Soros: Alien Warlord's Conquest (Scifi Alien - Human Military Romance) (10 page)

K
at had
the weirdest dreams she ever remembered having.

For one, she was in a white room, and Soros was with her. Every second scene had her kissing or cuddling up against him. More often than not, the warrior would push his fingers inside her in the dream and Kat moaned, rubbing against him even more in an effort to get closer.

She woke up in what had to have been morning, considering the amount of light. Several things popped into her head at once.

There were two things that had awoken her. One was thirst and the other was cold, but both were odd. The day before, Soros had shown her how to quickly melt water from the glacier if there was no stream nearby. In the middle of all that ice, at least water was in abundance.

Yawning softly, she looked around herself to confirm that nothing had really changed. She was still stuck in a glacier with the hottest and most dangerous man in the universe. Who knew there would come a day when that would feel like the new normal.

She did however feel her stomach growl. Soon she'd have to eat something, but Soros had given her the impression they weren't far from escape.

This is the first time
I
have ever been the weak one,
she mused.

She was holding them back. It irked Kat because she had thought she was tougher than that, but Soros had comforted her by saying they were on a warrior’s path. They might have stopped because of her, but she was still doing what Corgan warriors did for their training. She had bruises and every inch of her body hurt, but she was making it work.

Not bad for someone who died once yesterday.

The cold was bothering her, though. Not the biting temperature itself, but the fact that it was almost bearable. She was wrapped in pleasant warmth, with only the parts of her feet extending out from under Soros actually feeling particularly cold.

Which meant he had to have been fucking freezing.

Kat moved, but it took a long moment for the warrior to disentangle himself from her. The second was the longest in her life, thinking whether Soros would wake up at all. It wasn't her certain death that scared her the most, it was the fear she might lose him.

Feeling Soros finally slowly push himself up was therefore only the second worst thing.

Scrambling for her panties and armor, dressing in a hurry before the cold snuck back into her bones, Kat watched Soros. The warrior was putting on his armor too, but his movements were slow compared to the swiftness she'd seen from him. Hell, even she was faster than he was at this moment.

"You covered me the whole time," she stated, not bothering to ask what was plainly true. "You stayed like that all night, never turning away. Not moving."

There was a small smile on Soros' face when he looked at her.

"No offense," he said, his voice hoarse. "But you wouldn't have been much of a blanket. I promised to keep you warm."

"Yes," Kat agreed, "but I didn't want you to die for me."

"I'm not dead," he said simply.

Typical,
she thought, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes.

Not that she was about to argue with him. He wasn’t wrong – she would have made for a shoddy blanket indeed.

"I could endure the night like that," the warrior explained. "You couldn't. I had to keep the heat. You were able to fall asleep, and I made sure you would not get cold."

The dreams returned to her and Kat felt herself blush despite them having fucked the previous night.

I haven't blushed since I was fucking thirteen. This is so stupid.

"I didn't just dream that, right?" she asked. "You actually touched me during the night."

Soros grinned.

"It was the best way to get warm before you fell asleep, and it was afterward too."

She wanted to say something, but Soros was right, as usual, and it had to be one of the most awkward and at the same time hot ways to survive a freezing night she could have ever imagined.

So she dropped the subject, returning to the previous, "You shouldn't have done that. I wouldn't have agreed if I'd known. I could have gone on."

She wasn’t entirely sure what she was arguing for at this point. Maybe her bruised pride?

Oh how easy it was to go from a mighty bounty hunter to a shuddering, teeth-clattering mess needing to be saved by the big bad warlord. It was infuriating in a way.

I’ll just have to save him one day. Even the score.

"No," Soros said, coming over and putting his arms around her. "You were going to sit down where we were and wait for the end, whether you knew it or not. I know you wouldn't have asked me to do that so I made the choice for you. And here we are."

The Kat she had been when the week began would have protested, saying it was no excuse, but she found herself nodding. There they were, alive and relatively unhurt. Still on the run, but safe for the time being.

If the previous night had taught Kat anything, it was to simply enjoy things, and being alive was one of the best feelings in the world.

"We should go," Soros said. "Until there's light, we need to move and hope we reach the edge before we have to stop again."

Kat nodded, picking up the shirt-rope they had successfully used the day before.

"And Kat," Soros said seriously, making sure she listened to him. "If you need rest, tell me. Nothing good will come of you dropping without another step in you."

That was fair too.

"I promise," she said. "I will go as far as I can and then I will let you know."

The smile Soros answered her with was the first truly kind one she'd seen from him. Before, he'd been laughing or sneering or snarky, but finally he was simply smiling at her. Kat wanted to see more of it, more of him with his guard down.

Or at least as down as he would ever let it. There was something in the back of her head telling her that the Soros who stood before her would never be completely at ease.

As they went on, she thought of the night before, wondering what they were to each other.

Was she still his prisoner? It didn't feel like that, but Kat doubted he'd let her walk away either.

Or were they lovers? That seemed like a rather big step from one need-based fuck.

Funny how unromantic things looked in broad daylight.

They were apparently making very good time, but Kat knew it had very little to do with her. Once again, she was amazed by what Soros could do. He was now doing all the things he'd described with her literally hanging to him. Stunts that would have driven even the most daring adventurers insane didn't bother him one bit.

Kat's ability to let him risk his life for her nearly came to an end when they reached a seemingly uncrossable chasm. She wanted to go closer and see if the darkness had a bottom, but Soros nearly glared a hole through her. They were more than three hundred feet from the edge, but he wouldn't risk her slipping and being lost to the pit before she could reach for her dagger.

Then he revealed his plan, and it was pure madness.

"No," was Kat's only response.

The warrior grinned, reverting back to the "I'm Soros" argument that she hated. As days went by, she was starting to see it was actually a valid point, but it didn't comfort her even a little.

Basically, Soros' idea was to make sure the shirt held and then he'd climb over the chasm wall, with Kat dangling from his waist.

"That can't possibly work," she said. "I'm sorry to doubt you, but the swords alone can't hold that much weight."

"They can. They're Corgan."

"We can go around."

"It takes three days. For me alone, I mean."

"We'll manage," Kat said stubbornly, but she knew her protest carried no weight.

"Every night spent like that would weaken me," Soros said.

The amusement shining in his blue eyes prompted Kat to shoot back, "Where's the all-powerful Soros now?"

"Here. About to climb this wall. It's going to happen, so you better make sure that thing holds."

Kat checked. Another thing that bothered her was the fact that she had to trust her life to her shirt. At least it was Palian-made. When she told Soros that, the warrior laughed.

"We're alright then," he said.

Kat didn't like it one bit, but they really didn't seem to have much choice. Soros tied the shirt to his equipment belt, making sure
that
held as well. Then he handed the other end to Kat, who wrapped it around her arm.

When the warrior made sure the knot was good enough, he grew serious again.

"I keep asking you for trust," he said. "Believe me when I say I wouldn't let you fall."

"I believe you wouldn't intentionally drop me," Kat said. "I have less faith in accidents. What you're attempting is very close to impossible and you know that. The laws of physics are there for a reason, you know."

Soros smiled to her, kissing her gently. It was so at odds with the passion they'd shared the night before that it surprised Kat. For some reason, she had not imagined that Soros could be so gentle.

The whole ‘lovers’ thing started looking more and more appealing.

"They are nothing but rules for me to break."

"That
stupid Corgan bravado
–" Kat began, but the warrior cut in.

"I won't lose you," he said, and his conviction took her breath away. "I can't. We will see proper daylight again today. And then I will make sure no one hurts you."

There was no question about what he meant, but Kat asked anyway.

"You are going to kill Turian?" she asked. "But I thought –"

"I was wrong," Soros said. "I see now that men like him will plow over everything to get what they want. I understand, because I feel the same. Unfortunately for Turian, he stands in my way."

"And what do you want?" Kat asked quietly, her heart seeming to beat twice as fast.

"You," Soros said. "Now, will you trust me this one last time?"

Kat didn't trust her voice so she nodded. So much for a one-night stand… Her mind wasn't sure how to react. Corgan warriors didn't take pledges like that lightly.

Her heart, however, was cheering with joy, drowning out all doubt.

"Like before," Soros said, starting to walk to the chasm. "When I tell you, let me take care of you."

Kat was suddenly very glad for the chasm, because her knees felt rather weak. She believed that Soros knew what he was doing, although now that they were carefully edging closer, she could see what they were up against better.

Even if there was an end to it before the center of the planet, it was a long, long fall. She tried not to look down.

They eeked on carefully, wanting to walk as long as they could before Soros had to carry them over by the strength of his arms alone. The ice beneath their feet was crystal clear and so slippery that Kat couldn't believe she was able to take a single step.

Then her feet went out from under her. With a scream, she dropped and stopped, hanging off of Soros. The lurch hurt her wrist, but she was no longer sliding to her doom. Looking up, she saw that Soros had managed to jam one of the swords into the ice.

There was no going back now. They wouldn't be able to stand up as easily as they fell. One sword at a time, Soros started to move across the wall. He stuck one of them in the ice, pulling the other free, and so on.

It seemed they were actually doing it. Kat could already see sunlight up ahead – they really had been close to their escape. Now that she was almost out, Kat thought it was rather beautiful actually –

She only had a fraction of a second to react. Soros had reached too far ahead. When he tried to pull the previous sword free, the ice cracked suddenly and it slipped between his cold fingers. He shouted to her as it came down.

Unthinking, she grabbed it. If the sword fell, they’d be dead, she was sure of it. There was nothing to be done with just one, and her dagger wouldn't have been able to replace it.

It cut into her hand painfully, but Kat refused to let go. Biting her lip not to cry out in pain, she handed the sword back to Soros. She could see the strain and concern on his face.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Nothing a little ice won't heal," she joked. "Keep going, I'm fine."

In truth, her hand was bleeding heavily, but there was nothing to be done. Soros must have realized that too and kept going, grunting.

It seemed like ages had passed when they finally reached the other side. There, the ground was less slippery and stonier. Soros gave her a hand, the blood still flowing from her wound, and Kat climbed to safety with Soros following her. They backed away from the chasm before either dared to breathe more easily.

"We should get that checked in the first city we see," Soros said, holding her hand gently in his big palms.

"It's fine," Kat said. "I'm more worried about the fact that I actually caught your sword. I must have some Corgan blood in me. I didn't know my reflexes were that good –"

Soros kissed her, strong and forceful again this time. The warrior pulled her into his embrace, holding her there like he never intended to let go. For one glorious moment, it seemed to Kat as though they were the only two people on Hetton, and to her, they were.

The ice ocean stretched behind them. She couldn't believe they'd gotten through, but they had.

Together.

"Now," Soros said, pulling back, a new glint playing in his blue eyes. "We've stayed away from the world for too long. I think Hetton is ready for my return. If Turian wants to threaten me, he better be ready for the consequences."

Kat agreed, but couldn't stop her inward sigh.

So much for peace, quiet and just the two of us.

T
hey had left
the ice ocean behind.

Soros was deep in thought as they walked to the nearest settlement to find transport. He had washed and tied her arm, and now Kat was cradling it, her mind seemingly occupied as well. It didn't surprise him. Soros had seen the look in her eyes when he'd told her that she was what he was fighting for.

It hadn't been a true reaction, only a surprise. Kat was struggling to find the solution to the unanswered question, and he was going to give her all the time she needed. Soros wanted her to be absolutely certain.

She will understand.

His mind was as clear as day, more focused than it had ever been.

He knew what he was fighting for.

There were many reasons why he sent the warriors to the Grouvelle mountains and the ice maze. Physical training was just one part, but there was so much more. They learned how to survive with absolutely nothing, surrounded by dangerous creatures and treacherous terrain.

The men who came back were stronger both in body and in spirit. Most of them had never really been alone before, not like that, with no one around for miles. Corgan warriors thought of self-reliance as their core value, but it wasn't true. They were obviously pack creatures. The clan lords ruled them and their brothers were always by their side.

Soros used every method available to him to rip those comforts away from his students. The ice was deadly, but lack of confidence took a much greater toll.

Most importantly, the time alone was spent reflecting. Almost all of the students expected Soros to fire questions at them upon their return, figuring they'd have to prove their accomplishments. But he saw it in their eyes and heard it in their voices.

He didn't pass anyone who came back the same as they'd left. It wasn't survival he wanted from them, it was the ability to adapt.

Every year since he’d taken the job, at least one of his students challenged him to go through the paths himself. The accusations varied, but the end result did not. Soros went out and returned later. He'd been in the mountains and in the ice more times than he could count.

It had taken Kat to make him realize he'd hardly ever followed his own demands. He had always remained the same, until now. It was like he'd had an epiphany, as if Kat had spoken a word at some point that had opened up his entire being.

Soros took one last look at the ice. He didn't feel like the man who had found Kat in the woods. The days he'd spent with her had been exhausting, dangerous and life threatening in more ways than one. Yet, the experience didn't make him feel weak, not even a little.

He'd never been better, stronger and more confident in himself.

The commander looked at her small form, walking by his side. He’d had to slow his pace, but she’d kept up with him. Kat had survived everything he'd dragged her through. It had felt like they’d been in another world, an ancient one. It was time that they returned to the present one, where hunger and heat were problems long forgotten.

"Where are we going to find transport?" she asked after a while, looking like she'd just awoken from a long sleep. "Do you have any money?"

"I don't need it," he replied.

"We are
not
going to steal," Kat protested, glaring when he laughed heartily.

"No," he agreed. "I'm sorry if I offended you. We will not take anything that isn't ours. You'll see. The people here think they are in my debt."

"Are they?" she asked. "Have you been here before? I quite like it."

Soros looked around. He had never really thought of that before, to appreciate the places where he was. It wasn't how a warrior saw the world. They weren't incapable of appreciating beauty, but their vision was always shrouded by their purpose.

Kat saw daylight, trees, stone pathways turning into roads and little houses growing into grander structures. He saw cover, options for ambush, equipment, possible increase in enemy activity and cameras.

"We are in Selauria," he said. "I was born here."

Kat smiled at once, looking around in wonder as though the fact somehow changed their surroundings. He had heard that other species were oddly sentimental about their birthplace, but he didn't consider Selauria special like that. All of Hetton was his home, and Turian was thinking he could treat his planet like a battleground.

"So, tell me," Kat urged happily. "You can't just drop things like that and not explain. Why do they love you so much?"

Soros thought that was a rather strong word, but he shrugged.

"I come here a lot," he said. "Usually through the ice or over the mountains. The people here work in the mines in the north. There are even a few in Grouvelle. It's dangerous, even without the creatures that dwell there. I clean the paths whenever I can. Warn them about landslides and other things like that.

“I bring the priests things, plants that only grow so high up in Grouvelle that they are practically unreachable, minerals from the ice that can't be found anywhere else. In return, they provide me with whatever I might lose on the way."

Kat was listening with care. Soros didn't know why he was telling her all that, but the way her eyes shone at him was reward enough. Like Selauria itself, Soros didn't think the things he did for it were anything noteworthy, but she clearly disagreed.

For him, it was a natural exchange between him and Hetton. The planet was his, even if it belonged to no lord, and he made sure he wasn't ungrateful.

"You're a regular Robin Hood, aren't you," Kat whispered.

When he looked at her in puzzlement, she smirked, shaking her head.

"Sorry, Terran references. He was an ancient folk hero. Took from the rich and gave to the needy, something like that."

"I don't steal," Soros pointed out.

"I know," Kat said, thoughtful. "But I guess Hetton is the rich in this case. It has so much that it doesn't need but those who do can't get to it. So you help."

That was true, he supposed. Soros was well aware that he had been in many places on Hetton where no other living being had ever been. If he was feeling adventurous, he explored new paths that he hadn't taken before. Sometimes, they turned out to be dead ends, while others rewarded him with treasure or shortcuts. He had no problem sharing all of it.

Unlike to everyone else, Hetton wasn’t a deadly foe for Soros. It was his home. He treated it with respect and in turn, the planet seemed to do the same for him.

Selauria wasn't a big city, but it was well equipped. Living right on the edge of the ice meant that weather was the master of their lives, no matter how well they protected themselves against it. There were times when the city was cut off from the others, so they had provisions and stock to spare.

Soros was recognized on the streets as he headed for the center almost immediately. Kat too drew looks. News of the Union had naturally reached the city, but he wasn't sure any of them had ever seen a Terran before. Kat pretended not to notice.

Roum greeted him without any ceremony when they stopped in the distribution factory. The old clerk gave Kat a long, hard look but said nothing. Soros explained what he wanted and saw Kat's mouth drop open.

"That's some shopping list," she said.

"You can have it," Roum commented, not even looking their way. "Ask the boys downstairs, they will find a transport ship for you."

"Good," Soros replied before Kat could say anything. "Until next time, Roum. Also, I killed a Torlock a few days back. Near the southern plateau."

That was the only time the clerk looked him in the eye, judging Soros from head to toe.

"I would call anyone else a liar," Roum finally said. "I thought they were extinct. No one has seen them in a long while."

"They might be now," Soros called back, already walking away.

Roum’s hollow laughter echoed after them.

Kat ran after him, clearly amused by the whole affair.

"I have to admit, this is pretty cool," she said. "We just walk in, ask for a ship and get it. I could have used lunch too."

"We will eat," Soros promised. "And I will get a priest to look at your hand."

Kat nodded. "I don't think I'll ever get used to Corgans calling their healers
priests
. It sounds so wrong to me."

"They are not only healers. The priests work with everything that lives. If that's not holy work, what is?"

"Fine, fine. Just don't let them cut me open. I’m fine with just one heart, thank you very much."

“How would you know what you’re missing if you haven’t even tried the alternative?” he asked with a quirk of his brow, stifling the urge to smile.

Let her wonder a little. Maybe there was a tiny bit of Corgan in his little Terran after all.

T
hey did
everything he'd promised her. After Soros had told the mechanics what he needed, he and Kat walked to a laboratory with the same ease, asking no permission. By the time they sat down to eat, Kat seemed to have gotten used to them going where they pleased.

"Food," Soros told the woman who cooked for the priests. "We came from the ice."

She nodded and slipped away while Kat couldn't stop poking at the stitches in her palm.

"It looks good," she said, unable to tear her eyes away. "Too good. It's like there never was a cut. I didn't know you could do that."

Soros observed her in silence as she kept taking it all in with endless interest. Ever since they'd climbed into the daylight, he had been waiting for the escape attempt, but it didn't come.

He wasn't entirely sure what he would do if Kat
did
run. The thought of keeping her against her will was becoming more unbearable with every second, but on the other hand... Soros didn't think he could let her go, let the beautiful being he'd met leave without a trace.

In his mind, she was his already.

As he'd expected, the woman knew exactly what to bring to people who had been cold for several days. Kat's eyes were practically rolling in her head, trying to take it all in. Everything was warm, delicious-looking and easy to digest. She scooped up some bread and pulled a bowl of steaming stew in front of her.

"I know every person says that after they've been starving, but this is the best food I've ever tasted," she said after a long while of eating, grinning ear to ear. "Aren't you hungry?"

He was. Soros had simply been too mesmerized by her happiness. She didn't seem to need much to have life course through her veins again. Her cheeks were red, her lips full and pink. It was a welcome sight after having seen her turn almost white in the ice ocean.

Soros wasn't going to admit that to her, not then and not ever, but he hadn't been sure she would make it. As she'd fallen asleep in his arms after their fucking, he'd stayed up, watching over her, not daring to close his eyes for a second. He had done everything he could think of, given her all the warmth there was, but it wasn't a guarantee.

Soros had dearly wished he could have taken all the gifts genetics and the Corgan priests had given him and bestowed them upon Kat for just that night.

By morning, he'd been colder than he'd ever been. But it was all worth it the second Kat moved against him, opening her beautiful blue eyes and looking at him, the fire still burning in them. Sometimes, he thought her eyes shone brighter than any he’d seen on Corgans.

He picked food for himself too, already planning their next move. Selauria wasn't going to betray him, but it wouldn't be long until Turian found them. He had to be ready before the clan lord came for his revenge.

It brought a smile to his lips to think of the surprise shot Kat had fired at the troublesome clan lord. She had done well, but in turn, had brought Turian's wrath upon herself. Now the man had two reasons to hunt her and Soros down.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked when Kat finally pushed her plate away, sated.

She beamed, nodding.

"It's a big improvement since morning, yes," Kat said. "I feel ready to take on the world."

"Good," Soros said, grinning again. "Because that is exactly what we will do now."

Her eyes became serious and a little worried.

"There is no chance Turian is going to let us go, is there?" she asked.

"No. The only option we have is to be prepared to fight him when he finds us."

"There are only two of us," Kat said, doubtful. "We already tried that in the mountains."

"We will have to even the numbers, yes," he agreed.

"I have my crew," Kat offered. "They will be very confused, of course. I told them I would be fine, and now they haven't heard from me in days. Evan must think I'm dead."

Soros shook his head. For a moment, he stopped to wonder what this
Evan
meant to Kat.

Plenty of time for that later.

"Leave your crew out of this," he said. "The farther from us they are, the safer they'll be. I had something else in mind. Turian thinks he can shield himself from me with an army. I will take it from him and force him to face me alone whether he wants to or not."

Something in his words had apparently amused Kat.

"You speak like you have an army, but you're not a clan lord. That is the only reason my crew let me come. I convinced them that in the end, you were just one man."

Soros laughed.

"I am," he agreed. "But not alone if I don't choose to be."

"So," Kat asked, the most beautiful, trusting smile on her lips. "Where are you hiding your army?"

"Where do you think?" Soros asked, taking her hand and leading her back to the shipyard. "We fly to Dolon Hall."