by Ivy McAdams
“Are there any humans on your planet?” I ask as I give the food a test nibble.
It’s fluffy and dry like bread, with a hint of sweet. Not bad. Kind of like a cupcake with no icing. I can handle this. I take a bigger bite.
“Not if they know what’s good for them.”
I stop chewing to read his face, but he must realize his tone because he looks at me with apologetic eyes.
“It’s dangerous on Praezoria, between the yexon and the League. Most humans don’t go there.”
I’m delightedly scarfing down my cupcake disc now. “What are yexon?”
“Big predators with claws and tusks. I was nearly eaten by one as a child.”
Dax breaks me open another cake and between it and storytime, I’m rather content. The shivering in my hands and feet isn’t as noticeable.
“That sounds like a horrible childhood. Did you have to—” The way his eyes wander from me says he’s not really up for talking about this. I do my best to switch gears. “I mean, I’m glad you weren’t eaten. Did you kick its ass?”
“My brother did.”
I fall silent. It’s the first time he’s spoken of his family.
“We hunt the yexon sometimes now,” he continues. “They need to be cleared once in a while.”
I can tell his family is important to him by the way his voice swells with warmth when he speaks of them. If I said I wasn’t a touch jealous, I’d be lying. My mother was the last of my family.
Once my cupcake is gone, I lick my lips.
“Take another with you if you want,” he says.
No extra convincing needed here. I pick one up and tuck it into the pocket of my jacket.
Though, wait. With?
“Where am I going?”
“Somewhere warmer. It’s going to get colder, unfortunately,” Dax says.
Zeus whines from the floor. I run my fingers through the fur at his neck and feel a shiver coming on already.
“Can we build a fire in here or something?” Doubtful but worth a shot.
“If we want to smoke ourselves out.”
“Right. We’re in a tin can.”
His nose bunches and I realize he doesn’t know what that means.
“It’s something we have—” I hold my hands like they’re wrapped around a small can but it just makes his face contort more, and I laugh a little. “Nevermind. How am I going to avoid dying, was my question.”
“You just need some extra heat.”
He gets to his feet and I stare up at him. He’s so tall, and his chest and shoulders look even wider than before. The guy’s got some muscles hiding under there, for sure. It’s difficult not to let my imagination run wild when he steps around the table toward me. What does he mean by extra heat? I mean, I know what I think of when he says it, even though that’s insane. He’s an alien. One that hates humans even.
Although he’s a very attractive alien.
At first, he stands with his hands on his hips, and I’m not sure what he wants from me.
“You need to get settled before it gets any colder,” he says, holding out a hand.
I stare at his outstretched fingers, recalling his vice-like grip. He’s ridiculously strong and he’s slung me around a few times now. But that was before. What would he do now?
I’ve been moving freely about the ship for most of the day. He’s feeding me from his rations and talking openly. Or much more than before at least.
Can I trust him not to hurt me?
I’m not entirely sure, but I find comfort in the soft glow in his eyes and the way his face isn’t always resting in angry-warrior-smash mode anymore. He stands silently, letting me look him over and consider my options.
It’s not a difficult decision: either I take his hand and let him try to help me or I refuse and risk being sent back to the restraint chair.
Simple.
I slide my hand into his and he pulls me to my feet. My trembling fingers find a thawing warmth when they nestle against his palm. He squeezes them and wraps an arm around my shoulders again. His other hand rubs up and down my arm to warm it. I didn’t realize it was so cold until it heats under his touch.
Now if he could just do that to the rest of me I might stop shivering.
Zeus brushes by and leads the way down the hallway. Dax takes me toward a door and I know before we get there that it’s his bedroom. A new set of goosebumps rise along my skin.
No matter how good-looking he is, or how nice he might smell up close like this, he’s still an alien and his hands on me are making me nervous.
“Maybe I should just stay in the kitchen,” I murmur, pulling back on our forward motion. “Those cakes were good.”
Dax slows but doesn’t stop, propelling me forward. “The food is good for energy but eating through the cold will not help you. You need to bundle your body now.”
A tickle of panic hits me. The excitement over his hot touches on my skin evaporates as we move through the doorway.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, really,” I stutter as I fight to stay in the hall.
Dax’s hands on me are soft but strong.
“You won’t survive the cold if you’re not careful. I will bring you all the blankets on board.”
We’re nearly at the bed now and I plant a foot against it to push away. But, wait…
“Bring me?”
“Yes. Get under the blankets there and I will find others for you.”
“You mean, get under there by myself?”
Dax finally stops moving and looks down at me. The crease in his brow tells me that was his intention.
I feel suddenly ridiculous for my reaction to his help, and the tension eases from my muscles. He must feel the change in my body because his grip loosens and he lets go to pull the blanket back on the bed.
It still feels strange to crawl into his sleeping spot—it smells very strongly of him—but the thought of snuggling into a warm bed is exhilarating. The shivers have reached my teeth again and they’re chattering.
Unfortunately, the bed is freezing right now and I shake while he tucks the blanket in around me.
“I will return with more,” he says before disappearing out the door.
I pull my arms and legs in tight against my body, trying to become as small as possible and leech my own heat. It’s not helping yet, but I pray the bed will get warmer soon.
Zeus trots up to the edge of the platform and rests his head on the mattress next to me. He whines, brown eyes moving over me.
“Hey, boy,” I murmur, my voice shaking.
My first reaction to his sweet comforting appearance is to reach out and stroke his head, but there’s no way I’m taking my head out from under my blanket. I kind of want to put my whole head under there. A small smile will have to do.
He must take that as an invitation because he jumps up on the edge of the bed next to me and lies down. He curls up on top of my blanket and some of his body heat moves over to me. Thank goodness. I snuggle in closer to him.
It might not bring me back up to proper temperature, but it takes some of the cold away at least.
When Dax comes back in, Zeus lifts his head with pointed ears.
“I found one more,” he says.
“Better than nothing.”
He studies me for a moment and I know he must have heard my teeth chattering while I spoke.
“They will help. We’ll get the ship back in order as quickly as possible.”
I nod as he covers me with the second blanket, this one smelling more of dust and mothballs than of musky, exotic alien.
“What about you?” I chatter.
“I am more equipped for the cold than you. Humans have thin skin.”
I lift a brow, and he’s quicker to look sheepish this time.
“From what I’ve heard. You are more susceptible to temperature change.”
“You won’t get cold?” I asked, half in awe and half irritated by my bad luck at being the weak human.
Chapter 9
A nagging feeling of guilt festers in my chest over stealing all the blankets on the ship. Normally, I’d be inclined to give one away in such a situation, but as Dax said, he won’t die. And right now I’m not so sure I’ll be okay.
A violent shiver runs through me and I press in closer to Zeus.
“I will check on our progress outside. Stay in the bed and don’t waste any energy.”
I have no power left to argue, so I just nod, and Dax heads out.
Zeus rolls his head back to look at me and I scratch at his back through the blankets.
“Just you and me now, boy,” I whisper. “Whoever thought we’d get frostbite on another planet, huh?”
He snorts, somewhat like a laugh, and we settle back in together.
It’s difficult to get comfortable and make the shaking in my fingers stop, but once it finally calms down, I let myself drift off to sleep.
Which is probably not the best idea. My fitful dreams are full of demons and aliens. Some where I’m being frozen in blocks of ice. Others where I’m dragged naked in front of a crowd of little green men with sharp teeth that demand I be put to death.
I awake with a gasp when Zeus’s hot tongue laps at my nose. I wiggle away, both from that spicy hot dog breath and the wet nose. His tongue may be warm, but it’s wet, and it feels like it’s freezing on my face.
My body is shivering even more than before, even bundled up under the blankets. My teeth clack together like I’m having a seizure.
“Oh, shit, Zeus,” I croak, and a cloud of frozen air puffs out from my mouth.
The temperature must have dropped thirty degrees or more. Is it possible for my body to literally freeze?
I can’t keep my body from shaking as I pull the blankets tight around me, sinking in up to my eyeballs.
It’s eerily quiet in the cold. I glance around the room in a desperate attempt to find anything else to cover me up. I jump when I find Dax standing in the doorway.
He’s half standing, half leaning against the wall, watching me silently.
I want to ask him what creepy stalker thing he’s trying to pull off, but I don’t think my mouth will form the words.
And he doesn’t give me the chance to wonder what he’s up to. He straightens and walks over to the bed without a word.
My heart that feels so slow and thudding along on its last legs perks up. The blood rolls through me like jelly, thick but not frozen solid just yet. My quickened pulse feels good, even if I’m not sure I want him to come any closer.
He approaches the side of the bed and puts a knee on it to lean over next to me. I try to swallow but my muscles feel tight. Zeus growls a menacing sound from his side of the bed, voicing my nervous hesitation to allow the alien any closer.
I’m feeling ridiculously vulnerable right now.
But the noisy dog doesn’t stop him. He lifts the blanket away from my hand and reaches for it. I shrink back, logic telling me his hand will be colder than mine all covered up, so I’m shocked when the opposite is true. His skin warms mine where it touches, over my palm and up my forearm.
It’s as if icicles melt away from my hand. With as much force as I’m able, I wrap my fingers around his. My grip is weak, but he makes up the rest. He takes my other hand, brings them to his mouth, and blows beautiful hot air on them.
The blood and muscles thaw and it feels so good that I open my mouth and pant out a billow of frosty air.
I stare at my fingers resting against his lips, then glance up at his eyes. Their glow is soft below a brow creased with concern. He continues to blow his warmth over my hands, even as he slides closer over the bed.
Zeus snorts and shifts away, keeping his eye on the intruding alien.
The room is so cold and quiet, I think I can hear his heartbeat. He lifts the blankets higher and for a moment, cold rushes in at me. I’m iced over even more than before and a hard shudder shakes my shoulders. But he’s quick to rub his hands down my arms, stealing some of the cold away.
When he sidles down beneath the blankets next to me, a flicker of panic flits through my veins. My slow heart thumps a hard beat, working as hard as it can.
This guy better not think just because I let him hold my hands that he can just slide on over and share a bed with me. That’s absurd. The panic heightens and lodges my breath in my throat.
I won’t be able to fight him off like this. I’m weak. My body isn’t working properly.
If there’s ever a moment when Dax could easily attack me, it’s now.
His long body glides closer, settling deep within the mattress, and he tucks the blankets close around us again. It traps the cold out once more.
Okay, that feels good, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let him touch me.
Besides my hands. He can keep those.
When he brings them to his mouth to blow again, however, his eyes glow brighter. There’s a heat within them that makes me nervous.
I’ve never been both so curious and afraid in my life.
But I’m not a popsicle yet. He can’t do whatever he wants.
When one of his hands slides up my arm, his fingers tugging at my shoulder to bring me closer, I pull back.
I try to croak out a “No,” but my throat won’t work. Silently, I do my best to lean away. My body is stiff, but I can manage a little.
His fingers tighten on my upper arm and my panic flares. I clumsily slap at his chest, trying to force my body to move as I want it to. His hands shift to my wrists and grip them firmly, stilling my hands. I struggle against his hold, but there’s no use. I couldn’t break loose from him even when I was in good health. There’s no way I can escape now.
He’ll be able to do whatever he wishes with me.
The notion is horrifying.
I thought he was coming around too. Realizing that maybe not all humans are as bad as he thought. And truthfully, I was coming to glean that maybe aliens aren’t the disgusting probing monsters I’ve seen on TV.
I guess I was wrong.
But as strongly as his hands hold mine steady, the strength isn’t in his eyes. They’re still soft. Staring. Watching me.
I think the cold is starting to mess with my head because it feels like it’s swimming. I clench my fists together as I strain against his grip, fighting the confusion that’s settling over me.
In one last-ditch effort, I glare at him and jerk hard, grunting against my lower lip that’s found its way into my mouth.
His hold doesn’t loosen. He only switches my wrists into one of his hands—which I infuriatingly cannot make budge either—and reaches for the front of his suit with his other. It parts at the neck and opens slowly.
The fastening moves smoothly like a zipper but I hear no sound. It parts as his hand travels down his chest and ribs. My attention is drawn to the dark skin beneath. The light in the room isn’t bright enough to see much, especially with him half-hidden beneath the blankets. I can’t make out the clear structure or if any tattoos may be there, but my gaze is fixed there anyway. On his exposed sternum and abdomen as the suit continues to part. When it reaches his stomach, a tickling feeling of nerves spreads through me.
He stills the fastenings just over his hips and returns his hand to mine. I’d forgotten all about fighting him during his undressing, but when he draws me closer to his naked chest, I jerk back in alarm.
As much as his bare flesh intrigues me and I wish I could see more of it, I’m not about to be drawn into his spider trap. Aliens getting naked beneath my blankets does not sound safe.
Thankfully, he doesn’t pull any fast moves. He just draws my hands in to press the palms against his chest.
I’m wracked with a hard shiver immediately.
His hard muscles beneath my fingers are amazing, though not near as much as his heat. His skin is hot and the burn against me is beautiful. Like layers of ice are melting away from me. He presses his hands over mine, flat
tening them to his chest. Sandwiched between his warmth, my hands begin to tingle as they come back to life. It hurts and it’s perfect at the same time.
My hard breath and chattering teeth fill the silence between us. His lips press together as he watches my mouth. Then one of his hands slides up my arm, rubbing warmth into it. It feels so good I can’t do anything but let him.
The hand moves up my shoulder and neck to touch my face. I flinch at first, but he’s gentle, and I relax. Now that my hands are warmer, my core feels even colder. I can’t stop the shivering. Dax’s hand moves over my cheek and neck, faster now. It slides over the exposed skin, and it feels good, but it’s not helping to take the chill from my bones.
When his hand drops and lifts the edge of my blouse up over my stomach, I gasp and move my hands to stop him.
Our eyes lock. His are still calm.
I want to ask him what the hell he’s doing. I was getting along with the idea of letting him touch me, but this is too much. Besides, this is the worst time to be removing clothing. I need all the cover I can find.
He tugs my shirt once but doesn’t force my fingers away.
“You will die. Let me help you,” he rumbles, and it sounds as if the cold is affecting his voice too.
The concern on his face is moving, but I’m not sure. I’m more afraid of freezing to death than him hurting me, however, and my fingers ease.
He slides his hands around my waist, lifting the blouse and jacket from my body. They move up and over my head. What’s left of my body heat goes with them and I groan as I shake in my bra. But he moves quickly, rolling me to face away from him and pulling me back against his body. When my back touches his chest, I melt.
From my shoulders down to my hips, my body molds against his front. I fit inside his open flight suit and thaw against his bare skin. His long arms wrap around me and secure me to him. His nose rests in my hair, blowing his warm breath over my ear and sending electric sparks over my numb skin.
It only takes a moment for my shivering to ease. My teeth stop chattering. We wrap up tight in the blankets and build up a reserve of body heat.
It’s a little painful coming back from half-frozen, but the feeling of survival trumps everything. I no longer feel as if I might pass out and die at any moment. I’m encased in a strong, hot embrace that’s brought me back to life.
