Unmatched

by Annalise Alexis

  Judging by the way Ren is feeling right now, he would actually enjoy that.

  The creature is massive, white as the snow currently pounding down on us, and covered in some kind of thick fur. It stands on six legs, the front four smaller than the back, and its chest is heaving, tongue hanging out, excited about its next meal. My own senses are masked by the vibrancy of Ren’s pouring through the bond, but with his borrowed mind vision, I can hear the monster’s vomit-inducing squeal.

  My heart pounds as Ren unsheathes his blades and launches himself on top of the thing. His adrenaline flows freely through me, tightening my throat, and I frantically try again to clear my lenses so I can see.

  “Watch, my Aciana,” Ren coos to my mind. “You have no reason to fear. Nothing will touch you.”

  The creature thrashes, bucking and biting at Ren, trying to throw him off, but can’t dislodge him. Using only the grips of the weapons he’s driven into the creature’s flesh, Ren hangs on, almost as if he is enjoying the ride, then with brute strength, rips the blades apart, splitting the beast open and exposing a wide gash in its back. Purple blood pours from the wound, and the creature claws at him, still trying to break free.

  An audible crunch and one sickening wet sound later, Ren guts it and launches himself at the one to his right. Tor heads for the other, and between the six males, four beasts die.

  As Nexx drives his weapon into the neck of the last one, even the wind cannot smother the ear-piercing cry it releases.

  A chorus of screams answer it, and urgency slithers down our bond.

  They communicate with each other.

  And now they’re coming for us.

  Charging back to the group, Ren throws me over his shoulder and takes off at a full sprint. It sounds like a herd of them are coming.

  I panic, worried for the others, and I strain once again to clear my lenses so I can see.

  “Do not worry for them, Skara. Females are lighter and faster than Illusian males. Another reason we love to give chase.”

  I’m coated in snow, and my lips and nose are so frozen I can’t feel them anymore. We’ve been running for what seems like hours when we finally take a sharp turn right and Ren sets me down. The wind stops. We must be inside the mouth of the cave.

  “Hold still, do not move. I will clear the ice from your protective lenses. It is still too cold this close to the surface for you to remove them, and you need to see.”

  “Yes, please. I’ve been trying to clear them forever.”

  The edge of his blade that close to my eyes has me holding my breath, and part of me really hopes he isn’t using the one coated in that thing’s blood.

  Ren chuckles. “I did not.”

  “Thank you,” I say, and Ren gives me a funny look. “For getting us out of there. I know you normally wouldn’t miss the chance to slice and dice. You didn’t like leaving me, and I didn’t fancy it either, so thank you.”

  Ren leans in close, the heat radiating off of him once again fogging up my glasses. “My greatest concern is always you. Now follow me, we must make our way deeper into the cave and find the others.”

  I wholeheartedly agree. Wherever we’re going has to be warmer than where we’ve been. Light fills the cave as the males ignite energy torches. It’s beautiful and so different, I can’t help but stare. A deep blue reflective ice surrounds us, with veins of light green snaking through. And the most intriguing pink rocks I’ve ever seen.

  As he comes to a stop, Ren reaches for one, and tiny shards of ice fall to the ground as he pulls it from its spot on the cave wall.

  “Not rocks, my Skara. A flower, encased in ice.” Using his thumb and forefinger, he cracks the outer crust of the ice, revealing a fluffy pink bloom underneath. “Sol discovered these while researching the planet. The seeds are born in the ice and as they grow, the outer layer of ice thins until they burst from the shell. This one still has some time to go.”

  I smile, taking the flower from his outstretched palm. “Sol took the time to look up flowers for you? That’s…surprising.”

  Ren’s brow furrows slightly, and his lips flatten into a thin line. “We always study the natural flora of a place before we attempt to land. Like the flower from my planet that inspired my name for you, Skara, some can kill. Others, like this one,” he points to the petals now resting in my hand, “can be eaten in extreme cases to prevent starvation.”

  I gulp and wrap my free hand around his.

  Oh, wow. How incredibly…unromantic.

  We walk for ten minutes or more, winding through the cave. Ragar refuses to put Leandra down, and Ren’s wrapped his arm around my shoulder to keep me from slipping on all the ice. The pressure in the cave gets thicker the further we advance, and after a steep decline in the winding path, my eardrums feel like they’re going to pop.

  “Do you want the band?” Ren asks, referring to the pressure thing he had me wear once before.

  “Nah, they’re going to adjust, right? I mean, how much deeper do we have to go?”

  Ren closes his eyes a second, and I feel a small tug on the bond. He’s searching for them. Gauging how close the others are.

  I’m surprised we can’t hear anything either. With that many people in one place, you’d think they’d make a little noise. In fact…the quiet is…eerie.

  “No more than fifty strides. And to answer your question, Illusians are far from quiet. By utilizing a sound cancelling barrier around the camp, we decrease the chances of disturbing the beasts that slumber here.”

  I swallow hard and look around. “Where are they, anyway? You made it sound like there were tons of them outside, but we have yet to see one in here.”

  The chilly tip of Ren’s nose tickles my cheek as he leans down to whisper in my ear. “The beasts above are clumsy and stupid. Fully controlled by their hunger for flesh. What lives in here is far more intelligent and wishes to remain unseen.”

  Why did I even ask?

  “Okay, enough, seriously. You’re giving me motion sickness, and I don’t want to barf again. Put me the hell down,” Leandra demands from somewhere behind me. She breaks free of Ragar’s grip and slides to her feet. All the rescued females from Xen’s group look on in confusion as she swats away his attempt to pick her back up. I guess they aren’t quite used to Leandra’s aversion to being coddled.

  Ignoring the ice on the ground, Leandra stomps ahead, making her way through the group and pushing past me. “Ragar, get your female,” Ren calls out as Leandra pops an energy stick out of her bag and takes the lead.

  “I’m fine. You said we’re close, right?” she says over her shoulder as she increases the space between us.

  My heart lurches in my throat at the thought of her getting eaten, and Ren squeezes the back of my neck. “Do not fear, Skara. Our people are—”

  Two dark shadows drop from the cave walls, and Leandra yelps, falling back onto her butt. Already moving toward her before she screams, Ragar shoots past us with a blood-curdling roar and grabs the two shadows, slamming them into the side of the cave. The walls shake, and a cracking noise fills the air.

  “Leandra!” I yell, dashing forward, but before I can get to her, Ren grabs my wrist and curls himself around me. Spears of ice rain down from above. Finally free of the falling ice, I scurry forward with Ren at my side.

  Oh, no.

  There’s blood all over the ground, and Ragar has Leandra in his arms, growling at the two Illusian males pinned to the cave walls with giant icicles.

  Ragar spits at them, chest heaving, and hugs Leandra tighter.

  “Holy shit, I’m fine.” She looks at me and then to Ren. “Seriously, will one of you get them down? They didn’t even touch me.”

  Ren stalks over to the males, and they straighten, trying to appear…taller? I don’t even know. They have yet to speak.

  “Ah, Jorg and Masry. I see Elan is still utilizing you for exterior patrol. State why you chose to approach a mated female without identifying yourselves or I will leave you here t
o bleed while we discuss the matters at hand.”

  The one on the right speaks first. “We smelled a foreign scent, Acia.”

  “You approached what is mine with dishonorable intent. You are lucky the sight of death displeases her or I would have not been so lenient,” Ragar adds.

  Lenient? He impaled them to a wall for scaring her…

  Ren leans forward and presses the end of the icy spike deeper into Jorg’s chest. He grunts, but remains silent. “Did you not smell the scent of an Illusian male on her also?”

  “Yes, Acia.”

  “I have called the others to witness your offense. You will be released once the male in charge of your sect sees fit to relieve you of your punishment.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Ren

  Giving the males displayed on the wall once last look, I pull Jayla to my side, taking the lead. My mate and the human mechanic have sacrificed for my people, and it is a fucking embarrassment Jorg and Masry failed to show them appropriate respect.

  The male responsible for their training will also be held accountable. It is through poor leadership such a grievous mistake is made, and I will not excuse it.

  Females are to be worshipped, not looked upon like they are damn novelties.

  The strength of my people sings to me. They are waiting, taking heed of my order to hold before filing out to witness the punished. This will be the first time we have all gathered, and by announcing my mate selection before them all, I will ensure Jayla feels the devotion of those she has given herself for.

  The devotion no other female deserves.

  My Life Giver approaches from the rear, her familiar scent bringing trepidation. Prior to her rescue, I delighted in the memories of her presence. Now, her actions toward my mate have sullied my comfort. “Ren, allow me to enter first. I wish to present you.”

  The thin veil of sound-cancelling material reflects off the torch light in my hand, and I take pause. To refuse her would be an insult. But, it would be considered an honor to allow her to enter first. After how she has spoken against my mate…

  “You may enter. But do not mistake your place.”

  She nods, bowing slightly, and glides through the translucent shroud. On the outside it shows nothing, and if not for the slight buzz of energy given off by its touch, one would not realize it is there at all.

  Jayla stiffens, and I hold up a hand to halt the group, then pull her to the side. “What the hell? It looks like she just disappeared.”

  “It is very useful in times like these. It is nearly impossible to see, and as you can hear, exceptional at containing sound.” I pull her close, appreciating her warmth, and tip up her chin. “Are you ready, my Aciana? To meet your people?”

  My mate smirks, her eyes lingering on mine. “Fuck no. But let’s go do it anyway.”

  Jayla

  I don’t know why but, for some reason, I assumed there would be cheers. Some sort of excitement—a warm welcome as we entered, instead, everyone is already kneeling silently on the floor.

  Linara is gliding through the center of the Illusians with her chin tilted upward, radiating superiority. There’s only one problem. She hasn’t introduced Ren.

  Or me for that matter.

  To say this is awkward would be the understatement of the century.

  Ren stiffens, guiding me to his side. He watches as Linara spins, gazing at the massive crowd of kneeling Illusians. Almost as if his aura calls to them, they raise their heads to meet his gaze.

  “You fall to your knees for your Asha, but fail to acknowledge your Aciana?” Ren grinds out in a low voice.

  A burly male with half a lip slams his fist to his chest and nods toward Ren. “We were not aware you had mated, Acia. Forgive our oversight. Let us congratulate our new Aciana appropriately. Rise. The Asha’s greeting should come secondary to that of the Acia’s mate.”

  Linara holds out her hand to introduce us, but Ren silences her. “That will not be necessary. You laid waste to the chance to honor my mate. Your introductions are no longer desired.”

  Linara scoffs, “Very well.”

  I guess a few moments of being fawned over were worth more than paying her respects to her own son, and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

  The icy blue walls inside the cave glisten from the heat of the energy torches piled in middle of the room. It’s no wonder they chose this part of the cave—it’s massive. There must be well over three hundred Illusians here, separated according to status, of course, and they all seem to have a decent amount of room. There are also several little outcroppings in the back of the room that offer a miniscule amount of privacy.

  Ren pulls me forward, my hand in his. The Illusian females fall to both knees, the males to one.

  Something about it irks me, but I smile and nod, trying to dispel the tension in the air. Finally, Ren comes to a heavily padded area, slightly higher than the rest of the pallets on the floor, and he gestures for me to sit.

  “Despite the sub-standard welcome, it pleases me greatly to see so many of us in one place. We have suffered. Been forced apart by our enemies and made to constantly fight to keep our most vulnerable safe. Many of you have traveled a great distance and waited several moons for my mate and me to arrive, and for that, we thank you. The seriousness of what has called us together cannot be ignored, but for tonight, after such a treacherous journey, let us allow ourselves the luxury of rest.”

  Ren’s eyes narrow, shifting from one Illusian face to the next. “Prior to this encounter, you were not aware I had mated, but let there be no mistake. My human is not to be trifled with. She shares our bond and has inherited our gifts. Let no one disrespect her, for if I find she or Ragar’s human mate have been treated with hostility…you will forfeit your life.” A delicate hand raises in the crowd, and I immediately recognize it as Amina’s. “Yes, female. Stand if you wish to speak.”

  Her cheeks blaze cherry red as she fumbles her words. “Thank you, Acia. Yes. I thought that perhaps if it pleases the Aciana, we could throw her a traditional mating ceremony as a thank you. She has done so much for our people. I would love the chance to share her heroism with the rest of our clan.”

  I nearly snort at the formality of her words. I’ve come to know and love Amina, and even though she refuses to let go of a lot of the traditional expectations ingrained in her, she’s rarely this proper. Then again, the females in here seem…even more rigid than Naya. And judging by the amount of glaring red eyes in the room, our beloved Keeper is not alone in her aggressive way of ensuring everyone stays in line.

  Ren grunts in approval and grabs both sides of my face.

  “For you, my Aciana. I will allow it. You will be celebrated.” He leans in close so that only I can hear. “And I will watch you dance in the torch light before I put you against the wall and split you wide.” I swallow hard, and despite the chill in the air, heat gathers between my thighs. Of course, he would say something like that when he knows we can’t do anything.

  Tease.

  He turns to the crowd. “Tonight, we rest. Tomorrow, we celebrate my mate and construct a plan to put these rabid pricks down once and for all.”

  The room sways, and I jerk awake, heart beating out of my chest. Arms…

  I’m in Ren’s arms. And he’s…carrying me?

  “Shhh, Skara. Do not fear,” he whispers as I shake my head, trying to wake up. I swear it feels like I just fell asleep. There’s nothing but darkness around us, and it’s freezing. We’ve left the camp?

  “What… What’s going on? Is everything okay?”

  The muffled sound of cloth hitting the ground is all I hear as Ren lays me down and climbs on top of me. “I cannot be without you any longer.” He presses his hard cock against my hand, the thick animal hide of his pants doing little to mask his arousal, and suddenly, I’m fully awake. “I need to feel your warmth. To taste what is mine.”

  Capturing his mouth, I hold him close as he fumbles with my pants and bares himself. Usually we�
�re all hands and teeth, but not tonight. There is a sweetness to the way he’s touching me, a softness that usually isn’t there. He’s hurried, like he can barely stand a second longer away from me, and it makes me want him even more.

  Ren slides into me, gripping the back of my neck for leverage. The icy cold air and heat of his skin set my body on fire, and when he reaches down to pinch my clit, I come hard, biting my tongue to stifle a scream.

  Ren places a hand over my mouth, bucking his hips to drive himself deeper. “You must be quiet, my Aciana. I will take your voice so that you may be unrestrained. But in its place…I will give you this.”

  Molten lava spreads through my veins as Ren’s gift slides down my spine. Tingles radiate to my core, and every thrust—every inch of his cock—feels a thousand times more intense. I open my mouth in a silent scream, coming more times than I can count as he drives into me with long strokes.

  I’m panting, so heavily the room threatens to spin, and all I can manage to do once Ren is done is lie there and try not to pass out. The sound of my breath returns with my voice.

  “What…the…hell…was that?” I manage. “And why…haven’t you ever…done that before?”

  Ren chuckles and pulls me in for a kiss. “Because, my Aciana, I do not use my body to please you because I have to. I could easily make you come on command. But to feel the softness of your body clench and convulse around me…” He kisses me once more. “That is what makes my existence worth living.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Ren

  Jayla stirs, still held captive by her dreams. I do not dare wake her. We remained outside the camp well into her sleep cycle, and she has not sufficiently rested. The chill in the air bites as I rise from our pallet and remove myself from her warmth. Her embrace is the only place I desire to be, but duty calls. There is much to discuss today, and summoning the males at first rise of the planet’s star is important. We cannot remain here together long, and we have no time to spare.