by Ivy McAdams
When the levadon lowers its body to blast a roar in the raptor’s direction, I jump up to my hands and knees and crawl between its legs. Its massive tail bobs in the air behind it, drifting back and forth. I duck low beneath it as well and steal a glance behind me as I get to my feet to run.
The levadon looks huge compared to the raptor. It smashes its big head into the smaller dinosaur, sending it flying again.
I sprint without turning around and scream when arms wrap around me. At first, I fight, throwing the heel of my hand into a strong jaw. Drek's grunt has me spinning around in surprise.
“Drek, oh God. I’m sorry—I got stuck on the ladder. And then that thing was there. I thought I was going to—what the hell is that thing?”
I do my best to control my breathing and the words that spill from my mouth.
“Eva xon enhw. Rho mog ogser1,” he says in response.
His hands are on my arm, tugging me back toward the cave. I don't need any more convincing. We run across the soft wet dirt and into the hole in the rocky wall.
Green light flickers across the walls of the cave and I slow down to gaze around in wonder. Drek’s fingers slide down my arm to my hand as he leads me forward.
It's a small cave, tall enough for Drek to stand up completely but not much more. The levadon would need to crouch to enter. But there's enough space for two or three to fit. In the center, a small fire burns. I do a double-take when I see it.
Green flames lift into the air, enough to light the whole space.
I can’t pull my eyes away from it.
What kind of magic voodoo creates green fire?
Drek leads me across the rocky floor and deeper inside.
Behind us, a large shadow falls over the crevice exit and I can see the giant levadon’s foot outside. My pulse eases knowing it’s out there on guard.
As we get closer to the fire pit, I realize the female levadon is stretched out on the floor behind it. Her body is huge, and even more so in the midsection, and looks quite uncomfortable. Her eyes follow us and she gives an uneasy snort. When we stop a few yards away from her, she lifts her head with a groan.
Her icy blue eyes meet mine and I’m transfixed. A warmth passes between us, like seeing a puppy in the window that steals your heart. I feel a strange and sudden connection with her and take a few steps nearer without Drek’s request.
The levadon’s eyes flick to Drek and I see the hollow skin beneath them. In her throat. Her head moves a little too much, like she might be dizzy. The entire sight aches my heart, and I reach a hand closer to her.
“Bless your heart…”
Her weary eyes drop to me.
“Eva,” Drek says, a warning in his voice.
His fingers touch my arm again, tracing down to my wrist, where he grabs it and holds me back.
She just gazes at me though, between my face and my hand, a curious tilt to her eyes. When I ease forward again, Drek lets go of me. The calm ambiance of the space—crackling fire, outside rain, and the blood still pounding in my ears—settles around us.
“Are you hurting?” I murmur, nearly close enough to touch her nose with my fingertips. “Or hiding? Is your baby ready?”
Warm air whooshes onto my hand as she lowers her nose to press it into my fingers. A sparkle of energy tickles into my flesh and I smile as red and yellow lights flash and skitter across her skin.
Drek’s hand falls on my shoulder and gives a squeeze.
“Ges ra hix2,” he says.
"Is this normal for a baby coming?" I ask, pointing at the dinosaur's swollen belly and curling my arm in front of me as if I'm rocking a child. The universal sign for baby, I hope.
Drek shakes his head, and I assume a people who raise these beasts as companions would know a thing or two about levadon pregnancies. He shrugs, making a point to touch under his eye, indicating the hollowness I’ve already noted. Then he mimes eating and shakes his head.
She has no appetite. That could be pregnancy-related too. I wait patiently as he continues to feed me symptoms.
He bares his teeth, and for a moment, I’m distracted by the four fangs he has on his top row, two on either side. I assume there are four more on the bottom, but he’s busy pointing out his gums, so I do my best to pay attention.
“Gums? Her gums?”
He points at her, nose curling on one side.
She has bad gums? Tooth problems could make her sick.
I kneel on a knee and slide my hand down her nose to her lips. I’m in a precarious position already, and I’m aware I could lose my fingers at any moment. My heart drums in my chest. But there’s also a clinical part of me that knows what needs to be done and there’s no need to be afraid. Just do it.
“Can I check this, mama?” I ask gently, running my fingers along the seam of her mouth.
Just a quick peek at her gums is all I need.
“Open up for me?”
Drek is rigid behind me, but he doesn’t try to stop me.
The levadon’s nostrils flare and she pulls away an inch, certainly unsure of what I’m doing, but I edge a fingertip inside her mouth anyway.
These animals have never seen a vet in their life. I’m just asking for trouble. But it’s the strange connection I felt upon gazing into her eyes that leaves me bold enough to try.
I want to help.
Her tongue pushes out to flick my finger away, but she does open her mouth and curl her lip. Just enough that I catch a glimpse of her shockingly pale gums.
“Oh, mama. No wonder you don’t feel good,” I whisper as I withdraw my hand. “She’s low on iron,” I say over my shoulder, to myself I suppose. “If your raptors are the same as our animals on Earth, of course. But I’m going to go on the assumption that we all run on blood here.”
I get to my feet and put my hands on my hips as I stare at the huge beast.
“I’m going to assume,” I say, directing my words back at the levadon—because, hell, neither one can understand me, “that it’s almost baby day—because that looks extremely painful already—and that this anemia is not baby related if it’s just popping up now. So it’s something else. Either something’s stealing your blood. Or has infected it.”
Thankfully for this girl, I’ve helped care for and birth thousands of goats, and I’ve seen plenty of cases of unwanted pests.
I kneel closer to her and touch her shoulder. Her intelligent eyes follow me.
“I’m just going to take a look at you,” I murmur, rubbing her hard skin with my fingers.
I know I should be terrified of this beast. My number one priority should be to get as far back in the cave as possible and avoid this agitated animal’s claws and teeth. Not only is she a giant carnivorous dinosaur, but she’s heavily pregnant and sick.
What the fuck am I doing standing right here, as if I spent my summer camp in Jurassic Park or something? Sure, I'm one-semester credit away from my official neo-paleontologist degree—which I suppose I will be forever in limbo since I'm stuck on this planet now and I doubt NYU would accept such a long-distance telecommute.
But there’s a glimmer of trust and understanding in her eyes that I can’t ignore. So I caress her, trying to calm her nerves.
“That’s better, right?” I whisper. Then over my shoulder a little louder: “What’s her name?”
Drek stands behind me and tilts his head.
I gesture to him without fully turning around, pointing at my chest. “Eva.” Then to her. “Name?”
“Calina,” he says.
I'm not entirely positive we've communicated properly—I don't particularly want to call her something random like "potato"—but when I test her name in a whisper, she leans her snout toward me.
“Then Calina it is.” I rub her nose gently.
Then she lays her head back in on the rocky floor and huffs out a long, slow sigh. It feels as if she's given me full reign. All of her trust. It's touching in a way I wasn't expecting.
I turn toward the fire and slide a
burning branch from the stack. When I hold it up, the light glows brighter.
Drek speaks, a question, as I near Calina again.
I say nothing but hand him my torch, motioning him to follow me. We move around the beast and she’s so tired that she lets us without a fuss.
Her skin looks clean of wounds or other foreign entities as I search over her back and tail. Her legs are so damn huge that I’m apprehensive about approaching them, but I don’t want to leave any stone left unturned.
And thank goodness, because I find what I’m looking for behind one of her mustard-colored knees.
“Here,” I gasp, waving Drek over.
He kneels next to me, drawing the torchlight closer. A bulbous little knot sits in the wrinkle of her skin. When I put my hand on Drek’s to ease the fire closer, the lump wiggles.
He growls.
“She most likely has parasites from this...thing.” I gag a little at the sight. “Or at least something similar. Livestock back on Earth get it. It causes anemia. We just need to…”
I guide him to move the flame even closer and just before it touches the knot, the disgustingly huge alien tick lets go and drops to the floor. I shriek—I can’t help it. That things fucking gross. Drek pushes me aside to skewer the skittering pest with the fiery end of the torch. It sizzles and dies, and I shudder.
The warrior speaks as he gets to his feet, staring at me in astonishment.
I can hear the question in his voice, but I'm not sure how to answer him. Instead, I just smile. "She should recover now. Just needs plenty of meat." I chomp my teeth and rub my belly.
He nods, hands on his hips and still staring at the levadon with a smile of disbelief.
By the time I get to my feet, Calina’s side rises and falls with the deep roll of slumber. Drek takes my hand and nods at me. His eyes are full of relief. A good deal of thanks. And something else I’m not entirely sure about.
“Gan va amula3,” he rumbles, then brings my hand to his mouth to press his lips against my knuckles.
His skin burns against mine and a shiver courses through me. And it’s not just from the cool air blowing in from the cave’s entrance. Everywhere my muscles shake, a new invigorating warmth replaces it.
Then I recognize that look in his eye because I feel it deep down in my body as well.
Hunger.
Need.
A desire for those lips to touch mine again so bad that I nearly rip my mask off myself.
Chapter 10
Eva
I’m glad I could help Calina, but impressing Drek sends a chill of excitement through me. I love the way he gazes at me as if I’ve brought new magic to his world from a distant planet. Which I suppose I have, but he can still think me goddess-like all he wants.
Just as long as I can look on and admire him too. The green light on his face contours nicely to his silver skin. That strong nose and chin. Smooth cheekbones. All well defined and attractive. For any man I’ve seen on Earth or Xion V.
I want to touch that face, but when I move forward to, I realize he’s listening to something.
The subtle shift in his ears flicks from me to the rain behind us. The soft splatters outside are like music. Our surroundings are so quiet compared to the noisy squawking that first drew us over.
Drek stands next to me, his fingers still wrapped around my hand.
“It’s beautiful,” I murmur as he leads me toward the cave entrance.
A steady sheet of white and pink lights fall to the ground, pelting the dirt outside with their small bursts of water. The glow of the drops is soothing, but there's so much of it now it's like sitting alongside my own personal light show.
Drek’s levadon stands near the rock wall in the rain, head high and eyes on the edge of the pit.
“Rhux,” Drek says, murmuring a few words as he nods to the beast, as if confirming to me that the dino will continue to guard the entrance.
We stand in the mouth of the cave where the moist, cool air can kiss our faces. It’s a tickling cold against my burning skin. Refreshing but does little to calm the flame within me, especially where the warrior’s fingers touch mine.
I peek up at him, trying to read what he’s thinking.
Drek’s been flirty with me for the last couple days, but having this big guy holding my hand is still surprising. In a good way.
The warrior that originally hung behind Gemma’s mate and awaited orders. Not much to say beyond his role of Second in Command. The quiet stoic Kutarian that stuck to his post during dinner the first night rather than join us.
Now he’s holding my hand. Touching my skin with gentle strokes.
A wave of excited nerves moves through me when he looks down at me.
The flash of hunger returns to his eyes and another jolt of excitement hits me square in the stomach.
“Het enhw. Dam oahn ah zil,” 1he murmurs, rubbing a hand along my arm.
The sound of his words are comforting. They tell me he'll take care of me while we're hiding from the rain in this cave. And the way his voice lowers into a rumbly growl at the end says I'm definitely going to enjoy my time in here.
He leads me back into the cave and grabs one of the burning logs near Calina, lifting a green flame into the air. Then he strides into the darkness toward the back of the cavern. I’m not sure where he’s heading―a small nook or flat spot where we can sit? But as the flame reaches out with its green light, a black hole in the rear rocky wall appears. Before I can even question it, we’re heading toward it.
There’s another small portion of the cave beyond the tunnel. Drek’s torch illuminates the corridor in bright rings of light as we move through it. On the other side, we step into a space as tall as the first but much smaller. There’s a shallow pit of firewood in the center and a stack of furs against one wall. Drek takes his torch to the pit and spreads it into the dry wood stacked there. The fire catches after a few breaths and he tosses his stick in.
When he stands, he faces me silently.
My body feels alive as his eyes drink me in. The firelight plays off his green irises, causing them to flame even brighter.
He’s only a few feet away from me, but it feels as if his warmth is reaching out to touch me. To draw me in.
And I’m not hesitating a moment to answer.
It takes me three steps to reach him, where he could probably cover the distance in one.
Actually, who am I kidding? He could easily take that step and some more. Look at that leg. I want to run my fingers over it. Touch him like I did a couple nights before when I slid my hand over his chest and let him kiss me. The memory stills my breath and tickles my skin from the inside. Goosebumps run up and down my arms and legs.
I want his mouth on mine again.
Even more, I want to be able to tell him that. That his lips are like a fire that lights me up on the inside. That my body feels cold without him now. That somehow I've come to this new planet, left everything I've ever known, and crave him more than any of it.
But I can’t.
At least not in words.
My fingers touch his wrist and slide up his forearm. He grips my elbow as he pulls me in closer, my feet nearly lifting from the ground.
His eyes are wild as he gazes down at me. Curious, aroused, and maybe even a little scared.
“That’s okay,” I whisper. “I’m scared too.” But not more than I’m curious and ready to taste him again.
His nostrils flare as he leans closer and draws in my scent.
I’m sure he can smell my nerves. Or arousal. Or both.
I wish I could smell him too, but my damn mask eats up all the good stuff. Sure, I’m thankful for it, blah blah. But right now…
I suck a breath in through my teeth when he rests a hand on my chest.
I’m not sure what he’s doing until one of his fingers begins to tap in time with my heartbeat. Quick and strong.
Without considering why he might be doing so, I slide a hand up his chest to do the same.
My palm brushes the smooth scales on his pec and settles over his heart. His pulse is slower, a heavy thud that trips a beat at my touch.
That makes me smile.
We stand like that for a few more beats before he nods at me, as if something important has passed through us. Then his hands slide up my neck to my face, pushing the mask aside, and I’m ready for him.
When his strong mouth meets mine, I melt.
He scoops me into his arms and cradles me tight against his chest as his lips send tiny bolts of excitement through me. I wrap my arms around his huge neck and shoulders and open up to him. The tip of his tongue is quick to slip through my lips and tease mine. It's rather large so he doesn't attempt to go too far, but the way the end slides against my tongue and flicks in a flirting dance is enough to make me moan.
He growls into my mouth as his fingers work in my hair and against my scalp. The sensations light me up and hot moisture pools between my thighs.
He smells just as intoxicating as our kiss before and I draw in a deep breath of him. It feels so good to fill my lungs with proper oxygen. Even better when it’s laced with Drek’s unique scent.
While I’m lost in my appreciation, his hands loop under my arms to lift me higher as his kisses trail down my throat and collarbone. It feels so good that I’m not even sorry that I have to move my mask back down over my face. I push it in tight around my mouth and nose as my breath quickens.
Drek uses his lips and soft nibbles of his teeth along the inside collar of my t-shirt. It sends tiny shivers along my skin. When he moves a hand around my back, tugging at my shirt, I realize he’s trying to move it out of the way. It’s not as easy as the laces on simple Kutarian clothing. Rather than explain that and slow things down, I lower my hands to pull the shirt up over my head.
He grunts in satisfaction, taking a moment to stare at me.
He still has me lifted in the air, my body high enough that he could kiss my chest. Now it’s bare, because don’t you know, whoever undressed me before didn’t keep track of my bra. So my breasts are on full display, and his eyes travel over them as soft as any caress.
