The next chapter is here!

WARNING: Strong, Explicit Sexual Content in this chapter.

Enjoy :)

They have been walking for the next few hours.

At least within that time, Than-guan was feeling back to normal. It looks like whatever components made up the gas were temporary effects. And soon, he was feeling fine again.

To Kayla's relief, his wounds stopped bleeding as they made their way back.

He was able to get ahold of Vor'metka and tell him about Mar'cte's demise. And while the Arbitrator was happy to hear this, he still had a hard time believing it was Kayla who had killed him.

Than-guan told him he could always send him the recorded feed on his mask for confirmation though. Because his mask was recording the entire fight.

The Arbitrator said that was fine. He also told him some good news.

Apparently, Vor'metka found tracks in the ground that belonged to the rogue yautja. And by the looks of it, he was headed back to the southern sector where Than-guan and Kayla were.

While Than-guan was elated to hear this, he knew he needed to be prepared for this fight. Because it will be the most challenging of them all.

The seasoned warrior can only hope that the bad blood leader won't stoop so low to use such pathetic tactics like his younger brother.

He wanted this to be a good, clean fight. Than-guan can only hope Lar'nix'va will at least give him that. Either way, he knew it wasn't going to be easy.

But at least with Vor'metka here, he had a back up plan now. And that is, if he were to somehow lose this fight, his last request would be that the Arbitrator bring Kayla back to Earth.

So, at least she won't be alone out here and die out here.

He decided a while ago that no matter the outcome, Kayla was to return to Earth, one way or another. And he knew Vor'metka well enough that he would abide by his wishes.

After what felt like walking forever, they finally came upon a familiar sight.

Kayla never thought she'd be happy to see the large, beautiful waterfall with the hidden cavern behind it. They have been to many neat hideouts. But for some reason, she still found this one to be her favorite.

The pair reached the water's edge. Then they entered the water and made their way to the waterfall.

Once again, she followed him off to the side where the stream of water wasn't coming down as hard or heavy. And she followed him inside.

The young woman had a small smile on her face as they entered the hidden cavern. It was still neat that light from the outside could still fill the area with enough light to see as it filtered through the wall of water that was the waterfall.

Even at night, the moonlight still bathed it in a soft glow.

The pair made their way to the water's edge and hauled themselves up onto the solid surface.

They found a couple patches of soft moss to sit down and rest for a bit. Than-guan went to work right away on the gash on his chest and leg, despite the fact they stopped bleeding hours prior.

Kayla watch as he tended to himself. He tended to his leg first and cleaned it up. Before moving onto the long gashes on his chest.

"Need some help there?" She asks him.

His gaze went from his wounds to her, before he shook his head.

"Thanks, but I got it." He assured her.

She thought he would struggle a little as he cleaned and applied medical gel to the gashes. But surprisingly, he seemed to do just fine.

Her gaze stayed on him a little longer, before it swept around the cavern. It was only a few moments later it landed on the lifeless eyes on the severed head of Mar'cte that was on the ground beside them.

It was always unnerving to see such a gruesome sight. She usually felt better once it was just a skull.

"So, you going to use that strange gas to turn the head into a skull then?" She inquires.

Surprisingly, he shook his head.

"Rather keep it like this for now. Then show Lar'nix'va a glimpse of what his fate will be." Than-guan stated.

Kayla was a little surprised to hear this.

"But if you do that, it may make him even more out of control. And what's to really stop him from doing something insane then? What? You're just going to confront him while waving his dead brother's head at him in a taunting manner? Do you have a death wish?" She said.

Sure, Than-guan made it clear than Lar'nix'va didn't give a rat's ass about anyone. That is except for his younger brother. Seeing Mar'cte's severed head in the hands of your sworn enemy; and you may as well throw gasoline on the fire.

"Whether I keep his head intact like this or as a skull is irrelevant. He will be pissed either way. It maybe your trophy. But I refuse to let him know that. Because if he knew who really killed Mar'cte, he'd be after you in a heartbeat. And I refuse to let that happen." Than-guan told her.

"That's assuming he'd believe it. He may still think it was you who did it. Either way, I'm rather uneasy about this. He will probably throw everything he has at you, to satisfy his vengeance. Especially if he was as close to his brother as you claim.

No matter what, this looks to be gearing up for one hell of a fight. And I can't help but worry. You may be a seasoned hunter. But it doesn't mean you can't be killed. And...I don't want to lose you." She admitted.

Than-guan let out a small chuckle.

"Why, Kayla. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you loved me." He lightly teased.

Normally, she'd laugh at his playful teasing. But this was serious. He could lose his life fighting Lar'nix'va. Hell, he almost lost his life while fighting Mar'cte because of a cheap and cowardly tactic deployed by him.

"So, what if I do!? This isn't a time for jokes, Midnight! You could die! Hell! You almost just did! And I don't know if I can bear that! We've come this far and have become so close. And the last thing I want to see, is something horrible happen to you." Kayla admitted.

Her eyes started to become a little glassy during her rant and she could feel a lump starting to form in her throat.

Than-guan was taken aback by her small outburst. Normally, she never reacted this way to his jokes. Kayla would always end up laughing in the end.

But not this time. Instead, he could see she was barely holding back tears as she leveled him with a look.

"Kayla..."

"No! Don't! I know dying on a hunt is not that huge a deal for your kind. But you need to remember, that I'm not a yautja, I am a human. And things like this, of course, I'm going to be scared for you. And nothing you say will ever change that." She blurted out, cutting him off.

That is when a couple tears rolled down her cheeks. All she could see, was that bastard Mar'cte standing over his weakened form. Getting ready to deliver that final blow.

And it scared her more than anything. Because she believed then and there, she was going to lose him. And she just couldn't let that happen. It is why she came out of hiding and attacked the bad blood.

Was it because they were friends? Yes. Was it because they formed a bond? Yes. Was it possible, within these last few weeks it went beyond that...for a while she was unsure. But now, she can say it is a definitive yes.

Kayla did love him. Whenever she was in trouble, he was there. Whenever she was in danger, he saved her. Whenever she was scared or sad, he comforted her. And she never felt safer in her entire life, than when she's with him.

He gave her hope and made her laugh. How could she not come to love him? It just didn't matter anymore that he wasn't human. Everything else about him was what made him special to her.

Than-guan didn't really know what to say at first. It was like her feelings for him were eating her up inside and she just needed to tell him how she really felt.

And instead of being shocked or disgusted. He felt a great sense of relief. Here he though what he may be feeling was one sided. But it was clear that she felt as strongly for him as he did for her.

And now, that it was out in the open, he had to show her that what she felt for him was mutual. Than-guan couldn't have been all the happier to do so.

He reached up and softly caressed her cheek and used his thumbs to lightly wipe away the tears.

Kayla closed her eyes and relished his soft touch. She then heard movement as he shuffled closer to her. And she started to hear him softly purr to her.

It was a sound she came to love.

She slowly opened her eyes and her light blue gaze slowly drifted up to his beautiful deep greenish blue eyes. There was a great deal of emotions in those eyes.

"I know your scared. But this is something that needs to be done. Because if it isn't and he somehow gets away, then I may as well be running from other Arbitrators the rest of my life and forever be labeled a bad blood.

It's not a life to live though. Especially, when you're not guilty and so much wish to prove that. Just so you can be able to go back home and get your life back.

It's what I want. Not just for me. But for you. For us. They took you from your home and put you in danger. And that won't end until Lar'nix'va is gone.

I'm no longer just doing this for me. But I'm doing this for you. Because I feel what you are feeling. And I don't want to lose you as well.

And please, don't be angry at me for this. But when we were at the stream earlier and you were getting water, I contacted Vor'metka again and had him promise me that if anything were to happen to me, that he will return you home.

Because after enduring this nightmare, you deserve to go back home to your family, where it's safe." Than-guan confessed.

Kayla is trying hard to understand his reasoning. Yes, she wants them to be safe again and no longer be hunted by that sadistic prick. But sh didn't want to think about him losing this battle and losing his life.

Does she wish to go back home and to her family? Yes. But not if it meant she could never see Than-guan again.

How he makes her feel; she doubts another could make her feel this way. No one could replace him, her hunter. It's something she realized quite some time ago. Around the time they shared a bath together in that lake.

She felt vulnerable and scared at first. But he assured her and held her close and showed her he would never hurt her. That he truly was the honorable warrior he claimed to be.

Kayla reached up and caressed the large hand still cupping her cheek. Then she got up on her knees and shuffled closer to him.

Than-guan watched as she came in close and reached up to cup the side of his maw. His eyes closed as he focused on her soft caresses. His purring grew more insistent and a little louder.

Not a few moments later, he felt her soft lips press against his lower right mandible.

It was such a soft and affectionate gesture, that shot warmth throughout his body. His eyes slowly opened, and his hand slowly gravitated to the back of her head and gently pulled her in closer.

The hunter closed his mandibles and lightly nuzzled her cheeks. Then he paused, spread his mandibles wide, and pressed his inner mouth to hers.

Kayla felt electricity shoot up and down her spine as he continued to press his mouth to hers. She reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself closer to his body.

It was a little awkward at first, because she had to lean over his crisscrossed legs a great deal.

Than-guan fixed the problem right away though when he lightly grasped her sides and pulled her across his lap. They spent the next several seconds sharing a kiss.

She carefully poked her tongue out through her parted lips and worked it onto his mouth. Kayla heard him grunt and felt a long, thin, warm tongue reach out to caress hers.

It was strange and alien, so unlike a human's tongue or mouth. But she didn't mind in the least. Kayla's heartbeat started to escalate, and she could feel his was too when she pressed a hand to the left side of his chest.

He continued to hold her close as the kiss became more intense. His kind never shared something as intimate as this. Their mandibles made it incapable for their inner mouths to get this close.

But the fact that she lacked mandibles is what made it possible. What they currently shared was strong and filled with passion.

After a minute, they finally pulled away to breathe. Than-guan knelt his head down and pressed his forehead against hers. Kayla then pressed some more smaller chaste kisses wherever she could.

Before she pulled back slightly and reached for the hem of her tank top.

He watched as she pulled it over her head and placed it on the floor besides them. Then she grabbed the edges of her sports bra and did the same. She watched as he eyed each movement and rove his gaze over her the upper half of her body that was now completely nude.

Than-guan purred and leaned in close again. He ran his mandibles down the side of her neck and over her shoulder. He felt her shiver as his tongue extended out and he ran it across her warm skin.

Kayla closed her eyes and let out a shutter when she felt his warm wet tongue glide over her neck and shoulder.

The hunter could smell her gradually growing arousal. It was sweet and quite potent. And he could feel himself beginning to swell beneath the metal cod piece.

He leaned in again and pressed his inner mouth more firmly against hers and pushed his tongue past her parted lips. She sighed as their tongues battled for dominance.

Kayla's sigh turned into a muffled moan when he dragged one of his hands around her back to her front, and he reached up to cup one of her breasts.

Than-guan felt her squirm a little in his lap as he lightly pinched her nipple and ran the pads of his fingers over it. He worked the pink little bud into a hard peak before placing his hand on the other one.

She pulled away huffing and puffing as he continued to play with her nipples and tease her.

When they became stiff from his ministrations, she pulled out of his lap to stand up. Kayla never took her eyes off of him as she kicked off her shoes and socks. Then lastly, pull down her shorts and underwear.

Now that all the barriers were gone, her scent hit him full force, driving his senses wild.

He slowly stood up, all while keeping his own eyes on her. With skilled hands, he quickly removed his armor. It only took a couple minutes before he stripped down to his netting and loincloth.

With the press of a button, the thermal netting retracted and disappeared.

Her eyes dilated a little when she saw his growing erection starting to make a tent beneath his loincloth. Not a moment later, his hands went to the fastenings of the clothe.

Then the cloth dropped to the ground at his feet. And now they both stood before each other, completely naked. There was no water covering their most important parts this time.

Everything was now out in the open.

She gasped a little when she noted how big he was. It was to the point, Kayla was wondering if he will even fit inside of her. She felt his hand press to her cheek again, gaining her attention.

"We'll go as slow as you like." He told her, as if sensing her nervousness.

Than-guan got down on his knees so there wasn't so much of a height difference between them.

Kayla approached him again, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him in for another kiss. It seems the kisses they shared held more intensity than the last.

The feelings were all jumbled together. Like a mix of feeling like being on cloud nine and lightheaded with euphoric lust.

At some point, he wrapped his arms around her again and carefully lowered her down to the moss-covered ground. Where he now hovered over her smaller form. When they broke the kiss again to breathe, Than-guan started to run his mandibles down his front.

He placed them over one breast and leaned in.

Kayla's eyes snapped open with a moan as he used his inner mouth to suck a nipple into his mouth. Her hips twitched as he alternated between suckling the bud and lightly nipping it with his teeth.

At the same time, one of his other hands groped the other, working the other one into a stiff peak once more. Before he dragged his hand down her body, caressing her skin as he went.

Then he pulled it lower, dragging it over her mound to cup her sex.

Kayla's thighs automatically spread wider. Than-guan then pressed the pad of his pointer finger to her clit and started to rub it. She gasped and let out another moan as he continued to stroke the sensitive bundle of nerves.

She reached up and lightly grasped a couple of his tresses and began to lightly squeeze them and rub them.

The young woman heard him groan around her breast and her head dropped down with her lips parted as he flicked her nipple with his tongue while he rubbed her clit at a quicker pace.

He eventually pulled his mouth away to watch her reactions.

Kayla started to pant as he rubbed her clit faster. Her hips bucked and thrusted up into his hand as he worked her. Then he turned his hand a little and felt around her opening with another one of his fingers.

She was quite wet at this and it was very easy to slowly sink a digit into her pussy.

She moaned again as he slowly worked one finger in and out of her. Then her body let out a small shudder when he eased a second finger inside.

She was so tight and warm around his fingers, the inside of her channel felt like wet velvet clasping the digits. The feeling was making his erection all the more painful.

It was only when he pressed them to that soft spot within her did she throw her head back with a loud shuddering moan as her pussy clenched and contracted around his fingers and coating them with her juices.

Kayla laid there panting as he slowly pulled them out of her.

Then Than-guan grasped his length. He gave it a couple steady pumps with his hand before lined himself up at her entrance. Her eyes were blown wide with lust and she spread her thighs wider to fit around his narrow hips.

He ran the tip of his prick over her clit and opening a couple times. Before he started to ease his length inside of her warmth.

Than-guan's hands dug into the thin layer of moss on either side of her body and grit his teeth as he tried to maintain self-control as he gradually pushed his cock deeper within her.

He groaned as more of him became engulfed within her tight channel.

The hunter never had to accommodate such a tight fit before. But Paya, did it feel amazing. Hopefully, it won't be too challenging to keep his primal instincts at bay. The same ones that always urge him to go harder and faster during mating.

As long as he kept reminding himself the importance of keeping it reigned in, he should be fine. Because the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.

Than-guan looked down at her face, looking for signs of pain and discomfort. Luckily, he hasn't seen that. Instead, her eyes were heavily lidded, her lips parted, as she gasped from the amount of pleasure shooting through her as his length slowly slid in, stretching her a bit as it went.

When he was mostly seated inside of her, he spread his thighs more for extra stability, and worked one arm and hand beneath her back, pressing her front to his.

Kayla's thighs clasped onto the sides of his hips and her hands clenched his sides as she hung onto him.

The hunter slowly pulled his prick out until only the tip remained inside, then he pushed his hips forward and sunk back in. She let out a shaky gasp as he repeated this rhythm.

His purring revved up until she could hear it all throughout his body. She could also feel it vibrating against her sensitive skin.

The vibrations teased her clit and nipples as he slowly and carefully thrusted into her. Kayla moaned as she rolled her hips up into his to meet his thrusts. His breathing started to become a little ragged.

And he eventually started to gradually speed up his thrusts. The more he did so, the more sounds that left her mouth.

The sounds and the fluttering of her tight pussy around his length is what spurred him on more. He closed his eyes tight and let out a growl as he firmly pressed his hips into hers repeatedly.

Kayla did her best to keep up with his fast thrusts. Until she couldn't anymore and all she could do was hang on for dear life as the large male above her brought them closer to their climax.

Than-guan grunted and groaned as his cock began to swell with his impeding release. Kayla began to tighten around him as a string of moans continued to leave her.

He rolled his hips as he pumped her with shallow thrusts until they started to become jerky.

Kayla felt her second much stronger orgasm wash over her like a tidal wave and her pussy clenched painfully around him as she moaned her release. Than-guan felt her contract hard around him and that's what ended up pulling his own release from him.

The hunter roared to the cavern's ceiling as his seed burst through him in thick milky ropes as he coated her inner walls that continued to flutter around him and coaxing more of his load inside of her.

His legs and arms started to feel a bit rubbery as he continued to hold himself above her until he finished.

Afterwards he retracted his hips with a shuddering groan from him and a sharp gasp from her. And when he pulled out of her completely, he rolled off to the side to lay beside her.

Kayla was on her back, huffing and puffing, but maintained a small smile on her face. Than-guan reached over her, wrapping an arm around her torso and lightly pulled her to him.

She lazily turned onto her side to face him.

He sported a small smile as he ran his hand through her long soft hair. While Kayla caressed his check, before leaning in to place a small kiss on one of his mandibles.

The young woman then knelt down a little lower and placed her head right beneath his and nuzzled his chest. Than-guan wrapped both arms around her and pulled her flush against him, leaving hardly any space between them.

She could hear his heartbeat gradually slowing down.

While Kayla was happy with the latest development in their lives. A part of her still feared that one day she will place her head against his chest and not hear anything. No heartbeat no breath.

"Just please...try not to die on me." She quietly pleaded.

Kayla heard him begin to purr again.

"You won't get rid of me that easily. I promise, I won't be the one who dies during this fight." He assured her.

He felt her press another soft kiss to his chest.

"I love you, Midnight." She softly said.

Those words, they made his heart skip. And he nuzzled the top of her head affectionately.

Love. Something that he knew, yet at the same time felt he wasn't completely familiar with. Only life mates ever shared such sentiments towards each other. And life mates weren't a commonality among his race.

But the way he makes her feel, if it isn't love, then he sure as hell doesn't know what else it could be.

"Love you too, Kayla." He replied.

Kayla couldn't help the large smile that graced her face upon hearing those words. They were words she'd never thought she'd hear from him.

It wasn't a moment later, when a yawn left her. Their lovemaking sure as hell took a lot out of her. And she'd be surprised if he wasn't a bit tired as well.

"As much as I wish I could stay here with you like this, we can't. We need to dress before we rest. Don't want to be naked if we hit trouble or shall I say if trouble finds us.

This may be a good hideout. But it doesn't mean others like Lar'nix'va cannot find it. And I rather be armed just in case he does. And I'm sure you will want to be dressed and prepared as well." He told her.

She sighed but nodded. Then she lazily pulled away from him. But before she could get up completely, he held fast, and didn't let her go much further.

"We forgetting something?" He lightly teased.

Kayla gave him a confused look at first. Until he spread his mandibles and pulled her in for one last kiss.

She sighed and deepened the kiss. It lasted for nearly a minute, before they finally pulled away. Only then did he let her up to grab her clothes. He got up and did the same.

Both were fully dressed within five minutes.

With the exception that Than-guan left his chest plate off for the time being. He leaned back against a smooth, flat rock then motioned for her to come over.

Kayla walked over and settled on his lap, then laid against his warm, solid chest. He wrapped his arms around, running his fingers through her hair until she fell asleep.

Than-guan didn't feel all that sleepy. His kind didn't really require as much rest as humans. So, he settled for keeping watch over the small cavern as Kayla slept against him for the remainder of the night.

Until Next Time ;)