16. Hakan
Hakan
Iawaken to three pairs of eyes watching me anxiously.
I’m still on the floor near the cargo hatch, but bedding has been moved from the sleeping quarters and placed around me. There’s a pillow under my head and a blanket draped over me.
Daisy is at my side, her hand resting on my chest as if to reassure herself that my heart is still beating. The boys are perched on my other side, their faces pale but hopeful.
"You're awake!" Riz exclaims with relief.
"We thought you might sleep forever," Davi adds.
“We tried to move you,” Riz says.
“But you were too heavy,” Davi says.
“So we brought the blankets and pillow here.”
I take inventory of my body, expecting pain, expecting the weakness that comes with grievous injury. But instead, I feel ... good. Better than good. I reach up and trace the wound on my side, which has closed almost completely.
"How long was I asleep?" I ask, my voice rough from disuse.
“Nearly two days," Daisy says, her green eyes shining with unshed tears. "Your hassana has been working overtime. The Commander said the boys jumpstarted your healing, and your body took it from there."
I reach out mentally to the boys, and they share with me the echo of what they did — the way they dove into my core, fed energy into my dying hassana, and literally pulled me back from the edge of death.
"You saved my life," I say seriously, meeting each of their eyes in turn. "I owe you a debt I can never repay."
"You don't owe us anything," Riz says firmly. “You saved us. And now we’ve saved you."
My chest tightens with emotion.
"Your grandfather," I say suddenly, remembering. "Did he —"
"He escaped!" Davi interrupts excitedly. "Once you blew up all that stuff, the battle cruiser couldn't chase him anymore. He got away!"
Relief washes through me. "Have you been able to communicate with him?"
"A little," Riz says. "He's weak — he was hurt when the Grokkans attacked and he’s still getting better — but he's alive. He's heading to Nazen. He’ll get there the same time we do.”
"That's good," I say. "That's very good."
I try to sit up, and Daisy immediately moves to help me, her hands gentle but firm as she supports my back. I'm surprised by how strong I feel — the boys really did amplify my hassana beyond anything I thought possible.
"You should rest more," Daisy fusses. "The Commander said no strenuous activity —"
"I'm fine," I assure her. I stretch my arms and shoulders, testing for pain, then carefully get to my feet. "Better than fine, actually. I feel like I could fight a dozen Virdathians."
"Please don’t do that ever again," Daisy says, clearly not liking the idea.
I reach for her hand and pull her close, needing to feel her against me, needing the reassurance that we're both alive and whole. "I heard what you said. Before I fell asleep."
She tenses slightly. "What did I say?"
"That you love me." I tilt her chin up so she has to meet my eyes. "Did you mean it?"
"Yes," she says without hesitation. "I meant every word."
"Good." I lean down and kiss her, soft and sweet. "Because I love you, too. More than I ever thought possible.”
When I lean down and kiss her, the boys make gagging sounds, and I pull back to see them covering their mouths dramatically.
"That's disgusting," Riz announces.
"Kissing is so gross," Davi agrees.
But I can sense their thoughts and feel their happiness, their relief, their joy at seeing us together. They're not disgusted at all. They're delighted.
"If you think that's gross," I say with amusement, "you might want to vacate the sleeping quarters for a while."
They exchange a look, their eyes widening as they catch the implication of my thoughts.
"Ewww!" they chorus, scrambling away.
“We're going to the cockpit!" Riz calls over his shoulder.
"We're going to shield our thoughts really, really well!" Davi adds as they flee.
The door hisses shut behind them, leaving Daisy and me alone.
She's blushing furiously, her cheeks pink with embarrassment. "That was subtle."
"I'm a warrior, not a diplomat," I reply, pulling her closer. "And we've waited long enough."
"You nearly died," she protests. "You should be resting, not —"
I silence her with a kiss, deeper this time, my hands sliding into her curly hair. She melts against me with a soft sound that goes straight to my hardening shaft.
"I'm healed," I murmur against her lips. "Thanks to you and the boys, I'm almost completely recovered. And I need you, Daisy. I've needed you since the moment I saw you."
Her hands press against my chest, and her fingers trace the lines of my muscles, explore the planes of my abdomen, making my skin heat under her touch.
"The boys —“ she starts.
"Are in the cockpit with their shields up," I finish. "We have privacy. Finally."
I can see the war in her eyes — concern for my health battling with desire. Desire wins.
"If you start feeling weak, or if your wound hurts, you tell me immediately," she orders.
"Yes, ma'am," I agree with a smile.
I pick up the blanket and pillow from the floor, then pull her into the sleeping quarters, driven by need to claim her as mine in the most fundamental way.
I pick her up and set her down on the sleeping mat, then cover her body with mine, careful to keep my weight on my arms. I kiss her again and she responds eagerly, her hands roaming my back, her legs parting to cradle me between her thighs.
"I need to see you," I rasp, my hands finding the hem of her tunic. "All of you."
She helps me strip off her clothing, piece by piece, until she's bare beneath me. And then I have to stop and just look, because she's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
Soft curves, creamy skin, full breasts topped with dusky pink nipples that are already hard with arousal. The gentle swell of her belly, the flare of her hips, the reddish-brown curls between her thighs — every part of her is perfect.
"You're staring," she whispers, and I can hear the uncertainty in her voice.
"Because you're magnificent," I tell her honestly. "Absolutely magnificent."
I strip off my own pants, freeing my shaft, which is achingly hard and glowing with the golden light of our paxana bond.
Daisy's eyes go wide. "Oh my God."
"Too much?" I ask, suddenly uncertain. Even by Kravan standards, I’m large, and she's so small….
"No," she breathes. "You're beautiful. You’re glowing.”
“My cock glows for you, amavi.”
She bites her lip. "Will you fit?"
"We'll go slowly," I promise. "And if it hurts, if it's too much, you tell me and we’ll stop. Your pleasure and comfort matter more to me than anything."
I kiss my way down her body, savoring every inch of skin, every soft gasp and moan. When I reach the apex of her thighs, I can smell her arousal — sweet and musky and utterly intoxicating.
"Spread your legs for me, amavi," I murmur.
She does, trembling, and I reward her with a long, slow lick through her folds up to her tender clit.
She cries out, her hips bucking off the bed, and I have to hold her down with one hand while I explore her with my mouth. She's so wet, so responsive, clenching around my tongue when I slide it inside her.
I work her carefully, using everything I learned during our last encounter, adding new techniques, discovering what makes her whimper, what makes her gasp, what makes her hands fist in my hair.
"Hakan," she pants. "Please, I need — I need —"
"I know what you need," I promise, sliding two fingers inside her while my mouth finds that sensitive bundle of nerves.
She comes apart beautifully, her inner walls clamping down on my fingers, her thighs trembling, my name a broken cry on her lips.
I work her through it, then gentling my touch as she comes down, pressing soft kisses to her inner thighs.
"That was —" she starts, then seems to lose the ability to form words.
"That was just the beginning," I tell her, moving back up her body.
I position my painfully erect shaft at her entrance, the head of my glowing cock just barely pressing inside. She's so luscious, so hot, that it takes every ounce of my control not to simply thrust forward.
"Ready?" I ask.
She nods, her eyes locked on mine, trust shining in their green depths.
I push forward slowly, feeling her stretch around me, watching her face for any sign of pain. She gasps, her hands gripping my shoulders, but she's not telling me to stop.
"More?" I ask.
"More," she confirms breathlessly.
I give her another inch, then another, working my way deeper with patient, careful movements. She's so impossibly tight, her body gripping me like a slick velvet fist, and the sensation is almost overwhelming.
"Halfway," I grit out. "You're doing so well, amavi. Taking me so perfectly."
“I feel so full," she whimpers. "So full and you're not even — oh!"
I've found that spot inside her, the one that makes her see stars.
"Please," she begs. "I need all of you. Need to feel all of you."
“I don't want to hurt you," I manage, though my control is fraying.
"You won't," she insists. "Please, Hakan. Make me yours. Completely."
I capture her mouth in a deep kiss and push the rest of the way inside, sheathing myself fully in her tight heat.
We both go still, the sensation so intense it's almost painful.
"Daisy," I breathe. "My Daisy. My paxana."
"Yours," she agrees. "Always yours."
I start to move, long slow strokes that make us both gasp. The golden glow from my cock illuminates her skin from within, making her look ethereal, otherworldly.
"So beautiful," I murmur. "So perfect. Made for me."
"Made for you," she echoes, her hips rising to meet my slow thrusts.
I increase the pace gradually, reading her body's responses, giving her exactly what she needs. My hassana bands are burning bright gold, the energy from them feeding into our love-making, heightening every sensation.
"Hakan," she gasps. "I'm going to — I can't —"
"Let go," I command. "Come for me, amavi. Let me feel you."
She shatters again, her orgasm rolling through her in waves, her inner walls clenching rhythmically around my shaft. The sensation is too much — I follow her over the edge, my own climax hitting with explosive force.
I pour myself into her, my seed glowing gold as it fills her, the paxana bond flaring bright and strong between us. I can feel her emotions — love, joy, completion — mixing with my own, until I can't tell where I end and she begins.
We're one being, one soul, bound together by something deeper and more fundamental than mere physical attraction.
When I finally come back to myself, I realize I'm crushing her with my weight. I try to pull back, but her arms tighten around me.
"Don't," she whispers. "Not yet. I want to feel you."
So I stay, supporting most of my weight on my elbows but keeping us joined, keeping that intimate connection.
"I love you," I tell her.
"I love you too," she replies, her fingers tracing patterns on my back. "So much it scares me."
"Don't be scared," I murmur. "We're in this together. Always."
We lie like that for a long time, our breathing gradually slowing, our hearts beating in synchrony.
Finally, reluctantly, I pull out of her and roll to my side, bringing her with me so we're face to face.
"How do you feel?" she asks, her hand resting on my side where the wound had been.
"Perfect," I tell her honestly. "Better than I've felt in years."
"Good." She snuggles closer. "Because we're doing that again. Soon."
I laugh, the sound rusty but genuine. "As often as you want, amavi."
“I love you, Hakan,” she whispers.
I tighten my arms around her. “And I love you, Daisy. Now and forever.”
She settles against me with a contented sigh, and I close my eyes, savoring the warmth of her in my arms, the scent of her hair, the simple miracle of being alive and whole and loved.
Somehow, impossibly, I've been given a second chance.
A family. A future. A reason to believe that tomorrow might be better than today.
And I will protect that with everything I am.