CHAPTER 17 #2
“Squirt the fucker.”
Leila aimed right at Blue’s face, the fine mist coating part of Grayson’s forearm. It stung slightly, but he’d experienced worse sunburns.
On the other hand, Blue reacted as if set on fire, jerking so hard Grayson’s chokehold loosened and the alien slipped free.
Leila squeaked and sprayed again as Blue lunged in her direction.
Grayson tackled the alien and took him to the ground hard.
Unnecessary, as it turned out, because Blue went into convulsions so violent Grayson got tossed.
He bounced to his feet and stood in front of Leila, who growled, “I can’t see.
” She peeked around him, and he allowed it because Blue no longer posed a danger.
The alien’s face, where she’d first sprayed, had melted, as had the clawed paws she’d misted when it dove at her.
The damage, though, didn’t stay contained to those two areas.
The poison spread, from face to head to neck, shoulders, and arms. In less than a minute, just a gross pile of goo remained on the floor.
“It worked,” she whispered.
“No shit it did.” And even faster than he would have expected. Grayson whirled to grab Leila and gave her a hard kiss. “Good job.”
“I didn’t do anything. I would have never even thought to use Lake Natron’s waters if it weren’t for the inactive meteor in that area.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. You’re the one who’s been risking herself testing and the one who’s gonna come up with the recipe to make the alien poison in bulk, giving us the advantage in this war.”
“I’m going to help save the world.” Said on a wondering note.
“We should tell Aries the good news.”
“Agreed, but first…” She turned from Grayson to chide Asterion. “Stop toying with the aliens.”
“Do I have to? I think they’re having fun.”
More like getting frustrated. The mini-Blues kept throwing themselves at Asterion, who batted them aside, sending them flying and hitting the wall with audible smacks. Not that they seemed bothered, since they immediately rose and ran at Asterion again.
“Fine. But be sure none of them escape when you’re done. Grayson and I are off to report our success to Aries.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure they stay in the box.” Punt. A tiny Blue soared.
Grayson and Leila exited the glass section holding Big Blue’s remains, the exit sealing soon as they were clear. Big Blue didn’t so much as twitch. Was it truly dead?
“Tower, could you dump a gallon of simian blood on the corpse?”
“Surely it can’t come back from that?” A dubious Grayson eyed the puddle of gunk that lacked any kind of shape—or bones. Wild shit.
“Pretty sure it won’t rejuvenate this time, but a good scientist never assumes.”
Asterion finally emerged, grinning. “Feisty buggers,” he declared.
“I wonder if they’ll react to Big Blue’s death,” she murmured. “Tower, remove the partition.”
The smaller aliens scampered around their containment but skirted the poisoned corpse as if they understood it posed a danger.
On their way through the lab, she stopped by a machine and punched at a screen, which caused a printer to whir and spit out a sheet of paper.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“Chemical composition of the lake water. The analysis finished overnight, meaning we now have a poison recipe,” she added with a wink.
Together, they headed down to Aries’ office and entered to find him cradling his baby.
A single brow rose as Aries said, “Judging by your faces, you have some good news for me.”
“The water worked,” Leila crowed. “And quickly, too. We tested it on a waist-high alien subject. The death was almost instantaneous.”
“That is excellent news!” Aries’ excitement had the baby stirring, and he resumed patting a diaper-clad bottom.
“Don’t get too excited yet. We drenched the remains in blood to see if it revives.
Could be it takes longer to recover from a catastrophic injury.
I will also note I sprayed it in the face, which might have allowed the poison easier penetration than, say, if it had been splashed on its back or chest.
Grayson cleared his throat. “The hands you spritzed melted right away.”
“Because of the actual spraying of water, or the fact it was already compromised?” she countered.
“Never thought of that,” he murmured.
“Because you’re not a scientist used to having their results challenged. But if it helps, I do believe Lake Natron’s water is so toxic it won’t matter where it touches. Nor does it seem to require much.”
“She sprayed it with a little bottle like a cat,” Grayson confided to Aries, who’d been listening quietly to their exchange.
“This sounds more than promising. How soon could I start arming the warriors with this spray?”
“Soon as we can either figure out a way to load up some cannisters with Lake Natron’s water, or we find a place that can make this recipe en masse.” She handed over the printout. “This is the ratio of chemicals that worked.”
“Let me make a few calls,” Aries offered. “I might know someone who can help with mass production.”
“In the meantime, I’ll run those extra tests and see if we run into any issues or limitations,” Leila stated, and Grayson could already see her mind whirring and planning. Beautiful, smart, and with a work ethic he admired.
“This is the best news I’ve had since we started fighting these things,” Aries declared, waving the sheet of paper. “Good work. If you discover anything with those additional tests, no need to waste time coming down; just send me a message. I doubt I’ll be straying far from the office today.”
They wasted no time returning to the lab. Grayson, along with Asterion, assisted Leila the rest of that day, growing the aliens, separating them, seeing what happened if they got sprayed on the foot.
Death.
Subjected to a single drop.
Death.
If an alien touched the poisoned corpse of another.
Also death.
And none of them came back to life.
Leila fired off her findings in a message to Aries, who replied with Thanks for letting me know. In even better news, I found a company that can mass produce the poison, and in a stroke of luck, they’re only a few hours outside of Toronto, meaning we can truck it in soon as it’s ready.
Grayson ended up sending a note of his own asking, What do you want me doing, boss?
The reply? Given your hectic start to the brotherhood, take a load off and relax. Soon as we have enough of the poison manufactured, we’ll be flooding the Toronto sewers and tunnels. It will likely flush some stragglers and the warriors will need to be nearby to handle them.
While some would have rejoiced at the order to relax, Grayson had never been one to be idle. He could have hit the training room, but he had a better idea.
“Oh, Leila,” he crooned, interrupting her typing.
“What?”
“Time to call it a day.”
To his surprise, she didn’t argue. “You might have a point.” She rose and stretched. “There’s really not much else to do, seeing as how every test shows the composition kills on contact.”
“And leaves no lasting damage to the star-blessed,” he stated, showing his arm. He’d not even needed to dust the part that got hit by the spray.
“I saw the boss gave you an order to relax. What will you do? You don’t seem like the type who can sit still for long.”
“As I recall, we still have a sunrise to see, meaning I might be convinced to lounge in bed.”
“Just lounge?” she teased.
“Well…”
“I’m not tired.” She laced her arms around his neck.
“Are you sure you’re ready, though?” Knowing how reluctant she’d been to be around people only a few days ago, and knowing her past, had him being more hesitant than usual.
“Never been surer of anything. Now, are you going to waste time talking or—”
Her laughter rang out as he scooped over his shoulder and practically ran from the lab to her apartment across the hall.
Once inside her place, he slid her down his body. Her arms looped around his neck and dragged his head down for a kiss.
A kiss that set him on fire. He groaned as he wrapped his arms around her, lifting her so that she didn’t have to strain. Their mouths meshed, tasting and teasing, sensually sliding, parting, allowing their tongues to play.
Never before had a kiss aroused him to the point of throbbing need. He wanted nothing more than to tear off her clothes and sink into her. However, he wasn’t a boy who rushed, but a man who wanted the woman panting against his mouth to be writhing and moaning his name.
He sat on the edge of the bed and seated her in his lap, his hands finding the hem of her shirt and sliding under it, stroking the smooth flesh of her back. She proved to be more impatient, tugging at the fabric covering his chest, removing it so she might drag her fingertips over his pecs.
Her shirt came off next, revealing perfect peaches encased in a sports bra. A bra that hit the floor. He would have liked to spend more time admiring her breasts, but the way his mouth watered had him latching onto a pert nipple.
Leila cried and grabbed his hair, back arched, pushing her breast against his mouth. He tugged and sucked, drawing a peak into his mouth, teasing it until it poked hard. Then he lavished the same attention on the other.
Her pants of pleasure had him laying her down on the bed, his hands skimming her flesh as he removed her pants. Her sensible panties had to be the sexiest things ever, and when he stroked a hand over the fabric between her legs, her arousal had already made them damp.
Goddamn. He hungered for her. Needed her.
But first, he slowly dragged those panties down, and she watched him the entire time from half-closed eyes, her face beautiful with passion.
He ran a finger over her labia, spreading them, teasing her sex. Her honey wetted the tip of his fingers, and he couldn’t help but suck it. A teasing taste, as it turned out.
He knelt between her legs, and Leila whimpered when he blew hotly on her. Trembled. A glance at her face showed only need, no fear.
He could resist no longer. He put his mouth on her, nothing more, and yet her hips bucked. He chuckled, and she squirmed, panting, “I don’t know how much more teasing I can handle. It’s been a while for me.”
He impatience matched his own, but first… He licked. Feasted on her honeyed bounty. Flicked and sucked on her clit, until she arched and tried to scream, only she lacked breath.
But he felt her climax and continued to lick, keeping her pleasure on the edge, waiting until she whimpered with need.
Only then did he shove at his pants and cover her body with his own. Her arms laced around his neck, and she drew him down for a kiss. A hot embrace with tongue.
The tip of him poked at her sex, and she shifted her hips to invite him in before her legs wrapped around his waist, locking him in place, drawing him deep, bringing a gasp to his lips as the heat and tightness of her sheathed his cock.
He began to grind against her, a swirling motion that pushed deep and drew a stuttered cry from Leila. The kiss ceased as pleasure distracted. Her nails dug into his back, urging him. He thrust, and she tightened. He rolled his hips and felt her channel quiver.
Their bodies moved together, and just when he thought he might lose it, she came, a rippling, squeezing of flesh that had him shouting as he climaxed.
The intensity of it insane.
The perfection unimaginable.
His love… definitely not in doubt.
He collapsed beside her but drew her close, wanting that intimate connection.
She sighed. “That was amazing.”
“Agreed.”
“Although…”
He stiffened. “What? Did I do something wrong?”
She laughed. “Oh no, you did everything right, but the scientist in me thinks we might have to do a repeat. You know, just to make sure the results are always the same.”
He chuckled. “I don’t think that will be a problem.”
They made love again, and it was just as good the second time.
And the third.
They did get some sleep, eventually, and were basking in the afterglow of their fourth intimate encounter when the sun rose, the rays bathing the room.
Magnificent. And he didn’t mean the spreading colors in the sky but the woman in his arms.
He got four days of bliss—interspersed with training—before duty called.