Love, Against All Odds

I Alpha - Epilogue

Kal was wearing a black breast wrap and skintight, low-cut shorts. Due to the initial phase of her rut yesterday afternoon, her body was coated with a sheen of sweat. She had arrived at Dorlon's secluded cabin within an hour of her rut's crashing wave of need and arousal. The one constant thought nailing into her very being was Becca.

After she'd stabled the horse and entered the cabin, the pain in her gut started and heat radiated throughout her body. Several times last night she attempted to masturbate, but what tiny bit of relief she had was pointless. The rut's piercing demands could only be quelled by the one person who had triggered it.

Sleep evaded Kal all night, and she remained curled up on her side in the center of the bed. She whispered for her lover, who never arrived. At first light, she forced herself to heat water and drink a few mugs of kello, which eased a measure of the pain. But the burning sensation in her body was left untamed, and Kal pushed herself to fill the bath tub with cold water.

After pouring the last bucket of water, she went into the kitchen and grabbed the steaming mug along with Becca's valuable item. She returned to the washroom, deposited the items on the tub, stripped away the two pieces of clothing, and climbed into the tub. She groaned as the chilly water cooled her searing skin.

Kal continued to sip the kello and was relieved to have a fraction of clarity. If she could maintain a slight level of control, then the rut would end without ruining her mind. Cupping the mug with both hands, she stared across the room and out the window to the yellow and orange leaves of the woodland.

It had been a couple of years since she last visited Dorlon's cabin, and she'd forgotten its beauty and peace. Dorlon stole away to the cabin once or twice a year and took care of any necessary maintenance. Otherwise the cabin, outbuilding, and property were left untouched by the outside world.

Sighing, Kal's mind ultimately drifted to Becca, who was still on her rescue mission to save Starr. She picked up her only tangible piece of Becca. Again, she rubbed her thumb over its cracked face and wondered what Earthlings called it. It was small, at least in her hand, but it appeared intricate and beautiful. Under the glass, it had Earthling numbers etched into it, then three lines pointed at the numbers. Kal knew it was a useful tool, meant to tell time. At least, it had once told time but appeared to be broken now.

The twelve numbers on the face reminded her that Earth had once turned on its axis for twenty-four hours per day, unlike Kander. One of her earliest impressions from Earthlings was their constant fixation to keep track of time. However, she discovered they seemed to let go of time the longer they remained on Kander.

Becca didn't appear to be keeping the time teller for its intended purpose. Somehow the item held deeper meaning for her. A soft smile played on Kal's lips at the fact that her lover trusted her with the precious item. For now, the time teller offered Kal a physical connection to Becca.

Closing her hand over the item, Kal was able to think about Becca without zeroing in on fucking her. But her cock was hard and throbbed for attention. Kal did her best to ignore it for awhile longer and focused on the pending future.

It was possible that Becca could return any day from her mission. She would then attempt to corner Dorlon for information about Kal's whereabouts. Kal trusted Dorlon to push back and deny Becca, who was as persistent and stubborn as an Alpha.

Drinking the last of the kello, Kal set the mug on the tub's side, sank lower in the water, and spread her legs wider. She smirked and pictured Becca's eruptive nature when Dorlon explained that Kal was away in Barrik. She hoped that Becca would take the bait rather than see through the lie. However, the Alpha in Kal wanted Becca to figure out the deception, fight for her, and come to the cabin. A low, hungry rumble vibrated in her chest at the thought of being able to knot Becca.

Kal lowered her hand under the water and grabbed her cock near the head. She played with the tip while her Alpha feasted on the idea of knotting Becca. She would mark Becca too, taking her lover's pulse point between her teeth, biting down, and finally breaking the skin. After claiming Becca, nobody would dare attempt to touch her lover again, including aliens like Magnar. A bite mark was a visible and permanent show of mating between two.

Her people, though, might be outraged by their ruler taking a human mate. But as an Alpha, it was within her right to have a mate and share in raising offspring, if they so chose. Why such natural, basic rights were withheld from a High Commander was infuriating to Kal's reawakened Alpha.

Taking a deep breath, Kal released her cock and frowned at her weakened state from the rut. Long ago, she had accepted and was honored by her calling as the High Commander and understood what sacrifices she was making for her people. She was proud to be a Kal and bring happiness to the Kalmar. But why did it now feel so heavy and constricting after years of ease?

Kal knew the answer and was afraid what it meant for her, Becca, and the planet. The High Priest's idea that she could be both Kal to her people and a mate to Becca was a fairytale. But Kal was willing to take the risk, even toe the line and test what could happen, if Becca agreed to it. Otherwise, Becca would return to outer space and take Kal's heart with her.

Setting aside her jumbled ideas, Kal rose from the water and went in search of a linen to dry herself off. She put on clean, loose fitting pants and a different breast wrap to keep her cool. Her best option was to spend time splitting firewood while there was daylight. She had an entire nineth at the cabin before she could return to the capital. If nothing else, the exercise would burn the excess energy from the rut and take away the edge while being out in the cold weather.

The autumn temperatures were welcoming against Kal's bare skin, and the neighboring creek's running waters soothed Kal's foggy mind. She brought the axe from the outbuilding to the chopping block between the cabin and creek, then started to split wood. Once in a rhythm, she went faster and harder with each chunk of wood.

As she approached a full hour of chopping, a sharp jerk inside her forced her to drive the axe through the next chunk of wood and into the block. She released the handle and peered up at the sky as her disjointed bond with Kalatas alerted her to an arrival within the planet's atmosphere. Her instincts told her who was coming to Kander.

After a growl, she fought against the force in her that demanded her to go, hunt, and claim what was hers. But her Alpha howled anyway until Kal couldn't hold back calling out for her lover. 'Becca!'

The End

A/N: Thank you for reading, everyone! See you in the next part soon ;)