Light Speed by Arkadie, L. (accelerated reader books .TXT) 📕

He’s taken her by the hair and flippedhimself on top of her. They’re both on the tabletop and she’sbreathing heavily. I recognize the sounds they are making—the samenoises that Chex and I made when we were making love. I cannotwatch Na’ta engage in such an act and so I turn my back on them andspeed out of the door as fast as my Enuian and celestial parts cancarry me.

Once I’m in the hallway, I feel relieved tohave escaped Na’ta and Telman’s moment of passion, but there isstill no sign of Chex. I remember what Father advised me to do. Imust find him, although I am content to let him resolve his owndilemma. Surely that would be my wisest decision.

I adhere to father’s counsel, however. I’measily able to find Chex as he’s made his way back to Father’sdorm. When I enter through the wide-open window, he’s sitting onthe strange energy-molded sofa. He looks like a foreign object inthe room, sitting there rigid and grim-faced.

He rises to his feet and parts his lips asif to speak, but he doesn’t.

“I don’t understand why you’re angry withme,” I confess, thinking that’s the best place to start.

“What I did, what do you think aboutit?”

“The killing?” I ask.

He snorts cynically. “No clarificationneeded.”

“I don’t think anything,” I say aftergauging my feelings.

“Sure you do!” he roars.

“I do not purport to tell you how youfeel and you should not do the same to me.”

“See that,” he says, aiming a finger at me.“You’re like a robot. You can turn yourself off and on, and shit,Ad’ru, I can’t live like that!”

“I’m sorry, Chex, but your words are notcohesive. At first you believe that I’m offended because you feelI’ve judged you for killing and now you’re upset because I’mdispassionate. And both of your accusations are wrong.”

We stand silently looking at each other,assessing each other. I’m still unable to figure out what istroubling him so.

Then he asks, “If I was to go to the hub,tell Magnificent Star to get me the hell out of here, how would youfeel about that?”

“Upset, hurt…” I answer.

“Yeah, but for how long?”

In this moment of pause, I finallyunderstand his point, as well as my Father’s. It’s the part of methat has, over the passing of time, urged my sisters to forsaketheir lives on Earth and the humans and Selells that they’ve grownto care for in order to remain in Enu.

I walk over to him and take one of his handsinto mine. “Chex,” I say gently, “It is not that I wouldn’t missyou and think of you during every moment under the Enu sun.” Ifreely smooth a finger along his lower lip. “It is not that Iwouldn’t crave your kiss, your touch, your body against mine, or tohear your voice; but if you are happier away from me, well then sobe it.”

“And what about the killing?” he breathes;there’s desperation in his voice.

“I know that you are a warrior of the bloodof Gogulon,” I clarify. “The power to judge is a heavy burden tocarry, and it’s not mine or yours or any being’s, only theCreator’s.”

I think he mutters the F-word before hesmashes his lips against mine. He’s no longer angry with me andapparently I’ve said all the right things because his man part hasgrown firm against me.

“I’m never going to leave you Ad’ru,” hiswarm words whisper against my lips. “I want you to know,” he startswith his eyes closed, breaths heavy, and forehead pressed againstmine, “I will kill Exgesis, even against your wishes, if he triesto take you away from me.”

I don’t tell him what I already know. It’stoo risky. The truth is, when I’m done with Lario Exgesis, he willno longer be a threat to our bond. And so I was not completelytruthful with Chex. Lario Exgesis is the one creature I willpronounce judgment upon.

Chex’s lips, tongue, and sharp fangs ride upand down the side of my neck. He is a full-on Selell. My instinctis pleading with me to allow him to drink from me; or perhaps itcould be my curiosity. I can’t get the sight of Telman sinking histeeth into Na’ta out of my head or the fact that my fatherencouraged it.

“Do you thirst for me?” I whisper, reelingfrom the tickle of his mouth.

“In more ways than one.” He consumes myearlobe and I release an unrestrained gasp.

“Do you want my blood?”

All of sudden he stops and looks me in theeyes. The expression on his face asks me if I mean what I ask.

I nod.

“Yes,” he can only barely say. “Verymuch.”

“Then take it.”

“Can I take all of you?”

“Take all of me,” I sigh and close my eyes,bracing myself for his bite.

There’s a slight prick but the rest is likesliding down the Ancient Falls of Enu. My stomach drops. My head isgiddy. I’m being lowered onto the sofa and one of his hands isinside my pants and his fingers slide up and down my female parts.Once he finds that one spot he so expertly searched out andconquered, he circles it. I’m experiencing so many sensations atthe moment, and they are all powerful and unrelenting.

I can feel my lips part and hear myself moanand cry, trying to endure the blasts of pleasure. Chex throws hishead back and bellows the loudest growl I have ever heard. And Isee traces of my blood stained on his teeth.

“Now I’m going to fuck you,” he announcesgruffly.

Before I know it, my pants are off. He’sstanding and holding me against him, shifting my hips back andforth as his erection slides in and out of me. There’s somethingwild about how he’s doing it to me this time. He’s grunting, evenwhen his mouth finds mine. This is the real Chex, brazen, brash,and unrepressed. So different from myself, but this is the way Iprefer him: “fucking” me instead of “making love” to me. And afterhe expends a second very loud chain of growls, he wraps his armstight around me, squeezing me close to him.

“Now that we got that out of the way,” hesays, lightening the mood. “About those bat people… Where the helldid they come from?”

I chuckle