Page 294 of Scorching the Alien Empire
She collapses forward, chest heaving, body spent. Her glistening curves, her exposed and quivering sex, the rise and fall of her breath—all of it sends a twitch through me. Already, I’m stirring again.
Has a more beautiful female ever graced the cosmos?
“Babes...” she mumbles into the ruined mattress. “Pretty sure you broke more than just the bed.” She rolls over, her silver eyes widening as they drift to my still-throbbing cock. “Again?No way. That’s just ridiculous. That’s it, I’m using shields next time,” she laughs, half-threat, half-promise.
“It is a poor warrior,” I murmur, lips curling into a smirk, “who wilts beneath Scarn’s embrace.”
“Oh really?” she shoots back, eyes narrowing. “I don’t think any ofthosewarriors embracedthatmountainous meatstick.” She flicks a lazy hand as if dismissing me—but I only feel a strange pride swelling in my chest.
She glances at her wrist console, beautiful mercury eyes widening. “Crap, we’re gonna be late for the meeting.”
I scoop her up from the shattered, once-floating bed and carry her to the shower. Laughter mixes with steam as hot water sluices over sweat and satisfaction. She leans against me, tracing circles on my chest with a soapy finger, her body still trembling from the aftermath. I kiss her temple, holding her close, savoring the quiet hum—the kind of silence that only comes after ruin.
Then—KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
A fist pounds the door. Firm. Impatient.
My claws extend with a satisfyingshriek, senses sharpening.
“Oi!” another knock. “Open up! Shortie inspection. We got reports of an illegal Klendathian cannon in these premises.” A pause. Then manic laughter.
A grin tugs at my lips. My claws retract with a sharpsnap.
“UGH! Is that Drex-iot?” Princesa groans, grabbing a towel that does nothing to hide her glorious curves. “Just when I was starting to relax.”
I give her shoulder a sympathetic squeeze, though I don’t share in her disdain. Instead, I yank on my leathers—an awkward maneuver without punching more holes in this undersized, gilded cage.
Princesa’s thoughtful gift—my new Hemo-Tok belt—clicks around my waist as I reach for the door controls.
The solid metal shifts, becoming a shimmering hologram—and Drexios barrels through the gap like an overexcited aurodon.
“Come here, you big bastard!” he bellows, arms wide, scarred, and bruised face split in a grin.
He slams into me with a leap, limbs wrapping around my frame the same way Todd clings to Princesa. “Thought you’d be all swirled up, War Chief,” he says, mock-sniffling. “Thought I’d have to be Chieftain again.”
Despite his well-meaning words, shame spikes sharp in my chest.
“Almost,” I growl, tilting forward to drop him.
But he clings tighter. “Void, why are yousowarm?” he murmurs, almost dreamily.
“What the hell are you two doing?” Princesa cuts in, arching a brow as she steps from the shower. Her hair and head are wrapped in a towel like a fuzzy insect hive. “And I’mdoublyglad I covered Todd,” she adds, fishing a colorful tunic from the waist-deep pile of clothes to reveal the sleeping, bloated cyloillar. “Your wee innocent cherub eye would’ve been traumatized, isn’t that right?” she purrs, cuddling the useless grub like it’s aware of anything beyond its next meal.
Drexios blinks, eyes darting between me and her, an unspoken question I’ve often wondered myself.
“Pinkiegot a touch of the ol’ space madness?” he mumbles.
“No,” I growl, prying him off and setting his feet back on the floor.
We both stare at Princesa, who’s now cuddling the plump grub like a newborn, humming a tune.
“That so?” he replies, smirking, red eye glancing behind me. “Seeyou’rerecovered.” He gestures to the smashed bed, little more than a mattress surrounded by snapped polymer. “That explains the stench of cooked meat and spoiled milk.”
He makes a dramatic show of sniffing the air—then throws aknowing lookat Princesa.
“Ugh! You are soFUCKINGdisgusting, Drex-iot!” she snaps, cupping her hands over Todd’s head segment, its mandibles clacking at Drexios. “Right. Let’s go. Before he starts lappingup my toilet water next,” she sighs, slinging Todd over her shoulders and scooping up a few more wrapped gifts on the way out.
“Ah, don’t leave on my account,” Drexios sneers as she sweeps past him, his grin widening.
