Maar’s Girl

13. Maar

CHAPTER 13

MAAR

" D amn the Precursors," I grunt as I look up at the Martian sun. "She will be the death of both of us."

I'm thinking about Alyssa. There is nothing else I can think of. Last night was glorious. But the fact of the matter is that she is a marked woman.

The morning air is crisp, the Martian sun a cold, distant spectator to my turmoil. My exercises are a pantomime of discipline, a hollow routine that fails to drown out the drumbeat of my racing heart. The image of Alyssa, her body entwined with mine in the heat of the cave, is a siren song to my senses, a haunting melody I can't silence.

I should be cold, distant—a fortress of solitude to sort through the chaos of my thoughts. But the mere thought of Alyssa sends a ripple of heat through my veins, a fire that no amount of Martian chill can extinguish. My resolve is as fragile as the icecaps of Thalissia, melting with the mere whisper of her name.

I enter the habitation unit, the air heavy with the scent of her—a blend of solar-warmed jasmine and the undeniable musk of our shared passion. My senses are a traitor to my cause, each inhalation a betrayal that tightens the knot of my desire.

The sound of running water beckons me, a siren's call to the depths of my carnal hunger. I shed my garments as I approach the bathing chamber, each piece of fabric a barrier to the woman who has become my obsession, my sanctuary, my curse.

The door slides open with a soft hiss, and there she is, Alyssa, her form veiled by the mist and the translucent curtain of water that cascades over her like a waterfall on ancient Terra. Her eyes widen in surprise, a gasp escaping her lips as I step into the shower, my presence invading her solitude.

"Raaj," she breathes, her voice a mix of shock and something deeper, a longing that resonates with the jalsaghar bond that thrums between us.

I say nothing, my actions speaking the volumes my voice cannot. My hands find her waist, drawing her close as the water drenches us both. Her skin is slick under my touch, her body a landscape I am desperate to explore once more.

She looks up at me, her eyes searching mine for answers to questions left unspoken. "What are you doing?" she asks, a tremor in her voice that betrays her excitement.

"Claiming what is mine," I growl, the words rumbling from deep within my chest. "You, Alyssa. You are mine."

Her lips part, a retort poised on the tip of her tongue, but it dissolves into a moan as I capture her mouth with mine. The kiss is fierce, a clashing of wills and desires, a tangle of tongues and teeth that leaves us both breathless.

Her hands slide over my chest, her fingernails scraping against my skin, a delicious pain that only fuels the fire within me. I lift her, pressing her against the cool tile as she wraps her legs around my waist, her core aligning with my rigid length.

I break the kiss, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I look into her eyes, those twin pools of cerulean that have seen the depths of my soul. "I cannot protect you from the shadows of my past," I admit, the weight of my deception heavy on my tongue. "But I will fight every demon, face every foe, to keep you safe."

Alyssa's expression softens, her eyes brimming with a trust I do not deserve. "Then let's face them together," she whispers, her words a vow, a promise of a future I have no right to claim.

In this moment, there is no past, no mission, no deception. There is only Alyssa—her touch, her kiss, her fierce determination to stand by my side.

The steam of the shower is a veil, shrouding us from the world, a world where my deception could mean our end. Yet here, enveloped by the mist and the heat of our desire, I am not Maar the enforcer, but Raaj, the soldier who captivated her heart.

"You're insatiable," Alyssa murmurs against my lips, her voice laced with a hunger that matches my own.

I press her against the wall, the cold tile a stark contrast to the feverish heat of her skin. "Only for you," I confess, my voice a low rumble that vibrates through us both.

Her fingers tangle in my hair, pulling me closer as our kiss deepens, a dance of tongues and teeth that stokes the fire within. The water cascades over us, a symphony of droplets that accentuates the rhythm of our bodies as they move against each other.

"Raaj," she gasps as I trail kisses down her neck, her pulse fluttering like a captured bird beneath my lips. "We shouldn't?—"

"Shouldn't what?" I challenge, my hands exploring the contours of her slick body. "Forget the world beyond these walls?"

She moans in response, her hips bucking against mine, a silent plea for more. "Yes," she breathes, surrendering to the madness that ensnares us both.

I lift her effortlessly, her legs wrapping around my waist as I position myself at her entrance. Our eyes lock, a silent conversation passing between us, a fusion of desire and something deeper, something I dare not name.

With a single, powerful thrust, I'm inside her, her cry of pleasure echoing off the walls of the shower. "Look at me, Alyssa," I command, and her eyes snap to mine, a connection as potent as the physical bond that unites us.

"You feel... so damn good," she stammers, her inner walls tightening around me, an embrace that threatens to unravel my restraint.

"This is where I belong," I grunt, each word punctuated by a thrust that elicits a gasp from her parted lips. "Inside you, Alyssa. Only you."

Our bodies move in sync, a primal dance as old as time. Her nails rake down my back, a sting of pain that only heightens the pleasure that builds within me. We are two souls, bound by a force greater than ourselves, a force that transcends the lies and the secrets that lurk in the shadows.

"I'm close," she whimpers, her voice a symphony of need that drives me to the brink.

"Let go, Alyssa," I urge, my own release imminent. "Let go with me."

With a final, frenzied rhythm, we tumble over the edge together, our cries of ecstasy mingling with the sound of the water that showers down upon us. In this moment, there is nothing but raw, unadulterated bliss, a sanctuary from the chaos that awaits us beyond the steam.

As our breathing slows and the aftershocks of our passion subside, I lower her to the ground, our bodies still intimately entwined. Alyssa looks up at me, her eyes shining with a mix of satisfaction and a vulnerability that tugs at my conscience.

I should tell her the truth. The weight of my deceit is a cold stone in my chest, a reminder of the chasm that divides us. But as I open my mouth to speak, the words die on my tongue, choked by the fear of losing her.

Instead, I kiss her softly, a tender counterpoint to the fierceness of our earlier fervor. "Let's get you dried off," I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper.

As I reach to turn off the water, Alyssa's hand on my arm stays my movement. "Raaj," she says, her gaze earnest, "no matter what happens, I want you to know—I trust you. Completely."

The irony of her trust is not lost on me. It is a gift I do not deserve, a sacred vow that I have no right to accept. Yet as I wrap her in my arms, the warmth of her body seeping into mine, I find myself clinging to it, a lifeline in the sea of my duplicity.

For now, I am hers, and she is mine. The future can wait. Here, in the sanctuary of our shared passion, there is only us—Maar and Alyssa, bound by a connection that defies the darkness of my past and the uncertainty of our future.

As Alyssa begins to do her makeup I go to the living area and see that my padd is flashing.

I know what message this is.

I stare at the flashing padd, my stomach twisting into knots. The message I've been dreading has finally arrived. With a deep breath, I activate the device, and the holographic display springs to life.

"Enforcer Maar," a gruff voice emanates from the padd, "the first wave of our operatives has landed on Mars. Proceed with the elimination of the target as planned. Failure is not an option. This is your last chance to carry out your mission. Or else our enforcers will carry it out and then eliminate you."

The message blinks out, leaving me in suffocating silence. My mind races, thoughts colliding like asteroids in a violent belt. I can't do this. I won't do this. The realization hits me with the force of a plasma blast – I'm in love with Alyssa.

"Shit," I mutter, running a hand through my hair. "Think, Maar, think."

I pace the room, my footsteps echoing in the sparse Martian apartment. The sound of running water from the bathroom reminds me of Alyssa's presence, her trust in me, her love. I can't betray that. I won't.

A plan begins to form in my mind, desperate and risky, but it's all I've got. We need to run, and we need to do it now. But how do I explain this to Alyssa without revealing my true identity?