Adrift (The Sirilians Book 1) (18 page)

His eyes scanned the space once again, and landed on the Gray’s orb sitting on his table. It beckoned him, and although he was tired of life-altering discoveries, he was still a scholar. He liked to have as much information as possible. He also yearned for more information about his people. Not the Grays—the Sirilians.

His feet were moving before he’d made the conscious decision. The orb felt cold, reminding him of the race who’d programmed it. He rolled it between his palms and debated on how to access its information.

He spied his room’s console, and was surprised to find an indentation along its surface. The sphere fit perfectly, and immediately the vid screen was illuminated with categories and sub-categories of information.

Karo sat and scrolled backwards in time through the dense material, until it suddenly became sparse. There was a notation that Space One had been destroyed during a conflict, and that most of the ancient history in their database had been lost. Centuries of information was gone.

Karo’s heart fell as he realized that this place in the timeline was still two centuries after his birth. He scrolled further back, but the information remained very limited.

He found lists of dates and facts from the Department of Space, but there was nothing about the High Council, or most other departments. There were only cursory theories about culture during that time, no maps of the cities, no art, or music. He searched backwards and forwards, hoping that he was missing something, but the results remained the same. Most of the records had been lost.

A wave of anger rolled over Karo. His heart rate increased and breaths became harsh as images flooded his mind: his parents, Reus, co-workers and crew at the Department of Space, the bustling city, and the white-haired woman whom he couldn’t name. They weren’t just gone… they were lost. Lost to time and the millennia that had passed while he’d been forced to remain in stasis.

They all died while he’d been sleeping.

Karo suddenly picked up the Gray’s useless sphere and threw it across his room. He heard a satisfying crash.

Someone had intentionally done this to him, and it wouldn’t have been easy. It would’ve taken a lot of time and effort to reprogram LINK, and keep the ship running effectively for that long. There was only one person who may have the answers he needed.

It only took a moment to connect his wristunit to his ship’s mainframe, and thus, to his closest friend.

“LINK!” he bellowed.

“Greetings Karo,” a familiar—and too friendly—voice replied. “What can I do for you?”

“You can tell me what the fuck is going on!” Karo demanded. “Did you know that eight-thousand years had passed since we left Siril?”

He didn’t wait for a reply, but walked to his console and began accessing his ship’s main computer core, where LINK’s subroutines were stored. The AI had been originally designed by Karo’s team to pilot the ship and systems while the Scouts were in stasis. If someone had messed with LINK’s instructions, they must have reprogrammed his matrix.

“Who told you to keep me in stasis?”

There was no reply.

Karo dug through the code, but was quickly stopped by layers of encryption that weren’t supposed to be there.

“Who altered your program?” S
ilence.
“LINK, answer me, dammit!”

“Karo, I suggest you refrain from this path,” LINK finally answered.

Karo shook his head and continued to unravel the code.

“Why? Not happy with what I’ll find?” He dug further into the encryption, but quickly realized that it wasn’t going to unravel easily. Someone had taken a lot of time to alter LINK’s subroutines and lock everyone else out of his program. It was going to take time to unravel it all, and as he settled into his chair, readying himself for the task at hand, he felt his adrenaline begin to ebb. The anger dissipated and was replaced by something else… betrayal.

“Why?” Karo asked LINK quietly. “Why would you do this to me?”

The weight of loss felt heavy on his shoulders. He was alone. Not only were his people gone—his entire planet, essentially—but someone had reprogrammed his only companion to keep him prisoner on his own ship. Someone had betrayed him.

“Who made you do this? Was it the Department of Space? Who?!”

LINK didn’t respond.

“Fine, I’ll find out for myself.”

Karo’s fingers flew over the console as he looked for a programming signature. Every AI programmer was different, and had their own unique way of writing code. If Karo dug deep enough, he could figure out who had reprogrammed LINK. He quickly broke into LINK’s subroutines and scanned the first layer of altered code. His brows drew together in confusion; he recognized the programmer’s signature.

“This can’t be right,” he mumbled to himself. It didn’t take Karo long to break through that layer, and see that there were dozens of others that had all been rewritten by one person… himself.

That night, Karo dreamed. The images were not hazy, foggy, or unclear. This time they were crisp and vibrant.

He was standing in a familiar room; one that he had dreamed about in the past. It was a bedroom with inviting decor in rich colors.

He was not alone; there was a woman with him. Unlike before, her image was now clear and distinct. He could see the deep blue of her skin, the hypnotic gray of her eyes, and her lush lips, which were smiling at him as if he were truly special to her. Her long white hair fell down her back, unimpeded, looking like a river of snow.

His hands clenched and unclenched with the need to run his fingers through the cascade, to see if it was as soft as he imagined. The white strands also adorned her eyebrows and lashes, which looked like spikes of white against the blue of her skin. He’d never seen anyone more beautiful.

Karo stood still, wanting to drink her in.

Her eyes were what captivated him the most. They weren’t just gray, but a molten silver. She looked at him as if she knew something, as if she had affection for him. It was unnerving—it was magical.

This woman was a siren; she called to him with her entire body and mind.

Suddenly those eyes turned hot, and she looked him up and down as if she liked what she saw. He wanted to puff out his chest.

Great, now I’ve turned into a preening bird,
he admonished himself. The thought fled as she moved; a simple shifting of her hips as she walked across the room towards him. His eyes followed the movement as if it were the beginning of an erotic dance.

She stopped just in front of him and tilted her head to the side, studying his expression. She must’ve approved of what she saw. Her hand landed on his pectoral, and slid up until it was wrapped around the nape of his neck. She applied a gentle pressure, and he eagerly bent down close to her, but instead of kissing him like he expected, she put her lips to the shell of his ear and whispered.

“I saw the way you looked at me all night.” Her other hand came up to his chest, and her palm branded circles over his nipple. A shiver rocked his body and his hands came up to rest on her waist.

She breathed into his ear. “Did you like what you saw?”

He wondered what she was talking about, but the part of him that was enveloped in the dream knew that they had spent the evening together. She’d looked beautiful. She
still
looked beautiful, entrancing even.

“Absolutely,” he rumbled in a low tone. “I couldn’t take my eyes off of you. You’re by far the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen.”

It was the truth. He’d been attracted to females over the years, but none came close to this one. Everything about her seemed to call to him as a male, and the last thing he wanted to do was fight the feeling.

She pulled back and gave him a radiant smile. “You don’t look too bad yourself.” She punctuated her words by rubbing her hands across his chest and shoulders. His muscles bunched under the contact, and he wished that his clothing was gone, that her hands brushed along his skin.

Would her touch be gentle? Would her nails dig into him in passion? Questions swirled around his mind—ones that he needed to know.

Unfortunately, she slowed the pace of her hands. The objection was poised on the tip of his tongue, but she stood on the tips of her toes and pressed her lips against his neck.

A wave of arousal swept over Karo, and he closed his eyes. She licked up his pulse and swirled her tongue just under his jaw. He groaned, and was sure she could feel the vibrations.

His fingers tightened on her waist, bunching the material of her clothes. He wanted to rip the fabric away, to peel it from her inch by inch and see all the skin underneath. But this was just a dream. He wasn’t in full control of his body, and his mind rebelled at that fact. He wanted her, wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anyone, yet he couldn’t force his muscles to move. He couldn’t force them to caress her the way that he wanted—
the way he needed.

Finally, his palms skimmed up her back, and fingers wound their way into her hair. He gave a gentle tug and her head fell back, exposing the column of her neck. He pressed his lips against her pulse, and felt that it beat frantically. He skimmed his lips down to her collarbone and inhaled deeply. Her intoxicating fragrance filled his body, filled his mind.

This woman, he
knew
her. She was more than a dream, more than just an erotic figure. Whoever she was… she was
his.

He pulled back and looked into her eyes which were now swirling with molten silver. He saw arousal in them, and knew that she wanted this just as badly as he did. He needed her in a way he hadn’t needed another person in his entire life.

Her eyes traveled up and down his body, lingering on the erection that had risen in his pants. She licked her lips and he pictured her on her knees, those lips wrapped around the head of his shaft. It throbbed, as if needing her to do that as well. Her eyes widened slightly, as if she’d seen it move, and had known that it was reaching out for her touch.

Her eyes flew up and met his as her hands slid down the ropes of his stomach and stopped at the fasteners. She swiftly opened his pants and his cock sprang free from its confines, seeming to point directly at her as if it knew what it wanted most.

“Mmmm…” she moaned as she licked her lips slowly,
oh so slowly,
and fell to her knees in front of him.

The Karo that knew this was a dream realized that he’d never had anyone put their mouth on him before. He’d been too afraid that he’d become addicted to the sensations, and crave more contact with women; something his family would have chastised him for.

He made a half-hearted attempt to speak and tell her to stop, but the dream version of himself was more than eager for her—especially when she skimmed her fingers up his length and prodded the hole at the tip. Sensation shot through his body, and all thoughts of stopping her fell from his mind. He needed her hands on him. There was no way he was going to stop her.

His family and their expectations be damned. This was only a dream anyway.
I can do anything I want here and they’ll never find out.

Tentatively, she moved her hands down his length to cup his testicles, feeling their weight. He groaned at the contact. Her eyes met his, and she knew how much he needed her. Keeping eye contact with him, she opened her mouth and leaned forward.

The warmth of her mouth enveloped the tip of him and he groaned at the contact, eyes never leaving hers. In a word—
paradise.

“Oh… yes!” he groaned.

She swam her tongue around the tip of him, and the urge to thrust into her hot mouth was immense. He locked his muscles tight, not wanting to push her too quickly, but needing her to take all of him. He needed her to take everything.

Her eyes closed as if in bliss, and she bobbed her head down his length. He felt the tip of him hit the back of her throat, and she moaned, the vibrations shooting up his shaft into his body. She bobbed her head up and down, and added a hand to his base.

It was torture. It was
heaven.

Her other hand skimmed up his thigh and headed straight for his apex. She skimmed her fingernails over his testicles lightly, and then with more pressure. He couldn’t help himself as he arched into her.

She moaned as if she liked the pressure, and he sighed in relief. Without realizing he was moving, his fingers threaded into her hair. He held onto the strands and pushed his cock into her mouth. She accepted his thrusts, even moaned around him, then shuttled her hand up and down his length while her mouth bobbed on the head. He felt his testicles pull up tightly against his body as his seed rushed to fill her. He held back, not wanting the torturous—sublime—glide of her mouth to end.

He refused to come this soon. Not when she felt this good. Not when he had the heat of her mouth sliding up and down, her hands playing with his balls. But soon she added suction to her mouth—he saw her cheeks hollow as if she wanted to drag the seed from him. He couldn’t stand it any longer.

“Baby, you have to pull off me. I’m going to…” She didn’t pull back but moaned low in her throat. She gripped his shaft even tighter. The pressure should have hurt, but it only served to increase his desire.

Pressure built at the base of his spine. He felt his seed rush through his shaft and he bellowed as he erupted, shooting down her throat.

She swallowed every bit of him. None escaped the sweet suction of her lips as she took all of him into her.

It was the most erotic thing he’d ever seen, and his knees nearly gave out. She looked up at him and pulled away from his cock, her tiny tongue darting around her lips as if to catch every drop of him. The sight had him spasming one more time, convulsing with the lingering effects of his orgasm.

He grabbed her by the shoulders and yanked her to stand, meshing their mouths together, taking those sweet lips with his own. He tasted himself on her, and it made him needy again. Knowing that he’d shot down her throat—that part of him was inside of her—it delighted him. It made him hungry for her.

Without removing his lips from hers, he wound his arms around her back and lifted, securing her against his chest. His pants were still high on his hips, so he was able to carry them both to the bed without falling. She wound her legs around his waist, and kissed him with abandon as he laid her back upon the surface.

He pulled back and saw that her breaths were quick, her pulse hammering at the base of her throat. She was aroused, needy, and he was more than happy to see to her pleasure.

Her hands went to her breasts, kneading and pinching at her nipples through the top she wore, as if she couldn’t wait a moment longer. He didn’t want to make her wait. He slid down and unfastened her pants, the same as she had done. In one swift movement he had them off her body, and threw them over his shoulder. The expanse of her smooth skin greeted him, veering towards her center, calling to him.

He was more than happy to oblige.

He skimmed his hands up her thighs, and her movements on her breasts quickened. The sight was erotic; he wanted his mouth on them, but there was somewhere he wanted his mouth even more.

“Raise your arms above your head,” he told her. Her brow creased in confusion, but she obeyed him, wrapping her fingers around the headboard and holding on tight. “That’s a good girl.”

He lowered his eyes to the tiny swath of cloth that shielded her from his view. It was already wet from her juices; her arousal evident on the fabric.

He locked eyes with her, and she was looking at him nervously, unsure about what he was going to do next. Keeping eye contact he brought his mouth even closer and licked up her center.

She moaned and her hips undulated, as if she could ride his tongue. He pulled back, his eyes closed in bliss. Her flavor was amazing. It was also addicting—he had to have more.

He grabbed the top of her panties and slid them off her legs as quickly as he could, baring her to his gaze. Again his hands made that slow track up her thighs. He felt the muscles under them quiver, and her hips jerked like she couldn’t control her movements any longer.

“Please, Karo,” she pleaded. “Please, I need you.”

“What do you need me to do?” His voice was layered with arousal and need.

“I need you to touch me.”

“I
am
touching you,” he told her.

“Not where I need you to!” This time she sounded desperate. He wanted her desperate. He wanted her begging, writhing with passion. He wanted her to come on his face, to feel her juices run down his throat.

Karo held her in place with an arm across her hips, pinning her to the mattress. She whimpered, but he finally gave her what she needed, what they both needed. He bent low and licked up the length of her cleft. 

Her flavor exploded on his tongue: a combination of female musk and desire. The scent, the taste of his woman—he didn’t think he’d ever get enough.

He dove on her like a man starved. He lapped her juices until they coated his face. Dimly he heard her scream, felt her hips moving against him, but he was lost in his own desire.

He stabbed his tongue into her core and felt her inner muscles tighten around him, as if trying to hold him inside of her. His cock throbbed in response, and he thrust into the mattress as if it were her body. He wasn’t ready to remove his face from its newest form of paradise.

He slid his tongue up, and she cried out as he touched her nub of pleasure. He rolled it with his tongue, flicked it, suckled on it until she was writhing.

“Karo, please. I need more.”

He was happy to give it to her.

He brought his free hand up and slid one of his fingers into her sheath. She cried out and he mirrored her vocalization with his own. She felt amazing, warm, and wet.
So wet.

He pumped the finger inside her, and soon added a second, then a third, while swirling his tongue around her clit.

Her entire body convulsed, nearing its peak. He wanted her to tumble, wanted to feel it. He suckled on her little nub, flicked it back and forth. She cried out his name, and the walls of her pussy locked down on him.