by Celia Kyle
Literally, the split-second he realized she was present, he shut up. He was mid-sentence, but the instant his gaze touched her, his voice cut off.
Her plan had been to tease a compliment out of him, ask him what he thought of her outfit, but his expression told her more than words ever could. A spark of heat in his gaze morphed into an inferno of need, and her mouth turned as dry as a desert.
Slowly he leaned forward and planted his elbows on his thighs. His gaze caressed her from shoulders down, eyes lingering on her collarbones, of all places. Her exposed navel seemed to be of particular interest, too. He stared long and hard, so long she squirmed beneath his intent stare.
“Uh, there aren’t any mirrors…”
“Turn around.” Zav twirled a tentacle.
Erudan released a rough groan. “No, do not. I have seen enough. This is unacceptable.”
Rhea jerked and blinked. “What?”
He swallowed hard, throat bobbing as his Adam’s apple made a slow glide along his neck. He sat back and folded his arms across his chest, biceps bulging. “You cannot appear in front of other males in those garments. Remove them.”
She put her hands on her hips, weight shifting to her right leg as she cocked her hip. “Seriously?”
The question was pointless because his expression told her he was very serious. His jaw resembled chiseled granite and his skin had changed to green. There weren’t any stray beams of sunlight through windows this time, which meant the color shift wasn’t some random trick of the light.
It was him.
Zav interceded and swept Rhea right back into the fitting room. Her eyes twinkled as she spoke. “I believe you have found your first new articles of clothing.”
“What?” Rhea was already yanking the top over her head, anxious to get it off. “You heard him. He hated it.”
“No, he loved it.” The alien chuckled. She snatched the shirt with a tentacle before Rhea could toss it aside and then shoved another at her. “Did you not see how deeply he colored? You made him burn. You are very fortunate to have a male so near his firez. I have heard the passion is indescribable. Here, hold out your arms.”
Rhea’s head spun and so did her body. Zav whipped a length of sheer silver fabric around her upper body. She used a couple tentacles to manipulate the cloth and a couple more to spin Rhea around. By the time Zav stopped and slid back to examine her handy—er, tentacle-y—work, Rhea was dizzy as hell and seeing double.
Zav gasped and covered her mouth with her tentacles. “I knew the instant I saw you that you would be magnificent in this. Go, tempt your mate again.”
“I don’t think… wait, what? Tempt?” The eager look in Zav’s eyes made Rhea gulp. Maybe this was her first language barrier. Was tempt actually the Vian word for infuriate? Because Erudan sure as hell hadn’t looked tempted before.
She was ready to grill the alien woman, but between one heartbeat and the next she found herself shoved out of the fitting room to face Erudan. Except he wasn’t where she’d left him. No, he now paced back and forth in front of the bench, his steps brisk and body tense. It took him a few seconds to finally recognize her presence and he stuttered to a stop the moment he spied her.
This time she didn’t get a single word out before he cursed beneath his breath and pointed. At her? At Zav?
It didn’t really matter since what he said next could apply to either of them. “No.”
Zav huffed. “You are being ridiculous, Teon.”
He really was.
Then Rhea turned and spied a mirror she hadn’t seen before, and looked at herself for the first time. “Eep! Zav!”
The “top” was basically a shiny, silver bandage. Wrapping the see-through fabric into layers made it opaque, but it still hardly left anything to the imagination. It was so fitted it was a wonder her racing heart wasn’t visible.
Zav went to Erudan, leaning close, and the two exchanged words in low tones. They both threw so many glances her way, she was tempted to hide beneath a bench and never come out again. Which she totally would have done if Erudan’s domineering, alpha-male behavior hadn’t tweaked her last nerve.
On one hand, holy shit. His growling when he saw her… She preferred to think of it as possessiveness, not hatred of the clothing. His reaction was strangely exciting, reaching into her and luring desire to come forward.
On the other hand… Dude, who did he think he was? She wasn’t a pushover to be, er, pushed over, dammit.
Just to be stubborn, she straightened her spine, pulled back her shoulders, and spoke loudly enough to interrupt their whispered conference. “I love it. I’ll take it. Do you have it in any other colors?”
Like all of the colors in the rainbow. Ha!
Zav cheered and clapped her tentacles. “I knew you would! I will search for other colors. For now, let us try the next garments.”
Rhea glanced at Erudan, noting that his green complexion was darker than before. And it continued to darken with each outfit she tried on despite the fact that they were tamer than the first two she’d worn.
She wasn’t sure how long she spent whipping clothes on and then off again, but by the time she was finished, exhaustion had a firm grip on her. “I’m never shopping again.” Rhea huffed and leaned against the wall of the dressing room. At some point, she’d have to get moving, but maybe she’d rest just a little longer. Like, a million years. “Zav, I can’t keep up with you.”
“I have three loves,” Zav sighed and smiled. “My wee ones, my mate, and fashion.”
Rhea chuckled. “I can tell.” She licked her lips, nibbling the lower one while she worked up the nerve to talk about more than fabric. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
Rhea took a deep breath. “Earlier, you used the word firez. What does that mean?”
Because she was pretty damned sure it hadn’t been in any of her files and her implant wasn’t supplying the translation.
Zav’s eyes widened. “You do not know?” She lowered her voice and eased closer to Rhea. “Firez is very special. Very exciting, especially when shared between true mates.”
She scrunched her nose. “But what is it?”
“It is a Vian male’s annual time of need.” Zav gave her a meaningful look. Unfortunately, Rhea couldn’t catch the meaning, which made Zav roll her eyes. “Intimate need. Your next several nights—and days—will be very exciting.”
“Oh.” Rhea’s face flushed hot and her stomach rolled, nausea creeping through her. She wouldn’t be around to experience those exciting nights—and days—but Zav didn’t know that and Rhea wasn’t about to enlighten her.
Oblivious to the churning inside her, Zav continued. “I am very happy for you and Teon. He is a good male who deserves his true mate.”
Guilt joined the queasiness. It felt wrong to let Zav believe some fairy tale.
Rhea lowered her voice so little ears and Erudan couldn’t hear her. “We’re not like that.”
“Like what?” The alien woman frowned. “Of course, you are mates. If you were not, his firez would respond to any female, but it does not. His color only changes for you. You will see for yourself.”
“I don’t…”
Zav shushed Rhea and gave her a wink with a half-dozen eyes. “Put on your new clothes. I will have packages waiting for you.”
Rhea stared at the door, eyes tracing the random pattern of grain in the wood. Zav’s words bounced around her mind, the alien’s statements colliding and fighting with what she knew about Erudan. Not just what she knew, but also what he’d said to her since her arrival. Her thoughts and emotions tangled and knotted together, overloading her mind with recent events.
Had she really only arrived on Vialea the night before? It seemed like so much had happened in such a short time.
As if the drama llama she’d experienced on Earth hadn’t been enough, it had to follow her to Vialea as well. She reached for the outfit she and Zav had set aside—a flowing top and fitted pants—and t
ugged them on. Hopefully they wouldn’t set Erudan off on another snarlfest. She wasn’t sure she could keep herself from snarling right back.
She emerged from the dressing room into the now crowded shop and wove her way toward the front. She dodged other shoppers and scooted out of the way when the children raced past her. She arrived at the front just in time to hear Zav argue with Erudan.
At least Rhea wasn’t the only one who gave the big bad alien a hard time.
“No, no. This is too much.” Zav pushed something across the counter.
He pushed it right back. “It is fair, Zav. If you will not accept it for yourself, use the funds to make a deal for someone in need.”
Zav released a heavy sigh and relented with a smile. “May Alea bless you, Teon.”
“You should speak of me as if— “
“You are a man worthy of respect and honor. This is an old argument and it is my turn to win.” Zav smiled at him and Erudan glared at the woman in return.
Rhea cleared her throat, drawing their attention. “How much do I owe you, Zav?”
Erudan frowned and then narrowed his eyes, glaring at her as if she’d done something to offend him. “It is my privilege to provide for you.”
Zav nodded. “He is correct. It is a male’s honor to provide for his mate.”
And a heavy silence fell over them, neither Rhea nor Erudan saying a word about their mate-status.
Aw-kward.
Zav’s children saved them by bursting from behind a rack, candy and toys filling every one of their tiny tentacles. Once again, they changed their nickname for Erudan, circling him as they jumped and shouted.
Zav pushed their purchases into Erudan’s hands. “You do too much, Teon. Again.”
Rhea glanced at Erudan. “Is Teon a nickname of some kind? I’d love to—“
Erudan shook his head and grasped her hand. “We must go now.”
She rolled her eyes and grumbled at the snarly male. “Okay… moody much?”
Yeah, he was cranky and snarly, but who wouldn’t be after a night spent folded up like an origami crane on the couch. Still, regardless of his glares and mumbles, she had something she wanted to say and he wasn’t going to stop her.
She got her chance when they stepped out of the shop and had to pause to let a hovtruck pass.
She pushed to her tiptoes, leaned close, and whispered so only he could hear. “I heard you talking to Zav. You’ll never convince me you’re dishonorable if you keep spoiling babies and overpaying to help out a stranger.”
As for Erudan’s response? He just grunted.
Males.
Ten
Females—one particular female—would be the death of him. He could not bear to look at her and yet could not bear to not look at her. It was maddening and yet… addictive. He wanted more of her. Not just more, he wanted all of her.
He had never responded to a female in such a way. His flesh craved her soft embrace and the more time spent in her company, the stronger his need grew.
Simply walking through Ikkim was pure torture. Of all the sights and sounds of the market, there should have been plenty to distract him from the female at his side. Should, but wasn’t. When she paused to look at something that caught her eye, he inevitably looked at her.
He’d been relieved when she’d emerged from the dressing room covered in more traditional clothing rather than the tempting garments Zav had first chosen. Her shapely legs were fully encased and the blouse hid the tempting dips and hollows he ached to explore.
Though relief fled the first time she bent to look at an item for sale. The hem of her shirt rose and his hands twitched with the need to grasp her hips and pull her heart-shaped ass against his aching flesh.
Thankfully, his hands were occupied with holding her purchases. He would have paid to have them delivered to his dwelling later, but he didn’t trust himself not to act on his desires. Desires that grew stronger and stronger as the morning passed toward midday.
Changing position and standing in front of her when she bent over did not help his cause. The loose top he had appreciated moments before gaped at the neckline. It showed him the tops of her plump breasts and the dark valley between them. His mouth watered as he imagined running his tongue across the gentle slopes. Perhaps he’d then slide an aching part—
“Uh, Erudan?” Rhea’s voice crashed into his fantasies.
He blinked and shook his head to clear his carnal thoughts. What had come over him? Where had the sensual imaginings come from?
One look at Rhea’s flushed cheeks and glittering eyes answered his question. The erotic thoughts—at least some of them—came from her. There was a connection between their minds. A connection he did not wish to examine.
Rhea straightened and padded closer, placing her hand on his forearm. He followed her movements with his gaze, ensnared by the sight of her pale skin against his darker flesh.
His green flesh that seemed permanently stained with signs of his need.
Erudan dragged air into his lungs and shook his head. He could not allow himself to be consumed by her. Not if he wanted to survive after he sent her on her way. He tipped his head back and looked to the sky—guessing the time based on the position of the suns.
“It is growing late. Have you finished your shopping?”
Rhea sighed. It was only a small breath, the sound easily lost in the noise of the station, but he was so attuned to her that he heard it easily. It was the same with her scent. He could find her flavors mixed in with the odors of fried food and foreign bodies crowded around them.
She released another breath. “I guess I’m finished, yeah. Thanks for bringing me. I had a really nice morning. I enjoyed meeting Zav and her children, replacing my stolen clothes, and…”
Erudan grasped her hand and led her back toward the transport. “And?”
She laughed softly. “And…” She combed her free hand through her hair, and the flowery scent of her cleanser rolled over him. He was nearly overcome by the desire to do the same with his own hand. He wanted to slide his fingers through the strands, fist the length and…
Lust bolted through him in a strike so fast he did not have a moment to prepare for the onslaught. The other Vians exploring the shops took large steps away. The strangers put so much distance between them that there was an empty space of six feet in every direction. No Vian male wanted to be too close to another’s mate when firez rippled so near the surface.
“And what?” The words came out harsher than he intended but he clung to his control by the thinnest thread. He was desperate to return to his transport before his control slipped any further.
Erudan had come to care for the people of lower Ikkim in the last year and he did not want to kill any of them.
If he succumbed to the firez while surrounded, many would be injured.
Rhea seemed to understand. Instead of recoiling in fear, she slid her hand up his arm and gave him a gentle squeeze. Her touch—firm and insistent—grounded him when nothing else would. It aroused him, but also anchored him against the madness of need that threatened to take over.
He admitted it was a power over him that only she possessed.
He mulled over the meaning of that realization while they continued their walk. He struggled to temper his urgency so he would not force Rhea to run. Good males cared for the happiness of their mates, not the opposite.
Not that the rule applied to them.
The sounds of the market gradually faded, the regular murmurs of Ikkim replacing shouts and laughter. That was when she finally answered his question, her tone soft. “And I enjoyed spending time with you.”
Then she released a tinkling laugh. “Even though you were a domineering jerk for a while. Very caveman with all that snapping and growling about my clothes.” She squeezed his bicep. “That attitude is yummy in a lot of cases, but not when it comes to telling what to—and not to—wear.”
He grunted. “I do not snap or growl.”
He did no
t deny her other accusations because she spoke the truth. He had been propelled by the powerful touch of firez and he had spoken without thought. He had merely been driven by the need to hide his mate’s body from others for fear that he would be challenged for her.
She laughed again. “Oh, there was a lot of growling and snarling, too. It’s okay if you need to deny it. I know male egos are fragile. Just remember that I know the truth.”
He mentally cursed and then grumbled his agreement. He would not increase his dishonor by lying to her. “You looked…”
Lovely. Enticing. Good enough to eat. The thought shocked him when coupled with the image of what that might entail. Rhea resting on his bed, thighs spread and knees bent while he prowled over her…
“You’re growling again,” Rhea whispered.
Erudan squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and banished the visions. He had spent the last year pushing his body to extremes and had denied himself pleasures of the flesh. He had done his best to atone for his past actions. Yes, that was the reason he was so easily distracted by Rhea. That and nothing more.
Except Rhea wore a playing, knowing smile that told him denial was useless. Because just as he received her thoughts and fantasies, he believed she received his.
Which mean she knew when—
Instinct had him freezing in place. Awareness slithered over his flesh while adrenaline rushed into his veins. His body prepared for a battle, recognizing that someone drew near. He pushed Rhea behind him, body prepared to defend and protect the human female.
He dropped their bags and tensed, braced to defend what was his. Someone chased them and they would—
Ahlan’s small body skidded around a corner.
“Erudan.” Ahlan’s whisper and darting gaze had him tensing further.
He beckoned the boy closer and he sensed Rhea moving out of the protection of his shadow. Uncertainty rolled off her in waves and Erudan did his best to ignore her distress to focus on Ahlan.
Once Ahlan reached the safety of Erudan’s reach, the young boy stopped and glanced over his shoulder.
