by Hope Hart
I lean over and rub my nose against hers, bringing a tiny smile to her mouth, although it doesn’t reach her eyes.
“Strangely this doesn’t surprise me.”
The thought of this small female trapped far from home and surrounded by those who want to kill her, those who tortured her and brought shadows to her emerald eyes…it makes me want to roar.
I run my finger over her face, so incredibly glad that she was freed. “You once told me that you were a warrior. I didn’t believe you,” I say. “I’m sorry.”
She shrugs. “Now that I’ve been on this planet for as long as I have, I can see why it would be hard for you to believe. Women don’t fight here. They don’t dress the way I do. Of course you were shocked.”
“I still should not have doubted you. You are a brave female. I’m proud of you, even when the things you do turn my bowels to water.”
She smiles at me and then rolls to her feet. “I’m not going to get back to sleep. I may as well take over from Tagiz. You should get some sleep before it’s your turn.”
I sigh as I watch her leave, wishing I could take away the memories that make her cry.
Nevada
Tagiz insists on staying on watch, and even my blackest look can’t shake him.
“I won’t sleep,” he says.
“Neither will I.”
“I will,” Hewex’s voice makes me jump, and his low laugh sounds as he moves back toward the small house.
I scowl and leave Tagiz to his spot, moving closer to the house but still not close enough to be visible from anyone walking nearby. I sit for an hour or so, attempting to shake off the nightmare, and then I’m narrowing my eyes as Inexa comes out of the camp.
Her eyes go straight to the bush I’m hiding behind, and I scowl.
“What gave me away?” I ask, and she gives me a confused look. “You knew I was here.”
“Oh. The moonlight glinted off one of your knives.”
I raise my eyebrow, impressed. I have a knife clutched in my hand, and I place it on the ground.
“The stars are so different here,” I murmur, and she lets out a low laugh, studying the sky as she sits next to me.
“I can only imagine.”
She seems content to sit in silence, but I’ve never been known to leave things well enough alone.
“Why don’t you live back at camp?”
Inexa keeps her eyes on the sky. “I used to. I left because it was easier.”
“Easier than what?”
“Easier than watching Rakiz choose a queen who wouldn’t be me.”
My mouth falls open, but she’s still staring at the stars as if she hasn’t just dropped a bomb of epic proportions.
“I figured you guys were together at one point. What happened? Did you break up?”
She smiles slightly, but there’s nothing happy in that smile. “When I was young, I was in much demand by the males. I enjoyed it—the attention. I loved how they would fight over me, challenge each other, attempt to find their way into my affections.”
“Rakiz was one of those males.”
She slowly shakes her head. “Not at first. He had every single female vying for his attention. I wanted him, but I knew if I was to compete for our future king, I would have to be different. Whenever he was in camp, I made sure to always be where he was, but I never paid him any attention. Rakiz loves a challenge.” Inexa glances at me and nods at whatever she sees on my face. “I see you know this.”
I swallow around the sudden lump in my throat. “You were a challenge.”
She nods, turning her gaze back to the sky. “Eventually I let him win me. But I was stupid, you see. I fell in love.”
“Why was that stupid?”
“Because Rakiz was to be king. He couldn’t pick a mate who had enjoyed so many males. He couldn’t have someone who was gossiped about—someone who would damage his reputation.”
“He said that to you?” My outrage is clear even in my whisper.
She shrugs. “He didn’t have to. It was always supposed to be a fling, you see. He was barely even at camp, but eventually the whispers began. He’d been with me longer than any other female, and his father was making noises about him finding a mate. A mate that wasn’t me.”
“That’s so unfair.”
Inexa turns her whole body, her gaze frank. “It’s unfair, but it’s life. One day, Rakiz will take a queen. A queen that is well-mannered, popular among the tribe, and ready to bear him heirs. She will sit by his side and smile at his people and be his perfect match in every way.”
I don’t think Inexa is trying to be cruel, but it feels like I’ve been stabbed in the gut. I actually gasp out loud, and her expression turns sympathetic.
“You understand. Rakiz had slowly begun to pull away. He was away from camp more than he was in it, and my insecurities made things worse. Every time he spoke to a female who wasn’t me…let’s just say it was evident that we wouldn’t be together for much longer. If I hadn’t fallen in love with him, I could have moved on. I could have found a mate and stayed in the tribe, had children, and lived my life.”
“But you’d fallen in love,” I murmur, and she nods.
“I had. I couldn’t sit by and watch as he fell in love with a woman who wasn’t me. A woman who would rule with him and bear his children and wake up next to him every day.”
“So you left.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you go join another tribe? They’re all crying out for females, right?”
She shrugs. “The tribe kings occasionally work together. There was a high chance I would still see Rakiz and his future queen another time. I wanted to be alone.”
“And then we knocked on your door.”
She gives me a tired smile. “And then you knocked on my door.”
Nevada
We leave before dawn, reaching the entrance to the prexa as the sun rises.
Rakiz shared a long look with Inexa when we left.
“I thank you for your hospitality,” he said formally, and she simply nodded, her heart in her eyes as she closed the door.
Her words have played on repeat in my head since she spoke them. As a result, I’m so tired I feel nauseous and even more irritable than ever.
Rakiz leads the way through the prexas, me following, Tagiz carrying Zoey, and Hewex bringing up the rare. Zoey is mostly asleep, and I find myself continually glancing back to check that she’s still breathing.
Tagiz meets my eyes at one point and jerks his head to where he’s resting one finger close to Zoey’s mouth and nose.
He’ll notice if she stops breathing.
This trip through the prexas is thankfully less eventful than the last. The giant’s body has been removed, and I let out a sigh of relief when we finally climb out of the prexas and find the mishua waiting.
Hewex takes Zoey and then passes her up to Tagiz. We stop by the cave to pick up the supplies we left behind and then keep moving.
We can’t risk riding too fast. Any jostling could be seriously bad for Zoey. If her ribs are broken in multiple places, a shard could puncture her lung or another organ. For that reason, we stick to a fast walk, and Tagiz holds her carefully in his arms.
She still hasn’t woken back up.
“She will be okay, Nevada.”
Rakiz’s voice is low in my ear, and I glance back at him.
“How do you know that?”
“Human females are strong. After everything that the Voildi put Zoey through, she will not allow this to kill her.”
I like his positive thinking, but I’m not sure he knows how pneumonia works.
“My brother had broken ribs once,” I say. “One of my mother’s boyfriend’s beat the shit out of him. He could barely stand and ended up in the emergency room.”
Tagiz glances at me, and I shut my mouth. He’s taken care of Zoey since we found her, and from the look on his face, he doesn’t want to hear about how badly she’s injured.
I sigh
and lean back against Rakiz. “I just realized I’ve never asked. Do you have any siblings?”
I feel him shake his head behind me.
“My mother died in childbirth when I’d seen five summers. Braxian babies are large, and births require the attendance of the healer to ensure the pelvis widens enough. The baby was incorrectly positioned, and my mother decided to go for a walk near a river. She went into labor alone with no one but her servants close by. One of them ran back to camp for help, but by the time my father arrived with the healers, it was too late.”
There’s a common theme here. First, both of his parents were as stubborn as Rakiz, and second, both of them died in circumstances that could have been prevented. No wonder he’s so overprotective of anyone he considers under his command.
“That must have been so hard,” I murmur.
“Yes. I may never have wanted to rule, but the first thing my father taught me was that a good ruler puts the wants and needs of his tribe ahead of himself. I may not have wanted to be king, but I’m a good king.”
“No one else could do it?”
He shrugs. “By the time my father died, I had seen tribes fall. I’d seen women raped and murdered, good warriors castrated, tortured, and left to die. I’d heard of children ripped from their mothers’ arms and taken to be slaves. The tribe responsible for these atrocities fell to Dexar’s warriors ten summers ago, but that does not mean that the same couldn’t happen again. What is my happiness compared to the safety and security of the men, women, and children in my tribe?”
I nod. I get it. It’s not fair, but I get it. But it hurts, somewhere deep inside me, to see how different Rakiz is away from the camp.
I push that thought away. It’s a good thing that I won’t be seeing this side of Rakiz for much longer. Because the imperious, arrogant king who goes toe to toe with me back at the camp? He’s sexy as hell, even if I’ve never admitted it to myself. But the funny, overprotective, quick-to-laugh Rakiz I see out here in the wild?
I could fall for this Rakiz if I’m not careful. And this Rakiz is only temporary.
The other Rakiz? He’s a tribe king who will eventually take a queen.
“A queen that is well-mannered, popular among the tribe, and ready to bear him heirs. She will sit by his side and smile at his people and be his perfect match in every way.”
I almost flinch, and Rakiz pulls me closer.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I say. “Nothing at all.”
Chapter Fourteen
Nevada
It took us three days to get back to camp.
I hadn’t realized how fast we’d traveled on the way there, but with Zoey in such poor condition, we had to continually stop to make sure she was hydrated. I wished for a car, bargaining with any god that was listening to keep Zoey alive.
Moni took one look at Zoey and inhaled so sharply she choked. Then she ordered everyone who wasn’t a healer to leave the tent. I frowned at her, and she simply narrowed her eyes and waited me out.
Tagiz refused to leave, and Moni eventually threw her hands up in the air.
“Fine. You will hold her down. This will not be pleasant. For anyone.”
I stepped forward, but Rakiz wrapped his arm around me.
“Come, karja,” he said. “Leave the healers to their work. Zoey will need you when she wakes, which means you must take care of yourself while she is in good hands.”
Now I’m sitting in the bath while Rakiz washes me, his hands smoothing soap over my skin. He lets out a pleased sound as he works some of the knots out of my neck, and I sigh.
“I want you to promise you will not go after the other two women without me,” he rumbles, and I can practically feel those knots reforming as my muscles tense.
“I don’t know if I can make that promise,” I tell him honestly, and he growls.
“Have you learned nothing?”
“I don’t appreciate your tone,” I say, and then I yelp as he turns me, glowering down into my face.
“I cannot leave my camp again. Already I will have to deal with the repercussions.”
“So don’t.”
“If you go, karja, I will go too. It will be this way until I’m dead and buried.”
I snarl at that, and he slides his hand in my hair, pulling my face close to his.
“You have been pulling away from me since we found your friend. Tell me why.”
“Look, Rakiz, we’re both tired—”
“Stop. What has happened?”
“I can’t talk about it yet. Can you just hold me? Please?”
His brow lowers, and he pulls me even closer. I hate that even now, all I want to do is nuzzle into him and hear him tell me that everything will be all right.
He leans down, and I press my lips to his before moving them to his cheek, his jaw, his neck. He leans his head down and bites lightly on the most sensitive part of my neck, right beneath my ear, dragging a moan from my throat.
Rakiz slides his hands under my butt and gets to his feet, gracefully managing to not slip in the bath even as my nails dig into his shoulders in alarm.
He laughs as I curse at him, and then he lets me slowly slide down his body before he grabs a fur, pressing it against every inch of me. His hands are gentle and tender, and I let out a shaky breath as he leans forward, catching a drop of water sliding down my breast with his mouth.
When we’re both dry, he takes my hand and looks into my eyes for a long moment. Then he smiles. The same kind of smile he gave me when we were out in the wild, far from camp.
He leads me to his bed, and I crawl onto the furs, laughing at his choked growl as he enjoys the view. I’m not at all surprised when he follows me down, sliding one hand around my waist as he nips at the top of my ear.
His body covers me from head to toe, and I sigh in pleasure as he pushes my hair over my shoulder and kisses his way along my neck and down my back.
I can feel him hard and ready against my ass, and I push back teasingly, grinning at his rough growl.
When I turn my head, his eyes are so dark they appear almost black in the low light.
“Hurry up,” I say, and then he’s thrusting inside me. I cry out, pushing back to meet him, and he slides in even further until he’s nestled deep, right where I need him.
He buries his hand in my hair and turns my head, taking my mouth in a rough kiss. And then he’s moving in a fluid rhythm, each thrust making my hands grab at the fur beneath me.
He slips one hand down low to where we’re joined, caressing my clit in time with his strokes.
Just like that, I’m gasping, writhing in pleasure as my whole body shudders. I feel him tense behind me as a hoarse groan leaves his throat, and then we both fall boneless onto the furs.
Rakiz
Nevada sighs, moving closer to me, and I stroke her hair. In sleep, she knows that she belongs to me. Awake? That is a different story.
Never did I imagine that an alien female would one day be my mate. But from the moment I met this small human, it was like my life suddenly had color again. She may have made me want to pull out my hair, but she also made me laugh more than anyone I’ve ever met. And she made me want her until I thought I would die wanting her.
I thought she felt the same. But I have felt her slowly pulling away. Her body responds to mine, but her mind is elsewhere, and her nonanswers make me want to roar with frustration.
Nevada shifts and blinks her eyes open, staring up at me. For a moment, her lips curl into a smile, and then it’s as if she remembers something, and that hint of a smile disappears.
“I need to get moving,” she says, and I pull her closer.
“First, we need to talk.”
“Rakiz—”
I won’t risk her attempting to leave again. “By now you know who I am, karja. Tell me, do you believe I can get your friends back to you?”
She’s silent for a long moment. “I believe you can. I believe I can. But if we’re not out there…�
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“Think about Hewex and Tagiz. They fought long and hard with us. But any of my warriors would do the same. I need you to promise not to leave.”
She’s silent again, and I grit my teeth.
“I need to think about it,” she says.
I resist the urge to growl. Once Nevada has given her word, she won’t break it. I know this about her. So I will allow her time to think.
“I need to go check on Zoey,” she says, and I allow her to roll away. She reaches for her pack and pulls out some clean pants, and I almost groan as she pulls them over her toned thighs and ass.
“I have a proposition for you,” I say, the words spilling from my mouth before I can take them back.
“What kind of proposition?” Nevada places her hands on her hips, and I grin at the sight of my female warrior dressed only in leather, her breasts bare as she scowls at me.
I open my mouth, and she narrows her eyes at me.
“I don’t have time for that proposition.”
I grin, and her mouth twitches as she turns and reaches for a shirt.
“I want you to help secure the camp.”
Nevada’s hand freezes, and she tilts her head as she stares at me.
Yes, I know exactly how to entice you to stay with me, karja.
“What do you mean?”
I push back the furs and reach for my own pants. “As you pointed out, if it was easy for you to sneak out of this camp, it could be easy for others to sneak in. My tribe can benefit from your expertise.”
She studies me. “Are you just doing this to keep me out of trouble?”
I raise my eyebrow, not missing the way her gaze scans my body before returning to my face. It takes every ounce of my willpower not to pull her to me for a morning tumble.
