Blue solace complete ser.., p.6
Blue Solace: Complete Series Boxset, page 6
His grey and white bed was completely different now, welcoming and warm. The deep purple and blue blanket was partially covered with small, soft, multi-colored patterned blankets. What seemed like a million pillows lined the top. Above the bed, a large boldly colored painting of a nature scene hung, brushstrokes blurred. It looked suspiciously like one that Morgan had fallen in love with a few planets back.
Against the wall, under the window was a small table with two chairs. Next to it stood the most beautiful sight in the entire room. Leti moved nervously from foot to foot next to the table. His soft, sweet body was covered with a filmy, gold robe that offered shadowed peeks beneath it.
“Juniper brought dinner a few minutes ago. He’s a really nice guy even if he stole Miss Speckles and Pork Chop.”
“That’s nice,” Hack said, distracted. “What’s that you’re wearing, Leti?” He prowled closer to his mate, pulling him to his arms. Leti’s soft body fit perfectly against his hard one.
Leti snuggled close, tilting his head back and settling a small kiss on the bottom of Hack’s jaw. “Ava gave me this robe she bought on Haven. Do you like it? I didn’t think I would because it’s so fru fru, but it’s really comfortable. I may wear it all the time.”
“I think that’s a good idea. As long as no one else sees you in it. My crew doesn’t need to get any ideas about stealing my mate.”
Leti laughed. “Okay, boss.”
“Oh gods, you’ve been around Dru too much already.”
“Alois, Cordy, and Ava too.”
“You’re ruined!” Hack laughed and reluctantly stepped away from his mate. He pulled a chair back. “Ready for dinner?”
Leti smiled and sat down. “It smells so good. I could never pick up cooking. I tried because it annoyed Mother, but it was no use. Draif took to it, though. His Punjabi chicken is really good, but don’t tell Hector or Miss Speckles I said that.”
“I’m starting to see that Draif is scarily efficient at everything,” Hack said, smiling. “I think he’ll make a good mercenary captain one day if he wants it bad enough.”
Leti’s smile beamed across the table. “I’m so glad you noticed. Everyone overlooks Draif because he’s a slave, but he is so much more than that. I can’t wait until I get to tear up his contract.”
“Me too. I hope you don’t mind, but I already asked him to join the crew. He said as long as you’re onboard, he’ll be too.”
“That’s great, and maybe not great too. I hope he doesn’t stick to solely protecting me like he did back home. It’s not that I mind, I enjoy him being close, but I want him to grow, maybe become his own captain one day like you said.” Leti sighed, spooning up another mouthful of rice casserole. “I don’t want to hold him back.”
“I’ll keep pushing him to learn new things, but you don’t hold him back. I think you held him together for a long time. He’ll realize he can stand on his own soon enough.”
“You’re right, I know. I just worry.” Leti shook his head. “Anyways, Beck has my sister for the night. Did you know he named her Pepper? I love it!”
“He mentioned it earlier. I was thinking Pepper Willa Hackett had a nice ring to it. Her birth certificate still needs to be filed and we can do that after tearing up her contract, file her as a freewoman. Saves some time.”
“Pepper Willa Hackett, huh?” Leti grinned and laughed. “It sounds perfect.”
“Like Leti Hackett does?”
“We’ll see, boss man, but we’re in no rush. Now, you know my family, and I know your crew, but do you have any family back at Charybdis Station? I don’t know anything about the Burnished.”
“I don’t know much myself, just a few of the basics from when I was a kid.” Hack shrugged. He hated talking about his past, but this was his mate. “Burnished Outpost is the only planet in the Anchor’s Rest System that keeps completely to itself. The people are nomadic, led by a chief, and the planet is mostly desert. I remember traveling in a caravan with my mother, father, and grandparents. I think I remember cousins too, but it’s been so long ago.”
“If it’s hard to talk about, you don’t have to, Will. I want to know everything about you, but I don’t want to hurt you with painful memories.”
Hack looked up from his plate. Leti’s concerned expression eased his discomfort. “It’s okay. I haven’t told anyone else everything that happened, but you’re my mate, right? Who better to share my memories with?”
“Yes,” Leti nodded. “I would be honored to hold your memories, good or bad.”
Hack nodded and began. “When I was five, my father died. That is the worst memory. He loved me, taught me how to find my fire.”
“Your fire? What’s that mean?”
“Fire is revered on Burnished Outpost. It’s not well-known, but the Burnished are born with their tattoos. These aren’t ink.” Hack held his bare arm up. The black patterns seemed to twist and twirl, moving for a moment before going still again. “Some of us can call fire through them, but it’s hard and you have to be properly trained to control it or you’ll burn to a crisp.”
“That’s amazing,” Leti said, tracing the pattern on Hack’s hand. “Do you use it often?”
“Yeah, when we’re fighting hand to hand, it can be pretty useful.”
“Your father taught you how to control it? How old were you?”
“I was four when I started feeling it. He just finished training me in the basics when he died. I was five.” He sighed and closed his eyes. “The Burnished are really particular about survival, I can remember that much. If someone can’t survive on their own, then they’re left for dead at a special spot, given up to the gods.”
“The Burnished hunt for survival, seeing life as a test of a person’s mettle. Easy isn’t what they want and they hold tight to their traditions, good or bad. It’s an odd place, a mixture of technology and barbarism. Humans didn’t do too well when they settled there, but the stronger ones mated with the native Burnished. Strength was what was important, not species.”
He opened his eyes, focusing on his mate. “My father was different, though. I remember him trying to make things easier for everyone. Trying new methods of hunting. He even wanted to raise orilleos, a type of wild herd animal. Said we could eat more that way. The other men and women in the tribe didn’t like the idea of change. I remember them coming to our tent that night, yelling, pulling my father away. I remember the fire, the stench of burning flesh and his screams. My mother just sat there and watched. She didn’t fight them, just held me back and watched.”
“Oh gods…” Leti’s look of horror urged Hack on. He had to tell it all.
“With my father dead, my mother couldn’t take care of me and herself both. I remember her bringing me to each of my family members, some are clear as day and some I can barely picture. My grandparents, both sets, refused to care for me. I remember that. I remember hunting with Grandpa Moses and Grandpa Solis before that day, the fun we had. They hugged me and smiled with pride when I caught my first rabbit when I was three. The way they looked at me that day, though? It hurt. The way my father died made him weak in their eyes, dishonorable. Me being his son? That made me weak and I could see their hatred right there on their faces.” Leti grabbed his hand and squeezed tight, face filled with sympathy and anger both.
“My mother took me to each and every family member, but like I said, I don’t remember them all. They all refused, though. So my mother took me to Dead Ridge. It was one of the highest dunes in the largest desert and where the weak were left. It took days to get there and she didn’t share any of her food or water with me. She didn’t talk either. I asked question after question, but she just ignored me. I caught a rabbit or two, but I couldn’t find much water. When we got there, we made camp and I went to sleep. I don’t think I’ve ever been so tired. When I woke up, she was gone, all our belongings gone with her. She didn’t even leave my sling.”
“Will,” Leti said, tears pooling in his eyes.
“I stayed there for at least a full day, waiting for her to come back, unwilling to believe she left me to die. What I didn’t know was that Charybdis Station sends a patrol to fly over Dead Ridge once a day, every day. They use it as a training exercise, and pick up any person that’s been left there. I don’t know if my mother knew or not. I don’t even know if the Burnished chief knows they do it. In any case, a new recruit named Fasi Juren, a Grell, found me that day.”
Hack smiled, sadness leaving his eyes. “He had just gotten married, but he convinced his wife, Renee, that they needed to adopt me. It didn’t take much convincing, just one video call. I remember waving hello while I stuffed my face with his rations. When he landed at the Station and carried me to Medical, she was already there in her brand new security uniform, carrying this huge stuffed wolf.”
“Did they love you, Will?”
Hack laughed. “Yes, they did and still do. What’s more, I got two new brothers out of it along with the best parents anyone could have. Except Beck. His Ma and Pops are equal to mine, but that’s it. No other parents can compete.”
Leti’s smile faded. “I’m not a violent person, Will,” he said, standing and moving to him.
“Okay?” Hack frowned. Leti gently sat in his lap, moving around to get comfortable.
“While I don’t like the idea of hurting someone in general, Will, let me be clear.” He placed his hands on each side of Hack’s face, his eyes fierce. “I would fight for you,” he said. “If someone tried to take you from me, I would scream, kick, hit, and bite, anything I could do. They would have to drag me away too and I would fight them with everything I have.”
“Leti…”
“I know we don’t fully know one another yet, but, Will, I will never leave you. I will never abandon you, even if it means I die along with you. I don’t leave my loved ones behind.” He gently kissed Hack’s lips, salt from his tears mixing with his taste.
“You’re mine, Leti,” Hack whispered against his lips, heart full, “and I’m yours.” He deepened their kiss, tongue delving deep.
His arms wrapped around Leti’s soft body, pulling him close, bumping the table. He pulled his lips from Leti’s. “Come here, let’s move to the bed.”
Hack lifted Leti up, the man squeaking and wrapping his arms around Hack’s neck in surprise. A few steps later and he gently placed his mate on their bed, quickly lying down next to him to continue their kiss. His hand smoothed across Leti’s hip, gripping tight and pulling the man close to him. His mate’s hard length pressed into his stomach, fueling the fire spreading through Hack. He had waited for this moment since the second he laid eyes on Leti.
Leti’s hands didn’t remain still. He stroked across Hack’s shoulders, chest, then down his abdomen, hands warm even through Hack’s clothes. He pushed Hack to his back and lay over him, his kisses inexperienced but sweet.
Hack pulled Leti’s legs to each side, gripping his thighs, rocking up. Leti’s robes bunched, baring his full ass, and he gasped then groaned into Hack’s mouth, pushing his hips down, his dick hard against Hack’s own cloth-covered one.
“Leti my love, I need you.” Hack moaned.
“Yes, but go slow, okay?”
“Anything you want.” Hack twisted the two of them around so that he pressed on top of Leti. “Can I come inside you?”
Leti looked at him with swollen lips and dazed eyes and nodded. “I want that, Will. I want you inside me.”
“Have you ever been with someone, Leti?”
Leti lifted up from kissing his neck. “What’s that matter? Just go slow.”
“I haven’t been with a man before, Leti, and you’re my mate. I want this to be perfect.”
“You’ve never been with a man? Aren’t you attracted to men?”
“Yeah, I’ve been attracted to men before, but I just always seemed to gravitate to women. It was easier. You, though. You make me nervous. I want to get this right.”
Leti giggled. “I make you nervous? Strangely, that makes me really happy since I’m the virgin here. It’s okay, though. We don’t have to do anything we don’t want to do. Let’s just do what feels good right now, okay?”
“Sounds good.” Hack brought his lips back to Leti’s, kissing him deep. Leti wrapped his legs around Hack’s hips, and arched up into him, dick rubbing hard against Hack’s stomach. Hack’s own hard length settled against Leti’s crease, sliding up and down with their movements. Fuck he’d explode if he wasn’t careful.
“Hack, can you move faster,” Leti asked. “Please?” He moaned when Hack increased his movement and kissed him harder. Both man were panting, close to release from just a few touches. Then they were there. Leti cried out, arching up and shuddering, cum soaking the front of Hack’s shirt. Hack followed close behind him, hot cum filling his pants, shudders racking through him. His body went limp, pressing Leti into the bed.
The two men stayed that way, wrapped up in each other for several moments. “I’m sorry, Leti,” Hack finally said. “I didn’t mean to come so fast. I wanted to be inside you.”
Leti laughed shakily, still short of breath. “That was perfect, Will. You were perfect. We’ll get there when we get there. Don’t rush, just enjoy.”
Hack smiled down at him and reluctantly rolled over into the pillows. A fierce hiss and bellow made him sit straight up. “What the fuck?”
A large, six foot long, one foot wide, scaled reptile slithered out from the stack of pillows, steam pouring from its nostrils and a puff of fire coming from its mouth.
“Princess Buttercup, you had better behave!” Leti leaned over and thumped the monster’s nose. The reptile ducked its head and hummed deep in its chest. “I know you’re sorry, but you can’t set my mate on fire. I kind of like him.”
Hack watched in amazement as Princess crawled over him and into Leti’s lap. Curling around his mate and rubbing his head against Leti’s forehead. His scales were different shades of red, varying from dark to light. “How did he fit into that small carrier before,” Hack asked.
“Princess is a Fire Veil Dragon. He can actually shift sizes. When we travel, he stays about a foot long, but when he’s home, he’s usually anywhere from four to eight feet. I don’t know for sure how big he can get, but he’s never gotten above ten feet long, and three feet wide. I’ve had him twenty years and he’s my baby boy.”
“Oh gods.” Hack could see it. Leti happily walking through the Station with a fucking dragon, scaring every mercenary he came across. Were they even legal?
“You don’t mind, do you?” Leti sounded uncertain. “He’s my oldest pet and he’s really a sweetheart, he’s just been through a lot today.”
Hack melted. “Of course I don’t mind. He’s your pet and you love him so that means I love him too.” He leaned across and patted the dragon’s back. Princess turned to look at him, yellow eyes glaring, and hissed. “Good boy,” Hack grumbled.
Leti laughed. “He’ll warm up to you. It took him a couple weeks before he stopped hissing at Draif. Anyway, your crew’s stolen all my pets. All I have left are Princess Buttercup, Wobble, and half my Druffles.”
Hack laughed. “What?”
“You have Gravy, and Monty’s adopted a reluctant Dru. This afternoon, Cordy took Biscuit and Juniper stole Pork Chop and Miss Speckles. Marmalade has always really belonged to Draif, but Selene took Fluffle. I don’t think I’ll be getting her back. Also, I’m giving half my Druffle collection to Ava. She loves them too much for me to say no. Finally, Beck told me that your pilot has fallen in love with Hector. He sits on the back of his chair as he flies the ship, and he already made him a nest in his quarters.”
“I’m sorry, baby,” Hack said. “I guess I’ll have to find you more pets to make up for it.”
Leti smiled and kissed him. “Deal. How long until we’re at Frost Veil?”
“Not too much longer. Coincidently, we’re passing Fire Veil now.” Hack gestured to the window where a tiny, red and orange planet dominated the view. “We’ll be in Frost Veil’s atmosphere in another three days. We’ll have to wait on a permit to land once we arrive. There are four research facilities on planet, no cities or towns or spaceports. We have to have special permission to land at our client’s private facility and that will take a little time.”
“I’ve never been off Vextonar before. All of this is fascinating.” Leti moved to the window, followed by Princess Buttercup. He hefted his dragon into his arms. “Look Princess, there’s your home world, Fire Veil. Do you remember it?”
The dragon stared at the planet then hissed. “You do remember! It wasn’t a nice place, was it? All those mean hunters chasing you.”
Hack watched his mate talk to his dragon, smiling. This was his life now. Leti, Pepper, Draif, and his crew. His family.
Chapter 7
“Then, Morgan said that I would outpace him in another week if I keep up my training.”
Leti smiled, listening to his friend’s excited voice. He brushed Wobble’s thick hair while the llama ate cut up carrots out of Draif’s hands. Wobble’s room was covered in straw, the air filter working overtime. Beck said he would adjust it to be more efficient once they stopped at Union Station. He needed more parts. He already hung Wobble’s toys up though. Wobble had a hanging container filled with apple slices to play with and several bells and rubber balls to swing around.
Beck had even adjusted the door so that the top and bottom opened separately. They left the top open, allowing Wobble to poke his head out and say hi to everyone as they passed in the hallway. Someone, Leti suspected Ava, had knitted him a bright red scarf that went well with his black and white fur.
“I’m glad you’re settling in. Did you talk with Dannol yet? He told Will that he’d love to start training you on piloting.”
“Not yet. That’s where I’m headed when we’re done here.” He patted Wobble’s nose when he finished all the carrots, then wiped his slimy hand on a towel hanging over the door. “What are you going to do for the rest of the day? We’ll be in Frost Veil in two more days, I think.”
