by Hope Hart
I sigh. “Look, my sister was a pageant queen. I’m talking gorgeous. She was thin and sporty and basically a spitting image of my mom. I got all my genes from my dad’s side, and they never let me forget it.”
Alexis nods. “I get it.”
I tilt my head at her, unconvinced, and she raises one eyebrow. “You think you’re the only woman to be told some next-level bullshit about the way she looks? Join the club. The difference is, I grew out of those terrible teenage years, and now I let that shit roll off my back. By believing you’re unworthy of love and affection, you let them win.”
I sigh. “Easy for you to say,” I mutter. “You’re gorgeous.”
She rolls her eyes, leaning back on the cushion, and scans her gaze over my body. “Are you kidding me? You’re all tits and hips. I’ve been saving for a boob job for years.”
I stare at her, and she rolls her eyes again, and then we both turn as someone opens the kradi flap.
“Oh, hey, guys.”
My mouth drops open as Nevada walks in…wearing leather pants.
Alexis bursts out laughing, and Nevada grins at her.
“Better, huh? These guys are idiots if they think I’m going to be fighting in a dress.”
Alexis snorts. “I don’t think they’re expecting you to be fighting at all.”
“Yeah. Silly men.” Nevada gives me a look. “And what happened to you last night?”
“She had a slumber party without us. But the good news is that she’s convinced Terex to go look for Charlie. I’m going with them.”
Nevada doesn’t even hesitate. “I’m going too.”
“Going where?” Vivian ducks into the kradi, her mouth thinning into a narrow line when she notices me.
“We’re going to find Charlie,” Alexis says. “But someone should probably stay here in case these guys find the others.”
Vivian nods. “I’ll stay,” she says, and I blow out a breath of relief.
The bells ring, and we all turn as Terex steps inside.
“Hello, tiny female,” he says with a grin, his violet gaze steady on me. “Did you miss me?”
“Jeez,” Alexis says, fanning her face. “If she didn’t, I sure did.”
I grin at her, trying to ignore the way Vivian’s eyeing up Terex’s huge body from where she’s lounging near the fire.
He keeps his gaze on me, letting it dance over my body in a way that clearly tells me he likes what he sees.
“Yes,” I say boldly, watching his eyes darken. “I missed you.”
Terex
I leave Ellie sleeping in my kradi, pleased to see her resting and healing. She won’t admit it, but she’s still exhausted, quickly falling asleep almost as soon as she places her head on the pillow.
Then I make my way to Rakiz, ready for battle. I must convince him that I should be the one to go look for Ellie’s friend.
I find him leaning against the entrance to his tashiv, staring into the distance. “This female is driving me to madness,” he says when I arrive, not looking at me.
I frown and turn, my mouth falling open as I stare at the training arena. Our camp is always designed this way even though we move with the seasons. The king’s hut is built overlooking the warriors as they train.
Today, there is little training happening. Oh, the males clash swords, but their movements are sloppy, all of them too busy staring at the female in warrior’s pants as she attempts to pick up a sword that likely weighs more than she does.
“Gods,” I say, and Rakiz nods.
Nevada manages to lift the sword, but it’s too heavy for her, and she ends up letting it fall to the ground, clearly disgusted. One of the males calls out to her, and she puts one finger in the air, waving it at him in what is likely a lewd gesture.
A laugh escapes me, and Rakiz glances at me, unamused.
“I’m sorry, but how long do you think it’ll take before she’s challenging our warriors?”
Rakiz closes his eyes at the thought, and then we both watch as Asroz takes pity on her. He steps forward, offering one of the smaller, lighter training swords used for males who have not yet had their first hunt.
She nods at him, taking the sword and swinging it in her hand. It’s a good size for her, and Rakiz curses beside me, although the corner of his lip turns up.
“That female looks like she was born with a sword in her hand.”
I grin, and we both watch as she stares at the young males training on the far side of the area, mimicking their movements.
Asroz steps forward, and she nods again at whatever he says, adjusting her hold on the sword. Rakiz narrows his eyes and then turns, striding back into his hut.
I let a low growl escape. Negotiating with Rakiz is difficult at the best of times, but something about that female puts him in a filthy mood.
I follow him inside and get straight to the point.
“I have promised my female that we will look for their injured friend who disappeared during the battle,” I announce, and Rakiz takes a seat, leaning back even as a muscle twitches near his eye.
I sigh. This is unlikely to go well.
“You have declared your intent to mate with this female?”
“No.”
“Yet you call her yours.”
I sigh again. Rakiz may be king, but we are still friends.
“I believe she is,” I say, sitting beside him. “I believe the Gods made her for me, and I can convince her to stay.”
Rakiz raises one eyebrow. “Truly?”
I think of the way Ellie’s eyes lit up when I found her in her friends’ kradi today. “Truly.”
He sighs, a low growl escaping as he gets to his feet. “You believe we can do without you?”
“You know I wouldn’t leave this camp if I truly believed our people would be at risk.”
Rakiz slowly nods. “What makes you think you can find this female?”
“We searched the immediate area for her, checking in every hiding place we could find in case she crawled away to hide while wounded. She was bleeding heavily when I first noticed the females, and she would not have gotten far alone. I will approach Dexar’s tribe. He has scouts in the area, and they may have seen something.”
Rakiz nods again, and I clear my throat.
“One more thing. Alexis, one of the other females, would like to join us. Along with…Nevada.”
Rakiz’s expression darkens at the reminder of the female currently training with our men. “You will need at least one more male with you for protection.”
I nod. “Hexer is due to return any day now with his watch. There are five warriors with him. We must wait until Moni says Ellie can travel anyway. I would like to take two more males with us—one for each of the females.”
Rakiz is silent for a long moment, his gaze flicking toward the training arena once more.
“Fine. You can leave as soon as Hexer returns.”
Chapter Eight
Ellie
Two days later, Moni finally gives me the all clear to travel. My arm’s still in a sling, but my elbow feels much better. So much better that I’d love to know what exactly is in that terrible green salve. On Earth, I’d likely be in a cast or something, yet now my arm feels good enough that I’m no longer treated to stabbing pain every time I do something simple like get changed.
Terex has been the perfect gentleman, helping me in and out of my clothes. He hasn’t kissed me again, but his eyes drop to my lips enough to make me think he wants to.
I’m not sure why he’s hesitating. Maybe he’s waiting for me to make the first move this time?
I let my gaze drift over his body as he gets his mishua ready for travel. Deraz and Asroz are coming with us, and they’re saddling up their mishua—Asroz explaining the process to Nevada, who’s nodding as she listens intently. She asked for her own mishua but was told that the beasts don’t tolerate females riding them unless they’re tethered to another mishua and the trip would be too long. Nevada’s eyes narrowed in cha
llenge as she stared at the mishua grazing in their pens, and Terex buried his face in my hair at her expression, his shoulders shaking with laughter.
Nevada seems to shock and amuse the Braxian people, who don’t know what to make of a woman who wears men’s pants and carries a sword. Alexis is becoming a well-known face in the kitchen, where she’s learning about the different types of food here, while Vivian made friends with one of the seamstresses, loudly proclaiming that the dresses she created are the most attractive.
Yesterday, Terex gave me a tour, showing me the large communal areas where people gather to hang out, eat, and even bathe. The first thing I noticed? Men outnumber women ten to one.
“Why are there so few women here?” I asked Terex.
“We do not know. Something about this planet is inhospitable to females. All tribes struggle to continue their lines, with fewer females born each year. Our birth rates are low, and the Voildi continue to breed and breed.”
I repeated this to Alexis, who frowned, muttering aloud.
“Something in the water? Some kind of nutrient deficiency? What could make this happen on an entire planet? And what do these guys mean by the whole planet? It’s not like they have great technology. Do they actually know if this is happening everywhere? Or just in their corner of their world?”
I shrugged, leaving her to her muttering.
“You ready?”
I turn to find Nevada grinning at me. “Yup. Terex found me some more clothes, and he said he’s got everything else we need. You look happy.”
She nods. “I am. It’s a relief to be doing something, you know?”
“I sure do. Do you really think we’ll find them?”
“I have to believe that we’ll find them. I won’t give up on them.”
Her confidence is infectious, and I nod as Terex returns, ready to lift me onto the mishua. It seems as if half the tribe has gathered to see us off, and even Rakiz is standing nearby, deep in conversation with Deraz.
Rakiz slaps Deraz on the back and nods to Terex and Asroz. Once everyone has mounted, his dark gaze scans us.
“Travel well,” he says, and then we’re moving, the mishua jostling each other, obviously excited to be out of their pen.
Terex leans forward, murmuring in my ear. “I brought some salve for you,” he says.
“Oh, I have some too. Moni said I only need to use it twice a day now.”
“Not that one. The one for between your thighs. I’d be happy to apply it for you later,” he says, his voice low and suggestive.
I blush, squirming, and my thighs tense. The mishua snorts, and I force myself to relax.
“Actually,” I say, “that’s no longer a problem.”
I lift my long dress, displaying a pair of his leather pants. I stole them and gave them to Nevada, who convinced one of the seamstresses to tailor them for me.
Terex growls behind me, and I laugh as I turn, meeting his eyes.
“I find I enjoy seeing you in my pants,” he says. And then he finally brushes a kiss over my mouth, pulling me closer. His lips fit against mine, tongue stroking, and I sigh against his mouth.
My eyes meet Alexis’s, and she grins at me.
“Get a room,” she mouths, and I laugh again.
I wish.
Sometimes, Alexis reminds me of Amelia, with her long, straight blonde hair and icy blue eyes. But then she’ll make a hilariously vulgar comment or notice I need a hug, and I’m reminded that she’s nothing like my sister.
Terex places a gentle kiss on my neck and then turns the mishua, following after the others.
Over the past few days, I’ve been obsessed with the idea of Terex’s huge body above me, below me, behind me, basically any way I can get it. I fantasize about him, desperate to feel his hands on me. Other than our kiss that first morning, he’s been careful, barely touching me. I don’t know if it’s because of my arm or if I weirded him out that day with my tears.
One thing is for sure: the moment I’m out of this sling, I’m going to seduce the alien warrior. As soon as we find Charlie and the others, we’re going to be coming up with some plan to get home. And that means that I may only have a few weeks or even days with the man who makes me feel so much.
If we only have a short amount of time together, I’m going to make it count. I’ve never felt like this before. Sure, I’ve had crushes, but Terex is different. Terex makes me feel protected but also attractive and sexy.
I don’t know what it is about him that makes me feel like he’d never hurt me, but from the moment I met him, I’ve felt safe.
I doze on and off throughout the day, slumped against Terex. While my pants make riding a lot easier, my muscles are still aching when we finally stop for the night. The guys set up our camp next to a long river. Nevada watches them start a fire while Alexis and I take off our shoes and paddle in the river, squealing at the cold water.
According to Terex, we’re lucky we crash-landed here when we did. Any earlier, and we would’ve been barefoot in the frost. I shiver at the thought and splash some water on my face before we make our way back to camp.
“Tell me,” Nevada says once we’re all eating around the fire. “What do you think the Voildi have done with the other women?”
I tense at the thought, and Terex rubs my shoulders. He’s sitting behind me, handing me the best parts of whichever beastie they caught earlier. The meat is tender and perfectly cooked, and I can’t help but wonder if our friends are eating.
Or if they’ve been eaten.
I push that thought away, but I shake my head as Terex offers me more food. I’m no longer hungry.
Asroz clears his throat. “We’ve thought about this. Typically, the Voildi would see the females as fresh meat,” he says frankly, and I blow out a long breath, trying not to puke.
“But these Voildi looked different.” He frowns.
Deraz nods. “They dressed differently and appeared almost civilized.”
“What does that mean?” Alexis asks.
Asroz shrugs. “Females are highly prized on this planet. If their pack leader is able to overcome his basic instincts, he could sell the females for more money than his pack could ever hope to see in their lifetimes.”
I tense at the thought, and suddenly all I can hear is the auctioneer on that horrible planet. All I can see is the amused, mocking eyes of the crowd as we’re all sold.
“Let’s hope that’s the case,” Nevada says, and Asroz nods.
“There are only so many places that females can be sold. If Rakiz was to learn of such a place…” He trails off, and Deraz laughs.
“He would send our best warriors to cut down every Voildi in sight and take the females for their own.”
Nevada’s face clearly says what she thinks of that idea, and Terex shifts behind me.
“Rakiz is committed to our tribe,” he tells her. “We need females for it to continue to grow. But he is also a good male.” His voice gentles. “He would never allow females to be abused.”
Nevada scowls at him but turns her head, staring thoughtfully into the night.
Terex
I wake, my body tense with need as Ellie shifts beside me, wiggling her ass as she backs closer to my warmth.
I close my eyes as I attempt to get my body back under control.
The last few days have been torture with my tiny female so close. But I will not touch her until she is no longer in pain.
A small part of me is waiting. Waiting for Ellie to kiss me, to show that she truly wants me. I’ve caught her eyes drifting to my lips, her avid gaze dancing over my body when she thinks I’m not watching.
My Ellie is shy and uncertain. I find this curious and strangely adorable.
I will wait as long as she needs.
I groan as Ellie wiggles again, and then she turns over, careful of her arm. Thankfully, it seems to pain her less and less each day.
“Good morning,” she says.
“Good morning,” I reply, my voice hoarse.
She smiles at me, and I want to wake up like this every day. Well, perhaps not every day. Sometimes, I want to wake with my female’s hand wrapped around my cock. Other days, I want to wake her by licking her cunt until she screams my name.
These thoughts are not helping my situation, and I close my eyes once more.
“Wow,” Ellie says suddenly, and I almost groan again as her warm fingers stroke my chest. One finger dances along my shoulder, and I shudder against her.
“Are these sensitive?”
I open my eyes. Ellie is staring at the scales along my shoulders and upper chest, and her eyes widen as they darken.
“They change color?”
I clear my throat. “Our scales reflect our emotions. It is thought that our ancestors used them as camouflage.”
Ellie dances her finger over my shoulder again, and I catch it with a growl. Her eyes widen, and then an entrancing blush rises along her cheekbones.
“Does that feel good?” Her voice is low, eyes curious.
“You have no idea how good, tiny female. Your hands on me…”
A tiny smile pulls at her mouth. It stuns me that this female seems to be completely unaware of her power over me. But from the mischievous look on her face, she’s enjoying my reaction to her.
“Knock, knock, lovebirds.”
Ellie rolls away and sits up, wincing slightly at the movement, and that is enough for me to regain control. My female has been harmed enough on this planet. My need for her can wait until she is no longer in pain.
“We’re getting up now, Alexis,” Ellie calls.
Within moments, Ellie has pulled on her clothes, sending me one more smile before she leaves me to get ready. I pull my pants on over my aching cock and then dismantle our small travel kradi, packing it away.
The day is long. This time, Ellie doesn’t sleep but chats to me about the children she taught on her planet. Her stories make me laugh, and while I do not quite understand all the words she says, it’s clear that she loved each of the children she taught.
“You could teach children in our tribe,” I say suddenly, and Ellie’s mouth opens in surprise.
