Mated to a Bear (Legends of Black Salmon Falls Book 3)

by Lauren Lively

  I, too, had my moments where I almost lost control. It was more intense than anything I'd ever experienced before. At one point, Paige was on top of me, but I guided her body with my hands, touching her at last. For all I had wanted to do was to touch her, to feel her, and there I was, getting to touch her in ways I had only imagined I would get to. And in some ways I'd never even been able to imagine.

  In the end, our bodies shuddered as we climaxed together, forgetting that she was human, and I was alien. We were simply two people lost in a moment of making love. Her hands in mine, our lips pressed together, and our bodies shuddering and writhing as the most intense pleasure took over my body. She was whimpering, her pace intense as she'd ridden me, until both of us collapsed in a heap of sweat and bodily fluids. Utterly spent.

  Paige stared down at me, her eyes sleepy and tired. “Jesus Christ.”

  I knew enough about humans to know it was a statement. She wasn't actually calling me by the biblical name of a religious figure. Thanks to Anjol for that little tidbit. Always proving himself to be handy.

  I was out of breath and still trying to get used to my body once more. “I told you I was built just like a human male, parts and all.”

  “Built like a human, only better,” she said, looking down at me with a mischievous grin on her face. Her hair blanketed both of us in softness, shielding us from the rest of the world in that moment.

  “Better?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “Bigger,” she whispered, blushing slightly as she spoke. “Much, much bigger.”

  “Oh,” I said, feeling some pride in that statement. “Well, I'm considered well-endowed on my planet as well, so it's by no means average.”

  “Actually, that's not true. The average male–” Anjol started to say.

  “Shh, let me have my moment.”

  Paige laughed, kissing me as I wrapped my arms around her beautiful, naked body. That right there, was something I could get used to. Being with a woman like Paige was something I'd always wanted, but never thought possible. Not on my home planet, at least. She was different, and I meant that when I'd said it. I was falling in love with her because of those differences.

  We both rolled over together, and I slipped out of her. We curled up together in her bed, our bodies exhausted and depleted of energy. All I wanted to do was sleep right there, curled up and snuggling her warm body, but I knew I had to stay awake. I had to protect her.

  “Sleep, Paige,” I whispered, pushing the hair away from her face. “Get some sleep.”

  I'd have to stay awake to watch over her and her family, too. I owed her that much after everything I'd put her through and the danger I'd put her in. Sleep wouldn't come for me, but I'd let her rest. I'd hold her, keeping her safe.

  Paige fell asleep, mumbling something or another that I couldn't make out. I kissed her forehead and rested my head on the pillow next to her. Sleep would be nice, but making sure she was safe was of the utmost importance at the moment. I just had a feeling that Kapoc's assassins were out there lurking, and I couldn't afford to let them get the upper hand.

  “Anjol, I commanded, would you please activate the energy reserves? It's going to be a long night.”

  Chapter Six

  “Incoming message from Tarkonil,” Anjol said. “It reads, ‘They're here, Baz. I picked up a transmission from them. They know where she's at, your human-friend, and they're headed that way. Escape now.’”

  Paige looked so peaceful lying there, I hated to wake her up, but I had to. We needed to get out of there and fast. As long as we were there, her parents would also be in danger, and it would be hard to explain anything to them. I couldn't imagine having to explain to them that aliens were coming to kill their daughter – and them if they got in the way – so I had no choice.

  I had to get us out of there, lead the assassins away from the home, and fight them somewhere else. Somewhere that Paige and her family would not be caught up in it. Hopefully, somewhere there would be no loss of human life at all.

  “Paige, you must wake up,” I said, nudging her awake. “We need to go. Very quickly, we must go.”

  “Go where?” she said.

  “Somewhere else. We can't stay here,” I said, my voice urgent. “The assassins I mentioned earlier are on this planet. They know about you, and they are on their way here. We need to get you out of here to lure them away from your parent's house.”

  Paige's eyes were now wide open as my message set in. “They're on their way? Here?”

  “Yes, I'm afraid so. The only way I can think to keep your parents safe is for us to leave–”

  “Okay,” Paige said, sitting up and picking up her clothes. “Yes, let's do this. Let's leave so they don't come here. We can't let anything happen to my parents, Baz.”

  “I'm doing everything in my power to prevent it.”

  She was scared, I could see it in the way she looked at me. But even though she was scared, she reacted quickly. She knew what had to be done to protect those she cared about, and in that moment, I knew I was falling in love with her. It probably wasn't the best time to be having that revelation, but what could I do? My feelings were my feelings and they didn't always come up at the most opportune times.

  Paige was so brave, even when facing an enemy that she couldn't possibly understand.

  “Let's go,” she said.

  I'd slipped back into my biosuit and had my weapons handy. They'd find us, I had no doubt about that. But the further we were from that house, the better. I would be able to fight them, to protect Paige, and we'd be fine. But we had to get away from this house so her parents would not be collateral damage.

  “Where should we go?” Paige asked me.

  I was wondering the same thing as I stared out the window to the backyard. There were trees all around us. That would give us plenty of cover.

  “Out there,” I said. “The woods. We can hide out there as we get away.”

  Paige nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Let's get moving.”

  I started to climb out the window, but she shot me a look and put her hand on my shoulder. “There's a back door we can use. That's how we civilized creatures do things,” she said with a smile on her face. “No need to climb out the window, Baz.”

  “Oh, yeah. Right.” I followed her to the kitchen and we snuck out the back door, quietly moving through the night. We reached the fence, and she opened the gate, giving one last look at her family home.

  “You okay?” I asked her.

  “Just worried about them. You sure this is the right thing to do?”

  I couldn't be sure, but knowing how vicious and tenacious the enemy was, this gave us the greatest odds of successfully drawing my brother's assassins away and keep everyone whole.

  “To protect them?” I asked. “Yes. They want you, not your family. If we're not there, they won't go there. They'll look for us.”

  She nodded, and together we walked in silence. The pine trees smelled so fresh and clean. It reminded me of when I'd first landed on this planet and how charming it all was. Everything about Earth was different than back home, and I loved it. The fresh scent was intoxicating and could almost make me forget we were running for our lives.

  We got quite a distance from her house when I heard a sound behind me. And another to my left, and yet another my right. We froze, standing there for a moment as we waited for the enemy to show themselves. I had my sword ready and kept Paige close to me, ready to die to protect this woman if it came to that.

  I felt someone step up behind me, and as I turned to face him, I felt a needle press into my arm. The pinch made me wince, but the feeling of hot liquid pouring into my veins made me grit my teeth to avoid screaming.

  “What the–” I started to say, but I didn't get to finish my question. The paralytic rushed through my veins, freezing me in my place.

  “Sorry, Baz, buddy,” a voice I recognized from my home planet said. “But you're no match for paralyzing serum. Nobody is. In fact, consider it an
honor that we'd have to use a serum to render you paralyzed in the first place.”

  I stood there, helpless and frozen. I couldn't even blink, so I was forced to watch what was unfolding before me. Watch as they killed my beautiful Paige? I couldn't let this happen. I tried to push past it and break the chemical bonds that were restraining me. But the medicine was too powerful for me.

  I mentally kicked myself hard. I'd been so confident I knew what I was doing. We had walked this way to hide from them, but they could also hide from us, and sneak up on us too, apparently.

  The man, a friend of my brother known as Rykan, smiled back at me, empty needle in his hand. Three others had Paige in restraints, and she fought against them, kicking and screaming until one of them stuffed something in her mouth to shut her up. She still fought, however, and for that I was impressed.

  She was no match for the assassins, though, and I feared for the worst.

  “Don't worry, Baz. We're not going to kill her. Not yet, at least,” Rykan said with a smirk. “Your brother insists on keeping her alive for now. But in order to see her released, he demands to meet with you back home.”

  With me being completely incapacitated, Rykan walked over and stuck a needle into Paige's arm. Her eyes grew wide as she fought, but then she went limp. Unlike the serum they'd used on me, though, the one they used on her knocked her out completely. She fell asleep in their arms like a rag doll, unable to fight any longer.

  With me there, frozen in place, I couldn't do anything about any of the situation either. I'd never felt so helpless in my entire life. I watched as they carried her lifeless body away from me. Rykan waved at me as a ship approached from above, gliding overhead, and then landing nearby.

  “See you soon, Baz. At least we better, if you don't want us having some fun with your human-friend here,” he said. “The serum in your blood right now will run its course. After that, you should be free within about five hours. We expect to see you home shortly after that.”

  He climbed aboard the ship, and the three others dragged Paige's limp body aboard after him. I watched as the space ship took off, leaving nothing but a trail of dust in its wake.

  There was nothing I could do for now. I was stuck, unable to move a muscle for several more hours. At which time, I'd have no choice but to return home and rescue Paige.

  And likely be killed by my own brother in the process.

  Book Four – Secret

  Chapter One: Baz

  The effects of the serum wore off several hours later, as expected. The first thing I felt were my fingers twitching. I was able to move them, but nothing else on my body. It was beyond frustrating to be trapped in a body that would not move or react as I needed it to. Then, as the sun was rising over this beautiful planet, I had the use of my hands again. Finally, once the sun was high in the sky, I could finally move my legs again.

  I needed to hurry. I needed to get back to Sapphire Bay to check on my ship. Hopefully, it was going to be ready to fly. But it only took one step for me to see it wasn't going to be that easy. Though functional, my legs still weren't quite right, as the muscles were a bit stiff and twitchy. It was like walking in mud, and for the first half an hour or so, running was near impossible. Every movement hurt, and my body told me to rest. After the effects of the serum wears off, your body needs to recover. But I didn't have time for that. I needed to get moving. Paige needed me.

  I saw Paige's family was awake, and knew I needed to avoid the backyard. There was no way I could return to her home. Not without her. Everything looked peaceful there. There was no sign of any problems, and her parents were probably fine. Just as she'd hoped. But I also had hoped that Paige would be okay as well, and we saw how that turned out.

  I told myself that she would be okay. I'd make it back home and see to her release. My brother wanted me, not her. She was bait. I was confident I could negotiate her release, even if it meant we'd never have a chance to be together. I knew what my brother was trying to do by luring me there, and as long as she was safe and out of harm's way, I would pay whatever price I was required to pay.

  There was only one outcome to be expected from me returning home, and that would be my death.

  “Are you sure you want to go back then?” Anjol asked me.

  “I have to,” I said. “They have Paige.”

  “There are other humans on this earth – several billion, to be exact. There are plenty of women. Statistically speaking, there are more women–”

  “No, Anjol,” I said out loud, rubbing my aching temples.

  I needed a drink, badly. But I needed to get to the car I'd stolen first. And then, I needed to get to my ship. I had to get moving and had no time to stop.

  “Not just any woman will do,” I said. “Don't you see? I'm falling in love with her.”

  There was a man in a blue uniform delivering what looked like white envelopes into the small metal box outside Paige's parent's house. He stopped and stared at me, looking concerned.

  “Sorry,” I said, smiling toward him and pointing at my ear. “Bluetooth. Talking to a friend.”

  I was thankful Anjol had told me about such technology, not that I knew what Bluetooth even meant, but it seemed to satisfy the man who went back to his delivery vehicle without a second glance.

  The Tesla was parked exactly where I'd left it, and I nearly walked toward it, intent on climbing inside and getting out of there. But out of the corner of my eye, I saw a police car parked not too far away. An officer was speaking into one of their communication devices as they watched the car. Uh oh.

  I switched track and pretended to be walking down the street, without so much as a second glance at the car I'd stolen. There should be no sign of me in the vehicle and no way to prove I was the one who'd stolen it. I kept walking as I overheard the response to the officer.

  “Belonging to a Harold Jenkins,” the voice crackled over their communication device. “Reported stolen at six o'clock this morning from Sapphire Bay, California.”

  Good thing I'd kept walking. But there was one little problem. How was I going to get back?

  Steal another car? As I weighed my ever-so limited options, I realized that I had no other choice.

  “How did Paige get to her parent's house?” Anjol asked me.

  “Most likely she drove…Ah ha! That’s it, Anjol.”

  “I know, that is why I asked you the question to begin with.”

  I doubled back around and waved at the mailman as I walked past him again, keeping my conversation to myself this time. Paige's car was parked out in front of her parent's home. Considering the fact that Paige wasn't even on this planet anymore, it was a safe bet that I could probably borrow her transport.

  Anjol worked his magic once more, unlocking the automatic locks. Hers wasn't a keyless start, but Anjol helped me there, too. Walking me through the simple steps of hotwiring the car, Anjol helped me get her car started right up without a hitch.

  Now for the fun part, I thought to myself with a smile, clasping my hands together as I fastened my seat belt.

  “Baz. Be careful, please.”

  “Of course, I'll be careful, Anjol. I have to make it to my ship alive if I want to save Paige. But we have to hurry, anyway.”

  Anjol sighed. Yes, the computer chip in my headache sighed. I ignored it, however.

  Paige's car was much easier to drive than the Tesla, mainly because there were fewer gadgets and buttons for me to press and play with. It also didn't go as fast, which was a problem only because I was in a hurry.

  “Probably better that way,” Anjol reminded me. “At least this way you won't get stopped by the local authorities for speeding and draw attention to yourself.”

  “Good point, Anjol. Good point.”

  Chapter Two

  I made it to Sapphire Bay in just over an hour, and I quickly rushed to check on my ship. Parking Paige's car behind her club, I got out and headed for the forest. I ran amongst the tress as quickly as I could, hoping that my ship w
ould be space ready. Tarkonil never heard me coming – he sometimes gets so lost in his work that he is oblivious to anything going on around him. I burst through the door, startling my friend who was busy at work. He jumped and acted like he was getting beaten.

  “What the hell?” he asked.

  “They have Paige,” I said. “I need to get back to Optorio. Now.”

  Tarkonil's eyes grew wide as he stared down at the part in his hand. “I need to rebuild part of the ship. It's going to take me at least another day or two, and that's working around the clock.”

  “Shit,” I muttered, pacing the workshop and staring at my broken-down hunk of metal. Somehow, we needed to get this up and running, and fast. “Shit, shit, shit.”

  “You certainly are enjoying the English language,” Anjol said.

  I ignored him. He couldn't possibly understand how it felt. How helpless, useless, and frustrated I was. I paced the workshop, not knowing if I wanted to scream in frustration or cry. My fists were clenched up, and I was ready to punch anything that got in my way.

  “I'll work day and night, Baz. We will get it up and going as quickly as possible. I promise,” he said. “He's only using her as bait, so you know she'll be safe until you get there.”

  “I know,” I said, “but I hate her being there, so scared and alone, feeling like I failed her.”

  “I understand,” Tarkonil said softly. “But listen, Baz. You know what your brother is going to do, right? You know this is a trick to get you back home so he can–”

  “So he can execute me in front of a large audience and take the throne? Yes, I already know that,” I snapped.

  “And you're still going back?”

  I was silent for a moment, staring down at my useless, pathetic hands. “I have to. I love her.”

  Tarkonil didn't say another word, he merely patted me on the back and returned to work. “I'll let you know when the ship's ready, hopefully by tomorrow.”

  “Thank you, Tarkonil,” I said. “You've been a real friend.”

  There was nothing else I could do now, except wait.

  ****

  The Mahogany Tavern felt like a lonely place without Paige, even lonelier than last night. I was sure it was all in my head, but it literally felt like she was galaxies away from me – because she was – and there wasn't anything I could do about it. All I could do was sit there and wonder if she was okay, if Kapoc was treating her well, and if she was scared and alone.