by Sabrina Kade
Back down at the earth, I see Phoebe’s steps weaving this way and that, and my hearts race at the idea that she’s not running in a straight line. Is it possible that the spinesk youngers are also cleverer than I imagined? Are they tracking her down? I can’t risk it. I sprint, not caring if the father sees me or not. I will not fail Phoebe again. If she is in danger, then the mission has to wait.
I push harder, and the spinesk roars. It’s the only proof I have that the plan is still working at all because I can’t hear the youngers in front of me chasing down Phoebe. No. No! I won’t lose her again! I should have never let her go. I should have never agreed to let her come with me! I should have tied her down to the bed and—
Another piercing scream. Not the spinesk.
Phoebe.
I roar, nearly stumbling when something collides with my ankle, and I almost fall to the ground. I glance back, and shockingly, the father spinesk is close. Closer than it should be considering I’m sprinting. The father is no longer messing around, but neither am I. Refusing to waste another moment, I turn back toward the direction I should be heading and follow the sound and scent of my mate. The talas rustle loudly behind me as the spinesk continues its chase, but I won’t think of that now. I can’t think of that now.
I must think about—
I stumble in my footing, nearly tripping when I notice a pale haired human in the distance.
My Phoebe.
She is surrounded by the three spinesk youngers. I don’t know how it happened, but there is nowhere for my mate to run. And there is an angry, and probably very hungry spinesk father ambling toward all of us.
Phoebe’s pale blue eyes widen when she sees me, but one of the youngers lets out a squeaky roar and she rears back, landing on her bottom. I swallow hard, expecting one of them to jump on her, but they only continue bounding around like Exer’s annoying idekeiss. I frown, taking no chances and sprint forward, surprising all of the youngers and seize my mate’s waist and pull her close to me.
“Drazal.” She sounds surprised. “What are you doing?”
“I’m not losing you again.” I won’t fail her again. I’ll never fail her again.
“They’re not attacking,” she says in a low voice.
She’s right. The spinesks have both of us surrounded, and yet, none of them attack. I am prepared to die protecting her, but for now, the three youngers only bounce and prance around. There’s no escape without taking a huge risk, but as the father lumbers more closely, I realize a risk may be all we have.
I am not losing Phoebe on this day.
Not after going through everything up until this point.
She is mine.
“Why aren’t they attacking us?” she whispers.
“I do not know.”
I narrow my eyes at the three smaller beasts, trying to understand. The father is not attacking, but that is probably because he wants his youngers to complete the kill. He will oversee but not intervene. It is a learning process, but my mate is not training food. She will never go into their filthy, crimson stained mouths.
I snarl and hiss loudly, hoping to scare the youngers off, but they only bumble, squeak and roar. What is this? I cannot figure out their behavior, but I am not about to spend the next few planetary rotations playing with spinesk youngers.
Anger seizes me. I’m angry at myself for letting it come to this. Angry for allowing Phoebe to come in the first place. Angry for ever making her feel this is somehow her fault. I could have given up on her many turnings ago, but I wanted her so badly I continued to pursue. I got her into this mess. I will also be the one to get her out of it.
What did Phoebe say? Something about she jumps and then I jump? Or I jump, and then she jumps?
Either way. She came for me and saved me from anguish.
Now I must save us both from being eaten by spinesk youngers.
I take in the three smaller beasts, gauging to locate the bravest of all of them. This is the one I will have to attack to frighten the other two back to their father. All three appear similar at first, but upon closer inspection, each one moves in a slightly different manner. One is entirely too clumsy in their movements to be a true threat. Its legs wobble while trying to bound like its older brothers. The next is bigger, but there is not much blood on its mouth. Either this one is a clean eater or has not recently attacked fresh prey. These two do not matter. Neither does the father if I play this off correctly. He will continue to observe. If I hurt one of the young and get away with Phoebe in my arms, he will not chase after me. He will care for his young.
It is many assumptions, but there are no other options.
Phoebe shakes with fear. To those who don’t know her, she appears composed, but her eyes water and her lips tremble.
I must get her out of this mess before what little adrenaline she’s holding onto wears off.
The largest younger is the one I must attack. It looks different than the others. Despite its smaller fangs, letting me know of its youth, the body is full and fluffy with traces of red in the pure white fur. This is a spinesk who knows how to kill and will most likely kill to impress his father who continues to watch the scene unfold. We are much smaller than these beasts, it thinks it will be all right to see its young take an innocent life. But the father is also not stupid. He’s also tense. He probably scents that I am not prey, and Phoebe is not typical prey. I cannot focus on the father. Once I attack the bravest of the youngers, I must assume it will not come after either of us.
It is a risky gamble, but one I will take to protect my mate.
I release a roaring hiss to the air, testing to see which of the three youngers will back down at the sound. I have no weapons other than the claws at the tips of my fingers, but I have no problem attacking. These beasts have frightened my mate, and it may take many rotations to ease these memories away from her mind, so I must act quickly.
As expected, two of the spinesks bulk and growl following my roar, sneaking glances to their father to see if he will help. He remains stationary. Good. This is working. Growing confident, I roar again, and sure enough, the two more frightened youngers scuttle and back away, heading further south. The father shifts but does not attack.
The bravest of the three youngers won’t give up so easily. He bucks and snarls into the air, his mouth large and wide with too many teeth. Phoebe whimpers beside me, but I cannot afford to look down at her. I can only assume she will find a way to stay safe. Phoebe is often known to my brothers for being flighty and naïve, but that is only because they cannot see her now. They do not understand the brevity flowing through her veins. A flighty female would not stand beside me between spinesks. A Sidyth female wouldn’t dare take the risk. And though Phoebe trembles, she will not run. Such an action would prove deadly for the both of us.
Clever female.
I smile, wishing I could glance at my mate once last time, but this is no time to hesitate. The trifecta of perfection has come upon me, and I am not about to waste it.
I snarl and hiss at the younger who has not yet backed down. However, it grows more hesitant. I try puffing up my body. It is not anything like Hujun’s or Azan’s, but it is my own, and I am a strong fighter. I pound my chest and continue hissing and roaring like my life depends on it, and the two younger spinesks continue shuffling further south.
“They’re leaving,” Phoebe breathes. Her voice shakes, but it does not matter.
She is strong. She is brilliant. She is mine.
Finally, the bravest spinesk shuffles back, trying to move past me, and Phoebe toward its brothers.
“Go now!” I roar, advancing before it gains confidence. “You will not settle in these lands!”
“Yeah!” Phoebe squeaks. “Go!”
A strange, strangled sound comes from her throat, and I cannot believe it. My mate is trying to roar as well. I almost smile but instead, I join in her growl, moving toward the smaller spinesks. They are frightened and most likely perplexed to hear my mate make
such a bizarre sound. They do not like anything unfamiliar, and the sound erupting from Phoebe’s throat is most confusing. Their movements grow more frantic and like me, Phoebe grows more confident when she realizes she is confusing the beasts.
We roar together, advancing on the youngers, scaring them further south, when at last, one fully spins away and breaks into a ground rumbling sprint. My shoulders droop in relief when the other follows, but a thunderous roar from behind us lets us know the battle is not yet over.
The scales on my shoulders stand fully. The father has stretched his legs to his full height, almost level with the tops of the talas. A knot of fear boils in my stomach, and Phoebe clutches my waist, and I straighten. I roar again. And again. And again. The spinesk lowers itself down into a hunched position, and I prepare to tell Phoebe to run. The beast has gone into attack mode. Why shouldn’t it? We chased him and his family away, and they have no prey to show for it. I roared at his young. I chased them away.
“Scheita,” I breathe, eyes widening as the spinesk hunkers down, wiggling into full position. “Prepare to run.”
“What? What are you—” The words die in her throat as the spinesk leaps into the air—
And right over us.
All breath leaves my lungs to see such a massive beast leap right over the top of us to lumber after it’s youngers. It doesn’t turn back. It doesn’t roar a warning.
It simply… keeps… going.
My shoulders slack. “It is going after its young. It’s going after it’s young!”
“You mean, it’s not going to attack us?” Her voice shakes, and her body is full on shaking against mine. I pull her close, watching the spinesk until it’s completely gone from my vision and the only thing alerting me that it’s close is the fading footsteps. “It’s… it’s going?”
“It is going to chase after his young,” I say, pulling her closer. My chest fills with pride. “We did it. You did it, Phoebe.”
She breaks out into tears, confusing me, and I pull her away from my chest. I want to ask her what’s wrong, but she only continues shaking her head. “I was so scared.” Her voice is so low that I can barely hear it. “I was so scared. They were huge. So big! They caught up to me… I was so scared…”
“But you scared them,” I remind her. “Everything was falling apart until you started roaring. Well done, Phoebe.”
She shakes her head. “That didn’t do anything.”
“Oh, but it did! That noise. They never heard it before. It is the sound of a predator. When they heard you make it, they did not know what to expect. Spinesks have never seen a creature like you before, so they did not know what you were capable of. Did you not see it? Even the father did not want to test you. That is why he leapt over us both!” I scoop Phoebe into my arms and hold her tightly. “Phoebe, that was incredible. You are incredible.”
“I’m not…” she stammers, but I feel her relaxing in my grip, allowing me to hold and care for her as I’ve always wanted to.
And now, I can do that. Forever.
I keep Phoebe securely in my arms heading back to the lairs. Her heart pounds furiously against her chest and mine, but I do not comment on it. She needs to work through her fears herself, and no words I say will have the same effect as holding her in my arms. I do not mind holding her. She is damp with sweat, but her scent remains pleasant.
“I believe flenhein is officially over,” I say at last when the first and second lair come into view. It is dark now, but I recognize the rise in the earth where the openings for each lair are situated.
“Thank God,” Phoebe says. “You can put me down now.”
“I rather keep you in my arms.” I boost her up, lifting her face close to mine. “I am going to kiss you, Phoebe.”
Her eyes widen, and her heart pounds faster. “Oh… okay. I’d like that.” I press my lips to hers, but to my shock, she slides away. I hiss in annoyance but try to wait for what she has to say. “We’re still mates, right?”
I blink. “Phoebe, you ask me this now?”
She shifts uncomfortably in my grasp, and I wonder why she would think to ask me such a thing now. Then she speaks. “I’m a coward, remember? I don’t know if I can always be a badass…”
“Bad… ass?” I question. “Ass is the bottom, yes? The posterior?” I squeeze her plump, soft cheeks to prove my point, but she still stiffens. “Phoebe,” I say shaking my head. “Please, look at me.” At first, she only shakes her head, and I’m about to hiss in annoyance. “My Chosen mate,” I breath. Sure enough, her attention flashes up to mine.
“There was a time that yes, I was frustrated with you. You clung to Iriel because you were afraid. You never wanted him. I always tried to detect a scent of arousal when you were with him, but I detected nothing. I did not understand. It was especially infuriating because you always had that scent around me, and yet, you would not leave Iriel.”
“I was a coward—”
“You were afraid. And though I do not know everything Iriel has said to you, it does not matter now, does it?”
“It doesn’t?”
“No, it does not,” I remind her. “Who you were when you first arrived? Who you became after I foolishly took you into dilewiler territory? None of this matters now. Because that is not the Phoebe I saw tonight. The Phoebe I saw tonight roared at four spinesks. That is not the workings of a coward. The Phoebe I saw tonight came with me to chase those spinesks away. That is not the workings of a coward.” I boost her further up in my arms. “The Phoebe you are now came to me during flenhein to Choose me. I accepted you then, but if you must hear it, I’m accepting you now.”
The corner of her mouth raises with a smile. “Officially, right?”
I chuckle. “Officially. You are mine. And though I may not be the perfect mate, there is one thing I will always work on.”
“What’s that?”
“Not failing you.” Not wanting to wait another moment, I press my lips to hers. She grunts in surprise but does not push me away. I kiss her deeply, tasting and inhaling her beauty before pulling away. “I will continue to work on not failing you. I have watched you grow these past few turnings, and now I must catch up. You have become a beautiful, strong, and courageous female. Now, I must do the same for you.”
“You’re already perfect,” she croaks, and my hearts nearly burst with pride.
“You are wrong, but I intend to work hard until you are right.” Her eyes grow hooded, and she wraps her arms around my neck, and nothing has ever felt more right in the world. “I will start right now by making you scream my name.”
I pick up the pace, striding right into the second lair. Cade and Dash are there, and their mouths hang open. And while I would be happy to spar them in the mouth, I only spare them a smug look as I stride past.
“The spinesks are heading south,” I say, beaming down at my mate. “Phoebe and I have chased them off.”
They say nothing, and that is good because I do not want to waste time with idle conversation. My Phoebe’s brevity must be rewarded.
“Jesus, you’re already hard,” Phoebe notes, smirking. “You want me to take care of that when we get back to the prison lair?”
I shake my head. “No. For tonight, Phoebe, I am going to be the one who takes care of you.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Phoebe
My heart pounds at his lust-filled words, and all the fear I felt around the spinesks is all but forgotten. Drazal weaves through the tunnels of the second lair like he owns the place, and anyone who stops us gets nothing more than a glare or proud declaration that we chased away the spinesks.
It’s hard not to feel the same amount of pride Drazal does. Is this how he sees me? That I’ve changed so much? I still remember how afraid I was of those puffy beasts, but Drazal acts like I’m the bravest damn woman he’s ever seen. Who knows? Maybe he’s right.
Drazal enters the prison lair and pulls the door open without words and lays me out on the ground, so my breasts are
pointed up at the ceiling. He crouches down in front of me, and immediately I’m wet. It’s such an intense look that my nipples are as hard as diamonds within seconds, and I’m already starting to writhe about. He slowly peels off his shorts, setting his erection free, and my mouth waters at the sight. That cock. Damn. He’s already rock hard, and it’s longer and thicker than any sex toy I’ve ever seen back home.
I lick my lips and start to remove my skirt when Drazal’s hands shoot out and stop me.
“Allow me,” he says in a deep, raspy voice.
I moan with need, removing my hands as his thumbs hook under the band of my skirt and ease it down my legs. The scorching hot air hits my pussy immediately, and I buck my hips to help Drazal remove the fabric. He tosses the skirt to the corner and helps remove my shirt as well and finally, we’re both naked. I can’t help taking in the beauty that is Drazal. True, he’s not the most muscular alien, but he has all the muscles he needs. He’s fast, and strong. Plus, he’s going to get bigger.
I smile at the idea.
“Come closer,” I rasp, hating that his face is so far away from mine. He leans over and we kiss, but it feels different this time. His tongue invades my mouth without apologies, swirling and swooping with mine like a dance. Damn, it’s amazing that he doesn’t choke me with that thing, and my mind wanders. If his tongue can make me feel this good when it’s only in my mouth, what the hell is it going to do when its between my folds? “I have an idea,” I say, in what I hope is a naught, seductive voice.
Drazal pulls away, expression curious. “What is it you would like to do now, Phoebe? Not chase after more spinesks, I hope?”
I can’t help snickering. “No, not that. I was thinking about your tongue.”
He sticks it out and glances down, making him look a bit cross-eyed which is so cute that I almost break out into giggles. “Oh? What about it?”
