Chapter 60
Survii
This was not why he had come here – to hold Alanna as she lost herself, but he could hardly be mad it was happening. For the first time since they returned, she rested with a smile upon her face, like she was enjoying her dissociation again.
And how could he disturb that?
He couldn’t.
So, he stayed there with her for the better part of a mark. Neither of them speaking. Neither of them moving. He focused on her completely. Letting himself get lost in her warmth, in her scent, in the comforting weight of her body, resting against his.
It was the beeping of his combot that finally pulled him back to reality. He opened his eyes as it flashed, floating in front of him. Alanna remained still, smiling and lost.
“Connect,” he ordered.
“Survii,” Atem’s voice greeted. “Wherever you and Alanna have managed to drift off to, it’s time to return. We’ve work to do.”
Survii grinned, finding it funny how predictable they were already. “I didn’t finish what I came here for.”
“That’s your problem. It’s been a full mark. Get back here. Tell Alanna when she comes out of it that the other females are looking for her.”
Survii chuckled and ended the comm before glancing down at his mate. She looked like she was sleeping, but he knew better. She was just dissociated, so much so that she likely hadn’t even realized there was a conversation going on around her.
Gently, so as not to harshly yank her back, he stroked his finger down her nose, over her upper lip, then along her lower one.
Reflexively, she parted them, and her tongue came out, touching against the digit.
He rubbed along the moist, inner membrane of her lip drawing a soft sound form her throat as his other hand began to rub and press along her lower belly.
“Sur’ii,” she mumbled his name, unable to pronounce it with his thumb in her mouth. She kissed it before leaning back smiling up at him. “More.”
“I can’t, Vitralai,” he said regretfully, his fingers going lower despite his words. “Atem has summoned me back to work. I have to go.”
She whimpered, lifting her hips. And how could he deny that request?
He pressed the seal on her pants, loosening the hem and giving him room to slide his fingers inside and into the warmth of her dripping cunt. So eager for his touch.
Slow, steady, sure, he circled her hard little clit until she was panting and shaking over him. Her little nails dug into his thighs, her head fell back, her eyes unfocused, lips parted with desperate, panting breaths.
When she came, it wasn’t with a voice breaking scream.
Instead, she let out a moan from deep in her belly as her body rolled against him, pressing into his hand.
His cock was an aching bar pressing into her back, but he didn’t want to move her.
To disturb her. He just wanted to watch as the pleasure made her weak and languid over him.
When she finally sagged back against him, he kept his hand pressed against her slit, covering what was his, as he kissed the side of her face.
“I have to go now, vi Vitralai,” he said regretfully. “I have work to do.”
“No,” she moaned pitifully, grabbing the arm he still had curled over to cup her cunt. Like she was trying to keep him from pulling away.
“I know,” he licked at her ear. “But I have to. We’re preparing the paper version of the agreement for your Earth to sign. Since you like physical copies so much.”
“Can I come?”
“Of course, you can.” He laughed, her pitiful little voice making his chest tighten. She was adorable when she was needy like this. “It won’t take me long to look over and approve it.”
“Are you sending it down now?”
“No. Not until we get news about Tuvo and Hattie.”
Her eyes finally opened, a little sadness returning to them. “Have we heard anything new?”
“Yes. That’s what I came here to tell you.”
She perked up immediately and he shook his head.
“Don’t get too excited. They haven’t found anyone yet. But they did finally find the plane crash under the trees. The hikers got there a couple marks ago.”
“Did they… did they find bodies?”
Smiling, he shook his head. “There were no bodies at the wreck. They found a corpse nearby, but it appears to be the pilot. No one else.”
“Any signs that they were there?”
“Yes. It looked like they had been living there for a short time.”
Alanna let out a relieved cry. But she frowned. “They’re alive. Then, where were Tuvo and Hattie?”
“They don’t know yet. But they weren’t on the plane when it crashed.”
“Crashed? I thought it exploded.”
“That was the assumption, yes.” He grinned.
“The reports from the investigators at the wreck suggested that the explosion that was seen in the sky was actually much smaller than reported. It seems to have only affected the engines. There was a fire, but the rain in the jungle put it out quickly. Most of the cabin was still intact when it hit the trees.”
“So… They really might be alive?” She sat up, dislodging his grip on her.
He frowned, unhappy to have his hand moved, but was immediately soothed by the sight of her staring at him with such hope.
“They might be,” he said. “Tuvo is a trained warrior. Skilled in survival. I told you, if anyone could get them out, it would be him.”
“So, what’s the story so far? Why were they over the ?”
“Ah. So, according to the investigation, after they took off from the airport, there was some engine trouble. They ended up needing to divert and land in Azores. Some islands off the coast of Portugal, I believe they called it. They stayed there for a couple days while the engine was repaired, then restarted their journey. They think that while they were there, the engines were tampered with. The pilot suddenly diverted course after takeoff and, instead of going to North America, he went south instead, and the engines were blown when he was over the forest.”
“The pilot was the traitor?”
“Yes. They’re still looking into it, but he must have had some reason to take them to South America.”
Alanna cocked her head thoughtfully. “So, did his plan work or did it fail?”
“You mean, did he intend to crash into the , die, and the rest of them go missing? Or did something else happen we don’t know about yet? Could be either.”
“I see,” she mumbled. “Well, they just found the wreck. I’m sure there’s still a lot of information they haven’t gotten yet.”
He nodded once as he stood, licking his fingers clean. Enjoying the taste of her as he looked her right in the eyes. It took Alanna a moment to realize what he was doing, but when she did, her eyes widened and she stuttered.
“Th-That’s dirty, Survii!”
“And yet nothing has ever tasted so pure.” He laughed, offering his other hand. “Come. Let’s get these papers finished.”
“Are we going down to sign them in person?”
“We are doing nothing. I will go down on my own, step off the shuttle, let them sign, seal the agreement in the Coalition database, then return. I’m not staying.
I’m not risking you getting hurt, so don’t ask if you can go.
And nothing is going to happen until we have some sort of confirmation about what happened to Tuvo and Hattie.
She frowned, looking like she was about to argue with him. So, he distracted her by taking hold of her hand and bringing it to his lips. He kissed and licked along the slender digits as he walked them through the ship, back to his office where Atem was waiting.
***
“And so the paper document is more important that the digital data?” Survii asked, trying to understand why he was looking at ink on paper for this agreement. It was huge, all written on one massive piece, in English, just waiting for his signature.
A signature that Survii was practicing. Alanna had taught him how sign his name using her alphabet instead of Standard for their wedding certificate, but he had only done it the once.
He wanted to make sure he could still do it.
He was going to sign it both ways, just so that there was no mistaking his intention.
But the idea that a specific string of ink from his hand somehow made the paper magical and binding made him laugh. The digital agreement was marked with a biosignature, so at least that couldn’t be replicated. The humans needed the form to actually be drawn up like that somehow made it sacrosanct.
It was adorable, really. So old fashioned.
“It’s important because it’s tamper proof,” Alanna laughed, sitting on his desk, watching as he practiced his English signature again and again. “Digital data can be lost or corrupted or altered.”
“But paper cannot?”
“I mean, it can. But it’s easier to see if someone has tampered with it. It’s much harder to mess with or forge. And it’s not something that can be as easily duplicated.”
“Yet, I won’t lose the digital data because of an errant spark. Paper is notoriously flammable. And a single piece of paper can be much more easily lost than digital data.”
“I mean, that’s true,” she looked thoughtful.
“I guess there’s pros and cons to both methods.
But signing something like this is significant for us.
Our most important papers have to be signed in person, in ink, on paper, before witnesses.
It makes it more official and honest. And harder for one or both parties to break since it’s so fully binding.
Come on, you can’t tell me that there are no other alien species that bind things in writing. ”
“Oh, there are many,” he assured her, sitting back and resting his wrist. “There’s lots of different ways to make things official. I once bound an agreement through dance.”
“Dance?!” She threw back her head laughing.
“Indeed. The laral people have an entire language communicated only though movement, and dancing is how they bind agreements. Their audience would be the witness, and it’s considered even more binding than an oral agreement just because it was danced.”
She laughed, clearly delighted. And her joy made him smile in turn.
“I’ve also bound agreements in blood and through an exchange of gifts. We domini do it orally before witnesses. There are many ways to make agreements. I just find the paper method adorably quaint.”
“Hey, that’s my culture you’re mocking,” she snickered, pushing him back by the forehead. “I’ve half a mind to be offended.”
He gasped. “Oh, well, that just won’t do. I’ve got to make it up to you now.”
“Hm… What did you have in mind?”
Survii shoved his practice signature and pen away, not caring that most of it fell to the ground.
He was focused only on Alanna. Taking her by the hips and sliding her across his desk so that she was in front of him.
Her legs spreading over the arms of his chair.
He ran his finger down the crotch of her pants, trying to decide if he was going to pull them down, or cut through.
His third eye turned up, looking into her expression. The breathless excitement on her face as his claw emerged told him that she wasn’t at all unhappy with the latter option.
He started to push past the fabric-
-only for his combot to beep.
Growling, he glared at the offending object. Alanna threw back her head, laughing at his obvious displeasure.
“Connect,” he snarled, leaning back.
It was another voice comm from Atem. And he was beginning to wonder if First Domini was still trying to stop him from enjoying his female despite already having claimed her.
Then, Atem spoke.
“Survii. Alanna. Get to the communication room. Tuvo and Hattie are comming.”
“What?” Alanna jerked upright.
She and Survii were up and running from the room before Atem disconnected.
The communications room was full. The others had already gathered. Including Holly, who hadn’t left her room in days. She was in Romival’s arms, staring at one of the consoles. The large holo/video display wasn’t being used.
Instead, Survii heard Tuvo’s voice coming through the speakers.
He was calling them! A connection that could only be made one way – from the Jutiron Stor down to the planet since they had the technology to adapt to Earth signals, but not the other way around.
The pair must have been found. Those who did so much have been waiting for the Stor to call so they could be patched through.
Alanna whimpered, covering her mouth as tears filled her eyes.
“…on our way back,” Tuvo was saying.
“Wait right there. We’ve got your location,” Atem said. “We’ve got a shuttle ready for departure. It will be there soon.”
“We’re safe here, vi Dominani,” he responded.
“Both of you?” Alanna interjected. “You’re both safe.?”
There was some movement on the other end then Hattie’s voice was chirping through the speaker.
“Hey, guys!” She yelled loudly. Happily.
Alanna wasn’t the only one who reacted this time. The other females were crying and beaming and hugging each other.
“Hattie,” Atem greeted her warmly. “How are you?”
“Hm? Oh, we’re fine. Don’t listen to anything Tuvo says.”
Survii chuckled, “What did he say?”
There was more movement on the other end and Tuvo was back. “I hate this disgusting planet. Every male here is a worthless ecter and I want to kill them all.”
“It’s not that bad!” Hattie yelled in the background.
Survii looked quickly at Alanna to find her already staring at him. She shook her head. The silent conversation was over before Atem could ask Tuvo what happened.
“I’ll debrief you when we return.” He sounded genuinely angry – tense and growling.
“We’re fine, I promise,” Hattie yelled in the background.
“Hattie…”
Survii’s head cocked curiously. The moment Tuvo said her name, his entire tone changed. Survii had never heard First Warrior sound like that. Soft and gentle and tender.
On the other side of the console, Peony snickered behind her hand as Alanna and Scarlet shared a knowing look.
“We’ll tell you when we get back,” Hattie said, a bit closer to the mic now, but not like she was speaking directly into it like before. “It was crazy. Tuvo is so awesome. He said I can be the one to tell the story.”
Survii shared a look with Atem this time. Sharing stories was a big part of their culture. Being the one allowed to tell someone else’s story was a sign of a close relationship. Something he did not think that Tuvo and Hattie had.
“Can’t wait to hear it,” Survii said, genuinely interested in the change that had come over the two since their separation.