by Ivy McAdams
Kaami gives me a tug on the arm. “We have to let the warriors get ahead of us. We can’t risk running into the plaxa.”
I curl my lip. That sounds terrifying.
We walk up to the two blue levadon left behind. They look like they’ve got ants in their scaly pants. I’ve never seen a creature more ready to run. One spins in a circle with a chirpy growl with Kaami approaches.
“Have you ever ridden levadon?” she asks.
"As a human, but just as a passenger. I was kinda thrown up on one caveman-style."
“Caveman?”
She hops up on the beast in one fluid motion, like a dancer. I’m envious.
"Yeah, you know…" Well, no. They most likely don't know. Who knows what these guys evolved from. Or if they even did. Do the Kutarians have a science vs religion creation battle like we do back on Earth? That would be interesting to hear. "They're just savage men who steal women away, no questions asked."
Kaami grins as she offers me a hand. “I imagine our warriors were like that. The Shaman’s had them on the lookout for suitable females for a long time.”
I should have known my kidnapping was the healer’s fault. I wonder how many unsuspecting visitors to the planet have fallen into his trap.
My stomach turns as I recall Kovak's words. Whatever other aliens have visited over the months prior, the swap has never been successful before. I hate to think about what happened to them.
I place a hand in Kaami’s and one along the scaley ridges of the dino’s back. I can’t believe how much smaller this thing looks now that I’m a giant. It’s like going from a Clydesdale to a regular ol’ mustang horse. With Kaami’s help, I leap up onto the beast’s back behind her, but honestly, I didn’t need her help. I’m surprised to find that I’m just as graceful and nimble as she is.
I can't help the beaming smile as I settle in behind her. I'm not an unathletic person back in my human body, but I'm certainly not an elegant mover. I'm actually a bit of a klutz. I once tripped over a pebble the size of my thumbnail on the sidewalk and totally ate dirt, or well, concrete. I busted up my chin and chipped one of my teeth. And it was in front of a couple of girls I was trying to impress at the time. Horrifying experience.
I've never been accused of moving like a ballerina or being strong enough to do much more than carry a stack of books. Easily vaulting onto a dinosaur over ten feet in the air is amazing.
I’m still smiling stupidly when the dino takes off and I have to grab for Kaami’s sides, jerking forward and clinging to her like a baby chimp. So much for being graceful.
Waella is on her mount and running alongside us.
I lean over Kaami’s shoulder and call out. “Where did they go?”
“The plaxa are usually down in this valley here. It shouldn’t be far.”
Before all the words have even left her mouth, a roar shakes the trees around us. My heart stops. That’s a fucking massive sound.
We're not chasing more of those bug alien shitheads again, are we?
The levadon beneath me leaps midstep and crashes through the edge of the trees, rushing out into a field. The ground is sloped, moving down into a wide-open valley below. I can see the warriors riding in formation and ahead of them is a massive beast.
It looks similar to the stegosaurus we have on Earth, but at least twice as large. It has square-shaped plates running down either side of its spine and three pairs of bony daggers on its tail that look like teeth.
As the last of the evening light fades, the flash in its skin grows brighter. An electric yellow light shoots out over its skin, starting at the center of its large mass and traveling along its hide, out its limbs, up into its plates, and down its tail. Like bolts of bioluminescent lightning.
At another time, I could sit and stare at the creature for hours. Soak up its beauty and amazing attributes―did our dinosaurs on Earth have awesome lightning skin like that? But right now, all I can see is the agitated jerk of its head and the way its spiked tail sways toward the first warrior to approach it.
My arms grasp tighter around Kaami. Do these levadon have turbo boosts? We need to get down there pronto.
“What the hell are they thinking?” I gasp.
Kaami pats my arm. “It is an honor for a warrior to bring down a plaxa.”
“But that thing looks like he’s ready to murder someone.”
“The plaxa is dangerous. The warriors would not respect him so much if he were not.”
Okay, sure. Barbarian spirits and honor and all that jazz. But what about actually getting the shit beat out of you? Or killed? I know they can’t run down to the grocery store for our feast, but can’t we have something a little less “gonna spike your face”? I like a fancy dinner and all, but in reality, I’m more of a burger girl over steak. This is not necessary.
It’s then that I realize the levadon under me has slowed. We’re standing on the edge of the valley.
“Aren’t we going to go help them?”
Kaami shakes her head. “No. The warriors will handle this themselves.”
Her voice is so robotic, like it’s a sentiment that’s been driven into her senses her whole life. Maybe it has. Like some of Earth’s older societies. Women were for making babies, caring for the house, and taking care of the men. She did say we were there for support only.
I watch with wide eyes as the warriors close in on the monster. It takes a swing at one of the men, narrowly missing taking his mount out from under him. A wince pinches my chest, over and over as the warriors avoid tail blows and bumps with the animal’s wide hips.
I can make Kovak out even from such a distance and gasp when he moves in close, spearing the dino in the thigh. It jerks its tail around and clips his mount. It cartwheels into the dirt, leaving Kovak clinging to the beast’s side.
I gasp. Oh shit, he’s going to get trampled by this monster, and the very thought turns my blood to ice.
Before I can make any rational thought, I’m off Kaami’s levadon and hitting the ground at a run.
Chapter 10
Gemma
Kaami shouts behind me as I dash off, but I can’t stop. I can’t sit on the sidelines and watch the hunt like her. Maybe there’s nothing I can do. Maybe Kovak will get killed even before I arrive, but I can’t just watch.
Even more surprising than my leaping ability is my running. My long legs stretch like a gazelle and I churn through the grass like a rabbit on fire. Why do the Kutarians even ride the levadon when they can move like the wind?
It doesn’t take Kaami long to catch me on her mount, and I realize that’s why they ride them. Those things are fast as fuck too.
“Gem-ma, stop!” she calls.
But what is she going to do? Run me over?
I tuck my arms in and keep going.
Ahead of me, there are two other warriors on the plaxa now. One stabs at its back with a long knife. A spray of bright yellow shoots into the air. It looks like a lit fountain in the dark.
Kovak is still hanging on the backside of the dinosaur and he's disabled the leg. The beast's run has slowed as it limps haphazardly.
The tail is still flailing angrily though. I put a hand to my mouth in shock as it hits Kovak, nearly knocking him loose from the creature’s flank like a pesky fly. It doesn’t rip him off, though, so the spikes must have missed him. I let out a breath.
But the beast isn’t done yet. It swings wide with a roar. The yellow lightning bolts in its skin flicker even faster, pulsing out light in all directions. One of the warriors goes flying and I can no longer see Kovak.
I pump my legs harder but they’re starting to ache. I’m not sure what all this body can do. It did just sit on the shelf collecting dust for who knows how long, and there’s only so much the healer can do to keep it in shape. I’m slowing, but I’m not done either.
I have no clue what the hell I think I’m going to do when I get there, but I will get there. I have no weapons, no knowledge of this creature, but even if I have to crawl upo
n its back and bite it to keep it from goring Kovak, I'm going to do it.
I'm close enough to smell the beast now and my nose curls. One of the warriors leaps up and over the ridge of bony plates and drives his spear down through the animal's back. It must hit a vital organ because the dinosaur staggers and comes crashing to a sliding halt.
The rest of the warriors leap on and make sure the thing is dead. Glowing yellow ooze flies everywhere.
I come to a stop and put my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. One of the warriors spots me and calls out to Kovak. The Captain pops up over the top of the fallen animal and stares at me.
He seems utterly shocked, but who can blame him if the women usually just stand around and watch them risk their lives? He doesn't move, doesn't blink, and after a couple seconds, I feel a little silly and lift a hand in an awkward wave.
Way to make a girl feel like a freak.
He jumps over the back of the plaxa and runs toward me. I stand with my hands on my hips, chest still heaving, as I regard him silently.
His breath is labored too, and we huff at one another.
“Gemma, what―why are you down here?”
“You said I need to watch the hunt. I’m not sitting in the nosebleed section.”
The tilt of his head tells me he doesn’t know what I mean, but he follows the jab of my thumb over my shoulder and seems to get the gist.
“You could have at least ridden down.”
“Yes, well. Kaami is sweet and all but she didn’t think it was necessary to come down.”
This time his eyebrows move in a suave, knowing manner. “Was it necessary?”
I’m not ready for the heat that bombards my cheeks. I feel as if he’s plopped me into a spotlight and can see right through me. I didn’t think my heart could beat any faster after my run, but there it goes, kicking up a notch.
“That thing was trying to kill you. I thought I―”
“―you would just come rescue me?”
The heat in my face burns so hot it starts to itch. How’d he pin me so hard so fast? Is that any way to treat your Lady in Shining Armor?
“Well, I didn’t want you to―you know…”
Oh my God, I can’t even talk. Not to mention his energy is pulsing harder than ever and it’s roped me in. It’s reaching into me and ensnaring itself with my insides, blending into my body, and filling me with so much warmth and desire I could pop.
When he takes my hand, I nearly do.
“Come. It’s time to honor the plaxa.”
I have no idea what he's talking about, but his hand feels good in mine. I follow after him as he pulls me toward the fallen animal.
The other warriors stand near the massive fallen beast. The stench is horrible and I make a sour face.
“Are we really going to eat this thing?”
A couple aliens look my way and it’s just dark enough that I can’t make out their facial expressions. But I can feel their energies. It’s hard for anything to break through the power Kovak is radiating out at me, but I can still pick up the disapproval.
I suppose insinuating that the sacred beast has a stank issue going on is not considered appropriate. But if that thing tastes like it smells…
I bite back the gag in my throat.
Kovak just squeezes my hand. “Do not worry. The meat is delicious. He may not be beautiful or smell nice, but you will enjoy your meal tomorrow.”
There’s an edge of excitement in his voice and I can’t help but believe him. Even with the odor still wafting in my face, I’m looking forward to the feast.
We reach the side of the animal and I gawk at it. It’s very similar to the stegosaurus even up close, especially now that its lightshow has gone black. The feet are different than what we hypothesized a stegosaurus’s would look like, but the chances that the two beasts walked on different types of terrain are quite high.
The scientist part of my brain whirls and I wish I had my notebooks to write down all these details.
Kovak stops next to Rhafmur and Kaami, and I fall back to reality. The other alien warrior has cut a long gash between the animal's ribs and a stream of bright yellow blood runs down into the grass. Kaami has her arm inside the hole in the creature, sunk up to her elbow.
My body jolts in surprise. What the hell is she doing?
The female leans back, glowing liquid pooled in her hand and running down her forearm. Next to her Rhafmur stands tall, hands on his hips and eyes only for his woman. She reaches up and wipes the blood over his cheeks and chin, painting him. Even as he lifts his head with a proud nod, my stomach turns.
That’s disgusting.
I understand warpaint and the black stuff they have on actually smells nice. But blood?
A shudder ripples through me, and Kovak pulls me closer. We stand facing the newly painted hunter, and Kovak’s chin rubs the top of my head.
“We honor the plaxa by displaying his life force,” he whispers into my hair. “We are taking his essence and his power with us when we go.”
“Don’t you do that when you eat it?”
He shakes his head. “His spirit and energy are still here. Ready to move on. We bring him with us now.”
It’s kinda poetic, I’ll admit, even if still creepy.
“It is our turn,” he says next.
I spin to look up at him. “Whoa, what? You want blood on you too?”
“Of course. I honor the plaxa just like Rhafmur. We all do.”
His chin lifts, motioning down the beast to the other warriors gathered near its neck. They paint one another as well. And behind us, Waella rubs her sticky yellow fingers over her mate's face.
Damn. I feel stuck between a rock in a hard place. Except…
“Well now, hold on. Why aren’t you down there with the other bachelor hunters getting painted? These guys are married.”
I look between the two couples, and then my eyes drop to where his hand is still on mine. I slip it away, tucking my hands behind my back.
“We’re not a thing. A couple. We’re not married or whatever it is you people call it here.”
“We are not, but the Shaman does wish for us to procreate.”
Oh my God, how can that sound so offensive and delicious at the same time?
“I don’t care what the Shaman wants. No one asked me. Is that how you choose your partners anyway? You just let―”
My words halt when Kovak presses his fingers to my lips.
“The Shaman will offer suggestions on which pairings he thinks will produce the strongest and healthiest offspring. That is his focus.” I guess my hands have fallen back to my sides because he slips his fingers around one again. “Though I’m not disappointed with his choice for me.”
Oh, snap.
His eyes are gleaming in the dark, catching the moonlight as it climbs into the sky. They’re beautiful, and they’re looking so far into me that I fear I might lose myself.
His energy is buzzing, and mine pulses along with it.
“We may not be properly mated,” he says, “but I like the way I feel when I’m around you.”
So he does feel the energy pull. Even the realization that we’re sharing it tickles my insides.
“It is an honor for a warrior to be painted by his woman, and it may be forward of me to request, but I want you to do me.”
His wording makes my eyes widen, and I nearly can't contain the surge of heat in the pit of my stomach. My heart flutters, and it's hard to steady my breath. I know he didn't mean the words as I heard them, but it doesn't change the fact that the notion hits me in all the right places. I clench my thighs to ward off the invading moisture between my legs. It is neither the time or place to be losing it.
But I must be pushing feelings of arousal out into my energy field because his eyes grow darker. His nostrils flare and I can hear the hesitation in his breath.
He knows, and I’ll admit, I’m a little mortified.
Except his energy flares too, and it heats eve
ry fire within me tenfold.
I’m totally digging the alien right now. The strange silver man who rides dinosaurs and has a freaking tail. The one who essentially kidnapped me and stole my body.
I want to tuck his hand deep into my lady parts again.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
We stare at each other in silence as the others move around us. Like we’re at the center of the world and only the two of us exist.
Then his mouth moves and I have to concentrate to focus on his words.
“Let’s take the plaxa’s blessing so we can go home.”
It’s odd to consider any place home here, but I can read his undertones perfectly.
Let’s get this shit done and go somewhere more private.
He leads me to the crevice in the animal’s side and motions to it. “Paint my face. I will proudly display his essence.”
I curl my nose and glance into the gaping hole. Bioluminescent yellow pools inside it and the smell―Oh my God. I thought the outside smelled bad.
My stomach clenches but Kovak squeezes my hand.
“Don’t let him get the best of you. He’s dead now.”
I blink up at him, an eyebrow on the tilt. Does he think I’m afraid of it?
I smile sweetly as I reach a hand in as I saw Kaami do. The blood is hot and it is absolutely disgusting, but you can bet your ass I smile the entire time. While swirling the stuff into my fingers and smearing an entire handful down his face, neck, and chest.
He jumps at first, totally not expecting it, but then he stops and lets me coat him. A sloppy glowing handprint that’s nearly too bright on my eyes drips down his face. It’s grown so dark out, the yellow blood is nearly the only thing I can see, like a busted highlighter floating in the air.
When he opens his eyes, the two black pits stare back at me. Then he grins, a row of white teeth with four slightly pointed canines on top, peering out from the darkening blood. The more the bright yellow fades to black, the more his smile lights up.
And my knees grow weak.
I’ve never seen him smile quite like that, and holy cow. I’ve got glowing magma blood coursing through me now too.
