if on cue, my foot caught on something, sending me stumbling. Tharion caught me before I could fall, his reflexes lightning-quick. I looked down to see what I’d tripped over.
“A map!” I exclaimed, bending to pick up the large, rolled piece of flexi.
We spread it out on a nearby desk, Tharion holding down one end while I smoothed out the other. It was a detailed excavation plan of the underground city, showing tunnels, chambers, and – most importantly – a way out.
“There,” Tharion said, pointing to a spot on the map. “An elevator shaft. It looks like it goes all the way to the surface.”
I traced the route with my finger, my excitement fading as I realized the implications. “We’ll have to go back through the area where we encountered those bugs.”
Tharion’s jaw tightened, the muscles in his neck standing out. “It’s our best chance,” he said grimly.
I nodded, knowing he was right but dreading the journey ahead. The memory of those glowing insects, their chitinous bodies gleaming in the darkness made me shudder.
Tharion must have sensed my unease. He pulled me close, his arms wrapping around me. I leaned into him, drawing strength from his solid presence.
“We’ll make it,” he murmured into my hair. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I wanted to believe him. In that moment, safe in his arms, it was easy to imagine that we could overcome any obstacle. But reality was waiting just beyond these walls, cold and unforgiving.
“We should rest,” I said, pulling back reluctantly. “Get our strength up before we head out.”
Tharion scanned the room. “I’ll take first watch. You sleep.”
I wanted to argue, to insist that I could stay awake too, but exhaustion was already tugging at my limbs. I made my way back to the dormitory bed, collapsing onto the musty sheets.
As sleep began to claim me, my mind drifted to Tharion. The fearsome Vinduthi bounty hunter who’d pursued me across the galaxy was now my protector. The irony wasn’t lost on me.
Tharion had proven himself time and time again since we’d been thrown together. He’d fought for me, protected me, risked his life for mine. But could I truly trust him?
The bounty on my head still existed. What would happen when we made it back to civilization? Would Tharion’s loyalty to me outweigh the promise of credits?