by Tana Stone
Bexli was thrilled they’d found Caro, and she’d even gotten used to the idea that the barbarian who’d abducted her wasn’t such a bad guy. She was genuinely happy that all her friends had fallen for aliens who seemed to make them happy, but that didn’t mean all their cozying up didn’t make her even lonelier.
Pog let out a jerky snore, and she gave him an absent pat on his fluffy, green head. She didn’t know why she was bothered. She was used to being solo. After escaping the pleasure planet and being taken on by Danica and the rest of the bounty-hunting crew, she’d been grateful for the overall solitude of the job. Aside from stops at outposts or refueling stations, there had been few chances to encounter males, and that had been fine with her.
As a Lycithian shapeshifter, Bexli had been in high demand as a pleasurer. Being kidnapped and held captive in a pleasure house was a fate that befell many of her kind, and she’d been no exception. Getting out of that house and being hired by Danica had been the best day of her life.
She swallowed hard, as she looked back at her crew laughing and drinking with the Dothveks. They’d been marooned on the sand planet and their ship destroyed, but now Tori had obtained a new ship for them. That meant they could resume their work chasing bounties all over the galaxy. That is, if any of her friends actually wanted to leave, anymore. Would she be the only one flying away from the planet?
Shaking her head, Bexli marched up the ramp of the ship. She couldn’t think about that now. Her head hurt too much, anyway. She’d had way too much V’tish whiskey, and her fingers tingled as she pressed them against the wall of ship for balance.
“You should not wander off alone.”
The gruff voice made her jerk and spin around. Then she groaned. Tommel. The Dothvek with loose, dark hair flecked with silver stood behind her with his thick arms folded across his tattooed chest. Why did he always look at her like she was a misbehaving child?
“Are you following me?” she asked, sounding way more petulant than she would have liked. “You know, just because K’alvek made us ride together doesn’t make you my babysitter for life.”
He tilted his head at her. “I do not think I am your babysitter.”
“Then what are doing, sneaking around behind me?”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I am not sneaking.”
She glared at him for a moment, trying to ignore the sexy scruff her eyes had been drawn to, but the intensity of his green-gold eyes made her look away. “Fine, but you don’t need to worry about me. I’m just going to bed.”
“That is a probably a good idea.”
She turned back around and headed down one of the narrow corridors. “Why?”
“You seem to be intoxicated.”
Boy, this alien had a lot of nerve. Sure, she didn’t handle her liquor as well as humans could—no Lycithian had a high tolerance—but who was he to tell her she was too drunk?
She turned, and he almost walked into her. Bexli put a hand to his muscular chest to keep him from bumping her and her fingers tingled. “What? Have you been watching me or something?”
He didn’t answer, but he didn’t move back, either. The heat seemed to roll off his body, and his closeness made her mouth go dry. Her fingers slipped down, bumping across his corded stomach and brushing the top of his ridges that disappeared below his low-slung pants. The tingling in her fingertips became a buzz that moved up her arm.
Bexli backed away quickly, stumbling over her own feet. Tommel caught her by the elbow before she fell backward. She righted herself, straightening and readjusting the still-sleeping Pog in the crook of her other elbow. “Thanks, but that doesn’t mean I’m drunk. You just startled me, is all.”
He released her arm. “I apologize.”
She huffed out a breath. Why had she made him apologize, when she’d been the one to feel him up? And why did she always feel out of control when Tommel was around? He was so serious and calm that she felt flighty and emotional by comparison.
She stalked off down the hall again, finally locating the door to her cabin. Her head was seriously spinning, and she braced one palm on the door to keep herself upright.
“You are not well.” He was behind her again, his big body covering hers as he wrapped an arm around her waist.
“I’m fine,” she protested, as she pushed open the arched, steel door and fumbled for the illumination control.
She dragged a finger up the lighting panel and the compact room was illuminated—the desk jutting out from one wall, built-in cabinets on the other wall, and the bed covered in a dove-gray blanket. It was utilitarian—not a surprise, considering the ship had been a Zevrian mercenary vessel—but surprisingly comfortable. She deposited Pog on the bed, and he snuggled into the blanket.
She twisted out of Tommel’s grip. “You don’t have to follow me around just because K’alvek told you to, you know.”
“K’alvek did not tell me to follow you.”
She put her hands on her hips. “So, you took it upon yourself to be a creeper?”
His eyes flared. “I did not want you to get hurt.”
She knew she should back off, but she couldn’t stop herself. “I’m not as fragile as I look, and I don’t need someone following me around.” For emphasis, she gave him a swat on the chest with one hand.
He did not move, but heat pulsed off him. “What do you need?”
Bexli’s fingers vibrated, but not from the booze. Before she could answer, the ship jolted, and she fell into him. He held her with one arm, while he braced the other against the wall.
She tried not to notice how hard he was all over, as she peered up at him. “What the hell was that?”
Tommel frowned. “I do not know.”
Bexli did know one thing, though. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good.
Thank you for reading SAVAGE!
If you liked this alien barbarian romance, you’ll love CLAIM. Shapeshifter Bexli has had about enough of the sexy, silver fox barbarian Tommel treating her like she’s a child. She knows one way to prove to him that she’s not. But what happens when one night of passion turns into way more than either of them expected?
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“What an amazing conclusion to the Barbarians of the Sand Planet series, great writing with a fantastic action packed storyline and addictive characters that you love.”-Amazon Reviewer
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Preview of CLAIM—Barbarians of the Sand Planet #6
Chapter One
Bexli stomped down the metal ramp of the ship, her steps making it rattle. A few of the Dothvek barbarians gathered around the bonfire turned to look at her, their hands moving instinctively to the curved blades at their waists. When they saw it was only the petite Lycithian with her lavender bob swinging at her jawbone, they turned their attention back to the celebration.
The burly barbarians circled the roaring fire—some sitting and some standing—talking loudly and occasionally singing what sounded more like war chants than songs. They swigged some sort of fermented wine from leather wineskins and passed skewers of grilled meat. They’d been doing this for hours, ever since the suns set, and there seemed to be no sign of them stopping.
She didn’t blame them. They had a lot to celebrate. They’d revealed their clan leader to be a murderer and traitor, and he’d been killed in a battle. Many of the warriors had disliked the leader, but had not been able to defy him without cause. Discovering his dishonor and killing him meant a new beginning for the clan, and the raucous victory cheers that rose up every so often were proof that it had been a long time coming.
Even though the flames rose high into the air, sending sparks spiraling up and smoke billowing, the desert air was still chilly. Bexli rubbed her arms through her shirt fabric and wondered—not for the first time—how the Dothveks kept warm while on
ly wearing leather pants. None of the massive, gold-skinned aliens had goose bumps like she did. She knew it was something about their skin absorbing the heat of the sunlight and retaining it, but even though she and her fellow female bounty hunters had been marooned on the planet weeks ago, she’d avoided getting up close and personal enough with any of them to feel for herself. Well, except for one.
She flashed back to pressing her hands against the hard flesh of Tommel’s corded stomach only minutes earlier and shook her head hard. The barbarian with sliver flecks in his long, dark hair was the last thing she wanted to think about. Glancing back over her shoulder and up the ramp into the hulking, metal spaceship, she was glad he hadn’t followed her off the ship. Not that she’d given him much of a chance.
Bexli had practically run out of her room when the ship had shifted and knocked her into him. She’d claimed she needed to find out why the ship had moved, but the real reason had been that she needed to get away from him. She did not trust the way her body reacted around Tommel, and the last thing she needed was to get involved with one of the aliens.
It wasn’t that Bexli had anything against the barbarians who inhabited the planet she and her crew mates had crash landed on. They’d actually proven themselves to be helpful allies, sacrificing themselves more than once to save her friends. But Bexli was focused on getting herself and her crew off the planet, even if her fellow bounty hunters weren’t. And hooking up with a gorgeous alien—even one that made her pulse flutter—was not part of that plan.
Bexli paused at the end of the ramp and sighed. Was she still the only one thinking about their plan? From the looks of things, it sure seemed like it. Their captain, Danica, sat on her Dothvek mate’s lap, laughing as he talked animatedly to his cousin Kush, who had one thick arm wrapped around Max, the scientist who used to be their bounty. Caro, the crew’s pilot, sat on the lap of the barbarian who’d, up until very recently, been exiled from the clan. He smiled broadly as he listened to K’alvek and Kush. She didn’t spot Holly’s red hair anywhere, and figured that their engineer and her alien boyfriend were off somewhere getting busy.
She was glad her friends didn’t notice her stomping down the ramp. She was in no mood to talk, and certainly wasn’t in a mood to celebrate. Her feet sank into the powdery sand as she left the ship. She may not want to party, but she wouldn’t mind getting closer to the fire for warmth. She passed the Dothvek’s furry jebels staked into the sand to one side of the fire. They munched on feed and brayed as she got closer, shifting from one knobby leg to the other and eying her as if they might want to take a nibble. She still wasn’t crazy about the smelly creatures that looked like furrier, humpless camels. She’d even shifted into one once, and the memory of that didn’t make her any fonder of the animals.
Edging around the ring of barbarians who towered over her, Bexli slipped through a sliver of space. She was immediately met with a blast of heat from the fire and had to step back, bumping into the hard body of a Dothvek and mumbling an apology.
“Do not apologize, pretty female,” the Dothvek said, his voice a low purr.
Bexli peered up and saw two sets of eyes looking down at her. The twin warriors. She didn’t know many of the Dothveks by sight, but these she did. They were noticeable because they were identical—both wore thick braids down their backs and had the same tribal tattoos across their chests—and seemed to move almost in sync when they fought. And like all the Dothveks, they were ripped and gorgeous.
“Are you alone?” the other twin asked, his eyes sparkling.
“No.” Bexli raised her chin and met his eyes.
His brother grinned, leaning down. “We can offer you our protection.”
“Back off, double trouble.” Tori pushed the warriors aside as she joined Bexli, throwing her arm around her. “She’s with me.”
One of the twins furrowed his brow and opened his mouth, but another Dothvek thumped him hard on the back.
“You heard my mate,” Vrax said. “Move along, warriors.”
Tori narrowed her gaze at the Dothvek with tattoos ringing his biceps. “I told you what I think about that ‘mate’ crap.”
Vrax smiled widely at her. “You did, but I enjoy seeing your cheeks flush every time I call you by that name.” He leaned closer to the Zevrian, with her wild, dark curls piled on top of her head. “Fighting with you is almost as enjoyable as making up.”
Tori growled low, and then rolled her eyes. “You are impossible. I should have left you on Kurril.”
Vrax laughed, clearly pleased by her response, then shifted his attention to Bexli. “Are you enjoying the celebration? My Dothvek clansmen are not bothering you too much, are they?”
“No,” Bexli said. “I think Tori scared them off pretty well.”
“Trust me,” Tori shot her mate another look. “I understand barbarians who won’t take no for an answer.”
Vrax lowered his head to Tori. “As if you ever said no to me.”
She elbowed him hard, but the corners of her mouth twitched.
As happy as Bexli was that her tough Zevrian crew mate had found her perfect match in Vrax, she did not really want to be caught in the middle of their strange foreplay. “Should I leave you two alone?”
“No.” Tori tightened her arm around Bexli’s shoulders. “We had an entire journey from Kurril to be alone, or close to alone. I want to hang out with my girls.”
Bexli smiled. Falling for Vrax had certainly softened the usually stoic Tori. The fermented wine probably hadn’t hurt, either. “I came out to warm up and because the ship was moving around too much for my taste.”
Tori flicked her eyes to the massive metal hull. “She shifts on the sands. This stuff is way too powdery and uneven. We’re lucky she hasn’t disappeared under the dunes.”
Bexli’s stomach lurched, as she remembered that her pet glurkin, Pog, was sleeping in her cabin on the ship. “Is that a possibility?”
Tori shook her head. “No. There’s bedrock underneath. I ran a scan before I set her down, but I had to find a spot with the shallowest dunes, first. That’s why we’re so far from the Dothvek village or the Crestek city, and not as close to Rukken’s oasis as Caro would like.”
Vrax bristled. “Not that we would have landed near the Cresteks.”
Bexli was relieved that the ship wouldn’t sink under the sand, but also grateful that it had shifted when it did. She’d been dangerously close to doing more than touching Tommel’s washboard stomach, and rushing off to make sure everything was okay with the ship had been the perfect excuse.
“You okay, Bex?” Tori asked. “You look flushed. Should we move away from the fire?”
Bexli nodded. Between the flames licking the dark sky and thoughts of Tommel, she did feel overheated. She let Tori lead her out of the inner ring, and was grateful to suck in cool air when they stood behind everyone.
“There you are!” Caro stood a bit away from the crowd, noticeably missing her new Dothvek boyfriend. “You taking a break from the inferno, too?”
“How do they stand it?” Bexli asked, glancing at the aliens surrounding the fire.
“You know their skin,” Caro said, as if that was explanation enough.
“Unless I missed even more when I was away, Bexli doesn’t have firsthand experience touching a Dothvek.” Tori eyed her. “Or do you?”
“Nope,” Bexli lied. “I’m the only one of us who hasn’t shacked up with one.”
No way was she admitting that she’d recently experienced the feel of the hard, gold skin or that the bare skin she’d touched had belonged to the solemn Dothvek who rarely smiled and was so different from the wild, young barbarians Caro and Tori had both fallen for. She couldn’t explain her body’s bizarre response to him, so she wasn’t going to attempt to explain it to them.
Tori looked indignant. “I do not ’shack up.’”
Caro cocked an eyebrow at her. “I thought you and Vrax were sharing the captain’s quarters on the ship.”
Two blo
tches of pink colored Tori’s brown cheeks. “Only for the journey here and only because it had the best shower.”
“Mmhmm.” Caro tightened her sleek ponytail. “We totally believe you.”
Tori folded her arms across her chest, and her well-muscled biceps bulged. “This from the woman who’s been sharing a glorified pup tent with her guy.”
Caro’s mouth gaped open, then she clamped it shut. “Okay, I can’t argue with that. But, in my defense, I didn’t really have a choice since there was only one tent.”
Bexli glanced over to one side of the desert, knowing that Rukken’s camp was only a few dunes away, and guessing he and Caro would sneak off to it pretty soon.
“And you’re sure about Rukken?” Bexli asked. “This isn’t some kind of falling-in-love-with-your-captor syndrome?”
Caro shifted from one foot to the other and tightened her ponytail again. “I know it seems nuts, but I really am crazy about him.”
Bexli nibbled her bottom lip. “So, what’s going to happen?”
“What do you mean?” Tori asked.
Bexli threw her arms wide. “When we leave. I thought our mission was to find a way off the planet that Mourad marooned us on. Now, Tori got us a ship—an even better one than we had—so shouldn’t we be planning to leave? Or do you both plan to stay here and play barbarian house?”
“I think you know my answer to that.” Tori reared back as if she’d been slapped. “I want to go back out and start hunting bounties again.”
“And Vrax?” Caro asked.
“He’s coming with us. After everything that happened to us on Kurril and after spending some time in a spaceship, I think he’s got a taste for adventure that won’t be satisfied staying here.”
“What do you think the others will do?” Bexli asked, afraid to look over at Caro.
“I can’t speak for anyone but myself.” Caro flicked her eyes at the ship. “but I’m a pilot, and pilots fly. Rukken hasn’t been a part of his clan for so long, I don’t think he’ll miss them.”
