Big Bad Claws

by Michele Mills

  She’d been so deeply asleep she hadn’t even noticed this hulking being walk inside the room and fall asleep next to her? And…was that all that happened? He’d simply lain next to her and slept? She wiggled her toes and moved her legs slightly, giving herself an assessment, and felt no discomfort, nothing out of the ordinary.

  Hmm. Apparently, she was still a virgin.

  She turned to study him, trying to figure out his species. His skin was medium-toned and those ridges that lined his forehead were deep and went from his hairline all the way to the top of his nose. Fangs peeked past his full lips. His hair was long and dark and went past his shoulders in a series of black and gold braids. And his gloved hands had four fingers each—she gave them a closer look—and were so large they covered his entire stomach.

  Her mouth dropped open.

  She was in bed with a Margol Xylan warrior. That explained why she was still a virgin—Xylan didn’t pleasure mate. And this was the male who smelled so good. He was right here, in bed with her. And up close, he smelled even better.

  Lila covered her mouth, trying to not freak out and wake him up. She actually knew a lot about Xylan. Humans were Xylan allies, so she was familiar with this species. The Xylan had freed humans from a century of Hurlian domination and the Gravians were assisting with nation building. Kayzon of Twenty-Six, a Xylan Bounty Hunter, had once saved her life in the Singapore market. Five years ago, he’d rescued her from a Hurlian snatching. And now Kayzon was the Xylan ambassador to New Earth. Lila had known Kayzon, and his Bride, Kia Cho, back before everything went to hell and she turned into a shut in.

  She’d crawled into the bed of an unmated Xylan warrior? He had to be unmated because he was wearing gloves to protect his claws from touching her bare palm.

  Lila continued to stare at this male. She knew Xylan came in two pigment types—very dark-skinned “royal pigment” and the medium-toned Margol. The Xylan had a strange, very rigid caste system built upon these two skin types within their culture. The royal pigment Xylan were the elites and the Margol the working class? Something like that. She’d never understood since on New Earth humans came in all shapes, sizes and skin tones, and none of these mattered. The only thing that really conferred status on New Earth was youth, beauty, currency and/or power.

  Her brow furrowed. Was this the Xylan homeworld? No, it couldn’t be. Chronos wasn’t wet and jungle-like. At least she didn’t think it was. This must be some kind of Xylan colony? She still had no idea where she was.

  She swallowed hard. Oh hell, she’d thought this was an abandoned building, but clearly it wasn’t. This Xylan lived in this dilapidated dwelling and she’d accidentally fallen asleep in his bed.

  And he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

  She glanced at his wide chest and muscular abs. Oh. Was he naked too? She was naked in bed with this equally naked male?

  She chewed on her lip, staring at him like a creeper.

  This was terrible. He smelled so good. He was so very handsome. Her legs scissored as she tried to bring relief to the wetness that had quickly formed between her thighs. He hadn’t touched her last night, but dammit if she didn’t wish he’d touch her right now.

  No, no, no. This was stupid. She had to get out of here before she embarrassed herself. She was on the run. This left no time to molest unsuspecting Xylan—who didn’t even pleasure mate and would think her touch was disgusting.

  Morning light shone through a small, dirty window that offered a distorted view of the jungle outside. She glanced at her own clothes and confirmed they were exactly where she’d left them, draped over chairs and hanging from hooks. At least there was that. She could sneak out of bed and get dressed and be gone before he woke.

  Just because she was attracted to him and thought he was built like a hero straight out of an erotic romance novel, this didn’t mean he’d continue to be the nice male who’d left her alone last night and let her continue to sleep in his bed. Who knew what would happen once he woke up? Yes, everyone knew Xylan didn’t pleasure mate or rape, but this didn’t mean he was perfect. They had criminals in their culture, just like any other species. Plus, she was supposed to be in hiding. Was this male planning on alerting the peacekeepers to her presence?

  She started to inch to the edge of the bed just as he flopped onto his side and faced her. So of course she turned toward him. She couldn’t help herself. Damn, he smelled good. There was that smell again, the one that had lured her into his room in the first place. The bedding had slipped down to his hips to fully expose every dip and curve on acres of muscular chest.

  It was like he was posing for her. She was in bed with a gorgeous, naked stranger. And for once in her life, he was lighting up all of her girly parts. His veiny forearms, the fangs peeking past full lips. And those abs. She wanted to reach out and touch him so badly, map out every single dip and curve. She could lay here in bed with him and stare at him all day. Taking notes and making detailed sketches.

  She’d never been in bed with a naked male. Life as a shut-in didn’t exactly lend itself to date nights and heated encounters. She’d led a protected, rarified life on New Earth. Bruce Garabedian had been driven to build, create and leave a fortune behind to his children. He’d grown up desperately poor, living on a planet dominated by Hurlians who kidnapped humans for their terrible “experiments,” never to be seen again. Lila’s aunts and uncles had all been snatched by the Hurlians. Dad’s way of getting back at the assholes who’d killed most of his family was to become a crazy-rich success. He’d felt this was the way to keep his family safe.

  The male let out a huge snort. His eyes flicked open and she was pinned by an intense hazel gaze. Oh no. She tried to turn away, but the Xylan placed his huge gloved hand on her hip. He smiled, exposing those super-sharp fangs. His entire face lit up and revealed just how blindingly handsome he really was. Then he opened his mouth to speak and she leaned forward, eager to hear what he had to say…and heard only grunts and growls.

  Oh no.

  She stared at him, no longer concerned with trying to leave, or the fact that were both naked under the covers and she wished he’d be the male to rid her of this pesky virginity. She couldn’t understand a word he was saying. Not a single word. Dammit. It sounded like a series of snarls she couldn’t possibly emulate or decipher.

  She’d arrived on this planet illegally, therefore skipping the all-important first steps of having the appropriate language translation chip installed in her brain. This was terrible. She could be learning everything she needed right now, except she didn’t understand a thing he said, and he wouldn’t be able to understand her either.

  The male paused expectantly, like he was waiting for her answer.

  She sat up, making sure the covers were tucked tightly around her torso, covering her boobs, reminding herself that just because she thought he was highly fuckable, this didn’t mean he felt the same about her. Xylan literally remained celibate until they claimed their mate in some kind of ceremony. There would be no touching between them, which was fine because she really needed to focus on planning her escape. “Um, I don’t speak Xylan,” she admitted.

  His ridges deepened.

  Maybe he didn’t realize she was here illegally? Oops. Now he’d know. It was the only reason she wouldn’t have the chip. “I don’t have the translator for your language.” She tapped against her lips and shook her head. “I only speak English.”

  The Xylan cursed under his breath, or at least she assumed it was a curse, the way he snarled that one word. He sat up too, the covers pooling around his lap. She swallowed hard at the sight of so much spectacular male chest, so close. She lifted her chin to look up at him. Her entire body was basically throbbing and she shifted her hips, seeking relief from that continued heat between her thighs.

  She was so, so attracted to this guy she was sitting naked with in bed. He smelled terrific and he looked even better. Her cheeks heated. To him she was just a random human he’d found in his bed that he was probab
ly trying to get rid of. He was naked because that’s just how ambivalent he was about pleasure mating. She wasn’t his mate, therefore she was immediately in the friend zone.

  He seemed deep in thought and then his face lit up. He put his claw over his chest. “Zaay-zzzzawn.”

  Oh, he was trying to tell her his name? Perfect. She did her best to imitate what he’d said. “Zayzon?” she tried.

  He smiled and nodded.

  Good. Zayzon. Hmm. It was a nice name and seemed to fit him. She put her hand on her own chest and paused. Should she give him her real name? She was trying to hide from her enemies. But, on the other hand, her first name was very common back home… Oh hell. She stared into his liquid hazel eyes, got lost for a moment and blurted, “Lila.”

  “Lll-eye-luh?”

  She nodded. It was good enough.

  He kept murmuring her name and staring down at her in wonder, which was really cute.

  Cute? He was achingly handsome. His sparkling eyes and ridiculously long lashes were pulling her in like a tractor beam, but she needed to remain on the move if she was going to avoid Daniela’s machinations. The employees back home depended on her. Cousin Gerard depended on her to remain on his side. She had to stay alive and out of Daniela’s reach until she turned twenty-one, which was exactly one moon cycle from now.

  This guy—Zayzon—was being super sweet and the last thing this poor guy needed was for her to bring her crazy on him. She had to get dressed and come up with a new plan that didn’t include putting him in danger too. “Close your eyes,” she told him.

  He looked confused. Lila mimicked placing her hands over her own eyes and then she pointed at him and gestured at her clothes draped on the chair.

  He grunted and complied. His giant green gloves went over his own eyes. She paused, making sure he wasn’t going to peek, then leapt out of his bed, her heart racing. She swiftly grabbed all of her clothes and rushed into the nearby restroom and shut the door behind her. Then she rested against the closed door and blew out a breath.

  She turned the lights on and glanced around, taking longer to look at it in detail than she had last night. An ancient clothes washer was embedded in the wall and still appeared to work. Jeez. Arriving in the middle of the night, exhausted and freezing cold, had gotten her all flustered to the point where she hadn’t even looked closely at what was available.

  Lila shoved her pajamas, panties and kitten slippers into the clothes washing unit and turned it on. Then she stepped into the cleansing unit. Everything was simple but it worked. It wasn’t perfectly clean though. She timidly picked her way around, avoiding the tacky walls and frowning at the fact that she was barefoot on a surface that wasn’t perfectly sanitary. Didn’t this male own cleaning bots? Bots were rare on New Earth, but she knew they were common elsewhere in the four sectors.

  And right then the cutest little bot moved along the outside of the unit. “Oh my gosh, you’re adorable,” she told the tiny machine. It was shiny, with a gleaming red exterior. Just the cutest thing ever. She’d never seen a bot with a colored exterior. The poor thing looked like it was two hundred years old though. It was really an antique. She lifted it up and put it in the cleansing unit with her and let it work around her feet. This must’ve been the problem, it was so small it couldn’t get in there by itself. Lila watched as it steamed away at the floor, leaving behind trails of bubbles. “Cute,” she grinned.

  Rough cleansing water sprayed her body and she continued to wash up. She thought about the big naked guy, Zayzon. He was living in desperate circumstances and yet he’d been generous and let her sleep in his bed and hadn’t touched her. He’d quietly accepted her presence and slid in next to her and fell right asleep too. She couldn’t believe how trusting this guy was towards a stranger he’d found naked in his bed. Would she have reacted the same if she’d walked into her room back home and found a naked, sleeping male in her own bed?

  Hell, no.

  She would’ve called the peacekeepers in seconds.

  She turned around to wash her entire body and wondered, why hadn’t he picked her up and moved her to the front room? She could’ve sworn she’d seen furniture out there that could double as a place to sleep. Or why hadn’t he left and slept elsewhere in the domicile? He’d found her there and then chose to leave her and stay. Why? He’d slept as if their proximity didn’t bother him. She was surprised an unmated Xylan would sleep that close to an unmated female. They were infamous for being super careful to not touch other unmated beings. Oh well, she’d just do him a favor and leave as soon as possible so he wouldn’t be bothered with her. Not that she knew where to go next… She needed to try and get in touch with Gerard, this was her main focus. And stay off the grid.

  The cleansing unit did its job, then switched to blow-dry. An older generation jet blew her hair in five different directions until she was warm and dry, her long hair shiny and clean. Lila stepped out and went to the clothes washer and found the cycle complete. She got dressed, delighted to discover there was even a mouth cleanser in this restroom. By the time she was done, she was perfectly ready, except she was dressed in her pajamas, as if she were going to bed.

  She picked up the bot and cradled it in her arms. “You’re coming with me,” she said.

  Then Lila opened the door and found the huge Xylan male already dressed and clean too. She blinked with surprise. Apparently, he’d used a cleansing unit in another part of the house?

  She lifted her chin to get a good look at him because now that he was standing in front of her, and she could appreciate how freakishly tall he was. She’d never been this close to a male this tall. Her breath caught because he was even more fine-looking than before, dressed from head to toe in shiny black clothing. Long gleaming braids fell down his back, highlighting his proud features. His shoulders were so very wide.

  She had no idea she’d continue to be this attracted to him. Her hands itched to reach out and touch him, grab him. Maybe kiss him.

  Was she losing her mind? She couldn’t hook up with anyone right now. Least of all with a Xylan who didn’t pleasure mate.

  It was intimidating how good he looked, and she was standing there in her pajamas and kitten slippers, holding a bot in her arms, looking like a dorky reject from a low-budget vid show.

  She glanced down at his very large claws and noted he was still wearing the green gloves of the unmated.

  He smiled, exposing those sharp fangs and reached out to gently tap the tip of her nose. Then he glanced at the bot and chuckled, then pointed towards the door and said something in a loud snarly voice she didn’t understand.

  Deep male voices rumbled outside from the hall.

  Her eyes widened as she realized at that exact moment that they weren’t alone. She tightened her grip around the bot and hugged it to her chest. “Oh no, how many beings do you live with?” she squeaked, belatedly remembering that Xylan lived in extended family compounds.

  There went her grand plans for sneaking out. How was she going to get away now? Gods, she’d screwed up. Not only had she hid out in a building that wasn’t abandoned, but it was filled with beings. How had she been able to get into their domicile in the first place if they lived here full time? Why had the front door opened for her? The fact that it had been unlocked and let her in was a major reason she’d thought it was abandoned.

  The Xylan male placed a gloved claw against the small of her back and guided her out of his room and down the hall. The voices grew louder. She took a calming breath and kept going where Zayzon lead, holding the bot in her arms.

  She had to trust him, right? What other choice did she have? She continued to inhale Zayzon’s soothing scent. Normally, a situation like this where she’d be meeting a group of strangers would trigger all of her anxieties. But she’d come a long way these last few months. And last night she’d taken a giant leap—she’d left her planet and arrived here in a rainstorm in the middle of the night and hadn’t had a panic attack. She could do this. She lifted her chin
and straightened her back. The old Lila, who’d been shut off from the world and a target for her stepmother’s deceptions, was gone. She’d worked hard at her therapy to set herself up for this freedom and responsibility, but she’d been unable to take the last step. Well, now she’d literally been pushed out and she was ready to try.

  She entered the front room she’d only seen last night in the dark. This morning it was shining with light, which didn’t make it look better. In fact, it looked worse. The dark had hidden most of the mess. This place really was a dusty and filthy. The walls had cobwebs and the windows were streaked with dirt.

  And there were—she counted them—oh gods, there were six other enormous Xylan males crowding around the front room or in the kitchen. She was in a house with seven males.

  She set the tiny red bot on the floor. “Do what you can,” she whispered to it. “I know it’s a big job but try. Anything you do is better than leaving it like this.”

  It hummed to life and started moving, leaving a streak of clean floor in its wake. Damn, that bot was so freaking cute.

  Zayzon spoke loudly to one of the other males. Then he pointed at her. The male threw his head back and laughed. Deep, genuine laughter. The first male turned and grunted to the others and they all started laughing. Her lips twitched in response. They didn’t seem to be laughing at her or looking at her in horror. She got a vibe of acceptance from them. They were laughing at Zayzon, and he looked uncomfortable. Also, Zayzon was the only one wearing gloves of the unmated. Hmm. Maybe he was the only unmated male and for some reason they were all here temporarily without their families?

  She had a feeling that they were laughing about how the two of them couldn’t talk.

  A male walked up and slapped Zayzon on the shoulder. Then the other Xylan approached her with big smiles of welcome. She gave them all a weak smile in return, wishing she could greet them all properly and find out their names.

  They began speaking to each other again and to Zayzon in those grunts and snarls. She grimaced at how loud they all were. A forest of Xylan males towered above her, their deep voices echoing in the small space. In fact, Zayzon was the loudest. He was certainly an imposing male, the tallest Xylan in the room. His language was very animated, and his hands were larger than the others. She began to realize she’d befriended the scariest of them all. But she gazed at him with pride. He was bold, decisive, popular. She liked that about him. This was what she’d always wished for herself, but she’d spent the last few years dealing with one trauma after another. She watched him, admiring his fearless way of communicating. It was infectious.