Chaos (3 page)

I wanted all traces of those ungrateful creatures gone, so I swept them from me.
The entity sounded smug.

Are you the entire planet?

Yes, but I only express myself in the waterways. Through them, I touch every corner of my world.

That explained why they hadn't been able to get in touch with the planet. It was dormant and hidden in the waterways.

I apologize for disturbing you. It was never our intention. We can leave and let you return to your rest.
She was almost to the top of the temple.

The entity on the throne stood and approached her.
I do not wish for you to leave, nor will you until you allow me into your mind willingly and happily.

I will freeze to death if I do not get to a warmer environment soon.

I will see to it that the cavern is heated, but do not think to leave. There are creatures out there far more formidable than the ones you ran into.

A searing flash of light and Zora was back in her body, her heart pounding in her ears. Carser and Wayk jerked awake with her and stared at her in consternation as she leapt out of their bed and ran for the pool.

She heard voices behind her but didn't stop until she was at the edge of the pool. Taking a deep breath, she let her talent loose and almost moaned at what she saw.

The blinding light that was now visible to her enhanced vision was running through the walls of the cavern and underfoot. Her extremities felt a marked increase in temperature and by the time the men were at her side, she knew one thing. They were totally screwed.

"This isn't good, this isn't good." She chanted it and backed away from the water's edge. One of her toes had been in the water and she noted the glow where it touched.

Her arm was lit up like a streetlamp to her enhanced senses. Strands of light were binding, healing, working to make her whole.

Carser caught her as she slumped in shock. "What is it, Zora? Did you have a nightmare?"

"Take me back to the fire and I will tell you, not here." She was shivering but not with cold.

He carried her back, but she could feel the curiosity buzzing in them.

Next to the fire, she knelt and stared into it for a while. When she looked at the Oefric, she realized that she had not turned off her talent. They crackled with energy. They would be right at home here on Pakrik.

"The teams that examined this place for sentience missed something." She blinked until her vision returned to normal.

Carser straightened. "What?"

"The living being that is Shisala. This planet is alive." She bit her nails in agitation.

Wayk gently drew her hand away from her mouth. "What do you mean?"

"I mean the living being that is in everything on this world had a conversation with me while I slept."

Carser was shocked, but Wayk kept her hand. "What did it say?"

"Shisala wishes for the Oefric to join her here and she wishes to take me as avatar." She swallowed heavily.

"What aren't you telling us?"

She tried to bring her fingernails to her lips again, but Wayk held her hand down. "That water was filled with the essence of Shisala. She said she controls when we die now."

Carser gave her a piercing look. "We?"

Zora blushed. "She seems to think we are a set because you took care of me."

Wayk nodded. "We will just have to leave and get back to the shuttle and get off the surface."

"She said she wouldn't let us until I take her into me. She also won't let us leave the cavern."

"I will see about that." Carser stood and walked to the entrance. The snow was still a curtain of white.

He shifted into a bear and ran out of the cavern. Zora held onto Wayk's hand as they waited for something, anything to happen. A few seconds passed before Carser came barrelling back into the cavern. He stopped and shook his head in confusion, shifting back into his walking form.

"What the hell happened?"

Zora looked to her companion. "How would we know? We were here."

"I was running in a straight line and then I ended up back here." He sat back next to them near the fire and slammed his fist against the ground.

"I am sorry. It's my fault. If not for the wolf attack, we wouldn't be here." She sank into a dejected heap.

Wayk stroked her face and lifted her chin. "It isn't your fault. We should have been more careful. It was just so nice for us to be able to romp as we willed in this wilderness. We were not on alert as we should have been."

His kiss caught her by surprise. One moment he was comforting her, the next her body was exploding in a riot of need. Her talent flicked on and her skin and his were lit from within by the energy of the planet.

She pushed him back. "Stop. The planet is making you do that."

Carser was behind her, cupping her breasts and nibbling at her neck. "Is she making me do this?"

"Probably." Zora snivelled. His fingers teased at her nipples while his pinkies caressed under her breast.

"What if we don't care?" Wayk came back in for a kiss and she gave in to his lack of caring.

Wayk slid his hands down her ribs before snaking one finger between her folds. His caress discovered the heated moisture her body had been producing since he took her hand.

His groan preceded his gnawing the way down her neck and shoulder while he pressed her to her side before he pulled her over him.

Unheeding of her arm, she mounted him and smiled as he slid home. It was a tight fit, but she enjoyed every moment of it. The electricity where their skins connected spurred her to ride him in a hot, wet slide of sensation and pursuit of her own release.

The drag of his cock as she lifted almost to the point of releasing him was as pleasurable as the rush of energy when she dropped until their bodies slapped together. As her peak came within her grasp, she shifted and moved in a rapid pace that had him gripping her hips as his own orgasm rushed over him.

She let out a sharp yelp as she came, surprised as always that her body was willing to give over such sensations.

The moment that Wayk unclenched his hands from her hips, she was rolled to her back and she found Carser hovering over her with a determined light in his eyes. "Will you take me as well?"

She smiled up at him and tangled her fingers through his hair, dragging him down so she could kiss him. "I will if you don't mind."

He slid into her and a bright light flashed in his eyes as he sank home. Carser stroked into her with attention to her expression and the lift of her hips against him.

Her body was so sensitive, it was on the edge of release again in no time, each stroke causing sparks to fly behind her eyes. She dug her nails into his back and wrapped her legs around him to pull him tightly to her on each inward thrust.

She shivered as the flaring head of his cock pressed against her g-spot with each stroke. A low moan started in her throat and when Wayk slipped his fingers between them and stroked her clit, she shrieked in shock as her talent rushed to the fore and she was lost in light.

Chapter Five

Sneaky bastard.
Zora was a backseat driver to her own body as Shisala took it over.

I did what had to be done. There is enough water in snow that your lover came back covered in me. I thank you for your sacrifice. It has been a long time since I had an avatar and I will endeavour not to abuse your hospitality.

I suppose I will have to make the best of it.

In return for your voice, I offer you an entire world of your own and the power to keep your body as young and healthy as you wish it.

Carser was shaking his head, one hand pressed to his temple. His cock still shone with her juices. "What the hell happened?"

"Shisala has her avatar." Zora sat up and felt the glow in her eyes. "We can leave the cavern now. She will let me lead you to your shuttle."

Wayk and Carser looked at her in concern.

The general said, "I thought you said she wanted you to agree."

Zora pressed a hand to his cheek. "I did. She rode you both into me."

They looked at her in shock. "What?"

She unwrapped her arm and examined the perfect skin where gouges should have been. "She used your body and the moisture from the snow to get inside me and I let it come, willingly."

Her torn suits were unappealing, so she stripped the liner from her sleeping bag and wrapped it around her like a toga. Her teddy bear was tucked under her arm and she walked to the opening of the cavern. A light pursing of her lips and the blizzard disappeared. Bright, cheerful sunlight warmed the surface and the snow gleamed brightly.

She turned to her companions. "We can leave now. I will get my pack."

Humming to herself, she packed everything but her clothing. She didn't need it. Nothing on this world would hurt her.

You would let your mates go?

They are not my mates. They were your tools. I want them to live a long and healthy life with the women of their choice.

You are the woman of their choice.

I am a woman of convenience. There is a difference.

"What were you just doing? Your eyes were flickering between green and gold rather rapidly."

"Arguing with Shisala."

"About what?"

"Girl stuff. Now, let's get you back to your ship so you can rendezvous with the warship on time." She shouldered the pack and started for the entrance.

"Wait one minute. What do you think we are going to do? Leave you here?" Carser grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.

"Yes. The planet is open to a colony if your organizers will accept the space on a living world." She looked up at him and smiled brightly.

"Stop talking about the colony. What about us?" His words were more growl than speech.

"There is no us. You were here. I was convenient. It has happened before, it might even happen again." She shrugged.

Wayk looked shocked. "That is not what happened here."

She cocked her head, "What?"

"We chose you as our mate. We had to wait for you to be free from previous obligations, but we selected you out of all the possible candidates our elders presented us with. The only problem lay in which one of us you would choose." The twist of his lips ended in a frown.

"I don't understand." She needed to sit down, so she exited the cavern and sat on a rock.

Carser continued when his companion looked lost for words. "You were the best woman for the job, but if we had simply wanted a final evaluation, there were other officers who were not occupied. We wanted you."

They were both smiling now and she couldn't help but be a little flattered. Zora scowled to fight the flutter in her chest. "It doesn't matter. If you stay here, you will be stuck with me. Shisala will make sure of it."

Wayk tried the practical attack. "What if that is what we want? The Oefric are trying desperately to get Terrans into our genetic lines. We want you, you want us, there is nothing wrong with that."

Her frown deepened. "I have always wanted to be wanted for my genetics. Nothing like not being wanted for my personality or my looks."

They looked at her in shock, as if they didn't know what to say.

"Shisala will let you go. I promise. Come back or not, it will not affect my decisions. I am her avatar and I must remain here." She used her best brush-off technique and when their expressions shut down, she knew she had succeeded.

Inside, she was wailing like a child, but outwardly, she maintained an expression of calm. "I will need to retrieve my belongings as well. The sooner we get going, the faster you can be on your way."

They shifted into their bear forms and she stared into the snow. Each step she took landed her on dry, warm grass, the snow melted at her approach. Her companions were sullen, but they moved through the snow with ease.

Shisala invaded her thoughts randomly, trying to get her to ask them to stay. Each time, Zora fought her back.

She was going to send them home where they could each find the woman for them. She wasn't going to keep them from being happy, even if her own heart was breaking with every step closer to the shuttle.

The wolves didn't bother coming in for another attack. Her gentle caress on their minds sent them running for cover long before they would have been visible.

The bears on either side of her weren't romping, weren't enjoying themselves. They simply trudged along until the shining silver of their shuttle was visible again. Carser made his way to the door and shifted so he could palm the lock. As soon as they were all inside, he locked the door.

"Zora, I don't think you understand what has transpired here. Oefric mate for life and both Wayk and I have chosen you as our mate. Multiple matings do not happen often, but it does happen. What's more, you accepted both of us as your mate. This means that we are not going anywhere without you."

"Why did you lock the door?"

"So that you can't leave before we make our call in to the warship. Wayk?"

"Yes, General." Wayk sat at the nav station and started entering the call details. "This is the exploration team on Pakrik calling the Ninth Star."

"This is the Ninth Star, go ahead, Captain Wayk." The voice was low and female.

"One of our team members has been selected by the planet as its avatar."

"Captain, that was supposed to be an inert planet."

"We are aware of that. However, the entity was dormant and restricted itself to waterways. Regardless, we are requesting authorization to begin colonization with the planet's permission. Should the Oefric agree, colonization can begin with only a few concessions."

"Understood. Routing the information to the Oefric council chambers. Will have an answer for you in a few hours."

"Thank you, Ninth Star."

"Call me, Becks. Say hi to Zora for me. Ninth Star over and out."

Chapter Six

Zora was confused. "What was that about?"

Carser shrugged. "Did you really think we were going to just leave you behind?"