No Way Back (9 page)

The scientific opportunities appealed. Living with Wallabusks was more than he bargained for though. What would Drum’s home be like? A cave like this with a fur strung cot for two? He’d lived in frugal environments before, but none quite this… backward.

But Drum was here. The only being who’d ever made him feel this alive. If he left, he’d never see him again. Possibly never be cared for like this again. Damn, he liked feeling nurtured. Could he go back to his male role with females after the awakening he’d experienced? He thought about all the males he knew and he just couldn’t see himself in another man’s arms. It felt right with Drum. The thought of sleeping with other men didn’t sit well.

He couldn’t leave him. Not now anyway.

“You know,” Jake said, rubbing his palm over his chest, “there will probably be another cruiser going by in another couple months… or so.”

Drum’s jaw dropped. “You mean yes?” He slapped the water with his palms. “You will stay?”

“For a while.” At the fading light in Drum’s eyes, he added, “As long as we get along.”

Cautiously, Drum asked, “Do you like how we get along so far?”

A smile tugged at Jake’s lips. “Yeah, it’s not bad.”

“
Eetishama!
” Wearing a huge grin, Drum sliced his hand through the water, creating a long arc of spray. He waded the short distance over to him and crushed him in a bear hug that threatened to pop his spine. His mouth found Jake’s lips and he gave him a wet, passionate kiss. His touch worked magic on Jake’s libido. They were like flint and dry grass, a hot spark that smoldered into a quick blaze. Jake wrangled away before he lost all sensation in his arms. There was plenty of blood pulsing elsewhere though.

Drum, standing close enough to feel his growing erection, grinned.

“Would you like to test our relationship further?” Drum’s hand stroked down his back and grabbed his ass hard.

His cock twitched. “I’m game.”

Drum nodded. “And I am the hunter.”

Jake started to explain what he meant when Drum prodded him backward, out of the pool, with his body.

“Lie on the fur, Jake, and I will please you with my mouth before I take you again.”

The hesitation in his step lasted only a second. He liked plunging his cock down Drum’s throat, and he could get used to having his ass plowed. It was definitely kinky seeing Drum thrust into him. He also liked watching the muscles bulge in his arms as he rocked to and fro. The expressions on his face were priceless too. He could come just watching Drum come. Jake settled his back on the soft fur, and linked his hands behind his head.

“I could get used to this indulgence, Drum.”

“That’s okay.” Drum pushed his knees further apart and settled between them. He ran his hands roughly over his chest, kneading and pinching, making his nipples hard. “Suva will be pleased.”

The moist warmth of Drum’s mouth on his cock distracted him for a moment, but his mind wandered back. “Who or what is Suva?”

Jake didn’t get back to his question about Suva for two days, when they finally left the cave.

“You will see,” Drum replied cryptically as he rolled up the fur mat. The fur was a lot smaller since Drum had cut off one end and fashioned a loincloth for Jake. “All our people wear these,” he’d explained. In the heat of the day, Jake would’ve preferred his climate-controlled flight suit, but he didn’t want to insult Drum by refusing his gift. Besides, it was more convenient given all the fucking they’d been doing. A wall had crumbled inside Jake and a never-ending flood of desire gushed through him. Drum spoiled him with attention, laughter, food, and of course, sex. And he couldn’t get enough. Drum was a drug, and he was addicted.

Guilt hit him when he emerged into the sunlight and didn’t even try to communicate with the Earth ship, but the feeling passed quickly when Drum pointed out a pair of insects with glowing wings fluttering through the tall grass. He’d send a message with his status later to the exploration company that had financed his trip, asking them to update his family on Earth, too. In a short walking distance, he marveled at the many insect species living on this planet that he’d never seen before. So much to discover!

While he collected some samples along the way, he didn’t have enough specimen containers for everything he spied. Plus, he didn’t want to slow Drum down too much. He’d said it was a full day’s walk to his home. He’d have plenty of time later to explore.

When the temperature rose to its daily peak, they stopped beneath a lone tree in the midst of the far-reaching plain. The low open canopy of branches didn’t provide solid shade, but Drum staked the fur so it cast a long shadow on the low grass beneath the tree. As an added bonus, the tree provided nuts in a hard shell that Drum crushed with his powerful fist.

“There is plenty of protein out here on the plains,” Jake noted, stretching out in the shade. His injured ankle ached. “Do you have fruit or vegetables on Alishontakawa?”

“They grow closer to the canyon river.”

“Do you live near this river?”

“Yes.” Drum hesitated for a moment, staring out across the flat land. “It is where my ancestors built our city.”

Jake pictured cliff dwellings like the Native Americans had built in the desert. He’d always been fascinated by the talent and labor that must’ve gone into the multilevel rooms. He hoped Drum had plenty of furs to soften his rock bed.

Disappointment settled on his shoulders when they finally reached the deep canyon. “I don’t see a river there.”

“You will.” Drum started down the winding path that clung to the canyon walls. “We shield our city from intruders. That’s how we’ve lived in peace so long.”

“How do you shield a whole city and a river?” he asked irritably. His ankle had swollen on the long trek and throbbed incessantly. The pain affected his mood.

His steps faltered as he watched Drum’s body disappear from his feet up as he descended the cliff. His floating head turned around to face him and then his outstretched arm reappeared, popping up from nowhere. “It’s safe, Jake. Come.” When Jake didn’t move, Drum smiled at him reassuringly. “The probe deflector field over the city is distorting your view. As soon as you pass through it, you’ll see the river, and much more.” He beckoned to him. “Come with me and be amazed.”

With raised brows, he grasped Drum’s hand just to make sure he wasn’t a projection of some kind. They descended through the thin electromagnetic field without incident, thankfully. The sight that greeted him stole his breath away.

There was a river at the bottom of the canyon, all right. All around it though sprawled a brilliant white city with modern buildings, multi-car transports weaving through the sky, and a huge video board that looked like it was playing news clips of universal events. In contrast to the modern setting, the brown-speckled inhabitants wore nothing but loincloths, just as Drum had said.

“Hurry, there’s a transport approaching the landing.”

Aboard the transport, Jake stared out at the passing city while the other travelers gaped at him. The Alishons fired questions at Drum but without accessing his translator, Jake had no idea what they were saying. Drum set his hand on Jake’s thigh and replied calmly. Jake hoped his presence here didn’t stir up a riot.

He glanced around the vehicle, noting looks of excitement, envy, and open curiosity. No one appeared threatening, so he returned his gaze to the amazing city view. Besides, all those semi-naked bodies in close proximity made him a little uncomfortable.

Although he’d lived with other cultures where bare breasted women were the norm, it took a little getting used to. Looking out the window seemed like the safest action. No one got insulted or misinterpreted his interest. As they waited through each stop along the way, his lover’s hand slipped further along the inside of his leg. Drum’s fingertips tightened whenever another passenger, male or female, looked Jake over with a spark of interest in his or her eyes. Jake tried to ignore them all, more interested in the city than Drum’s possessiveness, but between Drum’s teasing touch and the perky pair of tits right next to him, his cock stirred beneath his loincloth.

Moving Drum’s hand away might send the wrong message to the others in the transport, so he simply cast Drum a look of chastisement. A smile tugged at his partner’s lips and his fingertips slid closer to Jake’s groin. Drum leaned into him and whispered into his ear. “Suva will like meeting you with your passion on display.”

“Suva again. Who the hell is Suva?”

The transport jerked to a stop. “This is where we get off, Jake. I’ll explain everything when we arrive at my home.”

Wary of what lay ahead, Jake followed, keeping his guard up. They rode in a glass cylinder down a few stories, walked along a mosaic floor, and stopped before a door with strange symbols on the panel. Their alphabet perhaps? Drum pressed his hand onto a palm identifier and the door slid open.

A supple female jumped up from a white upholstered bench and bounded into Drum’s arms. Her legs slipped around his waist and she licked wildly at Drum’s ear. Jake was still processing the bounce of her gorgeous bare breasts when reality sank in. “Suva, I presume?”

Drum’s arm muscles bulged as he supported the female’s weight. He turned sideways toward Jake with a big grin. “Yes, this is my Suva.” He twisted his head back to her. “Meet Jake, Suva. As you can see, a human. He must be the one,” he said earnestly.

Her big brown eyes sparkled. “Yes, Drum! Yes!” She wiggled out of Drum’s hold and slipped down to stand on her feet. She was taller than he expected. A long, slim-waisted torso gave her height that another female with the same length legs might not achieve. “He is more beautiful than in my dreams.” She reached up to touch his face, but he jerked back. Whatever was going on here, he didn’t like it.

“Is Suva your mate, Drum?” he asked angrily.

“She is
our
mate, Jake.”

He scowled at Drum. He hadn’t asked for a female when Drum had offered, and he wasn’t too keen on sharing Drum with one either.

“I have had visions of you,” Suva said. “We have been searching for you for a long time.” With great care, she cradled one of his hands between her palms. She frowned and looked at his feet. “Come, sit. I will find a med pak for your sore ankle.”

“Are you an empath?” he asked, letting her guide him to the bench. He’d been trying hard not to show his weakness around any of the Alishon, including Drum, but Suva had picked up on his ailment right away.

“You and I are connected,” she said, raising his leg onto a pile of pillows.

“I don’t know how. I don’t understand it myself.” She stood and stared at him. “A short time after Drum and I mated, I started having dreams of you.”

“I’ll get the med pak,” Drum said. “You two talk.”

“At first, I thought you were a figment of my imagination. A romantic savior.”

Jake raised a brow of skepticism, keeping his gaze on her face rather than her luscious form. “Savior?”

“Yes. Did Drum tell you how Earthlings and Alishons are intertwined?”

“A little.”

She looked at her feet. “Biologically, we are a weak race. When our ancestors mated with Earthlings, we became stronger. For hundreds of thousands of years, we prospered. We bartered technology with other species until our own developments surpassed them. Then we became a closed society.” She glanced up at him with a concerned look. “Do you want some water?”

He nodded. His mouth was parched.

She filled a long tube from a water processor set in the wall and brought it back to him. Out of courtesy, he shifted over so she could sit. The pleased look in her eyes made him feel right with himself. The light touch of her shoulder against his shoulder warmed him.

She folded her hands on her lap and continued her story. “Our interaction with humans dwindled, as did new matings with your race. Over time, those of us without a human ancestor in the last century, which applies to most of us now, have become susceptible to an early demise. We don’t mind for ourselves,” she said quickly, looking into his eyes. “It is our civilization as a whole we worry about. Our progress has slowed. We don’t have enough processed fuel for an inter-stellar trip to Earth. Our population is dwindling. In an attempt to improve our gene structure, females are accepting more mates, hoping for stronger offspring, but it is the missing human element that makes the difference.”

Jake recalled Drum talking about his mother and her two mates, and the number of his siblings that had died. Did the families accept the deaths as an inescapable occurrence or did they mourn for the lost children all their lives?

“Even though we believe in natural selection, some scientists have tried to replicate the human factor in the laboratory. Every Alishon-Human pairing is unique, the changes to DNA structure hit and miss. We haven’t been able to find the key to survival.” She set her hand on his leg. Tingles of awareness shot to his groin. “So you see why we think of you as a savior?”

He glanced up at Drum who stood in the archway to the next room. “Yes. You want my immune system.”

“That’s only part of the attraction,” Drum said, coming forward with the med pak and pressing it gently onto Jake’s ankle. “You know that.”

The meds instantly relieved the pain, including the raging headache he’d had. He could think clearly again. “You brought me here for Suva.”

“For all of us, Jake. We need you as much as you need us.”

He arched a brow at him. “How do you figure that?”

Drum sat on the edge of the bench on the other side of him, without touching. “We are all bound together. As my mate, Suva is a part of me. Her hand is my hand.” He nodded to her and she stroked Jake’s leg. “Do you not feel arousal from her touch?”

Jake swallowed. “I… uh, haven’t had a woman in a long time.”

“So you are attracted to her?”

He turned to study her face. Take away the brown speckles from her hairline and she looked like the cousin he’d had a crush on as a kid. With big brown eyes, dark winged brows that matched the thick hair that fell over her shoulder and brushed the underside of her breasts, wide lush lips, and high cheekbones, she was a Latina beauty.