"Break through," Major Burton repeated, every word dripping with the bitterness of disbelief. "There are so many of the bastards out there the ground is black as far as the eye can see. There are hundreds of thousands."
"Numbers, nothing more. I will break through, Major. That is all."
The finality in his tone finally shut the commander of the Terran forces up. He wasn't silent for long, however, grumbling as he spoke.
"It will still take time. A few days, at most, but that's a lot of hours for the enemy to ambush us or attempt an airstrike if we act suspiciously."
"Then don't," Kerven replied, shrugging. "Send out scouting parties. We can even plan a smaller scale attack, pretend we want to take the hill first. It should be far enough so that they wouldn't destroy the grove, but it would keep the enemy busy until we are finished. In the meanwhile, prepare your troops for the real battle."
Grunting, the major nodded, agreeing.
"Also, I will be taking Dr. Allen away from the field until the final attack," Kerven said. "She will be safe on my ship until the time of the battle. I trust you'll find someone to take over her duties."
Paula began to protest, but the captain led her out of the headquarters by gently taking her arm and half-dragging her away from it all. He hadn’t provided a reason for removing her, because he didn’t need to.
"Uncool," she protested as soon as they were outside again, heading for the dropship again. "I will never hear the end of that from the major."
"Why would you care? Is it likely you'll see him ever again?"
"No," Paula admitted with a frown, "but unlike Brions, I care about what I leave behind and that definitely didn't help my reputation here. I've had enough fights with the general to begin another one–"
Kerven stopped so suddenly she almost ran into him.
"Has he hurt you?" he demanded. "If he has touched one hair on your head, I will cut him in half where he stands."
Paula looked at him, her beautiful blue eyes filled with suspicion.
"You really do mean that, don't you?" she asked.
"Naturally," the captain replied. "You are my gesha. No one who hurts you lives. Just say the word."
"No," she said after the tiniest moment of hesitation. "Major Butthurt is an asshole, but he doesn't deserve to be hurt for it. He has done nothing to me. In fact, right before you showed up, he saved my life."
That changed things, but Kerven still ached to teach the major a lesson.#p#分页标题#e#
"Very well," he promised. "I will not harm him. Until you ask me to."
Paula smiled, nodding.
"I'll keep that in mind. Now, tell me, are all Brion war councils so one-sided? It seems to me it was a briefing more than a dialogue."
Kerven chuckled.
"I could have allowed a discussion, but this way is faster," he explained. "My general proved that a long time ago. He had meetings and let everyone speak their minds. Then he proposed his own plan and it was always better. Since then, we just use the time for something more productive, like training exercises."
"That's diplomatic," Paula said, the sarcasm plain in her voice. "Democratic, too."
"Brions aren't democratic," Kerven said, pulling her into his arms in front of the door of the dropship. "Our strongest and wisest rule us and the rest take what they want. We earn everything we have or we die for it. That's the Brion way."
Paula's eyes were challenging him and no Brion ever backed down from that.
"You know what it is that I want," the captain said, kissing her, feeling her melt into the touch as easily as before. "This is your chance to tell me I presume too much."
Paula chuckled softly against his lips, but no protest came and she wrapped her hands around his neck when Kerven lifted her into his embrace and carried her to the dropship. He pressed her against the familiar wall again when the ship took off, the pilots having been summoned during the short walk from the meeting.
He couldn’t help but admire the way her light blues shone like stars in the dim light.
"Just make sure we're there when the battle begins again," Paula whispered when he caught her lips in the first kiss along the way of making her his forever.
8
Paula
She barely noticed the darkness.
In Brion ships, it was everywhere. That was the second thing everyone learned about them, right on the heels of "don't provoke". Their superior senses and constant need to push their limits were the reason all ships of the powerful species were kept dark on purpose. It also helped them to communicate in the beautiful and deadly language of the valor squares – the signals only Brions fully understood.
Wrapped in Kerven's arms, Paula only caught glimpses of their travel through the ship. She was only aware of his arms around her, the scent that was driving her passion through the roof and the bonding that was waiting for her.
Last chance to turn back, she thought.
It would have been the reasonable thing to do. So many things at stake.
Her career, for the obvious one. The Galactic union tolerated relationships as long as they didn't get in the way and Brions bindings certainly did. If she went through with it, she'd have to go with Kerven to his ship. It would be her new home and while Paula doubted she'd be useless there, it still meant leaving everything she'd ever known behind.
Reason tried its best shot too, but that ship had already sailed. Then pride tried, but it was hopelessly lost in the flames burning in Kerven's eyes as he carried her like a bride and no words of resistance came from her lips.
Her biggest concern was the planet far, far below them. Brions were famous for putting their fated above everything else, but Paula needed him to focus on their task as soon as the tunnel was ready.
She liked his plan. It was a good plan, but like with everything else in the galaxy, it wasn't bulletproof. Something could go wrong and Paula wasn't sure Kerven wasn't about to grab her and leave everyone else behind in order to save her.
It sounded much more romantic than it was, but that was exactly what the Brions were known for. A man who was torn between two priorities couldn't lead a mission like that and so far, Paula's only comfort was that hopefully he didn't have to choose.
All those arguments disappeared like dust in the wind when the door of Kerven's room slid shut behind them and they were finally completely alone. No battlefield noise, no looming major. It was so quiet for a second Paula thought she'd gone deaf.
When Kerven slowly began removing his armor, the argument inside her was over. It all washed to the background, reduced to distant worries when all she wanted was right in front of her in all his glory. She rushed to him, helping with peeling away the layers of metal that stood between her and the body she longed for.
I can’t believe I’m doing this, she thought absently, her heart drumming out of her chest.#p#分页标题#e#
The captain grinned, the smile making him look like a beast ready to pounce, which only served to excite Paula more. She let out a small whimper when Kerven finally pulled the black shirt he had been wearing underneath his armor off and she got to see the man who was supposed to be her eternal mate until the stars themselves went out.
He was magnificent.
She froze to the spot, her fingers inches from his smooth, tanned skin, not even daring to touch him out of an irrational fear that like a vision, he'd be gone when she got too close. The strength the captain had shown on the battlefield showed in every last chiseled muscle, his wide shoulders and bulging biceps.
After a long moment, Paula could no longer resist wanting to run her hands over the firm chest and feeling him under her touch.
She gasped, relishing in the power playing underneath the flawless, perfect skin. Kerven was taking heavy breaths and she didn't mistake it for exertion for a moment.
Then the captain stepped out of the short boxers he'd been wearing and Paula's breath caught. Her hands stopped, slowly edging downward until reaching the largest cock she'd ever seen. When her fingers slipped around the shaft, she could hear the captain grunt approvingly, but her own mind was running blank.
It felt huge, thick and long and still growing harder. She closed her eyes, trying to imagine it inside her, but even in her mind's eye it was almost impossible to take a cock that big.
When she looked up, Kerven's eyes were alight with lust. The valor squares on his neck glinted and sang a low hymn to her, the tune bringing a smile to her lips like it was meant for her.
Perhaps it was.
She wrapped her hands around his neck when Kerven lifted her into his arms and didn't put her down before they were on the bed. The captain lowered her down on the sheets and for a moment, Paula was keenly aware of how dirty she was after all that time on the battlefield.
Kerven ripped her uniform right down the middle.
She didn't feel sorry, not even a little, when the brown garment was tossed from the bed, but it did mean she had to take a very obvious walk of shame later, in whatever Kerven found for her to wear.
Does it even matter? If you go through with this, there’s no going back…
In that moment, she forgot about Jumel. With a hungry groan, Kerven leaned down to kiss her wildly as he tore her panties with the same amount of care he'd shown to her uniform. Paula moaned out loud, fully exposed to the captain's gaze now.