Page 14 of Badari Medic

In the back of his mind, a voice was askingWhy exactly do you not want to become her claimed mate if you care so much for her?

He shut the inner dialog down in a hurry, concentrating on pleasing his partner. In some way he couldn’t define, makinglove to Raeblin was like being lifted out of the world he lived in and plunged into another, better plane of existence, where everything was golden, all things were possible and he’d always have a home, which as a formerly rootless wandering soldier he’d never thought he needed. The voice in his head surfaced again but he overrode it as Raeblin tensed and trembled, ready to go over the edge and finish. Brent changed up his rhythm, becoming even more insistent, pumping in and out harder, which she met with loud approval and more scratches on his back and then she screamed his name and came.

Brent let go of his control, unable to hold on an instant longer as her body milked his for all of his seed, and his mind blanked with the sensory overload as the hot zing of extreme pleasure flooded his nerve endings.

He cuddled her against him for a long time afterward, although eventually they did get up, clean up in the stream and cooked dinner. There wasn’t much conversation but it wasn’t at all a strained silence. Raeblin shared a few more stories she’d heard about the Wanderer who’d created this abode and he told more well-scrubbed tales of the time he and Gabe had spent as Special Forces operators. Eventually he drew her to bed for more leisurely lovemaking.

After Raeblin finally drifted off to sleep, Brent lay quietly, her head pillowed on his shoulder, and tried to think through where he was on the subject of mates. She hadn’t raised the topic at all, which he appreciated, and her love making had been unreserved. From time to time he caught a few fleeting moments of sadness from her, which hurt his heart. He’d made it a point to be open with any woman there was no future with him. He didn’t do broken hearts and regrets, much less rings and ceremonies. Yet here he was, with a woman who wanted him as her partner for life and afterlife and curiously he wasn’t all opposed to the idea.

He caught her floral-and-vanilla scent as he toyed with her hair and his cock pulsed but Brent shut that down. Raeblin needed her sleep. They’d gone at it like there was only this one night in their lives for all the love making to occur and he suspected, despite being a Badari, she was tired and probably sore. Once they were in Sanctuary Valley they could hook up in his cave residence, no problem.

Brent shifted a little, uncomfortable with the memory of the various women he’d dated and slept with in the valley. At least he’d never invited any of them to his private domicile. The space and his bed should only be shared with Raeblin.

Seven hells, you’ve got it bad, don’t you? This Badari magic is working on you and you’d better yank it back before you wake her up and let her sink her fangs into you.He did not do commitment. He did not do happy ever after and long term. He walked away with no hard feelings on either side and he stayed free to go and do whatever he wanted.

But what did he even want any more? The old life cruising the starlanes and taking on complex mercenary jobs with Gabe and Flo was over. Both of them were claimed mates and would remain on Ushandirr no matter what. Did he really want to operate solo? Join another group of soldiers of fortune? He knew a few righteous guys from his days in the service who ran mercenary groups and it’d be easy to get in. He was a top operator with a good reputation.

The idea was totally unappealing. He didn’t know if Aydarr would even allow him to leave the planet, now he had Badari blood in his veins. It couldn’t be kept a secret—the Badari would know the instant he and Raeblin set foot in the valley.

This is too fast. What if the transfusion doesn’t take or reverses itself or fades with time? Will I want Raeblin? Will she still want me?

Would we eventually become a tortured couple like my parents were? Badari don’t have a word for divorce and I don’t have a clue how to do long term hearts and flowers.

A headache began to pound in his temples. Brent was not used to doing this much introspection, especially not after a night of hot sex.

But this hadn’t been his usual physical recreation. This had been a special night, shared with a woman who meant more to him than anyone else ever had. A woman he might…have fallen in love with?

A vision of Raeblin in the lake earlier in the day, happy and laughing, beautiful in all her glory, crossed his mind’s eye.

But it was happening too fast, forced by Raeblin’s need to save his life in the only way possible.

The thought was ice cold water on the hot aftermath of their day and night. He needed to take his time on this for both their sakes and so he would. With relief Brent closed his eyes and willed sleep to come.

Raeblin clenchedher hand on his upper arm and her urgent whisper woke him an indeterminate time later. “They’re here, the Badari are here.”

He transitioned from a sound sleep to instant alertness and was off the bed, reaching for his clothes. “Where’s the extraction point?”

“Mateer is in charge and he sent me these co-ordinates.” She rattled off a grid reference and Brent visualized the direction they’d have to go. “Any reason the extraction team can’t pick us up closer?”

Raeblin was dressing now too. “Apparently there’s been new Khagrish search activity in this area, which is why it’s a night exfil. Mateer said there’s no good place to land any closer. We’vegot to hurry or we’ll have to wait another day which he thinks is a bad idea.”

“I’d agree with his assessment.” Brent was kicking himself for being so careless and carefree outdoors at the lake the day before. They could have been recaptured all too easily. “You grab your stuff and I’ll do a quick check on the room, make sure we’re leaving it in order.” He’d tucked his knife into its sheath, hid his weapon of last resort in his boot and now picked up his pulse rifle. He made quick work of dousing all the handlamps and checking the stasis keepers were fully closed. As he went by the patch of moonlight from the hall to the glade outside, he glanced out and saw a woman seated on a rock in the center of the circle of trees. Her face was in the shadows but she raised one hand as if giving a blessing and was gone.

Shaken, hoping he hadnotjust seen the Great Mother, he grabbed his backpack and joined Raeblin at the entrance to one of the Wanderer’s escape routes. “I guess my night vision has been Badari-ized,” he said. “I can see fine even without all the lamps.”

Raeblin turned and let her gaze travel over the entire room. “I’m a little sad to be leaving, to tell the truth. This has been a special refuge these two days. I’ve been so happy.”

Brent didn’t know what to say, so he kissed her forehead, took her elbow and led her the first few steps into the tunnel hacked out of the living rock of the cliff where the dwelling had been created. “I’ll go first.”

They moved at a good speed, since the path they were using had been created by and for a full grown Badari. It might have been cramped for the Wanderer but there was plenty of room for Brent and Raeblin and soon they were at a camouflaged exit, located well away from the primary entrance. Finger to his lips, Brent waited for her silent acknowledgment before he cautiously shifted the brush and debris the Wanderer had piledhere to hide the opening and worked his way to the outer world. He took a fast look around, listening hard, and found nothing to make him nervous. Hopefully the damn Khagrish were mired in their almost superstitious reluctance to do night operations.

At his signal, Raeblin joined him, watching their six, and they moved through the forest towards their destination as silently as possible. A flock of night flying insect eaters startled him at one point but he managed not to fire at them, instead crouching and covering Raeblin so none of the nocturnal hunters got tangled in her hair. When the sky was clear, he continued onward, setting a good pace and feeling immense gratitude for his now-enhanced natural night vision.

After about an hour the forest was thinning out and Brent knew they were close. He slowed his pace and moved even more cautiously for the last hundred yards, taking a spot behind a pair of thick trunked trees. Raeblin tucked in next to him.

“Tell Mateer we’re here.”

She nodded.

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