MILITARY ROMANCE: The War Within Himself (Alpha Bad Boy Marine Army Seal) (Contemporary Military Suspense & Thriller Romance) (115 page)

Chapter Six
“Get your lazy arse out of bed!” Michael yelled as he grabbed the back of her collar and hauled her up from under the covers. Fear gripped her and she felt frozen as he dropped her onto the ground. She fell to her knees and tucked her head under herself in an attempt to protect her face. The toe of his boot came up into her ribs and she screamed in pain. He grabbed her hair and pulled her up to expose her torso. Hi fist hit her squarely in the chest and she could no longer breathe. The air was knocked from her lungs and she choked for oxygen.
           Tears burned her eyes and streamed down her cheeks as he glared down at her with a half-smile on his face. Anne had always guessed that he enjoyed beating on her but it was the first time she had ever really seen it on his face. His face loomed in front of her as he smacked her across the cheek. She felt her eye grow in size as he hit her again and again. The taste of blood was irony in the back of her throat.
            “Anne! Anne! Wake up!” Drake’s voice brought her back to the guest room of his small house. She was shaking. Cold sweat dripped down her spine and her throat hurt as though she had been screaming at the top of her lungs. She lashed out at him and he grabbed hold of her wrists, holding her gently against the bed until she began to calm. It was then that she realised the tears had followed her from her dream. They were hot against her cheeks and her eyes burned with fear.
          “Anne, you are safe.” Drake assured her as he continued to hold on to her. When she finally looked up at him she saw that his face was twisted with concern. She pulled her wrists away from him and sat up.
           “I’m so sorry.” She cried. She was used to apologising for everything. It was something she had to do often with Michael, one of the only ways to calm his temper.
           “You don’t need to apologise to me,” Drake shook his head, “I’m going to go and make you some coffee.” He stood up then and began to make his way toward the door.
           “Wait!” Anne called after him, “I don’t want coffee.” He turned to look at her and frowned.
           “Then what do you want?” he asked as though he was going to get her something no matter what it took.
            “Will you lie with me?” she asked. She needed the warmth of his body beside her, to feel safe and have his arms around her, like her father had done during her childhood whenever she had a bad dream. Drake smiled at that.
            He stood beside the bed as she shuffled over to give him some room. When he got onto the bed it dipped a little under his weight and Anne was forced toward him as though the bed willed it to happen. He held up his arm to allow her to get into the crook and she placed her head on his chest. She was shocked when she felt his lips gentle against her forehead and his arm wrapped around her waist.
          She turned her head to face him and in an instant she was kissing him. She hadn’t been close to a man before. She’d had sexual encounters with boys from her high school when she was younger but because of Michael she had never had the chance to get close to someone since then.
          Now she felt as though that was all she needed. She needed to feel something other than fear and hopelessness. She needed to feel like there was something more in the world other than violence.
          Drake’s arm tightened around her and his other hand came up to press softly against her cheek as he kissed her back. She breathed him in deeply. He smelled like lavender and chamomile and his lips tasted of mint as though he had been chewing gum.
          He pressed his body against hers as she pressed her palm against his chest above his heart. She could feel it beating hard and fast against her hand as she touched him.
         “You are beautiful.” He whispered against her lips and something lit inside of her. Something that had not been lit for a very long time. She found herself leaping up to straddle him. The pain in her body was forgotten and she wanted him suddenly. Her hands worked on the buttons that ran down the front of his shirt. After she had pulled two buttons open he grabbed hold of her wrists again and gazed up at her. His eyes were glazed with lust yet he seemed as though he was still in control, “Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked her.
          Anne rolled her eyes at him and smiled, “A woman is throwing herself at you and you’re asking her if it’s what she wants?”
          “I don’t want you to regret anything.” He replied holding her hands still.
          “Shut up and kiss me.” she laughed as she leaned down again and possessed his lips with hers. He groaned against her as he released her wrists and allowed her to continue her work on his buttons. He grabbed hold of the hem of her top and pulled it up over her head, careful not to hurt her.
           “Aren’t you in pain?” he asked as he threw the top onto the floor beside the bed. Anne rolled her eyes at him again and placed her finger over his lip.
           “I’ll tell you if you hurt me.” she promised. As though her words had killed any doubt in his mind, he took hold of her hips and turned her so that her back was against the mattress. He leaned over her and kissed her gently on the mouth before he trailed his lips down her neck and along her collar bone. She breathed heavily with the pleasure of it all as she felt his hands stroke her sides. There was a small twinge of pain as he ran his fingertips over her ribs but she forgot it as soon as she felt his hands on her thighs. He reached for the top of her trousers and in one fluid movement had them off her. She giggled as he looked down at her as though she was the most wonderful thing he had ever seen. He bit his lip as though he couldn’t wait to have her.
           She reached for the button of his jeans and pulled it open in one swift movement. He pulled on his jeans and dropped them to the floor before shrugging out of his shirt. Then he leaned over her wearing nothing but his boxers. His abs were perfectly muscular, hard and glossy with tan. Anne reached up to touch them and the flame inside her burned brighter.
           Drake placed his hand between her thighs and rubbed her gently. His hand slipped beneath her pants and he stroked her softly before placing a finger inside her. Her head tilted backward and she gasped as he began to play her body like a master musician. Her hands tightened into fists on the bed covers and she gritted her teeth to stop herself from screaming out loud.
           “Do you want me?” Drake asked. His voice was husky and quiet as though he was struggling to speak past the lump in his throat. In truth Anne felt the same. Instead of replying she simply looked up at him and nodded. He grinned down at her and kissed her on the lips as he ripped her pants away from her. The tearing of the fabric was like music in her ears as he threw what was left of her pants to the floor on top of his jeans.
            When he entered her it was like nothing Anne had ever felt before. She felt full up instantly. The sensation was deliciously sweet. She licked her lips as her fingers tangled in his hair and she brought him down to kiss him. Her teeth raked along his lips and then she bit him. He groaned as though the pain turned him on all the more.
            He moved in and out of her so softly that it was almost teasing. He held her hips anchoring her to the bed as he moved inside her. The pleasure built in her stomach like a ball of wall being wound tighter and tighter. Her blood pumped hard through her veins as she arched herself up to allow him deeper inside her. Her wounds ached but they simply added to the different sensations that he was causing her to feel.
           They came together. She screamed and he groaned in her ear only adding to the entire pleasure she was feeling. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she held him to her as he came inside her, spilling into her like a fountain. The sensation was warm, like nothing she had ever felt before. She loved it instantly.
           He caught her smiling as he moved to look at her face. “You are so beautiful.” He whispered as he kissed the end of her nose and removed a strand of hair from her eye. When he dropped down onto the bed beside her, he pulled her close and held her there. She pressed her head against his chest and heard his heart pounding in her ear. It was one of the best sounds she had ever heard. It made her happy to know that his heart was pounding so fast due to what they had just done.
           “Anne, I promise I am going to protect you no matter what.” He told her as he held her close to him. In that moment she was truly happy. She felt safe like she never had before.

THE END

Tempted By The Alien Boss

“This is the final boarding call for the Envirocorp Shuttle to Erenius Three. Repeat, this...”

“Hetty, get your ass in gear!” Greenham Trant shouts at me as I try to haul my load of equipment through the crowded spaceport. This was it, the final shuttle flight to my new posting on the third moon of the planet Erenius, searching for life and habitable places for Envirocorp.

I was late for the shuttle only because the idiots who ran the spaceport had lost my baggage while unloading it from the half C transport ship, which had left after us and arrived before. Envirocorp had coughed up for some new gear for me, but it hadn’t been ready, so they sent it on after. As the passenger transport was slower than the half-light-speed cargo transport, it didn’t really matter as the equipment was expected to arrive before I did.

Trant stomped down the access ramp which led up into the shuttle – although it was called a shuttle, the massive ship was almost as vast as the galactic transport we arrived on – and grabbed hold of the stack of boxes I’d just pushed through the spaceport on their little trolley. He started yanking on it as hard as he could, threatening to bring the whole thing crashing down and destroying millions in new equipment.

“Careful, Greenham!” I called round the edge of a stainless steel case. “It’s not like they’re going to leave without me.”

“I’ve got a schedule to keep, Vorhies,” he moaned at me like a teenager who has chores to do. “It’s going to double the cost of getting there if we miss the window to get to the moon and land. If it orbits the planet again, it’s going to be another week stuck aboard this dump. So let’s go!” His whine turned into a shout, and I shove the stack of packing boxes harder.

As soon as we manage to struggle aboard, Trant gives the all clear, and the door starts to swing down into position. I hear it lock into place, and the atmospheric seals engage, making sure the oxygen inside stays there. A few seconds pass as I begin to rearrange and re-stack my gear. Then a deep thumping bellow echoes throughout the entire ship, and I watch as the spaceport gently floats away from me.

“Hang tight,” comes over the intercom system so I jump over to a seat, strap myself in and glance nervously at my baggage. “Engines engage in three...two...one.”

I hear and feel the ship’s powerful engines increase their output, making the superstructure vibrate. I feel inertia push me back into the cushioned seat, spreading my larger than life body out sideways a little. I can’t stand this feeling, being compressed, squeezed and having my internal organs moved about inside me. I endure this compression for about three and a half minutes, but it feels like a week or so. Eventually, I feel the pressure letting off and my form return to normal, but I give it a little while before I snap the belt off again.

I make my way forward, past the cramped sleeping quarters, where we’ll all have to sleep in shifts as there are only four bunks, and arrive in the crew room. This is a small space too, and I’m glad there are only five of us traveling to the moon. The other five went ahead to settle the habitats, set up the power and water grids and begin preliminary scans of the moon.

The crew room has three of the five of us, Neela Kowtoi, my assistant and friend, Bardrow Derenius who is unknown to me, apart from his name, and the not quite so angry Greenham Trant. Shari Tulox, the wannabe pilot is nowhere to be seen, and I assume she’s in the cockpit, picking the pilot’s brains and making a nuisance of herself. The room is plain, with bare metal walls and scarred old metallic tables bolted to the floor. Surrounded by benches and compounded by the severe décor, it looks like the inside of a prison. I slide in next to Neela after grabbing myself a self-heating coffee.

“Hi, Neela.” She smiles at me.

“Managed to get on board then?” I nod and make a face towards Trant. “Happiness over there gave me a bit of a hard time, but it’s hardly my fault the port crew lost the new equipment.” I sigh, “Looking forward to getting there?”

“Course,” Neela tells me. “I can’t wait to get my hands on some water and soil samples, see what’s living in them.” Her grin speaks volumes to me.

As exobiologists, we have to make sure any potential planets or moons have no active signs of life on them before Envirocorp begins to exploit any resources there. Ninety-nine percent of all surveys turn up nothing but barren rock and lifeless worlds. There have been a few isolated places filled with plants and one populated by thousands of species of microscopic worms, but most are just chunks of rock spinning through the depths of the Milky Way.

I sip my coffee which tastes like boiling water with a heavy dose of rust and make a face.

“How is it even possible they’ve managed to build ships, which can travel at half the speed of light, but this coffee tastes like hot water with a spoonful of brown grit in it?”

Neela chuckles and shrugs her shoulders, nodding at the new man, Bardrow Derenius. “What do you think about him?” she whispers conspiratorially.

I shrug. “Not bad looking, I suppose,” I admit, “if you like that kind of look.”

Derenius is avidly reading some kind of technical manual. He’s quite skinny looking with pinched features and an angular nose. One foot bounces endlessly on the floor, making his whole body shake, as if he’s got a nervous complaint.

“
I
like that kind of look,” she whispers again.

“Go talk to him then,” I encourage her. Neela’s eyes go wide at the thought.

“I can’t do that!” she hisses. “I’d look like an idiot.”

I shake my head and turn to Derenius. “Excuse me.” His head snaps up to mine. “Hello, I’m Hetty, and this is Neela. Just thought we should introduce ourselves since we’ll be working in the same place.”

He leans forward and offers his hand. “Bardrow,” his voice is far deeper than should be able to come from such a thin little man, and I’m surprised at the strength in his handshake. “Heard what you said about the coffee. I’ve got some freeze dried java in my pack. You’re both welcome to a cup when we get to base.” He takes Neela’s hand and holds it a little longer than mine. I wonder if his hearing is better than normal and smile to myself as Neela leans towards him.

“What will you be doing on Erenius three?” she asks as I force myself to swallow some more of the mud they call coffee.

“Mining surveys mainly, deep core drilling to assess what minerals are there and probably bringing in samples for you two to analyze.”

So he knows who we are. Why don’t I know anything about him? Well, I’ve got three days stuck in this can to try and figure it out, or at least come up with some nice conspiracy theories.

***

“Let our records show,” my voice rings out through the assembled Intrellians, “this crew and ship has now extended the boundary of Intrellian space and taken its rightful place at the forefront of exploration.” The rumble of my crew fills my thorax with tightness, and I feel lighter than usual as I make my way towards the command section.

“Report!” I bark as I enter.

“Course and speed remain constant, commander,” Talacrus, my younger brother, informs.

“Acrulla’s systems are all fully operational,” Engineer Jonober states with his usual disrespect. I will have to make an example of him soon, or more crew might believe they can speak to me in such a manner.

“All weapons systems are ready for deployment, Commander Talacanthus.” Shaktee lets me know. Her use of my name lets me know something else. She’s willing to offer herself to me.

I have no interest in her at all and turn away. Leaning on the outer wall of Acrulla’s skin, I can feel the life pulsing through his immense body, and a section of his skin changes to become transparent enough to see through. I look out at the surrounding stars, witnessing an area of the galaxy no Intrellian in history has been to. I feel a jolt through my contact with Acrulla as Shaktee calls out from behind me.

“Vessel detected on approach vector, commander.”

“Can you identify?” I ask, a tremble of anticipation running through me. I watch Shaktee’s proboscis link to Acrulla pulse as she accesses his ancient memories.

“No, commander,” she reports. “This is an entirely new species.”

“Scan and assess,” I order and she does so quickly.

“It is unlike anything we have previously encountered, commander. The craft itself appears to be constructed entirely of metal and other materials we cannot identify. It does not appear to be Sentient, commander. Acrulla reports all attempts to communicate ship to ship have failed.” Shaktee hesitates before adding, “We have identified several weapons platforms, all active at present time.”

“Alter course. Head directly for the vessel,” I tell my brother, who follows my order immediately. “Scan for signs of them altering course.”

“There are none, commander,” Shaktee lets me know.

“Ready all weapons. Target
their
weapons and propulsion systems. Fire only on my command. Helm, ready for evasive maneuvers.” It is gratifying to watch the pulses traveling up and down the various probosces connecting my crew to my ship, all carrying out my every order without question. “Continue reports as necessary.” I turn my chair to stare through the transparent skin to watch the other ship approaching.

“We are within missile range, commander,” Shaktee calls over.

“Hold!” I bark in reply. My eyes fix on the miniscule shape, which is growing by the second. Six flashes, as bright as solar flares, jump to life, birthing the missiles, which I cannot see heading for Acrulla.

“Evasive on my command! Launch countermeasures! Fire all forward missiles!” I pause, estimating how fast the missiles might be approaching as bright lights flash away from Acrulla, my own missiles streaking away. “Evasive, now,” I call, and the universe spins and tips as my brother flips the massive form of Acrulla from the path of the six bolts of death. Even so, the vast explosions set of by my countermeasures can be felt throughout Acrulla.

Jonober reports, “Skin breach, section three.”

“Resume attack course!” I order, following our own missiles. “Fire forward cannons when in range. Engineering, decide if we need to find an atmosphere or if the breech is small enough to patch in space.”

“Crew reports breech is massive, venting blood and oxygen into space.”

“Seal off section three!” Jonober looks at me.

“Thirty-six crew members are in there,” he states. “You cannot...”

I leap over and grip his face in my talons, squeezing hard enough to crack some of his bones. “NEVER tell me what I cannot do!” I bellow into his ear. “Seal that section before we all die!” He nods as blood pours down his face, and I go to watch the destruction Acrulla has wrought on the alien ship.

Vast explosions tear gaping holes across the bow of the enemy ship, ripping massive sections of their hull apart and sending debris spinning off in all directions.

“Hold position,” I tell Talacrus as I watch more holes appear. Whatever they breathe aboard that vessel is pouring into space, dragging cargo, detritus and aliens with it. I am satisfied they are no longer a threat and will make sure Acrulla is repaired before we come back to finish them off. “Log position. Set course for nearest compatible atmosphere and land.” My orders are carried out as I stride from the room.

***

Unloading and setting up the new equipment goes surprisingly well and after a couple of days, Neela and I’ve got a reasonable lab set up. I’m just sliding the test samples into the electron scanning microscope we put together, making sure nothing is damaged or out of calibration. Sitting at the display, I laugh as someone back at Envirocorp has managed to add a minute message to one of the samples, ‘Welcome to the edge of space.’

“Neela, come look at this!” I call out, and she laughs too.

“Who did that?” she asks, and I shake my head.

“Not entirely sure, but it’s the sort of thing Calhoun would arrange.” As soon as I think of him, I can see his face, old and craggy, with laughter lines and crow’s feet but an intelligence and wit to match. He looked quite sad when he told me we were coming all the way out here, strange.

Neela shakes her head and goes back over to the spectrometer positioned next to a pair of optical microscopes and the Varian. I look at the computer with a kind of loving awe. They’re supposed to be the next generation of machine, possessing an advanced AI and able to think. Varian, the company behind them, have a sales video, which shows one of the original models having an actual conversation with one of their tech guys. I wonder if this one can do that or if takes years of interaction before you get to that level of sophistication. We’ll know soon enough. The countdown timer reads another couple of hours until it’s acclimatized to the atmosphere here, and we can switch it on.

“How did coffee go with Trant?” I ask and watch the red flush creep up Neela’s neck.

“Good,” she says, shadily. “Nice.”

I grin. “Him or the coffee?” I hear her snort a laugh, but she doesn’t turn or answer. “I think you’re lucky if you can find someone you connect with on a barren rock like this,” I tell her. Neela turns to stare at me. “Even if you’re just good friends, it’s a rare thing out here.”

“You really mean that, don’t you?” she asks, and I nod. We’re interrupted by a crackle from the speaker in the middle of the ceiling,