Bethany's Heart (Unearthly World Book 3) (13 page)

As Finn slipped two fingers inside of her, he watched as they disappeared higher. A small bud drew his curious stare and he pressed his thumb against it. Bethany moaned and sucked him harder. Lowering his head Finn determined to taste too. His lips closed over the bud and as his tongue laved she squirmed under him. Her breathing intensified as he lowered pushing more of his length past her lips. He wanted to be closer to her femaleness.

Never once had Finn ravished a woman’s area, but he was now. His movements became merciless as he explored what was now in his grasp and not off-limits. The dominant warrior Zargonnii came to life with her taste exploding into his mouth. His little female was highly aroused and Finn lifted his head to roar in pleasure. Bethany quivered when he grew into full battle mode.

“You are my female,” he said on a throaty growl.

Bethany was weakened from her near death experience. Finn sensed it. He turned and pulled her against the length of him and entered her powerfully. Her entire body was cradled within his arms. From the way he held her, she couldn’t move. He didn’t want her to exert herself. She was only to feel and enjoy. His body curled around her protectively. As they rolled, Finn felt them drop into the pool. He was submerged while Bethany remained on top of him. He could see her expression of distress until he grinned at her. Zargonnii could hold their breath, that she worried for him was sweet. No one had worried over him for a long time; his father was deceased, his mother was a Zargonnii female—which spoke volumes. But his Bethany worried for him now. Finn never remembered feeling so happy.

The waves they created lapped at Bethany’s waist. Her beautiful long tanned legs were firm under his touch and silky soft. She straddled him, riding him with her back arched and her stunning sleek, black long hair hanging down her back. She had mentioned her mother was Inuit, her father Caucasian. Finn had no idea what that meant or if it was important. What was important was that she was with him, that she meant everything to him, and she cared for him. Really, what else was there?

Finn lifted his body up into a sitting position. His hand gripped her ass, dragging her down as she rose. His other hand played with a breast. Zargonnii female only had breasts when they nursed. Bethany’s were beautiful. She was aroused again; he felt the warm wetness of her insides soak his cock. He pressed her head to his chest, wrapped his arms around her and thrust fast up and down until she was screaming his name. Finn loved the sound of his name on her lips. Twisting to get his feet under him, Finn rose to a standing position. He gripped her hair, arching her back so he could gaze into her face as he took her harder.

Her eyes were wide, her mouth open to gasp in air. His thumping resounded throughout the room. Each slap to her thighs sent her forward—he dragged her back. Zargonnii males mated every two years. When they did mate it was for long periods of times over the course of two weeks, knowing it would be a long time before they could satisfy their needs again. By the end of their Holiday, many males were hard-pressed to drag their exhausted asses home. Zargonnii females were hardy enough to take what the males gave. Bethany was not. Finn tempered his brutal thrusting when her body went limp. She wasn’t going anywhere, he reminded himself. She was his forever. This wasn’t a Holiday, it was so much more.

Finn bellowed his release. He lowered them both back into the water where he washed her again. Bethany was cuddled to his chest, unmoving. She sighed and dug her slender fingers into his fur.

“Finn?”

“Yes.”

“Are we mated?”

“Yes.”

“Finn?”

“Yes.”

“I love you.”

Three simple words. Finn had no idea the depth of his emotions for her until that very second. Someone loved him. He then realized Bethany was right; for a warrior, he was sensitive. In his arms lay his destiny, his love, his life, his everything. He’d murder ten thousand cyrons if he had to, to keep her safe. Finn grinned at the thought. Sensitive, maybe, a bad ass, for sure.

* * * *

Bethany stood outside holding Finn’s hand. She was dressed in a simple garment of silver shorts and a matching shirt, both of which clung to her. A gift from Arax. Her own clothes had been shredded from her tumbling around the cell as the water filled her prison. Arax had taken them to a remote area where the sun shone bright; they were basically alone. The water they stood in front of looked pure and clean.

“I have opened you a water portal,” Arax said with a wave of his hand. He looked at Finn. “I cannot send you home. I have searched your waters but everywhere there is scum in some form. You would be fine, but your mate’s flesh would be peeled from her bones during the journey.”

“We have fresh water,” Finn said.

“Yes, that’s true. But you also have defenses. I can’t simply open a portal and have you step through into fresh water. The journey is longer and complex. This planet has relatively safe water in most areas. It’s easier to configure.”

“I’ll drown,” Bethany said.

Arax sighed. “No, you won’t drown but you’re not going to like the alternative. The only communication we have with other planets is our portals. The planet I am sending you to can contact your world directly. It is the closest to Finn’s planet.”

“Back it up, water boy,” Bethany said and narrowed her gaze onto Arax. “What do you mean, I won’t like the alternative?”

Arax clapped his hands and Bethany groaned when one of his people came forward holding a large leechin creature.

“Oh no,” she moaned.

“I’m afraid it’s the only way. This big guy will last you the trip, he won’t fall off, and you will be able to breathe.” Arax looked smug while he explained.

Finn took her in his arms. “I’m sorry. I can’t leave you here; I don’t know how to get back. This isn’t really a planet, it’s a place.”

“I know it’s a world within a world. How can something exist and yet not?” Bethany asked.

Arax took the leechin and stepped forward. “When this drops from you, release it into the water and it will find its way home. I wish you well, little human. You would have been fun to add to my collection. Perhaps there are more humans alive on Earth that would give up their hell to stay with me.”

Bethany balled her fists. “You stay away from humans. We’re not toys.”

Arax grinned at Finn. “I’d wish you well, but you’re an ass and I don’t like you.”

“I’d rather be an ass than a fish, scale boy.” Finn took the leechin. Bethany tried not to vomit. “Don’t fight it, it will keep you alive.”

“I won’t fight it, but I don’t have to like it either.”

It took everything Bethany had not to try and rip the leechin from her face as it sealed itself to her mouth and nose. The suction cup clamped over her skin and before Bethany lost her mind Finn grabbed her in his arms and jumped. The funnel tube sent them reeling but there was no way Finn would let her go. All Bethany could do was hold on and hope it would end soon.

The loops in the funnel-tube twisted and turned. She was on the water slide from hell. All around her the waves seemed to grasp at her, pulling her forward, gaining in momentum. At one point her shorts turned into an exceedingly uncomfortable wedgie and her shirt was under her chin, a flashback of a small bikini and waterpark came to mind. She groaned. Bethany knew for certain Finn would be missing a double handful of hair on his chest when this was over.

The leechin suddenly fell, spiraling back into the funnel pool as it was reclaimed. Bethany thought her lungs would burst and began to flail, needing air, until Finn forcefully broke the surface with a magnificent leap. With her hair in her eyes Bethany took in sweet gulps of clear air. Finn kept his hold on her waist.

“I’m beginning to loathe water,” Bethany said. She yanked down her top to cover her exposed breasts and wiggled her shorts into a comfortable position. She wrung out her hair between her hands. Finn did the same with his own.

“Yep,” Finn replied.

It was time to start a new leg of their journey.

“We will be safe here.”

Bethany was aided from the water by Finn. “Is this place like your planet? The sky is so clear, so beautifully blue.”

“No, unfortunately. I know you are used to blue skies, when they aren’t hellish grey. My planet has an array of different colors, pastels. My sister-in-law describes them as a rainbow on crack. The beings here won’t take too kindly to us but they will not risk harming us either. We will be able to contact my planet.”

“These trees look like dragon blood trees. Huge umbrellas. I’ve seen pictures of such trees but never have I seen one this close. They’re magnificent,” Bethany said.

Bethany turned in a slow circle. She stepped into a beam of sunlight, sick to death of being wet. After determining they were alone, she shed her clothes and draped her shirt over bushes. She screamed when the thorns on the bush went wild shredding her clothing. Finn retrieved what was left. The long red vines with multitudes of prickly thorns snaked their way into the air to weave and duck.

“Finn?” Bethany tugged her clothing back on and frowned at her torn shirt.

“The vines are attached at the root and cannot come close to you. Stay away from them. They can’t hurt me but would rip your soft flesh. Damn Blu, he was right in a sense. Simple annoyances could kill you. I will have to watch you very closely on my planet.”

“Simple annoyances? Ninja plant is a simple annoyance? Holy hell, Finn. A polar bear is turning into a simple annoyance.”

“I suppose telling you the plant is kinda cute wouldn’t aid matters?”

“Nice, Jaws.”

“Why do you refer to me as Jaws?”

“Never mind. You wouldn’t understand.” Bethany took a few steps away from ninja plant and dug her toes into the hunter green grass. “Everything smells so beautiful.”

“We should find some shelter, it will be dark soon.”

Finn took her hand and began heading for a number of bushes. The area was covered in fog, and Bethany reached out to touch the substance. The swirling motion was deceptive. The smoky substance could be manipulated to form a hard surface. Finn used his hands to cut out square shapes. Bethany touched the thick fog, it was rock hard hanging in the air.

“This is weird,” she muttered.

“It’s something close to floating ice. I can cut blocks and make us a shelter. It will keep the elements out. It also keeps the heat, so once inside I can warm the brick with my gaze.”

“Have you been here before?”

Finn stacked the blocks he cut in record time. “A few times.”

“What are the inhabitants like?”

“It’s a planet made up of male warriors who fly.”

“Are they homosexuals?”

“A what?”

“Do these men like other men?”

“Well, I guess they must if they live together.”

“So they’re not into females and I have nothing to worry about.”

Finn looked at her oddly. “I’m going to have my hands full, keeping them off of you.”

“I don’t understand. If they like other men why would I interest them?”

“Their females live on a different planet. The female of their species don’t fly and are incredibly delicate, or so I’m told. I’ve never seen one, they are said to be more fragile than human females. They don’t come to this planet. They raise all of their children together until the males become fighting age and join their fathers here.”

“So the males just head over for booty calls when the mood hits? Wham bam, thank you ma’am?”

“The warriors destroyed anything harmful on the other planet and protect it with their lives. Not even a Zargonnii would want to go near that planet. These warriors are deadly when it comes to their families.”

“But why live apart?”

“Centuries ago this planet was attacked. Many females and children were slaughtered. The warriors took them all to a shielded planet. When they were attacked next, the warriors only needed to concentrate on the fight. It worked in their favor. In fact it worked so well the females decided to stay on their protected, quiet planet. Not all of these warriors have families and some are volatile. The females never have to worry about setting a warrior off. The warriors never have a need to fight each other. The warriors like to battle, they like the dangers on this planet.”

“So many different aliens, I never knew there were so many culture shocks,” Bethany mused.

“Humans have different cultures.”

“Yes, I suppose we did. Not too many of us left.”

“There are only a few humans on my planet. Many from Earth were lured away to a planet called Ulsy.”

“Ulsy. I heard there were shuttles leaving for that planet. I wanted to stay with my people, but they perished with so many others. We didn’t have the money to buy our way out.” That was still a sore spot for Bethany. All of the women in her Earth family were dirt poor and left behind, even though they were in good health.

“In some ways you were the lucky ones. Tonans are grey-shielded evil bastards, at least the rogue Tonans are. It was they who lured the humans to capture the females to force Castian prisoners to do as they were told. A Castian goes a little nuts when in must. Introduce a naked female that many have never seen and it gets explosive. A Castian warrior is encased in a black shield when in warrior mode. Other races find them frightening, but they are friends to the Zargonnii. Almost all human males except children were slaughtered by the Tonans. Cobra, leader of the Castians, claimed the planet, scattering the Tonan rogues.

“You met the Gorgano. Mind fighters. They want all human females dead because for some reason a human female can channel their thoughts. Human females are super sensitive and strong willed. I’m uncertain but believe this planet was once attacked by the Gorgano. They have no effect on the males who can shield themselves, but the females aren’t so lucky. For me, the culture shock is the opposite. Our females kick ass. They, too, cannot fight the Gorgano, but as little as you are, you can kill a deadly enemy with a thought.”

Bethany grinned. “So what you’re saying is you need me to protect you from the big ugly Gorgano.”

“No.” Finn sounded annoyed.