Beastly Bonds
Chapter XVIII
Thanks to this reviewer:
Iridescent Twilight – Never a late review from you, don't need to apologize. Your compliments make me so very happy, and yes, everyone wants their own hellhound. And on Riddick and Jack having kids, in one of my fics that might just happen. Just might, maybe perhaps in the sequel to Keeping Faith? And yes, that was a hint.
You see, my dad is kind of like that, but instead just uses verbal abuse. Don't know what's worse, actually.
P.S. – whitelite, you reviewed in a weird inbetween posting time for me, so erm, thanks for reviewing and yeah, I guess her dad was famous. Not I guess, I made her dad famous and I'm probably just pushing that fame factor cause my dad was in the army. Was, no longer is.
Story!
Going back in time from the previous chapter.
They awoke around the same time the next day, each feeling the other's muscles contract and release in instinctual testing. Their eyes opened, silver against green, mystery bonded with nature, both capable of producing large quantities of chaos and danger. Jack immediately moved in closer to Riddick's body, knowing she could never quite get enough of the sculpted piece of art that belonged to her. With a gentle rumble, sounding like a bear, Riddick pulled her closer as well, kissing her forehead as she looked up. He brought one hand up to the side of her face, holding it as he leaned down to kiss her. She responded slowly but with passion, moaning into his mouth.
"Jack," the husky tint to his already deep voice almost tossed her head first back into that sea of bottomless pleasure. She held onto him as one would let themselves be held by a life-jacket at sea. "We're never going to make it out of this bed. Let alone this specific bungalow."
"I don't have a problem with it." She replied, moving so she straddled him again, the same way she had done the previous morning. Yet this time she positioned herself dangerously low on his body, able to lean down and bite, lick and kiss his chest, which is exactly what she did.
"Neither do I, trust me," he added, having to close his eyes as she trailed her teeth up his collarbone. "But considering the time of day, the rest of the world might."
He wasn't sure if he was relieved or upset as she sat up, looking down at him. The sheets of the bed covered nothing, just resting around her hips and hiding her calves and feet. Riddick now wasn't sure if what the rest of the world thought really mattered at all. Most importantly, he had Jack. And a bed. And since when did Richard B. Riddick care about what the rest of the world thought?
"Fuck, what time is it?" She grumbled, looking just as crestfallen as he felt.
"I really didn't want to do that, just for the record." She nodded, understanding.
"Think I'll start wanting you to go back to not being concerned with what humanity needs or wants." She added, the now sad-look mixed with frustration. He knew the feeling only too well.
Just as she rolled off him, her communicator rang in her pants pocket, which as far as she knew, could've been thrown over the railing of the bungalow, seeing how lusty they had become last night. Yet it vibrated and rang on the floor and with great annoyance she went to retrieve it. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she connected the signal, grateful to feel Riddick's hands gently massage her back.
"Fuck, Litman, if this is just some stupid question or request, I am going to castrate you with this communicator. And you don't need to tell me it's about as blunt as a well-chewed bone, I'm holding one." Jack snarled, obviously startling Riddick with the threat. As she released the signal connector briefly, she turned around and kissed him, compassion in her eyes.
/Glad to know I'm not on that list./
"What do you mean you think you saw some mercs?" His hands stopped in mid-movement and her voice had become demanding and cold. "Shit, Litman, this isn't the time to be unsure, I want you to follow whoever you thought were mercs, fucking threaten them if you have to."
She released the connector, holding her head in her hands. Riddick knew she felt like she had royally fucked up and wasn't sure how to show his sympathy. Instead he moved to dress, knowing that if mercs were in the area, they should be ready to go at a seconds' notice.
"No? They're just burly looking security guards. Tip, I want you to smack Litman on the head for me. Jesus, freaking me out like that. Regardless, this is getting too risky. Get what you need, buy four tickets on the next two transports out of Caribi. Take two for yourself and Litman and two for Krent and Meth. I want you all off this island as soon as possible. No arguments, do it. Over and out." She shut the connection, angrily tossing the communication device across the room, cursing at the same time.
"You're doing the right thing, Jack." Riddick said, still undressed. He gently held her arm in his hand, pulling her off the bed. "C'mon, shower would help," he whispered into her ear. He was glad to see the smile on her face when he said this and followed him into the bathroom.
Back into present time
Jack was beating a warpath through the rainforest, Neunzhen having to lope to keep up with her. She knew that if anything happened, Krent would want to know in order to keep Meth safe. She figured that if Riddick felt so intensely towards keeping her safe, Krent would feel the same towards Meth. Hence the reason she sped through past the thinning trees, leaves whipping past her, thorny spines scratching her as she ran.
She skidded as she turned onto the man-made road, almost falling. But she was up in no time, her feet soundlessly crossing the ground, the bungalow in view. She saw the window of the bedroom and with a running leap, jumped, catching the edge of the sill with her hands. Quieting her breathing, which wasn't that fast to start with, she looked around the corner to see that the two lovers were entwined with each other, Krent protectively shielding Meth from any harm.
Relaxing and sleeping late into the day must be a couples thing. Scratch that, must be because of the sex we sleep so late.
Walking over to the bed, she hoped that no merc that might chase the two men would ever have her skill of silence in approach. She knew very well how to wake a trained fighter, seeing how she slept with one of the most infamous ones known to mankind. Jack made normal human sounds, like average breathing and sort of let her presence be known.
Soon enough Krent's eyes flickered open, blue meeting green. She shook her head to keep him from asking questions, but as he sat up, he disrupted Meth's position, waking him as well. He sleepily registered that it was Jack standing at their bedside. Wait, what? Why was she there in the first place?
"Litman just radioed me," she started, barely taking note of how immediately Krent wrapped one arm around the thin waist of the other man, as if a reassurance to himself that he was still there. "He thought he saw mercs, but he was wrong. I don't want to take that risk, so you two will be out on the next ship from Caribi. No questions asked. She saw that both wanted to protest but she sadly shook her head in the negative.
"I'll have to take you, seeing how Litman and Tipner have an earlier flight out. Riddick will prep my ship and we'll be fine. Since we can't do goodbyes in public…" she trailed off, gesturing vaguely.
Jack gave them their privacy as they dressed, walking out to see her in the living room, looking deep in thought. It wasn't easy saying goodbye to the person who had taken them with her as she escaped from prison. The person who had granted them their freedom.
"I must thank two people." Krent started, catching Jack's attention. "Kyra, for kicking serious ass in Crematoria and getting us out of there and Jack, for…" he looked at Meth for more poetic language.
"Accepting us. You also saved me from being eaten, too. Without you, I wouldn't be here to make this," he gestured between himself and Krent, "happen."
That was just about the extent of their farewells, Jack hugging them both. She waited until she saw that they were packed and headed back to her bungalows, not sure if she was alright with the idea of having to head back into the unpredictable black mass of space.
Jack climbed the rope ladder, stepping onto the porch, seeing from there that Riddick had packed her few belongings, parceling them in a small package. She heard movement in the kitchen, so she went there, finding Riddick sealing and saving food for the journey. There wasn't time to waste shopping for food, they would have to work with what they had here and what was air-sealed in the kitchen on the ship.
"Riddick, world-famous cook. Who knew?" She joked, walking into the kitchen. He turned and glared at her, finishing the sealing on a container of what looked to be limes and lemons. "This isn't a pirate ship, we're not going to get scurvy."
"Who said I wanted it for that? Slices of lime are needed in adding the last element to the perfect drink. You know, Jack, alcohol, something I just discovered that you aren't overly fond of." He tossed the contained into a nearby bag that had some dozen other containers like it, all holding a different food.
"I see. I'd like to hear what you and Tipner discussed at some point. I guess we're packing up as well?" she asked, not really needing to know the answer.
"You think?"
"Guess, Riddick. Listen."
"Right, either way we are. Leaving as son as we get permission, actually." He clarified, just ready in time for Jack's outburst.
"I'm not leaving until I know the rest of them are safely off Caribi! I'm fucking stay right here until I know that they are in the shipping lanes. Fine, out of the atmosphere." She sourly added, seeing his raised eyebrow.
"If they shouldn't care about your escape and survival, why should you care about theirs?" He asked, full well knowing he was asking for a raging Jack at the same time.
"Exactly. I told them not to worry about me, doesn't mean I can't or won't worry about them. Fuck it, get some more shit to take to the ship and we'll get going." She snarled, startling Riddick's beast.
/If she didn't yell at me now it means I'll get it later. Something I'm not looking forward to, at all./
"NOW!" She yelled, roaring it out. In moments Neunzhen came loping into the room, alerted by her yelling. He too snarled at Riddick, only held back by Jack's hand tightly gripping his leather collar.
He figured he could talk to her later about ordering people around but he wasn't risking it right now. Most important thing was to keep Jack safe, and that meant leaving Caribi.
Neunzhen closely followed her, his paws stepping almost on top of her feet, but she didn't mind, she had something to accomplish. Jack swiftly moved through the rain forest, almost sad that she wouldn't be able to spend more time there, it had barely been a few days. Maybe a week at most. She walked into the clearing and found the bungalow she was looking for, forming her lips and sending a piercing sharp whistle through the air.
Jack grinned when a topless, and most likely bottomless, Krent stood at the window, looking down at her. He nodded and in a few minutes, the two were walking towards her, messily dressed, but not stark naked. Neunzhen paced behind her, stopping briefly to register the two other humans near her.
"Jack." Krent greeted, crossing his arms over his chest.
"No time for pleasantries, I want you both packed as soon as fucking humanly possible. You've got two tickets on the next flight outta here and you're going to be on it, even if I have to personally duct tape you to the damn seat. It's getting risky, we can't have this. I'm taking you to the port by boat unless something gets fucked." She explained, interrupted by Krent.
"Litman and Tipner are already taking us, they're just securing our bags on that flight, they'll be back soon. We'll leave the boat on the other archipelago, it'll eventually get back."
"Fine. Gentlemen." She tipped her head and turned on her heel, stalking back into the forest.
Her radio hummed to life and she clicked it off her belt, opening the connection.
"Captain speaking."
"It's Riddick. You better get your ass moving, something's not right. I can't get connected to the elder's communication ports, someone is out there Jack looking for you guys. Let's get a move on."
"Got it. Over and out." She clipped the radio back into her belt, already running when she felt the familiar weight secure to her waist. Her boots made small thumping sounds, not unlike the pads of Neunzhen's paws thudding near her, a reddish blur running beside her. Skidding off a path she had formed, she made a cut through to the hanger. Building in sight, Jack pushed herself harder, almost tripping over her own feet.
Just yards away she saw Riddick waiting at the open ramp to her ship, but a movement on the water around the hangar stopped her in mid leap. Focusing on it, she realized that it was a few men with machine guns trying to quietly boat to the side of the island with the bungalows. To where Krent and Meth were, completely un-alerted.
Jack cursed, picking up the radio and immediately calling through to their signal. Yet as she did this she saw the men on the boat pick up the same signal on an interfering device. When they realized what she was doing, they jammed the speed on the boat. Jack bit her tongue when she realized she has almost sentenced her friends to death, all because she ignored the interference device. All the same she signaled for one of them to pick up.
At the same time she hurriedly walked into the hangar, past Riddick and into the ship. She turned down her hallway, walking into her room. Finally the signal came through as she opened part of her bedroom wall on the ship.
"Captain?" Krent's voice came in.
"KRENT! There are armed men on a boat speeding towards you. Hide, do something. How much ammo do you have?"
"None, just knives. Jack, what are we going to do?"
"FUCK." She snarled, breaking the glass with her fist that covered the secret compartment behind her wall. She wiped her hand on her pants, taking off some of the blood but pushing in the shards of glass deeper. That wasn't her concern though, as she picked up every weapon carefully cleaned and loaded she had found when first exploring the ship. She easily carried every gun and weapon, walking right back out of the room and past a now-confused Riddick.
"JACK!"
"Hold on! Fuck, I'm coming back! Hide if you can!" She yelled into the comm. device. She was running off the ramp of the ship when Riddick gripped her arm fiercely.
"Where the hell do you think you're going? Let them fend for themselves and get on this fucking ship! Now, Jack!" He coldly ordered, flinching slightly when she wrenched her arm away from his grip.
"Stay here if you feel that's the 'right' thing to do. I'm going." She whispered, not realizing her hand was still keeping the connection on the comm. device open. Not realizing until she heard two pained yells crackling over the radio. Without second thought, she sprinted back into the forest, not giving a flying fuck if Riddick followed her or not.
Neunzhen was at her feet, running beside her. To him, it was his small pack running headlong into battle, fueled by pride of the pack, but mostly by pure devotion and loyalty. A true alpha did not let their pack fall apart because they held their safety over others. And to him, Jack was nothing short of a true alpha, the burning animalistic flame in her eyes telling the truth. Yet no alpha was complete without their mate, and this was true as well. Neunzhen didn't make a show of realizing her human mate was not far behind, taking to the trees instead of the ground, but it didn't matter. The pack was together from beginning to end, birth to death and nothing could break that beast-like bond.
One more chapter! Be excited! I command thee! All the same, there is even a tiny chance I'll post this one idea that's been floating around in my head as a one-shot for about the past…two weeks. We'll see, kiddies, we'll see.