by Zoey Draven
“Do you already have a male?” he grated, taking a step towards her.
His Instinct prowled in his chest, thoughts of a faceless human male flitting across his brain. His teeth gritted together at the thought of that male touching what was his.
Vikan pulled himself up short when he realized how quickly his mood had turned and tried to regain control over the primal instincts rushing through his blood.
Taylor was studying him, but he noticed she hadn’t backed away from him, even when he’d approached. She’d stood her ground and even tilted her chin up.
“Even if I did, it’s none of your concern,” she said, narrowing her eyes.
Vikan inhaled a sharp breath. So, his female had claws.
He…liked that.
“It is my concern, female,” he rasped. “Everything about you is my concern now. Do you have a male?”
“If you honestly expect me to—”
“Do you have a male?”
“No,” she snapped and relief almost made him want to sag to the floor. “This is ridiculous. Just take me back to wherever we were being kept. We’re wasting time.”
Vikan swallowed, slightly unnerved by his reaction. He’d never been a jealous male before. Even with Nitav, he wasn’t threatened by other warriors if they made their interest in her known.
So why was he so possessive of this human female, whom he had barely spoken to?
It was just his Instinct, he reasoned. His Instinct had never woken for Nitav. He’d accepted that, had loved her regardless. Fated mates were rare and he had never expected to discover his in his life span.
Yet…his fated mate was standing right in front of him, looking like she was on the verge of tearing his head clean off his shoulders.
If she weren’t so little and could reach, Vikan wouldn’t be surprised if she tried.
“Nix,” he grumbled.
Her eyes narrowed and she repeated slowly, “Nix?”
“No,” he said, in English.
“No? No, what?” she repeated, her eyebrows furrowing in what Vikan suspected was the human expression for confusion.
“I will not be taking you back. Not until…” he trailed off, not even sure what he would say.
Not until he was certain.
But certain about what?
He didn’t know.
Again, he felt…unhinged, that taut thread slowly unraveling.
But then he stilled. Because for the first time, he realized that he felt no pain. For the first time, he realized he wasn’t trying to keep the visions at bay because there were no visions. Usually, they would rise and bubble up in his chest before bursting, like intense white light, in his mind. Usually, Vikan would have to strain and fight against them until they dissipated, which only led to that pain he dulled with yikava.
For once, there was no impending pressure in his mind. His shoulders were relaxed, his muscles loosened.
His lips parted as he studied the female in front of him. A strand of her dark hair curled over her cheek with the unseen wind, but her green eyes stared back at him. It was because of her, he realized with a start. His body and mind and Instinct were at peace in her presence.
Vikan let out a purr and Taylor shifted at the sound of it, flat white teeth flashing when she began to nibble on her lip.
“I will not be taking you back,” he rasped, edging towards her. She straightened, her eyes flickering from him to around the hovercraft as if looking for a place to hide. “Not yet.”
“You have to,” she said, the tone of her voice rising higher and higher. “They’ll be leaving…” she trailed off when he stepped close enough that he could scent her and he breathed her into his lungs further, just as he would the yikava.
His eyelids fluttered closed, his mouth watering with need. Fates, she smelled like a crisp morning on the coast of the silver sea. Light and delicious and dizzying.
“Vaxa’an will not send the vessel away without you, female,” he found himself murmuring, his voice going thick as he looked down at her. He heard the way her heart began to race in her chest. “I promise you this.”
“Vikan…” she murmured and he detected nervousness. “I don’t think you should—”
She cut herself off when he brushed back that maddening strand of hair from her cheek before rubbing it between his fingertips. It was soft and thick and lush. He wondered what it would feel like dragging across his flesh, or what it would look like spread across his furs.
Vikan felt himself slipping. His eyelids went heavy, his cock thickening from its semi-hard state until it pulsed against the seam of his leg coverings powerfully. He almost groaned. He’d forgotten how heady and potent sexual arousal was.
“What did you dream of, luxiva?” he rasped down to her.
She inhaled sharply through her nose, her widened, astonished gaze meeting his and holding. Fates, she had beautiful eyes. Green with streaks of silver from the moonlight.
Under her thin tunic, he saw her nipples tighten and Vikan let out another purr, barely restraining himself from cupping her there. His female possessed soft curves that threatened to undo him.
Her eyes were slightly unfocused when she whispered, “What?”
“What did you dream of?” he repeated softly. “When I came to you this night, I smelled your arousal. Your cunt was wet and aching for your male, was it not?”
Taylor gasped and she shook her head, like she was trying to clear the fog he knew too well. But even then, Vikan’s nostrils flared because he scented her again, hints of her interest and the memory of her dream.
“N-no, we have more to…to talk about,” she said, but her voice was nothing more than a husky whisper.
Vikan brushed his roughened fingertips down her exposed arms, from the hem of the shortened sleeves of her tunic all the way to her slim wrists, where he encircled them easily. He groaned at the softness and warmth of her skin.
Taylor let out a shuddering breath at his touch, her eyelids closing for a brief moment before snapping open. She felt it too. The pull. The need. The connection. It was undeniable and almost impossible to resist.
“Tell me,” he murmured, dipping his head closer to her ear. Her scent was growing stronger, her arousal making his head swim with pleasure. “Were we mating, female? Was I taking your cunt hard and strong, or soft and slow?”
A small whimper sounded from her throat and she swayed towards him for a brief moment.
“Or, perhaps, you were taking me,” he amended, his cock throbbing at the thought.
“I—I…” she tried.
“There have been more dreams, tev?” he asked. “Many more before this night.”
He heard her swallow thickly and his body shot tight with desire when she softly rasped, “Yes,” in response to his question.
“How many?” he asked.
“I—I don’t know,” she murmured. She bit her lip, her eyes catching on her slim wrists which were ensnared in Vikan’s grasp. When her unfocused gaze returned to his, Vikan realized she looked slightly frightened. “W-what’s happening to me?”
Vikan stilled, reality piercing through the haze of lust in his mind.
Too fast, he realized. Too much. Get control.
Slowly, he managed to extricate himself from the tantalizing desire that whipped through his body, although it was no easy feat. Especially considering his fated female was within reach and the scent of her arousal was so potent he could taste it on his tongue.
An impossible feat, he realized. But he did manage enough control that he released her wrists and took a step back.
As if coming up for air, Taylor blinked and inhaled a startled breath, reaching behind her to steady herself on the edge of the hovercraft.
She stared up at him, her lips parted, drawing in harsh, ragged breaths.
In answer to her question, he rasped, “Nothing that is not happening to me as well, female.”
Suddenly, a loud trill made his head snap towards the control panel of the hovercr
aft, his stomach dropping with the sound.
It was the fuel gauge.
And that loud trill meant they were running dangerously low on it.
SIX
“VRAX!” VIKAN SUDDENLY burst out once he heard the loud buzzing sound.
Taylor knew that couldn’t be good.
And despite whatever the hell had just happened, despite the lingering touches of desire and confusion still pulsing hot in her veins, Taylor knew she needed to put it behind her for now and figure out what was wrong.
“What does that sound mean?” she asked, rushing over to the control panel the same time Vikan did, her voice slightly winded.
His fingers flew over the silver touch screen that lit up blue every time he made contact. Strange symbols that Taylor guessed were Luxirian numbers or words appeared on screen and immediately, she heard an ominous sound like something was powering off.
The hovercraft jerked.
“V-Vikan?” she asked, eyes wide.
“Do not fear, luxiva,” he murmured, distracted, as his fingers flew over the screen, inputting commands with an expert’s touch. “We have to land.”
Here? she thought wildly, looking over the landscape for the first time. She couldn’t see much since it was still so dark out, the only source of light the moon.
“Come,” he murmured, reaching for her. Without even thinking, she did as he ordered and he tucked her between himself and the control panel, his arms bracing around her body and tucking her head into his chest, so she couldn’t see anything else. “We have to drop to conserve fuel.”
“What?” she whispered, fear jolting into her. “No, Vikan, I—”
“Trust me, female,” he rasped into her ear, pulling her more firmly into his body. “I will not let any harm come to you.”
For some reason, his words made her body relax. And even though she hardly knew him, she felt deep within her that he spoke the truth. Inhaling a quick breath, she gave a small nod and said, “Okay.”
Besides, what other choice did she have?
“Hold strong, female,” he commanded, before dragging one of his clawed fingertips over the pad.
Immediately, the hovercraft tilted towards the ground and Taylor’s arms wrapped around Vikan’s waist, her fingers digging into the tense muscles of his back. Taylor didn’t even have time to cry out before they began hurtling towards the ground. The engines, or whatever the hell was powering the hovercraft, had gone silent and all she could do was bury her head in Vikan’s chest and pray and pray that they would be alright.
It was like a horrifying roller coaster ride, except she wasn’t strapped in and the only tether she had was the alien male she’d wrapped herself around.
It seemed like they fell forever, but in reality, it was maybe ten seconds. When she heard Vikan shift, his arm striking out to power the engines back on and level off their descent and slow their speed, pure relief rushed through her limbs, making her tremble.
Taylor hardly dared to look until the hovercraft thudded onto what sounded like gravel, the impact hard enough that Vikan pressed her into the panel, tightening his hold around her, so she wouldn’t get thrown around too much. She heard the tiny clattering of rocks spraying in every direction as they skidded and then finally came to a halt.
After a brief moment of blessed silence, the engines gave out. And when Taylor peeked around Vikan’s chest, she saw that they were on the ground. Safe.
Vikan moved first, since her limbs seemed to be frozen.
He pulled her back so he could look at her face and she was shocked to see how…intense he looked.
“Luxiva,” he rasped, running his palm down her back, over her arms, checking her over in an exaggerated way, like he was trying to assure himself that she was unharmed. “Forgive me. Forgive me. I did not check the fuel before…vrax! It is not like me. Nothing is like me, since you.”
Taylor’s lips parted, his last words equally frightening her and making her flush with…something she didn’t want to identify. Because she had the sense that she knew exactly what he was talking about. She hardly felt like herself anymore either. All because of those damn dreams and those damn gray eyes she couldn’t stop thinking about.
It had been a little over two weeks since she’d first seen him. And everything was different.
Taylor swallowed, her heart finally beginning to slow its furious pumping. To distract herself from his gaze, his words, she looked past him, saw that they were in a dark clearing. She could only make out what looked like slim but towering grass-like plants that rustled in the wind. And in the distance, she swore she heard a muted hissing sound, like soft waves crashing on a beach.
“What now?” she asked quietly, realization crashing down on her. “Do you have spare fuel?”
Vikan stilled. “You are not angry with me?”
Taylor forced herself to meet his gaze and she said softly, “I’m mad that you took me away during the night without an explanation. And yes, I’m mad that we crashed here. But it’s not like you purposefully didn’t fuel that hovercraft.” She peered at him, a sudden though occurring. “Right?”
“I would never endanger you like that,” he growled, raking a hand through his long, silky black hair, obviously frustrated with himself, shaken from their emergency landing.
Taylor blew out the small breath she’d been holding. “Then we can only move forward. Being mad doesn’t change anything about our situation. Now, do you have spare fuel?”
Vikan looked at her. He still had that same dark, broody expression that didn’t give much away, but Taylor got the sense that he was…surprised.
“I do not,” he murmured and Taylor felt her shoulders sag. “I can make fuel with a root that grows in this region, but it will take a quarter lunar cycle.”
She figured that meant one week. That was one option, although not ideal. “Can you call for help?”
“Not without fuel,” he murmured, glancing around their surroundings for the first time. Taylor became aware that she was still in his arms, that she still had her arms around him, her fingers digging into his back as if afraid to let go. Startled, she let them drop away and blood rushed to her fingertips.
With obvious reluctance, he released her and stepped back. After a brief growl, he looked away and said in a strange, almost cold, tone, “My outpost is not far from here. Perhaps three spans to walk for you.”
Spans?
“Days, you mean?”
He jerked his head in what she assumed was a nod.
Three days. That didn’t sound too bad.
Except…she had no shoes. She glanced down at her bare feet in trepidation, remembering the sound of crunchy gravel as they landed. Her feet would be torn up.
“I will carry you,” he said, also glancing down at her feet.
“That’s…that’s not practical,” she protested, but in reality she didn’t want him to carry her because she feared how her body would react being pressed so closely to his for days on end. She remembered how easily he’d tempted her before the fuel warning had gone off. She’d forgotten herself.
And because of that, he was dangerous. He could make her forget herself.
No. She would walk, even if her feet would be ravaged. Because the sooner they reached this outpost, the sooner Taylor could go back to the others…and then she’d be able to go home. To Earth.
“Which way?” she asked, pushing back her shoulders, suddenly determined.
“We are not walking in darkness, female,” Vikan said. “We will find shelter and rest until the suns rise.”
Taylor bit her lip to keep from arguing, knowing that it was probably for the best, despite her impatience to get started on their journey. She could hardly see five feet in front of her and who knew what alien creatures lurked around.
So, she gave him a reluctant nod and then, without warning, he swung her up in his arms as if she weighed nothing more than a feather. She suppressed her surprised squeak and clutched his shoulders to keep from slipp
ing when he jumped off the back of the hovercraft onto crunchy gravel. When she peered down, she saw it was white gravel, some pieces smooth, some pieces jagged.
Just for tonight, she’d let him carry her. Maybe along the way, she could find something to make shoes with.
And so, as if he knew the land, Vikan veered left, instead of heading straight, which had been the direction their hovercraft had been originally heading.
“Where will we find shelter?” she asked quietly, once she’d settled and they’d been walking in silence for a short while. She was still tense in his arms, trying to ignore his heat and his addicting masculine smell.
But it was hard.
“There should be caves not far,” he answered her. “If the Fates are with us, they will not be inhabited.”
Taylor couldn’t help but shiver, wondering about the animals and creatures that roamed Luxiria.
And maybe it was out of nerves or because she needed a distraction, but she commented softly, “You never answered my question about why you took me. I think I deserve to know why.”
“I did tell you why,” he replied, frustrating male. Vikan’s long strides didn’t even stutter as he murmured, “Vaxa’an was set to send you and the others females back to Earth. I could not allow that to happen. Not yet. It was impulsive and perhaps foolish, but I felt I had no other choice.”
“You said you wanted to know whether I was yours,” she noted. “That was your explanation. You honestly expect me to take that as an answer? You don’t even seem that certain.”
A low growling purr started in his chest and she felt it against her side. “I am certain, female.”
“Then you’ve made a mistake,” she simply put, ignoring the way her heart leaped at his husky words.
“I cannot say I am happy about it,” he growled, getting all moody again.
Taylor sucked in a breath, feeling irritation and indignation rise. And a little hurt, which made absolutely no sense.
“Then great!” she replied, looking away from him, trying to hide her scowl. They’d just entered a forest of the long grassy plants she’d seen from the hovercraft. They towered over both of them and rustled as they made a path through. One curled edge of a shoot brushed her cheek and it felt like sandpaper.
