Theron Destiny (Brides of Theron) (10 page)

Avery watched Zeb as he spoke of his home and all that he had lost.  She felt sorrow for him and his people. The war seemed to touch everyone’s lives in one way or another.

“How long have you been away?” She wanted to know.

“We left Theron two years ago in search of females that might be compatible with our own DNA. Your earth has been the first planet we have come across that has almost an exact match to our DNA. There are small differences between us such as eye colors, height and the length of our lives. But Zane has not been able to find anything to suggest that our DNA would prevent our ability to successfully cross breed with your species.”

She shook her head a bit and questioned, “What do you mean the about the difference in the length of our lives. How OLD are you?” She wasn’t sure she really wanted to know the answer to that question.

“I am one hundred and twenty five Theron years old.”

She looked at him dumb founded, “and what does that translate into Earth years?”

“Put it this way, if I were on your planet, I would be about four hundred Earth years old.” He watched for the reaction that he was positive was sure to come.

“Four hundred years! Holy crap! You are like three hundred and seventy years older than me. How can you live for so long?”

Her astonished look made him want to laugh but instead he controlled himself as much as possible before answering her, “Our body ages at an incredibly slow rate, which is another one of those differences we have between us. But Zane is working on a solution to that problem. ”

“What do you mean problem? A normal human life is around seventy-five to eighty years. How would Zane be able to slow down my aging? Can you really do that?”

“I am sorry to say that your planet is far, far behind in technology and medicine compared to the rest of the universe. It could be dietary or the effects of the space travel we do. There are many good things out there that help you age more gracefully, just as there are things out there that have the capability to destroy anything in its path in the time it takes a heart to beat.”

A silence came over both of them. Both just sat there on that bench lost in their thoughts. The sound of the water running through and over the rocks in the stream was hypnotic.

Zeb was the first to break the silence when he stood up and asked Avery, “Come, let’s go grab something to eat. I’m starved. How about you? Are you hungry?”

“Sure, I could eat.  I hate to ask, but is there anything on this ship that is similar to earth food to eat?” She gave him a crooked smile as she stood up. “You know, I would probably have to stand on this bench in order to be eye level with you. How tall are you?”

He loved looking down at her. It made him feel protective since she was so much smaller than he was, “In Earth measurement I am six foot ten. Does my height bother you?” A puzzled look portrayed on his face.

She ran her tongue over her bottom lip. She thought to herself, why in the hell did I just say that?  “Oh no, not at all. I’m not even sure where that thought came from. I didn’t mean to insult you or anything. I was just curious. Most men on earth are nowhere near as tall as you guys.” She scrunched up her nose and kind of rolled her eyes away from Zeb so that he wouldn’t see how embarrassed she was for asking such a stupid question.

Zeb sensed her embarrassment and decided to play it up a little bit more. He grabbed her around the waist and lifted her up onto the bench causing her to hold on to his forearms for balance.

“There now, we are just about eye to eye. Does that satisfy your curiosity? Was there something you wanted to do while we are eye to eye?” He watched as her face began to turn from slightly pink in color to almost beet red. “What’s the matter, little one? Nothing to say?”

With her heart beating wildly and the heat she was feeling coming from her face, she was at a loss for words, “Umm…”

Zeb continued to look into those eyes causing his blood to start to rush through his veins. “Come to think of it, there is something I would like to do while you are level with me.” Slowly he brought his lips closer to hers until he was just a breath away. Hesitating for a fraction of a second to see if she was going to pull away, Zeb softly placed his lips on hers. Her lips were so soft and moist from her licking them a moment ago. He let go of her waist and brought his hands up to cradle her face so that he could deepen the kiss.

Avery felt as if her legs were made out of Jell-O. She clung to Zeb as his kiss deepened. His tongue ran along her lips and in response hers parted, inviting him in. His tongue swirled inside of her mouth, tasting her. She let out a low moan and kissed him back with all she had. She didn’t know how long they stood there kissing but it ended all too soon.

Zeb pulled back to look at her. Her face was still flushed and her lips were redder then before. Her eyes had a twinkle to them now as she looked back at him under the cover of her lashes. She was breathing quick and fast, still clinging to him. Smiling, he leaned back in for a quick kiss on her lips again, “That just made me even more hungry, but not for food.”

That comment shocked her to the core. She had enjoyed the kiss and wanted more but was she willing to give herself completely to him. Forgetting who she was and where she came from? She cast her face downward as she experienced a loss for words yet again.

“No need to be embarrassed little one. Come on, let’s go eat.” With that he lifted her again and placed her back on the grass. He reached out for her hand as they started back the way they had come through the park to the arch. He kept glancing at her out the corner of his eye, watching her. Her face still had that beautiful flushed color and he could feel her hand shaking slightly in his. Maybe she was accepting him. Maybe she was coming to terms with what had happened to her. He hoped and prayed to the Gods the she was, because he surely wanted to explore more of her. Not just her mouth. He knew that if he pushed her too quickly, he might drive her away from him rather draw her in.

Exiting the park and entering the corridor, Zeb lead them towards another one of those personal transport carriers.

“Please tell me we aren’t getting back into one of those things again.” She stopped dead in her tracks pulling back on Zeb’s hand.

Zeb placed his other hand on the wall pad and called the transport carrier. “The more you ride in it, the more quickly you will get used to it. The first time is really a shock for anyone. I promise it won’t be as bad this time.  It really is the best way to travel in the ship.”

The carrier arrived and Zeb stepped into the carrier and tugged Avery in after him. Again, their bodies were touching. Again, they were both conscious of each other’s bodies. Her breasts were pushed up against Zeb’s chest and she could feel something hard, in his pants, pressing into her stomach.

“Take us to level 32.” The transport carrier shot off as soon as it had its instructions. Avery closed her eyes and waited for the sickening feeling to hit her again. This time it didn’t come, she wasn’t sick. She opened her eyes and saw Zeb staring down at her as they speed through the transport tunnels. She was so close to Zeb, closer than they were in the park. Their whole bodies were pressed up against one another’s. Feelings were coursing through her body that she had never felt before. No man had ever brought out a sensation like this before in her. She leaned in even further to inhale scent. His smell was intoxicating to her.  She felt as if she could drown in it.

Zeb wasn’t quite sure of her reactions in the carrier, but he did know one thing. He was going to kiss her again. Right here, right now. He lifted her face up and lowered his until their lips touched. That spark of a fire was there. He could feel it growing and by the Gods he was going to fan that spark until it was a roaring fire in the both of them.

Releasing her lips when he could feel the transport slowing, he slowly rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip. He gave a hearty laugh when she sucked in the lip that he so badly wanted to continue to kiss. Maybe after they ate and were back in their quarters he would be able to explore more of her if she would let him. But, he would have to wait and see for now. 

Chapter 10

Lars watched the two figures in the park as they sat on the bench. He tried to move as close to them as possible without them hearing his approach. They were talking in low tones so he had to strain in order to hear them.

They were oblivious to him and the rest of the park. The ship could blow up around them and they wouldn’t even know it. It made him sick. She was supposed to be his. She was going to pay for what she did to his face. He was going to make her suffer.

His commander had no business interfering with his plans. He knew when he first laid eyes to the earth female that she was going to be the one he was going to buy at the auction. He had resisted bidding on any of the other females. There was only one that he wanted. He waited patiently for the guards to bring his female up onto the center stage. Finally the moment had come when she was there, in the center of the lights. There for the taking.

He made sure that no one else was going to bid on her. He had made his intentions clear to all the warriors that she was his.  He warned them if anyone else bid on her they would be facing him later. He was confident that his point got across to the others and wasn’t worried in the least that he would lose the winning bid.

The longer he sat there and watched them his anger built up to the point where he was ready to jump out from his hiding spot and kill them both.  He needed to control the temptation. He had better plans in mind for the female. He just didn’t know how he was going to get her away from his commander. The commander wasn’t going to let her out of his sight and if he did he was sure that he would have someone with her at all times.

Once he did have her in his possession he planned on escaping off the ship in one the ship’s numerous space crafts. He was sure that Zeb would be able to figure out that much of his plan, but where he planned on taking her would really be a big surprise.  As if the dumb ass would ever be able to figure it out.

He smiled to himself as he thought about the secret life he was living. No one would ever suspect that he had a secret agreement with the Drylons. He had been in the Drylons good graces for years now. He willingly smuggled valuable information about the Therons back to the Drylon leader for a hefty reward. The Drylons paid him more than he ever would have been able to earn with the Therons. His first reward alone was more than a two year salary. So he continued to be the Drylons’ little spy for however long it would take for him to get everything that he wanted. For now though he wanted that Earth bitch.

He shifted his position in the bushes when the two of them stood up. He clenched his fists when saw what they did next. It should have been him standing there kissing the female. The only difference was, he wouldn’t have been too nice about it. He would have taken what he wanted whether she liked it or not. He was always ready for a fight. It made him feel alive! 

She sure did accept her situation rather quickly he thought to himself. She should have been mine! He kept repeating in his head. If wouldn’t have been for her savior, he could be having his way with her, making her do things she never would imagine herself doing. The commander interfered with all of his plans when he decided to place a bid.

When he had heard that second bid, he knew exactly whose voice it was. It was the voice he hated so much and heard every day of his life on board this Gods forsaken bucket of bolts. Anger and hatred over took him more than ever when his commander kept out bidding him. He had krylons saved up and planned to get her for a steal, since he had warned all the others not to bid on the female he wanted. Instead the commander showed him up and laid down a bid that he knew he would never be able to come up with. He had lost the earth creature to the commander he despised.

Now, here he was spying on them in the park. He was actually cutting through the park when he saw them enter on the living quarter’s side of the park. That’s when he ducked behind the bushes and waited to see where they were going. Lucky for him it was right in front of him. He just needed to move closer in in order to hear them. He listened closely wasting out where they were headed next. They were going to the dining hall.  If he could get there first, he could get a hiding spot where he could watch them. That way, he could fully take advantage of the situation if his commander were to leave her for just a moment.

The dining area on the ship was constantly packed with warriors and other staff on the mother ship, so watching them wasn’t going to be a problem. He just needed to get there before they did so that he could see where they were going sit without either of them noticing him. He was a bit hungry anyway so he could eat and spy at the same time.

Chapter 11

Instead of eating in the dining area, Zeb and Avery decided to bring the food back home. She became very uncomfortable when they had first entered the dining area. Most in the area turned and stared at her while they passed through to the food vendors. Some just looked and turned away but others would openly stare and then whisper comments to the others sitting at their tables.

Zeb knew when something was wrong when she grabbed hold of his arm and held on as if her life depended on it. He glanced down at her to ask what was wrong but he followed her eyes to see what she was looking at. She was the center of attention and the cause of the whispers he was hearing coming from a table to his left.

“Warriors, I would like you all to meet MY WIFE as they would say on earth.” Stressing the “my wife” part loud enough for everyone to hear. “She would be happy to meet any of you but she has had a rough few days.”

With that said the activities in the room went back to its normal. The commander had made it clear in his introduction to leave his female alone. They all knew that when he used the tone loud enough for everyone to hear, that he was dead serious and would not tolerate any insubordination. She was his and that was the end of the discussion.