Page 44 of Corvak's Challenge

Corvak has a good point. He said that the others he'd seen were like him—splices. Maybe she is telling stories just to please me, or maybe I misunderstood her subtle hand gestures. "I'm sure you're right."

"Have faith in your mate." He draws little circles on my butt cheek, clearly getting amorous.

He's not the only one. I run my hand down his side and move to his back, squeezing his tight, high bubble butt. It's really the nicest butt. Muscular and firm. "You know she told me that the parasite makes us horny? I feel like that explains a lot."

Corvak chuckles. "I do not need a parasite to be attracted to you."

I'm the same. Perhaps the parasite makes me aroused even when the situation is inappropriate, but there's so much to love about Corvak that I can't imagine feeling differently about him. I love his protectiveness, his self-assured manner. I love how attentive he is to me. When I have suggestions or complaints, he truly listens. I'm so grateful that we were stranded together, whatever happens.

And of course, he's smoking hot and impressively muscled. Can't forget that, either.

I lean in and kiss away one of the droplets of water on his chest. He rumbles approval, his hand trailing up my back. I decide to take charge this time. He's already naked, after all, and clean. I have access to all the fun bits by simply sinking to myknees, and I do. I smile up at him and then take his cock in hand, licking the head.

It never fails to make his breath hitch, his entire body jerking in response to that small touch. God, I love that. I love the way his gaze turns heated right away, as if I'm the most stunning creature he's ever seen. As if he's lucky that I'm touching him, when I feel like it's the other way around. I have vague memories of other men, other sexual encounters back on Earth, but all of them pale in comparison to the way I feel around Corvak.

Surely not all of that is from the parasite.

I swirl the tip of my tongue around the head of his cock, playful and teasing. His hand goes to my hair, holding my head just the way I like—firm, but not too controlling. I move in, taking more of his cock into my mouth and working him with lips and tongue. I've learned the things he likes in the last week of constant sex—that the cartilage-like protrusion above his cock doesn't have much feeling, but the underside of his shaft and the ridges there absolutely do. That he likes a little bit of teeth, but only strategically and never near the ultra-sensitive head. I've learned that he likes his balls gently gripped and tugged on just before he's about to come, and that when he does, it's so much that I'm never going to be able to swallow it all down.

I've also learned that he likes to cuddle afterwards for a few minutes before he uses his tongue on me. Not that I'm going down on him to ensure I get my turn. I just love making him feel good. I love his reactions, the musky taste of him, the feel of his heated, heavy length against my tongue. I love toying with his sac, and like clockwork, he comes the moment I tug.

"My amazing Aidy," he murmurs, caressing my jaw afterward as I wipe myself clean. "Know that I would do anything to keep you safe. You do not need to fear anything with me."

"I know," I whisper. And I do.

We'll take things as we always do, one day at a time.

CHAPTER

NINETEEN

WEEKS LATER

CORVAK

This is a problem,I decide, as I survey my "army". Where I once had maybe two dozen snow-people to train and monitor, there are now hundreds. The more that arrive, the more that my training is harder to enforce.

And the more that arrive, the more badly behaved all of them become.

Aidy was right all along.

I wanted to believe that I could mold them into an army, but all they are is a massive problem. They are messy. They are violent. They are loud, because they never remember that they are to be quiet.

The only things that they remember are that they worship me as their Great One, for some reason…and that they want to be fed.

Always, always, they want to be fed.

My Aidy worries that they will turn on us if we do not continue to feed them, so while I go out amongst them every day in the hopes of forming them into an army, she continues to cook and hand out food. It is as if they have forgotten how to takecare of themselves now that we are doing so. They know how to hunt well enough, but instead of eating their own kills or cooking them, they bring them to our cave for Aidy to prepare. She does what she can, but it is never enough, and every night, the sound of vicious fights in the valley below echo around us, the ones who did not get to eat taking it out on their neighbors.

Aidy has not complained again, but I know she worries.

I worry, too. When I look out over the valley, I see a sea of dirty white heads, and hundreds of glowing eyes all looking to me for guidance. They want me to do something for them…but what? Aidy talks to them, and I have learned a few of the signals, but so far they have not said what it is they want.

I am their Great One and so they follow.

And follow.

And follow.

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