by Anna Hackett
All his body felt was her, his mate. His unruly cock responded, and since it was jammed against her belly, she couldn’t miss it.
Her eyes widened. “Thane.”
“Ignore it. We’re both under the effects of the pollen.”
She swallowed. “It’s pretty hard to ignore.” Her chest was rising and falling quickly against his.
Pure torture.
“We need a distraction,” she said. “Um…”
“What do you do in your time off?” he asked desperately.
“Time off?”
“Yes, when you aren’t working.”
She nibbled her lip and he made himself look away.
“I’ve been working a lot over the last year. Taking extra shifts. Keeping busy.”
To deal with her grief. “There must be something you enjoy.”
“Before…I loved to dance,” she said quietly. “On my own. I enjoyed contemporary dance, just feeling the music.” She sighed. “I haven’t danced since my husband and father died.”
He could see her being a dancer. She was graceful.
“What about you?” she asked.
“I like to read. I’m a huge fan of the renowned Eon poets, and classic stories about the great warriors.”
She laughed. “I can totally see you sitting back, reading.”
By Eschar’s embrace, he liked this. Just being with her, talking together.
Then he felt a pulse of something.
“My helian’s responding.”
“Yes! Can you form your sword?”
“I think so.”
“Okay, then we’d better get down before some creepy crawly decides we’d make a good snack.”
Thane formed a knife. He shifted, their bodies rubbing together again. Ignoring the sensations, he got the knife on the vine and sawed. As soon as he cut into it, the vines all loosened suddenly.
“Shit!” Kaira yelped.
They both dropped and hit the verdant jungle floor.
“Oof.” Kaira rolled over, pushing up on one hand.
Thane rose to a crouch. “Are you all right?”
“Yes.” She rose, dusting herself off.
Thane stood as well. “Then let’s keep moving.”
She gave a brisk nod and set off into the trees. They trudged through the undergrowth, the air hot and humid around them.
“Thane, look,” Kaira breathed.
He glanced to the side, and through some vines covered in pretty yellow flowers, he saw ancient ruins nestled in the vegetation.
Chapter Six
The ruins were made of black stone, and streaked with gray veins. There were some intact archways and pillars, but most were just crumbled ruins.
Kaira stepped onto the smooth, stone paving. The ruins were devoid of any growth or weeds. Strange patterns were inscribed on their surfaces.
“Incredible,” Thane breathed.
“Some ancient species must have called this planet home.” She stroked the stone archway. “It’s so strange that it isn’t covered in growth.”
He frowned. “Very strange.”
Kaira touched the archway again and stilled. “The stone’s warm.”
Suddenly, the ground vibrated under their feet. She spun, scanning for danger, and saw Thane do the same.
The archways trembled.
Kaira stumbled toward him. “What the hell?”
Then the archways moved and her pulse spiked.
The rocks moved, changing, transforming.
“Oh, my God,” she breathed.
The stones shifted and lengthened, joining together until a huge, humanoid figure, made entirely of stone, almost as tall as the trees, towered over them.
Then it roared and slammed a giant stone fist into the ground.
The shockwave sent Kaira flying back into Thane.
“Uh-oh.” She stared in horror as the creature, thing, whatever the hell it was, loomed over her and Thane.
The damn rocks had come to life.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I’m not sure. Its reading is organic. Perhaps some sort of silicon-based lifeform.”
An alien made of rocks.
Thane formed a heavy axe, his fingers curling around the handle.
Kaira imagined a hammer, and it formed in her hands. Man, helians were incredible.
Thane rushed in and spun, slamming the axe against the alien’s leg.
It cleaved into the rock, leaving a crack, but the creature stayed upright. It roared and swung a huge fist.
Thane ducked.
Kaira ran in behind the alien rock creature. With a cry, she swung her hammer and slammed it into the alien’s back.
Several chips of rock flew off, but there was no real damage.
The creature spun and slammed its fists down on either side of her.
Crap.
“Kaira!”
Thane leaped onto the alien’s arm. Kaira surged backward, and Thane smashed his axe down on the rock creature’s elbow. A small chunk of rock fell off.
“Go,” he yelled, leaping off.
She and Thane sprinted out of range.
“How the hell are we going to take it down?” she yelled.
“I’m not—”
The creature stomped on the ground, then waved a hand in front of its body.
Loose stones floated up in the air, hanging there.
Oh, shit. “Down!” She dived at Thane.
As they fell, the rocks flew at them like missiles. The pair of them hit the ground, the rocks flying overhead.
“Distract it,” Thane said.
Kaira moved into a crouch. “What’s your plan?”
He pushed up. “I’ll let you know once I have one.”
“Thane!” She didn’t want him to get hurt.
He sprinted and circled around the alien.
“Hey.” Kaira waved her arms. “Look here, stone man.”
The creature’s soulless stone face moved toward her. It took a lumbering step in her direction.
“That’s it.”
Suddenly, the creature moved. It was faster than she expected.
The stone giant swung an arm.
Kaira ducked. Its fist smashed into a tree, splintering the trunk.
She leaped back. Yikes. Note to self: do not let the stone creature hit you.
She ran, and the alien spun to keep her in sight. Loose, small rocks flew past her, and she dodged. One hit her back and she winced.
Thane attacked from behind with his axe.
The creature turned, grabbed the axe and yanked it out of Thane’s hand.
Dammit. Kaira ran and jumped. She landed on the creature’s arm.
Distracted, it spun again, and shook.
Kaira held on. Hell, it was like being on a bucking bull.
She lost her grip and flew off.
She smacked into the ground, the air knocked out of her. Her ears were ringing.
“Kaira, move!”
Thane’s shout made her roll over.
The stone creature was stomping closer.
Oh, shit. She pushed up to move, but her boots slipped on some loose rocks.
“No!” Thane roared.
He ran at full speed, a newly formed axe in his hands.
The stone alien spun, its giant arms whirling.
A fist slammed into Thane, lifting him off his feet.
Kaira’s heart stopped.
He flew through the air beyond the giant stone circle of the ruins, and crashed into a tree trunk. He dropped to the ground.
The creature focused on Kaira.
Crap. She needed to get to Thane. He wasn’t moving.
Be okay, warrior. She fought back the tendrils of fear.
The stone alien stomped in her direction.
Kaira backed up. Her boots stepped off the stone floor and onto the grass.
The stone alien froze. It cocked its head, looking right through her.
Frowning, she stepped forward again, and as soon as her
boot touched the stone, the alien stiffened and its attention zeroed back in on her.
Quickly, she backed off the stone and onto the grass again.
The creature paused, then turned and wandered to the center of the ruins, like it didn’t have a care in the world.
As she watched, the rocks forming the creature fell apart, reforming the stone archway.
Her pulse jumped. The alien was somehow linked to the ruins.
She skirted the temple’s stones, then ran toward Thane.
He was facedown in the rotting vegetation. She dropped to her knees beside him.
“Thane?”
No response.
She slid her arms under him and carefully tipped him over. With a shaking hand, she pressed her fingers to his neck. His pulse was strong, and it sent a small tremor of relief through her. He was alive.
“Thane?” She touched his face. He groaned and she saw he had a new bruise forming on his cheek.
She touched his stomach and he groaned again. She probed. She didn’t feel any broken ribs or anything that would indicate internal bleeding. But that didn’t rule it out.
She touched his helian band and felt a jolt of warmth from it.
“Heal him,” she whispered.
They couldn’t stay here, exposed. She needed to find a spot for him to rest and recover.
She quickly scouted around, shoving at bushes and hoping she didn’t come face-to-face with something poisonous or hungry.
Several huge trees speared into the sky. One had a large trunk, with a hole carved into the base, like a small cave.
Maybe created by some alien creature. She found a stick and poked around inside, cleaning out the dead, rotting leaves.
A small, spider-like creature skittered out.
She went back to the still-unconscious Thane and hooked her arms under his armpits.
“Okay, short trip, warrior.”
She tugged and grunted, using her leg muscles. God, he was so heavy. Every inch of him was muscle.
Slowly, they inched across the ground and reached the tree.
With some more grunting and maneuvering, she got them inside the shelter of the tree.
She pulled out the water and dribbled some in his mouth. There wasn’t much left.
“You’re safe.” She ran a hand over his hair. “Heal up, Thane. I need you.”
Thane woke, feeling his helian’s warmth and a sense of healing. He had no pain.
He instantly remembered the stone alien hitting him. There was a lot of pain then.
He shifted. His head was resting on Kaira’s thigh. He smelled her, sensed her, like a piece of himself.
Quickly, he shut that down. She didn’t want him, or what he had to offer.
“Thank God, you’re awake. Are you all right?” she asked.
He blinked and looked around. It looked like they were in the hollow of a tree.
“Yes.” He sat up, pressed a hand to his ribs.
It appeared everything was healing up nicely. He looked around. “You fought the alien, then dragged me in here?”
“You’re really heavy, by the way.”
He stared at her. Tough and incredible. These Terrans constantly amazed him. “Eon warriors have a dense muscle mass.” He grabbed her hand. “Thank you.”
She nodded. “I didn’t have to fight the alien. It’s linked to the ruins. Once I stepped off the stones, it lost interest and turned back into the architecture.” She handed him the water. He noted that it was almost empty and took a small sip.
“So, we avoid any other ruins we see,” he said.
“An excellent idea.” Frowning, she rubbed her shoulder.
“You all right?”
“Just an itch. My armor repaired itself, at least. Are you ready to keep moving?”
“Yes.”
Together they rose and stepped out of the tree. He heard the scuttling noises of small creatures in the bushes.
He hoped they were native animals, and not the Kantos.
They moved through the vegetation. Some snake-like reptiles dripped from the trees like hoses, but they mostly ignored them.
“This feels too easy.” Kaira shoved a vine aside.
Thane agreed, his gut tight. He felt like something was coming. Something bad.
He shook his head and morphed his sword. “The vegetation is getting thicker.” He slashed it apart for them.
Movement ahead. They both froze.
Small, furry, and nimble creatures ran up a tree, chittering and looking at them.
“Hey, little guys,” Kaira called. “I visited my grandmother’s hometown in India once. There were a whole bunch of monkeys at this temple I visited. They remind me of these guys. Cheeky.”
One creature leaped onto Kaira. Thane tensed, but as the animal pulled on her hair and stuck a finger in her ear, she laughed.
He slowly relaxed. They appeared safe, and by Eschar’s embrace, he loved the sound of her laugh.
“Look, the undergrowth is thinning out,” she said.
Thane put his sword away and together they pushed through.
They’d reached the end of the jungle patch. The valley spread out before them. It was covered in knee-length grass, and nothing like the rocky terrain they’d left on the other side of the jungle. He looked at the mountain range in the distance.
The cocoon base was easier to spot now, looking like a cancerous growth.
“Keep an eye out for a water source,” he said. “We need to replenish our supply.”
“What are the odds it’ll be drinkable?” she asked.
“There’s always a chance.”
They headed into the valley.
“You always an optimist?” she asked.
“As a doctor, I always hope I can heal my patients. I have to believe that.”
“As head of security, I always think about worst-case scenarios.” She shrugged. “And I’ve seen how life can snatch people away in the blink of an eye.”
Thane’s gut hardened. “You still grieve. For your husband and father.”
“Grief never goes away; it just gets duller. Less acute.” Her smile was sad. “Life goes on.”
“And yet you won’t let yourself love again.”
She stiffened. “Some things aren’t worth the risk.” She glanced at him. “I’m sorry, I know mating is a big deal for you.”
He nodded. “It’s precious, but I understand your feelings, Kaira.”
“You’re a good man, Thane Kann-Eon.”
He felt a stirring in his gut and looked away. He had to fight back the mating fever. If he’d been in Medical on the Rengard, he could probably formulate something to help.
He knew Kaira wouldn’t feel the effects as strongly as he did. Those with a helian felt it first, and the most strongly, thanks to the symbiont amplifying the sensations. But as the mating fever grew, the effect would spill out onto her as well.
There was no way he’d accept her coming to him if it wasn’t her choice. Driven by her baser needs.
“Look,” Kaira said.
There was a quiet, fluttering sound. A huge flock of delicate, glowing insects with beautiful wings rose into the air. Thousands of them.
“Wow,” she said. “They look like Earth butterflies.”
The filmy pink wings glowed softly, and the small creatures danced around in the air.
Thane and Kaira walked on, the insects whirling and dancing above, the grass swishing around their ankles.
“Those must be their nests.” Kaira nodded at the small mounds dotted across the valley. They were brown, and marked with streaks of the same pink as the butterflies on the sides.
They kept walking, and Thane’s gut cramped. Cren. The mating fever was growing. He breathed deep and fought it back.
A faint vibration rumbled through the soles of his boots. “Do you feel that?
Kaira stilled. “Yeah.”
One of the nearby butterfly nests burst open. Another creature flew into the air. It was bulky, w
ith a pyramid-shaped body that also glowed pink. Its wings flapped so fast they were a blur.
Below its body was a massive stinger.
Cren.
He grabbed Kaira. “Back up.”
The insect made an annoyed buzzing noise.
“Is it Kantos?” she asked.
“Likely.”
Another nest burst open on the left. A second, flying insect with a stinger rose into the air.
More nests opened.
“Kaira…run!”
They both sprinted down the valley.
The angry buzzing noise grew behind them.
Thane chanced a quick glance backward.
A flock of the stinger creatures were flying after them. The butterflies had scattered.
“They’re coming!” he roared.
“There’s nowhere to hide,” Kaira yelled back.
The valley was long and wide. Full of nothing but grass.
Cren. Cren. Cren.
One creature darted forward, its stinger extended.
Thane spun and jabbed it with his sword. The creature darted to the side, and flew at him again.
He skewered it, and bright-pink fluid ran down his sword.
“Come on,” Kaira yelled.
Together, they sprinted as fast as they could.
But the buzzing was growing, and several of the creatures swung around in front of them.
Thane and Kaira bumped into each other. The insects had formed a huge circle around them.
They had nowhere to go.
“Oh, fuck,” she whispered.
“Just hold on.”
She leaned into him, her gaze meeting his. “I don’t want to die.”
The insects buzzed closer.
Then all of a sudden, the ground crumbled away beneath them disappearing from under their feet.
“What the—?”
They both tumbled straight down, into the earth.
Chapter Seven
They crashed to the ground and rolled. Kaira groaned.
Thane leaned over her. “You okay?”
“Nothing’s broken.” At least, she was pretty sure nothing was broken.
She let him pull her up.
They were in a tunnel, and she looked up through the hole they’d fallen through. She could just see a patch of blue sky and that horrible buzzing sound was starting to grow louder.
