Devotion (19 page)

Life was good. Life was happy.

“Where are we going?” Tikki asked as the cruiser flew low across the grassy plains where the arunda grazed peacefully.

“It’s a surprise,” Okil said, expertly steering the cruiser at great speed. She gathered he was impatient for something and had a good idea that something was her.

“I hope it involves lots of rest and no drama. I have had enough drama to last me a lifetime. I’m hoping for a quiet life here on Karal,” she said, leaning forward to watch the planet go by in a blur.

“I’m not sure if you’ll get that, being my mate. The council members have it easy—they are tied to the tower, but I am expected to oversee the new missions. I will have to travel to the new planets too. If any suitable ones are discovered.”

“Really?” Now, that did sound appealing. “Will I be able to come with you?”

“I don’t know. But I hope so. Once we’ve finished exploring Karal, I am all for exploring the universe.” Okil banked the cruiser and headed towards a forest in the distance.

“Trees. Oh my goodness! I have seen pictures of forests, but I never saw a real one. It’s so big.” Her heart began to race with excitement.

“I wanted to have no interruptions.” His face lit up, reds and golds across his skin.

“And why is that?” she asked innocently.

“You know damn well why. I want you all to myself, and this is the ideal place.” He slowed the cruiser, and took them in lower, skimming the tops of the trees.

“Oh, look at the birds,” she said as a flock of small colourful birds took off and flew together round and round, swooping backwards and forwards in front of them before landing in the trees again.

“
Honelit
. They are particularly colourful and their feathers used to be prized for writing with. On Grenvet some of the artists there use them to paint with. Stunning.”

“So much to see. So much life.” She watched every little movement outside of the cruiser window, trying to spot any other animals or birds. But she only saw fleeting glimpses, as they headed towards their destination.

“There.” He pointed to a tree house. Well, it was more of a platform, with a small hut extending over a third of its area.

“We are landing on that?” she asked.

“Yes. It’s used for research, for the rangers of the forest to assess the tree canopy. I have called in a favour. So it is all ours for the night.”

“You know, Okil, I never realised what an integral part of Karal you were. I thought your behaviour on Earth was because you liked humans. But you like everyone. Don’t you?”

“Except for your Earth President. I find his behaviour unforgivable.”

“Will the Karal do something about him?”

“I don’t know.” He paused in contemplation, and then his colours broke across his skin and he said, “And I do not care. Tonight is ours. Tomorrow is not for us. Not now.” They had landed safely and now he removed his seat belt and held out his hand to her.

Tikki slipped her hand into his, feeling the sensations coursing through her, leaving her in no doubt that Okil intended to make love to her here on top of the forest. Of all the strange and wondrous places she had imagined, this was by far the most beautiful.

They stood for a moment on the edge of the platform, Tikki breathing in great lungfuls of the warm evening air. “Wow,” was all she could say, her mind blown away by the swaying treetops rolling away into the distance as far as she could see.

“This forest has been here since the beginning of time,” Okil said. “There are so many creatures living in it. So much that no Karalian has ever seen. It is a place of mystery.”

“Thank you,” she said and placed her hand on his cheek, watching the colours flash along his skin. Her thumb strayed to brush his lips. He stood looking down on her, and she felt as beautiful as the forest in his eyes. “Make love to me, Okil.”

He lifted her, carrying her inside the shelter, where a simple bed stood.

“Wait, can we make love outside?” she asked.

“Of course. I wasn’t sure if you would like it out there.”

“Are you kidding?” She kissed him. “Anywhere with you would be amazing, but I want to be out there, to know that I am here on Karal with all the life around me, and to look upon the different stars as they come out above our heads.”

Okil took the covers from the bed, while Tikki carried the pillows. He then went to the cruiser and brought out some more cushions and they fashioned a bed. Once satisfied, he turned his attention back to Tikki. She knew there would be nothing to stop him now; he wanted her. And she wanted him more than life itself.

With trembling hands, she stroked his skin, her fingers undoing his cotton shirt, and kissing his flesh. Okil seemed equally shaken, his hands gentle, almost unsure, as he undressed her, even though he had so many times before.

Together they stood naked on the platform, kissing, touching, and breathing in the scent of the forest and each other. They took their time, for now time stood still; everything that mattered was here in the present. When he could bear it no longer, he eased her down onto the blankets and moved to hover over her body.

With one finger he pushed inside her sex, testing her arousal, bringing her to a point where she was so wet, so ready for him, he could plunge straight into her. She gasped in shock when he impaled her on his cock, her sex tight around him, gripping him.

“Oh my goodness,” she breathed as he pulled back out and thrust hard back into her.

“I have wanted to be like this with you, Tikki, from the first time I saw you. You looked so young, so vulnerable, and yet so strong.” His hips moved, pulling back out of her before driving deep inside her.

His mouth captured her breasts as her fingers dug into his back, spurring him on. She felt her orgasm coming towards her, waiting to claim her, to take her soaring high above the forest and into the stars. With each stroke, he ground into her and she cried out, her voice echoing into the darkening night.

As the light left the sky, the dual suns setting in the distance, Okil neared his release too, and as the stars came out over their heads, his colours flashed, bright as a shooting star. And when he came, his voice mixed with hers, two wild animals in the forest, their love deep, yet about each other they had so much to discover.

Earth and Karal had a future here, and when his cock fused inside her and his seed spurted into her womb, one more Karalian child was made. A child: a symbol of the future, a symbol of the love between two species.

Okil and Tikki had found each other across the vastness of space, and found a love more eternal than the stars in the sky.

***

“I am so pleased you finally agreed to meet me here on Earth.” The Earth’s President held out his hand, which Lytril shook, his face hiding his distaste, though the colours flashing along his skin did not. The colours caught the Presidents eye. “Neat trick.”

“It is not a trick.” Lytril poured the President a glass of the liquor he had brought especially from Karal.

“Thank you,” the President said, taking a sip and then placing his glass down. “Wow, that is so smooth. I love all the food and drink your species have on Karal. Maybe next time we can have our meeting on your planet.”

“Oh, I don’t think so,” Lytril said coldly.

“Now, you know we have to work together. You need the women of my planet to breed with. We need your space cruisers. I know your lackey Okil couldn’t make the deal, but we are the leaders of our respective planets, so let’s talk like grown-ups.” The President took another large sip, and smiled wider. “Really smooth.”

“Okil told me that you insinuated that you would withdraw the lottery if we did not supply you with the cruisers you need.”

“
Insinuate
might be a little strong.”

“Come now, Mr President, we are grown-ups, let’s be straight with each other.” Lytril surveyed the man in front of him, watching as he consumed more liquor.
How could this creature be the most important man on the planet?

“Then let’s be straight. I know how much you need my women. You know how much I want your cruisers. So that we can go and find ourselves a new planet,” he insisted.

“Have you seen any planet in the neighbourhood you like?” Lytril asked.

“Excuse me?” The President set his glass down, the room suddenly chill as Lytril let his anger suck the heat from it.

“I asked if there was a particular planet you have your sights on?” Lytril topped the Presidents glass up.

Needing a little courage from the liquor, the President took a large gulp before saying, “I have no idea what Okil has said to you. I want the cruisers so that we can independently find a new home. Do you see a problem with that?”

“I do when Karal is your intended new home!” Lytril’s eyes were lasers, his skin illuminated with blues and purples, like bruises covering his face.

The President stood up, his fist banging down on the table. “How dare you?”

“I dare because I have proof.”

The President didn’t move, but Lytril could almost hear his mind working, the vibes in the air from this odious man sweeping over his skin, allowing him to read the emotions. Fear, hatred, and arrogance.

“Hier Ruler,” he said, “I think you have been watching too many of our movies. Things like that don’t happen in real life.”

“Don’t they, Mr President?” Lytril tapped the top of the liquor bottle. And then stood up to pace the room. “On Karal, we are very adept at taking the technology of another species and making it our own. Refining it.”

The President paled.

“Hmm. When we first came to Earth, we were sure there was nothing you could offer us. You are so primitive. Other than females to breed with, you had nothing. But things change and inventions are made, drugs are created.” Lytril let that hang in the air, before adding. “For the generosity of your lottery, we were willing to help you. To help your people find a new home. We still plan to carry out our promise, Mr President.”

“Thank you.” The President sat down, pulling his tie loose and undoing his top button, his face pale.

“My pleasure.” Lytril came back to the table, placing his hands on it, leaning forward to lock eyes with the man in front of him. “Are you feeling unwell?”

The President kept eye contact. “Indigestion. Too much stress.”

“Ahh. This may help.” Lytril placed a small type of apple on the table. “I find them very good for what ails you.”

The President picked it up and looked at it. “I don’t understand.”

“You should. Now, eat it
quickly
.”

The President took a bite, chewing it and then swallowing it down. Immediately he felt relief. And the truth began to emerge as a small worm of worry that grew and burrowed in his mind. “What have you done?”

“Me? Nothing. I simply took your technology and refined it.”

“What technology?”

“I have no wish to spell it out to you, Mr President.” He placed the stopper in the wine bottle. “I think you have had enough. Some liquor clouds the mind, but this particular bottle seems to have cleared your perspective, I believe.”

“You poisoned me?”

“Why would I do such a thing when our species have to work so closely for our common good?” Lytril smiled, cold, deadly. “Although there is always a chance that our Karalian refreshments are not suitable for humans. I will check when I get back to Karal.” Lytril lifted the bottle from the table. “It is a recipe we came across on Earth, though; we simply refined it for our own use. It’s more targeted. After all, I would hate to pollute your air even more than it already is.”

The President sat in his chair, face pale. “I can’t believe you tried to poison me.”

“Oh. No. I didn’t try to poison you.”

“But what you said. About the bottle. About using our technology against us.”

Lytril leaned across the table and spoke so that only the President could hear. “I said I didn’t
try
to poison you.” He stood up straight and said to the President. “I would eat the rest of your apple. I’ll send a supply down each time we take the lottery winners. One a day would be good for your health, Mr President. I do want you to live a long life. As long as that is beneficial to the Karal. Of course, if something should happen to my people, the secret of the apple will die too.”

Behind him, the President picked up the apple and ate it, while the Hier Ruler made his way out of the Presidential Palace. He was glad to finally put this behind him. Bringing the Jamesons to the planet might have been breaking the Karalians’ most sacred law. However, he felt justified.

Treva Jameson had perfected the poison the President had just consumed. The Hier Council had agreed that this could be classed as bringing Earth technology to the planet, which was allowed. As soon as the new Earth colony was ready, the family would move there, and all would return to normal.

He entered the cruiser, which they had landed on the President’s green lawn, the ramp closing behind him.

“It is done, Okil.” Lytril sat down beside the Karalian.

“Then we can go ahead with the missions?” Okil asked.

“Yes. Make sure the apples are delivered to the President. But they will only ever be brought here to Earth, do you understand?”

“You mean he will not be in charge of the new colony?” Okil asked, starting the engines and taking them up into the sky. From here, he was given clearance to leave the atmosphere.

“No. I think that the colony should be a fresh start for the people of Earth. I am going to put forward joint leaders from Karal and Earth.”

“Joint?” Okil sounded surprised.

“Yes. I have someone in mind.”

“Who?” Okil asked.

“You have always loved the people of Earth, Okil. I know of no one else for the job. I thought that female of yours might be suitable for your counterpart.”

“Me? And Tikki?”

“If you think she is suitable. Or choose another. I am not worried. As long as you swear your devotion and loyalty to Karal and to the Hier Council. The colony will be under our protection. It has one purpose: to breed females for our next generation, if they are needed.”