Warriors of Phaeton: Hix

by Leora Gonzales

  “If I do not have their location, how can I help them?” Hix asked as he opened the door he had referenced earlier.

  His logical question annoyed the fuck out of her. Maggie didn’t care about the details but just knew that she had to help them. No matter what.

  “I don’t know but I’m not about to let that stop me.” Maggie poked her head into the small room Hix had uncovered. It was little more than a supply closet, the walls lined with dusty shelves holding jars of unidentifiable contents. “You sure this is safe?”

  Hix made a growly sound deep in his throat. “I would not put you somewhere that was not safe.”

  Maggie patted him on the back, hoping to soothe his upset at her words. “You never mentioned how you’re going to get away from Traeger…”

  Hix closed the door behind him, leaving it open a crack so he could keep an eye on the crate parked outside. “I am still working that part out.”

  Maggie dusted off an old wooden stool sitting against the wall. “Well, that doesn’t make me feel better.”

  “Do not doubt that I will be back.” Hix squatted next to where she sat. He pulled out a stack of folders from the pack he carried. “Here.”

  Maggie stared at the pile of paper in confusion. “What is this?”

  “It is what I need you to read while I am making my way back to you.” Hix nodded to the pile. “These are the profiles of the humans kidnapped and sold in the last shipment.”

  Maggie thumbed through the papers. There had to be more than twenty different women listed in these folders. “How did you get these?”

  “I stole them from Kell’s office aboard Verge Prime.” Hix tapped the papers. “I need you to figure out what it all means though.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We know that the Verge are kidnapping humans but how are they are doing it? I cannot find any Earth vids listing those kidnapped in these files and the Verge seem to have no trouble filling the crates. Where are the women coming from? Is your government even aware they are missing?”

  Maggie was shaking her head before Hix had finished speaking. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen anything on the news, but there’s just too many files to think nobody’s noticed, right? Somebody must have noticed that these women are gone.”

  “That is what I believed but the silence says otherwise.”

  “So that’s the plan? I wait here and try to figure out how the Verge abducted all of these women while you try to give your dudes the slip?”

  Hix sat for a moment with a blank expression on his face.

  “What part was confusing?” Maggie asked, able to pick up what his expression meant the longer they were around each other.

  “The part of dudes and slipping,” Hix said quickly, leaning forward to hear her explanation.

  Maggie tossed her head back with a laugh, amazed that he was able to distract her enough to laugh at a time like this. “Never mind.”

  “You will explain later though, right?” Maggie giggled and turned to assure him that she would explain everything later when she realized how close he was to her. Hix sat chuckling deeply beside her, laughing with her despite not understanding.

  Sitting back on his heels next to her stool, Hix’s face was level with her own. Her laughter instantly died as she stared at his mouth. Maggie watched as he tightened his lips with a grim expression.

  Maggie raised her hands to run her fingertips over his lips. “What’s wrong?”

  Hix frowned. “Nothing is wrong.”

  “You stopped smiling.”

  “I did not wish to scare you with my teeth.” When Maggie simply raised her eyebrows, Hix went on. “I am a Skrammon warrior just like Traeger.”

  “Hix,” Maggie cupped his face, hating the look he had on his face at the mention of his old friend. “You are nothing like Traeger. No, don’t shake your head at me.” Maggie tightened her hold on his cheeks. “You are nothing like him, I promise. He enjoyed scaring me. He enjoyed hurting Bodhi.”

  “I am sorry,” Hix whispered.

  “There is nothing for you to be sorry for.” Maggie leaned forward and quickly touched her lips to his. Pulling away, Maggie shook off the desire seeping into her body. “I don’t mind your teeth.”

  Hix stared at her with an unreadable expression on his face. “That is good,” he coughed as he stood up. “Stay here and stay safe. I will be back for you soon.”

  Maggie began to panic as Hix moved closer to the door. “I’m scared.”

  Hix was back at her side in an instant. “I will be back quickly I promise. Take this time to look over the files for clues as to how the Verge managed to steal these women away without others finding out.”

  Maggie understood and appreciated what he was doing.

  “Okay…I’ll look these over and try to figure out how they did it.” Maggie pointed at the door he was prepared to sneak out of once she had her shit together. “Go ahead…I got this.”

  “I will not leave you while you are frightened,” Hix argued, and propped his hands on his hips.

  “I’m fine. I promise.” Maggie was a miserable liar and she knew it, especially when Hix gave her a look of disbelief. “Okay, so I’m freaking out a little bit. Just give me a few minutes and I promise I’ll be fine.”

  “I cannot leave you like this.” Hix sighed before quickly peeking out the door.

  “I’m okay,” Maggie murmured as she brushed her hair back from her face and frowned at her shaking hands.

  Hix had turned just in time to +notice this, too. “No, you are not.” Hix moved closer and knelt at her side once again. “Would you like for me to give you a sedative?”

  “What? No!” Maggie argued the moment his words registered. There was no way she wanted to be drugged and left alone in a room. No, if she was going to be waiting for Hix to return then she wanted to do it with a clear head and the ability to fight back if someone else came through that door.

  “Well, then we need to adjust your emotions.”

  Maggie couldn’t help the look that came over her face. “Do you think there’s a dial for that or something?”

  “A dial?” Hix looked bemused at her words but she couldn’t understand why. “Not a dial necessarily but I do have another way to adjust your emotions if you will let me.”

  She snorted, barely biting back a full-fledged scoff at his statement.

  “Sure…go ahead. Adjust away!” Maggie rolled her eyes, only to focus them both on Hix when she felt his hands wrap around her ribcage.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, leaning back.

  “I am supplying you with a different emotion,” Hix explained, his voice patient.

  Maggie narrowed her eyes at him when she felt his fingers skate up and down her ribs. “I hate being tickled,” she said quickly. “In fact, I become violent when tickled and I’m warning you now it will not end well for you.”

  “Shhhhh,” Hix murmured. “I am not going to tickle you.”

  “Well then dial or do whatever you need to do to make me feel better beca—” Maggie’s words were swallowed by Hix’s mouth.

  As she sank into the kiss, Maggie realized his hands were moving up toward her breasts.

  That was definitely not a tickle.

  “Ohhh,” Maggie breathed after pulling away slightly. “So that’s how you’re going to change my emotions.”

  “It is clever, is it not?” Hix chuckled against her mouth when she nipped at his lips.

  “Very clever.” Maggie arched into the hands cupping her breasts, not only accepting his touch but reveling in it. She hugged him close and ran her nose across his jawline to draw in a breath of his clean scent.

  Hix pulled away well before Maggie was finished with him. Breathing hard, she chased his lips with her own as she tried to hold him close with grasping fingers. “Where ya going?”

  “I must get back outside,” Hix explained with a kiss to her cheek. “I have tarried too long already. Engage the lock once it is closed.”
<
br />   Maggie nodded, her body cooling the further away he moved. “Be safe.”

  “I vow it.”

  As she watched him go, Maggie had to admit one thing.

  She wasn’t scared anymore.

  Chapter Twelve

  Maggie took stock of the small room Hix had left her in. Roughly the size of her apartment living room, it smelled stale yet earthy, reminding her of the caves she would sometimes explore while out on her nature hikes. Random boxes and jars were stacked haphazardly against the walls, some of them cracked and broken where they lay. Poking around a bit, Maggie prayed she didn’t find some sort of alien spider lying in wait for her. The last thing she needed was to be bit by some poisonous space bug on top of all the other shit she was dealing with. There wasn’t much she could identify in the room, but she did manage to find a pallet rolled up and tucked in the corner. It didn’t smell very clean but she wasn’t in any position to be picky.

  Unrolling the padded fabric, Maggie sat down and crossed her legs. Tugging the bag into her lap, she searched the sack full of supplies. As she removed a bag of something that resembled glowsticks, she made a mental note to ask Hix how those worked.

  “Files, files, where are the files…” Removing items one at a time, Maggie counted a few packs of crackers, a canteen, and a couple other survival items she somewhat recognized. Thrusting her hand inside to feel around blindly, her heart dropped when she touched the familiar fabric of Bohdi’s leash.

  Maggie bit her lip to keep from crying at the reminder of her beloved companion. She couldn’t cry anymore…no matter how much the loss hurt. It still felt too raw. It may seem cold to some but Maggie knew if she gave in to tears now there would be no stopping them. The time for her to give in to her grief would come later. Swallowing past the painful lump in throat, Maggie tucked the leash away as she continued searching the dark bag.

  The next thing she came across was a thin black and silver blanket. Pulling it out, she couldn’t help but catch a whiff of the scent she associated with Hix. She didn’t know if it was cologne or just his natural smell but damn, it was addicting.

  Maggie knew it was a little crazy but that didn’t stop her from raising the blanket to her nose for a sniff. Closing her eyes, she savored the spicy essence that was an intoxicating mixture of a wooded forest peppered with a trace of cloves. It wasn’t until her nipples tightened into hard points that she realized the effect his smell alone had on her.

  “Jesus, he’s like goddamn catnip,” Maggie muttered, tossing the blanket to the end of the pallet. Eyeing the puddle of fabric as if it were a snake posed to strike, she let out a frustrated huff.

  Pull it together, Mags.

  Steeling herself to continue, Maggie once again began to shuffle through the bag. Breathing through her mouth in an effort to bypass the scent wafting up to tease her senses, she mentally cursed the man that was responsible for it all.

  Damn him for being so damn good looking…and sweet…and sexy…and tasty.

  “Focus, Mags. You need to focus.” Now was not the time for her to remember how tasty Hix was…no matter how true it was. Rolling her eyes at how ridiculous she was being, Maggie was relieved when she felt something paper-like at the tips of her fingers as they continued searching.

  “Now we’re cooking,” Maggie said as she flicked open the first folder and scanned the papers inside. Her scattered brain recognized what looked like an application of some sort. Of course, her concentration only lasted a second or two before her mind wandered back to Hix and his tasty lips.

  Damn him and his gorgeous lips!

  “Argh!” Maggie slapped the front of the folder closed. There was no way she was going to be able to make heads or tails of that mess right now. She was way too keyed up to get anything accomplished…at least until her nerves calmed down a little bit. Letting out a heavy sigh, Maggie kicked out her legs to lay back on the cot.

  Yeah…this pallet wasn’t comfortable at all.

  Maggie lifted her head and shoved the partially empty sack underneath. Using the lumpy pack as a makeshift pillow, she tried to get comfortable as she settled in to wait for Hix’s return. The minute her mind turned back to him, her body decided to take the wheel. Willing her nipples to behave themselves, Maggie let out a frustrated curse at the tingles that began to settle in her nether regions. Electricity zipped throughout her form, buzzing with anticipation the more she was thought of Hix.

  She just couldn’t help it. It didn’t matter that they met only a few days before…or that he was an alien from another world.

  Her body wanted him and it wasn’t too proud to let her know.

  When Hix had woken her earlier from her stay in the biocrate, Maggie had been groggy.

  Groggy not only from her biocrate-induced nap but also from the glorious fantasy she had been enjoying while she was sleeping.

  One minute she had been having the most delicious dream, a dream she didn’t want to leave, and in the next breath Hix was yelling at her to wake up.

  Talk about a rude awakening.

  Maggie had been an awkward combination of aroused, embarrassed, and annoyed. Aroused because dream Hix had been doing some very naughty things to her with those sharp teeth of his. Embarrassed to wake up and face the living, breathing star of her dream porn and annoyed that she hadn’t had a chance to finish before he had woken her up.

  He had thought she was shaking because she felt unwell when, in fact, her hands were shaking because moments before they had been tracing his skin.

  Well, not really, but it had felt more than real to her. Just thinking about the smooth texture of his skin made her fingertips tingle. Maggie had to keep reminding herself that it had all been a figment of her imagination no matter how authentic it seemed.

  At first, Maggie hadn’t even realized she was dreaming. It wasn’t until she noticed they were in her room back on Earth that Maggie realized what was happening. From there it was as if she were watching a movie, one that she could feel, smell, and taste. Even now Maggie could remember the feel of his whiskers on his jaw as it brushed the sensitive skin just beneath her ear…

  It had been hot. It had been so fucking hot.

  For the first time in her life, she had been on the verge of coming in her sleep. So close she could practically taste it.

  Considering her recent run of luck, it didn’t surprise her that Hix woke her right as she was on the brink of having a full fledge dreamgasm. His timing had done nothing but leave her frustrated and scatterbrained.

  Inspecting the board-lined ceiling above her, Maggie squinted hard at a large web suspended in the corner. Whatever built the large lace-like structure wasn’t present at the moment, at least as far as she could see. Yep, she was totally going to die from being bitten by some space bug.

  Maggie rolled onto her side and curled up, wrinkling her nose at the musty smell rising from the cot. Turning her face to bury it in the fabric of the pack, she searched for the scent she associated with Hix. Breathing deep when she found it, Maggie closed her eyes and relaxed.

  He really is like catnip, damnit.

  Maybe if she could fall back asleep, she’d be lucky enough to pick up where she left off earlier. At least that was what she was hoping for.

  As she tried to will herself to sleep, Maggie wondered if her dream version of Hix was accurate or not.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Things were definitely not going as he had planned.

  Hix ducked out of sight. His body ached from the direct hit of the blaster bolt that had struck his side. Twisting to get a better view of the blackened leather, he was grateful to see the blast had been absorbed by one of the special plates he’d sewn into the tunic. They had cost him quite a few credits, but the investment of the hidden armor had saved his life only moments ago. He was alive, but the first shot had literally knocked every bit of air from his lungs. It had only been his quick reflexes that had saved him from a second blast from Traeger. He could only now take a few measured breat
hs. Quickly pulling out his Verge com-tab, Hix tapped out a short message. He did not know when, or even if, his relay would reach its destination but he did know he at least had to try. This device had more range than the older model he kept hidden and he prayed it was enough.

  “Come out and face the brother you betrayed!” Traeger yelled, his voice echoing over the landing field.

  The moment the message had been sent, Hix debated what his next move would be. The coordinates from the tracker he had planted on Traeger had downloaded to his Verge tablet but the transfer would take more time than he had to spare. In fact, the longer he kept the device intact the more danger he was placing Maggie in. Hating what needed to be done but knowing there was no other option, Hix dropped the tablet to the ground. Cracking it with a heavy stomp of his boot, he prayed he wasn’t making a mistake. They may have lost the location of the kidnapped women, but it was preferable over the Verge tracking him and Maggie through its signal.

  Hix glanced around, assessing the dozens of shuttles scattered across the field. All of them flashed a red light, indicating that they were secured against trespassers. There would be no hiding on another shuttle unless he could hack into the one of the locked systems, which he had not done or practiced in some time. That took out that option, his hacking skills were not nearly advanced enough to disable the tech before being discovered.

  No, his only option was to make a run for the market and hope to lose his pursuers in the crowd. The distance was not too far, but it left him vulnerable without cover. If Traeger spotted him, he knew the man would not hesitate to shoot regardless of the bystanders that could be caught in the crossfire.

  “We have the part that Prime Kell sent us here to retrieve. Why does it matter if we bring Hix back with us?” Chander questioned, causing Hix to fear for the young warrior’s life with every word he spoke.

  “Because I said so!” Traeger’s scream was followed by a loud bang. “Get the shuttle prepared for takeoff. I will find him and bring him back myself.”